with such expedition, and it will be more easy to resolve their questions. Some will know of me, why or how I do pursue some pains from place to place, till I have chased them out of the body, by laying my hands on the outside of the clothes only (as is usual), and not all pains? To which I answer, that—and others have been abundantly satisfied that it is so-though I am not able to give a reason, yet I am apt to believe there are some pains which afflict men after the manner of evil spirits, which kind of pains cannot endure my hand, nay, not my gloves, but fly immediately, though six or eight coats or cloaks be put between the person and my hand; as at the Lady Ranelagh's at York House, in London, as well as in Ireland, has been manifested. Now, another question will arise, whether the operation of my hand proceeds from the temperature of my body, or from a divine gift, or from both? To which I say, that I have reason to believe that there is some extraordinary gift of God.' At the end of his narrative are appended a number of certificates as to his cures, signed by the most respectable, pious, and learned persons of the day, amongst whom are the Honourable Robert Boyle, Bishop Rust, Dr Cudworth, Dr Patrick, Dr Whichcot, and Dr Wilkins. In 1667, he returned to Ireland, where he lived for many years, but without sustaining his reputation for curing. It appears, however, that, upon the strictest inquiry, no blemish could ever be found to attach to the character of this extraordinary man. All he did, was done in a spirit of pure piety and benevolence. The truth of the impressive words with which he concludes his own narrative was never challenged: Whether I have done my duty as a Christian, in employing that talent which God had intrusted me withal, to the good of people distressed and afflicted, or no, judge you and every good man. Thus far I appeal to the world, whether I have taken rewards, deluded or deceived any man. All further I will say is, that I pray I may never be weary of welldoing, and that I may be found a faithful servant when I come to give up my last account.'

William Read, who lived in the reign of Queen Anne, and had been originally a poor illiterate tailor, acquired a great reputation for a gift of curing blindness and defects in the eyesight. In time, he acquired a fortune, and Queen Anne, who gave him the care of her eyes, thought proper to knight him. A wretched woman named Mapp, of coarse masculine habits, became famous about the year 1736 for a wonderful gift of setting bones; and in 1748, the whole of England rang with the fame of Bridget Bostock of Coppenhall, in Cheshire, a poor, infirm, old creature, who cured multitudes afflicted with all sorts of diseases at first, by merely having the names of patients sent to her, that she might pray for them, but afterwards by rubbing the parts affected by her fasting spittle, and blessing and praying for them on the spot. The latest examples of wonderful cures are those performed by Prince Hohenloe in 1824, by prayers said at a distance of several hundred miles from the afflicted person.

These supposed miraculous cures certainly form a curious chapter in the history of the human mind. How strange to reflect, that the belief in the power of the royal touch existed, without so much as being questioned, for the better part of a thousand years, and only came into discredit within the recollection almost of people still living! That such impostors as Read, Mapp, and Bostock, should have so recently been able to practise a thriving trade of pretended miraculous healing, also shews how far the public mind, in even the most enlightened countries, is from being in a thoroughly enlightened state. The usual mode of accounting for such pseudo-miracles, by supposing imposture on the one hand, and credulity or the influence of imagination on the other, finds only a somewhat difficult application in the case of Mr Greatrakes. The obviously disinterested character of this man, the extent of his practisings, and the attestations which they obtained from some of the most astute persons of his age, make it difficult to suppose either wilful deception or a too easy belief; and yet in what other solution

shall we take refuge? We may at least be certain that, if any other solution be ever discovered for these apparent mysteries, it will be a natural one-the operation of some law, possibly, which shews itself rarely, and which may not become a part of ascertained science for several ages to come.

THE SEVEN MEN OF GLENMORRISTON. In the extraordinary history of the wanderings of Prince Charles Stuart after the battle of Culloden, it is a part of peculiar interest, in which he is described as being succoured and faithfully protected for several weeks by a band of robbers. The civilised man of the present day is astonished to consider that, at the time when Sir Robert Walpole, speaking from his experiences amongst English gentlemen, declared every man to have his price, seven outlaws were found in the wilds of Inverness-shire, who had virtue enough to resist a bribe of L.30,000. Remark

able as this part of the history is, it is that which has been perhaps most obscurely related; a result probably of the difficulty which must have been experienced by contemporary writers in obtaining proper information.

It must be premised that, towards the close of July 1746, after more than three months of incredible hardship, Charles found himself amongst the hills between Glenmorriston and Strathglass, in Inverness-shire. He was attended by two or three faithful adherents, to whom he had recently confided himself, the principal being Macdonald of Glenaladale, who had been a major in his army. Late in the evening of the 28th, they reached the highest, and consequently safest point amongst the hills, where, though drenched with rain, the Prince could get no better lodging than a small chink in a rock, which gave him scarcely room to stretch himself, and where he had no fire, no food, and not the slightest comfort of any kind

but a pipe of tobacco. At this time, a great quantity of troops were quartered at Fort Augustus, in the centre of the county, and large parties daily scoured the glens, to lay waste the property of the disaffected, and use their best endeavours to capture the Prince. The Duke of Cumberland had given them the significant order, with a view to the stability of his father's dynasty, to make no prisoners.'

Charles had scarcely at any former period been in greater danger than now, and at no former time were his personal sufferings so great. It chanced that, a day or two before, there had been added to his party a Glengarry man, who had fled from the soldiery for his life, after they had put his father to death. This particular act of cruelty, by sending the Glengarry man in the way of the Prince, had an effect very different from what the soldiery could have contemplated, for it was the means of his being introduced to the seven Glenmorriston men, who protected him effectually for the ensuing three weeks. At three in the morning of the 29th, the Glengarry man went with Glenaladale's brother to find out these men, and to negotiate for their receiving the distressed party under their care, but without the name of the Prince being mentioned. It was also Charles's wish, by their means, to make inquiry respecting a French vessel which he understood had come to Pollew, on the west coast of Ross-shire, in order to carry him off. Some hours afterwards, by appointment, the party, including the Prince, met the two messengers on the top of a neighbouring hill, to learn what success had attended the mission. The men had been found, and had agreed to take charge of the distressed party, the chief man of whom they understood to be Glenaladale. The party was to repair to a cave called Coiraghoth, in the braes of Glenmorriston, where the men undertook to meet them before a particular hour. Charles, accordingly, set out for this place, attended by Glenaladale, the brother of that gentleman, a son of Macdonald of Borodale, the Glengarry man, and two boys.

The men who had promised to entertain the party were

only in a modified sense 'robbers.' They had been out in the rebellion, and had consequently seen their little possessions in Glenmorriston become a prey to the spoiler. About seventy of their fellow-dalesmen, who had been induced to obey an order of the Duke of Cumberland, for surrendering their arms at Inverness, had been seized and thrust on shipboard, to be deported to the colonies. These men, determined not to be dealt with after the same manner, had entered into an association of offence and defence against the Duke and his army, binding themselves, by solemn oath, never to yield; to fight on any particular emergency to the last drop of their blood; and never, till the day of their death, to give up their arms. At first, they were seven in number-namely, Patrick Grant, a farmer, commonly called Black Peter of Craskie; John Macdonell, alias Campbell; Alexander Macdonell; Alexander, Donald, and Hugh Chisholm, brothers; and Gregor Macgregor. Afterwards, in the course of their marches with the Prince, an eighth, Hugh Macmillan, joined them, and took their oath. They lived at this time a wild life amongst the mountains, supplying themselves with necessaries chiefly by bold attacks upon the military parties from whom they often retrieved cattle and other spoil.

It was into the hands of such men that the fugitive Prince was now to pass. At the appointed time, he and his friends approached the cave of Coiraghoth, where only three of the men at this time were-namely, the two Macdonells and Alexander Chisholm. Glenaladale went forward to converse with them, and hinted that he had young Clanranald in his company. They professed that they would be very glad to see young Clanranald, and take all possible care of him. They were then brought out to meet the party; but they had no sooner set eyes upon the person who was to pass for young Clanranald, than they knew him to be the Prince. He was received by them with the greatest demonstrations of fidelity and kindness, and conducted to their cave, where, at Charles's request, they took an oath, administered by Glenaladale, in the