DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0087
THE SAMPFORD GHOST.
71
well know; and it is a pity that Mr. Colton had not been
brought up to some such useful exertion, or other handicraft
employment, instead of having been designed to flourish as
a Greek scholar, and becoming an incumbrance on the
church, of which, judging from his conduct on this occa-
sion, it might be happily relieved without the least danger to
its interests.
When this Reverend Gentleman commenced the state-
ment which accompanied his affidavit, by indulging in his
ever-memorable hypothesis, cc that a belief in ghosts was
favourable to virtue,” several smiled at his folly and pitied
his credulity. Many an honest man has been misled by the
artifices of rogues, but no honest man will persist in an error
when the truth is presented to him in the simple garb of
self-evident facts. Having given him credit for sincerity in
the impressions which had occurred to him from his visita-
tions to Sampford, charity led all to hope that he would have
taken the earliest opportunity of undeceiving the public,
whose understandings he had grossly insulted by his specious
affidavit. Instead of this, he allowed a whole month to
elapse, though he had been no less than fifteen times to the
premises, and suffered the poison of his superstition to settle
in the minds of ignorant country people, and young child-
ren, without the slightest effort towards an honest exposition
of the adopted knavery. So far indeed from making such
attempt, he had strove all in his power to suppress this dis-
covery : he published an appendix to his narrative, and the
following affidavit closed this extraordinary appendix.
“ Thursday, September 2/ th, 1810, John Chave, William
Taylor, James Dodge, and Sally Case, voluntarily make oath
this day as follows :—f That they are intirely ignorant of
the cause of all those extraordinary circumstances that have
and are occurring in the house of Mr. Chave, in the parish
of Sampford. Also, that they have never made in or on
any part of the premises, any sounds or noises, by day or
71
well know; and it is a pity that Mr. Colton had not been
brought up to some such useful exertion, or other handicraft
employment, instead of having been designed to flourish as
a Greek scholar, and becoming an incumbrance on the
church, of which, judging from his conduct on this occa-
sion, it might be happily relieved without the least danger to
its interests.
When this Reverend Gentleman commenced the state-
ment which accompanied his affidavit, by indulging in his
ever-memorable hypothesis, cc that a belief in ghosts was
favourable to virtue,” several smiled at his folly and pitied
his credulity. Many an honest man has been misled by the
artifices of rogues, but no honest man will persist in an error
when the truth is presented to him in the simple garb of
self-evident facts. Having given him credit for sincerity in
the impressions which had occurred to him from his visita-
tions to Sampford, charity led all to hope that he would have
taken the earliest opportunity of undeceiving the public,
whose understandings he had grossly insulted by his specious
affidavit. Instead of this, he allowed a whole month to
elapse, though he had been no less than fifteen times to the
premises, and suffered the poison of his superstition to settle
in the minds of ignorant country people, and young child-
ren, without the slightest effort towards an honest exposition
of the adopted knavery. So far indeed from making such
attempt, he had strove all in his power to suppress this dis-
covery : he published an appendix to his narrative, and the
following affidavit closed this extraordinary appendix.
“ Thursday, September 2/ th, 1810, John Chave, William
Taylor, James Dodge, and Sally Case, voluntarily make oath
this day as follows :—f That they are intirely ignorant of
the cause of all those extraordinary circumstances that have
and are occurring in the house of Mr. Chave, in the parish
of Sampford. Also, that they have never made in or on
any part of the premises, any sounds or noises, by day or