To the truth of an account so fully and circumstantially given, and on such authority, it may be thonght an unreasonable attachment to system to refuse assent; and it must be' ad-mitted, that if we could suppose departed shades to be allowed to appear, the message which Sir George Villiers is represented to have instructed the officer to deliver to his son, was such as argued a parental solicitude, and was calculated to produce that change in the conduct of the duke which might have averted bis impending fate. The author, however, though be presumes not to reject the account, has only to remark, that it should be remembered, that the death of the Duke of Buckingham was a subject of great national importance. That his distinguished character and influence, tmd the impressive circumstances under which he was assassinated, rendered it a subject of universal conversation. The imagination of men was set on float, and every one was, doubtless, eager to communicate what might interest attention. The noble historian tells us, that there were many stories scattered abroad at that time, of several prophecies and predictions of the duke's untimely and violent death. Omens of this kind were easily fabricated, and believed, in an age not free from superstition. -The affection of relations is disposed to collect and exaggerate every particular connected with the death of those on whom their happiness and prosperity may have depended. It may be considered also, that it is by no means impossible that the dream and message might have been contrived by the countess, with design to produce an impression on the duke, and a reformation, that might secure him front the effect of the unpopularity to which she saw that he was exposed. She was probably the person mentioned by the duke, as the possessor of the secrets which were disclosed; and the duke's anger might proceed from the suspicion, that she had betrayed them. It may be observed, that the name of the officer is not mentioned by Lord Clarendon, though other writers indeed call him Towerson, and others Towse *.

Upon the whole, the author is inclined to consider the dream as the invention of affectionate credulity; as also that of the Countess of Denbigh, the duke's sister, who is reported to have dreamed, that as she passed through a field with her brother in his coach, she heard a sudden shout of the people, and on inquiring the reason, was told that it was for joy that the Duke of Buckingham was sick She had scarcely related this dream, it is added, to her gentlewoman, than the Bishop of Ely came to inform her of the dukes death.

* Vid. 'Peck in Desid. Curios. Nichol's Leicestershire, vol. iii. p. 208, and Gent. Magaz. for Dec. 1801. Tha narrative was first mentioned in Lilly's Monarchy or No Monarchy.

There is a remarkable relation in Burnet's Account of the lire and Death of John Ear) of Rochester. The chaplain, we are told, of the Lady Warre, the mother-in-law of the Earl, had a dream which informed him that on such a day he should die, but being by all the family put out of the belief of it, he had almost forgotten it; until! the evening before the day which had been mentioned, there being at supper thirteen at table, according to a fond conceit that one of them must die, one of the young ladies pointed to him that he was to be the person; he remembering his dream fell into some disorder, and the Lady Warre reproving him for his superstition, he said that he was confident that he was to die before morning, but he being in perfect health it was not much minded. It was on Saturday night, and be was to preach next day, be went up to his chamber and sat up late, as appeared by the burning of his candle, and he bad been preparing his notes for his sermon, but was found dead in Ins bed the next morning. There can be no doubt that the earl, conversing under very serious sentiments, believed the relation which be gave to its reporter; bat it is possible that he might have heard the story from friends more solicitous for his reformation, than for a scrupulous adherence to truth. There is, certainly, some slight appearance of inconsistency; in the story; but admitting it to be strictly true, it only seems to furnish one among many instances of the clanger of exciting or yielding to superstitious impressions. The chaplain having dreamt that he should die, and been led by the inconsiderate remark of the young lady to be struck a second time with that conviction, probably fell a victim to his terrors. If it were a divine dream, it seems not to have had any adequate object, unless indeed we suppose it to have been designed to awaken reflection, and a belief in the superior nature of the soul, - as we find it contributed to make the Earl of Rochester believe that the soul was a substance distinct from matter.

Lord-Lyttelton, the son of the historian, whose Ardent imagination' might have kindled into terrors when he reflected on his vicious life is said to have been scared by forebodings which probably occasioned his death; others conceive him to have put an end to his own existence, agreeably to a prediction which he had made.

Mr. Toole, the distinguished comedian, is related to have had a presentiment of his death, which was, probably,- nothing but a gloomy fear resulting from ill health, and en-creased on the prospect of his departure from England. Such anticipations are but the suggestions of alarm, or the feelings of approaching dissolution. As all men the, and all think on the subject of death with the deepest interest, it is not extraordinary that some should dream about it at critical periods, and foresee its approach.

Captain Richard. Hutten's ship, on the 6th of January 1701, struck on the Caskets near Alderney, and stoved to pieces; the master and six of the men were drowned, and nine men saved. The masts falling upon the rocks, some being on the shrouds fell with it and swung themselves on by part of the other rigging; not having secured any bread they -subsisted fourteen days on the ship's dog which they eat raw, and on limpets and weeds that grew on the rocks. They had once sight of the Express, Advice boat, but were not perceived by its crew. About the 18th or 19th one Taskard's son, apprentice of a master of a ship at Lymington, dreamed that he was taking up several men about the Caskets, and told it to his father, but he took no notice of it; but on the 20th set sail in his bark from Guernsey bound for Southampton, and when he came in view of the Caskets, the boy remembering his dream, looked earnestly upon them, and told his father he saw men upon the Caskets, his father chid and contradicted him; but on the boy's persisting, discovered by his glass one man on the rock waving his cap, upon which he steered and came to anchor on the leeward of the rock, it being a great sea; he took them alt into his boat, and brought them safe to Southampton*. The author is not aware upon what authority this is related.