I remember well, when I was a youth, wandering over the mansion, exploring, with boyish eagerness, the wonders of its stately chambers, filled with ponderous cabinets, gilded and gorgeous to the sight, admiring, in silent ecstasy, the solemn and gloomy grandeur of its lofty rooms, the imposing and almost regal splendour of its gothic furniture, antique portraits, suits of armour, and other appendages of these baronial residences; or perhaps viewing it of an evening, when I might have said, with my favourite poet, -

'The moon on the east oriel shone

Through slender shafts of shapeless stone.

By foliaged tracery combin'd

Thou wouldst have thought some fairy's hand,

Twixt poplars straight, the osier wand

In many a freakish knot had twin'd,

Then firam'd a spell when the work was done.

And chang'd the willow-wreaths to stone!"

Even to my youthful mind, these spectacles never failed to throw an air of more than ordinary interest on the scene, bordering on enchantment; which those of my readers, who have visited the antique mansions of former times, viewing them, as I have often done, at such peculiar seasons, can well describe. In addition to these, I may mention, that the mansion was surrounded by a noble park, thickly tenanted with game of every kind, from the timid, fawn to the gay-plumaged pheasant; that its grounds contained a nuge pond, wherein sported at ease the natives of the aqueous element; marble basons (fed by springs of great extent), containing "a store of golden and silver fishes/' as the old deeds express it; capacious and roomy baths, old-fashioned and grotesque statues and ornaments; a noble carriage drive, over a smooth and verdant lawn; and gardens filled with rare horticultural curiosities!

I have been the more particular in these recitals, as it may recal to the memory of many of my readers, not only the re, semblance of customs defunct, and days long since expired; but may perchance, to some of them, raise up as it were the vision or similitude of the dwelling described; particularly as nearly the same style of architecture existed in various parts of England, not many years back: and some few may perchance recollect having visited the identical spot before treated of, from whence the "lords of the manor" exercised their feudal sway, down to as late a period as the termination of the eighteenth century.

To return, however, to the contents of the coffer. - The leaden "breast-plate," as it was called by the rustics, proved to be a charm or amulet worn for some magical purpose, which of course I could not discover. The manuscript was the great object of my research: it was a huge and uncouth-looking parchment volume, rudely bound in wood, with leather thongs, and enormous clasps, of what was once, no doubt, highly polished steel; chased and ornamented with death's HEADS, SKULLS, CROSS BONES, 8CYTHEI, ARROWS, Or darts, and sundry Monkish emblems of mortality. Time had, however, corroded these with its usual rust; and the volume itself was also so grievously discoloured, and the ink wherewith it was written so faded, that part thereof was absolutely illegible. It appeared, upon further observation relative to the formation of its penmanship, and the style of its ortho, graphy, to have been written in the fifteenth century. And, as it was discovered under the foundations of that part of the edifice denominated the Chapel, it was no doubt the labour of some secluded mystical monk or friar, who thus sought to beguile the asperity of his devotions. Its execution as a work of caligraphy was elaborate enough to authorize the belief that years were requisite for its completion.

The curiosity which this volume itself had, from the very first mention of it at the inn, excited in my mind, I found amply rewarded by a perusal of its very extraordinary contents, part whereof treated of "the arte magicke," of the "invocations and calls of demones," of "telesmes," "charmes,,, "enchantments," and "the arte negromancye." But these were nearly all illegible and imperfect, the greater part defaced entirely, as if time itself had waged especial war with the ungodly lore they taught. This, however, did not grieve me, for I have ever held such superstitions as unlawful, and as Jar remote from the pure sci-ence of the stars as light is from darkness; and my researches were soon gratified in a more pointed manner by my discover, ing that one part of the manuscript contained an entire treatise or part on a most interesting subject, and my joy was great when I found this part to be perfectly legible, decipherable, translateable, and, as bibliomanists term it, in "good preserva, tion;,' the perusal of which at a subsequent period determined me to submit its contents for public approbation at some future season. It was entitled, moreover, par excellence, I presume -

"The Regal Boke of Dreemes;

A mervellous and faytheful Erpounder of Nyghte Visiones."

I have preserved the orthography of the title entire, as it is curious when compared with the elegant phraseology of the present day. From this manuscript, so singularly preserved for several centuries, it is that the following pages are compiled; and, making allowances for the expunging of obsolete words, the alteration of similes now no longer to be understood, and such like unavoidable differences (for were the MS. to be printed in its original form, it would be useless to all but antiquarians), the transcript therefrom is as much like the original as it could possibly be, consistent with the enlightened literature of the nineteenth century. While, as an original work, I may without fear of contradiction affirm, that nothing of the kind has ever yet appeared; and, whether we regard its extreme simplicity (although the answers appear founded on the occult mysteries of figures); the quaint pointedness of its oracles; or the extraordinary variety of its signs, which are upwards of one thousand in number, I think I may be allowed to term it a curiosity unique of its kind, consequently valuable, even to those who affect to deny the forewarnings or presages derived from dreams. I am aware there are many such as these, but there are few persons who have not had their incredulity staggered at times by the coincidences occurring between certain dreams and the events preceding. And, on the other hand, full two thirds of mankind, on a moderate computation, believe and "put faith" in nocturnal admonitions. - To such as the latter, I presume it will prove a valuable present, while to all classes it must prove highly interesting as a record of ancient superstitions in a tangible form, regarding the nocturnal wanderings, excitements, and imaginations of the soul.