The Table book; . y distinct; by degrees theybecame visibly less plain, without decreas-ing in number, as had often formerly beenthe case. The figures did not move off,neither did they vanish, which also hadusually happened on other occasions. Inthis instance they dissolved immediatelyinto air; of some even whole pieces re-mained for a length of time, which also bydegrees were lost to the eye At abouteight oclock there did not remain a vestigeof any of them, and I have never sinceexperienced any appearance of the samekind. Twice or thrice since that tim*- 1have felt a propensity, if I may be s
The Table book; . y distinct; by degrees theybecame visibly less plain, without decreas-ing in number, as had often formerly beenthe case. The figures did not move off,neither did they vanish, which also hadusually happened on other occasions. Inthis instance they dissolved immediatelyinto air; of some even whole pieces re-mained for a length of time, which also bydegrees were lost to the eye At abouteight oclock there did not remain a vestigeof any of them, and I have never sinceexperienced any appearance of the samekind. Twice or thrice since that tim*- 1have felt a propensity, if I may be so allowed to express myself, or a sensation, asif I saw something which in a momentagain was gone. I was even surprised bythis sensation whilst writing the presentaccount, having, in order to render it moreaccurate, perused the papers of 1791, andrecalled to rny memory all the circumstancesof that time. So little are we sometimes,even in the greatest composure of mind,masters of our imagination 357 THE TABLE THE PORCH OF BECKENHAM CHURCH-YARD. Beyond the Lich-gate stand ten ancient yews—Branching so high they seem like giant mutes,With plumes, awaiting rich mens funeralsAnd poor mens buryngs :—stretching, over all,An arch of triumph for Deaths victories. * Over tne wickets to many of the church- the death-owl was anciently called the Uch-yards in Kent is a shed, or covered way, of owl. ancient structure, used as a ,tsting-placefor funerals, and • for the shelter of thecorpse until the minister arrives to com-mence the service for the dead. This atBeckenham is one of the most perfect inthe county: the footway beyond, to thegreat entrance-door of the church, is cano-pied by a grove of trees, sad sociate tograces. These old ciiurch-yard buildings,now only seen in villages, were formerlycalled lich-gates, and the paths to themwece called lich-lanes, or word lich signified a corpse Hence The shrieking Litch-owl, that doth never cryBut boding death, and qui
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