Abouttenyearsafterwards，Londonwasagainalarmedbythestoryofahauntedhouse。Stockwell，nearVauxhall，thesceneoftheanticsofthisnewghost，becamealmostascelebratedintheannalsofsuperstitionasCockLane。Mrs。Golding，anelderlylady，whoresidedalonewithherservant，AnneRobinson，wassorelysurprisedontheeveningofTwelfth-Day，1772，toobserveamostextraordinarycommotionamonghercrockery。Cupsandsaucersrattleddownthechimney——potsandpanswerewhirleddownstairs，orthroughthewindows；andhams，cheeses，andloavesofbreaddisportedthemselvesuponthefloorasifthedevilwereinthem。This，atleast，wastheconclusionthatMrs。Goldingcameto；andbeinggreatlyalarmed，sheinvitedsomeofherneighbourstostaywithher，andprotectherfromtheevilone。Theirpresence，however，didnotputastoptotheinsurrectionofchina，andeveryroominthehousewasinashorttimestrewedwiththefragments。Thechairsandtablesjoined，atlast，inthetumults，andthingslookedaltogethersoseriousandinexplicable，thattheneighbours，dreadingthatthehouseitselfwouldnextbeseizedwithafitofmotion，andtumbleabouttheirears，leftpoorMrs。Goldingtobearthebruntofitbyherself。Theghostinthiscasewassolemnlyremonstratedwith，andurgedtotakeitsdeparture；
　　butthedemolitioncontinuingasgreatasbefore，Mrs。Goldingfinallymadeuphermindtoquitthehousealtogether。ShetookrefugewithAnneRobinsoninthehouseofaneighbour；buthisglassandcrockerybeingimmediatelysubjectedtothesamepersecution，hewasreluctantlycompelledtogivehernoticetoquit。Theoldladythusforcedbacktoherownhouse，enduredthedisturbanceforsomedayslonger，whensuspectingthatAnneRobinsonwasthecauseofallthemischief，shedismissedherfromherservice。Theextraordinaryappearancesimmediatelyceased，andwereneverafterwardsrenewed；afactwhichisofitselfsufficienttopointouttherealdisturber。A
　　longtimeafterwards，AnneRobinsonconfessedthewholemattertotheReverendMr。Brayfield。ThisgentlemanconfidedthestorytoMr。
　　Hone，whohaspublishedanexplanationofthemystery。Anne，itappears，wasanxioustohaveaclearhouse，tocarryonanintriguewithherlover，andresortedtothistricktoeffectherpurpose。Sheplacedthechinaontheshelvesinsuchamannerthatitfellontheslightestmotion，andattachedhorse-hairstootherarticles，sothatshecouldjerkthemdownfromanadjoiningroomwithoutbeingperceivedbyanyone。Shewasexceedinglydexterousatthissortofwork，andwouldhaveprovedaformidablerivaltomanyajugglerbyprofession。Afullexplanationofthewholeaffairmaybefoundinthe“Every-dayBook。“
　　Thelatestinstanceofthepopularpanicoccasionedbyahousesupposedtobehaunted，occurredinScotland，inthewinteroftheyear1838。Onthe5thofDecember，theinmatesofthefarm-houseofBaldarroch，inthedistrictofBanchory，Aberdeenshire，werealarmedbyobservingagreatnumberofsticks，pebble-stones，andclodsofearthflyingabouttheiryardandpremises。Theyendeavoured，butinvain，todiscoverwhowasthedelinquent；andtheshowerofstonescontinuingforfivedaysinsuccession，theycameatlasttotheconclusionthatthedevilandhisimpswerealonethecauseofit。Therumoursoonspreadoverallthatpartofthecountry，andhundredsofpersonscamefromfarandneartowitnesstheanticsofthedevilsofBaldarroch。Afterthefifthday，theshowerofclodsandstonesceasedontheoutsideofthepremises，andthesceneshiftedtotheinterior。
　　Spoons，knives，plates，mustard-pots，rolling-pins，andflat-ironsappearedsuddenlyenduedwiththepowerofself-motion，andwerewhirledfromroomtoroom，andrattleddownthechimneysinamannerwhichnobodycouldaccountfor。Thelidofamustard-potwasputintoacupboardbytheservant-girlinthepresenceofscoresofpeople，andinafewminutesafterwardscamebouncingdownthechimneytotheconsternationofeverybody。Therewasalsoatremendousknockingatthedoorsandontheroof，andpiecesofstickandpebble-stonesrattledagainstthewindowsandbrokethem。Thewholeneighbourhoodwasasceneofalarm；andnotonlythevulgar，butpersonsofeducation，respectablefarmers，withinacircleoftwentymiles，expressedtheirbeliefinthesupernaturalcharacteroftheseevents，andofferedupdevoutprayerstobepreservedfromthemachinationsoftheEvilOne。Thenoteoffearbeingoncesounded，thevisiters，asisgenerallythecaseinalltalesofwonder，strovewitheachotherwhoshouldwitnessthemostextraordinaryoccurrences；andwithinaweek，itwasgenerallybelievedintheparishesofBanchory-Ternan，Drumoak，Durris，Kincardine-O’Neil，andallthecircumjacentdistrictsofMearnsandAberdeenshire，thatthedevilhadbeenseenintheactofhammeringuponthehouse-topofBaldarroch。Oneoldmanassertedpositivelythat，onenight，afterhavingbeentoseethestrangegambolsoftheknivesandmustard-pots，hemetthephantomofagreatblackman，“whowheeledroundhisheadwithawhizzingnoise，makingawindabouthisearsthatalmostblewhisbonnetoff，“andthathewashauntedbyhiminthismannerforthreemiles。Itwasalsoaffirmedandbelieved，thatallhorsesanddogsthatapproachedthisenchantedground，wereimmediatelyaffected——thatagentleman，slowoffaith，hadbeencuredofhisincredulitybymeetingthebutter-churnjumpinginatthedoorashehimselfwasgoingout——thattheroofsofhouseshadbeentornoff，andthatseveralricksinthecorn-yardhaddancedaquadrilletogether，tothesoundofthedevil’sbagpipesre-echoingfromthemountain-tops。ThewomeninthefamilyofthepersecutedfarmerofBaldarrochalsokepttheirtonguesinperpetualmotion；
　　swellingwiththeirstrangestoriesthetideofpopularwonder。Thegoodwifeherself，andallherservants，saidthat，whenevertheywenttobed，theywereattackedwithstonesandothermissiles，someofwhichcamebelowtheblanketsandgentlytappedtheirtoes。Oneevening，ashoesuddenlydartedacrossagarretwheresomelabourersweresitting，andoneofthemen，whoattemptedtocatchit，sworepositivelythatitwassohotandheavyhewasunabletoholdit。Itwasalsosaidthatthebearbeaterasortofmortarusedtobruisebarleyin——anobjectofsuchweightthatitrequiresseveralmentomoveit——spontaneouslyleftthebarnandflewoverthehouse-top，alightingatthefeetofoneoftheservantmaids，andhittingher，butwithouthurtingherintheleast，orevencausingheranyalarm；
　　itbeingafactwellknowntoher，thatallobjectsthusthrownaboutbythedevillosttheirspecificgravity，andcouldharmnobody，eventhoughtheyfelluponaperson’shead。
　　AmongthepersonsdrawntoBaldarrochbytheseoccurrencesweretheheritor，theminister，andalltheeldersoftheKirk，underwhosesuperintendenceaninvestigationwasimmediatelycommenced。Theirproceedingswerenotpromulgatedforsomedays；and，inthemeantime，rumourcontinuedtotravelthroughalltheHighlands，magnifyingeachmysteriousincidentthefurtheritgotfromhome。Itwassaid，thatwhenthegoodwifeputherpotato-potonthefire，eachpotato，asthewaterboiled，changedintoademon，andgrinnedhorriblyatherassheliftedthelid；thatnotonlychairsandtables，butcarrotsandturnips，skippedalongthefloorinthemerriestmannerimaginable；
　　thatshoesandbootswentthroughalltheevolutionsoftheHighlandflingwithoutanyvisiblewearersdirectingtheirmotions；andthatapieceofmeatdetacheditselffromthehookonwhichithunginthepantry，andplaceditselfbeforethefire，whencealltheeffortsofthepeopleofthehousewereunabletoremoveituntilitwasthoroughlyroasted；andthatitthenflewupthechimneywithatremendousbang。AtBaldarrochitselfthebeliefwasnotquitesoextravagant；butthefarmerwassoconvincedthatthedevilandhisimpswerealonethecauseofallthedisturbance，thathetravelledadistanceoffortymilestoanoldconjuror，namedWillieForeman，toinducehim，forahandsomefee，toremovetheenchantmentfromhisproperty。Therewere，ofcourse，somesensibleandeducatedpeople，who，afterstrippingthestoriescirculatedoftheirexaggeration，attributedalltheresttooneorotheroftwocauses；first，thatsomegipsies，orstrollingmendicants，hiddenintheneighbouringplantation，wereamusingthemselvesbyworkingonthecredulityofthecountrypeople；or，secondly，thattheinmatesofBaldarrochcarriedonthisdeceptionthemselves，forsomereasonorother，whichwasnotverycleartoanybody。Thelastopiniongainedbutfewbelievers，asthefarmerandhisfamilyweremuchrespected；andsomanypersonshad，inthemostopenmanner，expressedtheirbeliefinthesupernaturalagency，thattheydidnotliketostultifythemselvesbyconfessingthattheyhadbeendeceived。
　　Atlast，afterafortnight’scontinuanceofthenoises，thewholetrickwasdiscovered。Thetwoservantlasseswerestrictlyexamined，andthencommittedtoprison。Itappearedthattheywerealoneatthebottomofthewholeaffair，andthattheextraordinaryalarmandcredulityoftheirmasterandmistress，inthefirstinstance，andoftheneighboursandcountrypeopleafterwards，madetheirtaskcomparativelyeasy。Alittlecommondexteritywasalltheyhadused；
　　and，beingthemselvesunsuspected，theyswelledthealarmbythewonderfulstoriestheyinvented。Itwastheywholoosenedthebricksinthechimneys，andplacedthedishesinsuchamannerontheshelves，thattheyfellontheslightestmotion。Inshort，theyplayedthesametricksasthoseusedbytheservantgirlatStockwell，withthesameresults，andforthesamepurpose——thegratificationofaloveofmischief。Theywerenosoonersecuredinthecountygaolthanthenoisesceased，andmostpeoplewereconvincedthathumanagencyalonehadworkedallthewonder。Somefewofthemostdevoutlysuperstitiousstillheldoutintheirfirstbelief，andrefusedtolistentoanyexplanation。
　　Thesetalesofhauntedhouses，especiallythoseofthelastandpresentcentury，howevertheymaymakeusblushforpopularfolly，areyetgratifyingintheirresults；fortheyshowthatsocietyhasmadeavastimprovement。HadParsonsandhiswife，andtheothercontriversoftheCockLanedeception，livedtwohundredyearsearlier，theywouldnot，perhaps，havefoundagreaternumberofdupes，buttheywouldhavebeenhangedaswitches，insteadofbeingimprisonedasvagabonds。TheingeniousAnneRobinsonandtheslylassesofBaldarrochwould，doubtless，havemetasimilarfate。Thusitispleasanttoreflect，thatthoughtheremaybeasmuchfollyandcredulityintheworldasever，inoneclassofsociety，thereismorewisdomandmercyinanotherthaneverwereknownbefore。Lawgivers，byblottingfromthestatute-booktheabsurdorsanguinaryenactmentsoftheirpredecessors，havemadeonesteptowardsteachingthepeople。Itistobehopedthatthedayisnotfardistantwhenlawgiverswillteachthepeoplebysomemoredirectmeans，andpreventtherecurrenceofdelusionslikethese，andmanyworse，whichmightbecited，bysecuringtoeverychildbornwithintheirdominionsaneducationinaccordancewiththeadvancingstateofcivilization。Ifghostsandwitchesarenotyetaltogetherexploded，itisthefault，notsomuchoftheignorantpeople，asofthelawandthegovernmentthathaveneglectedtoenlightenthem。
　　EndofVolumeTwoMemoirsofExtraordinaryPopularDelusions-Volume3
　　byCharlesMackayMEMOIRSOFEXTRAORDINARYPOPULARDELUSIONS。
　　“Ilestbondeconnaitrelesdeliresdel’esprithumain。
　　Chaquepeupleasesfoliesplusoumoinsgrossieres。“
　　THEALCHYMISTS；or，SearchersforthePhilosopher’sStoneandtheWaterofLifePARTI——HistoryofAlchymyfromtheearliestperiodstotheFifteenthCentury——PretendedAntiquityoftheArt——Geber——
　　Alfarabi——Avicenna——AlbertusMagnus——ThomasAquinas——
　　Artephius——AlaindeLisle——ArnolddeVilleneuve——Pietrod’Apone——RaymondLulli——RogerBacon——PopeJohnXXII——JeandeMeung——NicholasFlamel——GeorgeRipley——BasilValentine——
　　BernardofTreves——Trithemius——TheMarechaldeRays——JacquesCoeur——InferiorAdepts。
　　PARTII——ProgressoftheInfatuationduringtheSixteenthandSeventeenthCenturies——Augurello——CorneliusAgrippa——
　　Paracelsus——GeorgeAgricola——DenysZachaire——Dr。DeeandEdwardKelly——TheCosmopolite——Sendivogius——TheRosicrucians——
　　MichaelMayer——RobertFludd——JacobBohmen——JohnHeydn——
　　JosephFrancisBorri——AlchymicalWritersoftheSeventeenthCentury——DeLisle——AlbertAluys——CountdeSt。Germains——
　　Cagliostro——PresentStateoftheScience。