Part 17 (1/2)

THE SPECTRE ARMY.

A WEIRD TALE OF SOUTRA FELL.

Souter Fell, or Soutra Fell as it is sometimes called, is a considerable mountain situated to the eastward of Skiddaw and Blencathara. The west and north sides are barricaded with steep rocks, apparently 900 yards in height, and everywhere difficult of access.

A very remarkable phenomenon has exhibited itself on this mountain, which, though difficult to account for satisfactorily, is too well authenticated by numerous spectators to be discredited. We allude to the appearance of troops of visionary hors.e.m.e.n, crossing the mountains, advancing, retreating, and performing different military evolutions--an optical delusion which has been observed in this vicinity, to the great astonishment of the rustics of the vale.

”As when a shepherd of the Hebrid isles Placed far amid the melancholy main (Whether it be lone fancy him beguiles, Or that aerial beings sometimes deign To stand, embodied, to our senses plain), Sees on the naked hill or valley low, The whilst in ocean Phoebus dips his wain, A vast a.s.sembly moving to and fro; Then all at once in air dissolves the wondrous show.”

THOMSON.

The following account of this singular appearance, which is scarcely paralleled in history, is contained in Hutchison's History of c.u.mberland, the particulars being collected by Mr. Smith, who observes that he went himself to examine the spectators, who a.s.serted the facts very positively. ”On midsummer eve, 1735, a servant in the employ of William Lancaster, of Blakehills, about half a mile from Souterfell, related that he saw the east side of the mountain, towards the summit, covered with a regular marching army for above an hour together. They consisted of distinct bodies of troops, which appeared to proceed from an eminence in the north end, and marched over a niche in the top, marked A and B in the sketch given in the above work; but as no other person in the neighbourhood had seen a similar appearance, he was discredited and laughed at.

”Two years after, on midsummer eve also, between the hours of eight and nine, William Lancaster himself imagined that several gentlemen were following their horses at a distance, as if they had been hunting; and taking them for such, paid no regard to it, till about ten minutes after, again turning his head towards the place, they appeared to be mounted, and a vast army following, five in rank, crowding over at the same place, where the servant said he saw them two years before. He then called his family, who all agreed in the same opinion; and what was most extraordinary, he frequently observed that some one of the five would quit the ranks, and seem to stand in a fronting posture, as if he was observing and regulating the order of their march, or taking account of the numbers, and after some time appeared to return full-gallop to the station he had left, which they never failed to do as often as they quitted their lines, and the figure that did so was generally one of the middlemost men in the rank. As it grew later, they seemed more regardless of discipline, and rather had the appearance of people riding from a market, than an army, though they continued crowding on, and marching off, as long as there was light to see them.”

This phenomenon was no more observed till the remarkably serene midsummer evening which preceded the last Scotch rebellion. The parties who had witnessed it on the previous occasion, having been much ridiculed for their report, were determined to call a greater number of witnesses of this strange phenomenon; and having first observed it rigidly, and with great caution themselves, and being fully a.s.sured they were not deceived as to the actual appearances, they convened about twenty-six persons from different places in the neighbourhood to bear testimony to the existence of the fact. These all affirmed, and attested before a magistrate, that they saw a similar appearance to that just described, but not conducted with the same regularity, having also the appearance of carriages interspersed. The numbers of the troops were incredible, for they filled lengthways nearly half a mile, and continued so in a brisk march for above an hour, and would probably have done so much longer had not the darkness of approaching night intervened.

”Anon appears a brave, a gorgeous show Of hors.e.m.e.n shadows, moving to and fro.

Silent the visionary warriors go, Wending in ordered pomp their upward way, Till the last banner of the long array Had disappeared, and every trace is fled Of splendour--save the beacon's spiry head, Tipt with eve's latest gleam of burning red.”

WORDSWORTH.

The horse and man, upon strict looking at, appeared to be but one being, rather than two distinct ones, but they did not at all resemble clouds or vapours of any kind.

William Lancaster observed that he never considered these aerial images to be real beings, because of the impracticability of a march over the precipices they seemed to traverse, where horses' hoofs had never trod before. They did not, however, appear to be any less real than on the former occasion; for so convinced were the spectators of the reality of what they had seen, that, as soon as the sun had dawned next morning, several of them climbed the mountain, through an idle expectation of finding the marks of horses' feet, after so numerous an army; but when they arrived at the supposed scene of action, not the mark of a single hoof was discernible, nor have any tidings been received of troops being in the neighbourhood up to this time.[6]

Though this part of the country, like every other, where cultivation has been lately introduced, abounds in all the _aniles fabellae_ of fairies, ghosts, and apparitions, these are never even fabled to have been seen by more than one or two persons at a time, and the view is always said to be momentary. But in this case the twenty-six spectators saw all alike the same changes, and at the same time, as they discovered by asking each other questions as any change took place. Nor was this wonderful phenomenon observed by these individuals only; it was seen by every person, at every cottage, for a mile round; neither was it confined to a momentary view; for, from the time it was first observed, the appearance must have lasted at least two hours and a half, viz., from half-past seven, till the night coming on prevented the further view; nor yet was the distance such as could impose rude resemblances on the eyes of credulity. The whole story has certainly much of the air of a romance, and it may appear to some fittest for Amadis de Gaul, or Glenville's System of Witches, than for insertion here as a fact. But although it may be difficult to reconcile its probability, and beyond even philosophy to explain, yet such is the evidence we have of its occurrence, that I do not myself entertain the slightest doubt of its having actually taken place as here related. The whole, however, was unquestionably an optical delusion.

As instances have frequently occurred in which the forms and action of human beings have been pictured in the clouds, or in vapour, it seems highly probable, on a consideration of all the circ.u.mstances of the case, that certain vapours must have hovered round the mountain when these appearances were observed. It is also possible that these vapours may have been impressed with the shadowy forms which seemed to ”imitate humanity,” by a particular operation of the sun's rays, united with some singular, but unknown, refractive combination then taking place in the atmosphere.

It has been remarked that these appearances were observed most particularly on the eve of the last Scotch Rebellion, when troops of hors.e.m.e.n might be privately exercising at no great distance. Indeed, the Editor of the _Lonsdale Magazine_, without giving his authority, observes, that it was afterwards actually discovered ”to have been the rebels exercising on the western coast of Scotland, whose movements had been reflected by some fine transparent vapour similar to the Fata Morgana.”[7]

Instances are recorded of the phenomena of spectral armies having been occasionally witnessed in other localities. It has been stated that a troop of phantom hors.e.m.e.n was seen coursing over the heights of Helvellyn the day before the battle of Marston Moor.[8] Hutchinson, in his _History of c.u.mberland_, relates the following as a parallel instance with that of Soutra Fell. In the spring of 1707, early in a serene morning, was observed by two persons in Leicesters.h.i.+re an appearance of an army marching along, till going behind a great hill it disappeared. The forms of pikes, and carbines were distinguishable; the march was not entirely in one direction, but was at the first like the junction of two armies, and the meeting of generals.[9] There is also a well-authenticated statement of a similar phenomenon, witnessed not long ago, on the Mendip Hills, in Somersets.h.i.+re;[10] and Speed tells us of something of a like nature as preceding a dreadful intestine war.[11]

Something of this kind may have given rise to Ossian's grand and awful mythology.

These optical illusions, occurring on Soutra Fell, form a subject peculiarly adapted for ”the poet's pen,” and are finely ill.u.s.trated in the following poem, written in conformity with the popular belief of the lake villagers, that it really was a presentiment of the Scotch Rebellion, and that the horrors of the final battle were depicted in a prophetic manner. There can be no impiety in supposing, as this happened immediately before that rebellion which was intended to subvert the liberty, the law, and the religion of England, that though immediate prophecies may have ceased, these visionary beings might be directed to warn mankind of approaching tumults.

”Look how the world's poor people are amazed At apparitions, signs, and prodigies, Whereon with fearful eyes they long have gazed, Infusing them with dreadful prophecies.”

SHAKESPEARE'S _Venus and Adonis_.

A VISIONARY TALE OF THE SCOTCH REBELLION.

While yet I gazed on Soutra's fell, A sight appeared (I live and tell!), Strange, ominous, and yet obscure, But fate has wrought the vision sure; Too soon explained, it bodes no good, But desolation marks, and blood, I saw at once in full career Equestrian troops dire-armed appear, Descending swift the mountains steep No earthly steed could footstep keep; Yet many hundreds were their might.

The glitt'ring stars revealed the sight-- Lightnings, forbidding to conceal, Burst, 'midst drawn swords and helmets' steel.

On me when burst their dreadful gleam Faint my sunk soul emits a scream; And Walter Selby thus began-- (Walter still less, or more than man) Shouting till every echo round The mountain nymphs appalled resound; ”Saw ever man such gallant sight?

A thousand steeds on Soutra's height, Its fierce descent--in martial pride A thousand riders stem its side, With managed pride and daring front!

What mortal force shall bide their brunt?

See how they gallop down yon rock!-- What mortal eye can bear the shock?

The roe of Soutra's lightest bound Shrinks from the delvy deep profound, Where not the falcon strains her flight Above the eagled eyrey's height.

O, for a steed so sure and swift That might me with these hors.e.m.e.n lift-- These airy knights! My wanton brown, Famed far and wide for fleet renown, That darts o'er Derwent like a bird, Matched with such palfrey and its lord With wonder froze, its progress slow, Would think the Derwent ceased to flow.

Ne'er gossamer in summer race So swift, so sylphy held the chace.