acceptable to barbarous tribes; and, on the borders, they were received with most unbounded faith.  It is true, that these supernatural adversaries were no longer opposed by the sword and battle-axe, as among the unconverted Scandinavians.  Prayers, spells, and exorcisms, particularly in the Greek and Hebrew languages, were the weapons of the borderers, or rather of their priests and cunning men, against their aerial enemy[51].  The belief in ghosts, which has been well termed the last lingering phantom of superstition, still maintains its ground upon the borders.

[Footnote 51:  One of the most noted apparitions is supposed to haunt Spedlin’s castle, near Lochmaben, the ancient baronial residence of the Jardines of Applegirth.  It is said, that, in exercise of his territorial jurisdiction, one of the ancient lairds had imprisoned, in the Massy More, or dungeon of the castle, a person named Porteous.  Being called suddenly to Edinburgh, the laird discovered, as he entered the West Port, that he had brought along with him the key of the dungeon.  Struck with the utmost horror, he sent back his servant to relieve the prisoner; but it was too late.  The wretched being was found lying upon the steps descending from the door of the vault, starved to death.  In the agonies of hunger, he had gnawed the flesh from one of his arms.  That his spectre should haunt the castle was a natural consequence of such a tragedy.  Indeed, its visits became so frequent, that a clergyman of eminence was employed to exorcise it.  After a contest of twenty-four hours, the man of art prevailed so far as to confine the goblin to the Massy More of the castle, where its shrieks and cries are still heard.  A part, at least, of the spell, depends upon the preservation of the ancient black-lettered bible, employed by the exorcist.  It was some years ago thought necessary to have this bible re-bound; but, as soon as it was removed from the castle, the spectre commenced his nocturnal orgies, with ten-fold noise; and it is verily believed that he would have burst from his confinement, had not the sacred volume been speedily replaced.

A Mass John Scott, minister of Peebles, is reported to have been the last renowned exorciser, and to have lost his life in a contest with an obstinate spirit.  This was owing to the conceited rashness of a young clergyman, who commenced the ceremony of laying the ghost before the arrival of Mass John.  It is the nature, it seems, of spirits disembodied, as well as embodied, to increase in strength and presumption, in proportion to the advantages which they may gain over the opponent.  The young clergyman losing courage, the horrors of the scene were increased to such a degree, that, as Mass John approached the house in which it passed, he beheld the slates and tiles flying from the roof, as if dispersed by a whirlwind.  At his entry, he perceived all the wax-tapers (the most essential instruments of conjuration) extinguished,