Law. He at first hearing Alice's story and message, laughed at it heartily. But she had no sooner told him the secret, but he changed his countenance, told her he would give the Poor their own, and accordingly he did it, and they now enjoy it.
This with more circumstances hath several times been related by Dr. Bretton himself, who was well known to be a person of great goodness and sincerity. He gave a large Narrative of this Apparition of his Wife to two of my Friends. First to one Mrs. Needham, and afterwards a little before his Death to Dr. Whichcot.
Some years after I received the foregoing Narrative (viz. near four years since) I light into the company of three sober persons of good Rank, who all lived in the City of Hereford, and I travelled in a Stage Coach three days with them. To them I happened to tell this story, but told it was done at Deptford, for so I presumed it was, because I knew that there Dr. Bretton lived. They told me as soon as I had concluded it, that the story was very true in the main, only I was out as to the place. For 'twas not Deptford, but as I remember they told me Pembridge near Hereford, where the Doctor was Minister before the Return of the King, And they assured me upon their own knowledge, that to that day the Poor enjoyed the piece of Ground. They added, That Mrs. Bretton's Father could never endure to hear any thing mentioned of his Daughters appearing after her death, but would still reply in great anger, that it was not his Daughter but it was the Devil. So that he acknowledged that something appeared in the likeness of his Daughter,
This is attested by me this 16th. of Febr. 1681
Edward Fowler.
