


Transcribed by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk





COCK LANE AND COMMON-SENSE






TO JAMES PAYN, Esq.


Dear Payn,

Spirits much more rare and valuable than those spoken of in this
book are yours.  Whatever 'Mediums' may be able to do, you can
'transfer' High Spirits to your readers; one of whom does not hope
to convert you, and will be fortunate enough if, by this work, he
can occasionally bring a smile to the lips of his favourite
novelist.

With more affection and admiration than can be publicly expressed,

Believe me,

Yours ever,

ANDREW LANG.




PREFACE.


Since the first publication of Cock Lane and Common-Sense in 1894,
nothing has occurred to alter greatly the author's opinions.  He has
tried to make the Folklore Society see that such things as modern
reports of wraiths, ghosts, 'fire-walking,' 'corpse-lights,'
'crystal-gazing,' and so on, are within their province, and within
the province of anthropology.  In this attempt he has not quite
succeeded.  As he und