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diff --git a/old/54532-0.txt b/old/54532-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 316da99..0000000 --- a/old/54532-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16206 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Night-Side of Nature, by Catherine Crowe - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Night-Side of Nature - Or, Ghosts and Ghost-Seers - - -Author: Catherine Crowe - - - -Release Date: April 10, 2017 [eBook #54532] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NIGHT-SIDE OF NATURE*** - - -E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau, Cindy Beyer, and the online -Distributed Proofreaders Canada team (http://www.pgdpcanada.net) - - - -THE NIGHT-SIDE OF NATURE - -Or, - -Ghosts and Ghost-Seers. - -by - -CATHERINE CROWE - -Authoress of “Susan Hopley,” “Lilly Dawson,” “Aristodemus,” etc. - - - "Thou com’st in such a questionable shape, - That I will speak to thee.” - - - - - - -New York: -J. S. Redfield, Clinton Hall. -Boston:—B. B. Mussey & Co. -1850. - - - - - P R E F A C E . - - * * * * * - -IN my late novel of “Lilly Dawson,” I announced my intention of -publishing a work to be called “The Night-Side of Nature;" this is it. - -The term “Night-Side of Nature” I borrow from the Germans, who derive it -from the astronomers, the latter denominating that side of a planet -which is turned from the sun, its _night-side_. We are in this condition -for a certain number of hours out of every twenty-four; and as, during -this interval, external objects loom upon us but strangely and -imperfectly, the Germans draw a parallel between these vague and misty -perceptions, and the similar obscure and uncertain glimpses we get of -that veiled department of nature, of which, while comprising as it does, -the solution of questions concerning us more nearly than any other, we -are yet in a state of entire and wilful ignorance. For science, at least -science in this country, has put it aside as beneath her notice, because -new facts that do not fit into old theories are troublesome, and not to -be countenanced. - -We are encompassed on all sides by wonders, and we can scarcely set our -foot upon the ground, without trampling upon some marvellous production -that our whole life and all our faculties would not suffice to -comprehend. Familiarity, however, renders us insensible to the ordinary -works of nature; we are apt to forget the miracles they comprise, and -even, sometimes, mistaking words for conceptions, commit the error of -thinking we understand their mystery. But there is one class of these -wonders with which, from their comparatively rare occurrence, we do not -become familiar; and these, according to the character of the mind to -which they are presented, are frequently either denied as ridiculous and -impossible, or received as evidences of supernatural -interference—interruptions of those general laws by which God governs -the universe; which latter mistake arises from our only seeing these -facts without the links that connect them with the rest of nature, just -as in the faint light of a starlit night we might distinguish the tall -mountains that lift their crests high into the sky, though we could not -discern the low chain of hills that united them with each other. - -There are two or three books by German authors, entitled “The -Night-Side,” or “The Night-Dominion of Nature,” which are on subjects, -more or less analogous to mine. Heinrick Schubert’s is the most -celebrated among them; it is a sort of cosmogony of the world, written -in a spirit of philosophical mysticism—too much so for English readers -in general. - -In undertaking to write a book on these subjects myself, I wholly -disclaim the pretension of _teaching_ or of enforcing opinions. My -object is to suggest inquiry and stimulate observation, in order that we -may endeavor, if possible, to discover something regarding our psychical -nature, as it exists here in the flesh; and as it is to exist hereafter, -out of it. - -If I could only induce a few capable persons, instead of laughing at -these things, to look at them, my object would be attained, and I should -consider my time well spent. - - - - - C O N T E N T S . - - * * * * * - - CHAPTER PAGE - I. — Introduction 7 - II. — The Dwellers in the Temple 19 - III. — Waking and Sleeping, and how the Dweller in the Temple - sometimes looks abroad 29 - IV. — Allegorical Dreams, Presentiments, &c. 48 - V. — Warnings 66 - VI. — Double Dreaming and Trance, Wraiths, &c. 98 - VII. — Wraiths 130 - VIII. — Doppelgängers, or Doubles 149 - IX. — Apparitions 171 - X. — The Future that awaits us 204 - XI. — The Power of Will 238 - XII. — Troubled Spirits 252 - XIII. — Haunted Houses 273 - XIV. — Spectral Lights, and Apparitions attached to Certain - Families 319 - XV. — Apparitions seeking the Prayers of the Living 345 - XVI. — The Poltergeist of the Germans, and Possession 376 - XVII. — Miscellaneous Phenomena 411 - XVIII. — Conclusion 434 - - - - - THE - N I G H T - S I D E O F N A T U R E . - - * * * * * - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - - INTRODUCTION. - - “Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit - of God dwelleth in you?” - - —1 CORINTHIANS, iii. 16. - -MOST persons are aware that the Greeks and Romans entertained certain -notions regarding the state of the soul, or the immortal part of man, -after the death of the body, which have been generally held to be purely -mythological. Many of them doubtless are so, and of these I am not about -to treat; but among their conceptions, there are some which, as they -coincide with the opinions of many of the most enlightened persons of -the present age, it may be desirable to consider more closely. I allude -here particularly to their belief in the tripartite kingdom of the dead. -According to this system, there were the Elysian fields, a region in -which a certain sort of happiness was enjoyed; and Tartarus, the place -of punishment for the wicked; each of which was, comparatively, but -thinly inhabited. But there was also a mid-region, peopled with -innumerable hosts of wandering and mournful spirits, who, although -undergoing no torments, are represented as incessantly bewailing their -condition, pining for the life they once enjoyed in the body, longing -after the things of the earth, and occupying themselves with the same -pursuits and objects as had formerly constituted their business or their -pleasure. Old habits are still dear to them, and they can not snap the -link that binds them to the earth. - -Now, although we can not believe in the existence of Charon, the -three-headed dog, or Alecto, the serpent-haired fury, it may be worth -while to consider whether the persuasion of the ancients with regard to -that which concerns us all so nearly—namely, the destiny that awaits us -when we have shaken off this mortal coil—may not have some foundation -in truth: whether it might not be a remnant of a tradition transmitted -from the earliest inhabitants of the earth, wrested by observation from -nature, if not communicated from a higher source: and also whether -circumstances of constant recurrence in all ages and in all nations, -frequently observed and recorded by persons utterly ignorant of -classical lore, and unacquainted, indeed, with the dogmas of any creed -but their own, do not, as well as various passages in the Scriptures, -afford a striking confirmation of this theory of a future life; while -it, on the other hand, offers a natural and convenient explanation of -their mystery. - -To minds which can admit nothing but what can be explained and -demonstrated, an investigation of this sort must appear perfectly idle: -for while, on the one hand, the most acute intellect or the most -powerful logic can throw little light on the subject, it is, at the same -time—though I have a confident hope that this will not always be the -case—equally irreducible within the present bounds of science; -meanwhile, experience, observation, and intuition, must be our principal -if not our only guides. Because, in the seventeenth century, credulity -outran reason and discretion; the eighteenth century, by a natural -reaction, threw itself into an opposite extreme. Whoever closely -observes the signs of the times, will be aware that another change is -approaching. The contemptuous skepticism of the last age is yielding to -a more humble spirit of inquiry; and there is a large class of persons -among the most enlightened of the present, who are beginning to believe -that much which they had been taught to reject as fable, has been, in -reality, ill-understood truth. Somewhat of the mystery of our own being, -and of the mysteries that compass us about, are beginning to loom upon -us—as yet, it is true, but obscurely; and, in the endeavor to follow -out the clew they offer, we have but a feeble light to guide us. We must -grope our way through the dim path before us, ever in danger of being -led into error, while we may confidently reckon on being pursued by the -shafts of ridicule—that weapon so easy to wield, so potent to the weak, -so weak to the wise—which has delayed the births of so many truths, but -never stifled one. The pharisaical skepticism which denies without -investigation, is quite as perilous, and much more contemptible, than -the blind credulity which accepts all that it is taught without inquiry; -it is, indeed, but another form of ignorance assuming to be knowledge. -And by _investigation_, I do not mean the hasty, captious, angry notice -of an unwelcome fact, that too frequently claims the right of -pronouncing on a question; but the slow, modest, pains-taking -examination, that is content to wait upon Nature, and humbly follow out -her disclosures, however opposed to preconceived theories or mortifying -to human pride. If scientific men could but comprehend how they -discredit the science they really profess, by their despotic arrogance -and exclusive skepticism, they would surely, for the sake of that very -science they love, affect more liberality and candor. This reflection, -however, naturally suggests another, namely, do they really love -science, or is it not too frequently with them but the means to an end? -Were the love of science genuine, I suspect it would produce very -different fruits to that which we see borne by the tree of knowledge, as -it flourishes at present; and this suspicion is exceedingly strengthened -by the recollection that, among the numerous students and professors of -science I have at different times encountered, the real worshippers and -genuine lovers of it, for its own sake, have all been men of the most -single, candid, unprejudiced, and inquiring minds, willing to listen to -all new suggestions, and investigate all new facts; not bold and -self-sufficient, but humble and reverent suitors, aware of their own -ignorance and unworthiness, and that they are yet but in the primer of -Nature’s works, they do not permit themselves to pronounce upon her -disclosures, or set limits to her decrees. They are content to admit -that things new and unsuspected may yet be true; that their own -knowledge of facts being extremely circumscribed, the systems attempted -to be established on such uncertain data, must needs be very imperfect, -and frequently altogether erroneous; and that it is therefore their -duty, as it ought to be their pleasure, to welcome as a stranger every -gleam of light that appears in the horizon, let it loom from whatever -quarter it may. - -But, alas! poor Science has few such lovers! _Les beaux yeux de sa -cassette_, I fear, are much more frequently the objects of attraction -than her own fair face. - -The belief in a God, and in the immortality of what we call the soul, is -common to all nations; but our own intellect does not enable us to form -any conception of either one or the other. All the information we have -on these subjects is comprised in such hints as the Scripture here and -there give us: whatever other conclusions we draw, must be the result of -observation and experience. Unless founded upon these, the opinion of -the most learned theologian or the most profound student of science that -ever lived, is worth no more than that of any other person. They know -nothing whatever about these mysteries; and all _a priori_ reasoning on -them is utterly valueless. The only way, therefore, of attaining any -glimpses of the truth in an inquiry of this nature, where our intellect -can serve us so little, is to enter on it with the conviction that, -knowing nothing, we are not entitled to reject any evidence that may be -offered to us, till it has been thoroughly sifted, and proved to be -fallacious. That the facts presented to our notice appear to us absurd, -and altogether inconsistent with the notions our intellects would have -enabled us to form, should have no weight whatever in the investigation. -Our intellects are no measure of God Almighty’s designs; and, I must -say, that I do think one of the most irreverent, dangerous, and sinful -things man or woman can be guilty of, is to reject with scorn and -laughter any intimation which, however strangely it may strike upon our -minds, and however adverse it may be to our opinions, may possibly be -showing us the way to one of God’s truths. Not knowing all the -conditions, and wanting so many links of the chain, it is impossible for -us to pronounce on what is probable and consistent, and what is not; -and, this being the case, I think the time is ripe for drawing attention -to certain phenomena, which, under whatever aspect we may consider them, -are, beyond doubt, exceedingly interesting and curious; while, if the -view many persons are disposed to take of them be the correct one, they -are much more than this. I wish, also, to make the English public -acquainted with the ideas entertained on these subjects by a large -proportion of German minds of the highest order. It is a distinctive -characteristic of the thinkers of that country, that, in the first -place, they do think independently and courageously; and, in the second, -that they never shrink from promulgating the opinions they have been led -to form, however new, strange, heterodox, or even absurd, they may -appear to others. They do not succumb, as people do in this country, to -the fear of ridicule; nor are they in danger of the odium that here -pursues those who deviate from established notions; and the consequence -is, that, though many fallacious theories and untenable propositions may -be advanced, a great deal of new truth is struck out from the collision; -and in the result, as must always be the case, what is true lives and is -established, and what is false dies and is forgotten. But here, in -Britain, our critics and colleges are in such haste to strangle and put -down every new discovery that does not emanate from themselves, or which -is not a fulfilling of the ideas of the day, but which, being somewhat -opposed to them, promises to be troublesome from requiring new thought -to render it intelligible, that one might be induced to suppose them -divested of all confidence in this inviolable law; while the more -important and the higher the results involved may be, the more angry -they are with those who advocate them. They do not quarrel with a new -metal or a new plant, and even a new comet or a new island stands a fair -chance of being well received; the introduction of a planet appears, -from late events, to be more difficult; while phrenology and mesmerism -testify that any discovery tending to throw light on what most deeply -concerns us, namely, our own being, must be prepared to encounter a -storm of angry persecution. And one of the evils of this hasty and -precipitate opposition is, that the passions and interests of the -opposers become involved in the dispute: instead of investigators, they -become partisans; having declared against it in the outset, it is -important to their petty interests that the thing shall not be true; and -they determine that it _shall_ not, if they can help it. Hence, these -hasty, angry investigations of new facts, and the triumph with which -failures are recorded; and hence the wilful overlooking of the axiom -that a thousand negatives can not overthrow the evidence of one -affirmative experiment. I always distrust those who have declared -themselves strongly in the beginning of a controversy. Opinions which, -however rashly avowed, may have been honest at first, may have been -changed for many a long day before they are retracted. In the meantime, -the march of truth is obstructed, and its triumph is delayed; timid -minds are alarmed; those who dare not or can not think for themselves, -are subdued; there is much needless suffering incurred, and much good -lost; but the truth goes quietly on its way, and reaches the goal at -last. - -With respect to the subjects I am here going to treat of, it is not -simply the result of my own reflections and convictions that I am about -to offer. On the contrary, I intend to fortify my position by the -opinions of many other writers; the chief of whom will, for the reasons -above given, namely, that it is they who have principally attended to -the question, be Germans. I am fully aware that in this country a very -considerable number of persons lean to some of these opinions, and I -think I might venture to assert that I have the majority on my side, as -far as regards ghosts—for it is beyond a doubt that many more are -disposed to believe than to confess—and those who do confess, are not -few. The deep interest with which any narration of spiritual appearances -bearing the stamp, or apparent stamp, of authenticity is listened to in -every society, is one proof that, though the fear of ridicule may -suppress, it can not extinguish that intuitive persuasion, of which -almost every one is more or less conscious. - -I avow, that in writing this book, I have a higher aim than merely to -afford amusement. I wish to engage the earnest attention of my readers; -because I am satisfied that the opinions I am about to advocate, -seriously entertained, would produce very beneficial results. We are all -educated in the belief of a future state, but how vague and ineffective -this belief is with the majority of persons, we too well know; for -although, as I have said above, the number of those who are what is -called believers in ghosts and similar phenomena is very large, it is a -belief that they allow to sit extremely lightly on their minds. Although -they feel that the evidence from within and from without is too strong -to be altogether set aside, they have never permitted themselves to -weigh the significance of the facts. They are afraid of that bugbear, -Superstition—a title of opprobrium which it is very convenient to -attach to whatever we do not believe ourselves. They forget that nobody -has a right to call any belief superstitious, till he can prove that it -is unfounded. Now, no one that lives can assert that the reappearance of -the dead is impossible; all he has a right to say is, that he does not -believe it; and the interrogation that should immediately follow this -declaration is, “Have you devoted your life to sifting all the evidence -that has been adduced on the other side, from the earliest periods of -history and tradition?” and even though the answer were in the -affirmative, and that the investigation had been conscientiously -pursued, it would be still a bold inquirer that would think himself -entitled to say, the question was no longer open. But the rashness and -levity with which mankind make professions of believing and -disbelieving, are, all things considered, phenomena much more -extraordinary than the most extraordinary ghost-story that ever was -related. The truth is, that not one person in a thousand, in the proper -sense of the word, believes anything; they only fancy they believe, -because they have never seriously considered the meaning of the word and -all that it involves. That which the human mind can not conceive of, is -apt to slip from its grasp like water from the hand; and life out of the -flesh falls under this category. The observation of any phenomena, -therefore, which enabled us to master the idea, must necessarily be -extremely beneficial; and it must be remembered, that one single -thoroughly well-established instance of the reappearance of a deceased -person, would not only have this effect, but that it would afford a -demonstrative proof of the deepest of all our intuitions, namely, that a -future life awaits us. - -Not to mention the modern Germans of eminence, who have devoted -themselves to this investigation, there have been men remarkable for -intellect in all countries, who have considered the subject worthy of -inquiry. Among the rest, Plato, Pliny, and Lucien; and in our own -country, that good old divine, Dr. Henry Moore, Dr. Johnson, Addison, -Isaac Taylor, and many others. It may be objected that the -eternally-quoted case of Nicolai, the bookseller at Berlin, and Dr. -Ferriar’s “Theory of Apparitions,” had not then settled the question; -but nobody doubts that Nicolai’s was a case of disease; and he was well -aware of it himself, as it appears to me, everybody so afflicted, is. I -was acquainted with a poor woman, in Edinburgh, who suffered from this -malady, brought on, I believe, by drinking; but she was perfectly -conscious of the nature of the illusions; and that temperance and a -doctor were the proper exorcists to lay the spirits. With respect to Dr. -Ferriar’s book, a more shallow one was assuredly never allowed to settle -any question; and his own theory can not, without the most violent -straining, and the assistance of what he calls _coincidences_, meet even -half the cases he himself adduces. That such a disease, as he describes, -exists, nobody doubts; but I maintain that there are hundreds of cases -on record, for which the explanation does not suffice; and if they have -been instances of spectral illusion, all that remains to be said, is, -that a fundamental reconstruction of the theory on that subject is -demanded. - -La Place says, in his “Essay on Probabilities,” that “any case, however -apparently incredible, if it be a recurrent case, is as much entitled, -under the laws of induction, to a fair valuation, as if it had been more -probable beforehand.” Now, no one will deny that the case in question -possesses this claim to investigation. Determined skeptics may, indeed, -deny that there exists any well-authenticated instance of an apparition; -but that, at present, can only be a mere matter of opinion; since many -persons, as competent to judge as themselves, maintain the contrary; and -in the meantime, I arraign their right to make this objection till they -have qualified themselves to do so, by a long course of patient and -honest inquiry; always remembering that every instance of error or -imposition discovered and adduced, has no positive value whatever in the -argument, but as regards that single instance; though it may enforce -upon us the necessity of strong evidence and careful investigation. With -respect to the evidence, past and present, I must be allowed here to -remark on the extreme difficulty of producing it. Not to mention the -acknowledged carelessness of observers and the alleged incapacity of -persons to distinguish between reality and illusion, there is an -exceeding shyness in most people, who, either have seen, or fancied they -have seen, an apparition, to speak of it at all, except to some intimate -friend; so that one gets most of the stories second-hand; while even -those who are less chary of their communications, are imperative against -their name and authority being given to the public. Besides this, there -is a great tendency in most people, after the impression is over, to -think they may have been deceived; and where there is no communication -or other circumstance rendering this conviction impossible, it is not -difficult to acquire it, or at least so much of it as leaves the case -valueless. The seer is glad to find this refuge from the unpleasant -feelings engendered; while surrounding friends, sometimes from genuine -skepticism, and sometimes from good-nature, almost invariably lean to -this explanation of the mystery. In consequence of these difficulties -and those attending the very nature of the phenomena, I freely admit -that the facts I shall adduce, as they now stand, can have no scientific -value; they can not in short, enter into the region of science at all, -still less into that of philosophy. Whatever conclusions we may be led -to form, can not be founded on pure induction. We must confine ourselves -wholly within the region of opinion; if we venture beyond which, we -shall assuredly founder. In the beginning, all sciences have been but a -collection of facts, afterward to be examined, compared, and weighed, by -intelligent minds. To the vulgar, who do not see the universal law which -governs the universe, everything out of the ordinary course of events, -is a prodigy; but to the enlightened mind there are no prodigies; for it -perceives that in both the moral and the physical world, there is a -chain of uninterrupted connection; and that the most strange and even -apparently contradictory or supernatural fact or event will be found, on -due investigation, to be strictly dependent on its antecedents. It is -possible, that there may be a link wanting, and that our investigations -may, consequently, be fruitless; but the link is assuredly there, -although our imperfect knowledge and limited vision can not find it. - -And it is here the proper place to observe, that, in undertaking to -treat of the phenomena in question, I do not propose to consider them as -supernatural; on the contrary, I am persuaded that the time will come, -when they will be reduced strictly within the bounds of science. It was -the tendency of the last age to reject and _deny_ everything they did -not understand; I hope it is the growing tendency of the present one to -_examine_ what we do not understand. Equally disposed with our -predecessors of the eighteenth century to reject the supernatural, and -to believe the order of nature inviolable, we are disposed to extend the -bounds of nature and science, till they comprise within their limits all -the phenomena, ordinary and extraordinary, by which we are surrounded. -Scarcely a month passes that we do not hear of some new and important -discovery in science. It is a domain in which nothing is stable, and -every year overthrows some of the hasty and premature theories of the -preceding ones; and this will continue to be the case as long as -scientific men occupy themselves each with his own subject, without -studying the great and primal truths—what the French call _les vérités -mères_—which link the whole together. Meantime, there is a continual -unsettling. Truth, if it do not emanate from an acknowledged authority, -is generally rejected; and error, if it do, is as often accepted; while, -whoever disputes the received theory, whatever it be—we mean especially -that adopted by the professors of colleges—does it at his peril. But -there is a day yet brooding in the bosom of time, when the sciences will -be no longer isolated; when we shall no longer deny, but be able to -account for, phenomena apparently prodigious, or have the modesty, if we -can not explain them, to admit that the difficulty arises solely from -our own incapacity. The system of centralization in statistics seems to -be of doubtful advantage; but a greater degree of centralization appears -to be very much needed in the domain of science. Some improvement in -this respect might do wonders, particularly if reinforced with a slight -infusion of patience and humility into the minds of scientific men; -together with the recollection that facts and phenomena, which do not -depend on our will, must be waited for—that we must be at their -command, for they will not be at ours. - -But to return once more to our own subject. If we do believe that a -future life awaits us, there can be nothing more natural than the desire -to obtain some information as to what manner of life that is to be for -which any one of us may, before this time to-morrow, have exchanged his -present mode of being. That there does not exist a greater interest with -regard to this question in the mind of man, arises partly from the -vague, intangible kind of belief he entertains of the fact; partly from -his absorption in worldly affairs, and the hard and indigestible food -upon which his clerical shepherds pasture him—for, under dogmatic -theology, religion seems to have withered away to the mere husk of -spiritualism; and partly, also, from the apparent impossibility of -pursuing the inquiry to any purpose. As I said before, observation and -experience can alone guide us in such an inquiry; for, though most -people have a more or less intuitive sense of their own immortality, -intuition is silent as to the mode of it; and the question I am anxious -here to discuss with my readers is, whether we have any facts to -observe, or any experience from which, on this most interesting of all -subjects, a conclusion may be drawn. Great as the difficulty is of -producing evidence, it will, I think, be pretty generally admitted that, -although each individual case, as it stands alone, may be comparatively -valueless, the amount of recurrent cases forms a body of evidence that, -on any other subject, would scarcely be rejected; and since, if the -facts are accepted, they imperatively demand an explanation—for, -assuredly, the present theory of spectral illusions can not comprise -them—our inquiry, let it terminate in whatever conclusion it may, can -not be useless or uninteresting. Various views of the phenomena in -question may be taken; and although I shall offer my own opinions and -the theories and opinions of others, I insist upon none. I do not write -to dogmatise, but to suggest reflection and inquiry. The books of Dr. -Ferriar, Dr. Hibbert, and Dr. Thatcher, the American, are all written to -support one exclusive theory; and they only give such cases as serve to -sustain it. They maintain that the whole phenomena are referrible to -nervous or sanguineous derangement, and are mere subjective illusions; -and whatever instance can not be covered by this theory, they reject as -false, or treat as a case of extraordinary coincidence. In short, they -arrange the facts to their theory, not their theory to the facts. Their -books can not, therefore, claim to be considered as anything more than -essays on a special disease; they have no pretence whatever to the -character of investigations. The question, consequently, remains as much -an open one as before they treated it; while we have the advantage of -their experience and information, with regard to the peculiar malady -that forms the subject of their works. On that subject it is not my -intention to enter; it is a strictly medical one, and every information -may be obtained respecting it in the above-named treatises, and others -emanating from the faculty. - -The subjects I do intend to treat of are the various kinds of prophetic -dreams, presentiments, second-sight, and apparitions; and, in short, all -that class of phenomena which appears to throw some light on our -physical nature, and on the probable state of the soul after death. In -this discussion, I shall make free use of my German authorities, Doctors -Kerner, Stilling, Werner, Eschenmayer, Ennemoser, Passavent, Schubert, -Von Meyer, &c., &c.; and I here make a general acknowledgment to that -effect, because it would embarrass my book too much to be constantly -giving names and references, although, when I quote their words -literally, I shall make a point of doing so; and because, also, that, as -I have been both thinking and reading much on these subjects for a -considerable time past, I am, in fact, no longer in a condition to -appropriate, either to them or to myself, each his own. This, however, -is a matter of very little consequence, as I am not desirous of claiming -any idea as mine that can be found elsewhere. It is enough for me, if I -succeed in making a tolerably clear exposition of the subject, and can -induce other people to reflect upon it. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - - THE DWELLER IN THE TEMPLE. - -IT is almost needless to observe, that the Scriptures repeatedly speak -of man as a tripartite being, consisting of spirit, soul, and body: and -that, according to St. Paul, we have two bodies—a natural body and a -spiritual body; the former being designed as our means of communication -with the external world—an instrument to be used and controlled by our -nobler parts. It is this view of it, carried to a fanaticism, which has -led to the various and extraordinary mortifications recorded of -ascetics. As is remarked by the Rev. Hare Townshend, in a late edition -of his book on mesmerism, in this fleshly body consists our organic -life; in the body which we are to retain through eternity, consists our -fundamental life. May not the first, he says, “be a temporary -development of the last, just as leaves, flowers, and fruits, are the -temporary developments of a tree? And in the same manner that these pass -and drop away, yet leave the principle of reproduction behind, so may -our present organs be detached from us by death, and yet the ground of -our existence be spared to us continuously.” - -Without entering into the subtle disputes of philosophers, with regard -to the spirit, a subject on which there is a standing controversy -between the disciples of Hegel and those of other teachers, I need only -observe that the Scriptures seem to indicate what some of the heathen -sages taught, that the spirit that dwells within us is the spirit of -God, incorporated in us for a period, for certain ends of his own, to be -thereby wrought out. What those ends are, it does not belong to my -present subject to consider. In this spirit so imparted to us, dwells, -says Eschenmayer, the conscience, which keeps watch over the body and -the soul, saying, “Thus shalt thou do!” And it is to this Christ -addresses himself when he bids his disciples become perfect, like their -Father in heaven. The soul is subject to the spirit; and its functions -are, _to will_, or _choose_, _to think_, and _to feel_, and to become -thereby cognizant of the true, the beautiful, and the good; -comprehending the highest principle, the highest ideal, and the most -perfect happiness. The _Ego_, or _I_, is the resultant of the three -forces, Pneuma, Psyche, Soma—spirit, soul, and body. - -In the spirit or soul, or rather in both conjoined, dwells, also, the -power of _spiritual seeing_, or _intuitive knowing_; for, as there is a -spiritual body, there is a spiritual eye, and a spiritual ear, and so -forth; or, to speak more correctly, all these sensuous functions are -comprised in one universal sense, which does not need the aid of the -bodily organs; but, on the contrary, is most efficient when most freed -from them. It remains to be seen whether, or in what degree, such -separation can take place during life; complete it can not be till -death; but whoever believes sincerely that the divine spirit dwells -within him, can, I should think, find no difficulty in conceiving that, -although from the temporary conditions to which that spirit is -subjected, this universal faculty is limited and obscured, it must still -retain its indefeasible attribute. - -We may naturally conclude that the most perfect state of man on earth -consists in the most perfect unity of the spirit and the soul; and to -those who in this life have attained the nearest to that unity will the -entire assimilation of the two, after they are separated from the body, -be the easiest; while to those who have lived only their intellectual -and external life, this union must be extremely difficult, the soul -having chosen its part with the body, and divorced itself, as much as in -it lay, from the spirit. The voice of conscience is then scarcely heard; -and the soul, degraded and debased, can no longer perform its functions -of discerning the true, the beautiful, and the good. - -On these distinct functions of the soul and spirit, however, it is not -my intention to insist, since it appears to me a subject on which we are -not yet in a condition to dogmatize. We know rather more about our -bodies, by means of which the soul and spirit are united and brought -into contact with the material world, and which are constructed wholly -with a view to the conditions of that world; such as time, space, -solidity, extension, &c., &c. But we must conceive of God as necessarily -independent of these conditions. To Him, all times and all places must -be for ever present; and it is _thus_ that he is omniscient and -omnipresent; and since we are placed by the spirit in immediate relation -with God and the spiritual world, just as we are placed by the body in -immediate relation with the material world, we may, in the first place, -form a notion of the possibility that some faint gleams of these -inherent attributes may, at times, shoot up through the clay in which -the spirit has taken up its temporary abode; and we may also admit, that -through the connection which exists between us and the spiritual world, -it is not impossible but that we may, at times, and under certain -conditions, become cognizant of, and enter into more immediate relation -with it. This is the only postulate I ask; for, as I said before, I do -not wish to enforce opinions, but to suggest probabilities, or at least -possibilities, and thus arouse reflection and inquiry. - -With respect to the term _invisible world_, I beg to remind my readers, -that what we call _seeing_ is merely the function of an organ -constructed for that purpose in relation to the external world; and so -limited are its powers, that we are surrounded by many things in that -world which we can not see without the aid of artificial appliances and -many other things which we can not see even with them; the atmosphere in -which we live, for example, although its weight and mechanical forces -are the subjects of accurate calculation, is entirely imperceptible to -our visual organs. Thus, the fact that we do not commonly see them, -forms no legitimate objection to the hypothesis of our being surrounded -by a world of spirits, or of that world being inter-diffused among us. -Supposing the question to be decided that we do sometimes become -cognizant of them, which, however, I admit it is not, since, whether the -apparitions are subjective, or objective, that is, whether they are the -mere phenomena of disease, or real out-standing appearances, is the -inquiry I desire to promote—but, I say, supposing that question were -decided in the affirmative, the next that arises is, how, or by what -means do we see them; or, if they address us, hear them? If that -universal sense which appears to me to be inseparable from the idea of -spirit, be once admitted, I think there can be no difficulty in -answering this question; and if it be objected that we are conscious of -no such sense, I answer, that both in dreams and in certain abnormal -states of the body, it is frequently manifested. In order to render this -more clear, and, at the same time, to give an interesting instance of -this sort of phenomenon, I will transcribe a passage from a letter of -St. Augustine to his friend Evadius (Epistola 159. Antwerp edition). - -“I will relate to you a circumstance,” he writes, “which will furnish -you matter for reflection. Our brother Sennadius, well known to us all -as an eminent physician, and whom we especially love, who is now at -Carthage, after having distinguished himself at Rome, and with whose -piety and active benevolence you are well acquainted, could yet, -nevertheless, as he has lately narrated to us, by no means bring himself -to believe in a life after death. Now, God, doubtless, not willing that -his soul should perish, there appeared to him one night, in a dream, a -radiant youth of noble aspect, who bade him follow him; and as Sennadius -obeyed, they came to a city where, on the right side, he heard a chorus -of the most heavenly voices. As he desired to know whence this divine -harmony proceeded, the youth told him that what he heard were the songs -of the blessed; whereupon he awoke, and thought no more of his dream -than people usually do. On another night, however, behold! the youth -appears to him again, and asks him if he knows him; and Sennadius -related to him all the particulars of his former dream, which he well -remembered. ‘Then,’ said the youth, ‘was it while sleeping or waking -that you saw these things?’—‘I was sleeping,’ answered Sennadius. ‘You -are right,’ returned the youth, ‘it was in your sleep that you saw these -things; and know, O Sennadius, that what you see now is also in your -sleep. But if this be so, tell me where then is your body?’—‘In my -bed-chamber,’ answered Sennadius. ‘But know you not,’ continued the -stranger, ‘that your eyes, which form a part of your body, are closed -and inactive?’—‘I know it,’ answered he. ‘Then,’ said the youth, ‘with -what eyes see you these things?’ And Sennadius could not answer him; and -as he hesitated, the youth spoke again, and explained to him the motive -of his questions. ‘As the eyes of your body,’ said he, ‘which lies now -on your bed and sleeps, are inactive and useless, and yet you have eyes -wherewith you see me and these things I have shown unto you; so after -death, when these bodily organs fail you, you will have a vital power, -whereby you will live, and a sensitive faculty, whereby you will -perceive. Doubt, therefore, no longer that there is a life after death.’ -And thus,” said this excellent man, “was I convinced, and all doubts -removed.” - -I confess there appears to me a beauty and a logical truth in this dream -that I think might convince more than the dreamer. - -It is by the hypothesis of this universal sense, latent within us—an -hypothesis which, whoever believes that we are immortal spirits, -incorporated for a season in a material body, can scarcely reject—that -I seek to explain those perceptions which are not comprised within the -functions of our bodily organs. It seems to me to be the key to all or -nearly all of them, as far as our own part in the phenomena extends. -But, supposing this admitted, there would then remain the difficulty of -accounting for the partial and capricious glimpses we get of it; while -in that department of the mystery which regards apparitions, except such -as are the pure result of disease, we must grope our way, with very -little light to guide us, as to the conditions and motives which might -possibly bring them into any immediate relation with us. - -To any one who has been fortunate enough to witness one genuine case of -clairvoyance, I think the conception of this universal sense will not be -difficult, however the mode of its exercise may remain utterly -incomprehensible. As I have said above—to the great Spirit and Fountain -of life, all things, in both space and time, must be present. However -impossible it is to our finite minds to conceive this, we must believe -it. It may, in some slight degree, facilitate the conception to remember -that action, once begun, never ceases—an impulse given is transmitted -on for ever; a sound breathed reverberates in eternity; and thus the -past is always present, although, for the purpose of fitting us for this -mortal life, our ordinary senses are so constituted as to be -unperceptive of these phenomena. With respect to what we call _the -future_, it is more difficult still for us to conceive it as present; -nor, as far as I know, can we borrow from the sciences the same -assistance as mechanical discoveries have just furnished me with in -regard to the past. How a spirit sees that which has not yet, to our -senses, taken place, seems certainly inexplicable. _Foreseeing_ it is -not inexplicable: we foresee many things by arguing on given premises, -although, from our own finite views, we are always liable to be -mistaken. Louis Lambert says: “Such events as are the product of -humanity, and the result of its intelligence, have their own causes, in -which they lie latent, just as our actions are accomplished in our -thoughts previous to any outward demonstration of them; presentiments -and prophecies consist in the intuitive perception of these causes.” -This explanation, which is quite conformable with that of Cicero, may -aid us in some degree as regards a certain small class of phenomena; but -there is something involved in the question much more subtle than this. -Our dreams can give us the only idea of it; for there we do actually see -and hear, not only that which never was, but that which never will be. -Actions and events, words and sounds, persons and places, are as clearly -and vividly present to us as if they were actually what they seem; and I -should think that most people must be somewhat puzzled to decide in -regard to certain scenes and circumstances that live in their memory, -whether the images are the result of their waking or sleeping -experience. Although by no means a dreamer, and without the most remote -approximation to any faculty of presentiment, I know this is the case -with myself. I remember also a very curious effect being produced upon -me, when I was abroad, some years ago, from eating the unwholesome bread -to which we were reduced, in consequence of a scarcity. Some five or six -times a day I was seized with a sort of vertigo, during which I seemed -to pass through certain scenes, and was conscious of certain words, -which appeared to me to have a strange connection, with either some -former period of my life, or else some previous state of existence. The -words and the scenes were on each occasion precisely the same: I was -always aware of that, and I always made the strongest efforts to grasp -and retain them in my memory, but I could not. I only knew that the -thing _had been_; the words and the scenes were gone. I seemed to pass -momentarily into another sphere and back again. This was purely the -result of disorder; but, like a dream, it shows how we may be perceptive -of that which is not, and which never may be; rendering it, therefore, -possible to conceive that a spirit may be equally perceptive of that -which shall be. I am very far from meaning to imply that these examples -remove the difficulty: they do not explain the thing; they only show -somewhat the mode of it. But it must be remembered that when -physiologists pretend to settle the whole question of apparitions by the -theory of spectral illusions, they are exactly in the same predicament. -They can supply examples of similar phenomena; but how a person, -perfectly in his senses, should receive the spectral visits of, not only -friends, but strangers, when he is thinking of no such matter—or by -what process, mental or optical, the figures are conjured up—remains as -much a mystery as before a line was written on the subject. - -All people and all ages have believed, more or less, in prophetic -dreams, presentiments, and apparitions; and all historians have -furnished examples of them. That the truths may be frequently distorted -and mingled with fable, is no argument against those traditions; if it -were, all history must be rejected on the same plea. Both the Old and -New Testaments furnish numerous examples of these phenomena; and -although Christ and the apostles reproved all the superstitions of the -age, these persuasions are not included in their reprehensions. - -Neither is the comparative rarity of these phenomena any argument -against their possibility. There are many strange things which occur -still more rarely, but which we do not look upon as supernatural or -miraculous. Of nature’s ordinary laws, we yet know but little; of their -aberrations and perturbations, still less. How should we, when the world -is a miracle and life a dream, of which we know neither the beginning -nor the end! We do not even know that we see anything as it is, or -rather, we know that we do not. We see things but as our visual organs -represent them to us; and were those organs differently constructed, the -aspect of the world would to us be changed. How, then, can we pretend to -decide upon what is and what is not? - -Nothing could be more perplexing to any one who read them with -attention, than the trials for witchcraft of the seventeenth century. -Many of the feats of the ancient thaumaturgists and wonder-workers of -the temples might have been nearly as much so, but these were got rid of -by the easy expedient of pronouncing them fables and impostures; but, -during the witch-mania, so many persons proved their faith in their own -miraculous powers by the sacrifice of their lives, that it was scarcely -possible to doubt their having some foundation for their own persuasion, -though what that foundation could be, till the late discoveries in -animal magnetism, it was difficult to conceive; but here we have a new -page opened to us which concerns both the history of the world and the -history of man, as an individual; and we begin to see that that which -the ignorant thought supernatural, and the wise impossible, has been -both natural and true. While the scientific men of Great Britain, and -several of our journalists, have been denying and ridiculing the reports -of these phenomena, the most eminent physicians of Germany have been -quietly studying and investigating them, and giving to the world, in -their works, the results of their experience. Among the rest, Dr. Joseph -Ennemoser, of Berlin, has presented to us in his two books on “Magic,” -and on “The Connection of Magnetism with Nature and Religion,” the -fruits of his thirty years’ study of this subject—during the course of -which he has had repeated opportunities of investigating all the -phenomena, and of making himself perfectly familiar with even the most -rare and perplexing. To any one who has studied these works, the -mysteries of the temples and of the witch-trials are mysteries no -longer; and he writes with the professed design, not to make science -mystical, but to bring the mysterious within the bounds of science. The -phenomena, as he justly says, are as old as the human race. Animal -magnetism is no new development, no new discovery. Inseparable from -life, although, like many other vital phenomena, so subtle in its -influences, that only in abnormal cases it attracts attention, it has -exhibited itself more or less in all ages and in all countries. But its -value as a medical agent is only now beginning to dawn on the civilized -world, while its importance in a higher point of view is yet perceived -by but few. Every human being who has ever withdrawn himself from the -strife, and the turmoil, and the distraction, of the world without, in -order to look within, must have found himself perplexed by a thousand -questions with regard to his own being, which he would find no one able -to solve. In the study of animal magnetism, he will first obtain some -gleams of a light which will show him that he is indeed the child of -God! and that, though a dweller on the earth, and fallen, some traces of -his divine descent, and of his unbroken connection with a higher order -of being, still remain to comfort and encourage him. He will find that -there exists in his species the germs of faculties that are never fully -unfolded here on earth, and which have no reference to this state of -being. They exist in all men, but in most cases are so faintly elicited -as not to be observable; and when they do shoot up here and there, they -are denied, disowned, misinterpreted, and maligned. It is true that -their development is often the symptom and effect of disease, which -seems to change the relations of our material and immaterial parts; it -is true that some of the phenomena resulting from these faculties are -stimulated by disease, as in the case of spectral illusions; and it is -true that imposture and folly intrude their unhallowed footsteps into -this domain of science, as into that of all others; but there is a deep -and holy well of truth to be discovered in this neglected by-path of -nature, by those who seek it, from which they may draw the purest -consolations for the present, the most ennobling hopes for the future, -and the most valuable aid in penetrating through the letter into the -spirit of the Scriptures. - -I confess it makes me sorrowful when I hear men laughing, scorning, and -denying this their birthright; and I can not but grieve to think how -closely and heavily their clay must be wrapped about them, and how the -external and sensuous life must have prevailed over the internal, when -no gleam from within breaks through to show them that these things are -true. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - - WAKING AND SLEEPING; AND HOW THE DWELLER IN THE TEMPLE - SOMETIMES LOOKS ABROAD. - -TO begin with the most simple—or rather, I should say, the most -ordinary—class of phenomena, for we can scarcely call that simple, the -mystery of which we have never been able to penetrate—I mean -dreaming—everybody’s experience will suffice to satisfy them that their -ordinary dreams take place in a state of imperfect sleep, and that this -imperfect sleep may be caused by any bodily or mental derangement -whatever, or even from an ill-made bed, or too much or too little -covering; and it is not difficult to conceive that the strange, -confused, and disjointed visions we are subject to on these occasions, -may proceed from some parts of the brain being less at rest than the -others; so that, assuming phrenology to be fact, one organ is not in a -state to correct the impressions of another. Of such vain and -insignificant visions, I need scarcely say it is not my intention to -treat; but, at the same time, I must observe, that when we have admitted -the above explanation, as far as it goes, we have not, even in regard to -_them_, made much progress toward removing the difficulty. If dreaming -resembled thinking, the explanations might be quite satisfactory; but -the truth is, that dreaming is not thinking, as we think in our waking -state, but is more analogous to thinking in delirium or acute mania, or -in that chronic condition which gives rise to sensuous illusions. In our -ordinary normal state, conceiving of places or persons does not enable -us to see them or hold communion with them, nor do we fancy that we do -either. It is true, that I have heard some painters say that, by closing -their eyes and concentrating their thoughts on an object, they can bring -it more or less vividly before them, and Blake professed actually to see -his sitters when they were not present; but whatever interpretations we -may put upon this curious faculty, his case was clearly abnormal, and -connected with some personal peculiarity, either physical or psychical; -and, after making the most of it, it must be admitted that it can enter -into no sort of comparison with that we possess in sleep, when, in our -most ordinary dreams, untrammelled by time or space, we visit the -uttermost ends of the earth, fly in the air, swim in the sea, listen to -beautiful music and eloquent orations, behold the most charming as well -as the most loathsome objects; and not only see, but converse with our -friends, absent or present, dead or alive. Every one, I think, will -grant that there is the widest possible difference between conceiving of -these things when awake, and dreaming them. When we dream, we do, we -see, we say, we hear, &c., &c., that is, we believe at the time we do -so; and what more can be said of us when we are awake, than that we -_believe_ we are doing, seeing, saying, hearing, &c. It is by external -circumstances, and the results of our actions, that we are able to -decide whether we have actually done a thing or seen a place, or only -dreamt that we have done so; and as I have said above, after some lapse -of time we are not always able to distinguish between the two. While -dreaming, we frequently ask ourselves whether we are awake or asleep; -and nothing is more common than to hear people say, “Well, I think I -did, or heard, so and so; but I am not sure whether it was so, or -whether I dreamt it.” Thus, therefore, the very lowest order of -dreaming, the most disjointed and perplexed, is far removed from the -most vivid presentations of our waking thoughts; and it is in this -respect, I think, that the explanations of the phenomena hitherto -offered by phrenologists, and the metaphysicians of this country, are -inadequate and unsatisfactory; while, as regards the analogy between the -visions of sleep and delirium, whatever similarity there may be in the -effects, we can not suppose the cause to be identical: since, in -delirium the images and delusions are the result of excessive action of -the brain, which we must conclude to be the very reverse of its -condition in sleep. Pinel certainly has hazarded an opinion that sleep -is occasioned by an efflux of blood to the head, and consequent -compression of the brain—a theory which would have greater weight were -sleep more strictly periodical than it is; but which, at present, it -seems impossible to reconcile with many established facts. - -Some of the German physiologists and psychologists have taken a deeper -view of this question of dreaming, from considering it in connection -with the phenomena of animal magnetism; and although their theories -differ in some respects, they all unite in looking toward that -department of nature for instruction. While one section of these -inquirers, the Exegetical Society of Stockholm included, calls in the -aid of supernatural agency, another, among whom Dr. Joseph Ennemoser, of -Berlin, appears to be one of the most eminent, maintains that the -explanation of the mystery is to be chiefly sought in the great and -universal law of polarity, which extends not only beyond the limits of -this earth, but beyond the limits of this system, which must necessarily -be in connection with all others; so that there is thus an eternal and -never-ceasing inter-action, of which, from the multiplicity and -contrariety of the influences, we are insensible, just as we are -insensible to the pressure of the atmosphere, from its impinging on us -equally on all sides. - -Waking and sleeping are the day and night sides of organic life, during -which alternations an animal is placed in different relations to the -external world, and to these alternations all organisms are subject. The -completeness and independence of each individual organism, are in exact -ratio to the number and completeness of the organs it develops; and thus -the locomotive animal has the advantage of the plant or the zoophyte, -while, of the animal kingdom, man is the most complete and independent; -and, although still a member of the universal whole, and therefore -incapable of isolating himself, yet better able than any other organism -to ward off external influences, and comprise his world within himself. -But, according to Dr. Ennemoser, one of the consequences of this very -completeness is a weak and insignificant development of instinct; and -thus the healthy, waking, conscious man, is, of all organisms, the least -sensible to the impressions of this universal inter-communication and -polarity; although, at the same time, partaking of the nature of the -plant and the animal, he is subject, like the first, to all manner of -atmospheric, telluric, and periodic influences; and frequently exhibits, -like the second, peculiar instinctive appetites and desires, and, in -some individual organizations, very marked antipathies and -susceptibilities with regard to certain objects and influences, even -when not placed in any evident relation with them. - -According to this theory, sleep is a retrograde step—a retreating into -a lower sphere; in which condition, the sensuous functions being in -abeyance, the instincts somewhat resume their sway. “In sleep and in -sickness,” he says, “the higher animals and man fall in a -physico-organical point of view, from their individual independence, or -power of self-sustainment; and their polar relation, that is, their -relation to the healthy and waking man, becomes changed from a positive -to a negative one; all men, in regard to each other, as well as all -nature, being the subjects of this polarity.” It is to be remembered, -that this theory of Dr. Ennemoser’s was promulgated before the -discoveries of Baron von Reichenback in magnetism were made public, and -the susceptibility to magnetic influences in the animal organism, which -the experiments of the latter go to establish, is certainly in its -favor; but while it pretends to explain the condition of the sleepers, -and may possibly be of some service in our investigations into the -mystery of dreaming, it leaves us as much in the dark as ever, with -respect to the cause of our falling into this negative state; an inquiry -in which little progress seems to have been hitherto made. - -With respect to dreaming, Dr. Ennemoser rejects the physiological -theory, which maintains, that in sleep, magnetic or otherwise, the -activity of the brain is transferred to the ganglionic system, and that -the former falls into a subordinate relation. “Dreaming,” he says, “is -the gradual awakening of activity in the organs of imagination, whereby -the presentation of sensuous objects to the spirit, which had been -discontinued in profound sleep, is resumed. Dreaming,” he adds, “also -arises from the secret activity of the spirit in the innermost sensuous -organs of the brain, busying the fancy with subjective sensuous images, -the objective conscious day-life giving place to the creative dominion -of the poetical genius, to which night becomes day, and universal nature -its theatre of action; and thus the super-sensuous or transcendent -nature of the spirit becomes more manifest in dreaming than in the -waking state. But, in considering these phenomena, man must be viewed in -both his psychical and physical relations, and as equally subject to -spiritual as to natural operations and influences; since, during the -continuance of life, neither soul nor body can act quite independently -of the other; for, although it be the immortal spirit which perceives, -it is through the instrumentality of the sensuous organs that it does -so; for of absolute spirit without body, we can form no conception.” - -What is here meant seems to be, that the brain becomes the world to the -spirit, before the impressions from the external world do actually come -streaming through by means of the external sensuous organs. The inner -spiritual light illumines, till the outward physical light overpowers -and extinguishes it. But in this state the brain, which is the -storehouse of acquired knowledge, is not in a condition to apply its -acquisitions effectively; while the intuitive knowledge of the spirit, -if the sleep be imperfect, is clouded by its interference. - -Other physiologists, however, believe, from the numerous and -well-attested cases of the transference of the senses, in disease, to -the pit of the stomach, that the activity of the brain in sleep _is_ -transferred to the epigastric region. The instances of this phenomenon, -as related by Dr. Petetin and others, having been frequently published, -I need not here quote. But, as Dr. Passavant observes, it is well known -that the functions of the nerves differ in some animals; and that one -set can supply the place of another; as in those cases where there is a -great susceptibility to light, though no eyes can be discovered. - -These physiologists believe, that, even during the most profound sleep, -the spirit retains its activity, a proposition which, indeed, we can not -doubt; “it wakes, though the senses sleep, retreating into its infinite -depths, like the sun at night; living on its spiritual life undisturbed, -while the body sinks into a state of vegetative tranquillity. Nor does -it follow that the soul is unconscious in sleep because in waking we -have frequently lost all memory of its consciousness; since, by the -repose of the sensuous organs, the bridge between waking and sleeping is -removed, and the recollections of one state are not carried into the -other.” - -It will occur here to every one, how often in the instant of waking we -are not only conscious that we have been dreaming, but are also -conscious of the subject of the dream, which we try in vain to grasp, -but which eludes us, and is gone for ever the moment we have passed into -a state of complete wakefulness. - -Now, with respect to this so-called dreaming in profound sleep, it is a -thing no one can well doubt who thoroughly believes that his body is a -temple built for the dwelling of an immortal spirit; for we can not -conceive of spirit sleeping, or needing that restoration which we know -to be the condition of earthly organisms. If, therefore, the spirit -wakes, may we not suppose that the more it is disentangled from the -obstructions of the body the more clear will be its perceptions; and -that, therefore, in the profound natural sleep of the sensuous organs we -may be in a state of clear-seeing. All who have attended to the subject -are aware that the clear seeing of magnetic patients depends on the -depth of their sleep; whatever circumstance, internal or external, tends -to interrupt this profound repose of the sensuous organs, inevitably -obscures their perceptions. - -Again, with respect to the not carrying with us the recollections of one -state into the other, should not this lead us to suspect that sleeping -and waking are two different spheres of existence; partaking of the -nature of that _double life_, of which the records of human physiology -have presented us with various instances wherein a patient finds himself -utterly divested of all recollection of past events and acquired -knowledge, and has to begin life and education anew, till another -transition takes place, wherein he recovers what he had lost, while he -at the same time loses all he had lately gained, which he only recovers, -once more, by another transition, restoring to him his lately-acquired -knowledge, but again obliterating his original stock, thus alternately -passing from one state to the other, and disclosing a double life—an -educated man in one condition, a child learning his alphabet in the -next! - -Where the transition from one state to another is complete, memory is -entirely lost; but there are cases in which the change, being either -gradual or modified, the recollections of one life are carried more or -less into the other. We know this to be the case with magnetic sleepers, -as it is with ordinary dreamers; and most persons have met with -instances of the dream of one night being continued in the next. -Treviranus mentions the case of a student who regularly began to talk -the moment he fell asleep, the subject of his discourse being a dream, -which he always took up at the exact point at which he had left it the -previous morning. Of this dream he had never the slightest recollection -in his waking state. A daughter of Sir George Mackenzie, who died at an -early age, was endowed with a remarkable genius for music, and was an -accomplished organist. This young lady dreamed, during an illness, that -she was at a party, where she had heard a new piece of music, which made -so great an impression on her by its novelty and beauty, that, on -awaking, she besought her attendants to bring her some paper, that she -might write it down before she had forgotten it—an indulgence which, -apprehensive of excitement, her medical attendant unfortunately forbade; -for, apart from the additional psychological interest that would have -been attached to the fact, the effects of compliance, judging from what -ensued, would probably have been soothing rather than otherwise. About -ten days afterward, she had a second dream, wherein she again found -herself at a party, where she descried on the desk of a pianoforte, in a -corner of the room, an open book, in which, with astonished delight, she -recognised the same piece of music, which she immediately proceeded to -play, and then awoke. The piece was not of a short or fugitive -character, but in the style of an overture. The question, of course, -remains, as to whether she was composing the music in her sleep, or, by -an act of clairvoyance, was perceiving some that actually existed. -Either is possible, for, although she might have been incapable of -composing so elaborate a piece in her waking state, there are many -instances on record of persons performing intellectual feats in dreams, -to which they were unequal when awake. A very eminent person assured me -that he had once composed some lines in his sleep (I think it was a -sonnet) which far exceeded any of his waking performances of that -description. - -Somewhat analogous to this sort of double life is the case of the young -girl mentioned by Dr. Abercrombie and others, whose employment was -keeping cattle, and who slept for some time, much to her own annoyance, -in the room adjoining one occupied by an itinerant musician. The man, -who played exceedingly well, being an enthusiast in his art, frequently -practised the greater part of the night, performing on his violin very -complicated and difficult compositions; while the girl, so far from -discovering any pleasure in his performances, complained bitterly of -being kept awake by the noise. Some time after this, she fell ill, and -was removed to the house of a charitable lady, who undertook the charge -of her; and here, by-and-by, the family were amazed by frequently -hearing the most exquisite music in the night, which they at length -discovered to proceed from the girl. The sounds were those of a violin, -and the tuning and other preliminary processes were accurately imitated. -She went through long and elaborate pieces, and afterward was heard -imitating, in the same way, the sounds of a pianoforte that was in the -house. She also talked very cleverly on the subjects of religion and -politics, and discussed with great judgment the characters and conduct -of persons, public and private. Awake, she knew nothing of these things; -but was, on the contrary, stupid, heavy, and had no taste whatever for -music. Phrenology would probably interpret this phenomenon by saying -that the lower elements of the cerebral spinal axis, as organs of -sensation, &c., &c., being asleep, the cluster of the higher organs -requisite for the above combinations were not only awake, but rendered -more active from the repose of the others: but to me it appears that we -here see the inherent faculties of the spirit manifesting themselves, -while the body slept. The same faculties must have existed when it was -in a waking state, but the impressions and manifestations were then -dependent on the activity and perfection of the sensuous organs, which -seem to have been of an inferior order; and consequently, no rays of -this in-dwelling genius could pierce the coarse integument in which it -was lodged. - -Similar unexpected faculties have been not unfrequently manifested by -the dying, and we may conclude to a certain degree from the same cause, -namely, that the incipient death of the body is leaving the spirit more -unobstructed. Dr. Steinbech mentions the case of a clergyman, who, being -summoned to administer the last sacraments to a dying peasant, found -him, to his surprise, praying aloud in Greek and Hebrew, a mystery which -could be no otherwise explained than by the circumstance of his having, -when a child, frequently heard the then minister of the parish praying -in those languages. He had, however, never understood the prayers, nor -indeed paid any attention to them; still less had he been aware that -they lived in his memory. It would give much additional interest to this -story had Dr. Steinbech mentioned how far the man now, while uttering -the words, understood their meaning; whether he was aware of what he was -saying, or was only repeating the words by rote. - -With regard to the extraordinary faculty of memory manifested in these -and similar cases, I shall have some observations to make in a -subsequent part of this book. - -Parallel instances are those of idiots, who, either in a somnambulic -state, or immediately previous to death, have spoken as if inspired. At -St. Jean de Maurinne, in Savoy, there was a dumb _cretin_, who, having -fallen into a natural state of somnambulism, not only was found to speak -with ease, but also to the purpose; a faculty which disappeared, -however, whenever he awoke. Dumb persons have likewise been known to -speak when at the point of death. - -The possibility of suggesting dreams to some sleepers by whispering in -the ear, is a well-known fact; but this can doubtless only be -practicable where the sensuous organs are partly awake. Then, as with -magnetic patients in a state of incomplete sleep, we have only revery -and imagination in place of clear-seeing. - -The next class of dreams are those which partake of the nature of second -sight, or prophecy, and of these there are various kinds; some being -plain and literal in their premonitions, others allegorical and obscure; -while some also regard the most unimportant, and others the most grave -events of our lives. A gentleman engaged in business in the south of -Scotland, for example, dreams that on entering his office in the -morning, he sees seated on a certain stool a person formerly in his -service as clerk, of whom he had neither heard nor thought for some -time. He inquires the motive of the visit, and is told that such and -such circumstances having brought the stranger to that part of the -country, he could not forbear visiting his old quarters, expressing at -the same time a wish to spend a few days in his former occupation, &c., -&c. The gentleman, being struck with the vividness of the illusion, -relates his dream at breakfast, and, to his surprise, on going to his -office, there sits the man, and the dialogue that ensues is precisely -that of the dream! I have heard of numerous instances of this kind of -dream, where no previous expectation nor excitement of mind could be -found to account for them, and where the fulfilment was too exact and -literal, in all particulars, to admit of their being explained away by -the ready resource of “an extraordinary coincidence.” There are also on -record, in both this country and others, many perfectly -well-authenticated cases of people obtaining prizes in the lottery, -through having dreamed of the fortunate numbers. As many numbers, -however, may have been dreamed of that were not drawn prizes, we can -derive no conclusion from this circumstance. - -A very remarkable instance of this kind of dreaming occurred a few years -since to Mr. A—— F——, an eminent Scotch advocate, while staying in -the neighborhood of Loch Fyne, who dreamed one night that he saw a -number of people in the street following a man to the scaffold. He -discovered the features of the criminal in the cart distinctly; and, for -some reason or other, which he could not account for, felt an -extraordinary interest in his fate—insomuch that he joined the throng, -and accompanied him to the place that was to terminate his earthly -career. This interest was the more unaccountable, that the man had an -exceedingly unprepossessing countenance, but it was nevertheless so -vivid as to induce the dreamer to ascend the scaffold, and address him, -with a view to enable him to escape the impending catastrophe. Suddenly, -however, while he was talking to him, the whole scene dissolved away, -and the sleeper awoke. Being a good deal struck with the lifelike -reality of the vision, and the impression made on his mind by the -features of this man, he related the circumstance to his friends at -breakfast, adding that he should know him anywhere, if he saw him. A few -jests being made on the subject, the thing was forgotten. - -On the afternoon of the same day, the advocate was informed that two men -wanted to speak to him, and, on going into the hall, he was struck with -amazement at perceiving that one of them was the hero of his dream! - -“We are accused of a murder,” said they, “and we wish to consult you. -Three of us went out, last night, in a boat; an accident has happened; -our comrade is drowned, and they want to make us accountable for him.” -The advocate then put some interrogations to them, and the result -produced in his mind by their answers was a conviction of their guilt. -Probably the recollection of his dream rendered the effects of this -conviction more palpable; for one addressing the other, said in Gaelic, -“We have come to the wrong man; he is against us.” - -“There is a higher power than I against you,” returned the gentleman; -“and the only advice I can give you is, if you are guilty, fly -immediately.” Upon this, they went away; and the next thing he heard -was, that they were taken into custody on suspicion of the murder. - -The account of the affair was, that, as they said, the three had gone -out together on the preceding evening, and that in the morning the body -of one of them had been found on the shore, with a cut across his -forehead. The father and friend of the victim had waited on the banks of -the lake till the boat came in, and then demanded their companion; of -whom, however, they professed themselves unable to give any account. -Upon this, the old man led them to his cottage for the purpose of -showing them the body of his son. One entered, and, at the sight of it, -burst into a passion of tears; the other refused to do so, saying his -business called him immediately home, and went sulkily away. This last -was the man seen in the dream. - -After a fortnight’s incarceration, the former of these was liberated; -and he then declared to the advocate his intention of bringing an action -of damages for false imprisonment. He was advised not to do it. “Leave -well alone,” said the lawyer; “and if you’ll take my advice, make off -while you can.” The man, however, refused to fly: he declared that he -really did not know what had occasioned the death of his comrade. The -latter had been at one end of the boat, and he at the other; when he -looked round, he was gone; but whether he had fallen overboard, and cut -his head as he fell, or whether he had been struck and pushed into the -water, he did not know. The advocate became finally satisfied of this -man’s innocence; but the authorities, thinking it absurd to try one and -not the other, again laid hands on him: and it fell to Mr. A—— F—— -to be the defender of both. The difficulty was, not to separate their -cases in his pleading; for, however morally convinced of the different -ground on which they stood, his duty, professionally, was to obtain the -acquittal of both, in which he finally succeeded, as regarded the charge -of murder. They were, therefore, sentenced to two years’ imprisonment; -and, so far as the dream is concerned, here ends the story. There -remains, however, a curious sequel to it. - -A few years afterward, the same gentleman being in a boat on Loch Fyne, -in company with Sir T—— D—— L——, happened to be mentioning these -curious circumstances, when one of the boatmen said that he “knew well -about those two men; and that a very strange thing had occurred in -regard to one of them.” This one, on inquiry, proved to be the subject -of the dream; and the strange thing was this: On being liberated, he had -quitted that part of the country, and in process of time had gone to -Greenock, and thence embarked in a vessel for Cork. But the vessel -seemed fated never to reach its destination; one misfortune happened -after another, till at length the sailors said: “This won’t do; there -must be a murderer on board with us!” As is usual, when such a -persuasion exists, they drew lots three times, and each time it fell on -that man! He was consequently put on shore, and the vessel went on its -way without him. What had become of him afterward was not known. - -A friend of mine, being in London, dreamed that she saw her little boy -playing on the terrace of her house in Northumberland; that he fell and -hurt his arm, and she saw him lying apparently dead. The dream recurred -two or three times on the same night, and she awoke her husband, saying -she “feared something must have happened to Henry.” In due course of -post, a letter arrived from the governess, saying that she was sorry to -have to communicate that, while playing on the terrace that morning, -Master Henry had fallen over a heap of stones, and broken his arm; -adding that he had fainted after the accident, and had lain for some -time insensible. The lady to whom this dream occurred is not aware -having ever manifested this faculty before or since. - -Mrs. W—— dreamed that she saw people ascending by a ladder to the -chamber of her step-son John; wakes, and says she is afraid he is dead, -and that there was something odd in her dream about a watch and a -candle. In the morning a messenger is sent to inquire for the gentleman, -and they find people ascending to his chamber-window by a ladder, the -door of the room being locked. They discover him dead on the floor, with -his watch in his hand, and the candle between his feet. The same lady -dreamed that she saw a friend in great agony, and that she heard him say -they were tearing his flesh from his bones. He was some time afterward -seized with inflammation, lay as she had seen him, and made use of those -exact words. - -A friend of mine dreamed lately that somebody said her nephew must not -be bled, as it would be dangerous. The young man was quite well, and -there had been no design of bleeding him; but on the following morning -he had a tooth drawn, and an effusion of blood ensued, which lasted some -days, and caused a good deal of uneasiness. - -A farmer, in Worcestershire, dreamed that his little boy, of twelve -years old, had fallen from the wagon and was killed. The dream recurred -three times in one night; but, unwilling to yield to superstitious -fears, he allowed the child to accompany the wagoner to Kidderminster -fair. The driver was very fond of the boy, and he felt assured would -take care of him; but, having occasion to go a little out of the road to -leave a parcel, the man bade the child walk on with the wagon, and he -would meet him at a certain spot. On arriving there, the horses were -coming quietly forward, but the boy was not with them; and on retracing -the road, he was found dead, having apparently fallen from the shafts, -and been crushed by the wheels. - -A gentleman, who resided near one of the Scottish lakes, dreamed that he -saw a number of persons surrounding a body, which had just been drawn -out of the water. On approaching the spot, he perceives that it is -himself, and the assistants are his own friends and retainers. Alarmed -at the lifelike reality of the vision, he resolved to elude the -threatened destiny by never venturing on the lake again. On one -occasion, however, it became quite indispensable that he should do so; -and, as the day was quite calm, he yielded to the necessity, on -condition that he should be put ashore at once on the opposite side, -while the rest of the party proceeded to their destinations, where he -would meet them. This was accordingly done: the boat skimmed gayly over -the smooth waters, and arrived safely at the rendezvous, the gentlemen -laughing at the superstition of their companion, while he stood smiling -on the bank to receive them. But, alas! the fates were inexorable: the -little promontory that supported him had been undermined by the water; -it gave way beneath his feet, and life was extinct before he could be -rescued. This circumstance was related to me by a friend of the family. - -Mr. S—— was the son of an Irish bishop, who set somewhat more value on -the things of this world than became his function. He had always told -his son that there was but one thing he could not forgive, and that was, -a bad marriage—meaning, by a bad marriage, a poor one. As cautions of -this sort do not, by any means, prevent young people falling in love, -Mr. S—— fixed his affections on Lady O——, a fair young widow, -without any fortune; and, aware that it would be useless to apply for -his father’s consent, he married her without asking it. They were -consequently exceedingly poor; and, indeed, nearly all they had to live -on was a small sinecure of forty pounds per annum, which Dean Swift -procured for him. While in this situation, Mr. S—— dreamed one night -that he was in the cathedral in which he had formerly been accustomed to -attend service; that he saw a stranger, habited as a bishop, occupying -his father’s throne; and that, on applying to the verger for an -explanation, the man said that the bishop was dead, and that he had -expired just as he was adding a codicil to his will in his son’s favor. -The impression made by the dream was so strong, that Mr. S—— felt that -he should have no repose till he had obtained news from home; and as the -most speedy way of doing so was to go there himself, he started on -horseback, much against the advice of his wife, who attached no -importance whatever to the circumstance. He had scarcely accomplished -half his journey, when he met a courier, bearing the intelligence of his -father’s death; and when he reached home, he found that there was a -codicil attached to the will, of the greatest importance to his own -future prospects; but the old gentleman had expired, with the pen in his -hand, just as he was about to sign it! - -In this unhappy position, reduced to hopeless indigence, the friends of -the young man proposed that he should present himself at the vice-regal -palace, on the next levee day, in hopes that some interest might be -excited in his favor; to which, with reluctance, he consented. As he was -ascending the stairs, he was met by a gentleman whose dress indicated -that he belonged to the church. - -“Good Heavens!” said he, to the friend who accompanied him, “who is -that?” - -“That is Mr. ——, of so and so.” - -“Then he will be bishop of L——!” returned Mr. S——; “for that is the -man I saw occupying my father’s throne.” - -“Impossible!” replied the other; “he has no interest whatever, and has -no more chance of being a bishop than I have.” - -“You will see,” replied Mr. S——; “I am certain he will.” - -They had made their obeisance above, and were returning, when there was -a great cry without, and everybody rushed to the doors and windows to -inquire what had happened. The horses attached to the carriage of a -young nobleman had become restiff, and were endangering the life of -their master, when Mr. —— rushed forward, and, at the peril of his -own, seized their heads, and afforded Lord C—— time to descend, before -they broke through all restraint, and dashed away. Through the interest -of this nobleman and his friends, to whom Mr. —— had been previously -quite unknown, he obtained the see of L——. These circumstances were -related to me by a member of the family. - -It would be tedious to relate all the instances of this sort of dreaming -which have come to my knowledge, but were they even much more rare than -they are, and were there none of a graver and more mysterious kind, it -might certainly occasion some surprise that they should have excited so -little attention. When stories of this sort are narrated, they are -listened to with wonder for the moment, and then forgotten, and few -people reflect on the deep significance of the facts, or the important -consequences to us involved in the question, of how, with our limited -faculties, which can not foretell the events of the next moment, we -should suddenly become prophets and seers. - -The following dream, as it regards the fate of a very interesting -person, and is, I believe, very little known, I will relate, though the -story is of somewhat an old date:—Major André, the circumstances of -whose lamented death are too well known to make it necessary for me to -detail them here, was a friend of Miss Seward’s, and, previously to his -embarkation for America, he made a journey into Derbyshire, to pay her a -visit, and it was arranged that they should ride over to see the wonders -of the Peak, and introduce André to Newton, her minstrel, as she called -him, and to Mr. Cunningham, the curate, who was also a poet. - -While these two gentlemen were awaiting the arrival of their guests, of -whose intentions they had been apprised, Mr. Cunningham mentioned to -Newton, that on the preceding night, he had had a very extraordinary -dream, which he could not get out of his head. He had fancied himself in -a forest; the place was strange to him; and, while looking about, he -perceived a horseman approaching at great speed, who had scarcely -reached the spot where the dreamer stood, when three men rushed out of -the thicket, and, seizing his bridle, hurried him away, after closely -searching his person. The countenance of the stranger being very -interesting, the sympathy felt by the sleeper for his apparent -misfortune awoke him; but he presently fell asleep again, and dreamed -that he was standing near a great city, among thousands of people, and -that he saw the same person he had seen seized in the wood brought out -and suspended to a gallows. When André and Miss Seward arrived, he was -horror-struck to perceive that his new acquaintance was the antitype of -the man in the dream. - -Mr. C——, a friend of mine, told me the other day, that he had dreamed -he had gone to see a lady of his acquaintance, and that she had -presented him with a purse. In the morning he mentioned the circumstance -to his wife, adding that he wondered what should have made him dream of -a person he had not been in any way led to think of; and, above all, -that she should give him a purse. On that same day, a letter arrived -from that lady to Mrs. C——, containing a purse, of which she begged -her acceptance. Here was the imperfect foreshadowing of the fact, -probably from unsound sleep. - -Another friend lately dreamed, one Thursday night, that he saw an -acquaintance of his thrown from his horse; and that he was lying on the -ground with the blood streaming from his face, which was much cut. He -mentioned his dream in the morning, and being an entire disbeliever in -such phenomena, he could not account for the impression made on his -mind. This was so strong, that on Saturday, he could not forbear calling -at his friend’s house; who, he was told, was in bed, having been thrown -from his horse on the previous day, and much injured about the face. - -Relations of this description having been more or less familiar to the -world in all times and places, and the recurrence of the phenomena too -frequent to admit of their reality being disputed, various theories were -promulgated to account for them; and indeed, there scarcely seems to be -a philosopher or historian among the Greeks and Romans who does not make -some allusion to this ill-understood department of nature; while, among -the eastern nations, the faith in such mysterious revelations remains -even yet undiminished. Spirits, good and evil, or the divinities of the -heathen mythology, were generally called in to remove the difficulty; -though some philosophers, rejecting this supernatural interference, -sought the explanation in merely physical causes. - -In the druidical rites of the northern nations, women bore a -considerable part: there were priestesses, who gave forth oracles and -prophecies, much after the manner of the Pythonesses of the Grecian -temples, and no doubt drawing their inspiration from the same sources; -namely, from the influences of magnetism, and from narcotics. When the -pure rites of Christianity seperseded the heathen forms of worship, -tradition kept alive the memory of these vaticinations, together with -some of the arcana of the druidical groves; and hence, in the middle -ages, arose the race of so-called witches and sorcerers, who were partly -impostors, and partly self-deluded. Nobody thought of seeking the -explanation of the facts they witnessed in natural causes; what had -formerly been attributed to the influence of the gods, was now -attributed to the influence of the devil; and a league with Satan was -the universal solvent of all difficulties. - -Persecution followed, of course; and men, women, and children, were -offered up to the demon of superstition, till the candid and rational -part of mankind, taking fright at the holocaust, began to put in their -protest, and lead out a reaction, which, like all reactions, ran right -into the opposite extreme. From believing everything, they ceased to -believe anything; and, after swallowing unhesitatingly the most -monstrous absurdities, they relieved themselves of the whole difficulty, -by denying the plainest facts; while what it was found impossible to -deny, was referred to _imagination_—that most abused word, which -explained nothing, but left the matter as obscure as it was before. -Man’s spiritual nature was forgotten; and what the senses could not -apprehend, nor the understanding account for, was pronounced to be -impossible. Thank God! we have lived through that age, and in spite of -the struggles of the materialistic school, we are fast advancing to a -better. The traditions of the saints who suffered the most appalling -tortures, and slept or smiled the while, can scarcely be rejected now, -when we are daily hearing of people undergoing frightful operations, -either in a state of insensibility, or while they believe themselves -revelling in delight; nor can the psychological intimations which these -facts offer, be much longer overlooked. One revelation must lead to -another; and the wise men of the world will, ere long, be obliged to -give in their adherence to Shakspere’s much quoted axiom, and confess -that “there _are_ more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in -their philosophy.” - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - - ALLEGORICAL DREAMS, PRESENTIMENT, ETC. - -IT has been the opinion of many philosophers, both ancient and modern, -that in the original state of man, as he came forth from the hands of -his Creator, that knowledge which is now acquired by pains and labor was -intuitive. His material body was given him for the purpose of placing -him in relation with the material world, and his sensuous organs for the -perception of material objects, but his soul was a mirror of the -universe, in which everything was reflected, and, probably, is so still, -but that the spirit is no longer in a condition to perceive it. Degraded -in his nature, and distracted by the multiplicity of the objects and -interests that surround him, man has lost his faculty of spiritual -seeing; but in sleep, when the body is in a state of passivity, and -external objects are excluded from us by the shutting up of the senses -through which we perceive them, the spirit, to a certain degree freed -from its impediments, may enjoy somewhat of its original privilege. “The -soul, which is designed as the mirror of a superior spiritual order” (to -which it belongs), still receives in dreams, some rays from above, and -enjoys a foretaste of its future condition; and, whatever interpretation -may be put upon the history of the Fall, few will doubt that, before it, -man must have stood in a much more intimate relation to his Creator than -he has done since. If we admit this, and that, for the above-hinted -reasons, the soul in sleep may be able to exercise somewhat of its -original endowment, the possibility of what is called prophetic dreaming -may be better understood. - -“Seeing in dreams,” says Ennemoser, “is a self-illumining of things, -places, and times;” for relations of time and space form no obstruction -to the dreamer: things, near and far, are alike seen in the mirror of -the soul, according to the connection in which they stand to each other; -and, as the future is but an unfolding of the present, as the present is -of the past, one being necessarily involved in the other, it is not more -difficult to the untrammelled spirit to see what is to happen, than what -has _already_ happened. Under what peculiar circumstances it is that the -body and soul fall into this particular relative condition, we do not -know, but that certain families and constitutions are more prone to -these conditions than others, all experience goes to establish. -According to the theory of Dr. Ennemoser, we should conclude that they -are more susceptible to magnetic influences, and that the body falls -into a more complete state of negative polarity. - -In the histories of the Old Testament we constantly find instances of -prophetic dreaming, and the voice of God was chiefly heard by the -prophets in sleep; seeming to establish that man is in that state more -susceptible of spiritual communion, although the being thus made the -special organ of the Divine will, is altogether a different thing from -the mere disfranchisement of the embodied spirit in ordinary cases of -clear seeing in sleep. Profane history, also, furnishes us with various -instances of prophetic dreaming, which it is unnecessary for me to refer -to here. But there is one thing very worthy of remark, namely, that the -allegorical character of many of the dreams recorded in the Old -Testament, occasionally pervades those of the present day. I have heard -of several of this nature, and Oberlin, the good pastor of Ban de la -Roche, was so subject to them, that he fancied he had acquired the art -of interpreting the symbols. This characteristic of dreaming is in -strict conformity with the language of the Old Testament, and of the -most ancient nations. Poets and prophets, heathen and Christian, alike -express themselves symbolically, and, if we believe that this language -prevailed in the early ages of the world, before the external and -intellectual life had predominated over the instinctive and emotional, -we must conclude it to be the natural language of man, who must, -therefore, have been gifted with a conformable faculty of comprehending -these hieroglyphics; and hence it arose that the interpreting of dreams -became a legitimate art. Long after these instinctive faculties were -lost, or rather obscured, by the turmoil and distractions of sensuous -life, the memories and traditions of them remained, and hence the -superstructure of jugglery and imposture that ensued, of which the -gipsies form a signal example, in whom, however, there can be no doubt -that some occasional gleams of this original endowment may still be -found, as is the case, though more rarely, in individuals of all races -and conditions. The whole of nature is one large book of symbols, which, -because we have lost the key to it, we can not decipher. “To the first -man,” says Hamann, “whatever his ear heard, his eye saw, or his hand -touched, was a living word; with this word in his heart and in his -mouth, the formation of language was easy. Man saw things in their -essence and properties, and named them accordingly.” - -There can be no doubt that the heathen forms of worship and systems of -religion were but the external symbols of some deep meanings, and not -the idle fables that they have been too frequently considered; and it is -absurd to suppose that the theology which satisfied so many great minds -had no better foundation than a child’s fairy tale. - -A maid-servant, who resided many years in a distinguished family in -Edinburgh, was repeatedly warned of the approaching death of certain -members of that family, by dreaming that one of the walls of the house -had fallen. Shortly before the head of the family sickened and died, she -said she had dreamed that the main wall had fallen. - -A singular circumstance which occurred in this same family, from a -member of which I heard it, is mentioned by Dr. Abercrombie. On this -occasion the dream was not only prophetic, but the symbol was actually -translated into fact. - -One of the sons being indisposed with a sore throat, a sister dreamed -that a watch, of considerable value, which she had borrowed from a -friend, had stopped; that she had awakened another sister and mentioned -the circumstance, who answered that “something much worse had happened, -for Charles’s breath had stopped.” She then awoke, in extreme alarm, and -mentioned the dream to her sister, who, to tranquillize her mind, arose -and went to the brother’s room, where she found him asleep and the watch -going. The next night the same dream recurred, and the brother was again -found asleep and the watch going. On the following morning, however, -this lady was writing a note in the drawing-room, with the watch beside -her, when, on taking it up, she perceived it had stopped; and she was -just on the point of calling her sister to mention the circumstance, -when she heard a scream from her brother’s room, and the sister rushed -in with the tidings that he had just expired. The malady had not been -thought serious; but a sudden fit of suffocation had unexpectedly proved -fatal. - -This case, which is established beyond all controversy, is extremely -curious in many points of view; the acting out of the symbol, -especially. Symbolical events of this description have been often -related, and as often laughed at. It is easy to laugh at what we do not -understand; and it gives us the advantage of making the timid narrator -ashamed of his fact, so that if he do not wholly suppress it, he at -least insures himself by laughing, too, the next time he relates it. It -is said that Goethe’s clock stopped the moment he died; and I have heard -repeated instances of this strange kind of synchronism, or magnetism, if -it be by magnetism that we are to account for the mystery. One was told -me very lately by a gentleman to whom the circumstances occurred. - -On the 16th of August, 1769, Frederick II., of Prussia, is said to have -dreamed that a star fell from heaven and occasioned such an -extraordinary glare that he could with great difficulty find his way -through it. He mentioned the dream to his attendants, and it was -afterward observed that it was on that day Napoleon was born. - -A lady, not long since, related to me the following circumstance: Her -mother, who was at the time residing in Edinburgh, in a house one side -of which looked into a wynd, while the door was in the High street, -dreamed that, it being Sunday morning, she had heard a sound which -attracted her to the window; and, while looking out, had dropped a ring -from her finger into the wynd below; that she had, thereupon, gone down -in her night-clothes to seek it, but when she reached the spot it was -not to be found. Returning, extremely vexed at her loss, as she -re-entered her own door she met a respectable looking young man, -carrying some loaves of bread. On expressing her astonishment at finding -a stranger there at so unseasonable an hour, he answered by expressing -his at seeing her in such a situation. She said she had dropped her -ring, and had been round the corner to seek it; whereupon, to her -delighted surprise, he presented her with her lost treasure. Some months -afterward, being at a party, she recognized the young man seen in her -dream, and learned that he was a baker. He took no particular notice of -her on that occasion; and, I think, two years elapsed before she met him -again. This second meeting, however, led to an acquaintance, which -terminated in marriage. - -Here the ring and the bread are curiously emblematic of the marriage, -and the occupation of the future husband. - -Miss L——, residing at Dalkeith, dreamed that her brother, who was ill, -called her to his bedside and gave her a letter, which he desired her to -carry to their aunt, Mrs. H——, with the request that she would -“deliver it to John.” (John was another brother, who had died -previously, and Mrs. H—— was at the time ill.) He added that “he -himself was going _there_ also, but that Mrs. H—— would be _there_ -before him.” Accordingly, Miss L—— went, in her dream, with the letter -to Mrs. H——, whom she found dressed in white, and looking quite -radiant and happy. She took the letter, saying she was going _there_ -directly, and would deliver it. - -On the following morning Miss L—— learned that her aunt had died in -the night. The brother died some little time afterward. - -A gentleman who had been a short time visiting Edinburgh, was troubled -with a cough, which, though it occasioned him no alarm, he resolved to -go home to nurse. On the first night of his arrival he dreamed that one -half of the house was blown away. His bailiff, who resided at a -distance, dreamed the same dream on the same night. The gentleman died -within a few weeks. - -“This symbolical language, which the Deity appears to have used” -(witness Peter’s dream, Acts ii., and others) “in all his revelations to -man, is in the highest degree, what poetry is in a lower, and the -language of dreams, in the lowest, namely, the original natural language -of man; and we may fairly ask whether this language, which here plays an -inferior part, be not, possibly, the proper language of a higher sphere, -while we, who vainly think ourselves awake, are, in reality, buried in a -deep, deep sleep, in which, like dreamers who imperfectly hear the -voices of those around them, we occasionally apprehend, though -obscurely, a few words of this divine tongue.” (_Vide Schubert._) - -This subject of sleeping and waking is a very curious one, and might -give rise to strange questionings. In the case of those patients -abovementioned, who seem to have two different spheres of existence, who -shall say which is the waking one, or whether either of them be so? The -speculations of Mr. Dove on this subject merited more attention, I -think, than they met with when he lectured in Edinburgh. He maintained -that, long before he had paid any attention to magnetism, he had arrived -at the conclusion that there are as many states or conditions of mind -beyond sleep as there are on this side of it; passing through the -different stages of dreaming, revery, contemplation, &c., up to perfect -vigilance. However this be, in this world of appearance, where we see -nothing as it is, and where, both as regards our moral and physical -relations, we live in a state of continual delusion, it is impossible -for us to pronounce on this question. It is a common remark, that some -people seem to live in a dream, and never to be quite awake; and the -most cursory observer can not fail to have been struck with examples of -persons in this condition, especially in the aged. - -With respect to this allegorical language, Ennemoser observes, that, -“since no dreamer learns it of another, and still less from those who -are awake, it must be natural to all men.” How different too, is its -comprehensiveness and rapidity, to our ordinary language! We are -accustomed, and with justice, to wonder at the admirable mechanism by -which, without fatigue or exertion, we communicate with our -fellow-beings; but how slow and ineffectual is human speech compared to -this spiritual picture-language, where a whole history is understood at -a glance! and scenes that seem to occupy days and weeks, are acted out -in ten minutes. It is remarkable that this hieroglyphic language appears -to be the same among all people; and that the dream-interpreters of all -countries construe the signs alike. Thus, the dreaming of deep water -denotes trouble, and pearls are a sign of tears. - -I have heard of a lady who, whenever a misfortune was impending, dreamed -that she saw a large fish. One night she dreamed that this fish had -bitten two of her little boy’s fingers. Immediately afterward a -schoolfellow of the child’s injured those two very fingers by striking -him with a hatchet; and I have met with several persons who have -learned, by experience, to consider one particular dream as the certain -prognostic of misfortune. - -A lady who had left the West Indies when six years old, came one night, -fourteen years afterward, to her sister’s bedside, and said, “I know -uncle is dead. I have dreamed that I saw a number of slaves in the large -store-room at Barbadoes, with long brooms, sweeping down immense -cobwebs. I complained to my aunt, and she covered her face and said, -‘Yes, he is no sooner gone than they disobey him.’” It was afterward -ascertained that Mr. P—— had died on that night, and that he had never -permitted the cobwebs in this room to be swept away, of which, however, -the lady assures me she knew nothing; nor could she or her friends -conceive what was meant by the symbol of the cobwebs, till they received -the explanation subsequently from a member of the family. - -The following very curious allegorical dream I give, not in the words of -the dreamer, but in those of her son, who bears a name destined, I -trust, to a long immortality:— - - “WOOER’S ABBEY-COTTAGE, DUNFERMLINE-IN-THE-WOODS, } - “_Monday morning, 31st May, 1847_. } - - “DEAR MRS. CROWE: _That_ dream of my mother’s was as follows: - She stood in a long, dark, empty gallery: on her one side was my - father, and on the other my eldest sister Amelia; then myself, - and the rest of the family, according to their ages. At the foot - of the hall stood my youngest sister Alexes, and above her my - sister Catherine—a creature, by-the-way, in person and mind, - more like an angel of heaven than an inhabitant of earth. We all - stood silent and motionless. At last IT entered—the unimagined - _something_, that, casting its grim shadow before, had enveloped - all the trivialities of the preceding dream in the stifling - atmosphere of terror. It entered, stealthily descending the - three steps that led from the entrance down into the chamber of - horror: and my mother _felt_ IT _was Death_! He was dwarfish, - bent, and shrivelled. He carried on his shoulder a heavy axe; - and had come, she thought, to destroy ‘all her little ones at - one fell swoop.’ On the entrance of the shape, my sister Alexes - leaped out of the rank, interposing herself between him and my - mother. He raised his axe and aimed a blow at Catherine—a blow - which, to her horror, my mother could not intercept, though she - had snatched up a three-legged stool, the sole furniture of the - apartment, for that purpose. She could not, she felt, fling the - stool at the figure without destroying Alexes, who kept shooting - out and in between her and the ghastly thing. She tried in vain - to scream; she besought my father, in agony, to avert the - impending stroke; but he did not hear, or did not heed her, and - stood motionless, as in a trance. Down came the axe, and poor - Catherine fell in her blood, cloven to ‘the white halse bane.’ - Again the axe was lifted, by the inexorable shadow, over the - head of my brother, who stood next in the line. Alexes had - somewhere disappeared behind the ghastly visitant; and, with a - scream, my mother flung the footstool at his head. He vanished, - and she awoke. - - “This dream left on my mother’s mind a fearful apprehension of - impending misfortune, ‘which would not pass away.’ It was - _murder_ she feared; and her suspicions were not allayed by the - discovery that a man (some time before discarded by my father - for bad conduct, and with whom she had, somehow, associated the - _Death_ of her dream) had been lurking about the place, and - sleeping in an adjoining outhouse on the night it occurred, and - for some nights previous and subsequent to it. Her terror - increased. Sleep forsook her; and every night, when the house - was still, she arose and stole, sometimes with a candle, - sometimes in the dark, from room to room, listening, in a sort - of waking nightmare, for the breathing of the assassin, who, she - imagined, was lurking in some one of them. This could not last. - She reasoned with herself; but her terror became intolerable, - and she related her dream to my father, who, of course, called - her a fool for her pains, whatever might be his real opinion of - the matter. - - “Three months had elapsed, when we children were all of us - seized with scarlet fever. My sister Catherine died almost - immediately—sacrificed, as my mother in her misery thought, to - her (my mother’s) over-anxiety for Alexes, whose danger seemed - more imminent. The dream-prophecy was in part fulfilled. I also - was at death’s door—given up by the doctors, but not by my - mother: she was confident of my recovery; but for my brother, - who was scarcely considered in danger at all, but on whose head - _she had seen_ the visionary axe impending, her fears were - great; for she could not recollect whether the blow had or had - not descended when the spectre vanished. My brother recovered, - but relapsed, and barely escaped with life; but Alexes did not. - For a year and ten months the poor child lingered, and almost - every night I had to sing her asleep—often, I remember, through - bitter tears, for I knew she was dying, and I loved her the more - as she wasted away. I held her little hand as she died; I - followed her to the grave—the last thing that I have _loved_ on - earth. And _the dream was fulfilled_. - - “Truly and sincerely yours, - J. NOEL PATON.” - -The dreaming of coffins and funerals, when a death is impending, must be -considered as examples of this allegorical language. Instances of this -kind are extremely numerous. Not unfrequently the dreamer, as in cases -of second-sight, sees either the body in the coffin, so as to be -conscious of who is to die, or else is made aware of it from seeing the -funeral-procession at a certain house, or from some other significant -circumstance. This faculty, which has been supposed to belong peculiarly -to the highlanders of Scotland, appears to be fully as well known in -Wales and on the continent, especially in Germany. - -The language of dreams, however, is not always symbolical. Occasionally, -the scene, that is transacting at a distance, or that is to be -transacted at some future period, is literally presented to the sleeper, -as things appear to be presented in many cases of second-sight, and also -in clairvoyance; and, since we suppose him (that is, the sleeper) to be -in a temporarily magnetic state, we must conclude that the degree of -perspicuity, or translucency of the vision, depends on the degree of -that state. Nevertheless, there are considerable difficulties attending -this theory. A great proportion of the prophetic dreams we hear of are -connected with the death of some friend or relative. Some, it is true, -regard unimportant matters, as visits, and so forth; but this is -generally, though not exclusively, the case only with persons who have a -constitutional tendency to this kind of dreaming, and with whom it is -frequent; but it is not uncommon for those who have not discovered any -such tendency, to be made aware of a death: and the number of dreams of -this description I meet with is very considerable. Now, it is difficult -to conceive what the condition is that causes this perception of an -approaching death; or why, supposing, as we have suggested above, that, -when the senses sleep, the untrammelled spirit _sees_, the memory of -this revelation, if I may so call it, so much more frequently survives -than any other, unless, indeed, it be the force of the shock -sustained—which shock, it is to be remarked, always wakes the sleeper; -and this may be the reason that, if he fall asleep again, the dream is -almost invariably repeated. - -I could fill pages with dreams of this description which have come to my -knowledge, or been recorded by others. - -Mr. H——, a gentleman with whom I am acquainted—a man engaged in -active business, and apparently as little likely as any one I ever knew -to be troubled with a faculty of this sort—dreamed that he saw a -certain friend of his dead. The dream was so like reality, that, -although he had no reason whatever to suppose his friend ill, he could -not forbear sending in the morning to inquire for him. The answer -returned was, that Mr. A—— was out, and was quite well. The -impression, however, was so vivid, that, although he had nearly three -miles to send, Mr. H—— felt that he could not start for Glasgow, -whither business called him, without making another inquiry. This time -his friend was at home, and answered for himself, that he was very well, -and that somebody must have been hoaxing H——, and making him believe -otherwise. Mr. H—— set out on his journey, wondering at his own -anxiety, but unable to conquer it. He was absent but a few days (I think -three); and the first news he heard on his return was, that his friend -had been seized with an attack of inflammation, and was dead. - -A German professor lately related to a friend of mine, that, being some -distance from home, he dreamed that his father was dying, and was -calling for him. The dream being repeated, he was so far impressed as to -alter his plans, and return home, where he arrived in time to receive -his parent’s last breath. He was informed that the dying man had been -calling upon his name repeatedly, in deep anguish at his absence. - -A parallel case to this is that of Mr. R—— E—— S——, an accountant -in Edinburgh, and a shrewd man of business, who relates the following -circumstance as occurring to himself. He is a native of Dalkeith, and -was residing there, when, being about fifteen years of age, he left home -on a Saturday, to spend a few days with a friend at Prestonpans. On the -Sunday night he dreamed that his mother was extremely ill, and started -out of his sleep with an impression that he must go to her immediately. -He even got out of bed with the intention of doing so, but, reflecting -that he had left her quite well, and that it was only a dream, he -returned to bed, and again fell asleep. But the dream returned, and, -unable longer to control his anxiety, he arose, dressed himself in the -dark, quitted the house, leaping the railings that surrounded it, and -made the best of his way to Dalkeith. On reaching home, which he did -before daylight, he tapped at the kitchen-window, and, on gaining -admittance, was informed that on the Saturday evening, after he had -departed, his mother had been seized with an attack of British cholera, -and was lying above, extremely ill. She had been lamenting his absence -extremely, and had scarcely ceased crying, “Oh, Ralph, Ralph! what a -grief that you are away!” At nine o’clock he was admitted to her room; -but she was no longer in a condition to recognise him, and she died -within a day or two. - -Instances of this sort are numerous, but it would be tedious to narrate -them, especially as there is little room for variety in the details. I -shall therefore content myself with giving one or two specimens of each -class, confining my examples to such as have been communicated to -myself, except where any case of particular interest leads me to deviate -from this plan. The frequency of such phenomena may be imagined, when I -mention that the instances I shall give, with few exceptions, have been -collected with little trouble, and without seeking beyond my own small -circle of acquaintance. - -In the family of the above-named gentleman (Mr. R—— E—— S——), -there probably existed a faculty of presentiment; for, in the year 1810, -his elder brother being assistant-surgeon on board the “Gorgon,” -war-brig, his father dreamed that he was promoted to the “Sparrowhawk,” -a ship he had then never heard of—neither had the family received any -intelligence of the young man for several months. He told his dream, and -was well laughed at for his pains; but in a few weeks a letter arrived -announcing the promotion. - -When Lord Burghersh was giving theatrical parties at Florence, a lady -(Mrs. M——, whose presence was very important) excused herself one -evening, being in great alarm from having dreamed in the night that her -sister, in England, was dead, which proved to be the fact. - -Mr. W——, a young man at Glasgow college, not long since dreamed that -his aunt in Russia was dead. He noted the date of his dream on the -window-shutter of his chamber. In a short time the news of the lady’s -death arrived. The dates, however, did not accord; but, on mentioning -the circumstance to a friend, he was reminded that the adherence of the -Russians to the old style reconciled the difference. - -A man of business, in Glasgow, lately dreamed that he saw a coffin, on -which was inscribed the name of a friend, with the date of his death. -Some time afterward he was summoned to attend the funeral of that -person, who, at the time of the dream, was in good health, and he was -struck with surprise on seeing the plate of the coffin bearing the very -date he had seen in his dream. - -A French gentleman, Monsieur de V——, dreamed, some years since, that -he saw a tomb, on which he read very distinctly, the following date—23d -June, 184—; there were, also, some initials, but so much effaced that -he could not make them out. He mentioned the circumstance to his wife; -and for some time, they could not help dreading the recurrence of the -ominous month; but, as year after year passed, and nothing happened, -they had ceased to think of it, when at last the symbol was explained. -On the 23d of June, 1846, their only daughter died at the age of -seventeen. - -Thus far the instances I have related seem to resolve themselves into -cases of simple clairvoyance, or second sight in sleep, although, in -using these words, I am very far from meaning to imply that I explain -the thing, or unveil its mystery. The theory above alluded to, seems as -yet, the only one applicable to the facts, namely, that the senses, -being placed in a negative and passive state, the universal sense of the -immortal spirit within, which sees, and hears, and knows, or rather, in -one word, _perceives_, without organs, becomes more or less free to work -unclogged. That the soul is a mirror in which the spirit sees all things -reflected, is a modification of this theory; but I confess I find myself -unable to attach any idea to this latter form of expression. Another -view, which I have heard suggested by an eminent person, is, that if it -be true, as maintained by Dr. Wigan, and some other physiologists, that -our brains are double, it is possible that a polarity may exist between -the two sides, by means of which the negative side may, under certain -circumstances, become a mirror to the positive. It seems difficult to -reconcile this notion with the fact, that these perceptions occur most -frequently when the brain is asleep. How far the sleep is perfect and -general, however, we can never know; and of course, when the powers of -speech and locomotion continue to be exercised, we are aware that it is -only partial, in a more or less degree. In the case of magnetic -sleepers, observation shows us, that the auditory nerves are aroused by -being addressed, and fall asleep again as soon as they are left -undisturbed. In most cases of natural sleep, the same process, if the -voice were heard at all, would disperse sleep altogether; and it must be -remembered that, as Dr. Holland says, sleep is a fluctuating condition, -varying from one moment to another, and this allowance must be made when -considering magnetic sleep also. - -It is by this theory of the duality of the brain, which seems to have -many arguments in its favor, and the alternate sleeping and waking of -the two sides, that Dr. Wigan seeks to account for the state of double -or alternate consciousness above alluded to; and also, for that strange -sensation which most people have experienced, of having witnessed a -scene, or heard a conversation, at some indefinite period before, or -even in some earlier state of existence. He thinks that one half of the -brain being in a more active condition than the other, it takes -cognizance of the scene first; and that thus the perceptions of the -second, when they take place, appear to be a repetition of some former -experiences. I confess this theory, as regards this latter phenomenon, -is to me eminently unsatisfactory, and it is especially defective in not -accounting for one of the most curious particulars connected with it, -namely, that on these occasions people not only seem to recognise the -circumstances as having been experienced before; but they have, very -frequently, an actual foreknowledge of what will be next said or done. - -Now, the explanation of this mystery, I incline to think, may possibly -lie in the hypothesis I have suggested; namely, that in profound, and -what appears to us generally to have been dreamless sleep, we are -clear-seers. The map of coming events lies open before us, the spirit -surveys it; but with the awaking of the sensuous organs, this -dream-life, with its aerial excursions, passes away, and we are -translated into our other sphere of existence. But, occasionally, some -flash of recollection, some ray of light from this visionary world, in -which we have been living, breaks in upon our external objective -existence, and we recognise the locality, the voice, the very words, as -being but a reacting of some foregone scenes of a drama. - -The faculty of presentiment, of which everybody must have heard -instances, seems to have some affinity to the phenomenon last referred -to. I am acquainted with a lady, in whom this faculty is in some degree -developed, who has evinced it by a consciousness of the moment when a -death was taking place in her family, or among her connections, although -she does not know who it is that has departed. I have heard of several -cases of people hurrying home from a presentiment of fire; and Mr. M—— -of Calderwood was once, when absent from home, seized with such an -anxiety about his family, that without being able in any way to account -for it, he felt himself impelled to fly to them and remove them from the -house they were inhabiting; one wing of which fell down immediately -afterward. No notion of such a misfortune had ever before occurred to -him, nor was there any reason whatever to expect it; the accident -originating from some defect in the foundations. - -A circumstance, exactly similar to this, is related by Stilling, of -Professor Böhm, teacher of mathematics at Marburg; who being one evening -in company, was suddenly seized with a conviction that he ought to go -home. As however, he was very comfortably taking his tea, and had -nothing to do at home, he resisted the admonition; but it returned with -such force that at length he was obliged to yield. On reaching his -house, he found everything as he had left it; but he now felt himself -urged to remove his bed from the corner in which it stood to another; -but as it had always stood there, he resisted this impulsion also. -However, the resistance was vain, absurd as it seemed, he felt he must -do it; so he summoned the maid, and with her aid, drew the bed to the -other side of the room; after which he felt quite at ease and returned -to spend the rest of the evening with his friends. At ten o’clock the -party broke up, and he retired home and went to bed and to sleep. In the -middle of the night, he was awakened by a loud crash, and on looking -out, he saw that a large beam had fallen, bringing part of the ceiling -with it, and was lying exactly on the spot his bed had occupied. - -A young servant-girl in this neighborhood, who had been several years in -an excellent situation, where she was much esteemed, was suddenly seized -with a presentiment that she was wanted at home; and, in spite of all -representations, she resigned her place, and set out on her journey -thither; where, when she arrived, she found her parents extremely ill, -one of them mortally, and in the greatest need of her services. No -intelligence of their illness had reached her, nor could she herself in -any way account for the impulse. I have heard of numerous -well-authenticated cases of people escaping drowning from being seized -with an unaccountable presentiment of evil when there were no external -signs whatever to justify the apprehension. The story of Cazotte, as -related by La Harpe, is a very remarkable instance of this sort of -faculty; and seems to indicate a power like that possessed by Zschokke, -who relates, in his autobiography, that frequently while conversing with -a stranger, the whole circumstances of that person’s previous life were -revealed to him, even comprising details of places and persons. In the -case of Cazotte, it was the future that was laid open to him, and he -foretold, to a company of eminent persons, in the year 1788, the fate -which awaited each individual, himself included, in consequence of the -revolution then commencing. As this story is already in print, I forbear -to relate it. - -One of the most remarkable cases of presentiment I know, is, that which -occurred, not very long since, on board one of her majesty’s ships, when -lying off Portsmouth. The officers being one day at the mess-table, -young Lieutenant P—— suddenly laid down his knife and fork, pushed -away his plate, and turned extremely pale. He then rose from the table, -covering his face with his hands, and retired from the room. The -president of the mess, supposing him to be ill, sent one of the young -men to inquire what was the matter. At first Mr. P—— was unwilling to -speak, but on being pressed, he confessed that he had been seized by a -sudden and irresistible impression that a brother he had then in India -was dead. “He died,” said he, “on the 12th of August, at six o’clock; I -am perfectly certain of it!” No arguments could overthrow this -conviction, which, in due course of post, was verified to the letter. -The young man had died at Cawnpore, at the precise period mentioned. - -When any exhibition of this sort of faculty occurs in animals, which is -by no means unfrequent, it is termed _instinct_; and we look upon it, as -what it probably is, only another and more rare development of that -intuitive knowledge which enables them to seek their food, and perform -the other functions necessary for the maintenance of their existence and -the continuance of their race. Now, it is remarkable, that the life of -an animal is a sort of dream-life; their ganglionic system is more -developed than that of man, and the cerebral less; and since it is, -doubtless, from the greater development of the ganglionic system in -women that they exhibit more frequent instances of such abnormal -phenomena as I am treating of, than men, we may be, perhaps, justified -in considering the faculty of presentiment in a human being as a -suddenly-awakened instinct; just as in an animal it is an intensified -instinct. - -Everybody has either witnessed or heard of instances of this sort of -presentiment, in dogs especially. For the authenticity of the following -anecdote I can vouch, the traditions being very carefully preserved in -the family concerned, from whom I have it. In the last century, Mr. -P——, a member of this family, who had involved himself in some of the -stormy affairs of this northern part of the island, was one day -surprised by seeing a favorite dog, that was lying at his feet, start -suddenly up and seize him by the knee, which he pulled—not with -violence, but in a manner that indicated a wish that his master should -follow him to the door. The gentleman resisted the invitation for some -time, till at length, the perseverance of the animal rousing his -curiosity, he yielded, and was thus conducted by the dog into the most -sequestered part of a neighboring thicket, where, however, he could see -nothing to account for his dumb friend’s proceeding, who now lay himself -down, quite satisfied, and seemed to wish his master to follow his -example, which, determined to pursue the adventure and find out, if -possible, what was meant, he did. A considerable time now elapsed before -the dog would consent to his master’s going home; but at length he arose -and led the way thither, when the first news Mr. P—— heard was, that a -party of soldiers had been there in quest of him; and he was shown the -marks of their spikes, which had been thrust through the bed-clothes in -their search. He fled, and ultimately escaped, his life being thus -preserved by his dog. - -Some years ago, at Plymouth, I had a brown spaniel that regularly, with -great delight, accompanied my son and his nurse in their morning’s walk. -One day she came to complain to me that Tiger would not go out with -them. Nobody could conceive the reason of so unusual a caprice; and, -unfortunately, we did not yield to it, but forced him to go. In less -than a quarter of an hour he was brought back, so torn to pieces, by a -savage dog that had just come ashore from a foreign vessel, that it was -found necessary to shoot him immediately. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - - WARNINGS. - -THIS comparison between the power of presentiment in a human being and -the instincts of an animal, may be offensive to some people; but it must -be admitted, that, as far as we can see, the manifestation is the same, -whatever be the cause. Now, the body of an animal must be informed by an -immaterial principle—let us call it soul or spirit, or anything else; -for it is evident that their actions are not the mere result of -organization; and all I mean to imply is, that this faculty of -foreseeing must be inherent in intelligent spirit, let it be lodged in -what form of flesh it may; while, with regard to what instinct is, we -are, in the meanwhile, in extreme ignorance, _Instinct_ being a word -which, like _Imagination_, everybody uses, and nobody understands. - -Ennemoser and Schubert believe, that the instinct by which animals seek -their food, consists in polarity, but I have met with only two modern -theories which pretend to explain the phenomena of presentiment; the one -is, that the person is in a temporarily magnetic state, and that the -presentiment is a kind of clairvoyance. That the faculty, like that of -prophetic dreaming, is constitutional, and chiefly manifested in certain -families, is well established; and the very unimportant events, such as -visits, and so forth, on which it frequently exercises itself, forbid us -to seek an explanation in a higher source. It seems, also, to be quite -independent of the will of the subject, as it was in the case of -Zschokke, who found himself thus let into the secrets of persons in whom -he felt no manner of interest, while, where the knowledge might have -been of use to him, he could not command it. The theory of one half of -the brain in a negative state, serving as a mirror to the other half, if -admitted at all, may answer as well, or better, for these waking -presentiments, than for clear-seeing in dreams. But, for my own part, I -incline very much to the views of that school of philosophers who adopt -the first and more spiritual theory, which seems to me to offer fewer -difficulties, while, as regards our present nature, and future hopes, it -is certainly more satisfactory. Once admitted that the body is but the -temporary dwelling of an immaterial spirit, the machine through which, -and by which, in its normal states, the spirit alone can manifest -itself, I can not see any great difficulty in conceiving that, in -certain conditions of that body, their relations may be modified, and -that the spirit may perceive, by its own inherent quality, without the -aid of its material vehicle; and, as this condition of the body may -arise from causes purely physical, we see at once why the revelations -frequently regard such unimportant events. - -Plutarch, in his dialogue between Lamprius and Ammonius, observes, that -if the demons, or protecting spirits, that watch over mankind, are -disembodied souls, we ought not to doubt that those spirits, even when -in the flesh, possessed the faculties they now enjoy, since we have no -reason to suppose that any new ones are conferred at the period of -dissolution; for these faculties must be inherent, although temporarily -obscured, and weak and ineffective in their manifestations. As it is not -when the sun breaks from behind the clouds that he first begins to -shine, so it is not when the soul issues from the body, as from a cloud -that envelops it, that it first attains the power of looking into the -future. - -But the events foreseen are not always unimportant, nor is the mode of -the communication always of the same nature. I have mentioned above some -instances wherein danger was avoided, and there are many of the same -kind recorded in various works; and it is the number of instances of -this description, corroborated by the universal agreement of all -somnambulists of a higher order, which has induced a considerable -section of the German psychologists to adopt the doctrine of guardian -spirits—a doctrine which has prevailed, more or less, in all ages, and -has been considered by many theologians to be supported by the Bible. -There is in this country, and I believe in France, also, though with -more exceptions, such an extreme aversion to admit the possibility of -anything like what is called supernatural agency, that the mere avowal -of such a persuasion is enough to discredit one’s understanding with a -considerable part of the world, not excepting those who profess to -believe in the Scriptures. Yet, even apart from this latter authority, I -can not see anything repugnant to reason in such a belief. As far as we -see of nature, there is a continued series from the lowest to the -highest; and what right have we to conclude that we are the last link of -the chain? Why may there not be a gamut of beings? That such should be -the case, is certainly in accordance with all that we see; and that we -do not see them, affords, as I have said above, not a shadow of argument -against their existence; man, immersed in business and pleasure, living -only his sensuous life, is too apt to forget how limited those senses -are, how merely designed for a temporary purpose, and how much may exist -of which they can take no cognizance. - -The _possibility_ admitted, the chief arguments against the -_probability_ of such a guardianship, are the interference it implies -with the free-will of man, on the one hand, and the rarity of this -interference, on the other. With respect to the first matter of -free-will, it is a subject of acknowledged difficulty, and beyond the -scope of my work. Nobody can honestly look back upon his past life -without feeling perplexed by the question, of how far he was, or was -not, able at the moment to resist certain impulsions, which caused him -to commit wrong or imprudent actions; and it must, I fear, ever remain a -_quæstio vexata_, how far our virtues and vices depend upon our -organization—an organization whose constitution is beyond our own -power, in the first instance, although we may certainly improve or -deteriorate it; but which we must admit, at the same time, to be, in its -present deteriorated form, the ill result of the world’s corruption, and -the inherited penalty of the vices of our predecessors, whereby the sins -of the fathers are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth -generation. - -There is, as the Scriptures say, but one way to salvation, though there -are many to perdition—that is, though there are many wrongs, there is -only one right; for truth is one, and our true liberty consists in being -free to follow it; for we can not imagine that anybody seeks his own -perdition, and nobody, I conceive, loves vice for its own sake, as -others love virtue, that is, because it _is_ vice: so that, when they -follow its dictates, we must conclude that they are not free, but in -bondage, whose ever bond-slave they be, whether of an evil spirit, or of -their own organization; and I think every human being, who looks into -himself, will feel that he is in effect then only _free_ when he is -obeying the dictates of virtue; and that the language of Scripture, -which speaks of sin as a bondage, is not only metaphorically but -literally true. - -The warning a person of an impending danger or error implies no -constraint; the subject of the warning is free to take the hint or not, -as he pleases; we receive many cautions, both from other people and from -our own consciences, which we refuse to benefit by. - -With regard to the second objection, it seems to have greater weight; -for although the instances of presentiment are very numerous, taken -apart, they are certainly, as far as we know, still but exceptional -cases. But here we must remember that an influence of this sort might be -very continuously, though somewhat remotely, exercised in favor of an -individual, without the occurrence of any instance of so striking a -nature as to render the interference manifest; and certain it is that -some people—I have met with several, and very sensible persons -too—have all their lives an intuitive persuasion of such a guardianship -existing in relation to themselves. That in our normal states it was not -intended we should hold sensible communion with the invisible world, -seems evident; but nature abounds in exceptions; and there may be -conditions regarding both parties, the incorporated and the -unincorporated spirit, which may at times bring them into a more -intimate relation. No one who believes that consciousness is to survive -the death of the body, can doubt that the released spirit will then hold -communion with its congeners; it being the fleshly tabernacles we -inhabit which alone disables us from doing so at present. But since the -constitutions of bodies vary exceedingly, not only in different -individuals, but in the same individuals at different times, may we not -conceive the possibility of there existing conditions which, by -diminishing the obstructions, render this communion practicable within -certain limits? For there certainly are recorded and authentic instances -of presentiments and warnings, that with difficulty admit of any other -explanation; and that these admonitions are more frequently received in -the state of sleep than of vigilance, rather furnishes an additional -argument in favor of the last hypothesis; for if there be any foundation -for the theories above suggested, it is then that, the sensuous -functions being in abeyance and the external life thereby shut out from -us, the spirit would be most susceptible to the operations of spirit, -whether of our deceased friends or of appointed ministers, if such there -be. Jung Stelling is of opinion that we must decide from the aim and -object of the revelation, whether it be a mere development of the -faculty of presentiment, or a case of spiritual intervention; but this -would surely be a very erroneous mode of judging, since the presentiment -that foresees a visit may foresee a danger, and show us how to avoid it, -as in the following instance:— - -A few years ago, Dr. W——, now residing at Glasgow, dreamed that he -received a summons to attend a patient at a place some miles from where -he was living; that he started on horseback; and that, as he was -crossing a moor, he saw a bull making furiously at him, whose horns he -only escaped by taking refuge on a spot inaccessible to the animal, -where he waited a long time, till some people, observing his situation, -came to his assistance and released him. While at breakfast on the -following morning, the summons came; and, smiling at the odd -_coincidence_, he started on horseback. He was quite ignorant of the -road he had to go; but by-and-by he arrived at the moor, which he -recognised, and presently the bull appeared, coming full tilt toward -him. But his dream had shown him the place of refuge, for which he -instantly made; and there he spent three or four hours, besieged by the -animal, till the country people set him free. Dr. W—— declares that, -but for the dream, he should not have known in what direction to run for -safety. - -A butcher named Bone, residing at Holytown, dreamed a few years since -that he was stopped at a particular spot on his way to market, whither -he was going on the following day to purchase cattle, by two men in blue -clothes, who cut his throat. He told the dream to his wife, who laughed -at him; but, as it was repeated two or three times and she saw he was -really alarmed, she advised him to join somebody who was going the same -road. He accordingly listened till he heard a cart passing his door, and -then went out and joined the man, telling him the reason for so doing. -When they came to the spot, there actually stood the two men in blue -clothes, who, seeing he was not alone, took to their heels and ran. - -Now, although the dream was here probably the means of saving Bone’s -life, there is no reason to suppose that this is a case of what is -called _supernatural intervention_. The phenomenon would be sufficiently -accounted for by the admission of the hypothesis I have suggested, -namely, that he was aware of the impending danger in his sleep, and had -been able, from some cause unknown to us, to convey the recollection -into his waking state. - -I know instances in which, for several mornings previous to the -occurrence of a calamity, persons have awakened with a painful sense of -misfortune, for which they could not account, and which was dispersed as -soon as they had time to reflect that they had no cause for uneasiness. -This is the only kind of presentiment I ever experienced myself; but it -has occurred to me twice, in a very marked and unmistakable manner. As -soon as the intellectual life, the life of the brain, and the external -world, broke in, the instinctive life receded, and the intuitive -knowledge was obscured. Or, according to Dr. Ennemoser’s theory, the -polar relations changed, and the nerves were busied with conveying -sensuous impressions to the brain, their sensibility or positive state -now being transferred from the internal to the external periphery. It is -by the contrary change that Dr. Ennemoser seeks to explain the -insensibility to pain of mesmerized patients. - -A circumstance of a similar kind to the above occurred in a well-known -family in Scotland, the Rutherfords of E——. A lady dreamed that her -aunt, who resided at some distance, was murdered by a black servant. -Impressed with the liveliness of the vision, she could not resist going -to the house of her relation, where the man she had dreamed of (whom I -think she had never before seen) opened the door to her. Upon this, she -induced a gentleman to watch in the adjoining room during the night; and -toward morning, hearing a foot upon the stairs, he opened the door and -discovered the black servant carrying up a coal-scuttle full of coals, -for the purpose, as he said, of lighting his mistress’s fire. As this -motive did not seem very probable, the coals were examined, and a knife -found hidden among them, with which, he afterward confessed, he intended -to have murdered his mistress, provided she made any resistance to a -design he had formed of robbing her of a large sum of money which he was -aware she had that day received. - -The following case has been quoted in several medical works, at least in -works written by learned doctors, and on that account I should not -mention it here, but for the purpose of remarking on the extraordinary -facility with which, while they do not question the fact, they dispose -of the mystery:— - -Mr. D——, of Cumberland, when a youth, came to Edinburgh, for the -purpose of attending college, and was placed under the care of his uncle -and aunt, Major and Mrs. Griffiths, who then resided in the castle. When -the fine weather came, the young man was in the habit of making frequent -excursions with others of his own age and pursuits; and one afternoon he -mentioned that they had formed a fishing-party, and had bespoken a boat -for the ensuing day. No objections were made to this plan; but in the -middle of the night, Mrs. Griffiths screamed out, “The boat is -sinking!—oh, save them!” Her husband said he supposed she had been -thinking of the fishing-party, but she declared she had never thought -about it at all, and soon fell asleep again. But, ere long, she awoke a -second time, crying out that she “saw the boat sinking!”—“It must have -been the remains of the impression made by the other dream,” she -suggested to her husband, “for I have no uneasiness whatever about the -fishing-party.” But on going to sleep once more, her husband was again -disturbed by her cries: “They are gone!” she said, “the boat has sunk!” -She now really became alarmed, and, without waiting for morning, she -threw on her dressing-gown, and went to Mr. D——, who was still in bed, -and whom with much difficulty she persuaded to relinquish his proposed -excursion. He consequently sent his servant to Leith with an excuse, and -the party embarked without him. The day was extremely fine when they put -to sea, but some hours afterward a storm arose, in which the boat -foundered—nor did any one of the number survive to tell the tale! - -“This dream is easily accounted for,” say the learned gentlemen above -alluded to, “from the dread all women have of the water, and the danger -that attends boating on the firth of Forth!” Now, I deny that all women -have a dread of the water, and there is not the slightest reason for -concluding that Mrs. Griffiths had. At all events, she affirms that she -felt no uneasiness at all about the party, and one might take leave to -think that her testimony upon that subject is of more value than that of -persons who never had any acquaintance with her, and who were not so -much as born at the time the circumstance occurred, which was in the -year 1731. Besides, if Mrs. Griffiths’s dread arose simply from “the -dread all women have of the water,” and that its subsequent verification -was a mere coincidence, since women constantly risk their persons for -voyages and boating excursions, such dreams should be extremely -frequent—the fact of there being any accident impending or not, having, -according to this theory, no relation whatever to the phenomenon. And as -for the danger that attends boating on the firth of Forth, we must -naturally suppose that, had it been considered so imminent, Major -Griffiths would have at least endeavored to dissuade a youth that was -placed under his protection from risking his life so imprudently. It -would be equally reasonable to explain away Dr. W——’s dream, by saying -that all gentlemen who have to ride across commons are in great dread of -encountering a bull—commons in general being infested by that animal! - -Miss D——, a friend of mine, was some time since invited to join a -pic-nic excursion into the country. Two nights before the day fixed for -the expedition, she dreamed that the carriage she was to go in was -overturned down a precipice. Impressed with her dream, she declined the -excursion, confessing her reason, and advising the rest of the party to -relinquish their project. They laughed at her, and persisted in their -scheme. When, subsequently, she went to inquire how they had spent the -day, she found the ladies confined to their beds from injuries received, -the carriage having been overturned down a precipice. Still, this was -only a coincidence! - -Another specimen of the haste with which people are willing to dispose -of what they do not understand, is afforded by a case that occurred not -many years since in the north of Scotland, where a murder having been -committed, a man came forward, saying that he had dreamed that the pack -of the murdered pedlar was hidden in a certain spot; where, on a search -being made, it was actually found. They at first concluded he was -himself the assassin, but the real criminal was afterward discovered; -and it being asserted (though I have been told erroneously) that the two -men had passed some time together, since the murder, in a state of -intoxication, it was decided that the crime and the place of concealment -had been communicated to the pretended dreamer—and all who thought -otherwise were laughed at; “for why,” say the rationalists, “should not -Providence have so ordered the dream as to have prevented the murder -altogether?” - -Who can answer that question, and whither would such a discussion lead -us? Moreover, if this faculty of presentiment be a natural one, though -only imperfectly and capriciously developed, there may have been no -design in the matter: it is an accident, just in the same sense as an -illness is an accident; that is, not without cause, but without a cause -that we can penetrate. If, on the other hand, we have recourse to the -intervention of spiritual beings, it may be answered that we are -entirely ignorant of the conditions under which any such communication -is possible; and that we can not therefore come to any conclusions as to -why so much is done, and no more. - -But there is another circumstance to be observed in considering the -case, which is, that the dreamer is said to have passed some days in a -state of intoxication. Now, even supposing this had been true, it is -well known that the excitement of the brain caused by intoxication has -occasionally produced a very remarkable exaltation of certain faculties. -It is by means of either intoxicating draughts or vapors that the -soothsayers of Lapland and Siberia place themselves in a condition to -vaticinate; and we have every reason to believe that drugs, producing -similar effects, were resorted to by the thaumaturgists of old, and by -the witches of later days, of which I shall have more to say hereafter. -But, as a case in point, I may here allude to the phenomena exhibited in -a late instance of the application of ether, by Professor Simpson, of -Edinburgh, to a lady who was at the moment under circumstances not -usually found very agreeable. She said that she was amusing herself -delightfully by playing over a set of quadrilles which she had known in -her youth, but had long forgotten them; but she now perfectly remembered -them, and had played them over several times. Here was an instance of -the exaltation of a faculty from intoxication, similar to that of the -woman who, in her delirium, spoke a language which she had only heard in -her childhood, and of which, in her normal state, she had no -recollection. - -That the inefficiency of the communication, or presentiment, or whatever -it may be, is no argument against the fact of such dreams occurring, I -can safely assert, from cases which have come under my own knowledge. A -professional gentleman, whose name would be a warrant for the truth of -whatever he relates, told me the following circumstance regarding -himself. He was, not very long since, at the seaside with his family, -and, among the rest, he had with him one of his sons, a boy about twelve -years of age, who was in the habit of bathing daily, his father -accompanying him to the water-side. This had continued during the whole -of their visit, and no idea of danger or accident had ever occurred to -anybody. On the day preceding the one appointed for their departure, Mr. -H——, the gentleman in question, felt himself after breakfast surprised -by an unusual drowsiness, which, having vainly struggled to overcome, he -at length fell asleep in his chair, and dreamed that he was attending -his son to the bath as usual, when he suddenly saw the boy drowning, and -that he himself had rushed into the water, dressed as he was, and -brought him ashore. Though he was quite conscious of the dream when he -awoke, he attached no importance to it; he considered it merely a -dream—no more; and when, some hours afterward, the boy came into the -room, and said, “Now, papa, it’s time to go—this will be my last -bath”—his morning’s vision did not even recur to him. They walked down -to the sea, as usual, and the boy went into the water, while the father -stood composedly watching him from the beach, when suddenly the child -lost his footing, a wave had caught him, and the danger of his being -carried away was so imminent, that, without even waiting to take off his -greatcoat, boots, or hat, Mr. H—— rushed into the water, and was only -just in time to save him. - -Here is a case of undoubted authenticity, which I take to be an instance -of clear-seeing, or second-sight, in sleep. The spirit, with its -intuitive faculty, saw what was impending; the sleeper remembered his -dream, but the intellect did not accept the warning; and, whether that -warning was merely a subjective process—the clear-seeing of the -spirit—or whether it was effected by any external agency, the free-will -of the person concerned was not interfered with. - -I quote the ensuing similar case from the “Frankfort Journal,” June 25, -1837: “A singular circumstance is said to be connected with the late -attempt on the life of the archbishop of Autun. The two nights preceding -the attack, the prelate dreamed that he saw a man who was making -repeated efforts to take away his life, and he awoke in extreme terror -and agitation from the exertions he had made to escape the danger. The -features and appearance of the man were so clearly imprinted on his -memory, that he recognised him the moment his eye fell upon him, which -happened as he was coming out of church. The bishop hid his face, and -called his attendants, but the man had fired before he could make known -his apprehensions. Facts of this description are far from uncommon. It -appears that the assassin had entertained designs against the lives of -the bishops of Dijon, Burgos, and Nevers.” - -The following case, which occurred a few years since in the north of -England, and which I have from the best authority, is remarkable from -the inexorable fatality which brought about the fulfilment of the dream: -Mrs. K——, a lady of family and fortune in Yorkshire, said to her son, -one morning on descending to breakfast: “Henry, what are you going to do -to-day?” - -“I am going to hunt,” replied the young man. - -“I am very glad of it,” she answered. “I should not like you to go -shooting, for I dreamed last night that you did so, and were shot.” The -son answered, gayly, that he would take care not to be shot, and the -hunting party rode away; but, in the middle of the day, they returned, -not having found any sport. Mr. B——, a visiter in the house, then -proposed that they should go out with their guns and try to find some -woodcocks. “I will go with you,” returned the young man, “but I must not -shoot, to-day, myself; for my mother dreamed last night I was shot; and, -although it is but a dream, she would be uneasy.” - -They went, Mr. B—— with his gun, and Mr. K—— without. But shortly -afterward the beloved son was brought home dead: a charge from the gun -of his companion had struck him in the eye, entered his brain, and -killed him on the spot. Mr. B——, the unfortunate cause of this -accident and also the narrator of it, died but a few weeks since. - -It is well known that the murder of Mr. Percival, by Bellingham, was -seen in sleep by a gentleman at York, who actually went to London in -consequence of his dream, which was several times repeated. He arrived -too late to prevent the calamity; neither would he have been believed, -had he arrived earlier. - -In the year 1461, a merchant was travelling toward Rome by Sienna, when -he dreamed that his throat was cut. He communicated his dream to the -innkeeper, who did not like it, and advised him to pray and confess. He -did so, and then rode forth, and was presently attacked by the priest he -had confessed to, who had thus learned his apprehensions. He killed the -merchant, but was betrayed, and disappointed of his gains, by the horse -taking fright and running back to the inn with the money-bags. - -I have related this story, though not a new one, on account of its -singular resemblance to the following, which I take from a newspaper -paragraph, but which I find mentioned as a fact in a continental -publication:— - -“SINGULAR VERIFICATION OF A DREAM.—A letter from Hamburgh contains the -following curious story relative to the verification of a dream. It -appears that a locksmith’s apprentice, one morning lately, informed his -master (Claude Soller) that on the previous night he dreamed that he had -been assassinated on the road to Bergsdorff, a little town at about two -hours’ distance from Hamburgh. The master laughed at the young man’s -credulity, and, to prove that he himself had little faith in dreams, -insisted upon sending him to Bergsdorff with one hundred and forty rix -dollars, which he owed to his brother-in-law, who resided in the town. -The apprentice, after in vain imploring his master to change his -intention, was compelled to set out at about 11 o’clock. On arriving at -the village of Billwaerder, about half-way between Hamburgh and -Bergsdorff, he recollected his dream with terror; but perceiving the -baillie of the village at a little distance, talking to some of his -workmen, he accosted him, and acquainted him with his singular dream, at -the same time requesting that, as he had money about his person, one of -his workmen might be allowed to accompany him for protection across a -small wood which lay in his way. The baillie smiled, and, in obedience -to his orders, one of his men set out with the young apprentice. The -next day, the corpse of the latter was conveyed by some peasants to the -baillie, along with a reaping-hook which had been found by his side, and -with which the throat of the murdered youth had been cut. The baillie -immediately recognised the instrument as one which he had on the -previous day given to the workman who had served as the apprentice’s -guide, for the purpose of pruning some willows. The workman was -apprehended, and, on being confronted with the body of his victim, made -a full confession of his crime, adding that the recital of the dream had -alone prompted him to commit the horrible act. The assassin, who is -thirty-five years of age, is a native of Billwaerder, and, previously to -the perpetration of the murder, had always borne an irreproachable -character.” - -The life of the great Harvey was saved by the governor of Dover refusing -to allow him to embark for the continent with his friends. The vessel -was lost, with all on board; and the governor confessed to him, that he -had detained him in consequence of an injunction he had received in a -dream to do so. - -There is a very curious circumstance related by Mr. Ward, in his -“Illustrations of Human Life,” regarding the late Sir Evan Nepean, which -I believe is perfectly authentic. I have at least been assured, by -persons well acquainted with him, that he himself testified to its -truth. - -Being, at the time, secretary to the admiralty, he found himself one -night unable to sleep, and urged by an undefinable feeling that he must -rise, though it was then only two o’clock. He accordingly did so, and -went into the park, and from that to the home office, which he entered -by a private door, of which he had the key. He had no object in doing -this; and, to pass the time, he took up a newspaper that was lying on -the table, and there read a paragraph to the effect that a reprieve had -been despatched to York, for the men condemned for coining. - -The question occurred to him, was it indeed despatched? He examined the -books and found it was not; and it was only by the most energetic -proceedings that the thing was carried through, and reached York in time -to save the men. - -Is not this like the agency of a protecting spirit, urging Sir Evan to -this discovery, in order that these men might be spared, or that those -concerned might escape the remorse they would have suffered for their -criminal neglect? - -It is a remarkable fact, that somnambules of the highest order believe -themselves attended by a protecting spirit. To those who do not believe, -because they have never witnessed, the phenomena of somnambulism, or who -look upon the disclosures of persons in that state as the mere raving of -hallucination, this authority will necessarily have no weight; but even -to such persons the universal coincidence must be considered worthy of -observation, though it be regarded only as a symptom of disease. I -believe I have remarked elsewhere, that many persons, who have not the -least tendency to somnambulism or any proximate malady, have all their -lives an intuitive feeling of such a guardianship; and, not to mention -Socrates and the ancients, there are, besides, numerous recorded cases -in modern times, in which persons, not somnambulic, have declared -themselves to have seen and held communication with their spiritual -protector. - -The case of the girl called Ludwiger, who, in her infancy, had lost her -speech and the use of her limbs, and who was earnestly committed by her -mother, when dying, to the care of her elder sisters, is known to many. -These young women piously fulfilled their engagement till the -wedding-day of one of them caused them to forget their charge. On -recollecting it, at length, they hastened home, and found the girl, to -their amazement, sitting up in her bed, and she told them that her -mother had been there and given her food. She never spoke again, and -soon after died. This circumstance occurred at Dessau, not many years -since, and is, according to Schubert, a perfectly-established fact in -that neighborhood. The girl at no other period of her life exhibited any -similar phenomena, nor had she ever displayed any tendency to spectral -illusions. - -The wife of a respectable citizen, named Arnold, at Heilbronn, held -constant communications with her protecting spirit, who warned her of -impending dangers, approaching visiters, and so forth. He was only once -visible to her, and it was in the form of an old man; but his presence -was felt by others as well as herself, and they were sensible that the -air was stirred, as by a breath. - -Jung Stilling publishes a similar account, which was bequeathed to him -by a very worthy and pious minister of the church. The subject of the -guardianship was his own wife, and the spirit first appeared to her -after her marriage, in the year 1799, as a child, attired in a white -robe, while she was busy in her bed-chamber. She stretched out her hand -to take hold of the figure, but it disappeared. It frequently visited -her afterward, and in answer to her inquiries it said, “I died in my -childhood!” It came to her at all hours, whether alone or in company, -and not only at home, but elsewhere, and even when travelling, assisting -her when in danger; it sometimes floated in the air, spake to her in its -own language, which somehow, she says, she understood, and could speak, -too; and it was once seen by another person. He bade her call him -_Immanuel_. She earnestly begged him to show himself to her husband, but -he alleged that it would make him ill, and cause his death. On asking -him _wherefore_, he answered, “Few persons are able to see such things.” - -Her two children, one six years old, and the other younger, saw this -figure as well as herself. - -Schubert, in his “Geschichte der Seele,” relates that the ecclesiastical -councillor Schwartz, of Heidelberg, when about twelve years of age, and -at a time that he was learning the Greek language, but knew very little -about it, dreamed that his grandmother, a very pious woman, to whom he -had been much attached, appeared to him, and unfolded a parchment -inscribed with Greek characters which foretold the fortunes of his -future life. He read it off with as much facility as if it had been in -German, but being dissatisfied with some particulars of the prediction, -he begged they might be changed. His grandmother answered him in Greek, -whereupon he awoke, remembering the dream, but, in spite of all the -efforts to arrest them, he was unable to recall the particulars the -parchment had contained. The answer of his grandmother, however, he was -able to grasp before it had fled his memory, and he wrote down the -words; but the meaning of them he could not discover without the -assistance of his grammar and lexicon. Being interpreted, they proved to -be these: “As it is prophesied to me, so I prophesy to thee!” He had -written the words in a volume of Gessner’s works, being the first thing -he laid his hand on; and he often philosophized on them in later days, -when they chanced to meet his eye. How, he says, should he have been -able to read and produce that in his sleep, which, in his waking state, -he would have been quite incapable of? “Even long after, when I left -school,” he adds, “I could scarcely have put together such a sentence; -and it is extremely remarkable that the feminine form was observed in -conformity with the sex of the speaker.” The words were these: αῦτα -Χρησμ῾ωδηθεισα Χρησμωδὲω σοι. - -Grotius relates, that when Mr. de Saumaise was councillor of the -parliament at Dijon, a person, who knew not a word of Greek, brought him -a paper on which was written some words in that language, but not in the -character. He said that a voice had uttered them to him in the night, -and that he had written them down, imitating the sound as well as he -could. Mons de Saumaise made out that the signification of the words -was, “Begone! do you not see that death impends?” Without comprehending -what danger was predicted, the person obeyed the mandate and departed. -On that night the house that he had been lodging in fell to the ground. - -The difficulty in these two cases is equally great, apply to it whatever -explanation we may; for even if the admonitions proceeded from some -friendly guardian, as we might be inclined to conclude, it is not easy -to conceive why they should have been communicated in a language the -persons did not understand. - -After the death of Dante, it was discovered that the thirteenth canto of -the “Paradiso” was missing; great search was made for it, but in vain; -and to the regret of everybody concerned, it was at length concluded -that it had either never been written, or had been destroyed. The quest -was therefore given up, and some months had elapsed, when Pietro -Allighieri, his son, dreamed that his father had appeared to him and -told him that if he removed a certain panel near the window of the room -in which he had been accustomed to write, the thirteenth canto would be -found. Pietro told his dream, and was laughed at, of course; however, as -the canto did not turn up, it was thought as well to examine the spot -indicated in the dream. The panel was removed, and there lay the missing -canto behind it; much mildewed, but, fortunately, still legible. - -If it be true that the dead do return sometimes to solve our -perplexities, here was not an unworthy occasion for the exercise of such -a power. We can imagine the spirit of the great poet still clinging to -the memory of his august work, immortal as himself—the record of those -high thoughts which can never die. - -There are numerous curious accounts extant of persons being awakened by -the calling of a voice which announced some impending danger to them. -Three boys are sleeping in the wing of a castle, and the eldest is -awakened by what appears to him to be the voice of his father calling -him by name. He rises and hastens to his parent’s chamber, situated in -another part of the building, where he finds his father asleep, who, on -being awakened, assures him that he had not called him, and the boy -returns to bed. But he is scarcely asleep, before the circumstance -recurs, and he goes again to his father with the same result. A third -time he falls asleep, and a third time he is aroused by the voice, too -distinctly heard for him to doubt his senses; and now, alarmed at he -knows not what, he rises and takes his brothers with him to his father’s -chamber; and while they are discussing the singularity of the -circumstance, a crash is heard, and that wing of the castle in which the -boys slept falls to the ground. This incident excited so much attention -in Germany that it was recorded in a ballad. - -It is related by Amyraldus, that Monsieur Calignan, chancellor of -Navarre, dreamed three successive times in one night, at Berne, that a -voice called to him and bade him quit the place, as the plague would -soon break out in that town; that, in consequence, he removed his -family, and the result justified his flight. - -A German physician relates, that a patient of his told him, that he -dreamed repeatedly, one night, that a voice bade him go to his -hop-garden, as there were thieves there. He resisted the injunction some -time, till at length he was told that if he delayed any longer he would -lose all his produce. Thus urged, he went at last, and arrived just in -time to see the thieves, loaded with sacks, making away from the -opposite side of the hop-ground. - -A Madame Von Militz found herself under the necessity of parting with a -property which had long been in her family. When the bargain was -concluded, and she was preparing to remove, she solicited permission of -the new proprietor to carry away with her some little relic as a memento -of former days—a request which he uncivilly denied. On one of the -nights that preceded her departure from the home of her ancestors, she -dreamed that a voice spoke to her, and bade her go to the cellar and -open a certain part of the wall, where she would find something that -nobody would dispute with her. Impressed with her dream, she sent for a -bricklayer, who, after long seeking, discovered a place which appeared -less solid than the rest. A hole was made, and in a niche was found a -goblet, which contained something that looked like a pot pourri. On -shaking out the contents, there lay at the bottom a small ring, on which -was engraven the name _Anna Von Militz_. - -A friend of mine, Mr. Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, has some coins that -were found exactly in the same manner. The child of a Mr. Christison, in -whose house his father was lodging, in the year 1781, dreamed that there -was a treasure hid in the cellar. Her father had no faith in the dream; -but Mr. Sharpe had the curiosity to have the place dug up, and a copper -pot was found, full of coins. - -A very singular circumstance was related to me by Mr. J——, as having -occurred not long since to himself. A tonic had been prescribed to him -by his physician, for some slight derangement of the system, and as -there was no good chemist in the village he inhabited, he was in the -habit of walking to a town about five miles off, to get the bottle -filled as occasion required. One night, that he had been to M—— for -this purpose, and had obtained his last supply, for he was now -recovered, and about to discontinue the medicine, a voice seemed to warn -him that some great danger was impending, his life was in jeopardy; then -he heard, but not with his outward ear, a beautiful prayer. “It was not -myself that prayed,” he said, “the prayer was far beyond anything I am -capable of composing—it spoke of me in the third person, always as -_he_; and supplicated that for the sake of my widowed mother this -calamity might be averted. My father had been dead some months. I was -sensible of all this, yet I can not say whether I was asleep or awake. -When I rose in the morning, the whole was present to my mind, although I -had slept soundly in the interval; I felt, however, as if there was some -mitigation of the calamity, though what the danger was with which I was -threatened, I had no notion. When I was dressed, I prepared to take my -medicine, but on lifting the bottle, I fancied that the color was not -the same as usual. I looked again, and hesitated, and finally, instead -of taking two tablespoonfuls, which was my accustomed dose, I took but -one. Fortunate it was that I did so; the apothecary had made a mistake; -the drug was poison; I was seized with a violent vomiting, and other -alarming symptoms, from which I was with difficulty recovered. Had I -taken the two spoonfuls, I should, probably, not have survived to tell -the tale.” - -The manner in which I happened to obtain these particulars is not -uninteresting. I was spending the evening with Mr. Wordsworth, at Ridal, -when he mentioned to me that a stranger, who had called on him that -morning, had quoted two lines from his poem of “Laodamia,” which, he -said, to him had a peculiar interest. They were these:— - - “The invisible world with thee hath sympathized; - Be thy affections raised and solemnized.” - -“I do not know what he alludes to,” said Mr. Wordsworth; “but he gave me -to understand that these lines had a deep meaning for him, and that he -had himself been the subject of such a sympathy.” - -Upon this, I sought the stranger, whose address the poet gave me, and -thus learned the above particulars from himself. His very natural -persuasion was, that the interceding spirit was his father. He described -the prayer as one of earnest anguish. - -One of the most remarkable instances of warning that has come to my -knowledge, is that of Mr. M——, of Kingsborough. This gentleman, being -on a voyage to America, dreamed, one night, that a little old man came -into his cabin and said, “Get up! Your life is in danger!” Upon which, -Mr. M—— awoke; but considering it to be only a dream, he soon composed -himself to sleep again. The dream, however, if such it were, recurred, -and the old man urged him still more strongly to get up directly; but he -still persuaded himself it was only a dream; and after listening a few -minutes, and hearing nothing to alarm him, he turned round and addressed -himself once more to sleep. But now the old man appeared again, and -angrily bade him rise instantly, and take his gun and ammunition with -him, for he had not a moment to lose. The injunction was now so distinct -that Mr. M—— felt he could no longer resist it; so he hastily dressed -himself, took his gun, and ascended to the deck, where he had scarcely -arrived, when the ship struck on a rock, which he and several others -contrived to reach. The place, however, was uninhabited, and but for his -gun, they would never have been able to provide themselves with food -till a vessel arrived to their relief. - -Now these can scarcely be looked upon as instances of clear-seeing, or -of second-sight in sleep, which, in Denmark, is called _first-seeing_, I -believe; for in neither case did the sleeper perceive the danger, much -less the nature of it. If, therefore, we refuse to attribute them to -some external protecting influence, they resolve themselves into cases -of vague presentiment; but it must then be admitted that the mode of the -manifestation is very extraordinary; so extraordinary, indeed, that we -fall into fully as great a difficulty as that offered by the supposition -of a guardian spirit. - -An American clergyman told me that an old woman, with whom he was -acquainted, who had two sons, heard a voice say to her in the night, -“John’s dead!” This was her eldest son. Shortly afterward, the news of -his death arriving, she said to the person who communicated the -intelligence to her, “If John’s dead, then I know that David is dead, -too, for the same voice has since told me so;” and the event proved that -the information, whence ever it came, was correct. - -Not many years since, Captain S—— was passing a night at the Manse of -Strachur, in Argyleshire, then occupied by a relation of his own; -shortly after he retired, the bed-curtains were opened, and somebody -looked in upon him. Supposing it to be some inmate of the house, who was -not aware that the bed was occupied, he took no notice of the -circumstance, till it being two or three times repeated, he at length -said, “What do you want? Why do you disturb me in this manner?” - -“I come,” replied a voice, “to tell you, that this day twelvemonth you -will be with your father!” - -After this, Captain S—— was no more disturbed. In the morning, he -related the circumstance to his host, though, being an entire -disbeliever in all such phenomena, without attaching any importance to -the warning. - -In the natural course of events, and quite irrespective of this -visitation, on that day twelvemonth he was again at the Manse of -Strachur, on his way to the north, for which purpose it was necessary -that he should cross the ferry to Craigie. The day was, however, so -exceedingly stormy, that his friend begged him not to go; but he pleaded -his business, adding that he was determined not to be withheld from his -intention by the ghost, and, although the minister delayed his -departure, by engaging him in a game of backgammon, he at length started -up, declaring he could stay no longer. They, therefore, proceeded to the -water, but they found the boat moored to the side of the lake, and the -boatman assured them that it would be impossible to cross. Captain -S——, however, insisted, and, as the old man was firm in his refusal, -he became somewhat irritated, and laid his cane lightly across his -shoulders. - -“It ill becomes you, sir,” said the ferryman, “to strike an old man like -me; but, since you will have your way, you must; I can not go with you, -but my son will; but you will never reach the other side; he will be -drowned, and you too.” - -The boat was then set afloat, and Captain S——, together with his horse -and servant, and the ferryman’s son, embarked in it. - -The distance was not great, but the storm was tremendous; and, after -having with great difficulty got half way across the lake, it was found -impossible to proceed. The danger of tacking was, of course, -considerable; but, since they could not advance, there was no -alternative but to turn back, and it was resolved to attempt it. The -manœuvre, however, failed; the boat capsized, and they were all -precipitated into the water. - -“You keep hold of the horse—I can swim,” said Captain S—— to his -servant, when he saw what was about to happen. - -Being an excellent swimmer, and the distance from the shore -inconsiderable, he hoped to save himself, but he had on a heavy -top-coat, with boots and spurs. The coat he contrived to take off in the -water, and then struck out with confidence; but, alas! the coat had got -entangled with one of the spurs, and, as he swam, it clung to him, -getting heavier and heavier as it became saturated with water, ever -dragging him beneath the stream. He, however, reached the shore, where -his anxious friend still stood watching the event; and, as the latter -bent over him, he was just able to make a gesture with his hand, which -seemed to say, “You see, it was to be!” and then expired. - -The boatman was also drowned; but, by the aid of the horse, the servant -escaped. - -As I do not wish to startle my readers, nor draw too suddenly on their -faith, I have commenced with this class of phenomena, which it must be -admitted are sufficiently strange, and, if true, must also be admitted -to be well worthy of attention. No doubt these cases, and still more -those to which I shall next proceed, give a painful shock to the -received notions of polished and educated society in general—especially -in this country, where the analytical or scientifical psychology of the -eighteenth century has almost superseded the study of synthetic or -philosophical psychology. It has become a custom to look at all the -phenomena regarding man in a purely physiological point of view; for -although it is admitted that he has a mind, and although there is such a -science as metaphysics, the existence of what we call _mind_ is never -considered but as connected with the body. We know that body can exist -without mind; for, not to speak of certain living conditions, the body -subsists without mind when the spirit has fled; albeit, without the -living principle it can subsist but for a short period, except under -particular circumstances; but we seem to have forgotten that mind, -though dependent upon body as long as the connection between them -continues, can yet subsist without it. There have indeed been -philosophers, purely materialistic, who have denied this, but they are -not many; and not only the whole Christian world, but all who believe in -a future state, must perforce admit it; for even those who hold that -most unsatisfactory doctrine that there will be neither memory nor -consciousness till a second incorporation takes place, will not deny -that the mind, however in a state of abeyance and unable to manifest -itself, must still subsist as an inherent property of man’s immortal -part. Even if, as some philosophers believe, the spirit, when freed from -the body by death, returns to the Deity and is reabsorbed in the being -of God, not to become again a separate entity until reincorporated, -still what we call mind can not be disunited from it. And when once we -have begun to conceive of mind, and consequently of perception, as -separated from and independent of bodily organs, it will not be very -difficult to apprehend that those bodily organs must circumscribe and -limit the view of the spiritual in-dweller, which must otherwise be -necessarily perceptive of spirit like itself, though perhaps -unperceptive of material objects and obstructions. - -“It is perfectly evident to me,” said Socrates, in his last moments, -“that, to see clearly, we must detach ourselves from the body, and -perceive by the soul alone. Not while we live, but when we die, will -that wisdom which we desire and love be first revealed to us; it must be -then, or never, that we shall attain to true understanding and -knowledge, since by means of the body we never can. But if, during life, -we would make the nearest approaches possible to its possession, it must -be by divorcing ourselves as much as in us lies from the flesh and its -nature.” In their spiritual views and apprehension of the nature of man, -how these old heathens shame us! - -The Scriptures teach us that God chose to reveal himself to his people -chiefly in dreams, and we are entitled to conclude that the reason of -this was, that the spirit was then more free to the reception of -spiritual influences and impressions; and the class of dreams to which I -next proceed seem to be best explained by this hypothesis. It is also to -be remarked that the awe or fear which pervades a mortal at the mere -conception of being brought into relation with a spirit, has no place in -sleep, whether natural or magnetic. There is no fear then, no surprise; -we seem to meet on an equality—is it not that we meet spirit to spirit? -Is it not that our spirit being then released from the trammels—the -dark chamber of the flesh—it does enjoy a temporary equality? Is not -that true, that some German psychologist has said—“_The magnetic man is -a spirit!_” - -There are numerous instances to be met with of persons receiving -information in their sleep, which either is, or seems to be, -communicated by their departed friends. The approach of danger, the -period of the sleeper’s death, or of that of some persons beloved, has -been frequently made known in this form of dream. - -Dr. Binns quotes, from Cardanus, the case of Johannes Maria Maurosenus, -a Venetian senator, who, while governor of Dalmatia, saw in a dream one -of his brothers, to whom he was much attached: the brother embraced him -and bade him farewell, because he was going into the other world. -Maurosenus having followed him a long way weeping, awoke in tears, and -expressed much anxiety respecting this brother. Shortly afterward he -received tidings from Venice that this Domatus, of whom he had dreamed, -had died on the night and at the hour of the dream, of a pestilential -fever, which had carried him off in three days. - -On the night of the 21st of June, in the year 1813, a lady, residing in -the north of England, dreamed that her brother, who was then with his -regiment in Spain, appeared to her, saying, “Mary, I die this day at -Vittoria!” - -Vittoria was a town which, previous to the famous battle, was not -generally known even by name in this country, and this dreamer, among -others, had never heard of it; but, on rising, she eagerly resorted to a -gazetteer for the purpose of ascertaining if such a place existed. On -finding that it was so, she immediately ordered her horses, and drove to -the house of a sister, some eight or nine miles off, and her first words -on entering the room were, “Have you heard anything of John?”—“No,” -replied the second sister, “but I know he is dead! He appeared to me -last night, in a dream, and told me that he was killed at Vittoria. I -have been looking into the gazetteer and the atlas, and I find there is -such a place, and I am sure that he is dead!” And so it proved: the -young man died that day at Vittoria, and, I believe, on the field of -battle. If so, it is worthy of observation that the communication was -not made till the sisters slept. - -A similar case to this is that of Miss D——, of G——, who one night -dreamed that she was walking about the washing-greens, when a figure -approached, which she recognised as that of a beloved brother who was at -that time with the British army in America. It gradually faded away into -a kind of anatomy, holding up its hands, through which the light could -be perceived, and asking for clothes to dress a body for the grave. The -dream recurred more than once in the same night, and, apprehending some -misfortune, Miss D—— noted down the date of the occurrence. In due -course of post, the news arrived that this brother had been killed at -the battle of Bunker’s hill. Miss D——, who died only within the last -few years, though unwilling to speak of the circumstance, never refused -to testify to it as a fact. - -Here, supposing this to be a real apparition, we see an instance of that -desire for decent obsequies so constantly attributed by the ancients to -the souls of the dead. - -When the German poet Collin died at Vienna, a person named Hartmann, who -was his friend, found himself very much distressed by the loss of a -hundred and twenty florins, which he had paid for the poet, under a -promise of reimbursement. As this sum formed a large portion of his -whole possessions, the circumstance was occasioning him considerable -anxiety, when he dreamed one night that his deceased friend appeared to -him, and bade him immediately set two florins on No. 11, on the first -calling of the little lottery, or loto, then about to be drawn. He was -bade to confine his venture to two florins, neither less nor more; and -to communicate this information to nobody. Hartmann availed himself of -the hint, and obtained a prize of a hundred and thirty florins. - -Since we look upon lotteries, in this country, as an immoral species of -gambling, it may be raised as an objection to this dream, that such -intelligence was an unworthy mission for a spirit, supposing the -communication to have been actually made by Collin. But, in the first -place, we have only to do with facts, and not with their propriety or -impropriety, according to our notions; and, by-and-by, I shall endeavor -to show that such discrepancies possibly arise from the very erroneous -notions commonly entertained of the state of those who have disappeared -from the terrestrial life. - -Simonides the poet, arriving at the seashore with the intention of -embarking on board a vessel on the ensuing day, found an unburied body, -which he immediately desired should be decently interred. On the same -night, this deceased person appeared to him, and bade him by no means go -to sea, as he had proposed. Simonides obeyed the injunction, and beheld -the vessel founder, as he stood on the shore. He raised a monument on -the spot to the memory of his preserver, which is said still to exist, -on which are engraven some lines, to the effect that it was dedicated by -Simonides, the poet of Cheos, in gratitude to the dead who had preserved -him from death. - -A much-esteemed secretary died a few years since, in the house of Mr. -R—— von N——. About eight weeks afterward, Mr. R—— himself being -ill, his daughter dreamed that the house-bell rang, and that, on looking -out, she perceived the secretary at the door. Having admitted him, and -inquired what he was come for, he answered, “To fetch somebody.” Upon -which, alarmed for her father, she exclaimed, “I hope not my father!” He -shook his head solemnly, in a manner that implied it was not the old man -he had come for, and turned away toward a guest-chamber, at that time -vacant, and there disappeared at the door. The father recovered, and the -lady left home for a few days, on a visit. On her return, she found her -brother had arrived in the interval to pay a visit to his parents, and -was lying sick in that room, where he died. - -I will here mention a curious circumstance regarding Mr. H——, the -gentleman alluded to in a former page, who, being at the seaside, saw, -in a dream, the danger that awaited his son when he went to bathe. This -gentleman has frequently, on waking, felt a consciousness that he had -been conversing with certain persons of his acquaintance—and, indeed, -with some of whom he knew little—and has afterward, not without a -feeling of awe, learned that these persons had died during the hours of -his sleep. - -Do not such circumstances entitle us to entertain the idea that I have -suggested above, namely, that in sleep the spirit is free to see, and to -know, and to communicate with spirit, although the memory of this -knowledge is rarely carried into the waking state? - -The story of the two Arcadians, who travelled together to Megara, though -reprinted in other works, I can not omit here. One of these established -himself, on the night of their arrival, at the house of a friend, while -the other sought shelter in a public lodging-house for strangers. During -the night, the latter appeared to the former, in a dream, and besought -him to come to his assistance, as his villanous host was about to take -his life, and only the most speedy aid could save him. The dreamer -started from his sleep, and his first movement was to obey the summons, -but, reflecting that it was only a dream, he presently lay down, and -composed himself again to rest. But now his friend appeared before him a -second time, disfigured by blood and wounds, conjuring him, since he had -not listened to his first entreaties, that he would, at least, avenge -his death. His host, he said, had murdered him, and was, at that moment, -depositing his body in a dung-cart, for the purpose of conveying it out -of the town. The dreamer was thoroughly alarmed, arose, and hastened to -the gates of the city, where he found, waiting to pass out, exactly such -a vehicle as his friend had described. A search being instituted, the -body was found underneath the manure; and the host was consequently -seized, and delivered over to the chastisement of the law. - -“Who shall venture to assert,” says Dr. Ennemoser, “that this communing -with the dead in sleep is merely a subjective phenomenon, and that the -presence of these apparitions is a pure illusion?” - -A circumstance fully as remarkable as any recorded, occurred at Odessa, -in the year 1842. An old blind man, named Michel, had for many years -been accustomed to get his living by seating himself every morning on a -beam in one of the timber-yards, with a wooden bowl at his feet, into -which the passengers cast their alms. This long-continued practice had -made him well known to the inhabitants, and, as he was believed to have -been formerly a soldier, his blindness was attributed to the numerous -wounds he had received in battle. For his own part, he spoke little, and -never contradicted this opinion. - -One night, Michel, by some accident, fell in with a little girl of ten -years old, named Powleska, who was friendless, and on the verge of -perishing with cold and hunger. The old man took her home, and adopted -her; and, from that time, instead of sitting in the timber-yards, he -went about the streets in her company, asking alms at the doors of the -houses. The child called him _father_, and they were extremely happy -together. But when they had pursued this mode of life for about five -years, a misfortune befell them. A theft having been committed in a -house which they had visited in the morning, Powleska was suspected and -arrested, and the blind man was left once more alone. But, instead of -resuming his former habits, he now disappeared altogether; and this -circumstance causing the suspicion to extend to him, the girl was -brought before the magistrate to be interrogated with regard to his -probable place of concealment. - -“Do you know where Michel is?” said the magistrate. - -“He is dead!” replied she, shedding a torrent of tears. - -As the girl had been shut up for three days, without any means of -obtaining information from without, this answer, together with her -unfeigned distress, naturally excited considerable surprise. - -“Who told you he was dead?” they inquired. - -“Nobody!” - -“Then how can you know it?” - -“I saw him killed!” - -“But you have not been out of the prison?” - -“But I saw it, nevertheless!” - -“But how was that possible? Explain what you mean!” - -“I can not. All I can say is, that I saw him killed.” - -“When was he killed, and how?” - -“It was the night I was arrested.” - -“That can not be: he was alive when you were seized!” - -“Yes, he was; he was killed an hour after that. They stabbed him with a -knife.” - -“Where were you then?” - -“I can’t tell; but I saw it.” - -The confidence with which the girl asserted what seemed to her hearers -impossible and absurd, disposed them to imagine that she was either -really insane, or pretending to be so. So, leaving Michel aside, they -proceeded to interrogate her about the robbery, asking her if she was -guilty. - -“Oh, no!” she answered. - -“Then how came the property to be found about you?” - -“I don’t know: I saw nothing but the murder.” - -“But there are no grounds for supposing Michel is dead: his body has not -been found.” - -“It is in the aqueduct.” - -“And do you know who slew him?” - -“Yes—it is a woman. Michel was walking very slowly, after I was taken -from him. A woman came behind him with a large kitchen-knife; but he -heard her, and turned round: and then the woman flung a piece of gray -stuff over his head, and struck him repeatedly with the knife; the gray -stuff was much stained with the blood. Michel fell at the eighth blow, -and the woman dragged the body to the aqueduct and let it fall in -without ever lifting the stuff which stuck to his face.” - -As it was easy to verify these latter assertions, they despatched people -to the spot; and there the body was found, with the piece of stuff over -his head, exactly as she described. But when they asked her how she knew -all this, she could only answer, “I don’t know.” - -“But you know who killed him?” - -“Not exactly: it is the same woman that put out his eyes; but, perhaps, -he will tell me her name to-night; and if he does, I will tell it to -you.” - -“Whom do you mean by _he_?” - -“Why, Michel, to be sure!” - -During the whole of the following night, without allowing her to suspect -their intention, they watched her; and it was observed that she never -lay down, but sat upon the bed in a sort of lethargic slumber. Her body -was quite motionless, except at intervals, when this repose was -interrupted by violent nervous shocks, which pervaded her whole frame. -On the ensuing day, the moment she was brought before the judge, she -declared that she was now able to tell them the name of the assassin. - -“But stay,” said the magistrate: “did Michel never tell you, when he was -alive, how he lost his sight?” - -“No—but the morning before I was arrested, he promised me to do so; and -that was the cause of his death.” - -“How could that be?” - -“Last night, Michel came to me, and he pointed to the man hidden behind -the scaffolding on which he and I had been sitting. He showed me the man -listening to us, when he said, ‘I’ll tell you all about that to-night;’ -and then the man——” - -“Do you know the name of this man?” - -“It is _Luck_. He went afterward to a broad street that leads down to -the harbor, and he entered the third house on the right——” - -“What is the name of the street?” - -“I don’t know: but the house is one story lower than the adjoining ones. -Luck told Catherine what he had heard, and she proposed to him to -assassinate Michel; but he refused, saying, ‘It was bad enough to have -burnt out his eyes fifteen years before, while he was asleep at your -door, and to have kidnapped him into the country.’ Then I went in to ask -charity, and Catherine put a piece of plate into my pocket, that I might -be arrested; then she hid herself behind the aqueduct to wait for -Michel, and she killed him.” - -“But, since you say all this, why did you keep the plate—why didn’t you -give information?” - -“But I didn’t see it then. Michel showed it me last night.” - -“But what should induce Catherine to do this?” - -“Michel was her husband, and she had forsaken him to come to Odessa and -marry again. One night, fifteen years ago, she saw Michel, who had come -to seek her. She slipped hastily into her house, and Michel, who thought -she had not seen him, lay down at her door to watch; but he fell asleep, -and then Luck burnt out his eyes, and carried him to a distance.” - -“And is it Michel who has told you this?” - -“Yes: he came, very pale, and covered with blood; and he took me by the -hand and showed me all this with his fingers.” - -Upon this, Luck and Catherine were arrested; and it was ascertained that -she had actually been married to Michel in the year 1819, at Kherson. -They at first denied the accusation, but Powleska insisted, and they -subsequently confessed the crime. When they communicated the -circumstances of the confession to Powleska, she said, “I was told it -last night.” - -This affair naturally excited great interest, and people all round the -neighborhood hastened into the city to learn the sentence. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - - DOUBLE-DREAMING AND TRANCE. - -AMONG the phenomena of the dream-life which we have to consider, that of -double-dreaming forms a very curious department. A somewhat natural -introduction to this subject may be found in the cases above-recorded, -of Professor Herder and Mr. S——, of Edinburgh, who appear, in their -sleep, to have received so lively an impression of those earnest wishes -of their dying friends to see them, that they found themselves -irresistibly impelled to obey the spiritual summons. These two cases -occurred to men engaged in active daily life, and in normal physical -conditions, on which account I particularly refer to them here, although -many similar ones might be adduced. - -With respect to this subject of double-dreaming, Dr. Ennemoser thinks -that it is not so difficult to explain as might appear on a first view, -since he considers that there exists an indisputable sympathy between -certain organisms, especially where connected by relationship or by -affection, which may be sufficient to account for the supervention of -simultaneous thoughts, dreams, or presentiments; and I have met with -some cases where the magnetiser and his patient have been the subjects -of this phenomenon. With respect to the power asserted to have been -frequently exercised by causing or suggesting dreams by an operator at a -distance from the sleeper, Dr. E. considers the two parties to stand in -a positive and negative relation to each other; the antagonistic power -of the sleeper being = 0, he becomes a perfectly passive recipient of -the influence exerted by his positive _half_, if I may use the -expression; for, where such a polarity is established, the two beings -seem to be almost blended into one; while Dr. Passavent observes, that -we can not pronounce what may be the limits of the nervous force, which -certainly is not bounded by the termination of its material conductors. - -I have yet, myself, met with no instance of dream compelling by a person -at a distance; but Dr. Ennemoser says that Agrippa von Nettesheim -asserts that this can assuredly be done, and also that the abbot -Trithemius and others possessed the power. In modern times, Wesermann, -in Dusseldorf, pretended to the same faculty, and affirms that he had -frequently exercised it. - -All such phenomena, Dr. Passavent attributes to the interaction of -imponderables—or of one universal imponderable under different -manifestations—which acts not only within the organism, but beyond it, -independently of all material obstacles; just as a sympathy appears -between one organ and another, unobstructed by the intervening ones; and -he instances the sympathy which exists between the mother and the fœtus, -as an example of this sort of double life, and standing as midway -between the sympathy between two organs in the same body and that -between two separate bodies, each having its own life, and its life also -in and for another, as parts of one whole. The sympathy between a bird -and the eggs it sits upon, is of the same kind; many instances having -been observed, wherein eggs, taken from one bird and placed under -another, have produced a brood feathered like the foster instead of the -real parent. - -Thus, this vital force may extend dynamically the circle of its -influence, till, under favorable circumstances, it may act on other -organisms, making their organs its own. - -I need scarcely remind my readers of the extraordinary sympathies -manifested by the Siamese twins, Chang and Eng. I never saw them myself; -and, for the benefit of others in the same situation, I quote the -following particulars from Dr. Passavent: “They were united by a -membrane which extended from the breast-bone to the navel; but, in other -respects, were not different from their countrymen in general. They were -exceedingly alike, only that Eng was rather the more robust of the two. -Their pulsations were not always coincident. They were active and agile, -and fond of bodily exercises; their intellects were well developed, and -their tones of voice and accent were precisely the same. As they never -conversed together, they had nearly forgotten their native tongue. If -one was addressed, they both answered. They played some games of skill, -but never with each other; as that, they said, would have been like the -right hand playing with the left. They read the same book at the same -time, and sang together in unison. In America they had a fever, which -ran precisely a similar course with each. Their hunger, thirst, -sleeping, and waking, were alway coincident, and their tastes and -inclinations were identical. Their movements were so simultaneous, that -it was impossible to distinguish with which the impulse had originated; -they appeared to have but one will. The idea of being separated by an -operation was abhorrent to them; and they consider themselves much -happier in their duality than are the individuals who look upon them -with pity.” - -This admirable sympathy, although necessarily in an inferior degree, is -generally manifested, more or less, between all persons twin-born. Dr. -Passavent and other authorities mention several instances of this kind, -in which, although at some distance from each other, the same malady -appeared simultaneously in both, and ran precisely a similar course. A -very affecting instance of this sort of sympathy was exhibited, not very -long ago, by a young lady, twin-born, who was suddenly seized with an -unaccountable horror, followed by a strange convulsion, which the -doctor, who was hastily called in, said exactly resembled the struggles -and sufferings of a person drowning. In process of time, the news -arrived that her twin-brother, then abroad, had been drowned precisely -at that period. - -It is probably a link of the same kind that is established between the -magnetiser and his patient, of which, besides those recorded in various -works on the subject, some curious instances have come to my knowledge, -such as uncontrollable impulses to go to sleep, or to perform certain -actions, in subservience to the will of the distant operator. Mr. W—— -W——, a gentleman well known in the north of England, related to me -that he had been cured, by magnetism, of a very distressing malady. -During part of the process of curé, after the _rapport_ had been well -established, the operations were carried on while he was at Malvern, and -his magnetiser at Cheltenham, under which circumstances the existence of -this extraordinary dependence was frequently exhibited in a manner that -left no possibility of doubt. On one occasion, I remember that Mr. W—— -W—— being in the magnetic sleep, he suddenly started from his seat, -clasping his hands as if startled, and presently afterward burst into a -violent fit of laughter. As, on waking, he could give no account of -these impulses, his family wrote to the magnetiser to inquire if he had -sought to excite any particular manifestations in his patient, as the -sleep had been somewhat disturbed. The answer was, that no such -intention had been entertained, but that the disturbance might possibly -have arisen from one to which he had himself been subjected. “While my -mind was concentrated on you,” said he, “I was suddenly so much startled -by a violent knock at the door, that I actually jumped off my seat, -clasping my hands with affright. I had a hearty laugh at my own folly, -but am sorry if you were made uncomfortable by it.” - -I have met with some accounts of a sympathy of this kind existing -between young children and their parents, so that the former have -exhibited great distress and terror at the moment that death or danger -have supervened to the latter; but it would require a great number of -instances to establish this particular fact, and separate it from cases -of accidental coincidence. Dr. Passavent, however, admits the phenomena. - -I shall return to these mysterious influences by-and-by; but to revert, -in the meanwhile, to the subject of double dreams, I will relate one -that occurred to two ladies, a mother and daughter, the latter of whom -related it to me. They were sleeping in the same bed at Cheltenham, when -the mother, Mrs. C——, dreamed that her brother-in-law, then in -Ireland, had sent for her; that she entered his room, and saw him in -bed, apparently dying. He requested her to kiss him, but, owing to his -livid appearance, she shrank from doing so, and awoke with the horror of -the scene upon her. The daughter awoke at the same moment, saying, “Oh, -I have had such a frightful dream!” “Oh, so have I!” returned the -mother; “I have been dreaming of my brother-in-law!”—“My dream was -about him, too,” added Miss C——. “I thought I was sitting in the -drawing-room, and that he came in wearing a shroud, trimmed with black -ribands, and, approaching me, he said: ‘My dear niece, your mother has -refused to kiss me, but I am sure you will not be so unkind!’” - -As these ladies were not in habits of regular correspondence with their -relative, they knew that the earliest intelligence likely to reach them, -if he were actually dead, would be by means of the Irish papers; and -they waited anxiously for the following Wednesday, which was the day -these journals were received in Cheltenham. When that morning arrived, -Miss C—— hastened at an early hour to the reading-room, and there she -learned what the dreams had led them to expect: their friend was dead; -and they afterward ascertained that his decease had taken place on that -night. They moreover observed, that neither one nor the other of them -had been speaking or thinking of this gentleman for some time previous -to the occurrence of the dreams; nor had they any reason whatever for -uneasiness with regard to him. It is a remarkable peculiarity in this -case, that the dream of the daughter appears to be a continuation of -that of the mother. In the one, he is seen alive; in the other, the -shroud and black ribands seem to indicate that he is dead, and he -complains of the refusal to give him a farewell kiss. - -One is almost inevitably led here to the conclusion that the thoughts -and wishes of the dying man were influencing the sleepers, or that the -released spirit was hovering near them. - -Pomponius Mela relates, that a certain people in the interior of Africa -lay themselves down to sleep on the graves of their forefathers, and -believe the dreams that ensue to be the unerring counsel of the dead. - -The following dream, from St. Austin, is quoted by Dr. Binns: -Præstantius desired from a certain philosopher the solution of a doubt, -which the latter refused to give him; but, on the following night, the -philosopher appeared at his bedside and told him what he desired to -know. On being asked, the next day, why he had chosen that hour for his -visit, he answered: ‘I came not to you truly, but in my dream I appeared -to you to do so.’ In this case, however, only one of the parties seems -to have been asleep, for Præstantius says that he was awake; and it is -perhaps rather an example of another kind of phenomena, similar to the -instance recorded of himself by the late Joseph Wilkins, a dissenting -minister, who says that, being one night asleep, he dreamed that he was -travelling to London, and that, as it would not be much out of his way, -he would go by Gloucestershire and call upon his friends. Accordingly he -arrived at his father’s house, but, finding the front door closed, he -went round to the back and there entered. The family, however, being -already in bed, he ascended the stairs and entered his father’s -bed-chamber. Him he found asleep; but to his mother, who was awake, he -said, as he walked round to her side of the bed, ‘Mother, I am going a -long journey, and am come to bid you good-by;’ to which she answered, -‘Oh, dear son, thee art dead!’ Though struck with the distinctness of -the dream, Mr. Wilkins attached no importance to it, till, to his -surprise, a letter arrived from his father, addressed to himself, if -alive—or, if not, to his surviving friends—begging earnestly for -immediate intelligence, since they were under great apprehensions that -their son was either dead, or in danger of death; for that, on such a -night (naming that on which the above dream had occurred), he, the -father, being asleep, and Mrs. Wilkins awake, she had distinctly heard -somebody try to open the fore door, which being fast, the person had -gone round to the back and there entered. She had perfectly recognised -the footstep to be that of her son, who had ascended the stairs, and -entering the bed-chamber, had said to her, ‘Mother, I am going a long -journey, and am come to bid you good-by;’ whereupon she had answered, -‘Oh, dear son, thee art dead!’ Much alarmed, she had awakened her -husband and related what had occurred, assuring him that it was not a -dream, for that she had not been asleep at all. Mr. Wilkins mentions -that this curious circumstance took place in the year 1754, when he was -living at Ottery; and that he had frequently discussed the subject with -his mother, on whom the impression made was even stronger than on -himself. Neither death nor anything else remarkable ensued. - -A somewhat similar instance to this, which I also quote from Dr. Binns, -is that of a gentleman who dreamed that he was pushing violently against -the door of a certain room, in a house with which he was well -acquainted; while the people in that room were, at the same time, -actually alarmed by a violent pushing against the door, which it -required their utmost force effectually to resist. As soon as the -attempt to burst open the door had ceased, the house was searched, but -nothing discovered to account for the disturbance. - -These examples are extremely curious, and they conduct us by a natural -transition to another department of this mysterious subject. - -There must be few persons who have not heard, among their friends and -acquaintance, instances of what is called a _wraith_; that is, that in -the moment of death, a person is seen in a place where _bodily_ he is -not. I believe the Scotch use this term also in the same sense as the -Irish word _fetch_; which is a person’s double seen at some indefinite -period previous to his death, of which such an appearance is generally -supposed to be a prognostic. The Germans express the same thing by the -word _doppelgänger_. - -With respect to the appearance of wraiths, at the moment of death, the -instances to be met with are so numerous and well-authenticated, that I -generally find the most skeptical people unable to deny that some such -phenomenon exists, although they evade, without I think, diminishing the -difficulty, by pronouncing it to be of a subjective, and not of an -objective, nature; that is, that the image of the dying person is, by -some unknown operation, presented to the imagination of the seer, -without the existence of any real outstanding figure, from which it is -reflected; which reduces such instances so nearly to the class of mere -sensuous illusion, that it seems difficult to draw the distinction. The -distinction these theorists wish to imply, however, is that the latter -are purely subjective and self-originating, while the others have an -external cause, although not an external visible object—the image seen -being protruded by the imagination of the seer, in consequence of an -unconscious intuition of the death of the person whose wraith is -perceived. - -Instances of this kind of phenomenon have been common in all ages of the -world, insomuch that Lucretius, who did not believe in the immortality -of the soul, and was yet unable to deny the facts, suggested the strange -theory that the superficial surfaces of all bodies were continually -flying off, like the coats of an onion, which accounted for the -appearance of wraiths, ghosts, doubles, &c.; and a more modern author, -Gaffarillus, suggests that corrupting bodies send forth vapors, which -being compressed by the cold night air, appear visible to the eye in the -forms of men. - -It will not be out of place, here, to mention the circumstance recorded -in Professor Gregory’s “Abstract of Baron von Reichenbach’s Researches -in Magnetism,” regarding a person called Billing, who acted in the -capacity of amanuensis to the blind poet Pfeffel, at Colmar. Having -treated of various experiments, by which it was ascertained that certain -sensitive persons were not only able to detect electric influences of -which others were unconscious, but could also perceive, emanating from -the wires and magnets, flames which were invisible to people in general; -“the baron,” according to Dr. Gregory, “proceeded to a useful -application of the results, which is, he says, so much the more welcome, -as it utterly eradicates one of the chief foundations of superstition, -that worst enemy to the development of human enlightenment and liberty. -A singular occurrence, which took place at Colmar, in the garden of the -poet Pfeffel, has been made generally known by various writings. The -following are the essential facts. The poet, being blind, had employed a -young clergyman, of the evangelical church, as amanuensis. Pfeffel, when -he walked out, was supported and led by this young man, whose name was -Billing. As they walked in the garden, at some distance from the town, -Pfeffel observed, that as often as they passed over a particular spot, -the arm of Billing trembled, and he betrayed uneasiness. On being -questioned, the young man reluctantly confessed, that as often as he -passed over that spot, certain feelings attacked him, which he could not -control, and which he knew well, as he always experienced the same, in -passing over any place where human bodies lay buried. He added, that at -night, when he came near such places, he saw supernatural appearances. -Pfeffel, with the view of curing the youth of what he looked on as -fancy, went that night with him to the garden. As they approached the -spot in the dark, Billing perceived a feeble light, and when still -nearer, he saw a luminous ghostlike figure floating over the spot. This -he described as a female form, with one arm laid across the body, the -other hanging down, floating in the upright posture, but tranquil, the -feet only a hand-breadth or two above the soil. Pfeffel went alone, as -the young man declined to follow him, up to the place where the figure -was said to be, and struck about in all directions with his stick, -besides running actually through the shadow; but the figure was not more -affected than a flame would have been; the luminous form, according to -Billing always returned to its original position after these -experiments. Many things were tried during several months, and numerous -companies of people were brought to the spot, but the matter remained -the same, and the ghost-seer adhered to his serious assertion, and to -the opinion founded on it, that some individual lay buried there. At -last, Pfeffel had the place dug up. At a considerable depth was found a -firm layer of white lime, of the length and breadth of a grave, and of -considerable thickness, and when this had been broken into, there were -found the bones of a human being. It was evident that some one had been -buried in the place, and covered with a thick layer of lime (quicklime), -as is generally done in times of pestilence, of earthquakes, and other -similar events. The bones were removed, the pit filled up, the lime -scattered abroad, and the surface again made smooth. When Billing was -now brought back to the place, the phenomena did not return, and the -nocturnal spirit had for ever disappeared. - -“It is hardly necessary to point out to the reader what view the author -takes of this story, which excited much attention in Germany, because it -came from the most truthful man alive, and theologians and psychologists -gave to it sundry terrific meanings. It obviously falls into the -province of chemical action, and thus meets with a simple and clear -explanation from natural and physical causes. A corpse is a field for -abundant chemical changes, decompositions, fermentation, putrefaction, -gasification, and general play of affinities. A stratum of quicklime, in -a narrow pit, unites its powerful affinities to those of the organic -matters, and gives rise to a long-continued working of the whole. -Rain-water filters through and contributes to the action: the lime on -the outside of the mass first falls to a fine powder, and afterward, -with more water, forms lumps which are very slowly penetrated by the -air. Slaked lime prepared for building, but not used, on account of some -cause connected with a warlike state of society some centuries since, -has been found in subterraneous holes or pits, in the ruins of old -castles; and the mass, except on the outside, was so unaltered that it -has been used for modern buildings. It is evident, therefore, that in -such circumstances there must be a very slow and long-continued chemical -action, partly owing to the slow penetration of the mass of lime by the -external carbonic acid, partly to the change going on in the remains of -animal matter, at all events as long as any is left. In the above case, -this must have gone on in Pfeffel’s garden, and, as we know that -chemical action is invariably associated with light, visible to the -sensitive, this must have been the origin of the luminous appearance, -which again must have continued until the mutual affinities of the -organic remains, the lime, the air, and water, had finally come to a -state of chemical rest or equilibrium. As soon, therefore, as a -sensitive person, although otherwise quite healthy, came that way, and -entered into the sphere of the force in action, he must feel, by day, -like Mdlle. Maix, the sensations so often described, and see by night, -like Mdlle. Reichel, the luminous appearance. Ignorance, fear, and -superstition, would dress up the feebly shining, vaporous light into a -human form, and furnish it with human limbs and members; just as we can -at pleasure fancy every cloud in the sky to represent a man or a demon. - -“The wish to strike a fatal blow at the monster superstition, which, at -no distant period, poured out upon European society from a similar -source, such inexpressible misery, when, in trials for witchcraft, not -hundreds, not thousands, but hundreds of thousands of innocent human -beings perished miserably, either on the scaffold, at the stake, or by -the effects of torture—this desire induced the author to try the -experiment of bringing, if possible, a highly-sensitive patient by night -to a churchyard. It appeared possible that such a person might see, over -graves in which mouldering bodies lie, something similar to that which -Billing had seen. Mdlle. Reichel had the courage, rare in her sex, to -gratify this wish of the author. On two very dark nights she allowed -herself to be taken from the castle of Reisenberg, where she was living -with the author’s family, to the neighboring churchyard of Grunzing. The -result justified his anticipation in the most beautiful manner. She very -soon saw a light, and observed on one of the graves, along its length, a -delicate, breathing flame: she also saw the same thing, only weaker on -the second grave. But she saw neither witches nor ghosts; she described -the fiery appearances as a shining vapor, one to two spans high, -extending as far as the grave, and floating near its surface. Some time -afterward she was taken to two large cemeteries near Vienna, where -several burials occur daily, and graves lie about by thousands. Here she -saw numerous graves provided with similar lights. Wherever she looked, -she saw luminous masses scattered about. But this appearance was most -vivid over the newest graves, while in the oldest it could not be -perceived. She described the appearance less as a clear flame than as a -dense, vaporous mass of fire, intermediate between fog and flame. On -many graves the flames were four feet high, so that when she stood on -them, it surrounded her up to the neck. If she thrust her hand into it, -it was like putting it into a dense, fiery cloud. She betrayed no -uneasiness, because she had all her life been accustomed to such -emanations, and had seen the same, in the author’s experiments, often -produced by natural causes. - -“Many ghost-stories will now find their natural explanation. We can also -see that it was not altogether erroneous, when old women declared that -all had not the gift to see the departed wandering about their graves; -for it must have always been the sensitive alone who were able to -perceive the light given out by the chemical action going on in the -corpse. The author has thus, he hopes, succeeded in tearing down one of -the most impenetrable barriers erected by dark ignorance and -superstitious folly against the progress of natural truth.” - -“(The reader will at once apply the above most remarkable experiments to -the explanation of corpse-lights in churchyards, which were often -visible to the gifted alone—to those who had the second-sight, for -example. Many nervous or hysterical females must often have been alarmed -by white, faintly-luminous objects in dark churchyards, to which objects -fear has given a defined form. In this, as well as in numerous other -points, which will force themselves on the attention of the careful -reader of both works, Baron Reichenbach’s experiments illustrate the -experiences of the Seeress of Prevorst.—W. G.)”[1] - -That the flames here described may have originated in chemical action, -is an opinion I have no intention of disputing; the fact may possibly be -so; such a phenomenon has frequently been observed hovering over coffins -and decomposing flesh: but I confess I can not perceive the slightest -grounds for the assertion that it was the ignorance, fear, and -superstition, of Billing, who was an evangelical clergyman, that caused -him to dress up this vaporous light in a human form and supply it with -members, &c. In the first place, I see no proof adduced that Billing was -either ignorant or superstitious, or even afraid—the feelings he -complained of appearing to be rather physical than moral; and it must be -a weak person indeed, who, in company with another, could be excited to -such a freak of the imagination. It is easily comprehensible that that -which appeared only a luminous vapor by day, might, when reflected on a -darker atmosphere, present a defined form; and the suggestion of this -possibility might lead to some curious speculations with regard to a -mystery called the PALINGANESIA, said to have been practised by some of -the chemists and alchemists of the sixteenth century. - -Gaffarillus, in his book, entitled “_Curiosités Inouies_,” published in -1650, when speaking on the subject of talismans, signatures, &c., -observes that, since in many instances the plants used for these -purposes were reduced to ashes, and no longer retained their form, their -efficacy, which depended on their figure, should inevitably be -destroyed; but this, he says, is not the case, since, by an admirable -potency existing in nature, the form, though invisible, is still -retained in the ashes. This, he observes, may appear strange to those -who have never attended to the subject; but he asserts that an account -of the experiment will be found in the works of Mr. Du Chesne, one of -the best chemists of the period, who had been shown, by a Polish -physician at Cracow, certain vials containing ashes, which, when duly -heated, exhibited the forms of various plants. A small obscure cloud was -first observed, which gradually took on a defined form, and presented to -the eye a rose, or whatever plant or flower the ashes consisted of. Mr. -Du Chesne, however, had never been able to repeat the experiment, though -he had made several unsuccessful attempts to do so; but at length he -succeeded, by accident, in the following manner: Having for some purpose -extracted the salts from some burnt nettles, and having left the ley -outside the house all night, to cool, in the morning he found it frozen; -and, to his surprise, the form and figure of the nettles were so exactly -represented on the ice, that the living plant could not be more perfect. -Delighted at this discovery, he summoned Mr. De Luynes, parliamentary -councillor, to behold this curiosity; whence, he says, they both -concluded that, when a body dies, its form or figure still resides in -its ashes. - -Kircher, Vallemont, Digby, and others, are said to have practised this -art of resuscitating the forms of plants from their ashes and at the -meeting of naturalists at Stuttgard, in 1834, a Swiss savant seems to -have revived the subject, and given a receipt for the experiment, -extracted from a work by Oetinger, called “Thoughts on the Birth and -Generation of Things.”—“The earthly husk,” says Oetinger, “remains in -the retort, while the volatile essence ascends, like a spirit, perfect -in form, but void of substance.” - -But Oetinger also records another discovery of this description, which, -he says, he fell upon unawares. A woman having brought him a large bunch -of balm, he laid it under the tiles, which were yet warm with the -summer’s heat, where it dried in the shade. But, it being in the month -of September, the cold soon came, and contracted the leaves, without -expelling the volatile salts. They lay there till the following June, -when he chopped up the balm, put it into a glass retort, poured -rain-water upon it, and placed a receiver above. He afterward heated it -till the water boiled, and then increased the heat—whereupon there -appeared on the water a coat of yellow oil, about the thickness of the -back of a knife, and this oil shaped itself into the forms of -innumerable balm-leaves, which did not run one into another, but -remained perfectly distinct and defined, and exhibited all the marks -that are seen in the leaves of the plant. Oetinger says he kept the -fluid some time, and showed it to a number of people. At length, wishing -to throw it away, he shook it, and the leaves ran into one another with -the disturbance of the oil, but resumed their distinct shape again as -soon as it was at rest, the fluid form retaining the perfect signature. - -Now, how far these experiments are really practicable, I can not say; -their not being repeated, or not being repeated successfully, is no very -decided argument against their possibility, as all persons acquainted -with the annals of chemistry well know; but there is certainly a curious -coincidence between these details and the experience of Billing, where -it is to be observed that, according to his account—and what right have -we to dispute it?—the figure, after being disturbed by Pfeffel, always -resumed its original form. The same peculiarity has been observed with -respect to some apparitions, where the spectator has been bold enough to -try the experiment. In a letter to Dr. Bentley, from the Rev. Thomas -Wilkins, curate of Warblington, in Hampshire, written in the year 1695, -wherein he gives an account of an apparition which haunted the -parsonage-house, and which he himself and several other persons had -seen, he particularly mentions that, thinking it might be some fellow -hid in the room, he put his arm out to feel it, and his hand seemingly -went through the body of it, and felt no manner of substance, until it -reached the wall. “Then I drew back my hand, but still the apparition -was in the same place.” - -Yet this spectre did not appear above or near a grave, but moved from -place to place, and gave considerable annoyance to the inhabitants of -the rectory. - -With respect to the lights over the graves, sufficing to account for the -persuasion regarding what are called _corpse-candles_, they certainly, -up to a certain point, afford a very satisfactory explanation, but that -explanation does not comprehend the whole of the mystery; for most of -those persons who have professed to see corpse-candles, have also -asserted that they were not always stationary over the graves, but -sometimes moved from place to place, as in the following instance, -related to me by a gentleman who assured me that he received the account -from the person who witnessed the phenomenon. Now, this last fact—I -mean the locomotion of the lights—will, of course, be disputed; but so -was their existence: yet they exist, for all that, and may travel from -place to place, for anything we know to the contrary. - -The story related to me, or a similar instance, is, I think, mentioned -by Mrs. Grant; but it was to the effect that a minister, newly inducted -in his curé, was standing one evening leaning over the wall of the -churchyard which adjoined the manse, when he observed a light hovering -over a particular spot. Supposing it to be somebody with a lantern, he -opened the wicket and went forward to ascertain who it might be; but -before he reached the spot, the light moved onward; and he followed, but -could see nobody. It did not rise far from the ground, but advanced -rapidly across the road, entered a wood, and ascended a hill, till it at -length disappeared at the door of a farmhouse. Unable to comprehend of -what nature this light could be, the minister was deliberating whether -to make inquiries at the house or return, when it appeared again, -seeming to come out of the house, accompanied by another, passed him, -and, going over the same ground, they both disappeared on the spot where -he had first observed the phenomenon. He left a mark on the grave by -which he might recognise it, and the next day inquired of the sexton -whose it was. The man said it belonged to a family that lived up the -hill (indicating the house the light had stopped at), named M’D——, but -that it was a considerable time since any one had been buried there. The -minister was extremely surprised to learn, in the course of the day, -that a child of that family had died of scarlet fever on the preceding -evening. - -With respect to the class of phenomena accompanied by this -phosphorescent light, I shall have more to say by-and-by. The above will -appear a very incredible story to many people, and there was a time that -it would have appeared equally so to myself; but I have met with so much -strange corroborative evidence, that I no longer feel myself entitled to -reject it. I asked the gentleman who told me the story, whether he -believed it; he said that he could not believe in anything of the sort. -I then inquired if he would accept the testimony of that minister on any -other question, and he answered, “Most assuredly.” As, however, I shall -have occasion to recur to this subject in a subsequent chapter, I will -leave it aside for the present, and relate some of the facts which led -me to the consideration of the above theories and experiments. - -Dr. S—— relates that a Madame T——, in Prussia, dreamed, on the 16th -of March, 1832, that the door opened, and her god-father, Mr. D——, who -was much attached to her, entered the room, dressed as he usually was -when prepared for church on Sundays; and that, knowing him to be in bad -health, she asked him what he was doing abroad at such an early hour, -and whether he was quite well again. Whereupon, he answered that he was; -and, being about to undertake a very long journey, he had come to bid -her farewell, and to intrust her with a commission, which was, that she -would deliver a letter he had written to his wife; but accompanying it -with an injunction that she (the wife) was not to open it till that day -four years, when he would return himself, precisely at five o’clock in -the morning, to fetch the answer, till which period he charged her not -to break the seal. He then handed her a letter, sealed with black, the -writing on which shone through the paper, so that she (the dreamer) was -able to perceive that it contained an announcement to Mrs. D——, the -wife, with whom, on account of the levity of her character, he had long -lived unhappily, that she would die at that time four years. - -At this moment, the sleeper was awakened by what appeared to her a -pressure of the hand; and, feeling an entire conviction that this was -something more than an ordinary dream, she was not surprised to learn -that her god-father was dead. She related the dream to Madame D——, -omitting, however, to mention the announcement contained in the letter, -which she thought the dream plainly indicated was not to be -communicated. The widow laughed at the story, soon resumed her gay life, -and married again. In the winter of 1835-’6, however, she was attacked -by an intermittent fever, on which occasion Dr. S—— was summoned to -attend her. After various vicissitudes, she finally sunk; and, on the -16th of March, 1836, exactly at five o’clock in the morning, she -suddenly started up in her bed, and, fixing her eyes apparently on some -one she saw standing at the foot, she exclaimed: “What are you come for? -God be gracious to me! I never believed it!” She then sank back, closed -her eyes, which she never opened again, and, in a quarter of an hour -afterward, expired very calmly. - -A friend of mine, Mrs. M——, a native of the West Indies, was at Blair -Logie at the period of the death of Dr. Abercrombie, in Edinburgh, with -whom she was extremely intimate. Dr. A. died quite suddenly, without any -previous indisposition, just as he was about to go out in his carriage, -at 11 o’clock on a Thursday morning. On the night between the Thursday -and Friday, Mrs. M—— dreamed that she saw the family of Dr. A. all -dressed in white, dancing a solemn funereal dance; upon which she awoke, -wondering that she should have dreamed a thing so incongruous, since it -was contrary to their custom to dance on any occasion. Immediately -afterward, while speaking to her maid who had come to call her, she saw -Dr. Abercrombie against the wall, with his jaw fallen, and a livid -countenance, mournfully shaking his head as he looked at her. She passed -the day in great uneasiness, and wrote to inquire for the doctor, -relating what had happened, and expressing her certainty that he was -dead; the letter was seen by several persons in Edinburgh on the day of -its arrival. - -The two following cases seem rather to belong to what is called, in the -east, _second hearing_,—although sympathy was probably the exciting -cause of the phenomena. A lady and gentleman in Berwickshire were -awakened one night by a loud cry, which they both immediately recognised -to proceed from the voice of their son, who was then absent and at a -considerable distance. Tidings subsequently reached them, that exactly -at that period their son had fallen overboard and was drowned. On -another occasion, in Perthshire, a person aroused her husband one night, -saying that their son was drowned, for she had been awakened by the -splash. Her presentiment also proved too well founded, the young man -having fallen from the mast-head of the ship. In both cases, we may -naturally conclude that the thoughts of the young men, at the moment of -the accident, would rush homeward; and, admitting Dr. Ennemoser’s theory -of polarity, the passive sleepers became the recipients of the force. I -confess, however, that the opinions of another section of philosophers -appear to me to be more germain to the matter; although, to many -persons, they will doubtless be difficult of acceptance, from their -appertaining to those views commonly called mystical. - -These psychologists then believe, as did Socrates and Plato, and others -of the ancients, that in certain conditions of the body, which -conditions may arise naturally, or be produced artificially, the links -which unite it with the spirit may be more or less loosened; and that -the latter may thus be temporarily disjoined from the former, and so -enjoy a foretaste of its future destiny. In the lowest or first degree -of this disunion, we are awake, though scarcely conscious, while the -imagination is vivified to an extraordinary amount, and our fancy -supplies images almost as lively as the realities. This probably is the -temporary condition of inspired poets and eminent discoverers. - -Sleep is considered another stage of this disjunction; and the question -has ever been raised whether, when the body is in profound sleep, the -spirit is not altogether free and living in another world, while the -organic life proceeds as usual, and sustains the temple till the return -of its inhabitant. Without at present attempting to support or refute -this doctrine, I will only observe, that once admitting the possibility -of the disunion, all consideration of _time_ must be set aside as -irrelevant to the question; for spirit, freed from matter, must move -with the rapidity of thought;—in short, _a spirit must be where its -thoughts and affections are_. - -It is the opinion of these psychologists, however, that in the normal -and healthy condition of man, the union of body, soul, and spirit, is -most complete, and that all the degrees of disunion in the waking state -are degrees of morbid derangement. Hence it is that somnambulists and -clairvoyants are chiefly to be found among sickly women. There have been -persons who have appeared to possess a power which they could exert at -will, whereby they withdrew from their bodies, these remaining during -the absence of the spirit in a state of catalepsy, scarcely if at all to -be distinguished from death. - -I say _withdrew from their bodies_, assuming that to be the explanation -of the mystery; for, of course, it is but an assumption. Epimenides is -recorded to have possessed this faculty; and Hermotinus, of Clazomenes, -is said to have wandered, in spirit, over the world, while his body lay -apparently dead. At length his wife, taking advantage of this absence of -his soul, burned his body and thus intercepted its return: so say Lucien -and Pliny the elder;—and Varro relates, that the eldest of two -brothers, named Corfidius, being supposed to die, his will was opened -and preparations were made for his funeral by the other brother, who was -declared his heir. In the meantime, however, Corfidius revived, and told -the astonished attendants, whom he summoned by clapping his hands, that -he had just come from his younger brother, who had committed his -daughter to his care, and informed him where he had buried some gold, -requesting that the funeral preparations he had made might be converted -to his own use. Immediately afterward, the news arrived that the younger -brother was unexpectedly deceased, and the gold was found at the place -indicated. The last appears to have been a case of natural trance; but -the two most remarkable instances of voluntary trance I have met with in -modern times is that of Colonel Townshend, and the dervish who allowed -himself to be buried. With regard to the former, he could, to all -appearance, die whenever he pleased; his heart ceased to beat; there was -no perceptible respiration; and his whole frame became cold and rigid as -death itself; the features being shrunk and colorless, and the eyes -glazed and ghastly. He would continue in this state for several hours -and then gradually revive; but the revival does not appear to have been -an effort of will—or rather, we are not informed whether it was so or -not. Neither are we told whether he brought any recollections back with -him, nor how this strange faculty was first developed or discovered—all -very important points, and well worthy of investigation.[2] - -With respect to the dervish, or fakeer, an account of his singular -faculty was, I believe, first presented to the public in the Calcutta -papers about nine or ten years ago. He had then frequently exhibited it -for the satisfaction of the natives; but subsequently he was put to the -proof by some of the European officers and residents. Captain Wade, -political agent at Loodhiana, was present when he was disinterred, ten -months after he had been buried by General Ventura, in presence of the -maharajah and many of his principal sirdars. - -It appears that the man previously prepared himself by some processes, -which, he says, temporarily annihilate the powers of digestion, so that -milk received into the stomach undergoes no change. He next forces all -the breath in his body into his brain, which becomes very hot, upon -which the lungs collapse, and the heart ceases to beat. He then stops -up, with wax, every aperture of the body through which air could enter, -except the mouth, but the tongue is so turned back as to close the -gullet, upon which a state of insensibility ensues. He is then stripped -and put into a linen bag; and, on the occasion in question, this bag was -sealed with Runjeet Sing’s own seal. It was then placed in a deal box, -which was also locked and sealed, and the box being buried in a vault, -the earth was thrown over it and trod down, after which a crop of barley -was sown on the spot, and sentries placed to watch it. The maharajah, -however, was so skeptical, that, in spite of all these precautions, he -had him, twice in the course of the ten months, dug up and examined, and -each time he was found to be exactly in the same state as when they had -shut him up. - -When he is disinterred, the first step toward his recovery is to turn -back his tongue, which is found quite stiff, and requires for some time -to be retained in its proper position by the finger; warm water is -poured upon him, and his eyes and lips moistened with ghee, or oil. His -recovery is much more rapid than might be expected, and he is soon able -to recognise the bystanders, and converse. He says, that, during this -state of trance, his dreams are ravishing, and that it is very painful -to be awakened; but I do not know that he has ever disclosed any of his -experiences. His only apprehension seems to be, lest he should be -attacked by insects, to avoid which accident the box is slung to the -ceiling. The interval seems to be passed in a complete state of -hibernation; and when he is taken up, no pulse is perceptible, and his -eyes are glazed like those of a corpse. - -He subsequently refused to submit to the conditions proposed by some -English officers, and thus incurred their suspicions, that the whole -thing was an imposition; but the experiment has been too often repeated -by people very well capable of judging, and under too stringent -precautions, to allow of this mode of escaping the difficulty. The man -assumes to be _holy_, and is very probably a worthless fellow, but that -does not affect the question one way or the other. Indian princes do not -permit themselves to be imposed on with impunity; and, as Runjeet Sing -would not value the man’s life at a pin’s point, he would neglect no -means of debarring him all access to food or air. - -In the above-quoted cases, except in those of Corfidius and Hermotinus, -the absence of the spirit is alone suggested to the spectator by the -condition of the body; since the memory of one state does not appear to -have been carried into the other—if the spirit wandered into other -regions it brings no tidings back; but we have many cases recorded where -this deficient evidence seems to be supplied. The magicians and -soothsayers of the northern countries, by narcotics, and other means, -produce a cataleptic state of the body, resembling death, when their -prophetic faculty is to be exercised; and although we know that an alloy -of imposition is generally mixed up with these exhibitions, still it is -past a doubt, that a state of what we call clear-seeing is thus induced; -and that on awaking, they bring tidings from various parts of the world -of actions then performing and events occurring, which subsequent -investigations have verified. - -One of the most remarkable cases of this kind, is that recorded by Jung -Stilling, of a man, who about the year 1740, resided in the neighborhood -of Philadelphia, in the United States. His habits were retired, and he -spoke little; he was grave, benevolent, and pious, and nothing was known -against his character, except that he had the reputation of possessing -some secrets that were not altogether _lawful_. Many extraordinary -stories were told of him, and among the rest, the following: The wife of -a ship-captain, whose husband was on a voyage to Europe and Africa, and -from whom she had been long without tidings, overwhelmed with anxiety -for his safety, was induced to address herself to this person. Having -listened to her story, he begged her to excuse him for awhile, when he -would bring her the intelligence she required. He then passed into an -inner room, and she sat herself down to wait; but his absence continuing -longer than she expected, she became impatient, thinking he had -forgotten her; and so softly approaching the door, she peeped through -some aperture, and to her surprise, beheld him lying on a sofa, as -motionless as if he was dead. She of course, did not think it advisable -to disturb him, but waited his return, when he told her that her husband -had not been able to write to her for such and such reasons; but that he -was then in a coffeehouse in London, and would shortly be home again. -Accordingly, he arrived, and as the lady learned from him that the -causes of his unusual silence had been precisely those alleged by the -man, she felt extremely desirous of ascertaining the truth of the rest -of the information; and in this she was gratified; for he no sooner set -his eyes on the magician than he said that he had seen him before, on a -certain day, in a coffeehouse in London; and that he had told him his -wife was extremely uneasy about him; and that he, the captain, had -thereon mentioned how he had been prevented writing; adding that he was -on the eve of embarking for America. He had then lost sight of the -stranger among the throng, and knew nothing more about him. - -I have no authority for this story, but that of Jung Stilling; and if it -stood alone, it might appear very incredible; but it is supported by so -many parallel examples of information given by people in somnambulic -states, that we are not entitled to reject it on the score of -impossibility. - -The late Mr. John Holloway, of the bank of England, brother to the -engraver of that name, related of himself that being one night in bed -with his wife and unable to sleep, he had fixed his eyes and thoughts -with uncommon intensity on a beautiful star that was shining in at the -window, when he suddenly found his spirit released from his body and -soaring into that bright sphere. But, instantly seized with anxiety for -the anguish of his wife, if she discovered his body apparently dead -beside her, he returned, and re-entered it with _difficulty_ (hence, -perhaps, the violent convulsions with which some somnambules of the -highest order are awakened). He described that returning, was returning -to darkness; and that while the spirit was free, he was _alternately in -the light or the dark, accordingly as his thoughts were with his wife or -with the star_. He said that he always avoided anything that could -produce a repetition of this accident, the consequences of it being very -distressing. - -We know that by intense contemplation of this sort, the dervishes -produce a state of ecstasy, in which they pretend to be transported to -other spheres; and not only the seeress of Prevorst, but many other -persons in a highly magnetic state, have asserted the same thing of -themselves; and certainly the singular conformity of the intelligence -they bring is not a little remarkable. - -Dr. Kerner relates of his somnambule, Frederica Hauffe, that one day, at -Weinsberg, she exclaimed in her sleep, “Oh! God!” She immediately awoke, -as if aroused by the exclamation, and said that she seemed to have heard -two voices proceeding from herself. At this time her father was lying -dead in his coffin, at Oberstenfeld, and Dr. Fohr, the physician, who -had attended him in his illness, was sitting with another person in an -adjoining room, with the door open, when he heard the exclamation “Oh, -God!” so distinctly, that, feeling certain there was nobody there, he -hastened to the coffin, whence the sound had appeared to proceed, -thinking that Mr. W——’s death had only been apparent, and that he was -reviving. The other person, who was an uncle of Frederica, had heard -nothing. No person was discovered from whom the exclamation could have -proceeded, and the circumstance remained a mystery till an explanation -ensued. Plutarch relates, that a certain man, called Thespesius, having -fallen from a great height, was taken up apparently dead from the shock, -although no external wound was to be discovered. On the third day after -the accident, however, when they were about to bury him, he unexpectedly -revived; and it was afterward observed, to the surprise of all who knew -him, that, from being a vicious reprobate, he became one of the most -virtuous of men. On being interrogated with respect to the cause of the -change, he related that, during the period of his bodily insensibility, -it appeared to him that he was dead, and that he had been first plunged -into the depths of an ocean, out of which however, he soon emerged, and -then, at one view, the whole of space was disclosed to him. Everything -appeared in a different aspect, and the dimensions of the planetary -bodies, and the intervals between them, were tremendous, while his -spirit seemed to float in a sea of light, like a ship in calm waters. He -also described many other things that he had seen. He said that the -souls of the dead, on quitting the body, appeared like a bubble of -light, out of which a human form was quickly evolved. That of these, -some shot away at once in a direct line, with great rapidity, while -others, on the contrary, seemed unable to find their due course, and -continued to hover about, going hither and thither, till at length they -also darted away in one direction or another. He recognised few of these -persons he saw, but those whom he did, and sought to address, appeared -as if they were stunned and amazed, and avoided him with terror. Their -voices were indistinct, and seemed to be uttering vague lamentings. -There were others, also, who floated farther from the earth, who looked -bright, and were gracious; these avoided the approach of the last. In -short, the demeanor and appearance of these spirits manifested clearly -their degrees of joy or grief. Thespesius was then informed by one of -them, that he was not dead, but that he had been permitted to come there -by a Divine decree, and that his soul, which was yet attached to his -body, as by an anchor, would return to it again. Thespesius then -observed that he was different to the dead by whom he was surrounded, -and this observation seemed to restore him to his recollection. They -were transparent, and environed by a radiance, but he seemed to trail -after him a dark ray, or line of shadow. These spirits also presented -very different aspects; some were entirely pervaded by a mild, clear -radiance, like that of the full moon; through others there appeared -faint streaks, that diminished this splendor; while others, on the -contrary, were distinguished by spots, or stripes of black, or of a dark -color, like the marks on the skin of a viper. - -There is a circumstance which I can not help here mentioning in -connection with this history of Thespesius, which on first reading -struck me very forcibly. - -About three years ago, I had several opportunities of seeing two young -girls, then under the care of a Mr. A——, of Edinburgh, who hoped, -chiefly by means of magnetism, to restore them to sight. One was a -maid-servant afflicted with amaurosis, whom he had taken into his house -from a charitable desire to be of use to her; the other, who had been -blind from her childhood, was a young lady in better circumstances, the -daughter of respectable tradespeople in the north of England. The girl -with amaurosis was restored to sight, and the other was so far benefited -that she could distinguish houses, trees, carriages, &c., and at length, -though obscurely, the features of a person near her. At this period of -the curé she was, unhappily, removed, and may possibly have relapsed -into her former state. My reason, however, for alluding to these young -women on this occasion is, that they were in the habit of saying, when -in the magnetic state—for they were both, more or less, -_clairvoyantes_—that the people whom Dr. A—— was magnetizing, in the -same room, presented very different appearances. Some of them they -described as looking bright, while others were, in different degrees, -streaked with black. - -One or two they mentioned over whom there seemed to hang a sort of -cloud, like a ragged veil of darkness. They also said, though this was -before any tidings of Baron von Reichenbach’s discoveries had reached -this country, that they saw light streaming from the fingers of Mr. -A—— when he magnetized them; and that sometimes his whole person -seemed to them radiant. Now, I am positively certain that neither Mr. -A—— nor these girls had ever heard of this story of Thespesius; -neither had I, at that time; and I confess, when I did meet with it I -was a good deal struck by the coincidence. These young people said that -it was the “goodness or badness,” meaning the moral state, of the -persons that was thus indicated. Now, surely, this concurrence between -the man mentioned by Plutarch, and these two girls—one of whom had no -education whatever, and the other very little—is worthy of some regard. - -I once asked a young person in a highly clairvoyant state, whether she -ever “saw the spirits of them that had passed away;” for so _she_ -designated the dead, never using the word _death_ herself, in any of its -forms. She answered me that she did. - -“Then where are they?” I inquired. - -“Some are waiting, and some are gone on before.” - -“Can you speak to them?” I asked. - -“No,” she replied, “there is no meddling nor direction.” - -In her waking state she would have been quite incapable of these -answers; and that “some are waiting and some gone on before,” seems to -be much in accordance with the vision of Thespesius. - -Dr. Passavent mentions a peasant-boy who, after a short but painful -illness, apparently died, his body being perfectly stiff. He, however, -revived, complaining bitterly of being called back to life. He said he -had been in a delightful place, and seen his deceased relations. There -was a great exaltation of the faculties after this; and having been -before rather stupid, he now, while his body lay stiff and immoveable -and his eyes closed, prayed and discoursed with eloquence. He continued -in this state for seven weeks, but finally recovered. - -In the year 1733, Johann Schwerzeger fell into a similar state of -trance, after an illness, but revived. He said he had seen his whole -life, and every sin he had committed, even those he had quite -forgotten—everything had been as present to him as when it happened. He -also lamented being recalled from the happiness he was about to enter -into; but said that he had only two days to spend in this valley of -tears, during which time he wished everybody that would, should come and -listen to what he had to tell them. His before sunken eyes now looked -bright, his face had the bloom of youth, and he discoursed so -eloquently, that the minister said they had exchanged offices, and the -sick man had become his teacher. He died at the time he had foretold. - -The most frightful cases of trance recorded are those in which the -patient retains entire consciousness, although utterly unable to exhibit -any evidence of life; and it is dreadful to think how many persons may -have been actually buried, hearing every nail that was screwed into -their own coffin, and as perfectly aware of the whole ceremony as those -who followed them to the grave. - -Dr. Binns mentions a girl, at Canton, who lay in this state, hearing -every word that was said around her, but utterly unable to move a -finger. She tried to cry out, but could not, and supposed that she was -really dead. The horror of finding herself about to be buried at length -caused a perspiration to appear on her skin, and she finally revived. -She described that she felt that her soul had no power to act upon her -body, and that it seemed to be _in her body and out of it, at the same -time_! - -Now, this is very much what the somnambulists say: their soul is out of -the body, but is still so far in rapport with it, that it does not leave -it entirely. Probably magnetism would be the best means of reviving a -person from this state. - -The custom of burying people before there are unmistakable signs of -death, is a very condemnable one. A Mr. M’G—— fell into a trance, some -few years since, and remained insensible for five days, his mother being -meanwhile quite shocked that the physician would not allow him to be -buried. He had afterward a recurrence of the malady, which continued -seven days. - -A Mr. S——, who had been some time out of the country, died, -apparently, two days after his return. As he had eaten of a pudding -which his stepmother had made for his dinner with her own hands, people -took into their heads she had poisoned him; and, the grave being opened -for purposes of investigation, the body was found lying on its face. - -One of the most frightful cases extant is that of Dr. Walker, of Dublin, -who had so strong a presentiment on this subject, that he had actually -written a treatise against the Irish customs of hasty burial. He himself -subsequently died, as was believed, of a fever. His decease took place -in the night, and on the following day he was interred. At this time, -Mrs. Bellamy, the once-celebrated actress, was in Ireland; and as she -had promised him, in the course of conversation, that she would take -care he should not be laid in the earth till unequivocal signs of -dissolution had appeared, she no sooner heard of what had happened than -she took measures to have the grave reopened; but it was, unfortunately, -too late; Dr. Walker had evidently revived, and had turned upon his -side; but life was now quite extinct. - -The case related by Lady Fanshawe, of her mother, is very remarkable, -from the confirmation furnished by the event of her death. “My mother, -being sick of a fever,” says Lady Fanshawe, in her memoirs, “her friends -and servants thought her deceased, and she lay in that state for two -days and a night; but Mr. Winslow, coming to comfort my father, went -into my mother’s room, and, looking earnestly in her face, said, ‘She -was so handsome, and looked so lovely, that he could not think her -dead;’ and, suddenly taking a lancet out of his pocket, he cut the sole -of her foot, which bled. Upon this, he immediately caused her to be -removed to the bed again, and to be rubbed, and such means used that she -came to life, and, opening her eyes, saw two of her kinswomen standing -by her (Lady Knollys and Lady Russell), both with great wide sleeves, as -the fashion then was; and she said, ‘Did you not promise me fifteen -years, and are you come again already?’—which they, not understanding, -bade her keep her spirits quiet in that great weakness wherein she was; -but, some hours after, she desired my father and Dr. Howlesworth might -be left alone with her, to whom she said: ‘I will acquaint you, that, -during my trance, I was in great grief, but in a place I could neither -distinguish nor describe; but the sense of leaving my girl, who is -dearer to me than all my children, remained a trouble upon my spirits. -Suddenly I saw two by me, clothed in long white garments, and methought -I fell down upon my face in the dust, and they asked me why I was so -troubled in so great happiness. I replied, “Oh, let me have the same -grant given to Hezekiah, that I may live fifteen years to see my -daughter a woman!”—to which they answered, “It is done!”—and then at -that instant I awoke out of my trance!’ And Dr. Howlesworth did affirm -that the day she died made just fifteen years from that time.” - -I have met with a somewhat similar case to this, which occurred to the -mother of a very respectable person now living in Edinburgh. She having -been ill, was supposed to be dead, and preparations were making for her -funeral, when one of her fingers was seen to move, and restoratives -being applied, she revived. As soon as she could speak, she said she had -been at the gates of heaven, where she saw some going in, but that they -told her she was not ready. Among those who had passed her, and been -admitted, she said _she had seen Mr. So-and-so, the baker_, and the -remarkable thing was, that during the time she had been in the trance, -this man had died. - -On the 10th of January, 1717, Mr. John Gardner, a minister, at Elgin, -fell into a trance, and, being to all appearance dead, he was put into a -coffin, and on the second day was carried to the grave. But, -fortunately, a noise being heard, the coffin was opened, and he was -found alive and taken home again, where, according to the record, “he -related many strange and amazing things which he had seen in the other -world.” - -Not to mention somnambules, there are numerous other cases recorded of -persons who have said, on awaking from a trance, that they had been in -the other world; though frequently the freed spirit—supposing that to -be the interpretation of the mystery—seems busied with the affairs of -the earth, and brings tidings from distant places, as in the case of the -American above mentioned. Perhaps, in these latter cases, the disunion -is less complete. Dr. Werner relates of his somnambule, that it was -after those attacks of catalepsy, in which her body had lain stiff and -cold, that she used to say she had been wandering away through other -spheres. Where the catalepsy is spontaneous and involuntary, and -resembles death so nearly as not to be distinguished from it, we may -naturally conclude, if we admit this hypothesis at all, that the seeing -of the spirit would be clear in proportion to its disentanglement from -the flesh. - -I have spoken above of dream compelling or suggesting, and I have heard -of persons who have a power of directing their own dreams to any -particular subject. - -This faculty may be in some degree analogous to that of the American, -and a few somnambulic persons, who appear to carry the recollections of -one state into the other. The effects produced by the witch-potions seem -to have been somewhat similar, inasmuch as they dreamed what they wished -or expected to dream. Jung Stilling mentions that a woman gave in -evidence, on a witch-trial, that having visited the so-called witch, she -had found her concocting a potion over the fire, of which she had -advised her (the visiter) to drink, assuring her that she would then -accompany her to the Sâbbath. The woman said, lest she should give -offence, she had put the vessel to her lips, but had not drunk of it. -The witch, however, swallowed the whole, and immediately afterward sunk -down upon the hearth in a profound sleep, where she had left her. When -she went to see her on the following day, she declared she had been to -the Brocken. - -Paolo Minucci relates that a woman accused of sorcery, being brought -before a certain magistrate at Florence, she not only confessed her -guilt, but she declared that, provided they would let her return home -and anoint herself, she would attend the Sâbbath that very night. The -magistrate, a man more enlightened than the generality of his -contemporaries, consented. The woman went home, used her unguent, and -fell immediately into a profound sleep; whereupon they tied her to the -bed, and tested the reality of the sleep by burns, blows, and pricking -her with sharp instruments. When she awoke on the following day, she -related that she had attended the Sâbbath. - -I could quote several similar facts; and Gassendi actually endeavored to -undeceive some peasants who believed themselves witches, by composing an -ointment that produced the same effects as their own magical -applications. - -In the year 1545, André Laguna, physician to Pope Julius III., anointed -a patient of his, who was suffering from frenzy and sleeplessness, with -an unguent found in the house of a sorcerer, who had been arrested. The -patient slept for thirty-six hours consecutively, and when, with much -difficulty, she was awakened, she complained that they had torn her from -the most ravishing delights—delights which seem to have rivalled the -heaven of the Mohammedan. According to Llorente, the women who were -dedicated to the service of the mother of the gods, heard continually -the sounds of flutes and tambourines, beheld the joyous dances of the -fauns and satyrs, and tasted of intoxicating pleasures, doubtless from a -similar cause. - -It is difficult to imagine that all the unfortunate wretches who -suffered death at the stake in the middle ages, for having attended the -unholy assemblies they described, had no faith in their own stories; -yet, in spite of the unwearied vigilance of public authorities and -private malignity, no such assemblage was ever detected. How, then, are -we to account for the pertinacity of their confessions, but by supposing -them the victims of some extraordinary delusion? In a paper addressed to -the Inquisition, by Llorente, he does not scruple to assert that the -crimes imputed to and confessed by witches have most frequently no -existence but in their dreams, and that their dreams are produced by the -drugs with which they anointed themselves. - -The recipes for these compositions, which had descended traditionally -from age to age, have been lost since witchcraft went out of fashion, -and modern science has no time to investigate secrets which appear to be -more curious than profitable; but in the profound sleep produced by -these applications, it is not easy to say what phenomena may have -occurred to justify, or, at least, account for, their self-accusations. - ------ - -[1] This very curious work I have translated from the German. Published -by Moore, London.—C. C. Also republished in this country.—AM. ED. - -[2] Since the above was penned, I find from the account of Dr. Cheyne, -who attended him, that Colonel Townshend’s own way of describing the -phenomenon to which he was subject, was, that he “could die, or expire, -when he pleased; and yet, by an effort or _somehow_, he could come to -life again.” He performed the experiment in the presence of three -medical men, one of whom kept his hand on his heart, another held his -wrist, and the third placed a looking-glass before his lips; and they -found that all traces of respiration and pulsation gradually ceased, -insomuch that, after consulting about his condition for some time, they -were leaving the room, persuaded that he was really dead, when signs of -life appeared and he slowly revived. He did not die while repeating this -experiment, as has been sometimes stated. - -This reviving “by an effort or somehow,” seems to be better explained by -the hypothesis I have suggested, than by any other—namely, that, as in -the case of Mr. Holloway (mentioned on page 120), his spirit, or soul, -was released from his body, but a sufficient _rapport_ was maintained to -reunite them. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - - WRAITHS. - -SUCH instances as that of Lady Fanshawe, and other similar ones, -certainly seem to favor the hypothesis that the spirit is freed from the -body when the latter becomes no longer a fit habitation for it. It does -so when actual death supervenes, and the reason of its departure we may -naturally conclude to be, that the body has ceased to be available for -its manifestations; and in these cases, which seem so nearly allied to -death, that frequently there would actually be no revival but for the -exertions used, it does not seem very difficult to conceive that this -separation may take place. When we are standing by a death-bed, all we -see is the death of the body—of the going forth of the spirit we see -nothing: so, in cases of apparent death, it may depart and return, while -we are aware of nothing but the reanimation of the organism. Certain it -is, that the Scriptures countenance this view of the case in several -instances; thus, Luke says, viii. 34: “And he put them all out, and took -her by the hand, and called, saying, ‘Maid, arise!’ And her spirit came -again, and she arose straightway,” &c., &c. - -Dr. Wigan observes, when speaking of the effects of temporary pressure -on the brain, that the mind is not annihilated, because, if the pressure -is timely removed, it is restored, though, if continued too long, the -body will be resolved into its primary elements: and he compares the -human organism to a watch, which we can either stop or set going at -will—which watch, he says, will also be gradually resolved into its -original elements by chemical action; and he adds that, to ask where the -mind is, during the interruption, is like asking where the motion of the -watch is. I think a wind-instrument would be a better simile, for the -motion of the watch is purely mechanical. It requires no informing, -intelligent spirit to breathe into its apertures, and make it the -vehicle of the harshest discords, or of the most eloquent discourses. -“The divinely mysterious essence, which we call the soul,” he adds, “is -not, then, the mind, from which it must be carefully distinguished, if -we would hope to make any progress in mental philosophy. Where the soul -resides during the suspension of the mental powers by asphyxia, I know -not, any more than I know where it resided before it was united with -that specific compound of bones, muscles, and nerve.” - -By a temporary pressure on the brain, the mind is certainly not -annihilated, but its manifestations by means of the brain are -suspended—the source of these manifestations being the soul, or anima, -in which dwells the life, fitting the temple for its divine inhabitant, -the spirit. The connection of the soul and the body is probably a much -more intimate one than that of the latter with the spirit,—though the -soul, as well as the spirit, is immortal, and survives when the body -dies. Somnambulic persons seem to intimate that the soul of the fleshly -body becomes hereafter the body of the spirit, as if the _imago_ or -_idolon_ were the soul. - -Dr. Wigan and indeed psychologists in general do not appear to recognise -the old distinction between the pneuma, or anima, and the psyches—the -soul and the spirit; and, indeed, the Scriptures occasionally seem to -use the terms indifferently. But still there are passages enough which -mark the distinction; as where St. Paul speaks of a “living soul and a -quickening spirit:” 1 Cor. xv. 45;—again, 1 Thess. v. 23: “I pray God -your whole spirit, and soul, and body,” &c.;—and also Heb. iv. 12, -where he speaks of the sword of God “dividing asunder the soul and -spirit.” In Genesis, chap. ii., we are told that “man became a living -soul;” but it is distinctly said, 1 Cor. xii., that the gifts of -prophecy, the discerning of spirits, &c., &c., belong to the spirit. -Then, with regard to the possibility of the spirit absenting itself from -the body, St. Paul says, in referring to his own vision—2 Cor. xii.—“I -knew a man in Christ, about fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I -can not tell; or out of the body, I can not tell: God knoweth); such a -one caught up to the third heaven:” and we are told, also, that to be -“absent from the body is to be present with the Lord;” and that when we -are “at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.” We are told, -also, “the spirit returns to God, who gave it;” but it depends on -ourselves whether or not our souls shall perish. We must suppose, -however, that even in the worst cases, some remnant of this divine -spirit remains with the soul as long as the latter is not utterly -perverted and rendered incapable of salvation. - -St. John also says, that when he prophesied, he was in the _spirit;_ but -it was the “_souls of the slain_” that he saw, and that “cried with a -loud voice,” &c., &c.; _souls_, here, being probably used in the sense -of individuals,—as we say, so many “souls perished by shipwreck,” &c. - -In the _Revue de Paris_, 29th July, 1838, it is related that a child -_saw_ the soul of a woman, who was lying insensible in a magnetic crisis -in which death nearly ensued, depart out of her; and I find recorded in -another work that a somnambule, who was brought to give advice to a -patient, said: “It is too late—her soul is leaving her: I see the vital -flame quitting her brain.” - -From some of the cases I have above related, we are led to the -conclusion that in certain conditions of the body, the spirit, in a -manner unknown to us, resumes a portion of its freedom, and is enabled -to exercise more or less of its inherent properties. It is somewhat -released from those inexorable conditions of time and space which bound -and limit its powers, while in close connection with matter, and it -communes with other spirits who are also liberated. How far this -liberation (if such it be), or reintegration of natural attributes, may -take place in ordinary sleep, we can only conclude from examples. In -prophetic dreams, and in those instances of information apparently -received from the dead, this condition seems to occur; as also in such -cases as that of the gentleman mentioned in a former chapter, who has -several times been conscious, on awaking, that he had been conversing -with some one, whom he has been subsequently startled to hear had died -at that period, and this is a man apparently in excellent health, -endowed with a vigorous understanding, and immersed in active business. - -In the story of the American, quoted in a former chapter from Jung -Stilling, there was one point which I forebore to comment on at the -moment, but to which I must now revert: this is the assertion that the -voyager had seen the man, and even conversed with him, in the -coffeehouse in London whence the desired intelligence was brought. Now, -this single case, standing alone, would amount to nothing, although Jung -Stilling, who was one of the most conscientious of men, declares himself -to have been quite satisfied with the authority on which he relates it; -but, strange to say—for undoubtedly the thing is very strange—there -are numerous similar instances recorded; and it seems to have been -believed in all ages of the world, that people were sometimes seen where -bodily they were not—seen, not by sleepers alone, but by persons in a -perfect state of vigilance; and that this phenomenon, though more -frequently occurring at the moment that the individual seen is at the -point of death, does occasionally occur at indefinite periods anterior -to the catastrophe, and sometimes where no such catastrophe is -impending. In some of these cases, an earnest desire seems to be the -cause of the phenomenon. It is not very long since a very estimable -lady, who was dying in the Mediterranean, expressed herself perfectly -ready to meet death, if she could but once more behold her children, who -were in England. She soon afterward fell into a comatose state, and the -persons surrounding her were doubtful whether she had not already -breathed her last; at all events, they did not expect her to revive. She -did so, however, and now cheerfully announced that, having seen her -children, she was ready to depart. During the interval that she lay in -this state, her family saw her in England, and were thus aware of her -death before the intelligence reached them. As it is a subject, I -understand, they are unwilling to speak of, I do not know precisely -under what circumstances she was seen;—but this is an exactly analogous -case to that already recorded of Maria Goffe, of Rochester, who, when -dying away from home, expressed precisely the same feelings. She said -she could not die happy till she had seen her children. By-and-by she -fell into a state of coma, which left them uncertain whether she was -dead or alive. Her eyes were open and fixed, her jaw fallen, and there -was no perceptible respiration. When she revived, she told her mother, -who attended her, that she had been home and seen her children; which -the other said was impossible, since she had been lying there in bed the -whole time. “Yes,” replied the dying woman, “but I was there in my -sleep.” A widow woman, called Alexander, who had the care of these -children, declared herself ready to take oath upon the sacrament, that, -during this period, she had seen the form of Maria Goffe come out of the -room where the oldest child slept, and approach the bed where she -herself lay with the younger beside her. The figure had stood there -nearly a quarter of an hour, as far as she could judge; and she remarked -that the eyes and the mouth moved, though she heard no sound. She -declared herself to have been perfectly awake, and that, as it was the -longest night in the year, it was quite light. She sat up in bed, and -while she was looking on the figure the clock on the bridge struck two. -She then adjured the form in the name of God, whereupon it moved. She -immediately arose and followed it, but could not tell what had become of -it. She then became alarmed, and throwing on her clothes, went out and -walked on the quay, returning to the house ever and anon to look at the -children. At five o’clock she knocked at a neighbor’s door, but they -would not let her in. At six she knocked again and was then admitted, -and related to them what she had seen, which they, of course, endeavored -to persuade her was a dream or an illusion. She declared herself, -however, to have been perfectly awake, and said that if she had ever -seen Maria Goffe in her life she had seen her that night. - -The following story has been currently related in Rome, and is already -in print. I take it from a German work, and I do not know how far its -authenticity can be established. It is to the effect that two friends -having agreed to attend confession together, one of them went at the -appointed time to the Abbate B——, and made his confession; after which -the priest commenced the usual admonition, in the midst of which he -suddenly ceased speaking. After waiting a short time, the penitent -stepped forward and perceived him lying in the confessional in a state -of insensibility. Aid was summoned and means used to restore him, which -were for some time ineffectual; at length, when he opened his eyes, he -bade the penitent recite a prayer for his friend, who had just expired. -This proved to be the case, on inquiry; and when the young man, who had -naturally hastened to his friend’s house, expressed a hope that he had -not died without the last offices of the church, he was told in -amazement, that the Abbate B—— had arrived just as he was in -_extremis_, and had remained with him till he died. - -These appearances seem to have taken place when the corporeal condition -of the person seen elsewhere, permits us to conceive the possibility of -the spirit’s having withdrawn from the body; but the question then -naturally arises, what is it that was seen; and I confess, that of all -the difficulties that surround the subject, I have undertaken to treat -of, this seems to me the greatest; for we can not suppose that a spirit -can be visible to the human eye, and both in the above instances and -several others I have to narrate, there is nothing that can lead us to -the conclusion, that the persons who saw the wraith or double, were in -any other than a normal state; the figure, in short, seems to have been -perceived through their external organs of sense. Before I discuss this -question, however, any further, I will relate some instances of a -similar kind, only with this difference, that the wraith appearing as -nearly as could be ascertained at the moment of death, it remains -uncertain whether it was seen before or after the dissolution had taken -place. As in both these cases above related and those that follow, the -material body was visible in one place, while the wraith was visible in -another, they appear to be strictly analogous; especially, as in both -class of examples, the body itself was either dead or in a state that -closely resembled death. - -Instances of people being seen at a distance from the spot on which they -are dying, are so numerous, that in this department I have positively an -_embarras de richesse_, and find it difficult to make a selection; more -especially as there is in each case little to relate, the whole -phenomenon being comprised in the fact of the form being observed and -the chief variations consisting in this, that the seer, or seers, -frequently entertain no suspicion that what they have seen is any other -than a form of flesh and blood; while on other occasions the assurance -that the person is far away, or some peculiarity connected with the -appearance itself, produces the immediate conviction that the shape is -not corporeal. - -Mrs. K——, the sister of Provost B——, of Aberdeen, was sitting one -day with her husband, Dr. K——, in the parlor of the manse, when she -suddenly said, “Oh! there’s my brother come! he has just passed the -window,” and, followed by her husband, she hastened to the door to meet -the visiter. He was however not there. “He is gone round to the back -door,” said she; and thither they went; but neither was he there, nor -had the servants seen anything of him. Dr. K—— said she must be -mistaken, but she laughed at the idea; her brother had passed the window -and looked in; he must have gone somewhere, and would doubtless be back -directly. But he came not; and the intelligence shortly arrived from St. -Andrew’s, that at that precise time, as nearly as they could compare -circumstances, he had died quite suddenly at his own place of residence. -I have heard this story from connections of the family, and also from an -eminent professor of Glasgow, who told me that he had once asked Dr. -K——, whether he believed in these appearances. “I can not choose but -believe,” returned Dr. K——, and then he accounted for his conviction -by narrating the above particulars. - -Lord and Lady M—— were residing on their estate in Ireland: Lord M—— -had gone out shooting in the morning, and was not expected to return -till toward dinner-time. In the course of the afternoon, Lady M—— and -a friend were walking on the terrace that forms a promenade in front of -the castle, when she said, “Oh, there is M—— returning!” whereupon she -called to him to join them. He, however, took no notice, but walked on -before them, till they saw him enter the house, whither they followed -him;—but he was not to be found: and before they had recovered their -surprise at his sudden disappearance, he was brought home dead, having -been killed by his own gun. It is a curious fact, in this case, that -while the ladies were walking behind the figure on the terrace, Lady -M—— called the attention of her companion to the shooting-jacket, -observing that it was a convenient one, and that she had the credit of -having contrived it for him herself. - -A person in Edinburgh, busied about her daily work, saw a woman enter -her house, with whom she was on such ill terms that she could not but be -surprised at the visit; but while she was expecting an explanation, and -under the influence of her resentment avoiding to look at her, she found -she was gone. She remained quite unable to account for the visit, and, -as she said, “was wondering what had brought her there,” when she heard -that the woman had expired at that precise time. - -Madame O—— B—— was engaged to marry an officer who was with his -regiment in India; and, wishing to live in privacy till the union took -place, she retired to the country and boarded with some ladies of her -acquaintance, awaiting his return. She at length heard that he had -obtained an appointment, which, by improving his prospects, had removed -some difficulties out of the way of the marriage, and that he was -immediately coming home. A short time after the arrival of this -intelligence, this lady, and one of those with whom she was residing, -were walking over a bridge, when the friend said, alluding to an officer -she saw on the other side of the way, “What an extraordinary expression -of face!” But, without pausing to answer, Madame O—— B—— darted -across the road to meet the stranger—but he was gone: where? they could -not conceive. They ran to the toll-keepers at the ends of the bridge, to -inquire if they had observed such a person, but they had not. Alarmed -and perplexed—for it was her intended husband that she had seen—Madame -O—— B—— returned home; and in due time the packet which should have -brought himself, brought the sad tidings of his unexpected death. - -Madame O—— B—— never recovered the shock, and died herself of a -broken heart not long afterward. - -Mr. H——, an eminent artist, was walking arm in arm with a friend in -Edinburgh, when he suddenly left him, saying, “Oh, there’s my brother!” -He had seen him with the most entire distinctness; but was confounded by -losing sight of him, without being able to ascertain whither he had -vanished. News came, ere long, that at that precise period his brother -had died. - -Mrs. T——, sitting in her drawing-room, saw her nephew, then at -Cambridge, pass across the adjoining room. She started up to meet him, -and, not finding him, summoned the servants to ask where he was. They, -however, had not seen him, and declared he could not be there; while she -as positively declared he was. The young man had died at Cambridge quite -unexpectedly. - -A Scotch minister went to visit a friend who was dangerously ill. After -sitting with the invalid for some time, he left him to take some rest, -and went below. He had been reading in the library some little time, -when, on looking up, he saw the sick man standing at the door. “God -bless me!” he cried, starting up, “how can you be so imprudent?” The -figure disappeared; and, hastening up stairs, he found his friend had -expired. - -Three young men at Cambridge had been out hunting, and afterward dined -together in the apartments of one of them. After dinner, two of the -party, fatigued with their morning’s exercise, fell asleep, while the -third, a Mr. M——, remained awake. Presently the door opened, and a -gentleman entered and placed himself behind the sleeping owner of the -rooms, and, after standing there a minute, proceeded to the gyp-room—a -small inner chamber, from which there was no egress. Mr. M—— waited a -little while, expecting the stranger would come out again; but, as he -did not, he awoke his host, saying, “There’s somebody gone into your -room: I don’t know who it can be.” - -The young man rose and looked into the gyp-room; but, there being nobody -there, he naturally accused Mr. M—— of dreaming; but the other assured -him he had not been asleep. He then described the stranger—an elderly -man, &c., dressed like a country squire, with gaiters on, &c. “Why -that’s my father,” said the host, and he immediately made inquiry, -thinking it possible the old gentleman had slipped out unobserved by Mr. -M——. He was not, however, to be heard of; and the post shortly brought -a letter announcing that he had died at the time he had been seen in his -son’s chamber at Cambridge. - -Mr. C—— F—— and some young ladies, not long ago, were standing -together looking in at a shop window at Brighton,—when he suddenly -darted across the way, and they saw him hurrying along the street, -apparently in pursuit of somebody. After waiting a little while, as he -did not return, they went home without him; and, when he was come, they -of course arraigned him for his want of gallantry. - -“I beg your pardon,” said he; “but I saw an acquaintance of mine that -owes me money, and I wanted to get hold of him.” - -“And did you?” inquired the ladies. - -“No,” returned he; “I kept sight of him some time; but I suddenly missed -him—I can’t think how.” - -No more was thought of the matter; but, by the next morning’s post, Mr. -C—— F—— received a letter enclosing a draft, from the father of the -young man he had seen, saying that his son had just expired, and that -one of his last requests had been that he would pay Mr. C—— F—— the -money that he owed him. - -Two young ladies, staying at the Queen’s Ferry, arose one morning early -to bathe; as they descended the stairs, they each exclaimed: “There’s my -uncle!” They had seen him standing by the clock. He died at that time. - -Very lately, a gentleman living in Edinburgh, while sitting with his -wife, suddenly arose from his seat and advanced toward the door with his -hand extended, as if about to welcome a visiter. On his wife’s inquiring -what he was about, he answered that he had seen so-and-so enter the -room. She had seen nobody. A day or two afterward, the post brought a -letter announcing the death of the person seen. - -A regiment, not very long since, stationed at New Orleans, had a -temporary mess-room erected, at one end of which was a door for the -officers, and at the other, a door and a space railed off for the -messman. One day, two of the officers were playing at chess, or -draughts, one sitting with his face toward the centre of the room, the -other with his back to it. “Bless me! why, surely that is your brother!” -exclaimed the former to the latter, who looked eagerly round, his -brother being then, as he believed, in England. By this time the figure, -having passed the spot where the officers were sitting, presented only -his back to them. “No,” replied the second, “that is not my brother’s -regiment; that’s the uniform of the rifle-brigade. By heavens! it _is_ -my brother, though,” he added, starting up and eagerly pursuing the -stranger, who at that moment turned his head and looked at him, and -then, somehow, strangely disappeared among the people standing at the -messman’s end of the room. Supposing he had gone out that way, the -brother pursued him, but he was not to be found; neither had the -messman, nor anybody there, observed him. The young man died at that -time in England, having just exchanged into the rifle-brigade. - -I could fill pages with similar instances, not to mention those recorded -in other collections and in history. The case of Lord Balcarres is -perhaps worth alluding to, from its being so perfectly well established. -Nobody has ever disputed the truth of it, only they get out of the -difficulty by saying that it was a spectral illusion! Lord Balcarres was -in confinement in the castle of Edinburgh, under suspicion of -Jacobitism, when one morning, while lying in bed, the curtains were -drawn aside by his friend, Viscount Dundee, who looked upon him -steadfastly, leaned for some time on the mantel-piece, and then walked -out of the room. Lord Balcarres, not supposing that what he saw was a -spectre, called to Dundee to come back and speak to him, but he was -gone; and shortly afterward the news came that he had fallen about that -same hour at Killicranky. - -Finally, I have met with three instances of persons who are so much the -subjects of this phenomenon, that they see the wraiths of most people -that die belonging to them, and frequently of those who are merely -acquaintance. They see the person as if he were alive, and unless they -know him positively to be elsewhere, they have no suspicion but that it -is himself, in the flesh, that is before them, till the sudden -disappearance of the figure brings the conviction. Sometimes, as in the -case of Mr. C—— F——, above alluded to, no suspicion arises till the -news of the death arrives; and they mention, without reserve, that they -have met so and so, but he did not stop to speak, and so forth. - -On other occasions, however, the circumstances of the appearance are -such that the seer is instantly aware of its nature. In the first place, -the time and locality may produce the conviction. - -Mrs. J—— wakes her husband in the night, and tells him she has just -seen her father pass through the room—she being in the West Indies and -her father in England. He died that night. Lord T—— being at sea, on -his way to Calcutta, saw his wife enter his cabin. - -Mrs. Mac——, of Skye, went from Lynedale, where she resided, to pay a -visit in Perthshire. During her absence there was a ball given at -Lynedale, and when it was over, three young ladies, two of them her -daughters, assembled in their bed-room to talk over the evening’s -amusement. Suddenly, one of them cried, “O God! my mother.” They all saw -her pass across the room toward a chest of drawers, where she vanished. -They immediately told their friends what they had seen, and afterward -learned that the lady died that night. - -Lord M—— being from home, saw Lady M——, whom he had left two days -before, perfectly well, standing at the foot of his bed; aware of the -nature of the appearance, but wishing to satisfy himself that it was not -a mere spectral illusion, he called his servant, who slept in the -dressing-room, and said, “John, who’s that?” “It’s my lady!” replied the -man. Lady M—— had been seized with inflammation, and died after a few -hours’ illness. This circumstance awakened so much interest at the time, -that, as I am informed by one of the family, George the Third was not -satisfied without hearing the particulars from Lord M—— and from the -servant also. - -But, besides time and locality, there are very frequently other -circumstances accompanying the appearance, which not only show the form -to be spectral, but also make known to the seer the nature of the death -that has taken place. - -A lady, with whose family I am acquainted, had a son abroad. One night -she was lying in bed, with a door open which led into an adjoining room, -where there was a fire. She had not been asleep, when she saw her son -cross this adjoining room and approach the fire, over which he leaned, -as if very cold. She saw that he was shivering and dripping wet. She -immediately exclaimed, “That’s my G——!” The figure turned its face -round, looked at her sadly, and disappeared. That same night the young -man was drowned. - -Mr. P——, the American manager, in one of his voyages to England, being -in bed one night, between sleeping and waking, was disturbed by somebody -coming into his cabin, dripping with water. He concluded that the person -had fallen overboard, and asked him why he came there to disturb him, -when there were plenty of other places for him to go to. The man -muttered something indistinctly, and Mr. P—— then perceived that it -was his own brother. This roused him completely, and feeling quite -certain that somebody had been there, he got out of bed to feel if the -carpet was wet on the spot where his brother stood. It was not, however; -and when he questioned his shipmates, the following morning, they -assured him that nobody had been overboard, nor had anybody been in his -cabin. Upon this, he noted down the date and the particulars of the -event, and, on his arrival at Liverpool, sent the paper sealed to a -friend in London, desiring it might not be opened till he wrote again. -The Indian post, in due time, brought the intelligence that on that -night Mr. P——’s brother was drowned. - -A similar case to this is that of Captain Kidd, which Lord Byron used to -say he heard from the captain himself. He was one night awakened in his -hammock, by feeling something heavy lying upon him. He opened his eyes, -and saw, or thought he saw, by the indistinct light in the cabin, his -brother, in uniform, lying across the bed. Concluding that this was only -an illusion arising out of some foregone dream, he closed his eyes again -to sleep; but again he felt the weight, and there was the form still -lying across the bed. He now stretched out his hand, and felt the -uniform, which was quite wet. Alarmed, he called out for somebody to -come to him; and, as one of the officers entered, the figure -disappeared. He afterward learned that his brother was drowned on that -night in the Indian ocean. - -Ben Jonson told Drummond, of Hawthornden, that, being at Sir Robert -Cotton’s house, in the country, with old Cambden, he saw, in a vision, -his eldest son, then a child at London, appear to him with a mark of a -bloody cross on his forehead; at which, amazed, he prayed to God; and, -in the morning, mentioned the circumstance to Mr. Cambden, who persuaded -him it was fancy. In the meantime, came letters announcing that the boy -had died of the plague. The custom of indicating an infected house by a -red cross is here suggested, the cross apparently symbolizing the manner -of the death. - -Mr. S—— C——, a gentleman of fortune, had a son in India. One fine, -calm summer’s morning, in the year 1780, he and his wife were sitting at -breakfast, when she arose and went to the window; upon which, turning -his eyes in the same direction, he started up and followed her, saying, -“My dear, do you see that?”—“Surely,” she replied, “it is our son. Let -us go to him!” As she was very much agitated, however, he begged her to -sit down and recover herself; and when they looked again, the figure was -gone. The appearance was that of their son, precisely as they had last -seen him. They took note of the hour, and afterward learned that he had -died in India at that period. - -A lady, with whose family I am acquainted, was sitting with her son, -named Andrew, when she suddenly exclaimed that she had seen him pass the -window, in a white mantle. As the window was high from the ground, and -overhung a precipice, no one could have passed; else, she said, “Had -there been a path, and he not beside her at the moment, she should have -thought he had walked by on stilts.” Three days afterward, Andrew was -seized with a fever which he had caught from visiting some sick -neighbors, and expired after a short illness. - -In 1807, when several people were killed in consequence of a false alarm -of fire, at Sadler’s Wells, a woman named Price, in giving her evidence -at the inquest, said that her little girl had gone into the kitchen -about half-past ten o’clock, and was surprised to see her brother there, -whom she supposed to be at the theatre. She spoke to him, whereupon he -disappeared. The child immediately told her mother, who, alarmed, set -off to the theatre, and found the boy dead. - -In the year 1813, a young lady in Berlin, whose intended husband was -with the army at Dusseldorf, heard some one knock at the door of her -chamber, and her lover entered in a white _negligé_, stained with blood. -Thinking that this vision proceeded from some disorder in herself, she -arose and quitted the room, to call a servant; who not being at hand, -she returned, and found the figure there still. She now became much -alarmed, and having mentioned the circumstance to her father, inquiries -were made of some prisoners that were marching through the town, and it -was ascertained that the young man had been wounded, and carried to the -house of Dr. Ehrlick, in Leipsic, with great hopes of recovery. It -afterward proved, however, that he had died at that period, and that his -last thoughts were with her. This lady earnestly wished and prayed for -another such visit, but she never saw him again. - -In the same year, a woman in Bavaria, who had a brother with the army in -Russia, was one day at field-work, on the skirts of a forest, and -everything quiet around her, when she repeatedly felt herself hit by -small stones, though, on looking round, she could see nobody. At length, -supposing it was some jest, she threw down her implements, and stepped -into the wood whence they had proceeded, when she saw a headless figure, -in a soldier’s mantle, leaning against a tree. Afraid to approach, she -summoned some laborers from a neighboring field, who also saw it; but on -going up to it, it disappeared. The woman declared her conviction that -the circumstance indicated her brother’s death; and it was afterward -ascertained that he had, on that day, fallen in a trench. - -Some few years ago, a Mrs. H——, residing in Limerick, had a servant -whom she much esteemed, called Nelly Hanlon. Nelly was a very steady -person, who seldom asked for a holy-day, and consequently Mrs. H—— was -the less disposed to refuse her when she requested a day’s leave of -absence for the purpose of attending a fair that was to take place a few -miles off. The petition was therefore favorably heard; but when Mr. -H—— came home and was informed of Nelly’s proposed excursion, he said -she could not be spared, as he had invited some people to dinner for -that day, and he had nobody he could trust with the keys of the cellar -except Nelly, adding that it was not likely his business would allow him -to get home time enough to bring up the wine himself. - -Unwilling, however, after giving her consent, to disappoint the girl, -Mrs. H—— said that she would herself undertake the cellar department -on the day in question; so when the wished-for morning arrived, Nelly -departed in great spirits, having faithfully promised to return that -night, if possible, or, at the latest, the following morning. - -The day passed as usual, and nothing was thought about Nelly, till the -time arrived for fetching up the wine, when Mrs. H—— proceeded to the -cellar-stairs with the key, followed by a servant carrying a -bottle-basket. She had, however, scarcely begun to descend, when she -uttered a loud scream and dropped down in a state of insensibility. She -was carried up stairs and laid upon the bed, while, to the amazement of -the other servants, the girl who had accompanied her said that they had -seen Nelly Hanlon, dripping with water, standing at the bottom of the -stairs. Mr. H—— being sent for, or coming home at the moment, this -story was repeated to him, whereupon he reproved the woman for her -folly; and, proper restoratives being applied, Mrs. H—— at length -began to revive. As she opened her eyes, she heaved a deep sigh, saying, -“Oh, Nelly Hanlon!” and as soon as she was sufficiently recovered to -speak, she corroborated what the girl had said: she had seen Nelly at -the foot of the stairs, dripping as if she had just come out of the -water. Mr. H—— used his utmost efforts to persuade his wife out of -what he looked upon to be an illusion; but in vain. “Nelly,” said he, -“will come home by-and-by and laugh at you;” while she, on the contrary, -felt sure that Nelly was dead. - -The night came, and the morning came, but there was no Nelly. When two -or three days had passed, inquiries were made; and it was ascertained -that she had been seen at the fair, and started to return home in the -evening; but from that moment all traces of her were lost till her body -was ultimately found in the river. How she came by her death was never -known. - -Now, in most of these cases which I have above detailed, the person was -seen where his dying thoughts might naturally be supposed to have flown, -and the visit seems to have been made either immediately before or -immediately after the dissolution of the body: in either case, we may -imagine that the final parting of the spirit had taken place, even if -the organic life was not quite extinct. - -I have met with some cases in which we are not left in any doubt with -respect to the last wishes of the dying person. For example: a lady, -with whom I am acquainted, was on her way to India; when near the end of -her voyage, she was one night awakened by a rustling in her cabin, and a -consciousness that there was something hovering about her. She sat up, -and saw a bluish, cloudy form moving away; but persuading herself it -must be fancy, she addressed herself again to sleep; but as soon as she -lay down, she both heard and felt the same thing: it seemed to her as if -this cloudy form hung over and enveloped her. Overcome with horror, she -screamed. The cloud then moved away, assuming distinctly a human shape. -The people about her naturally persuaded her that she had been dreaming; -and she wished to think so; but when she arrived in India, the first -thing she heard was, that a very particular friend had come down to -Calcutta to be ready to receive her on her landing, but that he had been -taken ill and died, saying he only wished to live to see his old friend -once more. He had expired on the night she saw the shadowy form in her -room. - -A very frightful instance of this kind of phenomenon is related by Dr. -H. Werner, of Baron Emilius von O——. This young man had been sent to -prosecute his studies in Paris; but, forming some bad connections, he -became dissipated, and neglected them. His father’s counsels were -unheeded, and his letters remained unanswered. One day the young baron -was sitting alone on a seat, in the Bois de Boulogne, and had fallen -somewhat into a revery, when, on raising his eyes, he saw his father’s -form before him. Believing it to be a mere spectral illusion, he struck -at the shadow with his riding-whip, upon which it disappeared. The next -day brought him a letter, urging his return home instantly, if he wished -to see his parent alive. He went, but found the old man already in his -grave. The person who had been about him said that he had been quite -conscious, and had a great longing to see his son; he had, indeed, -exhibited one symptom of delirium, which was, that after expressing this -desire, he had suddenly exclaimed, “My God! he is striking at me with -his riding-whip!” and immediately expired. - -In this case, the condition of the dying man resembles that of a -somnambulist, in which the patient describes what he sees taking place -at a distance; and the archives of magnetism furnish some instances, -especially that of Auguste Müller, of Carlsruhe, in which, by the force -of will, the sleeper has not only been able to bring intelligence from a -distance, but also, like the American magician, to make himself visible. -The faculties of prophecy and clear or far seeing, frequently disclosed -by dying persons, is fully acknowledged by Dr. Abercrombie and other -physiologists. - -Mr. F—— saw a female relative, one night, by his bedside. Thinking it -was a trick of some one to frighten him, he struck at the figure; -whereon she said: “What have I done? I know I should have told it you -before.” This lady was dying at a distance, earnestly desiring to speak -to Mr. F—— before she departed. - -I will conclude this chapter with the following extract from “Lockhart’s -Life of Scott:”— - - “WALTER SCOTT _to_ DANIEL TERRY, _April 30, 1818._ (_The new - house at Abbotsford being then in progress,_ SCOTT _living in an - older part, close adjoining._) - - “‘.....The exposed state of my house has led to a mysterious - disturbance. The night before last we were awakened by a violent - noise, like drawing heavy boards along the new part of the - house. I fancied something had fallen, and thought no more about - it. This was about _two_ in the morning. Last night, at the same - witching hour, the very same noise occurred. Mrs. Scott, as you - know, is rather timbersome; so up I got, with Beardie’s - broadsword under my arm— - - “Bolt upright, - And ready to fight.” - - But nothing was out of order, neither can I discover what - occasioned the disturbance.’” - -Mr. Lockhart adds: “On the morning that Mr. Terry received the foregoing -letter, in London, Mr. William Erskine was breakfasting with him, and -the chief subject of their conversation was the sudden death of George -Bullock, which had occurred on the same night, and, as nearly as they -could ascertain, at the very hour when Scott was roused from his sleep -by the ‘mysterious disturbance’ here described. This coincidence, when -Scott received Erskine’s minute detail of what had happened in Tenterdon -street (that is, the death of Bullock, who had the charge of furnishing -the new rooms at Abbotsford), made a much stronger impression on his -mind than might be gathered from the tone of an ensuing communication.” - -It appears that Bullock had been at Abbotsford, and made himself a great -favorite with old and young. Scott, a week or two afterward, wrote thus -to Terry: “Were you not struck with the fantastical coincidence of our -nocturnal disturbances at Abbotsford, with the melancholy event that -followed? I protest to you, the noise resembled half a dozen men hard at -work, putting up boards and furniture; and nothing can be more certain -than that there was nobody on the premises at the time. With a few -additional touches, the story would figure in Glanville or Aubrey’s -collection. In the meantime, you may set it down with poor Dubisson’s -warnings, as a remarkable coincidence coming under your own -observation.” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - - DOPPELGÄNGERS, OR DOUBLES. - -IN the instances detailed in the last chapter, the apparition has shown -itself, as nearly as could be discovered, at the moment of dissolution; -but there are many cases in which the wraith is seen at an indefinite -period before or after the catastrophe. Of these I could quote a great -number; but as they generally resolve themselves into simply seeing a -person where they were not, and death ensuing very shortly afterward, a -few will suffice. - -There is a very remarkable story of this kind, related by Macnish, which -he calls “a case of hallucination, arising without the individual being -conscious of any physical cause by which it might be occasioned.” If -this case stood alone, strange as it is, I should think so too: but when -similar instances abound, as they do, I can not bring myself to dispose -of it so easily. The story is as follows: Mr. H—— was one day walking -along the street, apparently in perfect health, when he saw, or supposed -he saw, his acquaintance, Mr. C——, walking before him. He called to -him aloud; but he did not seem to hear him, and continued moving on. Mr. -H—— then quickened his pace for the purpose of overtaking him; but the -other increased his, also, as if to keep ahead of his pursuer, and -proceeded at such a rate that Mr. H—— found it impossible to make up -to him. This continued for some time, till, on Mr. C——’s reaching a -gate, he opened it and passed in, slamming it violently in Mr. H——’s -face. Confounded at such treatment from a friend, the latter instantly -opened the gate, and looked down the long lane into which it led, where, -to his astonishment, no one was to be seen. Determined to unravel the -mystery, he then went to Mr. C——’s house, and his surprise was great -to hear that he was confined to his bed, and had been so for several -days. A week or two afterward, these gentlemen met at the house of a -common friend, when Mr. H—— related the circumstance, jocularly -telling Mr. C—— that, as he had seen his wraith, he of course could -not live long. The person addressed laughed heartily, as did the rest of -the party; but, in a few days, Mr. C—— was attacked with putrid sore -throat and died; and within a short period of his death, Mr. H—— was -also in the grave. - -This is a very striking case; the hastening on, and the actually opening -and shutting the gate, evincing not only _will_ but _power_ to produce -mechanical effects, at a time the person was bodily elsewhere. It is -true he was ill, and it is highly probable was at the time asleep. The -showing himself to Mr. H——, who was so soon to follow him to the -grave, is another peculiarity which appears frequently to attend these -cases, and which seems like what was in old English, and is still in -Scotch, called a _tryst_—an appointment to meet again between those -spirits, so soon to be free. Supposing Mr. C—— to have been asleep, he -was possibly, in that state, aware of what impended over both. - -There is a still more remarkable case given by Mr. Barham in his -reminiscences. I have no other authority for it: but he relates, as a -fact, that a respectable young woman was awaked, one night, by hearing -somebody in her room, and that on looking up she saw a young man to whom -she was engaged. Extremely offended by such an intrusion, she bade him -instantly depart, if he wished her ever to speak to him again. Whereupon -he bade her not be frightened, but said he was come to tell her that he -was to die that day six weeks,—and then disappeared. Having ascertained -that the young man himself could not possibly have been in her room, she -was naturally much alarmed, and, her evident depression leading to some -inquiries, she communicated what had occurred to the family with whom -she lived—I think as dairy-maid; but I quote from memory. They attached -little importance to what seemed so improbable, more especially as the -young man continued in perfectly good health, and entirely ignorant of -this prediction, which his mistress had the prudence to conceal from -him. When the fatal day arrived, these ladies saw the girl looking very -cheerful, as they were going for their morning’s ride, and observed to -each other that the prophecy did not seem likely to be fulfilled; but -when they returned, they saw her running up the avenue toward the house -in great agitation, and learned that her lover was either dead or dying, -from an accident. - -The only key I can suggest as the explanation of such a phenomenon as -this, is, that the young man in his sleep was aware of the fate that -awaited him,—and that while the body lay in his bed, in a state -approaching to trance or catalepsy, the freed spirit—free as the -spirits of the actual dead—went forth to tell the tale to the mistress -of his soul. - -Franz von Baader says, in a letter to Dr. Kerner, that Eckartshausen, -shortly before his death, assured him that he possessed the power of -making a person’s double or wraith appear, while his body lay elsewhere -in a state of trance or catalepsy. He added that the experiment might be -dangerous, if care were not taken to prevent intercepting the rapport of -the ethereal form with the material one. - -A lady, an entire disbeliever in these spiritual phenomena, was one day -walking in her own garden with her husband, who was indisposed, leaning -on her arm, when seeing a man with his back toward them, and a spade in -his hand, digging, she exclaimed, “Look there! who’s that?” “Where?” -said her companion; and at that moment the figure leaning on the spade -turned round and looked at her, sadly shaking its head, and she saw it -was her husband. She avoided an explanation, by pretending she had made -a mistake. Three days afterward the gentleman died,—leaving her -entirely converted to a belief she had previously scoffed at. - -Here, again, the foreknowledge and evident design, as well as the power -of manifesting it, are extremely curious—more especially as the -antitype of the figure was neither in a trance nor asleep, but perfectly -conscious, walking and talking. If any particular purpose were to be -gained by the information indicated, the solution might be less -difficult. One object, it is true, may have been, and indeed was -attained, namely, the change in the opinions of the wife; and it is -impossible to say what influence such a conversion may have had on her -after-life. - -It must be admitted that these cases are very perplexing. We might, -indeed, get rid of them by denying them; but the instances are too -numerous, and the phenomenon has been too well known in all ages, to be -set aside so easily. In the above examples, the apparition, or wraith, -has been in some way connected with the death of the person whose -visionary likeness is seen; and, in most of these instances, the earnest -longing to behold those beloved seems to have been the means of -effecting the object. The mystery of death is to us so awful and -impenetrable, and we know so little of the mode in which the spiritual -and the corporeal are united and kept together during the continuance of -life, or what condition may ensue when this connection is about to be -dissolved, that while we look with wonder upon such phenomena as those -above alluded to, we yet find very few persons who are disposed to -reject them as utterly apocryphal. They feel that in that department, -already so mysterious, there may exist a greater mystery still; and the -very terror with which the thoughts of present death inspires most -minds, deters people from treating this class of facts with that -scornful skepticism with which many approximate ones are denied and -laughed at. Nevertheless, if we suppose the person to have been dead, -though it be but an inappreciable instant of time before he appears, the -appearance comes under the denomination of what is commonly called a -ghost; for whether the spirit has been parted from the body one second -or fifty years, ought to make no difference in our appreciation of the -fact, nor is the difficulty less in one case than the other. - -I mention this because I have met with, and do meet with, people -constantly, who admit this class of facts, while they declare they can -not believe in ghosts; the instances, they say, of people being seen at -a distance at the period of their death, are too numerous to permit of -the fact being denied. In granting it, however, they seem to me to grant -everything. If, as I have said above, the person be dead, the form seen -is a ghost or spectre, whether he has been dead a second or a century; -if he be alive, the difficulty is certainly not diminished; on the -contrary, it appears to me to be considerably augmented; and it is to -this perplexing class of facts that I shall next proceed, namely, those -in which the person is not only alive, as in some of the cases above -related, but where the phenomenon seems to occur without any reference -to the death of the subject, present or prospective. - -In either case, we are forced to conclude that the thing seen is the -same; the questions are, what is it that we see, and how does it render -itself visible? and, still more difficult to answer, appears the -question, of how it can communicate intelligence, or exert a mechanical -force. As, however, this investigation will be more in its place when I -have reached that department of my subject commonly called ghosts, I -will defer it for the present, and merely confine myself to that of -doubles, or doppelgängers, as the Germans denominate the appearance of a -person out of his body. - -In treating of the case of Auguste Müller, a remarkable somnambule, who -possessed the power of appearing elsewhere, while his body lay cold and -stiff in his bed, Professor Keiser, who attended him, says, that the -phenomenon, as regards the seer, must be looked upon as purely -subjective—that is, that there was no outstanding form of Auguste -Müller visible to the sensuous organs, but that the magnetic influence -of the somnambule, by the force of his will, acted on the imagination of -the seer, and called up the image which he believed he saw. But then, -allowing this to be possible, as Dr. Werner says, how are we to account -for those numerous cases in which there is no somnambule concerned in -the matter, and no especial rapport, that we are aware of, established -between the parties? And yet these latter cases are much the most -frequent; for, although I have met with numerous instances recorded by -the German physiologists, of what is called far-working on the part of -the somnambules, this power of appearing out of the body seems to be a -very rare one. Many persons will be surprised at these allusions to a -kind of magnetic phenomena, of which, in this country, so little is -known or believed; but the physiologists and psychologists of Germany -have been studying this subject for the last fifty years, and the -volumes filled with their theoretical views and records of cases, are -numerous beyond anything the English public has an idea of. - -The only other theory I have met with, which pretends to explain the -mode of this double appearance, is that of the spirit leaving the body, -as we have supposed it to do in cases of dreams and catalepsy; in which -instances the nerve-spirit, which seems to be the archæus or astral -spirit of the ancient philosophers, has the power of projecting a -visible body out of the imponderable matter of the atmosphere. According -to this theory, this nerve-spirit, which seems to be an embodiment -of—or rather, a body constructed out of the nervous fluid, or ether—in -short, the spiritual body of St. Paul, is the bond of union between the -body and the soul, or spirit; and has the plastic force of raising up an -aerial form. Being the highest organic power, it can not by any other, -physical or chemical, be destroyed; and when the body is cast off, it -follows the soul; and as, during life, it is the means by which the soul -acts upon the body, and is thus enabled to communicate with the external -world, so when the spirit is disembodied, it is through this -nerve-spirit that it can make itself visible, and even exercise -mechanical powers. - -It is certain, that not only somnambules, but sick persons, are -occasionally sensible of a feeling that seems to lend some countenance -to this latter theory. - -The girl at Canton, for example, mentioned in a former chapter, as well -as many somnambulic patients, declare, while their bodies are lying -stiff and cold, that they see it, as if out of it; and, in some -instances, they describe particulars of its appearance, which they could -not see in the ordinary way. There are also numerous cases of sick -persons seeing themselves double, where no tendency to delirium or -spectral illusion has been observed. These are, in this country, always -placed under the latter category; but I find various instances recorded -by the German physiologists, where this appearance has been seen by -others, and even by children, at the same that it was _felt_ by the -invalid. In one of these cases, I find the sick person saying, “I can -not think how I am lying. It seems to me that I am divided and lying in -two places at once.” It is remarkable, that a friend of my own, during -an illness in the autumn of 1845, expressed precisely the same feeling; -we, however, saw nothing of this second _ego_; but it must be -remembered, that the seeing of these things, as I have said in a former -chapter, probably depends on a peculiar faculty or condition of the -seer. The servant of Elisha was not blind, but yet he could not see what -his master saw, till his eyes were opened—that is, till he was rendered -capable of perceiving spiritual objects. - -When Peter was released from prison by the angel—and it is not amiss -here to remark, that even he “wist not that it was true which was done -by the angel, but thought he saw a vision,” that is, he did not believe -his senses, but supposed himself the victim of a spectral illusion—but -when he was released, and went and knocked at the door of the gate, -where many of his friends were assembled, they, not conceiving it -possible he could have escaped, said, when the girl who had opened the -door insisted that he was there, “It is his angel.” What did they mean -by this? The expression is not _an_ angel, but _his_ angel. Now, it is -not a little remarkable, that in the East, to this day, a double, or -doppelgänger, is called a man’s angel, or messenger. As we can not -suppose that this term was used otherwise than seriously by the -disciples that were gathered together in Mark’s house, for they were in -trouble about Peter, and, when he arrived, were engaged in prayer, we -are entitled to believe they alluded to some recognised phenomenon. They -knew, either that the likeness of a man—his spiritual self—sometimes -appeared where bodily he was not; and that this _imago_ or _idolon_ was -capable of exerting a mechanical force, or else that other spirits -sometimes assumed a mortal form, or they would not have supposed it to -be Peter’s angel that had _knocked_ at the gate. - -Dr. Ennemoser, who always leans to the physical rather than the -psychical explanation of a phenomenon, says, that the faculty of -self-seeing, which is analogous to seeing another person’s double, is to -be considered an illusion; but that this imago of another seen at a -distance, at the moment of death, must be supposed to have an objective -reality. But if we are capable of thus perceiving the imago of another -person, I can not comprehend why we may not see our own; unless, indeed, -the former was never perceived but when the body of the person seen was -in a state of insensibility; but this does not always seem to be a -necessary condition, as will appear by some examples I am about to -detail. The faculty of perceiving the object, Dr. Ennemoser considers -analogous to that of second sight, and thinks it may be evolved by -local, as well as idiosyncratical conditions. The difficulty arising -from the fact that some persons are in the habit of seeing the wraiths -of their friends and relations, must be explained by his hypothesis. The -spirit, as soon as liberated from the body, is adapted for communion -with _all_ spirits, embodied or otherwise; but all embodied spirits are -not prepared for communion with it. - -A Mr. R——, a gentleman who has attracted public attention by some -scientific discoveries, had had a fit of illness at Rotterdam. He was in -a state of convalescence, but was still so far taking care of himself as -to spend part of the day in bed, when, as he was lying there one -morning, the door opened, and there entered in tears, a lady with whom -he was intimately acquainted, but whom he believed to be in England. She -walked hastily to the side of his bed, wrung her hands, evincing by her -gestures extreme anguish of mind, and before he could sufficiently -recover his surprise to inquire the cause of her distress and sudden -appearance, she was gone. She did not disappear, but walked out of the -room again, and Mr. R—— immediately summoned the servants of the -hotel, for the purpose of making inquiries about the English lady—when -she came, what had happened to her, and where she had gone to, on -quitting his room? The people declared there was no such person there; -he insisted there was, but they at length convinced him that they, at -least, knew nothing about her. When his physician visited him, he -naturally expressed the great perplexity into which he had been thrown -by this circumstance; and, as the doctor could find no symptoms about -his patient that could warrant a suspicion of spectral illusion, they -made a note of the date and hour of the occurrence, and Mr. R—— took -the earliest opportunity of ascertaining if anything had happened to the -lady in question. Nothing had happened to herself, but at that precise -period her son had expired, and she was actually in the state of -distress in which Mr. R—— beheld her. It would be extremely -interesting to know whether her thoughts had been intensely directed to -Mr. R—— at the moment; but that is a point which I have not been able -to ascertain. At all events the impelling cause of the form projected, -be the mode of it what it may, appears to have been violent emotion. The -following circumstance, which is forwarded to me by the gentleman to -whom it occurred, appears to have the same origin:— - -“On the evening of the 12th of March, 1792,” says Mr. H——, an artist, -and a man of science, “I had been reading in the ‘Philosophical -Transactions,’ and retired to my room somewhat fatigued, but not -inclined to sleep. It was a bright moonlight night and I had -extinguished my candle and was sitting on the side of the bed, -deliberately taking off my clothes, when I was amazed to behold the -visible appearance of my half-uncle, Mr. R. Robertson, standing before -me; and, at the same instant, I heard the words, ‘_Twice will be -sufficient!_’ The face was so distinct that I actually saw the -pock-pits. His dress seemed to be made of a strong twilled sort of -sackcloth, and of the same dingy color. It was more like a woman’s dress -than a man’s—resembling a petticoat, the neck-band close to the chin, -and the garment covering the whole person, so that I saw neither hands -nor feet. While the figure stood there, I twisted my fingers till they -cracked, that I might be sure I was awake. - -“On the following morning, I inquired if anybody had heard lately of Mr. -R., and was well laughed at when I confessed the origin of my inquiry. I -confess I thought he was dead; but when my grandfather heard the story, -he said that the dress I described, resembled the strait-jacket Mr. R. -had been put in formerly, under an attack of insanity. Subsequently, we -learned that on the night, and at the very hour I had seen him, he had -attempted suicide, and been actually put into a strait-jacket. - -“He afterward recovered, and went to Egypt with Sir Ralph Abercrombie. -Some people laugh at this story, and maintain that it was a delusion of -the imagination; but surely this is blinking the question! Why should my -imagination create such an image, while my mind was entirely engrossed -with a mathematical problem?” - -The words “_Twice will be sufficient._” probably embodied the thought, -uttered or not, of the maniac, under the influence of his emotion—two -blows or two stabs would be sufficient for his purpose. - -Dr. Kerner relates a case of a Dr. John B——, who was studying medicine -in Paris, seeing his mother one night, shortly after he had got into -bed, and before he had put out his light. She was dressed after a -fashion in which he had never seen her; but she vanished,—and thus, -aware of the nature of the appearance, he became much alarmed, and wrote -home to inquire after her health. The answer he received was that she -was extremely unwell, having been under the most intense anxiety on his -account, from hearing that several medical students in Paris had been -arrested as resurrectionists; and, knowing his passion for anatomical -investigations, she had apprehended he might be among the number. The -letter concluded with an earnest request that he would pay her a visit. -He did so; and his surprise was so great on meeting her, to perceive -that she was dressed exactly as he had seen her in his room at Paris, -that he could not at first embrace her, and was obliged to explain the -cause of his astonishment and repugnance. - -An analogous case to these is that of Dr. Donne,—which is already -mentioned in so many publications, that I should not allude to it here -but for the purpose of showing that these examples belong to a _class_ -of facts, and that it is not to be supposed that similarity argues -identity, or that one and the same story is reproduced with new names -and localities. I mention this because, when circumstances of this kind -are related, I sometimes hear people say, “Oh, I have heard that story -before, but it was said to have happened to Mr. So-and-so, or at such a -place;” the truth being, that these things happen in all places and to a -great variety of people. - -Dr. Donne was with the embassy in Paris, where he had been but a short -time, when his friend Mr. Roberts, entering the _salon_, found him in a -state of considerable agitation. As soon as he was sufficiently -recovered to speak, he said that his wife had passed twice through the -room with a dead child in her arms. An express was immediately -despatched to England to inquire for the lady, and the intelligence -returned was that, after much suffering, she had been delivered of a -dead infant. The delivery had taken place at the time that her husband -had seen her in Paris. Nobody has ever disputed Dr. Donne’s assertion -that he saw his wife: but, as usual, the case is crammed into the theory -of spectral illusions. They say Dr. Donne was naturally very anxious -about his wife’s approaching confinement, of which he must have been -aware, and that his excited imagination did all the rest. In the first -place, I do not find it recorded that he was suffering any particular -anxiety on the subject; and, even if he were, the coincidences in time -and in the circumstance of the dead child remain unexplained. Neither -are we led to believe that the doctor was unwell, or living the kind of -life that is apt to breed thick-coming fancies. He was attached to the -embassy in the gay city of Paris; he had just been taking luncheon with -others of the _suite_, and had been left alone but a short time, when he -was found in the state of amazement above described. If such -extraordinary cases of spectral illusion as this, and many others I am -recording, can suddenly arise in constitutions apparently healthy, it is -certainly high time that the medical world reconsider the subject, and -give us some more comprehensible theory of it; if they are not cases of -spectral illusion, but are to be explained under that vague and abused -term _imagination_, let us be told something more about imagination—a -service which those who consider the word sufficient to account for -these strange phenomena, must of course be qualified to perform. If, -however, both these hypotheses—for they are but simple hypotheses, -unsupported by any proof whatever, only, being delivered with an air of -authority in a rationalistic age, they have been allowed to pass -unquestioned—if, however, they are not found sufficient to satisfy a -vast number of minds, which I know to be the case, I think the inquiry I -am instituting can not be wholly useless or unacceptable, let it lead us -where it may. The _truth_ is all I seek; and I think there is a very -important truth to be deduced from the further investigation of this -subject in its various relations—in short, a truth of paramount -importance to all others; one which contains evidence of a fact in which -we are more deeply concerned than in any other, and which, if well -established, brings demonstration to confirm intuition and tradition. I -am very well aware of all the difficulties in the way—difficulties -internal and external,—many inherent to the subject itself, and others -extraneous but inseparable from it; and I am very far from supposing -that my book is to settle the question even with a single mind. All I -hope or expect is to show that the question is not disposed of yet, -either by the rationalists or the physiologists, and that it is still an -open one; and all I desire is to arouse inquiry and curiosity, and that -thus some mind, better qualified than mine to follow out the -investigation, may be incited to undertake it. - -Dr. Kerner mentions the case of a lady named Dillenius, who was awakened -one night by her son, a child six years of age; her sister-in-law, who -slept in the same room, also awoke at the same time, and all three saw -Madame Dillenius enter the room, attired in a black dress, which she had -lately bought. The sister said, “I see you double! you are in bed, and -yet you are walking about the room.” They were both extremely alarmed, -while the figure stood between the doors in a melancholy attitude with -the head leaning on the hand. The child—who also saw it, but seems not -to have been terrified—jumped out of bed, and running to the figure, -put his hand through it as he attempted to push it, exclaiming, “Go -away, you black woman.” The form, however, remained as before; and the -child, becoming alarmed, sprung into bed again. Madame Dillenius -expected that the appearance foreboded her own death; but that did not -ensue. A serious accident immediately afterward occurred to her husband, -and she fancied there might be some connection between the two events. - -This is one of those cases which, from their extremely perplexing -nature, have induced some psychologists to seek an explanation in the -hypothesis that other spirits may for some purpose, or under certain -conditions, assume the form of a person with a view to giving an -intimation or impression, which the gulf separating the material from -the spiritual world renders it difficult to convey. As regards such -instances as that of Madame Dillenius, however, we are at a loss to -discover any motive—unless, indeed, it be sympathy—for such an -exertion of power, supposing it to be possessed. But in the famous case -of Catherine of Russia, who is said, while lying in bed, to have been -seen by the ladies to enter the throne-room, and, being informed of the -circumstance, went herself and saw the figure seated on the throne, and -bade her guards fire on it, we may conceive it possible that her -guardian-spirit, if such she had, might adopt this mode of warning her -to prepare for a change, which, after such a life as hers, we are -entitled to conclude she was not very fit to encounter. - -There are numerous examples of similar phenomena to be met with. -Professor Stilling relates that he heard from the son of a Madame M——, -that his mother, having sent her maid up stairs on an errand, the woman -came running down in a great fright, saying that her mistress was -sitting above, in her arm-chair, looking precisely as she had left her -below. The lady went up stairs, and saw herself as described by the -woman, very shortly after which she died. - -Dr. Werner relates that a jeweller at Ludwigsburg, named Ratzel, when in -perfect health, one evening, on turning the corner of a street, met his -own form, face to face. The figure seemed as real and lifelike as -himself; and he was so close as to look into its very eyes. He was -seized with terror, and it vanished. He related the circumstance to -several people, and endeavored to laugh, but, nevertheless, it was -evident he was painfully impressed with it. Shortly afterward, as he was -passing through a forest, he fell in with some wood-cutters, who asked -him to lend a hand to the ropes with which they were pulling down an -oak-tree. He did so, and was killed by its fall. - -Becker, professor of mathematics at Rostock, having fallen into argument -with some friends regarding a disputed point of theology, on going to -his library to fetch a book which he wished to refer to, saw himself -sitting at the table in the seat he usually occupied. He approached the -figure, which appeared to be reading, and, looking over its shoulder, he -observed that the book open before it was a bible, and that, with one of -the fingers of the right hand, it pointed to the passage—“Make ready -thy house, for thou must die!” He returned to the company, and related -what he had seen, and, in spite of all their arguments to the contrary, -remained fully persuaded that his death was at hand. He took leave of -his friends, and expired on the following day, at six o’clock in the -evening. He had already attained a considerable age. - -Those who would not believe in the appearance, said he had died of the -fright; but, whether he did so or not, the circumstance is sufficiently -remarkable: and, if this were a real, outstanding apparition, it would -go strongly to support the hypothesis alluded to above, while, if it -were a spectral illusion, it is certainly an infinitely strange one. - -As I am aware how difficult it is, except where the appearance is seen -by more persons than one, to distinguish cases of actual self-seeing -from those of spectral illusion, I do not linger longer in this -department; but, returning to the analogous subject of _doppelgängers_, -I will relate a few curious instances of this kind of phenomena:— - -Stilling relates that a government-officer, of the name of Triplin, in -Weimar, on going to his office to fetch a paper of importance, saw his -own likeness sitting there, with the deed before him. Alarmed, he -returned home, and desired his maid to go there and fetch the paper she -would find on the table. The maid saw the same form, and imagined that -her master had gone by another road, and got there before her. His mind -seems to have preceded his body. - -The landrichter, or sheriff, F——, in Frankfort, sent his secretary on -an errand. Presently afterward, the secretary re-entered the room, and -laid hold of a book. His master asked him what had brought him back, -whereupon the figure vanished, and the book fell to the ground. It was a -volume of Linnæus. In the evening, when the secretary returned, and was -interrogated with regard to his expedition, he said that he had fallen -into an eager dispute with an acquaintance, as he went along, about some -botanical question, and had ardently wished he had had his Linnæus with -him to refer to. - -Dr. Werner relates that Professor Happach had an elderly maid-servant, -who was in the habit of coming every morning to call him, and on -entering the room, which he generally heard her do, she usually looked -at a clock which stood under the mirror. One morning, she entered so -softly, that, though he saw her, he did not hear her foot. She went, as -was her custom, to the clock, and came to his bedside, but suddenly -turned round and left the room. He called after her, but she not -answering, he jumped out of bed and pursued her. He could not see her, -however, till he reached her room, where he found her fast asleep in -bed. Subsequently, the same thing occurred frequently with this woman. - -An exactly parallel case was related to me, as occurring to himself, by -a publisher in Edinburgh. His housekeeper was in the habit of calling -him every morning. On one occasion, being perfectly awake, he saw her -enter, walk to the window, and go out again without speaking. Being in -the habit of fastening his door, he supposed he had omitted to do so; -but presently afterward he heard her knocking to come in, and he found -the door was still locked. She assured him she had not been there -before. He was in perfectly good health at the time this happened. - -Only a few nights since, a lady, with whom I am intimately acquainted, -was in bed, and had not been to sleep, when she saw one of her -daughters, who slept in an upper room, and who had retired to rest some -time before, standing at the foot of her bed. “H——,” she said, “what -is the matter? what are you come for?” The daughter did not answer, but -moved away. The mother jumped out of bed, but not seeing her, got in -again: but the figure was still there. Perfectly satisfied it was really -her daughter, she spoke to her, asking if anything had happened; but -again the figure moved silently away, and again the mother jumped out of -bed, and actually went part of the way up stairs: and this occurred a -third time! The daughter was during the whole of this time asleep in her -bed, and the lady herself is quite in her usual state of health—not -robust, but not by any means sickly, nor in the slightest degree -hysterical or nervous; yet she is perfectly convinced that she saw the -figure of her daughter on that occasion, though quite unable to account -for the circumstance. Probably the daughter was dreaming of the mother. - -Edward Stern, author of some German works, had a friend who was -frequently seen _out of the body_, as the Germans term it; and the -father of that person was so much the subject of this phenomenon, that -he was frequently observed to enter his house while he was yet working -in the fields! His wife used to say to him, “Why, papa, you came home -before;” and he would answer, “I dare say, I was so anxious to get away -earlier, but it was impossible!” - -The cook in a convent of nuns, at Ebersdorf, was frequently seen picking -herbs in the garden, when she was in the kitchen and much in need of -them. - -A Danish physician, whose name Dr. Werner does not mention, is said to -have been frequently seen entering a patient’s room, and on being spoken -to, the figure would disappear, with a sigh. This used to occur when he -had made an appointment which he was prevented keeping, and was rendered -uneasy by the failure. The hearing of it, however, occasioned him such -an unpleasant sensation, that he requested his patients never to tell -him when it happened. - -A president of the supreme court, in Ulm, named Pfizer, attests the -truth of the following case: A gentleman, holding an official situation, -had a son at Göttingen, who wrote home to his father, requesting him to -send him, without delay, a certain book, which he required to aid him in -preparing a dissertation he was engaged in. The father answered that he -had sought but could not find the work in question. Shortly afterward, -the latter had been taking a book from his shelves, when, on turning -round, he beheld, to his amazement, his son just in the act of -stretching up his hand toward one on a high shelf in another part of the -room. “Hallo!” he exclaimed, supposing it to be the young man himself, -but the figure disappeared; and, on examining the shelf, the father -found there the book that was required, which he immediately forwarded -to Göttingen; but before it could arrive there, he received a letter -from his son, describing the exact spot where it was to be found. - -A case of what is called spectral illusion is mentioned by Dr. Paterson, -which appears to me to belong to the class of phenomena I am treating -of. One Sunday evening, Miss N—— was left at home, the sole inmate of -the house, not being permitted to accompany her family to church on -account of her delicate state of health. Her father was an infirm old -man, who seldom went from home, and she was not aware whether, on this -occasion, he had gone out with the rest or not. By-and-by, there came on -a severe storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, and Miss N—— is -described as becoming very uneasy about her father. Under the influence -of this feeling, Dr. Paterson says she went into the back room, where he -usually sat, and there saw him in his arm-chair. Not doubting but it was -himself, she advanced and laid her hand upon his shoulder, but her hand -encountered vacancy; and, alarmed, she retired. As she quitted the room, -however, she looked back, and there still sat the figure. Not being a -believer in what is called the “supernatural,” Miss N—— resolved to -overcome her apprehensions, and return into the room, which she did, and -saw the figure as before. For the space of fully half an hour she went -in and out of the room in this manner, before it disappeared. She did -not see it vanish, but the fifth time she returned, it was gone. - -Dr. Paterson vouches for the truth of this story, and no doubt of its -being a mere illusion occurs to him, though the lady had never before or -since, as she assured him, been troubled with the malady. It seems to me -much more likely that, when the storm came on, the thoughts of the old -man would be intensely drawn homeward: he would naturally wish himself -in his comfortable arm-chair, and, knowing his young daughter to be -alone, he would inevitably feel some anxiety about her too. There was a -mutual projection of their spirits toward each other; and the one that -was most easily freed from its bonds, was seen where in the spirit it -actually was; for, as I have said above, a spirit out of the flesh, to -whom space is annihilated, must be where its thoughts and affections -are, for its thoughts and affections are _itself_. - -I observe that Sir David Brewster and others, who have written on this -subject, and who represent all these phenomena as images projected on -the retina from the brain, dwell much on the fact that they are seen -alike, whether the eye be closed or open. There are, however, two -answers to be made to this argument: first, that even if it were so, the -proof would not be decisive, since it is generally with closed eyes that -somnambulic persons see, whether natural somnambules or magnetic -patients; and, secondly, I find in some instances, which appear to me to -be genuine cases of an objective appearance, that where the experiment -has been tried, the figure is not seen when the eyes are closed. - -The author of a work entitled “An Inquiry into the Nature of Ghosts,” -who adopts the illusion theory, relates the following story, as one he -can vouch for, though not permitted to give the names of the parties:— - -“Miss ——, at the age of seven years, being in a field not far from her -father’s house, in the parish of Kirklinton, in Cumberland, saw what she -thought was her father in the field, at a time that he was in bed, from -which he had not been removed for a considerable period. There were in -the field also, at the same moment, George Little, and John, his -fellow-servant. One of these cried out, ‘Go to your father, miss!’ She -turned round, and the figure had disappeared. On returning home, she -said, ‘Where is my father?’ The mother answered, ‘In bed, to be sure, -child!’—out of which he had not been.” - -I quote this case, because the figure was seen by two persons. I could -mention several similar instances, but when only seen by one, they are, -of course, open to another explanation. - -Goethe (whose family, by-the-way, were ghost-seers) relates that as he -was once in an uneasy state of mind, riding along the footpath toward -Drusenheim, he saw, “not with the eyes of his body, but with those of -his spirit,” himself on horseback coming toward him, in a dress that he -then did not possess. It was gray, and trimmed with gold. The figure -disappeared; but eight years afterward he found himself, quite -accidentally, on that spot, on horseback, and in precisely that attire. -This seems to have been a case of second-sight. - -The story of Byron’s being seen in London when he was lying in a fever -at Patras, is well known; but may possibly have arisen from some -extraordinary personal resemblance, though so firm was the conviction of -its being his actual self, that a bet of a hundred guineas was offered -on it. - -Some time ago, the “Dublin University Magazine” related a case—I know -not on what authority—as having occurred at Rome, to the effect that a -gentleman had, one night on going home to his lodging, thrown his -servant into great amazement, the man exclaiming, “Good Lord, sir, you -came home before!” He declared that he had let his master into the -house, attended him up stairs, and, I think, undressed him, and seen him -get into bed. When they went to the room, they found no clothes; but the -bed appeared to have been lain in, and there was a strange mark upon the -ceiling, as if from the passage of an electrical fluid. The only thing -the young man could remember, whereby to account for this extraordinary -circumstance, was, that while abroad, and in company, he had been -overcome with ennui, fallen into a deep reverie, and had for a time -forgotten that he was not at home. - -When I read this story, though I have learned from experience to be very -cautious how I pronounce that impossible which I know nothing about, I -confess it somewhat exceeded my receptive capacity, but I have since -heard of a similar instance, so well authenticated, that my incredulity -is shaken. - -Dr. Kerner relates that a canon of a catholic cathedral, of somewhat -dissipated habits, on coming home one evening, saw a light in his -bed-room. When the maid opened the door, she started back with surprise, -while he inquired why she had left a candle burning up stairs; upon -which she declared that he had come home just before, and gone to his -room, and she had been wondering at his unusual silence. On ascending to -his chamber, he saw himself sitting in the arm-chair. The figure rose, -passed him, and went out at the room-door. He was extremely alarmed, -expecting his death was at hand. He, however, lived many years -afterward, but the influence on his moral character was very beneficial. - -Not long since, a professor, I think of theology, at a college at -Berlin, addressed his class, saying, that, instead of his usual lecture, -he should relate to them a circumstance which, the preceding evening, -had occurred to himself, believing the effects would be no less -salutary. - -He then told them that, as he was going home the last evening, he had -seen his own imago, or double, on the other side of the street. He -looked away, and tried to avoid it, but, finding it still accompanied -him, he took a short cut home, in hopes of getting rid of it, wherein he -succeeded, till he came opposite his own house, when he saw it at the -door. - -It rang, the maid opened, it entered, she handed it a candle, and, as -the professor stood in amazement, on the other side of the street, he -saw the light passing the windows, as it wound its way up to his own -chamber. He then crossed over and rang; the servant was naturally -dreadfully alarmed on seeing him, but, without waiting to explain, he -ascended the stairs. Just as he reached his own chamber, he heard a loud -crash, and, on opening the door, they found no one there, but the -ceiling had fallen in, and his life was thus saved. The servant -corroborated this statement to the students; and a minister, now -attached to one of the Scotch churches, was present when the professor -told his tale. Without admitting the doctrine of protecting spirits, it -is difficult to account for these latter circumstances. - -A very interesting case of an apparent friendly intervention occurred to -the celebrated Dr. A—— T——, of Edinburgh. He was sitting up late one -night, reading in his study, when he heard a foot in the passage, and -knowing the family were, or ought to be, all in bed, he rose and looked -out to ascertain who it was, but, seeing nobody, he sat down again. -Presently, the sound recurred, and he was sure there was somebody, -though he could not see him. The foot, however, evidently ascended the -stairs, and he followed it, till it led him to the nursery-door, which -he opened, and found the furniture was on fire; and thus, but for this -kind office of his good angel, his children would have been burned in -their beds. - -The most extraordinary history of this sort, however, with which I am -acquainted, is the following, the facts of which are perfectly -authentic:— - -Some seventy or eighty years since, the apprentice, or assistant, of a -respectable surgeon in Glasgow, was known to have had an illicit -connection with a servant-girl, who somewhat suddenly disappeared. No -suspicion, however, seems to have been entertained of foul play. It -appears rather to have been supposed that she had retired for the -purpose of being confined, and, consequently, no inquiries were made -about her. - -Glasgow was, at that period, a very different place to what it is at -present, in more respects than one; and, among its peculiarities, was -the extraordinary strictness with which the observance of the sabbath -was enforced, insomuch, that nobody was permitted to show themselves in -the streets or public walks during the hours dedicated to the church -services, and there were actually inspectors appointed to see that this -regulation was observed, and to take down the names of defaulters. - -At one extremity of the city, there is some open ground, of rather -considerable extent, on the north side of the river, called “The Green,” -where people sometimes resort for air and exercise; and where lovers not -unfrequently retire to enjoy as much solitude as the proximity to so -large a town can afford. - -One Sunday morning, the inspectors of public piety above alluded to -having traversed the city, and extended their perquisitions as far as -the lower extremity of the Green, where it was bounded by a wall, -observed a young man lying on the grass, whom they immediately -recognised to be the surgeon’s assistant. They, of course, inquired why -he was not at church, and proceeded to register his name in their books, -but, instead of attempting to make any excuse for his offence, he only -rose from the ground, saying, “I am a miserable man; look in the water!” -He then immediately crossed a stile, which divided the wall, and led to -a path extending along the side of the river toward the Rutherglen road. -They saw him cross the stile, but, not comprehending the significance of -his words, instead of observing him further, they naturally directed -their attention to the water, where they presently perceived the body of -a woman. Having with some difficulty dragged it ashore, they immediately -proceeded to carry it into the town, assisted by several other persons, -who by this time had joined them. It was now about one o’clock, and, as -they passed through the streets, they were obstructed by the -congregation that was issuing from one of the principal places of -worship; and, as they stood up for a moment, to let them pass, they saw -the surgeon’s assistant issue from the church door. As it was quite -possible for him to have gone round some other way, and got there before -them, they were not much surprised. He did not approach them, but -mingled with the crowd, while they proceeded on their way. - -On examination, the woman proved to be the missing servant-girl. She was -pregnant, and had evidently been murdered with a surgeon’s instrument, -which was found entangled among her clothes. Upon this, in consequence -of his known connection with her, and his implied self-accusation to the -inspectors, the young man was apprehended on suspicion of being the -guilty party, and tried upon the circuit. He was the last person seen in -her company, immediately previous to her disappearance; and there was, -altogether, such strong presumptive evidence against him, as -corroborated by what occurred on the green would have justified a -verdict of guilty. But, strange to say, this last most important item in -the evidence failed, and he established an incontrovertible _alibi_; it -being proved, beyond all possibility of doubt, that he had been in -church from the beginning of the service to the end of it. He was, -therefore, acquitted; while the public were left in the greatest -perplexity, to account as they could for this extraordinary discrepancy. -The young man was well known to the inspectors, and it was in broad -daylight that they had met him and placed his name in their books. -Neither, it must be remembered, were they seeking for him, nor thinking -of him, nor of the woman, about whom there existed neither curiosity nor -suspicion. Least of all, would they have sought her where she was, but -for the hint given to them. - -The interest excited, at the time, was very great; but no natural -explanation of the mystery has ever been suggested. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - - APPARITIONS. - -THE number of stories on record, which seem to support the views I have -suggested in my last chapter, is, I fancy, little suspected by people in -general; and still less is it imagined that similar occurrences are yet -frequently taking place. I had, indeed, myself no idea of either one -circumstance or the other, till my attention being accidentally turned -in this direction, I was led into inquiries, the result of which has -extremely surprised me. I do not mean to imply that all my acquaintance -are ghost-seers, or that these things happen every day; but the amount -of what I do mean, is this: first, that besides the numerous instances -of such phenomena alluded to in history, which have been treated as -fables by those who profess to believe the rest of the narratives, -though the whole rests upon the same foundation, that is, tradition and -hearsay; besides these, there exists in one form or another, hundreds -and hundreds of recorded cases, in all countries, and in all languages, -exhibiting that degree of similarity which mark them as belonging to a -class of facts, many of these being of a nature which seems to preclude -the possibility of bringing them under the theory of spectral illusions; -and, secondly, that I scarcely meet any one man or woman, who, if I can -induce them to believe I will not publish their names, and am not going -to laugh at them, is not prepared to tell me of some occurrence of the -sort, as having happened to themselves, their family, or their friends. -I admit that in many instances they terminate their narration, by -saying, that they think it must have been an illusion, _because_ they -can not bring themselves to believe in ghosts; not unfrequently adding, -that they _wish_ to think so; since to think otherwise would make them -uncomfortable. I confess, however, that this seems to me a very unwise, -as well as a very unsafe way of treating the matter. Believing the -appearance to be an illusion, _because_ they can not bring themselves to -believe in ghosts, simply amounts to saying, “I don’t believe, because I -don’t believe;” and is an argument of no effect, except to invalidate -their capacity for judging the question, at all; but the second reason -for not believing, namely, that they do not wish to do so, has not only -the same disadvantage, but is liable to much more serious objections; -for it is our duty to ascertain the truth in an affair that concerns -every soul of us so deeply; and to shrink from looking at it, lest it -should disclose something we do not like, is an expedient as childish as -it is desperate. - -In reviewing my late novel of “Lilly Dawson,” where I announce the -present work, I observe that while some of the reviewers scout the very -idea of anybody’s believing in ghosts, others, less rash, while they -admit that it is a subject we know nothing about, object to further -investigation, on account of the terrors and uncomfortable feelings that -will be engendered. Now, certainly, if it were a matter in which we had -no personal concern, and which belonged merely to the region of -speculative curiosity, everybody would be perfectly justified in -following their inclinations with regard to it; there would be no reason -for frightening themselves, if they did not like it; but, since it is -perfectly certain that the fate of these poor ghosts, be what it may, -will be ours some day—perhaps before another year or another week has -passed over our heads—to shut our eyes to the truth, because it may -perchance occasion us some uncomfortable feelings, is surely a strange -mixture of contemptible cowardice and daring temerity. If it be true -that, by some law of nature, departed souls occasionally revisit the -earth, we may be quite certain that it was intended we should know it, -and that the law is to some good end; for no law of God can be -purposeless or mischievous; and is it conceivable that we should say we -will not know it, because it is disagreeable to us? Is not this very -like saying, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die!” -and yet refusing to inquire what is to become of us when we do die? -refusing to avail ourselves of that demonstrative proof which God has -mercifully placed within our reach? And, with all this obstinacy, people -do not get rid of the apprehension; they go on struggling against it and -keeping it down by argument and reason; but there are very few persons -indeed, men or women, who, when placed in a situation calculated to -suggest the idea, do not feel the intuitive conviction striving within -them. In the ordinary circumstances of life, nobody suffers from this -terror; in the extraordinary ones, I find the professed disbelievers not -much better off than the believers. Not long ago, I heard a lady -expressing the great alarm she should have felt, had she been exposed to -spend a whole night on Ben Lomond, as Margaret Fuller, the American -authoress, did lately; “for,” said she, “though I don’t believe in -ghosts, I should have been dreadfully afraid of seeing one then!” - -Moreover, though I do not suppose that man, in his normal state, could -ever encounter an incorporeal spirit without considerable awe, I am -inclined to think that the extreme terror the idea inspires arises from -bad training. The ignorant frighten children with ghosts, and the better -educated assure them there is no such thing. Our understanding may -believe the latter, but our instincts believe the former; so that, out -of this education, we retain the terror, and just belief enough to make -it very troublesome whenever we are placed in circumstances that awaken -it. Now, perhaps, if the thing were differently managed, the result -might be different. Suppose the subject were duly investigated, and it -were ascertained that the views which I and many others are disposed to -entertain with regard to it are correct,—and suppose, then, children -were calmly told that it is not impossible but that, on some occasion, -they may see a departed friend again—that the laws of nature, -established by an allwise Providence, admit of the dead sometimes -revisiting the earth, doubtless for the benevolent purpose of keeping -alive in us our faith in a future state—that death is merely a -transition to another life, which it depends on ourselves to make happy -or otherwise—and that while those spirits which appear bright and -blessed may well be objects of our envy, the others should excite only -our intense compassion: I am persuaded that a child so educated would -feel no terror at the sight of an apparition, more especially as there -very rarely appears to be anything terrific in the aspect of these -forms; they generally come in their “habits as they lived,” and appear -so much like the living person in the flesh, that where they are not -known to be already dead, they are frequently mistaken for them. There -are exceptions to this rule,—but the forms in themselves rarely exhibit -anything to create alarm. - -As a proof that a child would not naturally be terrified at the sight of -an apparition, I will adduce the following instance, the authenticity of -which I can vouch for:— - -A lady with her child embarked on board a vessel at Jamaica, for the -purpose of visiting her friends in England, leaving her husband behind -her quite well. It was a sailing packet; and they had been some time at -sea, when one evening, while the child was kneeling before her saying -his prayers previous to going to rest, he suddenly said: “Mamma, papa!” -“Nonsense, my dear!” the mother answered, “you know your papa is not -here!”—“He is indeed, mamma,” returned the child, “he is looking at us -now.” Nor could she convince him to the contrary. When she went on deck, -she mentioned the circumstance to the captain, who thought it so -strange, that he said he would note down the date of the occurrence. The -lady begged him not to do so, saying it was attaching a significance to -it which would make her miserable. He did it, however; and, shortly -after her arrival in England, she learned that her husband had died -exactly at that period. - -I have met with other instances in which children have seen apparitions -without exhibiting any alarm; and in the case of Fredericka Hauffe, the -infant in her arms was frequently observed to point smilingly to those -which she herself said she saw. In the above related case, we find a -valuable example of an apparition which we can not believe to have been -a mere subjective phenomenon, being seen by one person and not by -another. The receptivity of the child may have been greater, or the -rapport between it and its father stronger; but this occurrence -inevitably leads us to suggest, how often our departed friends may be -near us, and we not see them! - -A Mr. B——, with whom I am acquainted, informed me that, some years -ago, he lost two children. There was an interval of two years between -their deaths; and about as long a period had elapsed since the decease -of the second, when the circumstance I am about to relate took place. It -may be conceived that at that distance of time, however vivid the -impression had been at first, it had considerably faded from the mind of -a man engaged in business; and he assures me that, on the night this -event occurred, he was not thinking of the children at all; he was, -moreover, perfectly well, and had neither eaten nor drank anything -unusual, nor abstained from eating or drinking anything to which he was -accustomed. He was therefore in his normal state; when shortly after he -had lain down in bed, and before he had fallen asleep, he heard the -voice of one of the children say: “Papa—papa!” - -“Do you hear that?” he said to his wife, who lay beside him—“I hear -Archy calling me, as plain as ever I heard him in my life!” - -“Nonsense!” returned the lady; “you are fancying it.” - -But presently he again heard “Papa, papa!” and now both voices spoke. -Upon which—exclaiming, “I can stand this no longer”—he started up, -and, drawing back the curtains, saw both children in their -night-dresses, standing near the bed. He immediately jumped out; -whereupon they retreated slowly, and with their faces toward him, to the -window, where they disappeared. He says that the circumstance made a -great impression upon him at the time; and, indeed, that it was one that -could never be effaced; but he did not know what to think of it, not -believing in ghosts, and therefore concluded it must have been some -extraordinary spectral illusion, especially as his wife heard nothing. -It may have been so; but that circumstance by no means proves it. - -From these varying degrees of susceptibility, or affinity, there seems -to arise another consequence, namely, that more than one person may see -the same object, and yet see it differently, and I mention this -particularly, because it is one of the objections that unreflecting -persons make to phenomena of this kind, second sight especially. In the -remarkable instance which is recorded to have occurred at Ripley, in the -year 1812, to which I shall allude more particularly in a future -chapter, much stress was laid on the fact, that the first seer said, -“Look at those beasts!” While the second answered, they were “not -beasts, but men.” In a former chapter, I mentioned the case of a lady, -on board a ship, seeing and feeling a sort of blue cloud hanging over -her, which afterward, as it retired, assumed a human form, though still -appearing a vapory substance. Now, possibly, had her receptivity, or the -rapport, been greater, she might have seen the distinct image of her -dying friend. I have met with several instances of these cloudy figures -being seen, as if the spirit had built itself up a form of atmospheric -air; and it is remarkable, that when other persons perceived the -apparitions that frequented the Seeress of Prevorst, some saw those as -cloudy forms, which she saw distinctly attired in the costume they wore -when alive; and thus, on some occasions, apparitions are represented as -being transparent, while on others they have not been distinguishable -from the real corporeal body. All these discrepancies, and others, to be -hereafter alluded to, are doubtless only absurd to our ignorance; they -are the results of physical laws, as absolute, though not so easily -ascertained, as those by which the most ordinary phenomena around us are -found explicable. - -With respect to these cloudy forms, I have met with four instances -lately, two occurring to ladies, and two to gentlemen; the one a -minister, and the other a man engaged in business; and although I am -quite aware that these cases are not easily to be distinguished from -those of spectral illusion, yet I do not think them so myself; and as -they occurred to persons in their normal state of health, who never -before or since experienced anything of the kind, and who could find -nothing in their own circumstances to account for its happening then, I -shall mention them. In the instances of the gentlemen and one of the -ladies, they were suddenly awakened, they could not tell by what, and -perceived bending over them a cloudy form, which immediately retreated -slowly to the other end of the room, and disappeared. In the fourth -case, which occurred to an intimate friend of my own, she had not been -asleep; but having been the last person up in the house, had just -stepped into the bed, where her sister had already been some time -asleep. She was perfectly awake, when her attention was attracted by -hearing the clink of glass, and, on looking up, she saw a figure -standing on the hearth, which was exactly opposite her side of the bed, -and as there was water and a tumbler there, she concluded that her -sister had stepped out at the bottom, unperceived by her, and was -drinking. While she was carelessly observing the figure, it moved toward -the bed, and laid a heavy hand upon her, pressing her arm in a manner -that gave her pain. “Oh, Maria, don’t!” she exclaimed; but as the form -retreated, and she lost sight of it, a strange feeling crept over her, -and she stretched out her hand to ascertain if her sister was beside -her. She was, and asleep; but this movement awoke her, and she found the -other now in considerable agitation. She, of course, tried to persuade -her that it was a dream, or night-mare, as did the family the next day; -but she was quite clear in her mind at the time, as she then assured me, -that it was neither one nor the other; though now, at the distance of a -year from the occurrence, she is very desirous of putting that -construction upon it. As somebody will be ready to suggest that this was -a freak played by one of the family, I can only answer that that is an -explanation that no one who is acquainted with all the circumstances, -could admit; added to which, the figure did not disappear in the -direction of the door, but in quite an opposite one. - -A very singular thing happened to the accomplished authoress of “Letters -from the Baltic,” on which my readers may put what interpretation they -please, but I give it here as a pendant to the last story. The night -before she left Petersburgh she passed in the house of a friend. The -room appropriated to her use was a large dining-room, in which a -temporary bed was placed, and a folding screen was so arranged as to -give an air of comfort to the nook where the bed stood. She went to bed, -and to sleep, and no one who knows her can suspect her of seeing -spectral illusions, or being incapable of distinguishing her own -condition when she saw anything whatever. As she was to commence her -journey on the following day, she had given orders to be called at an -early hour, and, accordingly, she found herself awakened toward morning -by an old woman in a complete Russian costume, who looked at her, -nodding and smiling, and intimating, as she supposed, that it was time -to rise. Feeling, however, very sleepy, and very unwilling to do so, she -took her watch from behind her pillow, and, looking at it, perceived -that it was only four o’clock. As, from the costume of the old woman, -she knew her to be a Russian, and therefore not likely to understand any -language she could speak, she shook her head, and pointed to the watch, -giving her to understand that it was too early. The woman looked at her, -and nodded, and then retreated, while the traveller lay down again and -soon fell asleep. By-and-by, she was awakened by a knock at the door and -the voice of the maid whom she had desired to call her. She bade her -come in, but, the door being locked on the inside, she had to get out of -bed to admit her. It now occurred to her to wonder how the old woman had -entered, but, taking it for granted that there was some other mode of -ingress she did not trouble herself about it, but dressed, and descended -to breakfast. Of course, the inquiry usually addressed to a stranger was -made—they hoped she had slept well! “Perfectly,” she said, “only that -one of their good people had been somewhat over anxious to get her up in -the morning;” and she then mentioned the old woman’s visit, but to her -surprise, they declared they had no such person in the family. “It must -have been some old nurse, or laundress, or something of that sort,” she -suggested. “Impossible!” they answered; “you must have dreamed the whole -thing; we have no old woman in the house; nobody wearing that costume; -and nobody could have got in, since the door must have been fastened -long after that!” And these assertions the servants fully confirmed; -added to which, I should observe, that the house, like foreign houses in -general, consisted of a flat, or floor, shut in by a door, which -separated it entirely from the rest of the building, and, being high up -from the street, nobody could even have gained access by a window. The -lady now beginning to get somewhat puzzled, inquired if there were any -second entrance into the room; but, to her surprise, she heard there was -not; and she then mentioned that she had locked the door on going to -bed, and had found it locked in the morning. The thing has ever remained -utterly inexplicable, and the family, who were much more amazed by it -than she was, would willingly believe it to have been a dream; but, -whatever the interpretation of it may be, she feels quite certain that -that is not the true one. - -I make no comments on the above case, though a very inexplicable one; -and I scarcely know whether to mention any of those well-established -tales, which appear to be certainly as satisfactorily attested as any -circumstance which is usually taken simply on report. I allude -particularly to the stories of General Wynyard; Lord Tyrone and Lady -Beresford; the case which took place at Havant, in Hampshire, and which -is related in a letter from Mr. Caswell the mathematician to Dr. -Bentley; that which occurred in Cornwall, as narrated by the Rev. Mr. -Ruddle, one of the prebendaries of Exeter, whose assistance and advice -were asked, and who himself had two interviews with the spirit; and many -others, which are already published in different works; especially in a -little book entitled “Accredited Ghost-Stories.” I may, however, mention -that, with respect to those of Lady Beresford and General Wynyard, the -families of the parties have always maintained their entire belief in -the circumstances; as do the family of Lady Betty Cobb, who took the -riband from Lady Beresford’s arm, after she was dead—she having always -worn it since her interview with the apparition, in order to conceal the -mark he had left by touching her. - -There have been many attempts to explain away the story of Lord -Littleton’s warning, although the evidence for it certainly satisfied -the family, as we learn from Dr. Johnson, who said, in regard to it, -that it was the most extraordinary thing that had happened in his day, -and that he heard it from the lips of Lord Westcote, the uncle of Lord -Littleton. - -There is a sequel, however, to this story, which is extremely well -authenticated, though much less generally known. It appears that Mr. -Miles Peter Andrews, the intimate friend of Lord Littleton, was at his -house, at Dartford, when Lord L. died at Pitt-place, Epsom, thirty miles -off. Mr. Andrews’ house was full of company, and he expected Lord -Littleton, whom he had left in his usual state of health, to join him -the next day, which was Sunday. - -Mr. Andrews himself feeling rather indisposed on the Saturday evening, -retired early to bed, and requested Mrs. Pigou, one of his guests, to do -the honors of his supper-table. He admitted (for he is himself the -authority for the story) that he fell into a feverish sleep on going to -bed, but was awakened between eleven and twelve by somebody opening his -curtains, which proved to be Lord Littleton, in a night-gown and cap, -which Mr. Andrews recognised. Lord Littleton spoke, saying that he was -come to tell him _all was over_. It appears that Lord Littleton was fond -of practical joking, and as Mr. Andrews entertained no doubt whatever of -his visiter being Lord Littleton himself, in the body, he supposed that -this was one of his tricks; and, stretching his arm out of bed, he took -hold of his slippers, the nearest thing he could get at, and threw them -at him, whereupon the figure retreated to a dressing-room, which had no -ingress or egress except through the bed-chamber. Upon this, Mr. Andrews -jumped out of bed to follow him, intending to chastise him further, but -he could find nobody in either of the rooms, although the door was -locked on the inside; so he rang his bell, and inquired who had seen -Lord Littleton. Nobody had seen him; but, though how he had got in or -out of the room remained an enigma, Mr. Andrews asserted that he was -certainly there; and, angry at the supposed trick, he ordered that they -should give him no bed, but let him go and sleep at the inn. Lord -Littleton, however, appeared no more, and Mr. Andrews went to sleep, not -entertaining the slightest suspicion that he had seen an apparition. - -It happened that, on the following morning, Mrs. Pigou had occasion to -go at an early hour to London, and great was her astonishment to learn -that Lord Littleton had died on the preceding night. She immediately -despatched an express to Dartford with the news, upon the receipt of -which, Mr. Andrews, then quite well, and remembering perfectly all that -had happened, swooned away. He could not understand it, but it had a -most serious effect upon him, and, to use his own expression, he was not -his own man again for three years. - -There are various authorities for this story, the correctness of which -is vouched for by some members of Mrs. Pigou’s family, with whom I am -acquainted, who have frequently heard the circumstances detailed by -herself, and who assure me it was always believed by the family. I -really, therefore, do not see what grounds we have for doubting either -of these facts. Lord Westcote, on whose word Dr. Johnson founded his -belief of Lord Littleton’s warning, was a man of strong sense; and that -the story was not looked upon lightly by the family, is proved by the -fact that the dowager Lady Littleton had a picture—which was seen by -Sir Nathaniel Wraxhall in her house in Portugal street, as mentioned in -his memoirs—wherein the event was commemorated. His lordship is in bed; -the dove appears at the window; and a female figure stands at the foot -of the couch, announcing to the unhappy profligate his approaching -dissolution. That he mentioned the warning to his valet, and some other -persons, and that he talked of _jockeying_ the ghost by surviving the -time named, is certain; as also that he died with his watch in his hand, -precisely at the appointed period! Mr. Andrews says that he was subject -to fits of strangulation, from a swelling in the throat, which might -have killed him at any moment; but his decease having proceeded from a -natural and obvious cause, does not interfere one way or the other with -the validity of the prediction, which simply foretold his death at a -particular period, not that there was to be anything preternatural in -the manner of it. - -As I find so many people willing to believe in wraiths, who can not -believe in ghosts—that is, they are overpowered by the numerous -examples, and the weight of evidence for the first—it would be -desirable if we could ascertain whether these wraiths are seen before -the death occurs or after it; but, though the day is recorded, and seems -always to be the one on which the death took place, and the hour about -the same, minutes are not sufficiently observed to enable us to answer -that question. It would be an interesting one, because the argument -advanced by those who believe that the dead never are seen, is, that it -is the strong will and desire of the expiring person which enables him -so to act on the nervous system of his distant friend, that the -imagination of the latter projects the form, and sees it as if -objectively. By _imagination_ I do not simply mean to convey the common -notion implied by that much-abused word, which is only _fancy_, but the -_constructive_ imagination, which is a much higher function, and which, -inasmuch as man is made in the likeness of God, bears a distant relation -to that sublime power by which the Creator projects, creates, and -upholds, his universe; while the far-working of the departing spirit -seems to consist in the strong will to do, reinforced by the strong -faith that it can be done. We have rarely the strong will, and still -more rarely the strong faith, without which the will remains -ineffective. In the following case, which is perfectly authentic, the -apparition of Major R—— was seen several hours after his death had -occurred. - -In the year 1785, some cadets were ordered to proceed from Madras to -join their regiments up the country. A considerable part of the journey -was to be made in a barge, and they were under the conduct of a senior -officer, Major R——. In order to relieve the monotony of the voyage, -this gentleman proposed, one day, that they should make a shooting -excursion inland, and walk round to meet the boat at a point agreed on, -which, owing to the windings of the river, it would not reach till -evening. They accordingly took their guns, and as they had to cross a -swamp, Major R——, who was well acquainted with the country, put on a -heavy pair of top-boots, which, together with an odd limp he had in his -gait, rendered him distinguishable from the rest of the party at a -considerable distance. When they reached the jungle, they found there -was a wide ditch to leap, which all succeeded in doing except the major, -who being less young active, jumped short of the requisite distance; and -although he scrambled up unhurt, he found his gun so crammed full of wet -sand that it would be useless till thoroughly cleansed. He therefore -bade them walk on, saying he would follow; and taking off his hat, he -sat down in the shade, where they left him. When they had been beating -about for game some time, they began to wonder why the major did not -come on, and they shouted to let him know whereabouts they were; but -there was no answer, and hour after hour passed without his appearance, -till at length they began to feel somewhat uneasy. - -Thus the day wore away, and they found themselves approaching the -rendezvous. The boat was in sight, and they were walking down to it, -wondering how their friend could have missed them, when suddenly, to -their great joy, they saw him before them, making toward the barge. He -was without his hat or gun, limping hastily along in his top-boots, and -did not appear to observe them. They shouted after him, but as he did -not look round, they began to run, in order to overtake him; and, -indeed, fast as he went, they did gain considerably upon him. Still he -reached the boat first, crossing the plank which the boatmen had placed -ready for the gentlemen they saw approaching. He ran down the -companion-stairs, and they after him; but inexpressible was their -surprise when they could not find him below! They ascended again, and -inquired of the boatmen what had become of him; but they declared he had -not come on board, and that nobody had crossed the plank till the young -men themselves had done so. - -Confounded and amazed at what appeared so inexplicable, and doubly -anxious about their friend, they immediately resolved to retrace their -steps in search of him; and, accompanied by some Indians who knew the -jungle, they made their way back to the spot where they had left him. -Thence some footmarks enabled them to trace him, till, at a very short -distance from the ditch, they found his hat and his gun. Just then the -Indians called out to them to beware, for that there was a sunken well -thereabouts, into which they might fall. An apprehension naturally -seized them that this might have been the fate of their friend; and on -examining the edge, they saw a mark as of a heel slipping up. Upon this, -one of the Indians consented to go down, having a rope with which they -had provided themselves tied round his waist; for, aware of the -existence of the wells, the natives suspected what had actually -occurred, namely, that the unfortunate gentleman had slipped into one of -these traps, which, being overgrown with brambles, were not discernible -by the eye. With the assistance of the Indian, the body was brought up -and carried back to the boat, amid the deep regrets of the party, with -whom he had been a great favorite. They proceeded with it to the next -station, where an inquiry was instituted as to the manner of his death, -but of course there was nothing more to be elicited. - -I give this story as related by one of the parties present, and there is -no doubt of its perfect authenticity. He says he can in no way account -for the mystery—he can only relate the fact; and not one, but the whole -_five_ cadets, saw him as distinctly as they saw each other. It was -evident, from the spot where the body was found, which was not many -hundred yards from the well, that the accident must have occurred very -shortly after they left him. When the young men reached the boat, Major -R—— must have been, for some seven or eight hours, a denizen of the -other world, yet he kept the rendezvous! - -There was a similar occurrence in Devonshire, some years back, which -happened to the well-known Dr. Hawker, who, one night in the street, -observed an old woman pass him, to whom he was in the habit of giving a -weekly charity. Immediately after she had passed, he felt somebody pull -his coat, and on looking round saw it was her, whereupon he put his hand -in his pocket to seek for a sixpence, but on turning to give it to her -she was gone. He thought nothing about it; but when he got home, he -inquired if she had had her money that week,—when, to his amazement, he -heard she was dead, but his family had forgotten to mention the -circumstance. I have met with two curious cases, occurring in Edinburgh, -of late years; in one, a young man and his sister were in their kitchen, -warming themselves over the fire before they retired to bed, when, on -raising their eyes, they both saw a female figure, dressed in white, -standing in the door-way and looking at them; she was leaning against -one of the door-posts. Miss E——, the young lady, screamed; whereupon -the figure advanced, crossed the kitchen toward a closet, and -disappeared. There was no egress at the closet: and as they lived in a -flat, and the door was closed for the night, a stranger could neither -have entered the house nor got out of it. In the other instance, there -were two houses on one flat, the doors opposite each other. In one of -the houses there resided a person with her two daughters, grown-up -women: in the other lived a shoemaker and his wife. The latter died, and -it was said her husband had ill-treated her and worried her out of the -world. He was a drunken, dissipated man, and used to be out till a late -hour most nights, while this poor woman sat up for him, and when she -heard a voice on the stairs, or a bell, she used often to come out and -look over to see if it were her husband returned. One night, when she -had been dead some weeks, the two young women were ascending the stairs -to their own door, when, to their amazement, they both saw her standing -at the top, looking over as she used to do in her lifetime. At the same -moment their mother opened the door and saw the figure also; the girls -rushed past, overcome with terror, and one if not both fainted as soon -as they got into the door. The youngest fell on her face in the passage. - -Another case, which occurred in this town, I mention—although I know it -is liable to be called a spectral illusion—because it bears a -remarkable similarity to one which took place in America. A respectable -woman lost her father, for whom she had a great affection; she was of a -serious turn, and much attached to the tenets of her church, in which -particulars she thought her father had been deficient. She was therefore -very unhappy about him, fearing that he had not died in a proper state -of mind. A considerable time had elapsed since his death, but her -distrust of his condition was still causing her uneasiness; when one -day, while she was sitting at her work, she felt something touch her -shoulder, and on looking round she perceived her father, who bade her -cease to grieve about him, as he was not unhappy. From that moment she -became perfectly resigned and cheerful. The American case—I have -omitted to write down the name of the place, and forget it—was that of -a mother and son. She was also a highly respectable person, and was -described to me as perfectly trustworthy by one who knew her. She was a -widow, and had one son, to whom she was extremely attached. He however -disappeared one day, and she never could learn what had become of him; -she always said that if she did but know his fate she should be happier. -At length, when he had been dead a considerable time, her attention was -one day, while reading, attracted by a slight noise, which induced her -to look round, and she saw her son, dripping with water, and with a sad -expression of countenance. The features, however, presently relaxed, and -they assumed a more pleasing aspect before he disappeared. From that -time she ceased to grieve, and it was subsequently ascertained that the -young man had run away to sea; but no more was known of him. Certain it -was, however, that she attributed her recovered tranquillity to having -seen her son as above narrated. - -A lady with whom I am acquainted was one day, when a girl, standing at -the top of the stairs, with two others, discussing their games, when -they each suddenly exclaimed: “Who’s that?” There was a fourth among -them—a girl in a checked pinafore; but she was gone again. They had all -seen her. One day a younger brother, in the same house, was playing with -a whip, when he suddenly laughed at something, and cried “Take that;” -and described having seen the same girl. This led to some inquiry, and -it was said that such a girl as they described had lived in that house, -and had died from the bite of a mad dog; or, rather, had been smothered -between two feather-beds: but whether that was actually done, or was -only a report, I can not say. Supposing this to have been no illusion, -and I really can not see how it could be one, the memory of past sports -and pleasures seems to have so survived as to have attracted the young -soul, prematurely cut off, to the spot where the same sports and -pleasures were being enjoyed by the living. - -A maid-servant in one of the midland counties of England, being up early -one morning, heard her name called in a voice that seemed to be her -brother’s, a sailor then at sea; and running up, she found him standing -in the hall; he said he was come from afar, and was going again, and -mentioned some other things; when her mistress, hearing voices, called -to know who she was talking to: she said it was her brother from sea. -After speaking to her for some time, she suddenly lost sight of him, and -found herself alone. Amazed and puzzled, she told her mistress what had -happened, who being led thus to suspect the kind of visiter it was, -looked out of the window to ascertain if there were any marks of -footsteps, the ground being covered with snow. There were, however, -none,—and it was therefore clear that nobody could have entered the -house. Intelligence afterward arrived of the young man’s death. - -This last is a case of wraith, but a more complicated one, from the -circumstance of speech being superadded. But this is not by any means an -isolated particular; there are many such. The author of the book called -“Accredited Ghost Stories”—whose name I at this moment forget, and I -have not the book at hand—gives, on his own authority, the following -circumstance, professing to be acquainted with the parties. A company -were visiting York cathedral, when a gentleman and lady, who had -detached themselves from the rest, observed an officer wearing a naval -uniform approaching them; he walked quickly, saying to the lady, as he -passed, “There _is_ another world.” The gentleman, seeing her greatly -agitated, pursued the stranger, but lost sight of him, and nobody had -seen such a person but themselves. On returning to his companion, she -told him that it was her brother, who was then abroad with his ship, and -with whom she had frequently held discussions as to whether there was or -was not a future life. The news of the young man’s death shortly reached -the family. In this case the brother must have been dead; the spirit -must have passed out of this world into that other, the existence of -which he came to certify. This is one of those cases which—happening -not long ago—leads one especially to regret the want of moral courage -which prevents people giving up their names and avowing their -experience. The author of the abovementioned book, from which I borrow -this story, says that the sheet had gone to the press with the real -names of the parties attached, but that he was requested to withdraw -them, as it would be painful to the family. My view of this case is so -different, that, had it occurred to myself, I should have felt it my -imperative duty to make it known and give every satisfaction to -inquirers. - -Some years ago, during the war, when Sir Robert H. E—— was in the -Netherlands, he happened to be quartered with two other officers, one of -whom was despatched into Holland on an expedition. One night, during his -absence, Sir R. H. E—— awoke, and, to his great surprise, saw this -absent friend sitting on the bed which he used to occupy, with a wound -in his breast. Sir Robert immediately awoke his companion, who saw the -spectre also. The latter then addressed them, saying that he had been -that day killed in a skirmish, and that he had died in great anxiety -about his family, wherefore he had come to communicate that there was a -deed of much consequence to them deposited in the hands of a certain -lawyer in London, whose name and address he mentioned, adding that this -man’s honesty was not to be altogether relied on. He therefore requested -that, on their return to England, they would go to his house and demand -the deed, but that, if he denied the possession of it, they were to seek -it in a certain drawer in his office, which he described to them. The -circumstance impressed them very much at the time, but a long time had -elapsed ere they reached England, during which period they had gone -through so many adventures and seen so many friends fall around them, -that this impression was considerably weakened, insomuch that each went -to his own home and his own pursuits without thinking of fulfilling the -commission they had undertaken. Some time afterward, however, it -happened that they both met in London, and they then resolved to seek -the street that had been named to them, and ascertain if such a man -lived there. They found him, requested an interview, and demanded the -deed, the possession of which he denied; but their eyes were upon the -drawer that had been described to them, where they asserted it to be, -and being there discovered, it was delivered into their hands. Here, -also, the soul had parted from the body, while the memory of the past -and an anxiety for the worldly prosperity, of those left behind, -survived; and we thus see that the condition of mind in which this -person had died, remained unchanged. He was not indifferent to the -worldly prosperity of his relatives, and he found his own state rendered -unhappy by the fear that they might suffer from the dishonesty of his -agent. It may here be naturally objected that hundreds of much-loved -widows and orphans have been ruined by dishonest trustees and agents, -where no ghost came back to instruct them in the means of obviating the -misfortune. This is, no doubt, a very legitimate objection, and one -which it is very difficult to answer. I must, however, repeat what I -said before, nature is full of exceptional cases, while we know very -little of the laws which regulate these exceptions; but we may see a -very good reason for the fact that such communications are the -exception, and not the rule; for if they were the latter, the whole -economy of this earthly life would be overturned, and its affairs must -necessarily be conducted in a totally different manner to that which -prevails at present. What the effects of such an arrangement of nature -would be, had it pleased God to make it, he alone knows; but certain it -is, that man’s freedom, as a moral agent, would be in a great degree -abrogated, were the barriers that impede our intercourse with the -spiritual world removed. - -It may be answered, that this is an argument which may be directed -against the fact of such appearances being permitted at all; but that is -a fallacious objection. Earthquakes and hurricanes are occasionally -permitted, which overthrow the work of man’s hands for centuries; but if -these convulsions of nature were of every-day occurrence, nobody would -think it worth their while to build a house or cultivate the earth, and -the world would be a wreck and a wilderness. The apparitions that do -appear, are not without their use to those who believe in them; while -there is too great an uncertainty attending the subject, generally to -allow of its ever being taken into consideration in mundane affairs. - -The old, so-called, superstition of the people, that a person’s “dying -with something on his mind” is one of the frequent causes of these -revisitings, seems, like most other of their superstitions, to be -founded on experience. I meet with many cases in which some apparently -trivial anxiety, or some frustrated communication, prevents the uneasy -spirit flinging off the bonds that bind it to the earth. I could quote -many examples characterized by this feature, but will confine myself to -two or three. - -Jung Stilling gives a very curious one, which occurred in the year 1746, -and for the authenticity of which he vouches. A gentleman of the name of -Dorrien, of most excellent character and amiable disposition, who was -tutor in the Carolina Colleges, at Brunswick, died there in that year; -and immediately previous to his death he sent to request an interview -with another tutor, of the name of Hofer, with whom he had lived on -terms of friendship. Hofer obeyed the summons, but came too late, the -dying man was already in the last agonies. After a short time, rumors -began to circulate that Herr Dorrien had been seen by different persons -about the college; but as it was with the pupils that these rumors -originated, they were supposed to be mere fancies, and no attention -whatever was paid to them. At length, however, in the month of October, -three months after the decease of Herr Dorrien, a circumstance occurred -that excited considerable amazement among the professors. It formed part -of the duty of Hofer to go through the college every night, between the -hours of eleven and twelve, for the purpose of ascertaining that all the -scholars were in bed, and that nothing irregular was going on among -them. On the night in question, on entering one of the ante-rooms in the -execution of this duty, he saw, to his great amazement, Herr Dorrien, -seated, in the dressing-gown and white cap he was accustomed to wear, -and holding the latter with his right hand, in such a manner as to -conceal the upper part of the face; from the eyes to the chin, however, -it was distinctly visible. This unexpected sight naturally startled -Hofer, but, summoning resolution, he advanced into the young men’s -chamber, and, having ascertained that all was in order, closed the door; -he then turned his eyes again toward the spectre, and there it sat as -before, whereupon he went up to it, and stretched out his arm toward it; -but he was now seized with such a feeling of indescribable horror, that -he could scarcely withdraw his hand, which became swollen to a degree -that for some months he had no use of it. On the following day he -related this circumstance to the professor of mathematics, Oeder, who of -course treated the thing as a spectral illusion. He, however, consented -to accompany Hofer on his rounds the ensuing night, satisfied that he -should be able either to convince him it was a mere phantasm, or else a -spectre of flesh and blood that was playing him a trick. They -accordingly went at the usual hour, but no sooner had the professor set -his foot in that same room, than he exclaimed, “By Heavens! it is -Dorrien himself!” Hofer, in the meantime, proceeded into the chamber as -before, in the pursuance of his duties, and, on his return, they both -contemplated the figure for some time; neither of them had, however, the -courage to address or approach it, and finally quitted the room, very -much impressed, and perfectly convinced that they had seen Dorrien. - -This incident soon got spread abroad, and many people came in hopes of -satisfying their own eyes of the fact, but their pains were fruitless; -and even Professor Oeder, who had made up his mind to speak to the -apparition, sought it repeatedly in the same place in vain. At length, -he gave it up, and ceased to think of it, saying, “I have sought the -ghost long enough; if he has anything to say, he must now seek me.” -About a fortnight after this, he was suddenly awakened, between three -and four o’clock in the morning, by something moving in his chamber, and -on opening his eyes, he beheld a shadowy form, having the same -appearance as the spectre, standing in front of a press which was not -more than two steps from his bed. He raised himself, and contemplated -the figure, the features of which he saw distinctly for some minutes, -till it disappeared. On the following night he was awakened in the same -manner, and saw the figure as before, with the addition that there was a -sound proceeded from the door of the press, as if somebody was leaning -against it. The spectre also stayed longer this time, and Professor -Oeder, no doubt frightened and angry, addressing it as an evil spirit, -bade it begone, whereon it made gestures with its head and hands that -alarmed him so much, that he adjured it in the name of God to leave him, -which it did. Eight days now elapsed without any further disturbance, -but, after that period, the visits of the spirit were resumed, and he -was awakened by it repeatedly about three in the morning, when it would -advance from the press to the bed, and hang its head over him in a -manner so annoying, that he started up and struck at it, whereupon it -would retire, but presently advance again. Perceiving now, that the -countenance was rather placid and friendly than otherwise, the professor -at length addressed it, and, having reason to believe that Dorrien had -left some debts unpaid, he asked him if that were the case, upon which -the spectre retreated some steps, and seemed to place itself in an -attitude of attention. Oeder reiterated the inquiry, whereupon the -figure drew its hand across its mouth, in which the professor now -observed a short pipe. “Is it to the barber you are in debt?” he -inquired. The spectre slowly shook its head. “Is it to the tobacconist, -then?” asked he, the question being suggested by the pipe. Hereupon the -form retreated, and disappeared. On the following day, Oeder narrated -what had occurred to Councillor Erath, one of the curators of the -college, and also to the sister of the deceased, and arrangements were -made for discharging the debt. Professor Seidler, of the same college, -now proposed to pass the night with Oeder, for the purpose of observing -if the ghost came again, which it did about five o’clock, and awoke -Oeder as usual, who awoke his companion, but just then the form -disappeared, and Seidler said he only saw something white. They then -both disposed themselves to sleep, but presently Seidler was aroused by -Oeder’s starting up and striking out, while he cried, with a voice -expressive of rage and horror, “Begone! You have tormented me long -enough! If you want anything of me, say what it is, or give me an -intelligible sign, and come here no more!” - -Seidler heard all this, though he saw nothing; but as soon as Oeder was -somewhat appeased, he told him that the figure had returned, and not -only approached the bed, but stretched itself upon it. After this, Oeder -burned a light, and had some one in the room every night. He gained this -advantage by the light, that he saw nothing; but about four o’clock, he -was generally awakened by noises in his room, and other symptoms that -satisfied him the ghost was there. At length, however, this annoyance -ceased also; and trusting that his unwelcome guest had taken his leave, -he dismissed his bedfellow, and dispensed with his light. Two nights -passed quietly over; on the third, however, the spectre returned; but -very perceptibly darker. It now presented another sign, or symbol, which -seemed to represent a picture, with a hole in the middle, through which -it thrust its head. Oeder was now so little alarmed, that he bade it -express its wishes more clearly, or approach nearer. To these -requisitions the apparition shook its head, and then vanished. This -strange phenomenon recurred several times, and even in the presence of -another curator of the college; but it was with considerable difficulty -they discovered what the symbol was meant to convey. They at length, -however, found that Dorrien just before his illness, had obtained, on -trial, several pictures for a magic lantern, which had never been -returned to their owner. This was now done, and from that time the -apparition was neither seen nor heard again. Professor Oeder made no -secret of these circumstances; he related them publicly in court and -college; he wrote the account to several eminent persons, and declared -himself ready to attest the facts upon his oath. - -Stilling, who relates this story, has been called superstitious; he may -be so; but his piety and his honesty are above suspicion; he says the -facts are well known, and that he can vouch for their authenticity; and -as he must have been a contemporary of the parties concerned, he had, -doubtless, good opportunities of ascertaining what foundation there was -for the story. It is certainly a very extraordinary one, and the -demeanor of the spirit as little like what we should have naturally -apprehended as possible; but, as I have said before, we have no right to -pronounce any opinion on this subject, except from experience, and there -are two arguments to be advanced in favor of this narration; the one -being, that I can not imagine anybody setting about to invent a -ghost-story, would have introduced circumstances so apparently -improbable and inappropriate; and the other consisting in the fact, that -I have met with numerous relations, coming from very opposite quarters, -which seem to corroborate the one in question. - -With respect to the cause of the spectre’s appearance, Jung Stilling, I -think, reasonably enough, suggests that the poor man had intended to -commission Hofer to settle these little affairs for him, but that -delaying this duty too long, his mind had been oppressed by the -recollection of them in his last moments—he had carried his care with -him, and it bound him to the earth. Wherefore, considering how many -persons die with duties unperformed, this anxiety to repair the neglect, -is not more frequently manifested, we do not know; some reasons we have -already suggested as possible; there may be others of which we can form -no idea, any more than we can solve the question, why in some cases -communication and even speech seems easy, while in this instance, the -spirit was only able to convey its wishes by gestures and symbols. Its -addressing itself to Oeder instead of Hofer, probably arose from its -finding communication with him less difficult; the swelling of Hofer’s -arm indicating that his physical nature was not adapted for this -spiritual intercourse. With respect to Oeder’s expedient of burning a -light in his room, in order to prevent his seeing this shadowy form, we -can comprehend, that the figure would be discerned more easily on the -dark ground of comparative obscurity, and that clear light would render -it invisible. Dr. Kerner mentions, on one occasion, that while sitting -in an adjoining room, with the door open, he had seen a shadowy figure, -to whom his patient was speaking, standing beside her bed; and catching -up a candle, he had rushed toward it; but as soon as he thus illuminated -the chamber, he could no longer distinguish it. - -The ineffective and awkward attempts of this apparition to make itself -understood, are not easily to be reconciled to our ideas of a spirit, -while, at the same time, that which it could do, and that which it could -not—the powers it possessed and those it wanted—tend to throw some -light on its condition. As regards space, we may suppose that, in this -instance, what St. Martin said of ghosts in general, may be applicable: -“_Je ne crois pas aux revenants, mais je crois aux restants_;” that is, -he did not believe that spirits who had once quitted the earth returned -to it, but he believed that some did not quit it, and thus, as the -somnambule mentioned in a former chapter said to me, “Some are waiting -and some are gone on before.” - -Dorrien’s uneasiness and worldly care chained him to the earth, and he -was a _restant_—but, being a spirit, he was inevitably inducted into -some of the inherent properties of spirit; matter to him was no -impediment, neither doors nor walls could keep him out; he had the -intuitive perception of whom he could most easily communicate with, or -he was brought into rapport with Oeder by the latter’s seeking him; and -he could either so act on Oeder’s constructive imagination as to enable -it to project his own figure, with the short pipe and the pictures, or -he could, by the magical power of his will, build up these images out of -the constituents of the atmosphere. The last seems the most probable, -because, had the rapport with Oeder, or Oeder’s receptivity, been -sufficient to enable the spirit to act potently upon him, it would have -been also able to infuse into his mind the wishes it desired to convey, -even without speech, for speech, as a means of communication between -spirits, must be quite unnecessary. Even in spite of these dense bodies -of ours, we have great difficulty in concealing our thoughts from each -other; and the somnambule reads the thoughts of not only his magnetizer, -but of others with whom he is placed in rapport. In cases where speech -appears to be used by a spirit, it is frequently not audible speech, but -only this transference of thought, which appears to be speech from the -manner in which the thought is borne in and enters the mind of the -receiver; but it is not through his ears, but through his universal -supplementary sense, that he receives it; and it is no more like what we -mean by _hearing_, than is the seeing of a _clairvoyant_, or a spirit, -like our seeing by means of our bodily organs. In those cases where the -speech is audible to other persons, we must suppose that the magical -will of the spirit can, by means of the atmosphere, simulate these -sounds as it can simulate others, of which I shall have to treat -by-and-by. It is remarkable that, in some instances, this magical power -seems to extend so far as to represent to the eye of the seer a form -apparently so real, solid, and lifelike, that it is not recognisable -from the living man; while in other cases the production of a shadowy -figure seems to be the limit of its agency, whether limited by its own -faculty or the receptivity of its subject: but we must be quite sure -that the form is, in either instance, equally ethereal or immaterial. -And it will not be out of place here to refer to the standing joke of -the skeptics, about ghosts appearing in coats and waistcoats. Bentham -thought he had settled the question for ever by that objection; and I -have heard it since frequently advanced by very acute persons; but, -properly considered, it has not the least validity. - -Whether or not the soul on leaving its earthly tabernacle finds itself -at once clothed with that spiritual body which St. Paul refers to, is -what we can not know, though it seems highly probable; but if it be so, -we must be sure that this body resembles in its nature that fluent, -subtle kind of matter, called by us imponderables, which are capable of -penetrating all substances; and unless there be no visible body at all, -but only the will of a disembodied spirit acting upon one yet in the -flesh (in which case it were as easy to impress the imagination with a -clothed figure as an unclothed one), we must conclude that this ethereal -flexible form, whether permanent or temporary, may be held together and -retain its shape by the volition of the spirit, as our bodies are held -together by the principle of life that is in them; and we see in various -instances, where the spectator has been bold enough to try the -experiment, that though the shadowy body was pervious to any substance -passed through it, its integrity was only momentarily interrupted, and -it immediately recovered its previous shape. - -Now, as a spirit—provided there be no especial law to the contrary, -partial or universal, absolute or otherwise, governing the spiritual -world—must be where its thoughts and wishes are, just as we should be -at the place we intently think of, or desire, if our solid bodies did -not impede us, so must a spirit appear as it is, or as it _conceives_ of -itself. Morally, it can only conceive of itself as it is, good or bad, -light or dark; but it may conceive of itself clothed as well as -unclothed; and if it can conceive of its former body, it can equally -conceive of its former habiliments, and so represent them by its power -of will to the eye, or present them to the constructive imagination of -the seer: and it will be able to do this with a degree of distinctness -proportioned to the receptivity of the latter, or to the intensity of -the rapport which exists between them. Now, considered in this way, the -appearance of a spirit “in its habit as it lived” is no more -extraordinary than the appearance of a spirit at all, and it adds no -complexity to the phenomenon. If it appears at all in a recognisable -form, it must come naked or clothed: the former, to say the least of it, -would be much more frightful and shocking; and if it be clothed, I do -not see what right we have to expect it shall be in a fancy costume, -conformable to our ideas (which are no ideas at all) of the other world; -nor why, if it be endowed with the memory of the past, it should not be -natural to suppose it would assume the external aspect it wore during -its earthly pilgrimage. Certain it is, whether consistent with our -notions or not, all tradition seems to show that this is the appearance -they assume; and the very fact that on the first view of the case, and -until the question is philosophically considered, the addition of a suit -of clothes to the phenomenon not only renders its acceptance much more -difficult, but throws an air of absurdity and improbability on the whole -subject, furnishes a very strong argument in favor of the persuasion -that this notion has been founded on experience, and is not the result -of either fancy or gratuitous invention. - -The idea of spirits appearing like angels, with wings, &c., seems to be -drawn from these relations in the Bible, when messengers were sent from -God to man; but those departed spirits are not angels, though probably -destined in the course of ages to become so: in the meantime, their -moral state continues as when they quitted the body, and their memories -and affections are with the earth—and so, earthly they appear, more or -less. We meet with some instances in which bright spirits have been -seen—protecting spirits, for example, who have shaken off their earth -entirely, clinging to it yet but by some holy affection or mission of -mercy—and these appear, not with wings, which whenever seen are merely -symbolical, for we can not imagine they are necessary to the motion of a -spirit, but clothed in robes of light. Such appearances, however, seem -much more rare than the others. - -It will seem to many persons very inconsistent with their ideas of the -dignity of a spirit that they should appear and act in the manner I have -described, and shall describe further; and I have heard it objected that -we can not suppose God would permit the dead to return merely to -frighten the living, and that it is showing him little reverence to -imagine he would suffer them to come on such trifling errands, or demean -themselves in so undignified a fashion. But God permits men of all -degrees of wickedness, and of every kind of absurdity, to exist, and to -harass and disturb the earth, while they expose themselves to its -obloquy or its ridicule. - -Now, as I have observed in a former chapter, there is nothing more -perplexing to us in regarding man as a responsible being, than the -degree to which we have reason to believe his moral nature is influenced -by his physical organization; but leaving this difficult question to be -decided (if ever it can be decided in this world) by wiser heads than -mine, there is one thing of which we may rest perfectly assured, namely, -that let the fault of an impure, or vicious, or even merely sensuous -life, lie where it will—whether it be the wicked spirit within, or the -ill-organized body without, or a _tertium quid_ of both combined—still -the soul that has been a party to this earthly career, must be soiled -and deteriorated by its familiarity with evil; and there seems much -reason to believe that the dissolution of the connection between the -soul and body produces far less change in the former than has been -commonly supposed. People generally think—if they think on the subject -at all—that as soon as they are dead, if they have lived tolerably -virtuous lives, or indeed been free from any great crimes, they will -immediately find themselves provided with wings, and straightway fly up -to some delightful place, which they call heaven, forgetting how unfit -they are for heavenly fellowship; and although I can not help thinking -that the Almighty has mercifully permitted occasional relaxations of the -boundaries that separate the dead from the living, for the purpose of -showing us our error, we are determined not to avail ourselves of the -advantage. I do not mean that these spirits—these _revenants_ or -_restants_—are special messengers sent to warn us: I only mean that -their occasionally “revisiting the glimpses of the moon” form the -exceptional cases in a great general law of nature which divides the -spiritual from the material world; and that, in framing this law, these -exceptions may have been designed for our benefit. - -There are several stories extant in the English, and a vast number in -the German records, which, supposing them to be well founded—and I -repeat, that for many of them we have just as good evidence as for -anything else we believe as hearsay or tradition—would go to confirm -the fact that the spirits of the dead are sometimes disturbed by what -appear to us very trifling cares. I give the following case from Dr. -Kerner, who says it was related to him by a very respectable man, on -whose word he can entirely rely:— - -“I was,” said Mr. St. S——, of S——, “the son of a man who had no -fortune but his business, in which he was ultimately successful. At -first, however, his means being narrow, he was perhaps too anxious and -inclined to parsimony; so that when my mother, careful housewife as she -was, asked him for money, the demand generally led to a quarrel. This -occasioned her great uneasiness, and having mentioned this -characteristic of her husband to her father, the old man advised her to -get a second key made to the money-chest, unknown to her husband, -considering this expedient allowable and even preferable to the -destruction of their conjugal felicity, and feeling satisfied that she -would make no ill use of the power possessed. My mother followed his -advice, very much to the advantage of all parties; and nobody suspected -the existence of this second key except myself, whom she had admitted -into her confidence. - -“Two-and-twenty years my parents lived happily together, when I, being -at the time about eighteen hours’ journey from home, received a letter -from my father informing me that she was ill—that he hoped for her -speedy amendment—but that if she grew worse he would send a horse to -fetch me home to see her. I was extremely busy at that time, and -therefore waited for further intelligence; and as several days elapsed -without any reaching me, I trusted my mother was convalescent. One -night, feeling myself unwell, I had lain down on the bed with my clothes -on to take a little rest. It was between 11 and 12 o’clock, and I had -not been asleep, when some one knocked at the door, and my mother -entered, dressed as she usually was. She saluted me, and said: ‘We shall -see each other no more in this world: but I have an injunction to give -you. I have given that key to R—— (naming a servant we then had), and -she will remit it to you. Keep it carefully, or throw it into the water, -but never let your father see it—it would trouble him. Farewell, and -walk virtuously through life.’ And with these words she turned and -quitted the room by the door, as she had entered it. I immediately -arose, called up my people, expressed my apprehension that my mother was -dead, and, without further delay, started for home. As I approached the -house, R——, the maid, came out and informed me that my mother had -expired between the hours of 11 and 12 on the preceding night. As there -was another person present at the moment, she said nothing further to -me, but she took an early opportunity of remitting me the key, saying -that my mother had given it to her just before she expired, desiring her -to place it in my hands, with an injunction that I should keep it -carefully, or fling it into the water, so that my father might never -know anything about it. I took the key, kept it for some years, and at -length threw it into the Lahne.” - -I am aware that it may be objected by those who believe in wraiths, but -in no other kind of apparition, that this phenomenon occurred before the -death of the lady, and that it was produced by her energetic anxiety -with regard to the key. It may be so, or it may not; but, at all events, -we see in this case how a comparatively trifling uneasiness may disturb -a dying person, and how, therefore—if memory remains to them—they may -carry it with them, and seek, by such means as they have, to obtain -relief from it. - -A remarkable instance of anxiety for the welfare of those left behind, -is exhibited in the following story, which I received from a member of -the family concerned: Mrs. R——, a lady very well connected, lost her -husband when in the prime of life, and found herself with fourteen -children, unprovided for. The overwhelming nature of the calamity -depressed her energies to such a degree as to render her incapable of -those exertions which could alone redeem them from ruin. The flood of -misfortune seemed too strong for her, and she yielded to it without -resistance. She had thus given way to despondency some time, when one -day, as she was sitting alone, the door opened, and her mother, who had -been a considerable time dead, entered the room and addressed her, -reproving her for this weak indulgence of useless sorrow, and bidding -her exert herself for the sake of her children. From that period she -threw off the depression, set actively to work to promote the fortunes -of her family, and succeeded so well that they ultimately emerged from -all their difficulties. I asked the gentleman who related this -circumstance to me whether he believed it. He answered, that he could -only assure me that she herself affirmed the fact, and that she avowedly -attributed the sudden change in her character and conduct to this -cause;—for his own part, he did not know what to say, finding it -difficult to believe in the possibility of such a visit from the dead. - -A somewhat similar instance is related by Dr. Kerner, which he says he -received from the party himself, a man of sense and probity. This -gentleman, Mr. F——, at an early age lost his mother. Two-and-twenty -years afterward he formed an attachment to a young person, whose hand he -resolved to ask in marriage. Having one evening seated himself at his -desk, for the purpose of writing his proposal, he was amazed, on -accidentally lifting his eyes from the paper, to see his mother, looking -exactly as if alive, seated opposite to him, while she, raising her -finger with a warning gesture, said: “Do not that thing!” Not the least -alarmed, Mr. F—— started up to approach her, whereupon she -disappeared. Being very much attached to the lady, however, he did not -feel disposed to follow her counsel; but having read the letter to his -father, who highly approved of the match and laughed at the ghost, he -returned to his chamber to seal it; when, while he was adding the -superscription, she again appeared as before and reiterated her -injunction. But love conquered; the letter was despatched, the marriage -ensued, and, after ten years of strife and unhappiness, was dissolved by -a judicial process. - -A remarkable circumstance occurred about forty years ago, in the family -of Dr. Paulus, at Stuttgard. The wife of the head of the family having -died, they, with some of their connections, were sitting at table a few -days afterward, in the room adjoining that in which the corpse lay; -suddenly the door of the latter apartment opened, and the figure of the -mother clad in white robes entered, and, saluting them as she passed, -walked slowly and noiselessly through the room, and then disappeared -again through the door by which she had entered. The whole company saw -the apparition; but the father, who was at that time quite in health, -died eight days afterward. - -Madame R—— had promised an old wood-cutter—who had a particular -horror of dying in the poor-house, because he knew his body would be -given to the surgeons—that she would take care to see him properly -interred. The old man lived some years afterward, and she had quite lost -sight of him, and indeed forgotten the circumstance, when she was one -night awakened by the sound of some one cutting wood in her bed-chamber; -and so perfect was the imitation, that she heard, every log flung aside -as separated. She started up, exclaiming, “The old man must be dead!” -and so it proved,—his last anxiety having been that Madame R—— should -remember her promise. - -That our interest in whatever has much concerned us in this life -accompanies us beyond the grave, seems to be proved by many stories I -meet with, and the following is of undoubted authenticity: Some years -ago, a music-master died at Erfert at the age of seventy. He was a -miser, and had never looked with very friendly eyes on Professor Rinck, -the composer, who he knew was likely to succeed to his classes. The old -man had lived and died in an apartment adjoining the class-room; and the -first day that Rinck entered on his office, while the scholars were -singing _Aus der tiefe ruf ich dich_, which is a paraphrase of the _De -profundis_, he thought he saw, through a hole or bull’s eye in the door, -something moving about the inner chamber. As the room was void of every -kind of furniture, and nobody could possibly be in it, Rinck looked more -fixedly, when he distinctly saw a shadow, whose movements were -accompanied by a strange rustling sound. Perplexed at the circumstance, -he told his pupils that on the following day he should require them to -repeat the same choral. They did so; and while they were singing, Rinck -saw a person walking backward and forward in the next room, who -frequently approached the hole in the door. Very much struck with so -extraordinary a circumstance, Rinck had the choral repeated on the -ensuing day,—and this time his suspicions were fully confirmed; the old -man, his predecessor, approaching the door, and gazing steadfastly into -the class-room. “His face,” said Rinck—in relating the story to Dr. -Mainzer, who has obligingly furnished it to me as entered in his journal -at the time—“was of an ashy-gray. The apparition,” he added, “never -more appeared to me, although I frequently had the choral repeated.” - -“I am no believer in ghost-stories,” he added, “nor in the least -superstitious; nevertheless, I can not help admitting that I have seen -this: it is impossible for me ever to doubt or to deny that which I know -I saw.” - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - - THE FUTURE THAT AWAITS US. - -IN all ages of the world, and in all parts of it, mankind have earnestly -desired to learn the fate that awaited them when they had “shuffled off -this mortal coil;” and those pretending to be their instructors have -built up different systems which have stood in the stead of knowledge, -and more or less satisfied the bulk of the people. The interest on this -subject is, at the present period, in the most highly civilized portions -of the globe, less than it has been at any preceding one. The great -proportion of us live for this world alone, and think very little of the -next: we are in too great a hurry of pleasure or business to bestow any -time on a subject of which we have such vague notions—notions so vague, -that, in short, we can scarcely by any effort of the imagination bring -the idea home to ourselves; and when we are about to die, we are seldom -in a situation to do more than resign ourselves to what is inevitable, -and blindly meet our fate; while, on the other hand, what is generally -called the religious world is so engrossed by its struggles for power -and money, or by its sectarian disputes and enmities, and so narrowed -and circumscribed by dogmatic orthodoxies, that it has neither -inclination nor liberty to turn back or look around, and endeavor to -gather up from past records and present observation such hints as are -now and again dropped in our path, to give us an intimation of what the -truth may be. The rationalistic age, too, out of which we are only just -emerging, and which succeeded one of gross superstition, having settled, -beyond appeal, that there never was such a thing as a ghost—that the -dead never do come back to tell us the secrets of their prison-house, -and that nobody believes such idle tales but children and old -women—seemed to have shut the door against the only channel through -which any information could be sought. Revelation tells us very little -on this subject—reason can tell us nothing; and if Nature is equally -silent, or if we are to be deterred from questioning her from the fear -of ridicule, there is certainly no resource left us but to rest -contented in our ignorance, and each wait till the awful secret is -disclosed to ourselves. - -A great many things have been pronounced untrue and absurd, and even -impossible, by the highest authorities of the age in which they lived, -which have afterward, and indeed within a very short period, been found -to be both possible and true. I confess myself, for one, to have no -respect whatever for these dogmatic denials and affirmations, and I am -quite of opinion that vulgar incredulity is a much more contemptible -thing than vulgar credulity. We know very little of what _is_, and still -less of what may be; and till a thing has been proved, by induction, -logically impossible, we have no right whatever to pronounce that it is -so. As I have said before, _a priori_ conclusions are perfectly -worthless; and the sort of investigation that is bestowed upon subjects -of the class of which I am treating, something worse—inasmuch as they -deceive the timid and the ignorant, and that very numerous class which -pins its faith on authority and never ventures to think for itself, by -an assumption of wisdom and knowledge, which, if examined and analyzed, -would very frequently prove to be nothing more respectable than -obstinate prejudice and rash assertion. - -For my own part, I repeat, I insist upon nothing. The opinions I have -formed, from the evidence collected, may be quite erroneous; if so, as I -seek only the truth, I shall be glad to be undeceived, and shall be -quite ready to accept a better explanation of these facts, whenever it -is offered to me: but it is in vain to tell me that this explanation is -to be found in what is called imagination, or in a morbid state of the -nerves, or an unusual excitement of the organs of color and form, or in -imposture; or in all these together. The existence of all such sources -of error and delusion I am far from denying, but I find instances that -it is quite impossible to reduce under any one of those categories, as -we at present understand them. The multiplicity of these instances, -too—for, not to mention the large number that are never made known or -carefully concealed, if I were to avail myself liberally of cases -already recorded in various works, many of which I know, and many others -I hear of as existing, but which I can not conveniently get access to, I -might fill volumes (German literature abounds in them)—the number of -the examples, I repeat, even on the supposition that they are not facts, -would of itself form the subject of a very curious physiological or -psychological inquiry. If so many people in respectable situations of -life, and in apparently a normal state of health, are capable of either -such gross impostures, or the subjects of such extraordinary spectral -illusions, it would certainly be extremely satisfactory to learn -something of the conditions that induce these phenomena in such -abundance; and all I expect from my book at present is, to induce a -suspicion that we are not quite so wise as we think ourselves; and that -it might be worth while to inquire a little seriously into reports, -which may perchance turn out to have a deeper interest for us than all -those various questions, public and private, put together, with which we -are daily agitating ourselves. - -I have alluded, in an earlier part of this work, to the belief -entertained by the ancients that the souls of men, on being disengaged -from the bodies, passed into a middle state, called Hades, in which -their portions seemed to be neither that of complete happiness nor of -insupportable misery. They retained their personality, their human form, -their memory of the past, and their interest in those that had been dear -to them on earth. Communications were occasionally made by the dead to -the living: they mourned over their duties neglected and their errors -committed; many of their mortal feelings, passions, and propensities, -seemed to survive; and they sometimes sought to repair, through the -instrumentality of the living, the injuries they had formerly inflicted. -In short, death was merely a transition from one condition of life to -another; but in this latter state, although we do not see them condemned -to undergo any torments, we perceive that they are not happy. There are, -indeed, compartments in this dark region: there is Tartarus for the -wicked, and the Elysian fields for the good, but they are comparatively -thinly peopled. It is in the mid-region that these pale shades abound, -consistently with the fact that here on earth, moral as well as -intellectual mediocrity is the rule, and extremes of good or evil the -exceptions. - -With regard to the opinion entertained of a future state by the Hebrews, -the Old Testament gives us very little information; but what glimpses we -do obtain of it appear to exhibit notions analogous to those of the -heathen nations, inasmuch as that the personality and the form seem to -be retained, and the possibility of these departed spirits revisiting -the earth and holding commune with the living is admitted. The request -of the rich man, also, that Lazarus might be sent to warn his brethren, -yet alive, of his own miserable condition, testifies to the existence of -these opinions; and it is worthy of remark that the favor is denied, not -because its performance is impossible, but because the mission would be -unavailing—a prediction which, it appears to me, time has singularly -justified. - -Altogether, the notion that in the state entered upon after we leave -this world, the personality and form are retained, that these shades -sometimes revisit the earth, and that the memory of the past still -survives, seems to be universal; for it is found to exist among all -people, savage and civilized: and if not founded on observation and -experience, it becomes difficult to account for such unanimity on a -subject which I think, speculatively considered, would not have been -productive of such results; and one proof of this is, that those who -reject such testimony and tradition as we have in regard to it, and rely -only on their own understandings, appear to be pretty uniformly led to -form opposite conclusions. They can not discern the mode of such a -phenomenon; it is open to all sorts of scientific objections, and the -_cui bono_ sticks in their teeth. - -This position being admitted, as I think it must be, we have but one -resource left, whereby to account for the universality of this -persuasion—which is, that in all periods and places, both mankind and -womankind, as well in health as in sickness, have been liable to a -series of spectral illusions of a most extraordinary and complicated -nature, and bearing such a remarkable similarity to each other in regard -to the objects supposed to be seen or heard, that they have been -universally led to the same erroneous interpretation of the phenomenon. -It is manifestly not impossible that this may be the case; and if it be -so, it becomes the business of physiologists to inquire into the matter, -and give us some account of it. In the meantime, we may be permitted to -take the other view of the question, and examine what probabilities seem -to be in its favor. - -When the body is about to die, that which can not die, and which, to -spare words, I will call THE SOUL, departs from it—whither? We do not -know: but, in the first place, we have no reason to believe that the -space destined for its habitation is far removed from the earth, since, -knowing nothing about it, we are equally entitled to suppose the -contrary; and, in the next, that which we call distance is a condition -that merely regards material objects, and of which a spirit is quite -independent, just as our thoughts are, which can travel from here to -China, and back again, in a second of time. - -Well, then, supposing this being to exist somewhere—and it is not -unreasonable to suppose that the souls of the inhabitants of each planet -continue to hover within the sphere of that planet, to which, for -anything we can tell, they may be attached by a magnetic -attraction—supposing it to find itself in space, free of the body, -endowed with the memory of the past, and consequently with a -consciousness of its own deserts, able to perceive that which we do not -ordinarily perceive, namely, those who have passed into a similar state -with itself—will it not naturally seek its place among those spirits -which most resemble itself, and with whom, therefore, it must have the -most affinity? On earth, the good seek the good, and the wicked the -wicked: and the axiom that “like associates with like,” we can not doubt -will be as true hereafter as now. “In my Father’s house there are many -mansions,” and our intuitive sense of what is fit and just must needs -assure us that this is so. There are too many degrees of moral worth and -of moral unworth among mankind, to permit of our supposing that justice -could be satisfied by an abrupt division into two opposite classes. On -the contrary, there must be infinite shades of desert; and, as we must -consider that that which a spirit enters into on leaving the body is not -so much a _place_ as a _condition_, so there must be as many degrees of -happiness or suffering as there are individuals, each carrying with him -his own heaven or hell. For it is a vulgar notion to imagine that heaven -and hell are _places_; they are states; and it is in ourselves we must -look for both. When we leave the body, we carry them with us: “As the -tree falls, so it shall lie.” The soul which here has wallowed in -wickedness or been sunk in sensuality, will not be suddenly purified by -the death of the body: its moral condition remains what its earthly -sojourn has trained it to, but its means of indulging its propensities -are lost. If it has had no godly aspirations here, it will not be drawn -to God there; and if it has so bound itself to the body that it has -known no happiness but that to which the body ministered, it will be -incapable of happiness when deprived of that enjoyment. Here we see at -once what a variety of conditions must necessarily ensue—how many -comparatively negative states there must be between those of positive -happiness or positive misery! - -We may thus conceive how a soul, on entering upon this new condition, -must find its own place or state; if its thoughts and aspirations here -have been heavenward, and its pursuits noble, its conditions will be -heavenly. The contemplation of God’s works, seen not as by our mortal -eyes, but in their beauty and their truth and ever-glowing sentiments of -love and gratitude—and, for aught we know, good offices to souls in -need—would constitute a suitable heaven or happiness for such a being; -an incapacity for such pleasures, and the absence of all others, would -constitute a negative state, in which the chief suffering would consist -in mournful regrets and a vague longing for something better, which the -untrained soul, that never lifted itself from the earth, knows not how -to seek; while malignant passions and unquenchable desires would -constitute the appropriate hell of the wicked; for we must remember, -that although a spirit is independent of those physical laws which are -the conditions of matter, the moral law, which is indestructible, -belongs peculiarly to it—that is, to the spirit—and is inseparable -from it. - -We must next remember, that this earthly body we inhabit is more or less -a mask, by means of which we conceal from each other those thoughts -which, if constantly exposed, would unfit us for living in community; -but when we die, this mask falls away, and the truth shows nakedly: -there is no more disguise; we appear as we are—spirits of light, or -spirits of darkness;—and there can be no difficulty, I should think, in -conceiving this, since we know that even our present opaque and -comparatively inflexible features, in spite of all efforts to the -contrary, will be the index of the mind; and that the expression of the -face is gradually moulded to the fashion of the thoughts. How much more -must this be the case with the fluent and diaphanous body which we -expect is to succeed the fleshly one! - -Thus, I think, we have arrived at forming some conception of the state -that awaits us hereafter: the indestructible moral law fixes our place -or condition; affinity governs our associations; and the mask under -which we conceal ourselves having fallen away, we appear to each other -as we are;—and I must here observe, that in this last circumstance must -be comprised one very important element of happiness or misery; for the -love of the pure spirits for each other will be for ever excited, by -simply beholding that beauty and brightness which will be the -inalienable expression of their goodness;—while the reverse will be the -case with the spirits of darkness; for no one loves wickedness, in -either themselves or others, however we may practise it. We must also -understand, that the words “dark” and “light”—which, in this world of -appearance, we use metaphorically to express good and evil—must be -understood literally when speaking of that other world where everything -will be seen as it is. Goodness is truth, and truth is light—and -wickedness is falsehood, and falsehood is darkness; and so it will be -seen to be. Those who have not the light of truth to guide them, will -wander darkly through this valley of the shadow of death; those in whom -the light of goodness shines will dwell in the light, which is inherent -in themselves. The former will be in the kingdom of darkness—the latter -in the kingdom of light. All the records existing of the blessed spirits -that have appeared, ancient or modern, exhibit them as robed in light, -while their anger or sorrow is symbolized by their darkness. Now, there -appears to me nothing incomprehensible in this view of the future; on -the contrary, it is the only one which I ever found myself capable of -conceiving or reconciling with the justice and mercy of our Creator. He -does not punish us—we punish ourselves: we have built up a heaven or a -hell to our own liking, and we carry it with us. The fire that for ever -burns without consuming, is the fiery evil in which we have chosen our -part; and the heaven in which we shall dwell, will be the heavenly peace -which will dwell in us. We are our own judges and our own chastisers. -And here I must say a few words on the subject of that apparently (to -us) preternatural memory which is developed under certain circumstances, -and to which I alluded in a former chapter. Every one will have heard -that persons who have been drowned and recovered, have had—in what -would have been their last moments, if no means had been used to revive -them—a strange vision of the past, in which their whole life seemed to -float before them in review; and I have heard of the same phenomenon -taking place, in moments of impending death, in other forms. Now, as it -is not during the struggle for life, but immediately before -insensibility ensues, that this vision occurs, it must be the act of a -moment; and this renders incomprehensible to us what is said by the -seeress of Prevorst, and other somnambules of the highest order, namely, -that the instant the soul is freed from the body, it sees its whole -earthly career in a single sign: it knows that it is good or evil, and -pronounces its own sentence. The extraordinary memory occasionally -exhibited in sickness, where the link between the soul and the body is -probably loosened, shows us an adumbration of this faculty. - -But this self-pronounced sentence we are led to hope is not final; nor -does it seem consistent with the love and mercy of God that it should be -so. There must be few, indeed, who leave this earth fit for heaven; for, -although the immediate frame of mind in which dissolution takes place is -probably very important, it is surely a pernicious error, encouraged by -jail chaplains and philanthropists, that a late repentance and a few -parting prayers can purify a soul sullied by years of wickedness. Would -we at once receive such a one into our intimate communion and love? -Should we not require time for the stains of vice to be washed away and -habits of virtue to be formed? Assuredly we should! And how can we -imagine that the purity of heaven is to be sullied by that approximation -which the purity of earth would forbid? It would be cruel to say, and -irrational to think, that this late repentance is of no avail; it is -doubtless so far of avail, that the straining upward and the heavenly -aspirations of the parting soul are carried with it, so that when it is -free, instead of choosing the darkness it will flee to as much light as -is in itself, and be ready, through the mercy of God and the ministering -of brighter spirits, to receive more. But in this case, as also in the -innumerable instances of those who die in what may be called a negative -state, the advance must be progressive; though, wherever the desire -exists, I must believe that this advance is possible. If not, wherefore -did Christ, after being “put to death in the flesh,” go and “preach to -the spirits in prison”? It would have been a mockery to preach salvation -to those who had no hope; nor would they, having no hope, have listened -to the preacher. - -I think these views are at once cheering, encouraging, and beautiful; -and I can not but believe, that were they more generally entertained and -more intimately conceived, they would be very beneficial in their -effects. As I have said before, the extremely vague notions people have -of a future life prevent the possibility of its exercising any great -influence upon the present. The picture, on one side, is too revolting -and inconsistent with our ideas of Divine goodness to be deliberately -accepted; while, with regard to the other, our feelings somewhat -resemble those of a little girl I once knew, who, being told by her -mother what was to be the reward of goodness if she were so happy as to -reach heaven, put her finger in her eye and began to cry, exclaiming, -“Oh, mamma, how tired I shall be singing!” - -The question which will now naturally arise, and which I am bound to -answer, is, how have these views been formed? and what is the authority -for them? And the answer I have to make will startle many minds when I -say, that they have been gathered from two sources; first and chiefly -from the state in which those spirits appear to be, and sometimes avow -themselves to be, who, after quitting the earth, return to it and make -themselves visible to the living; and, secondly, from the revelations of -numerous somnambules of the highest order, which entirely conform in all -cases, not only with the revelations of the dead, but with each other. I -do not mean to imply, when I say this, that I consider the question -finally settled as to whether somnambules are really clear-seers or only -visionaries; nor that I have by any means established the fact that the -dead do sometimes actually return; but I am obliged to beg the question -for the moment, since, whether these sources be pure or impure, it is -from them the information has been collected. It is true that these -views are extremely conformable with those entertained by Plato and his -school of philosophers, and also with those of the mystics of a later -age; but the latter certainly, and the former probably, built up their -systems on the same foundation; and I am very far from using the term -_mystics_ in the opprobrious, or at least contemptuous, tone in which it -has of late years been uttered in this country; for, although abounding -in errors, as regarded the concrete, and although their want of an -inductive _methodology_ led them constantly astray in the region of the -real, they were sublime teachers in that of the ideal; and they seem to -have been endowed with a wonderful insight into this veiled department -of our nature. - -It may be here objected, that we only admire their insight, because, -being in entire ignorance of the subject of it, we accept raving for -revelation; and that no weight can be attached to the conformity of -later disclosures with theirs, since they have no doubt been founded -upon them. As to the ignorance, it is admitted; and, simply looking at -their views, as they stand, they have nothing to support them but their -sublimity and consistency; but, as regards the value of the evidence -afforded by conformity, it rests on very different grounds; for the -reporters from whom we collect our intelligence are, with very few -exceptions, those of whom we may safely predicate, that they were wholly -unacquainted with the systems promulgated by the Platonic philosophers, -or the mystics either, nor, in most instances, had ever heard of their -names; for, as regards that peculiar somnambulic state which is here -referred to, the subjects of it appear to be generally very young people -of either sex, and chiefly girls; and, as regards ghost-seeing, although -this phenomenon seems to have no connection with the age of the seer, -yet it is not usually from the learned or the cultivated that we collect -our cases, inasmuch as the apprehension of ridicule on the one hand, and -the fast hold the doctrine of spectral illusions has taken of them on -the other, prevent their believing in their own senses, or producing any -evidence they might have to furnish. - -And here will be offered another subtle objection, namely, that the -testimony of such witnesses as I have above described is perfectly -worthless; but this I deny. The somnambulic states I allude to, are such -as have been developed, not artificially, but naturally; and often, -under very extraordinary nervous diseases, accompanied with catalepsy, -and various symptoms far beyond feigning. Such cases are rare, and, in -this country, seem to have been very little observed, for doubtless they -must occur, and when they do occur they are very carefully concealed by -the families of the patient, and not followed up or investigated as a -psychological phenomenon by the physician; for it is to be observed -that, without questioning, no revelations are made; they are not, as far -as I know, ever spontaneous. I have heard of two such cases in this -country, both occurring in the higher classes, and both patients being -young ladies; but, although surprising phenomena were exhibited, -interrogation was not permitted, and the particulars were never allowed -to transpire. - -No doubt there are examples of error and examples of imposture, so there -are in everything where room is to be found for them; and I am quite -aware of the propensity of hysterical patients to deceive, but it is for -the judicious observers to examine the genuineness of each particular -instance; and it is perfectly certain and well established by the German -physiologists and psychologists, who have carefully studied the subject, -that there are many above all suspicion. Provided, then, that the case -be genuine, it remains to be determined how much value is to be attached -to the revelations, for they may be quite honestly delivered, and yet be -utterly worthless—the mere ravings of a disordered brain; and it is -here that conformity becomes important, for I can not admit the -objection that the simple circumstance of the patients being diseased -invalidates their evidence so entirely as to annul even the value of -their unanimity, because, although it is not logically impossible that a -certain state of nervous derangement should occasion all somnambules, of -the class in question, to make similar answers, when interrogated -regarding a subject of which, in their normal condition, they know -nothing, and on which they have never reflected, and that these answers -should be not only consistent, but disclosing far more elevated views -than are evolved by minds of a very superior order which _have_ -reflected on it very deeply—I say, although this is not logically -impossible, it will assuredly be found, by most persons, an hypothesis -of much more difficult acceptance than the one I propose; namely, that -whatever be the cause of the effect, these patients are in a state of -clear-seeing, wherein they have “more than mortal knowledge;” that is, -more knowledge than mortals possess in their normal condition: and it -must not be forgotten, that we have some facts confessed by all -experienced physicians and physiologists, even in this country, proving -that there are states of disease in which preternatural faculties have -been developed, such as no theory has yet satisfactorily accounted for. - -But Dr. Passavent, who has written a very philosophical work on the -subject of vital magnetism and clear-seeing, asserts, that it is an -error to imagine that the ecstatic condition is merely the product of -disease. He says, that it has sometimes exhibited itself in persons of -very vigorous constitutions, instancing Joan of Arc, a woman, whom -historians have little understood, and whose memory Voltaire’s -detestable poem has ridiculed and degraded, but who was, nevertheless, a -great psychological phenomenon. - -The circumstance, too, that phenomena of this kind are more frequently -developed in women than in men, and that they are merely the consequence -of her greater nervous irritability, has been made another objection to -them—an objection, however, which Dr. Passavent considers founded on -ignorance of the essential difference between the sexes, which is not -merely a physical but a psychological one. Man is more productive than -receptive. In a state of perfectibility, both attributes would be -equally developed in him; but in this terrestrial life, only imperfect -phases of the entire sum of the soul’s faculties are so. Mankind are but -children, male or female, young or old; of man, in his totality, we have -but faint adumbrations, here and there. - -Thus the ecstatic woman will be more frequently a seer, instinctive and -intuitive; man, a doer and a worker; and as all genius is a degree of -ecstasy or clear-seeing, we perceive the reason wherefore in man it is -more productive than in woman, and that our greatest poets and artists, -in all kinds, are of the former sex, and even the most remarkable women -produce but little in science or art; while on the other hand, the -feminine instinct, and tact, and intuitive seeing of truth, are -frequently more sure than the ripe and deliberate judgment of man; and -it is hence that solitude and such conditions as develop the passive or -receptive at the expense of the active, tend to produce this state, and -to assimilate the man more to the nature of the woman; while in her they -intensify these distinguishing characteristics; and this is also the -reason that simple and child-like people and races are the most frequent -subjects of these phenomena. - -It is only necessary to read Mozart’s account of his own moments of -inspiration, to comprehend not only the similarity, but the positive -identity, of the ecstatic state with the state of genius in activity. -“When all goes well with me,” he says—“when I am in a carriage, or -walking, or when I can not sleep at night, the thoughts come streaming -in upon me most fluently: whence, or how, is more than I can tell. What -comes, I hum to myself as it proceeds. Then follow the counterpoint and -the clang of the different instruments; and, if I am not disturbed, my -soul is fixed, and the thing grows greater, and broader, and clearer; -and I have it all in my head, even when the piece is a long one; and I -see it like a beautiful picture—not hearing the different parts in -succession as they must be played, but the whole at once. That is the -delight! The composing and the making is like a beautiful and vivid -dream; but this hearing of it is the best of all.” - -What is this but clear-seeing, backward and forward, the past and the -future? The one faculty is not a whit more surprising and -incomprehensible than the other, to those who possess neither; only we -see the material product of one, and therefore believe in it. But, as -Passavent justly observes, these coruscations belong not to genius -exclusively—they are latent in all men. In the highly-gifted this -divine spark becomes a flame to light the world withal; but even in the -coarsest and least-developed organizations, it may and does momentarily -break forth. The germ of the highest spiritual life is in the rudest, -according to its degree, as well as in the highest form of man we have -yet seen;—he is but a more imperfect type of the race, in whom this -spiritual germ has not unfolded itself. - -Then, with respect to our second source of information, I am quite aware -that it is equally difficult to establish its validity; but there are a -few arguments in our favor here, too. In the first place, as Dr. Johnson -says, though all reason is against us, all tradition is for us; and this -conformity of tradition is surely of some weight, since I think it would -be difficult to find any parallel instance of a universal tradition that -was entirely without a foundation in truth; for with respect to -witchcraft, the belief in which is equally universal, we now know that -the phenomena were generally facts, although the interpretations put -upon them were fables. It may certainly be objected that this universal -belief in ghosts only arises from the universal prevalence of spectral -illusions; but if so, as I have before observed, these spectral -illusions become a subject of very curious inquiry; for, in the first -place, they frequently occur under circumstances the least likely to -induce them, and to people whom we should least expect to find the -victims of them; and, in the second, there is a most remarkable -conformity here, too, not only between the individual cases occurring -among all classes of persons, who had never exhibited the slightest -tendency to nervous derangement or somnambulism, but also between these -and the revelations of the somnambules. In short, it seems to me that -life is reduced to a mere phantasmagoria, if spectral illusions are so -prevalent, so complicated in their nature, and so delusive as they must -be if all the instances of ghost-seeing that come before us are to be -referred to that theory. How numerous these are, I confess myself not to -have had the least idea, till my attention was directed to the inquiry; -and that these instances have been equally frequent in all periods and -places we can not doubt, from the variety of persons that have given in -their adhesion, or at least that have admitted, as Addison did, that he -could not refuse the universal testimony in favor of the reappearance of -the dead, strengthened by that of many credible persons with whom he was -acquainted. Indeed, the testimony in favor of the facts has been at all -periods too strong to be wholly rejected; so that even the materialists, -like Lucretius and the elder Pliny, find themselves obliged to -acknowledge them; while, on the other hand, the extravagant admissions -that are demanded of us by those who endeavor to explain them away, -prove that their disbelief rests on no more solid foundation than their -own prejudices. I acknowledge all the difficulty of establishing the -facts—such difficulties as indeed encompass few other branches of -inquiry; but I maintain that the position of the opponents is still -worse, although, by their high tone and contemptuous laugh, they assume -to have taken up one that, being fortified by reason, is quite -impregnable, forgetting that the wisdom of man is pre-eminently -“foolishness before God,” when it wanders into this region of unknown -things;—forgetting, also, that they are just serving this branch of -inquiry, as their predecessors, whom they laughed at, did physiology; -concocting their systems out of their own brains, instead of the -responses of nature—and with still more rashness and presumption, this -department of her kingdom being more inaccessible, more incapable of -demonstration, and more entirely beyond our control; for these spirits -will not “come when we do call them;”—and I confess it often surprises -me to hear the very shallow nonsense that very clever men talk upon the -subject, and the inefficient arguments they use to disprove what they -know nothing about. I am quite conscious that the facts I shall adduce -are open to controversy: I can bring forward no evidence that will -satisfy a scientific mind; but neither are my opponents a whit better -fortified. All I do hope to establish is, not a proof, but a -presumption; and the conviction I desire to awaken in people’s minds is, -not that these things _are_ so, but that they _may be_ so, and that it -is well worth our while to inquire whether they are or not. - -It will be seen that these views of a future state are extremely similar -to those of Isaac Taylor, as suggested in his physical theory of another -life—at least, as far as he has entered upon the subject;—and it is -natural that they should be so, because he seems also to have been a -convert to the opinion that “the dead do sometimes break through the -boundaries that hem in the ethereal crowds; and if so, as if by -trespass, may in single instances infringe upon the ground of common -corporeal life.” - -Let us now fancy this dispossessed soul entering on its new career, -amazed, and no more able than when it was in the body to accommodate -itself at once to conditions of existence for which it was unprepared. -If its aspirations had previously been heavenward, these conditions -would not be altogether new, and it would speedily find itself at home -in a sphere in which it had dwelt before; for, as I have formerly said, -a spirit must be where its thoughts and affections are, and the soul, -whose thoughts and affections had been directed to heaven, would only -awaken after death into a more perfect and unclouded heaven. But imagine -the contrary of all this. Conceive what this awakening must be to an -earth-bound spirit—to one altogether unprepared for its new -home—carrying no light within it—floating in the dim obscure—clinging -to the earth, where all its affections were garnered up: for where its -treasure is, there shall it be also. It will find its condition evil, -more or less, according to the degree of its moral light or darkness, -and in proportion to the amount of the darkness will be its incapacity -to seek for light. Now, there seems nothing offensive to our notions of -the Divine goodness in this conception of what awaits us when the body -dies. It appears to me, on the contrary, to offer a more comprehensible -and coherent view than any other that has been presented to me; yet the -state I have depicted is very much the hades of the Greeks and Romans. -It is the middle state, on which all souls enter—a state in which there -are many mansions; that is, there are innumerable states—probably not -permanent, but ever progressive or retrograde; for we can not conceive -of any moral state being permanent, since we know perfectly well that -ours is never so; it is always advancing or retroceding. When we are not -improving, we are deteriorating; and so it must necessarily be with us -hereafter. - -Now, if we admit the probability of this middle state, we have removed -one of the great objections which are made to the belief in the -reappearance of the dead: namely, that the blest are too happy to return -to the earth, and that the wicked have it not in their power to do so. -This difficulty arises, however, very much from the material ideas -entertained of heaven and hell—the notion that they are places instead -of states. I am told that the Greek word _hades_ is derived from -_æides_, _invisible_; and that the Hebrew word _scheôl_, which has the -same signification, also implies a state, not a place, since it may be -interpreted into _desiring_, _longing_, _asking_, _praying_. These words -in the Septuagint are translated _grave_, _death_, and _hell_; but -previously to the Reformation they seem to have borne their original -meaning—that is, the state into which the soul entered at the death of -the body. It was probably to get rid of the purgatory of the Roman -Church, which had doubtless become the source of many absurd notions and -corrupt practices, that the doctrine of a middle state or hades was set -aside: besides which, the honest desire for reformation, in all -reforming churches, being alloyed by the _odium theologicum_, the -purifying besom is apt to take too discursive a sweep, exercising less -modesty and discrimination than might be desirable, and thus not -uncommonly wiping away truth and falsehood together. - -Dismissing the idea, therefore, that heaven and hell are places in which -the soul is imprisoned, whether in bliss or woe, and supposing that, by -a magnetic relation, it may remain connected with the sphere to which it -previously belonged, we may easily conceive that, if it have the memory -of the past, the more entirely sensuous its life in the body may have -been, the closer it will cling to the scene of its former joys; or even -if its sojourn on earth were not a period of joy, but the contrary, -still, if it have no heavenward aspirations, it will find itself, if not -in actual wo, yet aimless, objectless, and out of a congenial element. -It has no longer the organs whereby it perceived, communicated with, and -enjoyed, the material world and its pleasures. The joys of heaven are -not its joys; we might as well expect a hardened prisoner in Newgate, -associating with others as hardened as himself, to melt into ecstatic -delight at the idea of that which he can not apprehend! How helpless and -inefficient such a condition seems! and how natural it is to us to -imagine that, under such circumstances, there might be awakened a -considerable desire to manifest itself to those yet living in the flesh, -if such a manifestation be possible! And what right have we, in direct -contradiction to all tradition, to assert that it is not? We may raise -up a variety of objections from physical science, but we can not be sure -that these are applicable to the case; and of the laws of spirit we know -very little, since we are only acquainted with it as circumscribed, -confined, and impeded, in its operations, by the body; and whenever such -abnormal states occur as enable it to act with any degree of -independence, man, under the dominion of his all-sufficient reason, -denies and disowns the facts. - -That the manifestation of a spirit to the living, whether seen or heard, -is an exception, and not the rule, is evident; for, supposing the desire -to exist at all, it must exist in millions and millions of instances -which never take effect. The circumstances must therefore no doubt be -very peculiar, as regards both parties in which such a manifestation is -possible. What these are, we have very little means of knowing; but, as -far as we do know, we are led to conclude that a certain magnetic -rapport or polarity constitutes this condition, while, at the same time, -as regards the seer, there must be what the prophet called the “opening -of the eye,” which may perhaps signify the seeing of the spirit without -the aid of the bodily organ—a condition which may temporarily occur to -any one under we know not what influence, but which seems, to a certain -degree, hereditary in some families. - -The following passage is quoted from Sir William Hamilton’s edition of -Dr. Reid’s works, published in 1846:— - -“No man can show it to be impossible to the Supreme Being to have given -us the power of perceiving external objects, without any such -organs”—that is, our organs of sense. “We have reason to believe that -when we put off these bodies, and all the organs belonging to them, our -perceptive powers shall rather be improved than destroyed or impaired. -We have reason to believe that the Supreme Being perceives everything in -a much more perfect manner than we do, without bodily organs. We have -reason to believe that there are other created beings endowed with -powers of perception more perfect and more extensive than ours, without -any such organs as we find necessary;” and Sir William Hamilton adds the -following note:— - -“However astonishing, it is now proved beyond all rational doubt that in -certain abnormal states of the nervous organism, perceptions are -possible through other than the ordinary channels of the sense.” - -Of the existence of this faculty in nature, any one, who chooses, may -satisfy himself by a very moderate degree of trouble, provided he -undertake the investigation honestly; and this being granted, another -objection, if not altogether removed, is considerably weakened. I allude -to the fact that, in numerous reported cases of ghost-seeing, the forms -were visible to only one person, even though others were present, which, -of course, rendered them undistinguishable from cases of spectral -illusion, and indeed unless some additional evidence be afforded, they -must remain so still, only we have gained thus much, that this objection -is no longer unanswerable; for whether the phenomenon is to be referred -to a mutual rapport, or to the opening of the spiritual eye, we -comprehend how one may see what others do not. But really, if the seeing -depended upon ordinary vision, I can not perceive that the difficulty is -insurmountable; for we perfectly well know that some people are endowed -with an acuteness of sense, or power of perception, which is utterly -incomprehensible to others; for, without entering into the disputed -region of clear-seeing, everybody must have met with instances of those -strange antipathies to certain objects, accompanied by an extraordinary -capacity for perceiving their presence, which remain utterly -unexplained. Not to speak of cats and hares, where some electrical -effects might be conceived, I lately heard of a gentleman who fainted if -he were introduced into a room where there was a raspberry tart; and -that there have been persons endowed with a faculty for discovering the -proximity of water and metals, even without the aid of the divining -rod—which latter marvel seems to be now clearly established as an -electrical phenomenon—will scarcely admit of further doubt. - -A very eminent person, with whom I am acquainted, possessing extremely -acute olfactory powers, is the subject of one single exception. He is -insensible to the odor of a beanfield, however potent: but it would -surely be very absurd in him to deny that the beanfield emits an odor, -and the evidence of the majority against him is too strong to admit of -his doing so. - -Now, we have only the evidence of a minority with regard to the -existence of certain faculties not generally developed, but surely it -argues great presumption to dispute their possibility. We might, I -think, with more appearance of reason, insist upon it that my friend -_must_ be mistaken, and that he does smell the beanfield, for we have -the majority against him there most decidedly. The difference is, that -nobody cares whether the odor of the beanfield is perceptible or not: -but if the same gentleman asserted that he had seen a ghost, beyond all -doubt his word would be disputed. - -Though we do not know what the conditions are that develop the faculty -of what St. Paul calls the discerning of spirits, there is reason to -believe that the approach of death is one. I have heard of too many -instances of this kind, where the departing person has been in the -entire possession of his or her faculties, to doubt that in our last -moments we are frequently visited by those who have gone before us; and -it being admitted by all physiologists that preternatural faculties are -sometimes exhibited at this period, we can have no right to say that -“the discerning of spirits” is not one of them. - -There is an interesting story recorded by Beaumont, in his “World of -Spirits,” and quoted by Dr. Hibbert with the remark that no reasonable -doubt can be placed on the authenticity of the narrative, as it was -drawn up by the bishop of Gloucester from the recital of the young -lady’s father; and I mention it here, not for any singularity attending -it, but first, because its authenticity is admitted, and next, on -account of the manner in which—so much being granted—the fact is -attempted to be explained away:— - -“Sir Charles Lee, by his first lady, had only one daughter, of which she -died in childbirth; and when she was dead, her sister, the Lady Everard, -desired to have the education of the child, and she was very well -educated till she was marriageable, and a match was concluded for her -with Sir W. Parkins, but was then prevented in an extraordinary manner. -Upon a Thursday night, she thinking she saw a light in her chamber after -she was in bed, knocked for her maid, who presently came to her, and she -asked why she left a candle burning in her room. The maid answered that -she had left none, and that there was none but what she had brought with -her at that time. ‘Then,’ she said, ‘it must be the fire;’ but that, her -maid told her, was quite out, adding she believed it was only a dream, -whereupon Miss Lee answered that it might be so, and composed herself -again to sleep. But, about two of the clock, she was awakened again, and -saw the apparition of a little woman between her curtains and her -pillow, who told her she was her mother, that she was happy, and that, -by twelve of the clock that day, she should be with her. Whereupon, she -knocked again for her maid, called for her clothes, and when she was -dressed, went into her closet, and came not out again till nine, and -then brought out with her a letter, sealed, to her father, carried it to -her aunt, the Lady Everard, told her what had happened, and desired that -as soon as she was dead it might be sent to him. The lady thought she -was suddenly fallen mad, and therefore sent presently away to Chelmsford -for a physician and surgeon, who both came immediately, but the -physician could discern no indication of what the lady imagined, or of -any indisposition of her body; notwithstanding, the lady would needs -have her let blood, which was done accordingly; and when the young woman -had patiently let them do what they would with her, she desired that the -chaplain might be called to read prayers; and when the prayers were -ended, she took her guitar and psalm-book, and sat down upon a chair -without arms, and played and sung so melodiously and admirably, that her -music-master, who was then there, admired at it. And near the stroke of -twelve, she rose and sat herself down in a great chair with arms, and -presently fetching a strong breathing or two, she immediately expired, -and was so suddenly cold as was much wondered at by the physician and -surgeon. She died at Waltham, in Essex, three miles from Chelmsford, and -the letter was sent to Sir Charles, at his house in Warwickshire; but he -was so afflicted at the death of his daughter, that he came not till she -was buried; but when he came, he caused her to be taken up, and to be -buried with her mother, at Edmonton, as she desired in her letter.” - -This circumstance occurred in the year 1662, and is, as Dr. Hibbert -observes, “one of the most interesting ghost-stories on record;” yet he -insists on placing it under the category of spectral illusions, upon the -plea that, let the physician (whose skill he arraigns) say what he -would, her death within so short a period proves that she must have been -indisposed at the time she saw the vision, and that probably “the -languishing female herself might have unintentionally contributed to the -more strict verification of the ghost’s prediction,” concluding with -these words: “All that can be said of it is, that the coincidence was a -_fortunate one_; for, without it, the story would probably never have -met with a recorder,” &c., &c. - -Now, I ask if this is a fair way of treating any fact, transmitted to us -on authority which the objector himself admits to be perfectly -satisfactory—more especially as the assistants on the occasion appear -to have been quite as unwilling to believe in the _supernatural_ -interpretation of it as Dr. Hibbert could have been himself, had he been -present; for what more could he have done than conclude the young lady -to be mad, and bled her?—a line of practice which is precisely what -would be followed at the present time, and which proves that they were -very well aware of the sensuous illusions produced by a disordered state -of the nervous system; and with respect to his conclusion that the -“languishing female” contributed to the verification of the prediction, -we are entitled to ask, where is the proof that she was languishing? A -very clever watchmaker once told me that a watch may go perfectly well -for years, and at length stop suddenly, in consequence of an organic -defect in its construction, which only becomes perceptible, even to the -eye of a watchmaker, when this effect takes place; and we do know that -many persons have suddenly fallen dead immediately after declaring -themselves in the best possible health: and we have therefore no right -to dispute what the narrator implies, namely, that there were no -sensible indications of the impending catastrophe. - -There was either some organic defect or derangement in this lady’s -physical economy, which rendered her death inevitable at the hour of -noon, on that particular Thursday, or there was not. If there was, and -her certain death was impending at that hour, how came she acquainted -with the fact? Surely it is a monstrous assumption to say that it was “a -fortunate coincidence,” when no reason whatever is given us for -concluding that she felt otherwise than perfectly well! If, on the -contrary, we are to take refuge in the supposition that there was no -death impending, and that she only died of the fright, how came -she—feeling perfectly well, and, in this case, we have a right to -conclude _being_ perfectly well—to be the subject of such an -extraordinary spectral illusion? And if such spectral illusions can -occur to people in a good normal state of health, does it not become -very desirable to give us some clearer theory of them than we have at -present? - -But there is a third presumption to which the skeptical may have -recourse, in order to get rid of this well-established, and therefore -very troublesome fact, namely, that Miss Lee _was_ ill, although -unconscious of it herself, and indicating no symptoms that could guide -her physician to an enlightened diagnosis; and that the proof of this is -to be found in the occurrence of the spectral illusion; and that this -spectral illusion so impressed her that it occasioned the precise -fulfilment of the imaginary prediction—an hypothesis which appears to -me to be pressing very hard on the spectral illusion; for it is first -called upon to establish the fact of an existing indisposition of no -slight character, of which neither patient nor physician was aware, and -it is next required to kill the lady with unerring certainty, at the -hour appointed, she being, according to the only authority we have for -the story, in a perfectly calm and composed state of mind! for there is -nothing to be discerned in the description of her demeanor but an entire -and willing submission to the announced decree, accompanied by that -pleasing exaltation, which appears to me perfectly natural under the -circumstances; and I do not think that anything we know of human -vitality can justify us in believing that life can be so easily -extinguished. But to such straits people are reduced, who write with a -predetermination to place their facts on a Procrustean bed till they -have fitted them into their own cherished theory. - -In the above-recorded case of Miss Lee, the motive for the visit is a -sufficient one; but one of the commonest objections to such narrations, -is the insignificance of the motive when any communication is made, or -there being apparently no motive at all, when none is made. Where any -previous attachment has subsisted, we need seek no further for an -impelling cause; but in other cases this impelling cause must probably -be sought in the earthly rapport still subsisting and the urgent desire -of the spirit to manifest itself and establish a communication where its -thoughts and affections still reside; and we must consider that, -provided there be no law of God prohibiting its revisiting the earth, -which law would of course supersede all other laws, then, as I have -before observed, where its thoughts and affections are it must be also. -What is it but our heavy material bodies that prevents us from being -where our thoughts are? But the being near us, and the manifesting -itself to us, are two very different things, the latter evidently -depending on conditions we do not yet understand. - -As I am not writing a book on vital magnetism, and there are so many -already accessible to everybody who chooses to be informed on it, I -shall not here enter into the subject of _magnetic rapport_, it being, I -believe, now generally admitted, except by the most obstinate skeptics, -that such a relation can be established between two human beings. In -what this relation consists, is a more difficult question, but the most -rational view appears to be that of a magnetic polarity, which is -attempted to be explained by two theories—the dynamical and the -ethereal, the one viewing the phenomena as simply the result of the -transmission of forces, the other hypothetizing an ether which pervades -all space and penetrates all substance, maintaining the connection -between body and soul, and between matter and spirit. To most minds this -latter hypothesis will be the most comprehensible; on which account, -since the result would be the same in either case, we may adopt for the -moment; and there will then be less difficulty in conceiving that the -influence or ether of every being or thing, animate or inanimate, must -extend beyond the periphery of its own terminations: and that this must -be eminently the case where there is animal life, the nerves forming the -readiest conductors for this supposed imponderable. The proofs of the -existence of this ether are said to be manifold, and more especially to -be found in the circumstances that every created thing sheds an -atmosphere around it, after its kind; this atmosphere becoming, under -certain conditions, perceptible or even visible, as in the instances of -electric fish, &c., the fascinations of serpents, the influence of human -beings upon plants, and _vice versa_; and finally, the phenomena of -animal magnetism, and the undoubted fact, to which I myself can bear -witness, that the most ignorant girls, when in a state of somnambulism, -have been known to declare that they saw their magnetiser surrounded by -a halo of light; and it is doubtless this halo of light, that, from -their being strongly magnetic men, has frequently been observed to -surround the heads of saints and eminently holy persons: the temperament -that produced the internal fervor, causing the visible manifestation of -it. By means of this ether, or force, a never-ceasing motion and an -inter-communication are sustained between all created things, and -between created things and their Creator, who sustains them and creates -them ever anew, by the constant exertion of his Divine will, of which -this is the messenger and the agent as it is between our will and our -own bodies; and without this sustaining will, so exerted, the whole -would fall away, dissolve, and die; for it is the life of the universe. -That all inanimate objects emit an influence, greater or less, extending -beyond their own peripheries, is established by their effects on various -susceptible individuals, as well as on somnambules; and thus there exist -a universal polarity and rapport, which are however stronger between -certain organisms; and every being stands in a varying relation of -positive and negative to every other. - -With regard to these theories, however, where there is so much obscurity -even in the language, I do not wish to insist; more especially as I am -fully aware that this subject may be discussed in a manner much more -congruous with the dynamical spirit of the philosophy of this century: -but, in the meanwhile, as either of the causes alluded to is capable of -producing the effects, we adopt the hypothesis of an all-pervading ether -as the one most easily conceived. - -Admitting this, then, to be the case, we begin to have some notion of -the _modus operandi_ by which a spirit may manifest itself to us, -whether to our internal universal sense, or even to our sensuous organs; -and we also find one stumbling-block removed out of our way, namely, -that it shall be visible or even audible to one person and not to -another, or at one time and not at another; for by means of this ether, -or force, we are in communication with all spirit, as well as with all -matter; and since it is the vehicle of will, a strong exertion of will -may reinforce its influence to a degree far beyond our ordinary -conceptions: but man is not acquainted with his own power, and has, -consequently, no faith in his own will: nor is it probably the design of -Providence, in ordinary cases, that he should. He can not therefore -exert it; if he could, he “might remove mountains.” Even as it is, we -know something of the power of will in its effect on other organisms, as -exhibited by certain strong-willed individuals; also in popular -movements; and more manifestly in the influence and far-working of the -magnetizer on his patient. The power of will, like the seeing of the -spirit, is latent in our nature, to be developed in God’s own time; but -meanwhile, slight examples are found, shooting up here and there, to -keep alive in man the consciousness that he is a spirit, and give -evidence of his Divine origin. - -What especial laws may appertain to this supersensuous domain of nature, -of course we can not know, and it is therefore impossible for us to -pronounce how far a spirit is free, or not free, at all times to -manifest itself; and we can, therefore, at present, advance no reason -for these manifestations not being the rule instead of the exception. -The law which restrains more frequent intercourse may, for anything we -know to the contrary, have its relaxations and its limitations, founded -in nature; and a rapport with, or the power of acting on, particular -individuals, may arise from causes of which we are equally ignorant. -Undoubtedly, the receptivity of the corporeal being is one of the -necessary conditions, while, on the part of the incorporeal, the will is -at once the cause and the agent that produces the effect; while -attachment, whether to individuals or to the lost joys of this world, is -the motive. The happy spirits in whom this latter impulse is weak, and -who would float away into the glorious light of the pure moral law, -would have little temptation to return, and at least would only be -brought back by their holy affections, or desire to serve mankind. The -less happy, clinging to their dear corporeal life, would hover nearer to -the earth; and I do question much whether the often-ridiculed idea of -the mystics, that there is a moral _weight_, as well as a moral -_darkness_, be not founded in truth. We know very well that even these -substantial bodies of ours are, to our own sensations (and, very -possibly, if the thing could be tested, would prove to be in fact), -lighter or heavier, according to the lightness or heaviness of the -spirit—terms used figuratively, but perhaps capable of a literal -interpretation; and thus the common idea of _up_ and _down_, as applied -to heaven or hell, is founded in truth, though not mathematically -correct, we familiarly using the words _up_ and _down_ to express -_farther_ or _nearer_, as regards the planet on which we live. - -Experience seems to justify this view of the case; for, supposing the -phenomena I am treating of to be facts, and not spectral illusions, all -tradition shows that the spirits most frequently manifested to man have -been evidently not in a state of bliss; while, when bright ones appeared -it has been to serve him; and hence the old persuasion, that they were -chiefly the wicked that haunted the earth, and hence, also, the -foundation for the belief that not only the murderer but the murdered -returned to vex the living, and the just view, that in taking away life -the injury is not confined to the body, but extends to the surprised and -angry soul, which is— - - “Cut off, even in the blossom of its sin, - Unhouselled, disappointed, unaneled; - No reckoning made, but sent to its account - With all its imperfections on its head.” - -It seems also to be gathered from experience, that those whose lives -have been rendered wretched, “rest not in their graves;” at least, -several accounts I have met with, as well as tradition, countenance this -view; and this may originate in the fact that cruelty and ill-usage -frequently produce very pernicious effects on the mind of the sufferer, -in many instances inspiring, not resignation or a pious desire for -death, but resentment, and an eager longing for a fair share of earthly -enjoyment. Supposing, also, the feelings and prejudices of the earthly -life to accompany this dispossessed soul—for, though the liberation -from the body inducts it into certain privileges inherent in spirit, its -moral qualities remain as they were (“as the tree falls, so it shall -lie”)—supposing, therefore, that these feelings, and prejudices, and -recollections, of its past life, are carried with it, we see at once why -the discontented spirits of the heathen world could not rest till their -bodies had obtained sepulture, why the buried money should torment the -soul of the miser, and why the religious opinions, whatever they may -have been, believed in the flesh, seem to survive with the spirit. There -are two remarkable exceptions, however, and these are precisely such as -might be expected. Those who, during their corporeal life, have not -believed in a future state, return to warn their friends against the -same error. “There is another world!” said the brother of the young lady -who appeared to her in the cathedral of York, on the day he was drowned; -and there are several similar instances recorded. The belief that this -life “is the be-all and the end-all here,” is a mistake that death must -instantly rectify. The other exception I allude to is, that that -toleration, of which, unfortunately, we see much less than is desirable -in this world, seems happily to prevail in the next; for, among the -numerous narrations I meet with, in which the dead have returned to ask -the prayers or the services of the living, they do not seem, as will be -seen by-and-by, to apply by any means exclusively to members of their -own church. The _attrait_ which seems to guide their selection of -individuals is evidently not of a polemical nature. The pure worship of -God, and the inexorable moral law, are what seem to prevail in the other -world, and not the dogmatic theology which makes so much of the misery -of this. - -There is a fundamental truth in all religions: the real end of all is -morality, however the means may be mistaken, and however corrupt, -selfish, ambitious, and sectarian, the mass of their teachers may and -generally do become; while the effect of prayer—in whatever form, or to -whatever ideal of the Deity it may be offered, provided that offering be -honestly and earnestly made—is precisely the same to the supplicant and -in its results. - -I have reserved the following story, which is not a fiction, but the -relation of an undoubted and well-attested fact, till the present -chapter, as being particularly applicable to this branch of my -subject:— - -Some ninety years ago, there flourished in Glasgow a club of young men, -which, from the extreme profligacy of its members, and the -licentiousness of their orgies, was commonly called the “Hell-Club!” -Besides their nightly or weekly meetings, they held one grand annual -saturnalia, in which each tried to excel the other in drunkenness and -blasphemy; and on these occasions there was no star among them whose -lurid light was more conspicuous than that of young Mr. Archibald B——, -who, endowed with brilliant talents and a handsome person, had held out -great promise in his boyhood, and raised hopes, which had been -completely frustrated by his subsequent reckless dissipations. - -One morning, after returning from this annual festival, Mr. Archibald -B—— having retired to bed, dreamed the following dream:— - -He fancied that he himself was mounted on a favorite black horse, that -he always rode, and that he was proceeding toward his own house—then a -country-seat embowered by trees, and situated upon a hill, now entirely -built over, and forming part of the city—when a stranger, whom the -darkness of night prevented his distinctly discerning, suddenly seized -his horse’s rein, saying, “You must go with me!” - -“And who are you?” exclaimed the young man, with a volley of oaths, -while he struggled to free himself. - -“That you will see by-and-by!” returned the other, in a tone that -excited unaccountable terror in the youth, who, plunging his spurs into -his horse, attempted to fly. But in vain: however fast the animal flew, -the stranger was still beside him, till at length, in his desperate -efforts to escape, the rider was thrown; but instead of being dashed to -the earth, as he expected, he found himself falling—falling—falling -still, as if sinking into the bowels of the earth. - -At length, a period being put to this mysterious descent, he found -breath to inquire of his companion, who was still beside him, whither -they were going: “Where am I? where are you taking me?” he exclaimed. - -“To hell!” replied the stranger, and immediately interminable echoes -repeated the fearful sound, “To hell!—to hell!—to hell!” - -At length a light appeared, which soon increased to a blaze; but, -instead of the cries, and groans, and lamentings, which the terrified -traveller expected, nothing met his ear but sounds of music, mirth, and -jollity; and he found himself at the entrance of a superb building, far -exceeding any he had seen constructed by human hands. Within, too, what -a scene! No amusement, employment, or pursuit of man on earth, but was -here being carried on with a vehemence that excited his unutterable -amazement. “There the young and lovely still swam through the mazes of -the giddy dance! There the panting steed still bore his brutal rider -through the excitements of the goaded race! There, over the midnight -bowl, the intemperate still drawled out the wanton song or maudlin -blasphemy! The gambler plied for ever his endless game, and the slaves -of Mammon toiled through eternity their bitter task; while all the -magnificence of earth paled before that which now met his view!” - -He soon perceived that he was among old acquaintances, whom he knew to -be dead, and each he observed was pursuing the object, whatever it was, -that had formerly engrossed him; when, finding himself relieved of the -presence of his unwelcome conductor, he ventured to address his former -friend Mrs. D——, whom he saw sitting, as had been her wont on earth, -absorbed at loo, requesting her to rest from the game, and introduce him -to the pleasures of the place, which appeared to him to be very unlike -what he had expected, and, indeed, an extremely agreeable one. But, with -a cry of agony, she answered that there was no rest in hell; that they -must ever toil on at those very pleasures: and innumerable voices echoed -through the interminable vaults, “There is no rest in hell!”—while, -throwing open their vests, each disclosed in his bosom an ever-burning -flame! These, they said, were the pleasures of hell: their choice on -earth was now their inevitable doom! In the midst of the horror this -scene inspired, his conductor returned, and at his earnest entreaty, -restored him again to earth; but, as he quitted him, he said, -“Remember!—in a year and a day we meet again!” - -At this crisis of his dream, the sleeper awoke, feverish and ill; and, -whether from the effect of his dream, or of his preceding orgies, he was -so unwell as to be obliged to keep his bed for several days, during -which period he had time for many serious reflections, which terminated -in a resolution to abandon the club and his licentious companions -altogether. - -He was no sooner well, however, than they flocked around him, bent on -recovering so valuable a member of their society; and having wrung from -him a confession of the cause of his defection, which, as may be -supposed, appeared to them eminently ridiculous, they soon contrived to -make him ashamed of his good resolutions. He joined them again, resumed -his former course of life, and when the annual saturnalia came round, he -found himself with his glass in his hand at the table—when the -president, rising to make the accustomed speech, began with saying, -“Gentlemen, this being leap-year, it is a year and a day since our last -anniversary,” &c., &c. The words struck upon the young man’s ear like a -knell; but, ashamed to expose his weakness to the jeers of his -companions, he sat out the feast, plying himself with wine even more -liberally than usual, in order to drown his intrusive thoughts; till, in -the gloom of a winter’s morning, he mounted his horse to ride home. Some -hours afterward, the horse was found, with his saddle and bridle on, -quietly grazing by the roadside, about half way between the city and Mr. -B——’s house; while, a few yards off, lay the corpse of his master! - -Now, as I have said in introducing this story, it is no fiction: the -circumstance happened as here related. An account of it was published at -the time, but the copies were bought up by the family. Two or three, -however, were preserved, and the narrative has been reprinted. - -The dream is evidently of a symbolical character, and accords in a very -remarkable degree with the conclusions to be drawn from the sources I -have above indicated. The interpretation seems to be, that the evil -passions and criminal pursuits which have been indulged in here, become -our curse hereafter. I do not mean to imply that the ordinary amusements -of life are criminal—far from it. There is no harm in dancing, nor in -playing at loo either; but if people make these things the whole -business of their lives, and think of nothing else, cultivating no -higher tastes, nor forming no higher aspirations, what sort of -preparation are they making for another world? I can hardly imagine that -anybody would wish to be doing these things to all eternity, the more -especially that it is most frequently _ennui_ that drives their votaries -into excesses, even here; but if they have allowed their minds to be -entirely absorbed in such frivolities and trivialities, surely they can -not expect that God will, by a miracle, suddenly obliterate these tastes -and inclinations, and inspire them with others better suited to their -new condition! It was their business to do that for themselves, while -here; and such a process of preparation is not in the slightest degree -inconsistent with the enjoyment of all manner of harmless pleasures; on -the contrary, it gives the greatest zest to them; for a life, in which -there is nothing serious—in which all is play and diversion—is, beyond -doubt, next to a life of active, persevering wickedness, the saddest -thing under the sun! But let everybody remember that we see in nature no -violent transitions; everything advances by almost insensible steps—at -least everything that is to endure: and therefore to expect that because -they have quitted their fleshly bodies, which they always knew were but -a temporary appurtenance, doomed to perish and decay, they themselves -are to undergo a sudden and miraculous conversion and purification, -which is to elevate them into fit companions for the angels of heaven, -and the blessed that have passed away, is surely one of the most -inconsistent, unreasonable, and pernicious errors, that mankind ever -indulged in! - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - - THE POWER OF WILL. - -THE power, be it what it may, whether of dressing up an ethereal visible -form, or of acting on the constructive imagination of the seer, which -would enable a spirit to appear “in his habit as he lived,” would also -enable him to present any other object to the eye of the seer, or -himself in any shape, or fulfilling any function he willed; and we thus -find in various instances, especially those recorded in the Seeress of -Prevorst, that this is the case. We not only see changes of dress, but -we see books, pens, writing materials, &c., in their hands; and we find -a great variety of sounds imitated—which sounds are frequently heard, -not only by those who have the faculty of “discerning of spirits,” as -St. Paul says, but also by every other person on the spot, for the -hearing these sounds does not seem to depend on any particular faculty -on the part of the auditor, except it be in the case of speech. The -hearing the speech of a spirit, on the contrary, appears in most -instances to be dependent on the same conditions as the seeing it, which -may possibly arise from there being, in fact, no _audible_ voice at all, -but the same sort of spiritual communication which exists between a -magnetizer and his patient, wherein the sense is conveyed without words. - -This imitating of sounds I shall give several instances of in a future -chapter. It is one way in which a death is frequently indicated. I could -quote a number of examples of this description, but shall confine myself -to two or three. - -Mrs. D——, being one night in her kitchen, preparing to go to bed, -after the house was shut up and the rest of the family retired, was -startled by hearing a foot coming along the passage, which she -recognised distinctly to be that of her father, who she was quite -certain was not in the house. It advanced to the kitchen-door, and she -waited with alarm to see if the door was to open; but it did not, and -she heard nothing more. On the following day, she found that her father -had died at that time; and it was from her niece I heard the -circumstance. - -A Mr. J—— S——, belonging to a highly respectable family, with whom I -am acquainted, having been for some time in declining health, was sent -abroad for change of air. During his absence, one of his sisters, having -been lately confined, an old servant of the family was sitting half -asleep in an arm-chair, in a room adjoining that in which the lady -slept, when she was startled by hearing the foot of Mr. J—— S—— -ascending the stairs. It was easily recognisable, for, owing to his -constant confinement to the house, in consequence of his infirm health, -his shoes were always so dry that their creaking was heard from one end -of the house to the other. So far surprised out of her recollection as -to forget he was not in the country, the good woman started up, and, -rushing out with her candle in her hand, to light him, she followed the -steps up to Mr. J—— S——’s own bed-chamber, never discovering that he -was not preceding her till she reached the door. She then returned, -quite amazed, and having mentioned the occurrence to her mistress, they -noted the date; and it was afterward ascertained that the young man had -died at Lisbon on that night. - -Mrs. F—— tells me that, being one morning, at eleven o’clock, engaged -in her bed-room, she suddenly heard a strange, indescribable, sweet, but -unearthly sound, which apparently proceeded from a large open box which -stood near her. She was seized with an awe and a horror which there -seemed nothing to justify, and fled up stairs to mention the -circumstance, which she could not banish from her mind. At that precise -day and hour, eleven o’clock, her brother was drowned. The news reached -her two days afterward. - -Instances of this kind are so well known that it is unnecessary to -multiply them further. With respect to the mode of producing these -sounds, however, I should be glad to say something more definite if I -could; but, from the circumstance of their being heard not only by one -person, who might be supposed to be _en rapport_, or whose constructive -imagination might be acted upon, but by any one who happens to be within -hearing, we are led to conclude that the sounds are really reverberating -through the atmosphere. In the strange cases recorded in “The Seeress of -Prevorst,” although the apparitions were visible only to certain -persons, the sounds they made were audible to all; and the seeress says -they are produced by means of the nerve-spirit, which I conclude is the -spiritual body of St. Paul and the atmosphere, as we produce sound by -means of our _material_ body and the atmosphere. - -In this plastic power of the spirit to present to the eye of the seer -whatever object it wills, we find the explanation of such stories as the -famous one of Ficinus and Mercatus, related by Baronius in his annals. -These two illustrious friends, Michael Mercatus and Marcellinus Ficinus, -after a long discourse on the nature of the soul, had agreed that, if -possible, whichever died first should return to visit the other. Some -time afterward, while Mercatus was engaged in study at an early hour in -the morning, he suddenly heard the noise of a horse galloping in the -street, which presently stopped at his door, and the voice of his friend -Ficinus exclaimed: “Oh, Michael! oh, Michael! _vera sunt illa!_—those -things are true!” Whereupon Mercatus hastily opened his window and -espied his friend Ficinus on a white steed. He called after him, but he -galloped away out of his sight. On sending to Florence to inquire for -Ficinus, he learned that he had died about that hour he called to him. -From this period to that of his death, Mercatus abandoned all profane -studies, and addicted himself wholly to divinity. Baronius lived in the -sixteenth century; and even Dr. Ferrier and the spectral illusionists -admit that the authenticity of this story can not be disputed, although -they still claim it for their own. - -Not very many years ago, Mr. C——, a staid citizen of Edinburgh—whose -son told me the story—was one day riding gently up Corstorphine hill, -in the neighborhood of the city, when he observed an intimate friend of -his own, on horseback also, immediately behind him; so he slackened his -pace to give him an opportunity of joining company. Finding he did not -come up so quickly as he should, he looked round again, and was -astonished at no longer seeing him, since there was no side road into -which he could have disappeared. He returned home, perplexed at the -oddness of the circumstance, when the first thing he learned was that -during his absence this friend had been killed, by his horse falling, in -Candlemaker’s row. - -I have heard of another circumstance, which occurred some years ago in -Yorkshire, where, I think, a farmer’s wife was seen to ride into a -farm-yard on horseback, but could not be afterward found, or the thing -accounted for, till it was ascertained that she had died at that period. - -There are very extraordinary stories extant in all countries, of persons -being annoyed by appearances in the shape of different animals, which -one would certainly be much disposed to give over altogether to the -illusionists; though, at the same time, it is very difficult to reduce -some of the circumstances under that theory—especially one mentioned -page 307 of my “Translation of the Seeress of Prevorst.” If they are not -illusions, they are phenomena, to be attributed either to this plastic -power, or to that magico-magnetic influence in which the belief in -lycanthropy and other strange transformations have originated. The -multitudes of unaccountable stories of this description recorded in the -witch-trials, have long furnished a subject of perplexity to everybody -who was sufficiently just to human nature to conclude, that there must -have been some strange mystery at the bottom of an infatuation that -prevailed so universally, and in which so many sensible, honest, and -well-meaning persons were involved. Till of late years, when some of the -arcana of animal or vital magnetism have been disclosed to us, it was -impossible for us to conceive by what means such strange conceptions -could prevail; but since we now know, and many of us have witnessed, -that all the senses of a patient are frequently in such subjection to -his magnetiser, that they may be made to convey any impressions to the -brain that magnetiser wills, we can without much difficulty conceive how -this belief in the power of transformation took its rise; and we also -know how a magician could render himself visible or invisible at -pleasure. I have seen the sight or hearing of a patient taken away, and -restored by Mr. Spencer Hall in a manner that could leave no doubt on -the mind of the beholder—the evident paralysis of the eye of the -patient testifying to the fact. Monsieur Eusèbe Salverte, the most -determined of rationalistic skeptics, admits that we have numerous -testimonies to the existence of an art, which he confesses himself at -some loss to explain, although the opposite quarters from which the -accounts of it reach us, render it difficult to imagine that the -historians have copied each other. The various transformations of the -gods into eagles, bulls, &c., have been set down as mere mythological -fables; but they appear to have been founded on an art, known in all -quarters of the world, which enabled the magician to take on a form that -was not his own, so as to deceive his nearest and dearest friends. In -the history of Gengis Khan, there is mention of a city which he -conquered—“in which dwelt,” says Suidas, “certain men, who possessed -the secret of surrounding themselves with deceptive appearances, -insomuch that they were able to represent themselves to the eyes of -people quite different to what they really were.” Saxo Grammaticus, in -speaking of the traditions connected with the religion of Odin, says -that “the magi were very expert in the art of deceiving the eyes, being -able to assume, and even to enable others to assume, the forms of -various objects, and to conceal their real aspects under the most -attractive appearances.” - -John of Salisbury, who seems to have drawn his information from sources -now lost, says that Mercury, the most expert of magicians, had the art -of fascinating the eyes of men to such a degree as to render people -invisible, or make them appear in forms quite different to what they -really bore. We also learn from an eye-witness that Simon, the magician, -possessed the secret of making another person resemble him so perfectly -that every eye was deceived. Pomponius Mela affirms that the druidesses -of the island of Sena could transform themselves into any animal they -chose, and Proteus has become a proverb by his numerous metamorphoses. - -Then, to turn to another age and another hemisphere, we find Joseph -Acosta, who resided a long time in Peru, assuring us that there existed -at that period magicians who had the power of assuming any form they -chose. He relates that the predecessor of Montezuma, having sent to -arrest a certain chief, the latter successively transformed himself into -an eagle, a tiger, and an immense serpent; and so eluded the envoys, -till, having consented to obey the king’s mandate, he was carried to -court and instantly executed. - -The same perplexing exploits are confidently attributed to the magicians -of the West Indies; and there were two men eminent among the natives, -the one called Gomez and the other Gonzalez, who possessed this art in -an eminent degree; but both fell victims to the practice of it, being -shot during the period of their apparent transformations. - -It is also recorded that Nanuk, the founder of the Sikhs—who are not -properly a nation, but a religious sect—was violently opposed by the -Hindoo zealots; and at one period of his career, when he visited Vatala, -the Yogiswaras—who were recluses, that, by means of corporeal -mortifications, were supposed to have acquired command over the powers -of nature—were so enraged against him, that they strove to terrify him -by their enchantments, assuming the shapes of tigers and serpents. But -they could not succeed, for Nanuk appears to have been a real -philosopher, who taught a pure theism, and inculcated universal peace -and toleration. His tenets, like the tenets of the founders of all -religions, have been since corrupted by his followers. We can scarcely -avoid concluding that the power by which these feats were performed is -of the same nature as that by which a magnetiser persuades his patient -that the water he drinks is beer, or the beer wine; and the analogy -between it and that by which I have supposed a spirit to present -himself, with such accompaniments as he desires, to the eye of a -spectator, is evident. In those instances where female figures are seen -with children in their arm, the appearance of the child we must suppose -to be produced in this manner. - -Spirits of darkness, however, can not, as I have before observed, appear -as spirits of light; the moral nature can not be disguised. On one -occasion, when Frederica Hauffe asked a spirit if he could appear in -what form he pleased, he answered “No”—that if he had lived as a brute, -he should appear as a brute: “as our dispositions are, so we appear to -you.” - -This plastic power is exhibited in those instances I have related, where -the figure appeared dripping with water, indicating the kind of death -that had been suffered; and also in such cases as that of Sir Robert H. -E——, where the apparition showed a wound in his breast. There are a -vast number of similar ones on record in all countries;—but I will here -mention one which I received from the lips of a member of the family -concerned, wherein one of the trivial actions of life was curiously -represented. - -Miss L—— lived in the country with her three brothers, to whom she was -much attached, as they were to her. These young men, who amused -themselves all the morning with their out-door pursuits, were in the -habit of coming to her apartment most days before dinner, and conversing -with her till they were summoned to the dining-room. One day, when two -of them had joined her as usual, and they were chatting cheerfully over -the fire, the door opened, and the third came in, crossed the room, -entered an adjoining one, took off his boots, and then, instead of -sitting down beside them as usual, passed again through the room, -went out, leaving the door open, and they saw him ascend the -stairs toward his own chamber, whither they concluded he was gone -to change his dress. These proceedings had been observed by the whole -party: they saw him enter—saw him take off his boots—saw him ascend the -stairs,—continuing the conversation, without the slightest suspicion of -anything extraordinary. Presently afterward the dinner was announced; -and as this young man did not make his appearance, the servant was -desired to let him know they were waiting for him. The servant answered -that he had not come in yet; but, being told that he would find him in -his bed-room, he went up stairs to call him. He was, however, not there -nor in the house; nor were his boots to be found where he had been seen -to take them off. While they were yet wondering what could have become -of him, a neighbor arrived to break the news to the family that their -beloved brother had been killed while hunting, and that the only wish he -expressed was that he could live to see his sister once more. - -I observed in a former chapter, while speaking of wraiths, now very -desirable it would be to ascertain whether the phenomenon takes place -before or after the dissolution of the bond between soul and body: I -have since received the most entire satisfaction on that head, so far as -the establishing the fact that it does sometimes occur after the -dissolution. Three cases have been presented to me, from the most -undoubted authority, in which the wraith was seen at intervals varying -from one to three days after the decease of the person whose image it -was; very much complicating the difficulty of that theory which -considers these phenomena the result of an interaction, wherein the -vital principle of one person is able to influence another within its -sphere, and thus make the organs of that other the subjects of its -will—a magical power, by the way, which far exceeds that which we -possess over our own organs. There is here, however, where death has -taken place, no living organism to produce the effect, and the -phenomenon becomes, therefore, purely subjective—a mere spectral -illusion, attended by a coincidence, or else the influence is that of -the disembodied spirit; and those who will take the trouble of -investigating this subject will find that the number of these -coincidences would violate any theory of probabilities, to a degree that -precludes the acceptance of that explanation. I do not see, therefore, -on what we are to fall back, except it be the willing agency of the -released spirit, unless we suppose that the operation of the will of the -dying person travelled so slowly, that it did not take effect till a day -or two after it was exerted—an hypothesis too extravagant to be -admitted. - -Dr. Passavent, whose very philosophical work on this occult department -of nature is well worth attention, considers the fact of these -appearances far too well established to be disputed; and he enters into -some curious disquisitions with regard to what the Germans call -_far-working_, or the power of acting on bodies at a distance without -any sensible conductor, instancing the case of a gymnotus, which was -kept alive for four months in Stockholm, and which, when urged by -hunger, could kill fish at a distance without contact, adding that it -rarely miscalculated the amount of the shock necessary to its purpose. -These and all such effects are attributed by this school of -physiologists to the supposed imponderable—the nervous ether I have -elsewhere mentioned—which Dr. Passavent conceives, in cases of -somnambulism, certain sicknesses, and the approach of death, to be less -closely united to its material conductors, the nerves, and therefore -capable of being more or less detached, and acting at a distance, -especially on those with whom relationship, friendship, or love, -establishes a rapport, or polarity; and he observes that intervening -substances or distance can no more impede this agency than they do the -agency of mineral magnetism. And he considers that we must here seek for -the explanation of those curious so-called coincidences of pictures -falling, and clocks and watches stopping, at the moment of a death, -which we frequently find recorded. - -With respect to the wraiths, he observes that the more the ether is -freed, as by trance or the immediate approach of death, the more easily -the soul sets itself in rapport with distant persons; and that thus it -either acts magically, so that the seer perceives the real actual body -of the person that is acting upon him, or else that he sees the ethereal -body, which presents the perfect form of the fleshly one, and which, -while the organic life proceeds, can be momentarily detached and appear -elsewhere; and this ethereal body he holds to be the fundamental form, -of which the external body is only the copy, or husk. - -I confess, I much prefer this theory of Dr. Passavent’s, which seems to -me to go very much to the root of the matter. We have here the -“spiritual body” of St. Paul, and the “nerve-spirit” of the -somnambulists, and their magical effects are scarcely more -extraordinary, if properly considered, than their agency on our own -_material_ bodies. It is this ethereal body which obeys the intelligent -spirit within, and which is the intermediate agent between the spirit -and the fleshly body. We here find the explanation of wraiths, while -persons are in trance, or deep sleep, or comatose, this ethereal body -can be detached and appear elsewhere; and I think there can be no great -difficulty for those who can follow us so far, to go a little further, -and admit that this ethereal body must be indestructible, and survive -the death of the material one; and that it may, therefore, not only -become visible to us under given circumstances, but that it may, also, -produce effects bearing some similarity to those it was formerly capable -of, since, in acting on our bodies during life, it is already acting on -a material substance in a manner so incomprehensible to us, that we -might well apply the word _magical_ when speaking of it, were it not -that custom has familiarized us to the marvel. - -It is to be observed, that this idea of a spiritual body is one that -pervaded all Christendom in the earlier and purer ages of Christianity, -before priestcraft—and by priestcraft I mean the priestcraft of all -denominations—had overshadowed and obscured, by its various sectarian -heresies, the pure teaching of Jesus Christ. - -Dr. Ennemoser mentions a curious instance of this _actio in distans_, or -far-working. It appears that Van Helmont having asserted that it was -possible for a man to extinguish the life of an animal by the eye alone -(_oculis intentis_), Rousseau, the naturalist, repeated the experiment, -when in the East, and in this manner killed several toads; but on a -subsequent occasion, while trying the same experiment at Lyons, the -animal, on finding it could not escape, fixed its eyes immovably on him, -so that he fell into a fainting fit, and was thought to be dead. He was -restored by means of theriacum and viper powder—a truly homeopathic -remedy! However, we here probably see the origin of the universal -popular persuasion, that there is some mysterious property in the eye of -a toad; and also of the so called, superstition of the _evil eye_. - -A very remarkable circumstance occurred some years ago, at Kirkaldy, -when a person, for whose truth and respectability I can vouch, was -living in the family of a Colonel M——, at that place. The house they -inhabited was at one extremity of the town, and stood in a sort of -paddock. One evening when Colonel M—— had dined out, and there was -nobody at home but Mrs. M——, her son (a boy about twelve years old), -and Ann the maid (my informant), Mrs. M—— called the latter, and -directed her attention to a soldier, who was walking backward and -forward in the drying ground, behind the house, where some linen was -hanging on the lines. She said she wondered what he could be doing -there, and bade Ann fetch in the linen, lest he should purloin any of -it. The girl, fearing he might be some ill-disposed person, felt afraid; -Mrs. M——, however, promising to watch from the window, that nothing -happened to her, she went; but still apprehensive of the man’s -intentions, she turned her back toward him, and hastily pulling down the -linen, she carried it into the house; he continuing his walk the while, -as before, taking no notice of her whatever. Ere long the colonel -returned, and Mrs. M—— lost no time in taking him to the window to -look at the man, saying she could not conceive what he could mean by -walking backward and forward there all that time; whereupon Ann added, -jestingly, “I think it’s a ghost, for my part!” Colonel M—— said “he -would soon see that,” and calling a large dog that was lying in the -room, and accompanied by the little boy, who begged to be permitted to -go also, he stepped out and approached the stranger; when, to his -surprise, the dog, which was an animal of high courage, instantly flew -back, and sprung through the glass-door, which the colonel had closed -behind him, shivering the panes all around. - -The colonel, meantime, advanced and challenged the man, repeatedly, -without obtaining any answer or notice whatever, till, at length, -getting irritated, he raised a weapon with which he had armed himself, -telling him he “must speak or take the consequences,” when, just as he -was preparing to strike, lo! there was nobody there! The soldier had -disappeared, and the child sunk senseless to the ground. Colonel M—— -lifted the boy in his arms, and as he brought him into the house, he -said to the girl, “You are right, Ann; it _was_ a ghost!” He was -exceedingly impressed with this circumstance, and much regretted his own -behavior, and also the having taken the child with him, which he thought -had probably prevented some communication that was intended. In order to -repair, if possible, these errors, he went out every night, and walked -on that spot for some time, in hopes the apparition would return. At -length he said that he had seen and conversed with it; but the purport -of the conversation he would never communicate to any human being, not -even to his wife. The effect of this occurrence on his own character was -perceptible to everybody that knew him. He became grave and thoughtful, -and appeared like one who had passed through some strange experience. -The above-named Ann H——, from whom I have the account, is now a -middle-aged woman. When the circumstance occurred, she was about twenty -years of age. She belongs to a highly-respectable family, and is, and -always has been, a person of unimpeachable character and veracity. - -In this instance, as in several others I meet with, the animal had a -consciousness of the nature of the appearance, while the persons around -him had no suspicion of anything unusual. In the following singular case -we must conclude that attachment counteracted this instinctive -apprehension. A farmer in Argyleshire lost his wife, and a few weeks -after her decease, as he and his son were crossing a moor, they saw her -sitting on a stone, with their house-dog lying at her feet, exactly as -he used to do when she was alive. As they approached the spot the woman -vanished, and supposing the dog must be equally visionary, they expected -to see him vanish, also; when, to their surprise, he rose and joined -them, and they found it was actually the very animal of flesh and blood. -As the place was at least three miles from any house, they could not -conceive what could have taken him there. It was, probably, the -influence of her will. - -The power of _will_ is a phenomenon that has been observed in all ages -of the world, though of late years much less than at an earlier period; -and, as it was then more frequently exerted for evil than good, it was -looked upon as a branch of the art of black magic, while the philosophy -of it being unknown, the devil was supposed to be the real agent, and -the witch, or wizard, only his instrument. The profound belief in the -existence of this art is testified by the twelve tables of Rome, as well -as by the books of Moses, and those of Plato, &c. It is extremely absurd -to suppose that all these statutes were enacted to suppress a crime -which never existed: and, with regard to these witches and wizards, we -must remember, as Dr. Ennemoser justly remarks, that the force of will -has no relation to the strength or weakness of the body: witness the -extraordinary feats occasionally performed by feeble persons under -excitement, &c.; and, although these witches and wizards were frequently -weak, decrepit people, they either believed in their own arts, or else -that they had a friend or coadjutor in the devil, who was able and -willing to aid them. They, therefore, did not doubt their own power, and -they had the one great requisite, _faith_. To _will and to believe_, was -the explanation given by the Marquis de Puységur of the cures he -performed; and this unconsciously becomes the recipe of all such men as -Greatrix, the Shepherd of Dresden, and many other wonder-workers, and -hence we see why it is usually the humble, the simple and the -child-like, the solitary, the recluse, nay, the ignorant, who exhibit -traces of these occult faculties; for he who can not believe can not -_will_, and the skepticism of the intellect disables the magician; and -hence we say, also, wherefore, in certain parts of the world and in -certain periods of its history, these powers and practices have -prevailed. They were believed in because they existed; and they existed -because they were believed in. There was a continued interaction of -cause and effect—of faith and works. People who look superficially at -these things, delight in saying that the more the witches were -persecuted the more they abounded; and that when the persecution ceased -we heard no more of them. Naturally, the more they were persecuted the -more they believed in witchcraft and in themselves; when persecution -ceased, and men in authority declared that there was no such thing as -witchcraft or witches, they lost their faith, and with it that little -sovereignty over nature that that faith had conquered. - -Here we also see an explanation of the power attributed to blessings and -curses. The Word of God is creative, and man is the child of God, made -in his image; who never outgrows his childhood, and is often most a -child when he thinks himself the wisest, for “the wisdom of this world,” -we can not too often repeat, “is foolishness before God”—and being a -child, his faculties are feeble in proportion; but though limited in -amount, they are divine in kind, and are latent in all of us; still -shooting up here and there, to amaze and perplex the wise, and make -merry the foolish, who have nearly all alike forgotten their origin, and -disowned their birthright. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - - TROUBLED SPIRITS. - -A VERY curious circumstance, illustrative of the power of will, was -lately narrated to me by a Greek gentleman, to whose uncle it occurred. -His uncle, Mr. M——, was some years ago travelling in Magnesia with a -friend, when they arrived one evening at a caravanserai, where they -found themselves unprovided with anything to eat. It was therefore -agreed that one should go forth and endeavor to procure food; and the -friend offering to undertake the office, Mr. M—— stretched himself on -the floor to repose. Some time had elapsed, and his friend had not yet -returned, when his attention was attracted by a whispering in the room. -He looked up, but saw nobody, though still the whispering continued, -seeming to go round by the wall. At length it approached him; but though -he felt a burning sensation on his cheek, and heard the whispering -distinctly, he could not catch the words. Presently he heard the -footsteps of his friend, and thought he was returning; but though they -appeared to come quite close to him, and it was perfectly light, he -still saw nobody. Then he felt a strange sensation—an irresistible -impulse to rise: he felt himself _drawn up_, across the room, out of the -door, down the stairs—he must go, he could not help it—to the gate of -the caravanserai, a little farther; and there he found the dead body of -his friend, who had been suddenly assailed and cut down by robbers, -unhappily too plenty in the neighborhood at that period. - -We here see the desire of the spirit to communicate his fate to the -survivor; the imperfection of the rapport, or the receptivity, which -prevented a more direct intercourse; and the exertion of a magnetic -influence, which Mr. M—— could not resist, precisely similar to that -of a living magnetizer over his patient. - -There is a story extant in various English collections, the -circumstances of which are said to have occurred about the middle of the -last century, and which I shall here mention, on account of its -similarity to the one that follows it. - -Dr. Bretton, who was, late in life, appointed rector of Ludgate, lived -previously in Herefordshire, where he married the daughter of Dr. -Santer, a woman of great piety and virtue. This lady died; and one day, -as a former servant of hers—to whom she had been attached, and who had -since married—was nursing her child in her own cottage, the door -opened, and a lady entered so exactly resembling the late Mrs. Bretton -in dress and appearance, that she exclaimed: “If my mistress were not -dead, I should think you were she!” Whereupon the apparition told her -that she was, and requested her to go with her, as she had business of -importance to communicate. Alice objected, being very much frightened, -and entreated her to address herself rather to Dr. Bretton; but Mrs. B. -answered that _she had endeavored to do so, and had been several times -in his room for that purpose, but he was still asleep, and she had no -power to do more toward awakening him than once uncover his feet_. Alice -then pleaded that she had nobody to leave with her child; but Mrs. B. -promising that the child should sleep till her return, she at length -obeyed the summons; and having accompanied the apparition into a large -field, the latter bade her observe how much she measured off with her -feet, and, having taken a considerable compass, she bade her go and tell -her brother that all that portion had been wrongfully taken from the -poor by their father, and that he must restore it to them, adding that -she was the more concerned about it, since her name had been used in the -transaction. Alice then asking how she should satisfy the gentleman of -the truth of her mission, Mrs. B. mentioned to her some circumstance -known only to herself and this brother; she then entered into much -discourse with the woman, and gave her a great deal of good advice, -remaining till, hearing the sound of horse-bells, she said: “Alice, I -must be seen by none but yourself,” and then disappeared. Whereupon -Alice proceeded to Dr. Bretton, who admitted that he had actually heard -some one walking about his room, in a way he could not account for. On -mentioning the thing to the brother, he laughed heartily, till Alice -communicated the secret which constituted her credentials, upon which he -changed his tone, and declared himself ready to make the required -restitution. - -Dr. Bretton seems to have made no secret of this story, but to have -related it to various persons; and I think it is somewhat in its favor, -that it exhibits a remarkable instance of the various degrees of -receptivity of different individuals, where there was no suspicion of -the cause, nor any attempt made to explain why Mrs. Bretton could not -communicate her wishes to her husband as easily as to Alice. The -promising that the child should sleep, was promising no more than many a -magnetiser could fulfil. There are several curious stories extant, of -lame and suffering persons suddenly recovering, who attributed their -restoration to the visit of an apparition which had stroked their limbs, -&c.; and these are the more curious from the fact that they occurred -before Mesmer’s time, when people in general knew nothing of vital -magnetism. Dr. Binns quotes the case of a person named Jacob Olaffson, a -resident in some small island subject to Denmark, who, after lying very -ill for a fortnight, was found quite well, which he accounted for by -saying that a person in shining clothes had come to him in the night and -stroked him with his hand, whereupon he was presently healed. But the -stroking is not always necessary, since we know that the eye and the -will can produce the same effect. - -The other case to which I alluded, as similar to that of Mrs. Bretton, -occurred in Germany, and is related by Dr. Kerner. - -The late Mr. L—— St. ——, he says, quitted this world with an -excellent reputation, being at the time superintendent of an institution -for the relief of the poor in B——. His son inherited his property, -and, in acknowledgment of the faithful services of his father’s old -housekeeper, he took her into his family and established her in a -country-house, a few miles from B——, which formed part of his -inheritance. She had been settled there but a short time, when she was -awakened in the night, she knew not how, and saw a tall, haggard-looking -man in her room, who was rendered visible to her by a light that seemed -to issue from himself. She drew the bed-clothes over her head; but, as -this apparition appeared to her repeatedly, she became so much alarmed -that she mentioned it to her master, begging permission to resign her -situation. He however laughed at her—told her it must be all -imagination—and promised to sleep in the adjoining apartment, in order -that she might call him whenever this terror seized her. He did so; but, -when the spectre returned, she was so much oppressed with horror that -she found it impossible to raise her voice. Her master then advised her -to inquire the motive of its visits. This she did: whereupon, it -beckoned her to follow, which, after some struggles, she summoned -resolution to do. It then led the way down some steps to a passage, -where it pointed out to her a concealed closet, which it signified to -her, by signs, she should open. She represented that she had no key: -whereupon, it described to her, in sufficiently articulate words, where -she would find one. She procured the key, and, on opening the closet, -found a small parcel, which the spirit desired her to remit to the -governor of the institution for the poor, at B——, with the injunction -that the contents should be applied to the benefit of the inmates,—this -restitution being the only means whereby he could obtain rest and peace -in the other world. Having mentioned these circumstances to her master, -who bade her do what she had been desired, she took the parcel to the -governor and delivered it, without communicating by what means it had -come into her hands. Her name was entered in their books and she was -dismissed; but, after she was gone, they discovered to their surprise -that the packet contained an order for thirty thousand florins, of which -the late Mr. St. —— had defrauded the institution and converted to his -own use. - -Mr. St. ——, jr., was now called upon to pay the money, which he -refusing to do, the affair was at length referred to the authorities; -and the housekeeper being arrested, he and she were confronted in the -court, where she detailed the circumstances by which the parcel had come -into her possession. Mr. St. —— denied the possibility of the thing, -declaring the whole must be, for some purpose or other, an invention of -her own. Suddenly, while making this defence, he felt a blow upon his -shoulder, which caused him to start and look round, and at the same -moment the housekeeper exclaimed: “See! there he stands, now—there is -the ghost!” None perceived the figure excepting the woman herself and -Mr. St. ——; but everybody present heard the following words: “My son, -repair the injustice I have committed, that I may be at peace!” The -money was paid; and Mr. St. —— was so much affected by this painful -event, that he was seized with a severe illness, from which he with -difficulty recovered. - -Dr. Kerner says that these circumstances occurred in the year 1816, and -created a considerable sensation at the time, though, at the earnest -request of the family of Mr. St. ——, there was an attempt made to hush -them up; adding, that in the month of October, 1819, he was himself -assured by a very respectable citizen of B——, that it was universally -known in the town that the ghost of the late superintendent had appeared -to the housekeeper, and pointed out to her where she would find the -packet; that she had consulted the minister of her parish, who bade her -deliver it as directed; that she had been subsequently arrested, and the -affair brought before the authorities, where, while making his defence, -Mr. St. —— had received a blow from an invisible hand; and that Mr. -St. —— was so much affected by these circumstances, which got abroad -in spite of the efforts to suppress them, that he did not long survive -the event. - -Grose, the antiquary, makes himself very merry with the observation that -ghosts do not go about their business like other people; and that in -cases of murder, instead of going to the nearest justice of peace, or to -the nearest relation of the deceased, a ghost addresses itself to -somebody who had nothing to do with the matter, or hovers about the -grave where its body is deposited. “The same circuitous mode is -pursued,” he says, “with respect to redressing injured orphans or -widows; where it seems as if the shortest and most certain way would be -to go and haunt the person guilty of the injustice, till he were -terrified into restitution.” We find the same sort of strictures made on -the story of the ghost of Sir George Villiers, which—instead of going -directly to his son, the duke of Buckingham, to warn him of his -danger—addressed himself to an inferior person; while the warning was, -after all, inefficacious, as the duke would not take counsel;—but -surely such strictures are as absurd as the conduct of the ghost: at -least I think there can be nothing more absurd than pretending to -prescribe laws to nature, and judging of what we know so little about. - -The proceedings of the ghost in the following case will doubtless be -equally displeasing to the critics. The account is extracted verbatim -from a work published by the Bannatyne Club, and is entitled, “Authentic -Account of the Appearance of a Ghost in Queen Ann’s County, Maryland, -United States of North America, proved in the following remarkable -trial, from attested notes taken in court at the time by one of the -counsel.” - -It appears that Thomas Harris had made some alteration in the disposal -of his property, immediately previous to his death; and that the family -disputed the will and raised up difficulties likely to be injurious to -his children. - -“William Brigs said, that he was forty-three years of age; that Thomas -Harris died in September, in the year 1790. In the March following he -was riding near the place where Thomas Harris was buried, on a horse -formerly belonging to Thomas Harris. After crossing a small branch, his -horse began to walk on very fast. It was between the hours of eight and -nine o’clock in the morning. He was alone: it was a clear day. He -entered a lane adjoining to the field where Thomas Harris was buried. -His horse suddenly wheeled in a panel of the fence, looked over the -fence into the field where Thomas Harris was buried, and neighed very -loud. Witness then saw Thomas Harris coming toward him, in the same -apparel he had last seen him in in his lifetime; he had on a sky-blue -coat. Just before he came to the fence, he varied to the right and -vanished; his horse immediately took the road. Thomas Harris came within -two panels of the fence to him; he did not see his features, nor speak -to him. He was acquainted with Thomas Harris when a boy, and there had -always been a great intimacy between them. He thinks the horse knew -Thomas Harris, because of his neighing, pricking up his ears, and -looking over the fence. - -“About the first of June following, he was ploughing in his own field, -about three miles from where Thomas Harris was buried. About dusk Thomas -Harris came alongside of him, and walked with him about two hundred -yards. He was dressed as when first seen. He made a halt about two steps -from him. J. Bailey who was ploughing along with him, came driving up, -and he lost sight of the ghost. He was much alarmed: not a word was -spoken. The young man Bailey did not see him; he did not tell Bailey of -it. There was no motion of any particular part: he vanished. It preyed -upon his mind so as to affect his health. He was with Thomas Harris when -he died, but had no particular conversation with him. Some time after, -he was lying in bed, about eleven and twelve o’clock at night, when he -heard Thomas Harris groan; it was like the groan he gave a few minutes -before he expired: Mrs. Brigs, his wife, heard the groan. She got up and -searched the house: he did not, because he knew the groan to be from -Thomas Harris. Some time after, when in bed, and a great fire-light in -the room, he saw a shadow on the wall, and at the same time he felt a -great weight upon him. Some time after, when in bed and asleep, he felt -a stroke between his eyes, which blackened them both: his wife was in -bed with him, and two young men were in the room. The blow awaked him, -and all in the room were asleep; is certain no one in the room struck -him: the blow swelled his nose. About the middle of August he was alone, -coming from Hickey Collins’s, after dark, about one hour in the night, -when Thomas Harris appeared, dressed as he had seen him when going down -to the meeting-house branch, three miles and a half from the graveyard -of Thomas Harris. It was starlight. He extended his arms over his -shoulders. Does not know how long he remained in this situation. He was -much alarmed. Thomas Harris disappeared. Nothing was said. He felt no -weight on his shoulders. He went back to Collins’s, and got a young man -to go with him. After he got home he mentioned it to the young man. He -had, before this, told James Harris he had seen his brother’s ghost. - -“In October, about twilight in the morning, he saw Thomas Harris about -one hundred yards from the house of the witness; his head was leaned to -one side; same apparel as before; his face was toward him; he walked -fast and disappeared: there was nothing between them to obstruct the -view; he was about fifty yards from him, and alone; he had no conception -why Thomas Harris appeared to him. On the same day, about eight o’clock -in the morning, he was handing up blades to John Bailey, who was -stacking them; he saw Thomas Harris come along the garden fence, dressed -as before; he vanished, and always to the east; was within fifteen feet -of him; Bailey did not see him. An hour and a half afterward, in the -same place, he again appeared, coming as before; came up to the fence; -leaned on it within ten feet of the witness, who called to Bailey to -look there (pointing toward Thomas Harris). Bailey asked what was there. -Don’t you see Harris? Does not recollect what Bailey said. Witness -advanced toward Harris. One or the other spoke as witness got over the -fence on the same panel that Thomas Harris was leaning on. They walked -off together about five hundred yards; a conversation took place as they -walked; he has not the conversation on his memory. He could not -understand Thomas Harris, his voice was so low. He asked Thomas Harris a -question, and he forbid him. Witness then asked, ‘Why not go to your -brother, instead of me?’ Thomas Harris said, ‘Ask me no questions.’ -Witness told him his will was doubted. Thomas Harris told him to ask his -brother if he did not remember the conversation which passed between -them on the east side of the wheat-stacks, the day he was taken with his -death-sickness; that he then declared that he wished all his property -kept together by James Harris, until his children arrived at age, then -the whole should be sold and divided among his children; and, should it -be immediately sold, as expressed in his will, that the property would -be most wanting to his children while minors, therefore he had changed -his will, and said that witness should see him again. He then told -witness to turn, and disappeared. He did not speak to him with the same -voice as in his lifetime. He was not daunted while with Thomas Harris, -but much afterward. Witness then went to James Harris and told him that -he had seen his brother three times that day. Related the conversation -he had with him. Asked James Harris if he remembered the conversation -between him and his brother, at the wheat-stack; he said he did; then -told him what had passed. Said he would fulfil his brother’s will. He -was satisfied that witness had seen his brother, for that no other -person knew the conversation. On the same evening, returning home about -an hour before sunset, Thomas Harris appeared to him, and came alongside -of him. Witness told him that his brother said he would fulfil his will. -No more conversation on this subject. He disappeared. He had further -conversation with Thomas Harris, but not on this subject. He was always -dressed in the same manner. He had never related to any person the last -conversation, and never would. - -“Bailey, who was sworn in the cause, declared that as he and Brigs were -stacking blades, as related by Brigs, he called to witness and said, -‘Look there! Do you not see Thomas Harris?’ Witness said, ‘No.’ Brigs -got over the fence, and walked some distance—appeared by his action to -be in deep conversation with some person. Witness saw no one. - -“The counsel was extremely anxious to hear from Mr. Brigs the whole of -the conversation of the ghost, and on his cross-examination took every -means, without effect, to obtain it. They represented to him, as a -religious man, he was bound to disclose the whole truth. He appeared -agitated when applied to, declaring nothing short of life should make -him reveal the whole conversation, and, claiming the protection of the -court, that he had declared all he knew relative to the case. - -“The court overruled the question of the counsel. Hon. James Tilgman, -judge. - -“His excellency Robert Wright, late governor of Maryland, and the Hon. -Joseph H. Nicholson, afterward judge of one of the courts in Maryland, -were the counsel for the plaintiff. - -“John Scott and Richard T. Earl, Esqs., were counsel for the defendant.” - -Here, as in the case of Col. M——, mentioned in a former chapter, and -some others I have met with, we find disclosures made that were held -sacred. - -Dr. Kerner relates the following singular story, which he declares -himself to have received from the most satisfactory authority. Agnes -B——, being at the time eighteen years of age, was living as servant in -a small inn at Undenheim, her native place. The host and hostess were -quiet old people, who generally went to bed about eight o’clock, while -she and the boy, the only other servant, were expected to sit up till -ten, when they had to shut up the house and retire to bed also. One -evening, as the host was sitting on a bench before the door, there came -a beggar, requesting a night’s lodging. The host, however, refused, and -bade him seek what he wanted in the village; whereon the man went away. - -At the usual hour the old people went to bed; and the two servants, -having closed the shutters, and indulged in a little gossip with the -watchman, were about to follow their example, when the beggar came round -the corner of the neighboring street, and earnestly entreated them to -give him a lodging for the night, since he could find nobody that would -take him in. At first the young people refused, saying they dared not, -without their master’s leave; but at length the entreaties of the man -prevailed, and they consented to let him sleep in the barn, on condition -that, when they called him in the morning, he would immediately depart. -At three o’clock they rose, and when the boy entered the barn, to his -dismay, he found that the old man had expired in the night. They were -now much perplexed with the apprehension of their master’s displeasure; -so, after some consultation, they agreed that the lad should convey the -body out of the barn, and lay it in a dry ditch that was near at hand, -where it would be found by the laborers, and excite no question, as they -would naturally conclude he had laid himself down there to die. - -This was done, the man was discovered and buried, and they thought -themselves well rid of the whole affair; but, on the following night, -the girl was awakened by the beggar, whom she saw standing at her -bedside. He looked at her, and then quitted the room by the door. “Glad -was I,” she says, “when the day broke; but I was scarcely out of my room -when the boy came to me, trembling and pale, and, before I could say a -word to him of what I had seen, he told me that the beggar had been to -his room in the night, had looked at him, and then gone away. He said he -was dressed as when we had seen him alive, only he looked blacker, which -I also had observed.” - -Still afraid of incurring blame, they told nobody, although the -apparition returned to them every night; and although they found -removing to the other bed-chambers did not relieve them from his visits. -But the effects of this persecution became so visible on both, that much -curiosity was awakened in the village with respect to the cause of the -alteration observed in them; and at length the boy’s mother went to the -minister, requesting him to interrogate her son, and endeavor to -discover what was preying on his mind. To him the boy disclosed their -secret; and this minister, who was a protestant, having listened with -attention to the story, advised him, when next he went to Mayence, to -market, to call on Father Joseph, of the Franciscan convent, and relate -the circumstance to him. This advice was followed; and Father Joseph, -assuring the lad that the ghost could do him no harm, recommended him to -ask him, in the name of God, what he desired. The boy did so; whereupon -the apparition answered, “Ye are children of mercy, but I am a child of -evil; in the barn, under the straw, you will find my money. Take it; it -is yours.” In the morning, the boy found the money accordingly, in an -old stocking hid under the straw; but having a natural horror of it, -they took it to their minister, who advised them to divide it into three -parts, giving one to the Franciscan convent at Mayence, another to the -reformed church in the village, and the other third to that to which -they themselves belonged, which was of the Lutheran persuasion. This -they did, and were no more troubled with the beggar. With respect to the -minister who gave them this good advice, I can only say, all honor be to -him! I wish there were many more such! The circumstance occurred in the -year 1750, and is related by the daughter of Agnes B——, who declared -that she had frequently heard it from her mother. - -The circumstance of this apparition looking darker than the man had done -when alive, is significant of his condition, and confirms what I have -said above, namely, that the moral state of the disembodied soul can no -longer be concealed as it was in the flesh, but that as he is, he must -necessarily appear. - -There is an old saying, that we should never lie down to rest at enmity -with any human being; and the story of the ghost of the Princess Anna of -Saxony, who appeared to Duke Christian of Saxe-Eisenburg, is strongly -confirmatory of the wisdom of this axiom. - -Duke Christian was sitting one morning in his study, when he was -surprised by a knock at his door—an unusual circumstance, since the -guards as well as the people in waiting were always in the ante-room. -He, however, cried, “Come in!” when there entered, to his amazement, a -lady in an ancient costume, who, in answer to his inquiries, told him -that she was no evil spirit, and would do him no harm; but that she was -one of his ancestors, and had been the wife of Duke John Casimer, of -Saxe-Coburg. She then related that she and her husband had not been on -good terms at the period of their deaths, and that, although she had -sought a reconciliation, he had been inexorable; pursuing her with -unmitigated hatred, and injuring her by unjust suspicions; and that, -consequently, although _she_ was happy, _he_ was still wandering in cold -and darkness, between time and eternity. She had, however, long known -that one of their descendants was destined to effect this reconciliation -for them, and they were rejoiced to find the time for it had at length -arrived. She then gave the duke eight days to consider if he were -willing to perform this good office, and disappeared; whereupon he -consulted a clergyman, in whom he had great confidence, who, after -finding the ghost’s communication verified, by a reference to the annals -of the family, advised him to comply with her request. - -As the duke had yet some difficulty in believing it was really a ghost -he had seen, he took care to have his door well watched; she, however, -entered at the appointed time, unseen by the attendants, and, having -received the duke’s promise, she told him she would return with her -husband on the following night; for that, though she could come by day, -he could not; that then, having heard the circumstances, the duke must -arbitrate between them, and then unite their hands, and bless them. The -door was still watched, but nevertheless the apparitions both came, the -Duke Casimer in full royal costume, but of a livid paleness; and when -the wife had told her story, he told his. Duke Christian decided for the -lady, in which judgment Duke Casimer fully acquiesced. Christian then -took the ice-cold hand of Casimer and laid it in that of his wife, which -felt of a natural heat. They then prayed and sang together, and the -apparitions disappeared, having foretold that Duke Christian would ere -long be with them. The family records showed that these people had lived -about one hundred years before Duke Christian’s time, who himself died -in 1707, two years after these visits of his ancestors. He desired to be -buried in quicklime—it is supposed from an idea that it might prevent -his ghost walking the earth. - -The costume in which they appeared was precisely that they had worn when -alive, as was ascertained by a reference to their portraits. - -The expression that her husband was _wandering in cold and darkness, -between time and eternity_, is here very worthy of observation, as are -the circumstances that his hand was cold, while hers was warm; and also, -the greater privilege she seemed to enjoy. The hands of the unhappy -spirits appear, I think, invariably to communicate a sensation of cold. - -I have heard of three instances of persons now alive, who declare that -they hold continual intercourse with their deceased partners. One of -these is a naval officer, whom the author of a book lately published, -called “The Unseen World,” appears to be acquainted with. The second is -a professor in a college in America, a man of eminence and learning, and -full of activity and energy—yet he assured a friend of mine that he -receives constant visits from his departed wife, which afford him great -satisfaction. The third example is a lady in this country. She is united -to a second husband, has been extremely happy in both marriages, and -declares that she receives frequent visits from her first. Oberlin, the -good pastor of _Ban de la Roche_, asserted the same thing of himself. -His wife came to him frequently after her death; was seen by the rest of -his household, as well as himself; and warned him beforehand of many -events that occurred. - -Mrs. Mathews relates in the memoirs of her husband, that he was one -night in bed and unable to sleep, from the excitement that continues -some time after acting, when, hearing a rustling by the side of the bed, -he looked out, and saw his first wife, who was then dead, standing by -the bedside, dressed as when alive. She smiled, and bent forward as if -to take his hand; but in his alarm he threw himself out on the floor to -avoid the contact, and was found by the landlord in a fit. On the same -night, and at the same hour, the present Mrs. Mathews, who was far away -from him, received a similar visit from her predecessor, whom she had -known when alive. She was quite awake, and in her terror seized the -bell-rope to summon assistance, which gave way, and she fell with it in -her hand to the ground. - -Professor Barthe, who visited Oberlin in 1824, says, that while he spoke -of his intercourse with the spiritual world as familiarly as of the -daily visits of his parishioners, he was at the same time perfectly free -from fanaticism, and eagerly alive to all the concerns of this earthly -existence. He asserted, what I find many somnambules and deceased -persons also assert, that everything on earth is but a copy, of which -the antitype is to be found in the other. - -He said to his visiter, that he might as well attempt to persuade him -that that was not a table before them, as that he did not hold -communication with the other world. “I give you credit for being honest -when you assure me that you never saw anything of the kind,” said he; -“give me the same credit when I assure you that I do.” - -With respect to the faculty of ghost-seeing, he said, it depends on -several circumstances, external and internal. People who live in the -bustle and glare of the world seldom see them, while those who live in -still, solitary, thinly-inhabited places, like the mountainous districts -of various countries, do. So if I go into the forest by night, I see the -phosphoric light of a piece of rotten wood; but if I go by day I can not -see it; yet it is still there. Again, there must be a rapport. A tender -mother is awakened by the faintest cry of her infant, while the maid -slumbers on and never hears it; and if I thrust a needle among a parcel -of wood-shavings, and hold a magnet over them, the needle is stirred -while the shavings are quite unmoved. There must be a particular -aptitude; what it consists in I do not know; for of my people, many of -whom are ghost-seers, some are weak and sickly, others vigorous and -strong. Here are several pieces of flint: I can see no difference in -them; yet some have so much iron in them that they easily become -magnetic; others have little or none. So it is with the faculty of -ghost-seeing. People may laugh as they will, but the thing is a fact, -nevertheless. - -The visits of his wife continued for nine years after her death, and -then ceased. - -At length she sent him a message, through another deceased person, to -say that she was now elevated to a higher state, and could therefore no -longer revisit the earth. - -Never was there a purer spirit, nor a more beloved human being, than -Oberlin. When first he was appointed to the curé of Ban de la Roche, and -found his people talking so familiarly of the reappearance of the dead, -he reproved them and preached against the superstition; nor was he -convinced, till after the death of his wife. She had, however, -previously received a visit from her deceased sister, the wife of -Professor Oberlin, of Strasburg, who had warned her of her approaching -death, for which she immediately set about preparing, making extra -clothing for her children, and even laying in provision for the funeral -feast. She then took leave of her husband and family, and went quietly -to bed. On the following morning she died; and Oberlin never heard of -the warning she had received, till she disclosed it to him in her -spectral visitations. - -In narrating the following story, I am not permitted to give the names -of the place or parties, nor the number of the regiment, with all of -which, however, I am acquainted. The account was taken down by one of -the officers, with whose family I am also acquainted; and the -circumstance occurred within the last ten years. - -“About the month of August,” says Captain E——, “my attention was -requested by the schoolmaster-sergeant, a man of considerable worth, and -highly esteemed by the whole corps, to an event which had occurred in -the garrison hospital. Having heard his recital, which, from the serious -earnestness with which he made it, challenged attention, I resolved to -investigate the matter; and, having communicated the circumstances to a -friend, we both repaired to the hospital for the purpose of inquiry. - -“There were two patients to be examined—both men of good character, and -neither of them suffering from any disorder affecting the brain; the one -was under treatment for consumptive symptoms, and the other for an -ulcerated leg: and they were both in the prime of life. - -“Having received a confirmation of the schoolmaster’s statement from the -hospital-sergeant, also a very respectable and trustworthy man, I sent -for the patient principally concerned, and desired him to state what he -had seen and heard, warning him, at the same time, that it was my -intention to take down his deposition, and that it behooved him to be -very careful, as possibly serious steps might be taken for the purpose -of discovering whether an imposition had been practised in the wards of -the hospital—a crime for which, he was well aware, a very severe -penalty would be inflicted. He then proceeded to relate the -circumstances, which I took down in the presence of Mr. B—— and the -hospital-sergeant, as follows:— - -“‘It was last Tuesday night, somewhere between eleven and twelve, when -all of us were in bed, and all lights out except the rush-light that was -allowed for the man with the fever, when I was awoke by feeling a weight -upon my feet, and at the same moment, as I was drawing up my legs, -Private W——, who lies in the cot opposite mine, called out, “I say, -Q——, there’s somebody sitting upon your legs!”—and as I looked to the -bottom of my bed, I saw some one get up from it, and then come round and -stand over me, in the passage between my cot and the next. I felt -somewhat alarmed, for the last few nights the ward had been disturbed by -sounds as of a heavy foot walking up and down; and as nobody could be -seen, it was beginning to be supposed among us that it was haunted, and -fancying this that came up to my bed’s head might be the ghost, I called -out, “Who are you, and what do you want?” - -“‘The figure then, leaning with one hand on the wall, over my head, and -stooping down, said, in my ear, “I am Mrs. M——;” and I could then -distinguish that she was dressed in a flannel gown, edged with black -riband, exactly similar to a set of grave-clothes in which I had -assisted to clothe her corpse, when her death took place a year -previously. - -“‘The voice, however, was not like Mrs. M——’s, nor like anybody -else’s, yet it was very distinct, and seemed somehow to sing through my -head. I could see nothing of a face beyond a darkish color about the -head, and it appeared to me that I could see through her body against -the window-glasses. - -“‘Although I felt very uncomfortable, I asked her what she wanted. She -replied, “I am Mrs. M——, and I wish you to write to him that was my -husband, and tell him.....” - -“‘I am not, sir,’ said Corporal Q——, ‘at liberty to mention to anybody -what she told me, except to her husband. He is at the dépôt in Ireland, -and I have written and told him. She made me promise not to tell any one -else. After I had promised secrecy, she told me something of a matter -that convinced me I was talking to a spirit, for it related to what only -I and Mrs. M—— knew, and no one living could know anything whatever of -the matter; and if I was now speaking my last words on earth, I say -solemnly that it was Mrs. M——’s spirit that spoke to me then, and no -one else. After promising that if I complied with her request, she would -not trouble me or the ward again, she went from my bed toward the -fireplace, and with her hands she kept feeling about the wall over the -mantel-piece. After a while, she came toward me again; and while my eyes -were upon her, she somehow disappeared from my sight altogether, and I -was left alone. - -“‘It was then that I felt faint-like, and a cold sweat broke out over -me; but I did not faint, and after a time I got better, and gradually I -went off to sleep. - -“‘The men in the ward said, next day, that Mrs. M—— had come to speak -to me about purgatory, because she had been a Roman catholic, and we had -often had arguments on religion: but what she told me had no reference -to such subjects, but to a matter only she and I knew of.’ - -“After closely cross-questioning Corporal Q——, and endeavoring without -success to reason him out of his belief in the ghostly character of his -visiter, I read over to him what I had written, and then, dismissing -him, sent for the other patient. - -“After cautioning him, as I had done the first, I proceeded to take down -his statement, which was made with every appearance of good faith and -sincerity:— - -“‘I was lying awake,’ said he, ‘last Tuesday night, when I saw some one -sitting on Corporal Q——’s bed. There was so little light in the ward, -that I could not make out who it was, and the figure looked so strange -that I got alarmed, and felt quite sick. I called out to Corporal Q—— -that there was somebody sitting upon his bed, and then the figure got -up; and as I did not know but it might be coming to me, I got so much -alarmed, that being but weakly’ (this was the consumptive man), ‘I fell -back, and I believe I fainted away. When I got round again, I saw the -figure standing and apparently talking to the corporal, placing one hand -against the wall and stooping down. I could not, however, hear any -voice; and being still much alarmed, I put my head under the clothes for -a considerable time. When I looked up again I could only see Corporal -Q——, sitting up in bed alone, and he said he had seen a ghost; and I -told him I had also seen it. After a time he got up and gave me a drink -of water, for I was very faint. Some of the other patients being -disturbed by our talking, they bade us be quiet, and after some time I -got to sleep. The ward has not been disturbed since.’ - -“The man was then cross-questioned; but his testimony remaining quite -unshaken, he was dismissed, and the hospital-sergeant was interrogated -with regard to the possibility of a trick having been practised. He -asserted, however, that this was impossible; and, certainly, from my own -knowledge of the hospital regulations, and the habits of the patients, I -should say that a practical joke of this nature was too serious a thing -to have been attempted by anybody, especially as there were patients in -the ward very ill at the time, and one very near his end. The punishment -would have been extremely severe, and discovery almost certain, since -everybody would have been adverse to the delinquent. - -“The investigation that ensued was a very brief one, it being found that -there was nothing more to be elicited; and the affair terminated with -the supposition that the two men had been dreaming. Nevertheless, six -months afterward, on being interrogated, their evidence and their -conviction were as clear as at first, and they declared themselves ready -at any time to repeat their statement upon oath.” - -Supposing this case to be as the men believed it, there are several -things worthy of observation. In the first place, the ghost is guilty of -that inconsistency so offensive to Francis Grose and many others. -Instead of telling her secret to her husband, she commissions the -corporal to tell it him, and it is not till a year after her departure -from this life that she does even that; and she is heard in the ward two -or three nights before she is visible. We are therefore constrained to -suppose that, like Mrs. Bretton, she could not communicate with her -husband, and that, till that Tuesday night, the necessary conditions for -attaining her object, as regarded the corporal, were wanting. It is also -remarkable that, although the latter heard her speak distinctly, and -spoke to her, the other man heard no voice, which renders it probable -that she had at length been able to produce that impression upon him -which a magnetizer does on his somnambule, enabling each to understand -the other by a transference of thought, which was undistinguishable to -the corporal from speech, as it is frequently to the somnambule. The -imitating the actions of life by leaning against the wall and feeling -about the mantel-piece, are very unlike what a person would have done -who was endeavoring to impose on the man; and equally unlike what they -would have reported, had the thing been an invention of their own. - -Among the established jests on the subject of ghosts, their sudden -vanishing is a very fruitful one; but, I think, if we examine this -question, we shall find that there is nothing comical in the matter -except the ignorance or want of reflection of the jesters. - -In the first place, as I have before observed, a spirit must be where -its thoughts and affections are, for they are itself; our spirits are -where our thoughts and affections are, although our solid bodies remain -stationary: and no one will suppose that walls or doors, or material -obstacles of any kind, could exclude a spirit any more than they can -exclude our thoughts. - -But, then, there is the visible body of the spirit—what is that, and -how does it retain its shape?—for we know that there is a law -(discovered by Dalton) that two masses of gaseous matter can not remain -in contact, but they will immediately proceed to diffuse themselves into -one another; and accordingly, it may be advanced that a gaseous -corporeity in the atmosphere is an impossibility, because it could not -retain its form, but would inevitably be dissolved away, and blend with -the surrounding air. But precisely the same objection might be made by a -chemist to the possibility of our fleshly bodies retaining their -integrity and compactness: for the human body, taken as a whole, is -known to be an impossible chemical compound, except for the vitality -which upholds it; and no sooner is life withdrawn from it, than it -crumbles into putrescence; and it is undeniable that the aeriform body -would be an impossible mechanical phenomenon, but for the vitality -which, we are entitled to suppose, may uphold it. But, just as the state -or condition of organization protects the fleshly body from the natural -reactions which would destroy it, so may an analogous condition of -organization protect a spiritual ethereal body from the destructive -influence of the mutual interdiffusion of gases. - -Thus, supposing this aeriform body to be a permanent appurtenance of the -spirit, we see how it may subsist and retain its integrity; and it would -be as reasonable to hope to exclude the electric fluid by walls or doors -as to exclude by them this subtle, fluent form. If, on the contrary, the -shape be only one constructed out of the atmosphere by an act of will, -the same act of will, which is a vital force, will preserve it entire, -until, the will being withdrawn, it dissolves away. In either case, the -moment the will or thought of the spirit is elsewhere, it is gone—it -has vanished. - -For those who prefer the other hypothesis—namely, that there is no -outstanding shape at all, but that the will of the spirit, acting on the -constructive imagination of the seer, enables him to conceive the form, -as the spirit itself conceives of it—there can be no difficulty in -understanding that the becoming invisible will depend merely on a -similar act of will. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - - HAUNTED HOUSES. - -EVERYBODY has heard of haunted houses; and there is no country, and -scarcely any place, in which something of the sort is not known or -talked of; and I suppose there is no one who, in the course of their -travels, has not seen very respectable, good-looking houses shut up and -uninhabited, because they had this evil reputation assigned to them. I -have seen several such, for my own part; and it is remarkable that this -_mala fama_ does not always, by any means, attach itself to buildings -one would imagine most obnoxious to such a suspicion. For example, I -never heard of a ghost being seen or heard in Haddon hall, the most -ghostly of houses; nor in many other antique, mysterious-looking -buildings, where one might expect them, while sometimes a house of a -very prosaic aspect remains uninhabited, and is ultimately allowed to -fall to ruin, for no other reason, we are told, than that nobody can -live in it. I remember, in my childhood, such a house in Kent—I think -it was on the road between Maidstone and Tunbridge—which had this -reputation. There was nothing dismal about it: it was neither large nor -old, and it stood on the borders of a well-frequented road; yet I was -assured it had stood empty for years; and as long as I lived in that -part of the country it never had an inhabitant, and I believe was -finally pulled down—and all for no other reason than that it was -haunted, and nobody could live in it. I have frequently heard of people, -while travelling on the continent, getting into houses at a rent so low -as to surprise them, and I have, moreover, frequently heard of very -strange things occurring while they were there. I remember, for -instance, a family of the name of S—— S——, who obtained a very -handsome house at a most agreeably cheap rate, somewhere on the coast of -Italy—I think it was at Mola de Gaeta. They lived very comfortably in -it till one day, while Mrs. S—— S—— was sitting in the drawing-room, -which opened into a balcony overhanging the sea, she saw a lady dressed -in white pass along before the windows, which were all closed. -Concluding it was one of her daughters, who had been accidentally shut -out, she arose and opened the window, to allow her to enter; but on -looking out, to her amazement there was nobody there, although there was -no possible escape from the balcony unless by jumping into the sea! On -mentioning this circumstance to somebody in the neighborhood, they were -told that “that was the reason they had the house so cheap: nobody liked -to live in it.” - -I have heard of several houses, even in populous cities, to which some -strange circumstance of this sort is attached—some in London even, and -some in this city and neighborhood; and, what is more, unaccountable -things actually do happen to those who inhabit them. Doors are strangely -opened and shut, a rustling of silk, and sometimes a whispering, and -frequently footsteps, are heard. There is a house in Ayrshire to which -this sort of thing has been attached for years, insomuch that it was -finally abandoned to an old man and woman, who said that they were so -used to it that they did not mind it. A distinguished authoress told me -that some time ago she passed a night at the house of an acquaintance, -in one of the midland counties of England. She and her sister occupied -the same room, and in the night they heard some one ascending the -stairs. The foot came distinctly to the door, then turned away, ascended -the next flight, and they heard it overhead. In the morning, on being -asked if they had slept well, they mentioned this circumstance. “That is -what everybody hears who sleeps in that room,” said the lady of the -house. “Many a time I have, when sleeping there, drawn up the -night-bolt, persuaded that the nurse was bringing the baby to me; but -there was nobody to be seen. We have taken every pains to ascertain what -it is, but in vain; and are now so used to it, that we have ceased to -care about the matter.” - -I know of two or three other houses in this city, and one in the -neighborhood, in which circumstances of this nature are transpiring, or -have transpired very lately; but people hush them up, from the fear of -being laughed at, and also from an apprehension of injuring the -character of a house; on which account, I do not dwell on the -particulars. But there was, some time since, a _fama_ of this kind -attached to a house in St. J—— street, some of the details of which -became very public. It had stood empty a long time, in consequence of -the annoyances to which the inhabitants had been subjected. There was -one room, particularly, which nobody could occupy without disturbance. -On one occasion, a youth who had been abroad a considerable time, either -in the army or navy, was put there to sleep on his arrival, since, -knowing nothing of these reports, it was hoped his rest might not be -interrupted. In the morning, however, he complained of the dreadful time -he had had, with people looking in at him between the curtains of his -bed all night—avowing his resolution to terminate his visit that same -day, as he would not sleep there any more. After this period, the house -stood empty again for a considerable time, but was at length taken and -workmen sent in to repair it. One day, when the men were away at dinner, -the master tradesman took the key and went to inspect progress, and, -having examined the lower rooms, he was ascending the stairs, when he -heard a man’s foot behind him. He looked round, but there was nobody -there, and he moved on again; still there was somebody following, and he -stopped and looked over the rails; but there was no one to be seen. So, -although feeling rather queer, he advanced into the drawing-room, where -a fire had been lighted; and, wishing to combat the uncomfortable -sensation that was creeping over him, he took hold of a chair, and -drawing it resolutely along the floor, he slammed it down upon the -hearth with some force and seated himself in it; when, to his amazement, -the action, in all its particulars of sound, was immediately repeated by -his unseen companion, who seemed to seat himself beside him on a chair -as invisible as himself. Horror-struck, the worthy builder started up -and rushed out of the house. - -There is a house in S—— street, in London, which, having stood empty a -good while, was at length taken by Lord B——. The family were annoyed -by several unpleasant occurrences, and by the sound of footsteps, which -were often audible, especially in Lady B——’s bed-room—who, though she -could not see the form, was occasionally conscious of its immediate -proximity. - -Some time since, a gentleman having established himself in a lodging in -London, felt, the first night he slept there, that the clothes were -being dragged off his bed. He fancied he had done it himself in his -sleep, and pulled them on again;—but it happens repeatedly: he gets out -of bed each time—can find nobody, no string, no possible -explanation—nor can obtain any from the people of the house, who only -seem distressed and annoyed. On mentioning it to some one in the -neighborhood, he is informed that the same thing has occurred to several -preceding occupants of the lodging, which, of course, he left. - -The circumstances that happened at New House, in Hampshire—as detailed -by Mr. Barham in the third volume of the “Ingoldsby Legends”—are known -to be perfectly authentic; as are the following, the account of which I -have received from a highly respectable servant, residing in a family -with whom I am well acquainted: she informs me that she was, not very -long since, living with a Colonel and Mrs. W——, who, being at -Carlisle, engaged a furnished house, which they obtained at an -exceedingly cheap rate, because nobody liked to live in it. This family, -however, met with no annoyance, and attached no importance to the rumor -which had kept the house empty. There were, however, two rooms in it -wholly unfurnished; and as the house was large, they were dispensed with -till the recurrence of the race week, when, expecting company, these two -rooms were temporarily fitted up for the use of the nurses and children. -There were heavy Venetian blinds to the windows; and, in the middle of -the night, the person who related the circumstance to me, was awakened -by the distinct sound of these blinds being pulled up and down with -violence, perhaps as many as twenty times. The fire had fallen low, and -she could not see whether they were actually moved or not, but lay -trembling in indescribable terror. Presently feet were heard in the -room, and a stamping as if several men were moving about without -stockings. While lying in this state of agony, she was comforted by -hearing the voice of a nurse, who slept in another bed in the same -chamber, exclaiming: “The Lord have mercy upon us!” This second woman -then asked the first if she had courage to get out of bed and stir up -the fire, so that they might be able to see; which by a great effort she -did, the chimney being near her bed. There was, however, nothing to be -discovered, everything being precisely as when they went to bed. On -another occasion, when they were sitting in the evening at work, they -distinctly heard some one counting money, and the chink of the pieces as -they were laid down. The sound proceeded from the inner room of the two, -but there was nobody there. This family left the house, and though a -large and commodious one, she understood it remained unoccupied, as -before. - -A respectable citizen of Edinburgh, not long ago, went to America to -visit his son, who had married and settled there. The morning after his -arrival, he declared his determination to return immediately to -Philadelphia, from which the house was at a considerable distance; and, -on being interrogated as to the cause of this sudden departure, he said -that in the previous night he had heard a man walking about his room, -who had approached the bed, drawn back the curtains, and bent over him. -Thinking it was somebody who had concealed himself there with ill -intentions, he had struck out violently at the figure, when, to his -horror, his arm passed unimpeded through it. - -Other extraordinary things happened in that house, which had the -reputation of being haunted, although the son had not believed it, and -had therefore not mentioned the report to the father. One day the -children said they had been running after “such a queer thing in the -cellar; it was like a goat, and not like a goat; but it seemed to be -like a shadow.” - -A few years ago, some friends of mine were taking a house in this city, -when the servants of the people who were leaving advised them not to -have anything to do with it, for that there was a ghost in it that -screamed dreadfully, and that they never could keep a stitch of clothes -on them at night—the bed-coverings were always pulled off. My friends -laughed heartily and took the house; but the cries and groans all over -it were so frequent, that they at length got quite used to them. It is -to be observed that the house was a _flat_, or _floor_, shut in; so that -there could be no draughts of air nor access for tricks. Besides, it was -a woman’s voice, sometimes close to their ears, sometimes in a closet, -sometimes behind their beds—in short, in all directions. Everybody -heard it that went to the house. - -The tenant that succeeded them, however, has never been troubled with -it. - -The story of the Brown Lady at the Marquis of T——’s, in Norfolk, is -known to many. The Hon. H. W—— told me that a friend of his, while -staying there, had often seen her, and had one day inquired of his host, -“Who was the lady in brown that he had met frequently on the stairs?” -Two gentlemen, whose names were mentioned to me, resolved to watch for -her and intercept her. They at length saw her but she eluded them by -turning down a staircase, and when they looked over she had disappeared. -Many persons have seen her. - -There is a Scotch family of distinction, who, I am told, are accompanied -by an unseen attendant, whom they call “Spinning Jenny.” She is heard -spinning in their house in the country, and when they come into town she -spins here; servants and all hear the sound of her wheel. I believe she -accompanies them no further than to their own residences, not to those -of other people. Jenny is supposed to be a former housemaid of the -family, who was a great spinner, and they are so accustomed to her -presence as to feel it no annoyance. - -The following very singular circumstance was related to me by the -daughter of the celebrated Mrs. S——: Mrs. S—— and her husband were -travelling into Wales, and had occasion to stop on their way, some days, -at Oswestry. There they established themselves in a lodging, to reach -the door of which they had to go down a sort of close, or passage. The -only inhabitants of the house were the mistress, a very handsome woman, -and two maids. Mr. and Mrs. S——, however, very soon had occasion to -complain of the neglected state of the rooms, which were apparently -never cleaned or dusted; though, strange to say, to judge by their own -ears, the servants were doing nothing else all night, their sleep being -constantly disturbed by the noise of rubbing, sweeping, and the moving -of furniture. When they complained to these servants of the noise in the -night, and the dirt of the rooms, they answered that the noise was not -made by them, and that it was impossible for them to do their work, -exhausted as they were by sitting up all night with their mistress, who -could not bear to be alone when she was in bed. Mr. and Mrs. S—— -afterward discovered that she had her room lighted up every night; and -one day, as they were returning from a walk, and she happened to be -going down the close before them, they heard her saying, as she turned -her head sharply from side to side, “Are you there again? What, the -devil! Go away, I tell you!” &c., &c. On applying to the neighbors for -an explanation of these mysteries, the good people only shook their -heads, and gave mysterious answers. Mr. and Mrs. S—— afterward learned -that she was believed to have murdered a girl who formerly lived in her -service. - -There is nothing in the conduct of this unhappy woman which may not be -perfectly well accounted for, by the supposition of a guilty conscience; -but the noises heard by Mr. and Mrs. S—— at night, are curiously in -accordance with a variety of similar stories, wherein this strange -visionary repetition of the trivial actions of daily life, or of some -particular incident, has been observed. The affair of Lord St. Vincent’s -was of this nature; and there is somewhere extant, an account of the -ghost of Peter the Great, of Russia, having appeared to Doctor Doppelio, -complaining to him of the sufferings he endured from having to act over -again his former cruelties; a circumstance which exhibits a remarkable -coincidence with the Glasgow dream, mentioned in a preceding chapter. We -must, of course, attach a symbolical meaning to these phenomena, and -conclude that these reactings are somewhat of the nature of our dreams. -Certainly, there would need no stronger motive to induce us to spend the -period allotted to us on earth, in those pure and innocent pleasures and -occupations, which never weary or sicken the soul, than the belief that -such a future awaits us! - -A family in one of the English counties, was a few years ago terribly -troubled by an unseen inmate who chiefly seemed to inhabit a large -cellar, into which there was no entrance except the door which was kept -locked. Here there would be a loud knocking—sometimes a voice -crying—heavy feet walking, &c., &c. At first, the old trustworthy -butler would summon his accolytes, and descend, armed with sword and -blunderbuss; but no one was to be seen. They could often hear the feet -following them up stairs from this cellar; and once, when the family had -determined to watch, they found themselves accompanied up stairs not -only by the sound of the feet, but by a _visible_ shadowy companion! -They rushed up, flew to their chamber, and shut the door, when instantly -they felt and saw the handle turned in their hand by a hand outside. -Windows and doors were opened in spite of locks and keys; but -notwithstanding the most persevering investigations, the only clew to -the mystery was the appearance of that spectral figure. - -The knockings and sounds of people at work, asserted to be heard in -mines, is a fact maintained by many very sensible men, overseers, and -superintendents, &c., as well as by the workmen themselves; and there is -a strong persuasion, I know, among the miners of Cornwall, and those of -Mendip, that these visionary workmen are sometimes heard among them; on -which occasions the horses evince their apprehensions by trembling and -sweating; but as I have no means of verifying these reports, I do not -dwell upon them further. - -When the mother of George Canning, then Mrs. Hunn, was an actress in the -provinces, she went, among other places, to Plymouth, having previously -requested her friend, Mr. Bernard, of the theatre, to procure her a -lodging. On her arrival Mr. B. told her that if she was not afraid of a -ghost, she might have a comfortable residence at a very low rate, “For -there is,” said he, “a house belonging to our carpenter, that is -reported to be haunted, and nobody will live in it. If you like to have -it, you may, and for nothing, I believe, for he is so anxious to get a -tenant; only you must not let it be known that you do not pay rent for -it.” - -Mrs. Hunn, alluding to the theatrical apparitions, said it would not be -the first time she had had to do with a ghost, and that she was very -willing to encounter this one; so she had her luggage taken to the house -in question, and the bed prepared. At her usual hour, she sent her maid -and her children to bed, and, curious to see if there was any foundation -for the rumor she had heard, she seated herself, with a couple of -candles and a book, to watch the event. Beneath the room she occupied -was the carpenter’s workshop, which had two doors. The one which opened -into the street was barred and bolted within; the other, a smaller one, -opening into the passage, was only on the latch; and the house was, of -course, closed for the night. She had read something more than half an -hour, when she perceived a noise issuing from this lower apartment, -which sounded very much like the sawing of wood. Presently other such -noises as usually proceed from a carpenter’s workshop were added, till -by-and-by, there was a regular concert of knocking and hammering, and -sawing and planing, &c.; the whole sounding like half a dozen busy men -in full employment. Being a woman of considerable courage, Mrs. Hunn -resolved, if possible, to penetrate the mystery; so taking off her -shoes, that her approach might not be heard, with her candle in her -hand, she very softly opened her door and descended the stairs, the -noise continuing as loud as ever, and evidently proceeding from the -workshop, till she opened the door, when instantly all was silent—all -was still—not a mouse was stirring; and the tools and the wood, and -everything else, lay as they had been left by the workmen when they went -away. Having examined every part of the place, and satisfied herself -that there was nobody there, and that nobody could get into it, Mrs. -Hunn ascended to her room again, beginning almost to doubt her own -senses, and question with herself whether she had really heard the noise -or not, when it recommenced and continued, without intermission, for -about half an hour. She however went to bed, and the next day told -nobody what had occurred, having determined to watch another night -before mentioning the affair to any one. As, however, this strange scene -was acted over again, without her being able to discover the cause of -it, she now mentioned the circumstance to the owner of the house and to -her friend Bernard; and the former, who would not believe it, agreed to -watch with her, which he did. The noise began as before, and he was so -horror-struck that, instead of entering the workshop as she wished him -to do, he rushed into the street. Mrs. Hunn continued to inhabit the -house the whole summer; and, when referring afterward to the adventure, -she observed that use was second nature, and that she was sure if any -night these ghostly carpenters had not pursued their visionary labors, -she should have been quite frightened, lest they should pay her a visit -up stairs. - -From many recorded cases, I find the vulgar belief, that buried money is -frequently the cause of these disturbances, is strongly borne out by -facts. This certainly does seem to us very strange, and can only be -explained by the hypothesis suggested, that the soul awakes in the other -world in exactly the same state in which it quitted this. - -In the abovementioned instances, of what are called _haunted houses_, -there is generally nothing seen; but those are equally abundant where -the ghostly visiter is visible. - -Two young ladies were passing the night in a house in the north, when -the youngest, then a child, awoke and saw an old man, in a Kilmarnock -nightcap, walking about their bed-room. She said, when telling the story -in after-life, that she was not the least frightened—she was only -surprised! but she found that her sister, who was several years older -than herself, was in a state of great terror. He continued some time -moving about, and at last went to a chest of drawers, where there lay a -parcel of buttons, belonging to a travelling tailor who had been at work -in the house. Whether the old man threw them down or not, she could not -say; but, just then, they all fell rattling off the drawers to the -floor, whereupon he disappeared. The next morning, when they mentioned -the circumstance, she observed that the family looked at each other in a -significant manner; but it was not till she was older she learned that -the house was said to be haunted by this old man. “It never occurred to -me,” she said, “that it was a ghost. Who could have thought of a ghost -in a Kilmarnock nightcap!” - -At the Leipsic fair, lodgings are often very scarce, and on one occasion -a stranger, who had arrived late in the evening, had some difficulty in -finding a bed. At length he found a vacant chamber in the house of a -citizen. It was one they made no use of, but they said he was welcome to -it; and, weary and sleepy, he gladly accepted the offer. Fatigued as he -was, however, he was disturbed by some unaccountable noises, of which he -complained to his hosts in the morning. They pacified him by some -excuses; but the next night, not long after he had gone to bed, he came -down stairs in great haste, with his portmanteau on his shoulder, -declaring he would not stay there another hour for the world; for that a -lady, in a strange old-fashioned dress, had come into the room with a -dagger in her hand, and made threatening gestures at him. He accordingly -went away, and the room was shut up again; but some time afterward, a -servant-girl in the family of this citizen, being taken ill, they were -obliged to put her into that room, in order to separate her from the -rest of the family. Here she recovered her health rapidly; and as she -had never complained of any annoyance, she was asked, when she was quite -well, whether anything particular had happened while she inhabited that -chamber. “Oh, yes,” she answered; “every night there came a strange lady -into the room, who sat herself on the bed and stroked me with her hand, -and I believe it is to her I owe my speedy recovery; but I could never -get her to speak to me—she only sighs and weeps.” - -Not very long since, a gentleman set out, one fine midsummer’s evening, -when it is light all night in Scotland, to walk from Montrose to -Brechin. As he approached a place called Dunn, he observed a lady -walking on before, which, from the lateness of the hour, somewhat -surprised him. Sometime afterward, he was found by the early laborers -lying on the ground, near the churchyard, in a state of insensibility. -All he could tell them was, that he had followed this lady till she had -turned her head and looked round at him, when, seized with horror, he -had fainted. “Oh,” said they, “you have seen the lady of Dunn.” What is -the legend attached to this lady of Dunn, I do not know. - -Monsieur De S. had been violently in love with Hippolyte Clairon, the -celebrated French actress, but she rejected his suit, in so peremptory a -manner, that even when he was at the point of death, she refused his -earnest entreaties, that she would visit him. Indignant at her cruelty, -he declared that he would haunt her, and he certainly kept his word. I -believe she never saw his ghost, but he appears to have been always near -her; at least, on several occasions when other people doubted the fact, -he signalized his presence at her bidding, by various sounds, and this, -wherever she happened to be at the moment. Sometimes it was a cry, at -others, a shot, and at others, a clapping of hands or music. She seems -to have been slow to believe in the extra-natural character of these -noises; and even when she was ultimately convinced, to have been divided -between horror on the one hand, and diversion, at the oddness of the -circumstance, on the other. The sounds were heard by everybody in her -vicinity; and I am informed by Mr. Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, that the -margrave of Anspach, who was subsequently her lover, and Mr. Keppel -Craven, were perfectly well acquainted with the circumstances of this -haunting, and entertained no doubt of the facts above alluded to. - -The ghost known by the designation of “the White Lady,” which is -frequently seen in different castles or palaces belonging to the royal -family of Prussia, has been mentioned in another publication, I think. -She was long supposed to be a Countess Agnes, of Orlamunde; but a -picture of a princess called Bertha, or Perchta von Rosenberg, -discovered some time since, was thought so exceedingly to resemble the -apparition, that it is now a disputed point which of the two ladies it -is, or whether it is or is not the same apparition that is seen at -different places. Neither of these ladies appears to have been very -happy in their lives: but the opinion of its being the Princess Bertha, -who lived in the fifteenth century, was somewhat countenanced by the -circumstance, that at a period when, in consequence of the war, an -annual benefit which she had bequeathed to the poor was neglected, the -apparition seemed to be unusually disturbed, and was seen more -frequently. She is often observed before a death; and one of the -Fredericks said, shortly before his decease, that he should “not live -long, for he had met the White Lady.” She wears a widow’s band and veil, -but it is sufficiently transparent to show her features, which do not -express happiness, but placidity. She has only been twice heard to -speak. In December, 1628, she appeared in the palace at Berlin, and was -heard to say, “_Veni, judica vivos et mortuos! Judicium mihi adhuc -superest._”—“Come, judge the quick and the dead! I wait for judgment.” -On the other occasion, which is more recent, one of the princesses at -the castle of Neuhaus, in Bohemia, was standing before a mirror, trying -on a new head-dress, when, on asking her waiting-maid what the hour was, -the white lady suddenly stepped from behind a screen and said: “Zehn uhr -ist es ihr liebden!”—“It is ten o’clock, your love!” which is the mode -in which the sovereign princes address each other, instead of “your -highness.” The princess was much alarmed, soon fell sick, and died in a -few weeks. She has frequently evinced displeasure at the exhibition of -impiety or vice; and there are many records of her different appearances -to be found in the works of Balbinus and of Erasmus Francisci; and in a -publication called “The Iris,” published in Frankfort in 1819, the -editor, George Doring, who is said to have been a man of great -integrity, gives the following account of one of her later appearances, -which he declares he received just as he gives it, from the lips of his -own mother, on whose word and judgment he could perfectly rely; and -shortly before his death, an inquiry being addressed to him with regard -to the correctness of the narration, he vouched for its authenticity. - -It seems that the elder sister of his mother was companion to one of the -ladies of the court, and that the younger ones were in the habit of -visiting her frequently. Two of these (Doring’s mother and another), -aged fourteen and fifteen, were once spending a week with her, when she -being out and they alone with their needlework, chattering about the -court diversions, they suddenly heard the sound of a stringed -instrument, like a harp, which seemed to proceed from behind a large -stove that occupied one corner of the room. Half in fear and half in -fun, one of the girls took a yard measure that lay beside them, and -struck the spot, whereupon the music ceased, but the stick was wrested -from her hand. She became alarmed; but the other, named Christina, -laughed and said she must have fancied it, adding that the music -doubtless proceeded from the street, though they could not descry any -musicians. To get over her fright, of which she was half ashamed, the -former now ran out of the room to visit a neighbor for a few minutes; -but when she returned, she found Christina lying on the floor in a -swoon, who, on being revived with the aid of the attendants who had -heard a scream, related, that no sooner had her sister left her than the -sound was repeated, close to the stove, and a white figure had appeared -and advanced toward her, whereupon she had screamed and fainted. - -The lady who owned the apartments flattered herself that this apparition -betokened that a treasure was hidden under the stove, and, imposing -silence on the girls, she sent for a carpenter and had the planks -lifted. The floor was found to be double, and below was a vault, from -which issued a very unwholesome vapor, but no treasure was found, nor -anything but a quantity of quicklime. The circumstance being now made -known to the king, he expressed no surprise; he said that the apparition -was doubtless that of a countess of Orlamunde, who had been buried alive -in that vault. She was the mistress of a margrave of Brandenburg, by -whom she had two sons. When the prince became a widower, she expected he -would marry her; but he urged as an objection that he feared, in that -case, her sons might hereafter dispute the succession with the lawful -heirs. In order to remove this obstacle out of her way, she poisoned the -children; and the margrave, disgusted and alarmed, had her walled up in -that vault for her pains. He added that she was usually seen every seven -years, and was preceded by the sound of a harp, on which instrument she -had been a proficient; and also that she more frequently appeared to -children than to adults,—as if the love she had denied her own -offspring in life was now her torment, and that she sought a -reconciliation with childhood in general. I know from the best authority -that the fact of these appearances is not doubted by those who have the -fullest opportunities of inquiry and investigation; and I remember -seeing in the English papers, a few years since, a paragraph copied from -the foreign journals, to the effect that the White Lady had been seen -again, I think at Berlin. - -The following very curious relation I have received from the gentleman -to whom the circumstance occurred, who is a professional man residing in -London:— - - “I was brought up by a grandfather and four aunts, all - ghost-seers and believers in supernatural appearances. The - former had been a sailor, and was one of the crew that sailed - round the world with Lord Anson. I remember, when I was about - eight years old, that I was awakened by the screams of one of - these ladies, with whom I was sleeping, which summoned all the - family about her to inquire the cause of the disturbance. She - said that she had ‘seen Nancy by the side of the bed, and that - she was slipping into it.’ We had scarcely got down stairs in - the morning, before intelligence arrived that that lady had - died, precisely at the moment my aunt said she saw her. Nancy - was her brother’s wife. Another of my aunts, who was married and - had a large family, foretold my grandfather’s death, at a time - that we had no reason to apprehend it. He, also, had appeared at - her bedside; he was then alive and well, but he died a fortnight - afterward. But it would be tedious were I to enumerate half the - instances I could recall of a similar description; and I will - therefore proceed to the relation of what happened to myself. - - “I was, some few years since, invited to pass a day and night at - the house of a friend in Hertfordshire, with whom I was - intimately acquainted. His name was B——, and he had formerly - been in business as a saddler, in Oxford street, where he - realized a handsome fortune, and had now retired to enjoy his - _otium cum dignitate_, in the rural and beautiful village of - Sarratt. - - “It was a gloomy Sunday, in the month of November, when I - mounted my horse for the journey, and there was so much - appearance of rain, that I should certainly have selected some - other mode of conveyance, had I not been desirous of leaving the - animal in Mr. E——’s straw-yard for the winter. Before I got as - far as St. John’s wood, the threatening clouds broke, and by the - time I reached Watford I was completely soaked. However, I - proceeded, and arrived at Sarratt before my friend and his wife - had returned from church. The moment they did so, they furnished - me with dry clothes, and I was informed that we were to dine at - the house of Mr. D——, a very agreeable neighbor. I felt some - little hesitation about presenting myself in such a costume, for - I was decked out in a full suit of Mr. B——’s, who was a stout - man, of six feet in height, while I am rather of the diminutive - order; but my objections were overruled; we went, and my - appearance added not a little to the hilarity of the party. At - ten o’clock we separated, and I returned with Mr. and Mrs. B—— - to their house, where I was shortly afterward conducted to a - very comfortable bed-room. - - “Fatigued with my day’s ride, I was soon in bed, and soon - asleep, but I do not think I could have slept long before I was - awakened by the violent barking of dogs. I found that the noise - had disturbed others as well as myself, for I heard Mr. B——, - who was lodged in the adjoining room, open his window and call - to them to be quiet. They were obedient to his voice, and as - soon as quietness ensued I dropped asleep again; but I was again - awakened by an extraordinary pressure upon my feet; _that I was - perfectly awake, I declare_; the light that stood in the - chimney-corner shone strongly across the foot of the bed, and I - saw the figure of a well-dressed man in the act of stooping, and - supporting himself in so doing by the bed-clothes. He had on a - blue coat, with bright gilt buttons, but I saw no head; the - curtains at the foot of the bed, which were partly looped back, - just hung so as to conceal that part of his person. At first I - thought it was my host, and as I had dropped my clothes, as is - my habit, on the floor at the foot of the bed, I supposed he was - come to look after them, which rather surprised me: but, just as - I had raised myself upright in bed, and was about to inquire - into the occasion of his visit, the figure passed on. I then - recollected that I had locked the door; and, becoming somewhat - puzzled, I jumped out of bed; but I could see nobody; and on - examining the room I found no means of ingress but the door - through which I had entered, and one other; both of which were - locked on the inside. Amazed and puzzled I got into bed again, - and sat some time ruminating on the extraordinary circumstance, - when it occurred to me that I had not looked under the bed; so I - got out again, fully expecting to find my visiter, whoever he - was, there; but I was disappointed. So, after looking at my - watch, and ascertaining that it was ten minutes past two, I - stepped into bed again, hoping now to get some rest. But, alas! - sleep was banished for that night; and after turning from side - to side, and making vain endeavors at forgetfulness, I gave up - the point, and lay till the clocks struck seven, perplexing my - brain with the question of who my midnight visiter could be, and - also how he had got in and how he had got out of my room. About - eight o’clock I met my host and his wife at the breakfast-table, - when, in answer to their hospitable inquiries of how I had - passed the night, I mentioned, first, that I had been awaked by - the barking of some dogs, and that I had heard Mr. B—— open - his window and call to them. He answered that two strange dogs - had got into the yard and had disturbed the others. I then - mentioned my midnight visiter, expecting that they would either - explain the circumstance, or else laugh at me and declare I must - have dreamed it. But, to my surprise, my story was listened to - with grave attention, and they related to me the tradition with - which this spectre, for such I found they deemed it to be, was - supposed to be connected. This was to the effect, that many - years ago a gentleman so attired had been murdered there, under - some frightful circumstances, and that his head had been cut - off. On perceiving that I was very unwilling to accept this - explanation of the mystery, for, in spite of my family - peculiarity, I had always been an entire disbeliever in - supernatural appearances, they begged me to prolong my visit for - a day or two, when they would introduce me to the rector of the - parish, who could furnish me with such evidence with regard to - circumstances of a similar nature, as would leave no doubt on my - mind as to the possibility of their occurrence. But I had made - an engagement to dine at Watford, on my way back, and I confess, - moreover, that after what I had heard I did not feel disposed to - encounter the chance of another visit from the mysterious - stranger; so I declined the proffered hospitality, and took my - leave. - - “Some time after this, I happened to be dining at C—— street, - in company with some ladies resident in the same county, when, - chancing to allude to my visit to Sarratt, I added, that I had - met with a very extraordinary adventure there, which I had never - been able to account for, when one of these ladies immediately - said that she hoped I had not had a visit from the headless - gentleman, in a blue coat and gilt buttons, who was said to have - been seen by many people in that house. - - “Such is the conclusion of this marvellous tale as regards - myself; and I can only assure you that I have related facts as - they occurred, and that I had never heard a word about this - apparition in my life, till Mr. B—— related to me the - tradition above alluded to. Still, as I am no believer, in - supernatural appearances, I am constrained to suppose that the - whole affair was the product of my imagination. - - “I must add, that Mr. B—— mentioned some strange circumstances - connected with another house in the county, inhabited by a Mr. - M——, which were corroborated by the ladies above alluded to. - Both parties agreed that, from the unaccountable noises, &c., - &c., which were heard there, that gentleman had the greatest - difficulty in persuading any servants to remain with him. - - “A—— W—— M——. - - “_C—— street, 5th September, 1846._” - -This is one of those curious instances of determined skepticism that -fully justify the patriarch’s prediction. - -The following interesting letter, written by a member of a very -distinguished English family, will furnish its own explanation:— - -“As you express a wish to know what degree of credit is to be attached -to a garbled tale which has been sent forth, after a lapse of between -thirty and forty years, as an ‘accredited ghost-story,’ I will state the -facts as they were recalled to my mind last year by a daughter of Sir -William A. C——, who sent the book to me, requesting me to tell her if -there was any foundation for the story, which she could scarcely -believe, since she had never heard my mother allude to it. I read the -narrative with surprise, it being evidently not furnished by any of the -family, nor indeed by any one who was with us at the time! yet, though -full of mistakes in names, &c., &c., some particulars come so near the -truth as to puzzle me. The facts are as follows:— - -“Sir James, my mother, with myself and my brother Charles, went abroad -toward the end of the year 1786. After trying several different places, -we determined to settle at Lille, where we found the masters -particularly good, and where we had also letters of introduction to -several of the best French families. There Sir James left us, and, after -passing a few days in an uncomfortable lodging, we engaged a nice, large -family house, which we liked very much, and which we obtained at a very -low rent, even for that part of the world. - -“About three weeks after we were established in our new residence, I -walked one day with my mother to the bankers, for the purpose of -delivering our letter of credit from Sir Robert Herries, and drawing -some money, which, being paid in heavy five-franc pieces, we found we -could not carry, and therefore requested the banker to send, saying, ‘We -live in the Place du Lion D’or.’ Whereupon he looked surprised, and -observed that he knew of no house there fit for us, ‘except, indeed,’ he -added, ‘the one that has been long uninhabited, on account of the -_revenant_ that walks about it.’ He said this quite seriously, and in a -natural tone of voice, in spite of which we laughed, and were quite -entertained at the idea of a ghost; but at the same time we begged him -not to mention the thing to our servants, lest they should take any -fancies into their heads; and my mother and I resolved to say nothing -about the matter to any one. ‘I suppose it is the ghost,’ said my -mother, laughing, ‘that wakes us so often by walking over our heads.’ We -had, in fact, been awakened several nights by a heavy foot, which we -supposed to be that of one of the men-servants, of whom we had three -English and four French; of women-servants we had five English, and all -the rest were French. The English ones, men and women, every one of -them, returned ultimately to England with us. - -“A night or two afterward, being again awakened by the step, my mother -asked Creswell, ‘Who slept in the room above us?’ ‘No one, my lady,’ she -replied—‘it is a large, empty garret.’ - -“About a week or ten days after this, Creswell came to my mother, one -morning, and told her that all the French servants talked of going away, -because there was a _revenant_ in the house; adding that there seemed to -be a strange story attached to the place, which was said, together with -some other property, to have belonged to a young man, whose guardian, -who was also his uncle, had treated him cruelly and confined him in an -iron cage; and as he had subsequently disappeared, it was conjectured he -had been murdered. This uncle, after inheriting the property, had -suddenly quitted the house and sold it to the father of the man of whom -we had hired it. Since that period, though it had been several times -let, nobody had ever stayed in it above a week or two, and for a -considerable time past it had had no tenant at all. - -“‘And do you really believe all this nonsense, Creswell?’ said my -mother. - -“‘Well, I don’t know, my lady,’ answered she; ‘but there’s the iron cage -in the garret over your bed-room, where you may see it, if you please.’ - -“Of course we rose to go; and as just at that moment an old officer, -with his Croix de St. Louis, called on us, we invited him to accompany -us and we ascended together. We found, as Creswell had said, a large -empty garret with bare brick walls; and in the further corner of it -stood an iron cage, such as wild beasts are kept in, only higher; it was -about four feet square, and eight in height, and there was an iron ring -in the wall at the back, to which was attached an old rusty chain with a -collar fixed to the end of it. I confess it made my blood creep when I -thought of the possibility of any human being having inhabited it! And -our old friend expressed as much horror as ourselves, assuring us that -it must certainly have been constructed for some such dreadful purpose. -As, however, we were no believers in ghosts, we all agreed that the -noises must proceed from somebody who had an interest in keeping the -house empty; and since it was very disagreeable to imagine that there -were secret means of entering it at night, we resolved, as soon as -possible, to look out for another residence, and in the meantime to say -nothing about the matter to anybody. About ten days after this -determination, my mother, observing one morning that Creswell, when she -came to dress her, looked exceedingly pale and ill, inquired if anything -was the matter with her. ‘Indeed, my lady,’ she answered, ‘we have been -frightened to death, and neither I nor Mrs. Marsh can sleep again in the -room we are now in.’ - -“‘Well,’ returned my mother, ‘you shall both come and sleep in the -little spare room next us; but what has alarmed you?’ - -“‘Some one, my lady, went through our room in the night; we both saw the -figure, but we covered our heads with the bed-clothes, and lay in a -dreadful fright till morning.’ - -“On hearing this, I could not help laughing, upon which Creswell burst -into tears; and seeing how nervous she was, we comforted her by saying -we had heard of a good house, and that we should very soon abandon our -present habitation. - -“A few nights afterward, my mother requested me and Charles to go to her -bed-room and fetch her frame, that she might prepare her work for the -next day. It was after supper, and we were ascending the stairs by the -light of a lamp which was always kept burning, when we saw going up -before us a tall, thin figure, with hair flowing down his back, and -wearing a loose powdering gown. We both at once concluded it was my -sister Hannah, and called out: ‘It won’t do, Hannah—you can not -frighten us!’ Upon which the figure turned into a recess in the wall; -but, as there was nobody there when we passed, we concluded that Hannah -had contrived, somehow or other, to slip away and make her escape by the -back stairs. On telling this to my mother, she said: ‘It is very odd, -for Hannah went to bed with a headache before you came in from your -walk;’ and sure enough, on going to her room, there we found her fast -asleep; and Alice, who was at work there, assured us that she had been -so for more than an hour. On mentioning this circumstance to Creswell, -she turned quite pale and exclaimed that that was precisely the figure -she and Marsh had seen in their bed-room. - -“About this time, my brother Harry came to spend a few days with us, and -we gave him a room up another pair of stairs, at the opposite end of the -house. A morning or two after his arrival, when he came down to -breakfast, he asked my mother angrily whether she thought he went to bed -drunk and could not put out his own candle, that she sent those French -rascals to watch him. My mother assured him that she never thought of -doing such a thing; but he persisted in the accusation, adding: ‘Last -night I jumped up and opened the door, and, by the light of the moon -through the skylight, I saw the fellow in his loose gown at the bottom -of the stairs. If I had not been in my shirt, I would have gone after -him and made him remember coming to watch me.’ - -“We were now preparing to quit the house, having secured another, -belonging to a gentleman who was going to spend some time in Italy; but, -a few days before our removal, it happened that Mr. and Mrs. Atkyns, -some English friends of ours, called, to whom we mentioned these -circumstances, observing how extremely unpleasant it was to live in a -house that somebody found means of getting into, though how they -contrived it we could not discover, nor what their motive could be -except it was to frighten us; adding, that nobody could sleep in the -room Marsh and Creswell had been obliged to give up. Upon this Mrs. -Atkyns laughed heartily, and said she should like, of all things, to -sleep there, if my mother would allow her, adding, that with her little -terrier she should not be afraid of any ghost that ever appeared. As my -mother had, of course, no objection to this fancy of hers, she requested -Mrs. Atkyns to ride home with the groom, in order that the latter might -bring her night-things before the gates of the town would be shut, as -they were then residing a little way in the country. Mr. Atkyns smiled -and said she was very bold; but he made no difficulties, and sent the -things,—and his wife retired with her dog to her room when we retired -to ours, apparently without the least apprehension. - -“When she came down in the morning, we were immediately struck at seeing -her look very ill; and on inquiring if she too had been frightened, she -said she had been awakened in the night by something moving in her room, -and that, by the light of the night-lamp, she saw most distinctly a -figure, and that the dog, which was spirited and flew at everything, -never stirred, although she had endeavored to make him. We saw clearly -that she had been very much alarmed; and when Mr. Atkyns came, and -endeavored to dissipate the feeling by persuading her that she might -have dreamed it, she got quite angry. We could not help thinking that -she had actually seen something; and my mother said, after she was gone, -that though she could not bring herself to believe it was really a -ghost, still she earnestly hoped that she might get out of the house -without seeing this figure, which frightened people so much. - -“We were now within three days of the one fixed for our removal. I had -been taking a long ride, and, being tired, had fallen asleep the moment -I lay down; but, in the middle of the night, I was suddenly awakened—I -can not tell by what, for the steps over our heads we had become so used -to that it no longer disturbed us. Well, I awoke. I had been lying with -my face toward my mother, who was asleep beside me, and, as one usually -does on awaking, I turned to the other side, where, the weather being -warm, the curtain of the bed was undrawn, as it was, also, at the foot; -and I saw standing by a chest of drawers, which were betwixt me and the -window, a thin, tall figure, in a loose powdering gown, one arm resting -on the drawers, and the face turned toward me. I saw it quite distinctly -by the night-light, which burned clearly. It was a long, thin, pale, -young face, with, oh, such a melancholy expression as can never be -effaced from my memory! I was, certainly, very much frightened; but my -great horror was, lest my mother should awake and see the figure. I -turned my head gently toward her, and heard her breathing high in a -sound sleep. Just then the clock on the stairs struck four. I dare say -it was nearly an hour before I ventured to look again, and when I did -take courage to turn my eyes toward the drawers, there was nothing; yet -I had not heard the slightest sound, though I had been listening with -the greatest intensity. - -“As you may suppose, I never closed my eyes again; and glad I was when -Creswell knocked at the door, as she did every morning, for we always -locked it, and it was my business to get out of bed and let her in; but -on this occasion, instead of doing so, I called out, ‘Come in; the door -is not fastened;’ upon which she answered that it was, and I was obliged -to get out of bed and admit her as usual. - -“When I told my mother what had happened, she was very grateful to me -for not waking her, and commended me much for my resolution; but as she -was always my first object, that was not to be wondered at. She however -resolved not to risk another night in the house; and we got out of it -that very day, after instituting, with the aid of the servants, a -thorough search, with a view to ascertain if there was any possible -means of getting into the rooms except by the usual modes of ingress; -but our search was vain—none could be discovered. - -“I think, from the errors in the names, &c., that the publisher of the -‘Accredited Ghost-Stories’ must have obtained his account from the -inhabitants of Lille.” - -Considering the number of people that were in the house, the -fearlessness of the family, and their disinclination to believe in what -is called _the supernatural_, together with the great interest the owner -of this large and handsome residence must have had in discovering the -trick, if there had been one, I think it is difficult to find any other -explanation of this strange story, than that the sad and disappointed -spirit of this poor, injured, and probably murdered boy, had never been -disengaged from its earthly relations, to which regret for its -frustrated hopes and violated rights still held it attached. - -There is a story told by Pliny the younger, of a house at Athens, in -which nobody could live, from its being haunted. At length the -philosopher Athenadorus took it; and the first night he was there, he -seems to have comported himself very much as the courageous Mrs. Canning -did, on a similar occasion, at Plymouth. He sent his servants to bed, -and set himself seriously to work with his writing materials, determined -that fancy should not be left free to play him false. For some time all -was still, and his mind was wholly engaged in his labors, when he heard -a sound like the rattling of chains—which was the sound that had -frightened everybody out of the house; but Athenadorus closed his ears, -kept his thoughts collected, and wrote on, without lifting up his eyes. -The noise, however, increased; it approached the door; it entered the -room; then he looked round, and beheld the figure of an old man, lean, -haggard, and dirty, with dishevelled hair, and a long beard, who held up -his finger and beckoned him. Athenadorus made a gesture with his own -hand in return, signifying that he should wait, and went on with his -writing. Then the figure advanced and shook his chains over the -philosopher’s head, who, on looking up, saw him beckoning as before; -whereupon he arose and followed him. The apparition walked slowly, as if -obstructed by his chains; and having conducted him to a certain spot in -the court, which separated the two divisions of an ancient Greek house, -he suddenly disappeared. Athenadorus gathered together some grass and -leaves, in order to mark the place; and the next day he recommended the -authorities to dig there, which they did, and found the skeleton of a -human being encircled with chains. It being taken up, and the rights of -sepulture duly performed, the house was no longer disturbed. - -This was, probably, some poor prisoner also; and in his desire to direct -notice to his body, we see the prejudices of his age and country -surviving dissolution. Grose, the antiquary, who is, as I have before -observed, very facetious on the subject of ghosts, remarks that -“Dragging chains is not the custom of English ghosts, chains and black -vestments being chiefly the accoutrements of foreign spectres, seen in -arbitrary governments.” Now, this is a very striking observation. -Grose’s studies had, doubtless, introduced him to many histories of this -description; and the different characteristics of these apparitions, -under different governments, is a circumstance in remarkable conformity -with the views of those who have been led to take a much more serious -view of the subject. They appear as they lived, and as they conceive of -themselves; and when rapport or receptivity enable them to see, and to -render themselves visible to those yet living in the flesh, it is by so -appearing that they tell their story, and ask for sympathy and -assistance. I say enable them _to see_, because there seem many reasons -for concluding that they do not, under ordinary circumstances, see us, -any more than we see them. Whether it be rapport with certain -inhabitants, or whether the phenomenon be dependent on certain periods, -or any other condition, we can not tell; but I have met with several -accounts of houses in which an annoyance of this sort has recurred more -than once, at different intervals, sometimes at a distance of seven or -ten years, the intermediate time being quite free from it. - -One of the most melancholy and impressive circumstances of this sort I -have met with, occurred to Mrs. L——, a lady with whose family I am -acquainted; Mrs. L—— herself having been kind enough to furnish me -with the particulars: A few years since, she took a furnished house in -Stevenson street, North Shields, and she had been in it but a very few -hours before she was perplexed by hearing feet in the passage, though, -whenever she opened the door, she could see nobody. She went to the -kitchen, and asked the servant if she had not heard the same sound. She -said she had not, but that there seemed to be strange noises in the -house. When Mrs. L—— went to bed, she could not go to sleep for the -noise of a child’s rattle, which seemed to be inside her curtains. It -rattled round her head, first on one side, then on the other; then there -were sounds of feet, and of a child crying, and a woman sobbing; and, in -short, so many strange noises that the servant became frightened and -went away. The next girl Mrs. L—— engaged came from Leith, and was a -stranger to the place; but she had only passed a night in the house, -when she said to her mistress, “This is a troubled house you’ve got -into, ma’am;” and she described, among the rest, that she had repeatedly -heard her own name called by a voice near her, though she could see -nobody. - -One night Mrs. L—— heard a voice, like nothing human, close to her, -cry, “Weep! weep! weep!” Then there was a sound like some one struggling -for breath, and again “Weep! weep! weep!” Then the gasping, and a third -time, “Weep! weep! weep!” She stood still, and looked steadfastly on the -spot whence the voice proceeded, but could see nothing; and her little -boy, who held her hand, kept saying, “What is that, mamma? What is -that?” She describes the sound as most frightful. All the noises seemed -to suggest the idea of childhood, and of a woman in trouble. One night, -when it was crying round her bed, Mrs. L—— took courage and adjured -it; upon which the noise ceased, for that time, but there was no answer. -Mr. L—— was at sea when she took the house, and when he came home he -laughed at the story at first, but soon became so convinced the account -she gave was correct, that he wanted to have the boards taken up, -because, from the noises seeming to hover much about one spot, he -thought perhaps some explanation of the mystery might be found. But Mrs. -L—— objected that if anything of a painful nature were discovered she -should not be able to continue in the house, and as she must pay the -year’s rent, she wished, if possible, to make out the time. - -She never saw anything but twice; once, the appearance of a child seemed -to fall from the ceiling, close to her, and then disappear; and another -time she saw a child run into a closet in a room at the top of the -house; and it was most remarkable that a small door in that room, which -was used for going out on to the roof, always stood open. However often -they shut it, it was opened again immediately by an unseen hand, even -before they got out of the room; and this continued the whole time they -were in the house; while, night and day, some one in creaking shoes was -heard pacing backward and forward in the room over Mr. and Mrs. L——’s -heads. - -At length the year expired; and to their great relief they quitted the -house; but five or six years afterward, a person who had bought it -having taken up the floor of that upper room to repair it, there was -found, close to the small door above alluded to, the skeleton of a -child. It was then remembered that some years before a gentleman of -somewhat dissolute habits had resided there, and that he was supposed to -have been on very intimate terms with a young woman-servant who lived -with him, but there had been no suspicion of anything more criminal. - -About six years ago, Mr. C——, a gentleman engaged in business in -London, heard of a good country-house in the neighborhood of the -metropolis, which was to be had at a low rent. It was rather an -old-fashioned place, and was surrounded by a garden and pleasure-ground; -and having taken a lease of it for seven years, furnished as it was, his -family removed thither, and he joined them once or twice a week, as his -business permitted. - -They had been some considerable time in the house without the occurrence -of anything remarkable, when one evening, toward dusk, Mrs. C——, on -going into what was called the oak bed-room, saw a female figure near -one of the windows. It was apparently a young woman with dark hair -hanging over her shoulders, a silk petticoat, and a short, white robe, -and she appeared to be looking eagerly through the window, as if -expecting somebody. Mrs. C—— clapped her hand upon her eyes, “as -thinking she had seen something she ought not to have seen,” and when -she looked again the figure had disappeared. - -Shortly after this, a young girl who filled the situation of under -nursery-maid, came to her in great agitation, saying that she had had a -terrible fright, from seeing a very ugly old woman looking in upon her -as she passed the window in the lobby. The girl was trembling violently, -and almost crying, so that Mrs. C—— entertained no doubts of the -reality of her alarm. She, however, thought it advisable to laugh her -out of her fear, and went with her to the window, which looked into a -closed court, but there was no one there, neither had any of the other -servants seen such a person. Soon after this, the family began to find -themselves disturbed with strange, and frequently very loud, noises -during the night. Among the rest, there was something like the beating -of a crow-bar upon the pump in the abovementioned court; but, search as -they would, they could discover no cause for the sound. One day, when -Mr. C—— had brought a friend from London to stay the night with him, -Mrs. C—— thought proper to go up to the oak bed-room, where the -stranger was to sleep, for the purpose of inspecting the arrangements -for his comfort, when, to her great surprise, some one seemed to follow -her up to the fireplace, though, on turning round, there was nobody to -be seen. She said nothing about it, however, and returned below, where -her husband and the stranger were sitting. Presently, one of the -servants (not the one mentioned above) tapped at the door and requested -to speak with her, and Mrs. C—— going out, she told her, in great -agitation, that in going up stairs to the visiter’s room, a footstep had -followed her all the way to the fireplace, although she could see -nobody. Mrs. C—— said something soothing, and that matter passed, she, -herself, being a good deal puzzled, but still unwilling to admit the -idea that there was anything extra-natural in these occurrences. -Repeatedly, after this, these footsteps were heard in different parts of -the house, when nobody was to be seen; and often, while she was lying in -bed, she heard them distinctly approach her door, when, being a very -courageous woman, she would start out with a loaded pistol in her hand, -but there was never any one to be seen. At length it was impossible to -conceal from herself and her servants that these occurrences were of an -extraordinary nature, and the latter, as may be supposed, felt very -uncomfortable. Among other unpleasant things, while sitting all together -in the kitchen, they used to see the latch lifted and the door open, -though no one came in that they could see; and when Mr. C—— himself -watched for these events, although they took place, and he was quite on -the alert, he altogether failed in detecting any visible agent. - -One night, the same servant who had heard the footsteps following her to -the bed-room fireplace, happening to be asleep in Mrs. C——’s chamber, -she became much disturbed, and was heard to murmur, “Wake me! wake me!” -as if in great mental anguish. Being aroused, she told her mistress a -dream she had had, which seemed to throw some light upon these -mysteries. She thought she was in the oak bed-room, and at one end of it -she saw a young female in an old-fashioned dress, with long dark hair, -while in another part of the room was a very ugly old woman, also in -old-fashioned attire. The latter addressing the former said, “What have -you done with the child, Emily? What have you done with the child?” To -which the younger figure answered, “Oh, I did not kill it. He was -preserved, and grew up, and joined the —— regiment, and went to -India.” Then addressing the sleeper, the young lady continued, “I have -never spoken to mortal before; but I will tell you all. My name is Miss -Black; and this old woman is Nurse Black. Black is not her name, but we -call her so because she has been so long in the family.” Here the old -woman interrupted the speaker by coming up and laying her hand on the -dreaming girl’s shoulder, while she said something; but she could not -remember what, for, feeling excruciating pain from the touch, she had -been so far aroused as to be sensible she was asleep, and to beg to be -wholly awakened. - -As the old woman seemed to resemble the figure that one of the other -servants had seen looking into the window, and the young one resembled -that she had herself seen in the oak chamber, Mrs. C—— naturally -concluded that there was something extraordinary about this dream, and -she consequently took an early opportunity of inquiring in the -neighborhood what was known as to the names or circumstances of the -former inhabitants of this house; and, after much investigation, she -learned that, about seventy or eighty years before, it had been in the -possession of a Mrs. Ravenhall, who had a niece, named Miss Black, -living with her. This niece Mrs. C—— supposed might be the younger of -the two persons who was seen. Subsequently, she saw her again in the -same room, wringing her hands, and looking with a mournful significance -to one corner. They had the boards taken up on that spot, but nothing -was found. - -One of the most curious incidents, connected with this story, remains to -be told. After occupying the house three years, they were preparing to -quit it—not on account of its being haunted, but for other -reasons—when on awaking one morning, a short time before their -departure, Mrs. C—— saw, standing at the foot of her bed, a -dark-complexioned man, in a working dress, a fustian jacket, and red -comforter round his neck—who, however, suddenly disappeared. Mr. C—— -was lying beside her at the time, but asleep. This was the last -apparition seen. But the strange thing is, that a few days after this, -it being necessary to order in a small quantity of coals to serve till -their removal, Mr. C—— undertook to perform the commission on his way -to London. Accordingly, the next day, she mentioned to him that the -coals had arrived; which he said was very fortunate, since he had -entirely forgotten to order them. Wondering whence they had come, Mrs. -C—— hereupon inquired of the servants, who none of them knew anything -about the matter; but on interrogating a person in the village, by whom -they had frequently been provided with this article, he answered that -they had been ordered by a dark man, in a fustian jacket and red -comfort, who had called for the purpose. - -After this last event, Mr. and Mrs. C—— quitted the house; but I have -heard that its subsequent tenants encountered some similar annoyances, -although I have no means of ascertaining the particulars. - -But perhaps one of the most remarkable cases of haunting in modern -times, is that of Willington, near Newcastle, in my account of which, -however, I find myself anticipated by Mr. Howitt; and as he has had the -advantage of visiting the place, which I have not, I shall take the -liberty of borrowing his description of it, prefacing the account with -the following letter from Mr. Proctor, the owner of the house, who it -will be seen vouches for the general authenticity of the narrative. The -letter was written in answer to one from me, requesting some more -precise information than I had been able to obtain:— - -“Josh. Proctor hopes C. Crowe will excuse her note having remained two -weeks unanswered, during which time J. P. has been from home, or -particularly engaged. Feeling averse to add to the publicity the -circumstances occurring in his house, at Willington, have already -obtained, J. P. would rather not furnish additional particulars; but if -C. C. is not in possession of the number of ‘Howitt’s Journal,’ which -contains a variety of details on the subject, he will be glad to forward -her one. He would, at the same time, assure C. Crowe of the strict -accuracy of that portion of W. Howitt’s narrative which is extracted -from ‘Richardson’s Table Book.’ W. Howitt’s statements, derived from his -recollection of verbal communications with branches of J. Proctor’s -family, are likewise essentially correct, though, as might be expected -in some degree, erroneous circumstantially. - -“J. P. takes leave to express his conviction that the unbelief of the -educated classes in apparitions of the deceased and kindred phenomena is -not grounded on a fair philosophic examination of the facts, which have -induced the popular belief of all ages and countries; and that it will -be found by succeeding ages to have been nothing better than unreasoning -and unreasonable prejudice. - - “_Willington, near Newcastle-on-Tyne_, - _7th mo. 22, 1847_.” - - “VISITS TO REMARKABLE PLACES. - - “BY WILLIAM HOWITT. - - “THE HAUNTED HOUSE AT WILLINGTON, NEAR NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. - -“We have of late years settled it as an established fact that ghosts and -haunted houses were the empty creation of ignorant times. We have -comfortably persuaded ourselves that such fancies only hovered in the -twilight of superstition, and that in these enlightened days they had -vanished for ever. How often has it been triumphantly referred to, as a -proof that all such things were the offspring of ignorance, that nothing -of the kind is heard of now? What shall we say, then, to the following -facts? Here we have ghosts and a haunted house still. We have them in -the face of our vaunted noonday light—in the midst of a busy and a -populous neighborhood—in the neighborhood of a large and most -intelligent town—and in a family neither ignorant nor in any other -respect superstitious. For years have these ghosts and hauntings -disturbed the quiet of a highly respectable family, and continue to -haunt and disturb, spite of the incredulity of the wise, the -investigations of the curious, and the anxious vigilance of the -suffering family itself. - -“Between the railway running from Newcastle-on-Tyne to North Shields, -and the river Tyne, there lie in a hollow some few cottages, a -parsonage, a mill, and a miller’s house: these constitute the hamlet of -Willington. Just above these the railway is carried across the valley on -lofty arches, and from it you look down on the mill and cottages, lying -at a considerable depth below. The mill is a large steam flour-mill, -like a factory, and the miller’s house stands near it, but not adjoining -it. None of the cottages which lie between these premises and the -railway, either, are in contact with them. The house stands on a sort of -little promontory, round which runs the channel of a water-course, which -appears to fill and empty with the tides. On one side of the mill and -house, slopes away upward a field to a considerable distance, where it -is terminated by other enclosures; on the other stands a considerable -extent of ballast-hill—_i. e._, one of the numerous hills on the banks -of the Tyne made by the deposite of ballast from the vessels trading -thither. At a distance, the top of the mill seems about level with the -country around it. The place lies about half-way between Newcastle and -North Shields. - -“This mill is, I believe, the property of, and is worked by, Messrs. -Unthank and Procter. Mr. Joseph Procter resides on the spot in the house -just by the mill, as already stated. He is a member of the society of -friends—a gentleman in the very prime of life—and his wife, an -intelligent lady, is of a family of friends in Carlisle. They have -several young children. This very respectable and well-informed family, -belonging to a sect which of all others is most accustomed to control, -to regulate, and to put down even the imagination—the last people in -the world, as it would appear, in fact, to be affected by any mere -imaginary terrors or impressions—have for years been persecuted by the -most extraordinary noises and apparitions. - -“The house is not an old house, as will appear; it was built about the -year 1800. It has no particularly spectral look about it. Seeing it in -passing, or within, ignorant of its real character, one should by no -means say that it was a place likely to have the reputation of being -haunted. Yet looking down from the railway, and seeing it and the mill -lying in a deep hole, one might imagine various strange noises likely to -be heard in such a place in the night, from vessels on the river—from -winds sweeping and howling down the gulley in which it stands—from -engines in the neighborhood connected with coal-mines, one of which, I -could not tell where, was making at the time I was there a wild sighing -noise, as I stood on the hill above. There is not any passage, however, -known of under the house, by which subterranean noises could be heard; -nor are they merely noises that are heard,—distinct apparitions are -declared to be seen. - -“Spite of the unwillingness of Mr. Procter, that these mysterious -circumstances should become quite public, and averse as he is to make -known himself these strange visitations, they were of such a nature that -they soon became rumored over the whole neighborhood. Numbers of people -hurried to the place to inquire into the truth of them, and at length a -remarkable occurrence brought them into print. What this occurrence was, -the pamphlet which appeared, and which was afterward reprinted in ‘The -Local Historian’s Table-Book,’ published by Mr. M. A. Richardson, of -Newcastle, and which I here copy, will explain. It will be seen that the -writer of this article has the fullest faith in the reality of what he -relates, as, indeed, vast numbers of the best informed inhabitants of -the neighborhood have. - - “AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OF A VISIT TO THE HAUNTED HOUSE - AT WILLINGTON. - -“Were we to draw an inference from the number of cases of reported -visitations from the invisible world that have been made public of late, -we might be led to imagine that the days of supernatural agency were -about to recommence, and that ghosts and hobgoblins were about to resume -their sway over the fears of mankind. Did we, however, indulge in such -an apprehension, a glance at the current tone of the literature and -philosophy of the day, when treating of these subjects, would show a -measure of unbelief regarding them as scornful and uncompromising as the -veriest atheist or materialist could desire. Notwithstanding the -prevalence of this feeling among the educated classes, there is a -curiosity and interest manifested in every occurrence of this nature, -that indicate a lurking faith at bottom, which an affected skepticism -fails entirely to conceal. We feel, therefore, that we need not -apologise to our readers for introducing the following particulars of a -_visit_ to a house in this immediate neighborhood, which had become -notorious for some years previous, as being ‘haunted;’ and several of -the reputed deeds, or misdeeds, of its supernatural visitant had been -published far and wide by rumor’s thousand tongues. We deem it as worthy -to be chronicled as the doings of its contemporary _genii_ at Windsor, -Dublin, Liverpool, Carlisle, and Sunderland, and which have all likewise -hitherto failed, after public investigation, to receive a solution -consistent with a rejection of spiritual agency. - -“We have visited the house in question, which is well known to many of -our readers, as being near a large steam corn-mill, in full view of -Willington viaduct, on the Newcastle and Shields railway; and it may not -be irrelevant to mention that it is quite detached from the mill, or any -other premises, and has no cellaring under it. The proprietor of the -house, who lives in it, declines to make public the particulars of the -disturbance to which he has been subjected, and it must be understood -that the account of the visit we are about to lay before our readers is -derived from a friend to whom Dr. Drury presented a copy of his -correspondence on the subject, with power to make such use of it as he -thought proper. We learned that the house had been reputed, at least one -room in it, to have been haunted forty years ago, and had afterward been -undisturbed for a long period, during some years of which quietude the -present occupant lived in it unmolested. We are also informed that about -the time that the premises were building, viz., in 1800 or 1801, there -were reports of some deed of darkness having been committed by some one -employed about them. We should extend this account beyond the limits we -have set to ourselves, did we now enter upon a full account of the -strange things which have been seen and heard about the place by several -of the neighbors, as well as those which are reported to have been seen, -heard, and felt, by the inmates, whose servants have been changed, on -that account, many times. We proceed, therefore, to give the following -letters which have been passed between individuals of undoubted -veracity, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions on the -subject.” - - “(COPY, NO. 1.) - “_17th June, 1840._ - - “TO MR. PROCTER: - - “SIR: Having heard from indisputable authority, viz., that of my - excellent friend, Mr. Davison, of Low Willington, farmer, that - you and your family are disturbed by most unaccountable noises - at night, I beg leave to tell you that I have read attentively - Wesley’s account of such things, but with, I must confess, no - great belief; but an account of this report coming from one of - your sect, which I admire for candor and simplicity, my - curiosity is excited to a high pitch, which I would fain - satisfy. My desire is to remain alone in the house all night - with no companion but my own watch-dog, in which, as far as - courage and fidelity are concerned, I place much more reliance - than upon any three young gentlemen I know of. And it is also my - hope that, if I have a fair trial, I shall be able to unravel - this mystery. Mr. Davison will give you every satisfaction if - you take the trouble to inquire of him concerning me. - - “I am, sir, yours most respectfully, - - “EDWARD DRURY. - “At C. C. Embleton’s, Surgeon, - “_No. 10 Church street, Sunderland_.” - “(COPY, NO. 2.) - - “Joseph Procter’s respects to Edward Drury, whose note he - received a few days ago, expressing a wish to pass a night in - his house at Willington. As the family is going from home on the - 23d instant, and one of Unthank and Procter’s men will sleep in - the house, if Edward Drury feel inclined to come on or after the - 24th, to spend a night in it, he is at liberty so to do, with or - without his faithful dog, which, by-the-by, can be of no - possible use, except as company. At the same time, Joseph - Procter thinks it best to inform him that particular - disturbances are far from frequent at present, being only - occasional, and quite uncertain, and therefore the satisfaction - of Edward Drury’s curiosity must be considered as problematical. - The best chance will be afforded by sitting up alone in the - third story, till it be fairly daylight, say two or three A. M. - - “_Willington, 6th mo. 21st, 1840.”_ - - “Joseph Procter will leave word with T. Maun, foreman, to admit - Edward Drury. - - “Mr. Procter left home with his family on the 23d of June, and - got an old servant, who was then out of place in consequence of - ill-health, to take charge of the house during their absence. - Mr. Procter returned alone, on account of business, on the 3d of - July, on the evening of which day Mr. Drury and his companion - also unexpectedly arrived. After the house had been locked up, - every corner of it was minutely examined. The room out of which - the apparition issued is too shallow to contain any person. Mr. - Drury and his friend had lights by them, and were satisfied that - there was no one in the house besides Mr. Procter, the servant, - and themselves.” - - “(COPY, NO. 3.) - “MONDAY MORNING, _July 6th, 1840_. - - “_To Mr. Procter_: - - “DEAR SIR: I am sorry I was not at home to receive you - yesterday, when you kindly called to inquire for me. I am happy - to state, that I am really surprised that I have been so little - affected as I am, after that horrid and most awful affair. The - only bad effect that I feel is a heavy dullness in one of my - ears, the right one. I call it heavy dullness because I not only - do not hear distinctly, but feel in it a constant noise. This I - never was affected with before; but I doubt not it will go off. - I am persuaded that no one went to your house at any time more - _disbelieving in respect to seeing anything peculiar_; and now - no one can be more satisfied than myself. I will, in the course - of a few days, send you a full detail of all I saw and heard. - Mr. Spence and two other gentlemen came down to my house in the - afternoon to hear my detail; but, sir, could I account for these - noises from natural causes, yet so firmly am I persuaded of the - horrid apparition, that I would affirm that what I saw with my - eyes was a punishment to me for my scoffing and unbelief; that I - am assured that, as far as the horror is concerned, they are - happy that believe and have not seen. Let me trouble you, sir, - to give me the address of your sister, from Cumberland, who was - alarmed, and also of your brother. I would feel a satisfaction - in having a line from them; and, above all things, it will be a - great cause of joy to me, if you never allow your young family - to be in that horrid house again. Hoping you will write a few - lines at your leisure, - - “I remain, dear sir, yours very truly, - “EDWARD DRURY.” - “(COPY, NO. 4.) - “WILLINGTON, _7th mo. 9, 1840_. - - “RESPECTED FRIEND, E. DRURY: Having been at Sunderland, I did - not receive thine of the 6th till yesterday morning. I am glad - to hear thou art getting well over the effects of thy - unlooked-for visitation. I hold in respect thy bold and manly - assertion of the truth, in the face of that ridicule and - ignorant conceit with which that which is called the - supernatural, in the present day, is usually assailed. - - “I shall be glad to receive thy detail, in which it will be - needful to be very particular in showing that thou couldst not - be asleep or attacked by nightmare, or mistake a reflection of - the candle, as some sagaciously suppose. - - “I remain, respectfully, thy friend, - “JOSH. PROCTER. - - “P. S.—I have about thirty witnesses to various things which - can not be satisfactorily accounted for on any other principle - than that of spiritual agency.” - - “(COPY, NO. 5.) - “SUNDERLAND, _July 13, 1840_. - - “DEAR SIR: I hereby, according to promise in my last letter, - forward you a true account of what I heard and saw at your - house, in which I was led to pass the night from various rumors - circulated by most respectable parties—particularly from an - account by my esteemed friend Mr. Davison, whose name I - mentioned to you in a former letter. Having received your - sanction to visit your mysterious dwelling, I went on the 3d of - July, accompanied by a friend of mine, T. Hudson. This was not - according to promise, nor in accordance with my first intent, as - I wrote to you I would come alone; but I felt gratified at your - kindness in not alluding to the liberty I had taken, as it - ultimately proved for the best. I must here mention that, not - expecting you at home, I had in my pocket a brace of pistols, - determining in my mind to let one of them drop before the - miller, as if by accident, for fear he should presume to play - tricks upon me; but, after my interview with you, I felt there - was no occasion for weapons, and did not load them, after you - had allowed us to inspect as minutely as we pleased every - portion of the house. I sat down on the third story landing, - fully expecting to account for any noises that I might hear, in - a philosophical manner. This was about eleven o’clock P. M. - About ten minutes to twelve, we both heard a noise, as if a - number of people were pattering with their bare feet upon the - floor; and yet so singular was the noise, that I could not - minutely determine whence it proceeded. A few minutes afterward - we heard a noise, as if some one was knocking with his knuckles - among our feet; this was followed by a hollow cough from the - very room from which the apparition proceeded. The only noise - after this, was as if a person was rustling against the wall in - coming up stairs. At a quarter to one, I told my friend that, - feeling a little cold, I would like to go to bed, as we might - hear the noise equally well there; he replied that he would not - go to bed till daylight. I took up a note which I had - accidentally dropped, and began to read it, after which I took - out my watch to ascertain the time, and found that it wanted ten - minutes to one. In taking my eyes from the watch, they became - riveted upon a closet-door, which I distinctly saw open, and saw - also the figure of a female attired in grayish garments, with - the head inclining downward, and one hand pressed upon the chest - as if in pain, and the other, viz., the right hand, extended - toward the floor, with the index finger pointing downward. It - advanced with an apparently cautious step across the floor - toward me; immediately as it approached my friend, who was - slumbering, its right hand was extended toward him: I then - rushed at it, giving, as Mr. Procter states, a most awful yell; - but, instead of grasping it, I fell upon my friend, and I - recollected nothing distinctly for nearly three hours afterward. - I have since learned that I was carried down stairs in an agony - of fear and terror. - - “I hereby certify that the above account is strictly true and - correct in every respect. - - “EDWARD DRURY. - “_North Shields.”_ - - “The following more recent case of an apparition seen in the - window of the same house from the outside, by four credible - witnesses, who had the opportunity of scrutinizing it for more - than ten minutes, is given on most unquestionable authority. One - of these witnesses is a young lady, a near connection of the - family, who, for obvious reasons, did not sleep in the house; - another, a respectable man, who has been many years employed in, - and is foreman of, the manufactory; his daughter, aged about - seventeen; and his wife, who first saw the object and called out - the others to view it. The appearance presented was that of a - bareheaded man, in a flowing robe like a surplice, who glided - backward and forward about three feet from the floor, or level - with the bottom of the second story window, seeming to enter the - wall on each side, and thus present a side view in passing. It - then stood still in the window, and a part of the body came - through both the blind, which was close down, and the window, as - its luminous body intercepted the view of the framework of the - window. It was semi-transparent, and as bright as a star, - diffusing a radiance all around. As it grew more dim, it assumed - a blue tinge, and gradually faded away from the head downward. - The foreman passed twice close to the house under the window, - and also went to inform the family, but found the house locked - up. There was no moonlight, nor a ray of light visible anywhere - about, and no person near. Had any magic lantern been used, it - could not possibly have escaped detection; and it is obvious - nothing of that kind could have been employed on the inside, as - in that case the light could only have been thrown upon the - blind, and not so as to intercept the view both of the blind and - of the window from without. The owner of the house slept in that - room, and must have entered it shortly after this figure had - disappeared. - - “It may well be supposed what a sensation the report of the - visit of Mr. Drury and its result must have created. It flew far - and wide, and when it appeared in print, still wider; and, what - was not a little singular, Mr. Procter received, in consequence, - a great number of letters from individuals of different ranks - and circumstances, including many of much property, informing - him that their residences were, and had been for years, subject - to annoyances of precisely a similar character. - - “So, the ghosts and the hauntings are not gone, after all! We - have turned our backs on them, and, in the pride of our - philosophy, have refused to believe in them; but they have - persisted in remaining, notwithstanding! - - “These singular circumstances being at various times related by - parties acquainted with the family at Willington, I was curious, - on a tour northward some time ago, to pay this haunted house a - visit, and to solicit a night’s lodging there. Unfortunately the - family was absent, on a visit to Mrs. Procter’s relatives in - Carlisle, so that my principal purpose was defeated; but I found - the foreman and his wife, mentioned in the foregoing narrative, - living just by. They spoke of the facts above detailed with the - simple earnestness of people who had no doubts whatever on the - subject. The noises and apparitions in and about this house - seemed just like any other facts connected with it—as matters - too palpable and positive to be questioned, any more than that - the house actually stood, and the mill ground. They mentioned to - me the circumstance of the young lady, as above stated, who took - up her lodging in their house, because she would no longer - encounter the annoyances of the haunted house—and what trouble - it had occasioned the family in procuring and retaining - servants. - - “The wife accompanied me into the house, which I found in charge - of a recently-married servant and her husband, during the - absence of the family. This young woman—who had, previous to - her marriage, lived some time in the house—had never seen - anything, and therefore had no fear. I was shown over the house, - and especially into the room on the third story, the main haunt - of the unwelcome visiters, and where Dr. Drury had received such - an alarm. This room, as stated, was and had been for some time - abandoned as a bed-room, from its bad character, and was - occupied as a lumber-room. - - “At Carlisle, I again missed Mr. Procter: he had returned to - Willington, so that I lost the opportunity of hearing from him - or Mrs. Procter any account of these singular matters. I saw, - however, various members of his wife’s family, most intelligent - people, of the highest character for sound and practical sense, - and they were unanimous in their confirmation of the particulars - I had heard, and which are here related. - - “One of Mrs. Procter’s brothers—a gentleman in middle life, and - of a peculiarly sensible, sedate, and candid disposition, a - person apparently most unlikely to be imposed on by fictitious - alarms or tricks—assured me that he had himself, on a visit - there, been disturbed by the strangest noises; that he had - resolved, before going, that if any such noises occurred, he - would speak, and demand of the invisible actor who he was, and - why he came thither: but the occasion came, and he found himself - unable to fulfil his intention. As he lay in bed one night, he - heard a heavy step ascend the stairs toward his room, and some - one striking, as it were, with a thick stick on the banisters, - as he went along. It came to his door, and he essayed to call, - but his voice died in his throat. He then sprang from his bed, - and, opening the door, found no one there—but now heard the - same heavy steps deliberately descending, though invisible, the - steps before his face, and accompanying the descent with the - same loud blows on the banisters. - - “My informant now proceeded to the room-door of Mr. Procter, who - he found had also heard the sounds, and who now also arose, and - with a light they made a speedy descent below, and a thorough - search there, but without discovering anything that could - account for the occurrence. - - “The two young ladies, who, on a visit there, had also been - annoyed by this invisible agent, gave me this account of it: The - first night, as they were sleeping in the same bed, they felt - the bed lifted up beneath them. Of course, they were much - alarmed. They feared lest some one had concealed himself there - for the purpose of robbery. They gave an alarm, search was made, - but nothing was found. On another night, their bed was violently - shaken, and the curtains suddenly hoisted up[3] all round to the - very tester, as if pulled by cords, and as rapidly let down - again, several times! Search again produced no evidence of the - cause. The next, they had the curtains totally removed from the - bed, resolving to sleep without them, as they felt as though - evil eyes were lurking behind them. The consequences of this, - however, were still more striking and terrific. The following - night, as they happened to awake, and the chamber was light - enough (for it was summer) to see everything in it, they both - saw a female figure, of a misty substance, and bluish-gray hue, - come out of the wall at the bed’s head, and through the - head-board, in a horizontal position, and lean over them. They - saw it most distinctly—they saw it as a female figure come out - of, and again pass into, the wall. Their terror became intense, - and one of the sisters from that night refused to sleep any more - in the house, but took refuge in the house of the foreman during - her stay; the other shifting her quarters to another part of the - house. It was the young lady who slept at the foreman’s who saw, - as above related, the singular apparition of the luminous figure - in the window, along with the foreman and his wife. - - “It would be too long to relate all the forms in which this - nocturnal disturbance is said by the family to present itself. - When a figure appears, it is sometimes that of a man, as already - described, which is often very luminous, and passes through the - walls as though they were nothing. This male figure is well - known to the neighbors by the name of “Old Jeffrey!” At other - times, it is the figure of a lady, also in gray costume, and as - described by Mr. Drury. She is sometimes seen sitting wrapped in - a sort of mantle, with her head depressed, and her hands crossed - on her lap. The most terrible fact is, that she is without eyes. - - “To hear such sober and superior people gravely relate to you - such things, gives you a very odd feeling. They say that the - noise made is often like that of a pavior with his rammer - thumping on the floor. At other times it is coming down stairs, - making a similar loud sound. At others it coughs, sighs, and - groans, like a person in distress; and, again, there is the - sound of a number of little feet pattering on the floor of the - upper chamber, where the apparition has more particularly - exhibited itself, and which, for that reason, is solely used as - a lumber-room. Here these little footsteps may be often heard as - if careering a child’s carriage about, which in bad weather is - kept up there. Sometimes, again, it makes the most horrible - laughs. Nor does it always confine itself to the night. On one - occasion, a young lady, as she assured me herself, opened the - door in answer to a knock, the housemaid being absent, and a - lady in fawn-colored silk entered, and proceeded up stairs. As - the young lady, of course, supposed it a neighbor come to make a - morning call on Mrs. Procter, she followed her up to the - drawing-room, where, however, to her astonishment, she did not - find her, nor was anything more seen of her. - - “Such are a few of the ‘questionable shapes’ in which this - troublesome guest comes. As may be expected, terror of it is - felt by the neighboring cottagers, though it seems to confine - its malicious disturbance almost solely to the occupants of this - one house. There is a well, however, near to which no one - ventures after it is dark, because it has been seen near it. - - “It is useless to attempt to give any opinion respecting the - real causes of these strange sounds and sights. How far they may - be real or imaginary, how far they may be explicable by natural - causes or not—the only thing which we have here to record is, - the very singular fact of a most respectable and intelligent - family having for many years been continually annoyed by them, - as well as their visiters. They express themselves as most - anxious to obtain any clew to the true cause, as may be seen by - Mr. Procter’s ready acquiescence in the experiment of Mr. Drury. - So great a trouble is it to them, that they have contemplated - the necessity of quitting the house altogether, though it would - create great inconvenience as regarded business. And it only - remains to be added that we have not heard very recently whether - these visitations are still continued, though we have a letter - of Mr. Procter’s to a friend of ours, dated September, 1844, in - which he says: ‘Disturbances have for a length of time been only - very unfrequent, which is a comfort, as the elder children are - getting old enough (about nine or ten years) to be more - injuriously affected by anything of the sort.’ - - “Over these facts let the philosophers ponder, and if any of - them be powerful enough to exorcise ‘Old Jeffrey,’ or the - bluish-gray and misty lady, we are sure that Mr. Joseph Procter - will hold himself deeply indebted to them. We have lately heard - that Mr. Procter has discovered an old book, which makes it - appear that the very same ‘hauntings’ took place in an old - house, on the very same spot, at least two hundred years ago.” - -To the above information, furnished by Mr. Howitt, I have to subjoin -that the family of Mr. Procter are now quitting the house, which he -intends to divide into small tenements for the work-people. A friend of -mine who lately visited Willington, and who went over the house with Mr. -Procter, assures me that the annoyances still continue, though less -frequent than formerly. Mr. Procter informed her that the female figure -generally appeared in a shroud, and that it had been seen in that guise -by one of the family only a few days before. A wish being expressed by a -gentleman visiting Mr. Procter that some natural explanation of these -perplexing circumstances might be discovered, the latter declared his -entire conviction, founded on an experience of fifteen years, that no -such elucidation was possible. - ------ - -[3] It is remarkable that this hoisting of the bed-curtains is similar -to an incident recorded in the account of the visit of Lord Tyrone’s -ghost to Lady Beresford. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - - SPECTRAL LIGHTS, AND APPARITIONS ATTACHED TO CERTAIN FAMILIES. - -IN commencing another chapter, I take the opportunity of repeating what -I have said before, viz., that in treating of these phenomena, I find it -most convenient to assume what I myself believe—that they are to be -explained by the existence and appearance of what are called GHOSTS; but -in so doing, I am not presuming to settle the question: if any one will -examine into the facts and furnish a better explanation of them, I shall -be ready to receive it. - -In the meantime, assuming this hypothesis, there is one phenomenon -frequently attending their appearance, which has given rise to a great -deal of thoughtless ridicule, but which, in the present state of -science, merits very particular attention. Grose, whom Dr. Hibbert -quotes with particular satisfaction, says: “I can not learn that ghosts -carry tapers in their hands, as they are sometimes depicted; though the -room in which they appear, even when without fire or candle, is -frequently said to be as light as day.” - -Most persons will have heard of this peculiarity attending the -appearance of ghosts. In the case of Professor Dorrien’s apparition, -mentioned in a former chapter, Professor Oeder saw it, when there was no -light in the room, by a flame which proceeded from itself. When he had -the room lighted, he saw it no longer, the light of the lamp rendering -invisible the more delicate phosphorescent light of the spectre: just as -the bright glare of the sun veils the feebler lustre of the stars, and -obscures to our senses many chemical lights which are very perceptible -in darkness. Hence the notion, so available to those who satisfy -themselves with scoffing without inquiring, that broad daylight banishes -apparitions, and that the belief in them is merely the offspring of -physical as well as moral darkness. - -I meet with innumerable cases in which this phosphorescent light is one -of the accompaniments, the flame sometimes proceeding visibly from the -figure; while in others, the room appeared pervaded with light, without -its seeming to issue from any particular object. - -I remember a case of the servants in a country-house, in Aberdeenshire, -hearing the door-bell ring after their mistress was gone to bed; on -coming up to open it, they saw through a window that looked into a hall -that it was quite light, and that their master, Mr. F——, who was at -the time absent from home, was there in his travelling dress. They ran -to tell their mistress what they had seen; but when they returned, all -was dark, and there was nothing unusual to be discovered. That night Mr. -F—— died at sea, on his voyage to London. - -A gentleman, some time ago, awoke in the middle of a dark winter’s -night, and perceived that his room was as light as if it were day. He -awoke his wife and mentioned the circumstance, saying he could not help -apprehending that some misfortune had occurred to his fishing-boats, -which had put to sea. The boats were lost that night. - -Only last year, there was a very curious circumstance happened in the -south of England, in which these lights were seen. I give the account -literally as I extracted it from the newspaper, and also the answer of -the editor to my further inquiries. I know nothing more of this story; -but it is singularly in keeping with others proceeding from different -quarters. - -“A GHOST AT BRISTOL.—We have this week a ghost-story to relate. Yes, a -ghost-story; a real ghost-story, and a ghost-story without, as yet, any -clew to its elucidation. After the dissolution of the Calendars, their -ancient residence, adjoining and almost forming a part of All-Saint’s -church, Bristol, was converted into a vicarage-house, and it is still -called by that name, though the incumbents have for many years ceased to -reside there. The present occupants are Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the sexton -and sextoness of the church, and one or two lodgers; and it is to the -former and their servant-maid that the strange visiter has made his -appearance, causing such terror by his nightly calls, that all three -have determined on quitting the premises, if indeed they have not -already carried their resolution into effect. Mr. and Mrs. Jones’s -description of the disturbance as given to the landlord, on whom they -called in great consternation, is as distinct as any ghost-story could -be. The nocturnal visiter is heard walking about the house when the -inhabitants are in bed; and Mr. Jones, who is a man of by no means -nervous constitution, declares he has several times seen a light -flickering on one of the walls. Mrs. Jones is equally certain that she -has heard a man with creaking shoes walking in the bed-room above her -own, when no man was on the premises (or at least ought to be), and “was -nearly killed with the fright.” To the servant-maid, however, was -vouchsafed the unenvied honor of seeing this restless night-visiter; she -declares she has repeatedly had her bed-room door unbolted at night -between the hours of twelve and two o’clock—the period when such beings -usually make their promenades—by something in human semblance; she can -not particularize his dress, but describes it as something antique, and -of a fashion “lang syne gane,” and to some extent corresponding to that -of the ancient Calendars, the former inhabitants of the house. She -further says he is a “whiskered gentleman” (we give her own -words)—which whiskered gentleman has gone the length of shaking her -bed, and she believes would have shaken herself also, but that she -invariably puts her head under the clothes when she sees him approach. -Mrs. Jones declares she believes in the appearance of the whiskered -gentleman, and she had made up her mind, the night before she called on -her landlord, to leap out of the window (and it is not a trifle that -will make people leap out of the windows) as soon as he entered the -room. The effect of the ‘flickering light’ on Mr. Jones was quite -terrific, causing excessive trembling, and the complete doubling up of -his whole body into a round ball, like.”—_Bristol Times._ - - “BRISTOL TIMES OFFICE, _June 3, 1846_. - - “MADAM: In reply to your inquiries respecting the ghost-story, I - have to assure you that the whole affair remains wrapped in the - same mystery as when chronicled in the pages of the _Bristol - Times_. - - “I am, madam, yours obediently, - “THE EDITOR.” - -I subsequently wrote to Mrs. Jones, who I found was not a very dexterous -scribe; but she confirmed the above account—adding, however, that the -Rev. Mr. ——, the clergyman of the parish, said I had better write to -him about it, and that he does not believe in such things. Of course he -does not, and it would have been useless to have asked his opinion. - -There never was, perhaps, a more fearless human being than Madame -Gottfried, the empoisonneuse of Bremen; at least, she felt no -remorse—she feared nothing but discovery; and yet, when after years of -successful crime she was at length arrested, she related that soon after -the death of her first husband, Miltenburg, whom she had poisoned, as -she was standing, in the dusk of the evening, in her drawing-room, she -suddenly saw a bright light hovering at no great distance above the -floor, which advanced toward her bed-room door and then disappeared. -This phenomenon occurred on three successive evenings. On another -occasion, she saw a shadowy appearance hovering near her—“Ach! denke -ich, das ist Miltenburg, seine erscheinung!”—(Alas! thought I, that is -the ghost of Miltenburg!) Yet did not this withhold her murderous hand. - -The lady who met with the curious adventure in Petersburgh, mentioned in -a former chapter, had no light in her room; yet she saw the watch -distinctly by the old woman’s light, though of what nature it was, she -does not know. Of the lights seen over graves, familiarly called -“corpse-candles,” I have spoken elsewhere—as also of the luminous form -perceived by Rilling in the garden at Colmar, as mentioned by Baron von -Reichenbach. Most people have heard the story of the Radiant Boy seen by -Lord Castlereagh—an apparition which the owner of the castle admitted -to have been visible to many others. Dr. Kerner mentions a similar fact, -wherein an advocate and his wife were awakened by a noise and a light, -and saw a beautiful child enveloped by the sort of glory that is seen -surrounding the heads of saints. It disappeared, and they never had a -repetition of the phenomenon, which they afterward heard was believed to -recur every seven years in that house, and to be connected with the -cruel murder of a child by its mother. - -To these instances I will add an account of the ghost seen in C—— -castle, copied from the handwriting of C—— M—— H—— in a book of -manuscript extracts, dated C—— castle, December 22, 1824, and -furnished to me by a friend of the family:— - -“In order to introduce my readers to the haunted room, I will mention -that it forms part of the old house, with windows looking into the -court, which in early times was deemed a necessary security against an -enemy. It adjoins a tower built by the Romans for defence; for C—— was -properly more a border tower than a castle of any consideration. There -is a winding staircase in this tower, and the walls are from eight to -ten feet thick. - -“When the times became more peaceable, our ancestors enlarged the -arrow-slit windows, and added to that part of the building which looks -toward the river Eden; the view of which, with its beautiful banks, we -now enjoy. But many additions and alterations have been made since that. - -“To return to the room in question, I must observe that it is by no -means remote or solitary, being surrounded on all sides by chambers that -are constantly inhabited. It is accessible by a passage cut through a -wall eight feet in thickness, and its dimensions are twenty-one by -eighteen. One side of the wainscoting is covered with tapestry; the -remainder is decorated with old family-pictures, and some ancient pieces -of embroidery, probably the handiwork of nuns. Over a press, which has -doors of Venetian glass, is an ancient oaken figure, with a battle-axe -in his hand, which was one of those formerly placed on the walls of the -city of Carlisle, to represent guards. There used to be, also, an -old-fashioned bed and some dark furniture in this room; but, so many -were the complaints of those who slept there, that I was induced to -replace some of these articles of furniture by more modern ones, in the -hope of removing a certain air of gloom, which I thought might have -given rise to the unaccountable reports of apparitions and extraordinary -noises which were constantly reaching us. But I regret to say I did not -succeed in banishing the nocturnal visiter, which still continues to -disturb our friends. - -“I shall pass over numerous instances, and select one as being -especially remarkable, from the circumstance of the apparition having -been seen by a clergyman well known and highly respected in this county, -who, not six weeks ago, repeated the circumstances to a company of -twenty persons, among whom were some who had previously been entire -disbelievers in such appearances. - -“The best way of giving you these particulars, will be by subjoining an -extract from my journal, entered at the time the event occurred. - -“SEPT. 8, 1803.—Among other guests invited to C—— castle, came the -Rev. Henry A——, of Redburgh, and rector of Greystoke, with Mrs. A——, -his wife, who was a Miss S——, of Ulverstone. According to previous -arrangements, they were to have remained with us for some days; but -their visit was cut short in a very unexpected manner. On the morning -after their arrival, we were all assembled at breakfast, when a chaise -and four dashed up to the door in such haste that it knocked down part -of the fence of my flower-garden. Our curiosity was, of course, awakened -to know who could be arriving at so early an hour; when, happening to -turn my eyes toward Mr. A——, I observed that he appeared extremely -agitated. ‘It is our carriage!’ said he; ‘I am very sorry, but we must -absolutely leave you this morning.’ - -“We naturally felt and expressed considerable surprise, as well as -regret at this unexpected departure; representing that we had invited -Colonel and Mrs. S——, some friends whom Mr. A—— particularly desired -to meet, to dine with us on that day. Our expostulations, however, were -vain; the breakfast was no sooner over than they departed, leaving us in -consternation to conjecture what could possibly have occasioned so -sudden an alteration in their arrangements. I really felt quite uneasy -lest anything should have given them offence; and we reviewed all the -occurrences of the preceding evening in order to discover, if offence -there was, whence it had arisen. But our pains were vain; and after -talking a great deal about it for some days, other circumstances -banished it from our minds. - -“It was not till we some time afterward visited the part of the country -in which Mr. A—— resides, that we learned the real cause of his sudden -departure from C——. The relation of the fact, as it here follows, is -in his own words:— - -“Soon after we went to bed, we fell asleep: it might have been between -one and two in the morning when I awoke. I observed that the fire was -totally extinguished; but although that was the case, and we had no -light, I saw a glimmer in the centre of the room, which suddenly -increased to a bright flame. I looked out, apprehending that something -had caught fire, when, to my amazement, I beheld a beautiful boy, -clothed in white, with bright locks, resembling gold, standing by my -bedside, in which position he remained some minutes, fixing his eyes -upon me with a mild and benevolent expression. He then glided gently -away toward the side of the chimney, where it is obvious there is no -possible egress, and entirely disappeared. I found myself again in total -darkness, and all remained quiet until the usual hour of rising. I -declare this to be a true account of what I saw at C—— castle, upon my -word as a clergyman.” - -I am acquainted with some of the family, and with several of the friends -of Mr. A——, who is still alive, though now an old man, and I can most -positively assert that his own conviction, with regard to the nature of -this appearance, has remained ever unshaken. The circumstance made a -lasting impression upon his mind, and he never willingly speaks of it; -but when he does, it is always with the greatest seriousness, and he -never shrinks from avowing his belief, that what he saw admits of no -other interpretation than the one he then put upon it. - -Now, let us see whether in this department of the phenomenon of -ghost-seeing, namely, the lights that frequently accompany the -apparitions, there is anything so worthy of ridicule as Grose and other -such commentators seem to think. - -Of God, the uncreated, we know nothing; but the created spirit, man, we -can not conceive of independent of some organism or organ, however -different that organ may be to those which form our means of -apprehension and communication at present. This organ, we may suppose to -be that pervading ether which is now the germ of what St. Paul calls the -_spiritual body_, the _astral spirit_ of the mystics, the _nerve-spirit_ -of the clear-seers; the fundamental body, of which the external fleshly -body is but the copy and husk—an organ comprehending all those distinct -ones which we now possess in the one universal, or, as some of the -German physiologists call it, the _central_ sense, of which we -occasionally obtain some glimpses in somnambulism, and in other peculiar -states of nervous derangement; especially where the ordinary senses of -sight, hearing, feeling, &c., are in abeyance; an effect which Dr. -Ennemoser considers to be produced by a change of polarity, the external -periphery of the nerves taking on a negative state; and which Dr. -Passavent describes as the retreating of the ether from the external to -the internal, so that the nerves no longer receive impressions, or -convey information to the brain; a condition which may be produced by -various causes, as excess of excitement, great elevation of the spirit, -as we see in the ecstatics and martyrs, over-irritation producing -consequent exhaustion; and also artificially, by certain manipulations, -narcotics, and other influences. All somnambules of the highest -order—and when I make use of this expression, I repeat that I do not -allude to the subjects of mesmeric experiments, but to those -extraordinary cases of disease, the particulars of which have been -recorded by various continental physicians of eminence—all persons in -that condition describe themselves as hearing and seeing, not by their -ordinary organs, but by some means the idea of which they can not convey -further than that they are pervaded by light, and that this is not the -_ordinary_ physical light is evident, inasmuch as they generally see -best in the dark, a remarkable instance of which I myself witnessed. - -I never had the slightest idea of this internal light, till, in the way -of experiment, I inhaled the sulphuric ether; but I am now very well -able to conceive it: for, after first feeling an agreeable warmth -pervading my limbs, my next sensation was to find myself, I can not say -in this heavenly light, for the light was in _me_—I was pervaded by it: -it was not perceived by my eyes, which were closed, but perceived -internally, I can not tell how. Of what nature this heavenly light -was—and I can not forbear calling it _heavenly_, for it was like -nothing on earth—I know not, nor how far it may be related to those -luminous emanations occasionally seen around ecstatics, saints, martyrs, -and dying persons; or to the flames seen by somnambules issuing from -various objects, or to those observed by Von Reichenbach’s patients -proceeding from the ends of the fingers, &c. But at all events, since -the process which maintains life is of the nature of combustion, we have -no reason to be amazed at the presence of luminous emanations; and as we -are the subjects of various electrical phenomena, nobody is surprised -when, on combing their hair or pulling off their silk-stockings, they -hear a crackling noise, or even see sparks. - -Light, in short, is a phenomenon which seems connected with all forms of -life; and I need not here refer to that emitted by glow-worms, -fire-flies, and those marine animals which illuminate the sea. The eyes -also of many animals shine with a light which is not merely a reflected -one—as has been ascertained by Rengger, a German naturalist, who found -himself able to distinguish objects in the most profound darkness, by -the flaming eyes of a South American monkey. - -“The seeing of a clear-seer,” says Dr. Passavent, “may be called a -_solar_ seeing, for he lights and inter-penetrates his object with his -_own_ organic light, viz., his nervous ether, which becomes the organ of -the spirit;” and under certain circumstances this organic light becomes -visible, as in those above alluded to. Persons recovering from deep -swoons and trances, frequently describe themselves as having been in -this region of light—this light of the spirit, if I may so call -it—this palace of light, in which it dwells, which will hereafter be -its proper light; for the physical or solar light, which serves us while -in the flesh, will be no longer needed, when out of it, nor probably be -perceived by the spirit, which will then, I repeat, be a light to -itself: and as this organic light—this germ of our future spiritual -body—occasionally becomes partially visible now, there can not, I -think, be any great difficulty in conceiving that it may, under given -circumstances, be so hereafter. - -The use of the word _light_, in the Scriptures, must not be received in -a purely symbolical sense. We shall dwell in light, or we shall dwell in -darkness, in proportion as we have shaken off the bonds that chain us to -the earth; according, in short, to our moral state, we shall be pure and -bright, or impure and dark. - -Monsieur Arago mentions, in his treatise on lightning and the electrical -fluid, that all men are not equally susceptible of it, and that there -are different degrees of receptivity, verging from total insensibility -to the extreme opposite; and he also remarks that animals are more -susceptible to it than men. He says the fluid will pass through a chain -of persons, of whom perhaps one (though forming only the second link) -will be wholly insensible of the shock. Such persons would be rarely -struck by lightning, while another would be in as great danger from a -flash as if he were made of metal. Thus it is not only the situation of -a man, during a storm, but also his physical constitution, that -regulates the amount of his peril. The horse and the dog are -particularly susceptible. - -Now, this varying susceptibility is analogous to, if not the very same, -that causes the varying susceptibility to such phenomena as I am -treating of; and, accordingly, we know that in all times, horses and -dogs have been reputed to have the faculty of seeing spirits: and when -persons who have the second-sight see a vision, these animals, if in -contact with them, perceive it also, and frequently evince symptoms of -great terror. We also here find the explanation of another mystery, -namely, what the Germans call _ansteckung_, and the English (skeptics -when alluding to these phenomena) _contagion_—meaning simply -_contagious fear_; but, as when several persons form a chain, the shock -from an electrical machine will pass through the whole of them—so, if -one person is in such a state as to become sensible of an apparition or -some similar phenomenon, he may be able to communicate that power to -another; and thus has arisen the conviction among the highlanders, that -a seer, by touching a person near him, enables him frequently to -participate in his vision. - -A little girl, in humble life, called Mary Delves, of a highly nervous -temperament, has been frequently punished for saying that the cat was on -fire, and that she saw flames issuing from various persons and objects. - -With regard to the perplexing subject of corpse-lights, there would be -little difficulty attending it if they always remained stationary over -the graves; but it seems very well established that that is not the -case. There are numerous stories, proceeding from very respectable -quarters, proving the contrary; and I have heard two from a dignitary of -the church, born in Wales, which I will relate:— - -A female relation of his had occasion to go to Aberystwith, which was -about twenty miles from her home, on horseback; and she started at a -very early hour for that purpose, with her father’s servant. When they -had nearly reached the half-way, fearing the man might be wanted at -home, she bade him return, as she was approaching the spot where the -servant of the lady she was going to visit was to meet her, in order to -escort her the other half. - -The man had not long left her, when she saw a light coming toward her, -the nature of which she suspected. It moved, according to her -description, steadily on, about three feet from the ground. Somewhat -awestruck, she turned her horse out of the bridle-road, along which it -was coming, intending to wait till it had passed; but, to her dismay, -just as it came opposite to her, it stopped, and there remained -perfectly fixed for nearly half an hour, at the end of which period it -moved on as before. - -The servant presently came up, and she proceeded to the house of her -friend, where she related what she had seen. A few days afterward, the -very servant who came to meet her was taken ill and died: his body was -carried along that road; and, at the very spot where the light had -paused, an accident occurred, which caused a delay of half an hour. - -The other story was as follows: A servant in the family of Lady Davis, -my informant’s aunt, had occasion to start early for market. Being in -the kitchen, about three o’clock in the morning, taking his breakfast -alone, when everybody else was in bed, he was surprised at hearing a -sound of heavy feet on the stairs above; and, opening the door to see -who it could be, he was struck with alarm at perceiving a great light, -much brighter than could have been shed by a candle, at the same time -that he heard a violent thump, as if some very heavy body had hit the -clock, which stood on the landing. Aware of the nature of the light, the -man did not await its further descent, but rushed out of the -house—whence he presently saw it issue from the front door, and proceed -on its way to the churchyard. - -As his mistress, Lady Davis, was at that period in her bed, ill, he made -no doubt that her death impended; and when he returned from the market -at night, his first question was, whether she was yet alive: and though -he was informed she was better, he declared his conviction that she -would die, alleging as his reason what he had seen in the morning—a -narration which led everybody else to the same conclusion. - -The lady, however, recovered; but, within a fortnight, another member of -the family died: and as his coffin was brought down the stairs, the -bearers ran it violently against the clock—upon which the man instantly -exclaimed, “That is the very noise I heard!” - -I could relate numerous stories wherein the appearance of a ghost was -accompanied by a light; but as there is nothing that distinguishes them -from those abovementioned, I will not dilate further on this branch of -the subject, on which, perhaps, I have said enough to suggest to the -minds of my readers that, although we know little _how_ such things are, -we do know enough of analogous phenomena to enable us to believe, at -least, their possibility. - -I confess I find much less difficulty in conceiving the existence of -such facts as those above described, than those of another class, of -which we meet with occasional instances. - -For example, a gentleman of fortune and station, in Ireland, was one day -walking along the road, when he met a very old man, apparently a -peasant, though well-dressed, and looking as if he had on his Sunday -habiliments. His great age attracted the gentleman’s attention the more, -that he could not help wondering at the alertness of his movements, and -the ease with which he was ascending the hill. He consequently accosted -him, inquiring his name and residence; and was answered that his name -was Kirkpatrick, and that he lived at a cottage, which he pointed out. -Whereupon the gentleman expressed his surprise that he should be unknown -to him, since he fancied he had been acquainted with every man on his -estate. “It is odd you have never seen me before,” returned the old man, -“for I walk here every day.” - -“How old are you?” asked the gentleman. - -“I am one hundred and five,” answered the other; “and have been here all -my life.” - -After a few more words, they parted; and the gentleman, proceeding -toward some laborers in a neighboring field, inquired if they knew an -old man of the name of Kirkpatrick. They did not; but on addressing the -question to some older tenants, they said, “Oh, yes;” they had known -him, and had been at his funeral; he had lived at the cottage on the -hill, but had been dead twenty years. - -“How old was he when he died?” inquired the gentleman, much amazed. “He -was eighty-five,” said they: so that the old man gave the age that he -would have reached had he survived to the period of this rencontre. - -This curious incident is furnished by the gentleman himself and all he -can say is, that it certainly occurred, and that he is quite unable to -explain it. He was in perfect health at the time, and had never heard of -this man in his life, who had been dead several years before the estate -came into his possession. - -The following is another curious story. The original will be found in -the register of the church named, from which it has been copied for my -use:— - - EXTRACT FROM THE REGISTER IN BRISLEY CHURCH, NORFOLK. - - “DECEMBER 12, 1706.—I, Robert Withers, M. A., vicar of Gately, - do insert here a story which I had from undoubted hands; for I - have all the moral certainty of the truth of it possible:— - - “Mr. Grose went to see Mr. Shaw on the 2d of August last. As - they sat talking in the evening, says Mr. Shaw: ‘On the 21st of - the last month, as I was smoking a pipe, and reading in my - study, between eleven and twelve at night, in comes Mr. Naylor - (formerly fellow of St. John’s college, but had been dead full - four years). When I saw him, I was not much affrighted, and I - asked him to sit down, which accordingly he did for about two - hours, and we talked together. I asked him how it fared with - him. He said, “Very well.”—“Were any of our old acquaintances - with him?”—“No!” (at which I was much alarmed), “but Mr. - Orchard will be with me soon, and yourself not long after.” As - he was going away, I asked him if he would not stay a little - longer, but he refused. I asked him if he would call again. - “No;” he had but three days’ leave of absence, and he had other - business.’ - - “N. B.—Mr. Orchard died soon after. Mr. Shaw is now dead: he - was formerly fellow of St. John’s college—an ingenious, good - man. I knew him there; but at his death he had a college-living - in Oxfordshire, and here he saw the apparition.” - -An extraordinary circumstance occurred some years ago, in which a very -pious and very eminent Scotch minister, Ebenezer Brown of Inverkeithing, -was concerned. A person of ill character in the neighborhood having -died, the family very shortly afterward came to him to complain of some -exceedingly unpleasant circumstances connected with the room in which -the dissolution had taken place, which rendered it uninhabitable, and -requesting his assistance. All that is known by his family of what -followed, is that he went and entered the room alone; came out again, in -a state of considerable excitement and in a great perspiration; took off -his coat and re-entered the room; a great noise and I believe voices -were then heard by the family, who remained the whole time at the door; -when he came out finally, it was evident that something very -extraordinary had taken place; what it was, he said, he could never -disclose; but that perhaps after his death some paper might be found -upon the subject. None, however, as far as I can learn, has been -discovered. - -A circumstance of a very singular nature is asserted to have occurred, -not very many years back, in regard to a professor in the college of -A——, who had seduced a girl and married another woman. The girl became -troublesome to him; and being found murdered, after having been last -seen in his company, he was suspected of being some way concerned in the -crime. But the strange thing is, that, from that period, he retired -every evening at a particular hour to a certain room, where he stayed a -great part of the night, and where it was declared that _her_ voice was -distinctly heard in conversation with him: a strange, wild story, which -I give as I have it, without pretending to any explanation of the belief -that seems to have prevailed, that he was obliged to keep this fearful -tryst. - -Visitations of this description—which seem to indicate that the -deceased person is still, in some way incomprehensible to us, an -inhabitant of the earth—are more perplexing than any of the stories I -meet with. In the time of Frederick II. of Prussia, the cook of a -catholic priest residing at a village named Quarrey, died, and he took -another in her place; but the poor woman had no peace or rest from the -interference of her predecessor, insomuch that she resigned her -situation, and the minister might almost have done without any servant -at all. The fires were lighted, and the rooms swept and arranged, and -all the needful services performed, by unseen hands. Numbers of people -went to witness the phenomena, till at length the story reached the ears -of the king, who sent a captain and a lieutenant of his guard to -investigate the affair. As they approached the house, they found -themselves preceded by a march, though they could see no musicians; and -when they entered the parlor and witnessed what was going on, the -captain exclaimed: “If that doesn’t beat the devil!” upon which he -received a smart slap on the face, from the invisible hand that was -arranging the furniture. - -In consequence of this affair, the house was pulled down, by the king’s -orders, and another residence built for the minister at some distance -from the spot. - -Now, to impose on Frederick II. would have been no slight matter, as -regarded the probable consequences; and the officers of his guard would -certainly not have been disposed to make the experiment; and it is not -likely that the king would have ordered the house to be pulled down -without being thoroughly satisfied of the truth of the story. - -One of the most remarkable stories of this class I know—excepting -indeed the famous one of the Grecian bride—is that which is said to -have happened at Crossen, in Silesia, in the year 1659, in the reign of -the Princess Elizabeth Charlotte. In the spring of that year, an -apothecary’s man, called Christopher Monig—a native of Serbest, in -Anhalt—died, and was buried with the usual ceremonies of the Lutheran -church. But, to the amazement of everybody, a few days afterward, he, at -least what seemed to be himself, appeared in the shop, where he would -sit himself down, and sometimes walk, and take from the shelves boxes, -pots, and glasses, and set them again in other places; sometimes try and -examine the goodness of the medicines, weigh them with the scales, pound -the drugs with a mighty noise—nay, serve the people that came with -bills to the shop, take their money and lay it up in the counter: in a -word, do all things that a journeyman in such cases used to do. He -looked very ghostly upon his former companions, who were afraid to say -anything to him, and his master being sick at that time, he was very -troublesome to him. At last he took a cloak that hung in the shop, put -it on and walked abroad, but minding nobody in the streets; he entered -into some of the citizen’s houses, especially such as he had formerly -known, yet spoke to no one but to a maid-servant, whom he met with hard -by the church-yard, whom he desired to go home and dig in a lower -chamber of her master’s house, where she would find an inestimable -treasure. But the girl, amazed at the sight of him, swooned away; -whereupon he lifted her up, but left a mark upon her, in so doing, that -was long visible. She fell sick in consequence of the fright, and having -told what Monig had said to her, they dug up the place indicated, but -found nothing but a decayed pot with a hemarites or bloodstone in it. -The affair making a great noise, the reigning princess caused the man’s -body to be taken up, which being done, it was found in a state of -putrefaction, and was reinterred. The apothecary was then recommended to -remove everything belonging to Monig—his linen, clothes, books, -&c.—after which the apparition left the house and was seen no more. - -The fact of the man’s reappearance in this manner was considered to be -so perfectly established at the time, that there was actually a public -disputation on the subject in the academy of Leipsic. With regard to the -importance the apparition attached to the bloodstone, we do not know but -that there may be truth in the persuasion that this gem is possessed of -some occult properties of much more value than its beauty. - -The story of the Grecian bride is still more wonderful, and yet it comes -to us so surprisingly well authenticated, inasmuch as the details were -forwarded by the prefect of the city in which the thing occurred, to the -proconsul of his province, and by the latter were laid before the -emperor Hadrian—and as it was not the custom to mystify Roman -emperors—we are constrained to believe that what the prefect and -proconsul communicated to him, they had good reason for believing -themselves. - -It appears that a gentleman, called Demostrates, and Charito, his wife, -had a daughter called Philinnion, who died; and that about six months -afterward, a youth named Machates, who had come to visit them, was -surprised on retiring to the apartments destined to strangers, by -receiving the visits of a young maiden who eats and drinks and exchanges -gifts with him. Some accident having taken the nurse that way, she, -amazed by the sight, summons her master and mistress to behold their -daughter, who is there sitting with the guest. - -Of course, they do not believe her; but at length, wearied by her -importunities, the mother follows her to the guest’s chamber; but the -young people are now asleep, and the door closed; but looking through -the keyhole, she perceives what she believes to be her daughter. Still -unable to credit her senses, she resolves to wait till morning before -disturbing them; but when she comes again the young lady had departed; -while Machates, on being interrogated, confesses that Philinnion had -been with him, but that she had admitted to him that it was unknown to -her parents. Upon this, the amazement and agitation of the mother were -naturally very great; especially when Machates showed her a ring which -the girl had given him, and a bodice which she had left behind her; and -his amazement was no less, when he heard the story they had to tell. He, -however, promised that if she returned the next night, he would let them -see her; for he found it impossible to believe that his bride was their -dead daughter. He suspected, on the contrary, that some thieves had -stripped her body of the clothes and ornaments in which she had been -buried, and that the girl who came to his room had bought them. When, -therefore, she arrived, his servant having had orders to summon the -father and mother, they came; and perceiving that it was really their -daughter, they fell to embracing her, with tears. But she reproached -them for the intrusion, declaring that she had been permitted to spend -three days with this stranger, in the house of her birth; but that now -she must go to the appointed place; and immediately fell down dead, and -the dead body lay there visible to all. - -The news of this strange event soon spread abroad, the house was -surrounded by crowds of people, and the prefect was obliged to take -measures to avoid a tumult. On the following morning, at an early hour, -the inhabitants assembled in the theatre, and thence they proceeded to -the vault, in order to ascertain if the body of Philinnion was where it -had been deposited six months before. It was not; but on the bier there -lay the ring and cap which Machates had presented to her the first night -she visited him; showing that she had returned there in the interim. -They then proceeded to the house of Democrates, where they saw the body, -which it was decreed must now be buried without the bounds of the city. -Numerous religious ceremonies and sacrifices followed, and the -unfortunate Machates, seized with horror, put an end to his own life. - -The following very singular circumstance occurred in this country toward -the latter end of the last century, and excited, at the time, -considerable attention; the more so, as it was asserted by everybody -acquainted with the people and the locality, that the removal of the -body was impossible by any recognised means; besides, that no one would -have had the hardihood to attempt such a feat:— - -“Mr. William Craighead, author of a popular system of arithmetic, was -parish-schoolmaster of Monifieth, situate upon the estuary of the Tay, -about six miles east from Dundee. It would appear that Mr. Craighead was -then a young man, fond of a frolic, without being very scrupulous about -the means, or calculating the consequences. There being a lykewake in -the neighborhood, according to the custom of the times, attended by a -number of his acquaintance, Craighead procured a confederate, with whom -he concerted a plan to draw the watchers from the house, or at least -from the room where the corpse lay. Having succeeded in this, he -dexterously removed the dead body to an outer house, while his companion -occupied the place of the corpse in the bed where it had lain. It was -agreed upon between the confederates, that when the company were -reassembled Craighead was to join them, and, at a concerted signal the -impostor was to rise, shrouded like the dead man, while the two were to -enjoy the terror and alarm of their companions. Mr. Craighead came in, -and, after being some time seated, the signal was made, but met no -attention; he was rather surprised; it was repeated, and still -neglected. Mr. Craighead, in his turn, now became alarmed; for he -conceived it impossible that his companion could have fallen asleep in -that situation; his uneasiness became insupportable; he went to the bed, -and found his friend lifeless! Mr. Craighead’s feelings, as may well be -imagined, now entirely overpowered him, and the dreadful fact was -disclosed. Their agitation was extreme, and it was far from being -alleviated when every attempt to restore animation to the thoughtless -young man proved abortive. As soon as their confusion would permit, an -inquiry was made after the original corpse, and Mr. Craighead and -another went to fetch it in, but it was not to be found. The alarm and -consternation of the company were now redoubled; for some time a few -suspected that some hardy fellow among them had been attempting a -Rowland for an Oliver, but when every knowledge of it was most solemnly -denied by all present, their situation can be more easily imagined than -described; that of Mr. Craighead was little short of distraction. -Daylight came without relieving their agitation; no trace of the corpse -could be discovered, and Mr. Craighead was accused as the _primum -mobile_ of all that had happened: he was incapable of sleeping, and -wandered several days and nights in search of the body, which was at -last discovered in the parish of Tealing, deposited in a field, about -six miles distant from the place whence it was removed. - -“It is related that this extraordinary affair had a strong and lasting -effect upon Mr. Craighead’s mind and conduct; that he immediately became -serious and thoughtful, and ever after conducted himself with great -prudence and sobriety.” - -Among what are called _superstitions_, there are a great many curious -ones attached to certain families; and from some members of these -families I have been assured that experience has rendered it impossible -for them to forbear attaching importance to these persuasions. - -A very remarkable circumstance occurred lately in this part of the -world, the facts of which I had an opportunity of being well acquainted -with. - -One evening, somewhere about Christmas, of the year 1844, a letter was -sent for my perusal, which had been just received from a member of a -distinguished family, in Perthshire. The friend who sent it me, an -eminent literary man, said, “Read the enclosed; and we shall now have an -opportunity of observing if any event follows the prognostics.” The -information contained in the letter was to the following effect:— - -Miss D——, a relative of the present Lady C——, who had been staying -some time with the earl and countess, at their seat near Dundee, was -invited to spend a few days at C—— castle, with the earl and countess -of A——. She went: and while she was dressing for dinner, the first -evening of her arrival, she heard a strain of music under her window, -which finally resolved itself into a well-defined sound of a drum. When -her maid came up stairs, she made some inquiries about the drummer that -was playing near the house; but the maid knew nothing on the subject. -For the moment, the circumstance passed from Miss D——’s mind; but -recurring to her again during the dinner, she said, addressing Lord -A——, “My lord, who is your drummer?”—upon which his lordship turned -pale, Lady A—— looked distressed, and several of the company (who all -heard the question) embarrassed; while the lady, perceiving that she had -made some unpleasant allusion, although she knew not to what their -feelings referred, forbore further inquiry till she reached the -drawing-room, when, having mentioned the circumstance again to a member -of the family, she was answered, “What! have you never heard of the -drummer-boy?”—“No,” replied Miss D——; “who in the world is -he?”—“Why,” replied the other, “he is a person who goes about the house -playing his drum whenever there is a death impending in the family. The -last time he was heard was shortly before the death of the last countess -(the earl’s former wife), and that is why Lord A—— became so pale when -you mentioned it. ‘The drummer’ is a very unpleasant subject in this -family, I assure you!” - -Miss D—— was naturally much concerned, and, indeed, not a little -frightened at this explanation, and her alarm being augmented by hearing -the sounds on the following day, she took her departure from C—— -castle and returned to Lord C——’s, stopping on her way to call on some -friends, where she related this strange circumstance to the family, -through whom the information reached me. - -This affair was very generally known in the north, and we awaited the -event with interest. The melancholy death of the countess about five or -six months afterward, at Brighton, sadly verified the prognostic. I have -heard that a paper was found in her desk after her death, declaring her -conviction that the drum was for her; and it has been suggested that -probably the thing preyed upon her mind and caused the catastrophe: but -in the first place, from the mode of her death, that does not appear to -be the case; in the second, even if it were, the fact of the -verification of the prognostic remains unaffected; besides which, those -who insist upon taking refuge in this hypothesis must admit that, before -people living in the world like Lord and Lady A——, could attach so -much importance to the prognostic as to entail such fatal effects, they -must have had very good reason for believing in it. - -The legend connected with “the drummer” is, that either himself, or some -officer whose emissary he was, had become an object of jealousy to a -former Lord A——, and that he was put to death by being thrust into his -own drum and flung from the window of the tower in which Miss D——’s -room was situated. It is said that he threatened to haunt them if they -took his life; and he seems to have been as good as his word, having -been heard several times in the memory of persons yet living. - -There is a curious legend attached to the family of G——, of R——, to -the effect that, when a lady is confined in that house, a little old -woman enters the room when the nurse is absent, and strokes down the -bed-clothes; after which the patient, according to the technical phrase, -“never does any good,” and dies. Whether the old lady has paid her -visits or not I do not know, but it is remarkable that the results -attending several late confinements there have been fatal. - -There was a legend, in a certain family, that a single swan was seen on -a particular lake before a death. A member of this family told me that -on one occasion, the father, being a widower, was about to enter into a -second marriage. On the wedding-day, his son appeared so exceedingly -distressed, that the bridegroom was offended, and, expostulating with -him, was told by the young man that his low spirits were caused by his -having seen the swan. He (the son) died that night quite unexpectedly. - -Besides Lord Littleton’s dove, there are a great many very curious -stories recorded in which birds have been seen in a room when a death -was impending; but the most extraordinary prognostic I know is that of -“the black dog,” which seems to be attached to some families:— - -A young lady of the name of P——, not long since was sitting at work, -well and cheerful, when she saw, to her great surprise, a large black -dog close to her. As both door and window were closed, she could not -understand how he had got in; but when she started up to put him out, -she could no longer see him. - -Quite puzzled, and thinking it must be some strange illusion, she sat -down again and went on with her work, when, presently, he was there -again. Much alarmed, she now ran out and told her mother, who said she -must have fancied it, or be ill. She declared neither was the case; and, -to oblige her, the mother agreed to wait outside the door, and if she -saw it again, she was to call her. Miss P—— re-entered the room, and -presently there was the dog again; but when she called her mother, he -disappeared. Immediately afterward, the mother was taken ill and died. -Before she expired, she said to her daughter, “Remember the black dog!” - -I confess I should have been much disposed to think this a spectral -illusion, were it not for the number of corroborative instances; and I -have only this morning read in the review of a work called “The Unseen -World,” just published, that there is a family in Cornwall who are also -warned of an approaching death by the apparition of a black dog: and a -very curious example is quoted, in which a lady newly married into the -family, and knowing nothing of the tradition, came down from the nursery -to request her husband would go up and drive away a black dog that was -lying on the child’s bed. He went up, and found the child dead! - -I wonder if this phenomenon is the origin of the French phrase “_bête -noir_,” to express an annoyance, or an augury of evil? - -Most persons will remember the story of Lady Fanshawe, as related by -herself—namely, that while paying a visit to Lady Honor O’Brien, she -was awakened the first night she slept there by a voice, and, on drawing -back the curtain, she saw a female figure standing in the recess of the -window, attired in white, with red hair and a pale and ghastly aspect. -“She looked out of the window,” says Lady Fanshawe, “and cried in a loud -voice, such as I never before heard, ‘A horse!—a horse!—a horse!’ and -then with a sigh, which rather resembled the wind than the voice of a -human being, she disappeared. Her body appeared to me rather like a -thick cloud than a real solid substance. I was so frightened,” she -continues, “that my hair stood on end, and my night-cap fell off. I -pushed and shook my husband, who had slept all the time, and who was -very much surprised to find me in such a fright, and still more so when -I told him the cause of it, and showed him the open window. Neither of -us slept any more that night, but he talked to me about it, and told me -how much more frequent such apparitions were in that country than in -England.” - -This was, however, what is called a _banshee_: for in the morning Lady -Honor came to them, to say that one of the family had died in the night, -expressing a hope that they had not been disturbed: “for,” said she, -“whenever any of the O’Briens is on his death-bed, it is usual for a -woman to appear at one of the windows every night till he expires; but -when I put you into this room, I did not think of it.” This apparition -was connected with some sad tale of seduction and murder. - -I could relate many more instances of this kind, but I wish as much as -possible to avoid repeating cases already in print; so I will conclude -this chapter with the following account of “Pearlin Jean,” whose -persevering annoyances, at Allanbank, were so thoroughly believed and -established, as to have formed at various times a considerable -impediment to letting the place. I am indebted to Mr. Charles -Kirkpatrick Sharpe for the account of Jean, and the anecdote that -follows. - -A housekeeper, called Bettie Norrie, that lived many years at Allanbank, -declared she and various other people had frequently seen Jean, adding -that they were so used to her, as to be no longer alarmed at her noises. - -“In my youth,” says Mr. Sharpe, “Pearlin Jean was the most remarkable -ghost in Scotland, and my terror when a child. Our old nurse, Jenny -Blackadder, had been a servant at Allanbank, and often heard her -rustling in silks up and down stairs, and along the passage. She never -saw her—but her husband did. - -“She was a French woman, whom the first baronet of Allanbank (then Mr. -Stuart) met with at Paris, during his tour to finish his education as a -gentleman. Some people said she was a nun, in which case she must have -been a sister of charity, as she appears not to have been confined to a -cloister. After some time, young Stuart became either faithless to the -lady, or was suddenly recalled to Scotland by his parents, and had got -into his carriage, at the door of the hotel, when his Dido unexpectedly -made her appearance, and stepping on the fore-wheel of the coach to -address her lover, he ordered the postillion to drive on; the -consequence of which was, that the lady fell, and one of the wheels -going over her forehead, killed her! - -“In a dusky autumnal evening, when Mr. Stuart drove under the arched -gateway of Allanbank, he perceived Pearlin Jean sitting on the top, her -head and shoulders covered with blood. - -“After this, for many years, the house was haunted: doors shut and -opened with great noise at midnight; and the rustling of silks, and -pattering of high-heeled shoes, were heard in bed-rooms and passages. -Nurse Jenny said there were seven ministers called together at one time, -to _lay_ the spirit; ‘but they did no mickle good, my dear.’ - -“The picture of the ghost was hung between those of her lover and his -lady, and kept her comparatively quiet; but when taken away, she became -worse-natured than ever. This portrait was in the present Sir J—— -G——’s possession. I am unwilling to record its fate. - -“The ghost was designated ‘Pearlin,’ from always wearing a great -quantity of that sort of lace.[4] - -“Nurse Jenny told me that when Thomas Blackadder was her lover (I -remember Thomas very well), they made an assignation to meet one -moonlight night in the orchard at Allanbank. True Thomas, of course, was -the first comer; and, seeing a female figure, in a light-colored dress, -at some distance, he ran forward with open arms to embrace his Jenny. -Lo, and behold! as he neared the spot where the figure stood, it -vanished; and presently he saw it again, at the very end of the orchard, -a considerable way off. Thomas went home in a fright; but Jenny, who -came last, and saw nothing, forgave him, and they were married. - -“Many years after this, about the year 1790, two ladies paid a visit at -Allanbank—I think the house was then let—and passed a night there. -They had never heard a word about the ghost; but they were disturbed the -whole night with something walking backward and forward in their -bed-chamber. This I had from the best authority. - -“Sir Robert Stuart was created a baronet in the year 1687. - -“Lady Stapleton, grandmother of the late Lord le Despencer, told me that -the night Lady Susan Fane (Lord Westmoreland’s daughter) died in London, -she appeared to her father, then at Merriworth, in Kent. He was in bed, -but had not fallen asleep. There was a light in the room; she came in, -and sat down on a chair at the foot of the bed. He said to her, ‘Good -God, Susan! how came you here? What has brought you from town?’ She made -no answer; but rose directly, and went to the door, and looked back -toward him very earnestly: then she retired, shutting the door behind -her. The next morning he had notice of her death. This, Lord -Westmoreland himself told to Lady Stapleton, who was by birth a Fane, -and his near relation.” - ------ - -[4] “A species of lace made of thread.”—JAMIESON. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - - APPARITIONS SEEKING THE PRAYERS OF THE LIVING. - -WITH regard to the appearance of ghosts, the frequency of haunted -houses, presentiments, prognostics, and dreams, if we come to inquire -closely, it appears to me that all parts of the world are much on an -equality—only, that where people are most engaged in business or -pleasure, these things are, in the first place, less thought of and less -believed in, consequently less observed; and when they _are_ observed, -they are readily explained away: and in the second place—where the -external life, the life of the brain, wholly prevails—either they do -not happen, or they are not perceived—the rapport not existing, or the -receptive faculty being obscured. - -But, although the above phenomena seem to be equally well known in all -countries, there is one peculiar class of apparitions of which I meet -with no records but in Germany. I allude to ghosts, who, like those -described in the “Seeress of Prevorst,” seek the prayers of the living. -In spite of the positive assertions of Kerner, Eschenmayer, and others, -that after neglecting no means to investigate the affair, they had been -forced into the conviction that the spectres that frequented Frederica -Hauffe were not subjective illusions, but real outstanding forms, still, -as she was in the somnambulic state, many persons remain persuaded that -the whole thing was delusion. It is true, that as those parties were not -there, and as all those who did go to the spot came to a different -conclusion, this opinion being only the result of preconceived notions -or prejudices, and not of calm investigation, is of no value whatever; -nevertheless, it is not to be denied that these narrations are very -extraordinary; but, perplexing as they are, they by no means stand -alone. I find many similar ones noticed in various works, where there -has been no somnambule in question. In all cases, these unfortunate -spirits appear to have been waiting for some one with whom they could -establish a rapport, so as to be able to communicate with them; and this -waiting has sometimes endured a century or more. Sometimes they are seen -by only one person, at other times by several, with varying degrees of -distinctness, appearing to one as a light, to another as a shadowy -figure, and to a third as a defined human form. Other testimonies of -their presence—as sounds, footsteps, lights, visible removing of solid -articles without a visible agent, odors, &c.—are generally perceived by -many; in short, the sounds seem audible to all who come to the spot, -with the exception of the voice, which in most instances is only heard -by the person with whom the rapport is chiefly established. Some cases -are related, where a mark like burning is left on the articles seen to -be lifted. This is an old persuasion, and has given rise to many a joke. -But, upon the hypothesis I have offered, the thing is simple enough: the -mark will probably be of the same nature as that left by the electrical -fluid;—and it is this particular, and the lights that often accompany -spirits, that have caused the notion of material flames, sulphur, -brimstone, &c., to be connected with the idea of a future state. -According to our views, there can be no difficulty in conceiving that a -happy and blessed spirit would emit a mild radiance; while anger or -malignity would necessarily alter the character of the effulgence. - -As whoever wishes to see a number of these cases may have recourse to my -translation of the “Seeress of Prevorst,” I will here only relate one, -of a very remarkable nature, that occurred in the prison of Weinsberg, -in the year 1835. - -Dr. Kerner, who has published a little volume containing a report of the -circumstances, describes the place where the thing happened to be such a -one as negatives at once all possibility of trick or imposture. It was -in a sort of block-house or fortress—a prison within a prison—with no -windows but what looked into a narrow passage, closed with several -doors. It was on the second floor; the windows were high up, heavily -barred with iron, and immovable without considerable mechanical force. -The external prison is surrounded by a high wall, and the gates are kept -closed day and night. The prisoners in different apartments are of -course never allowed to communicate with each other, and the -deputy-governor of the prison and his family, consisting of a wife, -niece, and one maid-servant, are described as people of unimpeachable -respectability and veracity. As depositions regarding this affair were -laid before the magistrates, it is on them I found my narration. - -On the 12th September, 1835, the deputy-governor or keeper of the jail, -named Mayer, sent in a report to the magistrates that a woman called -Elizabeth Eslinger was every night visited by a ghost, which generally -came about eleven o’clock, and which left her no rest, as it said she -was destined to release it, and it always invited her to follow it; and -as she would not, it pressed heavily on her neck and side till it gave -her pain. The persons confined with her pretended also to have seen this -apparition. - - Signed “MAYER.” - -A woman named Rosina Schahl, condemned to eight days’ confinement for -abusive language, deposed, that about eleven o’clock, Eslinger began to -breathe hard as if she was suffocating; she said a ghost was with her, -seeking his salvation. “I did not trouble myself about it, but told her -to wake me when it came again. Last night I saw a shadowy form, between -four and five feet high, standing near the bed; I did not see it move. -Eslinger breathed very hard, and complained of a pressure on the side. -For several days she has neither ate nor drank anything. - - Signed “SCHAHL.” - - “COURT RESOLVES, - -“That Eslinger is to be visited by the prison physician, and a report -made as to her mental and bodily health. - - “Signed by the magistrates, - “ECKHARDT, - “THEURER, - “KNORR.” - - “REPORT. - -“Having examined the prisoner, Elizabeth Eslinger, confined here since -the beginning of September, I found her of sound mind, but possessed -with one fixed idea, namely, that she is and has been for a considerable -time troubled by an apparition, which leaves her no rest, coming chiefly -by night, and requiring her prayers to release it. It visited her before -she came to the prison, and was the cause of the offence that brought -her here. Having now, in compliance with the orders of the supreme -court, observed this woman for eleven weeks, I am led to the conclusion -that there is no deception in this case, and also that the persecution -is not a mere monomaniacal idea of her own, and the testimony not only -of her fellow-prisoners, but that of the deputy-governor’s family, and -even of persons in distant houses, confirms me in this persuasion. - -“Eslinger is a widow, aged thirty-eight years, and declares that she -never had any sickness whatever, neither is she aware of any at present; -but she has always been a ghost-seer, though never till lately had any -communication with them; that now, for eleven weeks that she has been in -the prison, she is nightly disturbed by an apparition, that had -previously visited her in her own house, and which had been once seen -also by a girl of fourteen—a statement which this girl confirms. When -at home, the apparition did not appear in a defined human form, but as a -pillar of cloud, out of which proceeded a hollow voice, signifying to -her that she was to release it, by her prayers, from the cellar of a -woman in Wimmenthal, named Singhaasin, whither it was banished, or -whence it could not free itself. She (Eslinger) says that she did not -then venture to speak to it, not knowing whether to address it as _Sie_, -_Ihr_, or _Du_ (that is, whether she should address it in the second or -third person)—which custom among the Germans has rendered a very -important point of etiquette. It is to be remembered that this woman was -a peasant, without education, who had been brought into trouble by -treasure-seeking, a pursuit in which she hoped to be assisted by this -spirit. This digging for buried treasure is a strong passion in Germany. - -“The ghost now comes in a perfect human shape, and is dressed in a loose -robe, with a girdle, and has on its head a four-cornered cap. It has a -projecting chin and forehead, fiery, deep-set eyes, a long beard, and -high cheek-bones, which look as if they were covered with parchment. A -light radiates about and above his head, and in the midst of this light -she sees the outlines of the spectre. - -“Both she and her fellow-prisoners declare, that this apparition comes -several times in a night, but always between the evening and morning -bell. He often comes through the closed door or window, but they can -then see neither door nor window, nor iron bars; they often hear the -closing of the door, and can see into the passage when he comes in or -out that way, so that if a piece of wood lies there they see it. They -hear a shuffling in the passage as he comes and goes. He most frequently -enters by the window, and they then hear a peculiar sound there. He -comes in quite erect. Although their cell is entirely closed, they feel -a cool wind[5] when he is near them. All sorts of noises are heard, -particularly a crackling. When he is angry, or in great trouble, they -perceive a strange mouldering, earthy smell. He often pulls away the -coverlet, and sits on the edge of the bed. At first the touch of his -hand was icy cold, since he became brighter it is warmer; she first saw -the brightness of his finger-ends; it afterward spread further. If she -stretches out her hand she can not feel him, but when he touches her she -feels it. He sometimes takes her hands and lays them together, to make -her pray. His sighs and groans are like a person in despair; they are -heard by others as well as Eslinger. While he is making these sounds, -she is often praying aloud, or talking to her companions, so they are -sure it is not she who makes them. She does not see his mouth move when -he speaks. The voice is hollow and gasping. He comes to her for prayers, -and he seems to her like one in a mortal sickness, who seeks comfort in -the prayers of others. He says he was a catholic priest in Wimmenthal, -and lived in the year 1414.” - -(Wimmenthal is still catholic; the woman Eslinger herself is a Lutheran, -and belongs to Backnang.) - -“He says, that among other crimes, a fraud committed conjointly with his -father, on his brothers, presses sorely on him; he can not get quit of -it; it obstructs him. He always entreated her to go with him to -Wimmenthal, whither he was banished, or consigned, and pray there for -him. - -“She says she can not tell whether what he says is true; and does not -deny that she thought to find treasures by his aid. She has often told -him that the prayers of a sinner, like herself, can not help him, and -that he should seek the Redeemer; but he will not forbear his -entreaties. When she says these things, he is sad, and presses nearer to -her, and lays his head so close that she is obliged to pray into his -mouth. _He seems hungry for prayers._ She has often felt his tears on -her cheek and neck; they felt icy cold; but the spot soon after burns, -and they have a bluish red mark. (These marks are visible on her skin.) - -“One night this apparition brought with him a large dog, which leaped on -the beds, and was seen by her fellow-prisoners also, who were much -terrified, and screamed. The ghost, however, spoke, and said, ‘Fear not; -this is my father.’ He had since brought the dog with him again, which -alarmed them dreadfully, and made them quite ill. - -“Both Mayer and the prisoners asserted, that Eslinger was scarcely seen -to sleep, either by night or day, for ten weeks. She ate very little, -prayed continually, and appeared very much wasted and exhausted. She -said she saw the spectre alike, whether her eyes were opened or closed, -which showed that it was a magnetic perception, and not _seeing_ by her -bodily organs. It is remarkable that a cat belonging to the jail, being -shut up in this room, was so frightened when the apparition came, that -it tried to make its escape by flying against the walls; and finding -this impossible, it crept under the coverlet of the bed, in extreme -terror. The experiment was made again, with the same result; and after -this second time the animal refused all nourishment, wasted away, and -died. - -“In order to satisfy myself,” says Dr. Kerner, “of the truth of these -depositions, I went to the prison on the night of the 15th of October, -and shut myself up without light in Eslinger’s cell. About half-past -eleven I heard a sound as of some hard body being flung down, but not on -the side where the woman was, but the opposite; she immediately began to -breathe hard, and told me the spectre was there. I laid my hand on her -head, and adjured it as an evil spirit to depart. I had scarcely spoken -the words when there was a strange rattling, crackling noise, all round -the walls, which finally seemed to go out through the window; and the -woman said that the spectre had departed. - -“On the following night it told her that it was grieved at being -addressed as an evil spirit, which it was not, but one that deserved -pity; and that what it wanted was prayers and redemption. - -“On the 18th of October, I went to the cell again, between ten and -eleven, taking with me my wife, and the wife of the keeper, Madame -Mayer. When the woman’s breathing showed me the spectre was there, I -laid my hand on her, and adjured it, in gentle terms, not to trouble her -further. The same sort of sound as before commenced, but it was softer, -and this time continued all along the passage, where there was certainly -nobody. We all heard it. - -“On the night of the 20th I went again, with Justice Heyd. We both heard -sounds when the spectre came, and the woman could not conceive why we -did not see it. We could not; but we distinctly felt a cool wind blowing -upon us when, according to her account, it was near, although there was -no aperture by which air could enter.” - -On each of these occasions Dr. Kerner seems to have remained about a -couple of hours. - -Madame Mayer now resolved to pass a night in the cell, for the purpose -of observation; and she took her niece, a girl aged nineteen, with her: -her report is as follows:— - -“It was a rainy night, and, in the prison, pitch dark. My niece slept -sometimes; I remained awake all night, and mostly sitting up in bed. - -“About midnight I saw a light come in at the window; it was a yellowish -light, and moved slowly; and though we were closely shut in, I felt a -cool wind blowing on me. I said to the woman, ‘The ghost is here, is he -not?’ She said ‘Yes,’ and continued to pray, as she had been doing -before. The cool wind and the light now approached me; my coverlet was -quite light, and I could see my hands and arms; and at the same time I -perceived an indescribable odor of putrefaction; my face felt as if ants -were running over it. (Most of the prisoners described themselves as -feeling the same sensation when the spectre was there.) Then the light -moved about, and went up and down the room; and on the door of the cell -I saw a number of little glimmering stars, such as I had never before -seen. Presently, I and my niece heard a voice which I can compare to -nothing I ever heard before. It was not like a human voice. The words -and sighs sounded as if they were drawn up out of a deep hollow, and -appeared to ascend from the floor to the roof in a column; while this -voice spoke, the woman was praying aloud: so I was sure it did not -proceed from her. No one could produce such a sound. They were strange, -superhuman sighs and entreaties for prayers and redemption. - -“It is very extraordinary that, whenever the ghost spoke, I always _felt -it beforehand_. [Proving that the spirit had been able to establish a -rapport with this person. She was in a magnetic relation to him.] We -heard a crackling in the room also. I was perfectly awake, and in -possession of my senses; and we are ready to make oath to having seen -and heard these things.” - -On the 9th of December, Madame Mayer spent the night again in the cell, -with her niece and her maid-servant; and her report is as follows:— - -“It was moonlight, and I sat up in bed all night, watching Eslinger. -Suddenly I saw a white shadowy form, like a small animal, cross the -room. I asked her what it was; and she answered, ‘Don’t you see it’s a -lamb? It often comes with the apparition.’ We then saw a stool, that was -near us, lifted and _set down_ again on its legs. She was in bed, and -praying the whole time. Presently, there was such a noise at the window -that I thought all the panes were broken. She told us it was the ghost, -and that he was sitting on the stool. We then heard a walking and -shuffling up and down, although I could not see him; but presently I -felt a cool wind blowing on me, and out of this wind the same hollow -voice I had heard before, said, ‘In the name of Jesus, look on me!’ - -“Before this, the moon was gone, and it was quite dark; but when the -voice spoke to me, I saw a light around us, though still no form. Then -there was a sound of walking toward the opposite window, and I heard the -voice say, ‘Do you see me now?’ And then, for the first time, I saw a -shadowy form, stretching up as if to make itself visible to us, but -could distinguish no features. - -“During the rest of the night, I saw it repeatedly, sometimes sitting on -the stool, and at others moving about; and I am perfectly certain that -there was no moonlight now, nor any other light from without. How I saw -it, I can not tell; it is a thing not to be described. - -“Eslinger prayed the whole time, and the more earnestly she did so, the -closer the spectre went to her. It sometimes sat upon her bed. - -“About five o’clock, when he came near to me, and I felt the cool air, I -said, ‘Go to my husband, in his chamber, and leave a sign that you have -been there!’ He answered distinctly, ‘Yes.’ Then we heard the door, -which was fast locked, open and shut; and we saw the shadow float out -(for he floated rather than walked), and we heard the shuffling along -the passage. - -“In a quarter of an hour we saw him return, entering by the window; and -I asked him if he had been with my husband, and what he had done. He -answered by a sound like a short, low, hollow laugh. Then he hovered -about without any noise, and we heard him speaking to Eslinger, while -she still prayed aloud. Still, as before, I always knew when he was -going to speak. After six o’clock, we saw him no more. In the morning, -my husband mentioned, with great surprise, that his chamber door, which -he was sure he had fast bolted and locked, even taking out the key when -he went to bed, he had found wide open.” - -On the 24th, Madame Mayer passed the night there again; but on this -occasion she only saw a white shadow coming and going, and standing by -the woman, who prayed unceasingly. She also heard the shuffling. - -Between prisoners and the persons in authority who went to observe, the -number of those who testify to this phenomenon is considerable; and, -although the amount of what was perceived varied according to the -receptivity of the subject in each case, the evidence of all is -perfectly coincident as to the character of the phenomena. Some saw only -the light; others distinguished the form in the midst of it; all heard -the sound, and perceived the mouldering earthy smell. - -That the receptivity of the women was greater than that of the men, -after what I have elsewhere said, should excite no surprise; the -preponderance of the sympathetic system in them being sufficient to -account for the difference. - -Frederica Follen, from Lowenstein, who was eight weeks in the same cell -with Eslinger, was witness to all the phenomena, though she only once -arrived at seeing the spectre in its perfect human form, as the latter -saw it; but it frequently spoke to her, bidding her amend her life, and -remember that it was one who had tasted of death that give her this -counsel. This circumstance had a great effect upon her. - -When any of them swore, the apparition always evinced much displeasure, -grasped them by the throat, and forced them to pray. Frequently, when he -came or went, they said it sounded like a flight of pigeons. - -Catherine Sinn, from Mayenfels, was confined in an adjoining room for a -fortnight. After her release, she was interrogated by the minister of -her parish, and deposed that she had known nothing of Eslinger, or the -spectre; “but every night, being quite alone, I heard a rustling and a -noise at the window, which looked only into the passage. I felt and -heard, though I could not see anybody, that some one was moving about -the room; _these sounds_ were accompanied by a cool wind, though the -place was closely shut up. I heard also a crackling, and a shuffling, -and a sound as if gravel were thrown; but could find none in the -morning. Once it seemed to me that a hand was laid softly on my -forehead. I did not like staying alone, on account of these things, and -begged to be put into a room with others; so I was placed with Eslingen -and Follen. The same things continued here, and they told me about the -ghost; but not being alone, I was not so frightened. I often heard him -speak; it was hollow and slow, not like a human voice; but I could -seldom catch the words. When he left the prison, which was generally -about five in the morning, he used to say, ‘Pray!’ and when he did so, -he would add, ‘God reward you!’ I never saw him distinctly till the last -morning I was there; then I saw a white shadow standing by Eslinger’s -bed. - - Signed, - “CATHERINE SINN. - -“MINISTER BINDER, Mayenfels.” - -It would be tedious, were I to copy the depositions of all the -prisoners, the experience of most of them being similar to the above. I -will therefore content myself with giving an abstract of the most -remarkable particulars. - -Besides the crackling, rustling as of paper, walking, shuffling, -concussions of the windows and of their beds, &c., &c., they heard -sometimes a fearful cry, and not unfrequently the bed-coverings were -pulled from them; it appearing to be the object of the spirit to -manifest himself thus to those to whom he could not make himself -visible; and as I find this pulling off the bed-clothes, and heaving up -the bed as if some one were under it, repeated in a variety of cases, -foreign and English, I conclude the motive to be the same. Several of -the women heard him speak. - -All these depositions are contained in Dr. Kerner’s report to the -magistrates; and he concludes by saying, that there can be no doubt of -the fact of the woman Elizabeth Eslinger suffering these annoyances, by -whatever name people may choose to call them. - -Among the most remarkable phenomena, is the real or apparent opening of -the door, so that they could see what was in the passage. Eslinger said -that the spirit was often surrounded by a light, and his eyes looked -fiery; and there sometimes came with him two lambs, which occasionally -appeared as stars. He often took hold of Eslinger, and made her sit up, -put her hands together, that she might pray; and once he appeared to -take a pen and paper from under his gown, and wrote, laying it on her -coverled. - -It is extremely curious that, on two occasions, Eslinger saw Dr. Kerner -and Justice Heyd enter with the ghost, when they were not there in the -body, and both times Heyd was enveloped in a black cloud. The ghost, on -being asked, told Eslinger that the cloud indicated that trouble was -impending. A few days afterward his child died very unexpectedly, and -Dr. Kerner now remembered, that the first time Eslinger said she had -seen Heyd in this way, his father had died directly afterward. Kerner -attended both patients, and was thus associated in the symbol. Follen -also saw these two images, and spoke, believing the one to be Dr. Kerner -himself. - -On other occasions she saw strangers come in with the ghost, whom -afterward, when they _really_ came in the body, she recognised. This -seems to have been a sort of second sight. - -Dr. K. says, I think justly enough, that if Eslinger had been feigning, -she never would have ventured on what seemed so improbable. - -Some of the women, after the spectre had visibly leaned over them, or -had spoken into their ears, were so affected by the odor he diffused -that they vomited, and could not eat till they had taken an emetic; and -those parts of their persons that he touched became painful and swollen, -an effect I find produced in numerous other instances. - -The following particulars are worth observing, in the evidence of a girl -sixteen years of age, called Margaret Laibesberg, who was confined for -ten days for plucking some grapes in a vineyard. She says she knew -nothing about the spectre, but that she was greatly alarmed the first -night at hearing the door burst open and something come shuffling in. -Eslinger bade her not fear, and said that it would not injure her. The -girl, however, being greatly terrified every night, and hiding her head -under the bed-clothes, on the fourth Eslinger got out of her own bed, -and, coming to her, said: “Do, in the name of God, look at him! He will -do you no harm, I assure you.”—“Then,” says the girl, “I looked out -from under the clothes, and I saw two white forms, like two lambs—so -beautiful that I could have looked at them for ever. Between them stood -a white, shadowy form, as tall as a man, but I was not able to look -longer, for my eyes failed me.” The terrors of this girl were so great, -that Eslinger had repeatedly occasion to get out of bed and fetch her to -lie with herself. When she could be induced to look, she always saw the -figure, and he bade her also pray for him. Whenever he touched her, -which he did on the forehead and eyes, she felt pain, but says nothing -of any subsequent swelling. Both this girl and another, called -Neidhardt, who was brought in on the last day of Margaret L——’s -imprisonment, testified that on the previous night they had heard -Eslinger ask the ghost why he looked so angry; and that they had heard -him answer that it was “because she had on the preceding night neglected -to pray for him as much as usual,” which neglect arose from two -gentlemen having passed the night in the cell. - -When on the tenth day the girl Margaret L—— was released, she said -that there was something so awful to her in this apparition, that she -had firmly resolved and vowed to be pious and lead henceforth a virtuous -life. - -Some of them seem to have felt little alarm; Maria Bar, aged forty-one, -said: “I was not afraid, for I have a good conscience.” The offences for -which these women were confined appear to have been very slight ones, -such as quarrelling, &c. - -In a room that opened into the same passage, men were shut up for -disputing with the police, neglect of regulations, and similar -misdemeanors. These persons not only heard the noises as above -described, such as the walking, shuffling, opening and shutting the -door, &c., &c., but some of them saw the ghost. Christian Bauer deposed -that he had never heard anything about the ghost, but that, being -disturbed by a knocking and rustling toward three o’clock on the second -morning of his incarceration, he looked up and saw a white figure -bending over him, and heard a strange hollow voice say: “You must needs -have patience!” He said he thought it must be his grandfather, at which -Stricker, his companion, laughed. Stricker deposed that he heard a -hollow voice say: “You must needs have patience;” and that Bauer told -him that there was a white apparition near him, and that he supposed it -was his grandfather. Bauer said that he was frightened the first night, -but got used to it and did not mind. - -It is worthy of observation, that when they heard the door of the -women’s room open, they also heard the voice of Eslinger praying, which -seems as if the door not only appeared to open, but actually did so. We -have already seen that this spirit could open doors. In the “Seeress of -Prevorst,” the doors were constantly _audibly_ and _visibly_ opened, as -by an unseen hand, when she saw a spectre enter; and I know to an -absolute certainty that the same phenomenon takes place in a house not -far from where I am writing; and this, sometimes, when there are two -people sleeping in the room—a lady and gentleman. The door having been -fast locked when they went to bed, the room thoroughly examined, and -every precaution taken—for they are unwilling to believe in the -spiritual character of the disturbances that annoy them—they are -aroused by a consciousness that it is opening, and they do find it open, -on rising to investigate the fact. - -One of the most remarkable proofs, either of the force of volition or of -the electrical powers of the apparition that haunted Eslinger, or else -of his power to imitate sounds, was the real, or apparent, violent -shaking of the heavy, iron-barred window, which it is asserted the -united efforts of six men could not shake at all when they made the -experiment. - -The supreme court having satisfied itself that there was no imposture in -this case, it was proposed that some men of science should be invited to -investigate the strange phenomenon, and endeavor if possible to explain -it. Accordingly, not only Dr. Kerner himself and his son, but many -others, passed nights in the prison for this purpose. Among these, -besides some ministers of the Lutheran church, there was an engraver -called Duttenhofer; Wagner, an artist; Kapff, professor of mathematics -at Heilbroun; Frass, a barrister; Doctors Seyffer and Sicherer, -physicians; Heyd, a magistrate; Baron von Hugel, &c., &c.: but their -perquisitions elicited no more than has been already narrated—all heard -the noises, most of them saw the lights, and some saw the figure. -Duttenhofer and Kapff saw it without a defined outline; it was itself -bright, but did not illuminate the room. Some of the sounds appeared to -them like the discharging of a Leyden jar. There was also a throwing of -gravel, and a heavy dropping of water, but neither to be found. -Professor Kapff says that he was quite cool and self-possessed, till -there was such a violent concussion of the heavy, barred window, that he -thought it must have come in; then both he and Duttenhofer felt -horror-struck. - -As they could not see the light emitted by the spectre when the room was -otherwise lighted, they were in the dark; but they took every care to -ascertain that Eslinger was in her bed while these things were going on. -She prayed aloud the whole time, unless when speaking to them. By the -morning, she used to be dreadfully exhausted, from this continual -exertion. - -It is also mentioned that the straw on which she lay was frequently -changed and examined, and every means taken to ascertain that there was -nothing whatever in her possession that could enable her to perform any -sort of jugglery. Her fellow-prisoners were also invited to tell all -they knew or could discover; and a remission of their sentences promised -to those who would make known the imposition, if there was one. - -Dr. Sicherer, who was accompanied by Mr. Frass, says that, having heard -of these phenomena, which he thought the more unaccountable from the -circumstances of the woman’s age and condition, &c.—she being a -healthy, hard-working person, aged thirty-eight, who had never known -sickness—he was very desirous of inquiring personally into the affair. - -While they were in the court of the prison, waiting for admittance, they -heard extraordinary noises, which could not be accounted for, and during -the night there was a repetition of those above described—especially -the apparent throwing of gravel, or peas, which seemed to fall so near -him that he involuntarily covered his face. Then followed the feeling of -a cool wind; and then the oppressive odor, for which, he says, he can -find no comparison, and which almost took away his breath. He was -perfectly satisfied that it was no smell originating in the locality or -the state of the prison. Simultaneously with the perception of this -odor, he saw a thick, gray cloud, of no defined shape, near Eslinger’s -bed. When this cloud disappeared, the odor was no longer perceptible. It -was a fine moonlight night, and there was light enough in the room to -distinguish the beds, &c. - -The same phenomena recurred several times during the night: Eslinger was -heard, each time the ghost was there, praying and reciting hymns. They -also heard her say, “Don’t press my hands so hard together!”—“Don’t -touch me!” &c. The voice of the spirit they did not hear. Toward three -or four o’clock, they heard heavy blows, footsteps, opening and shutting -of the door, and a concussion of the whole house, that made them think -it was going to fall on their heads. About six o’clock, they saw the -phantom again; and altogether these phenomena recurred at least ten -times in the course of the night. - -Dr. Sicherer concludes by saying that he had undertaken the -investigation with a mind entirely unprepossessed; and that in the -report he made, at the desire of the supreme court, he had recorded his -observations as conscientiously as if he had been upon a jury. He adds -that he had examined everything; and that neither in the person of the -woman, nor in any other of the inmates of the prison, could he find the -smallest grounds for suspicion, nor any clew to the mystery, which, in a -scientific point of view, appeared to him utterly inexplicable. Dr. -Sicherer’s report is dated Heilbronn, January 8, 1836. - -Mr. Fraas, who accompanied him, confirms the above statement in every -particular, with the addition that he several times saw a light, of a -varying circumference, moving about the room; and that it was while he -saw this, that the woman told him the ghost was there. He also felt an -oppression of the breath and a pressure on his forehead each time before -the apparition came, especially once, when, although he had carefully -abstained from mentioning his sensations, she told him it was standing -close at his head. He stretched out his hand, but perceived nothing, -except a cool wind and an overpowering smell. - -Dr. Seyffer being there one night, with Dr. Kerner, in order to exclude -the possibility of light entering through the window, they stopped it -up. They, however, saw the phosphorescent light of the spectre, as -before. It moved quietly about, and remained a quarter of an hour. The -room was otherwise perfectly dark; the sounds accompanying it were like -the dropping of water and the discharge of a Leyden jar. They fully -ascertained that these phenomena did not proceed from the woman. - -I have already given the depositions of Madame Mayer, the wife of the -deputy-governor or keeper of the prison, who is spoken of as a highly -respectable person. Mayer himself, however, though quite unable to -account for all these extraordinary proceedings, found great difficulty -in believing that there was anything supernatural in the affair; and he -told Eslinger that, if she wished him to be convinced, she must send the -ghost to do it! - -He says: “The night after I had said this, I went to bed and to sleep, -little expecting such a visiter; but, toward midnight, I was awakened by -something touching my left elbow. This was followed by a pain; and in -the morning, when I looked at the place, I saw several blue spots. I -told Eslinger that this was not enough, and that she must tell the ghost -to touch my other elbow. This was done on the following night, and, at -the same time, I perceived a smell like putrefaction. The blue spots -followed.” (It will be remembered that Eslinger had blue spots also.) - -Mayer continues to say that the spectre made known its presence in his -chamber by various sounds, such as were heard in the other part of the -house. He never saw the figure distinctly, but his wife did: she always -prayed when it was there. He, however, felt the cool wind that they all -described. - -The ghost told Eslinger that he should continue his visits to the prison -after she had quitted it, and he did so. The second night after her -release, they felt his approach, especially from the cool wind, and -Madame Mayer desired him to testify his presence to her husband. -Immediately there were sounds like a wind-instrument, and these were -repeated at her desire. - -The prisoners also heard and felt the apparition after Eslinger’s -departure; and Mayer says he is perfectly assured that in this jail, -where the inmates were frequently changed, everybody was locked up, and -every place thoroughly examined, it was utterly impossible for any trick -to be played: besides which, all parties agreed that the sounds were -often of a description that could not have been produced by any known -means. - -But it was not to the prison alone that this apparition confined his -visits. To whomsoever Eslinger sent him, he went—testifying his -presence by the same signs as above described. He visited the chambers -of several of the magistrates, of a teacher named Neuffer, of the -referendary burgher, of a citizen named Rummel, and many others. Of -these, some only perceived his presence by the noises, the cool air, the -smell, or the touch; others saw the light also, and others perceived the -figure with more or less distinctness. - -A Mr. Dorr, of Heilbronn, seems to have scoffed very much at these -rumors, and Dr. Kerner bade Eslinger ask the ghost to convince him, -which she did. - -Mr. Dorr says: “When I heard these things talked of, I always laughed at -them, and was thought very sensible for so doing. Now I shall be laughed -at in my turn, no doubt.” He then relates that, on the morning of the -30th of December, 1835, he awoke, as usual, about five o’clock, and was -thinking of some business he had in hand, when he became conscious that -there was something near him, and he felt as if it blew cold upon him. -He started up, thinking some animal had got into his room, but could -find nothing. Next he heard a noise, like sparks from an electrical -machine, and then a report close to his right ear. Had there been -anything visible, it was light enough to see it. This report was -frequently heard in the prison. - -Wherever the apparition once made a visit, he generally continued to go -for several successive nights. He also visited Professor Kapff at -Heilbronn, and Baron von Hugel at Eschenau, without being desired to do -so by Eslinger; and Neuffer, whom he also went to, she knew nothing of. - -When he visited Dr. Kerner’s chamber, his wife, who had prided herself -on her incredulity, and boasted of being born on St. Thomas’s day, was -entirely converted, for she not only heard him, but saw him distinctly. -He visited them for several nights, accompanied by the noises and the -light. - -One night, while lying awake observing these phenomena, they fancied -they heard their horse come out of his stable, which was under their -room. In the morning, he was found standing outside, with his halter on; -it was not broken, and it was evident that the horse had not got loose -by any violence. Moreover, the door of the stable was closed behind him, -as it had been at night when he was shut up. - -Dr. Kerner’s sister, who came from a distance to visit them, had heard -very little about this affair, yet she was awakened by a sound that -seemed like some one trying to speak into her ear; and, looking up, she -saw two stars, like those described by Margaret Laibesberg. She observed -that they emitted no rays. She also felt the cool air, and perceived the -corpse-like odor. This odor accompanied the ghost even when it appeared -at Heilbronn. - -It is remarkable that some of these persons, both men and women, felt -themselves unable to move or call out while the spectre was there, and -that they were relieved the moment he went away. They appeared to be -magnetized; but this feeling was by no means universal. Many were -perfectly composed and self-possessed the whole time, and made their -observations to each other. All agreed that the speaking of the -apparition seemed like that of a person making efforts to speak. Now, as -we are to presume that he did not speak by means of organs, as we do, -but that he imitated the sounds of words as he imitated other sounds, by -some means with which we are unacquainted—for since the noises were -heard by everybody within hearing, we must suppose that they actually -existed—we, who know the extreme difficulty of imitating human speech, -may conceive how this imitation should be very defective. - -Dutthenhofer and others remarked that there was no echo from the sounds, -as well as that the phosphorescence shed no light around; and though the -spectre could touch _them_, or produce the sensation that he did, they -could not feel _him_: but, as in all similar cases, could thrust their -hands through what appeared to be his body. The sensation of his falling -tears, and the marks they left, seem most unaccountable; and yet, in the -records of a ghost that haunted the countess of Eberstein, in 1685, we -find the same thing asserted. This account was made public by the -authority of the consistorial court, and with the consent of the family. - -At length, on the 11th of February, the ghost took his departure from -Eslinger; at least, after that day he was no more seen or heard by her -or anybody else. He had always entreated her to go to Wimmenthal, where -he had formerly lived, to pray for him; and, after she was released from -the jail, by the advice of her friends, she did it. Some of them -accompanied her, and they saw the apparition near her while she was -kneeling in the open air, though not all with equal distinctness. A very -respectable woman, called Wörner—a stranger to Eslinger, whom she says -she never saw or spoke to till that day—offered to make oath that she -had accompanied her to Wimmenthal, and that, with the other friends, she -had stood about thirty paces off, quite silent and still, while the -woman knelt and prayed; and that she had seen the apparition of a man, -accompanied by two smaller spectres, hovering near her. “When the prayer -was ended, he went close to her, and there was a light like a falling -star; then I saw something like a white cloud, that seemed to float -away: and after that, we saw no more.” - -Eslinger had been very unwilling to undertake this expedition: she took -leave of her children before she started, and evidently expected -mischief would befall her; and now, on approaching her, they found her -lying cold and insensible. When they had revived her, she told them -that, on bidding her farewell, before he ascended—which he did, -accompanied by two bright infantine forms—the ghost had asked her to -give him her hand; and that, after wrapping it in her handkerchief, she -had complied. “A small flame had arisen from the handkerchief when he -touched it; and we found the marks of his fingers like burns, but -without any smell.” This, however, was not the cause of her fainting; -but she had been terrified by a troop of frightful animals that she saw -rush past her, when the spirit floated away. - -From this time, nobody, either in the prison or out of it, was troubled -with this apparition. - -This is certainly a very extraordinary story; and what is more -extraordinary, such cases do not seem to be very uncommon in Germany. I -meet with many recorded: and an eminent German scholar of my -acquaintance tells me that he has also heard of several, and was -surprised that we have no similar instances here. If these things -occurred merely among the Roman catholics, we might be inclined to -suppose that they had some connection with their notion of purgatory: -but, on the contrary, it appears to be among the Lutheran population -they chiefly occur—insomuch that it has even been suggested that the -omission of prayers for the dead, in the Lutheran church, is the cause -of the phenomenon. But, on the other hand, as in the present case, and -in several others, the person that revisits the earth was of the -catholic persuasion when alive, we are bound to suppose that he had the -benefit of his own church’s prayers. - -I am here assuming that all the above strange phenomena were really -produced by the agency of an apparition. If they were not, what were -they? The three physicians, who were among the visiters, must have been -perfectly aware of the contagious nature of some forms of nervous -disorder, and from the previous incredulity of two of them, they must -have been quite prepared to regard these phenomena from that point of -view; yet they seem unable to bring them under the category of sensuous -illusions. - -The apparently electrical nature of the lights, and of several of the -sounds, is very remarkable, as are also the swellings produced on some -of the persons by the touch of the ghost, which remind us of Professor -Hofer’s case, mentioned in a former chapter. The apparition of the dog -and the lambs also, strange as they are, are by no means isolated cases. -These appearances seem to be symbolical: the father had been evil, and -had led his son to do evil, and he appeared in the degraded form of a -dog; and the innocence of the children, who had been, probably, in some -way wronged, was symbolized by their appearing as lambs. “If I had lived -as a beast,” said an apparition to the Seeress of Provorst, “I should -appear as a beast.” These symbolical transfigurations can not appear -very extravagant to those who accept the belief of many theologians, -that the serpent of the garden of Eden was an evil spirit incarnated in -that degraded form. - -How for the removal of the horse out of the stable was connected with -the rest of the phenomena, it is impossible to say; but a similar -circumstance has very lately occurred with regard to a dog that was -locked up in the house in this neighborhood, which I have several times -alluded to, where footsteps and rustlings are heard, doors are opened, -and a feeling that some one is blowing or breathing upon them is felt by -the inhabitants. - -The holes burnt in the handkerchief are also quite in accordance with -many other relations of the kind, especially that of the maid of Orlach, -and also that of the Hammerschan family, mentioned in “Stilling’s -Pneumatology,” when a ghost who had been, as he said, waiting one -hundred and twenty years for some one to release him by their prayers, -was seen to take a handkerchief, on which he left the marks of his five -fingers, appearing like burnt spots. A bible that he touched was marked -in the same manner; and these two mementoes of the apparition were -carefully retained in the family. This particularity, also, reminds us -of Lord Tyrone’s leaving the marks of his hand on Lady Beresord’s wrist, -on which she ever afterward wore a black riband. In several instances I -find it reported that when an apparition is requested to render himself -visible to, or to enter into communication with, other persons besides -those to whom he addresses himself, he answers that it is impossible; -and in other cases, that he could do it, but that the consequences to -those persons would be pernicious. This, together with the circumstance -of their waiting so long for the right person, tends strongly to support -the hypothesis that an intense magnetic rapport is necessary to any -facility of intercourse. It also appears that the power of establishing -this rapport with one or more persons, varies exceedingly among these -denizens of a spiritual world, some being only able to render themselves -audible, others to render themselves visible to one person, while a few -seem to possess considerably greater powers or privileges. - -Another particular to be observed is, that in many instances, if not in -all, these spirits are what the Germans call _gebannt_, that is, -_banned_, or _proscribed_, or, as it were, _tethered_ to a certain spot, -which they can occasionally leave, as Anton did the cellar at -Wimmenthal, to which he was _gebannt_, but from which they can not free -themselves. To this spot they seem to be attached, as by an invisible -chain, whether by the memory of a crime committed there, or by a buried -treasure, or even by its being the receptacle of their own bodies. In -short, it seems perfectly clear, admitting them to be apparitions of the -dead, that, whatever the bond may be that keeps them down, they can not -quit the earth; they are, as St. Martin says, _remainers_, not -_returners_, and this seems to be the explanation of haunted houses. - -In the year 1827, Christian Eisengrun, a respectable citizen of -Neckarsteinach, was visited by a ghost of the above kind, and the -particulars were judically recorded. He was at Eherbach, in Baden, -working as a potter, which was his trade, in the manufactory of Mr. -Gehrig, when he was one night awakened by a noise in his chamber, and, -on looking up, he saw a faint light, which presently assumed a human -form, attired in a loose gown; he could see no head. He had his own head -under the clothes; but it presently spoke, and told him that he was -destined to release it, and for that purpose he must go to the catholic -churchyard of Neckarsteinach, and there, for twenty-one successive days, -repeat the following verse from the New Testament, before the stone -sepulchre there:— - -“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which -is in him? So, the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of -God.”—1 Cor. ii. 11. - -The ghost having repeated his visits and his request, the man consulted -his master what he should do, and he advised him not to trifle with the -apparition, but to do what he required, adding that he had known many -similar instances. Upon this, Eisengrun went to Neckarsteinach, and -addressed himself to the catholic priest there, named Seitz, who gave -him the same counsel, together with his blessing and also a hymn of -Luther’s, which he bade him learn and repeat, as well as the verse, when -he visited the sepulchre. - -As there was only one stone sepulchre in the churchyard, Eisengrun had -no difficulty in finding it; and while he performed the service imposed -on him by the ghost, the latter stood on the grave with his hands folded -as if in prayer; but when he repeated the hymn, he moved rapidly -backward and forward, but still not overstepping the limits of the -stone. The man, though very frightened, persevered in the thing for the -time imposed, twenty-one days; and during this period he saw the perfect -form of the apparition, which had no covering on its head except very -white hair. It always kept its hands folded, and had large eyes, in -which he never perceived any motion; this filled him with horror. Many -persons went to witness the ceremony. - -The surviving nephews and nieces of the apparition brought an action -against Eisengrun, and they contrived to have him seized and carried to -the magistrate’s house, one day, at the time he should have gone to the -churchyard. But the ghost came and beckoned, and made signs to him to -follow him, till the man was so much affected and terrified that he -burst into tears. The two magistrates could not see the spectre, but -feeling themselves affected with a cold shudder, they consented to his -going. - -He was then publicly examined in court, together with the offended -family and a number of witnesses; and the result was, that he was -permitted to continue the service for the twenty-one days, after which -he never saw or heard more of the ghost, who had been formerly a rich -timber-merchant. The terror and anxiety attendant on these daily visits -to the churchyard, affected Eisengrun so much, that it was some time -before he recovered his usual health. He had all his life been a -ghost-seer, but had never had communication with any before this event. - -The catholic priest, in this instance, appears to have been more liberal -than the deceased timber-merchant, for the latter did not seem to like -the Lutheran hymn which the former prescribed. His dissatisfaction, -however, may have arisen from their making any addition to the formula -he had himself indicated. - ------ - -[5] It is to be observed that this is the sensation asserted to be felt -by Reichenbach’s patients on the approach of the magnet. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - - THE POLTERGEIST OF THE GERMANS, AND POSSESSION. - -WITH regard to the so-called _hauntings_, referred to in the preceding -chapter, there seems reason to believe that the invisible guest was -formerly a dweller upon earth, in the flesh, who is prevented by some -circumstance which we are not qualified to explain, from pursuing the -destiny of the human race, by entering freely into the next state -prepared for him. He is like an unfortunate caterpillar that ‘can not -entirely free itself from the integuments of its reptile life which -chain it to the earth, while its fluttering wings vainly seek to bear it -into the region to which it now belongs.’ But there is another kind of -_haunting_, which is still more mysterious and strange, though by no -means unfrequent, and which, from the odd, sportive, mischievous nature -of the disturbances created, one can scarcely reconcile to our notions -of what we understand by the term _ghost_; for in those cases where the -unseen visitant appears to be the spirit of a person deceased, we see -evidences of grief, remorse, and dissatisfaction, together with, in many -instances, a disposition to repeat the acts of life—or at least to -simulate a repetition of them: but there is nothing sportive or -mischievous, nor, except where an injunction is disobeyed or a request -refused, are there generally any evidences of anger or malignity. But in -the other cases alluded to, the annoyances appear rather like the tricks -of a mischievous imp. I refer to what the Germans call the -_poltergeist_, or racketing spectre, for the phenomenon is known in all -countries, and has been known in all ages. - -Since hearing of the phenomenon of the electric girl, which attracted so -much attention and occasioned so much controversy in Paris lately, and -other similar cases which have since reached me, I feel doubtful whether -some of these strange circumstances may not have been connected with -electricity in one form or another. The famous story of what is -familiarly called the Stockwell ghost, for example, might possibly be -brought under this category. I have heard some people assert that the -mystery of this affair was subsequently explained away, and the whole -found to be a trick: but that is a mistake. Some years ago, I was -acquainted with persons whose parents were living on the spot at that -time, who knew all the details, and to them it remained as great a -mystery as ever; not the smallest light had ever been thrown upon it. -People are so glad to get rid of troublesome mysteries of this -description, that they are always ready to say, “The trick has been -found out!” and those who pride themselves on not believing idle -stories, are to the last degree credulous when “the idle story” flatters -their skepticism. - -The circumstances of the so-called Stockwell ghost, which I extract from -a report published at the time, are as follows:— - -The pamphlet was entitled: “An authentic, candid, and Circumstantial -Narrative of the astonishing Transactions at Stockwell, in the County of -Surrey, on Monday and Tuesday, the 6th and 7th days of January, 1772; -containing a Series of the most surprising and unaccountable Events that -ever happened, which continued, from first to last, upward of twenty -hours, and at different places: published with the consent and -approbation of the family and other parties concerned, to authenticate -which the original copy is signed by them. - -“Before we enter upon a description of the most extraordinary -transactions that perhaps ever happened, we shall begin with an account -of the parties who were principally concerned, and, in justice to them, -give their characters, by which means the impartial world may see what -credit is due to the following narrative:— - -“The events, indeed, are of so strange and singular a nature, that we -can not be at all surprised the public should be doubtful of the truth -of them, more especially as there have been too many impositions of this -sort; but, let us consider, here are no sinister ends to be answered, no -contributions to be wished for, nor would be accepted, as the parties -are in reputable situations and good circumstances, particularly Mrs. -Golding, who is a lady of an independent fortune: Richard Fowler and his -wife might be looked upon as an exception to this assertion; but, as -their loss was trivial, they must be left out of the question, except so -far as they appear corroborating evidences. Mr. Pain’s maid lost -nothing. - -“How or by what means these transactions were brought about, has never -transpired: we have only to rest our confidence on the veracity of the -parties, whose descriptions have been most strictly attended to, without -the least deviation: nothing here offered is either exaggerated or -diminished—the whole stated in the clearest manner, just as they -occurred: as such only we lay them before the candid and impartial -public. - -“Mrs. Golding, an elderly lady at Stockwell, in Surrey, at whose house -the transactions began, was born in the same parish (Lambeth), has lived -in it ever since, and has always been well known and respected as a -gentlewoman of unblemished honor and character. Mrs. Pain, a niece of -Mrs. Golding, has been married several years to Mr. Pain, a farmer, at -Brixton causeway, a little above Mr. Angel’s—has several children, and -is well known and respected in the parish. Mary Martin, Mr. Pain’s -servant, an elderly woman, has lived two years with them and four years -with Mrs. Golding, where she came from. Richard Fowler lives almost -opposite to Mr. Pain, at the Brick pound—an honest, industrious, and -sober man. And Sarah Fowler, wife to the above, is an industrious and -sober woman. - -“These are the subscribing evidences that we must rest the truth of the -facts upon; yet there are numbers of other persons who were -eye-witnesses of many of the transactions during the time they happened, -all of whom must acknowledge the truth of them. - -“Another person who bore a principal part in these scenes was Ann -Robinson, Mrs. Golding’s maid, a young woman about twenty years old, who -had lived with her but one week and three days. So much for the -_historiæ personæ_, and now for the narrative. - -“On Monday, January the 6th, 1772, about ten o’clock in the forenoon, as -Mrs. Golding was in her parlor, she heard the china and glasses in the -back kitchen tumble down and break; her maid came to her and told her -the stone plates were falling from the shelf; Mrs. Golding went into the -kitchen and saw them broke. Presently after, a row of plates from the -next shelf fell down likewise, while she was there, and nobody near -them; this astonished her much, and while she was thinking about it, -other things in different places began to tumble about, some of them -breaking, attended with violent noises all over the house; a clock -tumbled down and the case broke; a lantern that hung on the staircase -was thrown down and the glass broken to pieces; an earthen pan of salted -beef broke to pieces and the beef fell about: all this increased her -surprise and brought several persons about her, among whom was Mr. -Rowlidge, a carpenter, who gave it as his opinion that the foundation -was giving way and that the house was tumbling down, occasioned by the -too great weight of an additional room erected above: so ready are we to -discover natural causes for everything! But no such thing happened, as -the reader will find; for whatever was the cause, that cause ceased -almost as soon as Mrs. Golding and her maid left any place, and followed -them wherever they went. Mrs. Golding ran into Mr. Gresham’s house, a -gentleman living next door to her, where she fainted. - -“In the interim, Mr. Rowlidge and other persons were removing Mrs. -Golding’s effects from her house, for fear of the consequences he had -prognosticated. At this time all was quiet; Mrs. Golding’s maid, -remaining in the house, was gone up stairs, and when called upon several -times to come down, for fear of the dangerous situation she was thought -to be in, she answered very coolly, and after some time came down as -deliberately, without any seeming fearful apprehensions. - -“Mrs. Pain was sent for from Brixton Causeway, and desired to come -directly, as her aunt was supposed to be dead: this was the message to -her. When Mrs. Pain came, Mrs. Golding was come to herself, but very -faint. - -“Among the persons who were present was Mr. Gardner, a surgeon, of -Clapham, whom Mrs. Pain desired to bleed her aunt, which he did. Mrs. -Pain asked him if the blood should be thrown away: he desired it might -not, as he would examine it when cold. These minute particulars would -not be taken notice of, but as a chain to what follows. For the next -circumstance is of a more astonishing nature than anything that had -preceded it: the blood that was just congealed, sprang out of the basin -upon the floor, and presently after the basin broke to pieces! This -china basin was the only thing broke belonging to Mr. Gresham; a bottle -of rum that stood by it broke at the same time. - -“Among the things that were removed to Mr. Gresham’s, was a tray full of -china, a japan bread-basket, some mahogany waiters, with some bottles of -liquors, jars of pickles, &c., and a pier-glass, which was taken down by -Mr. Saville (a neighbor of Mrs. Golding’s); he gave it to one Robert -Hames, who laid it on the grass-plat at Mrs. Gresham’s: but, before he -could put it out of his hands, some parts of the frame on each side flew -off! It rained at that time; Mrs. Golding desired it might be brought -into the parlor, where it was put under a sideboard, and a -dressing-glass along with it. It had not been there long, before the -glasses and china which stood on the sideboard began to tumble about and -fall down, and broke both the glasses to pieces. Mr. Saville and others -being asked to drink a glass of wine or rum, both the bottles broke in -pieces before they were uncorked! - -“Mrs. Golding’s surprise and fear increasing, she did not know what to -do, or where to go. Wherever she and her maid were, these strange, -destructive circumstances followed her, and how to help or free herself -from them was not in her power or any other person’s present. Her mind -was one confused chaos, lost to herself and everything about her—drove -from her own home, and afraid there would be no other to receive her. At -last she left Mr. Gresham’s and went to Mr. Mayling’s, a gentleman at -the next door; here she stayed about three quarters of an hour, during -which time nothing happened. Her maid stayed at Mr. Gresham’s to put up -what few things remained unbroken of her mistress’s, in a back -apartment, when a jar of pickles that stood upon a table turned upside -down; then a jar of raspberry jam broke to pieces; next two mahogany -waiters and a quadrille-box likewise broke in pieces. - -“Mrs. Pain, not choosing her aunt should stay too long at Mr. Mayling’s, -for fear of being troublesome, persuaded her to go to her house at Rush -Common, near Brixton Causeway, where she would endeavor to make her as -happy as she could, hoping by this time all was over, as nothing had -happened at that gentleman’s house while she was there. This was about -two o’clock in the afternoon. - -“Mr. and Miss Gresham were at Mr. Pain’s house when Mrs. Pain, Mrs. -Golding, and her maid, went there. It being about dinner-time, they all -dined together; in the interim, Mrs. Golding’s servant was sent to her -house to see how things remained. When she returned, she told them -nothing had happened since they left it. Some time after, Mr. Gresham -and miss went home, everything remaining quiet at Mr. Pain’s; but about -eight o’clock in the evening a fresh scene began. The first thing that -happened was, a whole row of pewter dishes, except one, fell from off a -shelf to the middle of the floor, rolled about a little while, then -settled; and, what is almost beyond belief, as soon as they were quiet, -turned upside down! They were then put on the dresser, and went through -the same a second time. Next fell a whole row of pewter plates from off -the second shelf over the dresser to the ground, and, being taken up and -put on the dresser one in another, they were thrown down again. - -“The next thing was, two eggs that were upon one of the pewter shelves, -one of them flew off, crossed the kitchen, struck a cat on the head, and -then broke in pieces. - -“Next, Mary Martin, Mrs. Pain’s servant, went to stir the kitchen fire; -she got to the right-hand side of it, being a large chimney, as is usual -in farmhouses. A pestle and mortar that stood nearer the left-hand end -of the chimney-shelf, jumped about six feet on the floor! Then went -candlesticks and other brasses, scarcely anything remaining in its -place. After this, the glasses and china were put down on the floor for -fear of undergoing the same fate: they presently began to dance and -tumble about, and then broke to pieces. A teapot that was among them -flew to Mrs. Golding’s maid’s foot, and struck it. - -“A glass tumbler that was put on the floor jumped about two feet and -then broke. Another that stood by it jumped about at the same time, but -did not break till some hours after, when it jumped again, and then -broke. A china bowl that stood in the parlor jumped from the floor to -behind a table that stood there. This was most astonishing, as the -distance from where it stood was between seven and eight feet, but was -not broke. It was put back by Richard Fowler to its place, where it -remained some time, and then flew to pieces. - -“The next thing that followed was a mustard-pot, that jumped out of a -closet and was broke. A single cup that stood upon the table (almost the -only thing remaining) jumped up, flew across the kitchen, ringing like a -bell, and then was dashed to pieces against the dresser. A candlestick -that stood on the chimney-shelf flew across the kitchen to the -parlor-door, at about fifteen feet distance. A teakettle under the -dresser was thrown out about two feet; another kettle, that stood at one -end of the range, was thrown against the iron that is fixed to prevent -children from falling into the fire. A tumbler with rum-and-water in it, -that stood upon a waiter upon a table in the parlor, jumped about ten -feet, and was broke. The table then fell down, and along with it a -silver tankard belonging to Mrs. Golding—the waiter in which stood the -tumbler, and a candlestick. A case-bottle then flew to pieces. - -“The next circumstance was, a ham that hung in one side of the -kitchen-chimney raised itself from the hook and fell down to the ground. -Some time after, another ham, that hung on the other side of the -chimney, likewise underwent the same fate. Then a flitch of bacon, which -hung up in the same chimney, fell down. - -“All the family were eye-witnesses to these circumstances, as well as -other persons, some of whom were so alarmed and shocked, that they could -not bear to stay, and were happy in getting away, though the unhappy -family were left in the midst of their distresses. Most of the genteel -families around were continually sending to inquire after them, and -whether all was over or not. Is it not surprising that some among them -had not the inclination and resolution to try to unravel this most -intricate affair, at a time when it would have been in their power to -have done so? There certainly was sufficient time for so doing, as the -whole, from first to last, continued upward of twenty hours. - -“At all the times of action, Mrs. Golding’s servant was walking backward -and forward, in either the kitchen or parlor, or wherever some of the -family happened to be. Nor could they get her to sit down five minutes -together, except at one time for about half an hour toward the morning, -when the family were at prayers in the parlor; then all was quiet: but -in the midst of the greatest confusion, she was as much composed as at -any other time, and with uncommon coolness of temper advised her -mistress not to be alarmed or uneasy, as she said these things could not -be helped. Thus she argued, as if they were common occurrences, which -must happen in every family! - -“This advice surprised and startled her mistress almost as much as the -circumstances that occasioned it. For how can we suppose that a girl of -about twenty years old (an age when female timidity is too often -assisted by superstition) could remain in the midst of such calamitous -circumstances (except they proceed from causes best known to herself), -and not be struck with the same terror as every other person was who was -present? These reflections led Mr. Pain (and, at the end of the -transactions, likewise Mrs. Golding) to think that she was not -altogether so unconcerned as she appeared to be; but, hitherto, the -whole remains mysterious and unrivalled. - -“About ten o’clock at night, they sent over the way to Richard Fowler, -to desire he would come and stay with them. He came and continued till -one in the morning, and was so terrified that he could remain no longer. - -“As Mrs. Golding could not be persuaded to go to bed, Mrs. Pain at that -time (one o’clock) made an excuse to go up stairs to her youngest child, -under pretence of getting it to sleep, but she really acknowledges it -was through fear, as she declares she could not sit up to see such -strange things going on, as everything, one after another, was broke, -till there was not above two or three cups and saucers remaining out of -a considerable quantity of china, &c, which was destroyed to the amount -of some pounds. - -“About five o’clock on Tuesday morning, Mrs. Golding went up to her -niece, and desired her to get up, as the noises and destruction were so -great, she could continue in the house no longer. At this time all the -tables, chairs, drawers, &c., were tumbling about. When Mrs. Pain came -down, it was amazing beyond all description. Their only security then -was to quit the house, for fear of the same catastrophe as had been -expected the morning before at Mrs. Golding’s. In consequence of this -resolution, Mrs. Golding and her maid went over the way to Richard -Fowler’s. When Mrs. Golding’s maid had seen her safe to Richard -Fowler’s, she came back to Mrs. Pain, to help her to dress the children -in the barn, where she had carried them for fear of the house falling. -At this time all was quiet. They then went to Fowler’s, and then began -the same scene as had happened at the other places. It must be remarked, -all was quiet here as well as elsewhere, till the maid returned. - -“When they got to Mr. Fowler’s, he began to light a fire in his back -room. When done, he put the candle and candlestick upon a table in the -fore-room. This apartment Mrs. Golding and her maid had passed through. -Another candlestick, with a tin lamp in it, that stood by it, were both -dashed together, and fell to the ground. A lantern, with which Mrs. -Golding was lighted across the road, sprang from a hook to the ground, -and a quantity of oil spilled on the floor. The last thing was, the -basket of coals tumbled over, the coals rolling about the room The maid -then desired Richard Fowler not to let her mistress remain there, as she -said wherever she was the same things would follow. In consequence of -this advice, and fearing greater losses to himself, he desired she would -quit his house; but first begged her to consider within herself, for her -own and the public’s sake, whether or not she had been guilty of some -atrocious crime, for which Providence was determined to pursue her on -this side of the grave: for he could not help thinking she was the -object that was to be made an example to posterity, by the all-seeing -eye of Providence, for crimes which but too often none but that -Providence can penetrate, and by such means as these bring to light. - -“Thus was the poor gentlewoman’s measure of affliction complete, not -only to have undergone all which has been related, but to have added to -it the character of a bad and wicked woman, when till this time she was -esteemed as a most deserving person. In candor to Fowler, he could not -be blamed. What could he do? what would any man have done that was so -circumstanced? Mrs. Golding soon satisfied him: she told him she would -not stay in his house or any other person’s, as her conscience was quite -clear, and she could as well wait the will of Providence in her own -house as in any other place whatever; upon which she and her maid went -home. Mr. Pain went with them. After they had got to Mrs. Golding’s the -last time, the same transactions once more began upon the remains that -were left. - -“A nine-gallon cask of beer, that was in the cellar, the door being -open, and no person near it, turned upside down. A pail of water, that -stood on the floor, boiled like a pot! A box of candles fell from a -shelf in the kitchen to the floor; they rolled out, but none were broke: -and a round mahogany table overset in the parlor. - -“Mr. Pain then desired Mrs. Golding to send her maid for his wife to -come to them. When she was gone, all was quiet. Upon her return she was -immediately discharged, and no disturbances have happened since. This -was between six and seven o’clock on Tuesday morning. - -“At Mrs. Golding’s were broke the quantity of three pailfuls of glass, -china, &c. At Mrs. Pain’s they filled two pails. - -“Thus ends the narrative—a true, circumstantial, and faithful account -of which we have laid before the public; and have endeavored as much as -possible, throughout the whole, to state only facts, without presuming -to obtrude any opinion on them. If we have in part hinted anything that -may appear unfavorable to the girl, it is not from a determination to -charge her with the cause, right or wrong, but only from a strict -adherence to truth, most sincerely wishing this extraordinary affair may -be unravelled. - -“The above narrative is absolutely and strictly true, in witness whereof -we have set our hands this eleventh day of January, 1772:— - - “MARY GOLDING, - “JOHN PAIN, - “MARY PAIN, - “RICHARD FOWLER, - “SARAH FOWLER, - “MARY MARTIN.” - -“The original copy of this narrative, signed as above, with the parties’ -own hands, was put into the hands of Mr. Marks, bookseller, in St. -Martin’s Lane, to satisfy persons who choose to inspect the same.” - -Such phenomena as this of the Stockwell ghost are by no means uncommon, -and I am acquainted with many more instances than I can allude to here. -One occurred very lately in the neighborhood of London, as I learned -from the following newspaper paragraph. I subsequently heard that the -little girl had been sent away; but whether the phenomena then ceased, -or whether she carried the disturbance with her, I have not been able to -ascertain, nor does it appear certain that she had anything to do with -it:— - -“A MISCHIEVOUS AND MYSTERIOUS GHOST.—(From a correspondent.)—The whole -of the neighborhood of Black Lion-lane, Bayswater, is ringing with the -extraordinary occurrences that have recently happened in the house of a -Mr. Williams, in the Moscow-road, and which bear a strong resemblance to -the celebrated Stockwell ghost affair in 1772. The house is inhabited by -Mr. and Mrs. Williams, a grown-up son and daughter, and a little girl -between ten and eleven years of age. On the first day, the family, who -are remarkable for their piety, were startled all at once by a -mysterious movement among the things in the sitting-rooms and kitchen, -and other parts of the house. At one time, without any visible agency, -one of the jugs came off the hook over the dresser, and was broken; then -followed another, and next day another. A china teapot, with the tea -just made in it, and placed on the mantel-piece, whisked off on to the -floor, and was smashed. A pewter one, which had been substituted -immediately after, did the same, and, when put on the table, was seen to -hop about as if bewitched, and was actually held down while the tea was -made for Mr. Williams’s breakfast, before leaving for his place of -business. When for a time all had been quiet, off came from its place on -the wall, a picture in a heavy gilt frame, and fell to the floor without -being broken. All was now amazement and terror, for the old people are -very superstitious, and ascribing it to a supernatural agency, the other -pictures were removed, and stowed away on the floor. But the spirit of -locomotion was not to be arrested. Jugs and plates continued at -intervals to quit their posts, and skip off their hooks and shelves into -the middle of the room, as though they were inspired by the magic flute, -and at supper, when the little girl’s mug was filled with beer, the mug -slided off the table on to the floor. Three times it was replaced, and -three times it moved off again. It would be tedious to relate the -fantastic tricks which have been played by household articles of every -kind. An Egyptian vase jumped off the table suddenly, when no soul was -near, and was smashed to pieces. The teakettle popped off the fire into -the grate as Mr. Williams had filled the teapot, which fell off the -chimney-piece. Candlesticks, after a dance on the table, flew off, and -ornaments from the shelves, and bonnets and cap-boxes flung about in the -oddest manner. A looking-glass hopped off a dressing-table, followed by -combs and brushes and several bottles, and a great pincushion has been -remarkably conspicuous for its incessant jigs from one part to another. -The little girl, who is a Spaniard, and under the care of Mr. and Mrs. -Williams, is supposed by their friends to be the cause of it all, -however extraordinary it may seem in one of her age, but up to the -present time it continues a mystery, and the _modus operandi_ is -invisible.”—_Morning Post._ - -To imagine that these extraordinary effects were produced by the -voluntary agency of the child, furnishes one of those remarkable -instances of the credulity of the skeptical, to which I have referred. -But when we read a true statement of the effects involuntarily exhibited -by Angelique Cottin, we begin to see that it is just possible the other -strange phenomena may be provided by a similar agency. - -The French Academy of Sciences had determined, as they had formerly done -by Mesmerism, that the thing should not be true. Monsieur Arago was -nonsuited; but although it is extremely possible that either the -phenomenon had run its course and arrived at a natural termination, or -that the removal of the girl to Paris had extinguished it, there appears -no doubt that it had previously existed. - -Angelique Cottin was a native of La Perriere, aged fourteen, when, on -the 15th of January, 1846, at eight o’clock in the evening, while -weaving silk-gloves at an oaken frame, in company with other girls, the -frame began to jerk, and they could not by any efforts keep it steady. -It seemed as if it were alive, and becoming alarmed, they called in the -neighbors, who would not believe them; but desired them to sit down and -go on with their work. Being timid, they went one by one, and the frame -remained still till Angelique approached, when it recommenced its -movements, while she was also attracted by the frame: thinking she was -bewitched or possessed, her parents took her to the presbytery that the -spirit might be exorcised. The curate, however, being a sensible man, -refused to do it, but set himself, on the contrary, to observe the -phenomenon, and being perfectly satisfied of the fact, he bade them take -her to a physician. - -Meanwhile, the intensity of the influence, whatever it was, augmented; -not only articles made of oak, but all sorts of things were acted upon -by it and reacted upon her, while persons who were near her, even -without contact, frequently felt electric shocks. The effects, which -were diminished when she was on a carpet or a waxed cloth, were most -remarkable when she was on the bare earth. They sometimes entirely -ceased for two or three days, and then recommenced. Metals were not -affected. Anything touched by her apron or dress would fly off, although -a person held it; and Monsieur Hebert, while seated on a heavy tub or -trough, was raised up with it. In short, the only place she could repose -on, was a stone covered with cork; they also kept her still by isolating -her. When she was fatigued the effects diminished. A needle suspended -horizontally, oscillated rapidly with the motion of her arm, without -contact, or remained fixed, while deviating from the magnetic direction. -Great numbers of enlightened medical and scientific men witnessed these -phenomena, and investigated them with every precaution to prevent -imposition. She was often hurt by the violent involuntary movements she -was thrown into, and was evidently afflicted by chorea. - -Unfortunately, her parents, poor and ignorant, insisted much against the -advice of the doctors, on exhibiting her for money; and under these -circumstances, she was brought to Paris; and nothing is more probable -than that after the phenomena had really ceased, the girl may have been -induced to simulate what had originally been genuine. The thing avowedly -ceased altogether on the 10th of April, and there has been no return of -it. - -In 1831, a young girl, also aged fourteen, who lived as under -nursery-maid in a French family, exhibited the same phenomena, and when -the case of Angelique Cottin was made public, her master published hers. -He says that things of such an extraordinary nature occurred as he dare -not repeat, since none but an eye-witness could believe them. The thing -lasted for three years, and there was ample time for observation. - -In the year 1686, a man at Brussels, called Breekmans, was similarly -affected. A commission was appointed by the magistrates to investigate -his condition; and, being pronounced a sorcerer, he would have been -burnt, had he not luckily made his escape. - -Many somnambulic persons are capable of giving an electric shock; and I -have met with one person, not somnambulic, who informs me that he has -frequently been able to do it by an effort of the will. - -Dr. Ennemoser relates the case of a Mademoiselle Emmerich, sister to the -professor of theology at Strasburg, who also possessed this power. This -young lady, who appears to have been a person of very rare merit and -endowments, was afflicted with a long and singular malady, originating -in a fright, in the course of which she exhibited many very curious -phenomena, having fallen into a state of natural somnambulism, -accompanied by a high degree of lucidity. Her body became so surcharged -with electricity, that it was necessary to her relief to discharge it; -and she sometimes imparted a complete battery of shocks to her brother -and her physician, or whoever was near her, and that frequently when -they did not touch her. Professor Emmerich mentions also that she sent -him a smart shock, one day, when he was several rooms off. He started up -and rushed into her chamber, where she was in bed; and as soon as she -saw him she said, laughing: “Ah, you felt it, did you?” Mademoiselle -Emmerich’s illness terminated in death. - -Cotugno, a surgeon, relates that, having touched with his scalpel the -intercostal nerve of a mouse that had bitten his leg, he received an -electric shock; and where the torpedo abounds, the fishermen, in pouring -water over the fish they have caught for the purpose of washing them, -know if one is among them by the shock they sustain. - -A very extraordinary circumstance, which we may possibly attribute to -some such influence as the above, occurred at Rambouillet in November, -1846. The particulars are furnished by a gentleman residing on the spot -at the time, and were published by the Baron Dupotel—who, however, -attempts no explanation of the mystery:— - -One morning some travelling merchants, or pedlars, came to the door of a -farmhouse, belonging to a man named Bottel, and asked for some bread, -which the maid-servant gave them, and they went away. Subsequently one -of the party returned to ask for more, and was refused. The man, I -believe, expressed some resentment and uttered vague threats, but she -would not give him anything and he departed. That night at supper the -plates began to dance and roll off the table, without any visible cause, -and several other unaccountable phenomena occurred; and the girl going -to the door and chancing to place herself just where the pedlar had -stood, she was seized with convulsions and an extraordinary rotatory -motion. The carter who was standing by laughed at her, and out of -bravado placed himself on the same spot, when he felt almost suffocated, -and was so unable to command his movements that he was overturned into a -large pool in front of the house. - -Upon this they rushed to the curé of the parish for assistance; but he -had scarcely said a prayer or two before he was attacked in the same -manner, though in his own house; and his furniture beginning to -oscillate and crack as if it were bewitched, the poor people were -frightened out of their wits. - -By-and-by the phenomena intermitted, and they hoped all was over; but -presently it began again, and this occurred more than once before it -subsided wholly. - -On the 8th December, 1836, at Stuttgard, Carl Fischer, a baker’s boy, -aged seventeen, of steady habits and good character, was fixed with a -basket on his shoulders, in some unaccountable way, in front of his -master’s house. He foresaw the thing was to happen when he went out with -his bread very early in the morning; earnestly wished that the day was -over, and told his companion that if he could only cross the threshold, -on his return, he should escape it. It was about six when he did return; -and his master, hearing a fearful noise which he could not describe—“as -if proceeding from a multitude of beings”—looked out of the window, -where he saw Carl violently struggling and fighting with his apron, -though his feet were immoveably fixed to one spot. A hissing sound -proceeded from his mouth and nose, and a voice, which was neither his -nor that of any person present, was heard to cry, “Stand fast, Carl!” -The master says that he could not have believed such a thing; and he was -so alarmed that he did not venture into the street, where numerous -persons were assembled. The boy said he must remain there till eleven -o’clock; and the police kept guard over him till that time, as the -physician said he must not be interfered with, and the people sought to -push him from the spot. When the time had expired, he was carried to the -hospital, where he seemed exceedingly exhausted and fell into a profound -sleep. - -I meet with numerous extraordinary records of a preternatural ringing of -all the bells in a house; sometimes occurring periodically for a -considerable time, and continuing after precautions have been taken -which precluded the possibility of trick or deception, the wires being -cut, and vigilant eyes watching them; and yet they rung on, by day or -night, just the same. - -It is certainly very difficult to conceive, but at the same time it is -not impossible, that such strange phenomena as that of the Stockwell -ghost, and many similar ones, may be the manifestations of some -extraordinary electrical influence; but there are other cases of -poltergeist which it is impossible to attribute to the same cause, since -they are accompanied by evident manifestations of will and intelligence. -Such was the instance related in Southey’s Life of Wesley, which -occurred in the year 1716, beginning with a groaning, and subsequently -proceeding to all manner of noises, lifting of latches, clattering of -windows, knockings of a most mysterious kind, &c., &c. The family were -not generally frightened, but the young children, when asleep, showed -symptoms of great terror. This annoyance lasted, I think, two or three -months, and then ceased. As in most of these cases, the dog was -extremely frightened, and hid himself when the visitations commenced. - -In the year 1838, a circumstance of the same kind occurred in Paris, in -the Rue St. Honoré; and not very long ago there was one in Caithness, in -which most unaccountable circumstances transpired. Among the rest, -stones were flung, which never hit people, but fell at their feet, in -rooms perfectly closed on all sides. A gentleman who witnessed these -extraordinary phenomena, related the whole story to an advocate of my -acquaintance, who assured me that, however impossible he found it to -credit such things, he should certainly place entire reliance on that -gentleman’s word in any other case. - -Then there is the famous story of the drummer of Tedworth;[6] and the -persecution of Professor Schuppart, at Giessen, in Upper Hesse, which -continued, with occasional intermission, for six years. This affair -began with a violent knocking at the door one night; next day stones -were sent whizzing through closed rooms in all directions, so that, -although no one was struck, the windows were all broken; and no sooner -were new panes put in, than they were broken again. He was persecuted -with slaps on the face, by day and by night, so that he could get no -rest; and when two persons were appointed by the authorities to sit by -his bed to watch him, they got the slaps also. When he was reading at -his desk, his lamp would suddenly rise up and remove to the other end of -the room—not as if thrown, but evidently carried. His books were torn -to pieces and flung at his feet; and when he was lecturing, this -mischievous sprite would tear out the leaf he was reading; and it is -very remarkable, that the only thing that seemed available as a -protection, was a drawn sword brandished over his head by himself or -others, which was one of the singularities attending the case of the -drummer of Tedworth. Schuppart narrated all these circumstances in his -public lectures, and nobody ever disputed the facts. - -A remarkable case of this sort occurred in the year 1670, at Keppock, -near Glasgow. There, also, stones were thrown which hit nobody, but the -annoyance only continued eight days; and there are several more to be -found recorded in works of that period. The disturbance that happened in -the house of Gilbert Cambell, at Glenluce, excited considerable notice. -Here, as elsewhere, stones were thrown; but, as in most similar -instances I meet with, no human being was damaged—the license of these -spirits, or goblins, or whatever they be, seeming to extend no further -than worrying and tormenting their victims. In this case, however, the -spirit spoke to them, though he was never seen. The annoyance commenced -in November, of the year 1654, I think, and continued till April, when -there was some intermission till July, when it recommenced. The loss of -the family from the things destroyed was ruining; for their household -goods and chattels were rendered useless, their food was polluted and -spoiled, and their very clothes cut to pieces while on their backs, by -invisible hands; and it was in vain that all the ministers about the -country assembled to exorcise this troublesome spirit, for whoever was -there the thing continued exactly the same. - -At length poor Cambell applied to the synod of presbyters for advice; -and a meeting was convened in October, 1655, and a solemn day of -humiliation was imposed through the whole bounds of the presbytery, for -the sake of the afflicted family. Whether it was owing to this or not, -there ensued an alleviation from that time till April, and from April -till August they were entirely free, and hoped all was over; but then it -began again worse than ever, and they were dreadfully tormented through -the autumn; after which the disturbance ceased, and although the family -lived in the house many years afterward, nothing of the sort ever -happened again. - -There was another famous case, which occurred at a place called -Ring-Croft, in Kirkcudbright, in the year 1695. The afflicted family -bore the name of Mackie. In this instance, the stones did sometimes hit -them, and they were beaten as if by staves; they, as well as strangers -who came to the house, were lifted off the ground by their clothes; -their bed-coverings were taken off their beds; things were visibly -carried about the house by _in_visible hands; several people were hurt, -even to the effusion of blood, by stones and blows; there were -fire-balls seen about the house, which were several times ignited; -people, both of the family and others, felt themselves grasped as if by -a hand; then there was groaning, crying, whistling, and a voice that -frequently spoke to them. Crowds of people went to the house; but the -thing continued just the same whether there were many or few, and -sometimes the whole building shook as if it were coming down. - -A day of humiliation was appointed in this case also, but without the -least effect. The disturbance commenced in February, and ended on the -1st of May. Numberless people witnessed the phenomenon, and the account -of it is attested by fourteen ministers and gentlemen. - -The same sort of thing occurred in the year 1659, in a place inhabited -by an evangelical bishop, called Schlotterbeck. It began in the same -manner, by throwing of stones and other things, many of which came -through the roof, insomuch that they believed at first that some animal -was concealed there. However, nothing could be found, and the invisible -guest soon proceeded to other annoyances similar to those -abovementioned; and though they could not see him, his footsteps were -for ever heard about the house. At length, wearied out, the bishop -applied to the government for aid; and they sent him a company of -soldiers to guard the house by day and night, out of which he and his -family retired. But the goblin cared no more for the soldiers than it -had done for the city watch; the thing continued without intermission, -whoever was there, till it ceased of its own accord. There was a house -at Aix-la-Chapelle that was for several years quite uninhabitable from a -similar cause. - -I could mention many other cases, and, as I have said before, they occur -in all countries; but these will suffice as specimens of the class. It -is in vain for people who were not on the spot to laugh, and assert that -these were the mischievous tricks of servants or others, when those who -were there, and who had such a deep interest in unravelling the mystery, -and such abundance of time and opportunity for doing it, could find no -solution whatever. In many of the above cases, the cattle were unloosed, -the horses were turned out of their stables, and uniformly all the -animals in the way exhibited great terror, sweating and trembling, while -the visitation continued. - -Since we can not but believe that man forms but one class in an immense -range of existences, do not these strange occurrences suggest the idea -that occasionally some individual out of this gamut of beings comes into -rapport with us, or crosses our path like a comet, and that, while -certain conditions last, it can hover about us, and play these -_puckish_, mischievous tricks, till the charm is broken, and then it -re-enters its own sphere, and we are cognizant of it no more! - -But one of the most extraordinary examples of this kind of annoyance is -that which occurred, in the year 1806, in the castle of Prince -Hohenlohe, in Silesia. The account is given at length by Councillor -Hahn, of Ingelfingen, who witnessed the circumstances; and in -consequence of the various remarks that have been since made on the -subject, in different publications, he has repeatedly reasserted the -facts in letters, which have been printed and laid before the public. I -can not, therefore, see what right we have to disbelieve a man of honor -and character, as he is said to be, merely because the circumstances he -narrates are unaccountable, more especially as the story, strange as it -is, by no means stands alone in the annals of demonology. The following -details were written down at the time the events occurred, and they were -communicated by Councillor Hahn to Dr. Kerner in the year 1828:— - -“After the campaign of the Prussians against the French, in the year -1806, the reigning prince of Hohenlohe gave orders to Councillor Hahn, -who was in his service, to proceed to Slawensick, and there to wait his -return. His serene highness advanced from Leignitz toward his -principality, and Hahn also commenced his journey toward Upper Silesia -on the 19th November. At the same period, Charles Kern, of Kuntzlau, who -had fallen into the hands of the French, being released on parole, and -arriving at Leignitz in an infirm condition, he was allowed to spend -some time with Hahn, while awaiting his exchange. - -“Hahn and Kern had been friends in their youth, and their destinies -having brought them both at this time into the Prussian states, they -were lodged together in the same apartment of the castle, which was one -on the first floor, forming an angle at the back of the building, one -side looking toward the north and the other to the east. On the right of -the door of this room was a glass door, which led into a chamber divided -from those which followed by a wainscot partition. The door in this -wainscot, which communicated to those adjoining rooms, was entirely -closed up, because in them all sorts of household utensils were kept. -Neither in this chamber, nor in the sitting-room which preceded it, was -there any opening whatever which could furnish the means of -communication from without; nor was there anybody in the castle besides -the two friends, except the prince’s two coachmen and Hahn’s servant. -The whole party were fearless people; and as for Hahn and Kern, they -believed in nothing less than ghosts or witches, nor had any previous -experience induced them to turn their thoughts in that direction. Hahn, -during his collegiate life, had been much given to philosophy—had -listened to Fichte, and earnestly studied the writings of Kant. The -result of his reflections was a pure materialism; and he looked upon -created man, not as an aim, but merely as a means to a yet undeveloped -end. These opinions he has since changed, like many others who think -very differently in their fortieth year to what they did in their -twentieth. The particulars here given are necessary in order to obtain -credence for the following extraordinary narrative; and to establish the -fact that the phenomena were not merely accepted by ignorant -superstition, but coolly and courageously investigated by enlightened -minds. During the first days of their residence in the castle, the two -friends, living together in solitude, amused their long evenings with -the works of Schiller, of whom they were both great admirers; and Hahn -usually read aloud. Three days had thus passed quietly away, when, as -they were sitting at the table, which stood in the middle of the room, -about nine o’clock in the evening, their reading was interrupted by a -small shower of lime which fell around them. They looked at the ceiling, -concluding it must have come thence, but could perceive no abraded -parts; and while they were yet seeking to ascertain whence the lime had -proceeded, there suddenly fell several larger pieces, which were quite -cold, and appeared as if they had belonged to the external wall. At -length, concluding the lime must have fallen from some part of the wall, -giving up further inquiry, they went to bed, and slept quietly till -morning, when, on awaking, they were somewhat surprised at the quantity -which strewed the floor, more especially as they could still discover no -part of the walls or ceiling from which it could have fallen. But they -thought no more of the matter till evening, when, instead of the lime -falling as before, it was thrown, and several pieces struck Hahn. At the -same time they heard heavy blows, sometimes below, and sometimes over -their heads, like the sound of distant guns; still, attributing these -sounds to natural causes, they went to bed as usual, but the uproar -prevented their sleeping, and each accused the other of occasioning it -by kicking with his feet against the foot-board of his bed, till, -finding that the noise continued when they both got out and stood -together in the middle of the room, they were satisfied that this was -not the case. On the following evening, a third noise was added, which -resembled the faint and distant beating of a drum. Upon this, they -requested the governess of the castle to send them the key of the -apartments above and below, which was brought them by her son; and while -he and Kern went to make their investigations, Hahn remained in their -own room. Above, they found an empty room; below, a kitchen. They -knocked, but the noise they made was very different to that which Hahn -continued all the while to hear around him. When they returned, Hahn -said, jestingly, ‘The place is haunted!’ On this night, when they went -to bed, with a light burning, they heard what seemed like a person -walking about the room with slippers on, and a stick, with which he -struck the floor as he moved step by step. Hahn continued to jest, and -Kern to laugh, at the oddness of these circumstances, for some time, -when they both, as usual, fell asleep, neither in the slightest degree -disturbed by these events, nor inclined to attribute them to any -supernatural cause. But on the following evening the affair became more -inexplicable: various articles in the room were thrown about; knives, -forks, brushes, caps, slippers, padlocks, funnel, snuffers, -soap—everything, in short, that was moveable; while lights darted from -the corners, and everything was in confusion; at the same time, the lime -fell and the blows continued. Upon this, the two friends called up the -servants, Knittel, the castle watch, and whoever else was at hand, to be -witnesses of these mysterious operations. In the morning all was quiet, -and generally continued so till after midnight. One evening, Kern going -into the chamber to fetch something, and hearing an uproar that almost -drove him backward to the door, Hahn caught up the light, and both -rushed into the room, where they found a large piece of wood lying close -to the wainscot. But supposing this to be the cause of the noise, who -had set it in motion? For Kern was sure the door was shut, even while -the noise was making; neither had there been any wood in the room. -Frequently, before their eyes, the knives and snuffers rose from the -table, and fell, after some minutes, to the ground; and Hahn’s large -shears were once lifted in this manner between him and one of the -prince’s cooks, and falling to the ground, stuck into the floor. As some -nights, however, passed quite quietly, Hahn was determined not to leave -the rooms; but when, for three weeks, the disturbance was so constant -that they could get no rest, they resolved on removing their beds into -the large room above, in hopes of once more enjoying a little quiet -sleep. Their hopes were vain—the thumping continued as before; and not -only so, but articles flew about the room which they were quite sure -they had left below. ‘They may fling as they will,’ cried Hahn, ‘sleep I -must;’ while Kern began to undress, pondering on these matters as he -walked up and down the room. Suddenly Hahn saw him stand, as if -transfixed, before the looking-glass on which he had accidentally cast -his eyes. He had so stood for some time, when he was seized with a -violent trembling, and turned from the mirror with his face as white as -death. Hahn, fancying the cold of an uninhabited room had seized him, -hastened to throw a cloak over him, when Kern, who was naturally very -courageous, recovered himself, and related, though with trembling lips, -that as he had accidentally looked in the glass, he had seen a white -female figure looking out of it; she was in front of his own image, -which he distinctly saw behind her. At first he could not believe his -eyes; he thought it must be fancy, and for that reason he had stood so -long; but when he saw that the eyes of the figure moved, and looked into -his, a shudder had seized him, and he had turned away. Hahn, upon this, -advanced with firm steps to the front of the mirror, and called upon the -apparition to show itself to him; but he saw nothing, although he -remained a quarter of an hour before the glass, and frequently repeated -his exhortation. Kern then related that the features of the apparition -were very old, but not gloomy or morose; the expression was that of -indifference; but the face was very pale, and the head was wrapped in a -cloth which left only the features visible. - -“By this time it was four o’clock in the morning; sleep was banished -from their eyes, and they resolved to return to the lower room and have -their beds brought back again: but the people who were sent to fetch -them returned, declaring they could not open the door, although it did -not appear to be fastened. They were sent back again; but a second and a -third time they returned with the same answer. Then Hahn went himself, -and opened it with the greatest ease. The four servants, however, -solemnly declared that all their united strength could make no -impression on it. - -“In this way a month had elapsed: the strange events at the castle had -got spread abroad; and among others who desired to convince themselves -of the facts were two Bavarian officers of dragoons, namely, Captain -Cornet and Lieutenant Magerle, of the regiment of Minuci. Magerle -offering to remain in the room alone, the others left him; but scarcely -had they passed into the next apartment, when they heard Magerle -storming like a man in a passion, and cutting away at the tables and -chairs with his sabre, whereupon the captain thought it advisable to -return, in order to rescue the furniture from his rage. They found the -door shut, but he opened it on their summons, and related, in great -excitement, that as soon as they had quitted the room, some cursed thing -had begun to fling lime and other matters at him, and, having examined -every part of the room without being able to discover the agent of the -mischief, he had fallen into a rage and cut madly about him. - -“The party now passed the rest of the evening together in the room, and -the two Bavarians closely watched Hahn and Kern in order to satisfy -themselves that the mystery was no trick of theirs. All at once, as they -were quietly sitting at the table, the snuffers rose into the air and -fell again to the ground behind Magerle, and a leaden ball flew at Hahn -and hit him upon the breast, and presently afterward they heard a noise -at the glass-door, as if somebody had struck his fist through it, -together with a sound of falling glass. On investigation they found the -door entire, but a broken drinking-glass on the floor. By this time the -Bavarians were convinced, and they retired from the room to seek repose -in one more peaceful. - -“Among other things, the following, which occurred to Hahn, is -remarkable. One evening about eight o’clock, being about to shave -himself, the implements for the purpose, which were lying on a pyramidal -stand in a corner of the room, flew at him, one after the other—the -soap-box, the razor, the brush, and the soap—and fell at his feet, -although he was standing several paces from the pyramid. He and Kern, -who was sitting at the table, laughed, for they were now so accustomed -to these events that they only made them subjects of diversion. In the -meantime, Hahn poured some water, which had been standing on the stove, -in a basin, observing, as he dipped his finger into it, that it was of a -nice heat for shaving. He seated himself before the table and strapped -his razor, but when he attempted to prepare the lather, the water was -clean vanished out of the basin. Another time, Hahn was awakened by -goblins throwing at him a squeezed-up piece of sheet-lead in which -tobacco had been wrapped, and when he stooped to pick it up, the -self-same piece was flung at him again. When this was repeated a third -time, Hahn flung a heavy stick at his invisible assailant. - -“Dorfel, the book-keeper, was frequently a witness to these strange -events. He once laid his cap on the table by the stove; when, being -about to depart, he sought for it, it had vanished. Four or five times -he examined the table in vain; presently afterward he saw it lying -exactly where he had placed it when he came in. On the same table, -Knittel having once placed his cap and drawn himself a seat, suddenly, -although there was nobody near the table, he saw the cap flying through -the room to his feet, where it fell. - -“Hahn now determined to find out the secret himself, and for this -purpose seated himself, with two lights before him, in a position where -he could see the whole of the room and all the doors and windows it -contained;—but the same things occurred, even when Kern was out, the -servants in the stables, and nobody in the room but himself; and the -snuffers were as usual flung about, although the closest observation -could not detect by whom. - -“The forest-master, Radzensky, spent a night in the room, but, although -the two friends slept, he could get no rest. He was bombarded without -intermission, and in the morning his bed was found full of all manner of -household articles. - -“One morning, in spite of all the drumming and flinging, Hahn was -determined to sleep; but a heavy blow on the wall close to his bed soon -awoke him from his slumbers. A second time he went to sleep, and was -awaked by a sensation as if some person had dipped his finger in water -and was sprinkling his face with it. He pretended to sleep again, while -he watched Kern and Knittel, who were sitting at the table; the -sensation of sprinkling returned, but he could find no water on his -face. - -“About this time, Hahn had occasion to make a journey as far as Breslau; -and when he returned he heard the strangest story of all. In order not -to be alone in this mysterious chamber, Kern had engaged Hahn’s servant, -a man of about forty years of age, and of entire singleness of -character, to stay with him. One night as Kern lay in his bed, and this -man was standing near the glass-door in conversation with him, to his -utter amazement he beheld a jug of beer, which stood on a table in the -room at some distance from him, slowly lifted to a height of about three -feet, and the contents poured into a glass that was standing there also, -until the latter was half full. The jug was then gently replaced, and -the glass lifted and emptied as by some one drinking; while John, the -servant, exclaimed in terrified surprise, ‘Lord Jesus! it swallows!’ The -glass was quietly replaced, and not a drop of beer was to be found on -the floor. Hahn was about to require an oath of John in confirmation of -this fact; but forbore, seeing how ready the man was to take one, and -satisfied of the truth of the relation. - -“One night Knetsch, an inspector of the works, passed the night with the -two friends, and in spite of the unintermitting flinging they all three -went to bed. There were lights in the room, and presently all three saw -two napkins, in the middle of the room, rise slowly up to the ceiling, -and, having there spread themselves out, flutter down again. The china -bowl of a pipe belonging to Kern flew about and was broken. Knives and -forks were flung, and at last one of the latter fell on Hahn’s head, -though fortunately with the handle downward: and having now endured this -annoyance for two months, it was unanimously resolved to abandon this -mysterious chamber, for this night at all events. John and Kern took up -one of the beds and carried it into the opposite room, but they were no -sooner gone than a pitcher for holding chalybeate-water flew to the feet -of the two who remained behind, although no door was open, and a brass -candlestick was flung to the ground. In the opposite room the night -passed quietly, although some sounds still issued from the forsaken -chamber. After this there was a cessation to these strange proceedings, -and nothing more remarkable occurred, with the exception of the -following circumstance. Some weeks after the abovementioned removal, as -Hahn was returning home and crossing the bridge that leads to the -castle-gate, he heard the foot of a dog behind him. He looked round, and -called repeatedly on the name of a grayhound that was much attached to -him, thinking it might be her; but, although he still heard the foot, -even when he ascended the stairs, as he could see nothing, he concluded -it was an illusion. Scarcely, however, had he set his foot within the -room, than Kern advanced and took the door out of his hand, at the same -time calling the dog by name,—immediately adding, however, that he -thought he had seen the dog, but that he had no sooner called her than -she disappeared. Hahn then inquired if he had really seen the dog. -‘Certainly I did,’ replied Kern, ‘she was close behind you—half within -the door—and that was the reason I took it out of your hand, lest, not -observing her, you should have shut it suddenly and crushed her. It was -a white dog, and I took it for Flora.’ Search was immediately made for -the dog, but she was found locked up in the stable and had not been out -of it the whole day. It is certainly remarkable—even supposing Hahn to -have been deceived with respect to the footsteps—that Kern should have -seen a white dog behind him, before he had heard a word on the subject -from his friend, especially as there was no such animal in the -neighborhood; besides, it was not yet dark, and Kern was very -sharp-sighted. - -“Hahn remained in the castle for half a year after this, without -experiencing anything extraordinary; and even persons who had possession -of the mysterious chambers were not subjected to any annoyance. - -“The riddle, however, in spite of all the perquisitions and -investigations that were set on foot remained unsolved—no explanation -of these strange events could be found; and even supposing any motive -could exist, there was nobody in the neighborhood clever enough to have -carried on such a system of persecution, which lasted so long, that the -inhabitants of the chamber became almost indifferent to it. - -“In conclusion, it is only necessary to add that Councillor Hahn wrote -down this account for his own satisfaction, with the strictest regard to -truth. His words are:— - -“‘I have described these events exactly as I heard and saw them: from -beginning to end I observed them with the most entire self-possession. I -had no fear, nor the slightest tendency to it; yet the whole thing -remains to me perfectly inexplicable. Written the 19th of November, -1808. - - “‘AUGUSTUS HAHN, _Councillor_.’ - -“Doubtless many natural explanations of these phenomena will be -suggested by those who consider themselves above the weakness of -crediting stories of this description. Some say that Kern was a -dexterous juggler, who contrived to throw dust in the eyes of his friend -Hahn; while others affirm that both Hahn and Kern were intoxicated every -evening! I did not fail to communicate these objections to Hahn, and -here insert his answer:— - -“‘After the events alluded to, I resided with Kern for a quarter of a -year in another part of the castle of Slawensick (which has since been -struck by lightning, and burnt), without finding a solution of the -mystery, or experiencing a repetition of the annoyance, which -discontinued from the moment we quitted those particular apartments. -Those persons must suppose me very weak, who can imagine it possible -that, with only one companion, I could have been the subject of his -sport for two months without detecting him. As for Kern himself, he was, -from the first, very anxious to leave the rooms; but as I was unwilling -to resign the hope of discovering some natural cause for these -phenomena, I persisted in remaining; and the thing that at last induced -me to yield to his wishes was the vexation at the loss of his -china-pipe, which had been flung against the wall and broken. Besides, -jugglery requires a juggler, and I was frequently quite alone when these -events occurred. It is equally absurd to accuse us of intoxication. The -wine there was too dear for us to drink at all, and we confined -ourselves wholly to weak beer. All the circumstances that happened are -not set down in the narration; but my recollection of the whole is as -vivid as if it had occurred yesterday. We had also many witnesses, some -of whom have been mentioned. Councillor Klenk also visited me at a later -period, with every desire to investigate the mystery; and when, one -morning, he had mounted on a table, for the purpose of doing so, and was -knocking at the ceiling with a stick, a powder-horn fell upon him, which -he had just before left on the table in another room. At that time Kern -had been for some time absent. I neglected no possible means that could -have led to a discovery of the secret; and at least as many people have -blamed me for my unwillingness to believe in a supernatural cause as the -reverse. Fear is not my failing, as all who are acquainted with me know; -and, to avoid the possibility of error, I frequently asked others what -they saw when I was myself present; and their answers always coincided -with what I saw myself. From 1809 to 1811 I lived in Jacobswald, very -near the castle where the prince himself was residing. I am aware that -some singular circumstances occurred while he was there; but as I did -not witness them myself, I can not speak of them more particularly. - -“‘I am still as unable as ever to account for those events, and I am -content to submit to the hasty remarks of the world, knowing that I have -only related the truth, and what many persons now alive witnessed as -well as myself. - - “‘COUNCILLOR HAHN. - “‘INGELFINGER, _August 24, 1828_.’”[7] - -The only key to this mystery ever discovered was, that after the -destruction of the castle by lightning, when the ruins were removed, -there was found the skeleton of a man without a coffin. His skull had -been split, and a sword lay by his side! - -Now, I am very well aware how absurd and impossible these events will -appear to many people, and that they will have recourse to any -explanation rather than admit them for facts. Yet, so late as the year -1835, a suit was brought before the sheriff of Edinburgh, in which -Captain Molesworth was defendant, and the landlord of the house he -inhabited (which was at Trinity, about a couple of miles from Edinburgh) -was plaintiff, founded upon circumstances not so varied, certainly, but -quite as inexplicable. The suit lasted two years, and I have been -favored with the particulars of the case by Mr. M—— L——, the -advocate employed by the plaintiff, who spent many hours in examining -the numerous witnesses, several of whom were officers of the army, and -gentlemen of undoubted honor and capacity for observation. - -Captain Molesworth took the house of a Mr. Webster, who resided in the -adjoining one, in May or June, 1835; and when he had been in it about -two months, he began to complain of sundry extraordinary noises, which, -finding it impossible to account for, he took it into his head -(strangely enough) were made by Mr. Webster. The latter naturally -represented that it was not probable he should desire to damage the -reputation of his own house, and drive his tenant out of it, and -retorted the accusation. Still, as these noises and knockings continued, -Captain Molesworth not only lifted the boards in the room most infected, -but actually made holes in the wall which divided his residence from Mr. -Webster’s, for the purpose of detecting the delinquent—of course -without success. Do what they would, the thing went on just the same: -footsteps of invisible feet, knockings, and scratchings, and rustlings, -first on one side, and then on the other, were heard daily and nightly. -Sometimes this unseen agent seemed to be knocking to a certain tune, and -if a question were addressed to it which could be answered -numerically—as, “How many people are there in this room?” for -example—it would answer by so many knocks. The beds, too, were -occasionally heaved up, as if somebody were underneath, and where the -knockings were, the wall trembled visibly, but, search as they would, no -one could be found. - -Captain Molesworth had had two daughters, one of whom, named Matilda, -had lately died; the other, a girl between twelve and thirteen, called -Jane, was sickly, and generally kept her bed; and, as it was observed -that, wherever she was, these noises most frequently prevailed, Mr. -Webster, who did not like the _mala fama_ that was attaching itself to -his house, declared that she made them, while the people in the -neighborhood believed that it was the ghost of Matilda, warning her -sister that she was soon to follow. - -Sheriff’s officers, masons, justices of peace, and the officers of the -regiment quartered at Leith, who were friends of Captain Molesworth, all -came to his aid, in hopes of detecting or frightening away his -tormentor, but in vain. Sometimes it was said to be a trick of somebody -outside the house, and then they formed a cordon round it; and next, as -the poor sick girl was suspected, they tied her up in a bag—but it was -all to no purpose. - -At length, ill and wearied out by the annoyances and the anxieties -attending the affair, Captain Molesworth quitted the house, and Mr. -Webster brought an action against him for the damages committed by -lifting the boards, breaking the walls, and firing at the wainscoat, as -well as for the injury done to his house by saying it was haunted, which -prevented other tenants taking it. - -The poor young lady died, hastened out of the world, it is said, by the -severe measures used while she was under suspicion; and the persons that -have since inhabited the house have experienced no repetition of the -annoyance. - -The manner in which these strange persecutions attach themselves to -certain persons and places, seems somewhat analogous to another class of -cases, which bear a great similarity to what was formerly called -POSSESSION: and I must here observe that many German physicians maintain -that, to this day, instances of genuine possession occur, and there are -several works published in their language on the subject; and for this -malady they consider magnetism the only remedy, all others being worse -than useless. Indeed, they look upon _possession_ itself as a -demono-magnetic state, in which the patient is in rapport with -mischievous or evil spirits; as, in the _agatho_ (or good) magnetic -state, which is the opposite pole, he is in rapport with good ones: and -they particularly warn their readers against confounding this infliction -with cases of epilepsy or mania. They assert that, although instances -are comparatively rare, both sexes and all ages are equally subject to -this misfortune; and that it is quite an error to suppose, either, that -it has ceased since the resurrection of Christ, or that the expression -used in the Scriptures, “possessed by a devil,” meant merely insanity or -convulsions. - -This disease, which is not contagious, was well known to the Greeks; and -in later times Hoffmann has recorded several well-established instances. -Among the distinguishing symptoms, they reckon the patient’s speaking in -a voice that is not his own; frightful convulsions and motions of the -body, which arise suddenly, without any previous indisposition; -blasphemous and obscene talk; a knowledge of what is secret, and of the -future; a vomiting of extraordinary things such as hair, stones, pins, -needles, &c., &c. I need scarcely observe that this opinion is not -universal in Germany; still, it obtains among many who have had -considerable opportunities for observation. - -Dr. Bardili had a case in the year 1830, which he considered decidedly -to be one of possession. The patient was a peasant-woman, aged -thirty-four, who never had any sickness whatever, and the whole of whose -bodily functions continued perfectly regular while she exhibited the -following strange phenomena: I must observe that she was happily -married, and had three children—was not a fanatic, and bore an -excellent character for regularity and industry—when, without any -warning or perceptible cause, she was seized with the most extraordinary -convulsions, while a strange voice proceeded from her, which assumed to -be that of an unblessed spirit, who had formerly inhabited a human form. -While these fits were on her, she entirely lost her own individuality, -and became this person: on returning to herself, her understanding and -character were as entire as before. The blasphemy and cursing, and -barking and screeching, were dreadful. She was wounded and injured -severely by the violent falls and blows she gave herself; and when she -had an intermission, she could do nothing but weep over what they told -her had passed, and the state in which she saw herself. She was, -moreover, reduced to a skeleton; for when she wanted to eat, the spoon -was turned round in her hand, and she often fasted for days together. - -This affliction lasted for three years; all remedies failed, and the -only alleviation she obtained was by the continued and earnest prayers -of those about her, and her own: for although this demon did not like -prayers, and violently opposed her kneeling down, even forcing her to -outrageous fits of laughter, still they had a power over him. It is -remarkable that pregnancy, confinement, and the nursing her child, made -not the least difference in this woman’s condition: all went on -regularly, but the demon kept his post. At length, being magnetized, the -patient fell into a partially somnambulic state, in which another voice -was heard to proceed from her, being that of her protecting spirit, -which encouraged her to patience and hope, and promised that the evil -guest would be obliged to vacate his quarters. She often now fell into a -magnetic state without the aid of a magnetizer. At the end of three -years she was entirely relieved and as well as ever. - -In the case of Rosina Wildin, aged ten years, which occurred at -Pleidelsheim, in 1834, the demon used to announce himself by crying out, -“Here I am again!” Whereupon the weak, exhausted child, who had been -lying like one dead, would rage and storm in a voice like a man’s, -perform the most extraordinary movements and feats of violence and -strength, till he would cry out, “Now I must be off again!” This spirit -spoke generally in the plural number, for he said she had another -besides himself, a dumb devil, who plagued her most. “He it is that -twirls her round and round, distorts her features, turns her eyes, locks -her teeth, &c. What he bids me, I must do!” This child was at length -cured by magnetism. - -Barbara Rieger, of Steinbach, aged ten, in 1834, was possessed by two -spirits, who spoke in two distinctly different male voices and dialects; -one said he had formerly been a mason, the other gave himself out for a -deceased provisor; the latter of whom was much the worst of the two. -When they spoke, the child closed her eyes, and when she opened them -again, she knew nothing of what they had said. The mason confessed to -have been a great sinner, but the provisor was proud and hardened, and -would confess nothing. They often commanded food, and made her eat it, -which, when she recovered her individuality, she felt nothing of, but -was very hungry. The mason was very fond of brandy and drank a great -deal; and if not brought when he ordered it, his raging and storming was -dreadful. In her own individuality the child had the greatest aversion -to this liquor. They treated her for worms, and other disorders, without -the least effect; till at length, by magnetism, the mason was cast out. -The provisor was more tenacious, but finally they got rid of him too, -and the girl remained quite well. - -In 1835, a respectable citizen, whose full name is not given, was -brought to Dr. Kerner. He was aged thirty-seven, and till the last seven -years had been unexceptionable in conduct and character. An -unaccountable change had, however, come over him in his thirtieth year, -which made his family very unhappy; and at length, one day, a strange -voice suddenly spoke out of him, saying that he was the late magistrate -S——, and that he had been in him six years. When this spirit was -driven out, by magnetism, the man fell to the earth, and was almost torn -to pieces by the violence of the struggle; he then lay for a space as if -dead, and arose quite well and free. - -In another case, a young woman at Gruppenbach, was quite in her senses, -and heard the voice of her demon (who was also a deceased person) speak -out of her, without having any power to suppress it. - -In short, instances of this description seem by no means rare; and if -such a phenomenon as possession ever did exist, I do not see what right -we have to assert that it exists no longer, since, in fact, we know -nothing about it; only, that being determined to admit nothing so -contrary to the ideas of the present day, we set out by deciding that -the thing is impossible. - -Since these cases occur in other countries, no doubt they must do so in -this; and, indeed, I have met with one instance much more remarkable in -its details than any of those abovementioned, which occurred at -Bishopwearmouth, near Sunderland, in the year 1840; and as the -particulars of this case have been published and attested by two -physicians and two surgeons, not to mention the evidence of numerous -other persons, I think we are bound to accept the facts, whatever -interpretation we may choose to put upon them. - -The patient, named Mary Jobson, was between twelve and thirteen years of -age; her parents, respectable people in humble life, and herself an -attendant on a Sunday-school. She became ill in November, 1839, and was -soon afterward seized with terrific fits, which continued, at intervals, -for eleven weeks. It was during this period that the family first -observed a strange knocking, which they could not account for. It was -sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; and even about the -bed, when the girl lay in a quiet sleep, with her hands folded outside -the clothes. They next heard a strange voice, which told them -circumstances they did not know, but which they afterward found to be -correct. Then there was a noise like the clashing of arms, and such a -rumbling that the tenant below thought the house was coming down; -footsteps where nobody was to be seen, water falling on the floor, no -one knew whence, locked doors opened, and above all, sounds of ineffably -sweet music. The doctors and the father were suspicious, and every -precaution was taken, but no solution of the mystery could be found. -This spirit, however, was a good one, and it preached to them, and gave -them a great deal of good advice. Many persons went to witness this -strange phenomenon, and some were desired to go by the voice, when in -their own homes. Thus Elizabeth Gauntlett, while attending to some -domestic affairs at home, was startled by hearing a voice say, “Be thou -faithful, and thou shalt see the works of thy God, and shalt hear with -thine ears!” She cried out, “My God! what can this be!” and presently -she saw a large white cloud near her. On the same evening the voice said -to her, “Mary Jobson, one of your scholars is sick; go and see her, and -it will be good for you.” This person did not know where the child -lived, but having inquired the address, she went: and at the door she -heard the same voice bid her go up. On entering the room she heard -another voice, soft and beautiful, which bade her be faithful, and said, -“I am the Virgin Mary.” This voice promised her a sign at home; and -accordingly, that night, while reading the Bible, she heard it say, -“Jemima, be not afraid; it is I: if you keep my commandments it shall be -well with you.” When she repeated her visit the same things occurred, -and she heard the most exquisite music. - -The same sort of phenomena were witnessed by everybody who went—the -immoral were rebuked, the good encouraged. Some were bidden instantly to -depart, and were forced to go. The voices of several deceased persons of -the family were also heard, and made revelations. - -Once the voice said, “Look up, and you shall see the sun and moon on the -ceiling!” and immediately there appeared a beautiful representation of -these planets in lively colors, viz., green, yellow, and orange. -Moreover, these figures were permanent; but the father, who was a long -time skeptical, insisted on whitewashing them over; however, they still -remained visible. - -Among other things, the voice said, that though the child appeared to -suffer, she did not; that she did not know where her body was; and that -her own spirit had left it, and another had entered; and that her body -was made a speaking trumpet. The voice told the family and visiters many -things of their distant friends, which proved true. - -The girl twice saw a divine form standing by her bedside who spoke to -her, and Joseph Ragg, one of the persons who had been invited by the -voice to go, saw a beautiful and heavenly figure come to his bedside -about eleven o’clock at night, on the 17th of January. It was in male -attire, surrounded by a radiance; it came a second time on the same -night. On each occasion it opened his curtains and looked at him -benignantly, remaining about a quarter of an hour. When it went away, -the curtains fell back into their former position. One day, while in the -sick child’s room, Margaret Watson saw a lamb, which passed through the -door and entered a place where the father, John Jobson, was; but he did -not see it. - -One of the most remarkable features in this case is the beautiful music -which was heard by all parties, as well as the family, including the -unbelieving father; and indeed it seems to have been, in a great degree, -this that converted him at last. This music was heard repeatedly during -a space of sixteen weeks: sometimes it was like an organ, but more -beautiful; at others there was singing of holy songs, in parts, and the -words distinctly heard. The sudden appearance of water in the room too -was most unaccountable; for they felt it, and it was really water. When -the voice desired that water should be sprinkled, it immediately -appeared as if sprinkled. At another time, a sign being promised to the -skeptical father, water would suddenly appear on the floor; this -happened “not once, but twenty times.” - -During the whole course of this affair, the voices told them that there -was a miracle to be wrought on this child; and accordingly on the 22d of -June, when she was as ill as ever and they were only praying for her -death, at five o’clock the voice ordered that her clothes should be laid -out, and that everybody should leave the room except the infant, which -was two years and a half old. They obeyed; and having been outside the -door a quarter of an hour, the voice cried, “Come in!” and when they -entered, they saw the girl completely dressed and quite well, sitting in -a chair with the infant on her knee, and she had not had an hour’s -illness from that time till the report was published, which was on the -30th of January, 1841. - -Now, it is very easy to laugh at all this, and assert that these things -never happened, because they are absurd and impossible; but while -honest, well-meaning, and intelligent people, who were on the spot, -assert that they did, I confess I find myself constrained to believe -them, however much I find in the case which is discrepant with my -notions. It was not an affair of a day or an hour—there was ample time -for observation—for the phenomena continued from the 9th of February to -the 22d of June; and the determined unbelief of the father regarding the -possibility of spiritual appearances, insomuch that he ultimately -expressed great regret for the harshness he had used, is a tolerable -security against imposition. Moreover, they pertinaciously refused to -receive any money or assistance whatever, and were more likely to suffer -in public opinion than otherwise by the avowal of these circumstances. - -Dr. Clanny, who publishes the report with the attestations of the -witnesses, is a physician of many years’ experience, and is also, I -believe, the inventor of the improved Davy lamp; and he declares his -entire conviction of the facts, assuring his readers that “many persons -holding high rank in the established church, ministers of other -denominations, as well as many lay-members of society, highly respected -for learning and piety, are equally satisfied.” When he first saw the -child lying on her back, apparently insensible, her eyes suffused with -florid blood, he felt assured that she had a disease of the brain; and -he was not in the least disposed to believe in the mysterious part of -the affair, till subsequent investigation compelled him to do so: and -that his belief is of a very decided character we may feel assured, when -he is content to submit to all the obloquy he must incur by avowing it. - -He adds that, since the girl has been quite well, both her family and -that of Joseph Ragg have frequently heard the same heavenly music as -they did during her illness; and Mr. Torbock, a surgeon, who expresses -himself satisfied of the truth of the above particulars, also mentions -another case, in which he, as well as a dying person he was attending, -heard divine music just before the dissolution. - -Of this last phenomenon—namely, sounds as of heavenly music being heard -when a death was occurring—I have met with numerous instances. - -From the investigation of the above case, Dr. Clanny has arrived at the -conviction that the spiritual world do occasionally identify themselves -with our affairs; and Dr. Drury asserts that, besides this instance, he -has met with another circumstance which has left him firmly convinced -that we live in a world of spirits, and that he has been in the presence -of an unearthly being, who had “passed that bourne from which,” it is -said, “no traveller returns.”[8] - -But the most extraordinary case I have yet met with is the following; -because it is one which can not, by any possibility, be attributed to -disease or illusion. It is furnished to me from the most undoubted -authority, and I give it as I received it, with the omission of the -names. I have indeed, in this instance, thought it right to change the -initial, and substitute G. for the right one—the particulars being of a -nature which demand the greatest delicacy, as regards the parties -concerned:— - -“Mrs. S. C. Hall, in early life, was intimately acquainted with a -family, one of whom, Richard G——, a young officer in the army, was -subject to a harassing visitation of a kind that is usually regarded as -supernatural. Mrs. H. once proposed to pay a visit to her particular -friend, Catherine G——, but was told that it would not be convenient -exactly at that time, as Richard was on the point of coming home. She -thought the inconvenience consisted in the want of a bed-room, and spoke -of sleeping with Miss G——, but found that the objection really lay in -the fact of Richard being ‘haunted,’ which rendered it impossible for -anybody else to be comfortable in the same house with him. A few weeks -after Richard’s return, Mrs. Hall heard of Mrs. G——’s being extremely -ill; and found, on going to call, that it was owing to nothing but the -distress the old lady suffered in consequence of the strange -circumstance connected with her son. It appeared that Richard, wherever -he was—at home, in camp, in lodgings, abroad, or in his own -country—was liable to be visited in his bed-room at night by certain -extraordinary noises. Any light he kept in the room was sure to be put -out. Something went beating about the walls and his bed, making a great -noise, and often shifting close to his face, but never becoming visible. -If a cage-bird was in his room, it was certain to be found dead in the -morning. If he kept a dog in the apartment, it would make away from him -as soon as released, and never come near him again. His brother, even -his mother, had slept in the room, but the visitation took place as -usual. According to Miss G——’s report, she and other members of the -family would listen at the bed-room door, after Richard had gone to -sleep, and would hear the noises commence; and they would then hear him -sit up and express his vexation by a few military execrations. The young -man, at length, was obliged by this pest to quit the army and go upon -half-pay. Under its influence he became a sort of Cain; for, wherever he -lived, the annoyance was so great that he was quickly obliged to remove. -Mrs. Hall heard of his having ultimately gone to settle in Ireland, -where, however, according to a brother whom she met about four years -ago, the visitation which afflicted him in his early years was in no -degree abated.” - -This can not be called a case of possession, but seems to be one of a -rapport, which attaches this invisible tormentor to his victim. - ------ - -[6] There was also a remarkable case of this sort at Mr. Chaves, in -Devonshire, in the year 1810, where affidavits were made before the -magistrates attesting the facts, and large rewards offered for -discovery, but in vain. The phenomena continued several months, and the -spiritual agent was frequently seen in the form of some strange animal. - -[7] Translated from the original German.—C. C. - -[8] Alluding, I conclude, to the affair at Willington. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - - MISCELLANEOUS PHENOMENA. - -IN a former chapter, I alluded to the forms seen floating over graves, -by Billing, Pfeffel’s amanuensis. By some persons, this luminous form is -seen only as a light, just as occurs in many of the apparition cases I -have related. How far Baron Reichenbach is correct in his conclusion, -that these figures are merely the result of the chemical process going -on below, it is impossible for any one at present to say. The fact that -these lights do not always hover over the graves, but sometimes move -from them, militates against this opinion, as I have before observed; -and the insubstantial nature of the form which reconstructed itself -after Pfeffel had passed his stick through it proves nothing, since the -same thing is asserted of all apparitions I meet with, let them be seen -where they may, except in such very extraordinary cases as that of the -Bride of Corinth, supposing that story to be true. - -At the same time, although these cases are not made out to be chemical -phenomena, neither are we entitled to class them under the head of what -is commonly understood by the word _ghost_; whereby we comprehend a -shadowy shape, informed by an intelligent spirit. But there are some -cases, a few of which I will mention, that it seems extremely difficult -to include under one category or the other. - -The late Lieutenant-General Robertson, of Lawers, who served during the -whole of the American war, brought home with him, at its termination, a -negro, who went by the name of Black Tom, and who continued in his -service. The room appropriated to the use of this man, in the general’s -town residence (I speak of Edinburgh), was on the ground floor; and he -was heard frequently to complain that he could not rest in it, for that -every night the figure of a headless lady, with a child in her arms, -rose out of the hearth and frightened him dreadfully. Of course nobody -believed this story, and it was supposed to be the dream of -intoxication, as Tom was not remarkable for sobriety; but, strange to -say, when the old mansion was pulled down to build Gillespie’s hospital, -which stands on its site, there was found, under the hearth-stone in -that apartment, a box containing the body of a female, from which the -head had been severed; and beside her lay the remains of an infant, -wrapped in a pillow-case trimmed with lace. She appeared, poor lady, to -have been cut off in the “blossom of her sins;” for she was dressed, and -her scissors were yet hanging by a riband to her side, and her thimble -was also in the box, having, apparently, fallen from the shrivelled -finger. - -Now, whether we are to consider this a ghost, or a phenomenon of the -same nature as that seen by Billing, it is difficult to decide. Somewhat -similar is the following case, which I have borrowed from a little work -entitled “Supernaturalism in New England.” Not only does this little -extract prove that the same phenomena, be they interpreted as they may, -exist in all parts of the world, but I think it will be granted me that, -although we have not here the confirmation that time furnished in the -former instance, yet it is difficult to suppose that this unexcitable -person should have been the subject of so extraordinary a spectral -illusion. - -“Whoever has seen Great pond, in the east parish of Haverhill, has seen -one of the very loveliest of the thousand little lakes or ponds of New -England. With its soft slopes of greenest verdure—its white and -sparkling sand-rim—its southern hem of pine and maple, mirrored, with -spray and leaf, in the glassy water—its graceful hill-sentinels round -about, white with the orchard-bloom of spring, or tasselled with the -corn of autumn—its long sweep of blue waters, broken here and there by -picturesque headlands—it would seem a spot, of all others, where -spirits of evil must shrink, rebuked and abashed, from the presence of -the beautiful. Yet here, too, has the shadow of the supernatural fallen. -A lady of my acquaintance, a staid, unimaginative church-member, states -that, a few years ago, she was standing in the angle formed by two -roads, one of which traverses the pond-shore, the other leading over the -hill which rises abruptly from the water. It was a warm summer evening, -just at sunset. She was startled by the appearance of a horse and cart, -of the kind used a century ago in New England, driving rapidly down the -steep hill-side, and crossing the wall a few yards before her, without -noise or displacing of a stone. The driver sat sternly erect, with a -fierce countenance, grasping the reins tightly, and looking neither to -the right nor the left. Behind the cart, and apparently lashed to it, -was a woman of gigantic size, her countenance convulsed with a blended -expression of rage and agony, writhing and struggling, like Laocoon in -the folds of the serpent. Her head, neck, feet, and arms, were naked; -wild locks of gray hair streamed back from temples corrugated and -darkened. The horrible cavalcade swept by across the street, and -disappeared at the margin of the pond.” - -Many persons will have heard of the “Wild Troop of Rodenstein,” but few -are aware of the curious amount of evidence there is in favor of the -strange belief which prevails among the inhabitants of that region. The -story goes, that the former possessors of the castles of Rodenstein and -Schnellert were robbers and pirates, who committed, in conjunction, all -manner of enormities; and that, to this day, the troop, with their -horses and carriages, and dogs, are heard, every now and then, wildly -rushing along the road between the two castles. This sounds like a fairy -tale; yet so much was it believed, that, up to the middle of the last -century, regular reports were made to the authorities in the -neighborhood of the periods when the troop had passed. Since that, the -landgericht, or court leet, has been removed to Furth, and they trouble -themselves no longer about the Rodenstein troop; but a traveller, named -Wirth, who a few years ago undertook to examine into the affair, -declares the people assert that the passage of the visionary cavalcade -still continues; and they assured him that certain houses, that he saw -lying in ruins, were in that state because, as they lay directly in the -way of the troop, they were uninhabitable. There is seldom anything -seen; but the noise of carriage-wheels, horses’ feet, smacking of whips, -blowing of horns, and the voice of these fierce hunters of men urging -them on, are the sounds by which they recognise that the troop is -passing from one castle to the other; and at a spot which was formerly a -blacksmith’s, but is now a carpenter’s, the invisible lord of Rodenstein -still stops to have his horse shod. Mr. Wirth copied several of the -depositions out of the court records, and they are brought down to June, -1764. This is certainly a strange story; but it is not much more so than -that of the black man, which I know to be true. - -During the seven years’ war in Germany, a drover lost his life in a -drunken squabble on the high road. For some time there was a sort of -rude tombstone, with a cross on it, to mark the spot where his body was -interred; but this has long fallen, and a milestone now fills its place. -Nevertheless, it continues commonly asserted by the country people, and -also by various travellers, that they have been deluded in that spot by -seeing, as they imagine, herds of beasts, which, on investigation, prove -to be merely visionary. Of course, many people look upon this as a -superstition; but a very singular confirmation of the story occurred in -the year 1826, when two gentlemen and two ladies were passing the spot -in a post-carriage. One of these was a clergyman, and none of them had -ever heard of the phenomenon said to be attached to the place. They had -been discussing the prospects of the minister, who was on his way to a -vicarage, to which he had just been appointed, when they saw a large -flock of sheep, which stretched quite across the road, and was -accompanied by a shepherd and a long-haired black dog. As to meet cattle -on that road was nothing uncommon, and indeed they had met several -droves in the course of the day, no remark was made at the moment, till, -suddenly, each looked at the other and said, “What is become of the -sheep?” Quite perplexed at their sudden disappearance, they called to -the postillion to stop, and all got out in order to mount a little -elevation and look around; but still unable to discover them, they now -bethought themselves of asking the postillion where they were, when, to -their infinite surprise, they learned that he had not seen them. Upon -this, they bade him quicken his pace, that they might overtake a -carriage that had passed them shortly before, and inquire if that party -had seen the sheep; but they had not. - -Four years later, a postmaster, named J——, was on the same road, -driving a carriage, in which were a clergyman and his wife, when he saw -a large flock of sheep near the same spot. Seeing they were very fine -wethers, and supposing them to have been bought at a sheep-fair that was -then taking place a few miles off, J—— drew up his reins and stopped -his horse, turning at the same time to the clergyman to say, that he -wanted to inquire the price of the sheep, as he intended going next day -to the fair himself. While the minister was asking him what sheep he -meant, J—— got down and found himself in the midst of the animals, the -size and beauty of which astonished him. They passed him at an unusual -rate, while he made his way through them to find the shepherd, when, on -getting to the end of the flock, they suddenly disappeared. He then -first learned that his fellow-travellers had not seen them at all. - -Now, if such cases as these are not pure illusions, which I confess I -find it difficult to believe, we must suppose that the animals and all -the extraneous circumstances are produced by the magical will of the -spirit, either acting on the constructive imagination of the seers, or -else actually constructing the ethereal forms out of the elements at its -command, just as we have supposed an apparition able to present himself -with whatever dress or appliances he conceives; or else we must conclude -these forms to have some relation to the mystery called PALINGNESIA, -which I have previously alluded to, although the motion and change of -place render it difficult to bring them under this category. As for the -animals, although the drover was slain, they were not; and therefore, -even granting them to have souls, we can not look upon them as the -apparitions of the flock. Neither can we consider the numerous instances -of armies seen in the air to be apparitions; and yet these phenomena are -so well established that they have been accounted for by supposing them -to be atmospherical reflections of armies elsewhere, in actual motion. -But how are we to account for the visionary troops which are not seen in -the air, but on the very ground on which the seers themselves stand, -which was the case especially with those seen in Havarah park, near -Ripley, in the year 1812? These soldiers wore a white uniform, and in -the centre was a personage in a scarlet one. - -After performing several evolutions, the body began to march in perfect -order to the summit of a hill, passing the spectators at the distance of -about one hundred yards. They amounted to several hundreds, and marched -in a column, four deep, across about thirty acres; and no sooner were -they passed, than another body, far more numerous, but dressed in dark -clothes, arose and marched after them, without any apparent hostility. -Both parties having reached the top of the hill, and there formed what -the spectators called an L, they disappeared down the other side, and -were seen no more; but at that moment a volume of smoke arose like the -discharge of a park of artillery, which was so thick that the men could -not, for two or three minutes, discover their own cattle. They then -hurried home to relate what they had seen, and the impression made on -them is described as so great, that they could never allude to the -subject without emotion. - -One of them was a farmer of the name of Jackson, aged forty-five; the -other was a lad of fifteen, called Turner: and they were at the time -herding cattle in the park. The scene seems to have lasted nearly a -quarter of an hour, during which time they were quite in possession of -themselves, and able to make remarks to each other on what they saw. -They were both men of excellent character and unimpeachable veracity, -insomuch that nobody who knew them doubted that they actually saw what -they described, or, at all events, believed that they did. It is to be -observed, also, that the ground is not swampy, nor subject to any -exhalations. - -About the year 1750, a visionary army of the same description was seen -in the neighborhood of Inverness, by a respectable farmer, of Glenary, -and his son. The number of troops was very great, and they had not the -slightest doubt that they were otherwise than substantial forms of flesh -and blood. They counted at least sixteen pairs of columns, and had -abundance of time to observe every particular. The front ranks marched -seven abreast, and were accompanied by a good many women and children, -who were carrying tin cans and other implements of cookery. The men were -clothed in red, and their arms shone brightly in the sun. In the midst -of them was an animal—a deer or a horse, they could not distinguish -which—that they were driving furiously forward with their bayonets. The -younger of the two men observed to the other that every now and then the -rear ranks were obliged to run to overtake the van; and the elder one, -who had been a soldier, remarked that that was always the case, and -recommended him, if he ever served, to try and march in the front. There -was only one mounted officer: he rode a gray dragoon horse, and wore a -gold-laced hat and blue hussar cloak, with wide, open sleeves, lined -with red. The two spectators observed him so particularly, that they -said afterward they should recognise him anywhere. They were, however, -afraid of being ill-treated, or forced to go along with the troops, whom -they concluded had come from Ireland, and landed at Kyntyre; and while -they were climbing over a dike to get out of their way, the whole thing -vanished. - -Some years since, a phenomenon of the same sort was observed at -Paderborn, in Westphalia, and seen by at least thirty persons, as well -as by horses and dogs, as was discovered by the demeanor of these -animals. In October, 1836, on the very same spot, there was a review of -twenty thousand men; and the people then concluded that the former -vision was a second-sight. - -A similar circumstance occurred in Stockton forest, some years ago; and -there are many recorded elsewhere—one especially, in the year 1686, -near Lanark, where, for several afternoons, in the months of June and -July, there were seen, by numerous spectators, companies of men in arms, -marching in order by the banks of the Clyde, and other companies meeting -them, &c., &c.; added to which there were showers of bonnets, hats, -guns, swords, &c., which the seers described with the greatest -exactness. All who were present could not see these things, and Walker -relates that one gentleman, particularly, was turning the thing into -ridicule, calling the seers “damned witches and warlocks, with the -second-sight!”—boasting that “the devil a thing he could see!”—when he -suddenly exclaimed, with fear and trembling, that he now saw it all; and -entreated those who did not see, to say nothing—a change that may be -easily accounted for, be the phenomenon of what nature it may, by -supposing him to have touched one of the seers, when the faculty would -be communicated like a shock of electricity. - -With regard to the palinganesia, it would be necessary to establish that -these objects had previously existed, and that, as Oetinger says, the -earthly husk having fallen off, “the volatile essence had ascended -perfect in form, but void of substance.” - -The notion supported by Baron Reichenbach, that the lights seen in -churchyards and over graves are the result of a process going on below, -is by no means new, for Gaffarillus suggested the same opinion in 1650; -only he speaks of the appearances over graves and in churchyards as -shadows, _ombres_, as they appeared to Billing; and he mentions, -casually, as a thing frequently observed, that the same visionary forms -are remarked on ground where battles have been fought, which he thinks -arise out of a process between the earth and the sun. When a limb has -been cut off, some somnambules still discern the form of the member as -if actually attached. - -But this magical process is said to be not only the work of the -elements, but also possible to man; and that as the forms of plants can -be preserved after the substance is destroyed, so can that of man be -either preserved or reproduced from the elements of his body. In the -reign of Louis XIV., three alchemists, having distilled some earth taken -from the cemetery of the Innocents, in Paris, were forced to desist, by -seeing the forms of men appearing in their vials, instead of the -philosopher’s stone, which they were seeking; and a physician, who, -after dissecting a body, and pulverizing the cranium (which was then an -article admitted into the materia medica), had left the powder on the -table of his laboratory, in charge of his assistant, the latter, who -slept in an adjoining room, was awakened in the night by hearing a -noise, which, after some search, he ultimately traced to the powder—in -the midst of which he beheld, gradually constructing itself, a human -form! First appeared the head, with two open eyes, then the arms and -hands, and, by degrees, the rest of the person, which subsequently -assumed the clothes it had worn when alive! The man was, of course, -frightened out of his wits—the rather, as the apparition planted itself -before the door, and would not let him go away till it had made its own -exit, which it speedily did. Similar results have been said to arise -from experiments performed on blood. I confess I should be disposed to -consider these apparitions, if ever they appeared, cases of genuine -ghosts, brought into rapport by the operation, rather than forms -residing in the bones or blood. At all events, these things are very -hard to believe; but seeing we were not there, I do not think we have -any right to say they did not happen; or at least that some phenomena -did not occur, that were open to this interpretation. - -It is highly probable that the seeing of those visionary armies and -similar prodigies is a sort of second-sight; but having admitted this, -we are very little nearer an explanation. Granting that, as in the above -experiments, the essence of things may retain the forms of the -substance, this does not explain the seeing that which has not yet taken -place, or which is taking place at so great a distance, that neither -Oetinger’s essence nor the superficial films of Lucretius can remove the -difficulty. - -It is the fashion to say that second-sight was a mere superstition of -the highlanders, and that no such thing is ever heard of now; but those -who talk in this way know very little of the matter. No doubt, if they -set out to look for seers, they may not find them; such phenomena, -though known in all countries and in all ages, are _comparatively_ rare, -as well as uncertain and capricious, and not to be exercised at will: -but I know of too many instances of the existence of this faculty in -families, as well as of isolated cases occurring to individuals above -all suspicion, to entertain the smallest doubt of its reality. But the -difficulty of furnishing evidence is considerable: because, when the -seers are of the humbler classes, they are called impostors and not -believed; and when they are of the higher, they do not make the subject -a matter of conversation, nor choose to expose themselves to the -ridicule of the foolish; and consequently the thing is not known beyond -their own immediate friends. When the young duke of Orleans was killed, -a lady, residing here, saw the accident, and described it to her husband -at the time it was occurring in France. She had frequently seen the -duke, when on the continent. - -Captain N—— went to stay two days at the house of Lady T——. After -dinner, however, he announced that he was under the necessity of going -away that night, nor could he be induced to remain. On being much -pressed for an explanation, he confided to some of the party that, -during the dinner, he had seen a female figure with her throat cut, -standing behind Lady T——’s chair. Of course, it was thought an -illusion, but Lady T—— was not told of it, lest she should be alarmed. -That night the household was called up for the purpose of summoning a -surgeon—Lady T—— had cut her own throat! - -Mr. C——, who, though a Scotchman, was an entire skeptic with regard to -the second-sight, was told by a seer whom he had been jeering on the -subject, that, within a month, he (Mr. C——) would be a pall-bearer at -a funeral; that he would go by a certain road, but that, before they had -crossed the brook, a man in a drab coat would come down the hill and -take the pall from him. The funeral occurred, Mr. C—— was a bearer, -and they went by the road described; but he firmly resolved that he -would disappoint the seer by keeping the pall while they crossed the -brook; but shortly before they reached it, the postman overtook them, -with letters, which in that part of the country arrived but twice a -week, and Mr. C——, who was engaged in some speculations of importance, -turned to received them—at which moment the pall was taken from him, -and on looking round, he saw it was by a man in a drab coat! - -A medical friend of mine, who practised some time at Deptford, was once -sent for to a girl who had been taken suddenly ill. He found her with -inflammation of the brain, and the only account the mother could give of -it was, that shortly before, she had run into the room, crying, “Oh, -mother, I have seen Uncle John drowned in his boat under the fifth arch -of Rochester bridge!” The girl died a few hours afterward; and, on the -following night, the uncle’s boat ran foul of the bridge, and he was -drowned, exactly as she had foretold. - -Mrs. A——, an English lady, and the wife of a clergyman, relates that, -previous to her marriage, she with her father and mother being at the -seaside, had arranged to make a few days’ excursion to some races that -were about to take place; and that the night before they started, the -father having been left alone, while the ladies were engaged in their -preparations, they found him, on descending to the drawing-room, in a -state of considerable agitation—which, he said, had arisen from his -having seen a dreadful face at one corner of the room. He described it -as a bruised, battered, crushed, discolored face, with the two eyes -protruding frightfully from their sockets; but the features were too -disfigured to ascertain if it were the face of any one he knew. On the -following day, on their way to the races, an accident occurred; and he -was brought home with his own face exactly in the condition he had -described. He had never exhibited any other instance of this -extraordinary faculty, and the impression made by the circumstance -lasted the remainder of his life, which was unhappily shortened by the -injuries he had received. - -The late Mrs. V——, a lady of fortune and family, who resides near Loch -Lomond, possessed this faculty in an extraordinary degree, and displayed -it on many remarkable occasions. When her brother was shipwrecked in the -channel, she was heard to exclaim, “Thank God, he is saved!” and -described the scene with all its circumstances. - -Colonel David Steward, a determined believer in what he calls the -supernatural, in his book on the highlanders, relates the following fact -as one so remarkable, that “credulous minds” may be excused for -believing it to have been prophetic. He says that, late in an autumnal -evening of the year 1773, the son of a neighbor came to his father’s -house, and soon after his arrival inquired for a little boy of the -family, then about three years old. He was shown up to the nursery, and -found the nurse putting a pair of new shoes on the child, which she -complained did not fit. “Never mind,” said the young man, “they will fit -him before he wants them”—a prediction which not only offended the -nurse, but seemed at the moment absurd, since the child was apparently -in perfect health. When he joined the party in the drawing-room, he -being much jeered upon this new gift of second-sight, explained that the -impression he had received originated in his having just seen a funeral -passing the wooden bridge which crossed a stream at a short distance -from the house. He first observed a crowd of people, and on coming -nearer he saw a person carrying a small coffin, followed by about twenty -gentlemen, all of his acquaintance, his own father and a Mr. Stewart -being among the number. He did not attempt to join the procession, which -he saw turn off into the churchyard: but knowing his own father could -not be actually there, and that Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were then at Blair, -he felt a conviction that the phenomenon portended the death of the -child: a persuasion which was verified by its suddenly expiring on the -following night;—and Colonel Stewart adds that the circumstances and -attendants at the funeral were precisely such as the young man had -described. He mentions, also, that this gentleman was not a seer; that -he was a man of education and general knowledge; and that this was the -first and only vision of the sort he ever had. - -I know of a young lady who has three times seen funerals in this way. - -The old persuasion that fasting was a means of developing the spirit of -prophecy, is undoubtedly well founded, and the annals of medicine -furnish numerous facts which establish it. A man condemned to death at -Viterbo, having abstained from food in the hope of escaping execution, -became so clairvoyant, that he could tell what was doing in any part of -the prison; the expression used in the report is that he “saw through -the walls:” this, however, could not be with his natural organs of -sight. - -It is worthy of observation, that idiots often possess some gleams of -this faculty of second-sight or presentiment; and it is probably on this -account that they are in some countries held sacred. Presentiment, which -I think may very probably be merely the vague and imperfect recollection -of what we _knew_ in our sleep, is often observed in drunken people. - -In the great plague at Basle, which occurred toward the end of the -sixteenth century, almost everybody who died called out in their last -moments the name of the person that was to follow them next. - -Not long ago, a servant girl on the estate of D——, of S——, saw with -amazement five figures ascending a perpendicular cliff, quite -inaccessible to human feet; one was a boy wearing a cap with red -binding. She watched them with great curiosity till they reached the -top, where they all stretched themselves on the earth, with countenances -expressive of great dejection. While she was looking at them they -disappeared, and she immediately related her vision. Shortly afterward, -a foreign ship, in distress, was seen to put off a boat with four men -and a boy: the boat was dashed to pieces in the surf, and the five -bodies, exactly answering the description she had given, were thrown on -shore at the foot of the cliff, which they had perhaps climbed in the -spirit! - -How well what we call clairvoyance was known, though how little -understood, at the period of the witch persecution, is proved by what -Dr. Henry More says in his “Antidote against Atheism”:— - -“We will now pass to those supernatural effects which are observed in -them that are bewitched or possessed; and such as foretelling things to -come, telling what such and such persons speak or do, as exactly as if -they were by them, when the party possessed is at one end of the town, -and sitting in a house within doors, and those parties that act and -confer together are without, at the other end of the town; to be able to -see some and not others; to play at cards with one certain person, and -not to discern anybody else at the table beside him; to act and talk, -and go up and down, and tell what will become of things, and what -happens in those fits of possession; and then, as soon as the possessed -or bewitched party is out of them, to remember nothing at all, but to -inquire concerning the welfare of those whose faces they seemed to look -upon just before, when they were in their fits;”—a state which he -believes to arise from the devil’s having taken possession of the body -of the magnetic person, which is precisely the theory supported by many -fanatical persons in our own day. Dr. More was not a fanatic: but these -phenomena, though very well understood by the ancient philosophers, as -well as by Paracelsus, Van Helmont, Cornelius Agrippa, Jacob Behmen, a -Scotch physician (called Maxwell) who published on the subject in the -seventeenth century, and many others, were still, when observed, looked -upon as the effects of diabolical influence by mankind in general. - -When Monsieur Six Deniers, the artist, was drowned in the Seine in 1846, -after his body had been vainly sought, a somnambule was applied to, in -whose hands they placed a portfolio belonging to him; and being asked -where the owner was, she evinced great terror, held up her dress as if -walking in the water, and said that he was between two boats, under the -Pont des Arts, with nothing on but a flannel waistcoat: and there he was -found. - -A friend of mine knows a lady who, early one morning—being in a natural -state of clairvoyance without magnetism—saw the porter of the house -where her son lodged ascend to his room with a carving-knife, go to his -bed where he lay asleep, lean over him, then open a chest, take out a -fifty-pound note, and retire. On the following day, she went to her son -and asked him if he had any money in the house; he said, “Yes, I have -fifty pounds:” whereupon she bade him seek it, but it was gone. They -stopped payment of the note; but did not prosecute, thinking the -evidence insufficient. Subsequently, the porter being taken up for other -crimes, the note was found crumpled up at the bottom of an old purse -belonging to him. - -Dr. Ennemoser says that there is no doubt of the ancient Sibyls having -been _clairvoyant_ women, and that it is impossible so much value could -have been attached to their books, had not their revelations been -verified. - -A maid-servant residing in a family in Northumberland, one day last -winter was heard to utter a violent scream immediately after she had -left the kitchen. On following her to inquire what had happened, she -said that she had just seen her father in his night-clothes, with a most -horrible countenance, and she was sure something dreadful had happened -to him. Two days afterward there arrived a letter, saying he had been -seized with _delirium tremens_, and was at the point of death; which -accordingly ensued. - -There are innumerable cases of this sort recorded in various -collections, not to mention the much more numerous ones that meet with -no recorder; and I could myself mention many more, but these will -suffice—one, however, I will not omit, for, though historical, it is -not generally known. A year before the rebellion broke out, in -consequence of which Lord Kilmarnock lost his head, the family were one -day startled by a scream, and on rushing out to inquire what had -occurred, they found the servants all assembled, in amazement, with the -exception of one maid, who they said had gone up to the garrets to hang -some linen on the lines to dry. On ascending thither, they found the -girl on the floor, in a state of insensibility; and they had no sooner -revived her than, on seeing Lord Kilmarnock bending over her, she -screamed and fainted again. When ultimately recovered, she told them -that while hanging up her linen, and singing, the door had burst open -and his lordship’s bloody head had rolled in. I think it came twice. -This event was so well known at the time, that on the first rumors of -the rebellion, Lord Saltoun said, “Kilmarnock will lose his head.” It -was answered, “that Kilmarnock had not joined the rebels.” “He will, and -will be beheaded,” returned Lord Saltoun. - -Now, in these cases we are almost compelled to believe that the -phenomenon is purely subjective, and there is no veritable outstanding -object seen; yet, when we have taken refuge in this hypothesis, the -difficulty remains as great as ever; and is to me much more -incomprehensible than ghost-seeing, because in the latter we suppose an -external agency acting in some way or other on the seer. - -I have already mentioned that Oberlin, the good pastor of Ban de la -Roche, himself a ghost-seer, asserted that everything earthly had its -counterpart, or antitype, in the other world, not only organized, but -unorganized matter. If so, do we sometimes see these antitypes? - -Dr. Ennemoser, in treating of second-sight—which, by the way, is quite -as well known in Germany, and especially in Denmark, as in the highlands -of Scotland—says, that as in natural somnambulism there is a partial -internal vigilance, so does the seer fall, while awake, into a -dream-state. He suddenly becomes motionless and stiff: his eyes are -open, and his senses are, while the vision lasts, unperceptive of all -external objects; the vision may be communicated by the touch, and -sometimes persons at a distance from each other, but connected by blood -or sympathy, have the vision simultaneously. He remarks, also, that, as -we have seen in the above case of Mr. C——, any attempt to frustrate -the fulfilment of the vision never succeeds, inasmuch as the attempt -appears to be taken into the account. - -The seeing in glass and in crystals is equally inexplicable; as is the -magical seeing of the Egyptians. Every now and then we hear it said that -this last is discovered to be an imposition, because some traveller has -either actually fallen into the hands of an impostor—and there are -impostors in all trades—or because the phenomenon was imperfectly -exhibited; a circumstance which, as in the exhibitions of clairvoyants -and somnambulists, where all the conditions are not under command, or -even recognised, must necessarily happen. But not to mention the -accounts published by Mr. Lane and Lord Prudhoe, whoever has read that -of Monsieur Léon Laborde must be satisfied that the thing is an -indisputable fact. It is, in fact, only another form of the seeing in -crystals, which has been known in all ages, and of which many modern -instances have occurred among somnambulic patients. - -We see by the forty-fourth chapter of Genesis that it was by his cup -that Joseph prophesied: “Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and -whereby indeed he divineth?” But, as Dr. Passavent observes, and as we -shall presently see, in the anecdote of the boy and the gipsy, the -virtue does not lie in the glass nor in the water, but in the seer -himself, who may possess a more or less developed faculty. The external -objects and ceremonies being only the means of concentrating the -attention and intensifying the power. - -Monsieur Léon Laborde witnessed the exhibition, at Cairo, before Lord -P——’s visit; the exhibitor, named Achmed, appeared to him a -respectable man, who spoke simply of his science, and had nothing of the -charlatan about him. The first child employed was a boy eleven years -old, the son of a European; and Achmed having traced some figures on the -palm of his hand, and poured ink over them, bade him look for the -reflection of his own face. The child said he saw it; the magician then -burnt some powders in a brazier, and bade him tell him when he saw a -soldier sweeping a place; and while the fumes from the brazier diffused -themselves, he pronounced a sort of litany. Presently the child threw -back his head, and screaming with terror, sobbed out, while bathed in -tears, that he had seen a dreadful face. Fearing the boy might be -injured, Monsieur Laborde now called up a little Arab servant, who had -never seen or heard of the magician. He was gay and laughing, and not at -all frightened; and the ceremony being repeated, he said he saw the -soldier sweeping in the front of a tent. He was then desired to bid the -soldier bring Shakspere, Colonel Cradock, and several other persons; and -he described every person and thing so exactly as to be entirely -satisfactory. During the operations the boy looked as if intoxicated, -with his eyes fixed and the perspiration dripping from his brow. Achmed -disenchanted him by placing his thumbs on his eyes. He gradually -recovered, and gayly related all he had seen, which he perfectly -remembered. - -Now this is merely another form of what the Laplanders, the African -magicians, and the Schaamans of Siberia, do by taking narcotics and -turning round till they fall down in a state of insensibility, in which -condition they are clear-seers, and besides vaticinating, describe -scenes, places, and persons, they have never seen. In Barbary they -anoint their hands with a black ointment, and then holding them up in -the sun, they see whatever they desire, like the Egyptians. - -Lady S—— possesses somewhat of a singular faculty, naturally. By -walking rapidly round a room several times, till a certain degree of -vertigo is produced, she will name to you any person you have privately -thought of or agreed upon with others. Her phrase is: “I _see_” so and -so. - -Monsieur Laborde purchased the secret of Achmed, who said he had learned -it from two celebrated scheicks of his own country, which was Algiers. -Monsieur L. found it connected with both physics and magnetism, and -practised it himself afterward with perfect success; and he affirms, -positively, that under the influence of a particular organization and -certain ceremonies, among which he can not distinguish which are -indispensable and which are not, that a child, without fraud or -collusion, can see, as through a window or peep-hole, people moving, who -appear and disappear at their command, and with whom they hold -communication—and they remember everything after the operation. He -says: “I narrate, but explain nothing; I produced those effects, but can -not comprehend them; I only affirm in the most positive manner that what -I relate is true. I performed the experiment in various places, with -various subjects, before numerous witnesses, in my own room or other -rooms, in the open air, and even in a boat on the Nile. The exactitude -and detailed descriptions of persons, places, and scenes, could by no -possibility be feigned.” - -Moreover, Baron Dupotet has very lately succeeded in obtaining these -phenomena in Paris, from persons not somnambulic selected from his -audience,—the chief difference being that they did not recollect what -they had seen when the crisis was over. - -Cagliostro, though a charlatan, was possessed of this secret, and it was -his great success in it that chiefly sustained his reputation; the -spectators, convinced he could make children see distant places and -persons in glass, were persuaded he could do other things, which -appeared to them no more mysterious. Dr. Dee was perfectly honest with -regard to his mirror, in which he could _see_ by concentrating his mind -on it; but, as he could not remember what he saw, he employed Kelly to -_see_ for him, while he himself wrote down the revelations: and Kelly -was a rogue, and deceived and ruined him. - -A friend of Pfeffel’s knew a boy, apprenticed to an apothecary at -Schoppenweyer, who, having been observed to amuse himself by looking -into vials filled with water, was asked what he saw; when it was -discovered that he possessed this faculty of _seeing_ in glass, which -was afterward very frequently exhibited for the satisfaction of the -curious. Pfeffel also mentions another boy who had this faculty, and who -went about the country with a small mirror, answering questions, -recovering stolen goods, &c. He said that he one day fell in with some -gipsies, one of whom was sitting apart and staring into this glass. The -boy, from curiosity, looked over his shoulder and exclaimed that he saw -“a fine man who was moving about;” whereupon the gipsy, having -interrogated him, gave him the glass; “for,” said he, “I have been -staring in it long enough, and can see nothing but my own face.” - -It is almost unnecessary to observe that the sacred books of the Jews -and of the Indians testify to their acquaintance with this mode of -divination, as well as many others. - -Many persons will have heard or read an account of Mr. Canning and Mr. -Huskisson having seen, while in Paris, the visionary representation of -their own deaths in water, as exhibited to them by a Russian or Polish -lady there: as I do not, however, know what authority there is for this -story, I will not insist on it here. But St. Simon relates a very -curious circumstance of this nature, which occurred at Paris, and was -related to him by the duke of Orleans, afterward regent. The latter said -that he had sent on the preceding evening for a man, then in Paris, who -pretended to exhibit whatever was desired in a glass of water. He came, -and a child of seven years old, belonging to the house, being called up, -they bade her tell what she saw doing in certain places. She did; and as -they sent to these places and found her report correct, they bade her -next describe under what circumstances the king would die, without, -however, asking when the death would take place. - -The child knew none of the court, and had never been at Versailles; yet -she described everything exactly—the room, bed, furniture, and the king -himself, Madame de Maintenon, Fagon, the physician, the princes and -princesses—everybody, in short, including a child, wearing an order, in -the arms of a lady whom she recognised as having seen; this was Madame -de Ventadour. - -It was remarkable that she omitted the dukes de Bourgogne and Berry, and -Monseigneur, and also the duchess de Bourgogne. Orleans insisted they -must be there, describing them; but she always said “_No._” These -persons were then all well, but they died before the king. She also saw -the children of the prince and princess of Conti, but not -themselves—which was correct, as they also died shortly after this -occurrence. - -Orleans then wished to see his own destiny; and the man said, if he -would not be frightened he could show it to him, as if painted on the -wall; and after fifteen minutes of conjuration, the duke appeared, of -the natural size, dressed as usual, but with a _couronne fermée_ or -closed crown on his head, which they could not comprehend, as it was not -that of any country they knew of. It covered his head, had only four -circles, and nothing at the top. They had never seen such a one. When he -became regent, they understood that that was the interpretation of the -prediction. - -In connection with this subject, the aversion to glass frequently -manifested by dogs is well worthy of observation. - -When facts of this kind are found to be recorded or believed in, in all -parts of the world, from the beginning of it up to the present time, it -is surely vain for the so-called _savants_ to deny them; and, as Cicero -justly says in describing the different kinds of magic, “What we have to -do with is the facts, since of the cause we know little. Neither,” he -adds, “are we to repudiate these phenomena, because we sometimes find -them imperfect, or even false, any more than we are to distrust that the -human eye sees, although some do this very imperfectly, or not at all.” - -We are part spirit and part matter: by the former we are allied to the -spiritual world and to the absolute spirit; and as nobody doubts that -the latter can work magically, that is, by the mere act of will—for by -the mere act of will all things were created, and by its constant -exertion all things are sustained—why should we be astonished that we, -who partake of the Divine nature and were created after God’s own image, -should also, within certain limits, partake of this magical power? That -this power has been frequently abused, is the fault of those who, being -capable, refuse to investigate, and deny the existence of these and -similar phenomena; and, by thus casting them out of the region of -legitimate science, leave them to become the prey of the ignorant and -designing. - -Dr. Ennemoser, in his very learned work on magic, shows us that all the -phenomena of magnetism and somnambulism, and all the various kinds of -divination, have been known and practised in every country under the -sun; and have been intimately connected with, and indeed may be traced -up to the fountain-head of every religion. - -What are the limits of these powers possessed by us while in the -flesh—how far they may be developed—and whether, at the extreme verge -of what we can effect, we begin to be aided by God or by spirits of -other spheres of existence bordering on ours—we know not; but, with -respect to the morality of these practices, it suffices that what is -good in act or intention, must come of good; and what is evil in act or -intention, must come of evil: which is true now, as it was in the time -of Moses and the prophets, when miracles and magic were used for -purposes holy and unholy, and were to be judged accordingly. God works -by natural laws, of which we yet know very little, and, in some -departments of his kingdom, nothing; and whatever appears to us -supernatural, only appears so from our ignorance; and whatever faculties -or powers he has endowed us with, it must have been designed we should -exercise and cultivate for the benefit and advancement of our race: nor -can I for one moment suppose that, though like everything else, liable -to abuse, the legitimate exercise of these powers, if we knew their -range, would be useless, much less pernicious or sinful. - -Of the magical power of WILL, as I have said before, we know nothing; -and it does not belong to a purely rationalistic age to acknowledge what -it can not understand. In all countries men have arisen, here and there, -who _have_ known it, and some traces of it have survived both in -language and in popular superstitions. “If ye have faith as a grain of -mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, ‘Remove hence,’ and it -shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you. Howbeit, this kind -goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” And, _veuillez et -croyez_—will and believe—was the solution Puységur gave of his magical -cures; and no doubt the explanation of those affected by royal hands is -to be found in the fact that they believed in _themselves_; and having -_faith_, they could exercise _will_. But, with the belief in the divine -right of kings, the faith and the power would naturally expire together. - -With respect to what Christ says, in the above-quoted passage, of -_fasting_, numerous instances are extant, proving that clear-seeing and -other magical or spiritual powers are sometimes developed by it. - -Wilhelm Krause, a doctor of philosophy and a lecturer at Jena, who died -during the prevalence of the cholera, cultivated these powers and -preached them. I have not been able to obtain his works, they being -suppressed as far as is practicable by the Prussian government. Krause -could leave his body, and, to all appearance, die whenever he pleased. -One of his disciples, yet living, Count von Eberstein, possesses the -same faculty. - -Many writers of the sixteenth century were well acquainted with the -power of will, and to this was attributed the good or evil influence of -blessings and curses. They believed it to be of great effect in curing -diseases, and that by it alone life might be extinguished. That, -_subjectively_, life may be extinguished, we have seen by the cases of -Colonel Townshend, the dervish that was buried, Hermotinus, and others: -for doubtless the power that could perform so much, could, under an -adequate motive, have performed more: and since all things in nature, -spiritual and material, are connected, and that there is an unceasing -interaction between them, we being members of one great whole, only -individualized by our organisms, it is possible to conceive that the -power which can be exerted on our own organism might be extended to -others: and since we can not conceive man to be an isolated being—the -only intelligence besides God—none above us and none below—but must, -on the contrary, believe that there are numerous grades of -intelligences, it seems to follow, of course, that we must stand in some -kind of relation to them, more or less intimate; nor is it at all -surprising that with some individuals this relation should be more -intimate than with others. Finally, we are not entitled to deny the -existence of this magical or spiritual power, as exerted by either -incorporated or unincorporated spirits, because we do not comprehend how -it can be exerted; since, in spite of all the words that have been -expended on the subject, we are equally ignorant of the mode in which -our own will acts upon our own muscles. We know the fact, but not the -mode of it. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - - CONCLUSION. - -OF the power of the mind over matter, we have a remarkable example in -the numerous well-authenticated instances of the _stigmata_. As in most -cases this phenomenon has been connected with a state of religious -exaltation, and has been appropriated by the Roman church as a miracle, -the fact has been in this country pretty generally discredited, but -without reason. Ennemoser, Passavent, Schubert, and other eminent German -physiologists, assure us that not only is the fact perfectly -established, as regards many of the so-called saints, but also that -there have been indubitable modern instances, as in the case of the -ecstaticas of the Tyrol, Catherine Emmerich (commonly called the Nun of -Dulmen), Maria Morl, and Domenica Lazzari, who have all exhibited the -stigmata. - -Catherine Emmerich, the most remarkable of the three, began very early -to have visions, and to display unusual endowments. She was very pious; -could distinguish the qualities of plants, reveal secrets or distant -circumstances, and knew people’s thoughts; but was, however, extremely -sickly, and exhibited a variety of extraordinary and distressing -symptoms, which terminated in her death. The wounds of the crown of -thorns round her head, and those of the nails in her hands and feet, -were as perfect as if painted by an artist, and they bled regularly on -Fridays. There was also a double cross on her breast. When the blood was -wiped away, the marks looked like the puncture of flies. She seldom took -any nourishment but water; and, having been but a poor cow-keeper, she -discoursed, when in the ecstatic state, as if inspired. - -I am well aware that on reading this, many persons who never saw her, -will say it was all imposture. It is very easy to say this; but it is as -absurd as presumptuous to pronounce on what they have had no opportunity -of observing. I never saw these women either; but I find myself much -more disposed to accept the evidence of those who did, than of those who -only “do not believe, because they do not believe.” - -Neither Catherine Emmerich nor the others made their sufferings a source -of profit, nor had they any desire to be exhibited—but quite the -contrary. She could see in the dark as well as the light, and frequently -worked all night at making clothes for the poor, without lamp or candle. - -There have been instances of magnetic patients being stigmatized in this -manner. Madame B. von N—— dreamed one night that a person offered her -a red and a white rose, and that she chose the latter. On awaking she -felt a burning pain in her arm, and by degrees there arose there the -figure of a rose perfect in form and color. It was rather raised above -the skin. The mark increased in intensity till the eighth day, after -which it faded away, and by the fourteenth was no longer perceptible. - -A letter from Moscow, addressed to Dr. Kerner, in consequence of reading -the account of the “Nun of Dulmen,” relates a still more extraordinary -case. At the time of the French invasion, a Cossack having pursued a -Frenchman into a _cul de sac_—an alley without an outlet—there ensued -a terrible conflict between them, in which the latter was severely -wounded. A person who had taken refuge in this close and could not get -away, was so dreadfully frightened, that when he reached home, there -broke out on his body the very same wounds that the Cossack had -inflicted on his enemy! - -The signatures of the fœtus are analogous facts; and if the mind of the -mother can thus act on another organism, why not the minds of the -saints, or of Catherine Emmerich, on their own? From the influence of -the mother on the child, we have but one step to that asserted to be -possible between two organisms not visibly connected for the difficulty -therein lies, that we do not see the link that connects them, though -doubtless it exists. Dr. Blacklock, who lost his eyesight at an early -period, said that, when awake, he distinguished persons by hearing and -feeling them; but when asleep, he had a distinct impression of another -sense. He then seemed to himself united to them by a kind of distant -contact, which was effected by threads passing from their bodies to his, -which seems to be but a metaphorical expression of the fact; for, -whether the connection be maintained by an all-pervading ether, or be -purely dynamic, that the intertraction exists between both organic and -inorganic bodies, is made evident wherever there is sufficient -excitability to render the effects sensible. - -Till very lately, the powers of the divining-rod were considered a mere -fable; yet, that this power exists, though not in the rod, but in the -person that holds it, is now perfectly well established. Count Tristan, -who has written a book on the subject, says that about one in forty have -it, and that a complete course of experiments has proved the phenomenon -to be electric. The rod seems to serve, in some degree, the same purpose -as the magical mirror and conjurations, and it is also serviceable in -presenting a result visible to the eye of the spectator. But numerous -cases are met with, in which metals or water are perceived beneath the -surface of the earth, without the intervention of the rod. A man, called -Bleton, from Dauphiny, possessed this divining power in a remarkable -degree, as did a Swiss girl, called Katherine Beutler. She was strong -and healthy, and of a phlegmatic temperament, yet so susceptible of -these influences that, without the rod, she pointed out and traced the -course of water, veins of metal, coal-beds, salt-mines, &c. The -sensations produced were sometimes on the soles of her feet, sometimes -on her tongue, or in her stomach. She never lost the power wholly, but -it varied considerably in intensity at different times, as it did with -Bleton. She was also rendered sensible of the bodily pains of others, by -laying her hand on the affected part, or near it; and she performed -several magnetic cures. - -A person now alive, named Dussange, in the Maçonnés, possesses this -power. He is a simple, honest man, who can give no account of his own -faculty. The Abbés Chatelard and Paramelle can also discover -subterraneous springs; but they say it is effected by means of their -geological science. Monsieur D——, of Cluny, however, found the faculty -of Dussange much more to be relied on. The Greeks and Romans made -hydroscopy an art; and there are works alluded to as having existed on -this subject, especially one by Marcellus. The caduceus of Mercury, the -wand of Circe, and the wands of the Egyptian sorcerers, show that the -wand or rod was always looked upon as a symbol of divination. One of the -most remarkable instances of the use of the divining-rod, is that of -Jacques Aymar. - -On the 5th of July, 1692, a man and his wife were murdered in a cellar -at Lyons, and their house was robbed. Having no clew whatever to the -criminal, this peasant, who had the reputation of being able to discover -murderers, thieves, and stolen articles, by means of the divining-rod, -was sent for from Dauphiny. Aymar undertook to follow the footsteps of -the assassins, but he said he must first be taken into the cellar where -the murder was committed. The procurator royal conducted him thither; -and they gave him a rod out of the first wood that came to hand. He -walked about the cellar, but the rod did not move till he came to the -spot where the man had been killed. Then Aymar became agitated, and his -pulse beat as if he were in a high fever; and all these symptoms were -augmented when he approached the spot on which they had found the body -of the woman. From this, he, of his own accord, went into a sort of shop -where the robbery had been committed; thence he proceeded into the -street, tracing the assassin, step by step, first to the court of the -archbishop’s palace, then out of the city, and along the right side of -the river. He was escorted all the way by three persons appointed for -the purpose, who all testified that sometimes he detected the traces of -three accomplices, sometimes only of two. He led the way to the house of -a gardener, where he insisted that they had touched a table and one of -three bottles that were yet standing upon it. It was at first denied; -but two children, of nine or ten years old, said that three men had been -there, and had been served with wine in that bottle. Aymar then traced -them to the river where they had embarked in a boat; and, what is very -extraordinary, he tracked them as surely on the water as on the land. He -followed them wherever they had gone ashore, went straight to the places -they had lodged at, pointed out their beds, and the very utensils of -every description that they had used. On arriving at Sablon, where some -troops were encamped, the rod and his own sensations satisfied him that -the assassins were there; but fearing the soldiers would ill treat him, -he refused to pursue the enterprise further, and returned to Lyons. He -was, however, promised protection, and sent back by water, with letters -of recommendation. On reaching Sablon, he said they were no longer -there; but he tracked them into Languedoc, entering every house they had -stopped at, till he at length reached the gate of the prison, in the -town of Beaucaire, where he said one of them would be found. They -brought all the prisoners before him, amounting to fifteen; and the only -one his rod turned on was a little _Bossu_, or deformed man, who had -just been brought in for a petty theft. He then ascertained that the two -others had taken the road to Nimes, and offered to follow them; but as -the man denied all knowledge of the murder, and declared he had never -been at Lyons, it was thought best that they should return there; and as -they went the way they had come, and stopped at the same houses, where -he was recognised, he at length confessed that he had travelled with two -men who had engaged him to assist in the crime. What is very remarkable, -it was found necessary that Jacques Aymar should walk in front of the -criminal, for when he followed him he became violently sick. From Lyons -to Beaucaire is forty-five miles. - -As the confession of the _Bossu_ confirmed all Aymar had asserted, the -affair now created an immense sensation; and a great variety of -experiments were instituted, every one of which proved perfectly -satisfactory. Moreover, two gentlemen, one of them the controller of the -customs, were discovered to possess this faculty, though in a minor -degree. They now took Aymar back to Beaucaire, that he might trace the -other two criminals; and he went straight again to the prison-gate, -where he said that now another would be found. On inquiry, however, it -was discovered that a man had been there to inquire for the _Bossu_, but -was gone again. He then followed them to Toulon, and finally to the -frontier of Spain, which set a limit to further researches. He was often -so faint and overcome with the effluvia, or whatever it was that guided -him, that the perspiration streamed from his brow, and they were obliged -to sprinkle him with water to prevent his fainting. - -He detected many robberies in the same way. His rod moved whenever he -passed over metals or water, or stolen goods; but he found that he could -distinguish the track of a murderer from all the rest, by the horror and -pain he felt. He made this discovery accidentally, as he was searching -for water. They dug up the ground, and found the body of a woman that -had been strangled. - -I have myself met with three or four persons in whose hands the rod -turned visibly; and there are numerous very remarkable cases recorded in -different works. In the Hartz, there is a race of people who support -themselves entirely by this sort of divination; and as they are paid -very highly, and do nothing else, they are generally extremely worthless -and dissipated. - -The extraordinary susceptibility to atmospheric changes in certain -organisms, and the faculty by which a dog tracks the foot of his master, -are analogous facts to those of the divining-rod. Mr. Boyle mentions a -lady who always perceived if a person that visited her came from a place -where snow had lately fallen. I have seen one who, if a quantity of -gloves are given her, can tell to a certainty to whom each belongs; and -a particular friend of my own, on entering a room, can distinguish -perfectly who has been sitting in it, provided these be persons he is -familiarly acquainted with. Numerous extraordinary stories are extant -respecting this kind of faculty in dogs. - -Doubtless not only our bodies, but all matter, sheds its atmosphere -around it; the sterility of the ground where metals are found is -notorious; and it is asserted that, to some persons, the vapors that -emanate from below are visible, and that, as the height of the mountains -round a lake furnishes a measure of its depth, so does the height to -which these vapors ascend show how far below the surface the mineral -treasures or the waters lie. The effect of metals on somnambulic persons -is well known to all who have paid any attention to these subjects; and -surely may be admitted, when it is remembered that Humboldt has -discovered the same sensibility in zoophytes, where no traces of nerves -could be detected; and, many years ago, Frascatorius asserted that -symptoms resembling apoplexy were sometimes induced by the proximity of -a large quantity of metal. A gentleman is mentioned who could not enter -the mint at Paris without fainting. In short, so many well-attested -cases of idiosyncratic sensibilities exist, that we have no right to -reject others because they appear incomprehensible. - -Now, we may not only easily conceive, but we know it to be a fact, that -fear, grief, and other detrimental passions, vitiate the secretions,[9] -and augment transpiration; and it is quite natural to suppose that, -where a crime has been committed which necessarily aroused a number of -turbulent emotions, exhalations perceptible to a very acute sense may -for some time hover over the spot; while the anxiety, the terror, the -haste, in short, the general commotion of system, that must accompany a -murderer in his flight, is quite sufficient to account for his path -being recognisable by such an abnormal faculty, “for the wicked flee -when no man pursueth.” We also know that a person perspiring with open -pores is more susceptible than another to contagion; and we have only to -suppose the pores of Jacques Aymar so constituted as easily to imbibe -the emanations shed by the fugitive, and we see why he should be -affected by the disagreeable sensations he describes. - -The disturbing effect of odors on some persons, which are quite -innoxious to others, must have been observed by everybody. Some people -do actually almost “die of a rose in aromatic pain.” Boyle says that, in -his time, many physicians avoided giving drugs to children, having found -that external applications, to be imbibed by the skin, or by -respiration, were sufficient; and the homeopaths occasionally use the -same means now. Sir Charles Bell told me that Mr. F——, a gentleman -well known in public life, had only to hold an old book to his nose to -produce all the effects of a cathartic. Elizabeth Okey was oppressed -with most painful sensations when near a person whose frame was sinking. -Whenever this effect was of a certain intensity, Dr. Elliotson observed -that the patient invariably died. - -Herein lies the secret of amulets and talismans, which grew to be a vain -superstition, but in which, as in all popular beliefs, there was a germ -of truth. Somnambulic persons frequently prescribe them; and absurd as -it may seem to many, there are instances in which their efficacy has -been perfectly established, be the interpretation of the mystery what it -may. In a great plague which occurred in Moravia, a physician, who was -constantly among the sufferers, attributed the complete immunity of -himself and his family to their wearing amulets composed of the powder -of toads, “which,” says Boyle, “caused an emanation adverse to the -contagion.” A Dutch physician mentions, that in the plague at Nimeguen, -the pest seldom attacked any house till they had used soap in washing -their linen. Wherever this was done it appeared immediately. - -In short, we are the subjects, and so is everything around us, of all -manner of subtle and inexplicable influences: and if our ancestors -attached too much importance to these ill-understood arcana of the -night-side of nature, we have attached too little. The sympathetic -effects of multitudes upon each other, of the young sleeping with the -old, of magnetism on plants and animals, are now acknowledged facts: may -not many other asserted phenomena that we yet laugh at be facts also, -though probably too capricious in their nature—by which I mean, -depending on laws beyond our apprehension—to be very available? For I -take it, that as there is no such thing as chance, but all would be -certainty if we knew the whole of the conditions, so no phenomena are -really capricious and uncertain: they only appear so to our ignorance -and shortsightedness. - -The strong belief that formerly prevailed in the efficacy of sympathetic -cures, can scarcely have existed, I think, without some foundation: nor -are they a whit more extraordinary than the sympathetic falling of -pictures and stopping of clocks and watches, of which such numerous -well-attested cases are extant that several learned German physiologists -of the present day pronounce the thing indisputable. I have myself heard -of some very perplexing instances. - -Gaffarillus alludes to a certain sort of magnet, not resembling iron, -but of a black-and-white color, with which if a needle or knife were -rubbed, the body might be punctured or cut without pain. How can we know -that this is not true? Jugglers who slashed and cauterized their bodies -for the amusement of the public were supposed to avail themselves of -such secrets. - -How is it possible for us, either, to imagine that the numerous recorded -cases of the _Blood Ordeal_, which consisted in the suspected assassin -touching the body of his victim, can have been either pure fictions or -coincidences? Not very long ago, an experiment of a frightful nature is -said to have been tried in France on a somnambulic person, by placing on -the epigastric region a vial filled with the arterial blood of a -criminal just guillotined. The effect asserted to have been produced was -the establishment of a rapport between the somnambule and the deceased -which endangered the life of the former. - -Franz von Baader suggests the hypothesis of a _vis sanguinis ultra -mortem_, and supposes that a rapport or _communio vitæ_ may be -established between the murderer and his victim; and he conceives the -idea of this mutual relation to be the true interpretation of the -sacrificial rites common to all countries, as also of the _Blutschuld_, -or the requiring blood for blood. - -With regard to the blood ordeal, the following are the two latest -instances of it recorded to have taken place in this country; they are -extracted from “Hargrave’s State Trials:”— - -“Evidence having been given with respect to the death of Jane Norkott, -an ancient and grave person, minister of the parish in Hertfordshire -where the murder took place, being sworn, deposed, that the body being -taken up out of the grave, and the four defendants being present, were -required each of them, to touch the dead body. Okeman’s wife fell upon -her knees, and prayed God to show token of her innocency. The appellant -did touch the body, whereupon the brow of the deceased, which was before -of a livid and carrion color, began to have a dew, or gentle sweat on -it, which increased by degrees till the sweat ran down in drops on the -face, the brow turned to a lively and fresh color, and the deceased -opened one of her eyes and shut it again, and this opening the eye was -done three several times; she likewise thrust out the ring, or marriage -finger, three times, and pulled it in again, and blood dropped from the -finger on the grass. - -“Sir Nicholas Hyde, the chief justice, seeming to doubt this evidence, -he asked the witness who saw these things besides him, to which he, the -witness, answered, ‘My lord, I can not swear what others saw, but I do -believe the whole company saw it; and if it had been thought a doubt, -proof would have been made, and many would have attested with me. My -lord,’ added the witness, observing the surprise his evidence awakened, -‘I am minister of the parish, and have long known all the parties, but -never had displeasure against any of them, nor they with me, but as I -was minister. The thing was wonderful to me, but I have not interest in -the matter, except as called on to testify to the truth. My lord, my -brother, who is minister of the next parish, is here present, and, I am -sure, saw all that I have affirmed.’” - -Hereupon, the brother, being sworn, he confirmed the above evidence in -every particular, and the first witness added, that having dipped his -finger into what appeared to be blood, he felt satisfied that it was -really so. It is to be observed, that this extraordinary circumstance -must have occurred, if it occurred at all, when the body had been upward -of a month dead; for it was taken up in consequence of various rumors -implicating the prisoners, after the coroner’s jury had given in a -verdict of _felo de se_. On their first trial, they were acquitted, but -an appeal being brought, they were found guilty and executed. It was on -this latter occasion that the above strange evidence was given, which, -being taken down at the time by Sir John Maynard, then sergeant-at-law, -stands recorded, as I have observed, in Hargrave’s edition of “State -Trials.” - -The above circumstances occurred in the year 1628, and in 1688 the blood -ordeal was again had recourse to in the trial of Sir Philip Stansfield -for parricide, on which occasion the body had also been buried, but for -a short time. Certain suspicions arising, it was disinterred and -examined by the surgeons, and, from a variety of indications, no doubt -remained that the old man had been murdered, nor that his son was guilty -of his death. When the body had been washed and arrayed in clean linen, -the nearest relations and friends were desired to lift it and replace it -in the coffin; and when Sir Philip placed his hand under it, he suddenly -drew it back, stained with blood, exclaiming, “Oh, God!” and letting the -body fall, he cried, “Lord, have mercy upon me!” and went and bowed -himself over a seat in the church, in which the corpse had been -inspected. Repeated testimonies are given to this circumstance in the -course of the trial; and it is very remarkable that Sir John Dalrymple, -a man of strong intellect, and wholly free from superstition, admits it -as an established fact in his charge to the jury. - -In short, we are all, though in different degrees, the subjects of a -variety of subtle influences, which, more or less, neutralize each -other, and many of which, therefore, we never observe; and frequently -when we do observe the effects, we have neither time nor capacity for -tracing the cause; and when in more susceptible organisms such effects -are manifested, we content ourselves with referring the phenomena to -disease or imposture. The exemption, or the power, whichever it may be, -by which certain persons or races are enabled to handle venomous animals -with impunity, is a subject that deserves much more attention than it -has met with; but nobody thinks of investigating secrets that seem -rather curious than profitable; besides which, to believe these things -implies a reflection on one’s sagacity. Yet, every now and then, I hear -of facts so extraordinary, which come to me from undoubted authority, -that I can see no reason in the world for rejecting others that are not -much more so. For example, only the other day, Mr. B. C——, a gentleman -well known in Scotland, who has lived a great deal abroad, informed me, -that having frequently heard of the singular phenomenon to be observed -by placing a scorpion and a mouse together under a glass, he at length -tried the experiment; and the result perfectly established what he had -been previously unable to believe. Both animals were evidently -frightened, but the scorpion made the first attack, and stung the mouse, -which defended itself bravely, and killed the scorpion. The victory, -however, was not without its penalties, for the mouse swelled to an -unnatural size, and seemed in danger of dying from the poison of its -defeated antagonist, when it relieved itself and was cured by eating the -scorpion, which was thus proved to be an antidote to its own venom; -furnishing a most interesting and remarkable instance of isopathy. - -There is a religious sect in Africa, not far from Algiers, who eat the -most venomous serpents alive, and certainly, it is said, without -extracting their fangs. They declare they enjoy the privilege from their -founder. The creatures writhe and struggle between their teeth; but -possibly, if they do bite them, the bite is innocuous. - -Then, not to mention the common expedients of extracting the poisonous -fangs, or forcing the animal by repeated bitings to exhaust their venom, -the fact seems too well established to be longer doubted, that there are -persons in whom the faculty of charming, or, in other words, disarming -serpents, is inherent, as the psylli and marsi of old, and the people -mentioned by Bruce, Hassequist, and Lempriere, who were themselves -eye-witnesses of the facts they relate. With respect to the marsi, it -must be remembered, that Heliogabalus made their priests fling venomous -serpents into the circus when it was full of people, and that many -perished by the bites of these animals, which the marsi had handled with -impunity. The modern charmers told Bruce that their immunity was born -with them; and it was established beyond a doubt, during the French -expedition into Egypt, that these people go from house to house to -destroy serpents, as men do rats in this country. They declare that some -mysterious instinct guides them to the animals, which they immediately -seize with fury and tear to pieces with their hands and teeth. The -negroes of the Antilles can smell a serpent which they do not see, and -of whose presence a European is quite insensible; and Madame Calderon de -la Barca mentions, in her letters from Mexico, some singular cases of -exemption from the pernicious effects of venomous bites; and further -relates, that in some parts of America, where rattlesnakes are extremely -abundant, they have a custom of innoculating children with the poison, -and that this is a preservative from future injury. This may or may not -be true; but it is so much the fashion in these days to set down to the -account of fable everything deviating from our daily experience, that -travellers may repeat these stories for ages before any competent person -will take the trouble of verifying the report. However, taking the -evidence altogether, it appears clear that there does exist in some -persons a faculty of producing in these animals a sort of numbness, or -_engourdissement_, which renders them for the time incapable of -mischief; though of the nature of the power we are utterly ignorant, -unless it be magnetic. The senses of animals, although generally -resembling ours, are yet extremely different in various instances; and -we know that many of them have one faculty or another exalted to an -intensity of which we have no precise conception. Galen asserted, on the -authority of the marsi and psylli themselves, that they obtained their -immunity by feeding on the flesh of venomous animals: but Pliny, Elian, -Silius Italicus, and others, account for the privilege by attributing it -to the use of some substance of a powerful nature, with which they -rubbed their bodies; and most modern travellers incline to the same -explanation. But if this were the elucidation of the mystery, I suspect -it would be easily detected. - -It is observable that in all countries where a secret of this sort -exists, there is always found some custom which may be looked upon as -either the cause or the consequence of the discovery. In Hindostan, for -example, in order to test the truth of an accusation, the cobra capello -is flung into a deep pot of earth with a ring; and if the supposed -criminal succeeds in extracting the ring without being bitten by the -serpent, he is accounted innocent. So the sacred asps in Egypt inflicted -death upon the wicked, but spared the good. Dr. Allnut mentions that he -saw a negro in Africa touch the protruded tongue of a snake with the -black matter from the end of his pipe, which he said was tobacco-oil. -The effects were as rapid as a shock of electricity. The animal never -stirred again, but stiffened, and was as rigid and hard as if it had -been dried in the sun. - -It is related of Machamut, a Moorish king, that he fed on poisons till -his bite became fatal and his saliva venomous. Cœlius Rhodiginus -mentions the same thing of a woman who was thus mortal to all her -lovers; and Avicenna mentions a man whose bite was fatal in the same -way. - -The boy that was found in the forest of Arden, in 1563, and who had been -nourished by a she-wolf, made a great deal of money for a short time, -after he was introduced to civilized life, by exempting the flocks and -herds of the shepherds from the peril they nightly ran of being devoured -by wolves. This he did by stroking them with his hands, or wetting them -with his saliva, after which they for some time enjoyed an immunity. His -faculty was discovered from the circumstance of the beasts he kept never -being attacked. It left him, however, when he was about fourteen, and -the wolves ceased to distinguish him from other human beings. - -However, my readers will, I think, ere now have supped full with -_wonders_, if not with _horrors_—and it is time I should bring this -book to a conclusion. If I have done no more, I trust I shall at least -have afforded some amusement; but I shall be better pleased to learn -that I have induced any one, if it be _but_ one, to look upon life and -death, and the mysteries that attach to both, with a more curious and -inquiring eye than they have hitherto done. I can not but think that it -would be a great step if mankind could familiarize themselves with the -idea that they are spirits incorporated for a time in the flesh; but -that the dissolution of the connection between soul and body, though it -changes the external conditions of the former, leaves its moral state -unaltered. What a man has made himself, he will be; his state is the -result of his past life, and his heaven or hell is in himself. At death -we enter upon a new course of life, and what that life shall be depends -upon ourselves. If we have provided oil for our lamps, and fitted -ourselves for a noble destiny and the fellowship of the great and good -spirits that have passed away, such will be our portion; and if we have -misused our talent, and sunk our souls in the sensual pleasures or base -passions of this world, we shall carry our desires and passions with us, -to make our torment in the other—or perhaps be tethered to the earth by -some inextinguishable remorse or disappointed scheme, like those unhappy -spirits I have been writing about—and that perhaps for hundreds of -years; for, although they be evidently freed from many of the laws of -space and matter, while unable to leave the earth, they are still the -children of time and have not entered into eternity. It is surely absurd -to expect that because our bodies have decayed and fallen away, or been -destroyed by an accident, that a miracle is to be wrought in our favor, -and that the miser’s love of gold, or the profligate’s love of vice, is -to be immediately extinguished, and be superseded by inclinations and -tastes better suited to his new condition! New circumstances do not so -rapidly engender a new mind here, that we should hope they will do so -there: more especially as, in the first place, we do not know what -facilities of improvement may remain in us; and in the second, since the -law that like seeks like must be undeviating, the blind will seek the -blind, and not those who could help them to light. - -I think, too, that if people would learn to remember that they are -spirits, and acquire the habit of conceiving of themselves as -individuals, apart from the body, that they would not only be better -able to realize this view of a future life, but they would also find it -much less difficult to imagine, that, since they belong to the spiritual -world on the one hand, quite as much as they belong to the material -world on the other, that these extraordinary faculties, which they -occasionally see manifested by certain individuals, or in certain -states, may possibly be but faint rays of those properties which are -inherent in spirit, though temporarily obscured by its connection with -the flesh—and designed to be so, for the purposes of this earthly -existence. The most ancient nations of the world knew this, although we -have lost sight of it, as we learn by the sacred books of the Hebrews. - -According to the _Cabbalah_, “Mankind are endowed by nature, not only -with the faculty of penetrating into the regions of the supersensuous -and invisible, but also of working magically above and below, or in the -worlds of light and darkness. As the Eternal fills the world, sees, and -is not seen, so does the soul (_N’schamach_) fill the body, and sees -without being seen. The soul perceives that which the bodily eye can -not. Sometimes a man is seized suddenly with a fear, for which he can -not account, which is because the soul descries an impending misfortune. -The soul possesses also the power of working with the elementary matter -of the earth, so as to annihilate one form and produce another. Even by -the force of imagination, human beings can injure other things; yea, -even to the slaying of a man!” (The new platonist, Paracelsus, says the -same thing.) The “Cabbalah” teaches that there have in all times existed -men endowed with powers, in a greater or less degree, to work good or -evil; for, to be a virtuoso in either, requires a peculiar spiritual -vigor: thence, such men as heroes and priests in the kingdom of Tumah -(the kingdom of the clean and unclean). “If a man therefore sets his -desires on what is godly, in proportion as his efforts are not selfish, -but purely a seeking of holiness, he will be endowed, by the free grace -of God, with supernatural faculties; and it is the highest aim of -existence, that man should regain his connection with his inward, -original source, and exalt the material and earthly into the spiritual.” -The highest degree of this condition of light and spirit is commonly -called “the holy ecstasy,” which is apparently the degree attained by -the ecstatics of the Tyrol. - -I am very far from meaning to imply that it is our duty, or in any way -desirable, that we should seek to bring ourselves into this state of -holy ecstasy, which seems to involve some derangement of the normal -relations between the soul and body; but it is at least equally unwise -in us to laugh at, or deny it or its proximate conditions, where they -really exist. It appears perfectly clear that, as by giving ourselves up -wholly to our external and sensuous life, we dim and obscure the spirit -of God that is in us—so, by annihilating, as far as in us lies, the -necessities of the body, we may so far subdue the flesh as to loosen the -bonds of the spirit, and enable it to manifest some of its inherent -endowments. Ascetics and saints have frequently done this voluntarily; -and disease, or a peculiar constitution, sometimes does this for us -involuntarily: and it is far from desirable that we should seek to -produce such a state by either means, but it _is_ extremely desirable -that we should avail ourselves of the instruction to be gained by the -simple knowledge that such phenomena have existed and been observed in -all ages; and that thereby our connection with the spiritual world may -become a demonstrated fact to all who choose to open their eyes to it. - -With regard to the cases of apparitions I have adduced, they are not, as -I said before, one hundredth part of those I could have brought forward, -had I resorted to a few of the numerous printed collections that exist -in all languages. - -Whether the view I acknowledge myself to take of the facts be or not the -correct one—whether we are to look to the region of the psychical or -the hyperphysical for the explanation—the facts themselves are -certainly well worthy of observation; the more so, as it will be seen -that, although ghosts are often said to be out of fashion, such -occurrences are, in reality, as rife as ever: while, if these shadowy -forms be actually visiters from the dead, I think we can not too soon -lend an attentive ear to the tale their reappearance tells us. - -That we do not all see them, or that those who promise to come do not -all keep tryst, amounts to nothing. We do not know why they can come, -nor why they can not; and as for not seeing them, I repeat, we must not -forget how many other things there are that we do not see: and since, in -science, we know that there are delicate manifestations which can only -be rendered perceptible to our organs by the application of the most -delicate electrometers, is it not reasonable to suppose that there may -exist certain susceptible or diseased organisms, which, judiciously -handled, may serve as electrometers to the healthy ones? - -As my book is designed as an inquiry, with a note of interrogation I -characteristically bid adieu to my readers. - - C. C. - ------ - -[9] In the “Medical Annals,” a case is recorded of a young lady whose -axillary excretions were rendered so offensive, by the fright and horror -she had experienced in seeing some of her relations assassinated in -India, that she was unable to go into society. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected. 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