file which includes the original        
illustration4       ,see #dcbcg-;h4htm  
or #dcbcg-;h4zip3                       
7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu
b_/#dcbcg_/pg#dcbcg-;images4html7       
or                                      
7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#dc
bcg_/dcbcg-;h4zip7         ,images of   
the original pages are available through
       ,internet ,archive4 ,see         
https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/spiritla
nd#jj;emmo   ,transcriber's note3       
,text enclosed by underscores is in     
italics 7italics74      ,illustration3  
,,the ,,spirit ,,land4   ,,the ,,spirit 
,,land4  by  ,s4 ,b4 ,,emmons4          
,philadelphia3 ,john ,e4 ,potter and    
,company4 ,nos4 #fad and #fag ,sansom   
,street4  ,entered according to ,act of 
,congress1 in the year #aheg1 by ,l4 ,p4
 ,crown  ,co41 in the ,clerk's ,office  
of the ,district ,court of the ,district
 of ,massachusetts     ,,to ,,the       
,,reader4   ,this volume is intended as 
an antidote to a species of errors that 

have been rife in every age of the      
,christian church4 ,notwithstanding the 
disclosures the ,most ,high made of     
himself to his ancient people1 they were
 yet prone to turn aside from the       
worship of the true ,god1 to follow the 
lying spirits of the prophets of ,baal1 
and other deceivers1 from the days of   
,moses till the destruction of          
,jerusalem4 ,so1 likewise1 under the    
,christian dispensation1 there has been 
a succession of ,antichrists1 until     
their name is legion1 whose teachings   
have clouded the understandings and     
blinded the moral perceptions of men1   
subverting the faith of many whose      
mountains stood strong1 and who had been
 counted the chosen people of ,god4     
,the present is viewed as an age of     
isms4 ,men have run mad1 and are chasing
 phantoms4 ,they are roaming round to   
find some fulcrum to overturn the church
 and the ,bible2 they are imagining they
 are receiving utterances from heaven1  
when nothing is uttered but the vain    

fantasies of their own minds and hearts4
 ,it is the grossest                    
fanaticism--fanaticism in its most      
frightful form1 leading its unhappy     
victims1 not unfrequently1 to flagrant  
crimes1 and to the most horrid of       
all--that of self-destruction4  ,these  
pages are submitted to the public with  
the counsel of the wisest and best of   
all ages1 that1 amid the wily arts of   
the adversary1 we should cling to the   
word of ,god1 the ,bible of our fathers1
 as the only safe and infallible guide  
of faith and practice4     ,,note4   ,we
 would here give credit to the principal
 works from which valuable and important
 matter has been selected for these     
pages3 ,whitman's ,popular              
,superstitions2 ,upham's ,lectures upon 
,witchcraft2 ,christian ,freeman and    
,family ,visitor2 ,abercrombie on the   
,intellectual ,powers2 ,influence of the
 ,imagination upon the ,nervous ,system1
 by ,rev4 ,grant ,powers2 ,life of ,adam
 ,clarke2 ,hayward's ,book of all       

,religions2 ,miller on the ,second      
,coming of ,christ2 ,borrow's ,gypsies  
of ,spain2 ,stone on ,false ,prophets   
and ,christs2 ,dickens's ,household     
,words2 ,capron and ,barron on the      
,spirit ,knockings2 ,dick on the        
,improvement of ,society2 ,revelations  
of ,a4 ,j4 ,davis2 ,the ,great          
,harmonia2 ,rogers on ,human and        
,mundane ,agents2 ,miss ,crowe's ,night 
,side of ,nature2 ,spiritual ,telegraph1
 c4  ,as the work embraces a mass of    
facts of an absorbing and intensely     
interesting character1 we trust that it 
will commend itself to an enlightened   
and judicious public4  ,,the ,,author4  
,,contents4   ,,part ,,first4           
,,introduction4  ,,the ,,object ,,of    
,,this ,,work4                          
,,page  ,nursery tales of giants1       
dwarfs1 ghosts1 fairies1 and witches4-- 
,their effect upon juvenile minds4--,a  
belief in ghosts still prevalent4--,the 
excitability of the public mind4--,ghost
 reported as having been seen in        

,waltham1 ,massachusetts4               
#ag   ,,chapter ,i4  ,,origin ,,of      
,,popular ,,superstitions4  ,ignorance  
of correct reasoning4--,conclusions from
 particular facts4--,water boiled by    
heat4--,signs4--,breaking a             
mirror4--,gene ral conclusions from a   
few facts4--,a victim to superstition in
 ,new ,hampshire4--,how signs may be    
multiplied4--,the design of the ,creator
 in endowing us with reason4            
#ai   ,,chapter ,,ii4  ,,inductive      
,,philosophy ,,not ,,understood4        
,ignorance of it the cause of many      
superstitions4--,lights seen in marshy  
grounds1 c4--,supposed to be            
supernatural4--,causes of these lights1 
and phenomena connected with            
them4--,shrinking and swelling of pork  
in boiling4--,cause4--,supposed         
influence of the moon in making soap1   
grafting trees1 cutting timber1         
c4--,lunar influence in matters of      
wedlock4--,love not to be fed on        
moonshine4                              

#bb   ,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,ignorance ,,of
 ,,the ,,causes ,,of ,,dreams4          
,fruitful source of                     
superstitions4--,opinions of ancient    
divines4 --,dreams related in the       
,scriptures4--,their                    
object4--,principles of mental          
philosophy applied to modern            
dreams4--,examples of singular          
dreams4--,dreams occasioned by          
sickness4--,fulfilment of certain       
dreams4--,causes of the                 
same4--,remarkable case of a ,german    
student4--,case of a member of          
,congress4--,amusing case concerning a  
passage of ,scripture4--,necessity of a 
pure conscience1 and a careful attention
 to our stomachs4               #bd     
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,effects ,,of ,,the   
,,imagination ,,on ,,the ,,nervous      
,,system4  ,ignorance of it has given   
rise to many                            
superstitions4--,experiments of ,mesmer 
and ,deslon in ,paris4--,singular       
developments4--,trials at ,dr4          

,franklin's house4--,children           
uninfluenced by mesmeric operations4    
--,magnetizing a tree in ,dr4           
,franklin's garden4--,experiments upon  
two females4--,effect                   
produced4--,experiment upon a female by 
,dr4 ,sigault4--,practice among the     
,chinese4--,girl frightened to death by 
a ,gypsy4--,practice among the ,new     
,zealanders4--,killing others by        
incantation4--,intercourse with departed
 spirits4--,an account of ,perkins's    
metallic tractors4--,their supposed     
influence in various                    
diseases4--,suspicions concerning       
them4--,experiments with wooden         
tractors4--,result of these             
experiments4--,statements of a modern   
mesmerizer4                             
#bi   ,,chapter ,v4  ,,ignorance ,,of   
,,mental ,,philosophy4  ,this ignorance 
a cause of many superstitions4--,case of
 a person who slept in a bed room       
supposed to be haunted4--,skeleton seen 
by moonlight4--,apparition seen by ,dr4 

,gregory4--,case related by ,dr4        
,conolly4--,ship's crew frightened by an
 apparition4--,young lady supposed to   
have been murdered by pirates4--,cases  
of impressions connected with bodily    
disease4--,phantasms in febrile         
diseases4--,a farmer frightened to death
 by a light in the road4--,a figure like
 ,death striking a lady in her side with
 a dart4--,illusion of sight and        
hearing4--,case of a lady who saw her   
absent husband standing by her          
side4--,countenance of a friend seen in 
a mirror4--,tunes heard4--,inverted     
objects4--,visions of the world of      
spirits4--,case of ,baron               
,swedenborg4--,case of a lady in        
,boston1 who saw her deceased           
grandmother4--,the phantom ship seen in 
,new ,haven4--,the science of           
optics4--,of nauscopy4--,cases of       
mirage4                 #ch   ,,chapter 
,,vi4  ,,ignorance ,,of ,,true          
,,religion4  ,god the ,supreme ,ruler of
 the ,universe4--,the natural world     

governed by regular laws4--,sign of the 
howling of a dog under the window4--    
,lucky and unlucky days4--,sir ,matthew 
,hale's opinion4--,early laws of        
,connecticut4--,superstition of         
sailors4--,timidity of ,voltaire4--     
,peace and happiness on all days4--,how 
procured4                    #ej        
,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,belief ,,in         
,,witchcraft4  ,a witch as regarded by  
our fathers4--,compact or agreement with
 the devil4--,carried through the air on
 brooms and spits4--,anointing their    
bodies with a magical ointment4--,how to
 prepare the same4--,singular ceremonies
 at the meetings of witches4--,how they 
afflicted others4 --,the bewitched pins 
shown to ,grace ,greenwood4--,mode of   
examining and trying witches4--,witch   
catcher in ,england4--,how he was       
arrested and condemned4--,singular      
record on a church book in ,scotland4-- 
,notice of the ,salem witchcraft4--,how 
such superstitions are to be done       
away4--,witches and wizards of modern   

times4                   #ec   ,,chapter
 ,,viii4  ,,necromancy ,,and ,,fortune  
,,telling4  ,moll ,pitcher1 the queen of
 the race4--,her place of               
abode4--,company that visited           
her4--,member of a church sent to       
consult her4--,casting out evil spirits 
in ,syria4--,account of ,lady ,hester   
,stanhope4--,the astrologer of          
,hopkinton1 ,massachusetts4--,chief     
characteristic of fortune               
seekers4--,effects produced upon them4  
#eh   ,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,fairies1 ,,or  
,,wandering ,,spirits1 ,,and ,,gypsies4 
,description of fairies1 habits1        
localities1 c4--,subterranean spirits in
 ,wales1 called ,knockers4--,the        
,brownies in ,scotland4--,a farmer in   
,ireland who was tormented by           
fairies4--,method taken to appease their
 anger4--,spenser's poem of the ,fairy  
,queen4--,gypsies and their             
employments4--,casting the evil         
eye4--,safeguard against it4--,charm of 
the ,bible and key4--,superstition      

called the elf-shot4--,practice of      
poisoning animals1 and the              
cure4--,superstitions concerning the    
loadstone4--,translation of ,st4 ,luke  
into the ,gypsy tongue4-- ,singular     
notions of the ,gypsies concerning      
it4--,condemned by the royal edict at   
,madrid4--,the ,gypsy choirs at         
,moscow4--,anecdote of ,madame          
,catalini4                              
#fa   ,,chapter ,x4  ,,omens1 ,,charms1 
,,and ,,divination4  ,books published   
upon these things4--,their injurious    
tendency4--,a sample of their           
contents4--,practice of                 
boxers4--,whistling in a storm at       
sea4--,setting hens on an odd number of 
eggs4--,salutes of an odd number of     
guns4--,omen concerning the number      
thirteen4 --,methods of ascertaining who
 will be a future husband4--,crossing of
 knives4--,click of insects4--,advent of
 comets4                   #gf          
,,chapter ,,xi4  ,,modern ,,miracles4   
,they partake of                        

superstition4--,instructions of the     
,savior concerning them4--,object of    
,scripture miracles4--,modern miracles  
not satisfactory4 --,judge ,howe's      
opinion concerning                      
,christianity4--,times of miracles      
ceased4                                 
#gi   ,,chapter ,,xii4  ,,false         
,,prophets ,,and ,,christs4  ,history of
 the prophet ,matthias4--,his career in 
,albany and ,new ,york4 --,his          
deceptions upon conspicuous             
individuals4--,his arrest for alleged   
crimes4--,account of ,john of           
,leyden4--,sketch of ,cochrane1 and his 
impositions4                            
#ha   ,,chapter ,,xiii4  ,,mormon       
,,superstition4  ,account of the golden 
plates found by ,joseph ,smith4--,their 
translation and publication in a        
volume4--,peculiar style of the         
writings4--,attempt at                  
imitation4--,mormon preachers speaking  
with new tongues4--,increase of the     
doctrine1 and why4--,mormon cities not  

to be identified4--,strong indications  
of fabrication4-- ,fluency and          
earnestness of their preachers4--,traits
 of the ,cochranites4--,effects produced
 upon their hearers4--,an account of the
 real origin of the ,mormon ,bible1 and 
its author4--,of ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41  
the ,mormon prophet4--,his early        
characteristics4 --,exposure of the     
indecent ceremonies at ,nauvoo2 as      
established by ,smith and others4       
#if   ,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,,miller        
,,delusion4  ,prophecies of ,mr4        
,miller4--,his computation of           
time4--,management to suit his own      
particular views4--,keeping the world   
standing thirty years on a simple       
if4--,various blunders and mistakes4    
--,confession of his errors4--,false    
information respecting signs4           
--,disappearance of stars4--,of the     
,aurora ,borealis4--,shooting           
stars4--,sun and moon turning to        
blood4--,darkness of the sun4-- ,its    
cause4--,remarkable appearances in      

various ages of the world4 --,opinion   
concerning ,halley's comet4--,ignorance 
of the constitution of comets4--,the    
comet of #aggj4--,tests of signs that   
shall indicate the end of               
time4--,scientific men stationed in     
various parts of the earth4--,no such   
changes as have been spoken of by the   
second advent preachers1 observed by    
them4                               #ajb
   ,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,intercourse ,,with
 ,,departed ,,spirits4  ,spirits1       
ghosts1 and spectres seen in all        
ages4--,account of the magic crystals1  
or divining glasses4--,seeing spirits in
 ,egypt4-- ,lady ,blessington's crystal 
in ,england4--,spirit of ,lord ,nelson  
described4--,the ,latin language        
commonly used by spirits4--,an account  
of spirits that live in the             
,,sun4--,spirits conversing with human  
beings4--,mode of communication by      
letters of fire1 or large printed       
capitals4--,interview with the spirit of
 ,pharaoh4--,his present dwelling in the

 planet ,jupiter4-- ,information gleaned
 in conversation with                   
him4--,swedenborg's account of ,sir     
,john ,franklin4--,describes his        
situation1 blocked up by ice4--,spirits 
do not understand about latitude and    
longitude4--,description of the spirit  
of ,socrates1 his dress1 c4--,account of
 the emperor ,alexander in the spirit   
world4-- ,dickens's account of          
fashionable dupes in ,england4--,the    
sciences of astrology and               
magic4--,practices of high titled ladies
 in ,london4--,account of famous        
conjurers1 or fortune tellers4--        
,account of the rappers1 or knocking    
spirits4--,children frightened by their 
noises4--,snapping of fingers1 and      
clapping of hands1 imitated by the      
spirits4--,mrs4 ,fox asks questions of a
 spirit4--,answers given by a succession
 of raps4--,account of a ghost that     
appeared in ,waltham1                   
,massachusetts4--,conversation with the 
ghost by a gentleman4--,said he had been

 murdered1 and told by whom4--,tones of 
the ghost1 7unearthly17 its mode of     
walking1 c4 --,great excitement on      
account of the ghost4--,mode of         
communication with the rapping          
spirits4--,tables and chairs moved1     
sounds heard1 c4--,band of music1       
beating of the bass drum1 and roar of   
artillery4 --,guitar played by unseen   
hands4--,ladies' hair taken down and    
braided by spirits4--,people touched by 
unseen hands4--,how spirits produce the 
sounds of music4--,how they make the    
rapping noises4 --,account of an        
interview with the spirit of ,dr4       
,franklin4-- ,sounds heard like trying  
the batteries in the telegraph office4--
 ,occupation of ,franklin in the spirit 
world4--,getting up a line of           
communication between the two           
worlds4--,dr4 ,franklin predicts great  
changes in the nineteenth               
century4--,connection of magnetism with 
the spiritual rappings4--,clairvoyant   
interpreters between men and            

spirits4--,spiritual postmasters1 letter
 paper1 and envelopes4 --,letters       
received from the spiritual             
worlds4--,the ,spirit ,journal1 in      
,auburn1 ,new ,york4--,its pages edited1
 controlled1 and superintended by       
spirits4--,the prophets and apostles its
 conductors1 acting under the ,,lord    
,,supreme4--,blunders and errors of the 
rapping spirits4 --,ignorant            
spirits4--,mischief produced by         
them4--,swedenborg's account of their   
stupidity4--,how to distinguish the     
sounds made by an ignorant or an        
intelligent spirit4--,wonderful         
precocity of infant                     
spirits4--,progression of spirits1 both 
upwards and downwards4-- ,the spirit of 
,dr4 ,channing deteriorated in the other
 world4-- ,theological teachings of the 
rapping spirits4--,prophecy of          
,swedenborg concerning the year         
#aheb4--,noises of the rappers          
indicative of the approach of his       
prediction4--,are to be considered as   

omens of a new advent4--,compared with  
the ,miller prophecy of                 
#ahdc4--,miracles1 both of the rappers  
and the ,millerites4--,a sick man and   
his bed taken up by spirits4--,the body 
of a ,mr4 ,gordon taken up by spiritual 
hands4--,miracles wrought in favor of   
,millerism4--,miracles wrought in favor 
of witchcraft4-- ,millerites taken up by
 spiritual hands4--,strange noises made 
by spirits among the                    
,adventists4--,houses shaken1 mirrors   
shattered to pieces1 furniture          
broken4--,four women carried through the
 air on a pole4--,testimony under oath  
respecting it4--,account of a bewitched 
ventriloquist4--,witches in #ahej4      
--,what the editor of a ,boston journal 
says of them4--,witches1 ghosts1 spooks1
 and hobgoblins1 in all ages of the     
world4-- ,account of a haunted house in 
,boston4--,every window illuminated at  
midnight4--,a young man frightened by   
the scene4--,singular notion of the     
,greenlanders respecting the cause of   

thunder1 and of the ,aurora             
,borealis4--,notion of the ancients     
concerning the foundation of the        
earth4--,of the mathematician ,kepler4--
 ,performance of ,signor                
,blitz4--,effects produced by           
ventriloquism4 --,singular vibrations of
 the guitar4--,spirit rappings          
considered as a new science4--,noises   
heard by the ,wesley family1 in #agaf4  
--,noises heard by ,martin              
,luther4--,empty barrels and hogsheads  
tumbling down stairs4--,information of  
past1 present1 and future events4--,the 
fortune tellers in comparison with the  
spirit rappers4 --,spirits unwilling or 
unable to spell their own               
names4--,spiritual communications on the
 decline4--,contrast between the doings 
of ancient and modern                   
spirits4--,swedenborg's information     
concerning the spirit of                
,melancthon4--,a clairvoyant interview  
with ,tom ,paine4 --,account of an      
interview with ,mr4                     

,sunderland4--,dialogue with a young    
lady4--,interview with a clairvoyant    
medium in ,lowell4--,facts respecting   
mesmeric operations4--,people deceived  
by sympathetic spirits4--,judson ,j4    
,hutchinson made insane4--,exposure of  
the deception practised upon            
him4--,davis's account of ,benjamin     
,franklin4--,dr4 ,phelps concerning the 
spirit rappers4--,singular developments 
at his house4--,how tables1 chairs1 c41 
are moved by spirits4--,exhibitions of  
chin music in ,london4--,singular       
transactions in ,england1 as related by 
,dr4 ,thomas ,dick4--,tricks performed  
by ,joe ,collins of ,oxford4--,spirits  
seen by the votaries of ,st4 ,vitus1 and
 the ,shakers of later times4           
#aah   ,,chapter ,,xvi4  ,,evil         
,,effects ,,of ,,popular                
,,superstitions4  ,great waste of       
time4--,ceremonies among the            
ancients4--,practices in ,catholic      
countries4--,injurious practices in     
,protestant lands4--,dreams1 visions1   

signs1 tricks1 omens1 c4--,great waste  
of human life4--,account of the trial by
 ordeal4--,murder of innocent           
persons4--,belief in dreams and         
forewarnings4--,modern miracles1        
appearances of the dead1                
c4--,unfavorable influence of a belief  
in dreams4--,the death watch1 new moon1 
c4--,predictions of ,nanny ,scott4--,of 
the good ,mrs4 ,taylor4--,marriages on a
 stormy day4--,practice of wedded       
couples4--,moles on the wrong side of   
the body4--,opening books1 tricks1      
fortune telling4--,practice of a lady in
 a clergyman's family4--,disadvantageous
 matrimonial alliances4--,anticipation  
of dreadful calamities4--,practice of   
,rev4 ,john ,wesley4--,temperaments of  
,melancthon and ,luther4--,luck1 chance1
 fatality1 c4--,saul and the witch of   
,endor4--,conjurers and                 
impostors4--,injury done to the cause of
 medicine4--,king's touch in            
scrofula4--,the ninth son of a ninth    
son4--,the seventh son of a seventh     

son4--,cure by the cold hands of a      
malefactor4--,plaster on a pitchfork2   
polishing rusty nails4 --,a female heart
 made into pills for                    
consumption4--,heart taken out of a     
female in ,maine1 and in ,waltham1      
,massachusetts1 and made into           
pills4--,influence of the               
imagination4--,account of a ,mr4        
,austin1 in ,vermont4--,his singular    
mode of healing the sick4 --,account of 
the celebrated rain-water               
doctor4--,sketch of an astrological     
physician in ,new ,york4--,of ,valentine
 ,greataks and ,francisco               
,bagnone4--,momentary relief obtained1  
and why4-- ,injury done to the cause of 
religion4--,account of the ,pharisees1  
compared to vipers and toads1 and their 
numerous progeny4--,how we may know a   
,pharisee4--,a young man catechized by  
our ,savior4 --,st4 ,paul once a        
,pharisee4--,proof4--,customs among the 
,catholics4 --,practices of many        
,protestants4--,mistaken views upon     

religion4 --,views concerning           
,satan4--,satan versus ,cotton          
,mather4--,professor ,stuart's views    
concerning the devil4--,periodical      
revivals of religion2 the cause4--,how  
to have a constant revival4             
#afe   ,,chapter ,,xvii4  ,,banishment  
,,of ,,popular ,,superstitions4  ,how   
shall it be effected8--,the proper use  
of our reasoning faculties4--,the       
exercise of our                         
understandings4--,persevering           
self-discipline4--,conduct towards      
believers in ghosts1 signs1             
c4--,misconduct in families2 trying     
tricks1 c4--,how we should employ our   
time4--,belief in an all-wise           
,providence1 as ,governor and           
,controller of all events4--,importance 
of a correct education of               
youth4--,nursery tales and marvellous   
stories4--,their baneful                
influence4--,correct examples before    
children4--,superstitious tales to be   
avoided4--,attention to the means of    

education4-- ,immense value and         
importance of knowledge4--,no lack of   
means to educate the young4--,money     
foolishly wasted in various ways4       
--,perseverance in laudable             
exertions4--,the blessing of ,heaven to 
crown our labors4                       
#ahe   ,,part ,,second4  ,,miracle ,,in 
,,springfield1 ,,massachusetts4         
,miracle performed by spirits in        
,springfield1 ,massachusetts4--,case of 
biological deception4--,case of a       
writing medium4--,effects produced by   
pathetism4--,incident related by ,miss  
,martineau4-- ,travelling to other      
countries1 and to other                 
spheres4--,singular feat by a boy of    
,dr4 ,phelps4--,wonderful case of a lady
 in ,new ,jersey4--,advice of ,hon4     
,horace ,greely4--,testimony of ,rev4   
,dr4 ,phelps4                           
#aia   ,,persons ,,trained ,,by ,a      
,,lecturer ,,on ,,magnetism4            
#aii   ,,scene ,,at ,,east ,,boston4    
,circle at the house of ,mr4 ,hoyt1 at  

,east ,boston4--,effects of vital       
electricity4--,imitating handwritings1  
writing poetry1 music1 c4               
#bjj   ,,extract ,,from ,,the ,,puritan 
,,recorder4  ,facts related by a        
gentleman of ,maine4--,renunciation of a
 spirit rapper4--,murder committed at   
the instigation of spirits4--           
,conflicting testimony concerning ,john 
,thompson4--,experiments of ,mr4        
,kellogg1 the table lifter4--,discovery 
by ,dr4 ,taylor1 the writing            
medium4--,renunciation of ,mr4 ,cooley1 
of ,springfield1                        
,massachusetts4--,attempt to murder a   
family in ,barre1 ,massachusetts4       
--,sacrifice of the innocent in heathen 
countries4--,great danger in civilized  
communities4--,reports concerning the   
burning of the ,lunatic ,asylum in      
,maine4--,testimony of ,professor       
,stowe4-- ,reply of ,bingham to         
,professor ,pond4--,singular confessions
 of the reviewer4--,intelligence said to
 be communicated by spirits4-- ,vital   

electricity of embodied and disembodied 
spirits4            #bjc   ,,extract    
,,from ,,the ,,home ,,journal4  ,star   
singers1 concerts1 parties1 and lectures
 in the other spheres4--,studies of     
,french1 ,italian1 geology1 chemistry1  
drawing1 c4--,semi-clergymen1 outsiders1
 or come-outers4                   #bae 
,,foretelling ,,future ,,events4        
,prediction concerning the ship         
,staffordshire4--,general ,pierce's     
election foretold by ,professor         
,anderson's glass bell4--,false         
predictions of the spirits4--,error     
committed by ,professor                 
,lester4--,suggestion of a lady to a    
sick friend4--,sentiments of ,alexander 
,pope4                                  
#bah   ,,visions1 ,,miracles1 ,,and     
,,wonders4  ,sights1 sounds1 signs1     
miracles1 maps1 drawings1 hieroglyphics4
 --,talking cow in ,maine4--,her        
prophecy4--,proposition for another     
,,new ,,church4--,predictions concerning
 all other churches4-- ,opinions three  

hundred years ago4--,fate of ,galileo4  
#bbj   ,,clairvoyant ,,physicians4      
,prescriptions from the dead4--,power of
 the imagination4--,wonderful efficacy  
of brown bread pills4--,singular cure of
 palsy1 by ,sir ,humphrey ,davy4        
#bba   ,,style ,,of ,,supernal          
,,compositions4  ,fishbough's new       
work4--,fancy-captivating               
publications4--,refined                 
atheism4--,transcendental               
nonsense4--,false communications        
relating to patriots1 statesmen1        
orators1 and divines4--,mountebank      
scenes of psychology4--,testimony of ,a4
 ,j4 ,davis1 upon the tricks of the     
spirit demonstrators4--,concealments1   
misstatements1 and exaggerations4       
#bbc   ,,mysterious ,,phenomena1 ,,with 
,,their ,,agents ,,or ,,causes4         
,thumping noises in ,new ,jersey4--,door
 opened as if struck by a               
mallet4--,great excitement4--,glass     
broken1 c4--,knockings heard in ,new    
,hackensack4--,pile of lumber shaken2   

tables1 chairs1 stand1 and candlestick  
thrown about4--,bags of salt1 tin ware1 
and cooking utensils thrown in a        
heap4--,an ,english officer haunted by  
noises in the night4--,heavy marble top 
tables poising themselves on two        
legs4--,brass door knockers             
bewitched4--,commotion among crockery1  
tin ware1 c4--,firing a gun at noises in
 the walls4 --,tearing up floor to get  
at the noises4--,suit brought for       
damages4--,bed of a sick girl           
raised4--,trembling of the house        
walls4--,singular pranks in a           
factory4--,jerking of the frames1 and   
cylinder thrown at a distance4--,alarm  
and flight of the operatives4--,a chest 
with three men1 and a man on a tub1     
taken up by an invisible power4--,a     
chair broken between two men's          
hands4--,an image seated on a stool1    
clad in white4--,visions of beings like 
spirits4--,knockings on the walls1 and  
noises in the air4--,a lady suspended by
 the tips of the fingers1 as a magnet   

suspends a piece of iron4--,electrical  
flashes from a lady's body4--,knockings 
made to be heard at a                   
distance4--,quotation from a work by    
,rev4 ,t4 ,hill1 of ,waltham4--,singular
 developments in ,new ,york4--,freaks of
 a knob of a door bell4--,fiery flashes1
 and fiery smacks1 on kissing4--,blows  
in the mouth from a speaking tube4--    
,account of two girls that could move   
tables without touching them4 --,effects
 of storms on raising                   
tables4--,electrical circles in         
,cincinnati4--,case of a lady in        
,strasburg4--,power of giving electrical
 shocks to persons at a                 
distance4--,singular effects of the     
northern lights on a lady4              
#bbd   ,,experiments ,,in ,,biology4    
,chairs1 tables1 and persons            
moved4--,biological table-liftings in   
,east ,boston4--,mediums1 as visible    
human operators4--,resolve of the       
rappers at ,poughkeepsie4--,the unseen  
agent that moves tables1 beds1          

c4--,dancing plates1 knives and forks1  
c4          #bfd   ,,faculty ,,of       
,,imitation4  ,delivering speeches2     
imitating orators4--,case related by    
,walter ,scott4--,case of a man haunted 
by the devil4--,effects of wine and     
heavy eating4--,voice heard by ,judge   
,edmonds4--,lady in ,providence who     
writes music by spirits4--,diagram of   
the spheres1 by a lady in a magnetic    
state4                                  
#bfh   ,,unseen ,,letters ,,and         
,,signatures4  ,imitating unseen        
letters1 signatures1 and                
languages4--,suspicions concerning      
,professor ,bush4--,singular feat       
attributed to spirits4 --,no difficulty 
in raising chairs or tables4--,spirits  
shown by ,egyptian boys4--,unbelief of  
practising mediums4--,school children   
forbidden to move tables1 c4            
#bgc   ,a ,,dancing ,,light4  ,dancing  
light seen in ,southboro'1              
,massachusetts4--,ignis fatuus seen by  
,dr4 ,derham4--,corpusants seen by      

mariners4-- ,dampier's account of them4 
#bgd   ,,sailors' ,,omens4  ,sailors'   
omens and superstitions4--,devil's power
 in stirring up winds4--,losing a cat   
overboard1 a bucket1 or a mop4          
#bgf   ,,love ,,charms4  ,othello       
winning ,desdemona by                   
conjuration4--,execution of a young lady
 for giving a love powder4--,her dying  
confession4--,a charm or an allay for   
love4                                   
#bgg   ,,effects ,,of ,a ,,belief ,,in  
,a ,,ghost4  ,effects of a belief in the
 reality of ghosts4--,case at the       
,university at ,cambridge4--,a student  
frightened to death4          #bgi      
,,the ,,invisible ,,lady4  ,the         
invisible lady in ,boston4--,the        
invisible girl in ,london4-- ,joice     
,heth1 the ,india rubber                
woman4--,professor ,grimes's discovery  
among the rappers4--,mrs4 ,culver       
respecting the ,rochester rappers4      
#bhj   ,,sorcerers ,,in ,,the ,,east4   
,persons killed by the enemy's          

fires4--,singular custom in ,java4      
#bha   ,,singular ,,metamorphoses4  ,men
 turned into tigers by eating a certain 
root1 and turned back again by eating   
another4--,a tiger-man shot in the woods
 and recognized1 after having devoured  
some of his neighbors4--,account of the 
wolf mania in ,egypt and in             
,brittany4--,a husband that lived and   
died a wolf4                            
#bhb   ,,pernicious ,,errors ,,relating 
,,to ,,health4  ,astrology4--,vegetable 
oil of swallows1 c4--,cleanliness1 diet1
                                        
c4--,ablution4--,ventilation4--,food4--,
quality of meats4            #bhd       
,,the ,,spirit ,,land4                  
,,introduction4   ,the object of this   
treatise upon some of the various errors
 of the past and present ages is to     
explain their nature--investigate their 
origin--describe their injurious        
effects--and to offer and recommend the 
necessary measures for their banishment4
 ,most persons1 even those who have been

 well educated1 can call to mind the    
avidity with which1 in their days of    
childhood1 they listened to the nursery 
tales of giants1 dwarfs1 ghosts1        
fairies1 and witches4 ,the effects of   
these juvenile impressions are not      
easily effaced from the mind1 and the   
impressions themselves are but rarely1  
if ever1 forgotten4  ,to doubt1 in      
former times1 the power of charms1 and  
the veracity of omens1 and ghost        
stories1 was deemed little less than    
atheism4 ,the terror caused by them     
imbittered the lives of persons of all  
ages4 ,it either served to shut them out
 of their own houses1 or deterred them  
from going abroad after it was dark4    
,the room in which the head of a family 
died was for a long time untenanted2    
particularly if he died without a will1 
or was supposed to have entertained any 
peculiar religious opinions4 ,if any    
disconsolate maiden1 or love-crossed    
bachelor1 became the instrument of their
 own death1 the room where the fatal    

deed was committed was rendered forever 
uninhabitable1 and not unfrequently     
nailed up4 ,if a drunken farmer1        
returning from market1 fell from his    
horse1 and by the fall broke his own    
neck1 that spot1 ever after1 was haunted
 and impassable4 ,in truth1 there was   
scarcely a by-lane or cross-way but had 
its ghost1 which appeared in the shape  
of a headless cow or horse4 ,ghosts of a
 higher degree rode in coaches1 drawn by
 six headless horses1 and driven by a   
headless coachman4 ,as for the          
churchyards1 the legitimate habitations 
of spectres1 clothed all in white1 the  
numbers who swarmed there equalled the  
living parishioners2 and to pass such a 
place in the night was more perilous    
than the storming of ,badajos4          
,confuted and ridiculed as these        
opinions have been1 in later days1 the  
seeds of them are still widely diffused1
 and at times attempt to spring up in   
all their earlier excess4 ,in the year  
#ahcb1 crowds of men1 women1 and        

children flocked to the village of      
,waltham1 a few miles from ,boston1 to  
see a ghost which was said to make its  
appearance towards midnight1 walking to 
and fro in a turf meadow1 declaring     
itself1 in unearthly tones1 to be the   
spirit of a murdered man1 whose bones   
lay in a mud hole near by4 ,the         
excitement spread many miles around1 and
 hundreds from the city and neighboring 
towns hied to the spot1 with eyes agape1
 to behold the solemn visitor from the  
spirit world4 ,and such was the         
credulity inspired in the minds of the  
people1 that a clergyman in the vicinity
 declared from his pulpit1 on the       
following ,sabbath1 that the awful crime
 of murder had been revealed by the     
spirit which had appeared in ,waltham6  
,such is the excitability of the mind1  
and its tendency 7notwithstanding the   
light that has been scattered abroad7 to
 give credence to all the vagaries and  
nonsense of the darker ages4            
,,chapter ,i4  ,,the ,,origin ,,of      

,,popular ,,superstitions4   ,ignorance 
of correct reasoning has undoubtedly    
given rise to many superstitions4       
,inductive reasoning teaches us to infer
 general conclusions from particular    
facts which have come under our         
observation4 ,this definition may be    
illustrated by an example4 ,you know    
that water boils on the application of a
 certain degree of heat4 ,you have seen 
this experiment tried many times without
 a single failure4 ,you therefore       
conclude that water will always boil on 
the application of this degree of heat1 
although you have seen it applied but to
 a small portion of the water in        
creation4 ,thus you draw this general   
conclusion from the few particular facts
 which you have witnessed4 ,but had you 
noticed several failures in the trial1  
your conclusions would have been        
doubtful4 ,and if the experiment had    
failed ninety-nine cases out of a       
hundred1 you would have adopted an      
opposite conclusion4 ,you would have    

said that the application of the        
specified degree of heat would not boil 
water4 ,in this way1 logical reasoning  
leads to the discovery of truth4 ,now1  
apply this principle of sound reasoning 
to the whole mass of pretended signs4   
,let me select one to show you the      
absurdity of believing in any4 ,it is   
commonly reported that the breaking of a
 looking glass betokens death to some   
member of the family4 ,this sign        
probably originated in the following    
manner3 ,a death happened to follow the 
breaking of a mirror4 ,some ignorant    
person immediately concluded that the   
breaking of the glass was a sure sign of
 death4 ,the story soon spread among    
credulous people1 and at length was     
handed down from generation to          
generation as an established truth4 ,but
 you readily perceive the absurdity of  
forming this general conclusion from one
 or a few particular facts4 ,we all know
 that death does not follow the supposed
 sign oftener than once in a hundred    

times2 and therefore the breaking of the
 glass is almost a sure sign that no    
death will immediately take place in the
 family4 ,but as mirrors are always     
breaking1 and people are always dying1  
it is not strange that the latter event 
should sometimes follow the former4 ,it 
would be a miracle if it did not4 ,but  
the events have no connection whatever  
with each other4 ,the coincidence in any
 case is altogether accidental4 ,we     
might with the same reason affirm that  
the breaking of a teakettle is the sign 
of death1 or any thing else1 as the     
breaking of a mirror4 ,but the truth is1
 there is no sign in the case4 ,it first
 originated in ignorance of correct     
reasoning1 and has been perpetuated by  
the credulous4 ,it is but a short time  
ago that a girl in ,exeter1 ,n4,h41     
broke a mirror4 ,she believed that ill  
luck always followed such an event and  
therefore became seriously affected in  
her mind4 ,finally1 her strength failed1
 and she died a victim to her           

superstition4 ,hence we perceive the    
great importance of a just conception   
and well-informed judgment upon such    
apparently trifling1 yet oftentimes     
serious events1 in their effects upon   
social and individual happiness4  ,we   
have only to apply this principle of    
correct reasoning to every sign in      
existence1 to find them to be           
superstitious4 ,we shall find1 upon     
investigation1 that they are based upon 
no rational evidence1 and consequently  
are not entitled to our belief or       
confidence4 ,if they indicate any thing1
 it is something directly opposite to   
what is generally supposed1 for they do 
not come to pass more than once in a    
hundred times1 and therefore warrant a  
different conclusion4 ,not only so4 ,if 
you believe in the present pretended    
signs1 you may make a million more      
equally good4 ,a man quarrels after     
drinking a glass of wine2 you may       
therefore say that taking a glass of    
wine is the sign of a quarrel4 ,a man   

draws a prize in a lottery2 you may say 
therefore that the purchase of a ticket 
is the sign of a fortune4 ,a man dies   
after supper2 you may say therefore that
 eating supper is the sign of death4 ,in
 this you may multiply signs to         
infinity1 and they will prove just as   
true as any now in existence4 ,but our  
,creator has endowed us with            
understanding4 ,he has given us reason  
to regulate our belief by satisfactory  
evidence4 ,and if we do this1 we cannot 
believe in any of the pretended signs4  
,we must conclude that they have all    
originated in ignorance of correct      
reasoning1 and are kept in remembrance  
by those who will not use their         
intellectual powers as their ,maker     
designed4     ,,chapter ,,ii4           
,,inductive ,,philosophy ,,not          
,,understood4   ,ignorance of inductive 
philosophy has given rise to many       
superstitions4 ,by the means of         
inductive philosophy1 we are enabled to 
trace effects to their true causes4 ,for

 example3 ,lights have frequently been  
seen dancing over marshy grounds1 near  
tan-yards1 and burying-places1 and along
 the sea shore4 ,credulous people have  
believed them to be the spirits of the  
uneasy dead4 ,this belief must be       
considered superstitious1 not having any
 foundation on rational evidence4       
,philosophy teaches that these lights   
are occasioned by an inflammable gas1   
which arises from decayed animal and    
vegetable substances1 and takes fire on 
coming in contact with atmospheric air4 
,thus we may trace all effects to their 
true causes4  ,many persons have        
supposed that pork killed in the        
increase of the moon would swell in     
boiling1 while that killed in her wane  
would shrink4 ,this opinion probably    
originated in the following manner3     
,some person killed1 at different       
periods of the moon1 two hogs which had 
been born and fattened together4 ,that  
killed in her increase swelled in       
boiling2 while the other1 killed in her 

wane1 shrunk4 ,he could conceive of no  
way to account for the facts but on the 
supposition of lunar influence4 ,this   
conclusion was accordingly adopted1 and 
at length became an established truth4  
,yet there was no philosophy in forming 
this opinion from a few such facts4     
,more experiments should have been      
tried2 and they results would have shown
 that the real cause of the swelling and
 shrinking existed in the constitution  
of the animals4 ,it would have been     
discovered that pork of fine and solid  
texture would commonly swell1 whenever  
killed2 while that of loose and coarse  
grain would as generally shrink4 ,and   
the person would no more have thought of
 attributing the difference in his pork 
to the moon than to the spirit of       
,bonaparte4  ,let this philosophic      
principle be applied to this whole class
 of superstitions1 and we shall arrive  
at similar results4 ,there is the       
supposed influence of the moon on making
 soap1 grafting trees1 cutting timber1  

and also upon the fortunes of love-sick 
swains and maidens4 ,the latter are     
directed to go out in the evening and   
stand over the bars of a gate1 and1     
looking on the moon1 repeat the         
following lines3--      ,all hail to the
 moon6 all hail to thee6     ,i pray    
thee1 good moon1 reveal to me1     ,this
 night1 who my husband shall be4  ,they 
must then go directly to bed1 and will  
dream of their future husband4 ,upon    
trial of the experiment1 they will      
probably be inclined to consider it a   
dreamy notion altogether2 for love is of
 too serious a nature to be fed upon    
mere moonshine4     ,,chapter ,,iii4    
,,ignorance ,,of ,,the ,,causes ,,of    
,,dreams4   ,ignorance of the causes of 
our dreams has given rise to many       
superstitions4 ,ancient divines have    
told us that some of our dreams proceed 
from ourselves1 others from the ,deity1 
and others again from the devil4 ,we    
know1 to be sure1 from experience1 that 
dreams proceed from ourselves in some1  

if not in all cases4 ,we admit1 however1
 that ,god has spoken to some of his    
dependent creatures by dreams2 for we   
learn this from the ,holy ,scriptures4  
,but such dreams were direct revelations
 for the accomplishment of some divine  
purpose4 ,the volume of revelation was  
long since closed1 and all that is      
essential to the present and eternal    
happiness of mankind is plainly         
revealed4 ,there is therefore no        
necessity for any further communications
 from ,heaven2 and the gospel does not  
authorize us to expect any4 ,dreams may 
sometimes strike a conviction upon the  
mind1 which our waking thoughts may fail
 to do4 ,and they may sometimes have the
 appearance of being fulfilled2 and yet 
there may be no necessity of supposing  
that ,god has made us the special organ 
of divine communications4 ,our dreams1  
in such cases1 may be explained upon the
 principles of mental philosophy1       
without resorting to the miraculous     
interposition of ,deity for an          

explanation4  ,to say that the devil is 
the author of all our disagreeable      
dreams that happen generally when we are
 in some trouble of body1 mind1 or      
estate1 is too absurd to believe4 ,and  
it is specially unbecoming the followers
 of ,jesus to harbor an opinion so      
unbecoming in itself1 so pernicious in  
its consequences1 and so derogatory to  
the supreme ,ruler of the universe4 ,the
 true doctrine is1 that our dreams      
originate from ourselves4 ,some are     
influenced by our bodily sensations4 ,a 
person with a bottle of hot water at his
 feet dreams of ascending tna2 and he   
finds the heat of the ground almost     
insupportable4 ,another kicks the bed   
clothes from his feet1 and dreams of    
walking through snow banks1 even in the 
summer season4 ,some dreams are         
influenced by the state of our stomach  
and bowels4 ,the hungry prisoner dreams 
of well-furnished tables and the        
pleasures of eating4 ,the glutton dreams
 of a surfeit and its attendant         

unpleasant sensations4 ,some dreams are 
influenced by our dispositions4 ,the    
person of amiable temper and cheerful   
spirits is frequently refreshed with    
delightful scenes and visions of bliss2 
while those of morose1 gloomy1          
irritable1 and melancholy habits are    
generally harassed with those of a      
disagreeable and oppressive character4  
,some dreams are influenced by the state
 of our health4 ,sickness is usually    
productive of those of an unpleasant    
nature2 while health secures those of an
 opposite description4 ,a gentleman1    
mentioned by ,locke1 was not sensible of
 dreaming till he had a fever1 at the   
age of twenty-six or seven4 ,some dreams
 are influenced by our waking thoughts4 
,the mathematician solves difficult     
problems4 ,the poet roves in ,elysian   
groves4 ,the miser makes great bargains4
 ,the sensualist riots in the haunts of 
dissipation4 ,the criminal sees the     
dungeon or the gallows4 ,the awakened   
sinner beholds the flames of hell1 or   

looks upon the sceptre of pardon2 and   
the ,christian anticipates heavenly joy4
  ,strong mental emotions are sometimes 
embodied into a dream1 which1 by some   
natural coincidence1 is fulfilled4 ,a   
murderer1 mentioned by ,mr4 ,combe1     
dreamed of committing murder some years 
before the event took place4 ,a         
clergyman on a visit to the city of     
,edinburgh1 from a distance in the      
country1 was sleeping at an inn1 when he
 dreamed of seeing a fire1 and one of   
his children in the midst of it4 ,he    
awoke with the impression1 and instantly
 started for home4 ,when he arrived     
within sight of his house1 he found it  
on fire1 and got there in time to assist
 in saving one of his children1 who1 in 
the alarm and confusion1 had been left  
in a situation of danger4 ,without      
calling in question the possibility of  
supernatural communications in such     
cases1 this striking occurrence may     
perhaps be accounted for on simple and  
natural principles4 ,let us suppose that

 the gentleman had a servant who had    
shown great carelessness in regard to   
fire1 which had often given rise in his 
mind to a strong apprehension that he   
might set fire to the house4 ,his       
anxiety might be increased by being from
 home1 and the same circumstances might 
make the servant still more careless4   
,let us further suppose that the        
gentleman1 before going to bed1 had1 in 
addition to this anxiety1 suddenly      
recollected that there was on that day1 
in the neighborhood of his house1 some  
fair or periodical merry making1 from   
which the servant was likely to return  
home in a state of intoxication4 ,it was
 most natural that these impressions    
should be embodied into a dream of his  
house being on fire1 and that the same  
circumstances might lead to the dream   
being fulfilled4  ,the cause of a dream 
may sometimes be the cause of its       
fulfilment4 ,a clergyman dreamed of     
preaching a sermon on a particular      
subject4 ,in a few weeks1 he delivered  

the discourse4 ,his dream was therefore 
fulfilled4 ,but his waking thoughts     
caused the dream1 for he had meditated  
on this very subject2 and they also     
caused its fulfilment1 for he proceeded 
to write and deliver the result of his  
meditations4  ,a belief in the          
supernatural origin of dreams sometimes 
leads to their fulfilment4 ,a person    
dreams of approaching sickness4 ,his    
fears and his imagination hasten on the 
calamity4 ,a general1 on the eve of     
battle1 dreamed of a defeat4 ,his belief
 in dreams deprived him of courage1 and1
 of course1 the enemy conquered4 ,we    
have on record the case of a ,german    
student1 who dreamed that he was to die 
at a certain hour on the next day4 ,his 
friends found him in the morning making 
his will and arranging his affairs4 ,as 
the time drew near1 he had every        
appearance of a person near his end4    
,every argument was used to shake his   
belief in the supernatural origin of his
 dream1 but all to no effect4 ,at last1 

the physician contrived to place the    
hands of the clock beyond the specified 
hour1 and by this means saved the       
student's life4 ,there are instances on 
record where death has actually ensued  
in consequence of such a belief4 ,it has
 been produced by the wonderful power   
the mind possesses over the body4 ,and  
there can be no doubt that believers in 
dreams often take the most direct means 
to hasten their fulfilment4  ,the       
apparent fulfilment of dreams is        
sometimes merely accidental4 ,the dream 
happens1 and the event dreamed of soon  
follows2 but the coincidence is         
altogether fortuitous4 ,a member of     
,congress informed a friend that he     
frequently dreamed of the death of some 
one of his children1 while residing at  
,washington4 ,the whole scene would     
appear before him--the sickness1 the    
death1 and the burial2 and this too     
several times the same night1 and on    
successive nights4 ,his anxiety for his 
family caused his dreams4 ,now1 it would

 have been nothing strange if a member  
of his family had died4 ,but in this    
particular instance it was not the case4
 ,in this way1 however1 we are always   
dreaming of our absent relatives1 and it
 would be singular if a death did not   
sometimes occur at the time of the      
dream4 ,so on all other subjects4 ,one  
event may follow the other1 and yet the 
coincidence be perfectly accidental4    
,there are occasionally some amusing    
cases of this kind4 ,a person dreamed   
three times in one night that he must   
turn to the seventh verse of the fifth  
chapter of ,ecclesiastes1 and he would  
find important instruction4 ,he arose in
 the morning1 and1 referring to the     
specified passage1 found these words3   
,in the multitude of dreams there are   
divers vanities4  ,finally1 the occasion
 of some dreams seems as yet            
inexplicable4 ,but as we can account for
 so large a portion of them1 it is      
rational to believe that the causes of  
the few mysterious ones will be         

hereafter satisfactorily explained4 ,we 
think we are safe in believing that all 
our dreams are caused by some principle 
of our intellectual or animal nature4   
,let us then pay no further regard to   
them than to aim by a pure conscience   
before ,god1 and a careful attention to 
our stomachs and health1 to have them   
refreshing and agreeable4     ,,chapter 
,,iv4  ,,effects ,,of ,,the             
,,imagination ,,on ,,the ,,nervous      
,,system4   ,ignorance of the influence 
of the imagination upon the nervous     
system has given rise to many           
superstitions4 ,we will give a few      
statements of facts to establish and    
illustrate this position4 ,some time    
previous to #aghd1 a gentleman in       
,paris1 by the name of ,mesmer1         
professed to have discovered a universal
 remedy for all diseases2 and this      
remedy consisted in being magnetized    
under peculiar forms and circumstances4 
,m4 ,mesmer became so noted for his     
discovery1 and he performed such        

extraordinary cures1 that1 in #aghd1 the
 ,french king appointed a committee1    
consisting of four physicians and five  
members of the ,royal ,academy of       
,sciences1 to investigate this matter4  
,the committee1 as soon as they had     
examined the whole apparatus employed in
 magnetizing1 and taken cognizance of   
the manoeuvres of ,mesmer1 and his      
partner1 ,deslon1 proceeded to notice   
the symptoms of the patients while under
 the influence of magnetism4 ,these were
 various in different individuals4 ,some
 were calm and tranquil1 and felt       
nothing2 others were affected with      
coughing and spitting1 with pains1      
heats1 and perspirations2 and some were 
agitated and tortured with convulsions4 
,these convulsions were sometimes       
continued for three hours1 accompanied  
with expectoration of a viscid phlegm1  
ejected by violent efforts1 and         
sometimes streaked with blood4 ,they had
 involuntary motions of the limbs1 of   
the whole body1 and spasms of the       

throat4 ,their eyes wandered in wild    
motions2 they uttered piercing shrieks1 
wept1 laughed1 and hiccoughed4 ,the     
commissioners observed that the great   
majority of those thus effected were    
females1 and that these exhibitions did 
not begin until they had been under the 
operation of magnetism one or two hours1
 and that1 when one became affected1 the
 rest were soon seen in the same        
situation4 ,in order to give the        
magnetizer the fairest opportunity to   
exhibit the power of his invention1 and 
to give the most satisfactory evidence  
to the public1 the commissioners all    
submitted to be operated upon           
themselves1 and sat under the operation 
two hours and a half1 but without the   
least effect upon them1 except the      
fatigue of sitting so long in one       
position4 ,they were magnetized three   
days in succession1 but without any     
sensible effect being produced4 ,the    
magnetizing instruments were then       
removed to ,dr4 ,franklin's house1 away 

from public view1 parade1 and high      
expectation1 and fourteen persons were  
then magnetized1 all of them invalids4  
,nine of them experienced nothing1 five 
appeared slightly affected1 and the     
commissioners were surprised to learn1  
in every instance1 that the poor and    
ignorant alone were affected4 ,after    
this eight men and two women were       
magnetized1 but without the least       
effect4 ,at length a female servant     
submitted to the same operation1 and she
 affirmed that she felt a heat in every 
part where the magnetized finger was    
pointed at her2 that she experienced a  
pain in her head2 and1 during a         
continuation of the operation1 she      
became faint1 and swooned4 ,when she had
 fully recovered1 they ordered her eyes 
to be bandaged1 and the operator was    
removed at a distance1 when they made   
her believe that she was still under the
 operation1 and the effects were the    
same1 although no one operated1 either  
near her or at a distance4 ,she could   

tell the very place where she was       
magnetized2 she felt the same heat in   
her back and loins1 and the same pain in
 her eyes and ears4 ,at the end of one  
quarter of an hour1 a sign was made for 
her to be magnetized1 but she felt      
nothing4 ,on the following day1 a man   
and woman were magnetized in a similar  
manner1 and the result was the same4 ,it
 was found that to direct the           
imagination to the parts where the      
sensations were to be felt1 was all that
 was necessary to produce these         
wonderful effects4 ,but children1 who   
had not arrived at sufficient maturity  
of age to be excited by these imposing  
forms1 experienced nothing from the     
operation4  ,mesmer and ,deslon asserted
 that they could magnetize a tree1 and  
every person approaching the tree1 in a 
given time1 would be magnetized1 and    
either fall into a swoon or in          
convulsions1 provided the magnetizer was
 permitted to stand at a distance and   
direct his look and his cane towards the

 tree4 ,accordingly1 an apricot tree was
 selected in ,dr4 ,franklin's garden1 at
 ,vassy1 for the experiment1 and ,m4    
,deslon came and magnetized the tree    
while the patient was retained in the   
house4 ,the patient was then brought    
out1 with a bandage over his eyes1 and  
successively lead to four trees1 which  
were not magnetized1 and was directed to
 embrace each tree two minutes1 while   
,m4 ,deslon1 at a distance1 stood       
pointing his cane to the tree actually  
magnetized4 ,at the first tree1 which   
was about twenty-seven feet from the    
magnetized tree1 the patient sweat      
profusely1 coughed1 expectorated1 and   
said he felt a pain in his head4 ,at the
 second tree1 now thirty feet from the  
magnetized tree1 he found himself giddy1
 attended with headache1 as before4 ,at 
the third tree1 his giddiness and       
headache were much increased1 and he    
said he believed he was approaching the 
magnetized tree1 although he was still  
twenty-eight feet from it4 ,at length1  

when brought to the fourth tree1 not    
magnetized1 and at the distance of      
twenty-four feet from that which was1   
the young man fell down in a state of   
perfect insensibility2 his limbs became 
rigid1 and he was carried to a grass    
plot1 where ,m4 ,deslon went to his     
assistance and recovered him4 ,and yet1 
in no instance had he approached within 
a less distance than twenty-four feet of
 the magnetized tree4  ,a similar       
experiment was soon afterwards made on  
two poor females1 at ,dr4 ,franklin's   
house4 ,these women were separated from 
each other4 ,three of the commissioners 
remained with one of them in one        
chamber1 and two of them with the other1
 in an adjoining chamber4 ,the first had
 a bandage over her eyes1 and was then  
made to believe that ,m4 ,deslon came in
 and commenced magnetizing her1 although
 he never entered the room4 ,in three   
minutes the woman began to shiver4 ,she 
felt1 in succession1 a pain in her head1
 and a pricking in her hands4 ,she      

became stiff1 struck her hands together1
 got up1 stamped1 c41 but nothing had   
been done to her4 ,the woman in the     
adjoining chamber was requested to take 
her seat by the door1 which was shut1   
with her sight at liberty4 ,she was then
 made to believe that ,m4 ,deslon would 
magnetize the door on the opposite side1
 while the commissioners would wait to  
witness the result4 ,she had scarcely   
been seated a minute before she began to
 shiver4 ,her breathing became hurried2 
she stretched out her arms behind her   
back1 writhing them strongly1 and       
bending her body forwards2 a general    
tremor of the whole body came on4 ,the  
chattering of the teeth was so loud as  
to be heard out of the room2 and she bit
 her hand so as to leave the marks of   
her teeth in it2 but ,m4 ,deslon was not
 near the door1 nor in either chamber1  
nor was either of the women touched1 not
 even their pulse examined4 ,we         
perceive1 then1 that these effects were 
produced solely by the imagination1 and 

the above facts exhibit very            
satisfactorily the power which the mind 
has over the body4 ,the symptoms were   
not feigned1 but1 in the peculiar state 
of mind of these persons1 they were     
involuntary and irresistible4 ,they     
believed they should be effected in this
 manner2 the idea was formed in their   
imaginations1 and the nerves were acted 
upon precisely as though what they      
conceived was real1 and the muscular    
effects followed4 ,and as the patients  
themselves could not explain the causes 
of these effects1 they very naturally   
attributed the whole to magnetism4 ,when
 the commissioners explained the matter1
 magnetism ceased to produce these      
wonderful effects4 ,the minds of persons
 were enlightened upon the subject1 and 
they no longer expected to be influenced
 in this manner1 and accordingly they   
were not4  ,dr4 ,sigault1 an eminent    
physician of ,paris1 professed to be an 
adept in the art of ,mesmer4 ,being at a
 great assembly one day1 he caused it to

 be announced that he could magnetize4  
,the voice and serious air he assumed   
had a very sensible effect upon a lady  
present1 although she endeavored at     
first to conceal the fact4 ,but having  
carried his hand to the region of the   
heart1 he found it palpitating4 ,she    
soon experienced difficulty in          
respiration4 ,the muscles of her face   
were affected with convulsive twitches2 
her eyes rolled2 she shortly fell down  
in a fainting fit1 vomited her dinner1  
and experienced incredible weakness and 
languor4 ,this seemed to corroborate the
 remarks of ,burton1 in his ,anatomy of 
,melancholy1 where he says1 ,if1 by some
 soothsayer1 wise man1 fortune teller1  
or physician1 men be told they shall    
have such a disease1 they will so       
seriously apprehend it that they will   
instantly labor of it--a thing familiar 
in ,china1 7saith ,riccius1 the         
,jesuit47 ,if they be told they shall be
 sick on such a day1 when that day comes
 they will surely be sick1 and will be  

so terribly affected that sometimes they
 die upon it4  ,a late ,english paper   
states that a young woman1 named        
,winfield1 who had been on a visit to   
,derby1 returned home to ,radborn1      
taking a little dog with her by a       
string4 ,on arriving there1 she informed
 her friends she had seen a gypsy on the
 road1 who told her1 that if she led her
 dog by the string into the house1 she  
would soon be a corpse4 ,singular to    
relate1 the young woman expired on the  
following morning6 ,it was thought she  
died from the effect of imagination1    
aided by a debilitated constitution4  ,a
 missionary among the ,new ,zealanders  
says1 ,there is a class of people in    
,new ,zealand1 called by the natives    
,areekee1 and whom we very improperly   
call ,priests4 ,these men pretend to    
have intercourse with departed spirits1 
by which they are able to kill1 by      
incantation1 any person on whom their   
anger may fall4 ,and it is a fact1 that 
numbers fall a prey to their confidence 

in the efficacy of the curses of these  
men1 and pine under the influence of    
despair1 and die4  ,in less than fifteen
 years after the trial of the           
pretensions of ,mesmer and his          
coadjutors1 in regard to magnetism1     
there was originated in ,america1 by a  
,mr4 ,perkins1 a cause of delusion of   
precisely the same nature4 ,it prevailed
 in all the ,united ,states1 in ,great  
,britain1 ,scotland1 and ,ireland1 and  
to considerable extent on the continent 
of ,europe4 ,mr4 ,perkins prepared two  
small pieces of different kinds of metal
 drew them to a point1 and polished     
them4 ,these ,metallic ,tractors1 as    
they were denominated1 were said to     
have1 in their joint operation1 great   
power over the electric fluid2 and by   
moving these points gently over the     
surface of an inflamed part1 the heat   
was extracted1 the swelling subsided1   
and1 in a short time1 the patient was   
relieved4 ,after a while1 thousands and 
tens of thousands were ready to certify 

to the happy influence of these         
,tractors4 ,mr4 ,perkins went to        
,england and obtained the royal letters 
patent1 for the purpose of securing to  
him the advantages of his discovery2 and
 it has been asserted by the best       
authority1 that he returned from        
,england possessed of ten thousand      
pounds sterling1 which he received for  
the use of his ,tractors4  ,but ,dr4    
,haggarth1 an eminent physician and     
philosopher1 recollecting the           
development of animal magnetism at      
,paris1 wrote to ,dr4 ,falconer1 surgeon
 of the ,general ,hospital at ,bath1    
7,england17 and stated his suspicion    
concerning the ,tractors2 that their    
efficacy depended wholly on the         
imagination of the patient2 and         
recommended the experiment of wooden    
,tractors in the place of the metallic4 
,accordingly1 five persons were selected
 for the experiment1 who were laboring  
under chronic rheumatism in the ankle1  
knee1 wrist1 and hip4 ,wooden ,tractors 

were prepared and painted in such a     
manner that the patients could not      
discover but that they were metal2 and  
on the #gth of ,january1 #agii1 these   
wooden ,tractors were employed for the  
first time4 ,all the patients except    
one1 were relieved4 ,three were very    
much benefited4 ,one felt his knee      
warmer1 and he could walk much better1  
as he showed the medical gentlemen      
present4 ,one was easier for nine hours1
 till he went to bed1 and then his pain 
returned4 ,the next day1 ,january #hth1 
the metallic ,tractors were employed    
with the same effect as that of the     
preceding day4 ,this led to further     
experiments of a similar kind1 and they 
were continued1 until the physicians    
became fully satisfied that the wooden  
,tractors were of the same utility with 
the metallic1 provided the patients     
supposed them metallic4 ,similar        
experiments were soon after made at     
,edinburgh1 and the result was the same4
 ,a servant girl1 afflicted with a most 

acute headache1 which had rendered her  
nights altogether restless for a        
fortnight1 readily submitted to be      
pointed at with these wooden ,tractors4 
,the operator moved them about her head1
 but did not touch her4 ,in four minutes
 she felt a chilliness in the head4 ,in 
a minute or two more1 she felt as though
 cold water was running down her        
temples1 and the pain was diminished4   
,in ten minutes more1 she declared that 
the headache was entirely gone2 and the 
next day she returned to express her    
thanks to her benefactors for the good  
sleep she enjoyed through the night4 ,by
 similar experiments1 the intelligent   
citizens in ,america soon ascertained   
the true cause of the deception1 and    
when these facts came to be developed1  
the ,tractors lost all their influence  
on the human system1 and have since been
 spoken of only in derision4  ,here1    
again1 we behold the astonishing power  
of the imagination over the human       
system1 and witness the miracles that   

have been performed on the ignorant and 
unsuspecting4 ,even in the modern       
practice of the mesmeric art1 a great   
deal of the success depends upon this   
tendency of the mind4 ,a very           
respectable operator assures us1 that he
 cannot magnetize persons unless he can 
first impress them with the belief that 
they are actually to become magnetized4 
,they must have faith in order that the 
effect may be produced4 ,a public       
lecturer may hang up his watch before   
his auditors1 and tell them to look upon
 that watch1 and they will become       
magnetized4 ,those who expect to be     
affected are thrown into the magnetic   
state4 ,those who have little faith and 
expectation are seldom1 if ever1        
influenced by such experiments4 ,we1    
however1 do not mean to avow a disbelief
 in the science of magnetism4 ,on the   
contrary1 we look forward with much     
interest to its perfection1 unencumbered
 with the false pretensions of its      
zealous and mistaken friends4           

,,chapter ,v4  ,,ignorance ,,of ,,mental
 ,,philosophy4   ,ignorance of mental   
philosophy has given rise to many       
superstitions4 ,many persons have       
believed in the real1 visible appearance
 of ghosts1 spirits1 or apparitions4    
,yet these things are clearly and       
satisfactorily explained on the         
established principles of mental        
philosophy4 ,and from this source we    
learn that they exist alone in the mind1
 in the same manner as do other ideas   
and images1 except in the instances     
recorded in ,scripture4 ,they are caused
 by some misconception1 mental          
operation1 or bodily disorder4 ,we will 
give a few examples to substantiate this
 position4  ,dr4 ,ferriar relates the   
case of a gentleman travelling in the   
,highlands of ,scotland1 who was        
conducted to a bed room which was       
reported to be haunted by the spirit of 
a man who had there committed suicide4  
,in the night1 he awoke under the       
influence of a frightful dream1 and     

found himself sitting up in bed with a  
pistol grasped in his right hand4 ,on   
looking around the room1 he now         
discovered1 by the moonlight1 a corpse1 
dressed in a shroud1 reared against the 
wall1 close by the window1 the features 
of the body and every part of the       
funeral apparel being distinctly        
perceived4 ,on recovering from the first
 impulse of terror1 so far as to        
investigate the source of the phantom1  
it was found to be produced by the      
moonbeams forming a long1 bright image  
through the broken window4  ,two        
esteemed friends of mine1 says ,dr4     
,abercrombie1 while travelling in the   
,highlands1 had occasion to sleep in    
separate beds1 in one apartment4 ,one of
 them1 having awoke in the night1 saw1  
by the moonlight1 a skeleton hanging    
from the head of his friend's bed1 every
 part of it being perceived in the most 
distinct manner4 ,he got up to          
investigate the source of the           
appearance1 and found it to be produced 

by the moonbeams falling back upon the  
drapery of the bed1 which had been      
thrown back in some unusual manner1 on  
account of the heat of the weather4 ,he 
returned to bed1 and soon fell asleep4  
,but having awoke again some time after1
 the skeleton was so distinctly before  
him1 that he could not sleep without    
again getting up to trace the origin of 
the phantom4 ,determined not to be      
disturbed a third time1 he now brought  
down the curtain to its usual state1 and
 the skeleton appeared no more4  ,dr4   
,dewar relates the case of a lady who   
was quite blind1 and who never walked   
out without seeing a little old woman1  
with a crutch and a red cloak1          
apparently walking before her4 ,she had 
no illusion when within doors4 ,dr4     
,gregory once took passage in a vessel  
to a neighboring country1 to visit a    
lady who was in an advanced stage of    
consumption4 ,on his return1 he had     
taken a moderate dose of laudanum1 with 
the view of preventing seasickness1 and 

was lying on a couch1 in the cabin1 when
 the figure of a lady appeared before   
him in so distinct a manner1 that her   
actual presence could not have been more
 vivid4 ,he was quite awake1 and fully  
sensible that it was a phantom produced 
by the opiate1 in connection with his   
intense mental feeling2 but he was      
unable by any effort to banish the      
vision4  ,a gentleman1 mentioned by ,dr4
 ,conolly1 when in great danger of being
 wrecked in a boat1 on the ,eddystone   
rocks1 said he actually saw his family  
at the moment4 ,in similar circumstances
 of great danger1 others have described 
the history of their past lives1 being  
represented to them in such a vivid     
manner1 that1 at a single glance1 the   
whole was before them1 without the power
 of banishing the impression4 ,we have  
read the account of a whole ship's      
company being thrown into the utmost    
consternation by the apparition of a    
cook1 who had died a few days before4   
,he was distinctly seen walking ahead of

 the ship1 with a peculiar gait1 by     
which he was distinguished when alive1  
from having one leg shorter than the    
other4 ,on steering the ship towards the
 object1 it was found to be a piece of  
floating wreck6  ,there is a story on   
record1 of a piratical cruiser having   
captured a ,spanish vessel1 during the  
seventeenth century1 and brought her    
into ,marblehead harbor1 which was then 
the site of a few humble dwellings4 ,the
 male inhabitants were all absent on    
their fishing voyages4 ,the pirates     
brought their prisoners ashore1 carried 
them at the dead of night into a        
solitary glen1 and there murdered them4 
,among the captives was an ,english     
female passenger4 ,the women who        
belonged to the place heard her dying   
outcries1 as they rose through the      
midnight air1 and reverberated far and  
wide along the silent shores4 ,she was  
heard to exclaim1 ,o1 mercy1 mercy6     
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 save me6 save me6 
,her body was buried by the pirates on  

the spot4 ,the same piercing voice is   
believed to be heard at intervals1 more 
or less often1 almost every year1 in the
 stillness of a calm starlight1 or clear
 moonlight night4 ,there is something1  
it is said1 so wild1 mysterious1 and    
evidently superhuman in the sound1 as to
 strike a chill of dread into the hearts
 of all who listen to it4 ,a writer in  
the ,marblehead ,register1 of ,april #c1
 #ahcj1 declares that there are not     
persons wanting at the present day1     
persons of unimpeachable veracity and   
known respectability1 who still continue
 to believe the tradition1 and to assert
 that they themselves have been auditors
 of the sounds described1 which they    
declare were of such an unearthly nature
 as to preclude the idea of imposition  
or deception4 ,when the silver moon     
holds her way1 or when the stars are    
glistening in the clear1 cold sky1 and  
the dark forms of the moored vessels are
 at rest upon the sleeping bosom of the 
harbor1--when no natural sound comes    

forth from the animate or inanimate     
creation but the dull and melancholy    
note of the winding shore1 how often1 at
 midnight1 is the watcher startled from 
the reveries of an excited imagination  
by the piteous1 dismal1 and terrific    
screams of the unlaid ghost of the      
murdered lady6  ,erroneous impressions  
are often connected with some bodily    
disease1 more especially disease in the 
brain4 ,dr4 ,gregory mentions the case  
of a gentleman liable to epileptic fits1
 in whom the paroxysm was generally     
preceded by the appearance of an old    
woman in a red cloak1 who seemed to come
 up to him1 and strike him on the head  
with her crutch4 ,at that instant he    
fell down in the fit4 ,another is       
mentioned by ,dr4 ,alderston1 of a man  
who kept a dram shop1 and who would     
often see a soldier endeavoring to force
 himself into his house in a menacing   
manner2 and in rushing forward to       
prevent him1 would find it a mere       
phantom4 ,this man was cured by bleeding

 and purgatives2 and the source of this 
vision was traced to a quarrel which he 
had had some time before with a drunken 
soldier4 ,in delirium tremens such      
visions are common1 and assume a variety
 of forms4  ,similar phantasms occur in 
various forms in febrile diseases4 ,a   
lady was attended by ,dr4 ,abercrombie1 
having an affection of the chest4 ,she  
awoke her husband one night1 at the     
commencement of her disorder1 and begged
 him to get up instantly1 saying that   
she had distinctly seen a man enter the 
apartment1 pass the foot of her bed1 and
 go into a closet that entered from the 
opposite side of the room4 ,she was     
quite awake1 and fully convinced of the 
reality of the appearance4 ,but1 upon   
examining the closet1 it was found to be
 a delusion1 although it was almost     
impossible to convince the lady it was  
not a reality4  ,a writer in the        
,christian ,observer mentions a lady1   
who1 during a severe illness1 repeatedly
 saw her father1 who resided at the     

distance of many hundred miles1 come to 
her bedside1 withdraw the curtain1 and  
talk to her in his usual voice and      
manner4 ,a farmer1 mentioned by the same
 writer1 on returning from market1 was  
deeply affected by an extraordinarily   
brilliant light1 which he saw upon the  
road1 and by an appearance in the light1
 which he supposed to be our ,savior4   
,he was greatly alarmed1 and1 spurring  
his horse1 galloped home2 remained      
agitated during the evening2 was seized 
with typhus fever1 then prevailing in   
the vicinity1 and died in about ten     
days4 ,it was afterwards ascertained1   
that on the morning of the same day1    
before he left home1 he had complained  
of headache and languor2 and there can  
be no doubt1 says this writer1 that the 
spectral appearance was connected with  
the commencement of the fever4          
,analogous to this is the very striking 
case related by a physician1 of a       
relative of his1 a lady about fifty4 ,on
 returning home one evening from a      

party1 she went into a dark room to lay 
aside some part of her dress1 when she  
saw distinctly before her the figure of 
death1 as a skeleton1 with his arm      
uplifted1 and a dart in his hand4 ,he   
instantly aimed a blow at her with the  
dart1 which seemed to strike her on the 
left side4 ,the same night she was      
seized with a fever1 accompanied with   
symptoms of inflammation in the left    
side1 but recovered after a severe      
illness4  ,we have read the account of a
 lady who had an illusion affecting both
 her sight and hearing4 ,she repeatedly 
heard her husband's voice calling to her
 by name1 as if from an adjoining room4 
,on one occasion1 she saw his figure    
most distinctly1 standing before the    
fire in the drawing room1 when he had   
left the house half an hour before4 ,she
 went and sat down within two feet of   
the figure1 supposing it to be her      
husband1 and was greatly astonished that
 he did not answer her when she spoke to
 him4 ,the figure continued visible     

several minutes1 then moved towards a   
window at the farther end of the room1  
and there disappeared4 ,on another      
occasion1 while adjusting her hair      
before a mirror1 late at night1 she saw 
the countenance of a friend1 dressed in 
a shroud1 reflected from the mirror1 as 
if looking over her shoulder4 ,this lady
 had been for some time in bad health1  
being affected with a lung complaint1   
and much nervous debility4  ,another    
case of an illusion of hearing is       
reported of a clergyman1 who was        
accustomed to full living1 and was      
suddenly seized with vomiting1 vertigo1 
and ringing in his ears1 and continued  
in an alarming condition for several    
days4 ,during this time he heard tunes  
most distinctly played1 and in accurate 
succession4 ,this patient had1 at the   
same time1 a remarkable condition of    
vision1 all objects appearing to him    
inverted4 ,this peculiarity continued   
about three days1 and ceased gradually2 
the objects by degrees changing their   

position1 first to the horizontal1 and  
then to the erect4  ,some profess to    
have visions or sights relative to the  
world of spirits4 ,this was the case    
with ,swedenborg4 ,he relates some of   
them in the following language3 ,i dined
 very late at my lodgings at ,london1   
and ate with great appetite1 till1 at   
the close of my repast1 ,i perceived a  
kind of mist about my eyes1 and the     
floor of my chamber was covered with    
hideous reptiles4 ,they soon            
disappeared1 the darkness was           
dissipated1 and ,i saw clearly1 in the  
midst of a brilliant light1 a man seated
 in the corner of my chamber1 who said  
to me1 in a terrible voice1 ,eat not so 
much4 ,at these words1 my sight became  
obscured2 afterwards it became clear by 
degrees1 and ,i found myself alone4 ,the
 night following1 the same man1 radiant 
with light1 appeared to me1 and said1 ,i
 am ,god the ,lord1 ,creator and        
,redeemer4 ,i have chosen you to unfold 
to men the internal and spiritual sense 

of the sacred writings1 and will dictate
 to you what you ought to write4 ,at    
that time1 ,i was not terrified1 and the
 light1 although very brilliant1 made no
 unpleasant impression upon my eyes4    
,the ,lord was clothed in purple1 and   
the vision lasted a quarter of an hour4 
,the same night1 the eyes of my internal
 man were opened1 and fitted to see     
things in heaven1 in the world of       
spirits1 and in hell2 in which places ,i
 have found many persons of my          
acquaintance1 some of them long since   
dead1 and others lately deceased4 ,in   
another place1 he observes1 ,i have     
conversed with apostles1 departed popes1
 emperors1 and kings2 with the late     
reformers of the church1 ,luther1       
,calvin1 and ,melancthon1 and with      
others from different countries4 ,in    
conversing with ,melancthon1 he wished  
to know his state in the spirit world1  
but ,melancthon did not see fit to      
inform him2 wherefore1 says ,swedenborg1
 ,i was instructed by others concerning 

his lot1 viz41 that he is sometimes in  
an excavated stone chamber1 and at other
 times in hell2 and that when in the    
chamber1 he appears to be clothed in a  
bear's skin by reason of the cold2 and  
that on account of the filth in his     
chamber1 he does not admit strangers    
from the world1 who are desirous of     
visiting him from the reputation of his 
name4  ,the apparitions of ,swedenborg  
were probably caused by his studies1    
habits1 and pursuits4 ,they bear the    
marks of earthly origin1 although he    
firmly believed they were from heaven4  
,overloading his stomach at late meals1 
no doubt1 caused some of them4 ,he was  
in the habit of eating too much1 as he  
himself admits4 ,hence his brain may    
have been disturbed4 ,we have all heard 
of the case of an elderly lady1 who1    
being ill1 called upon her physician one
 day for advice4 ,she told him1 among   
other things1 that on the preceding     
night her sleep had been disturbed--that
 she had seen her grandmother in her    

dreams4 ,being interrogated whether she 
ate any thing the preceding evening1 she
 told the doctor she ate half a mince   
pie just before going to bed4 ,well1    
madam1 said he1 if you had eaten the    
other half1 you might have seen your    
grandfather also4  ,the slightest       
examination of the accounts which remain
 of occurrences that were deemed        
supernatural by our ancestors will      
satisfy any one1 at the present day1    
that they were brought about by causes  
entirely natural1 although unknown to   
them4 ,we will close this part of our   
investigation by relating the following 
circumstances1 attested by the ,rev4    
,james ,pierpont1 pastor of a church in 
,new ,haven3--  ,in the year #afdg1 a   
new ship of about one hundred and fifty 
tons1 containing a valuable cargo1 and  
several distinguished persons as        
passengers1 put to sea from ,new ,haven 
in the month of ,january1 bound to      
,england4 ,the vessels that came over   
the ensuing spring brought no tidings of

 her arrival in the mother country4 ,the
 pious colonists were earnest and       
instant in their prayers that           
intelligence might be received of the   
missing vessel4 ,in the course of the   
following ,june1 a great thunder storm  
arose out of the north-west2 after      
which1 7the hemisphere being serene17   
about an hour before sunset1 a ship of  
like dimensions of the aforesaid1 with  
her canvas and colors abroad1 7although 
the wind was northerly17 appeared in the
 air1 coming up from the harbor's mouth1
 which lies southward from the town1    
seemingly with her sails filled1 under a
 fresh gale1 holding her course north1  
and continuing under observation1       
sailing against the wind1 for the space 
of half an hour4 ,the phantom ship was  
borne along1 until1 to the excited      
imaginations of the spectators1 she     
seemed to have approached so near that  
they could throw a stone into her4 ,her 
main topmast then disappeared1 then her 
mizzen topmast1 then her masts were     

entirely carried away1 and finally her  
hull fell off1 and vanished from sight1 
leaving a dull and smoke-colored cloud1 
which soon dissolved1 and the whole     
atmosphere became clear4 ,all affirmed  
that the airy vision was a precise copy 
of the missing vessel1 and that it was  
sent to announce and describe her fate4 
,they considered it the spectre of the  
lost ship1 and the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,davenport
 declared in public 'that ,god had      
condescended1 for the quieting of their 
afflicted spirits1 this extraordinary   
account of his sovereign disposal of    
those for whom so many fervent prayers  
were made continually4'  ,the results of
 modern science enable us to explain the
 mysterious appearance4 ,it is probable 
that some ,dutch vessel1 proceeding     
slowly1 quietly1 and unconsciously on   
her voyage from ,amsterdam to the ,new  
,netherlands1 happened at the time to be
 passing through the ,sound4 ,at the    
moment the apparition was seen in the   
sky1 she was so near1 that her image was

 painted or delineated to the eyes of   
the observers1 on the clouds1 by the    
laws of optics1 now generally well      
known1 before her actual outlines could 
be discerned by them on the horizon4 ,as
 the sun sunk behind the western hills1 
and his rays were gradually withdrawn1  
the visionary ship slowly disappeared1  
and the approach of the night1 while it 
dispelled the vapors from the           
atmosphere1 effectually concealed the   
vessel as she continued her course along
 the ,sound4  ,the optical illusions    
that present themselves1 on the sea     
shore1 by which distant objects are     
raised to view1 the opposite islands and
 capes made to loom up1 lifted above the
 line of the apparent circumference of  
the earth1 and thrown into every variety
 of shape which the imagination can     
conceive1 are among the most beautiful  
phenomena of nature1 and they impress   
the mind with the idea of enchantment   
and mystery1 more perhaps than any      
others4 ,but they have received a       

complete solution from modern discovery4
  ,it should be observed that the       
optical principles that explain these   
phenomena have recently afforded a      
foundation for the science1 or rather   
the art1 of nauscopy4 ,there are        
persons1 it is said1 in some places in  
the ,isle of ,france1 whose calling and 
profession it is to ascertain and       
predict the approach of vessels by their
 reflection in the atmosphere and on the
 clouds1 long before they are visible to
 the eye or through the glass4  ,our    
vision is at all times liable to be     
disturbed by atmospheric conditions4 ,so
 long as the atmosphere between our     
person and the object we are looking at 
is of the same density1 we may be said  
to see in a straight line to the object4
 ,but if1 by any cause1 a portion of    
that atmosphere is rendered less or more
 dense1 the line of vision is bent1 or  
refracted1 from its course4 ,a thorough 
comprehension of this truth in science  
has banished a mass of superstition4 ,it

 has been found that1 by means of       
powerful refraction1 objects at great   
distances1 and round the back of a hill1
 or considerably beneath the horizon1   
are brought into sight4 ,in some        
countries this phenomenon is called     
mirage4 ,the following is one of the    
most interesting and best-authenticated 
cases of the kind4 ,in a voyage         
performed by ,captain ,scoresby1 in     
#ahbb1 he was able to recognize his     
father's ship1 when below the horizon1  
from the inverted image of it which     
appeared in the air4 ,it was1 says he1  
so well defined1 that ,i could          
distinguish1 by a telescope1 every sail1
 the general rig of the ship1 and its   
particular character1 insomuch that ,i  
confidently pronounced it to be my      
father's ship1 the ,fame1--which it     
afterwards proved to be--though on      
comparing notes with my father1 ,i found
 that our relative position1 at the     
time1 gave our distance from one another
 very nearly thirty miles1 being about  

seventeen miles beyond the horizon1 and 
some leagues beyond the limit of direct 
vision6  ,dr4 ,vince1 an ,english       
philosopher1 was once looking through a 
telescope at a ship which was so far off
 that he could only see the upper part  
of the masts4 ,the hull was entirely    
hidden by the bending of the water2 but1
 between himself and the ship1 he saw   
two perfect images of it in the air4    
,these were of the same form and color  
as the real ship2 but one of them was   
turned completely upside down4  ,in the 
sandy plains of ,egypt1 the mirage is   
seen to great advantage4 ,these plains  
are often interrupted by small          
eminences1 upon which the inhabitants   
have built their villages in order to   
escape the inundations of the ,nile4 ,in
 the morning and evening1 objects are   
seen in their natural form and position2
 but when the surface of the sandy      
ground is heated by the sun1 the land   
seems terminated1 at a particular       
distance1 by a general inundation2 the  

villages which are beyond it appear like
 so many islands in a great lake2 and an
 inverted image of a village appears    
between the hills4  ,the ,swedish       
sailors long searched for a supposed    
magic island1 which1 from time to time1 
could be descried between the ,island of
 ,aland and the coast of ,upland4 ,it   
proved to be a rock1 the image of which 
was presented in the air by mirage4 ,at 
one time1 the ,english saw1 with terror1
 the coast of ,calais and ,boulogne1 in 
,france1 rising up on the opposite side 
of the ,channel1 and apparently         
approaching their island4 ,but the most 
celebrated example of mirage is         
exhibited in the ,straits of ,messina4  
,the inhabitants of the ,calabrian shore
 behold images of palaces1 embattled    
ramparts1 houses1 and ships1 and all the
 varied objects of towns and landscapes1
 in the air--being refracted images from
 the ,sicilian coast4 ,this wonderful   
phenomenon is superstitiously regarded  
by the common people as the work of     

fairies4     ,,chapter ,,vi4            
,,ignorance ,,of ,,true ,,religion4     
,ignorance of true religion has given   
rise to many prevailing superstitions4  
,the ,savior has taught us that the     
,father of spirits regulates the        
minutest events of this world1 and that 
he alone is the ,supreme ,ruler of the  
universe4 ,our experience and           
observation must convince us that this  
infinite work is accomplished by regular
 laws1 and that ,infinite ,wisdom sees  
fit so to govern all events without the 
intervention of miracles1 or through the
 agency of any instrumentality but his  
own4 ,and by examination1 we shall find 
that these truths are in direct         
opposition to the general mass of       
popular superstitions4  ,there are many 
who believe in signs4 ,they believe that
 the howling of a dog under a window    
betokens death to some member of the    
family4 ,but how does the dog obtain    
this foreknowledge8 ,who sends him on   
this solemn errand8 ,if you say that his

 appearance at the house is accidental1 
then you would have us trust to chance  
for information upon this most important
 subject4 ,if you say that his knowledge
 of the approaching event is intuitive1 
then you would have us believe that the 
irrational brute knows more than his    
intelligent master4 ,if you say that he 
is instigated by some wicked spirit1    
then you would have us admit that an    
enemy of mankind is more attentive to   
their welfare than ,god2 for it         
certainly betokens the greatest kindness
 to notify us of our near dissolution4  
,if you say the animal is sent by ,god1 
how will you explain the fact that the  
sign so often fails8 not actually taking
 place oftener1 at most1 than once in a 
hundred times4 ,certainly we are not to 
accuse the omniscient and merciful      
,jehovah either of ignorance concerning 
future events1 or of trifling with the  
feelings of his dependent creatures4 ,we
 must therefore consider the sign to be 
altogether superstitious1 and contrary  

to all rational evidence4  ,some persons
 profess to believe in lucky and unlucky
 days4 ,they say1 for instance1 that    
,friday is an unlucky day4 ,and why so8 
,does ,god part with the reins of his   
government1 and employ wicked spirits to
 torment his creatures on this day8     
,does he make this day more unpropitious
 to human affairs than others8 ,do facts
 go to show that more disasters occur on
 this day than on any other8 ,paul      
instructs us that all days are alike1   
and that ,god rules the universe with   
infinite wisdom and benevolence4 ,then  
why should we account ,friday to be an  
unlucky day8 ,whence came such an       
opinion8 ,from heathenism4 ,the heathen 
were much influenced by this            
superstition2 and when converted to     
,christianity1 they incorporated this   
among some other absurdities into their 
religious belief4 ,because our ,savior  
was crucified on ,friday1 they placed   
this at the head of their unlucky days4 
,but why they did so1 we cannot         

conceive2 for the death of ,christ was  
absolutely necessary for the deliverance
 of mankind from sin and death4 ,and for
 this reason alone1 ,friday was the most
 propitious day that ever dawned upon a 
dying world4 ,but the heathen converts  
did not consider this circumstance4     
,they pronounced ,sunday1 the day of his
 resurrection1 to be the most fortunate4
 ,later ,christians1 in a certain sense1
 have thought differently4 ,sir ,matthew
 ,hale has remarked1 that he never knew 
any undertaking to prosper that was     
commenced on the ,sabbath4 ,and the     
early laws of ,connecticut prohibited   
any vessel from either leaving a port1  
or entering a port1 or passing by a     
village on ,sunday4 ,but such           
prohibitions are not agreeable to the   
notions of seamen1 who1 as a class1 are 
inclined to be somewhat superstitious4  
,we frequently meet with dissipated1    
unbelieving sailors1 who could not be   
induced to put to sea on ,friday on any 
consideration2 but who would rather     

labor seven successive nights than not  
sail on the ,sabbath4 ,it is rather     
singular that sceptics should be so     
afraid of the day of our ,savior's      
crucifixion1 and so fond of that of his 
resurrection4 ,such inconsistency1      
however1 is not uncommon4 ,those who    
rail most at the credulity of others are
 frequently the most superstitious4     
,those who lay the greatest claims to   
bravery are1 for the most part1 the     
greatest cowards4 ,voltaire could       
ridicule religion in fair weather1 but  
the moment a thunder cloud appeared1 he 
was thrown into extreme consternation1  
and must have a priest to pray during   
its continuance for his preservation4   
,if we would avoid the influence of this
 heathen superstition1 we must regard   
actions rather than days4 ,if our       
engagements are proper1 we have nothing 
to fear from the day on which they are  
commenced4 ,if we feel the evidence     
within that ,god is indeed our ,father1 
we shall not be prevented1 by any belief

 in lucky or unlucky days1 from doing   
our duty on every day1 and enjoying     
peace and happiness on all days4        
,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,belief ,,in         
,,witchcraft4   ,a witch was regarded by
 our fathers as a person who had made an
 actual1 deliberate1 and formal contract
 with ,satan1 by which contract it was  
agreed that the party should become his 
faithful subject1 and do whatever should
 be required in promoting his cause4    
,and in consideration of this allegiance
 and service1 he1 on his part1 agreed to
 exercise his supernatural powers in the
 person's behalf4 ,it was considered as 
a transfer of allegiance from ,god to   
the devil4 ,the agreement being         
concluded1 ,satan bestows some trifling 
sum of money to bind the bargain2 then1 
cutting or pricking a finger causes the 
individual to sign his or her name1 or  
make the mark of a cross1 with their own
 blood1 on a piece of parchment4 ,in    
addition to this signature1 in some     
places1 the devil made the witches put  

one hand to the crown of their head1 and
 the other to the sole of the foot1     
signifying they were entirely his4      
,before the devil quits his new subject1
 he delivers to her or him an imp or    
familiar1 and sometimes two or three4   
,they are of different shapes and forms1
 some resembling a cat1 others a mole1 a
 miller fly1 spider1 or some other      
insect or animal4 ,these are to come at 
bidding1 to do such mischief as the     
witch may command1 and1 at stated times 
of the day1 suck the blood of the witch1
 through teats1 on different parts of   
the body4 ,feeding1 suckling1 or        
rewarding these imps was1 by law1       
declared felony4  ,sometimes a witch1 in
 company with others of the fraternity1 
is carried through the air on brooms or 
spits1 to distant meetings or ,sabbaths 
of witches4 ,but for this they must     
anoint themselves with a certain magical
 ointment given them by the devil4 ,lord
 ,bacon1 in his philosophical works1    
gives a recipe for the manufacture of an

 ointment that enabled witches to fly in
 the air4 ,it was composed of the fat of
 children1 digged out of their graves1  
and of the juices of smaltage1          
cinquefoil1 and wolfsbane1 mixed with   
meal of fine wheat4 ,after greasing     
themselves with this preparation1 the   
witches flew up chimney1 and repaired to
 the spot in some graveyard or dismal   
forest1 where they were to hold their   
meetings with the evil one4 ,at these   
meetings they have feasting and dancing1
 the devil himself sometimes            
condescending to play on the great      
fiddle1 pipe1 or harp4 ,when the meeting
 breaks up1 they all have the honor of  
kissing his majesty1 who for that       
ceremony usually assumes the form of a  
he goat4  ,witches showed their spite by
 causing the object of it to waste away 
in a long and painful disease1 with a   
sensation of thorns stuck in the flesh4 
,sometimes they caused their victims to 
swallow pins1 old nails1 dirt1 and trash
 of all sorts1 invisibly conveyed to    

them by their imps4 ,frequently they    
showed their hate by drying up the milk 
of cows1 or by killing oxen4 ,for slight
 offences they would prevent butter from
 coming in the churn1 or beer from      
working4 ,grace ,greenwood says1 that1  
on a visit to ,salem in the fall of     
#ahej1 she was shown a vial of the      
veritable bewitched pins with which     
divers persons were sorely pricked by   
the wicked spite of certain witches and 
wizards4  ,it was believed that ,satan  
affixed his mark or seal to the bodies  
of those in allegiance with him1 and    
that the spot where this mark was made  
became callous and dead4 ,in examining a
 witch upon trial1 they would pierce the
 body with pins1 and if any spot was    
found insensible to the torture1 it was 
looked upon as ocular demonstration of  
guilt4 ,another method to detect a      
witch1 was to weigh her against the     
church ,bible4 ,if she was guilty1 the  
,bible would preponderate4 ,another was 
by making her say the ,lord's prayer1   

which no one actually possessed could do
 correctly4 ,a witch could not weep but 
three tears1 and that only out of the   
left eye2 and this was considered by    
many an decisive proof of guilt4 ,but   
swimming was the most infallible ordeal4
 ,they were stripped naked1 and bound   
the right thumb to the left toe1 and the
 left thumb to the right toe4 ,being    
thus prepared1 they were thrown into a  
pond or river4 ,if guilty1 they could   
not sink2 for having1 by their compact  
with the devil1 renounced the water of  
baptism1 that element renounces them1   
and refuses to receive them into its    
bosom4  ,in #affd1 a man by the name of 
,matthew ,hopkins1 in ,england1 was     
permitted to explore the counties of    
,essex1 ,suffolk1 and ,huntingdon1 with 
a commission to discover witches1       
receiving twenty shillings from each    
town he visited4 ,many persons were     
pitched upon1 and through his means     
convicted4 ,at length1 some gentlemen1  
out of indignation at his barbarity1    

tied him in the same manner he had bound
 others1 thumbs and toes together1 in   
which state1 putting him in the water1  
he swam6 ,standing condemned on his own 
principles1 the country was rescued from
 the power of his malicious imposition4 
,the subsequent illustration of the     
condition of religion less than two     
hundred years ago will excite a few     
humbling thoughts4 ,in the parish       
register of ,glammis1 ,scotland1 ,june1 
#afgf1 is recorded--,nae preaching here 
this ,lord's day1 the minister being at 
,gortachy1 burning a witch4 ,forty      
thousand persons1 it is said1 were put  
to death for witchcraft in ,england     
during the seventeenth century1 and a   
much greater number in ,scotland1 in    
proportion to its population4  ,in      
#afib1 the whole population of ,salem   
and vicinity were under the influence of
 a terrible delusion concerning         
witchcraft4 ,by yielding to the sway of 
their credulous fancies1 allowing their 
passions to be worked up to a tremendous

 pitch of excitement1 and running into  
excesses of folly and violence1 they    
have left a dark stain upon their       
memory1 that will awaken a sense of     
shame1 pity1 and amazement in the minds 
of their latest posterity4 ,the         
principal causes that led to their      
delusion1 and to the proceedings        
connected with it1 were1 a proneness to 
superstition1 owing in a great degree to
 an ignorance of natural science1 too   
great a dependence upon the imagination1
 and the power of sympathy4 ,in         
contemplating the errors and sufferings 
which ignorance of philosophy and       
science brought upon our fathers1 we    
should be led to appreciate more        
gratefully1 and to improve with more    
faithfulness1 our own opportunities to  
acquire wisdom and knowledge4 ,but we   
would not be understood as saying1 that 
mere intellectual cultivation is        
sufficient to banish every superstition4
 ,no4 ,for who were ever better educated
 than the ancient ,greeks and ,romans8  

,and yet1 who were ever more influenced 
by a belief in signs1 omens1 spectres1  
and witches8 ,we believe that1 when the 
gospel1 in its purity and simplicity1   
shall shed its divine light abroad1 and 
pervade the hearts of men1 superstition1
 in all its dark and hideous forms1 will
 recede1 and vanish from the world4  ,in
 concluding our remarks under this head1
 we would add that1 in a dictionary     
before us1 a witch is designated as a   
woman1 and wizard as a man1 that        
pretends to some power whereby he or she
 can foretell future events1 cure       
diseases1 call up or drive away spirits4
 ,the art itself is called witchcraft4  
,if this is a correct definition1       
witches and wizards are quite a numerous
 class of people in society at the      
present day2 for there are many among us
 who presume to practise these things4  
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,necromancy ,,and   
,,fortune ,,telling4   ,although the    
belief in witchcraft has nearly passed  
away1 the civilized world is yet full of

 necromancers and fortune tellers4 ,the 
mystic science of palmistry is still    
practised by many a haggard and         
muttering vagrant4  ,the most celebrated
 fortune teller1 perhaps1 that ever     
lived1 resided in ,lynn1 ,mass4 ,the    
character of ,moll ,pitcher is          
familiarly known in all parts of the    
commercial world4 ,she died in #ahac4   
,her place of abode was beneath the     
projecting and elevated summit of ,high 
,rock1 in ,lynn1 and commanded a view of
 the wild and indented coast of         
,marblehead1 of the extended and        
resounding beaches of ,lynn and         
,chelsea1 of ,nahant ,rocks1 of the     
vessels and islands1 of ,boston's       
beautiful bay1 and of its remote        
southern shore4 ,she derived her        
mysterious gifts by inheritance1 her    
grandfather having practised them       
before1 in ,marblehead4 ,sailors1       
merchants1 and adventurers of every kind
 visited her residence1 and placed great
 confidence in her predictions4 ,people 

came from great distances to learn the  
fate of missing friends or recover the  
possession of lost goods4 ,the young1 of
 both sexes1 impatient at the tardy pace
 of time1 and burning with curiosity to 
discern their future lot1 especially as 
it regarded matters of wedlock1 availed 
themselves of every opportunity to visit
 her lowly dwelling1 and hear from her  
prophetic lips the revelations of these 
most tender incidents and important     
events of their coming lives4 ,she read 
the future1 and traced what1 to mere    
mortal eyes1 were the mysteries of the  
present or the past1 in the arrangement 
and aspect of the grounds or settlings  
of a cup of tea or coffee4 ,her name has
 every where become the generic title of
 fortune tellers1 and occupies a        
conspicuous place in the legends and    
ballads of popular superstition4  ,a man
 was suddenly missed by his friends from
 a certain town in this commonwealth4   
,the church immediately sent a member to
 consult the far-famed fortune-telling  

,molly ,pitcher4 ,after making the      
necessary inquiries1 she intimated that 
the absent person had been murdered by a
 family of negroes1 and his body sunk in
 the deep waters behind their dwelling4 
,upon this evidence1 the accused were   
forthwith imprisoned1 and the pond raked
 in vain1 from shore to shore4 ,a few   
days previous to the trial1 the missing 
man returned to his friends1 safe and   
sound2 thus proving that the fortune    
teller1 instead of having received from 
,satan certain information of distant   
and unknown events1 actually played off 
a piece of the grossest deception upon  
her credulous visitors4  ,we are told by
 travellers that there is scarcely a    
village in ,syria in which there is not 
some one who has the credit of being    
able to cast out evil spirits4 ,about   
eight miles from the ancient ,sidon1    
,lady ,hester ,stanhope1 the            
granddaughter of the immortal ,chatham1 
and niece of the equally immortal ,pitt1
 recently lived in a style of ,eastern  

splendor and magnificence4 ,she spent   
her time in gazing at the extended      
canopy of heaven1 as it shed its        
sparkling light upon the ancient hills  
and sacred groves of ,palestine--her    
soul absorbed in the fathomless         
mysteries of her loved astrology1 and   
holding fancied communion with          
supernatural powers and spirits of the  
departed4  ,there recently died in      
,hopkinton1 ,mass41 an individual by the
 name of ,sheffield1 who had long       
followed the art of fortune telling by  
astrology4 ,he professed to unfold      
almost every secret1 or mystery1 even to
 foretelling the precise day and hour   
any person would die4 ,in case of lost  
or stolen goods1 it was only necessary  
to enclose a small fee in a letter1     
containing also a statement of your     
name1 age1 and place of residence1 and  
forward the same by mail to his address4
 ,in two or three weeks1 the information
 you sought1 as to the person who stole 
the property1 c41 would be forwarded to 

you1 leaving you to judge of the case   
for yourself4 ,he did quite a business  
in his line1 and made something of a    
fortune out of a long-exploded science4 
,there are many who trust to the        
declarations of such persons1 and are   
often made unhappy thereby4 ,in fact1 it
 is doubtful if a more unhappy class can
 be found than those who are in the     
habit of consulting fortune tellers of  
any character4 ,it is discontent1       
chiefly1 that leads them to pry into    
futurity4 ,and after having had their   
fortunes told1 as it is termed1 they are
 no better satisfied than before2 for   
the best of fortune tellers are famous  
for their errors and mistakes1 although 
it would be strange if they did not     
blunder upon some facts in the whole    
routine of their business4 ,but we pity 
those who rely upon their               
prognostications4 ,if told they will die
 at such or such a time1 or if they are 
to meet with some dreadful accident1    
misfortune1 or disappointment1 their    

imaginations will lead them to          
anticipate and dread the event1 which   
will be the surest way to produce its   
fulfilment4 ,if a husband or wife is    
told that he or she will marry again1 it
 will lead them to be dissatisfied with 
the partner with whom they are at       
present associated4 ,and look at this   
subject as we will1 we shall find it    
productive of a vast amount of evil1 and
 therefore deserving of our entire      
disapprobation4     ,,chapter ,,ix4     
,,fairies1 ,,or ,,wandering ,,spirits4  
,fairies1 says a certain author1 are a  
sort of intermediate beings1 between men
 and women1 having bodies1 yet with the 
power of rendering them invisible1 and  
of passing through all sorts of         
enclosures4 ,they are remarkably small  
of stature1 with fair complexions1      
whence they derive their name1 fairies4 
,both male and female are generally     
clothed in green1 and frequent          
mountains1 the sunny side of hills1     
groves1 and green meadows1 where they   

amuse themselves with dancing1 hand in  
hand1 in a circle1 by moonlight4 ,the   
traces of their feet are said to be     
visible1 next morning1 on the grass1 and
 are commonly called fairy rings1 or    
circles4  ,fairies have all the passions
 and wants of men1 and are great lovers 
of cleanliness and propriety2 for the   
observance of which1 they frequently    
reward servants1 by dropping money in   
their shoes4 ,they likewise punish sluts
 and slovens by pinching them black and 
blue4 ,they often change their weak and 
starveling elves1 or children1 for the  
more robust offspring of men4 ,but this 
can only be done before baptism2 for    
which reason it is still the custom1 in 
the ,highlands1 to watch by the cradle  
of infants till they are christened4    
,the word changeling1 now applied to one
 almost an idiot1 attests the current   
belief of these superstitious mutations4
  ,some fairies dwell in mines1 and in  
,wales nothing is more common than these
 subterranean spirits1 called knockers1 

who very good naturedly point out where 
there is a rich vein of lead or silver4 
,in ,scotland there was a sort of       
domestic fairies1 from their sun-burnt  
complexions1 called brownies4 ,these    
were extremely useful1 performing all   
sorts of domestic drudgery4  ,in the    
,life of ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke1 we have the
 following account of a circumstance    
that took place in the town of          
,freshford1 county of ,kilkenny1        
,ireland1 showing the superstition      
prevailing in that country concerning   
the influence of these fairy beings3 ,a 
farmer built himself a house of three   
apartments1 the kitchen in the middle1  
and a room for sleeping1 c41 on either  
end4 ,some time after it was finished1 a
 cow of his died--then a horse2 to these
 succeeded other smaller animals1 and   
last of all his wife died4 ,full of     
alarm and distress1 supposing himself to
 be an object of fairy indignation1 he  
went to the fairy man1 that is1 one who 
pretends to know fairy customs1 haunts1 

pathways1 antipathies1 caprices1        
benevolences1 c41 and he asked his      
advice and counsel on the subject of his
 losses4 ,the wise man1 after having    
considered all things1 and cast his eye 
upon the house1 said1 ',the fairies1 in 
their night walks from ,knockshegowny   
,hill1 in county ,tipperary1 to the     
county of ,kilkenny1 were accustomed to 
pass over the very spot where one of    
your rooms is now built2 you have       
blocked up their way1 and they were very
 angry with you1 and have slain your    
cattle1 and killed your wife1 and1 if   
not appeased1 may yet do worse harm to  
you4' ,the poor fellow1 sadly alarmed1  
went1 and with his own hands1           
deliberately pulled down the timbers1   
demolished the walls1 and left not one  
stone upon another1 but razed the very  
foundation1 and left the path of these  
capricious gentry as open and as clear  
as it was before4 ,how strong must have 
been this man's belief in the existence 
of these demi-natural and               

semi-supernatural beings1 to have       
induced him thus to destroy the work of 
his own hands6  ,in ,spenser's epic     
poem1 called the ,fairy ,queen1 the     
imagination of the reader is entertained
 with the characters of fairies1        
witches1 magicians1 demons1 and departed
 spirits4 ,a kind of pleasing horror is 
raised in the mind1 and one is amused   
with the strangeness and novelty of the 
persons who are represented in it2 but  
to be affected by such poetry requires  
an odd turn of thought1 a peculiar cast 
of fancy1 with an imagination naturally 
fruitful and superstitious4  ,the       
,gypsies are a class of strolling       
beggars1 cheats1 and fortune tellers4   
,they have been quite numerous in all   
the older countries1 and are so still in
 some of them2 but in the ,united       
,states there are but few1 some one or  
two tribes in the west1 and a small     
party of them in ,new ,york state4 ,they
 are probably called ,gypsies from the  
ancient ,egyptians1 who had the         

character of great cheats1 whence the   
name might afterwards pass proverbially 
into other languages1 as it did into the
 ,greek and ,latin2 or else the ancient 
,egyptians being much versed in         
astronomy1 or rather astrology1 the name
 was afterwards assumed by these modern 
fortune tellers4 ,in ,latin they are    
called ,egyptii2 the ,italians called   
them ,cinari1 or ,cingani2 the          
,russians1 ,zigani2 the ,turks and      
,persians1 ,zingarri2 the ,germans1     
,ziguenor2 the ,spaniards1 ,gitnos2 the 
,french1 ,bohemians1 from the           
circumstance that ,bohemia was the first
 civilized country where they made their
 appearance4  ,in most countries they   
live in the woods and forests2 but in   
,england1 where every inch of land is   
cultivated1 the covered cart and little 
tent are their houses1 and they seldom  
remain more than three days in the same 
place4  ,dabbling in sorcery is in some 
degree the province of the female       
,gypsy4 ,she affects to tell the future1

 and to prepare philters1 by means of   
which love can be awakened in any       
individual towards any particular       
object2 and such is the credulity of the
 human race1 even in the most           
enlightened countries1 that the profits 
arising from these practices are great4 
,the following is a case in point3 ,two 
females1 neighbors and friends1 were    
tried1 some years since1 for the murder 
of their husbands4 ,it appeared that    
they were in love for the same          
individual1 and had conjointly1 at      
various times1 paid sums of money to a  
,gypsy woman to work charms to captivate
 his affections4 ,whatever little effect
 the charms might produce1 they were    
successful in their principal object1   
for the person in question carried on   
for some time a criminal intercourse    
with both4 ,the matter came to the      
knowledge of the husbands1 who1 taking  
means to break off this connection1 were
 both poisoned by their wives4 ,till the
 moment of conviction1 these wretched   

females betrayed neither emotion nor    
fear2 but at this juncture their        
consternation was indescribable4 ,they  
afterwards confessed that the ,gypsy1   
who had visited them in prison1 had     
promised to shield them from conviction 
by means of her art4 ,it is therefore   
not surprising that in the fifteenth and
 sixteenth centuries1 when a belief in  
sorcery was supported by the laws of all
 ,europe1 these people were regarded as 
practisers of sorcery1 and punished as  
such1 when1 even in the nineteenth1 they
 still find people weak enough to place 
confidence in their claims to           
supernatural power4  ,in telling        
fortunes1 the first demand of the       
,gypsy1 in ,england1 is invariably a    
sixpence1 in order that she may cross   
her hands with silver2 and here the same
 promises are made1 and as easily       
believed1 as in other countries1 leading
 to the conclusion that mental          
illumination1 amongst the generality of 
mankind1 has made no progress whatever2 

as we observe in the nineteenth century 
the same gross credulity manifested as  
in the seventeenth1 and the inhabitants 
of one of the countries most celebrated 
for the arts of civilization imposed    
upon by the same stale tricks which     
served to deceive1 two centuries before1
 in ,spain1 a country whose name has    
long and justly been considered as      
synonymous with every species of        
ignorance and barbarity4  ,in telling   
fortunes1 promises are the only capital 
requisite1 and the whole art consists in
 properly adapting these promises to the
 age and condition of the parties who   
seek for information4 ,the ,gitnos are  
clever enough in the accomplishment of  
this1 and generally give perfect        
satisfaction4 ,their practice lies      
chiefly amongst females1 the portion of 
the human race most given to curiosity  
and credulity4 ,to the young maidens    
they promise lovers1 handsome           
invariably1 and oftentimes rich2 to     
wives1 children1 and perhaps another    

husband2 for their eyes are so          
penetrating1 that occasionally they will
 develop your most secret thoughts and  
wishes2 to the old1 riches1 and nothing 
but riches--for they have sufficient    
knowledge of the human heart to be aware
 that avarice is the last passion that  
becomes extinct within it4 ,these riches
 are to proceed either from the         
discovery of hidden treasure1 or from   
across the water4 ,the ,gitnos1 in the  
exercise of this practice1 find dupes   
almost as readily amongst the superior  
classes1 as the veriest dregs of the    
population4  ,they are also expert in   
chiromancy1 which is the determining1   
from certain lines upon the hand1 the   
quality of the physical and intellectual
 powers of the possessor1 to which lines
 they give particular and appropriate   
names1 the principal of which is called 
the line of life4 ,an ancient writer1 in
 speaking of this art1 says1 ,such      
chiromancy is not only reprobated by    
theologians1 but by men of law and      

physic1 as a foolish1 vain1 scandalous1 
futile1 superstitious practice1 smelling
 much of divinery and a pact with the   
devil4  ,the ,gitnos in the olden time  
appear to have not unfrequently been    
subjected to punishment as sorceresses1 
and with great justice1 as the          
abominable trade which they have always 
driven in philters and decoctions       
certainly entitled them to that         
appellation1 and to the pains and       
penalties reserved for those who        
practised what is generally termed      
witchcraft4  ,amongst the crimes laid to
 their charge1 connected with the       
exercise of occult powers1 there is one 
of a purely imaginary character1 which  
if they were ever punished for1 they had
 assuredly but little right to complain1
 as the chastisement they met with was  
fully merited by practices equally      
malefic as the one imputed to them1     
provided that were possible4 ,it was the
 casting the evil eye4  ,in the ,gitno  
language1 casting the evil eye is called

 zuerelar nasula1 which simply means    
making sick1 and which1 according to the
 common superstition1 is accomplished by
 casting an evil look at people1        
especially children1 who1 from the      
tenderness of their constitution1 are   
supposed to be more easily blighted than
 those of a more mature age4 ,after     
receiving the evil glance1 they fall    
sick1 and die in a few hours4  ,in      
,andalusia1 a belief in the evil eye is 
very prevalent among the lower orders4  
,a stag's horn is considered a good     
safeguard1 and on that account1 a small 
horn1 tipped with silver1 is frequently 
attached to the children's necks1 by    
means of a cord braided from the hair of
 a black mare's tail4 ,should the evil  
glance be cast1 it is imagined that the 
horn receives it1 and instantly snaps   
asunder4 ,such horns may be purchased at
 the silversmiths' shops at ,seville4   
,the ,gypsies sell remedies for the evil
 eye1 which consist of any drugs which  
they happen to possess1 or are          

acquainted with4 ,they have been known  
to offer to cure the glanders in a      
horse1 7an incurable disorder17 with the
 very same powders which they offer as a
 specific for the evil eye4  ,the same  
superstition is current among all       
,oriental people1 whether ,turks1       
,arabs1 or ,hindoos2 but perhaps there  
is no nation in the world with whom the 
belief is so firmly rooted as the ,jews2
 it being a subject treated of in all   
the old rabbinical writings1 which      
induces the conclusion that the         
superstition of the evil eye is of an   
antiquity almost as remote as the origin
 of the ,hebrew race4  ,the evil eye is 
mentioned in ,scripture1 but not in the 
false and superstitious sense we have   
spoken of4 ,evil in the eye1 which      
occurs in ,prov4 xxiii4 #e1 #f1 merely  
denotes niggardness and illiberality4   
,the ,hebrew words are ain ra1 and stand
 in contradistinction to ain toub1 or   
the benignant in eye1 which denotes an  
inclination to bounty and liberality4   

,the rabbins have said1 ,for one person 
who dies of sickness1 there are ten who 
die by the evil eye4 ,and as the ,jews1 
especially those of the ,east1 and of   
,barbary1 place implicit confidence in  
all that the rabbins have written1 we   
can scarcely wonder if1 at the present  
day1 they dread this visitation more    
than the cholera or the plague4 ,the    
leech1 they say1 can cure those         
disorders2 but who is capable of curing 
the evil eye8  ,it is imagined that this
 blight is most easily inflicted when a 
person is enjoying himself1 with little 
or no care for the future1 when he is   
reclining in the sun before his door1 or
 when he is full of health and spirits1 
but principally when he is eating and   
drinking1 on which account the ,jews and
 ,moors are jealous of strangers when   
they are taking their meals4  ,i was    
acquainted1 says a late writer1 with a  
very handsome ,jewess1 of ,fez2 she had 
but one eye1 but that one was           
particularly brilliant4 ,on asking her  

how she lost its fellow1 she informed me
 that she was once standing in the      
street1 at nightfall1 when she was a    
little girl2 a ,moor1 that was passing  
by1 suddenly stopped1 and said1 ',towac 
,ullah1 7blessed be ,god17 how beautiful
 are your eyes1 my child6' ,whereupon   
she went into the house1 but was        
presently seized with a dreadful pain in
 the left eye1 which continued during   
the night1 and the next day the pupil   
came out of the socket4 ,she added1 that
 she did not believe the ,moor had any  
intention of hurting her1 as he gazed on
 her so kindly2 but that it was very    
thoughtless in him to utter words which 
are sure to convey evil luck4 ,it is    
said to be particularly dangerous to eat
 in the presence of a woman2 for the    
evil eye1 if cast by a woman1 is far    
more fatal and difficult to cure than if
 cast by a man4  ,when any one falls    
sick of the evil eye1 he must instantly 
call to his assistance the man cunning  
in such cases4 ,the man1 on coming1     

takes either a girdle or a handkerchief 
from off his own person1 and ties a knot
 at either end2 then he measures three  
spans with his left hand1 and at the end
 of these three he fastens a knot1 and  
folds it three times round his head1    
pronouncing this beraka1 or blessing3   
,ben porat ,josef1 ben porat ali ain1   
7,joseph is a fruitful bough1 a fruitful
 bough by a well27 he then recommences  
measuring the girdle or handkerchief1   
and if he finds three spans and a half1 
instead of the three which he formerly  
measured1 he is enabled to tell the name
 of the person who cast the evil eye1   
whether male or female4  ,the above very
 much resembles the charm of the ,bible 
and key1 by which many persons in       
,england still pretend to be able to    
discover the thief1 when an article is  
missed4 ,a key is placed in a ,bible1 in
 the part called ,solomon's ,song2 the  
,bible and key are then fastened        
strongly together1 by means of a ribbon1
 which is wound round the ,bible1 and   

passed several times through the handle 
of the key1 which projects from the top 
of the book4 ,the diviner then causes   
the person robbed to name the name of   
any person or persons whom he may       
suspect4 ,the two parties1 the robbed   
and the diviner1 then standing up1      
support the book between them1 the ends 
of the handle of the key resting on the 
tips of the fore fingers of the right   
hand4 ,the diviner then inquires of the 
,bible1 whether such a one committed the
 theft1 and commences repeating the     
sixth and seventh verses of the eighth  
chapter of the ,song2 and if the ,bible 
and key turn round in the mean time1 the
 person named is considered guilty4     
,this charm has been1 and still is1 the 
source of infinite mischief1 innocent   
individuals having irretrievably lost   
their character among their neighbors   
from recourse being had to the ,bible   
and key4 ,the slightest motion of the   
finger1 or rather of the nail1 will     
cause the key to revolve1 so that the   

people named are quite at the mercy of  
the diviner1 who is generally a cheat1  
or professed conjurer1 and not          
unfrequently a ,gypsy4 ,in like manner1 
the ,barbary cunning man1 by a slight   
contraction of his hand1 measures three 
and a half spans1 where he first        
measured three1 and then pretends to    
know the person who has cast the evil   
eye1 having1 of course1 first           
ascertained the names of those with whom
 his patient has lately been in company4
  ,when the person who has cast the evil
 eye has been discovered1 by means of   
the magical process already described1  
the mother1 or wife1 or sister of the   
sufferer walks forth1 pronouncing the   
name of the latter with a loud voice1   
and1 making the best of her way to the  
house of the person guilty1 takes a     
little of the earth from before the door
 of his or her sleeping apartment4 ,some
 of the saliva of the culprit is then   
demanded1 which must be given early in  
the morning1 before breakfast2 then the 

mother1 or the wife1 or the sister goes 
to the oven1 and takes from thence seven
 burning coals1 which are slaked in     
water from the bath in which the women  
bathe4 ,the four ingredients1 earth1    
saliva1 coals1 and water1 are then mixed
 together in a dish1 and the patient is 
made to take three sips1 and what       
remains is taken to a private place and 
buried1 the person who buries it making 
three paces backward1 exclaiming1 ,may  
the evil eye be buried beneath the      
earth4 ,many people carry papers about  
with them1 scrawled with hieroglyphics1 
which are prepared by the hacumim1 or   
sages1 and sold4 ,these papers1 placed  
in a little bag and hung about the      
person1 are deemed infallible           
preservatives from the ain ara4  ,like  
many other superstitions1 the above may 
be founded on a physical reality4 ,in   
hot countries1 where the sun and moon   
are particularly dazzling1 the belief in
 the evil eye is most prevalent4 ,if we 
turn to the ,scripture1 we shall        

probably come to the solution of the    
belief4 ,the sun shall not smite thee by
 day1 nor the moon by night4 ,ps4 cxxi4 
#e1 #f4 ,to those who loiter in the     
sunshine1 before the king of day has    
nearly reached his bourn in the west1   
the sun has an evil eye1 and his glance 
produces brain fevers2 and to those who 
sleep uncovered1 beneath the smile of   
the moon1 her glance is poisonous1      
producing insupportable itching in the  
eye and not unfrequently total          
blindness3 all the charms1 scrawls1 and 
rabbinical antidotes have no power to   
avert these effects4  ,the northern     
nations have a superstition which bears 
some resemblance to the evil eye4 ,they 
have no brilliant sun and moon to addle 
the brain and poison the eye1 but the   
gray north has its marshes1 and fenny   
ground1 and fetid mists1 which produce  
agues1 low fevers1 and moping madness1  
and are as fatal to cattle as to man4   
,such disorders are attributed to elves 
and fairies4 ,this superstition still   

lingers in some parts of ,england1 under
 the name of elf-shot1 whilst1          
throughout the north1 it is called      
elle-skiod1 and elle-vild1 7fairy wild47
 ,it is particularly prevalent amongst  
shepherds and cowherds1 who1 from their 
manner of life1 are most exposed to the 
effects of the so called elf-shot4  ,the
 ,gitnos had a venomous preparation     
called drao1 or drow1 which they were in
 the habit of flinging into the mangers 
of the cattle1 for the purpose of       
causing sickness and death4 ,it was the 
province of the women to compound the   
ingredients of this poison1 which       
answered many wicked purposes4 ,the     
stalls and stables were visited         
secretly1 and the provender of the      
animals being poisoned1 they at once    
fell sick2 speedily there appeared the  
,gitnos1 offering their services on the 
condition of no cure no pay1 and when   
these were accepted1 the malady was     
speedily removed4 ,they used no         
medicines1 or pretended not to1 but     

charms only1 which consisted of small   
variegated beans1 called1 in their      
language1 bobis1 coming from a ,russian 
word signifying beans4 ,these beans they
 dropped into the mangers1 though they  
doubtless administered privately a real 
and efficacious remedy4 ,by these means 
they fostered the idea1 already         
prevalent1 that they were people        
possessed of supernatural gifts and     
powers4 ,by means of drao1 they likewise
 procured themselves food2 poisoning    
swine1 as their brethren in ,england    
still do1 and then feasting on the      
flesh1 the poison only affecting the    
head of the animal1 which was abandoned 
as worthless2 witness one of their own  
songs3--      ,by ,gypsy drow the porker
 died2     ,i saw him stiff at evening  
tide2     ,but ,i saw him not when      
morning shone1     ,for the ,gypsies ate
 him1 flesh and bone4  ,by drao1 also1  
they could avenge themselves on their   
enemies by destroying their cattle1     
without incurring a shadow of suspicion4

 ,revenge for injuries1 real or         
imaginary1 is sweet to all unconverted  
minds--to no one more than the ,gypsy1  
who1 in all parts of the world1 is1     
perhaps1 the most revengeful of human   
beings4  ,but if the ,gitnos are        
addicted to any one superstition above  
others1 it is in respect to the         
loadstone1 to which they attribute all  
kinds of miraculous powers4 ,they       
believe that he who is in possession of 
it has nothing to fear from steel or    
lead1 from fire or water1 and that death
 itself has no power over him4 ,the     
,gypsy contrabandists are particularly  
anxious to procure this stone1 which    
they carry upon their persons in their  
expeditions4 ,they say1 that in the     
event of their being pursued by the     
revenue officers1 whirlwinds of dust    
will arise and conceal them from the    
view of their enemies2 the horse        
stealers say much the same thing1 and   
assert that they are uniformly          
successful when they bear about them the

 precious stone4 ,but it is said by them
 to effect much more4 ,it is            
extraordinary in exciting the amorous   
propensities1 and on this account it is 
in great request among the ,gypsy hags4 
,all these women are procuresses1 and   
find persons of both sexes weak and     
wicked enough to make use of their      
pretended knowledge in the composition  
of love draughts and decoctions4  ,in   
the ,museum of ,natural ,curiosities at 
,madrid1 there is a large piece of      
loadstone1 originally extracted from the
 ,american mines4 ,there is scarcely a  
,gitna in ,madrid who is not acquainted 
with this circumstance1 and who does not
 long to obtain the stone1 or a part of 
it4 ,several attempts have been made to 
steal it1 all of which1 however1 have   
been unsuccessful4  ,a translation of   
the ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke was printed in
 the ,gypsy language1 at ,madrid1 in    
#ahch4 ,the chapters were read over and 
explained to some of these strange      
people1 by the late agent of the        

,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1  
in ,spain4 ,they said it was lacho1 and 
jucal1 and misto1 all of which words    
express approval of the quality of a    
thing2 and they purchased copies of the 
,gypsy ,luke freely4 ,the women were    
particularly anxious to obtain copies1  
though unable to read2 but each wished  
to have one in her pocket1 especially   
when engaged in thieving expeditions1   
for they all looked upon it in the light
 of a charm1 which would preserve them  
from all danger and mischance2 some even
 went so far as to say1 that in this    
respect it was equally as efficacious as
 the ,bar ,lachi1 or loadstone1 which   
they are generally so eager to possess4 
,of this ,gospel1 five hundred copies   
were printed1 the greatest part of which
 were circulated among the ,gypsies2 but
 it was speedily prohibited by a royal  
ordinance1 which appeared in the        
,gazette of ,madrid1 in ,august1 #ahch4 
,before closing1 under this head1 we    
will remark that1 although the ,gypsies 

in general are a kind of wandering      
outcasts1 incapable of appreciating the 
blessings of a settled and civilized    
life1 yet among the ,gypsies of ,moscow 
there are not a few who inhabit stately 
houses1 go abroad in elegant equipages1 
and are not a whit behind the higher    
order of ,russians in appearance1 nor in
 mental acquirements4 ,to the female    
part of the ,gypsy colony of ,moscow is 
to be attributed the merit of this      
partial rise from abjectness and        
degradation1 having from time immemorial
 so successfully cultivated the vocal   
art1 that1 though in the midst of a     
nation by whom song is more cherished   
and cultivated1 and its principles      
better understood1 than by any other of 
the civilized globe1 the ,gypsy choirs  
of ,moscow are1 by the general voice of 
the ,russian public1 admitted to be     
unrivalled in that most amiable of all  
accomplishments4 ,it is a fact1         
notorious in ,russia1 that the          
celebrated ,catalini was so enchanted   

with the voice of one of these ,gypsy   
songsters1 who1 after the former had    
displayed her noble ,italian talent     
before a splendid audience at ,moscow1  
stepped forward1 and with an astonishing
 burst of almost angelic melody1 so     
enraptured every ear1 that even applause
 forgot its duty1 and the noble         
,catalini immediately tore from her own 
shoulders a shawl of ,cashmere1 which   
had been presented to her by the ,father
 of ,rome1 and embracing the ,gypsy1    
insisted on her acceptance of the       
splendid gift1 saying1 that it had been 
intended for the matchless songster     
which she now perceived she herself was 
not4     ,,chapter ,x4  ,,omens1        
,,charms1 ,,and ,,divination4   ,many   
books have been published1 having a     
tendency to deceive the credulous1 who  
suffer themselves to be guided by any   
thing but reason and experience4 ,hence 
the encouragement bestowed on works of  
enchantment1 dreams1 omens1 and fate4   
,mankind have always discovered a       

propensity to peep behind the veil of   
futurity1 and have been lavish of money 
in consulting persons and books that    
make a pretension of unravelling the    
decrees of ,fate1 which lie hidden in   
the labyrinths of darkness4 ,from these 
sources have arisen the following       
superstitions1 as a sample of the many  
that have disturbed the peace of        
individuals1 families1 and sometimes of 
whole communities4  ,a coal in the shape
 of a coffin1 flying out of the fire to 
any particular person1 denotes his death
 is not far off4 ,a collection of tallow
 rising up against the wick of a candle 
is called a winding-sheet1 and deemed an
 omen of mortality4 ,if1 in eating1 you 
miss your mouth1 and the food falls1 it 
is very unlucky1 and denotes sickness4  
,to dream you are dressed in black is an
 unlucky omen4 ,some quarrel is about to
 happen between you and a friend or     
relative4 ,sickness is about to attend  
your family4 ,death will deprive you of 
some friend or relation4 ,lawsuits will 

perplex and harass you4 ,if you         
undertake a journey1 it will be         
unsuccessful4 ,if you are in love1 it   
denotes that your sweetheart is very    
unhappy1 and that sickness will attend  
her4 ,if you are a farmer1 your crops   
will fail1 the murrain will attack your 
cattle1 and some dreadful accident will 
happen by the overturning of one of your
 wagons4 ,if you are in business1 some  
one will arrest you1 and you will have  
great difficulty in settling the matter4
 ,to dream of hen and chickens is the   
forerunner of ill luck4 ,your sweetheart
 will betray you and marry another4 ,if 
you go to law1 the case will be decided 
against you4 ,if you go to sea1 you will
 lose your goods1 and narrowly escape   
shipwreck4 ,to dream of coals denotes   
much affliction and trouble4 ,if you are
 in love1 your sweetheart will prove    
false1 and do every thing to injure you4
 ,to dream you see the coals            
extinguished1 and reduced to cinders1   
denotes the death of yourself1 or some  

near friend or relation4 ,it also       
indicates great losses1 and forewarns   
you of beggary and a prison4 ,to dream  
you are married is ominous of death4 ,it
 also denotes poverty1 a prison1 and    
misfortunes4 ,to dream of lying with    
your newly-married husband or wife      
denotes danger and sudden misfortunes4  
,popular charms are equally absurd and  
nonsensical4 ,for example1 a ring made  
of the hinge of a coffin is good for the
 cramp4 ,a halter with which a man has  
been hanged1 if tied about the head1    
will cure the headache4 ,a drop of blood
 of a black cat cures convulsions in    
children4 ,if a tree of any kind be     
split1 and weak1 rickety1 or ruptured   
children are drawn through it1 and      
afterwards the tree is bound together1  
so as to make it unite--as the tree     
heals and grows together1 so will the   
child acquire strength4 ,if in a family 
the youngest daughter be married before 
her older sisters1 they must all dance  
at her wedding without shoes1 to        

counteract their ill luck1 and procure  
themselves husbands4 ,and to procure    
luck when a person goes out to transact 
business1 you must throw an old shoe    
after him4 ,to spit on the first money  
received for the price of goods sold on 
any day will procure luck4 ,and that    
boxers must spit in their hands before  
they set to1 for luck's sake4  ,seamen  
have a superstition that if they whistle
 in a storm1 the storm will be          
increased4 ,and in time of a calm1 they 
practise whistling to call the wind1 as 
they term it4 ,among farmers1 in setting
 a hen1 it is deemed lucky to use an odd
 number of eggs4 ,among soldiers1       
salutes with cannon must be of an odd   
number4 ,a royal salute is thrice seven1
 or twenty-one guns4 ,healths are drank 
odd4 ,yet the number thirteen is        
sometimes deemed ominous2 it being      
supposed that when thirteen persons meet
 in a room1 one of them will die within 
the year4 ,to know whether a woman shall
 have the man she desires1 it is        

directed to get two lemon peels1 and    
wear them all day1 one in each pocket1  
and at night rub the four posts of the  
bedstead with them4 ,if she is to       
succeed1 the person will appear to her  
in her sleep1 and present her with a    
couple of lemons4 ,if not1 there is no  
room for hope4 ,and again the fair ones 
are directed to take a piece of wedding 
cake1 draw it thrice through the wedding
 ring1 lay it under their pillow1 and   
they will certainly dream of their      
future husbands4 ,a thousand other      
equally successful methods have been    
proposed to solve the mysteries of      
future fortune2 and yet the magical     
stone1 that will turn all our schemes   
into wished-for realities1 remains to be
 discovered4 ,as time advances1 and     
knowledge pervades the abodes of        
darkness and ignorance1 all this        
trumpery of ghosts1 witches1 fairies1   
tricks1 and omens will go down to the   
tomb of the ,capulets4 ,people will be  
able to pass through the churchyard1    

sleep in an old house1 though the wind  
whistle ever so shrill1 without         
encountering any supernatural           
visitations4 ,they will become wise     
enough to trace private and public      
calamities to other causes than the     
crossing of knives1 the click of an     
insect1 or even the portentous advent of
 a comet4 ,thanks to the illustrious    
names recorded in the annals of science 
and letters1 who have contributed       
towards so happy a consummation4        
,,chapter ,,xi4  ,,modern ,,miracles4   
,there are some who profess to believe  
in modern miracles4 ,but such belief    
necessarily partakes of superstition4   
,the ,savior gave no intimation that    
miracles should continue after the      
establishment of ,christianity4 ,he     
promised to be with his apostles even   
unto the end of that age4 ,he declared  
that all who believed their instructions
 should also have power to cast out     
devils1 heal diseases1 speak with new   
tongues1 and withstand any deadly thing4

 ,but his promise did not extend beyond 
the immediate converts of the apostles4 
,and we have no satisfactory evidence   
that miracles were wrought by any but   
these2 while we have abundant testimony 
that our ,savior's promise was literally
 fulfilled4 ,in fact1 there was no      
necessity for miracles after the        
establishment of ,christianity4 ,they   
were first wrought as so many           
testimonies that ,jesus was the sent of 
,god2 and at the same time1 were so many
 significant emblems of his designs1 so 
many types and figures1 aptly           
representing the benefits to be         
conferred upon the human race4 ,but they
 were not designed to be perpetuated2   
for a history of divine revelation was  
committed to writing1 and translated    
into the prevailing languages of the    
civilized world4 ,if any could be so    
obstinate as not to be convinced of its 
divine origin by the mass of evidence   
with which it was accompanied1 neither  
would they believe1 though one should   

rise from the dead4  ,pretended modern  
miracles admit of an easy explanation on
 natural principles4 ,diseases have been
 suddenly healed2 but imagination       
effected the cure4 ,visions1 ghosts1 and
 apparitions have been seen2 but they   
existed only in the minds of the        
observers1 and were caused by some      
mental or bodily operation4 ,but nothing
 of this kind can be said of the        
miracles of ,christ4 ,his cannot be     
accounted for on any natural principles1
 but must have been caused by divine    
miraculous agency4  ,modern miracles are
 not supported by satisfactory evidence4
 ,they have been mostly wrought in      
secret4 ,no witnesses can be produced   
but the most interested4 ,this was not  
the case with those of our ,savior4     
,they were performed openly1 and in the 
presence of friends and enemies4 ,they  
could not be deceptions2 for the        
resurrection of a dead person could be  
tested by the evidence of the senses4   
,the remark of ,judge ,howe may be      

appropriately introduced in this        
connection4 ,he had thoroughly and      
impartially studied the evidences of    
,christianity1 and a firm belief in its 
divine origin was the result4 ,he       
observed that no jury could be found    
that would give a verdict against       
,christianity1 if the evidences on both 
sides could be fairly presented before  
them1 and they were governed in forming 
their opinion by the common rules of    
belief4 ,the truth of this observation  
is confirmed by the fact1 that candid   
inquirers after truth have uniformly    
risen from an examination of the        
evidences of ,christianity believers in 
its divine origin4 ,the same cannot be  
said of modern miracles4 ,no jury could 
be obtained of disinterested persons1   
who would give a verdict in their favor4
 ,therefore we have no satisfactory     
evidence of their reality4 ,our safest  
course is to admit the conclusion of    
eminent writers of all denominations1   
namely1 that miracles ceased with the   

first converts of ,christianity4        
,,chapter ,,xii4  ,,pretended ,,prophets
 ,,and ,,christs4   ,many have professed
 a belief in the divine inspiration of  
some one of the many false prophets or  
,christs that have appeared in different
 ages of the church4 ,in the year #ahcj1
 there was a man in this country1       
calling himself ,matthias1 who declared 
that he was the very ,christ1 and       
pretended that he had come to judge the 
world4 ,and strange as it may seem1 he  
was attended by some individuals of     
quite respectable standing1 who         
worshipped him as ,god6 ,he appeared in 
pontifical robes1 with his rule in his  
right hand1 and his two-edged sword in  
the left4 ,underneath a rich olive      
broadcloth cloak1 lined and faced with  
silk and velvet1 he wore a brown frock  
coat1 with several stars on each breast1
 and a splendid golden star on his left 
breast4 ,his belt was of white cloth    
fastened by a golden clasp1 surmounted  
by an eagle4 ,he occasionally put on a  

cocked hat1 of black beaver1 trimmed    
with green1 the rear angle being        
surmounted by the golden symbol of      
glory4  ,on being asked where his       
residence was1 and what was his         
occupation1 he replied1 ,i am a         
traveller1 and my legal residence is    
,zion ,hill1 ,westchester county1 ,new  
,york2 ,i am a ,jewish teacher and      
priest of the ,most ,high1 saying and   
doing all that ,i do1 under oath1 by    
virtue of my having subscribed to all   
the covenants that ,god hath made with  
man from the beginning up to this time4 
,i am chief high priest of the ,jews of 
the order of ,melchizedec1 being the    
last chosen of the twelve apostles1 and 
the first in the resurrection which is  
at the end of #bcjj years from the birth
 of ,mahomet1 which terminated in #ahcj1
 that being the summit of the power of  
the false prophets4 ,i am now denouncing
 judgment on the ,gentiles1 and that    
judgment is to be executed in this age4 
,all the blood from ,zacharias till the 

death of the last witness is required of
 this generation4 ,before this          
generation passeth away1 this judgment  
shall be executed and declared4 ,the    
hour of ,god's judgment is come4        
,matthias commenced his public career in
 ,albany2 but not making many converts  
there1 he soon removed to the city of   
,new ,york4 ,here he met with but little
 success for some time2 but it appears  
that in the autumn of #ahcb1 he had     
succeeded in ingratiating himself into  
the favor of a number of individuals1   
among whom were three of the most       
wealthy and respectable merchants of    
,pearl ,street4 ,he represented himself 
to them to be the ,spirit of ,truth1    
which had disappeared from the earth at 
the death of ,matthias mentioned in the 
,new ,testament1 and that the spirit of 
,jesus ,christ entered into that        
,matthias whom he now represented1      
having risen again from the dead4 ,this 
blasphemous impostor pretended to       
possess the spirit of ,jesus of         

,nazareth1 and that he now1 at his      
second appearance of the spirit1 was the
 ,father1 and had power to do all       
things1 forgiving sins1 and             
communicating the ,holy ,ghost to such  
as believed on him4 ,and what was most  
astonishing and unparalleled1 these men1
 who were before professors of the      
,christian religion1 were blind enough  
to believe and confide in all he imposed
 on them4  ,so completely did he succeed
 in deluding these men1 and in          
impressing them with the belief that he 
was actually a high priest of the order 
of the mysterious ,melchizedec1 upon a  
divine mission to establish the kingdom 
of ,god upon the earth1 that he obtained
 entire control over them and their     
estates4 ,i know the end of all things1 
he would assert1 illustrating it by     
placing a piece of paper in a drawer1   
leaving one end upon the outside1 and   
saying1 ,you can see but one end of the 
paper1 and so the world sees2 but ,i see
 the whole length of it--,i see the end4

  ,whenever he saw fit to call upon his 
dupes to contribute of their substance  
for his support and the promotion of the
 kingdom he was about to establish1 he  
did so2 and if they refused to provide  
him whatever money he desired1 he       
threatened to visit upon them 7which he 
declared he had the power to do7 the    
wrath of the ,almighty4 ,but if they    
believed in him and obeyed him in all   
things1 he promised them that they      
should be called into the kingdom1 and  
he would forgive all their sins1 and    
they should enjoy eternal happiness4    
,impudent and blasphemous as such       
language and pretensions truly were1 the
 intended effect was produced1 and the  
prophet received new encouragement by   
the gratification of pecuniary          
abundance4 ,this object gained1 he was  
enabled to adorn his person with costly 
apparel1 and to obtain other            
appurtenances and furniture which he    
thought were necessary1 that all things 
might correspond to the nature and      

dignity of the office which he had      
assumed4  ,in ,august1 #ahcc1 two of his
 friends and proselytes1 ,messrs4       
,pierson and ,folger1 were residing at  
,sing ,sing1 ,westchester county4       
,thither1 about that time1 ,matthias    
repaired1 and took up his residence with
 ,mr4 ,folger and family4 ,in a week or 
two1 ,matthias came to the conclusion   
that their dwelling-place did not       
correspond with his character1 and      
accordingly suggested to ,folger and    
,pierson that it was their duty to hire1
 for his use1 a house which he might    
consecrate wholly to himself4 ,in this  
he was accommodated1 not only without   
any hesitation1 but with the            
acknowledgment that the request was     
reasonable4 ,soon after this1 it        
appeared to ,matthias's mind1 that his  
habitation should not be subject to     
worldly interests or infidel intrusion2 
and he accordingly presumed to require  
of his two obedient followers the       
purchase of a house to be exclusively   

his own4 ,with this request they agreed 
to comply4 ,before it was accomplished1 
however1 ,matthias manifested some new  
attribute of his character1 and         
accompanied the revelation by an effort 
to make ,folger believe that the house  
in which he then resided at ,sing ,sing1
 and had purchased some time previous   
for the use of himself and family1 was  
purchased at the instigation of the     
,spirit of ,truth1 for him1             
,matthias--,folger having been the      
instrument under the influence of that  
,spirit for that purpose6 ,so complete  
was ,matthias's control1 that ,folger   
believed even this6 ,and having resided 
with ,messrs4 ,folger and ,pierson about
 two months1 he took this house1 thus   
miraculously purchased1 into his own    
especial charge4 ,matthias then required
 these gentlemen to give him an account 
of their property1 and having obtained  
this statement1 which exhibited their   
easy circumstances1 he required both of 
them to enter into an agreement to      

support him1 assuring them they should  
receive the blessing of ,god by so      
doing4 ,this agreement was accordingly  
entered into1 and ,matthias enjoyed the 
full benefits of it for several months1 
when ,mr4 ,folger became bankrupt4 ,his 
wants were afterwards supplied by       
,pierson1 until the death of ,mr4 ,p41  
which took place under very suspicious  
circumstances4 ,it seems that a short   
time previous to this melancholy event1 
and while ,mr4 ,pierson was yet in      
health1 ,matthias prevailed upon him to 
assign him his whole estate4 ,and it    
seemed1 by ,matthias's account on his   
examination1 that ,messrs4 ,folger1     
,pierson1 and ,mills frequently declared
 to him that they believed him to be the
 ,father1 and that he was qualified to  
establish ,god's kingdom on earth1 and  
that ,zion ,hill1 which was the place   
miraculously purchased at ,sing ,sing1  
was transferred to him for that purpose1
 together with horses1 carriages1 and   
furniture of a house in ,third ,street1 

,new ,york--that it was also agreed that
 the house and lot in ,third ,street    
should be conveyed to him1 and that ,mr4
 ,pierson directed a deed to be made out
 accordingly1 but died before it was    
completed4 ,he still considered the     
property as his own for the original    
purpose1 and considered it the beginning
 of the establishment of the kingdom4   
,it is certain that ,mr4 ,pierson was   
suddenly taken sick1 and it was believed
 to be immediately after this contract  
was made4 ,he fell under the care of    
,matthias1 who would neither allow his  
friends to visit him1 nor to call       
medical aid1 declaring himself to have  
power of life and death4 ,mr4 ,pierson's
 body having been removed to ,new       
,jersey for interment1 a post mortem    
examination was held by four respectable
 physicians1 all of whom certified that 
they found in the stomach a large       
quantity of an unwholesome and deadly   
substance4 ,matthias was therefore      
arrested with the charge of having      

poisoned ,mr4 ,pierson1 on which he gave
 bail for appearance at court4  ,soon   
after this1 he went to the city of ,new 
,york1 and entering the family of ,mr4  
,folger1 resided with them for several  
months2 but the mysterious death of ,mr4
 ,pierson1 and the attending            
circumstances1 having shaken the        
confidence of ,mr4 ,folger and his      
family1 they began to be conscious of   
their delusion1 and resolved to abandon 
,matthias and his principles4 ,on       
announcing their determination to him1  
he resorted to his old practice of      
threats and promises1 and told them they
 must not throw him destitute on the    
world2 that1 if they did so1 the        
blessing of ,god would depart from them1
 and sickness and perhaps death would   
follow2 but if they gave him money to   
support him1 the blessing of ,god should
 continue to them4 ,mr4 ,folger having  
become bankrupt1 ,matthias perhaps was  
willing to leave him--not1 however1     
without having first insisted on a      

supply of money1 which he obtained to   
the amount of six hundred and thirty    
dollars1 and immediately left the city4 
,on the morning of that day1 ,matthias  
partook of a very little breakfast1 and 
scarcely tasted of the coffee1 alleging1
 as an excuse1 that he was ill4         
,immediately after breakfast1 ,mr4      
,folger1 his wife1 and children were    
taken sick4 ,mr4 ,folger did not suspect
 the cause of their illness1 until after
 ,matthias had left the city1 when1 upon
 examination1 he learned that the black 
woman who did the cooking for the family
 had also abstained from the use of     
coffee that morning2 and from other     
circumstances he became confirmed that  
the woman was bribed by ,matthias to    
poison the family4 ,the effort was      
unsuccessful1 the poison producing but a
 temporary effect4 ,this nefarious      
transaction induced ,mr4 ,folger to     
procure the arrest of ,matthias1 firmly 
convinced1 at this melancholy stage1    
that he was a base impostor4  ,the third

 gentleman named as one of the dupes of 
,matthias became a lunatic under the    
unfortunate delusion4 ,but on a removal 
to the country1 and from the influence  
of the prophet1 he recovered1 and became
 convinced of his lamentable error4  ,in
 the sequel1 it appeared that ,matthias 
had received in the aggregate1 from     
these gentlemen1 about ten thousand     
dollars in money1 and negotiable paper1 
which he appropriated in furnishing the 
establishment at ,zion ,hill and in     
,third ,street4 ,and by whatever means  
he obtained money1 it is evident he used
 it for the wildest and most extravagant
 purposes4 ,his wardrobe was most       
bountifully supplied with new boots1    
shoes1 and pumps2 linen shirts of the   
most exquisite fineness1 the wristbands 
fringed with delicate lace2 silk        
stockings1 handkerchiefs1 and gloves2   
coats embroidered with gold2 merino     
morning dresses2 and two caps made of   
linen cambric1 folded in the form of a  
mitre1 richly embroidered1 one with the 

names of the twelve apostles written    
around it1 and ,jesus ,matthias adorning
 the front in prominent characters1 the 
other surrounded with the names of the  
twelve tribes1 the front like the other4
 ,with his two-edged sword 7with gold   
chain and mountings7 he was to destroy  
the ,gentiles1 as ,gideon did the       
,midianites4 ,with his six feet rule he 
was to measure the ,new ,jerusalem1 the 
gates thereof1 and the walls thereof1   
and divide it into lots for those who   
believed on him1 and obeyed the ,spirit 
of ,truth1 as it came from him1 the     
trumpet4 ,with the golden key which he  
possessed1 he was to unlock the gates of
 paradise4  ,somewhat versed in the     
rites and antiquities of the ,jews1 this
 impostor united with a quick and active
 mind a considerable cunning1 a fluent  
speech1 and a vast amount of persevering
 impudence1 and endeavored to impress   
his dogmas by assuming a sanctified and 
uncompromising air1 and by invariably   
fixing upon his victim his remarkably   

fierce and penetrating eyes4 ,he        
reasoned plausibly and ingeniously1 and 
was exceedingly subtle at evasion4      
,although he never could have obtained  
an extensive and permanent influence1   
even if his knavery had not been        
detected1 since his schemes were too    
wild and incoherent1 and his demands too
 absurd to produce an effect that would 
endure beyond his actual and immediate  
presence1 yet that his blasphemous      
pretensions should have gained any      
credence among intelligent minds is to  
be greatly lamented4 ,the whole history 
of these transactions will form a dark  
page in the records of modern           
fanaticism1 and will present an enduring
 but melancholy evidence of the weakness
 of human nature4  ,as an excuse for the
 conduct of ,matthias1 or ,matthews1    
which was his real name1 he was supposed
 by some to be laboring under monomania1
 partly hereditary and partly           
superinduced by religious fanaticism and
 frenzy4 ,still1 he was not without     

method in his madness2 and it seems     
evident that1 with a tinge of insanity1 
he was also much of a knave1 and        
probably a dupe in part to his own      
imposture4 ,during his confinement in   
jail1 awaiting his trial for the alleged
 murder of ,mr4 ,pierson1 ,matthias     
issued a decree1 commanding all the     
farmers to lay aside their ploughs1     
declaring1 ,as ,i live1 there shall be  
no more sowing in the earth until ,i1   
the twelfth and last of the apostles1 am
 delivered out of the house of bondage4 
,he also prophesied that if he were     
convicted1 ,white ,plains should be     
destroyed by an earthquake1 and not an  
inhabitant be left to tell the tale of  
its destruction2 and strange to say1 men
 were not found wanting who believed in 
his absurd and blasphemous predictions4 
,on trial1 the physicians who had       
examined the stomach of the deceased    
were led to suspect poison1 but could   
not say positively that poison had been 
administered2 whereupon the prisoner was

 discharged1 on the ground that no      
evidence had been produced to convict   
him either of murder or manslaughter4   
,in the case of his arrest at the       
instigation of ,mr4 ,folger1 that       
gentleman afterwards wrote to the       
district attorney1 requesting him to    
dismiss the case1 it not appearing to be
 an indictable one1 and declaring1 that 
the day--so far as passing himself for a
 pure and upright man--has passed1 and  
there is no danger of his imposing upon 
any one here or elsewhere4 ,in a letter 
written by ,mr4 ,folger1 dated ,new     
,york1 ,nov4 #h1 #ahcd1 and published in
 the ,commercial ,advertiser1 ,mr4      
,folger says1 ,my object is now to rid  
myself of him and all connected with    
him1 with as little trouble as possible4
 ,mr4 ,pierson1 myself1 and family have 
been deeply1 very deeply deluded1       
deceived1 and imposed upon2 and ,i      
regret exceedingly that the former could
 not have been spared to witness the    
deep deception4 ,we are sensible of our 

error--we repent it sincerely2 and      
although we cannot expect to recover1 at
 present1 the situation which we held in
 society previous to our acquaintance   
with this vile creature1 yet in time we 
shall be able to show that we are       
enemies to him1 and all who undertake to
 sustain him in his wickedness and plans
 to destroy us4  ,for closeness of      
resemblance1 in many striking features1 
to the case of ,matthias1 was that of   
the ,anabaptists of ,munster1 in        
,germany1 which excited the wonder of   
,europe during the early part of the    
seventeenth century1 and of which such  
strange accounts are to be found in the 
histories of that epoch4 ,the similarity
 between the principal of this sect1    
known as ,john of ,leyden1 and          
,matthews1 not only in doctrine1 but in 
worldly observance1 in the passion for  
magnificence of apparel and luxurious   
living1 and in the rites and ceremonies 
exacted by each1 is so remarkable as    
almost to lead to the conclusion that   

the latter had formed himself and his   
creed upon the model of his ancient     
prototype4 ,the number of deluded       
proselytes who blindly followed the     
dictates of the ,anabaptist leader was  
at one time so great1 and their power so
 formidable1 that several princes of    
,germany united against them2 and it was
 not until after a vigorous siege1 and  
an obstinate resistance1 that the city  
of ,munster1 of which the fanatics had  
obtained complete possession1 was taken 
and their power broken down4  ,this     
,john of ,leyden wore upon his head a   
triple crown of gold1 richly adorned    
with gems4 ,around his neck he wore1    
suspended by a golden chain1 an ornament
 of gold1 representing the terrestrial  
globe1 with a cross1 and two swords1 one
 of gold1 the other of silver1 with the 
inscription1 ,king of ,righteousness    
over the whole world4 ,he also assumed  
the title of the ,father1 and he        
required all his followers to pledge    
themselves to do his will1 and1 if      

necessary1 to suffer death at his       
command1 or in his defence and service4 
,he enjoined and enforced a community of
 goods1 a surrender of all possessions1 
land1 money1 arms1 and merchandise to   
him1 as the ,father and ,lord of all1 to
 be employed by him in the universal    
establishment of his kingdom2 and he    
denounced the vengeance of ,heaven and  
eternal damnation on all such as refused
 to believe in him and do his will4 ,all
 churches and convents he commanded to  
be destroyed1 the priests denounced as  
children of darkness1 and all sovereigns
 he would put to death4 ,he proclaimed  
the nullity of all marriages1 except    
such as were solemnized by himself or   
his own prophets1 but enjoined polygamy1
 himself setting the example4 ,each of  
his principal followers had from six to 
eight wives1 and both men and women were
 compelled to marry4 ,he taught that no 
man understood the ,scriptures but      
himself1 or those whom he enlightened   
with his spirit1 and all the prophecies 

in the ,old ,testament1 relating to the 
,savior1 he applied to himself1 and     
proclaimed their fulfilment in the      
establishment of his kingdom4  ,in our  
own country1 the most surprising        
instance of imposture and delusion1     
perhaps1 that has occurred1 was that of 
the ,cochranites1 whose enormities in   
licentiousness made so much stir in     
,maine and ,new ,hampshire a few years  
since4 ,cochrane was an officer in the  
army1 thrown out of commission by the   
reduction of the military establishment 
of the ,united ,states1 after the       
conclusion of the last war with         
,england4 ,having become poor and       
penniless1 he left ,portland1 and struck
 off into the country1 seeking his      
fortune1 and caring not whither he went4
 ,one day1 as night drew on1 he found   
himself near a farm house1 weary and    
hungry1 and without a penny to purchase 
a mouthful of food or the use of a      
pillow for the night4 ,the thought      
struck him suddenly of throwing himself 

upon the hospitality of the farmer1 for 
the occasion1 in the character of a     
minister4 ,introducing himself as such  
to the family1 he was cordially         
received1 and as the country was new and
 destitute of clergymen1 the good people
 forthwith despatched messengers to the 
neighbors1 that a minister had come     
among them1 and invited them in to      
attend a meeting4 ,the impostor had not 
anticipated so speedy a trial of his    
clerical character2 but having assumed  
it1 there was no escape--he must act the
 part1 for the time being1 in the best  
way he could4 ,being neither ignorant   
nor destitute of talents1 he succeeded  
in acquitting himself much better than  
he had anticipated1 and gave so much    
satisfaction to his audience as to      
induce him to persevere in the imposture
 he had commenced4 ,as he acquired skill
 and confidence by practice in his new  
vocation1 his popularity increased1 and 
he soon found it a profitable           
occupation4 ,he was followed by         

multitudes1 and it was not long before  
he announced himself as some great one1 
and founded a new sect of religionists4 
,his command over the audiences which he
 addressed is said to have been         
wonderful1 and his influence over his   
followers unbounded4 ,it seemed as      
though he was enabled to hold the       
victims of his impostures in a state of 
enchantment4 ,a professor in an eastern 
college having heard of the wonderful   
sway which ,cochrane held over his      
disciples1 and of the impressions he    
made upon casual hearers1 determined one
 evening to go and witness his          
performances4 ,while present1 although a
 very cool and grave personage1 he said 
he felt some strange1 undefinable1      
mysterious influence creeping over him  
to such a degree1 that he was obliged   
actually to tear himself away1 in       
apprehension of the consequences4 ,this 
gentleman1 however1 was a believer in   
animal magnetism1 and was therefore     
inclined to attribute it to that cause4 

,it was said that if the impostor did   
but touch the hand or neck of a female1 
his power over her person and reason was
 complete4 ,consequently it led to the  
most open and loathsome sensuality4 ,so 
atrocious was his conduct1 that he      
seduced great numbers of females1       
married and unmarried1 under the pretext
 of raising up a holy race of men4 ,the 
peace of many families was broken up1   
and the village kept an establishment   
like a seraglio--a disgusting and       
melancholy commentary upon the weakness 
of human nature4 ,his career1 however1  
was but of short duration4  ,a history  
of religious impostures would form a    
library of itself4 ,the human mind1 in  
all ages and countries1 and under all   
forms of government and religion1 seems 
to have been wonderfully susceptible of 
delusion and imposition upon that       
subject1 which1 of all others1 is the   
most important for time and eternity4   
,the court of ,egypt was deluded by the 
impostors who undertook to contend with 

,moses4 ,and the chosen people          
themselves1 notwithstanding the direct  
disclosures which the ,most ,high had   
made of himself1 in all their wonderful 
history1 were prone to turn aside from  
the worship of the true ,god1 to follow 
the lying spirits of the prophets of    
,baal and other deceivers1 from the days
 of ,moses till the destruction of      
,jerusalem4 ,so1 likewise1 under the    
,christian dispensation1 from the       
defection of ,simon ,magus to the wild  
delirium of ,edward ,irving1 there have 
been a succession of ,antichrists1 until
 their name is legion--pretenders to    
divine missions1 the power of working   
miracles1 the gift of                   
tongues--perverting the ,scriptures1    
leading astray silly men and            
women--destroying the peace of families1
 throwing communities into confusion1   
and firebrands into the church--clouding
 the understandings1 and blinding the   
moral perceptions of men1 and subverting
 the faith of these even whose mountains

 stood strong1 and who had been counted 
among the chosen people of ,god4 ,in the
 last days1 says the apostle ,peter1    
there shall come scoffers1 walking after
 their own lusts1--chiefly them which   
walk after the flesh1 in the lust of    
uncleanness1 and despise government2    
presumptuous are they1 self-willed2 they
 are not afraid to speak evil of        
dignities2 sporting themselves in their 
own deceivings1 having eyes full of     
adultery1 and that cannot cease from    
sin2 beguiling unstable souls2 for when 
they speak great swelling words of      
vanity1 they allure through the flesh1  
through much wantonness1 those that were
 clean escaped from them who live in    
error2 while they promise them liberty1 
they themselves are the servants of     
corruption4 ,jude also admonishes us to 
remember that they were foretold as     
mockers1 who should be in the last time1
 who should walk after their own ungodly
 lusts4 ,these be they who separate     
themselves1 sensual1 not having the     

,spirit4  ,it is wonderful to observe   
with what precision these prophecies    
have been fulfilled by the clouds of    
impostors who have appeared--spoken     
great swollen words of vanity1 and      
fallen--since the inspired sentences    
were uttered4 ,and it may be regarded as
 one of the evidences of the truth of   
inspiration1 that1 had the long array of
 apostates and deceivers actually stood 
before the sacred penmen1 at the time of
 their writing1 their characters all    
naked before them1 the likenesses1 from 
the first ,christian apostate to the    
sensual ,mormons1 could not have been   
drawn with greater fidelity4 ,the       
,,truth ,,of ,,god1 distinctly set forth
 in the book of ,revelation1 is an      
infallible criterion by which to test   
the true character of any religious     
opinion or practice2 nor can any radical
 or fundamental error long escape       
detection1 when subjected to this plain 
and unerring standard4     ,,chapter    
,,xiii4  ,,mormon ,,superstition4   ,a  

certain ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41 pretended1
 a few years ago1 to have been directed 
by the ,spirit of ,god to dig1 in a     
hill1 in the township of ,manchester1   
,ontario county1 ,new ,york1 for a set  
of golden plates which were there       
concealed1 and upon which were inscribed
 sacred records by the hands of ,mormon4
 ,he obeyed the direction and found the 
plates4 ,the inscriptions upon them were
 in an unknown tongue4 ,but1 by the     
special power of the ,spirit1 ,smith was
 enabled to translate them4 ,a volume   
containing these writings was soon after
 published1 constituting1 in the whole1 
fifteen books1 purporting to have been  
written at different times1 and by the  
different authors whose names they      
respectively bear4 ,in these writings   
there seems to be a bungling attempt to 
imitate the style of the sacred         
,scriptures4 ,but the attempt is        
manifestly unsuccessful4 ,nearly two    
thirds of the paragraphs are introduced 
with the phrase1 ,and it came to pass4  

,in endeavoring to preserve the solemn  
style of the ,scriptures1 there is great
 disregard of grammatical propriety4 ,we
 read1 ,the ,lord sayeth unto me1 and ,i
 sayeth unto the ,lord4 ,perhaps a few  
extracts1 selected at chance1 will give 
the reader a more correct idea of the   
general style of the book than any      
remarks we might offer4  ,and it came to
 pass that when they had arriven in the 
borders of the land of the ,lamanites4  
,and it came to pass that ,i ,nephi did 
make bellowses wherewith to blow the    
fire4  ,and it came to pass that ,limhi 
and many of his people was desirous to  
be baptized4  ,the ,mormon preachers    
claim for themselves and the members of 
their church the power of working       
miracles1 and of speaking with new      
tongues4 ,they jabber with some strange 
sounds1 and call this the speaking with 
tongues4 ,they assert it as a fact1 that
 among them the dead have been raised1  
and the sick healed1 as in the days of  
,christ and his apostles4 ,from these   

facts1 as they call them1 they draw the 
conclusion that they are the members of 
the true church of ,christ4 ,the        
doctrine increases among men2 and well  
it may1 for there are circumstances in  
the condition and views of those who    
embrace it which are calculated to      
secure its success4 ,in a large portion 
of the community there is a great degree
 of ignorance in regard to the geography
 of the sacred ,scriptures1 the manners 
and customs of the ,jews1 and the       
natural history of the ,bible4 ,there   
are many who read their ,bibles daily1  
and with true devotional feelings1 it   
may be1 who have no idea that the places
 mentioned in sacred history1 like those
 mentioned in any other history1 can be 
traced on the map1 can be found and     
visited at the present day1 although    
disguised under modern names4 ,it makes 
no part of their study of the ,bible to 
ascertain where the places mentioned are
 to be found1 and what they are now     
called4 ,they have no idea that the     

allusions to manners and customs1 found 
in the ,bible1 can be understood1       
through an acquaintance with the        
practices and habits of the people      
described2 and1 consequently1 the study 
of ,jewish manners and customs makes no 
part of their preparation for           
understanding the ,scriptures4 ,they    
have no idea that the allusion in       
,scripture to facts in natural history  
can be verified by an acquaintance with 
that science1 and therefore they make no
 exertions to understand the natural    
history of the ,bible4 ,they do not take
 up the ,bible and read it with the     
expectation of being able to understand 
it1 in regard to these particulars1 as  
they would understand any other book4   
,all such are prepared1 by their        
ignorance on these subjects1 to become  
the dupes of the ,mormon delusion2 or1  
at least1 they are not prepared to      
withstand this delusion4 ,they open the 
,book of ,mormon1 claiming to be a kind 
of appendix to the ,bible4 ,the         

paragraphs begin with the phrase1 ,and  
behold it came to pass4 ,they read of   
the cities of ,zarahemla1 ,gid1 ,mulek1 
,corianton1 and a multitude of others4  
,they read of prophets and preachers1 of
 faith1 repentance1 and obedience2 and  
having been accustomed1 in reading the  
,scriptures1 to take all such things    
just as they are presented1 without     
careful examination1 they can see no    
reason why all this is not as much      
entitled to belief as are the records of
 the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,but if1
 on the contrary1 they were acquainted  
with the geography and the natural      
history of the ,bible1 and with the     
manners and customs of the nations there
 mentioned1 and especially if1 in their 
reading of the ,scriptures1 they were   
accustomed to examine carefully into    
these points1 they would at once        
perceive the utter impossibility of     
identifying the cities mentioned in the 
,book of ,mormon with any geographical  
traces which they can now make4 ,they   

would thus perceive the deception1 and  
be put on their guard4 ,and then1 too1  
upon further examination1 they would    
discover that the manners and customs of
 the people1 the sentiments and         
disputes1 are not such as belong to the 
period of the world in which the people 
are represented to have lived2 that they
 take their coloring from modern        
customs1 from modern opinions and       
controversies2 and1 upon these          
discoveries1 they would be led to reject
 the whole as a fabrication4  ,many are 
deceived in consequence of the fluency  
of the preachers in warning sinners4    
,they pray with fervor2 the people are  
affected2 and the ,spirit of ,god is    
declared to be present1 owning and      
blessing the work4 ,but there is        
deception here4 ,it is but a few years  
since the ,cochrane delusion1 as it is  
called1 prevailed in and around the     
village of ,saco1 ,maine4 ,what gave    
that delusion so much success8 ,it was  
because ,cochrane spoke with great      

fluency1 warned sinners with great      
earnestness1 and poured forth his       
prayers with zealous fervor4 ,the people
 became affected2 many were in tears2   
many sobbed aloud1 cried for mercy1 and 
some became prostrate on the floor4     
,surely1 it was remarked1 the doctrines 
advanced by ,cochrane must be true1 the 
preaching of them being so signally     
owned and blessed of ,god4 ,in this way1
 men of sound judgment in other respects
 are carried away by false views and    
appearances1 and become the dupes of the
 most extravagant sentiments and        
delusions4 ,they become zealously       
affected1 but it is not1 as the apostle 
says1 in a good thing4 ,a correct       
knowledge of the sacred ,scriptures1 and
 of proper principles in regard to the  
study of the ,bible1 with sound and     
rational views of the nature of         
religion1 and of the influences of the  
,holy ,spirit1 will serve to correct all
 such tendencies to error and deception4
  ,from the best account that has been  

published respecting the origin of the  
,mormon ,bible1 it appears that it was  
written by an individual named ,solomon 
,spaulding1 some twenty-five years ago2 
but without the least intention1 on the 
part of the author1 of framing a system 
of delusion for his fellow-men4 ,this   
,spaulding was a native of ,ashford1 in 
,connecticut1 where he was              
distinguished1 at an early age1 for his 
devotion to study1 and for the          
superiority of his success over that of 
his schoolmates4 ,he received an        
academic education1 and commenced the   
study of law at ,windham2 but his mind  
inclining to religious subjects1 he     
abandoned the law1 went to ,dartmouth   
,college1 prepared himself for the      
ministry1 and was regularly ordained4   
,for some reasons unknown he soon       
abandoned that profession1 and          
established himself as a merchant at    
,cherry ,valley1 ,new ,york4 ,failing in
 trade1 he removed to ,conneaut1 in     
,ohio1 where he built a forge2 but again

 failed1 and was reduced to great       
poverty4 ,while in this condition1 he   
endeavored to turn his education to     
account1 by writing a book1 the sale of 
which he hoped would enable him to pay  
his debts and support his family4 ,the  
subject selected by him was one well    
suited to his religious education4 ,it  
was an historical novel1 containing an  
account of the aborigines of ,america1  
who were supposed by some to have       
descended from the ten tribes of        
,israel4 ,the work was entitled the     
,manuscript ,found1 and the history     
commenced with one ,lehi1 who lived in  
the reign of ,zedekiah1 king of ,judea1 
six hundred years before the ,christian 
era4 ,lehi1 being warned of ,heaven of  
the dreadful calamities that were       
impending over ,jerusalem1 abandoned his
 possessions1 and fled with his family  
to the wilderness4 ,after wandering for 
some time1 they arrived at the ,red     
,sea1 and embarked on board a vessel4   
,in this1 after floating about for a    

long time1 they reached ,america1 and   
landed at the ,isthmus of ,darien4 ,from
 the different branches of this family  
were made to spring all the ,indian     
nations of this continent4 ,from time to
 time they rose to high degrees of      
civilization and refinement2 but        
desolating wars among themselves        
scattered and degraded them4 ,the       
,manuscript was written in the style of 
the ,bible1 the old ,english style of   
,james the ,first4 ,when the work was   
ready for the press1 ,spaulding         
endeavored to obtain the pecuniary      
assistance necessary for its            
publication1 but his affairs were in so 
low a condition that he could not       
succeed4 ,he then removed to ,pittsburg1
 and afterwards to ,amity1 in           
,pennsylvania1 where he died4 ,by some  
means or other1 the ,manuscript fell    
into the hands of ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41 
who afterwards published it under the   
name of the ,golden ,bible4 ,smith was  
the son of very poor and superstitious  

parents1 and was for a long time engaged
 in digging for ,kidd's money1 and other
 feats of like description4 ,possessing 
considerable shrewdness1 he became      
somewhat skilled in feats of necromancy 
and juggling4 ,he had the address to    
collect about him a gang of idle and    
credulous young men1 whom he employed in
 digging for hidden treasures4 ,it is   
pretended that1 in one of the           
excavations they made1 the mysterious   
plates from which the ,golden ,bible was
 copied were found4 ,such1 briefly is   
the origin of the ,mormon faith--a      
humbug to which not a few1 otherwise    
sensible men1 have pinned their hopes of
 happiness here and hereafter4  ,after  
the death of ,joseph ,smith1 and shortly
 before the ,mormons were driven out    
from ,illinois1 many of the disciples of
 the great impostor seceded and refused 
to acknowledge the leadership of the    
knowing twelve who became his           
successors4 ,among them were a very     
pious ,mormon named ,mc,ghee ,vanduzen1 

and his wife ,maria4 ,they soon gave to 
the world an exposition of the shameful 
manoeuvres attendant upon ,mormonism as 
a religion2 of the absurd and indecent  
ceremonies which the unprincipled       
leaders of that wicked imposture        
enforced upon their infatuated          
disciples4 ,smith1 and his associate    
leaders at ,nauvoo1 evidently           
established these ceremonies for the    
base purpose of enticing the more       
beautiful females among his disciples to
 their ruin and disgrace4 ,the shameful 
character of the mysteries developed    
could lead to no other conclusion4      
,says the ,boston ,traveller1 of ,april 
#ba1 #aheb1 ,the rapid spread of        
,mormonism is one of the mysteries of   
the age4 ,a more barefaced delusion1    
except that of the spiritual rappings1  
was never imposed on the all-swallowing 
credulity of mankind4 ,yet it has gained
 adherents by thousands in ,europe as   
well as in the ,united ,states4         
,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,,miller ,,delusion4  

,a man by the name of ,william ,miller  
published a book in the year #ahcf1 in  
which he undertook to show that this    
earth would be destroyed in the year    
#ahdc4 ,his calculation1 as to the      
transpiration of such an event during   
the said year1 is founded upon the      
prophecy of ,daniel1 that the sanctuary 
should be cleansed6 in two thousand     
three hundred days4 ,he took the days to
 mean years1 and began his reckoning    
from the going forth of the commandment 
to restore ,jerusalem1 mentioned in a   
subsequent vision4 ,why did he not begin
 the reckoning from the date of the     
vision itself8 ,because this would not  
answer ,mr4 ,miller's turn4 ,to tell the
 people that the earth was to be burned 
up in #agdg1 would produce little or no 
excitement4 ,he must hit upon a time for
 the beginning which would make the end 
yet future1 in order to gratify his love
 for the marvellous4  ,that ,mr4 ,miller
 intended to manage his reckoning of    
time to suit his own scheme1 is obvious 

from his different computations of time1
 to make his interpretations of other   
prophecies comport with his application 
of the two thousand three hundred days4 
,daniel says1 ,and from the time that   
the daily sacrifice shall be taken away1
 and the abomination that maketh        
desolate set up1 there shall be a       
thousand two hundred and ninety days4   
,blessed is he that waiteth1 and cometh 
to the thousand three hundred and five  
and thirty days4 ,taking the thousand   
three hundred and thirty-five days to   
reach from the taking away of the daily 
sacrifice1 and setting up the           
abomination that maketh desolate1 to the
 resurrection1 he subtracts the thousand
 three hundred and thirty-five from it1 
and finds the remainder to be five      
hundred and eight1 which must1 to suit  
his calculation1 be the year of our     
,lord in which the daily sacrifice      
should be taken away1 c4 ,then1 to get  
at the taking away of a daily sacrifice1
 and the setting up of an abomination   

that maketh desolate1 which should come 
any where in the neighborhood of this   
date1 he makes the taking away of the   
daily sacrifice to be the doing away of 
the pagan worship in ,rome1 and the     
setting up the abomination spoken of to 
be the commencement of the ,papal       
authority4 ,this he sets at ,a4,d4 #ejh1
 without reference to fact1 because his 
reckoning of prophetic time brings it   
so4 ,the truth is1 that the pagan       
character of ,rome ceased soon after the
 conversion of the ,emperor ,constantine
 to ,christianity1 which was about      
,a4,d4 #cac4 ,this makes about #aie     
years' difference in the age of the     
world1 and brings it to an end in #afdh1
 over #bjj years ago6  ,but let us      
examine a little farther4 ,having come1 
as we have shown1 at ,a4,d4 #ejh1 which1
 having taken from the years of         
,christ's life #cc1 leaves #dge from the
 death of ,christ1 he proceeds to add   
up3 ,the #gj weeks1 or #dij years1 to   
the crucifixion of ,christ1 #dij2 from  

the crucifixion of ,christ to the taking
 away the daily sacrifice1 #dge4 ,and   
here are his time1 times1 and half1     
which he takes to be the duration of the
 pagan reign1 i4e41 three years and a   
half1 which1 taking a day for a year1   
makes #abfj4  ,here1 then1 he has his   
whole time1 down to the end of his      
second or ,papal transgression of       
desolation1 which he has all along held 
to be the end of the world4 ,but these  
several numbers added amount to but     
#bbbe1 #ge short of the #bcjj1 reckoning
 from the going forth of the decree to  
rebuild ,jerusalem4 ,and what now shall 
be done8 ,how shall the #ge years be    
made up to bring the end of the world to
 #ahdc8 ,why1 he succeeds in finding two
 different numbers in the #abth of      
,daniel1 viz41 #abij and #acce4 ,and    
nothing is easier1 when you have two    
different numbers1 to substract the less
 from the greater4 ,this he does in the 
present case1 and finds the difference  
to be just #de4 ,well1 what of that8    

,why1 he says this is the time which was
 to elapse between the destruction of   
the great beast in his second or ,papal 
character1 and the resurrection6 ,he    
does not pretend that the vision        
mentions this1 but so he fixes it4 ,he  
is like a country schoolmaster1 who1 not
 always finding it easy to manage by    
rules1 when a scholar would carry him a 
sum which he could not work1 he would   
look at the answer in the book1 and get 
the difference between that and his own1
 and then he would slip in the          
ascertained difference1 somewhere in the
 operation1 to be added or substracted1 
as the case might require1 to bring the 
answer as he wished it4  ,but although  
he succeeded in finding #de years1 he is
 still minus #cj1 for it brings out the 
end in #ahac4 ,and how shall the other  
#cj years be found8 ,it must be gotten  
somehow1 for who will believe it as it  
now stands8 ,yet this extraordinary man 
meets with no difficulty in finding the 
#cj years4 ,in his parade of parts1 of  

factors1 to make up the great whole1 he 
sets down for the space between the     
putting down of the ,pagan power1 to the
 setting up the same power1 #cj years6  
,and how he gets this number there1 no  
mortal can tell4 ,yes1 he tells us      
himself4  ,considering himself so great 
a prophet1 he seems to think that his   
own suppositions will certainly pass    
among others as good authority4 ,he     
therefore unblushingly tells us that he 
supposes this #cj years4 ,hear him1     
7page #if47 ,therefore1 to reconcile    
these two statements1 we must conclude  
there were #cj years from ,a4,d4 #ejh1  
when paganism ceased1 before the image  
beast1 or ,papal ,rome1 would begin her 
reign4 ,if this is correct1 then1 c4    
,here1 then1 the foundation on which he 
keeps the world standing from #ahac to  
#ahdc1 is a simple if4 ,and to get in   
these supposititious #cj years1 between 
the death of the pagan and the life of  
the ,papal beast1 he involves himself in
 a maze of absurdity4 ,he makes the     

taking away of the daily sacrifice to be
 the putting an end to the ,papal beast1
 that did daily sacrifice to idol       
abominations4 ,the little horn1 by whom 
the daily sacrifice was taken away1 ,mr4
 ,miller takes to be the ,papal beast1  
or ,catholic church4 ,this beast takes  
away the daily sacrifice1 i4e41 puts an 
end to the pagan beast1 and yet does not
 exist until #cj years after the pagan  
beast is dead4 ,this is truly an unheard
 of strait for a schemer to come to1 to 
be obliged1 in order to bring out his   
reckoning1 to get #cj years between the 
existence of two beasts1 one of which   
kills the other4 ,the second beast slays
 the first1 and performs many wonderful 
works1 #cj years before he has any      
existence6 ,no marvel that the man who  
could see into such mysteries should    
imagine that he could see the end of the
 world in #ahdc6  ,mr4 ,miller commits  
various other errors in his calculations
 and dates1 as1 for instance1 he states 
that pagan ,rome commenced #adh years   

before ,christ1 whereas ,rome was       
founded by ,romulus1 as an independent  
government1 #geb years before ,christ1  
being pagan from its beginning4 ,he     
dates the erection of the ,papal        
authority at ,a4,d4 #ech4 ,by the ,papal
 power he means1 of course1--not the    
,papal doctrine1 for that existed much  
earlier than #ech1--;but the            
establishment of the civil authority4   
,and this was not until about ,a4,d4    
#gej4  ,indeed1 ,mr4 ,miller is palpably
 wrong in nearly all his positions2 and 
the reason is1 he is not looking for    
facts1 but for reckonings to fill out   
his own scheme4 ,and even in this1 too1 
he fails4 ,on page #aji of his ,course  
of ,lectures1 first published in #ahcf1 
speaking of events to happen in #ahci1  
he holds the following language3 ,he    
that is filthy will be filthy still4    
,mankind will1 for a short season1 give 
loose to all the corrupt passions of the
 human heart4 ,no laws1 human or divine1
 will be regarded2 all authority will be

 trampled under foot2 anarchy will be   
the order of government1 and confusion  
fill the world with horror and despair4 
,murder1 treason1 and crime will be     
common law1 and division and disunion   
the only bond of fellowship4 ,christians
 will be persecuted unto death1 and dens
 and caves of the earth will be their   
retreat4 ,all things which are not      
eternal will be shaken to pieces1 that  
which cannot be shaken may remain4 ,and 
this1 if ,i am right in my calculations1
 will begin on or before ,a4,d4 #ahci4  
',and at that time 7#ahci7 thy people   
shall be delivered1 every one that shall
 be found written in the book4' ,now is 
come salvation indeed4 ,the people of   
,god are now to be delivered from       
outward foes and inbred lusts1 from the 
corruptions of the grave and the        
vileness of the flesh4 ,every one1 the  
poor and despised child of ,god1 will   
then 7in #ahci7 be delivered when he    
makes up his jewels4'  ,mr4 ,miller1 in 
finding that things did not take place  

as he prophesied1 put a note in the end 
of his book1 on the last page1 stating  
that he had made a mistake of one year  
in some of his computations1 and hence  
these things which he supposed would    
take place in #ahci1 according to the   
first computation1 will not be realized 
until the year #ahdj6 ,and yet #ahdj    
passed over our heads1 and these things 
did not take place4 ,on page #bif of his
 ,lectures1 he says the sixth vial was  
poured out in #ahbb1 when the ,ottoman  
power began to be dried up4 ,this he    
considered to be a very important sign1 
indicating that we were on the very     
brink of the judgment day4 ,here he     
introduces ,rev4 xvi4 #ab4 ,and the     
sixth angel poured out his vial upon the
 great ,river ,euphrates2 and the waters
 thereof were dried up1 that the way of 
the kings of the earth might be         
prepared4 ,this preparation1 ,mr4 ,m4   
says1 is for the last great battle1     
which will take place at the pouring out
 of the seventh vial1 in the year #ahci 

or #ahdj4 ,at the pouring out of the    
seventh vial1 a voice from the throne   
will pronounce the words1 ,it is done4  
,the kingdoms of the earth and the      
governments of the world will be carried
 away1 and their places be known no     
more4 ,but these kingdoms still remain4 
,mr4 ,miller's last assumption was1 that
 ,christ would come in the spring of    
#ahdd1 at the date corresponding with   
the ending of the ,jewish year for #dc4 
,mr4 ,m4 says1 in his preface to his    
book1 ,if ,i have erred in my exposition
 of the prophecies1 the time1 being so  
near at hand1 will soon expose my folly4
 ,he had already seen the folly of some 
of his computations1 and he seemed to   
fear lest it might prove the same in the
 final result also4 ,and this he soon   
experienced1 as may be seen by reading  
his confession1 made at the ,tabernacle 
in ,boston1 on the evening of ,may #bh1 
#ahdd4 ,he there stated that what he had
 preached and published respecting the  
coming of the ,lord in #ahdc was done   

honestly2 767 that he fully believed it2
 but that the time had now passed1 and  
he was proved to be mistaken2 that when 
the time arrived and the event did not  
take place1 he felt bad--felt           
lonely--thought he should never have any
 more to say in public2 that he felt    
worse on the account of others than he  
did for himself4 ,he said there was an  
error somewhere in his calculations1 but
 he could not tell where4 ,he had now no
 definite time--he should wait ,god's   
time3 it might come in a day1 it might  
not come in fifty years2 he could not   
say exactly when2 he was waiting4 ,thus 
the whole affair exploded--came to      
nought2 although much evil in regard to 
,mr4 ,miller's prophecies may yet be    
experienced in the community4 ,some will
 yet cling most obstinately to the      
system1 and still maintain that ,christ 
may be expected every day1 hour1 or     
minute1 while others will fix upon some 
other date within a short period of     
time4 ,they will still refer us to      

certain signs in the starry heavens1    
endeavoring to persuade the people to   
believe that the whole machinery of     
nature is out of joint1 and that this is
 a certain precursor to the speedy      
dissolution of the world4  ,one of the  
second advent preachers gave the        
startling intelligence that fifteen     
hundred stars had recently faded from   
the vault of heaven4 ,but what are the  
facts8 ,not more than thirteen stars are
 recorded in the annals of astronomy as 
having been lost2 and so far from having
 faded recently1 some of them           
disappeared many ages since4 ,it is not 
even certain that any stars have been   
blotted out4 ,there are nearly one      
hundred variable stars which have       
periods of unusual brilliancy1 and then 
gradually fade till nearly invisible1   
and after a time revive again4 ,the     
thirteen missing stars may be of this   
description4 ,these changes were        
observed many centuries ago4 ,the bright
 star which appeared suddenly1 with     

unusual splendor and brilliancy1 in     
,cassiopeia1 in #aegb1 is supposed to be
 the same star which suddenly appeared  
in the same place1 with great lustre1   
about the year #ijj1 and also about #fjj
 years before1 during the intervals of  
which it was invisible4  ,the same      
preacher adduced the ,aurora ,borealis  
as another sign of the last days4 ,is it
 not remarkable1 says he1 that no record
 of them appears till quite recently8   
,but what are the facts8 ,it was indeed 
supposed by many1 who had not           
investigated the subject1 that the      
,aurora was first seen in ,england in   
#agaf2 but on examination we find it    
spoken of in #aefj1 in a scientific     
work1 entitled ,a ,description of       
,meteors1 published soon after the      
invention of printing1 subsequent to    
which1 and before #agaf1 there are many 
accounts of the same phenomenon4  ,many 
have supposed that nothing has ever     
before appeared1 similar to the         
remarkable red ,aurora1 which was       

witnessed on the evening of ,january    
#be1 #ahcg4 ,yet such spectacles have   
often been witnessed in the northern    
parts of ,sweden1 ,lapland1 and         
,siberia1 and in remote and different   
periods4 ,the ,aurora is a great        
blessing in those high northern         
latitudes1 where the sun is absent for  
many weeks1 furnishing the inhabitants  
with a splendid light1 in the midst of  
their dreary winter nights4 ,gmelin     
describes the ,aurora ,borealis of those
 regions as differing in color according
 to the states of the atmosphere1       
sometimes assuming the appearance of    
blood4 ,he observes that they frequently
 begin with single bright pillars rising
 in the north1 and almost at the same   
time in the north-east1 which1 gradually
 increasing1 comprehend a large space in
 the heavens1 rush about1 with          
incredible velocity1 from place to      
place1 and finally almost cover the     
whole sky to the zenith1 producing an   
appearance as if a vast tent was        

expanded in the heavens1 glittering with
 gold1 rubies1 and sapphire4 ,a more    
beautiful spectacle cannot be painted4  
,these lights occasionally come so far  
south as to illuminate the sky in our   
latitude4 ,sometimes they have not      
appeared for many years4 ,in #agaf1     
these lights were seen in ,england1     
though never witnessed before by the    
oldest inhabitants living2 and1 as might
 be expected1 they were alarmed1 and    
actually supposed the day of judgment   
had come4 ,from ,barber's ,history of   
,new ,england1 we learn that the first  
appearance of the northern lights in    
this country1 after the period of its   
first settlement1 was on ,december #aa1 
#agai1 when they were remarkably bright2
 and1 as people in general had never    
heard of such a phenomenon1 they were   
extremely alarmed with the apprehension 
of the final judgment4 ,all amusements1 
all business1 and even sleep was        
interrupted1 for want of a little       
knowledge of history4 ,we were told by  

some of the advent preachers that       
meteors and shooting stars1 falling to  
the earth1 were never seen until #agii4 
,but this is a great mistake4 ,as early 
as the year #dgb1 ,theophanes relates1  
,the sky appeared to be on fire1 with   
the coruscations of flying meteors4     
,virgil1 in his book of ,georgics1      
speaks as follows3--      ,and oft1     
before tempestuous winds arise1     ,the
 seeming stars fall headlong from the   
skies1     ,and1 shooting through the   
darkness1 gild the night     ,with      
sweeping glories and long trails of     
light4  ,in #eec1 under the reign of    
,justinian1 were seen showers of falling
 stars in extraordinary numbers4 ,in    
#gfc1 under that of ,constantine        
,capronymus1 the same spectacle was     
witnessed4 ,in #ajii1 in the month of   
,november1 it is said1 in ,vogel's      
,leipzig ,chronicles1 that there was    
seen an unheard-of number of falling    
stars1 burning torches1 and fiery darts 
in the sky4 ,in #adfd1 on the #gth of   

,november1 the great meteoric stone fell
 at ,ensisheim1 in ,alsace4 ,on the #hth
 of ,august1 #agbc1 numerous falling    
stars appeared in many parts of the     
heavens1 like fireflies4  ,but we are   
told of the sun and moon appearing like 
blood1 and that this sign of our ,lord's
 second coming was never witnessed1     
since the resurrection1 till the year   
#aghj4 ,yet this is likewise a mistake2 
for in the ,basle ,chronicle of         
,urtisus1 under the year #aeff1 mention 
is made of the fact1 that on the #bhth  
and #bith of ,july1 the sun and moon    
became blood red2 and on the #gth of    
,august1 this striking phenomenon was   
again repeated4 ,and1 according to the  
,frankfort ,chronicle of ,lersner1 under
 the year #aege1 on the #bith of ,july1 
a remarkable redness of the sun         
occurred4  ,it has been said that the   
darkness of the sun1 that occurred in   
#aghj1 was a sign given to portend the  
speedy destruction of the world4 ,why   
was it not then witnessed simultaneously

 in all parts of the earth8 ,it was     
confined principally to ,new ,england   
and witnessed only by the generation    
preceding the present4 ,to be sure1     
thousands were appalled by the event1   
and a feeling that the judgment day had 
actually come rested upon many minds4   
,but yet they were in a mistake4 ,this  
darkness commenced on the #aith of ,may1
 between the hours of #aj and #aa       
,a4,m41 and continued until the middle  
of the next night4 ,persons were unable 
to read common print1 determine the time
 of day by their clocks or watches1     
dine1 or manage their business1 without 
additional light4 ,candles were lighted 
in their houses4 ,the birds sang their  
evening songs1 disappeared1 and became  
silent4 ,the fowls retired to roost4    
,the cocks were crowing all around1 as  
at break of day4 ,objects could be      
distinguished but at a very little      
distance1 and every thing bore the      
appearance and gloom of night4 ,the     
legislature of ,connecticut was in      

session at this time1 in ,hartford city4
 ,a very general opinion prevailed that 
the judgment day was at hand4 ,the      
,house of ,representatives1 being unable
 to transact business1 adjourned4 ,a    
proposal to adjourn the council was     
under consideration4 ,when the opinion  
of ,colonel ,davenport was asked1 he    
answered1 ,i am against an adjournment4 
,the day of judgment is either          
approaching1 or it is not4 ,if it is    
not1 there is no cause for an           
adjournment2 if it is1 ,i choose to be  
found doing my duty4 ,i wish1 therefore1
 that candles may be brought4  ,a       
similar darkness has sometimes gathered 
over the city of ,london1 in consequence
 of a vast accumulation of smoke1 so as 
to make it necessary for passengers in  
the streets to use lighted torches at   
midday4 ,in #aghc1 a great part of      
,europe was for weeks overspread with a 
haziness of atmosphere which caused     
great consternation4 ,the churches were 
crowded with supplicants4 ,the          

astronomer ,lalande attempted to allay  
the fright by endeavoring to account for
 the appearance1 which he ascribed to an
 uncommon exhalation of watery particles
 from the great rain of the preceding   
year4 ,but at last it was ascertained to
 be owing to smoke1 occasioned by the   
great eruption of the volcano ,hecla1   
which covered more than three thousand  
square miles with burning lava1 in some 
places to the depth of forty feet4 ,dr4 
,franklin was in ,europe at the time1   
and afterwards gave an account of the   
circumstances relating to this uncommon 
eruption4 ,in fact1 immense issues of   
smoke1 from fires and volcanoes1 have1  
from time immemorial1 produced similar  
effects in different countries4  ,we    
will subjoin a few remarkable           
appearances that have taken place in the
 heavens1 that the reader may at once   
perceive that in scarcely any age of the
 world have its inhabitants been        
destitute of some sign1 that might1 to  
the timid and uninformed1 be considered 

as the prognostication of some awful    
catastrophe about to happen4  ,in #aegd1
 on the #aeth of ,november1 large and   
terrific beams of fiery light were seen 
during the night4 ,and similar          
appearances are noted in ,vogel's       
,chronicles1 as having occurred in      
,november1 #afcg1 and #affa4 ,in the old
 ,breslau ,collections1 there is mention
 made of a large moonlike meteor1 which 
passed off with an explosion1 on the    
#ajth of ,november1 #agba2 and of a     
great fire-flash1 or flame-emitting     
comet1 on the #abth day4 ,according to  
,vogel's ,chronicles1 there appeared on 
the #cjth ,november1 #affc1 a large     
cross1 and other signs in the skies4 ,on
 the #aath of ,august1 #aefa1 there was 
seen1 in the forenoon1 a very remarkable
 red meteor1 emitting frequent flashes  
of light4 ,in #agag1 numerous meteors   
were seen at ,fryeburg2 and at          
,utchland1 in ,august1 #agae4 ,on the   
#ajth of ,august1 #agag1 a large        
fire-ball was seen in ,lusace1 ,silesia1

 ,poland1 and ,hungary4 ,in the         
,frankfort ,chronicle of ,july #bi1     
#afid1 it is mentioned that the heavens 
were full of fiery flames6 as also again
 on the #ith of ,august4 ,on ,february  
#bb1 #agai1 a large fire-ball was seen  
in several places4 ,on the #bb;d1 #agbj1
 an immense red cross was seen at       
,novogorod and ,kiew2 and on the #aith1 
#agbb1 a huge fire-ball6  ,what would   
the ,millerites think1 if they should   
now see an immense red cross in the     
heavens1 a remarkable red meteor1       
emitting flashes of light during the    
night1 or a blood-red appearance of the 
sun and moon1 and showers of falling    
stars in extraordinary numbers8 ,these  
things are as likely to happen at the   
present day as they were a hundred years
 ago1 and still the world remains as it 
has remained4  ,just before the last    
return of ,halley's comet1 an article   
was published in a religious paper in   
this state1 going to show that the world
 would probably be struck and set on    

fire by a comet1 and that1 most likely1 
,halley's would be the one to do it1 as 
it was coming much nearer the earth than
 it had ever been before4 ,the editor   
seemed to be ignorant that the quantity 
of matter that enters into the          
constitution of a comet is exceedingly  
small1 and that the comet of #aggj1     
which was quite large and bright1 passed
 through the midst of ,jupiter's        
satellites without deranging their      
motions in the least perceptible degree4
 ,comets1 it is believed1 consist of    
exceedingly rare vapor2 indeed1 so much 
so1 that some philosophers say that our 
thinnest clouds are dense in comparison4
 ,and yet this exceedingly thin vapor   
was to dash the world to atoms1 or set  
it on fire1 it was not fully determined 
which4  ,whether comets1 or any unusual 
appearances in the sky1 are to be       
considered as signs prognosticating the 
final dissolution of all things1 as     
being near at hand1 is for each to      
determine for himself4 ,and in forming a

 judgment upon the subject1 we may      
surely be permitted to exercise the     
common sense which ,god has given us4   
,to lay this aside1 and judge only by   
feeling or fancy1 is to criminally      
reject a light which we are sure is from
 ,god1 and follow one which may prove an
 ignis fatuus1 and land us in the       
quagmire of infidelity4 ,if the         
,scripture signs are to receive a       
literal fulfilment1 we may reasonably   
expect that they will conform to the    
four following tests3--  #a4 ,they will 
appear near the event of which they are 
intended as the harbinger2 probably     
within the generation of those who will 
be living at the end of the world4  #b4 
,they will be witnessed in all parts of 
the earth1 because all are alike        
interested4  #c4 ,they may all be       
expected to appear1 and not a single    
class of phenomena without the other4   
#d4 ,they will be such as will impress  
intelligent minds with their strangeness
 and peculiarity4  ,the ,aurora         

,borealis conforms not to any of these  
tests4 ,it has been seen for centuries1 
and is confined to the northern portions
 of the globe2 having rarely1 if ever1  
been seen so far north as the thirtieth 
degree of north latitude4 ,and1 as we   
have before remarked1 the darkness of   
#aghj was confined principally to ,new  
,england4 ,and from a careful           
examination of all the accounts we have 
been able to collect of meteoric showers
 of the last and present century1 the   
whole of them together have occupied a  
space on the globe less than one eighth 
of its surface4 ,the shower of #agii was
 probably the most extensive4 ,its      
centre was near the middle of the       
,atlantic2 its edges touched the        
northern parts of ,south ,america1 the  
coast of ,labrador and ,greenland1 and  
the western shores of ,europe and       
,africa4 ,that of #ahcc may be          
represented on a six-inch globe by the  
space occupied by a dollar4 ,such       
magnificent scenes are calculated to    

impress the mind with awe2 yet it is    
surprising that many intelligent persons
 should suppose them to be the          
precursors of the final conflagration4  
,if the simple but reasonable tests we  
have given be correct1 they are disarmed
 of their character as ominous of the   
destruction of the world4  ,with regard 
to any changes in the order or          
succession of the heavenly bodies1 it is
 only necessary to observe1 that        
hundreds of scientific men1 in ,europe  
and ,america1 have for many years been  
employed in exploring the material      
heavens with the most powerful          
telescopes4 ,many are employed1 by the  
governments of ,europe1 in astronomical 
observations1 scattered over the earth1 
for the express purpose of making new   
discoveries1 if possible1 and of        
furthering the interests of science4 ,no
 phenomenon escapes their notice2 and   
should any thing extraordinary occur1 it
 would appear before the public1 vouched
 by names that would command universal  

credence4 ,it may be unnecessary to add1
 that no such changes in the planets and
 fixed stars1 as have been proclaimed to
 the world by some of the second advent 
preachers1 have been observed by learned
 astronomers and men of science4        
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,intercourse ,,with   
,,departed ,,spirits4   ,in no age1 says
 a popular writer1 has the world been   
destitute of those who professed1 by    
some instrumentality or other1 to hold  
intercourse with departed spirits4      
,neither has any age been without its   
reputed spectres1 ghosts1 or            
apparitions4 ,the high priest of the    
,buddhist and ,hindoo temples1 in former
 times1 when arrayed in the consecrated 
garments for the festivals1 wore a round
 knob1 about the size of a large pendent
 drop of a chandelier1 suspended from   
his neck by a chain of great value and  
of dazzling brilliancy4 ,it was through 
the agency of this crystal that he was  
supposed to hold communion with the     
spirit or spirits to whom he and his    

followers accorded devotion and made    
intercessions2 and the glass1 acting as 
did the famed oracle of ,delphi1 gave   
orders and commands1 and settled all    
great questions that might be submitted 
to its spiritual master4 ,the priest1   
although he might be a pattern of       
purity1 and the quintessence of all that
 was good1 having1 however1 the sin of  
being in years1 and not able1 perhaps1  
to hide from the spirit inhabiting the  
crystal all the transactions of his     
youth1 could not hold a direct          
communication with it4 ,to arrange this1
 a certain number of boys1 and          
sometimes1 in some of the temples1 young
 damsels1 were retained1 who1 having    
never mixed with the world1 could not be
 supposed to be in any way contaminated 
by its vices4 ,these alone were said to 
be capable of beholding the spirit when 
he chose to make his appearance in the  
divining glass1 and interpreting to and 
fro the questions put and answers       
received4 ,although it was not every boy

 or seer to whom was permitted the gift 
of spiritual vision1 yet in latter      
times1 when divining crystals           
multiplied1 little ragged boys would run
 after the passers in the streets1 and  
offer to see any thing that might be    
required of them1 for a trifling gift1  
even a cake or sweetmeat4 ,in ,egypt1   
the divining glass is superseded by     
putting a blot of thick black fluid into
 the palm of a boy's hand1 and          
commanding him to see various people and
 things2 of which practice ,lane1 in his
 ,modern ,egyptians1 gives some curious 
disclosures4  ,divining mirrors were not
 confined to the ,east4 ,dr4 ,dee was   
the first ,english impostor who vaunted 
the possession of one of these priceless
 treasures4 ,he had for the seer one    
,keily1 an ,irishman2 and to this1      
doubtless1 was attributable the         
impression that prevailed among the     
astrologers and amateur spirit hunters1 
that when the spirits condescended to   
speak1 they always gave speech with a   

very strong spice of the brogue4 ,this  
beryl1 as it is called1 was preserved   
among the ,strawberry ,hill curiosities1
 and fell under the hammer of ,george   
,robbins at the memorable sale4 ,it     
proved to be a globe of cannel coal4 ,in
 ,aubrey's ,miscellany there is an      
engraving of another larger crystal1 and
 there are with it many wonderful       
stories4 ,yet1 notwithstanding the magic
 capabilities of these mirrors1 they    
went out of fashion until the beginning 
of the year #ahej4  ,this revival and   
its consequences are like a page out of 
a silly romance4 ,the story1 if told by 
a disinterested historian1 would require
 authentication as belonging to #ahej4  
,we therefore turn1 by way of voucher1  
to a publication called ,zadkiel's      
,almanac for #ahea4 ,at page #df1 after 
referring to the existence of magic     
crystals at the present day1 the writer1
 says1 ,one of large size was a few     
years ago brought over to ,england by a 
friend of ,lady ,blessington1 after the 

sale of whose effects1 it recently fell 
into the hands of a friend of mine2 and1
 having tested its powers1 ,i have      
resolved on giving my readers an account
 of this wonderful mode of communicating
 with the spirits of the dead4 ,the     
crystal is spherical1 and has been      
turned from a large mass of pure rock   
crystal4 ,i have been shown some few    
others1 but1 with the exception of one  
shown me by ,lord ,s41 they are all much
 smaller4 ,these smaller ones are said  
to be consecrated to angels of the      
planets1 and are1 therefore1 far less   
powerful than ,lady ,blessington's      
crystal1 which1 being consecrated to the
 ,archangel of the ,sun1 ,michael1 may  
be consulted during four hours each day1
 whereas the others can generally be    
used only for a very brief space of     
time2 nor can very potent spirits be    
called into them1 or made to render     
themselves visible4 ,in this larger     
crystal is given most important         
information of the actual existence of  

the soul after death1 and of the state  
in which it exists and will exist until 
the judgment4  ,the first intimation we 
received1 says ,dickens1 in his         
,household ,words1 of the revival of    
this notable practice of divination1 was
 about six months ago1 when we were     
casually informed that the son of a     
distinguished officer of the royal navy 
was1 at that time1 frequently engaged in
 developing1 before a few privileged    
friends1 the extraordinary faculty of   
being able to hold intercourse with the 
world of spirits4 ,it was added that the
 revelations made through the medium of 
this youth were of so wonderful a       
nature1 and carried such conviction to  
the minds of those who listened1 that   
they were declared to be the result of  
more than human power4  ,the conjurer   
was asked1 on one occasion1 to describe 
,lord ,nelson4 ,and1 accordingly1 the   
spirit1 with an accuracy that was quite 
astonishing1 considering that no        
portrait1 bust1 or statue of ,nelson is 

known to exist1 gave a full1 true1 and  
particular account of ,england's hero1  
describing him as a very thin man1 in a 
cocked hat1 with only one eye1 one arm1 
c42 and the truth of the description was
 declared to be something truly         
marvellous4  ,a demand was made that the
 spirit of a deceased brother of one of 
the querists should be summoned to      
appear4 ,presently he said1 ,i see him2 
he has curly hair1 and stoops a good    
deal4 ,i can't exactly see his features1
 but ,i think he squints4 ,this account 
of her late brother's personal          
appearance1 though not very flattering1 
satisfied the lady as far as it went2   
but being1 like ,macbeth1--             
444 bent to know1     ,by the worst     
means1 the worst1  she required further 
proof of his identity4 ,there was a     
pause for a minute or two1 and then the 
spirit seer spoke again--,he has got a  
scroll in his hand1 which he unfolds2   
there is this inscription on it1 in     
letters of fire3--      ',i ,,am ,,tom6'

  ,this sublime revelation was received 
with a degree of solemn awe1 and with   
suppressed throes of well-bred laughter4
  ,other cases not a whit less          
marvellous have been described by the   
narrators1 who could not be reasoned out
 of their absurdity1 insisting that     
there could be no deception in the      
matter1 on account of the means         
employed1 and the evident sincerity of  
the employs6 ,these means1 they said1   
required that the person who looked into
 the crystal should be perfectly pure2  
that is to say1 a child free from sin1  
and by no means given to lying1 and that
 the form of adjuration used was1 ,in   
nomine ,domini1 c42 ,latin being1 as is 
well known1 the language which spirits  
of all denominations are most accustomed
 to4 ,when interrogated after this      
fashion1 the spirit1 if evil1 fled away 
howling2 if good1 it came1 when called1 
unless particularly engaged in the sun2 
for it appears that it is to that planet
 almost all spirits go when their term  

of purgatory is over4 ,it seems that the
 spirits would sometimes get out of     
breath1 travelling so far1 and talking  
so much2 and they then had recourse to  
the expedient of letters of fire1 which 
seemed to be written in various ways in 
the crystal2 sometimes on flags1 which  
the spirits hold up1 but sometimes they 
are in print4 ,in these letters of fire1
 the querist was counselled something   
like the following3 ,be merry4 ,quarrel 
not4 ,keep your temper1 and your        
children too4 ,you are a good man1 but  
try to be better4 ,i am wanted4 ,let me 
go4  ,we subjoin the following as       
specimens of conversations heard by     
large parties of amazed1 titled1 and    
believing listeners3 ,are you ,pharaoh1 
that was king of ,egypt8 ,yes4 ,where do
 you dwell now8 ,in ,jupiter4 ,how long 
have you been there8 ,about thirty      
years4 ,where did you dwell till then8  
,in the atmosphere1 and was undergoing  
punishment till then4 ,were you king of 
,egypt when ,moses was there8 ,yes1 and 

,aaron too4 ,did you build the pyramids8
 ,some4 ,were any built before your     
time8 ,yes4 ,do you know how long the   
first was built before ,christ8 ,about  
three hundred years after ,adam2 it was 
built then4 ,do you mean that it was    
built before the flood8 ,no1 it was not 
finished2 the flood destroyed them4     
,what was the principal object of them8 
,to hold the kings of ,egypt4 ,were     
there kings of ,egypt so soon after the 
creation8 ,yes2 that was the first      
country kings were in4 ,were you drowned
 in the ,red ,sea8 ,yes4  ,at one time  
,swedenborg volunteered to give         
information about ,sir ,john ,franklin1 
when the following dialogue took place3 
,what is the best way to communicate    
with him8 ,by the natives2 they speak to
 him sometimes4 ,will he be home next   
summer8 ,no4 ,why8 ,because he cannot   
help himself2 he is stopped by ice2 but 
his heart does not fail him2 he wants to
 explore4 ,how will he do for           
provisions8 ,he will find bears1 dogs1  

and wolves4 ,will he find the passage8  
,no2 there is a continent there4 ,but   
there is also a passage4 ,there is one1 
but he will not find it4 ,what latitude 
does he lie in chiefly8 ,i do not know3 
good by4 ,it appears strange that       
,swedenborg1 who knew so much1 did not  
know this4 ,but we learn in another     
place that spirits do not well          
understand about latitude and longitude4
 ,socrates's appearance is described as 
follows3 ,a tall1 middle-aged man1      
rather bald1 dressed with striped coarse
 trousers1 very loose at the top1 and   
tight at the bottom2 a kind of frock1   
open in the front1 and without sleeves4 
,he is generally employed in singing    
praises1 but was not quite happy4       
,alexander the ,great appeared on       
horseback1 in armor1 the horse also in  
armor2 deeply regrets killing ,clitus1  
and all the murders he perpetrated2     
amuses himself in fighting his battles  
over again4  ,to give these things a    
sort of clat and popularity with the    

public1 ,zadkiel sums up the whole in   
the following language3 ,in concluding  
this account1 ,i may remark that        
numerous children have seen these       
visions1 some of them the sons and      
daughters of persons of high rank2 and  
that several adults have also seen      
visions1 one of them a lady of title1   
and another a member of one of the      
highest families in ,england4 ,it will  
be seen that delicacy prevents my naming
 individuals2 but ,i can assure my      
readers that above one hundred of the   
nobility1 and several hundreds of other 
highly respectable ladies and gentlemen1
 have examined this wonderful           
phenomenon1 and have expressed the      
highest gratification and astonishment4 
,dickens declares it to be the fashion1 
especially among people of fashion1 to  
point with pity to a tale of modern     
witchcraft1 to an advertisement of a    
child's caul1 or to the bona fide       
certificates of cases from the takers of
 quack medicines1 and to deplore the    

ignorance of their inferiors4           
,delusions1 however1 of the grossest    
kind are not confined to the illiterate4
 ,a cloud of dupes have ever floated    
about in the higher regions of society2 
while it is quite a mistake to suppose  
that the refinements and discoveries of 
the nineteenth century have dispersed   
them4 ,the reign of ,queen ,victoria1   
like that of ,elizabeth and ,anne1 has  
its ,dr4 ,dees1 and ,lillys1 and        
,partridges1 who are as successful as   
their precursors in gaining proselytes  
who can pay handsomely4 ,damsels of high
 degree1 fresh from boarding school1    
with heads more full of sympathy for the
 heroes and heroines of fashionable     
novels1 and ideas more fixed upon love  
affairs than on any legitimate studies1 
can easily find out1 through            
mysteriously-worded advertisements in   
the ,sunday papers1 or through the ready
 agency of friends who have already     
become victims of the 'science' of      
astrology and magic1 the whereabouts of 

these awful and wonderful beings4 ,there
 are a number of styles and classes of  
them1 all varying in appearance and mode
 of operations4 ,there are the old      
women1 who1 consoled by the glories of  
their art1 repine not at inhabiting     
comfortless garrets in the purlieus of  
the ,new ,cut1 ,lambeth2 and hiding     
their vocation under the mask of having 
stay laces or infallible corn plasters  
to sell1 receive more visitors from the 
fashionable cream of ,belgravia than    
from the dross of ,bermondsey4          
,disguises are sometimes resorted to1   
and parties of titled ladies have been  
known to meet1 and put on the           
habiliments of 'charwomen1' and to pass 
themselves off as dress-makers4 ,there  
is an old man1 with unshaven beard and  
seldom-washed face1 who lives in more   
comfortable circumstances1 with his son1
 in ,southwark1 7the favored district of
 the conjurers17 who1 to keep up        
appearances1 has ',engineer' hugely     
engraved on a great brass plate over the

 door1 who casts nativities1 and        
foretells events of the future1 for     
three or five shillings1 as the         
appearance of the visitor will warrant  
him in demanding2 receives all his      
votaries sitting at a terribly littered 
table of dirty paper1 with a well-smoked
 clay pipe beside him4 ,passing to a    
higher grade1 the 'agent1' or arranger  
of matters1 legal1 pecuniary1 or        
domestic1 only practises the black art  
for the love he bears it1 and to oblige 
his friends1 but never refuses a few    
shillings' fee1 out of respect to the   
interests of the science4 ,nearly all   
his customers are people of title4  ,we 
now come to speak of events in our own  
country which seem to be somewhat akin  
to those which have so recently         
transpired in ,england4 ,we allude to   
what are familiarly termed rappers1 or  
knocking spirits1 from the noises which 
they are said to make4  ,from a history 
of these knockings1 as given in a       
pamphlet by ,capron and ,barron1 of     

,auburn1 ,new ,york1 we learn that they 
were first heard in the family of ,mr4  
,michael ,weekman1 in the town of       
,arcadia1 ,wayne county4 ,he resided in 
the house where the noises were heard   
about eighteen months1 and left it some 
time in the year #ahdg4 ,he relates that
 one evening1 about bedtime1 he heard a 
rapping on the outside door1 when he    
stepped to the door and opened it1 but1 
to his surprise1 found no one there4 ,he
 went back1 and proceeded to undress1   
when1 just before getting into bed1 he  
heard another rap at the door loud and  
distinct4 ,he stepped to the door       
quickly and opened it1 but1 as before1  
found no one there4 ,he stepped out1 and
 looked around1 supposing that some one 
was imposing upon him4 ,he could        
discover no one1 and went back into the 
house4 ,after a short time he heard the 
rapping again2 he stepped 7it being     
often repeated7 and held on the latch1  
so that he might ascertain if any one   
had taken that means to annoy him4 ,the 

rapping was repeated2 the door was      
instantly opened1 but no one was to be  
seen4 ,he could feel the jar of the door
 very plainly when the rapping was      
heard4 ,as he opened the door1 he sprung
 out1 and went around the house1 but no 
one was in sight4 ,his family were      
fearful to have him go out1 lest some   
one intended to harm him4 ,it always    
remained a mystery to him2 and finally1 
as the rapping did not at that time     
continue1 it passed from his mind1 till 
some time afterwards1 when1 one night1  
their little girl1 then about eight     
years of age1 was heard to scream from  
fright1 so that the family were all     
alarmed by her cries1 and went to her   
assistance4 ,this was about midnight4   
,she told them that something like a    
hand had passed over her face and head2 
that she had felt it on the bed and all 
over her1 but did not feel alarmed until
 it touched her face4  ,it seems that   
,mr4 ,weekman soon after moved away from
 the house1 and nothing more was heard  

of the rapping1 or other manifestations1
 till it was occupied by the family of  
,mr4 ,john ,d4 ,fox1 who have since     
become so conspicuous with the advent of
 spirits4 ,in ,march1 #ahdh1 they1 for  
the first time1 heard the mysterious    
sounds1 which seemed to be like a slight
 knocking in one of the bed rooms on the
 floor4 ,it was in the evening1 just    
after they had retired4 ,at that time   
the whole family occupied one room1 and 
all distinctly heard the rapping4 ,they 
arose1 and searched with a light1 but   
were unable to find the cause of the    
knocking4 ,it continued that night until
 they all fell asleep1 which was not    
until nearly or quite midnight4 ,from   
this time the noise continued to be     
heard every night4  ,after having been  
disturbed and broken of their rest for  
several nights in a vain attempt to     
discover from whence the sounds         
proceeded1 they resolved1 on the evening
 of the #cast of ,march1 that this night
 they would not be disturbed by it1     

whatever it might be4 ,but ,mr4 ,fox had
 not yet retired when the usual signs   
commenced4 ,the girls1 who occupied     
another bed in the same room1 heard the 
sounds1 and endeavored to imitate them  
by snapping their fingers4 ,the attempt 
was made by the youngest girl1 then     
about twelve years old4 ,when she made  
the noise with her fingers1 the sounds  
were repeated just as she made them4    
,when she stopped snapping her fingers1 
the sounds stopped for a short time4    
,one of the other girls then said1 in   
sport1 7for they were getting to be more
 amused than alarmed17 ,now do what ,i  
do2 count one1 two1 three1 four1 five1  
six1 c41 at the same time striking one  
hand in the other4 ,the same number of  
blows or sounds were repeated as in the 
former case4 ,mrs4 ,fox then spoke1 and 
said1 ,count ten1 and there were ten    
distinct strokes or sounds4 ,she then   
said1 ,will you tell the age of ,cathy8 
7one of her children27 and it was given 
by the same number of raps that she was 

years of age4 ,in like manner the age of
 her different children was told        
correctly by this unseen visitor4  ,mrs4
 ,fox then asked1 if it was a human     
being that made the noise1 to manifest  
it by making the same noise4 ,there was 
no answer to this request4 ,she then    
asked if it was a spirit1 and if so to  
manifest it by making two distinct      
sounds4 ,instantly she heard two raps1  
as she desired4 ,she then proceeded to  
know or inquire if it was an injured    
spirit1 and if so to answer in the same 
way1 and the rapping was repeated4 ,in  
this way it answered her until she      
ascertained that it purported to be the 
spirit of a man who was murdered in that
 house by a person that had occupied it 
some years before2 that he was a pedler1
 and that he was murdered for his money4
 ,to the question how old he was1 there 
were thirty-one distinct raps4 ,by the  
same means it was ascertained that he   
was a married man1 and had left a wife  
and five children2 that his wife had    

been dead two years4  ,we might relate a
 little different manoeuvre in the case 
of the ghost that appeared in ,waltham1 
,massachusetts1 a few years since4 ,a   
superstitious old man1 by the name of   
,mc,clarren1 a mechanic1 purchased a lot
 of turf that had been piled up in a    
meadow about half way between his       
workshop and place of residence4 ,upon  
returning to his work from supper1 he   
used to take a basket with him1 and fill
 it at the turf heap on his return late 
in the evening4 ,it was on one of these 
occasions that the reputed ghost first  
appeared to him1 and caused him some    
alarm1 when he dare not linger to       
reconnoitre this strange and unexpected 
visitor4 ,he resolved1 however1 to      
muster courage the next evening to      
accost the figure1 should it again      
appear to him4 ,accordingly1 he went    
with a large ,bible open in his hands2  
and as the ghost appeared1 he followed  
it till it crossed a ditch1 when he was 
requested by the same to proceed no     

farther4 ,thus they stood1 facing each  
other1 on either side of the ditch1 when
 the following conversation took place  
between them3--  ,ques4 ,by ,mc,clarren4
 ,i demand of you1 in the name of ,jesus
 ,christ1 our once crucified ,god1      
whether you are mortal or immortal8     
,ans4 ,i am not mortal4  ,ques4 ,what1  
then1 are you8  ,ans4 ,i am the spirit  
of a murdered man4  ,ques4 ,by whom were
 you murdered8  ,ans4 ,by ----1 of      
,waltham4  ,ques4 ,where does your body 
lie8  ,ans4 ,in yonder pond1 behind me4 
,it is supposed that this affair was got
 up in an innocent mood1 merely to test 
the strength of ,mc,clarren's faith in  
ghosts4 ,but it caused a wide-spread    
excitement2 and some1 who were thought  
to be concerned in its projection1 were 
prosecuted and brought before a justice 
for examination1 although nothing was   
proved4 ,mc,clarren testified under     
oath1 that he believed it to be a real  
ghost2 its tones1 he said1 were so      
unearthly1 and when it moved its motion 

was not like that in walking1 but it    
glided along like a swan1 or a boat in  
the water4 ,he was neither to be        
reasoned nor laughed out of it4 ,he     
would believe it to the day of his      
death4 ,you might as well tell him he   
was not a living being1 as to tell him  
he had not seen a living ghost4  ,the   
advocates of the influx from the world  
of spirits into our own claim in its    
behalf many astonishing miracles4       
,chairs1 tables1 and beds are moved up  
or down1 to and fro1 c4 ,at ,auburn1    
,new ,york1 on one occasion1 sounds on  
the wall1 bureau1 table1 floor1 and     
other places were heard as loud as the  
striking with a hammer4 ,the table was  
moved about the room1 and turned over   
and back4 ,two men in the company       
undertook to hold a chair down1 while1  
at their request1 a spirit moved it2    
and1 notwithstanding they exerted all   
their strength1 the chair could not be  
held still by them--a proof that spirits
 are far more strong and powerful than  

men4 ,on another occasion1 the sounds   
proper to a carpenter's shop were heard1
 apparently proceeding from the wall and
 table4 ,sawing1 planing1 and pounding  
with a mallet were imitated1 it is said1
 to the life4 ,some gentlemen were at   
the house of the ,fox family at one     
time1 and were conducted into a dark    
room4 ,they called for the sounds to be 
made like a band of martial music4 ,as  
they requested1 the sounds were         
produced2 the playing of the instruments
 and the heavy beating of the bass drum 
were perfectly imitated1 together with  
the sound of the roar of distant cannon4
 ,shall we not gather from this1 that in
 the spirit world they have their bands 
of music and companies of artillery1 the
 same as in this world8 ,we are also    
told of the spirit or spirits playing on
 a guitar in a dark room1 the guitar    
being taken from the hands of those who 
held it and put in tune1 and played     
while it passed around the room above   
their heads4 ,on one occasion1 as it is 

said1 it played an accompaniment1 for   
nearly two hours1 to some persons       
engaged in singing1 being very exact    
both in time and tune4 ,on one occasion1
 while several ladies were present1 some
 of them requested that the spirits     
would take their hair down4 ,accordingly
 it was done4 ,one of them had her hair 
taken down and done up in a twist1 and  
one of them had hers braided in four    
strands4 ,sometimes persons have felt a 
hand passing over or touching their     
arms1 head1 or face1 leaving a feeling  
of electricity upon the part touched2   
and the hand that thus touches them     
will1 by request1 instantly change from 
a natural warmth to the coldness of ice4
  ,in answer to the question1 ,why do   
these spirits require a dark room to    
play upon instruments of music1 or to   
take hold of persons1 they answer by    
saying that they assume a tangible form 
in order to do these things1 and we are 
not yet prepared for such a visitation4 
,to the inquiry how it is they make the 

rapping noises that generally accompany 
their visits to this world1 they answer1
 that they are made by the will of the  
spirits causing a concussion of the     
atmosphere1 and making the sounds appear
 in whatever place they please4  ,a     
,mrs4 ,draper1 of ,rochester1 ,new      
,york1 had an interview with ,dr4       
,franklin1 at one time1 while she was in
 a magnetized state4 ,she said he       
appeared to be busily employed in       
establishing a line of communication    
between the two worlds by means of these
 rappings4 ,on another occasion1 while  
in a clairvoyant state1 at her own      
house1 sounds were heard in exact       
imitation of those heard in the         
telegraph office4 ,these sounds were so 
unusual1 that ,miss ,margaretta ,fox1   
who was present1 became alarmed1 and    
said1 ,what does all this mean8 ,mrs4   
,draper replied1 ,he is trying the      
batteries4 ,soon there was a signal for 
the alphabet1 and the following         
communication was spelled out to the    

company present4 ,now ,i am ready1 my   
friends4 ,there will be great changes in
 the nineteenth century4 ,things that   
now look dark and mysterious to you1    
will be laid plain before your sight4   
,mysteries are going to be revealed4    
,the world will be enlightened4 ,i sign 
my name1 ,benjamin ,franklin4  ,it seems
 that1 in the early history of these    
rappings1 they used to be without any   
limitations as to whether persons were  
in a magnetized state or not4 ,the first
 we learn of magnetism being employed as
 a medium of communication is in the    
case of a daughter of ,lyman ,granger1  
in ,rochester1 ,new ,york4 ,for a long  
time1 answers could be obtained by any  
two 7why two87 of the family standing   
near each other4 ,and in the freedom of 
the answers1 no preference seemed to be 
manifested towards any particular       
members of the family4 ,at length1 one  
of his daughters was placed under the   
influence of magnetism1 and became      
clairvoyant4 ,from that time none of the

 family could get communications unless 
the daughter who was magnetized was     
present4 ,why the communications should 
leave all the family except the         
magnetized daughter1 after they once had
 free conversation without her1 remains 
to be explained4 ,the whole business now
 seems to be pretty much1 if not wholly1
 monopolized by the clairvoyants4 ,they 
seem to be employed as agents1 or       
mediums of correspondence1 between the  
two worlds1 acting as interpreters      
between two classes of beings1 or beings
 existing in two different states1      
natural and spiritual4 ,they act as a   
kind of spiritual postmasters between   
the two countries4 ,we find spiritual   
letter paper1 and envelopes to enclose  
the same1 advertised for those who wish 
to avail themselves of an opportunity to
 write to their deceased friends in the 
other spheres4 ,letters said to have    
been written in the spirit world have   
been transmitted through the established
 mediums to friends in this world1 and  

have been published in some of the      
papers devoted to these subjects4 ,in   
the ,new ,york ,daily ,tribune of       
,february #bh1 #ahea1 we find the       
prospectus of a quarto journal1 to be   
published in ,auburn1 to be dictated by 
spirits out of the flesh1 and by them   
edited1 superintended1 and controlled4  
,its object is the disclosure of truth  
from ,heaven1 guiding mankind into open 
vision of paradise1 and open            
communication with redeemed spirits4    
,the circle of apostles and prophets are
 its conductors from the interior1      
holding control over its columns1 and   
permitting no article to find place     
therein unless originated1 dictated1 or 
admitted by them3 they acting under     
direction of the ,lord ,supreme4  ,we   
hope the information coming through its 
columns will be more reliable than the  
communications from some of the rapping 
spirits4 ,no dependence whatever can be 
placed upon them4 ,they are so          
blundering1 awkward1 and uncertain1 and 

even trickish and deceitful1 that they  
spoil all our notions of the dignify and
 purity--the spirituality1 in fact--of  
the spiritual world4 ,the advocates of  
the manifestations attribute the fault  
to ignorant spirits1 who do not know    
whether the matter they attempt to speak
 of be true or not4 ,swedenborg says1   
,there are some spirits so ignorant that
 they do not know but they are the ones 
called for1 when another is meant4 ,and 
the only way to detect them1 in         
speaking1 is by the difference of       
sound--that made by intelligent spirits 
being clear and lively1 and that of the 
ignorant being low and muffled1 like the
 striking of the hand upon a carpet4    
,it is contended by the authors of the  
pamphlet from which we quote1 that these
 ignorant spirits will ultimately       
progress to a state of intelligence4    
,but this idea of progression seems to  
be at variance with the observations of 
a writer in the ,boston ,post1 who was  
astonished at the wonderful precocity of

 little infants in the spirit world4 ,i 
have known1 says he1 the spirit of a    
child1 only eighteen months old when he 
died1 and only three months in the      
second sphere1 show as much             
intelligence1 and as perfect a command  
of our language1 as ,dr4 ,channing      
himself seems to possess4 ,on the other 
hand1 when ,i find that the spirit of   
,dr4 ,channing cannot express an idea   
above the rudimental conception of a    
mere child1 ,i am forced to the         
conclusion that his mental endowments   
must have greatly deteriorated since he 
left us4  ,it is said that the          
theological teachings of these spirits  
generally agree with those of ,davis1   
,swedenborg1 and others who have claimed
 to receive their impressions from      
spirits4 ,accordingly1 we find them     
using the term higher and lower spheres1
 instead of heaven and hell4 ,swedenborg
 prophesied that the year #aheb would be
 the one to decide the fate of his      
church or his doctrines2 and ,capron and

 ,barron tell us that the probabilities 
now seem to be that his general         
spiritual theory will1 not far from that
 time1 be very generally received4 ,we  
presume that the mysterious rappings are
 considered by them as so many omens of 
such an event4 ,and we may reasonably   
conclude that they are as decisive      
tests1 as sure prognostications1 as were
 the various celestial signs of the     
coming of the end of the world in #ahdc4
 ,the believers in the harmonial        
philosophy have their miracles in       
attestation of their theory2 and so of  
the ,millerites4 ,on ,saturday evening1 
,january #ah1 #ahea1 we are told by ,la 
,roy ,sunderland1 that ,mrs4 ,cooper    
7clairvoyant medium7 was taken to       
,cambridge1 by ,mr4 ,fernald and a      
friend1 for the purpose of visiting a   
gentleman who had been confined by a    
spinal difficulty some ten years or     
more4 ,the spirits gave beautiful       
responses for his consolation1 and in   
the sight of all present1 the sick man  

and his bed were moved by spiritual     
hands alone4 ,the sick man and the bed  
whereon he lay were both moved by       
attending angels1 without any human     
power4 ,and more recently1 a ,mr4       
,gordon1 it is said1 has been taken up  
and his body moved some distance        
entirely by spiritual hands4 ,were such 
miracles ever wrought in favor of       
,millerism8 ,most assuredly1 if we are  
to believe the ,millerites themselves2  
and even more in favor of witchcraft    
also4 ,at a meeting of the friends of   
,millerism1 held in ,waltham1 in #ahdb1 
a lady was taken from her seat by some  
unseen power1 and carried up to the     
ceiling of the room2 and she afterwards 
declared that it was done without any   
effort on her part4 ,more recently1     
7#ahea17 another lady of the same place 
testifies that she has1 in a similar    
manner1 been taken from her seat in     
church and carried up above the tops of 
the pews4 ,and at times1 at the advent  
meetings1 strange noises have been      

heard1 houses also have been shaken1    
mirrors shattered to pieces1 and        
furniture broken1 and all have been     
considered by the ,adventists as so many
 auguries or signs of the approaching   
dissolution of all things1 to take place
 in #ahdc4  ,we have already made       
mention of the fact1 in another place1  
that bewitched persons used to be       
carried through the air1 on brooms and  
spits1 to distant meetings1 or          
,sabbaths1 of witches4 ,but we will now 
give a case to the point4  ,on the #hth 
of ,september1 #afib1 ,mary ,osgood1    
wife of ,captain ,osgood1 of ,andover1  
was taken before ,john ,hawthorne1 and  
other of their majesties' justices1 when
 she confessed that1 about two years    
before1 she was carried through the air1
 in company with ,deacon ,fry's wife1   
,ebenezer ,baker's wife1 and ,goody     
,tyler1 to ,five ,mile ,pond1 where she 
was baptized by the devil1 and that she 
was transported back again through the  
air1 in company with the forenamed      

persons1 in the same manner as she went1
 and believes they were carried on a    
pole6 ,she was asked by one of the      
justices1 how many persons were upon the
 pole2 to which she answered1 ,as ,i    
said before1 viz41 four persons1 and no 
more1 but whom she had named above4     
,are not these cases to be relied upon  
as much as those related by ,mr4        
,sunderland8 ,could not four respectable
 ladies tell whether they were actually 
carried through the air on a pole or    
not8 ,could they be deceived8 ,possibly1
 in the days of chloroform1 or ether1 it
 might have been the case2 but not at   
the period in which it actually         
occurred4  ,some of the bewitched       
persons1 as in the case of ,elizabeth   
,knap1 of ,groton1 alarmed the people by
 their ventriloqual powers1 in imitating
 sounds and languages4 ,and it would be 
nothing strange if some of our modern   
witches were in possession of the same  
talent4 ,no wonder that the editor of   
one of the ,boston papers should have   

ventured the opinion1 that if some of   
these persons had lived two hundred     
years ago1 they would have been hanged  
for witchcraft4  ,it appears to us1 that
 if we believe in all that is alleged of
 the rapping spirits1 and their         
manifestations1 we must be prepared to  
indorse all that has been published of  
witches and ghosts1 spooks and          
hobgoblins1 in every age of the world1  
which1 at present1 we are not at all    
inclined to do4 ,we do not believe that 
any of the noises heard1 or any of the  
information given1 has proceeded from   
beings out of the normal state4 ,we are 
rather inclined to adhere to the        
sentiment contained in the old          
couplet3--      ,where men believe in   
witches1 witches are2     ,but where    
they don't believe1 there are none      
there4  ,we once went to stay over night
 in a house said to be haunted1 the     
house being empty at the time1 the      
family who had occupied it having       
actually been frightened away by the    

noises they had heard4 ,but1 strange to 
tell1 we did not hear any noises1       
neither did we expect to4 ,there was a  
house in ,green ,street1 ,boston1       
formerly occupied by the celebrated ,dr4
 ,conway1 which1 after his decease1 was 
said to be haunted4 ,a young man of our 
acquaintance never passed that house    
late at night but every window in it    
appeared to be illuminated4 ,and        
finally1 he became so alarmed about it1 
that as soon as he approached the       
vicinity of the house1 he would commence
 running1 and continue to run till it   
was out of sight4 ,we have frequently   
known him to cross the ice on ,charles  
,river to avoid passing the house4 ,and 
still1 we often passed the same house1  
at late hours of the night1 without     
seeing any thing unusual4 ,and we know  
of no reason why1 unless it was because 
we did not believe in such things1 which
 our friend actually did4 ,faith alone  
made the difference4  ,one of the       
believers in the spirit rappings tells  

us that if these things are emanations  
from the spirit world1 we are bound to  
believe them4 ,true1 if they are2 but   
this little conjunctive if is a word of 
very doubtful meaning4 ,we have already 
shown how ,mr4 ,miller kept the whole   
world standing thirty years on this same
 little if2 and then it did not end in  
#ahdc1 as he supposed it would4 ,we     
must1 therefore1 be cautious how we     
depend upon a simple if4  ,but we are   
told that1 as honest persons1 we are    
bound to believe what we cannot disprove
 by actual demonstration4 ,but let us   
examine this for a moment4 ,the         
,greenlanders have an idea that thunder 
is caused by two old women flapping seal
 skins in the moon4 ,now1 who has ever  
been up in the moon to ascertain whether
 it is so or not8 ,again1 they say that 
the ,aurora ,borealis is owing to the   
spirits of their fathers frisking at    
football4 ,who can say it is not so8    
,and yet we reject such belief on       
account of its apparent absurdity4 ,some

 of the ancients have told us that the  
earth stands upon the back of a         
tortoise1 or upon that of an elephant2  
and yet1 without investigation1 a       
majority of mankind reject the idea as  
being perfectly ridiculous4 ,we might   
here remark1 that no less a scholar than
 the great mathematician ,kepler        
attempted to prove that the earth is a  
vast animal1 and that the tides are     
occasioned by the heavings of its       
prodigious lungs4  ,many of the         
performances of jugglers and            
ventriloquists puzzle us1 and yet we do 
not believe there is any thing          
supernatural in them4 ,signor ,blitz    
once called upon the ladies in the hall 
where he was giving an exhibition to    
pass him a handkerchief with their name 
stamped upon it1 and he would put it    
into a pistol and fire it off in their  
presence1 and it should be found in the 
steeple of a church some quarter of a   
mile distant1 and yet not a window or a 
door should be open on the occasion4 ,a 

committee of honest and respectable men 
were despatched from the hall to the    
house of the church sexton1 the keys    
procured1 with a lantern1 when the      
belfry was ascended1 the handkerchief   
found hanging on the tongue of the bell1
 and returned to the lady1 who instantly
 recognized it as the identical         
handkerchief she passed into the hands  
of the performer4 ,now1 who could prove 
that the thing alleged was not actually 
done8 and yet who will believe that it  
was8  ,we have heard distant sounds of  
music1 and other imitations of men1     
birds1 and animals1 that deceived our   
sense of hearing1 knowing that they were
 produced by the power of ventriloquism4
 ,we have seen things moved from place  
to place by magnetic attraction1 and we 
do not think it at all strange that so  
light an instrument as a guitar could be
 thus attracted to different parts of a 
room by an unseen power1 especially in a
 dark room1 and its tones be imitated by
 a being as yet in the normal state4 ,a 

guitar will give vibrations of its tones
 to the concussions of the air1 caused  
by the conversation of persons present2 
and a stranger to the fact might        
possibly interpret these vibrations as  
something quite mysterious1 and suppose 
the instrument1 as it stood alone1 to be
 touched by some spirit hand4 ,when     
people's minds1 or their imaginations1  
get wrought up to a certain pitch1 the  
most trifling things are looked upon as 
wonderful phenomena4 ,every thing is    
new1 and strange1 and appalling4 ,we    
hear of the doings of the spirits at    
,rochester1 and other places1 and which 
are called the ushering in of a new     
science4 ,we know of what we speak1 says
 the pamphlet before us1 we know they   
are facts1 strange1 new1 and to many    
wonderful6 7,see page #dc47 ,and yet the
 authors introduce several pages from a 
work by ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke to show that1
 as early as #agaf1 the ,wesley family  
were troubled by noises made by the     
knocking spirits1 and that the present  

manifestations have no claim to the     
credit of originality4 ,the cracking of 
hazel nuts upon ,martin ,luther's bed   
posts1 and the racket and rumbling upon 
his chamber stairs1 as if many empty    
barrels and hogs-heads had been tumbling
 down1 claim still greater antiquity1   
and belong to the same category or      
chapter of wonderful events4  ,it is    
said to be impossible that any mere     
human being could inform persons1 with  
whom they never had any previous        
knowledge or acquaintance1 of the past1 
present1 and future events of their     
lives--whether they are married or      
single1 the number of their children    
living and dead1 age1 health1 business1 
letters expected1 the whereabout of     
long-absent friends1 c4 ,it is supposed 
that such information must indeed       
emanate from the spirit world4 ,yet     
precisely such things are and always    
have been told1 more or less1 by        
astrologers and fortune tellers1 without
 any pretensions to being in league with

 spirits of the other worlds4 ,we have  
said that fortune tellers do not always 
tell correctly2 but1 as poor an opinion 
as we have of them1 we will venture to  
assert that they are full as correct1 if
 not more so1 in the information they   
give1 as the members of the ,fox family1
 or any of their contemporaries1 of the 
alleged spiritual manifestations4       
,persons of sane mind1 though ever so   
ignorant of arithmetic or orthography1  
can tell at least how many children they
 have1 and are usually able to spell    
their own names2 but one who has spent a
 good deal of time in witnessing the    
performances of the spirit rappers1     
says1 ,they seem to be unwilling or     
unable to answer purely test questions1 
like that of answering their own names4 
,i have never known them to do this1    
says he1 though often solicited4 ,he    
also speaks of their great deficiency in
 mathematics1 not being able to         
enumerate the number of children they   
have on earth with any thing like       

accuracy4 ,i am aware that such         
questions have sometimes been correctly 
answered1 and ,i have heard them so     
answered2 but ,i have much more         
frequently known them to refuse         
entirely1 or to do it very awkwardly1 or
 to fail entirely in the attempt4 ,out  
of five numbers four were erroneously   
selected as the right one4 ,the fifth   
was right1 of course4 ,this goes to     
show1 at least1 that spirits have       
greatly deteriorated1 rather than       
improved1 while inhabiting the celestial
 spheres4 ,but this is not all4 ,the    
facility of communication between the   
two classes of beings is also on the    
decline4 ,the time was when ghosts or   
spirits held free conversation with     
those they visited1 without calling in  
the aid of clairvoyancy or electricity4 
,neither did they resort1 like modern   
spirits1 to the slow and clumsy mode of 
communication1 through the letters of   
the alphabet4 ,in spelling out a        
sentence by letters1 one of the ladies  

commences repeating the alphabet2 and   
when the desired letter is mentioned1 a 
rap is heard4 ,in this slow and tedious 
process1 long sentences are             
communicated4 ,no wonder that the       
slowness of the mode of communication   
should be considered as perfectly       
appalling4 ,and then1 too1 the substance
 of these communications is too absurd  
and ridiculous to be believed4 ,we might
 here refer to the information given by 
the prophet ,swedenborg himself1 in     
relation to the condition of the pious  
,melancthon in the future state1 that he
 was sometimes in an excavated stone    
chamber1 and at other times in hell2 and
 when in the chamber1 he was covered    
with bear skins to protect him from the 
cold2 and that he refuses to see        
visitors from this world on account of  
the filthiness of his apartment4 ,this  
is about as probable and interesting as 
the account given by a female           
clairvoyant in ,cleveland1 ,ohio1 who   
says that she has 7just7 had an         

interview with ,tom ,paine1 who recants 
his errors1 and is at present stopping  
with ,general ,washington and ,ethan    
,allen1 at a hotel kept by ,john        
,bunyan4  ,we here introduce the        
following from one of the ,boston       
papers3--  ,the ',spiritual ,rappings'  
exploded4--,there is a good article     
under this head1 on the first page1 to  
which we invite attention4 ,the writer  
is an accomplished scholar1 an able     
physician1 and one of the first and best
 magnetizers in this country4 ,he has   
investigated the 'rappings'--tested them
 theoretically and practically1 and     
'exploded' them1 if our readers have not
 already done so for themselves4 ,his   
communication is entitled to weight1 and
 if circulated1 as it should be1 among  
the credulous and unsuspecting1 might   
save some from the pitiful effects of a 
mischievous1 absurd1 and contemptible   
superstitious delusion4  ,the article is
 as follows3--  ,about the #afth of     
,december last1 ,i called on ,mr4       

,sunderland1 in good faith1 in order to 
hear and see manifestations from the    
spirit world4 ,he received me in a      
friendly manner1 and1 with a young lady 
who was with me1 seated me in the spirit
 room4 ,we had to wait an hour or more1 
and while seated we devoutly invoked the
 spirits4 ,finding them silent1 ,i put  
on them some of my most powerful        
mesmeric electric formula4 ,they        
persevered1 however1 in preserving      
profound silence4  ,when1 however1 the  
medium1 ,mrs4 ,cooper1 had arrived1 and 
seven of us1 four gentlemen and three   
ladies1 were seated round a square      
centre table1 the responses were made1  
and came freely4 ,the young lady with   
me1 willing to believe1 but wishing to  
know with absolute certainty1 before she
 assented to the truth of the           
proposition1 that the rappings were made
 by spirits1 and not by the persons     
engaged in the business1 had seated     
herself about three feet from the table1
 so that she could see under it4 ,the   

following dialogue then ensued between  
,mrs4 ,cooper1 her adopted sister1 and  
the young lady3--  ',will you sit close 
to the table1 miss8'  ',if they are     
spirits1 they can rap just as well where
 ,i am4 ,i am willing to be convinced1  
and where ,i am ,i can hear perfectly   
well4'  ',the rule is1 to sit close to  
the table4'  ',i will not disturb1 but  
choose to sit where ,i am4'  ',if you   
will not comply with the regulation1 you
 had better go into the other room4'    
',i came to know1 and ,i shall sit where
 ,i am4'  ,she was inflexible1 and the  
work proceeded4 ,when my turn came1 ,i  
could put no test question1 and was so  
told4 ,i saw and felt that there was    
collusion1 and1 ashamed of myself as    
being the dupe of supposed and known    
imposition1 after enduring the hour's   
sitting1 ,i arose with the full         
conviction that all was the effect of   
bones and muscles1 and of mesmeric      
action and reaction on the subjects     
themselves4 ,while we were examining a  

piano which was used on such occasions1 
and our backs were turned towards the   
table1 standing partly sidewise1 ,i     
caught a glimpse of ,mrs4 ,cooper's foot
 in the very position and act of        
commencing a spirit somerset on the     
table4 ,she looked confused4 ,i appeared
 not to have fully recognized any thing 
wrong1 thanked them for their father's  
kindness and their attention1 and left  
the domicil of the 'spiritual           
philosopher' under a full1 stern1 and   
abiding conviction that there was not   
the abiding place of invisible          
beings--that all was mechanical which we
 heard1 and all that any one had heard  
or seen was mechanical or mesmeric4     
,the second opportunity ,i had of       
testing the truth or falsity of these   
spirit communications was in the city of
 ,lowell4 ,every thing was favorable as 
to place1 time1 and company4 ,my eyes   
were every where1 and raps came seldom  
and solitary4 ,the medium dropped from  
between his fingers a small black       

pencil1 about two inches long1 with     
which ,i believe he made the raps4      
,after it fell1 we heard no more4 ,he   
looked despairingly disappointed1 soon  
went into a trance1 arose1 locked us    
into the room1 and when the hour had    
transpired1 came out voluntarily4       
,invited by a friend who was anxious to 
convince me more fully1 and especially  
to convert the young lady who was with  
me at ,mr4 ,sunderland's1 he called at  
my house with the medium1 and was       
received into my office4 ,the young lady
 requested that we should stand around  
the table1 and no one touch it4 ,we did 
so4 ,on the first response1 she         
exclaimed1 indignantly1 addressing the  
medium1 ',that1 sir1 was from your foot2
 ,i heard it distinctly6' ,he looked    
guilty1 and his eyes flashed with anger4
 ,he asked the spirits if it was not    
'nonsense1' and received the response   
from the foot1 'yes1' and left1         
evidently highly incensed4  ,i          
determined to give one more trial to the

 spirits4 ,in this latter case1 there   
were the three raps1 clear and strong1  
and the answers highly satisfactory1 as 
far as they went4 ,but the difficulty   
was1 that the spirits were capricious1  
and would respond only to just such as  
they saw fit2 and the medium was pretty 
well acquainted with me4 ,the perfect   
regularity of the knocks1 and the sound1
 convinced me that1 in this instance1 it
 was purely mechanical4 ,i endeavored to
 get the secret from the medium1 and the
 answer was1 ',if ,i should tell you1   
you would be as wise as myself4' ,she   
evidently knew how it was done4  ,i will
 now state a few facts1 and conclude4   
#a4 ,wood is an excellent conductor of  
sounds4 ,a small worm1 called at the    
south a sawyer1 and sought for angling1 
can be heard three yards1 as it gnaws   
between the wood and bark of a fallen   
pine2 and the slightest scratch of a    
pin1 on the end of an isolated mast1    
sixty feet long1 can be heard           
distinctly4  #b4 ,in mesmeric           

operations1 we well know that           
individuals can be made to hear and see 
things that never occurred or existed1  
and yet the subjects remain unconscious 
that they have been made the subjects of
 mesmeric hallucination6  #c4 ,persons  
highly observant and susceptible can1 by
 their eye and feeling1 when they put   
themselves into a semi-abnormal         
condition1 tell1 in many instances nine 
times out of ten1 who is and who is not 
a believer1 and what is in the mind of  
the inquirer4  #d4 ,mediums are         
invariably of this character4  #e4 ,in  
matters of faith1 friendship1 love1 or  
the spirit world1 many are willing to be
 deceived2 and when they fall into the  
hands of the shrewd and designing1 who  
can appear the impersonation of truth1  
virtue1 honesty1 and even piety itself1 
they are emphatically humbugged1 and    
give their money and their testimony to 
confirm the fraud4  ,lastly4 ,many are  
so sincere and honest in their          
intentions1 that it is not in their     

hearts to believe that some of our most 
respectable men1 even clergymen1 would  
lend their names to sustain any thing   
but what they had believed and tested as
 a reality1 and therefore themselves    
believe4  ,now1 ,mr4 ,editor1 from all  
that ,i have seen and know of these     
spiritual communications1 as 'rappings1'
 and from all these facts1 ,i am free to
 declare1 that ,i believe them an arrant
 humbug1 and one1 too1 of the most      
pernicious tendency4 ,they can all be   
traced to a human agency1 as either     
mechanical or mesmeric1 alone or        
combined2 and ,i will give my right hand
 to any medium whose operation and      
device ,i cannot fully discover1 trace1 
and demonstrate1 as deducible from      
either the one or both of these sources1
 and from no other4  ,a correspondent of
 the ,boston ,traveller1 in a           
communication dated ,new ,york1 ,january
 #bb1 #aheb1 says1 ,i look upon the     
delusion as ,i do upon a contagious     
disease4 ,it is a moral epidemic4 ,any  

man of peculiar diathesis may be its    
victim4 ,it spreads by sympathy and by  
moral infection4 ,men of standing and   
intellect gravely and seriously affirm  
that they have seen a man rise and float
 about the room like a feather1 till    
some unbelieving wretch approaches and  
breaks the spell1 when the aerial       
swimmer falls suddenly to the floor4    
,franklin1 ,washington1 and all the     
signers of the ,declaration of          
,independence1 have visited them1 and   
these departed worthies sanction any    
doctrine which the uninitiated may      
happen to entertain before consulting   
them4 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis says1 ,there is a  
class of spirits who dwell in divine    
love more than in divine wisdom1 and who
 are easily influenced to feel precisely
 what the majority of those who consult 
them feel and think1 and under peculiar 
circumstances will say precisely what   
the questioning minds of the circle may 
ardently and positively desire4         
,affectionate spirits--those dwelling in

 the love circles--are readily          
influenced to approve the desires of the
 hearts of those with whom they commune 
on earth2 as in our homes1 the infant1  
by virtue of its cries and positive     
entreaties1 captivates the affectionate1
 and perhaps intelligent1 mother1 who1  
consequently1 forthwith coincides with  
her child's desires1 submitting her     
judgment to its powerful appeals4 ,thus 
it is1 through the power of sympathy1   
spirits of the other world gratify all  
our thoughts and desires4 ,this is the  
opinion of ,mr4 ,davis1 which may pass  
for what it is worth4 ,we never indorse 
his spiritual notions4  ,to give an idea
 of the conduct exhibited at the        
circles1 or meetings1 of the harmonials1
 we submit the following from the       
,springfield ,republican of ,january1   
#aheb3--  ,when we entered the hall1 the
 meeting had not commenced1 and all     
parties were engaged in a lively chat4  
,soon there was a spontaneous coming to 
order1 and the ladies formed a circle   

around a table4 ,the gentlemen then     
formed a larger circle1 entirely        
surrounding the ladies4 ,a good hymn was
 given out and sung4 ,during the        
singing1 we noticed one lady growing    
excessively pale and cadaverous4 ,then  
her hands began to twitch1 and she      
commenced pounding upon the table4      
,directly opposite her1 a young woman   
was undergoing the process of being     
magnetized by the spirits1 while she1 as
 we were informed1 was resisting them4  
,her hands were drawn under the table by
 sudden and powerful jerks1 and every   
muscle in her body seemed to be agitated
 with the most powerful commotion1 as if
 she were acted upon in every part by   
shocks of electricity4 ,this continued  
for ten or fifteen minutes1 until she   
was1 at last1 in a state apparently     
resembling the magnetic sleep4  ,another
 lady1 with a fine eye and an           
intellectual cast of countenance1 was   
then moved to write1 which she did1     
while her eyes stared and rolled as if  

in a state of frenzy1 and every muscle  
seemed strained to its utmost tension4  
,she wrote absolutely furiously1 but no 
one but the spirits could read it1 and  
it was passed over to another medium1   
who announced it a message of such utter
 unimportance that we have forgotten it4
 ,a brawny blacksmith was among the     
mediums1 but he did nothing but pound on
 the table1 and write the word 'sing4'  
,the famous medium ,gordon was there1   
too1 and he went through various        
contortions--got down upon his knees1   
stood upon his seat1 and stretched up   
his arms and fingers1 trembling all the 
while1 as if in the highest state of    
nervous excitement4 ,once he was        
twitched bodily under the table1        
uttering a scream as he went4 ,at times1
 the different mediums would rise1      
spread their arms1 slap the table1 and  
throw their hands into motions almost   
inconceivably rapid4  ,one of the       
mediums1 a young woman1 arose by the    
dictation and powerful urging of the    

spirits1 and delivered a rambling       
sermon4 ,it abounded in quotations from 
the ,bible and the doctrines of         
,universalism4  ,but it was when the    
singing was in progress that the spirits
 and the mediums were in the highest    
ecstasy4 ,then the latter would pound1  
and throw their arms around1 and point  
upwards1 in the most fantastic manner   
possible4 ,and thus1 with singing1 and  
pounding1 and reading the ,bible1 and   
writing1 and preaching1 the evening     
passed away2 and while ,old ,hundred was
 being sung1 the spirits gave their good
 night to the circle4  ,we can give but 
a faint idea of this scene4 ,it is one  
we shall never forget1 and we only wish 
that the respectable men we saw there1  
the men of age and experience1 the young
 men and young women1 could understand  
the pity with which a man without the   
circle of their sympathy regarded them4 
,with the light of reason within them1  
with minds not untaught by education1   
and with the full and perfect revelation

 of ,god's will in their very hands1 it 
was indeed most pitiable to see them    
swallowing these fantastic mummeries1   
and mingling them1 in all their wild1   
furious1 and unmeaning features1 with   
the worship of ,him who manifests       
himself in the 'still small voice4'  ,of
 the sincerity of the majority of those 
present we have no doubt2 but that there
 are rank impostors in this town1 who   
are leading astray the credulous1 we    
have as little doubt4 ,the most that we 
saw on ,saturday night was mesmerism1   
and the rest a very transparent attempt 
at deception4 ,at any rate1 if it was   
any thing else1 we should attribute it  
to any thing but good spirits4 ,were we 
a devil1 and should we wish to see how  
foolish we could make people appear1 we 
should choose this way4 ,o men and      
women1 do have done with such outrageous
 nonsense4  ,some have been most grossly
 deceived1 and even made insane1 by     
being made to believe that they were    
magnetized by spirits4 ,this was the    

case with one of the celebrated         
,hutchinson singers--,judson ,j4        
,hutchinson4 ,mr4 ,sunderland1 in the   
fourth number of the ,spiritual         
,philosopher1 observes as follows3 ,we  
shall hear of communications from       
'prophets1' 'apostles1' 'kings1' and    
'statesmen1' and of divers              
'revelations1' said to be made by them4 
,we shall hear of human beings said to  
be magnetized by spirits4 ,but the good 
and the true will know and understand   
how easy it is for some to become       
'magnetized' by their own ideas1 and to 
take for 'revelations' the fancies of   
their own brains4 ,the notion about     
mortals being magnetized by spirits is a
 mistake1 an error2 and it was this     
error which was the principal cause of  
all the real difficulty in the case of  
,judson ,j4 ,hutchinson4 ,mr4 ,h4 was   
made to believe that he was in company  
with his deceased brother1 and that his 
own deceased children came and sat upon 
his knees1 and put their arms about his 

neck4 ,when he found himself sinking    
into an abnormal state1 he was told to  
believe that it was the spirits1 and    
that there was nothing human about it4  
,this1 of course1 ,mr4 ,h4 was ready to 
believe4 ,he had heard of others being  
magnetized by spirits1 and they were    
happy1 very happy4 ,and as this seemed  
to promise him approximation to the     
spirit world1 for which he was earnestly
 longing1 he readily gave himself       
entirely to that idea4 ,the operator1   
,mr4 ,hazard1 of ,rochester1 ,new ,york1
 suggested that ,mr4 ,hutchinson should 
ask the spirits to move his 7,mr4 ,h4's7
 hand to the top of his own head1 that  
then he 7,mr4 ,h47 might know it was    
they4 ,but the operator should have     
known1 says ,mr4 ,sunderland1 that his  
suggesting it to the mind of ,mr4       
,hutchinson1 in the manner he did1 or1  
if ,mr4 ,hutchinson's own mind was      
directed to the movement of his own     
hand1 that was sufficient to cause his  
hand to move1 even if there had been no 

spirits in existence4 ,and so1 when ,mr4
 ,h4 went to ,cleveland1 the difficulty 
was increased by a repetition of the    
cause4 ,he fell into the same state     
again1 of course1 when similar          
associations brought it up before his   
mind2 and there he was again told by a  
clairvoyant lady1 that she 'saw the     
spirits' 7his brother ,benjamin and     
,swedenborg7 operating upon him4 ,the   
effect was1 to render him insane4 ,his  
brother ,jesse says1 that the shock was 
too great for ,judson1 on account of his
 bodily weakness1 and that his feeble   
nature was too fine strung to bear up   
against the severe attacks1 and it was  
with great difficulty he was brought    
back to ,milford1 ,new ,hampshire4      
,while in this state1 ,mr4 ,sunderland  
was sent for1 and staid with him three  
days and three nights1 to render him    
assistance4 ,mr4 ,s4 says1 ,he was      
unfortunate in being told that he was   
magnetized by spirits1 and still more   
so1 perhaps1 in the treatment he met    

with from some uncongenial spirits in   
,syracuse and in ,worcester4 ,from this1
 as well as from some other unfortunate 
cases1 persons are admonished to be     
careful to refrain from visiting such   
impostors4  ,some have been told that   
,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,luke1 and
 ,timothy1 were present1 and answered   
questions put to them2 but ,mr4 ,davis  
and ,mr4 ,sunderland declare it to be   
false4 ,mr4 ,davis says1 ,this point ,i 
have been led to investigate carefully2 
and at no one of the circles referred to
 do ,i discover1 upon the most critical 
interior retrospection1 a single        
communication from the veritable ,st4   
,paul1 nor from any one of his glorious 
compeers4  ,so of ,benjamin ,franklin1  
who1 it is said1 has never condescended 
to converse but a very few times with   
earthly beings1 though his name is often
 quoted in connection with clairvoyancy4
 ,the reason he is said to assign to    
,mr4 ,davis is1 that he cannot prevent  
the almost exact human imitations of his

 vibrations2 and that they produce so   
much confusion and contradiction1 that1 
he thinks it best to wait until some    
further improvement can be made in the  
mode of communication between the two   
worlds4 ,yet how many are told that they
 have been put in communication with    
,franklin6  ,mr4 ,sunderland says1 ,we  
need the same conditions1 or guaranties1
 for believing spirits1 that we do for  
believing human testimony4 ,speaking of 
those clairvoyants who are supposed to  
be exalted into the spirit sphere1 so as
 to see and converse with spirits1 he   
says1 ,whether they do1 really1 see the 
spirits1 whom they think they do1 must  
be determined by other things besides   
their own testimony4 ,we are not obliged
 to take their own mere ipse dixit upon 
this1 any more than upon any other      
subject4 ,and as yet1 as has been       
remarked by ,dr4 ,phelps1 there is no   
proof that what purports to be a        
revelation from spirits is the work of  
spirits at all4 ,mr4 ,sunderland1 for   

all we can see1 is liable to be in an   
error1 as well as others2 and all the   
evidence he gives us that he has had    
interviews and holds conversations with 
spirits is that of his own testimony    
alone4 ,and so of ,mr4 ,davis4  ,we have
 said that no dependence whatever can be
 placed upon the rapping spirits4 ,dr4  
,phelps1 of ,stratford1 ,connecticut1   
once heard a very loud rapping under the
 table while at his breakfast4 ,i asked 
if it was my sister4 ,the answer was1   
',yes4' ',well1' said ,i1 'if you are   
the spirit of my sister1 you can tell me
 how many children you have in this     
world4' ,so the spirit commenced        
counting1 and counted up to twenty-five1
 when ,i pronounced it a lying spirit4  
,i asked it1 ',are you unhappy8' ,it    
answered1 ',yes4' ',can ,i do you any   
good8' ',yes4' ',how8' ,the spirit then 
called for the alphabet1 and spelled    
out1 ',give me a glass of fresh gin4'   
',what will you do with it1' said ,i4   
',put it to my mouth4' ,i asked1 ',where

 is your mouth8' ,no answer4  ,letters1 
and lines written upon scraps of paper1 
have1 it is said1 been sent from the    
other world4 ,the following was dropped 
from the ceiling of ,mrs4 ,phelps's     
parlor when she and others were present4
  ,sir1--,sir ,sambo's compliments1 and 
begs the ladies to accept as a token of 
his esteem4 ,other papers have been     
similarly written upon1 and signed ,sam 
,slick1 ,the ,devil1 ,beelzebub1        
,lorenzo ,dow1 c4  ,on the #aeth of     
,march1 #ahej1 a large turnip was thrown
 against ,dr4 ,phelps's parlor window1  
having several characters carved out    
upon it1 somewhat resembling the        
,chinese characters4 ,a fac-simile of   
them may be found in ,davis's           
explanation of ,modern ,mysteries1 page 
#ee4  ,some may receive such things as  
emanations from the spirit world2 but to
 us they seem too simple and puerile to 
be considered as having any thing to do 
with the higher spheres4  ,dr4 ,phelps1 
who has been witness to every species of

 manoeuvre of the alleged spirit        
rappers1 says that he has become fully  
satisfied that no reliance whatever is  
to be placed on their communications1   
either as a source of valuable          
information1 or as a means of acquiring 
truth4 ,i am satisfied1 says he1 that   
their communications are wholly         
worthless4 ,they are often              
contradictory1 often prove false1       
frequently trifling and nonsensical1 and
 more in character with what might be   
expected of a company of loafers on a   
spree than from spirits returned from a 
world of retribution to 'tell the       
secrets of their prison house4'  ,with  
regard to moving tables1 chairs1 beds1  
c41 ,mr4 ,davis says that1 at a circle  
of friends in ,bridgeport1 ,connecticut1
 there was a large congregation of      
spirits1 who1 from a distance of eighty 
miles1 or thirty above the atmosphere of
 our earth1 directed a mighty column of 
vital electricity and magnetism1 which  
column or current1 penetrating all      

intermediate substances1 and by a       
process of infiltration1 entered the    
fine particles of matter which composed 
the table1 and raised it1 several       
successive times1 three or four feet    
from the floor6 ,this we are to receive 
upon his authority1 or upon the         
testimony of those who may say they saw 
the table moved4 ,but if the operator   
can make things appear that never       
occurred or existed1 and can imagine a  
thing1 and have that imagination        
transferred to others1 then what        
evidence have we that spirits are       
concerned in the transaction8 ,just none
 at all4 ,a while ago1 we heard of an   
,italian1 at the ,massachusetts         
,hospital1 who could raise tables from  
the floor without touching them2 and the
 art of so doing1 he said1 he learned in
 ,italy4 ,and how are we to account for 
the ,millerites and others being so     
raised1 as they believed8 ,are they not 
as much to be credited as those who     
profess a belief in the miracles of the 

harmonial philosophers8 ,for ourselves1 
we are satisfied that such things1 for  
the most part1 are but a delusion1      
whether they are alleged to take place  
among those supposed to be bewitched1   
the ,adventists1 or the harmonials4  ,as
 to the rapping noises1 we are inclined 
to think they may have something to do  
with the knee and toe joints1 and that  
the two performers usually sit together1
 in order the better to alternate with1 
and spell or relieve each other4 ,upon a
 fair trial1 it certainly has been      
proved that the noises cannot be        
produced when the joints are grasped    
firmly by another4 ,but it may be       
doubted by some whether the joints can  
be made to produce the distinct rappings
 that are sometimes heard4 ,we think    
they can4 ,a few years ago1 a boy in    
,london gave exhibitions of what was    
termed chin music4 ,it was done by      
striking the fists upon the lower jaw4  
,by this practice he was able to produce
 quite loud and distinct sounds1 and    

play a variety of tunes1 to the         
amusement of the public4 ,the sounds    
were made by the finger joints1 it was  
supposed2 and perhaps the jaw bone may  
have contributed its share in the       
performance4 ,the sounds given by the   
rapping spirits are by no means so      
remarkable as many suppose4 ,they are   
often quite indistinct1 and nearly      
inaudible4 ,unless a person was         
possessed of a large share of credulity1
 he would never consider them as the    
responses of an intelligent spirit4     
,this is the decided conviction of      
hundreds who have witnessed their       
performances in various parts of the    
country4 ,yet many have been1 and others
 will be1 deceived4 ,and1 doubtless1    
many tender and sensitive minds may be  
made insane by the wicked trifling of   
these unprincipled impostors4 ,certainly
 we have not the least desire to set at 
nought any thing of a truly serious     
character4 ,yet we are constrained to   
believe that the things of which we have

 spoken are too ridiculous and          
nonsensical1 if not actually sinful1 to 
be entitled to the least favor from the 
public4 ,the learned ,thomas ,dick1 in  
his ,essay on the ,improvement of       
,society1 gives an account of far more  
singular and wonderful phenomena        
produced by mechanical agency1 than any 
that has as yet been attributed to the  
agency of spirits1 as affirmed by ,a4   
,j4 ,davis1 or ,la ,roy ,sunderland4    
,and we here subjoin the facts of the   
case1 for the benefit of the public3--  
,soon after the murder of ,king ,charles
 ,i41 a commission was appointed to     
survey the king's house at ,woodstock1  
with the manor1 park1 and other demesnes
 belonging to that manor4 ,one ,collins1
 under a feigned name1 hired himself as 
secretary to the commissioners1 who1    
upon the #acth ,october1 #afdi1 met1 and
 took up their residence in the king's  
own rooms4 ,his majesty's bed chamber   
they made their kitchen1 the council    
hall their pantry1 and the presence     

chamber was the place where they met for
 the despatch of business4 ,things being
 thus prepared1 they met on the #afth   
for business2 and in the midst of their 
first debate1 there entered a large     
black dog 7as they thought17 which made 
a dreadful howling1 overturned two or   
three of their chairs1 and then crept   
under a bed and vanished4 ,this gave    
them the greater surprise1 as the doors 
were kept constantly locked1 so that no 
real dog could get in or out4 ,the next 
day their surprise was increased1 when1 
sitting at dinner in a lower room1 they 
heard plainly the noise of persons      
walking over their heads1 though they   
well knew the doors were all locked1 and
 there could be nobody there4 ,presently
 after1 they heard1 also1 all the wood  
of the ,king's ,oak brought by parcels  
from the dining room1 and thrown with   
great violence into the presence        
chamber1 as also all the chairs1 stools1
 tables1 and other furniture forcibly   
hurled about the room2 their papers1    

containing the minutes of their         
transactions1 were torn1 and the ink    
glass broken4 ,when all this noise had  
ceased1 ,giles ,sharp1 their secretary1 
proposed first to enter into these      
rooms2 and in presence of the           
commissioners1 from whom he received the
 key1 he opened the doors1 and found the
 wood spread about the room1 the chairs 
tossed about and broken1 the papers     
torn1 but not the least track of any    
human creature1 nor the least reason to 
suspect one1 as the doors were all fast1
 and the keys in the custody of the     
commissioners4 ,it was therefore        
unanimously agreed that the power that  
did this mischief must have entered at  
the key-hole4 ,the night following1     
,sharp1 with two of the commissioners'  
servants1 as they were in bed in the    
same room1 which room was contiguous to 
that where the commissioners lay1 had   
their beds' feet lifted up so much      
higher than their heads1 that they      
expected to have their necks broken1 and

 then they were let fall at once with so
 much violence as shook the whole house1
 and more than ever terrified the       
commissioners4 ,on the night of the     
#aith1 as they were all in bed in the   
same room1 for greater safety1 and      
lights burning by them1 the candles in  
an instant went out1 with a sulphurous  
smell2 and that moment many trenchers of
 wood were hurled about the room1 which 
next morning were found to be the same  
their honors had eaten out of the day   
before1 which were all removed from the 
pantry1 though not a lock was found     
opened in the whole house4 ,the next    
night they fared still worse2 the       
candles went out1 as before2 the        
curtains of their honors' beds were     
rattled to and fro with great violence2 
they received many cruel blows and      
bruises by eight great pewter dishes and
 a number of wooden trenchers being     
thrown on their beds1 which1 being      
heaved off1 were heard rolling about the
 room1 though in the morning none of    

these were to be seen4  ,the next night 
the keeper of the king's house and his  
dog lay in the commissioners' room1 and 
then they had no disturbance4 ,but on   
the night of the #bb;d1 though the dog  
lay in the room as before1 yet the      
candles went out1 a number of brickbats 
fell from the chimney into the room1 the
 dog howled piteously1 their bed clothes
 were all stripped off1 and their terror
 increased4 ,on the #bdth1 they thought 
all the wood of the ,king's ,oak was    
violently thrown down by their bedsides2
 they counted sixty-four billets that   
fell1 and some hit and shook the beds in
 which they lay2 but in the morning none
 was found there1 nor had the door been 
opened where the billet wood was kept4  
,the next night the candles were put    
out1 the curtains rattled1 and a        
dreadful crack1 like thunder1 was heard2
 and one of the servants1 running in    
haste1 thinking his master was killed1  
found three dozen of trenchers laid     
smoothly under the quilt by him4 ,but   

all this was nothing to what succeeded  
afterwards4 ,the #bith1 about midnight1 
the candles went out2 something walked  
majestically through the room1 and      
opened and shut the windows2 great      
stones were thrown violently into the   
room1 some of which fell on the beds1   
others on the floor2 and at about a     
quarter after one1 a noise was heard as 
of forty cannon discharged together1 and
 again repeated at about eight minutes' 
intervals4 ,this alarmed and raised all 
the neighborhood1 who1 coming into their
 honors' room1 gathered up the great    
stones1 fourscore in number1 and laid   
them by in the corner of a field1 where 
they were afterwards to be seen4 ,this  
noise1 like the discharge of cannon1 was
 heard for several miles round4 ,during 
these noises1 the commissioners and     
their servants gave one another over for
 lost1 and cried out for help2 and      
,giles ,sharp1 snatching up a sword1 had
 well nigh killed one of their honors1  
mistaking him for the spirit1 as he came

 in his shirt from his own room to      
theirs4 ,while they were together1 the  
noise was continued1 and part of the    
tiling of the house was stripped off1   
and all the windows of an upper room    
were taken away with it4 ,on the #cjth1 
at midnight1 something walked into the  
chamber1 treading like a bear2 it walked
 many times about1 then threw the       
warming pan violently on the floor2 at  
the same time1 a large quantity of      
broken glass1 accompanied with great    
stones and horse bones1 came pouring    
into the room with uncommon force4 ,on  
the #ast of ,november1 the most dreadful
 scene of all ensued4 ,candles in every 
part of the room were lighted up1 and a 
great fire made2 at midnight1 the       
candles all yet burning1 a noise like   
the bursting of a cannon was heard in   
the room1 and the burning billets were  
tossed about by it even into their      
honors' beds1 who called ,giles and his 
companions to their relief1 otherwise   
the house had been burned to the ground2

 about an hour after1 the candles went  
out as usual1 the crack as of many      
cannon was heard1 and many pailfuls of  
green stinking water were thrown upon   
their honors' beds2 great stones were   
also thrown in as before1 the bed       
curtains and bedsteads torn and broken1 
the windows shattered1 and the whole    
neighborhood alarmed with the most      
dreadful noises2 nay1 the very rabbit   
stealers1 that were abroad that night in
 the warren1 were so terrified1 that    
they fled for fear1 and left their      
ferrets behind them4 ,one of their      
honors this night spoke1 and1 in the    
name of ,god1 asked what it was1 and why
 it disturbed them so4 ,no answer was   
given to this2 but the noise ceased for 
a while1 when the spirit came again2 and
 as they all agreed1 brought with it    
seven devils worse than itself4 ,one of 
the servants now lighted a large candle1
 and set it in the doorway between the  
two chambers1 to see what passed2 and as
 he watched it1 he plainly saw a hoof   

striking the candle and candlestick into
 the middle of the room1 and afterwards1
 making three scrapes over the snuff1   
scraped it out4 ,upon this the same     
person was so bold as to draw a sword2  
but he had scarcely got it out1 when he 
felt another invisible hand holding it  
too1 and pulling it from him1 and at    
length1 prevailing1 struck him so       
violently on the head with the pommel1  
that he fell down for dead with the     
blow4 ,at this instant was heard another
 burst1 like the discharge of the       
broadside of a ship of war1 and at the  
interval of a minute or two between     
each1 no less than nineteen such        
discharges4 ,these shook the house so   
violently that they expected every      
moment it would fall upon their heads4  
,the neighbors1 being all alarmed1      
flocked to the house in great numbers1  
and all joined in prayer and psalm      
singing2 during which the noise         
continued in the other rooms1 and the   
discharge of cannons was heard as from  

without1 though no visible agent was    
seen to discharge them4 ,but what was   
the most alarming of all1 and put an end
 to their proceedings effectually1      
happened the next day1 as they were all 
at dinner1 when a paper1 in which they  
had signed a mutual agreement to reserve
 a part of the premises out of the      
general survey1 and afterwards to share 
it equally among themselves1 7which     
paper they had hid for the present under
 the earth1 in a pot in one corner of   
the room1 and in which an orange tree   
grew17 was consumed in a wonderful      
manner by the earth's taking fire1 with 
which the pot was filled1 and burning   
violently with a blue flame and an      
intolerable stench1 so that they were   
all driven out of the house1 to which   
they could never be again prevailed upon
 to return4  ,this story has been       
somewhat abridged from the ,encyclopdia 
,britannica1 where it is quoted from    
,dr4 ,plot's ,history of ,oxfordshire1  
in which these extraordinary occurrences

 are ascribed to satanic influence4 ,at 
the time they happened1 they were viewed
 as the effects of supernatural powers2 
and even ,dr4 ,plot seems disposed to   
ascribe them to this cause4 ,though many
 tricks1 says the doctor1 have often    
been played in affairs of this kind1 yet
 many of the things above related are   
not reconcilable with juggling2 such as 
the loud noises beyond the powers of man
 to make without such instruments as    
were not there2 the tearing and breaking
 the beds2 the throwing about the fire2 
the hoof treading out the candle2 and   
the striving for the sword2 and the blow
 the man received from the pommel of it4
 ,it was at length ascertained1 however1
 that this wonderful contrivance was all
 the invention of the memorable ,joseph 
,collins1 of ,oxford1 otherwise called  
,funny ,joe1 who1 having hired himself  
as secretary under the name of ,giles   
,sharp1 by knowing the private traps    
belonging to the house1 and by the help 
of pulvis fulminans1 and other chemical 

preparations1 and letting his           
fellow-servants into the scheme1 carried
 on the deceit without discovery1 to the
 very last4  ,the occurrences which are 
said to have taken place at the house of
 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,phelps1 in ,stratford1 
,connecticut1 are not to be compared in 
their marvellousness to those we have   
quoted from ,dr4 ,dick1 and which things
 were the results of the ingenuity of   
,joe ,collins4 ,therefore1 when we hear 
of such like occurrences in our day1    
there will be no necessity for us to    
attribute them to any supernatural      
influence1 either good or bad2 for it is
 a well-received maxim1 that what man   
has done man can do4 ,to suppose that   
the merciful ,father of spirits would   
harass and frighten mankind by haunting 
their houses with strange noises and    
rappings1 ghosts and hobgoblins1 and    
spirits of the uneasy dead1 would be    
derogatory to his paternal character4   
,and who1 for a moment1 could believe   
that he would torment little children in

 this way1 when our ,savior took them in
 his arms1 and blessed them1 and said1  
,of such is the kingdom of heaven8 ,no1 
we must attribute such things to any    
other source than as proceeding from the
 throne of ,god4  ,up to the present    
time it may be that many will profess to
 the world that they have actually seen 
the spirits of the departed4 ,yet this  
is no new profession1 for the votaries  
of ,st4 ,vitus1 and the                 
spiritually-minded ,shakers of later    
times1 have declared to us that they    
have seen their departed friends and    
acquaintances4 ,but even ,mr4 ,davis is 
led to consider a large majority of     
these cases to be the results of        
cerebral agitation4 ,i can truthfully   
affirm1 says he1 that the objects1      
localities1 scenery1 and personages1    
seen by those laboring under monomania1 
delirium tremens1 c41 are of the same   
class of mental delusion1 and are       
absolutely nothing more than the        
unconscious elaborations of the         

surcharged brain4     ,,chapter ,,xvi4  
,,evil ,,effects ,,of ,,popular         
,,superstitions4   ,the following are   
some of the evils that result from a    
belief in popular superstitions3--  #a4 
,they have caused a great waste of time4
 ,look at the practice of heathen       
nations4 ,their religious ceremonies are
 altogether superstitious4 ,all the time
 devoted to false gods must be          
considered as wasted4 ,take a survey1   
too1 of ,catholic countries4 ,during the
 dark ages1 their priests were engaged  
in nonsensical disputes4 ,treatise after
 treatise was composed on such subjects 
as the following3 ,how many angels can  
stand on the point of a needle8 ,have   
spirits any navels8 ,is the ,virgin     
,mary the mother of ,god8 and a thousand
 others equally senseless and           
unprofitable4 ,in their monasteries1    
multitudes passed their days in         
repeating unintelligible prayers1 poring
 over the legends of their saints1      
cutting figures in paper1 and tormenting

 their bodies for the good of their     
souls4 ,turn our attention to           
,protestant lands1 and here we find1    
also1 that many a folio has been written
 on foolish and unintelligible subjects2
 that many a day has been occupied in   
trying and burning witches and heretics2
 that many a pharasaic custom has been  
scrupulously observed1 and many an      
absurd opinion advanced and defended4   
,even in our own times1 many hours are  
occupied in discoursing about dreams and
 visions1 signs and tricks1 spectres and
 apparitions2 in consulting charms and  
lots1 and fortune tellers2 in prying    
into future events and occurrences2 in  
borrowing trouble on account of some    
supposed unfavorable omen2 or in various
 other practices equally vain and       
superstitious4 ,now1 all this is wrong4 
,time is given for no such purposes4 ,we
 have but a short period allotted to us 
to remain in this world1 and a great    
work to accomplish4 ,let us then be     
always engaged in something useful and  

virtuous4  #b4 ,popular superstitions   
have caused a great waste of human life4
 ,cast your eye over the page of        
history4 ,you there notice an account of
 the trial by ordeal4 ,the accused      
person was required either to hold      
red-hot iron balls in his naked hands1  
or to walk over red-hot plates of iron  
with bare feet4 ,if he escaped unburned1
 he was considered innocent2 but if he  
was scorched1 sentence of death was     
pronounced4 ,or he was compelled either 
to thrust his arm into a caldron of     
boiling water1 or be thrown into a deep 
pond4 ,if he was either unscalded or    
drowned1 his innocence was proved2 but  
if he was scalded or could swim1 the    
sentence of condemnation was passed4 ,in
 neither case could life be saved1      
except by the interposition of a        
miracle2 and this was not expected on   
such occasions4 ,and through this       
superstition1 thousands perished in the 
most cruel and unrighteous manner4 ,a   
distinguished writer computes that more 

than one hundred thousand persons1 of   
all ages1 have suffered death for       
witchcraft alone4 ,only think6 one      
hundred thousand persons murdered for a 
crime of which no human person was ever 
guilty6  ,there are others who bring    
upon themselves sickness1 and even      
death1 by their belief in signs1 dreams1
 and forewarnings4 ,but as the gospel   
sheds abroad its divine light1 these    
things are found to recede1 and to give 
place to more rational views of divine  
wisdom and goodness1 in the control and 
arrangement of events having a relation 
to our being and happiness4 ,the author 
of the ,family ,encyclopdia says1 that  
the superstitious notions of ghosts1    
spirits1 c41 are rapidly declining2 and 
notwithstanding all the solemn tales    
which have been propagated1 there is no 
reason to believe that any real spirits 
or celestial agents have held           
intercourse with man since the          
establishment of ,christianity2 and that
 the history of modern miracles1        

appearances of the dead1 c41 will be    
always found1 when thoroughly examined1 
merely the phantoms of a disordered     
imagination4  #c4 ,popular superstitions
 have caused great and unnecessary      
misery4 ,we need not refer to history   
for an illustration of this assertion4  
,we have sufficient examples around us4 
,look into society1 and we shall find   
one class who pay particular attention  
to all signs and dreams4 ,if any thing  
unfavorable is indicated1 their feelings
 are greatly depressed2 and if the      
contrary1 they are as much elated4 ,if a
 little insect1 called the death watch1 
knocks for its mate on the wall1        
sleepless nights are sure to follow4 ,if
 they notice the new moon over the wrong
 shoulder1 their comfort is destroyed   
for a whole month4 ,nanny ,scott1 the   
old washerwoman1 is sure that another   
death will happen in the family this    
year1 because1 when her sister-in-law   
was taken out to be buried1 somebody    
shut the door before the corpse was     

under ground1 and so shut death into the
 house4 ,and her neighbor1 the good     
,mrs4 ,taylor1 suffers the baby to      
scratch and disfigure its face1 because 
it is said to be unlucky to cut the     
nails of a child under a year old4      
,another neighbor has seen a single     
raven fly over the house1 or heard a    
cricket chirping upon the hearth1 and is
 greatly alarmed1 because such things   
are said to be a sign of death to some  
member of the family within the year4   
,and thus many are found who are silly  
enough to imbitter their own lives and  
the lives of others by such foolish     
superstitions4  ,there may be noticed   
another class1 whose belief in the      
supernatural origin of signs1 omens1 and
 warnings leads them to adopt measures  
for their speedy fulfilment4 ,many a    
wedded couple seem to think they must   
quarrel because it happened to storm on 
the day they were married2 and when some
 dispute arises between them1 they fall 
to fighting1 to prove1 if possible1 the 

truth of the prediction4 ,and for all   
this interruption of domestic harmony1  
they blame1 not their own tempers and   
passions1 but the decrees of fate4 ,many
 a person has concluded he must live in 
poverty all his days1 because a few     
moles have appeared on the wrong side of
 his body4 ,and hence he neglects all   
industry and economy1 and dissipates his
 time1 his privileges1 and his talents4 
,we may notice a third class1 who give  
themselves to tricks1 fortune telling1  
and opening books1 to discover the      
events of futurity4 ,their spirits vary 
with the supposed indications of good or
 evil occurrences4 ,a lady1 who moved in
 the first circles1 was once visiting in
 a clergyman's family of my             
acquaintance1 says the late ,rev4       
,bernard ,whitman1 and it was her       
regular morning custom to toss up a     
little box of pins1 and make her        
happiness for the day depend upon their 
accidental variation in falling4 ,if    
they came down more heads than points1  

she was cheerful and happy2 but if more 
points than heads1 she was gloomy and   
wretched4 ,it seemed she valued her     
comfort1 worth at least a brass pin4    
,many a worthy ,christian has not only  
been deprived of his happiness1 but     
betrayed into wild1 extravagant1 and    
even sinful acts1 by attempting to      
follow the suggestion of the passage    
which first meets his eye on opening the
 ,bible4 ,many a poor wight has formed a
 disadvantageous matrimonial alliance1  
because some old hag has described black
 eyes and rosy cheeks as the            
characteristics of his future bride4    
,we may notice1 moreover1 a fourth      
class1 who are forever anticipating some
 dreadful calamity4 ,let any fool       
solemnly proclaim that war1 famine1 or  
pestilence is approaching1 and they will
 give more heed to it than to that holy 
word which assures us that our heavenly 
,father will never leave nor forsake us4
 ,all uncommon appearances in the       
heavens they look upon as indications of

 the threatened judgments of an angry   
,god4 ,even the beautiful ,aurora       
,borealis1 which spans the blue concave 
above us1 was so interpreted4 ,to permit
 such fears to disturb and destroy our  
happiness is a sin against ,heaven4 ,our
 heavenly ,father created us for        
enjoyment4 ,he has furnished us with    
capacities and means of felicity4 ,he   
has even commanded us to rejoice in the 
,lord always4 ,he has given us a        
religion to effect this desirable       
object4 ,it is as much a part of this   
religion to be always cheerful1         
contented1 and happy1 as to be always   
temperate1 just1 and virtuous4 ,and if  
people would take one tenth part of the 
pains to make themselves happy that they
 do to render themselves miserable1     
there would be ten times the present    
amount of happiness4 ,by the grace of   
,god1 says the ,rev4 ,john ,wesley1 ,i  
never fret4 ,i repine at nothing2 ,i am 
discontented at nothing4 ,and to have   
persons at my ear fretting and murmuring

 at every thing is like tearing the     
flesh from off my bones4 ,i see ,god    
sitting upon his throne1 and ruling all 
things well4 ,a companion of ,mr4       
,wesley says that he never saw him      
low-spirited in his life1 nor could he  
endure to be with an unhappy1           
melancholic person4 ,every believer1 he 
often remarked1 should enjoy life4 ,i   
dare no more fret1 said he1 than curse  
or swear4 ,would that all ,christians   
were as cheerful and consistent as ,mr4 
,wesley4 ,there would be less of dark   
and dismal forebodings2 less of         
distrust1 and more of solid peace and   
comfort1 in the soul4 ,it seems that    
,melancthon was somewhat of a           
melancholic turn of mind1 and1 when     
gloomy and dejected1 would call upon    
,luther1 and relate to him his troubles 
and afflictions4 ,luther1 being of a    
more lively and hopeful turn1 after     
listening to him a short time1 would    
jump upon his feet1 and say1 ,come1     
come1 let us sing the forty-sixth psalm2

 and when they had sung that1 all was   
peaceful and happy again4  ,as to what  
is commonly termed good or ill luck1 we 
may be assured that they have no other  
existence but in the imagination4 ,luck 
means chance2 but every thing1 great and
 small1 is under the wise and gracious  
direction of ,god4 ,nothing can happen  
without his permission1 and he permits  
nothing but what1 in his wonderful      
plans1 he designs to work for our good4 
,we are kept in ignorance of the        
particular events that are to befall us1
 in order to keep alive within us an    
abiding sense of our dependence on ,god1
 and a constant obedience to the        
directions of his word1 by which alone  
we can be prepared to meet the          
dispensations of his providence4 ,the   
,bible tells us quite enough of futurity
 to teach us to prepare for it1 as far  
as it rests with us to prepare4 ,and it 
is both vain and wicked to endeavor to  
obtain any further information from any 
other source1 or for any one to pretend 

that they possess it4 ,had it been      
necessary for our good that we should   
know every thing beforehand1 the        
information would have been given us in 
the ,bible1 or it would have been left  
so that we could have gathered it from  
general instruction and observation1 as 
is the case with every kind of knowledge
 that is essential to our present as    
well as everlasting good4 ,it certainly 
would not have been left to creaking    
doors1 croaking ravens1 or ill-made     
tallow candles4 ,neither would ,god     
reveal to weak and wicked men or women  
the designs of his providence1 which no 
human wisdom is able to foresee4 ,to    
consult these false oracles is not only 
foolish1 but sinful4 ,it is foolish1    
because they themselves are as ignorant 
as those whom they pretend to teach2 and
 it is sinful1 because it is prying into
 that futurity which ,god1 in mercy1 as 
well as in wisdom1 hides from man4 ,god 
indeed orders all things2 but when you  
have a mind to do a foolish thing1 do   

not fancy that you are fated to do it2  
this is tempting ,providence1 not       
trusting ,god4 ,it is charging him with 
folly4 ,prudence is his gift1 and you   
obey him better when you make use of    
prudence1 under the direction of prayer1
 than when you heedlessly rash into     
ruin1 and think you are only submitting 
to your fate4 ,fancy never that you are 
compelled to undo yourself1 or to rush  
upon your own destruction1 in compliance
 with any supposed fatality4 ,believe   
never that ,god conceals his will from a
 sober ,christian1 who obeys his laws1  
and reveals it to a vagabond1 who goes  
from place to place1 breaking the laws  
both of ,god and man4 ,king ,saul never 
consulted the witch until he left off   
serving ,god4 ,the ,bible will direct us
 best4 ,conjurers are impostors2 and    
there are no days unlucky but those we  
make so by our vanity1 folly1 and sin4  
#d4 ,popular superstitions have greatly 
injured the cause of medicine4 ,that    
superstition which leads people to      

believe in the efficacy of charms is    
very injurious4 ,we will enumerate a few
 cases by way of example4 ,the scrofula1
 for instance1 is frequently called the 
king's evil4 ,it received this name     
because it was generally believed that  
the touch of a king would cure the      
disorder4 ,for centuries this belief was
 so prevalent1 that any one who should  
call it in question would have been     
considered no less than an infidel1 and 
an enemy to his king and country4 ,and  
so great was the demand for the king's  
touch1 from invalids1 that one day in   
seven was set apart for the king to     
bestow healing mercies on his subjects4 
,vast numbers flocked to him1 from      
,wales1 ,ireland1 ,scotland1 and many   
parts of the continent4 ,an exact       
register was kept of the number of      
persons who came to ,charles the ,second
 for relief1 from #affj to #affd1 and   
they amounted to twenty-three thousand  
six hundred and one4 ,from ,may1 #affg1 
to #afhd1 the number of persons touched 

amounted to sixty-eight thousand five   
hundred and six4 ,total1 ninety-two     
thousand one hundred and seven4 ,the    
practice was begun in the year #ajea1   
and continued until the reign of the    
present royal family1 who were possessed
 of too much sense to encourage such an 
idle superstition4 ,but notwithstanding 
this belief and practice were abandoned 
by the royal family1 yet1 with some     
individuals1 a belief still prevails    
that certain persons are endowed with   
healing power4  ,in #ahjg1 a farmer in  
,devonshire1 ,england1 who was the ninth
 son of a ninth son1 officiated in the  
cure of the king's evil1 and multitudes 
believed that they received healing from
 his touch4 ,in this country1 a seventh 
son of a seventh son has officiated in  
similar cases1 and performed incredible 
cures1 as we are told by those who think
 they have received signal blessings    
through his instrumentality4  ,not many 
years since1 the cold hands of a        
convict1 who had terminated his life on 

the gallows1 in ,liverpool1 were drawn  
over several wens a number of times to  
effect a cure4 ,a person in one of our  
western states ran a pitchfork into his 
hand1 and he applied a plaster to the   
cold iron as well as to the fresh wound4
 ,when people run a nail into their     
foot1 they frequently save and polish   
the rusty iron to facilitate the        
recovery4 ,some time since1 in the      
,state of ,maine1 the body of a female  
was taken from the grave1 her heart     
taken out1 dried1 and pulverized1 and   
given to another member of the family1  
as a specific against the consumption4  
,and the same thing has more recently   
been done in the town of ,waltham1      
,massachusetts4 ,the heart was reduced  
to a powder1 and made into pills1 but   
they did not cure the patient2 while the
 person who took up the remains from the
 grave1 and removed the heart1 came very
 near losing his life1 from the         
putrefactive state of the corpse at the 
time4  ,we could relate many other      

cases1 equally foolish and disgusting4  
,all such things should be classed under
 the general name of charms1 and be     
looked upon as relics of the grossest   
superstitions4 ,why not as well have the
 touch of a slave as a king8 ,why not as
 well apply your plaster to a tree as to
 a pitchfork8 ,why not as well drink the
 heart of a lamb as a woman8 ,you may   
say that ,god has determined certain    
cures shall follow certain applications4
 ,no such determination is published in 
his word1 and no such conclusions can be
 inferred from facts4 ,you may pretend  
that a special miracle is wrought in    
such cases4 ,but this is incredible2 for
 the object is not compatible with the  
miraculous interposition of ,deity4 ,and
 the few cures which are reputed to have
 taken place can be satisfactorily      
accounted for1 on the influence of the  
imagination1 and other natural causes4  
,so that such a belief is not only      
superstitious1 but calculated to lead   
people to neglect the proper means of   

recovery1 and thus injure themselves and
 the medical profession4  ,in the years 
#ahjh1 '#i1 and '#aj1 a ,mr4 ,austin of 
,colchester1 ,vermont1 gave out that he 
was a gifted person in the art of       
healing2 and if the patient would       
describe to him1 by word of mouth1 or by
 letter1 the true symptoms of his       
malady1 he would receive healing at his 
word1 if indeed his disease was curable4
 ,in a very little time the obscure     
retreat of ,austin was thronged with    
invalids1 coming from almost every      
section of the country2 and ,colchester 
was scarcely less in favor than         
,ballston or ,saratoga4 ,the mail       
carriers groaned under the burden of    
maladies described4 ,bar rooms at public
 inns1 on roads leading to ,colchester1 
were decorated with letters directed to 
the ,prophet of ,colchester2 and        
vagrants were found travelling over the 
country1 collecting of invalids their   
evil symptoms1 to be truly and          
faithfully delivered to the prophet in a

 given time1 at the moderate price of   
fifty cents per letter4 ,we were soon   
referred to cases wherein the most      
inveterate deafness was removed2 the    
blind saw2 dropsies and consumptions1 in
 the last stages of them1 were cured2   
and the patient1 it is said1 in many    
instances1 would tell the day and the   
hour when their letters were received by
 the prophet1 although they might be    
some hundred miles distant from the     
deliverer1 because1 at such an hour1    
they began to mend4 ,the prophet1       
however1 did not long enjoy his         
far-famed celebrity4 ,his house1 after a
 while1 was deserted of invalids4 ,the  
people discovered their folly1 and      
permitted him to sink into his former   
merited obscurity4 ,it was just the same
 with the celebrated rain-water doctor1 
as he was called1 who established       
himself at one time in ,providence1 and 
at another time in the vicinity of      
,boston4 ,many of those now living can  
recollect the accounts of marvellous    

cures1 and the flocking of invalids of  
all descriptions to his temple of       
health4 ,but the community at length    
discovered the imposition of his        
practice1 and left him to the           
undisturbed enjoyment of his rain water 
and his gruel4  ,the most recent case of
 medical imposition practised upon the  
public1 that has come to our knowledge1 
is that of a practitioner in ,new ,york 
city1 who1 by receiving a letter from   
sick or diseased persons1 giving the    
year1 day1 and hour of their birth1     
immediately forwards them a package of  
medicine suited to their case4 ,it seems
 to be a matter of astonishment to many 
how he arrives at a knowledge of their  
state of health1 so as to be able to    
adapt his remedies to their several     
conditions4 ,but it is probably done on 
the principles of astrology--by finding 
the planet under which the patient is   
born1 the diseases appertaining to that 
planet1 and the plants belonging to the 
same1 which are supposed to have a      

special effect upon the relative        
planetary diseases4 ,culpepper1 in his  
,english ,herbal1 if we mistake not1    
arranges or classifies all plants and   
diseases in this way1 and contends that 
astrology is the only true key to       
medical science4 ,fortune telling is    
practised upon a similar plan1 through  
the agency of astrology4 ,but the whole 
is a deception1 entirely unworthy the   
age in which we live4 ,the fortune      
teller may hit upon an incident which is
 correct1 once in a while1 and it would 
be strange if he did not4 ,and the      
astrological physician may prescribe    
some little tonic1 or stimulant1 that   
will raise the drooping spirits for a   
time1 and actually lead the hopeful     
patient to believe that he or she is    
fast recovering from their              
long-afflictive maladies4 ,but the      
sequel too often teaches them the lesson
 of their sad mistake4  ,the history of 
,valentine ,greataks1 the son of an     
,irish gentleman1 who lived in the time 

of ,cromwell1 is very similar to what we
 have related of the prophet of         
,colchester4 ,and about the same time1  
,francisco ,bagnone1 a ,capuchin friar1 
was famous in ,italy1 having a gift of  
healing1 principally by his hands only4 
,multitudes of sick people attended him 
wherever he went1 to obtain healing     
mercy4 ,and here1 perhaps1 we may find  
the true principle on which all the     
impositions of ,popery have been        
maintained for centuries gone by4 ,it   
cannot be a matter of surprise that1 if 
men1 of more information than they1 can 
be made to believe that they are        
delivered from disease by experiments of
 magnetism1 tractors1 or the mere touch 
of the hand1 these should believe that  
they are healed by visiting the tombs of
 saints2 by standing before their       
statues2 being touched by nails from    
their coffins1 rings from their fingers1
 or by the bones of the fingers         
themselves4  ,we are by no means        
authorized to say that none of these    

persons were relieved of pains and      
diseases by seeking relief in this way4 
,so great is the influence of the       
imagination on the nervous1 vascular1   
and muscular systems1 as has already    
been shown1 that it would be no more    
than probable that obstructions1 causing
 pain and sickness1 should in some      
instances be removed1 and lay a         
foundation for recovery4 ,and1 moreover1
 that in a still greater number of      
instances the power of the imagination  
on the origin of the nerves within the  
brain should counteract the motion to   
the brain by disease acting upon the    
extremities of the nerves2 and thus the 
patient for a season might experience   
relief from pain1 and even feel         
pleasure1 as was the case with an artist
 upon the ,pont ,royal1 mentioned by    
,dr4 ,sigault1 and in the gambols of the
 rheumatic patient1 as mentioned by ,dr4
 ,haygarth4 ,but in all these cases1    
experiment and illustration1 like those 
of the commissioners at ,paris1 and like

 that of ,dr4 ,haygarth in ,england1    
would disclose the real ground of these 
effects4 ,the patients would no longer  
attribute them to a supernatural        
influence4 ,they would learn why1 in    
most cases1 the relief supposed to be   
obtained was only momentary1 and why all
 those gifted persons1 both in ,europe  
and ,america1 have had no more than an  
ephemeral celebrity1 and1 in most       
instances1 lived to see themselves      
neglected1 and their pretensions become 
the subjects of just satire and reproof4
  #e4 ,popular superstitions have       
greatly injured the cause of religion4  
,that superstition which allows any     
substitute for personal holiness is very
 pernicious4 ,the ,pharisees considered 
themselves holy1 because they were the  
descendants of faithful ,abraham4 ,they 
fasted twice a week2 paid tithes of all 
they possessed2 made long prayers in    
public places2 and were strict observers
 of all sacred days and religious       
ceremonies4 ,at the same time1 they     

neglected the weightier matters of the  
law--justice1 mercy1 faithfulness2      
devoured widows' houses2 were proud1    
bigoted1 and self-righteous4  ,some     
people think they lived only in the     
times of the apostles4 ,but we should   
recollect1 says the ,rev4 ,george       
,whitefield1 that vipers and toads have 
the most eggs1 and most numerous        
progeny4 ,if you were to look at the    
eggs of a toad through a microscope1 you
 would be surprised at the innumerable  
multitude2 and the ,pharisees are an    
increasing generation of vipers1 which  
hatch and spread all over the world4 ,if
 you would know a ,pharisee1 he is one  
who pretends to endeavor1 and talks     
about keeping the law of ,god1 and does 
not know its spirituality4 ,there are   
some of them very great men1 in their   
own estimation1 and frequently make the 
greatest figure in the church4 ,one of  
them1 a gentleman's son1 because he had 
not broken the letter of the law1       
thought he was right and without sin4   

,o1 says he1 if ,i have nothing to do   
but to keep the commandments1 ,i am     
safe4 ,i have honored my father and     
mother2 ,i never stole2 what need he to 
steal who has so good an estate8 ,i     
never committed adultery4 ,no1 no6 he   
loved his character too well for that3  
but our ,lord opens to him the          
law--,this one thing thou lackest2 go1  
sell all thou hast1 and give to the     
poor3 he loved his money more than his  
,god2 ,christ brought him back to the   
first commandment1 though he catechized 
him first in the fifth4 ,so ,paul was a 
,pharisee4 ,he says1 ',i was alive      
without the law1 once2 ,i was1 touching 
the law1 blameless4 ,how can that be8   
,can a man be without the law1 and yet1 
touching the law1 be blameless8 ,says   
he1 ,i was without the law2 that is1 ,i 
was not brought to see its spirituality4
 ,i thought myself a very good man4 ,no 
man could say of ,paul1 ,black is his   
eye4 ,but1 says he1 when ,god brought   
the commandment with power upon my soul1

 then ,i saw my specks1 and beheld my   
lack of true righteousness4  ,some      
,roman ,catholics perform tedious       
pilgrimages2 lacerate their own bodies2 
abstain from meats on certain days2 and 
some have paid the pope or priests for  
the pardon of their sins1 or purchased  
indulgences for the commission of       
wickedness4 ,some ,protestants1 too1    
attend punctually upon all religious    
meetings1 subscribe liberally to the    
charities of the day1 observe all gospel
 ordinances1 and profess great          
attachment to the cause of ,christ2 and 
yet are fretful1 unkind1 and disobliging
 in their families2 censorious in their 
conversation2 uncharitable in their     
judgment2 grasping in their dealings1   
and unhappy in their dispositions4 ,some
 have thought that1 because ,christ died
 for the sins of the whole world they   
could commit sin with impunity2 or1 if  
they were elected1 they could do what   
they pleased1 and be sure of heaven at  
last4 ,but all these things have no     

foundation in reason1 experience1 or    
revelation1 and may therefore be        
considered superstitious4 ,a belief in  
them is exceedingly injurious to the    
cause of piety and holiness1 because it 
leads to the neglect of the one thing   
needful--a uniformly sober1 righteous1  
and godly life4 ,god will certainly     
render unto every man according to his  
deeds4 ,be he ,pharisee or ,sadducee1   
,catholic or ,protestant1 elect or      
non-elect1 he can escape the punishment 
of no sin but by repentance and         
reformation4 ,and no sin is ever        
removed1 no virtue is ever given1 by    
miracle4 ,our iniquities must be        
forsaken1 and our goodness acquired1 by 
our own exertions1 aided by the promised
 influence of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and1  
until we have accomplished these ends1  
we cannot rationally expect pure and    
permanent happiness4  ,there have been  
opinions respecting the devil1 tinctured
 somewhat with superstition1 that have  
contributed to bring reproach upon the  

,scriptures1 which were supposed to     
teach the existence of just such a being
 as many believed him to be4 ,martin    
,luther1 in speaking of his confinement 
in the castle of ,wartburg1 says1 ,the  
people brought me1 among other things1  
some hazel nuts1 which ,i put into a    
box1 and sometimes ,i used to crack and 
eat of them4 ,in the night time1 my     
gentleman1 the devil1 came and got the  
nuts out of the box1 and cracked them   
against one of the bed posts1 making a  
very great noise and rumbling about my  
bed2 but ,i regarded him nothing at all3
 when afterwards ,i began to slumber1   
then he kept such a racket and rumbling 
upon the chamber stairs1 as if many     
empty barrels and hogsheads had been    
tumbling down4  ,dr4 ,cotton ,mather1 in
 the time of ,new ,england witchcraft1  
took home one of the possessed damsels1 
to learn the ways and works of ,satan4  
,when the doctor called the family to   
prayers1 she would whistle1 and sing1   
and yell1 to drown his voice1 would     

strike at him with her fist1 and try to 
kick him4 ,but her hand or foot would   
always recoil when within an inch or two
 of his body2 thus giving the idea that 
there was a sort of invisible coat of   
mail1 of heavenly temper1 and proof     
against the assaults of the devil1      
around his sacred person4 ,she seemed to
 be greatly displeased at the thought of
 his making public the doings of her    
master1 the evil one2 and when he       
attempted to write a sermon against him1
 she would disturb and interrupt him all
 manner of ways4 ,for instance1 she once
 knocked at his study door1 and said    
that there was somebody down stairs that
 would be glad to see him2 he dropped   
his pen1 and went down3 upon entering   
the room he found no one there but his  
own family4 ,he afterwards undertook to 
chide her for having told a falsehood4  
,she denied that she told a falsehood4  
,did not you say that there was somebody
 down stairs that would be glad to see  
me8 ,well1 she replied1 with great      

pertness1 is not ,mrs4 ,mather always   
glad to see you8 ,she even went much    
further than this in persecuting the    
good man while he was writing his       
sermon3 she threw large books at his    
head4 ,but he struggled manfully at     
these buffetings of ,satan1 as he       
considered them to be1 finished the     
sermon1 related all these and other     
kindred circumstances in it1 preached   
and published it4 ,richard ,baxter wrote
 the preface to an edition printed in   
,london1 in which he declares that he   
who will not be convinced1 by the       
evidence ,dr4 ,mather presents1 that the
 child was bewitched1 must be a very    
obdurate ,sadducee4  ,a few years since1
 a house in ,maine was said to be       
haunted4 ,the building and furniture    
were shaken1 dreadful noises were heard1
 dismal sights were seen1 and heavy     
blows were received4 ,the occupant of   
the house had lately left a ,calvinistic
 theological seminary4 ,he afterwards   
became a settled ,universalist preacher4

 ,a neighboring family informed me1 says
 the late ,bernard ,whitman1 that he now
 considered it the ,spirit of ,god1     
haunting him to forsake ,calvinism1 and 
proclaim universal salvation4 ,his      
explanation1 though satisfactory to     
himself1 may not be equally so to our   
readers4  ,the devil should never be    
made a packhorse for our sins1 nor      
should our thoughts be turned from      
within1 causing us to neglect a watch   
upon our own lusts and passions1 in     
looking for the assaults of some outward
 tempter4 ,the effect sometimes produced
 upon the minds of children has a very  
unfavorable influence4 ,a pious mother1 
not finding it convenient to attend her 
little son to rest1 told him to omit his
 prayers for one night4 ,mother1 said   
the child1 will the devil forgive me if 
,i neglect my prayers8  ,what shall we  
say1 says the late ,professor ,stuart1  
of the excessive use that has been made 
of the passages that speak of his       
influence and dominion8 ,because1 in    

reference to the wide-spread influence  
of ,satan1 he is called the 'prince of  
this world1' and even the 'god of this  
world1' are we literally to interpret   
passages of this nature1 and thus in a  
clandestine manner introduce effectually
 the old dualism of ,zoroaster and the  
,persians8 ,this1 indeed1 has often1    
very often1 been substantially done2    
done1 ,i acknowledge1 for the most part 
without any direct intention of such a  
nature4 ,still there is an impression1  
wide spread among the lower classes of  
people1 even in our own country1 that   
,satan is a kind of omnipotent being2   
and he is often represented as the      
successful1 or rather the invincible1   
rival of the great ,redeemer4  ,yet the 
,new ,testament is full enough of       
instruction relative to this subject to 
correct any erroneous views in relation 
to it1 if it be duly examined4 ,i need  
only appeal to the large class of       
passages which represent ,satan as a    
conquered enemy2 as 'falling like       

lightning from heaven2' as being reduced
 to a state of impotence in respect to  
that deadly power which he exercises1   
7,heb4 ii4 #ad27 and all the evil       
principalities1 and powers1 and         
magistrates 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #bd1 ,eph4 vi4
 #ab1 ,col4 ii4 #ae7 as being subdued1  
or to be subdued and utterly            
discomfited1 by ,christ2 for 'the prince
 of this world is cast out1' 7,john xii4
 #ca27 'the ,son of ,god was manifested 
that he might destroy the works of the  
devil1' 7#a ,john iii4 #h27 and         
,christians are every where spoken of as
 being liberated from his dominion and  
power1 7#a ,john v4 #ah-dd47 ,when the  
apostle1 therefore1 calls ,satan 'the   
god of this world1' and the ,savior     
calls him 'the prince of this world1' it
 is the world of the wicked which is    
meant2 for such is the usual idiom of   
the ,scriptures4 ,and as to the power of
 ,satan over the wicked1 it is every    
where presented in the ,new ,testament  
as something that will wholly cease     

after a time1 and the reign of the      
,prince of ,peace become universal4     
,how deeply these considerations        
intrench upon the long-practised methods
 of exhibiting ,satan as omnipotent and 
omnipresent every thinking mind will    
easily perceive4 ,especially has the    
,romish church erred here beyond all    
bounds of reason or moderation4         
,according to the doctrines which they  
sedulously inculcate1 ,satan has not    
only irresistible power over the world  
of the wicked1 but1 next to such a      
power1 even over ,christians4 ,nothing  
but exorcisms1 and holy chrisms1 and    
lustrations with holy water1 and        
incantations1 and the like1 can keep off
 evil spirits1 or disarm them of their  
fatal power4 ,and as the consummation   
and chief end of all the doctrine1      
nothing short of the interposition of   
the priesthood can secure any one       
against destruction1 either in this     
world or the next--an interposition1    
however1 which is not freely given1 as  

the ,savior commanded the disciples to  
impart the blessings of the gospel1 but 
to be purchased at whatever price the   
church may fix upon it4--,bibliotheca   
,sacra1 ,february1 #ahdc4  ,language    
sometimes used in times of excitement is
 prejudicial to the cause of religion4  
,it is sometimes said that the ,almighty
 is visiting such a town2 that he is    
coming this way2 that he has taken up   
his abode in a certain village2 that he 
will remain but a few days2 that he has 
been driven away by unbelievers1 and    
that he cannot be expected again for    
some months or years4 ,now1 it should be
 remembered that ,god is every where    
present1 and that his spirit is always  
striving within the soul2 and its voice 
is drowned only by the strife and tumult
 of our own discordant passions4 ,the   
,spirit is ever ready to assist us1     
whenever we resolve to use our own      
efforts in hearty coperation4 ,and if   
revivals of religion seem to be of a    
periodical nature1 it is because our own

 zeal or engagedness is too fitful4 ,the
 church can enjoy a constant season of  
refreshing from the presence of the     
,lord1 only let its members be ever     
active1 ever diligent1 ever devoted and 
persevering4 ,god works not by miracle1 
but through the agency of common means  
or efforts4 ,we must not1 therefore1    
defer attention to the duties of        
religion1 in expectation of some special
 interposition of ,heaven4 ,we should   
remember that a sober1 righteous1 and   
godly life is the best evidence of true 
conversion2 and that we are called upon 
to work out our own salvation with fear 
and trembling1 ,god himself having      
vouchsafed to work within us both to    
will and to do of his good pleasure4    
,,chapter ,,xvii4  ,,banishment ,,of    
,,popular ,,superstitions4   ,seeing the
 evils of popular superstitions1 what   
course shall we adopt for their         
banishment8 ,or1 in other words1 how    
shall we best lend a helping hand to    
hasten the downfall of ignorance1 error1

 and sin8  #a4 ,we must deliver         
ourselves from their domination2 for we 
are all more or less under their        
influence4 ,when any of the common signs
 of good or evil fortune appear before  
us1 our thoughts involuntarily recur to 
the thing supposed to be signified4     
,sometimes a momentary shudder is       
communicated to the whole system2       
unpleasant sensations are often excited2
 and frequently a depression of spirits 
is produced4 ,and how can we free       
ourselves from this thraldom8 ,by the   
exercise of our reason4 ,a proper use of
 our reasoning faculties will enable us 
to accomplish this undertaking4 ,we must
 endeavor to convince ourselves that all
 these things are the offspring of      
ignorance2 that they have no foundation 
in reason1 philosophy1 or religion2 and 
that they are exceedingly pernicious in 
their consequences4 ,when fully         
persuaded of these truths1 we must      
strive to make our feelings coincide    
with the dictates of our understandings4

 ,and this we can effect by persevering 
self-discipline4 ,such exertions1 with  
the blessing of ,heaven1 will eventually
 deliver us from the inconvenience1     
vexation1 and slavery of popular        
superstitions4 ,and as such a           
consummation is most ardently to be     
desired1 we must enter upon the duty    
with a zeal and earnestness commensurate
 with its importance4  #b4 ,we must also
 assist our fellow-men in the           
performance of this great and good work4
 ,when we meet with those who believe in
 ghosts1 in signs1 enchantments1 and    
divination1 we must try to persuade them
 that no dependence whatever can be     
placed on any of these vanities--that   
they are all fictions1 absurdities1 and 
abominations4 ,and perhaps1 in some     
cases1 if we cannot produce conviction  
by sober sense and sound argument1 we   
may be justified in resorting to        
ridicule4  ,it is a lamentable          
consideration that so much time should  
be criminally wasted in many families in

 explaining tricks1 relating and        
expounding dreams1 telling fortunes1 and
 in detailing stories of haunted houses1
 hobgoblins1 and spirits of the supposed
 uneasy dead4 ,in this way1 the evil is 
cherished1 and transmitted from         
generation to generation4 ,but if we can
 succeed in giving an opposite direction
 to conversation2 if we can induce      
people to reason upon these things1 and 
inquire into their origin1 causes1 and  
effects1 and investigate the evidence on
 which they are imagined to rest1 and   
adopt rational conclusions1 we shall be 
usefully employed4 ,a course like this  
would eventually lead to the banishment 
of popular superstitions1 with their    
baneful effects upon our peace and      
happiness2 especially if we labor to    
impress upon the minds of others the    
existence of an all-wise ,providence1   
that controls and governs all things for
 the highest good of all1 calling upon  
us to place our trust in ,him1 without  
whose notice not even a sparrow falleth 

to the ground4  #c4 ,we must likewise   
attend to the early education of our    
children4 ,it is during infancy and     
childhood that our heads are filled with
 nursery tales and marvellous stories4  
,they are told us by those to whose care
 we are early intrusted1 either to      
frighten us into obedience1 to gratify  
our thirst for the new and wonderful1 or
 to while away a tedious evening4 ,they 
sink into our confiding hearts1 and     
leave impressions the most pernicious   
and the most lasting4 ,could a child be 
educated without any knowledge of such  
things1 he would never be troubled with 
their baneful influence4 ,our duty is   
therefore plain4 ,in taking the         
principal care of our children at home1 
we should not permit them to learn any  
such things from our own lips2 and we   
should evince1 too1 by our daily        
conduct1 that they exert no influence on
 our own feelings1 character1 or        
happiness4 ,in intrusting our offspring 
in early life to the care of other      

persons1 we must charge them1 as        
faithful guardians of the young1 to     
conceal every thing of the kind from    
their knowledge4 ,and after our children
 become of sufficient age to associate  
with others1 we must caution them to    
avoid believing or relating any         
superstitious tales as they would shun  
known falsehoods4 ,by persevering in    
this course1 we shall save them from the
 degrading influence of popular         
superstitions4  #d4 ,we must1 moreover1 
endeavor to increase the means of public
 education4 ,we generally find that the 
most enlightened are the most free from 
superstition2 and it therefore follows  
that a high degree of mental cultivation
 will effect a general deliverance4 ,and
 how shall this great object be         
accomplished8 ,we must reason with them 
upon the immense value and importance of
 knowledge4 ,we must show them1 by an   
appeal to facts1 that all our civil1    
social1 domestic1 and religious         
blessings depend on the intelligence and

 virtue of the people4 ,but perhaps many
 will complain of the scarcity of money 
and the want of means4 ,if so1 we must  
also show them1 by an appeal to         
incontrovertible facts1 that more money 
is annually wasted1 in all our towns1 in
 extravagant living1 dress1 furniture1  
and equipage2 squandered in shows1      
amusements1 balls1 and parties2 in      
gaming1 dissipation1 public parades1 and
 intoxicating liquors1 than is expended 
for the instruction of the rising       
generation4 ,no1 there is not a lack of 
funds4 ,where there is a will there is  
also a way4 ,the value and importance of
 the subject is not generally           
understood2 or1 if understood1 is not   
properly appreciated4 ,almost every     
thing else seems of more consequence    
than learning and wisdom4 ,yet this will
 never answer4 ,the world is growing    
wiser4 ,those who will not employ the   
requisite means must rest contented with
 comparative ignorance4 ,let us not be  
of this unworthy number4 ,if we feel the

 importance of the change in these      
respects1 let us persevere in our       
laudable exertions1 leaving no          
objections unanswered1 no measures      
untried1 until we succeed in giving our 
children a high degree of education4    
,and if the ,father of spirits shall see
 fit to prolong our lives to witness the
 results1 we shall look upon the almost 
universal banishment of popular         
superstitions4  #e4 ,finally1 we must   
labor for the diffusion of pure and     
undefiled religion1 adhering alone to   
the teachings of ,jesus4 ,we shall then 
believe in one perfect1 all-pervading   
,spirit1 who regulates all the events of
 this world which are above our control1
 and that all his various dispensations 
originate in perfect wisdom and         
goodness4 ,we shall believe that we have
 no worse enemies than our own sinful   
lusts and passions1 and that power is   
given us through faith to conquer these1
 even in this state of existence4 ,we   
shall believe that it is as much our    

duty to be always happy as it is to be  
always honest and virtuous4 ,we shall   
have the assurance that our heavenly    
,father has commissioned no fate nor    
chance1 spectres nor devils1 to torment 
us4 ,and if we live up to this belief1  
we shall secure a large share of        
temporal enjoyment1 and be prepared for 
the increased and increasing felicity of
 the spiritual world4 ,if we produce    
this state of faith and practice in     
ourselves and in those around us1 we    
shall have done much for the banishment 
of popular superstitions and the        
downfall of ignorance1 error1 and sin4  
,,part ,,second4     ,,miracle ,,in     
,,springfield1 ,,massachusetts4   ,four 
gentlemen in ,springfield1 not long     
since1 publicly attested to a miracle1  
performed1 as they believed1 by spirits1
 at a circle where they were present4   
,it consisted in moving a table1 and a  
number of chairs in the room1 and in    
shocks1 resembling distant thunder1 or  
cannon at a distance1 causing the       

persons and the chairs and tables to    
tremble in such a manner that the       
effects were both seen and felt1 the    
room being well lighted at the time1 and
 an opportunity afforded for the closest
 inspection1 so that the company        
unitedly declare that they know they    
were not imposed upon nor deceived4     
,now1 there is nothing very remarkable  
in this affair1 for all might have been 
done by the medium himself1 by first    
pathetizing the persons present1 as it  
might be done without their knowledge1  
and while in that state could be made to
 see and hear any thing imagined by the 
operator4 ,we are assured1 by one who   
knows1 that it is impossible for those  
who are fit subjects to be present at a 
circle without being more or less under 
the mesmeric influence4 ,and1 in such   
cases1 they can be willed to remember or
 forget what they have seen or heard4   
,we do not consider such persons as     
competent witnesses in such a case as   
they have testified to4 ,it may all have

 been induced1 or it may all have been  
real4 ,and if real1 there was no need to
 refer it to the agency of spirits1     
since such things have been done without
 spirits1 as in the case of ,joe        
,collins1 or others which we shall refer
 to1 in this part of our volume4 ,but   
here we may be told1 that a thousand    
dollars has been offered to any one who 
will prove that such things are produced
 by any other power than that of        
spirits4 ,but the same sum has been     
offered to any one who will prove that  
spirits move tables1 chairs1 and the    
like1 or that spirits produce the noises
 and other manifestations ascribed to   
them4  ,we have heard the case of a     
person who went to a medium and wished  
to know if he could be put in           
communication with his father1 who had  
died several years before4 ,he was      
answered in the affirmative4 ,but the   
inquirer desired1 as proof that it would
 actually be the spirit of his father   
that would be introduced to him1 that a 

pencil and paper should be laid upon a  
table1 and that the spirit of the father
 should come and write his own name upon
 the paper1 the son feeling assured     
that1 if this were done1 he should at   
once recognize both the name and the    
writing4 ,accordingly1 the spirit in    
question came1 and did as was desired1  
and the son declared it to be the real  
name and handwriting of his father4     
,now1 the philosophy of the case is     
this3 ,the inquirer was first           
pathetized1 although ignorant of the    
fact at the time--a thing very common1  
though not generally understood4 ,thus  
the medium became acquainted with the   
name of the father as it existed in the 
mind of the son2 but did the pencil     
actually write the name upon the paper8 
,no4 ,it was only made to appear so to  
the mind of the inquirer4 ,as to the    
handwriting1 the inquirer's mind was    
directed to a piece of paper1 and to    
look at the writing4 ,of course1 he saw 
his father's name1 and the handwriting1 

for he could see nothing else for the   
time being1 his mind being impressed    
with that one idea or object1 and closed
 to every thing else4 ,it was in fact1  
to him1 his father's name and           
chirography1 and no one's else4 ,it     
could not be otherwise while his mind   
was under the control of the operator4  
,we have been told of a lady1 who1 in a 
magnetized state1 sits at a table and   
writes down information that is imparted
 to her1 as is said1 from the world of  
spirits4 ,her hand and pen glide over   
the paper with astonishing speed and    
velocity1 far more rapid than the most  
expert penman in a normal state4 ,and   
what astonishes many is1 that she cannot
 stop writing when she wishes to1 and   
sometimes becomes so exceedingly        
fatigued as to beg of the spirit or     
spirits to grant her a little repose    
from the wearisome task4 ,but the whole 
matter is easily accounted for1 without 
referring it to the supposed agency of  
spirits4 ,the lady's arm is first       

paralyzed--deprived of motion by the    
will of the medium or operator1 so that 
her own mind or will has not the least  
control over it4 ,she thus becomes a    
mere machine1 under the will and control
 of another1 whose will directs the     
movements of the arm and pen1 and       
dictates what is written in answer to   
inquiries made of things appertaining to
 the spirit world1 just as ,miss        
,martineau declares1 in her letters on  
magnetism1 that the volitions of the    
mesmerist may actuate the movements of  
the patient's limbs1 and suggest the    
material of his ideas4 ,many singular   
effects are produced upon the minds and 
feelings of subjects in a sleep-waking  
state1 by ,professor ,williams1 ,dr4    
,cutter1 and others1 such as being made 
drunk with water1 eating cayenne as     
sugar1 exercising complete control over 
their mental as well as physical        
condition4  ,we have been assured by a  
pathetist1 who is a thorough adept in   
the profession1 that he can and often   

has put persons in communication        
apparently with a deceased father1      
mother1 brother1 sister1 or friend4 ,the
 individual is first pathetized 7another
 name for mesmerism7 by him in a wakeful
 state1 though unconscious1 it may be1  
that he is under such an influence4 ,his
 mind being in the possession and under 
the control of the operator1 a person is
 now either actually or mentally 7for it
 makes no difference7 presented before  
him1 and he is told of the fact1 and    
asked1 ,do you not see your father8 ,the
 idea of father is so presented to the  
mind1 through the organ of form1 that   
the organ can take cognizance of none   
other than the father4 ,the person1 if  
an actual person is employed for the    
occasion1 is then shifted or changed for
 another person2 yet the subject        
perceives no difference1 even if changed
 successively for a dozen others2 it is 
all the same2 it is father1 and no one  
else1 through the whole exhibition4 ,the
 father speaks1 the son recognizes his  

voice1 and they converse together4 ,the 
subject can be willed to hear any sound1
 as that of music1 artillery1 thunder1  
and the like1 though no sounds whatever 
are in reality made4 ,a niece of ours   
was operated on in this way1 and she was
 told to look abroad and behold the     
majestic waves of the ocean1 the        
pageantry of a military procession2 and 
she saw and was delighted with the      
scenes that were willed to pass before  
her4 ,apples were oranges to her1 and   
she sucked their juice with a delightful
 zest4 ,an apple paring held before her 
was a beautiful bird1 then a squirrel1 a
 rabbit1 or whatever the operator willed
 it to become4 ,the mind of the operator
 and the subject1 in such cases1 become 
as one1 and they then hear1 see1 taste1 
and feel the same thing at the same     
moment4 ,miss ,martineau says that1     
while in a mesmeric state1 she saw      
things out of other worlds--not the     
things themselves1 but impressions of   
them4 ,they come1 says she1 from my     

brain4 ,the influence does not separate 
soul and body1 but it sets the body at  
rest1 while it exalts and elevates the  
thinking powers4  ,a striking incident1 
says ,miss ,m41 occurred in one of my   
earliest walks after recovery from a    
protracted illness4 ,my mesmerist and ,i
 had reached a headland nearly half a   
mile from home1 and were resting there1 
when she proposed to mesmerize me a     
little--partly to refresh me for our    
return1 and partly to see if any effect 
would be produced in a new place1 and   
while a fresh breeze was blowing4 ,she  
merely laid her hand upon my forehead1  
and in a minute or two the usual        
appearances came1 assuming a strange air
 of novelty from the scene in which ,i  
was4 ,after the blurring of the         
outlines1 which made all objects more   
dim than the dull gray day had already  
made them1 the phosphoric lights        
appeared1 glorifying every rock and     
headland1 the horizon1 and all the      
vessels in sight4 ,one of the dirtiest  

and meanest of the steam tugs in the    
port was passing at the time1 and it was
 all dressed in heavenly radiance--the  
last object that my imagination would   
select as an element of a vision4 ,then1
 and often before and since1 did it     
occur to me1 that if ,i had been a pious
 and very ignorant ,catholic1 ,i could  
not have escaped the persuasion that ,i 
had seen heavenly visions4 ,every       
glorified object before my eyes would   
have been a revelation2 and my          
mesmerist1 with the white halo around   
her head1 and the illumined profile1    
would have been a saint or an angel4    
,we know not whether1 in this instance1 
the mesmerist willed her subject to     
behold things as she did1 yet as to the 
general truth that the will of the      
operator can produce in the subject     
mesmerized those states of mind and body
 which he wills him or her to           
experience1 there is abundant evidence4 
,o4 ,s4 ,fowler1 editor of the          
,phrenological ,journal1 says he can    

bear ample testimony to the fact1 as he 
has seen1 experienced1 and induced      
similar states by the thousand4 ,and    
many others testify to the same effect4 
,persons can be made to travel to other 
countries1 and even to other spheres1   
and come back and tell what they have   
seen4 ,and as persons vary in the talent
 of description and observation1 in the 
normal state1 so do they vary in a      
semi-abnormal condition4 ,some are found
 to be better travellers1 and will see  
more than others1 and in spiritual      
things will differ in their descriptions
 as they differ in religious creeds and 
sentiments4 ,thus a ,swedenborg1 or a   
,fishbough1 sees a hell in the future   
state1 where sinners suffer the penalty 
of their earthly sins2 while an ,ambler1
 or a ,davis1 discovers that all men are
 alike joyful and happy4 ,mr4 ,davis has
 seen fit to caution the public not to  
believe too quickly or too fully the    
things excitable persons relate2 because
 some minds are naturally inclined to   

exaggerate or enlarge upon every thing  
which they may feel1 see1 or hear4 ,the 
state alluded to is merely induced4 ,it 
is not real4  ,persons are frequently   
made to do what they believe is done by 
others1 as in the case of a son of ,dr4 
,phelps1 of ,stratford1 ,connecticut4   
,the boy1 on one occasion1 was found    
7with a rope passed under his arms7     
suspended to the limb of a tree1 having 
been taken1 as was supposed1 from his   
bed in the evening by spirits1 and thus 
treated by them4 ,the boy declared that 
when it was done1 he screamed at the top
 of his voice2 but it was ascertained   
that he made no noise at all1 for if he 
had1 the domestics1 who were in the     
kitchen when he passed through it1 must 
have heard him1 which they did not4 ,we 
have the testimony of ,a4 ,j4 ,davis1   
himself1 that the boy really supposed   
that he had called aloud2 and so far    
from having been tied to the tree by    
spirits1 he had been made unconsciously 
instrumental in tying himself to the    

tree6 ,i have heard1 says ,mr4 ,davis1  
instances of mischief cited1 as         
occurring in ,dr4 ,phelps's house1 in   
evidence of satanic agency1 which ,i now
 discover to have been caused or        
accomplished by one of the children in  
sport1 sometimes by electrical          
discharges and magnetic attractions1 and
 sometimes by the almost unpardonable   
mischievousness of persons unknown to   
the family4 ,the wanton destruction of  
property alleged to have taken place on 
this gentleman's premises is referable1 
in most cases1 to emanations of vital   
electricity1 seeking its equilibrium in 
the atmosphere4 ,in this manner window  
panes were broken and furniture injured4
 ,in ,woodbridge1 ,new ,york1 some few  
years ago1 a young lady was affected    
with a disease which gave rise to       
similar phenomena4 ,mysterious sounds   
were heard in her presence2 window panes
 were frequently broken in her vicinity2
 and1 in like manner1 door panels were  
burst out1 sometimes falling towards    

her1 sometimes from her1 and quick1     
concussive1 and very loud sounds were   
heard under her feet as she ascended a  
flight of stairs4 ,ultimately1 the      
mysterious phenomena frightened her into
 an illness which cured the malady4     
,people cannot be too cautious how they 
receive the doings of those who profess 
to be in connection with spirits of the 
other spheres2 and to those who wish to 
inquire into the matter1 we would say1  
,go and hear1 but try to keep your wits 
about you1 and not swallow bodily either
 the preachers or their strange         
affirmations4--,horace ,greely4  ,under 
an impression that whatever is          
communicated by a spirit must1 of       
course1 be true1 many persons are       
receiving these communications as the   
truth of ,god--as a new revelation from 
the spirit world4 ,but if these         
communications are from spirits1 we have
 no proof that they are good spirits4   
,the presumption is1 that they are bad  
spirits--lying spirits4 ,at my house    

they often accused each other of        
lying--contradicted at one time what    
they affirmed at another2 inflicted     
injury upon property in the most wanton 
manner2 and have given conclusive       
evidence throughout that the discipline 
of hell1 which they profess to have     
experienced for several years1 has not  
been wholly effectual in improving their
 characters1 and qualifying them for the
 'higher spheres' for which many suppose
 that the discipline after death is a   
preparation4--,dr4 ,phelps4  ,many of   
the doings of the rapping spirits are   
too nonsensical and absurd to be        
believed4 ,they spoil all our notions of
 the dignity1 the spirituality1 of the  
spiritual world4 ,that a messenger      
should come from the spirit land to tell
 an old woman that her black cat did eat
 another old woman's white rabbit1 is   
not in accordance with the ideas most   
people have of the doings and missions  
of beings in the enjoyment of an        
immortal state4--,puritan ,recorder4    

,,persons ,,trained ,,by ,a ,,lecturer4 
,we have been informed1 by a certain    
mesmerizer1 that a distinguished        
lecturer upon magnetism frequently      
trains persons to enact certain parts in
 his public exhibitions4 ,he first puts 
them under mesmeric influence1 and while
 in that state they are instructed to   
say certain things1 or to perform       
certain acts1 which he wishes to exhibit
 at some subsequent lecture4 ,to this   
they severally agree1 and thus a regular
 programme1 or series of performances1  
is made out4 ,they are then brought out 
of the mesmeric state1 having been      
previously willed by the operator to    
forget all that has passed while in that
 state4 ,at the next meeting appointed1 
these persons are present1 and are again
 put into the same state as before1 when
 they immediately perceive1 and are     
ready to perform1 the several parts     
assigned to them4 ,in fact1 they are so 
completely under the will and control of
 the lecturer1 that they must do or say 

what he wills them to do or say1 and    
they cannot help it1 neither can they   
have the least recollection of what has 
transpired1 after being restored to the 
normal state4     ,,scene ,,at ,,east   
,,boston4   ,we were present at a       
circle1 at the house of a medium in     
,east ,boston1 on the #cjth of ,april1  
#aheb4 ,instead of that decorum and     
seriousness that might be expected while
 holding intercourse with departed      
spirits1 we were surprised at the levity
 and sport indulged on the occasion4    
,the spirits were laughed at1 and       
scolded1 because they made so many      
blunders in spelling out names1 and were
 urged and coaxed to do better4 ,a lady1
 who had buried a friend1 was told that 
the name of the deceased was ,hannah4   
,but she informed the medium that it was
 a brother she had buried1 and that she 
had never lost a sister4 ,but the medium
 said it made no difference1 as the     
spirits often gave the name of a sister 
for a brother1 and sometimes a cousin   

for either1 as they were all in the     
family connection1 and all such dwelt   
together in the ,love ,circles4  ,in    
spelling out the name of any deceased   
friend1 you are presented with a card   
containing the alphabet1 and are        
required to commence with the letter ,a1
 and go through the alphabet some one1  
two1 or three times1 touching each      
letter with a pencil as you pass over   
it4 ,on touching some particular letter1
 a rap is given1 indicating that it is  
the first letter of the name of your    
departed friend4 ,and so of the other   
letters comprising the name4 ,the       
spirits often made mistakes in rapping  
at the wrong letter1 and were required  
to try again till they got the spelling 
right4 ,we were very particular to      
observe that the spirit was sure to rap 
whenever the inquirer stopped or        
hesitated in passing over any letter4   
,five or six would be eagerly watching  
the movement of your hand1 and the least
 possible hesitation upon any one letter

 was sure to be accompanied with        
simultaneous raps4 ,and as the inquirer 
was frequently cautioned to proceed     
slow1 it was natural enough to hesitate 
on those letters comprising the name as 
it was spelled in their own mind4 ,in   
this way the alphabet became an         
interpreter to the supposed spirits4    
,we requested that some demonstrations  
should be given in the art of table     
lifting1 but were told that the         
gentleman through whose agency the feat 
is performed was not present this       
evening4 ,we inquired if it was         
necessary that any particular gentleman 
should be present that tables or chairs 
might be raised1 and were told it was1  
and that the gentleman in question      
seemed to carry a large amount of       
electricity in a circle about his       
person4  ,we have been informed by      
another person1 who says he has1 and    
often does1 raise tables and other      
articles1 by request of others1 that he 
does it by controlling the vital        

electricity of individuals present at   
the time4 ,he says he steals their vital
 electricity1 and appropriates it to his
 own use1 although those from whom he   
thus takes it are not conscious of the  
fact4 ,the more persons there are in the
 room1 the larger the amount of         
electricity obtained1 and the greater   
the effects produced by it4 ,there is   
nothing as yet performed by those       
alleged to be in connection with spirits
 but what he can successfully imitate1  
such as producing effects upon persons  
at a distance1 imitating the handwriting
 of absent or deceased persons unknown  
to him causing persons to write music1  
poetry1 c41 who1 in a normal state1 are 
incapable of doing either1 as well as   
many other exploits1 at the option or   
desire of those who are present2        
inquirers1 oftentimes1 in such cases1   
becoming the operators1 transferring    
their own impressions1 ideas1           
sentiments1 and knowledge to the acting 
medium1 and yet entirely ignorant of the

 fact1 and astonished at the results    
produced4 ,the gentleman referred to    
discards the agency of spirits in these 
transactions1 and declares that the     
whole is done by the power of his own   
will in using and controlling the amount
 of electricity present at the time2    
thus proving that the mind or spirit in 
the body has as much power and control  
over electricity as the mind or spirit  
has out of1 or separate from1 the body4 
,and he is of the opinion that if       
scientific men would investigate the    
powers of electricity1 and the laws by  
which it is controlled1 they would no   
more think of attributing the phenomena 
of the times to the agency of spirits1  
than to the ,pope of ,rome4 ,many       
engaged in producing these phenomena are
 themselves ignorant of the power or    
means by which they are produced1 and   
therefore attribute them to spiritual   
agency1 which is1 in fact1 transferring 
the whole matter to a point beyond human
 investigation1 where no mortal being   

can possibly explore4  ,some seem to    
think that these modern developments    
must be the work of spirits1 because1   
amid all the opposition arraigned       
against them1 they still continue to    
progress1 and are becoming more and more
 wonderful every day4 ,yet the same     
argument is as conclusive and convincing
 in favor of ,mormonism1 and other      
foolish and wicked extravagances1 as it 
is in favor of the alleged spiritual    
manifestations4 ,but while hundreds1 and
 perhaps thousands1 are marvelling at   
the strangeness of these developments1  
we find that several who have been      
engaged in them for months or years1 and
 believed them to be emanations from the
 spirit world1 now declare their        
convictions to the contrary1 as will be 
seen by the following account from the  
pen of a distinguished writer1          
,professor ,pond1 of ,maine4            
,,extract ,,from ,,the ,,puritan        
,,recorder4   ,the feats of the ancient 
jugglers were many of them mere acts of 

deception4 ,they were known to be such  
by those who performed them4 ,and the   
same is true of many who practise the   
like things now4 ,their rappings and    
writings1 and other strange             
performances1 are secretly1 artfully got
 up by themselves4 ,i do not say that   
this is true in all cases2 but in some  
cases we know it is true2 because the   
matter has been fully investigated1 and 
public confession has been made4 ,for   
example3 ,a young woman1 who had been   
instructed by the ,rochester rappers1   
and practised the art with them for a   
time1 afterwards renounced it1 and      
exposed the delusion to the world4 ',all
 who saw her and heard her1' says my    
informant1 'were entirely satisfied of  
the truth of her statements1 and that   
she had revealed the actual method in   
which the deception was effected and the
 deluded were blinded4 ,another young   
woman in ,providence1 ,almira ,beazely1 
who was noted for her rappings and      
revelations1 and who murdered her       

brother to accomplish one of her own    
predictions1 confessed1 on her trial1   
that she made the noises herself1 and   
explained the manner in which they were 
produced4 ,she also confessed to the    
removal of certain articles in the house
 which had strangely disappeared1 and   
which she pretended had been taken away 
by spirits4 ,drs4 ,lee and ,flint1 of   
,buffalo1 assisted by two gentlemen by  
the name of ,burr1 have very thoroughly 
investigated the matter1 and explained  
the manner in which the mysterious      
noises are made4 ,mr4 ,burr has himself 
made the rappings1 and made them so loud
 as to be heard by a congregation of    
fifteen hundred people4  ,these         
instances are sufficient to prove that  
the spiritual manifestations of our     
times1 like those of ancient times1 are 
in many instances a sheer deception--a  
vile trick1 palmed off upon a wondering 
and credulous community1 for the sake of
 money1 or for other sinister and       
selfish ends4 ,if there is any thing    

more than trick in these spiritual      
manifestations1--and ,i am inclined to  
think that1 in some instances1 there may
 be1--,i should refer it1 as in case of 
the ancient wizards1 to the influence of
 occult natural causes--perhaps         
electricity1 or animal magnetism1 or    
something else1 operating upon a nervous
 system of peculiar sensibility4 ,i     
incline to this opinion for several     
reasons4  ,in the first place1 if the   
noises and other manifestations were    
really the work of spirits1 why should  
they not be made through one person1 as 
well as another8 ,why should not all    
mediums be alike8 ,whereas it is        
confessed that only persons of a        
peculiar nervous temperament are capable
 of becoming mediums4  ,again3 if the   
disclosures which are made are really   
from the spirit world1 it might be      
expected that they would1 at least1 be  
consistent with themselves4 ,whereas it 
is well known that they vary endlessly4 
,in numerous instances1 they are        

directly self-contradictory4 ',some of  
the communications1' says one who had   
been a medium1 'were orthodox2 others   
were infidel4 ,some would acknowledge   
the truth of the ,bible2 others would   
condemn it4 ,some would be in favor of  
virtue2 others would encourage the      
grossest crimes4'  ,another man1 who had
 been a noted medium1 but who was       
beginning to get his eyes opened as to  
the character of the proceedings1 told  
his audience one night1 ',now1 any one  
present ask a series of questions1 and  
,i pledge myself that the answer shall  
be1 every time1 yes4' ,some one in the  
company asked1 ',is ,john ,thompson     
alive8' ,the answer was1 ',yes4' ',is   
,john ,thompson dead8' ',yes4' ',does   
,john ,thompson live in ,vermont8'      
',yes4' ',does he live in               
,massachusetts8' ',yes4' ,and so the    
spirits went on contradicting themselves
 times without number4 ,after this1 a   
like series of questions were answered  
in the negative1 exhibiting the most    

glaring contradictions1 just as the     
operator pleased4  ,but this brings me  
to another reason for supposing that the
 answers are not from departed spirits1 
but rather from the mind of the         
operator1 or from some other mind in    
communication with his1 under the       
influence of an electric or magnetic    
cause4 ,it is an admitted fact that     
these answers coincide very generally   
with the opinions or wishes of the      
medium1 or of some one present in       
consultation with him4 ,i knew a very   
respectable man1 who discovered that he 
was a medium1 and who practised various 
experiments upon himself4 ,upon being   
asked what he thought of it1 he replied1
 ',if the answers are from the spirits1 
they must be very silly spirits2 for    
they always answer just as ,i wish to   
have them4' ,another medium informs us  
that he can obtain any answer he        
pleases1 by fixing his mind strongly    
upon it at the time4 ,now1 does this    
look as though the answer came from     

spirits8 ,if the spirits of the dead    
spoke1 they would be likely to speak out
 independently2 to speak just what they 
thought1 and not what those thought with
 whom they were consulting4  ,there is  
another circumstance to be noted in this
 connection4 ,when the requisite        
preparation is made1 there is no need of
 consulting the spirits at all1 in order
 to secure answers4 ,you may consult    
with the chairs or the table just as    
well4 ,this experiment was tried1 not   
long since1 at ,wilmington1 ,vermont4 ,a
 ,mr4 ,kellogg was the medium1 and he   
had succeeded in consulting the spirits 
to the satisfaction of all concerned4   
,at length he remarked that he was about
 to let the company into an important   
secret4 ',we will interrogate the       
table1' said he1 'and have nothing more 
to do with spirits4' ,he did so2 and the
 table talked and answered1 just as the 
spirits had done before4 ,at the same   
time the table was made to stand on one 
leg1 and to move about1 as is usual in  

such cases4 ,this experiment            
demonstrated1 to the satisfaction of all
 present1 that the strange appearances  
could be produced just as well without  
the spirits as with them4 ',the calling 
for spirits1' to use the language of my 
informant1 'is mere garnish and fog1 by 
which the real agency in the case is    
concealed4'  ,on the point now under    
consideration1 viz41 the possibly       
electric character of these             
manifestations1 ,i am happy to introduce
 the testimony of ,dr4 ,samuel ,taylor1 
a respectable physician of ,petersham1  
,massachusetts1 whose article on the    
subject may be found in a late number of
 the ,boston ,medical and ,surgical     
,journal4 ,dr4 ,taylor discovered       
accidentally that he was a medium1 and  
he proceeded to make experiments upon   
himself4 ,the manifestation1 in his     
case1 was not by rapping1 but by        
writing--a much more convenient mode of 
communicating with the spirit world4 ,on
 taking his pen1 and holding himself in 

a peculiar attitude1 and proposing      
mentally some question to the spirits1  
his pen would begin to oscillate in his 
fingers1 and very soon would write out  
an answer2 and this without any         
voluntary effort of his own4 ,and what  
is particularly to be noticed is1 the   
pen would always write an answer which  
accorded with his own opinion or wishes1
 that is1 if he had any wish on the     
subject4 ,for example3 ,dr4 ,taylor     
inquired of one of the spirits about the
 different forms of religion4 ',i asked 
which was the best religion1 at the same
 time fixing my mind sternly on the word
 ,protestant4 ,my hand immediately wrote
 ,protestant4 ,in the same manner1 and  
by direction of the same spirit1 my hand
 wrote successively1 ,methodist1        
,unitarian1 and ,i believe one or two   
others4 ,while in this state1' ,dr4     
,taylor says1 ',i felt a sensation like 
that of a light galvanic current passing
 through me4 ,sometimes it appeared to  
be a steady thrill1 and sometimes it was

 intermittent1 resembling light shocks  
of electricity4'  ,after numerous       
experiments1 ,dr4 ,taylor comes to the  
conclusion1 that the strange phenomena  
of which he was the subject were not    
tricks of his own1 neither did they come
 from the spirit world1 but were the    
result of what he calls detached        
vitalized electricity4 ,when this       
conclusion had been formed in his own   
mind1 it occurred to him that he would  
put it to the test of the spirits       
themselves4 ',accordingly ,i asked      
them1' says he1 'if this was the work of
 departed spirits4 ,the answer was1 ,no4
 ,i asked if it was the work of the     
devil4 ,again the answer was1 ,no4 ,i   
asked if it was the effect of detached  
vitalized electricity4 ,the answer was1 
,yes4' ,so the spirits confirmed the    
conclusion to which the doctor had come1
 as they did1 in fact1 all his          
conclusions4  ,we have the testimony of 
another medium1 of the same import with 
that of ,dr4 ,taylor4 ,mr4 ,benjamin ,f4

 ,cooley1 who had long been a believer  
and operator in the spiritual rappings1 
states that his mind is now entirely    
changed4 ,this change was brought about 
in consequence of 'a deep and earnest   
study of the nature1 power1 and         
application of electricity1 and of the  
susceptibility of the mind to electrical
 or psychological changes4' ,these      
things1 he says1 will produce the same  
mysterious and startling phenomena which
 have been produced throughout the      
country1 and attributed to the          
operations of departed spirits4 7,mr4   
,cooley has recently published a work   
entitled ,an ,exposition of ,spiritual  
,manifestations1 to which we would refer
 the reader47  ,a part of what is done  
by those who claim to have familiar     
spirits1 may be the result of unknown   
natural causes4 ,this is the most       
plausible and excusable view which can  
possibly be taken of these practices2   
and yet1 even in this view1 they are    
frightfully evil4 ,the persons who alone

 are susceptible to the influence of    
these natural causes are generally those
 of a diseased or delicate nervous      
temperament2 and the effect of          
experimenting upon their nervous system 
is usually to shatter it the more4 ,they
 become excitable1 fantastic1 and often 
insane4 ,diseases are engendered1 both  
of body and mind1 which lead on to the  
most fearful consequences4 ,but a short 
time ago1 the papers gave an account of 
a man in ,barre1 ,massachusetts1 who had
 been much given to the rappings and    
other spiritual manifestations1 who     
became1 in consequence1 a raving maniac1
 threatening the life of his family1 and
 was committed to the ,lunatic ,asylum  
at ,worcester4 ,other like instances are
 occurring frequently1 from the same    
cause4 ,almira ,beazely1 the ,providence
 rapper1 who murdered her brother in    
fulfilment of one of her own            
predictions1 was cleared on the ground  
of her insanity4  ,but this is not the  
only evil of the practices in question1 

when viewed as the result of natural    
causes4 ,for the truth is1 that1 in most
 cases1 they are not so viewed by those 
who engage in them4 ,they regard them as
 the work of spirits4 ,they are1        
therefore1 deceived2 and those who      
follow them are deceived4 ,both suppose 
they are receiving utterances from the  
other world1 when nothing is uttered but
 vain fantasies from their own minds and
 hearts4 ,such a deception is1          
manifestly1 a hurtful one4 ,it is full  
of danger to all concerned4 ,to mistake 
one's own fancies for divine revelation1
 and feel conscience-bound to obey them 
as such1 is the very essence of         
fanaticism4 ,it is fanaticism in its    
most frightful form4 ,under the         
influence of such an impression1 persons
 may be led to perpetrate the greatest  
cruelties1 and the most horrid crimes1  
and vainly think that they are doing    
,god service4 ,the wretched man in      
,barre was led to attempt the life of   
his family1 in obedience to a supposed  

revelation from the spirit world4  ,the 
practices which have been considered are
 of heathen origin4 ,they originated    
with the ancient heathen2 they were     
spread over a greater part of the       
heathen world2 and they continue to     
pervade and curse it to the present     
time4 ,among numerous heathen tribes at 
the present day1 scarcely a calamity    
occurs--a death1 a flood1 a fit of      
sickness1 or an instance of death--but  
some poor creature 7and often more than 
one7 is accused and put to death1 as    
being the cause of it4 ',the sick man is
 bewitched3 who has bewitched him8 ,his 
death 7if he chance to die7 has been    
brought about by evil spirits3 who has  
sent the spirits upon him8' ,to get an  
answer to these questions1 some old hag 
or conjurer is consulted2 the cause of  
the mischief is quickly discovered1 and 
an innocent person is put to death4     
,probably hundreds die every year after 
this manner1 among the heathen1 even in 
this nineteenth century6 ,and the case  

would soon be no better among ourselves1
 if we were to go1 extensively and      
confidently1 into the practice of       
consulting with familiar spirits4 ,the  
spirits would unravel all mysteries for 
us2 they would reveal all secrets2 and  
not a man1 woman1 or child would long be
 safe from their malicious accusations4 
,something more than a year ago1 the    
,lunatic ,asylum in ,maine took fire1   
and a portion of its inmates were       
smothered and consumed4 ,and there are  
hundreds of persons now in the state1   
who affirm that the building was set on 
fire by the keepers1 with a view to     
cover up and conceal their own          
wickedness4 ,these persons know it was  
so2 they have not the shadow of a doubt 
on the subject4 ,why8 ,not that they    
have a particle of evidence to this     
effect from our world1 but because the  
spirits have so informed them4 ,now1 let
 these utterances become common1 and be 
commonly received1 and in three months' 
time those keepers might every one of   

them be dragged to the gallows1 or the  
stake1 while they were as innocent of   
the charge laid against them as a child 
unborn4  ,i refer to this instance just 
to show the sin1 the evil1 the exceeding
 peril1 of indulging in those practices 
which have been exposed4 ,let all those 
who read these things1 then1 beware of  
them and shun them4 ,if any of us are   
capable of becoming mediums1 as they are
 called1 we had better not know it2 or1 
if we know it1 we had better refrain    
from all experiments4 ,to tamper with   
such a power is to tamper with an       
already shattered nervous system1 the   
only effect of which will be to shatter 
it the more4  ,there is nothing more    
striking than the difference between    
those representations of the future     
world which are made known in the       
,bible1 and which we know are true1 and 
those which are put forth by the        
revealers of our own times4 ,the former 
are solemn1 exciting1 impressive1 some  
of them awfully so1 others gloriously4  

,while the latter1 as ,professor ,stowe 
says1 are 'so uniformly and monotonously
 silly1 that we are compelled to think1 
if these are really the spirits of the  
dead1 in dying they must have lost what 
little of common sense they ever        
possessed4 ,if these are actual         
specimens of the spiritual world1 then  
this world1 hard and imperfect as it is1
 is altogether the most respectable part
 of ,god's creation4'  ,in the ,bible1  
we have frequent accounts of persons who
 were raised from the dead--who actually
 returned from the spirit world to this4
 ,but they returned uniformly with      
sealed lips4 ,in not a single instance  
did they make any disclosures4 ,but our 
modern revealers pursue a very different
 course4 ,they practise no reserve4     
,they go into the minutest              
particulars1--sometimes into the most   
disgusting details1--and publish1 as one
 expresses it1 'a penny magazine of the 
spiritual world4'  ,in the language of  
the ,puritan ,recorder1 ,the worst of   

the evil is the soul-hardening          
familiarity they produce with the most  
awful subjects ever offered for human   
contemplation4 ,we know of nothing in   
human experience so fatally destructive 
of all that reverence for the spiritual1
 that awe of the unseen1 that tender    
emotion1 as well as solemn interest1    
which connect themselves with the idea  
of the other life4 ,who1 that has a     
,christian heart1 would not prefer the  
silence of the grave to the thought of  
the dear departed one in the midst of   
such imaginings1 and such scenic        
associations as are usually connected   
with the performances of the spirit     
rappers8 ',they are not dead1 but       
sleep4' ',they enter into peace1' says  
the prophet4 ,and then the precious and 
consoling addition--',they sleep in     
,jesus2' meaning1 beyond all doubt1 a   
state of rest1 of calmness1 of security1
 of undisturbed and beatific vision--far
 removed from all resemblance to this   
bustling life--a state in all respects  

the opposite of that which fancy        
pictures as belonging to the scenes     
presented in the manifestations of      
spiritual rappings1 and spiritual table 
liftings and all those spiritual        
pantomimes1 which seem to be becoming   
more and more extravagant and grotesque 
in proportion to the infidel credulity  
with which they are received4  ,should  
any think1 by reading what we have      
offered upon this subject in the        
preceding pages1 that we have imputed   
guilt and deception to mediums1 who are 
believed to be1 many of them1 above such
 trickery1 we would merely refer such to
 page #bi of the ,reply of ,veriphilos  
,credens to the communications supposed 
to have been written by ,dr4 ,enoch     
,pond1 professor in the ,bangor         
,seminary1 as published in the columns  
of the ,puritan ,recorder4 ,the reviewer
 says1 ,to suppose that mediums could   
practise deception on men of shrewdness 
and caution implies a greater credulity 
than does a faith in the most startling 

of their performances4 ,there is not the
 slightest degree of evidence1 says this
 writer1 that such a case has ever      
occurred2 and yet on the selfsame page  
he says1 ,there is no doubt that some   
mediums1 when the sounds and motions    
have failed to come in the usual        
mysterious way1 have counterfeited them 
by some sly motions of their feet and   
hands4 ,i have seen such things done1 in
 some instances6  ,the same author says1
 page #fc1 ,i have not attempted to     
justify any reliance on disclosures made
 to us in the way of rappings4 ,i think 
it altogether unsafe to do so1 for the  
declaration has already come to us1 from
 what purports to be the spirits        
themselves1 that all these              
manifestations are of a low order1 and  
are produced by the lowest grade of     
spirits4  ,as to the plea that spirits  
must make the sounds1 to account for the
 intelligence communicated1 it being    
impossible for mere electricity to      
originate facts1 we reply by affirming  

that there is no intelligence given     
beyond a certain limit2 i4e41 the mind  
of some one or ones in connection1      
either present or absent1 for it makes  
no difference4 ,for available purposes1 
a person a thousand or ten thousand     
miles distant may yield all the amount  
of intelligence required in a given     
case4 ,distance is no obstacle whatever4
 ,electricity counts neither time nor   
space4 ,for instance1 the transmission  
of electricity through a conducting     
substance is instantaneous4 ,a wire1 or 
other conductor1 may have motion        
communicated to its whole length at the 
same moment1 whatever that length may   
be2 and it is stated that an            
electro-magnetic impulse may be         
transmitted at the rate of one hundred  
and eighty thousand miles in a second1  
thus outstripping the sun in its march6 
,a large number of intelligent          
individuals1 who1 for a year or two     
past1 have instituted a series of       
experiments upon this matter of         

intelligence1 have found that in no case
 has information been imparted beyond   
what existed in their own minds or that 
of some kindred or friend4 ,finding this
 to be the case1 they have wisely come  
to the conclusion that spirits have     
never originated a solitary idea2 that  
is1 disembodied spirits2 and as to the  
spirit within a man1 in his corporeal   
state1 why cannot it command as much    
influence over vital electricity as in  
its disembodied existence8 ,since both  
parties claim to perform by the same    
agent1 and both claim this agent to be  
that of vital electricity1 we have also 
come to the same conclusion1 with a host
 of others1 that the calling for spirits
 is mere garnish and fog1 by which the  
real agency in the case is concealed4   
,,extract ,,from ,,the ,,home ,,journal4
   ,a considerable heap of books1       
pamphlets1 and periodicals1 some        
against1 but most of them for1 the      
'spiritual phenomena1' has been         
accumulating upon our table1 and now    

looms up large before us1 demanding     
notice4 ,that departed spirits have any 
thing to do with them is an explanation 
that we have never been able to accept  
for one moment4 ,we should as soon think
 of asserting that an apple1 rolling    
suddenly at our feet1 must necessarily  
have fallen out of heaven1 because we   
could not see the tree it had blown     
from4 ,to bring such an astounding      
theory to explain such trivial phenomena
 is like sending a frigate to pick up a 
champagne bottle that might be floating 
down the bay4  ,by some of the works    
before us we are informed1 among many   
other things1 that in the other world   
every man has his name upon his front   
door2 that ,swedenborg is a great man1  
delivers lectures1 and has a street     
named after him2 that in heaven parties1
 concerts1 and converzationes are       
frequent2 that at some of the concerts1 
star singers of great celebrity perform1
 attracting inconceivable multitudes of 
spirits to hear them2 that children take

 lessons in ,french and ,italian every  
morning2 that the space allotted to some
 of the spirits is as large as ,new     
,york2 that the 'seventh sphere' 7the   
highest heaven7 is about five thousand  
miles from the earth2 that the beds are 
of roses1 and when the spirits recline  
upon them1 the birds sing joyfully      
around1 and mingle their music with the 
perfume of the flowers2 that the        
celestials 7not the ,chinese7 wear white
 robes1 edged with pink2 that a man     
generally attends his own funeral2 that 
spirits1 on their arrival in heaven1 are
 set to studying geology1 chemistry1 and
 other dull subjects1 which they soon   
begin to like1 and say their daily      
lessons with an excellent grace2 that   
parchment is in extensive use2 that     
spirits are allowed to visit 'earth'    
once a day only1 and have the privilege 
of staying one hour2 that they have     
books1 rings1 newspapers1 robin         
redbreasts1 fruit1 lakes1 streams1      
diamonds1 and drawing masters in the    

next world4 ',dora's dress1' says one of
 the revelations1 'was of blue satin1   
with a white sash2 half sleeves1 full2 a
 pink velvet ribbon round her throat1   
fastened by a cameo4 ,her hair was in   
curls each side of her face1 and        
fastened in a knot behind4' ,dora1 be it
 observed1 is a departed spirit4  ,if it
 could be shown that all these things   
were really revealed1 as they are said  
to be1 we should still think them       
unworthy of notice4 ,the greater part of
 the 'supernal theology' is utterly     
frivolous2 and whether frivolous or not1
 it bears very plainly the impress of   
the medium's own mind1 or of the unknown
 desires of those by whom he is         
surrounded4 ,if we were called upon to  
minister to a mind diseased1 or to find 
pabulum for a soul hungering after moral
 excellence1 we should as soon think of 
offering a copy of the ,arabian ,nights'
 ,entertainments as a book of the       
'supernal theology4' ,for the practical 
guidance of life1 there is more help in 

any two maxims of the ,sermon on the    
,mount1 than in the whole literature of 
supernaturalism4  ,the manifestation    
mania would have died away long since   
but for one unfortunate circumstance4   
,we have in our land a large number of  
men who may be termed semi-clergymen1   
or1 as they are frequently called1      
'outsiders1' or 'come-outers4' ,these   
are they who1 either because they know  
too much or because they know too       
little1 or from superfluity of          
naughtiness or redundancy of virtue1    
find it difficult to obtain a           
'settlement4' ,these are the men who    
foster delusions2 who1 because they     
cannot find a way to serve the public1  
are reduced to prey upon it4 ,they      
embrace the new light--whatever it may  
be--with a degree of sincerity1 and     
commit themselves to it2 then they push 
it1 stimulate it1 make a business of it1
 and live by it4 ,o the multitude of    
spiritual delusions that in every age of
 the world have originated and derived  

their strength solely from the fact that
 the bodily necessities of certain      
individuals depended upon their         
perpetuity6 ,that1 at this moment1 there
 are men most diligently engaged in the 
new spiritual line1 for the purpose of  
securing by it a reprieve from          
starvation1 7or work17 is a fact which  
we do not merely believe1 but know4     
,,foretelling ,,future ,,events4   ,many
 devices have been resorted to in order 
to foretell the events of the future4   
,some pretend to do it by cards2 some by
 the settlings of a tea or coffee cup2  
some by astrology2 some by tables of    
letters and figures2 some by the lines  
of the hand2 and some by spirits of the 
dead4 ,strenuous advocates of these     
various modes are found1 who recount the
 wonderful predictions that have taken  
place4 ,some spirit hunter recently     
prognosticated that the ship            
,staffordshire 7reported to be lost7    
would arrive safe at ,san ,francisco on 
a certain day1 as she did4 ,professor   

,anderson had a glass bell at the       
,melodeon1 in ,boston1 in ,september1   
#aheb1 that answered questions          
pertaining to future events4 ,in        
deciding upon who would be the next     
president1 it gave six distinct taps for
 ,pierce--the number agreed upon if he  
was to be the successful competitor4    
,this was done without any aid from     
spirits4 ,we very much doubt whether    
,robach or ,lester would refuse a       
challenge from ,a4 ,j4 ,davis himself1  
to test their respective claims to      
correct predictions4 ,yet we do not     
believe that any reliance can be placed 
upon the prophecies of either party4    
,events may sometimes transpire in      
accordance with their predictions2 and  
it would be strange if they did not1 as 
they are always predicting1 and events  
are ever occurring4 ,but they never     
think of naming the multiplicity of     
failures that take place4 ,not long     
since1 the spirits said that a distant  
friend would never live to reach home2  

but he soon after arrived1 safe and     
well4 ,mr4 ,lester told a young man of  
,woburn that in two years he would marry
 a certain young lady2 but in two months
 he was a corpse4 ,hundreds of such     
failures are constantly occurring1 but  
are kept out of sight4 ,if generally    
known1 they would spoil the trade4 ,we  
are surprised that men professing to    
high attainments1 as ,a4 ,j4 ,davis and 
some of his coadjutors1 should fall back
 and plant themselves upon such stale   
trash4 ,some two years since1 while     
lying apparently near our end1 a lady   
suggested to us that1 if we desired1 she
 would consult ,mr4 ,lester upon the    
probability of our recovery4 ,we        
declined the offer1 choosing to leave   
all with the ,sovereign ,disposer of    
events1 believing that he would permit  
nothing to take place but what would be 
for our best good1 and that of all      
concerned4      ,heaven from all        
creatures hides the book of fate1       
,all but the page prescribed--their     

present state2     ,from brutes what    
men1 from men what angels know2     ,or 
who could suffer being here below8      
,the lamb thy riot dooms to bleed       
to-day1     ,had he thy reason1 would he
 skip and play8     ,pleased to the     
last1 he crops the flowery food1        
,and licks the hand just raised to shed 
his blood4     ,o1 blindness to the     
future6 kindly given1     ,that each may
 fill the circle marked by ,heaven4     
,hope humbly then2 with trembling       
pinions soar2     ,wait the great       
teacher death1 and ,god adore6     ,what
 future bliss he gives not thee to know1
     ,but gives that hope to be thy     
blessing now4--,,pope4     ,,visions1   
,,miracles1 ,,and ,,wonders4   ,the     
writings of the spirit rappers abound   
with accounts of sights1 sounds1        
visions1 and wonders4 ,we are forcibly  
reminded of a similar display in the    
writings of the ,adventists1 previous to
 the predicted end of the world in      
#ahdc--;an overwhelming array of facts1 

calculations1 signs1 visions1 wonders1  
miracles1 maps1 pictures1 drawings1 and 
hieroglyphics1 all going to show1 in the
 most positive manner1 that in that year
 the world would be annihilated4 ,and   
still it remains2 and the works         
containing the omens and facts to       
substantiate the prediction are called  
to share the fate of a ,farmer's        
,almanac quite out of date4 ,some few   
still hold on to a semblance of the     
theory1 like him who1 in the spring of  
#ahea1 declared that a talking cow1     
somewhere in ,maine1 had prophesied that
 the world would be burned up the       
following ,june4 ,how lamentable to view
 the numbers of men and women who have  
given heed to such things1 when assured 
that the day and the hour is not known  
even by the ,son himself4 7,matt4 xxiv4 
#cf47 ,many of these persons were once  
active in the church1 and exerted an    
influence for good2 but by remaining in 
their present position1 their influence 
in the cause of ,christ is palsied1 and 

their1 talents buried in the earth4 ,and
 yet we have propounded to us another   
,,new ,,church1 which1 according to the 
predictions of its adherents1 is        
destined to destroy all other churches1 
as it was to be1 according to the       
predictions of ,miller1 ,fitch1 ,himes1 
and others4  ,in conclusion upon these  
things1 we would add1 that it has been  
our belief from the first1 that there is
 nothing supernatural in the so-called  
spiritual manifestations4 ,they all bear
 the marks of earthly origin4 ,the      
public not knowing how to explain them1 
the first rappings were attributed to   
the spirits2 and the idea having been   
set afloat1 it has been adopted without 
investigation1 being the easiest way of 
accounting for it4  ,to the common mind1
 three hundred years ago1 it was plain  
and easy1 that the world was flat1 and  
rested on something--on the back of     
,atlas1 and he stood on a tortoise1 and 
the tortoise again on something2 and the
 fact that nobody could tell what1 was  

not allowed to stumble any one2 it      
rested on a foundation1 and that was    
enough for any one to know or believe4  
,motion1 space1 attraction1 and         
repulsion were not understood1 and      
,galileo came near losing his life1 and 
did lose his personal liberty and       
character1 for intelligence4 ,when the  
world is as fully instructed in certain 
principles connected with our existence 
as it is in the laws of the physical    
universe1 the rappings1 we think1 will  
cease to be a wonder4     ,,clairvoyant 
,,physicians4   ,persons in a           
clairvoyant state1 by being put in      
connection with a diseased person1 feel1
 by sympathy1 the pain and disease of   
the patient4 ,but to be qualified to    
describe the locality of the disease1 or
 be able to tell what organ or part is  
affected1 the practitioner must first   
have studied anatomy and physiology4    
,the more perfect they are in these     
branches1 the more accurately can they  
describe the seat of the disease4 ,their

 remedies are mostly botanical1 and are 
generally safe in their operation4 ,the 
regular clairvoyant physician1 so to    
speak1 does not pretend to be in league 
with spirits2 but there are those who   
profess that their prescriptions come   
from the other world--from those who1   
though dead1 rest not from their labors4
 ,notwithstanding the extreme simplicity
 of their remedies1 such as any common  
nurse would advise1 yet such is the     
profound sanctity and mystery thrown    
around them by an unseen spirit1 that   
some profess to have received wonderful 
healing mercies4 ,to believe that a     
medicine 7however simple7 is prescribed 
by a spirit from above1 is enough to    
perform a cure in any case4 ,imagination
 alone is equal to the task4 ,a very    
eminent allopathic physician informs us 
that he often rolls up brown bread      
pills1 which1 in certain cases1 perform 
unmistakable cures4 ,in fact1 history is
 full of recoveries wrought out by aid  
of the imagination4 ,we will subjoin a  

case by way of illustration4  ,sir      
,humphrey ,davy1 on one occasion in     
early life1 was assisting ,dr4 ,beddoes 
in his experiments on the inhalation of 
nitrous oxide4 ,dr4 ,beddoes having     
inferred that this agent must be a      
specific for palsy1 a patient was       
selected for trial1 and placed under the
 care of ,davy4 ,previously to          
administering the gas1 ,davy inserted a 
small thermometer under the tongue of   
the patient1 to ascertain the           
temperature4 ,the paralytic man1 wholly 
ignorant of the process to which he was 
to submit1 but deeply impressed by ,dr4 
,beddoes with the certainty of its      
success1 no sooner felt the thermometer 
between his teeth1 than he concluded the
 talisman was in operation1 and in a    
burst of enthusiasm declared that he had
 already experienced the effects of its 
benign influence throughout his whole   
body4 ,the opportunity was too tempting 
to be lost4 ,davy did nothing more1 but 
desired his patient to return on the    

following day4 ,the same ceremony was   
repeated1 the same result followed2 and 
at the end of a fortnight he was        
dismissed wholly cured2 no remedy of any
 kind1 except the thermometer1 having   
ever been used4     ,,style ,,of        
,,supernal ,,compositions4   ,in the    
supernal productions we are presented   
with a pedantic display of high-sounding
 words and phrases4 ,to use the language
 of inspiration1 they speak great       
swelling words of vanity4 ,a work has   
recently been announced with this       
imposing title3 ,,macrocosm and         
,,microcosm1 containing1 among other    
things1 ,the ,potential ,media1 ,the    
,diastole and ,systole of ,nature4 ,a   
writer in the ,spiritual ,telegraph1 of 
,october #i1 says1 ,there are very many 
fancy-captivating1 and                  
depravity-flattering publications--some 
of them filled with indications1 the    
most specious and subtle1 of a refined  
atheism4 ,and ,i have seen a copy or two
 of a certain ',journal1' ostensibly    

advocating the great truths 787 of      
spiritual manifestations1 but containing
 some articles in which there was a     
congregation of words superlatively     
unmeaning and transcendentally          
ridiculous4 ,the same writer says1 ,i do
 not believe one half the communications
 which are said to come from ,george    
,washington1 ,benjamin ,franklin1 ,henry
 ,clay1 ,john ,c4 ,calhoun1 ,john       
,wesley1 and a host of other great      
names4 ,what affinity can these spirits 
have with many of the thoughtless1      
light1 and trifling circles1 formed to  
pass off an hour1 and perhaps ending    
with foolish mountebank scenes of       
psychology1 falsely so called8  ,davis1 
in his ,great ,harmonia1 page #bjf1     
exposes a class of mercenary            
practitioners1 who claim extraordinary  
or supernatural powers for their        
subjects1 who give public and vulgar    
exhibitions1 who employ chicanery and   
ignorant plans1 who trifle with and play
 fantastic tricks with their subjects4  

,he speaks of a class of doctrinal      
practitioners1 who prevert and          
misinterpret principles and results2 who
 labor to make the phenomena subservient
 to1 and illustrative of1 the           
theological dogmas2 who receive1 modify1
 or reject1 as a sectarian education and
 prejudice may sanction2 who conceal1   
misstate1 and magnify disclosures4      
,enough1 in all conscience1 to condemn  
the whole farce4     ,,mysterious       
,,phenomena1 ,,with ,,their ,,agents    
,,or ,,causes4   ,a work has recently   
been issued in ,boston1 by ,e4 ,c4      
,rogers1 containing an exposition of    
mysterious agents1 and dynamic laws1 or 
science of moving powers4 ,it is a very 
valuable work1 and1 with his consent1 we
 shall take the liberty of introducing  
some of the principal facts adduced2 and
 at the same time would advise every    
inquirer to purchase the work for       
himself1 which he will never have cause 
to regret4  ,on page #bb1 the author    
says1 ,light and heat have always been  

known as agents by the common sensation 
of their more palpable phenomena4 ,but  
electricity and magnetism were not known
 until their phenomena were specially   
observed4 ,many of the facts of these   
agents1 before the latter had become    
known1 were referred to spiritual       
agencies4 ,it is the tendency of        
ignorance1 in every age1 to do the same 
thing4 ,reason demands an agent adequate
 to the production of every phenomenon4 
,if she has not been furnished with     
sufficient data by which to arrive at a 
correct conclusion1 imagination1        
influenced by a blind marvellousness1   
will refer the phenomena to some        
supernatural cause4 ,hence the early    
superstitions about chemical operations1
 the appearance of comets1 eclipses1    
meteors1 the 'bog lights1' and a        
thousand other phenomena4 ,but as the   
agencies of nature have become known1   
and their laws and conditions of action 
discovered1 the domination of           
superstition has given place to the     

triumph of reason and the reign of      
truth4  ,reason determines that1 for    
every phenomenon1 there is an agent2 but
 never1 without sufficient data1 does   
she determine what that agent is4 ,the  
imagination often assumes this          
prerogative1 and gives conclusions      
without facts1 or furnishes the false   
data from which the logical faculty     
draws false principles4 ,we mention     
these things to show how easy it is to  
be deceived1 by our imaginations1 with  
regard to the causes of outward         
phenomena1 and that the only legitimate 
and trustworthy process in arriving at a
 solution of the mysteries of nature is1
 to furnish the reason with facts1 and  
exclude the influence of imagination4 ,a
 blind precipitation of faith is also a 
fatal influence to all correct          
reasoning2 for it rouses the action of  
the imagination1 and long before the    
reason can possibly give a correct      
deduction1 credulity and imagination    
have conjured one up2 and this will be  

the more insisted upon as the only      
correct conclusion1 as it is the least  
possessed of the real truth and the     
action of reason4 ,hence it is that     
those persons who are most ignorant of  
the principles of nature are the more   
positive and precipitate in their       
decisions upon any question of mystery4 
,they know that there is no natural     
explanation1 and the man is a fool who  
attempts to find one4 7,page #cd47  ,the
 first case we shall quote from the     
above work occurred in ,woodbridge1 ,new
 ,jersey1 and was published at the time 
in the ,newark ,daily ,advertiser4 ,the 
phenomena made their appearance in the  
family of ,mr4 ,j4 ,barron1 consisting1 
for the most part1 of unusual sounds    
accompanying a servant girl4  ,the first
 sounds were those of a loud thumping1  
apparently against the side of the      
house1 which commenced one evening1 when
 the family had retired1 and continued  
at short intervals until daylight1 when 
it ceased4  ,the next evening it        

commenced at nightfall1 when it was     
ascertained to be mysteriously connected
 with the movements of a servant girl in
 the family--a white girl1 about        
fourteen years of age4 ,while passing a 
window1 on the stairs1 for example1 a   
sudden jar1 accompanied with an         
explosive sound1 broke a pane of glass1 
the girl at the same time being seized  
with a violent spasm4 ,this1 of course1 
very much alarmed her2 and the          
physician1 ,dr4 ,drake1 was sent for1   
who came and bled her4 ,the bleeding1   
however1 produced no apparent effect4   
,the noise still continued1 as before1  
at intervals1 wherever the girl went1   
each sound producing more or less of a  
spasm2 and the physician1 with all the  
family1 remained up during the night4   
,at daylight the thumping ceased again4 
,in the evening the same thing was      
repeated1 commencing a little earlier   
than before2 and so every evening since1
 continuing each night until morning1   
and commencing each night a little      

earlier than before1 until yesterday1   
when the thumping began about twelve    
o'clock at noon4 ,the circumstances were
 soon generally spread through the      
neighborhood1 and produced so much      
excitement that the house was filled1   
and surrounded from sunrise to sunset1  
for nearly a week4 ,every imaginable    
means were resorted to1 in order to     
unravel the phenomenon4 ,at one time the
 girl would be removed from one         
apartment to another1 but without       
effect4 ,wherever she was placed1 at    
certain intervals1 the thumping would be
 heard in the room4 ,she was taken to a 
neighboring house4 ,the same result     
followed4 ,when carried out of doors1   
however1 no noise was heard4 ,dr4       
,drake1 who was constant in his         
attendance during the whole period1     
occasionally aided by other scientific  
observers1 was with us last evening for 
two hours1 when we were politely allowed
 a variety of experiments with the girl1
 in addition to those heretofore tried1 

to satisfy ourselves that there is no   
imposition in the case1 and1 if         
possible1 to discover the secret agent  
of the mystery4 ,the girl was in an     
upper room1 with a part of the family1  
when we reached the house4 ,the noise   
then resembled that which would be      
produced by a person violently thumping 
the upper floor with the head of an axe1
 five or six times in succession1       
jarring the house1 ceasing a few        
minutes1 and then resuming as before4   
,we were soon introduced into the       
apartment1 and permitted to observe for 
ourselves4 ,the girl appeared to be in  
perfect health1 cheerful1 and free from 
the spasms felt at first1 and entirely  
relieved from every thing like the fear 
or apprehension which she manifested for
 some days4 ,the invisible noise1       
however1 continued to occur as before1  
though somewhat diminished in frequency1
 while we were in the room4 ,in order to
 ascertain more satisfactorily that she 
did not produce it voluntarily1 among   

other experiments we placed her on a    
chair on a blanket in the centre of the 
room1 bandaged the chair with a cloth1  
fastening her feet on the front round1  
and confining her hands together on her 
lap4 ,no change1 however1 was produced4 
,the thumping continued as before1      
excepting that it was not quite so loud4
 ,the noise resembled that which would  
be produced by stamping on the floor    
with a heavy heel2 yet she did not move 
a limb or muscle1 that we could         
discover4 ,she remained in this position
 long enough to satisfy all in the room 
that the girl exercised1 voluntarily1 no
 sort of agency in producing the noise4 
,it was observed that the noise became  
greater the farther she was removed from
 any other person4 ,we placed her in the
 doorway of a closet in the room1 the   
door being ajar1 to allow her to stand  
in the passage4 ,in less than one minute
 the door flew open1 as if violently    
struck with a mallet1 accompanied with  
precisely such a noise as such a thump  

would produce4 ,this was repeated       
several times1 with the same effect4 ,in
 short1 in whatever position she was    
placed1 whether in or out of the room1  
similar results1 varied a little perhaps
 by circumstances1 were produced4 ,there
 is certainly no deception in the case4 
,the noise was heard at least one       
hundred yards from the house4  ,in this 
case1 no suspicions were entertained by 
the investigators that there was any    
supernatural or spiritual power         
manifested1 as there was no             
manifestations of intelligence4 ,they   
were purely physical phenomena4  ,the   
next case we shall notice we copy from  
the ,spiritual ,telegraph of ,july #c1  
#aheb1 taken from an old ,new ,york     
paper1 dated ,march #aj1 #aghi4 ,the    
extract is as follows3--  ,sir3 ,were ,i
 to relate the many extraordinary1      
though not less true accounts ,i have   
heard concerning that unfortunate girl  
at ,new ,hackensack1 your belief might  
perhaps be staggered and patience tired4

 ,i shall therefore only inform you of  
what ,i have been an eye-witness to4    
,last ,sunday afternoon my wife and     
myself went to ,dr4 ,thorn's1 and after 
sitting for some time1 we heard a       
knocking under the feet of a young woman
 that lives in the family2 ,i asked the 
doctor what occasioned the noise3 he    
could not tell1 but replied1 that he1   
together with several others1 had       
examined the house1 but were unable to  
discover the cause4 ,i then took a      
candle and went with the girl into the  
cellar3 there the knocking also         
continued2 but as we were ascending the 
stairs to return1 ,i heard a prodigious 
rapping on each side1 which alarmed me  
very much4 ,i stood still some time1    
looking around with amazement1 when ,i  
beheld some lumber1 which lay at the    
head of the stairs1 shake considerably4 
,about eight or ten days after1 we      
visited the girl again3 the knocking was
 again heard1 but much louder than      
before4 ,our curiosity induced us to pay

 the third visit1 when the phenomena    
were still more alarming4 ,i then saw   
the chairs move2 a large dining table   
was thrown against me1 and a small      
stand1 on which stood a candle1 was     
tossed up and thrown into my wife's lap2
 after which we left the house1 much    
surprised at what we had seen4          
,catharine ,crowe1 in her ,night ,side  
of ,nature1 mentions several            
well-authenticated cases of this        
character1 and other writers have       
noticed the same phenomena4 ,a case is  
given on the #dajth page of ,miss       
,crowe's work--that of a young officer  
in the ,english army1 who1 wherever he  
went1 whether in camp or at home1 or    
among strangers1 was liable to be       
tormented with these noises at night4   
,although they gave no particular marks 
of intelligence1 yet they were regarded 
by his relatives with an abundance of   
superstition4 ,they considered him      
haunted4  ,when these sounds commenced1 
he would sit up in bed1 and express his 

anger in strong execrations4 ,if a cage 
bird was in his room1 it was certain to 
be found dead in the morning2 or if he  
kept a dog in the apartment1 it would   
make away from him as soon as released1 
and never come near him again4  ,the    
phenomena in ,dr4 ,phelps's case1       
already mentioned in this volume1       
consisted in the moving of articles of  
furniture in a manner that could not be 
accounted for4 ,knives1 forks1 spoons1  
nails1 blocks of wood1 c41 were thrown  
in different directions about the house1
 when there appeared no visible power by
 which the motion could have been       
produced4 ,a writer in the ,new ,haven  
,journal and ,courier testifies1 that   
while he was present1 the contents of   
the pantry were emptied into the        
kitchen1 and bags of salt1 tin ware1 and
 heavy cooking utensils were thrown in a
 promiscuous heap upon the floor1 with a
 loud and startling noise4 ,loaves of   
delicious cake were scattered about the 
house4 ,the large knocker of the outside

 door would thunder its fearful tones   
through the loud-resounding hall1 chairs
 would deliberately move across the     
room1 heavy marble-top tables would     
poise themselves upon two legs1 and then
 fall with their contents to the        
floor--no person being within six feet  
of them4  ,on the #ast of ,october1     
#ahej1 ,mrs4 ,phelps and her two        
children left home for ,pennsylvania3   
with this the phenomena ceased4 ,the    
doctor remained at his house five weeks 
after1 without disturbance4 ,it was     
ascertained that these and other        
manifestations were less frequent and   
feebler when but one of the children was
 in the house2 and that they were more  
frequent in connection with the lad1    
7one of the above children17 eleven     
years of age4  ,these children had      
frequently been mesmerized into the     
trance state by their father2 and one of
 them was subject to spontaneous trance1
 and at one time was found in the barn  
in a cataleptic state4 ,since the return

 of the doctor's family1 in the spring  
of #ahea1 he has kept the two children  
separate1 the boy being away1 lest his  
presence would occasion a recurrence of 
the same phenomena4 ,simultaneous with  
the phenomena1 the boy would frequently 
start while asleep in bed4  ,analogous  
to the above are the wonderful          
occurrences which took place at         
,stockwell1 ,england1 in ,january1      
#aggb1 as related in the work entitled  
,night ,side of ,nature1 page #cgj4 ,we 
shall only give the most important      
particulars of the case1 leaving the    
reader to consult the work itself4  ,on 
,monday1 ,january #f1 #aggb1 about ten  
o'clock in the forenoon1 as ,mrs4       
,golding 7the hostess7 was in the       
parlor1 she heard the china and glasses 
in the kitchen tumble down and break2   
her maid came to her1 and told her the  
stone plates were falling from the      
shelf2 ,mrs4 ,golding went into the     
kitchen1 and saw them broken4 ,presently
 after1 a row of plates from the next   

shelf fell down likewise1 while she was 
there1 and nobody near them3 this       
astonished her much1 and while she was  
thinking about it1 other things in      
different places began to tumble about1 
some of them breaking1 attended with    
violent noises all over the house2 a    
clock tumbled down1 and the case broke4 
,the destruction increased with the     
wonder and terror of ,mrs4 ,golding4    
,wherever she went1 accompanied by the  
servant girl1 this dreadful waste of    
property followed4  ,mrs4 ,golding1 in  
her terror1 fled to a neighbor's1 where 
she immediately fainted4 ,a surgeon was 
called1 and she was bled4 ,the blood1   
which had hardly congested1 was seen all
 at once to spring out of the basin upon
 the floor1 and presently after1 the    
basin burst to pieces1 and a bottle of  
rum1 that stood by it1 broke at the same
 time4  ,mrs4 ,golding went to a second 
neighbor's1 as the articles she had     
conveyed to the first were being        
destroyed4 ,and while the maid remained 

at the first neighbor's1 ,mrs4 ,golding 
was not disturbed2 but when putting up  
what few things remained unbroken of her
 mistress's in a back apartment1 a jar  
of pickles1 that stood upon a table1    
turned upside down1 and other things    
were broken to pieces4  ,meantime the   
disturbances had ceased at ,mrs4        
,golding's house1 and but little        
occurred at the neighbors'1 while ,mrs4 
,golding and her servant remained apart4
 ,but as soon as they came into each    
other's company1 the disturbance would  
begin again4  ,about five o'clock on    
,tuesday morning1 ,mrs4 ,golding went to
 the chamber of her niece1 and desired  
her to get up1 as the noises and        
destruction were so great she could     
continue in the house no longer3 at this
 time1 all the tables1 chairs1 drawers1 
c41 were tumbling about4 ,in consequence
 of this resolution1 ,mrs4 ,golding and 
her maid went over the way to ,richard  
,fowler's4 ,the maid returned to ,mrs4  
,pain's1 to help this lady dress her    

children4 ,at this time all was quiet4  
,they then repaired to ,fowler's1 and   
then began the same scenes as had       
happened at the other places4 ,it must  
be remarked that all was quiet here as  
well as elsewhere1 till the maid        
returned4  ,when they reached ,mr4      
,fowler's1 he began to light a fire in  
his back room4 ,when done1 he put the   
candlestick upon the table in the fore  
room4 ,this apartment ,mrs4 ,golding and
 her maid had just passed through4 ,this
 candlestick1 and another with a tin    
lamp in it1 that stood by it1 were      
dashed together1 and fell to the ground4
 ,a lantern1 with which ,mrs4 ,golding  
had been lighted across the road1 sprang
 from a hook to the ground4 ,a basket of
 coals tumbled over1 and the coals      
rolled about the room4  ,mrs4 ,golding  
and her servant now returned home1 when 
similar scenes were repeated4 ,mr4 ,pain
 then desired ,mrs4 ,golding to send her
 maid for his wife to come to them4     
,when she was gone all was quiet4 ,when 

she returned she was immediately        
discharged1 and no disturbances happened
 afterwards4  ,the account gives us the 
following particulars1 namely3 that the 
phenomena always depended upon the      
presence of the servant maid1 and that  
they always occurred with the greatest  
energy when the mistress was in the     
company of the maid2 also that1 when the
 maid passed through a room alone1 there
 would be little or no disturbance of   
its contents1 but if she was soon after 
followed by ,mrs4 ,golding1 various     
articles would begin to play the most   
singular pranks4 ,very often one article
 would be attracted by another1 or they 
would fly towards each other1 and       
striking together1 fall upon the floor  
as if both had been charged with some   
physical agent which made them act like 
opposite poles4 ,then1 also1 they would 
fly from one another1 as by repulsive   
forces4 ,every thing which ,mrs4        
,golding had touched seems to have been 
in some way affected1 so that           

afterwards1 on the approach of the maid1
 it would be broken to atoms1 sometimes1
 even1 without her touch4 ,the blood of 
,mrs4 ,golding was highly susceptible   
under the same circumstances1 and the   
bowl in which it was contained and the  
glass ware standing by it burst to      
pieces4  ,in the year #ahce1 a suit was 
brought before the sheriff of           
,edinburgh1 ,scotland1 for the recovery 
of damages suffered in a certain house  
owned by a ,mr4 ,webster4 ,captain      
,molesworth was the defendant at the    
trial4 7,see ,night ,side of ,nature1   
page #djj47 ,the following facts were   
developed3 ,mr4 ,molesworth had         
seriously damaged the house both as to  
substance and reputation4  ,first4 ,by  
sundry holes which he cut in the walls1 
tearing up the floors1 c41 to discover  
the cause of certain noises which       
tormented himself and family4  ,second4 
,by the bad name he had given the house1
 stating that it was haunted4 ,witnesses
 for the defendant were sheriff's       

officers1 justices of the peace1 and    
officers of the regiment quartered near2
 all of whom had been at the said house 
sundry times to aid ,captain ,molesworth
 detect the invisible cause of so much  
disturbance4  ,the disturbance consisted
 in certain noises1 such as knockings1  
pounding1 scratching sounds1 rustlings  
in different parts of a particular room2
 sometimes1 however1 in other parts of  
the house4 ,certain boards of the floor 
would seem to be at times infected with 
the noises2 then certain points in the  
walls1 at which ,mr4 ,molesworth would  
point his gun1 or cut into with an axe1 
all to no purpose4  ,the bed on which a 
young girl1 aged thirteen years1 had    
been confined by disease1 would very    
often be raised above the floor1 as if a
 sudden force was applied beneath it1   
which would greatly alarm her and the   
whole family1 and cause the greatest    
perplexity4 ,the concussions which were 
often produced on the walls would cause 
them visibly to tremble4 ,the force that

 produced these results was soon        
discovered to be in some strange way    
connected with this invalid1 and        
wherever the young invalid was moved    
this force accompanied her4  ,it is     
plainly exhibited1 in the cases just    
given1 that no characteristics of       
spiritual agency are exhibited1 but     
those1 on the contrary1 of a mere       
physical power1 associated with the     
organism of certain persons4 ,we have   
not1 says ,mr4 ,rogers1 the least       
possible evidence that any spirit1      
demoniacal or angelic1 had any hand in  
performing the wild antics among        
crockery and furniture which we have    
seen performed in the accounts given4   
,for it is admitted that a spiritual    
agent is an intelligent agent4 ,its     
characteristics are those of            
intelligence1 as every one admits4      
,wherever1 therefore1 these             
characteristics are wanting in a class  
of phenomena1 it is blindly absurd1     
greatly superstitious1 even to draw the 

inference that they are spiritual       
phenomena4 ,but what shall be said when 
it is asserted as a veritable certainty1
 and the crowd is made to stretch their 
throats and swallow the absurdity       
without a moment's examination8 ,is it  
possible we are to be driven to the     
conclusion that the ground of faith in  
spirituality is identical with that of  
ignorance1 superstition1 fanaticism1    
bigotry8  ,we shall now proceed to give 
the case of ,angelique ,cottin1 as      
reported in the ,night ,side of ,nature1
 and in the ,courrier des ,etats ,unis1 
and the investigations of the case as   
reported by ,m4 ,arago1 before the      
,paris ,academy of ,sciences1 #afth of  
,february1 #ahdf4  ,angelique ,cottin   
was a native of ,la ,perriere1 aged     
fourteen1 when1 on the #aeth of         
,january1 #ahdf1 at eight o'clock in the
 evening1 while weaving silk gloves at  
an oaken frame1 in company with other   
girls1 the frame began to jerk1 and they
 could not by any efforts keep it       

steady4 ,it seemed as if it were alive2 
and becoming alarmed1 they called in the
 neighbors1 who would not believe them1 
but desired them to sit down and go on  
with their work4 ,being timid1 they went
 one by one1 and the frame remained     
still till ,angelique approached1 when  
it recommenced its movements1 while she 
was also attracted by the frame4        
,thinking she was bewitched or          
possessed1 her parents took her to the  
presbytery1 that the spirit might be    
exorcised1 or cast out4 ,the curate1    
being a sensible man1 objected1 but set 
himself to work to observe the          
phenomenon1 and being satisfied of the  
facts of the case1 he bade them take her
 to a physician4  ,meanwhile1 the       
intensity of the influence1 whatever it 
was1 augmented2 not only articles made  
of oak1 but all sorts of things1 were   
acted upon by it1 and reacted upon her1 
while persons who were near her1 even   
without contact1 frequently felt        
electric shocks4 ,the effects1 which    

were diminished when she was on a carpet
 or a waxed cloth1 were most remarkable 
when she was on the bare earth4 ,they   
sometimes entirely ceased for three     
days1 and then recommenced4 ,metals were
 not affected4 ,any thing touching her  
apron or dress would fly off1 although a
 person held it2 and ,monsieur ,herbert1
 while seated on a heavy tub or trough1 
was raised up with it4 ,in short1 the   
only place she could repose on was a    
stone covered with cork4 ,they also kept
 her still by isolating her4 ,when she  
was fatigued the effects diminished4 ,a 
needle1 suspended horizontally1         
oscillated rapidly with the motion of   
her arm1 without contact2 or remained   
fixed while deviating from the magnetic 
direction4 ,great numbers of enlightened
 medical and scientific men witnessed   
these phenomena1 and investigated them  
with every precaution to prevent        
imposition4 ,she was often hurt by the  
violent involuntary movements she was   
thrown into1 and was evidently afflicted

 by chorea1 or ,st4 ,vitus's            
dance4--,night ,side of ,nature1 page   
#chb4  ,the ,french paper mentions the  
circumstance that while ,angelique was  
at work in the factory1 the cylinder she
 was turning was suddenly thrown a      
considerable distance without any       
visible cause2 that this was repeated   
several times2 that all the young girls 
in the factory fled1 and ran to the     
curate to have him exorcise the young   
girl1 believing she had a devil4 ,after 
the priest had consigned her to the     
physician's care1 the physician1 with   
the father and mother1 brought          
,angelique to ,paris4 ,m4 ,arago        
received her1 and took her to the       
observatory1 and in the presence of     
,,mm4 ,laugier and ,goujon made the     
following observations1 which were      
reported to the ,paris ,academy of      
,sciences3--  ,first4 ,it is the left   
side of the body which appears to       
acquire this sometimes attractive1 but  
more frequently repulsive1 property4 ,a 

sheet of paper1 a pen1 or any other     
light body1 being placed upon a table1  
if the young girl approaches her left   
hand1 even before she touches it1 the   
object is driven to a distance as by a  
gust of wind4 ,the table itself is      
overthrown the moment it is touched by  
her hand1 or even by a thread which she 
may hold in it4  ,second4 ,this causes  
instantaneously a strong commotion in   
her side1 which draws her towards the   
table2 but it is in the region of the   
pelvis that this singular repulsive     
force appears to concentrate itself4    
,third4 ,as had been observed the first 
day1 if she attempted to sit1 the seat  
was thrown far from her1 with such force
 that any other person occupying it was 
carried away with it4  ,fourth4 ,one day
 a chest upon which three men were      
seated was moved in the same manner4    
,another day1 although the chair was    
held by two very strong men1 it was     
broken between their hands4  ,fifth4    
,these phenomena are not produced in a  

continued manner4 ,they manifest        
themselves in a greater or less degree1 
and from time to time during the day2   
but they show themselves in their       
intensity in the evening1 from seven to 
nine o'clock4  ,sixth4 ,then the girl is
 obliged to continue standing1 and is in
 great agitation4  ,seventh4 ,she can   
touch no object without breaking it or  
throwing it upon the ground4  ,eighth4  
,all the articles of furniture which her
 garments touch are displaced and       
overthrown4  ,ninth4 ,at that moment    
many persons have felt1 by coming in    
contact with her1 a true electrical     
shock4  ,tenth4 ,during the entire      
duration of the paroxysms1 the left side
 of the body is warmer than the right   
side4  ,eleventh4 ,it is affected by    
jerks1 unusual movements1 and a kind of 
trembling which seems to communicate    
itself to the hand which touches it4    
,twelfth4 ,this young person presents1  
moreover1 a peculiar sensibility to the 
action of the magnet4 ,when she         

approaches the north pole of the magnet 
she feels a violent shock1 while the    
south pole produces no effect2 so that  
if the experimenter changes the poles1  
but without her knowledge1 she always   
discovers it by the difference of       
sensations which she experiences4       
,thirteenth4 ,the general health of     
,angelique is very good4 ,the           
extraordinary movements1 however1 and   
the paroxysms observed every evening1   
resemble what one observes in some      
nervous maladies4  ,the great fact      
demonstrated in this case1 says ,e4 ,c4 
,rogers1 is1 that1 under peculiar       
conditions1 the human organism gives    
forth a physical power which1 without   
visible instruments1 lifts heavy bodies1
 attracts or repels them according to a 
law of polarity1 overturns them1 and    
produces the phenomena of sound4 ,so far
 as the mere movement of objects1 even  
of great weight1 in connection with     
certain persons1 is concerned1 whether  
in the phenomena of the so called       

'spiritual manifestations1' or out of   
them1 the immediate agent is a physical 
one1 and is identical throughout4 ,none 
but the most ignorant can deny this4    
,for a further delineation of the facts 
in this case1 and deductions therefrom1 
we refer the reader to the work of ,mr4 
,rogers1 on the ,dynamic ,laws and      
,relations of ,man4  ,the next case we  
shall refer to is that of ,frederica    
,hauffe1 of the town of ,prevorst1 in   
the mountainous parts of ,germany4 ,it  
was found that in her hands1 at a very  
early age1 the hazel wand pointed out   
metals and water4 ,it was also found    
that1 in certain localities1 the        
influences from the earth had a very    
powerful effect upon her susceptible    
nerves4 ,it was frequently observed by  
the one she often accompanied in his    
walks through solitary places1 that     
though she was skipping ever so gayly by
 his side1 at certain spots a kind of   
seriousness and shuddering came over    
her1 which for a long time he could not 

comprehend4 ,he also observed that she  
experienced the same sensations in      
churchyards1 and in churches where there
 were graves2 and that1 in such         
churches1 she never could remain below1 
but was obliged to repair to the        
galleries4 ,superstition1 it is true1   
has always claimed such facts as parts  
of her ghostly superstructure2 but they 
are too material for this4  ,frederica  
was almost constantly in a magnetic     
state1 and in this condition frequently 
communicated what was taking place at a 
distance1 and was aware of producing    
sounds in space1 and some ways off2 but 
this being found to materially injure   
her1 the habit was abandoned4 ,she had a
 very high degree of susceptibility to  
mundane influences1 and the effect was1 
that mineral loads and subterranean     
currents acted through her upon a simple
 stick held in her hand4  ,at one time  
she was attacked with nervous fever1    
which continued fourteen days with great
 violence4 ,this was followed by seven  

years of ,,magnetic ,,life1 interrupted 
only by very short and merely apparent  
intervals4 ,after the fever1 she was    
attacked with spasms in the breast1     
which continued three days4 ,on the     
second day1 a peasant's wife came from  
the village1 and seating herself beside 
her1 said1 ,she needs no physicians2    
they cannot help her2 and laid her hands
 on her forehead4 ,immediately she was  
seized with the most direful spasms1 and
 her forehead was as cold as if she was 
dead4 ,during the whole night she cried 
deliriously that the woman had exercised
 a demoniacal influence upon her2 and   
whenever the woman returned she was     
always attacked with spasms4 ,on the    
third day they sent for a physician2 and
 being then in a magnetic condition1 she
 cried to him when he entered1 although 
she had never seen him1 ,if you are a   
physician1 you must help me6 ,he1 well  
understanding her malady1 laid his hands
 on her head2 and it was remarked that1 
as long as he remained in the room1 she 

saw and heard him alone1 and was        
insensible to the presence of all other 
persons4 ,the same kind of exclusive    
attachment has been seen in cases of    
persons who have fallen under the       
peculiar influence of the magnet or a   
crystal1 thus showing the relation of   
mundane agencies to the psychological   
nerve centres1 as well as to the nerve  
centres in the spine1 and among the     
viscera4  ,after her physician had laid 
his hands on her she became calm1 and   
slept for some hours4 ,some internal    
remedies and a bath were prescribed for 
her2 but the spasms returned in the     
night1 and for eighteen weeks she was   
attacked by them from twice to five or  
six times a day4 ,all the remedies      
prescribed proving inefficacious1       
recourse was had to magnetic passes1    
which1 for a time1 relieved the spasms4 
,it was amid such sufferings and such   
influences that1 in the month of        
,february1 #ahbc1 after extreme         
tortures1 she gave birth to her first   

child4 ,this event was followed1 for    
some time1 by additional ills4 ,the     
following is a somewhat curious         
circumstance1 and goes to show the      
influence which one organization will   
have upon another1 when a certain       
relation is established between them4   
,it is this3 ,the woman who1 on a former
 occasion1 had exerted so unhappy an    
influence upon the mother1 produced     
precisely the same effects upon the     
child4 ,her contact with it threw it    
into spasms1 and the convulsions became 
periodical until its death4  ,about a   
year after the birth of her child1 being
 laughed at for her superstition1 she   
was thrown into a state of rigid spasm1 
and became as cold and stiff as a       
corpse4 ,for a long time no respiration 
was visible4 ,she lay as in a dream4 ,in
 this peculiar condition she spoke for  
three days entirely in verse and at     
another1 she saw1 for the same period1  
nothing but a ball of fire1 that ran    
through her whole body as if on thin    

bright threads4 ,and then1 for three    
days1 she felt as if water was falling  
upon her head1 drop by drop2 and it was 
at this time that she saw her own image4
 ,she saw it clad in white1 seated on a 
stool1 whilst she was lying in bed4 ,she
 contemplated the vision for some time1 
and would have cried out1 but could not2
 at length she made herself heard1 and  
her husband entering1 it disappeared4   
,her susceptibility was now so great    
that she heard and felt what happened at
 a distance1 and was so sensible to     
external agencies1 that the nails in the
 walls affected her1 which obliged her  
friends to remove them4 ,the least light
 had a powerful influence upon her      
nervous system1 and could not be        
endured4  ,she was now induced to take a
 medicine which made her more calm1 but 
threw her into a deeper trance4 ,still  
she could not endure the sunlight4 ,she 
was taken in a darkened carriage to her 
home on the mountains4 ,here she        
existed1 says her physician1 only       

through the nervous emanation of others1
 and it became necessary that some one  
should always hold her hand2 and if the 
person was weak1 it increased her       
debility4 ,the physician prescribed     
magnetic passes and medicines1 but she  
fell into a magnetic sleep1 and then    
prescribed for herself4 ,her greatest   
suffering arose from the sensation of   
having a stone in her head4 ,it seemed  
as if her brain was compressed1 and at  
every breath she drew1 the motion pained
 her4 ,at this time a large magnet was  
applied to her forehead2 immediately her
 head and face were turned round1 and   
her mouth distorted as by a stroke of   
palsy4 ,on the #bhth of ,december she   
gave birth to her second child1 which   
was followed1 as before1 by a long and  
severe illness4 ,she continued          
constantly in a magnetic state4 ,persons
 of various tempers now became her      
magnetizers4 ,the effects of these      
different nervous temperaments upon hers
 were very serious4 ,it brought her into

 special relation to so many persons1   
that1 even at a distance1 they affected 
her1 visions of whom would appear to her
 like visions of spirits4 ,this1        
moveover1 brought her into a deeper     
magnetic condition1 and rendered her    
more dependent on the nervous energy of 
others4 ,another physician was employed 
from a distance4 ,he gave her an amulet 
to wear1 composed of certain substances1
 and a small magnet1 all arranged       
together4 ,occasionally this amulet1    
untouched by any one1 would run about   
her head1 breast1 and bed covering1 like
 a live thing4  ,it has already been    
remarked1 that1 in the earlier stage of 
her magnetic state1 she was aware of    
making sounds at a distance4 ,this she  
repeatedly performed1 so that her       
friends at a distance1 as they lay in   
bed1 heard distinctly the sounds4 ,this 
fact being communicated to her          
physician1 ,dr4 ,kerner1 he1 by actual  
experiment and observation1 confirmed   
it4 ,this was not performed by her will1

 which was inactive in her somnambulic  
or cataleptic state1 as well as her     
consciousness4 ,every nerve centre was  
in a most intimate rapport or relation  
with the mundane agencies1 especially   
that which acts in conjunction with the 
nervous force1 and holds every animal in
 a certain connection with every thing  
out of the organism4  ,the father of    
this unfortunate woman inhabited a house
 which formed a part of an old          
cathedral1 where1 it had been reported  
by former tenants1 strange sights had   
been seen1 and strange sounds heard4 ,it
 was in this house1 at the time of her  
somnambulic state1 already spoken of1   
that there were heard unusual knockings 
on the walls1 noises in the air1 and    
other sounds1 which1 as ,dr4 ,kerner    
remarks1 can be testified to by more    
than twenty credible witnesses4 ,there  
was a trampling up and down stairs by   
day and by night to be heard1 but no one
 to be seen1 as well as knockings on the
 walls and in the cellars2 but1 however 

suddenly a person flew to the place to  
try to detect whence the noise          
proceeded1 they could see nothing4 ,if  
they went outside1 the knocking was     
immediately heard inside1 and vice      
versa4 ,the noises at length became so  
perplexing1 that her father declared    
that he could live in the house no      
longer4 ,they were not only audible to  
every body in the house1 but to the     
passengers in the street1 who stopped to
 listen to them as they passed4         
,whenever there was playing on the      
piano1 and singing1 sounds would        
commence on the walls4  ,we have not    
room to mention all the facts in her    
case2 but will add a few of the most    
remarkable4 ,she was very susceptible to
 electrical influences1 and1 what is    
almost incredible1 she had a            
preternatural feeling or consciousness  
of human writing4 ,various minerals     
seemed to have a specific effect1 when  
brought in contact with her4 ,glass and 
rock crystal had a powerful effect in   

waking her from the somnambulic state1  
or in exciting the force within her     
organism4 ,this fact1 and others of this
 character in abundance1 point to the   
peculiar tendency of this force1 in some
 cases of disease1 to act outwardly from
 the nerve centres upon glass ware1     
window glass1 c4 ,we have known a child1
 eight years old1 says ,mr4 ,rogers1 who
 seldom1 at one period1 took hold of a  
glass dish without its soon bursting to 
pieces4 ,in the case of ,frederica1 a   
rock crystal1 placed on the pit of her  
stomach1 and allowed to remain there for
 some time1 would produce a deep state  
of catalepsy4 ,she was affected in the  
same manner by silicious sand and       
gravel1 or even by standing some time   
near a glass window4 ,if she chanced to 
seat herself on a sandstone beach1 she  
was apt to become cataleptic2 and once1 
having been for some time missed1 she   
was at length found at the top of the   
house1 seated on a heap of sand1 so     
rigid1 that she was unable to move away 

from it4 ,whenever she was placed in a  
bath by her medical attendants1 it was  
with a great deal of labor they could   
immerse her body beneath the surface4   
,her specific gravity seemed to be more 
like cork1 or a bladder of air1 than    
that of muscle1 nerve1 and bone4        
,something seemed to pervade her body1  
or to act upon it1 so entirely opposite 
to the centripetal action of the earth1 
as to counteract this law of force in   
the most marked manner4 ,this fact      
suggested to ,dr4 ,kerner a curious     
experiment1 which resulted in the       
development of another important        
phenomenon4 ,he had concluded1 that as  
all these phenomena had taken place more
 or less in conjunction with those      
usually termed magnetic or mesmeric1    
there might be some relation of the     
forces in both1 or indeed they might be 
identical4 ,to test this matter1 he at  
one time placed his fingers against     
hers1 when he found at once there       
existed a mutual attraction1 as between 

two magnets2 and now1 by extending his  
hand upward1 he raised her clear from   
the ground2 thus she was suspended1 as a
 magnet suspends a piece of iron1 or    
another magnet1 simply by a polar force4
 ,this was repeated several times1 and  
afterwards his wife did quite the same  
thing4  ,we have already spoken of the  
action which the sun's light had upon   
her in producing physical effects4      
,among others it was observed that the  
different colored rays produced each a  
specific effect4 ,the light of the moon1
 also1 when she looked at it1 produced  
coldness and shivering1 with melancholy4
 ,the effects of these agents on the    
human organism are clearly explained1 in
 the numbers of an astronomical paper1  
by ,mr4 ,chapman1 of ,philadelphia4  ,on
 touching ,frederica with a finger1     
during an electrical state of the       
atmosphere1 she saw small flashes1 which
 ascended to the ceiling2 from men these
 were colorless1 from women blue2 and   
she perceived emanations of the same    

kind1 and of the same variation of      
color1 from people's eyes4  ,concerning 
the power possessed in the nerve centres
 of this woman1 to produce sounds at a  
distance1 ,dr4 ,kerner remarks as       
follows3 ,as ,i had been told by her    
parents1 before her father's death1     
that1 at the period of her early        
magnetic state1 she was able to make    
herself heard by her friends1 as they   
lay in bed at night1 in the same        
village1 in other houses1 by a          
knocking1--as is said of the dead1--,i  
asked her1 in her sleep1 whether she was
 able to do so now1 and at what         
distance4 ,she answered that she could  
sometimes do it4 ,soon after this1 as we
 were going to bed1 7my children and    
servants being already asleep17 we heard
 a knocking1 as if in the air over our  
heads2 ,there were six knocks1 at       
intervals of half a minute4 ,it was a   
hollow1 yet clear sound1 soft1 but      
distinct4 ,we were certain there was no 
one near us1 nor over us1 from whom it  

could proceed2 and our house stands by  
itself4 ,on the following evening1 when 
she was asleep1 7we had mentioned the   
knocking to nobody whatever17 she asked 
me whether she should soon knock to us  
again2 which1 as she said it was hurtful
 to her1 ,i declined4 ,and yet1 not long
 after this1 ,kerner relates the        
following1 as having taken place at his 
house3 ,on the morning of the #bc;d of  
,march1 #ahcg1 at one o'clock1 ,i       
suddenly awoke1 and heard seven knocks1 
one after another1 at short intervals1  
seeming to proceed from the middle of my
 chamber3 my wife was awakened also2 and
 we could not compare this knocking to  
any ordinary sound4 ,mrs4 ,hauffe lived 
several houses distant from us4  ,on the
 #cjth of the same month1 ,rev4 ,mr4    
,hermann came into rapport or special   
relation with ,mrs4 ,h41 through the    
medium of psychological sympathy1 as    
well as through the physical influence4 
,previous to this he had not been       
troubled with strange sounds at his     

house1 but after that period he was     
awakened every night1 at a particular   
hour1 by a knocking in his              
room1--sometimes on the floor1 and      
sometimes on the walls1--which his wife 
heard as well as himself4 ,in a great   
part of her magnetic state1 ,mrs4 ,h4   
was under a strong state of religious   
feeling1 and was often engaged in       
prayer4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,hermann sympathized 
with her in this1 and with the          
commencement of the rapping in his room1
 he experienced an involuntary          
disposition to pray4 7,see ,mr4         
,rogers's work1 where many such cases   
are given47  ,in elucidation of the     
effect of glass1 sand1 gravel1 c41 upon 
her organism1 we will state an          
additional fact1 as related by her      
physician3 ,on the #bast of ,april1 ,dr4
 ,k4 was at the house of ,mrs4 ,h4 ,the 
window being open1 he saw a quantity of 
gravel come in the window1 which he not 
only saw1 as he says1 'but picked it    
up6' ,to be certain that no one threw it

 in1 he immediately looked out4 ,on     
comparing it1 he found it to be such    
gravel as lay in the front of the house4
  ,now1 let the phenomena we have       
related be put side by side with those  
which occurred at the house of ,rufus   
,elmer1 in ,springfield1 ,massachusetts1
 on the #eth of ,april1 #aheb1 as       
witnessed by ,professor ,wells1 of      
,cambridge1 and others1 and alleged to  
be the work of spirits4  ,first4 ,the   
table was moved in every possible       
direction1 and with great force1 when no
 cause of motion could be perceived4    
,second4 ,the table was forced against  
each one present so powerfully as to    
move them from their positions1 together
 with the chairs they occupied1 in all  
several feet4  ,third4 ,mr4 ,wells and  
,mr4 ,edwards took hold of the table in 
such a manner as to exert their strength
 to the best advantage1 but found the   
invisible power1 exercised in the       
opposite direction1 to be quite equal to
 their utmost efforts4  ,fourth4 ,in two

 instances1 at least1 while the hands of
 all the members of the circle were     
placed on the top of the table1 and     
while no visible power was employed to  
raise the table1 or otherwise to move it
 from its position1 it was seen to rise 
clear of the floor1 and to float in the 
atmosphere for several seconds1 as if   
sustained by a denser medium than the   
air4  ,fifth4 ,mr4 ,wells was rocked to 
and fro with great violence1 and at     
length it poised itself on two legs1 and
 remained in this position for some     
thirty seconds1 when no other person was
 in contact with the table4  ,sixth4    
,three persons1 ,messrs4 ,wells1 ,bliss1
 and ,edwards1 assumed positions on the 
table at the same time1 and while thus  
seated1 the table was moved in various  
directions4  ,seventh4 ,occasionally we 
were made conscious of the occurrence of
 a powerful shock1 which produced a     
vibratory motion of the floor of the    
apartment4 ,it seemed like the motion   
occasioned by distant thunder1 or the   

firing of ordnance far away1 causing the
 tables1 chairs1 and other inanimate    
objects1 and all of us1 to tremble in   
such a manner that the effect was both  
seen and felt4  ,in conclusion1 it was  
observed that ,d4 ,d4 ,hume1 the medium1
 frequently urged the company to hold   
his feet and hands4 ,the room was well  
lighted1 and a lamp was placed on and   
under the table1 and every possible     
opportunity afforded for the closest    
inspection4 ,they were therefore        
positive that there was no deception in 
the case4 ,the conclusion was1 that it  
must be the work of spirits--a singular 
conclusion1 indeed1 for men of such     
standing and acquirements4 ,it might all
 have been accomplished1 biologically2  
but admitting the whole to be literally 
and substantially true1 they fall far   
short of well-attested phenomena1 where 
it was not so much as conjectured even  
to be at all supernatural4  ,the fact is
 incontrovertibly evident1 that physical
 agents1 subtile and unseen1 are every  

where at work4 ,force shows itself1 as  
the elegant ,somerville remarks1 in his 
,connection of the ,physical ,sciences1 
in every thing that exists in the       
heavens or on the earth4 ,there is a    
physical power which not only binds     
satellites to their planet1 and planets 
with suns1 and sun with sun throughout  
the wide extent of creation1 which is   
the cause of the disturbances1 as well  
as the order of nature1 but it          
physically binds man to man1 and man to 
nature4 ,and as every tremor it excites 
in one planet is immediately transmitted
 to the farthest limits of the system1  
in oscillations1 which correspond in    
their periods with the cause producing  
them1 like sympathetic notes in music1  
or vibrations from the deep tones of an 
organ1 so every vibration1 thus excited1
 is transmissible to the delicate       
centres of every organic being1 provided
 the repulsive agent of those beings is 
changed in its relative condition so as 
to admit its influx4 7,see ,geometry and

 ,faith1 by ,rev4 ,t4 ,hill1 of         
,waltham47  ,it is well known to every  
chemist1 that wherever there is chemical
 action going on1 there is a constant   
evolution of some force4 ,now1 that     
there is a constant chemical action     
taking place is certain1 and the sources
 of this action are very numerous4      
,among others1 we have that of water1   
7often holding in solution saline       
ingredients1 thus increasing its action 
upon metallic substances17 which1       
percolating through the surface1 acts   
upon all those surfaces whose materials 
have a strong chemical affinity for the 
oxygen or hydrogen of the water4        
,wherever there is a mineral load the   
development of force is in some         
instances very great4 ,for instance1    
,mr4 ,r4 ,w4 ,fox was able1 by          
connecting two lodes with copper wires1 
and conducting the latter to the surface
 of the earth1 and immersing them in a  
cell which contained a solution of      
sulphate of copper1 to obtain an        

electrotype copy of an engraved         
copperplate4  ,thus the earth itself may
 be made a battery1 as ,robert ,hunt    
says4 ,we know1 he repeats1 that1       
through the superficial strata of the   
earth1 electric currents circulate      
freely1 whether they are composed of    
clay1 sand1 or any mixture of these with
 decomposed organic matter2 indeed1 that
 with any substance in a moist state1   
electric currents suffer no             
interruption4 ,the electricity of       
mineral veins has attracted the         
attention of some of the first          
philosophers of ,europe1 and has led to 
some highly-interesting experiments with
 regard to the action of this important 
agent in the formation1 disposition1 and
 direction of rocks and mineral veins4  
,m4 ,becqueral and others have made use 
of these currents successfully in       
imitating ,nature in her processes of   
making crystals and other mineral       
formations4  ,it is not1 however1       
necessary to suppose that the agent of  

which we are treating particularly      
requires a chemical action to develop   
it1 or the action of the electric force4
 ,experiments have proved that it is    
developed in every form of material     
action--that even the substances of the 
earth1 without sensible alteration1     
exert this force4 ,to this agent the    
sensitive nerve centres are extremely   
susceptible4 ,the celebrated ,ritter1 of
 ,germany1 devoted much time to an      
investigation of this subject1 and1 in  
#ahji1 published ,supplementary         
,treatises upon it1 together with       
,amoretti's celebrated work on the same 
subject--,physical and ,historical      
,inquiries into ,rhabdomancy1 c41 in    
,germany4 7,see ,dr4 ,ashburner's       
,translation of ,rheinbach1 first       
,american edition2 ,redfield47          
,schubert1 in his work on ,natural      
,history1 says1 ,it seems clear1 from   
many observations1 that the whole       
mineral 7and much of the vegetable7     
kingdom has a profound and mysterious   

relation with the organism of man4 ,this
 relation1 says ,rogers1 is that of     
matter with matter connected by an      
imponderable agent4 ,the phenomena which
 betray this1 as a fact of nature1 have 
been observable from the earliest ages4 
,it is certain1 however1 that local     
causes often give developments to such  
strange phenomena1 that it requires all 
the science that can be mustered to keep
 back the tide of superstition which    
will be thus aroused in the breasts of  
those unacquainted with the action of   
these agents4  ,some will ask the       
question1 ,if these things be true1 why 
have we not heard of them before8 ,we   
confess that we know of no other        
possible reason than that such inquiries
 are not posted up1 as they should be1  
in matters of history and science4 ,but1
 before closing this part of our        
subject1 we propose to relate a few more
 incidents1 by way of illustration4  ,in
 the year #ahdi-ej1 certain             
highly-respectable houses in the city of

 ,new ,york seem to have been all at    
once unaccountably beset with a strange 
power1 which seized upon particular     
parts1 and would not allow any one1 not 
even the members of the families1 to    
touch those seemingly consecrated       
things4 ,whenever this was attempted1 a 
loud1 sharp sound would be instantly    
given1 accompanied with a sharp and     
spiteful flash of light1 as if the agent
 was determined to protect that which it
 had seized upon4 ,but this was not all2
 it would smartly shock the intruder    
with a blow1 as if with an unseen fist1 
or the like4 ,it even seized upon the   
members of these families at times1 and 
would--so to speak--make them apparently
 strike one another1 in an unseen       
manner1 simultaneously4 ,it was often   
the case that a stranger could not call 
at the door without being instantly     
struck on the wrist or elbow1 on        
touching the knob of the door bell2 and 
he would see1 at the same instant1 an   
angry flash of light1 as if from some   

demon's eye4 ,the ladies were not       
allowed to kiss each other without each 
receiving1 on the approach of their     
lips1 a fiery smack1 as from a spirit's 
lips4 ,the dear little ones of these    
families were prevented from giving     
their mothers the parting salutation on 
retiring for the night4  ,there seemed  
to be a great deal of cunning shown by  
this agency4 ,if the lady of the house  
did not think to pay all due deference  
to its rules1 when she wished to give   
orders to the servants below through the
 metallic speaking tube1 she was sure to
 receive an unseen blow in the mouth1   
almost sufficient to stagger her3 at the
 same instant she would see the flash of
 what might have been taken for a       
'fiery1' if not for an 'evil eye4'      
,professor ,loomis visited these        
dwellings1 7see ,annual of ,scientific  
,discovery1 #ahea1 page #abi17 and      
observed these phenomena4 ,he perceived 
the flash whenever the hand was brought 
near to the knob of the door1 also to   

the gilded frame of a mirror1 the gas   
pipes1 or any metallic body1 especially 
when this body communicated freely with 
the earth4 ,in one house1 says this     
scientific gentleman1 in his description
 before the ,american ,scientific       
,association1 at ,new ,haven1 in one    
house1 which ,i have had the opportunity
 to examine1 a child1 in taking hold of 
the knob of a door1 received so severe a
 shock that it ran off in great fright4 
,in passing from one parlor to the      
other1 if the lady of the house chanced 
to step upon the brass plate which      
served as a slide for the folding doors1
 she received an unpleasant shock in the
 foot4 ,when she touched her finger to  
the chandelier1 there appeared a        
brilliant spark1 and a snap4 ,after a   
careful examination of several cases of 
this kind1 ,professor ,loomis came to   
the conclusion that the electricity is  
created 7excited7 by the friction of the
 shoes of the inmates upon the carpets  
of the house4 ,if the professor is      

correct in his conjecture1 it would     
follow that every house1 says ,mr4      
,rogers1 with similar carpets1 should   
become electrized1 and exhibit similar  
phenomena1 in which case we should have 
observed their appearance at a much     
earlier period1 and the occurrence would
 have been presented much more          
frequently and extensively4 ,yet the    
phenomena is every whit electrical2     
hence we are led by them to see1 that   
when local circumstances are favorable1 
an agent may be developed in our midst1 
which may play the most singular pranks1
 which1 it is more than probable1 may be
 attributed to supernatural1 and even to
 ,,spiritual powers1 if the witnesses   
should be ignorant of those             
characteristics which identify them with
 a well-known agent4 ,had the           
characteristics in the above been       
contrary to those of any known agent1   
although the phenomena had been entirely
 physical1 how many would have leaped to
 the conclusion1 without a moment's     

thought or investigation1 that the force
 was a power of the invisible spirit    
world8 ,with regard to the phenomena of 
the present day1 reason has been        
entirely set aside2 hence the           
precipitate conclusion concerning them1 
even by many who lay great claim to its 
use and application to all other        
subjects4 ,we have been truly astonished
 at the course of such persons4  ,we    
shall now present a few cases that bear 
a closer analogy to electricity1        
perhaps1 than those we have been        
considering4 ,the first we shall speak  
of is that of the two ,smyrna girls1 who
 visited ,france in #ahci1 and exhibited
 what was called their electrical       
powers1 in moving tables without        
contact4 ,the account was published in  
the ,boston ,weekly ,magazine1 of       
,december #bh1 #ahci4 ,the two girls    
landed at ,marseilles1 about the first  
of ,november1 #ahci4 ,in hopes of       
realizing a splendid fortune1 they      
intended to exhibit themselves in       

,france1 and other parts of the         
continent4 ,immediately on their        
arrival1 several persons1 including     
several men of science and professors1  
visited them1 and ascertained the       
following phenomena3--  ,first4 ,the    
girls stationed themselves1 facing each 
other1 at the ends of a large table1    
keeping at a distance from it of one or 
two feet1 according to their electrical 
dispositions4  ,second4 ,when a few     
minutes had elapsed1 a crackling1 like  
that of electric fluid spreading over   
gilt paper1 was heard1 when1--  ,third4 
,the table received a strong shake1     
which always made it advance from the   
,,elder to the younger sister4  ,fourth4
 ,a key1 nails1 or any piece of iron    
placed on the table instantaneously     
stopped the phenomena4  ,fifth4 ,when   
the iron was adapted to the under part  
of the table1 it produced no effect upon
 the experiment4  ,sixth4 ,saving this  
singularity1 the facts observed         
constantly followed the known laws of   

electricity1 whether glass insulators   
were used1 or whether one of the girls  
wore silk garments4 ,in the latter case1
 the electric properties of both were   
neutralized4 ,such was the state of     
matters for some days after the arrival 
of the young ,greeks2 but1--  ,seventh4 
,the temperature having become cooled1  
and the atmosphere having loaded itself 
with humidity1 all perceptible electric 
virtue seemed to have deserted them4    
,one may conceive the melancholy of     
these girls1 the writer continues1 and  
the disappointment of the two ,greeks1  
their relations1 who came with them to  
share their anticipated wealth4  ,in    
this case we have the manifestation of a
 force greatly analogous to that often  
witnessed at the present day4 ,in one   
important respect it acted differently  
from electricity1 in that it was broken 
by simply laying a key or a small piece 
of iron on the object the agent had     
acted upon1 c4 ,it must be admitted1    
however1 says ,mr4 ,rogers1 that the    

fact of the influence of glass          
insulators and the silk dress1 causing a
 cessation of the phenomena1 shows that 
the agent that acted upon the table was1
 in some way1 a form of electricity1    
though greatly varying1 in its laws of  
action1 from that usually known to      
science4 ,we have1 says ,mr4 ,r41 some  
curious facts relating to this modified 
agent1 to present from ,matucci and     
others1 7in the second number of our    
work47  ,from the effects of the        
humidity of the atmosphere1 some may    
conclude that the agent must have been  
electricity1 inasmuch as the same state 
of the atmosphere produces a like effect
 upon the action of friction            
electricity4 ,let us allow this1 and    
turn to precisely the same phenomenon1  
as it has been manifested in the cases  
of numerous 'mediums' for the so-called 
'spiritual manifestations4'  ,we will   
not state it upon our authority alone1  
but also upon that of a large number of 
intelligent believers in the spiritual  

origin of these phenomena1 that the     
electrical condition of the atmosphere  
enters into the circumstances of their  
evolution2 that in a humid state of the 
weather it is not only difficult1 in    
many instances1 but sometimes it is     
absolutely impossible1 to obtain them   
under such a condition4 ,we know that   
many of the less informed mediums       
attribute these failures to the         
capriciousness of the spirits1 and      
frequently scold them soundly for their 
misdemeanors1 though at other times they
 seem to pity them because they get so  
weary and fatigued in answering so many 
inquiries1 and being so long on duty4   
,it was thought by some who witnessed   
the case of ,angelique ,cottin1 that the
 agent which acted so powerfully from   
her organism1 overthrowing tables1      
twisting chairs out of stout men's      
hands1 raising a man in a heavy tub1 was
 electricity4 ,c4 ,crowe says it did    
cause the deviation of the magnetic     
needle2 but ,m4 ,arago1 who knows more  

about this abused agent than a nation of
 theorizers1 could not detect the least 
signs of it by the nicest tests4 ,and   
yet it would give the person who touched
 her or her dress a powerful shock1 as  
if it were electricity4 ,still1 it may  
be the same agent that is ground out of 
plate glass1 that propagates news from  
city to city on iron wires1 and that    
thunders in the material heavens4  ,it  
has been supposed that because1 in many 
instances1 'mediums' have given shocks  
like those given by electrized bodies1  
the two agents must be identical4 ,not  
long since1 a young lady1 about sixteen 
years of age1 ,miss ,harriett ,bebee1   
was placed in a magnetic state1 in      
company with ,mrs4 ,tamlin1 both being  
of a clairvoyant character4 ,the sounds 
were heard while they were in that      
state4 ,every time these occurred a very
 sensible jar1 like an electric shock1  
was experienced by ,miss ,bebee4 ,in    
answer to a question1 she stated that at
 each sound she felt as if there was    

electricity passing over her4 ,several  
of the persons1 in whose presence these 
sounds are heard1 always receive a      
slight shock1 so that there is a slight 
jar1 which has sometimes been so plain  
as to lead persons1 ignorant of the     
facts and the phenomenon1 to accuse them
 of making it themselves4 ,says a writer
 upon this subject1 ,this feeling of    
electricity seems to pervade nearly     
every thing connected with these        
phenomena4 ,when the rapping is heard1  
the peculiar jar is felt1 differing from
 the jar produced by a blow2 and in     
various other ways we are reminded of   
the use of this subtile agent4 ,we often
 see1 in a dark room1 bright electric   
flashes on the wall and other places4   
,the same writer observes1 ,persons     
sometimes feel a sensation of           
electricity passing over their limbs    
when they stand in the vicinity of those
 who get the sounds most freely1        
although the particular persons who seem
 to be the mediums feel no sensation at 

all4 ,in one or two instances we have   
seen a perceptible shock1 as if caused  
by a galvanic battery1 especially when  
the persons were under the influence of 
magnetism4  ,in a work published in     
,cincinnati1 by ,william ,t4 ,coggshall1
 the author says1 ,we have felt positive
 electrical influences from             
clairvoyants4 ,at the present time1 he  
continues1 what is termed 'electrical   
circles' are being formed every week in 
,cincinnati1 for the benefit of persons 
whose systems require additional        
electrical power4 ,we have seen several 
women so powerfully electrized in these 
circles1 that the same effects were     
produced upon them which would have been
 had they been isolated in connection   
with a galvanic battery4 ,so it has been
 seen that1 on touching ,angelique      
,cottin1 a person would receive a true  
electric shock4 ,this kind of shock was 
experienced by ,campeti and ,bleton1 in 
passing over mineral veins and          
subterraneous streams1 as mentioned by  

,dr4 ,ashburner4 ,many somnambulic      
persons1 says ,c4 ,crowe1 are capable of
 giving an electric shock2 and ,i have  
met with one person1 not somnambulic1   
who informed me that he has frequently  
been able to do it by an effort of the  
will4  ,when an iron plate was brought  
near to one of ,reichenbach's patients1 
and a crystal brought in contact with   
it1 the effect upon it was like an      
electric shock1 which even ascended from
 the elbow to the shoulder4 ,many other 
cases might be cited to the same        
purpose4 ,the magnet and iron have a    
specific action upon the nervous system2
 and the same agent acts also from      
crystals1 vegetable substances1 and the 
human hand1 nay1 from the earth itself4 
,the second number of ,mr4 ,rogers's    
work contains some interesting facts of 
this character4  ,vitality1 says ,dr4   
,w4 ,e4 ,channing1 in his ,notes on     
,electricity1 is dependent on physical  
conditions1 and performs its functions  
by the agency of physical forces4 ,the  

,rev4 ,thomas ,hill1 in his ,fragmentary
 ,supplement to the ,ninth ,bridgewater 
,treatise1 observes that all bodies are 
moved through the agency of other       
bodies1 and we see nowhere a motion     
which is not dependent upon physical    
causes1 that is1 which is not produced  
by physical agents4 ,our will employs1  
unconsciously1 the aid of nerve and     
muscle2 the supreme will employs1 with  
wise designs1 the intervention of the   
laws of impulse1 attraction1 and        
repulsion4 ,when1 in the course of ages1
 the comparative easy problems of       
astronomy were solved1 problems of more 
difficulty were brought to view4        
,phenomena which were not obvious1 not  
pictured alphabet1 but the fine print of
 creation1 electrical1 optical1 and     
chemical phenomena1 led men into more   
hidden knowledge4  ,the agents employed 
by the animal organization1 says ,dr4   
,channing1 are principles found         
,,universally ,,in ,,nature1 and1 in    
addition to these1 a force which is     

peculiar to living structures--the      
special agent of vitality4 ,now1 it     
might reasonably be expected1 that if   
electricity1 among other agents found   
universally in nature1 is also          
associated with the agent of the animal 
economy1 it might1 under favorable      
conditions1 exhibit its characteristic  
phenomena4 ,these conditions would1 of  
course1 be owing to a variation of the  
organism from its normal standard4 ,the 
following case1 given by ,dr4           
,ennemoser1 of ,germany1 exhibits some  
of these characteristics3--  ,the case  
was that of a young woman1 sister of a  
professor at ,strasburg4 ,immediately on
 a sudden fright1 she was seized with a 
nervous malady1 which continued for a   
long period1 and finally terminated in  
her death4 ,among the remarkable        
symptoms in her case were the           
following3--  ,first4 ,those of         
somnambulism1 with more or less         
lucidity4  ,second4 ,her body became so 
highly charged with electricity that it 

was necessary to conduct it away by a   
regular process of conduction4  ,third4 
,her body would impart powerful shocks  
to those who came in contact1 and even  
when they did not touch her4  ,fourth4  
,she controlled its action so as to give
 her brother 7the professor7 a smart    
shock when he was several rooms off4    
7,the account states1 that when the     
professor received the shock1 he started
 up and rushed into her chamber1 where  
she was in bed2 and as soon as she saw  
him1 she said1 laughing1 ',ah1 you felt 
it1 did you8'7  ,fifth4 ,she was        
subject1 also1 to spasms and paroxysms  
of rigor and trembling4  ,some of the   
phenomena1 in this case1 resemble those 
we see exhibited by the electric fish4  
,the case is an important one in        
considering the command which the nerve 
centres possess over the general agents 
associated with them4  ,we shall now    
present another singular case1 which    
occurred in this country1 in the month  
of ,january1 #ahci1 an account of which 

was given in ,silliman's ,journal1 by a 
correspondent3--  ,first4 ,that on the  
evening of ,january #bh1 #ahci1 during a
 somewhat extraordinary display of the  
northern lights1 a respectable lady     
became so highly charged with           
electricity1 as to give out vivid       
electrical sparks from the end of each  
finger1 to the face of each of the      
company present4  ,second4 ,that this   
did not cease with the heavenly         
phenomena1 but continued several months1
 during which time she was constantly   
charged and giving off electrical sparks
 to every conductor she approached4     
,this was extremely vexatious1 as she   
could not touch the stove1 or any       
metallic utensil1 without giving off an 
electrical spark1 with the consequent   
twinge4  ,third4 ,that the state most   
favorable to this phenomena was an      
atmosphere of about eighty degrees      
,fahrenheit1 moderate exercise1 and     
social enjoyment4 ,it disappeared in an 
atmosphere approaching zero1 and under  

the debilitating effects of fear4       
,fourth4 ,that1 when seated by the      
stove1 reading1 with her feet upon the  
fender1 she gave sparks at the rate of  
three or four a minute2 and under the   
most favorable circumstances1 a spark   
that could be seen1 heard1 or felt1     
passed every moment4  ,fifth4 ,that she 
could charge others in the same way1    
when insulated1 who could then give     
sparks to others4  ,sixth4 ,to make it  
satisfactory that her dress did not     
produce it1 it was changed to cotton1   
and woollen1 without altering the       
phenomenon4 ,the lady is about thirty1  
of sedentary pursuits1 and delicate     
state of health1 having1 for two years  
previously1 suffered from acute         
rheumatism and neuralgic affections4    
,for further investigation into the     
cause of singular phenomena evolved from
 secret agents1 and the true philosophy 
of biology1 magnetism1 trance1 c41 we   
would again refer to the numbers of a   
work by ,mr4 ,rogers1 now in process of 

publication4 ,his principles and        
deductions challenge successful         
contradiction4     ,,experiments ,,in   
,,biology4   ,biology1 so called1 is one
 peculiar feature1 or form1 of          
mesmerism4 ,these experiments1 says ,dr4
 ,richmond1 attracted much attention    
some three years since1 in ,ohio1 and   
other places1 and such was the intense  
excitement of the public mind that1 in  
some places1 parents and the public were
 obliged to interfere and stop children 
from biologizing each other4 ,it was    
found that not only muscular motion1 but
 the exercise of the senses1 could be   
destroyed by the will of the operator4  
,taste was obliterated1 or changed1     
memory destroyed1 and any picture       
presented to the mind of the subject    
would be seen4 ,tell him he saw snakes1 
and he would become frightened1 and rush
 with violence over the seats and       
benches4 ,tell him he was sleigh riding1
 and he would instantly seize the reins1
 and drive the horses with great glee4  

,tell him he was a witch--an old woman  
in rags--and he would own the character1
 and confess all the crimes with which  
you had charged him4 ,tell him he was a 
gay young lady1 and another subject was 
about to court him1 and a love scene    
would commence4 ,tell him he was cold1  
and he would shiver1 his teeth chatter2 
he would stamp1 and thresh his hands to 
keep them warm4 ,tell him it was        
summer--very hot1 and he would begin    
fanning himself1 fling off his coat1    
and1 unless prevented1 would divest     
himself of all garments tell him that a 
tree of fruit was before him1 and he    
would begin to fill his pockets4 ,sweep 
the room before him1 and open the sky1  
and say that the river of life and a    
white throne were before him1 that the  
judgment was set1 and instantly he would
 assume the attitude of devotion2 he    
would gaze with burning eye and rapt    
delight into the scene of glory4 ,take  
him to a lake side1 tell him a child was
 drowning in the water1 and he would    

wade in1 take it in his arms1 and lay it
 carefully down1 and weep over it in    
deep pity4 ,bring before him the        
lightning's flash1 the thunder's roll1  
or proclaim a ,god in grandeur1 and a   
world on fire1 and1 as once actually    
took place in ,covington1 ,kentucky1 a  
dozen subjects fell in intense fright3  
some on to the floor1 some on benches1  
others sought to fly1 and all declared  
to the audience that a shower of fire   
seemed to be around them4 ,any image the
 operator sees fit to plant in the      
subject's mind is readily done2 any     
passion readily assumed2 reverence1     
revenge1 vanity1 love1 hate1 fear1      
mirth1 joy1 grief1 or ecstasy1 are all  
imitated at his bidding1 and safely     
dispersed and reproduced with the       
rapidity of thought1 changing in an     
instant both the actions and motions of 
the subject4 ,tell the person he is     
suffocating in water1 and he will       
suffocate1 unless you prevent him4 ,tell
 him he is struck on the head1 and he   

falls1 as if stricken down with a       
hammer4 ,no doubt a subject might be    
killed by a mental impression--by saying
 to him he was shot through the heart1  
or was struggling in water4 ,this is the
 opinion of all operators in the art4   
,the subject at the time is1 to all     
appearance1 in a perfectly normal state2
 his mental1 moral1 and physical powers 
seem unchanged1 and he thinks at the    
time he can resist your power over him2 
he but gives you his eye1 and you lead  
him captive by mental impressions4 ,the 
only perceptible variation from the     
normal state is1 that the eye1 in most  
subjects1 is clear and glassy1 the same 
eye that is observed in some maniacs1   
and in consumptive patients--clear1     
sharp1 and fearful to look at4 ,the     
hidden fires of the soul seem to burn   
through it1 with intense force4 ,i have 
watched it for months1 and years1 in    
consumptives1 under the wasting of      
vitality2 and the eye kindles and       
sparkles with more intensity as they    

near their end4 ,all impressible        
subjects have this eye1 to a greater or 
less extent2 all consumptives have it1  
as well as those who in early life are  
inclined to consumption4  ,the facts and
 incidents under the effects of biology 
are truly singular and wonderful2 and   
yet the advocates of the spirit mania   
admit there is nothing supernatural in  
them4 ,for aught we can see1 the        
phenomena put forth by the rappers      
differ not materially from the biologic 
developments4 ,they seem to be identical
 with each other4  ,i know it is        
affirmed that the developments of       
electro-biology do not cover the whole  
ground in dispute1 inasmuch as men and  
women only are found to yield to its    
impressions1 while chairs1 tables1 and  
other inanimate objects remain          
unimpressed4 ,but if chairs and tables  
are not moved by one form of magnetism1 
they are by another1 as we have         
abundantly shown4 ,and any one with half
 an eye cannot but see that it would    

require less effort to move a table1 or 
other inanimate object1 than living1    
intelligent beings1 capable of exerting 
their will in opposition to the effort4 
,dr4 ,richmond says he has seen an      
operator draw a dozen persons from their
 seats1 by the magnetic force of his    
hand1 at the distance of many feet4 ,the
 first move of the hand would bring the 
head forward1 then the body1 and by     
adding his voice1 ',you will stand up1' 
they would1 while resisting with the    
will1 in spite of themselves1 stand up1 
and follow his hand around the room4 ,if
 biologists have not usually exerted    
their power upon inanimate things1 it   
has probably been because they did not  
deem it of sufficient importance4 ,we   
have seen1 however1 a biologist raise a 
table to the ceiling of a room1 kindly  
permitting it to stick there a while1 to
 the no small amusement of the          
spectators6 ,and it can be done again4  
,by the way1 we would inquire what      
biologist is it that has sometimes lent 

his aid in the raising of tables1 at a  
circle in ,east ,boston1 himself an     
unbeliever in spirit table-liftings8    
,the editor of the ,spiritual ,telegraph
 says1 that in the biological           
experiments there is a visible human    
operator1 but1 in the spiritual         
manifestations1 no human operator can be
 found1 or demonstrated to exist4 ,but1 
pray1 what is the medium1 in these      
manifestations1 but a visible human     
operator8 ,sometimes it takes three or  
four persons to produce a single        
demonstration4 ,and sometimes they      
cannot muster force enough to do this1  
especially if the weather be rainy4 ,and
 this is probably the reason why the    
rappers at ,poughkeepsie have resolved  
not to admit unbelievers1 nor at any    
time more than two or three new-comers1 
at a circle1 making1 with the believers1
 ten or twelve in all--successful       
results never being guarantied to those 
invited to attend4  ,mr4 ,brittan       
himself asserts that it is the same     

power that moves the human medium that  
also moves the wooden table1 c4 ,here we
 have a human medium that is moved to do
 something1 and wooden tables1 also2 and
 if we can discover the secret agent in 
the one case1 we shall likewise in the  
other1 for there is a perfect sameness  
or coincidence in their operations4 ,it 
is the same unseen power1 in both cases1
 moving chairs1 tables1 tubs1 troughs1  
bedsteads1 and piles of lumber1 besides 
other gross1 ponderable bodies--cutting 
up an infinite variety of pranks to the 
consternation of some1 and the amusement
 of others1 as ,a4 ,j4 ,davis says of   
the dancing plates1 knives and forks1   
shovel1 tongs1 and poker1 moved by      
electrical discharges and magnetic      
attractions1 or emanations of vital     
electricity seeking its equilibrium in  
the atmosphere4     ,,faculty ,,of      
,,imitation4   ,the faculty of imitating
 signatures1 of writing music1 poetry1  
specimens of foreign tongues1 c41 is no 
more strange than imitating the voice   

and gestures of those we never heard nor
 saw4 ,persons of scarcely any education
 or talents1 while under biological     
influence1 have been made to imitate the
 voice of ,webster1 ,everett1 ,fillmore1
 and others1 delivering off-hand        
speeches of most impassioned diction and
 eloquence2 while1 in their normal      
state1 they could scarcely frame a      
paragraph in the king's ,english1 much  
more deliver a formal address1          
embellished with a profusion of         
metaphors1 tropes1 and figures1         
accompanied with the finished attitudes 
and movements of a ,choate1 a ,sumner1  
or a ,banks6 ,these mesmeric imitations 
refer also to mechanical and artistic   
power1 and every talent that            
characterizes us as intelligent beings4 
,some assert that mediums are in a      
perfectly normal state during the       
exhibitions of the spirit phenomena2 and
 yet1 to the practical mesmerizer1      
nothing is plainer than that they are   
most absolutely mesmeric persons4  ,the 

power of imitation among mediums is     
various1 but distinct4 ,some draw maps1 
purporting to come from a deceased      
schoolmate4 ,others draw likenesses2    
others speak in voices imitating the    
dead--but they can imitate the living   
just as well2 others hear sounds--the   
voice of a wife1 or child1 or friend4   
,walter ,scott relates the case of an   
,english gentleman who was ill1 and was 
told by his physician that he had lived 
in ,london too long1 and lived too fast2
 and advised him to retire to the       
country and ruralize4 ,one of his       
troubles was1 that a set of green       
dressed dancers would enter his drawing 
room1 go through their evolutions1 and  
retire4 ,he knew it was an illusion1 but
 could not resist the annoyance1 or the 
impressions made on him4 ,he returned to
 his country seat1 and1 in a few weeks1 
got rid of his visitors4 ,he concluded  
to remain out of town1 and sent to      
,london for the furniture of his old    
parlor1 to be placed in his country     

house2 but when it came1 and was        
arranged in the room1 the corps de      
ballet1 dressed in green1 all rushed    
into the room1 exclaiming1 ,here we are 
all again6 ,he had associated in his    
mind the furniture and the dancing      
apparitions1 and when it returned1 they 
came with it1 and1 as he thought1 spoke 
with voices4 ,we recollect of reading in
 a medical paper1 published in ,boston1 
an account of a man who believed his    
house to be haunted by the devil1 in    
consequence of which he resolved to     
vacate it and remove into the country4  
,his goods were packed into a wagon1 and
 he was just upon the point of starting 
with his load1 when to his surprise he  
heard a voice1 seemingly among the      
goods1 crying out1 ,we are all going    
together4 ,if that is the case1 said the
 man1 ,i will unload again2 for if ,i am
 to have the devil's company1 it may as 
well be in one place as another4  ,the  
excessive use of wine will induce a     
state of the brain1 in which the person 

thinks he hears voices and sees spirits2
 but on close examination it will be    
found that it is the work of the        
abnormal powers1 developed in the brain 
by stimulating agents or intense        
thinking4 ,it will be recollected that  
,swedenborg1 after eating a late1 heavy 
supper1 heard a voice crying out to him 
in terrible accents1 ,eat not so much4  
7,see chap4 #e47 ,such phenomena may    
unravel the voice ,judge ,edwards heard4
 ,his long-continued meditation on      
death1 with night1 solitude1 loneliness1
 and grief1 had so impressed him that he
 thought he heard a sound in exact      
imitation of the voice of his wife4 ,in 
the case related by ,scott1 hearing was 
not only affected1 but the organ of     
color was involved in the hallucination1
 and the green figures were as plain    
before him as real persons4 ,this is    
always one of the phenomena of          
ghost-seeing that the seer associates   
with the spectre1 namely1 form and      
color1 voice and action4  ,the cases of 

imitation referred to1 and others of the
 same class1 are the results of the     
imitative mechanic power of the         
individual1 brought out by the abnormal 
magnetic state existing at the time4    
,for instance1 if the individual has    
time and tune--the faculty of music     
within lying undeveloped--it may be     
brought out1 and made to act1 by the    
effects of magnetism4 ,last winter we   
listened to a lecture delivered in      
,newark1 ,new ,jersey1 by the ,rev4 ,mr4
 ,harris1 from ,new ,york city4 ,he     
stated that there was a lady in         
,providence1 who1 by the agency of      
spirits1 produced musical compositions  
equal to the productions of the best    
masters1 as ,haydn1 ,beethoven1 and     
others1 and that a volume of these      
pieces were soon to be issued from the  
press4 ,and although the said work has  
not been heard of as yet1 still we doubt
 not that a person in a magnetic state  
might write very good music1 even if    
totally ignorant of its rules1 as this  

young lady was said to be4              
,phrenologists often tell persons that  
they would make excellent tailors1      
dressmakers1 poets1 painters1 musicians1
 c4--persons who never attempted to     
operate in these callings4 ,all they    
need1 it is said1 is an opportunity for 
the development of their powers4 ,now1  
magnetism tends to develop or rouse     
these dormant faculties into action4 ,it
 also gives a far-reaching1 a far-seeing
 grasp and perception of things1 as in  
the case of ,miss ,martineau1 who1 be it
 remembered1 was too intelligent to     
attribute such effects to the agency of 
spirits4  ,a marked case of the increase
 of the imitative power of persons in   
the magnetic condition1 is found in the 
case of ,frederica ,hauffe4 ,in one of  
her magnetic moods she informed ,dr4    
,kerner that she would make a diagram of
 the spheres4 ,the sun sphere1 as she   
called it1 is very complex2 but she spun
 out the complicated web with unerring  
precision1 and a pair of compasses given

 her to facilitate her labor only       
embarrassed her4 ,it is made up of      
circles within circles1 and sections and
 points1 amounting to thousands1 related
 and connected2 and yet the whole was   
executed1 says ,dr4 ,k41 in an          
incredible short space of time4 ,an     
engraving was made of this sphere1 and a
 year after she was shown the engraving1
 and said it was not correct2 a point on
 one of the lines was wanting4 ,on      
referring to the original1 they found   
she was right4 ,this diagram contained  
many curious things1 and in some parts  
related to the highest departments of   
mathematics4 ,this faculty she only     
possessed in the magnetic state1 being  
wholly incompetent to the task when not 
clairvoyant4 ,no living artist can      
execute that diagram with a pen1 with a 
fac-simile before him1 with the rapidity
 with which that ignorant1 unlettered   
child of nature did it4 ,i have1 in many
 cases1 says ,dr4 ,richmond1 witnessed  
this imitative power of mediums with the

 pen1 dashing off figures and images    
with a rashness and rapidity almost     
inconceivable4 ,as far as we can see1   
there is no more proof of the agency of 
spirits in one case than in the other2  
and we are sure no such claim was ever  
set up in the case of ,mrs4 ,hauffe1    
though living in a less enlightened     
region1 perhaps1 than these ,united     
,states4 ,we might multiply cases of    
this kind1 but space will not permit4   
,,unseen ,,letters ,,and ,,signatures4  
,the operator in biology or magnetism   
often lays hold of the inquiring        
spectator1 and uses him or her to       
imitate unseen letters1 signatures1 and 
sentences1 in foreign languages4 ,and no
 doubt but what ,professor ,bush has    
been made unconsciously instrumental in 
executing a few specimens of languages1 
his eyes wide open1 it may be1 all the  
while4 ,it can be no more strange than  
that the son of ,dr4 ,phelps should have
 been made unconsciously instrumental in
 tying himself to the limb of a tree in 

his father's yard1 supposing it to have 
been done by spirits4 7,see the version 
of the affair by ,a4 ,j4 ,davis47  ,a   
biological mesmerist assures us that he 
finds no difficulty in raising beds1    
chairs1 and tables2 and in the case of  
,mr4 ,kellogg it is shown that such     
things are easily done without any aid  
from spirits4 ,in the case of ,dr4      
,taylor1 the writing medium1 it is      
shown1 by the testimony of the spirits  
themselves1 if their word is to be      
relied on1 that the phenomena in his    
case were not done by spirits1 but were 
the results of vital electricity4 ,such 
things are getting to be so common that 
we may expect soon to see the time when 
little ragged boys even 7like those in  
,egypt1 who went through the streets    
offering to show the spirit of any      
deceased friend for a penny or a piece  
of cake7 will offer to lift tables1 or  
imitate handwritings1 at a penny a      
sight4 ,we know of several mediums1 now 
engaged in these things1 who confess    

they do not understand by what power it 
is they raise tables1 or write          
sentences1 c41 yet they do not believe  
it to be done by the agency of          
disembodied spirits4 ,in many schools1  
the children have been forbidden by     
their teachers to indulge in these      
foolish practices4 ,this power may be   
electricity1 in some of its forms1 or   
some other agent that has some relation 
or affinity to it1 as in the cases      
related by ,mr4 ,rogers4     ,a         
,,dancing ,,light4   ,a few years since 
the inhabitants of ,southboro'1         
,massachusetts1 were excited and alarmed
 at the appearance of a light1 about the
 size of a star1 which for several      
successive nights was seen moving over a
 spot of land in the westerly part of   
the town4 ,upon examining the premises  
by daylight1 it was found that a        
quantity of bones that had been buried  
in the earth had been thrown upon the   
surface by the roots of a tree1 the     
trunk of which had recently been        

prostrated by a gale of wind4 ,by many1 
these bones were supposed to belong to  
some human being1 who1 it was           
conjectured1 had been murdered1 and     
buried beneath the spot4 ,and the light 
seen hovering near was considered       
indicative of such an event4 ,but if the
 reader will turn to the second chapter 
of this work1 he will learn that these  
dancing lights1 so called1 arise from an
 inflammable gas1 evolved from decayed  
animal and vegetable substances1 which  
take fire on coming in contact with     
atmospheric air4 ,this ignis fatuus1    
,jack-with-a-lantern1 or                
,will-with-a-wisp appearance is         
generally seen in dark nights1 over     
boggy and marshy ground1 and generally  
in motion1 at the height of five or six 
feet1 skipping from place to place1 and 
frequently changing in magnitude and    
form4 ,on some occasions1 it is observed
 to be suddenly extinguished1 and then  
to reappear at a distance from its      
former position4 ,those persons who have

 endeavored to examine it closely have  
found that it moves away from them with 
a velocity proportioned to that of their
 advance--a circumstance which has had  
no small influence on the fears of the  
ignorant and superstitious4 ,dr4 ,denham
 once saw an ignis fatuus in a boggy    
place1 between two rocky hills1 in a    
dark and calm night4 ,he approached by  
degrees within two or three yards of it1
 and thereby had an opportunity of      
viewing it to the best advantage4 ,it   
kept skipping about a dead thistle1 till
 a slight motion of the air--occasioned1
 as he supposed1 by his near            
approach--caused it to jump to another  
place2 and as he advanced it kept flying
 before him4 ,he observed it to be a    
uniform body of light1 and concluded it 
must consist of ignited vapor4 ,these   
appearances are common on the plains of 
,boulogne1 in ,italy1 where they        
sometimes flit before the traveller on  
the road1 saving him the expense of a   
torch on dark nights4 ,sometimes they   

spread very wide1 and then contract     
themselves2 and sometimes they float    
like waves1 and appear to drop sparks of
 fire4 ,they shine more strongly in     
rainy than in dry weather4  ,an         
appearance of the same kind is sometimes
 met with at sea1 during gales of wind1 
and1 of course1 has become connected    
with many superstitious notions of      
sailors1 who call it a corpusant4 ,there
 are sometimes two together1 and these  
are named ,castor and ,pollux4 ,the     
following is a description of one1 given
 by the voyager ,dampier3 ,after four   
o'clock the thunder and the rain abated1
 and then we saw a corpusant1 at our    
maintopmast head4 ,this sight rejoiced  
our men exceedingly1 for the height of  
the storm is commonly over when the     
corpusant is seen aloft2 but when they  
are seen lying on the deck1 it is       
generally accounted a bad sign4 ,a      
corpusant is a certain small1 glittering
 light2 when it appears1 as this did1 on
 the very top of a mainmast1 or at a    

yardarm1 it is like a star2 but when it 
appears on the deck1 it resembles a     
great glowworm4 ,i have been told that  
when the ,spanish or ,portuguese see    
them they go to prayers1 and bless      
themselves for the happy sight4 ,i have 
heard some ignorant seamen discoursing  
how they have seen them creep1 or1 as   
they say1 travel about1 in the scuppers1
 telling many dismal stories that       
happened at such times2 but ,i did never
 see any one stir out of the place where
 it was first fixed1 except on deck1    
where every sea washeth it about4       
,neither did ,i ever see any but when we
 had rain as well as wind1 and1         
therefore1 do believe it is some jelly4 
,the origin and nature of the lights    
above described have not yet been       
satisfactorily explained4 ,more accurate
 observations than have been made are   
required to furnish the basis of a      
correct theory respecting them4         
,,sailors' ,,omens4   ,sailors1 usually 
the boldest men alive1 are yet not      

unfrequently the very abject slaves of  
superstitious fear4 ,nothing is more    
common than to hear them talk of noises1
 flashes1 shadows1 echoes1 and other    
visible appearances1 nightly seen and   
heard upon the waters4 ,andrews1 in his 
,anecdotes1 says1 ,superstition and     
profaneness1 those extremes of human    
conduct1 are too often found united in  
the sailor2 and the man who dreads the  
stormy effects of drowning a cat1 of    
whistling a contra dance while he leans 
over the gunwale1 will1 too often1      
wantonly defy his ,creator by the most  
daring execrations and licentious       
behavior4 ,dr4 ,pegge says that sailors 
have a strange opinion of the devil's   
power and agency in stirring up winds1  
which notion seems to have been handed  
down from ,zoroaster1 who imagined that 
there was an evil spirit1 called ,vato1 
that could excite violent storms of     
wind4 ,to lose a cat overboard1 or to   
drown one1 or to lose a bucket or a mop1
 is1 at the present day1 a very unlucky 

omen with common sailors4     ,,love    
,,charms4   ,theocritus and ,virgil both
 introduce women into their pastorals1  
using charms and incantations to recover
 the affections of their sweethearts4   
,shakspeare represents ,othello as      
accused of winning ,desdemona by        
conjuration and mighty magic4      ,thou
 hast practised on her with foul charms2
     ,abused her delicate youth with    
drugs or minerals     ,that waken       
motion4     ,she is abused1 stolen from 
me1 and corrupted1     ,by spells and   
medicines bought of mountebanks4  ,in   
,gay's ,shepherd's ,week1 these are     
represented as country practices3--     
,straight to the 'pothecary's shop ,i   
went1     ,and in love powders all my   
money spent4     ,behap what will1 next 
,sunday after prayers1     ,when to the 
alehouse ,lubberkin repairs1     ,these 
golden flies into his mug ,i'll throw1  
,and soon the swain with fervent love   
shall glow4  ,in ,love ,melancholy1 by  
,dr4 ,ferrand1 it is said1 ,we have     

sometimes among us our silly wenches1   
some that1 out of a foolish curiosity   
they have1 must needs be putting in     
practice some of those feats that they  
have received by tradition from their   
mother perhaps1 or nurse2 and so1 not   
thinking forsooth to do any harm1 as    
they hope to paganize it to their own   
damnation4 ,for it is most certain that 
botanomancy1 which is done by the noise1
 or crackling1 that box or bay leaves   
make when they are crushed between one's
 hands1 or cast into the fire1 was of   
old in use among the pagans1 who were   
wont to bruise poppy flowers betwixt    
their hands1 by this means thinking to  
know their loves4 ,speaking of the      
ancient love charms1 characters1        
amulets1 or such like periapses1 ,dr4   
,f4 says1 ,they are such as no          
,christian physician ought to use1      
notwithstanding that the common people  
do to this day too superstitiously      
believe and put in practice many of     
these paganish devices4  ,miss ,blandy1 

who was executed many years ago for     
poisoning her father1 persisted in      
affirming that she thought the powder   
given her by her villanous lover1       
,cranston1 to administer to him1 was a  
love powder1 which was to conciliate her
 father's affection to her lover4 ,she  
met her death with this asseveration2   
and her dying request1 to be buried     
close to her father1 seems a            
corroborating proof1 that though she was
 certainly the cause of his premature   
death1 yet she was not1 in the blackest 
sense of the word1 his wilful murderer4 
,we quote the following lines from      
,herrick's ,hesperides3--       ,a      
,,charm ,,or ,,an ,,allay ,,for ,,love4 
,if so be a toad be laid     ,in a      
sheepskin newly flayed1     ,and that   
tied to a man1 'twill sever     ,him and
 his affections ever     ,,effects ,,of 
,a ,,belief ,,in ,a ,,ghost4   ,whenever
 a real ghost appears1--by which we mean
 some man or woman dressed up to        
frighten another1--if the supernatural  

character of the apparition has been for
 a moment believed1 the effects on the  
spectator have always been              
injurious--sometimes producing          
convulsions1 idiocy1 madness1 or even   
instantaneous death4 ,the celebrated    
,allston1 the painter1 when in ,england1
 related the following incident to his  
friend ,coleridge1 the poet3 ,it was1 ,i
 think1 said he1 in the ,university of  
,cambridge1 near ,boston1 that a certain
 youth took it into his wise head to    
convert a ,tom ,paine-ish companion of  
his by appearing as a ghost before him4 
,he accordingly dressed himself up in   
the usual way1 having previously        
extracted the ball from the pistol which
 always lay near the head of his        
friend's bed4 ,upon first awakening1 and
 seeing the apparition1 the youth that  
was to be frightened very coolly looked 
his companion1 the ghost1 in the face1  
and said1 ',i know you2 this is a good  
joke2 but you see ,i am not frightened4 
,now you may vanish4' ,the ghost stood  

still4 ',come1' said the youth1 'that is
 enough4 ,i shall get angry2 away6'     
,still the ghost moved not4 ',by        
heavens6' ejaculated the young man1 'if 
you do not1 in three minutes1 go away1  
,i'll shoot you4' ,he waited the time1  
deliberately levelled his pistol1 fired1
 and with a scream at the immovability  
of the figure1 became convulsed1 and    
soon afterwards died4 ,the very instant 
he believed it to be a ghost1 his human 
nature fell before it4     ,,the        
,,invisible ,,lady4   ,in the year      
#ahjd1 an invisible lady and acoustic   
temple were exhibited in ,boston1 as an 
,extraordinary ,aerial ,phenomenon4 ,its
 body was made of glass ,it gave answers
 to questions asked by visitors4 ,in    
,london1 a few years ago1 there was     
shown an apparatus consisting of a      
four-footed stand1 and several          
trumpet-mouthed tubes1 from any one of  
which spectators received ready answers 
to questions4 ,the answers were said to 
come from the invisible girl2 but the   

true explanation of the puzzle was1 that
 a secret tube1 in the legs of the      
apparatus1 communicated the sounds to a 
girl in a neighboring apartment4        
,probably something similar was arranged
 in the glass body exhibited in ,boston2
 and if we mistake not1 during the      
sojourn of ,joice ,heth1 of more recent 
notoriety1 at the ,albany ,museum1 a    
shrewd ,albanian1 after a minute and    
diligent examination1 made the wonderful
 discovery that the old lady1 or nurse  
of ,washington1 was composed of ,india  
rubber1 and was made to breathe1 speak1 
cry1 sing1 c41 by the aid of            
ventriloquism6  ,in a case of spirit    
rappings1 ,professor ,grimes discovered 
that the party had contrived to have    
some levers concealed beneath the floor1
 and by means of certain little pegs    
coming through where the rappers sat1   
connecting with the levers1 all nicely  
poised on a balance1 they placed their  
feet upon them1 and produced the raps at
 pleasure4 ,and in the case of the      

,rochester rappers1 when their ankles   
were firmly held by the committee of    
investigation1 it is said a servant girl
 rapped with her knuckles under the     
floor4 ,mrs4 ,culver1 who had been      
instructed by the ,fox family1 and had  
practised with them a while1 afterwards 
renounced the craft1 and exposed this   
among other deceptions to the world4    
,the girl1 she says1 was instructed to  
rap whenever she heard their voices     
calling for spirits4     ,,sorcerers    
,,in ,,the ,,east4   ,the operations of 
the men sorcerers in ,india are quite   
scientific4 ,they set about their work  
in a business-like manner1 and in sight 
of the house of their intended victim   
the mystic caldron begins to boil and   
bubble4 ,the victim1 however1 is not to 
be terrified out of his senses4 ,what   
are his enemy's fires and incantations  
to him8 ,he takes no notice1 and        
continues to live on as though there was
 not a sorcerer in the world4 ,but that 
smoke3 it meets his eye the first object

 every morning4 ,that ruddy glare3 it is
 the last thing he sees at night4 ,that 
measured but inarticulate sound3 it is  
never out of his ear4 ,his thoughts     
dwell on the mystical business4 ,he is  
preoccupied1 even in company4 ,he       
wonders what they are putting into the  
pot1 and if it has any connection with  
the spasm that has just shot through    
him4 ,he becomes nervous2 he feels sick2
 he cannot sleep from thinking2 he      
cannot eat for that horrid broth that   
bubbles forever in his mind4 ,he gets   
worse and worse1 and dies6 ,but this    
empire of the imagination is beaten in  
,java1 where it is supposed that a      
housebreaker1 by throwing a handful of  
earth upon the beds of the inmates1     
completely incapacitates them from      
moving to save their property4 ,the man 
who is to be robbed1 on feeling the     
earth fall upon him1 lies as motionless 
as if bound hand and foot4 ,he is under 
a spell1 which he feels unable to break4
     ,,singular ,,metamorphoses4   ,in  

the ,east1 men are believed to be       
frequently metamorphosed--sometimes     
voluntarily1 sometimes                  
involuntarily--into tigers4 ,the        
voluntary transformation is effected    
merely by eating a certain root1        
whereupon the person is instantly       
changed into a tiger2 and when tired of 
this character1 he has only to eat      
another1 when1 as quick as thought1 he  
subsides from a tiger into a man4 ,but  
sometimes mistakes happen4 ,an          
individual of an inquiring disposition  
once felt a strong curiosity to know the
 sensations attendant on transformation2
 but1 being a prudent man1 he set about 
the transformation with all necessary   
precaution4 ,having provided himself    
with            the insane root         
,that takes the reason prisoner1  he    
gave one also to his wife1 desiring her 
to stand by and watch the event1 and as 
soon as she saw him fairly turned into a
 tiger1 to thrust it into his mouth4    
,she promised1 but her nerves were not  

equal to the performance4 ,as soon as   
she saw her husband fixed in his new    
form1 she took to flight1 carrying in   
her hand1 in the confusion of her mind1 
the root that would have restored him to
 her faithful arms4 ,and so it befell   
that the poor tiger-man was obliged to  
take to the woods1 and for many a day he
 dined on his old neighbors of the      
village1 but was at last shot1 and      
recognized6  ,in this superstition will 
be seen the prototype of the wolf mania 
of medival ,europe4 ,in ,brittany1 men  
betook themselves to the forests in the 
shape of wolves1 out of a morbid passion
 for the amusement of howling and       
ravening2 but if they left in some      
secure place the clothes they had thrown
 off to prepare for the metamorphosis1  
they had but to reassume them to regain 
their natural forms4 ,but sometimes a   
catastrophe1 like that above related1   
took place3 the wife discovered the     
hidden clothes1 and carrying them home1 
in the innocent carefulness of her      

heart1 the poor husband lived and died a
 wolf6     ,,pernicious ,,errors        
,,relating ,,to ,,health4   ,in a former
 part of this volume1 we have spoken of 
several impositions upon the credulity  
of the public1 in matters appertaining  
to health4 ,the astrologists have told  
us that some plants are only to be      
plucked at the rising of the dogstar1   
when neither sun nor moon shine1 while  
others are to be cut with a golden      
knife1 when the moon is just six days   
old4 ,to some particular plants a string
 must be fastened1 a hungry dog tied    
thereto1 who1 being allured by the smell
 of roasted flesh set before him1 may   
pluck it up by the roots4 ,at one time1 
the vegetable oil of swallows was       
considered a potent remedy4 ,it was     
prepared by compounding twenty different
 herbs with twenty live swallows1 well  
beaten together in a mortar4 ,another   
medicine was prepared from the raspings 
of a human skull2 another from the moss1
 growing on the head of a thief1 who had

 been gibbeted and left to hang in the  
air4 ,in addition to these1 we have had 
the powder of a mummy2 the liver of     
frogs2 the blood of weasels2 an ointment
 made of sucking whelps2 the marrow of a
 stag2 and the thigh bone of an ox4 ,and
 we have numerous modern nostrums       
scarcely better than these1 by which the
 gullible public are often sorely       
victimized4  ,there are many opinions   
among the people1 which prove highly    
deleterious in being carried into       
practice4 ,for instance1 that we must   
stuff a cold to cure it1 when the       
reverse of the case is the only safe    
mode of procedure4 ,in a cold1 the lungs
 are already loaded and congested with  
accumulations of muco-purulent matter1  
which is increased by taking large      
quantities of food4  ,erroneous views1  
in regard to cleanliness1 often lead to 
great mischief4 ,there is a notion with 
some that dirt is really healthy1       
especially for children4 ,this idea     
probably originated from the fact1 that 

those children who are allowed to play  
in the dirt are often more healthy than 
those who are confined in the nursery or
 parlor4 ,but it should be remembered   
that it is not dirt which promotes their
 health1 but active exercise in the open
 air4 ,this more than compensates for   
the injury sustained by the dirt4 ,there
 is1 however1 something deceitful1 after
 all1 in the ruddy appearance of these  
children1 who1 like some four-footed    
animals1 are allowed to wallow in mire  
and dirt2 for they actually suffer more1
 not only from chronic1 but from acute  
diseases1 than children whose parents   
are in better circumstances4 ,the pores 
of the skin1 as we have shown in the    
,family ,physician1 published by us a   
few years since1 cannot be closed with  
filth for any length of time1 and the   
subject remain uninjured4 ,it is true1  
some years may pass away before the bad 
effects appear2 but in after life1      
scrofula1 rheumatism1 jaundice1 and even
 consumption1 often arise after the     

cause which first gave rise to them is  
forgotten1 if indeed it were ever       
suspected4 ,it is our candid opinion1   
that a larger part of the deaths that   
occur among children by typhoid1 scarlet
 fever1 and other baleful diseases1 is  
owing to some defect in management1 as  
to diet1 air1 dress1 or exercise1 which 
we will briefly show in this connection4
  ,there are some1 in adult life1 who   
abstain wholly from external ablutions1 
and never think of washing their bodies 
from one year to another4 ,now1 such    
persons must be considered1 to say the  
least1 to be of an uncleanly habit2 and 
such a habit is not only unfavorable to 
health1 but to morality4 ,mr4 ,wesley   
reckons cleanliness to be second only to
 godliness4 ,we venture to affirm that  
he who is most guilty of personal       
neglect will generally be found the most
 ignorant and vicious4 ,i am well       
acquainted with a whole family who      
neglect their persons from principle4   
,they are a sort of new lights in       

religious things1 and hold that the true
 ,christian should slight the hovel1 as 
beneath his care4 ,but there is a want  
of intelligence1 and even of common     
refinement1 in the family1 that         
certainly does not1 and cannot1 add much
 to their own happiness or comfort1     
aside from the fact that it greatly     
annoys their neighbors4  ,we do not     
pretend to say but that there are some  
great and good persons who are slovenly 
in their general appearance2 but these  
are only exceptions to a general rule4  
,on the contrary1 common observation    
teaches us that it is a distinguishing  
mark of low-bred rowdyism1 and of       
vicious and intemperate habits1 to see  
young men dressed in the most loose and 
careless manner4 ,a person of refinement
 and cultivation would feel ashamed to  
appear in such a manner before the      
public gaze4  ,neglect of proper        
ventilation leads to incomparable       
mischief4 ,there are many persons who   
live through the day in closely confined

 and excessively heated apartments1 and 
also sleep in small contracted bed      
rooms1 without the least opportunity for
 a current of fresh air4 ,who can wonder
 that they rise in the morning with     
wearied limbs1 languid and listless1    
with a furred tongue1 parched mouth1 and
 headache8 ,they are continually        
subjected to inhaling1 over and over1   
the poison1 the miasma1 of their own    
bodies1 which cannot but result1 in the 
end1 to the great detriment of health4  
,we are perfectly astonished1           
oftentimes1 to see to what an extent    
such a thing is carried4 ,take this1 in 
connection with eating improper and     
badly-cooked food1 fat meats1 gravies1  
and pastries1 the want of suitable      
protection against atmospheric changes1 
and active exercise in the open air1 and
 who can marvel at the prevalence of    
deadly fevers1 consumption1 or cholera  
even8 ,it is only a matter of surprise  
that there are not ten deaths where     
there is now one4  ,look at the quality 

of the meats purchased for use4 ,it is  
now a common practice with farmers 7in  
order to save the milk7 to sell their   
calves for market as soon as born2 and  
people eagerly purchase this immatured  
meat because afforded at a low price4   
,then look at the enormous quantities of
 pork consumed4 ,go past the sausage    
factories1 in the cities of ,jersey1 and
 you behold it heaped in piles1 ready   
for the work of the hundreds of         
choppers1 driven by steam4 ,then look   
into the groceries1 see the array of    
pound sausage meat1 and cheese heads1 so
 called4 ,a grocer in ,newark city      
informed us1 last winter1 that sausage  
meat and buckwheat cakes formed three   
quarters of the aliment of the citizens4
 ,and in ,paterson1 ,new ,jersey1 in the
 hottest of the season1 calves were     
lying upon the pavements1 ready to be   
slaughtered1 and almost as momentarily  
devoured1 as occasion demanded4 ,even   
the poor fowls1 their legs swollen with 
inflammation from the cords with which  

they were bound1 and half famished for  
water and food1 and fevered by fright   
and exposure1 were readily purchased by 
men and women1 to satisfy the cravings  
of a perverted appetite4 ,when we behold
 such practices1 we cannot think it     
strange that mortality should be so rife
 as it is at times1 especially when the 
atmosphere is in a condition to affect  
the body in a predisposed state1        
favorable to the development of         
diseases1 such as that of small-pox1    
cholera1 fever and ague1 scarlet and    
typhoid1 7i4e41 decomposing fever17     
which is the concentration of all       
others4 ,the food we eat may convey the 
disease within1 and unless the state of 
our system is healthy and harmonious1   
the resisting power will not be equal to
 the force and action of the external   
elements1 and consequently we shall     
become a prey to the contagion1 whatever
 type or form it assumes4 ,we are       
somewhat inclined to think that ,a4 ,j4 
,davis 7who is a physician by           

profession7 is correct1 when he says1   
,the atmosphere has had the cholera1    
more or less1 for thirty years1 and will
 continue to have it until there occurs 
a geological change in many portions of 
the earth2 and from the atmosphere the  
disease has been1 and is1 communicated  
epidemically to the predisposed potato  
plant1 and also to the human system4 ,a 
late ,english writer remarks1 that      
certain diseases prevail at the approach
 of the equinoxes4           99      99 
99      99      99      99              
,transcriber's note3  ,minor            
typographical errors have been corrected
 without note4  ,irregularities and     
inconsistencies in the text have been   
retained as printed4 ,unmatched double  
quotation marks occur in numerous       
places1 particularly near the end of the
 text4 ,no attempt was made to open or  
close these quotations unless the       
location of the missing double quotation
 mark was apparent4