The Night Side of Nature

or, Ghosts and Ghost Seers

by Catherine Crowe
Authoress of "Susan Hopley," "Lilly Dawson," "Aristodemus," etc., etc.
[Volumes 1 and 2]
"Thou com'st in such a questionable shape,
That I will spea to thee!"
" #amlet
In Two Volumes
Vol$ I
%ondon, T$C$ &ewby, '2 (ortimer )r$, Ca*endish )q$
1+,+
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Index
" I$ Introduction
" II$ The -weller in the Temple
" III$ .ain/ and )leepin/, and how the -weller in the Temple sometimes loos
abroad
" IV$ 0lle/orical -reams, 1resentiments, etc$
" V$ .arnin/s
" VI$ -ouble -reamin/ and Trance, .raiths, etc$
" VII$ .raiths
" VIII$ -oppel/an/ers, or -oubles
" I2$ 0pparitions
" 2$ The 3uture that awaits us
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Preface
In my late no*el o4 "%illy -awson," I announced my intention o4 publishin/ a wor
to be called "The &i/ht )ide o4 &ature5" this is it$
The term "&i/ht )ide o4 &ature" I borrow 4rom the 6ermans, who deri*e it 4rom
the astronomers, the latter denominatin/ that side o4 a planet which is turned
4rom the sun, its night side$ .e are in this condition 4or a certain number o4 hours
out o4 e*ery twenty"4our5 and as, durin/ this inter*al, e7ternal ob8ects loom upon
us but stran/ely and imper4ectly, the 6ermans draw a parallel betwi7t these
*a/ue and misty perceptions, and the similar obscure and uncertain /limpses we
/et o4 that *eiled department o4 nature, o4 which while comprisin/ as it does the
solution o4 questions concernin/ us more nearly than any other, we are yet in a
state o4 entire and will4ul i/norance$ 3or science, at least science in this country,
has put it aside as beneath her notice, because new 4acts that do not 4it into old
theories are troublesome, and not to be countenanced$
.e are encompassed on all sides by wonders, and we can scarcely set our 4oot
upon the /round, without tramplin/ upon some mar*ellous production that our
whole li4e and all our 4aculties would not su44ice to comprehend$ 3amiliarity,
howe*er, renders us insensible to the ordinary wors o4 nature5 we are apt to
4or/et the miracles they comprise, and e*en, sometimes, mistain/ words 4or
conceptions, commit the error o4 thinin/ we understand their mystery$ 9ut there
is one class o4 these wonders with which, 4rom their comparati*ely rare
occurrence, we do not become 4amiliar5 and these, accordin/ to the character o4
the mind to which they are presented, are 4requently either denied as ridiculous
and impossible, or recei*ed as e*idences o4 supernatural inter4erence "
interrumptions o4 those /eneral laws by which 6od /o*erns the uni*erse5 which
latter mistae arises 4rom our only seein/ these 4acts without the lins that
connect them with the rest o4 nature, 8ust as in the 4aint li/ht o4 a starlit ni/ht we
mi/ht distin/uish the tall mountains that li4t their crests hi/h into the sy, thou/h
we could not discern the low chain o4 hills that united them with each other$
There are two or three boos by 6erman authors, entitled "The &i/ht")ide," or
"The &i/ht"-ominion o4 &ature," which are on sub8ects, more or less analo/ous
to mine$ #einric )chubert's is the most celebrated amon/ them5 it is a sort o4
cosmo/ony o4 the world, written in a spirit o4 philosophical mysticism " too much
so 4or :n/lish readers in /eneral$
In undertain/ to write a boo on these sub8ects mysel4, I wholly disclaim the
pretension o4 teaching or o4 en4orcin/ opinions$ (y ob8ect is to su//est inquiry
and stimulate obser*ation, in order that we may endea*or, i4 possible, to disco*er
somethin/ re/ardin/ our psychical nature, as it e7ists here in the 4lesh5 and as it
is to e7ist herea4ter, out o4 it$
I4 I could only induce a 4ew capable persons, instead o4 lau/hin/ at these thin/s,
to loo at them, my ob8ect would be attained, and I should thin my time well
spent$
[Some pages are missing from the Preface in my !"! edition copy, the missing
parts a#o$e ta%en from the !&' edition. ( dig. ed.)
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*hapter + ( +ntroduction
";now ye not that ye are the Temple o4 6od, and that the )pirit o4 6od dwelleth
in you<" " *or$, =c$, 1> *$
(ost persons are aware that the 6rees and ?omans entertained certain notions
re/ardin/ the state o4 the soul, or the immortal part o4 man, a4ter the death o4 the
body, which ha*e been /enerally held to be purely mytholo/ical$ (any o4 them,
doubtless, are so5 and o4 these I am not about to treat5 but amon/st their
conceptions, there are some which, as they coincide with the opinions o4 many o4
the most enli/htened persons o4 the present a/e, it may be desirable to consider
more closely$ I allude here particularly to their belie4 in the tripartite in/dom o4
the dead$ 0ccordin/ to this system, there were the :lysian 4ields, a re/ion in
which a certain sort o4 happiness was en8oyed5 and Tartarus, the place o4
punishment 4or the wiced5 each o4 which were, comparati*ely, but thinly
inhabited$ 9ut there was, also, a mid"re/ion, peopled with innumerable hosts o4
wanderin/ and mourn4ul spirits, who, althou/h under/oin/ no torments, are
represented as incessantly bewailin/ their condition, pinin/ 4or the li4e they once
en8oyed in the body, lon/in/ a4ter the thin/s o4 the earth, and occupyin/
themsel*es with the same pursuits and ob8ects, as had 4ormerly constituted their
business or their pleasure$ @ld habits are still dear to them, and they cannot snap
the lin that binds them to the earth$
&ow, althou/h we cannot belie*e in the e7istence o4 Charon, the three"headed
do/, or 0lecto, the serpent"haired 4ury, it may be worth while to consider whether
the persuasion o4 the ancients with re/ard to that which concerns us all so
nearly, namely, the destiny that awaits us when we ha*e shaen o44 this mortal
coil, may not ha*e some 4oundation in truthA whether it mi/ht not be a remnant o4
a tradition transmitted 4rom the earliest inhabitants o4 the earth, wrested by
obser*ation 4rom nature, i4 not communicated 4rom a hi/her sourceA and, also,
whether circumstances o4 constant recurrence in all a/es and in all nations,
4requently obser*ed and recorded by persons utterly i/norant o4 classical lore,
and unacquainted, indeed, with the do/mas o4 any creed but their own, do not,
as well as *arious passa/es in the )criptures, a44ord a striin/ con4irmation o4
this theory o4 a 4uture li4e5 whilst it, on the other hand, o44ers a natural and
con*enient e7planation o4 their mystery$
To minds which can admit nothin/ but what can be e7plained and demonstrated,
an in*esti/ation o4 this sort must appear per4ectly idle5 4or whilst, on the one
hand, the most acute intellect or the most power4ul lo/ic can throw little li/ht on
the sub8ect, it is, at the same time " thou/h I ha*e a con4ident hope that this will
not always be the case " equally irreducible within the present bounds o4 science5
meanwhile, e7perience, obser*ation, and intuition, must be our principal, i4 not
our only /uides$ 9ecause, in the se*enteenth century, credulity outran reason
and discretion5 the ei/hteenth century, by a natural reaction, threw itsel4 into an
opposite e7treme$ .hoe*er closely obser*es the si/ns o4 the times, will be aware
that another chan/e is approachin/$ The contemptuous scepticism o4 the last
a/e is yieldin/ to a more humble spirit o4 enquiry5 and there is a lar/e class o4
persons amon/st the most enli/htened o4 the present, who are be/innin/ to
belie*e, that much which they had been tau/ht to re8ect as 4able, has been, in
reality, ill"understood truth$ )omewhat o4 the mystery o4 our own bein/, and o4
the mysteries that compass us about, are be/innin/ to loom upon us as yet, it is
true, but obscurely5 and, in the endea*our to 4ollow out the clue they o44er, we
ha*e but a 4eeble li/ht to /uide us$ .e must /rope our way throu/h the dim path
be4ore us, e*er in dan/er o4 bein/ led into error, whilst we may con4idently recon
on bein/ pursued by the sha4ts o4 ridicule " that weapon so easy to wield, so
potent to the wea, so wea to the wise " which has delayed the births o4 so
many truths, but ne*er sti4led one$ The pharisaical scepticism which denies
without in*esti/ation, is quite as perilous, and much more contemptible than the
blind credulity which accepts all that it is tau/ht without enquiry5 it is, indeed, but
another 4orm o4 i/norance assumin/ to be nowled/e$ 0nd by in$estigation, I do
not mean the hasty, captious, an/ry notice o4 an unwelcome 4act, that too
4requently claims the ri/ht o4 pronouncin/ on a question5 but the slow, modest,
pains"tain/ e7amination, that is content to wait upon nature, and humbly 4ollow
out her disclosures, howe*er opposed to preconcei*ed theories or morti4yin/ to
human pride$ I4 scienti4ic men could but comprehend how they discredit the
science, they really pro4ess, by their despotic arro/ance, and e7clusi*e
scepticism, they would surely, 4or the sae o4 that *ery science they lo*e, a44ect
more liberality and candour$ This re4lection, howe*er, naturally su//ests another,
namely, do they really lo*e science, or is it not too 4requently with them but the
means to an end< .ere the lo*e o4 science /enuine, I suspect it would produce
*ery di44erent 4ruits to that which we see borne by the tree o4 nowled/e, as it
4lourishes at present5 and this suspicion is e7ceedin/ly stren/thened by the
recollection, that amon/st the numerous students and pro4essors o4 science I
ha*e at di44erent times encountered, the real worshipers and /enuine lo*ers o4 it,
4or its own sae, ha*e all been men o4 the most sin/le, candid, unpre8udiced, and
enquirin/ minds, willin/ to listen to all new su//estions, and in*esti/ate all new
4acts5 not bold and sel4"su44icient, but humble and re*erent suitors, aware o4 their
own i/norance and unworthiness, and that they are yet but in the primer o4
nature's wors, they do not permit themsel*es to pronounce upon her
disclosures, or set limits to her decrees$ They are content to admit that thin/s
new and unsuspected may yet be true5 that their own nowled/e o4 4acts bein/
e7tremely circumscribed, the systems attempted to be established on such
uncertain data, must needs be *ery imper4ect, and 4requently alto/ether
erroneous5 and that it is there4ore their duty, as it ou/ht to be their pleasure, to
welcome as a stran/er e*ery /leam o4 li/ht that appears in the horiBon, let it loom
4rom whate*er quarter it may$
9ut, alas! 1oor science has 4ew such lo*ers! Les #eau, y eu, de sa cassette, I
4ear, are much more 4requently the ob8ects o4 attraction than her own 4air 4ace$
The belie4 in a 6od, and in the immortality o4 what we call the soul, is common, to
all nations5 but our own intellect does not enable us to 4orm any conception o4
either one or the other$ 0ll the in4ormation we ha*e on these sub8ects is
comprised in such hints as the )criptures here and there /i*e us5 whate*er other
conclusions we draw, must be the result o4 obser*ation and e7perience$ Cnless
4ounded upon these, the opinion o4 the most learned theolo/ian, or the most
pro4ound student o4 science that e*er li*ed, is worth no more than that o4 any
other person$ They now nothin/ whate*er about these mysteries5 and all a priori
reasonin/ on them is utterly *alueless$ The only way, there4ore, o4 attainin/ any
/limpses o4 the truth in an enquiry o4 this nature, where our intellect can ser*e us
so little, is to enter on it with the con*iction that, nowin/ nothin/, we are not
entitled to re8ect any e*idence that may be o44ered to us, till it has been
thorou/hly si4ted, and pro*ed to be 4allacious$ That the 4acts presented to our
notice appear to us absurd, and alto/ether inconsistent with the notions our
intellects would ha*e enabled us to 4orm, should ha*e no wei/ht whate*er in the
in*esti/ation$ @ur intellects are no measure o4 6od 0lmi/hty's desi/ns5 and, I
must say, that I do thin one o4 the most irre*erent, dan/erous, and sin4ul thin/s
man or woman can be /uilty o4, is to re8ect with scorn and lau/hter any intimation
which, howe*er stran/ely it may strie upon our minds, and howe*er ad*erse it
may be to our opinions, may possibly be showin/ us the way to one o4 6od's
truths$ &ot nowin/ all the conditions, and wantin/ so many lins o4 the chain, it
is impossible 4or us to pronounce on what is probable and consistent, and what is
not5 and, this bein/ the case, I thin the time is ripe 4or drawin/ attention to
certain phenomena, which, under whate*er aspect we may consider them, are,
beyond doubt, e7ceedin/ly interestin/ and curious5 whilst, i4 the *iew many
persons are disposed to tae o4 them be the correct one, they are much more
than this$ I wish, also, to mae the :n/lish public acquainted with the ideas
entertained on these sub8ects by a lar/e proportion o4 6erman minds o4 the
hi/hest order$ It is a distincti*e characteristic o4 the thiners o4 that country, that,
in the 4irst place, they do thin independently and coura/eously5 and, in the
second, that they ne*er shrin 4rom promul/atin/ the opinions they ha*e been
led to 4orm, howe*er new, stran/e, heterodo7, or e*en absurd, they may appear
to others$ They do not succumb, as people do in this country, to the 4ear o4
ridicule5 nor are they in dan/er o4 the odium that here pursues those who de*iate
4rom established notions5 and, the consequence is, that, thou/h many 4allacious
theories and untenable propositions may be ad*anced, a /reat deal o4 new truth
is struc out 4rom the collision5 and in the result, as must always be the case,
what is true li*es and is established, and what is 4alse dies and is 4or/otten$ 9ut
here, in 9ritain, our critics and colle/es are in such haste to stran/le and put
down e*ery new disco*ery that does not emanate 4rom themsel*es, or which is
not a 4ul4illin/ o4 the ideas o4 the day, but which, bein/ somewhat opposed to
them, promises to be troublesome 4rom requirin/ new thou/ht to render it
intelli/ible that one mi/ht be induced to suppose them di*ested o4 all con4idence
in this in*iolable law5 whilst the more important, and the hi/her the results
in*ol*ed may be, the more an/ry they are with those who ad*ocate them$ They
do not quarrel with a new metal or a new plant, and e*en a new comet or a new
island, stands a 4air chance o4 bein/ well recei*ed5 the introduction o4 a planet
appears, 4rom late e*ents, to be more di44icult5 whilst phrenolo/y and mesmerism
testi4y, that any disco*ery tendin/ to throw li/ht on what most deeply concerns
us, namely, our own bein/, must be prepared to encounter a storm o4 an/ry
persecution$ 0nd one o4 the e*ils o4 this hasty and precipitate opposition is, that
in the dispute5 instead o4 in*esti/ators, they become partisans5 ha*in/ declared
a/ainst it in the outset, it is important to their petty interests that the thin/ shall
not be true5 and they determine that it shall not, i4 they can help it$ #ence, these
hasty, an/ry in*esti/ations o4 new 4acts, and the triumph with which 4ailures are
recorded5 and hence the will4ul o*erlooin/ o4 the a7iom, that a thousand
ne/ati*es cannot o*erthrow the e*idence o4 one a44irmati*e e7periment$ I always
distrust those who ha*e declared themsel*es stron/ly in the be/innin/ o4 a
contro*ersy$ @pinions which howe*er rashly a*owed, may ha*e been honest at
4irst, may ha*e been chan/ed 4or many a lon/ day be4ore they are retracted$ In
the mean time, the march o4 truth is obstructed, and its triumph is delayed5 timid
minds are alarmed5 those who dare not, or cannot, thin 4or themsel*es, are
subdued5 there is much needless su44erin/ incurred, and much /ood lost5 but the
truth /oes quietly on its way, and reaches the /oal at last$
.ith respect to the sub8ects I am here /oin/ to treat o4, it is not simply the result
o4 my own re4lections and con*ictions that I am about to o44er$ @n the contrary, I
intend to 4orti4y my position by the opinions o4 many other writers5 the chie4 o4
whom will, 4or the reasons abo*e /i*en, namely, that it is they who ha*e
principally attended to the question, be 6ermans$ I am 4ully aware that in this
country a *ery considerable number o4 persons lean to some o4 these opinions,
and I thin I mi/ht *enture to assert that I ha*e the ma8ority on my side, as 4ar as
re/ards /hosts " 4or it is beyond a doubt that many more are disposed to belie*e
than to con4ess and those who do con4ess, are not 4ew$ The deep interest with
which any narration o4 spiritual appearances bearin/ the stamp, or apparent
stamp, o4 authenticity is listened to in e*ery society, is one proo4 that, thou/h the
4ear o4 ridicule may suppress, it cannot e7tin/uish that intuiti*e persuasion, o4
which almost e*eryone is more or less conscious$ I a*ow that, in writin/ this
boo, I ha*e a hi/her aim than merely to a44ord amusement$ I wish to en/a/e the
earnest attention o4 my readers5 because I am satis4ied that the opinions I am
about to ad*ocate, seriously entertained, would produce *ery bene4icial results$
.e are all educated in the belie4 o4 a 4uture state, but how *a/ue and ine44ecti*e
this belie4 is with the ma8ority o4 persons, we too well now5 4or althou/h, as I
ha*e said abo*e, the number o4 those who are what is called belie*ers in /hosts,
and similar phenomena, is *ery lar/e5 it is a belie4 that they allow to sit e7tremely
li/htly on their minds$ 0lthou/h they 4eel that the e*idence 4rom within and 4rom
without is too stron/ to be alto/ether set aside, they ha*e ne*er permitted
themsel*es to wei/h the si/ni4icance o4 the 4acts$ They are a4raid o4 that bu/bear,
)uperstition " a title o4 opprobrium which it is *ery con*enient to attach to
whate*er we do not belie*e oursel*es$ They 4or/et that nobody has a ri/ht to call
any belie4 superstitious, till he can pro*e that it is un4ounded$ &ow, no one that
li*es can assert that the re"appearance o4 the dead is impossible5 all he has a
ri/ht to say is, that he does not belie*e it5 and the interro/ation that should
immediately 4ollow this declaration is, "#a*e you de*oted your li4e to si4tin/ all the
e*idence that has been adduced on the other side, 4rom the earliest periods o4
history and tradition<" and e*en thou/h the answer were in the a44irmati*e, and
that the in*esti/ation had been conscientiously pursued, it would be still a bold
enquirer that would thin himsel4 entitled to say, the question was no lon/er
open$ 9ut the rashness and le*ity with which manind mae pro4essions o4
belie*in/ and disbelie*in/, are, all thin/s considered, phenomena much more
e7traordinary than the most e7traordinary /host"story that was e*er related$ The
truth is, that not one person in a thousand, in the proper sense o4 the word,
belie*es anythin/5 they only 4ancy they belie*e, because they ha*e ne*er
seriously considered the meanin/ o4 the word and all that it in*ol*es$ That which
the human mind cannot concei*e o4, is apt to slip 4rom its /rasp lie water 4rom
the hand5 and li4e out o4 the 4lesh 4alls under this cate/ory$ The obser*ation o4
any phenomena, there4ore, which enabled us to master the idea, must
necessarily be e7tremely bene4icial5 and it must be remembered, that one sin/le
thorou/hly well"established instance o4 the re"appearance o4 a deceased person,
would not only ha*e this e44ect, but that it would a44ord a demonstrati*e proo4 o4
the deepest o4 all our intuitions, namely, that a 4uture li4e awaits us$
&ot to mention the modern 6ermans o4 eminence, who ha*e de*oted themsel*es
to this in*esti/ation, there ha*e been men remarable 4or intellect in all countries,
who ha*e considered the sub8ect worthy o4 enquiry$ 0mon/st the rest, 1lato,
1liny, and %ucien5 and in our own country, that /ood old di*ine, -r$ #enry (oore,
-r$ Dohnson, 0ddison, Isaac Taylor, and many others$ It may be ob8ected that the
eternally quoted case o4 &icolai, the booseller at 9erlin, and -r$ 3erriar's
"Theory o4 0pparitions," had not then settled the question5 but nobody doubts
that &icolai's was a case o4 disease5 and he was well aware o4 it himsel4, as it
appears to me, e*erybody so a44licted, is$ I was acquainted with a poor woman, in
:dinborou/h, who su44ered 4rom this malady, brou/ht on, I belie*e, by drinin/5
but she was per4ectly conscious o4 the nature o4 the illusions5 and that
temperance and a doctor were the proper e7orcists to lay the spirits$ .ith respect
to -r$ 3erriar's boo, a more shallow one was assuredly ne*er allowed to settle
any question5 and his own theory cannot, without the most *iolent strainin/, and
the assistance o4 what he calls coincidences, meet e*en hal4 the cases he
himsel4 adduces$ That such a disease, as he describes, e7ists, nobody doubts5
but I maintain that there are hundreds o4 cases on record, 4or which the
e7planation does not su44ice5 and i4 they ha*e been instances o4 spectral illusion,
all that remains to be said, is, that a 4undamental reconstruction o4 the theory on
that sub8ect is demanded$
%a 1lace says, in his ":ssay on 1robabilities," that "any case, howe*er
apparently incredible, i4 it be a recurrent case, is as much entitled under the laws
o4 induction, to a 4air *aluation, as i4 it had been more probable be4ore hand$"
&ow, no one will deny that the case in question possesses this claim to
in*esti/ation$ -etermined sceptics may, indeed, deny that there e7ists any well"
authenticated instance o4 an apparition5 but that, at present, can only be a mere
matter o4 opinion5 since many persons as competent to 8ud/e as themsel*es,
maintain the contrary5 and in the mean time, I arrai/n their ri/ht to mae this
ob8ection till they ha*e quali4ied themsel*es to do so, by a lon/ course o4 patient
and honest enquiry5 always rememberin/ that e*ery instance o4 error or
imposition disco*ered and adduced, has no positi*e *alue whate*er in the
ar/ument, but as re/ards that sin/le instance5 thou/h it may en4orce upon us the
necessity o4 stron/ e*idence and care4ul in*esti/ation$ .ith respect to the
e*idence, past and present, I must be allowed here to remar on the e7treme
di44iculty o4 producin/ it$ &ot to mention the acnowled/ed carelessness o4
obser*ers and the alle/ed incapacity o4 persons to distin/uish betwi7t reality and
illusion, there is an e7ceedin/ shyness in most people, who, either ha*e seen, or
4ancied they ha*e seen, an apparition, to spea o4 it at all, e7cept to some
intimate 4riend5 so that one /ets most o4 the stories second"hand5 whilst e*en
those who are less chary o4 their communications, are imperati*e a/ainst their
name and authority bein/ /i*en to the public$ 9esides this, there is a /reat
tendency in most people, a4ter the impression is o*er, to thin they may ha*e
been decei*ed5 and where there is no communication or other circumstance
renderin/ this con*iction impossible, it is not di44icult to acquire it, or at least so
much o4 it as lea*es the case *alueless$ The seer is /lad to 4ind this re4u/e 4rom
the unpleasant 4eelin/s en/endered5 whilst surroundin/ 4riends, sometimes 4rom
/enuine scepticism, and sometimes 4rom /ood"nature, almost in*ariably lean to
this e7planation o4 the mystery$ In consequence o4 these di44iculties and those
attendin/ the *ery nature o4 the phenomena, I 4reely admit that the 4acts I shall
adduce, as they now stand, can ha*e no scienti4ic *alue5 they cannot in short
enter into the re/ion o4 science at all, still less into that o4 philosophy$ .hate*er
conclusions we may be led to 4orm, cannot be 4ounded on pure induction$ .e
must con4ine oursel*es wholly within the re/ion o4 opinion, i4 we *enture beyond
which, we shall assuredly 4ounder$ In the be/innin/, all sciences ha*e been but a
collection o4 4acts, a4terwards to be e7amined, compared, and wei/hed by
intelli/ent minds$ To the *ul/ar, who do not see the uni*ersal law which /o*erns
the uni*erse, e*erythin/ out o4 the ordinary course o4 e*ents, is a prodi/y5 but to
the enli/htened mind there are no prodi/ies5 4or it percei*es that both in the
moral and the physical world, there is a chain o4 uninterrupted connection5 and
that the most stran/e and e*en apparently contradictory or supernatural 4act or
e*ent will be 4ound, on due in*esti/ation, to be strictly dependant on its
antecedents$ It is possible, that there may be a lin wantin/, and that our
in*esti/ations may, consequently, be 4ruitless5 but the lin is assuredly there,
althou/h our imper4ect nowled/e and limited *ision cannot 4ind it
0nd it is here the proper place to obser*e, that, in undertain/ to treat o4 the
phenomena in question, I do not propose to consider them as supernatural5 on
the contrary, I am persuaded that the time will come, when they will be reduced
strictly within the bounds o4 science$ It was the tendency o4 the last a/e to re8ect
and deny e*erythin/ they did not understand5 I hope it is the /rowin/ tendency o4
the present one, to e7amine what we do not understand$ :qually disposed with
our predecessors o4 the ei/hteenth century to re8ect the supernatural, and to
belie*e the order o4 nature in*iolable, we are disposed to e7tend the bounds o4
nature and science, till they comprise within their limits all the phenomena,
ordinary and e7traordinary, by which we are surrounded$ )carcely a month
passes, that we do not hear o4 some new and important disco*ery in science5 it is
a domain in which nothin/ is stable5 and e*ery year o*erthrows some o4 the
hasty and premature theories o4 the precedin/ ones5 and this will continue to be
the case as lon/ as scienti4ic men occupy themsel*es each with his own sub8ect,
without studyin/ the /reat and primal truths what the 3rench call Les $erites
meres ( which lin the whole to/ether$ (eantime, there is a continual unsettlin/$
Truth, i4 it do not emanate 4rom an acnowled/ed authority, is /enerally re8ected5
and error, i4 it do, is as o4ten accepted5 whilst, whoe*er disputes the recei*ed
theory, whate*er it be " we mean especially that adopted by the pro4essors o4
colle/es " does it at his peril$ 9ut there is a day yet broodin/ in the bosom o4
time, when the sciences will be no lon/er isolated5 when we shall no lon/er deny,
but be able to account 4or phenomena apparently prodi/ious5 or ha*e the
modesty, i4 we cannot e7plain them, to admit that the di44iculty arises solely 4rom
our own incapacity$ The system o4 centraliBation in statistics, seems to be o4
doubt4ul ad*anta/e5 but a /reater de/ree o4 centraliBation appears to be *ery
much needed in the domain o4 science$ )ome impro*ement in this respect mi/ht
do wonders, particularly i4 rein4orced with a sli/ht in4usion o4 patience and
humility into the minds o4 scienti4ic men5 to/ether with the recollection that 4acts
and phenomena which do not depend on our will, must be waited 4or " that we
must be at their command, 4or they will not be at ours$
9ut to return once more to our own sub8ect$ I4 we do belie*e that a 4uture li4e
awaits us, there can be nothin/ more natural than the desire to obtain some
in4ormation as to what manner o4 li4e that is to be 4or which any one o4 us may,
be4ore this time tomorrow, ha*e e7chan/ed his present mode o4 bein/$ That
there does not e7ist a /reater interest with re/ard to this question in the mind o4
man, arises, partly, 4rom the *a/ue intan/ible ind o4 belie4 he entertains o4 the
4act5 partly, 4rom his absorption in worldly a44airs, and the hard and indi/estible
4ood upon which his clerical shepherds pasture him 4or, under do/matic theolo/y,
reli/ion seems to ha*e withered away to the mere hus o4 spiritualism and partly,
also 4rom the apparent impossibility o4 pursuin/ the enquiry to any purpose$ 0s I
said be4ore, obser*ation and e7perience can alone /uide us in such an enquiry5
4or thou/h most people ha*e a more or less intuiti*e sense o4 their own
immortality, intuition is silent as to the mode o4 it5 and the question I am an7ious
here to discuss with my readers, is, whether we ha*e any 4acts to obser*e, or
any e7perience 4rom which, on this most interestin/ o4 all sub8ects, a conclusion
may be drawn$ 6reat as the di44iculty is o4 producin/ e*idence, it will, I thin, be
pretty /enerally admitted, that, althou/h each indi*idual case, as it stands alone,
may be comparati*ely *alueless, the amount o4 recurrent cases 4orms a body o4
e*idence, that on any other sub8ect would scarcely be re8ected5 and since, i4 the
4acts are accepted, they imperati*ely demand an e7planation 4or, assuredly, the
present theory o4 spectral illusions cannot comprise them our enquiry, let it
terminate in whate*er conclusion it may, cannot be useless or uninterestin/$
Various *iews o4 the phenomena in question may be taen5 and althou/h I shall
o44er my own opinions and the theories and opinions o4 others, I insist upon none5
I do not write to do/matise, but to su//est re4lection and enquiry$ The boos o4
-r$ 3erriar, -r$ #ibbert, and -r$ Thatcher, the 0merican, are all written to support
one e7clusi*e theory5 and they only /i*e such cases as ser*e to sustain it$ They
maintain that the whole phenomena are re4erable to ner*ous or san/uineous
deran/ement, and are mere sub8ecti*e illusions5 and whate*er instance cannot
be co*ered by this theory, they re8ect as 4alse, or treat as a case o4 e7traordinary
coincidence$ In short, they arran/e the 4acts to their theory, not their theory to the
4acts$ Their boos cannot, there4ore, claim to be considered as anythin/ more
than essays on a special disease5 they ha*e no pretence whate*er to the
character o4 in*esti/ations$ The question, consequently, remains as much an
open one as be4ore they treated it5 whilst we ha*e the ad*anta/e o4 their
e7perience and in4ormation, with re/ard to the peculiar malady that 4orms the
sub8ect o4 their wors$ @n that sub8ect it is not my intention to enter5 it is a strictly
medical one, and e*ery in4ormation may be obtained respectin/ it in the abo*e"
named treatises, and others, emanatin/ 4rom the 4aculty$
The sub8ects I do intend to treat o4 are the *arious inds o4 prophetic dreams,
presentiments, second"si/ht, and apparitions5 and, in short, all that class o4
phenomena, which appears to throw some li/ht on our physical nature, and on
the probable state o4 the soul a4ter death$ In this discussion I shall mae 4ree use
o4 my 6erman authorities, -octors ;erner, )tillin/, .erner, :schenmayer,
:nnemoser, 1assa*ent, )chubert, Von (eyer, and I here mae a /eneral
acnowled/ement to that e44ect, because it would embarrass my boo too much
to be constantly /i*in/ names and re4erences5 althou/h when I quote their words
literally, I shall mae a point o4 doin/ so5 and because, also, that as I ha*e been
both thinin/ and readin/ much on these sub8ects 4or a considerable time past, I
am, in 4act, no lon/er in a condition to appropriate either to them or to mysel4,
each his own$ This, howe*er, is a matter o4 *ery little consequence, as I am not
desirous o4 claimin/ any ideas as mine that can be 4ound elsewhere$ It is enou/h
4or me, i4 I succeed in main/ a tolerably clear e7position o4 the sub8ect, and can
induce other people to re4lect upon it$
""""""""""
*hapter ++ ( -he Dweller in the -emple
It is almost needless to obser*e, that the )criptures repeatedly spea o4 man as
a tripartite bein/, consistin/ o4 spirit, soul, and body5 and that, accordin/ to )t$
1aul, we ha*e two bodies " a natural body, and a spiritual body5 the 4ormer bein/
desi/ned as our means o4 communication with the e7ternal world an instrument
to be used and controlled by our nobler parts$ It is this *iew o4 it, carried to a
4anaticism, which has led to the *arious and e7traordinary morti4ications recorded
o4 ascetics$ 0s is remared by the ?e*$ #are Townshend, in a late edition o4 his
boo on (esmerism, in this 4leshly body consists our or/anic li4e5 in the body
which we are to retain throu/h eternity, consists our 4undamental li4e$ (ay not the
4irst, he says, "be a temporary de*elopment o4 the last, 8ust as lea*es, 4lowers
and 4ruits, are the temporary de*elopments o4 a tree$ 0nd in the same manner
that these pass and drop away, yet lea*e the principle o4 reproduction behind, so
may our present or/ans be detached 4rom us by death, and yet the /round o4 our
e7istence be spared to us continuously$"
.ithout enterin/ into the subtle disputes o4 philosophers, with re/ard to the spirit,
a sub8ect on which there is a standin/ contro*ersy betwi7t the disciples o4 #e/el,
and those o4 other teachers, I need only obser*e that the )criptures seem to
indicate what some o4 the heathen sa/es tau/ht, that the spirit that dwells within
us is the spirit o4 6od, incorporated in us 4or a period, 4or certain ends o4 his own,
to be thereby wrou/ht out$ .hat those ends are, it does not belon/ to my present
sub8ect to consider$ In this spirit so imparted to us, dwells, says :schenmayer,
the conscience, which eeps watch o*er the body and the soul, sayin/, "Thus
shall thou do!" 0nd it is to this Christ addresses himsel4 when he bids his
disciples become per4ect, lie their 3ather in #ea*en$ The soul is sub8ect to the
spirit5 and its 4unctions are, to will, or choose, to thin%, and to feel, and to become
thereby co/niBant o4 the true, the beauti4ul, and the /ood5 comprehendin/ the
hi/hest principle, the hi/hest ideal, and the most per4ect happiness$ The .go, or
I, is the resultant o4 the three 4orces, 1neuma, 1syche, )oma " spirit, soul, and
body$
In the spirit or soul, or rather in both con8oined, dwells, also, the power o4 spiritual
seeing, or intuiti$e %nowing5 4or, as there is a spiritual body, there is a spiritual
eye, and a spiritual ear, and so 4orth5 or, to spea more correctly, all these
sensuous 4unctions are comprised in one uni*ersal sense, which does not need
the aid o4 the bodily or/ans5 but, on the contrary, is most e44icient when most
4reed 4rom them$ It remains to be seen whether, or in what de/ree, such
separation can tae place durin/ li4e5 complete it cannot be till death5 but
whoe*er belie*es sincerely that the di*ine spirit dwells within him, can, I should
thin, 4ind no di44iculty in concei*in/ that, althou/h 4rom the temporary conditions
to which it is sub8ected, this uni*ersal 4aculty is limited and obscured, it must still
retain its inde4eisible attribute$
.e may naturally conclude that the most per4ect state o4 man on earth consists
in the most per4ect unity o4 the spirit and the soul5 and to those who in this li4e
ha*e attained the nearest to that unity, will the entire assimilation o4 the two, a4ter
they are separated 4rom the body, be the easiest5 whilst to those who ha*e li*ed
only their intellectual and e7ternal li4e, this union must be e7tremely di44icult, the
soul ha*in/ chosen its part with the body and di*orced itsel4, as much as in it lay,
4rom the spirit$ The *oice o4 conscience is then scarcely heard5 and the soul,
de/raded and debased, can no lon/er per4orm its 4unctions o4 discernin/ the
true, the beauti4ul, and the /ood$
@n these distinct 4unctions o4 the soul and spirit, howe*er, it is not my intention to
insist5 since, it appears to me, a sub8ect on which we are not yet in a condition to
do/matise$ .e now rather more about our bodies, by means o4 which the soul
and spirit are united and brou/ht into contact with the material world, and which
are constructed wholly with a *iew to the conditions o4 that world5 such as time,
space, solidity, e7tension, etc$, etc$ 9ut we must concei*e o4 6od as necessarily
independent o4 these conditions$ To #im, all times and all places must be 4or
e*er present5 and it is thus that he is omniscient and omnipresent5 and since we
are placed by the spirit in immediate relation with 6od and the spiritual world, 8ust
as we are placed by the body in immediate relation with the material world, we
may, in the 4irst place, 4orm a notion o4 the possibility that some 4aint /leams o4
these inherent attributes may, at times, shoot up throu/h the clay in which the
spirit has taen up its temporary abode5 and we may also admit, that throu/h the
connection which e7ists betwi7t us and the spiritual world, it is not impossible but
that we may, at times, and under certain conditions, become co/niBant o4, and
enter into more immediate relation with it$ This is the only postulate I as5 4or, as I
said be4ore, I do not wish to en4orce opinions, but to su//est probabilities, or at
least possibilities, and thus arouse re4lection and enquiry$
.ith respect to the term in$isi#le world, I be/ to remind my readers, that what we
call seeing, is merely the 4unction o4 an or/an constructed 4or that purpose, in
relation to the e7ternal world5 and so limited are its powers, that we are
surrounded by many thin/s in that world which we cannot see without the aid o4
arti4icial appliances, and many other thin/s which we cannot see e*en with them5
the atmosphere in which we li*e, 4or e7ample, which, althou/h its wei/ht and
mechanical 4orces are the sub8ects o4 accurate calculation, is entirely
imperceptible to our *isual or/ans$ Thus, the 4act that we do not commonly see
them, 4orms no le/itimate ob8ection to the hypothesis o4 our bein/ surrounded by
a world o4 spirits, or o4 that world bein/ inter"di44used amon/st us$ )upposin/ the
question to be decided, that we do sometimes become co/niBant o4 them, which,
howe*er, I admit it is not5 since, whether the apparitions are sub8ecti*e or
ob8ecti*e, that is, whether they are the mere phenomena o4 disease, or real
outstandin/ appearances, is the enquiry I desire to promote " but, I say,
supposin/ that question were decided in the a44irmati*e, the ne7t that arises is,
how, or by what means do we see them5 or, i4 they address us, hear them< I4 that
uni*ersal sense which appears to me to be inseparable 4rom the idea o4 spirit, be
once admitted, I thin there can be no di44iculty in answerin/ this question5 and i4
it be ob8ected that we are conscious o4 no such sense, I answer that, both in
dreams and in certain abnormal states o4 the body, it is 4requently mani4ested$ In
order to render this more clear, and, at the same time, to /i*e an interestin/
instance o4 this sort o4 phenomenon, I will transcribe a passa/e 4rom a letter o4
)t$ 0u/ustine to his 4riend :*adius E.pistola 1>F, 0ntwerp edition$G
"I will relate to you a circumstance," he writes, "which will 4urnish you matter 4or
re4lection$ @ur brother )ennadius, well nown to us all as an eminent physician,
and whom we especially lo*e, who is now at Cartha/e, a4ter ha*in/ distin/uished
himsel4 at ?ome, and with whose piety and acti*e bene*olence you are well
acquainted, could yet, ne*ertheless, as he has lately narrated to us, by any
means brin/ himsel4 to belie*e in a li4e a4ter death$ &ow, 6od, doubtless, not
willin/ that his soul should perish, there appeared to him, one ni/ht in a dream, a
radiant youth o4 noble aspect, who bade him 4ollow him5 and as )ennadius
obeyed, they came to a city where, on the ri/ht side, he heard a chorus o4 the
most hea*enly *oices$ 0s he desired to now whence this di*ine harmony
proceeded, the youth told him that what he heard were the son/s o4 the blessed5
whereupon he awoe, and thou/ht no more o4 his dream than people usually do$
@n another ni/ht, howe*er, behold! the youth appears to him a/ain and ass i4
he nows him5 and )ennadius related to him all the particulars o4 his 4ormer
dream, which he well remembered$ 'Then,' said the youth, 'was it whilst sleepin/
or wain/ that you saw these thin/s<' 'I was sleepin/,' answered )ennadius$
'Hou are ri/ht,' returned the youth, 'it was in your sleep that you saw these thin/s5
and now, oh )ennadius, that what you see now is also in your sleep$ 9ut i4 this
be so, tell me where then is your body<' 'In my bedchamber,' answered
)ennadius$ '9ut now you not,' continued the stran/er, 'that your eyes, which
4orm a part o4 your body, are closed and inacti*e<' 'I now it,' answered he$
'Then,' said the youth, 'with what eyes see you these thin/s<' 0nd )ennadius
could not answer him5 and as he hesitated the youth spoe a/ain, and e7plained
to him the moti*e o4 his questions$ '0s the eyes o4 your body,' said he, 'which lies
now on your bed and sleeps, are inacti*e and useless, and yet you ha*e eyes
wherewith you see me and these thin/s I ha*e shown unto you, so a4ter death
when these bodily or/ans 4ail you, you will ha*e a *ital power, whereby you will
li*e5 and a sensiti*e 4aculty, whereby you will percei*e$ -oubt, there4ore, no
lon/er that there is a li4e a4ter death$' 0nd thus," said this e7cellent man, "was I
con*inced, and all doubts remo*ed$"
I con4ess there appears to me a beauty and a lo/ical truth in this dream, that I
thin mi/ht con*ince more than the dreamer$
It is by the hypothesis o4 this uni*ersal sense, latent within us5 an hypothesis
which, whoe*er belie*es that we are immortal spirits, incorporated 4or a season
in a material body, can scarcely re8ect, that I see to e7plain those perceptions
which are not comprised within the 4unctions o4 our bodily or/ans$ It seems to me
to be the ey to all, or nearly all, o4 them, as 4ar as our own part in the
phenomena e7tends$ 9ut, supposin/ this admitted, there would then remain the
di44iculty o4 accountin/ 4or the partial and capricious /limpses we /et o4 it5 whilst
that department o4 the mystery which re/ards apparitions, e7cept such as are the
pure result o4 disease, we must /rope our way, with *ery little li/ht to /uide us, as
to the conditions and moti*es which mi/ht possibly brin/ them into any
immediate relation with us$
To any one who has been 4ortunate enou/h to witness one /enuine case o4
clair*oyance I thin the conception o4 this uni*ersal sense will not be di44icult5
howe*er, the mode o4 its e7ercise may remain utterly incomprehensible$ 0s I
ha*e said abo*e to the /reat spirit and 4ountain o4 li4e, all thin/s, both in space
and time, must be present$ #owe*er impossible it is to our 4inite minds to
concei*e this, we must belie*e it$ It may, in some sli/ht de/ree, 4acilitate the
conception to remember, that action, once be/un, ne*er ceases " an impulse
/i*en is transmitted on 4or e*er5 a sound breathed re*erberates in eternity5 and
thus the past is always present, althou/h 4or the purpose o4 4ittin/ us 4or this
mortal li4e, our ordinary senses are so constituted as to be unpercepti*e o4 these
phenomena$ .ith respect to what we call the future, it is more di44icult still 4or us
to concei*e it as present5 nor, as 4ar ar I now, can we borrow 4rom the sciences
the same assistance as mechanical disco*eries ha*e 8ust 4urnished me with in
re/ard to the past$ #ow a spirit sees that which has not yet, to our senses, taen
place, seems, certainly, ine7plicable$ /oreseeing it is not ine7plicable5 we 4oresee
many thin/s by ar/uin/ on /i*en premises, althou/h, 4rom our own 4inite *iews,
we are always liable to be mistaen$ %ouis %ambert says, ")uch e*ents as are
the product o4 humanity, and the result o4 its intelli/ence, ha*e their own causes,
in which they lie latent, 8ust as our actions are accomplished in our thou/hts
pre*ious to any outward demonstration o4 them5 presentiments and prophecies
consist in the intuiti*e perception o4 these causes$" This e7planation [which is
quite con4ormable with that o4 Cicero, may aid us in some de/ree, as re/ards a
certain small class o4 phenomena5 but there is somethin/ in*ol*ed in the question
much more subtle than this$ @ur dreams can /i*e us the only idea o4 it5 4or there
we do actually see and hear, not only that which ne*er was, but that which ne*er
will be$ 0ctions and e*ents, words and sounds, persons and places, are as
clearly and *i*idly present to us, as i4 they were actually what they seem5 and I
should thin that most people must be somewhat puBBled to decide in re/ard to
certain scenes and circumstances that li*e in their memory, whether the ima/es
are the result o4 their wain/ or sleepin/ e7perience$ 0lthou/h by no means a
dreamer, and without the most remote appro7imation to any 4aculty o4
presentiment, I now this is the case with mysel4$ I remember, also, a *ery
curious e44ect bein/ produced upon me, when I was abroad, some years a/o,
4rom eatin/ the unwholesome bread to which we were reduced, in consequence
o4 a scarcity$ )ome 4i*e or si7 times a day I was seiBed with a sort o4 *erti/o,
durin/ which I seemed to pass throu/h certain scenes, and was conscious o4
certain words, which appeared to me to ha*e a stran/e connection, either with
some 4ormer period o4 my li4e, or else some pre*ious state o4 e7istence5 the
words and the scenes were on each occasion precisely the same$ I was always
aware o4 that5 and I always made the stron/est e44orts to /rasp and retain them in
my memory5 but I could not$ I only new that the thin/ had been5 the words and
the scenes were /one$ I seemed to pass momentarily into another sphere and
bac a/ain$ This was purely the result o4 disorder5 but, lie a dream, it shows how
we may be percepti*e o4 that which is not, and which ne*er may be5 renderin/ it,
there4ore, possible to concei*e that a spirit may be equally percepti*e o4 that
which shall be$ I am *ery 4ar 4rom meanin/ to imply that these e7amples remo*e
the di44iculty5 they do not e7plain the thin/5 they only show somewhat the mode o4
it$ 9ut it must be remembered that when physiolo/ists pretend to settle the whole
question o4 apparitions by the theory o4 spectral illusions, they are e7actly in the
same predicament$ They can supply e7amples o4 similar phenomena5 but how a
person, per4ectly in his senses, should recei*e the spectral *isits, not only o4
4riends, but stran/ers, when he is thinin/ o4 no such matter5 or, by what process,
mental or optical, the 4i/ures are con8ured up, remains as much a mystery as
be4ore a line was written on the sub8ect$
0ll people and all a/es ha*e belie*ed, more or less, in prophetic dreams,
presentiments, and apparitions5 and all histories ha*e 4urnished e7amples o4
them$ That the truths may be 4requently distorted and min/led with 4able, is no
ar/ument a/ainst those traditions5 i4 it were, all history must be re8ected on the
same plea$ 9oth the @ld and &ew Testament 4urnish numerous e7amples o4
these phenomena5 and althou/h Christ and the 0postles repro*ed all the
superstitions o4 the a/e, these persuasions are not included in their
reprehensions$
&either is the comparati*e rarity o4 these phenomena any ar/ument a/ainst their
possibility$ There are many stran/e thin/s which occur still more rarely, but which
we do not loo upon as supernatural or miraculous$ @4 nature's ordinary laws, we
yet now but little5 o4 their aberrations and perturbations still less$ #ow should
we, when the world is a miracle and li4e a dream, o4 which we now neither the
be/innin/ nor the end! .e do not e*en now that we see anythin/ as it is5 or
rather, we now that we do not$ .e see thin/s but as our *isual or/ans represent
them to us5 and were those or/ans di44erently constructed, the aspect o4 the
world, would to us, be chan/ed$ #ow, then, can we pretend to decide upon what
is and what is not<
&othin/ could be more perple7in/ to anyone who read them with attention, than
the trials 4or witchcra4t o4 the se*enteenth century$ (any o4 the 4eats o4 the
ancient thaumatur/ists and wonder"worers o4 the temples, mi/ht ha*e been
nearly as much so5 but these were /ot rid o4 by the easy e7pedient o4
pronouncin/ them 4ables and impostures5 but, durin/ the witch mania, so many
persons pro*ed their 4aith in their own miraculous powers by the sacri4ice o4 their
li*es, that it was scarcely possible to doubt their ha*in/ some 4oundation 4or their
own persuasion, thou/h what that 4oundation could be, till the late disco*eries in
animal ma/netism, it was di44icult to concei*e5 but here we ha*e a new pa/e
opened to us, which concerns both the history o4 the world and the history o4
man, as an indi*idual5 and we be/in to see, that that which the i/norant thou/ht
supernatural, and the wise impossible, has been both natural and true$ .hilst the
scienti4ic men o4 6reat 9ritain, and se*eral o4 our 8ournalists, ha*e been denyin/
and ridiculin/ the reports o4 these phenomena, the most eminent physicians o4
6ermany ha*e been quietly studyin/ and in*esti/atin/ them5 and /i*in/ to the
world, in their wors, the results o4 their e7perience$ 0mon/st the rest, -r$
Doseph :nnemoser, o4 9erlin, has presented to us in his two boos on "(a/ic,"
and on "The connection o4 (a/netism with &ature and ?eli/ion," the 4ruits o4 his
thirty years' study o4 this sub8ect5 durin/ the course o4 which he has had repeated
opportunities o4 in*esti/atin/ all the phenomena, and o4 main/ himsel4 per4ectly
4amiliar with e*en the most rare and perple7in/$ To any one who has studied
these wors, the mysteries o4 the temples and o4 the witch trials, are mysteries
no lon/er5 and he writes with the pro4essed desi/n, not to mae science mystical,
but to brin/ the mysterious within the bounds o4 science$ The phenomena, as he
8ustly says, are as old as the human race$ 0nimal ma/netism is no new
de*elopment, no new disco*ery$ Inseparable 4rom li4e, althou/h, lie many other
*ital phenomena, so subtle in its in4luences, that only in abnormal cases it
attracts attention, it has e7hibited itsel4 more or less in all a/es, and in all
countries$ 9ut its *alue as a medical a/ent is only now be/innin/ to dawn on the
ci*iliBed world, whilst its importance, in a hi/her point o4 *iew, is yet percei*ed but
by 4ew$ :*ery human bein/ who has e*er withdrawn himsel4 4rom the stri4e, and
the turmoil, and the distraction, o4 the world without, in order to loo within, must
ha*e 4ound himsel4 perple7ed by a thousand questions with re/ard to his own
bein/, which he would 4ind no one able to sol*e$ In the study o4 animal
ma/netism, he will 4irst obtain some /leams o4 a li/ht which will show him that he
is indeed the child o4 6od! and that, thou/h a dweller on the earth, and 4allen,
some traces o4 his di*ine descent, and o4 his unbroen connection with a hi/her
order o4 bein/, still remain to com4ort and encoura/e him$ #e will 4ind that there
e7ists in his species the /erms o4 4aculties that are ne*er 4ully un4olded here on
earth, and which ha*e no re4erence to this state o4 bein/$ They e7ist in all men5
but in most cases are so 4aintly elicited as not to be obser*able5 and when they
do shoot up here and there, they are denied, disowned, misinterpreted, and
mali/ned$ It is true, that their de*elopment is o4ten the symptom and e44ect o4
disease, which seems to chan/e the relations o4 our material and immaterial
parts$ It is true, that some o4 the phenomena resultin/ 4rom these 4aculties are
simulated by disease, as in the case o4 spectral illusions5 and it is true, that
imposture and 4olly intrude their unhallowed 4ootsteps into this domain o4 science,
as into that o4 all others5 but there is a deep and holy well o4 truth to be
disco*ered in this ne/lected bye"path o4 nature, by those who see it, 4rom which
they may draw the purest consolations 4or the present, the most ennoblin/ hopes
4or the 4uture, and the most *aluable aid in penetratin/ throu/h the letter, into the
spirit o4 the )criptures$
I con4ess it maes me sorrow4ul when I hear men lau/hin/, scornin/, and
denyin/ this their birthri/ht5 and I cannot but /rie*e to thin how closely and
hea*ily their clay must be wrapt about them, and how the e7ternal and sensuous
li4e must ha*e pre*ailed o*er the internal, when no /leam 4rom within breas
throu/h to show them that these thin/s are true$
""""""""""
*hapter +++ ( 0a%ing and Sleeping1 and How the Dweller in the -emple
Sometimes Loo%s A#road
To be/in with the most simple or rather, I should say, the most ordinary, class o4
phenomena " 4or we can scarcely call that simple, the mystery o4 which we ha*e
ne*er been able to penetrate " I mean dreamin/ " e*erybody's e7perience will
su44ice to satis4y them, that their ordinary dreams tae place in a state o4
imper4ect sleep5 and that this imper4ect sleep may be caused by any bodily or
mental deran/ement whate*er5 or e*en 4rom an ill"made bed, or too much or too
little co*erin/5 and it is not di44icult to concei*e that the stran/e, con4used, and
dis8ointed *isions we are sub8ect to on these occasions, may proceed 4rom some
parts o4 the brain bein/ less at rest than the others5 so that, assumin/ phrenolo/y
to be 4act, one or/an is not in a state to correct the impressions o4 another$ @4
such *ain and insi/ni4icant *isions, I need scarcely say it is not my intention to
treat5 but, at the same time, I must obser*e, that when we ha*e admitted the
abo*e e7planation, as 4ar as it /oes, we ha*e not, e*en in re/ard to them, made
much pro/ress towards remo*in/ the di44iculty$ I4 dreamin/ resembled thinin/
the e7planations mi/ht be quite satis4actory5 but the truth is, that dreamin/ is not
thinin/, as we thin in our wain/ state5 but is more analo/ous to thinin/ in
delirium or acute mania, or in that chronic condition which /i*es rise to sensuous
illusions$ In our ordinary normal state, concei*in/ o4 places or persons does not
enable us to see them or hold communion with them5 nor do we 4ancy that we do
either$ It is true that I ha*e heard some painters say, that by closin/ their eyes
and concentratin/ their thou/hts on an ob8ect, they can brin/ it more or less
*i*idly be4ore them5 and 9lae pro4essed actually to see his sitters when they
where not present5 but whate*er interpretations we may put upon this curious
4aculty, his case was clearly abnormal, and connected with some personal
peculiarity, either physical or psychical5 and, a4ter main/ the most o4 it, it must
be admitted that it can enter into no sort o4 comparison with that we possess in
sleep, when, in our most ordinary dreams, untrammeled by time or space, we
*isit the uttermost ends o4 the earth, 4ly in the air, swim in the sea, listen to
beauti4ul music and eloquent orations, behold the most charmin/, as well as the
most loathsome ob8ects5 and not only see, but con*erse with our 4riends, absent
or present, dead or ali*e$ :*eryone, I thin, will /rant that there is the widest
possible di44erence betwi7t concei*in/ o4 these thin/s when awae, and
dreamin/ them$ .hen we dream, we do, we see, we say, we hear, that is, we
belie*e at the time that we do so5 and what more can be said o4 us when we are
awae, than that we belie*e we are doin/, seein/, sayin/, hearin/$ It is by
e7ternal circumstances, and the results o4 our actions, that we are able to decide
whether we ha*e actually done a thin/ or seen a place, or only dreamt that we
ha*e done so5 and as I ha*e said abo*e, a4ter some lapse o4 time, we are not
always able to distin/uish between the two$ .hilst dreamin/, we 4requently as
oursel*es whether we are awae or asleep5 and nothin/ is more common than to
hear people say, ".ell, I thin I did, or heard, so and so5 but I am not sure
whether it was so, or whether I dreamt it$" Thus, there4ore, the *ery lowest order
o4 dreamin/, the most dis8ointed and perple7ed, is 4ar remo*ed 4rom the most
*i*id presentations o4 our wain/ thou/hts5 and it is in this respect, I thin, that
the e7planations o4 the phenomena hitherto o44ered by phrenolo/ists, and the
metaphysicians o4 this country, are inadequate and unsatis4actory5 whilst, as
re/ards the analo/y betwi7t the *isions o4 sleep and delirium, whate*er similarity
there may be in the e44ects, we cannot suppose the cause to be identicalA since,
in delirium, the ima/es and delusions are the result o4 e7cessi*e action o4 the
brain, which we must conclude to be the *ery re*erse o4 its condition in sleep$
1inel certainly has haBarded an opinion that sleep is occasioned by an e44lu7 o4
blood to the head, and consequent compression o4 the brain " a theory which
would ha*e /reater wei/ht were sleep more strictly periodical than it is5 but
which, at present, it seems impossible to reconcile with many established 4acts$
)ome o4 the 6erman physiolo/ists and psycholo/ists ha*e taen a deeper *iew
o4 this question o4 dreamin/ " 4rom considerin/ it in connection with the
phenomena o4 animal ma/netism5 and althou/h their theories di44er in some
respects, they all unite in looin/ towards that department o4 nature 4or
instruction$ .hilst one section o4 these enquirers, the :7e/etical )ociety o4
)tocholm included, calls in the aid o4 supernatural a/ency, another, amon/st
whom -r$ Doseph :nnemoser, o4 9erlin, appears to he one o4 the most eminent,
maintains that the e7planation o4 the mystery is to be chie4ly sou/ht in the /reat
and uni*ersal law o4 polarity, which e7tends not only beyond the limits o4 this
earth, but beyond the limits o4 this system, which must necessarily be in
connection with all others5 so that there is thus an eternal and ne*er"ceasin/
interaction, o4 which, 4rom the multiplicity and contrariety o4 the in4luences we are
insensible, 8ust as we are insensible o4 the pressure o4 the atmosphere, 4rom its
impin/in/ on us equally on all sides$
.ain/ and sleepin/ are the day and ni/ht sides o4 or/anic li4e, durin/ which
alternations an animal is placed in di44erent relations to the e7ternal world, and to
these alternations all or/anisms are sub8ect$ The completeness and
independence o4 each indi*idual or/anism, is in e7act ratio to the number and
completeness o4 the or/ans it de*elops5 and thus the locomoti*e animal has the
ad*anta/e o4 the plant or the Boophyte, whilst, o4 the animal in/dom, man is the
most complete and independent5 and, althou/h still a member o4 the uni*ersal
whole, and there4ore incapable o4 isolatin/ himsel4, yet better able than any other
or/anism to ward o44 e7ternal in4luences, and comprise his world within himsel4$
9ut, accordin/ to -r$ :nnemoser, one o4 the consequences o4 this *ery
completeness, is a wea and insi/ni4icant de*elopment o4 instinct5 and thus the
healthy, wain/, conscious man, is, o4 all or/anisms, the least sensible to the
impressions o4 this uni*ersal intercommunication and polarity5 althou/h, at the
same time, partain/ o4 the nature o4 the plant and the animal, he is sub8ect, lie
the 4irst, to all manner o4 atmospheric, telluric, and periodic in4luences5 and
4requently e7hibits, lie the second, peculiar instincti*e appetites and desires,
and, in some indi*idual or/aniBations, *ery mared antipathies and
susceptibilities with re/ard to certain ob8ects and in4luences, e*en when not
placed in any e*ident relation with them$
0ccordin/ to this theory, sleep is a retro/rade step " a retreatin/ into a lower
sphere5 in which condition, the sensuous 4unctions bein/ in abeyance, the
instincts somewhat resume their sway$ "In sleep and in sicness," he says, "the
hi/her animals and man 4all in a physico"or/anical point o4 *iew, 4rom their
indi*idual independence, or power o4 sel4"sustainment5 and their polar relation,
that is, their relation, to the healthy and wain/ man, becomes chan/ed 4rom a
positi*e to a ne/ati*e one5 all men, in re/ard to each other, as well as all nature,
bein/ the sub8ects o4 this polarity$ It is to be remembered, that this theory o4 -r$
:nnemoser's was promul/ated be4ore the disco*eries o4 9aron *on ?eichenbac
in ma/netism were made public, and the susceptibility to ma/netic in4luences in
the animal or/anism, which the e7periments o4 the latter /o to establish, is
certainly in its 4a*our5 but whilst it pretends to e7plain the condition o4 the
sleepers, and may possibly be o4 some ser*ice in our in*esti/ations into the
mystery o4 dreamin/, it lea*es us as much in the dar as e*er, with respect to the
cause o4 our 4allin/ into this ne/ati*e state5 an enquiry in which little pro/ress
seems to ha*e been hitherto made$
.ith respect to dreamin/, -r$ :nnemoser re8ects the physiolo/ical theory, which
maintains, that in sleep, ma/netic or otherwise, the acti*ity o4 the brain is
trans4erred to the /an/lionic system, and that the 4ormer 4alls into a subordinate
relation$ "-reamin/," he says, "is the /radual awaenin/ o4 acti*ity in the or/ans
o4 ima/ination, whereby the presentation o4 sensuous ob8ects to the spirit, which
had been discontinued in pro4ound sleep, is resumed$ -reamin/," he adds, "also
arises 4rom the secret acti*ity o4 the spirit in the innermost sensuous or/ans o4
the brain, busyin/ the 4ancy with sub8ecti*e sensuous ima/es, the ob8ecti*e
conscious day"li4e /i*in/ place to the creati*e dominion o4 the poetical /enius, to
which ni/ht becomes day, and uni*ersal nature its theatre o4 action5 and thus the
supersensuous or transcendent nature o4 the spirit becomes more mani4est in
dreamin/ than in the wain/ state$ 9ut, in considerin/ these phenomena, man
must be *iewed both in his psychical and physical relations, and as equally
sub8ect to spiritual as to natural operations and in4luences5 since, durin/ the
continuance o4 li4e, neither soul nor body can act quite independently o4 the
other5 4or, althou/h it be the immortal spirit which percei*es, it is throu/h the
instrumentality o4 the sensuous or/ans that it does so5 4or o4 absolute spirit
without body, we can 4orm no conception$"
.hat is here meant seems to be, that the brain becomes the world to the spirit,
be4ore the impressions 4rom the e7ternal world, do actually come streamin/
throu/h by means o4 the e7ternal sensuous or/ans$ The inner spiritual li/ht
illumines, till the outward, physical li/ht o*erpowers and e7tin/uishes it$ 9ut in
this state, the brain, which is the storehouse o4 acquired nowled/e, is not in a
condition to apply its acquisitions e44ecti*ely5 whilst the intuiti*e nowled/e o4 the
spirit, i4 the sleep be imper4ect, is clouded by its inter4erence$
@ther physiolo/ists, howe*er, belie*e, 4rom the numerous and well attested
cases o4 the trans4erence o4 the senses, in disease, to the pit o4 the stomach, that
the acti*ity o4 the brain in sleep is trans4erred to the epi/astric re/ion$ The
instances o4 this phenomenon, as related by -r$ 1etetin and others, ha*in/ been
4requently published, I need not here quote$ 9ut, as -r$ 1assa*ant obser*es, it is
well nown that the 4unctions o4 the ner*es di44er in some animals5 and that one
set can supply the place o4 another5 as in those cases where there is a /reat
susceptibility to li/ht, thou/h no eyes can be disco*ered$
These physiolo/ists belie*e, that, e*en durin/ the most pro4ound sleep, the spirit
retains its acti*ity, a proposition which, indeed, we cannot doubt5 "it waes,
thou/h the senses sleep, retreatin/ into its in4inite depths, lie the sun at ni/ht5
li*in/ on its spiritual li4e undisturbed, whilst the body sins into a state o4
*e/etati*e tranquility$ &or does it 4ollow that the soul is unconscious in sleep,
because in wain/ we ha*e 4requently lost all memory o4 its consciousness5
since, by the repose o4 the sensuous or/ans, the brid/e betwi7t wain/ and
sleepin/ is remo*ed, and the recollections o4 one state are not carried into the
other$"
It will occur here to e*eryone, how o4ten in the instant o4 wain/ we are not only
conscious that we ha*e been dreamin/, but are also conscious o4 the sub8ect o4
the dream, which we try in *ain to /rasp, but which eludes us, and is /one 4or
e*er the moment we ha*e passed into a state o4 complete wae4ulness$
&ow, with respect to this so called dreamin/ in pro4ound sleep, it is a thin/ no
one can well doubt, who thorou/hly belie*es that his body is a temple built 4or the
dwellin/ o4 an immortal spirit5 4or we cannot concei*e o4 spirit sleepin/, or
needin/ that restoration which we now to be the condition o4 earthly or/anisms$
I4, there4ore, the spirit waes, may we not suppose that the more it is
disentan/led 4rom the obstructions o4 the body, the more clear will be its
perceptions5 and that, there4ore, in the pro4ound natural sleep o4 the sensuous
or/ans we may be in a state o4 clear"seein/$ 0ll who ha*e attended to the sub8ect
are aware, that the clear"seein/ o4 ma/netic patients depends on the depth o4
their sleep5 whate*er circumstance, internal or e7ternal, tends to interrupt this
pro4ound repose o4 the sensuous or/ans, ine*itably obscures their perception$
0/ain, with respect to the not carryin/ with us the recollections o4 one state into
the other, should not this lead us to suspect, that sleepin/ and wain/ are two
di44erent spheres o4 e7istence5 partain/ o4 the nature o4 that double li4e, o4 which
the records o4 human physiolo/y ha*e presented us with *arious instances,
wherein a patient 4inds himsel4 utterly di*ested o4 all recollection o4 past e*ents
and acquired nowled/e, and has to be/in li4e and education anew, till another
transition taes place, wherein he reco*ers what he had lost, whilst he at the
same time loses all he had lately /ained, which he only reco*ers, once more, by
another transition, restorin/ to him his lately acquired nowled/e, but a/ain
obliteratin/ his ori/inal stoc, thus alternately passin/ 4rom one state to the other,
and disclosin/ a double li4e5 an educated man in one condition, a child learnin/
his alphabet in the ne7t$
.here the transition 4rom one state to another is complete, memory is entirely
lost5 but there are cases in which the chan/e, bein/ either /radual or modi4ied,
the recollections o4 one li4e are carried more or less into the other$ .e now this
to be the case with ma/netic sleepers, as it is with ordinary dreamers5 and most
persons ha*e met with instances o4 the dream o4 one ni/ht bein/ continued in the
ne7t$ Tre*iranus mentions the case o4 a student who re/ularly be/an to tal the
moment he 4ell asleep, the sub8ect o4 his discourse bein/ a dream, which he
always too up at the e7act point at which he had le4t it the pre*ious mornin/$ @4
this dream he had ne*er the sli/htest recollection in his wain/ state$ 0 dau/hter
o4 )ir 6eor/e (acenBie's, who died at an early a/e, was endowed with a
remarable /enius 4or music, and was an accomplished or/anist$ This youn/
lady dreamt, durin/ an illness, that she was at a party, where she had heard a
new piece o4 music, which made so /reat an impression on her by its no*elty and
beauty, that, on awain/, she besou/ht her attendants to brin/ her some paper,
that she mi/ht write it down be4ore she had 4or/otten it, an indul/ence which,
apprehensi*e o4 e7citement, her medical attendant un4ortunately 4orbad5 4or,
apart 4rom the additional psycholo/ical interest that would ha*e been attached to
the 4act, the e44ects o4 compliance, 8ud/in/ 4rom what ensued, would probably
ha*e been soothin/, rather than otherwise$ 0bout ten days a4terwards, she had a
second dream, wherein she a/ain 4ound hersel4 at a party, where she descried
on the des o4 a piano4orte, in a corner o4 the room, an open boo, in which, with
astonished deli/ht, she reco/nised the same piece o4 music, which she
immediately proceeded to play, and then awoe$ The piece was not o4 a short or
4u/iti*e character, but in the style o4 an o*erture$ The question, o4 course,
remains, as to whether she was composin/ the music in her sleep, or by an act
o4 clair*oyance, was percei*in/ some that actually e7isted$ :ither is possible, 4or,
althou/h she mi/ht ha*e been incapable o4 composin/ so elaborate a piece in
her wain/ state, there are many instances on record o4 persons per4ormin/
intellectual 4eats in dreams, to which they were unequal when awae$ 0 *ery
eminent person assured me, that he had once composed some lines in his sleep,
I thin it was a sonnet, which 4ar e7ceeded any o4 his wain/ per4ormances o4
that description$
)omewhat analo/ous to this sort o4 double li4e, is the case o4 the youn/ /irl
mentioned by -r$ 0bercrombie and others, whose employment was eepin/
cattle, and who slept 4or some time, much to her own annoyance, in the room
ad8oinin/ one occupied by an itinerant musician$ The man, who played
e7ceedin/ly well, bein/ an enthusiast in his art, 4requently practiced the /reater
part o4 the ni/ht, per4ormin/ on his *iolin *ery complicated, and di44icult
compositions, whilst the /irl, so 4ar 4rom disco*erin/ any pleasure in his
per4ormances, complained bitterly o4 bein/ ept awae by the noise$ )ome time
a4ter this, she 4ell ill and was remo*ed to the house o4 a charitable lady, who
undertoo the char/e o4 her5 and here, by and by, the 4amily were amaBed by
4requently hearin/ the most e7quisite music in the ni/ht, which they at len/th
disco*ered to proceed 4rom the /irl$ The sounds were those o4 a *iolin, and the
tunin/ and other preliminary processes were accurately imitated$ )he went
throu/h lon/ and elaborate pieces, and a4terwards was heard imitatin/, in the
same way, the sounds o4 a piano4orte that was in the house$ )he also taled *ery
cle*erly on the sub8ects o4 reli/ion and politics, and discussed, with /reat
8ud/ment, the characters and conduct o4 persons, public and pri*ate$ 0wae, she
new nothin/ o4 these thin/s5 but was, on the contrary, stupid, hea*y, and had no
taste whate*er 4or music$ 1hrenolo/y would probably interpret this phenomenon
by sayin/, that the lower elements o4 the cerebral spinal a7is, as or/ans o4
sensation, bein/ asleep, the cluster o4 the hi/her or/ans requisite 4or the abo*e
combinations, were not only awae, but rendered more acti*e 4rom the repose o4
the othersA but to me it appears, that we here see the inherent 4aculties o4 the
spirit mani4estin/ themsel*es, whilst the body slept$ The same 4aculties must
ha*e e7isted when it was in a wain/ state5 but the impressions and
mani4estations were then dependant on the acti*ity and per4ection o4 the
sensuous or/ans, which seem to ha*e been o4 an in4erior order5 and,
consequently, no rays o4 this in"dwellin/ /enius could pierce the coarse
inte/ument in which it was lod/ed$
)imilar une7pected 4aculties ha*e been not un4requently mani4ested by the dyin/5
and we may conclude to a certain de/ree 4rom the same cause5 namely, that the
incipient death o4 the body is lea*in/ the spirit more unobstructed$ -r$ )teinbech
mentions the case o4 a cler/yman, who, bein/ summoned to administer the last
sacraments to a dyin/ peasant, 4ound him, to his surprise, prayin/ aloud in 6ree
and #ebrew, a mystery which could be no otherwise e7plained, than by the
circumstance o4 his ha*in/, when a child, 4requently heard the then minister o4
the parish prayin/ in those lan/ua/es$ #e had, howe*er, ne*er understood the
prayers, nor indeed paid any attention to them5 still less had he been aware that
they li*ed in his memory$ It would /i*e much additional interest to this story had
-r$ )teinbech mentioned how 4ar the man, now, whilst utterin/ the words,
understood their meanin/5 whether he was aware o4 what he was sayin/, or was
only repeatin/ the words by rote$
.ith re/ard to the e7traordinary 4aculty o4 memory mani4ested in these and
similar cases, I shall ha*e some obser*ations to mae in a subsequent part o4
this boo$
1arallel instances are those o4 idiots, who, either in a somnambulic state, or
immediately pre*ious to death, ha*e spoen as i4 inspired$ 0t )t$ Dean de
(aurienne, in )a*oy, there was a dumb Cretin, who, ha*in/ 4allen into a natural
state o4 somnambulism, not only was 4ound to spea with ease, but also to the
purpose5 a 4aculty which disappeared, howe*er, whene*er he awoe$ -umb
persons ha*e liewise been nown to spea when at the point o4 death$
The possibility o4 su//estin/ dreams to some sleepers by whisperin/ in the ear,
is a well nown 4act5 but this can, doubtless, only be practicable where the
sensuous or/ans are partly awae$ Then, as with ma/netic patients in a state o4
incomplete sleep, we ha*e only re*erie and ima/ination in place o4 clear"seein/$
The ne7t class o4 dreams are those which partae o4 the nature o4 second si/ht,
or prophecy, and o4 these there are *arious inds5 some bein/ plain and literal in
their premonitions, others alle/orical and obscure5 whilst some also re/ard the
most unimportant, and others the most /ra*e e*ents o4 our li*es$ 0 /entleman
en/a/ed in business in the south o4 )cotland, 4or e7ample, dreams that on
enterin/ his o44ice in the mornin/, he sees seated on a certain stool, a person
4ormerly in his ser*ice as cler, o4 whom he had neither heard or thou/ht 4or
some time$ #e enquires the moti*e o4 the *isit, and is told that such and such
circumstances ha*in/ brou/ht the stran/er to that part o4 the country, he could
not 4orbear *isitin/ his old quarters, e7pressin/, at the same time, a wish to
spend a 4ew days in his 4ormer occupation$ The /entleman, bein/ struc with the
*i*idness o4 the illusion, relates his dream at brea4ast, and, to his surprise, on
/oin/ to his o44ice, there sits the man, and the dialo/ue that ensues is precisely
that o4 the dream$ I ha*e heard o4 numerous instances o4 this ind o4 dream,
where no pre*ious e7pectation nor e7citement o4 mind could be 4ound to account
4or them, and where the 4ul4illment was too e7act and literal, in all particulars, to
admit o4 their bein/ e7plained away by the ready resource o4 "an e7traordinary
coincidence$" There are, also, on record, both in this country and others, many
per4ectly well authenticated cases o4 people obtainin/ priBes in the lottery,
throu/h ha*in/ dreamt o4 the 4ortunate numbers$ 0s many numbers, howe*er,
may ha*e been dreamt o4 that were not drawn priBes, we can deri*e no
conclusion 4rom this circumstance$
0 *ery remarable instance o4 this ind o4 dreamin/ occurred a 4ew years since
to (r$ 0$ 3$, an eminent )cotch ad*ocate, whilst stayin/ in the nei/hbourhood o4
%oc 3yne, who dreamt one ni/ht that he saw a number o4 people in the street
4ollowin/ a man to the sca44old$ #e disco*ered the 4eatures o4 the criminal in the
cart distinctly5 and, 4or some reason or other, which he could not account 4or, 4elt
an e7traordinary interest in his 4ate5 insomuch that he 8oined the thron/, and
accompanied him to the place that was to terminate his earthly career$ This
interest was the more unaccountable, that the man had an e7ceedin/ly
unprepossessin/ countenance, but it was, ne*ertheless, so *i*id, as to induce
the dreamer to ascend the sca44old, and address him, with a *iew to enable him
to escape the impendin/ catastrophe$ )uddenly, howe*er, whilst he was talin/
to him, the whole scene dissol*ed away, and the sleeper awoe$ 9ein/ a /ood
deal struc with the li4e"lie reality o4 the *ision, and the impression made on his
mind by the 4eatures o4 this man, he related the circumstance to his 4riends, at
brea4ast, addin/ that he should now him anywhere, i4 he saw him$ 0 4ew 8ests
bein/ made on the sub8ect, the thin/ was 4or/otten$
@n the a4ternoon o4 the same day, the ad*ocate was in4ormed that two men
wanted to spea to him, and, on /oin/ into the hall, he was struc with
amaBement at percei*in/ that one o4 them was the hero o4 his dream!
".e are accused o4 a murder," said they, "and we wish to consult you$ Three o4
us went out last ni/ht, in a boat5 an accident has happened5 our comrade is
drowned, and they want to mae us accountable 4or him$" The ad*ocate then put
some interro/ations to them, and the result produced in his mind, by their
answers, was a con*iction o4 their /uilt$ 1robably the recollection o4 his dream
rendered the e44ects o4 this con*iction more palpable5 4or, one addressin/ the
other, said, in 6aelic, ".e ha*e come to the wron/ man5 he is a/ainst us$"
"There is a hi/her power than I a/ainst you," returned the /entleman5 "and the
only ad*ice I can /i*e you is, i4 you are /uilty, 4ly immediately$" Cpon this, they
went away5 and the ne7t thin/ he heard was, that they were taen into custody,
on suspicion o4 the murder$
The account o4 the a44air was, that, as they said, the three had /one out to/ether
on the precedin/ e*enin/, and that in the mornin/, the body o4 one o4 them had
been 4ound on the shore, with a cut across his 4orehead$ The 4ather and 4riend o4
the *ictim had waited on the bans o4 the lae till the boat came in, and then
demanded their companion5 o4 whom, howe*er, they pro4essed themsel*es
unable to /i*e any account$ Cpon this, the old man led them to his cotta/e 4or the
purpose o4 showin/ them the body o4 his son$ @ne entered, and, at the si/ht o4 it,
burst into a passion o4 tearsA the other re4used to do so, sayin/ his business
called him immediately home, and went sulily away$ This last was the man seen
in the dream$
04ter a 4ortni/ht's incarceration, the 4ormer o4 these was liberated5 and he then
declared to the ad*ocate his intention o4 brin/in/ an action o4 dama/es 4or 4alse
imprisonment$ #e was ad*ised not to do it$ "%ea*e well alone," said the lawyer5
"and i4 you'll tae my ad*ice, mae o44 while you can$" The man, howe*er,
re4used to 4lyA he declared that he really did not now what had occasioned the
death o4 his comrade$ The latter had been at one end o4 the boat, and he at the
other5 when he looed round, he was /one5 but whether he had 4allen o*erboard,
and cut his head as he 4ell, or whether he had been struc and pushed into the
water, he did not now$ The ad*ocate became 4inally satis4ied o4 this man's
innocence5 but the authorities, thinin/ it absurd to try one and not the other,
a/ain laid hands on him5 and it 4ell to (r$ 0$ 3$ to be the de4ender o4 both$ The
di44iculty was, not to separate their cases in his pleadin/5 4or, howe*er morally
con*inced o4 the di44erent /round on which they stood, his duty, pro4essionally,
was to obtain the acquittal o4 both5 in which he 4inally succeeded, as re/arded the
char/e o4 murder$ They were, there4ore, sentenced to two years' imprisonment5
and, so 4ar as the dream is concerned, here ends the story$ There remains,
howe*er, a curious sequel to it$ 0 4ew years a4terwards, the same /entleman
bein/ in a boat on %och 3yne, in company with )ir T$ -$ %$, happened to be
mentionin/ these curious circumstances, when one o4 the boatmen said, that he
"new well about those two men5 and that a *ery stran/e thin/ had occurred in
re/ard to one o4 them$" This one, on enquiry, pro*ed to be the sub8ect o4 the
dream5 and the stran/e thin/ was thisA @n bein/ liberated, he had quitted that
part o4 the country, and, in process o4 time, had /one to 6reenoc, and thence
embared in a *essel 4or Cor$ 9ut the *essel seemed 4ated ne*er to reach its
destination5 one mis4ortune happened a4ter another, till at len/th the sailors said,
"This won't do5 there must be a murderer on board with us$" 0s is usual, when
such a persuasion e7ists, they drew lots three times, and each time it 4ell on that
man$ #e was, consequently, put on shore, and the *essel went on its way without
him$ .hat had become o4 him a4terwards, was not nown$
0 4riend o4 mine, bein/ in %ondon, dreamt that she saw her little boy playin/ on
the terrace o4 her house in &orthumberland, that he 4ell and hurt his arm, and she
saw him lyin/ apparently dead$ The dream recurred two or three times, on the
same ni/ht, and she awoe her husband, sayin/, she "4eared somethin/ must
ha*e happened to #enry$" In due course o4 post, a letter arri*ed 4rom the
/o*erness, sayin/, that she was sorry to ha*e to communicate that, whilst
playin/ on the terrace that mornin/, (aster #enry had 4allen o*er a heap o4
stones, and broen his arm5 addin/, that he had 4ainted a4ter the accident, and
had lain 4or some time insensible$ The lady to whom this dream occurred, is not
aware ha*in/ e*er mani4ested this 4aculty be4ore or since$
(rs$ .$ dreamt that she saw people ascendin/ by a ladder to the chamber o4 her
stepson, Dohn5 waes, and says she is a4raid he is dead, and that there was
somethin/ odd in her dream about a watch and a candle$ In the mornin/, a
messen/er is sent to enquire 4or the /entleman, and they 4ind people ascendin/
to his chamber window by a ladder, the door o4 the room bein/ loced$ They
disco*er him dead on the 4loor, with his watch in his hand, and the candle
between his 4eet$ The same lady dreamt that she saw a 4riend in /reat a/ony5
and that she heard him say, they were tearin/ his 4lesh 4rom his bones$ #e was
some time a4terwards seiBed with in4lammation, lay as she had seen him, and
made use o4 those e7act words$
0 4riend o4 mine dreamt, lately, that somebody said, her nephew must not be
bled, as it would be dan/erous$ The youn/ man was quite well, and there had
been no desi/n o4 bleedin/ him5 but, on the 4ollowin/ mornin/ he had a tooth
drawn, and an e44usion o4 blood ensued, which lasted some days, and caused a
/ood deal o4 uneasiness$
0 4armer, in .orcestershire, dreamt that his little boy, o4 twel*e years old, had
4allen 4rom the wa/on and was illed$ The dream recurred three times in one
ni/ht5 but, unwillin/ to yield to superstitious 4ears, he allowed the child to
accompany the wa/oner to ;idderminster 3air$ The dri*er was *ery 4ond o4 the
boy, and he 4elt assured would tae care o4 him5 but, ha*in/ occasion to /o a
little out o4 the road to lea*e a parcel, the man bade the child wal on with the
wa//on, and he would meet him at a certain spot$ @n arri*in/ there, the horses
were comin/ quietly 4orward, but the boy was not with them5 and on retracin/ the
road, he was 4ound dead5 ha*in/, apparently, 4allen 4rom the sha4ts and been
crushed by the wheels$
0 /entleman, who resided near one o4 the )cottish laes, dreamt that he saw a
number o4 persons surroundin/ a body, which had 8ust been drawn out o4 the
water$ @n approachin/ the spot, he percei*es that it is himsel4, and the assistants
are his own 4riends and retainers$ 0larmed at the li4e"lie reality o4 the *ision, he
resol*ed to elude the threatened destiny by ne*er *enturin/ on the lae a/ain$
@n one occasion, howe*er, it became quite indispensable that he should do so5
and, as the day was quite calm, he yielded to the necessity, on condition that he
should he put ashore at once on the opposite side, whilst the rest o4 the party
proceeded to their destinations, where he would meet them$ This was
accordin/ly doneA the boat simmed /aily o*er the smooth waters, and arri*ed
sa4ely at the rendeB*ous, the /entlemen lau/hin/ at the superstition o4 their
companion5 whilst he stood smilin/ on the ban to recei*e them$ 9ut, alas! the
4ates were ine7orableA the little promontory that supported him had been
undermined by the waterA it /a*e way beneath his 4eet, and li4e was e7tinct
be4ore he could be rescued$ This circumstance was related to me by a 4riend o4
the 4amily$
(r$ )$ was the son o4 an Irish bishop, who set somewhat more *alue on the
thin/s o4 this world than became his 4unction$ #e had always told his son that
there was but one thin/ he could not 4or/i*e, and that was a bad marria/eA
meanin/, by a bad marria/e, a poor one$ 0s cautions o4 this sort do not, by any
means, pre*ent youn/ people 4allin/ in lo*e, (r$ )$ 4i7ed his a44ections on %ady
@$, a 4air youn/ widow, without any 4ortune5 and, aware that it would be useless
to apply 4or his 4ather's consent, he married her without asin/ it$ They were,
consequently, e7ceedin/ly poor5 and, indeed, nearly all they had to li*e on was a
small sinecure o4 4orty pounds per annum, which -ean )wi4t procured 4or him$
.hilst in this situation, (r$ )$ dreamt one ni/ht that he was in the cathedral in
which he had 4ormerly been accustomed to attend ser*ice5 that he saw a
stran/er, habited as a bishop, occupyin/ his 4ather's throne5 and that, on applyin/
to the *er/er 4or an e7planation, the man said, that the bishop was dead, and that
he had e7pired 8ust as he was addin/ a codicil to his will in his son's 4a*our$ The
impression made by the dream was so stron/, that (r$ )$ 4elt that he should ha*e
no repose till he had obtained news 4rom home5 and as the most speedy way o4
doin/ so, was to /o there himsel4, he started on horsebac, much a/ainst the
ad*ice o4 his wi4e, who attached no importance whate*er to the circumstance$ #e
had scarcely accomplished hal4 his 8ourney, when he met a courier, bearin/ the
intelli/ence o4 his 4ather's death5 and when he reached home, he 4ound that there
was a codicil attached to the will o4 the /reatest importance to his own 4uture
prospects5 but the old /entleman had e7pired, with the pen in his hand, 8ust as he
was about to si/n it$
In this unhappy position, reduced to hopeless indi/ence, the 4riends o4 the youn/
man proposed that he should present himsel4 at the Vice"re/al 1alace, on the
ne7t le*ee day, in hopes that some interest mi/ht be e7cited in his 4a*our5 to
which, with reluctance, he consented$ 0s he was ascendin/ the stairs, he was
met by a /entleman whose dress indicated that he belon/ed to the Church$
"6ood #ea*ens!" said he, to the 4riend who accompanied him, ".ho is that<"
"That is (r$ """, o4 so and so$"
"Then he will be 9ishop o4 %"""!" returned (r$ )$5 "3or that is the man I saw
occupyin/ my 4ather's throne!"
"Impossible!" replied the other5 "he has no interest whate*er, and has no more
chance o4 bein/ a bishop than I ha*e$"
"Hou will see," replied (r$ )$, "I am certain he will$"
They had made their obeisance abo*e, and were returnin/, when there was a
/reat cry without, and e*erybody rushed to the doors and windows to enquire
what had happened$ The horses attached to the carria/e o4 a youn/ nobleman
had become resti*e, and were endan/erin/ the li4e o4 their master, when (r$ """
rushed 4orward, and, at the peril o4 his own, seiBed their heads, and a44orded
%ord C$ time to descend be4ore they broe throu/h all restraint, and dashed
away$ Throu/h the interest o4 this nobleman and his 4riends, to whom (r$ """ had
been pre*iously quite unnown, he obtained the see o4 %$ These circumstances
were related to me by a member o4 the 4amily$
It would be tedious to relate all the instances o4 this sort o4 dreamin/ which ha*e
come to my nowled/e, but were they e*en much more rare than they are, and
were there none o4 a /ra*er and more mysterious ind, it mi/ht certainly
occasion some surprise that they should ha*e e7cited so little attention$ .hen
stories o4 this sort are narrated, they are listened to with wonder 4or the moment,
and then 4or/otten, and 4ew people re4lect on the deep si/ni4icance o4 the 4acts,
nor the important consequences to us in*ol*ed in the question, o4 how, with our
limited 4aculties, which cannot 4oretel the e*ents o4 the ne7t moment, we should
suddenly become prophets and seers$
The 4ollowin/ dream, as it re/ards the 4ate o4 a *ery interestin/ person, and is, I
belie*e, *ery little nown, I will relate, thou/h the story is o4 somewhat an old
dateA (a8or 0ndre, the circumstances o4 whose lamented death are too well
nown to mae it necessary 4or me to detail them here, was a 4riend o4 (iss
)eward's, and, pre*iously to his embaration 4or 0merica, he made a 8ourney into
-erbyshire, to pay her a *isit, and it was arran/ed that they should ride o*er to
see the wonders o4 the 1ea, and introduce 0ndre to &ewton, her minstrel, as
she called him, and to (r$ Cunnin/ham, the curate, who was also a poet$
.hilst these two /entlemen were awaitin/ the arri*al o4 their /uests, o4 whose
intentions they had been apprised, (r$ Cunnin/ham mentioned to &ewton that,
on the precedin/ ni/ht, he had had a *ery e7traordinary dream, which he could
not /et out o4 his head$ #e had 4ancied himsel4 in a 4orest5 the place was stran/e
to him5 and, whilst looin/ about, he percei*ed a horseman approachin/ at /reat
speed, who had scarcely reached the spot where the dreamer stood, when three
men rushed out o4 the thicet, and, seiBin/ his bridle, hurried him away, a4ter
closely searchin/ his person$ The countenance o4 the stran/er bein/ *ery
interestin/, the sympathy 4elt by the sleeper 4or his apparent mis4ortune awoe
him5 but he presently 4ell asleep a/ain, and dreamt that he was standin/ near a
/reat city, amon/st thousands o4 people, and that he saw the same person he
had seen seiBed in the wood brou/ht out and suspended to a /allows$ .hen
0ndre and (iss )eward arri*ed, he was horror"struc to percei*e that his new
acquaintance was the antitype o4 the man in the dream$
(r$ C$, a 4riend o4 mine, told me, the other day, that he had dreamt he had /one
to see a lady o4 his acquaintance, and that she had presented him with a purse$
In the mornin/ he mentioned the circumstance to his wi4e, addin/ that he
wondered what should ha*e made him dream o4 a person he had not been in any
way led to thin o45 and, abo*e all, that she should /i*e him a purse$ @n that
same day, a letter arri*ed 4rom that lady to (rs$ C$, containin/ a purse, o4 which
she be//ed her acceptance$ #ere was the imper4ect 4oreshadowin/ o4 the 4act,
probably 4rom unsound sleep$
0nother 4riend lately dreamt, one Thursday ni/ht, that he saw an acquaintance o4
his thrown 4rom his horse5 and that he was lyin/ on the /round with the blood
streamin/ 4rom his 4ace, which was much cut$ #e mentioned his dream in the
mornin/, and bein/ an entire disbelie*er in such phenomena, he could not
account 4or the impression made on his mind$ This was so stron/, that, on
)aturday, he could not 4orbear callin/ at his 4riend's house5 who, he was told,
was in bed, ha*in/ been thrown 4rom his horse on the pre*ious day, and much
in8ured about the 4ace$
?elations o4 this description ha*in/ been more or less 4amiliar to the world in all
times and places5 and the recurrence o4 the phenomena too 4requent to admit o4
their reality bein/ disputed, *arious theories were promul/ated to account 4or
them5 and, indeed, there scarcely seems to be a philosopher or historian
amon/st the 6rees and ?omans who does not mae some allusion to this ill"
understood department o4 nature5 whilst, amon/st the eastern nations, the 4aith in
such mysterious re*elations remains e*en yet undiminished$ )pirits, /ood and
e*il, or the di*inities o4 the heathen mytholo/y, were /enerally called in to remo*e
the di44iculty5 thou/h some philosophers, re8ectin/ this supernatural inter4erence,
sou/ht the e7planation in merely physical causes$
In the -ruidical rites o4 the northern nations, women bore a considerable partA
there were priestesses, who /a*e 4orth oracles and prophecies, much a4ter the
manner o4 the 1ythonesses o4 the 6recian temples, and, no doubt, drawin/ their
inspiration 4rom the same sources5 namely, 4rom the in4luences o4 ma/netism,
and 4rom narcotics$ .hen the pure rites o4 Christianity superseded the #eathen
4orms o4 worship, tradition ept ali*e the memory o4 these *aticinations, to/ether
with some o4 the arcana o4 the -ruidical /ro*es5 and hence, in the middle a/es,
arose a race o4 so"called witches and sorcerers, who were partly imposters, and
partly sel4 deluded$ &obody thou/ht o4 seein/ the e7planation o4 the 4acts they
witnessed in natural causes5 what had 4ormerly been attributed to the in4luence o4
the 6ods, was now attributed to the in4luence o4 the -e*il5 and a lea/ue with
)atan was the uni*ersal sol*ent o4 all di44iculties$
1ersecution 4ollowed, o4 course5 and men, women, and children, were o44ered up
to the demon o4 superstition, till the candid and rational part o4 manind, tain/
4ri/ht at the holocaust, be/an to put in their protest, and lead out a reaction,
which, lie all reactions, ran ri/ht into the opposite e7treme$ 3rom belie*in/
e*erythin/, they ceased to belie*e anythin/5 and, a4ter swallowin/ unhesitatin/ly
the most monstrous absurdities, they relie*ed themsel*es o4 the whole di44iculty,
by denyin/ the plainest 4acts5 whilst, what it was 4ound impossible to deny, was
re4erred to imagination " that most abused word, which e7plained nothin/, but le4t
the matter as obscure as it was be4ore$ (an's spiritual nature was 4or/otten5 and
what the senses could not apprehend, nor the understandin/ account 4or, was
pronounced to be impossible$ Than 6od! we ha*e li*ed throu/h that a/e, and,
in spite o4 the stru//les o4 the materialistic school, we are 4ast ad*ancin/ to a
better$ The traditions o4 the saints who su44ered the most appallin/ tortures, and
slept or smiled the while, can scarcely be re8ected now, when we are daily
hearin/ o4 people under/oin/ 4ri/ht4ul operations, either in a state o4 insensibility,
or whilst they belie*e themsel*es re*elin/ in deli/ht5 nor can the psycholo/ical
intimations which these 4acts o44er, be much lon/er o*erlooed$ @ne re*elation
must lead to another5 and the wise men o4 the world will, ere lon/, be obli/ed to
/i*e in their adherence to )haespeare's much quoted a7iom, and con4ess that
"there are more thin/s in #ea*en and earth than are dreamt o4 in their
philosophy!"
""""""""""
*hapter +2 ( Allegorical Dreams, Presentiment, etc.
It has been the opinion o4 many philosophers, both ancient and modern, that, in
the ori/inal state o4 man, as he came 4orth 4rom the hands o4 his Creator, that
nowled/e which is now acquired by pains and labour, was intuiti*e$ #is material
body was /i*en him 4or the purpose o4 placin/ him in relation with the material
world, and his sensuous or/ans 4or the perception o4 material ob8ects, but his
soul was a mirror o4 the uni*erse, in which e*erythin/ was re4lected, and,
probably, is so still, but that the spirit is no lon/er in a condition to percei*e it$
-e/raded in his nature, and distracted by the multiplicity o4 the ob8ects and
interests that surround him, man has lost his 4aculty o4 spiritual seein/5 but in
sleep, when the body is in a state o4 passi*ity, and e7ternal ob8ects are e7cluded
4rom us by the shuttin/ up o4 the senses throu/h which we percei*e them, the
spirit, to a certain de/ree, 4reed 4rom its impediments, may en8oy somewhat o4 its
ori/inal pri*ile/e$ "The soul, which is desi/ned as the mirror o4 a superior spiritual
order" Eto which it belon/sG, still recei*es, in dreams, some rays 4rom abo*e, and
en8oys a 4oretaste o4 its 4uture condition5 and, whate*er interpretation may be put
upon the history o4 the 3all, 4ew will doubt that, be4ore it, man must ha*e stood in
a much more intimate relation to his Creator than he has done since$ I4 we admit
this, and that, 4or the abo*e hinted reasons, the soul in sleep may be able to
e7ercise somewhat o4 its ori/inal endowment, the possibility o4 what is called
prophetic dreamin/ may be better understood,
")eein/ in dreams," says :nnemoser, "is a sel4"illuminin/ o4 thin/s, places, and
times5" 4or relations o4 time and space 4orm no obstruction to the dreamerA thin/s,
near and 4ar alie seen in the mirror o4 the soul, accordin/ to the connection in
which they stand to each other5 and, as the 4uture is but an un4oldin/ o4 the
present, as the present is o4 the past, one bein/ necessarily in*ol*ed in the other,
it is not more di44icult to the untrammeled spirit to percei*e what is to happen,
than what has already happened$ Cnder what peculiar circumstances it is that,
the body and soul 4all into this particular relati*e condition, we do not now5 but
that certain 4amilies and constitutions are more prone to these conditions than
others, all e7perience /oes to establish$ 0ccordin/ to the theory o4 -r$
:nnemoser, we should conclude that they are more susceptible to ma/netic
in4luences, and that the body 4alls into a more complete state o4 ne/ati*e polarity$
In the histories o4 the @ld Testament, we constantly 4ind instances o4 prophetic
dreamin/, and the *oice o4 6od was chie4ly heard by the prophets in sleep5
seemin/ to establish that man is, in that state, more susceptible o4 spiritual
communion, althou/h the bein/ thus made the special or/an o4 the di*ine will, is
alto/ether a di44erent thin/ 4rom the mere dis4ranchisement o4 the embodied spirit
in ordinary cases o4 clear seein/ in sleep$ 1ro4ane history, also, 4urnishes us with
*arious instances o4 prophetic dreamin/, which it is unnecessary 4or me to re4er
to here$ 9ut there is one thin/ *ery worthy o4 remar, namely, that the alle/orical
character o4 many o4 the dreams recorded in the @ld Testament, occasionally
per*ades those o4 the present day$ I ha*e heard o4 se*eral o4 this nature, and
@berlin, the /ood pastor o4 9an de la ?oche, was so sub8ect to them, that he
4ancied he had acquired the art o4 interpretin/ the symbols$ This characteristic o4
dreamin/ is in strict con4ormity with the lan/ua/e o4 the @ld Testament, and o4
the most ancient nations$ 1oets and prophets, heathen and Christian, alie
e7press themsel*es symbolically, and, i4 we belie*e that this lan/ua/e pre*ailed
in the early a/es o4 the world, be4ore the e7ternal and intellectual li4e had
predominated o*er the instincti*e and emotional, we must conclude it to be the
natural lan/ua/e o4 man, who must, there4ore, ha*e been /i4ted with a
con4ormable 4aculty, o4 comprehendin/ these hiero/lyphics5 and hence it arose
that the interpretin/ o4 dreams became a le/itimate art$ %on/ a4ter these
instincti*e 4aculties were lost, or rather obscured, by the turmoil and distractions
o4 sensuous li4e, the memories and traditions o4 them remained, and hence the
superstructure o4 8u//lery and imposture that ensued, o4 which the /ipsies 4orm a
si/nal e7ample, in whom, howe*er, there can be no doubt, that some occasional
/leams o4 this ori/inal endowment may still be 4ound, as is the case, thou/h
more rarely, in indi*iduals o4 all races and conditions$ The whole o4 nature is one
lar/e boo o4 symbols, which, because we ha*e lost the ey to it, we cannot
decipher$ "To the 4irst man," says #amann, "whate*er his ear heard, his eye saw,
or his hand touched, was a li*in/ word5 with this word in his heart and in his
mouth, the 4ormation o4 lan/ua/e was easy$ (an saw thin/s in their essence and
properties, and named them accordin/ly$"
There can be no doubt that the heathen 4orms o4 worship and systems o4 reli/ion
were but the e7ternal symbols o4 some deep meanin/s, and not the idle 4ables
that they ha*e been too 4requently considered5 and it is absurd to suppose that
the theolo/y which satis4ied so many /reat minds, had no better 4oundation than
a child's 4airy tale$
0 maid ser*ant, who resided many years in a distin/uished 4amily in :dinbur/h,
was repeatedly warned o4 the approachin/ death o4 certain members o4 that
4amily, by dreamin/ that one o4 the walls o4 the house had 4allenA )hortly be4ore
the head o4 the 4amily sicened and died, she said she had dreamt that the main
wall had 4allen$
0 sin/ular circumstance which occurred in this same 4amily, 4rom a member o4
whom I heard it, is mentioned by -r$ 0bercrombie$ @n this occasion the dream
was not only prophetic, but the symbol was actually translated into 4act$
@ne o4 the sons bein/ indisposed with a sore throat, a sister dreamt that a watch,
o4 considerable *alue, which she had borrowed 4rom a 4riend, had stopt5 that she
had awaened another sister and mentioned the circumstance, who answered
that "somethin/ much worse had happened, 4or Charles's breath had stopt$" )he
then awoe, in e7treme alarm, and mentioned the dream to her sister, who, to
tranquiliBe her mind, arose and went to the brother's room, where she 4ound him
asleep and the watch /oin/$ The ne7t ni/ht, the same dream recurred, and the
brother was a/ain 4ound asleep and the watch /oin/$ @n the 4ollowin/ mornin/,
howe*er, this lady was writin/ a note in the drawin/"room, with the watch beside
her, when, on tain/ it up, she percei*ed it had stopt5 and she was 8ust on the
point o4 callin/ her sister to mention the circumstance, when she heard a scream
4rom her brother's room, and the sister rushed in with the tidin/s that he had 8ust
e7pired$ The malady had not been thou/ht serious5 but a sudden 4it o4 su44ocation
had une7pectedly pro*ed 4atal$
This case, which is established beyond all contro*ersy, is e7tremely curious in
many points o4 *iewA the actin/ out o4 the symbol, especially$ )ymbolical e*ents
o4 this description ha*e been o4ten related, and as o4ten lau/hed at$ It is easy to
lau/h at what we do not understand5 and it /i*es us the ad*anta/e o4 main/ the
timid narrator ashamed o4 his 4act, so that i4 he do not wholly suppress it, he at
least ensures himsel4 by lau/hin/, too, the ne7t time he relates it$ It is said that
6oethe's cloc stopt at the moment he died5 and I ha*e heard repeated instances
o4 this stran/e ind o4 synchronism, or ma/netism, i4 it be by ma/netism that we
are to account 4or the mystery$ @ne was told me *ery lately by a /entleman to
whom the circumstance occurred$
@n the 1>th o4 0u/ust, 1'>F, 3rederic II o4 1russia is said to ha*e dreamt, that a
star 4ell 4rom hea*en, and occasioned such an e7traordinary /lare that he could
with /reat di44iculty 4ind his way throu/h it$ #e mentioned the dream to his
attendants, and it was a4terwards obser*ed that it was on that day &apoleon was
born$
0 lady, not lon/ since, related to me the 4ollowin/ circumstanceA " #er mother,
who was at the time residin/ in :dinbur/h, in a house, one side o4 which looed
into a wynd, whilst the door was in the #i/h"street, dreamt that, it bein/ )unday
mornin/, she had heard a sound, which had attracted her to the window5 and,
whilst looin/ out, had dropt a rin/ 4rom her 4in/er into the wynd below$ That she
had, thereupon, /one down in her ni/ht clothes to see it5 but when she reached
the spot, it was not to be 4ound$ ?eturnin/, e7tremely *e7ed at her loss, as she
re"entered her own door she met a respectable looin/ youn/ man, carryin/
some loa*es o4 bread$ @n e7pressin/ her astonishment at 4indin/ a stran/er
there at so unseasonable an hour, he answered, by e7pressin/ his at seein/ her
in such a situation$ )he said she had dropt her rin/, and had been round the
corner to see it5 whereupon, to her deli/hted surprise, he presented her with her
lost treasure$ )ome months a4terwards, bein/ at a party, she reco/nised the
youn/ man seen in her dream, and learnt that he was a baer$ #e too no
particular notice o4 her on that occasion5 and, I thin, two years elapsed be4ore
she met him a/ain$ This second meetin/, howe*er, led to an acquaintance,
which terminated in marria/e$
#ere the rin/ and the bread are curiously emblematic o4 the marria/e, and the
occupation o4 the 4uture husband$
(iss %$, residin/ at -aleith, dreamt that her brother, who was ill, called her to his
bedside, and /a*e her a letter, which he desired her to carry to their aunt, (rs$
#$, with the request that she would deli*er it to "Dohn," EDohn was another
brother, who had died pre*iously, and (rs$ #$ was at the time ill$G #e added that,
"he himsel4 was /oin/ there also, but that (rs$ #$ would be there be4ore him$"
0ccordin/ly, (iss %$ went, in her dream, with the letter to (rs$ #$, whom she
4ound dressed in white, and looin/ quite radiant and happy$ )he too the letter,
sayin/ she was /oin/ there directly, and would deli*er it$
@n the 4ollowin/ mornin/, (iss %$ learnt that her aunt had died in the ni/ht$ The
brother died some little time a4terwards$
0 /entleman who had been a short time *isitin/ :dinbur/h, was troubled with a
cou/h, which, thou/h it occasioned him no alarm, he resol*ed to /o home to
nurse$ @n the 4irst ni/ht o4 his arri*al, he dreamt that one hal4 o4 the house was
blown away$ #is baili44, who resided at a distance, dreamt the same dream on the
same ni/ht$ The /entleman died within a 4ew wees$
"This symbolical lan/ua/e which the -eity appears to ha*e used" Ewitness
1eter's dream, Acts ii$, and others,G "in all his re*elations to man, is in the hi/hest
de/ree, what poetry is in a lower5 and the lan/ua/e o4 dreams, in the lowest,
namely, the ori/inal natural lan/ua/e o4 man5 and we may 4airly as whether this
lan/ua/e, which here plays an in4erior part, be not, possibly, the proper lan/ua/e
o4 a hi/her sphere, whilst we, who *ainly thin oursel*es awae, are, in reality,
buried in a deep, deep sleep, in which, lie dreamers who imper4ectly hear the
*oices o4 those around them, we occasionally apprehend, thou/h obscurely, a
4ew words o4 this -i*ine ton/ue$" E2ide Schu#ert$G
This sub8ect o4 sleepin/ and wain/ is a *ery curious one, and mi/ht /i*e rise to
stran/e questionin/s$ In the case o4 those patients abo*e mentioned, who seem
to ha*e two di44erent spheres o4 e7istence, who shall say which is the wain/
one, or whether either o4 them be so< The speculations o4 (r$ -o*e on the
sub8ect merited more attention, I thin, than they met with, when he lectured in
:dinbur/h$ #e maintained that, lon/ be4ore he had paid any attention to
ma/netism, he had arri*ed at the conclusion that there are as many states or
conditions o4 mind beyond sleep, as there are on this side o4 it5 passin/ throu/h
the di44erent sta/es o4 dreamin/, re*erie, contemplation, up to per4ect *i/ilance$
#owe*er this be, in this world o4 appearance, where we see nothin/ as it is, and
where, both as re/ards our moral and physical relations, we li*e in a state o4
continual delusion, it is impossible 4or us to pronounce on this question$ It is a
common remar, that some people seem to li*e in a dream, and ne*er to be
quite awae5 and the most cursory obser*er cannot 4ail to ha*e been struc with
e7amples o4 persons in this condition, especially in the a/ed$
.ith respect to this alle/orical lan/ua/e, :nnemoser obser*es that, "since no
dreamer learns it o4 another, and still less 4rom those who are awae, it must be
natural to all men$" #ow di44erent, too, is its comprehensi*eness and rapidity, to
our ordinary lan/ua/e! .e are accustomed, and with 8ustice, to wonder at the
admirable mechanism by which, without 4ati/ue or e7ertion, we communicate
with our 4ellow bein/s5 but how slow and ine44ecti*e is human speech, compared
to this spiritual picture"lan/ua/e, where a whole history is understood at a
/lance! and scenes that seem to occupy days and wees, are acted out in ten
minutes$ It is remarable that this hiero/lyphic lan/ua/e appears to be the same
amon/st all people5 and that the dream interpreters o4 all countries construe the
si/ns alie$ Thus, the dreamin/ o4 deep water denotes trouble, and pearls are a
si/n o4 tears$
I ha*e heard o4 a lady, who, whene*er a mis4ortune was impendin/, dreamt that
she saw a lar/e 4ish$ @ne ni/ht, she dreamt that this 4ish had bitten two o4 her
little boy's 4in/ers$ Immediately a4terwards, a school4ellow o4 the child's in8ured
those two *ery 4in/ers, by striin/ him with a hatchet5 and I ha*e met with se*eral
persons who ha*e learnt, by e7perience, to consider one particular dream as the
certain pro/nostic o4 mis4ortune$ 0 lady, who had le4t the .est Indies when si7
years old, came one ni/ht, 4ourteen years a4terwards, to her sister's bed"side,
and said, "I now uncle is dead$ I ha*e dreamt that I saw a number o4 sla*es in
the lar/e storeroom at 9arbadoes, with lon/ brooms sweepin/ down immense
cobwebs$ I complained to my aunt, and she co*ered her 4ace and said, "Hes, he
is no sooner /one than they disobey him$" It was a4terwards ascertained, that (r$
1$ had died on that ni/ht5 and that he had ne*er permitted the cobwebs in this
room to be swept away, o4 which, howe*er, the lady assures me she new
nothin/5 nor could she or her 4riends concei*e what was meant by the symbol o4
the cobwebs, till they recei*ed the e7planation subsequently, 4rom a member o4
the 4amily$
The 4ollowin/ *ery curious alle/orical dream I /i*e, not in the words o4 the
dreamer, but in those o4 her son, who bears a name destined, I trust, to a lon/
immortalityA "
".ooer's 0bbey"Cotta/e,
"-un4ermiline"in"the .oods,
"(onday (ornin/, =1st (ay, 1+,'$
"-ear (rs$ Crowe,
"That dream o4 my mother's was as 4ollowsA )he stood in a lon/, dar, empty
/alleryA on her one side was my 4ather, and on the other my eldest sister 0melia5
then mysel4, and the rest o4 the 4amily, accordin/ to their a/es$ 0t the 4oot o4 the
hall stood my youn/est sister 0le7es, and abo*e her my sister Catherine " a
creature, by the way, in person and mind more lie an an/el o4 hea*en than an
inhabitant o4 earth$ .e all stood silent and motionless$ 0t last +t entered " the
unima/ined something that, castin/ its /rim shadow be4ore, had en*eloped all
the tri*ialities o4 the precedin/ dream in the sti4lin/ atmosphere o4 terror$ It
entered, stealthily descendin/ the three steps that led 4rom the entrance down
into the chamber o4 horrorA and my mother felt +t was Death. #e was dwar4ish,
bent, and shri*eled$ #e carried on his shoulder a hea*y a7e5 and had come, she
thou/ht, to destroy 'all her little ones at one 4ell swoop$' @n the entrance o4 the
shape my sister 0le7es leapt out o4 the ran, interposin/ hersel4 between him
and my mother$ #e raised his a7e and aimed a blow at CatherineA a blow which,
to her horror, my mother could not intercept5 thou/h she had snatched up a
three"le//ed stool, the sole 4urniture o4 the apartment, 4or that purpose$ )he
could not, she 4elt, 4lin/ the stool at the 4i/ure without destroyin/ 0le7es, who
ept shootin/ out and in between her and the /hastly thin/$ )he tried, in *ain, to
scream5 she besou/ht my 4ather, in a/ony, to a*ert the impendin/ stroe5 but he
didnot hear, or did not heed her5 and stood motionless, as in a trance$ -own
came the a7e, and poor Catherine 4ell in her blood, clo*en to 'the white halse
bane$' 0/ain the a7e was li4ted, by the ine7orable shadow, o*er the head o4 my
brother, who stood ne7t in the line$ 0le7es had somewhere disappeared behind
the /hastly *isitant5 and, with a scream, my mother 4lun/ the 4ootstool at his
head$ #e *anished, and she awoe$ This dream le4t on my mother's mind a
4ear4ul apprehension o4 impendin/ mis4ortune, 'which would not pass away$' It
was murder she 4eared5 and her suspicions were not allayed by the disco*ery
that a man " some time be4ore discarded by my 4ather 4or bad conduct, and with
whom she had, somehow, associated the -eath o4 her dream " had been lurin/
about the place, and sleepin/ in an ad8oinin/ outhouse on the ni/ht it occurred,
and 4or some ni/hts pre*ious and subsequent to it$ #er terror increased$ )leep
4orsoo her5 and e*ery ni/ht, when the house was still, she arose and stole,
sometimes with a candle, sometimes in the dar, 4rom room to room, listenin/, in
a sort o4 wain/ ni/htmare, 4or the breathin/ o4 the assassin, who, she ima/ined,
was lurin/ in some one o4 them$ This could not last$ )he reasoned with hersel45
but her terror became intolerable, and she related her dream to my 4ather, who,
o4 course, called her a 4ool 4or her pains whate*er mi/ht be his real opinion o4 the
matter$ Three months had elapsed, when we, children, were all o4 us seiBed with
scarlet 4e*er$ (y sister Catherine died almost immediately " sacri4iced, as my
mother, in her misery, thou/ht, to her Emy mother'sG o*er"an7iety 4or 0le7es,
whose dan/er seemed more imminent$ The dream"prophecy was in part 4ul4illed$
I, also, was at death's door /i*en up by the doctors, but not by my motherA she
was con4ident o4 my reco*ery5 but 4or my brother, who was scarcely considered
in dan/er at all, but on whose head she had seen the *isionary a7e impendin/,
her 4ears were /reat5 4or she could not recollect whether the blow had, or had
not, descended when the spectre *anished$ (y brother reco*ered, but relapsed,
and barely escaped with li4e5 but 0le7es did not$ 3or a year and ten months the
poor child lin/ered5 and almost e*ery ni/ht I had to sin/ her asleep5 o4ten, I
remember, throu/h bitter tears5 4or I new she was dyin/, and I lo*ed her the
more as she wasted away$ I held her little hand as she died5 I 4ollowed her to the
/ra*e " the last thin/ that I ha*e lo$ed on earth$ 0nd the dream was fulfilled$
"True and sincerely your's,
"D$ &oel 1aton$'
The dreamin/ o4 co44ins and 4unerals, when a death is impendin/, must be
considered as e7amples o4 this alle/orical lan/ua/e$ Instances o4 this ind are
e7tremely numerous$ &ot un4requently the dreamer, as in cases o4 second si/ht,
sees either the body in the co44in, so as to be conscious o4 who is to die5 or else,
is made aware o4 it 4rom seein/ the 4uneral procession at a certain house, or 4rom
some other si/ni4icant circumstance$ This 4aculty which has been supposed to
belon/ peculiarly to the #i/hlanders o4 )cotland, appears to be 4ully as well
nown in .ales and on the continent, especially in 6ermany$
The lan/ua/e o4 dreams, howe*er, is not always symbolical$ @ccasionally, the
scene that is transactin/ at a distance, or that is to be transacted at some 4uture
period, is literally presented to the sleeper, as thin/s appear to be presented in
many cases o4 second si/ht, and also in clair*oyance5 and, since we suppose
him, that is, the sleeper, to be in a temporarily ma/netic state, we must conclude
that the de/ree o4 perspicuity, or translucency o4 the *ision, depends on the
de/ree o4 that state$ &e*ertheless, there are considerable di44iculties attendin/
this theory$ 0 /reat proportion o4 the prophetic dreams we hear o4, are connected
with the death o4 some 4riend or relati*e$ )ome, it is true, re/ard unimportant
matters as *isits, and so 4orth5 but this is /enerally, thou/h not e7clusi*ely, the
case only with persons who ha*e a constitutional tendency to this ind o4
dreamin/, and with whom it is 4requent5 but it is not uncommon 4or those who
ha*e not disco*ered any such tendency, to be made aware o4 a death5 and the
number o4 dreams o4 this description I meet with, is *ery considerable$ &ow, it is
di44icult to concei*e what the condition is, that causes this perception o4 an
approachin/ death5 or why, supposin/, as we ha*e su//ested abo*e, that, when
the senses sleep, the untrammeled spirit sees, the memory o4 this re*elation, i4 I
may so call it, so much more 4requently sur*i*es than any other, unless, indeed,
it be the 4orce o4 the shoc sustained, which shoc, it is to be remared, always
waes the sleeper5 and this may be the reason that, i4 he 4all asleep a/ain, the
dream is almost in*ariably repeated$
I could 4ill pa/es with dreams o4 this description which ha*e come to my
nowled/e, or been recorded by others$
(r$ #$, a /entleman with whom I am acquainted, a man en/a/ed in acti*e
business, and apparently as little liely as anyone I e*er new to be troubled with
a 4aculty o4 this sort, dreamt that he saw a certain 4riend o4 his dead$ The dream
was so lie reality, that, althou/h he had no reason whate*er to suppose his
4riend ill, he could not 4orbear sendin/ in the mornin/ to enquire 4or him$ The
answer returned was, that (r$ 0$ was out, and was quite well$ The impression,
howe*er, was so *i*id, that, althou/h he had nearly three miles to send, (r$ #$
4elt that he could not start 4or 6las/ow, whither business called him, without
main/ another enquiry$ This time his 4riend was at home, and answered 4or
himsel4, that he was *ery well, and that somebody must ha*e been hoa7in/ #$,
and main/ him belie*e otherwise$ (r$ #$ set out on his 8ourney, wonderin/ at his
own an7iety, but unable to conquer it$ #e was absent but a 4ew days I thin,
three5 and the 4irst news he heard on his return was, that his 4riend had been
seiBed with an attac o4 in4lammation, and was dead$
0 6erman pro4essor lately related to a 4riend o4 mine, that, bein/ some distance
4rom home, he dreamt that his 4ather was dyin/, and was callin/ 4or him$ The
dream bein/ repeated, he was so 4ar impressed as to alter his plans, and return
home, where he arri*ed in time to recei*e his parent's last breath$ #e was
in4ormed that the dyin/ man had been callin/ upon his name repeatedly, in deep
an/uish at his absence$
0 parallel case to this is that o4 (r$ ?$ :$ )$, an accountant in :dinbur/h, and a
shrewd man o4 business, who relates the 4ollowin/ circumstance as occurrin/ to
himsel4$ #e is a nati*e o4 -aleith, and was residin/ there, when, bein/ about
4i4teen years o4 a/e, he le4t home on a )aturday, to spend a 4ew days with a
4riend at 1restonpans$ @n the )unday ni/ht, he dreamt that his mother was
e7tremely ill, and started out o4 his sleep with an impression that he must /o to
her immediately$ #e e*en /ot out o4 bed with the intention o4 doin/ so, but,
re4lectin/ that he had le4t her quite well, and that it was only a dream, he returned
to bed, and a/ain 4ell asleep$ 9ut the dream returned, and, unable lon/er to
control his an7iety, he arose, dressed himsel4 in the dar, quitted the house,
leapin/ the railin/s that surrounded it, and made the best o4 his way to -aleith$
@n reachin/ home, which he did be4ore dayli/ht, he tapped at the itchen
window, and, on /ainin/ admittance, was in4ormed that on the )aturday e*enin/,
a4ter he had departed, his mother had been seiBed with an attac o4 9ritish
cholera and was lyin/ abo*e, e7tremely ill$ )he had been lamentin/ his absence
e7tremely, and had scarcely ceased cryin/, "@h, ?alph, ?alph! what a /rie4 that
you are away!"
0t nine o'cloc he was admitted to her room5 but she was no lon/er in a condition
to reco/niBe him, and she died within a day or two$ Instances o4 this sort are
numerous5 but it would be tedious to narrate them, especially as there is little
room 4or *ariety in the details$ I shall, there4ore, content mysel4 with /i*in/ one or
two specimens o4 each class, con4inin/ my e7amples to such as ha*e been
communicated to mysel4, e7cept where any case o4 particular interest leads me
to de*iate 4rom this plan$ The 4requency o4 such phenomena may be ima/ined,
when I mention that the instances I shall /i*e, with 4ew e7ceptions, ha*e been
collected with little trouble, and without seein/, beyond my own small circle o4
acquaintance$
In the 4amily o4 the abo*e"named /entleman, (r$ ?$ :$ )$, there probably e7isted
a 4aculty o4 presentiment5 4or, in the year 1+1I, his elder brother bein/ 0ssistant"
)ur/eon on board the Gorgon, war"bri/, his 4ather dreamt that he was promoted
to the Sparrow(haw% " a ship he had then ne*er heard o45 neither had the 4amily
recei*ed any intelli/ence o4 the youn/ man 4or se*eral months$ #e told his
dream, and was well lau/hed at 4or his pains5 but in a 4ew wees a letter arri*ed
announcin/ the promotion$
.hen %ord 9ur/hersh was /i*in/ theatrical parties at 3lorence, a lady, (rs$ ($,
whose presence was *ery important, e7cused hersel4 one e*enin/, bein/ in /reat
alarm 4rom ha*in/ dreamt in the ni/ht that her sister, in :n/land, was dead,
which pro*ed to be the 4act$
(r$ .$, a youn/ man at 6las/ow Colle/e, not lon/ since dreamt that his aunt in
?ussia was dead$ #e noted the date o4 his dream on the window"shutter o4 his
chamber$ In a short time the news o4 the lady's death arri*ed$ The dates,
howe*er, did not accord5 but, on mentionin/ the circumstance to a 4riend, he was
reminded that the adherence o4 the ?ussians to the old style reconciled the
di44erence$
0 man o4 business, in 6las/ow, lately dreamt that he saw a co44in, on which was
inscribed the name o4 a 4riend, with the date o4 his death$ )ome time a4terwards
he was summoned to attend the 4uneral o4 that person, who, at the time o4 the
dream, was in /ood health, and he was struc with surprise on seein/ the plate
o4 the co44in bearin/ the *ery date he had seen in his dream$
0 3rench /entleman, (onsieur de V$, dreamt, some years since, that he saw a
tomb, on which he read, *ery distinctly, the 4ollowin/ date " 2=rd Dune, 1+,>5
there were, also, some initials, but so much e44aced that he could not mae them
out$ #e mentioned the circumstance to his wi4e5 and, 4or some time, they could
not help dreadin/ the recurrence o4 the ominous month5 but, as year a4ter year
passed, and nothin/ happened, they had ceased to thin o4 it, when, at last, the
symbol was e7plained$ @n the 2=rd o4 Dune, 1+,>, their only dau/hter died at the
a/e o4 se*enteen$
Thus 4ar the instances I ha*e related seem to resol*e themsel*es into cases o4
simple clair*oyance, or second si/ht, in sleep, althou/h, in usin/ these words, I
am *ery 4ar 4rom meanin/ to imply that I e7plain the thin/, or un*eil its mystery$
The theory abo*e alluded to, seems, as yet, the only one applicable to the 4acts,
namely, that the senses, bein/ placed in a ne/ati*e and passi*e state, the
uni*ersal sense o4 the immortal spirit within, which sees, and hears, and nows,
or rather, in one word, percei*es, without or/ans, becomes more or less 4ree to
wor unclo//ed$ That the soul is a mirror in which the spirit sees all thin/s
re4lected, is a modi4ication o4 this theory5 but I con4ess I 4ind mysel4 unable to
attach any idea to this latter 4orm o4 e7pression$ 0nother *iew, which I ha*e
heard su//ested by an eminent person, is, that, i4 it be true, as maintained by -r$
.i/an, and some other physiolo/ists, that our brains are double, it is possible
that a polarity may e7ist between the two sides, by means o4 which the ne/ati*e
side may, under certain circumstances, become a mirror to the positi*e$ It seems
di44icult to reconcile this notion with the 4act, that these perceptions occur most
4requently when the brain is asleep$ #ow 4ar the sleep is per4ect and /eneral,
howe*er, we can ne*er now5 and, o4 course, when the powers o4 speech and
locomotion continue to be e7ercised, we are aware that it is only partial, in a
more or less de/ree$ In the case o4 ma/netic sleepers, obser*ation shows us,
that the auditory ner*es are aroused by bein/ addressed, and 4all asleep a/ain
as soon as they are le4t undisturbed$ In most cases o4 natural sleep, the same
process, i4 the *oice were heard at all, would disperse sleep alto/ether5 and it
must be remembered that, as -r$ #olland says, sleep is a 4luctuatin/ condition,
*aryin/ 4rom one moment to another, and this allowance must be made when
considerin/ ma/netic sleep also$
It is by this theory o4 the duality o4 the brain, which seems to ha*e many
ar/uments in its 4a*our, and the alternate sleepin/ and wain/ o4 the two sides,
that -r$ .i/an sees to account 4or the state o4 double or alternate
consciousness abo*e alluded to5 and also, 4or that stran/e sensation which most
people ha*e e7perienced, o4 ha*in/ witnessed a scene, or heard a con*ersation,
at some inde4inite period be4ore, or e*en in some earlier state o4 e7istence$ #e
thins that one"hal4 o4 the brain bein/ in a more acti*e condition than the other, it
taes co/niBance o4 the scene 4irst5 and that thus the perceptions o4 the second,
when they tae place, appear to be a repetition o4 some 4ormer e7periences$ I
con4ess this theory, as re/ards this latter phenomenon, is to me eminently
unsatis4actory, and it is especially de4ecti*e in not accountin/ 4or one o4 the most
curious particulars connected with it, namely, that on these occasion, people not
only seem to reco/nise the circumstances as ha*in/ been e7perienced be4ore5
but they ha*e, *ery 4requently, an actual 4orenowled/e o4 what will be ne7t said
or done$
&ow, the e7planation o4 this mystery, I incline to thin, may possibly lie in the
hypothesis I ha*e su//ested5 namely, that in pro4ound, and what appears to us
/enerally to ha*e been dreamless sleep, we are clear"seers$ The map o4 comin/
e*ents lies open be4ore us, the spirit sur*eys it5 but with the awain/ o4 the
sensuous or/ans, this dream"li4e, with its aerial e7cursions, passes away5 and we
are translated into our other sphere o4 e7istence$ 9ut, occasionally, some 4lash o4
recollection, some ray o4 li/ht, 4rom this *isionary world, in which we ha*e been
li*in/, breas in upon our e7ternal ob8ecti*e e7istence, and we reco/niBe the
locality, the *oice, the *ery words, as bein/ but a re"actin/ o4 some 4ore/one
scenes o4 a drama$
The 4aculty o4 presentiment, o4 which e*erybody must ha*e heard instances,
seems to ha*e some a44inity to the phenomenon last re4erred to$ I am acquainted
with a lady, in whom this 4aculty is in some de/ree de*eloped, who has e*inced it
by a consciousness o4 the moment when a death was tain/ place in her 4amily,
or amon/st her connections, althou/h she does not now who it is that has
departed$ I ha*e heard o4 se*eral cases o4 people hurryin/ home 4rom a
presentiment o4 4ire5 and (r$ ($ o4 Calderwood was once, when absent 4rom
home, seiBed with such an an7iety about his 4amily, that, without bein/ able in
any way to account 4or it, he 4elt himsel4 impelled to 4ly to them and remo*e them
4rom the house they were inhabitin/5 one win/ o4 which 4ell down immediately
a4terwards$ &o notion o4 such a mis4ortune had e*er be4ore occurred to him, nor
was there any reason whate*er to e7pect it5 the accident ori/inatin/ 4rom some
de4ect in the 4oundations$
0 circumstance, e7actly similar to this, is related by )tillin/, o4 1ro4essor 9ohm,
teacher o4 (athematics at (arbur/5 who bein/ one e*enin/ in company, was
suddenly seiBed with a con*iction that he ou/ht to /o home$ 0s, howe*er, he was
*ery com4ortably tain/ his tea, and had nothin/ to do at home, he resisted the
admonition5 but it returned with such 4orce that at len/th he was obli/ed to yield$
@n reachin/ his house, he 4ound e*erythin/ as he had le4t it5 but he now 4elt
himsel4 ur/ed to remo*e his bed 4rom the corner in which it stood to another5 but
as it had always stood there, he resisted this impulsion also$ #owe*er, the
resistance was *ain, absurd as it seemed, he 4elt he must do it5 so he summoned
the maid, and, with her aid, drew the bed to the other side o4 the room5 a4ter
which he 4elt quite at ease and returned to spend the rest o4 the e*enin/ with his
4riends$ 0t ten o'cloc the party broe up, and he retired home and went to bed
and to sleep$ In the middle o4 the ni/ht, he was awaened by a loud crash, and
on looin/ out, he saw that a lar/e beam had 4allen, brin/in/ part o4 the ceilin/
with it, and was e7actly on the spot his bed had occupied$
0 youn/ ser*ant /irl in this nei/hbourhood, who had been se*eral years in an
e7cellent situation, where she was much esteemed, was suddenly seiBed with a
presentiment that she was wanted at home5 and, in spite o4 all representations,
she resi/ned her place and set out on her 8ourney thither5 where, when she
arri*ed, she 4ound her parents e7tremely ill, one o4 them mortally, and in the
/reatest need o4 her ser*ices$ &o intelli/ence o4 their illness had reached her, nor
could she hersel4 in any way account 4or the impulse$
I ha*e heard o4 numerous well authenticated cases o4 people escapin/ drownin/
4rom bein/ seiBed with an unaccountable presentiment o4 e*il when there were
no e7ternal si/ns whate*er to 8usti4y the apprehension$ The story o4 CaBotte as
related by %a #arpe is a *ery remarable instance o4 this sort o4 4aculty5 and
seems to indicate a power resemblin/ that possessed by Jschoe, who relates
o4 himsel4, in his autobio/raphy, that, 4requently whilst con*ersin/ with a stran/er,
the whole circumstances o4 that person's pre*ious li4e were re*ealed to him, e*en
comprisin/ details o4 places and persons$ In the case o4 CaBotte, it was the 4uture
that was laid open to him, and he 4oretold, to a company o4 eminent persons, in
the year 1'++, the 4ate which awaited each indi*idual, himsel4 included, in
consequence o4 the re*olution then commencin/$ 0s this story is already in print,
I 4orbear to relate it$
@ne o4 the most remarable cases o4 presentiment I now, is, that which
occurred, not *ery lon/ since, on board one o4 her (a8esty's ships, when lyin/ o44
1ortsmouth$ The o44icers bein/ one day at the mess"table, a youn/ %ieutenant 1$
suddenly laid down his ni4e and 4or, pushed away his plate, and turned
e7tremely pale$ #e then rose 4rom the table, co*erin/ his 4ace with his hands,
and retired 4rom the room$ The president o4 the mess, supposin/ him to be ill,
sent one o4 the youn/ men to enquire what was the matter$ 0t 4irst, (r$ 1$ was
unwillin/ to spea5 but on bein/ pressed, he con4essed that he had been seiBed
by a sudden and irresistible impression, that a brother he had then in India was
dead$ "#e died," said he, "on the 12th o4 0u/ust, at si7 o'cloc5 I am per4ectly
certain o4 it!" &o ar/uments could o*erthrow this con*iction, which, in due course
o4 post, was *eri4ied to the letter$ The youn/ man had died at Cawnpore, at the
precise period mentioned$
.hen any e7hibition o4 this sort o4 4aculty occurs in animals, which is by no
means un4requent, it is termed instinct5 and we loo upon it, as what it probably
is, only another and more rare de*elopment o4 that intuiti*e nowled/e which
enables them to see their 4ood, and per4orm the other 4unctions necessary to
the maintenance o4 their e7istence, and the continuance o4 their race$ &ow, it is
remarable, that the li4e o4 an animal is a sort o4 dream"li4e5 their /an/lionic
system is more de*eloped than that o4 man, and the cerebral, less5 and since it is
doubtless, 4rom the /reater de*elopment o4 the /an/lionic system in women, that
they e7hibit more 4requent instances o4 such abnormal phenomena as I am
treatin/ o4, than men, we may be, perhaps, 8usti4ied in considerin/ the 4aculty o4
presentiment in a human bein/ as a suddenly awaened instinct5 8ust as in an
animal, it is an intensi4ied instinct$
:*erybody has either witnessed or heard o4 instances o4 this sort o4
presentiment, in do/s especially$ 3or the authenticity o4 the 4ollowin/ anecdote I
can *ouch5 the traditions bein/ *ery care4ully preser*ed in the 4amily concerned,
4rom whom I ha*e it$ In the last century, (r$ 1$, a member o4 this 4amily, who had
in*ol*ed himsel4 in some o4 the stormy a44airs o4 this northern part o4 the island,
was one day surprised by seein/ a 4a*ourite do/, that was lyin/ at his 4eet, start
suddenly up and seiBe him by the nee, which he pulled not with *iolence, but in
a manner that indicated a wish that his master should 4ollow him to the door$ The
/entleman resisted the in*itation 4or some time5 till at len/th the perse*erance o4
the animal arousin/ his curiosity, he yielded, and was thus conducted by the do/
into the most sequestered part o4 a nei/hbourin/ thicet, where, howe*er, he
could see nothin/ to account 4or his dumb 4riend's proceedin/, who now lay
himsel4 down, quite satis4ied, and seemed to wish his master to 4ollow the
e7ample5 which, determined to pursue the ad*enture and 4ind out, i4 possible,
what was meant, he did$ 0 considerable time now elapsed be4ore the do/ would
consent to his master's /oin/ home5 but at len/th he arose and led the way
thither, when the 4irst news (r$ 1$ heard was, that a party o4 soldiers had been
there in quest o4 him5 and he was shown the mars o4 their spies, which had
been thrust throu/h the bed"clothes in their search$ #e 4led, and ultimately
escaped5 his li4e bein/ thus preser*ed by his do/$
)ome years a/o, at 1lymouth, I had a brown spaniel that re/ularly, with /reat
deli/ht, accompanied my son and his nurse in their mornin/'s wal$ @ne day, she
came to complain to me that Ti/er would not /o out with them$ &obody could
concei*e the reason o4 so unusual a caprice5 and, un4ortunately, we did not yield
to it, but 4orced him to /o$ In less than a quarter o4 an hour he was brou/ht bac,
so torn to pieces, by a sa*a/e do/ that had 8ust come ashore 4rom a 4orei/n
*essel, that it was 4ound necessary to shoot him immediately$
"""""""""
*hapter 2 ( 0arnings
This comparison, betwi7t the power o4 presentiment in a human bein/ and the
instincts o4 an animal, may be o44ensi*e to some people5 but it must be admitted,
that, as 4ar as we can see, the mani4estation is the same, whate*er be the cause$
&ow, the body o4 an animal must be in4ormed by an immaterial principle let us
call it soul or spirit, or anythin/ else5 4or it is e*ident that their actions are not the
mere result o4 or/aniBation5 and all I mean to imply is, that this 4aculty o4 4ore"
seein/ must be inherent in intelli/ent spirit, let it be lod/ed in what 4orm o4 4lesh it
may5 whilst, with re/ard to what instinct is, we are, in the meanwhile, in e7treme
i/norance$ +nstinct bein/ a word which, lie +magination, e*erybody uses, and
nobody understands$
:nnemoser and )chubert belie*e, that the instinct by which animals see their
4ood consists in polarity, but I ha*e met with only two modern theories which
pretend to e7plain the phenomena o4 presentiment5 the one is, that the person is
in a temporarily ma/netic state, and that the presentiment is a ind o4
clair*oyance$ That the 4aculty, lie that o4 prophetic dreamin/, is constitutional,
and chie4ly mani4ested in certain 4amilies, is well established5 and the *ery
unimportant e*ents, such as *isits, and so 4orth, on which it 4requently e7ercises
itsel4, 4orbid us to see an e7planation in a hi/her source$ It seems, also, to be
quite independent o4 the will o4 the sub8ect, as it was in the case o4 Jschoe,
who 4ound himsel4 thus let into the secrets o4 persons in whom he 4elt no manner
o4 interest5 whilst, where the nowled/e mi/ht ha*e been o4 use to him, he could
not command it$ The theory o4 one"hal4 o4 the brain in a ne/ati*e state, ser*in/ as
a mirror to the other hal4, i4 admitted at all, may answer as well, or better, 4or
these wain/ presentiments, than 4or clear"seein/ in dreams$ 9ut, 4or my own
part, I incline *ery much to the *iews o4 that school o4 philosophers who adopt the
4irst and more spiritual theory, which seems to me, to o44er 4ewer di44iculties,
whilst, as re/ards our present nature, and our 4uture hopes, it is certainly more
satis4actory$ @nce admitted that the body is but the temporary dwellin/ o4 an
immaterial spirit, the machine throu/h which, and by which, in its normal states,
the spirit alone can mani4est itsel4, I cannot see any /reat di44iculty in concei*in/
that, in certain conditions o4 that body, their relations may be modi4ied, and that
the spirit may percei*e, by its own inherent quality, without the aid o4 its material
*ehicle5 and, as this condition o4 the body may arise 4rom causes purely physical,
we see at once why the re*elations 4requently re/ard such unimportant e*ents$
1lutarch, in his dialo/ue betwi7t %amprius and 0mmonius, obser*es, that i4 the
-aemons, or protectin/ spirits, that watch o*er manind are disembodied souls,
we ou/ht not to doubt that those spirits, e*en when in the 4lesh, possessed the
4aculties they now en8oy, since we ha*e no reason to suppose that any new ones
are con4erred at the period o4 dissolution5 4or these 4aculties must be inherent,
althou/h temporarily obscured, and wea and ine44ecti*e in their mani4estations$
0s it is not when the sun breas 4rom behind the clouds that he 4irst be/ins to
shine, so it is not when the soul issues 4rom the body, as 4rom a cloud that
en*elopes it, that it 4irst attains the power o4 looin/ into the 4uture$
9ut the e*ents 4oreseen are not always unimportant, nor is the mode o4 the
communication always o4 the same nature$ I ha*e mentioned abo*e, some
instances wherein dan/er was a*oided, and there are many o4 the same ind
recorded in *arious wors5 and it is the number o4 instances o4 this description,
corroborated by the uni*ersal a/reement o4 all somnambulists o4 a hi/her order,
which has induced a considerable section o4 the 6erman psycholo/ists to adopt
the doctrine o4 /uardian spirits " a doctrine which has pre*ailed, more or less, in
all a/es5 and has been considered by many theolo/ians to be supported by the
9ible$ There is in this country, and I belie*e in 3rance, also, thou/h with more
e7ceptions, such an e7treme a*ersion to admit the possibility o4 anythin/ lie
what is called supernatural a/ency, that the mere a*owal o4 such a persuasion is
enou/h to discredit one's understandin/ with a considerable part o4 the world5 not
e7ceptin/ those who pro4ess to belie*e in the scriptures$ Het, e*en apart 4rom
this latter authority, I cannot see anythin/ repu/nant to reason in such a belie4$
0s 4ar as we see o4 nature, there is a continued series 4rom the lowest to the
hi/hest5 and what ri/ht ha*e we to conclude that we are the last lin o4 the chain<
.hy may there not be a /amut o4 bein/s< That such should be the case, is
certainly in accordance with all that we see5 and that we do not see them,
a44ords, as I ha*e said abo*e, not a shadow o4 ar/ument a/ainst their e7istence5
man, immersed in business and pleasure, li*in/ only his sensuous li4e, is too apt
to 4or/et how limited those senses are, how merely desi/ned 4or a temporary
purpose, and how much may e7ist o4 which they can tae no co/niBance$
The possi#ility admitted, the chie4 ar/uments a/ainst the pro#a#ility o4 such a
/uardianship, are the inter4erence it implies with the 4reewill o4 man, on the one
hand, and the rarity o4 this inter4erence, on the other$ .ith respect to the 4irst
matter o4 4ree"will, it is a sub8ect o4 acnowled/ed di44iculty, and beyond the
scope o4 my wor$ &obody can honestly loo bac upon his past li4e without
4eelin/ perple7ed by the question, o4 how 4ar he was, or was not able, at the
moment, to resist certain impulsions, which caused him to commit wron/ or
imprudent actions5 and it must, I 4ear, e*er remain a 3ucestio $e,ata how 4ar our
*irtues and *ices depend upon our or/aniBation5 an or/aniBation whose
constitution is beyond our own power, in the 4irst instance, althou/h we may
certainly impro*e or deteriorate it5 but which we must admit, at the same time, to
be, in its present deteriorated 4orm, the ill result o4 the world's corruption, and the
inherited penalty o4 the *ices o4 our predecessors5 whereby the sins o4 the 4athers
are *isited upon the children unto the third and 4ourth /eneration$
There is, as the )criptures say, but one way to sal*ation, thou/h there are many
to perdition, that is, thou/h there are many wron/s, there is only one ri/ht5 4or
truth is one, and our true liberty consists in bein/ 4ree to 4ollow it5 4or we cannot
ima/ine that anybody sees his own perdition, and nobody, I concei*e, lo*es *ice
4or its own sae, as others lo*e *irtue, that is, because it is *ice5 so that, when
they 4ollow its dictates, we must conclude that they are not 4ree, but in bonda/e,
whose e*er bond"sla*e they be, whether o4 an e*il spirit, or o4 their own
or/aniBation5 and, I thin, e*ery human bein/ who loos into himsel4 will 4eel, that
he is, in e44ect then only 4ree when he is obeyin/ the dictates o4 *irtue5 and that
the lan/ua/e o4 )cripture, which speas o4 sin as a bonda/e, is not only
metaphorically, but literally, true$
The warnin/ a person o4 an impendin/ dan/er, or error, implies no constraint5 the
sub8ect o4 the warnin/ is 4ree to tae the hint or not, as he pleases5 we recei*e
many cautions, both 4rom other people and 4rom our own consciences, which we
re4use to bene4it by$
.ith re/ard to the second ob8ection, it seems to ha*e /reater wei/ht5 4or
althou/h the instances o4 presentiment are *ery numerous " taen apart, they
are, certainly, as 4ar as we now, still but e7ceptional cases$ 9ut here we must
remember, that an in4luence o4 this sort mi/ht be *ery continuously, thou/h
somewhat remotely, e7ercised in 4a*our o4 an indi*idual, without the occurrence
o4 any instance o4 so striin/ a nature, as to render the inter4erence mani4est5 and
certain it is, that some people " I ha*e met with se*eral " and *ery sensible
persons, too, ha*e all their li*es an intuiti*e persuasion o4 such a /uardianship
e7istin/ in relation to themsel*es$ That in our normal states it was not intended
we should hold sensible communion with the in*isible world, seems e*ident5 but
nature abounds in e7ceptions5 and there may be conditions re/ardin/ both
parties, the incorporated and the unincorporated spirit, which may at times brin/
them into a more intimate relation$ &o one who belie*es that consciousness is to
sur*i*e the death o4 the body, can doubt that the released spirit will then hold
communion with its con/eners5 it bein/ the 4leshly tabernacles we inhabit which
alone disables us 4rom doin/ so at present5 but since the constitutions o4 bodies
*ary e7ceedin/ly, not only in di44erent indi*iduals, but in the same indi*iduals at
di44erent times, may we not concei*e the possibility o4 there e7istin/ conditions,
which by diminishin/ the obstructions, render this communion practicable within
certain limits< 3or there, certainly, are recorded and authentic instances o4
presentiments and warnin/s, that with di44iculty admit o4 any other e7planation5
and that these admonitions are more 4requently recei*ed in the state o4 sleep
than o4 *i/ilance, rather 4urnishes an additional ar/ument in 4a*our o4 the last
hypothesis5 4or i4 there be any 4oundation 4or the theories abo*e su//ested, it is
then, that the sensuous 4unctions bein/ in abeyance, and the e7ternal li4e thereby
shut out 4rom us, the spirit would be most susceptible to the operations o4 spirit,
whether o4 our deceased 4riends or o4 appointed ministers, i4 such there be$ Dun/
)tellin/ is o4 opinion that we must decide 4rom the aim and ob8ect o4 the
re*elation, whether it be a mere de*elopment o4 the 4aculty o4 presentiment, or a
case o4 spiritual inter*ention5 but this would surely be a *ery erroneous mode o4
8ud/in/, since the presentiment that 4oresees a *isit, may 4oresee a dan/er, and
show us how to a*oid it, as in the 4ollowin/ instanceA "
0 4ew years a/o, -r$ .$, now residin/ at 6las/ow, dreamt that he recei*ed a
summons to attend a patient at a place some miles 4rom where he was li*in/5
that he started on horsebac, and that as he was crossin/ a moor, he saw a bull
main/ 4uriously at him, whose horns he only escaped by tain/ re4u/e on a spot
inaccessible to the animal5 where he waited a lon/ time, till some people,
obser*in/ his situation, came to his assistance and released him$ .hilst at
brea4ast, on the 4ollowin/ mornin/, the summons came5 and, smilin/ at the odd
coincidence, he started on horsebac$ #e was quite i/norant o4 the road he had
to /o5 but, by and by, he arri*ed at the moor, which he reco/nised, and presently
the bull appeared, comin/ 4ull tilt towards him$ 9ut his dream had shown him the
place o4 re4u/e, 4or which he instantly made5 and there he spent three or 4our
hours, besie/ed by the animal, till the country people set him 4ree$ -r$ .$
declares, that but 4or the dream, he should not ha*e nown in what direction to
runt 4or sa4ety$
0 9utcher named 9one, residin/ at #olytown, dreamt a 4ew years since, that he
was stopt at a particular spot on his way to maret, whither he was /oin/ on the
4ollowin/ day to purchase cattle, by two men in blue clothes, who cut his throat$
#e told the dream to his wi4e, who lau/hed at him5 but as it was repeated two or
tnree times, and she saw he was really alarmed, she ad*ised him to 8oin
somebody who was /oin/ the same road$ #e accordin/ly listened till he heard a
cart passin/ his door, and then went out and 8oined the man, tellin/ him the
reason 4or so doin/$ .hen they came to the spot, there actually stood the two
men in blue clothes, who, seein/ he was not alone, too to their heels and ran$
&ow, althou/h the dream was here probably the means o4 sa*in/ 9one's li4e,
there is no reason to suppose this a case o4 what is called supernatural
inter$ention. The phenomenon would be su44iciently accounted 4or by the
admission o4 the hypothesis I ha*e su//ested5 namely, that he was aware o4 the
impendin/ dan/er in his sleep, and had been able, 4rom some cause unnown to
us, to con*ey the recollection into his wain/ state$
I now instances in which, 4or se*eral mornin/s pre*ious to the occurrence o4 a
calamity, persons ha*e awaened with a pain4ul sense o4 mis4ortune, 4or which
they could not account, and which was dispersed as soon as they had time to
re4lect that they had no cause 4or uneasiness$ This is the only ind o4
presentiment I e*er e7perienced mysel45 but it has occurred to me twice, in a *ery
mared and unmistaable manner$ 0s soon as the intellectual li4e, the li4e o4 the
brain, and the e7ternal world broe in, the instincti*e li4e receded, and the
intuiti*e nowled/e was obscured$ @r, accordin/ to -r$ :nnemoser's theory, the
polar relations chan/ed, and the ner*es were busied with con*eyin/ sensuous
impressions to the brain, their sensibility or positi*e state now bein/ trans4erred
4rom the internal to the e7ternal periphery$ It is by the contrary chan/e that -r$
:nnemoser sees to e7plain the insensibility to pain o4 mesmerised patients$
0 circumstance o4 a similar ind to the abo*e occurred in a well nown 4amily in
)cotland, the ?uther4ords o4 :$ 0 lady dreamt that her aunt, who resided at some
distance, was murdered by a blac ser*ant$
Impressed with the li*eliness o4 the *ision, she could not resist /oin/ to the
house o4 her relation, where the man she had dreamt o4, whom I thin she had
ne*er be4ore seen, opened the door to her$ Cpon this, she induced a /entleman
to watch in the ad8oinin/ room durin/ the ni/ht5 and towards mornin/ hearin/ a
4oot upon the stairs, he opened the door and disco*ered the blac ser*ant
carryin/ up a coal scuttle 4ull o4 coals, 4or the purpose, as he said, o4 li/htin/ his
mistress's 4ire$ 0s this moti*e did not seem *ery probable, the coals were
e7amined and a ni4e 4ound hidden amon/st them, with which, he a4terwards
con4essed, he intended to ha*e murdered his mistress, pro*ided she made any
resistance to a desi/n he had 4ormed, o4 robbin/ her o4 a lar/e sum o4 money,
which he was aware she had that day recei*ed$
The 4ollowin/ case has been quoted in se*eral medical wors at least in wors
written by learned doctors, and on that account I should not mention it here, but
4or the purpose o4 remarin/ on the e7traordinary 4acility with which, whilst they
do not question the 4act, they dispose o4 the mystery$
(r$ -$, o4 Cumberland, when a youth, came to :dinbur/h, 4or the purpose o4
attendin/ Colle/e, and was placed under the care o4 his uncle and aunt, (a8or
and (rs$ 6ri44iths, who then resided in the castle$ .hen the 4ine weather came,
the youn/ man was in the habit o4 main/ 4requent e7cursions, with others o4 his
own a/e and pursuits5 and one a4ternoon he mentioned that they had 4ormed a
4ishin/ party, and had bespoen a boat 4or the ensuin/ day$ &o ob8ections were
made to this plan5 but in the middle o4 the ni/ht, (rs$ 6ri44iths screamed out, "The
boat is sinin/! @h, sa*e them!" #er husband said, he supposed she had been
thinin/ o4 the 4ishin/ party5 but she declared she had ne*er thou/ht about it, at
all, and soon 4ell asleep a/ain$ 9ut, ere lon/, she awoe a second time, cryin/
out that she "saw the boat sinin/!" "It must ha*e been the remains o4 the
impression made by the other dream," she su//ested to her husband, "4or I ha*e
no uneasiness, whate*er, about the 4ishin/ party$" but on /oin/ to sleep once
more, her husband was a/ain disturbed by her cries, "they are /one!" she said,
"the boat has sun!" )he now, really, became alarmed, and, without waitin/ 4or
mornin/, she threw on her dressin/"/own, and went to (r$ -$, who was still in
bed, and, whom with much di44iculty, she persuaded to relinquish his proposed
e7cursion$ #e, consequently, sent his ser*ant to %eith, with an e7cuse5 and the
party embared without him$ The day was e7tremely 4ine, when they put to sea5
but some hours a4terwards, a storm arose, in which the boat 4oundered5 nor did
any one o4 the number sur*i*e to tell the tale$
"This dream is easily accounted 4or," say the learned /entlemen abo*e alluded
to, "4rom the dread all women ha*e o4 the water, and the dan/er that attends
boatin/ on the 3rith o4 3orth!" &ow, I deny that all women ha*e a dread o4 the
water, and there is not the sli/htest reason 4or concludin/ that (rs$ 6ri44iths had$
0t all e*ents, she a44irms that she 4elt no uneasiness at all about the party, and
one mi/ht tae lea*e to thin that her testimony upon that sub8ect is o4 more
*alue than that o4 persons who ne*er had any acquaintance with her, and who
were not so much as born at the time the circumstance occurred, which was in
the year 1'=1$ 9esides, i4 (rs$ 6ri44ith's dream arose simply 4rom "the dread all
women ha*e o4 the water," and that its subsequent *eri4ication was a mere
coincidence, since women constantly ris their persons 4or *oya/es, and boatin/
e7cursions, such dreams should be e7tremely 4requent5 the 4act o4 there bein/
any accident impendin/ or not, ha*in/, accordin/ to this theory, no relation
whate*er to the phenomenon$ 0nd as 4or the dan/er that attends boatin/ on the
3rith o4 3orth, we must naturally suppose that had it been considered so
imminent, (a8or 6ri44iths would ha*e, at least, endea*oured to dissuade a youth
that was placed under his protection 4rom risin/ his li4e so imprudently$ It would
be equally reasonable to e7plain away -r$ .$'s dream, by sayin/, that all
/entlemen who ha*e to ride across commons are in /reat dread o4 encounterin/
a bull " commons, in /eneral, bein/ in4ested by that animal$
(iss -$, a 4riend o4 mine, was some time since in*ited to 8oin a picnic e7cursion
into the country$ Two ni/hts be4ore the day 4i7ed 4or the e7pedition, she dreamt
that the carria/e she was to /o in, was o*erturned down a precipice$ Impressed
with her dream, she declined the e7cursion, con4essin/ her reason, and ad*isin/
the rest o4 the party to relinquish their pro8ect$ They lau/hed at her, and persisted
in their scheme$ .hen, subsequently, she went to enquire how they had spent
the day, she 4ound the ladies con4ined to their beds, 4rom in8uries recei*ed5 the
carria/e ha*in/ been o*erturned down a precipice$ )till, this was only a
coincidence!
0nother specimen o4 the haste with which people are willin/ to dispose o4 what
they do not understand, is a44orded by a case that occurred, not many years
since, in the north o4 )cotland, where a murder ha*in/ been committed, a man
came 4orward sayin/ that he had dreamt that the pac o4 the murdered peddler
was hidden in a certain spot5 where, on a search bein/ made, it was actually
4ound$ They at 4irst concluded he was himsel4 the assassin, but the real criminal
was a4terwards disco*ered5 and it bein/ asserted, thou/h I ha*e been told
erroneously, that the two men had passed some time to/ether, since the murder,
in a state o4 into7ication, it was decided that the crime and the place o4
concealment had been communicated to the pretended dreamer5 and all who
thou/ht otherwise were lau/hed at5 4or why, say the rationalists, should not
1ro*idence ha*e so ordered the dream as to ha*e pre*ented the murder
alto/ether<
.ho can answer that question, and whither would such a discussion leads us<
(oreo*er, i4 this 4aculty o4 presentiment be a natural one, thou/h only imper4ectly
and capriciously de*eloped, there may ha*e been no desi/n in the matter5 it is an
accident, 8ust in the same sense as an illness is an accident5 that is, not without
cause, but without a cause that we can penetrate$ I4, on the other hand, we ha*e
recourse to the inter*ention o4 spiritual bein/s, it may be answered that we are
entirely i/norant o4 the conditions under which any such communication is
possible5 and that we cannot there4ore come to any conclusions as to why so
much is done, and no more$
9ut there is another circumstance to be obser*ed in considerin/ the case, which
is, that the dreamer is said to ha*e passed some days in a state o4 into7ication$
&ow, e*en supposin/ this had been true, it is well"nown that the e7citement o4
the brain, caused by into7ication, has occasionally produced a *ery remarable
e7altation o4 certain 4aculties$ It is by means, either o4 into7icatin/ drau/hts or
*apours, that the soothsayers o4 %apland and )iberia place themsel*es in a
condition to *aticinate5 and we ha*e e*ery reason to belie*e that dru/s,
producin/ similar e44ects, were resorted to by the thaumatur/ists o4 old, and by
the witches o4 later days, o4 which I shall ha*e more to say herea4ter$ 9ut as a
case in point, I may here allude to the phenomena e7hibited in a late instance o4
the application o4 ether, by 1ro4essor )impson, o4 :dinbur/h, to a lady who was
at the moment under circumstances not usually 4ound *ery a/reeable$ )he said
that she was amusin/ hersel4 deli/ht4ully by playin/ o*er a set o4 quadrilles,
which she had nown in her youth, but had lon/ 4or/otten5 but she now per4ectly
remembered them, and had played them o*er se*eral times$ #ere was an
instance o4 the e7altation o4 a 4aculty 4rom into7ication, similar to that o4 the
woman who, in her delirium, spoe a lan/ua/e which she had only heard in her
childhood, and o4 which, in her normal state, she had no recollection$
That the ine44iciency o4 the communication, or presentiment, or whate*er it may
be, is no ar/ument a/ainst the 4act o4 such dreams occurrin/, I can sa4ely assert,
4rom cases which ha*e come under my own nowled/e$ 0 pro4essional
/entleman, whose name would be a warrant 4or the truth o4 whate*er he relates,
told me the 4ollowin/ circumstance re/ardin/ himsel4$ #e was, not *ery lon/
since, at the seaside, with his 4amily, and, amon/st the rest, he had with him one
o4 his sons, a boy about twel*e years o4 a/e, who was in the habit o4 bathin/
daily, his 4ather accompanyin/ him to the water side$ This practice had continued
durin/ the whole o4 their *isit, and no idea o4 dan/er or accident had e*er
occurred to anybody$ @n the day precedin/ the one appointed 4or their departure,
(r$ #$, the /entleman in question, 4elt himsel4, a4ter brea4ast, surprised by an
unusual drowsiness, which he, ha*in/ *ainly stru//led to o*ercome, at len/th 4ell
asleep in his chair, and dreamt that he was attendin/ his son to the bath as
usual, when he suddenly saw the boy drownin/, and that he himsel4 had rushed
into the water, dressed as he was, and brou/ht him ashore$ Thou/h he was quite
conscious o4 the dream when he awoe, he attached no importance to it5 he
considered it merely a dream, no more5 and when, some hours a4terwards, the
boy came into the room, and said, "&ow, papa, it's time to /o5 this will be my last
bath$" " his mornin/'s *ision did not e*en recur to him$ They waled down to the
sea, as usual, and the boy went into the water, whilst the 4ather stood
composedly watchin/ him 4rom the beach, when, suddenly, the child lost his
4ootin/, a wa*e had cau/ht him, and the dan/er o4 his bein/ carried away was so
imminent, that, without e*en waitin/ to tae o44 his /reat coat, boots, or hat, (r$
#$ rushed into the water, and was only 8ust in time to sa*e him$
#ere is a case o4 undoubted authenticity, which I tae to be an instance o4 clear"
seein/, or second si/ht, in sleep$ The spirit, with its intuiti*e 4aculty, saw what
was impendin/5 the sleeper remembered his dream, but the intellect did not
accept the warnin/5 and, whether that warnin/ was merely a sub8ecti*e process,
the clear"seein/ o4 the spirit or whether it was e44ected by any e7ternal a/ency,
the 4ree will o4 the person concerned was not inter4ered with$
I quote the ensuin/ similar case 4rom the 3ran4ort 4ournal, 2Kth Dune, 1+='A "0
sin/ular circumstance is said to be connected with the late attempt on the li4e o4
the 0rchbishop o4 0utun$ The two ni/hts precedin/ the attac, the prelate dreamt
that he saw a man, who was main/ repeated e44orts to tae away his li4e, and
he awoe in e7treme terror and a/itation 4rom the e7ertions he had made to
escape the dan/er$ The 4eatures and appearance o4 the man were so clearly
imprinted on his memory, that he reco/niBed him the moment his eye 4ell upon
him, which happened as he was comin/ out o4 church$ The bishop hid his 4ace,
and called his attendants, but the man had 4ired be4ore he could mae nown his
apprehensions$ 3acts o4 this description are 4ar 4rom uncommon$ It appears that
the assassin had entertained desi/ns a/ainst the li*es o4 the 9ishops o4 -i8on,
9ur/os, and &e*ers$"
The 4ollowin/ case, which occurred a 4ew years since, in the &orth o4 :n/land,
and which, I ha*e 4rom the best authority, is remarable 4rom the ine7orable
4atality which brou/ht about the 4ul4illment o4 the dreamA (rs$ ;$, a lady o4 4amily
and 4ortune in Horshire, said to her son, one mornin/, on descendin/ to
brea4ast, "#enry, what are you /oin/ to do today<"
"I am /oin/ to hunt," replied the youn/ man$
"I am *ery /lad o4 it," she answered, "I should not lie you to /o shootin/, 4or I
dreamt last ni/ht that you did so, and were shot$ The son answered /aily, that he
would tae care not to be shot, and the huntin/ party rode away5 but, in the
middle o4 the day they returned, not ha*in/ 4ound any sport$ (r$ 9$, a *isitor in
the house, then proposed that they should /o out with their /uns, and try to 4ind
some woodcocs$ "I will /o with you," returned the youn/ man, "but I must not
shoot today, mysel4, 4or my mother dreamt last ni/ht I was shot5 and, althou/h it
is but a dream, she would be uneasy$"
They went, (r$ 9$ with his /un, and (r$ ;$, without5 but shortly a4terwards the
belo*ed son was brou/ht home dead$ 0 char/e 4rom the /un o4 his companion
had struc him in the eye, entered his brain, and illed him on the spot$ (r$ 9$,
the un4ortunate cause o4 this accident, and also the narrator o4 it, died but a 4ew
wees since$
It is well nown that the murder o4 (r$ 1erci*al, by 9ellin/ham, was seen in sleep
by a /entleman at Hor, who actually went to %ondon in consequence o4 his
dream, which was se*eral times repeated$ #e arri*ed too late to pre*ent the
calamity5 neither would he ha*e been belie*ed, had he arri*ed earlier$
In the year 1,>1, a merchant was tra*elin/ towards ?ome, by )ienna, when he
dreamt that his throat was cut$ #e communicated his dream to the host o4 the
inn, who did not lie it, and ad*ised him to pray and con4ess$ #e did so, and then
rode 4orth, and was presently attaced by the priest he had con4essed to, who
had thus learnt his apprehensions$ #e illed the merchant, but was betrayed, and
disappointed o4 his /ains, by the horse tain/ 4ri/ht, and runnin/ bac to the inn
with the money ba/s$
I ha*e related this story, thou/h not a new one, on account o4 its sin/ular
resemblance to the 4ollowin/, which I tae 4rom a newspaper para/raph5 but
which I 4ind mentioned as a 4act in a continental publicationA
"Singular 2erification of a Dream$ 0 letter 4rom #ambur/h, contains the 4ollowin/
curious story, relati*e to the *eri4ication o4 a dream$ It appears that a locsmith's
apprentice, one mornin/ lately, in4ormed his master EClaude )ellerG, that on the
pre*ious ni/ht he dreamt that he had been assassinated on the road to
9er/sdor44, a little town at about two hours' distance 4rom #ambur/h$ The master
lau/hed at the youn/ man's credulity, and to pro*e that he himsel4 had little 4aith
in dreams, insisted upon sendin/ him to 9er/sdor44, with 1,I ri7 dollars EL22 +s$G,
which he owed to his brother"in"law, who resided in the town$ The apprentice,
a4ter in *ain implorin/ his master to chan/e his intention, was compelled to set
out, at about ele*en o'cloc$ @n arri*in/ at the *illa/e o4 9illwaerder, about hal4"
way between #ambur/h and 9er/sdor44, he recollected his dream with terror, but
percei*in/ the baillie o4 the *illa/e at a little distance, talin/ to some o4 his
wormen, he accosted him, and acquainted him with his sin/ular dream, at the
same time requestin/, that, as he had money about his person, one o4 his
wormen mi/ht be allowed to accompany him 4or protection across a small wood
which lay in his way$ The baillie smiled, and, in obedience to his orders, one o4
his men set out with the youn/ apprentice$ The ne7t day, the corpse o4 the latter
was con*eyed by some peasants to the baillie, alon/ with a reapin/"hoo, which
had been 4ound by his side, and, with which, the throat o4 the murdered youth
had been cut$ The baillie immediately reco/nised the instrument as one which he
had on the pre*ious day /i*en to the worman who had ser*ed as the
apprentice's /uide, 4or the purpose o4 prunin/ some willows$ The worman was
apprehended, and, on bein/ con4ronted with the body o4 his *ictim, made a 4ull
con4ession o4 his crime, addin/, that the recital o4 the dream had alone prompted
him to commit the horrible act$ The assassin, who is thirty"4i*e years o4 a/e, is a
nati*e o4 9illwaerder, and, pre*iously to the perpetration o4 the murder, had
always borne an irreproachable character$"
The li4e o4 the /reat #ar*ey was sa*ed by the 6o*ernor o4 -o*er re4usin/ to
allow him to embar 4or the Continent, with his 4riends$ The *essel was lost, with
all on board5 and the 6o*ernor con4essed to him, that he had detained him in
consequence o4 an in8unction he had recei*ed in a dream to do so$
There is a *ery curious circumstance related by (r$ .ard, in his "Illustrations o4
#uman %i4e," re/ardin/ the late )ir :*an &epean, which, I belie*e is per4ectly
authentic$ I ha*e, at least been assured, by persons well acquainted with him,
that he himsel4 testi4ied to its truth$
9ein/, at the time, )ecretary to the 0dmiralty, he 4ound himsel4 one ni/ht unable
to sleep, and ur/ed by an unde4inable 4eelin/ that he must rise, thou/h it was
then only two o'cloc$ #e accordin/ly did so, and went into the par, and 4rom
that to the #ome @44ice, which he entered by a pri*ate door, o4 which he had the
ey$ #e had no ob8ect in doin/ this, and to pass the time, he too up a
newspaper that was lyin/ on the table, and there read a para/raph to the e44ect,
that a reprie*e had been dispatched to Hor, 4or the men condemned 4or coinin/$
The question occurred to him, was it indeed dispatched< #e e7amined the boos
and 4ound it was not5 and it was only by the most ener/etic proceedin/s that the
thin/ was carried throu/h, and reached Hor in time to sa*e the men$
Is not this lie the a/ency o4 a protectin/ spirit, ur/in/ )ir :*an to this disco*ery,
in order that these men mi/ht be spared5 or that those concerned mi/ht escape
the remorse they would ha*e su44ered 4or their criminal ne/lect<
It is a remarable 4act, that somnambules o4 the hi/hest order belie*e themsel*es
attended by a protectin/ spirit$ To those who do not belie*e, because they ha*e
ne*er witnessed the phenomena o4 somnambulism, or who loo upon the
disclosures o4 persons in that state, as the mere ra*in/ o4 hallucination, this
authority will necessarily ha*e no wei/ht5 but e*en to such persons, the uni*ersal
coincidence, must be considered worthy o4 obser*ation, thou/h it be re/arded
only as a symptom o4 disease$ I belie*e I ha*e remared, elsewhere, that many
persons, who ha*e not the least tendency to somnambulism, or any pro7imate
malady, ha*e, all their li*es, an intuiti*e 4eelin/ o4 such a /uardianship5 and, not
to mention )ocrates and the ancients, there are, besides, numerous recorded
cases in modern times, in which persons, not somnambulic, ha*e declared
themsel*es to ha*e seen and held communication with their spiritual protector$
The case o4 the /irl called %udwi/er, who, in her in4ancy, had lost her speech,
and the use o4 her limbs, and who was earnestly committed by her mother, when
dyin/, to the care o4 her elder sisters, is nown to many$ These youn/ women
piously 4ul4illed their en/a/ement, till the weddin/"day o4 one o4 them caused
them to 4or/et their char/e$ @n recollectin/ it, at len/th, they hastened home, and
4ound the /irl to their amaBement, sittin/ up in her bed, and she told them, that
her mother had been there and /i*en her 4ood$ )he ne*er spoe a/ain, and soon
a4ter died$ This circumstance occurred at -essau, not many years since5 and is,
accordin/ to )chubert, a per4ectly established 4act in that nei/hbourhood$ The
/irl, at no other period o4 her li4e e7hibited any similar phenomena, nor had she
e*er displayed any tendency to spectral illusions$
The wi4e o4 a respectable citiBen, named 0rnold, at #eilbronn, held constant
communications with her protectin/ spirit, who warned her o4 impendin/ dan/ers,
approachin/ *isitors, and so 4orth$ #e was only once *isible to her, and it was in
the 4orm o4 an old man5 but his presence was 4elt by others as well as hersel4,
and they were sensible that the air was stirred, as by a breath$
Dun/ )tillin/ publishes a similar account, which was bequeathed to him by a *ery
worthy and pious minister o4 the church$ The sub8ect o4 the /uardianship was his
own wi4e5 and the spirit 4irst appeared to her a4ter her marria/e, in the year 1'FF,
as a child, attired in a white robe, whilst she was busy in her bed"chamber$ )he
stretched out her hand to tae hold o4 the 4i/ure, but it disappeared$ It 4requently
*isited her a4terwards, and in answer to her enquiries, it said, "I died in my
childhood!" It came to her at all hours, whether alone or in company, and not only
at home, but elsewhere, and e*en when tra*elin/, assistin/ her when in dan/er5
it sometimes 4loated in the air, spae to her in its own lan/ua/e, which,
somehow, she says, she understood, and could spea, too5 and it was once seen
by another person$ #e bade her call him +mmanuel$ )he earnestly be//ed him to
show himsel4 to her husband, but he alle/ed that it would mae him ill, and cause
his death$ @n asin/ him wherefore, he answered, "4ew persons are able to see
such thin/s$"
#er two children, one si7 years old, and the other youn/er, saw this 4i/ure as well
as hersel4$
)chubert, in his "6eschichte der )eele," relates that the ecclesiastical councillor
)chwartB, o4 #eidelber/, when about twel*e years o4 a/e, and at a time that he
was learnin/ the 6ree lan/ua/e, but new *ery little about it, dreamt that his
/randmother, a *ery pious woman, to whom he had been much attached,
appeared to him, and un4olded a parchment, inscribed with 6ree characters,
which 4oretold the 4ortunes o4 his 4uture li4e$ #e read it o44 with as much 4acility as
i4 it had been in 6erman5 but bein/ dissatis4ied with some particulars o4 the
prediction, he be//ed they mi/ht be chan/ed$ #is /randmother answered him in
6ree, whereupon he awoe, rememberin/ the dream, but, in spite o4 the e44orts
to arrest them, he was unable to recall the particulars the parchment had
contained$ The answer o4 his /randmother, howe*er, he was able to /rasp be4ore
it had 4led his memory, and he wrote down the words5 but the meanin/ o4 them
he could not disco*er, without the assistance o4 his 6rammar and %e7icon$ 9ein/
interpreted, they pro*ed to be theseA " "0s it is prophesied to me, so I prophecy to
thee$" #e had written the words in a *olume o4 6essner's wors, bein/ the 4irst
thin/ he laid his hand on5 and he o4ten philosophiBed on them in later days, when
they chanced to meet his eye$ #ow, he says, should he ha*e been able to read
and produce that in his sleep, which, in his wain/"state, he would ha*e been
quite incapable o4< ":*en lon/ a4ter, when I le4t school," he adds, "I could
scarcely ha*e put to/ether such a sentence5 and it is e7tremely remarable that
the 4eminine 4orm was obser*ed in con4ormity with the se7 o4 the speaer$ The
words were these " Tauta = N.=N0NV. $
6rotius relates, that when (r$ de )aumaise was councilor o4 the 1arliament at
-i8on, a person who new not a word o4 6ree, brou/ht him a paper, on which
was written some words in that lan/ua/e, but not in the character$ #e said that a
*oice had uttered them to him in the ni/ht, and that he had written them down,
imitatin/ the sound as well as he could$ (ons$ de )aumaise made out that the
si/ni4ication o4 the words, wasA "9e/one! do you not see that death impends<"
.ithout comprehendin/ what dan/er was predicted, the person obeyed the
mandate and departed$ @n that ni/ht the house that he had been lod/in/ in, 4ell
to the /round$
The di44iculty in these two cases is equally /reat, apply to it whate*er e7planation
we may5 4or e*en i4 the admonitions proceeded 4rom some 4riendly /uardian, as
we mi/ht be inclined to conclude, it is not easy to concei*e why they should ha*e
been communicated in a lan/ua/e the persons did not understand$
04ter the death o4 -ante, it was disco*ered that the thirteenth canto o4 the
"1aradise" was missin/5 /reat search was made 4or it, but in *ain5 and to the
re/ret o4 e*erybody concerned, it was at len/th concluded that it had either ne*er
been written, or had been destroyed$ The quest was there4ore /i*en up, and
some months had elapsed, when 1ietro 0lli/hieri, his son, dreamt that his 4ather
appeared to him and told him that i4 he remo*ed a certain panel near the window
o4 the room, in which he had been accustomed to write, the thirteenth canto
would be 4ound$ 1ietro told his dream and was lau/hed at, o4 course5 howe*er,
as the canto did not turn up, it was thou/ht as well to e7amine the spot indicated
in the dream$ The panel was remo*ed, and there lay the missin/ canto behind it5
much mildewed, but 4ortunately, still le/ible$
I4 it be true that the dead do return sometimes to sol*e our perple7ities, here was
not an unworthy occasion 4or the e7ercise o4 such a power$ .e can ima/ine the
spirit o4 the /reat poet still clin/in/ to the memory o4 his au/ust wor, immortal as
himsel4 " the record o4 those hi/h thou/hts which can ne*er die$
There are numerous curious accounts e7tant o4 persons bein/ awaened by the
callin/ o4 a *oice which announced some impendin/ dan/er to them$ Three boys
are sleepin/ in the win/ o4 a castle, and the eldest is awaened by what appears
to him to be the *oice o4 his 4ather callin/ him by name$ #e rises and hastens to
his parent's chamber, situated in another part o4 the buildin/, where he 4inds his
4ather asleep5 who, on bein/ awaened, assures him that he had not called him,
and the boy returns to bed$ 9ut he is scarcely asleep, be4ore the circumstance
recurs, and he a/ain /oes to his 4ather with the same result$ 0 third time he 4alls
asleep, and a third time he is aroused by the *oice, too distinctly heard 4or him to
doubt his senses5 and now, alarmed at he nows not what, he rises and taes his
brothers with him to his 4ather's chamber5 and whilst they are discussin/ the
sin/ularity o4 the circumstance, a crash is heard, and that win/ o4 the castle in
which the boys slept, 4alls to the /round$ This incident e7cited so much attention
in 6ermany that it was recorded in a ballad$
It is related by 0myraldus, that (onsieur Cali/nan, Chancellor o4 &a*arre,
dreamed three successi*e times in one ni/ht, at 9erne, that a *oice called to him
and bade him quit the place, as the pla/ue would soon brea out in that town5
that, in consequence, he remo*ed his 4amily, and the result 8usti4ied his 4li/ht$
0 6erman physician relates, that a patient o4 his told him, that he dreamt
repeatedly, one ni/ht, that a *oice bade him /o to his hop/arden, as there were
thie*es there$ #e resisted the in8unction some time, till, at len/th, he was told
that, i4 he delayed any lon/er, he would lose all his produce$ Thus ur/ed, he went
at last, and arri*ed 8ust in time to see the thie*es, loaded with sacs, main/
away 4rom the opposite side o4 the hop"/round$
0 (adame Von (ilitB, 4ound hersel4 under the necessity o4 partin/ with a
property which had lon/ been in her 4amily$ .hen the bar/ain was concluded,
and she was preparin/ to remo*e, she solicited permission o4 the new proprietor
to carry away with her some little relic as a memento o4 4ormer days " a request
which he unci*illy denied$ @n one o4 the ni/hts that preceded her departure 4rom
the home o4 her ancestors, she dreamt that a *oice spoe to her, and bade her
/o to the cellar and open a certain part o4 the wall, where she would 4ind
somethin/ that nobody would dispute with her$ Impressed with her dream, she
sent 4or a briclayer, who, a4ter lon/ seein/, disco*ered a place which appeared
less solid than the rest$ 0 hole was made, and, in a niche, was 4ound a /oblet,
which contained somethin/ that looed lie a pot pourri$ @n shain/ out the
contents, there lay at the bottom a small rin/, on which was en/ra*en the name
Anna 2on 5ilit6$
0 4riend o4 mine, (r$ Charles ;irpatric )harpe, has some coins that were 4ound
e7actly in the same manner$ The child o4 a (r$ Christison, in whose house his
4ather was lod/in/, in the year 1'+1, dreamt that there was a treasure hid in the
cellar$ #er 4ather had no 4aith in the dream5 but (r$ )$ had the curiosity to ha*e
the place du/ up, and a copper pot was 4ound, 4ull o4 coins$
0 *ery sin/ular circumstance was related to me lately, by (r$ D$ D$, as ha*in/
occurred not lon/ since to himsel4$ 0 tonic had been prescribed to him by his
physician, 4or some sli/ht deran/ement o4 the system, and, as there was no /ood
chemist in the *illa/e he inhabited, he was in the habit o4 walin/ to a town about
4i*e miles o44, to /et the bottle 4illed as occasion required$ @ne ni/ht, that he had
been to ($ 4or this purpose, and had obtained his last supply, 4or he was now
reco*ered, and about to discontinue the medicine, a *oice seemed to warn him
that some /reat dan/er was impendin/, his li4e was in 8eopardy5 then he heard,
but not with his outward ear, a beauti4ul prayer$ "It was not mysel4 that prayed,''
he said, "the prayer was 4ar beyond anythin/ I am capable o4 composin/ " it
spoe o4 me in the third person, always as he5 and supplicated that 4or the sae
o4 my widowed mother this calamity mi/ht be a*erted$ (y 4ather had been dead
some months$ I was sensible o4 all this, yet I cannot say whether I was asleep or
awae$ .hen I rose in the mornin/, the whole was present to my mind, althou/h
I had slept soundly in the inter*al5 I 4elt, howe*er, as i4 there was some miti/ation
o4 the calamity, thou/h what the dan/er was with which I was threatened, I had
no notion$ .hen I was dressed, I prepared to tae my medicine, but, on li4tin/ the
bottle, I 4ancied that the colour was not the same as usual$ I looed a/ain, and
hesitated, and 4inally, instead o4 tain/ two table spoon4uls, which was my
accustomed dose, I too but one$ 3ortunate it was that I did so5 the apothecary
had made a mistae5 the dru/ was poison5 I was seiBed with a *iolent *omitin/,
and other alarmin/ symptoms, 4rom which I with di44iculty reco*ered$ #ad I taen
the two spoon4uls, I should, probably, not ha*e sur*i*ed to tell the tale$"
The manner in which I happened to obtain these particulars is not uninterestin/$ I
was spendin/ the e*enin/ with (r$ .ordsworth, at ?idal, when he mentioned to
me that a stran/er, who had called on him that mornin/, had quoted two lines
4rom his poem o4 "%aodamia," which, he said, to him had a peculiar interest$ They
were theseA
"The in*isible world with thee hath sympathised5
9e thy a44ections raised and solemnised$"
"I do not now what he alludes to," said (r$ .ordsworth5 "but he /a*e me to
understand that these lines had a deep meanin/ 4or him, and that he had himsel4
been the sub8ect o4 such a sympathy$"
Cpon this, I sou/ht the stran/er, whose address the poet /a*e me, and thus
learnt the abo*e particulars 4rom himsel4$ #is *ery natural persuasion was, that
the intercedin/ spirit was his 4ather$ #e described the prayer as one o4 earnest
an/uish$
@ne o4 the most remarable instances o4 warnin/ that has come to my
nowled/e, is that o4 (r$ ($, o4 ;in/sborou/h$ This /entleman, bein/ on a
*oya/e to 0merica, dreamt, one ni/ht, that a little old man came into his cabin
and said, "6et up! Hour li4e is in dan/er!" Cpon which, (r$ ($ awoe5 but
considerin/ it to be only a dream, he soon composed himsel4 to sleep a/ain$ The
dream, howe*er, i4 such it were, recurred, and the old man ur/ed him still more
stron/ly to /et up directly, but he still persuaded himsel4 it was only a dream5 and
a4ter listenin/ a 4ew minutes, and hearin/ nothin/ to alarm him, he turned round
and addressed himsel4 once more to sleep$ 9ut now the old man appeared
a/ain, and an/rily bade him rise instantly, and tae his /un and ammunition with
him, 4or he had not a moment to lose$ The in8unction was now so distinct that (r$
($ 4elt he could no lon/er resist it5 so he hastily dressed himsel4, too his /un,
and ascended to the dec, where he had scarcely arri*ed, when the ship struc
on a roc, which he and se*eral others contri*ed to reach$ The place, howe*er,
was uninhabited, and, but 4or his /un, they would ne*er ha*e been able to
pro*ide themsel*es with 4ood till a *essel arri*ed to their relie4$
&ow these can scarcely be looed upon as instances o4 clear seein/, or o4
second si/ht in sleep, which, in -enmar, is called first(seeing, I belie*e5 4or in
neither case did the sleeper percei*e the dan/er, much less the nature o4 it$ I4,
there4ore, we re4use to attribute them to some e7ternal protectin/ in4luence, they
resol*e themsel*es into cases o4 *a/ue presentiment5 but it must then be
admitted that the mode o4 the mani4estation is *ery e7traordinary5 so
e7traordinary, indeed, that we 4all into 4ully as /reat a di44iculty as that o44ered by
the supposition o4 a /uardian spirit$
0n 0merican cler/yman told me that an old woman, with whom he was
acquainted, who had two sons, heard a *oice say to her in the ni/ht, "Dohn's
dead!" This was her eldest son$ )hortly a4terwards, the news o4 his death
arri*in/, she said to the person who communicated the intelli/ence to her, "I4
Dohn's dead, then I now that -a*id is dead, too, 4or the same *oice has since
told me so5" and the e*ent pro*ed that the in4ormation, whencee*er it came, was
correct$
&ot many years since, Captain )$ was passin/ a ni/ht at the (anse o4 )trachur,
in 0r/yleshire, then occupied by a relation o4 his own5 shortly a4ter he had lain
down in bed, the curtains were opened, and somebody looed in upon him$
)upposin/ it to be some inmate o4 the house, who was not aware that the bed
was occupied, he too no notice o4 the circumstance, till, it bein/ two or three
times repeated, he at len/th said, ".hat do you want< .hy do you disturb me in
this manner<"
"I come," replied a *oice, "to tell you, that this day twel*emonth you will be with
your 4ather!"
04ter this, Captain )$ was no more disturbed$ In the mornin/, he related the
circumstance to his host5 but, bein/ an entire disbelie*er in all such phenomena,
without attachin/ any importance to the warnin/$
In the natural course o4 e*ents, and quite irrespecti*e o4 this *isitation, on that
day twel*emonth he was a/ain at the (anse o4 )trachur, on his way to the &orth,
4or which purpose it was necessary that he should cross the 4erry to Crai/ie$ The
day was, howe*er, so e7ceedin/ly stormy, that his 4riend be//ed him not to /o5
but he pleaded his business, addin/ that he was determined not to be withheld
4rom his intention by the /host, and, althou/h the minister delayed his departure,
by en/a/in/ him in a /ame o4 bac/ammon, he at len/th started up, declarin/ he
could stay no lon/er$ They, there4ore, proceeded to the water, but they 4ound the
boat moored to the side o4 the lae, and the boatman assured them that it would
be impossible to cross$ Captain )$, howe*er, insisted, and, as the old man was
4irm in his re4usal, he became somewhat irritated, and laid his cane li/htly across
his shoulders$
"It ill becomes you, sir," said the 4erryman, "to strie an old man lie me5 but,
since you will ha*e your way, you must5 I cannot /o with you, but my son will5 but
you will ne*er reach the other side5 he will be drowned, and you too$"
The boat was then set a4loat, and Captain )$, to/ether with his horse and
ser*ant, and the 4erryman's son, embared in it$
The distance was not /reat, but the storm was tremendous5 and, a4ter ha*in/
with /reat di44iculty /ot hal4 way across the lae, it was 4ound impossible to
proceed$ The dan/er o4 tacin/, was, o4 course, considerable5 but, since they
could not ad*ance, there was no alternati*e but to turn bac, and it was resol*ed
to attempt it$ The maneu*er, howe*er, 4ailed5 the boat capsiBed, and they were
all precipitated into the water$
"Hou eep hold o4 the horse, I can swim," said Captain )$ to his ser*ant, when he
saw what was about to happen$
9ein/ an e7cellent swimmer, and the distance 4rom the shore inconsiderable, he
hoped to sa*e himsel4, but he had on a hea*y top coat, with boots and spurs$
The coat he contri*ed to tae o44 in the water, and then struc out with
con4idence5 but, alas, the coat had /ot entan/led with one o4 the spurs, and, as
he swam, it clun/ to him, /ettin/ hea*ier and hea*ier, as it became saturated
with water, e*er dra//in/ him beneath the stream$ #e, howe*er, reached the
shore, where his an7ious 4riend still stood watchin/ the e*ent, and, as the latter
bent o*er him, he was 8ust able to mae a /esture with his hand, which seemed
to say, "Hou see, it was to be!" and then e7pired$
The boatman was also drowned5 but, by the aid o4 the horse, the ser*ant
escaped$
0s I do not wish to startle my readers nor draw too suddenly on their 4aith, I ha*e
commenced with this class o4 phenomena, which it must be admitted are
su44iciently stran/e, and, i4 true, must also be admitted to be well worthy o4
attention$ &o doubt, these cases, and still more those to which I shall ne7t
proceed, /i*e a pain4ul shoc to the recei*ed notions o4 polished and educated
society in /eneral5 especially in this country, where the analytical or scientitical
psycholo/y o4 the ei/hteenth century has almost entirely superseded the study o4
synthetic or philosophical psycholo/y$ It has become a custom to loo at all the
phenomena re/ardin/ man in a purely physiolo/ical point o4 *iew5 4or althou/h it
is admitted that he has a mind, and althou/h there is such a science as
metaphysics, the e7istence o4 what we call mind, is ne*er considered but as
connected with the body$ .e now that body can e7ist without mind5 4or, not to
spea o4 certain li*in/ conditions, the body subsists without mind when the spirit
has 4led5 albeit, without the li*in/ principle it can subsist but 4or a short period,
e7cept under particular circumstances5 but we seem to ha*e 4or/otten that mind,
thou/h *ery dependant upon body as lon/ as the connection between them
continues, can yet subsist without it$ There ha*e, indeed, been philosophers,
purely materialistic, who ha*e denied this5 but they are not many5 and not only
the whole Christian world, but all who belie*e in a 4uture state, must per4orce
admit it5 4or e*en those who hold that most unsatis4actory doctrine, that there will
be neither memory nor consciousness till a second incorporation taes place, will
not deny that the mind, howe*er in a state o4 abeyance and unable to mani4est
itsel4, must still subsist, as an inherent property o4 man's immortal part$ :*en i4,
as some philosophers belie*e, the spirit, when 4reed 4rom the body by death,
returns to the -eity and is re"absorbed in the bein/ o4 6od, not to become a/ain
a separate entity until re"incorporated, still, what we call mind cannot be disunited
4rom it$ 0nd when once we ha*e be/un to concei*e o4 mind, and consequently o4
perception, as separated 4rom and independent o4 bodily or/ans, it will not be
*ery di44icult to apprehend that those bodily or/ans must circumscribe and limit
the *iew o4 the spiritual in"dweller, which must otherwise be necessarily
percepti*e o4 spirit lie itsel4, thou/h perhaps unpercepti*e o4 material ob8ects
and obstructions$
"It is per4ectly e*ident to me," said )ocrates, in his last moments, "that, to see
clearly, we must detach oursel*es 4rom the body, and percei*e by the soul alone$
&ot whilst we li*e, but when we die, will that wisdom which we desire and lo*e,
be 4irst re*ealed to us5 it must be then, or ne*er, that we shall attain to true
understandin/ and nowled/e5 since by means o4 the body we ne*er can$ 9ut i4,
durin/ li4e, we would mae the nearest approaches possible to its possession, it
must be by di*orcin/ oursel*es as much as in us lies 4rom the 4lesh and its
nature$" In their spiritual *iews and apprehension o4 the nature o4 man, how these
old heathens shame us!
The )criptures teach us that 6od chose to re*eal himsel4 to his people chie4ly in
dreams, and we are entitled to conclude that the reason o4 this was, that the spirit
was then more 4ree to the reception o4 spiritual in4luences and impressions5 and
the class o4 dreams to which I ne7t proceed, seem to be best e7plained by this
hypothesis$ It is also to be remared, that the awe or 4ear which per*ades a
mortal at the mere conception o4 bein/ brou/ht into relation with a spirit, has no
place in sleep, whether natural or ma/netic$ There is no 4ear then, no surprise5
we seem to meet on an equality " is it not that we meet spirit to spirit< Is it not
that our spirit bein/ then released 4rom the trammels the dar chamber o4 the
4lesh, it does en8oy a temporary equality< " is not that true, that some 6erman
psycholo/ist has said, "-he magnetic man is a spirit7"
There are numerous instances to be met with, o4 persons recei*in/ in4ormation in
their sleep, which either is, or seems to be, communicated by their departed
4riends$ The approach o4 dan/er, the period o4 the sleeper's death, or o4 that o4
some persons belo*ed, has been 4requently made nown in this 4orm o4 dream$
-r$ 9inns quotes, 4rom Cardanus, the case o4 Dohannes (aria (aurosenus, a
Venetian senator, who, whilst 6o*ernor o4 -almatia, saw in a dream one o4 his
brothers, to whom he was much attached5 the brother embraced him and bade
him 4arewell, because he was /oin/ into the other world5 (aurosenus ha*in/
4ollowed him a lon/ way weepin/, awoe in tears and e7pressed much an7iety
respectin/ this brother$ )hortly a4terwards he recei*ed tidin/s 4rom Venice, that
this -omatus, o4 whom he had dreamt, had died on the ni/ht and at the hour o4
the dream, o4 a pestilental 4e*er, which had carried him o44 in three days$
@n the ni/ht o4 the 21st o4 Dune, in the year 1+1=, a lady residin/ in the north o4
:n/land, dreamt that her brother, who was then with his re/iment in )pain,
appeared to her sayin/, "(ary, I die this day at Vittoria$"
Vittoria was a town which, pre*ious to the 4amous battle, was not /enerally
nown e*en by name, in this country, and this dreamer, amon/st others, had
ne*er heard o4 it5 but, on risin/, she ea/erly resorted to a 6aBetteer 4or the
purpose o4 ascertainin/ i4 such a place e7isted$ @n 4indin/ that it was so, she
immediately ordered her horses, and dro*e to the house o4 a sister, who resided
some ei/ht or nine miles o44, and her 4irst words on enterin/ the room were,
"#a*e you heard anythin/ o4 Dohn<" "&o," replied the second sister, "but I now
he is dead! #e appeared to me last ni/ht, in a dream, and told me that he was
illed at Vittoria$ I ha*e been looin/ into the 6aBetteer and the 0tlas, and I 4ind
there is such a place, and I am sure that he is dead!" 0nd so it pro*ed5 the youn/
man died that day at Vittoria, and, I belie*e, on the 4ield o4 battle$ I4 so, it is worthy
o4 obser*ation, that the communication was not made till the sisters slept$
0 similar case to this, is that o4 (iss -$, o4 6$, who, one ni/ht, dreamt that she
was walin/ about the washin/ /reens, when a 4i/ure approached, which she
reco/niBed as that o4 a belo*ed brother, who was at that time with the 9ritish
army, in 0merica$ It /radually 4aded away into a ind o4 anatomy, holdin/ up its
hands, throu/h which the li/ht could be percei*ed, and asin/ 4or clothes to
dress a body 4or the /ra*e$ The dream recurred more than once in the same
ni/ht, and, apprehendin/ some mis4ortune, (iss -$ noted down the date o4 the
occurrence$ In due course o4 post, the news arri*ed that this brother had been
illed at the battle o4 9uner's #ill$ (iss -$, who died only within the last 4ew
years, thou/h unwillin/ to spea o4 the circumstance, ne*er re4used to testi4y to it
as a 4act$
#ere, supposin/ this to be a real apparition, we see an instance o4 that desire 4or
decent obsequies so constantly attributed by the ancients to the souls o4 the
dead$
.hen the 6erman poet, Collin, died at Vienna, a person named #artmann, who
was his 4riend, 4ound himsel4 *ery much distressed by the loss o4 a hundred and
twenty 4lorins, which he had paid 4or the poet, under a promise o4 reimbursement$
0s this sum 4ormed a lar/e portion o4 his whole possessions, the circumstance
was occasionin/ him considerable an7iety, when he dreamt, one ni/ht, that his
deceased 4riend appeared to him, and bade him immediately set two 4lorins on
&o$ 11, on the 4irst callin/ o4 the little lottery, or loto, then about to be drawn$ #e
was bade to con4ine his *enture to two 4lorins, neither less nor more5 and to
communicate this in4ormation to nobody$ #artmann a*ailed himsel4 o4 the hint,
and obtained a priBe o4 a hundred and thirty 4lorins$
)ince we loo upon lotteries, in this country, as an immoral species o4 /amblin/,
it may be raised as an ob8ection to this dream, that such intelli/ence was an
unworthy mission 4or a spirit, supposin/ the communication to ha*e been actually
made by Collin$ 9ut, in the 4irst place, we ha*e only to do with 4acts, and not with
their propriety, or impropriety, accordin/ to our notions5 and, by and by, I shall
endea*our to show, that such discrepancies possibly arise 4rom the *ery
erroneous notions commonly entertained o4 the state o4 those who ha*e
disappeared 4rom the terrestrial li4e$
)imonides, the poet, arri*in/ at the seashore with the intention o4 embarin/ on
board a *essel on the ensuin/ day, 4ound an unburied body, which he
immediately desired should be decently interred$ @n the same ni/ht, this
deceased person appeared to him and bade him by no means /o to sea, as he
had proposed$ )imonides obeyed the in8unction, and beheld the *essel 4ounder,
as he stood on the shore$ #e raised a monument on the spot to the memory o4
his preser*er, which is said still to e7ist, on which are en/ra*en some lines to the
e44ect, that it was dedicated by )imonides, the poet o4 Cheos, in /ratitude to the
dead who had preser*ed him 4rom death$
0 much esteemed secretary died a 4ew years since, in the house o4 (r$ ?$ *on &$
0bout ei/ht wees a4terwards, (r$ ?$ himsel4 bein/ ill, his dau/hter dreamt that
the house"bell ran/5 and that on looin/ out, she percei*ed the secretary at the
door$ #a*in/ admitted him and enquired what he was come 4or, he answered, "to
4etch somebody$" Cpon which, alarmed 4or her 4ather, she e7claimed, "I hope not
my 4ather$" #e shoo his head solemnly, in a manner that implied it was not the
old man he had come 4or, and turned away towards a /uest chamber, at that
time *acant, and there disappeared at the door$ The 4ather reco*ered, and the
lady le4t home 4or a 4ew days, on a *isit5 on her return, she 4ound her brother had
arri*ed in the inter*al to pay a *isit to his parents, and was lyin/ sic in that room,
where he died$
I will here mention a curious circumstance, re/ardin/ (r$ #$, the /entleman
alluded to in a 4ormer pa/e, who, bein/ at the sea"side, saw, in a dream, the
dan/er that awaited his son when he went to bathe$ This /entleman has
4requently, on wain/, 4elt a consciousness that he had been con*ersin/ with
certain persons o4 his acquaintance " and, indeed, with some o4 whom he new
little " and has a4terwards, not without a 4eelin/ o4 awe, learnt that these persons
had died durin/ the hours o4 his sleep$
-o not such circumstances entitle us to entertain the idea that I ha*e abo*e
su//ested, namely, that in sleep the spirit is 4ree to see and to now, and to
communicate with spirit, althou/h the memory o4 this nowled/e is rarely carried
into the wain/ state$
The story o4 the two 0rcadians, who tra*eled to/ether to (e/ara, thou/h
reprinted in other wors, I cannot omit here$ @ne o4 these established himsel4, on
the ni/ht o4 their arri*al, at the house o4 a 4riend, whilst the other sou/ht shelter in
a public lod/in/"house 4or stran/ers$ -urin/ the ni/ht, the latter appeared to the
4ormer, in a dream, and besou/ht him to come to his assistance, as his *illainous
host was about to tae his li4e, and only the most speedy aid could sa*e him$ The
dreamer started 4rom his sleep, and his 4irst mo*ement was to obey the
summons, but, re4lectin/ that it was only a dream, he presently lay down, and
composed himsel4 a/ain to rest$ 9ut now his 4riend appeared be4ore him a
second time, dis4i/ured by blood and wounds, con8urin/ him, since he had not
listened to his 4irst entreaties, that he would, at least, a*en/e his death$ #is host,
he said, had murdered him, and was, at that moment, depositin/ his body in a
dun/"cart, 4or the purpose o4 con*eyin/ it out o4 the town$ The dreamer was
thorou/hly alarmed, arose, and hastened to the /ates o4 the city, where he
4ound, waitin/ to pass out, e7actly such a *ehicle as his 4riend had described$ 0
search bein/ instituted, the body was 4ound underneath the manure5 and the host
was, consequently, seiBed, and deli*ered o*er to the chastisement o4 the law$
".ho shall *enture to assert," says -r$ :nnemoser, ''that this communin/ with
the dead in sleep is merely a sub8ecti*e phenomenon, and that the presence o4
these apparitions is a pure illusion<"
0 circumstance 4ully as remarable as any recorded, occurred at @dessa, in the
year 1+,2$ 0n old blind man, named (ichel, had 4or many years, been
accustomed to /et his li*in/ by seatin/ himsel4 e*ery mornin/, on a beam, in one
o4 the timber yards, with a wooden bowl at his 4eet, into which the passen/ers
cast their alms$ This lon/ continued practice had made him well nown to the
inhabitants, and as he was belie*ed to ha*e been 4ormerly a soldier, his
blindness was attributed to the numerous wounds he had recei*ed in battle$ 3or
his own part, he spoe little, and ne*er contradicted this opinion$
@ne ni/ht, (ichel, by some accident, 4ell in with a little /irl, o4 ten years old,
named 1owlesa, who was 4riendless, and on the *er/e o4 perishin/ with cold
and hun/er$ The old man too her home, and adopted her5 and, 4rom that time,
instead o4 sittin/ in the timber yards, he went about the streets in her company,
asin/ alms at the doors o4 the houses$ The child called him father, and they
were e7tremely happy to/ether$ 9ut when they had pursued this mode o4 li4e 4or
about 4i*e years, a mis4ortune be4ell them$ 0 the4t ha*in/ been committed in a
house which they had *isited in the mornin/, 1owlesa was suspected and
arrested, and the blind man was le4t once more alone$ 9ut, instead o4 resumin/
his 4ormer habits, he now disappeared alto/ether, and this circumstance causin/
the suspicion to e7tend to him, the /irl was brou/ht be4ore the ma/istrate to be
interro/ated with re/ard to his probable place o4 concealment$
"-o you now where (ichel is<" enquired the ma/istrate$
"#e is dead!" replied she, sheddin/ a torrent o4 tears$
0s the /irl had been shut up 4or three days, without any means o4 obtainin/
in4ormation 4rom without, this answer, to/ether with her un4ei/ned distress,
naturally e7cited considerable surprise$
".ho told you he was dead<" they enquired$
"&obody!"
"Then how can you now it<"
"I saw him illed!"
"9ut you ha*e not been out o4 the prison<"
"9ut I saw it, ne*ertheless!"
"9ut how was that possible< :7plain what you mean!"
"I cannot$ 0ll I can say is, that I saw him illed$"
".hen was he illed, and how<"
"It was the ni/ht I was arrested$"
"That cannot be5 he was ali*e when you were seiBed!"
"Hes, he was5 he was illed an hour a4ter that$ They stabbed him with a ni4e$"
".here were you then<"
"I can't tell5 but I saw it$"
The con4idence with which the /irl asserted what seemed to her hearers
impossible and absurd, disposed them to ima/ine that she was either really
insane, or pretendin/ to be so5 so lea*in/ (ichel aside, they proceeded to
interro/ate her about the robbery, asin/ her i4 she was /uilty$
"@h, no!" she answered$
"Then how came the property to be 4ound about you<"
"I don't nowA I saw nothin/ but the murder$"
"9ut there are no /rounds 4or supposin/ (ichel is dead5 his body has not been
4ound$"
"It is in the aqueduct$"
"0nd do you now who slew him<"
"Hes5 it is a woman$ (ichel was walin/ *ery slowly, a4ter I was taen 4rom him$
0 woman came behind him with a lar/e itchen"ni4e5 but he heard her, and
turned round5 and then the woman 4lun/ a piece o4 /rey stu44 o*er his head, and
struc him repeatedly with the ni4e, the /rey stu44 was much stained with the
blood$ (ichel 4ell at the ei/hth blow, and the woman dra//ed the body to the
aqueduct and let it 4all in without e*er li4tin/ the stu44 which stuc to his 4ace$"
0s it was easy to *eri4y these latter assertions, they dispatched people to the
spot, and there the body was 4ound with the piece o4 stu44 o*er his head, e7actly
as she had described$ 9ut when they ased her how she new all this, she could
only answer "I don't now$"
"9ut you now who illed him<"
"&ot e7actlyA it is the same woman that put out his eyes5 but, perhaps, he will tell
me her name toni/ht, and i4 he does, I will tell it to you$"
".ho do you mean by he<"
".hy, (ichel, to be sure!"
-urin/ the whole o4 the 4ollowin/ ni/ht, without allowin/ her to suspect their
intention, they watched her5 and it was obser*ed that she ne*er lay down, but sat
upon the bed in a sort o4 lethar/ic slumber$ #er body was quite motionless,
e7cept at inter*als, when this repose was interrupted by *iolent ner*ous shocs,
which per*aded her whole 4rame$ @n the ensuin/ day, the moment she was
brou/ht be4ore the 8ud/e, she declared that she was now able to tell them the
name o4 the assassin$
"9ut stay," said the ma/istrate5 "did (ichel ne*er tell you, when he was ali*e,
how he lost his si/ht<"
"&o5 but the mornin/ be4ore I was arrested, he promised me to do so5 and that
was the cause o4 his death$"
"#ow could that be<"
"%ast ni/ht (ichel came to me, and he pointed to the man hidden behind the
sca44oldin/ on which he and I had been sittin/$ #e showed me the man listenin/
to us, when he said, 'I'll tell you all about that toni/ht5' and then the man """ "
"-o you now the name o4 this man<"
"It is Luc%5 he went a4terwards to a broad street that leads down to the harbour,
and he entered the third house on the ri/ht "
".hat is the name o4 the street<"
"I don't nowA but the house is one story lower than the ad8oinin/ ones$ %uc told
Catherine what he had heard, and she proposed to him to assassinate (ichel5
but he re4used, sayin/, 'it was bad enou/h to ha*e burnt out his eyes 4i4teen
years be4ore, whilst he was asleep at your door, and to ha*e idnapped him into
the country$' Then I went in to as charity, and Catherine put a piece o4 plate into
my pocet, that I mi/ht be arrestedA then she hid hersel4 behind the aqueduct to
wait 4or (ichel, and she illed him$"
"9ut, since you say all this, why did you eep the plate< why didn't you /i*e
in4ormation<"
"9ut I didn't see it then$ (ichel showed it me last ni/ht$"
"9ut what should induce Catherine to do this<"
"(ichel was her husband, and she had 4orsaen him to come to @dessa and
marry a/ain$ @ne ni/ht, 4i4teen years a/o, she saw (ichel, who had come to
see her$ )he slipped hastily into her house, and (ichel, who thou/ht she had
not seen him, lay down at her door to watch5 but he 4ell asleep, and then %uc
burnt out his eyes, and carried him to a distance$"
"0nd is it (ichel who has told you this<"
"HesA he came, *ery pale and co*ered with blood5 and he too me by the hand
and showed me all this with his 4in/ers$"
Cpon this, %uc and Catherine were arrested5 and it was ascertained that she
had actually been married to (ichel in the year 1+1F, at ;herson$ They at 4irst
denied the accusation, but 1owlesa insisted, and they subsequently con4essed
the crime$ .hen they communicated the circumstances o4 the con4ession to
1owlesa, she said, "I was told it last ni/ht$"
This a44air naturally e7cited /reat interest, and people all round the
nei/hbourhood hastened into the city to learn the sentence$
""""""""
*hapter 2+ ( Dou#le Dreaming and -rance
0mon/st the phenomena o4 the dream"li4e which we ha*e to consider, that o4
double dreamin/ 4orms a *ery curious department$ 0 somewhat natural
introduction to this sub8ect may be 4ound in the cases abo*e recorded o4
1ro4essor #erder and (r$ )$ o4 :dinbur/h, who appear in their sleep to ha*e
recei*ed so li*ely an impression o4 those earnest wishes o4 their dyin/ 4riends to
see them, that they 4ound themsel*es irresistably impelled to obey the spiritual
summons$ These two cases occurred to men en/a/ed in acti*e daily li4e, and in
normal physical conditions, on which account I particularly re4er to them here,
althou/h many similar ones mi/ht be adduced$
.ith respect to this sub8ect o4 double"dreamin/, -r$ :nnemoser thins that it is
not so di44icult to e7plain as mi/ht appear on a 4irst *iew, since he considers that
there e7ists an indisputable sympathy betwi7t certain or/anisms, especially
where connected by relationship, or by a44ection, which may be su44icient to
account 4or the super*ention o4 simultaneous thou/hts, dreams, or
presentiments5 and I ha*e met with some cases where the ma/netiser and his
patient ha*e been the sub8ects o4 this phenomenon$ .ith respect to the power
asserted to ha*e been 4requently e7ercised by causin/ or su//estin/ dreams by
an operator at a distance 4rom the sleeper, -r$ :$ considers the two parties to
stand in a positi*e and ne/ati*e relation to each other5 the anta/onistic power o4
the sleeper bein/ L I, he becomes a per4ectly passi*e recipient o4 the in4luence
e7erted by his positi*e hal4, i4 I may use the e7pression5 4or, where such a polarity
is established, the two bein/s seem to be almost blended into one5 whilst -r$
1assa*ent obser*es, that we cannot pronounce what may be the limits o4 the
ner*ous 4orce, which certainly is not bounded by the termination o4 its material
conductors$
I ha*e yet mysel4 met with no instance o4 dream compellin/ by a person at a
distance5 but -r$ :nnemoser, says, that 0/rippa *on &ettesheim asserts that this
can assuredly be done, and also that the 0bbot Trithemius, and others,
possessed the power$ In modern times, .esermaun, in -usseldor4, pretended to
the same 4aculty, and a44irms that he had 4requently e7ercised it$
0ll such phenomena, -r$ 1assa*ent attributes to the interaction o4 imponderables
or o4 one uni*ersal imponderable under di44erent mani4estations which acts not
only within the or/anism, but beyond it, independently o4 all material obstacles5
8ust as a sympathy appears betwi7t one or/an and another, unobstructed by the
inter*enin/ ones5 and he instances the sympathy which e7ists betwi7t the mother
and the 4oetus, as an e7ample o4 this sort o4 double li4e, and standin/ as midway
betwi7t the sympathy between two or/ans in the same body and that between
two separate bodies5 each ha*in/ its own li4e, and its li4e also in and 4or another,
as parts o4 one whole$ The sympathy betwi7t a bird and the e//s it sits upon is o4
the same ind5 many instances ha*in/ been obser*ed, wherein e//s taen 4rom
one bird and placed under another, ha*e produced a brood 4eathered lie the
4oster, instead o4 the real parent$
Thus, this *ital 4orce may e7tend dynamically the circle o4 its in4luence, till, under
4a*ourable circumstances, it may act on other or/anisms main/ their or/ans its
own$
I need scarcely remind my leaders o4 the e7traordinary sympathies mani4ested by
the )iamese twins Chan/ and :n/$ I ne*er saw them mysel45 and, 4or the bene4it
o4 others in the same situation, I quote the 4ollowin/ particulars 4rom -r$
1assa*entA "They were united by a membrane which e7tended 4rom the breast"
bone to the na*el5 but, in other respects, were not di44erent 4rom their countrymen
in /eneral$ They were e7ceedin/ly alie, only that :n/ was rather the most
robust o4 the two$ Their pulsations were not always coincident$ They were acti*e
and a/ile, and 4ond o4 bodily e7ercises5 their intellects were well"de*eloped, and
their tones o4 *oice and accent were precisely the same$ 0s they ne*er
con*ersed to/ether, they had nearly 4or/otten their nati*e ton/ue$ I4 one was
addressed, they both answered$ They played some /ames o4 sill, but ne*er with
each other5 as that, they said, would ha*e been lie the ri/ht hand playin/ with
the le4t$ They read the same boo at the same time, and san/ to/ether in unison$
In 0merica they had a 4e*er, which ran precisely a similar course with each$ Their
hun/er, thirst, sleepin/ and wain/, were always coincident5 and their tastes and
inclinations were identical$ Their mo*ements were so simultaneous that it was
impossible to distin/uish with which the impulse had ori/inated5 they appeared to
ha*e but one will$ The idea o4 bein/ separated by an operation was abhorrent to
them5 and they consider themsel*es much happier in their duality than are the
indi*iduals who loo upon them with pity$
This admirable sympathy, althou/h necessarily in an in4erior de/ree, is /enerally
mani4ested, more or less, betwi7t all persons twin born$ -r$ 1assa*ent, and other
authorities, mention se*eral instances o4 this ind, in which, althou/h at some
distance 4rom each other, the same malady appeared simultaneously in both,
and ran precisely a similar course$ 0 *ery a44ectin/ instance o4 this sort o4
sympathy was e7hibited, not *ery lon/ a/o, by a youn/ lady, twin"born, who was
suddenly seiBed with an unaccountable horror, 4ollowed by a stran/e con*ulsion,
which the doctor, who was hastily called in, said, e7actly resembled the stru//les
and su44erin/s o4 a person drownin/$ In process o4 time, the news arri*ed that her
twin brother, then abroad, had been drowned precisely at that period$
It is, probably, a lin o4 the same ind, that is established betwi7t the ma/netiser
and his patient, o4 which, besides those recorded in *arious wors on the sub8ect,
some curious instances ha*e come to my nowled/e, such as uncontrollable
impulses to /o to sleep, or to per4orm certain actions, in subser*ience to the will
o4 the distant operator$ (r$ .$ .$, a /entleman well nown in the north o4
:n/land, related to me, that he had been cured, by ma/netism, o4 a *ery
distressin/ malady$ -urin/ part o4 the process o4 cure, a4ter the rapport had been
well established, the operations were carried on whilst he was at (al*ern, and
his ma/netiser at Cheltenham, under which circumstances the e7istence o4 this
e7traordinary dependence was 4requently e7hibited in a manner that le4t no
possibility o4 doubt$ @n one occasion, I remember, that (r$ .$ .$ bein/ in the
ma/netic sleep, he suddenly started 4rom his seat, claspin/ his hands as i4
startled, and, presently a4terwards, burst into a *iolent 4it o4 lau/hter$ 0s, on
wain/, he could /i*e no account o4 these impulses, his 4amily wrote to the
ma/netiser to enquire i4 he had sou/ht to e7cite any particular mani4estations in
his patient, as the sleep had been somewhat disturbed$ The answer was, that no
such intention had been entertained, but that the disturbance mi/ht possibly ha*e
arisen 4rom one to which he had himsel4 been sub8ected$ ".hilst my mind was
concentrated on you," said he, "I was suddenly so much startled by a *iolent
noc at the door, that I actually 8umped o44 my seat, claspin/ my hands with
a44ri/ht$ I had a hearty lau/h at my own 4olly, but am sorry i4 you were made
uncom4ortable by it$"
I ha*e met with some accounts o4 a sympathy o4 this ind e7istin/ betwi7t youn/
children and their parents, so that the 4ormer ha*e e7hibited /reat distress and
terror at the moment that death or dan/er ha*e super*ened to the latter5 but it
would require a /reat number o4 instances to establish this particular 4act, and
separate it 4rom cases o4 accidental coincidence$ -r$ 1assa*ent, howe*er, admits
the phenomena$
I shall return to these mysterious in4luences by and by5 but to re*ert, in the
meanwhile, to the sub8ect o4 double dreams, I will relate one that occurred to two
ladies, a mother and dau/hter, the latter o4 whom related it to me$ They were
sleepin/ in the same bed at Cheltenham, when the mother, (rs$ C$, dreamt that
her brother"in"law, then in Ireland, had sent 4or her5 that she entered his room,
and saw him in bed, apparently dyin/$ #e requested her to iss him, but, owin/
to his li*id appearance, she shran 4rom doin/ so, and awoe with the horror o4
the scene upon her$ The dau/hter awoe at the same moment, sayin/, "@h, I
ha*e had such a 4ri/ht4ul dream!" "@h, so ha*e!" returned the mother5 "I ha*e
been dreamin/ o4 my brother"in"law!" "(y dream was about him, too," added
(iss C$ "I thou/ht I was sittin/ in the drawin/"room, and that he came in wearin/
a shroud, trimmed with blac ribbons, and, approachin/ me, he said, '(y dear
niece, your mother has re4used to iss me, but I am sure you will not be so
unind!'"
0s these ladies were not in habits o4 re/ular correspondence with their relati*e,
they new that the earliest intelli/ence liely to reach them, i4 he were actually
dead, would be by means o4 the Irish papers5 and they waited an7iously 4or the
4ollowin/ .ednesday, which was the day these 8ournals were recei*ed in
Cheltenham$ .hen that mornin/ arri*ed, (iss C$ hastened at an early hour to
the readin/"room, and there she learnt what the dreams had led them to e7pectA
their 4riend was dead5 and they a4terwards ascertained that his decease had
taen place on that ni/ht$ They moreo*er obser*ed, that neither one or the other
o4 them had been speain/ or thinin/ o4 this /entleman 4or some time pre*ious
to the occurrence o4 the dreams5 nor had they any reason whate*er 4or
uneasiness with re/ard to him$ It is a remarable peculiarity in this case, that the
dream o4 the dau/hter appears to be a continuation o4 that o4 the mother$ In the
one, he is seen ali*e5 in the other, the shroud and blac ribbons seem to indicate
that he is dead5 and he complains o4 the re4usal to /i*e him a 4arewell iss$
@ne is almost ine*itably led here to the conclusion that the thou/hts and wishes
o4 the dyin/ man wore in4luencin/ the sleepers5 or, that the released spirit was
ho*erin/ near them$
1omponius (ela relates, that a certain people in the interior o4 04rica lay
themsel*es down to sleep on the /ra*es o4 their 4ore4athers, and belie*e the
dreams that ensue to be the unerrin/ counsel o4 the dead$
The 4ollowin/ dream, 4rom )t$ 0ustin, is quoted by -r$ 9innsA "1raestantius
desired, 4rom a certain philosopher, the solution o4 a doubt, which the latter
re4used to /i*e him5 but in the 4ollowin/ ni/ht, the philosopher appeared at his
bedside and told him what he desired to now$ @n bein/ ased, the ne7t day,
why he had chosen that hour 4or his *isit, he answered, 'I came not to you truly,
but in my dream I appeared to you to do so$' In this case, howe*er, only one o4
the parties seems to ha*e been asleep5 4or 1raestautius says that he was awae5
and it is, perhaps, rather an e7ample o4 another ind o4 phenomena, similar to
the instance recorded o4 himsel4 by the late Doseph .ilins, a dissentin/ minister5
who says, that bein/ one ni/ht asleep, he dreamed that he was tra*elin/ to
%ondon, and that as it would not be much out o4 his way, he would /o by
6loucestershire and call upon his 4riends$ 0ccordin/ly he arri*ed at his 4ather's
house, but 4indin/ the 4ront door closed, he went round to the bac, and there
entered$ The 4amily, howe*er, bein/ already in bed, he ascended the stairs, and
entered his 4ather's bed"chamber$ #im he 4ound asleep5 but to his mother, who
was awae, he said, as he waled round to her side o4 the bed, '(other, I am
/oin/ a lon/ 8ourney, and am come to bid you /ood bye5' to which she answered,
'@h, dear son, thee art dead!' Thou/h struc with the distinctness o4 the dream,
(r$ .ilins attached no importance to it, till, to his surprise, a letter arri*ed 4rom
his 4ather, addressed to himsel4, i4 ali*e5 or, i4 not, to his sur*i*in/ 4riends,
be//in/ earnestly 4or immediate intelli/ence5 since they were under /reat
apprehensions that their son was either dead or in dan/er o4 death5 4or that on
such a ni/ht Enamin/ that on which the abo*e dream had occurredG, he, the
4ather bein/ asleep and (rs$ .$ awae, she had distinctly heard somebody try to
open the 4ore door, which bein/ 4ast, the person had /one round to the bac and
there entered$ )he had per4ectly reco/nised the 4ootstep to be that o4 her son,
who had ascended the stairs, and enterin/ the bed"chamber had said to her,
'(other, I am /oin/ a lon/ 8ourney, and am come to bid you /ood bye5'
whereupon, she had answered, '@h, dear son, thee art dead!' (uch alarmed, she
had awaened her husband and related what had occurred, assurin/ him that it
was not a dream, 4or that she had not been asleep at all$ (r$ .$ mentions that
this curious circumstance too place in the year 1'K,, when he was li*in/ at
@ttery5 and that he had 4requently discussed the sub8ect with his mother, on
whom the impression made was e*en stron/er than on himsel4$ &either death,
nor anythin/ else remarable ensued$"
0 somewhat similar instance to this, which I also quote 4rom -r$ 9inns, is that o4
a /entleman who dreamt that he was pushin/ *iolently a/ainst the door o4 a
certain room in a house with which he was well acquainted, whilst the people in
that room were, at the same time, actually alarmed by a *iolent pushin/ a/ainst
the door, which it required their utmost 4orce e44ectually to resist$ 0s soon as the
attempt to burst open the door had ceased, the house was searched5 but nothin/
disco*ered to account 4or the disturbance$
These e7amples are e7tremely curious5 and they conduct us by a natural
transition to another department o4 this mysterious sub8ect$
There must be 4ew persons who ha*e not heard amon/st their 4riends and
acquaintance instances o4 what is called a 0raith " that is, that in the moment o4
death, a person is seen in a place where #odily he is not$ I belie*e the )cotch
use this term also in the same sense as the Irish word /etch5 which is a person's
double seen at some inde4inite period pre*ious to his death, o4 which such an
appearance is /enerally supposed to be a pro/nostic$ The 6ermans e7press the
same thin/ by the word -oppel/an/er$
.ith respect to the appearance o4 wraiths, at the moment o4 death, the instances
to be met with are so numerous and well authenticated, that I /enerally 4ind the
most sceptical people unable to deny that some such phenomenon e7ists,
althou/h they e*ade, without, I thin, diminishin/ the di44iculty, by pronouncin/ it
to be o4 a sub8ecti*e, and not o4 an ob8ecti*e, nature5 that is, that the ima/e o4 the
dyin/ person is, by some unnown operation, presented to the ima/ination o4 the
seer, without the e7istence o4 any real outstandin/ 4i/ure, 4rom which it is
re4lected5 which reduces such instances so nearly to the class o4 mere sensuous
illusion, that it seems di44icult to draw the distinction$ The distinction these
theorists wish to imply, howe*er, is, that the latter are purely sub8ecti*e and sel4"
ori/inatin/, whilst the others ha*e an e7ternal cause, althou/h not an e7ternal
*isible ob8ect the ima/e seen bein/ protruded by the ima/ination o4 the seer, in
consequence o4 an unconscious intuition o4 the death o4 the person whose wraith
is percei*ed$
Instances o4 this ind o4 phenomenon ha*e been common in all a/es o4 the
world, insomuch that %ucretius, who did not belie*e in the immortality o4 the soul,
and was yet unable to deny the 4acts, su//ested the stran/e theory that the
super4icial sur4aces o4 all bodies were continually 4lyin/ o44, lie the coats o4 an
onion, which accounted 4or the appearance o4 wraiths, /hosts, doubles5 and a
more modern author, 6a44arillus, su//ests that corruptin/ bodies send 4orth
*apours, which, bein/ compressed by the cold ni/ht air, appear *isible to the eye
in the 4orms o4 men$
It will not be out o4 place, here, to mention the circumstance recorded in
1ro4essor 6re/ory's 0bstract o4 9aron Von ?eichenbach's 8esearches in
5agnetism, re/ardin/ a person called 9illin/, who acted in the capacity o4
amanuensis to the blind poet 1ie44el, at Colmar$ #a*in/ treated o4 *arious
e7periments, by which it was ascertained that certain sensiti*e persons were not
only able to detect electric in4luences o4 which others were unconscious, but
could also percei*e, emanatin/ 4rom the wires and ma/nets, 4lames which were
in*isible to people in /eneral5 "the 9aron," accordin/ to -r$ 6re/ory, "proceeded
to a use4ul application o4 the results, which is, says he, so much the more
welcome, as it utterly eradicates one o4 the chie4 4oundations o4 superstition, that
worst enemy to the de*elopment o4 human enli/htenment and liberty$ 0 sin/ular
occurrence, which too place at Colmar, in the /arden o4 the poet 14e44el, has
been made /enerally nown by *arious writin/s$ The 4ollowin/ are the essential
4acts$ The poet, bein/ blind, had employed a youn/ cler/yman, o4 the e*an/elical
church, as amanuensis$ 14e44el, when he waled out, was supported and led by
this youn/ man, whose name was 9illin/$ 0s they waled in the /arden, at some
distance 4rom the town, 14e44el obser*ed, that, as o4ten as they passed o*er a
particular spot, the arm o4 9illin/ trembled, and he betrayed uneasiness$ @n
bein/ questioned, the youn/ man reluctantly con4essed that, as o4ten as he
passed o*er that spot, certain 4eelin/s attaced him, which he could not control,
and which he new well, as he always e7perienced the same, in passin/ o*er
any place where human bodies lay buried$ #e added, that, at ni/ht, when he
came near such places, he saw supernatural appearances$ 14e44el, with the *iew
o4 curin/ the youth o4 what he looed on as a 4ancy, went that ni/ht with him to
the /arden$ 0s they approached the spot in the dar, 9illin/ percei*ed a 4eeble
li/ht, and when still nearer, he saw a luminous /host"lie 4i/ure 4loatin/ o*er the
spot$ This he described as a 4emale 4orm, with one arm laid across the body, the
other han/in/ down, 4loatin/ in the upri/ht posture, but tranquil, the 4eet only a
hand"breadth or two abo*e the soil$ 14e44el went alone, as the youn/ man
declined to 4ollow him, up to the place where the 4i/ure was said to be, and struc
about in all directions with his stic, besides runnin/ actually throu/h the shadow5
but the 4i/ure was not more a44ected than a 4lame would ha*e beenA the luminous
4orm, accordin/ to 9illin/, always returned to its ori/inal position a4ter these
e7periments$ (any thin/s were tried durin/ se*eral months, and numerous
companies o4 people were brou/ht to the spot, but the matter remained the
same, and the /host seer adhered to his serious assertion, and to the opinion
4ounded on it, that some indi*idual lay buried there$ 0t last, 14e44el had the place
du/ up$ 0t a considerable depth was 4ound a 4irm layer o4 white lime, o4 the
len/th and breadth o4 a /ra*e, and o4 considerable thicness, and when this had
been broen into, there were 4ound the bones o4 a human bein/$ It was e*ident
that some one had been buried in the place, and co*ered with a thic layer o4
lime EquiclimeG, as is /enerally done in times o4 pestilence, o4 earthquaes, and
other similar e*ents$ The bones were remo*ed, the pit 4illed up, the lime mi7ed
and scattered abroad, and the sur4ace a/ain made smooth$ .hen 9illin/ was
now brou/ht bac to the place, the phenomena did not return, and the nocturnal
spirit had 4or e*er disappeared$
"It is hardly necessary to point out to the reader what *iew the author taes o4 this
story, which e7cited much attention in 6ermany, because it came 4rom the most
truth4ul man ali*e, and theolo/ians and psycholo/ists /a*e to it sundry terri4ic
meanin/s$ It ob*iously 4alls into the pro*ince o4 chemical action, and thus meets
with a simple and clear e7planation 4rom natural and physical causes$ 0 corpse is
a 4ield 4or abundant chemical chan/es, decompositions, 4ermentation,
putre4action, /asi4ication, and /eneral play o4 a44inities$ 0 stratum o4 quiclime, in
a narrow pit, unites its power4ul a44inities to those o4 the or/anic matters, and
/i*es rise to a lon/ continued worin/ o4 the whole$ ?ain"water 4ilters throu/h
and contributes to the actionA the lime on the outside o4 the mass 4irst 4alls to a
4ine powder, and a4terwards, with more water, 4orms lumps which are *ery slowly
penetrated by the air$ )laed lime prepared 4or buildin/, but not used, on account
o4 some cause connected with a warlie state o4 society some centuries since,
has been 4ound in subterraneous holes or pits, in the ruins o4 old castles5 and the
mass, e7cept on the outside, was so unaltered, that it has been used 4or modern
buildin/s$ It is e*ident, there4ore, that in such circumstances there must be a *ery
slow and lon/ continued chemical action, partly owin/ to the slow penetration o4
the mass o4 lime by the e7ternal carbonic acid, partly to the chan/es /oin/ on in
the remains o4 animal matter, at all e*ents as lon/ as any is le4t$ In the abo*e
case, this must ha*e /one on in 14e44el's /arden, and, as we now that chemical
action is in*ariably associated with li/ht, *isible to the sensiti*e, this must ha*e
been the ori/in o4 the luminous appearance, which a/ain must ha*e continued
until the mutual a44inities o4 the or/anic remains, the lime, the air, and water, had
4inally come to a state o4 chemical rest or equilibrium$ 0s soon, there4ore, as a
sensiti*e person, althou/h otherwise quite healthy, came that way, and entered
within the sphere o4 the 4orce in action, he must 4eel, by day, lie (dlle$ (ai7, the
sensations so o4ten described, and see by ni/ht, lie (dlle$ ?eichel, the luminous
appearance$ I/norance, 4ear, and superstition, would now dress up the 4eebly
shinin/ *apourous li/ht into a human 4orm, and 4urnish it with human limbs and
members5 8ust as we can at pleasure 4ancy e*ery cloud in the sy to represent a
man or a demon$
"The wish to strie a 4atal blow at the monster superstition, which, at no distant
period, poured out on :uropean society 4rom a similar source, such ine7pressible
misery, when, in trials 4or witchcra4t, not hundreds, not thousands, but hundreds
o4 thousands o4 innocent human bein/s perished miserably, either on the
sca44old, at the stae, or by the e44ects o4 torture, this desire induced the author to
try the e7periment o4 brin/in/, i4 possible, a hi/hly sensiti*e patient, by ni/ht, to a
churchyard$ It appeared possible that such a person mi/ht see, o*er /ra*es, in
which moulderin/ bodies lie, somethin/ similar to that which 9illin/ had seen$
(dlle$ ?eichel had the coura/e, rare in her se7, to /rati4y this wish o4 the author$
@n two *ery dar ni/hts she allowed hersel4 to be taen 4rom the castle o4
?eisenber/, where she was li*in/, with the author's 4amily, to the nei/hbourin/
churchyard o4 6runBin/$ The result 8usti4ied his anticipation in the most beauti4ul
manner$
)he *ery soon saw a li/ht, and obser*ed on one o4 the /ra*es, alon/ its len/th, a
delicate, breathin/ 4lameA she also saw the same thin/, only weaer, on a second
/ra*e$ 9ut she saw neither witches nor /hosts5 she described the 4iery
appearance as a shinin/ *apour, one to two spans hi/h, e7tendin/ as 4ar as the
/ra*e, and 4loatin/ near its sur4ace$ )ome time a4terwards she was taen to two
lar/e cemeteries near Vienna, where se*eral burials occur daily, and /ra*es lie
about by thousands$ #ere she saw numerous /ra*es pro*ided with similar li/hts$
.here*er she looed, she saw luminous masses scattered about$ 9ut this
appearance was most *i*id o*er the newest /ra*es, while in the oldest it could
not be percei*ed$ )he described the appearance less as a clear 4lame, than as a
dense *aporous mass o4 4ire, intermediate between 4o/ and 4lame$ @n many
/ra*es the 4lame was 4our 4eet hi/h, so that when she stood on them, it
surrounded her up to the nec$ I4 she thrust her hand into it, it was lie puttin/ it
into a dense 4iery cloud$ )he betrayed no uneasiness, because she had all her
li4e been accustomed to such emanations, and had seen the same, in the
author's e7periments, o4ten produced by natural causes$ (any /host stories will
now 4ind their natural e7planation$ .e can also see, that it was not alto/ether
erroneous, when old women declared that all had not the /ilt to see the departed
wanderin/ about their /ra*es5 4or it must ha*e always been the sensiti*e alone
who were able to percei*e the li/ht /i*en out by the chemical action /oin/ on in
the corpse$ The author has thus, he hopes, succeeded in tearin/ down one o4 the
most impenetrable barriers erected by dar i/norance and superstitious 4olly,
a/ainst the pro/ress o4 natural truth$"
"[The reader will at once apply the abo*e most remarable e7periments to the
e7planation o4 corpse"li/hts in churchyards, which were o4ten *isible to the /i4ted
alone, to those who had the second si/ht, 4or e7ample$ (any ner*ous or
hysterical 4emales must o4ten ha*e been alarmed by white, 4aintly luminous
ob8ects, in dar churchyards, to which ob8ects 4ear has /i*en a de4ined 4orm$ In
this, as well as in numerous other points, which will 4orce themsel*es on the
attention o4 the care4ul reader o4 both wors$ 9aron ?eichenbach's e7periments
illustrate the e7periences o4 the )eeress o4 1re*orst$ .$ 6$]" M
""""""""""""
M This *ery curious wor I ha*e translated 4rom the 6erman$ 1ublished by (oore,
%ondon$ " C$C$
""""""""""""
That the 4lames here described may ha*e ori/inated in chemical action, is an
opinion I ha*e no intention o4 disputin/5 the 4act may possibly be so5 such a
phenomenon has 4requently been obser*ed ho*erin/ o*er co44ins and
decomposin/ 4lesh5 but I con4ess I cannot percei*e the sli/htest /rounds 4or the
assertion that it was the i/norance, 4ear, and superstition o4 9illin/, who was an
:*an/elical cler/yman, that caused him to dress up this *aporous li/ht in a
human 4orm and supply it with members$ In the 4irst place, I see no proo4
adduced that 9illin/ was either i/norant or superstitious, nor e*en a4raid5 the
4eelin/s he complained o4, appearin/ to be rather physical than moral5 and it
must be a wea person indeed, who, in company with another, could be e7cited
to such a 4rea o4 the ima/ination$ It is easily comprehensible, that that which
appeared only a luminous *apour by day, mi/ht when re4lected on a darer
atmosphere, present a de4ined 4orm5 and the su//estion o4 this possibility mi/ht
lead to some curious speculations, with re/ard to a mystery called the
palinganesia, said to ha*e been practiced by some o4 the chemists and
alchemists o4 the si7teenth century$
6a44arillus, in his boo, entitled "*uriosities +nouies" published in 1>KI, when
speain/ on the sub8ect o4 talismans, si/natures, etc$, obser*es, that since in
many instances the plants used 4or these purposes were reduced to ashes, and
no lon/er retained their 4orm, their e44icacy which depended on their 4i/ure should
ine*itably be destroyed5 but this, he says, is not the case, since, by an admirable
potency e7istin/ in nature, the 4orm, thou/h in*isible, is still retained in the ashes$
This, he obser*es, may appear stran/e to those who ha*e ne*er attended to the
sub8ect5 but he asserts that an account o4 the e7periment will be 4ound in the
wors o4 (r$ -u Chesne, one o4 the best chemists o4 the period, who had been
shown, by a 1olish physician, at Cracow, certain phials containin/ ashes, which,
when duly heated, e7hibited the 4orms o4 *arious plants$ 0 small obscure cloud
was 4irst obser*ed, which /radually too on a de4ined 4orm, and presented to the
eye a rose, or whate*er plant or 4lower the ashes consisted o4$ (r$ -u Chesne,
howe*er, had ne*er been able to repeat the e7periment, thou/h he had made
se*eral unsuccess4ul attempts to do so5 but at len/th he succeeded, by accident,
in the 4ollowin/ mannerA #a*in/ 4or some purpose e7tracted the salts 4rom some
burnt nettles, and ha*in/ le4t them lie outside the house, all ni/ht, to cool, in the
mornin/ he 4ound it 4roBen5 and, to his surprise, the 4orm and 4i/ure o4 the nettles
were so e7actly represented on the ice, that the li*in/ plant could not be more
per4ect$ -eli/hted at this disco*ery, he summoned (r$ -e %uynes, parliamentary
councilor, to behold this curiosity5 4rom whence, he says, they both concluded,
that when a body dies, its 4orm or 4i/ure still resides in its ashes$
;ircher, Vallemont, -i/by, and others, are said to ha*e practiced this art o4
resuscitatin/ the 4orms o4 plants 4rom their ashes5 and at the meetin/ o4
naturalists at )tutt/ard, in 1+=,, a )wiss sa*ant seems to ha*e re*i*ed the
sub8ect, and /i*en a receipt 4or the e7periment e7tracted 4rom a wor by
@etin/er, called "Thou/hts on the 9irth and 6eneration o4 Thin/s$" "The earthly
hus," says @etin/er, "remains in the retort, whilst the *olatile essence ascends,
lie a spirit, per4ect in 4orm, but *oid o4 substance$"
9ut @etin/er also records another disco*ery o4 this description, which, he says,
he 4ell upon unawares$ 0 woman ha*in/ brou/ht him a lar/e bunch o4 balm, he
laid it under the tiles, which were yet warm with the summer's heat, where it dried
in the shade$ 9ut, it bein/ in the month o4 )eptember, the cold soon came, and
contracted the lea*es, without e7pellin/ the *olatile salts$ They lay there till the
4ollowin/ Dune, when he chopped up the balm, put it into a /lass retort, poured
rain water upon it, and placed a recei*er abo*e$ #e a4terwards heated it till the
water boiled, and then increased the heat5 whereupon there appeared, on the
water, a coat o4 yellow oil, about the thicness o4 the bac o4 a ni4e, and this oil
shaped itsel4 into the 4orms o4 innumerable balm lea*es, which did not run one
into another, but remained per4ectly distinct and de4ined, and e7hibited all the
mars that are seen in the lea*es o4 the plant$ @etin/er says he ept the 4luid
some time, and showed it to a number o4 people$ 0t len/th, wishin/ to throw it
away, he shoo it, and the lea*es ran into one another with the disturbance o4 the
oil, but resumed their distinct shape a/ain, as soon as it was at rest, the 4luid
4orm retainin/ the per4ect si/nature$
&ow, how 4ar these e7periments are really practicable, I cannot say, their not
bein/ repeated, or not bein/ repeated success4ully, is no *ery decided ar/ument
a/ainst their possibility, as all persons acquainted with the annals o4 chemistry
well now5 but there is, certainly, a curious coincidence betwi7t these details, and
the e7perience o4 9illin/5 where it is to be obser*ed, that, accordin/ to his
account " and what ri/ht ha*e we to dispute it " the 4i/ure a4ter bein/ disturbed by
14e44el, always resumed its ori/inal 4orm$ The same peculiarity has been
obser*ed with respect to some apparitions, where the spectator has been bold
enou/h to try the e7periment$ In a letter to -r$ 9entley, 4rom the ?e*$ Thos$
.ilins, curate o4 .arblin/ton, in #ampshire, written in the year 1>FK, wherein
he /i*es an account o4 an apparition which haunted the parsona/e house, and
which he himsel4, and se*eral other persons, had seen5 he particularly mentions
that, thinin/ it mi/ht be some 4ellow hid in the room, he put his arm out to 4eel it,
and his hand seemin/ly went throu/h the body o4 it, and 4elt no manner o4
substance, until it reached the wall, "then I drew bac my hand, but still the
apparition was in the same place$"
Het this spectre did not appear abo*e, or near a /ra*e, but mo*ed 4rom place to
place, and /a*e considerable annoyance to the inhabitants o4 the rectory$
.ith respect to the li/hts o*er the /ra*es, su44icin/ to account 4or the persuasion
re/ardin/ what is called corpse candles, they certainly, up to a certain point,
a44ord a *ery satis4actory e7planation, but that e7planation does not comprehend
the whole o4 the mystery, 4or most o4 those persons who ha*e pro4essed to see
corpse candles, ha*e also asserted that they were not always stationery o*er the
/ra*es, but sometimes mo*ed 4rom place to place, as in the 4ollowin/ instance,
which was related to me by a /entleman who assured me he recei*ed the
account 4rom the person who witnessed the phenomenon$ &ow, this last 4act, I
mean the locomotion o4 the li/hts, will, o4 course, be disputed5 but so was their
e7istence5 yet they e7ist, 4or all that, and may tra*el 4rom place to place, 4or
anythin/ we now to the contrary$
The story related to me, or a similar instance, is, I thin, mentioned by (rs$
6rant5 but it was to the e44ect that a minister, newly inducted in his cure, was
standin/ one e*enin/ leanin/ o*er the wall o4 the church"yard which ad8oined the
manse, when he obser*ed a li/ht ho*erin/ o*er a particular spot$ )upposin/ it to
be somebody with a lanthorn, he opened the wicet, and went 4orward to
ascertain who it mi/ht be5 but be4ore he reached the spot the li/ht mo*ed
onwards5 and he 4ollowed, but could see nobody$ It did not rise 4ar 4rom the
/round, but ad*anced rapidly across the road, entered a wood, and ascended a
hill, till it at len/th disappeared at the door o4 a 4armhouse$ Cnable to
comprehend o4 what nature this li/ht could be, the minister was deliberatin/
whether to mae enquiries at the house or return, when it appeared a/ain,
seemin/ to come out o4 the house, accompanied by another, passed him, and
/oin/ o*er the same /round, they both disappeared on the spot where he had
4irst obser*ed the phenomenon$ #e le4t a mar on the /ra*e by which he mi/ht
reco/niBe it, and the ne7t day enquired o4 the se7ton whose it was$ The man
said, it belon/ed to a 4amily that li*ed up the hill, indicatin/ the house the li/ht
had stopped at, named ($ -$ but that it was a considerable time since any one
had been buried there$ The minister was e7tremely surprised to learn, in the
course o4 the day, that a child o4 that 4amily had died o4 scarlet 4e*er on the
precedin/ e*enin/$ .ith respect to the class o4 phenomena accompanied by this
phosphorescent li/ht, I shall ha*e more to say by and by$
The abo*e will appear a *ery incredible story to many people, and there was a
time that it would ha*e appeared equally so to mysel45 but I ha*e met with so
much stran/e corroborati*e e*idence, that I no lon/er 4eel mysel4 entitled to
re8ect it$ I ased the /entleman who told me the story, whether he belie*ed it5 he
said that he could not belie*e in anythin/ o4 the sort$ I then enquired i4 he would
accept the testimony o4 that minister on any other question, and he answered,
"(ost assuredly$" 0s, howe*er, I shall ha*e occasion to recur to this sub8ect in a
subsequent chapter, I will lea*e it aside 4or the present, and relate some o4 the
4acts which led me to the consideration o4 the abo*e theories and e7periments$
-r$ )$ relates, that a (adame T$, in 1russia, dreamt, on the 1>th (arch, 1+=2,
that the door opened, and her /od4ather, (r$ -$, who was much attached to her,
entered the room, dressed as he usually was when prepared 4or church on
)undays5 and that, nowin/ him to be in bad health, she ased him what he was
doin/ abroad at such an early hour, and whether he was quite well a/ain$
.hereupon, he answered, that he was5 and, bein/ about to undertae a *ery
lon/ 8ourney, he had come to bid her 4arewell, and to intrust her with a
commission, which was, that she would deli*er a letter he had written to his wi4e5
but accompanyin/ it with an in8unction that she, the wi4e, was not to open it till
that day 4our years, when he would return himsel4, precisely at 4i*e o'cloc in the
mornin/, to 4etch the answer, till which period he char/ed her not to brea the
seal$ #e then handed her a letter, sealed with blac, the writin/ on which shone
throu/h the paper, so that she, the dreamer, was able to percei*e that it
contained an announcement to (rs$ -$, the wi4e, with whom, on account o4 the
le*ity o4 her character, he had lon/ li*ed unhappily, that she would die that time
4our years$ 0t this moment, the sleeper was awaened by what appeared to her a
pressure o4 the hand, and, 4eelin/ an entire con*iction that this was somethin/
more than an ordinary dream, she was not surprised to learn that her /od4ather
was dead$ )he related the dream to (adame -$, omittin/, howe*er, to mention
the announcement contained in the letter, which she thou/ht the dream plainly
indicated was not to be communicated$ The widow lau/hed at the story, soon
resumed her /ay li4e, and married a/ain$ In the winter o4 1+=K">, howe*er, she
was attaced by an intermittent 4e*er, on which occasion -r$ )$ was summoned
to attend her$ 04ter *arious *icissitudes, she 4inally sun5 and, on the 1>th o4
(arch, 1+=>, e7actly at 4i*e o'cloc in the mornin/, she suddenly started up in
her bed, and, 4i7in/ her eyes apparently on some one she saw standin/ at the
4oot, she e7claimed, ".hat are you come 4or< 6od be /racious to me! I ne*er
belie*ed it!" )he then san bac, closed her eyes, which she ne*er opened
a/ain, and, in a quarter o4 an hour a4terwards, e7pired *ery calmly$
0 4riend o4 mine, (rs$ ($, a nati*e o4 the .est Indies, was at 9lair %o/ie, at the
period o4 the death o4 -r$ 0bercrombie, in :dinbur/h, with whom she was
e7tremely intimate$ -r$ 0$ died quite suddenly, without any pre*ious indisposition,
8ust as he was about to /o out in his carria/e, at ele*en o'cloc on a Thursday
mornin/$ @n the ni/ht between the Thursday and 3riday, (rs$ ($ dreamt that she
saw the 4amily o4 -r$ 0$ all dressed in white, dancin/ a solemn 4unereal dance,
upon which she awoe, wonderin/ that she should ha*e dreamt a thin/ so
incon/ruous, since it was contrary to their custom to dance on any occasion$
Immediately a4terwards, whilst speain/ to her maid, who had come to call her,
she saw -r$ 0bercrombie a/ainst the wall, with his 8aw 4allen, and a li*id
countenance, mourn4ully shain/ his head, as he looed at her$ )he passed the
day in /reat uneasiness, and wrote to enquire 4or the -octor, relatin/ what had
happened, and e7pressin/ her certainty that he was dead5 the letter was seen by
se*eral persons in :dinbur/h, on the day o4 its arri*al$
The two 4ollowin/ cases seem rather to belon/ to what is called in the :ast
Second Hearing, althou/h sympathy was probably the e7citin/ cause o4 the
phenomena$ 0 lady and /entleman, in 9erwicshire, were awaened one ni/ht
by a loud cry, which they both immediately reco/nised to proceed 4rom the *oice
o4 their son, who was then absent, and at a considerable distance$ Tidin/s
subsequently reached them that e7actly at that period their son had 4allen
o*erboard and was drowned5 and on another occasion, in 1erthshire, a person
aroused her husband, one ni/ht, sayin/ that their son was drowned, 4or she had
been awaened by the splash$ #er presentiment also pro*ed too well 4ounded,
the youn/ man ha*in/ 4allen 4rom the mast"head o4 the ship$ In both cases we
may naturally conclude, that the thou/hts o4 the youn/ men, at the moment o4 the
accident, would rush homewards5 and, admittin/ -r$ :nnemoser's theory o4
polarity, the passi*e sleepers became the recipients o4 the 4orce$ I con4ess,
howe*er, that the opinion o4 another section o4 philosophers appear to me more
/ermain to the matter5 althou/h to many persons they will doubtless be di44icult o4
acceptance, 4rom their appertainin/ to those *iews commonly called mystical$
These psycholo/ists then belie*e, as did )ocrates and 1lato, and others o4 the
ancients, that in certain conditions o4 the body, which conditions may arise
naturally, or be produced arti4icially, the lins which unite it with the spirit may be
more or less loosened5 and that the latter may thus be temporarily dis8oined 4rom
the 4ormer, and so en8oy a 4oretaste o4 its 4uture destiny$ In the lowest, or 4irst
de/ree, o4 this disunion, we are awae, thou/h scarcely conscious, whilst the
ima/ination is *i*i4ied to an e7traordinary amount, and our 4ancy supplies ima/es
almost as li*ely as the realities$ This, probably, is the temporary condition o4
inspired poets and eminent disco*erers$
)leep is considered another sta/e o4 this dis8unction, and the question has e*en
been raised, whether, when the body is in pro4ound sleep, the spirit is not
alto/ether 4ree and li*in/ in another world, whilst the or/anic li4e proceeds as
usual, and sustains the temple till the return o4 its inhabitant$ .ithout, at present,
attemptin/ to support or re4ute this doctrine, I will only obser*e, that once
admittin/ the possibility o4 the disunion, all consideration o4 time must be set
aside as irrela*ent to the question5 4or spirit, 4reed 4rom matter, must mo*e with
the rapidity o4 thou/ht in short, a spirit must #e where its thoughts and affections
are.
It is the opinion o4 these psycholo/ists, howe*er, that in the normal and healthy
condition o4 man, the union o4 body, soul, and spirit, is most complete5 and that
all the de/rees o4 disunion in the wain/ stale are de/rees o4 morbid
deran/ement$ #ence it is, that somnambulists and clair*oyants are chie4ly to be
4ound amon/st sicly women$ There ha*e been persons who ha*e appeared to
possess a power which they could e7ert at will, whereby they withdrew 4rom their
bodies, these remainin/ durin/ the absence o4 the spirit in a state o4 catalepsy
scarcely, i4 at all, to be distin/uished 4rom death$
I say withdrew from their #odies, assumin/ that to be the e7planation o4 the
mystery5 4or, o4 course, it is but an assumption$ :pimenides is recorded to ha*e
possessed this 4aculty, and #ermotinus, o4 ClaBomenes, is said to ha*e
wandered, in spirit, o*er the world, whilst his body lay apparently dead$ 0t len/th,
his wi4e tain/ ad*anta/e o4 this absence o4 his soul, burnt his body, and thus
intercepted its return$ )o say %ucien and 1liny, the elder5 and Varro relates, that
the eldest o4 two brothers, named Cor4idius, bein/ supposed to die, his will was
opened and preparations were made 4or his 4uneral by the other brother, who
was declared his heir$ In the mean time, howe*er, Cor4idius re*i*ed, and told the
astonished attendants, whom he summoned by clappin/ his hands, that he had
8ust come 4rom his youn/er brother, who had committed his dau/hter to his care,
and in4ormed him where he had buried some /old, requestin/ that the 4uneral
preparations he had made mi/ht be con*erted to his own use$ Immediately
a4terwards, the news arri*ed that the youn/er brother was une7pectedly
deceased, and the /old was 4ound at the place indicated$
The last appears to ha*e been a case o4 natural trance5 but the two most
remarable instances o4 *oluntary trance I ha*e met with in modern times is that
o4 Colonel Townshend, and the -er*ish, who allowed himsel4 to be buried$ .ith
re/ard to the 4ormer, he could, to all appearance, die whene*er he pleased5 his
heart ceased to beat5 there was no perceptible respiration5 and his whole 4rame
became cold and ri/id as death itsel45 the 4eatures bein/ shrun and colourless,
and the eyes /laBed and /hastly$ #e would continue in this state 4or se*eral
hours, and then /radually re*i*e5 but the re*i*al does not appear to ha*e been an
e44ort o4 will5 or rather, we are not in4ormed whether it was so or not$ &either are
we told whether he brou/ht any recollections bac with him, nor how this stran/e
4aculty was 4irst de*eloped or disco*ered " all *ery important points, and well
worthy o4 in*esti/ation$ #e seems to ha*e made this e7periment, howe*er, once
too o4ten5 4or, on one o4 these occasions, he was 4ound to ha*e actually e7pired$
.ith respect to the -er*ish or 3aeer, an account o4 his sin/ular 4aculty, was, I
belie*e, 4irst presented to the public in the Calcutta papers, about nine or ten
years a/o$ #e had then 4requently e7hibited it 4or the satis4action o4 the nati*es,
but subsequently he was put to the proo4 by some o4 the :uropean o44icers and
residents$ Captain .ade, political a/ent, at %oodhiana, was present when he
was disinterred, ten months a4ter he had been buried by 6eneral Ventura, in
presence o4 the (ahara8ah and many o4 his principal )irdars$
It appears that the man pre*iously prepared himsel4 by some processes, which,
he says, temporarily annihilate the powers o4 di/estion, so that mil recei*ed into
the stomach under/oes no chan/e$ #e ne7t 4orces all the breath in his body into
his brain, which becomes *ery hot, upon which the lun/s collapse, and the heart
ceases to beat$ #e then stops up, with wa7, e*ery aperture o4 the body throu/h
which air could enter, e7cept the mouth, but the ton/ue is so turned bac as to
close the /ullet, upon which a state o4 insensibility ensues$ #e is then stripped
and put into a linen ba/, and, on the occasion in question, this ba/ was sealed
with ?un8eet )in/'s own seal$ It was then placed in a deal bo7, which was also
loced and sealed, and the bo7 bein/ buried in a *ault, the earth was thrown o*er
it and trod down, a4ter which a crop o4 barley was sown on the spot, and sentries
placed to watch it$ The (ahara8ah, howe*er, was so sceptical, that, in spite o4 all
these precautions, he had him, twice in the course o4 the ten months, du/ up and
e7amined5 and each time he was 4ound to be e7actly in the same state as when
they had shut him up$
.hen he is disinterred, the 4irst step towards his reco*ery is to turn bac his
ton/ue, which is 4ound quite sti44, and requires 4or some time to be retained in its
proper position by the 4in/er5 warm water is poured upon him, and his eyes and
lips moistened with /hee, or oil$ #is reco*ery is much more rapid than mi/ht be
e7pected, and he is soon able to reco/niBe the bystanders, and con*erse$ #e
says, that, durin/ this state o4 trance, his dreams are ra*ishin/, and that it is *ery
pain4ul to be awaened, but I do not now that he has e*er disclosed any o4 his
e7periences$ #is only apprehension seems to be, lest he should be attaced by
insects, to a*oid which accident the bo7 is slun/ to the ceilin/$ The inter*al
seems to be passed in a complete state o4 #ibernation5 and when he is taen up,
no pulse is perceptible, and his eyes are /laBed lie those o4 a corpse$
#e subsequently re4used to submit to the conditions proposed by some :n/lish
o44icers, and thus incurred their suspicions, that the whole thin/ was an
imposition5 but the e7periment has been too o4ten repeated by people *ery well
capable o4 8ud/in/, and under too strin/ent precautions, to allow o4 this mode o4
escapin/ the di44iculty$ The man assumes to be holy, and is *ery probably a
worthless 4ellow, but that does not a44ect the question one way or the other$
Indian princes do not permit themsel*es to be imposed on with impunity5 and, as
?un8eet )in/ would not *alue the man's li4e at a pin's point, he would ne/lect no
means o4 debarrin/ him all access to 4ood or air$
In the abo*e quoted cases, e7cept in those o4 Cor4idius and #ermotinus, the
absence o4 the spirit is alone su//ested to the spectator by the condition o4 the
body5 since the memory o4 one state does not appear to ha*e been carried into
the other " i4 the spirit wandered into other re/ions it brin/s no tidin/s bac5 but
we ha*e many cases recorded where this de4icient e*idence seems to be
supplied$ The ma/icians and soothsayers o4 the northern countries, by narcotics,
and other means, produce a cataleptic state o4 the body, resemblin/ death, when
their prophetic 4aculty is to be e7ercised5 and althou/h we all now that an alloy
o4 imposition is /enerally mi7ed up with these e7hibitions, still it is past a doubt,
that a state o4 what we call clear"seein/ is thus induced5 and that on awain/,
they brin/ tidin/s 4rom *arious parts o4 the world o4 actions then per4ormin/ and
e*ents occurrin/, which subsequent in*esti/ation ha*e *eri4ied$
@ne o4 the most remarable cases o4 this ind, is that recorded by Dun/ )tillin/,
o4 a man, who, about the year 1',I resided in the nei/hbourhood o4
1hiladelphia, in the Cnited )tates$ #is habits were retired, and he spoe littleA he
was /ra*e, bene*olent, and pious, and nothin/ was nown a/ainst his character,
e7cept that he had the reputation o4 possessin/ some secrets that were not
alto/ether lawful$ (any e7traordinary stories were told o4 him, and amon/st the
rest, the 4ollowin/A The wi4e o4 a ship captain, whose husband was on a *oya/e
to :urope and 04rica, and 4rom whom she had been lon/ without tidin/s,
o*erwhelmed with an7iety 4or his sa4ety, was induced to address hersel4 to this
person$ #a*in/ listened to her story, he be//ed her to e7cuse him 4or awhile,
when he would brin/ her the intelli/ence she required$ #e then passed into an
inner room, and she sat hersel4 down to wait5 but his absence continuin/ lon/er
than she e7pected, she became impatient, thinin/ he had 4or/otten her5 and so,
so4tly approachin/ the door, she peeped throu/h some aperture, and, to her
surprise, beheld him lyin/ on a so4a, as motionless as i4 he was dead$ )he, o4
course, did not thin it ad*isable to disturb him, but waited his return, when he
told her that her husband had not been able to write to her 4or such and such
reasons5 but that he was then in a co44ee"house in %ondon, and would *ery
shortly be home a/ain$ 0ccordin/ly, he arri*ed, and as the lady learnt 4rom him
that the causes o4 his unusual silence had been precisely those alle/ed by the
man, she 4elt e7tremely desirous o4 ascertainin/ the truth o4 the rest o4 the
in4ormation5 and in this she was /rati4ied5 4or he no sooner set his eyes on the
ma/ician than he said that he had seen him be4ore, on a certain day, in a co44ee"
house in %ondon5 and that he had told him that his wi4e was e7tremely uneasy
about him5 and that he, the captain, had thereon mentioned how he had been
pre*ented writin/5 addin/ that he was on the e*e o4 embarin/ 4or 0merica$ #e
had then lost si/ht o4 the stran/er amon/st the thron/, and new nothin/ more
about him$
I ha*e no authority 4or this story, but that o4 Dun/ )tillin/5 and i4 it stood alone, it
mi/ht appear *ery incredible5 but it is supported by so many parallel e7amples o4
in4ormation /i*en by people in somnambulic states, that we are not entitled to
re8ect it on the score o4 impossibility$
The late (r$ Dohn #olloway, o4 the 9an o4 :n/land, brother to the en/ra*er o4
that name, related o4 himsel4 that bein/ one ni/ht in bed, with his wi4e, and
unable to sleep, he had 4i7ed his eyes and thou/hts with uncommon intensity on
a beauti4ul star that was shinin/ in at the window, when he suddenly 4ound his
spirit released 4rom his body and soarin/ into that bri/ht sphere$ 9ut, instantly
seiBed with an7iety 4or the an/uish o4 his wi4e, i4 she disco*ered his body
apparently dead beside her, he returned, and re"entered it with difficulty Ehence,
perhaps, the *iolent con*ulsions with which some somnambules o4 the hi/hest
order are awaenedG$ #e described that returnin/, was returnin/ to darness5
and that whilst the spirit was 4ree, he was alternately in the light or the dar%,
accordingly as his thoughts were with his wife or with the star$ #e said that he
always a*oided anythin/ that could produce a repetition o4 this accident, the
consequences o4 it bein/ *ery distressin/$
.e now that by intense contemplation o4 this sort, the -er*ishes produce a
state o4 e7tacy, in which they pretend to be transported to other spheres5 and not
only the )eeress o4 1re*orst, but many other persons in a hi/hly ma/netic state,
ha*e asserted the same thin/ o4 themsel*es5 and certainly the sin/ular
con4ormity o4 the intelli/ence they brin/ is not a little remarable$
-r$ ;erner relates o4 his somnambule, 3rederica #au44e, that one day, at
.einsber/, she e7claimed in her sleep, "@h! 6od!" )he immediately awoe, as i4
aroused by the e7clamation, and said that she seemed to ha*e heard two *oices
proceedin/ 4rom hersel4$ 0t this time, her 4ather was lyin/ dead in his co44in, at
@bersten4eld, and -r$ 3ohr, the physician, who had attended him in his illness,
was sittin/ with another person in an ad8oinin/ room, with the door open5 when
he heard the e7clamation, "@h! 6od!" so distinctly, that, 4eelin/ certain there was
nobody there, he hastened to the co44in, 4rom whence the sound had appeared to
proceed, thinin/ that (r$ .$'s death had been only apparent, and that he was
re*i*in/$ The other person, who was an uncle o4 3rederica's, had heard nothin/$
&o person was disco*ered 4rom whom the e7clamation could ha*e proceeded,
and the circumstance remained a mystery till an e7planation ensued$ 1lutarch
relates, that a certain man, called Thespesius, ha*in/ 4allen 4rom a /reat hei/ht,
was taen up apparently dead 4rom the shoc, althou/h no e7ternal wound was
to be disco*ered$ @n the third day a4ter the accident, howe*er, when they were
about to bury him, he une7pectedly re*i*ed5 and it was a4terwards obser*ed, to
the surprise o4 all who new him, that, 4rom bein/ a *icious reprobate, he became
one o4 the most *irtuous o4 men$ @n bein/ interro/ated with respect to the cause
o4 the chan/e, he related that, durin/ the period o4 his bodily insensibility, it
appeared to him that he was dead, and that he had been 4irst plun/ed into the
depths o4 an ocean, out o4 which, howe*er, he soon emer/ed, and then, at one
*iew, the whole o4 space was disclosed to him$ :*erythin/ appeared in a di44erent
aspect, and the dimensions o4 the planetary bodies, and the inter*als betwi7t
them, was tremendous5 whilst his spirit seemed to 4loat in a sea o4 li/ht, lie a
ship in calm waters$ #e also described many other thin/s that he had seen5 he
said that the souls o4 the dead, on quittin/ the body, appeared lie a bubble o4
li/ht, out o4 which a human 4orm was quicly e*ol*ed$ That, o4 these, some shot
away at once in a direct line, with /reat rapidity, whilst others, on the contrary,
seemed unable to 4ind their due course, and continued to ho*er about, /oin/
hither and thither, till at len/th they also darted away in one direction or another$
#e reco/niBed 4ew o4 these persons he saw, but those whom he did, and sou/ht
to address, appeared as i4 they were stunned and amaBed, and a*oided him with
terror$ Their *oices were indistinct, and seemed to be utterin/ *a/ue lamentin/s$
There were others, also, who 4loated 4arther 4rom the earth, who looed bri/ht,
and were /racious5 these a*oided the approach o4 the last$ In short, the
demeanour and appearance o4 these spirits mani4ested clearly their de/rees o4
8oy or /rie4$ Thespesius was then in4ormed by one o4 them, that he was not dead,
but that he had been permitted to come there by a di*ine decree, and that his
soul, which was yet attached to his body, as by an anchor, would return to it
a/ain$ Thespesius then obser*ed, that he was di44erent to the dead, by whom he
was surrounded, and this obser*ation seemed to restore him to his recollection$
They were transparent, and en*ironed by a radiance, but he seemed to trail a4ter
him a dar ray, or line o4 shadow$ These spirits also presented *ery di44erent
aspects5 some were entirely per*aded by a mild, clear, radiance, lie that o4 the
4ull moon5 throu/h others there appeared 4aint streas, that diminished this
splendour5 whilst others, on the contrary, were distin/uished by spots, or stripes
o4 blac, or o4 a dar colour, lie the mars on the sin o4 a *iper$
There is a circumstance which I cannot help here mentionin/ in connection with
this history o4 Thespesius, which on 4irst readin/ it struc me *ery 4orcibly$
0bout three years a/o, I had se*eral opportunities o4 seein/ two youn/ /irls, then
under the care o4 a (r$ 0$, o4 :dinbur/h, who hoped, chie4ly by means o4
ma/netism, to restore them to si/ht$ @ne was a maid"ser*ant a44licted with
amaurosis, whom he had taen into his house 4rom a charitable desire to be o4
use to her5 the other, who had been blind 4rom her childhood, was a youn/ lady
in better circumstances, the dau/hter o4 respectable trades"people in the north o4
:n/land$ The /irl with amaurosis was restored to si/ht, and the other was so 4ar
bene4ited that she could distin/uish houses, trees, carria/es, and, at len/th,
thou/h obscurely, the 4eatures o4 a person near her$ 0t this period o4 the cure
she was unhappily remo*ed, and may possibly ha*e relapsed into her 4ormer
state$
(y reason, howe*er, 4or alludin/ to these youn/ women on this occasion, is, that
they were in the habit o4 sayin/, when in the ma/netic state " 4or they were both,
more or less, clair*oyante " that the people, whom -r$ 0$ was ma/netisin/ in the
same room, presented *ery di44erent appearances$ )ome o4 them they described
as looin/ bri/ht5 whilst others were in di44erent de/rees, streaed with blac$
@ne or two they mentioned o*er whom there seemed to han/ a sort o4 cloud, lie
a ra//ed *eil o4 darness$ They also said, thou/h this was be4ore any tidin/s o4
9aron *on ?eichenbach's disco*eries had reached this country, that they saw
li/ht streamin/ 4rom the 4in/ers o4 (r$ 0$, when he ma/netised them5 and that
sometimes his whole person seemed to them radiant$ &ow, I am positi*ely
certain that neither (r$ 0$, nor these /irls, had e*er heard o4 this story o4
Thespesius5 neither had I, at that time5 and I con4ess, when I did meet with it, I
was a /ood deal struc by the coincidence$ These youn/ people said, that it was
the "/oodness or badness," " meanin/ the moral slate, o4 the persons that was
thus indicated$ &ow, surely this concurrence betwi7t the man, mentioned by
1lutarch, and these two /irls " the one o4 whom had no education whate*er, and
the other *ery little " is worthy o4 some re/ard$
I once ased a youn/ person, in a hi/hly clair*oyant state, whether she e*er saw
"the spirits o4 them that had passed away5" 4or so she desi/nated the dead, ne*er
usin/ the word death hersel4, in any o4 its 4orms$ )he answered me, that she did$
"Then where are they<" I enquired$
")ome are waitin/, and some are /one on be4ore$"
"Can you spea to them<" I ased$
"&o," she replied, "there is no meddlin/ nor no direction$"
In her wain/ state, she would ha*e been quite incapable o4 these answers5 and
that "some are waitin/ and some /one on be4ore," seems to be much in
accordance with the *ision o4 Thespesius$
-r$ 1assa*ent mentions a peasant boy, who, a4ter a short but pain4ul illness,
apparently died, his body bein/ per4ectly sti44$ #e, howe*er, re*i*ed, complainin/
bitterly o4 bein/ called bac to li4e$ #e said he had been in a deli/ht4ul place, and
seen his deceased relations$ There was a /reat e7altation o4 the 4aculties a4ter
this5 and ha*in/ been be4ore rather stupid, he now, whilst his body lay sti44 and
immo*eable and his eyes closed, prayed and discoursed with eloquence$ #e
continued in this state 4or se*en wees, but 4inally reco*ered$
In the year 1'==, Dohann )chwerBe/er 4ell into a similar state o4 trance, a4ter an
illness, but re*i*ed$ #e said he had seen his whole li4e, and e*ery sin he had
committed, e*en those he had quite 4or/otten " e*erythin/ had been as present
to him as when it happened$ #e also lamented bein/ recalled 4rom the happiness
he was about to enter into5 but said that he had only two days to spend in this
*alley o4 tears, durin/ which time he wished e*erybody that would, should come
and listen to what he had to tell them$ #is be4ore sunen eyes now looed bri/ht,
his 4ace had the bloom o4 youth, and he discoursed so eloquently that the
minister said, they had e7chan/ed o44ices, and the sic man had become his
teacher$ #e died at the time he had 4oretold$
The most 4ri/ht4ul cases o4 trance recorded, are those in which the patient retains
entire consciousness, althou/h utterly unable to e7hibit any e*idence o4 li4e5 and
it is dread4ul to thin how many persons may ha*e been actually buried, hearin/
e*ery nail that was screwed into their own co44in, and as per4ectly aware o4 the
whole ceremony as those who 4ollowed them to the /ra*e$
-r$ 9inns mentions a /irl, at Canton, who lay in this state, hearin/ e*ery word
that was said around her, but utterly unable to mo*e a 4in/er$ )he tried to cry out,
but could not, and supposed that she was really dead$ The horror o4 4indin/
hersel4 about to be buried, at len/th caused a perspiration to appear on her sin,
and she 4inally re*i*ed$ )he described that she 4elt that her soul had no power to
act upon her body5 and that it seemed to be in her #ody and out of it, at the same
time$
&ow, this is *ery much what the somnambulists say " their soul is out o4 the body,
but is still so 4ar in rapport with it, that it does not lea*e it entirely$ 1robably,
ma/netism would be the best means o4 re*i*in/ a person 4rom this state$
The custom o4 buryin/ people be4ore there are unmistaable si/ns o4 death, is a
*ery condemnable one$ 0 (r$ ($ 6$ 4ell into a trance, some 4ew years since, and
remained insensible 4or 4i*e days, his mother bein/, meanwhile, quite shoced
that the physician would not allow him to be buried$ #e had, a4terwards, a
recurrence o4 the malady, which continued se*en days$
0 (r$ )$, who had been some time out o4 the country, died, apparently, two days
a4ter his return$ 0s he had eaten o4 a puddin/ which his stepmother had made 4or
his dinner, with her own hands, people too into their heads she had poisoned
him5 and, the /ra*e bein/ opened 4or purposes o4 in*esti/ation, the body was
4ound lyin/ on its 4ace$
@ne o4 the most 4ri/ht4ul cases e7tant, is that o4 -r$ .aler, o4 -ublin, who had
so stron/ a presentiment on this sub8ect, that he had actually written a treatise
a/ainst the Irish customs o4 hasty burial$ #e himsel4, subsequently died, as was
belie*ed, o4 a 4e*er$ #is decease too place in the ni/ht, and on the 4ollowin/ day
he was interred$ 0t this time, (rs$ 9ellamy, the once celebrated actress, was in
Ireland5 and as she had promised him, in the course o4 con*ersation, that she
would tae care he should not be laid in the earth till unequi*ocal si/ns o4
dissolution had appeared, she no sooner heard o4 what had happened, than she
too measures to ha*e the /ra*e re"opened5 but it was, un4ortunately, too late5
-r$ .aler had e*idently re*i*ed, and had turned upon his side5 but li4e was now
quite e7tinct$
The case related by %ady 3anshawe, o4 her mother, is *ery remarable, 4rom the
con4irmation 4urnished by the e*ent o4 her death$
"(y mother, bein/ sic o4 a 4e*er," says %ady 3$, in her memoirs, "her 4riends and
ser*ants thou/ht her deceased, and she lay in that state 4or two days and a
ni/ht5 but (r$ .inslow, comin/ to com4ort my 4ather, went into my mother's room,
and, looin/ earnestly in her 4ace, said, ')he was so handsome, and looed so
lo*ely, that he could not thin her dead5 and, suddenly tain/ a lancet out o4 his
pocet, he cut the sole o4 her 4oot, which bled, upon this he immediately caused
her to be remo*ed to the bed a/ain, and to be rubbed, and such means used that
she came to li4e, and openin/ her eyes, saw two o4 her inswomen standin/ by
her, %ady ;nollys and %ady ?ussell, both with /reat wide slee*es, as the 4ashion
then was5 and she said, '-id you not promise me 4i4teen years, and are you come
a/ain already<' which they, not understandin/, bade her eep her spirits quiet in
that /reat weaness wherein she was5 but, some hours a4ter, she desired my
4ather and -r$ #owlesworth mi/ht be le4t alone with her, to whom she said, I will
acquaint you, that, durin/ my trance, I was in /reat /rie4, but in a place I could
neither distin/uish nor describe5 but the sense o4 lea*in/ my /irl, who is dearer to
me than all my children, remained a trouble upon my spirits$ )uddenly I saw two
by me, clothed in lon/ white /arments, and methou/ht I 4ell down upon my 4ace
in the dust, and they ased me why I was so troubled in so /reat happiness$ I
replied, '@h, let me ha*e the same /rant /i*en to #eBeiah, that I may li*e 4i4teen
years to see my dau/hter a woman,' to which they answered, 'It is done!' and
then at that instant I awoe out o4 my trance!' 0nd -r$ #owlesworth did a44irm,
that that day she died, made 8ust 4i4teen years 4rom that time$''
I ha*e met with a somewhat similar case to this, which occurred to the mother o4
a *ery respectable person, now li*in/ in :dinbur/h$ )he ha*in/ been ill, was
supposed to be dead, and preparations were main/ 4or her 4uneral, when one o4
her 4in/ers were seen to mo*e, and, restorati*es bein/ applied, she re*i*ed$ 0s
soon as she could spea, she said that she had been at the /ates o4 hea*en,
where she saw some /oin/ in, but that they told her she was not ready$ 0mon/st
those who had passed her, and been admitted, she said, she had seen 5r. So(
and(so, the #a%er, and the remarable thin/ was, that durin/ the time she had
been in the trance, this man had died$
@n the 1Ith o4 Danuary, 1'1', (r$ Dohn 6ardner, a minister, at :l/in, 4ell into a
trance, and, bein/ to all appearance dead, he was put into a co44in, and on the
second day was carried to the /ra*e$ 9ut 4ortunately a noise bein/ heard, the
co44in was opened, and he was 4ound ali*e and taen home a/ain5 where,
accordin/ to the record, "he related many stran/e and amaBin/ thin/s which he
had seen in the other world$"
&ot to mention somnambules, there are numerous other cases recorded o4
persons who ha*e said, on awain/ 4rom a trance, that they had been in the
other world5 thou/h 4requently the 4reed spirit, supposin/ that to be the
interpretation o4 the mystery, seems busied with the a44airs o4 the earth and
brin/s tidin/s 4rom distant places, as in the case o4 the 0merican abo*e"
mentioned$ 1erhaps, in these latter cases, the disunion is less complete$ -r$
.erner relates, o4 his somnambule, that it was a4ter those attacs o4 catalepsy, in
which her body had lain sti44 and cold, that she used to say she had been
wanderin/ away throu/h other spheres$ .here the catalepsy is spontaneous and
in*oluntary, and resembles death so nearly as not to be distin/uished 4rom it, we
may naturally conclude, i4 we admit this hypothesis at all, that the seein/ o4 the
spirit would be clear in proportion to its disentan/lement 4rom the 4lesh$
I ha*e spoen abo*e o4 dream compellin/ or su//estin/, and I ha*e heard o4
persons who ha*e a power o4 directin/ their own dreams to any particular
sub8ect$
This 4aculty may be, in some de/ree, analo/ous to that possessed by the
0merican, and a 4ew somnambulic persons, who appear to carry the
recollections o4 one state into the other$ The e44ects produced by the witch
potions seem to ha*e been somewhat similar, inasmuch as they dreamt what
they e7pected or wished to dream$ Dun/ )tillin/ mentions, that a woman /a*e in
e*idence, on a witch trial, that ha*in/ *isited the so"called witch, she had 4ound
her concoctin/ a potion o*er the 4ire, o4 which she had ad*ised her, the *isitor, to
drin, assurin/ her that she would then accompany her to the )abbath$ The
woman said, lest she should /i*e o44ence, she had put the *essel to her lips, but
had not dran o4 it5 the witch, howe*er, swallowed the whole, and immediately
a4terwards sun down upon the hearth in a pro4ound sleep, where she had le4t
her$ .hen she went to see her on the 4ollowin/ day, she declared she had been
to the 9roceu$
1aolo (inucci relates, that a woman accused o4 sorcery, bein/ brou/ht be4ore a
certain ma/istrate, at 3lorence, she not only con4essed her /uilt, but she
declared that, pro*ided they would let her return home and anoint hersel4, she
would attend the )abbath that *ery ni/ht$ The ma/istrate, a man more
enli/htened than the /enerality o4 his contemporaries, consented$ The woman
went home, used her un/uent, and 4ell immediately into a pro4ound sleep5
whereupon they tied her to the bed, and tested the reality o4 the sleep by burns,
blows, and pricin/ her with sharp instruments$ .hen she awoe on the 4ollowin/
day, she related that she had attended the )abbath$ I could quote se*eral similar
4acts5 and 6assendi actually endea*oured to undecei*e some peasants who
belie*ed themsel*es witches, by composin/ an ointment that produced the same
e44ects as their own ma/ical applications$
In the year 1K,K, 0ndre %a/una, physician to 1ope Dulius III$, anointed a patient
o4 his, who was su44erin/ 4rom phrenBy and sleeplessness, with an un/uent 4ound
in the house o4 a sorcerer, who had been arrested$ The patient slept 4or thirty"si7
hours consecuti*ely, and when, with much di44iculty, she was awaened, she
complained that they had torn her 4rom the most ra*ishin/ deli/hts5 deli/hts
which seem to ha*e ri*aled the #ea*en o4 the (ahometan$ 0ccordin/ to
%lorente, the women who were dedicated to the ser*ice o4 the (other o4 the
6ods, heard continually the sounds o4 4lutes and tambourines, beheld the 8oyous
dances o4 the 4auns and satyrs, and tasted o4 into7icatin/ pleasures, doubtless
4rom a similar cause$
It is di44icult to ima/ine, that all the un4ortunate wretches who su44ered death at
the stae in the middle a/es, 4or ha*in/ attended the unholy assemblies they
described, had no 4aith in their own stories5 yet, in spite o4 the unwearied
*i/ilance o4 public authorities, and pri*ate mali/nity, no such assembla/e was
e*er detected$ #ow, then, are we to account 4or the pertinacity o4 their
con4essions, but by supposin/ them the *ictims o4 some e7traordinary delusion<
In a paper addressed to the Inquisition, by %lorente, he does not scruple to
assert, that the crimes imputed to, and con4essed by, witches, ha*e most
4requently no e7istence but in their dreams5 and that their dreams are produced
by the dru/s with which they anointed themsel*es$
The recipes 4or these compositions, which had descended traditionally 4rom a/e
to a/e, ha*e been lost since witchcra4t went out o4 4ashion, and modern science
has no time to in*esti/ate secrets which appear to be more curious than
pro4itable5 but in the pro4ound sleep produced by these applications, it is not easy
to say what phenomena may ha*e occurred to 8usti4y, or, at least, account 4or,
their sel4"accusations$
""""""""""
*hapter 2++ ( 0raiths
)uch instances as that o4 %ady 3anshawe, and other similar ones, certainly seem
to 4a*our the hypothesis, that the spirit is 4reed 4rom the body, when the latter
becomes no lon/er a 4it habitation 4or it$ It does so when actual death
super*enes, and the reason o4 its departure we may naturally conclude to be,
that the body has ceased to be a*ailable 4or its mani4estations5 and in these
cases, which seem so nearly allied to death, that, 4requently, there would actually
be no re*i*al but 4or the e7ertions used, it does not seem *ery di44icult to
concei*e that this separation may tae place$ .hen we are standin/ by a death
bed, all we see is the death o4 the body, o4 the /oin/ 4orth o4 the spirit we see
nothin/5 so in cases o4 apparent death, it may depart and return, whilst we are
aware o4 nothin/ but the reanimation o4 the or/anism$ Certain it is, that the
)criptures countenance this *iew o4 the case in se*eral instances5 thus, %ue
says, Chap, *iii$, =,, "0nd he put them all out, and too her by the hand, and
called, sayin/, '(aid, arise!' 0nd her spirit came a/ain, and she arose
strai/htway$"
-r$ .i/an obser*es, when speain/ o4 the e44ects o4 temporary pressure on the
brain, that the mind is not annihilated, because, i4 the pressure is timely remo*ed,
it is restored, thou/h, i4 continued too lon/, the body will be resol*ed into its
primary elements5 and he compares the human or/anism to a watch, which we
can either stop or set /oin/ at will, which watch, he says, will also be /radually
resol*ed into its ultimate elements by chemical action5 and, he adds, that, to as
where the mind is, durin/ the interruption, is lie asin/ where the motion o4 the
watch is$ I thin a wind instrument would be a better simile, 4or the motion o4 the
watch is purely mechanical$ It requires no in4ormin/, intelli/ent spirit to breathe
into its apertures and mae it the *ehicle o4 the harshest discords, or o4 the most
eloquent discourses$ "The di*inely mysterious essence, which we call the soul,"
he adds, "is not then the mind, 4rom which it must be care4ully distin/uished, i4 we
would hope to mae any pro/ress in mental philosophy$ .here the soul resides
durin/ the suspension o4 the mental powers by asphy7ia, I now not, any more
than I now where it resided be4ore it was united with that speci4ic compound o4
bones, muscles, and ner*e$"
9y a temporary pressure on the brain, the mind is certainly not annihilated, but its
mani4estations by means o4 the brain are suspended5 the source o4 these
mani4estations bein/ the soul or anima, in which dwells the li4e, 4ittin/ the temple
4or its di*ine inhabitant, the spirit$ The connection o4 the soul and the body is
probably a much more intimate one than that o4 the latter with the spirit5 thou/h
the soul, as well as the spirit, is immortal and sur*i*es when the body dies$
)omnambulic persons seem to intimate that the soul o4 the 4leshly body
becomes, herea4ter, the body o4 the spirit, as i4 the ima/o or idolon were the soul$
-r$ .i/an, and indeed physiolo/ists in /eneral, do not appear to reco/niBe the
old distinction betwi7t the pneuma or anima and the psyche ( the soul and the
spirit5 and indeed the )criptures occasionally seem to use the terms indi44erently5
but still there are passa/es enou/h which mar the distinction5 as where )t$ 1aul
speas o4 a "li*in/ soul and a quicenin/ spirit," *or. 7*$, ,K5 a/ain, -hess$ *$,
2=, "I pray 6od your whole spirit, and soul, and body, etc$" and also, He#rews i*$,
12$ where he speas o4 the sword o4 6od "di*idin/ asunder the soul and spirit$"
In Genesis, chap, ii$, we are told that "man became a li*in/ soul5" but it is
distinctly said, *or$ 7ii$, that the /i4ts o4 prophecy, the discernin/ o4 spirits, etc$,
etc$, belon/ to the spirit$ Then, with re/ard to the possibility o4 the spirit absentin/
itsel4 4rom the body, )t$ 1aul says, in re4errin/ to his own *ision, 9 *or. 7ii$, "I
new a man in Christ, about 4ourteen years a/o Ewhether in the body, I cannot
tell5 or out o4 the body, I cannot tell5 6od nowethG5 such an one cau/ht up to the
third hea*en5" and we are told, also, that to be "absent 4rom the body is to be
present with the %ord," and that when we are "at home in the body we are absent
4rom the %ord$" .e are told, also, "the spirit returns to 6od, who /a*e it5" but it
depends on oursel*es whether or not our souls shall perish$ .e must suppose,
howe*er, that e*en in the worst cases some remnant o4 this di*ine spirit remains
with the soul as lon/ as the latter is not utterly per*erted and rendered incapable
o4 sal*ation$
)t$ Dohn also says, that when he prophesied, he was in the spirit5 but it was the
"Souls of the Slain" that he saw, and that "cried with a loud *oice," etc$, etc$
)ouls, here, bein/ probably used in the sense o4 indi*iduals5 as we say, ")o
many souls perished by shipwrec$"
In the "?e*ue de 1aris," 2Fth Duly, 1+=+, it is related that a child saw the soul o4 a
woman who was lyin/ insensible in a ma/netic crisis in which death nearly
ensued, depart out o4 her5 and I 4ind recorded in another wor that a somnambule
who was brou/ht to /i*e ad*ice to a patient, said, "It is too late5 her soul is
lea*in/ her$ I see the *ital 4lame quittin/ her brain$"
3rom some o4 the cases I ha*e abo*e related, we are led to the conclusion, that
in certain conditions o4 the body, the spirit, in a manner unnown to us, resumes
a portion o4 its 4reedom, and is enabled to e7ercise more or less o4 its inherent
properties$ It is somewhat released 4rom those ine7orable conditions o4 time and
space, which bound and limit its powers, whilst in close connection with matter,
and it communes with other spirits who are also liberated$ #ow 4ar this liberation
Ei4 such it beG, or re"inte/ration o4 natural attributes, may tae place in ordinary
sleep, we can only conclude 4rom e7amples$ In prophetic dreams, and in those
instances o4 in4ormation apparently recei*ed 4rom the dead, this condition seems
to occur5 as, also, in such cases as that o4 the /entleman mentioned in a 4ormer
chapter, who has se*eral times been conscious on awain/, that he had been
con*ersin/ with someone, whom he has been subsequently startled to hear had
died at that period, and this is a man apparently in e7cellent health, endowed
with a *i/orous understandin/, and immersed in acti*e business$
In the story o4 the 0merican, quoted in a 4ormer chapter 4rom Dun/ )tillin/, there
was one point which I 4orbore to comment on at the moment, but to which I must
now re*ert5 this is the assertion, that the *oya/er had seen the man, and e*en
con*ersed with him, in the co44ee"house, in %ondon, whence the desired
intelli/ence was brou/ht$ &ow, this sin/le case standin/ alone, would amount to
nothin/, althou/h Dun/ )tillin/, who was one o4 the most conscientious o4 men,
declares himsel4 to ha*e been quite satis4ied with the authority on which he
relates it5 but, stran/e to say " 4or undoubtedly the thin/ is *ery stran/e " there
are numerous similar instances recorded5 and it seems to ha*e been belie*ed in
all a/es o4 the world, that people were sometimes seen, where bodily they were
not5 seen not by sleepers alone, but by persons in a per4ect state o4 *i/ilance5
and that this phenomenon, thou/h more 4requently occurrin/ at the moment that
the indi*idual seen is at the point o4 death, does occasionally occur at inde4inite
periods anterior to the catastrophe5 and sometimes where no such catastrophe is
impendin/$ In some o4 these cases, an earnest desire seems to be the cause o4
the phenomenon$ It is not *ery lon/ since a *ery estimable lady, who was dyin/
in the (editerranean, e7pressed hersel4 per4ectly ready to meet death, i4 she
could but once more behold her children, who were in :n/land$ )he soon
a4terwards 4ell into a comatose state, and the persons surroundin/ her were
doubt4ul whether she had not already breathed her last5 at all e*ents, they did not
e7pect her to re*i*e$ )he did so, howe*er, and now cheer4ully announced that
ha*in/ seen her children, she was ready to depart$ -urin/ the inter*al that she
lay in this state, her 4amily saw her in :n/land, and were thus aware o4 her death
be4ore the intelli/ence reached them$ 0s it is a sub8ect, I understand, they are
unwillin/ to spea o4, I do not now precisely under what circumstances she was
seen5 but this is an e7actly analo/ous case to that already recorded o4 (aria
6o44e, o4 ?ochester, who, when dyin/, away 4rom home, e7pressed precisely the
same 4eelin/s$ )he said she could not die happy till she had seen her children$
9y and by, she 4ell into a state o4 coma, which le4t them uncertain whether she
was dead or ali*e$ #er eyes were open and 4i7ed, her 8aw 4allen, and there was
no perceptible respiration$ .hen she re*i*ed, she told her mother, who attended
her, that she had been home and seen her children5 which the other said was
impossible, since she had been lyin/ there in the bed the whole time$ "Hes,"
replied the dyin/ woman, "but I was there in my sleep$" 0 widow woman, called
0le7ander, who had the care o4 these children, declared hersel4 ready to tae
oath upon the sacrament, that durin/ this period, she had seen the 4orm o4 (aria
6o44e come out o4 the room, where the eldest child slept, and approach the bed
where she hersel4 lay with the youn/er beside her$ The 4i/ure had stood there
nearly a quarter o4 an hour, as 4ar as she could 8ud/e5 and she remared that the
eyes and the mouth mo*ed, thou/h she heard no sound$ )he declared hersel4 to
ha*e been per4ectly awae, and that as it was the lon/est ni/ht in the year, it was
quite li/ht$ )he sat up in bed, and whilst she was looin/ on the 4i/ure, the cloc
on the brid/e struc two$ )he then ad8ured the 4orm in the name o4 6od,
whereupon it mo*ed$ )he immediately arose and 4ollowed it5 but could not tell
what had become o4 it$ )he then became alarmed, and throwin/ on her clothes,
went out and waled on the quay, returnin/ to the house e*er and anon to loo at
the children$ 0t 4i*e o'cloc, she noced at a nei/hbour's door, but they would
not let her in$ 0t si7, she noced a/ain, and was then admitted, and related to
them what she had seen, which they, o4 course, endea*oured to persuade her
was a dream or an illusion$ )he declared hersel4, howe*er, to ha*e been
per4ectly awae5 and said, that i4 e*er she had seen (aria 6o44e in her li4e, she
had seen her that ni/ht$
The 4ollowin/ story has been currently related in ?ome, and is already in print$ I
tae it 4rom a 6erman wor, and I do not now how 4ar its authenticity can be
established$
It is to the e44ect that two 4riends ha*in/ a/reed to attend con4ession to/ether,
one o4 them went at the appointed time to the 0bbate 9$, and made his
con4ession5 a4ter which the priest commenced the usual admonition, in the midst
o4 which he suddenly ceased speain/$ 04ter waitin/ a short time, the penitent
stept 4orward and percei*ed him lyin/ in the con4essional in a state o4
insensibility$ 0id was summoned and means used to restore him, which were 4or
some time ine44ectual5 at len/th, when he opened his eyes, he bade the penitent
recite a prayer 4or his 4riend, who had 8ust e7pired$ This pro*ed to be the case, on
enquiry5 and when the youn/ man, who had naturally hastened to his 4riend's
house, e7pressed a hope that he had not died without the last o44ices o4 the
church, he was told to his amaBement, that the 0bbate 9$ had arri*ed 8ust as he
was in e,tremis, and had remained with him till he died$
These appearances seem to ha*e taen place when the corporeal condition o4
the person seen elsewhere permits us to concei*e the possibility o4 the spirit's
ha*in/ withdrawn 4rom the body5 but the question then naturally arises, what is it
that was seen5 and I con4ess, that o4 all the di44iculties that surround the sub8ect, I
ha*e undertaen to treat o4, this seems to me the /reatest5 4or we cannot
suppose that a spirit can be *isible to the human eye, and both in the abo*e
instances and se*eral others I ha*e to narrate, there is nothin/ that can lead us
to the conclusion, that the persons who saw the wraith or double, were in any
other than a normal state5 the 4i/ure, in short, seems to ha*e been percei*ed
throu/h their e7ternal or/ans o4 sense$ 9e4ore I discuss this question, howe*er,
any 4urther, I will relate some instances o4 a similar ind, only with this di44erence,
that the wraith appearin/ as nearly as could be ascertained at the moment o4
death, it remains uncertain whether it was seen be4ore or a4ter the dissolution
had taen place$ 0s both in these cases abo*e related and those that 4ollow, the
material body was *isible in one place, whilst the wraith was *isible in another,
they appear to be strictly analo/ous5 especially, as in both class o4 e7amples, the
body itsel4 was either dead or in a state that closely resembled death$
Instances o4 people bein/ seen at a distance 4rom the spot on which they are
dyin/, are so numerous, that in this department I ha*e positi*ely an em#arras de
richesses, and 4ind it di44icult to mae a selection5 more especially as there is in
each case little to relate, the whole phenomenon bein/ comprised in the 4act o4
the 4orm bein/ obser*ed and the chie4 *ariations consistin/ in this, that the seer,
or seers, 4requently entertain no suspicion that what they ha*e seen is any other
than a 4orm o4 4lesh and blood5 whilst on other occasions the assurance that the
person is 4ar away, or some peculiarity connected with the appearance itsel4,
produces the immediate con*iction that the shape is not corporeal$
(rs$ ;$, the sister o4 1ro*ost 9$, o4 0berdeen, was sittin/ one day with her
husband, -r$ ;$, in the parlour o4 the manse, when she suddenly said, "@h!
there's my brother come! he has 8ust passed the window," and, 4ollowed by her
husband, she hastened to the door to meet the *isitor$ #e was howe*er not
there$ "#e is /one round to the bac door," said she5 and thither they went5 but
neither was he there, nor had the ser*ants seen any thin/ o4 him$ -r$ ;$ said she
must be mistaen5 but she lau/hed at the idea5 her brother had passed the
window and looed in5 he must ha*e /one somewhere, and would doubtless be
bac directly$ 9ut he came not5 and the intelli/ent shortly arri*ed 4rom )t$
0ndrew's, that at that precise time, as nearly as they could compare
circumstances, he had died quite suddenly at his own place o4 residence$ I ha*e
heard this story 4rom connections o4 the 4amily, and also 4rom an eminent
pro4essor o4 6las/ow, who told me that he had once ased -r$ ;$, whether he
belie*ed, in these appearances$ "I cannot choose but belie*e," returned -r$ ;$,
and then he accounted 4or his con*iction by narratin/ the abo*e particulars$
%ord and %ady ($ were residin/ on their estate in Ireland5 %ord ($ had /one out
shootin/ in the mornin/5 and was not e7pected to return till towards dinner time$
In the course o4 the a4ternoon, %ady ($ and a 4riend were walin/ on the terrace
that 4orms a promenade in 4ront o4 the castle, when she said, "@h, there is ($
returnin/!" whereupon she called to him to 8oin them$ #e, howe*er, too no
notice, but waled on be4ore them, till they saw him enter the house, whither they
4ollowed him5 but he was not to be 4ound5 and be4ore they had reco*ered their
surprise at his sudden disappearance, he was brou/ht home dead5 ha*in/ been
illed by his own /un$ It is a curious 4act in this case, that whilst the ladies were
walin/ behind the 4i/ure, on the terrace, %ady ($ called the attention o4 her
companion to the shootin/ 8acet, obser*in/ that it was a particularly con*enient
one, and that she had the credit o4 ha*in/ contri*ed it 4or him hersel4$
0 person in :dinbur/h, busied about her daily wor, saw a woman enter her
house with whom she was on such ill terms that she could not but be surprised at
the *isit5 but whilst she was e7pectin/ an e7planation, and under the in4luence o4
her resentment a*oidin/ to loo at her, she 4ound she was /one$ )he remained
quite unable to account 4or the *isit, and as she said, "was wonderin/ what had
brou/ht her there," when she heard that the woman had e7pired at that precise
time$
(adame @$ 9$ was en/a/ed to marry an o44icer who was with his re/iment in
India5 and wishin/ to li*e in pri*acy till the union too place, she retired to the
country and boarded with some ladies o4 her acquaintance, awaitin/ his return$
)he, at len/th, heard that he had obtained an appointment, which, by impro*in/
his prospects, had remo*ed some di44iculties out o4 the way o4 the marria/e, and
that he was immediately comin/ home$ 0 short time a4ter the arri*al o4 this
intelli/ence, this lady and one o4 those with whom she was residin/, were
walin/ o*er a brid/e, when the 4riend said, alludin/ to an o44icer, she saw on the
other side o4 the way, "what an e7traordinary e7pression o4 4ace$" 9ut without
pausin/ to answer, (adame @$ 9$ darted across the road to meet the stran/er "
but he was /one! .here< They could not concei*e$ They ran to the toll"eepers
at the ends o4 the brid/e to enquire i4 they had obser*ed such a person5 but they
had not$ 0larmed and perple7ed, 4or it was her intended husband that she had
seen, (adame @$ 9$ returned home5 and in due time the pacet that should ha*e
brou/ht himsel4, brou/ht the sad tidin/s o4 his une7pected death$
(adame @$ 9$ ne*er reco*ered the shoc, and died hersel4 o4 a broen heart not
lon/ a4terwards$
(r$ #$, an eminent artist, was walin/ arm in arm, with a 4riend, in :dinbur/h,
when he suddenly le4t him, sayin/, "@h, there's my brother!" #e had seen him
with the most entire distinctness, but was con4ounded by losin/ si/ht o4 him,
without bein/ able to ascertain whither he had *anished$ &ews came, ere lon/,
that at that precise period his brother had died$
(rs$ T$, sittin/ in her drawin/"room, saw her nephew, then at Cambrid/e, pass
across the ad8oinin/ room$ )he started up to meet him, and, not 4indin/ him,
summoned the ser*ants to as where he was$ They, howe*er, had not seen him,
and declared he could not be there5 whilst she as positi*ely declared he was$ The
youn/ man had died, at Cambrid/e, quite une7pectedly$
0 )cotch minister went to *isit a 4riend, who was dan/erously ill$ 04ter sittin/ with
the in*alid 4or some time, he le4t him to tae some rest, and went below$ #e had
been readin/ in the library some little time, when, on looin/ up, he saw the sic
man standin/ at the door$ "6od bless me!" he cried, startin/ up, "how can you be
so imprudent<" The 4i/ure disappeared5 and hastenin/ upstairs, he 4ound his
4riend had e7pired$
Three youn/ men, at Cambrid/e, had been out huntin/, and a4terwards dined
to/ether in the apartments o4 one o4 them$ 04ter dinner, two o4 the party, 4ati/ued
with their mornin/'s e7ercise, 4ell asleep, whilst, the third, a (r$ ($, remained
awae$ 1resently the door opened, and a /entleman entered and placed himsel4
behind the sleepin/ owner o4 the rooms, and, a4ter standin/ there a minute,
proceeded into the /yp"room " a small inner chamber, 4rom which there was no
e/ress$ (r$ ($ waited a little while, e7pectin/ the stran/er would come out a/ain5
but as he did not, he awoe his host, sayin/, "There's somebody /one into your
room5 I don't now who it can be$"
The youn/ man rose and looed into the /yp"room, but there bein/ nobody there
he naturally accused (r$ ($ o4 dreamin/5 but the other assured him he had not
been asleep$ #e then described the stran/er " an elderly man, dressed lie a
country squire, with /aiters on, and so 4orth$ ".hy that's my 4ather," said the host,
and he immediately made enquiry, thinin/ it possible the old /entleman had slipt
out unobser*ed by (r$ ($ #e was not, howe*er, to be heard o45 and the post
shortly brou/ht a letter announcin/ that he had died at the time he had been
seen in his son's chamber at Cambrid/e$
(r$ C$ 3$ and some youn/ ladies were not lon/ a/o, standin/ to/ether looin/ in
at a shop window, at 9ri/hton, when he suddenly darted across the way and they
saw him hurryin/ alon/ the street, apparently in pursuit o4 somebody$ 04ter
waitin/ a little while, as he did not return, they went home without him5 and when
he came, they o4 course arrai/ned him 4or his want o4 /allantry$
"I be/ your pardon," said he5 "but I saw an acquaintance o4 mine that owes me
some money, and I wanted to /et hold o4 him$"
"0nd did you<" enquired the ladies$
"&o," returned he5 "I ept si/ht o4 him some time5 but I suddenly missed him$ I
can't thin how$"
&o more was thou/ht o4 the matter5 but by the ne7t mornin/'s post, (r$ C$ 3$
recei*ed a letter, enclosin/ a drau/ht 4rom the 4ather o4 the youn/ man he had
seen, sayin/, that his son had 8ust e7pired5 and that one o4 his last requests had
been that he would pay (r$ C$ 3$ the money that he owed him$
Two youn/ ladies stayin/ at the Nueen's 3erry, arose one mornin/ early, to
bathe5 as they descended the stairs, they each e7claimed, "There's my uncle!"
They had seen him standin/ by the cloc$ #e died at that time$
Very lately, a /entleman li*in/ in :dinbur/h, whilst sittin/ with his wi4e, suddenly
arose 4rom his seat, and ad*anced towards the door, with his hand e7tended, as
i4 about to welcome a *isitor$ @n his wi4e's enquirin/ what he was about, he
answered that he had seen so"and"so enter the room$ )he had seen nobody$ 0
day or two a4terwards the post brou/ht a letter announcin/ the death o4 the
person seen$
0 re/iment, not *ery lon/ since, stationed at &ew @rleans, had a temporary
messroom erected, at one end o4 which was a door 4or the o44icers5 and at the
other, a door and a space railed o44 4or the mess"man$ @ne day, two o4 the
o44icers were playin/ at chess, or drau/hts, one sittin/ with his 4ace towards the
centre o4 the room, the other with his bac to it$ "9less me! why, surely that is
your brother!" e7claimed the 4ormer to the latter, who looed ea/erly round, his
brother bein/ then, as he belie*ed, in :n/land$ 9y this time, the 4i/ure ha*in/
passed the spot where the o44icers were sittin/, presented only his bac to them$
"&o," replied the second, "that is not my brother's re/iment5 that's the uni4orm o4
the ?i4le 9ri/ade$ 9y hea*ens! it is my brother, thou/h5" he added, startin/ up,
and ea/erly pursuin/ the stran/er, who at that moment turned his head and
looed at him, and then, somehow, stran/ely disappeared amon/st the people
standin/ at the mess"man's end o4 the room$ )upposin/ he had /one out that
way, the brother pursued him, but he was not to be 4ound5 neither had the mess"
man, nor anybody there, obser*ed him$ The youn/ man died at that time in
:n/land, ha*in/ 8ust e7chan/ed into the ?i4le 9ri/ade$
I could 4ill pa/es with similar instances, not to mention those recorded in other
collections and in history$ The case o4 %ord 9alcarres is perhaps worth alludin/
to, 4rom its bein/ so per4ectly well established$ &obody has e*er disputed the
truth o4 it, only they /et out o4 the di44iculty by sayin/ that it was a spectral illusion!
%ord 9$ was in con4inement in the castle o4 :dinbur/h, under suspicion o4
Dacobitism, when one mornin/, whilst lyin/ in bed, the curtains were drawn aside
by his 4riend, Viscount -undee, who looed upon him stead4astly, leaned 4or
some time on the mantle piece and then waled out o4 the room$ %ord 9$ not
supposin/ that what he saw was a spectre, called to -undee to come bac and
spea to him, but he was /one5 and shortly a4terwards the news came that he
had 4allen about that same hour at ;illicrany$
3inally, I ha*e met with three instances o4 persons who are so much the sub8ects
o4 this phenomenon, that they see the wraith o4 most persons that dies belon/in/
to them, and 4requently o4 those who are merely acquaintance$ They see the
person as i4 he were ali*e, and unless they now him positi*ely to be elsewhere,
they ha*e no suspicion but that it is himsel4, in the 4lesh, that is be4ore them, till
the sudden disappearance o4 the 4i/ure brin/s the con*iction$ )ometimes, as in
the case o4 (r$ C$ 3$ abo*e alluded to, no suspicion arises, till the news o4 the
death arri*es, and they mention, without reser*e, that they ha*e met so and so,
but he did not stop to spea, and so 4orth$
@n other occasions, howe*er, the circumstances o4 the appearance are such,
that the seer is instantly aware o4 its nature$ In the 4irst place, the time and
locality may produce the con*iction$
(rs$ D$ waes her husband in the ni/ht, and tells him she has 8ust seen her 4ather
pass throu/h the room " she bein/ in the .est Indies and her 4ather in :n/land$
#e died that ni/ht$ %ord T$ bein/ at sea, on his way to Calcutta, saw his wi4e
enter his cabin$
(rs$ (ac$$$, o4 )y, went 4rom %ynedale where she resided, to pay a *isit in
1erthshire$ -urin/ her absence, there was a ball /i*en at %$5 and when it was
o*er, three youn/ ladies, two o4 them her dau/hters, assembled in their bedroom
to tal o*er the e*enin/'s amusement$ )uddenly, one o4 them cried, "@ 6od! my
mother$" They all saw her pass across the room towards a chest o4 drawers,
where she *anished$ They immediately told their 4riends what they had seen5 and
a4terwards learnt that the lady died that ni/ht$
%ord ($ bein/ 4rom home, saw %ady ($, whom he had le4t two days be4ore,
per4ectly well, standin/ at the 4oot o4 his bed5 aware o4 the nature o4 the
appearance, but wishin/ to satis4y himsel4 that it was not a mere spectral illusion,
he called his ser*ant, who slept in the dressin/"room, and said to him, "Dohn,
who's that<" "It's my lady!'' replied the man$ %ady ($ had been seiBed with
in4lammation and died a4ter a 4ew hours illness$ This circumstance awaened so
much interest at the time, that I am in4ormed by a member o4 the 4amily, 6eor/e
the Third was not satis4ied without hearin/ the particulars both 4rom %ord ($ and
the ser*ant, also$
9ut, besides time and locality, there are *ery 4requently other circumstances
accompanyin/ the appearance, which not only show the 4orm to be spectral, but
also mae nown to the seer the nature o4 the death that has taen place$
0 lady, with whose 4amily I am acquainted, had a son abroad$ @ne ni/ht she was
lyin/ in bed, with a door open which led into an ad8oinin/ room, where there was
a 4ire$ )he had not been to sleep, when she saw her son cross this ad8oinin/
room and approach the 4ire, o*er which he leant, as i4 *ery cold$ )he saw that he
was shi*erin/ and drippin/ wet$ )he immediately e7claimed, "That's my 6$!" The
4i/ure turned its 4ace round, looed at her sadly, and disappeared$ That same
ni/ht the youn/ man was drowned$
(r$ 1$, the 0merican mana/er, in one o4 his *oya/es to :n/land, bein/ in bed,
one ni/ht, between sleepin/ and wain/, was disturbed by somebody comin/
into his cabin, drippin/ with water$ #e concluded that the person had 4allen
o*erboard, and ased him why he came there to disturb him, when there were
plenty o4 other places 4or him to /o to< The man muttered somethin/ indistinctly,
and (r$ 1$ then percei*ed that it was his own brother$ This roused him
completely, and 4eelin/ quite certain that somebody had been there, he /ot out o4
bed to 4eel i4 the carpet was wet on the spot where his brother stood$ It was not,
howe*er5 and when he questioned his shipmates, the 4ollowin/ mornin/, they
assured him that nobody had been o*erboard, nor had anybody been in his
cabin$ Cpon this, he noted down the date and the particulars o4 the e*ent, and,
on his arri*al at %i*erpool, sent the paper sealed, to a 4riend in %ondon, desirin/ it
mi/ht not be opened till he wrote a/ain$ The Indian post, in due time, brou/ht the
intelli/ence that on that ni/ht (r$ 1$'s brother was drowned$
0 similar case to this is that o4 Captain ;idd, which %ord 9yron used to say he
heard 4rom Captain ;$ himsel4$ #e was, one ni/ht awaened in his hammoc, by
4eelin/ somethin/ hea*y lyin/ upon him$ #e opened his eyes, and saw, or
thou/ht he saw, by the indistinct li/ht in the cabin, his brother, in uni4orm, lyin/
across the bed$ Concludin/ that this was only an illusion arisin/ out o4 some
4ore/one dream, he closed his eyes a/ain to sleep5 but a/ain he 4elt the wei/ht,
and there was the 4orm still lyin/ across the bed$ #e now stretched out his hand,
and 4elt the uni4orm, which was quite wet$ 0larmed, he called out 4or somebody to
come to him5 and, as one o4 the o44icers entered, the 4i/ure disappeared$ #e
a4terwards learnt, that his brother was drowned on that ni/ht in the Indian @cean$
9en Donson told -rummond, o4 #awthornden, that, bein/ at )ir ?obert Cotton's
house, in the country, with old Cambden, he saw, in a *ision, his eldest son, then
a child at %ondon, appear to him with a mar o4 a bloody cross on his 4orehead5
at which, amaBed, he prayed to 6od5 and, in the mornin/ mentioned the
circumstance to (r$ Cambden, who persuaded him it was 4ancy$ In the mean
time, came letters announcin/ that the boy had died o4 the pla/ue$ The custom o4
indicatin/ an in4ected house by a red cross, is here su//ested5 the cross,
apparently, symboliBin/ the manner o4 the death$
(r$ )$ C$ a /entleman o4 4ortune, had a son in India$ @ne 4ine calm summer's
mornin/, in the year 1'+I, he and his wi4e were sittin/ at brea4ast, when she
arose and went to the window5 upon which, turnin/ his eyes in the same
direction, he started up and 4ollowed her, sayin/, "(y dear, do you see that<"
")urely," she replied, "it is our son$ %et us /o to him!" 0s she was *ery much
a/itated, howe*er, he be//ed her to sit down and reco*er hersel45 and when they
looed a/ain, the 4i/ure was /one$ The appearance was that o4 their son,
precisely as they had last seen him$ They too note o4 the hour, and a4terwards
learnt that he had died in India at that period$
0 lady, with whose 4amily I am acquainted, was sittin/ with her son, named
0ndrew, when she suddenly e7claimed that she had seen him pass the window,
in a white mantle$ 0s the window was hi/h 4rom the /round, and o*erhun/ a
precipice, no one could ha*e passed5 else, she said, "#ad there been a path, and
he not beside her at the moment, she should ha*e thou/ht he had waled by on
stilts$" Three days a4terwards, 0ndrew was seiBed with a 4e*er which he had
cau/ht 4rom *isitin/ some sic nei/hbours5 and e7pired a4ter a short illness$
In 1+I', when se*eral people were illed in consequence o4 a 4alse alarm o4 4ire,
at )adler's .ells, a woman named 1rice, in /i*in/ her e*idence at the inquest,
said, that her little /irl had /one into the itchen about hal4"past ten o'cloc, and
was surprised to see her brother there, whom she supposed to be at the Theatre$
)he spoe to him5 whereupon, he disappeared$ The child immediately told her
mother, who, alarmed, set o44 to the theatre and 4ound the boy dead$
In the year 1+1=, a youn/ lady in 9erlin, whose intended husband was with the
army at -usseldor4, heard someone noc at the door o4 her chamber, and her
lo*er entered in a white ne/li/e, stained with blood$ Thinin/ that this *ision
proceeded 4rom some disorder in hersel4, she arose and quitted the room to call
the ser*ant5 who not bein/ at hand, she returned, and 4ound the 4i/ure there still$
)he now became much alarmed, and ha*in/ mentioned the circumstance to her
4ather, enquiries were made o4 some prisoners that were marchin/ throu/h the
town, and it was ascertained, that the youn/ man had been wounded and had
been carried to the house o4 -r$ :hrlic, in %eipsic, with /reat hopes o4 reco*ery$
It a4terwards pro*ed, howe*er, that he had died at that period, and that his last
thou/hts were with her$ This lady earnestly wished and prayed 4or another such
*isit5 but she ne*er saw him a/ain$
In the same year, a woman in 9a*aria, who had a brother with the army in
?ussia, was one day at 4ield"wor, on the sirts o4 a 4orest, and e*erythin/ quiet
around her, when she repeatedly 4elt hersel4 hit by small stones, thou/h, on
looin/ round, she could see nobody$ 0t len/th, supposin/ it was some 8est, she
threw down her implements and stept into the wood whence they had proceeded,
when she saw a headless 4i/ure, in a soldier's mantle, leanin/ a/ainst a tree$
04raid to approach, she summoned some labourers 4rom a nei/hbourin/ 4ield,
who also saw it5 but on /oin/ up to it, it disappeared$ The woman declared her
con*iction that the circumstance indicated her brother's death5 and it was
a4terwards ascertained that he had, on that day, 4allen in a trench$
)ome 4ew years a/o, a (rs$ #$, residin/ in %imeric, had a ser*ant whom she
much esteemed, called &elly #aulon$ &elly was a *ery steady person, who
seldom ased 4or a holiday, and consequently (rs$ #$ was the less disposed to
re4use her, when she requested a day's lea*e o4 absence 4or the purpose o4
attendin/ a 4air, that was to tae place a 4ew miles o44$ The petition was there4ore
4a*orably heard, but when (r$ #$ came home and was in4ormed o4 &elly's
proposed e7cursion, he said she could not be spared, as he had in*ited some
people to dinner 4or that day, and he had nobody he could trust with the eys o4
the cellar e7cept &elly5 addin/, that it was not liely his business would allow him
to /et home time enou/h to brin/ up the wine himsel4$
Cnwillin/, howe*er, a4ter /i*in/ her consent, to disappoint the /irl, (rs$ #$ said
that she would hersel4 undertae the cellar department on the day in question5 so
when the wished 4or mornin/ arri*ed, &elly departed in /reat spirits, ha*in/
4aith4ully promised to return that ni/ht, i4 possible, or at the latest, the 4ollowin/
mornin/$
The day passed as usual and nothin/ was thou/ht about &elly, till the time
arri*ed 4or 4etchin/ up the wine, when (rs$ #$, proceeded to the cellar stairs with
the ey, 4ollowed by a ser*ant carryin/ a bottle"baset$ )he had, howe*er,
scarcely be/un to descend when she uttered a loud scream and dropt down in a
state o4 insensibility$ )he was carried up stairs and laid upon the bed, whilst, to
the amaBement o4 the other ser*ants, the /irl who had accompanied her, said,
that they had seen &elly #anlon, drippin/ with water, standin/ at the bottom o4
the stairs$ (r$ #$ bein/ sent 4or, or comin/ home at the moment, this story was
repeated to him5 whereupon he repro*ed the woman 4or her 4olly5 and, proper
restorati*es bein/ applied, (rs$ #$ at len/th be/an to re*i*e$ 0s she opened her
eyes, she hea*ed a deep si/h sayin/, "@h, &elly #anlon," and as soon as she
was su44iciently reco*ered to spea, she corroborated what the /irl had said5 she
had seen &elly at the 4oot o4 the cellar stairs, drippin/ as i4 she had 8ust come out
o4 the water$ (r$ #$ used his utmost e44orts to persuade his wi4e out o4 what he
looed upon to be an illusion5 but in *ain$ "&elly," said he, "will come home by
and by and lau/h at you," whilst she, on the contrary, 4elt sure that &elly was
dead$
The ni/ht came, and the mornin/ came, but there was no &elly$ .hen two or
three days had passed, enquiries were made5 and it was ascertained that she
had been seen at the 4air, and had started to return home in the e*enin/5 but
4rom that moment all traces o4 her were lost, till her body was ultimately 4ound in
the ri*er$ #ow she came by her death, was ne*er nown$
&ow, in most o4 these cases, which I ha*e abo*e detailed, the person was seen
where his dyin/ thou/hts mi/ht naturally be supposed to ha*e 4lown, and the *isit
seems to ha*e been made either immediately be4ore or immediately a4ter the
dissolution o4 the body5 in either case we may ima/ine that the 4inal partin/ o4 the
spirit had taen place, e*en i4 the or/anic li4e was not quite e7tinct$ I ha*e met
with some cases in which we are not le4t in any doubt, with respect to what were
the last wishes o4 the dyin/ personA 4or e7ample, a lady, with whom I am
acquainted, was on her way to India, when near the end o4 her *oya/e, she was
one ni/ht awaened by a rustlin/ in her cabin, and a consciousness that there
was somethin/ ho*erin/ about her$ )he sat up, and saw a bluish cloudy 4orm
mo*in/ away5 but persuadin/ hersel4 it must be 4ancy, she addressed hersel4
a/ain to sleep5 but as soon as she lay down, she both heard and 4elt the same
thin/A it seemed to her as i4 this cloudy 4orm hun/ o*er and en*eloped her$
@*ercome with horror, she screamed$ The cloud then mo*ed away, assumin/
distinctly a human shape$ The people about her naturally persuaded her that she
had been dreamin/5 and she wished to thin so5 but when she arri*ed in India,
the 4irst thin/ she heard was, that a *ery particular 4riend had come down to
Calcutta to be ready to recei*e her on her landin/, but that he had been taen ill
and died, sayin/, he only wished to li*e to see his old 4riend once more$ #e had
e7pired on the ni/ht she saw the shadowy 4orm in her room$
0 *ery 4ri/ht4ul instance o4 this ind o4 phenomenon is related by -r$ #$ .erner,
o4 9aron :milius *on @$ This youn/ man had been sent to prosecute his studies
in 1aris5 but 4ormin/ some bad connections, he became dissipated, and
ne/lected them$ #is 4ather's counsels were unheeded, and his letters remained
unanswered$ @ne day the youn/ baron was sittin/ alone on a seat, in the 9ois de
9oulo/ne, and had 4allen somewhat into a re*erie, when, on raisin/ his eyes, he
saw his 4ather's 4orm be4ore him$ 9elie*in/ it to be a mere spectral illusion, he
struc at the shadow with his ridin/"whip, upon which it disappeared$ The ne7t
day brou/ht him a letter ur/in/ his return home instantly, i4 he wished to see his
parent ali*e$ #e went, but 4ound the old man already in his /ra*e$ The persons
who had been about him said, that he had been quite conscious, and had a /reat
lon/in/ to see his son5 he had, indeed, e7hibited one symptom o4 delirium, which
was, that a4ter e7pressin/ this desire, he had suddenly e7claimed, "(y 6od! he is
striin/ at me with his ridin/"whip!" and immediately e7pired$ In this case, the
condition o4 the dyin/ man resembles that o4 a somnambulist, in which the
patient describes what he sees tain/ place at a distance5 and the archi*es o4
ma/netism 4urnish some instances, especially that o4 0u/uste (uller, o4
;arlsruhe, in which, by the 4orce o4 will, the sleeper has not only been able to
brin/ intelli/ence 4rom a distance, but also, lie the 0merican ma/ician, to mae
himsel4 *isible$ The 4aculties o4 prophecy and clear or 4ar"seein/, 4requently
disclosed by dyin/ persons, is 4ully acnowled/ed by -r$ 0bercrombie, and other
physiolo/ists$
(r$ 3$ saw a 4emale relati*e, one ni/ht, by his bed"side$ Thinin/ it was a tric o4
some one to 4ri/hten him, he struc at the 4i/ure5 whereon she said, ".hat ha*e I
done< I now I should ha*e told it you be4ore$" This lady was dyin/ at a distance,
earnestly desirin/ to spea to (r$ 3, be4ore she departed$
I will conclude this chapter with the 4ollowin/ e7tract 4rom "%ochart's %i4e o4
)cott"A "
".alter )cott to -aniel Terry, 0pril =I, 1+1+$ EThe new house at 0bbots4ord
bein/ then in pro/ress, )cott li*in/ in an older part, close ad8oinin/$G
"$ $ $ The e7posed state o4 my house has led to a mysterious disturbance$ The
ni/ht be4ore last we were awaened by a *iolent noise, lie drawin/ hea*y
boards alon/ the new part o4 the house$ I 4ancied somethin/ had 4allen, and
thou/ht no more about it$ This was about two in the mornin/$ %ast ni/ht, at the
same witchin/ hour, the *ery same noise occurred$ (rs$ )$, as you now, is
rather timbersome5 so up I /ot, with 9eardie's broad sword under my arm "
"'9olt upri/ht,
0nd ready to 4i/ht$'
"9ut nothin/ was out o4 order, neither can I disco*er what occasioned the
disturbance$"
(r$ %ochart adds, "@n the mornin/ that (r$ Terry recei*ed the 4ore/oin/ letter,
in %ondon, (r$ .illiam :rsine was brea4astin/ with him, and the chie4 sub8ect
o4 their con*ersation was the sudden death o4 6eor/e 9ulloc, which had
occurred on the same ni/ht, and, as nearly as they could ascertain, at the *ery
hour when )cott was roused 4rom his sleep by the 'mysterious disturbance' here
described$ This coincidence, when )cott recei*ed :rsine's minute detail o4 what
had happened in Tenterdon street Ethat is the death o4 9ulloc, who had the
char/e o4 4urnishin/ the new rooms at 0bbots4ordG, made a much stron/er
impression on his mind than mi/ht be /athered 4rom the tone o4 an ensuin/
communication$"
It appears that 9ulloc had been at 0bbots4ord, and made himsel4 a /reat
4a*ourite with old and youn/$ )cott, a wee or two a4terwards, wrote thus to
Terry, ".ere you not struc with the 4antastical coincidence o4 our nocturnal
disturbances at 0bbots4ord, with the melancholy e*ent that 4ollowed< I protest to
you, the noise resembled hal4"a"doBen men hard at wor, puttin/ up boards and
4urniture5 and nothin/ can be more certain than that there was nobody on the
premises at the time$ .ith a 4ew additional touches, the story would 4i/ure in
6lan*ille or 0ubrey's collection$ In the mean time, you may set it down with poor
-ubisson's warnin/s, as a remarable coincidence comin/ under your own
obser*ation$"
""""""""""
*hapter 2+++ ( Doppelgangers, or Dou#les
In the instances detailed in the last chapter the apparition has shown itsel4, as
nearly as could be disco*ered, at the moment o4 dissolution5 but there are many
cases in which the wraith is seen at an inde4inite period be4ore or a4ter the
catastrophe$ @4 these, I could quote a /reat number, but as they /enerally
resol*e themsel*es into simply seein/ a person where they were not, and death
ensuin/ *ery shortly a4terwards, a 4ew will su44ice$
There is a *ery remarable story o4 this ind, related by (acnish, which he calls
"a case o4 hallucination, arisin/ without the indi*idual bein/ conscious o4 any
physical cause by which it mi/ht be occasioned$" I4 this case stood alone, stran/e
as it is, I should thin so, too5 but when similar instances abound, as they do, I
cannot brin/ mysel4 to dispose o4 it so easily$ The story is as 4ollowsA " (r$ #$ was
one day walin/ alon/ the street, apparently in per4ect health, when he saw, or
supposed he saw, his acquaintance, (r$ C$, walin/ be4ore him$ #e called to
him, aloud, but he did not seem to hear him, and continued mo*in/ on$ (r$ #$
then quicened his pace 4or the purpose o4 o*ertain/ him, but the other
increased his, also, as i4 to eep ahead o4 his pursuer, and proceeded at such a
rate that (r$ #$ 4ound it impossible to mae up to him$ This continued 4or some
time, till, on (r$ C$ reachin/ a /ate, he opened it and passed in, slammin/ it
*iolently in (r$ #$'s 4ace$ Con4ounded at such treatment 4rom a 4riend, the latter
instantly opened the /ate, and looed down the lon/ lane into which it led, where,
to his astonishment, no one was to be seen$ -etermined to unra*el the mystery,
he then went to (r$ C$'s house, and his surprise was /reat to hear that he was
con4ined to his bed, and had been so 4or se*eral days$ 0 wee or two a4terwards,
these /entlemen met at the house o4 a common 4riend, when (r$ #$ related the
circumstance, 8ocularly tellin/ (r$ C$ that, as he had seen his wraith, he o4 course
could not li*e lon/$ The person addressed, lau/hed heartily, as did the rest o4 the
party5 but in a 4ew days, (r$ C$ was attaced with putrid sore throat, and died5
and, within a short period o4 his death, (r$ #$ was also in the /ra*e$
This is a *ery striin/ caseA the hastenin/ on and the actually openin/ and
shuttin/ the /ate, e*incin/ not only will but power to produce mechanical e44ects,
at a time the person was bodily elsewhere$ It is true he was ill, and, it is hi/hly
probable, was at the time asleep$ The showin/ himsel4 to (r$ #$, who was so
soon to 4ollow him to the /ra*e, is another peculiarity which appears 4requently to
attend these cases, and which seems lie what was in old :n/lish, and is still, in
)cotch, called a tryst ( an appointment to meet a/ain betwi7t those spirits, so
soon to be 4ree$ )upposin/ (r$ C$ to ha*e been asleep, he was possibly, in that
state, aware o4 what impended o*er both$
There is a still more remarable case, /i*en by (r$ 9arnaul, in his reminiscences$
I ha*e no other authority 4or it5 but he relates, as a 4act, that a respectable youn/
woman was awaed, one ni/ht, by hearin/ somebody in her room, and that on
looin/ up, she saw a youn/ man, to whom she was en/a/ed$ :7tremely
o44ended by such an intrusion, she bade him instantly depart, i4 he wished her
e*er to spea to him a/ain$ .hereupon, he bade her not be 4ri/htened5 but said
he was come to tell her that he was to die that day si7 wees, and then
disappeared$ #a*in/ ascertained that the youn/ man himsel4 could not possibly
ha*e been in her room, she was naturally much alarmed, and, her e*ident
depression leadin/ to some enquiries, she communicated what had occurred to
the 4amily with whom she li*ed " I thin as dairymaid5 but I quote 4rom memory$
They attached little importance to what seemed so improbable, more especially
as the youn/ man continued in per4ectly /ood health, and entirely i/norant o4 this
prediction, which his mistress had the prudence to conceal 4rom him$ .hen the
4atal day arri*ed, these ladies saw the /irl looin/ *ery cheer4ul, as they were
/oin/ 4or their mornin/'s ride, and obser*ed to each other that the prophecy did
not seem liely to be 4ul4illed5 but when they returned, they saw her runnin/ up
the a*enue towards the house, in /reat a/itation, and learned that her lo*er was
either dead, or dyin/, I thin, in consequence o4 an accident$
The only ey I can su//est as the e7planation o4 such a phenomenon as this, is,
that the youn/ man, in his sleep, was aware o4 the 4ate that awaited him5 and that
whilst his body lay in his bed, in a state approachin/ to trance or catalepsy, the
4reed spirit " 4ree as the spirits o4 the actual dead " went 4orth to tell the tale to the
mistress o4 his soul$
3ranB *on 9aader, says in a letter to -r$ ;erner, that :cartshausen, shortly
be4ore his death, assured him that he possessed the power o4 main/ a person's
double or wraith appear, whilst his body lay elsewhere, in a state o4 trance or
catalepsy$ #e added that the e7periment mi/ht be dan/erous, i4 care were not
taen to pre*ent interceptin/ the rapport o4 the etherial 4orm with the material
one$
0 lady, an entire disbelie*er in these spiritual phenomena, was one day walin/
in her own /arden with her husband, who was indisposed, leanin/ on her arm,
when seein/ a man with his bac towards them, and a spade in his hand,
di//in/, she e7claimed, "%oo there! .ho's that<" ".here<" said her companion5
and at that moment, the 4i/ure leanin/ on the spade, turned round, and looed at
her, sadly shain/ its head5 and she saw it was her husband$ )he a*oided an
e7planation, by pretendin/ she had made a mistae$ Three days a4terwards the
/entleman died5 lea*in/ her entirely con*erted to a belie4 she had pre*iously
sco44ed at$
#ere, a/ain, the 4orenowled/e and e*ident desi/n, as well as the power o4
mani4estin/ it, is e7tremely curious$ (ore especially, as the antitype o4 the 4i/ure
was neither in a trance nor asleep, but per4ectly conscious, walin/ and talin/$ I4
any particular purpose were to be /ained, by the in4ormation indicated, the
solution mi/ht be less di44icult$ @ne ob8ect, it is true, may ha*e been, and indeed,
was attained, namely, the chan/e in the opinions o4 the wi4e5 and it is impossible
to say, what in4luence such a con*ersion may ha*e had on her a4ter li4e$
It must be admitted that these cases are *ery perple7in/$ .e mi/ht, indeed, /et
rid o4 them by denyin/ them, but the instances are too numerous, and the
phenomenon has been too well nown in all a/es to be set aside so easily$ In the
abo*e e7amples the apparition, or wraith, has been in some way connected with
the death o4 the person whose *isionary lieness is seen5 and, in most o4 these
instances, the earnest lon/in/ to behold those belo*ed, seems to ha*e been the
means o4 e44ectin/ the ob8ect$ The mystery o4 death is to us so aw4ul and
impenetrable, and we now so little o4 the mode in which the spiritual and the
corporeal are united and ept to/ether durin/ the continuance o4 li4e, or what
condition may ensue when this connection is about to be dissol*ed, that whilst
we loo with wonder upon such phenomena as these abo*e alluded to, we yet
4ind *ery 4ew persons who are disposed to re8ect them as utterly apocryphal$
They 4eel that in that department, already so mysterious, there may e7ist a
/reater mystery still5 and the *ery terror with which the thou/hts o4 present death
inspires most minds, deters people 4rom treatin/ this class o4 4acts with that
scorn4ul scepticism with which many appro7imate ones are denied and lau/hed
at$ &e*ertheless, i4 we suppose the person to ha*e been dead, thou/h it be but
an inappreciable instant o4 time, be4ore he appears, the appearance comes
under the denomination o4 what is commonly called a /host5 4or, whether the
spirit has been parted 4rom the body one second or 4i4ty years, ou/ht to mae no
di44erence in our appreciation o4 the 4act, nor is the di44iculty less in one case than
the other$
I mention this, because I ha*e met with, and do meet with people constantly, who
admit this class o4 4acts, whilst they declare they cannot belie*e in /hosts5 the
instances, they say, o4 people bein/ seen at a distance at the period o4 their
death, are too numerous to permit o4 the 4act bein/ denied$ In /rantin/ it,
howe*er, they seem to me to /rant e*erythin/$ I4, as I ha*e said abo*e, the
person be dead, the 4orm seen is a /host or spectre, whether he has been dead
a second or a century5 i4 he be ali*e, the di44iculty is certainly not diminished, on
the contrary, it appears to me to be considerably au/mented5 and it is to this
perple7in/ class o4 4acts I shall ne7t proceed5 namely, those in which the person
is not only ali*e, as in some o4 the cases abo*e related, but where the
phenomenon seems to occur without any re4erence to the death o4 the sub8ect,
present or prospecti*e$
In either case, we are 4orced to conclude that the thin/ seen is the same5 the
questions are, what is it that we see, and how does it render itsel4 *isible5 and,
still more di44icult to answer, appears the question, o4 how it can communicate
intelli/ence, or e7ert a mechanical 4orce$ 0s, howe*er, this in*esti/ation will be
more in its place when I ha*e reached that department o4 my sub8ect commonly
called /hosts, I will de4er it 4or the present, and merely con4ine mysel4 to that o4
-oubles, or -oppel/an/ers, as the 6ermans denominate the appearance o4 a
person out o4 his body$
In treatin/ o4 the case o4 0u/uste (uller, a remarable somnambule, who
possessed the power o4 appearin/ elsewhere, whilst his body lay cold and sti44 in
his bed$ 1ro4essor ;ieser, who attended him, says, that the phenomenon, as
re/ards the seer, must be looed upon as purely sub8ecti*e " that is, that there
was no outstandin/ 4orm o4 0u/uste (uller *isible to the sensuous or/ans, but
that the ma/netic in4luence o4 the somnambule, by the 4orce o4 his will, acted on
the ima/ination o4 the seer, and called up the ima/e which he belie*ed he saw$
9ut then, allowin/ this to be possible, as -r$ .erner says, how are we to account
4or those numerous cases in which there is no somnambule concerned in the
matter, and no especial rapport, that we are aware o4, established betwi7t the
parties< 0nd yet these latter cases are much the most 4requent5 4or, althou/h I
ha*e met with numerous instances recorded by the 6erman physiolo/ists o4
what is called 4ar"worin/ on the part o4 their somnambules, this power o4
appearin/ out o4 the body seems to be a *ery rare one$ (any persons will be
surprised at these allusions to a ind o4 ma/netic phenomena, o4 which, in this
country, so little is nown or belie*ed5 but the physiolo/ists and psycholo/ists o4
6ermany ha*e been studyin/ this sub8ect 4or the last 4i4ty years, and the *olumes
4illed with their theoretical *iews and records o4 cases, are numerous beyond
anythin/ the :n/lish public has an idea o4$
The only other theory I ha*e met with, which pretends to e7plain the mode o4 this
double appearance, is that o4 the spirit lea*in/ the body, as we ha*e supposed it
to do in cases o4 dreams and catalepsy5 in which instances, the ner*e"spirit,
which seems to be the archaeus or astral spirit o4 the ancient philosophers, has
the power o4 pro8ectin/ a *isible body out o4 the imponderable matter o4 the
atmosphere$ 0ccordin/ to this theory, this ner*e"spirit, which seems to be an
embodiment o4 " or rather, a body constructed out o4 the ner*ous 4luid, or ether "
in short, the spiritual body o4 )t$ 1aul, is the bond o4 union betwi7t the body and
the soul, or spirit5 and has the plastic 4orce o4 raisin/ up an aerial 4orm$ 9ein/ the
hi/hest or/anic power, it cannot by any other, physical or chemical, be
destroyed5 and when the body is cast o44, it 4ollows the soul5 and as, durin/ li4e, it
is the means by which the soul acts upon the body, and is thus enabled to
communicate with the e7ternal world, so when the spirit is disembodied, it is
throu/h this ner*e"spirit, that it can mae itsel4 *isible, and e*en e7ercise
mechanical powers$
It is certain, that not only somnambules, but sic persons, are occasionally
sensible o4 a 4eelin/ that seems to lend some countenance to this latter theory$
The /irl at Canton, 4or e7ample, mentioned in a 4ormer chapter, as well as many
somnambulic patients, declare, whilst their bodies are lyin/ sti44 and cold, that
they see it, as i4 out o4 it5 and, in some instances, they describe particulars o4 its
appearance, which they could not see in the ordinary way$ There are also
numerous cases o4 sic persons seein/ themsel*es double, where no tendency
to delirium or spectral illusion had been obser*ed$ These are, in this country,
always placed under the latter cate/ory5 but I 4ind *arious instances recorded by
the 6erman physiolo/ists, where this appearance has been seen by others, and
e*en by children, at the same time that it was felt by the in*alid$ In one o4 these
cases, I 4ind the sic person sayin/, "I cannot thin, how I am lyin/$ It seems to
me that I am di*ided and lyin/ in two places at once$" It is remarable, that a
4riend o4 my own, durin/ an illness in the autumn o4 1+,K, e7pressed precisely
the same 4eelin/5 we howe*er, saw nothin/ o4 this second e/o5 but it must be
remembered, that the seein/ these thin/s, as I ha*e said in a 4ormer chapter,
probably depends on a peculiar 4aculty or condition o4 the seer$ The ser*ant o4
:lisha was not blind, but yet he could not see what his master saw, till his eyes
were opened " that is, till he was rendered capable o4 percei*in/ spiritual ob8ects$
.hen 1eter was released 4rom prison by the an/el and it is not amiss here to
remar, that e*en he "wist not that it was true which was done by the an/el, but
thou/ht he saw a *ision," that is, he did not belie*e his senses, but supposed
himsel4 the *ictim o4 a spectral illusion " but when he was released, and went and
noced at the door o4 the /ate, where many o4 his 4riends were assembled, they
not concei*in/ it possible he could ha*e escaped, said, when the /irl who had
opened the door, insisted that he was there, "It is his an/el$" .hat did they mean
by this< The e7pression is not an an/el, but his an/el$ &ow, it is not a little
remarable, that in the :ast, to this day, a double, or dopple/an/er, is called a
man's an/el, or messen/er$ 0s we cannot suppose that this term was used
otherwise than seriously by the disciples that were /athered to/ether in (ar's
house, 4or they were in trouble about 1eter, and when he arri*ed were en/a/ed
in prayer, we are entitled to belie*e that they alluded to some reco/niBed
phenomenon$ They new, either that the lieness o4 a man " his spiritual sel4 "
sometimes appeared where bodily he was not5 and that this imago or idolon was
capable o4 e7ertin/ a mechanical 4orce, or else that other spirits sometimes
assumed a mortal 4orm, or they would not ha*e supposed it to be 1eter's an/el
that had noced at the /ate$
-r$ :nnemoser, who always leans to the physical, rather than the psychical
e7planation o4 a phenomenon, says, that the 4aculty o4 sel4"seein/, which is
analo/ous to seein/ another person's double, is to be considered an illusion5 but
that this ima/o o4 another seen at a distance, at the moment o4 death, must be
supposed to ha*e an ob8ecti*e reality$
9ut i4 we are capable o4 thus percei*in/ the ima/o o4 another person, I cannot
comprehend why we may not see our own5 unless, indeed, the 4ormer was ne*er
percei*ed, but when the body o4 the person seen, was in a state o4 insensibility5
but this does not always seem to be a necessary condition, as will appear by
some e7amples I am about to detail$ The 4aculty o4 percei*in/ the ob8ect, -r$
:nnemoser considers analo/ous to that o4 second si/ht, and thins it may be
e*ol*ed by local, as well as idiosyncratical, conditions$ The di44iculty arisin/ 4rom
the 4act, that some persons are in the habit o4 seein/ the wraiths o4 their 4riends
and relations must be e7plained by his hypothesis$ The spirit, as soon as
liberated 4rom the body, is adapted 4or communion with all spirits5 embodied or
otherwise, but all embodied spirits are not prepared 4or communion with it$
0 (r$ ?$, a /entleman who has attracted public attention by some scienti4ic
disco*eries, had had a 4it o4 illness at ?otterdam$ #e was in a state o4
con*alescence, but was still so 4ar tain/ care o4 himsel4 as to spend part o4 the
day in bed, when, as he was lyin/ there one mornin/, the door opened, and there
entered, in tears, a lady with whom he was intimately acquainted, but whom at
the time he belie*ed to be in :n/land$ )he waled hastily up to the side o4 his
bed, wrun/ her hands, e*incin/ by her /estures e7treme an/uish o4 mind, and
be4ore he could su44iciently reco*er his surprise to enquire the cause o4 her
distress and sudden appearance, she was /one$ )he did not disappear, but
waled out o4 the room a/ain, and (r$ ?$ immediately summoned the ser*ants o4
the hotel, 4or the purpose o4 main/ enquiries about the :n/lish lady " when she
came, what had happened to her, and where she had /one to, on quittin/ his
room< The people declared there was no such person there5 he insisted there
was, but they at len/th con*inced him that they, at least, new nothin/ about her$
.hen his physician *isited him, he naturally e7pressed the /reat perple7ity into
which he had been thrown by this circumstanceA and, as the doctor could 4ind no
symptoms about his patient that could warrant a suspicion o4 spectral illusion,
they made a note o4 the date and hour o4 the occurrence, and (r$ ?$ too the
earliest opportunity o4 ascertainin/ i4 anythin/ had happened to the lady in
question$ &othin/ had happened to hersel4, but at that precise period her son had
e7pired, and she was actually in the state o4 distress in which (r$ ?$ beheld her$
It would be e7tremely interestin/ to now whether her thou/hts had been *ery
intensely directed to (r$ ?$ at the moment5 but that is a point which I ha*e not
been able to ascertain$ 0t all e*ents, the impellin/ cause o4 the 4orm pro8ected,
be the mode o4 it what it may, appears to ha*e been *iolent emotion$ The
4ollowin/ circumstance, which is 4orwarded to me by the /entleman to whom it
occurred, appears to ha*e the same ori/inA
"@n the e*enin/ o4 the 12th o4 (arch, 1'F2," says (r$ #$, an artist, and a man o4
science, "I had been readin/ in the '1hilosophical Transactions,' and retired to my
room somewhat 4ati/ued, but not inclined to sleep$ It was a bri/ht moonli/ht
ni/ht, and I had e7tin/uished my candle and was sittin/ on the side o4 the bed,
deliberrately tain/ o44 my clothes, when I was amaBed to behold the *isible
appearance o4 my hal4"uncle, (r$ ?$ ?oberston, standin/ be4ore me5 and, at the
same instant, I heard the words, :-wice will #e sufficient7: The 4ace was so
distinct that I actually saw the pocpits$ #is dress seemed to be made o4 a stron/
twilled sort o4 saccloth, and o4 the same din/y colour$ It was more lie a
woman's dress than a man's " resemblin/ a petticoat, the nec"band close to the
chin, and the /arment co*erin/ the whole person, so that I saw neither hands nor
4eet$ .hilst the 4i/ure stood there, I twisted my 4in/ers till they craced, that I
mi/ht be sure I was awae$
"@n the 4ollowin/ mornin/, I enquired i4 anybody had heard lately o4 (r$ ?$, and
was well lau/hed at when I con4essed the ori/in o4 my enquiry$ I con4ess I
thou/ht he was dead5 but when my /rand4ather heard the story, he said that the
dress I described, resembled the strai/ht"8acet (r$ ?$ had been put in 4ormerly,
under an attac o4 insanity$ )ubsequently, we learnt that on the ni/ht, and at the
*ery hour I had seen him, he had attempted suicide, and been actually put into a
strai/ht"8acet$
"#e a4terwards reco*ered, and went to :/ypt with )ir ?alph 0bercrombie$ )ome
people lau/h at this story, and maintain that it was a delusion o4 the ima/ination5
but surely this is blinin/ the question! .hy should my ima/ination create such
an ima/e, whilst my mind was entirely en/rossed with a mathematical problem<"
The words "Twice will be su44icient" probably embodied the thou/ht, uttered or
not, o4 the maniac, under the in4luence o4 his emotion " two blows or two stabs
would be su44icient 4or his purpose$
-r$ ;erner relates a case o4 a -r$ Dohn 9$, who was studyin/ medicine in 1aris,
seein/ his mother, one ni/ht, shortly a4ter he had /ot into bed, and be4ore he had
put out his li/ht$ )he was dressed a4ter a 4ashion in which he had ne*er seen
her5 but she *anished5 and thus aware o4 the nature o4 the appearance, he
became much alarmed, and wrote home to enquire a4ter her health$ The answer
he recei*ed was, that she was e7tremely unwell, ha*in/ been under the most
intense an7iety on his account, 4rom hearin/ that se*eral medical students in
1aris had been arrested as resurrectionists5 and, nowin/ his passion 4or
anatomical in*esti/ations, she had apprehended he mi/ht be amon/st the
number$ The letter concluded with an earnest request that he would pay her a
*isit$ #e did so, and his surprise was so /reat on meetin/ her, to percei*e that
she was dressed e7actly as he had seen her in his room at 1aris, that he could
not, at 4irst, embrace her, and was obli/ed to e7plain the cause o4 his
astonishment and repu/nance$
0n analo/ous case to these is that o4 -r$ -onne, which is already mentioned in
so many publications, that I should not allude to it here, but 4or the purpose o4
showin/ that these e7amples belon/ to a class o4 4acts, and that it is not to be
supposed that similarity ar/ues identity, or that one and the same story is
reproduced with new names and localities$ I mention this, because when
circumstances o4 this ind are related, I sometimes hear people say, "@h, I ha*e
heard that story be4ore," but it was said to ha*e happened to (r$ )o"and"so, or at
such a place5 the truth bein/, that these thin/s happen in all places, and to a
/reat *ariety o4 people$
-r$ -onne was with the embassy, in 1aris, where he had been but a short time,
when his 4riend (r$ ?oberts enterin/ the salon, 4ound him in a state o4
considerable a/itation$ 0s soon as he was su44iciently reco*ered to spea, he
said that his wi4e had passed twice throu/h the room, with a dead child in her
arms$ 0n e7press was immediately dispatched to :n/land to enquire 4or the lady,
and the intelli/ence returned was, that, a4ter much su44erin/, she had been
deli*ered o4 a dead in4ant$ The deli*ery had taen place at the time that her
husband had seen her in 1aris$ &obody has disputed -r$ -onne's assertion that
he saw his wi4e, but, as usual, the case is crammed into the theory o4 spectral
illusions$ They say, -r$ -onne was naturally *ery an7ious about his wi4e's
approachin/ con4inement, o4 which he must ha*e been aware5 and that his
e7cited ima/ination did all the rest$ In the 4irst place, I do not 4ind it recorded that
he was su44erin/ any particular an7iety on the sub8ect5 and e*en i4 he were, the
coincidences in time and in the circumstance o4 the dead child, remain
une7plained$ &either are we led to belie*e that the doctor was unwell, or li*in/
the ind o4 li4e that is apt to breed thic"comin/ 4ancies$ #e was attached to the
embassy in the /ay city o4 1aris5 he had 8ust been tain/ luncheon with others o4
the suite, and had been le4t alone but a short time, when he was 4ound in the
state o4 amaBement abo*e described$
I4 such e7traordinary cases o4 spectral illusion as this, and many others I am
recordin/, can suddenly arise in constitutions apparently healthy, it is certainly
hi/h time that the medical world reconsider the sub8ect, and /i*e us some more
comprehensible theory o4 it5 i4 they are not cases o4 spectral illusion, but are to be
e7plained under that *a/ue and abused term +magination, let us be told
somethin/ more about Ima/ination " a ser*ice which those who consider the
word su44icient to account 4or these stran/e phenomena, must, o4 course, be
quali4ied to per4orm$ I4, howe*er, both these hypotheses " 4or they are but simple
hypotheses, unsupported by any proo4 whate*er, only bein/ deli*ered with an air
o4 authority in a rationalistic a/e, they ha*e been allowed to pass unquestioned "
i4, howe*er, they are not 4ound su44icient to satis4y a *ast number o4 minds, which
I now to be the case, I thin the enquiry I am institutin/ cannot be wholly
useless or unacceptable, let it lead us where it may$ The truth is all I see5 and I
thin there is a *ery important truth to be educed 4rom the 4urther in*esti/ation o4
this sub8ect in its *arious relations in short, a truth o4 paramount importance to all
others5 one which contains e*idence o4 a 4act, in which we are more deeply
concerned than in any other5 and which, i4 well established, brin/s demonstration
to con4irm intuition and tradition$ I am *ery well aware o4 all the di44iculties in the
way " di44iculties internal and e7ternal5 many inherent to the sub8ect itsel45 and
others e7traneous, but inseparable 4rom it5 and I am *ery 4ar 4rom supposin/ that
my boo is to settle the question, e*en with a sin/le mind$ 0ll I hope or e7pect is,
to show that the question is not disposed o4 yet, either by the rationalists or the
physiolo/ists5 and that it is still an open one5 and all I desire is, to arouse enquiry
and curiosity5 and that thus some mind, better quali4ied than mine, to 4ollow out
the in*esti/ation, may be incited to undertae it$
-r$ ;erner mentions the case o4 a lady, named -illenius, who was awaened one
ni/ht by her son, a child o4 si7 years o4 a/e5 her sister"in"law, who slept in the
same room, also awaened at the same time, and all three saw (adame
-illenius enter the room, attired in a blac dress, which she had lately bou/ht$
The sister said, "I see you double! you are in bed, and yet you are walin/ about
the room$" They were both e7tremely alarmed, whilst the 4i/ure stood between
the doors, in a melancholy attitude, with the head leanin/ on the hand$ The child,
who also saw it, but seems not to ha*e been terri4ied, 8umped out o4 bed, and
runnin/ to the 4i/ure, put his hand throu/h it as he attempted to push it,
e7claimin/, "6o away, you blac woman$" The 4orm, howe*er, remained as
be4ore5 and the child, becomin/ alarmed, sprun/ into bed a/ain$ (adame
-illenius e7pected that the appearance 4oreboded her own death5 but that did not
ensue$ 0 serious accident immediately a4terwards occurred to her husband, and
she 4ancied there mi/ht be some connection betwi7t the two e*ents$
This is one o4 those cases that, 4rom their e7tremely perple7in/ nature, ha*e
induced some psycholo/ists to see an e7planation in the hypothesis, that other
spirits may 4or some purpose or under certain conditions, assume the 4orm o4 a
person with a *iew to /i*in/ an intimation or impression, which the /ul4
separatin/ the material 4rom the spiritual world renders it di44icult to con*ey$ 0s
re/ards such instances as that o4 (adame -illenius, howe*er, we are at a loss to
disco*er any moti*e " unless, indeed, it be sympathy " 4or such an e7ertion o4
power, supposin/ it to be possessed5 but in the 4amous case o4 Catherine o4
?ussia, who is said, whilst lyin/ in bed, to ha*e been seen by the ladies to enter
the throne"room and bein/ in4ormed o4 the circumstance, went hersel4 and saw
the 4i/ure seated on the throne, and bade her /uards 4ire on it, we may concei*e
it possible that her /uardian spirit, i4 such she had, mi/ht adopt this mode o4
warnin/ her to prepare 4or a chan/e, which, a4ter such a li4e as hers, we are
entitled to conclude, she was not *ery 4it to encounter$
There are numerous e7amples o4 similar phenomena to be met with$ 1ro4essor
)tillin/ relates that he heard 4rom the son o4 a (adame ($, that his mother,
ha*in/ sent her maid upstairs, on an errand, the woman came runnin/ down in a
/reat 4ri/ht, sayin/ that her mistress was sittin/ abo*e, in her armchair, looin/
precisely as she had le4t her below$ The lady went upstairs, and saw hersel4 as
described by the woman, *ery shortly a4ter which she died$
-r$ .erner relates, that a 8eweler at %udwi/sbur/, named ?atBel, when in per4ect
health, one e*enin/, on turnin/ the corner o4 a street, met his own 4orm, 4ace to
4ace5 the 4i/ure seemed as real and li4elie as himsel45 and he was so close as to
loo into its *ery eyes$ #e was seiBed with terror, and it *anished$ #e related the
circumstance to se*eral people, and endea*oured to lau/h, but, ne*ertheless, it
was e*ident he was pain4ully impressed with it$ )hortly a4terwards, as he was
passin/ throu/h a 4orest, he 4ell in with some wood"cutters, who ased him to
lend a hand to the ropes with which they were pullin/ down an oa tree$ #e did
so, and was illed by its 4all$
9ecer, pro4essor o4 mathematics at ?ostoc, ha*in/ 4allen into ar/ument with
some 4riends, re/ardin/ a disputed point o4 theolo/y, on /oin/ to his library to
4etch a boo which he wished to re4er to, saw himsel4 sittin/ at the table in the
seat he usually occupied$ #e approached the 4i/ure, which appeared to be
readin/, and, looin/ o*er its shoulder, he obser*ed that the boo open be4ore it
was a 9ible, and that, with one o4 the 4in/ers o4 the ri/ht hand, it pointed to the
passa/e, "(ae ready thy house, 4or thou must die$" #e returned to the
company, and related what he had seen, and, in spite o4 all their ar/uments to
the contrary, remained 4ully persuaded that his death was at hand$ #e too lea*e
o4 his 4riends, and e7pired on the 4ollowin/ day, at si7 o'cloc in the e*enin/$ #e
had already attained a considerable a/e$ Those who would not belie*e in the
appearance, said he had died o4 the 4ri/ht5 but, whether he did so or not, the
circumstance is su44iciently remarable5 and, i4 this were a real, outstandin/
apparition, it would /o stron/ly to support the hypothesis alluded to abo*e, whilst,
i4 it were a spectral illusion, it is, certainly, an in4initely stran/e one$
0s I am aware how di44icult it is, e7cept where the appearance is seen by more
persons than one, to distin/uish cases o4 actual sel4"seein/ 4rom those o4
spectral illusion, I do not lin/er lon/er in this department, but, returnin/ to the
analo/ous sub8ect o4 -oppel/an/ers, I will relate a 4ew curious instances o4 this
ind o4 phenomenon$
)tillin/ relates, that a 6o*ernment o44icer, o4 the name o4 Triplin, in .eimar, on
/oin/ to his o44ice to 4etch a paper o4 importance, saw his own lieness sittin/
there, with the deed be4ore him$ 0larmed, he returned home, and desired his
maid to /o there and 4etch the paper she would 4ind on the table$ The maid saw
the same 4orm, and ima/ined that her master had /one by another road, and /ot
there be4ore her5 his mind seems to ha*e preceded his body$
The %andrichter, or )heri44 3$, in 3ran4ort, sent his secretary on an errand5
presently a4terwards, the secretary re"entered the room, and laid hold o4 a boo$
#is master ased him what had brou/ht him bac, whereupon the 4i/ure
*anished, and the boo 4ell to the /round, it was a *olume o4 %innaeus$ In the
e*enin/, when the secretary returned, and was interro/ated with re/ard to his
e7pedition, he said that he had 4allen into an ea/er dispute with an acquaintance,
as he went alon/, about some botanical question, and had ardently wished he
had had his %innaeus with him to re4er to$
-r$ .erner relates, that 1ro4essor #appach had an elderly maid"ser*ant, who
was in the habit o4 comin/ e*ery mornin/ to call him, and on enterin/ the room,
which he /enerally heard her do, she usually looed at a cloc which stood under
the mirror$ @ne mornin/, she entered so so4tly that thou/h he saw her, he did not
hear her 4oot5 she went, as was her custom, to the cloc, and came to his
bedside, but suddenly turned round and le4t the room$ #e called a4ter her, but
she not answerin/, he 8umped out o4 bed and pursued her$ #e could not see her,
howe*er, till he reached her room, where he 4ound her 4ast asleep in bed$
)ubsequently, the same thin/ occurred 4requently with this woman$
0n e7actly parallel case was related to me as occurrin/ to himsel4, by a publisher
in :dinbur/h$ #is houseeeper was in the habit o4 callin/ him e*ery mornin/$ @n
one occasion, bein/ per4ectly awae, he saw her enter, wal to the window, and
/o out a/ain without speain/$ 9ein/ in the habit o4 4astenin/ his door, he
supposed he had omitted to do so5 but presently a4terwards he heard her
nocin/ to come in, and he 4ound the door was still loced$ )he assured him
she had not been there be4ore$ #e was in per4ectly /ood health at the time this
happened$
@nly a 4ew ni/hts since, a lady, with whom I am intimately acquainted, was in
bed, and had not been to sleep, when she saw one o4 her dau/hters, who slept
in an upper room, and who had retired to rest some time be4ore, standin/ at the
4oot o4 her bed$ "#"""" she said, "what is the matter< what are you come 4or<" The
dau/hter did not answer, but mo*ed away$ The mother 8umped out o4 bed, but
not seein/ her, /ot in a/ainA but the 4i/ure was still there$ 1er4ectly satis4ied it
was really her dau/hter, she spoe to her, asin/ i4 anythin/ had happened5 but
a/ain the 4i/ure mo*ed silently away, and a/ain the mother 8umped out o4 bed,
and actually went part o4 the way upstairs5 and this occurred a third time$ The
dau/hter was durin/ the whole o4 this time asleep in her bed5 and the lady hersel4
is quite in her usual state o4 health5 not robust, but not by any means sicly, nor
in the sli/htest de/ree hysterical or ner*ous5 yet, she is per4ectly con*inced that
she saw the 4i/ure o4 her dau/hter on that occasion, thou/h quite unable to
account 4or the circumstance$ 1robably the dau/hter was dreamin/ o4 the
mother$
:dward )tem, author o4 some 6erman wors, had a 4riend, who was 4requently
seen out of the #ody, as the 6ermans term it5 and the 4ather o4 that person was
so much the sub8ect o4 this phenomenon, that he was 4requently obser*ed to
enter his house, whilst he was yet worin/ in the 4ields$ #is wi4e used to say to
him, ".hy, papa, you came home be4ore5" and he would answer, "I dare say5 I
was so an7ious to /et away earlier, but it was impossible$"
The coo in a con*ent o4 nuns, at :bersdor4, was 4requently seen picin/ herbs
in the /arden, when she was in the itchen and much in need o4 them$
0 -anish 1hysician, whose name -r$ .erner does not mention, is said to ha*e
been 4requently seen enterin/ a patient's room, and on bein/ spoen to, the
4i/ure would disappear, with a si/h$ This used to occur when he had made an
appointment which he was pre*ented eepin/, and was rendered uneasy by the
4ailure$ The hearin/ o4 it, howe*er, occasioned him such an unpleasant sensation
that he requested his patients ne*er to tell him when it happened$
0 president o4 the )upreme Court, in Clm, named 14iBer, attests the truth o4 the
4ollowin/ caseA 0 /entleman, holdin/ an o44icial situation, had a son at 6ottin/en,
who wrote home to his 4ather, requestin/ him to send him, without delay, a
certain boo, which he required to aid him in preparin/ a dissertation he was
en/a/ed in$ The 4ather answered, that he had sou/ht but could not 4ind the wor,
in question$ )hortly a4terwards, the latter had been tain/ a boo 4rom his
shel*es, when, on turnin/ round, he beheld, to his amaBement, his son 8ust in the
act o4 stretchin/ up his hand towards one on a hi/h shel4 in another part o4 the
room$ "#allo!" he e7claimed, supposin/ it to be the youn/ man himsel45 but the
4i/ure disappeared5 and, on e7aminin/ the shel4, the 4ather 4ound there the boo
that was required, which he immediately 4orwarded to 6ottin/en5 but be4ore it
could arri*e there, he recei*ed a letter 4rom his son, describin/ the e7act spot
where it was to be 4ound$
0 case o4 what is called spectral illusion is mentioned by -r$ 1aterson, which
appears to me to belon/ to the class o4 phenomena I am treatin/ o4$ @ne )unday
e*enin/, (iss &$ was le4t at home, the sole inmate o4 the house, not bein/
permitted to accompany her 4amily to church, on account o4 her delicate state o4
health$ #er 4ather was an in4irm old man, who seldom went 4rom home, and she
was not aware whether, on this occasion, he had /one out with the rest or not$
9y and by, there came on a se*ere storm o4 thunder, li/htnin/, and rain, and
(iss &$ is described as becomin/ *ery uneasy about her 4ather$ Cnder the
in4luence o4 this 4eelin/, -r$ 1aterson says, she went into the bac room, where
he usually sat, and there saw him in his armchair$ &ot doubtin/ but it was
himsel4, she ad*anced, and laid her hand upon his shoulder, but her hand
encountered *acancy5 and, alarmed, she retired$ 0s she quitted the room,
howe*er, she looed bac, and there still sat the 4i/ure$ &ot bein/ a belie*er in
what is called the "supernatural," (iss &$ resol*ed to o*ercome her
apprehensions, and return into the room, which she did, and saw the 4i/ure as
be4ore$ 3or the space o4 4ully hal4 an hour she went in and out o4 the room in this
manner, be4ore it disappeared$ )he did not see it *anish, but the 4i4th time she
returned, it was /one5 -r$ 1aterson *ouches 4or the truth o4 this story, and no
doubt o4 its bein/ a mere illusion occurs to him, thou/h the lady had ne*er be4ore
or since, as she assured him, been troubled with the malady$ It seems to me
much more liely that, when the storm came on, the thou/hts o4 the old man
would be intensely drawn homewards, he would naturally wish himsel4 in his
com4ortable armchair, and nowin/ his youn/ dau/hter to be alone, he would
ine*itably 4eel some an7iety about her, too$ There was a mutual pro8ection o4 their
spirits towards each other5 and the one that was most easily 4reed 4rom its bonds,
was seen where in the spirit it actually was5 4or, as I ha*e said abo*e, a spirit out
o4 the 4lesh, to whom space is annihilated, must be where its thou/hts and
a44ections are, 4or its thou/hts and a44ections are itself$
I obser*e that )ir -a*id 9rewster, and others, who ha*e written on this sub8ect,
and who represent all these phenomena as ima/es pro8ected on the retina 4rom
the brain, dwell much on the 4act that they are seen alie, whether the eye be
closed or open$ There are, howe*er, two answers$ to be made to this ar/ument5
4irst, that e*en i4 it were so, the proo4 would not be decisi*e5 since it is /enerally
with closed eyes that somnambulic persons see " whether natural somnambules
or ma/netic patients5 and, secondly, I 4ind in some instances which appear to me
to be /enuine cases o4 an ob8ecti*e appearance, that where the e7periment has
been tried, the 4i/ure is not seen when the eyes are closed$
The author o4 a wor, entitled "0n Inquiry into the &ature o4 6hosts," who adopts
the illusion theory, relates the 4ollowin/ story, as one he can *ouch 4or, thou/h
not permitted to /i*e the names o4 the partiesA
"(iss """, at the a/e o4 se*en years, bein/ in a 4ield not 4ar 4rom her 4ather's
house, in the parish o4 ;irlinton, in Cumberland, saw what she thou/ht was her
4ather in the 4ield, at a time that he was in bed, 4rom which he had not been
remo*ed 4or a considerable period$ There were in the 4ield, also, at the same
moment, 6eor/e %ittle, and Dohn, his 4ellow"ser*ant$ @ne o4 these cried out, "6o
to your 4ather, (iss!" )he turned round, and the 4i/ure had disappeared$ @n
returnin/ home, she said, ".here is my 4ather<" The mother answered, "In bed,
to be sure, child5" out o4 which he had not been$
I quote this case, because the 4i/ure was seen by two persons5 I could mention
se*eral similar instances, but when only seen by one, they are, o4 course, open
to another e7planation$
6oethe, whose 4amily, by the way, were /host"seers, relates, that as he was
once in an uneasy state o4 mind, ridin/ alon/ the 4oot"path towards -rusenheim,
he saw, "not with the eyes o4 his body, but with those o4 his spirit," himsel4 on
horsebac comin/ towards him, in a dress that he then did not possess$ It was
/rey, and trimmed with /old5 the 4i/ure disappeared5 but ei/ht years a4terwards
he 4ound himsel4, quite accidentally, on that spot, on horsebac, and in precisely
that attire$ This seems to ha*e been a case o4 second sight$ The story o4 9yron's
bein/ seen in %ondon when he was lyin/ in a 4e*er at 1atras, is well nown5 but
may possibly ha*e arisen 4rom some e7traordinary personal resemblance,
thou/h so 4irm was the con*iction o4 its bein/ his actual sel4 that a bet o4 a
hundred /uineas was o44ered on it$
)ome time a/o, the "-ublin Cni*ersity (a/aBine" related a case, I now not on
what authority, as ha*in/ occurred at ?ome, to the e44ect, that a /entleman had,
one ni/ht on /oin/ home to his lod/in/, thrown his ser*ant into /reat amaBement
" the man e7claimin/, "6ood %ord, sir! you came home be4ore!" #e declared that
he had let his master into the house, attended him upstairs, and, I thin,
undressed him, and seen him /et into bed$ .hen they went to the room, they
4ound no clothes5 but the bed appeared to ha*e been lain in, and there was a
stran/e mar upon the ceilin/, as i4 4rom the passa/e o4 an electrical 4luid$ The
only thin/ the youn/ man could remember, whereby to account 4or this
e7traordinary circumstance was, that whilst abroad, and in company, he had
been o*ercome with ennui, 4allen into a deep re*erie, and had 4or a time
4or/otten that he was not at home$
.hen I read this story, thou/h I ha*e learnt 4rom e7perience to be *ery cautious
how I pronounce that impossible which I now nothin/ about, I con4ess it
somewhat e7ceeded my recepti*e capacity, but I ha*e since heard o4 a similar
instance, so well authenticated, that my incredulity is shaen$
-r$ ;erner relates, that a canon o4 a catholic cathedral, o4 somewhat dissipated
habits, on comin/ home one e*enin/, saw a li/ht in his bedroom$ .hen the maid
opened the door, she started bac with surprise, whilst he enquired why she had
le4t a candle burnin/ upstairs5 upon which she declared, that he had come home
8ust be4ore, and /one to his room, and she had been wonderin/ at his unusual
silence$ @n ascendin/ to his chamber, he saw himsel4 sittin/ in the armchair$ The
4i/ure arose, passed him, and went out at the room door$ #e was e7tremely
alarmed, e7pectin/ his death was at hand$ #e, howe*er, li*ed many years
a4terwards, but the in4luence on his moral character was *ery bene4icial$
&ot lon/ since, a pro4essor, I thin o4 theolo/y, at a colle/e at 9erlin, addressed
his class, sayin/, that, instead o4 his usual lecture, he should relate to them a
circumstance which, the precedin/ e*enin/, had occurred to himsel4, belie*in/
the e44ects would be no less salutary$
#e then told them that, as he was /oin/ home the last e*enin/, he had seen his
own imago, or double, on the other side o4 the street$ #e looed away, and tried
to a*oid it, but, 4indin/ it still accompanied him, he too a shortcut home, in hopes
o4 /ettin/ rid o4 it, wherein he succeeded, till he came opposite his own house,
when he saw it at the door$
It ran/, the maid opened, it entered, she handed it a candle, and, as the
pro4essor stood in amaBement, on the other side o4 the street, he saw the li/ht
passin/ the windows, as it wound its way up to his own chamber$ #e then
crossed o*er and ran/5 the ser*ant was naturally dread4ully alarmed on seein/
him, but, without waitin/ to e7plain, he ascended the stairs$ Dust as he reached
his own chamber, he heard a loud crash, and, on openin/ the door, they 4ound
no one there, but the ceilin/ had 4allen in, and his li4e was thus sa*ed$ The
ser*ant corroborated this statement to the students5 and a minister, now attached
to one o4 the )cotch churches, was present when the pro4essor told his tale$
.ithout admittin/ the doctrine o4 protectin/ spirits, it is di44icult to account 4or
these latter circumstances$
0 *ery interestin/ case o4 an apparent 4riendly inter*ention occurred to the
celebrated -r$ 0$ T$, o4 :dinbur/h$ #e was sittin/ up late one ni/ht, readin/ in his
study, when he heard a 4oot in the passa/e, and nowin/ the 4amily were, or
ou/ht to be, all in bed, he rose and looed out to ascertain who it was, but,
seein/ nobody, he sat down a/ain$ 1resently, the sound recurred, and he was
sure there was somebody, thou/h he could not see him$ The 4oot, howe*er,
e*idently ascended the stairs, and he 4ollowed it, till it led him to the nursery door,
which he opened, and 4ound the 4urniture was on 4ire5 and thus, but 4or this ind
o44ice o4 his /ood an/el, his children would ha*e been burnt in their beds$
The most e7traordinary history o4 this sort, howe*er, with which I am acquainted,
is the 4ollowin/, the 4acts o4 which are per4ectly authenticA "
)ome se*enty or ei/hty years since, the apprentice, or assistant, o4 a
respectable sur/eon in 6las/ow, was nown to ha*e had an illicit connection
with a ser*ant /irl, who somewhat suddenly disappeared$ &o suspicion, howe*er,
seems to ha*e been entertained o4 4oul play$ It appears rather to ha*e been
supposed that she had retired 4or the purpose o4 bein/ con4ined, and,
consequently, no enquiries were made about her$
6las/ow was, at that period, a *ery di44erent place to what it is at present, in
more respects than one5 and, amon/st its peculiarities, was the e7traordinary
strictness with which the obser*ance o4 the )abbath was en4orced, inasmuch,
that nobody was permitted to show themsel*es in the streets or public wals
durin/ the hours dedicated to the church ser*ices5 and there were actually
inspectors appointed to see that this re/ulation was obser*ed, and to tae down
the names o4 de4aulters$
0t one e7tremity o4 the city, there is some open /round, o4 rather considerable
e7tent, on the north side o4 the ri*er, called "The 6reen," where people
sometimes resort 4or air and e7ercise5 and where lo*ers not un4requently retire to
en8oy as much solitude as the pro7imity to so lar/e a town can a44ord$
@ne )unday mornin/, the inspectors o4 public piety abo*e alluded to ha*in/
tra*ersed the city, and e7tended their perquisitions as 4ar as the lower e7tremity
o4 the 6reen, where it was bounded by a wall, obser*ed a youn/ man lyin/ on
the /rass, whom they immediately reco/niBed to be the sur/eon's assistant$
They, o4 course, enquired why he was not at church, and proceeded to re/ister
his name in their boos, but, instead o4 attemptin/ to mae any e7cuse 4or his
o44ence, he only rose 4rom the /round, sayin/, "I am a miserable man5 loo in the
water!" #e then immediately crossed a style, which di*ided the wall, and led to a
path e7tendin/ alon/ the side o4 the ri*er towards the ?uther/len"road$ They saw
him cross the style, but, not comprehendin/ the si/ni4icance o4 his words, instead
o4 obser*in/ him 4urther, they naturally directed their attention to the water, where
they presently percei*ed the body o4 a woman$ #a*in/ with some di44iculty
dra//ed it ashore, they immediately proceeded to carry it into the town, assisted
by se*eral other persons, who by this time had 8oined them$ It was now about
one o'cloc, and, as they passed throu/h the streets, they were obstructed by the
con/re/ation that was issuin/ 4rom one o4 the principal places o4 worship5 and,
as they stood up 4or a moment, to let them pass, they saw the sur/eon's
assistant issue 4rom the church door$ 0s it was quite possible 4or him to ha*e
/one round some other way, and /ot there be4ore them, they were not much
surprised$ #e did not approach them, but min/led with the crowd, whilst they
proceeded on their way$
@n e7amination, the woman pro*ed to be the missin/ ser*ant"/irl$ )he was
pre/nant, and had e*idently been murdered with a sur/eon's instrument, which
was 4ound entan/led amon/st her clothes$ Cpon this, in consequence o4 his
nown connection with her, and his implied sel4"accusation to the inspectors, the
youn/ man was apprehended on suspicion o4 bein/ the /uilty party, and tried
upon the circuit$ #e was the last person seen in her company, immediately
pre*ious to her disappearance5 and there was, alto/ether, such stron/
presumpti*e e*idence a/ainst him, as corroborated by what occurred on the
/reen would ha*e 8usti4ied a *erdict o4 guilty$ 9ut, stran/e to say, this last most
important item in the e*idence 4ailed, and he established an incontro*ertible ali#i5
it bein/ pro*ed, beyond all possibility o4 doubt, that he had been in church 4rom
the be/innin/ o4 the ser*ice to the end o4 it$ #e was, there4ore, acquitted5 whilst
the public were le4t in the /reatest perple7ity, to account as they could 4or this
e7traordinary discrepancy$ The youn/ man was well nown to the inspectors,
and it was in broad dayli/ht that they had met him and placed his name in their
boos$ &either, it must be remembered, were they seein/ 4or him, nor thinin/
o4 him, nor o4 the woman, about whom there e7isted neither curiosity nor
suspicion$ %east o4 all, would they ha*e sou/ht her where she was, but 4or the
hint /i*en to them$
The interest e7cited, at the time, was *ery /reat5 but no natural e7planation o4 the
mystery has e*er been su//ested$
""""""""""
*hapter +; ( Apparitions
The number o4 stories on record, which seem to support the *iews I ha*e
su//ested in my last chapter, is, I 4ancy, little suspected by people in /eneral5
and still less is it ima/ined that similar occurrences are yet 4requently tain/
place$ I had, indeed, mysel4 no idea o4 either one circumstance or the other, till
my attention bein/ accidentally turned in this direction, I was led into enquiries,
the result o4 which has e7tremely surprised me$ I do not mean to imply that all my
acquaintance are /host"seers, or that these thin/s happen e*ery day5 but the
amount o4 what I do mean, is thisA 4irst, that besides the numerous instances o4
such phenomena alluded to in history, which ha*e been treated as 4ables by
those who pro4ess to belie*e the rest o4 the narrati*es, thou/h the whole rests
upon the same 4oundation, i$e$, tradition and hearsay5 besides these, there e7ists
in one 4orm or another, hundreds and hundreds o4 recorded cases, in all
countries, and in all lan/ua/es, e7hibitin/ that de/ree o4 similarity which mar
them as belon/in/ to a class o4 4acts, many o4 these bein/ o4 a nature which
seems to preclude the possibility o4 brin/in/ them under the theory o4 spectral
illusions5 and, secondly, that I scarcely meet anyone man or woman, who, i4 I can
induce them to belie*e I will not publish their names, and am not /oin/ to lau/h
at them, is not prepared to tell me o4 some occurrence o4 the sort, as ha*in/
happened to themsel*es, their 4amily, or their 4riends$ I admit that in many
instances they terminate their narration, by sayin/, that they thin it must ha*e
been an illusion, #ecause they cannot brin/ themsel*es to belie*e in /hosts5 not
un4requently addin/, that they wish to thin so5 since to thin otherwise, would
mae them uncom4ortable$
I con4ess, howe*er, that this seems to me a *ery unwise, as well as a *ery
unsa4e way o4 treatin/ the matter$ 9elie*in/ the appearance to be an illusion,
#ecause they cannot brin/ themsel*es to belie*e in /hosts, simply amounts to
sayin/, "I don't belie*e, because I don't belie*e5" and is an ar/ument o4 no e44ect,
e7cept to in*alidate their capacity 4or 8ud/in/ the question, at all5 but the second
reason 4or not belie*in/, namely, that they do not wish to do so, has not only the
same disad*anta/e, but is liable to much more serious ob8ections5 4or it is our
duty to ascertain the truth in an a44air that concerns e*ery soul o4 us so deeply5
and to shrin 4rom looin/ at it, lest it should disclose somethin/ we do not lie, is
an e7pedient as childish as it is desperate$ In re*iewin/ my late no*el o4 "%illy
-awson," where I announce the present wor, I obser*e, that, whilst some o4 the
re*iewers scout the *ery idea o4 anybody's belie*in/ in /hosts, others, less rash,
whilst they admit that it is a sub8ect we now nothin/ about, ob8ect to 4urther
in*esti/ation, on account o4 the terrors and uncom4ortable 4eelin/s that will be
en/endered$
&ow, certainly, i4 it were a matter in which we had no personal concern, and
which belon/ed merely to the re/ion o4 speculati*e curiosity, e*erybody would be
per4ectly 8usti4ied in 4ollowin/ their inclinations with re/ard to it5 there would be no
reason 4or 4ri/htenin/ themsel*es, i4 they did not lie it5 but since it is per4ectly
certain that the 4ate o4 these poor /hosts, be what it may, will be ours some day
perhaps be4ore another year or another wee has passed o*er our heads to shut
our eyes to the truth, because it may, perchance, occasion us some
uncom4ortable 4eelin/s, is surely a stran/e mi7ture o4 contemptible cowardice
and darin/ temerity$
I4 it be true that by some law o4 nature, departed souls occasionally re*isit the
earth, we may be quite certain that it was intended we should now it, and that
the law is to some /ood end5 4or no law o4 6od can be purposeless or
mischie*ous5 and is it concei*able that we should say, we will not now it,
because it is disa/reeable to us< Is not this *ery lie sayin/, "%et us eat, drin,
and be merry, 4or tomorrow we die!" and yet re4usin/ to enquire what is to
become o4 us when we do die< re4usin/ to a*ail oursel*es o4 that demonstrati*e
proo4, which 6od has merci4ully placed within our reach< 0nd with all this
obstinacy, people do not /et rid o4 the apprehension5 they /o on stru//lin/
a/ainst it and eepin/ it down by ar/ument and reason, but there are *ery 4ew
persons indeed, men or women, who, when placed in a situation, calculated to
su//est the idea, do not 4eel the intuiti*e con*iction stri*in/ within them$
In the ordinary circumstances o4 li4e, nobody su44ers 4rom this terror5 in the
e7traordinary ones, I 4ind the pro4essed disbelie*ers not much better o44 than the
belie*ers$ &ot lon/ a/o, I heard a lady e7pressin/ the /reat alarm she should
ha*e 4elt, had she been e7posed to spend a whole ni/ht on 9en %omond, as
(ar/aret 3uller, the 0merican authoress, did lately5 "4or," said she, "thou/h I
don't belie*e in /hosts, I should ha*e been dread4ully a4raid o4 seein/ one, then!"
(oreo*er, thou/h I do not suppose that man, in his normal state, could e*er
encounter an incorporeal spirit without considerable awe, I am inclined to thin
that the e7treme terror the idea inspires, arises 4rom bad trainin/$ The i/norant
4ri/hten children with /hosts5 and the better educated assure them there is no
such thin/$ @ur understandin/ may belie*e the latter, but our instincts belie*e the
4ormer5 so that, out o4 this education, we retain the terror, and 8ust belie4 enou/h
to mae it *ery troublesome whene*er we are placed in circumstances that
awaen it$ &ow, perhaps, i4 the thin/ were di44erently mana/ed, the result mi/ht
be di44erent$ )uppose the sub8ect were duly in*esti/ated, and it were ascertained
that the *iews I and many others are disposed to entertain with re/ard to it, are
correct5 and suppose, then, children were calmly told that it is not impossible, but
that on some occasion they may see a departed 4riend a/ain5 that the laws o4
nature established by an all"wise 1ro*idence, admit o4 the dead sometimes
re*isitin/ the earth, doubtless 4or the bene*olent purpose o4 eepin/ ali*e in us
our 4aith in a 4uture state5 that death is merely a transition to another li4e, which it
depends on oursel*es to mae happy or otherwise5 and that, whilst those spirits
which appear bri/ht and blessed, may well be ob8ects o4 our en*y, the others
should e7cite only our intense compassion$
I am persuaded that a child so educated would 4eel no terror at the si/ht o4 an
apparition, more especially as there *ery rarely appears to be anythin/ terri4ic in
the aspect o4 these 4orms5 they /enerally come in their "habits as they li*ed," and
appear so much lie the li*in/ person in the 4lesh, that where they are not nown
to be already dead, they are 4requently mistaen 4or them$ There are e7ceptions
to this rule, but it is *ery rare that the 4orms in themsel*es e7hibit anythin/ to
create alarm$
0s a proo4 that a child would not naturally be terri4ied at the si/ht o4 an apparition,
I will adduce the 4ollowin/ instance, the authenticity o4 which I can *ouch 4orA "
0 lady with her child embared on board a *essel at Damaica, 4or the purpose o4
*isitin/ her 4riends in :n/land, lea*in/ her husband behind her quite well$ It was
a sailin/ pacet5 and they had been some time at sea, when, one e*enin/, whilst
the child was neelin/ be4ore her, sayin/ his prayers, pre*iously to /oin/ to rest,
he suddenly said, looin/ ea/erly to a particular spot in the cabin, "(amma,
1apa!" "&onsense, my dear!" the mother answered5 "Hou now your papa is not
here!" "#e is, indeed, mama," returned the child, "he is looin/ at us now!" &or
could she con*ince him to the contrary$ .hen she went on dec, she mentioned
the circumstance to the captain, who thou/ht it so stran/e, that he said he would
note down the date o4 the occurrence$ The lady be//ed him not to do so, sayin/,
it was attachin/ a si/ni4icance to it which would mae her miserable5 he did it,
howe*er, and shortly a4ter her arri*al in :n/land, she learnt that her husband had
died e7actly at that period$
I ha*e met with other instances in which children ha*e seen apparitions without
e7hibitin/ any alarm5 and in the case o4 3rederica #au44e, the in4ant in her arms
was 4requently obser*ed to point smilin/ly to those which she hersel4 said she
saw$ In the abo*e related case, we 4ind a *aluable e7ample o4 an apparition
which we cannot belie*e to ha*e been a mere sub8ecti*e phenomenon, bein/
seen by one person and not by another$ The recepti*ity o4 the child may ha*e
been /reater, or the rapport betwi7t it and its 4ather stron/er, but this occurrence
ine*itably leads us to su//est, how o4ten our departed 4riends may be near us,
and we not see them! M
"""""""""""
M 0nother e7planation put 4orth by the Theosophists and others, is that i4 the
spectre is o4 a deceased person, that it is a "shell" or disinte/ratin/ astral
appearance that the person lea*es behind when dead, while the real person or
soul has /one to other spheres$ ( dig. ed.
""""""""""""
0 (r$ 9$, with whom I am acquainted, in4ormed me that some years a/o, he lost
two children$ There was an inter*al o4 two years between their deaths5 and about
as lon/ a period had elapsed since the decease o4 the second, when the
circumstance I am about to relate too place$ It may be concei*ed that at that
distance o4 time, howe*er *i*id the impression had been at 4irst, it had
considerably 4aded 4rom the mind o4 a man en/a/ed in business5 and he assures
me that on the ni/ht this e*ent occurred, he was not thinin/ o4 the children at all5
he was, moreo*er, per4ectly well, and had neither eaten or dran anythin/
unusual, nor abstained 4rom eatin/ or drinin/ anythin/ to which he was
accustomed$ #e was, there4ore, in his normal state5 when shortly a4ter he had
lain down in bed, and be4ore he had 4allen asleep, he heard the *oice o4 one o4
the children say, "1apa! 1apa!"
"-o you hear that<" he said to his wi4e, who lay beside him5 "I hear 0rchy callin/
me, as plain as e*er I heard him in my li4e!"
"&onsense!" returned the lady5 "you are 4ancyin/ it$"
9ut presently he a/ain heard "1apa! 1apa!" and now both *oices spoe$ Cpon
which, e7claimin/ "I can stand this no lon/er!" he started up, and drawin/ bac
the curtains, saw both children in their ni/htdresses, standin/ near the bed$ #e
immediately 8umped out5 whereupon they retreated slowly, and with their 4aces
towards him, to the window, where they disappeared$ #e says, that the
circumstance made a /reat impression upon him at the time5 and, indeed, that it
was one that could ne*er be e44aced5 but he did not now what to thin o4 it, not
belie*in/ in /hosts, and there4ore concluded it must ha*e been some
e7traordinary spectral illusion5 especially as his wi4e heard nothin/$ It may ha*e
been so5 but that circumstance by no means pro*es it$
3rom these *aryin/ de/rees o4 susceptibility, or a44inity, there seems to arise
another consequence, namely, that more than one person may see the same
ob8ect, and yet see it di44erently, and I mention this particularly, because it is one
o4 the ob8ections that unre4lectin/ persons mae to phenomena o4 this ind,
second si/ht especially$
In the remarable instance which is recorded to ha*e occurred at ?ipley, in the
year 1+12, to which I shall allude more particularly in a 4uture chapter, much
stress was laid on the 4act, that the 4irst seer said, "%oo at those beasts!" .hilst
the second answered, they were "not beasts, but men$" In a 4ormer chapter, I
mentioned the case o4 a lady, on board a ship, seein/ and 4eelin/ a sort o4 blue
cloud han/in/ o*er her, which a4terwards, as it retired, assumed a human 4orm,
thou/h still appearin/ a *apoury substance$ &ow, possibly, had her recepti*ity, or
the rapport, been /reater, she mi/ht ha*e seen the distinct ima/e o4 her dyin/
4riend$ I ha*e met with se*eral instances o4 these cloudy 4i/ures bein/ seen, as i4
the spirit had built itsel4 up a 4orm o4 atmospheric air5 and it is remarable, that
when other persons percei*ed the apparitions that 4requented the )eeress o4
1re*orst, some saw those as cloudy 4orms, which she saw distinctly attired in the
costume they wore when ali*e5 and thus, on some occasions, apparitions are
represented as bein/ transparent, whilst on others they ha*e not been
distin/uishable 4rom the real corporeal body$ 0ll these discrepancies, and others,
to be herea4ter alluded to, are doubtless only absurd to our i/norance5 they are
the results o4 physical laws, as absolute, thou/h not so easily ascertained, as
those by which the most ordinary phenomena around us are 4ound e7plicable$
.ith respect to these cloudy 4orms, I ha*e met with 4our instances lately5 two
occurrin/ to ladies, and two to /entlemen5 the one a minister, and the other a
man en/a/ed in business5 and althou/h I am quite aware that these cases are
not easily to be distin/uished 4rom those o4 spectral illusion, yet I do not thin
them so mysel45 and as they occurred to persons in their normal state o4 health,
who ne*er be4ore or since e7perienced anythin/ o4 the ind, and who could 4ind
nothin/ in their own circumstances to account 4or its happenin/ then, I shall
mention them$ In the instances o4 the /entleman and one o4 the ladies, they were
suddenly awaened, they could not tell by what, and percei*ed bendin/ o*er
them a cloudy 4orm, which immediately retreated slowly to the other end o4 the
room, and disappeared$ In the 4ourth case, which occurred to an intimate 4riend
o4 my own, she had not been to sleep5 but ha*in/ been the last person up in the
house, had 8ust stept into the bed, where her sister had already been some time
asleep$ )he was per4ectly awae, when her attention was attracted by hearin/
the clin o4 /lass, and on looin/ up, she saw a 4i/ure standin/ on the hearth,
which was e7actly opposite her side o4 the bed, and as there was water and a
tumbler there, she concluded that her sister had stept out at the bottom,
unpercei*ed by her, and was drinin/$ .hilst she was carelessly obser*in/ the
4i/ure, it mo*ed towards the bed, and laid a hea*y hand upon her, pressin/ her
arm in a manner that /a*e her pain$ "@h, (aria, don't!" she e7claimed5 but as the
4orm retreated, and she lost si/ht o4 it, a stran/e 4eelin/ crept o*er her, and she
stretched out her hand to ascertain i4 her sister was beside her$ )he was, and
asleep5 but this mo*ement awoe her, and she 4ound the other now in
considerable a/itation$ )he, o4 course, tried to persuade her that it was a dream,
or ni/htmare, as did the 4amily the ne7t day5 but she was quite clear in her mind
at the time, as she then assured me, that it was neither one nor the other5 thou/h
now, at the distance o4 a year 4rom the occurrence, she is *ery desirous o4
puttin/ that construction upon it$ 0s somebody will be ready to su//est that this
was a 4rea played by one o4 the 4amily, I can only answer that that is an
e7planation that no one who is acquainted with all the circumstances, could
admit5 added to which, the 4i/ure did not disappear in the direction o4 the door,
but in quite an opposite one$
0 *ery sin/ular thin/ happened to the accomplished authoress o4 "%etters 4rom
the 9altic," on which my readers may put what interpretation they please, but I
/i*e it here as a pendant to the last story$ The ni/ht be4ore she le4t 1etersbur/h,
she passed in the house o4 a 4riend$ The room appropriated to her use was a
lar/e dinin/"room, in which a temporary bed was placed, and a 4oldin/ screen
was so arran/ed as to /i*e an air o4 com4ort to the noo where the bed stood$
)he went to bed, and to sleep, and no one who nows her can suspect her o4
seein/ spectral illusions, or bein/ incapable o4 distin/uishin/ her own condition
when she saw anythin/ whate*er$ 0s she was to commence her 8ourney on the
4ollowin/ day, she had /i*en orders to be called at an early hour, and,
accordin/ly, she 4ound hersel4 awaened towards mornin/ by an old woman in a
complete ?ussian costume, who looed at her, noddin/ and smilin/, and
intimatin/, as she supposed, that it was time to rise$ 3eelin/, howe*er, *ery
sleepy, and *ery unwillin/ to do so, she too her watch 4rom behind her pillow,
and, looin/ at it, percei*ed that it was only 4our o'cloc$ 0s, 4rom the costume o4
the old woman, she new her to be a ?ussian, and there4ore not liely to
understand any lan/ua/e she could spea, she shoo her head, and pointed to
the watch, /i*in/ her to understand that it was too early$ The woman looed at
her, and nodded, and then retreated, whilst the tra*eller laid down a/ain and
soon 4ell asleep$ 9y and by, she was awaened by a noc at the door, and the
*oice o4 the maid whom she had desired to call her$ )he bade her come in, but
the door bein/ loced on the inside, she had to /et out o4 bed to admit her$ It now
occurred to her to wonder how the old woman had entered, but, tain/ it 4or
/ranted there was some other mode o4 in/ress, she did not trouble hersel4 about
it, but dressed, and descended to brea4ast$
@4 course, the enquiry usually addressed to a stran/er was made, they hoped
she had slept well! "1er4ectly," she said, "only that one o4 their /ood people had
been somewhat o*er an7ious to /et her up in the mornin/5" and she then
mentioned the old woman's *isit, but to her surprise they declared they had no
such person in the 4amily$ "It must ha*e been some old nurse, or laundress, or
somebody o4 that sort," she su//ested$ "Impossible!" they answered5 "Hou must
ha*e dreamt the whole thin/5 we ha*e no old woman in the house5 nobody
wearin/ that costume5 and nobody could ha*e /ot in, since the door must ha*e
been 4astened lon/ a4ter that!" 0nd these assertions the ser*ants 4ully con4irmed5
added to which, I should obser*e, the house, lie 4orei/n houses in /eneral,
consisted o4 a 4lat, or 4loor, shut in by a door, which separated it entirely 4rom the
rest o4 the buildin/, and, bein/ hi/h up 4rom the street, nobody could e*en ha*e
/ained access by a window$ The lady now be/innin/ to be somewhat puBBled,
enquired i4 there were any second entrance into the room5 but, to her surprise,
she heard there was not, and she then mentioned that she had loced the door
on /oin/ to bed, and had 4ound it loced in the mornin/$ The thin/ has e*er
remained utterly ine7plicable, and the 4amily, who were much more amaBed by it
than she was, would willin/ly belie*e it to ha*e been a dream, but, whate*er the
interpretation o4 it may be, she 4eels quite certain that that is not the true one$
I mae no comments on the abo*e case, thou/h a *ery ine7plicable one5 and I
scarcely now whether to mention any o4 those well established tales, which
appear certainly to be as satis4actorily attested as any circumstance which is
usually taen simply on report$ I allude, particularly, to the stories o4 6eneral
.ynyard, %ord Tyrone, and %ady 9eres4ord, the case which too place at
#a*ant, in #ampshire, and which is related in a letter 4rom (r$ Caswell, the
mathematician, to -r$ 9entley5 that which occurred in Cornwall, as narrated by
the ?e*$ (r$ ?uddle, one o4 the prebendaries o4 :7eter, whose assistance and
ad*ice was ased, and who himsel4 had two inter*iews with the spirit5 and many
others, which are already published in di44erent wors, especially in a little boo
entitled "0ccredited 6host )tories$" I may howe*er mention, that with respect to
those o4 %ady 9eres4ord and 6eneral .ynyard, the 4amilies o4 the parties ha*e
always maintained their entire belie4 in the circumstances5 as do the 4amily o4
%ady 9etty Cobb, who too the ribbon 4rom %ady 9eres4ord's arm, a4ter she was
dead5 she ha*in/ always worn it since her inter*iew with the apparition, in order
to conceal the mar he had le4t by touchin/ her$
There ha*e been many attempts to e7plain away the story o4 %ord %ittleton's
warnin/, althou/h the e*idence 4or it certainly satis4ied the 4amily, as we learn
4rom -r$ Dohnson, who said, in re/ard to it, that it was the most e7traordinary
thin/ that had happened in his day, and that he heard it 4rom the lips o4 %ord
.estcote, the uncle o4 %ord %ittleton$
There is a sequel howe*er to this story, which is e7tremely well authenticated,
thou/h much less /enerally nown$ It appears that (r$ (iles 1eter 0ndrews, the
intimate 4riend o4 %ord %ittleton, was at his house, at -art4ord, when %ord %$ died
at 1itt"place, :psom, thirty miles o44$ (r$ 0ndrews' house was 4ull o4 company,
and he e7pected %ord %ittleton, whom he had le4t in his usual state o4 health, to
8oin him the ne7t day, which was )unday$
(r$ 0ndrews himsel4 4eelin/ rather indisposed on the )aturday e*enin/, retired
early to bed, and requested (rs$ 1i/ou, one o4 his /uests, to do the honours o4
his supper"table$ #e admitted, 4or he is himsel4 the authority 4or the story, that he
4ell into a 4e*erish sleep on /oin/ to bed, but was awaened between ele*en and
twel*e by somebody openin/ his curtains, which pro*ed to be %ord %itttleton, in a
ni/ht"/own and cap, which (r$ 0ndrews reco/niBed$ %ord %$ spoe, sayin/ that
he was come to tell him all was o$er$ It appears that %ord %ittleton was 4ond o4
practical 8oin/, and as (r$ 0$ entertained no doubt whate*er o4 his *isitor bein/
%ord %$ himsel4, in the body, he supposed that this was one o4 his trics5 and,
stretchin/ his arm out o4 bed, he too hold o4 his slippers, the nearest thin/ he
could /et at, and threw them at him, whereupon the 4i/ure retreated to a
dressin/"room, which had no in/ress nor e/ress e7cept throu/h the bed"
chamber$ Cpon this, (r$ 0ndrews 8umped out o4 bed to 4ollow him, intendin/ to
chastise him 4urther, but he could 4ind nobody in either o4 the rooms, althou/h the
door was loced on the inside, so he ran/ his bell, and enquired who had seen
%ord %ittleton$ &obody had seen him5 but, thou/h how he had /ot in or out o4 the
room, remained an eni/ma, (r$ 0ndrews asserted that he was certainly there5
and, an/ry at the supposed tric, he ordered that they should /i*e him no bed,
but let him /o and sleep at the inn$ %ord %ittleton, howe*er, appeared no more,
and (r$ 0ndrews went to sleep, not entertainin/ the sli/htest suspicion that he
had seen an apparition$ It happened that, on the 4ollowin/ mornin/, (rs$ 1i/ou
had occasion to /o at an early hour to %ondon, and /reat was her astonishment
to learn that %ord %ittleton had died on the precedin/ ni/ht$ )he immediately
dispatched an e7press to -art4ord with the news, upon the receipt o4 which, (r$
0ndrews, then quite well, and rememberin/ per4ectly all that had happened,
swooned away$ #e could not understand it, but it had a most serious e44ect upon
him, and, to use his own e7pression, he was not his own man a/ain 4or three
years$
There are *arious authorities 4or this story, the correctness o4 which is *ouched
4or by some members o4 (rs$ 1i/ou's 4amily, with whom I am acquainted, who
ha*e 4requently heard the circumstances detailed by hersel4, and who assure me
it was always belie*ed by the 4amily$ I really, there4ore, do not see what /rounds
we ha*e 4or doubtin/ either o4 these 4acts$ %ord .estcote, on whose word -r$
Dohnson 4ounded his belie4 o4 %ord %ittleton's warnin/, was a man o4 stron/
sense5 and that the story was not looed upon li/htly by the 4amily, is pro*ed by
the circumstance that the dowa/er %ady %ittleton had a picture, which was seen
by )ir &athaniel .ra7hall in her house in 1ortu/al"street, as mentioned in his
memoirs, wherein the e*ent was commemorated$ #is %ordship is in bed, the
do*e appears at the window, and a 4emale 4i/ure stands at the 4oot o4 the couch,
announcin/ to the unhappy pro4li/ate his approachin/ dissolution$ That he
mentioned the warnin/ to his *alet, and some other persons, and that he taled
o4 <oc%eying the /host by sur*i*in/ the time named, is certain5 as, also, that he
died with his watch in his hand, precisely at the appointed period$ (r$ 0ndrews
says, that he was sub8ect to 4its o4 stran/ulation, 4rom a swellin/ in the throat,
which mi/ht ha*e illed him at any moment5 but his decease ha*in/ proceeded
4rom a natural and ob*ious cause, does not inter4ere one way or the other with
the *alidity o4 the prediction, which simply 4oretold his death at a particular period,
not that there was to be anythin/ preternatural in the manner o4 it$
0s I 4ind so many people willin/ to belie*e in wraiths, who cannot belie*e in
/hosts " that is, they are o*erpowered by the numerous e7amples, and the
wei/ht o4 e*idence 4or the 4irst " it would be *ery desirable i4 we could ascertain
whether these wraiths are seen be4ore the death occurs, or a4ter it5 but, thou/h
the day is recorded, and seems always to be the one on which the death too
place, and the hour about the same, minutes are not su44iciently obser*ed to
enable us to answer that question$ It would be an interestin/ one, because the
ar/ument ad*anced by those who belie*e that the dead ne*er are seen, is, that it
is the stron/ will and desire o4 the e7pirin/ person which enables him so to act on
the ner*ous system o4 his distant 4riend, that the ima/ination o4 the latter pro8ects
the 4orm, and sees it as i4 ob8ecti*ely$ 9y imagination I do not simply mean to
con*ey the common notion implied by that much abused word, which is only
4ancy, but the constructi*e ima/ination, which is a much hi/her 4unction, and
which, inasmuch as man is made in the lieness o4 6od, bears a distant relation
to that sublime power by which the Creator pro8ects, creates, and upholds his
uni*erse5 whilst the 4ar"worin/ o4 the departin/ spirit seems to consist in the
stron/ will to do, rein4orced by the stron/ 4aith that the thin/ can be done$ .e
ha*e rarely the stron/ will, and still more rarely the stron/ 4aith, without which the
will remains ine44ecti*e$ In the 4ollowin/ case, which is per4ectly authentic, the
apparition o4 (a8or ?$ was seen se*eral hours a4ter his death had occurred$
In the year 1'+K, some cadets were ordered to proceed 4rom (adras, to 8oin their
re/iments up the country$ 0 considerable part o4 the 8ourney was to be made in a
bar/e, and they were under the conduct o4 a senior o44icer, (a8or ?$ In order to
relie*e the monotony o4 the *oya/e, this /entleman proposed, one day, that they
should mae a shootin/ e7cursion inland, and wal round to meet the boat at a
point a/reed on, which, owin/ to the windin/s o4 the ri*er, it would not reach till
e*enin/$ They accordin/ly too their /uns, and as they had to cross a swamp,
(a8or ?$, who was well acquainted with the country, put on a hea*y pair o4 top"
boots, which, to/ether with an odd limp he had in his /ait, rendered him
distin/uishable 4rom the rest o4 the party at a considerable distance$ .hen they
reached the 8un/le, they 4ound there was a wide ditch to leap, which all
succeeded in doin/ e7cept the (a8or, who bein/ less youn/ and acti*e, 8umped
short o4 the requisite distance5 and althou/h he scrambled up unhurt, he 4ound
his /un so crammed 4ull o4 wet sand that it would be useless till thorou/hly
cleansed$ #e there4ore bade them wal on, sayin/ he would 4ollow5 and tain/ o44
his hat, he sat down in the shade, where they le4t him$
.hen they had been beatin/ about 4or /ame some time, they be/an to wonder
the (a8or did not come on, and they shouted to let him now where abouts they
were5 but there was no answer, and hour a4ter hour passed without his
appearance, till at len/th they be/an to 4eel somewhat uneasy$ Thus the day
wore away, and they 4ound themsel*es approachin/ the rendeB*ous5 the boat
was in si/ht, and they were walin/ down to it, wonderin/ how their 4riend could
ha*e missed them, when suddenly, to their /reat 8oy, they saw him be4ore them
main/ towards the bar/e$ #e was without his hat or /un, limpin/ hastily alon/,
in his top"boots, and did not appear to obser*e them$ They shouted a4ter him, but
as he did not loo round, they be/an to run, in order to o*ertae him5 and,
indeed, 4ast as he went, they did /ain considerably upon him$ )till he reached the
boat 4irst, crossin/ the plan which the boatmen had placed ready 4or the
/entlemen they saw approachin/$ #e ran down the companion stairs, and they
a4ter him5 but ine7pressible was their surprise when they could not 4ind him
below$ They ascended a/ain, and enquired o4 the boatmen what had become o4
him5 but they declared he had not come on board, and that nobody had crossed
the plan till the youn/ men themsel*es had done so$
Con4ounded and amaBed at what appeared so ine7plicable, and doubly an7ious
about their 4riend, they immediately resol*ed to retrace their steps in search o4
him5 and, accompanied by some Indians who new the 8un/le, they made their
way bac to the spot where they had le4t him$ 3rom thence some 4ootmars
enabled them to trace him, till, at a *ery short distance 4rom the ditch, they 4ound
his hat and his /un$ Dust then the Indians called out to them to beware, 4or that
there was a sun well thereabouts, into which they mi/ht 4all$ 0n apprehension
naturally seiBed them that this mi/ht ha*e been the 4ate o4 their 4riend5 and on
e7aminin/ its ed/e, they saw a mar as o4 a heel slippin/ up5 upon this, one o4
the Indians consented to /o down, ha*in/ a rope with which they had pro*ided
themsel*es tied round his waist, 4or, aware o4 the e7istence o4 the wells, the
nati*es suspected what had actually occurred, namely, that the un4ortunate
/entleman had slipt into one o4 these traps, which, bein/ o*er/rown with
brambles, were not discernible by the eye$ .ith the assistance o4 the Indian, the
body was brou/ht up and carried bac to the boat, amidst the deep re/rets o4 the
party, with whom he had been a /reat 4a*ourite$ They proceeded with it to the
ne7t station, where an enquiry was instituted as to the manner o4 his death, but o4
course there was nothin/ more to be elicited$
I /i*e this story as related by one o4 the parties present, and there is no doubt o4
its per4ect authenticity$ #e says, he can in no way account 4or the mystery " he
can only relate the 4act5 and not one, but the whole fi$e cadets, saw him as
distinctly as they saw each other$ It was e*ident, 4rom the spot where the body
was 4ound, which was not many hundred yards 4rom the well, that the accident
must ha*e occurred *ery shortly alter they le4t him$ .hen the youn/ men
reached the boat, (a8or ?$ must ha*e been, 4or some se*en or ei/ht hours, a
deniBen o4 the other world, yet he ept the rendeB*ous!
There was a similar occurrence in -e*onshire, some years bac, which
happened to the well nown -r$ #awer, who, one ni/ht, in the street, obser*ed
an old woman pass him, to whom he was in the habit o4 /i*in/ a weely charity$
Immediately a4ter she had passed, he 4elt somebody pull his coat, and, on
looin/ round, saw it was she, whereupon he put his hand in his pocet to see
4or a si7pence, but, on turnin/ to /i*e it to her, she was /one$ #e thou/ht nothin/
about it, but when he /ot home, he enquired i4 she had had her money that wee,
when, to his amaBement, he heard she was dead, but his 4amily had 4or/otten to
mention the circumstance$
I ha*e met with two curious cases occurrin/ in :dinbur/h, o4 late years5 in one, a
youn/ man and his sister were in their itchen, warmin/ themsel*es o*er the 4ire,
be4ore they retired to bed, when, on raisin/ their eyes, they both saw a 4emale
4i/ure dressed in white, standin/ in the doorway, and looin/ at them5 she was
leanin/ a/ainst one o4 the doorposts$ (iss :$, the youn/ lady, screamed,
whereupon the 4i/ure ad*anced, crossed the itchen towards a closet, and
disappeared$ There was no e/ress at the closet5 and, as they li*ed in a 4lat, and
the door was closed 4or the ni/ht, a stran/er could neither ha*e entered the
house nor /ot out o4 it$
In the other instance, there were two houses on one 4lat, the doors opposite each
other$ In one o4 the houses there resided a person with her two dau/hters, /rown
up women5 in the other li*ed a shoemaer and his wi4e$ The latter died, and it
was said her husband had ill"treated her, and worried her out o4 the world$ #e
was a drunen, dissipated man, and used to be out till a late hour most ni/hts,
whilst this poor woman sat up 4or him5 and, when she heard a *oice on the stairs,
or a bell, she used o4ten to come out and loo o*er, to see i4 it were her husband
returned$ @ne ni/ht, when she had been dead some wees, the two youn/
women were ascendin/ the stairs to their own door, when, to their amaBement,
they both saw her standin/ at the top, looin/ o*er as she used to do in her li4e
time$ 0t the same moment, their mother opened the door, and saw the 4i/ure
also5 the /irls rushed past, o*ercome with terror, and one, i4 not both, 4ainted, as
soon as they /ot into the door$ The youn/est 4ell on her 4ace in the passa/e$
0nother case, which occurred in this town, I mention, althou/h I now it is liable
to be called a spectral illusion, because it bears a remarable similarity to one
which too place in 0merica$ 0 respectable woman lost her 4ather, 4or whom she
had a /reat a44ection5 she was o4 a serious turn, and much attached to the tenets
o4 her church, in which particulars she thou/ht her 4ather had been de4icient$ )he
was there4ore *ery unhappy about him, 4earin/ that he had not died in a proper
state o4 mind$ 0 considerable time had elapsed since his death, but her distrust
o4 his condition was still causin/ her uneasiness, when, one day, whilst she was
sittin/ at her wor, she 4elt somethin/ touch her shoulder, and on looin/ round
she percei*ed her 4ather, who bade her cease to /rie*e about him, as he was not
unhappy$ 3rom that moment, she became per4ectly resi/ned and cheer4ul$
The 0merican case " I ha*e omitted to write down the name o4 the place, and
4or/et it " was that o4 a mother and son$ )he was also a hi/hly respectable
person, and was described to me as per4ectly trustworthy, by one who new her$
)he was a widow, and had one son, to whom she was e7tremely attached$ #e
howe*er disappeared, one day, and she ne*er could learn what had become o4
him5 she always said, that i4 she did but now his 4ate, she should be happier$ 0t
len/th, when he had been dead a considerable time, her attention was, one day,
whilst readin/, attracted by a sli/ht noise, which induced her to loo round5 and
she saw her son, drippin/ with water, and with a sad e7pression o4 countenance$
The 4eatures howe*er presently rela7ed, and they assumed a more pleasin/
aspect be4ore he disappeared$ 3rom that time she ceased to /rie*e, and it was
subsequently ascertained that the youn/ man had run away to sea5 but no more
was nown o4 him$ Certain it was, howe*er, that she attributed her reco*ered
tranquility to ha*in/ seen her son as abo*e narrated$
0 lady, with whom I am acquainted, when she was a /irl, was one day standin/
at the top o4 the stairs, with two others, discussin/ their /ames, when they each
suddenly e7claimed, ".ho's that<" There was a 4ourth amon/ them5 a /irl in a
checed pina4ore5 but she was /one a/ain$ They had all seen her$ @ne day a
youn/er brother, in the same house, was playin/ with a whip, when he suddenly
lau/hed at somethin/, and cried, "Tae that5" and described ha*in/ seen the
same /irl$ This led to some enquiry, and it was said that such a /irl as they
described had li*ed in that house, and had died 4rom the bite o4 a mad do/5 or,
rather, had been smothered between two 4eather beds5 but whether that was
actually done, or was only a report, I cannot say$ )upposin/ this to ha*e been no
illusion, and I really cannot see how it could be one, the memory o4 past sports
and pleasures seems to ha*e so sur*i*ed, as to ha*e attracted the youn/ soul,
prematurely cut o44, to the spot where the same sports and pleasures were bein/
en8oyed by the li*in/$
0 maid ser*ant, in one o4 the midland counties o4 :n/land, bein/ up early one
mornin/, heard her name called in a *oice that seemed to be her brother's, a
sailor then at sea5 and runnin/ up, she 4ound him standin/ in the hall5 he said he
was come 4rom a4ar, and was /oin/ a/ain, and mentioned some other thin/s,
when her mistress, hearin/ *oices, called to now who she was talin/ to5 she
said, it was her brother, 4rom sea$ 04ter speain/ to her 4or some time, she
suddenly lost si/ht o4 him, and 4ound hersel4 alone$ 0maBed and puBBled, she
told her mistress what had happened, who bein/ led thus to suspect the ind o4
*isitor it was, looed out o4 the window to ascertain i4 there were any mars o4
4ootsteps, the /round bein/ co*ered with snow$ There were howe*er none, and it
was there4ore clear that nobody could ha*e entered the house$ Intelli/ence
a4terwards arri*ed o4 the youn/ man's death$
This last is a case o4 wraith, but a more complicated one, 4rom the circumstance
o4 speech bein/ superadded$ 9ut this is not by any means an isolated particular5
there are many such$ The author o4 the boo called "0ccredited 6host )tories,"
whose name I at this moment 4or/et, and I ha*e not the boo at hand, /i*es, on
his own authority, the 4ollowin/ circumstance, pro4essin/ to be acquainted with
the parties$ 0 company were *isitin/ Hor Cathedral, when a /entleman and
lady, who had detached themsel*es 4rom the rest, obser*ed an o44icer wearin/ a
na*al uni4orm approachin/ them5 he waled quicly, sayin/ to the lady as he
passed, "There is another world$" The /entleman, seein/ her /reatly a/itated,
pursued the stran/er, but lost si/ht o4 him, and nobody had seen such a person
but themsel*es$ @n returnin/ to his companion, she told him that it was her
brother, who was then abroad with his ship, and with whom she had 4requently
held discussions as to whether there was or was not a 4uture li4e$
The news o4 the youn/ man's death shortly reached the 4amily$ In this case, the
brother must ha*e been dead5 the spirit must ha*e passed out o4 this world into
that other, the e7istence o4 which he came to certi4y$ This is one o4 those cases
which, happenin/ not lon/ a/o, leads one especially to re/ret the want o4 moral
coura/e which pre*ents people /i*in/ up their names, and a*owin/ their
e7perience$ The author o4 the abo*e"mentioned boo, 4rom which I borrow this
story, says, that the sheet had /one to the press with the real names o4 the
parties attached, but that he was requested to withdraw them, as it would be
pain4ul to the 4amily$ (y *iew o4 this case is so di44erent, that, had it occurred to
mysel4, I should ha*e 4elt it my imperati*e duty to mae it nown, and /i*e e*ery
satis4action to enquirers$
)ome years a/o, durin/ the war, when )ir ?obert #$ :$ was in the &etherlands,
he happened to be quartered with two other o44icers, one o4 whom was
dispatched into #olland on an e7pedition$ @ne ni/ht, durin/ his absence, )ir ?$
#$ :$ awoe, and, to his /reat surprise, saw this absent 4riend sittin/ on the bed,
which he used to occupy, with a wound in his breast$ )ir ?$ immediately awoe
his companion, who saw the spectre also$ The latter then addressed them,
sayin/, that he had been that day illed in a sirmish, and that he had died in
/reat an7iety about his 4amily, where4ore he had come to communicate that there
was a deed o4 much consequence to them deposited in the hands o4 a certain
lawyer in %ondon, whose name and address he mentioned, addin/ that this
man's honesty was not to be alto/ether relied on$ #e there4ore requested that, on
their return to :n/land, they would /o to his house and demand the deed, but
that, i4 he denied the possession o4 it, they were to see it in a certain drawer in
his o44ice, which he described to them$ The circumstance impressed them *ery
much at the time, but a lon/ while had elapsed ere they reached :n/land, durin/
which period they had /one throu/h so many ad*entures and seen so many
4riends 4all around them, that this impression was considerably weaened,
insomuch that each went to his own home and his own pursuits without thinin/
o4 4ul4illin/ the commission they had undertaen$
)ome time a4terwards, howe*er, it happened that they both met in %ondon, and
they then resol*ed to see the street that had been named to them, and
ascertain i4 such a man li*ed there$ They 4ound him, requested an inter*iew, and
demanded the deed, the possession o4 which he denied5 but their eyes were
upon the drawer that had been described to them5 where they asserted it to be5
and bein/ there disco*ered, it was deli*ered into their hands$ #ere, also, the soul
had parted 4rom the body, whilst the memory o4 the past and an an7iety 4or the
worldly prosperity o4 those le4t behind, sur*i*ed5 and we thus see that the
condition o4 mind in which this person had died, remained unchan/ed$ #e was
not indi44erent to the worldly prosperity o4 his relati*es, and he 4ound his own
state rendered unhappy by the 4ear that they mi/ht su44er 4rom the dishonesty o4
his a/ent$
It may here be naturally ob8ected that hundreds o4 much lo*ed widows and
orphans ha*e been ruined by dishonest trustees and a/ents, where no /host
came bac to instruct them in the means o4 ob*iatin/ the mis4ortune$ This is, no
doubt, a *ery le/itimate ob8ection, and one which it is *ery di44icult to answer$ I
must, howe*er, repeat what I said be4ore5 nature is 4ull o4 e7ceptional cases,
whilst we now *ery little o4 the laws which re/ulate these e7ceptions5 but we
may see a *ery /ood reason 4or the 4act that such communications are the
e7ception, and not the rule5 4or i4 they were the latter the whole economy o4 this
earthly li4e would be o*erturned, and its a44airs must necessarily be conducted in
a totally di44erent manner to that which pre*ails at present$ .hat the e44ects o4
such an arran/ement o4 nature would be, had it pleased 6od to mae it, he alone
nows5 but certain it is, that man's 4reedom, as a moral a/ent, would be in a /reat
de/ree abro/ated, were the barriers that impede our intercourse with the spiritual
world remo*ed$ It may be answered, that this is an ar/ument which may be
directed a/ainst the 4act o4 such appearances bein/ permitted, at all5 but that is a
4allacious ob8ection$ :arthquaes and hurricanes are occasionally permitted,
which o*erthrow the wor o4 man's hands 4or centuries5 but i4 these con*ulsions
o4 nature were o4 e*ery day occurrence, nobody would thin it worth their while to
build a house or culti*ate the earth, and the world would be a wrec and a
wilderness$ The apparitions that do appear, are not without their use to those
who belie*e in them5 whilst there is too /reat an uncertainty attendin/ the
sub8ect, /enerally, to allow o4 its e*er bein/ taen into consideration in mundane
a44airs$
The old, so called, superstition o4 the people, that a person's "dyin/ with
somethin/ on his mind," is one o4 the 4requent causes o4 these re*isitin/s,
seems, lie most ether o4 their superstitions, to be 4ounded on e7perience$ I meet
with many cases in which some apparently tri*ial an7iety, or some 4rustrated
communication, pre*ents the uneasy spirit 4lin/in/ o44 the bonds that bind it to the
earth$ I could quote many e7amples characterised by this 4eature, but will con4ine
mysel4 to two or three$
Dun/ )tillin/ /i*es a *ery curious one, which occurred in the year 1',>, and 4or
the authenticity o4 which he *ouches$ 0 /entleman, o4 the name o4 -orrien, o4
most e7cellent character and amiable disposition, who was tutor in the Carolina
Colle/es, at 9runswic, died there in that year5 and, immediately pre*ious to his
death, he sent to request an inter*iew with another tutor, o4 the name o4 #o4er,
with whom he had li*ed on terms o4 4riendship$ #o4er obeyed the summons, but
came too late5 the dyin/ man was already in the last a/onies$ 04ter a short time,
rumours be/an to circulate that #err -orrien had been seen by di44erent persons
about the colle/e5 but as it was with the pupils that these rumours ori/inated,
they were supposed to be mere 4ancies, and no attention whate*er was paid to
them$ 0t len/th, howe*er, in the month o4 @ctober, three months a4ter the
decease o4 #err -orrien, a circumstance occurred that e7cited considerable
amaBement amon/st the pro4essors$
It 4ormed part o4 the duty o4 #o4er to /o throu/h the colle/e e*ery ni/ht, between
the hours o4 ele*en and twel*e, 4or the purpose o4 ascertainin/ that all the
scholars were in bed, and that nothin/ irre/ular was /oin/ on amon/st them$ @n
the ni/ht in question, on enterin/ one o4 the anti"rooms in the e7ecution o4 this
duty, he saw, to his /reat amaBement, #err -orrien, seated, in the dressin/"
/own and white cap he was accustomed to wear, and holdin/ the latter with his
ri/ht hand, in such a manner as to conceal the upper part o4 the 4ace5 4rom the
eyes to the chin, howe*er, it was distinctly *isible$ This une7pected si/ht naturally
startled #o4er, but, summonin/ resolution, he ad*anced into the youn/ men's
chamber, and, ha*in/ ascertained that all was in order, closed the door5 he then
turned his eyes a/ain towards the spectre, and there it sat as be4ore, whereupon
he went up to it, and stretched out his arm towards it5 but he was now seiBed with
such a 4eelin/ o4 indescribable horror, that he could scarcely withdraw his hand,
which became swollen to a de/ree that 4or some months he had no use o4 it$
@n the 4ollowin/ day, he related this circumstance to the pro4essor o4
mathematics, @eder, who o4 course treated the thin/ as a spectral illusion$ #e,
howe*er, consented to accompany #o4er on his rounds the ensuin/ ni/ht,
satis4ied that he should be able either to con*ince him it was a mere phantasm,
or else a spectre ot 4lesh and blood who was playin/ him a tric$ They
accordin/ly went at the usual hour, but no sooner had the pro4essor o4
mathematics set his 4oot in that same room, than he e7claimed, "9y #ea*ens, it
is -orrien himsel4$" #o4er, in the mean time, proceeded into the chamber as
be4ore, in the pursuance o4 his duties, and, on his return, they both contemplated
the 4i/ure 4or some time5 they had, howe*er, neither o4 them the coura/e to
address or approach it, and 4inally quitted the room, *ery much impressed, and
per4ectly con*inced that they had seen -orrien$ This incident soon /ot spread
abroad, and many people came in hopes o4 satis4yin/ their own eyes o4 the 4act,
but their pains were 4ruitless5 and e*en 1ro4essor @eder, who had made up his
mind to spea to the apparition, sou/ht it repeatedly in the same place in *ain$ 0t
len/th, he /a*e it up, and ceased to thin o4 it, sayin/, "I ha*e sou/ht the /host
lon/ enou/h5 i4 he has anythin/ to say, he must now see me$"
0bout a 4ortni/ht a4ter this, he was suddenly awaened, between three and 4our
o'cloc in the mornin/, by somethin/ mo*in/ in his chamber, and, on openin/ his
eyes, he beheld a shadowy 4orm, ha*in/ the same appearance as the spectre,
standin/ in 4ront o4 a press which was not more than two steps 4rom his bed$ #e
raised himsel4, and contemplated the 4i/ure, the 4eatures o4 which he saw
distinctly 4or some minutes, till it disappeared$ @n the 4ollowin/ ni/ht he was
awaened in the same manner, and saw the 4i/ure as be4ore, with the addition
that there was a sound proceeded 4rom the door o4 the press, as i4 somebody
was leanin/ a/ainst it$ The spectre also stayed lon/er this time, and 1ro4essor
@eder, no doubt 4ri/htened and an/ry, addressin/ it as an e*il spirit, bade it
be/one, whereon it made /estures with its head and hands that alarmed him so
much, that he ad8ured it, in the name o4 6od, to lea*e him, which it did$ :i/ht
days now elapsed without any 4urther disturbance, but, a4ter that period, the *isits
o4 the spirit were resumed, and he was awaened by it repeatedly about three in
the mornin/, when it would ad*ance 4rom the press to the bed, and, han/ its
head o*er him in a manner so annoyin/, that he started up and struc at it, where
upon it would retire, but presently ad*ance a/ain$
1ercei*in/, now, that the countenance was rather placid and 4riendly than
otherwise, the pro4essor at len/th addressed it, and, ha*in/ reason to belie*e
that -orrien had le4t some debts unpaid, he ased him i4 that were the case,
upon which the spectre retreated some steps, and seemed to place itsel4 in an
attitude o4 attention$ @eder reiterated the enquiry, whereupon the 4i/ure drew its
hand across its mouth, in which the pro4essor now obser*ed a short pipe$ "Is it to
the barber you are in debt<" he enquired$ The spectre slowly shoo its head$ "Is it
to the tobacconist, then<" ased he, the question bein/ su//ested by the pipe$
#ereupon the 4orm retreated, and disappeared$ @n the 4ollowin/ day, @eder
narrated what had occurred to Councillor :rath, one o4 the curators o4 the
colle/e, and also to the sister o4 the deceased, and arran/ements were made 4or
dischar/in/ the debt$
1ro4essor )eidler, o4 the same colle/e, now proposed to pass the ni/ht with
@eder 4or the purpose o4 obser*in/ i4 the /host came a/ain, which it did about
4i*e o'cloc, and awoe @eder as usual, who awoe his companion, but 8ust then
the 4orm disappeared, and )eidler said he only saw somethin/ white$ They then
both disposed themsel*es to sleep, but presently )eidler was aroused by
@eder's startin/ up and striin/ out, whilst he cried, with a *oice e7pressi*e o4
ra/e and horror, "9e/one! Hou ha*e tormented me lon/ enou/h! I4 you want
anythin/ o4 me, say what it is, or /i*e me an intelli/ible si/n, and come here no
more!"
)eidler heard all this, thou/h he saw nothin/5 but as soon as @eder was
somewhat appeased, he told him that the 4i/ure had returned, and not only
approached the bed, but stretched itsel4 upon it$ 04ter this, @eder burnt a li/ht,
and had some one in the room with him e*ery ni/ht$ #e /ained this ad*anta/e by
the li/ht, that he saw nothin/5 but between the hours o4 three and 4i*e, he was
/enerally awaened by noises in his room, and other symptoms that satis4ied him
the /host was there$ 0t len/th, howe*er, this annoyance ceased also5 and
trustin/ that his unwelcome /uest had taen his lea*e, he dismissed his
bed4ellow, and dispensed with his li/ht$ Two ni/hts passed quietly o*erA on the
third, howe*er, the spectre returned5 but *ery perceptibly darer$ It now
presented another si/n, or symbol, which seemed to represent a picture, with a
hole in the middle, throu/h which it thrust its head$ @eder was now so little
alarmed, that he bade it e7press its wishes more clearly, or approach nearer$ To
these requisitions the apparition shoo its head, and then *anished$ This stran/e
phenomenon recurred se*eral times, and e*en in the presence o4 another curator
o4 the colle/e5 but it was with considerable di44iculty they disco*ered what the
symbol was meant to con*ey$ They at len/th, howe*er, 4ound that -orrien, 8ust
be4ore his illness, had obtained, on trial, se*eral pictures 4or a ma/ic lantern,
which had ne*er been returned to their owner$ This was now done, and 4rom that
time the apparition was neither seen nor heard a/ain$ 1ro4essor @eder made no
secret o4 these circumstances5 he related them publicly in court and colle/e5 he
wrote the account to se*eral eminent persons, and declared himsel4 ready to
attest the 4acts upon his oath$
)tillin/, who relates this story, has been called superstitious5 he may be so5 but
his piety and his honesty are abo*e suspicion5 he says the 4acts are well nown,
and that he can *ouch 4or their authenticity5 and as he must ha*e been a
cotemporary o4 the parties concerned, he had, doubtless, /ood opportunities o4
ascertainin/ what 4oundation there was 4or the story$ It is certainly a *ery
e7traordinary one, and the demeanour o4 the spirit as little lie what we should
ha*e naturally apprehended as possible5 but, as I ha*e said be4ore, we ha*e no
ri/ht to pronounce any opinion on this sub8ect, e7cept 4rom e7perience, and there
are two ar/uments to be ad*anced in 4a*our o4 this narration5 the one bein/, that
I cannot ima/ine anybody settin/ about to in*ent a /host"story, would ha*e
introduced circumstances so apparently improbable and inappropriate5 and the
other consistin/ in the 4act, that I ha*e met with numerous relations, comin/ 4rom
*ery opposite quarters, which seem to corroborate the one in question$
.ith respect to the cause o4 the spectre's appearance, Dun/ )tillin/, I thin,
reasonably enou/h, su//ests, that the poor man had intended to commission
#o4er to settle these little a44airs 4or him, but that delayin/ this duty too lon/, his
mind had been oppressed by the recollection o4 them in his last moments he had
carried his care with him, and it bound him to the earth$ .here4ore, considerin/
how many persons die with duties unper4ormed, this an7iety to repair the ne/lect,
is not more 4requently mani4ested, we do not now5 some reasons we ha*e
already su//ested as possible5 there may be others o4 which we can 4orm no
idea, any more than we can sol*e the question, why in some cases
communication and e*en speech seems easy, whilst in this instance, the spirit
was only able to con*ey its wishes by /estures and symbols$ Its addressin/ itsel4
to @eder instead o4 #o4er, probably arose 4rom its 4indin/ communication with
him less di44icult5 the swellin/ o4 #o4er's arm indicatin/ that his physical nature,
was not adapted 4or this spiritual intercourse$ .ith respect to @eder's e7pedient
o4 burnin/ a li/ht in his room, in order to pre*ent his seein/ this shadowy 4orm,
we can comprehend, that the 4i/ure would be discerned more easily on the dar
/round o4 comparati*e obscurity, and that clear li/ht would render it in*isible$ -r$
;erner mentions, on one occasion, that whilst sittin/ in an ad8oinin/ room, with
the door open, he had seen a shadowy 4i/ure, to whom his patient was speain/,
standin/ beside her bed5 and catchin/ up a candle, he had rushed towards it5 but
as soon as he had thus illuminated the chamber, he could no lon/er distin/uish
it$
The ine44ecti*e and awward attempts o4 this apparition, to mae itsel4
understood, are not easily to be reconciled to our ideas o4 a spirit, whilst at the
same time, that which it could do, and that which it could not " the powers it
possessed and those it wanted " tend to throw some li/ht on its condition$ 0s
re/ards space, we may suppose, that in this instance, what )t$ (artin said o4
/hosts in /eneral, may be applicable, "4e ne crois pas au, re$enants, mais <e
croi, au, restants1" that is, he did not belie*e, that spirits who had once quitted
the earth, returned to it, but he belie*ed that some did not quit it, and thus, as the
somnambule mentioned in a 4ormer chapter said to me, ")ome are waitin/ and
some are /one on be4ore$"
-orrien's uneasiness and worldly care chained him to the earth, and he was a
restant, but, bein/ a spirit, he was ine*itably inducted into some o4 the inherent
properties o4 spirit5 matter to him was no impediment, neither doors nor walls
could eep him out5 he had the intuiti*e perception o4 whom he could most easily
communicate with, or he was brou/ht into rapport with @eder by the latter's
seein/ him5 and he could either so act on @eder's constructi*e ima/ination, as
to enable it to pro8ect his own 4i/ure, with the short pipe and the pictures, or he
could, by the ma/ical power o4 his will, build up these ima/es out o4 the
constituents o4 the atmosphere$ The last seems the most probable, because, had
the rapport with @eder, or @eder's recepti*ity, been su44icient to enable the spirit
to act potently upon him, it would ha*e been also able to in4use into his mind the
wishes it desired to con*ey, e*en without speech, 4or speech, as a means o4
communication betwi7t spirits, must be quite unnecessary$ :*en in spite o4 these
dense bodies o4 ours, we ha*e /reat di44iculty in concealin/ our thou/hts 4rom
each other5 and the somnambule reads the thou/hts not only o4 his ma/netiser,
but o4 others, with whom he is placed in rapport$
In cases where speech appears to be used by a spirit, it is 4requently not audible
speech, but only this trans4erence o4 thou/ht, which appears to be speech 4rom
the manner in which the thou/ht is borne in and enters the mind o4 the recei*er5
but it is not throu/h his ears, but throu/h his uni*ersal supplementary sense, that
he recei*es it5 and it is no more lie what we mean by hearin/, than is the seein/
o4 a clair*oyant, or a spirit, lie our seein/ by means o4 our bodily or/ans$ In
those cases where the speech is audible to other persons, we must suppose that
the ma/ical will o4 the spirit can, by means o4 the atmosphere, simulate these
sounds as it can simulate others, o4 which I shall ha*e to treat by and by$
It is remarable, that, in some instances, this ma/ical power seems to e7tend so
4ar as to represent to the eye o4 the seer a 4orm apparently so real, solid, and li4e"
lie, that it is not reco/niBable 4rom the li*in/ man5 whilst in other cases the
production o4 a shadowy 4i/ure seems to be the limit o4 its a/ency, whether
limited by its own 4aculty, or the recepti*ity o4 its sub8ect5 but we must be quite
sure that the 4orm is, in either instance, equally ethereal or immaterial$ 0nd it will
not be out o4 place here to re4er to the standin/ 8oe o4 the sceptics, about /hosts
appearin/ in coats and waistcoats$ 9entham thou/ht he had settled the question
4or e*er by that ob8ection5 and I ha*e heard it since 4requently ad*anced by *ery
acute persons, but, properly considered, it has not the least *alidity$
.hether or not the soul on lea*in/ its earthly tabernacle 4inds itsel4 at once
clothed with that spiritual body, which )t$ 1aul re4ers to, is what we cannot now,
thou/h it seems hi/hly probable5 but i4 it be so, we must be sure that this body
resembles in its nature, that 4luent subtle ind o4 matter, called by us
imponderables, which are capable o4 penetratin/ all substances5 and unless
there be no *isible body at all, but only the will o4 a disembodied spirit actin/
upon one yet in the 4lesh, in which case it were as easy to impress the
ima/ination with a clothed 4i/ure as an unclothed one, we must conclude that this
ethereal 4le7ible 4orm, whether permanent or temporary, may be held to/ether
and retain its shape by the *olition o4 the spirit, as our bodies are held to/ether
by the principle o4 li4e that is in them5 and we see in *arious instances, where the
spectator has been bold enou/h to try the e7periment, that thou/h the shadowy
body was per*ious to any substance passed throu/h it, its inte/rity was only
momentarily interrupted, and it immediately reco*ered its pre*ious shape$
&ow, as a spirit, pro*ided there be no especial law to the contrary, partial or
uni*ersal, absolute or otherwise, /o*ernin/ the spiritual world " must be where its
thou/hts and wishes are, 8ust as we should be at the place we intently thin o4, or
desire, i4 our solid bodies did not impede us, so must a spirit appear as it is, or as
it concei$es o4 itsel45 morally, it can only concei*e o4 itsel4 as it is, /ood or bad,
li/ht or dar5 but it may concei*e o4 itsel4 clothed as well as unclothed5 and i4 it
can concei*e o4 its 4ormer body, it can equally concei*e o4 its 4ormer habiliments5
and so represent them, by its power o4 will to the eye, or present them to the
constructi*e ima/ination o4 the seer5 and it will be able to do this with a de/ree o4
distinctness proportioned to the recepti*ity o4 the latter, or to the intensity o4 the
rapport which e7ists between them$
&ow, considered in this way, the appearance o4 a spirit "in its habit as it li*ed," is
no more e7traordinary than the appearance o4 a spirit at all, and it adds no
comple7ity to the phenomenon$ I4 it appears at all, in a reco/niBable 4orm, it must
come naed or clothed5 the 4ormer, to say the least o4 it, would be much more
4ri/ht4ul and shocin/5 and i4 it be clothed, I do not see what ri/ht we ha*e to
e7pect it shall be in a 4ancy costume, con4ormable to our ideas, which are no
ideas at all, o4 the other world5 nor why, i4 it be endowed with the memory o4 the
past, it should not be natural to suppose it would assume the e7ternal aspect it
wore, durin/ its earthly pil/rima/e$ Certain it is, whether consistent with our
notions or not, all tradition seems to show that this is the appearance they
assume5 and the *ery 4act, that on the 4irst *iew o4 the case, and until the
question is philosophically considered, the addition o4 a suit o4 clothes to the
phenomenon, not only renders its acceptance much more di44icult, but throws an
air o4 absurdity and improbability on the whole sub8ect, 4urnishes a *ery stron/
ar/ument in 4a*our o4 the persuasion, that this notion has been 4ounded on
e7perience, and is not the result either o4 4ancy or /ratuitous in*ention$
The idea o4 spirits appearin/ lie an/els, with win/s, seems to be drawn 4rom
these relations in the 9ible, when messen/ers were sent 4rom 6od to man5 but
those departed spirits are not an/els, thou/h probably destined in the course o4
a/es to become so5 in the mean time, their moral state continues as when they
quitted the body, and their memories and a44ections are with the earth, and so,
earthly they appear, more or less$
.e meet with some instances in which bri/ht spirits ha*e been seen5 protectin/
spirits, 4or e7ample, who ha*e shaen o44 their earth entirely, clin/in/ to it yet but
by some holy a44ection or mission o4 mercy, and these appear, not with win/s,
which whene*er seen are merely symbolical, 4or we cannot ima/ine they are
necessary to the motion o4 a spirit, but clothed in robes o4 li/ht$ )uch
appearances, howe*er, seem much more rare than the others$ It will seem to
many persons *ery inconsistent with their ideas o4 the di/nity o4 a spirit that they
should appear and act in the manner I ha*e described, and shall describe 4urther5
and I ha*e heard it ob8ected that we cannot suppose 6od would permit the dead
to return merely to 4ri/hten the li*in/, and that it is showin/ him little re*erence to
ima/ine he would su44er them to come on such tri4lin/ errands, or demean
themsel*es in so undi/ni4ied a 4ashion$ 9ut 6od permits men o4 all de/rees o4
wicedness, and o4 e*ery ind o4 absurdity, to e7ist, and to harrass and disturb
the earth, whilst they e7pose themsel*es to its obloquy or its ridicule$
&ow, as I ha*e obser*ed in a 4ormer chapter, there is nothin/ more perple7in/ to
us in re/ardin/ man as a responsible bein/, than the de/ree to which we ha*e
reason to belie*e his moral nature is in4luenced by his physical or/aniBation5 but
lea*in/ this di44icult question to be decided " i4 e*er it can be decided in this world
" by wiser heads than mine, there is one thin/ o4 which we may rest per4ectly
assured, namely, that let the 4ault o4 an impure, or *icious, or e*en merely
sensuous li4e, lie where it will " whether it be the wiced spirit within, or the ill"
or/aniBed body without, or a tertium 3uid o4 both combined, still, the soul that has
been a party to this earthly career, must be soiled and deteriorated by its
4amiliarity with e*il5 and there seems much reason to belie*e that the dissolution
o4 the connection between the soul and body, produces 4ar less chan/e in the
4ormer than has been commonly supposed$
1eople /enerally thin, i4 they thin on the sub8ect at all, that as soon as they are
dead, pro*ided they ha*e li*ed tolerably *irtuous li*es, or indeed been 4ree 4rom
any /reat crimes, they will immediately 4ind themsel*es pro*ided with win/s, and
strai/htway 4ly up to some deli/ht4ul place, which they call hea*en, 4or/ettin/ how
un4it they are 4or hea*enly 4ellowship5 and althou/h I cannot help thinin/ that the
0lmi/hty has merci4ully permitted occasional rela7ations o4 the boundaries that
separate the dead 4rom the li*in/, 4or the purpose o4 showin/ us our error, we are
determined not to a*ail oursel*es o4 the ad*anta/e$ I do not mean that these
spirits " these re$enants or restants are special messen/ers sent to warn us5 I
only mean that their occasionally "re*isitin/ the /limpses o4 the moon" 4orm the
e7ceptional cases in a /reat /eneral law o4 nature, which di*ides the spiritual
4rom the material world5 and that in 4ramin/ this law, these e7ceptions may ha*e
been desi/ned 4or our bene4it$
There are se*eral stories e7tant in the :n/lish, and a *ast number in the 6erman
records, which, supposin/ them to be well 4ounded " and I repeat, that 4or many
o4 them we ha*e 8ust as /ood e*idence as 4or anythin/ else we belie*e as
hearsay or tradition " would /o to con4irm the 4act that the spirits o4 the dead are
sometimes disturbed by what appear to us *ery tri4lin/ cares$ I /i*e the 4ollowin/
case 4rom -r$ ;ernel, who says it was related to him by a *ery respectable man,
on whose word he can entirely rely$
"I was," said (r$ )t$ )$, o4 )""", "the son o4 a man who had no 4ortune but his
business, in which he was ultimately success4ul$ 0t 4irst, howe*er, his means
bein/ narrow, he was perhaps too an7ious and inclined to parsimony5 so that
when my mother, care4ul housewi4e as she was, ased him 4or money, the
demand /enerally led to a quarrel$ This occasioned her /reat uneasiness, and
ha*in/ mentioned this characteristic o4 her husband to her 4ather, the old man
ad*ised her to /et a second ey made to the money"chest, unnown to her
husband, considerin/ this e7pedient allowable and e*en pre4erable to the
destruction o4 their con8u/al 4elicity, and 4eelin/ satis4ied that she would mae no
ill use o4 the power possessed$ (y mother 4ollowed his ad*ice, *ery much to the
ad*anta/e o4 all parties5 and nobody suspected the e7istence o4 this second ey,
e7cept mysel4, whom she had admitted into her con4idence$ Two and twenty
years my parents li*ed happily to/ether, when I, bein/ at the time about ei/hteen
hours 8ourney 4rom home, recei*ed a letter 4rom my 4ather in4ormin/ me that she
was ill5 that he hoped 4or her speedy amendment5 but that i4 she /rew worse he
would send a horse to 4etch me home to see her$ I was e7tremely busy at that
time, and there4ore waited 4or 4urther intelli/ence, and as se*eral days elapsed
without any reachin/ me, I trusted my mother was con*alescent$
"@ne ni/ht, 4eelin/ mysel4 unwell, I had lain down on the bed with my clothes on
to tae a little rest$ It was between ele*en and twel*e o'cloc, and I had not been
to sleep, when someone noced at the door, and my mother entered, dressed
as she usually was$ )he saluted me, and said, '.e shall see each other no more
in this world, but I ha*e an in8unction to /i*e you$ I ha*e /i*en that ey to ?$
Enamin/ a ser*ant we then hadG, and she will remit it to you$ ;eep it care4ully, or
throw it into the water, but ne*er let your 4ather see it5 it would trouble him$
3arewell, and wal *irtuously throu/h li4e!' 0nd with these words she turned and
quitted the room by the door, as she had entered it$ I immediately arose, called
up my people, e7pressed my apprehension that my mother was dead, and,
without 4urther delay, started 4or home$ 0s I approached the house, ?$, the maid,
came out, and in4ormed me that my mother had e7pired betwi7t the hours o4
ele*en and twel*e on the precedin/ ni/ht$ 0s there was another person present
at the moment, she said nothin/ 4urther to me, but she too an early opportunity
o4 remittin/ me the ey, sayin/ that my mother had /i*en it to her 8ust be4ore she
e7pired, desirin/ her to place it in my hands, with an in8unction that I should eep
it care4ully, or 4lin/ it into the water, so that my 4ather mi/ht ne*er now anythin/
about it$ I too the ey, ept it 4or some years, and at len/th threw it into the
%ahne$"
I am aware that it may be ob8ected by those who belie*e in wraiths, but in no
other ind o4 apparition, that this phenomenon occurred be4ore the death o4 the
lady, and that it was produced by her ener/etic an7iety with re/ard to the ey5 it
may be so, or it may not5 but at all e*ents, we see in this case how a
comparati*ely tri4lin/ uneasiness may disturb a dyin/ person, and how there4ore
i4 memory remains to them, they may carry it with them, and see by such means
as they ha*e, to obtain relie4 4rom it$
0 remarable instance o4 an7iety 4or the wel4are o4 those le4t behind, is e7hibited
in the 4ollowin/ story, which I recei*ed 4rom a member o4 the 4amily concernedA
(rs$ ?$, a lady *ery well connected, lost her husband when in the prime o4 li4e,
and 4ound hersel4 with 4ourteen children, unpro*ided 4or$ The o*erwhelmin/
nature o4 the calamity depressed her ener/ies to such a de/ree as to render her
incapable o4 those e7ertions which could alone redeem them 4rom ruin$ The 4lood
o4 mis4ortune seemed too stron/ 4or her, and she yielded to it without resistance$
)he had thus /i*en way to despondency some time, when one day, as she was
sittin/ alone, the door opened and her mother, who had been a considerable
time dead, entered the room and addressed her, repro*in/ her 4or this wea
indul/ence o4 useless sorrow, and biddin/ her e7ert hersel4 4or the sae o4 her
children$ 3rom that period she threw o44 the depression, set acti*ely to wor to
promote the 4ortunes o4 her 4amily, and succeeded so well that they ultimately
emer/ed 4rom all their di44iculties$ I ased the /entleman who related this
circumstance to me, whether he belie*ed it$ #e answered that he could only
assure me that she hersel4 a44irmed the 4act, and that she a*owedly attributed the
sudden chan/e in her character and conduct to this cause " 4or his own part, he
did not now what to say " 4indin/ it di44icult to belie*e in the possibility o4 such a
*isit 4rom the dead$
0 somewhat similar instance is related by -r$ ;erner, which, he says, he
recei*ed 4rom the party himsel4, a man o4 sense and probity$ This /entleman, (r$
3$, at an early a/e lost his mother$ Two and twenty years a4terwards he 4ormed
an attachment to a youn/ person, whose hand he resol*ed to as in marria/e$
#a*in/, one e*enin/, seated himsel4 at his des, 4or the purpose o4 writin/ his
proposal, he was amaBed, on accidentally li4tin/ his eyes 4rom the paper, to see
his mother looin/ e7actly as i4 ali*e, seated opposite to him5 whilst she, raisin/
her 4in/er with a warnin/ /esture, said, "-o not that thin/!" &ot the least alarmed,
(r$ 3$ started up to approach her, whereupon she disappeared$ 9ein/ *ery much
attached to the lady howe*er, he did not 4eel disposed to 4ollow her counsel5 but
ha*in/ read the letter to his 4ather, who hi/hly appro*ed o4 the match and who
lau/hed at the /host, he returned to his chamber to seal it, when whilst he was
addin/ the superscription, she a/ain appeared as be4ore, and reiterated her
in8unction$ 9ut lo*e conquered5 the letter was dispatched, the marria/e ensued,
and a4ter ten years o4 stri4e and unhappiness was dissol*ed by a 8udicial process$
0 remarable circumstance occurred, about 4orty years a/o, in the 4amily o4 -r$
1aulus at )tutt/ard$ The wi4e o4 the head o4 the 4amily ha*in/ died, they, with
some o4 their connections, were sittin/ at table a 4ew days a4terwards, in the
room ad8oinin/ that in which the corpse lay, when, suddenly the door o4 the latter
apartment opened, and the 4i/ure o4 the mother, clad in white robes, entered, and
salutin/ them as she passed, waled slowly and noiselessly throu/h the room,
and then disappeared a/ain throu/h the door by which she had entered$ The
whole company saw the apparition5 but the 4ather who was at that time quite in
health, died ei/ht days a4terwards$
(adame ?$ had promised an old wood"cutter, who had a particular horror o4
dyin/ in the poor"house, because he new his body would be /i*en to the
sur/eons, that she would tae care to see him properly interred$ The old man
li*ed some years a4terwards, and she had quite lost si/ht o4 him, and indeed
4or/otten the circumstance, when she was one ni/ht awaened by the sound o4
some one cuttin/ wood in her bed"chamber5 and so per4ect was the imitation,
that she heard e*ery lo/ 4lun/ aside as separated$ )he started up, e7claimin/,
"The old man must be dead!" and so it pro*ed5 his last an7iety ha*in/ been that
(adame ?$ should remember her promise$
That our interest in whate*er has much concerned us in this li4e, accompanies us
beyond the /ra*e, seems to be pro*ed by many stories I meet with, and the
4ollowin/ is o4 undoubted authenticityA )ome years a/o, a music"master died at
:r4rert at the a/e o4 se*enty$ #e was a miser, and had ne*er looed with *ery
4riendly eyes on 1ro4essor ?inc, the composer who he new was liely to
succeed to his classes$ The old man had li*ed and died in an apartment
ad8oinin/ the classroom5 and the 4irst day that ?inc entered on his o44ice, whilst
the scholars were sin/in/ Aus der tiefe ruf ich dich, which is a paraphrase o4 the
De profundis, he thou/ht he saw throu/h a hole or bull's eye there was in the
door somethin/ mo*in/ about the inner chamber$ 0s the room was *oid o4 e*ery
ind o4 4urniture, and nobody could possibly be in it, ?inc looed more 4i7edly5
when he distinctly saw a shadow, whose mo*ements were accompanied by a
stran/e rustlin/ sound$
1erple7ed at the circumstance, he told his pupils that on the 4ollowin/ day he
should require them to repeat the same choral$ They did so5 and whilst they were
sin/in/, ?inc saw a person walin/ bacwards and 4orwards in the ne7t room,
who 4requently approached the hole in the door$ Very much struc with so
e7traordinary a circumstance, ?inc had the choral repeated on the ensuin/ day5
and this time his suspicions were 4ully con4irmed5 the old man, his predecessor,
approachin/ the door, and /aBin/ stead4astly into the classroom$ "#is 4ace," said
?inc, in relatin/ the story to -r$ (ainBer, who has obli/in/ly 4urnished it to me
as entered in his 8ournal at the time, "his 4ace was o4 an ashy /rey$ The
apparition," he added "ne*er more appeared to me, althou/h I 4requently had the
choral repeated$"
"I am no belie*er in /host"stories," he added, "nor in the least superstitious5
ne*ertheless I cannot help admittin/ that I ha*e seen this, it is impossible 4or me
e*er to doubt or to deny that which I now I saw$"
"""""""""""
*hapter ; ( -he /uture that Awaits =s
In all a/es o4 the world, and in all parts o4 it, manind ha*e earnestly desired to
learn the 4ate that awaited them when they had "shu44led o44 this mortal coil5" and
those pretendin/ to be their instructors ha*e built up di44erent systems which
ha*e stood in the stead o4 nowled/e, and more or less satis4ied the bul o4 the
people$ The interest on this sub8ect is, at the present period, in the most hi/hly
ci*iliBed portions o4 the /lobe, less than it has been at any precedin/ one$ The
/reat proportion o4 us li*e 4or this world alone, and thin *ery little o4 the ne7t5 we
are in too /reat a hurry o4 pleasure or business to bestow any time on a sub8ect
o4 which we ha*e such *a/ue notions " notions so *a/ue, that, in short, we can
scarcely by any e44ort o4 the ima/ination brin/ the idea home to oursel*es5 and
when we are about to die we are seldom in a situation to do more than resi/n
oursel*es to what is ine*itable, and blindly meet our 4ate5 whilst, on the other
hand, what is /enerally called the reli/ious world, is so en/rossed by its stru//les
4or power and money, or by its sectarian disputes and enmities5 and so narrowed
and circumscribed by do/matic orthodo7ies, that it has neither inclination nor
liberty to turn bac or loo around, and endea*our to /ather up 4rom past records
and present obser*ation such hints as are now and a/ain dropt in our path, to
/i*e us an intimation o4 what the truth may be$
The rationalistic a/e, too, out o4 which we are only 8ust emer/in/, and which
succeeded one o4 /ross superstition, ha*in/ settled, beyond appeal, that there
ne*er was such a thin/ as a /host that the dead ne*er do come bac to tell us
the secrets o4 their prison"house, and that nobody belie*es such idle tales but
children and old women, seemed to ha*e shut the door a/ainst the only channel
throu/h which any in4ormation could be sou/ht$ ?e*elation tells us *ery little on
this sub8ect, reason can tell us nothin/5 and i4 nature is equally silent, or i4 we are
to be deterred 4rom questionin/ her 4rom the 4ear o4 ridicule, there is certainly no
resource le4t 4or us but to rest contented in our i/norance5 and each wait till the
aw4ul secret is disclosed to oursel*es$ 0 /reat many thin/s ha*e been
pronounced untrue and absurd, and e*en impossible, by the hi/hest authorities
in the a/e in which they li*ed, which ha*e a4terwards, and indeed within a *ery
short period, been 4ound to be both possible and true$
I con4ess mysel4, 4or one, to ha*e no respect whate*er 4or these do/matic denials
and a44irmations, and I am quite ot opinion that *ul/ar incredulity is a much more
contemptible thin/ than *ul/ar credulity$ .e now *ery little o4 what is, and still
less o4 what may be5 and till a thin/ has been pro*ed, by induction lo/ically
impossible, we ha*e no ri/ht whate*er to pronounce that it is so$ 0s I ha*e said
be4ore, a priori conclusions are per4ectly worthless5 and the sort o4 in*esti/ation
that is bestowed upon sub8ects o4 the class o4 which I am treatin/, somethin/
worse5 inasmuch as they decei*e the timid and the i/norant, and that *ery
numerous class which pins its 4aith on authority and ne*er *entures to thin 4or
itsel4, by an assumption o4 wisdom and nowled/e, which, i4 e7amined and
analysed, would *ery 4requently pro*e to be nothin/ more respectable than
obstinate pre8udice and rash assertion$
3or my own part, I repeat, I insist upon nothin/$ The opinions I ha*e 4ormed 4rom
the e*idence collected, may be quite erroneous5 i4 so, as I see only the truth, I
shall be /lad to be undecei*ed and shall be quite ready to accept a better
e7planation o4 these 4acts, whene*er it is o44ered to me5 but it is in *ain to tell me
that this e7planation is to be 4ound in what is called ima/ination, or in a morbid
state o4 the ner*es, or an unusual e7citement o4 the or/ans o4 colour and 4orm, or
in imposture5 or in all these to/ether$ The e7istence o4 all such sources o4 error
and delusion, I am 4ar 4rom denyin/, but I 4ind instances that it is quite impossible
to reduce under any one o4 those cate/ories, as we at present understand them$
The multiplicity o4 these instances, too 4or not to mention the lar/e number that
are ne*er made nown or care4ully concealed, i4 I were to a*ail mysel4 liberally o4
cases already recorded in *arious wors, many o4 which I now, and many others
I hear o4 as e7istin/, but which I cannot con*eniently /et access to, I mi/ht 4ill
*olumes " 6erman literature abounds in them " the number o4 the e7amples, I
repeat, e*en on the supposition that they are not 4acts, would o4 itsel4 4orm the
sub8ect o4 a *ery curious physiolo/ical or psycholo/ical enquiry$ I4 so many
people in respectable situations o4 li4e, and in apparently a normal state o4 health,
are either capable o4 such /ross impostures, or the sub8ects o4 such
e7traordinary spectral illusions, it would certainly be e7tremely satis4actory to
learn somethin/ o4 the conditions that induce these phenomena in such
abundance5 and all I e7pect 4rom my boo at present is, to induce a suspicion
that we are not quite so wise as we thin oursel*es5 and that it mi/ht be
worthwhile to enquire a little seriously into reports, which may perchance turn out
to ha*e a deeper interest 4or us, than all those *arious questions, public and
pri*ate, put to/ether, with which we are daily a/itatin/ oursel*es$
I ha*e alluded in an earlier part o4 this wor, to the belie4 entertained by the
ancients, that the souls o4 men on bein/ disen/a/ed 4rom the bodies, passed into
a middle state, called #ades, in which their portions seemed neither to be that o4
complete happiness nor o4 insupportable misery$ They retained their personality,
their human 4orm, their memory o4 the past, and their interest in those that had
been dear to them on earth$ Communications were occasionally made by the
dead to the li*in/5 they mourned o*er their duties ne/lected and their errors
committed5 many o4 their mortal 4eelin/s, passions and propensities, seemed to
sur*i*e5 and they sometimes sou/ht to repair, throu/h the instrumentality o4 the
li*in/, the in8uries they had 4ormerly in4licted$ In short, death was merely a
transition 4rom one condition o4 li4e to another5 but in this latter state, althou/h we
do not see them condemned to under/o any torments, we percei*e that they are
not happy$ There are indeed compartments in this dar re/ion5 there is Tartarus
4or the wiced, and the :lysian 4ields 4or the /ood, but they are comparati*ely
thinly peopled$ It is in the mid re/ion that these pale shades abound, consistently
with the 4act, that here on earth, moral, as well as intellectual, mediocrity is the
rule5 and e7tremes o4 /ood or e*il the e7ceptions$
.ith re/ard to the opinion entertained o4 a 4uture state by the #ebrews, the @ld
Testament /i*es us *ery little in4ormation5 but what /limpses we do obtain o4 it,
appears to e7hibit notions analo/ous to those o4 the heathen nations, inasmuch
as that the personality and the 4orm seem to be retained, and the possibility o4
these departed spirits re*isitin/ the earth and holdin/ commune with the li*in/ is
admitted$ The request o4 the rich man, also, that %aBarus mi/ht be sent to warn
his brethren, yet ali*e, o4 his own miserable condition, testi4ies to the e7istence o4
these opinions5 and it is worthy o4 remar, that the 4a*our is denied, not because
its per4ormance is impossible, but because the mission would be una*ailin/ " a
prediction which, it appears to me, time has sin/ularly 8usti4ied$
0lto/ether, the notion that in the state entered upon a4ter we lea*e this world, the
personality and 4orm are retained, that these shades sometimes re*isit the earth,
and that the memory o4 the past still sur*i*es, seems to be uni*ersal5 4or it is
4ound to e7ist amon/st all people, sa*a/e and ci*iliBed5 and i4 not 4ounded on
obser*ation and e7perience, it becomes di44icult to account 4or such unanimity on
a sub8ect which I thin, speculati*ely considered, would not ha*e been producti*e
o4 such results5 and one proo4 o4 this is, that those who re8ect such testimony and
tradition as we ha*e in re/ard to it, and rely only on their own understandin/s,
appear to be pretty uni4ormly led to 4orm opposite conclusions$ They cannot
discern the mode o4 such a phenomenon5 it is open to all sorts o4 scienti4ic
ob8ections, and the cui #ono stics in their teeth$
This position bein/ admitted, as I thin it must be, we ha*e but one resource le4t,
whereby to account 4or the uni*ersability o4 this persuasion5 which is, that in all
periods and places, both manind and womenind, as well in health as in
sicness, ha*e been liable to a series o4 spectral illusions o4 a most e7traordinary
and complicated nature, and bearin/ such a remarable similarity to each other,
in re/ard to the ob8ects supposed to be seen or heard, that they ha*e been
uni*ersally led to the same erroneous interpretation o4 the phenomenon$ It is
mani4estly not impossible that this may be the case5 and i4 it be so, it becomes
the business o4 physiolo/ists to enquire into the matter, and /i*e us some
account o4 it$ In the mean time, we may be permitted to tae the other *iew o4 the
question, and e7amine what probabilities seem to be in its 4a*our$
.hen the body is about to die, that which cannot die, and which, to spare words,
I will call the soul, departs 4rom it5 whither< .e do not now5 but, in the 4irst
place, we ha*e no reason to belie*e that the space destined 4or its habitation is
4ar remo*ed 4rom the earth, since, nowin/ nothin/ about it, we are equally
entitled to suppose the contrary5 and, in the ne7t, that which we call distance is a
condition that merely re/ards material ob8ects, and o4 which a spirit is quite
independent, 8ust as our thou/hts are, which can tra*el 4rom here to China, and
bac a/ain, in a second o4 time$ .ell, then, supposin/ this bein/ to e7ist
somewhere, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that the souls o4 the
inhabitants o4 each planet continue to ho*er within the sphere o4 that planet, to
which, 4or anythin/ we can tell, they may be attached by a ma/netic attraction,
supposin/ it to 4ind itsel4 in space, 4ree o4 the body, endowed with the memory o4
the past, and consequently with a consciousness o4 its own deserts, able to
percei*e that which we do not ordinarily percei*e, namely, those who ha*e
passed into a similar state with itsel4, will it not naturally see its place amon/st
those spirits which most resemble itsel4, and with whom, there4ore, it must ha*e
the most a44inity<
@n earth, the /ood see the /ood, and the wiced the wicedA and the a7iom that
"lie associates with lie," we cannot doubt will be as true herea4ter as now$ "In
my 4ather's house there are many mansions," and our intuiti*e sense o4 what is 4it
and 8ust must needs assure us that this is so$ There are too many de/rees o4
moral worth and o4 moral unworth amon/st manind, to permit o4 our supposin/
that 8ustice could be satis4ied by an abrupt di*ision into two opposite classes$ @n
the contrary, there must be in4inite shades o4 desert, and, as we must consider
that that which a spirit enters into on lea*in/ the body, is not so much a place as
a condition, so there must be as many de/rees o4 happiness or su44erin/ as there
are indi*iduals, each carryin/ with him his own #ea*en or #ell$ 3or it is a *ul/ar
notion to ima/ine that #ea*en and #ell are places5 they are states5 and it is in
oursel*es we must loo 4or both$
.hen we lea*e the body, we carry them with us5 "as the tree 4alls, so it shall lie$"
The soul which here has wallowed in wicedness or been sun in sensuality, will
not be suddenly puri4ied by the death o4 the body5 its moral condition remains
what its earthly so8ourn has trained it to, but its means o4 indul/in/ its
propensities are lost$ I4 it has had no /odly aspirations here, it will not be drawn
to 6od there5 and i4 it has so bound itsel4 to the body that it has nown no
happiness but that to which the body ministered, it will be incapable o4 happiness
when depri*ed o4 that means o4 en8oyment$ #ere we see at once what a *ariety
o4 conditions must necessarily ensue5 how many comparati*ely ne/ati*e states
there must be betwi7t those o4 positi*e happiness or positi*e misery$
.e may thus concei*e how a soul, on enterin/ upon this new condition, must
4ind its own place or state5 i4 its thou/hts and aspirations here ha*e been
hea*enward, and its pursuits noble, its conditions will be hea*enly$ The
contemplation o4 6od's wors, seen not as by our mortal eyes, but in their beauty
and their truth, and e*er"/lowin/ sentiments o4 lo*e and /ratitude, and, 4or au/ht
we now, /ood o44ices to souls in need, would constitute a suitable hea*en, or
happiness 4or such a bein/5 an incapacity 4or such pleasures, and the absence o4
all others, would constitute a ne/ati*e state, in which the chie4 su44erin/ would
consist in mourn4ul re/rets and a *a/ue lon/in/ 4or somethin/ better, which the
untrained soul that ne*er li4ted itsel4 4rom the earth, nows not how to see5 whilst
mali/nant passions and unquenchable desires would constitute the appropriate
hell o4 the wiced5 4or we must remember, that althou/h a spirit is independent o4
those physical laws which are the conditions o4 matter, the moral law, which is
indestructible, belon/s peculiarly to it " that is, to the spirit, and is inseparable
4rom it$
.e must ne7t remember, that this earthly body we inhabit is more or less a
mas, by means o4 which we conceal 4rom each other those thou/hts which, i4
constantly e7posed, would un4it us 4or li*in/ in community5 but when we die, this
mas 4alls away, and the truth shows naedly$ There is no more dis/uise5 we
appear as we are, spirits o4 li/ht or spirits o4 darness5 and there can be no
di44iculty, I should thin, in concei*in/ this, since we now that e*en our present
opaque and comparati*ely in4le7ible 4eatures, in spite o4 all e44orts to the contrary,
will be the inde7 o4 the mind5 and that the e7pression o4 the 4ace is /radually
moulded to the 4ashion o4 the thou/hts$ #ow much more must this be the case
with the 4luent and diaphanous body which we e7pect is to succeed the 4leshly
one!
Thus, I thin, we ha*e arri*ed at 4ormin/ some conception o4 the state that awaits
us herea4ter5 the indestructible moral law 4i7es our place or condition5 a44inity
/o*erns our associations5 and the mas under which we conceal oursel*es
ha*in/ 4allen away, we appear to each other as we areA and I must here obser*e,
that in this last circumstance, must be comprised one *ery important element o4
happiness or misery5 4or the lo*e o4 the pure spirits 4or each other will be 4or e*er
e7cited by simply beholdin/ that beauty and bri/htness which will be the
inalienable e7pression o4 their /oodness5 whilst the re*erse will be the case with
the spirits o4 darness5 4or no one lo*es wicedness, either in themsel*es or
others, howe*er we may practice it$
.e must also understand, that the words dar and li/ht, which in this world o4
appearance we use metaphorically to e7press /ood and e*il, must be understood
literally when speain/ o4 that other world where e*erythin/ will be seen as it is$
6oodness is truth, and truth is li/ht5 and wicedness is 4alsehood, and 4alsehood
is darness, and so it will be seen to be$ Those who ha*e not the li/ht o4 truth to
/uide them will wander darly throu/h this *alley o4 the shadow o4 death5 those in
whom the li/ht o4 /oodness shines will dwell in the li/ht, which is inherent in
themsel*es$ The 4ormer will be in the in/dom o4 darness, the latter in the
in/dom o4 li/ht$ 0ll the records e7istin/ o4 the blessed spirits that ha*e
appeared, ancient or modern, e7hibit them as robed in li/ht, whilst their an/er or
sorrow is symbolised by their darness$
&ow, there appears to me nothin/ incomprehensible in this *iew o4 the 4uture5 on
the contrary, it is the only one which I e*er 4ound mysel4 capable o4 concei*in/ or
reconcilin/ with the 8ustice and mercy o4 our Creator$ #e does not punish us, we
punish oursel*es5 we ha*e built up a hea*en or a hell to our own liin/, and we
carry it with us$ The 4ire that 4or e*er burns without consumin/, is the 4iery e*il in
which we ha*e chosen our part5 and the hea*en in which we shall dwell will be
the hea*enly peace which will dwell in us$ .e are our own 8ud/es and our own
chastisers5 and here I must say a 4ew words on the sub8ect o4 that, apparently to
us, preternatural memory which is de*eloped under certain circumstances, and
to which I alluded in a 4ormer chapter$
:*eryone will ha*e heard that persons who ha*e been drowned and reco*ered
ha*e had, in what would ha*e been their last moments, had no means been used
to re*i*e them, a stran/e *ision o4 the past, in which their whole li4e seemed to
4loat be4ore them in re*iew5 and I ha*e heard o4 the same phenomenon tain/
place in moments o4 impendin/ death, in other 4orms$ &ow, as it is not durin/ the
stru//le 4or li4e, but immediately be4ore insensibility ensues, that this *ision
occurs, it must be the act o4 a moment5 and this renders comprehensible to us
what is said by the )eeress o4 1re*orst, and other somnambules o4 the hi/hest
order, namely, that the instant the soul is 4reed 4rom the body it sees its whole
earthly career in a sin/le si/n5 it nows that it is /ood or e*il, and pronounces its
own sentence$ The e7traordinary memory occasionally e7hibited in sicness
where the lin between the soul and the body is probably loosened, shows us an
adumbration o4 this 4aculty$
9ut this sel4"pronounced sentence, we are
led to hope is not 4inal, nor does it seem consistent with the lo*e and mercy o4
6od that it should be so$ There must be 4ew, indeed, who lea*e this earth 4it 4or
hea*en5 4or althou/h the immediate 4rame o4 mind in which dissolution taes
place, is probably *ery important, it is surely a pernicious error, encoura/ed by
8ail chaplains and philanthropists, that a late repentance and a 4ew partin/
prayers can puri4y a soul sullied by years o4 wicedness$ .ould we at once
recei*e such an one into our intimate communion and lo*e<
)hould we not require time 4or the stains o4 *ice to be washed away and habits o4
*irtue to be 4ormed< 0ssuredly we should! 0nd how can we ima/ine that the
purity o4 hea*en is to be sullied by that appro7imation that the purity o4 earth
would 4orbid< It would be cruel to say, and irrational to thin, that this late
repentance is o4 no a*ail5 it is doubtless so 4ar o4 a*ail that the strainin/ upwards
and the hea*enly aspirations o4 the partin/ soul are carried with it, so that when it
is 4ree, instead o4 choosin/ the darness, it will 4lee to as much li/ht as is in itsel45
and be ready, throu/h the mercy o4 6od and the ministerin/ o4 bri/hter spirits, to
recei*e more$ 9ut in this case, as also in the innumerable instances o4 those who
die in what may be called a ne/ati*e state, the ad*ance must be pro/ressi*e,
thou/h where*er the desire e7ists, I must belie*e that this ad*ance is possible$ I4
not, where4ore did Christ, a4ter bein/ "put to death in the 4lesh," /o and "preach to
the spirits in prison<" It would ha*e been a mocery to preach sal*ation to those
who had no hope5 nor would they, ha*in/ no hope, ha*e listened to the preacher$
I thin these *iews are at once cheerin/, encoura/in/, and beauti4ul5 and I cannot
but belie*e, that were they more /enerally entertained and more intimately
concei*ed, they would be *ery bene4icial in their e44ects$ 0s I ha*e said be4ore,
the e7tremely *a/ue notions people ha*e o4 a 4uture li4e, pre*ent the possibility o4
its e7ercisin/ any /reat in4luence upon the present$ The picture, on one side, is
too re*oltin/ and inconsistent with our ideas o4 -i*ine /oodness to be
deliberately accepted5 whilst, with re/ard to the other, our 4eelin/s somewhat
resemble those o4 a little /irl, I once new, who, bein/ told by her mother what
was to be the reward o4 /oodness i4 she were so happy as to reach hea*en, put
her 4in/er in her eye and be/an to cry, e7claimin/, "@h, mamma! how tired I shall
be sin/in/!"
The question which will now naturally arise, and which I am bound to answer, is,
#ow ha*e these *iews been 4ormed< and what is the authority 4or them< and the
answer I ha*e to mae will startle many minds, when I say, that they ha*e been
/athered 4rom two sources5 4irst and chie4ly 4rom the state in which those spirits
appear to be, and sometimes a*ow themsel*es to be, who, a4ter quittin/ the
earth, return to it and mae themsel*es *isible to the li*in/5 and, secondly, 4rom
the re*elations o4 numerous somnambules o4 the hi/hest order, which entirely
con4orm in all cases, not only with the re*elations o4 the dead, but with each
other$
I do not mean to imply, when I say this, that I consider the question 4inally settled,
as to whether somnambules are really clear"seers or only *isionaries5 nor that I
ha*e by any means established the 4act that the dead do sometimes actually
return5 but I am obli/ed to be/ the question 4or the moment, since whether these
sources be pure or impure, it is 4rom them the in4ormation has been collected$
It is true, that these *iews are e7tremely con4ormable with those entertained by
1lato and his school o4 philosophers5 and also with those o4 the mystics o4 a later
a/e5 but the latter certainly, and the 4ormer probably, built up their systems on the
same 4oundation5 and I am *ery 4ar 4rom usin/ the term mystics in the
opprobrious, or at least contemptuous, tone in which it has o4 late years been
uttered in this country5 4or althou/h aboundin/ in errors, as re/arded the
concrete, and althou/h their want o4 an inducti*e methodolo/y led them
constantly astray in the re/ion o4 the real, they were sublime teachers in that o4
the ideal5 and they seem to ha*e been endowed with a wonder4ul insi/ht into this
*eiled department o4 our nature$
It may be here ob8ected, that we only admire their insi/ht, because, bein/ in
entire i/norance o4 the sub8ect o4 it, we accept ra*in/ 4or re*elation5 and that no
wei/ht can be attached to the con4ormity o4 later disclosures with theirs, since
they ha*e no doubt been 4ounded upon them$ 0s to the i/norance, it is admitted5
and, simply looin/ at their *iews, as they stand, they ha*e nothin/ to support
them but their sublimity and consistency5 but, as re/ards the *alue o4 the
e*idence a44orded by con4ormity, it rests on *ery di44erent /rounds5 4or the
reporters 4rom whom we collect our intelli/ence are, with *ery 4ew e7ceptions,
those o4 whom we may sa4ely predicate, that they were wholly unacquainted with
the systems promul/ated by the 1latonic philosophers, or the mystics either, nor,
in most instances, had e*er heard o4 their names5 4or, as re/ards that peculiar
somnambulic state which is here re4erred to, the sub8ects o4 it appear to be
/enerally *ery youn/ people o4 either se7, and chie4ly /irls5 and, as re/ards
/host"seein/, althou/h this phenomenon seems to ha*e no connection with the
a/e o4 the seer, yet it is not usually 4rom the learned or the culti*ated we collect
our cases, inasmuch as the apprehension o4 ridicule, on the one hand, and the
4ast hold the doctrine o4 spectral illusions has taen o4 them, on the other,
pre*ent their belie*in/ in their own senses, or producin/ any e*idence they mi/ht
ha*e to 4urnish$
0nd here will be o44ered another subtle ob8ection, namely, that the testimony o4
such witnesses as I ha*e abo*e described is per4ectly worthless5 but this I deny$
The somnambulic states I allude to, are such as ha*e been de*eloped, not
arti4icially, but naturally5 and o4ten under *ery e7traordinary ner*ous diseases,
accompanied with catalepsy, and *arious symptoms 4ar beyond 4ei/nin/$ )uch
cases are rare, and, in this country, seem to ha*e been *ery little obser*ed, 4or
doubtless they must occur, and when they do occur, they are *ery care4ully
concealed by the 4amilies o4 the patient, and not 4ollowed up or in*esti/ated as a
psycholo/ical phenomenon by the physician5 4or it is to be obser*ed that, without
questionin/ no re*elations are made5 they are not, as 4ar as I now, e*er
spontaneous$ I ha*e heard o4 two such cases in this country, both occurrin/ in
the hi/her classes, and both patients bein/ youn/ ladies5 but, althou/h surprisin/
phenomena were e7hibited, interro/ation was not permitted, and the particulars
were ne*er allowed to transpire$
&o doubt there are e7amples o4 error and e7amples o4 imposture, so there are in
e*erythin/ where room is to be 4ound 4or them5 and I am quite aware o4 the
propensity o4 hysterical patients to decei*e, but it is 4or the 8udicious obser*ers to
e7amine the /enuineness o4 each particular instance5 and it is per4ectly certain
and well established by the 6erman physiolo/ists and psycholo/ists, who ha*e
care4ully studied the sub8ect, that there are many abo*e all suspicion$ 1ro*ided,
then, that the case be /enuine, it remains to be determined how much *alue is to
be attached to the re*elations, 4or they may be quite honestly deli*ered, and yet
be utterly worthless " the mere ra*in/s o4 a disordered brain5 and it is here that
con4ormity becomes important, 4or I cannot admit the ob8ection that the simple
circumstance o4 the patient's bein/ diseased in*alidates their e*idence so entirely
as to annul e*en the *alue o4 their unanimity, because althou/h it is not lo/ically
impossible, that a certain state o4 ner*ous deran/ement should occasion all
somnambules, o4 the class in question, to mae similar answers, when
interro/ated, re/ardin/ a sub8ect o4 which in their normal condition they now
nothin/, and on which they ha*e ne*er re4lected, and that these answers should
be not only consistent, but disclosin/ 4ar more ele*ated *iews than are e*ol*ed
by minds o4 a *ery superior order which ha$e re4lected on it *ery deeply " I say,
althou/h this is not lo/ically impossible, it will assuredly be 4ound, by most
persons, an hypothesis o4 much more di44icult acceptance than the one I
propose5 namely, that whate*er be the cause o4 the e44ect, these patients are in a
state o4 clear"seein/, wherein they ha*e "more than mortal nowled/e5" that is,
more nowled/e than mortals possess in their normal conditionA and it must not
be 4or/otten, that we ha*e some 4acts con4essed by all e7perienced physicians
and physiolo/ists, e*en in this country, pro*in/ that there are states o4 disease in
which preternatural 4aculties ha*e been de*eloped, such as no theory has yet
satis4actorily accounted 4or$
9ut -r$ 1assa*ent, who has written a *ery philosophical wor on the sub8ect o4
*ital ma/netism and clear"seein/, asserts, that it is an error to ima/ine that the
ecstatic condition is merely the product o4 disease$ #e says, that it has
sometimes e7hibited itsel4 in persons o4 *ery *i/orous constitutions, instancin/
Doan o4 0rc, a woman, whom historians ha*e little understood, and whose
memory Voltaire's detestable poem has ridiculed and de/raded, but who was,
ne*ertheless, a /reat psycholo/ical phenomenon$
The circumstance, too, that phenomena o4 this ind are more 4requently
de*eloped in women than in men, and that they are merely the consequence o4
her /reater ner*ous irritability has been made another ob8ection to them " an
ob8ection, howe*er, which -r$ 1assa*ent considers 4ounded on i/norance o4 the
essential di44erence between the se7es, which is not merely a physical but a
psycholo/ical one$ (an is more producti*e than recepti*e$ In a state o4
per4ectibility, both attributes would be equally de*eloped in him5 but in this
terrestrial li4e, only imper4ect phases o4 the entire sum o4 the soul's 4aculties are
so$ (anind are but children, male or 4emale, youn/ or oldA o4 man, in his totality,
we ha*e but 4aint adumbrations, here and there$
Thus the ecstatic woman will be more 4requently a seer, instincti*e and intuiti*e5
man, a doer and a worer5 and as all /enius is a de/ree o4 ecstacy or clear"
seein/, we percei*e the reason where4ore in man it is more producti*e than in
woman, and that our /reatest poets and artists, in all inds, are o4 the 4ormer se7,
and e*en the most remarable women produce but little in science or art5 whilst
on the other hand, the 4eminine instinct, and tact, and intuiti*e seein/ o4 truth, is
4requently more sure than the ripe and deliberate 8ud/ment o4 manA and it is
hence that solitude and such conditions as de*elop the passi*e or recepti*e at
the e7pense o4 the acti*e, tend to produce this state, and to assimilate the man
more to the nature o4 the woman5 whilst in her they intensi4y these distin/uishin/
characteristicsA and this is also the reason that simple and child"lie people and
races are the most 4requent sub8ects o4 these phenomena$
It is only necessary to read (oBart's account o4 his own moments o4 inspiration,
to comprehend, not only the similarity, but the positi*e identity o4 the ecstatic
state with the state o4 /enius in acti*ity$ ".hen all /oes well with me," he says,
"when I am in a carria/e, or walin/, or when I cannot sleep at ni/ht, the
thou/hts come streamin/ in upon me most 4luently$ .hence, or how, is more
than I can tell$ .hat comes, I hum to mysel4, as it proceeds then 4ollows the
counterpoint
and the clan/ o4 the di44erent instruments, and i4 I am not disturbed my soul is
4i7ed, and the thin/ /rows /reater, and broader, and clearer5 and I ha*e it all in
my head, e*en when the piece is a lon/ one, and I see it lie a beauti4ul picture,
not hearin/ the di44erent parts in succession, as they must be played, but the
whole at once$ That is the deli/ht! The composin/ and the main/ is lie a
beauti4ul and *i*id dream, but this hearin/ o4 it, is the best o4 all$"
.hat is this but clear"seein/, bacwards and 4orwards, the past and the 4uture<
The one 4aculty is not a whit more surprisin/ and incomprehensible than the
other, to those who possess neither, only we see the material product o4 one,
and there4ore belie*e in it$ 9ut, as 1assa*ent 8ustly says, these coruscations
belon/ not to /enius e7clusi*elyA they are latent in all men$ In the hi/hly /i4ted,
this di*ine spar becomes a 4lame to li/ht the world withalA but e*en in the
coarsest and least de*eloped or/aniBations, it may, and does momentarily brea
4orth$ The /erm o4 the hi/hest spiritual li4e is in the rudest, accordin/ to its
de/ree, as well as in the hi/hest 4orm o4 man we ha*e yet seen5 he is but a more
imper4ect type o4 the race, in whom this spiritual /erm has not un4olded itsel4$
Then, with respect to our second source o4 in4ormation, I am quite aware that it is
equally di44icult to establish its *alidity5 but there are a 4ew ar/uments in our
4a*our here, too$ In the 4irst place, as -r$ Dohnson says, thou/h all reason is
a/ainst us, all tradition is 4or us5 and this con4ormity o4 tradition is surely o4 some
wei/ht, since I thin it would be di44icult to 4ind any parallel instance, o4 a
uni*ersal tradition that was entirely without a 4oundation in truth5 4or with respect
to witchcra4t, the belie4 in which is equally uni*ersal, we now now that the
phenomena were /enerally 4acts, althou/h the interpretations put upon them
were 4ables$
It may certainly be ob8ected that this uni*ersal belie4 in /hosts only arises 4rom
the uni*ersal pre*alence o4 spectral illusions, but, i4 so, as I ha*e be4ore
obser*ed, these spectral illusions become a sub8ect o4 *ery curious enquiry, 4or,
in the 4irst place, they 4requently occur under circumstances the least liely to
induce them, and to people whom we should least e7pect to 4ind the *ictims o4
them5 and, in the second, there is a most remarable con4ormity here, too, not
only between the indi*idual cases occurrin/ amon/st all classes o4 persons, who
had ne*er e7hibited the sli/htest tendency to, ner*ous deran/ement or
somnambulism, but also between these and the re*elations o4 the somnambules$
In short, it seems to me that li4e is reduced to a mere phantasma/oria, i4 spectral
illusions are so pre*alent, so complicated in their nature, and so delusi*e as they
must be, i4 all the instances o4 /host"seein/ that come be4ore us are to be
re4erred to that theory$ #ow numerous these are, I con4ess mysel4 not to ha*e
had the least idea, till my attention was directed to the enquiry5 and that these
instances ha*e been equally 4requent in all periods and places, we cannot doubt,
4rom the *ariety o4 persons that ha*e /i*en in their adhesion, or at least that ha*e
admitted, as 0ddison did, that he could not re4use the uni*ersal testimony in
4a*our o4 the reappearance o4 the dead, stren/thened by that o4 many credible
persons with whom he was acquainted$ Indeed, the testimony in 4a*our o4 the
4acts has been at all periods too stron/ to be wholly re8ected, so that e*en the
materialists, lie %ucretius and the elder 1liny, 4ind themsel*es obli/ed to
acnowled/e them, whilst, on the other hand, the e7tra*a/ant admissions that
are demanded o4 us by those who endea*our to e7plain them away, pro*e that
their disbelie4 rests on no more solid 4oundation than their own pre8udices$
I acnowled/e all the di44iculty o4 establishin/ the 4acts, such di44iculties as indeed
encompass 4ew other branches o4 enquiry5 but maintain that the position o4 the
opponents is still worse, althou/h, by their hi/h tone, and their contemptuous
lau/h, they assume to ha*e taen up one that, bein/ 4orti4ied by reason, is quite
impre/nable, 4or/ettin/ that the wisdom o4 man is preeminently "4oolishness
be4ore 6od," when it wanders into this re/ion o4 unnown thin/s$ 3or/ettin/, also,
that they are 8ust ser*in/ this branch o4 enquiry, as their predecessors, whom
they lau/h at, did physiolo/y5 concoctin/ their systems out o4 their own brains,
instead o4 the responses o4 nature5 and with still more rashness and
presumption, this department o4 her in/dom bein/ more inaccessible, more
incapable o4 demonstration, and more entirely beyond our control5 4or these
spirits will not "come when we do call them5" and, I con4ess, it o4ten surprises me
to hear the *ery shallow nonsense that *ery cle*er men tal upon the sub8ect,
and the ine44icient ar/uments they use to dispro*e what they now nothin/ about$
I am quite conscious that the 4acts I shall adduce are open to contro*ersy5 I can
brin/ 4orward no e*idence that will satis4y a scienti4ic mind5 but neither are my
opponents a whit better 4orti4ied$ 0ll I do hope to establish is, not a proo4, but a
presumption5 and the con*iction I desire to awaen in people's minds, is, not that
these thin/s are so, but that they may be so, and that it is well worth our while to
enquire whether they are or not$
It will be seen, that these *iews o4 a 4uture state are e7tremely similar to those o4
Isaac Taylor, as su//ested in his physical theory o4 another li4e at least, as 4ar as
he has entered upon the sub8ect and it is natural that they should be so, because
he seems also to ha*e been a con*ert to the opinion, that "the dead do
sometimes brea throu/h the boundaries that hem in the etherial crowds5 and i4
so, as i4 by trespass, may in sin/le instances in4rin/e upon the /round o4
common corporeal li4e$"
%et us now 4ancy this dispossessed soul enterin/ on its new career, amaBed, and
no more able than when it was in the body to accommodate itsel4 at once to
conditions o4 e7istence, 4or which it was unprepared$ I4 its aspirations had
pre*iously been hea*enward, these conditions would not be alto/ether new, and
it would speedily 4ind itsel4 at home in a sphere in which it had dwelt be4ore5 4or,
as I ha*e 4ormerly said, a spirit must be where its thou/hts and a44ections are,
and the soul, whose thou/hts and a44ections had been directed to hea*en, would
only awaen a4ter death into a more per4ect and unclouded hea*en$
9ut ima/ine the contrary o4 all this$ Concei*e what this awaenin/ must be to an
earth"bound spirit " to one alto/ether unprepared 4or its new home " carryin/ no
li/ht within it " 4loatin/ in the dim obscure " clin/in/ to the earth, where all its
a44ections were /arnered up5 4or where its treasure is, there shall it be also$ It will
4ind its condition e*il, more or less, accordin/ to the de/ree o4 its moral li/ht or
darness, and in proportion to the amount o4 the darness will be its incapacity to
see 4or li/ht$ "&ow, there seems nothin/ o44ensi*e to our notions o4 the -i*ine
/oodness in this conception o4 what awaits us when the body dies$ It appears to
me, on the contrary, to o44er a more comprehensible and coherent *iew than any
other that has been presented to me5 yet, the state I ha*e depicted is *ery much
the #ades o4 the 6rees and ?omans$ It is the middle state, on which all souls
enter, a state in which there are many mansions " that is, there are innumerable
states probably not permanent, but e*er pro/ressi*e or retro/rade5 4or we can
not concei*e o4 any moral state bein/ permanent, since we now per4ectly well
that ours is ne*er soA it is always ad*ancin/ or retrocedin/$ .hen we are not
impro*in/, we are deterioratin/5 and so it must necessarily be with us herea4ter$
&ow, i4 we admit the probability o4 this middle state, we ha*e remo*ed one o4 the
/reat ob8ections which are made to the belie4 in the reappearance o4 the dead5
namely, that the blest are too happy to return to the earth, and that the wiced
ha*e it not in their power to do so$ This di44iculty arises, howe*er, *ery much 4rom
the material ideas entertained o4 #ea*en and #ell " the notion that they are
places instead o4 states$
I am told that the 6ree word #ades is deri*ed 4rom aeides, in*isible5 and that
the #ebrew word Scheol, which has the same si/ni4ication, also implies a state,
not a place5 since it may be interpreted into desiring, longing, as%ing, praying.
These words in the )eptua/int, are translated by gra$e, death, or hell5 but
pre*iously to the ?e4ormation, they seem to ha*e borne their ori/inal meanin/5
that is, the state into which the soul entered at the death o4 the body$ It was
probably to /et rid o4 the pur/atory o4 the ?oman Church, which had doubtless
become the source o4 many absurd notions and corrupt practices, that the
doctrine o4 a middle state or #ades was set aside5 besides which the honest
desire 4or re4ormation in all re4ormin/ churches, bein/ alloyed by the odium
theologicum, the puri4yin/ besom is apt to tae too discursi*e a sweep,
e7ercisin/ less modesty and discrimination than mi/ht be desirable5 and thus not
uncommonly wipin/ away truth and 4alsehood to/ether$
-ismissin/ the idea, there4ore, that #ea*en and #ell are places in which the soul
is imprisoned, whether in bliss or woe, and, supposin/ that, by a ma/netic
relation, it may remain connected with the sphere to which it pre*iously belon/ed,
we may easily concei*e that, i4 it ha*e the memory o4 the past, the more entirely
sensuous its li4e in the body may ha*e been, the closer it will clin/ to the scene o4
its 4ormer 8oys5 or, e*en i4 its so8ourn on earth were not a period o4 8oy, but the
contrary, still, i4 it ha*e no hea*enward aspirations, it will 4ind itsel4, i4 not in actual
woe, yet aimless, ob8ectless, and out o4 a con/enial element$ It has no lon/er the
or/ans whereby it percei*ed, communicated with, and en8oyed the material world
and its pleasures$ The 8oys o4 #ea*en are not its 8oys5 we mi/ht as well e7pect a
hardened prisoner in &ew/ate, associatin/ with others as hardened as himsel4,
to melt into ecstatic deli/ht at the idea o4 that which he cannot apprehend!
#ow helpless and ine44icient such a condition seems, and how natural it is to us
to ima/ine that, under such circumstances, there mi/ht be awaened a
considerable desire to mani4est itsel4 to those yet li*in/ in the 4lesh, i4 such a
mani4estation be possible! 0nd what ri/ht ha*e we, in direct contradiction to all
tradition, to assert that it is not< .e may raise up a *ariety o4 ob8ections 4rom
physical science, but we cannot be sure that these are applicable to the case5
and o4 the laws o4 spirit we now *ery little, since we are only acquainted with it
as circumscribed, con4ined, and impeded in its operations by the body5 and
whene*er such abnormal states occur as enable it to act with any de/ree o4
independence, man, under the dominion o4 his all"su44icient reason, denies and
disowns the 4acts$
That the mani4estation o4 a spirit to the li*in/, whether seen or heard, is an
e7ception, and not the rule, is e*ident5 4or, supposin/ the desire to e7ist at all, it
must e7ist in millions and millions o4 instances which ne*er tae e44ect$ The
circumstances must, there4ore, no doubt be *ery peculiar, as re/ards both parties
in which such a mani4estation is possible5 what these are we ha*e *ery little
means o4 nowin/, but, as 4ar as we do now, we are led to conclude that a
certain ma/netic rapport or polarity constitute this condition, whilst, at the same
time, as re/ards the seer, there must be what the prophet called the "opening of
the eye" which may, perhaps, si/ni4y the seein/ o4 the spirit without the aid o4 the
bodily or/an, a condition which may temporarily occur to anyone under we now
not what in4luence, but which seems, to a certain de/ree, hereditary in some
4amilies$
The 4ollowin/ passa/e is quoted 4rom )ir .illiam #amilton's edition o4 -r$ ?eid's
wors, published in 1+,>A "
"&o man can show it to be impossible to the )upreme 9ein/ to ha*e /i*en us the
power o4 percei*in/ e7ternal ob8ects, without any such or/ans" i$e$, our or/ans o4
sense$ ".e ha*e reason to belie*e that when we put o44 these bodies, and all the
or/ans belon/in/ to them, our percepti*e powers shall rather be impro*ed than
destroyed or impaired$ .e ha*e reason to belie*e that the )upreme 9ein/
percei*es e*erythin/ in a much more per4ect manner than we do, without bodily
or/ans$ .e ha*e reason to belie*e that there are other created bein/s endowed
with powers o4 perception more per4ect and more e7tensi*e than ours, without
any such or/ans as we 4ind necessary5" and )ir .illiam #amilton adds the
4ollowin/ noteA "
"#owe*er astonishin/, it is now pro*ed beyond all rational doubt, that in certain
abnormal states o4 the ner*ous or/anism, perceptions are possible throu/h other
than the ordinary channels o4 the senses$"
@4 the e7istence o4 this 4aculty in nature, anyone, who chooses, may satis4y
himsel4 by a *ery moderate de/ree o4 trouble, pro*ided he undertae the
in*esti/ation honestly5 and this bein/ /ranted, another ob8ection, i4 not alto/ether
remo*ed, is considerably weaened$ I allude to the 4act, that in numerous
reported cases o4 /host"seein/, the 4orms were *isible to only one person, e*en
thou/h others were present, which, o4 course, rendered them undistin/uishable
4rom cases o4 spectral illusion, and indeed unless some additional e*idence be
a44orded, they must remain so still, only we ha*e /ained thus much, that this
ob8ection is no lon/er unanswerable5 4or whether the phenomenon is to be
re4erred to a mutual rapport, or to the openin/ o4 the spiritual eye, we
comprehend how one may see what others do not$ 9ut really, i4 the seein/
depended upon ordinary *ision, I cannot percei*e that the di44iculty is
insurmountable5 4or we per4ectly well now that some people are endowed with
an acuteness o4 sense, or power o4 perception, which is utterly incomprehensible
to othersA 4or without enterin/ into the disputed re/ion o4 clear"seein/, e*erybody
must ha*e met with instances o4 those stran/e antipathies to certain ob8ects,
accompanied by an e7traordinary capacity 4or percei*in/ their presence, which
remain utterly une7plained$ &ot to spea o4 cats and hares, where some
electrical e44ects mi/ht be concei*ed$
I lately heard o4 a /entleman who 4ainted i4 he were introduced into a room where
there was a raspberry tart5 and that there ha*e been persons endowed with a
4aculty 4or disco*erin/ the pro7imity o4 water and metals, e*en without the aid o4
the di*inin/ rod " which latter mar*el seems to be now clearly established as an
electrical phenomenon, " will scarcely admit o4 4urther doubt$ 0 *ery eminent
person, with whom I am acquainted, possessin/ e7tremely acute ol4actory
powers, is the sub8ect o4 one sin/le e7ception$ #e is insensible to the odour o4 a
bean"4ield, howe*er potentA but it would surely be *ery absurd in him to deny that
the bean"4ield emits an odour, and the e*idence o4 the ma8ority a/ainst him is too
stron/ to admit o4 his doin/ so$
&ow, we ha*e only the e*idence o4 a minority with re/ard to the e7istence o4
certain 4aculties not /enerally de*eloped, but surely it ar/ues /reat presumption
to dispute their possibility$ .e mi/ht, I thin, with more appearance o4 reason,
insist upon it that my 4riend must be mistaen, and that he does smell the bean"
4ield5 4or we ha*e the ma8ority a/ainst him there, most decidedly$ The di44erence
is, that nobody cares whether the odour o4 the bean"4ield is perceptible or notA but
i4 the same /entleman asserted that he had seen a /host, beyond all doubt, his
word would be disputed$
Thou/h we do not now what the conditions are that de*elop the 4aculty o4 what
)t$ 1aul calls the discernin/ o4 spirits, there is reason to belie*e that the
approach o4 death is one$ I ha*e heard o4 too many instances o4 this ind, where
the departin/ person has been in the entire possession o4 his or her 4aculties, to
doubt that in our last moments we are 4requently *isited by those who ha*e /one
be4ore us, and it bein/ admitted by all physiolo/ists, that preternatural 4aculties
are sometimes e7hibited at this period, we can ha*e no ri/ht to say that "the
discernin/ o4 spirits" is not one o4 them$
There is an interestin/ story recorded by 9eaumont, in his ".orld o4 )pirits," and
quoted by -r$ #ibbert with the remar, that no reasonable doubt can be placed
on the authenticity o4 the narrati*e, as it was drawn up by the 9ishop o4
6loucester 4rom the recital o4 the youn/ lady's 4ather5 and I mention it here not 4or
any sin/ularity attendin/ it, but 4irst because its authenticity is admitted, and ne7t
on account o4 the manner in which, so much bein/ /ranted, the 4act is attempted
to be e7plained away$
")ir Charles %ee, by his 4irst lady, had only one dau/hter, o4 which she died in
child"birth, and when she was dead, her sister, the %ady :*erard, desired to ha*e
the education o4 the child, and she was *ery well educated till she was
marria/eable, and a match was concluded 4or her with )ir .$ 1arins, but was
then pre*ented in an e7traordinary manner$ Cpon a Thursday ni/ht, she thinin/
she saw a li/ht in her chamber a4ter she was in bed, noced 4or her maid, who
presently came to her, and she ased, '.hy she le4t a candle burnin/ in her
room<' The maid answered, 'that she had none, and that there was none but
what she had brou/ht with her at that time5' then, she said, it must be the 4ire5 but
that her maid told her, was quite out, addin/ she belie*ed it was only a dream,
whereupon (iss %ee answered, it mi/ht be so, and composed hersel4 a/ain to
sleep$ 9ut, about two o4 the cloc, she was awaened a/ain, and saw the
apparition o4 a little woman between her curtains and her pillow, who told her she
was her mother, that she was happy, and that, by twel*e o4 the cloc that day,
she should be with her$ .hereupon, she noced a/ain 4or her maid, called 4or
her clothes, and when she was dressed, went into her closet, and came not out
a/ain till nine, and then brou/ht out with her a letter, sealed, to her 4ather, carried
it to her aunt, the %ady :*erard, told her what had happened, and desired that as
soon as she was dead it mi/ht be sent to him$ The lady thou/ht she was
suddenly 4allen mad, and there4ore sent presently away to Chelms4ord, 4or a
physician and sur/eon, who both came immediately, but the physician could
discern no indication o4 what the lady ima/ined, or o4 any indisposition o4 her
body5 notwithstandin/, the lady would needs ha*e her let blood, which was done
accordin/ly5 and when the youn/ woman had patiently let them do what they
would with her, she desired that the chaplain mi/ht be called to read prayers5 and
when prayers were ended, she too her /uitar and psalm"boo, and sat down
upon a chair without arms, and played and sun/ so melodiously and admirably,
that her music"master, who was then there, admired at it5 and near the stroe o4
twel*e, she rose and sat hersel4 down in a /reat chair with arms, and presently
4etchin/ a stron/ breathin/ or two, she immediately e7pired, and was so
suddenly cold as was much wondered at by the physician and sur/eon$ )he died
at .altham, in :sse7, three miles 4rom Chelms4ord, and the letter was sent to )ir
Charles, at his house, in .arwicshire5 but he was so a44licted at the death o4 his
dau/hter, that he came not till she was buriedA but when he came, he caused her
to be taen up, and to be buried with her mother, at :dmonton, as she desired in
her letter$"
This circumstance occurred in the year 1>>2, and is, as -r$ #ibbert obser*es,
"one o4 the most interestin/ /host"stories on record" yet he insists on placin/ it
under the cate/ory o4 spectral illusions, upon the plea, that let the physician,
whose sill he arrai/ns, say what he would, her death within so short a period,
pro*es that she must ha*e been indisposed at the time she saw the *ision, and
that probably "the lan/uishin/ 4emale hersel4 mi/ht ha*e unintentionally
contributed to the more strict *eri4ication o4 the /host's prediction," concludin/
with these words, "all that can be said o4 it is, that the coincidence was a
4ortunate one5 4or without it, the story would, probably, ne*er ha*e met with a
recorder$"
&ow, I as i4 this is a 4air way o4 treatin/ any 4act, transmitted to us on authority,
which the ob8ector himsel4 admits to be per4ectly satis4actory5 more especially, as
the assistants on the occasion appear to ha*e been quite as unwillin/ to belie*e
in the supernatural interpretation o4 it, as -r$ #$ could ha*e been himsel4, had he
been present5 4or what more could he ha*e done than conclude the youn/ lady to
be mad and bled her< " a line o4 practice which is precisely what would be
4ollowed at the present time5 and which pro*es that they were *ery well aware o4
the sensuous illusions produced by a disordered state o4 the ner*ous system5
and with respect to his conclusion that the "lan/uishin/ 4emale" contributed to the
*eri4ication o4 the prediction, we are entitled to as, where is the proo4 that she
was lan/uishin/<
0 *ery cle*er watchmaer once told me, that a watch may /o per4ectly well 4or
years and at len/th stop suddenly, in consequence o4 an or/anic de4ect in its
construction, which only becomes perceptible, e*en to the eye o4 a watchmaer,
when this e44ect taes place5 and we do now that many persons ha*e suddenly
4allen dead immediately a4ter declarin/ themsel*es in the best possible health5
and we ha*e there4ore no ri/ht to dispute what the narrator implies, namely, that
there were no sensible indications o4 the impendin/ catastrophe$
There either was some or/anic de4ect or deran/ement in this lady's physical
economy, which rendered her death ine*itable at the hour o4 noon, on that
particular Thursday, or there was not$ I4 there were, and her certain death was
impendin/ at that hour, how came she acquainted with the 4act< )urely, it is a
monstrous assumption to say, that it was "a 4ortunate coincidence," when no
reason whate*er is /i*en us 4or concludin/ that she 4elt otherwise than per4ectly
well< I4, on the contrary, we are to tae re4u/e in the supposition that there was
no death impendin/, and that she only died o4 the 4ri/ht, how came she " 4eelin/
per4ectly well, and, in this case, we ha*e a ri/ht to conclude #eing per4ectly well, "
to be the sub8ect o4 such an e7traordinary spectral illusion< 0nd i4 such spectral
illusions can occur to people in a /ood normal state o4 health, does it not become
*ery desirable to /i*e us some clearer theory o4 them than we ha*e at present$
9ut there is a third presumption to which the sceptical may ha*e recourse, in
order to /et rid o4 this well established, and there4ore *ery troublesome 4act,
namely, that (iss %ee was ill, althou/h unconscious o4 it hersel4, and indicatin/
no symptoms that could /uide her physician to an enli/htened dia/nosis5 and
that the proo4 o4 this is to be 4ound in the occurrence o4 the spectral illusion, and
that this spectral illusion so impressed her, that it occasioned the precise
4ul4illment o4 the ima/inary prediction, an hypothesis which appears to me to be
pressin/ *ery hard on the spectral illusion5 4or it is 4irst called upon to establish
the 4act o4 an e7istin/ indisposition o4 no sli/ht character, o4 which neither patient
or physician were aware5 and it is ne7t required to ill the lady with unerrin/
certainty, at the hour appointed, she bein/, accordin/ to the only authority we
ha*e 4or the story, in a per4ectly calm and composed state o4 mind! " 4or there is
nothin/ to be discerned in the description o4 her demeanour but an entire and
willin/ submission to the announced decree, accompanied by that pleasin/
e7altation, which appears to me per4ectly natural under the circumstances5 and I
do not thin that anythin/ we now o4 human *itality can 8usti4y us in belie*in/
that li4e can be so easily e7tin/uished$ 9ut to such strai/hts people are reduced,
who write with a predetermination to place their 4acts on a 1rocrustian bed, till
they ha*e 4itted them into their own cherished theory$
In the abo*e recorded case o4 (iss %ee, the moti*e 4or the *isit is a su44icient
one5 but one o4 the commonest ob8ections to such narrations, is the
insi/ni4icance o4 the moti*e when any communication is made, or there bein/
apparently no moti*e at all, when none is made$ .here any pre*ious attachment
has subsisted, we need see no 4urther 4or an impellin/ cause5 but, in other
cases, this impellin/ cause must probably be sou/ht in the earthly rapport still
subsistin/ and the ur/ent desire o4 the spirit to mani4est itsel4 and establish a
communication where its thou/hts and a44ections still reside5 and we must
consider that, pro*ided there be no law o4 6od prohibitin/ its re*isitin/ the earth,
which law would o4 course supersede all other laws, then, as I ha*e be4ore
obser*ed, where its thou/hts and a44ections are, it must be also$
.hat is it but our hea*y material bodies that pre*ents us 4rom bein/ where our
thou/hts are< 9ut the bein/ near us, and the mani4estin/ itsel4 to us, are two *ery
di44erent thin/s, the latter e*idently dependin/ on conditions we do not yet
understand$ 0s I am not writin/ a boo on *ital ma/netism, and there are so
many already accessible to e*erybody who chooses to be in4ormed on it, I shall
not here enter into the sub8ect o4 magnetic rapport, it bein/, I belie*e, now
/enerally admitted, e7cept by the most obstinate sceptics, that such a relation
can be established betwi7t two human bein/s$ In what this relation consists, is a
more di44icult question, but the most rational *iew appears to be that o4 a
ma/netic polarity which is attempted to be e7plained by two theories " the
dynamical and the etherialA the one *iewin/ the phenomena as simply the result
o4 the transmission o4 4orces, the other hypothesiBin/ an ether which per*ades all
space, and penetrates all substance, maintainin/ the connection betwi7t body
and soul, and betwi7t matter and spirit$
To most minds, this last hypothesis will be the most comprehensible5 on which
account, since the result would be the same in either case, we may adopt it 4or
the moment5 and there will then be less di44iculty in concei*in/ that the in4luence
or ether o4 e*ery bein/ or thin/, animate or inanimate, must e7tend beyond the
periphery o4 its own terminationsA and that this must be eminently the case where
there is animal li4e, the ner*es 4ormin/ the readiest conductors 4or this supposed
imponderable$ The proo4s o4 the e7istence o4 this ether are said to be mani4old,
and more especially to be 4ound in the circumstances that e*ery created thin/
sheds an atmosphere around it, a4ter its ind5 this atmosphere becomin/, under
certain conditions, perceptible or e*en *isible, as in the instances o4 electric 4ish,
the 4ascinations o4 serpents, the in4luence o4 human bein/s upon plants, and $ice
$ersa5 and 4inally, the phenomena o4 animal ma/netism, and the undoubted 4act,
to which I mysel4 can bear witness, that the most i/norant /irls, when in a state o4
somnambulism5 ha*e been nown to declare that they saw their ma/netiser
surrounded by a halo o4 li/ht5 and it is doubtless this halo o4 li/ht, that, 4rom their
bein/ stron/ly ma/netic men, has 4requently been obser*ed to surround the
heads o4 saints and eminently holy personsA the temperament that produced the
internal 4er*our, causin/ the *isible mani4estation o4 it$
9y means o4 this ether, or 4orce, a ne*er"ceasin/ motion and an
intercommunication is sustained betwi7t all created thin/s, and betwi7t created
thin/s and their Creator, who sustains them and creates them e*er anew, by the
constant e7ertion o4 his -i*ine will, o4 which this is the messen/er and the a/ent,
as it is betwi7t our will and our own bodies5 and without this sustainin/ will, so
e7erted, the whole would 4all away, dissol*e and die5 4or it is the li4e o4 the
uni*erse$ That all inanimate ob8ects emit an in4luence, /reater or less, e7tendin/
beyond their own peripheries is established by their e44ects on *arious
susceptible indi*iduals, as well as on somnambules5 and thus there e7ists a
uni*ersal polarity and rapport, which is howe*er stron/er betwi7t certain
or/anisms5 and e*ery bein/ stands in a *aryin/ relation o4 positi*e and ne/ati*e
to e*ery other$
.ith re/ard to these theories, howe*er, where there is so much obscurity, e*en
in the lan/ua/e, I do not wish to insist5 more especially as I am 4ully aware that
this sub8ect may be discussed in a manner much more con/ruous with the
dynamical spirit o4 the philosophy o4 this centuryA but, in the meanwhile, as either
o4 the causes alluded to is capable o4 producin/ the e44ects, we adopt the
hypothesis o4 an all"per*adin/ ether, as the one most easily concei*ed$
0dmittin/ this then to be the case, we be/in to ha*e some notion o4 the modus
operandi, by which a spirit may mani4est itsel4 to us, whether to our internal
uni*ersal sense, or e*en to our sensuous or/ans5 and we also 4ind one stumblin/
bloc remo*ed out o4 our way, namely, that it shall be *isible or e*en audible to
one person and not to another, or at one time and not at another5 4or by means o4
this ether, or 4orce, we are in communication with all spirit, as well as with all
matter5 and since it is the *ehicle o4 will, a stron/ e7ertion o4 will may rein4orce its
in4luence to a de/ree 4ar beyond our ordinary conceptionsA but man is not
acquainted with his own power, and has consequently no 4aith in his own willA nor
is it probably the desi/n o4 1ro*idence, in ordinary cases, that he should$ #e
cannot there4ore e7ert it5 i4 he could, he "mi/ht remo*e mountains$"
:*en as it is, we now somethin/ o4 the power o4 will in its e44ect on other
or/anisms, as e7hibited by certain stron/"willed indi*iduals5 also in popular
mo*ements, and more mani4estly in the in4luence and 4ar"worin/ o4 the
ma/netiser on his patient$ The power o4 will, lie the seein/ o4 the spirit, is latent
in our nature, to be de*eloped in 6od's own time5 but meanwhile, sli/ht e7amples
are 4ound, shootin/ up here and there, to eep ali*e in man the consciousness
that he is a spirit, and /i*e e*idence o4 his di*ine ori/in$
.hat especial laws may appertain to this supersensuous domain o4 nature, o4
course we cannot now, and it is there4ore impossible 4or us to pronounce how
4ar a spirit is 4ree, or not 4ree, at all times to mani4est itsel45 and we can, there4ore,
at present, ad*ance no reason 4or these mani4estations not bein/ the rule instead
o4 the e7ception$ The law which restrains more 4requent intercourse, may, 4or
anythin/ we now to the contrary, ha*e its rela7ations and its limitations, 4ounded
in nature5 and a rapport with, or the power o4 actin/ on, particular indi*iduals,
may arise 4rom causes o4 which we are equally i/norant$ Cndoubtedly, the
recepti*ity o4 the corporeal bein/ is one o4 the necessary conditions, whilst, on
the part o4 the incorporeal, the will is at once the cause and the a/ent that
produces the e44ect5 whilst attachment, whether to indi*iduals or to the lost 8oys o4
this world, is the moti*e$
The happy spirits in whom this latter impulse is wea, and who would 4loat away
into the /lorious li/ht o4 the pure moral law, would ha*e little temptation to return5
and at least would only be brou/ht bac by their holy a44ections or desire to ser*e
manind$ The less happy, clin/in/ to their dear corporeal li4e, would ho*er nearer
to the earth5 and I do question much whether the o4ten ridiculed idea o4 the
mystics, that there is a moral weight, as well as a moral dar%ness, be not
4ounded in truth$ .e now *ery well that e*en these substantial bodies o4 ours,
are, to our own sensations Eand, *ery possibly, i4 the thin/ could be tested, would
pro*e to be in 4actG li/hter or hea*ier, accordin/ to the li/htness or hea*iness o4
the spirit " terms used 4i/urati*ely, but perhaps capable o4 a literal interpretation5
and thus the common idea o4 up and down, as applied to #ea*en or #ell, is
4ounded in truth, thou/h not mathematically correct, we 4amiliarly usin/ the words
up and down to e7press farther or nearer, as re/ards the planet on which we li*e$
:7perience seems to 8usti4y this *iew o4 the case5 4or, supposin/ the phenomena
I am treatin/ o4 to be 4acts, and not spectral illusions, all tradition shows that the
spirits most 4requently mani4ested to man, ha*e been e*idently not in a state o4
bliss5 whilst, when bri/ht ones appeared, it has been to ser*e him5 and hence the
old persuasion that they were chie4ly the wiced that haunted the earth, and
hence, also, the 4oundation 4or the belie4 that not only the murderer, but the
murdered, returned to *e7 the li*in/5 and the 8ust *iew, that in tain/ away li4e the
in8ury is not con4ined to the body, but e7tends to the surprised and an/ry soul,
which is "
"Cut o44, e*en in the blossom o4 its sin,
Cnhousel'd, disappointed, unaneal'd5
&o reconin/ made, but sent to its account
.ith all its imper4ections on its head$"
It seems also to be /athered 4rom e7perience, that those whose li*es ha*e been
rendered wretched, "rest not in their /ra*es," at least, se*eral accounts I ha*e
met with, as well as tradition, countenance this *iew5 and this may ori/inate in the
4act, that cruelty and ill"usa/e 4requently produce *ery pernicious e44ects on the
mind o4 the su44erer, in many instances inspirin/, not resi/nation or a pious desire
4or death, but resentment, and an ea/er lon/in/ 4or a 4air share o4 earthly
en8oyment$
)upposin/, also, the 4eelin/s and pre8udices o4 the earthly li4e to accompany this
dispossessed soul " 4or, thou/h the liberation 4rom the body inducts it into certain
pri*ile/es inherent in spirit, its moral qualities remain as they were, as the tree
4alls, so it shall lie " supposin/, there4ore, that these 4eelin/s, and pre8udices, and
recollections o4 its past li4e, are carried with it, we see, at once, why the
discontented spirits o4 the #eathen world could not rest till their bodies had
obtained sepulture, why the buried money should torment the soul o4 the miser,
and why the reli/ious opinions, whate*er they may ha*e been, belie*ed in the
4lesh, seem to sur*i*e with the spirit$
There are two remarable e7ceptions, howe*er, and these are precisely such as
mi/ht be e7pected$ Those who, durin/ their corporeal li4e, ha*e not belie*ed in a
4uture state, return to warn their 4riends a/ainst the same error$ "There is another
world," said the brother o4 the youn/ lady who appeared to her in the Cathedral
o4 Hor, on the day he was drowned5 and there are se*eral similar instances
recorded$ The belie4 that this li4e "is the be"all and the end"all here," is a mistae
that death must instantly recti4y$ The other e7ception I allude to is, that that
toleration, o4 which, un4ortunately, we see much less than is desirable in this
world, seems happily to pre*ail in the ne7t5 4or, amon/st the numerous narrations
I meet with, in which the dead ha*e returned to as the prayers or the ser*ices o4
the li*in/, they do not seem, as will be seen by and by, to apply by any means
e7clusi*ely, to members o4 their own church$ The attrait which seems to /uide
their selection o4 indi*iduals, is e*idently not o4 a polemical nature$ The pure
worship o4 6od, and the ine7orable moral law, are what seem to pre*ail in the
other world, and not the do/matic theolo/y which maes so much o4 the misery
o4 this$
There is a 4undamental truth in all reli/ious5 the real end o4 all is morality,
howe*er the means may be mistaen, and howe*er corrupt, sel4ish, ambitious,
and sectarian the mass o4 their teachers may, and /enerally do, become5 whilst
the e44ect o4 prayer, in whate*er 4orm, or to whate*er ideal o4 the -eity, it may be
o44ered, pro*ided that o44erin/ be honestly and earnestly made, is precisely the
same to the supplicant and in its results$
I ha*e reser*ed the 4ollowin/ story, which is not a 4iction, but the relation o4 an
undoubted and well"attested 4act, till the present chapter, as bein/ particularly
applicable to this branch o4 my sub8ect$ "
)ome ninety years a/o, there 4lourished in 6las/ow a club o4 youn/ men, which,
4rom the e7treme pro4li/acy o4 its members and the licentiousness o4 their or/ies,
was commonly called the #ell Club$ 9esides their ni/htly or weely meetin/s,
they held one /rand annual saturnalia, in which each tried to e7cel the other in
drunenness and blasphemy5 and on these occasions there was no star amon/st
them whose lurid li/ht was more conspicuous than that o4 youn/ (r$ 0rchibald
9$, who, endowed with brilliant talents and a handsome person, had held out
/reat promise in his boyhood, and raised hopes, which had been completely
4rustrated by his subsequent recless dissipations$ @ne mornin/, a4ter returnin/
4rom this annual 4esti*al, (r$ 0rchibald 9$ ha*in/ retired to bed, dreamt the
4ollowin/ dreamA #e 4ancied that he himsel4 was mounted on a 4a*ourite blac
horse, that he always rode, and that he was proceedin/ towards his own house,
then a country seat embowered by trees, and situated upon a hill, now entirely
built o*er, and 4ormin/ part o4 the city, when a stran/er, whom the darness o4
ni/ht pre*ented his distinctly discernin/, suddenly seiBed his horse's rein, sayin/,
"Hou must /o with me!"
"0nd who are you<" e7claimed the youn/ man, with a *olley o4 oaths, whilst he
stru//led to 4ree himsel4$
"That you will see by and by," returned the other, in a tone that e7cited
unaccountable terror in the youth, who plun/in/ his spurs into his horse,
attempted to 4ly$ 9ut in *ainA howe*er 4ast the animal 4lew, the stran/er was still
beside him, till at len/th in his desperate e44orts to escape, the rider was thrown,
but instead o4 bein/ dashed to the earth, as he e7pected, he 4ound himsel4 4allin/
" 4allin/ " 4allin/ still, as i4 sinin/ into the bowels o4 the earth$
0t len/th, a period bein/ put to this mysterious descent, he 4ound breath to
enquire o4 his companion, who was still beside him, whither they were /oin/5
".here am I< .here are you tain/ me<" he e7claimed$
"To #ell!" replied the stran/er, and immediately interminable echoes repeated
the 4ear4ul sound, "To #ell! to #ell! to #ell!'M
0t len/th a li/ht appeared, which soon increased to a blaBe5 but, instead o4 the
cries, and /roans, and lamentin/s, the terri4ied tra*eller e7pected, nothin/ met
his ear but sounds o4 music, mirth, and 8ollity5 and he 4ound himsel4 at the
entrance o4 a superb buildin/, 4ar e7ceedin/ any he had seen constructed by
human hands$ .ithin, too, what a scene! &o amusement, employment, or pursuit
o4 man en earth, but was here bein/ carried on with a *ehemence that e7cited
his unutterable amaBement$ "There the youn/ and lo*ely still swam throu/h the
maBes o4 the /iddy dance! There the pantin/ steed still bore his brutal rider
throu/h the e7citements o4 the /oaded race! There, o*er the midni/ht bowl, the
intemperate still drawled out the wanton son/ or maudlin blasphemy! The
/ambler plied 4or e*er his endless /ame, and the sla*es o4 (ammon toiled
throu/h eternity their bitter tas5 whilst all the ma/ni4icence o4 earth paled be4ore
that which now met his *iew!"
#e soon percei*ed that he was amon/st old acquaintances, whom he new to be
dead, and each he obser*ed, was pursuin/ the ob8ect, whate*er it was, that had
4ormerly en/rossed him5 when, 4indin/ himsel4 relie*ed o4 the presence o4 his
unwelcome conductor, he *entured to address his 4ormer 4riend (rs$ -$, whom
he saw sittin/, as had been her wont on earth, absorbed at loo, requestin/ her to
rest 4rom the /ame, and introduce him to the pleasures o4 the place, which
appeared to him to be *ery unlie what he had e7pected, and, indeed, an
e7tremely a/reeable one$ 9ut, with a cry o4 a/ony, she answered, that there was
no rest in #ell5 that they must e*er toil on at those *ery pleasures5 and
innumerable *oices echoed throu/h the interminable *aults, "There is no rest in
#ell!" .hilst, throwin/ open their *ests, each disclosed in his bosom an e*er"
burnin/ 4lame! These, they said, were the pleasures o4 #ell5 their choice on earth
was now their ine*itable doom! In the midst o4 the horror this scene inspired, his
conductor returned, and, at his earnest entreaty, restored him a/ain to earth5 but,
as he quitted him, he said, "?emember! In a year and a day we meet a/ain!"
0t this crisis o4 his dream, the sleeper awoe, 4e*erish and ill5 and, whether 4rom
the e44ect o4 the dream, or o4 his precedin/ or/ies, he was so unwell as to be
obli/ed to eep his bed 4or se*eral days, durin/ which period he had time 4or
many serious re4lections, which terminated in a resolution to abandon the club
and his licentious companions alto/ether$
#e was no sooner well, howe*er, than they 4loced around him, bent on
reco*erin/ so *aluable a member o4 their society5 and ha*in/ wrun/ 4rom him a
con4ession o4 the cause o4 his de4ection, which, as may be supposed, appeared
to them eminently ridiculous, they soon contri*ed to mae him ashamed o4 his
/ood resolutions$ #e 8oined them a/ain, resumed his 4ormer course o4 li4e, and
when the annual saturnalia came round, he 4ound himsel4 with his /lass in his
hand at the table, when the president, risin/ to mae the accustomed speech,
be/an with sayin/, ''6entlemanA This bein/ leap"year, it is a year and a day since
our last anni*ersary, etc, etc$" The words struc upon the youn/ man's ear lie a
nell5 but ashamed to e7pose his weaness to the 8eers o4 his companions, he
sat out the 4east, plyin/ himsel4 with wine, e*en more liberally than usual, in order
to drown his intrusi*e thou/hts5 till, in the /loom o4 a winter's mornin/, he
mounted his horse to ride home$ )ome hours a4terwards, the horse was 4ound
with his saddle and bridle on, quietly /raBin/ by the roadside, about hal4"way
between the city and (r$ 9$'s house5 whilst a 4ew yards o44, lay the corpse o4 his
master$
&ow, as I ha*e said, in introducin/ this story, it is no 4ictionA the circumstance
happened as here related$ 0n account o4 it was published at the time, but the
copies were bou/ht up by the 4amily$ Two or three howe*er were preser*ed, and
the narrati*e has been reprinted$
The dream is e*idently o4 a symbolical character5 and accords in a *ery
remarable de/ree with the conclusions to be drawn 4rom the sources I ha*e
abo*e indicated$ The interpretation seems to be, that the e*il passions and
criminal pursuits which ha*e been indul/ed in here become our curse herea4ter$ I
do not mean to imply that the ordinary amusements o4 li4e are criminal5 4ar 4rom it$
There is no harm in dancin/, nor in playin/ at loo, either5 but i4 people mae
these thin/s the whole business o4 their li*es, and thin o4 nothin/ else,
culti*atin/ no hi/her tastes, nor 4ormin/ no hi/her aspirations, what sort o4
preparation are they main/ 4or another world< I can hardly ima/ine that
anybody would wish to be doin/ these thin/s to all eternity, the more especially
that it is most 4requently ennui that dri*es their *otaries into e7cesses, e*en here5
but i4 they ha*e allowed their minds to be entirely absorbed in such 4ri*olities and
tri*ialties, surely they cannot e7pect that 6od will, by a miracle, suddenly
obliterate these tastes and inclinations, and inspire them with others better suited
to their new condition! It was their business to do that 4or themsel*es, whilst here5
and such a process o4 preparation is not in the sli/htest de/ree inconsistent with
the en8oyment o4 all manner o4 harmless pleasures5 on the contrary, it /i*es the
/reatest Best to them5 4or a li4e, in which there is nothin/ serious, in which all is
play and di*ersion, is, beyond all doubt, ne7t to a li4e o4 acti*e, perse*erin/
wicedness, the saddest thin/ under the sun!
9ut let e*erybody remember, that we see in nature no *iolent transitions5
e*erythin/ ad*ances by almost insensible steps, at least e*erythin/ that is to
endure, and there4ore to e7pect that because they ha*e quitted their 4leshly
bodies, which they always new were but a temporary appurtenance, doomed to
perish and decay, they themsel*es are to under/o a sudden and miraculous
con*ersion and puri4ication, which is to ele*ate them into 4it companions 4or the
an/els o4 #ea*en, and the 9lessed that ha*e passed away, is surely one o4 the
most inconsistent, unreasonable, and pernicious errors that manind e*er
indul/ed in!
""""""""""
Appendi, to *hapter 2+
*ase of *olonel -ownshend
.hilst this *olume is /oin/ throu/h the press, I 4ind, 4rom the account o4 -r$
Cheyne, who attended him, that Colonel Townshend's own way o4 describin/ the
phenomenon to which he was sub8ect, was, that he could "die or e7pire when he
pleased5 and yet, by an e44ort, or somehow, he could come to li4e a/ain$" #e
per4ormed the e7periment in the presence o4 three medical men, one o4 whom
ept his hand on his heart, another held his wrist, and the third placed a looin/"
/lass be4ore his lips, and they 4ound that all traces o4 respiration and pulsation
/radually ceased, insomuch that, a4ter consultin/ about his condition 4or some
time, they were lea*in/ the room, persuaded that he was really dead, when si/ns
o4 li4e appeared, and he slowly re*i*ed$ #e did not die whilst repeatin/ this
e7periment$
This re*i*in/ "by an e44ort or somehow," seems to be better e7plained by the
hypothesis I ha*e su//ested than by any other5 namely that, as in the case o4 (r$
#olloway, mentioned in the same chapter, his spirit, or soul, was released 4rom
his body, but a su44icient rapport maintained to re"unite them$
:nd o4 Volume I
"""""""""""""""""""""
[Volume 2]
The Night Side of Nature
or Ghosts and Ghost Seers
by Catherine Crowe
Volume 2
"Thou com'st in such a questionable shape,
That I will spea to thee!" " #amlet
In Two Volumes
%ondon
1+,+
""""""""""""
+nde,
Volume 2
I$ The 1ower o4 .ill
II$ Troubled )pirits
III$ #aunted #ouses
IV$ )pectral %i/hts, and 0pparitions attached to certain 4amilies
V$ 0pparitions seein/ the prayers o4 the li*in/
VI$ The 1olter/eist o4 the 6ermans, and 1ossession
VII$ (iscellaneous 1henomena
VIII$ Conclusion
""""""""""""""""
*hapter + ( -he Power of 0ill
The power, be it what it may, whether o4 dressin/ up an ethereal *isible 4orm, or
o4 actin/ on the constructi*e ima/ination o4 the seer, which would enable a spirit
to appear "in his habit as he li*ed," would also enable him to present any other
ob8ect to the eye o4 the seer, or himsel4 in any shape, or 4ul4illin/ any 4unction he
willed5 and we thus 4ind in *arious instances, especially those recorded in the
)eeress o4 1re*orst, that this is the case$ .e not only see chan/es o4 dress, but
we see boos, pens, writin/ materials, etc$, in their hands5 and we 4ind a /reat
*ariety o4 sounds imitatedA which sounds are 4requently heard, not only by those
who ha*e the 4aculty o4 "discernin/ o4 spirits," as )t$ 1aul says, but also by e*ery
other person on the spot5 4or the hearin/ these sounds does not seem to depend
on any particular 4aculty on the part o4 the auditor, e7cept it be in the case o4
speech$ The hearin/ the speech o4 a spirit, on the contrary, appears in most
instances to be dependant on the same conditions as the seein/ it, which may
possibly arise 4rom there bein/, in 4act, no audi#le *oice at all, but the same sort
ot spiritual communication which e7ists between a ma/netiser and his patient,
wherein the sense is con*eyed without words$
This imitatin/ o4 sounds, I shall /i*e se*eral instances o4 in a 4uture chapter$ It is
one way in which a death is 4requently indicated$ I could quote a number o4
e7amples o4 this description, but shall con4ine mysel4 to two or three$
(rs$ -$ bein/, one ni/ht, in her itchen, preparin/ to /o to bed, a4ter the house
shut up and the rest o4 the 4amily retired, she was startled by hearin/ a 4oot
comin/ alon/ the passa/e, which she reco/nised distinctly to be that o4 her
4ather, who she was quite certain was not in the house$ It ad*anced to the
itchen"door, and she waited with alarm to see it, the door was to open5 but it did
not, and she heard nothin/ more$ @n the 4ollowin/ day, she 4ound that her 4ather
had died at that time5 and it was 4rom her niece I heard the circumstance$
0 (r$ D$ )$, belon/in/ to a hi/hly respectable 4amily, with whom I am acquainted,
ha*in/ been 4or some time in declinin/ health, was sent abroad 4or chan/e o4 air$
-urin/ his absence, one o4 his sisters, ha*in/ been lately con4ined, an old
ser*ant o4 the 4amily was sittin/ hal4 asleep in an arm"chair, in a room ad8oinin/
that in which the lady slept, when she was startled by hearin/ the 4oot o4 (r$ D$ )$
ascendin/ the stairs$ It was easily reco/nisable, 4or, owin/ to his constant
con4inement to the house, in consequence o4 his in4irm health, his shoes were
always so dry that their creain/ was heard 4rom one end o4 the house to the
other$ )o 4ar surprised out o4 her recollection as to 4or/et he was not in the
country, the /ood woman started up, and, rushin/ out with her candle in her
hand, to li/ht him, she 4ollowed the steps up to (r$ D$ )$'s own bed"chamber,
ne*er disco*erin/ that he was not precedin/ her till she reached the door$ )he
then returned, quite amaBed, and, ha*in/ mentioned the occurrence to her
mistress, they noted the date, and it was a4terwards ascertained that the youn/
man had died at %isbon on that ni/ht$
(rs$ 3$ tells me that, bein/ one mornin/, at ele*en o'cloc, en/a/ed in her
bedroom, she suddenly heard a stran/e, indescribable, sweet, but unearthly
sound, which apparently proceeded 4rom a lar/e open bo7 which stood near her$
)he was seiBed with an awe and a horror which there seemed nothin/ to 8usti4y,
and 4led upstairs to mention the circumstance, which she could not banish 4rom
her mind$ 0t that precise day and hour, ele*en o'cloc, her brother was drowned$
The news reached her two days a4terwards$
Instances o4 this ind are so well nown, that it is unnecessary to multiply them
4urther$ .ith respect to the mode o4 producin/ these sounds, howe*er, I should
be /lad to say somethin/ more de4inite i4 I could, but, 4rom the circumstance o4
their bein/ heard not only by one person, who mi/ht be supposed to be en
rapport, or whose constructi*e ima/ination mi/ht be acted upon, but by any one
who happens to be within hearin/, we are led to conclude that the sounds are
really re*erberatin/ throu/h the atmosphere$ In the stran/e cases recorded in
"The)eeress o4 1re*orst," althou/h the apparitions were *isible only to certain
persons, the sounds they made were audible to all5 and the seeress says they
are produced by means o4 the ner*e"spirit, which I conclude is the spiritual body
o4 )t$ 1aul and the atmosphere, as we produce sound by means o4 our material
body and the atmosphere$
In this plastic power o4 the spirit to present to the eye o4 the seer whate*er ob8ect
it wills, we 4ind the e7planation o4 such stories as the 4amous @ne o4 3icinus and
(ercatus, related by 9aronius in his annals$ These two illustrious 4riends,
(ichael (ercatus and (arcellinus 3icinus, a4ter a lon/ discourse on the nature o4
the soul, had a/reed that, i4 possible, whiche*er died 4irst should return to *isit
the other$ )ome time a4terwards, whilst (ercatus was en/a/ed in study at an
early hour in the mornin/, he suddenly heard the noise o4 a horse /allopin/ in the
street, which presently stopped at his door, and the *oice o4 his 4riend 3icinus
e7claimed, "@h, (ichael! @h, (ichael! 2era sunt illa7 Those thin/s are true!"
.hereupon (ercatus hastily opened his window, and espied his 4riend 3icinus
on a white steed$ #e called a4ter him, but he /alloped away out o4 his si/ht$ @n
sendin/ to 3lorence to enquire 4or 3icinus, he learnt that he had died about that
hour he called to him$ 3rom this period to that o4 his death, (ercatus abandoned
all pro4ane studies, and addicted himsel4 wholly to -i*inity$ 9aronius li*ed in the
si7teenth century, and e*en -r$ 3errier and the spectral illusionists admit that the
authenticity o4 this story cannot be disputed, althou/h they still claim it 4or their
own$
&ot *ery many years a/o, (r$ C$, a staid citiBen o4 :dinbur/h, whose son told me
the story, was one day ridin/ /ently up Corstorphina"hill, in the nei/hbourhood o4
the city, when he obser*ed an intimate 4riend o4 his own, on horsebac also,
immediately behind him, so he slacened his pace to /i*e him an opportunity o4
8oinin/ company$ 3indin/ he did not come up so quicly as he should, he looed
round a/ain, and was astonished at no lon/er seein/ him, since there was no
side road into which he could ha*e disappeared$ #e returned home, perple7ed at
the oddness o4 the circumstance, when the 4irst thin/ he learnt was, that, durin/
his absence, this 4riend had been illed by his horse 4allin/ in Candlemaer's"row$
I ha*e heard o4 another circumstance, which occurred some years a/o in
Horshire, where, I thin, a 4armer's wi4e was seen to ride into a 4armyard on
horsebac, but could not be a4terwards 4ound, or the thin/ accounted 4or, till it
was ascertained that she had died at that period$
There are *ery e7traordinary stories e7tant in all countries o4 persons bein/
annoyed by appearances in the shape o4 di44erent animals, which one would
certainly be much disposed to /i*e o*er alto/ether to the illusionists, thou/h at
the same time it is *ery di44icult to reduce some o4 the circumstances under that
theory5 especially, one mentioned, p$ =I', o4 my "Translation o4 the )eeress o4
1re*orst$" I4 they are not illusions, they are phenomena to be attributed, either to
this plastic power, or to that ma/ico"ma/netic in4luence in which the belie4 in
lycanthropy and other stran/e trans4ormations ha*e ori/inated$
The multitudes o4 unaccountable stories o4 this description recorded in the witch
trials, ha*e lon/ 4urnished a sub8ect o4 perple7ity to e*erybody who was
su44iciently 8ust to human nature to conclude, that there must ha*e been some
stran/e mystery at the bottom o4 an in4atuation that pre*ailed so uni*ersally, and
in which so many sensible, honest, and well"meanin/ persons were in*ol*ed$ Till
o4 late years, when some o4 the arcana o4 animal or *ital ma/netism ha*e been
disclosed to us, it was impossible 4or us to concei*e by what means such stran/e
conceptions could pre*ail5 but since we now now, and many o4 us ha*e
witnessed, that all the senses o4 a patient are 4requently in such sub8ection to his
ma/netiser, that they may be made to con*ey any impressions to the brain that
ma/netiser wills, we can, without much di44iculty, concei*e how this belie4 in the
power o4 trans4ormation too its rise5 and we also now how a ma/ician could
render himsel4 *isible or in*isible, at pleasure$
I ha*e seen the si/ht or hearin/ o4 a patient taen away and restored, by (r$
)pencer #all, in a manner that could lea*e no doubt on the mind o4 the beholder5
the e*ident paralysis o4 the eye o4 the patient testi4yin/ to the 4act$ (onsieur
:usebe )al*erte, the most determined o4 rationalistic sceptics, admits that we
ha*e numerous testimonies to the e7istence o4 an art, which he con4esses
himsel4 at some loss to e7plain, althou/h the opposite quarters 4rom which the
accounts o4 it reach us, render it di44icult to ima/ine that the historians ha*e
copied each other$
The *arious trans4ormations o4 the /ods into ea/les, bulls, and so 4orth, ha*e
been set down as mere mytholo/ical 4ables5 but they appear to ha*e been
4ounded on an art, nown in all quarters o4 the world, which enabled the ma/ician
to tae on a 4orm that was not his own, so as to decei*e his nearest and dearest
4riends$ In the history o4 6en/is ;han there is mention o4 a city, which he
conquered, "in which dwelt," says )uidas, "certain men, who possessed the
secret o4 surroundin/ themsel*es with decepti*e appearances, insomuch that
they were able to represent themsel*es to the eyes o4 people quite di44erent to
what they really were$" )a7o 6rammaticus, in speain/ o4 the traditions
connected with the reli/ion o4 @din, says, "that the ma/i were *ery e7pert in the
art o4 decei*in/ the eyes, bein/ able to assume, and e*en to enable others to
assume, the 4orms o4 *arious ob8ects, and to conceal their real aspects under the
most attracti*e appearances$" Dohn o4 )alisbury, who seems to ha*e drawn his
in4ormation 4rom sources now lost, says, that "(ercury, the most e7pert o4
ma/icians, had the art o4 4ascinatin/ the eyes o4 men to such a de/ree, as to
render people in*isible, or mae them appear in 4orms quite di44erent to those
they really bore$ .e also learn, 4rom an eye"witness, that )imon, the ma/ician,
possessed the secret o4 main/ another person resemble him so per4ectly, that
e*ery eye was decei*ed$ 1omponius (ela a44irms, that the -ruidesses o4 the
island o4 )ena could trans4orm themsel*es into any animal they chose, and
1roteus has become a pro*erb by his numerous metamorphoses$
Then, to turn to another a/e and another hemisphere, we 4ind Doseph 0costa,
who resided a lon/ time in 1eru, assurin/ us that there e7isted at that period
ma/icians who had the power o4 assumin/ any 4orm they chose$ #e relates that
the predecessor o4 (onteBuma, ha*in/ sent to arrest a certain chie4, the latter
successi*ely trans4ormed himsel4 into an ea/le, a ti/er, and an immense serpent5
and so eluded the en*oys, till ha*in/ consented to obey the in/'s mandate, he
was carried to court and instantly e7ecuted$
The same perple7in/ e7ploits are con4idently attributed to the ma/icians o4 the
.est Indies5 and there were two men eminent amon/st the nati*es, the one
called 6omeB and the other 6onBaleB, who possessed this art in an
e7traordinary de/ree5 but both 4ell *ictims to the practice o4 it, bein/ shot durin/
the period o4 their apparent trans4ormations$
It is also recorded that &anu, the 4ounder o4 the )ihs, who are not properly a
nation but a reli/ious sect, was *iolently opposed by the #indoo Bealots5 and at
one period o4 his career when he *isited Vatala, the Ho/iswaras, who were
recluses, that by means o4 corporeal morti4ications, were supposed to ha*e
acquired a command o*er the powers o4 nature, were so enra/ed a/ainst him,
that they stro*e to terri4y him by their enchantments, assumin/ the shapes o4
ti/ers and serpents$ 9ut they could not succeed, 4or &anu appears to ha*e been
a real philosopher, who tau/ht a pure theism, and inculcated uni*ersal peace and
toleration$ #is tenets, lie the tenets o4 the 4ounders o4 all reli/ions, ha*e been
since corrupted by his 4ollowers$ .e can scarcely a*oid concludin/ that the
power by which these 4eats were per4ormed is o4 the same nature as that by
which a ma/netiser persuades his patient that the water he drins is beer, or the
beer wine, and the analo/y betwi7t it, and that by which I ha*e supposed a spirit
to present himsel4, with such accompaniments as he desires, to the eye a
spectator, is e*ident$ In those instances where 4emale 4i/ures are seen with
children in their arms, the appearance o4 the child we must suppose to be
produced in this manner$
)pirits o4 darness, howe*er, cannot, as I ha*e be4ore obser*ed, appear as
spirits o4 li/ht5 the moral nature cannot be dis/uised$ @n one occasion, when
3rederica #au44e ased a spirit, i4 he could appear in what 4orm he pleased5 he
answered, no5 that i4 he had li*ed as a brute, he should appear as a brute5 "as
our dispositions are, so we appear to you$"
This plastic power is e7hibited in those instances I ha*e related, where the 4i/ure
has appeared drippin/ with water, indicatin/ the ind o4 death that had been
su44ered5 and also in such cases as that o4 )ir ?obert #$ :$, where the apparition
showed a wound in his breast$ There are a *ast number o4 similar ones on
record, in all countries5 but I will here mention one which I recei*ed 4rom the lips
o4 a member o4 the 4amily concerned, wherein one o4 the tri*ial actions o4 li4e was
curiously represented$
(iss %$ li*ed in the country with her three brothers, to whom she was much
attached, as they were to her$ These youn/ men, who amused themsel*es all the
mornin/ with their outdoor pursuits, were in the habit o4 comin/ to her apartment,
most days be4ore dinner and con*ersin/ with her till they were summoned to the
dinin/"room$ @ne day, when two o4 them had 8oined her, as usual, and they were
chattin/ cheer4ully o*er the 4ire, the door opened, and the third came in, crossed
the room, entered an ad8oinin/ one, too o44 his boots, and then instead o4 sittin/
down beside them, as usual, passed a/ain throu/h the room, went out, lea*in/
the door open, and they saw him ascend the stairs towards his own chamber,
whither they concluded he was /one to chan/e his dress$ These proceedin/s
had been obser*ed by the whole partyA they saw him enter, saw him tae o44 his
boots, saw him ascend the stairs, continuin/ the con*ersation without the
sli/htest suspicion o4 anythin/ e7traordinary$ 1resently a4terwards the dinner was
announced5 and as this youn/ man did not mae his appearance, the ser*ant
was desired to let him now they were waitin/ 4or him$ The ser*ant answered,
that he had not come in yet5 but bein/ told that he would 4ind him in his bedroom,
he went up stairs to call him$ #e was howe*er not there, nor in the house5 nor
were his boots to be 4ound where he had been seen to tae them o44$ .hilst they
were yet wonderin/ what could ha*e become o4 him, a nei/hbour arri*ed to
brea the news to the 4amily, that their belo*ed brother had been illed whilst
huntin/, and that the only wish he e7pressed was, that he could li*e to see his
sister once more$
I obser*ed in a 4ormer chapter whilst speain/ o4 wraiths, how *ery desirable it
would be to ascertain whether the phenomenon taes place be4ore, or a4ter, the
dissolution o4 the bond betwi7t soul and body5 I ha*e since recei*ed the most
entire satis4action on that head, so 4ar as the establishin/ the 4act, that it does
sometimes occur a4ter the dissolution$ Three cases ha*e been presented to me
4rom the most undoubted authority, in which the wraith was seen at inter*als
*aryin/ 4rom one to three days a4ter the decease o4 the person whose ima/e it
was5 *ery much complicatin/ the di44iculty o4 that theory which considers these
phenomena the result o4 an interaction, wherein the *ital principle o4 one person
is able to in4luence another within its sphere, and thus mae the or/ans o4 that
other the sub8ects o4 its will5 a ma/ical power, by the way, which 4ar e7ceeds that
we possess o*er our own or/ans$
There is here, howe*er, where death has taen place, no li*in/ or/anism to
produce the e44ect, and the phenomenon becomes, there4ore, purely sub8ecti*e "
a mere spectral illusion, attended by a coincidence, or else the in4luence is that o4
the disembodied spirit, and those who will tae the trouble o4 in*esti/atin/ this
sub8ect, will 4ind that the number o4 these coincidences would *iolate any theory
o4 probabilities, to a de/ree that precludes the acceptance o4 that e7planation$ I
do not see, there4ore, on what we are to 4all bac, e7cept it be the willin/ a/ency
o4 the released spirit, unless we suppose that the operation o4 the will o4 the
dyin/ person tra*eled so slowly, that it did not tae e44ect till a day or two a4ter it
was e7erted, an hypothesis too e7tra*a/ant to be admitted$
-r$ 1assa*ent, whose *ery philosophical wor on this occult department o4
nature, is well worth attention, considers the 4act o4 these appearances 4ar too
well established to be disputed5 and he enters into some curious disquisitions
with re/ard to what the 6ermans call far(wor%ing, or the power o4 actin/ on
bodies at a distance, without any sensible conductor, instancin/ the case o4 a
/ymnotus [[electric eel>)), which was ept ali*e 4or 4our months in )tocholm, and
which, when ur/ed by hun/er, could ill 4ish at a distance, without contact,
addin/, that it rarely miscalculated the amount o4 the shoc necessary to its
purpose$
These, and all such e44ects, are attributed by this school o4 physiolo/ists to the
supposed imponderable, the ner*ous ether I ha*e elsewhere mentioned, which
-r$ 1$ concei*es in cases o4 somnambulism, certain sicnesses, and the
approach o4 death, to be less closely united to its material conductors, the
ner*es, and there4ore capable o4 bein/ more or less detached, and actin/ at a
distance, especially on those with whom relationship, 4riendship, or lo*e,
establish a rapport, or polarity5 and he obser*es that inter*enin/ substances, or
distance, can no more impede this a/ency than they do the a/ency o4 mineral
ma/netism$ 0nd he considers that we must here see 4or the e7planation o4
those curious so"called coincidences o4 pictures 4allin/, and clocs and watches
stoppin/, at the moment o4 a death, which we 4requently 4ind recorded$
.ith respect to the wraiths, he obser*es that the more the ether is 4reed, as by
trance, or the immediate approach o4 death, the more easily the soul sets itsel4 in
rapport with distant persons5 and that thus it either acts ma/ically, so that the
seer percei*es the real actual body o4 the person that is actin/ upon him, or else
that he sees the ethereal body, which presents the per4ect 4orm o4 the 4leshly
one, and which, whilst the or/anic li4e proceeds, can be momentarily detached
and appear elsewhere, and this ethereal body he holds to be the 4undamental
4orm, o4 which the e7ternal body is only the copy, or hus$
I con4ess I much pre4er this theory o4 -r$ 1assa*ent's, which seems to me to /o
*ery much to the root o4 the matter$ .e ha*e here the ''spiritual body" o4 )t$ 1aul,
and the "ner*e spirit" o4 the somnambulists, and its ma/ical e44ects are scarcely
more e7traordinary, i4 properly considered, than its a/ency on our own material
bodies$ It is this ethereal body which obeys the intelli/ent spirit within, and which
is the intermediate a/ent betwi7t the spirit and the 4leshly body$ .e here 4ind the
e7planation o4 wraiths, whilst persons are in trance, or deep sleep, or comatose,
this ethereal body can be detached and appear elsewhere5 and I thin there can
be no /reat di44iculty 4or those who can 4ollow us so 4ar, to /o a little 4urther, and
admit that this ethereal body must be indestructible, and sur*i*e the death o4 the
material one5 and that it may, there4ore, not only become *isible to us under
/i*en circumstances, but that it may, also, produce e44ects bearin/ some
similarity to those it was 4ormerly capable o4, since, in actin/ on our bodies durin/
li4e, it is already actin/ on a material substance, in a manner so
incomprehensible to us, that we mi/ht well apply the word magical, when
speain/ o4 it, were it not that custom has 4amiliarised us to the mar*el$
It is to be obser*ed, that this idea o4 a spiritual body is one that per*aded all
Christendom, in the earlier and purer a/es o4 Christianity, be4ore priestcra4t and
by priestcra4t, I mean the priestcra4t o4 all denominations had o*ershadowed and
obscured, by their *arious sectarian heresies, the pure teachin/ o4 Desus Christ$
-r$ :nnemoser mentions a curious instance o4 this actio in distans, or 4ar"
worin/$ It appears that Van #elmont ha*in/ asserted that it was possible 4or a
man to e7tin/uish the li4e o4 an animal by the eye alone Eoculis intentisG,
?ousseau, the naturalist, repeated the e7periment, when in the :ast, and in this
manner illed se*eral toads5 but on a subsequent occasion, whilst tryin/ the
same e7periment at %yons, the animal, on 4indin/ it could not escape, 4i7ed its
eyes immo*ably on him, so that he 4ell into a 4aintin/ 4it, and was thou/ht to be
dead$ #e was restored by means o4 theriacum and *iper powder " a truly
homeopathic remedy! #owe*er, we here probably see the ori/in o4 the uni*ersal
popular persuasion, that there is some mysterious property in the eye o4 a toad5
and also o4 the, so called, superstition o4 the e$il eye$
0 *ery remarable circumstance occurred some years a/o, at ;ircaldy, when a
person, 4or whose truth and respectability I can *ouch, was li*in/ in the 4amily o4
a Colonel ($, at that place$ The house they inhabited, was at one e7tremity o4 the
town, and stood in a sort o4 paddoc$ @ne e*enin/, when Colonel ($ had dined
out, and there was nobody at home but (rs$ ($, her son, Ea boy about twel*e
years oldG and 0nn, the maid, Emy in4ormantG, (rs$ ($ called the latter, and
directed her attention to a soldier, who was walin/ bacwards and 4orwards in
the dryin/ /round, behind the house, where some linen was han/in/ on the lines$
)he said, she wondered what he could be doin/ there, and bade 0nn 4etch in the
linen, lest he should purloin any o4 it$ The /irl 4earin/ he mi/ht be some ill"
disposed person, 4elt a4raid5 (rs$ ($, howe*er, promisin/ to watch 4rom the
window, that nothin/ happened to her, she went5 but still apprehensi*e o4 the
man's intentions, she turned her bac towards him, and hastily pullin/ down the
linen, she carried it into the house5 he, continuin/ his wal the while, as be4ore,
tain/ no notice o4 her, whate*er$
:re lon/, the Colonel returned, and (rs$ ($ lost no time in tain/ him to the
window to loo at the man, sayin/, she could not concei*e what he could mean,
by walin/ bacwards and 4orwards there, all that time5 whereupon, 0nn added,
8estin/ly, "I thin, it's a /host, 4or my part!" Colonel ($ said, "he would soon see
that," and callin/ a lar/e do/ that was lyin/ in the room, and accompanied by the
little boy, who be//ed to be permitted to /o also, he stept out and approached
the stran/er5 when, to his surprise, the do/, which was an animal o4 hi/h
coura/e, instantly 4lew bac, and sprun/ throu/h the /lass door, which the
Colonel had closed behind him, shi*erin/ the panes all around$
The Colonel, meantime, ad*anced and challen/ed the man, repeatedly, without
obtainin/ any answer or notice whate*er5 till, at len/th, /ettin/ irritated, he raised
a weapon with which he had armed himsel4, tellin/ him he "must spea, or tae
the consequences," when 8ust as he was preparin/ to strie, lo! there was
nobody there! The soldier had disappeared, and the child sun senseless to the
/round$ Colonel ($ li4ted the boy in his arms, and as he brou/ht him into the
house, he said to the /irl, "Hou are ri/ht, 0nn$ It was a /host!"
#e was e7ceedin/ly impressed with this circumstance, and much re/retted his
own beha*iour, and also the ha*in/ taen the child with him, which he thou/ht
had probably pre*ented some communication that was intended$ In order to
repair, i4 possible, these errors, he went out e*ery ni/ht, and waled on that spot
4or some time, in hopes the apparition would return$ 0t len/th, he said, that he
had seen and had con*ersed with it5 but the purport o4 the con*ersation he would
ne*er communicate to any human bein/5 not e*en to his wi4e$ The e44ect o4 this
occurrence on his own character was perceptible to e*erybody that new him$ #e
became /ra*e and thou/ht4ul, and appeared lie one who had passed throu/h
some stran/e e7perience$ The abo*e"named 0nn #$, 4rom whom I ha*e the
account, is now a middle"a/ed woman$ .hen the circumstance occurred, she
was about twenty years o4 a/e$ )he belon/s to a hi/hly respectable 4amily5 and
is, and always has been, a person o4 unimpeachable character and *eracity$
In this instance, as in se*eral others I meet with, the animal had a consciousness
o4 the nature o4 the appearance, whilst the persons around him had no suspicion
o4 anythin/ unusual$ In the 4ollowin/ sin/ular case, we must conclude that
attachment counteracted this instincti*e apprehension$ 0 4armer, in 0r/yleshire,
lost his wi4e, and a 4ew wees a4ter her decease, as he and his son were
crossin/ a moor, they saw her sittin/ on a stone, with their house"do/ lyin/ at her
4eet, e7actly as he used to do when she was ali*e$ 0s they approached the spot
the woman *anished, and supposin/ the do/ must be equally *isionary, they
e7pected to see him *anish, also5 when, to their surprise, he rose and 8oined
them, and they 4ound it was actually the *ery animal o4 4lesh and blood$ 0s the
place was at least three miles 4rom any house, they could not concei*e what
could ha*e taen him there$ It was, probably, the in4luence o4 her will$
The power o4 will is a phenomenon that has been obser*ed in all a/es o4 the
world, thou/h o4 late years much less than at an earlier period5 and, as it was
then more 4requently e7erted 4or e*il than /ood, it was looed upon as a branch
o4 the art o4 blac ma/ic, whilst the philosophy o4 it bein/ unnown, the de*il was
supposed to be the real a/ent, and the witch, or wiBard, only his instrument$ The
pro4ound belie4 in the e7istence o4 this art is testi4ied by the twel*e tables o4
?ome, as well as by the boos o4 (oses, and those o4 1lato, etc$
It is e7tremely absurd to suppose that all these statutes were erected to suppress
a crime which ne*er e7isted5 and, with re/ard to these witches and wiBards, we
must remember, as -r$ :nnemoser 8ustly remars, that the 4orce o4 will has no
relation to the stren/th or weaness o4 the body5 witness the e7traordinary 4eats
occasionally per4ormed by 4eeble persons under e7citement, etc$5 and, althou/h
these witches and wiBards were 4requently wea, decrepit people, they either
belie*ed in their own arts, or else that they had a 4riend or coad8utor in the de*il,
who was able and willin/ to aid them$ They, there4ore, did not doubt their own
power, and they had the one /reat requisite, faith$ -o will and to #elie$e, was the
e7planation /i*en by the (arquis de 1uyse/ur o4 the cures he per4ormed5 and
this unconsciously becomes the recipe o4 all such men as 6reatri7, the )hepherd
o4 -resden, and many other wonder"worers, and hence we see why it is usually
the humble, the simple and the child"lie, the solitary, the recluse, nay, the
i/norant, who e7hibit traces o4 these occult 4aculties5 4or he who cannot belie*e,
cannot will, and the scepticism o4 the intellect disables the ma/ician5 and hence
we see, also, where4ore, in certain parts o4 the world and in certain periods o4 its
history, these powers and practices ha*e pre*ailed$ They were belie*ed in
because they e7isted5 and they e7isted because they were belie*ed in$ There
was a continued interaction o4 cause and e44ect o4 4aith and wors$ 1eople who
loo super4icially at these thin/s, deli/ht in sayin/ that the more the witches were
persecuted the more they abounded5 and that when the persecution ceased, we
heard no more o4 them$ &aturally5 the more they were persecuted the more they
belie*ed in witchcra4t and in themsel*es5 when persecution ceased and men in
authority declared that there was no such thin/ as witchcra4t or witches, they lost
their 4aith5 and with it, that little so*erei/nty o*er nature that that 4aith had
conquered$
#ere we, also, see an e7planation o4 the power attributed to blessin/s and
curses$ The .ord o4 6od is creati*e, and man is the child o4 6od, made in his
ima/e5 who ne*er out/rows his childhood, and is o4ten most a child when he
thins himsel4 the wisest, 4or "the wisdom o4 this world," we cannot too o4ten
repeat, "is 4oolishness be4ore 6od" " and bein/ a child, his 4aculties are 4eeble in
proportion5 but thou/h limited in amount, they are di*ine in ind, and are latent in
all o4 us5 still shootin/ up here and there, to amaBe and perple7 the wise, and
mae merry the 4oolish, who ha*e nearly all alie 4or/otton their ori/in, and
disowned their birthri/ht$
""""""""""""
*hapter ++ ( -rou#led Spirits
0 *ery curious circumstance, illustrati*e o4 the power o4 will, was lately narrated
to me by a 6ree /entleman, to whose uncle it occurred$ #is uncle, (r$ ($, was,
some years a/o tra*ellin/ in (a/nesia, with a 4riend, when they arri*ed one
e*enin/ at a cara*anserai, where they 4ound themsel*es unpro*ided with
anythin/ to eat$ It was there4ore a/reed, that one should /o 4orth and endea*our
to procure 4ood5 and the 4riend o44erin/ to undertae the o44ice, (r$ ($ stretched
himsel4 on the 4loor to repose$
)ome time had elapsed and his 4riend had not yet returned, when his attention
was attracted by a whisperin/ in the room5 he looed up, but saw nobody, thou/h
still the whisperin/ continued " seemin/ to /o round by the wall$ 0t len/th it
approached him5 but thou/h he 4elt a burnin/ sensation on his chee, and heard
the whisperin/ distinctly, he could not catch the words$ 1resently he heard the
4ootsteps o4 his 4riend, and thou/ht he was returnin/5 but thou/h they appeared
to come quite close to him, and it was per4ectly li/ht, he still saw nobody5 then he
4elt a stran/e sensation " an irresistible impulsion to rise5 he 4elt himsel4 drawn
up, across the room, out o4 the door, down the stairs5 he must /o, he could not
help it, to the /ate o4 the cara*anserai, a little 4arther, and there he 4ound the
dead body o4 his 4riend, who had been suddenly assailed and cut down by
robbers, unhappily too plenty in the nei/hbourhood at that period$
.e here see the desire o4 the spirit to communicate his 4ate to the sur*i*or5 the
imper4ection o4 the rapport or the recepti*ity, which pre*ented a more direct
intercourse5 and the e7ertion o4 a ma/netic in4luence, which (r$ ($ could not
resist, precisely similar to that o4 a li*in/ ma/netiser o*er his patient$
There is a story e7tant in *arious :n/lish collections, the circumstances o4 which
are said to ha*e occurred about the middle o4 the last century, and which I shall
here mention, on account o4 its similarity to the one that 4ollows it$
-r$ 9retton, who was late in li4e appointed rector o4 %ud/ate, li*ed pre*iously in
#ere4ordshire, where he married the dau/hter o4 -r$ )anter, a woman o4 /reat
piety and *irtue$ This lady diedA and one day as a 4ormer ser*ant o4 hers, to
whom she had been attached, and who had since married, was nursin/ her child
in her own cotta/e, the door opened, and a lady entered so e7actly resemblin/
the late (rs$ 9retton in dress and appearance, that she e7claimed, "I4 my
mistress were not dead, I should thin you were she!" .hereupon, the apparition
told her that she was so, and requested her to /o with her, as she had business
o4 importance to communicate$ 0lice ob8ected, bein/ *ery much 4ri/htened, and
entreated her to address hersel4 rather to -r$ 9retton, but (rs$ 9$ answered, that
she had endea*oured to do so, and had been se*eral times in his room 4or that
purpose, but he was still asleep, and she had no power to do more towards
awaenin/ him than once unco*er his 4eet$
0lice then pleaded that she had nobody to lea*e with her child, but (rs$ 9$
promisin/ that the child should sleep till her return, she at len/th obeyed the
summons, and, ha*in/ accompanied the apparition into a lar/e 4ield, the latter
bade her obser*e how much she measured o44 with her 4eet, and, ha*in/ taen a
considerable compass, she bade her /o and tell her brother that all that portion
had been wron/4ully taen 4rom the poor by their 4ather, and that he must restore
it to them, addin/, that she was the more concerned about it, since her name had
been used in the transaction$ 0lice then asin/ how she should satis4y the
/entleman o4 the truth o4 her mission, (rs$ 9$ mentioned to her some
circumstance nown only to hersel4 and this brother5 she then entered into much
discourse with the woman, and /a*e her a /reat deal o4 /ood ad*ice, remainin/
till hearin/ the sound ot horse"bells, she said, "0lice, I must be seen by none but
yoursel4," and then disappeared$ .hereupon, 0lice proceeded to -r$ 9retton,
who admitted that he had actually heard someone walin/ about his room, in a
way he could not account 4or$ @n mentionin/ the thin/ to the brother, he lau/hed
heartily, till 0lice communicated the secret which constituted her credentials,
upon which he chan/ed his tone, and declared himsel4 ready to mae the
required restitution$
-r$ 9retton seems to ha*e made no secret o4 this story, but to ha*e related it to
*arious persons5 and I thin it is somewhat in its 4a*our, that it e7hibits a
remarable instance o4 the *arious de/rees o4 recepti*ity o4 di44erent indi*iduals,
where there was no suspicion o4 the cause, nor no attempt made to e7plain why
(rs$ 9retton could not communicate her wishes to her husband as easily as to
0lice$ The promisin/ that the child should sleep, was promisin/ no more than
many a ma/netiser could 4ul4ill$
There are se*eral curious stories, e7tant o4 lame and su44erin/ persons, suddenly
reco*erin/, who attributed their restoration to the *isit o4 an apparition which had
stroed their limbs, etc$5 and these are the more curious 4rom the 4act, that they
occurred be4ore (esmer's time, when people in /eneral new nothin/ o4 *ital
ma/netism$ -r$ 9inns quotes the case o4 a person named Dacob @la44son, a
resident in some small island, sub8ect to -enmar, who a4ter lyin/ *ery ill 4or a
4ortni/ht, was 4ound quite well, which he accounted 4or, by sayin/, that a person
in shinin/ clothes had come to him in the ni/ht, and stroed him with his hand,
whereupon, he was presently healed$ 9ut the stroin/ is not always necessary,
since we now that the eye and the will can produce the same e44ect$
The other case I alluded, as similar to that o4 (rs$ 9retton, occurred in 6ermany,
and is related by -r$ ;erner$
The late (r$ %$ )t$ """, he says, quitted this world with an e7cellent reputation,
bein/ at the time superintendent o4 an institution 4or the relie4 o4 the poor, in 9"""$
#is son inherited his property, and in acnowled/ment o4 the 4aith4ul ser*ices o4
his 4ather's old houseeeper, he too her into his 4amily and established her in a
country house, a 4ew miles 4rom 9""", which 4ormed part o4 his inheritance$ )he
had been settled there but a short time, when she was awaened in the ni/ht,
she new not how, and saw a tall, ha//ard looin/ man in her room, who was
rendered *isible to her by a li/ht that seemed to issue 4rom himsel4$ )he drew the
bed"clothes o*er her head5 but as this apparition appeared to her repeatedly, she
became so much alarmed that she mentioned it to her master, be//in/
permission to resi/n her situation$ #e howe*er lau/hed at her, told her it must be
all ima/ination, and promised to sleep in the ad8oinin/ apartment, in order that
she mi/ht call him whene*er this terror seiBed her$ #e did so5 but when the
spectre returned, she was so much oppressed with horror that she 4ound it
impossible to raise her *oice$ #er master then ad*ised her to enquire the moti*e
o4 its *isits$ This she did5 whereupon, it beconed her to 4ollow, which, a4ter some
stru//les, she summoned resolution to do$
It then led the way down some steps to a passa/e, where it pointed out to her a
concealed closet, which it si/ni4ied to her, by si/ns, she should open$ )he
represented that she had no ey, whereupon, it described to her, in su44iciently
articulate words, where she would 4ind one$ )he procured the ey, and on
openin/ the closet, 4ound a small parcel, which the spirit desired her to remit to
the /o*ernor o4 the institution 4or the poor, at 9$, with the in8unction, that the
contents should be applied to the bene4it o4 the inmates5 this restitution bein/ the
only means, whereby he could obtain rest and peace in the other world$
#a*in/ mentioned these circumstances to her master, who bade her do what she
had been desired, she too the parcel to the /o*ernor and deli*ered it without
communicatin/ by what means it had come into her hands$ #er name was
entered in their boos, and she was dismissed5 but a4ter she was /one, they
disco*ered, to their surprise, that the pacet contained an order 4or thirty
thousand 4lorins, o4 which the late (r$ )t$ """ had de4rauded the institution and
con*erted to his own use$
(r$ )t$ """, 8un$ was now called upon to pay the money, which he re4usin/ to do,
the a44air was at len/th re4erred to the authorities and the house"eeper bein/
arrested, he and she were con4ronted in the court, where she detailed the
circumstances by which the parcel had come into her possession$ (r$ )t$ """,
denied the possibility o4 the thin/, declarin/ the whole must be, 4or some purpose
or other, an in*ention o4 her own$ )uddenly, whilst main/ this de4ense he 4elt a
blow upon his shoulder, which caused him to start and loo round, and at the
same moment the house"eeper e7claimed ")ee! there he stands now! there is
the /host!" &one percei*ed the 4i/ure e7ceptin/ the woman hersel4 and (r$ )t$
""", but e*erybody present, the minister included, heard the 4ollowin/ words, "(y
son, repair the in8ustice I ha*e committed, that I may be at peace!" The money
was paid5 and (r$ )t$ """ was so much a44ected by this pain4ul e*ent, that he was
seiBed with a se*ere illness, 4rom which he with di44iculty reco*ered$
-r$ ;erner says that these circumstances occurred in the year 1+1>, and created
a considerable sensation at the time, thou/h at the earnest request o4 the 4amily
o4 (r$ )t$ """, there was an attempt made to hush them up5 addin/, that in the
month o4 @ctober 1+1F, he was himsel4 assured by a *ery respectable citiBen o4
9$, that it was uni*ersally nown in the town, that the /host o4 the late
superintendent had appeared to the house"eeper, and pointed out to her where
she would 4ind the pacet5 that she had consulted the minister o4 her parish, who
bade her deli*er it as directed5 that she had been subsequently arrested5 and the
a44air brou/ht be4ore the authorities, where, whilst main/ his de4ense, (r$ )t$ """,
had recei*ed a blow on the shoulder 4rom an in*isible hand5 and that (r$ )t$ """
was so much a44ected by these circumstances, which /ot abroad in spite o4 the
e44orts to suppress them, that he did not lon/ sur*i*e the e*ent$
6rose, the antiquary, maes himsel4 *ery merry with the obser*ation, that /hosts
do not /o about their business lie other people5 and that in cases o4 murder,
instead o4 /oin/ to the nearest 8ustice o4 peace or to the nearest relation o4 the
deceased, a /host addresses itsel4 to somebody who had nothin/ to do with the
matter, or ho*ers about the /ra*e where its body is deposited$ "The same
circuitous mode is pursued," he says, "with respect to redressin/ in8ured orphans
or widows5 where it seems as i4 the shortest and most certain way would be, to
/o and haunt the person /uilty o4 the in8ustice, till he were terri4ied into restitution$
.e 4ind the same sort o4 strictures made on the story o4 the /host o4 )ir 6eor/e
Villiers, which instead o4 /oin/ directly to his son, the -ue o4 9ucin/ham to
warn him o4 his dan/er, addressed himsel4 to an in4erior person, whilst the
warnin/ was a4ter all ine44icacious, as the -ue would not tae council5 but surely
such strictures are as absurd as the conduct o4 the /host5 at least I thin there
can be nothin/ more absurd than pretendin/ to prescribe laws to nature, and
8ud/in/ o4 what we now so little about$"
The proceedin/s o4 the /host in the 4ollowin/ case will doubtless be equally
displeasin/ to the critics$ The account is e7tracted *erbatim 4rom a wor
published by the 9annatyne Club, and is entitled, "0uthentic 0ccount o4 the
0ppearance o4 a 6host in Nueen 0nn's County, (aryland, Cnited )tates o4 &orth
0merica, pro*ed in the 4ollowin/ remarable trial, 4rom attested notes, taen in
court at the time, by one o4 the counsel$"
It appears that Thomas #arris had made some alteration in the disposal o4 his
property, immediately pre*ious to his death5 and that the 4amily disputed the will
and raised up di44iculties liely to be in8urious to his children$
".illiam 9ri/s said, that he was 4orty"three years o4 a/e5 that Thomas #arris died
in )eptember, in the year 1'FI$ In the (arch 4ollowin/ he was ridin/ near the
place where Thomas #arris was buried, on a horse 4ormerly belon/in/ to
Thomas #arris$ 04ter crossin/ a small branch, his horse be/an to wal on *ery
4ast$ It was between the hours o4 ei/ht and nine o'cloc in the mornin/$ #e was
aloneA it was a clear day$ #e entered a lane ad8oinin/ to the 4ield where Thomas
#arris was buried$ #is horse suddenly wheeled in a panel o4 the 4ence, looed
o*er the 4ence into the 4ield where Thomas #arris was buried and nei/hed *ery
loud$ .itness then saw Thomas #arris comin/ towards him, in the same apparel
he had last seen him in his li4etime5 he had on a sy blue coat$ Dust be4ore he
came to the 4ence, he *aried to the ri/ht, and *anished5 his horse immediately
too the road$ Thomas #arris came within two panels o4 the 4ence to him5 he did
not see his 4eatures, nor spea to him$ #e was acquainted with Thomas #arris
when a boy, and there had always been a /reat intimacy between them$ #e
thins the horse new Thomas #arris, because o4 his nei/hin/, pricin/ up his
ears, and looin/ o*er the 4ence$
"0bout the 4irst o4 Dune 4ollowin/ he was plou/hin/ in his own 4ield, about three
miles 4rom where Thomas #arris was buried$ 0bout dus Thomas #arris came
alon/side o4 him, and waled with him about two hundred yards$ #e was dressed
as when 4irst seen$ #e made a halt about two steps 4rom him$ D$ 9ailey who was
plou/hin/ alon/ with him, came dri*in/ up, and he lost si/ht o4 the /host$ #e was
much alarmedA not a word was spoen$ The youn/ man 9ailey did not see him5
he did not tell 9ailey o4 it$ There was no motion o4 any particular partA he
*anished$ It preyed upon his mind so as to a44ect his health$
"#e was with Thomas #arris when he died, but had no particular con*ersation
with him$ )ometime a4ter he was lyin/ in bed, about ele*en and twel*e o'cloc at
ni/ht, he heard Thomas #arris /roan, it was lie the /roan he /a*e a 4ew
minutes be4ore he e7piredA (rs$ 9ri/s, his wi4e, heard the /roan$ )he /ot up and
searched the houseA he did not, because he new the /roan to be 4rom Thomas
#arris$ )ometime a4ter when in bed, and a /reat 4ireli/ht in the room, he saw a
shadow on the wall at the same time he 4elt a /reat wei/ht upon him$ )ome time
a4ter, when in bed and asleep, he 4elt a stroe between his eyes, which
blacened them bothA his wi4e was in bed with him, and two youn/ men were in
the room$ The blow awaed him, and all in the room were asleep5 is certain no
person in the room struc himA the blow swelled his nose$ 0bout the middle o4
0u/ust he was alone, comin/ 4rom #icey Collins, a4ter dar, about one hour in
the ni/ht, Thomas #arris appeared, dressed as he had seen him when he was
/oin/ down to the meetin/ house branch, three miles and a hal4 4rom the
/ra*eyard o4 Thomas #arris$ It was star"li/ht$ #e e7tended his arms o*er his
shoulders$ -oes not now how lon/ he remained in this situation$ #e was much
alarmed$ Thomas #arris disappeared$ &othin/ was said$ #e 4elt no wei/ht on his
shoulders$ #e went bac to Colonel %insi, and /ot a youn/ man to /o with him$
04ter he /ot home he mentioned it to the youn/ man$ #e had, be4ore this, told
Dames #arris he had seen his brother's /host$
"In @ctober, about twili/ht in the mornin/, he saw Thomas #arris about one
hundred yards 4rom the house o4 the witness5 his head was leant to one side5
same apparel as be4ore5 his 4ace was towards him5 he waled 4ast and
disappeared5 there was nothin/ between them to obstruct the *iew5 he was about
4i4ty yards 4rom him, and alone5 he had no conception why Thomas #arris
appeared to him$ @n the same day, about ei/ht o'cloc in the mornin/, he was
handin/ up blades to Dohn 9ailey, who was stacin/ them5 he saw Thomas
#arris come alon/ the /arden"4ence, dressed, as be4ore he *anished, and
always to the :astA was within 4i4teen 4eet o4 him5 9ailey did not see him$ 0n hour
and a hal4 a4terwards, in the same place, he a/ain appeared, comin/ as be4ore5
came up to the 4ence5 leaned on it within ten 4eet o4 the witness, who called to
9ailey to loo there Epointin/ towards Thomas #arrisG$ 9ailey ased what was
there< -on't you see #arris< -oes not recollect what 9ailey said$ .itness
ad*anced towards #arris$ @ne or the other spoe as witness /ot o*er the 4ence,
on the same panel that Thomas #arris was leanin/ on$ They waled o44 to/ether
about 4i*e hundred yards, a con*ersation too place as they waled5 he has not
the con*ersation on his memory$ #e could not understand Thomas #arris, his
*oice was so low$ #e ased Thomas #arris a question, and he 4orbid him$
.itness then ased, '.hy not /o to your brother, instead o4 me<' Thomas #arris
said, '0s me no questions$' .itness told him his will was doubted$ Thomas
#arris told him to as his brother i4 he did not remember the con*ersation which
passed between them on the east side o4 the wheat stacs, the day he was taen
with his death sicness5 that he then declared that he wished all his property ept
to/ether by Dames #arris, until his children arri*ed at a/e, then the whole should
be sold and di*ided amon/ his children5 and, should it be immediately sold, as
e7pressed in his will, that the property would be most wantin/ to his children
while minors, there4ore he had chan/ed his will, and said that witness should see
him a/ain$ #e then told witness to turn, and disappeared$
"#e did not spea to him with the same *oice as in his li4e"time$ #e was not
daunted while with Thomas #arris, but much a4terwards$ .itness then went to
Dames #arris, and told him that he had seen his brother three times that day$
?elated the con*ersation he had with him$ 0sed Dames #arris i4 he remembered
the con*ersation between him and his brother, at the wheat"stac, he said he did,
and told him what had passed$ )aid he would 4ul4ill his brother's will$ #e was
satis4ied that witness had seen his brother, 4or that no other person new the
con*ersation$ @n the same e*enin/, returnin/ home about an hour be4ore sun"
set, Thomas #arris appeared to him, came alon/side o4 him$ .itness told him
that his brother said he would 4ul4ill his will$ &o more con*ersation on this sub8ect$
#e disappeared$ #e had 4urther con*ersation with Thomas #arris, but not on this
sub8ect$ #e was always dressed in the same manner$ #e had ne*er related to
any person the last con*ersation, and ne*er would$
"9ailey, who was sworn in the cause, declared that as he and 9ri/s were
stacin/ blades, as related by 9ri/s, he called to witness and said, '%oo there!
-o you not see Thomas #arris<' .itness said, '&o$' 9ri/'s /ot o*er the 4ence,
and waled some distance5 appeared by his action to be in deep con*ersation
with some person$ .itness saw no one$
"The counsel was e7tremely an7ious to hear 4rom (r$ 9ri/s the whole o4 the
con*ersation o4 the /host, and on his cross e7amination too e*ery means,
without e44ect, to obtain it$ They represented to him, as a reli/ious man, he was
bound to disclose the whole truth$ #e appeared a/itated when applied to,
declarin/ nothin/ short o4 li4e should mae him re*eal the whole con*ersation,
and claimin/ the protection o4 the court, that he had declared all he new relati*e
to the case$
"The Court o*erruled the question o4 the counsel$ #on$ Dames Til/man, 8ud/e$
"#is :7cellency ?obert .ri/ht, late 6o*ernor o4 (aryland, and the #on$ Doseph
#$ &icholson, a4terwards 8ud/e o4 one o4 the courts in (aryland, were the
counsel 4or the plainti44$
"Dohn )cott and ?ichard T$ :arle, :sqrs$, were counsel 4or the de4endant$"
#ere, as in the case o4 Colonel ($, mentioned in a 4ormer chapter, and some
others I ha*e met with, we 4ind disclosures made that were held sacred$
-r$ ;erner relates the 4ollowin/ sin/ular story, which he declares himsel4 to ha*e
recei*ed 4rom the most satis4actory authority$ 0/nes 9$ bein/ at the time
ei/hteen years o4 a/e, was li*in/ as ser*ant in a small inn at Cndenheim, her
nati*e place$ The host and hostess were quiet old people, who /enerally went to
bed about ei/ht o'cloc, whilst she and the boy, the only other ser*ant, were
e7pected to sit up till ten, when they had to shut up the house and retire to bed
also$ @ne e*enin/, as the host was sittin/ on a bench be4ore the door, there
came a be//ar, requestin/ a ni/ht's lod/in/$ The host, howe*er, re4used, and
bade him see what he wanted in the *illa/e, whereon the man went away$
0t the usual hour the old people went to bed, and the two ser*ants, ha*in/
closed the shutters, and indul/ed in a little /ossip with the watchman, were about
to 4ollow their e7ample, when the be//ar came round the corner o4 the
nei/hbourin/ street, and earnestly entreated them to /i*e him a lod/in/ 4or the
ni/ht, since he could 4ind nobody that would tae him in$ 0t 4irst, the youn/
people re4used, sayin/ they dare not, without their master's lea*e, but at len/th
the entreaties o4 the man pre*ailed, and they consented to let him sleep in the
barn, on condition that, when they called him in the mornin/, he would
immediately depart$ 0t three o'cloc they rose, and when the boy entered the
barn, to his dismay, he 4ound that the old man had e7pired in the ni/ht$ They
were now much perple7ed with the apprehension o4 their master's displeasure5
so a4ter some consultation, they a/reed that the lad should con*ey the body out
o4 the barn, and lay it in a dry ditch that was near at hand, where it would be
4ound by the labourers, and e7cite no question, as they would naturally conclude
he had laid himsel4 down there to die$
This was done, the man was disco*ered and buried, and they thou/ht
themsel*es well rid o4 the whole a44air5 but, on the 4ollowin/ ni/ht, the /irl was
awaened by the be//ar, whom she saw standin/ at her bedside$ #e looed at
her, and then quitted the room by the door$ "6lad was I," she says, "when the
day broe, but I was scarcely out o4 my room when the boy came to me,
tremblin/ and pale, and be4ore I could say a word to him o4 what I had seen, he
told me that the be//ar had been to his room in the ni/ht, had looed at him, and
then /one away$ #e said he was dressed as when we had seen him ali*e, only
he looed blacer, which I also had obser*ed$"
)till a4raid o4 incurrin/ blame, they told nobody, althou/h the apparition returned
to them e*ery ni/ht, and althou/h they 4ound remo*in/ to the other bed"
chambers did not relie*e them 4rom his *isits$ 9ut the e44ects o4 this persecution
became so *isible on both, that much curiosity was awaened in the *illa/e with
respect to the cause o4 the alteration obser*ed in them5 and, at len/th the boy's
mother went to the minister, requestin/ him to interro/ate her son, and
endea*our to disco*er what was preyin/ on his mind$
To him the boy disclosed their secret, and this minister, who was a 1rotestant,
ha*in/ listened with attention to the story, ad*ised him, when ne7t he went to
(ayence, to maret, to call on 3ather Doseph, o4 the 3ranciscan Con*ent, and
relate the circumstance to him$ This ad*ice was 4ollowed, and 3ather Doseph,
assurin/ the lad that the /host could do him no harm, recommended him to as
him, in the name o4 6od, what he desired$ The boy did so, whereupon the
apparition answered, "He are children o4 mercy, but I am a child o4 e*il5 in the
barn, under the straw, you will 4ind my money$ Tae it5 it is yours$" In the mornin/,
the boy 4ound the money accordin/ly in an old stocin/, hid under the straw5 but
ha*in/ a natural horror o4 it, they too it to their minister, who ad*ised them to
di*ide it into three partsA /i*in/ one to the 3ranciscan Con*ent, at (ayence,
another to the ?e4ormed Church, in the *illa/e, and the third to that to which they
themsel*es belon/ed, which was o4 the %utheran persuasion$ This they did, and
were no more troubled with the be//ar$ .ith respect to the minister who /a*e
them this /ood ad*ice, I can only say, all honour be to him! I wish there were
many more such! The circumstance occurred in the year 1'KI, and is related by
the dau/hter o4 0/nes 9$, who declared that she had 4requently heard it 4rom her
mother$
The circumstance o4 this apparition looin/ darer than the man had done when
ali*e, is si/ni4icant o4 his condition5 and con4irms what I ha*e said abo*e, namely,
that the moral state o4 the disembodied soul can no lon/er be concealed as it
was in the 4lesh5 but that as he is, he must necessarily appear$
There is an old sayin/, that we should ne*er lie down to rest at enmity with any
human bein/5 and the story o4 the /host o4 the 1rincess 0nna o4 )a7ony, who
appeared to -ue Christian o4 )a7e":isenbur/, is stron/ly con4irmatory o4 the
wisdom o4 this a7iom$
-ue Christian was sittin/ one mornin/ in his study, when he was surprised by a
noc at his door " an unusual circumstance, since the /uards as well as the
people in waitin/ were always in the anti"room$ #e howe*er cried, "Come in!"
when there entered to his amaBement, a lady in an ancient costume, who, in
answer to his enquiries, told him that she was no e*il spirit, and would do him no
harm5 but that she was one o4 his ancestors, and had been the wi4e o4 -ue Dohn
Casimer, o4 )a7e"Cobur/$ )he then related that she and her husband had not
been on /ood terms at the period o4 their deaths, and that althou/h she had
sou/ht a reconciliation, he had been ine7orable5 pursuin/ her with unmiti/ated
hatred, and in8urin/ her by un8ust suspicions5 and that consequently althou/h she
was happy, he was still wanderin/ in cold and darness, betwi7t time and
eternity$ )he had, howe*er, lon/ nown that one o4 their descendants was
destined to e44ect this reconciliation 4or them, and they were re8oiced to 4ind the
time 4or it had at len/th arri*ed$ )he then /a*e the -ue ei/ht days to consider i4
he were willin/ to per4orm this /ood o44ice, and disappeared5 whereupon he
consulted a cler/yman, in whom he had /reat con4idence, who a4ter 4indin/ the
/hosts communications *eri4ied, by a re4erence to the annals o4 the 4amily,
ad*ised him to comply with her request$
0s the -ue had yet some di44iculty in belie*in/ it was really a /host he had
seen, he too care to ha*e his door well watched5 she, howe*er, entered at the
appointed time, unseen by the attendants5 and, ha*in/ recei*ed the -ue's
promise, she told him that she would return with her husband on the 4ollowin/
ni/ht5 4or that, thou/h she could come by day, he could not5 that then, ha*in/
heard the circumstances, the -ue must arbitrate between them, and then unite
their hands, and bless them$ The door was still watched, but ne*ertheless the
apparitions both came, the -ue Casimer in 4ull royal costume, but o4 a li*id
paleness5 and when the wi4e had told her story, he told his$ -ue Christian
decided 4or the lady, in which 8ud/ment -ue Casimer 4ully acquiesced$ Christian
then too the ice"cold hand o4 Casimer and laid it in that o4 his wi4e, which 4elt o4
a natural heat$ They then prayed and san/ to/ether, and the apparitions
disappeared, ha*in/ 4oretold that -ue Christian would ere lon/ be with them$
The 4amily records showed that these people had li*ed about one hundred years
be4ore -ue Christian's time, who himsel4 died in the year 1'I', two years a4ter
these *isits o4 his ancestors$ #e desired to be buried in quic lime, it is supposed
4rom an idea that it mi/ht pre*ent his /host walin/ the earth$
The costume in which they appeared was precisely that they had worn when
ali*e5 as was ascertained by a re4erence to their portraits$
The e7pression, that her husband was wandering in cold and dar%ness, #etwi,t
time and eternity, are here, *ery worthy o4 obser*ation5 as are the circumstances,
that his hand was cold, whilst hers was warm5 and also, the /reater pri*ile/e she
seemed to en8oy$ The hands o4 the unhappy spirits appear, I thin, in*ariably to
communicate a sensation o4 cold$
I ha*e heard o4 three instances, o4 persons now ali*e, who declare that they hold
continual intercourse with their deceased partners$ @ne o4 these, is a na*al
o44icer, whom the author o4 the boo lately published, called "The Cnseen .orld,"
appears to be acquainted with$ The second is a pro4essor, in a colle/e in
0merica, a man o4 eminence and learnin/, and 4ull o4 acti*ity and ener/y yet, he
assured a 4riend o4 mine, that he recei*es constant *isits 4rom his departed wi4e,
which a44ord him /reat satis4action$ The third e7ample, is a lady in this country$
)he is united to a second husband, has been e7tremely happy in both marria/es5
and declares that she recei*es 4requent *isits 4rom her 4irst$ @berlin, the /ood
pastor o4 ?an de la 8oche, asserted the same thin/ o4 himsel4$ #is wi4e came to
him 4requently a4ter her death5 was seen by the rest o4 his household, as well as
himsel45 and warned him, be4orehand o4 many e*ents that occurred$
(rs$ (athews relates in the memoirs o4 her husband, that he was one ni/ht in
bed and unable to sleep, 4rom the e7citement that continues some time a4ter
actin/5 when hearin/ a rustlin/ by the side o4 the bed, he looed out, and saw his
4irst wi4e, who was then dead, standin/ by the bedside, dressed as when ali*e$
)he smiled and bent 4orward as i4 to tae his hand5 but in his alarm, he threw
himsel4 out on the 4loor to a*oid the contact, and was 4ound by the landlord in a
4it$ @n the same ni/ht and at the same hour, the present (rs$ (athews who was
4ar away 4rom him, recei*ed a similar *isit 4rom her predecessor, whom she had
nown when ali*e$ )he was quite awae5 and in her terror seiBed the bell rope to
summon assistance, which /a*e way, and she 4ell with it in her hand, to the
/round$
1ro4essor 9arthe, who *isited @berlin in 1+2,, says, that whilst he spoe o4 his
intercourse with the spiritual world as 4amiliarly as o4 the daily *isits o4 his
parishioners, he was at the same time, per4ectly 4ree 4rom 4anaticism, and
ea/erly ali*e to all the concerns o4 this earthly e7istence$ #e asserted, what I 4ind
many somnambules and deceased persons also assert, that e*erythin/ on earth
is but a copy, o4 which the antitype is to be 4ound in the other$
#e said to his *isitor, that he mi/ht as well attempt to persuade him that that was
not a table be4ore them, as that he did not hold communication with the other
world$ "I /i*e you credit 4or bein/ honest, when you assure me that you ne*er
saw anythin/ o4 the ind," said he5 "/i*e me the same credit when I assure you
that I do$"
.ith respect to the 4aculty o4 /host"seein/, he said, it depended on se*eral
circumstances, e7ternal and internal$ 1eople who li*e in the bustle and /lare o4
the world seldom see them, whilst those who li*e in still, solitary, thinly inhabited
places, lie the mountainous districts o4 *arious countries, do$ )o i4 I /o into the
4orest by ni/ht, I see the phosphoric li/ht o4 a piece o4 rotten wood5 but i4 I /o by
day I cannot see it5 yet it is still there$ 0/ain, there must be a rapport$ 0 tender
mother is awaened by the 4aintest cry o4 her in4ant, whilst the maid slumbers on,
and ne*er hears it5 and i4 I thrust a needle amon/st a parcel o4 wood"sha*in/s,
and hold a ma/net o*er them, the needle is stirred, whilst the sha*in/s are quite
unmo*ed$ There must be a particular aptitudeA what it consists in, I do not now5
4or o4 my people, many o4 whom are /host"seers, some are wea and sicly,
others *i/orous and stron/$ #ere are se*eral pieces o4 4lintA I can see no
di44erence in them5 yet some ha*e so much iron in them that they easily become
ma/netic5 others ha*e little or none$ )o it is with the 4aculty o4 /host"seein/$
1eople may lau/h as they will, but the thin/ is a 4act, ne*ertheless$
The *isits o4 his wi4e continued 4or nine years a4ter her death, and then ceased$
0t len/th she sent him a messa/e, throu/h another deceased person, to say that
she was now ele*ated to a hi/her state, and could there4ore no lon/er re*isit the
earth$
&e*er was there a purer spirit, nor a more belo*ed human bein/, than @berlin$
.hen 4irst he was appointed to the cure o4 9an de la ?oche, and 4ound his
people talin/ so 4amiliarly o4 the re"appearance o4 the dead, he repro*ed them
and preached a/ainst the superstition5 nor was he con*inced, till a4ter the death
o4 his wi4e$ )he had howe*er pre*iously recei*ed a *isit 4rom her deceased
sister, the wi4e o4 1ro4essor @berlin, o4 )trasbur/, who had warned her o4 her
approachin/ death, 4or which she immediately set about preparin/, main/ e7tra
clothin/ 4or her children, and e*en layin/ in pro*isions 4or the 4uneral 4east$ )he
then too lea*e o4 her husband and 4amily, and went quietly to bed$ @n the
4ollowin/ mornin/ she died5 and @berlin ne*er heard o4 the warnin/ she had
recei*ed, till she disclosed it to him in her spectral *isitations$
In narratin/ the 4ollowin/ story, I am not permitted to /i*e the names o4 the place
or parties, nor the number o4 the re/iment, with all o4 which howe*er I am
acquainted$ The account was taen down by one o4 the o44icers, with whose
4amily I am also acquainted5 and the circumstance occurred within the last ten
years$
"0bout the month o4 0u/ust," says Captain :$, "my attention was requested by
the schoolmaster"ser/eant, a man o4 considerable worth, and hi/hly esteemed
by the whole corps, to an e*ent which had occurred in the /arrison hospital$
#a*in/ heard his recital, which, 4rom the serious earnestness with which he
made it, challen/ed attention, I resol*ed to in*esti/ate the matter5 and ha*in/
communicated the circumstances to a 4riend, we both repaired to the hospital 4or
the purpose o4 enquiry$
"There were two patients to be e7amined " both men o4 /ood character, and
neither o4 them su44erin/ 4rom any disorder a44ectin/ the brain5 the one was under
treatment 4or consumpti*e symptoms, and the other 4or an ulcerated le/5 and
they were both in the prime o4 li4e$
"#a*in/ recei*ed a con4irmation o4 the schoolmaster's statement 4rom the
hospital"ser/eant, also a *ery respectable and trustworthy man, I sent 4or the
patient principally concerned, and desired him to state what he had seen and
heard, warnin/ him, at the same time, that it was my intention to tae down his
deposition, and that it beho*ed him to be *ery care4ul, as, possibly, serious steps
mi/ht be taen 4or the purpose o4 disco*erin/ whether an imposition had been
practiced in the wards o4 the hospital " a crime 4or which, he was well aware, a
*ery se*ere penalty would be in4licted$ #e then proceeded to relate the
circumstances, which I too down in the presence o4 (r$ 9$, and the hospital"
ser/eant, as 4ollowsA "
"It was last Tuesday ni/ht, somewhere between ele*en and twel*e, when all o4
us were in bed, and all li/hts out e7cept the rush"li/ht that was allowed 4or the
man with the 4e*er, when I was awoe by 4eelin/ a wei/ht upon my 4eet, and at
the same moment, as I was drawin/ up my le/s, 1ri*ate .$, who lies in the cot
opposite mine, called out, "I say, N$ there's somebody sittin/ upon your le/s!"
and as I looed to the bottom o4 my bed, I saw someone /et up 4rom it, and then
come round and stand o*er me, in the passa/e betwi7t my cot and the ne7t$ I 4elt
somewhat alarmed5 4or the last 4ew ni/hts the ward had been disturbed by
sounds as o4 a hea*y 4oot walin/ up and down5 and as nobody could be seen, it
was be/innin/ to be supposed amon/st us that it was haunted, and 4ancyin/ this
that came up to my bed's head mi/ht be the /host, I called out, ".ho are you<
and what do you want<"
"'The 4i/ure then leanin/, with one hand on the wall, o*er my head, and stoopin/
down, said, in my ear, 'I am (rs$ ($5' and I could then distin/uish that she was
dressed in a 4lannel /own, ed/ed with blac ribbon, e7actly similar to a set o4
/ra*e clothes in which I had assisted to clothe her corpse, when her death too
place a year pre*iously$
"'The *oice howe*er was not lie (rs$ ($'s, nor lie anybody else's, yet it was
*ery distinct, and seemed somehow to sin/ throu/h my head$ I could see nothin/
o4 a 4ace beyond a darish colour about the head, and it appeared to me that I
could see throu/h her body a/ainst the window"/lasses$
"'0lthou/h I 4elt *ery uncom4ortable, I ased her what she wanted$ )he replied, 'I
am (rs$ ($, and I wish you to write to him that was my husband, and tell
him $$$$$'"
"'I am not, sir,' said Corporal N$, 'at liberty to mention to anybody what she told
me, e7cept to her husband$ #e is at the depot in Ireland, and I ha*e written and
told him$ )he made me promise not to tell anyone else$ 04ter I had promised
secrecy, she told me somethin/ o4 a matter, that con*inced me I was talin/ to a
spirit5 4or it related to what only I and (rs$ ($ new, and no one li*in/ could now
anythin/ whate*er o4 the matter5 and i4 I was now speain/ my last words on
earth, I say solemnly that it was (rs$ ($'s spirit that spoe to me then, and no
one else$ 04ter promisin/ that i4 I complied with her request, she would not
trouble me or the ward a/ain, she went 4rom my bed towards the 4ireplace, and
with her hands she ept 4eelin/ about the wall o*er the mantel"piece$ 04ter
awhile, she came towards me a/ain5 and whilst my eyes were upon her, she
somehow disappeared 4rom my si/ht alto/ether, and I was le4t alone$
"'It was then that I 4elt 4aint"lie, and a cold sweat broe out o*er me5 but I did not
4aint, and a4ter a time I /ot better, and /radually I went o44 to sleep$
"'The men in the ward said, ne7t day, that (rs$ (, had come to spea to me
about pur/atory, because she had been a ?oman Catholic, and we had o4ten
had ar/uments on reli/ionA but what she told me had no re4erence to such
sub8ects, but to a matter only she and I new o4$'
"04ter closely cross"questionin/ Corporal N$, and endea*ourin/, without success,
to reason him out o4 his belie4 in the /hostly character o4 his *isitor5 I read o*er to
him what I had written, and then, dismissin/ him, sent 4or the other patient$
"04ter cautionin/ him, as I had done the 4irst, I proceeded to tae down his
statement, which was made with e*ery appearance o4 /ood 4aith and sincerity$
"'I was lyin/ awae,' said he, 'last Tuesday ni/ht, when I saw someone sittin/ on
Corporal N$'s bed$ There was so little li/ht in the ward that I could not mae out
who it was, and the 4i/ure looed so stran/e that I /ot alarmed, and 4elt quite
sic$ I called out to Corporal N$ that there was somebody sittin/ upon his bed,
and then the 4i/ure /ot up5 and as I did not now but it mi/ht be comin/ to me, I
/ot so much alarmed, that bein/ but wealy Ethis was the consumpti*e manG I 4ell
bac, and I belie*e I 4ainted away$ .hen I /ot round a/ain, I saw the 4i/ure
standin/, and apparently talin/ to the Corporal, placin/ one hand a/ainst the
wall and stoopin/ down$ I could not howe*er hear any *oice5 and bein/ still much
alarmed, I put my head under the clothes 4or a considerable time$ .hen I looed
up a/ain I could only see Corporal N$, sittin/ up in bed alone, and he said he had
seen a /host5 and I told him I had also seen it$ 04ter a time, he /ot up and /a*e
me a drin o4 water, 4or I was *ery 4aint$ )ome o4 the other patients bein/
disturbed by our talin/, they bid us be quiet, and a4ter some time I /ot to sleep$
The ward has not been disturbed since$'
"The man was then cross"questioned5 but his testimony remainin/ quite
unshaen, he was dismissed, and the hospital"ser/eant was interro/ated, with
re/ard to the possibility o4 a tric ha*in/ been practiced$ #e asserted, howe*er,
that this was impossible5 and, certainly, 4rom my own nowled/e o4 the hospital
re/ulations, and the habits o4 the patients, I should say that a practical 8oe o4
this nature was too serious a thin/ to ha*e been attempted by anybody,
especially as there were patients in the ward *ery ill at the time, and one *ery
near his end$ The punishment would ha*e been e7tremely se*ere, and disco*ery
almost certain, since e*erybody would ha*e been ad*erse to the delinquent$
"The in*esti/ation that ensued was a *ery brie4 one, it bein/ 4ound that there was
nothin/ more to be elicited5 and the a44air terminated with the supposition that the
two men had been dreamin/$ &e*ertheless, si7 months a4terwards, on bein/
interro/ated, their e*idence and their con*iction were as clear as at 4irst, and they
declared themsel*es ready at any time to repeat their statement upon oath$"
)upposin/ this case to be as the men belie*ed it, there are se*eral thin/s worthy
o4 obser*ation$ In the 4irst place, the /host is /uilty o4 that inconsistency so
o44ensi*e to 3rancis 6rose and many others$ Instead o4 tellin/ her secret to her
husband, she commissions the Corporal to tell it him, and it is not till a year a4ter
her departure 4rom this li4e that she does e*en that5 and she is heard in the ward
two or three ni/hts be4ore she is *isible$ .e are there4ore constrained to suppose
that lie (rs$ 9retton, she could not communicate with her husband, and that till
that Tuesday ni/ht, the necessary conditions 4or attainin/ her ob8ect, as re/arded
the Corporal, were wantin/$ It is also remarable, that althou/h the latter heard
her spea distinctly, and spoe to her, the other man heard no *oice5 which
renders it probable, that she had at len/th been able to produce that impression
upon him, which a ma/netiser does on his somnambule, enablin/ each to
understand the other by a trans4erence o4 thou/ht, which was undistin/uishable
to the Corporal 4rom speain/, as it is 4requently to the somnambule$ The
imitatin/ the actions o4 li4e by leanin/ a/ainst the wall and 4eelin/ about the
mantelpiece, are *ery unlie what a person would ha*e done, who was
endea*ourin/ to impose on the man5 and equally unlie what they would ha*e
reported, had the thin/ been an in*ention o4 their own$
0mon/st the established 8ests on the sub8ect o4 /hosts, their sudden *anishin/, is
a *ery 4ruit4ul one5 but, I thin, i4 we e7amine this question, we shall 4ind, that
there is nothin/ comical in the matter, e7cept the i/norance or want o4 re4lection
o4 the 8esters$
In the 4irst place, as I ha*e be4ore obser*ed, a spirit must be where its thou/hts
and a44ections are, 4or they are itsel4 " our spirits are where our thou/hts and
a44ections are, althou/h our solid bodies remain stationary5 and no one will
suppose, that walls or doors, or material obstacles o4 any ind, could e7clude a
spirit, any more than they can e7clude our thou/hts$
9ut then, there is the *isible body o4 the spirit " what is that< and how does it
retain its shape! 3or we now, that there is a law disco*ered by -alton, that two
masses o4 /aseous matter cannot remain in contact, but they will immediately
proceed to di44use themsel*es into one another5 and accordin/ly, it may be
ad*anced, that a /aseous corporeity in the atmosphere, is an impossibility,
because it could not retain its 4orm, but would ine*itably be dissol*ed away, and
blend with the surroundin/ air$ 9ut precisely the same ob8ection mi/ht be made
by a chemist to the possibility o4 our 4leshly bodies retainin/ their inte/rity and
compactnessA 4or the human body, taen as a whole, is nown to be an
impossible chemical compound, e7cept 4or the *itality which upholds it5 and no
sooner is li4e withdrawn 4rom it, than it crumbles into putrescence5 and it is
undeniable, that the aeri4orm body would be an impossible mechanical
phenomenon, but 4or the *itality which, we are entitled to suppose, may uphold it$
9ut, 8ust as the state or condition o4 or/aniBation protects the 4leshly body 4rom
the natural reactions which would destroy it, so may an analo/ous condition o4
or/aniBation protect a spiritual ethereal body 4rom the destructi*e in4luence o4 the
mutual inter"di44usion o4 /ases$
Thus, supposin/ this aeri4orm body to be a permanent appurtenance o4 the spirit,
we see how it may subsist and retain its inte/rity, and it would be as reasonable
to hope to e7clude the electric 4luid by walls or doors as to e7clude by them this
subtle, 4luent 4orm$ I4, on the contrary, the shape be only one constructed out o4
the atmosphere, by an act o4 will, the same act o4 will, which is a *ital 4orce, will
preser*e it entire, till the will bein/ withdrawn, it dissol*es away$ In either case,
the moment the will or thou/ht o4 the spirit is elsewhere, it is /one " it has
*anished$
3or those who pre4er the other hypothesis, namely, that there is no outstandin/
shape at all, but that the will o4 the spirit, actin/ on the constructi*e ima/ination o4
the seer, enables him to concei*e the 4orm, as the spirit itsel4 concei*es o4 it,
there can be no di44iculty in understandin/, that the becomin/ in*isible will
depend merely on a similar act o4 will$
"""""""""""
*hapter +++ ( Haunted Houses
:*erybody has heard o4 haunted houses5 and there is no country, and scarcely
any place, in which somethin/ o4 the sort is not nown or taled o45 and I suppose
there in no one who, in the course o4 their tra*els, has not seen *ery respectable,
/ood"looin/ houses shut up and uninhabited, because they had this e*il
reputation assi/ned to them$ I ha*e seen se*eral such, 4or my own part5 and it is
remarable that this mala fama does not always, by any means, attach itsel4 to
buildin/s one would ima/ine most obno7ious to such a suspicion$
3or e7ample, I ne*er heard o4 a /host bein/ seen or heard in #addon #all, the
most /hostly o4 houses5 nor in many other antique, mysterious looin/ buildin/s,
where one mi/ht e7pect them, whilst sometimes a house o4 a *ery prosaic aspect
remains uninhabited, and is ultimately allowed to 4all to ruin 4or no other reason,
we are told, than that nobody can li*e in it$
I remember, in my childhood, such a house in ;ent " I thin it was on the road
betwi7t (aidstone and Tunbrid/e " which had this reputation$ There was nothin/
dismal about it5 it was neither lar/e nor old5 and it stood on the borders o4 a well
4requented road5 yet, I was assured it had stood empty 4or years5 and as lon/ as I
li*ed in that part o4 the country it ne*er had an inhabitant, and I belie*e was
4inally pulled down5 and all 4or no other reason than that it was haunted, and
nobody could li*e in it$
I ha*e 4requently heard o4 people, whilst tra*elin/ on the continent, /ettin/ into
houses at a rent so low as to surprise them, and I ha*e moreo*er 4requently
heard o4 *ery stran/e thin/s occurrin/ whilst they were there$ I remember, 4or
instance, a 4amily o4 the name o4 )$ )$, who obtained a *ery handsome house at
a most a/reeably cheap rate, somewhere on the coast o4 Italy " I thin it was at
(ola de 6aeta$ They li*ed *ery com4ortably in it, till one day, whilst (rs$ )$ )$
was sittin/ in the drawin/"room, which opened into a balcony o*erhan/in/ the
sea, she saw a lady dressed in white pass alon/ be4ore the windows, which were
all closed$ Concludin/ it was one o4 her dau/hters, who had been accidentally
shut out, she arose and opened the window to allow her to enter, but on looin/
out, to her amaBement, there was nobody there, althou/h there was no possible
escape 4rom the balcony unless by 8umpin/ into the sea$ @n mentionin/ this
circumstance to somebody in the nei/hbourhood, they were told "that that was
the reason they had the house so cheap5 nobody lied to li*e in it$"
I ha*e heard o4 se*eral houses, e*en in populous cities, to which some stran/e
circumstance o4 this sort is attached " some in %ondon e*en, and some in this city
and nei/hbourhood5 and what is more, unaccountable thin/s actually do happen
to those who inhabit them$ -oors are stran/ely opened and shut, a rustlin/ o4
sil, and sometimes a whisperin/, and 4requently 4ootsteps are heard$ There is a
house in 0yrshire, to which this sort o4 thin/ has been attached 4or years,
insomuch that it was 4inally abandoned to an old man and woman, who said that
they were so used to it that they did not mind it$
0 distin/uished authoress told me, that some time a/o she passed a ni/ht at the
house o4 an acquaintance, in one o4 the midland counties o4 :n/land$ )he and
her sister occupied the same room, and in the ni/ht they heard some one
ascendin/ the stairs5 the 4oot came distinctly to the door, then turned away,
ascended the ne7t 4li/ht, and they heard it o*er head$ In the mornin/, on bein/
ased i4 they had slept well, they mentioned this circumstance$ "That is what
e*erybody hears who sleeps in that room," said the lady o4 the house$ "(any a
time I ha*e, when sleepin/ there, drawn up the ni/ht"bolt, persuaded that the
nurse was brin/in/ the baby to me5 but there was nobody to be seen$ .e ha*e
taen e*ery pains to disco*er what it is, but in *ain5 and are now so used to it,
that we ha*e ceased to care about the matter$"
I now o4 two or three other houses in this city, and one in the nei/hbourhood, in
which circumstances o4 this nature are transpirin/, or ha*e transpired *ery lately5
but people hush them up, 4rom the 4ear o4 bein/ lau/hed at, and also 4rom an
apprehension o4 in8urin/ the character o4 a house5 on which account, I do not
dwell on the particulars5 but there was some time since a fama o4 this ind
attached to a house in )t$ D""" )treet, some o4 the details o4 which became *ery
public$ It had stood empty a lon/ time, in consequence o4 the annoyances to
which the inhabitants had been sub8ected$ There was one room particularly
which nobody could occupy without disturbance$ @n one occasion, a youth who
had been abroad a considerable time, either in the army or na*y, was put there
to sleep on his arri*al, since nowin/ nothin/ o4 these reports, it was hoped his
rest mi/ht not be interrupted$ In the mornin/, howe*er, he complained o4 the
dread4ul time he had had with people looin/ in at him between the curtains o4
his bed, all ni/ht, a*owin/ his resolution to terminate his *isit that same day, as
he would not sleep there any more$ 04ter this period, the house stood empty
a/ain 4or a considerable time, but was at len/th taen, and wormen sent in to
repair it$ @ne day, when the men were away at their dinner, the master
tradesman too the ey, and went to inspect pro/ress, and ha*in/ e7amined the
lower rooms, he was ascendin/ the stairs, when he heard a man's 4oot behind
him$ #e looed round, but there was nobody there, and he mo*ed on a/ain5 still
there was somebody 4ollowin/, and he stopped and looed o*er the rails5 but
there was no one to be seen$ )o, thou/h 4eelin/ rather queer, he ad*anced into
the drawin/"room, where a 4ire had been li/hted, and wishin/ to combat the
uncom4ortable sensation that was creepin/ o*er him, he too hold o4 a chair, and
drawin/ it resolutely alon/ the 4loor, he slammed it down upon the hearth with
some 4orce, and seated himsel4 in it5 when, to his amaBement, the action, in all its
particulars o4 sound, was immediately repeated by his unseen companion, who
seemed to seat himsel4 beside him on a chair as in*isible as himsel4$ #orror"
struc, the worthy builder started up and rushed out o4 the house$
There is a house in )""" )treet, in %ondon, which, ha*in/ stood empty a /ood
while, was at len/th taen by %ord 9$ The 4amily were annoyed by se*eral
unpleasant occurrences, and by the sound o4 4ootsteps, which were o4ten
audible, especially in %ady 9$'s bedroom, who thou/h she could not see the 4orm,
was occasionally conscious o4 its immediate pro7imity$
)ome time since, a /entleman ha*in/ established himsel4 in a lod/in/ in %ondon,
4elt, the 4irst ni/ht he slept there, that the clothes were bein/ dra//ed o44 his bed$
#e 4ancied he had done it himsel4 in his sleep, and pulled them on a/ain5 but it
happens repeatedly5 he /ets out o4 bed each time, can 4ind nobody " no strin/ "
no possible e7planation, nor can obtain any 4rom the people o4 the house, who
only seem distressed and annoyed$ @n mentionin/ it to someone in the
nei/hbourhood, he is in4ormed that the same thin/ has occurred to se*eral
precedin/ occupants o4 the lod/in/5 which, o4 course, he le4t$
The circumstances that happened at &ew #ouse, in #ampshire, as detailed by
(r$ 9arham, in the third *olume o4 the "In/oldsby %e/ends," are nown to be
per4ectly authentic, as are the 4ollowin/, the account o4 which I ha*e recei*ed
4rom a hi/hly respectable ser*ant, residin/ in a 4amily, with whom I am well
acquaintedA )he in4orms me, that she was not *ery lon/ since li*in/ with a
Colonel and (rs$ .$, who, bein/ at Carlisle en/a/ed a 4urnished house, which
they obtained at an e7ceedin/ly cheap rate, because nobody lied to li*e in it$
This 4amily, howe*er, met with no annoyance, and attached no importance to the
rumour which had ept the house empty$ There were, howe*er, two rooms in it
wholly un4urnished, and as the house was lar/e, they were dispensed with, till
the recurrence o4 the race wee, when, e7pectin/ company, these two rooms
were temporarily 4itted up 4or the use o4 the nurses and children$ There were
hea*y Venetian blinds to the windows, and in the middle o4 the ni/ht, the person
who related the circumstance to me, was awaed by the distinct sound o4 these
blinds bein/ pulled up and down with *iolence, perhaps as many as twenty times$
The 4ire had 4allen low, and she could not see whether they were actually mo*ed,
or not, but lay tremblin/ in indescribable terror$ 1resently, 4eet were heard in the
room, and a stampin/ as i4 se*eral men were mo*in/ about without stocin/s$
.hilst lyin/ in this state o4 a/ony, she was com4orted by hearin/ the *oice o4 a
nurse, who slept in another bed in the same chamber, e7claimin/, "The %ord
ha*e mercy upon us!" This second woman then ased the 4irst, i4 she had
coura/e to /et out o4 bed and stir up the 4ire, so that they mi/ht be able to see5
which, by a /reat e44ort, she did5 the chimney bein/ near her bed$ There was,
howe*er, nothin/ to be disco*ered5 e*erythin/ bein/ precisely as when they went
to bed$ @n another occasion, when they were sittin/, in the e*enin/ at wor, they
distinctly heard someone countin/ money and the chin o4 the pieces as they
were laid down$ The sound proceeded 4rom the inner room o4 the two5 but there
was nobody there$ This 4amily le4t the house, and thou/h a lar/e and
commodious one, she understood it remained unoccupied, as be4ore$
0 respectable citiBen o4 :dinbur/h, not lon/ a/o, went to 0merica to *isit his son,
who had married and settled there$ The mornin/ a4ter his arri*al, he declared his
determination to return immediately to 1hiladelphia, 4rom which the house was at
a considerable distance5 and on bein/ interro/ated as to the cause o4 this
sudden departure, he said that in the pre*ious ni/ht he had heard a man walin/
about his room, who had approached the bed, drawn bac the curtains, and bent
o*er him$ Thinin/ it was somebody who had concealed himsel4 there with ill
intentions, he had struc out *iolently at the 4i/ure5 when, to his horror, his arm
passed unimpeded throu/h it$
@ther e7traordinary thin/s happened in that house, which had the reputation o4
bein/ haunted, althou/h the son had not belie*ed it, and had there4ore not
mentioned the report to the 4ather$ @ne day, the children said they had been
runnin/ a4ter "such a queer thin/ in the cellar5 it was lie a /oat, and not lie a
/oat5 but it seemed to be lie a shadow,"
0 4ew years a/o, some 4riends o4 mine were tain/ a house in this city, when the
ser*ants o4 the people who were lea*in/, ad*ised them not to ha*e anythin/ to
do with it5 4or that there was a /host in it that screamed dread4ully, and that they
ne*er could eep a stitch o4 clothes on them at ni/ht5 the bed"co*erin/s were
always pulled o44$ (y 4riends lau/hed heartily, and too the house5 but the cries
and /roans all o*er it were so 4requent that they at len/th /ot quite used to them$
It is to be obser*ed that the house was a flat or floor, shut in5 so that there could
be no drau/hts o4 air nor access 4or trics$ 9esides, it was a woman's *oice,
sometimes close to their ears, sometimes in a closet, sometimes behind their
beds " in short, in all directions$ :*erybody heard it that went to the house$
The tenant that succeeded them, howe*er, has ne*er been troubled with it$
The story o4 the 9rown %ady at the (arquis o4 T$'s, in &or4ol, is nown to many$
The #on$ #$ .$ told me that a 4riend o4 his, whilst stayin/ there, had o4ten seen
her, and had one day enquired o4 his host, ".ho was the lady in brown that he
had met 4requently on the stairs<" Two /entlemen, whose names were
mentioned to me, resol*ed to watch 4or her and intercept her$ They at len/th saw
her, but she eluded them by turnin/ down a staircase, and when they looed
o*er she had disappeared$ (any persons ha*e seen her$
There is a )cotch 4amily o4 distinction, who, I am told, are accompanied by an
unseen attendant, whom they call ")pinnin/ Denny$" )he is heard spinnin/ in
their house in the country, and when they come into town, she spins here5
ser*ants and all hear the sound o4 her wheel$ I belie*e she accompanies them no
4urther than to their own residences, not to those o4 other people$ Denny is
supposed to be a 4ormer housemaid o4 the 4amily, who was a /reat spinner, and
they are so accustomed to her presence as to 4eel it no annoyance$
The 4ollowin/ *ery sin/ular circumstance was related to me by the dau/hter o4
the celebrated (rs$ )A " (rs$ )$ and her husband were tra*elin/ into .ales, and
had occasion to stop on their way, some days, at @swestry$ There they
established themsel*es in a lod/in/, to reach the door o4 which they had to /o
down a sort o4 close, or passa/e$ The only inhabitants o4 the house were the
mistress, a *ery handsome woman, and two maids$ (r$ and (rs$ )$, howe*er,
*ery soon had occason to complain o4 the ne/lected state o4 the rooms, which
were apparently ne*er cleaned or dusted5 thou/h, stran/e to say, to 8ud/e by
their own ears, the ser*ants were doin/ nothin/ else all ni/ht, their sleep bein/
constantly disturbed by the noise o4 rubbin/, sweepin/, and the mo*in/ o4
4urniture$ .hen they complained to these ser*ants o4 the noise in the ni/ht, and
the dirt o4 the rooms, they answered that the noise was not made by them, and
that it was impossible 4or them to do their wor, e7hausted as they were by sittin/
up all ni/ht with their mistress, who could not bear to be alone when she was in
bed$ (r$ and (rs$ )$ a4terwards disco*ered that she had her room li/hted up
e*ery ni/ht5 and one day, as they were returnin/ 4rom a wal, and she happened
to be /oin/ down the close be4ore them, they heard her sayin/, as she turned
her head sharply 4rom side to side, "0re you there a/ain< .hat, the de*il! 6o
away, I tell you! etc$, etc$" @n applyin/ to the nei/hbours 4or an e7planation o4
these mysteries, the /ood people only shoo their heads, and /a*e mysterious
answers$ (r$ and (rs$ )$ a4terwards learnt that she was belie*ed to ha*e
murdered a /irl who 4ormerly li*ed in her ser*ice$
There is nothin/ in the conduct o4 this unhappy woman which may not be
per4ectly well accounted 4or, by the supposition o4 a /uilty conscience5 but the
noises heard by (r$ and (rs$ )$ at ni/ht, are curiously in accordance with a
*ariety o4 similar stories, wherein this stran/e *isionary repetition o4 the tri*ial
actions o4 daily li4e, or o4 some particular incident, ha*e been obser*ed$ The a44air
o4 %ord )t$ Vincent's was o4 this nature5 and there is somewhere e7tant, an
account o4 the /host o4 1eter the 6reat o4 ?ussia ha*in/ appeared to -octor
-oppelio, complainin/ to him o4 the su44erin/s he endured 4rom ha*in/ to act
o*er a/ain his 4ormer cruelties5 a circumstance which e7hibits a remarable
coincidence with the 6las/ow dream, mentioned in a precedin/ chapter$ .e
must, o4 course, attach a symbolical meanin/ to these phenomena, and conclude
that these readin/s are somewhat o4 the nature o4 our dreams$
Certainly, there would need no stron/er moti*e to induce us to spend the period
allotted to us on earth, in those pure and innocent pleasures and occupations,
which ne*er weary or sicen the soul, than the belie4 that such a 4uture awaits us!
0 4amily in one o4 the :n/lish counties, was 4ew years a/o terribly troubled by an
unseen inmate, who chie4ly seemed to inhabit a lar/e cellar, into which there was
no entrance e7cept the door, which was ept loced$ #ere there would be a loud
nocin/ " sometimes, a *oice cryin/ " hea*y 4eet walin/, etc$$ etc$$ 0t 4irst, the
old trustworthy butler would summon his acolytes, and descend, armed with
sword and blunderbuss5 but no one was to be seen$ They could o4ten hear the
4eet 4ollowin/ them upstairs 4rom this cellar5 and once, when the 4amily had
determined to watch, they 4ound themsel*es accompanied upstairs not only by
the sound o4 the 4eet, but by a $isi#le shadowy companion! They rushed up, 4lew
to their chamber, and shut the door, when instantly they 4elt and saw the handle
turned in their hand by a hand outside$ .indows and doors were opened in spite
o4 locs and eys5 but notwithstandin/ the most perse*erin/ in*esti/ations, the
only clue to the mystery was the appearance o4 that spectral 4i/ure$
The nocin/s and sounds o4 people at wor, asserted to be heard in mines, is a
4act maintained by many *ery sensible men, o*erseers, and superintendents,
etc$, as well as by the wormen themsel*es5 and there is a stron/ persuasion, I
now, amon/st the miners o4 Cornwall and those o4 (endip, that these *isionary
wormen are sometimes heard amon/st them5 on which occasions the horses
e*ince their apprehensions by tremblin/ and sweatin/5 but as I ha*e no means o4
*eri4yin/ these reports, I do not dwell upon them 4urther$
.hen the mother o4 6eor/e Cannin/, then (rs$ #unn, was an actress in the
pro*inces, she went, amon/st other places, to 1lymouth, ha*in/ pre*iously
requested her 4riend, (r$ 9ernard, o4 the theatre, to procure her a lod/in/$ @n her
arri*al, (r$ 9$ told her that i4 she was not a4raid o4 a /host, she mi/ht ha*e a
com4ortable residence at a *ery low rate, "3or there is," said he, "a house
belon/in/ to our carpenter, that is reported to be haunted, and nobody will li*e in
it$ I4 you lie to ha*e it, you may, and 4or nothin/, I belie*e, 4or he is so an7ious to
/et a tenant5 only you must not let it be nown that you do not pay rent 4or it$"
(rs$ #unn, alludin/ to the theatrical apparitions, said, it would not be the 4irst
time she had had to do with a /host, and that she was *ery willin/ to encounter
this one5 so she had her lu//a/e taen to the house in question, and the bed
prepared$ 0t her usual hour, she sent her maid and her children to bed, and,
curious to see i4 there was any 4oundation 4or the rumour she had heard, she
seated hersel4 with a couple o4 candles and a boo, to watch the e*ent$ 9eneath
the room she occupied was the carpenter's worshop, which had two doors5 the
one which opened into the street was barred and bolted within5 the other, a
smaller one, openin/ into the passa/e, was only on the latch5 and the house
was, o4 course, closed 4or the ni/ht$
)he had read somethin/ more than hal4 an hour, when she percei*ed a noise
issuin/ 4rom this lower apartment, which sounded *ery much lie the sawin/ o4
wood5 presently, other such noises as usually proceed 4rom a carpenter's
worshop were added, till, by and by, there was a re/ular concert o4 nocin/
and hammerin/, and sawin/ and plannin/, etc$5 the whole soundin/ lie hal4 a
doBen busy men in 4ull employment$ 9ein/ a woman o4 considerable coura/e,
(rs$ #unn resol*ed, i4 possible, to penetrate the mystery5 so tain/ o44 her shoes,
that her approach mi/ht not be heard, with her candle in her hand, she *ery so4tly
opened her door and descended the stairs, the noise continuin/ as loud as e*er,
and e*idently proceedin/ 4rom the worshop, till she opened the door, when
instantly all was silent " all was still " not a mouse was stirrin/5 and the tools and
the wood, and e*erythin/ else, lay as they had been le4t by the wormen when
they went away$
#a*in/ e7amined e*ery part o4 the place, and satis4ied hersel4 that there was
nobody there, and that nobody could /et into it, (rs$ #unn ascended to her room
a/ain, be/innin/ almost to doubt her own senses, and question with hersel4
whether she had really heard the noise or not, when it re"commenced and
continued, without intermission, 4or about hal4 an hour$ )he howe*er went to bed,
and the ne7t day told nobody what had occurred, ha*in/ determined to watch
another ni/ht be4ore mentionin/ the a44air to any one$ 0s, howe*er, this stran/e
scene was acted o*er a/ain, without her bein/ able to disco*er the cause o4 it,
she now mentioned the circumstance to the owner o4 the house and to her 4riend
9ernard5 and the 4ormer, who would not belie*e it, a/reed to watch with her,
which he did$ The noise be/an as be4ore, and he was so horror"struc, that
instead o4 enterin/ the worshop, as she wished him to do, he rushed into the
street$ (rs$ #unn continued to inhabit the house the whole summer, and when
re4errin/ a4terwards to the ad*enture, she obser*ed, that use was second nature5
and that she was sure i4 any ni/ht these /hostly carpenters had not pursued their
*isionary labours, she should ha*e been quite 4ri/htened, lest they should pay
her a *isit up stairs$
3rom many recorded cases, I 4ind the *ul/ar belie4, that buried money is
4requently the cause o4 these disturbances, is stron/ly borne out by 4acts$ This
certainly does seem to us *ery stran/e5 and can only be e7plained by the
hypothesis su//ested, that the soul awaes in the other world in e7actly the
same state in which it quitted this$
In the abo*e mentioned instances, o4 what are called haunted houses, there is
/enerally nothin/ seen, but those are equally abundant, where the /hostly *isitor
is *isible$
Two youn/ ladies were passin/ the ni/ht in a house in the north, when the
youn/est, then a child, awoe and saw an old man, in a ;ilmarnoc ni/ht cap,
walin/ about their bedroom$ )he said, when tellin/ the story in a4ter li4e, that she
was not the least 4ri/htened, she was only surprised! but she 4ound that her
sister, who was se*eral years older than hersel4, was in a state o4 /reat terror$ #e
continued some time mo*in/ about, and at last went to a chest o4 drawers, where
there lay a parcel o4 buttons, belon/in/ to a tra*elin/ tailor, who had been at
wor in the house$ .hether the old man threw them down, or not, she could not
say, but, 8ust then, they all 4ell rattlin/ o44 the drawers to the 4loor, whereupon, he
disappeared$ The ne7t mornin/, when they mentioned the circumstance, she
obser*ed, that the 4amily looed at each other in a si/ni4icant manner5 but it was
not till she was older, she learnt, that the house was said to be haunted by this
old man$ "It ne*er occurred to me," she said, "that it was a /host " who could
ha*e thou/ht o4 a /host in a ;ilmarnoc ni/ht cap$"
0t the %eipsic 4air, lod/in/s are o4ten *ery scarce, and on one occasion, a
stran/er who had arri*ed late in the e*enin/, had some di44iculty in 4indin/ a bed$
0t len/th, he 4ound a *acant chamber in the house o4 a citiBen5 it was one they
made no use o4, but they said he was welcome to it5 and weary and sleepy, he
/ladly accepted the o44er$ 3ati/ued as he was, howe*er, he was disturbed by
some unaccountable noises, o4 which he complained to his hosts in the mornin/$
They paci4ied him by some e7cuses, but the ne7t ni/ht, not lon/ a4ter he had
/one to bed, he came downstairs in /reat haste, with his portmanteau on his
shoulder, declarin/ he would not stay there another hour, 4or the world5 4or that a
lady in a stran/e old 4ashioned dress had come into the room with a da//er in
her hand, and made threatenin/ /estures at him$
#e accordin/ly went away, and the room was shut up a/ain5 but some time
a4terwards, a ser*ant /irl in the 4amily o4 this citiBen, bein/ taen ill, they were
obli/ed to put her into that room, in order to separate her 4rom the rest o4 the
4amily$ #ere she reco*ered her health rapidly, and as she had ne*er complained
o4 any annoyance, she was ased, when she was quite well, whether anythin/
particular had happened whilst she inhabited that chamber$ "@h yes," she
answered5 "e*ery ni/ht there came a stran/e lady into the room, who sat hersel4
on the bed and stroed me with her hand, and I belie*e it is to her I owe my
speedy reco*ery5 but I could ne*er /et her to spea to me " she only si/hs and
weeps$"
&ot *ery lon/ since, a /entleman set out, one 4ine midsummer's e*enin/, when it
is li/ht all ni/ht in )cotland, to wal 4rom (ontrose to 9rechin$ 0s he approached
a place called -unn, he obser*ed a lady walin/ on be4ore, which 4rom the
lateness o4 the hour, somewhat surprised him$ )ome time a4terwards, he was
4ound by the early laborers lyin/ on the /round, near the churchyard, in a state o4
insensibility$ 0ll he could tell them was, that he had 4ollowed this lady till she had
turned her head and looed round at him, when, seiBed with horror, he had
4ainted$ "@h," said they, "you ha*e seen the lady o4 -unn!" .hat is the le/end
attached to this lady o4 -unn, I do not now$
0 (onsieur -e )$ had been *iolently in lo*e with #ippolyte Clairon, the
celebrated 3rench actress, but she re8ected his suit, in so peremptory a manner,
that e*en when he was at the point o4 death, she re4used his earnest entreaties,
that she would *isit him$ Indi/nant at her cruelty, he declared he would haunt her,
and he certainly ept his word$ I belie*e she ne*er saw his /host, but he appears
to ha*e been always near her5 at least, on se*eral occasions when other people
doubted the 4act, he si/naliBed his presence at her biddin/, by *arious sounds,
and this, where*er she happened to be at the moment$ )ometimes it was a cry "
at others, a shot, and at others, a clappin/ o4 hands or music$ )he seems to ha*e
been slow to belie*e in the e7tra"natural character o4 these noises5 and e*en
when she was ultimately con*inced, to ha*e been di*ided betwi7t horror, on the
one hand, and di*ersion, at the oddness o4 the circumstance, on the other$ The
sounds were heard by e*erybody in her *icinity5 and I am in4ormed by (r$
Charles ;irpatric )harpe, that the (ar/ra*e o4 0nspach, who was
subsequently her lo*er, and (r$ ;eppel Cra*en, were per4ectly well acquainted
with the circumstances o4 this hauntin/, and entertained no doubt o4 the 4acts
abo*e alluded to$
The /host, nown by the desi/nation o4 "the white lady," which is 4requently seen
in di44erent castles or palaces, belon/in/ to the ?oyal 3amily o4 1russia, has
been mentioned in another publication, I thin$ )he was lon/ supposed to be a
Countess 0/nes o4 @rlamunde5 but a picture o4 a princess, called 9ertha, or
1erchta *on ?osenber/, disco*ered sometime since, was thou/ht so e7ceedin/ly
to resemble the apparition, that it is now a disputed point which o4 the two ladies
it is5 or whether it is or is not the same apparition that is seen at di44erent places$
&either o4 these ladies appear to ha*e been *ery happy in their li*es5 but the
opinion o4 its bein/ the 1rincess 9ertha, who li*ed in the 4i4teenth century, was
somewhat countenanced by the circumstance, that at a period when in
consequence o4 the war, an annual bene4it which she had bequeathed to the
poor was ne/lected, the apparition seemed to be unusually disturbed, and was
seen more 4requently$ )he is o4ten obser*ed be4ore a death5 and one o4 the
3rederics said, shortly be4ore his decease, that he should "not li*e lon/5 4or he
had met the white lady$" )he wears a widow's band and *eil, but it is su44iciently
transparent to show her 4eatures, which do not e7press happiness, but placidity$
)he has only been twice heard to spea$ In -ecember, 1>2+, she appeared in
the palace, at 9erlin, and was heard to say, "2eni, <udica $i$os et mortuos7
4udicium mihi adhuc superest" ( Come, 8ud/e the quic and the dead! I wait 4or
8ud/ment$
@n the other occasion, which is more recent, one o4 the princesses at the Castle
o4 &euhaus, in 9ohemia, was standin/ be4ore a mirror, tryin/ on a new
headdress, when on asin/ her waitin/"maid, what the hour was, the white lady
suddenly stept 4rom behind a screen and said, "Jehn uhr ist es ihr %iebden! " It is
ten o'cloc, your lo*e!" which is the mode in which the so*erei/n princes address
each other, instead o4 "your hi/hness$" The princess was much alarmed5 soon
4ell sic, and died in a 4ew wees$ )he has 4requently e*inced displeasure at the
e7hibition o4 impiety or *ice5 and there are numerous records o4 her di44erent
appearances to be 4ound in the wors o4 9albinus, and o4 :rasmus 3rancisci5 and
in a publication called "The Iris," published in 3ran4ort, in 1+1F, the editor,
6eor/e -orin/, who is said to ha*e been a man o4 /reat inte/rity, /i*es the
4ollowin/ account o4 one o4 her later appearances, which he declares he recei*ed
8ust as he /i*es it, 4rom the lips o4 his own mother, on whose word and 8ud/ment
he could per4ectly rely5 and shortly be4ore his death, an enquiry bein/ addressed
to him with re/ard to the correctness o4 the narration, he *ouched 4or its
authenticity$
It seems that the elder sister o4 his mother was companion to one o4 the ladies o4
the court, and that the youn/er ones were in the habit o4 *isitin/ her 4requently$
Two o4 these E-orin/'s mother and anotherG a/ed 4ourteen and 4i4teen, were once
spendin/ a wee with her, when she bein/ out and they alone with their needle"
wor, chatterin/ about the court di*ersions, they suddenly heard the sound o4 a
strin/ed instrument, lie a harp, which seemed to proceed 4rom behind a lar/e
sto*e, that occupied one corner o4 the room$ #al4 in 4ear and hal4 in 4un, one o4
the /irls too a yard measure that lay beside them, and struc the spot,
whereupon, the music ceased, but the stic was wrested 4rom her hand$ )he
became alarmed5 but the other, named Christina, lau/hed, and said, she must
ha*e 4ancied it, addin/, that the music, doubtless, proceeded 4rom the street,
thou/h they could not descry any musicians$ To /et o*er her 4ri/ht, o4 which she
was hal4 ashamed, the 4ormer now ran out o4 the room, to *isit a nei/hbour 4or a
4ew minutes, but when she returned, she 4ound Christina lyin/ on the 4loor, in a
swoon5 who, on bein/ re*i*ed, with the aid o4 the attendants who had heard a
scream, related, that no sooner had her sister le4t her, than the sound was
repeated, close to the sto*e, and a white 4i/ure had appeared, and ad*anced
towards her, whereupon, she had screamed and 4ainted$
The lady who owned the apartments, 4lattered hersel4 that this apparition
betoened that a treasure was hidden under the sto*e, and, imposin/ silence on
the /irls, she sent 4or a carpenter, and had the plans li4ted$ The 4loor was 4ound
to be double, and below was a *ault, 4rom which issued a *ery unwholesome
*apour, but no treasure was 4ound, nor anythin/ but a quantity o4 quic lime$ The
circumstance bein/ now made nown to the ;in/, he e7pressed no surprise5 he
said that the apparition was doubtless that o4 a Countess o4 @rlamunde, who had
been built up ali*e in that *ault$ )he was the mistress o4 a (ar/ra*e o4
9randenbur/, by whom she had two sons$ .hen the prince became a widower,
she e7pected he would marry her5 but he ur/ed, as an ob8ection, that he 4eared,
in that case, her sons mi/ht herea4ter dispute the succession with the law4ul
heirs$ In order to remo*e this obstacle out o4 her way, she poisoned the children,
and the (ar/ra*e, dis/usted and alarmed, had her walled up in that *ault 4or her
pains$ #e added that she was usually seen e*ery se*en years, and was
preceded by the sound o4 a harp, on which instrument she had been a pro4icient5
and also that she more 4requently appeared to children than to adults, as i4 the
lo*e she had denied her own o44sprin/ in li4e was now her torment, and that she
sou/ht a reconciliation with childhood in /eneral$
I now 4rom the best authority that the 4act o4 these appearances is not doubted
by those who ha*e the 4ullest opportunities o4 enquiry and in*esti/ation5 and I
remember seein/ in the :n/lish papers, a 4ew years since, a para/raph copied
4rom the 4orei/n 8ournals, to the e44ect that the 0hite Lady had been seen a/ain, I
thin at 9erlin$
The 4ollowin/ *ery curious relation, I ha*e recei*ed 4rom the /entleman to whom
the circumstance occurred, who is a pro4essional man, residin/ in %ondon$
"I was brou/ht up by a /rand4ather and 4our aunts, all /host"seers, and belie*ers
in supernatural appearances$ The 4ormer had been a sailor, and was one o4 the
crew that sailed round the world with %ord 0nson$ I remember when I was about
ei/ht years old, that I was awaened by the screams o4 one o4 these ladies, with
whom I was sleepin/, which summoned all the 4amily about her, to enquire the
cause o4 the disturbance$ )he said, that she had ')een &ancy by the side o4 the
bed, and that she was slippin/ into it$' .e had scarcely /ot downstairs in the
mornin/, be4ore intelli/ence arri*ed, that that lady had died, precisely at the
moment my aunt said she saw her$ &ancy was her bother's wi4e$ 0nother o4 my
aunts, who was married and had a lar/e 4amily, 4oretold my /rand4ather's death,
at a time that we had no reason to apprehend it5 he also had appeared at her bed
side$ #e was then ali*e and well5 but he died a 4ortni/ht a4terwards$ 9ut it would
be tedious were I to enumerate hal4 the instances I could recall o4 a similar
description5 and I will there4ore proceed to the relation o4 what happened to
mysel4$
"I was, some 4ew years since, in*ited to pass a day and ni/ht at the house o4 a
4riend in #ert4ordshire, with whom I was intimately acquainted$ #is name was 9$,
and he had 4ormerly been in business as a saddler, in @74ord"street, where he
had realiBed a handsome 4ortune, and had now retired to en8oy his otium cum
dignitate, in the rural and beauti4ul *illa/e o4 )arratt$
"It was a /loomy )unday, in the month o4 &o*ember, when I mounted my horse
4or the 8ourney, and there was so much appearance o4 rain, that I should certainly
ha*e selected some other mode o4 con*eyance, had I not been desirous o4
lea*in/ the animal in (r$ 9$'s straw"yard 4or the winter$ 9e4ore I /ot as 4ar as )t$
Dohn's .ood, the threatenin/ clouds broe, and, by the time I reached .at4ord, I
was completely soaed$ #owe*er, I proceeded, and arri*ed at )arratt be4ore my
4riend and his wi4e had returned 4rom church$ The moment they did so, they
4urnished me with dry clothes, and I was in4ormed that we were to dine at the
house o4 (r$ -$, a *ery a/reeable nei/hbour$ I 4elt some little hesitation about
presentin/ mysel4 in such a costume, 4or I was deced out in a 4ull suit o4 (r$ 9$'s,
who was a stout man, o4 si7 4eet in hei/ht, whilst I am rather o4 the diminuti*e
order5 but my ob8ections were o*er"ruled5 we went, and my appearance added
not a little to the hilarity o4 the party$ 0t ten o'cloc we separated, and I returned
with (r$ and (rs$ 9$ to their house, where I was shortly a4terwards conducted to
a *ery com4ortable bedroom$
"3ati/ued with my day's ride, I was soon in bed, and soon asleep, but I do not
thin I could ha*e slept lon/, be4ore I was awaened by the *iolent barin/ o4
do/s$ I 4ound that the noise had disturbed others as well as mysel4, 4or I heard
(r$ 9$, who was lod/ed in the ad8oinin/ room, open his window and call to them
to be quiet$ They were obedient to his *oice, and as soon as quietness ensued, I
dropt asleep a/ain5 but I was a/ain awaened by an e7traordinary pressure upon
my 4eet5 that was perfectly awa%e, + declare1 the li/ht that stood in the chimney"
corner shone stron/ly across the 4oot o4 the bed, and I saw the 4i/ure o4 a well"
dressed man in the act o4 stoopin/, and supportin/ himsel4 in so doin/ by the
bed"clothes$ #e had on a blue coat, with bri/ht /ilt buttons, but I saw no head5
the curtains at the 4oot o4 the bed, which were partly looped bac, 8ust hun/ so as
to conceal that part o4 his person$ 0t 4irst, I thou/ht it was my host, and as I had
dropt my clothes, as is my habit, on the 4loor, at the 4oot o4 the bed, I supposed
he was come to loo a4ter them, which rather surprised meA but, 8ust as I had
raised mysel4 upri/ht in bed, and was about to enquire into the occasion o4 his
*isit, the 4i/ure passed on$ I then recollected that I had loced the door5 and,
becomin/ somewhat puBBled, I 8umped out o4 bed5 but I could see nobody5 and
on e7aminin/ the room, I 4ound no means o4 in/ress but the door throu/h which I
had entered, and one other5 both o4 which were loced on the inside$ 0maBed
and puBBled I /ot into bed a/ain, and sat some time ruminatin/ on the
e7traordinary circumstance, when it occurred to me that I had not looed under
the bed$ )o I /ot out a/ain, 4ully e7pectin/ to 4ind my *isitor, whoe*er he was,
there5 but I was disappointed$ )o a4ter looin/ at my watch, and ascertain/ that it
was ten minutes past two, I stept into bed a/ain, hopin/ now to /et some rest$
9ut, alas! sleep was banished 4or that ni/ht5 and a4ter turnin/ 4rom side to side,
and main/ *ain endea*ours at 4or/et4ulness, I /a*e up the point, and lay till the
clocs struc se*en, perple7in/ my brain with the question o4 who my midni/ht
*isitor could be5 and also how he had /ot in and how he had /ot out o4 my room$
"0bout ei/ht o'cloc, I met my host and his wi4e at the brea4ast"table, when, in
answer to their hospitable enquires o4 how I had passed the ni/ht, I mentioned,
4irst, that I had been awaed by the barin/ o4 some do/s, and that I had heard
(r$ 9$ open his window and call to them$ #e answered that two stran/e do/s had
/ot into the yard and had disturbed the others$ I then mentioned my midni/ht
*isitor, e7pectin/ that they would either e7plain the circumstance, or else lau/h at
me and declare I must ha*e dreamt it$ 9ut, to my surprise, my story was listened
to with /ra*e attention5 and they related to me the tradition with which this
spectre, 4or such I 4ound they deemed it to be, was supposed to be connected$
This was to the e44ect, that many years a/o, a /entleman, so attired, had been
murdered there, under some 4ri/ht4ul circumstances5 and that his head had been
cut o44$ @n percei*in/ that I was *ery unwillin/ to accept this e7planation o4 the
mystery, 4or in spite o4 my 4amily peculiarity, I had always been an entire
disbelie*er an supernatural appearances, they be//ed me to prolon/ my *isit 4or
a day or two, when they would introduce me to the rector o4 the parish, who could
4urnish me with such e*idence with re/ard to circumstances o4 a similar nature,
as would lea*e no doubt on my mind as to the possibility o4 their occurrence$ 9ut
I had made an en/a/ement to dine at .at4ord, on my way bac5 and I con4ess,
moreo*er, that a4ter what I had heard, I did not 4eel disposed to encounter the
chance o4 another *isit 4rom the mysterious stran/er5 so I declined the pro44ered
hospitality and too my lea*e$
")ome time a4ter this, I happened to be dinin/ in C""" )treet, in company with
some ladies resident in the same county, when chancin/ to allude to my *isit to
)arratt, I added, that I had met with a *ery e7traordinary ad*enture there, which I
had ne*er been able to account 4or5 when one o4 these ladies immediately said,
that she hoped I had not had a *isit 4rom the headless /entleman, in a blue coat
and /ilt buttons, who was said to ha*e been seen by many people in that house$
")uch is the conclusion o4 this mar*elous tale as re/ards mysel45 and I can only
assure you that I ha*e related 4acts as they occurred5 and that I had ne*er heard
a word about this apparition in my li4e, till (r$ 9$, related to me the tradition abo*e
alluded to$ )till, as I am no belie*er in supernatural appearances, I am
constrained to suppose that the whole a44air was the product o4 my ima/ination$
"I must add, that (r$ 9$ mentioned some stran/e circumstances connected with
another house in the county, inhabited by a (r$ ($, which were corroborated by
the ladies abo*e alluded to$ 9oth parties a/reed that, 4rom the unaccountable
noises, etc$, etc$, which were heard there, that /entleman had the /reatest
di44iculty in persuadin/ any ser*ants to remain with him$
"E)i/nedG 0$ .$ ($
"C""" )treet,
"Kth )eptember, 1+,>$"
This is one o4 those curious instances o4 determined scepticism that 4ully 8usti4y
the patriarch's prediction$
The 4ollowin/ interestin/ letter, written by a member o4 a *ery distin/uished
:n/lish 4amily, will 4urnish its own e7planationA "
"0s you e7press a wish to now what de/ree o4 credit is to be attached to a
/arbled tale, which has been sent 4orth, a4ter a lapse o4 between thirty and 4orty
years, as an 'accredited /host"story$' I will state the 4acts as they were recalled to
my mind last year, by a dau/hter o4 )ir .illiam 0$ C$, who sent the boo to me,
requestin/ me to tell her i4 there was any 4oundation 4or the story, which she
could scarcely belie*e, since she had ne*er heard my mother allude to it$ I read
the narrati*e with surprise, it bein/ e*idently not 4urnished by any o4 the 4amily,
nor indeed by anyone who was with us at the time! yet thou/h 4ull o4 mistaes in
names, etc$, etc$, some particulars come so near the truth as to puBBle me$ The
4acts are as 4ollowsA "
")ir Dames, my mother, with mysel4 and my brother Charles, went abroad
towards the end o4 the year 1'+>$ 04ter tryin/ se*eral di44erent places, we
determined to settle at %ille, where we 4ound the masters particularly /ood, and
where we had also letters o4 introduction to se*eral o4 the best 3rench 4amilies$
There )ir Dames le4t us, and, a4ter passin/ a 4ew days in an uncom4ortable
lod/in/, we en/a/ed a nice lar/e 4amily house, which we lied much, and which
we obtained at a *ery low rent, e*en 4or that part o4 the world$
"0bout three wees a4ter we were established in our new residence, I waled one
day, with my mother to the baners, 4or the purpose o4 deli*erin/ our letter o4
credit 4rom )ir ?obert #erries, and drawin/ some money, which bein/ paid in
hea*y 4i*e"4ranc pieces, we 4ound we could not carry, and there4ore requested
the baner to send, sayin/, '.e li*e in the 1lace -u %ion -'or$' .hereupon, he
looed surprised, and obser*ed that he new o4 no house there 4it 4or us, ':7cept,
indeed,' he added, 'the one that has been lon/ uninhabited, on account o4 the
re$enant that wals about it$ #e said this quite seriously, and in a natural tone o4
*oice5 in spite o4 which we lau/hed, and were quite entertained at the idea o4 a
/host5 but, at the same time, we be//ed him not to mention the thin/ to our
ser*ants, lest they should tae any 4ancies into their heads5 and my mother and I
resol*ed to say nothin/ about the matter to any one$ 'I suppose it is the /host,'
said my mother, lau/hin/, 'that waes us so o4ten by walin/ o*er our heads$'
.e had, in 4act, been awaened se*eral ni/hts, by a hea*y 4oot, which we
supposed to be that o4 one o4 the men ser*ants, o4 whom we had three :n/lish
and 4our 3rench5 o4 women ser*ants we had 4i*e :n/lish, and all the rest were
3rench$ The :n/lish ones, men and women, e*ery one o4 them, returned
ultimately to :n/land with us$
"0 ni/ht or two a4terwards, bein/ a/ain awaened by the step, my mother ased
Creswell, '.ho slept in the room abo*e us<' '&o one, my lady" she replied, 'It is a
lar/e empty /arret$'
"0bout a wee or ten days a4ter this, Creswell came to my mother, one mornin/,
and told her that all the 3rench ser*ants taled o4 /oin/ away, because there was
a re$enant in the house5 addin/, that there seemed to be a stran/e story
attached to the place, which was said, to/ether with some other property, to ha*e
belon/ed to a youn/ man, whose /uardian, who was also his uncle, had treated
him cruelly, and con4ined him in an iron ca/e5 and as he had subsequently
disappeared, it was con8ectured he had been murdered$ This uncle, a4ter
inheritin/ the property, had suddenly quitted the house, and sold it to the 4ather o4
the man o4 whom we had hired it$ )ince that period, thou/h it had been se*eral
times let, nobody had e*er staid in it abo*e a wee or two5 and, 4or a
considerable time past it had had no tenant at all$
"'0nd do you really belie*e all this nonsense, Creswell<" said my mother$
"'.ell, I don't now, my lady,' answered she5 'but there's the iron ca/e in the
/arret o*er your bedroom, where you may see it, i4 you please$'
"@4 course we rose to /o, and as 8ust at that moment an old o44icer, with his Croi7
de )t$ %ouis, called on us5 we in*ited him to accompany us, and we ascended
to/ether$ .e 4ound, as Creswell had said, a lar/e empty /arret, with bare bric
walls, and in the 4urther corner o4 it stood an iron ca/e, such as wild beasts are
ept in, only hi/her5 it was about 4our 4eet square, and ei/ht in hei/ht, and there
was an iron rin/ in the wall at the bac, to which was attached an old rusty chain,
with a collar 4i7ed to the end o4 it$ I con4ess it made my blood creep, when I
thou/ht o4 the possibility o4 any human bein/ ha*in/ inhabited it! 0nd our old
4riend e7pressed as much horror as oursel*es, assurin/ us that it must certainly
ha*e been constructed 4or some such dread4ul purpose$ 0s, howe*er, we were
no belie*ers in /hosts, we all a/reed that the noises must proceed 4rom
somebody who had an interest in eepin/ the house empty5 and since it was *ery
disa/reeable to ima/ine that there were secret means o4 enterin/ it by ni/ht, we
resol*ed, as soon as possible, to loo out 4or another residence, and, in the
mean time, to say nothin/ about the matter to anybody$ 0bout ten days a4ter this
determination, my mother, obser*in/ one mornin/ that Creswell, when she came
to dress her, looed e7ceedin/ly pale and ill, enquired i4 anythin/ was the matter
with her< 'Indeed, my lady,' answered she, 'we ha*e been 4ri/htened to death5
and neither I nor (rs$ (arsh can sleep a/ain in the room we are now in$'
"'.ell,' returned my mother, 'you shall both come and sleep in the little spare
room ne7t us5 but what has alarmed you<'
"')omeone, my lady, went throu/h our room in the ni/ht5 we both saw the 4i/ure,
but we co*ered our heads with the bed"clothes, and lay in a dread4ul 4ri/ht till
mornin/$'
"@n hearin/ this, I could not help lau/hin/, upon which Creswell burst into tears5
and seein/ how ner*ous she was, we com4orted her, by sayin/, we had heard o4
a /ood house, and that we should *ery soon abandon our present habitation$
"0 4ew ni/hts a4terwards, my mother requested me and Charles to /o to her
bedroom, and 4etch her 4rame, that she mi/ht prepare her wor 4or the ne7t day$
It was a4ter supper5 and we were ascendin/ the stairs by the li/ht o4 a lamp which
was always ept burnin/, when we saw /oin/ up be4ore us, a tall, thin 4i/ure, with
hair 4lowin/ down his bac, and wearin/ a loose powderin/ /own$ .e both at
once concluded it was my sister #annah, and called out, 'It won't do, #annah!
Hou cannot 4ri/hten us!' Cpon which the 4i/ure turned into a recess in the wall5
but as there was nobody there, when we passed, we concluded that #annah had
contri*ed, somehow or other, to slip away and mae her escape by the bac
stairs$ @n tellin/ this to my mother, howe*er, she said, 'It is *ery odd! 4or #annah
went to bed with a headache be4ore you came in 4rom your wal5' and sure
enou/h, on /oin/ to her room, there we 4ound her 4ast asleep5 and 0lice, who
was at wor there, assured us that she had been so 4or more than an hour$ @n
mentionin/ this circumstance to Creswell, she turned quite pale, and e7claimed
that that was precisely the 4i/ure she and (arsh had seen in their bedroom$
"0bout this time, my brother #arry came to spend a 4ew days with us, and we
/a*e him a room up another pair o4 stairs, at the opposite end o4 the house$ 0
mornin/ or two a4ter his arri*al, when he came down to brea4ast, he ased my
mother, an/rily, whether she thou/ht he went to bed drun and could not put out
his own candle, that she sent those 3rench rascals to watch him$ (y mother
assured him that she had ne*er thou/ht o4 doin/ such a thin/5 but he persisted in
the accusation, addin/, '%ast ni/ht I 8umped up and opened the door, and by the
li/ht o4 the moon, throu/h the syli/ht, I saw the 4ellow in his loose /own at the
bottom o4 the stairs$ I4 I had not been in my shirt, I would ha*e /one a4ter him and
made him remember comin/ to watch me$'
".e were now preparin/ to quit the house, ha*in/ secured another, belon/in/ to
a /entleman who was /oin/ to spend some time in Italy5 but a 4ew days be4ore
our remo*al, it happened, that a (r$ and (rs$ 0tyns, some :n/lish 4riends o4
ours, called, to whom we mentioned these stran/e circumstances, obser*in/,
how e7tremely unpleasant it was, to li*e in a house that somebody 4ound means
o4 /ettin/ into, thou/h how they contri*ed it we could not disco*er, nor what their
moti*e could be, e7cept it was to 4ri/hten us5 obser*in/, that nobody could sleep
in the room (arsh and Creswell had been obli/ed to /i*e up$ Cpon this, (rs$
0tyns lau/hed heartily, and said, that she should lie, o4 all thin/s, to sleep
there, i4 my mother would allow her, addin/, that, with her little terrier, she should
not be a4raid o4 any /host that e*er appeared$ 0s my mother had, o4 course, no
ob8ection to this 4ancy o4 hers, she requested (r$ 0tyns to ride home with the
/room, in order that the latter mi/ht brin/ her ni/ht"thin/s be4ore the /ates o4 the
town were shut, as they were then residin/ a little way in the country$ (r$ 0tyns
smiled, and said she was *ery bold5 but he made no di44iculties, and sent the
thin/s, and his wi4e retired with her do/ to her room, when we retired to ours,
apparently without the least apprehension$
".hen she came down in the mornin/ we were immediately struc at seein/ her
loo *ery ill5 and, on enquirin/ i4 she, too, had been 4ri/htened, she said she had
been awaened in the ni/ht by somethin/ mo*in/ in her room, and that, by the
li/ht o4 the ni/ht"lamp, she saw, most distinctly, a 4i/ure, and that the do/, which
was *ery spirited and 4lew at e*ery thin/, ne*er stirred, althou/h she had
endea*oured to mae him$ .e saw clearly that she had been *ery much
alarmed5 and when (r$ 0tyns came, and endea*oured to dissipate the 4eelin/
by persuadin/ her that she mi/ht ha*e dreamt it, she /ot quite an/ry$ .e could
not help thinin/ that she had actually seen somethin/5 and my mother said, a4ter
she was /one, that, thou/h she could not brin/ hersel4 to belie*e it was really a
/host, still she earnestly hoped that she mi/ht /et out o4 the house without
seein/ this 4i/ure, which 4ri/htened people so much$
".e were now within three days o4 the one 4i7ed 4or our remo*al5 I had been
tain/ a lon/ ride, and, bein/ tired, had 4allen asleep the moment I lay down, but,
in the middle o4 the ni/ht, I was suddenly awaened " I cannot tell by what, 4or
the step o*er our heads we had become so used to that it no lon/er disturbed us$
.ell, I awoe5 I had been lyin/ with my 4ace towards my mother, who was asleep
beside me, and, as one usually does on awain/, I turned to the other side,
where, the weather bein/ warm, the curtain o4 the bed was undrawn, as it was,
also, at the 4oot, and I saw, standin/ by a chest o4 drawers, which were betwi7t
me and the window, a thin, tall 4i/ure, in a loose powderin/ /own, one arm
restin/ on the drawers, and the 4ace turned towards me$ I saw it quite distinctly
by the ni/ht"li/ht, which burnt clearly5 it was a lon/, thin, pale, youn/ 4ace, with,
oh, such a melancholy e7pression, as can ne*er be e44aced 4rom my memory! I
was, certainly, *ery much 4ri/htened5 but my /reat horror was, lest my mother
should awae and see the 4i/ure$ I turned my head /ently towards her, and heard
her breathin/ hi/h in a sound sleep$ Dust then the cloc on the stairs struc 4our$ I
dare say it was nearly an hour be4ore I *entured to loo a/ain, and when I did
tae coura/e to turn my eyes towards the drawers, there was nothin/, yet I had
not heard the sli/htest sound, thou/h I had been listenin/ with the /reatest
intensity$
"0s you may suppose, I ne*er closed my eyes a/ain5 and /lad I was when
Creswell noced at the door, as she did e*ery mornin/, 4or we always loced it,
and it was my business to /et out o4 bed and let her in$ 9ut, on this occasion,
instead o4 doin/ so, I called out, 'Come in5 the door is not 4astened5' upon which
she answered that it was, and I was obli/ed to /et out o4 bed and admit her as
usual$
".hen I told my mother what had happened, she was *ery /rate4ul to me 4or not
wain/ her, and commended me much 4or my resolution5 but as she was always
my 4irst ob8ect, that was not to be wondered at$ )he howe*er resol*ed not to ris
another ni/ht in the house5 and we /ot out o4 it that *ery day, a4ter institutin/, with
the aid o4 the ser*ants, a thorou/h search, with a *iew to ascertain i4 there was
any possible means o4 /ettin/ into the rooms e7cept by the usual modes o4
in/ress5 but our search was *ain5 none could be disco*ered$
"I thin, 4rom the errors in the names, etc$, that the publisher o4 the "0ccredited
6host )tories" must ha*e obtained his account 4rom the inhabitants o4 %ille$"
Considerin/ the number o4 people that were in the house, the 4earlessness o4 the
4amily, and their disinclination to belie*e in what is called the supernatural,
to/ether with the /reat interest the owner o4 this lar/e and handsome residence
must ha*e had in disco*erin/ the tric, i4 there had been one, I thin it is di44icult
to 4ind any other e7planation o4 this stran/e story, than that the sad and
disappointed spirit o4 this poor in8ured, and probably murdered boy, had ne*er
been disen/a/ed 4rom its earthly relations, to which re/ret 4or its 4rustrated hopes
and *iolated ri/hts, still held it attached$
There is a story told by 1liny, the youn/er, o4 a house at 0thens, in which nobody
could li*e, 4rom its bein/ haunted$ 0t len/th, the philosopher 0thenadorus too it5
and the 4irst ni/ht he was there, he seems to ha*e comported himsel4 *ery much,
as the coura/eous (rs$ Cannin/ did on a similar occasion, at 1lymouth$ #e sent
his ser*ants to bed, and set himsel4 seriously to wor with his writin/ materials,
determined that 4ancy should not be le4t 4ree to play him 4alse$ 3or some time all
was still, and his mind was wholly en/a/ed in his labours, when he heard a
sound lie the rattlin/ o4 chains " which was the sound that had 4ri/htened
e*erybody out o4 the house5 but 0thenadorus closed his ears, ept his thou/hts
collected, and wrote on, without li4tin/ up his eyes$ The noise, howe*er
increased5 it approached the door5 it entered the room5 then he looed round,
and beheld the 4i/ure o4 an old man, lean, ha//ard, and dirty, with dishe*eled
hair, and a lon/ beard, who held up his 4in/er and beconed him$ 0thenadorus
made a /esture with his own hand, in return, si/ni4yin/ that he should wait, and
went on with his writin/$ Then, the 4i/ure ad*anced and shoo his chains o*er the
philosopher's head, who, on looin/ up, saw him beconin/ as be4ore5
whereupon he arose and 4ollowed him$ The apparition waled slowly, as i4
obstructed by his chains, and ha*in/ conducted him to a certain spot in the court,
which separated the two di*isions o4 an ancient 6ree house, he suddenly
disappeared$ 0thenadorus /athered to/ether some /rass and lea*es, in order to
mar the place, and the ne7t day he recommended the authorities to di/ there5
which they did, and 4ound the seleton o4 a human bein/ encircled with chains$ It
bein/ taen up, and the ri/hts o4 sepulture duly per4ormed, the house was no
lon/er disturbed$
This was, probably, some poor prisoner also5 and in his desire to direct notice to
his body, we see the pre8udices o4 his a/e and country sur*i*in/ dissolution$
6rose the antiquary, who is, as I ha*e be4ore obser*ed, *ery 4acetious on the
sub8ect o4 /hosts, remars that "-ra//in/ chains is not the custom o4 :n/lish
/hosts, chains and blac *estments bein/ chie4ly the accoutrements o4 4orei/n
spectres, seen in arbitrary /o*ernments$" &ow, this is a *ery striin/ obser*ation$
6rose's studies, had, doubtless, introduced him to many histories o4 this
description5 and the di44erent characteristics o4 these apparitions under di44erent
/o*ernments, is a circumstance in remarable con4ormity with the *iews o4 those
who ha*e been led to tae a much more serious *iew o4 the sub8ect$ They appear
as they li*ed, and as they concei*e o4 themsel*es5 and when rapport or
recepti*ity enable them to see, and to render themsel*es *isible to those yet
li*in/ in the 4lesh, it is by so appearin/ that they tell their story, and as 4or
sympathy and assistance$ I say enable them to see, because there seem many
reasons 4or concludin/ that they do not, under ordinary circumstances, see us,
any more than we see them$ .hether it be rapport with certain inhabitants, or
whether the phenomenon be dependent on certain periods, or any other
condition, we cannot tell5 but I ha*e met with se*eral accounts o4 houses in which
an annoyance o4 this sort has recurred more than once, at di44erent inter*als,
sometimes at a distance o4 se*en or ten years, the intermediate time bein/ quite
4ree 4rom it$
@ne o4 the most melancholy and impressi*e circumstances o4 this sort I ha*e met
with, occurred to (rs$ %$, a lady with whose 4amily I am acquainted5 (rs$ %$
hersel4 ha*in/ been ind enou/h to 4urnish me with the particularsA " 0 4ew years
since, she too a 4urnished house in )te*enson )treet, &orth )hields, and she
had been in it a *ery 4ew hours, be4ore she was perple7ed by hearin/ 4eet in the
passa/e, thou/h, whene*er she opened the door, she could see nobody$ )he
went to the itchen, and ased the ser*ant i4 she had not heard the same sound5
she said she had not, but that there seemed to be stran/e noises in the house$
.hen (rs$ %$ went to bed, she could not /o to sleep 4or the noise o4 a child's
rattle, which seemed to be inside her curtains$ It rattled round her head, 4irst on
one side then on the other5 then there were sounds o4 4eet and o4 a child cryin/,
and a woman sobbin/5 and, in short, so many stran/e noises, that the ser*ant
became 4ri/htened, and went away$ The ne7t /irl (rs$ %$ en/a/ed came 4rom
%eith, and was a stran/er to the place5 but she had only passed a ni/ht in the
house, when she said to her mistress, "This is a troubled house you'*e /ot into,
(a'am," and she described, amon/st the rest, that she had repeatedly heard her
own name called by a *oice near her, thou/h she could see nobody$
@ne ni/ht (rs$ %$ heard a *oice, lie nothin/ human, close to her, cry, ".eep!
.eep! .eep!" Then there was a sound lie some one stru//lin/ 4or breath, and
a/ain, ".eep! .eep! .eep!" Then the /aspin/, and a third time, ".eep! .eep!
.eep!" )he stood still, and looed stead4astly on the spot whence the *oice
proceeded, but could see nothin/5 and her little boy, who held her hand, ept
sayin/, ".hat is that, (amma< .hat is that<" )he describes the sound as most
4ri/ht4ul$ 0ll the noises seemed to su//est the idea o4 childhood, and o4 a woman
in trouble$ @ne ni/ht, when it was cryin/ round her bed, (rs$ %$ too coura/e and
ad8ured it5 upon which the noise ceased, 4or that time, but there was no answer$
(r$ %$ was at sea when she too the house, and when he came home, he
lau/hed at the story at 4irst, but soon became so con*inced the account she /a*e
was correct, that he wanted to ha*e the boards taen up, because 4rom the
noises seemin/ to ho*er much about, one spot, he thou/ht perhaps some
e7planation o4 the mystery mi/ht be 4ound$ 9ut (rs$ %$ ob8ected that i4 anythin/ o4
a pain4ul nature were disco*ered she should not be able to continue in the house5
and as she must pay the year's rent, she wished, i4 possible, to mae out the
time$
)he ne*er saw anythin/ but twice5 once, the appearance o4 a child seemed to 4all
4rom the ceilin/, close to her, and then disappear5 and another time she saw a
child run into a closet in a room at the top o4 the house5 and it was most
remarable that a small door in that room, which was used 4or /oin/ out out the
roo4, always stood open$ #owe*er o4ten they shut it, it was opened a/ain
immediately by an unseen hand, e*en be4ore they /ot out o4 the room, and this
continued the whole time they were in the house5 whilst ni/ht and day, some one
in creain/ shoes was heard pacin/ bacwards and 4orwards in the room o*er
(r$ and (rs$ %$'s head$
0t len/th the year e7pired5 and to their /reat relie4 they quitted the houseA but 4i*e
or si7 years a4terwards, a person who had bou/ht it ha*in/ taen up the 4loor o4
that upper room to repair it, there was 4ound, close to the small door abo*e
alluded to, the seleton o4 a child$ It was then remembered, that some years
be4ore, a /entleman o4 somewhat dissolute habits, had resided there5 and that he
was supposed to ha*e been on *ery intimate terms with a youn/ woman ser*ant,
who li*ed with him5 but there had been no suspicion o4 anythin/ more criminal$
0bout si7 years a/o, (r$ C$, a /entleman, en/a/ed in business in %ondon, heard
o4 a /ood country house in the nei/hbourhood o4 the metropolis, which was to be
had at a low rent$ It was rather an old"4ashioned place, and was surrounded by a
/arden and pleasure"/round5 and ha*in/ taen a lease o4 it 4or se*en years,
4urnished as it was, his 4amily remo*ed thither, and he 8oined them once or twice
a wee, as his business permitted$
They had been some considerable time in the house without the occurrence o4
anythin/ remarable, when one e*enin/, towards dus, (rs$ C$, on /oin/ into
what was called the oa bedroom, saw a 4emale 4i/ure near one o4 the windows$
It was apparently a youn/ woman with dar hair han/in/ o*er her shoulders, a
sil petticoat, and a short white robe, and she appeared to be looin/ ea/erly
throu/h the window, as i4 e7pectin/ somebody$ (rs$ C$ clapped her hand upon
her eyes "as thinin/ she had seen somethin/ she ou/ht not to ha*e seen," and
when she looed a/ain, the 4i/ure had disappeared$
)hortly a4ter this, a youn/ /irl who 4illed the situation o4 under nursery"maid,
came to her in /reat a/itation, sayin/, that she had had a terrible 4ri/ht, 4rom
seein/ a *ery u/ly old woman looin/ in upon her as she passed the window in
the lobby$ The /irl was tremblin/ *iolently, and almost cryin/, so that (rs$ C$
entertained no doubts o4 the reality o4 her alarm$ )he, howe*er, thou/ht it
ad*isable to lau/h her out o4 her 4ear, and went with her to the window, which
looed into a closed court, but there was no one there5 neither had any o4 the
other ser*ants seen such a person$ )oon a4ter this, the 4amily be/an to 4ind
themsel*es disturbed with stran/e and 4requently *ery loud noises, durin/ the
ni/ht$ 0mon/st the rest, there was somethin/ lie the beatin/ o4 a crow"bar upon
the pump in the abo*e"mentioned court5 but, search as they would, they could
disco*er no cause 4or the sound$
@ne day, when (r$ C$ had brou/ht a 4riend 4rom %ondon to stay the ni/ht with
him, (rs$ C$ thou/ht proper to /o up to the oa bedroom, where the stran/er was
to sleep, 4or the purpose o4 inspectin/ the arran/ements 4or his com4ort, when, to
her /reat surprise, someone seemed to 4ollow her up to the 4ireplace, thou/h, on
turnin/ round, there was nobody to be seen$ )he said nothin/ about it, howe*er,
and returned below, where her husband, and the stran/er were sittin/$ 1resently,
one o4 the ser*ants Enot the one mentioned abo*eG tapped at the door, and
requested to spea with her, and (rs$ C$ /oin/ out, she told her, in /reat
a/itation, that in /oin/ upstairs to the *isitor's room, a 4ootstep had 4ollowed all
the way to the 4ireplace, althou/h she could see nobody$ (rs$ C$ said somethin/
soothin/, and that matter passed, she, hersel4, bein/ a /ood deal puBBled, but
still unwillin/ to admit the idea that there was anythin/ e7tra"natural in these
occurrences$ ?epeatedly, a4ter this, these 4ootsteps were heard in di44erent parts
o4 the house, when nobody was to be seen5 and o4ten, whilst she was lyin/ in
bed, she heard them distinctly approach her door, when, bein/ a *ery
coura/eous woman, she would start out with a loaded pistol in her hand, but
there was ne*er any one to be seen$
0t len/th it was impossible to conceal 4rom hersel4 and her ser*ants that these
occurrences were o4 an e7traordinary nature, and the latter, as may be
supposed, 4elt *ery uncom4ortable$ 0mon/st other unpleasant thin/s, whilst
sittin/ all to/ether in the itchen, they used to see the latch li4ted and the door
open, thou/h no one came in that they could see5 and when (r$ C$ himsel4
watched 4or these e*ents, althou/h they too place, and he was quite on the
alert, he alto/ether 4ailed in detectin/ any *isible a/ent$
@ne ni/ht, the same ser*ant who had heard the 4ootsteps 4ollowin/ her to the
bedroom 4ireplace, happenin/ to be asleep in (rs$ C$'s chamber, she became
much disturbed, and was heard to murmur ".ae me! .ae me!" as i4 in /reat
mental an/uish$ 9ein/ aroused, she told her mistress a dream she had had,
which seemed to throw some li/ht upon these mysteries$ )he thou/ht she was in
the oa bedroom, and at one end o4 it she saw a youn/ 4emale in an old
4ashioned dress, with lon/ dar hair5 whilst in another part o4 the room was a *ery
u/ly old woman, also in old"4ashioned attire$ The latter addressin/ the 4ormer,
said, ".hat ha*e you done with the child, :mily< .hat ha*e you done with the
child<" To which the youn/er 4i/ure answered, "@h, I did not ill it$ #e was
preser*ed, and /rew up, and 8oined the """" ?e/iment, and went to India$" Then
addressin/ the sleeper, the youn/ lady continued, "I ha*e ne*er spoen to mortal
be4ore5 but I will tell you all$ (y name is (iss 9lac5 and this old woman is &urse
9lac$ 9lac is not her name5 but we call her so, because she has been so lon/
in the 4amily$" #ere the old woman interrupted the speaer by comin/ up and
layin/ her hand on the dreamin/ /irl's shoulder, whilst she said somethin/5 but
she could not remember what, 4or 4eelin/ e7cruciatin/ pain 4rom the touch, she
had been so 4ar aroused as to be sensible she was asleep, and to be/ to be
wholly awaened$
0s the old woman seemed to resemble the 4i/ure that one o4 the other ser*ants
had seen looin/ into the window, and the youn/ one resembled that she had
hersel4 seen in the oa chamber, (rs$ C$ naturally concluded that there was
somethin/ e7traordinary about this dream5 and she consequently too an early
opportunity o4 enquirin/ in the nei/hbourhood what was nown as to the names
or circumstances o4 the 4ormer inhabitants o4 this house5 and a4ter much
in*esti/ation she learnt, that about se*enty or ei/hty years be4ore, it had been in
the possession o4 a (rs$ ?a*enhall, who had a niece, named (iss 9lac, li*in/
with her$ This niece (rs$ C$ supposed mi/ht be the youn/er o4 the two persons
who had been seen$ )ubsequently, she saw her a/ain in the same room,
wrin/in/ her hands, and looin/ with a mourn4ul si/ni4icance to one corner$ They
had the boards taen up on that spot5 but nothin/ was 4ound$
@ne o4 the most curious incidents connected with this story, remains to be told$
04ter occupyin/ the house three years5 they were preparin/ to quit it " not on
account o4 its bein/ haunted, but 4or other reasons when, on awain/ one
mornin/, a short time be4ore their departure, (rs$ C$ saw standin/ at the 4oot o4
her bed, a dar comple7ioned man, in a worin/ dress, a 4ustian 8acet, and red
com4orter round his nec, who, howe*er, suddenly disappeared$ (r$ C$ was lyin/
beside her at the time, but asleep$ This was the last apparition that was seen5 but
the stran/e thin/ is, that a 4ew days a4ter this, it bein/ necessary to order in a
small quantity o4 coals, to ser*e till their remo*al, (r$ C$ undertoo to per4orm the
commission on his way to %ondon$ 0ccordin/ly, the ne7t day she mentioned to
him, that the coals had arri*ed5 which he said was *ery 4ortunate, since he had
entirely 4or/otten to order them$ .onderin/ whence they had come, (rs$ C$
hereupon, enquired o4 the ser*ants, who none o4 them new anythin/ about the
matter5 but, on interro/atin/ a person in the *illa/e, with whom they had
4requently been pro*ided with this article, he answered, that they had been
ordered by a dar man, in a 4ustian 8acet and red com4ort, who had called 4or the
purpose!
04ter this last e*ent, (r$ and (rs$ C$ quitted the house5 but I ha*e heard that its
subsequent tenants encountered some similar annoyances, althou/h I ha*e no
means o4 ascertainin/ the particulars$
9ut, perhaps, one o4 the most remarable cases o4 hauntin/ in modern times, is
that o4 .illin/ton, near &ewcastle, in my account o4 which, howe*er, I 4ind mysel4
anticipated by (r$ #owitt5 and as he has had the ad*anta/e o4 *isitin/ the place,
which I ha*e not, I shall tae the liberty o4 borrowin/ his description o4 it,
pre4acin/ the account with the 4ollowin/ letter 4rom (r$ 1rocter, the owner o4 the
house, who, it will be seen, *ouches 4or the /eneral authenticity o4 the narrati*e$
The letter was written in answer to one 4rom me, requestin/ some more precise
in4ormation than I had been able to obtain$
"Dosh$ 1roctor, hopes C$ Crowe will e7cuse her note ha*in/ remained two wees
unanswered, durin/ which time, D$ 1$ has been 4rom home, or particularly
en/a/ed$ 3eelin/ a*erse to add to the publicity the circumstances occurrin/ in
his house, at .illin/ton, ha*e already obtained, D$ 1$ would rather not 4urnish
additional particulars5 but i4 C$ C$ is not in possession o4 the number o4 '#owitt's
Dournal,' which contains a *ariety o4 details on the sub8ect, he will be /lad to
4orward her one$ #e would at the same time, assure C$ Crowe o4 the strict
accuracy, o4 that portion o4 .$ #owitt's narrati*e, which is e7tracted 4rom
'?ichardson's Table 9oo$' .$ #ewitt's statements deri*ed 4rom his recollection
o4 *erbal communications, with branches o4 D$ 1rocter's 4amily, are liewise
essentially correct, thou/h, as mi/ht be e7pected in some de/ree, erroneous
circumstantially$
"D$ 1$ taes lea*e to e7press his con*iction, that the unbelie4 o4 the educated
classes, in apparitions o4 the deceased and indred phenomena, is not /rounded
on a 4air philosophic e7amination o4 the 4acts, which ha*e induced the popular
belie4 o4 all a/es and countries5 and that it will be 4ound by succeedin/ a/es, to
ha*e been nothin/ better than unreasonin/ and unreasonable pre8udice$
".illin/ton, near &ewcastle"on"Tyne, 'th mo$ 22, 1+,'$"
"Visits to ?emarable 1laces
by .iilliam #owitt
"The #aunted #ouse at .illin/ton, near &ewcastle"on"Tyne
".e ha*e o4 late years settled it as an established 4act, that /hosts and haunted
houses were the empty creation o4 i/norant times$ .e ha*e com4ortably
persuaded oursel*es that such 4ancies only ho*ered in the twili/ht o4 superstition,
and that in these enli/htened days they had *anished 4or e*er$ #ow o4ten has it
been triumphantly re4erred to, as a proo4 that all such thin/s were the o44sprin/ o4
i/norance that nothin/ o4 the ind is heard o4 now< .hat shall we say, then, to
the 4ollowin/ 4acts< #ere we ha*e /hosts, and a haunted house still$ .e ha*e
them in the 4ace o4 our *aunted noonday li/ht, in the midst o4 a busy and a
populous nei/hbourhood, in the nei/hbourhood o4 a lar/e and most intelli/ent
town, and in a 4amily neither i/norant, nor in any other respect superstitious$ 3or
years ha*e these /hosts and hauntin/s disturbed the quiet o4 a hi/hly
respectable 4amily, and continue to haunt and disturb, spite o4 the incredulity o4
the wise, the in*esti/ations o4 the curious and the an7ious *i/ilance o4 the
su44erin/ 4amily itsel4$
"9etween the railway runnin/ 4rom &ewcastle"on"Tyne to &orth )hields, and the
ri*er Tyne, there lies in a hollow some 4ew cotta/es, a parsona/e, and a mill and
a miller's house$ These constitute the hamlet o4 .illin/ton$ Dust abo*e these the
railway is carried across the *alley on lo4ty arches, and 4rom it you loo down on
the mill and cotta/es, lyin/ at a considerable depth below$ The mill is a lar/e
steam 4lour mill, lie a 4actory, and the miller's house stands near it, but not
ad8oinin/ it$ &one o4 the cotta/es which lie between these premises and the
railway, either, are in contact with them$ The house stands on a sort o4 little
promontory, round which runs the channel o4 a water"course, which appears to
4ill and empty with the tides$ @n one side o4 the mill and house, slopes away,
upwards, a 4ield to a considerable distance, where it is terminated by other
enclosures5 on the other stands a considerable e7tent o4 ballast"hill, i$e$, one o4
the numerous hills on the bans o4 the Tyne, made by the deposit o4 ballast 4rom
the *essels tradin/ thither$ 0t a distance, the top o4 the mill seems about le*el
with the country around it$ The place lies about hal4"way between &ewcastle and
&orth )hields$
"This mill is, I belie*e, the property o4, and is wored by, (essrs$ Cnthan and
1rocter$ (r$ Doseph 1rocter resides on the spot in the house 8ust by the mill, as
already stated$ #e is a member o4 the )ociety o4 3riends, a /entleman in the *ery
prime o4 li4e5 and his wi4e, an intelli/ent lady, is o4 a 4amily o4 3riends in Carlisle$
They ha*e se*eral youn/ children$ This *ery respectable and well"in4ormed
4amily, belon/in/ to a sect which o4 all others is most accustomed to control, to
re/ulate, and to put down e*en the ima/ination5 the last people in the world, as it
would appear, in 4act, to be a44ected by any mere ima/inary terrors or
impressions, ha*e 4or years been persecuted by the most e7traordinary noises
and apparitions$
"The house is not an old house, as will appear5 it was built about the year 1+II$ It
has no particularly spectral loo about it$ )eein/ it in passin/, or within, i/norant
o4 its real character, one should by no means say that it was a place liely to
ha*e the reputation o4 bein/ haunted$ Het looin/ down 4rom the railway, and
seein/ it and the mill lyin/ in a deep hole, one mi/ht ima/ine *arious stran/e
noises liely to be heard in such a place in the ni/ht, 4rom *essels on the ri*er,
4rom winds sweepin/ and howlin/ down the /ulley in which it stands, 4rom
en/ines in the nei/hbourhood connected with coal mines, one o4 which, I could
not tell where, was main/, at the time I was there, a wild si/hin/ noise, as I
stood on the hill abo*e$ There is not any passa/e, howe*er, nown o4 under the
house, by which subterraneous noises could be heard, nor are they merely
noises that are heard5 distinct apparitions are declared to be seen$
")pite o4 the unwillin/ness o4 (r$ 1rocter that these mysterious circumstances
should become quite public, and a*erse as he is to mae nown himsel4 these
stran/e *isitations, they were o4 such a nature that they soon became rumoured
o*er the whole nei/hbourhood$ &umbers o4 people hurried to the place to
enquire into the truth o4 them, and at len/th a remarable occurrence brou/ht
them into print$ .hat this occurrence was, the pamphlet which appeared, and
which was a4terwards reprinted in 'The %ocal #istorian's Table 9oo,' published
by (r$ ($ 0$ ?ichardson, o4 &ewcastle, and which I here copy, will e7plain$ It will
be seen that the writer o4 this article has the 4ullest 4aith in the reality o4 what he
relates, as, indeed, *ast numbers o4 the best in4ormed inhabitants o4 the
nei/hbourhood ha*e$"
"0uthentic 0ccount o4 a Visit to the #aunted #ouse at .illin/ton$
".ere we to draw an in4erence 4rom the number o4 cases o4 reported *isitations
4rom the in*isible world that ha*e been made public o4 late, we mi/ht be led to
ima/ine that the days o4 supernatural a/ency were about to recommence, and
that /hosts and hob/oblins were about to resume their sway o*er the 4ears o4
manind$ -id we, howe*er, indul/e such an apprehension, a /lance at the
current tone o4 the literature and philosophy o4 the day, when treatin/ o4 these
sub8ects, would show a measure o4 unbelie4 re/ardin/ them as scorn4ul and
uncompromisin/ as the *eriest atheist or materialist could desire$
&otwithstandin/ the pre*alence o4 this 4eelin/ amon/st the educated classes,
there is a curiosity and interest mani4ested in e*ery occurrence o4 this nature,
that indicates a lurin/ 4aith at bottom, which an a44ected scepticism 4ails entirely
to conceal$ .e 4eel, there4ore, that we need not apolo/ise to our readers 4or
introducin/ the 4ollowin/ particulars o4 a $isit to a house in this immediate
nei/hbourhood, which had become notorious 4or some years pre*ious, as bein/
'haunted5' and se*eral o4 the reputed deeds, or misdeeds, o4 its supernatural
*isitant had been published 4ar and wide by rumour's thousand ton/ues$ .e
deem it as worthy to be chronicled as the doin/s o4 its contemporary genii at
.indsor, -ublin, %i*erpool, Carlisle, and )underland, and which ha*e all liewise
hitherto 4ailed, a4ter public in*esti/ation, to recei*e a solution consistent with a
re8ection o4 spiritual a/ency$
".e ha*e *isited the house in question, which is well nown to many o4 our
readers as bein/ near a lar/e steam corn"mill, in 4ull *iew o4 .illin/ton *iaduct,
on the &ewcastle and )hields ?ailway5 and it may not be irrele*ant to mention
that it is quite detached 4rom the mill, or any other premises, and has no cellarin/
under it$ The proprietor o4 the house, who li*es in it, declines to mae public the
particulars o4 the disturbance to which he has been sub8ected, and it must be
understood that the account o4 the *isit we are about to lay be4ore our readers is
deri*ed 4rom a 4riend to whom -r$ -rury presented a copy o4 his correspondence
on the sub8ect, with power to mae such use o4 it as he thou/ht proper$ .e
learned that the house had been reputed, at least one room in it, to ha*e been
haunted 4orty years a/o, and had a4terwards been undisturbed 4or a lon/ period,
durin/ some years o4 which quietude the present occupant li*ed in it unmolested$
.e are also in4ormed, that about the time that the premises were buildin/, *iB$, in
1+II or 1+I1, there were reports o4 some deed o4 darness ha*in/ been
committed by some one employed about them$ .e should
e7tend this account beyond the limits we ha*e set to oursel*es, did we now enter
upon a 4ull account o4 the stran/e thin/s which ha*e been seen and heard about
the place by se*eral o4 the nei/hbours, as well as those which are reported to
ha*e been seen, heard, and 4elt, by the inmates, whose ser*ants ha*e been
chan/ed, on that account, many times$ .e proceed, there4ore, to /i*e the
4ollowin/ letters which ha*e been passed between indi*iduals o4 undoubted
*eracity5 lea*in/ the reader to draw his own conclusions on the sub8ect$
"ECopy, &o, 1$G
"To (r$ 1rocter, 1'th Dune, 1+,I$
")ir, " #a*in/ heard 4rom indisputable authority, *iB$, that o4 my e7cellent 4riend,
(r$ -a*ison, o4 %ow .illin/ton, 4armer, that you and your 4amily are disturbed by
most unaccountable noises at ni/ht, I be/ lea*e to tell you that I ha*e read
attenti*ely .esley's account o4 such thin/s, but with, I must con4ess, no /reat
belie45 but an account o4 this report comin/ 4rom one o4 your sect, which I admire
4or candour and simplicity, my curiosity is e7cited to a hi/h pitch, which I would
4ain satis4y$ (y desire is to remain alone in the house all ni/ht with no companion
but my own watchdo/, in which, as 4ar as coura/e and 4idelity are concerned, I
place much more reliance than upon any three youn/ /entlemen I now o4$ 0nd it
is also my hope, that, i4 I ha*e a 4air trial, I shall be able to unra*el this mystery$
(r$ -a*ison will /i*e you e*ery satis4action i4 you tae the trouble to enquire o4
him concernin/ me$
"I am, )ir,
"Hours most respect4ully,
":dward -rury$
"0t C$ C$ :mbleton's, )ur/eon,
"&o$ 1I, Church )treet, )underland$"
"ECopy, &o$ 2$G
"Doseph 1rocter's respects to :dward -rury, whose note he recei*ed a 4ew days
a/o, e7pressin/ a wish to pass a ni/ht in his house, at .illin/ton$ 0s the 4amily is
/oin/ 4rom home on the 2=rd instant, and one o4 Cnthan and 1rocter's men will
sleep in the house, i4 :$ -$, 4eel inclined to come on or a4ter the 2,th to spend a
ni/ht in it, he is at liberty so to do, with or without his 4aith4ul do/, which, by the
bye, can be o4 no possible use, e7cept as company$ 0t the same time, D$ 1$
thins it best to in4orm him, that particular disturbances are 4ar 4rom 4requent at
present, bein/ only occasional, and quite uncertain, and there4ore the satis4action
o4 :$ -$'s curiosity must be considered as problematical$ The best chance will be
a44orded by his sittin/ up alone in the third story, till it be 4airly dayli/ht, say two or
three, 0$($
".illin/ton, >th mo$ 21st, 1+,I$
"D$ 1$ will lea*e word with T$ (ann, 4oreman, to admit :$ -$"
"(r$ 1rocter le4t home with his 4amily on the 2=rd o4 Dune, and /ot an old ser*ant,
who was then out o4 place in consequence o4 ill"health, to tae char/e o4 the
house durin/ their absence$ (r$ 1$ returned alone, on account o4 business, on
the =rd o4 Duly, on the e*enin/ o4 which day (r$ -rury and his companion also
une7pectedly arri*ed$ 04ter the house had been loced up, e*ery corner o4 it was
minutely e7amined$ The room out o4 which the apparition issued is too shallow to
contain any person$ (r$ -rury and his 4riend had li/hts by them, and were
satis4ied that there was no one in the house besides (r$ 1$, the ser*ant, and
themsel*es$"
"ECopy, &o$ =$G
"(onday (ornin/, Duly >, 1+,I$
"To (r$ 1rocter$
"-ear )ir, " I am sorry I was not at home to recei*e you yesterday, when you
indly called to inquire 4or me$ I am happy to state that I am really surprised that I
ha*e been so little a44ected as I am, a4ter that horrid and most aw4ul a44air$ The
only bad e44ect that I 4eel is a hea*y dullness in one o4 my ears, the ri/ht one$ I
call it hea*y dullness, because I not only do not hear distinctly, but 4eel in it a
constant noise$ This I ne*er was a44ected with be4ore5 but I doubt not it will /o o44$
I am persuaded that no one went to your house at any time more dis#elie$ing in
respect to seeing anything peculiar1 now no one can be more satis4ied than
mysel4$ I will, in the course o4 a 4ew days, send you a 4ull detail o4 all I saw and
heard$ (r$ )pence and two other /entlemen came down to my house in the
a4ternoon, to hear my detail5 but, sir, could I account 4or these noises 4rom natural
causes, yet, so 4irmly am I persuaded o4 the horrid apparition, that I would a44irm
that what I saw with my eyes was a punishment to me 4or my sco44in/ and
unbelie45 that I am assured that, as 4ar as the horror is concerned, they are happy
that belie*e and ha*e not seen$ %et me trouble you, sir, to /i*e me the address o4
your sister, 4rom Cumberland, who was alarmed, and also o4 your brother$ I
would 4eel a satis4action in ha*in/ a line 4rom them5 and, abo*e all thin/s, it will
be a /reat cause o4 8oy to me, i4 you ne*er allow your youn/ 4amily to be in that
horrid house a/ain$ #opin/ you will write a 4ew lines at your leisure,
"I remain, dear )ir,
"Hours *ery truly,
":dward -rury$"
"ECopy, &o$ ,$G
".illin/ton,'th mo$ F, 1+,I$
"?espected 3riend, :$ -rury,
"#a*in/ been at )underland, I did not recei*e thine o4 the >th till yesterday
mornin/$ I am /lad to hear thou art /ettin/ well o*er the e44ects o4 thy unlooed"
4or *isitation$ I hold in respect thy bold and manly assertion o4 the truth in the 4ace
o4 that ridicule and i/norant conceit with which that which is called the
supernatural, in the present day, is usually assailed$
"I shall be /lad to recei*e thy detail, in which it will be need4ul to be *ery
particular in showin/ that thou couldst not be asleep, or attaced by ni/htmare,
or mistae a re4lection o4 the candle, as some sa/aciously suppose$
"I remain, respect4ully,
"Thy 4riend,
"Dosh$ 1rocter
"1$)$ I ha*e about thirty witnesses to *arious thin/s which cannot be satis4actorily
accounted 4or on any other principle than that o4 spiritual a/ency$"
"ECopy, &o$ K$G
")underland, Duly 1=, 1+,I$
"-ear )ir, " I hereby, accordin/ to promise in my last letter, 4orward you a true
account o4 what I heard and saw at your house, in which I was led to pass the
ni/ht 4rom *arious rumours circulated by most respectable parties, particularly
4rom an account by my esteemed 4riend (r$ -a*ison, whose name I mentioned
to you in a 4ormer letter$ #a*in/ recei*ed your sanction to *isit your mysterious
dwellin/, I went on the =rd o4 Duly, accompanied by a 4riend o4 mine, T$ #udson$
This was not accordin/ to promise, nor in accordance with my 4irst intent, as I
wrote you I would come alone5 but I 4elt /rati4ied at your indness in not alludin/
to the liberty I had taen, as it ultimately pro*ed 4or the best$ I must here mention
that, not e7pectin/ you at home, I had in my pocet a brace o4 pistols,
determinin/ in my mind to let one o4 them drop be4ore the miller, as i4 by
accident, 4or 4ear he should presume to play trics upon me5 but a4ter my
inter*iew with you, I 4elt there was no occasion 4or weapons, and did not load
them, a4ter you had allowed us to inspect as minutely as we pleased e*ery
portion o4 the house$ I sat down on the third story landin/, 4ully e7pectin/ to
account 4or any noises that I mi/ht hear, in a philosophical manner$ This was
about ele*en o'cloc, 1$($ 0bout ten minutes to twel*e we both heard a noise, as
i4 a number o4 people were patterin/ with their bare 4eet upon the 4loor5 and yet,
so sin/ular was the noise, that I could not minutely determine 4rom whence it
proceeded$ 0 4ew minutes a4terwards we heard a noise, as i4 someone was
nocin/ with his nucles amon/ our 4eet5 this was 4ollowed by a hollow cou/h
4rom the *ery room 4rom which the apparition proceeded$ The only noise a4ter
this, was as i4 a person was rustlin/ a/ainst the wall in comin/ up stairs$ 0t a
quarter to one, I told my 4riend that, 4eelin/ a little cold, I would lie to /o to bed,
as we mi/ht hear the noise equally well there5 he replied that he would not /o to
bed till dayli/ht$ I too up a note which I had accidentally dropped, and be/an to
read it, a4ter which I too out my watch to ascertain the time, and 4ound that it
wanted ten minutes to one$ In tain/ my eyes 4rom the watch, they became
ri*etted upon a closet door, which I distinctly saw open, and saw also the 4i/ure
o4 a 4emale attired in /rayish /arments, with the head inclinin/ downwards, and
one hand pressed upon the chest, as i4 in pain, and the other, *iB$, the ri/ht"hand,
e7tended towards the 4loor, with the inde7 4in/er pointin/ downwards$ It
ad*anced with an apparently cautious step across the 4loor towards me5
immediately as it approached my 4riend, who was slumberin/, its ri/ht hand was
e7tended towards him5 I then rushed at it, /i*in/, as (r$ 1rocter states, a most
aw4ul yell5 but, instead o4 /raspin/ it, I 4ell upon my 4riend, and I recollected
nothin/ distinctly 4or nearly three hours a4terwards$ I ha*e since learnt that I was
carried downstairs in an a/ony o4 tear and terror$
"I hereby certi4y that the abo*e account is strictly true and correct in e*ery
respect$
"&orth )hields$
":dward -rury$"
"The 4ollowin/ more recent case o4 an apparition seen in the window o4 the same
house 4rom the outside, by 4our credible witnesses, who had the opportunity o4
scrutiniBin/ it 4or more than ten minutes, is /i*en on most unquestionable
authority$ @ne o4 these witnesses is a youn/ lady, a near connection o4 the
4amily, who, 4or ob*ious reasons, did not sleep in the house5 another, a
respectable man, who has been many years employed in, and is 4oreman o4, the
manu4actory5 his dau/hter, a/ed about se*enteen5 and his wi4e who 4irst saw the
ob8ect, and called out the others to *iew it$ The appearance presented was that
o4 a bareheaded man, in a 4lowin/ robe lie a surplice, who /lided bacwards
and 4orwards about three 4eet 4rom the 4loor, or le*el with the bottom o4 the
second story window, seemin/ to enter the wall on each side, and thus present a
side *iew in passin/$ It then stood still in the window, and a part o4 the body
came throu/h both the blind, which was close down, and the window, as its
luminous body intercepted the *iew o4 the 4ramewor o4 the window$ It was
semitransparent, and as bri/ht as a star, di44usin/ a radiance all around$ 0s it
/rew more dim, it assumed a blue tin/e, and /radually 4aded away 4rom the head
downwards$ The 4oreman passed twice close to the house under the window,
and also went to in4orm the 4amily, but 4ound the house loced up$ There was no
moonli/ht, nor a ray o4 li/ht *isible anywhere about, and no person near$ #ad
any ma/ic lantern been used, it could not possibly ha*e escaped detection5 and it
is ob*ious nothin/ o4 that ind could ha*e been employed on the inside, as in that
case the li/ht, could only ha*e been thrown upon the blind, and not so as to
intercept the *iew both o4 the blind and o4 the window 4rom without$ The owner o4
the house slept in that room, and must ha*e entered it shortly a4ter this 4i/ure had
disappeared$
"It may well be supposed what a sensation the report o4 the *isit o4 (r$ -rury, and
its result must ha*e created$ It 4lew 4ar and wide, and when it appeared in print,
still wider5 and what was not a little sin/ular, (r$ 1rocter recei*ed, in
consequence, a /reat number o4 letters, 4rom indi*iduals o4 di44erent rans and
circumstances, includin/ many o4 much property, in4ormin/ him that their
residences were, and had been 4or years, sub8ect to annoyances o4 precisely a
similar character
")o the /hosts and the hauntin/s are not /one, a4ter all! .e ha*e turned our
bacs on them, and, in the pride o4 our philosophy, ha*e re4used to belie*e in
them5 but they ha*e persisted in remainin/, notwithstandin/!
"These sin/ular circumstances bein/ at *arious times related by parties
acquainted with the 4amily at .illin/ton, I was curious, on a tour northward some
time a/o, to pay this haunted house a *isit, and to solicit a ni/ht's lod/in/s there$
Cn4ortunately the 4amily was absent, on a *isit to (rs$ 1rocter's relati*es in
Carlisle, so that my principal purpose was de4eated5 but I 4ound the 4oreman and
his wi4e, mentioned in the 4ore/oin/ narrati*e, li*in/ 8ust by$ They spoe o4 the
4acts abo*e detailed with the simple earnestness o4 people who had no doubts
whate*er on the sub8ect$ The noises and apparitions in and about this house
seemed 8ust lie any other 4acts connected with it " as matters too palpable and
positi*e to be questioned, any more than that the house actually stood, and the
mill /round$ They mentioned to me the circumstance o4 the youn/ lady, as abo*e
stated, who too up her lod/in/ in their house, because she would no lon/er
encounter the annoyances o4 the haunted house5 and what trouble it had
occasioned the 4amily in procurin/ and retainin/ ser*ants$
"The wi4e accompanied me into the house, which I 4ound in char/e o4 a recently
married ser*ant and her husband, durin/ the absence o4 the 4amily$ This youn/
woman, who had, pre*ious to her marria/e, li*ed some time in the house, had
ne*er seen anythin/, and there4ore had no 4ear$ I was shown o*er the house,
and especially into the room on the third story, the main haunt o4 the unwelcome
*isitors, and where -r$ -rury had recei*ed such an alarm$ This room, as stated,
was, and had been 4or some time, abandoned as a bedroom, 4rom its bad
character, and was occupied as a lumber"room$
"0t Carlisle, I a/ain missed (r$ 1rocter5 he had returned to .illin/ton, so that I
lost the opportunity o4 hearin/ 4rom him or (rs$ 1rocter, any account o4 these
sin/ular matters$ I saw, howe*er, *arious members o4 his wi4e's 4amily, most
intelli/ent people, o4 the hi/hest character 4or sound and practical sense, and
they were unanimous in their con4irmation o4 the particulars I had heard, and
which are here related$
"@ne o4 (rs$ 1rocter's brothers, a /entleman in middle li4e, and o4 a peculiarly
sensible, sedate, and candid disposition, a person apparently most unliely to be
imposed on by 4ictitious alarms or trics, assured me me that he had himsel4, on
a *isit there, been disturbed by the stran/est noises$ That he had resol*ed,
be4ore /oin/, that i4 any such noises occurred he would spea, and demand o4
the in*isible actor who he was, and why he came thither$ 9ut the occasion came,
and he 4ound himsel4 unable to 4ul4ill his intention$ 0s he lay in bed one ni/ht, he
heard a hea*y step ascend the stairs towards his room, and someone striin/, as
it were, with a thic stic on the banisters, as he went alon/$ It came to his door,
and he essayed to call, but his *oice died in his throat$ #e then spran/ 4rom his
bed, and openin/ the door, 4ound no one there, but now heard the same hea*y
steps deliberately descendin/, thou/h per4ectly in*isibly, the steps be4ore his
4ace, and accompanyin/ the descent with the same loud blows on the banisters$
"(y in4ormant now proceeded to the room door o4 (r$ 1rocter, who, he 4ound,
had also heard the sounds, and who now also arose, and with a li/ht they made
a speedy descent below, and a thorou/h search there, but without disco*erin/
anythin/ that could account 4or the occurrence$
"The two youn/ ladies, who, on a *isit there, had also been annoyed by this
in*isible a/ent, /a*e me this account o4 itA " The 4irst ni/ht, as they were sleepin/
in the same bed, they 4elt the bed li4ted up beneath them$ @4 course, they were
much alarmed$ They 4eared lest some one had concealed himsel4 there 4or the
purpose o4 robbery$ They /a*e an alarm, search was made, but nothin/ was
4ound$ @n another ni/ht, their bed was *iolently shaen, and the curtains
suddenly hoisted up all round to the *ery tester, as i4 pulled by cords, and as
rapidly let down a/ain, se*eral times$M
"""""""""""
M It is remarable that this hoistin/ ot the bed"curtains is similar to an incident
recorded in the account o4 the *isit o4 %ord Tyrone's /host to %ady 9eres4ord$
"""""""""""
")earch a/ain produced no e*idence o4 the cause$ The ne7t, they had the
curtains totally remo*ed 4rom the bed, resol*in/ to sleep without them, as they
4elt as thou/h e*il eyes were lurin/ behind them$ The consequences o4 this,
howe*er, was still more striin/ and terri4ic$ The 4ollowin/ ni/ht, as they
happened to awae, and the chamber was li/ht enou/h " 4or it was summer " to
see e*erythin/ in it, they both saw a 4emale 4i/ure, o4 a misty substance, and
bluish /rey hue, come out o4 the wall, at the bed's head, and throu/h the
headboard, in a horiBontal position, and lean o*er them$ They saw it most
distinctly$ They saw it as a 4emale 4i/ure come out o4, and a/ain pass into, the
wall$ Their terror became intense, and one o4 the sisters, 4rom that ni/ht, re4used
to sleep any more in the house, but too re4u/e in the house o4 the 4oreman
durin/ her stay5 the other shi4tin/ her quarters to another part o4 the house$ It was
the youn/ lady who slept at the 4oreman's who saw, as abo*e related, the
sin/ular apparition o4 the luminous 4i/ure in the window, alon/ with the 4oreman
and his wi4e$
"It would be too lon/ to relate all the 4orms in which this nocturnal disturbance is
said by the 4amily to present itsel4$ .hen a 4i/ure appears, it is sometimes that o4
a man, as already described, which is o4ten *ery luminous, and passes throu/h
the walls as thou/h they were nothin/$ This male 4i/ure is well nown to the
nei/hbours by the name o4 "@ld De44rey!" 0t other times, it is the 4i/ure o4 a lady
also in /ray costume, and as described by (r$ -rury$ )he is sometimes seen
sittin/ wrapped in a sort o4 mantle, with her head depressed, and her hands
crossed on her lap$ The most terrible 4act is that she is without eyes$
"To hear such sober and superior people /ra*ely relate to you such thin/s, /i*es
you a *ery odd 4eelin/$ They say that the noise made is o4ten lie that o4 a
pa*iour with his rammer thumpin/ on the 4loor$ 0t other times it is comin/ down
the stairs, main/ a similar loud sound$ 0t others it cou/hs, si/hs, and /roans,
lie a person in distress5 and, a/ain, there is the sound o4 a number o4 little 4eet
patterin/ on the 4loor o4 the upper chamber, where the apparition has more
particularly e7hibited itsel4, and which, 4or that reason, is solely used as a lumber
room$ #ere these little 4ootsteps may be o4ten heard as i4 careerin/ a child's
carria/e about, which in bad weather is ept up there$ )ometimes, a/ain, it
maes the most horrible lau/hs$ &or does it always con4ine itsel4 to the ni/ht$ @n
one occasion, a youn/ lady, as she assured me hersel4, opened the door in
answer to a noc, the housemaid bein/ absent, and a lady in 4awn"coloured sil
entered, and proceeded upstairs$ 0s the youn/ lady, o4 course, supposed it a
nei/hbour come to mae a mornin/ call on (rs$ 1rocter, she 4ollowed her up to
the drawin/"room, where, howe*er, to her astonishment, she did not 4ind her, nor
was anythin/ more seen o4 her$
")uch are a 4ew o4 the 'questionable shapes' in which this troublesome /uest
comes$ 0s may be e7pected, the terror o4 it is 4elt by the nei/hbourin/ cotta/ers,
thou/h it seems to con4ine its malicious disturbance almost solely to the
occupants o4 this one house$ There is a well, howe*er, near to which no one
*entures a4ter it is dar, because it has been seen near it$
"It is useless to attempt to /i*e any opinion respectin/ the real causes o4 these
stran/e sounds and si/hts$ #ow 4ar they may be real or ima/inary, how 4ar they
may be e7plicable by natural causes or not5 the only thin/ which we ha*e here to
record, is the *ery sin/ular 4act o4 a most respectable and intelli/ent 4amily
ha*in/ 4or many years been continually annoyed by them, as well as their
*isitors$ They e7press themsel*es as most an7ious to obtain any clue to the true
cause, as may be seen by (r$ 1rocter's ready acquiescence in the e7periment o4
(r$ -rury$ )o /reat a trouble is it to them, that they ha*e contemplated the
necessity o4 quittin/ the house alto/ether, thou/h it would create /reat
incon*enience as re/arded business$ 0nd it only remains to be added, that we
ha*e not heard *ery recently whether these *isitations are still continued, thou/h
we ha*e a letter o4 (r$ 1rocter's to a 4riend o4 ours, dated )eptember 1+,,, in
which he says, '-isturbances ha*e 4or a len/th o4 time been only *ery un4requent,
which is a com4ort, as the elder children are /ettin/ old enou/h Eabout nine or ten
yearsG to be more in8uriously a44ected by anythin/ o4 the sort$'
"@*er these 4acts let the philosophers ponder, and i4 any o4 them be power4ul
enou/h to e7orcise "@ld De44ery," or the bluish"/rey and misty lady, we are sure
that (r$ Doseph 1rocter will hold himsel4 deeply indebted to them$ .e ha*e lately
heard that (r$ 1rocter has disco*ered an old boo, which maes it appear that
the *ery same 'hauntin/s' too place in an old house, on the *ery same spot, at
least two hundred years a/o$"
To the abo*e in4ormation, 4urnished by (r$ #owitt, I ha*e to sub8oin that the
4amily o4 (r$ 1rocter are now quittin/ the house, which he intends to di*ide into
small tenements 4or the wor"people$ 0 4riend o4 mine who lately *isited
.illin/ton, and who went o*er the house with (r$ 1rocter, assures me that the
annoyances still continue, thou/h less 4requent than 4ormerly$ (r$ 1$ in4ormed
her that the 4emale 4i/ure /enerally appeared in a shroud, and that it had been
seen in that /uise by one o4 the 4amily only a 4ew days be4ore$ 0 wish bein/
e7pressed by a /entleman *isitin/ (r$ 1$ that some natural e7planation o4 these
perple7in/ circumstances mi/ht be disco*ered, the latter declared his entire
con*iction, 4ounded on an e7perience o4 4i4teen years, that no such elucidation
was possible$
"""""""""""
*hapter +2 ( Spectral Lights, and Apparitions Attached to *ertain /amilies
In commencin/ another chapter, I tae the opportunity o4 repeatin/ what I ha*e
said be4ore, *iB$, that in treatin/ o4 these phenomena, I 4ind it most con*enient to
assume what I mysel4 belie*e, that they are to be e7plained by the e7istence and
appearance o4 what are called /hosts5 but in so doin/, I am not presumin/ to
settle the questionA i4 anyone will e7amine into the 4acts and 4urnish a better
e7planation o4 them, I shall be ready to recei*e it$
In the mean time, assumin/ this hypothesis, there is one phenomenon 4requently
attendin/ their appearance, which has /i*en rise to a /reat deal o4 thou/htless
ridicule, but which, in the present state o4 science, merits *ery particular
attention$ 6rose, whom -r$ #ilbert quotes with particular satis4action, says, "I
cannot learn that /hosts carry tapers in their hands, as they are sometimes
depicted, thou/h the room in which they appear, e*en when without 4ire or
candle, is 4requently said to be as li/ht as day$"
(ost persons will ha*e heard o4 this peculiarity attendin/ the appearance o4
/hosts$ In the case o4 1ro4essor -orrien's apparition, mentioned in a 4ormer
chapter, 1ro4essor @eder saw it, when there was no li/ht in the room, by a 4lame
which proceeded 4rom itsel4$ .hen he had the room li/hted, he saw it no lon/er5
the li/ht o4 the lamp renderin/ in*isible the more delicate phosphorescent li/ht o4
the spectre5 8ust as the bri/ht /lare o4 the sun *eils the 4eebler lustre o4 the stars,
and obscures to our senses many chemical li/hts, which are *ery perceptible in
darness$ #ence the notion, so a*ailable to those who satis4y themsel*es with
sco44in/ without enquirin/, that broad dayli/ht banishes apparitions, and that the
belie4 in them is merely the o44sprin/ o4 physical as well as moral darness$
I meet with innumerable cases in which this phosphorescent li/ht is one o4 the
accompaniments, the 4lame sometimes proceedin/ *isibly 4rom the 4i/ure5 whilst
in others, the room appeared per*aded with li/ht without its seemin/ to issue
4rom any particular ob8ect$
I remember a case o4 the ser*ants in a country house, in 0berdeenshire, hearin/
the doorbell rin/ a4ter their mistress was /one to bed5 on comin/ up to open it,
they saw throu/h a window that looed into the hall, that it was quite li/ht, and
that their master, (r$ 3$, who was at the time absent 4rom home, was there in his
tra*elin/ dress$ They ran to tell their mistress what they had seen5 but when they
returned, all was dar, and there was nothin/ unusual to be disco*ered$ That
ni/ht (r$ 3$ died at sea, on his *oya/e to %ondon$
0 /entleman, some time a/o, awoe in the middle o4 a dar winter's ni/ht, and
percei*ed that his room was as li/ht as i4 it were day$ #e awoe his wi4e and
mentioned the circumstance, sayin/ he could not help apprehendin/ that some
mis4ortune had occurred to his 4ishin/ boats, which had put to sea$ The boats
were lost that ni/ht$
@nly last year, there was a *ery curious circumstance happened in the south o4
:n/land, in which these li/hts were seen$ I /i*e the account, literally, as I
e7tracted it 4rom the newspaper, and also the answer o4 the editor to my 4urther
enquiries$ I now nothin/ more o4 this story5 but it is sin/ularly in eepin/ with
others proceedin/ 4rom di44erent quarters$
"A Ghost at ?ristol$ " .e ha*e this wee a /host story to relate$ Hes, a /host
story5 a real /host story, and a /host story without, as yet, any clue to its
elucidation$ 04ter the dissolution o4 the Calendars, their ancient residence,
ad8oinin/, and almost 4ormin/ a part o4 0ll )aints' Church, 9ristol, was con*erted
into a *icara/e"house, and it is still called by that name, thou/h the incumbents
ha*e 4or many years ceased to reside there$ The present occupants are (r$ and
(rs$ Dones, the se7ton and se7toness o4 the church, and one or two lod/ers5 and
it is to the 4ormer and their ser*ant"maid, that the stran/e *isitor has made his
appearance, causin/ such terror by his ni/htly calls, that all three ha*e
determined on quittin/ the premises, i4, indeed, they ha*e not already carried
their resolution into e44ect$ (r$ and (rs$ Dones's description o4 the disturbance, as
/i*en to the landlord, on whom they called in /reat consternation, is as distinct as
any /host story could be$
"The nocturnal *isitor is heard walin/ about the house when the inhabitants are
in bed5 and (r$ Dones, who is a man o4 by no means ner*ous constitution,
declares he has se*eral times seen a li/ht 4licerin/ on one o4 the walls$ (rs$
Dones is equally certain that she has heard a man with creain/ shoes walin/ in
the bedroom abo*e her own, when no man was on the premises Eor at least
ou/ht to beG, and "was nearly illed with the 4ri/ht$" To the ser*ant maid,
howe*er, was *ouchsa4ed the unen*ied honour o4 seein/ this restless ni/ht"
*isitor5 she declares she has repeatedly had her bedroom door unbolted at ni/ht,
between the hours o4 twel*e and two o'cloc " the period when such bein/s
usually mae their promenades by somethin/ in human semblance5 she cannot
particulariBe his dress, but describes it as somethin/ antique, and o4 a 4ashion
"lan/ syne /ane," and to some e7tent correspondin/ to that o4 the ancient
Calendars, the 4ormer inhabitants o4 the house$ )he 4urther says, he is a
"whisered /entleman" Ewe /i*e her own wordsG, which whisered /entleman
has /one the len/th o4 shain/ her bed, and, she belie*es, would ha*e shaen
hersel4 also, but that she in*ariably puts her head under the clothes when she
sees him approach$ (rs$ Dones declares she belie*es in the appearance o4 the
whisered /entleman, and she had made up her mind, the ni/ht be4ore she
called on her landlord, to leap out o4 the window Eand it is not a tri4le that will
mae people leap out o4 windowsG, as soon as he entered the room$ The e44ect o4
the '4licerin/ li/ht' on (r$ Dones was quite terri4ic, causin/ e7cessi*e tremblin/,
and the complete doublin/ up o4 his whole body into a round ball, lie$" " ?ristol
-imes.
"9ristol Times @44ice,
=rd Dune, 1+,>$
"(adam, " In reply to your enquiries respectin/ the /host story, I ha*e to assure
you that the whole a44air remains wrapped in the same mystery as when
chronicled in the pa/es o4 the 9ristol -imes$
"I am, (adam,
"Hours obediently,
"The :ditor$"
I subsequently wrote to (rs$ Dones, who I 4ound was not a *ery de7terous scribe,
but she con4irmed the abo*e account, addin/, howe*er, that the ?e*$ (r$ """, the
cler/yman o4 the parish, said I had better write to him about it, and that he does
not belie*e in such thin/s$" @4 course, he does not5 and it would ha*e been
useless to ha*e ased his opinion$
There ne*er was, perhaps, a more 4earless human bein/ than (adame 6ott4ried,
the :mpoisonneuse o4 9remen5 at least, she 4elt no remorse " she 4eared nothin/
but disco*ery5 and yet, when a4ter years o4 success4ul crime, she was at len/th
arrested, she related, that soon a4ter the death o4 her 4irst husband, (iltenbur/,
whom she had poisoned, as she was standin/, in the dus o4 the e*enin/, in her
drawin/"room, she suddenly saw a bri/ht li/ht ho*erin/ at no /reat distance
abo*e the 4loor, which ad*anced towards her bedroom door and then
disappeared$ This phenomenon occurred on three successi*e e*enin/s$ @n
another occasion, she saw a shadowy appearance ho*erin/ near her, "0ch!
dene ich, das ist (iltenbur/, seine :rscheinun/! " 0las! thou/ht I, that is the
/host o4 (iltenbur/!" Het did not this withhold her murderous hand$
The lady who met with the curious ad*enture in 1etersbur/, mentioned in a
4ormer chapter, had no li/ht in her room5 yet she saw the watch distinctly by the
old woman's li/ht, thou/h o4 what nature it was, she does not now$ @4 the li/hts
seen o*er /ra*es, 4amiliarly called corpse candies, I ha*e spoen elsewhere5 as
also o4 the luminous 4orm percei*ed by ?illin/, in the /arden at Colmar, as
mentioned by 9aron *on ?eichenbach$ (ost people ha*e heard the story o4 the
?adiant 9oy, seen by %ord Castlerea/h, an apparition which the owner o4 the
castle, admitted to ha*e been *isible to many others$ -r$ ;erner mentions a *ery
similar 4act, wherein an ad*ocate and his wi4e were awaened by a noise and a
li/ht, and saw a beauti4ul child en*eloped by the sort o4 /lory that is seen
surroundin/ the heads o4 saints$ It disappeared, and they ne*er had a repetition
o4 the phenomenon, which they a4terwards heard was belie*ed to recur e*ery
se*en years in that house, and to be connected with the cruel murder o4 a child
by its mother$
To these instances I will add an account o4 the /host seen in C""" Castle, copied
4rom the handwritin/ o4 C$ ($ #$, in a boo o4 manuscript e7tracts5 dated C"""
Castle, -ecember 22nd, 1+2,5 and 4urnished to me by a 4riend o4 the 4amily$
"In order to introduce my readers to the haunted room, I will mention that it 4orms
part o4 the old house, with windows looin/ into the court, which in early times
was deemed a necessary security a/ainst an enemy$ It ad8oins a tower built by
the ?omans 4or de4ence5 4or C""" was properly more a border tower than a castle
o4 any consideration$ There is a windin/ staircase in this tower, and the walls are
4rom ei/ht to ten 4eet thic$
".hen the times became more peaceable, our ancestors enlar/ed the arrow"slit
windows, and added to that part o4 the buildin/ which loos towards the ri*er
:den5 the *iew o4 which, with its beauti4ul bans, we now en8oy$ 9ut many
additions and alterations ha*e been made since that$
"To return to the room in question, I must obser*e that it is by no means remote
or solitary, bein/ surrounded on all sides by chambers that are constantly
inhabited$ It is accessible by a passa/e cut throu/h a wall ei/ht 4eet in thicness,
and its dimensions are twenty"one by ei/hteen$ @ne side o4 the wainscoatin/ is
co*ered with tapestry, the remainder is decorated with old 4amily pictures, and
some ancient pieces o4 embroidery, probably the handiwor o4 nuns$ @*er a
press, which has doors o4 Venetian /lass, is an ancient oaen 4i/ure, with a
battlea7e in his hand, which was one o4 those 4ormerly placed on the walls o4 the
city o4 Carlisle, to represent /uards$ There used to be, also, an old"4ashioned bed
and some dar 4urniture in this room5 but, so many were the complaints o4 those
who slept there, that I was induced to replace some o4 these articles o4 4urniture
by more modern ones, in the hope o4 remo*in/ a certain air o4 /loom, which I
thou/ht mi/ht ha*e /i*en rise to the unaccountable reports o4 apparitions and
e7traordinary noises which were constantly reachin/ us$ 9ut I re/ret to say I did
not succeed in banishin/ the nocturnal *isitor, which still continues to disturb our
4riends$
"I shall pass o*er numerous instances, and select one as bein/ especially
remarable, 4rom the circumstance o4 the apparition ha*in/ been seen by a
cler/yman well nown and hi/hly respected in this county, who, not si7 wees
a/o, repeated the circumstances to a company o4 twenty persons, amon/st
whom were some who had pre*iously been entire disbelie*ers in such
appearances$
"The best way o4 /i*in/ you these particulars, will be by sub8oinin/ an e7tract
4rom my 8ournal, entered at the time the e*ent occurred$
")ept$ +, 1+I=$ 0mon/st other /uests in*ited to C""" Castle, came the ?e*$ #enry
0$, o4 ?edbur/h, and rector o4 6reystoe, with (rs$ 0$ his wi4e, who was a (iss
)$, o4 Cl*erstone$ 0ccordin/ to pre*ious arran/ements, they were to ha*e
remained with us some days5 but their *isit was cut short in a *ery une7pected
manner$ @n the mornin/ a4ter their arri*al, we were all assembled at brea4ast,
when a chaise and 4our dashed up to the door in such haste, that it noced
down part o4 the 4ence o4 my 4lower"/arden$ @ur curiosity was, o4 course,
awaened to now who could be arri*in/ at so early an hour5 when, happenin/ to
turn my eyes towards (r$ 0$, I obser*ed that he appeared e7tremely a/itated$ 'It
is our carria/e!' said he5 'I am *ery sorry, but we must absolutely lea*e you this
mornin/$'
".e naturally 4elt and e7pressed considerable surprise, as well as re/ret, at this
une7pected departure5 representin/ that, we had in*ited Colonel and (rs$ )$,
some 4riends whom (r$ 0$ particularly desired to meet, to dine with us on that
day$ @ur e7postulations howe*er were *ain5 the brea4ast was no sooner o*er
than they departed, lea*in/ us in consternation to con8ecture what could possibly
ha*e occasioned so sudden an alteration in their arran/ements$ I really 4elt quite
uneasy lest anythin/ should ha*e /i*en them o44ence5 and we re*iewed all the
occurrences o4 the precedin/ e*enin/ in order to disco*er, i4 o44ence there was,
whence it had arisen$ 9ut our pains were *ain5 and a4ter talin/ a /reat deal
about it 4or some days, other circumstances banished it 4rom our minds$
"It was not till we sometime a4terwards *isited the part o4 the county in which (r$
0$ resides, that we learnt the real cause o4 his sudden departure 4rom C"""$ The
relation o4 the 4act, as it here 4ollows, is in his own wordsA
")oon a4ter we went to bed, we 4ell asleepA it mi/ht be between one and two in
the mornin/ when I awoe$ I obser*ed that the 4ire was totally e7tin/uished5 but
althou/h that was the case, and we had no li/ht, I saw a /limmer in the centre o4
the room, which suddenly increased to a bri/ht 4lame$ I looed out, apprehendin/
that somethin/ had cau/ht 4ire5 when, to my amaBement, I beheld a beauti4ul
boy, clothed in white, with bri/ht locs, resemblin/ /old, standin/ by my bedside,
in which position he remained some minutes, 4i7in/ his eyes upon me with a mild
and bene*olent e7pression$ #e then /lided /ently away towards the side o4 the
chimney, where it is ob*ious there is no possible e/ress5 and entirely
disappeared$ I 4ound mysel4 a/ain in total darness, and all remained quiet until
the usual hour o4 risin/$ I declare this to be a true account o4 what I saw at C$
Castle, upon my word as a cler/yman$"
I am acquainted with some o4 the 4amily, and with se*eral o4 the 4riends o4 (r$ 0$,
who is still ali*e, thou/h now an old man5 and I can most positi*ely assert that his
own con*iction, with re/ard to the nature o4 this appearance, has remained e*er
unshaen$ The circumstance made a lastin/ impression upon his mind, and he
ne*er willin/ly speas o4 it5 but when he does, it is always with the /reatest
seriousness, and he ne*er shrins 4rom a*owin/ his belie4, that what he saw
admits o4 no other interpretation than the one he then put upon it$
&ow, let us see whether in this department o4 the phenomenon o4 /host"seein/,
namely, the li/hts that 4requently accompany the apparitions, there is anythin/ so
worthy o4 ridicule as 6rose, and other such commentators seem to thin$
@4 6od, the uncreated, we now nothin/5 but the created spirit, man, we cannot
concei*e o4 independent o4 some or/anism or or/an, howe*er di44erent that
or/an may be to those which 4orm our means o4 apprehension and
communication at present$ This or/an, we may suppose to be that per*adin/
ether, which is now the /erm o4 what )t$ 1aul calls our spiritual #ody, the astral
spirit o4 the mystics, the ner$e(spirit o4 the clear"seers5 the 4undamental body, o4
which the e7ternal 4leshly body is but the copy and hus " an or/an
comprehendin/ all those distinct ones, which we now possess in the one
uni*ersal, or, as some o4 the 6erman physiolo/ists call it, the central sense, o4
which we occasionally obtain some /limpses in somnambulism, and in other
peculiar states o4 ner*ous deran/ement5 especially where the ordinary senses o4
si/ht, hearin/, 4eelin/, etc$, are in abeyance5 an e44ect which -r$ :nnemoser
considers to be produced by a chan/e o4 polarity, the e7ternal periphery o4 the
ner*es tain/ on a ne/ati*e state5 and which -r$ 1assa*ent describes as the
retreatin/ o4 the ether 4rom the e7ternal to the internal, so that the ner*es no
lon/er recei*e impressions, or con*ey in4ormation to the brain5 a condition which
may be produced by *arious causes, as e7cess o4 e7citement, /reat ele*ation o4
the spirit, as we see in the ecstatics and martyrs, o*er"irritation producin/
consequent e7haustion5 and also arti4icially, by certain manipulations, narcotics,
and other in4luences$ 0ll somnambules o4 the hi/hest order and when I mae use
o4 this e7pression, I repeat that I do not allude to the sub8ects o4 mesmeric
e7periments, but to those e7traordinary cases o4 disease, the particulars o4 which
ha*e been recorded by *arious continental physicians o4 eminence " all persons
in that condition describe themsel*es as hearin/ and seein/, not by their ordinary
or/ans, but by some means, the idea o4 which they cannot con*ey 4urther than
that they are per*aded by li/ht, and that this is not the ordinary physical li/ht is
e*ident, inasmuch as that they /enerally see best in the dar, a remarable
instance o4 which I mysel4 witnessed$
I ne*er had the sli/htest idea o4 this internal li/ht, till in the way o4 e7periment, I
inhaled the sulphuric ether5 but I am now *ery well able to concei*e it5 4or a4ter
4irst 4eelin/ an a/reeable warmth per*adin/ my limbs, my ne7t sensation was to
4ind mysel4, I cannot say in this hea*enly li/ht, 4or the li/ht was in me " I was
per*aded by it5 it was not percei*ed by my eyes which were closed, but
percei*ed internally, I cannot tell how$ @4 what nature this hea*enly li/ht was,
and I cannot 4orbear callin/ it hea$enly, 4or it was lie nothin/ on earth " I now
not, nor how 4ar it may be related to those luminous emanations occasionally
seen around ecstatics, saints, martyrs, and dyin/ persons5 or to the 4lames seen
by somnambules issuin/ 4rom *arious ob8ects, or to those obser*ed by Von
?eichenbach's patients proceedin/ 4rom the ends o4 the 4in/ers, etc$ 9ut at all
e*ents, since the process which maintains li4e is o4 the nature o4 combustion, we
ha*e no reason to be amaBed at the presence o4 luminous emanations5 and as
we are the sub8ects o4 *arious electrical phenomena, nobody is surprised when,
on combin/ their hair or pullin/ o44 their sil stocin/s, they hear a craclin/ noise
or e*en see spars$
%i/ht, in short, is a phenomenon which seems connected with all 4orms o4 li4e5
and I need not here re4er to that emitted by /low"worms, 4ire"4lies and those
marine animals, which illuminate the sea$ The eyes also o4 many animals shine
with a li/ht which is not merely a re4lected one5 as has been ascertained by
?en//er, a 6erman naturalist, who 4ound himsel4 able to distin/uish ob8ects in
the most pro4ound darness, by the 4lamin/ eyes o4 a )outh 0merican money$
''The seein/ o4 a clear"seer," says -r$ 1assa*ent, "may be called a solar seein/,
4or he li/hts and interpenetrates his ob8ect with his own or/anic li/ht, *iB$, his
ner*ous ether, which becomes the or/an o4 the spirit5 and under certain
circumstances this or/anic li/ht becomes *isible, as in those abo*e alluded to$
1ersons reco*erin/ 4rom deep swoons and trances, 4requently describe
themsel*es as ha*in/ been in this re/ion o4 li/ht " this li/ht o4 the spirit, i4 I may
so call it " this palace o4 li/ht, in which it dwells, which will herea4ter be its proper
li/ht, 4or the physical or solar li/ht, which ser*es us whilst in the 4lesh, will be no
lon/er needed, when out o4 it, nor probably be percei*ed by the spirit, which will
then, I repeat, be a li/ht to itsel45 and as this or/anic li/ht, this /erm o4 our 4uture
spiritual body, occasionally becomes partially *isible now, there cannot, I thin,
be any /reat di44iculty in concei*in/, that it may under /i*en circumstances, be so
herea4ter$
The use o4 the word light in the scriptures, must not be recei*ed in a purely
symbolical sense$ .e shall dwell in li/ht, or we shall dwell in darness, in
proportion as we ha*e shaen o44 the bonds that chain us to the earth5 accordin/,
in short, to our moral state, we shall be pure and bri/ht, or impure and dar$
(onsieur 0ra/o mentions in his treatise on li/htnin/ and the electrical 4luid, that
all men are not equally susceptible o4 it5 and that, there are di44erent de/rees o4
recepti*ity, *er/in/ 4rom total insensibility to the e7treme opposite5 and he also
remars, that animals are more susceptible to it than men$ #e says, the 4luid will
pass throu/h a chain o4 persons, o4 whom, perhaps one5 thou/h 4ormin/ only the
second lin, will be wholly insensible o4 the shoc$ )uch persons would be rarely
struc by li/htnin/, whilst another would be in as /reat dan/er 4rom a 4lash, as i4
he were made o4 metal$ Thus it is not only the situation o4 a man, durin/ a storm,
but also his physical constitution, that re/ulates the amount o4 his peril$ The
horse and the do/ are particularly susceptible$
&ow, this *aryin/ susceptibility, is analo/ous to, i4 not the *ery same, that causes
the *aryin/ susceptibility to such phenomena as I am treatin/ o45 and,
accordin/ly, we now that in all times, horses and do/s ha*e been reputed to
ha*e the 4aculty o4 seein/ spirits5 and when persons who ha*e the second si/ht
see a *ision, these animals, i4 in contact with them, percei*e it also, and
4requently e*ince symptoms o4 /reat terror$ .e also here 4ind the e7planation o4
another mystery, namely, what the 6ermans call anstec%ung, and the :n/lish,
sceptics when alludin/ to these phenomena, contagion ( meanin/ simply
contagious fear5 but as when se*eral persons 4orm a chain, the shoc 4rom an
electrical machine, will pass throu/h the whole o4 them5 so i4 one person is in
such a state as to become sensible o4 an apparition or some similar
phenomenon, he may be able to communicate that power to another5 and thus
has arisen the con*iction amon/st the #i/hlanders, that a seer by touchin/ a
person near him, enables him 4requently to participate in his *ision$
0 little /irl, in humble li4e, called (ary -el*es, o4 a hi/hly ner*ous temperament,
has been 4requently punished 4or sayin/ that the cat was on 4ire5 and that she
saw 4lames issuin/ 4rom *arious persons and ob8ects$
.ith re/ard to the perple7in/ sub8ect o4 corpse li/hts, there would be little
di44iculty attendin/ it, i4 they always remained stationary o*er the /ra*es5 but it
seems *ery well established that that is not the case$ There are numerous
stories, precedin/ 4rom *ery respectable quarters, pro*in/ the contrary5 and I
ha*e heard two 4rom a di/nitary o4 the church, born in .ales, which I will relate$
0 4emale relation o4 his had occasion to /o to 0berystwith, which was about
twenty miles 4rom her home, on horsebac5 and she started at a *ery early hour
4or that purpose, with her 4ather's ser*ant$ .hen they had nearly reached the
hal4"way, 4earin/ the man mi/ht be wanted at home, she bade him return, as she
was approachin/ the spot where the ser*ant o4 the lady she was /oin/ to *isit,
was to meet her, in order to escort her the other hal4$ The man had not lon/ le4t
her, when she saw a li/ht comin/ towards her, the nature o4 which she
suspected5 it mo*ed, accordin/ to her description, steadily on, about three 4eet
4rom the /round$ )omewhat awestruc, she turned her horse out o4 the bridle"
road, alon/ which it was comin/, intendin/ to wait till it had passed5 but, to her
dismay, 8ust as it came opposite to her, it stopped, and there remained per4ectly
4i7ed 4or nearly hal4 an hour5 at the end o4 which period, it mo*ed on as be4ore$
The ser*ant presently came up, and she proceeded to the house o4 her 4riend,
where she related what she had seen$ 0 4ew days a4terwards, the *ery ser*ant
who came to meet her, was taen ill and died5 his body was carried alon/ that
road5 and at the *ery spot where the li/ht had paused, an accident occurred,
which caused a delay o4 hal4 an hour$
The other story was as 4ollowsA " 0 ser*ant in the 4amily o4 %ady -a*is, my
in4ormant's aunt, had occasion to start early 4or maret$ 9ein/ in the itchen,
about three o'cloc in the mornin/, tain/ his brea4ast alone, when e*erybody
else was in bed, he was surprised at hearin/ a sound o4 hea*y 4eet on the stairs
abo*e5 and openin/ the door to see who it could be, he was struc with alarm at
percei*in/ a /reat li/ht, much bri/hter than could ha*e been shed by a candle, at
the same time that he heard a *iolent thump, as i4 some *ery hea*y body had hit
the cloc, which stood on the landin/$ 0ware o4 the nature o4 the li/ht, the man
did not await its 4urther descent, but rushed out o4 the house5 whence he
presently saw it issue 4rom the 4ront door, and proceed on its way to the
churchyard$
0s his mistress, %ady -$, was at that period in her bed, ill, he made no doubt that
her death impended5 and when he returned 4rom the maret at ni/ht, his 4irst
question was whether she was yet ali*e5 and thou/h he was in4ormed she was
better, he declared his con*iction that she would die, alle/in/ as his reason what
he had seen in the mornin/5 a narration which led e*erybody else to the same
conclusion$
The lady howe*er reco*ered5 but within a 4ortni/ht, another member o4 the 4amily
died5 and as his co44in was brou/ht down the stairs, the bearers ran it *iolently
a/ainst the cloc5 upon which the man instantly e7claimed, "That is the *ery
noise I heard!"
I could relate numerous stories wherein the appearance o4 a /host was
accompanied by a li/ht, but as there is nothin/ that distin/uishes them 4rom
those abo*e"mentioned, I will not dilate 4urther on this branch o4 the sub8ect, on
which, perhaps, I ha*e said enou/h to su//est to the minds o4 my readers, that
althou/h we now little how such thin/s are, we do now enou/h o4 anala/ous
phenomena to enable us to belie*e, at least, their possibility$
I con4ess I 4ind much less di44iculty in concei*in/ the e7istence o4 such 4acts as
those abo*e described, than those o4 another class, o4 which we meet with
occasional instances$
3or e7ample, a /entleman o4 4ortune and station, in Ireland, was one day walin/
alon/ the road, when he met a *ery old man, apparently a peasant, thou/h well
dressed, and looin/ as i4 he had on his )unday habiliments$ #is /reat a/e
attracted the /entleman's attention the more, that he could not help wonderin/ at
the alertness o4 his mo*ements, and the ease with which he was ascendin/ the
hill$ #e consequently accosted him, enquirin/ his name and residence5 and was
answered, that his name was ;irpatric, and that he li*ed at a cotta/e, which he
pointed out$ .hereupon the /entleman e7pressed his surprise that he should be
unnown to him, since he 4ancied he had been acquainted with e*ery man on his
estate$ "It is odd you ha*e ne*er seen me be4ore," returned the old man5 "4or I
wal here e*ery day$"
"#ow old are you<" ased the /entleman$
"I am one hundred and 4i*e," answered the other5 "and ha*e been here all my
li4e$"
04ter a 4ew more words, they parted5 and the /entleman proceedin/ towards
some labourers in a nei/hbourin/ 4ield, enquired i4 they new an old man o4 the
name o4 ;irpatric$ They did not5 but on addressin/ the question to some older
tenants, they said, "@h, yes5" they had nown him, and had been at his 4uneral5
he had li*ed at the cotta/e on the hill, but had been dead twenty years$
"#ow old was he when he died<" enquired the /entleman, much amaBed$ " "#e
was ei/hty"4i*e," said they5 so that the old man /a*e the a/e that he would ha*e
reached had he sur*i*ed to the period o4 this rencontre$
This curious incident is 4urnished by the /entleman himsel4, and all he can say is,
that it certainly occurred, and that he is quite unable to e7plain it$ #e was in
per4ect health at the time, and had ne*er heard o4 this man in his li4e, who had
been dead se*eral years be4ore the estate came into his possession$
The 4ollowin/ is another curious story$ The ori/inal will be 4ound in the ?e/ister o4
the church named, 4rom which it has been copied 4or my useA "
:7tract 4rom the ?e/ister in 9risley Church, &or4ol$
"-ecember 12th, 1'I>$ " I ?obert .ithers, ($0$ *icar o4 6ately, do insert here a
story which I had 4rom undoubted hands5 4or I ha*e all the moral certainty o4 the
truth o4 it possibleA "
"(r 6rose went to see (r$ )haw on the 2nd o4 0u/ust last$ 0s they sat talin/ in
the e*enin/, says (r$ )haw '@n the 21st$ o4 the last month, as I was smoin/ a
pipe, and readin/ in my study, between ele*en and twel*e at ni/ht, in comes (r$
&aylor E4ormerly 3ellow o4 )t$ Dohn's Colle/e, but had been dead 4ull 4our years$G
.hen I saw him I was not much a44ri/hted, and I ased him to sit down, which
accordin/ly he did 4or about two hours, and we taled to/ether$ I ased him how
it 4ared with him< he said 'Very well$' '.ere any o4 our old acquaintance with
him<' '&o!' Eat which I was much concernedG 'but (r$ @rchard will be with me
soon and yoursel4 not lon/ a4ter$' 0s he was /oin/ away I ased him i4 he would
not stay a little lon/er, but he re4used$ I ased him i4 he would call a/ain$ '&o5' he
had but three days lea*e o4 absence, and he had other business$
"&$9$ " (r$ @rchard died soon a4ter$ (r$ )haw is now dead, he was 4ormerly
3ellow o4 )t$ Dohn's Colle/e, an in/enious /ood man$ I new him there5 but at his
death he had a colle/e li*in/ in @74ordshire, and here he saw the apparition$"
0n e7traordinary circumstance occurred some years a/o, in which a *ery pious
and *ery eminent )cotch minister, :beneBer 9rown o4 In*ereithin/ was
concerned$ 0 person o4 ill character in the nei/hbourhood, ha*in/ died, the 4amily
*ery shortly a4terwards came to him to complain, o4 some e7ceedin/ly
unpleasant circumstances connected with the room in which the dissolution had
taen place, which rendered it uninhabitable5 and requestin/ his assistance$ 0ll
that is nown by his 4amily o4 what 4ollowed is, that he went and entered the room
alone5 came out a/ain5 in a state o4 considerable e7citement and in a /reat
perspiration5 too o44 his coat, and re"entered the room5 a /reat noise, and, I
belie*e *oices were then heard by the 4amily, who remained durin/ the whole
time at the door5 when he came out 4inally, it was e*ident that somethin/ *ery
e7traordinary had taen place5 what it was, he said, he could ne*er disclose5 but
that perhaps a4ter his death some paper mi/ht be 4ound upon the sub8ect$ &one,
howe*er, as 4ar I can learn, has been disco*ered$
0 circumstance o4 a *ery sin/ular nature, is asserted to ha*e occurred, not *ery
many years bac in re/ard to a pro4essor in the Colle/e o4 0""", who had
seduced a /irl and a4terwards married another woman$ The /irl became
troublesome to him, and bein/ 4ound murdered a4ter ha*in/ been last seen in his
company, he was suspected o4 bein/ some way concerned in the crime5 but the
stran/e thin/ is, that, 4rom that period, he retired e*ery e*enin/ at a particular
hour to a certain room, where he staid /reat part o4 the ni/ht, and where it was
declared that her *oice was distinctly heard in con*ersation with him$ 0 stran/e
wild story, which I /i*e as I ha*e it, without pretendin/ to any e7planation o4 the
belie4 that seems to ha*e pre*ailed, that he was obli/ed to eep this 4ear4ul tryst$
Visitations o4 this description, which seem to indicate that the deceased person is
still, in some way incomprehensible to us, an inhabitant o4 the earth, are more
perple7in/ than any o4 the stories I meet with$ In the time o4 3rederic II$ o4
1russia, the coo o4 a Catholic priest, residin/ at a *illa/e named Nuarrey, died,
and he too another in her place5 but the poor woman had no peace or rest 4rom
the inter4erence o4 her predecessor, insomuch that she resi/ned her situation,
and the minister mi/ht almost ha*e done without any ser*ant at all$ The 4ires
were li/hted, and the rooms swept and arran/ed, and all the need4ul ser*ices
per4ormed, by unseen hands$ &umbers o4 people went to witness the
phenomena, till, at len/th, the story reached the ears o4 the ;in/5 who sent a
captain and a lieutenant o4 his /uard to in*esti/ate the a44air$ 0s they approached
the house, they 4ound themsel*es preceded by a march, thou/h they could see
no musicians, and when they entered the parlour and witnessed what was /oin/
on, the captain e7claimed, "I4 that doesn't beat the de*il!" upon which he recei*ed
a smart slap on the 4ace, 4rom the in*isible hand that was arran/in/ the 4urniture$
In consequence o4 this a44air, the house was pulled down, by the ;in/'s orders,
and another residence built 4or the minister, at some distance 4rom the spot$
&ow, to impose on 3rederic II$ would ha*e been no sli/ht matter, as re/arded
the probable consequences5 and the o44icers o4 his /uard would certainly not
ha*e been disposed to mae the e7periment5 and it is not liely that the ;in/
would ha*e ordered the house to be pulled down without bein/ thorou/hly
satis4ied o4 the truth o4 the story$
@ne o4 the most remarable stories o4 this class I now, e7ceptin/ indeed the
4amous one o4 the 6recian bride, is that which is said to ha*e happened at
Crossen, in )ilesia, in the year 1>KF, in the rei/n o4 the 1rincess :liBabeth
Charlotta$ In the sprin/ o4 that year, an apothecary's man, called Christopher
(oni/, a nati*e o4 )erbest, in 0nhalt, died, and was buried with the usual
ceremonies o4 the %utheran Church$ 9ut to the amaBement o4 e*erybody 5 a 4ew
days a4terwards, he, at least what appeared to be himsel4, appeared in the shop,
where he would sit himsel4 down, and sometimes wal, and tae bo7es, pots,
and /lasses 4rom the shel*es, and set them a/ain in other places5 sometimes
tryin/ and e7aminin/ the /oodness o4 the medicinesA wei/h them with the scales,
pound the dru/s with a mi/hty noise5 nay, ser*e the people that came with bills to
the shop, tae their money and lay it up in the counter5 in a word, do all thin/s
that a 8ourneyman in such cases used to do$ #e looed *ery /hostly upon his
4ormer companions, who were a4raid to say anythin/ to him, and his master
bein/ sic at that time, he was *ery troublesome to him$ 0t last, he too a cloa
that hun/ in the shop, put it on and waled abroad, but mindin/ nobody in the
streets5 he entered into some o4 the citiBen's houses, especially such as he had
4ormerly nown, yet spoe to no one, but to a maid ser*ant, whom he met with
hard by the churchyard, whom he desired to /o home and di/ in a lower chamber
o4 her master's house, where she would 4ind an inestimable treasure$ 9ut the /irl,
amaBed at the si/ht o4 him, swooned away5 whereupon he li4ted her up, but le4t a
mar upon her in so doin/, that was lon/ *isible$ )he 4ell sic in consequence o4
the 4ri/ht, and ha*in/ told what (oni/ had said to her, they du/ up the place
indicated, but 4ound nothin/ but a decayed pot with an hemarites or bloodstone
in it$ The a44air main/ a /reat noise, the rei/nin/ 1rincess caused the man's
body to be taen up, which bein/ done, it was 4ound in a state o4 putre4action,
and was re"interred$ The apothecary was then recommended to remo*e
e*erythin/ belon/in/ to (oni/5 his linen, clothes, boos, etc$$, a4ter which, the
apparition le4t the house and was seen no more$
The 4act o4 the man's re"appearance in this manner, was considered to be so
per4ectly established at the time, that there was actually a public disputation on
the sub8ect, in the 0cademy o4 %eipsic$ .ith re/ard to the importance the
apparition attached to the bloodstone, we do not now but that there may be truth
in the persuasion, that this /em is possessed o4 some occult properties o4 much
more *alue than its beauty$
The story o4 the 6recian bride, is still more wonder4ul, and yet it comes to us
surprisin/ly well authenticated, inasmuch as the details were 4orwarded by the
pre4ect o4 the city, in which the thin/ occurred, to the pro"consul o4 his pro*ince5
and by the latter were laid be4ore the :mperor #adrian5 and as it was not the
custom to mysti4y ?oman :mperors, we are constrained to belie*e that what the
pre4ect and pro"consul communicated to him, they had /ood reason 4or belie*in/
themsel*es$
It appears that a /entleman, called -emostratos, and Charito, his wi4e, had a
dau/hter called 1hilinnion, who died5 and that about si7 months a4terwards, a
youth named (achates, who had come to *isit them, was surprised, on retirin/ to
the apartments destined to stran/ers, by recei*in/ the *isits o4 a youn/ maiden,
who eats and drins, and e7chan/es /i4ts with him$ )ome accident ha*in/ taen
the nurse that way, she, amaBed by the si/ht, summons her master and mistress
to behold their dau/hter, who is there sittin/ with the /uest$
@4 course, they do not belie*e her5 but at len/th wearied by her importunities the
mother 4ollows her to the /uest's chamber5 but the youn/ people are now asleep
and the door closed5 but looin/ throu/h the eyhole, she percei*es what she
belie*es to be her dau/hter$ )till unable to credit her senses, she resol*es to wait
till mornin/, be4ore disturbin/ them5 but when she comes a/ain, the youn/ lady
has departed5 whilst (achates, on bein/ interro/ated, con4esses, that 1hilinnion
had been with him, but that she had admitted to him that it was unnown to her
parents$ Cpon this, the amaBement and a/itation o4 the mother were naturally
*ery /reat5 especially when (achates showed her a rin/ which the /irl had /i*en
him, and a bodice which she had le4t behind her5 and his amaBement was no
less, when he heard the story they had to tell$ #e howe*er promised that i4 she
returned the ne7t ni/ht, he would let them see her5 4or he 4ound it impossible to
belie*e that his bride was their dead dau/hter$ #e suspected, on the contrary,
that some thie*es had stripped her body o4 the clothes and ornaments in which
she had been buried, and that the /irl who came to his room, had bou/ht them$
.hen there4ore she arri*ed, his ser*ant ha*in/ had orders, to summon the 4ather
and mother, they came5 and percei*in/ that it was really their dau/hter they 4ell
to embracin/ her, with tears$ 9ut she reproached them 4or the intrusion, declarin/
that she had been permitted to spend three days with this stran/er, in the house
o4 her birth5 but that now she must /o to the appointed place5 and immediately
4ell down dead, and the dead body lay there *isible to all$
The news o4 this stran/e e*ent soon spread abroad, the house was surrounded
by crowds o4 people and the pre4ect was obli/ed to tae measures to pre*ent a
tumult$ @n the 4ollowin/ mornin/ at an early hour the inhabitants assembled in
the theatre, and 4rom thence they proceeded to the *ault, in order to ascertain i4
the body o4 1hilinuion was where it had been deposited si7 months be4ore$ It was
not5 but on the bier there lay the rin/ and cap which (achates had presented to
her the 4irst ni/ht she *isited him5 showin/ that she had returned there in the
interim$ They then proceeded to the house o4 -emocrates, where they saw the
body which it was decreed must now be buried without the bounds o4 the city$
&umerous reli/ious ceremonies and sacri4ices 4ollowed, and the un4ortunate
(achates, seiBed with horror, put an end to his own li4e$
The 4ollowin/ *ery sin/ular circumstance occurred in this country towards the
latter end o4 the last century5 and e7cited, at the time, considerable attention5 the
more so, as it was asserted by e*erybody acquainted with the people and the
locality, that the remo*al o4 the body was impossible, by any reco/niBed means5
besides that no one would ha*e had the hardihood to attempt such a 4eatA "
"(r$ .illiam Ciai/head, author o4 a popular system o4 arithmetic, was parish
schoolmaster o4 (oni4ieth, situate upon the estuary o4 the Tay, about si7 miles
east 4rom -undee$ It would appear that (r$ Crai/head was then a youn/ man,
4ond o4 a 4rolic, without bein/ *ery scrupulous about the means, or calculatin/ the
consequences$ There bein/ a lyewae in the nei/hbourhood, attended by a
number o4 his acquaintance, accordin/ to the custom o4 the times5 Crai/head
procured a con4ederate, with whom he concerted a plan to draw the watchers
4rom the house, or at least 4rom the room where the corpse lay$ #a*in/
succeeded in this, he de7terously remo*ed the dead body to an outer house,
while his companion occupied the place o4 the corpse in the bed where it had
lain$ It was a/reed upon between the con4ederates, that when the company was
reassembled, Crai/head was to 8oin them, and at a concerted si/nal, the
impostor was to rise, shrouded lie the dead man$ while the two were to en8oy
the terror and alarm o4 their companions$
"(r$ C$ came in, and a4ter bein/ some time seated, the si/nal was made, but met
no attention5 he was rather surprised5 it was repeated, and still ne/lected$ (r$ C$,
in his turn, now became alarmed5 4or he concei*ed it impossible that his
companion could ha*e 4allen asleep in that situation5 his uneasiness became
insupportable5 he went to the bed, and 4ound his 4riend li4eless! (r$ C$'s 4eelin/s,
as may well be ima/ined, now entirely o*erpowered him, and the dread4ul 4act
was disclosed5 their a/itation was e7treme, and it was 4ar 4rom bein/ alle*iated
when e*ery attempt to restore animation to the thou/htless youn/ man pro*ed
aborti*e 0s soon as their con4usion would permit, an enquiry was made a4ter the
ori/inal corpse, and (r$ C$ and another went to 4etch it in, but it was not to be
4ound$ The alarm and consternation o4 the company was now redoubled5 4or
some time, a 4ew suspected that some hardy 4ellow amon/ them had been
attemptin/ a ?owland 4or an @li*er5 but when e*ery nowled/e o4 it was most
solemnly denied by all present, their situation can be more easily ima/ined than
described5 that o4 (r$ C$ was little short o4 distraction5 dayli/ht came without
relie*in/ their a/itation5 no trace o4 the corpse could be disco*ered, and (r$ C$
was accused as the primum mo#ile o4 all that had happenedA he was incapable
o4 sleepin/, and wandered se*eral days and ni/hts in search o4 the body, which
was at last disco*ered in the parish o4 Tealin/, deposited in a 4ield about si7
miles distant 4rom the place 4rom whence it was remo*ed$"
"It is related, that this e7traordinary a44air had a stron/ and lastin/ e44ect upon (r$
C$'s mind and conduct5 that he immediately became serious and thou/ht4ul, and
e*er a4ter conducted himsel4 with /reat prudence and sobriety$"
0mon/st what are called superstitions, there are a /reat many curious ones,
attached to certain 4amilies5 and 4rom some members o4 these 4amilies, I ha*e
been assured, that e7perience has rendered it impossible 4or them to 4orbear
attachin/ importance to these persuasions$
0 *ery remarable circumstance occurred lately in this part o4 the world, the 4acts
o4 which I had an opportunity o4 bein/ well acquainted with$
@ne e*enin/, somewhere about Christmas, o4 the year 1+,,, a letter was sent
4or my perusal, which had been 8ust recei*ed 4rom a member o4 a distin/uished
4amily, in 1erthshire$ The 4riend who sent it me, an eminent literary man, said,
"?ead the enclosed5 and we shall now ha*e an opportunity o4 obser*in/ i4 any
e*ent 4ollows the pro/nostics$" The in4ormation, contained in the letter, was to the
4ollowin/ e44ectA "
(iss -$ a relati*e o4 the present %ady C$, who had been stayin/ some time with
the :arl and Countess, at their seat, near -undee, was in*ited to spend a 4ew
days at C""" Castle, with the :arl and Countess o4 0$ )he wentA and whilst she
was dressin/ 4or dinner, the 4irst e*enin/ o4 her arri*al, she heard a strain o4
music under her window, which 4inally resol*ed itsel4 into a well de4ined sound o4
a drum$ .hen her maid came upstairs, she made some enquiries about the
drummer that was playin/ near the house5 but the maid new nothin/ on the
sub8ect$ 3or the moment, the circumstance passed 4rom (iss -$'s mind5 but
recurrin/ to her a/ain durin/ the dinner, she said, addressin/ %ord 0$, "(y %ord,
who is your drummer<" upon which his lordship turned pale, %ady 0$ looed
distressed, and se*eral o4 the company, who all heard the question,
embarrassed5 whilst the lady, percei*in/ that she had made some unpleasant
allusion, althou/h she new not to what their 4eelin/s re4erred, 4orebore 4urther
enquiry till she reached the drawin/"room5 when, ha*in/ mentioned the
circumstance a/ain to a member o4 the 4amily, she was answered, ".hat! ha*e
you ne*er heard o4 the drummer"boy!" "&o5" replied (iss -$, "who in the world is
he<" ".hy," replied the other, "he is a person who /oes about the house playin/
his drum, whene*er there is a death impendin/ in the 4amily$ The last time he
was heard, was shortly be4ore the death o4 the last Countess Ethe :arl's 4ormer
wi4eG, and that is why %ord 0$ became so pale when you mentioned it$ The
drummer is a *ery unpleasant sub8ect in this 4amily, I assure you!"
(iss -$ was naturally much concerned and, indeed, not a little 4ri/htened at this
e7planation, and her alarm bein/ au/mented by hearin/ the sounds on the
4ollowin/ day, she too her departure 4rom C""" Castle and returned to %ord C$'s,
stoppin/ on her way to call on some 4riends, where she related this stran/e
circumstance to the 4amily, throu/h whom the in4ormation reached me$
This a44air was *ery /enerally nown in the north, and we awaited the e*ent with
interest$ The melancholy death o4 the Countess about 4i*e or si7 months
a4terwards, at 9ri/hton, sadly *eri4ied the pro/nostic$ I ha*e heard that a paper
was 4ound in her des a4ter her death, declarin/ her con*iction that the dream
was 4or her5 and it has been su//ested that probably the thin/ preyed upon her
mind and caused the catastrophe5 but in the 4irst place, 4rom the mode o4 her
death, that does not appear to be the case5 in the second, e*en i4 it were, the 4act
o4 the *eri4ication o4 the pro/nostic remains una44ected5 besides, which those who
insist upon tain/ re4u/e in this hypothesis, are bound to admit, that be4ore
people li*in/ in the world, lie %ord and %ady 0$, could attach so much
importance to the pro/nostic as to entail such 4atal e44ects, they must ha*e had
*ery /ood reason 4or belie*in/ in it$
The le/end connected with the drummer is, that either himsel4, or some o44icer
whose emissary he was, had become an ob8ect o4 8ealousy to a 4ormer %ord 0$,
and that he was put to death by bein/ thrust into his own drum and 4lun/ 4rom the
window o4 the tower in which (iss -$'s room was situated$ It is said, that he
threatened to haunt them i4 they too his li4e5 and he seems to ha*e been as
/ood as his word, ha*in/ been heard se*eral times in the memory o4 persons yet
li*in/$
There is a curious le/end attached to the 4amily o4 6$ o4 ?$, to the e44ect, that
when a lady is con4ined in that house, a little old woman enters the room when
the nurse is absent and stroes down the bed"clothes5 a4ter which, the patient
accordin/ to the technical phrase "ne*er does any /ood," and dies$ .hether the
old lady has paid her *isits or not, I do not now5 but it is remarable, that the
results attendin/ se*eral late con4inements there, ha*e been 4atal$
There was a le/end in a certain 4amily, that a sin/le swan was always seen on a
particular lae be4ore a death$ 0 member o4 this 4amily told me, that on one
occasion, the 4ather, bein/ a widower, was about to enter into a second
marria/e$ @n the weddin/ day, his son, appeared so e7ceedin/ly distressed, that
the bride/room was o44ended, and e7postulatin/ with him, was told by the youn/
man, that his low spirits were caused by his ha*in/ seen the swan$ #e, the son,
died that ni/ht quite une7pectedly$
9esides %ord %ittleton's do*e, there are a /reat many *ery curious stories
recorded in which birds ha*e been seen in a room when a death was impendin/5
but the most e7traordinary pro/nostic I now is that o4 the blac do/, which
seems to be attached to some 4amiliesA "
0 youn/ lady o4 the name o4 1$ not lon/ since was sittin/ at wor, well and
cheer4ul, when she saw to her /reat surprise a lar/e blac do/ close to her$ 0s
both door and window were closed, she could not understand how he had /ot in,
but when she started up to put him out, she could no lon/er see him$ Nuite
puBBled and thinin/ it must be some stran/e illusion, she set down a/ain and
went on with her wor, when, presently, he was there a/ain$ (uch alarmed she
now ran out and told her mother, who said she must ha*e 4ancied it, or be ill$ )he
declared neither was the case, and to obli/e her, the mother a/reed to wait
outside the door, and i4 she saw it a/ain, she was to call her$ (iss 1$ re"entered
the room and presently there was the do/ a/ain5 but when she called her mother,
he disappeared$ Immediately a4terwards, the mother was taen suddenly ill and
died$ 9e4ore she e7pired, she said to her dau/hter, "?emember the blac do/!"
I con4ess, I should ha*e been much disposed to thin this a spectral illusion,
were it not 4or the number o4 corroborati*e instances5 and I ha*e only this
mornin/ read in the re*iew o4 a wor called "The Cnseen .orld," 8ust published,
that there is a 4amily in Cornwall who are also warned o4 an approachin/ death
by the apparition o4 a blac do/, and a *ery curious e7ample is quoted, in which
a lady newly married into the 4amily, and nowin/ nothin/ o4 the tradition, came
down 4rom the nursery to request her husband would /o up and dri*e away a
blac do/ that was lyin/ on the child's bed$ #e went up and 4ound the child dead$
I wonder i4 this phenomenon is the ori/in o4 the 3rench phrase #ete noire, to
e7press an annoyance, or an au/ury o4 e*il$
(ost persons will remember the story o4 %ady 3anshawe, as related by hersel45
namely that whilst payin/ a *isit to %ady #onor @'9rien, she was awaened the
4irst ni/ht she slept there, by a *oice, and on drawin/ bac the curtain she saw a
4emale 4i/ure standin/ in the recess o4 the window attired in white, with red hair
and a pale and /hastly aspect5 ")he looed out o4 the window," says %ady
3anshawe, "and cried in aloud *oice, such as I ne*er be4ore heard, '0 #orse! 0
#orse! 0 #orse!' and then with a si/h, which rather resembled the wind than the
*oice o4 a human bein/, she disappeared$ #er body appeared to me rather lie a
thic cloud than a real solid substance$ I was so 4ri/htened," she continues, "that
my hair stood on end and my ni/ht cap 4ell o44$ I pushed and shoo my husband,
who had slept all the time, and who was *ery much surprised to 4ind me in such a
4ri/ht, and still more so when I told him the cause o4 it and showed him the open
window$ &either o4 us slept any more that ni/ht, but he taled to me ahout it, and
told me how much more 4requent such apparitions were in that country than in
:n/land$" This was, howe*er, what is called a 9anshee, 4or in the mornin/ %ady
#onor came to them, to say, that one o4 the 4amily had died in the ni/ht,
e7pressin/ a hope that they had not been disturbed5 4or said she, "whene*er any
o4 the @'9riens is on his deathbed it is usual 4or a woman to appear at one o4 the
windows e*ery ni/ht till he e7pires5 but when I put you into this room I did not
thin o4 it$" This apparition was connected with some sad tale o4 seduction and
murder$
I could relate many more instances o4 this ind, but I wish as much as possible to
a*oid repeatin/ cases already in print5 so I will conclude this chapter with the
4ollowin/ account o4 1earlin Dean, whose perse*erin/ annoyances, at 0llanban
were so thorou/hly belie*ed and established, as to ha*e 4ormed at *arious times
a considerable impediment to lettin/ the place$ I am indebted to (r$ Charles
;irpatric )harpe 4or the account o4 Dean and the anecdote that 4ollows$
0 houseeeper, called 9etty &orrie, that li*ed many years at 0llanban, declared
she and *arious other people had 4requently seen Dean, addin/ that they were so
used to her, as to be no lon/er alarmed at her noises$
"In my youth," says (r$ )harpe, "1earlin Dean was the most remarable /host in
)cotland, and my terror when a child$ @ur old nurse, Denny 9lacadder, had
been a ser*ant at 0llanban, and o4ten heard her rustlin/ in sils up and down
stairs, and alon/ the passa/e$ )he ne*er saw her5 but her husband did$
")he was a 3rench woman, whom the 4irst baronet o4 0llanban, then (r$ )tuart,
met with at 1aris, durin/ his tour to 4inish his education as a /entleman$ )ome
people said she was a nun5 in which case she must ha*e been a )ister o4
Charity, as she appears not to ha*e been con4ined to a cloister$ 04ter some time,
youn/ )tuart either became 4aithless to the lady, or was suddenly recalled to
)cotland by his parents, and had /ot into his carria/e, at the door o4 the hotel,
when his -ido une7pectedly made her appearance, and steppin/ on the 4ore"
wheel o4 the coach to address her lo*er, he ordered the postilion to dri*e on5 the
consequence o4 which was that the lady 4ell, and one o4 the wheels /oin/ o*er
her 4orehead, illed her$
"In a dusy autumnal e*enin/, when (r$ )tuart dro*e under the arched /ateway
o4 0llanban, he percei*ed 1earlin Dean sittin/ on the top, her head and
shoulders co*ered with blood$
"04ter this, 4or many years, the house was haunted5 doors shut and opened with
/reat noise at midni/ht5 the rustlin/ o4 sils, and patterin/ o4 hi/h"heeled shoes
were heard in bedrooms and passa/es$ &urse Denny said there were se*en
ministers called in to/ether at one time, to lay the spirit5 'but they did no micle
/ood, my dear$'
"The picture o4 the /host was hun/ between those o4 her lo*er and his lady, and
ept her comparati*ely quiet5 but when taen away, she became worse natured
than e*er$ This portrait was in the present )ir D$ 6$'s possession$ I am unwillin/ to
record its 4ate$
"The /host was desi/nated 1earlin, 4rom always wearin/ a /reat quantity o4 that
sort o4 lace$M
""""""""""""
M 0 species o4 lace made o4 thread$ " 4amieson$
""""""""""""
"&urse Denny told me that when Thomas 9lacadder was her lo*er EI remember
Thomas *ery wellG, they made an assi/nation to meet one moonli/ht ni/ht in the
orchard at 0llanban$ True Thomas, o4 coarse, was the 4irst comer5 and seein/ a
4emale 4i/ure, in a li/ht coloured dress, at some distance, he ran 4orward with
open arms to embrace his Denny5 lo, and behold! as he neared the spot where
the 4i/ure stood, it *anished5 and presently he saw it a/ain at the *ery end o4 the
orchard, a considerable way o44$ Thomas went home in a 4ri/ht5 but Denny, who
came last, and saw nothin/, 4or/a*e him, and they were married$
"(any years a4ter this, about the year 1'FI, two ladies paid a *isit at 0llanban$ I
thin the house was then let and passed a ni/ht there$ They had ne*er heard a
word about the /host5 but they were disturbed the whole ni/ht with somethin/
walin/ bacwards and 4orwards in their bed"chamber$ This I had 4rom the best
authority$
")ir ?obert )tuart was created a baronet in the year 1>+'$
"%ady )tapleton, /randmother o4 the late %ord %e -espencer, told me, that the
ni/ht %ady )usan 3ane, %ord .estmoreland's dau/hter, died in %ondon, she
appeared to her 4ather, then at (erriworth, in ;ent$ #e was in bed, but had not
4allen asleep$ There was a li/ht in the room5 she came in, and sat down on a
chair at the 4oot o4 the bed$ #e said to her, '6ood 6od, )usan! how came you
here< .hat has brou/ht you 4rom town<' )he made no answer5 but rose directly,
and went to the door, and looed bac towards him *ery earnestly5 then she
retired, shuttin/ the door behind her$ The ne7t mornin/ he had notice o4 her
death$ This, %ord .estmoreland himsel4 told to %ady )tapleton, who was by birth
a 3ane, and his near relation$"
"""""""""""
*hapter 2 ( Apparitions See%ing the Prayers of the Li$ing.
.ith re/ard to the appearance o4 /hosts, the 4requency o4 haunted houses,
presentiments, pro/nostics, and dreams, i4 we come to enquire closely, it
appears to me that all parts o4 the world are much on an equality, only that where
people are most en/a/ed in business or pleasure these thin/s are, in the 4irst
place, less thou/ht o4, and less belie*ed in, consequently less obser*ed5 and
when they are obser*ed, they are readily e7plained awayA and, in the second
place, where the e7ternal li4e the li4e o4 the brain, wholly pre*ails, either they do
not happen, or they are not percei*ed " the rapport not e7istin/, or the recepti*e
4aculty bein/ obscured$
9ut althou/h the abo*e phenomena seem to be equally well nown in all
countries, there is one peculiar class o4 apparitions, o4 which I meet with no
records but in 6ermany$ I allude to /hosts, who, lie those described in the
")eeress o4 1re*orst," see the prayers o4 the li*in/$ In spite o4 the positi*e
assertions o4 ;erner, :schenmayer, and others, that a4ter ne/lectin/ no means
to in*esti/ate the a44air, they had been 4orced into the con*iction, that the
spectres that 4requented 3rederica #au44e were not sub8ecti*e illusions, but real
outstandin/ 4orms, still, as she was in the somnambulic state, many persons
remain persuaded that the whole thin/ was delusion$ It is true, that as those
parties were not there, and as all those who did /o to the spot, came to a
di44erent conclusion, this opinion bein/ only the result o4 preconcei*ed notions or
pre8udices, and not o4 calm in*esti/ation, is o4 no *alue whate*er5 ne*ertheless, it
is not to be denied, that these narrations are *ery e7traordinary5 but perple7in/
as they are, they by no means stand alone$
I 4ind many similar ones noticed in *arious wors, where there has been no
somnambule in question$ In all cases, these un4ortunate spirits appear to ha*e
been waitin/ 4or someone with whom they could establish a rapport, so as to be
able to communicate with them5 and this waitin/ has sometimes endured a
century or more$ )ometimes, they are seen by only one person, at other times,
by se*eral, with *aryin/ de/rees o4 distinctness, appearin/ to one as a li/ht, to
another as a shadowy 4i/ure, and to a third as a de4ined human 4orm$ @ther
testimonies o4 their presence, as sounds, 4ootsteps, li/hts, *isible remo*in/ o4
solid articles without a *isible a/ent, odours, etc$, are /enerally percei*ed by
many5 in short, the sounds seem audible to all who come to the spot, with the
e7ception o4 the *oice, which, in most instances, is only heard by the person with
whom the rapport is chie4ly established$
)ome cases are related, where a mar lie burnin/ is le4t on the articles seen to
be li4ted$ This is an old persuasion, and has /i*en rise to many a 8oe5 but upon
the hypothesis I ha*e o44ered, the thin/ is simple enou/h5 the mar will probably
be o4 the same nature as that le4t by the electrical 4luid5 and it is this particular,
and the li/hts that o4ten accompany spirits, that ha*e caused the notion o4
material 4lames, sulphur, brimstone, and so 4orth, to be connected with the idea
o4 a 4uture state$ 0ccordin/ to our *iews, there can be no di44iculty in concei*in/,
that a happy and blessed spirit would emit a mild radiance5 whilst an/er or
mali/nity would necessarily alter the character o4 the e44ul/ence$
0s whoe*er wishes to see a number o4 these cases may ha*e recourse to my
translation o4 the ")eeresso4 1re*orst," I will here only relate one, o4 a *ery
remarable nature, that occurred in the prison o4 .einsber/, in the year 1+=K$
-r$ ;erner, who has published a little *olume, containin/ a report o4 the
circumstances, describes the place where the thin/ happened, to be such an one
as ne/ati*es, at once, all possibility o4 tric or imposture$ It was in a sort o4 bloc"
house or 4ortress " a prison within a prison " with no windows but what looed into
a narrow court or passa/e, which passa/e was closed with se*eral doors$ It was
on the second 4loor5 the windows bein/ hi/h up, hea*ily barred with iron, and
immo*eable without considerable mechanical 4orce$ The e7ternal prison is
surrounded by a hi/h wall and the /ates are ept closed day and ni/ht$ The
prisoners in di44erent apartments are o4 course, ne*er allowed to communicate
with each other, and the deputy"/o*ernor o4 the prison and his 4amily, consistin/
o4 a wi4e and niece, and one maid"ser*ant, are described as people o4
unimpeachable respectability and *eracity$ 0s depositions re/ardin/ this a44air
were laid be4ore the ma/istrates5 it is on them I 4ound my narration$
@n the 12th )eptember, 1+=K, the deputy"/o*ernor, or eeper, o4 the 8ail, named
(ayer, sent in a report to the ma/istrates, that a woman called :liBabeth
:slin/er, was e*ery ni/ht *isited by a /host, which /enerally came about ele*en
o'cloc, and which le4t her no rest, as it said, she was destined to release it5 and it
always in*ited her to 4ollow it5 and as she would not, it pressed hea*ily on her
nec and side, till it /a*e her pain$ The persons con4ined with her, pretended also
to ha*e seen this apparition$
E)i/nedG "(ayer$"
0 woman named ?osina )chahl, condemned to ei/ht days' con4inement 4or
abusi*e lan/ua/e, deposed, that about ele*en o'cloc, :slin/er be/an to breathe
hard, as i4 she was su44ocatin/5 she said, a /host was with her, seein/ his
sal*ation$ "I did not trouble mysel4 about it, but told her to wae me when it came
a/ain$ %ast ni/ht I saw a shadowy 4orm, between 4our and 4i*e 4eet hi/h, standin/
near the bed5 I did not see it mo*e$ :slin/er breathed *ery hard, and complained
o4 a pressure on the side$ 3or se*eral days she has neither ate or dran
anythin/$
E)i/nedG ")chahl$"
"Court ?esol*es
"That :slin/er is to be *isited by the prison physician, and a report made as to
her mental and bodily health$
")i/ned by the (a/istrates,
":chardt, Theurer, ;norr$
"?eport
"#a*in/ e7amined the prisoner, :liBabeth :slin/er, con4ined here since the
be/innin/ o4 )eptember, I 4ound her o4 sound mind, but possessed with one 4i7ed
idea, namely, that she is, and has been 4or a considerable time, troubled by an
apparition, which lea*es her no rest, comin/ chie4ly by ni/ht, and requirin/ her
prayers to release it$ It *isited her be4ore she came to the prison, and was the
cause o4 the o44ence that brou/ht her here$ #a*in/ now, in compliance with the
orders o4 the )upreme Court, obser*ed this woman 4or ele*en wees, I am led to
the conclusion that there is no deception in this case, and also that the
persecution is not a mere monomaniacal idea o4 her own, and the testimony not
only o4 her 4ellow prisoners, but that o4 the deputy"/o*ernor's 4amily, and e*en o4
persons in distant houses, con4irms me in this persuasion$
":slin/er is a widow, a/ed thirty"ei/ht years, and declares that she ne*er had
any sicness whate*er5 neither is she aware o4 any at present5 but she has
always been a /host"seer, thou/h ne*er till lately had any communication with
them$ That, now, 4or ele*en wees that she has been in the prison, she is ni/htly
disturbed by an apparition, that had pre*iously *isited her in her own house, and
which had been once seen, also, by a /irl o4 4ourteen, a statement which this /irl
con4irms$ .hen at home, the apparition did not appear in a de4ined human 4orm,
but as a pillar o4 cloud, out o4 which proceeded a hollow *oice, si/ni4yin/ to her
that she was to release it, by her prayers 4rom the cellar o4 a woman in
.immenthal, named )in/haasin, whither it was banished, or whence it could not
4ree itsel4$ )he, :slin/er, says that she did not then *enture to spea to it, not
nowin/ whether to address it as Sie, +hr, or Du, Ethat is, whether she should
address it in the second or third person, which custom, amon/st the 6ermans,
has rendered a *ery important point o4 etiquette$ It is to be remembered that this
woman was a peasant, without education, who had been brou/ht into trouble by
tain/ to treasure"seein/, a pursuit in which she hoped to be assisted by this
spirit$ This di//in/ 4or buried treasure is a stron/ passion in 6ermanyG$
"The /host now comes in a per4ect human shape, and is dressed in a loose robe,
with a /irdle, and has on its head a 4our"cornered cap$ It has a pro8ectin/ chin
and 4orehead, 4iery, deep"set eyes, a lon/ beard, and hi/h chee bones, which
loo as i4 they were co*ered with parchment$ 0 li/ht radiates about and abo*e his
head, and in the midst o4 this li/ht she sees the outlines o4 the spectre$
"9oth she and her 4ellow"prisoners declare, that this apparition comes se*eral
times in a ni/ht, but always between the e*enin/ and mornin/ bell$ #e o4ten
comes throu/h the closed door or window, but they can then see neither door or
window, or iron bars, they o4ten hear the closin/ o4 the door, and can see into the
passa/e when he comes in or out that way, so that i4 a piece o4 wood lies there,
they see it$ They hear a shu44lin/ in the passa/e as he comes and /oes$ #e most
4requently enters by the window, and they then hear a peculiar sound there$ #e
comes in quite erect$ 0lthou/h their cell is entirely closed, they 4eel a cool windM
when he is near them$
""""""""""""
M It is to be obser*ed that this is the sensation asserted to be 4elt by
?eichenbach's patients on the approach o4 the ma/net$
""""""""""""
"0ll sorts o4 noises are heard, particularly a craclin/$ .hen he is an/ry, or in
/reat trouble, they percei*e a stran/e moulderin/, earthy smell$ #e o4ten pulls
away the co*erlit, and sits on the ed/e o4 the bed$ 0t 4irst the touch o4 his hand
was icy cold, since he became bri/hter, it is warmer5 she 4irst saw the bri/htness
at his 4in/er"ends, it a4terwards spread 4urther$ I4 she stretches out her hand she
cannot 4eel him, but when he touches her, she 4eels it5 he sometimes taes her
hands and lays them to/ether, to mae her pray$ #is si/hs and /roans are lie a
person in despair5 they are heard by others as well as :slin/er$ .hilst he is
main/ these sounds, she is o4ten prayin/ aloud, or talin/ to her companions,
so they are sure it is not she who maes them$ )he does not see his mouth
mo*e when he speas$ The *oice is hollow and /aspin/$ #e comes to her 4or
prayers, and he seems to her lie one in a mortal sicness, who sees com4ort in
the prayers o4 others$ #e say she was a Catholic priest in .immenthal, and li*ed
in the year 1,1,$"
E.immenthal is still Catholic5 the woman :slin/er hersel4 is a %utheran, and
belon/s to 9acnan/$G
"#e says, that amon/st other crimes, a 4raud committed con8ointly with his 4ather,
on his brothers, presses sorely on him5 he cannot /et quit o4 it5 it obstructs him$
#e always entreated her to /o with him to .immenthal, whither he was
banished, or consi/ned, and to pray there 4or him$
")he says, she cannot tell whether what he says is true5 and does not deny that
she thou/ht to 4ind treasures by his aid$ )he has o4ten told him that the prayers
o4 a sinner, lie hersel4, cannot help him, and that he should see the ?edeemer5
but he will not 4orbear his entreaties$ .hen she says these thin/s, he is sad, and
presses nearer to her, and lays his head so close that she is obli/ed to pray into
his mouth$ #e seems hun/ry 4or prayer$ )he has o4ten 4elt his tears on her chee
and nec5 they 4elt icy cold5 but the spot soon a4ter burns, and they ha*e a bluish
red mar$ EThese mars are *isible on her sin$G
"@ne ni/ht this apparition brou/ht with him a lar/e do/, which leapt on the beds,
and was seen by her 4ellow prisoners also, who were much terri4ied, and
screamed$ The /host howe*er spoe, and said, '3ear not5 this is my 4ather$' #e
had since brou/ht the do/ with him a/ain, which alarmed them dread4ully, and
made them quite ill$
"9oth (ayer and the prisoners asserted, that :slin/er was scarcely seen to
sleep, either by ni/ht or day, 4or ten wees, she ate *ery little, prayed continually,
and appeared *ery much wasted and e7hausted$ )he said that she saw the
spectre alie, whether her eyes were open or closed, which showed that it was a
ma/netic perception, and not seeing by her bodily or/ans$ It is remarable that a
cat belon/in/ to the 8ail, bein/ shut up in this room, was so 4ri/htened when the
apparition came, that it tried to mae its escape by 4lyin/ a/ainst the wall5 and
4indin/ this impossible, it crept under the co*erlet o4 the bed, in e7treme terror$
The e7periment was made a/ain, with the same result5 and a4ter this second
time, the animal re4used all nourishment, wasted away, and died$
"In order to satis4y mysel4," says -r$ ;erner, "o4 the truth o4 these depositions, I
went to the prison on the ni/ht o4 the 1Kth @ctober, and shut mysel4 up without
li/ht in :slin/er's cell$ 0bout hal4"past ele*en I heard a sound as o4 some hard
body bein/ 4lun/ down5 but not on the side where the woman was, but the
opposite5 she immediately be/an to breathe hard, and told me the spectre was
there$ I laid my hand on her head, and ad8ured it as an e*il spirit to depart$ I had
scarcely spoen the words when there was a stran/e rattlin/, craclin/ noise all
round the walls, which 4inally seemed to /o out throu/h the window5 and the
woman said that the spectre had departed$
"@n the 4ollowin/ ni/ht it told her, that it was /rie*ed at bein/ addressed as an
e*il spirit, which it was not5 but one that deser*ed pity5 and that what it wanted,
was prayers and redemption$
"@n the 1+th @ctober, I went to the cell a/ain, between ten and ele*en, tain/
with me my wi4e, and the wi4e o4 the eeper, (adame (ayer$ .hen the woman's
breathin/ showed me the spectre was there, I laid my hand on her, and ad8ured
it, in /entle terms, not to trouble her 4urther$ The same sort o4 sound as be4ore
commenced, but it was so4ter, and this time continued all alon/ the passa/e,
where there was certainly nobody$ .e all heard it$
"@n the ni/ht o4 the 2Ith, I went a/ain, with Dustice #eyd$ .e both heard sounds
when the spectre came, and the woman could not concei*e why we did not see
it$ .e could not5 but we distinctly 4elt a cool wind blowin/ upon us, when,
accordin/ to her account it was near, althou/h there was no aperture by which
air could enter$"
@n each o4 these occasions, -r$ ;$ seems to ha*e remained about a couple o4
hours$
(adame (ayer now resol*ed to pass a ni/ht in the cell, 4or the purpose o4
obser*ation5 and she too her niece, a /irl a/ed nineteen, with her5 her report is
as 4ollowsA "
"It was a rainy ni/ht, and in the prison pitch dar5 my niece slept sometimes5 I
remained awae all ni/ht, and mostly sittin/ up in bed$
"0bout midni/ht, I saw a li/ht come in at the window5 it was a yellowish li/ht and
mo*ed slowly5 and thou/h we were closely shut in, I 4elt a cool wind blowin/ on
me$ I said to the woman, 'The /host is here, is he not<' )he said, 'Hes,' and
continued to pray, as she had been doin/ be4ore$ The cool wind and the li/ht
now approached me5 my co*erlet was quite li/ht, and I could see my hands and
arms, and at the same time I percei*ed an indescribable odour o4 putre4action,
my 4ace 4elt as i4 ants were runnin/ o*er it$ E(ost o4 the prisoners described
themsel*es as 4eelin/ the same sensation when the spectre was there$G Then the
li/ht mo*ed about, and went up and down the room5 and on the door o4 the cell, I
saw a number o4 little /limmerin/ stars, such as I had ne*er be4ore seen$
1resently, I and my niece heard a *oice which I can compare to nothin/ I e*er
heard be4ore$ It was not lie a human *oice$ The words and si/hs sounded as i4
they were drawn up out o4 a deep hollow, and appeared to ascend 4rom the 4loor
to the roo4 in a column5 whilst this *oice spoe, the woman was prayin/ aloudA so
I was sure it did not proceed 4rom her$ &o one could produce such a sound$ They
were stran/e superhuman si/hs, and entreaties 4or prayers and redemption$
"It is *ery e7traordinary, that whene*er the /host spoe, I always felt it
#eforehand$ E1ro*in/ that the spirit had been able to establish a rapport with this
person$ )he was in a ma/netic relation to him$G .e heard a craclin/ in the room
also5 I was per4ectly awae, and in possession o4 my senses, and we are ready
to mae oath to ha*in/ seen and heard these thin/s$"
@n the Fth o4 -ecember (adame (ayer spent the ni/ht a/ain in the cell, with
her niece and her maid"ser*ant5 and her report is as 4ollowsA "
"It was moonli/ht, and I sat up in bed all ni/ht, watchin/ :slin/er$ )uddenly I saw
a white shadowy 4orm, lie a small animal, cross the room$ I ased her what it
was5 and she answered, '-on't you see its a lamb< It o4ten comes with the
apparition$' .e then saw a stool, that was near us, li4ted and set down a/ain on
its le/s$ )he was in bed, and prayin/ the whole time$ 1resently, there was such a
noise at the window that I thou/ht all the panes were broen$ )he told us it was
the /host, and that he was sittin/ on the stool$ .e then heard a walin/ and
shu44lin/ up and down, althou/h I could not see him5 but presently, I 4elt a cool
wind blowin/ on me, and out o4 this wind the same hollow *oice I had heard
be4ore, said, 'In the name o4 Desus, loo on me!'
"9e4ore this, the moon was /one, and it was quite dar5 but when the *oice spoe
to me, I saw a li/ht around us, thou/h still no 4orm$ Then there was a sound o4
walin/ towards the opposite window, and I heard the *oice say, '-o you see me
now<' 0nd then 4or the 4irst time I saw a shadowy 4orm, stretchin/ up as i4 to
mae itsel4 *isible to us, but could distin/uish no 4eatures$
"-urin/ the rest o4 the ni/ht, I saw it repeatedly, sometimes sittin/ on the stool,
and at others mo*in/ about5 and I am per4ectly certain that there was no
moonli/ht now, nor any other li/ht 4rom without$ #ow I saw it, I cannot tell5 it is a
thin/ not to be described$
":slin/er prayed the whole time, and the more earnestly she did so, the closer
the spectre went to her$ It sometimes sat upon her bed$
"0bout li*e o'cloc, when he came near to me, and I 4elt the cool air, I said, '6o to
my husband, in his chamber, and lea*e a si/n that you ha*e been there!' #e
answered distinctly< 'Hes$' Then we heard the door, which was 4ast loced, open
and shut5 and we saw the shadow 4loat out E4or he 4loated rather than waledG,
and we heard the shu44lin/ alon/ the passa/e$
"In a quarter o4 an hour we saw him return, enterin/ by the window5 and I ased
him i4 he had been with my husband, and what he had done$ #e answered by a
sound lie a short, low, hollow lau/h$ Then he ho*ered about without any noise,
and we heard him speain/ to :slin/er, whilst she still prayed aloud$ )till, as
be4ore, I always new when he was /oin/ to spea$ 04ter si7 o'cloc, we saw him
no more$ In the mornin/, my husband mentioned with /reat surprise that his
chamber door, which he was sure he had 4ast bolted and loced, e*en tain/ out
the ey when he went to bed, he had 4ound wide open$"
@n the 2,th, (adame (ayer passed the ni/ht there a/ain, but on this occasion
she only saw a white shadow comin/ and /oin/, and standin/ by the woman,
who prayed unceasin/ly$ )he also heard the shu44lin/$
9etween prisoners and the persons in authority who went to obser*e, the number
o4 those who testi4y to this phenomenon is considerable5 and, althou/h the
amount o4 what was percei*ed *aried accordin/ to the recepti*ity o4 the sub8ect in
each case, the e*idence o4 all is per4ectly coincident as to the character o4 the
phenomena$ )ome saw only the li/ht5 others distin/uished the 4orm in the midst
o4 it5 all heard the sound, and percei*ed the moulderin/ earthy smell$
That the recepti*ity o4 the women was /reater than that o4 the men, a4ter what I
ha*e elsewhere said, should e7cite no surprise5 the preponderance o4 the
sympathetic system in them bein/ su44icient to account 4or the di44erence$
3rederica 3ollen, 4rom %owenstein, who was ei/ht wees in the same cell with
:slin/er, was witness to all the phenomena, thou/h she only once arri*ed at
seein/ the spectre in its per4ect human 4orm, as the latter saw it$ 9ut it 4requently
spoe to her, biddin/ her amend her li4e5 and remember that it was one who had
tasted o4 death that /i*e her this counsel$ This circumstance had a /reat e44ect
upon her$
.hen any o4 them swore, the apparition always e*inced much displeasure,
/rasped them by the throat, and 4orced them to pray$ 3requently, when he came
or went, they said it sounded lie a 4li/ht o4 pi/eons$
Catherine )inn, 4rom (ayen4els, was con4ined in an ad8oinin/ room 4or a
4ortni/ht$ 04ter her release, she was interro/ated by the minister o4 her parish,
and deposed that she had nown nothin/ o4 :slin/er, or the spectre, "but e*ery
ni/ht, bein/ quite alone, I heard a rustlin/ and a noise at the window, which
looed only into the passa/e$ I 4elt and heard, thou/h I could not see anybody,
that some one was mo*in/ about the room5 these sounds were accompanied by
a cool wind, thou/h the place was closely shut up$ I heard also a craclin/, and a
shu44lin/, and a sound as i4 /ra*el were thrown5 but could 4ind none in the
mornin/$ @nce it seemed to me that a hand was laid so4tly on my 4orehead$ I did
not lie stayin/ alone, on account o4 these thin/s5 and be//ed to be put into a
room with others5 so I was placed with :slin/er and 3ollen$ The same thin/s
continued here, and they told me about the /host5 but not bein/ alone, I was not
so 4ri/htened$ I o4ten heard him spea5 it was hollow and slow5 not lie a human
*oice5 but I could seldom catch the words5 when he le4t the prison, which was
/enerally about 4i*e in the mornin/, he used to say, '1ray!' and when he did so,
he would add, '6od reward you!' I ne*er saw him distinctly till the last mornin/ I
was there5 then, I saw a white shadow standin/ by :slin/er's bed$
"E)i/nedG Catherine )inn,
"(inister 9inder, (ayen4els$"
It would be tedious were I to copy the depositions o4 all the prisoners5 the
e7perience o4 most o4 them bein/ similar to the abo*e$ I will there4ore content
mysel4 with /i*in/ an abstract o4 the most remarable particulars$
9esides the craclin/, rustlin/ as o4 paper, walin/, shu44lin/, concussions o4 the
windows, and o4 their beds, etc$, etc, they heard sometimes a 4ear4ul cry5 and not
un4requently the bed"co*erin/s were pulled 4rom them5 it appearin/ to be the
ob8ect o4 the spirit to mani4est himsel4 thus to those to whom he could not mae
himsel4 *isible5 and as I 4ind this pullin/ o44 the bed"clothes and hea*in/ up the
bed, as i4 someone were under it, repeated in a *ariety o4 cases, 4orei/n and
:n/lish, I conclude the moti*e to be the same$ )e*eral o4 the women heard him
spea$
0ll these depositions are contained in -r$ ;erner's report to the ma/istrates5 and
he concludes by sayin/, that there can be no doubt o4 the 4act o4 the woman
:liBabeth :slin/er su44erin/ these annoyances, by whate*er name people may
choose to call them$
0mon/st the most remarable phenomena, is the real or apparent openin/ o4 the
door5 so that they could see what was in the passa/e$ :slin/er said that the spirit
was o4ten surrounded by a li/ht, and his eyes looed 4iery, and there sometimes
came with him two lambs, which occasionally appeared as stars$ #e o4ten too
hold o4 :slin/er, and made her sit up, put her hands to/ether, that she mi/ht
pray5 and once he appeared to tae a pen and paper 4rom under his /own, and
wrote, layin/ it on her co*erlet$
It is e7tremely curious, that on two occasions :slin/er saw -r$ ;erner and
Dustice #eyd enter with the /host, when they were not there in the body, and
both times #eyd was en*eloped in a blac cloud$ The /host, on bein/ ased, told
:slin/er that the cloud indicated that trouble was impendin/$ 0 4ew days
a4terwards, his child died *ery une7pectedly, and -r$ ;erner now remembered,
that the 4irst time :slin/er said she had seen #eyd in this way, his 4ather had
died directly a4terwards$ ;erner attended both patients, and was thus associated
in the symbol$ 3ollen also saw these two ima/es, and spoe, belie*in/ the one to
be -r$ ;erner himsel4$
@n other occasions, she saw stran/ers come in with the /host, whom a4terwards,
when they really came in the body, she reco/nised5 this seems to ha*e been a
sort o4 second si/ht$
-r$ ;$ says, I thin 8ustly enou/h, that i4 :slin/er had been 4ei/nin/, she ne*er
would ha*e *entured on what seemed so improbable$
)ome o4 the women, a4ter the spectre had *isibly leant o*er them, or had spoen
into their ears, were so a44ected by the odour he di44used, that they *omited, and
could not eat till they had taen an emetic, and those parts o4 their persons that
he touched became pain4ul and swollen, an e44ect I 4ind produced in numerous
other instances$
The 4ollowin/ particulars are worth obser*in/, in the e*idence o4 a /irl si7teen
years o4 a/e, called (ar/aret %aibesber/, who was con4ined 4or ten days 4or
plucin/ some /rapes in a *ineyard$ )he says, she new nothin/ about the
spectre, but that she was /reatly alarmed, the 4irst ni/ht, at hearin/ the door
burst open, and somethin/ come shu44lin/ in$ :slin/er bade her not 4ear, and
said that it would not in8ure her$ The /irl, howe*er, bein/ /reatly terri4ied e*ery
ni/ht, and hidin/ her head under the bed"clothes, on the 4ourth :slin/er /ot out
o4 her own bed, and comin/ to her, said, "-o, in the name o4 6od, loo at him!
#e will do you no harm, I assure you$" "Then," says the /irl, "I looed out 4rom
under the clothes, and I saw two white 4orms, lie two lambs so beauti4ul that I
could ha*e looed at them 4or e*er$ 9etween them stood a white, shadowy 4orm,
as tall as a man, but I was not able to loo lon/er, 4or my eyes 4ailed me$" The
terrors o4 this /irl were so /reat, that :slin/er had repeatedly occasion to /et out
o4 bed and 4etch her to lie with hersel4$ .hen she could be induced to loo, she
always saw the 4i/ure, and he bade her also pray 4or him$ .hene*er he touched
her, which he did on the 4orehead and eyes, she 4elt pain, but says nothin/ o4 any
subsequent swellin/$ 9oth this /irl and another, called &eidhardt, who was
brou/ht in on the last day o4 (ar/aret %$'s imprisonment, testi4ied, that, on the
pre*ious ni/ht, they had heard :slin/er as the /host, ".hy he looed so
an/ry<" 0nd that they had heard him answer, that it was "9ecause she had, on
the precedin/ ni/ht, ne/lected to pray 4or him as much as usual," which ne/lect
arose 4rom two /entlemen ha*in/ passed the ni/ht in the cell$
.hen on the tenth day the /irl (ar/aret %$ was released, she said that there was
somethin/ so aw4ul to her in this apparition, that she had 4irmly resol*ed and
*owed to be pious, and lead, hence4orth, a *irtuous li4e$
)ome o4 them seem to ha*e 4elt little alarm5 (aria 9ar, a/ed 4orty"one, said, "I
was not a4raid, 4or I ha*e a /ood conscience$" The o44ences 4or which these
women were con4ined appear to ha*e been *ery sli/ht ones, such as quarrellin/,
and so 4orth$
In a room that opened into the same passa/e, men were shut up 4or disputin/
with the police, ne/lect o4 re/ulations, and similar misdemeanours$ These
persons not only heard the noises as abo*e described, such as the walin/,
shu44lin/, openin/ and shuttin/ the door, etc$, etc$, but some o4 them saw the
/host$ Christian 9auer deposed, that he had ne*er heard anythin/ about the
/host, but that, bein/ disturbed by a nocin/ and rustlin/ towards three o'cloc
on the second mornin/ o4 his incarceration, he looed up, and saw a white 4i/ure
bendin/ o*er him, and heard a stran/e hollow *oice say, "Hou must needs ha*e
patience!" #e said, he thou/ht it must be his /rand4ather, at which )trieer, his
companion, lau/hed$ )trieer deposed, that he heard a hollow *oice say, "Hou
must needs ha*e patience," and that 9auer told him that there was a white
apparition near him, and that he supposed it was his /rand4ather$ 9auer said,
that he was 4ri/htened the 4irst ni/ht, but /ot used to it, and did not mind
It is worthy o4 obser*ation, that when they heard the door o4 the women's room
open, they also heard the *oice o4 :slin/er prayin/, which seems as i4 the door
not only appeared to open, but actually did so$ .e ha*e already seen that this
spirit could open doors$ In the ")eeress o4 1re*orst," the doors were constantly
*isibly and audibly opened, as by an unseen hand, when she saw a spectre
enter5 and I now to an absolute certainty, that the same phenomenon taes
place in a house not 4ar 4rom where I am writin/5 and this, sometimes, when
there are two people sleepin/ in the room " a lady and /entleman$ The door
ha*in/ been 4ast loced when they went to bed, the room thorou/hly e7amined,
and e*ery possible precaution taen, 4or they are unwillin/ to belie*e in the
spiritual character o4 the disturbances that annoy them " they are aroused by a
consciousness that it is openin/, and they do 4ind it wide open, on risin/ to
in*esti/ate the 4act$
@ne o4 the most remarable proo4s, either o4 the 4orce o4 *olition or o4 the
electrical powers o4 the apparition that haunted :slin/er, or else o4 his power to
imitate sounds, was the real, or apparent, *iolent shain/ o4 the hea*y, iron"
barred window, which it is asserted the united e44orts o4 si7 men could not shae
at all, when they made the e7periment$
The )upreme Court ha*in/ satis4ied itsel4 that there was no imposture in this
case, it was proposed that some men o4 science should be in*ited to in*esti/ate
the stran/e phenomenon, and endea*our, i4 possible, to e7plain it$ 0ccordin/ly,
not only -r$ ;erner himsel4 and his son, but many others, passed ni/hts in the
prison, 4or this purpose$ 0mon/st these, besides some ministers o4 the %utheran
Church, there was an en/ra*er, called -uttenho4er5 .a/ner, an artist5 ;ap44,
pro4essor o4 mathematics at #eilbronn5 3raas, a barrister5 -octors )ey44er and
)icherer, physicians5 #eyd, a ma/istrate5 9aron *on #u/el, etc$, etc$5 but their
perquisitions elicited no more than has been already narrated5 all heard the
noises, most o4 them saw the li/hts, and some saw the 4i/ure$ -uttenho4er and
;ap44 saw it without a de4ined outline5 it was itsel4 bri/ht, but did not illuminate the
room$ )ome o4 the sounds appeared to them lie the dischar/in/ o4 a %eyden 8ar$
There was also a throwin/ o4 /ra*el, and a hea*y droppin/ o4 water, but neither
to be 4ound$ 1ro4essor ;lap44 says, that he was quite cool and sel4"possessed, till
there was such a *iolent concussion o4 the hea*y barred window, that he thou/ht
it must ha*e come in5 then both he and -uttenho4er 4elt horror"struc$
0s they could not see the li/ht emitted by the spectre when the room was
otherwise li/hted, they were in the dar5 but they too e*ery care to ascertain that
:slin/er was in her bed whilst these thin/s were /oin/ on$ )he prayed aloud the
whole time, unless when speain/ to them$ 9y the mornin/, she used to be
dread4ully e7hausted,M 4rom this continual e7ertion$
""""""""""""
M It was a *ampiric relationship with the spoo$ " dig. ed$
""""""""""""
It is also mentioned, that the straw on which she lay was 4requently chan/ed and
e7amined, and e*ery means taen to ascertain that there was nothin/ whate*er
in her possession that could enable her to per4orm any sort o4 8u//lery$ #er 4ellow
prisoners were also in*ited to tell all they new or could disco*er5 and a
remission o4 their sentences promised to those who would mae nown the
imposition, i4 there were one$
-r$ )icherer, who was accompanied by (r$ 3rass, says, that ha*in/ heard o4
these phenomena, which he thou/ht the more unaccountable 4rom the
circumstances o4 the woman's a/e and condition, etc$, she bein/ a healthy hard"
worin/ person, a/ed thirty"ei/ht, who had ne*er nown sicness, he was *ery
desirous o4 enquirin/ personally into the a44air$
.hilst they were in the court o4 the prison, waitin/ 4or admittance, they heard
e7traordinary noises, which could not be accounted 4or, and durin/ the ni/ht
there was a repetition o4 those abo*e described5 especially the apparent throwin/
o4 /ra*el, or peas, which seemed to 4all so near him that he in*oluntarily co*ered
his 4ace$ Then 4ollowed the 4eelin/ o4 a cool wind5 and then the oppressi*e odour,
4or which, he says, he can 4ind no comparison, and which almost too away his
breath$ #e was per4ectly satis4ied that it was no smell ori/inatin/ in the locality or
the state o4 the prison$ )imultaneously with the perception o4 this odour, he saw a
thic /rey cloud, o4 no de4ined shape, near :slin/er's bed$ .hen this cloud
disappeared, the odour was no lon/er perceptible$ It was a 4ine moonli/ht ni/ht,
and there was li/ht enou/h in the room to distin/uish the beds, etc$ The same
phenomena recurred se*eral times durin/ the ni/ht5 :slin/er was heard, each
time the /host was there, prayin/ and recitin/ hymns$ They also heard her say,
"-on't press my hands so hard to/ether!" "-on't touch me!" and so 4orth$ The
*oice o4 the spirit they did not hear$ Towards three or 4our o'cloc, they heard
hea*y blows, 4ootsteps, openin/ and shuttin/ o4 the door, and a concussion o4
the whole house, that made them thin it was /oin/ to 4all on their heads$ 0bout
si7 o'cloc, they saw the phantom a/ain5 and alto/ether these phenomena
recurred at least ten times in the course o4 the ni/ht$
-r$ )icherer concludes by sayin/, that he had undertaen the in*esti/ation with a
mind entirely unprepossessed5 and that in the report he made, at the desire o4
the )upreme Court, he had recorded his obser*ations as conscientiously as i4 he
had been upon a 8ury$ #e adds, that he had e7amined e*erythin/5 and that
neither in the person o4 the woman, nor in any other o4 the inmates o4 the prison,
could he 4ind the smallest /rounds 4or suspicion, nor any clue to the mystery,
which, in a scienti4ic point o4 *iew appeared to him utterly ine7plicable$ -r$
)icherer's report is dated #eilbronn, Danuary +, 1+=>$
(r$ 3raas, who accompanied him, con4irms the abo*e statement, in e*ery
particular5 with the addition, that he se*eral times saw a li/ht o4 a *aryin/
circum4erence, mo*in/ about the room5 and that it was whilst he saw this, that
the woman told him the /host was there$ #e also 4elt an oppression o4 the breath
and a pressure on his 4orehead each time be4ore the apparition came, especially
once, when althou/h he had care4ully abstained 4rom mentionin/ his sensations,
she told him it was standin/ close at his head$ #e stretched out his hand5 but
percei*ed nothin/, e7cept a cool wind and an o*erpowerin/ smell$
-r$ )ey44er bein/ there, one ni/ht, with -r$ ;erner, in order to e7clude the
possibility o4 li/ht enterin/ throu/h the window, they stopped it up$ They,
howe*er, saw the phosphorescent li/ht o4 the spectre, as be4ore$ It mo*ed quietly
about5 and remained a quarter o4 an hour$ The room was otherwise per4ectly
dar5 the sounds accompanyin/ it were lie the droppin/ o4 water and the
dischar/e o4 a %eyden 8ar$ They 4ully ascertained that these phenomena did not
proceed 4rom the woman$
I ha*e already /i*en the depositions o4 (adame (ayer, the wi4e o4 the deputy"
/o*ernor, or eeper o4 the prison, who is spoen o4 as a hi/hly respectable
person$ (ayer himsel4, howe*er, thou/h quite unable to account 4or all these
e7traordinary proceedin/s, 4ound /reat di44iculty in belie*in/ that there was
anythin/ supernatural in the a44air5 and he told :slin/er that i4 she wished him to
be con*inced, she must send the /host to do it$
#e says, "The ni/ht a4ter I had said this, I went to bed and to sleep, little
e7pectin/ such a *isitor5 but towards midni/ht, I was awaened by somethin/
touchin/ my le4t elbow, this was 4ollowed by a pain5 and in the mornin/, when I
looed at the place, I saw se*eral blue spots$ I told :slin/er that this was not
enou/h, and that she must tell the /host to touch my other elbow$ This was done
on the 4ollowin/ ni/ht, and, at the same time, I percei*ed a smell lie
putre4action$ The blue spots 4ollowed$" EIt will be remembered that :slin/er had
blue spots also$G
(ayer continues to say, that the spectre made nown its presence in his
chamber by *arious sounds, such as were heard in the other part o4 the house$
#e ne*er saw the 4i/ure distinctly, but his wi4e did5 she always prayed when it
was there$ #e, howe*er, 4elt the cool wind that they all described$
The /host told :slin/er that he should continue his *isits to the prison a4ter she
had quitted it, and he did so$ The second ni/ht a4ter her release, they 4elt his
approach, especially 4rom the cool wind, and (adame (eyer desired him to
testi4y his presence to her husband$ Immediately there were sounds lie a wind
instrument, and these were repeated at her desire$
The prisoners also heard and 4elt the apparition a4ter :slin/er's departure, and
(ayer says he is per4ectly assured, that in this 8ail, where the inmates were
4requently chan/ed, e*erybody was loced up, and e*ery place thorou/hly
e7amined, it was utterly impossible 4or any tric to be played$ 9esides which, all
parties a/reed that the sounds were o4ten o4 a description that could not ha*e
been produced by any nown means$
9ut it was not to the prison alone that this apparition con4ined his *isits$ To
whomsoe*er :slin/er sent him, he went, testi4yin/ his presence by the same
si/ns as abo*e described$
#e *isited the chambers o4 se*eral o4 the ma/istrates, o4 a teacher called
&eu44er, o4 the ?e4erendary 9ur/er, o4 a citiBen named ?ummel, and many
others$ @4 these, some only percei*ed his presence by the noises, the cool air,
the smell, or the touch5 others saw the li/ht also, and others percei*ed the 4i/ure
with more or less distinctness$
0 (r$ -orr, o4 #eilbronn, seems to ha*e sco44ed *ery much at these rumours,
and -r$ ;erner bade :slin/er as the /host to con*ince him, which she did$
(r$ -orr says, ".hen I heard these thin/s taled o4, I always lau/hed at them,
and was thou/ht *ery sensible 4or so doin/5 now I shall be lau/hed at in my turn,
no doubt$"
#e then relates that, on the mornin/ o4 the =Ith -ecember, 1+=K, he awoe, as
usual, about 4i*e o'cloc, and was thinin/ o4 some business he had in hand,
when he became conscious that there was somethin/ near him, and he 4elt as i4
it blew cold upon him$ #e started up, thinin/ some animal had /ot into his room,
but could 4ind nothin/$ &e7t he heard a noise, lie spars 4rom an electrical
machine, and then a report close to his ri/ht ear$ #ad there been anythin/
*isible, it was li/ht enou/h to see it$ This report was 4requently heard in the
prison$
.here*er the apparition once made a *isit, he /enerally continued to /o 4or
se*eral successi*e ni/hts$ #e also *isited 1ro4essor ;ap44, at #eilbronn, and
9aron *on #u/el at :schenau, without bein/ desired to do so by :slin/er5 and
&eu44er, whom he also went to, she new nothin/ o4$
.hen he *isited -r$ ;erner's chamber, his wi4e, who had prided hersel4 on her
incredulity, and boasted o4 bein/ born on )t$ Thomas's -ay, was entirely
con*erted, 4or she not only heard him, but saw him distinctly$ #e *isited them 4or
se*eral ni/hts, accompanied by the noises and the li/ht$
@ne ni/ht, whilst lyin/ awae obser*in/ these phenomena, they 4ancied they
heard their horse come out o4 his stable, which was under their room$ In the
mornin/, he was 4ound standin/ outside, with his halter on5 it was not broen,
and it was e*ident that the horse had not /ot loose by any *iolence$ (oreo*er,
the door o4 the stable was closed behind him, as it had been at ni/ht, when he
was shut up$
-r$ ;$'s sister, who came 4rom a distance to *isit them, had heard *ery little about
this a44air, yet she was awaened by a sound that seemed lie some one tryin/ to
spea into her ear5 and, looin/ up, she saw two stars, lie those described by
(ar/aret %aibesber/$ )he obser*ed that they emitted no raysA )he also 4elt the
cool air, and percei*ed the corpse"lie odour$ This odour accompanied the /host
e*en when he appeared at #eilbronn$
It is remarable that some o4 these persons, both men and women, 4elt
themsel*es unable to mo*e or call out, whilst the spectre was there5 and that
they were relie*ed the moment he went away$ They appeared to be ma/netised5
but this 4eelin/ was by no means uni*ersal$ (any were per4ectly composed and
sel4"possessed the whole time, and made their obser*ations to each other$ 0ll
a/reed that the speain/ o4 the apparition seemed lie that o4 a person main/
e44orts to spea$ &ow, as we are to presume that he did not spea by means o4
or/ans, as we do, but that he imitated the sounds o4 words as he imitated other
sounds, by some means with which we are unacquainted " 4or since the noises
were heard by e*erybody within hearin/, we must suppose that they actually
e7isted " we, who now the e7treme di44iculty o4 imitatin/ human speech, may
concei*e how this imitation should be *ery de4ecti*e$
-utthenho4er and others remared, that there was no echo 4rom the sounds, as
well as that the phosphorescence shed no li/ht around5 and thou/h the spectre
could touch them, or produce the sensation that he did, they could not 4eel him,
but, as in all similar cases, could thrust their hands throu/h what appeared to be
his body$ The sensation o4 his 4allin/ tears, and the mars they le4t, seem most
unaccountable5 and yet, in the records o4 a /host that haunted the Countess o4
:berstein, in 1>+K, we 4ind the same thin/ asserted$ This account was made
public by the authority o4 the Consistorial Court, and with the consent o4 the
4amily$
0t len/th, on the 11th o4 3ebruary, the /host too his departure 4rom :slin/er5 at
least, a4ter that day he was no more seen or heard by her or anybody else$ #e
had always entreated her to /o to .immenthal, where he had 4ormerly li*ed, to
pray 4or him5 and, a4ter she was released 4rom the 8ail, by the ad*ice o4 her
4riends, she did it$ )ome o4 them accompanied her5 and they saw the apparition
near her whilst she was neelin/ in the open air, thou/h not all with equal
distinctness$ 0 *ery respectable woman, called .orner, a stran/er to :slin/er,
whom she says she ne*er saw or spoe to till that day, o44ered to mae oath, that
she had accompanied her to .immenthal, and that with the other 4riends, she
had stood about thirty paces o44, quite silent and still, whilst the woman nelt and
prayed5 and that she had seen the apparition o4 a man, accompanied by two
smaller spectres, ho*erin/ near her$ ".hen the prayer was ended, he went close
to her, and there was a li/ht lie a 4allin/ star5 then I saw somethin/ lie a white
cloud, that seemed to 4loat away5 and a4ter that, we saw no more$"
:slin/er had been *ery unwillin/ to undertae this e7peditionA she too lea*e o4
her children be4ore she started, and e*idently e7pected mischie4 would be4all her5
and now, on approachin/ her, they 4ound her lyin/ cold and insensible$ .hen
they had re*i*ed her, she told them, that on biddin/ her 4arewell, be4ore he
ascended, which he did, accompanied by two bri/ht in4antine 4orms, the /host
had ased her to /i*e him her hand5 and that a4ter wrappin/ it in her
handerchie4, she had complied$ 0 small 4lame had arisen 4rom the handerchie4
when he touched it5 and we 4ound the mars o4 his 4in/ers lie burns, but without
any smell$ This, howe*er, was not the cause o4 her 4aintin/5 but she had been
terri4ied by a troop o4 4ri/ht4ul animals that she saw rush past her, when the spirit
4loated away$
3rom this time, nobody, either in the prison or out o4 it, was troubled with this
apparition$
This is certainly a *ery e7traordinary story5 and what is more e7traordinary, such
cases do not seem to be *ery uncommon in 6ermany$ I meet with many
recordedA and an eminent 6erman scholar, o4 my acquaintance, tells me that he
has also heard o4 se*eral, and was surprised that we ha*e no similar instances
here$ I4 these thin/s occurred merely amon/st the ?oman Catholics, we mi/ht be
inclined to suppose they had some connection with their notion o4 pur/atoryA but,
on the contrary, it appears to be amon/st the %utheran population they chie4ly
occur5 insomuch that it has e*en been su//ested, that the omission o4 prayers
4or the dead, in the %utheran Church, is the cause o4 the phenomenon$ 9ut, on
the other hand, as in the present case, and in se*eral others, the person that
re*isits the earth was o4 the Catholic persuasion when ali*e, we are bound to
suppose that he had the bene4it o4 his own Church's prayers$
I am here assumin/ that all the abo*e stran/e phenomena were really produced
by the a/ency o4 an apparitionA i4 they were not, what were they< The three
physicians, who were amon/st the *isitors, must ha*e been per4ectly aware o4
the conta/ious nature o4 some 4orms o4 ner*ous disorder, and 4rom the pre*ious
incredulity o4 two o4 them they must ha*e been quite prepared to re/ard these
phenomena 4rom that point o4 *iew5 yet they seem unable to brin/ them under
the cate/ory o4 sensuous illusions$ The apparently electrical nature o4 the li/hts,
and o4 se*eral o4 the sounds, is *ery remarable, as are also the swellin/s
produced on some o4 the persons by the touch o4 the /host, which remind us o4
1ro4essor #o4er's case, mentioned in a 4ormer chapter$ The apparitions o4 the
do/ and the lambs also, stran/e as they are, are by no means isolated cases$
These appearances seem to be symbolicalA the 4ather had been e*il, and had led
his son to do e*il, and he appeared in the de/raded 4orm o4 a do/5 and the
innocence o4 the children who had been, probably, in some way wron/ed, was
symbolised by their appearin/ as lambs$ "I4 I had li*ed as a beast," said an
apparition to the )eeress o4 1re*orst, "I should appear as a beast$" These
symbolical trans4i/urations cannot appear *ery e7tra*a/ant to those who accept
the belie4 o4 many theolo/ians, that the serpent o4 the /arden o4 :den was an e*il
spirit incarnated in that de/raded 4orm$
#ow 4ar the remo*al o4 the horse out o4 his stable was connected with the rest o4
the phenomena, it is impossible to say5 but a similar circumstance has *ery lately
occurred with re/ard to a do/ that was loced up in the house in this
nei/hbourhood, which I ha*e se*eral times alluded to, where 4ootsteps and
rustlin/s are heard, doors are opened, and a 4eelin/ that some one is blowin/, or
breathin/ upon them, is 4elt by the inhabitants$
The holes burnt in the handerchie4 are also quite in accordance with many other
relations o4 the ind, especially that o4 the maid o4 @rlach, and also that o4 the
#ammerschan 4amily, mentioned in ")tillin/'s 1neumatolo/y," when a /host who
had been, as he said, waitin/ one hundred and twenty years 4or some one to
release him by their prayers, was seen to tae a handerchie4, on which he le4t
the mars o4 his 4i*e 4in/ers, appearin/ lie burnt spots$ 0 9ible he touched was
mared in the same manner, and these two mementos o4 the apparition were
care4ully retained in the 4amily$
This particularity, also, reminds us o4 %ord Tyrone's lea*in/ the mars o4 his hand
on %ady 9eres4ord's wrist, on which she e*er a4terwards wore a blac ribbon$ In
se*eral instances I 4ind it reported that when an apparition is requested to render
himsel4 *isible to, or to enter into communication with, other persons, besides
those to whom be addresses himsel4, he answers that it is impossible5 and in
other cases that he could do it, but that the consequences to those persons
would be pernicious$ This, to/ether with the circumstance o4 their waitin/ so lon/
4or the ri/ht person, tends stron/ly to support the hypothesis that an intense
ma/netic rapport is necessary to any 4acility o4 intercourse$ It also appears that
the power o4 establishin/ this rapport with one or more persons, *aries
e7ceedin/ly amon/st these deniBens o4 a spiritual world, some bein/ only able to
render themsel*es audible, others to render themsel*es *isible to one person,
whilst a 4ew seem to possess considerably /reater powers, or pri*ile/es$
0nother particular to be obser*ed is, that in many instances, i4 not in all, these
spirits are what the 6ermans call ge#annt, that is, #anned, or proscri#ed, or, as it
were, tethered to a certain spot, which they can occasionally lea*e, as 0nton did
the cellar at .inimenthal, to which he was ge#annt, but 4rom which they cannot
4ree themsel*es$ To this spot they seem to be attached, as by an in*isible chain,
whether by the memory o4 a crime committed there, or by a buried treasure, or
e*en by its bein/ the receptacle o4 their own bodies$ In short, it seems per4ectly
clear, admittin/ them to be apparitions o4 the dead, that, whate*er the bond may
be which eeps them down, they cannot quit the earth5 they are, as )t$ (artin
says, remainers, not returners, and this seems to be the e7planation o4 haunted
houses$
In the year 1+2', Christian :iseu/run, a respectable citiBen o4 &ecarsteinach,
was *isited by a /host o4 the abo*e ind, and the particulars were 8udicially
recorded$ #e was at :herbach, in 9aden, worin/ as a potter, which was his
trade, in the manu4actory o4 (r$ 6ehri/, when he was one ni/ht awaened by a
noise in his chamber, and, on looin/ up, he saw a 4aint li/ht, which presently
assumed a human 4orm, attired in a loose /own5 he could see no head$ #e had
his own head under the clothes5 but it presently spoe, and told him that he was
destined to release it, and that 4or that purpose he must /o to the Catholic
churchyard o4 &ecarsteinaeh, and there, 4or twenty"one successi*e days, repeat
the 4ollowin/ *erse 4rom the &ew Testament, be4ore the stone sepulchre thereA "
"3or what man noweth the thin/s o4 a man, sa*e the spirit o4 man which is in
him< )o the thin/s o4 6od noweth no man, but the spirit o4 6od$" " 1 *or$ ii$ 11$
The /host ha*in/ repeated his *isits and his request, the man consulted his
master what he should do, and he ad*ised him not to tri4le with the apparition, but
to do what he required, addin/ that he had nown many similar instances$ Cpon
this, :isen/run went to &ecarsteinach, and addressed himsel4 to the Catholic
priest there, named )eitB, who /a*e him the same counsel, to/ether with his
blessin/, and also a hymn o4 %uther's, which he bade him learn and repeat, as
well as the *erse, when he *isited the sepulchre$
0s there was only one stone sepulchre in the churchyard, :isen/run had no
di44iculty in 4indin/ it5 and whilst he per4ormed the ser*ice imposed on him by the
/host, the latter stood on the /ra*e with his hands 4olded, as i4 in prayer5 but
when he repeated the hymn, he mo*ed rapidly bacwards and 4orwards, but still
not o*ersteppin/ the limits o4 the stone$ The man, thou/h *ery 4ri/htened,
perse*ered in the thin/ 4or the time imposed, twenty"one days5 and durin/ this
period he saw the per4ect 4orm o4 the apparition, which had no co*erin/ on its
head e7cept *ery white hair$ It always ept its hands 4olded, and had lar/e eyes,
in which he ne*er percei*ed any motion5 this 4illed him with horror$ (any persons
went to witness the ceremony$
The sur*i*in/ nephews and nieces o4 the apparition brou/ht an action a/ainst
:isen/run, and they contri*ed to ha*e him seiBed and carried to the ma/istrate's
house, one day, at the time he should ha*e /one to the churchyard$ 9ut the
/host came and beconed, and made si/ns to him to 4ollow him, till the man was
so much a44ected and terri4ied, that he burst into tears$ The two ma/istrates could
not see the spectre, but 4eelin/ themsel*es seiBed with a cold shudder, they
consented to his /oin/$
#e was then publicly e7amined in court, to/ether with the o44ended 4amily and a
number o4 witnesses, and the result was, that he was permitted to continue the
ser*ice 4or the twenty"one days, a4ter which he ne*er saw or heard more o4 the
/host, who had been 4ormerly a rich timber"merchant$ The terror and an7iety
attendant on these daily *isits to the churchyard, a44ected :isen/run so much,
that he was some time be4ore he reco*ered his usual health$ #e had all his li4e
been a /host"seer, but had ne*er had communication with any be4ore this e*ent$
The Catholic priest, in this instance, appears to ha*e been more liberal than the
deceased timber"merchant, 4or the latter did not seem to lie the %utheran hymn,
which the 4ormer prescribed$ #is dissatis4action, howe*er, may ha*e arisen 4rom
their main/ any addition to the 4ormula he had himsel4 indicated$
""""""""""
*hapter 2+ ( -he Poltergeist of the Germans, and Possession
.ith re/ard to the so"called hauntings, re4erred to in the precedin/ chapter, there
seems reason to belie*e that the in*isible /uest was 4ormerly a dweller upon
earth, in the 4lesh, who is pre*ented by some circumstance which we are not
quali4ied to e7plain, 4rom pursuin/ the destiny o4 the human race, by enterin/
4reely into the ne7t state prepared 4or him$ #e is lie an un4ortunate caterpillar
that cannot entirely 4ree itsel4 4rom the inte/uments o4 its reptile li4e which chain it
to the earth, whilst its 4lutterin/ win/s *ainly see to bear it into the re/ion to
which it now belon/s$
9ut there is another ind o4 haunting, which is still more mysterious and stran/e,
thou/h by no means in4requent, and which, 4rom the odd, sporti*e mischie*ous
nature o4 the disturbances created, one can scarcely reconcile to our notions o4,
what we understand by the term ghost$ 3or in those cases where the unseen
*isitant appears to be the spirit o4 a person deceased, we see e*idences o4 /rie4,
remorse, and dissatis4action, to/ether with, in many instances, a disposition to
repeat the acts o4 li4e, or, at least, to simulate a repetition o4 themA but there is
nothin/ sporti*e or mischie*ous, nor, e7cept where an in8unction is disobeyed, or
a request re4used, are there /enerally any e*idences o4 an/er or mali/nity$ 9ut in
the other cases alluded to, the annoyances appear rather lie the trics o4 a
mischie*ous imp$ I re4er to what the 6ermans call the Poltergeist, or racetin/
spectre, 4or the phenomenon is nown in all countries, and has been nown in all
a/es$
)ince hearin/ o4 the phenomenon o4 the electric /irl, which attracted so much
attention and occasioned so much contro*ersy in 1aris lately, and other similar
cases, which ha*e since, reached me, I 4eel doubt4ul whether some o4 these
stran/e circumstances may not ha*e been connected with electricity in one 4orm
or another$ The 4amous story o4 what is 4amiliarly called the )tocwell 6host, 4or
e7ample, mi/ht possibly be brou/ht under this cate/ory$ I ha*e heard some
people assert, that the mystery o4 this a44air was subsequently e7plained away,
and the whole 4ound to be a tric$ 9ut that is a mistae$ )ome years a/o, I was
acquainted with persons whose parents were li*in/ on the spot at the time, who
new all the details, and to them it remained 8ust as /reat a mystery as e*er$ &ot
the smallest li/ht had e*er been thrown upon it$ 1eople are so /lad to /et rid o4
troublesome mysteries o4 this description, that they, are always ready to say,
"The tric has been 4ound out!" and those who pride themsel*es on not belie*in/
idle stories, are to the last de/ree credulous when "the idle story" 4latters their
scepticism$
The circumstances o4 the so"called )tocwell 6host, which I e7tract 4rom a report
published at the time, are as 4ollows$
The pamphlet was entitled "0n 0uthentic, Candid, and Circumstantial &arrati*e,
o4 the astonishin/ Transactions at )tocwell, in the County o4 )urrey, on (onday
and Tuesday, the >th and 'th days o4 Danuary, 1''2, containin/ a )eries o4 the
most surprisin/ and unaccountable :*ents that e*er happened, which continued
4rom 4irst to last, upwards o4 Twenty #ours, and at di44erent places$" 1ublished
with the consent and approbation o4 the 4amily and other parties concerned, to
authenticate which, the ori/inal copy is si/ned by them$
"9e4ore we enter upon a description o4 the most e7traordinary transactions that
perhaps e*er happened, we shall be/in with an account o4 the parties who were
principally concerned, and in 8ustice to them, /i*e their characters, by which
means the impartial world may see what credit is due to the 4ollowin/ narrati*e$
"The e*ents indeed are o4 so stran/e and sin/ular a nature, that we cannot be at
all surprised the public should be doubt4ul o4 the truth o4 them, more especially as
there ha*e been too many impositions o4 this sort5 but, let us consider, here are
no sinister ends to be answered, no contributions to be wished 4or, nor would be
accepted, as the parties are in reputable situations and /ood circumstances,
particularly (rs$ 6oldin/, who is a lady o4 an independent 4ortuneA ?ichard
3owler and his wi4e mi/ht be looed upon as an e7ception to this assertion5 but
as their loss was tri*ial, they must be le4t out o4 the question, e7cept so 4ar as
they appear corroboratin/ e*idences$
"(r$ 1ain's maid lost nothin/$
"#ow or by what means these transactions were brou/ht about has ne*er
transpiredA we ha*e only to rest our con4idence on the *eracity o4 the parties,
whose descriptions ha*e been most strictly attended to, without the least
de*iationA nothin/ here o44ered is either e7a//erated or diminished, the whole
stated in the clearest manner, 8ust as they occurredA as such only we lay them
be4ore the candid and impartial public$
"(rs$ 6oldin/, an elderly lady, at )tocwell, in )urrey, at whose house the
transactions be/an, was born in the same parish E%ambeth,G has li*ed in it e*er
since, and has always been well nown, and respected as a /entlewoman o4
unblemished honour and character$ (rs$ 1ain, a niece o4 (rs$ 6oldin/, has been
married se*eral years to (r$ 1ain, a 4armer, at 9ri7ton Causeway, a little abo*e
(r$ 0n/el's, has se*eral children, and is well nown and respected in the parish$
(ary (artin, (r$ 1ain's ser*ant, an elderly woman, has li*ed two years with
them, and 4our years with (rs$ 6oldin/, where she came 4rom$ ?ichard 3owler
li*es almost opposite to (r$ 1ain, at the 9ric 1ound, an honest, industrious and
sober man$ 0nd )arah 3owler, wi4e to the abo*e, is an industrious and sober
woman$
"These are the subscribin/ e*idences that we must rest the truth o4 the 4acts
uponA yet there are numbers o4 other persons who were eye"witnesses o4 many
o4 the transactions, durin/ the time they happened, all o4 whom must
acnowled/e the truth o4 them$
"0nother person who bore a principal part in these scenes was 0nn ?obinson,
(rs$ 6oldin/'s maid, a youn/ woman, about twenty years old, who had li*ed with
her but one wee and three days$ )o much 4or the #istoric 1ersona, and now 4or
the narrati*e$
"@n (onday, Danuary the >th, 1''2, about ten o'cloc in the 4orenoon, as (rs$
6oldin/ was in her parlour, she heard the china and /lasses in the bac itchen
tumble down and brea5 her maid came to her and told her the stone plates were
4allin/ 4rom the shel45 (rs$ 6oldin/ went into the itchen and saw them broe$
1resently a4ter, a row o4 plates 4rom the ne7t shel4 4ell down liewise, while she
was there, and nobody near them5 this astonished her much, and while she was
thinin/ about it, other thin/s in di44erent places bewail to tumble about, some o4
them breain/, attended with *iolent noises all o*er the house, a cloc tumbled
down and the case broe5 a lanthorn that hun/ on the staircase was thrown down
and the /lass broe to pieces5 an earthen pan o4 salted bee4 broe to pieces, and
the bee4 4ell aboutA all this increased her surprise, and brou/ht se*eral persons
about her, amon/ whom was (r$ ?owlid/e, a carpenter, who /a*e it as his
opinion, that the 4oundation was /i*in/ way and that the house was tumblin/
down, occasioned by the too /reat wei/ht o4 an additional room erected abo*eA
so ready are we to disco*er natural causes 4or e*erythin/! 9ut no such thin/
happened as the reader will 4ind, 4or whate*er was the cause, that cause ceased
almost as soon as (rs$ 6oldin/ and her maid le4t any place, and 4ollowed them
where*er they went$ (rs$ 6oldin/ ran into (r$ 6resham's house, a /entleman
li*in/ ne7t door to her, where she 4ainted$
"In the interim, (r$ ?owlid/e and other persons were remo*in/ (rs$ 6oldin/'s
e44ects 4rom her house, 4or 4ear o4 the consequences he had pro/nosticated$ 0t
this time all was quiet5 (rs$ 6oldin/'s maid remainin/ in her house, was /one,
upstairs, and when called upon se*eral times to come down, 4or 4ear o4 the
dan/erous situation she was thou/ht to be in, she answered *ery cooly, and a4ter
some time come down as deliberately, without any seemin/ 4ear4ul
apprehensions$
"(rs$ 1ain was sent 4or 4rom 9ri7ton Causeway, and desired to come directly, as
her aunt was supposed to be dead5 " this was the messa/e to her$ .hen (rs$
1ain came, (rs$ 6oldin/ was come to hersel4, but *ery 4aint$
"0mon/ the persons who were present, was (r$ 6ardner, a sur/eon, o4
Clapham5 whom (rs$ 1ain desired to bleed her aunt, which he did5 (rs$ 1ain
ased him i4 the blood should be thrown away5 he desired it mi/ht not, as he
would e7amine it when cold$ These minute particulars would not be taen notice
o4, but as a chain to what 4ollows$ 3or the ne7t circumstance is o4 a more
astonishin/ nature than anythin/ that had preceded it5 the blood that was 8ust
con/ealed, sprun/ out o4 the basin upon the 4loor, and presently a4ter the basin
broe to piecesA this china basin was the only thin/ broe belon/in/ to (r$
6reshamA a bottle o4 rum that stood by it, broe at the same time$
"0mon/st the thin/s that were remo*ed to (r$ 6resham's, was a tray 4ull o4
china, etc$, a 8apan bread baset, some maho/any waiters, with some bottles o4
liquors, 8ars o4 picles, etc$, and a pier /lass, which was taen down by (r$
)a*ille, Ea nei/hbour o4 (rs$ 6oldin/'sG5 he /a*e it to one ?obert #ames, who
laid it on the /rass"plat at (r$ 6resham'sA but be4ore he could put it out o4 his
hands, some parts o4 the 4rame on each side 4lew o44A it rained at that time, (rs$
6oldin/ desired it mi/ht be brou/ht into the parlour, where it was put under a
sideboard, and a dressin/"/lass alon/ with itA it had not been there lon/ be4ore
the /lasses and china which stood on the sideboard, be/an to tumble about and
4all down, and broe both the /lasses to pieces$ (r$ )a*ille and others bein/
ased to drin a /lass o4 wine or rum, both the bottles broe in pieces be4ore they
were uncored$
"(rs$ 6oldin/'s surprise and 4ear increasin/, she did not now what to do, or
where to /o5 where*er she and her maid were, these stran/e destructi*e
circumstances 4ollowed her, and how to help or 4ree hersel4 4rom them, was not in
her power or any other person's presentA her mind was one con4used chaos, lost
to hersel4 and e*erythin/ about her, dro*e 4rom her own home, and a4raid there
would be none other to recei*e herA at last she le4t (r$ 6resham's, and went to
(r$ (aylin/'s, a /entleman at the ne7t door, here she staid about three quarters
o4 an hour, durin/ which time nothin/ happened$ #er maid staid at (r$
6resham's, to put up what 4ew thin/s remained unbroe o4 her mistress's, in a
bac apartment, when a 8ar o4 picles that stood upon a table turned upside
down, then a 8ar o4 raspberry 8am broe to pieces, ne7t two maho/any waiters
and a quadrille"bo7 liewise broe in pieces$
"(rs$ 1ain, not choosin/ her aunt should stay too lon/ at (r$ (aylin/'s, 4or 4ear
o4 bein/ troublesome, persuaded her to /o to her house at ?ush Common, near
9ri7ton Causeway, where she would endea*our to mae her as happy as she
could, hopin/ by this time all was o*er, as nothin/ had happened at that
/entleman's house while she was there$ This was about two o'cloc in the
a4ternoon$
"(r$ and (iss 6resham were at (r$ 1ain's house, when (rs$ 1ain, (rs$ 6oldin/,
and her maid went there$ It bein/ about dinner time, they all dined to/ether5 in
the interim, (rs$ 6oldin/'s ser*ant was sent to her house to see how thin/s
remained$ .hen she returned, she told them nothin/ had happened since they
le4t it$ )ome time a4ter, (r$ 6resham and (iss went home, e*erythin/ remainin/
quiet at (r$ 1ain'sA but about ei/ht o'cloc in the e*enin/ a 4resh scene be/an5
the 4irst thin/ that happened, was a whole row o4 pewter dishes, e7cept one, 4ell
4rom o44 a shel4 to the middle o4 the 4loor, rolled about a little while, then settled5
and, what is almost beyond belie4, as soon as they were quiet, turned upside
down5 they were then put on the dresser, and went throu/h the same a second
time5 ne7t 4ell a whole row o4 pewter plates 4rom o44 the second shel4 o*er the
dresser to the /round, and bein/ taen up and put on the dresser one in another,
they were thrown down a/ain$
"The ne7t thin/ was two e//s that were upon one o4 the pewter shel*es, one o4
them 4lew o44, crossed the itchen, struc a cat on the head, and then broe in
pieces$
"&e7t, (ary (artin, (rs$ 1ain's ser*ant, went to stir the itchen 4ire, she /ot to
the ri/ht hand side o4 it, bein/ a lar/e chimney, as is usual in 4arm houses, a
pestle and mortar that stood nearer the le4t hand end o4 the chimney shel4,
8umped about si7 4eet on the 4loor$ Then went candlestics and other brasses,
scarce anythin/ remainin/ in its place$ 04ter this, the /lasses and china were put
down on the 4loor 4or 4ear o4 under/oin/ the same 4ate, they presently be/an to
dance and tumble about, and then broe to pieces$ 0 teapot that was amon/
them, 4lew to (rs$ 6oldin/'s maid's 4oot, and struc it$
"0 /lass tumbler that was put on the 4loor, 8umped about two 4eet and then broe$
0nother that stood by it 8umped about at the same time, but did not brea till
some hours a4ter, when it 8umped a/ain, and then broe$ 0 china bowl that stood
in the parlour 8umped 4rom the 4loor to behind a table that stood there$ This was
most astonishin/, as the distance 4rom where it stood was between se*en and
ei/ht 4eet, but was not broe$ It was put bac by ?ichard 3owler to its place,
where it remained some time, and then 4lew to pieces$
"The ne7t thin/ that 4ollowed was a mustard pot, that 8umped out o4 a closet and
was broe$ 0 sin/le cup that stood upon the table Ealmost the only thin/
remainin/G 8umped tip, 4lew across the itchen, rin/in/ lie a bell, and then was
dashed to pieces a/ainst the dresser$ 0 candlestic that stood on the chimney"
shel4 4lew across the itchen to the parlour door, at about 4i4teen 4eet distance$ 0
tea"ettle under the dresser, was thrown out about two 4eet5 another ettle that
stood at one end o4 the ran/e, was thrown a/ainst the iron that is 4i7ed to pre*ent
children 4allin/ into the 4ire$ 0 tumbler with rum and water in it, that stood upon a
waiter upon a table in the parlour, 8umped about ten 4eet, and was broe$ The
table then 4ell down, and alon/ with it a sil*er tanard belon/in/ to (rs$ 6oldin/,
the waiter in which stood the tumbler and a candlestic$ 0 case bottle then 4lew to
pieces$
"The ne7t circumstance was a ham that hun/ in one side o4 the itchen chimney,
it raised itsel4 4rom the hoo and 4ell down to the /round$ )ome time a4ter,
another ham that hun/ on the other side o4 the chimney, liewise underwent the
same 4ate$ Then a 4litch o4 bacon which hun/ up in the same chimney 4ell down$
"0ll the 4amily were eye"witnesses to these circumstances, as well as other
persons, some o4 whom were so alarmed and shoced, that they could not bear
to stay, and were happy in /ettin/ away, thou/h the unhappy 4amily were le4t in
the midst o4 their distresses$ (ost o4 the /enteel 4amilies around were continually
sendin/ to inquire a4ter them, and whether all was o*er or not$ Is it not surprisin/
that some amon/ them had not the inclination and resolution to try to unra*el this
most intricate a44air, at a time when it would ha*e been in their power to ha*e
done so5 there certainly was su44icient time 4or so doin/, as the whole, 4rom 4irst
to last, continued upwards o4 twenty hours$
"0t all the times o4 action, (rs$ 6oldin/'s ser*ant was walin/A bacwards and
4orwards, either in the itchen or parlour, or where*er some o4 the 4amily
happened to be$ &or could they /et her to sit down 4i*e minutes to/ether, e7cept
at one time 4or about hal4 an hour towards the mornin/, when the 4amily were at
prayers in the parlour5 then all was quietA but in the midst o4 the /reatest
con4usion, she was as much composed as at any other time, and with
uncommon coolness o4 temper ad*ised her mistress not to be alarmed or
uneasy, as she said, these thin/s could not be helped$ Thus she ar/ued, as i4
they were common occurrences which must happen in e*ery 4amily$
"This ad*ice surprised and startled her mistress, almost as much as the
circumstances that occasioned it$ 3or how can we suppose that a /irl o4 about
twenty years old Ean a/e when 4emale timidity is too o4ten assisted by
superstitionG could remain in the midst o4 such calamitous circumstances Ee7cept
they proceed 4rom causes best nown to hersel4G and not be struc with the same
terror as e*ery other person was who was present$ These re4lections led (r$
1ain, and at the end o4 the transactions, liewise (rs$ 6oldin/, to thin that she
was not alto/ether so unconcerned as she appeared to be$ 9ut hitherto, the
whole remains mysterious and unra*eled$
"0bout ten o'cloc at ni/ht, they sent o*er the way to ?ichard 3owler, to desire he
would come and stay with them$ #e came and continued till one in the mornin/,
and was so terri4ied that he could remain no lon/er$
"0s (rs$ 6oldin/ could not be persuaded to /o to bed, (rs$ 1ain at that time
Eone o'clocG made an e7cuse to /o upstairs to her youn/est child, under
pretence o4 /ettin/ it to sleep, but she really acnowled/es it was throu/h 4ear,
as she declares she could not sit up to see such stran/e thin/s /oin/ on, as
e*erythin/, one a4ter another, was broe, till there was not abo*e two or three
cups and saucers remainin/ out o4 a considerable quantity o4 china, etc$, which
was destroyed to the amount o4 some pounds$
"0bout 4i*e o'cloc on Tuesday mornin/, (rs$ 6oldin/ went up to her niece, and
desired her to /et up, as the noises and destruction were so /reat, she could
continue in the house no lon/er$ 0t this time all the tables, chairs, drawers, etc$,
were tumblin/ about$ .hen (rs$ 1ain came down, it was amaBin/ beyond all
description$ Their only security then was to quit the house 4or 4ear o4 the same
catastrophe, as had been e7pected the mornin/ be4ore, at (rs$ 6eldin/'s5 in
consequence o4 this resolution, (rs$ 6oldin/ and her maid went o*er the way to
?ichard 3owler's$ .hen (rs$ 6oldin/'s maid had seen her sa4e to ?ichard
3owler's, she came bac to (rs$ 1ain, to help her to dress the children in the
barn, where she had carried them 4or 4ear o4 the house 4allin/$ 0t this time all was
quiet5 they then went to 3owler's, and then be/an the same scene as had
happened at the other places$ It must be remared, all was quiet here as well as
elsewhere, till the maid returned$
".hen they /ot to (r$ 3owler's, he be/an to li/ht a 4ire in his bac room$ .hen
done, he put the candle and candlestic upon a table in the 4ore room$ This
apartment (rs$ 6oldin/ and her maid had passed throu/h$ 0nother candlestic
with a tin lamp in it, that stood by it, were both dashed to/ether, and 4ell to the
/round$ 0 lanthorn with which (rs$ 6oldin/ was li/hted with cross the road,
sprun/ 4rom a hoo to the /round, and a quantity o4 oil spilled on the 4loor$ The
last thin/ was the baset o4 coals tumbled o*er5 the coals rollin/ about the room5
the maid then desired ?ichard 3owler not to let her mistress remain there, as she
said, where*er she was, the same thin/s would 4ollow$ In consequence o4 this
ad*ice, and 4earin/ /reater losses to himsel4, he desired she would quit his
house5 but 4irst be//ed her to consider within hersel4, 4or her own and the public's
sae, whether or not she had not been /uilty o4 some atrocious crime, 4or which
1ro*idence was determined to pursue her on this side o4 the /ra*e, 4or he could
not help thinin/, she was the ob8ect that was to be made an e7ample to
posterity, by the 0ll"seein/ eye o4 1ro*idence, 4or crimes which but too o4ten
none but that 1ro*idence can penetrate, and by such means as these brin/ to
li/ht$
"Thus was the poor /entlewoman's measure o4 a44liction complete, not only to
ha*e under/one all which has been related, but to ha*e added to it the character
o4 a bad and wiced woman, when till this time, she was esteemed as a most
deser*in/ person$ In candour to 3owler, he could not be blamed5 what could he
do< what would any man ha*e done that was so circumstanced< (rs$ 6oldin/
soon satis4ied him5 she told him she would not stay in his house, or any other
person's, as her conscience was quite clear, and she could as well wait the will o4
1ro*idence in her own house as in any other place whate*er5 upon which she
and her maid went home$ (r$ 1ain went with them$ 04ter they had /ot to (rs$
6oldin/'s the last time, the same transactions once more be/an upon the
remains that were le4t$
"0 nine /allon cas o4 beer, that was in the cellar, the door bein/ open, and no
person near it, turned upside down$ 0 pail o4 water that stood on the 4loor, boiled
lie a pot$ 0 bo7 o4 candles 4ell 4rom a shel4 in the itchen to the 4loor5 they rolled
out, but none were broeA and a round maho/any table o*erset in the parlour$
"(r$ 1ain then desired (rs$ 6oldin/ to send her maid 4or his wi4e to come to
them5 when she was /one, all was quiet5 upon her return she was immediately
dischar/ed, and no disturbances ha*e happened since5 this was between si7 and
se*en o'cloc on Tuesday mornin/$
"0t (rs$ 6oldin/'s were broe the quantity o4 three pails"4ull o4 /lass, china, etc$
0t (rs$ 1ain's they 4illed two pails$
''Thus ends the narrati*eA a true, circumstantial, and 4aith4ul account o4 which we
ha*e laid be4ore the public5 and ha*e endea*oured as much as possible,
throu/hout the whole, to state only 4acts, without presumin/ to obtrude any
opinion on them$ I4 we ha*e in part hinted anythin/ that may appear un4a*ourable
to the /irl, it is not 4rom a determination to char/e her with the cause, ri/ht or
wron/, but only 4rom a strict adherence to truth, most sincerely wishin/ this
e7traordinary a44air may be unra*eled$
"The abo*e narrati*e is absolutely and strictly true, in witness whereo4 we ha*e
set our hands this ele*enth day o4 Danuary, 1''2$
"(ary 6oldin/,
"Dohn 1ain, (ary 1ain,
"?ichard 3owler,
")arah 3owler,
"(ary (artin$"
"The ori/inal copy o4 this narrati*e, si/ned as abo*e, with the parties own hands,
was put into the hands o4 (r$ (ars, booseller, in )t$ (artin's %ane, to satis4y
persons who choose to inspect the same$"
)uch phenomena as this o4 the )tocwell 6host, are by no means uncommon,
and I am acquainted with many more instances than I can allude to here$ @ne
occurred *ery lately in the nei/hbourhood o4 %ondon, as I learnt 4rom the
4ollowin/ newspaper para/raph$ I subsequently heard that the little /irl had been
sent away, but whether the phenomena then ceased, or whether she carried the
disturbance with her, I ha*e not been able to ascertain, nor does it appear certain
that she had anythin/ to do with itA "
"0 (ischie*ous and (ysterious 6host$
"E3rom a Correspondent$G The whole o4 the nei/hbourhood o4 9lac %ion"lane,
9ayswater, is rin/in/ with the e7traordinary occurrences that ha*e recently
happened in the house o4 a (r$ .illiams, in the (oscow"road, and which bear a
stron/ resemblance to the celebrated )tocwell /host a44air in 1''2$ The house
is inhabited by (r$ and (rs$ .illiams, a /rown"up son and dau/hter, and a little
/irl between ten and ele*en years o4 a/e$ @n the 4irst day, the 4amily, who are
remarable 4or their piety, were startled all at once by a mysterious mo*ement
amon/ the thin/s in the sittin/"rooms and itchen, and other parts o4 the house$
0t one time, without any *isible a/ency, one o4 the 8u/s came o44 the hoo o*er
the dresser, and was broen5 then 4ollowed another, and ne7t day another$ 0
china teapot, with the tea 8ust made in it, and placed on the mantelpiece, whised
o44 on to the 4loor, and was smashed$ 0 pewter one, which had been substituted
immediately a4ter, did the same, and when put on the table, was seen to hop
about as i4 bewitched, and was actually held down while the tea was made 4or
(r$ .illiams's brea4ast, be4ore lea*in/ 4or his place o4 business$ .hen 4or a time
all had been quiet, o44 came 4rom its place on the wall, a picture in a hea*y /ilt
4rame, and 4ell to the 4loor without bein/ broen$ 0ll was now amaBement and
terror, 4or the old people are *ery superstitious, and ascribin/ it to a supernatural
a/ency, the other pictures were remo*ed, and stowed away on the 4loor$
9ut the spirit o4 locomotion was not to be arrested$ Du/s and plates continued at
inter*als to quit their posts, and sip o44 their hoos and shel*es into the middle o4
the room, as thou/h they were inspired by the ma/ic 4lute, and at supper, when
the little /irl's mu/ was 4illed with beer, the mu/ slided o44 the table on to the 4loor$
Three times it was replenished and replaced, and three times it mo*ed o44 a/ain$
It would be tedious to relate the 4antastic trics which ha*e been played by
household articles o4 e*ery ind$ 0n :/yptian *ase 8umped o44 the table suddenly
when no soul was near, and was smashed to pieces$ The tea"ettle popped o44
the 4ire into the /rate as (r$ .illiams had 4illed the teapot, which 4ell o44 the
chimneypiece$ Candlestics, a4ter a dance on the table, 4lew o44, and ornaments
4rom the shel*es, and bonnets and cap"bo7es 4lun/ about in the oddest manner$
0 looin/"/lass hopped o44 a dressin/"table, 4ollowed by combs and brushes and
se*eral bottles, and a /reat pincushion has been remarably conspicuous 4or its
incessant 8i/s 4rom one part to another$ The little /irl, who is a )paniard, and
under the care o4 (r$ and (rs$ .illiams, is supposed by their 4riends to be the
cause o4 it all, howe*er e7traordinary it may seem in one o4 her a/e, but up to the
present time it continues a mystery, and the modus operandi is in*isible$" "
5orning Post.
To ima/ine that these e7traordinary e44ects were produced by the *oluntary
a/ency o4 the child, 4urnishes one o4 those remarable instances o4 the credulity
o4 the sceptical, to which I ha*e re4erred$ 9ut when we read a true statement o4
the e44ects in*oluntarily e7hibited by 0n/elique Cottin, we be/in to see that it is
8ust possible the other stran/e phenomena may be pro*ided by a similar a/ency$
The 3rench 0cademy o4 )ciences had determined, as they had 4ormerly done by
(esmerism, that the thin/ should not be true, and (onsieur 0ra/o was
nonsuited5 but althou/h it is e7tremely possible that either the phenomenon had
run its course and arri*ed at a natural termination, or that the remo*al o4 the /irl
to 1aris had e7tin/uished it, there appears no doubt that it had pre*iously
e7isted$
0n/elique Cottin was a nati*e o4 %a 1erriere, a/ed 4ourteen, when on the 1Kth
Danuary, 1+,>, at ei/ht o'cloc in the e*enin/, whilst wea*in/ sil /lo*es at an
oaen 4rame, in company with other /irls, the 4rame be/an to 8er and they could
not by any e44orts eep it steady$ It seemed as i4 it were ali*e, and becomin/
alarmed, they called in the nei/hbours, who would not belie*e them5 but desired
them to sit down and /o on with their wor$ 9ein/ timid, they went one by one,
and the 4rame remained still, till 0u/elique approached, when it recommenced its
mo*ements, whilst she was also attracted by the 4rameA thinin/ she was
bewitched or possessed, her parents too her to the 1resbytery that the spirit
mi/ht be e7orcised$ The curate howe*er, bein/ a sensible man, re4used to do it5
but set himsel4, on the contrary, to obser*e the phenomenon5 and bein/ per4ectly
satis4ied o4 the 4act, he bade them tae her to a physician$
(eanwhile, the intensity o4 the in4luence, whate*er it was, au/mented5 not only
articles made o4 oa, but all sorts o4 thin/s were acted upon by it and reacted
upon her, whilst persons who were near her, e*en without contact, 4requently 4elt
electric shocs$ The e44ects, which were diminished when she was on a carpet or
e*en a wa7ed cloth, were most remarable when she was on the bare earth$
They sometimes entirely ceased 4or two or three days, and then recommenced$
(etals were not a44ected$ 0nythin/ touched by her apron or dress would 4ly o44,
althou/h a person held it5 and (onsieur #ebert whilst seated on a hea*y tub or
trou/h, was raised up with it$ In short, the only place she could repose on, was a
stone co*ered with cor5 they also ept her still by isolatin/ her$ .hen she was
4ati/ued the e44ects diminished$ 0 needle suspended horiBontally, oscillated
rapidly with the motion o4 her arm without contact, or remained 4i7ed, whilst
de*iatin/ 4rom the ma/netic direction$ 6reat numbers o4 enli/htened medical and
scienti4ic men witnessed these phenomena, and in*esti/ated them with e*ery
precaution to pre*ent imposition$ )he was o4ten hurt by the *iolent in*oluntary
mo*ements she was thrown into, and was e*idently a44licted by chorea$
Cn4ortunately, her parents poor and i/norant, insisted much a/ainst the ad*ice o4
the doctors, on e7hibitin/ her 4or money5 and under these circumstances, she
was brou/ht to 1aris5 and nothin/ is more probable, than that a4ter the
phenomena had really ceased, the /irl may ha*e been induced to simulate, what
had ori/inally been /enuine, the thin/ a*owedly ceased alto/ether on the
e*enin/ o4 the 1Ith 0pril, and there has been no return o4 it$
In 1+=1, a youn/ /irl, also a/ed 4ourteen, who li*ed as under nursery"maid in a
3rench 4amily, e7hibited the same phenomena5 and when the case o4 0n/elique
Cottin was made public, her master published hers$ #e says that thin/s o4 such
an e7traordinary nature occurred as he dare not repeat, since none but an eye"
witness could belie*e them$ The thin/ lasted 4or three years, and there was
ample time 4or obser*ation$
In the year 1>+>, a man at 9russels, called 9reemaus was similarly e44ected$ 0
commission was appointed by the ma/istrates to in*esti/ate his condition5 and,
bein/ pronounced a sorcerer, he would ha*e been burnt, had he not lucily made
his escape$
(any somnambulic persons are capable o4 /i*in/ an electric shoc5 and I ha*e
met with one person, not somnambulic, who in4orms me that he has 4requently
been able to do it by an e44ort o4 the will$
-r$ :nnemoser relates the case o4 a (ademoiselle :mmerich, sister to the
pro4essor o4 theolo/y at )trasbur/, who also possessed this power$ This youn/
lady, who appears to ha*e been a person o4 *ery rare merit and endowments,
was a44licted with a lon/ and sin/ular malady, ori/inatin/ in a 4ri/ht, in the course
o4 which she e7hibited many *ery curious phenomena, ha*in/ 4allen into a state
o4 natural somnambulism, accompanied by a hi/h de/ree o4 lucidity$ #er body
became so surchar/ed with electricity, that it was necessary to her relie4 to
dischar/e it5 and she sometimes imparted a complete battery o4 shocs to her
brother and her physician, or whoe*er was near, and that, 4requently, when they
did not touch her$ 1ro4essor :mmerich mentions also, that she sent him a smart
shoc, one day, when he was se*eral rooms o44$ #e started up and rushed into
her chamber, where she was in bed, and as soon as she saw him she said,
lau/hin/, "0h, you 4elt it, did you<" (ademoiselle :mmerich's illness terminated
in death$
Cotu/uo, a sur/eon, relates that ha*in/ touched with his scalpel, the intercostal
ner*e o4 a mouse that had bitten his le/, he recei*ed an electric shoc5 and
where the torpedo abounds, the 4ishermen, in pourin/ water o*er the 4ish they
ha*e cau/ht 4or the purpose o4 washin/ them, now i4 one is amon/st them by
the shoc they sustain$
0 *ery e7traordinary circumstance, which we may possibly attribute to some such
in4luence as the abo*e occurred at ?ambouillet, in &o*ember, 1+,>$ The
particulars are 4urnished by a /entleman residin/ on the spot at the time, and
were published by the 9aron -upotet5 who howe*er attempts no e7planation o4
the mystery$
@ne mornin/, some tra*elin/ merchants, or peddlers, came to the door o4 a 4arm
house, belon/in/ to a man named 9ottel, and ased 4or some bread, which the
maid ser*ant /a*e them and they went away$ )ubsequently one o4 the party
returned to as 4or more and was re4used$ The man I belie*e e7pressed some
resentment, and uttered *a/ue threats, but she would not /i*e him anythin/, and
he departed$ That ni/ht at supper the plates be/an to dance and to roll o44 the
table, without any *isible cause, and se*eral other unaccountable phenomena
occurred5 and the /irl /oin/ to the door and chancin/ to place hersel4 8ust where
the pedlar had stood, she was seiBed with con*ulsions and an e7traordinary
rotatory motion$ The carter who was standin/ by, lau/hed at her, and out o4
bra*ado, placed himsel4 on the same spot, when he 4elt almost su44ocated, and
was so unable to command his mo*ements, that he was o*erturned into a lar/e
pool that was in 4ront o4 the house$
Cpon this, they rushed to the cure o4 the parish 4or assistance, but he had
scarcely said a prayer or two, be4ore he was attaced in the same manner,
thou/h in his own house, and his 4urniture be/innin/ to oscillate and crac as i4 it
were bewitched, the poor people were 4ri/htened out o4 their wits$
9y and by the phenomena intermitted, and they hoped all was o*er5 but presently
it be/an a/ain5 and this occurred more than once be4ore it subsided wholly$
@n the +th -ecember, 1+=>, at )tutt/ard, Carl 3ischer, a baer's boy, a/ed
se*enteen, o4 steady habits and /ood character, was 4i7ed with a baset on his
shoulders in some unaccountable way in 4ront o4 his master's house$ #e 4oresaw
the thin/ was to happen when he went out *ery early, with his bread in the
mornin/5 earnestly wished that the day was o*er, and told his companion that i4
he could only cross the threshold, on his return, he should escape it$ It was about
si7 when he did return5 and his master hearin/ a 4ear4ul noise, which he could not
describe, "as i4 proceedin/ 4rom a multitude o4 bein/s,'' looed out o4 the window,
where he saw Carl *iolently stru//lin/ and 4i/htin/ with his apron, thou/h his 4eet
were immo*ably 4i7ed to one spot$ 0 hissin/ sound proceeded 4rom his mouth
and nose, and a *oice which was neither his nor that o4 any person present, was
heard to cry, ")tand 4ast, Carl!" The master says, that he could not ha*e belie*ed
such a thin/5 and he was so alarmed that he did not *enture into the street,
where numerous persons were assembled$ The boy said he must remain there
till ele*en o'clocA and the police ept /uard o*er him till that time, as the
physician said he must not be inter4ered with, and the people sou/ht to push him
4rom the spot$ .hen the time had e7pired, he was carried to the hospital, where
he seemed e7ceedin/ly e7hausted, and 4ell into a pro4ound sleep$
I meet with numerous e7traordinary records o4 a preternatural rin/in/ o4 all the
bells in a house5 sometimes occurrin/ periodically 4or a considerable time5 and
continuin/ a4ter precautions ha*e been taen which precluded the possibility o4
tric or deception, the wires bein/ cut, and *i/ilant eyes watchin/ them5 and yet
they run/ on by day or ni/ht, 8ust the same$
It is certainly *ery di44icult to concei*e, but at the same time it is not impossible,
that such stran/e phenomena as that o4 the )tocwell 6host and many similar
ones, may be the mani4estations o4 some e7traordinary electrical in4luence5 but
there are other cases o4 polter/eist, which it is impossible to attribute to the same
cause, since they are accompanied by e*ident mani4estations o4 will and
intelli/ence$ )uch was the instance related in )outhey's li4e o4 .esley, which
occurred in the year 1'1+, be/innin/ with a /roanin/, and subsequently
proceedin/ to all manner o4 noises, li4tin/ o4 latches, clatterin/ o4 windows,
nocin/s o4 a most mysterious ind, etc$, etc$ The 4amily were not /enerally
4ri/htened, but the youn/ children, when asleep, showed symptoms o4 /reat
terror$ This annoyance lasted, I thin, two or three months, and then ceased$ 0s
in most o4 these cases, the do/ was e7tremely 4ri/htened, arid hid himsel4 when
the *isitations commenced$
In the year 1+=+, a circumstance o4 the same ind occurred in 1aris, in the ?ue
)t$ #onore, and not *ery alon/ a/o, there was one in Caithness, in which most
unaccountable circumstances transpired$ 0mon/st the rest, stones were 4lun/,
which ne*er hit people, but 4ell at their 4eet, in rooms per4ectly closed on all sides$
0 /entleman who witnessed these e7traordinary phenomena, related the whole
story to an ad*ocate o4 my acquaintance5 who assured me, that howe*er
impossible he 4ound it to credit such thin/s, he should certainly place entire
reliance on that /entleman's word in any other case$
Then there is the 4amous story o4 the -rummer o4 Tedworth5M and the
persecution o4 1ro4essor )chuppart, at 6iessen, in Cpper #esse, which
continued with occasional intermission 4or si7 years$
"""""""""""""
M There was also a remarable case o4 this sort at (r$ Cha*es, in -e*onshire, in
the year 1+1I, where a44ida*its were made be4ore the ma/istrates attestin/ the
4acts, and lar/e rewards o44ered 4or disco*ery, but in *ain$ The phenomena
continued se*eral months, and the spiritual a/ent was 4requently seen in the 4orm
o4 some stran/e animal$
"""""""""""""
This a44air be/an with a *iolent nocin/ at the door one ni/ht5 ne7t day stones
were sent whiBBin/ throu/h closed rooms in all directions5 so that althou/h no
one was struc, the windows were all broen5 and no sooner were new panes put
in, than they were broen a/ain$ #e was persecuted with slaps on the 4ace by
day and by ni/ht, so that he could /et no rest5 and when two persons were
appointed by the authorities to sit by his bed to watch him, they /ot the slaps
also$ .hen he was readin/ at his des, his lamp would suddenly rise up and
remo*e to the other end o4 the room " not as i4 thrown, but e*idently carriedA his
boos were torn to pieces and 4lun/ at his 4eet, and when he was lecturin/, this
mischie*ous sprite would tear out the lea4 he was readin/5 and it is *ery
remarable that the only thin/ that seemed a*ailable, as a protection, was a
drawn sword brandished o*er his head by himsel4, or others, which was one o4
the sin/ularities attendin/ the case o4 the -rummer o4 Tedworth$
)chuppart narrated all these circumstances in his public lectures, and nobody
e*er disputed the 4acts$ 0 remarable case o4 this sort occurred in the year 1>'I,
at ;eppoc, near 6las/ow5 there also stones were thrown which hit nobody5 but
the annoyance only continued ei/ht days5 and there are se*eral more to be 4ound
recorded in wors o4 that period$
The disturbance that happened in the house o4 6ilbert Cambell, at 6lenluce,
e7cited considerable notice$ #ere, as elsewhere, stones were thrown5 but as in
most similar instances I meet with, no human bein/ was dama/ed5 the license o4
these spirits or /oblins, or whate*er they be, seemin/ to e7tend no 4urther than
worryin/ and tormentin/ their *ictims$ In this case, howe*er, the spirit spoe to
them, thou/h he was ne*er seen$ The annoyance commenced in &o*ember, o4
the year 1>K,, I thin, and continued till 0pril, when there was some intermission
till Duly, when it recommenced$ The loss o4 the 4amily 4rom the thin/s destroyed
was ruinin/5 4or their household /oods and chattels were rendered useless, their
4ood was polluted and spoiled, and their *ery clothes cut to pieces whilst on their
bacs by in*isible hands5 and it was in *ain that all the ministers about the
country assembled to e7orcise this troublesome spirit, 4or whoe*er was there the
thin/ continued e7actly the same$
0t len/th, poor Cambell applied to the )ynod o4 1resbyters 4or ad*ice, and a
meetin/ was con*ened in @ctober, 1>KK, and a solemn day o4 humiliation was
imposed throu/h the whole bounds o4 the 1resbytery, 4or the sae o4 the a44licted
4amily$ .hether it was owin/ to this or not, there ensued an alle*iation 4rom that
time till 0pril5 and 4rom 0pril till 0u/ust they were entirely 4ree, and hoped all was
o*er5 but then it be/an a/ain worse than e*er, and they were dread4ully
tormented throu/h the autumn5 a4ter which the disturbance ceased, and althou/h
the 4amily li*ed in the house many years a4terwards, nothin/ o4 the sort e*er
happened a/ain$
There was another 4amous case, which occurred at a place called ?in/ Cro4t, in
;ircudbri/ht, in the year 1>FK$ The a44licted 4amily bore the name o4 (acie$ In
this instance, the stones did sometimes hit them, and they were beaten as i4 by
sta*es5 they, as well as stran/ers who came to the house, were li4ted o44 the
/round by their clothes, their bed co*erin/s were taen o44 their beds5 thin/s
were *isibly carried about the house by in*isible hands5 se*eral people were hurt,
e*en to the e44usion o4 blood, by stones and blows5 there were 4ireballs seen
about the house, which was se*eral times actually i/nited5 people, both o4 the
4amily and others, 4elt themsel*es /rasped as i4 by a hand5 then there was
/roanin/, cryin/, whistlin/, and a *oice that 4requently spoe to them5 crowds o4
people went to the house, but the thin/ continued 8ust the same whether there
were many or 4ew, and sometimes the whole buildin/ shoo as i4 it were comin/
down$
0 day o4 humiliation was appointed in this case also, but without the least e44ect$
The disturbance commenced in 3ebruary, and ended on the 1st o4 (ay$
&umberless people witnessed the phenomena, and the account o4 it is attested
by 4ourteen ministers and /entlemen$
The same sort o4 thin/ occurred in the year 1>KF, in a place inhabited by an
:*an/elical bishop, called )chlotterbec$ It be/an in the same manner by
throwin/ o4 stones and other thin/s, many o4 which came throu/h the roo45
insomuch that they belie*ed at 4irst that some animal was concealed there$
#owe*er, nothin/ could be 4ound, and the in*isible /uest soon proceeded to
other annoyances similar to those abo*e"mentioned5 and thou/h they could not
see him, his 4ootsteps were 4ore*er heard about the house$ 0t len/th, wearied
out, the bishop applied to the 6o*ernment 4or aid, and they sent him a company
o4 soldiers to /uard the house by day and ni/ht, out o4 which he and his 4amily
retired$ 9ut the /oblin cared no more 4or the soldiers than it had done 4or the city
watch5 the thin/ continued without intermission, whoe*er was there, till it ceased
o4 its own accord$ There was a house at 0i7 la Chapelle, that was 4or se*eral
years quite uninhabitable 4rom a similar cause$
I could mention many other cases, and, as I ha*e said be4ore, they occur in all
countries, but these will su44ice as specimens o4 the class$ It is in *ain 4or people
who were not on the spot to lau/h, and assert that these were the mischie*ous
trics o4 ser*ants, or others, when those who were there, and who had such a
deep interest in unra*ellin/ the mystery, and such abundance o4 time and
opportunity 4or doin/ it, could 4ind no solution whate*er$ In many o4 the abo*e
cases, the cattle were unloosed, the horses were turned out o4 their stables, and
uni4ormly all the animals, in the way, e7hibited /reat terror, sweatin/ and
tremblin/ whilst the *isitation continued$
)ince we cannot but belie*e that man 4orms but one class in an immense ran/e
o4 e7istences, do not these stran/e occurrences su//est the idea, that
occasionally some indi*idual out o4 this /amut o4 bein/s comes into rapport with
us, or crosses our path lie a comet, and that, whilst certain conditions last, it can
ho*er about us, and play these pucish, mischie*ous trics, till the charm is
broen, and then it re"enters its own sphere, and we are co/niBant o4 it no more!
9ut one o4 the most e7traordinary e7amples o4 this ind o4 annoyance, is that
which occurred in the year 1+I>, in the castle o4 1rince #ohenlohe, in )ilesia$
The account is /i*en at len/th by Councillor #ahn, o4 In/el4in/en, who witnessed
the circumstances5 and, in consequence o4 the *arious remars that ha*e been
since made on the sub8ect, in di44erent publications, he has repeatedly reasserted
the 4acts in letters which ha*e been printed and laid be4ore the public$ I cannot,
there4ore, see what ri/ht we ha*e to disbelie*e a man o4 honour and character,
as he is said to be, merely because the circumstances he narrates are
unaccountable, more especially as the story, stran/e as it is, by no means stands
alone in the annals o4 demonolo/y$ The 4ollowin/ details were written down at the
time the e*ents occurred, and they were communicated by Councillor #ahn to
-r$ ;erner in the year 1+2+$
"04ter the campai/n o4 the 1russians a/ainst the 3rench in the year 1+<>, the
rei/nin/ 1rince o4 #ohenlohe /a*e orders to Councillor #ahn, who was in his
ser*ice, to proceed to )lawensic, and there to wait his return$ #is )erene
#i/hness ad*anced 4rom %eibnitB towards his principality, and #ahn also
commenced his 8ourney towards Cpper )ilesia on the 1Fth &o*ember$ 0t the
same period, Charles ;ern, o4 ;untBlau, who had 4allen into the hands o4 the
3rench, bein/ released on parole, and arri*in/ at %ei/nitB, in an in4irm condition,
he was allowed to spend some time with #ahn, whilst awaitin/ his e7chan/e$
"#ahn and ;ern had been 4riends in their youth, and their destinies ha*in/
brou/ht them both at this time into the 1russian )tates, they were lod/ed
to/ether in the same apartment o4 the castle, which was one on the 4irst 4loor,
4ormin/ an an/le at the bac o4 the buildin/, one side looin/ towards the north,
and the other to the east$ @n the ri/ht o4 the door o4 this room was a /lass door,
which led into a chamber di*ided 4rom those which 4ollowed by a wainscoat
partition$ The door in this wainscoat, which communicated to those ad8oinin/
rooms, was entirely closed up, because in them all sorts o4 household utensils
were ept$ &either in this chamber, nor in the sittin/"room which preceded it, was
there any openin/ whate*er which could 4urnish the means o4 communication
4rom without5 nor was there any body in the castle besides the two 4riends,
e7cept the 1rince's two coachmen and #ahn's ser*ant$
"The whole party were 4earless people5 and as 4or #ahn and ;ern, they belie*ed
in nothin/ less than /hosts or witches, nor had any pre*ious e7perience induced
them to turn their thou/hts in that direction$ #ahn, durin/ his colle/iate li4e, had
been much /i*en to philosophy, had listened to 3ichte, and earnestly studied the
writin/s o4 ;ant$ The result o4 his re4lections was a pure materialism5 and he
looed upon created man, not as an aim, but merely as a means to a yet
unde*eloped end$ These opinions he has since chan/ed, lie many others who
thin *ery di44erently in their 4ortieth year to what they did in their twentieth$ The
particulars here /i*en are necessary in order to obtain credence 4or the 4ollowin/
e7traordinary narrati*e5 and to establish the 4act that the phenomena were not
merely accepted by i/norant superstition, but coolly and coura/eously
in*esti/ated by enli/htened minds$
"-urin/ the 4irst days o4 their residence in the castle, the two 4riends, li*in/
to/ether in solitude, amused their lon/ e*enin/s with the wors o4 )chiller, o4
whom they were both /reat admirers5 and #ahn usually read aloud$ Three days
had thus passed quietly away, when, as they were sittin/ at the table, which
stood in the middle o4 the room, about nine o'cloc in the e*enin/, their readin/
was interrupted by a small shower o4 lime, which 4ell around them$ They looed
at the ceilin/, concludin/ it must ha*e come thence, but could percei*e no
abraded parts5 and whilst they were yet seein/ to ascertain whence the lime
had proceeded, there suddenly 4ell se*eral lar/er pieces, which were quite cold,
and appeared as i4 they had belon/ed to the e7ternal wall$ 0t len/th concludin/
the lime must ha*e 4allen 4rom some part o4 the wall, and /i*in/ up 4urther
enquiry, they went to bed, and slept quietly till mornin/, when, on awain/, they
were somewhat surprised at the quantity which strewed the 4loor, more especially
as they could still disco*er no part o4 the walls or ceilin/ 4rom which it could ha*e
4allen$ 9ut they thou/ht no more o4 the matter till e*enin/, when, instead o4 the
lime 4allin/ as be4ore, it was thrown, and se*eral pieces struc #ahn5 0t the same
time they heard hea*y blows, sometimes below, and sometimes o*er their
heads, lie the sound o4 distant /uns5 still attributin/ these sounds to natural
causes, they went to bed as usual, but the uproar pre*ented their sleepin/, and
each accused the other o4 occasionin/ it by icin/ with his 4eet a/ainst the 4oot"
board o4 his bed, till, 4indin/ that the noise continued when they both /ot out and
stood to/ether in the middle o4 the room, they were satis4ied that this was not the
case$
"@n the 4ollowin/ e*enin/, a third noise was added, which resembled the 4aint
and distant beatin/ o4 a drum$ Cpon this, they requested the /o*erness o4 the
castle to send them the ey o4 the apartments abo*e and below, which was
brou/ht them by her son5 and, whilst he and ;ern went to mae their
in*esti/ations, #ahn remained in their own room$ 0bo*e, they 4ound an empty
room5 below, a itchen$ They noced, but the noise they made was *ery
di44erent to that which #ahn continued all the while to hear around him$ .hen
they returned, #ahn said 8estin/ly, 'The place is haunted!' @n this ni/ht, when
they went to bed with a li/ht burnin/, they heard what seemed lie a person
walin/ about the room with slippers on, and a stic, with which he struc the
4loor as he mo*ed step by step$ #ahn continued to 8est, and ;ern to lau/h, at the
oddness o4 these circumstances 4or some time, when they both, as usual, 4ell
asleep, neither in the sli/htest de/ree disturbed by these e*ents, nor inclined to
attribute them to any supernatural cause$
"9ut on the 4ollowin/ e*enin/ the a44air became more ine7plicable5 *arious
articles in the room were thrown about5 ni*es, 4ors, brushes, caps, slippers,
padlocs, 4unnel, snu44ers, soap " e*erythin/, in short, that was mo*eable5 whilst
li/hts darted 4rom corner, and e*erythin/ was in con4usion5 at the same time the
lime 4ell, and the blows continued$ Cpon this, the two 4riends called up the
ser*ants, ;nittel, the castle watch, and whoe*er else was at hand, to be
witnesses o4 these mysterious operations$
"In the mornin/ all was quiet, and /enerally continued so till about an hour a4ter
midni/ht$ @ne e*enin/, ;ern /oin/ into the abo*e"mentioned chamber to 4etch
somethin/, and hearin/ such an uproar that it almost dro*e him bacwards to the
door, #ahn cau/ht up the li/ht, and both rushed into the room, where they 4ound
a lar/e piece o4 wood, lyin/ close to the wainscoat$ 9ut supposin/ this to be the
cause o4 the noise, who had set it in motion< 3or ;ern was sure the door was
shut, e*en whilst the noise was main/5 neither had there been any wood in the
room$ 3requently, be4ore their eyes, the ni*es and snu44ers rose 4rom the table,
and 4ell, a4ter some minutes, to the /round5 and #ahn's lar/e shears were once
li4ted in this manner between him and one o4 the 1rince's coos, and, 4allin/ to
the /round, stuc into the 4loor$
"0s some ni/hts, howe*er, passed quite quietly, #ahn was determined not to
lea*e the rooms5 but when, 4or three wees, the disturbance was so constant that
they could /et no rest, they resol*ed on remo*in/ their beds into the lar/e room
abo*e, in hopes o4 once more en8oyin/ a little quiet sleep$ Their hopes were *ain
" the thumpin/ continued as be4ore5 and not only so, but articles 4lew about the
room, which they were quite sure they had le4t below$ 'They may 4lin/ as they
will,' cried #ahn, 'sleep I must5' whilst ;ern be/an to undress, ponderin/ on these
matters as he waled up and down the room$ )uddenly #ahn saw him stand, as
i4 trans4i7ed, be4ore the looin/ /lass, on which he had accidentally cast his eyes$
#e had so stood 4or some minutes, when he was seiBed with a *iolent tremblin/,
and turned 4rom the mirror with his 4ace as white as death$ #ahn, 4ancyin/ the
cold o4 the uninhabited room had seiBed him, hastened to throw a cloa o*er him5
when ;ern, who was naturally *ery coura/eous, reco*ered himsel4, and related,
thou/h with tremblin/ lips, that, as he had accidentally looed in the /lass, he
had seen a white 4emale 4i/ure looin/ out o4 it5 she was in 4ront o4 his own
ima/e, which he distinctly saw behind her$ 0t 4irst he could not belie*e his eyes5
he thou/ht it must be 4ancy, and 4or that reason he had stood so lon/5 but when
he saw that the eyes o4 the 4i/ure mo*ed, and looed into his, a shudder had
seiBed him, and he had turned away$ #ahn upon this ad*anced with 4irm steps to
the 4ront o4 the mirror, and called upon the apparition to show itsel4 to him5 but he
saw nothin/, althou/h he remained a quarter o4 an hour be4ore the /lass, and
4requently repeated his e7hortation$ ;ern then 4urther related that the 4eatures o4
the apparition were *ery old, but not /loomy or morose5 the e7pression indeed
was rather that o4 indi44erence5 but the 4ace was *ery pale, and the head was
wrapped in a cloth which le4t only the 4eatures *isible$
"9y this time it was 4our o'cloc in the mornin/ sleep was banished 4rom their
eyes, and they resol*ed to return to the lower room, and ha*e their beds brou/ht
bac a/ain5 but the people who were sent to 4etch them returned, declarin/ they
could not open the door, althou/h it did not appear to be 4astened$ They were
sent bac a/ain5 but a second and a third time they returned with the same
answer$ Then #ahn went himsel4, and opened it with the /reatest ease$ The 4our
ser*ants, howe*er, solemnly declared, that all their united stren/ths could mae
no impression on it$
"In this way a month had elapsedA the stran/e e*ents at the castle had /ot
spread abroad5 and amon/st others who desired to con*ince themsel*es o4 the
4acts, were two 9a*arian o44icers o4 dra/oons, namely, Captain Cornet and
%ieutenant (a/erle, o4 the re/iment o4 (inuci$ (a/erle o44erin/ to remain in the
room alone, the others le4t him, but scarcely had they passed into the ne7t
apartment, when they heard (a/erle stormin/ lie a man in a passion, and
cuttin/ away at the tables and chairs with his sabre, whereupon the Captain
thou/ht it ad*isable to return, in order to rescue the 4urniture 4rom his ra/e$ They
4ound the door shut, but he opened it on their summons, and related, in /reat
e7citement, that as soon as they had quitted the room, some cursed thin/ had
be/un to 4lin/ lime, and other matters, at him5 and, ha*in/ e7amined e*ery part o4
the room without bein/ able to disco*er the a/ent o4 the mischie4, he had 4allen
into a ra/e and cut madly about him$
"The party now passed the rest o4 the e*enin/ to/ether in the room, and the two
9a*arians closely watched #ahn and ;ern, in order to satis4y themsel*es that the
mystery was no tric o4 theirs$ 0ll at once, as they were quietly sittin/ at the table,
the snu44ers rose into the air, and 4ell a/ain to the /round, behind (a/erle5 and a
leaden ball 4lew at #ahn, and hit him upon the breast, and presently a4terwards
they heard a noise at the /lass door, as i4 somebody had struc his 4ist throu/h it,
to/ether with a sound o4 4allin/ /lass$ @n in*esti/ation, they 4ound the door
entire, but a broen drinin/"/lass on the 4loor$ 9y this time the 9a*arians were
con*inced, and they retired 4rom the room to see repose in one more peace4ul$
"0mon/st other stran/e circumstances, the 4ollowin/, which occurred to #ahn is
remarable$ @ne e*enin/, about ei/ht o'cloc, bein/ about to sha*e himsel4, the
implements 4or the purpose, which were lyin/ on a pyramidal stand in a corner o4
the room, 4lew at him, one a4ter the other the soap"bo7, the raBor, the brush and
the soap and 4ell at his 4eet, althou/h he was standin/ se*eral paces 4rom the
pyramid$ #e and ;ern, who was sittin/ at the table, lau/hed, 4or they were now
so accustomed to these e*ents that they only made them sub8ects o4 di*ersion$
In the meantime, #ahn poured some water, which had been standin/ on the
sto*e, in a basin, obser*in/ as he dipped his 4in/er into it, that it was o4 a nice
heat 4or sha*in/$ #e seated himsel4 be4ore the table, and strapped his raBor5 but
when he attempted to prepare the lather, the water had clean *anished out o4 the
basin$ 0nother time, #ahn was awaened by /oblins throwin/ at him a
squeeBed"up piece o4 sheet"lead, in which tobacco had been wrapped5 and when
he stooped to pic it up, the sel4"same piece was 4lun/ at him a/ain$ .hen this
was repeated a third time, #ahn 4lun/ a hea*y stic at his in*isible assailant$
"-or4el, the boo"eeper, was 4requently a witness to these stran/e e*ents$ #e
once laid his cap on the table by the sto*e5 when, bein/ about to depart, he
sou/ht 4or it, it had *anished$ 3our or 4i*e times he e7amined the table in *ain5
presently a4terwards he saw it lyin/ e7actly where he had placed it when he
came in$ @n the same table, ;nittel ha*in/ once placed his cap, and drawn
himsel4 a seat, suddenly " althou/h there was nobody near the table " he saw it
4lyin/ throu/h the room to his 4eet, where it 4ell$
"#ahn now determined to 4ind out the secret himsel45 and 4or this purpose seated
himsel4, with two li/hts be4ore him, in a position where he could see the whole o4
the room, and all the windows and doors it contained5 but the same thin/s
occurred e*en when ;ern was out, the ser*ants in the stables, and nobody in the
castle but himsel45 and the snu44ers were as usual 4lun/ about, althou/h the
closest obser*ation could not detect by whom$
"The 4orest"master, ?adBensy, spent a ni/ht in the room5 but althou/h the two
4riends slept, he could /et no rest$ #e was bombarded without intermission5 and
in the mornin/, his bed was 4ound 4ull o4 all manner o4 household articles$
"@ne e*enin/, in spite o4 all the drummin/ and 4lin/in/, #ahn was determined to
sleep5 but a hea*y blow on the wall, close to his bed, soon waed him 4rom his
slumbers$ 0 second time he went to sleep, and was awaed by a sensation, as i4
some person had dipped his 4in/er in water, and was sprinlin/ his 4ace with it$
#e pretended to sleep a/ain, whilst he watched ;ern and ;nittel, who were
sittin/ at the table, the sensation o4 sprinlin/ returned5 but he could 4ind no water
on his 4ace$
"0bout this time, #ahn had occasion to mae a 8ourney as 4ar as 9reslau5 and
when he returned he heard the stran/est story o4 all$ In order not to be alone in
this mysterious chamber, ;ern had en/a/ed #ahn's ser*ant, a man o4 about 4orty
years o4 a/e, and o4 entire sin/leness o4 character, to stay with him$ @ne ni/ht as
;ern lay in his bed, and this man was standin/ near the /lass door in
con*ersation with him, to his utter amaBement he beheld a 8u/ o4 beer, which
stood on a table, in the room, at some distance 4rom him, slowly li4ted to a hei/ht
o4 about three 4eet, and the contents poured into a /lass, that was standin/ there
also, until the latter was hal4 4ull$ The 8u/ was then /ently replaced, and the /lass
li4ted and emptied, as by some one drinin/5 whilst Dohn, the ser*ant, e7claimed,
in terri4ied surprise, '%ord Desus! it swallows!' The /lass was quietly replaced, and
not a drop o4 beer was to be 4ound on the 4loor$ #ahn was about to require an
oath o4 Dohn, in con4irmation o4 this 4act5 but 4orbore, seein/ how ready the man
was to tae one, and satis4ied o4 the truth o4 the relation$
"@ne ni/ht ;netsch, an inspector o4 the wors, passed the ni/ht with the two
4riends, and, in spite o4 the unintermittin/ 4lin/in/, they all three went to bed$
There were li/hts in the room, and presently all three saw two napins, in the
middle o4 the room, rise slowly up to the ceilin/, and, ha*in/ there spread
themsel*es out, 4lutter down a/ain$ The China bowl o4 a pipe, belon/in/ to ;ern,
4lew about and was broen$ ;ni*es and 4ors were 4lun/5 and at last one o4 the
latter 4ell on #ahn's head, thou/h, 4ortunately, with the handle downwards5 and,
ha*in/ now endured this annoyance 4or two months, it was unanimously resol*ed
to abandon this mysterious chamber, 4or this ni/ht at all e*ents$ Dohn and ;ern
too up one o4 the beds, and carried it into the opposite room, but they were no
sooner /one than a pitcher 4or holdin/ chalybeate"water 4lew to the 4eet o4 the
two who remained behind, althou/h no door was open, and a brass candlestic
was 4lun/ to the /round$ In the opposite room the ni/ht passed quietly, althou/h
some sounds still issued 4rom the 4orsaen chamber$ 04ter this, there was a
cessation to these stran/e proceedin/s, and nothin/ more remarable occurred,
with the e7ception o4 the 4ollowin/ circumstance$
")ome wees a4ter the abo*e"mentioned remo*al, as #ahn was returnin/ home,
and crossin/ the brid/e that leads to the castle /ate, he heard the 4oot o4 a do/
behind him$ #e looed round, and called repeatedly on the name o4 a /reyhound
that was much attached to him, thinin/ it mi/ht be she, but, althou/h he still
heard the 4oot, e*en when he ascended the stairs, as he could see nothin/, he
concluded it was an illusion$ )carcely, howe*er, had he set his loot within the
room, than ;ern ad*anced and too the door out o4 his hand, at the same time
callin/ the do/ by name5 addin/, howe*er, immediately that he thou/ht he had
seen the do/, but that he had no sooner called her than she disappeared$ #ahn
then inquired, i4 he had really seen the do/$ 'Certainly I did,' replied ;ern5 "she
was close behind you " hal4 within the door " and that was the reason I too it out
o4 your hand, lest, not obser*in/ her you should ha*e shut it suddenly, and
crushed her$ It was a white do/, and I too it 4or 3lora$" )earch was immediately
made 4or the do/, but she was 4ound loced up in the stable, and had not been
out o4 it the whole day$ It is certainly remarable " e*en supposin/ #ahn to ha*e
been decei*ed with respect to the 4ootsteps " that ;ern should ha*e seen a white
do/ behind him, be4ore he had heard a word on the sub8ect 4rom his 4riend,
especially as there was no such animal in the nei/hbourhood5 besides, it was not
yet dar, and ;ern was *ery sharp"si/hted$
"#ahn remained in the castle 4or hal4"a"year a4ter this, without e7periencin/
anythin/ e7traordinary5 and e*en persons who had possession o4 the mysterious
chambers, were not sub8ected to any annoyance$
"The riddle, howe*er, in spite o4 all the perquisitions and in*esti/ations that were
set on 4oot remained unsol*ed " no e7planation o4 these stran/e e*ents could be
4ound5 and e*en supposin/ any moti*e could e7ist, there was nobody in the
nei/hbourhood cle*er enou/h to ha*e carried on such a system o4 persecution,
which lasted so lon/, that the inhabitants o4 the chamber became almost
indi44erent to it$
"In conclusion, it is only necessary to add, that Councilor #ahn wrote down this
account 4or his own satis4action, with the strictest re/ard to truth$ #is words areA "
"'I ha*e described these e*ents e7actly as I heard and saw them5 4rom be/innin/
to end I obser*ed them with the most entire sel4"possession$ I had no 4ear, nor
the sli/htest tendency to it5 yet the whole thin/ remains to me per4ectly
ine7plicable$ .ritten the 1Fth &o*ember, 1+I+$
"'0u/ustus #ahn, Councilor$'
"-oubtless many natural e7planations o4 these phenomena will be su//ested, by
those who consider themsel*es abo*e the weaness o4 creditin/ stories o4 this
description$ )ome say that ;ern was a de7trous 8u//ler, who contri*ed to throw
dust in the eyes o4 his 4riend #ahn5 whilst others a44irm that both #ahn and ;ern
were into7icated e*ery e*enin/$ I did not 4ail to communicate these ob8ections to
#ahn, and here insert his answer$
"'04ter the e*ents alluded to, I resided with ;ern 4or a quarter o4 a year in another
part o4 the Castle o4 )lawensic Ewhich has been since struc by li/htnin/, and
burntG, without 4indin/ a solution o4 the mystery, or e7periencin/ a repetition o4
the annoyance, which discontinued 4rom the moment we quitted those particular
apartments$ Those persons must suppose me *ery wea, who can ima/ine it
possible, that with only one companion, I could ha*e been the sub8ect o4 his sport
4or two months without detectin/ him$ 0s 4or ;ern himsel4, he was, 4rom the 4irst,
*ery an7ious to lea*e the rooms5 but as I was unwillin/ to resi/n the hope o4
disco*erin/ some natural cause 4or these phenomena, I persisted in remainin/5
and the thin/ that at last induced me to yield to his wishes was his *e7ation at the
loss o4 his China pipe, which had been 4lun/ a/ainst the wall and broen$
9esides, 8u//lery requires a 8u//ler, and I was 4requently quite alone when these
e*ents occurred$ It is equally absurd to accuse us o4 into7ication$ The wine there
was too dear 4or us to drin at all5 and we con4ined oursel*es wholly to wea
beer$ 0ll the circumstances that happened are not set down in the narration5 but
my recollection o4 the whole is as *i*id as i4 it had occurred yesterday$ .e had
also many witnesses, some o4 whom ha*e been mentioned$ Councilor ;len also
*isited me at a later period, with e*ery desire to in*esti/ate the mystery5 and
when, one mornin/, he had mounted on a table, 4or the purpose o4 doin/ so, and
was nocin/ at the ceilin/ with a stic, a powder horn 4ell upon him, which he
had 8ust be4ore le4t on the table in another room$ 0t that time ;ern had been 4or
some time absent$ I ne/lected no possible means that could ha*e led to a
disco*ery o4 the secret5 and at least as many people ha*e blamed me, 4or my
unwillin/ness to belie*e in a supernatural cause as the re*erse$ 3ear is not my
4ailin/, as all who are acquainted with me now5 and to a*oid the possibility o4
error, I 4requently ased others what they saw when I was mysel4 present5 and
their answers always coincided with what I saw mysel4$ 3rom 1+IF to 1+11 I li*ed
in Dacobswald, *ery near the castle where the 1rince himsel4 was residin/$ I am
aware that some sin/ular circumstances occurred whilst he was there5 but as I
did not witness them mysel4, I cannot spea o4 them more particularly$
"'I am still as unable as e*er to account 4or those e*ents, and I am content to
submit to the hasty remars o4 the world, nowin/ that I ha*e only related the
truth, and what many persons now ali*e witnessed, as well as mysel4$
"'Councilor #ahn$
"'In/el4in/er, 2,th 0u/ust, 1+2+$'" M
""""""""""""
M Translated 4rom the ori/inal 6erman$ " C$C$
""""""""""""
The only ey to this mystery e*er disco*ered was, that a4ter the destruction o4 the
castle by li/htnin/, when the ruins were remo*ed, there was 4ound the seleton
o4 a man without a co44in$ #is sull had been split, and a sword lay by his side$
&ow, I am *ery well aware how absurd and impossible these e*ents will appear
to many people, and that they will ha*e recourse to any e7planation rather than
admit them 4or 4acts$ Het, so late as the year 1+=K, a suit was brou/ht be4ore the
)heri44 o4 :dinbur/h, in which Captain (olesworth was de4endant, and the
landlord o4 the house he inhabited Ewhich was at Trinity, about a couple o4 miles
4rom :dinbur/hG was plainti44, 4ounded upon circumstances not so *aried,
certainly, but quite as ine7plicable$ The suit lasted two years, and I ha*e been
4a*oured with the particulars o4 the case by (r$ ($ %$, the ad*ocate employed by
the plainti44, who spent many hours in e7aminin/ the numerous witnesses,
se*eral o4 whom were o44icers o4 the army, and /entlemen o4 undoubted honour
and capacity 4or obser*ation$
Captain (olesworth too the house o4 a (r$ .ebster, who resided in the
ad8oinin/ one, in (ay or Dune, 1+=K5 and when he had been in it about two
months, he be/an to complain o4 sundry e7traordinary noises, which, 4indin/ it
impossible to account 4or, he too it into his head, stran/ely enou/h, were made
by (r$ .ebster$ The latter naturally represented that it was not probable he
should desire to dama/e the reputation o4 his own house, or dri*e his tenant out
o4 it, and retorted the accusation$ )till, as these noises and nocin/s continued,
Captain ($ not only li4ted the boards in the room most in4ected, but actually made
holes in the wall which di*ided his residence 4rom (r$ .$'s, 4or the purpose o4
detectin/ the delinquent " o4 course without success$ -o what they would, the
thin/ went on 8ust the same5 4ootsteps o4 in*isible 4eet, nocin/s, and
scratchin/s, and rustlin/s, 4irst on one side, and then on the other, were heard
daily and ni/htly$ )ometimes this unseen a/ent seemed to be nocin/ to a
certain tune, and i4 a question were addressed to it which could be answered
numerically, as, "#ow many people are there in this room<" 4or e7ample, it would
answer by so many nocs$ The beds, too, were occasionally hea*ed up, as i4
somebody were underneath, and where the nocin/s were, the wall trembled
*isibly, but, search as they would, no one could be 4ound$
Captain (olesworth had had two dau/hters, one o4 whom, named (atilda, had
lately died5 the other, a /irl between twel*e and thirteen, called Dane, was sicly,
and /enerally ept her bed5 and, as it was obser*ed that, where*er she was,
these noises most 4requently pre*ailed, (r$ .ebster, who did not lie the mala
fama that was attachin/ itsel4 to his house, declared that she made them, whilst
the people in the nei/hbourhood belie*ed that it was the /host o4 (atilda,
warnin/ her sister that she was soon to 4ollow$ )heri44's o44icers, masons, 8ustices
o4 peace, and the o44icers o4 the re/iment quartered at %eith, who were 4riends o4
Captain ($, all came to his aid, in hopes o4 detectin/ or 4ri/htenin/ away his
tormenter, but in *ain$ )ometimes it was said to be a tric o4 somebody outside
the house, and then they 4ormed a cordon round it5 and ne7t, as the poor sic /irl
was suspected, they tied her up in a ba/, but it was all to no purpose$
0t len/th, ill and wearied out by the annoyances and the an7ieties attendin/ the
a44air, Captain ($ quitted the house, and (r$ .$ brou/ht an action a/ainst him 4or
the dama/es committed, by li4tin/ the boards, breain/ the walls, and 4irin/ at the
wainscoat, as well as 4or the in8ury done to his house by sayin/ it was haunted,
which pre*ented other tenants tain/ it$
The poor youn/ lady died, hastened out o4 the world, it is said, by the se*ere
measures used whilst she was under suspicion5 and the persons that ha*e since
inhabited the house ha*e e7perienced no repetition o4 the annoyance$
The manner in which these stran/e persecutions attach themsel*es to certain
persons and places, seems somewhat analo/ous to another class o4 cases,
which bear a /reat similarity to what was 4ormerly called possession5 and I must
here obser*e, that many 6erman physicians maintain, that to this day instances
o4 /enuine possession occur, and there are se*eral wors published in their
lan/ua/e on the sub8ect5 and 4or this malady they consider ma/netism the only
remedy, all others bein/ worse than useless$ Indeed, they loo upon possession
itsel4 as a demono"ma/netic state, in which the patient is in rapport with
mischie*ous or e*il spirits5 as in the 0/atho Eor /oodG ma/netic state, which is
the opposite pole, he is in rapport with /ood ones5 and they particularly warn their
readers a/ainst con4oundin/ this in4liction with cases o4 epilepsy or mania$
They assert that althou/h instances are comparati$ely rare, both se7es and all
a/es are equally sub8ect to this mis4ortune5 and that it is quite an error to
suppose, either, that it has ceased since the ?esurrection o4 Christ, or that the
e7pression used in the )criptures, "possessed by a de*il" meant merely insanity
or con*ulsions$ This disease, which is not conta/ious, was well nown to the
6rees5 and in later times #o4man has recorded se*eral well established
instances$ 0mon/st the distin/uishin/ symptoms, they recon the patient's
speain/ in a *oice that is not his own, 4ri/ht4ul con*ulsions and motions o4 the
body, which arise suddenly, without any pre*ious indisposition, " blasphemous
and obscene tal, a nowled/e o4 what is secret, and o4 the 4uture " a *omitin/ o4
e7traordinary thin/s, such as hair, stones, pins, needles, etc$, etc$ I need
scarcely obser*e that this opinion is not uni*ersal in 6ermany5 still, it obtains
amon/st many who ha*e had considerable opportunities 4or obser*ation$
-r$ 9ardili had a case in the year 1+=I, which he considered decidedly to be one
o4 possession$ The patient was a peasant woman, a/ed thirty"4our, who ne*er
had any sicness whate*er5 and the whole o4 whose bodily 4unctions continued
per4ectly re/ular whilst she e7hibited the 4ollowin/ stran/e phenomena$ I must
obser*e that she was happily married, had three children5 was not a 4anatic, and
bore an e7cellent character 4or re/ularity and industry, when, without any warnin/
or perceptible cause, she was seiBed with the most e7traordinary con*ulsions,
whilst a stran/e *oice proceeded 4rom her, which assumed to be that o4 an
unblessed spirit, who had 4ormerly inhabited a human 4orm$ .hilst these 4its were
on her, she entirely lost her own indi*iduality, and became this person5 on
returnin/ to hersel4, her understandin/ and character were as entire as be4ore$
The blasphemy and cursin/, and barin/ and screechin/, were dread4ul$ )he
was wounded and in8ured se*erely by the *iolent 4alls and blows she /a*e
hersel45 and when she had an intermission, she could do nothin/ but weep o*er
what they told her had passed, and the state in which she saw hersel4$ )he was
moreo*er reduced to a seleton5 4or when she wanted to eat, the spoon was
turned round in her hand, and she o4ten 4asted 4or days to/ether$ This a44liction
lasted 4or three years5 all remedies 4ailed, and the only alle*iation she obtained
was by the continued and earnest prayers o4 those about her and her own5 4or
althou/h this demon did not lie prayers, and *iolently opposed her neelin/
down, e*en 4orcin/ her to outra/eous 4its o4 lau/hter, still they had a power o*er
him$
It is remarable that pre/nancy, con4inement, and the nursin/ her child, made not
the least di44erence in this woman's condition$ 0ll went on re/ularly, but the
demon ept his post$ 0t len/th, bein/ ma/netised, the patient 4ell into a partially
somnambulic state, in which another *oice was heard to proceed 4rom her, bein/
that o4 her protectin/ spirit, which encoura/ed her to patience and hope, and
promised that the e*il /uest would be obli/ed to *acate his quarters$ )he o4ten
now 4ell into a ma/netic state without the aid o4 a ma/netiser$ 0t the end o4 three
years she was entirely relie*ed, and as well as e*er$
In the case o4 ?osina .ildin, a/ed ten years, which occurred at 1leidelsheim, in
1+=,, the demon used to announce himsel4 by cryin/ out, "#ere I am a/ain!"
.hereupon the wea, e7hausted child, who had been lyin/ lie one dead, would
ra/e and storm in a *oice lie a man's, per4orm the most e7traordinary
mo*ements and 4eats o4 *iolence and stren/th, till he would cry out "&ow I must
be o44 a/ain!" This spirit spoe /enerally in the plural number, 4or he said, she
had another besides himsel4, a dumb de*il, who pla/ued her most$ "#e it is that
twirls her round and round, distorts her 4eatures, turns her eyes, locs her teeth,
etc$ .hat he bids me, I must do!" This child was at len/th cured by ma/netism$
9arbara ?ie/er, o4 )teinbach, a/ed ten, in 1+=,, was possessed by two spirits,
who spoe in two distinctly di44erent male *oices and dialects5 one said he had
4ormerly been a mason, the other /a*e himsel4 out 4or a deceased pro*isor5 the
latter o4 whom was much the worst o4 the two$ .hen they spoe, the child closed
her eyes, and when she opened them a/ain, she new nothin/ o4 what they had
said$ The mason con4essed to ha*e been a /reat sinner, but the pro*isor was
proud and hardened, and would con4ess nothin/$ They o4ten commanded 4ood,
and made her eat it, which, when she reco*ered her indi*iduality, she 4elt nothin/
o4, but was *ery hun/ry$ The mason was *ery 4ond o4 brandy, and dran a /reat
deal5 and i4 not brou/ht when he ordered it, his ra/in/ and stormin/ was dread4ul$
In her own indi*iduality, the child had the /reatest a*ersion to this liquor$ They
treated her 4or worms, and other disorders, without the least e44ect5 till at len/th,
by ma/netism, the mason was cast out$ The pro*isor was more tenacious, but,
4inally, they /ot rid o4 him, too, and the /irl remained quite well$
In 1+=K, a respectable citiBen, whose 4ull name in not /i*en, was brou/ht to -r$
;erner$ #e was a/ed thirty"se*en, and till the last se*en years had been
une7ceptionable in conduct and character$ 0n unaccountable chan/e had,
howe*er, come o*er him in his thirtieth year, which made his 4amily *ery
unhappy5 and at len/th, one day, a stran/e *oice suddenly spoe out o4 him,
sayin/ that he was the late ma/istrate, )$, and that he had been in him 4or si7
years$ .hen this spirit was dri*en out, by ma/netism, the man 4ell to the earth,
and was almost torn to pieces by the *iolence o4 the stru//le5 he then lay 4or a
space as i4 dead, and arose quite well and 4ree$
In another case, a youn/ woman at 6ruppenbach, was quite in her senses and
heard the *oice o4 her demon Ewho was also a deceased personG, spea out o4
her, without ha*in/ any power to suppress it$
In short, instances o4 this description seem by no means rare5 and i4 such a
phenomenon as possession e*er did e7ist, I do not see what ri/ht we ha*e to
assert that it e7ists no lon/er, since, in 4act, we now nothin/ about it5 only, that
bein/ determined to admit nothin/ so contrary to the ideas o4 the present day, we
set out by decidin/ that the thin/ is impossible$
)ince these cases occur in other countries, no doubt they must do so in this5 and,
indeed, I ha*e met with one instance much more remarable in its details than
any o4 those abo*e mentioned, which occurred at 9ishopwearmouth, near
)underland, in the year 1+,I5 and as the particulars o4 this case ha*e been
published and attested by two physicians and two sur/eons, not to mention the
e*idence o4 numerous other persons, I thin we are bound to accept the 4acts,
whate*er interpretation we may choose to put upon them$
The patient, named (ary Dobson, was between twel*e and thirteen years o4 a/e5
her parents, respectable people in humble li4e, and hersel4 an attendant on a
)unday school$ )he became ill in &o*ember, 1+=F, and was soon a4terwards
seiBed with terri4ic 4its, which continued, at inter*als, 4or ele*en wees$ It was
durin/ this period that the 4amily 4irst obser*ed a stran/e nocin/, which they
could not account 4or$ It was sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another5
and e*en about the bed, when the /irl lay in a quiet sleep, with her hands 4olded
outside the clothes$ They ne7t heard a stran/e *oice, which told them
circumstances they did not now, but which they a4terwards 4ound to be correct$
Then there was a noise lie the clashin/ o4 arms, and such a rumblin/ that the
tenant below thou/ht the house was comin/ down5 4ootsteps where nobody was
to be seen, water 4allin/ on the 4loor, no one new whence, loced doors opened,
and abo*e all, sounds o4 ine44ably sweet music$ The doctors and the 4ather were
suspicious, and e*ery precaution was taen, but no solution o4 the mystery could
be 4ound$ This spirit howe*er was a /ood one, and it preached to them, and /a*e
them a /reat deal o4 /ood ad*ice$
(any persons went to witness this stran/e phenomenon, and some were desired
to /o by the *oice, when in their own homes$ Thus :liBabeth 6auntlett, whilst
attendin/ to some domestic a44airs at home, was startled by hearin/ a *oice say,
"9e thou 4aith4ul, and thou shalt see the wors o4 thy 6od, and shalt hear with
thine ears!" )he cried out, "(y 6od! what can this be!" and presently she saw a
lar/e white cloud near her$ @n the same e*enin/, the *oice said to her, "(ary
Dobson, one o4 your scholars is sic5 /o and see her5 and it will be /ood 4or you$"
This person did not now where the child li*ed5 but ha*in/ enquired the address,
she wentA and at the door she heard the same *oice bid her /o up$ @n enterin/
the room, she heard another *oice, so4t and beauti4ul, which bade her be 4aith4ul,
and said, "I am the Vir/in (ary$" This *oice promised her a si/n at home5 and
accordin/ly that ni/ht, whilst readin/ the 9ible, she heard it say, "Demima, be not
a4raid5 it is IA i4 you eep my commandments, it shall be well with you$" .hen she
repeated her *isit, the same thin/s occurred, and she heard the most e7quisite
music$
The same sort o4 phenomena were witnessed by e*erybody who went " the
immoral were rebued, the /ood encoura/ed$ )ome were bidden instantly
depart, and were 4orced to /o$ The *oices o4 se*eral deceased persons o4 the
4amily were also heard, and made re*elations$
@nce, the *oice said, "%oo up, and you shall see the sun and moon on the
ceilin/!" and immediately there appeared a beauti4ul representation o4 these
planets in li*ely colours, *iB$, /reen, yellow, and oran/e$ (oreo*er, these 4i/ures
were permanent5 but the 4ather, who was a lon/ time sceptical, insisted on white"
washin/ them o*er5 howe*er, they still remained *isible$
0mon/st other thin/s, the *oice said, that thou/h the child appeared to su44er,
that she did not5 that she did not now where her body was, and that her own
spirit had le4t it, and another had entered5 and that her body was made a
speain/"trumpet$ The *oice told the 4amily and *isitors many thin/s o4 their
distant 4riends, which pro*ed true$
The /irl twice saw a di*ine 4orm standin/ her bedside who spoe to her, and
Dosep ?a//, one o4 the persons who had been in*ited by the *oice to /o, saw a
beauti4ul and hea*enly 4i/ure come to his bedside about ele*en o'cloc at ni/ht,
on the 1'th Danuary$ It was in male attire, surrounded by a radiance5 it came a
second time on the same ni/ht$ @n each occasion it opened his curtains and
looed at him beni/nantly, remainin/ about a quarter o4 an hour$ .hen it went
away, the curtains 4ell bac into their 4ormer position$ @ne day whilst in the sic
child's room, (ar/aret .atson saw a lamb, which passed throu/h the door and
entered a place where the 4ather, Dohn Dobson, was5 but he did not see it$
@ne o4 the most remarable 4eatures in this case, is the beauti4ul music which
was heard by all parties, as well as the 4amily, includin/ the unbelie*in/ 4ather,
and, indeed, it seems to ha*e been, in a /reat de/ree, this that con*erted him at
last$ This music was heard repeatedly durin/ a space o4 si7teen wees5
sometimes it was lie an or/an, but more beauti4ul5 at others, there was sin/in/
o4 holy son/s, in parts, and the words distinctly heard$ The sudden appearance
o4 water in the room, too, was most unaccountable5 4or they 4elt it, and it was
really water$ .hen the *oice desired that water should be sprinled, it
immediately appeared as i4 sprinled$ 0t another time a si/n bein/ promised to
the sceptical 4ather, water would suddenly appear on the 4loor5 this happened
"not once, but twenty times$"
-urin/ the whole course o4 this a44air, the *oices told them that there was a
miracle to be wrou/ht on this child5 and accordin/ly on the 22nd o4 Dune, when
she was as ill as e*er, and they were only prayin/ 4or her death, at 4i*e o'cloc
the *oice ordered that her clothes should be laid out, and that e*erybody should
lea*e the room, e7cept the in4ant which was two years and a hal4 old$ They
obeyed5 and ha*in/ been outside the door a quarter o4 an hour, the *oice cried
"Come in!" and when they entered, they saw the /irl completely dressed and
quite well, sittin/ in a chair with the in4ant on her nee, and she had not had an
hour's illness 4rom that time till the report was published, which was on the =Ith
o4 Danuary$
&ow, it is *ery easy to lau/h at all this, and assert that these thin/s ne*er
happened, because they are absurd and impossible5 but whilst honest, well"
meanin/, and intelli/ent people, who were on the spot, assert that they did, I
con4ess I 4ind mysel4 constrained to belie*e them, howe*er much I 4ind in the
case which is discrepant with my notions$ It was not an a44air o4 a day or an hour5
there was ample time 4or obser*ation, 4or the phenomena continued 4rom the Fth
o4 3ebruary to the 22nd o4 Dune5 and the determined unbelie4 o4 the 4ather, with
re/ard to the possibility o4 spiritual appearances, insomuch, that he ultimately
e7pressed /reat re/ret 4or the harshness he had used, is a tolerable security
a/ainst imposition$ (oreo*er, they pertinaciously re4used to recei*e any money
or assistance whate*er, and were more liely to su44er in public opinion than
otherwise by the a*owal o4 these circumstances$
-r$ ?eid Clanny, who publishes the report, with the attestations o4 the witnesses,
is a physician o4 many years e7perience, and is also, I belie*e, the in*entor o4 the
impro*ed -a*y %amp5 and he declares his entire con*iction o4 the 4acts, assurin/
his readers, that "many persons holdin/ hi/h ran in the :stablished Church,
ministers o4 other denominations, as well as many lay"members o4 society, hi/hly
respected 4or learnin/ and piety, are equally satis4ied$" .hen he 4irst saw the
child lyin/ on her bac, apparently insensible, with her eyes su44used with 4lorid
blood, he 4elt assured that she had a disease o4 the brain5 and he was not in the
least disposed to belie*e in the mysterious part o4 the a44air, till subsequent
in*esti/ation compelled him to do so5 and that his belie4 is o4 a *ery decided
character we may 4eel assured, when he is content to submit to all the obloquy
he must incur by a*owin/ it$
#e adds, that since the /irl has been quite well, both her 4amily and that o4
Doseph ?a//, ha*e 4requently heard the same hea*enly music, as they did
durin/ her illness5 and a (r$ Torboc, a sur/eon, who e7presses himsel4 satis4ied
o4 the truth o4 the abo*e particulars, also mentions another case, in which he, as
well as a dyin/ person he was attendin/, heard di*ine music 8ust be4ore the
dissolution$
@4 this last phenomenon, namely, sounds as o4 hea*enly music, bein/ heard
when a death was occurrin/, I ha*e met with numerous instances$
3rom in*esti/ation o4 the abo*e case, -r$ Clanny has arri*ed at the con*iction
that the spiritual world do occasionally identi4y themsel*es with our a44airs5 and
-r$ -rury asserts that besides this instance he has met with another
circumstance which has le4t him 4irmly con*inced that we li*e in a world o4 spirits,
and that he has been in the presence o4 an unearthly bein/, who had "passed
that bourne, 4rom which Eit is saidG no tra*eler returns$" M
""""""""""
M 0lludin/, I conclude, to the a44air at .illin/ton$
""""""""""
9ut the most e7traordinary case I ha*e yet met with is the 4ollowin/5 because it is
one which cannot by any possibility be attributed to disease or illusion$ It is
4urnished to me 4rom the most undoubted authority, and I /i*e it as I recei*ed it,
with the omission o4 the names$ I ha*e indeed, in this instance, thou/ht it ri/ht to
chan/e the initial, and substitute 6$ 4or the ri/ht one, the particulars bein/ o4 a
nature which demand the /reatest delicacy, as re/ards the parties concernedA "
"(rs$ )$ C$ #all, in early li4e, was intimately acquainted with a 4amily, named 6$,
one o4 whom, ?ichard 6$, a youn/ o44icer in the army, was sub8ect to a
harrassin/ *isitation o4 a ind that is usually re/arded as supernatural$ (rs$ #$
once proposed to pay a *isit to her particular 4riend, Catherine 6$, but was told
that it would not be con*enient e7actly at that time, as ?ichard "was on the point
o4 comin/ home$ )he thou/ht the incon*enience consisted in the want o4 a
bedroom, and spoe o4 sleepin/ with (iss 6$, but 4ound that the ob8ection really
lay in the 4act o4 ?ichard bein/ "haunted," which rendered it impossible 4or
anybody else to be com4ortable in the same house with him$
"0 4ew wees a4ter ?ichard's return, (rs$ #$ heard o4 (rs$ 6$'s bein/ e7tremely
ill5 and 4ound, on /oin/ to call, that it was owin/ to nothin/ but the distress the old
lady su44ered in consequence o4 the stran/e circumstance connected with her
son$ It appeared that ?ichard, where*er he was, at home, in camp, in lod/in/s,
abroad or in his own country, was liable to be *isited in his bedroom at ni/ht by
certain e7traordinary noises$ 0ny li/ht he ept in the room, was sure to be put
out$ )omethin/ went beatin/ about the walls and his bed, main/ a /reat noise,
and o4ten shi4tin/ close to his 4ace, but ne*er becomin/ *isible$ I4 a ca/e"bird was
in his room, it was certain to be 4ound dead in the mornin/$ I4 he ept a do/ in the
apartment, it would mae away 4rom him as soon as released, and ne*er came
near him a/ain$ #is brother, e*en his mother, had slept in the room5 but the
*isitation too place as usual$ 0ccordin/ to (iss 6$'s report, she and other
members o4 the 4amily would listen at the bedroom door a4ter ?ichard had /one
to sleep, and would hear the noises commence5 and they would then hear him sit
up and e7press his *e7ation by a 4ew military e7ecrations$ The youn/ man, at
len/th, was obli/ed by this pest to quit the army, and /o upon hal4"pay$ Cnder its
in4luence he became a sort o4 Cain5 4or where*er he li*ed, the annoyance was so
/reat that he was quicly obli/ed to remo*e$ (rs$ #$ heard o4 him ha*in/
ultimately /one to settle in Ireland, where, howe*er, accordin/ to a brother whom
she met about 4our years a/o, the *isitation which a44licted him in his early years,
was in no de/ree abated$"
This cannot be called a case o4 possession5 but seems to be one o4 a rapport,
which attaches this in*isible tormentor to his *ictim$
"""""""""""
*hapter 2++ ( 5iscellaneous Phenomena
In a 4ormer chapter, I alluded to the 4orms seen 4loatin/ o*er /ra*es, by 9illin/,
14e44el's amanuensis$ 9y some persons, this luminous 4orm is seen only as a
li/ht, 8ust as occurs in many o4 the apparition cases I ha*e related$ #ow 4ar 9aron
?eichenbach is correct in his conclusion, that these 4i/ures are merely the result
o4 the chemical process /oin/ on below, it is impossible 4or any one at present to
say$ The 4act that these li/hts do not always ho*er o*er the /ra*es, but
sometimes mo*e 4rom them, militates a/ainst the opinion, as I ha*e be4ore
obser*ed5 and the insubstantial nature o4 the 4orm which reconstructed itsel4 a4ter
14e44el had passed his stic throu/h it, pro*es nothin/5 since the same thin/ is
asserted o4 all apparitions I meet with, let them be seen where they may, e7cept
in such *ery e7traordinary cases as that o4 the 9ride o4 Corinth, supposin/ that
story to be true$
0t the same time, althou/h these cases are not made out to be chemical
phenomena, neither are we entitled to class them under the head o4 what is
commonly understood by the word ghost5 whereby we comprehend a shadowy
shape, in4ormed by an intelli/ent spirit$ 9ut there are some cases, a 4ew o4 which
I will mention, that it seems e7tremely di44icult to include under one cate/ory or
the other$
The late %ieutenant"6eneral ?obertson o4 %awyers, who ser*ed durin/ the whole
o4 the 0merican war, brou/ht home with him, at its termination, a ne/ro, who
went by the name o4 9lac Tom, and who continued in his ser*ice$ The room
appropriated to the use o4 this man in the 6eneral's town residence " I spea o4
:dinbur/h " was on the /round 4loor5 and he was heard 4requently to complain
that he could not rest in it, 4or that e*ery ni/ht the 4i/ure o4 a headless lady, with a
child in her arms, rose out o4 the hearth and 4ri/htened him dread4ully$ @4 course
nobody belie*ed this story, and it was supposed to be the dream o4 into7ication,
as Tom was not remarable 4or sobriety5 but stran/e so say, when the old
mansion was pulled down to build 6illespie's #ospital, which stands on its site,
there was 4ound under the hearth"stone in that apartment, a bo7 containin/ the
body o4 a 4emale, 4rom which the head had been se*ered5 and beside her lay the
remains o4 an in4ant wrapt in a pillow case, trimmed with lace$ )he appeared,
poor lady, to ha*e been cut o44 in the "blossom o4 her sins5" 4or she was dressed,
and her scissors were yet han/in/ by a ribbon to her side, and her thimble was
also in the bo7, ha*in/, apparently, 4allen 4rom the shri*eled 4in/er$
&ow, whether we are to consider this a /host, or a phenomenon o4 the same
nature as that seen by 9illin/, it is di44icult to decide$ )omewhat similar is the
4ollowin/ case, which I ha*e borrowed 4rom a little wor entitled ")upernaturalism
in &ew :n/land$" &ot only does this little e7tract pro*e that the same
phenomena, be they interpreted as they may, e7ist in all parts o4 the world, but I
thin it will be /ranted me, that althou/h we ha*e not here the con4irmation that
time 4urnished in the 4ormer instance, yet, it is di44icult to suppose that this
une7citable person should ha*e been the sub8ect o4 so e7traordinary a spectral
illusion$
".hoe*er has seen 6reat 1ond, in the :ast parish o4 #a*erhill, has seen one o4
the *ery lo*eliest o4 the thousand little laes or ponds o4 &ew :n/land$ .ith its
so4t slopes o4 /reenest *erdure " its white and sparlin/ sand"rim " its southern
hem o4 pine and maple, mirrored, with spray and lea4, in the /lassy water " its
/race4ul hill"sentinels round about, white with the orchard"bloom o4 sprin/, or
tasseled with the corn o4 autumn " its lon/ sweep o4 blue waters, broen here and
there by picturesque headlands " it would seem a spot, o4 all others, where spirits
o4 e*il must shrin, rebued and abashed, 4rom the presence o4 the beauti4ul$ Het
here, too, has the shadow o4 the supernatural 4allen$
"0 lady o4 my acquaintance, a staid, unima/inati*e church member, states that a
4ew years a/o, she was standin/ in the an/le 4ormed by two roads, one o4 which
tra*erses the pond shore, the other leadin/ o*er the hill which rises abruptly 4rom
the water$ It was a warm summer e*enin/, 8ust at sunset$ )he was startled by the
appearance o4 a horse and cart o4 the ind used a century a/o in &ew :n/land,
dri*in/ rapidly down the steep hillside, and crossin/ the wall a 4ew yards be4ore
her, without noise or displacin/ o4 a stone$ The dri*er sat sternly erect, with a
4ierce countenance, /raspin/ the reins ti/htly, and looin/ neither to the ri/ht nor
the le4t$ 9ehind the cart, and apparently lashed to it, was a woman o4 /i/antic
siBe, her countenance con*ulsed with a blended e7pression o4 ra/e and a/ony,
writhin/ and stru//lin/, lie %aocoon in the 4olds o4 the serpent$ #er head, nec,
4eet, and arms were naed5 wild locs o4 /rey hair streamed bac 4rom temples
corru/ated and darened$ The horrible ca*alcade swept by across the street, and
disappeared at the mar/in o4 the pond$"
(any persons will ha*e heard o4 the ".ild Troop o4 ?odenstein," but 4ew are
aware o4 the curious amount o4 e*idence there is in 4a*our o4 the stran/e belie4
which pre*ails amon/st the inhabitants o4 that re/ion$ The story /oes, that the
4ormer possessor o4 the Castle o4 ?odenstein and )chnellert, were robbers and
pirates, who committed, in con8unction, all manner o4 enormities5 and that, to this
day, the troop, with their horses and carria/es and do/s are heard, e*ery now
and then, wildly rushin/ alon/ the road betwi7t the two castles$ This sounds lie a
4airy tale5 yet so much was it belie*ed, that up to the middle o4 the last century
re/ular reports were made to the authorities in the nei/hbourhood, o4 the periods
when the troop had passed$ )ince that, the %and/ericht or Court %eet, has been
remo*ed to 3urth, and they trouble themsel*es no lon/er about the ?odenstein
Troop5 but a tra*eler named .irth, who a 4ew years a/o undertoo to e7amine
into the a44air, declares the people assert that the passa/e o4 the *isionary
ca*alcade still continues5 and they assured him that certain houses that he saw
lyin/ in ruins, were in that state, because, as they lay directly in the way o4 the
troop, they were uninhabitable$ There is seldom anythin/ seen, but the sound o4
carria/e wheels, horses 4eet, smacin/ o4 whips, blowin/ o4 horns, and the *oice
o4 these 4ierce hunters o4 men ur/in/ them on, are the sounds by which they
reco/niBe that the troop is passin/ 4rom one castle to the other5 and at a spot
which was 4ormerly a blacsmith's, but is now a carpenter's, the in*isible %ord o4
?odenstein still stops to ha*e his horse shod$ (r$ .ith copied se*eral o4 the
depositions out o4 the court records, and they are brou/ht down to Dune 1'>,$
This is certainly a stran/e story5 but it is not much more so than that o4 the blac
man, which I now to be true$
-urin/ the se*en years war in 6ermany, a dro*er lost his li4e in a drunen
squabble on the hi/h road$ 3or some time there was a sort o4 rude tombstone,
with a cross on it, to mar the spot where his body was interred5 but this has lon/
4allen, and a milestone now 4ills its place$ &e*ertheless, it continues commonly
asserted by the country people, and also by *arious tra*elers, that they ha*e
been deluded in that spot by seein/, as they ima/ine, herds o4 beasts, which on
in*esti/ation pro*e to be merely *isionary$ @4 course, many people loo upon this
as a superstition5 but a *ery sin/ular con4irmation o4 the story occurred in the
year 1+2>, when two /entlemen and two ladies were passin/ the spot in a post
carria/e$ @ne o4 these was a cler/yman, and none o4 them had e*er heard o4 the
phenomenon said to be attached to the place$ They had been discussin/ the
prospects o4 the minister, who was on his way to a *icara/e, to which he had 8ust
been appointed, when they saw a lar/e 4loc o4 sheep, which stretched quite
across the road, and was accompanied by a shepherd and a lon/ haired blac
do/$ 0s to meet cattle on that road was nothin/ uncommon, and indeed they had
met se*eral dro*es in the course o4 the day, no remar was made at the moment,
till suddenly each looed at the other and said, ".hat is become o4 the sheep<"
Nuite perple7ed at their sudden disappearance, they called to the postilion to
stop, and all /ot out, in order to mount a little ele*ation and loo around, but still
unable to disco*er them, they now bethou/ht themsel*es o4 asin/ the postilion
where they were5 when, to their in4inite surprise, they learnt that he had not seen
them$ Cpon this, they bade him quicen his pace, that they mi/ht o*ertae a
carria/e that had passed them shortly be4ore, and enquire i4 that party had seen
the sheep5 but they had not$
3our years later, a postmaster, named D$, was on the same road, dri*in/ a
carria/e, in which were a cler/yman and his wi4e, when he saw a lar/e 4loc o4
sheep near the same spot$ )eein/ they were *ery 4ine wethers, and supposin/
them to ha*e been bou/ht at a sheep"4air that was then tain/ place a 4ew miles
o44, D$ drew up his reins and stopped his horses, turnin/ at the same time to the
cler/yman to say, that he wanted to enquire the price o4 the sheep, as he
intended /oin/ ne7t day to the 4air himsel4$ .hilst the minister was asin/ him
what sheep he meant, D$ /ot down and 4ound himsel4 in the midst o4 the animals,
the siBe and beauty o4 which astonished him$ They passed him at an unusual
rate, whilst he made his way throu/h them to 4ind the shepherd, when on /ettin/
to the end o4 the 4loc, they suddenly disappeared$ #e then 4irst learnt that his
4ellow tra*elers had not seen them at all$
&ow, i4 such cases as these are not pure illusions, which I con4ess I 4ind it di44icult
to belie*e, we must suppose that the animals and all the e7traneous
circumstances are produced by the ma/ical will o4 the spirit, either actin/ on the
constructi*e ima/ination o4 the seers, or else actually constructin/ the etherial
4orms out o4 the elements at its command5 8ust as we ha*e supposed an
apparition able to present himsel4 with whate*er dress or appliances he
concei*es5 or else we must conclude, these 4orms to ha*e some relation to the
mystery called Palingnesia which I ha*e pre*iously alluded to5 althou/h the
motion and chan/e o4 place renders it di44icult to brin/ them under this cate/ory$
0s 4or the animals, althou/h the dro*er was slain, they were not5 and there4ore
e*en /rantin/ them to ha*e souls, we cannot loo upon them as the apparitions
o4 the 4loc$ &either can we consider the numerous instances o4 armies seen in
the air to be apparitions5 and yet these phenomena are so well established, that
they ha*e been accounted 4or by supposin/ them to be atmospherical re4lections
o4 armies elsewhere, in actual motion$ 9ut how are we to account 4or the
*isionary troops which are not seen in the air, but on the *ery /round on which
the seers themsel*es stand< which was the case especially with those seen in
#a*arah 1ar, near ?ipley, in the year 1+12$ These soldiers wore a white
uni4orm, and in the centre was a persona/e in a scarlet one$
04ter per4ormin/ se*eral e*olutions, the body be/an to march in per4ect order to
the summit o4 a hill, passin/ the spectators at the distance o4 about one hundred
yards$ They amounted to se*eral hundreds, and marched in a column, 4our deep,
across about thirty acres5 and no sooner were they passed, than another body,
4ar more numerous, but dressed in dar clothes arose and marched a4ter them,
without any apparent hostility$ 9oth parties ha*in/ reached the top o4 the hill, and
there 4ormed what the spectators called an %, they disappeared down the other
side, and were seen no more5 but at that moment, a *olume o4 smoe arose lie
the dischar/e o4 a par o4 artillery, which was so thic that the men could not, 4or
two or three minutes, disco*er their own cattle$ They then hurried home to relate
what they had seen, and the impression made on them is described as so /reat,
that they could ne*er allude to the sub8ect without emotion$
@ne o4 them was a 4armer o4 the name o4 Dacson, a/ed 4orty"4i*e5 the other was
a lad o4 4i4teen, called Turner5 and they were at the time herdin/ cattle in the par$
The scene seems to ha*e lasted nearly a quarter o4 an hour, durin/ which time
they were quite in possession o4 themsel*es, and able to mae remars to each
other on what they saw$ They were both men o4 e7cellent character and
unimpeachable *eracity, insomuch that nobody who new them doubted that
they actually saw what they described, or, at all e*ents, belie*ed that they did$ It
is to be obser*ed also, that the /round is not swampy, nor sub8ect to any
e7halations$
0bout the year 1'KI, a *isionary army o4 the same description was seen in the
nei/hborhood o4 In*erness, by a respectable 4armer, o4 6lenary, and his son$
The number o4 troops was *ery /reat, and they had not the sli/htest doubt that
they were otherwise than substantial 4orm o4 4lesh and blood$ They counted at
least si7teen pairs o4 columns, and had abundance o4 time to obser*e e*ery
particular$ The 4ront rans marched se*en abreast, and were accompanied by a
/ood many women and children, who were carryin/ tin cans and other
implements o4 cooery$ The men were clothed in red, and their arms shone
bri/htly in the sun$ In the midst them was an animal, a deer or a horse, they
could not distin/uish which, that they were dri*in/ 4uriously 4orward with their
bayonets$ The youn/er o4 the two men obser*ed to the other, that e*ery now and
then, the rear rans were obli/ed to run to o*ertae the *an5 and the elder one,
who had been a soldier, remared that that was always the case, and
recommended him, i4 he e*er ser*ed, to try and march in the 4ront$ There was
only one mounted o44icer5 he rode a /rey dra/oon horse, and wore a /old"laced
hat, and blue #ussar cloa, with wide open slee*es lined with red$ The two
spectators obser*ed him so particularly, that they said a4terwards, they should
reco/niBe him anywhere$ They were, howe*er, a4raid o4 bein/ ill"treated, or
4orced to /o alon/ with the troops, whom they concluded had come 4rom Ireland,
and landed at ;yntyre5 and whilst they were climbin/ o*er a dye to /et out o4
their way, the whole thin/ *anished$
)ome years since, a phenomenon o4 the same sort was obser*ed at 1aderborn,
in .estphalia, and seen by at least thirty persons, as well as by horses and
do/s, as was disco*ered by the demeanor o4 these animals$ In @ctober, 1+=>, on
the *ery same spot, there was a re*iew o4 twenty thousand men5 and the people
then concluded, that the 4ormer *ision was a second sight$
0 similar circumstance occurred in )tocton 3orest, some years a/o5 and there
are many recorded elsewhere5 one especially, in the year 1>+>, near %anar,
where, 4or se*eral a4ternoons, in the months o4 Dune and Duly there were seen,
by numerous spectators, companies o4 men in arms, marchin/ in order by the
bans o4 the Clyde, and other companies meetin/ them, etc$, etc$5 added to
which, there were showers o4 bonnets, hats, /uns, swords, etc$, which the seers
described with the /reatest e7actness$ 0ll who were present could not see these
thin/s, and .aler relates, that one /entleman, particularly, was turnin/ the thin/
into ridicule, callin/ the seers "-amned witches and warlocs, with the second
si/ht!" boastin/ that "The de*il a thin/ he could see!" when he suddenly
e7claimed, with 4ear and tremblin/, that he now saw it all5 and entreated those
who did not see, to say nothin/ " a chan/e that may be easily accounted 4or, be
the phenomena o4 what nature it may, by supposin/ him to ha*e touched one o4
the seers, when the 4aculty would be communicated lie a shoc o4 electricity$
.ith re/ard to the palin/nesia, it would be necessary to establish that these
ob8ects had pre*iously e7isted, and that, as @etin/er says, the earthly hus
ha*in/ 4allen o44, "the *olatile essence had ascended per4ect in 4orm, but *oid o4
substance$"
The notion supported by 9aron ?eichenbach that the li/hts seen in churchyards
and o*er /ra*es are the result o4 a process /oin/ on below, is by no means new5
4or 6a44arillus su//ested the same opinion in 1>KI5 only he speas o4 the
appearances o*er /ra*es and in churchyards as shadows, om#res, as they
appeared to 9illin/5 and he mentions, casually, as a thin/ 4requently obser*ed,
that the same *isionary 4orms are remared on /round where battles ha*e been
4ou/ht, which he thins arise out o4 a process betwi7t the earth and the sun$
.hen a limb has been cut o44, some somnambules still discern the 4orm o4 the
member as i4 actually attached$
9ut this ma/ical process is said to be not only the wor o4 the elements, but also
possible to man5 and that as the 4orms o4 plants can be preser*ed a4ter the
substance is destroyed, so can that o4 man, be either preser*ed or reproduced
4rom the elements o4 his body$ In the rei/n o4 %ouis 2IV$, three alchemists ha*in/
distilled some earth, taen 4rom the Cemetery o4 the Innocents, in 1aris, were
4orced to desist, by seein/ the 4orms o4 men appearin/ in their *ials, instead o4
the philosopher's stone, which they were seein/, and a physician, who, a4ter
dissectin/ a body, and pul*erisin/ the cranium, which was then an article,
admitted into the materia medica, had le4t the powder on the table o4 his
laboratory, in char/e o4 his assistant, the latter, who slept in an ad8oinin/ room,
was awaened in the ni/ht, by hearin/ a noise, which, a4ter some search, he
ultimately traced to the powder5 in the midst o4 which he beheld, /radually
constructin/ itsel4, a human 4orm $ 3irst appeared the head, with two open eyes,
then the arms and hands, and by de/rees, the rest o4 the person, which
subsequently assumed the clothes it had worn when ali*e$ The man was o4
course 4ri/htened out o4 his wits5 the rather, as the apparition planted itsel4 be4ore
the door, and would not let him /o away, till it had made its own e7it, which it
speedily did$ )imilar results ha*e been said to arise 4rom e7periments per4ormed
on blood$ I con4ess I should be disposed to consider these apparitions, i4 e*er
they appeared, cases o4 /enuine /hosts, brou/ht into rapport by the operations,
rather than 4orms residin/ in the bones or blood$ 0t all e*ents, these thin/s are
*ery hard to belie*e5 but seein/ we were not there, I do not thin we ha*e any
ri/ht to say they did not happen5 or at least that some phenomena did not occur,
that were open to this interpretation$
It is hi/hly probable that the seein/ o4 those *isionary armies and similar
prodi/ies is a sort o4 second si/ht5 but ha*in/ admitted this, we are *ery little
nearer an e7planation$ 6rantin/ that, as in the abo*e e7periments, the essence
o4 thin/s may retain the 4orms o4 the substance, this does not e7plain the seein/
that which has not yet taen place, or which is tain/ place at so /reat a
distance, that neither @etin/er's essence nor the super4icial 4ilms o4 %ucretius can
remo*e the di44iculty$
It is the 4ashion to say, that second si/ht was a mere superstition o4 the
#i/hlanders, and that no such thin/ is e*er heard o4 now5 but those who tal in
this way now *ery little o4 the matter$ &o doubt, i4 they set out to loo 4or seers,
they may not 4ind them5 such phenomena, thou/h nown in all countries, and in
all a/es, are comparati$ely rare, as well as uncertain and capricious5 and not to
be e7ercised at will5 but I now o4 too many instances o4 the e7istence o4 this
4aculty in 4amilies, as well as o4 isolated cases occurrin/ to indi*iduals abo*e all
suspicion, to entertain the smallest doubt o4 its reality$
9ut the di44iculty o4 4urnishin/ e*idence is considerable5 because, when the seers
are o4 the humbler classes, they are called impostors and not belie*ed5 and when
they are o4 the hi/her, they do not mae the sub8ect a matter o4 con*ersation, nor
choose to e7pose themsel*es to the ridicule o4 the 4oolish5 and consequently the
thin/ is not nown beyond their own immediate 4riends$ .hen the youn/ -ue o4
@rleans was illed, a lady residin/ here, saw the accident, and described it to her
husband at the time it was occurrin/ in 3rance$ )he had 4requently seen the
-ue, when on the continent$
Captain &$ went to stay two days at the house o4 %ady T$ 04ter dinner, howe*er,
he announced that he was under the necessity o4 /oin/ away that ni/ht, nor
could he be induced to remain$ @n bein/ much pressed 4or an e7planation, he
con4ided to some o4 the party, that durin/ the dinner he had seen a 4emale 4i/ure
with her throat cut, standin/ behind %ady T$'s chair$ @4 course, it was thou/ht an
illusion, but %ady T$ was not told o4 it, lest she should be alarmed$ That ni/ht the
household was called up 4or the purpose o4 summonin/ a sur/eon " %ady T$ had
cut her own throat$
(r$ C$, who, thou/h a )cotchman, was an entire sceptic with re/ard to the
second si/ht, was told by a seer whom he had been 8eerin/ on the sub8ect, that
within a month, he E(r$ C$G would be a pall"bearer at a 4uneral, that he would /o
by a certain road, but that be4ore they had crossed the broo, a man in a drab
coat would come down the hill and tae the pall 4rom him$ The 4uneral occurred,
(r$ C$ was a bearer, and they went by the road described5 but he 4irmly resol*ed
that he would disappoint the seer by eepin/ the pall whilst they crossed the
broo5 but shortly be4ore they reached it, the postman o*ertoo them, with letters,
which in that part o4 the country arri*ed but twice a wee, and (r$ C$, who was
en/a/ed in some speculations o4 importance, turned to recei*e them5 at which
moment the pall was taen 4rom him, and on looin/ round, he saw it was by a
man in a drab coat$
0 medical 4riend o4 mine, who practiced some time at -ept4ord, was once sent 4or
to a /irl who had been taen suddenly ill$ #e 4ound her with in4lammation o4 the
brain, and the only account the mother could /i*e o4 it was, that shortly be4ore,
she had ran into the room, cryin/, "@h mother, I ha*e seen Cncle Dohn drowned
in his boat under the 4i4th arch o4 ?ochester 9rid/e!" The /irl died a 4ew hours
a4terwards5 and on the 4ollowin/ ni/ht, the uncle's boat ran 4oul o4 the brid/e, and
he was drowned, e7actly as she had 4oretold$
(rs$ 0$, an :n/lish lady, and the wi4e o4 a cler/yman, relates that, pre*ious to her
marria/e, she with her 4ather and mother bein/ at the seaside, had arran/ed to
mae a 4ew days' e7cursion to some races that were about to tae place5 and
that the ni/ht be4ore they started, the 4ather ha*in/ been le4t alone, whilst the
ladies were en/a/ed in their preparations, they 4ound him, on descendin/ to the
drawin/"room, in a state o4 considerable a/itation5 which, he says, had arisen
4rom his ha*in/ seen a dread4ul 4ace at one corner o4 the room$ #e described it
as a bruised, battered, crushed, discoloured 4ace, with the two eyes protrudin/
4ri/ht4ully 4rom their socets5 but the 4eatures were too dis4i/ured to ascertain i4 it
were the 4ace o4 anyone he new$ @n the 4ollowin/ day, on their way to the
races, an accident occurred5 and he was brou/ht home with his own 4ace e7actly
in the condition he had described$ #e had ne*er e7hibited any other instance o4
this e7traordinary 4aculty, and the impression made by the circumstance lasted
the remainder o4 his li4e, which was unhappily shortened by the in8uries he had
recei*ed$
The late (rs$ V$, a lady o4 4ortune and 4amily, who resides near %och %omond,
possessed this 4aculty in an e7traordinary de/ree5 and displayed it on many
remarable occasions$ .hen her brother was shipwreced in the Channel, she
was heard to e7claim, "Than 6od, he is sa*ed!" and described the scene, with
all its circumstances$
Colonel -a*id )tewart, a determined disbelie*er in what he calls the
supernatural, in his boo on the #i/hlanders, relates the 4ollowin/ 4act as one so
remarable, that "credulous minds" may be e7cused 4or belie*in/ it to ha*e been
prophetic$ #e says that late in an autumnal e*enin/ o4 the year 1''=, the son o4
a nei/hbour came to his 4ather's house, and soon a4ter his arri*al enquired 4or a
little boy o4 the 4amily, then about three years old$ #e was shown up to the
nursery and 4ound the nurse puttin/ a pair o4 new shoes on the child, which she
complained did not 4it$ "&e*er mind," said the youn/ man, "they will 4it him be4ore
he wants them," a prediction which not only o44ended the nurse, but seemed at
the moment absurd, since the child was apparently in per4ect health$ .hen he
8oined the party in the drawin/ room, he bein/ much 8eered upon this new /i4t o4
second si/ht, he e7plained, that the impression he had recei*ed ori/inated in his
ha*in/ 8ust seen a 4uneral passin/ the wooden brid/e which crossed a stream at
a short distance 4rom the house$ #e 4irst obser*ed a crowd o4 people, and on
comin/ nearer, he saw a person carryin/ a small co44in, 4ollowed by about twenty
/entlemen, all o4 his acquaintance, his own 4ather and a (r$ )tewart bein/
amon/st the number$
#e did not attempt to 8oin the procession, which he saw turn o44 into the
churchyard5 him nowin/ his own 4ather could not be actually there, and that (r$
and (rs$ )tewart were then at 9lair, he 4elt a con*iction that the phenomenon
portended the death o4 the child5 a persuasion which was *eri4ied by its suddenly
e7pirin/ on the 4ollowin/ ni/ht, and Colonel )tewart adds, that the circumstances
and attendants at the 4uneral were precisely such as the youn/ man had
described$ #e mentions also that this /entleman was not a seer5 that he was a
man o4 education and /eneral nowled/e, and that this was the 4irst and only
*ision o4 the sort he e*er had$
I now o4 a youn/ lady, who has three times seen 4unerals in this way$
The old persuasion, that 4astin/ was a means o4 de*elopin/ the spirit o4
prophesy, is undoubtedly well 4ounded, and the annals o4 medicine 4urnish
numerous 4acts which establish it$ 0 man condemned to death at Viterbo ha*in/
abstained 4rom 4ood in the hope o4 escapin/ e7ecution, became so clair*oyant,
that he could tell what was doin/ in any part o4 the prison5 the e7pression used in
the report is, that he saw throu/h the walls, this, howe*er, could not be with his
natural or/ans o4 si/ht$
It is worthy o4 obser*ation, that idiots o4ten possess some /leams o4 this 4aculty
o4 second si/ht or presentiment5 and it is probably on this account that they are in
some countries held sacred$ 1resentiment, which I thin may *ery probably he
merely the *a/ue and imper4ect recollection o4 what we new in our sleep, is
o4ten obser*ed in drunen people$
In the /reat pla/ue at 9asle, which occurred towards the end o4 the si7teenth
century, almost e*erybody who died, called out in their last moments, the name
o4 the person that was to 4ollow them ne7t$
&ot lon/ a/o a ser*ant /irl on the estate o4 -$, o4 )$, saw with amaBement 4i*e
4i/ures ascendin/ a perpendicular cli44, quite inaccessible to human 4eet5 one was
a boy wearin/ a cap with red bindin/$ )he watched them with /reat curiosity till
they reached the top, where they all stretched themsel*es on the earth, with
countenances e7pressi*e o4 /reat de8ection$ .hilst she was looin/ at them they
disappeared, and she immediately related her *ision$ )hortly a4terwards, a
4orei/n ship in distress, was seen to put o44 a boat with 4our men and a boy5 the
boat was dashed to pieces in the sur4, and the 4i*e bodies, e7actly answerin/ the
description she had /i*en, were thrown on shore, at the 4oot o4 the cli44, which
they had perhaps climbed in the spirit!
#ow well what we call clair$oyance was nown, thou/h how little understood, at
the period o4 the witch persecution, is pro*ed by what -r$ #enry (ore says, in his
"0ntidote a/ainst 0theism"A "
".e will now pass to those supernatural e44ects which are obser*ed in them that
are bewitched or possessed5 and such as 4oretellin/ thin/s to come, tellin/ what
such and such persons spea or do, as e7actly as i4 they were by them, when the
party possessed is at one end o4 the town, and sittin/ in a house within doors,
and those parties that act and con4er to/ether are without, at the other end o4 the
town5 to be able to see some, and not others5 to play at cards with one certain
person, and not to discern anybody else at the table beside him5 to act and tal,
and /o up and down, and tell what will become o4 thin/s, and what happens in
those 4its o4 possession5 and then so soon as the possessed or bewitched party
is out o4 them, to remember nothin/ at all, but to enquire concernin/ the wel4are
o4 those whose 4aces they seemed to loo upon but 8ust be4ore, when they were
in their 4its$"
0 state which he belie*es to arise 4rom the de*il's ha*in/ taen possession o4 the
body o4 the ma/netic person, which is precisely the theory supported by many
4anatical persons in our own day$ -r$ (ore was not a 4anatic5 but these
phenomena, thou/h *ery well understood by the ancient philosophers, as well as
by 1aracelsus, Van #elmont, Cornelius 0/rippa, Dacob 9ehmen, a )cotch
physician called (a7well, who published on the sub8ect in the se*enteenth
century, and many others, were still, when obser*ed, looed upon as the e44ects
o4 diabolical in4luence by manind in /eneral$
.hen (onsieur )i7 -eniers, the artist, was drowned in the )eine, in 1+,>, a4ter
his body had been *ainly sou/ht, a somnambule was applied to, in whose hands
they placed a port4olio belon/in/ to him, and bein/ ased where the owner was,
she e*inced /reat terror, held up her dress, as i4 walin/ in the water, and said
that he was between two boats, under the 1ont des 0rts, with nothin/ on but a
4lannel waistcoat5 and there he was 4ound$
0 4riend o4 mine nows a lady, who, one mornin/, early, bein/ in a natural state
o4 clair*oyance, without ma/netism, saw the porter o4 the house where her son
lod/ed, ascend to his room with a car*in/"ni4e, /o to his bed where he lay
asleep, lean o*er him, then open a chest, tae out a 4i4ty"pound note, and retire$
@n the 4ollowin/ day, she went to her son and ased him i4 he had any money in
the house5 he said, "Hes, he had 4i4ty pounds5" whereupon, she bade him see it5
but it was /one$ They stopped payment o4 the note5 but did not prosecute,
thinin/ the e*idence insu44icient$ )ubsequently, the porter bein/ taen up 4or
other crimes, the note was 4ound crumpled up at the bottom o4 an old purse
belon/in/ to him$
-r$ :nnenioser says, that there is no doubt o4 the ancient )ybyls ha*in/ been
clair*oyant women, and that it is impossible so much *alue could ha*e been
attached to their boos, had not their re*elations been *eri4ied$
0 maid"ser*ant, residin/ in a 4amily in &orthumberland, one day, last winter, was
heard to utter a *iolent scream immediately a4ter she had le4t the itchen$ @n
4ollowin/ her to enquire what had happened, she said that she had 8ust seen her
4ather in his ni/ht clothes, with a most horrible countenance, and she was sure
somethin/ dread4ul had happened to him$ Two days a4terwards, there arri*ed a
letter, sayin/, he had been seiBed with delirium tremens, and was at the point o4
death5 which accordin/ly ensued$
There are innumerable cases o4 this sort recorded in *arious collections5 not to
mention the much more numerous ones that meet with no recorder5 and I could
mysel4 mention many more, but these will su44ice " one, howe*er, I will not omit,
4or thou/h historical it is not /enerally nown$ 0 year be4ore the rebellion broe
out, in consequence o4 which %ord ;ilmarnoc lost his head, the 4amily were one
day startled by a *iolent scream, and on rushin/ out to enquire what had
occurred, they 4ound the ser*ants all assembled in amaBement, with the
e7ception o4 one maid, who they said had /one up to the /arrets to han/ some
linen on the lines to dry$ @n ascendin/ thither, they 4ound the /irl on the 4loor, in
a state o4 insensibility5 and they had no sooner re*i*ed her, than on seein/ %ord
;ilmarnoc bendin/ o*er her, she screamed and 4ainted a/ain$ .hen ultimately
reco*ered, she told them that whilst han/in/ up her linen and sin/in/, the door
had burst open and his lordships bloody head had rolled in$ I thin it came twice$
This e*ent was so well nown at the time, that on the 4irst rumours o4 the
rebellion, %ord )altoun said, ";ilmarnoc will lose his head$" It was answered
"that ;ilmarnoc had not 8oined the rebels$" "#e will, and will be beheaded,"
returned %ord )$
&ow, in these cases we are almost compelled to belie*e that the phenomenon is
purely sub8ecti*e, and that there is no *eritable outstandin/ ob8ect seen5 yet,
when we ha*e taen re4u/e in this hypothesis, the di44iculty remains as /reat as
e*er5 and is to me much more incomprehensible than /host"seein/, because in
the latter we suppose an e7ternal a/ency actin/ in some way or other on the
seer$
I ha*e already mentioned that @berlin, the /ood pastor o4 9an de la ?oche,
himsel4 a /host"seer, asserted that e*erythin/ earthly had its counterpart, or
antitype, in the other world, not only or/aniBed, but unor/aniBed matter$ I4 so, do
we sometimes see these antitypes<
-r$ :nnenioser, in treatin/ o4 second si/ht " which, by the way, is quite as well
nown in 6ermany, and especially in -enmar, as in the #i/hlands o4 )cotland "
says, that as in natural somnambulism, there is a partial internal *i/ilance, so
does the seer 4all, whilst awae, into a dream"state$ #e suddenly becomes
motionless and sti44A his eyes are open, and his senses are, whilst the *ision
lasts, unpercepti*e o4 all e7ternal ob8ects5 the *ision may be communicated by
the touch, and sometimes persons at a distance 4rom each other, but connected
by blood or sympathy ha*e the *ision simultaneously$ #e remars, also, that, as
we ha*e seen in the abo*e"mentioned case o4 (r$ C$, any attempt to 4rustrate the
4ul4ilment o4 the *ision ne*er succeeds, inasmuch as the attempt appears to be
taen into the account$
The seein/ in /lass and in crystals, is equally ine7plicable5 as is the ma/ical
seein/ o4 the :/yptians$ :*ery now and then, we hear it said that this last is
disco*ered to be an imposition, because some tra*eler has either actually 4allen
into the hands o4 an impostor "and there are impostors in all trades5 or because
the phenomenon was imper4ectly e7hibited5 a circumstance which, as in the
e7hibitions o4 clair*oyants and somnambulists, where all the conditions are not
under command, or e*en reco/niBed, must necessarily happen$ 9ut not to
mention the accounts published by (r$ %ane and %ord 1rudhoe, whoe*er has
read that o4 (onsieur %eon %aborde, must be satis4ied that the thin/ is an
indisputable 4act$ It is, in short, only another 4orm o4 the seein/ in crystals, which
has been nown in all a/es, and o4 which many modern instances ha*e occurred
amon/st somnambulic patients$
.e see by the ,,th chapter o4 Genesis that it was by his cup that Doseph
prophesiedA "Is not this it in which my lord drineth, and whereby indeed he
di*ineth<" 9ut, as -r$ 1assa*ent obser*es, and as we shall presently see in the
anecdote o4 the boy and the /ipsy, the *irtue does not lie in the /lass nor in the
water, but in the seer himsel4, who may possess a more or less de*eloped
4aculty$ The e7ternal ob8ects and ceremonies bein/ only the means o4
concentratin/ the attention and intensi4yin/ the power$
(onsieur %eon %aborde witnessed the e7hibition, at Cairo, be4ore %ord 1$'s *isit5
the e7hibitor, named 0chmed, appeared to him a respectable man, who spoe
simply o4 his science, and had nothin/ o4 the charlatan about him$ The 4irst child
employed, was a boy o4 ele*en years old, the son o4 a :uropean5 and 0chmed
ha*in/ traced some 4i/ures on the palm o4 his hand, and poured in o*er them,
bade him loo 4or the re4lection o4 his own 4ace$ The child said he saw it5 the
ma/ician then burnt some powders in a braBier, and bade him tell him when he
saw a soldier sweepin/ a place5 and whilst the 4umes 4rom the braBier di44used
themsel*es, he pronounced a sort o4 litany$ 1resently, the child threw bac his
head, and screamin/ with terror, sobbed out, whilst bathed in tears, that he had
seen a dread4ul 4ace$ 3earin/ the boy mi/ht be in8ured, (onsieur %aborde now
called up a little 0rab ser*ant, who had ne*er seen or heard o4 the ma/ician$ #e
was /ay and lau/hin/, and not at all 4ri/htened5 and the ceremony bein/
repeated, he said he saw the soldier sweepin/ in the 4ront o4 a tent$ #e was then
desired to bid the soldier brin/ )haspeare, Colonel Cradoc, and se*eral other
persons5 and he described e*ery person and thin/ so e7actly, as to be entirely
satis4actory$ -urin/ the operations, the boy looed as i4 into7icated5 with his eyes
4i7ed and the perspiration drippin/ 4rom his brow$ 0chmed disenchanted him by
placin/ his thumbs on his eyes5 he /radually reco*ered, and /aily related all he
had seen, which he per4ectly remembered$
&ow this is merely another 4orm o4 what the %aplanders, the 04rican ma/icians,
and the )hamans o4 )iberia, do by tain/ narcotics and turnin/ round till they 4all
down in a state o4 insensibility, in which condition they are clear"seers, and
besides *aticinatin/, describe scenes, places, and persons they ha*e ne*er
seen$ In 9arbary they anoint their hands with a blac ointment, and then holdin/
them up in the sun, they see whate*er they desire, lie the :/yptians$
%ady )$ possesses somewhat o4 a sin/ular 4aculty, naturally$ 9y walin/ rapidly
round a room, se*eral times, till a certain de/ree o4 *erti/o is produced, she will
name to you any person you ha*e pri*ately thou/ht o4, or a/reed upon with
others$ #er phrase is, "I see so and so$"
(onsieur %aborde purchased the secret o4 0chmed, who said, he had learnt it
4rom two celebrated )cheics o4 his own country, which was 0l/iers$ (onsieur %$
4ound it connected both with physics and ma/netism, and he practiced it himsel4
a4terwards with per4ect success, and he a44irms, positi*ely, that under the
in4luence o4 a particular or/aniBation and certain ceremonies, amon/st which he
cannot distin/uish which are indispensable and which are not, that a child without
4raud or collusion, can see as throu/h a window or peep"hole, people mo*in/,
who appear and disappear at their command, and with whom they hold
communication and they remember e*erythin/ a4ter the operation$ #e says "I
narrate, but e7plain nothin/5 I produced those e44ects, but cannot comprehend
them5 I only a44irm in the most positi*e manner, that what I relate is true$ I
per4ormed the e7periment in *arious places, with *arious sub8ects, be4ore
numerous witnesses, in my own room or other rooms, in the open air, and e*en
in a boat on the &ile$ The e7actitude and detailed descriptions o4 persons,
places, and scenes, could by no possibility be 4ei/ned$"
(oreo*er, 9aron -upotet has *ery lately succeeded in obtainin/ these
phenomena in 1aris, 4rom persons, not somnambulic, selected 4rom his
audience5 the chie4 di44erence bein/, that they did not recollect what they had
seen when the crisis was o*er$
Ca/liostro, thou/h a charlatan,M was possessed o4 this secret5 and it was his
/reat success in it, that chie4ly sustained his reputation5 the spectators,
con*inced he could mae children see distant places and persons in /lass, were
persuaded he could do other thin/s, which appeared to them no more
mysterious$
""""""""""""
M Ca/liostro has been treated more indly by #istory by some than labelin/ him a
simple "charlatan$" #e died in the dun/eons o4 the Inquistition " still in e44ect in
?ome in the 1'FI's " 4or the "crime" o4 "bein/ a 3reeemason$" #is dun/eon was
a dry cistern with a /rate o*er it$ #e was sentenced to death but a "mysterious
stran/er" /ot it commuted to imprisonment$ #e could as easily be labelled a
martyred altruist, considerin/ the 4ree health clinics 4or the poor he would hold at
his own e7pense in towns he passed throu/h$ )eeA -he 5asonic 5agician, by
3auls and Cooper, %ondon, 2II+, =1'O pp$, and especially 1hillip (alpas' boo
on Ca/liostro, serialiBed in -heosophical Path and -heosophical /orum, and
currently on scribd$com$ ( dig. ed.
""""""""""""
-r$ -ee was per4ectly honest, with re/ard to his mirror in which he could see, by
concentratin/ his mind on it5 but as he could not remember what he saw, he
employed ;elly to see 4or him, whilst he himsel4 wrote down the re*elations5 and
;elly was a ro/ue, and decei*ed and ruined him$
0 4riend o4 14e44el's new a boy, apprenticed to an apothecary, at
)choppenweyer, who, ha*in/ been obser*ed to amuse himsel4 by looin/ into
*ials 4illed with water, was ased what he saw5 when it was disco*ered that he
possessed this 4aculty o4 seein/ in /lass, which was a4terwards *ery 4requently
e7hibited 4or the satis4action o4 the curious$ 14e44el also mentions another boy,
who had this 4aculty, who went about the country with a small mirror, answerin/
questions, reco*erin/ stolen /oods, and so 4orth$ #e said that he one day 4ell in
with some /ipsies, one o4 whom was sittin/ apart, and starin/ into this /lass$ The
boy, 4rom curiosity, looed o*er his shoulder, and e7claimed that he saw "a 4ine
man, who was mo*in/ about5" whereupon the /ipsy, ha*in/ interro/ated him,
/a*e him the /lass5 "3or," said he, "I ha*e been starin/ in it lon/ enou/h, and
can see nothin/ but my own 4ace$"
It is almost unnecessary to obser*e, that the sacred boos o4 the Dews, and o4
the Indians, testi4y to their acquaintance with this mode o4 di*ination, as well as
many others$
(any persons will ha*e heard or read an account o4 (r$ Cannin/ and (r$
#usisson ha*in/ seen, whilst in 1aris, the *isionary representation o4 their own
deaths in water, as e7hibited to them by a ?ussian or 1olish lady, there5 as I do
not, howe*er, now what authority there is 4or this story, I will not insist on it here$
9ut )t$ )imon relates a *ery curious circumstance o4 this nature, which occurred
at 1aris, and was related to him by the -ue o4 @rleans, a4terwards ?e/ent$ The
latter said that he had sent on the precedin/ e*enin/ 4or a man, then in 1aris,
who pretended to e7hibit whate*er was desired in a /lass o4 water$ #e came, and
a child o4 se*en years old, belon/in/ to the house, bein/ called up, they bade her
tell what she saw doin/ in certain places$ )he did5 and, as they sent to these
places, and 4ound her report correct, they bid her ne7t describe under what
circumstances the ;in/ would die5 without, howe*er, asin/ when the death
would tae place$
The child new none o4 the Court, and had ne*er been at Versailles5 yet she
described e*erythin/ e7actly " the room, bed, 4urniture, and the ;in/ himsel45
(adame de (aiutenon, 3a/on, the physician, the princes and princesses "
e*erybody, in short, includin/ a child wearin/ an order, in the arms o4 a lady,
whom she reco/nised as ha*in/ seen, this was (adame de Ventadour$
It was remarable, that she omitted the -ues de 9our/o/ne and 9erry, and
(onsei/neur, and also the -uchess de 9our/o/ne$ @rleans insisted they must
be there, describin/ them5 but she always said "@o." These persons were then all
well5 but they died be4ore the ;in/$ )he also saw the children o4 the 1rince and
1rincess o4 Conti, but not themsel*es5 which was correct, as they also died
shortly a4ter this occurrence$
@rleans then wished to see his own destiny5 and the man said, i4 he would not be
4ri/htened he could show it him, as i4 painted on the wall5 and a4ter 4i4teen
minutes o4 con8uration, the -ue appeared, o4 the natural siBe, dressed as usual,
but with a couronne fermee or closed crown on his head, which they could not
comprehend, as it was not that o4 any country they new o4$ It co*ered his head,
had only 4our circles, and nothin/ at the top$ They had ne*er seen such an one$
.hen he became ?e/ent, they understood that that was the interpretation o4 the
prediction$
In connection with this sub8ect, the a*ersion to /lass 4requently mani4ested by
do/s, is well worthy o4 obser*ation$
.hen 4acts o4 this ind are 4ound to be recorded, or belie*ed in, in all parts o4 the
world, 4rom the be/innin/ o4 it up to the present time, it is surely *ain 4or the so
called sa*ants to deny them5 and as Cicero 8ustly says, in describin/ the di44erent
inds o4 ma/ic, ".hat we ha*e to do with, is the 4acts, since o4 the cause we
now little$ &either," he adds, "are we to repudiate these phenomena, because
we sometimes 4ind them imper4ect, or e*en 4alse, any more than we are to
distrust that the human eye sees, althou/h some do this *ery imper4ectly, or not
at all$"
.e are part spirit and part matter5 by the 4ormer we are allied to the spiritual
world and to the absolute spirit5 and as nobody doubts that the latter can wor
ma/ically, that is, by the mere act o4 will " 4or by the mere act o4 will all thin/s
were created, and by its constant e7ertion all thin/s are sustained " why should
we be astonished that we, who partae o4 the di*ine nature, and were created
a4ter 6od's own ima/e, should also, within certain limits, partae o4 this ma/ical
power< That this power has been 4requently abused, is the 4ault o4 those, who,
bein/ capable, re4use to in*esti/ate, and deny the e7istence o4 these and similar
phenomena5 and by thus castin/ them out o4 the re/ion o4 le/itimate science,
lea*e them to become the prey o4 the i/norant and desi/nin/$
-r$ :nnemoser, in his *ery learned wor on ma/ic, shows us that all the
phenomena o4 ma/netism and somnambulism, and all the *arious inds o4
di*ination, ha*e been nown and practiced in e*ery country under the sun5 and
ha*e been intimately connected with, and, indeed, may be traced up to the
4ountainhead o4 e*ery reli/ion$
.hat are the limits o4 these powers possessed by us whilst in the 4lesh, how 4ar
they may be de*eloped, and whether, at the e7treme *er/e o4 what we can
e44ect, we be/in to be aided by 6od or by spirits o4 other spheres o4 e7istence
borderin/ on ours, we now not5 but, with respect to the morality o4 these
practices, it su44ices, that what is /ood in act or intention must come o4 /ood5 and
what is e*il in act or intention, must come o4 e*il5 which is true now, as it was in
the time o4 (oses and the prophets, when miracles and ma/ic were used 4or
purposes holy and unholy, and were to be 8ud/ed accordin/ly$ 6od wors by
natural laws, o4 which we yet now *ery little, and, in some departments o4 his
in/dom, nothin/5 and what appears to us supernatural, only appears so 4rom
our i/norance5 and whate*er 4aculties or powers he has endowed us with, it must
ha*e been desi/ned we should e7ercise and culti*ate 4or the bene4it and
ad*ancement o4 our race5 nor can I 4or one moment suppose, that, thou/h lie
e*erythin/ else liable to abuse, the le/itimate e7ercise o4 these powers, i4 we
new their ran/e, would be useless, much less pernicious or sin4ul$
@4 the ma/ical power o4 will, as I ha*e said be4ore, we now nothin/5 and it does
not belon/ to a purely rationalistic a/e to acnowled/e what it cannot
understand$ In all countries men ha*e arisen, here and there, who ha$e nown it,
and some traces o4 it ha*e sur*i*ed both in lan/ua/e and in popular
superstitions$ "I4 ye ha*e 4aith as a /rain o4 mustard seed, ye shall say unto this
mountain, ?emo*e hence, and it shall remo*e5 and nothin/ shall be impossible to
you$ #owbeit this ind /oeth not out but by prayer and 4astin/$" 0nd, reuille6 et
croye6, will and belie*e, was the solution 1uyse/ur /a*e o4 his ma/ical cures5
and no doubt the e7planation ol those a44ected by royal hands, is to be 4ound in
the 4act, that they belie*ed in themsel$es, and ha*in/ 4aith, they could e7ercise
will$ 9ut, with the belie4 in the di*ine ri/ht o4 in/s, the 4aith and the power would
naturally e7pire to/ether$
.ith respect to what Christ says in the abo*e"quoted passa/e o4 fasting,
numerous instances are e7tant, pro*in/ that clear"seein/ and other ma/ical or
spiritual powers are sometimes de*eloped by it$
.ilhelm ;rause, a doctor o4 philosophy and a lecturer at Dena, who died durin/
the pre*alence o4 the cholera, culti*ated these powers and preached them$ I
ha*e not been able to obtain his wors, they bein/ suppressed as 4ar as is
practicable by the 1russian 6o*ernment$ ;rause could lea*e his body, and, to all
appearance, die whene*er he pleased$ @ne o4 his disciples, yet li*in/, the Count
Von :berstein possesses the same 4aculty$
(any writers o4 the si7teenth century were well acquainted with the power o4 will,
and to this was attributed the /ood or e*il in4luence o4 blessin/s and curses$
They belie*ed it to be o4 /reat e44ect in curin/ diseases, and that by it alone li4e
mi/ht be e7tin/uished$ That, su#<ecti$ely, li4e may be e7tin/uished, we ha*e
seen by the cases o4 Colonel Townshend, the -er*ish that was buried,
#ermotinus and othersA 4or doubtless the power that could per4orm so much,
could under an adequate moti*e, ha*e per4ormed moreA and since all thin/s in
nature, spiritual and material, are connected, and that there is an unceasin/
interaction betwi7t them, we bein/ members o4 one /reat whole, only
indi*idualised by our or/anisms, it is possible to concei*e that the power which
can be e7erted on our own or/anism mi/ht be e7tended to othersA and since we
cannot concei*e man to be an isolated bein/ " the only intelli/ence besides 6od "
none abo*e us and none below " but must, on the contrary, belie*e that there are
numerous /rades o4 intelli/ences, it seems to 4ollow, o4 course, that we must
stand in some ind o4 relation to them, more or less intimate5 nor is it at all
surprisin/ that with some indi*iduals this relation should be more intimate than
with others$
3inally, we are not entitled to deny the e7istence o4 this ma/ical or spiritual
power, either as e7erted by incorporated or unincorporated spirits, because we
do not comprehend how it can be e7erted5 since in spite o4 all the words that
ha*e been e7pended on the sub8ect, we are equally i/norant o4 the mode in
which our own will acts upon our own muscles$ .e now the 4act, but not the
mode o4 it$
""""""""""
*hapter 2+++ ( *onclusion
@4 the power o4 the mind o*er matter, we ha*e a remarable e7ample in the
numerous well"authenticated instances o4 the Stigmata$ 0s in most cases this
phenomenon has been connected with a state o4 reli/ious e7altation, and has
been appropriated by the ?oman Church as a miracle, the 4act has been in this
country pretty /enerally discredited5 but without reason5 :nnemoser, 3assa*ent,
)chubert, and other eminent 6erman physiolo/ists, assure us that not only is the
4act per4ectly established, as re/ards many o4 the so"called saints, but also that
there ha*e been indubitably modern instances, as in the case o4 the :cstaticas o4
the Tyrol, Catherine :mmerich, commonly called the &un o4 -ulmen, (aria (ori,
and -omenica %aBBari, who ha*e all e7hibited the sti/mata$
Catherine :mmerich, the most remarable o4 the three, be/an *ery early to ha*e
*isions, and to display unusual endowments$ )he was *ery piousA could
distin/uish the qualities o4 plants, re*eal secrets or distant circumstances, and
new people's thou/hts5 but was howe*er, e7tremely sicly, and e7hibited a
*ariety o4 e7traordinary and distressin/ symptoms, which terminated in her death$
The wounds o4 the crown o4 thorns round her head, and those o4 the nails in her
hands and 4eet, were as per4ect as i4 painted by an artist, and they bled re/ularly
on 3ridays$ There was also a double cross on her breast$ .hen the blood was
wiped away, the mars looed lie the puncture o4 4lies$ )he seldom too any
nourishment but water, and ha*in/ been but a poor cow"eeper, she discoursed,
when in the e7tatic state, as i4 inspired$
I am well aware that on readin/ this, many persons who ne*er saw her will say it
was all imposture$ It is *ery easy to say this5 but it is as absurd as presumptuous
to pronounce on what they ha*e had no opportunity o4 obser*in/$ I ne*er saw
these women either5 but I 4ind mysel4 much more disposed to accept the
e*idence o4 those who did, than o4 those who only "do not belie*e, because they
do not belie*e$"
&either Catherine :mmerich nor the others, made their su44erin/s a source o4
pro4it, nor had they any desire to be e7hibited5 but quite the contrary$ )he could
see in the dar as well as the li/ht, and 4requently wored all ni/ht at main/
clothes 4or the poor, without lamp or candle$
There ha*e been instances o4 ma/netic patients bein/ sti/matised in this
manner$ (adam 9$ Von &$ dreamt one ni/ht that a person o44ered her a red and
a white rose, and that she chose the latter$ @n awain/ she 4elt a burnin/ pain in
her arm, and by de/rees, there arose there the 4i/ure o4 a rose per4ect in 4orm
and colour$ It was rather raised abo*e the sin$ The mar increased in intensity
till the ei/hth day, a4ter which it 4aded away, and by the 4ourteenth was no lon/er
perceptible$
0 letter 4rom (oscow, addressed to -r$ ;erner, in consequence o4 readin/ the
account o4 the &un o4 -ulmen, relates a still more e7traordinary case$ 0t the time
o4 the 3rench in*asion, a Cossac ha*in/ pursued a 3renchman into a culdesac,
an alley without an outlet, there ensued a terrible con4lict between them, in which
the latter was se*erely wounded$ 0 person who had taen re4u/e in this close
and could not /et away, was so dread4ully 4ri/htened, that when he reached
home, there broe out on his body the *ery same wounds that the Cossac had
in4licted on his enemy$
The si/natures o4 the 4oetus are analo/ous 4acts5 and i4 the mind o4 the mother
can thus act on another or/anism, why not the minds o4 the saints, or o4
Catherine :mmerich, on their own$ 3rom the in4luence o4 the mother on the child,
we ha*e but one step to that asserted to be possible, betwi7t two or/anisms, not
*isibly connected5 4or the di44iculty therein lies, that we do not see the lin that
connects them, thou/h, doubtless, it e7ists$ -r$ 9lacloc, who lost his eyesi/ht
at an early period, said, that, when awae, he distin/uished persons by hearin/
and 4eelin/ them, but when asleep, he had a distinct impression o4 another
sense$ #e then seemed to himsel4 united to them by a ind o4 distant contact,
which was e44ected by threads passin/ 4rom their bodies to his, which seems to
be but a metaphorical e7pression o4 the 4act, 4or, whether the connection be
maintained by an all"per*adin/ ether, or be purely dynamic, that the interaction
e7ists both betwi7t or/anic and inor/anic bodies, is made e*ident where*er there
is su44icient e7citability to render the e44ects sensible$
Till *ery lately, the powers o4 the di*inin/"rod were considered a mere 4able5 yet,
that this power e7ists, thou/h not in the rod, but in the person that holds it, is now
per4ectly well established$ Count Tristan, who has written a boo on the sub8ect,
says, that about one in 4orty ha*e it, and that a complete course o4 e7periments
has pro*ed the phenomenon to be electric$ The rod seems to ser*e, in some
de/ree, the same purpose as the ma/ical mirror and con8urations, and it is, also,
ser*iceable in presentin/ a result *isible to the eye o4 the spectator$ 9ut,
numerous cases are met with, in which metals or water are percei*ed beneath
the sur4ace o4 the earth, without the inter*ention o4 the rod$ 0 man, called 9leton,
4rom -auphi/ny, possessed this di*inin/ power in a remarable de/ree, as did a
)wiss /irl, called ;atherine 9eutler$ )he was stron/ and healthy, and o4 a
phle/matic temperament5 yet, so susceptible o4 these in4luences, that, without
the rod, she pointed out and traced the course o4 water, *eins o4 metal, coal
beds, salt mines, etc$ The sensations produced were sometimes on the soles o4
her 4eet, sometimes on her ton/ue, or in her stomach$ )he ne*er lost the power
wholly, but it *aried considerably in intensity at di44erent times, as it did with
9leton$ )he was also rendered sensible o4 the bodily pains o4 others, by layin/
her hand on the a44ected part, or near it, and she per4ormed se*eral ma/netic
cures$
0 person now ali*e, named -ussan/e, in the (asonnes, possesses this power$
#e is a simple honest man, who can /i*e no account o4 his own 4aculty$ The
0bbes Chatela*d and 1aramelle can also disco*er subterraneous sprin/s5 but
they say that it is e44ected by means o4 their /eolo/ical scienceA (onsieur -$, o4
Cluny, howe*er, 4ound the 4aculty o4 -ussan/e much more to be relied on$ The
6rees and ?omans made hydroscopy an art5 and there are wors alluded to as
ha*in/ e7isted on this sub8ect5 especially one by (arcellus$ The caduceus o4
(ercury, the wand o4 Circe, and the wands o4 the :/yptian sorcerers, show that
the wand or rod was always looed upon as a symbol o4 di*ination$ @ne o4 the
most remarable instances o4 the use o4 the di*inin/"rod, is that o4 Dacques
0ymar$
@n the Kth Duly, 1>F2, a man and his wi4e, were murdered in a cellar at %yons,
and their house was robbed$ #a*in/ no clue whate*er to the criminal, this
peasant, who had the reputation o4 bein/ able to disco*er murderers, thie*es,
and stolen articles by means o4 the di*inin/ rod, was sent 4or 4rom -auphi/ny$
0ymar undertoo to 4ollow the 4ootsteps o4 the assassins, but he said he must
4irst be taen into the cellar where the murder was committed$ The 1rocurator
?oyal conducted him thither, and they /a*e him a rod out o4 the 4irst wood that
came to hand$ #e waled about the cellar but the rod did not mo*e till he came to
the spot where the man had been illed$ Then 0ymar became a/itated, and his
pulse beat as i4 he were in a hi/h 4e*er, and all these symptoms were au/mented
when he approached the spot on which they had 4ound the body o4 the woman$
3rom this, he, o4 his own accord, went into a sort o4 shop where the robbery had
been committed5 4rom thence he proceeded into the street, tracin/ the assassin,
step by step, 4irst to the court o4 the 0rchbishop's palace, then out o4 the city and
alon/ the ri/ht side o4 the ri*er$ #e was escorted all the way by three persons
appointed 4or the purpose, who all testi4ied that sometimes he detected the
traces o4 three accomplices, sometimes only o4 two$
#e led the way to the house o4 a /ardener, where he insisted that they had
touched a table and one o4 three bottles that were yet standin/ upon it$ It was at
4irst denied5 but two children o4 nine or ten years old, said, that three men had
been there, and had been ser*ed with wine in that bottle$ 0ymer then traced
them to the ri*er where they had embared in a boat5 and what is *ery
e7traordinary, he traced them as surely on the water as on the land$ #e 4ollowed
them where*er they had /one ashore, went strai/ht to the places they had
lod/ed at, pointed out their beds, and the *ery utensils o4 e*ery description that
they had used$ @n arri*in/ at )ablon, where some troops were encamped, the
rod and his own sensations satis4ied him that the assassins were there5 but
4earin/ the soldiers would ill"treat him, he re4used to pursue the enterprise
4urther, and returned to %yons$ #e was, howe*er, promised protection, and sent
bac by water, with letters o4 recommendation$
@n reachin/ )ablon, he said they were no lon/er there, but he traced them into
%an/uedoc, enterin/ e*ery house they had stopped at, till he at len/th reached
the /ate o4 the prison, in the town o4 9eancaire, where he said one o4 them would
be 4ound$ They brou/ht all the prisoners be4ore him, amountin/ to 4i4teen5 and the
only one his rod turned on, was a little 9ossu, or de4ormed man, who had 8ust
been brou/ht in 4or a petty the4t$ #e then ascertained that the two others had
taen the road to &imes, and o44ered to 4ollow them5 but as the man denied all
nowled/e o4 the murder, and declared he had ne*er been at %yons, it was
thou/ht best that they should return there5 and as they went the way they had
come, and stopped at the same houses, where he was reco/niBed, he at len/th
con4essed that he had tra*eled with two men who had en/a/ed him to assist in
the crime$ .hat is *ery remarable, it was 4ound necessary that Dacques 0ymar
should wal in 4ront o4 the criminal5 4or, when he 4ollowed him, he became
*iolently sic$ 3rom %yons to 9eancaire is 4orty"4i*e miles$
0s the con4ession o4 the 9ossu con4irmed all 0ymar had asserted, the a44air now
created an immense sensation, and a /reat *ariety o4 e7periments were
instituted, e*ery one o4 which pro*ed per4ectly satis4actory$ (oreo*er, two
/entlemen, one o4 them the Controller o4 the Customs, were disco*ered to
possess this 4aculty, thou/h in a minor de/ree$ They now too 0ymar bac to
9eaucaire, that he mi/ht trace the other two criminals, and he went strai/ht a/ain
to the prison /ate, where he said, that now another would he 4ound$ @n enquiry
howe*er, it was disco*ered that a man had been there to enquire 4or the 9ossu,
but was /one a/ain$ #e then 4ollowed them to Toulon, and 4inally to the 4rontier o4
)pain, which set a limit to 4urther researches$ #e was o4ten so 4aint and
o*ercome with the e44lu*ia, or whate*er it was that /uided him, that the
perspiration streamed 4rom his brow, and they were obli/ed to sprinle him with
water to pre*ent his 4aintin/$
#e detected many robberies in the same way$ #is rod mo*ed whene*er he
passed o*er metals or water, or stolen /oods5 but he 4ound that he could
distin/uish the trac o4 a murderer 4rom all the rest, by the horror and pain he 4elt$
#e made this disco*ery accidentally as he was searchin/ 4or water$ They du/ up
the /round, and 4ound the body o4 a woman that had been stran/led$
I ha*e mysel4 met with three or 4our persons in whose hands the rod turned
*isibly5 and there are numerous *ery remarable cases recorded in di44erent
wors$ In the #artB, there is a race o4 people who support themsel*es entirely by
this sort o4 di*ination5 and as they are paid *ery hi/hly, and do nothin/ else, they
are /enerally e7tremely worthless and dissipated$
The e7traordinary susceptibility to atmospheric chan/es in certain or/anisms,
and the 4aculty by which a do/ tracs the 4oot o4 his master, are analo/ous 4acts
to those o4 the di*inin/"rod$ (r$ 9oyle mentions a lady who always percei*ed i4 a
person that *isited her came 4rom a place where snow had lately 4allen$ I ha*e
seen one, who i4 a quantity o4 /lo*es are /i*en her can tell to a certainty to whom
each belon/s5 and a particular 4riend o4 my own on enterin/ a room, can
distin/uish per4ectly who has been sittin/ in it5 pro*ided these be persons he is
4amiliarly acquainted with$ &umerous e7traordinary stories are e7tant respectin/
this ind o4 4aculty in do/s$
-oubtless, not only our bodies, but all matter, sheds its atmosphere around it5 the
sterility o4 the /round where metals are 4ound, is notorious5 and it is asserted
that, to some persons, the *apours that emanate 4rom below, are *isibleA and
that, as the hei/ht o4 the mountains round a lae 4urnishes a measure o4 its
depth, so does the hei/ht to which these *apours ascend, show how 4ar below
the sur4ace the mineral treasures or the water lie$ The e44ect o4 metals on
somnambulic persons is well nown to all who ha*e paid any attention to these
sub8ects5 and surely may be admitted, when it is remembered that #umbold has
disco*ered the same sensibility in Joophytes, where no traces o4 ner*es could be
detected5 and many years a/o 3rascatorius asserted that symptoms resemblin/
apople7y were sometimes induced by the pro7imity o4 a lar/e quantity o4 metal$ 0
/entleman is mentioned who could not enter the (int at 1aris, without 4aintin/$ In
short so many well attested cases o4 idiosyncratic sensibilities e7ist, that we ha*e
no ri/ht to re8ect others because they appear incomprehensible$
&ow, we may not only easily concei*e, but we now it to be a 4act, that 4ear, /rie4,
and other detrimental passions, *itiate the secretions,M and au/ment
transpiration5 and it is quite natural to suppose, that where a crime has been
committed which necessarily aroused a number o4 turbulent emotions,
e7halations perceptible to a *ery acute sense, may 4or some time ho*er o*er the
spot5 whilst the an7iety, the terror, the haste, in short, the /eneral commotion o4
system, that must accompany a murderer in his 4li/ht, is quite su44icient to
account 4or his path bein/ reco/niBable by such an abnormal 4aculty5 "3or the
wiced 4lee, when no man pursueth$" .e also now that a person perspirin/ with
open pores, is more susceptible than another to conta/ion5 and we ha*e only to
suppose the pores o4 Dacques 0ymar so constituted as easily to imbibe the
emanations shed by the 4u/iti*e, and we see why he should be a44ected by the
disa/reeable sensations he describes$
"""""""""""""
M In the "(edical 0nnals," a case is recorded o4 a youn/ lady whose a7illary
e7cretions were rendered so o44ensi*e by the 4ri/ht and horror she had
e7perienced in seein/ some o4 her relations assassinated in India, that she was
unable to /o into society$
"""""""""""""
The disturbin/ e44ect o4 odours on some persons, which are quite inno7ious to
others, must ha*e been obser*ed by e*erybody$ )ome people do actually almost
"die o4 a rose in aromatic pain$" 9oyle says that, in his time, many physicians
a*oided /i*in/ dru/s to children, ha*in/ 4ound that e7ternal applications, to be
imbibed by the sin, or by respiration, were su44icient5 and the #omeopaths
occasionally use the same means now$ )ir Charles 9ell told me, that (r$ 3$, a
/entleman well nown in public li4e, had only to hold an old boo to his nose, to
produce all the e44ects o4 a cathartic$ :liBabeth @ey was oppressed with most
pain4ul sensations when near a person whose 4rame was sinin/$ .hene*er this
e44ect was o4 a certain intensity, -r$ :lliotson obser*ed that the patient in*ariably
died$
#erein lies the secret o4 0mulets and Talismans, which /rew to be a *ain
superstition, but in which, as in all popular belie4s, there was a /erm o4 truth$
)omnambulic persons 4requently prescribe them5 and absurd as it may seem to
many, there are instances in which their e44icacy has been per4ectly established,
be the interpretation o4 the mystery what it may$ In a /reat pla/ue, which
occurred in (ora*ia, a physician, who was constantly amon/st the su44erers,
attributed the complete immunity o4 himsel4 and his 4amily to their wearin/
amulets, composed o4 the powder o4 toads5 "which," says 9oyle, "caused an
emanation ad*erse to the conta/ion$" 0 -utch physician mentions that in the
/reat pla/ue at &ime/uen,the pest seldom attaced any house till they had used
soap in washin/ their linen$ .here*er this was done, it appeared immediately$
In short, we are the sub8ects, and so is e*erythin/ around us, o4 all manner o4
subtle and ine7plicable in4luencesA and i4 our ancestors attached too much
importance to these ill"understood arcana o4 the ni/ht side o4 nature we ha*e
attached too little$ The sympathetic e44ects o4 multitudes on each other, o4 the
youn/ sleepin/ with the old, o4 ma/netism on plants and animals, are now
acnowled/ed 4actsA may not many other asserted phenomena that we yet lau/h
at, be 4acts also, thou/h probably too capricious in their nature " by which I mean,
dependin/ on laws beyond our apprehension " to be *ery a*ailable< 3or I tae it,
that as there is no such thin/ as chance, but all would be certainty i4 we new the
whole o4 the conditions, so no phenomena are really capricious and uncertainA
they only appear so to our i/norance and short"si/htedness$
The stron/ belie4 that 4ormerly pre*ailed in the e44icacy o4 sympathetic cures, can
scarcely ha*e e7isted, I thin, without some 4oundationA nor are they a whit more
e7traordinary than the sympathetic 4allin/ o4 pictures and stoppin/ o4 clocs and
watches, o4 which such numerous well"attested cases are e7tant, that se*eral
learned 6erman physiolo/ists o4 the present day pronounce the thin/
indisputable$ I ha*e mysel4 heard o4 some *ery perple7in/ instances$
6a44arillus alludes to a certain sort o4 ma/net, not resemblin/ iron, but o4 a blac
and white colour, with which, i4 a needle or ni4e were rubbed, the body mi/ht be
punctured or cut without pain$ #ow can we now that this is not true< Du//lers
who slashed and cauterised their bodies 4or the amusement o4 the public were
supposed to a*ail themsel*es o4 such secrets$
#ow is it possible 4or us, either, to ima/ine that the numerous recorded cases o4
the ?lood Ardeal, which consisted in the suspected assassin touchin/ the body
o4 his *ictim, can ha*e been either pure 4ictions or coincidences< &ot *ery lon/
a/o, an e7periment o4 a 4ri/ht4ul nature is said to ha*e been tried in 3rance on a
somnambulic person, by placin/ on the epi/astric re/ion a *ial 4illed with the
arterial blood o4 a criminal 8ust /uillotined$ The e44ect asserted to ha*e been
produced, was the establishment o4 a rapport between the somnambule and the
deceased, which endan/ered the li4e o4 the 4ormer$
3ranB *on 9aader su//ests the hypothesis o4 a $is sanguinis ultra mortem, and
supposes that a rapport or communio $itae may be established betwi7t the
murderer and his *ictim5 and he concei*es the idea o4 this mutual relation to be
the true interpretation o4 the sacri4icial rites common to all countries, as also o4
the ?lutschuld, or the requirin/ blood 4or blood$
.ith re/ard to the blood ordeal, the 4ollowin/ are the two latest instances o4 it
recorded to ha*e taen place in this country, they are e7tracted 4rom "#ar/ra*e's
)tate Trials"A "
":*idence ha*in/ been /i*en with respect to the death o4 Dane &orott, an
ancient and /ra*e person, minister o4 the parish in #ert4ordshire, where the
murder too place, bein/ sworn, deposed that, the body bein/ taen up out o4 the
/ra*e, and the 4our de4endants bein/ present, were required, each o4 them, to
touch the dead body$ @eman's wi4e 4ell upon her nees, and prayed 6od to
show toen o4 her innocence$ The appellant did touch the body, whereon the
brow o4 the deceased, which was be4ore o4 a li*id and carrion colour, be/an to
ha*e a dew, or /entle sweat on it, which increased by de/rees till the sweat ran
down in drops on the 4ace, the brow turned to a li*ely and 4resh colour, and the
deceased opened one o4 her eyes and shut it a/ain, and this openin/ the eye
was done three se*eral times5 she liewise thrust out the rin/, or marria/e 4in/er,
three times, and pulled it in a/ain, and blood dropped 4rom the 4in/er on the
/rass$
")ir &icholas #yde, the chie4 8ustice, seemin/ to doubt this e*idence, he ased
the witness, who saw these thin/s besides him, to which he, the witness,
answered, '(y %ord, I cannot swear what others saw, but I do belie*e the whole
company saw it5 and i4 it had been thou/ht a doubt, proo4 would ha*e been
made, and many would ha*e attested with me$ (y lord,' added the witness,
obser*in/ the surprise his e*idence awaened, 'I am minister o4 the parish, and
ha*e lon/ nown all the parties, but ne*er had displeasure a/ainst any o4 them,
nor they with me, but as I was minister$ The thin/ was wonder4ul to me, but I
ha*e not interest in the matter, e7cept as called on to testi4y to the truth$ (y %ord,
my brother, who is minister o4 the ne7t parish, is here present, and I am sure saw
all that I ha*e a44irmed$'"
#ereupon, the brother, bein/ sworn, he con4irmed the abo*e e*idence in e*ery
particular, and the 4irst witness added that, ha*in/ dipped his 4in/er into what
appeared to be blood, he 4elt satis4ied that it was really so$ It is to be obser*ed,
that this e7traordinary circumstance must ha*e occurred, i4 it occurred at all,
when the body had been upwards o4 a month dead5 4or it was taen up in
consequence o4 *arious rumours implicatin/ the prisoners, a4ter the coroner's
inquest had /i*en in a *erdict o4 felo de se$ @n their 4irst trial, they were
acquitted, but, an appeal bein/ brou/ht, they were 4ound /uilty and e7ecuted$ It
was on this latter occasion that the abo*e stran/e e*idence was /i*en, which,
bein/ taen down at the time by )ir Dohn (aynard, then )er8eant"at"%aw, stands
recorded, as I ha*e obser*ed, in #ar/ra*e's edition o4 ")tate Trials$"
The abo*e circumstances occurred in the year 1>2+, and in 1>++ the blood
ordeal was a/ain had recourse to in the trial o4 )ir 1hilip )tans4ield 4or parricide,
on which occasion the body had also been buried, but 4or a short time$ Certain
suspicions arisin/, it was disinterred and e7amined by the sur/eons, and 4rom a
*ariety o4 indications, no doubt remained that the old man had been murdered,
nor that his son was /uilty o4 his death$ .hen the body had been washed and
arrayed in clean linen, the nearest relations and 4riends were desired to li4t it and
replace it in the co44in5 and when )ir 1hilip placed his hand under it, he suddenly
drew it bac, stained with blood, e7claimin/, "@h, 6od!" and lettin/ the body 4all,
he cried, "%ord ha*e mercy upon me!" and went and bowed himsel4 o*er a seat in
the church, in which the corpse had been inspected$ ?epeated testimonies are
/i*en to this circumstance in the course o4 the trial5 and it is *ery remarable that
)ir Dohn -alrymple, a man o4 stron/ intellect, and wholly 4ree 4rom superstition,
admits it as an established 4act in his char/e to the 8ury$
In short, we are all, thou/h in di44erent de/rees, the sub8ects o4 a *ariety o4 subtle
in4luences, which, more or less, neutralise each other, and many o4 which
there4ore we ne*er obser*e5 and 4requently when we do obser*e the e44ects, we
ha*e neither time nor capacity 4or tracin/ the cause5 and when in more
susceptible or/anisms such e44ects are mani4ested, we content oursel*es with
re4errin/ the phenomena to disease or imposture$ The e7emption, or the power,
whiche*er it may be, by which certain persons or races are enabled to handle
*enemous animals with impunity, is a sub8ect that deser*es much more attention
than it has met with5 but nobody thins o4 in*esti/atin/ secrets that seem rather
curious than pro4itable5 besides which, to belie*e these thin/s, implies a
re4lection on one's sa/acity$
Het e*ery now and then, I hear o4 4acts so e7traordinary, which come to me 4rom
undoubted authority, that I can see no reason in the world 4or re8ectin/ others
that are not much more so$ 3or e7ample, only the other day, (r$ 9$ C$, a
/entleman well nown in )cotland, who has li*ed a /reat deal abroad, in4ormed
me, that ha*in/ 4requently heard o4 the sin/ular phenomenon to be obser*ed by
placin/ a scorpion and a mouse to/ether under a /lass, he at len/th tried the
e7periment5 and the result per4ectly established what he had been pre*iously
unable to belie*e$ 9oth animals were e*idently 4ri/htened5 but the scorpion made
the 4irst attac, and stun/ the mouse, which de4ended itsel4 bra*ely, and illed the
scorpion$ The *ictory, howe*er, was not without its penalties5 4or the mouse
swelled to an unnatural siBe, and seemed in dan/er o4 dyin/ 4rom the poison o4
its de4eated anta/onist, when it relie*ed itsel4 and was cured, by eatin/ the
scorpion, which was thus pro*ed to be an antidote to its own *enom5 4urnishin/ a
most interestin/ and remarable instance o4 isopathy$
There is a reli/ious sect in 04rica, not 4ar 4rom 0l/iers, which eat the most
*euemous serpents ali*e, and certainly, it is said, without e7tractin/ their 4an/s$
They declare they en8oy the pri*ile/e 4rom their 4ounder$ The creatures writhe,
and stru//le between their teeth5 but possibly i4 they do bite them, the bite is
innocuous$
Then, not to mention the common e7pedients o4 e7tractin/ the poisonous 4an/s,
or 4orcin/ the animal by repeated bitin/s to e7haust their *enom, the 4act seems
too well established to be lon/er doubted, that there are persons in whom the
4aculty o4 charmin/, or in other words disarmin/ serpents, is inherent, as the
1sylli and (arsi o4 old5 and the people mentioned by 9ruce, #asselquist, and
%empriere, who were themsel*es eye"witnesses o4 the 4acts they relate$
.ith respect to the (arsi, it must be remembered, that #elio/abalus made their
priests 4lin/ *enomous serpents into the circus, when it was 4ull o4 people, and
that many perished by the bites o4 these animals, which the (arsi had handled
with impunity$ The modern charmers told 9ruce, that their immunity was born
with them5 and it was established beyond a doubt, durin/ the 3rench e7pedition
into :/ypt, that these people /o 4rom house to house to destroy serpents, as
men do rats in this country$ They declare that some mysterious instinct /uides
them to the animals, whom they immediately seiBe with 4ury, and tear to pieces
with their hands and teeth$ The ne/roes o4 the 0ntilles can smell a serpent which
they do not see, and o4 whose presence a :uropean is quite insensible, and
(adame Calderon de la 9arca mentions in her letters 4rom (e7ico, some
sin/ular cases o4 e7emption 4rom the pernicious e44ects o4 *enomous bites5 and
4urther relates that in some parts o4 0merica, where rattle"snaes are e7tremely
abundant, they ha*e a custom o4 innoculatin/ children with the poison, and that
this is a preser*ati*e 4rom 4uture in8ury$
This may or may not be true5 but it is so much the 4ashion, in these days, to set
down to the account o4 4able e*erythin/ de*iatin/ 4rom our daily e7perience, that
tra*elers may repeat these stories 4or a/es, be4ore any competent person will
tae the trouble o4 *eri4yin/ the report$ #owe*er, tain/ the e*idence alto/ether,
it appears clear that there does e7ist, in some persons, a 4aculty o4 producin/ in
these animals, a sort o4 numbness, or engourdissement, which renders them 4or
the time incapable o4 mischie45 thou/h o4 the nature o4 the power we are utterly
i/norant, unless it be ma/netic$ The senses o4 animals, althou/h /enerally
resemblin/ ours, are yet e7tremely di44erent in *arious instances5 and we now
that many o4 them ha*e one 4aculty or another, e7alted to an intensity o4 which
we ha*e no precise conception$ 6alen asserted, on the authority o4 the (arsi and
1sylli themsel*es, that they obtained their immunity by 4eedin/ on the 4lesh o4
*enomous animals5 but 1liny, :lian, )ilius Italicus, and others, account 4or the
pri*ile/e by attributin/ it to the use o4 some substance o4 a power4ul nature, with
which they rubbed their bodies, and most modern tra*elers incline to the same
e7planation5 but i4 this were the elucidation o4 the mystery, I suspect it would be
easily detected$
It is obser*able, that in all countries where a secret o4 this sort e7ists, there is
always 4ound some custom which may be looed upon as either the cause or the
consequence o4 the disco*ery$ In #indostan, 4or e7ample, in order to test the
truth o4 an accusation, the cobra cappello is 4lun/ into a deep pot o4 earth, with a
rin/5 and i4 the supposed criminal succeeds in e7tractin/ the rin/ without bein/
bitten by the serpent, he is accounted innocent$ )o the sacred asps in :/ypt
in4licted death upon the wiced, but spared the /ood$ -r$ 0llnut mentions that he
saw a ne/ro in 04rica touch the protruded ton/ue o4 a snae with the blac matter
4rom the end o4 his pipe, which he said was tobacco oil$ The e44ects were as rapid
as a shoc o4 electricity$ The animal ne*er stirred a/ain, but sti44ened, and was
as ri/id and hard as i4 it had been dried in the sun$
It is related o4 (achamut, a (oorish in/, that he 4ed on poisons till his bite
became 4atal and his sali*a *enomous$ Coelius ?hodi/inus mentions the same
thin/ o4 a woman who was thus mortal to all her lo*ers5 and 0*icenna mentions a
man whose bite was 4atal in the same way$
The boy that was 4ound in the 4orest o4 0rden, in 1K>=, and who had been
nourished by a she wol4, made a /reat deal o4 money 4or a short time a4ter he
was introduced to ci*iliBed li4e, by e7emptin/ the 4locs and herds o4 the
shepherds, 4rom the peril they ni/htly run o4 bein/ de*oured by wol*es$ This he
did by stroin/ them with his hands, or wettin/ them with his sali*a, a4ter which,
they 4or some time en8oyed an immunity$ #is 4aculty was disco*ered 4rom the
circumstance o4 the beasts he ept ne*er bein/ attaced$ It le4t him, howe*er,
when he was about 4ourteen, and the wol*es ceased to distin/uish him 4rom
other human bein/s$
#owe*er, my readers will, I thin, ere now ha*e supped 4ull with wonders, i4 not
with horrors, and it is time I should brin/ this boo to a conclusion$ I4 I ha*e done
no more, I trust I shall at least ha*e a44orded some amusement5 but I shall be
better pleased to learn that I ha*e induced anyone, i4 it be but one, to loo upon
li4e and death, and the mysteries that attach to both, with a more curious and
enquirin/ eye than they ha*e hitherto done$ I cannot but thin that it would be a
/reat step i4 manind could 4amiliarise themsel*es with the idea that they are
spirits incorporated 4or a time in the 4lesh5 but that the dissolution o4 the
connection between soul and body, thou/h it chan/es the e7ternal conditions o4
the 4ormer, lea*es its moral state unaltered$ .hat a man has made himsel4, he
will be5 his state is the result o4 his past li4e, and his hea*en or hell are in himsel4$
0t death, we enter upon a new course o4 li4e5 and what that li4e shall be, depends
upon oursel*es$ I4 we ha*e pro*ided oil 4or our lamps, and 4itted oursel*es 4or a
noble destiny, and the 4ellowship o4 the /reat and /ood spirits that ha*e passed
away, such will be our portion5 and i4 we ha*e misused our talent and sun our
souls in the sensual pleasures or base passions o4 this world, we shall carry our
desires and passions with us, to mae our torment in the other5 or perhaps be
tethered to the earth by some ine7tin/uishable remorse or disappointed scheme,
lie those unhappy spirits I ha*e been writin/ about5 and that perhaps 4or
hundreds o4 years5 4or althou/h e*idently 4reed 4rom many o4 the laws o4 space
and matter, whilst unable to lea*e the earth, they are still the children o4 time, and
ha*e not entered into eternity$
It is surely absurd to e7pect that because our bodies ha*e decayed and 4allen
away, or been destroyed by an accident, that a miracle is to be wrou/ht in our
4a*our, and that the miser's lo*e o4 /old, or the pro4li/ate's lo*e o4 *ice, are to be
immediately e7tin/uished, and be superseded by inclinations and tastes better
suited to his new condition! &ew circumstances do not so rapidly en/ender a
new mind here, that we should hope they will do so thereA more especially, as, in
the 4irst place, we do not now what 4acilities o4 impro*ement may remain to us5
and in the second, since the law, that lie sees lie, must be unde*iatin/, the
blind will see the blind, and not those who could help them to li/ht$
I thin, too, that i4 people would learn to remember that they are spirits, and
acquire the habit o4 concei*in/ o4 themsel*es as indi*iduals, apart 4rom the body,
that they would not only be better able to realiBe this *iew o4 a 4uture li4e, but they
would also 4ind it much less di44icult to ima/ine, that since they belon/ to the
spiritual world, on the one hand, quite as much as they belon/ to the material
world, on the other, that these e7traordinary 4aculties which they occasionally see
mani4ested by certain indi*iduals, or in certain states, may possibly be but 4aint
rays o4 those properties which are inherent in spirit, thou/h temporarily obscured
by its connection with the 4lesh5 and desi/ned to be so, 4or the purposes o4 this
earthly e7istence$ The most ancient nations o4 the world new this, althou/h we
ha*e lost si/ht o4 it, as we learn by the sacred boos o4 the #ebrews$
0ccordin/ to the Cabbalah "(anind are endowed by nature, not only with the
4aculty o4 penetratin/ into the re/ions o4 the supersensuous and in*isible, but
also o4 worin/ ma/ically abo*e and below5 or in the worlds o4 li/ht and
darness$ 0s the :ternal 4ills the world, sees, and is not seen, so does the soul "
@:schamach " 4ill the body, and sees without bein/ seen$
The soul percei*es that which the bodily eye cannot$ )ometimes, a man is seiBed
suddenly with a 4ear, 4or which he cannot account, which is, because the soul
descries an impendin/ mis4ortune$ The soul possesses also the power o4 worin/
with the elementary matter o4 the earth, so as to annihilate one 4orm, and
produce another$ :*en by the 4orce o4 ima/ination, human hein/s can in8ure
other thin/s5 yea, e*en to the slayin/ o4 a man$ EThe new platonist, 1aracelsus,
says the same thin/$G The Cabbalah teaches, that there ha*e in all times, e7isted
men endowed with powers, in a /reater or less de/ree, to wor /ood or e*il, 4or
to be a *irtuoso in either, requires a peculiar spiritual *i/our5 thence, such men as
heroes and priests in the in/dom o4 Tumah " Ethe in/dom o4 the clean and
unclean$G I4 a man there4ore sets his desires on what is /odly, in proportion as his
e44orts are not sel4ish, but purely a seein/ o4 holiness, he will be endowed by the
4ree /race o4 6od, with supernatural 4aculties5 and it is the hi/hest aim o4
e7istence, that man should re/ain his connection with his inward, ori/inal source,
and e7alt the material and earthly into the spiritual$ The hi/hest de/ree o4 this
condition o4 li/ht and spirit, is commonly called the holy e7tacy, which is
apparently, the de/ree attained by the ecstatics o4 the Tyrol$
I am *ery 4ar 4rom meanin/ to imply, that it is our duty, or in any way desirable,
rhat we should see to brin/ oursel*es into this state o4 holy e7tacy, which seems
to in*ol*e some deran/ement o4 the normal relations betwi7t the soul and body,
but it is at least equally unwise in us to lau/h at, or deny it, or its pro7imate
conditions, where they really e7ist$ It appears per4ectly clear, that, as by /i*in/
oursel*es up wholly to our e7ternal and sensuous li4e, we dim and obscure the
spirit o4 6od that is in us, so by annihilatin/, as 4ar as in us lies, the necessities o4
the body, we may so 4ar subdue the 4lesh as to loosen the bonds o4 the spirit, and
enable it to mani4est some o4 its inherent endowments$ 0scetics and saints ha*e
4requently done this *oluntarily, and disease, or a peculiar constitution,
sometimes does it 4or us in*oluntarily5 and it is 4ar 4rom desirable that we should
see to produce such a state by either means, but it is e7tremely desirable that
we should a*ail oursel*es o4 the instruction to be /ained by the simple
nowled/e that such phenomena ha*e e7isted and been obser*ed in all a/es5
and that thereby our connection with the spiritual world may become a
demonstrated 4act to all who choose to open their eyes to it$
.ith re/ard to the cases o4 apparitions I ha*e adduced, they are not, as I said
be4ore, one hundredth part o4 those I could ha*e brou/ht 4orward, had I resorted
to a 4ew o4 the numerous printed collections that e7ist in all lan/ua/es$
.hether the *iew I acnowled/e mysel4 to tae o4 the 4acts be or not the correct
one, whether we are to loo to the re/ion o4 the psychical or the hyperphysical,
4or the e7planation, the 4acts themsel*es are certainly well worthy o4 obser*ation5
the more so, as it will be seen that, althou/h /hosts are o4ten said to be out o4
4ashion, such occurrences are, in reality, as ri4e as e*er5 whilst, i4 these shadowy
4orms be actually *isitors 4rom the dead, I thin we cannot too soon lend an
attenti*e ear to the tale their re"appearance tells us$
That we do not all see them, or that those who promise to come, do not all eep
tryst, amounts to nothin/$ .e do not now why they can come, nor why they
cannot5 and as 4or not seein/ them, I repeat, we must not 4or/et how many other
thin/s there are that we do not see5 and since, in science, we now that there are
delicate mani4estations which can only be rendered perceptible to our or/ans, by
the application o4 the most delicate electrometers, is it not reasonable to
suppose, that there may e7ist certain susceptible or diseased or/anisms, which,
8udiciously handled, may ser*e as electrometers to the healthy ones<
0s my boo is desi/ned as an enquiry, with a note o4 interro/ation, I
characteristically bid adieu to my readers$
The :nd
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