On approaching the water, which was forty-five feet deep, she threatened, with seeming levity, to leap in, exclaiming, “I am gone!" A piercing shriek followed. She had taken the fatal plunge! A gentleman, a few yards below, caught hold of her bonnet, but the strings broke, and she was drowned.

TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF MODERN SPIRITUALISM.

Modern Spiritualism, as a public movement, began in the little village of Hydesville, New York, on the 31st of March, 1848. How eventful has been its history during the 20 years that have since elapsed!-how startling the facts!-how strange the controveries!-how great the revolution of ideas it has inaugurated! No modern movement can compare with it, either as regards the character of its facts-"stranger than fiction"or the effect they have produced, and are still producing in the world. On the 31st of March last, its twentieth anniversary was celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the United States. The American papers that have reached us give full accounts of the large, enthusiastic meetings this celebration has called forth in all parts of the land. What a contrast! But 20 years ago, the poor children, who were the first mediums, hooted and mobbed! To-day, millions of earnest men and women meet to rejoice over the once-despised "Rochester knockings"-the heralds of a New Dispensation of Spiritual Truth, which has lightened many a heavy heart, and brought conviction of the great truth of immortal life to many a doubting soul, and joy and blessing to innumerable households. Neither the hostility of foes, nor the indiscretion of friends, have availed to stay its progress. Let us, then, thank God, and take courage, Truly, the world moves.

THE COMIC PAPERS (?) AND LYON v. HOME.

This case has afforded an opportunity for diagrams and jokes in the comic papers of which they have largely availed themselves, caricaturing Mr. Home in a manner most insulting to him. We don't know how the conductors of these periodicals justify to themselves such scandalous attacks on character and motives; but in the case of Mr. Home, and of anything relating to Spiritualism, nothing seems to be too gross. It would be a curious question why this is so, because surely the mere fact that these phenomena occur to Mr. Home, is not anything against his moral character, nor are they of such a nature as to deprive him of the ordinary rights or position of a gentleman. Even the Lord Chief Baron, who has succeded to the dignity once held at the "Coal Hole Tavern" by the originator of that

entertainment, flooded London with his advertisements of the mock trial at which he presided, until as we are informed he was stopped either by the police or the Lord Chamberlain.

SPIRITUALISM IN NORTHAMPTON.

THE following letter from a clergyman gives additional evidence to that furnished in a previous number of the progress Spiritualism is making in this town and neighbourhood:

To the Editor of the "Spiritual Magazine."

Northampton, March 27, 1868.

Dear Sir, For some months past spirit communion has been steadily increasing in this town, until at last it has gained considerable attention from all classes. I am personally acquainted with many "believers," and I have heard upon good authority that there are a great number of circles in various parts of the town, and among all classes. But at present they are scattered and we do not know our strength; this state of things, however, we hope will not last long, as we are just about to form a society, the object of which will be to gather the private circles into one general organization, and to hold weekly meetings to investigate, discuss, and disseminate the great truths connected with ancient and modern spiritual manifestations.

The growing interest in Spiritualism is further shown in the controversies of the local press. A correspondent of the Northampton Mercury writes:

I have seen a table weighing perhaps 20lbs. resist the efforts of a strong man to raise it from the floor; I have seen a table weighing a hundred-weight, lift itself with ease in answer to questions, and move to different parts of the room; I have seen a table answer questions "intelligently" for hours together; and ask Mr. Harris for the "natural cause?" He says the late Professor Faraday "fully investigated the subject; I say Professor Faraday did no such thing, and I challenge Mr. H. to the proof. Professor Faraday endeavoured to prove from the known laws of physics, and from certain mechanical experiments and tests which he instituted himself, that table-turning was the result of "unconscious muscular agency." But he never investigated the facts given in evidence. In fact, he had never witnessed any of the "manifestations;" and after the publication of his paper he absolutely refused to go to a séance, to which he was invited in order that he might test his "theory" in presence of the "facts." I have no hesitation in saying that the conduct of Professor Faraday in relation to this subject was unworthy of him as a scientific man.

Spirit communion is based upon facts which invite and demand investigation. If those facts can "be traced to natural causes," let those causes be pointed out; but, in the meantime, it would be well for those who have not personally investigated the matter to refrain from imputing either " credulity" or "superstition to those who believe-upon what, to them at least is sufficient evidence that "the effects produced are due to supernatural agency."

A Mr. Christopher Scott writes in the Northampton Herald concerning the connection of certain mesmeric phenomena with spiritual agency, acknowledging that

It is surely impossible thus (on purely natural grounds) to account for the more extraordinary, but equally well-attested facts, such as foresight of future events, knowledge of distant places and things, of medical science and foreign

languages-fects assigned by distinguished mesmerists to spiritual agency long before spirit-rapping came in vogue.

In proof of this, beg to refer to the following admission of M. Deleuze, that "the action of the mesmeric agent differs from that of all known bodies, and cannot be explained by any known properties of matter;" and to his further admission when pressed upon the point of the professed insight obtained by the magnetizee into the invisible world, "that there were circumstances which seemed to prove the intervention of spirits." See Bibliothèque du Magnetisme, 1818." I may add that noted Spiritualists, in their turn, such as Mrs. de Morgan, wife of the celebrated mathematician, profess that these preternatural communications are effected by spirits mesmerising the medium.

Correspondence.

SPIRIT MAGNETISING.

Rose Cottage, Swindon, April 14, 1868.

To the Editor of the "Spiritual Magazine."

SIR,-Are there any recorded cases of mesmerism by departed spirits? I will tell you why I ask you.

Last night (Monday), I went to bed about half-past ten o'clock. I was sleeping alone, as my wife is away in London on a visit to our daughter. It is always my custom to close my eyes immediately on getting into bed, although I may lie awake, as I often do, for hours. Last night, I closed my eyes, as usual, but I was perfectly awake and conscious for-say, between one and two hours. All at once, while laying on my right side, and with the right side of my head resting on the pillow, I became conscious of sensations exactly analogous to those which are produced by the action of a very strong mesmerist. I felt the currents of electricity flow from the crown of my head, in a downward direction, to the bottom of my spine, and then in the same direction down the front of my body, extending to the knees. These sensations were extremely vivid, and lasted for something like half an hour, when all at once they ceased. Now, I have many times seen others mesmerized, and have myself undergone the same operation, so that I was able at once to verify the identity of my sensations with those which would be produced by an ordinary case of mesmerizing.

I ought to add that although I am not in the very best state of health, there was nothing in my condition, either of mind or body, last night, which could account for the experience I went through. I was in what may be called an ordinary state, mentally and bodily, and most certainly I was in no degree or manner in a state of excitement.-Yours respectfully,

FREDERIC ROWLAND YOUNG, Minister of the Free Christian Church, Swindon. [An instance of "Direct Spirit Mesmerism" is given in our number for October, 1867, and there are many instances of such experience.-ED.]

SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION.

SIR, -I should like to ask the Reverend J. P. Hopps the following question :Was the body in which our Divine Saviour rose from the dead, the same body in which he suffered and died? If so; and we are to be raised in the likeness of His resurrection-what becomes of his (the Reverend J. P. Hopps's) theory concerning a spiritual resurrection only? As this is a question of vital importance to all Christian Spiritualists, I must beg for a clear and explicit I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

answer.

FIDELES.

THE

Spiritual Magazine.

JULY, 1868.

MODERN FIRE AND OTHER PHENOMENA OF THE EASTERN NATIONS.

THROUGHOUT the East, phenomena, such as were recorded in: the article by "T. S.," recently, have in all ages been general and positive facts. They are attested by scores of travellers who have observed them as they have done other facts, even when they did not pretend to understand the real causes of them. Such facts are still witnessed in many parts of the East and South, and are to be found in the narratives of eye-witnesses of unimpeachable credit. M. Piérart, in that rich treasury of spiritual events of all times and kinds, the Revue Spiritualiste, has in the sixth and other volumes collected many of the most striking. In the last volume of the Spiritual Magazine, p. 71, under the head of "Rocking Stones," will be found an account of various ordeals by fire, water, boiling oil or metals. The reader referring to these will find some great historical instances of the fire-ordeal in addition to those mentioned by T. S. Most of the cases which we shall now extract from M. Piérart are such as are practised in the present times in various co the South and East, but as the fire-facts are almost connected with others equally remarkable, and the same spiritual agency, I shall give a few of th numbers. In fact, the mediums of the East perfo great as those recorded of the magicians of Anci still higher ones. They can turn stones placed boy or girl into dust, that dust into a serpen into a stone again; Revue Spiritualiste, vol know, too, that they can bury men alive fo call them from the tomb at the end of the ti N.S.-III.

of

I said that the facts referred to are of the present time, but we may go back a little to take the evidence of Tavernier, the traveller, in his Six Voyages en Turquie, en Perse, et aux Indes, 3 tom, 1712. Being at Baroch, a city between Agra and Surat, Tavernier tells us, in the suite of the English President of the district, and accompanied by an English clergyman, they found themselves in the presence of a group of Indians, called Charlatans, who were heating iron chains in a great fire to a red heat, which they then wound round their naked bodies, without the least appearance of suffering or burning.

These Indians then demanded whether their guests would like any fruit produced by their occult power. Tavernier asked for mangoes, and immediately one of them taking a piece of dry wood, cut himself with a razor under the armpit; anointed the dry stick with the blood, stuck it in the ground, and forth shot buds, branches, leaves, and flowers. At this the English clergyman became terrified, snatched the wood and tore off the flowers and leaves, declaring that no one should eat fruit from such a devilish tree; forbade the President to allow the phenomena to proceed, and threatened to excommunicate any one who persisted in witnessing such things.

The production of these flowers and fruit are spectacles of common occurrence in India now-a-days. Piérart quotes some very wonderful things seen by Major Levison, an English officer, amongst which was the production of excellent mangoes, one of which he eat, but could not prevail on a single native to taste.

Piérart next presents us with the Bokte Lama from the travels of Abbé Huc, in Tartary, Thibet and China. A Lama on certain days of high religious ceremony, before all the people, cuts himself open, takes out his bowels, places them before him, and whilst the blood is flowing in streams from him, the people prostrate themselves before him, and demand of him the revelation of secret things; of things to come; of the destinies of certain persons; to all of which the Bokte gives answers, which are regarded by the whole public as bona fide and sacred oracles. This done, the Bokte replaces his intestines, gathers up some of his blood with his right hand, breathes a few times upon it, and throws it into the air with a loud cry. He then passes his hand rapidly over the wound in his body, and all is sound again. The Abbé Huc, who relates this, is a man of high character for veracity. M. Huc has as little doubt about the reality of the written Tree of Kounboum, said to have ten thousand wellformed Thibetian letters written on its leaves, by some anomalous process of nature, and to be the only tree of the kind in Thibet. is of a great but unknown age.

mongst a variety of other wonders, the Count de Gobineau,