known fact. The phenomena of the Davenports are both genuine and reproducible with almost perfect certainty on all occasions. The reason is that the Davenports are more thoroughly developed mediums for psycho-physical phenomena than any M. Billot had seen.

On another occasion M. Deleuze remarks that "the clairvoyant seizes rapports innumerable. He catches them with an extreme rapidity; he runs, in a minute, through a series of ideas which, under ordinary circumstances, would demand many hours. Time seems to disappear before him. He is himself astonished at the variety and rapidity of these reflections. He is led to attribute them to the inspiration of another intelligence. Anon, he perceives in himself this new being. He considers himself in the clairvoyant sleep a different person from himself awake. He speaks of himself in the third person; as some one whom he has known, on whom he comments, whom he advises, and in whom he takes more or less interest: as if himself in somnambulism and himself awake were two different persons.' M. Deleuze finishes by urging M. Billot to publish his experiences, but with his habitual caution counsels him to suppress the most astounding facts. Billot heroically determines to victimize himself for the truth, to brave the sarcasms of the learned"For," he observes, "to talk of spirits in France, where the majority of the Magnetists hold fast by their accepted theory, of merely material agencies, is to become an object of contemptuous pity." He was also aware of another difficulty-the uncertainty of securing successful séances: which whilst the causes affecting them are but partially understood, so often fail in the presence of the determinedly sceptical. These facts will only convince those who witness them, and often at the moment of exhibiting them, they disappear altogether, and create a triumph for the incredulous. They had yet to learn, that none but the earnest seeker of the truth will be able to obtain such phenomena,-an atmosphere of candour being as necessary for their development as sunshine, and not snow, is necessary for the development of delicate flowers and rich fruit.

Such was the correspondence of the two celebrated Magnetists, at a time when Spiritualism in its present phase was yet unheard of. The great facts of spiritual life thus bursting upon them in pursuance of their scientific experiments in magnetism, and in opposition to all their prejudices, as well as most contrary to their expectations, must be regarded as one of the most curious and most interesting events in the annals of Spiritualism. Besides the transport of material objects by invisible agents, the spirits which appeared to them, were solid to the touch as they have so often made themselves since; living persons were elevated

in the air in their séances. Dr. Schmidt, of Vienna, and Dr. Charpignon, of Orleans, also give some striking cases of delicious odours, or cadaverous effluvia issuing from pure or impure spirits which presented themselves: the most startling communications of facts otherwise unknown were made, and they had cases of obsession and possession as well as of successful exorcism.

After all the confessions of M. Deleuze, he afterwards was greatly tempted, like Sir David Brewster, to recover favour with his scientific and incredulous cotemporaries. Becoming one of the chiefs of magnetic initiation, he endeavoured to weaken or to neutralize the force of his avowals. A gentleman well instructed in these mysteries, wrote to him thus: "You have endeavoured to fortify your readers in your journal, against the system of the Magnetists of the North, who admit superhuman powers as intermediates in certain magnetic phenomena. I would take the liberty of observing to you that this is not at all a system with them, but the simple enunciation of a fact, that a great number of their somnambulists, raised to a high degree of lucidity, have asserted that they were illuminated and conducted by a spiritual guide." The answer of Deleuze is worthy of attention. "The facts which seem to prove the communications of souls separated from matter with those who are still united to it, are innumerable, as I know. These are existent in all religions, are believed by all nations, are recorded in all histories, may be collected in society, and the phenomena of magnetism present a great number of them. Yes, a great number of somnambulists have affirmed that they have conversed with spiritual intelligences; they have been inspired and guided by them and I will tell you why I have thought it best not to insist on such facts and proofs of spirit-communication. It is because I have feared that it might excite the imagination, might trouble human reason, and lead to dangerous consequences." Deleuze did not, when thus challenged, walk backwards out of his previous avowals like some on this side of the water; he was only timid and cautious-not untruthful. The frank bravery of M. Billot in regard to a truth which he knew would be unpopular, is deserving of the highest praise.

The author of these valuable papers has given a number of other instances amongst the Magnetists who have arrived at the same conclusions as MM. Billot and Deleuze in the same manner. They have found themselves in contact with unmistakable spirits, when they have been expecting merely the operations of magnetic laws. Amongst these were M. Bertrand, physician, and member of the Royal Society of Sciences. Baron Dupotet declared that he had rediscovered in magnetism the

spiritology of the ancients, and that he himself believed in the world of spirits. "Let the savan," he says, "reject the doctrine of spiritual appearances as one of the grand errors of the past ages, but the profound inquirer of to-day is compelled to believe this by a serious examination of facts" (Journal du Magnetism, 1852, 1st series.) Dupotet asserts the truth of all the powers assumed by antiquity and by the church, by all religions, indeed, such as working miracles and healing the sick. "When," he says, "lightning, or other powerful agents of nature, produce formidable effects, nobody is astonished; but let an unknown element startle us, let this element appear to obey thought, then reason rejects it, and, nevertheless, it is a truth; for we have seen and felt the effects of this terrible power." Terrible, however, only when nature is not understood as Spiritualism has revealed it. "If," adds Dupotet, "the knowledge of ancient magic is lost, the facts remain on which to reconstruct it." He exclaims-"No more doubt, no more uncertainty, magic is rediscovered." He then gives a number of phenomena produced of a most extraordinary kind, and laughs at those brave champions of science who, far from danger, talk with a loud and firm tone, reason on just what they themselves know, and pay no regard to the practical knowledge of others; who, in fact, hug their doubts, as we, with more reason, hug our faith. These avowals were made in 1840, long before the American phenomena or those of Vienna were heard of. But as Spiritualism began to shew itself as a distinct faith, the majority of Magnetists took the alarm. They who, like Messieurs Bertrand, D'Hunin, Puységur, and Seguin, had stood on the very threshold of Spiritualism, began to step back a step or two, and to shroud themselves in mystery, and to shake their heads at the prospect of awful consequences in pushing further on such a path. "The magnetic forces cannot be explained," said Puységur, "We have no organs," said M. Morin, "for discovering spiritual beings. "The real causes of apparitions, of objects displaced, of suspensions, and of a great portion of the marvellous," said D'Hunin and Bertrand, "is inscrutable." Seguin, who thought that magnetism would revolutionize the whole of science-starts, and stands still-he finds himself on the brink of a precipice. Inaccessible to danger, however, M. Seguin would wish to pursue his researches, but wisdom commands him to stop on the edge of an abyss, which no man, he affirms, can ever pass with impunity.

What is the precipice which M. Seguin and his fellowMagnetists see at their feet? Simply, the precipice of Spiritualism. The spiritual world opens before them when they desire only to deal with this. In the words of Baron Dupotet-"There is an agent in space, whence we ourselves, our inspiration and our

savans.

intelligence proceed, and that agent is the spiritual world which surrounds us. A step further, and the Magnetists were aware that they must cut the cable which held them to the rest of the scientific world, and float away into the ocean of spiritual causation. They must consent to forfeit the name of philosophers, and to suffer that of fanatics in the mouths of the material There was a danger of their science merging into Theology and Religion. They were not prepared for this mighty leap, and there was no alternative but to shut their eyes and retreat into the regions of the material. The ostriches of modern science-they strive to thrust their heads into the first bank, and hope that the world of discovery will cease to revolve with them. It cannot be. We have arrived at the threshold of the world of causes, and the eternal procession of the Divine plans will force us into it. The apparitions which the Magnetists have seen will come again and again, for they are at our doors, and about our very chairs and beds. The telegraphic cable is laid between the two worlds, and there will be found those at each end who will continue to send messages to and fro. The Magnetists thus startled by unlooked-for sights, will have more and more of them. The very elements of their science are the elements which connect men and the angels, and they cannot tamper long with them without the invisibles, on whom they inevitably operate, ever and anon, shouting to them" What are you about there?" They will have repeatedly to make the same confessions, late perhaps, but inevitable, of MM. Billot and Deleuze, that the truth is there and it must out. Amen.

Cahagnet should have been included amongst these Magnetists, but we propose to devote to him a more detailed notice.

OCCASIONAL NOTES.

"WHO CARES?"

IN a recent article in the Star, abounding in those misstatements of Spiritualism for which that journal stands pre-eminent, it advises scientific men to have nothing to do with inquiry into the manifestations. "Science had much better let them alone." Such manifestations whatever they come from, may defy scientific inquiry," and "scientific men" who "look rather foolish when they get into such controversies," all admonished to "mind their own business, and trouble themselves not with Spiritualism. We hope Professor Tyndall, to whom this advice is specially tendered,

will be duly grateful for it. Let science, if it will, acknowledge itself incompetent to explain the manifestations; but in that case, let us no more hear that "Spiritualism is disproved by science." Science must either renounce the lofty pretensions so universally set up for her, or make good the claim, by fair, careful, patient observation and inquiry, pursued in the true scientific method.

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But even "suppose there is some hitherto unknown eccentric force, in nature or supernature," which produces these manifestations and messages, the Star asks-"What then? We are inclined even to ask Who cares?" This inquiry, we fear, is but too faithful a reflex of the popular mind, under the blind guides that lead it. Spiritualism, say our public instructors, is pure humbug; or if it be not legerdemain and ankle-snapping, it is mesmerism, or some hitherto unknown eccentric force;" or if not a new force, it is the old force-the devil; or "who cares?" This last is the latest phase of modern sadduceism? Do the spirits come to tell us anything worth knowing? That is, will Spiritualism pay? Will it put money in our purses? Will it add to our respectability? Will it tell us what consols will be? or who will be the winner of the Derby? Will it give us a new force that we can put in harness and set to work for us? If it can do none of these things-"who cares?" It has solved the problem which has divided and perplexed the thinkers of all ages-it has demonstrated the future life and the existence of a spirit-world; but "who cares?" It has banished the darkness of unbelief from the minds of millions, and established in its place a conviction of the certainty of the fundamental truths of religion; but "who cares?" It has done what neither science nor sermons had been able to effect in stemming that dark tide of materialism which had swept over the continents of Europe and America; but-"who cares?" It has established a telegraph and opened up communications between the visible and the invisible worlds; but-" who cares?" It has thrown light on the facts of history and of Scripture, and of the laws which govern the relations of mind and matter; but"who cares?" It has given us clearer and brighter views of Divine Providence, of the purposes of human life, of our destiny in the great hereafter, and of the character of that spirit-world of which were are the citizens; but-" who cares?" It has brought hope, strength and consolation to bereaved and sorrowing hearts all the world over; but-" who cares?" Truly there are Scribes and Sadducees in England as there were in Judea who would not "be persuaded though one rose from the dead." Should such a manifestation occur they would soon persuade themselves it was only an "optical delusion," or at