also manifested that evening in my presence. The writing I have preserved, but cannot for serious reasons give its contents, startling and unusual as they are. A sheet of paper which had been placed before me at the commencement of the séance was rolled up into the shape of a speaking trumpet, the edge having been torn off and placed in a wooden box, which the spirits he placed in front of my friend. Voices, raps, soft breathing, and music, were heard; finally after the hallelujah had been sung, words were spelt out, telling us they "could do no more." H. D. JENCKEN, Kilmorey House, Norwood.

October, 1867.

November, 1867.

SIR, I have again to record some interesting facts in connection with the subject of spiritual manifestations, and which have occurred since I last addressed you.

The séances to which I now allude were held at my house, and I need hardly add that every means were resorted to to prevent deception or self-delusion.

At the first of the séances-and at which, as well as at those subsequently held, Mr. D. D. Home was present-I had invited a friend of mine to attend, who required to be more than ordinarily satisfied of the truth of the manifestations, owing to his utter scepticism. The manifestations commenced spontaneously whilst we were seated at the tea table in the dining room, the table at which we were seated being unexpectedly moved, tilted, and partly raised, and then followed by very loud sonorous raps. The fire-screen behind Mr. Home's chair was removed-laid on the floor, and glided as of itself towards Mrs. ———.

My sceptical guest had in the meantime arrived, and we soon found ourselves seated round a square table in the drawing room. Raps and tilting of the table, at once occurred; sentences were spelt out; the names of near relatives of one of those present were given; then raps and vibrations of the room, so violent that the servants in the adjoining house felt the trembling. Mr. Home had by this time gone off into a trance state. Whilst in this trance he said he saw a spirit-form standing next to my guest. The form, character, and past history were so accurately detailed that the identity of the spirit-friend was unmistakably established, much to the surprise of the gentleman, whose departed friend had been quite unknown to Mr. Home. A few sentences were then spelt out, and the manifestations ended.

At a subsequent séance the physical demonstrations of spirit

power were very marked. On this occasion six of us sat down to a séance. Raps, very gentle at first, then increasing in strength, were heard; then the table tilted. After a while the curtains began to be moved, as though pushed forward by a hand from the window, into the room. This manifestation was repeated several times. The semi-grand piano now moved and vibrated. Three or four times in succession the piano was bodily raised quite two inches off the ground and carried from the wall, two to three feet, into the room. Raps were then heard in and on the piano, and the instrument literally trembled. The table next to Mrs. (not the one we were seated at) was now gently and elegantly raised and suspended in the air, as far as I could judge eighteen inches to two feet off the ground. It remained in this position for from one to two minutes; time enough to allow one of the party to lay down under the table and make certain that no mechanical means had been used. This manifestation was repeated. Three or four times— the table being elegantly balanced in the air whilst not one of those in the room was seated at or even touched it. The accordion was now taken by Mr. Home, and, whilst held by him by one hand, a very beautiful hymn was played and followed by some pieces of sacred music. I noticed distinctly the movement of the keys of the accordion, and which, as the instrument was now horizontally suspended in the air with the finger-board end towards the lights, I was enabled to see; the keys were moved regularly as though pressed by the fingers of a hand.

In answer to the question how many spirits were present, the table tilted twelve times; this was repeated for several minutes, the twelfth tilt being marked by a loud rap or knock. Finally the sentence was spelt out, "We can do no more-we have no more power." The word "power" being spelt by tilting of the end of the semi-grand piano, at a distance of quite four yards from where Mr. Home was seated.

SPIRIT SEEING-SPIRIT VISIONS.

I have also to record several very marked instances of spirit visions. On one occasion the friends present had only casually met; and were seated round the drawing table. Suddenly Mr. Home, who had all the while been engaged conversing with the ladies, changed the expression of his countenance, rose, and, having played a few chords on the piano, returned to resume his seat, but now in a state of trance; his face rigid, hands cold, and the fingers extended. He steadfastly was seated, and said, "LI see her as she was in

across to where Mrs.

is standing between you and Mr.

Spazed

life-mark, not as she is, but as she was when on earth." Mr. Home then accurately described the personal appearance of the spirit when on earth. So marked and clear were the traits he delineated that no doubt as to identity remained in the minds of those present. He said a child which had passed away in early infancy was standing next to L- S, and that the spirit of L- S- was much pleased, and anxious to communicate with Mrs. whom she had loved on earth; and to prove her identity recalled a conversation that had taken place years ago between the two friends. He then said that LS- wished to say that since passing away her views had much changed that she had first to unlearn in order to learn. The spirit then impressed Mr. Home to remind Mrs. of a conversation Mrs. had recently held with her husband, and repeated part of the conversation that had taken place. I must mention that Mr. Home was a perfect stranger to the deceased person, whose name he had never even heard of. We have here what borders very narrowly upon a proof of the actual presence of the spirit of a departed friend, for we have name, description of person, marked incidents in past life, all given, sufficient to establish an identity in any court of law; but possibly not proof enough to dispel the doubt of a sceptic.

Spirits, visions, spirit appearances, are not unfamiliar to me since I have followed the inquiry into spiritual phenomena, and what has added to my deep interest in this subject is the conviction that the departed do re-visit earth in obedience to a great law we at present only guess at-in obedience to a great physical law which permits this; and in obedience to a great dispensation, as William Howitt calls it a dispensation so much needed in these materialistic days to make men think and bestir themselves-do what William Howitt has done, with his large brain and good honest heart, speak out and tell the truth at all cost at any hazard, even at the risk of being derided.

December, 1867.

Since writing the above I have been present at four séances, at which Mr. D. D. Home was elongated and shortened, and as this phenomenon is so strange and incomprehensible to me, I have on all these occasions used my utmost endeavour to make certain of the fact. I will, as my space is very limited, single out two of these manifestations; as in these instances I had the amplest opportunity of examining Mr. Home, and measuring the actual elongation and shortening.

On the first of the evenings Lord

was seated next to

Mr. Home, who had passed into a trance state, in which after uttering a most beautiful and solemn prayer, he alluded to the protecting spirits whose mission is to act as guardian angels to men. The one who is to protect you," addressing Lord "is as tall as this." And upon saying this Mr. Home grew taller and taller; as I stood next to him (my height is 6 feet) I hardly reached up to his shoulder, and in the glass opposite he appeared a full head taller than myself. The extension appeared to take place from the waist, and the clothing separated 8 to 10 inches. Walking to and fro, Mr. Home specially called our attention to the fact of his feet being firmly planted on the ground. He then grew shorter and shorter, until he only reached my shoulder, his waistcoat overlapping to his hip. Other and equally remarkable manifestations occurred that evening; six spirit-hands were made visible; beautiful discs of light floated about the room and our semi-grand was raised bodily two feet into the air, but I must refrain from continuing my narrative, and give an account of the last evening that the elongation occurred. After witnessing a series of most interesting manifestations, shadow-forms appearing on the walls of the room-then spirit-hands touching several of those present, and voices, uttering "Holy, holy, holy," Mr. Home fell off into the trance state which I have so often noticed precedes the more remarkable manifestations. Whilst in this state he said, "Daniel has been elongated six times, he will be elongated thirty times during his life;" and encouraging every mode of testing the truth of this marvellous phenomenon made me hold his feet, whilst the Hon. Mr. placed his hands on his head and The elongation was repeated three times-twice whilst he was standing the extension measured on the wall by the Hon. Mr. shewed 8 inches; the extension at the waist, as measured by Mr. was 6 inches, and the third time the elongation occurred Mr. Home was seated next to Mrs. who, placing her hand on his head-and her feet on his feet-had the utmost difficulty in keeping her position, as Mr. Home's body grew higher and higher; the extreme extension reached being 6 inches.

shoulders.

Later in the night spirit-forms walked about the room. Indeed I could fill page after page with my narrative of the manifestations that occurred; but must desist: possibly I may address you on some future occasion.

H. D. JENCKEN.

THE TWO METHODS:-METAPHYSICS
AND SPIRITUALISM,

WITH A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF RECENT GERMAN
SPECULATIONS ON IMMORTALITY.

By T. S.

THE German people are pre-eminent for geist, and German writers are famous for scholarship and metaphysical philosophy. Much given to abstraction, to the analysis of the human faculties and emotions, to subtle, patient thought, they have generally on matters pertaining to religion put aside all authority, and have fallen back on the Pure Reason as their only and all-sufficient guide. Whither this has led, and is leading them, we propose to shew. It is an important experiment, not for themselves alone, but for us all that they are making; and they are eminently fitted to conduct it. The experiment is not over, but it has proceeded for a sufficient length of time to enable a survey to be taken of the course it has pursued, and of its present condition and results. This has recently been done by a contemporaryThe Chronicle, in an able and impartial spirit, not as far as we can see for any theological or party purpose, but as a matter of literary history and criticism. It has for us, however, a higher and more serious aspect than this; it is not a mere question of literary, but rather of the highest human interest. What then, we ask, has been the result of the course of recent thought and speculation on the Soul, its nature, and its destiny, among the perhaps most thoughtful and metaphysical of European people? The answer is a melancholy one. The classic heathenism of old Greece was in relation to spiritual themes, light and order when compared with the darkness and chaos into which the philosophic mind of Germany is fast sinking. It furnishes indeed a most conclusive argument for the absolute need of the demonstrations of the reality of a spiritual world of man, which at this day are so abundant. When the evidence of spiritual and divine revelation in the past is inadequate to the demands of the modern mind, and Pure Reason drifts with the winds and tides of speculation on an unknown sea,—and philosophy has no certain word to utter; the time surely had come that the spirit-world should assert itself, and present those evidences for which the soul hungered, but which by its own unaided power alone it could not attain.

While philosophy has prosecuted its futile quest, and thoughtful men have spent laborious lives, pacing with weary feet and blinded eyes the sandy desert of metaphysics, lured onward by