lous-to the love of emotion-to all the passions of which superstition is composed." His objections are based on the two radical errors, that intervention of the invisible world would be subversive of the laws of nature; and that its source must be divine. His ignorance of the view taken of the subject by enlightened Spiritualists is complete.

I have italicised the passages where Bernardette describes having heard, just before beholding the apparition, the sound as of a storm; and also that which relates how she held her fingers in the candle without injury; because your readers will remember having seen or heard of such things at séances. The sound of a great wind not unfrequently precedes spiritual phenomena, and I have myself seen Mr. Home hold red-hot coals in his hands many minutes unharmed.

I. H. D.

ANECDOTE OF THE LATE MRS. CHARLES

MATHEWS.

At an

WE have to record the deccase, at the advanced age of 87, of Mrs. Charles Mathews, the mother of our distinguished comedian, and widow of that eminent actor, his father, whom she survived 34 years. Mrs. Mathews was the daughter of a much-respected gentleman named Jackson, who had directed his attention to the stage, and had studied as a pupil of Samuel Foote. early age Miss Jackson entered the theatrical profession, in which she speedily acquired a good position. The remarkable circumstances attending her marriage have been recorded in the memoirs of Charles Mathews, but the story will bear repetition in this place.

The first wife of Mr. Charles Mathews, sen., was Miss Strong, the daughter of a physician at Exeter. In 1801 she exhibited symptoms of a decline. One evening towards the close of her brief life Mrs. Mathews sent her husband to request that Miss Jackson, for whom she had some time before conceived a warm regard, would visit her on the following day. When the young actress arrived Mrs. Mathews, propped up in bed, maintained a lively conversation till her husband came in, who was delighted to find her thus able to sit up and talk to her friend. She told him her present cheerfulness was the result of considerations which had induced her to arrange the interview. Avowing her conviction that no human skill could prolong her life, she adverted to her affection for Miss Jackson, and to that young lady's unprotected state; and then, taking her hand and that of Mr. Mathews, and pressing both to her own feverish lips in a solemn manner, conjured them to take compassion on her

anxiety, and pledge themselves to become man and wife after her death. Their agitation was extreme. Mr. Mathews reproved his wife with some impetuosity for placing him in such a dilemma, and Miss Jackson, throwing herself upon her knees, besought the pardon of the dying woman for her refusal to comply, representing the impossibility of her affiancing herself to a man for whom she entertained no warmer feeling than that of friendship. She then quitted the chamber, followed by Mr. Mathews, who implored her not to harbour a suspicion that he had been aware of his wife's intention, which he attributed to something like a delirium produced by her feverish state.

In the May following Mrs. Mathews's illness terminated in death. For some time after that event a natural degree of distance was observed between the widower and Miss Jackson. By degrees, however, the mutual coldness wore off, and a feeling of regard was growing up between them, when a circumstance occurred still more remarkable than the dying woman's appeal. Mr. Mathews's account of his impressions was as follows:-" He had gone to rest after a very late night's performance at the theatre, finding himself too fatigued to sit up till his usual hour to read; but, after he was in bed, he discovered-as will happen when persons attempt to sleep before their accustomed time-that to close his eyes was an impossibility. He had no light, nor the means of getting one, all the family being in bed, but the night was not absolutely dark, it was only too dark for the purpose of reading; indeed, every object was visible. Still he endeavoured to go to sleep, but his eyes refused to close, and in this state of restlessness he remained; when suddenly a slight rustling, as if of a hasty approach of something, induced him to turn his head to that side of the bed whence the noise seemed to proceed, and there he clearly beheld the figure of his late wife, in her habit as she lived, who, smiling sweetly upon him, put forth her hand as if to take his, as she bent forward. This was all he could relate, for in shrinking from the contact with the figure he beheld he threw himself out of bed upon the floor, where, the fall having alarmed the house, his landlord found him in a fit. On his recovery he related the cause of the accident, and the whole of the following day he remained extremely ill and was unable to quit his room.

The remarkable fact is that at the exact hour at which Mr. Mathews was thus affected a vision of the same kind occurred to Miss Jackson. She says, "The same sleepless effect, the same cause of terror, had occasioned me to seize the bell-rope in order to summon the people of the house, which giving way at the moment I fell with it in my hand upon the ground. My impre of this visitation, as I persisted it was, were exactly

similar to those of Mr. Mathews. The parties with whom we resided at the time were perfect strangers to each other, and living widely apart, and they recounted severally to those about them the extraordinary dream, for such it will be called, although my entire belief will never be shaken that I was as perfectly awake as at this moment. These persons repeated the story to many before they were requested to meet and compare accounts. There could, consequently, be no doubt of the facts, and the circumstance became a matter of much general interest among all those who knew us." After such a sympathy between the widow and a friend of the departed wife, it was not surprising that the dying request should be fulfilled. On the 28th of March, 1803, Miss Jackson became the wife of Mr. Mathews.

NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

CONVENTION OF SPIRITUALISTS IN MANCHESTER.

some

During the past summer, periodical meetings have been held under the auspices of the Manchester Association of Progressive Spiritualists, and discussions have taken place-on occasions very animated ones-upon the principles of modern Spiritualism. A general convention at the instance of this Association, has been held in the Temperance Hall, at which about 250 persons assembled to hear Papers and Discussions upon various points involved in Spiritual philosophy.

AN INGENIOUS PUFF.

A philosophical instrument maker has taken advantage of the recent controversy on Spiritualism in the Standard, to write a letter to that journal, stating that for many years he has had a large sale for spirit-rapping magnets and batteries, expressly made for concealment under the floor, &c., also quantities of prepared wire to be placed under the carpets, oilcloths, &c., and which, he says, were obviously used for spirit-rapping. It is a pity he does not supply us with a list of his customers, with their addresses, so that the matter might be investigated. We hope Dr. Edmunds, of the Dialectical Society, has not been playing into the hands of the mediums, by batteries and prepared wires, concealed in his house in Fitzroy Square, while the committee were holding séances. The only instance we know of where such tricks have been played, is that of the pseudomedium, Mr. Addison, who, according to his own published confession had just such batteries, magnets, prepared wires, &c.,

for counterfeiting spirit-raps, as are made and sold by the correspondent of the Standard. As, however, that ingenious, but noningenuous person, is known to have had some well-known comic actors associated with him in counterfeiting mediumship, it is possible that they too, together with Mr. Tollemache the conjuror, and some others of that art, may be among the patrons of the philosophical instrument maker, who takes this cheap but transparent method of advertising his business. Mr. Addison, from his own experience, is probably prepared to vouch for the excellence of the articles supplied by his confederate. Even in these days of Moses and puffery the letter in question is one of the most absurd puffs that has been concocted, and we cannot but smile to see how some of our contemporaries who plume themselves upon being specially wide-awake, have been taken in by it. Had Faulkner been able to say he had made machinery for Mrs. Marshall, or any known medium, there would have been something to expose. But we have reason to believe he never fitted up any one's house but Mr. Addison's.

MR. AND MRS. S. C. HALL.

We recently referred to the wide diffusion of Spiritualism in the United States, and to-day we reprint from the current number of the Spiritual Magazine an extraordinary narrative by Mr. S. C. Hall, the well-known editor of the Art Journal, which affords a remarkable illustration of the existence of the same faith among ourselves. Of the sincerity of Mr. and Mrs. Hall there can be no doubt. Their frank and courageous evidence in a matter wherein laughter and contempt are their certain portion cannot fail to command the respect of thoughtful and generous minds, even should it be held that they are under a lamentable delusion. Spiritualism has been exposed and exploded over and over again, but it is certainly odd that those who profess to have enjoyed an actual acquaintance with the supernatural phenomena are never known to retract, or have their eyes opened to the imposture.-North Londoner.

DR. F. L. H. WILLIS.

A very eminent American Spiritualist and medium, has recently visited London on his way to Italy. We refer to Dr. F. L. II. Willis, formerly of Harvard University, Massachusetts, but now for some years practising as a physician in New York. While he was a student at Harvard he became a medium for the most remarkable physical phenomena which attracted great attention, not only in the University, but throughout the

district. A Professor Eustiss was present at two of the séances and falsely reported that the phenomena were the result of imposture; and this report was, without any proper enquiry made, the means of Dr. Willis's expulsion from the institution. Dr. Willis has since been much engaged in promoting Spiritualism by lecturing and by his mediumship; and, as he is a gentleman of education and high natural attainments, his advocacy has been one of the chief ornaments of American Spiritualism. A select meeting of Spiritualists entertained him at the Progressive Library and Spiritual Institution, 15, Southampton Row, on Thursday evening, October 14th. Dr. Willis gave a very full account of his mediumship, and of the cruel persecutions to which he was subjected by the Faculty of Divinity at Harvard University. Since that terrible trial he has enjoyed very little good health, and the great amount of work he has done, has necessitated his going to the South of France, to spend the winter, as the only means of prolonging his life. The impression which his very touching and beautiful narrative had upon his audience at the Progressive Library, was the most thrilling which it has been the privilege of English Spiritualists to experience, and the deepest sympathy was felt for him in his sufferings, and appreciation of his remarkable mediumship and brave devotion to the cause of truth. It will be remembered that it was through his hand that the beautiful communication from the spirit of Theodore Parker was given. It is a graphic and pleasing description of spirit life. On his return in the spring we hope he will become known to a much larger circle of English friends.

THE DEAD SEA APES.-LETTER FROM MR. THOMAS CArlyle.

The American Scotsman, published in New York, prints the following letter from Mr. Carlyle to an author who had sent him a pamphlet entitled The Temple of Isis :—

Chelsea, London, January 19th, 1869. Dear Sir,-At last I receive your pamphlet: and have read it with what attention and appreciation I could bestow. Considerable faculties of mind are manifested in it: powers of intellect, of imagination; a serious earnest character; here and there a tone of sombre eloquence, and vestiges of real literary skill. But my constant regret was, and is, to see such powers operating in a field palpably chaotic, and lying beyond the limits of man's intelligence. These are not thoughts which you give; they are huge gaunt vacant dreams, for ever incapable, by nature, of being either affirmed or denied. My clear advice therefore, would be, "Give up all that; refuse to employ your intellect on things where no intellect can avail; to sow good seeds on realms of mere cloud and shadow." The highest intellect which issues in no certainty has completely failed. The world of practice and fact is the true arena for its inhabitants; wide enough for any or for all intellects of men; and never lay more encumbered with sordid darkness and pernicious delusions than even now. Real intellect might write with advantage on such things; better still, perhaps, it might remain