far greater wealth than we have ever conceived, and such a discovery may do much for us in every way, making material ends seem less valuable to us, and encouraging us to live well, for the sake of a spirit which possesses such fathomless capacities for happiness, no less than for knowledge.

May there not be a condition of the soul in which every object of our perception shall infuse into us at once, all the delight of whose modifications now but one alone trickles in through a single sense. With a more ethereal organization, the necessity for dividing our perceptions into the five modes now known, may utterly pass away, and the full harmony of all qualities capable of teaching or delighting, may flow in at once to ravish the soul.

Thirty grains of hasheesh has revealed this possibility to us, that sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, may be effects, to speak after the common nomenclature, of the same object, or only one grand effect, divided into several by transmission, and thus again that the tendency of discovery is invariably from the vast periphery of facts, inwards to one single central law.

Let the Psychological Journal, whose business it is, take up such drug effects as these, and reason upon them from the periphery to the centre, or as near to the centre as it can get. The particular class of dreams induced by food, will help them to further facts, and there are as distinct and invariable effects also produced by other drugs, such as opium, belladonna, and many others, which equally require investigation.

There are remarkable phenomena, too, of a physical kind produced by hasheesh. A series of experiments have been made with it by members of the medical profession, at Calcutta, during the last ten years, which prove it to be capable of inducing all the ordinary symptoms of catelepsy and even of trance, and in a work by Dr. Mill, on The Use of Clairvoyance in Medicine, is a passage which probably points to this drug as having a direct and specific effect in inducing and developing the clairvoyant Many of the phenomena produced by it point also to the great probability of its being useful in cases of insanity, in driving out the lesser visions and phantasmic transmutations, by its own deeper and more intense activity. And this, it appears, has not yet been tried in anything like the doses found necessary by the author to produce what is called the hasheesh state.

state.

On Sunday evening, September 31st, a sermon was preached at All Saints Church, Margaret Street, by the Rev. Mr. Gutch, on Hebrews i. 14-" Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" In his sermon on this text, the reverend preacher expounded clearly, and with great force advocated the Spiritualist and Scripture doctrine of Ministering Spirits and Guardian Angels; and was listened to by the large congregation with the deepest attention.

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the “Spiritual Magazine"

SIR,-At the request of a spiritual friend," I give you an account of what took place at a séance at the mansion of a person of distinction, in Hyde Park Terrace, London, in July last.

Two baronets—one an M.P., and the other the heir and representative of a deceased M.P. of eminent ability; the wife of a distinguished living M.P.; a German lady; the lady of the house-a medium; another lady—a medium; Mr. D. D. Home, the American, or rather the Scotland-born medium; and myself-making eight in number were present. The hour was a little after 9, p.m. Neither of the three first-named parties had ever seen any spirit manifestations, and, as far as perfect politeness admitted in the house of a believer and spirit medium, they were evidently sceptics: the rest of the party were mediums of greater or less power, and seemed quite as much interested in watching the effects of the spirit manifes tations on the three newcomers, as in any spirit manifestations that could be shewn. We all made a circle round a heavy loo table, capable of seating nine persons comfortably (crinoline included), and all placed their hands on the table. which was covered with an ordinary damask cloth (a powerful non-conductor of electricity, completely negativing the theory that spirit manifestations were brought about by electricity), and we were desired by Mr. Home to chat and talk as naturally and cheerfully as we could, and not to be too eager or expectant of spirit manifestation, which he stated had a strong tendency to defeat the object. Accordingly we made ourselves as merry as we could, and laughed and chatted, and told anecdotes of a laughable character, to carry out the advice d Mr. H. In about five or ten minutes, which passed very agreeably, the tale was tilted and turned beyond the power of our hands laid on the table, had we ail tried to turn it mechanically. There were six lights burning in the room. The floor (a first floor) shook and trembled in a manner that all thought resembled the vibrations or tremulous motion on a small steamer's deck when the paddles are in full work: some said it more nearly resembled the tremulous motion on a screw steamer's deck, in which I concurred. This tremulous motion ceased at intervals and was renewed, and this seemed to strike the newcomers very forcibly: it was amusing to notice their startled looks, though they said but little beyond concurring in the observations as to the tremulous movements. The walls also shook at times with a tremulous motion. The table, which was a very large and heavy one, was frequently lifted a few inches from the ground, and at last it rose from the ground at least three feet, and remained thus suspended 'twixt heaven and earth, like Mahomet's coffin, for a minute or thereabouts, probably more than less, the gentlemen were invited by Mr. Home to sweep with their legs underneath the table whilst so suspended, to ascertain if any machinery was underneath, and the two gentlemen who were newcomers swept with their legs under the suspended table to catch any prop or other machinery that might be applied to raise the table, and they confessed that no such machinery or prop was present.

This séance, wonderful as it will appear-"stranger than fiction"—was not considered to be an entirely successful one; and the lady of the house, with characteristic kindness and true politeness, after apologetically speaking of the meagreness of the manifestations, invited me to another séance on the following evening-an invitation I most gladly accepted, although it kept me in London an extra day, and overthrew all my previously arranged movements. At this second séance we met rather earlier-a little after 8, p.m.-in the same first-floor room: the séance partly consisted of the German lady; a friend of the family; a barrister of eminence of 14 years' standing at the bar and well known to the public; a literary man-an author of established reputation; the lady medium of the previous evening; the lady of the house; Mr. Home; and myself-making altogether eight persons; all being on this occasion believers, except the author, and all but the barrister, the author, and the German lady, mediums; and it may be remarked that the author had written a work on a kindred subject to Spiritualism, which had caused a great sensation in the scientific as well as the literary world.

The same tremulous motion of the floor and walls as on the preceding evening

took place; and the table was tilted and turned with even greater power than before, and rose perpendicularly from the floor, from three to four feet, and remained in this position suspended (Mahomet's coffin fashion) for about a minute, and then descended to its original place as softly and gently as the fall of a snow flake. An accordion was then played by an unseen hand, whilst it was held by one of the party present, as well as by myself. I held it over the back of the chair on which I was sitting, using the back of the chair as a rest to my arm, the accordion hanging over the back of the chair. I sat on the opposite side of the table to Mr. Home and the lady of the house. The accordion was also played whilst lying on the floor, and also on the table, and was lifted without visible means from the floor on to the table. Music of a solemn and impressive character was played on the accordion by invisible agency.

I happened to use the word "death" in speaking of a deceased brother when the music of the accordion was instantly changed into the most discordant notes, indicative of reprobation, I ever heard from that or any other instrument (violins not excepted). The lady of the house remarked: "You have used the forbidden word, for the spirits always say there is no death." I apologised to the spirits for using the forbidden term-pleading ignorance, when, even before my apology was half uttered, the discordant notes ceased, and the harmony was resumed with a softened cadence indicative of satisfaction and forgiveness. Subsequently, when the accordion was not being played on, I again inadvertently used the forbidden word "death," alluding to the same brother, when three heavy rapid and decisive knocks underneath the table (strongly indicative of disapprobation and reprobation) were heard; I again apologised, when three gentle raps were heard from the same quarter, indicative, it seemed, of approbation and forgiveness. I asked if "departed this life" was an allowable phrase, when two seemingly indecisive raps, indicative of "doubtful," were heard.

A small spirit-hand, warm and soft like that of a child, touched my hand and placed in it a small hand-bell, and, at my request, took the bell from my hand underneath the table to its mother, who was the lady of the house, and who seemed perfectly satisfied that it was the spirit-hand of her little boy, who died three or four years since, aged about eight years, and whom she addressed as such, and received repeated responses, spelt out through the alphabet, such as might be expected from the spirit of a deceased child to its mother.

The bell was carried to several of the parties present and placed in their hands; and lastly, was elevated above our heads, and touched most of our heads, and rung in mid-air, revolving round and touching our heads (my own included). I could see the bell when it passed round my head opposite the window. I could see the bell occasionally as it passed between me and the window, the blinds of which had been drawn down by invisible agency, which was unmistakeably patent to all-the blinds having been drawn up and let down several times apparently with no other object than to prove the absence of human agency. Pieces of mignionette and geranium flowers were placed in my hands by spirit hands, and inside my waistcoat. I saw one of the hands distinctly, which, as it came between me and the window, was distinctly visible, as the blinds did not altogether exclude the light of a summer evening and the gas lights in the street. The curtains at last were drawn by invisible means, and then Mr. Home stated he was being lifted up by the spirits, and he crossed the table over the heads of the parties sitting around it. I asked him to make a mark with his pencil on the ceiling. He said he had no pencil. I rose up and said I would lend him mine, and by standing and stretching upwards I was enabled to reach his hand, about seven feet distant from the floor, and placed therein a pencil, and laying hold and keeping hold of his hand I moved along with him five or six paces as he floated along in the air, and only let go his hand when I stumbled against a stool. Mr. Home, as he floated along, kept ringing the small hand-bell to indicate his locality in the room, which was probably 40 by 30 feet, and I saw his body eclipse two lines of light issuing from between the top of a door and its architrave such door leading into an adjoining room that was brilliantly lighted. Mr. Home was replaced, as he stated, with the greatest care and gentleness in

the chair from which he rose.

Previously to Mr. Home's ascension, the spirit-hands of two of the barrister's

deceased children touched him, and, I believe, were placed in his hands. He was greatly excited and affected, and at first shrunk away from the touch to the extent of pushing his chair violently from the table, and with so much excitement as to cause him to apologise to the lady of the house for thus giving way to his feelings, stating he had never before been touched by a spirit-hand, and that the touch of his deceased children's spirit-hands had for a moment quite overcome him. He did not doubt that the hands were the spirit-hands of his dead children. Questions were asked of the spirits, and rational answers given by means of the alphabet, in one of the ordinary ways of communicating with spirits. It is right that I should say, that this séance (as in the preceding evening) was commenced with prayer, which I understood was the usual course of proceeding at these séances. I make no comments on the above, and advance no theory or hypothesis. I have confined myself simply to facts, which I could substantiate by legal evidence in a court of justice; and I add my name, address, and profession, and have only one desire, and that is-that truth may prevail.

Wason Buildings, Liverpool.

I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,

JAS. WASON, Solicitor.

THE MAGNETIC GIRL.

To the Editor of the "Spiritual Magazine."

SIR, I am thankful for your putting into the Magazine, of August, the letter of Dr. Dixon, giving an account of some of my daughter's powers.

I told Dr. D., that in consequence of the untrue things printed in All th Year Round, my daughter lost an engagement for two years. Mr. Dickens's paper was not only the means of her losing that, but it has prevented her getting another since.

I had hoped that this power in my daughter would have been the means d aiding-and honestly too-in the support of our family, for my husband is at times scarcely able to work from asthma; but the effect of the misrepresentations in All the Year Round, has been to deprive us of that aid willingly given by Charlotte. I am thankful, however, that through Dr. D.'s letter some enquiries have been made, and the phenomena have been witnessed, both here and at their own houses, by some parties of ladies and gentlemen, to whom, if need be, I may refer. All the phenomena witnessed through my daughter, are perhaps more satisfactory to parties at their own residences, but we should be glad to satisfy enquirers into those phenomena which relate to the irons, at our own abode, in the afternoon of Wednesdays and Saturdays; the other afternoons my daughter attends school.-I am, Sir, yours respectfully, 23, Ossulston Street, Somers Town.

HELEN SMITH.

Notices of New Books.

Spiritualism, Swedenborg, and the New Church; an Examination of Claims. By EDWARD BROTHERTON, London: W. White. SWEDENBORG is the greatest name in Spiritualism. From 1744 in his 56th year to his death at 84 in 1772, he held almost daily intercourse with spirits, and recorded his experience in many books. Around these books has grown the sect of Swedenborgians. On first thought it would be presumed that they would welcome the revelations of the inner spirit-world, which crowd upon us in these days, and to the record of which our pages are devoted. The reverse is the case. None are so jealous of these revelations as the Swedenborgians. They seem to hold that Swedenborg was allowed the free range of Heaven, but that at his death the door was locked, and the key thrown away. Their jealousy seems to verge into spite at the very idea of any one having even a peep at the glories their prophet saw. Even Swedenborg's words are wrested to frighten seekers from the gates of the spirit-land, for in a recent lucubration of one of this school, we read "Swedenborg unequivocally discountenances and

strongly admonishes against open communication with spirits as destructive of man's freedom, and dangerous to his soul;" which, were it true, Swedenborg is his own condemnation; for herein he is the greatest of sinners; unless, indeed, he held a special license to take his swill of that peculiar sin.

Let it not be supposed, however, that all Swedenborgians are so narrow, or talk such nonsense. In the pamphlet before us we have proof to the contrary. Mr. Brotherton pleads with a temper full of kindness, and an invincible reason, with his Swedenborgian brethren, to remember that Swedenborg is only one of a series; that heaven and earth are not exhausted in one philosopher, however able, and that in the riches of Providence, we must expect many teachers, and open wide our minds to much wisdom and many facts, yet unknown and undreamt of. To other than Swedenborgians the pamphlet is full of interest. It contains some account of that curious diary of Swedenborg's, written in 1744, and only recently discovered, to the terror of the Swedenborgian sect-world; also the true story of the beginning of the Swedenborgian sect, which calls itself the New Church and New Jerusalem, by as queer a lottery as ever was devised. It would make an amusing chapter in a book, which ought to be written, viz:The Origin of Church Sects, and their Pretensions. This is a hint worth something to an author in search of a subject, or for an article for one of the Quarterlies.

Spirit Dialogues; or Voices from Above, Around, and Beneath : including a revealed theory of Universal Cosmogony, and the peculiar formation of the Planet Earth. Translated from the French and arranged by J. F. EMMETT, B.A. Baillière, 219, Regent Street; and White, 36, Bloomsbury Street. THE is a volume of 175 pages of Dialogues with the Dead, as the world calls the departed, translated from the communications written through the hand of a French medium, in the ordinary way, as we understand, of mediumistic writing. The gift of writing in this wise, and the nature of the communications received, must ultimately, like every other gift and manifestation, be tested by the intrinsic worth of the additions thereby made to the stock of human karwledge. But the time cannot yet be come to pass a final judgment on Spiritual revelations of this modern time, for we know next to nothing of the extent to which they are tinged by the mind through which they come, and Consequently how much of what is called objectiveness there may be, in the Communicating spirits and their revelations. Mr. Emmett himself well puts this reservation, when, after giving a slight biography of the medium, he tells us that he does so because "Every one who holds up the spirit-wine to the light, should attend to the colour and shape of the glass." We find accordingly a strong Fourier colour given to these dialogues, and the French doctrine of reincarnation asserted by the spirits. The world-soul is described, and is invoked too by the medium, and does everything but answer him as to what it is. We have all been delighted with Landor's Imaginary Conversations with the Great Departed, but in these Spirit Dialogues there is a distinctness, and a humanity, and a life, which mark them above all such attempts of fiction, and remove them from the domain of ordinary imagination. Stranger far than fiction, and more living are these mediumistic revelations, and more suggestive to the philosophical Spiritualist than any he will find elsewhere. At the same time the whole scope and tenor of them may be, and if generally read will surely be, grievously misunderstood, and even the enrichments which the translator's deep-souled sympathies have cast into them in the shape of notes, will be more misunderstood even than the dialogues themselves. They are written in a tone of assumed levity which will be eminently distasteful to most, and through which only deepseeing philosophy will perceive the earnestness of a soul dealing with the highest truths. It is a book for the few, who will look through the words to their spirit, and to these we commend it in the assurance that they will find in it thoughts which are the types of things, and which have a reality for sympathetic souls. Did our space permit we should give some extracts, which must now be postponed to a future number.