474 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



the occasion ought to have been superinduced by a pe- 

 rusal of the Bible immediately before the seance. The 

 spelling, however, went on, and sure enough I came out 

 a poet. But matters did not end here. Our host con- 

 tinued his repetition of the alphabet, and the next letter 

 of the name proved to be "O." Here was manifestly an 

 unfinished word; and the spirits were apparently in their 

 most communicative mood. The knocks came from under 

 the table, but no person present evinced the slightest de- 

 sire to look under it. I asked whether I might go under- 

 neath; the permission was granted; so I crept under the 

 table. Some tittered; but the candid old A. exclaimed, 

 "He has a right to look into the very dregs of it, to con- 

 vince himself." Having pretty well assured myself that 

 no sound could be produced under the table without its 

 origin being revealed, I requested our host to continue 

 his questions. He did so, but in vain. He adopted a 

 tone of tender entreaty; but the "dear spirits" had become 

 dumb dogs, and refused to be entreated. I continued un- 

 der that table for at least a quarter of an hour, after which, 

 with a feeling of despair as regards the prospects of hu- 

 manity never before experienced, I regained my chair. 

 Once there, the spirits resumed their loquacity, and dubbed 

 me "Poet of Science." 



This, then, is the result of an attempt made by a scien- 

 tific man to look into these spiritual phenomena. It is 

 not encouraging; and for this reason. The present pro- 

 moters of spiritual phenomena divide themselves into two 

 classes, one of which needs no demonstration, while the 

 other is beyond the reach of proof. The victims like to 

 believe, and they do not like to be undeceived. Science 

 is perfectly powerless in the presence of this frame of 



