468 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



the testimony of even veracious persons. Hence my de- 

 sire to witness those extraordinary phenomena, the exist- 

 ence of which seemed placed beyond a doubt by the 

 known veracity of those who had witnessed and described 

 them. The meeting took place at a private residence in 

 the neighborhood of London. My host, his intelligent 

 wife, and a gentleman who may be called X., were in the 

 house when I arrived. I was informed that the ** medium" 

 had not yet made her appearance; that she was sensitive, 

 and might resent suspicion. It was therefore requested 

 that the tables and chairs should be examined before her 

 arrival, in order to be assured that there was no trickery 

 in the furniture. This was done; and I then first learned 

 that my hospitable host had arranged that the seance 

 should be a dinner-party. This was to me an unusual 

 form of investigation; but I accepted it as one of the 

 accidents of the occasion. 



The ** medium" arrived — a delicate-looking young lady, 

 who appeared to have suffered much from ill-health. I 

 took her to dinner and sat close beside her. Facts were 

 absent for a considerable time, a series of very wonderful 

 narratives supplying their place. The duty of belief on 

 the testimony of witnesses was frequently insisted on. X. 

 appeared to be a chosen spiritual agent, and told us many 

 surprising things. He affirmed that, when he took a pen 

 in his hand, an influence ran from his shoulder downward, 

 and impelled him to write oracular sentences. I listened 

 for a time, offering no observation. "And now," contin- 

 ued X., "this ^Dwer has so risen as to reveal to me the 

 thoughts of others. Only this morning I told a friend 

 what he was thinking of, and what he intended to do dur- 

 ing the day." Here, I thought, is something that can be at 



