Animal Magnetism 301 



muscles of his thighs aud calves, which it would seem at 

 first sight to have undergone the greatest trial. 



A further feat was for him to lie at full length on the 

 floor, and then to be " stiffened " from head to heel, after 

 which he was raised up " as stiff as a board," and his head 

 placed on one chair and his heels on another. It would 

 perhaps be thought that it was an impossibility for him to 

 sustain his own weight thus, but, in addition to that, the 

 mesmerist — weighing a good 12 st. — would step on to his 

 stomach and stand there. I confess I felt very uncomfort- 

 able at this part of the performance, for I feared lest his 

 neck might break, though apparently my fears were 

 groundless, and he never specially mentioned afterwards of 

 having felt that he had been undergoing a severe trial. 



It was sometimes wondered whether he could not, 

 in this state, compete in a high jump at athletic sports, 

 for his performances when mesmerised were perfectly 

 phenomenal. In his own propria persond, he was a short, 

 slight, rather feeble man, without any inclination towards 

 athletics of any kind, and of the most moderate muscular 

 power ; and yet under that mysterious influence he was a 

 giant in strength and a wonderful athlete. To bring out 

 his jumping talents it was necessary to make him believe 

 that he was a cock, and then to tell him to fly. It really 

 was a most amusing scene. From the moment he 

 believed that he was really the head of the farmyard, 

 he would go down into almost a sitting posture and 

 keep flapping his arms, and crowing, and making the 

 most extraordinary hops all over the room. This was 

 varied by endeavouring to scratch up the carpet with 

 his feet — a la pouk — and then, on finding some supposed 

 edible, would give a cock's call note, endeavouring all 



