452 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xxviii 



attended seances and met mediums, by whom he was most 

 unfavourably impressed. 



Moreover, when invited to join a committee of investi- 

 gation into spiritualistic manifestations, he replied : — 



I regret that I am unable to accept the invitation of the 

 Committee of the Dialectical Society to co-operate with a com- 

 mittee for the investigation of " Spiritualism " ; and for two 

 reasons. In the first place, I have not time for such an inquiry, 

 which would involve much trouble and (unless it were unlike 

 all inquiries of that kind I have known) much annoyance. In 

 the second place, I take no interest in the subject. The only 

 case of " Spiritualism " I have had the opportunity of examin- 

 ing into for myself, was as gross an imposture as ever came 

 under my notice. But supposing the phenomena to be genuine 

 — they do not interest me. If anybody would endow me with 

 the faculty of listening to the chatter of old women and curates 

 in the nearest cathedral town, I should decline the privilege, 

 having better things to do. And if the folk in the spiritual world 

 do not talk more wisely and sensibly than their friends report 

 them to do, I put them in the same category. The only good 

 that I can see in the demonstration of the truth of " Spiritual- 

 ism " is to furnish an additional argument against suicide. 

 Better live a crossing-sweeper than die and be made to talk 

 twaddle by a " medium " hired at a guinea a seance* 



To the report above mentioned, Prof. G. Darwin, who 

 also was present, added one or two notes and corrections. 



Report on Si^ance 



Jan. 27, 1874. 



We met in a small room at the top of the house with a 

 window capable of being completely darkened by a shutter and 

 curtains opposite the door. A small light table with two flaps 

 and four legs, unsteady and easily moved, occupied the middle 

 of the room, leaving not much more than enough space for the 

 chairs at the sides. There was a chair at each end, two chairs 

 on the fireplace side, and one on the other. Mr. X (the medium) 

 was seated in the chair at the door end, Mr. Y (the host) in 



* Quoted from a review in the Daily News, October 17, 1871, of the 

 Report on Spiritualism of the Committee of the London Dialectical 

 Society. 



