302 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



results if he had allowed the powers at work to take their 

 own course, instead of attempting to limit the phenomena to 

 answering questions — a form of mediumship which, so far as I 

 remember, was never very prominent or successful with Mrs. 

 Guppy. This is the great fault of all beginners. Instead of 

 being content for a time to observe only what happens, they 

 almost always want certain phenomena which alone will 

 satisfy them ; acting on the tacit assumption that all mediums 

 and all preterhuman intelligences are able to produce at will 

 all the various classes of phenomena. Those who follow the 

 more scientific method of beginning with observation only — 

 which, strange to say, the scientific men are hardly ever 

 willing to do — almost always find that their early doubts and 

 suspicions are, one by one, shown to be unfounded, through 

 the occurrence of phenomena which seem specially adapted 

 to answer them. 



A few years later my friend visited Lourdes, in order to 

 inquire on the spot as to the marvellous cures said to be 

 effected there, and, if possible, to see some of them himself. 

 While there he wrote me a very interesting letter, giving 

 some account of his inquiries, which, being a Catholic, a well- 

 known writer, and a good French scholar, he had facilities for 

 pursuing which the ordinary English tourist or reporter does 

 not possess. I give here the more important parts of this 

 letter, dated April 5, 1874. 



After referring to my Fortnightly Review article which I 

 had told him I was writing, he continues, " We are here in a 

 charming country and quiet, pleasant old town, at this season 

 almost empty of visitors. We are here also, as you are, no 

 doubt, fully aware, at the headquarters of a whole series of 

 alleged modern miracles performed, as asserted, through the 

 water which suddenly began to flow while Bernadette Sou- 

 birons was in an ecstatic state in the presence, as she affirms, 

 of an apparition of the B.V.M. [Blessed Virgin Mary]. 



" I have made such inquiries as I have been able, and 

 find that here, on the spot, the miracles are fully believed in. 

 The clergy were for a long time opposed to the whole thing, 

 and the bishop had to be morally forced to institute an 



