contributions to all the year round-第11部分

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prudently　suppressing　any　reference　to　his　amiable　weakness　as　a

swindler　and　an　infamous　trafficker　in　his　own　wife；　the　guileless

Mr。　Balsamo　delivered；　in　a　〃distinct　voice〃；　this　distinct

celestial　utteranceunquestionably　punctuated　in　a　supernatural

manner：　　〃My　power　was　that　of　a　mesmerist；　but　all…misunderstood　by

those　about　me；　my　biographers　have　even　done　me　injustice；　but　I

care　not　for　the　untruths　of　earth〃。





10。　　ORACULAR　STATE　OF　MR。　HOME





〃After　various　manifestations；　Mr。　Home　went　into　the　trance；　and

addressing　a　person　present；　said；　'You　ask　what　good　are　such

trivial　manifestations；　such　as　rapping；　table…moving；　etc。？　　God　is

a　better　judge　than　we　are　what　is　fitted　for　humanity；　immense

results　may　spring　from　trivial　things。　　The　steam　from　a　kettle　is

a　small　thing；　but　look　at　the　locomotive！　　The　electric　spark　from

the　back　of　a　cat　is　a　small　thing；　but　see　the　wonders　of

electricity！　　The　raps　are　small　things；　but　their　results　will　lead

you　to　the　Spirit…World；　and　to　eternity！　　Why　should　great　results

spring　from　such　small　causes？　　Christ　was　born　in　a　manger；　he　was

not　born　a　King。　　When　you　tell　me　why　he　was　born　in　a　manger；　I

will　tell　you　why　these　manifestations；　so　trivial；　so　undignified

as　they　appear　to　you；　have　been　appointed　to　convince　the　world　of

the　truth　of　spiritualism。'〃



Wonderful！　　Clearly　direct　Inspiration！And　yet；　perhaps；　hardly

worth　the　trouble　of　going　〃into　the　trance〃　for；　either。　　Amazing

as　the　revelation　is；　we　seem　to　have　heard　something　like　it　from

more　than　one　personage　who　was　wide　awake。　　A　quack　doctor；　in　an

open　barouche　（attended　by　a　barrel…organ　and　two　footmen　in　brass

helmets）；　delivered　just　such　another　address　within　our　hearing；

outside　a　gate　of　Paris；　not　two　months　ago。





11。　　THE　TESTIMONY　OF　MR。　HOME'S　BOOTS





〃The　lady　of　the　house　turned　to　me　and　said　abruptly；　'Why；　you　are

sitting　in　the　air'；　and　on　looking；　we　found　that　the　chair

remained　in　its　place；　but　that　I　was　elevated　two　or　three　inches

above　it；　and　my　feet　not　touching　the　floor。　　This　may　show　how

utterly　unconscious　I　am　at　times　to　the　sensation　of　levitation。

As　is　usual；　when　I　had　not　got　above　the　level　of　the　heads　of

those　about　me；　and　when　they　change　their　position　muchas　they

frequently　do　in　looking　wistfully　at　such　a　phenomenonI　came　down

again；　but　not　till　I　had　remained　so　raised　about　half　a　minute

from　the　time　of　its　being　first　seen。　　I　was　now　impressed　to　leave

the　table；　and　was　soon　carried　to　the　lofty　ceiling。　　The　Count　de

B…　left　his　place　at　the　table；　and　coming　under　where　I　was；　said；

'Now；　young　Home；　come　and　let　me　touch　your　feet。'　　I　told　him　I

had　no　volition　in　the　matter；　but　perhaps　the　spirits　would　kindly

allow　me　to　come　down　to　him。　　They　did　so；　by　floating　me　down　to

him；　and　my　feet　were　soon　in　his　outstretched　hands。　　He　seized　my

boots；　and　now　I　was　again　elevated；　he　holding　tightly；　and　pulling

at　my　feet；　till　the　boots　I　wore；　which　had　elastic　sides；　came　off

and　remained　in　his　hands。〃





12。　　THE　UNCOMBATIVE　NATURE　OF　MR。　HOME





As　there　is　a　maudlin　complaint　in　this　book；　about　men　of　Science

being　hard　upon　〃the　'Orphan'　Home〃；　and　as　the　〃gentle　and

uncombative　nature〃　of　this　Medium　in　a　martyred　point　of　view　is

pathetically　commented　on　by　the　anonymous　literary　friend　who

supplies　him　with　an　introduction　and　appendixrather　at　odds　with

Mr。　Howitt；　who　is　so　mightily　triumphant　about　the　same　Martyr's

reception　by　crowned　heads；　and　about　the　competence　he　has　become

endowed　withwe　cull　from　Mr。　Home's　book　one　or　two　little

illustrative　flowers。　　Sir　David　Brewster　（a　pestilent　unbeliever）

〃has　come　before　the　public　in　few　matters　which　have　brought　more

shame　upon　him　than　his　conduct　and　assertions　on　this　occasion；　in

which　he　manifested　not　only　a　disregard　for　truth；　but　also　a

disloyalty　to　scientific　observation；　and　to　the　use　of　his　own

eyesight　and　natural　faculties〃。　　The　same　unhappy　Sir　David

Brewster's　〃character　may　be　the　better　known；　not　only　for　his

untruthful　dealing　with　this　subject；　but　also　in　his　own　domain　of

science　in　which　the　same　unfaithfulness　to　truth　will　be　seen　to　be

the　characteristic　of　his　mind〃。　　Again；　he　〃is　really　not　a　man

over　whom　victory　is　any　honour〃。　　Again；　〃not　only　he；　but

Professor　Faraday　have　had　time　and　ample　leisure　to　regret　that

they　should　have　so　foolishly　pledged　themselves〃；　etc。　　A　Faraday　a

fool　in　the　sight　of　a　Home！　　That　unjust　judge　and　whited　wall；

Lord　Brougham；　has　his　share　of　this　Martyr　Medium's

uncombativeness。　　〃In　order　that　he　might　not　be　compelled　to　deny

Sir　David's　statements；　he　found　it　necessary　that　he　should　be

silent；　and　I　have　some　reason　to　complain　that　his　Lordship

preferred　sacrificing　me　to　his　desire　not　to　immolate　his　friend。〃

M。　Arago　also　came　off　with　very　doubtful　honours　from　a　wrestle

with　the　uncombative　Martyr；　who　is　perfectly　clear　（and　so　are　we；

let　us　add）　that　scientific　men　are　not　the　men　for　his　purpose。　　Of

course；　he　is　the　butt　of　〃utter　and　acknowledged　ignorance〃；　and　of

〃the　most　gross　and　foolish　statements〃；　and　of　〃the　unjust　and

dishonest〃；　and　of　〃the　press…gang〃；　and　of　crowds　of　other　alien

and　combative　adjectives；　participles；　and　substantives。



Nothing　is　without　its　use；　and　even　this　odious　book　may　do　some

service。　　Not　because　it　coolly　claims　for　the　writer　and　his

disciples　such　powers　as　were　wielded　by　the　Saviour　and　the

Apostles；　not　because　it　sees　no　difference　between　twelve　table

rappers　in　these　days；　and　〃twelve　fishermen〃　in　those；　not　because

it　appeals　for　precedents　to　statements　extracted　from　the　most

ignorant　and　wretched　of　mankind；　by　cruel　torture；　and　constantly

withdrawn　when　the　torture　was　withdrawn；　not　because　it　sets　forth

such　a　strange　confusion　of　ideas　as　is　presented　by　one　of　the

faithful　when；　writing　of　a　certain　sprig　of　geranium　handed　by　an

invisible　hand；　he　adds　in　ecstasies；　〃WHICH　WE　HAVE　PLANTED　AND　IT

IS　GROWING；　SO　THAT　IT　IS　NO　DELUSION；　NO　FAIRY　MONEY　TURNED　INTO

DROSS　OR　LEAVES〃as　if　it　followed　that　the　conjuror's　half…crowns

really　did　become　invisible　and　in　that　state　fly；　because　he

afterwards　cuts　them　out　of　a　real　orange；　or　as　if　the　conjuror's

pigeon；　being　after　the　discharge　of　his　gun；　a　real　live　pigeon

fluttering　on　the　target；　must　therefore　conclusively　be　a　pigeon；

fired；　whole；　living　and　unshattered；　out　of　the　gun！not　because

of　the　exposure　of　any　of　these　weaknesses；　or　a　thousand　such；　are

these　moving　incidents　in　the　life　of　the　Martyr　Medium；　and　similar

productions；　likely　to　prove　useful；　but　because　of　their　uniform

abuse　of　those　who　go　to　test　the　reality　of　these　alleged

phenomena；　and　who　come　away　incredulous。　　There　is　an　old　homely

proverb　concerning　pitch　and　its　adhesive　character；　which　we　hope

this　significant　circumstance　may　impress　on　many　minds。　　The　writer

of　these　lines　has　lately　heard　overmuch　touching　young　men　of

promise　in　the　imaginative　arts；　〃towards　whom〃　Martyr　Mediums

assisting　at　evening　parties　feel　themselves　〃drawn〃。　　It　may　be　a

hint　to　such　young　men　to　stick　to　their　own　drawing；　as　being　of　a

much　better　kind；　and　to　leave　Martyr　Mediums　alone　in　their　glory。



As　there　is　a　good　deal　in　these　books　about　〃lying　spirits〃；　we

will　conclude　by　putting　a　hypothetical　case。　　Supposing　that　a

Medium　（Martyr　or　otherwise）　were　established　for　a　time　in　the

house　of　an　English　gentleman　abroad；　say；　somewhere　in　Italy。

Supposing　that　the　more　marvellous　the　Medium　became；　the　more

suspicious　of　him　the　lady　of　the　house　became。　　Supposing　that　the

lady；　her　distrust　once　aroused；　were　particularly　struck　by　the

Medium's　exhibiting　a　persistent　desire　to　commit　her；　somehow　or

other；　to　the　disclosure　of　the　manner　of　the　death；　to　him　unknown；

of　a　certain　person。　　Supposing　that　she　at　length　resolved　to　test

the　Medium　on　this　head；　and；　therefore；　on　a　certain　evening

mentioned　a　wholly　supposititious　manner　of　death　（which　was　not　the

real　manner　of　death；　nor　anything　at　all　like　it）　within　the　range

of　his　listening　ears。　　And　supposing　that　a　spirit　presently

afterwards　rapped　out　its　presence；　claiming　to　be　the　spirit　of

that　deceased　person；　and　claiming　to　have　departed　this　life　in

that　supposititious　way。　　Would　that　be　a　lying　spirit？　　Or　would　it

he　a　something　else；　tainting　all　that　Medium's　statements　and

suppressions；　even　if　they　were　not　in　themselves　of　a　manifestly

outrageous　character？







THE　LATE　MR。　STANFIELD







Every　Artist；　be　he　writer；　painter；　musician；　or　actor；　must　bear

his　private　sorrows　as　he　best　can；　and　must　separate　them　from　the

exercise　of　his　public　pursuit。　　But　it　sometimes　happens；　in

compensation；　that　his　private　loss　of　a　dear　friend　represents　a

loss　on　the　part　of　the　whole　community。　　Then　he　may；　without

obtrusion　of　his　individuality；　step　forth　to　lay　his　little　wreath

upon　that　dear　friend's　grave。



On　Saturday；　the　eighteenth　of　this　present　month；　Clarkson

Stanfield　died。　　On　the　afternoon　of　that　day；　England　lost　the

great　marine　painter　of　whom　she　will　be　boastful　ages　hence；　the

National　Historian　of　her　speciality；　the　Sea；　the　man　famous　in　all

countries　for　his　marvellous　rendering　of　the　waves　that　break　upon

her　shores；　of　her　ships　and　seamen；　of　her　coasts　and　skies；　of　her

storms　and　sunshine；　of　the　many　marvels　of　the　deep。　　He　who　holds

the　oceans　in　the　hollow　of　His　hand　had　given；　associated　with

them；　wonderful　gifts　into　his　keeping；　he　had　used　them　well

through　threescore　and　fourteen　years；　and；　on　the　afternoon　of　that

spring　day；　relinquished　them　for　ever。



It　is　superfluous　to　record　that　the　painter　of　〃The　Battle　of

Trafalgar〃；　of　the　〃Victory　being　to