All Poets Spiritualists in their Writings-Artists the same-Raphael, Michael Angelo, Benvenuto Cellini-Dickens-Miss Bronté, Miss Mulock, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton the same-Dante's 'Divina Commedia' a Spiritual Poem- The Spiritual Views in his 'Convito,' 'Monarchia,' and 'Vita Nuova - Boc- caccio's Account of the Vision of Dante's Mother-Dante's Vision of Beatrice Dante's Revelation of the lost Cantos of the 'Divina Commedia' to his Son-Boccaccio a profound Believer in Spiritualism-The 'Decameron' full of its Evidences Petrarch commissioned by Pietro Petroni on his Death- bed to warn Boccaccio of his approaching Death-His Reform in conse- quence-Petrarch's Faith in the Spiritual Powers of the Church-The Poems of Ariosto and Tasso full of Spiritualism - Evidences of it in the 'Jerusalem Delivered 'Tasso falsely declared mad- His Converse with Spirits-His Attempt to introduce the Marquis Manso to an Interview with them—Per- secution of Tasso by Spirits in his Prison-The Improvisatori—Spiritualism of Milton. Proofs from 'Paradise Lost' - Proofs of Spiritualism found in Quarles, Herbert, Herrick, Cowper, Keble, Tennyson, Browning, Philip Bailey, &c.-Proofs from Young and Mrs. Hemans - From Byron, Shelley, and Coleridge - Sir Walter Scott - From Wordsworth's 'Peter Bell,' and other Poems-Anecdote by Wordsworth of Haunted Rooms at Cambridge. -- - Review of the Spiritualism in History The great Extent of the Department - Tract by Theophilus Insulanus. Vision of Robert Barclay-Insulanus defends the Power of Spiritual Vision-Facts of Second Sight seen by Lord Tarbot The Preaching Epidemic - Bealings Bells Mysterious Ringing of Bells in many Places referred to-Strange Phenomena at Sydersterne Parsonage Case of Mary Jobson of Sunderland - Healing by Spiritual Means —Sleeping Preachers — Direct Spirit-writing by Baron Guldenstubbe -Witnessed by various Distinguished Persons - Instances of Spirit- writing in Scripture-- The Law of Moses - The Hand at Belteshazzar's Feast-Case mentioned by Dr. Moore, as occurring to a Country Clergyman, to reveal a Murder-The case of the Laird of Redcastle Wonderful Cure related by two Members of the Society of Friends a few Years ago. Fresh difficulties for the Scientific-Cases of Toads, Frogs, &c., living in Blocks of Stone, Coal, &c., denied as possible by Captain Buckland and Professor Owen-Numerous recent Cases of such proved by direct Evidence-A Toad found in a Block of Stone sawn asunder for a Plinth of Birmingham Town- hall-Toad in Marble Chimney-piece at Chillingham-Toad in the Rock at Little Gonerby Brewery in October, 1862-Great Experiment on Toads inclosed in Blocks of Gypsum by M. Seguin - The Winter Sleep of Snakes, Toads, Frogs, Lizards, and innumerable Insects-Serpents seen by Dr. Shaw in Egypt living in closely Corked Bottles - Frogs at Farnsfield — Hair Worms kept dry by Dr. Valentine, and reviving after Three Years - Similar Evidence by Dr. Braid regarding Animals in Torrid Climates - Similar Evidence by Humboldt-Lizard found alive by Dr. Clarke of Cambridge in Chalk Rock Forty-five Fathoms deep-The Ignis Fatuus denied by Y. in the 'Times'-Proved to exist by the Naturalists Gosse and Phipson- Also by Beccaria, Humboldt, and others- These all Proofs of Scepticism advancing THE HISTORY OF THE SUPERNATURAL. CHAPTER I. MAGIC IN ITS RELATION TO THE SUPERNATURAL. The awful shadow of some unseen Power As summer winds that creep from flower to flower. Each human heart and countenance; Like hues and harmonies of evening. Like clouds in starlight widely spread, Like aught that for its grace may be Dear, and yet dearer for its mystery.- SHELLEY. S the belief in the supernatural, or spiritualism, has, AS from the earliest ages, had a constant tendency to de generate into magic, because human nature has that downward bias, it is very desirable to have a clear notion of what magic is, that we may the more sacredly guard the great gift of spiritual life, which, more or less, is conferred on us, from everything but its own holy uses and objects. For this purpose I here take a summary view of magic, that it may also save me the necessity of farther extended reference to it in the course of this history. MAGIC IN GENERAL. Magic, in the highest sense of the word, and in its construction into an art, is clearly traceable to high Asia, and to its south-eastern regions. The most ancient accounts of it, if we except Egypt, which may almost be said to belong to that quarter of the globe, are altogether from Asia. The books of Moses make us acquainted with several distinct, artistic, and highly perfected kinds of conjuration, and certain positive laws against it. The same is the case with the Indian Law Book of Menu, who, according to Sir William Jones, lived about 300 years before Christ. We say nothing of the Persians and their Magi. We find the same traces of magic as an art amongst the most ancient Chinese. Amongst the Chaldeans and Babylonians magical astrology and soothsaying are as old as the history of these people, and the same is the case with the Phoenicians. If we turn from eastern, central, and northern Asia to high Asia, we find Prometheus paying on Caucasus the penalty of endeavouring to make man independent of the gods. Prometheus and Sisyphus are, as far as magic power is concerned, the Fausts of the ancient world. It is in the vicinity of the Caucasus, too, that we find the notorious magic family, which come before us so frequently in Homer and the later writers of Greece and Rome-Æetes, Pasiphae, Circe, and Medea. Homer shows distinctly that magic is not of European, expressly not of Grecian growth. Wachsmuth thinks that the whole family, by a visible syncretism in the early ages of Greece, were deduced from Helios in order to bring them nearer to the national and mythologic sphere, and thence to introduce their magic mysteries into the Greek literature. Circe herself was a goddess, sister to Eetes, both the children of Helios and of Perseis, the daughter of Oceanos. Their magic art is not Greek, but points to Asia; as they, to effect their metamorphoses, were obliged to mix pápμaka λvypà (Odyssey x. 236; Pindar, Pyth. iv. 415), and touch the Grecians with a magic rod. |