LECTURE IX.

I Now proceed to notice a few manifestations of a peculiar class and character that I have never had the satisfaction to witness. True, they have been related to me by individuals who professed to have seen them, and I have, in many instances, when time permitted, given an explanation to the narrator. But as the gentlemen, authors of the work I am considering, occupy high stations in the community, and as their statements will be read by thousands, so I deem a direct notice of these points necessary.

I have already stated, in my last lecture, that the work entitled "SPIRITUALISM" is a triune production of John W. Edmonds, George T. Dexter, M.D., and Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, late U. S. Senator, and Governor of Wisconsin. Judge Edmonds and the Doctor, who are both medium-writers, are the authors of the whole work, except the Appendix. Of the general merits of the production I have already spoken, and also of the talents and standing of its distinguished authors, with none of whom I have the pleasure of a personal acquaintance. I wish it to be borne in mind.

by the reader that Judge Edmonds and the Doctor, being medium-writers, are both happily impressible. The Doctor's productions are evidence of this as regards himself, and the six interesting "VISIONS" presented to the Judge, orally described by him as the scenes in each passed before his view, and by an amanuensis committed to paper, are evidence of the same as regards himself. I will once more state that there is nothing in any of the manifestations, throughout the entire work, but what is, in substance, accounted for in the first SEVEN LECTURES of this book. But as I have said nothing there as regards the ringing of bells, or playing on instruments of music by some unseen agent, it may be said by some of my readers that I have omitted an important point. On this account I proceed to notice those phenomena only which are of a physical character. As regards those where intelligence only is involved, I would remark that this intelligence is so easily accounted for, and on it I have been so explicit, that I deem any further notice of that branch of the subject unnecessary, until what I have written shall have been disproved. And, moreover, I shall confine myself to the statements of Judge Edmonds alone. I do this, not only for the sake of perspicuity, but because the authorship of the work is, by the public generally, associated with his name, calling it "Judge Edmonds' book ;" and, lastly, because I can find all the variety of physical manifestations in his portion of the produc

tion that may be found in that of his distinguished associates. I shall, therefore, take the liberty to make a liberal quotation, and then submit such remarks as I may deem appropriate.

The Judge says (pages 22, 23, 24): "The bell was taken out of M.'s hand and rung, and then put back again. This occurred several times in the course of the evening." "Mrs. R.'s comb was taken out of her hair, and her hair suffered to fall on her shoulders." "The clothes of G. and K. and M. were pinned together in several places, and K. and M. were tied together by the arms with a pocket handkerchief." "On the 28th of March, 1851, I was one of a party of ten who were directed through the rappings to stand up in a circle in the middle of the room, and every one present was touched by this unseen power. Some were pulled down upon the sofa; one was pulled nearly to the floor; one had her feet shoved from under her so that she nearly fell; a shawl was snatched from a lady's shoulders and thrown on the floor; I was repeatedly touched in different parts of my person; chairs were pulled about, and a small table slid along of itself several feet on the carpet."

Page 26 the Judge says: "For three hours I there witnessed physical manifestations which demonstrated to me, beyond all doubt, that they were not produced by mortal hands, and were governed by an intelligence out of and beyond those present. It is in vain for any

one to say we were deceived. I knew that I was not, and so did every one of that large party.

A bass viol was put into my hand and rested on my foot, and then was played upon. A violin was placed in my other hand, and likewise played upon. Another violin was hung around my neck by one of its strings, and I was struck frequently with a fiddle-bow. My person was repeatedly touched, and a chair pulled out from under me."

Pages 73, 74 the Judge says: "In the mean time another feature attracted my attention, and that was physical manifestations, as they are termed. Thus, I have known a pine table with four legs lifted bodily up from the floor, in the center of a circle of six or eight persons, turned upside down and laid upon its top at our feet, then lifted up over our heads, and put leaning against the back of the sofa on which we sat. I have known that same table to be tilted up on two legs, its top at an angle with the floor of forty-five degrees, when it neither fell over of itself, nor could any person present put it back on its four legs. I have seen a mahogany table, having only a center leg, and with a lamp burning upon it, lifted from the floor at least a foot, in spite of the efforts of those present, and shaken backward and forward as one would shake a goblet in his hand, and the lamp retain its place, though its glass pendents rang again. I have seen the same table tipped up, with the lamp upon it, so that the lamp must

have fallen off unless retained there by something else than its own gravity; yet it fell not, moved not. I have known a dinner-bell taken from a high shelf in a closet, rung over the heads of four or five persons in that closet, then rung around the room over the heads of twelve or fifteen persons in the back parlor, and then borne through the folding doors to the farther end of the front parlor, and there dropped on the floor. I have frequently known persons pulled about with a force which it was impossible for them to resist, and once when all my strength was added in vain to that of the one thus affected. I have known a mahogany chair thrown on its side and moved swiftly back and forth on the floor, no one touching it, through a room where there were at least a dozen people sitting, yet no one was touched, and it was repeatedly stopped within a few inches of me, when it was coming with a violence which, if not arrested, must have broken my legs."

These are all the quotations I deem necessary for my present purpose. I will commence by giving a faithful notice to one important circumstance. On the 24th and 25th pages the Judge states an occurrence that varies somewhat from any thing that I have heard of, or read in the spirit-manifestations. He states the circumstance of some hieroglyphic characters being written on a small piece of cartridge-paper UNder the TABLE, when there was no pen or ink in the room. I have read of frequent instances where writing has been