ceive must have been, if they were at all, downright certainties, sheer matters of fact. The gentleman referred to had not, I am sure, (and I have known him a long time) any antecedent mental bias towards Mesmerism. Indeed, he remarked to me, that he went to the Mesmerie Meeting in question “the greatest sceptic that ever sat down;" whether or not he retained these feelings will appear in the sequel.

On that occasion, several young ladies were made examples of, and voluntarily submitted to become the recipients of " ulterior powers." My friend, if I remember right, was chiefly interested in marking the phenomena of one particular case. A young and rather delicate looking female-an adult-was taken as far as he could judge, hap-hazard from amongst the audience, and after the requisite quantity of staring and "passes," affirmed by the Mesmerist to be in the Mesmeric trance. Her slumbers certainly had all the appearance of being remarkably condensed and profound. The “ pricking " test, to be sure, was not resorted to, but, with the view of ascertaining the reality and depth of the somnolences, some one knelt down and bawled as loudly as possible into the sleeper's ear. The voice came from a pair of lungs of a truly stentorian power; i达 was so very loud, that several in the room laughed slightly (as some nervous people do, when they hear a very loud noise), and seemed half startled by it. Bu the entranced started not, nor even moved. There she sat, rigidly upright in her chair, with sealed eyes and extended limbs, and gave no evidence of life, save a quiet and deep respiration. Even those transient and minute changes, which sometimes, we know, flit over the countenance in sleep, like scudding clouds mirrowed in clear streams, were not perceptible. Could all this be merely wonderful command of countenance, mere deception? We confess that we can hardly bring ourselves to think so.

But, as if to “ make confirmation doubly sure," the Mesmerist, who frankly allowed, "that he could not at all account for the power that he was able to emit," and was only studious that no one should get between him and the slumberer,!(for that would, he assured the company, "at cnce break up the channel of magnetic sympathy, then so intimately subsisting between them," now put in practice another and a more convincing experiment. He pulled, and invited others to pull, THE YOUNG LODY'S HAIR! declaring she would not be aware of it. Nor was But on some one, (at the suggestion of the operator,) plucking his, (the Mesmeriser's) hair, the entranced sleeper, for the first time, spoke. In a quick and gentle voice, she asked, "What do you do that for?" It will be supposed that no little laughter and amusement were caused by this incident. The audience, finding that the entranced was now on speaking terms with them, were inclined to have a little chat with her. One gentleman asked her, "What book it was that he had in his tail-coat pocket?" Immediately, in her usual calm tone,

she.

she mentioned some work. "Why, God bless me!" exclaimed the gentleman, (and he drew forth the volume, and exhibited it.) IT WAS THE VERY BOOK THAT THE SLEEPER HAD NAMED!! Every reader will, of course, igive what degree of credit he or she pleases, to this incident, but it strikes us, that this is just one of those mesmeric “facts,” which ought to be received with the utmost caution. But we now come to the greatest fact of all, the climax of the Mesmeric marvels. The Mesmerist now caused his patient's arms to rise horizontally, and to remain firmly fixed in that position. Indeed, so perfectly rigid and inflexible had they, all at once, become, that their direction could not be changed, nor, upon a great force and pressure being applied, did they bend, in the least. It is a certain fact, a matter of sight evidence and hand testimony, that the arms of this young lady were, under Mesmeric influence, able to support two ordinary wooden kitchen chairs which, by way of experiment, were placed upon them!! Whatever else may be doubted in Mesmerism, this circumstance, at least, is not open to any controversy or question. Yes! a great clumsy deal chair was balanced on each arm of a delicate young lady! ! There could be no mistake about it. For, let us ask, could there be the least doubt as to whether she really bore the chairs on her arms or not? And might not everybody present have satisfied himself of the truth or trickery of this feat, as well as the party, whose statement we are now quoting?

This then is a specimen of that third class of Mesmeric phenomena, to which we have alluded. This is one of those facts commended to us by the joint testimony of our common sense and common senses. The sound and prudent inquirer knows not only where to doubt, but where to believe.

We are desirous, therefore, of contending, in conclusion, that Mesmerism is not as yet placed, by public reception, in its true position. Those experiences that will best survive the ordeal of close examination, and which appeal to us upon evidence of the first [degree, are (as we have seen) neither all truth nor all deception, but truth and deception intimately and dexterously interwoven. More than the first principle of Mesmerism may be true. There may, after all, be a middle path in it, discernable by the dispassionate, patient, and equitable observer. It is our wish to solicit, by this paper, neither a blind, unlimited belief in Mesmerism, nor a foregone, unqualified condemnation of it, but an unprejudiced and candid hearing, and a fair trial.

HYMN TO THE CLOUDS.
HAIL! graceful children of the genial sun,

Whose quickening beams evoked your fairy forms

From ocean's heaving bosom, or the lap

Of silvan lakes or sheen of murmuring streams,

Or green savannas where the moonlit night

Enspheres her brightest galaxy of dews !

ceive must have been, if they were at all, downright certainties, sheer matters of fact. The gentleman referred to had not, I am sure, (and I have known him a long time) any antecedent mental bias towards Mesmerism. Indeed, he remarked to me, that he went to the Mesmeric Meeting in question "the greatest sceptic that ever sat down ;" whether or not he retained these feelings will appear in the sequel.

On that occasion, several young ladies were made examples of, and voluntarily submitted to become the recipients of " ulterior powers." My friend, if I remember right, was chiefly interested in marking the phenomena of one particular case. A young and rather delicate looking female-an adult—was taken as far as he could judge, hap-hazard from amongst the audience, and after the requisite quantity of staring and "passes," affirmed by the Mesmerist to be in the Mesmeric trance. Her slumbers certainly had all the appearance of being remarkably condensed and profound. The "pricking" test, to be sure, was not resorted to, but, with the view of ascertaining the reality and depth of the somnolences, some one knelt down and bawled as loudly as possible into the sleeper's ear. The voice came from a pair of lungs of a truly stentorian power; it was so very loud, that several in the room laughed slightly (as some nervous people do, when they hear a very loud noise), and seemed half startled by it. Bu the entranced started not, nor even moved. There she sat, rigidly upright in her chair, with sealed eyes and extended limbs, and gave no evidence of life, save a quiet and deep respiration. Even those transient and minute changes, which sometimes, we know, flit over the countenance in sleep, like scudding clouds mirrowed in clear streams, were not perceptible. Could all this be merely wonderful command of countenance, mere deception? We confess that we can hardly bring ourselves to think so.

But, as if to "make confirmation doubly sure," the Mesmerist, who frankly allowed, "that he could not at all account for the power that he was able to emit," and was only studious that no one should get between him and the slumberer,!(for that would, he assured the company, "at cnce break up the channel of magnetic sympathy, then so intimately subsisting between them," now put in practice another and a more convincing experiment. He pulled, and invited others to pull, THE YOUNG LODY'S HAIR! declaring she would not be aware of it. Nor was she. But on some one, (at the suggestion of the operator,) plucking his, (the Mesmeriser's) hair, the entranced sleeper, for the first time, spoke. In a quick and gentle voice, she asked, "What do you do that for?" It will be supposed that no little laughter and amusement were caused by this incident. The audience, finding that the entranced was now on speaking terms with them, were inclined to have a little chat with her. One gentleman asked her, "What book it was that he had in his tail-coat pocket?" Immediately, in her usual calm tone,

she mentioned some work. "Why, God bless me!" exclaimed the gentleman, (and he drew forth the volume, and exhibited it.) IT WAS THE VERY BOOK THAT THE SLEEPER HAD NAMED!! Every reader will, of course, give what degree of credit he or she pleases, to this incident, but it strikes us, that this is just one of those mesmeric "facts," which ought to be received with the utmost caution. But we now come to the greatest fact of all, the climax of the Mesmeric marvels. The Mesmerist now caused his patient's arms to rise horizontally, and to remain firmly fixed in that position. Indeed, so perfectly rigid and inflexible had they, all at once, become, that their direction could not be changed, nor, upon & great force and pressure being applied, did they bend, in the least. It is a certain fact, a matter of sight evidence and hand testimony, that the arms of this young lady were, under Mesmeric influence, able to support two ordinary wooden kitchen chairs which, by way of experiment, were placed upon them!! Whatever else may be doubted in Mesmerism, this circumstance, at least, is not open to any controversy or question. Yes! a great clumsy deal chair was balanced on each arm of a delicate young lady!! There could be no mistake about it. For, let us ask, could there be the least doubt as to whether she really bore the chairs on her arms or not? And might not everybody present have satisfied himself of the truth or trickery of this feat, as well as the party, whose statement we are now quoting?

This then is a specimen of that third class of Mesmeric phenomena, to which we have alluded. This is one of those facts commended to us by the joint testimony of our common sense and common senses. The sound and prudent inquirer knows not only where to doubt, but where to believe.

We are desirous, therefore, of contending, in conclusion, that Mesmerism is not as yet placed, by public reception, in its true position. Those experiences that will best survive the ordeal of close examination, and which appeal to us upon evidence of the first [degree, are (as we have seen) neither all truth nor all deception, but truth and deception intimately and dexterously interwoven. More than the first principle of Mesmerism may be true. There may, after all, be a middle path in it, discernable by the dispassionate, patient, and equitable observer. It is our wish to solicit, by this paper, neither a blind, unlimited belief in Mesmerism, nor a foregone, unqualified condemnation of it, but an unprejudiced and candid hearing, and a fair trial.

HYMN TO THE CLOUDS.
HAIL! graceful children of the genial sun,

Whose quickening beams evoked your fairy forms

From ocean's heaving bosom, or the lap

Of silvan lakes or sheen of murmuring streams,

Or green savannas where the moonlit night

Enspheres her brightest galaxy of dews !

Come ye with airy chalices to fill

The wild flowers' languid eyes with tears of joy-
Come ye to catch the earliest smiles of morn
And pour their reflex on the vales below,
Or drape the closing chambers of the day
With curtains woven in the looms of heaven-
Come ye to hush the nations in deep awe,
As o'er their bended heads in frowning pomp
Ye waft the flashing armory of God;

Or calm their terrors, when from deluged fields
They lift their suppliant eyes, and see again

The rainbow's promise beaming through the storm-
Come ye in gloom or glory, hope or fear,
Whate'er your aspect or your errand, hail!
Aye, ever welcome to the mountain land
Where freedom haunts be ye, divinest types]
Of her embodied presence! famed of old
To love the hoary fastnesses she loves;
For there your grandeur finds its fittest throne,
And hearts to kindred majesty sublimed.

Wonder and glory of the element !

In earlier years strange questioning was mine
Of what ye were, and whence and whither bound,
As to and fro your gliding phantoms trailed
Their dusky shadows o'er the sunny plains,
Or in mid air slept motionless. How oft
The half-conned task and tasker's dreaded frown
Were unremembered as my school ward steps,
Enchanted, lingered while I gazed and gazed
On your fantastic phases! seeming now
Aerial monsters stranger than the shapes

Which haunt wild dreams, or throng the fabling lore
Of earth's first minstrels; then celestial isles
Embosomed in the calm of azure seas;

Then bright pavilions where the storm-tost sylph
Might furl her ruffled wings in sweet repose;
Anon sky-mountains cliffed with giant gems

Of ruby, sapphire, amethyst or pearl,

From whose resplendent pomp, methought, were hewn The gorgeous shafts, and architraves and domes

That grace the vistas of the Fairy-land.

Free rovers of the boundless and the free!

To every breeze ye lift your careless sails

And course from land to land, from zone to zone,
With store of jeweled treasures to which earth's,
Thrice told in all their glory, were but dross.

Nor hoard ye these, blest almoners of Him

Whose bounty knows nor weariness nor bourne;
But, true to your high mission, visit all

That breathe or be with largesses of love.

To vernal climes, aerial argosies!

Ye waft from warmer skies the early rain;

And lo! the lifeless bosom of the waste

Beteems with quickened germs; the naked glebe

Is robed anon as with a mantle dyed

In liquid emeralds, and every gale
That waves the drapery of May,