'Twixt two worlds : a narrative of the life and work of William Eglinton

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Twixt Two IVorlcls.
From Zwickau, where he stayed for a few days only, he went to Dresden, gave a private
seance there to a distinguished person, and left on the 25th for Prague, Bohemia. There he
held several seances at the residence of Dr. D. Schubert. They were attended by several
literary, medical, and scientific persons, but the results were not, on the whole, satisfactory.
On the 2nd April he arrived in Vienna, as the guest of Baron Hellenbach, whose fame as
a metaphysical author is well known ; he has also written some striking works upon
Spiritualism, and kindred subjects, and is a leading member of the aristocracy. Over thirty
seances were given to the highest members of society, including Princess Dietrichstein, Prince
and Princess Khevenhiiller, Countess Clam-Gallas, Princes Alfred, Louis, and Heinrich
Lichtenstein, Count Zichy, Prince and Princess Batthyany, Professor von Mosetig, the
distinguished anatomist, T.H.R. the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, Count Schonborn
Princess Hatzfeld, Count Wilczek, Prince and Princess Metternich, Baron Hoffman (Finance
Minister), Baron and Baroness Rothschild, Countess Almassy, Count and Countess Taaffe
(Foreign Minister), Marquis and Marchioness Pallavicini, Prince Berghes, Count Festetich,
Colonel Primrose (Military Attache, whom he had met previously in London at the Duke of
Cleveland's), Sir Henry Elliot, Prince Hohenlohe, Prince Ratibor, and many others equally
noted. The Duchess of Cumberland specially singled out Mr. Eglinton at a reception at
Prince Metternich's, and held a conversation with him of over half an hour, during which
time he learned much of Spiritualism in Royal circles in England. The seance with the
Duke of Cumberland was a very remarkable one, and Mr. Eglinton wrote a full account of
it for an early number of Light, but I regret to say I have to omit it here for want of
space. Slade had visited Vienna a short time previously, but his stay was of short duration,
the police objecting to his presence. They attempted the same intolerance with Mr. Eglinton,
but the latter having powerful friends at his back, they did not succeed. These seances created
a great sensation, causing many eminent persons to change their opinions, and Spiritualism
from this time took firm hold in the capital of Austria. The sittings were held at the
residences of the persons named, and accounts of the phenomena are given in Hellenbach's
various books, especially in the " Prejudices of Mankind." The following brief extracts from
this volume will show the general nature of the testimony.
" Eglinton came to Vienna on my invitation, not for my own sake. ... I myself
needed no further experiments to convince me of the existence of other kinds of beings.
I have held several seances with Eglinton, in which the experiments took place in the
light. ... I have learned more through Eglinton than anyone, and especially through the
unsuccessful seances. The phenomena may be divided into six classes ; the most ordinary
occurrence is the floating about of objects, guitars, heavy clocks, glass tubes filled with quicksilver,
which through friction are illuminated by their contents, also the moving of distant
objects, such as books, pictures, and even chairs and fautcuils. Now as to the explanation of these
occurrences I will not enter into a discussion of the ingenious suggestions I have heard offered,
as, for instance, that Eglinton makes the instruments float about by the aid of an india-rubber
hand, or that he, or some confederate, causes the instruments to fly about like bats among the
heads of the company, some of whom they touch, as though through design, etc., and are
occasionally even seen under favourable circumstances.
"On the 4th April, 1SS0, a dark seance took place. It was held in the middle of the