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Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

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THE EXISTENCE OF SPIRITS. 81383. " ^Each one <strong>of</strong> us gave orders with equal success. Children wereobeyed as well as grown persons.384. '' ' Still more : it was agreed that <strong>the</strong> requests should not be audible,but merely mental, and whispered to a neighbour. Still tlic tableobeyed ! There was in no instance <strong>the</strong> least error.385. '^ ' Each person desired <strong>the</strong> table to rap <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> years <strong>of</strong>his age, and it gave our ages as indicated only in our mind, endeavour in(jin <strong>the</strong> most curious manner to hurry when <strong>the</strong> number was large. I mustown, to my shame, that I was rebuked by it, for having unintentionallydiminished my age ; <strong>the</strong> table gave forty-three instead <strong>of</strong> forty-two, hecausemy wife, with a better memory, had thought <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> correct number.386. *^ ' Finally, having continued <strong>the</strong>se experiments more than anhour, at which <strong>the</strong> neighbours and <strong>the</strong> servants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> farm were present,I felt that it was time to stop. I requested <strong>the</strong> table to raise ; to raiseagain, and turn over on my side, which itdid." ' Accept, gentlemen, <strong>the</strong> assurance <strong>of</strong> my best consideration,A. De Gasparin.'387. '' We stop our citations here; for those who are not content with<strong>the</strong> testimony we have furnished, emanating as it does from philosophers,or men <strong>of</strong> serious minds, <strong>the</strong> same revelations appearing, too, m all parts<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> icorld, will not be better satisfied by any thing we could add. Aday is coming, however, that will open every mouth. Then from all thoseparlours so reserved before—from all those cabinets in which experimentshad been conducted with closed doors, <strong>the</strong>truth will burst forth in its fullpower. Then it will be known that some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most esteemed men <strong>of</strong>Paris, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bench, pulpit, and men <strong>of</strong> letters, have both desired to seeand have seen it ] have desired to know and have known it. It will beknown that <strong>the</strong> evil siper-intelligence has been revealed to <strong>the</strong>m, and thatif<strong>the</strong>y have been silent on <strong>the</strong> subject, or desired to suppress <strong>the</strong>ir name,it was only an act <strong>of</strong> prudence to restrain public opinion.388. "But on that day what will Science be doing? ^Ye can boldlypredict : <strong>the</strong> facts <strong>of</strong> to-day ivhich it does admit, proving to amount to nothing,and <strong>the</strong> inadmissible facts being admitted, its faith will change,and its language become more modest. Like <strong>the</strong> ancient Augurs, twosavans will not be able to look at each o<strong>the</strong>r any more without smiling,and <strong>of</strong>ten enough to exclaim :' It has been well said, my dear colleague ;it has always been foretold, that "He, who outside <strong>of</strong> pure ma<strong>the</strong>matics,PRONOUNCES THE WORD IMPOSSIBLE, WANTS PRUDENCE.' "Arago."

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