Lights and shadows of spiritualism

222 MODERN SPIRITUALISM.tbey searched for the philosopher's stone ; and persecuted olddames who rode on broomsticks, and kept familiar demons in theshape of cats. In Mandeville's time they sent ambassadors toPrester John. In the era of Procopius they knew Britain to be anisland inhabited only by the invisible spirits of the dead. Atpresent one class of such persons put faith in Papal Infallibility,and another, under the name of " Re-incarnationists," vamp up theworn-out follies of Brahminical India, and seek to reconstruct theexploded theories of Pythagoras.