FARADAY'S REFUSAL TO OBSERVE FACTS SIR J. EMERSON TENNENT once wrote and invited Faraday to be present at a séance, where Mr. Home was the medium. Faraday wrote and demanded a pro gramme of what was to take place, and requiring Mr Home, who had not communicated with him, to answer several insulting questions. As it is well known that nobody knows beforehand what manifestations, if any, will take place at a séance, any more than the details of an expected star-shower can be given in advance, this demand, apart from the insults, amounted practically to a refusal to investigate. What would Faraday have thought had he invited Sir E. Tennent to witness some new experiments, and in return been required to give a written answer to the question— Would an insult to Professor Faraday’s apparatus be considered as an insult Here is the letter of Michael Faraday to himself?” which for the sake of his historical and psychological reputation, we regret most sincerely was ever penned by this great and good man Folkestone, June 14, 1861 MY DEAR SIR EMERSON —I cannot help feeling that you are indiscreet in your desire to bring me into con tact with the occult phenomena which it is said are made manifest in Mr. Home’s presence. I have investigated such in former times, during some years, and as much as I thought consistent with the self-respect that an experimental philosopher owes to himself. It would be a condescension on my part to pay any more attention to them now; and I can only do so under the persua sion that all concerned wish to have the phenomena un ravelled and understood, and will do all they can to aid in such a result. To settle whether I can go or not, I wish to put to you the following points 1. Who wishes me to go?—to whose house ?—for what purpose? 2. Does Mr. Home wish me to? 3. Is he willing to investigate as a philosopher, and as much to have no concealments, no darkness, to be open in communication, and to aid inquiry all he can? 4. Does he make himself responsible for the effects, and identify himself more or less with their cause? 5. Would he be glad if their delusive character were established and exposed, and would he gladly help to expose it, or would he be annoyed and personally offended? 6. Does he considerthe effects natural or supernatural? If natural, what are the laws which govern them? or does he think they are not subject to laws? If super natural, does he suppose them to be miracles or the work of spirits? If the work of spirits, would an in sult to the spirits be considered an insult to himself? 7. If the effects are miracles, or the work of spírits does he admit the utterly contemptible character, both of them and their results, up to the present time, in r-e spect either of yielding imformation or instruction, or sun plying any force or action of the least value to mankind? 8. If they be natural effects without natural law, can they be of any use or value to mankind? 9. If they be the glimpses of natural action not yet reduced to law, ought it not to be the duty of every one who has the least influence in such actions personally to develop them, and aid others in their development by the utmost openness and assistance, and by the applica tion of every critical method, either mental or exper mental, which the mind of man can devise ?* I do not wish to give offence to any one, or to meddle with this subject again. I lost much time about it formerly, in hopes of developing some new force or power; but found nothing worthy of attention. I can only look at it now as a natural philosopher; and, be cause of the respect due to myself, will not enter upon any further attention or investigation unless those who profess to have a hold upon the effects agree to aid to the uttermost. To this purpose they must consent (and desire) to be as critical upon the matter and full of test investigation in regard to the subject, as any natural philosopher is in respect of the germs of his discoveries. How could electricity, that universal spirit of matter, ever have been developed in its relations to chemical action, to magnetic action, to its application in the ex plosion of mines, the weaving of silk, the extension of printing, the electro-telegraph, the illumination of light-houses, &c., except by rigid investigation, grounded on the strictest critical reasoning and the