The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-28 00:00:00

PSYCHOMETRY,

I know numbers of persons who, by taking a letter in the
hand or placing it on the forehead, without seeing the
writing, or having the slightest idea of the writer, can de-
scribe his character with as great or greater accuracy than
his mcst intimate friends.

On reading the statements of Dr. Buchanan, I resolved
to see what portion of them I could verify by experiment.
My sister, Anne Denton Cridge, being highly impressible,
was able, in a short time, to read character from letters
readily; and what was still more wonderful to us, and at
the same time equally inexplicable, that at times she saw
and described the writers of letters, and their surroundings,
telling correctly even the colour of their hair and eyes.
Alter testing this strange phenomenon thoroughly by
numerous experiments, being intensely interested in geology
and reeleontology, it occurred to me that perhaps something
might be done by psychometry—the term given by Dr.
Buchanan to the power by which character was described
by contact with persons, or from letters—in these depart-
ments of science. If there could be impressed upon a letter
the image of the writer and his surroundings during the
brief space of time that the paper was subjected to their
influence—and this was the conclusion I eventually arrived
at—why could not rocks receive impressions of surrounding
objects, with which they had been in immediate contact for
years, and why could they not communicate the history of
their relationship in a similar manner to sensitive persons,
thus giving a clue to the condition of the earth and its in-
habitants during the vast eras of the past ?
I accordingly commenced, some ten years ago, a series of
experiments with mineral and fossil specimens and archm-
logical remains, and was delighted to find that without
possessing any previous knowledge of the specimen, or even
seeing it, the history of its time passed before the gaze of
the seer like a grand panoramic view ; sometimes almost
with the rapidity of lightning, and at other times so slowly
and distinctly that it could be described as readily as an
ordinary scene. The specimen to be examined was gene-
rally placed upon the forehead, and held there during the
examination ; but this was not absolutely necessary, some
psychometers being able to see when holding a specimen in
the hand.

The result of some of the experiments, made at various
times, I shall give in the following chapters. In a few
instances the phraseology has been slightly changed, the
idea never.

And now let us subjoin an example of this most
marvellous and mysterious power—

VERY LIKE A WHALE.
Whalebone Walkin¢•cane.

Mrs. Denton knew it was a walking-cane, but, having no
opportunity of examining it, supposed very naturally that it
was wood.

" I feel as if I were a monster. There is nothing of a
tree about it, and it is useless for me to go any further."
(With great difficulty she was induced to continue the ex-
periment.) "I feel like vomiting. Now I want to plunge
into the water." (Convulsive shuddering.) " I believe I
am going into a fit. My jaws are large enough to take
down a house at a gulp. I knew now what this is—it is
whalebone. I see the inside of the whale's mouth. It has
no teeth; it has a slimy look; but I only get a glimpse of
it. Now I see the whole animal. What an awful-looking
creature ?

This identification of the psychometer with the animal
psychometrised is at times so complete as to compel the
suspension of the experiment, the influence produced some •
times affecting the person for hours.
If after this specimen our readers seek further
psychometric information, we commend them to
the volume of Mr. and Mrs. Denton. "We are,"
they say, " wiser than we know," yet, perhaps,
also, let us add, " more ignorant than we
imagine."

Beeton's Robinson Crusoe. Illustrated. One vol.,

pp. 384. S. 0. Beeton.

An extraordinary catalogue might be made by
come ingenious bibliographer of the various editions
of "Robinson Crusoe." Very recently several new
ones have made their appearance. Among our
other literary notices this very day, indeed, there
is mention made below of one in a small form,
as being just at this time upon the eve of its
publication. The Messrs. Longman, moreover,
the Great House of the Row, have included Defoe'e
lovely masterpiece in their beautiful little bijou
Library, Edited by Mr. Laurie. And the compe-
tition thus eviden3ed among the publishers in the
perpetual reissue of this ever fresh and ever delight-
ful story book—no one, for one instant, can well won-
der at! Robinson Crusoe being, among all the loved
fictions of the schoolboy, his one especial pet and
favourite. Who does not remember when Ebenezer
Scrooge is whisked away
in his night
Spirit of Christmas past—back again s,hirt b
we don't
-y the
know how many years, to the days of the poor old
hunx's boyhood, where he is moping drearily alone
in the shabby schoolroom—who does not retnem
ber how the thoughts of Scrooge fly off to his
dream picture of dear old Robinson Crusoe, with his
goat-skin clothes and cap, his musket in his hand, a
kid at his heels, and, perched on his shoulder, the
parrot, with a green thing like a lettuce growing
out of the top of his head ? So welcome to us all,
indeed, is the merest thought of that wonderful
solitary inhabitant of the far-off island, that every
fresh republication of his famous Life and Adven-
tures comes, to each one amongst us, almost like a
personal benefaction.

Here, in this very beautiful illustrated edition,
published by that boy's-friend, Mr. Keeton, of the
Strand, is a sort of paragon re 'issue of Defoe's won-
derful book. The embellishments—charmingly
designed by T. H. Nicholson and carefully engraved

by C. W. Sheeres—are very numerous. How nume-
rous, we will now relate. Besides a coloured frontis.
piece revealing to us a home interior, Crusoe, the aged
preparing for another journey—there are eight " se-
parate plates." also coloured, that is, plates full-paged
size, and thirty-eight woodcuts scattered among the
letter-press. Forty-seven illustrations in all, and
almost every one of them characterised by a pecu-
liar interest. In one we see " Crusoe and his
Father," in another, " Crusoe and his Goat." Here
he is cast upon the shore, yonder he is steering his
raft from the wreck. Now meeting with Friday, now
rescuing the Indians. Meditating in sickness—
walking by the seashore—gathering his harvest—
discovering the footprints encountering the
wolves—fighting with the Cochin Chinese. Pre-
fixed to the narrative is a brief but enthralling ac-
count of the life and adventures of the author of
" Robinson Crusoe," tat true-hearted man of letters
that staunch lover of liberty, that very confessor of
Journalism, Daniel Defoe, one who had the body
and spirit, heart and brain of a genuine English•
man. Among the numerous works of interest pub-
lished of late years by Mr. Beeton, in very elegant
forms, but at very moderate prices, not one, to our
recollection, has been more deserving of admiration
or more sure of winning for itself a wider popu-
larity than this charming edition of our English
Sinbad the Sailor.

The Handbook to Paper Flower-Making. Illus-
trated. By Mrs. J. H. Mintorn. Routledge.
This new number of Routledge's useful shilling
handbooks, describes, practically and clearly, the
graceful art of paper flower-making. It is plenti-
fully illustrated with designs of all the tools re-
quired, and is further embellished with, numerous
copies of the flowers best adapted for the fair artists
task. We doubt not the little volume will find a
ready welcome at many a boudoir and many a
work-table.

What to do with the Cold ..1-utton; a book on
rechaujes. One Vol., pp. 22e. Bentley.

The problem is solved at last! The domestic
difficulty is at an end ! Clubs and chop-houses may
now close their shutters, their days are numbered,
their attractions are over. No longer shall the
eternal " cold mutton" induce the Paterfamilias
to turn a " cold shoulder" to his home. The "do-
mestic muffin," celebrated by Thackeray, must
henceforth divide its triumphs, with the renovated
" mutton" adorned with all the charms of culinary
art. This little book, so welcome to the wives
and housewives of England, is filled with an abund-
ance of receipts suited to " the kitchen of a gentle-
man of moderate income," among these are a
variety of rgchariffes of diverse kinds, which are
likely to prove generally acceptable. The old
adage rerenons d nos moutons should have been
selected as an apprc,priate motto for this book.

A Series of Seven Essays on Universal Science. By
Thomas Clark Westfield, F.S.A. One Vol., pp.

210. Hard wick.

Seven essays on universal science, " embracing
some investigations of the Mosaic cosmogony and
the interpretation of the Scriptures, with the ob-
ject of proving their scientific exactness," aro here
presented to us by Mr. Westfield, who very empha-
tically and truthfully observes that " God's works
cannot contradict His words." Therefore, as he
most logically proves, every apparent discrepancy
between the Sacred Writing and the world around
us, is due to some misconception on the part of the
expositor or the translator. "We have repeatedly
found," says Mr. Westfield, " that when men em-
ploy their scientific knowledge to the detriment and
injury of the Scriptures, the knowledge possessed
has neither been very deep nor very profound."

The Bride of. _Messina. A Tragedy with Choruses,
by Schiller. Translated by Adam Lodge, Esq.,
M.A. Third Edition. Day.
This very felicitous translation of Schiller's
" Bride of Messina" has reached a third edition.
Prefixed to the tragedy is a peculiarly interesting
essay on the chorus of the classic drama.

Love and Jealousy, Europa, and other Poems. By
the Rev, Gerrard Lewis, B.A.

The principal p:rtion of this poem is taken from
"Ariosto"—a strange source of inspiration for a
reverend poet. Some of the minor poems are
pleasing and graceful, without possessing any high
claims to poetic merit.

Lectures. By B. C. Jones. Third series, contain-
kg nine lectures. One Vol. Allen. .

The third series of Mr. Jones's Lectures, which
are dedicated to Lord Brougham, consists of nine
lectures, upon the Ancient and Modern Drama, and
Dramatic Poets, with many quotations from the
masterpieces of Euripedes and Sophocles.

Cassell's Illustrated Almanack, for 1864.

The first of the almanacks for the coming year
has, here, already, before the close of October,
made its appearance. And although the
price of it is no more than sixpence,
the appearance it makes, thus promptly, is very
beautiful. It is a lovely little publication even ex
ternally—radiantly colour-printed with fruit and
flowers in abundance. The illustrations inside,
moreover, are numerous and appropriate. Several
life like portraits of celebrities recently deceased
are among them, and a seasonable engraving for
each month. The letter-press, which is copious and
admirably well arranged, comprises a store of useful,
and most of it highly interesting, information.

Cassell's Illust7ated Pilgrim's Progress. Part V•
Another instalment of this very cheap and v,OY
elegant edition of Banyan's famous allegory briJigs
us rapidly towards its conclusion. The embellisil-
meats are good enough for the costliest form of p'3l9"
lication. We are glad to see the announcement of a
similar edition of " Robinson Crusoe," to be pal"'
lished by the same enterprising firm, the first ,;um-
ber to appear in November. An edition of Defoes
masterpiece, we hope it will prove to Yee as cheap as
this one of Banyan's, and one, we trust, as cteverlf
illustrated, and therefore in every way as likely t°
vie with " Casseli's Illustrated Pilgrim's Progress
in popularity.