The native American., 1838-01-13
From BlacA,oood's Magazine.
THE DEVILS DOINGs, OR WARM
.,ss WORK In WIRTEMBERG.

THE DEVILS DOINGS, OR, WARM
.lss WORK In WIRTEMBERG.
Die Seherin Hon Prevorsf. Ero6 6iam.gen ueber
das Hereinragen der Geisfer,velf auf die an
Asrige.d VOn DR.. Jusfi,aus Kerner.
Geselichte,s Besesse,aer neuerer xeif. Beobach-
,lttngen a,ss dem Gcbiefc Rakodam0,,ish Mug
gYetiscAer Erscheinungcn.g Pom Or. Jxstinus
Kerner ncbst referionen Von C. "A. EscAe,s-
mayer ubcr 6eSessensein md zan6er. 1884.
"Hell is empty
And all the devils are here!' 4,
Tempest. m
The very titles Of the works to which we refer
were sufficient, read, to throw us into cold
sweat: !" Revelations concerning the influence of
the World of Spirits upon our own," by Dr.
Justinus Kerner " The history Of the possessed
Of later Times; Contemplations from the Sphere
of Cacodemoniacal and Magnetic Appearances"
by Drs. Kerner and Eschenmayer In perusing
these ominous title pages, graced with the names
Oftwo German philosophers, and prefXed to three
closely printed volumes of most matter-offact
appearance, we had an immediate presentment
that all our worst fears were the point Of being
revived, and that the composure of mind which we
had been SO long struggling to attain in regard to
the. Devil and his works was gone for ever. If
the title page thus excited our apprehensions, the
contents of these fatal volumes than realized
them. ,,sHf aeaa
DR. Justinus we found to be most authentic
personage; a respectable poet, and still more re-
spectacle physician; the author Of sundry grave
and reverend medical treatises; a man Of learning
and science; in Short in all respects man Of vi
vacity and authority. With DR.. Eschenmayer
the case was even more decisive; for under that
head we found the following certificate: /" Eschcn-
mayer Christian Adolf, one of the most talented
natural philosophers of modern times, born the
4th Of July, l77O, at Neuenberg, in Wirtem-
berg, appointed extraordinary professor Of philo-
sophy and medicine in 1911; since 1913 ordinary
professor Of practical philosophy in Tubingen:''.
Then follows most imposing list of works on
natural and moral philosophy and legislation, all
Of which appear to have been received with apr
probation; and of the most practical and common
sense character. Nay, so little does he appear
to have been a blind and mystical believer, that
we find him bringing his natural philosophy to-
bear against some of the theories of animal mag
netism; for one Of his works, published in 1916,
is entitled, g An Attempt to explain the apparent
Magic Of Animal Magnetism on Physiological and
Physical Grounds Thus, then, did the last
stronghold of our incrcdulity give way; the narra-
tiyes after all were tales Of village gossps, cir
culated, under the mingled inspiration Of terror
and strong beer, round winter fire, but facts to
the veracity ofwhich respectable physician, and
one Of the most talented Of modern natural philo-
sophcrs, have made affidavit in these substantial
volumes.
The first Of the works to which we have allu-
ded is entirely occupied with the spiritual expe-
riences of Frederick Hauffe, the spectre seer
.(Seherin) of Prevorst, small village near Low
enstein, in Wertemberg, (born 1901, died in
1927 Frederick seemed to have been marked
out from her childhood as the special object of
pernatural Influences. Even in the days of child
hood, and while in the enjoyment Of blooming
health, she manifested tendency towards presen-
timents and prophetic dreams. Different metals
seemed from the first to affect her with singular
impressions; the divining rod, in her hands, in
stantly pointed to metals and water. In her
walks, even in the midst of the most cheerful feel
ings, sudden sensation of melancholy and chill
ness would come over her, particularly in church,
yards, or in the vicinity of graves, which seemed
to announce to her the presence of invisible be-
ings. She longed eagerly to witness the appear
ance of a spectre, and even at an early age was
gratfed with most genuine and satisfactory ap-
partition at midnight in the house Of one Of her re-
lations with whom she was residing.
The picture which he exhibits Of her appear
anCe--her CllaraCter--Lnc StraHge influence exert
ed over her by different metallic and vegetable
substances-the supernatural exercise Of the sem
ses which she enjoyed--the prophetic and cura-
tive powers which she exercised during this period
of sceptre-seeing, is extremely impressive, and
we regret that we must pass over many of its
most striking and authentic particulars, in order
to exhibit, in the words Of the seer herself, some
Of those visions, bringing with them alternately
airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, by which
she was daily and nightly surrounded.
But some slight description Of her person and
peculiarites is necessary, and we prefer the words
Of her Platonc admirer, the doctor, to our own.
"She was surrounded says he, "by her body
as by veil; small in stature, with Oriental fea-
lures; her eye had the piercing glance Of aproph-
etess. which was increased by the deep shadow Of
long dark eyebrows and eyelashes. Sc was a
flower of light which lived only on sunbeams.''
~
The seer gives the following as the general re.
suit of her observations on the aspect habits, and
practices of fspectres.
"The perception Of spirits is effected by the
srrit,tal nporatinU throuOh the cOrDOreal.