New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-17

powers acting in an inaccessible sphere above aim
self. This natural tendency has existed at all pc
riods, and putting on different aspects, according
to times places, and customs il has given birth to
manifestations various in form, but essentially iden
teal in principle.
Diyination in all its notifications, the faith in
oracles, sibyls and thaumaturgists-suc was the
form Of the marvellous in antiquity; and such,
without fundamental alteration, it remains to this
day among the people Of the East
In the middle ages, when a new religion had
transformed Europe, the marvellous takes its form
from this religion; and for centuries the belief in
dabOlic possessions, in sorcerers and magicans, il
sanctioned by a truceless, merciless war waged
against the miserable wretches who are accused of
secret commerce with demons or with their
agents. the magcians. Toward the end of the
seventeenth century, at the dawn ola tolerant and
enlightened philosophy the devil retires, and accu-
satiOns of magic begin to 90 out of fashion, but the
marvellous preserves its sights Notwithstanding.
Miracles flourish in the churches; the dvining rod,
applied to moral as well a. physical Investigations
comes into high vogue.
In the eighteenth century, with the general
adoption of the Cartesian philosophy, and the grow
ing influence Of knowledge and common sense, in
the time of Yoltaire and the Ency clOpedia rel g-
GUS miracles still abound. Ii is at the end of tn
century that Mesmer sets all Europe agape with the
wonders Of his magnetic circles. Mesmer-
ism fell in a few years into discredit, and was
followed by artificial somnambulism, our still ex-
tant animal magnetism. Finally, and lastly, in D.
Fguieres genealogy are begotten, from the love OF
the marvellous the talking, jumping tables, and the
spirt.rappers. No doubt, Gays our author, that
new manifestations of this innate love of the super
natural will appear in the future. What they will
be i. is impossible to foresee. But when the form
rder which the marvellous has appeared to one gen.
GRAFTON has become superannuated man, seeking
the ament of his superstitious appetite, is skful
IN discovering another.
1t was to throw light on this dark side Of human
nature and to draw from history lessons of useful
application TO the present time that NJ. Fighter on
occasion of the invasion OF the moving tables and
rappng spirits in 1854, undertook the present work.
Having once entered upon the study of the subject,
"hOweveT," he says, "its Importance IN our view
was greatly augmented; we were seduced by the
"attraction of so many varied rectas, where all
kinds of interest seem to be united, where sinister
dramas minge with the most farcical scenes, where
s'tragedy and comedy crowd upon each other and
"the sublime and the ridiculous hustled to-
"gether" he has therefore enlarged his original
plan, and instead of combining himself to very sum
mary statements and to little mOre than sort OF
general dissertation, has been led to write series
'Of chapters OF history"
Very few chapters of history offer more enter.
tanning and instructive reading. The first volume
opens with an historical introduction, which is made
up of brief, rapid survey Of the marvellous" as
il existed in antiquity ard in the middle ages 1t is
the fitting preparation for the study of the history of
the marvellous in modern times. To illustrate this
history, NJ. Figuier takes few type examples. lie
begins with the tragcally famous Devils of Lon
DON" His first and foremost effort is, in this in
the following instances to set forth faithful
ton of the facts" to relate rather than to dogma
ties to place before the eyes of the reader what
sincere and intelligent contemporaries thought and
wrote upon these matters" The authors theory
of philosophical criticism is that the spirit Of the crit
cism is not the spirit of negatOn nor yet of doubt,
but the spirit of examination. Proceeding thus,
with the camness and discrimination of jvge ~
instruction, Figuier gives undoubtedly the most
complete, the only impartial history of that series
of phenomena known as the story of the Devils of
London. And, thus given, it is far more intensely
interesting as sinister DRAMA in which farce aud
" tragedy the sublime and the ridiculous alternate
with, and crowd upon, each other" than with all
the romantic addition and brilliance of style with
which Alfred de Vigny has sought to enhance
its attractions in his novel of Cinq Mars Slightly
mingled with the narration but chiefly presented at
the close, is Figuers natural explanation of the
pretende0ly supernatural elements of these phe-
nOmena.
1.-The Jansenist COnyulsionsts, or the Mir
" acles of the Tomb of the Diacre Paris" "The
Protestant Prophets of the Cevennes, and the Di-
'' yniDg Rod" are the subjects of the remaining
historical chapters of the two volumes. Animal
Magnetism, the Talking ables, and the Spirit Rap
pers are the themes of the two promised volumes.
NJ. Fguier's method of historical treatment s
the same for oil the cases. First of all state the
facts without prejudice then offer the explanation
which our actual advanced knowledge of physiology
aud medicine enables us in most satisfactorily
10 do. " We believe" he says, =" that these dis
" cussions will result in the readers perfect cOnvc-
" ton of the nOn-existence of supernatural agents,
" and 0fthe applicability of all the prOdges that have
" at different periods excited the surprise or the adj
" miration of men by knowledge ofour physiology
" cal organization. The negation OF the maryeOusis
" then the philosophical to be drawn from
I" this book which might be entitled The Marvellous
" FIplained." But here again and especially is to
be noted the prominent and excellent quality of the
method of the book: it proceeds not by denial nor
by suppression, but by fair statement and expana.
ton Most writers of the present day and of other
days, in treating of the Observation-Disclosures it
takes the form of diaboc possession, or of animal
magnetism, or of spirit rapping-begin and end
with denying everything or accepting everything
all humbug or all prodigy.
began with speaking of the "actuality" of the
book. Although these first two volumes come
down to no later dates than the Protestant prophets
of the Cevennes under Louis XIV. those innOcents,
by the way, who fancy that the Reign of Terror
was revolutionary product. had best read those
worse horrors committed by order of the Grande
Monarquel it is strange to see how they preigure
the phenomena of to-day Laying aside the acct
dents of time and place. and these old French per-
formances of higher and lower powers are repro
duced to-day in America. Between one of the
deyil-pOssessed nuns of London and girl whom
have seen in a cataleptc fit at an American camp
meeting there il absOlutaly no generic essential