The true northerner., 1874-10-30

make the scales of balance move at
command, alternately ascending and
descending.
Much stress has been laid by the adj
vocates of Spiritualism upon the ability
of the medium Home TO handle live Goals
without injury or leaving scar. lie
has been seen to put red-hot Goals on
his head, and the hair was not singed.
The "fire ordeal" is very old and
familiar one to necromancers. One OF
the most ancient feats of magic was the
art of breathing flame. During the in
surrection of the slaves in Sicily in the
second century before Christ, a Syrian
named Eunus acquired by his knowl-
edge the rank of their leader. In order
| to establish his influence over their
minds, he pretended to possess miracu-
lous power. When he wished to in
spire his followers with courage. he
breathed flames or sparks among them
| from his mouth. AT the same time he
was rousing them by his eloquence. ST
Jerome informs us that the Rabbi
Burchochebas, who headed the Jews in
their last revolt against tho Emperor
Adrian, made them believe that he was
the Messiah by vomiting flames from
his mouth. And, at later period, the
Emperor COnstantius was thrown into a
state of alarm when Valentinian in
formed him that he had seen one of the
body-guard breathing out fire and
flames. Sir David Brewster, who quotes
these instances in his interesting - Let
ters on Natural Magic" was not able to
explain the exact methods by which
these effects were produced but he
said Florus informs us that Eunus
filed perforated nut. t.shell with sui
phur and fire, and, having concealed it
in his mouth, he breathed gently
| through it while he was speaking. This
act is performed mere simply by the
modern iugglers. Having rolled to-
gether some flax or hemp so as to form
a ball the size of walnut, he sets it on
fire and allows it to burn till it is nearly
consumed He then rolled round it
while burning some additional flax, and
by these means the fire may be retained
for considerable time. At the COM
mencement of his exhibition he intro
duces the ball into his mouth, and while
he breathes through it the fire is re-
vived and number of burning sparks
are projected from his mouth. The
sparks are too feeble to do any harm,
provided he inhales the air through his
nostrils. The kindred art of walking
on burning Goals or red-hot iron be-
longs to the same antiquity The
priestesses of Diana at Castabula, in
Cappadocia, were accustomed, accord
ing to Strabo, to walk over burning
Goals and, at the annual festival which
was held in the temple of Apollo at
Mount Soracte, in Etruria, the Hirpi
marched over burning Goals, and on this
account they were exempt from military
service, and received other privileges
from the Roman Senate. This power
of resisting fire was ascribed even by
Varro to the use of some liniment with
which they anointed the soles of their
feet. OF the same character was the
art of holding red-hot iron in the hands
or between the teeth, and of plunging
the hands into boiling-water or melted
lead. About the close of the seven
teenth century, an Englishman named
Richardson rendered himself famous by
chewing burning Goals, pouring melted
lead upon his tongue, and swallowing
melted glass. Brewster says that these
effects are produced partly by decep-
ton and partly by previous prepara-
tion of the parts subjected to the heat.
The fusible metal, composed of mercu-
ry, tin and bismuth. which melts at a
low temperature, might easily have
been substituted in place of lead,
and fluids of easy ebullition may have
been used in place of boiling water.
But, though the conjurers by fire may
have availed themselves of these singu-
lar properties of individual bodies, vet
the general secret of their art consisted
in rendering the skin of the exposed
parts callous and insensible to heat
an effect which may be produced by
continually compressing or singeing
them till the skin acquires horny con-
sistence.
One of the most adroit iugglers of the
present age was Robert Houdin, a
Frenchman, who for many years gave
fashionable entertainments III Paris.
Houdin wrote his autobiography, and
related many curious feats performed
by him in the course of his professional
career. On one occasion he was invited
to display his art before King Louis
Philippe and his court at the chateau of
st. Cloud. Houdln invented q trick
especially for this royal and noble as
semblage, and received unbounded ap-
plause for his success. He borrowed
from the King and his courtiers six
handkerchiefs, which he made into a
parcel and laid on the table. Then, at
his request, different persons wrote on
cards the names of the places whittier
they desired their nandkerchiefs to be
invlsibly transported. When this was
done he begged the King to take three
of the cards at hazard, and choose from
the place he might consider the most
suitable. Let me see," said Louis
Philippe, "what this one says /: Il
desire the handkerchiefs to be found
beneath one of the candelabra on the
mantelpiece. All tnat is too easy for
a sorcerer, so we will pass on to the
next card: THE handkerchiefs are to
be transported to the dome of the In
valides. That would suit us, but it is
much too far-not fer the handkerchiefs,
but for us. All ah !" the King added,
as he looked at the last card, "I am
afraid, Monsieur Robert Houdin, 1 am
about to embarrass you. Do you know
| xphot Ihto norl