New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-05
IS TENNYSON A SPIRITUALIST 7
AN INTERESTING LETTER OF THE LAu-
REATE.
STRANGE EXPERIENCES OF THE POET WILL
IL WAXING TRANcE"-NEw MEAN
ING TO wELLKNowN LINES

ING TO wELLKNOwN LINES
Chicago, Dec. 4.-The following Is published here
1t is well known that among the higher scieh''n0
circles OF England. spritualism made few years
ago rapid and remarkable progress Wallace, the Gu
discovercr with Darwin of tho principles OF natural
selection; Professor Crookes. tho eminent chemist OH
whom the French Academic dcs Sciences conferred
gold medal with honorarium Of 5000 francs Tor MS
discoveries In molecular physics; SERGEANT Cox. inc
noted psychist; and Professor Huxley himself d
sceptc Of seeptcs, we're concerned in series OF eH
perlments, chiefly with the Medium Home. which
attracted wide attention at the time Mons OF uic
scientists could explain the phenomena produced by
the medium, and the report made by Professor Croohe'
Is held by the professors Of the splrtuslst penei an
overwhelming testimony to its gonuncness
The name Of the poet Tennyson has never before
been connected with spirtualism. letter writnh
by him has into the possession Of 1.-THE Tribune
which shows that he holds the conviction that con
seriousness may pass from the body and hold COM
munion with the dead This Is essentially sprltualsm
but In Tennysons case at least so far as the letter
indicates he is his own medium. Tho statement he
makes is curious. The letter is in the poets hand
writing. 1t IS dated Farrngford Freshwator Isle OF
Wight, May T. 1874 IT written 10 a gentleman
who communicated TO him certain strange experiences
he had had when passing from under the effect Oh
anaesthetcs. Tennyson writes:
have never had any revelations through anaesthctcs
but kind Of waking this for lack OF better
name have frequently had quite up from boyhooa "heh
have been all alone. This has often come upon me
through repeating my name 70 myself silently ILL.,
al az once as IL were Of the intensity oil the con
scousness Of individuality the individuality itself seemed
TO dissolve ana fade away boundess being and this
not state the clearest OF the cleares the
surest of tho sres utterly beyond words where death
was an laughable mpossiby. the lose Of per
sonay df It wer) seeming extinction. but the only
life
AS II scious of the Incredible significance OF the
statement thus cOmpactcd, he adds
am ashamed Of my feeble description. Have not
said is utterly beyond words
This is not vulgar table-tipping spritualsm.
It IS the most emphatic declaration that the spirit
Of the writer is capable of transferring Itself into
another existence, not only real clear, simple. but
also infinite in vision and eternal in duration For
he continues that when he comes back TO sanity"
he ready to fight for the truth" of his experience
and that he holds It (the spirit whose separate ex-
istence he thus repeatedly tests will last for cons
and cons"
1t is pointed out b. Professor Thomas Davidson,
who has seen the letter. that tho same conviction
II not the same experience, only with another Is
described in In Memoram, ACN.p The stalzas
are generally passed referring 70 mere
OF tie calmly beHned prose puts entirely different
aspcct on tie Incident contained In the lines:
AMI In the house light after light
Wen Il