The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-05
TENNYsoN's sPIRIrUALIsM.
An Interesting Letter From tho Poet
Concerning His Beliefs.

Concerning His Beliefs.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Dec. 4--The following is
published here: 1t is we'll known that
among the higher scientific circles OF Eng
land spiritualism made few years ago
rapid and remarkable progress. Wallace,
the co-discoverer with Darwin OF the prin-
ciples of natural selection; Prof. Crookes,
the eminent chemist on whom the French
Academic des Sciences conferred gold
medal with an honorarum OF 5000 francs
for his discoveries in molecular physics;
sergt. Cox, the noted psychist, and Prof.
Huxley himself, skeptic OF skeptics,
were concerned in series of experiments,
chiefly with the medium Home, which
attracted wide attention at the time.
None OF the scientists could explain the
phenomenon produced by the medium,
and the report made by Prof. Crookes Is
held by the professors OF the Spiritualist
belief an overwhelming testimony to its
genuineness. The name of the poet Ten
nyson has never before been connected
with Spiritualism. A letter written by
him has come into the possession Of the
Tribune which shows that he holds the
conviction that consciousness may pass
from the body and hold communionNyth
the dead. This is essentially Spiritualism;
but in Tennyson's case, at least, so far as
the letter indicates, he is his own medium.
The statement he makes is curious.
The letter is in the poets handwriting.
II Is dated Farringiord, Freshwater. Isle
Of Wight, May Z, 1874. II was written TO
gentleman who communicated TO him
certain strange experiences he had had
when passing from under the effect OF
anWsthetics. Tennyson writes:
81 have never had any revelations
through angsthetics, but kind OF waking
trance (this for lack Of n better namel, /
have frequently had, quite up from boy
hood, when | have been all alone. This
has often come upon me through repeating
my own name 10 myself silently, till at
once, as II were, out OF the intensity OF the
consciousness OF individuality the indiyid.
uality itself seemed 10 dissolve and fade
away into boundless being, and this not
confused state, but the clcarcst Of the
clearest, the surcst OF the surest, utterly
beyond words, where death was an almost
laughabc impossibility, the loss Of person.
ality tii 80 il werc1 seemed no extinction,
but the only true life."
As II conscious Of the incredible signifl.
cancc OF the statement thus conf focted, he
said:
III am ashamed Of my feeble description.
Have | not said the state is utterly beyond
words?"
This is not vulgar table-tapping spirit
ualisin. IL is the most emphatic declara.
ton that the spirit OF the writer is capable
OF transferring itself into another existence
Is not only real. clear, simple, but Il Is also
infinite in vision aud eternal In duration.
For ho continues that when he comes
back TO SANITY" lac is "rcady 20 fight for
the truth" OF his experience, and that he
holds 1.-THE spirit, whose separate exist
ence he thus repeatedly tcsts-"will last
for cons and cons" IL Ia pointed out
by Prof Thomas Davidson, who has seen
the letter, that the same conviction, II not
the same experience, only with another,
is described Ia In Memoriam.' The stan
zas arc generally passed over as referring
10 a mere poetic frenzy OF gricf But read
ing them in the light Of the calmly ponncd
prose puts an entirely different aspect ON
the incident contained In the lines
Went out aud was ail alone
hunger tsifci my heart. rad
OF that glad year which once hal been
IN thasc ialln leaves whch kept their green.
The noble letters oi The dead.
Aud. amneely on the silence broke
The tilcut speaking words, aud strange
Vas loves dumb cry dciylng change
To tcst his worth. aud strangely spoke,
The talih. the viruf. bold g. dwell
On doubts that dive the coward hack
And EUHu through NufllN HuHfrI 10 tfICk
Suggestion 10 her inmost cell.
80. w1ri by word and line by line
The dead man touched mc ifo.a the past
And all at once u trpmcd, at last,
His living soul Nal flashed on mine
And mine IN hls was bound and whlflcd
About cmpy real heights " thought.
And zane uu thnt which q, ard onught
The deep pulaatlOnk VI Tie world
Eonian music measuring out
1ho steps u Tine. the shocks VI chance
The blows of death.
The idea Of the nctnaliiy OF the unseen
Is conveyed in tina letter In terms which
correspond nearly 10 those In the rhythmic
expression. That (which ~ Is certainly
n confirmation Of the state, "surcst Of the
surcst" and the "lasting for IRONS upon
wons' finds its counterpart In "monian
music" As Tennyson has never been
connected Ia any way with pyschic science
or spirlualism, the letter, not 10 mention
the now clearer reading Of the poem, will
create not little surprise.