The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-27

savants of its day. In this connection h
Gays:
A friend, erdeared to me by thirty years o
affectionate intercourse and sweet intellectual
Companionship-Eugen Nus-dedicated one o
his books, "Chosss dc LAutre Monde atte
tlis fashion:
To the memory of all savants,
Brcve,ed. patented.
Crowned with palms, decorated or burfd.
Who have been opposed 10 the rotation OF ths
earth.
To meteoritos,
To galvanisrn,
To the circulation of the blood,
To vaccination,
To OF light,
To lightning rods,
To daguerreotypes,
To steam power,
To propellers,
To steamboats,,
To railroads,
To lighting by gas,
To magnetism,
And all the rest,
And 10 all those living, who shall yet be
born,
Who do the same in this present day,
Or shall do the same hereafter.
NJ. Flammarion argues that the fact that
most scientists of the materialistic school
deny the existence of the phenomena which
he discusses does not prove that they do
not exist. He then goes on to consider
the theory, which has been advanced by
many. that there are substances more
subtle than any yet discovered. and laws
which. though they appear to contradict
those known today, yet do not in reality
oppose them. He concludes this chapter
with the following paragraphs:
Those who saw What. Can be expected TO
believe in things impossiblef Never! ! can only
believe in the laws of nature, and those laws
are all known laws Such men are like the
simple-hearted, ancient geographers, who wrote
on their maps of the world, beside the columns
Of Hercules Representing the Strait Of Gibaaitar
''Hic deficit omncs''-Here ends the world.
They had no doub, about II; they never sus-
pecied that there was TO be found in that vast
Western wRtery expsnse, to them empty and uii-
known, world twice large as that OF which
they had any knowledge.
All cur human Knowledge might be symbolical-
" represented by tiny island surrounded by q
limitless ocean.
There is much-infinitely much-for us to learn.
The author then devotes chapter to
"Credulity." and gives the other side OF
the case. showing the absurdity of many
of the beliefs which. without investigation,
have gained credence in the minds of men.
Among other things. he points out the fact
that people who deny belief in psychic phe-
nomena quite commonly accept stories of
things far more miraculous and he cites
the story OF Noat's ark as an example. He
sums I'D his argument against credulity as
follows:
Let us deny nothing, let assert nothing, let
us observe impartially. That probably Is the
most difficult position we can maintain IN this
order of things. For my own part, | ba- those
who may be tempted TO accuse me either OF
credulity incredulity, not to do so lightly,
and not to forget that am always on my guard
against either extreme. l uphold no theory.
seeker after truth.
- tzI
mony. OF course. the average American
reader will have no opportunity to prove,
personally, the truth or falsity of this.
Some OF the incidents here recorded are
rather remarkable and some of them are
only such as most people have heard of at
one time or another. All appear TO be
established by the testimony of trustwor-
thy witnesses.
NJ Flammarion published in the monthly
magazine "Annales PolitiQues ct Litter
aires" publication which numbers &c. 600
subscribers, most Of them presumably in
telligent and reputable people, a request
for statistical testimony on the subject of
psychic phenomena. OF the multitude Of
answers which he got. he investigated
large proportion of the cases and found
several hundred letters which contained
things which were significant. and so far
as could be ascertained were true. These
letters are quoted verbatim, and most of
them are signed. Investigation for a
French reader of the book, therefore,
would be quite easy.
The most sensational story in the book
one which might well form the basis for
tale by Poe or Hawthorne-is one told by
magistrate, and is classed under the
head, "Premonitory Dreams" This man.
NJ Berard, wrote out an account of his
experience, which was published in the
Revue des Deux Mondes' in September.
1885. During his stay at little country
inn of unprepossessing appearance he
dreamed that he saw the bed in which ne
was sleeping occupied BY another and I'M
known person The host and his wife en-
tered the room by secret door. which Nj.
Berard had perceived before retiring and
while the wise held the lantern the hus-
band plunged his knife into the heart Of
the sleeping man. He then lifted the body
by the feet. his wife took it by the head, I.
and both descended a ladder which led I
from the door into darkness. The hus- I
band held the lantern in his teeth during .
this descent NJ. Berard awoke trembling
with terror, and founs that it was broad /
day. He left the inn without injury to |
himself and reflected that the dream was |
probably caused by recent experiences in |
murder trials. Three years afterward a |
lIWycI VIII SCI Out loE VAIN IN tnal
neighborhood mysteriously disappeared,
and the last time he was seen alive was
close to that Inn. NJ. Berard went TO the
place. encountered the landlady Of the inn,
and told the story of the crime as he had |
seen It In his dream three years before.
When the stable of the inn was searched
the body of the lawyer was found there.
Most of the incidents recorded here,
however are less striking than this, and
in the greater number of cases seen to
be OF no especial significance. being recog
nized as warnings or psychic phenomena
yome time after the event. Al any rate j
The book furnishes mass of evidence
which will be interesting to anyone who
Is busy in investigating this subject There
ls not much doubt that some laws of
psychology exist which have never been
understood in fact, until
within comparatively recent period they
have never been understood laws al alI.
The idea Of personality in the spirit world
has so thoroughly dominated the imagina-
lion OF the human race that all unexplain-
able things we're set down to the agency
81 supernatural beings, capable OF caprice
Ind responsible action, instead of to natu-
raj lew. But II IL not at all impossible
hat the human mind may work either I'M
or by Intuition in such a way
ls 10 reveal things otherwise unkDowable
without the agency Of any god, saint, an
Iel, witch. seer. clairvoyaHt. fairy, goblin,
" devil whatsoever. 1t may be that there
Ire faculties as yet unteveloped in the
rana aunoxR which are fe1pnafhv and