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Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1865 > July
July
Aria and Henry III WordsThe Grand Journal of June 4th, 1865 reports the following event:
“All editors and all music lovers in Paris know Mr. N. G. Bach, pupil of Zimmermann, first prize winner at the piano conservatory in the 1819 contest, one of our most respected and cherished piano teachers, great grandson of the great Sebastian Bach, whose illustrious name he dignifies.
“Informed by our common friend, Mr. Dollingen, administrator of the Grand Journal, that Mr. N. G. Bach’s apartment had been the stage of a true prodigy on the evening of May 5th last, I then asked Dollingen to lead me to Mr. Bach, being welcomed at 8 Rue de Castellane with great courtesy. I believe to be unnecessary to mention that I only allowed myself to tell the readers this marvelous story after the proper consent of its hero.
On May 4th last Mr. Leon Bach, a curious stuntman of an artist, gave his father a harpsichord remarkably carved. After long and detailed research, he found inside the historical details of that instrument: it was from April 1564, manufactured in Rome. Mr. Bach spent part of his day contemplating the precious harpsichord. He fell asleep thinking about that. Not surprisingly, his dream was like this:
In the depth of his dream he saw a man with a long beard at the headboard of his bed; he was wearing round shoes with large laces on top, large breeches, a long sleeve shirt, pleated at the top, a large collar and a steep hat with large rims. That person leaned over Mr. Bach and said: - The harpsichord that you have now has once belonged to me. It served me many times to entertain my master, King Henry III. When he was very young he composed an Aria with lyrics that he liked to sing and that I played for him many times. He composed the Aria and the lyrics to a woman that he met during a hunting trip and with whom he fell in love. She was kept away from him; people say that she was poisoned and that the King suffered a lot. Every time when he was said he used to sing that song. Then, in order to distract him, I used to play a Sarabande[1] in my harpsichord, that I had created and that he liked very much. I then used to play those two compositions, always one after the other. I will play them for you.
Next the man in the dream approached the harpsichord, played a few chords and sang the Aria with so much feeling that Mr. Bach woke up crying. He lit a candle and check the time; it was 2am. He soon fell asleep again. It is here that the extraordinary begins.
When he woke up in the morning Mr. Bach was surprised by finding a page with the music on the bed, written with a very fine letter and microscopic notes. Since Mr. Bach is short sighted he had great difficulty to read all that and had to utilize a magnifying glass to decipher the scribbles.
A few moments later the successor of Sebastian Bach sat at the piano and executed the music without difficulties. The words and the Sarabande were exactly like the ones that the man in the dream had played for him! But Mr. Bach is not a somnambulist. He had never written a single verse in his entire life and the rules of poetry were totally strange to him. Here a passage of the music that we transcribed from the manuscript. We kept the orthography that, truth be said, is totally unknown to Mr. Bach.
I lost her,
The one I loved so much,
The dream of a lover,
Everyday a new touch,
A new desire.
Without her, life expires!
One day, in a faraway expedition, hunting,
I had that first sight.
An angel on the grounds, I thought!
I was the happiest of the Kings!
I would give my whole kingdom
to hold her once again,
To have her in the little cabin,
From my heart she would feel the rhythm.
Oh! They took her away from me,
Her final days secluded still;
My own life can only be
Bitter; she no longer suffers, no longer feels!
In that crying romantic song, as in the joyful Sarabande that follows, the musical staff is not less archaic than the writing. The clefs are different from those that are used today. The bass is written in one tone and the song in another. Mr. Bach was kind enough to allow me to hear the passages that have a simple, original and penetrating melody. In fact, our readers will soon be able to judge it themselves since they are in the hands of producers that are supposed to have it out with the editor Legouix, at the Boulevard Poissonnière, 27.
The journal Etoile tells us that King Henry III had a great passion for Marie de Cleves, Marquess of Isles, deceased at an early age in an Abby, on October 15th, 1574. Wouldn’t that be the beautiful, sad and secluded lady that the verses mention? The same paper tells us that an Italian musician by the name Baltazzarini came to France in those days and that he was one of the King’s favorites. Had the harpsichord belonged to Baltazzarini? Was the Spirit of Baltazzarini that wrote the Sarabande? A mystery that we dare not investigate!”
Albéric Second
-o-
After the lyrics the Grand Jounal inserted the song that unfortunately we cannot reproduce here. But since it is available for sale those that wish will be able to acquire it. (see Bibliographic News). Mr. Albéric Second finishes his article saying: “A mystery that we dare not investigate!” And why you dare not? That is a fact whose authenticity is demonstrated to you, as you acknowledge it yourself, and because it touches the mysterious life of beyond the grave you dare not search for its cause! You tremble when you face it! Then, despite all that, are you afraid of the apparitions or you fear to find the proofs that not everything ends with the life of the body? It is true that to a skeptical person that sees nothing and believes in nothing beyond the present, such a cause is very difficult to find. However, the more something is strange and seems not to conform to the known laws the more it should lead to analysis or at least raise curiosity.
It is true that certain persons are afraid of seeing very clearly because they would have to accept that they were wrong. Let us see, however, the deductions that every serious person may find in the fact, abstraction made of any Spiritist idea.
Mr. Bach receives an instrument that he attested to be an antique, something that is a reason for great satisfaction on his part. Influenced by that idea it is natural that it provoked a dream. In the dream he sees a man dressed in antique costumes, playing that instrument and singing an Aria of that time; nothing there that, rigorously speaking, cannot be attributed to a super excited imagination by the emotion and memory of the evening, particularly in a musician. But the phenomenon gets complicated here. The melody and the lyrics cannot be a recollection since Mr. Bach did not know them. Who then would have it revealed to Mr. Bach, if the man that he saw was nothing more than a fantasy? It is understandable that a super excited mind may lead to the recollection of forgotten things, but could it bring new ideas; could it teach us things that we did not know, have never learned and with which we have never dealt with? That on itself would be a fact of the highest relevance that deserved be examined because it would be a proof that the Spirit acts, perceives and conceives beyond matter. Let us keep it quiet, if you will. These considerations are of such an elevated and abstract order that not everybody can scrutinize them or not even give some thought to that.
Let us then move to the more material, more positive fact, that is the written song with the staff. Is that the result of imagination? The thing is there, touchable, and visible. Here is the place for an indispensable and scrupulous examination of the circumstances. Before we move further and to avoid hypothetical discussions, let us say that Mr. Bach, who we did not have the honor of knowing before, was kind enough to come to us and bring along the original piece in question. We could then hear from his own mouth all the details necessary to the clarification of the issue, at the time when he also confirmed some points reported by the journal.
Everything that was said about the dream was correct but the paper with the music was not brought to him on that same evening. In the morning of the following day Mr. Bach tried to remember the Aria that he had heard; he sat at the harpsichord and even tried to write the music, although imperfectly. About three weeks later the same individual appeared to him a second time; this time he sang the lyrics and said that he would give him the means of memorizing it. That is when he found the piece of paper on his bed when he woke up. He got up, played the music on the instrument and acknowledged that it was exactly the one he had heard, as well as the lyrics from which he only had a confusing memory. He also recognized the paper that belonged to him. It was a double face common musical paper on which he had written several things himself, in one of the faces. That piece of paper, with many others, was locked away inside a drawer in a desk located in another room of the house. One would have to had it removed from there and brought to his bed while he was asleep. Nobody could have done it in his household as far as he knew it. Who then? That is the terrible mystery that Mr. Albéric Second dare not scrutinize.
He found the Aria written on the clear face of the paper and according to the techniques and method of that time. The words were written with extreme precision, each syllable placed exactly under the corresponding musical note. Everything written with a pencil. The characters are really thin, but very clear and readable. The shape of the characters is typical of manuscripts of that time.
Mr. Bach was not skeptical or materialistic and even less atheist, but like a lot of people, he was in the large rank of the indifferent, not much interested in philosophical things. He only knew Spiritism by name. What he had just experienced got his attention; far from not willing to scrutinize the matter he said to himself: let us investigate it. He read Spiritist books and began to understand it and willing to get more insights into the matter he honored us with his visit. Today the fact is no longer a mystery to him and even seems very natural; besides, he is now very happy with the faith and knowledge that the circumstances led him to acquire. That is what he gained.
He knows perfectly well that neither the music nor the lyrics could have come from him. He had no doubt that they had been dictated to him by the person that had appeared to him; but he asked himself who had actually written them, if that could be him in a somnambulistic state, even if he had never been a somnambulist. That was possible but if it was admitted as such then it would just prove even better the independence of the soul, like every event of that kind; these are very curious and numerous events with which science has never not get involved.
A particular detail seems to destroy that opinion and that is the fact that the handwriting has no relationship with that of Mr. Bach. In a somnambulistic state he would have to change the way he writes regularly and utilize that of the sixteenth century, something that is not plausible. Could that be a prank from someone in his household? Even admitting that hypothesis he guarantees that nobody there has the necessary knowledge to execute that. Well, if he was the one that had the dream and he only had an insufficient recollection to transcribe the words and the music, how come someone strange to all that would have a better memory? The carefully written characters would have required a long time and a great practical skill.
Another important point to clarify was the historical fact of that first passion of the King, not mentioned in history and that inspired such a melancholic music. Mr. Bach’s son asked one of his friends that works at the Imperial Library about the existence of any historical document about it; the answer was that if there was any indication it should be in the Estoile Jounal that was published in those days. The search immediately led to the discovery of the passage reported above. Henry III mother feared that such a woman of a superior soul could exert influence upon her son and had her sent away to be secluded and later on killed. The King did not accept that loss and remained broken heart for his entire life. Isn’t that a remarkable fact that the music refers to an event that was unknown to everybody, and consequently unknown to Mr. Bach, and that later on it was confirmed by a document of those days, hidden in a library?
That circumstance has fundamental importance since it demonstrates in a irrefutable way that the lyrics cannot be authored by Mr. Bach or by anyone else in the house. Every hypothesis of charlatanism falls before such material fact.
Only Spiritism could provide the key to this fact by the knowledge of the law that governs the relationships between the corporeal and the invisible worlds. There is nothing marvelous or super natural there. The whole mystery is in the existence of the invisible world formed by the souls of those that lived on Earth and that do not break their relationships with those that outlived them. Show someone that does not know electricity that one may correspond with someone else hundreds of miles away in a matter of minutes[2] and that will seem miraculous; have that person learned the laws of electricity and it will become natural. That is what happens to the Spiritist phenomena.
In a session of the Spiritist Society of Paris in which Mr. Bach was present, the Spirit that had appeared to him gave the following explanations about the events that we have just reported.
Spiritist Society of Paris, June 9th, 1865 – Medium Mr. Morin
Question to the spiritual guide to the medium – Can we call the Spirit that manifested to Mr. Bach?
Answer – My son, the serious issue raised by that spontaneous manifestation is very natural. Starting this evening it must be resolved so that there will not be doubt remaining about the way the music was made. The Spirit is here and will respond very clearly to the questions addressed to him.
Q – (to the Spirit that manifested to Mr. Bach) Considering that you wanted to come to us, anticipating our appeal, we would be grateful if you could give us explanations about the event that took place with your intervention. We also would like to know why Mr. Bach was chosen for the manifestation and what was his participation in the phenomenon.
A. – Thank you for your benevolence and for having me with you. I understand the importance you give to this fact; however, you must not be surprised since such kind of phenomenon is today almost generally spread and known by many people. To begin with I answer your first question. Mr. Bach was chosen for two reasons: first the sympathy that unites us; the second is totally in the interest of the Spiritist Doctrine. Given his position in the world, his age and long career honorably accomplished, his relationships with the press and the educated society made him the best instrument to give publicity to events that only the Spiritist press gives publicity. You were told many times that there would come a time when Spiritism would conquer its right to citizenship wherever there is reason, logic and common sense, being accepted even in journals that have denigrated it. Regarding the second question: Yes, you are right to seek the answer so that you avoid misunderstandings. The contribution – it is about contribution – has been made and it had the participation of the Spirit (me) and Mr. Bach, in the pure dream and in relation to the Spirits only.
Note: This last phrase has its explanation in the article that follows about dreams
I brought the piece of paper to Mr. Bach after taking it from a piece of furniture adjacent to his bedroom and the music was written by Mr. Bach himself that used his own body as a means of transmission. I wrote the words since I knew them, and the work may then be considered completely spiritual since Mr. Bach, in his dream, was almost completely dematerialized.
Q. – Any person that is a medium could have served in that case? A. – Certainly not because if Mr. Bach did not have the required skills it is likely that both of us would not have been chosen for that propagation.
Q. – How did Mr. Bach utilized his own body to write the music? Did he do that in somnambulistic state? A. – I said that he used his own body as a means of transmission because his is still incarnate and cannot act like a discarnate Spirit. An incarnate Spirit can only utilize the limbs and not the perispirit since it is the perispirit itself that keeps the Spirit bonded to the body.
Q. – Can you tell us who composed the lyrics? A. – If I had been the one I have a good dose of pride to keep the honor, but no. I clearly explained it saying that I knew the words. Those words as well as the music are really the composition and inspiration of my then master King Henry.
Q. – Would that be an indiscretion to ask you about your personality and to tell us what was your position under Henry III? A. – There is no indiscretion as long as there is general interest. I respond by saying that I left my homeland, Florence, coming to France and was introduced to the court by a princess that heard me singing and wanted to please the still infant, making him hear the poor minstrel. There was so much pleasure that they decided to have me at his disposal and I spent a long time by his side as a musician, but in reality, I was a friend that he liked a lot and that felt good with me. The fact that I died before him made me see how much he was attached based on his grief with the loss. My name was mentioned here: I was Baltazzarini.
Mrs. Delanne was present at the session and received identical answers given to Mr. Morin by hearing. The next day she wrote the communication below in her house that confirms and complements that of Baltazzarini:
“When the time is right God employs all means to have the divine science penetrating the layers of Society. Regardless of the opinion that one may have about the new ideas, each one must serve the cause, even if in spite of oneself, in the place where each one is placed. Since the Spirit of Mr. Bach lived in the domains of Henry III and personally related to the King as a close friend, he liked very much to hear those verses and in particular the music. The harpsichord was his favorite instrument. That is why the Spirit of Baltazzarini appeared to him and used that instrument to bring the Spirit of Bach back to the time in which he lived and to show him, as to science, that the doctrine of reincarnation is everyday confirmed by new proofs. The music alone would not have been sufficient to bring Mr. Bach to light immediately. He needed a phenomenon that he could not explain on his own, an entirely unconscious participation. He must promote the doctrine by telling this story, seeking to understand the means by which it was produced, asking the help of the minds that like him seek the truth. His respectable age, honorable position and reputation in the world and in literature, he is one of the first milestones planted in the rebellious world, considering his trustworthy good-faith; he cannot be taken by a mad person or have the authenticity of the manifestation denied. Besides, rest assured that all this happened by design. As you can see the press abstained from commenting and yet the article was produced by a non-believer, a jester of science that is the only one that could give a plausible explanation for the fact. God has his own points of view; he sows the divine see onto the hearts when he thinks it is appropriate. This event shall have more repercussion than you think. Work always quietly and wait confidently.
We have told you many times; at the right time and place God will solicit people and events that will lift the obstacles and give you the confirmation that the bases of the doctrine have received the sanction of the Spirit of Truth. Spiritism grows and expands; the branches of the gigantic and blessed tree reach out all over the globe. Spiritism daily conquers new followers in all classes and new phalanxes come to join the ranks of the discarnate. The more difficult your work becomes the greater the assistance of the good Spirits.
St. Benedict”
[1] A dance music in triple metric (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarabande)
[2] Reference to the newly developed telegraph, in the first part of the nineteenth century (TN)
“All editors and all music lovers in Paris know Mr. N. G. Bach, pupil of Zimmermann, first prize winner at the piano conservatory in the 1819 contest, one of our most respected and cherished piano teachers, great grandson of the great Sebastian Bach, whose illustrious name he dignifies.
“Informed by our common friend, Mr. Dollingen, administrator of the Grand Journal, that Mr. N. G. Bach’s apartment had been the stage of a true prodigy on the evening of May 5th last, I then asked Dollingen to lead me to Mr. Bach, being welcomed at 8 Rue de Castellane with great courtesy. I believe to be unnecessary to mention that I only allowed myself to tell the readers this marvelous story after the proper consent of its hero.
On May 4th last Mr. Leon Bach, a curious stuntman of an artist, gave his father a harpsichord remarkably carved. After long and detailed research, he found inside the historical details of that instrument: it was from April 1564, manufactured in Rome. Mr. Bach spent part of his day contemplating the precious harpsichord. He fell asleep thinking about that. Not surprisingly, his dream was like this:
In the depth of his dream he saw a man with a long beard at the headboard of his bed; he was wearing round shoes with large laces on top, large breeches, a long sleeve shirt, pleated at the top, a large collar and a steep hat with large rims. That person leaned over Mr. Bach and said: - The harpsichord that you have now has once belonged to me. It served me many times to entertain my master, King Henry III. When he was very young he composed an Aria with lyrics that he liked to sing and that I played for him many times. He composed the Aria and the lyrics to a woman that he met during a hunting trip and with whom he fell in love. She was kept away from him; people say that she was poisoned and that the King suffered a lot. Every time when he was said he used to sing that song. Then, in order to distract him, I used to play a Sarabande[1] in my harpsichord, that I had created and that he liked very much. I then used to play those two compositions, always one after the other. I will play them for you.
Next the man in the dream approached the harpsichord, played a few chords and sang the Aria with so much feeling that Mr. Bach woke up crying. He lit a candle and check the time; it was 2am. He soon fell asleep again. It is here that the extraordinary begins.
When he woke up in the morning Mr. Bach was surprised by finding a page with the music on the bed, written with a very fine letter and microscopic notes. Since Mr. Bach is short sighted he had great difficulty to read all that and had to utilize a magnifying glass to decipher the scribbles.
A few moments later the successor of Sebastian Bach sat at the piano and executed the music without difficulties. The words and the Sarabande were exactly like the ones that the man in the dream had played for him! But Mr. Bach is not a somnambulist. He had never written a single verse in his entire life and the rules of poetry were totally strange to him. Here a passage of the music that we transcribed from the manuscript. We kept the orthography that, truth be said, is totally unknown to Mr. Bach.
I lost her,
The one I loved so much,
The dream of a lover,
Everyday a new touch,
A new desire.
Without her, life expires!
One day, in a faraway expedition, hunting,
I had that first sight.
An angel on the grounds, I thought!
I was the happiest of the Kings!
I would give my whole kingdom
to hold her once again,
To have her in the little cabin,
From my heart she would feel the rhythm.
Oh! They took her away from me,
Her final days secluded still;
My own life can only be
Bitter; she no longer suffers, no longer feels!
In that crying romantic song, as in the joyful Sarabande that follows, the musical staff is not less archaic than the writing. The clefs are different from those that are used today. The bass is written in one tone and the song in another. Mr. Bach was kind enough to allow me to hear the passages that have a simple, original and penetrating melody. In fact, our readers will soon be able to judge it themselves since they are in the hands of producers that are supposed to have it out with the editor Legouix, at the Boulevard Poissonnière, 27.
The journal Etoile tells us that King Henry III had a great passion for Marie de Cleves, Marquess of Isles, deceased at an early age in an Abby, on October 15th, 1574. Wouldn’t that be the beautiful, sad and secluded lady that the verses mention? The same paper tells us that an Italian musician by the name Baltazzarini came to France in those days and that he was one of the King’s favorites. Had the harpsichord belonged to Baltazzarini? Was the Spirit of Baltazzarini that wrote the Sarabande? A mystery that we dare not investigate!”
Albéric Second
-o-
After the lyrics the Grand Jounal inserted the song that unfortunately we cannot reproduce here. But since it is available for sale those that wish will be able to acquire it. (see Bibliographic News). Mr. Albéric Second finishes his article saying: “A mystery that we dare not investigate!” And why you dare not? That is a fact whose authenticity is demonstrated to you, as you acknowledge it yourself, and because it touches the mysterious life of beyond the grave you dare not search for its cause! You tremble when you face it! Then, despite all that, are you afraid of the apparitions or you fear to find the proofs that not everything ends with the life of the body? It is true that to a skeptical person that sees nothing and believes in nothing beyond the present, such a cause is very difficult to find. However, the more something is strange and seems not to conform to the known laws the more it should lead to analysis or at least raise curiosity.
It is true that certain persons are afraid of seeing very clearly because they would have to accept that they were wrong. Let us see, however, the deductions that every serious person may find in the fact, abstraction made of any Spiritist idea.
Mr. Bach receives an instrument that he attested to be an antique, something that is a reason for great satisfaction on his part. Influenced by that idea it is natural that it provoked a dream. In the dream he sees a man dressed in antique costumes, playing that instrument and singing an Aria of that time; nothing there that, rigorously speaking, cannot be attributed to a super excited imagination by the emotion and memory of the evening, particularly in a musician. But the phenomenon gets complicated here. The melody and the lyrics cannot be a recollection since Mr. Bach did not know them. Who then would have it revealed to Mr. Bach, if the man that he saw was nothing more than a fantasy? It is understandable that a super excited mind may lead to the recollection of forgotten things, but could it bring new ideas; could it teach us things that we did not know, have never learned and with which we have never dealt with? That on itself would be a fact of the highest relevance that deserved be examined because it would be a proof that the Spirit acts, perceives and conceives beyond matter. Let us keep it quiet, if you will. These considerations are of such an elevated and abstract order that not everybody can scrutinize them or not even give some thought to that.
Let us then move to the more material, more positive fact, that is the written song with the staff. Is that the result of imagination? The thing is there, touchable, and visible. Here is the place for an indispensable and scrupulous examination of the circumstances. Before we move further and to avoid hypothetical discussions, let us say that Mr. Bach, who we did not have the honor of knowing before, was kind enough to come to us and bring along the original piece in question. We could then hear from his own mouth all the details necessary to the clarification of the issue, at the time when he also confirmed some points reported by the journal.
Everything that was said about the dream was correct but the paper with the music was not brought to him on that same evening. In the morning of the following day Mr. Bach tried to remember the Aria that he had heard; he sat at the harpsichord and even tried to write the music, although imperfectly. About three weeks later the same individual appeared to him a second time; this time he sang the lyrics and said that he would give him the means of memorizing it. That is when he found the piece of paper on his bed when he woke up. He got up, played the music on the instrument and acknowledged that it was exactly the one he had heard, as well as the lyrics from which he only had a confusing memory. He also recognized the paper that belonged to him. It was a double face common musical paper on which he had written several things himself, in one of the faces. That piece of paper, with many others, was locked away inside a drawer in a desk located in another room of the house. One would have to had it removed from there and brought to his bed while he was asleep. Nobody could have done it in his household as far as he knew it. Who then? That is the terrible mystery that Mr. Albéric Second dare not scrutinize.
He found the Aria written on the clear face of the paper and according to the techniques and method of that time. The words were written with extreme precision, each syllable placed exactly under the corresponding musical note. Everything written with a pencil. The characters are really thin, but very clear and readable. The shape of the characters is typical of manuscripts of that time.
Mr. Bach was not skeptical or materialistic and even less atheist, but like a lot of people, he was in the large rank of the indifferent, not much interested in philosophical things. He only knew Spiritism by name. What he had just experienced got his attention; far from not willing to scrutinize the matter he said to himself: let us investigate it. He read Spiritist books and began to understand it and willing to get more insights into the matter he honored us with his visit. Today the fact is no longer a mystery to him and even seems very natural; besides, he is now very happy with the faith and knowledge that the circumstances led him to acquire. That is what he gained.
He knows perfectly well that neither the music nor the lyrics could have come from him. He had no doubt that they had been dictated to him by the person that had appeared to him; but he asked himself who had actually written them, if that could be him in a somnambulistic state, even if he had never been a somnambulist. That was possible but if it was admitted as such then it would just prove even better the independence of the soul, like every event of that kind; these are very curious and numerous events with which science has never not get involved.
A particular detail seems to destroy that opinion and that is the fact that the handwriting has no relationship with that of Mr. Bach. In a somnambulistic state he would have to change the way he writes regularly and utilize that of the sixteenth century, something that is not plausible. Could that be a prank from someone in his household? Even admitting that hypothesis he guarantees that nobody there has the necessary knowledge to execute that. Well, if he was the one that had the dream and he only had an insufficient recollection to transcribe the words and the music, how come someone strange to all that would have a better memory? The carefully written characters would have required a long time and a great practical skill.
Another important point to clarify was the historical fact of that first passion of the King, not mentioned in history and that inspired such a melancholic music. Mr. Bach’s son asked one of his friends that works at the Imperial Library about the existence of any historical document about it; the answer was that if there was any indication it should be in the Estoile Jounal that was published in those days. The search immediately led to the discovery of the passage reported above. Henry III mother feared that such a woman of a superior soul could exert influence upon her son and had her sent away to be secluded and later on killed. The King did not accept that loss and remained broken heart for his entire life. Isn’t that a remarkable fact that the music refers to an event that was unknown to everybody, and consequently unknown to Mr. Bach, and that later on it was confirmed by a document of those days, hidden in a library?
That circumstance has fundamental importance since it demonstrates in a irrefutable way that the lyrics cannot be authored by Mr. Bach or by anyone else in the house. Every hypothesis of charlatanism falls before such material fact.
Only Spiritism could provide the key to this fact by the knowledge of the law that governs the relationships between the corporeal and the invisible worlds. There is nothing marvelous or super natural there. The whole mystery is in the existence of the invisible world formed by the souls of those that lived on Earth and that do not break their relationships with those that outlived them. Show someone that does not know electricity that one may correspond with someone else hundreds of miles away in a matter of minutes[2] and that will seem miraculous; have that person learned the laws of electricity and it will become natural. That is what happens to the Spiritist phenomena.
In a session of the Spiritist Society of Paris in which Mr. Bach was present, the Spirit that had appeared to him gave the following explanations about the events that we have just reported.
Spiritist Society of Paris, June 9th, 1865 – Medium Mr. Morin
Question to the spiritual guide to the medium – Can we call the Spirit that manifested to Mr. Bach?
Answer – My son, the serious issue raised by that spontaneous manifestation is very natural. Starting this evening it must be resolved so that there will not be doubt remaining about the way the music was made. The Spirit is here and will respond very clearly to the questions addressed to him.
Q – (to the Spirit that manifested to Mr. Bach) Considering that you wanted to come to us, anticipating our appeal, we would be grateful if you could give us explanations about the event that took place with your intervention. We also would like to know why Mr. Bach was chosen for the manifestation and what was his participation in the phenomenon.
A. – Thank you for your benevolence and for having me with you. I understand the importance you give to this fact; however, you must not be surprised since such kind of phenomenon is today almost generally spread and known by many people. To begin with I answer your first question. Mr. Bach was chosen for two reasons: first the sympathy that unites us; the second is totally in the interest of the Spiritist Doctrine. Given his position in the world, his age and long career honorably accomplished, his relationships with the press and the educated society made him the best instrument to give publicity to events that only the Spiritist press gives publicity. You were told many times that there would come a time when Spiritism would conquer its right to citizenship wherever there is reason, logic and common sense, being accepted even in journals that have denigrated it. Regarding the second question: Yes, you are right to seek the answer so that you avoid misunderstandings. The contribution – it is about contribution – has been made and it had the participation of the Spirit (me) and Mr. Bach, in the pure dream and in relation to the Spirits only.
Note: This last phrase has its explanation in the article that follows about dreams
I brought the piece of paper to Mr. Bach after taking it from a piece of furniture adjacent to his bedroom and the music was written by Mr. Bach himself that used his own body as a means of transmission. I wrote the words since I knew them, and the work may then be considered completely spiritual since Mr. Bach, in his dream, was almost completely dematerialized.
Q. – Any person that is a medium could have served in that case? A. – Certainly not because if Mr. Bach did not have the required skills it is likely that both of us would not have been chosen for that propagation.
Q. – How did Mr. Bach utilized his own body to write the music? Did he do that in somnambulistic state? A. – I said that he used his own body as a means of transmission because his is still incarnate and cannot act like a discarnate Spirit. An incarnate Spirit can only utilize the limbs and not the perispirit since it is the perispirit itself that keeps the Spirit bonded to the body.
Q. – Can you tell us who composed the lyrics? A. – If I had been the one I have a good dose of pride to keep the honor, but no. I clearly explained it saying that I knew the words. Those words as well as the music are really the composition and inspiration of my then master King Henry.
Q. – Would that be an indiscretion to ask you about your personality and to tell us what was your position under Henry III? A. – There is no indiscretion as long as there is general interest. I respond by saying that I left my homeland, Florence, coming to France and was introduced to the court by a princess that heard me singing and wanted to please the still infant, making him hear the poor minstrel. There was so much pleasure that they decided to have me at his disposal and I spent a long time by his side as a musician, but in reality, I was a friend that he liked a lot and that felt good with me. The fact that I died before him made me see how much he was attached based on his grief with the loss. My name was mentioned here: I was Baltazzarini.
Mrs. Delanne was present at the session and received identical answers given to Mr. Morin by hearing. The next day she wrote the communication below in her house that confirms and complements that of Baltazzarini:
“When the time is right God employs all means to have the divine science penetrating the layers of Society. Regardless of the opinion that one may have about the new ideas, each one must serve the cause, even if in spite of oneself, in the place where each one is placed. Since the Spirit of Mr. Bach lived in the domains of Henry III and personally related to the King as a close friend, he liked very much to hear those verses and in particular the music. The harpsichord was his favorite instrument. That is why the Spirit of Baltazzarini appeared to him and used that instrument to bring the Spirit of Bach back to the time in which he lived and to show him, as to science, that the doctrine of reincarnation is everyday confirmed by new proofs. The music alone would not have been sufficient to bring Mr. Bach to light immediately. He needed a phenomenon that he could not explain on his own, an entirely unconscious participation. He must promote the doctrine by telling this story, seeking to understand the means by which it was produced, asking the help of the minds that like him seek the truth. His respectable age, honorable position and reputation in the world and in literature, he is one of the first milestones planted in the rebellious world, considering his trustworthy good-faith; he cannot be taken by a mad person or have the authenticity of the manifestation denied. Besides, rest assured that all this happened by design. As you can see the press abstained from commenting and yet the article was produced by a non-believer, a jester of science that is the only one that could give a plausible explanation for the fact. God has his own points of view; he sows the divine see onto the hearts when he thinks it is appropriate. This event shall have more repercussion than you think. Work always quietly and wait confidently.
We have told you many times; at the right time and place God will solicit people and events that will lift the obstacles and give you the confirmation that the bases of the doctrine have received the sanction of the Spirit of Truth. Spiritism grows and expands; the branches of the gigantic and blessed tree reach out all over the globe. Spiritism daily conquers new followers in all classes and new phalanxes come to join the ranks of the discarnate. The more difficult your work becomes the greater the assistance of the good Spirits.
St. Benedict”
[1] A dance music in triple metric (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarabande)
[2] Reference to the newly developed telegraph, in the first part of the nineteenth century (TN)
Gontran, the Winner of Chantilly’s Races
The fact below, as well as the song of Henry III that we reported above, is equally published in the Grand Journal of June 4th, 1865, forming one single article signed by Albéric Second.
“Those that give us the honor of reading our material know, no doubt, that we profess a radical skepticism about Spiritism, the Spiritists and the mediums. – Show me the facts, we asked those that struggled to convert us to their theories and doctrines. Since none was given we persisted in the denial and mockery.
Before we start the one that signs these chronicles is a writer in good-faith. Therefore, one does not want to light a lamp and put it under the bowl. Each one must make their own conclusions, and that is not anyone’s problem. Like the president of a court, one should reproduce the facts in a quick and impartial summary, leaving to the readers the work of pronouncing the verdict at will.”
After this preamble of an honest man, as we wished were all of our adversaries, the author tells a story, in a very peculiar and typical way, of one of his friends that was in the house of a medium, then asking the Spirit if he could indicate who was going to be the winner of the races in Chantilly. The lady medium was, according to him, a recently arrived peasant from the mountains of Jura, meaning that she was not much educated and not at all into that kind of sport; she evoked the Spirit of one of our renowned sportsman and obtained, through knocks, the designation of the letters forming the name Gontran.
“Those that give us the honor of reading our material know, no doubt, that we profess a radical skepticism about Spiritism, the Spiritists and the mediums. – Show me the facts, we asked those that struggled to convert us to their theories and doctrines. Since none was given we persisted in the denial and mockery.
Before we start the one that signs these chronicles is a writer in good-faith. Therefore, one does not want to light a lamp and put it under the bowl. Each one must make their own conclusions, and that is not anyone’s problem. Like the president of a court, one should reproduce the facts in a quick and impartial summary, leaving to the readers the work of pronouncing the verdict at will.”
After this preamble of an honest man, as we wished were all of our adversaries, the author tells a story, in a very peculiar and typical way, of one of his friends that was in the house of a medium, then asking the Spirit if he could indicate who was going to be the winner of the races in Chantilly. The lady medium was, according to him, a recently arrived peasant from the mountains of Jura, meaning that she was not much educated and not at all into that kind of sport; she evoked the Spirit of one of our renowned sportsman and obtained, through knocks, the designation of the letters forming the name Gontran.
- Is there a horse with that name among the competitors? Mr. Albéric Second asked.
- To tell you the truth, his friend responded, I don’t know but if there is one you can count on it I will place my bet.
“Well, last Sunday was May 28th. The Derby of Chantilly took place and the winner was Gontran, from the stud of Major Fridolin (pseudo name of Messrs. Charles Laffitte and Nivière).
These facts are widely known by a large number of people in the world of gambling. Mr. Emile T. was generously compensated by the result and his absolute trust in the prediction of the peasant of Jura, and his friends that share his faith made also good profit. When I think that this servant of yours lost such a rare occasion of easily winning 1,000-1,5000 francs that would have been welcomed! Isn’t that stupid?”
Events of that kind are not the best ones to support the cause of Spiritism, first because they are very rare and second because they would deceive its principle, leading people to believe that mediumship is a means of foretelling.
If such an idea deserved credit a multitude of people would be seeing consulting the Spirits, as people do with the cards, and the mediums would be transformed in fortune tellers! That would give others reason to invoke the law of Moses that expels the “foretellers, the enchanters and those that have the Spirit of Piton”. It is for the sake of avoid such serious inconvenient that would tremendously harmful to the doctrine that we always stand against the exploitation of mediumship.
We will not repeat here what has been said hundreds of times and amply developed about the disturbance that the knowledge of the future would cause, a knowledge that is hidden from mankind by the divine wisdom. Spiritism is not destined to reveal it. The Spirits come to make us better and not to reveal or indicate means of making money with certainty and without risks, as the hero of the adventure says, or to get involved in our material interests, placed by the divine Providence under the protection of our own intelligence, prudence, reason and activity. Therefore, all those that by a premediated design, believe to find in Spiritism a new element of speculation, at any given denomination, are mistaken. The ridiculous mystifications, and sometimes bankruptcy instead of fortune, are the fruit of their mistake. That is what every serious Spiritist must strive to propagate, if willing to serve the cause with utility. We have said many times that those that aspire to obtain fortune with the support of the Spirits, under the articulated pretext that the confirmation of such an event would convert everybody into believers, if successful they would throw a mortal blow against the doctrine, exciting greed instead of love for the good. That is why the attempts to achieve that kind of thing, encouraged by mystifying Spirits, have always been followed by frustration.
A few years back someone wrote to us from Hamburg saying that he had lost everything in gambling and that since he was broken he had the idea of asking a Spirit that gave him a number in which he bet his last mark and won, and that helped him out of the hardship. The person asked us to have the fact published in the Spiritist Review, as a proof of the intervention of the Spirits. Supposing the action of a Spirit the person did not see the lesson that was given by the simple fact that he was given the means of going away and be relieved from difficulty. In reality it is a very poor judgment of ourselves or the assumption that we are really stupid to be capable of utilizing similar tactics to promote the doctrine because that would certainly favor the casinos but not Spiritism. It would be interesting to see us making apology of the Spirits favoring gamblers, and in particular deception, because winning with certainty with biased cards or by the indication of someone is a true fraud.
An individual that was not Spiritist, we must promptly say, but that absolutely did not deny the intervention of the Spirits, one day came to us with the following unique proposal:
“The casinos are profoundly immoral; a way of extinguishing them is to demonstrate that one can safely fight them. I found through a new combination an infallible way of destroying them all. When they are ruined and incapable of fighting back they will be forced to close and the world will be free from this ulcer that is the organized crime. But for that we need certain capital that I am far from having. Could you perhaps point me to someone that can help, with the support of the Spirits? Imagine the result of that when everybody finds out that such a great achievement was done with the help of the Spirits! Who could doubt it? The most skeptical and non-believers would give in to evidence. As you see, my objective is honorable, and I would not complain if I had the advice of the Spirits to obtain such combination.”
Without consulting the Spirits, I can tell you their opinion. Here is what they would tell you: “You believe that winning in the casinos is illicit and an organized crime. To remediate the evil, you want an infallible way to get that bad money. In other words, you want to steal from the thieve, and that is not more honorable. We have another means of reaching the same result that you propose: Instead of making the gamblers win let us lead them to bankruptcy, so that they are broken. The disasters caused by that vice would lead to more casinos being closed than one could do with happier gamblers. It is the excess of evilness that opens the eyes and leads to healthy transformation, here as in everything else. To promote the belief in Spiritism we equally have more efficient ways, and particularly more honorable; it is the good that it does, the consolations that it promotes and the courage that it gives to the unfortunate ones. This is what we say to all those that wish the progress of the doctrine: Do you want to be useful to the cause and make a truly positive propaganda? Show that Spiritism made you better; by seeing you as a changed person, let them say: it is a miracle of that doctrine; hence must be a good thing. However, if in addition to your profession of faith, they see you always addicted, ambitions, hateful, greedy, envious and senseless, they will give reason to those that ask what is Spiritism for? The true propaganda of an essentially moral doctrine is done by touching the hearts and not the wallets. That is why we favor some and frustrate the calculations of others.”
Let us return to Gontran. Facts of predictions of that kind, although real, are nonetheless very rare and may be considered exceptional; they are in fact always serendipitous and never the result of a premeditated calculation. When they do happen, they must be seen as isolated events, but someone that would really trust such accomplishment would be mad and truly unwise.
One must not confound that kind of revelation with the predictions that sometimes the Spirits make about great events of the future, whose realization they may make us present in the general interest. That has its utility to keep us vigilant and to lead us to the good path. But predictions with certain dates or with a character of high accuracy must be considered suspicious.
In the case mentioned above the little fact had a utility; it was a means, perhaps the only one capable of calling peoples’ attention to the Spirits and their intervention in the world, much more than through a serious event; that is needed to all characters. Among them some would have said: “That was impressive”. But others may have wanted to scrutinize the thing and would have found the serious side and the one that is really useful. Even if the latter accounted for ten percent of them, these would be new elements of gain and propaganda. As for the others, the idea that was sowed in their souls will germinate one day.
By reporting the fact that had great publicity we only wanted to point out to its consequences, but we would not have done so without comments and simply as an anecdote. Spiritism is an inextinguishable mine of issues, observations and study due to its uncountable application.
The author says in the preamble: “Show us the facts”. He undoubtedly thinks that the Spirits obey our orders and that the phenomena are obtained at will, like the experiments in a laboratory or magic tricks. Well, that is not the case. The one that wishes phenomena must not ask for them but seek them, personally observe them and accept those that are presented to them. Those phenomena are of two kinds: those that are produced by the mediums themselves and that may be provoked, at certain extent, and the spontaneous phenomena. To the skeptical the latter ones have the advantage of not being suspicious of preparation; these occur in large number and in an infinite variety of types, as in: apparitions, visions, presentiments, double sight, strange noises, disturbances, obsessions, etc. The case of Mr. Bach belongs to this category and that of Gontran to the first one. For those that sincerely want to be convinced there is no lack of events and those that request them, perhaps more than once, may have witnessed them unnoticeably; to the majority of people, though, the mistake is in the desire of wanting something to occur their way, at a scheduled time and not to be content with those that the Providence places before their eyes. The uncertainty in the occurrence of the phenomena and the impossibility of provoking them at will are the proofs of their reality, because if they were the product of charlatanism or fraud they would never fail.
It is patience and good will that certain persons lack and not facts when seeking and studying the ones that do occur.
These facts are widely known by a large number of people in the world of gambling. Mr. Emile T. was generously compensated by the result and his absolute trust in the prediction of the peasant of Jura, and his friends that share his faith made also good profit. When I think that this servant of yours lost such a rare occasion of easily winning 1,000-1,5000 francs that would have been welcomed! Isn’t that stupid?”
Events of that kind are not the best ones to support the cause of Spiritism, first because they are very rare and second because they would deceive its principle, leading people to believe that mediumship is a means of foretelling.
If such an idea deserved credit a multitude of people would be seeing consulting the Spirits, as people do with the cards, and the mediums would be transformed in fortune tellers! That would give others reason to invoke the law of Moses that expels the “foretellers, the enchanters and those that have the Spirit of Piton”. It is for the sake of avoid such serious inconvenient that would tremendously harmful to the doctrine that we always stand against the exploitation of mediumship.
We will not repeat here what has been said hundreds of times and amply developed about the disturbance that the knowledge of the future would cause, a knowledge that is hidden from mankind by the divine wisdom. Spiritism is not destined to reveal it. The Spirits come to make us better and not to reveal or indicate means of making money with certainty and without risks, as the hero of the adventure says, or to get involved in our material interests, placed by the divine Providence under the protection of our own intelligence, prudence, reason and activity. Therefore, all those that by a premediated design, believe to find in Spiritism a new element of speculation, at any given denomination, are mistaken. The ridiculous mystifications, and sometimes bankruptcy instead of fortune, are the fruit of their mistake. That is what every serious Spiritist must strive to propagate, if willing to serve the cause with utility. We have said many times that those that aspire to obtain fortune with the support of the Spirits, under the articulated pretext that the confirmation of such an event would convert everybody into believers, if successful they would throw a mortal blow against the doctrine, exciting greed instead of love for the good. That is why the attempts to achieve that kind of thing, encouraged by mystifying Spirits, have always been followed by frustration.
A few years back someone wrote to us from Hamburg saying that he had lost everything in gambling and that since he was broken he had the idea of asking a Spirit that gave him a number in which he bet his last mark and won, and that helped him out of the hardship. The person asked us to have the fact published in the Spiritist Review, as a proof of the intervention of the Spirits. Supposing the action of a Spirit the person did not see the lesson that was given by the simple fact that he was given the means of going away and be relieved from difficulty. In reality it is a very poor judgment of ourselves or the assumption that we are really stupid to be capable of utilizing similar tactics to promote the doctrine because that would certainly favor the casinos but not Spiritism. It would be interesting to see us making apology of the Spirits favoring gamblers, and in particular deception, because winning with certainty with biased cards or by the indication of someone is a true fraud.
An individual that was not Spiritist, we must promptly say, but that absolutely did not deny the intervention of the Spirits, one day came to us with the following unique proposal:
“The casinos are profoundly immoral; a way of extinguishing them is to demonstrate that one can safely fight them. I found through a new combination an infallible way of destroying them all. When they are ruined and incapable of fighting back they will be forced to close and the world will be free from this ulcer that is the organized crime. But for that we need certain capital that I am far from having. Could you perhaps point me to someone that can help, with the support of the Spirits? Imagine the result of that when everybody finds out that such a great achievement was done with the help of the Spirits! Who could doubt it? The most skeptical and non-believers would give in to evidence. As you see, my objective is honorable, and I would not complain if I had the advice of the Spirits to obtain such combination.”
Without consulting the Spirits, I can tell you their opinion. Here is what they would tell you: “You believe that winning in the casinos is illicit and an organized crime. To remediate the evil, you want an infallible way to get that bad money. In other words, you want to steal from the thieve, and that is not more honorable. We have another means of reaching the same result that you propose: Instead of making the gamblers win let us lead them to bankruptcy, so that they are broken. The disasters caused by that vice would lead to more casinos being closed than one could do with happier gamblers. It is the excess of evilness that opens the eyes and leads to healthy transformation, here as in everything else. To promote the belief in Spiritism we equally have more efficient ways, and particularly more honorable; it is the good that it does, the consolations that it promotes and the courage that it gives to the unfortunate ones. This is what we say to all those that wish the progress of the doctrine: Do you want to be useful to the cause and make a truly positive propaganda? Show that Spiritism made you better; by seeing you as a changed person, let them say: it is a miracle of that doctrine; hence must be a good thing. However, if in addition to your profession of faith, they see you always addicted, ambitions, hateful, greedy, envious and senseless, they will give reason to those that ask what is Spiritism for? The true propaganda of an essentially moral doctrine is done by touching the hearts and not the wallets. That is why we favor some and frustrate the calculations of others.”
Let us return to Gontran. Facts of predictions of that kind, although real, are nonetheless very rare and may be considered exceptional; they are in fact always serendipitous and never the result of a premeditated calculation. When they do happen, they must be seen as isolated events, but someone that would really trust such accomplishment would be mad and truly unwise.
One must not confound that kind of revelation with the predictions that sometimes the Spirits make about great events of the future, whose realization they may make us present in the general interest. That has its utility to keep us vigilant and to lead us to the good path. But predictions with certain dates or with a character of high accuracy must be considered suspicious.
In the case mentioned above the little fact had a utility; it was a means, perhaps the only one capable of calling peoples’ attention to the Spirits and their intervention in the world, much more than through a serious event; that is needed to all characters. Among them some would have said: “That was impressive”. But others may have wanted to scrutinize the thing and would have found the serious side and the one that is really useful. Even if the latter accounted for ten percent of them, these would be new elements of gain and propaganda. As for the others, the idea that was sowed in their souls will germinate one day.
By reporting the fact that had great publicity we only wanted to point out to its consequences, but we would not have done so without comments and simply as an anecdote. Spiritism is an inextinguishable mine of issues, observations and study due to its uncountable application.
The author says in the preamble: “Show us the facts”. He undoubtedly thinks that the Spirits obey our orders and that the phenomena are obtained at will, like the experiments in a laboratory or magic tricks. Well, that is not the case. The one that wishes phenomena must not ask for them but seek them, personally observe them and accept those that are presented to them. Those phenomena are of two kinds: those that are produced by the mediums themselves and that may be provoked, at certain extent, and the spontaneous phenomena. To the skeptical the latter ones have the advantage of not being suspicious of preparation; these occur in large number and in an infinite variety of types, as in: apparitions, visions, presentiments, double sight, strange noises, disturbances, obsessions, etc. The case of Mr. Bach belongs to this category and that of Gontran to the first one. For those that sincerely want to be convinced there is no lack of events and those that request them, perhaps more than once, may have witnessed them unnoticeably; to the majority of people, though, the mistake is in the desire of wanting something to occur their way, at a scheduled time and not to be content with those that the Providence places before their eyes. The uncertainty in the occurrence of the phenomena and the impossibility of provoking them at will are the proofs of their reality, because if they were the product of charlatanism or fraud they would never fail.
It is patience and good will that certain persons lack and not facts when seeking and studying the ones that do occur.
Theory About Dreams
It is really strange that such a vulgar phenomenon such as the dreams have been the object of such indifference from the part of science and that we are still asking ourselves about the causes of such visions. The issue is not solved when someone says that they are the result of imagination; this is one of those words that are used to explain something that is not understood and that remains unexplained. Nonetheless, imagination is the result of knowledge. Well, since imagination cannot be admitted in brute matter, it must follow that the soul has some role in that. If the dreams are still a mystery to science it is for the fact that science has adamantly closed its eyes to their spiritual cause.
The soul is sought in the intricacies of the brain while it stands before us constantly, free and independent, in a number of phenomena that go inexplicable by the laws of matter, notably in the dreams, natural and induced somnambulism and in the double vision; they are not necessarily in the rare and subtle phenomena that require painstaking research from scholars and philosophers but rather in the most vulgar phenomena.
The soul is right there, seemingly saying: Look and see me; I am here before your eyes and yet you cannot see; I am with you every day; children can see me; the wise man and the most ignorant person see me but you do not acknowledge that!
There are people, however, that seem to be afraid of facing it and finding the proof of its existence. As for those that seek it in good faith they have so far missed the only key that could have it unveiled to them. That key has just been given to them by Spiritism in revealing the laws that govern the relationships between the corporeal and spiritual world. With the help of that law and with the observations that support it, Spiritism provides the most logical and never before given explanation. It demonstrates that the dreams, somnambulism, the double vision, presentiment, intuition of the future and the mind reading are not but variants and degrees of the same principle: the emancipation of the soul, more or less detached from matter.
Regarding the dreams, has Spiritism given precise explanations about all varieties that do exist? No. Not yet. We have the principle and that is a lot already. The ones that can be explained will give us the lead for the others; some elements are certainly still missing but those will be acquired later. There is not a single science that has explained everything from the beginning with their consequences and applications; it is only through successive observations that they can be complemented.
Spiritism was born yesterday and like in Chemistry, it is still in the hands of its Lavoisier and Berthollet, its initiators; they found the fundamental laws; the first landmarks led to further discoveries.
There are some dreams whose positive character cannot rationally be attributed to a simple game of imagination; those are dreams that find their proofs when wakening and that people were not absolutely thinking about before. The most difficult to explain are those that present incoherent, fantastic and unrealistic images. A more thorough investigation of the singular phenomenon of fluidic creations will undoubtedly give us the direction. While we wait, here a theory that seems to move us a step ahead in the subject. We do not provide it as the absolute truth but founded in logic and that can be submitted to a study. It was given to us by one of our best mediums in a somnambulistic but lucid state, during the following occurrence:
“A mother had asked him to provide her with news about her daughter that was in Lyon; he saw her lying down, asleep, and described with great accuracy the apartment where she was. The seventeen-year-old young lady is a writing medium; her mother asked him if she had the ability to become a clairvoyant medium; Wait, the somnambulistic medium said, I need to follow the wake left by her Spirit that at this point in time is not with the body. She is here, at Ville Ségur, in this room where we are, attracted by your thoughts; she sees and hears us. To her it is a dream that she will not remember when she wakes up.
We can divide the dreams in three categories, he adds, characterized by the degree of recollection that remains in the state of detachment of the Spirit. These are:
The soul is sought in the intricacies of the brain while it stands before us constantly, free and independent, in a number of phenomena that go inexplicable by the laws of matter, notably in the dreams, natural and induced somnambulism and in the double vision; they are not necessarily in the rare and subtle phenomena that require painstaking research from scholars and philosophers but rather in the most vulgar phenomena.
The soul is right there, seemingly saying: Look and see me; I am here before your eyes and yet you cannot see; I am with you every day; children can see me; the wise man and the most ignorant person see me but you do not acknowledge that!
There are people, however, that seem to be afraid of facing it and finding the proof of its existence. As for those that seek it in good faith they have so far missed the only key that could have it unveiled to them. That key has just been given to them by Spiritism in revealing the laws that govern the relationships between the corporeal and spiritual world. With the help of that law and with the observations that support it, Spiritism provides the most logical and never before given explanation. It demonstrates that the dreams, somnambulism, the double vision, presentiment, intuition of the future and the mind reading are not but variants and degrees of the same principle: the emancipation of the soul, more or less detached from matter.
Regarding the dreams, has Spiritism given precise explanations about all varieties that do exist? No. Not yet. We have the principle and that is a lot already. The ones that can be explained will give us the lead for the others; some elements are certainly still missing but those will be acquired later. There is not a single science that has explained everything from the beginning with their consequences and applications; it is only through successive observations that they can be complemented.
Spiritism was born yesterday and like in Chemistry, it is still in the hands of its Lavoisier and Berthollet, its initiators; they found the fundamental laws; the first landmarks led to further discoveries.
There are some dreams whose positive character cannot rationally be attributed to a simple game of imagination; those are dreams that find their proofs when wakening and that people were not absolutely thinking about before. The most difficult to explain are those that present incoherent, fantastic and unrealistic images. A more thorough investigation of the singular phenomenon of fluidic creations will undoubtedly give us the direction. While we wait, here a theory that seems to move us a step ahead in the subject. We do not provide it as the absolute truth but founded in logic and that can be submitted to a study. It was given to us by one of our best mediums in a somnambulistic but lucid state, during the following occurrence:
“A mother had asked him to provide her with news about her daughter that was in Lyon; he saw her lying down, asleep, and described with great accuracy the apartment where she was. The seventeen-year-old young lady is a writing medium; her mother asked him if she had the ability to become a clairvoyant medium; Wait, the somnambulistic medium said, I need to follow the wake left by her Spirit that at this point in time is not with the body. She is here, at Ville Ségur, in this room where we are, attracted by your thoughts; she sees and hears us. To her it is a dream that she will not remember when she wakes up.
We can divide the dreams in three categories, he adds, characterized by the degree of recollection that remains in the state of detachment of the Spirit. These are:
- Dreams that are provoked by the action of matter and the senses upon the Spirit, that is, those in which the physical organization plays a dominant role by the intimate connection between body and Spirit. We remember them clearly, and however little developed ones’ memory may be, we keep a lasting impression of them;
- Dreams that could be called mixed. Matter and Spirit take simultaneous part in them. The detachment is more complete. We remember them when we wake up to almost immediately forget, unless a given particularity excites our memory;
- The ethereal or purely spiritual dreams. These are only the product of the Spirit that is detached from matter as much as it is possible to life in the body. We do not remember or if much we have a slight memory of the dream and nothing could unveil the details of the dream.
The current dream of the young lady belongs to this third category. She will not remember. She was brought here by a very well-known Spirit of the Spiritist world of Lyon, and even of the Spiritist world of Europe – the somnambulistic medium then describes the Spirit Cáritas. The Spirit brought her with the objective of allowing her to keep a presentiment of the good that she can find in a firm, pure and sacred belief, and the good she can do to others, by doing it to herself. She tells her mother that if she remembered her preceding incarnations as well as she can do it now she would not remain much longer in the stationary state in which she is right now because she sees clearly and can advance without hesitation, whereas in the ordinary state we are like blindfolded. She tells the audience: - Thank you for your concern with me. She then kisses her mom. She feels happy – the medium adds at the end. She feels happy in this dream that she will not remember but that will leave her with a nice impression!”
These are the unconscious dreams from which we keep undefinable sensations of happiness and joy and that we cannot explain and that are a presentiment of what happy Spirits feel.
It turns out that the incarnate Spirit may suffer transformations that change their aptitudes. There is something that may not have been sufficiently observed and that supports the theory above. It is a known fact that one of the features of somnambulism is the forgetfulness of the dream. From the first level of lucidity the Spirit sometimes moves to another more elevated degree that is not ecstasy, and in which acquires new ideas and more subtle perceptions. When returning from such a level to the first level the Spirit does not remember what was said or seen. From this level to the wake state there is more memory loss. It is remarkable that there is some memory from the superior to the inferior level whereas there is almost no memory from the inferior to the superior level. It is then evident that between the two somnambulistic states that we just mentioned there is something analogous between the states of vigil and the first degree of lucidity. One could say that from the state of vigil to the first degree the Spirit has a veil removed from the eyes and that from the first to the second degree the Spirit has a second veil removed. At the superior levels the Spirit, now without those veils, sees and remember what is below; going down the levels the veils are recovered successively thus hiding what is above and the memory is lost. Sometimes the magnetizer (hypnotizer) may dissipate that fluidic veil and recover the memory.
As it can be seen, there is a strong analogy between these two somnambulistic states and the different categories of dream described above. It seems to us that it is more than likely that in one case as in the other the Spirit is in a similar situation. At each degree above the misty layer dissipates and the vision is clearer.
These are the unconscious dreams from which we keep undefinable sensations of happiness and joy and that we cannot explain and that are a presentiment of what happy Spirits feel.
It turns out that the incarnate Spirit may suffer transformations that change their aptitudes. There is something that may not have been sufficiently observed and that supports the theory above. It is a known fact that one of the features of somnambulism is the forgetfulness of the dream. From the first level of lucidity the Spirit sometimes moves to another more elevated degree that is not ecstasy, and in which acquires new ideas and more subtle perceptions. When returning from such a level to the first level the Spirit does not remember what was said or seen. From this level to the wake state there is more memory loss. It is remarkable that there is some memory from the superior to the inferior level whereas there is almost no memory from the inferior to the superior level. It is then evident that between the two somnambulistic states that we just mentioned there is something analogous between the states of vigil and the first degree of lucidity. One could say that from the state of vigil to the first degree the Spirit has a veil removed from the eyes and that from the first to the second degree the Spirit has a second veil removed. At the superior levels the Spirit, now without those veils, sees and remember what is below; going down the levels the veils are recovered successively thus hiding what is above and the memory is lost. Sometimes the magnetizer (hypnotizer) may dissipate that fluidic veil and recover the memory.
As it can be seen, there is a strong analogy between these two somnambulistic states and the different categories of dream described above. It seems to us that it is more than likely that in one case as in the other the Spirit is in a similar situation. At each degree above the misty layer dissipates and the vision is clearer.
Questions and Issues
Moral healing of the incarnate
We frequently see Spirits of a really bad nature yielding promptly under a moralizing influence and becoming better. Can we act upon the incarnate in a similar fashion but with more work? Why is it that the moral education of the incarnate is easier than that of the incarnate?
This question was raised by the following fact. A young man that had been blind for twelve years had been sheltered by a devout Spiritist that had endeavored to have him cured by magnetization since the Spirits had said that it was possible. But the young man, instead of showing recognition by the goodness of others and without which he would have gone without shelter and bread, was only ingratitude and bad behavior, giving proofs of the worst character. The Spirit of St. Louis was consulted about it and gave the following answer:
“This young man, like many others, is punished where he sinned and endures the punishment of his own bad behavior. His illness is not incurable and a spiritual magnetization with faith and dedication would certainly succeed, supported by a medical treatment necessary to recover his contaminated blood. There should already be a significant improvement in his vision, that is not completely extinct, if the good fluids were not opposed by the saturation of bad fluids around him, that in a way repel them. In his current condition the magnetic action will be powerless while he does not get rid of those harmful fluids by himself. Hence, he needs a moral healing before a physical one is sought. The only thing that can make his magnetic treatment successful is a change in his behavior, supported by the good Spirits. The flip side of that is that he may lose the remaining light that he has and be subjected to new and terrible tests. Do to him what you do to the bad and discarnate Spirits that you want to bring to the good path. He is not under the influence of an obsession; his own nature is bad, and he got perverted in the environment where he lived. The bad Spirits that harass him are only attracted with their similarities. They shall move away as he becomes better. It is only then that the magnetic action will be efficient. Give him advices; explain his position; may several heartful and good people unite and pray for him, attracting good influences upon him. If he takes advantage of that he will soon feel the good effects because he shall be rewarded by a significant improvement in his condition.”
The instruction above shows us an important fact, that is the obstacle imposed by the moral state in certain cases to the cure of physical diseases. The explanation is of an unquestionable logic but that could not be understood by those that only see the exclusive action of matter in all things. In the specific case the moral cure of the patient found serious obstacles; that is what motivated the question at the top, proposed at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. Six answers were given, all in perfect agreement with one another. We shall mention only tow to avoid useless repetition. We chose those that gave the issue a more thorough development.
I
Since the discarnate Spirit clearly sees what happens and the terrible examples of life, that Spirit more promptly understands what others say and lead to believe and do, and that is why it is not rare to see discarnate Spirits writing sensible essays about issues that they were far from being touched in life. Hardship matures one’s thoughts. This is a true statement, in particular to the discarnate Spirits that closely see the consequences of their past life.
Carelessness and prejudice, on the contrary, abound among the incarnate Spirits; the seductions and even the misconceptions give them a misanthropy or complete indifference to people and divine things. Flesh makes them forget the soul. Some that are naturally honest people do good, avoiding evilness, for the love of good, but their spiritual life is almost null; others, on the contrary, consider life a comedy and forget their role in humanity; and finally there are those completely blind and in the last degree of mankind, capable of seeing nothing beyond, foreseeing nothing and allowing themselves to live the animal life only, indulging themselves in a life of crime and barbarism, forgetting their own origin. These are dragged by life whereas the discarnate see, listen and voluntarily regret.
Lamennais, medium Mr. A. Didier
II
How many problems and issues to solve before the human transformation takes place according to the Spiritist ideas! Among them, the moral education of the incarnate and discarnate Spirits. The discarnate are free from the material links and no longer suffer their inferior limitations, whereas the incarnate, chained to an unforgiven matter, from a personal point of view, allowing themselves to be carried away by the trials that they must endure. The difference between the two conditions explains the easiness with which the Spirits may get the initiation and advices from those that have such a mission. Matter no longer imposes its laws on them and there is no more means of satisfying their material appetites, and consequently no more unconfessed desires, being then more prone to accept the advices. Perhaps another question may arise, with good reason: Why don’t they hear the advices of their spiritual guides in space, waiting for the teachings of incarnate people? Because it is necessary that both worlds interact, visible and invisible, and that both react on to the other, and that the action of humans be useful to those that lived, as the action of their majority is beneficial to the ones that live among you. It is a double current, double action, equally satisfying to both worlds that go united by so many bonds. That is my answer to your President.
Erastus, medium Mr. d’Ambel
This question was raised by the following fact. A young man that had been blind for twelve years had been sheltered by a devout Spiritist that had endeavored to have him cured by magnetization since the Spirits had said that it was possible. But the young man, instead of showing recognition by the goodness of others and without which he would have gone without shelter and bread, was only ingratitude and bad behavior, giving proofs of the worst character. The Spirit of St. Louis was consulted about it and gave the following answer:
“This young man, like many others, is punished where he sinned and endures the punishment of his own bad behavior. His illness is not incurable and a spiritual magnetization with faith and dedication would certainly succeed, supported by a medical treatment necessary to recover his contaminated blood. There should already be a significant improvement in his vision, that is not completely extinct, if the good fluids were not opposed by the saturation of bad fluids around him, that in a way repel them. In his current condition the magnetic action will be powerless while he does not get rid of those harmful fluids by himself. Hence, he needs a moral healing before a physical one is sought. The only thing that can make his magnetic treatment successful is a change in his behavior, supported by the good Spirits. The flip side of that is that he may lose the remaining light that he has and be subjected to new and terrible tests. Do to him what you do to the bad and discarnate Spirits that you want to bring to the good path. He is not under the influence of an obsession; his own nature is bad, and he got perverted in the environment where he lived. The bad Spirits that harass him are only attracted with their similarities. They shall move away as he becomes better. It is only then that the magnetic action will be efficient. Give him advices; explain his position; may several heartful and good people unite and pray for him, attracting good influences upon him. If he takes advantage of that he will soon feel the good effects because he shall be rewarded by a significant improvement in his condition.”
The instruction above shows us an important fact, that is the obstacle imposed by the moral state in certain cases to the cure of physical diseases. The explanation is of an unquestionable logic but that could not be understood by those that only see the exclusive action of matter in all things. In the specific case the moral cure of the patient found serious obstacles; that is what motivated the question at the top, proposed at the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. Six answers were given, all in perfect agreement with one another. We shall mention only tow to avoid useless repetition. We chose those that gave the issue a more thorough development.
I
Since the discarnate Spirit clearly sees what happens and the terrible examples of life, that Spirit more promptly understands what others say and lead to believe and do, and that is why it is not rare to see discarnate Spirits writing sensible essays about issues that they were far from being touched in life. Hardship matures one’s thoughts. This is a true statement, in particular to the discarnate Spirits that closely see the consequences of their past life.
Carelessness and prejudice, on the contrary, abound among the incarnate Spirits; the seductions and even the misconceptions give them a misanthropy or complete indifference to people and divine things. Flesh makes them forget the soul. Some that are naturally honest people do good, avoiding evilness, for the love of good, but their spiritual life is almost null; others, on the contrary, consider life a comedy and forget their role in humanity; and finally there are those completely blind and in the last degree of mankind, capable of seeing nothing beyond, foreseeing nothing and allowing themselves to live the animal life only, indulging themselves in a life of crime and barbarism, forgetting their own origin. These are dragged by life whereas the discarnate see, listen and voluntarily regret.
Lamennais, medium Mr. A. Didier
II
How many problems and issues to solve before the human transformation takes place according to the Spiritist ideas! Among them, the moral education of the incarnate and discarnate Spirits. The discarnate are free from the material links and no longer suffer their inferior limitations, whereas the incarnate, chained to an unforgiven matter, from a personal point of view, allowing themselves to be carried away by the trials that they must endure. The difference between the two conditions explains the easiness with which the Spirits may get the initiation and advices from those that have such a mission. Matter no longer imposes its laws on them and there is no more means of satisfying their material appetites, and consequently no more unconfessed desires, being then more prone to accept the advices. Perhaps another question may arise, with good reason: Why don’t they hear the advices of their spiritual guides in space, waiting for the teachings of incarnate people? Because it is necessary that both worlds interact, visible and invisible, and that both react on to the other, and that the action of humans be useful to those that lived, as the action of their majority is beneficial to the ones that live among you. It is a double current, double action, equally satisfying to both worlds that go united by so many bonds. That is my answer to your President.
Erastus, medium Mr. d’Ambel
Death of Spiritists
For some time now, death has taken away a large number of devout and keen Spiritists, whose support would have been useful to the cause. Which consequence can be seen from this fact?
This question was motivated by the recent passing of Mr. Geoffroy, from Saint-Jean-d’Angely, honorary member of the Spiritist Society of Paris.
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, May 26th, 1865 – medium Mrs. B…
“As your President has just said, a large number of followers of our beautiful doctrine left your world from a short while ago. Do not be sorry for that. After having contributed with the first pickaxes in this field that you are going to prepare they are now resting for a few hours, preparing themselves for a new task; they are re-seasoning their virile souls in that source of life and progress that must more and more its blessed waves spill upon your Earth. As new athletes, soon they will reappear in the field with more strength and more perfected charity, because the soul that foresaw the splendors of the eternal truth cannot back up; more faithful to the divine attraction, follow their path without further deviation. Ah my friends, the dwelling that is in preparation for you is so beautiful! Free yourselves from those undignified susceptibilities, that are still frequently found among you. These are the remainders of the roots of pride, so difficult to unroot in your world. Nonetheless that is the reason why Christ came to you because there will be no happiness while pride resides in you.
The remarkable doctrine of Christ has been preached to you for eighteen centuries now and it has not been understood yet, but Spiritism, helping you to develop your moral values and giving you good direction, opens up a new era that was still left in the primitive teachings.
You must then study, in a serious and dignified way such a sacred matter, but above all change the imperfections in you because the master told us all: “Become perfect because your father in heavens is perfect”. Your depurated soul will then elevate to the glorious and splendid regions where evil has no place and everything is harmony.”
St. Louis
This question was motivated by the recent passing of Mr. Geoffroy, from Saint-Jean-d’Angely, honorary member of the Spiritist Society of Paris.
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, May 26th, 1865 – medium Mrs. B…
“As your President has just said, a large number of followers of our beautiful doctrine left your world from a short while ago. Do not be sorry for that. After having contributed with the first pickaxes in this field that you are going to prepare they are now resting for a few hours, preparing themselves for a new task; they are re-seasoning their virile souls in that source of life and progress that must more and more its blessed waves spill upon your Earth. As new athletes, soon they will reappear in the field with more strength and more perfected charity, because the soul that foresaw the splendors of the eternal truth cannot back up; more faithful to the divine attraction, follow their path without further deviation. Ah my friends, the dwelling that is in preparation for you is so beautiful! Free yourselves from those undignified susceptibilities, that are still frequently found among you. These are the remainders of the roots of pride, so difficult to unroot in your world. Nonetheless that is the reason why Christ came to you because there will be no happiness while pride resides in you.
The remarkable doctrine of Christ has been preached to you for eighteen centuries now and it has not been understood yet, but Spiritism, helping you to develop your moral values and giving you good direction, opens up a new era that was still left in the primitive teachings.
You must then study, in a serious and dignified way such a sacred matter, but above all change the imperfections in you because the master told us all: “Become perfect because your father in heavens is perfect”. Your depurated soul will then elevate to the glorious and splendid regions where evil has no place and everything is harmony.”
St. Louis
Moral Studies
The commune of Koenigsfeld, model of a future world
The Galneur de Colmar brings the following: “The commune of Koenigsfeld, near Villingen, in the Black Forest, with about 400 inhabitants, forms a miniature model state. For fifty years, since the formation of the commune, there has not been a single event involving any crime or police; there has never been any file suit or legal dispute in the commune. There is no beggar there.”
This interesting news was read at the Parisian Society and gave rise to the following spontaneous communication:
“It is nice to see virtue in a small and poor region; everyone knows everyone there, everyone sees everyone; charity there is simple and great. Isn’t that the most expressive example of universal solidarity given in that little commune? Isn’t that a model of what one day will result from true charity practiced by every human being? Everything comes down to this, Spiritists: charity and tolerance. Among you, with the exception of help to those in need that is practicable, the intelligent relationships are always exempt of envy, hardness and indifference.
Lamennais, medium Mr. A. Didier
What is behind the majority of evil events on Earth other than the permanent contact with bad and perverse people? Egotism kills benevolence, condescendence, indulgence, devotion, selfless affection and every quality that brings enchantment and confidence to social relationships. In a society of egotists nobody is safe because each one will sacrifice the neighbor for their own interests. Many people believe to be perfectly honest because incapable of killing or assaulting anyone in the streets. But the one that for greed or cold blood causes the bankrupt of an individual, leading that person to suicide; that reduces a whole family to misery and despair, isn’t that person worse than a murderer or a thief? A person like that kills with slow fire and since he is not condemned by law and is applauded by his peers for his skills and way of proceeding, that person believes to be exempt from censorship and walks with the head up! Besides, people are always suspicious of one another and life is a never-ending anxiety; if they are not afraid of the sword or poison they are concerned with astuteness, envy, jealousy and calumny, in a word, with a moral assassination. What would take to end such a state of affairs? The practice of charity. Everything comes down to that, as Lamennais says.
The commune of Koenigsfeld offers us a model of a regenerated world? Is it possible to have in large scale what happens in a smaller one? To doubt it would be the same as denying progress. There will come a day when mankind, defeated by the evilness of egotism, will understand that the wrong path is followed and that God wants them to find the right path on their own, because that is the reason for the free-will. The excess of bad will bring the need for good and people will turn to this side as their safe line. Who is going to drive humanity there? The serious faith in the future and not a belief in the nothingness; the trust in a God that is good and merciful and not the fear for the eternal punishments.
Everything is subject to the law of progress; the globes also progress physically and morally; but, if the transformation of humanity must wait for the improvement of the individual; if no force comes to speed up that transformation, how many centuries, how many thousands of years are still needed? Having Earth arrived at one of those progressive phases it will be enough not to allow inferior Spirits to incarnate here and that, at the measure of the extinctions, more advanced Spirits come to take the place of those that leave, so that in one or two generations the general character of humanity may change. Let us then suppose that instead of selfish Spirits humanity is, in a given time, formed by Spirits that embrace the feelings of charity. Instead of harming, they help one another. No more tyrant governs. Instead of judgement, justice and no more revolutions. No more the strong crushing the weak. Voluntary equity in all transactions, and therefore no more disputes and deception. That shall be the state of the world after its transformation. From a world of atonement and trials, from a place of exile to imperfect Spirits to a happy world, a resting place to good souls; from a world of punishment it will become a world of reward.
The commune of Koenigsfeld is formed by advanced Spirits, at least morally, if not scientifically, and that practice the law of charity and love towards their neighbor. Those Spirits gather by sympathy in that small corner of Earth, to leave in peace there, expecting that the same would happen all over the place. Now suppose that some deceiving, selfish and malevolent Spirits come to incarnate here. They will soon sow disturbance and confusion; the rebirth of disputes, processes and crimes. That is what would happen to Earth after its transformation if God opened the gates to the bad Spirits. Once Earth progresses they would be misplaced. That is why they will atone their hardening and be morally re-educated in less advanced worlds.
This interesting news was read at the Parisian Society and gave rise to the following spontaneous communication:
“It is nice to see virtue in a small and poor region; everyone knows everyone there, everyone sees everyone; charity there is simple and great. Isn’t that the most expressive example of universal solidarity given in that little commune? Isn’t that a model of what one day will result from true charity practiced by every human being? Everything comes down to this, Spiritists: charity and tolerance. Among you, with the exception of help to those in need that is practicable, the intelligent relationships are always exempt of envy, hardness and indifference.
Lamennais, medium Mr. A. Didier
What is behind the majority of evil events on Earth other than the permanent contact with bad and perverse people? Egotism kills benevolence, condescendence, indulgence, devotion, selfless affection and every quality that brings enchantment and confidence to social relationships. In a society of egotists nobody is safe because each one will sacrifice the neighbor for their own interests. Many people believe to be perfectly honest because incapable of killing or assaulting anyone in the streets. But the one that for greed or cold blood causes the bankrupt of an individual, leading that person to suicide; that reduces a whole family to misery and despair, isn’t that person worse than a murderer or a thief? A person like that kills with slow fire and since he is not condemned by law and is applauded by his peers for his skills and way of proceeding, that person believes to be exempt from censorship and walks with the head up! Besides, people are always suspicious of one another and life is a never-ending anxiety; if they are not afraid of the sword or poison they are concerned with astuteness, envy, jealousy and calumny, in a word, with a moral assassination. What would take to end such a state of affairs? The practice of charity. Everything comes down to that, as Lamennais says.
The commune of Koenigsfeld offers us a model of a regenerated world? Is it possible to have in large scale what happens in a smaller one? To doubt it would be the same as denying progress. There will come a day when mankind, defeated by the evilness of egotism, will understand that the wrong path is followed and that God wants them to find the right path on their own, because that is the reason for the free-will. The excess of bad will bring the need for good and people will turn to this side as their safe line. Who is going to drive humanity there? The serious faith in the future and not a belief in the nothingness; the trust in a God that is good and merciful and not the fear for the eternal punishments.
Everything is subject to the law of progress; the globes also progress physically and morally; but, if the transformation of humanity must wait for the improvement of the individual; if no force comes to speed up that transformation, how many centuries, how many thousands of years are still needed? Having Earth arrived at one of those progressive phases it will be enough not to allow inferior Spirits to incarnate here and that, at the measure of the extinctions, more advanced Spirits come to take the place of those that leave, so that in one or two generations the general character of humanity may change. Let us then suppose that instead of selfish Spirits humanity is, in a given time, formed by Spirits that embrace the feelings of charity. Instead of harming, they help one another. No more tyrant governs. Instead of judgement, justice and no more revolutions. No more the strong crushing the weak. Voluntary equity in all transactions, and therefore no more disputes and deception. That shall be the state of the world after its transformation. From a world of atonement and trials, from a place of exile to imperfect Spirits to a happy world, a resting place to good souls; from a world of punishment it will become a world of reward.
The commune of Koenigsfeld is formed by advanced Spirits, at least morally, if not scientifically, and that practice the law of charity and love towards their neighbor. Those Spirits gather by sympathy in that small corner of Earth, to leave in peace there, expecting that the same would happen all over the place. Now suppose that some deceiving, selfish and malevolent Spirits come to incarnate here. They will soon sow disturbance and confusion; the rebirth of disputes, processes and crimes. That is what would happen to Earth after its transformation if God opened the gates to the bad Spirits. Once Earth progresses they would be misplaced. That is why they will atone their hardening and be morally re-educated in less advanced worlds.
Varieties
Several spontaneous manifestations
A letter from one of our corresponding members tells this story:
“I begin by a memory of my childhood that I never forgot, although it goes back a long time. Around 1819-20 in Saumur, there was a lot of talk about an apparition to an officer of the guard of that city. The officer was in the house of a distinct family and lied down in the morning to rest, after a whole night on duty. A few hours later he opened the eyes and noticed a shadow in the room, dressing white. He thought it was a prank from one of his comrades and stood up, moving towards the funny guy. The shadow stepped back, slid in the room and disappeared. The door that he had closed not to be disturbed remained locked and a young lady of the household that had been sick for some time had just died at that very moment.
The kind of fantastic event reminded one of his comrades, lieutenant Mr. R…, an extraordinary dream that he had had and that he told the story then. He was in the barrack of Versailles and dreamed that there was a man cutting his throat and collecting the blood in a jar. He woke up at five in the morning and still worried about the dream he went to the cavalry, since he was on duty. Walking on a deserted street he noticed a group of people observing something with great attention. He approached and learned that a man had just killed himself and, behold, he was told that the man had cut his own throat and let the blood leak into a bucket. Mr. R… recognized by the appearance of the man that he was the same that he had seen last night. I only heard about these events and never met any of the officers.
Here some others that are almost personal to me:
My mother was a truly enlightened and devout lady that frequently expressed sincere charity, as required by Spiritism, but without any superstitious or weak mind. On several occasions she told me about a memory of her early days. When she was a young woman she had a sick friend that she used to help by staying by her side part of the evenings. One day she was really tired, and the father of her sick friend insisted that she should go and rest, promising her that if her friend needed he would call her. My mother accepted and went to bed after locking the room. Around two in the morning she was awakened by the contact of two cold fingers on her shoulder. She got really impressed and could no longer sleep. She then got dressed to go and check her dear friend. She was about to open the door when someone knocked from the street. It was a servant that came to tell her that her friend had just died.
One day in 1851 I was browsing the gallery of family pictures in the magnificent castle of C…, led by Dr. B…, a family doctor. I stopped for some time in front of the image of a man, apparently forty something years old, dressed, if I am not wrong, with a blue costume, with red and black stripes and grey pants. Mr. B… approached and said: - That is how I saw Count C…, fifteen days after his death.
I asked for explanation and here is what he said: Fifteen days approximately after the death of Count C…, night was falling when I left the bedroom of the Countess. In order to leave I had to walk through a long corridor that also gave access to the office of the Count C… When I passed that door it opened and Count C… left, came in my direction and walked me out.
Mr. B… attributed that fact to a mere hallucination, but in any case, it should not have lasted long because I believe there was another room to pass at the end of the corridor before the external door.
Finally, this is an event that touches me personally:
Around 1829, I believe, in Hagueneau, Alsace, I was in charge of a patient ward from the large barrack of Strasbourg, then much affected by intermittent fevers. Among the patients there was a young drum player that every evening, after midnight, felt someone sliding on his bed, embracing him and biting his chest near the left nipple. His inmates told me that they were wakened by his screams for eight days now; that approaching him they would find him agitated, scared and were only able to calm him down by passing the sword under his bed to demonstrate to him that there was nobody there or nearby. I found the young soldier with a somewhat swollen and tender chest on the left side and then I attributed his condition to his imagination; but the effect would only take place a few instants every twenty-four hours and always at the same time. I happened a few more times but after that I never heard about that case anymore.”
Observation: It is well-known that events of such a nature are numerous. Spiritism keeps their record because it provides the only possible rational explanation. There are certainly among them some that could be attributed to what is conventionally called hallucination, or a preoccupation of the mind, but they could no longer be considered so when followed by some sort of material effect. The more their authenticity is acknowledged the more important they are and could not be taken by charlatanism, as we said in a preceding article.
“I begin by a memory of my childhood that I never forgot, although it goes back a long time. Around 1819-20 in Saumur, there was a lot of talk about an apparition to an officer of the guard of that city. The officer was in the house of a distinct family and lied down in the morning to rest, after a whole night on duty. A few hours later he opened the eyes and noticed a shadow in the room, dressing white. He thought it was a prank from one of his comrades and stood up, moving towards the funny guy. The shadow stepped back, slid in the room and disappeared. The door that he had closed not to be disturbed remained locked and a young lady of the household that had been sick for some time had just died at that very moment.
The kind of fantastic event reminded one of his comrades, lieutenant Mr. R…, an extraordinary dream that he had had and that he told the story then. He was in the barrack of Versailles and dreamed that there was a man cutting his throat and collecting the blood in a jar. He woke up at five in the morning and still worried about the dream he went to the cavalry, since he was on duty. Walking on a deserted street he noticed a group of people observing something with great attention. He approached and learned that a man had just killed himself and, behold, he was told that the man had cut his own throat and let the blood leak into a bucket. Mr. R… recognized by the appearance of the man that he was the same that he had seen last night. I only heard about these events and never met any of the officers.
Here some others that are almost personal to me:
My mother was a truly enlightened and devout lady that frequently expressed sincere charity, as required by Spiritism, but without any superstitious or weak mind. On several occasions she told me about a memory of her early days. When she was a young woman she had a sick friend that she used to help by staying by her side part of the evenings. One day she was really tired, and the father of her sick friend insisted that she should go and rest, promising her that if her friend needed he would call her. My mother accepted and went to bed after locking the room. Around two in the morning she was awakened by the contact of two cold fingers on her shoulder. She got really impressed and could no longer sleep. She then got dressed to go and check her dear friend. She was about to open the door when someone knocked from the street. It was a servant that came to tell her that her friend had just died.
One day in 1851 I was browsing the gallery of family pictures in the magnificent castle of C…, led by Dr. B…, a family doctor. I stopped for some time in front of the image of a man, apparently forty something years old, dressed, if I am not wrong, with a blue costume, with red and black stripes and grey pants. Mr. B… approached and said: - That is how I saw Count C…, fifteen days after his death.
I asked for explanation and here is what he said: Fifteen days approximately after the death of Count C…, night was falling when I left the bedroom of the Countess. In order to leave I had to walk through a long corridor that also gave access to the office of the Count C… When I passed that door it opened and Count C… left, came in my direction and walked me out.
Mr. B… attributed that fact to a mere hallucination, but in any case, it should not have lasted long because I believe there was another room to pass at the end of the corridor before the external door.
Finally, this is an event that touches me personally:
Around 1829, I believe, in Hagueneau, Alsace, I was in charge of a patient ward from the large barrack of Strasbourg, then much affected by intermittent fevers. Among the patients there was a young drum player that every evening, after midnight, felt someone sliding on his bed, embracing him and biting his chest near the left nipple. His inmates told me that they were wakened by his screams for eight days now; that approaching him they would find him agitated, scared and were only able to calm him down by passing the sword under his bed to demonstrate to him that there was nobody there or nearby. I found the young soldier with a somewhat swollen and tender chest on the left side and then I attributed his condition to his imagination; but the effect would only take place a few instants every twenty-four hours and always at the same time. I happened a few more times but after that I never heard about that case anymore.”
Observation: It is well-known that events of such a nature are numerous. Spiritism keeps their record because it provides the only possible rational explanation. There are certainly among them some that could be attributed to what is conventionally called hallucination, or a preoccupation of the mind, but they could no longer be considered so when followed by some sort of material effect. The more their authenticity is acknowledged the more important they are and could not be taken by charlatanism, as we said in a preceding article.
Spiritist Dissertations
Cardinal Wiseman
The “Patrie” reports the following on March 18, 1865:
“Cardinal Wiseman, that has just passed away in England, believed in Spiritism. This is demonstrated by the event below, cited in the Spiritualist Magazine: A Bishop had banned two members of his church for their tendency towards Spiritism. The Cardinal suspended the ban and allowed the two clergy to continue their studies and operate as mediums, saying: I myself strongly believe in Spiritism and could not be a good member of the Church if slightest in doubt.”
The article above was read and discussed in a Spiritist gathering in Mr. Delanne’s house but people were unsure about the convenience of evoking the Cardinal when he manifested spontaneously by the two communications below.
I
“Your desire to evoke me brought me here and yes, I am glad to come to tell you my dear friends that yes, I was a strong Spiritist believe on Earth. I had come with those aspirations that I could not have developed but I was happy to see them developed on others. I was a Spiritist because Spiritism is the straight path that leads to the true objective and to perfection; I was a Spiritist because I saw the realization of all prophecies in Spiritism, from the beginning of the world up until our days; I was a Spiritist because that doctrine is the development of religion, the clarification of mysteries and the march of whole humanity to God, the unity; I was a Spiritist because I learned that this revelation had come from God and that every serious person should help it to advance so that one day we all can hold each other’s benevolent hands; finally I was a Spiritist because Spiritism casts anathema to nobody and like Jesus Christ, our divine model, it opens its arms to all, without distinction of class or cult. That is why I was a Christian Spiritist.
Ah my beloved brothers! What a huge grace our Lord concedes to mankind by sending them this divine light that opens their eyes, allowing them to irrefutably see that there is for sure life beyond the grave and that, instead of fearing death when one lived according to God’s designs, one should welcome it when it comes to free us from the heavy chains of matter. Yes, that life that constantly is betrayed as horrifying does exist, but it carries nothing painful to the souls that observed the laws of the Lord while on Earth. Yes, there we find those that we loved on Earth; the beloved mother, a kind mother that comes to welcome and congratulate you; friends that come to help you acknowledge yourself, in your true homeland, showing you all the beauties of that true life, that are not more than sad images on Earth. Be perseverant, by beloved friends, in marching on the blessed path of Spiritism; may that not be a vain word to you; may the communications that you receive help you out in climbing the tough Calvary of life so that, when you get at the summit, you can go and harvest the fruits of life that you prepared for yourself. Those are my wishes to all of you that listen to me and to all my brothers in God.
From the one that was Cardinal Wiseman.
Medium Mrs. Delanne.
II
My friends, why wouldn’t I come to you? The feelings I expressed when I was on Earth, and that must be the same to all servants of God and the truth, that must give confidence to every sincere Spiritist, like when I come here by the grace of the Lord to instruct and guide my brothers.
Ah, yes, my friends, I come gladly and thankful to the one to whom we owe everything to exhort you to persevere in this path of struggle, you that were honored to have been admitted amongst the workers of the Lord. That doctrine is, if not the only at least the best one, because if part of humanity may construe their salvation with a blind faith, not falling into the traps and dangers on the way, with even more reason those whose faith are based on reason and on the love of God, that we allow you to see as is, you must conquer that eternal life in the heart of God. My children, bend over and bow your head for your Father blesses you. Glorify and love him in eternity!
Let us pray together.
Wiseman, assisted by St. Augustine. Medium Mr. Erambert, from Aix.
The two communications above were given simultaneously, explaining the assistance of St. Augustine in the last one. While Wiseman had one medium writing, St. Augustine had another one, transmitting the thoughts of the Cardinal. We frequently see less advanced or still confused Spirits that cannot express themselves without the help of a more advanced Spirit; here it is not the same: Wiseman is detached enough to express his own ideas. The two communications that follow were obtained at the Spiritist Society of Paris, on March 24th, without evocation and after reading the preceding messages. The fourth one is an appreciation of the events above by the Spirit Lamennais.
III
“My friends, I come to confirm my communication given on Monday. I am happy to come to a place where I have a lot to say and I am certain I would be well understood. Oh yes, it will be a great satisfaction to me to see the progress of the sacred and regenerative doctrine, developing before the eyes of the Lord, a doctrine that must lead the whole world to its divine destination. Friends, unite your efforts in the task that was assigned to us and be grateful for the role that the Creator of all things assigned to you. You shall never be able to do enough to compensate for the grace you received. But your good will shall be taken into account, with your faith, your charity and love towards your brothers. Bless and love the Lord and you shall have eternal life. Let us pray together, dear friends.
Wiseman, medium Mr. Erambert from Aix.”
IV
“The spiritualist religion is the soul of Christianity, we must not forget. Cardinal Wiseman dared to proclaim the soul before the body, the Spirit before the letter among materialism, Protestant and Catholic faiths. Such a courage is rare in both clergies, an uncommon spectacle, in fact, the Spiritist faith of Cardinal Wiseman. As a matter of fact it would have been strange that such an enlightened Spirit, as elevated as the eminent Cardinal, had seen in Spiritism a rebellious faith to the teachings of the purest Christian moral; we, the Spiritists, would never applaud much such confidence, detached from any human respect and scruple. Isn’t the voice of such distinct and agonizing person an encouragement? Isn’t that an announcement of the future, a certainty that with the good faith preached in the Gospels, there is only one truth in the practice of charity and in the belief of the immortality of the soul? Other not less sacred voices daily proclaim our immortal truth. It is a sublime hosanna that people sing when visited by the Spirit, as much pure and enthusiastic hosanna as the ones sung by the souls visited by Jesus.
We, ourselves, suffering souls, let us not send away the memories that we have and in the purgatory that we endure let us hear the voices that allow us to see beyond.
Lamennais, medium Mr. A. Didier”
“Cardinal Wiseman, that has just passed away in England, believed in Spiritism. This is demonstrated by the event below, cited in the Spiritualist Magazine: A Bishop had banned two members of his church for their tendency towards Spiritism. The Cardinal suspended the ban and allowed the two clergy to continue their studies and operate as mediums, saying: I myself strongly believe in Spiritism and could not be a good member of the Church if slightest in doubt.”
The article above was read and discussed in a Spiritist gathering in Mr. Delanne’s house but people were unsure about the convenience of evoking the Cardinal when he manifested spontaneously by the two communications below.
I
“Your desire to evoke me brought me here and yes, I am glad to come to tell you my dear friends that yes, I was a strong Spiritist believe on Earth. I had come with those aspirations that I could not have developed but I was happy to see them developed on others. I was a Spiritist because Spiritism is the straight path that leads to the true objective and to perfection; I was a Spiritist because I saw the realization of all prophecies in Spiritism, from the beginning of the world up until our days; I was a Spiritist because that doctrine is the development of religion, the clarification of mysteries and the march of whole humanity to God, the unity; I was a Spiritist because I learned that this revelation had come from God and that every serious person should help it to advance so that one day we all can hold each other’s benevolent hands; finally I was a Spiritist because Spiritism casts anathema to nobody and like Jesus Christ, our divine model, it opens its arms to all, without distinction of class or cult. That is why I was a Christian Spiritist.
Ah my beloved brothers! What a huge grace our Lord concedes to mankind by sending them this divine light that opens their eyes, allowing them to irrefutably see that there is for sure life beyond the grave and that, instead of fearing death when one lived according to God’s designs, one should welcome it when it comes to free us from the heavy chains of matter. Yes, that life that constantly is betrayed as horrifying does exist, but it carries nothing painful to the souls that observed the laws of the Lord while on Earth. Yes, there we find those that we loved on Earth; the beloved mother, a kind mother that comes to welcome and congratulate you; friends that come to help you acknowledge yourself, in your true homeland, showing you all the beauties of that true life, that are not more than sad images on Earth. Be perseverant, by beloved friends, in marching on the blessed path of Spiritism; may that not be a vain word to you; may the communications that you receive help you out in climbing the tough Calvary of life so that, when you get at the summit, you can go and harvest the fruits of life that you prepared for yourself. Those are my wishes to all of you that listen to me and to all my brothers in God.
From the one that was Cardinal Wiseman.
Medium Mrs. Delanne.
II
My friends, why wouldn’t I come to you? The feelings I expressed when I was on Earth, and that must be the same to all servants of God and the truth, that must give confidence to every sincere Spiritist, like when I come here by the grace of the Lord to instruct and guide my brothers.
Ah, yes, my friends, I come gladly and thankful to the one to whom we owe everything to exhort you to persevere in this path of struggle, you that were honored to have been admitted amongst the workers of the Lord. That doctrine is, if not the only at least the best one, because if part of humanity may construe their salvation with a blind faith, not falling into the traps and dangers on the way, with even more reason those whose faith are based on reason and on the love of God, that we allow you to see as is, you must conquer that eternal life in the heart of God. My children, bend over and bow your head for your Father blesses you. Glorify and love him in eternity!
Let us pray together.
Wiseman, assisted by St. Augustine. Medium Mr. Erambert, from Aix.
The two communications above were given simultaneously, explaining the assistance of St. Augustine in the last one. While Wiseman had one medium writing, St. Augustine had another one, transmitting the thoughts of the Cardinal. We frequently see less advanced or still confused Spirits that cannot express themselves without the help of a more advanced Spirit; here it is not the same: Wiseman is detached enough to express his own ideas. The two communications that follow were obtained at the Spiritist Society of Paris, on March 24th, without evocation and after reading the preceding messages. The fourth one is an appreciation of the events above by the Spirit Lamennais.
III
“My friends, I come to confirm my communication given on Monday. I am happy to come to a place where I have a lot to say and I am certain I would be well understood. Oh yes, it will be a great satisfaction to me to see the progress of the sacred and regenerative doctrine, developing before the eyes of the Lord, a doctrine that must lead the whole world to its divine destination. Friends, unite your efforts in the task that was assigned to us and be grateful for the role that the Creator of all things assigned to you. You shall never be able to do enough to compensate for the grace you received. But your good will shall be taken into account, with your faith, your charity and love towards your brothers. Bless and love the Lord and you shall have eternal life. Let us pray together, dear friends.
Wiseman, medium Mr. Erambert from Aix.”
IV
“The spiritualist religion is the soul of Christianity, we must not forget. Cardinal Wiseman dared to proclaim the soul before the body, the Spirit before the letter among materialism, Protestant and Catholic faiths. Such a courage is rare in both clergies, an uncommon spectacle, in fact, the Spiritist faith of Cardinal Wiseman. As a matter of fact it would have been strange that such an enlightened Spirit, as elevated as the eminent Cardinal, had seen in Spiritism a rebellious faith to the teachings of the purest Christian moral; we, the Spiritists, would never applaud much such confidence, detached from any human respect and scruple. Isn’t the voice of such distinct and agonizing person an encouragement? Isn’t that an announcement of the future, a certainty that with the good faith preached in the Gospels, there is only one truth in the practice of charity and in the belief of the immortality of the soul? Other not less sacred voices daily proclaim our immortal truth. It is a sublime hosanna that people sing when visited by the Spirit, as much pure and enthusiastic hosanna as the ones sung by the souls visited by Jesus.
We, ourselves, suffering souls, let us not send away the memories that we have and in the purgatory that we endure let us hear the voices that allow us to see beyond.
Lamennais, medium Mr. A. Didier”
Bibliographic News
What is Spiritism? By Allan Kardec. New revised edition and considerably augmented. In-12, about 200 pages, 1 franc; by mail 1.2 francs.
The subjects in this new edition are divided as:
Chap. 1: Small conference
First conversation: The critic
Second conversation: The skeptical
Spiritism and Spiritualism
Dissidences
Simulated Spiritism Phenomena
Impotence of the adversaries
Marvelous and wonderful
Opposition of science
False explanations of the phenomena
The nonbelievers cannot see to be convinced
Origin of the modern Spiritist ideas
Means of communication
Self-serving mediums
Mediums and witches
Spirits’ diversity
Practical utility of manifestations
Madness, suicide and obsession
Forgetfulness of the past
Elements of conviction
Spiritist Society of Paris
Interdiction of Spiritism
Third conversation: The priest. Objections in the name of religion.
Chap. II: Elementary notions of Spiritism
The Spirits
Communications with the invisible world
Providential objective of the Spiritist manifestations
The mediums
Obstacles to the mediums
Quality of the mediums
Charlatanism
Identity of the Spirits
Contradictions
Consequences of Spiritism
Chap. III: Solution of some problems by the Spiritist Doctrine
Plurality of the worlds
The soul
Man, during earthly life
Man, after death
______________________________
In preparation to be issued on August 1st:
Heavens and Hell, or the Divine Justice according to Spiritism, by Allan Kardec. A large volume, in-12. Price 3.5 francs; by mail 4 francs.
__________________________
Vie de Germaine Cousin, by Pibrac, very charitable, given by mediumistic means by herself to Ms. S., in a familiar group. Brochure in-12. Price 1 franc, by mail 1.1 francs. Main bookshops in Toulouse.
The life of Germaine Cousin is, at the same time, dramatic and edifying, but on the other hand eminently interesting given the numerous facts of mediumship that it contains, that without Spiritism would go by fantastic or inexplicable. The phenomena that we witnessed in our days at least demonstrate that they are possible. Anyone without a preconceived idea, and in particular the Spiritists, will read this brochure with interest.
______________
Spiritist Union of Bordeaux
Bordeaux used to have four periodical Spiritist publications: La Ruche, Le Sauveur, la Lumière and la Voix d’Outre-tombe. Since la Lumière and Le Sauveur have the same direction in reality there were three only that have just combined into one under the title The Spiritist Union of Bordeaux, by the direction of Mr. A. Bez, current director of the la Voix d’Outre-tombe. We congratulate those gentlemen for their actions and if our adversaries will make a mistake if consider that an indication of decadence of the doctrine. There are positive facts out there to demonstrate the opposite.
Matters about Spiritism, although in large number, circulate in a more or less uniform fashion, and that would lead to a lack of sufficient variety to the reader that wanted to receive all of them, with large cost and not much compensantion. The new journal in Bordeaux can only win with such a merger from all points of view and we wish for their prosperity. In the initial volumes we read with pleasure a good refutation to the articles by Mr. Fumeaux about the iniquity and disgrace of Spiritism, as much as a report about a new cure in Marmande (see further in several publications).
___________
Music and Lyrics composed by King Henry III in 1574, revealed in a dream in 1865 to Mr. N.C. Bach. Legouix Edition, Boulevard Poissonnière, 27 – Paris. Label price: 3 francs.
The subjects in this new edition are divided as:
Chap. 1: Small conference
First conversation: The critic
Second conversation: The skeptical
Spiritism and Spiritualism
Dissidences
Simulated Spiritism Phenomena
Impotence of the adversaries
Marvelous and wonderful
Opposition of science
False explanations of the phenomena
The nonbelievers cannot see to be convinced
Origin of the modern Spiritist ideas
Means of communication
Self-serving mediums
Mediums and witches
Spirits’ diversity
Practical utility of manifestations
Madness, suicide and obsession
Forgetfulness of the past
Elements of conviction
Spiritist Society of Paris
Interdiction of Spiritism
Third conversation: The priest. Objections in the name of religion.
Chap. II: Elementary notions of Spiritism
The Spirits
Communications with the invisible world
Providential objective of the Spiritist manifestations
The mediums
Obstacles to the mediums
Quality of the mediums
Charlatanism
Identity of the Spirits
Contradictions
Consequences of Spiritism
Chap. III: Solution of some problems by the Spiritist Doctrine
Plurality of the worlds
The soul
Man, during earthly life
Man, after death
______________________________
In preparation to be issued on August 1st:
Heavens and Hell, or the Divine Justice according to Spiritism, by Allan Kardec. A large volume, in-12. Price 3.5 francs; by mail 4 francs.
__________________________
Vie de Germaine Cousin, by Pibrac, very charitable, given by mediumistic means by herself to Ms. S., in a familiar group. Brochure in-12. Price 1 franc, by mail 1.1 francs. Main bookshops in Toulouse.
The life of Germaine Cousin is, at the same time, dramatic and edifying, but on the other hand eminently interesting given the numerous facts of mediumship that it contains, that without Spiritism would go by fantastic or inexplicable. The phenomena that we witnessed in our days at least demonstrate that they are possible. Anyone without a preconceived idea, and in particular the Spiritists, will read this brochure with interest.
______________
Spiritist Union of Bordeaux
Bordeaux used to have four periodical Spiritist publications: La Ruche, Le Sauveur, la Lumière and la Voix d’Outre-tombe. Since la Lumière and Le Sauveur have the same direction in reality there were three only that have just combined into one under the title The Spiritist Union of Bordeaux, by the direction of Mr. A. Bez, current director of the la Voix d’Outre-tombe. We congratulate those gentlemen for their actions and if our adversaries will make a mistake if consider that an indication of decadence of the doctrine. There are positive facts out there to demonstrate the opposite.
Matters about Spiritism, although in large number, circulate in a more or less uniform fashion, and that would lead to a lack of sufficient variety to the reader that wanted to receive all of them, with large cost and not much compensantion. The new journal in Bordeaux can only win with such a merger from all points of view and we wish for their prosperity. In the initial volumes we read with pleasure a good refutation to the articles by Mr. Fumeaux about the iniquity and disgrace of Spiritism, as much as a report about a new cure in Marmande (see further in several publications).
___________
Music and Lyrics composed by King Henry III in 1574, revealed in a dream in 1865 to Mr. N.C. Bach. Legouix Edition, Boulevard Poissonnière, 27 – Paris. Label price: 3 francs.