before going to bed that no one was concealed about it. Provided with candles and an old sword, we proceeded to search the room minutely. No person, however, could be discovered either in it or in the adjoining rooms, or in the garrets above. When we listened we heard most distinctly the sounds of regular heavy breathing, as loud as if a tired labourer had been asleep in the middle of the apartment. After half an hour's search we were all most thoroughly convinced that the sound owed its origin to something supernatural. Thoroughly alarmed, therefore, we were just about to lock up the haunted room when one of the girls fainted with fright at sleeping in a haunted house, and in falling came in contact with a bottle containing a hot infusion of Epsom salts, and knocked out its cork. A whiz produced by the escape of confined steam explained the whole mystery. The water in which the salts had been infused was boiling. It had been loosely corked. The generation of steam raised the cork, in doing which it was all the time escaping and produced the sound resembling the prolonged heavy inspiration. When the cork was so far raised as to allow the cold air to rush in, the steam was condensed, and the deeper and shorter sound was produced, resembling the semistertorous expiration. Never in our life have we heard a more close imitation of deep heavy human breathing, and had we not heard the sound and seen its cause thoroughly ascertained, could never have been persuaded that the sounds we heard did not proceed from something supernatural.

The following case, however, is one of those very rare ones to which we have above alluded, as one of those whose explanation baffles the philosophic inquirer. The case, indeed, is almost the only authentic one to which we could refer, and as it occurred to a particular friend, and every circumstance was minutely inquired into at the time, the narration is as authentic as such things can be. It may add to the interest of this case to state that it was communicated several years ago to Dr Hibbert, after the publication of his work on Apparitions, when he confessed that he could not explain it in the same philosophic manner in which he was able to account for all others, and that it appeared to him more nearly to approach the supernatural.

"F. M. S. was passing through the Wolf-ridge Wood at Alverston one night about twelve o'clock, accompanied by his dog, a breed between the Newfoundland and mastiff, a powerful animal, who feared neither man nor beast. He had a fowling-piece and a pair of pistols loaded, besides his sword, for he belonged to the military school there, and had been out on a day's shooting. The road ran through the middle of the wood; and very nearly in the centre of the wood, at a part somewhat more open than the rest, there was a cross erected to point out the spot where a game-keeper was murdered. The place had the reputation of being haunted, and the ghost, it was said, had been frequently seen. S. had frequently before this passed this cross in the wood without seeing

any thing, and treated the story of the ghost so lightly, that he has on more occasions than one, for a bet, gone there at midnight and returned without meeting any thing excepting an occasional gamekeeper or poacher. This night, when he approached the open space in the wood, he thought he perceived, at the other end of the open spot, the indistinct form of a man, more indistinct, however, than usual. He therefore called his dog to his side, (for previously it had been ranging about, barking furiously, and giving chase to the game it started,) patted it on the head to make it keep a sharp look-out, and cocked his gun. His dog, on this, was all impatience. He challenged the figure, but no answer was returned. He then suspected it was a poacher, and prepared for an encounter, and directed the dog's attention to the figure, who answered by growling. He then kept his eyes steadily fixed on the figure, when instantaneously it glided to within arm's length of him. He looked steadfastly in the face of the figure, which kept its eyes fixed on his. It made no noise or rustling on its approach. The face was ill defined, but distinctly visible. He could not turn his eyes from those of the figure; he was fascinated as it were to the spot; he had no power in his frame; he felt no fear of bodily injury, but a certain indescribable kind of awe. His eyes were so fascinated by those of the figure, that he did not observe the dress it appeared in, nor even its form. It looked calmly, and with a mild look all the time of its appearance, which he does not think exceeded half a minute, when it suddenly became invisible. The form had flitted before him about five minutes altogether. The dog, which before this was furious, growling, &c. now stood crouched at his feet as if in a trance,-his jaw fallen, his limbs quivering, his whole frame agitated, and covered with a cold perspiration. After the form disappeared, he touched it, then spoke to it, without its seeming to recognise him, and it was only after a little while that it seemed to recover its senses. The whole way home it never moved from his side, but kept close to his feet, nor did it offer to run after or even take notice of the game which they started on their way home. It was a fortnight before it recovered from the fright, but never afterwards was the same lively animal. No persuasion could ever again induce that dog to enter the wood after nightfall, nor would it allow any of the family to enter it. When it was forced to pass the open spot by daylight, it would only do so with its master, always, however, exhibiting signs of fear, trembling all the time, and walking silently by his side. S. has frequently since passed this spot in the wood at the midnight hour, but has never again seen the figure. Before this occurrence, he had always treated with ridicule any stories about ghosts or spirits, but is now a firm believer in both."

This is almost the only recorded case known to us where the evidence is so strong, as to leave no other impression on the mind but that it was the appearance of some supernatural agency; and,

after having in vain endeavoured to explain it on any other supposition, we found ourselves forced to conclude with Hamlet, that

"There are more things in heaven and earth

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

The remaining portion of Dr Binns's work would have been materially improved in several of its parts by embodying the more recent researches on anatomy and physiology,-more especially of the nervous system. For instance, for an author in 1845 to limit his description of the nerves, &c. to the antiquated and erroneous statements of Raspail, whose errors have been demonstrated by at least half a dozen writers of eminence since, is to propagate error, is to go back and not forward in knowledge. It is no apology to the public to say he is "a man more sinned against than sinning," because forsooth he takes shelter under Dr Elliotson's wing. A man who writes a work should consult the latest and best authorities themselves, and take no fact or statement at second hand.

The sixty-five pages of appendix consist of notes chiefly furnished by the Earl of Stanhope. They relate anecdotes and facts which have reference to the varied topics discussed in the body of the work. The most valuable and curious of these are perhaps those relative to dreams and apparitions. Among them are contained the authentic accounts of the apparition which appeared to Lord Lyttleton a few days before, and announced, his death; as also the apparition of Lord Lyttleton to Mr Andrews, his boon companion, immediately after his death. It is curious, however, that one of the accounts by a cotemporary, which is also narrated, explains the apparition seen by Lord Lyttleton as having been nothing more than a vivid dream, and shows the cause of his death to have been one of those fits to which he was subject. Indeed it is on the supposition of cerebral excitement that all such appearances are to be explained, with the single exception of those excessively rare cases, such as that above related, in which the apparition appears to a man and animal under circumstances which leave no room for believing that it could have been produced by natural causes acting equally on the man and the animal.

In one of the notes is quoted from the "Vestiges of Creation,” a statement intended to convey the idea that the animal and vegetable creation were progressively developed by cultivation or by accidental circumstances, or by a law of nature, by the transmutation of the simpler animals and vegetables into the more compound ones. For instance, that common grass by cultivation became converted into wheat, barley, oats, &c. To show on what grounds such assertions are made, it is stated that if oats be sown and kept cropped down during summer and autumn, and allowed to re

main over winter, a thin crop of rye is the harvest presented at the close of the ensuing summer. This is quoted on the authority of a German periodical, and instead of viewing it as one of those simple cases where the oats had died out and a few grains of rye either sown along with the oats, carried out in the manure, or latent in the soil, vegetated and thinly supplied their place, it is argued that it is a true instance of conversion of oats into rye. It is surprising that any one with the slightest pretensions to the character of a man of science could so misapply his reasoning faculties. In this country we have seen more than once the very experiment alluded to accidentally made. In one instance oats were sown with tares, and were cut down early for green food before they had pushed out their ear, and were cut a second time later in the year. Next year a portion of the land on which they grew was neglected to be cultivated; but instead of rye coming up, nothing made its appearance but a plentiful abundance of the great ox-eye daisy, couch-grass, rag-weed, and the other usual weeds. In another case oats were sown along with grass seeds, but from some cause or other they came up so sparingly over the field, that cattle were turned in among them who kept them cropped short the whole season. Next year not a stalk of oats, or rye, or barley could be seen over the whole field, -only the rye grass and clover which were sown, with the usual weeds of the ground. The reason of this was abundantly obvious. In this country rye is not cultivated. In Germany it is one of the regular rotation crops. We know, however, that it is scarcely possible to turn over land but what a few stalks of some kind or other of grain will make their appearance. Rye is one of the grains which bear to be cropped down one year, and will yet produce a crop of grain the next year. Oats will not do this. If sown and kept cropped down one year, it invariably dies during the succeeding winter. Consequently, if a few grains of rye, in the German experiment, vegetated along with the oats during the first year, they would survive the winter which killed the oats, and, of course, the next year a very spare crop of rye would alone make its appearance. It is easy to see how the seeds of the rye could find their way into the ground. The shaking of the heads of the last ripe crop of rye on that field would scatter numbers of seeds, which, when the land was ploughed, would cover them too deep for vegetating till a subsequent ploughing brought them nearer the surface. Many of the particles which escape the threshing machine, not being rotted with the manure, vegetate when the manure is spread on the fields; and lastly, it is rare to see fields of grain, in Germany, so very free from rye as not to furnish some little intermixture of seeds when again sown.

Did time and space offer we could easily prove to demonstration that the whole theory of the successive development of one

animal or plant of a higher class of organization from the transmutation of a species or genus of lower grade, was based on a foundation more unstable than the sand.

ART. II.-Human Magnetism; its claims to Dispassionate Inquiry. Being an attempt to show the Utility of its application for the relief of Human Suffering. By W. NEWNHAM, Esq. M. R. S. L., &c. London, 1845. 2. Letters on Mesmerism. don, 1845. 12mo. Pp. 65.

Post 8vo. Pp. 432. By HARRIET MARTINEAU. Lon

AMONG all the examples of human delusion and enthusiasm, assuredly mesmerism is most fortunate in the number and the energy of its defenders, and the zeal and occasional talent which they display in its defence. In several circumstances Mr Newnham is distinguished from those authors by whom he has been preceded or accompanied; and for various reasons his treatise demands, and will probably receive, a considerable share of attention. Whether it will make converts to the doctrines promulgated by the author, will depend in a great degree on the character of the readers. If the seed fall on favourable soil it will take root and grow, and perhaps yield other seed. If the soil, however, be unfavourable, no growth will follow.

Like a very small number of those who have defended this shadowy science, Mr Newnham was at least originally thinking of opposing it. His attention was first directed to the facts and arguments collected against Mesmerism or Magnetism, and in the study of these he thought he could recognise, amidst much error, several important truths. He was, indeed, enlisted as an opponent; and he became a champion.

This ought to be a lesson and warning to all those who are desirous to organize a regular opposition, however wise and plausible, against any doctrine or set of doctrines, however absurd and unreasonable. Many a man, and many a woman too, has begun by examining, opposing, and exposing the errors of the Roman Church, and has ended by becoming a most sincere and devout Catholic. "Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off."

In many respects Mr Newnham shows himself to be both a judicious and an able defender. He allows that mesmerism has suffered by the follies and quackeries with which it was associated, and perhaps by the charlatanism of its modern promulgator, MesBut he argues that this forms no reason for inferring that mesmerism or magnetism is itself either a piece of folly, or delusion, or knavery; or that it ought to be rejected for the vices and errors

mer.