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mer, who arrived in Paris in 1779, and astonished all the world by a discovery which he published under the title of "animal magnetism." Still, though the German physician's conduct was in many points blamable, he rendered humanity an immense service by revealing a power which had long been neglected; while Cagliostro, by blending magnetism with his juggleries, traced the path for charlatans who would discredit and ruin a science whose starting-point was one of the supreme laws of nature.

Of all the fortune tellers known to history, the one who acquired the greatest reputation is incontestably Mademoiselle Le Normand. For forty years court and city crowded her rooms; and even at the present day, in France, if you tease a person for trying fortune by the cards, the stereotyped reply is, "Tut, sir, the Emperor Napoleon himself consulted Mademoiselle Le Normand." This woman was a notorious impostor; but her "Sibylline Oracles," published after the downfall of Napoleon I., were a disgrace to the government which permitted their issue. Unfortunately, striking a man when down is an act of cowardice as common with governments as with individuals. This wretched creature, who publicly preached political assassination, has remained, up to the present day, the model for all French fortune-tellers; and we may read daily in the advertising columns the announcements of charlatans who boast of being the pupils or rivals of Mdlle. Le Normand.

'Spiritualism is a very old delusion-a collection of all the ancient doctrines. It borrows its form from Egpyt and Greece, and its practices from the reveries of the Swedenborgs and Spinosas. The alchemists pursued the discovery of the soul of the world; the mediums and evokers wish to force Deity to place at their disposal the soul of any man who has shuffled off the mortal coil. Their system is at once anti-christian and antilogical; for they desire to keep the soul still bound to the earth, and compel it at their bidding to quit the infinite splendors of celestial worlds in order to return among mortals. Spiritualism is divided into two parties-that of facts and that of ideas. In the first we absolutely deny that matter can subjugate the mind: in the second, it is very possible that a

strong-minded man should obtain the mastery over weak minds. Unhappily, when a man is once convinced of the truth of spiritualism, he will employ any resources; for he considers that in such a case the end will justify the means. Certain that he has been witness of a fact, he will employ every sort of trickery to reproduce it on a given day and hour. And the saddest part of the business is, that, as the spiritualist's decease is to him a reality, he will cheat almost in good faith. Such appears to us to be the case with Mr. Home, who possesses an ardent and mystical mind contained in a fragile body, which exerts a perceptible influence over it.

Although we are not disposed to deny the influence of magnetism on the human body, we are forced to the painful conviction that every man who lives by magnetism is a charlatan. As our author justly remarks, "Magnetism, like all the occult sciences, at times gives flashes, but never light." He also adds, that though he has assisted at the séances of all the distinguished somnambulists, he declares that if by accident a flash of truth dazzled him, it was solely the result of legerdemain. Robert Houdin, the greatest prestidigitator of modern times, merely developed and augmented the resources of magnetizers by creating the anti-magnetic second sight.

It will be seen from our analysis that M. Alfred de Caston is a rough opponent of all marvel-mongers, ancient and modern. But we cannot blame him for it. It is a notorious fact that spiritualism has led to a large increase of insanity; and it behooves every man who has the welfare of his fellow-beings at heart to strive strenuously at putting a stop to these works of the devil and his friends. L. W.

PRINCE GORTCHAKOFF.

A SKETCH BY THE EDITOR.

AMONG the many noble and renowned families whose names and deeds have adorned the Russian annals, few have been longer known or more distinguished on the roll of fame than that of Prince Gortchakoff. He is descended from a noble family of great antiquity. His princely title is not derived from

Russian Imperial Guard, and soon af ter directed the operations at the siege of Silistra and Shumla. In the campaign of Poland, in 1831, he was commander-in-chief of the artillery, and distinguished himself at the capture of Warsaw. In 1843 he was appointed the Military Governor of Warsaw. He commanded the Russian armies which

any modern imperial decree; it has | Prince Michael Gortchakoff, was born been hereditary in his family from the in 1795. In 1828 he served in the foundation of the Russian empire. Prince Gortchakoff, it is said, is a lineal descendant from Prince Rurik, the founder of the Russian empire in 861, at Novgorod. The two brothers of Rurik were Princes of the Empire. The fine and expressive portrait of Prince Gortchakoff which we place at the head of the present number of THE ECLECTIC, we think bears a princely stamp and as-occupied the Danubian Principalities in pect, as his princely and affable manners

do in real life.

1853. In March, 1855, he was appointed to succeed Prince Menschikoff in the command of the Russian forces in the Crimea. He superintended the protracted defence of Sebastopol, and with consummate skill secured the final retreat of the Russian troops from the blazing ruins of the fortress.

A few historic allusions and facts in relation to the Gortchakoff family, as illustrative of their character, will suffice for our present purpose in this brief biographical sketch. Among the dis tinguished personages of this family may be mentioned Prince Peter Gort- Prince Gortchakoff, the younger chakoff, who commanded the Russian brother, whose portrait we give, was forces at Smolensk, celebrated in history born in 1800. He was educated for the for his heroic defence of that city against career of diplomacy, in which he has the army of Sigismund III., King of always been occupied. In 1824 he bePoland, in 1609-11, when it was taken came secretary to the Russian embassy by assault. Also, in the world of litera- in London. In 1830 he was chargé ture and letters, Prince Demetrius Gort- d'affaires at Florence. In 1832 he was chakoff was distinguished for his Odes, appointed counsellor to the Russian emSatires, and Letters. He was born in 1756, bassy at Vienna. In 1841 he was sent and died in 1824. Prince Alexander to Stuttgard as envoy extraordinary, and Gortchakoff served in the Russian army negotiated the marriage of the Grandunder Suwaroff against the Turks and Duchess Olga with the Prince Royal of the Poles under Kosciusko. He fought Wurtemburg. He remained at Stuttagainst the French in the campaign of gard as Russian envoy to the German Switzerland, and afterwards with great Diets till he was recalled in June, 1854, distinction under Benningsen in the to receive special instructions from the campaign of 1807, when he defeated Emperor Nicholas for the special misLannes, at Heilsberg, and fought at the sion to Vienna with which he was battle of Friedland. He was the Min-charged in July, 1854. He continued ister of War to the Russian government in 1812. He was born in 1764, and died in 1825. There are other renowned

names in this family.

at Vienna, occupied with the negotiations for peace between Russia and the Western powers, till the conferences finally ceased, in 1855. In 1856 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs at St. Petersburg. This high and important office, next to the Emperor, he still holds as the chief counsellor of the Emperor.

Prince Gortchakoff is a warm friend of the United States. He takes a deep interest in the present struggle of our

Prince Alexander Gortchakoff, the subject of this sketch, is the younger of three brothers. The elder brother, Prince Peter, was born in 1790. He early entered the Russian army. He fought against Napoleon in various. campaigns, from 1807 to 1812-14. He was Quartermaster-General of the Rus sian army under Wittgenstein, and sign-government. ed the Treaty of Adrianople. He was afterwards appointed Lieutenant-General, and in 1839 was made Governor of Eastern Siberia. He retired from the service in 1851. The second brother,

All Americans are my friends," said the Prince to us, in his own palace at St. Petersburg in August last, when he kindly presented his portrait from which the engraving is copied, adding at our request his autograph, as seen

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