MYSTERIOUS NOISES.

35

of spiritual sympathy, which have been indubitably exemplified in ten thousand cases, by the phenomena of human magnetism?

Again: It is very evident that the inhabitants of those portions of the spiritual world which are immediately related to this planet, were once the inhabitants of this planet, and that they have passed through all successive degrees from the conditions which they occupied here, to the conditions which they now occupy."

On the almost imperceptible change when the spirit first leaves the body, EMANUEL SWEDENBORG says: (A. C.-H. & H.)

"As to what in general respects the life of souls, or spirits lately deceased, it was made manifest to me by much experience, that a man, when he comes into another life, does not know that he is in another life, imagining that he is stil! in the world, yea, in his own body; inasmuch, that when he is informed that he is a spirit, he is filled with wonder and astonishment, as well because he is altogether as a man, as to his senses, desires and thoughts, as from this, that he did not believe, when he lived in the world, that he was a spirit, or (as is the case with some,) that a spirit could be such. But when the astonishment ceases, then they wonder that the church should be in total ignorance concerning the state of man after death; that they should deny the existence of the spirit and dispute about substance, and parts with parts, which were never designed to have any place in the mind, because they obstruct the way to intelligence."

To the same effect speaks A. J. DAVIS, while in the Clairvoyant state. He says, (see principles of Nature, p. 658.)

"And what may appear strange, is, that often when a spirit leaves the human form and is introduced into this sphere, it for a moment cannot realize the change, for it is imperceptible. Spirits retain the same bodily form in the spiritual sphere, and at first they feel as if they were only transformed to a country they knew not. It is, however, not long after the transition before the interior senses are opened; and then behold and appreciate the change and the beauties with which they are surrounded. And some spirits appear to wonder that they did not see it before, and that they did not believe it while in the body; for now it appears so tangible and so perfectly agreeable with the universal teachings of natural law."

Again on page 675, Mr. Davis says:

"It is a truth that spirits commune with one another while one is in the body and the other in the higher spheres-and this too, when the person in the body is unconscious of the influx, and hence, cannot be convinced of the fact; AND THIS TRUTH WILL ERE LONG PRESENT ITSELF IN THE FORM OF A LIVING DEMONSTRATION. And the world will hail with delight the ushering in of that era when the interiors of men will be opened, and the spiritual communion will be established such as is now being enjoyed by the inhabitants of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, because of their superior refinement."

Thus we have the testimony of these men, well

known as having laid before the world some of the most sublime and philosophical reasonings and facts in regard to the existence of a world of spirits, unseen but felt by their influence, (and occasionally in a more tangible way,) and heard by those who still remain in the body.

Besides this, we have the testimony of clairvoyants almost without number, in almost every neighborhood, who are in private circles developing the great facts here set forth, while their names are unknown to the world; but the incontestible evidence they afford of their power to point out persons never known to them in their normal state, who have passed into the world of spirits, and their plain and artless descriptions of that state, is having an influence in their respective circles which cannot but put any one acquainted with the facts strongly in mind of Swedenborg's prophecy, that the year 1852 would be one that would decide the fate of his church or his doctrines. The probabilities now seem to be that his general spiritual theory will, not far from that time, be very generally received.

We have used up this chapter here in the center of our book, for the purpose of showing that very plausible, and to us very philosophical reasons can be given for our spiritual theory, without stating all the facts that have come to our knowledge. But we are in possession of FACTS which we KNOW to have transpired. We get them from no second hand; we assert nothing but what we KNOW or can prove true; and from these statements, like a noble reformer of Boston, we feel that "we will not retract a single inch and we will be heard."

CHAPTER V.

CONTINUED HISTORY OF THE EVENTS IN WESTERN NEW YORK.

We have heretofore spoken only of the progress of the sounds at Hydesville, in Arcadia. We left them after they had just learned enough of the matter to converse, by getting raps for an affirmative, and no sound for a negative, and a name or two spelled out by the use of the alphabet.

Like all new discoveries, this has become more perfect as it has been investigated and studied into. The mode of communication has gradually improved, until those who are most familiar with it, can without difficulty get long, and correct communications spelled out by the alphabet.

For some time the rapping was confined to that house, although, as stated in a former chapter, the family of Mr. Fox all left the house at times. While the neighbors were testing the floor and the walls of the house, and the family entirely away from it, the sounds were heard as distinctly as ever. We wish this to be distinctly remembered, as it as often been asserted by persons ignorant of the facts, or willfully malicious, that the sounds were never heard, unless in the presence of two of the daughters of Mr. Fox. The facts already stated and proved, show that they commenced before that family occupied the house or lived in the neighborhood.

Subsequently, however, as was the case in the Wesley family, it seemed to evince a partiality for, or to manifest itself more freely in presence of the two youngest girls. Why this was so, they could not tell, nor

will we at present conjecture. Up to the time of the first manifestations, none of the family had ever been magnetized.

It soon began to be heard, not only in that house, but in some of the neighbors houses also.

Part of the family went to Rochester to reside, and the same sounds were heard by the portion of the family in that city, while the part that remained in Hydesville continued to hear them there. By this time it had been discovered that the different sound, or sounds in different places, purported to be the spirits of different persons. Indeed the proofs pretty soon began to be plain, that they were so, or at least whatever it was, it had the power of telling the names of persons entirely unknown to the family, and often reminding them of something that took place in their own family, of which Mr. Fox's family could know nothing, unless they had the power to see through their thoughts and all space besides, which would be much more strange than to allow it to be what it purports to be.

Not long after it began to be heard by this family in Rochester, it began to be heard in other houses in the same city, and among others, in the house of a Methodist clergyman, Rev. A. H. Jarvis, where the same sounds have continued from that time to this, as they have in other places and houses.

We have received the following statement from the hand of Mr. Jarvis, which we are allowed to publish.

There are many facts which have come under my observation equally convincing of the intelligence and utility of the communications from these unseen agents, who I now believe are continually about us, and more perfectly acquainted with all our ways-and even our thoughts, than we are with each other. But the fact in reference to my friend PICKARD is what you desire. He was at my house on Friday afternoon, April 6th, 1849. None of the Fox family was present. While at the tea table we had free communications on different subjects. Pickard was requested to ask questions. He desired to know who it was that would answer questions. The answer was "I am your mother MARY PICKARD." Her name or the fact of her death was not known to any of us. The next Monday evening he (Pickard) was at Mr. G―'s and tarried there over night. He there received a communications purporting to be from his mother, saying, Your child is dead.' He came immediately to my place, and said he should take the stage for home (Lockport, 60 miles distant.) He left in the stage at 8 or 9 A. M. At 12 M. I returned to my house, my wife meeting me with

extent, have testimony equally convincing. Several persons who have carefully investigated this affair for the last two years, have kept a private journal in which they have entered many of the most singular occurrences that have come within their personal observation. Extracts from some of these will be given in another chapter.

Soon after the first excitement in the city of Rochester, we hear of its manifesting itself in the adjoining towns, as well as in other places in the city. Among other places, the sounds were heard at the house of a Deacon Hale, of the town of Greece in Monroe connty. He is a man well known and of unimpeachable character, so far as we have been able to ascertain, and his candor and honesty as a man or his strict adherence to the principle of the church of which he was a deacon, have not been called in question.

Another fact in relation to his experience which we deem important, is, that he had not seen or had any acquaintance with the family of Mr. Fox, or any part of them, when they commenced at his house or since that time, and yet he gets the communications as freely as they or any one else. We are not aware that any of his family have ever been placed under the influence of human magnetism. The manifestations at his house have been varied and singular.

Mr. Lyman Granger, a well known citizen of Rochester, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, has long been familiar with these manifestations in his own house and in various places where he has been. There is one singular fact about the manifestations to