MANIFESTATIONS. Under this advisedly vague title, we propose to lay before our readers, three documents, which have been placed in our hands by a gentleman in whom we have the utmost confidence. He assures us that he is intimately acquainted with the persons in whose presence the very strange occurrences described took place. He declares them to be persons of unimpeachable veracity, not likely to be led away by enthusiasm, nor to become the victims, even of the most refined trickery. We are bound therefore to believe that the senses of sight, hearing, and feeling, were appealed to in the manner described. Further than this, we dare not venture. Real names are given in every case. LETTER, WRITTEN IN ITALIAN, BY COUNT ALESSANDRO DE SPADA, RELATIVE TO MR. HOME. TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH. Mr. Home is the son of Scotch parents. He is twenty-three years of age, of middle stature, fair, with very fine blue eyes, and altogether he may be called a handsome young man. He travels at his own expense, will not be paid, and, only from good nature, consents to perform his experiments. Before speaking of what I have seen in three different evenings at the Villa of the Colombaja, I will repeat Mr. Home's explanation of the word Medium. A Medium is so, naturally, and not by art. A Medium has, by no means, the power of evoking the spirits, but, according to Mr. Home, the matter is as follows. Each one of us is always surrounded by a quantity of the spirits of departed dear ones, who are wandering about, and desire to communicate with the living, but are not able to do so. The presence of a Medium places the spirit in relation with the loved ones, and thus arise those manifestations, which are, in reality, only the means of communication which the spirits are enabled to use. In order that the manifestation may take place, if the spirits be willing, it is only necessary for Mr. Home to put himself into communication with the persons present, and that is done by placing their hands, with his, on any piece of furniture whatsoever, generally a small table, because it is the most convenient, and that for a few minutes. This being done, all remain in expectation; often the spirits are not present, and, after a short silence, the conversation is resumed, as if nothing had happened and without paying further attention, for when the spirits arrive, they take |