M. Philipstal, produced the most impressive, and, in some

instances, terrific effects upon the audiences who thronged to witness the exhibition. The theatre was in profound darkness, and the stage, which represented a cavern with terrible figures and skeletons displayed in relief upon its walls, was dimly seen through a gauze screen, invisible to the audience, and upon which all the spectral appearances were represented; and through which lightnings flashed, whilst thunder, intended to prepare the mind for the terrific exhibition, rolled over the heads of the - spectators. The figures thrown upon this screen were reflected from a concave mirror, through double lenses, constituting the well-known magic lantern ; but modified in such a manner that they appeared to advance and recede ; to dilate to a gigantic mag- nitude, and then immediately diminish to the size of pigmies ; to come forward with all the appearance of real life, and on retiring instantly to return in the form of skeletons. Terrific heads, moving their awful eyes and tremendous jaws, seemed close to the spectators' eyes, then suddenly vanished ; and were succeeded by spectres and skeletons of the most frightful aspect. The writer of this note saw this phantasmagoria, and can easily conceive the effect which it is fitted to produce, when skilfully worked, upon ignorant and superstitious spectators. If we can suppose that the ancients were acquainted with the influence of the combina- tion of mirrors and lenses, which admits of living objects instead of pictures being employed, as described in " Brewster's Natural Magic," p. 86, the representations of Gods, and the apparitions of. the dead, appearing at the command of magicians and of priests
INVOCATIONS OF THE DEAD. 281
We might borrow from P. Kircher* a description of the instruments which probably formed the phantasma- gorias of the ancient temples t^ but it will be more curious to display their effects as they have been described by a disciple of the philosophical Theurgists. " In a manifes- tation which must not be revealed. . . . there appeared on the wall of the temple a diffusive mass of light, which in becoming concentrated, assumed the appearance of a face evidently divine and supernatural, severe of aspect, but with a touch of gentleness, and very beauti- ful to look upon. According to the dictation of their mysterious religion, the Alexandrians honoured it as Osiris and Adonis/'t ^^ describing a modern phantas- magoria how could it be differently set forth ?
Damasciusf informs us, that this apparition was em- ployed to prevent the rulers of the city from giving way to hurtful dissensions. The miracle had a political aim ; indeed, we may discover the same object in many of the anciently recorded miracles ; and even presume the existence of the same cause in nearly all of them.
The Camera Obscura served, in other cases, to re- produce moving and animated pictures. Here, the remark, regarding the Diorama, applies with greater force ; namely, that simple observation serves to indi-
in the sanctuaries, may be readily and satisfactorily explained. An excellent account of an exhibition of demons, conjured up by a Sicilian priest, is given in the words of Benvenuto Cellini, who witnessed it, in Roscoe's life of that celebrated artist.— Ed.
* Kircher. (Edipus, tome ii. page 323.
t Damascius apud Photium Biblioth, cod. 242.
X Damascius was a Stoic philosopher of Damascus, who wrote four books of extraordinary events which occurred in the age of Justinian. — Ed.
282 APPARITIONS THE WORK OP SCIENCE.
cate its use. If the window of a room is closed by a tightly fitting shutter, and a hole be made in it, the men, the animals, the passing carts, and all moving objects are seen clearly depicted on the ceil- ing: when sufficiently illuminated, the colours of the exterior objects, if at all bright, are perfectly recogniz- able in the picture ; and even the images, as I have seen, preserve a very striking resemblance both in the details and as a whole, even, when in proportion to the original objects, the dimensions are only as one in twelve or fifteen. That, in ancient times, these apparitions were the result of scientific means,* is proved by the fact, that,
* Nothing in my opinion can be more unworthy of human rea- son than the belief of the power of any class of men, good or evil« to recal the immortal essence of our being, after it has quitted its mortal vestment, and with a visible form, similar to that from which it has been for ever separated. If this opinion be correct, every spectral apparition,— every ghost which has rendered mid- night hideous — every warning of supernatural voices that has fieJlen upon the ear of shuddering guilt — and every sound that has awakened the smitten conscience of the murderer — must alike be regarded as illusions of the mind, raised by extraneous circum- stances acting upon a deranged nervous system, so morbidly excitable, that creative Fancy is set to work, and ^ves to aerial nothings a corporeal presence and a form. These spectral illusions, whatever appearance they may assume, are usually conjoined with, or productive of some prediction, which, if not fulfilled, is for- gotten; but if, by any coincidence it should apparently be fulfilled, the mind becomes more strongly convinced of the truth of super- natural agency, and the empire of superstition and credulity gains an accession of power. The apparitions of the ancients, therefore* as we have no reason for doubting the accoimts of them which have been transmitted by historians, must have assuredly been impostures, produced in the manner afterwards detailed in the text. — Ed.
APPARITIONS THE WORK OF SCIENCE. 283
by the aid of a convex lens, or concave noirrors, the Thaumaturgists were acquainted with the art of restoring an inverted image to its proper position. According to Theodoretus, and the Rabbins, the cause of the terror which seized, or was feigned by the Sorceress consulted by Saul, was owing to the shade of Samuel appearing in an upright posture ; whilst till then the attitude of the spirits had been reversed,*
* Theodoret. in Reg. lib. i. qusest. lxii. — ^Theodoretus, a theo- logian of the fourth century, was bom in a.d. 393, and educated under Theodore of Mapsuestia and John Chrysostom. He became a deacon in the church at Antioch, and in 423 was chosen Bishop of G3rrus, in Syria. The greater part of his life was occupied with the controversy carried on between the Nestoriana and the Oriental Christians, or Eutychiam. He died in 457.
There is, however, no necessity for this supposition of Theo- critus and the Rabbins; for it is probable that the figure of Samuel did not appear at all, at least it was not seen by Saul ; and if the witch could have produced it by her science, there would have been no cause of alarm on her part. Her dread arose from the fear of punishment from Saul. When the apparitions spoke, the deception was probably the effect of ven- triloquism : for that ventriloquism was employed by the ancient sorcerers may be inferred from the fact that it, at this day, forms a part of the performances of the Eskimaux wizards. Captain Lyon details the performances of one of his Iglolik acquaintances, named Toolemak, in the darkened cabin of his ship. The wife of Toolemak sung the Annaaya during the whole per- formance. The first imitation was that of the invocations of the spirit Tronga, when a loud snorting, resembling that of the walrus, was heard; then the voice seemed smothered, and retreated beneath the deck, as if to a distance, when it ceased altogether. His wife said he had dived, in order to bring up Tronga, and in half a minute was heard distant blowing very slowly approaching, and a voice mingled with the blowing, until both the voice and
284 APPARITIONS THE WORK OF SCIENCE.
BuflFon allows the possibility of the existence of the steel or polished iron mirrors, placed in the port of Alexandria for the purpose of discovering vessels at a great distance off at sea. It may be presumed, that long before falling into the service of industry, the sciences which suggested the construction of the mir- rors of Alexandria were preserved in the temples ; and apparent miracles, far superior to those we have just noticed, must have awakened the admiration of the people — and filled, even the philosophers, with astonishment.*
" If this mirror," says Buflfbn, " really existed, as it seems probable that it did, to the ancients belongs the honour of the invention of the telescope." May we be permitted to add to this weighty authority, one of a very different nature. In those ancient Tales of the East, whose details of miracles we conceive to have been founded on disfigured traditions, rather than to have been the inven- tions of a roving imagination, we find a tube spoken of, which was a foot long, and little more than an inch in
blowing became quite distinct ; and the old woman said Tronga was come to answer any questions put to him by the Captain. He asked some questions, which were answered by two loud claps on the deck. A hollow voice next chanted, and was succeeded by a strange jumble of hisses, groans, shouts, and gabbling like a turkey. The voice then gradually sunk from hearing, and was succeeded by a sound not unlike the wind on the bass chord of an ^olian harp, which " soon changed to a rapid hiss like that of a rocket, and Toolemak, with a yell, announced his return." When the light was admitted, the ventriloquist was apparently much exhausted by his performance, " which had continued for at least half-an-hour." — ^Ed. Private Journal of Captain G. F. Lyons. Lond. 1824. p. 358.
* Buffon. Histoire naturelle des mn4raux. Introduction, sixihne mimoire, art. ii.
APPARITIONS THE WOEK OF SCIENCE. 285
diameter, and at one extremity furnished with a glass. By the application of the eye to one end of this tube, a person saw every thing he desired.* Let us substitute for this, the apparent miracle of perceiving an object lost to the naked eye by its distance ; and the magic instrument becomes an opera-glass, if not a telescope.
May we not refer to a knowledge of the refraction of light, an extraordinary faculty, of which the writers, of dif- ferent ages and countries have spoken, in order to assure ourselves that they have not copied from one another ?
Thus, as we are told, Jupiter, in love, transformed himself, alternately, into an image of Diana and of Amphytrion ; and Proteous and Vertumnus could change their forms and aspects at will. These are dazzling mythological fictions, the brilliancy of which conceals their absurdity. But when a biographer relates that, under a borrowed appearance, his hero deceives even his friends, he becomes ridiculous, because the excessive credulity into which his enthusiasm has betrayed him appears ; and the relation of several such adventures would only be met with scepticism. We do not speak, however, of an isolated fact, but of an uni- versal art. " The end of magic," says lamblichus, " is not to create beings, but to cause images resembling them to appear and soon again to vanish, without leaving the slightest trace behind them." f
Among the conquests of Genghis KhanJ was a town,
* Mille et une Nuits, 606e Nuit, tome v. p. 254 — 256, etc.
t " Ejus-modi natnque magica finis est, non facere simpliciter, sed usque ad apparentiam imaginamenta porrigere, quorum mox nee vola, quod dicitur, compareat, nee vestigium," (lamblich, de Myst.)
X Gengis Khan flourished in the end of the sixth and the be- ginning of the seventh century. — Ed.
286 APPARITIONS THE WORK OP SCIENCE.
the mart for all the commerce of China. " The inha- bitants/' says the historian,* "were versed in an art which could cause that which is not to appear, and that which realty is to disappear.** "Men," says Suidas,t " who were called Magi (magicians), kiiew how to surround themselves with delusive apparitions." His translator adds, by way of explanation, " who so de- ceived the eyes of men, by their miracles, as to appear utterly different from what they really were." Saxo Grammaticus,} who, besides the Greek and Latin authors now lost to us, consulted the traditions imported with the religion of Odin from Asia into the North of Europe, speaking of the illusions produced by the scientific magi- cians, says :— " Very expert in optical delusions, they succeeded in giving to themselves and others the appear- ance of various objects, and, under attractive forms, to conceal their real aspect." ||
John of Salisbury,^ who doubtless had access to sources no longer open to us, relates that " Mercurius,^ the most skilful of the magicians, had discovered the secret of fascinating the eyes of men in such a manner as to render
* Histoire de Gengis Khan, p. 471 — 472.
t Suidas, verbo Magos.
X A Danish author of the twelfth century, who wrote a history of Denmark of mixed authority. — Ed.
II Saxo Grammat. Hist, Dan. lib. i. cap. ix.
§ He lived in the reign of Henry VIL ; and although that period was ranked among the dark ages, yet John of Salisbury was a man of learning, and well versed in the Greek and Latin languages, mathematics, and every branch of natural knowledge then known. His principal work is entitled, " Polycraticon" — ^Ed.
% Trismegistus Mercurius, or Hermes, one of the Egyptian Magi, who was a contemporary of Moses, when he led the chil- dren of Israel from Egjrpt. — ^Ed.
APPARITIONS THE WORK OF SCIENCE. 287
persons invisible, or nther to give them the appearance of beings of a diffwent species."*
Simon, the magician,! oould also make another man resemble him so exactly, as to deceive every one. An ocular witness, the author of the "Recognitions," ascribed to Pope Saint Clement, relates this incredible story.J
Pomponius Mela attributes to the Druidical priestesses of the island of Sena the art of transforming them- selves into animals at will ;|| and Solinus^ regards the enchantments of Circe as delusive apparitions.
Eustathius^ enters into important details. In Homer, Proteus transforms himself into a consuming fire. "This," says the commentator,** " must be understood as a mere apparition; thus Proteus becomes a dragon, a lion, a boar, &c., not really changing, but only appearing to be
* Joan. Salisb. Policr, lib. i. cap. ix.
t Simon Magus was a Samaritan by birth, a Pagan, and addicted to sorcery. He, nevertheless, pretended to believe in Christianity, and was baptized by Philip, the deacon; but when Peter and John went to Samaria, he offered them money to bestow upon him the same power which they possessed. Peter sharply rebuked him, and refused his request, saying, " Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be pur- chased with money." (Jets, chap. vii. ver. 20.) He was one of the earliest supporters of the Gnostic system, addicted to abomina* ble vices, and one of the principal opponents of Chirstianity . — Ed.
X Recognita lib. x. Epitome de rebus gestis. B. Petri.
II Pompon. Mela, lib. iii. cap. vi.
§ Solin. cap. viii.
% Eustathius was Archbishop of Thessolonica in the twelfth century, under the Emperors Manuel Alexius and Andronicus Comnenus. He was a man of great erudition, and wrote a cele- brated commentary on Homer, and on Dionysius the geographer. —Ed.
*♦ Eusthat. in Homer. Odyss. lib. iv.v. 417 — 418.
288 APPARITIONS THE WORK OF SCIENCE.
SO." Proteus was a very learned, very versatile, and very adroit worker of miracles (Terasios), and was acquainted with the secrets of Egyptian philosophy. After having noticed Mercury, and other beings con- nected with the mythology, and who, by an apparent metamorphosis passed, like Proteus, from one form to another, Eustathius continues : — " Cratisthenes has been admired for the same art : he created an appearance of flames which seemed to issue from him, and to display a peculiar motion. He also contrived other apparitions, by which he forced men to confess their thoughts to him. Such, also, were Xenophon, Scymnos, Phillipide, Heraclidus, and Nymphodorus, who forced men to obey their wills by inspiring them with dread."
Athenaeus'*'' speaks in similar terms of Cratisthenes and of Xenophon, who appeared to create flames ; and of Nymphodorus; all three skilful in deceiving men by apparent miracles, and terrifying them by apparitions.f
What, we may inquire, were these apparitions ? The term has no equivocal meaning ; for the commentator proposes to prove, that the pretended metamorphoses of ProteusI are to be considered as apparitions; it was, therefore, necessary that the enchanters should them- selves appear clothed in the forms with which they alarmed the spectators.
But let us remark that, in asserting their possession of
* Athenae, Deipnosoph. lib. i. cap. xiv.
t Some idea of the maimer in which this was performed is given in a subsequent note. — Ed.
t A Greek, a native of Nancratis, in Lower Egypt, who lived in the third century. His work, entitled " Deipnosophista,*' is a very curious performance, treating chiefly of the pleasures of the table, and illustrating ancient art. — Ed.
DECEPTIONS OF THE MAGICIANS. 289
this talent, neither Eustathius nor Athenaeus describe Cratisthenes or Xenophon as being endowed with super- natural power; both of these, as well as Proteus, are mentioned only as skilful adepts in deception.
It, another age, and in another hemisphere, we hear of a similar apparent miracle. It is mentioned by Joseph Acosta, who, towards the end of the 1 6th century, resided in Peru ; he affirms that there existed at that epoch sor- cerers who possessed the power of taking any form they pleased. He relates that the ruler of a city in Mexico, who was sent for by the predecessor of Montezuma, transformed himself, before the eyes of the men who went successively to seize him, into an eagle, a tiger,and an immense serpent. At last he yidded, and was conducted to the Emperor, who condemned him to death.* No longer in his own house, and no longer within his own theatre, he then lacked the power of working miracles in order to save his life.
The Bishop of Chiapa (a province of Guatemala), in a writing published in 1702, ascribed the same power to the Naguals, or national priests, who laboured to win back to the religion of their ancestors the children brought up as Christians by the Government. After various ceremonies, when the child he instructed advanced to embrace him, the Nagual suddenly assumed a fright- ful aspect ; and, under the form of a lion or tiger, ap- peared chained to the young Christian convert.f
It may be observed, that these apparent miracles, like
* Joseph Acosta. Histoire Naturelle des Indes, etc, feuillets, 251 et 351—358.
t Recueil de Voyages et de M^moires, puhlii par ia Soci^te de G4ograph%e, tome ii, page 182.
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290 DBCBFTIONS OF THE MAGICIANS.
those of the Mexican enchanters, were performed in a place previously chosen and adapted to the purpose ; they prove, therefore, simply a local power ; they indicate the existence of a mechanical art ; but they do not lead to an acquaintance with its resources.
May not the fire with which, after the example of Proteus, Cratisthenes and Xenophon enveloped them- selves, have served to conceal some other operation ?
It is well known that the ancients often thought they could perceive objects of a determinate figure in the midst of a body of flame. The vapour of burning sul- phur, and the light of a lamp fed by a particular unctuous substance, were made use of by Anaxilaus of Larissa* to work various apparent miracles, whi9h are referable not so much to magic, as to real experiments in physics.t
A modem wizaj:d,j: in the revelatio^ of bis secrets, allows the possibility of producing an apparition in smoke.^ The Theurgists caused the appearance of the Gods in the air, in the midst of gaseous vapours, dis- engaged from fire. I Porphyrus admires this secret; Iamblichus$ censures the employment of it ; but he con- fesses its existence, and grants it to be worthy the atten- tion of the inquirer after truth. The Tbeurgist, Maxi-
* Anaxilaus was banished from Italy by Augustus, on account of his impostures. — Ed.
t Hin. Hist. Nat. lib. xxvm, cap. ii, xxxii, 52. lib. xxxv. cap. xv. Anaxilaus had composed a book quoted by Saint Ireneus, and Saint Epiphanes, and intiUed nairivia, Jeux, Enfantillages.
X These illusions were evidently produced by concave mirrors, as explained in a former note. They required the aerial, reflected images to be thrown into the midst of smoke. — ^Ed.
II Robertson. MSmoires, &c. tome i. page 854.
§ lambHchus. De mysteriis. cap. xxix.
DECEPTIONS OP THE MAGICIANS. 291
mus, undoubtedly made use of a secret analogous to this, when, in the fumes of the incense which he burned before the statue of Hecate, the image was seen to laugh so naturally, as to fill the spectators with terror.*
Such illusions, supposing there were ever anything real in them, may have been managed by the magician who had previously surrounded himself with apparent flames. But we will not dwell on doubtful probabilities, nor attempt to explain what we can scarcely regard as credible. Our aim has been merely to excite reflection on narrations whidii refer the same apparent miracle to many diflferent places. They prove, at least, that in employing either science or subtlety, theThaumaturgists had carried out the art of optical deception far enough to raise an exaggerated, or rather an absurd idea of their power. Indeed we may conclude that they were acquainted with wire-gauze ; as we are told in the fable of Vulcan, that he made an iron-net as delicate as a spider's web, in order to expose the infidelity of his wife with Mars. May we not, therefore, conjecture that they might have used wire gauze on the same principle as did Sir H. Davy.f
* Eunap. tn Maximo,
t If we admit that the ancients possessed a knowledge of many extraordinary inventions, which have been regarded as altogether modem, we may suppose that the knowledge of non-conducting substances, and of substances such as wire- gauze, through which flame cannot pass, the foundation of Sir H. Davy's safety-lamp, was not unknown to them. The Chevalier Aldini, early in this century, invented an incombustible dress, by means of which fire- men can proceed with impunity into the midst of flames. The body, arms, and leg-pieces are made of strong cloth, steeped in a saturated solution of alum, while the cap which covers the whole
U 2
292 DECEPTIONS OF THE MAGICIANS.
head and neck, and is perforated only with openings for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth, and the gloves and shoes are made of cloth of abestos. Over this dress is placed another, made of iron- wire gauze, consisting of a casque, or cap, and mask, large enough to leave a space between it and the asbestos cap ; a cuirass, with brassets ; armour for the trunk and the thighs ; and a pair of double boots. There is also an oval shield, made of the wire- gauze, stretched on a slender frame of iron.
Many experiments were made to prove the efficacy of this appa- ratus. Among others, two parallel rows of straw and brushwood, supported by iron wires, extending thirty feet, were placed three feet apart, and then set on fire. The heat was sufficient to pre*' vent any one from approaching nearer than eight or ten yards from the fire. Six firemen, however, habited in the above dresses, marched repeatedly to and fro, through the whole length of the double row of flames uninjured. They breathed without difficulty in the midst of the flames, so completely was the heat of the air which entered their lungs interrupted by the wire-gauze cap. In another experiment, a fireman remained so long enveloped in flames and smoke, which rendered him invisible, that doubts were entertained of his safety ; but he issued from them iminjured. —Ed.
HYDROSTiiTICS USED TO UPHOLD IMPOSTTURE. 293