Believing, as I do, the existence of diabolical arts at this day in Egypt, in India, and other lands of darkness, and seeing what was the birth-place, who were the promulgators of this Mesmeric delusion, I cannot but raise even my feeble hand to resist its spread in my own country; more especially when the hand of another female is employed to scatter it far and wide.

I request your pardon, if, in any instance, I have appeared personally uncourteous: the cause of my glorious Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, is very dear to my soul, and I cannot but be grieved with those who rise up against him. To him who is King of kings, and Lord of lords (Rev. xix. 16.); to him whom the angels of God worship (Heb. i. 6.), while the whole power of hell lies prostrate at his feet (Col. ii. 15.), be glory and dominion, honour and majesty, now and for ever. May you be enabled to say, Amen!

I am, Madam,

One who would gladly serve you,

CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH TONNA.

While the foregoing was being printed, as a tract, Miss Martineau's fourth communication to the Athenæum appeared, containing matter that bears out in its fullest extent the view here taken. She utterly rejects the current explanations of Mesmeric phenomena, even as generally offered by the followers of the art, and distinctly claims for it a character not only supernatural, but identical with that of the demonology to which I have referred. She speaks of Mesmerism as being, in the hands of mortals, 'in regard to each other, a health-giving, a liferestoring power, a stupendous power of volition, a power of exciting faculties of prescience and insight, and some others too awful to be lightly named.' She styles it 'a vast

re-discovery,' and goes to the astounding length of designating its manifestations, 'states of mind and soul held too sacred in olden times to be elicited elsewhere than in temples, by the hands of the priests of the gods.' She expressly names the Delphic oracle in connexion with the subject; and, to those who can turn to their Greek Testament (Acts xvi. 16.), and there ascertain that what our translators have rendered 'a spirit of divination,' is literally, a spirit of Python,' the inference must surely be a startling one.

6

An anonymous correspondent mentions her having giving up opposing or objecting to this dreadful system, because a learned divine remarked to her, that it might be made useful, as proving that mind can act independently of matter! No person who has fallen asleep, and dreamed, can require any such proof: to a believer in revelation it certainly sounds passing strange to argue against resisting what may be, and what palpably is, of the devil, because we may possibly gather thence some confirmation of the truth of what the Lord God hath spoken. Away with such metaphysical sophistries! the oppositions of science, falsely so called,' have ever been among the deadliest and most effective weapons of destruction against the Gospel of Christ.

Another correspondent, who signs "S. S.," labours to convince me of the impossibility of any diabolical influence existing here, because she thinks the devil never did anything towards alleviating human suffering; and because, when a near friend of her own was operated upon, on the organ of Veneration' being mesmerized, the somnambule fell on her knees, and began to repeat a prayer. Alas for us, if we so limit the power and devices of the arch-enemy! What says the Scripture: "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light,

therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." (2 Cor. xi. 14, 15). I would refer "S. S." to Matt. iv. 6; Acts xvi. 16, 17; Gal. i. 8; 1 John iv. 1, 2; and similar passages. This is the most perilous snare of all. Deut. xiii. is much in point here. Every day strengthens my belief in the diabolical character of the thing, and in the extreme danger in which God's children place themselves by being induced to intermeddle in it. In her final paper, Miss Martineau has now distinctly avowed, that all the MIRACLES, oracles, and witchcraft, of former days, were Mesmerism !

A SCENE IN A WORKHOUSE.

By the Author of "A Visit to Carcassonne." ." "Rides in the Pyrenees," &c.

A LADY who was in the habit of visiting the sick ward of the workhouse in the large commercial town of was one day struck by the appearance of a new face that looked out from one of the beds, and directed towards her, as she sat reading the Bible to a dying woman, the largest, most lustrous, and anxious eyes, she had ever seen.

It was a face of uncommon beauty; and the fatal disease which lent its melancholy brightness to the dark expressive eye, gave to the sunken cheek that hectic colouring, which at a little distance might pass for the rose-bloom of health.

The poor girl appeared evidently to have been attracted by the words she read; and as the lady spoke to her fellow-sufferer, she thought that the language of those anxious eyes, seemed to implore a portion of the comfort and hope, those holy words were able to afford.

She approached her bed, and offered to read the Bible to her; an offer that was eagerly accepted. The interest this beautiful young creature inspired, induced her visitor to inquire into her circumstances, for she perceived at once by her accent that she was Irish. After they had met some few times, and that she had listened with apparently more and more pleasure and satisfaction to the reading of the Bible, the dying girl was

asked where she came from and to the lady's surprise, mentioned the name of a lovely picturesque village in Ireland, which had also been her own native place.

This circumstance broke down all reserve between them; and the following little history was related.

Anne was the native of that fair spot; the daughter of decent parents. Nature had endowed her with beauty,—the original perfection of the Creator's works. Nature had added its usual accompaniment, vanity; the adjunct of sin, which has marred all that God made good.

She was without education, or rather she had received enough of what is called education, to increase the evils of natural disposition. She could read; she had a sweet voice for singing, and an Irish heart,warm, enthusiastic, passionately fond of pleasure, and given to romance. She had many suitors, and might have been happy, had she accepted some hand and heart offered to her, and been the joy of some simple Irish home.

But ambitious thoughts, and romantic ideas floated vaguely through the mind of poor Anne, and always prevented her from accepting present good, under an indistinct impression that something better could come. An Englishman, who passed for a very fine gentleman, arrived in the sweet village of C. He was neither more nor less than what is emphatically termed a traveller;' travelling for a mercantile house. Anne unhappily was standing in the street, as he descended from the top of a northern coach, at the head inn of the village. He passed for a wondrous fine gentleman in the village; for the class to which he belonged are generally known to be lovers of good eating and drinking, and what more could be requisite to constitute a great