d subject of Spiritualism, which was then
in its infancy. They are addressed to an American literary gentleman
then resident in Florence, and give so admirable an idea of Mrs.
Trollope's clearness of mental vision and the universally inquisitive
tendency of her mind that we insert them at large.--Dec. 21st, 1854,
Mrs. Trollope writes: "I am afraid, my dear Sir, that I am about to take
an unwarrantable liberty by thus intruding on your time, but I must
trust to your indulgence for pardon. During the few minutes that I had
the pleasure of speaking with you, the other evening, on the subject of
spiritual visitations, there was in your conversation a tone so equally
removed from enthusiasm on one side and incredulity on the other that I
felt more satisfaction in listening to you than I have ever done when
this subject has been the theme. That so many thousands of educated and
intelligent people should yield their belief to so bold a delusion as
this must be, if there be _no_ occult cause at work, is inconceivable.
By _occult_ cause I mean, of course, nothing at all analogous to hidden
_trickery_, but to the interference of some power with which the earth
has been hitherto unacquainted. If it were not taking too great a
liberty, I would ask you to call upon me,... that I might have the
pleasure and advantage of having your opinion more at length upon one or
two points connected with this most curious subject." The desired
interview took place, and a week later Mrs. Trollope returned a pamphlet
on spiritual manifestations with the following note: "Many thanks, my
dear Sir, for your kindness in permitting me a leisurely perusal of the
inclosed. It is a very curious and interesting document, and I think it
would be impossible to read it without arriving at the conviction that
the writer deserves to be listened to with great attention and great
confidence. But as yet I feel that we have no sure ground under our
feet. The only idea that suggests itself to me is that the medium is in
a mesmeric condition; and after giving considerable time and attention
to these mysterious mesmeric symptoms, I am persuaded that a patient
liable to such influence is in a diseased state. It has often appeared
to me that the soul was _partially_, as it were, disentangled from the
body. I have watched the ---- sisters (the well-known patients of Dr.
Elliotson) for more than a year, during which interval they were
perfectly, as to the mind, in an abnorma