fakir. The body was enclosed in a bag, upon which the servant commenced pouring warm water, but Sir Claude objected, and caused the bag to be torn open that they might view the body. This was easily accomplished, as the bag proved to be mildewed. The legs and arms of the fakir were shrivelled and stiffened, but the face was full of life. He was then, at the request of the narrator, examined by a medical gentleman, but he could discover no pulsation in the heart, temples, or wrist. There was, however, a heat about the coronal region of the brain. The body was then bathed in warm water, Runjeet Singh himself assisting. A hot wheaten cake was then placed on the head of the apparently lifeless body-a process repeated twice or thrice before success was accomplished. The servant then removed from the nostrils and ears of his master the wax and cotton plugs with which they had been sealed, then opened the rigid jaws by inserting the point of a knife between the teeth and prising them apart, holding the jaws open with his left hand, whilst he drew the tongue forward with the forefinger of his right hand; that usually flexible member flying back to its curved position, so that its tip closed the gullet repeatedly during the process. He then rubbed the fakir's eyes with clarified butter for some seconds, until he succeeded in opening them. The eye-ball was glazed and motionless. The wheaten cake was then renewed, and the body heaved convulsively, the nostrils became inflated, respiration was resumed, and life was restored. In a few minutes the experimentalist commenced to

articulate, in scarcely audible tones, inquiring if the Rajah was now convinced. The period that elapsed between opening the box and restoring the voice was about half an hour. Sir Claude remarks, in concluding his narrative, that he took some pains to investigate the manner in which this result was effected, and was informed that the rationale of the process rested on the view of Hindoo physiologists that heat constitutes the self-existent principle of life, and that even if the functions be so far interrupted as to leave this one only in perfect purity, life can be continued for long periods without air, food, or other means of sustenance. My enlightened readers, however, will probably be of opinion that something more than this was needed, to produce the result achieved in this instance, after such an ordeal.

Most of my readers will no doubt remember the forty days' fast of Dr. Tanner several years ago; as well as that of the Italian (by name Succhi, I believe), who professed that he possessed a liquid, which not only would keep him alive during his fast, but keep him in his usual normal state of vigour, both of body and mind. Since then other proposals have been made, and hints thrown out, that persons can be made to possess the power, not only of putting themselves into trances, and awaking at periods which they choose to name beforehand; but likewise of suffering themselves to be entombed, and rising again, after the manner of the fakir, whose case I have given above: and as a sequal to this history, I might here

mention a remarkable case, which occurred in the house of a very dear friend of the Rev. Foster Rogers; who was for upwards of twenty years Chaplain in the Gaol at Winchester, and was afterwards Rector of Barrow, near Chester; who communicated it to me some six or eight years ago. And I doubt not, as we near the end of this Dispensation, such cases as these, and others far more astonishing, will take place, under the influence of demoniacal agency, to prepare the unconverted and unwary to receive the Antichrist,, when he at length makes his appearance on the scene -"whose coming," the Scriptures assure us, "is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in righteousness "-a passage, which has been exclusively applied to Rome; and to which it does no doubt in a measure apply, but certainly not exclusively, as I shall hereafter shew. For in those days, as our Lord assures us, "there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."2

1

The case I allude to is as follows. The Rev. Foster Rogers, who was then Rector of Barrow, and at whose 2 Mat. xxiv. 24. See also Rev. xiii. 13.

1 2 Thes. ii. 9-12.

house I was staying in the month of November, 1878, told me, that the sons of his friend before referred to were in the habit of going out with the sons of a neighbouring gentleman to course; and that they occasionally took their butler with them to carry their game: he being passionately fond of the sport. On one occasion, when they were preparing to go out, the butler was told that he could not accompany them; for as there were friends in the house, his services would be required at home. He seemed put out, and observed in a somewhat rude and pettish manner, "Well I'll see the run' at all events!"

In the afternoon on the return of the sportsmen, and while they were narrating the events of the day; giving the particulars of where they had found the hares, and where the dogs had killed them, &c.; the butler, who was listening to their recital with great interest, broke in upon their statement, and told them that they had made one or two mistakes in it, which he corrected. The young people were greatly surprised at the accuracy of the correction; and asked him how he could tell the details of the chase so correctly, without having been present on the occasion, He did not then afford them any satisfactory solution of the difficulty; and some of the young people hinted that he must have had dealings with the Evil One. This circumstance led to enquiry; and some of the other servants confirmed the fact of the possession by the butler of some wonderful power; for they stated that on two or three occasions they had found him, either in his room, or in the hay

loft, in what at first was mistaken by them for a fainting fit but the coldness and rigidity of his body, and the extreme difficulty of removing it into the house, subsequently caused them to think that he was actually dead. When consciousness returned, however, he told them that he possessed the power of "disembodying himself;" and that he exercised this power in order that he might see things that took place at a distance !

This revelation so affected both his master and mistress, who were pious people, that they could not bear · to have such a man in their house; and they at once gave him the usual notice to leave their service.

Since then I have heard of several other modern cases of a like character; and one in particular, where a man so possessed exceeded his powers, and never again recovered consciousness, but actually died under the experiment. Such cases as these, however, are not of modern origin, but might, I dare say, if the secrets of the past could all be brought to light, be shewn to have occurred, more or less, during all ages. When Richard Baxter was writing his "Certainty of the World of Spirits," which was published in 1691, the Rev. Thomas Tilson, the minister of Aylesford, nearMaidstone, having heard that he was writing about witchcraft and apparitions," sent him a detailed account of a similar case, with proof of its authenticity, &c.

66

He says: "Mary, the wife of John Goffe, of Rochester, being afflicted with a long illness, removed to her father's house at West Malling, which is about.