was enabled, in many instances, when clairvoyant, to determine the cause, type and malignancy of diseases, and to apply from a sort of eclectic pharmacy, the recuperative remedies.

Then, at a time when this law was little understood, it was by no means difficult to obtain notoriety. And from the novelty of the subject, and the high claims instituted for him, Mr. Davis attracted to himself many of the scientific. Henceforth his companions were mostly of the learned, whose atmosphere he breathed, and from whose literary and scientific spheres his mental being received constant nutriment.

Those familiar with the science of Anthropology, especially those departments which display the laws of cranioscopy, pathetism, and psycometry, can readily trace this remarkable psycological vein to its source, and thence comprehend the results as the effects of a sort of mental-inspiritual consensual movement operating through Mr. Davis' organism from the mental cerebra of the combined entities composing his coterie, or the sphere affecting him.

The student in mental philosophy knows full well, that unless intercepted or suppressed, any suggestion received into the human sensory, by the ever active and reproductive laws of mind, must ultimate in the revelation of a sentiment or theory, partially at least, matured; and that this

will epitomize the united characters of the blending causes, and their renewing agents. Those conversant with the phenomena of mental quickening by means of animal magnetism, understand that the subject under mesmeric influence exalts and renders more lucid or transcendental, than he would normally, the subject-matter of his discourse. And although he may only reproduce the principles of the inductive agents, he will from his position exalt them, if not to a plane superior to that of the causes, to one above his own personally attainable apex. But if he be a proper medium by the union of the constit uents he will evolve their combined elements materially sublimated. Therefore the maximum may appear to the unlearned or superficial observer as a REVELATION!

Without at this time considering the justice of the superior claims of clairvoyance, with these prefatory remarks, we proceed to trace more distinctly the vein of that psycological phenomenon immediately connected with Mr. Davis; since he is the "medium" of the "Pantheistic Harmonialism" reflected upon this age.

Mr. Davis was first mesmerized late in the autumn of 1843, by Mr. Livingston, a resident of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Thence commenced the

display of his pathological ability, which at that time, attracted so much attention. This power

has since, however, lost much of its marvel by a profligate use of its remarkable claims, and Mr. Davis, leaving the masses to revel in the glory of that attainment, has assumed a superior plane of action.

The following March, (1844) he is said, without the aid of his magnetizer to have fallen into a strange abnormal state, whence he received his impression that he was to become the shepherd of man; and that it was his mission to lead the forlorn race from their "unprogressed," or semideveloped state, into the prolific planes of reason, and thence to HARMONIALISM "the heaven of the senses." In 1845 Mr. Davis in his abnormal state selected L. S. Lyon, M. D., for his manipulater, and the Rev. Wm. Fishbough, who possesses rare scientific and philosophic ability, for his scribe.

These gentlemen were to serve him while delivering a course of lectures: Dr. Lyon to magnetize him, and the Rev. Mr. Fishbough to write and prepare for the press, his discourses delivered in the magnetic state.

On the evening of Nov. 29, 1845, he commenced those lectures, and Jan. 25, 1847, closed them. They were, according to his choice, compiled by Mr. Fishbough, who, with Dr. Lyon, published them in a book of 782 octavo pages, entitled, "THE PRINCIPLES OF NATURE, HER DIVINE

REVELATIONS, AND A VOICE TO MANKIND," otherwise, "NATURE'S DIVINE REVELATIONS. By A. J. DAVIS, THE POUGHKEEPSIE SEER."

The literary merit of this work is what would be expected from the pen of Mr. Fishbough. But its metaphysics are so incomplete and sophistical, and withal based upon fundamental assumption, as will hereafter be shown, that whatever merit it may possess is involved in inexplicable complications. It claims omnipercipience; overlooking the vista of past duration; of time so illimitable as to annihilate the idea of time, and to behold the very beginning of that which is so eternal as not to have had beginning.

Lest the reader should consider this statement too sweeping, and to illustrate our position, the following extracts are introduced, from "Nature's Divine Revelation," page 121:

"In the BEGINNING, the Univerccelum was one boundless, undefinable, and unimaginable ocean of LIQUID FIRE! There was one vast expanse of liquid substance. It was without bounds-inconceivable, with qualities and essences incomprehensible. This was the original condition of MATTER.

It was without form; for it was but one form. It had not motion; but it was an eternity of motion. It was without parts; for it was a Whole. Particles did not exist; but the whole was one Particle. There

were not Suns, but it was one Eternal Sun. It had no beginning; and it was without end. It had not length; for it was a vortex of one Eternity. It had not circles; for it was one infinite Circle. It had not disconnected power; but it was the very essence of all Power. Its inconceivable magnitude and constitution were such as not to develop forces, but Omnipotent Power! Matter and power were existing as a whole, inseparable. The matter contained the substance to produce all suns, all worlds, etc. The Power contained Wisdom and Goodness,-Justice, Mercy, and Truth. It contained the original and essential Principle that is displayed throughout immensity of space, controlling worlds and systems of worlds, and producing Motion, Life, Sensation, and Intelligence, to be impartially disseminated upon their surfaces as their Ultimates! "This great Centre of worlds-this Great Power of Intelligence-this Great Germ of all existences-was One World! "This Matter and motion are co-eternal Principles, established by virtue of their own nature." * * "This great Mass of Matter abounded with heat and fire immense, insomuch that each seeming particle was in reality not such, but the whole was a mass of liquid lava. The

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power contained in this vortex was the Great Positive Mind!" (that is, Deity!) "and its develop