Legend
< The Manifestations in Naples of the Alleged Spirit of Nana Sahib (continued from page 7-56) >
present and myself tried to pacify the spirit, and begged him to raise the medium, who was a lady in delicate health, when he said, “What do you mean by a medium? I am on my carpet, and here I shall stay.” When he was told that he was not on his carpet, he bawled out, “My warriors! my brave ones, come to the rescue! Where is my horse? Bring my steed! They shall not take me!” On our again begging him to raise the lady whom he was controlling, and explaining to him the laws of mediumship, he exclaimed:—“What! This is not my body! ... I recollect now that I parted with it. . . . Behold then Nana Sahib in woman’s clothes! But I am not ashamed. No! I feel grateful to this instrument, because through her means I have been able to express my feelings of abhorrence for the vile, cowardly, and hated. Feringhees! Oh! would that I could cover this lady with my best diamonds, pearls and rubies! I have hidden my best jewels from the thieves of my country. When I lavished them upon the detested British fiends, I was the good, the kind, the generous Nana; but when, as they deserved, I showered iron and lead upon them to deliver my country, I became a monster. Abomination!” Perceiving that the spirit was unable or disinclined to raise the medium from the floor, Canon Fiore and myself lifted her into her chair. Nana then, turning to the Canon, said:—“I see you are not an Englishman; let me press your hand and tell the medium, that whenever it shall be in my power, I will load her with my best jewels, for the opportunity she has offered me to give utterance to my feelings of abhorrence for the thrice cursed English nation.” I told him that it was not the action of a gallant man to speak thus in the presence of the ladies of that nation. “I know,” he replied, “that they hate me, and I wish them to know that I hate their blood. Oh! the beautiful thought of raising the Queen of England to the rank of Empress of India! We shall see, how long that will last!” Here a lady present said that this was one of Benjamin’s messes, when the spirit quickly replied: “A mess which will never be digested. The wealth which they have principally derived from robbing my country, is corrupting England to the very core, and will soon produce their downfall. They shall in their turn be conquered and taste the bitterness of foreign dominion. Their mastery of India will soon have an end; I and my brave companions are hard at work to accomplish the desired object. I hope ere long to be again in the flesh, and then Nana Sahib will be up again to deliver his country from the foreign intruders and marauders.”
Some kindly words spoken by the Canon and myself, seemed to calm the angry spirit, whom we advised to come again, to hear from us the way of improving his position. He seemed somewhat soothed, and exclaiming: “Oh that I could cover this lady with my jewels! I feel so much relieved 1” He uttered a deep sigh and left the control.
It may not be immaterial to state that the Indian mutiny of twenty-one years ago—its horrors, Lucknow, Feringhees, Nana Sahib, his wealth, his treachery, the horrible well—are all things and words perfectly unknown to the medium.
Naples, March 22nd, 1878.
Mission Ridge
Visions in Mirrors and Crystals
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Editor's notes