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vol. title: vol. period: 1879-1880 pages in vol.: 577 |
Things New and Old
I have been often struck by the manner in which everything which we have been accustomed to regard as fabulous is now being brought before us as sober fact, both in Spiritualism and out of it. A very remarkable parallel occurred to me lately, when reading the account of the monstrance at Llanthony Abbey, coming forth from the tabernacle before the eyes of the adoring monk. It is a repetition of the appearance of the San Grail, (the Cup of the Last Supper, which Joseph of Arimathea is said to have brought to England) in the Court of King Arthur. I quote a few sentences from book 13, ch. 7 of the Globe edition of the Morte d’Arthur. “And so after that to supper, and every knight sat in his own place as they were aforehand. Then anon they heard cracking and crying of thunder, that them thought the place should all to-drive. In the midst of this blast entered a sunbeam more clearer by seven times than ever they saw day, and all they were alighted of the grace of the Holy Ghost. Then began every knight to behold other, and either saw other by their seeming fairer than ever they saw afore. Not for them there was no knight might speak one word a great while, and so they looked every man on other as they had been dumb. Then there entered into the hall the holy Graile covered with white samite, but there was none might see it, nor who bore it. And there was all the hall full filled with good odours, and every knight had such meats and drinks as he best loved in this world, and when the holy Graile had been bore through the hall, then the holy vessel departed suddenly, that they wist not where it became. Then had they all breath to speak.”
Although king Arthur may be a legendary character, as he is generally regarded, who shall say that a powerful manifestation like that described in the text may not have taken place at the court of some early English or Welsh king or chieftain? I have no acquaintance with the lives of the saints, but should expect to find similar phenomena recorded in them. It is not time-honoured customs and abuses alone which are coming up for judgment at the present day, but all the legends of the past, which our pride has hitherto rejected, and which are now forcing themselves anew upon our attention as possibilities if not realities. The legends of the past must be studied in the light of modern Spiritualism, or we shall be liable to misinterpret both the past and the present.
The Present Outlook
Instead of the ordinary contents of The Spiritualist quietly dealing with matters religious and scientific, this week in chronicling passing events in the movement, it has been necessary to almost fill it with details altogether inharmonious in their character.
In surveying what is taking place at present and what has taken place during the last twelve months, it is impossible not to be struck by the unprotected position of Spiritualism, for want of some Vigilance Committee, composed of a few unquestionably representative men, to act with promptitude and efficiency on any sudden emergency.
Mr. Matthews was attacked at Keighley. We had no public representatives in London to take the matter up, to announce how far the case deserved to be defended by Spiritualists, or to take vigorous action to protect the medium from injustice.
Then he was imprisoned, but we had no representative Committee to send a protest at once to the Home Secretary, at a cost of one penny, pointing out the persecution brought to bear upon conscientious students of abnormal phenomena. This would have been in time to make Sir Wm. Harcourt aware of the grievance before the subsequent attacks on Mr. Wilson, on the clairvoyant at Leicester, and others.
In London, the only Memorial to the Home Secretary we saw about the Matthews case was one drawn up by a private individual, and which many Spiritualists refused to sign. It defended the medium on religious grounds, whereas anybody reading the evidence for the prosecution could see that the case was indefensible on religious grounds, and the Home Secretary could not grant the prayer of the petition even were he so inclined. Yet London had no Committee to write a better petition for people who wanted to sign it. It would have been the work of but half‑an‑hour.
Mr. Wilson, a student of occult matters, and a man favourably known to many Spiritualists, was subjected to the indignity of being arrested by the police, but subsequently discharged by the magistrate. No Committee existed to attempt any public action for the aged victim.
The same lack was experienced of anybody to do anything for the psychic sensitive prosecuted at Leicester.
Then American mediums set up in London, <... continues on page 10-447 >
Editor's notes
Sources
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London Spiritualist, No. 425, October 15, 1880, p. 186