1432. EBB to Benjamin Robert Haydon
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 8, 42–44.
[London]
Novr 10. 1843.
I thank you cordially, my dear Mr Haydon, for permitting me to take a glance at this exquisite engraving in its present state. It is beautiful indeed– The likeness striking,—& the full expression of the picture admirably preserved. Believe me that I am sensible, .. yes, sensitive to the “priviledge”—& that my regrets in losing the great canvass, were softened by my sense & the kindness of it. As to your half expressed intention, I cannot suffer you to be so much too kind as to fulfil it really,—because you know there is no reason why I shd not make a purchase as well as the rest of the public. Let that pass—with my gratitude that it shd have occurred to your thought. You are very kind.
For Mesmerism, my head aches so today that I am fitter to be a patient than a philosopher—but … you will admit, I am sure, at once, that the existence of ever so much collateral deception is no argument against an essential truth. Perhaps you remember Coleridge’s remark upon this very subject .. “With every possible allowance for illusion delusion & collusion, there is yet a residuum for which I cannot account” [1] —and I have heard within these few days ‘facts’ as they are represented to be, upon evidence as rigid as your patient’s arm was not.
There is a gentleman,—known to a friend of mine,—of an idiosyncrasy rather philosophical & historical, than poetical & fanciful—a “useful knowledge” man; [2] by education a unitarian; & by habit & temperament, carrying everything through scepticism & investigation into inference—a man who will believe nothing, in fact, until it is proved—a logician in every act of his life,—a grinder down of sentiments into ratiocinations. This gentleman set about investigating animal magnetism a few months ago—as he wd investigate a problem—or a science. His leanings were, of course from his character, all against it—but upon a patient investigation he resolved. Of the facts which crowded on him, he threw many aside as fallacious, deceptive, or depending rather upon peculiar organization than peculiar power—and from these he patiently separated as “the residuum,” other facts of evidence less exceptionable. By degrees he exercized the magnetic power himself, with various degrees of success. I think it was last week that he called upon his friend & mine, & said after some conversation——
“I wish to communicate to you some facts– I mention them to you as facts .. because they are parts of my experience; but I do not expect you, I do not ask you, I do not wish you, to believe them,—as they are totally foreign to your’s. This happened to me three days ago. Some friends were to assemble at my house to see me magnetize a subject. Before they came I went into my own room & locked the door, pushed back my sleeve, & with a pen knife, cut a cross upon my arm,—drawing the blood from the figure. I covered up my arm, .. mentioned it to nobody .. went down stairs to receive my guests,—& induced the magnetic sleep upon the subject. —I said to her .. “I have a slight inconvenience at this moment. Can you tell me what it is”? She answered .. “I see your arm. You have cut it with a pen knife– I see the figure of a cross on it, yet wet with blood.”. I continued my questioning.
“I have a house in Bath. Will you tell me something about it?”
“I see your house in Bath. There are rails before the door. It is surrounded by other houses with trees scattered between—and beyond, there is an extent of country which appears to me very beautiful.”
“Will you tell me now about the interior of my house.”
“I see a drawing room”––she described it minutely– “I see such & such pictures”—describing them correctly in detail. “And I see besides at the table a lady in black talking to another lady in white– Yes, I think she is in white—I do not see distinctly, but if not white, it is some very light colour—I think it is white.”
“I have a son. Now tell me of my son.”
“I see your son. He is a boy. He is writing at a table—and a lady leans over him while he writes.”
Continued the gentleman—“One of my friends went instantly to my house near London,—and ascertained that my boy’s writing lesson, which usually took place at eleven, had been accidentally delayed to twelve, the hour of the magnetic sleep, & that at that precise hour he was writing, while the lady who was his instructress leant over him giving directions. Moreover I went down myself to Bath, and called upon the lady to whom I had let my house. She was in deep mourning. I told her that I had reasons for desiring to know her occupation at such an hour of such a day, .. and she replied that a female friend (dressed as she afterwards described, in white) was paying her a visit at that hour of that day”.
“Now” concluded the gentleman, “this is my precise experience of three days ago. I believe I am not mad—you wd not call me mad upon ordinary subjects—& yet I come to you with this as my experience. Judge. I do not say .. believe.”–
For my own part, my dear Mr Haydon, I am thunderstruck—not believing, but thunderstruck. The strength of the evidence consists for me in the character of the experient.
Think of a “useful knowledge” hard-headed man recounting these fairy tales as his experience!–
“And think of you,” you will retort, “repeating this stuff to me, [3] as if it were any other than fairy tales! I believe in nothing except … the pain in your head—& that must be so very dangerously bad, that I commend you unto cataplasms”!
Ever faithfully yours–
Elizabeth B Barrett.
My congratulations on your pleasure in your son––again & again.
Publication: EBB-BRH, pp. 160–162.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. See Specimens of the Table Talk of the Late Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1835, I, 107–108.
2. We have not located the source of this quotation. EBB may be adapting Pope’s “useless knowledge” (Essay on Man, III, 72). We have not identified this man.
3. Underscored three times.
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