3709. EBB to Hiram Powers
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 22, 68–69.
3 Rue du Colysée
Avenue des Champs Elysées
Paris
Jan. 3. [1856] [1]
My dear Mr Powers,
I have just had a letter from Mrs Kinney on the subject of Home & the “spirits”, informing me that the medium’s moral character has entirely failed & that you have been forced to exclude him from your house. For this I am very sorry of course, though it does not affect my own opinion of the reality of the phenomena– Upon these, I have been for some time extremely anxious to hear your opinion,—& now I cannot any longer refrain from asking you, dear Mr Powers,—you, who have had such close opportunities of observation, and so strong a faculty for remarking the details & bearings of what passes under your eyes, & also for catching the possibilities of mechanical relation,—to tell me frankly what your opinion is on the sum of this question—and whether you, with your knowledge of the limits of legerdemain, believe it possible that the “manifestations” (so called) can be the result of trickery & imposture of any degree of cleverness.
Of course, whatever in the phenomena depends on the authority of the medium, falls with his moral character. The amount of what is independent of his truth & honesty, is therefore the thing to be sought—and I come to your truth & sagacity to have this discovered–
I will write to thank Mrs Kinney for her letter presently– Thank her for it meanwhile– When she calls the phenomena “sorcery”, she admits the “spiritualism” .. as far as I understand “sorcery.” What I want to know is .. is it trickery? The question lies there. And the opinion of a quiet, cautious philosophic observer like yourself, would be invaluable to me.
I need not say that my husband considers himself justified to the extremest verge of his incredulity, by the downfal[l] of the medium’s reputation for virtue. Do you think so?
Will you have the goodness to write to me fully & sincerely? as I would to you under similar circumstances?
We are in a warm house, and the weather has turned fairly round towards Italy, so that I am considerably better & stronger. Still, I long sometimes for Florence, & shall, till I see it again– <***>
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library, Gordon N. Ray Bequest.
1. Year provided by reference to the return address.
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