, through which the philosophic eye looks into infinitude
itself."--CARLYLE.

[Illustration]

"Rivers from bubbling springs
Have rise at first, and great from abject things."
--MIDDLETON.

[Illustration]

PREFACE.

The interesting events narrated in this book which occurred at
Hydesville, in the house of the Fox Family, are those by which Modern
Spiritualism made its advent into this world as a new revelation in
spiritual matters.

History is not without its reliable records of similar phenomena, but,
just as many scientific men have experimented and stopped short of the
gateway of the actual discovery of Nature's secrets, so, many who came
in contact with phenomena similar to those of Hydesville whilst being
mystified as to the meaning of the operating power, stopped short of the
actual discovery that "It can see as well as hear." Notably in the case
of the disturbances at Mr. Mompesson's house at Tedworth (1661--1663)
and Mr. Wesley's parsonage at Epworth (1716--1717).

The early literature of the Spiritualist Movement is replete with most
interesting records of phenomena of bewildering variety, but during the
past twenty years the demand for literature on this absorbing subject
has taken a more philosophic turn. The phenomena are admittedly real.
The philosophy is the subject of debate, hence these early records are
fast going out of print and becoming difficult to obtain.

Some few years ago, when the writer paid what proved to be his last
visit to Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, he was deeply impressed with her
desire that the early history of the Spiritualist Movement, for which
she spent the greater part of her industrious life, and with which she
had been so intimately connected, should not be allowed to pass into
oblivion, and that at least the story of HYDESVILLE should be published
in a handy form and at a reasonable price. For this purpose she
presented him with what appeared to be her only remaining copy of her
invaluable historical work "Modern American Spiritualism," and requested
him to undertake that duty.

The incidents recorded in the following pages are based chiefly on the
information given in the work mentioned above, and considerable use is
made of the actual words and sentences penned by Mrs. Britten; these are
given without quotation marks. Some portions however have been
re-written to adapt them to t