f what Lane witnessed, and which seemed so miraculous at
the time.

Many scholars, philosophers, and scientific students of mediaeval times,
who had no pretence to magic, had yet firm faith in the power of
mirrors, constructed in a special manner and under auspicious planetary
influences, to reveal both the distant-present and the future.

One of the modern adepts was a French magician, who foretold by his
mirror the death of a Prince, and the regency of the Duc d'Orleans.

There are many published prescriptions for the making of a magic mirror,
but that which has already been given from Paracelsus is a fair specimen
of the ultra-scientific method. Among directions for the use of the
crystal may be cited those of Barth:

'When a crystal has been ground and polished, it is dedicated to some
spirit or other; this is called its consecration. Before being used, it
is charged--that is, an invocation is made to the spirit, wherein a
vision is requested of the things that one wishes to experience.
Ordinarily, a young person is chosen to look into the glass and behold
the prayed-for vision. After a little time the crystal becomes enveloped
in a cloud, and a tiny vision appears, which represents in miniature the
persons, scenes, and things that are necessary to supply the required
information. When the information has been obtained, the crystal is
discharged, and after receiving thanks for the services he has
performed, the spirit is dismissed.'

In modern crystal-gazing and mirror-reading, however, there is no
invocation.

An American spiritualist says that he once put a crystal into the hands
of a lady who knew nothing about its reputed virtues, but who
straightway began to describe a scene which she saw in it, and which
turned out afterwards to be a simultaneous incident at Trebizond. The
mediumistic influence of the spirit of a North American Indian may not
commend the story to non-spiritualists.

The experiences of the Countess Wurmbrand, as related in her curious
book, Visionen im Wasserglass, are more matter-of-fact, perhaps, but
were also assisted by a mysterious spirit, who enabled her to read
pictures in the glass and to describe them to her husband. She was more
successful in her time than more recent experimenters and psychologists
of her own country have been since.

The Society for Psychical Research have given much attention to the
subject, and have reported some remarkable observations--especially
those