Whether these circumstances in reality bear, or not, upon the
occurrences of Barton’s after life, it is, of course, impossible to say.
It seems, however more than probable that they were at least, in his own
mind, closely associated with them. But however the truth may be, as to
the origin and motives of this mysterious persecution, there can be no
doubt that, with respect to the agencies by which it was accomplished,
absolute and impenetrable mystery is like to prevail until the day of
doom.
POSTSCRIPT BY THE EDITOR.
The preceding narrative is given in the _ipsissima verba_ of the good
old clergyman, under whose hand it was delivered to Doctor Hesselius.
Notwithstanding the occasional stiffness and redundancy of his
sentences, I thought it better to reserve to myself the power of
assuring the reader, that in handing to the printer, the M.S. of a
statement so marvellous, the Editor has not altered one letter of the
original text.—[_Ed. Papers of Dr. Hesselius._]
MR. JUSTICE HARBOTTLE.
PROLOGUE.
On this case, Doctor Hesselius has inscribed nothing more than the
words, “Harman’s Report,” and a simple reference to his own
extraordinary Essay on “the Interior Sense, and the Conditions of the
opening thereof.”
The reference is to Vol. I. Section 317, Note Z^a. The note to which
reference is thus made, simply says: “There are two accounts of the
remarkable case of the Honourable Mr. Justice Harbottle, one furnished
to me by Mrs. Trimmer of Tunbridge Wells (June, 1805); the other at a
much later date, by Anthony Harman, Esq. I much prefer the former; in
the first place, because it is minute and detailed, and written, it
seems to me, with more caution and knowledge; and in the next, because
the letters from Doctor Hedstone, which are embodied in it, furnish
matter of the highest value to a right apprehension of the nature of the
case. It was one of the best declared cases of an opening of the
interior sense, which I have met with. It was affected, too, by the
phenomenon, which occurs so frequently as to indicate a law of these
eccentric conditions; that is to say, it exhibited, what I may term, the
contagious character of this sort of intrusion of the spirit-world upon
the proper domain of matter. So soon as the spirit-action has
established itself in the case of one patient, its developed energy
begins to radiate, more or less effectually, upon others. The interior
vision of the child was opened; as was, also, that of its mother, Mrs.
Pyneweck; and both the interior vision and hearing of the scullery-maid,
were opened on the same occasion. After-appearances are the result of
the law explained in Vol. II. Section 17 to 49. The common centre of
association, simultaneously recalled, unites, or _re_unites, as the case
may be, for a period measured, as we see, in Section 37. The _maximum_
will extend to days, the _minimum_ is little more than a second. We see
the operation of this principle perfectly displayed, in certain cases of
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