A wild animal has only small reasoning organs. The influence of the human eye is potent over him. Lichtenstein says, "The African hunters avail themselves of the circumstance that the lion does not attempt to spring upon his prey until he has measured the ground, and has reached the distance of ten or twelve paces, when he lies crouching on the ground, gathering himself up for the effort. The hunters," he says, "make it a rule never to fire on the lion until he lies down at this short distance, so that they can aim directly at his head with the most perfect certainty. If one meets a lion, his only safety is to stand still, though the animal crouches to make his spring; that spring will not be hazarded if the man remain motionless, and look him steadfastly in the eyes. The animal hesitates, rises, slowly retreats some steps, looks earnestly about him, lies down, again retreats, till, getting by degrees quite out of the magic circle of man's influence, he takes flight in the utmost haste." It is said of Valentine Greatrakes, the great magnetizer and forerunner of Mesmer, that the glance of his eye had a marvellously fascinating influence upon people of a susceptible or nervous organization. All magnetizers, etc., who have tried their powers upon the writer, first bent a sharp, scrutinizing gaze upon the eye of their unruly subject. Yet they have exercised no _reason_ in selecting the subject. [Illustration: THE LION MAGNETIZED.] I attended the exhibitions of Professor Cadwell, night after night, in Boston. I went on the stage. I examined the subjects whom he controlled "like an old fiddle," and, physiognomically and phrenologically, not one of them was above mediocrity intellectually, and the most of them were far below. The best subjects had the least intellectuality. His control over them was astonishing. In some he could suspend the power of memory, others all the reasoning faculties. Some he could control muscularly, some mentally. "This is a hot stove," he said, setting an empty chair before the row of men, boys, and girls sitting along the wall side of the stage. "_It is very hot_;" and they began drawing back--all but one. "Don't you see the stove, and feel the awful heat, Frank?" he asked of one hard subject. [Illustration: A HARD SUBJECT.] "I can feel the heat, but I can't see the stove in that chair," was his droll reply. The professor could make this gentleman forget his name, but could not make him believe that "a silk hat was a basin of water." THE ROYAL TOUCH. The old ignorant kings and queens were said to remove the scrofula (king's evil) by the touch. Gouty old Queen Anne was the last to exercise the royal prerogative to any extent.