429 C. From Phantasms of the Living, vol. i. p. 199. As to the evidential force of this case, I may point out that the percipient states the experience to have been unique in his life; and that the violence of the effect produced, leading to the very unusual entry in the diary, puts the vision outside the common run of dreams which may justly be held to afford almost limitless scope for accidental coincidences. The narrative is from Mr. Frederick Wingfield, of Belle Isle en Terre, Côtes du Nord, France.

December 20th, 1883.

I give you my most solemn assurance that what I am about to relate is the exact account of what occurred. I may remark that I am so little liable to the imputation of being easily impressed with a sense of the supernatural1 that I have been accused, and with reason, of being unduly sceptical upon matters which lay beyond my powers of explanation.

On the night of Thursday the 25th of March 1880 I retired to bed after reading till late, as is my habit. I dreamed that I was lying on my sofa reading, when on looking up I saw distinctly the figure of my brother, Richard Wingfield-Baker, sitting on the chair before me. I dreamed that I spoke to him, but that he simply bent his head in reply, rose, and left the room. When I awoke I found myself standing with one foot on the ground by my bedside, and the other on the bed, trying to speak and to pronounce my brother's name. So strong was the impression as to the reality of his presence, and so vivid the whole scene as dreamt, that I left my bedroom to search for my brother in the sitting-room. I examined the chair where I had seen him seated, I returned to bed, tried to fall asleep in the hope of a repetition of the appearance, but my mind was too excited, too painfully disturbed, as I recalled what I had dreamed. I must have, however, fallen asleep towards the morning; but when I awoke the impression of my dream was as vivid as ever, and I may add is to this very hour equally strong and clear.

My sense of impending evil was so strong that I at once made a note in my memorandum-book of this "appearance," and added the words, "God forbid!"

Three days afterwards I received the news that my brother, Richard Wingfield-Baker, had died on Thursday evening the 25th of March 1880, at 8.30 p.m., from the effects of the terrible injuries received in a fall while hunting with the Blackmore Vale hounds.

1 This expression cannot be excluded when the words of our informant are quoted. We, ourselves, of course, regard all these occurrences as strictly natural.

I will only add that I have been living in this town some twelve months; that I had not had any recent communication with my brother; that I knew him to be in good health, and that he was a perfect horseman. I did not at once communicate this dream to any intimate friend - there was unluckily none here at that very moment - but I did relate the story after the receipt of the news of my brother's death, and showed the entry in my memorandum-book. As evidence, of course, this is worthless; but I give you my word of honour that the circumstances I have related are the positive truth.

Fred. Wingfield.

February 4th, 1884. I must explain my silence by the excuse that I could not procure till to-day a letter from my friend the Prince de Lucinge-Faucigny, in which he mentions the fact of my having related to him the particulars of my dream on the 25th of March 1880. He came from Paris to stay a few days with me early in April, and saw the entry in my note-book, which I now enclose for your inspection. You will observe the initials R. B. W. B., and a curious story is attached to these letters. During that sleepless night I naturally dwelt upon the incident, and recalled the circumstances connected with the apparition. Though I distinctly recognised my brother's features, the idea flashed upon me that the figure bore some slight resemblance to my most intimate and valued friend, Colonel Bigge, and in my dread of impending evil to one to whom I am so much attached, I wrote the four initials, R. B. for Richard Baker, and W. B. for William Bigge. When the tidings of my brother's death reached me I again looked at the entry, and saw with astonishment that the four letters stood for my brother's full name, Richard Baker Wingfield-Baker, though I had always spoken of him as Richard Baker in common with the rest of my family.

The figure I saw was that of my brother; and in my anxious state of mind I worried myself into the belief that possibly it might be that of my old friend, as a resemblance did exist in the fashion of their beards. I can give you no further explanations, nor can I produce further testimony in support of my assertions. Fred. Wingfield.

"With this letter" (writes Gurney) "Mr. Wingfield sent me the notebook, in which, among a number of business memoranda, notes of books, etc, I find the entry - ' Appearance - Thursday night, 25th of March 1880. R. B. W. B. God forbid!'"

The following letter was enclosed: -

Coat-an-nos, 2 février, 1884.

Mon cher Ami, - Je n'ai aucun effort de mémoire à faire pour me rappeler le fait dont vous me parlez, car j'en ai conservé un souvenir très net et très prdcis.

Je me souviens parfaitement que le dimanche, 4 avril, 1880, étant arrivé de Paris le matin même pour passer ici quelques jours, j'ai été ddjeuner avec vous. Je me souviens aussi parfaitement que je vous ai trouvé fort ému de la doulou-reuse nouvelle qui vous était parvenue quelques jours 1 auparavant, de la mort de l'un des messieurs vos frères. Je me rappelle aussi comme si le fait s'était passé hier, tant j'en ai été frappé, que quelques jours avant d'apprendre la triste nouvelle, vous aviez un soir, étant déjà couché, vu, ou cru voir, mais en tous cas très distinctement, votre frère, celui dont vous veniez d'apprendre la mort subite, tout près de votre lit, et que, dans la conviction où vous étiez que c'était bien lui que vous perceviez, vous vous étiez levé et lui aviez adressé la parole, et quà ce moment vous aviez cessé de le voir comme s'é s'était évanoui ainsi qu'un spectre. Je me souviens encore que, sous l'impression de l'émotion bien naturelle qui avait été la suite de cet évènement, vous l'aviez inscrit dans un petit carnet où vous avez l'habitude d'écrire les faits saillants de votre très paisible existence, et que vous m'avez fait voir ce carnet.

Cette apparition, cette vision, ou ce songe, comme vous voudrez l'appeler, est inscrit, si j'ai bon souvenir, a la date du 24 ou du 25 fèvrier,1 et ce n'est que deux ou trois jours après que vous avez recu la nouvelle officielle de la mort de votre frère.

J'ai été d'autant moins surpris de ce que vous me disiez alors, et j'en ai aussi conservé un souvenir d'autant plus net et precis, comme je vous le disais en commencant, que j'ai dans ma famille des faits similaires auxquels je crois absolument.... Faucignv, Prince Lucinge.

In answer to inquiries, Mr. Wingfield adds: -

I have never had any other startling dream of the same nature, nor any dream from which I woke with the same sense of reality and distress, and of which the effect continued long after I was well awake. Nor have I upon any other occasion had a hallucination of the senses.

The Times obituary for March 30th, 1880, records the death of Mr. R. B. Wingfield-Baker, of Orsett Hall, Essex, as having taken place on the 25th. The Essex Independent gives the same date, adding that Mr. Baker breathed his last about 9 o'clock.