We must observe, however, that the Lyon case, however discreditable to Home personally, has no clear bearing on the reality of his powers, since there seems to have been no assertion that any of the phenomena were produced by fraudulent means.

(2) With regard to our second question, - whether his powers were tested by competent observers, - Home in this respect stands pre-eminent; since we have the evidence of Sir William Crookes (already referred to in 938 A) corroborated by the testimony of the Master of Lindsay (now Earl of Crawford and Balcarres) himself a savant of some distinction, and the privately printed series of careful observations by the present and the late Lords Dunraven.

(3) As to our third question - whether the phenomena could have been produced by conjuring - many of them, especially the "fire tests" and the movements of large untouched objects in good light, seem inexplicable by this supposition. The hypothesis of collective hallucination on the part of the sitters seems very improbable, because in most cases all those present saw the same thing;1 and often without receiving from Home any audible suggestion as to what was about to happen.

The telekinetic phenomena observed in Home's case were those which attracted most attention; but the communications given at his sittings purporting to come from deceased persons are also noteworthy, though the records of them are unfortunately very inadequate. In our article (op. cit. pp. 110 - 114) we give a brief abstract of thirty-five cases of "recognition" taken from Madame Home's work, omitting those which rest on Home's uncorroborated testimony.2

These cases are of very different evidential value. But many are firsthand accounts, volunteered by independent witnesses, of messages closely affecting themselves, and sometimes involving incidents which can hardly have been known to servants or dependants.

I conclude with some extracts from the list just referred to, which follows the paging of Madame Home's book:-

1. P. 15

Mr. S. B. Brittan's testimony. Home suddenly becomes entranced; says "Hannah Brittan is here,"- a relative long since dead, and whose existence, as Mr. Brittan believes, was not known to any one "in all that region." Home, entranced, acts as though a melancholic in terror of hell; Hannah Brittan "became insane from believing in the doctrine of endless punishment"

12. P. 153

Mrs. Senior's evidence. At their first meeting Mr. Home describes Mr. Senior and adds, "You forgot to wind his watch, and how miserable it made you." "Now this was a fact known to no living being but myself. I had wound the watch the night I lost my husband and resolved never to let it go down again. I forgot to wind it one night, and my agony was great when I discovered it in the morning, but I never mentioned it even to my husband's sister, who was in the house with me." Home also mentions "Mary," Mr. Senior's mother.

1 The famous case of Home floating out at one window and in at another, related by Lords Lindsay and Adare, as witnessed by them, was quoted by Dr. Carpenter in the Contemporary Review for January 1876, as an instance of believers affirming that they saw the phenomenon,"while a single honest sceptic declares that Mr. Home was sitting in his chair all the time." In reply to this, the only other person who was present at the time, Captain Wynne, wrote a letter (seen by the present writer and printed in Home's Life) stating that he also on that occasion had seen Home go out of one window and in at the other.

2 A further list of cases where there is some first-hand evidence for the identity of an alleged communicating spirit is given in my review of The Gift of D. D. Home in the Journal S.P.R., vol. iv. p. 251.

13. P. 154

Mrs. Senior narrates how at another seance Home, entranced, recalls private conversation (date, positions, and other details given) between herself and her husband.

16. P. 177

Mr. B. Coleman's evidence. At his first seance messages are given by raps as from his aunts Elizabeth and Hannah. "I did not recognise the names. I had never known of any aunts of those names," but he learns that sisters of his father, thus named, died before he was born.

17. P. 196

Mrs. S. C. Hall's testimony. Raps from deceased Madame Home to Mr. Durham, sculptor, saying, "Thanks for your early morning labour; I have often been near you." Mr. Durham had been rising early to work at a bust of Madame Home intended as a present to Mr. Home; "this fact was not even known in his own household".

18. P. 206

Mrs. S. C. Hall's evidence. "Your father, Colonel Hall," is announced; test asked for, "The last time we met in Cork you pulled my tail." Colonel Hall had worn a queue, and this fact was correct.

20. P. 278

Mrs. Hennings' testimony. Home says, "George is here" - nephew of Mrs. Hennings, recently deceased; mentions accident from bite of dog when a boy at Dulwich - correct. One of us has seen Mrs. Hennings, who, although very old, retains a singularly bright intelligence. She confirmed this statement, and added several details.

21. P. 278

Mrs. Hennings' testimony. Home speaks in trance as from her father; "The night before your father passed away you played whist with him," some details, and explanation as to provisions of will. "Mr. Home had never seen my father, nor heard anything about him; and most wonderful to me was this detail of such long-past events, known only to myself".

22. P. 288

Lord Lindsay's testimony (now Lord Crawford). Lord Lindsay misses train at Norwood, sleeps on sofa in Home's room; sees female figure standing near Home's bed, which fades away; recognises face among other photographs next morning; it was Home's deceased wife. Lord Adare (now Lord Dunraven) and two others, in Lord Adare's rooms, see (February 1869) a shadowy figure resembling this form, but cannot distinguish features.

26. P. 377

Mrs. Peck's testimony. "By permission I put several mental questions, each of which was promptly and correctly answered, with the full names of friends and relatives deceased, and circumstances which could not have been known to any of those present; all, as I have stated, having been previous to the past twenty-four hours strangers to me." (Mrs. Peck was an American, staying at a hotel in Geneva).

27. P. 378

Mrs. Peck's testimony. Home, entranced, says: "There is a portrait of his mother." "I made no reply; but my thought was, 'There is no portrait of her.'" Home insists that there is, "with an open Bible upon her knee." There was, in fact, a daguerreotype thirty years old, which Mrs. Peck had forgotten, in attitude described - with indistinct book on knee, which was, in fact, a Bible.