As may be seen, we have had recourse by preference, to the experiments where the prevailing conditions conformed to scientific exigencies, but it is not necessary to believe that the representatives of science alone are able to register these phenomena. On the contrary, their methods and skepticism act at variance with the manifestations, even preventing them sometimes from appearing. Successful manifestations are obtained in the inner shrine of spiritualistic seances, but the testimony of scholars is valuable in order to confirm whether the spiritualists have seen clearly and observed carefully.

We might fill a whole book, dwelling simply upon spiritual documentation, for spirits as well as ourselves are capable of discerning the true and the false. For this ability, judgment, an upright spirit and a pure intention suffice.

Are we asked for proofs of identity which may be produced in a spiritual seance? Read then, the following case which we have borrowed from the scholarly study of M. Gabriel Delanne.

The case of Abbe Grimand.1

On the 13th of January 1899, twelve persons were gathered at the house of Mr. David, Place Des Corps Saints (Square of Holy Bodies), number 9, at Avignon, for their weekly spiritualistic seance.

After a moment of reflection, Mme. Gallas (in a state of trance) turned on her side towards Abbe Grimand and spoke to him in the sign language of the deaf-mutes. The mimic speech was so rapid, that the spirit was urged to communicate more slowly, which he did. As a precaution, the importance of which is evident, Abbe Grimand announced the letters as they were transmitted by the medium. Since each isolated letter signified nothing, it was impossible, even though we desired, to interpret the thought of the spirit. It was only at the end of the communication, that the medium understood, after the reading had been made by one of the members of the group, charged with its transcription. Moreover, the medium had employed a double method, one which announced every letter of a word so as to indicate its orthography - the only visible form for the eyes - and another which emphasized articulation without paying any attention to the graphic form. This method of which M. Fourcade is the inventor, is in use only at the institution for deaf mutes at Avignon. These details were furnished by Abbe Grimand, director and founder of the establishment. The communication relating to the great philanthropic work to which Abbe Grimand has devoted himself, was signed brother Fourcade, deceased at Caen.

1 Gabriel Delanne, Recherches sur la Mddiumnite, Paris, 1902.

None of the audience, with the exception of the venerable ecclesiastic had known or could possibly know the author of this communication, or his method: though he had spent some time at Avignon thirty years ago. The members of the group present at this seance signed their names to this communication - Toursier, retired director of the Bank of France, Roussel, Domenach, David, Bre-mand, Cannel, and their wives. To the minutes is affixed the following attestation:

I, the undersigned, Grimand, priest, director and founder of the Institution for infirmities of speech, for deaf mutes, for stammerers, and abnormal children, at Avignon, testify to the absolute accuracy of all that is reported here above. I owe it to truth to say that I was far from expecting such a manifestation, of which I understand the great importance from the spiritualistic point of view, of which I am a faithful and fervent adept and which I do not hesitate to proclaim publicly. Avignon, April 17, 1899.

Signed,

Grimand, Priest.

We must recognize that a communication obtained by means of conventional signs which the deceased alone knew gives us the best proofs of identity that one could possibly wish.

These proofs are often made by writing. In vain do we say that we must disdain these automatic messages: we know that they can be produced through automatism and we also know what dual personalities are capable of. But neither automatism, nor second or dual personality, could invent details relative to a family, reveal things of which the deceased alone could be aware, nor write in a language that the medium did not know. And these fictitious creations could not possibly imitate the writing of a person whom we wished to identify.

We have already seen a person from the beyond, presented under the name of Elvira, give proofs of her purer and real existence by producing in a child's brain the suggestion of a certain dream. Here is an example of certain manifestations that the same being produced by writing. As before, it is Dr. Ermacora who gives the account.1

Padua, June 17, 1892. Case of Doctor Ermacora.

Miss Marie Manzini, living here at Padua, has been experimenting for several months with automatic writing. She is habitually influenced by a personality who announces herself under the name of Elvira.

April 21, 1892, Mlle. Maria Manzini received a letter from Venice announcing that her cousin Maria Alzetta was seriously ill with consumption. For a long time Mlle. Manzini had not heard from this relative: she merely knew that she had remained a widow without any children, that she had remarried, and now had two children by her second husband. The evening of the same day she wrote in my presence under the control of Elvira. She asked the following questions:

1 Taken from the book by F. Myers, Human Personality, No. 858.

"Can you tell me whether my cousin is seriously ill?"

A. After a moment's interval: "She has very little time to live, she is leaving three lonely children."

Q. "Did you know that for the first time when I was told of her illness?"

A. "No, I knew it for a long time, but I did not wish to trouble Marie" (the medium).

Q. "In this case, why were you so long in answering?"

A. "I went to see how she was, to be able to give you the precise details."