§ 4. And now we come to cases where the auditory impression was of a complete sentence, conveying either a piece of information or a direction. [Cases 284 and 285 are omitted].

The following example, from a clergyman who unfortunately withholds his name from publication, is very similar [to 285], the inward nature of the sound being again noticeable.

(286) "In March, 187 -, I went to the curacy of A., and had been, as well as I remember, about a month there, when the following happened. I am a native of a town in the North of England, and in my childhood had a friend of my own age whom I will call C. Our friendship lasted till manhood, though our circumstances and walks of life were very different; and I Lad always a great deal of influence over him, insomuch that he would allow himself to be restrained by me when he would not by others. He became, towards his 20th year or so, rather addicted to drink, but I always had the same friendship for him, and would have done anything to serve or help him.

"In 187 - his family were living at X. (near Z.), and as all my other old friends had long left the neighbourhood of Z., my native town, I always used to go to them whenever I visited that part, as I was and am still on sufficiently friendly terms with them to go at any time without notice. On the day in question I had been visiting some of the parishioners, and having made an end of this, came to a cross-road of two of the lanes near the church; and not only was I not thinking of my friend, whom I had not heard of for some years, but I distinctly remember what I was thinking of, which was whether to go home to my lodgings for my tea, turning to the left, or whether to trespass on the hospitality of a lady who lived to the right of the crossing. When thus standing in doubt, a kind of shudder passed through me, accompanied by a most extraordinary feeling, which I can only compare to that of a jug of cold water poured on the nape of the neck, and running down the spine;1 and as this passed off, though I cannot say I heard a voice, I was distinctly conscious of the words, 'Go to Z. by this evening's train,' being said in my ear. There was no one at the time within 100 yards of me.

I was not very flush of money just then, and could not well afford the expense, besides not wishing to absent myself from duty so soon after taking it up. But it seemed so distinct that I almost made up my mind to obey it; but on announcing the fact to my landlady, to whom, of course, I could not tell my true reason, she remonstrated so earnestly that, coupling this with the affairs of my duty, etc., I did conclude to disregard it. I could not, however, settle to anything, read, write, or sit in comfort, till the time was elapsed when I could have caught the train, when the uneasy, restless feeling gradually went off, and in a few hours I was ready to laugh at myself.

1Cf. case 28, and the note thereon.

"Three or four days after, I received the sad news that my friend had on that day gone down home from London, had been taken ill, and two days afterwards had, in a fit of temporary insanity, put an end to his life. I have no doubt in my own mind that had I obeyed the intimation I might have saved his life; for I must have gone to their house, no other in the neighbourhood being available; and had I found him in the condition in which he was, you may be very sure he would never have got out of arm's length of me until all danger was over. I have ever since reproached myself with it, and have made up my mind that should I ever have such another experience I will do what is directed, seem it never so absurd or difficult".

In reply to inquiries, the narrator adds: -

"I was in health just as usual, no better and no worse. I had good health all the time I was at A., and in particular I never have suffered from indigestion since I was a child. I have never at any other time had such a physical sensation, or such a sensation of a voice; and nothing has ever happened to me which would lead at all satisfactorily to the conclusion that any abnormal phenomena were present".

The narrator has privately told us the year of the occurrence, and the place where the suicide took place; and we have verified these details in the Register of Deaths. The event took place later in the year than he imagined - in November. In conversation, he has explained that "Go to Z." practically meant the same for him as "Go to these friends," as he would be quite certain to stay with them. Their place of business was still at Z. At the time of his experience, his friend was in a very critical condition.

[In § 5 Gurney gives a case where the sound heard, though vocal, was not articulate. This is here omitted. He calls attention to the scream case, No. 34, p. 163, as the "strongest example in our collection that can be thus described." - Ed].