August 13, 1800, I was at Mr. Blaisdel’s house, with more than forty people, besides their own family, and heard knockings. We all wondered, when we heard a sound on one side or corner of the house; the next sound on the opposite side or corner, and a third sound equally distant from the second, and so on for a number of sounds, while the succession was as rapid as one sound could be clearly distinguished from another. We were sure that no person, nor even several persons, could make sounds so distant from each other in such quick succession, even were it possible for them to be in or near the places of these sounds, without discovery. By the desire of the Spirit and Mr. Blaisdel, we went into the cellar. Mr. Blaisdel told the people to stand back and give the Spirit room, and not crowd so near her, “don’t crowd her,” said he, “she cannot talk if you crowd her.”
When we were placed, Mr. Blaisdel ordered the candle to be blown out, and stood before the company next to the Spirit.[27] When these things were done, the affair was become as dark to me, as the cellar was. I heard much conversation with several people by a voice which I never heard before. This voice at last told us to go up and go to a certain house and she would go with us. We did as the voice told us: and, as we went, I saw a personal form, as white as any thing could possibly appear, walking by Mrs. Butler’s side, with locked arms. When we came to the only outer door of the house, I saw this form at a distance from me, abroad, though near the house, I went in and heard a knocking immediately under the floor. In two or three minutes I heard the same voice that I had heard before, talking with Capt. Millar.
By the desire of the voice, we stood before the house that she might appear to us. There I saw the personal form as plainly as ever I saw a living person: and I saw the same form vanish before me in a moment. SALLY MARTIN.
On this testimony a few observations must detain the reader. We are liable to be deceived two ways: by the appearance of truth where it is not, and by the appearance of deception where it is not.
Did not such an occasion as this require order? The Spectre was about to communicate to the assembly an important message. Could they enjoy the best advantage to hear and attend to it, while they were changing places,—crowding and interrupting one another? Is not a voice better understood by any auditory, if there be some intermediate space between the speaker and hearer? What did they want a candle for, unless they wanted to be deceived? The Spectre was white; so is a deceiver by a candle. The Spectre told them the exact time of night; so could a deceiver by a candle. Did they want a candle in order to see her? They had learned, or might have learned already, that she could make herself as visible without a candle, as any person living could with it. Four nights before this, she appeared to fourteen persons in this very place, and six persons saw the hand pass through the apparition.
Two nights before this, she appeared to about twenty people, forming an ellipsis, within which she slowly passed round so near the circumference several times, that every one of them might have handled her with deliberation, and she had also expressed her desire to give satisfaction by this experiment.
Therefore it was not because she was afraid to be seen or handled, that Mr. Blaisdel made this arrangement; but for reasons possibly unknown to us. But probably one of them was this: On the night of this testimony, August 13, it was one design of the Spectre to confirm what was past, by conducting as she had before, May 28.[28] That is: by appearing only to two or three persons, while to all others in the assembly, though conversing with her, she should remain invisible. This, we are assured, by testimony 11 and 14, part 2nd, was now performed. On the above May 28, a third person thought he saw her, but was not sure; for he supposed he might be deceived by some change of the candle light.
Hence we easily see that those two persons who saw her on this night of August 13, while she invisibly discoursed with the assembly, obtained more satisfaction for others, if not for themselves, that what they saw was reality, than if there had been a candle; especially if we consider that several women of the assembly were dressed in white.
TESTIMONY IV.
Testimony of Capt. James Millar.