“From the manner in which the questions were put, it is very evident that, when a boy is persuaded to see anything, the appearances of the sweeper, the flags, and the sultan, are the result of leading questions. The boy pretends or imagines he sees a man or a shadow, and he is told to order some one to sweep: he is therefore prepared with his answer; and the same continues to the end, the magician always telling him what he is to call for, and consequently what he is to see. The descriptions of persons asked for are almost universally complete failures.”
After these and other details, sir Gardiner says, “I am decidedly of opinion that the whole of the first part is done solely by leading questions, and that whenever the descriptions succeed in any point, the success is owing to accident, or to unintentional prompting in the mode of questioning the boys.”[B]
A subsequent traveller, lord Nugent, places the state of the case in a new light:—
“It is enough to say, that not one person whom Abd-el-Kader described bore the smallest resemblance to the one named by us; and all those called for were of remarkable appearance. All the preparations, all the ceremony, and all the attempts at description, bore evidences of such a coarse and stupid fraud, as would render any detail of the proceeding, or any argument tending to connect it with any marvellous power, ingenious art, or interesting inquiry, a mere childish waste of time. How, then, does it happen, that respectable and sensitive minds have been staggered by the exhibitions of this impostor? I think that the solution which Mr. Lane himself suggested as probable is quite complete. When the exhibition was over, Mr. Lane had some conversation with the magician, which he afterwards repeated to us. In reply to an observation of Mr. Lane’s to him upon his entire failure, the magician admitted that ‘he had often failed since the death of Osman Effendi;’—the same Osman Effendi that Mr. Lane mentions in his book as having been of the party on every occasion on which he had been witness of the magician’s art, and whose testimony the Quarterly Review cites in support of the marvel, which (searching much too deep for what lies very near, indeed, to the surface,) it endeavours to solve by suggesting the probability of diverse complicated optical combinations.
“And, be it again observed, optical combinations cannot throw one ray of light upon the main difficulty, the means of procuring the resemblance required of the absent person. I now give Mr. Lane’s solution of the whole mystery, in his own words, my note of which I submitted to him, and obtained his ready permission to make public in any way I might see fit. This Osman Effendi, Mr. Lane told me, was a Scotchman, formerly serving in a British regiment, who was taken prisoner by the Egyptian army during our unfortunate expedition to Alexandria, in 1807; that he was sold as a slave, and persuaded to abjure Christianity, and profess the Mussulman faith; that, applying his talents to his necessities, he made himself useful by dint of some little medical knowledge he had picked up on duty in the regimental hospital; that he obtained his liberty at the instance of the Sheik Ibraim, (M. Burckhardt,) through the means of Mr. Salt; that, in process of time, he became second interpreter of the British consulate; that Osman was, very probably, acquainted, by portraits or otherwise, with the general appearance of most Englishmen of celebrity, and certainly could describe the peculiar dresses of English professions, such as army, navy, church, and the ordinary habits of persons of different professions in England; that, on all occasions when Mr. Lane was witness of the magician’s success, Osman had been present at the previous occasions, had heard who should be called to appear, and so had, probably, obtained a description of the figure, when it was to be the apparition of some private friend of persons present; that, on these occasions, he very probably had some pre-arranged code of words, by which he could communicate secretly with the magician. To this it must be added, that his avowed theory of morals was, on all occasions, that ‘we did our whole duty if we did what we thought best for our fellow-creatures and most agreeable to them.’ Osman was present when Mr. Lane was so astonished at hearing the boy describe very accurately, the person of M. Burckhardt, with whom the magician was unacquainted, but who had been Osman’s patron, and who, also, knew well the other gentleman whom Mr. Lane states in his book that the boy described as appearing ill and lying on a sofa, and Mr. Lane added that he had, probably, been asked by Osman about that gentleman’s health, whom Mr. Lane then knew to be suffering under an attack of rheumatism. He concluded, therefore, by avowing that there was no doubt in his mind, connecting all these circumstances with the declaration the magician had just made, that Osman had been the confederate. Thus I have given in Mr. Lane’s words, not only with his consent, but at his ready offer, what he has no doubt is the explanation of the whole of the subject which he now feels to require no deeper inquiry; and which has been adopted by many as a marvel upon an exaggerated view of the testimony that he offered in his book before he had been convinced, as he now is, of the imposture. I gladly state this, on the authority of an enlightened and honourable man, to disabuse minds that have wandered into serious speculation on a matter which I cannot but feel to be quite undeserving of it.”[C]—So true is it, that, while many effects, which appear mysterious to the multitude, may be explained by those of greater knowledge, others, which, for a time, defy penetration, are, at length, clearly exhibited in their true light. It becomes us, therefore, carefully to examine testimony, to receive that only which will bear scrutiny, and to suspend our judgment whenever we are unacquainted with the whole case. The best of men are prone to err; and well is it, if, ceasing from them, we have been led by Divine grace to trust implicitly in the God of truth.
CHAPTER III.
Machines considered magical in ancient times—Remarkable modern automata—Minute engines—The calculating machine.
The light of modern science has revealed to us many important secrets. In the dark ages there were but few books; it was then the fashion to write them in Latin; and as, from their costliness, they could only be obtained by men of wealth, so they could be understood alone by such as had enjoyed the advantages of education. Science is now easily accessible, but, though it is not necessary for us all to become philosophers, there is no good reason why people generally should not be acquainted with some of the most remarkable phenomena of the natural world. The inspired psalmist has said, “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein;” and it becomes all, according to their means and opportunities, to lay this truth to heart. We proceed now to consider some effects regarded as magical, which are satisfactorily explained on natural principles, beginning with mechanics.
An ability to construct wonderful or magical machines was manifest among the ancients. Archytas, a native of Tarentum, in Italy, who lived four hundred years before the birth of our Lord and Saviour, is said to have made a wooden dove, which flew and sustained itself for some time in the air. Other clever contrivances are also mentioned. “A magician,” says D’Israeli, “was annoyed, as philosophers still are, by passengers in the street; and he, particularly so, by having horses led to drink under his window. He made a magical horse of wood, according to one of the books of Hermes, which perfectly answered his purpose, by frightening away the horses, or, rather, the grooms! The wooden horse, no doubt, gave some palpable kick.”
It is worthy of remark, that tales of ancient times must be received with caution. We find it necessary, even at a much later period. The tricks which now amuse or astonish the populace at a country fair, would be greatly exaggerated in a credulous age, and often assume even the most portentous colouring. Nor is it difficult to guess, and sometimes to discover, the stages of similar and great mystifications. The following instance is rather remarkable. On Charles V. entering Nuremberg, a celebrated German astronomer, whose real name was Johann Müller, but who styled himself Regiomontanus, exhibited some automata which he had constructed. These were an eagle of wood, which, placed on the gate of the city, rose up and flapped its wings, while the emperor was passing below; and a fly, made of steel, which walked round a table. Now all this is sufficiently credible. But what is the record of the chroniclers only a few years after? That the wooden eagle sprang from the tower and soared in the air; and that the steel fly flew three times round the emperor, and then alighted buzzing on his hand!