“I was pleased to see the Emperor join the conversation at this point, for two reasons: first, to hear what he had to say; and secondly, to observe whether the subjects on the floor could be kept under the Count’s influence while his mind was abstracted from them and centered on matters entirely different.
“ ‘Do not be disturbed at what he says,’ said his majesty, ‘for these Mesmerists are all slightly mad.’ And he smiled, while the Count shrugged his shoulders, and exclaimed:
“ ‘With a method, however!’
“Then turning his attention toward the company, by some inscrutable power he stopped the dance, restored the subjects to their normal state, and almost instantly thereafter exercised it upon Madame Dablin, who straightway, with closed eyes, approached a grand piano, swept its keys with matchless skill, as a prelude, and then launched forth into one of the strangest, most brilliant, yet wild and weird fantasias, that genius ever dreamed of. I cannot now stop to describe its effect upon the company, nor upon myself, for my whole being was absorbed at that moment in matters far more important to me than a mesmeric experiment, however interesting and successful it might be; for at best, its effect and memory would be transient and ephemeral, while, on the contrary, the things I might learn from the Italian might last so long as my conscious soul endured. I was not, therefore, disappointed when he resumed his talk. I cannot now repeat the ipsissima verba of what he said, but the substance, in reply to questions by the Emperor and myself, was in effect this:
“ ‘The soul and its qualities, passions and volume are all clearly marked upon the physique, and are apparent to all who possess the proper key; to all others, the difficulty lies in correctly reading these signs, and a still greater in assigning to each faculty its actual, its possible, and its relative strength and value. Every act that a man does has an effect upon both his body and soul, and the imprints thereof are indelibly stamped upon his features; therefore his past—even his most secret act or thought—can be read by the adept with as much ease as if his face were a printed page, the type being large, smooth and clear. Every man is susceptible of being controlled mesmerically by another, because no man is collectively stronger than his weakest faculty; a chain is no stronger than its most defective link. Now I control men because I know at a glance which is the most vulnerable portion of their nature. Self-love, Emulation and Will are the trinity in unity around which the Psychal Republic revolves. One of these is always vulnerable; subdue that, and you subdue the man. Now, when I perform such experiments as those now being exhibited, I first mesmerize, not the entire brain, but a single faculty, which in turn speedily subdues all the rest. The mind of man is a mirror! Conceded. Well, then, I forthwith, by an effort of will, entirely vacate my own mind, thinking of nothing but a revolving wheel. The subject reflects my action; then in fancy I sing, dance, play, and the subject reflects my thought by appropriate action.’
“ ‘But,’ said one, ‘suppose your subject understands nothing about these accomplishments. How then?’
“ ‘All souls understand them. Bodies may not; and I bring the soul under subjection, not the body merely.’
“ ‘This is a dangerous power to possess,’ said the Emperor, ‘and none but a good man ought to have it.’
“ ‘A bad man cannot become a true Rosicrucian, although men have turned their arms against the race, and the secrets of the fraternity, like all things else, have been trifled with and abused. Thus it is possible for an expert to cure a diseased man by the exercise of the power alluded to. But the rule is dual: it is also possible to kill a healthy man by the same mysterious means; and indeed it has often been done, especially by the natives of Africa.
“ ‘I persuade my soul that you are sick and will die, and if I keep up the will and wish, nothing is more certain than that both will be accomplished. Some men naturally possess enormous powers of will, and are able to project visible images, like those of a phantasmagoria—images of whatever they choose to fancy—a flower, a hand, arm, or a human form—and these spectra will be visible to scores of startled observers, who, in their utter ignorance of the human mind and body, and their respective and conjoined powers, believe them to be the veritable ghosts of dead men, and objects produced by them. I learned recently that in London is at this moment a young Scotchman, named Hume, who possesses this power to a remarkable degree, and also that of levitation, and who is coining fame and fortune by pretending that the psychical phenomenon is really and truly spiritual—which is not the case. I learned this great secret in the Punjaub, of Naumsavi Chitty, the chief of the Rosicrucians of India, and the greatest reformer since Budha.’