Letters on Natural Magic, Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, BartJohn Murray, 1834 - 351 sider |
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aërial ancient angle apparition appear asbestos Aulus Gellius automaton body breathing burning candle cause cavities Charles Blagden colour combustion concave mirror concealed constructed convex lens cupboard curious dark deception density direction distance distinct distinctly door Dover Castle effect elevation exhibited exhibitor experiment feats feet figure fire flame fluid glass ground hand head heard heat hollow illuminated illusion imitated impression inches inverted image John Herschel lens light look luminous machine machinery magic lantern Memnon mind minutes motion mouth natural natural density nitrous oxide objects observed opening optical oxide performed person phenomena phenomenon picture pipe plate position produced racter Ramsgate rays reflected reflexion remarkable retina seen shadow ship shown in Fig side singular sliders sound spectator spectral spectres strong supernatural surface Thomas Bartholin tion tube vacuity vapour ventriloquism ventriloquist vibrating voice yellow
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Side 58 - The whole amphitheatre is burning, and the fire is just falling upon us; "so covering his eyes with his hands, he again exclaimed, that destruction was inevitable, and he desired to see no more. The necromancer entreated me to have a good heart, and take care to burn proper perfumes ; upon which I turned to Romoli, and bid him burn all the most precious perfumes he had. At the same time I cast my eye upon Agnolino Gaddi, who was terrified to such a degree, that he could scarce distinguish objects,...
Side 334 - I walked round the room, perfectly regardless of what was said to me. As I recovered my former state of mind, I felt an inclination to communicate the discoveries I had made during the experiment. I endeavoured to recall the ideas, — they were feeble and indistinct. One...
Side 220 - The suddenness of the transition from perfect hearing to total want of perception, occasions a degree of surprise, which renders an experiment on this subject with a series of small pipes among several persons rather amusing. It is curious to observe the change of feeling manifested by various individuals of a party in succession, as the sounds approach and pass the limits of their hearing.
Side 17 - I durst neither write nor read; but to recover the use of my eyes shut myself up in my chamber made dark for three days together, and used all means to divert my imagination from the sun. For if I thought upon him I presently saw his picture, though I was in the dark.
Side 164 - This personage was cunning and intelligent, and, whether professionally, or from his skill in the chase, but perhaps from both reasons, was considered by all the tribe as a man of importance. As I invariably paid great deference to his opinion on all subjects connected with his calling, he freely communicated to me his superior knowledge, and did not scruple to allow of my being present at his interview with Tornga, or his patron spirit.
Side 260 - Kempelen, had no scruple in declaring it to be a "very ordinary piece of mechanism— a bagatelle whose effects appeared so marvellous only from the boldness of the conception, and the fortunate choice of the methods adopted for promoting the illusion.
Side 59 - ... had placed himself in the middle, holding the necromancer by the coat, and me by the cloak. As we were going to our houses in the quarter of Banchi, the boy told us that two of the demons whom we had seen at the amphitheatre, went on before us leaping and skipping, sometimes running upon the roofs of the houses, and sometimes upon the ground.
Side 226 - ... said our young Indian pilot. We never ourselves heard these mysterious sounds, either at Carichana vieja, or in the upper Oronooko ; but from information given us by witnesses worthy of belief, the existence of a phenomenon that seems to depend on a certain state of the atmosphere cannot be denied. The shelves of rock are full of very narrow and deep crevices. They are heated, during the day, to about 50°.
Side 54 - Hap'ling one day to have some conversation with him when the subject turned upon the art of necromancy, I, who had a great desire to know something of the matter, told him, that I had all my life felt a curiosity to be acquainted with the mysteries of this art. " The priest made answer, ' That the man must be of a resolute and steady temper who enters upon that study.
Side 244 - When he is replaced in the chair, each of the four persons takes hold of the body as before, and the person to be lifted gives two signals by clapping his hands. At the first signal, he himself and the four lifters begin to draw a long and full breath ; and when the inhalation is completed, or the lungs filled, the second signal is given for raising the person from the chair. To his own surprise and that of his bearers, he rises with the greatest facility, as if he were no heavier than a feather.