THE FUTURE RULER OF FRANCE—A MESMERIC PREDICTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 8 January 1853, Page 9

THE FUTURE RULER OF FRANCE—A MESMERIC PREDICTION.

(From the Atlas.') There is an extraordinary feuilleton in the Presse of Paris. M. Alexandre Dumas is publishing his memoirs in that journal, and some very curious things we find in them from time to time ; but there has been nothing so curious as his account of some experiments in animal magnetism. M. Dumas begins with a relation of a surgical operation performed by M. Jules Cloquet, some years ago, on a magnetised patient. He then relates some experiments of his own, and speaks of numerous persons as having witnessed them ; but as we have no opportunity of testing them, we can only relate what M. Dumas says. He informs us that when he was at Auxonne (he does not state the precise period, but it must have been in 1848), he was at the house of Mr. D with his daughter and a party of twelve or fourteen persons. He was talking of some recent experiments, and Madame D observed that she would only believe in such things if M. Dumas would put some one she knew into a magnetic state —Marie, for instance, pointing to her daughter, eleven years of age. Dumas said he would make the experiment; and after two or three passes the child was magnetised, and the following conversation between him and the child took place : —

" In what social slate is France at this time? In Republic.—Do you know what a Republic is? Is is an equal division of rights between the men who compose the people, without distinction of birth, rank, or condition. The mother, astonished at this reply, expressed a fear that the experiment, if continued, would distress the child, on which Dumas addressing her said: —Do my questions fatigue you, Marie? Not in the least, sir. They are, however, beyond what are generally addressed to children of your age. God permits me to understand them. Will the state in which we now are be consolidated ? It will last several years. Will it be Lamartine or Ledru-Rollin who will consolidate it? Neither one nor the other. Shall we have a President? Yes.—And after the President ? Henry V.—Henry V.! You know he is exiled. But he will return to France.— How? By force? No, with the consent of the people. By what point will he return ? By Grenoble. "Will he effect his entry by combat? No, he will come from Italy into Dauphiny, and one day his people will say, Henry V. is in the citadel of Grenoble.—There is then a citadel at Grenoble ? Yes, it is on a height, and the town is in the valley. Is there aiivcr? There are two —the water of one is white, and the other green. Are you quite sure that it is the Duke do Bordeaux whom you see at Grenoble ? As sure as that his name*is written there (pointing to her forehead). What sort of man is he ? Describe him. Of middle height, rather fat, and he is hime. Where will he go from Gre-

noble ? To Lyons.—-Will no opposition be made to him there? At first opposition was intended, but I see a great number of workmen who go out to meet and bring him in. Will any shots be fired? Yes, but no great harm will be clone. And where will the firing take place ? Between Lyons and Paris. By what faubourg will he enter Paris 1 By the faubourg St. Martin. But, my child, of what use will it be for Henry V. to become King of France, as he has no children ; and it is said that he cannot have any ? It is not lie, sir, who cannot have children ;it is his wife. But my dear, Marie, that is the same thing, as the law of divorce does not exist in France. Yes, but his wife will die of consumption. And he will then marry without doubt some Russian or German princess ? No. Henry V. will say, " I have returned by the will of the people, and I will marry a daughter of the people." And where will he find this daughter of the people ? He will say " Go for a young girl to No. 42, in the faubourg St. Martin. She is dressed in white and has a green branch in her hand." What does her family consist of ? Her father is a carpenter, and her name is Leontine. And the Prince will marry her? Yes. Will he have a son ? He will have two. And what will they be called—Henri and Charles? No, Henry V. will say these two names have brought too much misfortune to those who bore them, and he will call his son Leon. How long will Henri V. reign ? Ten or eleven years. And how will he die ? He will die of pleurisy, from drinking cold water when hunting in the field of St. Germain. But, my dear child, consider that you are heard by twelve or fourteen persons, and that it would suffice for one of these persons to warn the Prince, for your prophecy to fail. He will be warned, but still he will drink. He will say, I eat ice when lam warm —why should I not drink cold water ? And who will warn him ? Your son, who will be one of his greatest friends. What! my son one of his greatest friends ?" (Here says M. Dumas, I looked at my daughter, and we laughed, for my son and I are of different politics. Scarcely a day passes without a political dispute.) And Henri V. being dead, will Leon I. ascend the throne ? Yes, sir. And what will happen in his reign? I can see no farther —wake me."

The child was then put out of its magnetic sleep. This story is either true or it is false. It will be very easy, however, for those who take an interest in it to ascertain from the family of the person alluded to at Auxonne,, whether the scene as related by M. Dumas really took place. If it has been an invention, proceedings will probably be instituted against M. de Girardin for publishing it iv the Presse ; but if on enquiry it should be found that there are witnesses to the scene, the Government will take care not to allow it to acquire the importance which the declaration of witnesses would impart to it. The question is not whether we are to attach credit to the predictions of a child.but whether those predictions were made. If they were, there are millions among the lower classes who will treasure them up as if they were in Holy Writ.