THE LAST FAREWELL.
My mysterious guest, he of the silver, flowing beard, read the last word
of the foregoing manuscript, and then laid the sheet of paper on the
table, and rested his head upon his hand, gazing thoughtfully at the
open fire. Thus he sat for a considerable period in silence. Then he
said:
"You have heard part of my story, that portion which I am commanded to
make known now, and you have learned how, by natural methods, I passed
by successive steps while in the body, to the door that death only, as
yet, opens to humanity. You understand also that, although of human
form, I am not as other men (for with me matter is subservient to mind),
and as you have promised, so you must act, and do my bidding concerning
the manuscript."
"But there is surely more to follow. You will tell me of what you saw
and experienced beyond the end of earth, within the possessions of
Etidorhpa. Tell me of that Unknown Country."
"No," he answered; "this is the end, at least so far as my connection
with you is concerned. You still question certain portions of my
narrative, I perceive, notwithstanding the provings I have given you,
and yet as time passes investigation will show that every word I have
read or uttered is true, historically, philosophically, and spiritually
(which you now doubt), and men will yet readily understand how the
seemingly profound, unfathomable phenomena I have encountered may be
verified. I have studied and learned by bitter experience in a school
that teaches from the outgoings of a deeper philosophy than human
science has reached, especially modern materialistic science which,
however, step by step it is destined to reach. And yet I have recorded
but a small part of the experiences that I have undergone. What I have
related is only a foretaste of the inexhaustible feast which, in the
wisdom expanse of the future, will yet be spread before man, and which
tempts him onward and upward. This narrative, which rests against the
beginning of my real story, the Unknown Country and its possibilities
should therefore incite to renewed exertions, both mental and
experimental, those permitted to review it. I have carried my history to
the point at which I can say to you, very soon afterward I gave up my
body temporarily, by a perfectly natural process, a method that man can
yet employ, and passed as a spiritual being into the ethereal spaces,
through those many mansions which I am not permitted to describe at this
time, and from which I have been forced unwillingly to return and take
up the semblance of my body, in order to meet you and record these
events. I must await the development and expansion of mind that will
permit men to accept this faithful record of my history before
completing the narrative, for men are yet unprepared. Men must seriously
consider those truths which, under inflexible natural laws, govern the
destiny of man, but which, if mentioned at this day can only be viewed
as the hallucinations of a disordered mind. To many this manuscript will
prove a passing romance, to others an enigma, to others still it will be
a pleasing study. Men are not now in a condition to receive even this
paper. That fact I know full well, and I have accordingly arranged that
thirty years shall pass before it is made public. Then they will have
begun to study more deeply into force disturbances, exhibitions of
energy that are now known and called imponderable bodies (perhaps some
of my statements will then even be verified), and to reflect over the
connection of matter therewith. A few minds will then be capable of
vaguely conceiving possibilities, which this paper will serve to
foretell, for a true solution of the great problems of the ethereal
unknown is herein suggested, the study of which will lead to a final
elevation of humanity, such as I dare not prophesy."
"Much of the paper is obscure to me," I said; "and there are occasional
phrases and repetitions that appear to be interjected, possibly, with
an object, and which are yet disconnected from the narrative proper."
"That is true; the paper often contains statements that are
emblematical, and which you can not understand, but yet such portions
carry to others a hidden meaning. I am directed to speak to many persons
besides yourself, and I can not meet those whom I address more directly
than I do through this communication. These pages will serve to instruct
many people--people whom you will never know, to whom I have brought
messages that will in secret be read between the lines."
"Why not give it to such persons?"
"Because I am directed to bring it to you," he replied, "and you are
required:
"First, To seal the manuscript, and place it in the inner vault of your
safe.
"Second, To draw up a will, and provide in case of your death, that
after the expiration of thirty years from this date, the seals are to be
broken, and a limited edition published in book form, by one you select.
"Third, An artist capable of grasping the conceptions will at the proper
time be found, to whom the responsibility of illustrating the volume is
to be entrusted, he receiving credit therefor. Only himself and yourself
(or your selected agent) are to presume to select the subjects for
illustration.
"Fourth, In case you are in this city, upon the expiration of thirty
years, you are to open the package and follow the directions given in
the envelope therein."
And he then placed on the manuscript a sealed envelope addressed to
myself.
"This I have promised already," I said.
"Very well," he remarked, "I will bid you farewell."
"Wait a moment; it is unjust to leave the narrative thus uncompleted.
You have been promised a future in comparison with which the experiences
you have undergone, and have related to me, were tame; you had just met
on the edge of the inner circle that mysterious being concerning whom I
am deeply interested, as I am in the continuation of your personal
narrative, and you have evidently more to relate, for you must have
passed into that Unknown Country. You claim to have done so, but you
break the thread in the most attractive part by leaving the future to
conjecture."
"It must be so. This is a history of man on Earth, the continuation will
be a history of man within the Unknown Country."
"And I am not to receive the remainder of your story?" I reiterated,
still loth to give it up.
"No; I shall not appear directly to you again. Your part in this work
will have ended when, after thirty years, you carry out the directions
given in the sealed letter which, with this manuscript, I entrust to
your care. I must return now to the shore that separated me from my
former guide, and having again laid down this semblance of a body, go
once more into--"
He buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Yes; this strange, cynical
being whom I had at first considered an impertinent fanatic, and then,
more than once afterward, had been induced to view as a cunning
impostor, or to fear as a cold, semi-mortal, sobbed like a child.
"It is too much," he said, seemingly speaking to himself; "too much to
require of one not yet immortal, for the good of his race. I am again
with men, nearly a human, and I long to go back once more to my old
home, my wife, my children. Why am I forbidden? The sweets of Paradise
can not comfort the mortal who must give up his home and family, and yet
carry his earth-thought beyond. Man can not possess unalloyed joys, and
blessings spiritual, and retain one backward longing for mundane
subjects, and I now yearn again for my earth love, my material family.
Having tasted of semi-celestial pleasures in one of the mansions of that
complacent, pure, and restful sphere, I now exist in the border land,
but my earth home is not relinquished, I cling as a mortal to former
scenes, and crave to meet my lost loved ones. All of earth must be left
behind if Paradise is ever wholly gained, yet I have still my sublunary
thoughts.
"Etidorhpa! Etidorhpa!" he pleaded, turning his eyes as if towards one I
could not see, "Etidorhpa, my old home calls. Thou knowest that the
beginning of man on earth is a cry born of love, and the end of man on
earth is a cry for love; love is a gift of Etidorhpa, and thou,
Etidorhpa, the soul of love, should have compassion on a pleading
mortal."
He raised his hands in supplication.
"Have mercy on me, Etidorhpa, as I would on you if you were I and I were
Etidorhpa."
Then with upturned face he stood long and silent, listening.
"Ah," he murmured at last, as if in reply to a voice I could not catch,
a voice that carried to his ear an answer of deep disappointment; "thou
spokest truly in the vision, Etidorhpa: it is love that enslaves
mankind; love that commands; love that ensnares and rules mankind, and
thou, Etidorhpa, art the soul of Love. True it is that were there no
Etidorhpa, there would still be tears on earth, but the cold,
meaningless tears of pain only. No mourning people, no sorrowful
partings, no sobbing mothers kneeling with upturned faces, no planting
of the myrtle and the rose on sacred graves. There would be no
child-love, no home, no tomb, no sorrow, no Beyond--"
He hesitated, sank upon his knees, pleadingly raised his clasped hands
and seemed to listen to that far-off voice, then bowed his head, and
answered:
"Yes; thou art right, Etidorhpa--although thou bringest sorrow to
mortals, without thee and this sorrow-gift there could be no bright
hereafter. Thou art just, Etidorhpa, and always wise. Love is the seed,
and sorrow is the harvest, but this harvest of sadness is to man the
richest gift of love, the golden link that joins the spirit form that
has fled to the spirit that is still enthralled on earth. Were there no
earth-love, there could be no heart-sorrow; were there no craving for
loved ones gone, the soul of man would rest forever a brother of the
clod. He who has sorrowed and not profited by his sorrow-lesson, is
unfitted for life. He who heeds best his sorrow-teacher is in closest
touch with humanity, and nearest to Etidorhpa. She who has drank most
deeply of sorrow's cup has best fitted herself for woman's sphere in
life, and a final home of immortal bliss. I will return to thy realms,
Etidorhpa, and this silken strand of sorrow wrapped around my heart,
reaching from earth to Paradise and back to earth, will guide at last my
loved ones to the realms beyond--the home of Etidorhpa."
Rising, turning to me, and subduing his emotion, ignoring this outburst,
he said:
"If time should convince you that I have related a faithful history, if
in after years you come to learn my name (I have been forbidden to
speak it), and are convinced of my identity, promise me that you will do
your unbidden guest a favor."
[Illustration: "I STOOD ALONE IN MY ROOM HOLDING THE MYSTERIOUS
MANUSCRIPT."]
"This I will surely do; what shall it be?"
"I left a wife, a little babe, and a two-year-old child when I was taken
away, abducted in the manner that I have faithfully recorded. In my
subsequent experience I have not been able to cast them from my memory.
I know that through my error they have been lost to me, and will be
until they change to the spirit, after which we will meet again in one
of the waiting Mansions of the Great Beyond. I beg you to ascertain, if
possible, if either my children, or my children's children live, and
should they be in want, present them with a substantial testimonial.
Now, farewell."
He held out his hand, I grasped it, and as I did so, his form became
indistinct, and gradually disappeared from my gaze, the fingers of my
hand met the palm in vacancy, and with extended arms I stood alone in my
room, holding the mysterious manuscript, on the back of which I find
plainly engrossed:
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
EPILOGUE.
LETTER ACCOMPANYING THE MYSTERIOUS MANUSCRIPT.
The allotted thirty years have passed, and as directed, I, Llewellyn
Drury, now break the seals, and open the envelope accompanying the
mysterious package which was left in my hand, and read as follows:
Herein find the epilogue to your manuscript. Also a picture of
your unwelcome guest, I--Am--The--Man, which you are directed to
have engraved, and to use as a frontispiece to the volume. There
are men yet living to bear witness to my identity, who will need
but this picture to convince them of the authenticity of the
statements in the manuscript, as it is the face of one they knew
when he was a young man, and will recognize now that he is in
age. Do not concern yourself about the reception of the work, for
you are in no wise responsible for its statements. Interested
persons, if living, will not care to appear in public in
connection therewith, and those who grasp and appreciate, who can
see the pertinence of its truths, who can read between the lines
and have the key to connected conditions, will assuredly keep
their knowledge of these facts locked in their own bosoms, or
insidiously oppose them, and by their silence or their attacks
cover from men outside the fraternity, their connection with the
unfortunate author. They dare not speak.
Revise the sentences; secure the services of an editor if you
desire, and induce another to publish the book if you shrink from
the responsibility, but in your revision do not in any way alter
the meaning of the statements made in the manuscript; have it
copied for the printer, and take no part in comments that may
arise among men concerning its reception.[15] Those who are best
informed regarding certain portions thereof, will seemingly be
least interested in the book, and those who realize most fully
these truths, will persistently evade the endorsement of them.
The scientific enthusiast, like the fraternity to which I belong,
if appealed to, will obstruct the mind of the student either by
criticism or ridicule, for many of these revelations are not
recorded in his books.
[15] From a review of the fac simile (see p. 35), it will be seen
that an exact print word for word could not be expected. In more
than one instance subsequent study demonstrated that the first
conception was erroneous, and in the interview with Etidorhpa
(see p. 252), after the page had been plated, it was discovered
that the conveyed meaning was exactly the reverse of the
original. Luckily the error was discovered in time to change the
verse, and leave the spirit of this fair creature
unblemished.--J. U. L.
You are at liberty to give in your own language as a prologue the
history of your connection with the author, reserving, however,
if you desire to do so, your personality, adding an introduction
to the manuscript, and, as interludes, every detail of our
several conversations, and of your experience. Introduce such
illustrations as the selected artist and yourself think proper in
order to illuminate the statements. Do not question the
advisability of stating all that you know to have occurred; write
the whole truth, for although mankind will not now accept as fact
all that you and I have experienced, strange phases of life
phenomena are revealing themselves, and humanity will yet surely
be led to a higher plane. As men investigate the points of
historical interest, and the ultra-scientific phenomena broached
in this narrative, the curtain of obscurity will be drawn aside,
and evidence of the truths contained in these details will be
disclosed. Finally, you must mutilate a page of the manuscript
that you may select, and preserve the fragment intact and in
secret. Do not print another edition unless you are presented
with the words of the part that is missing.[16]
[16] I have excised a portion (see p. 190).--J. U. L.
(Signed.) I--Am--The--Man.
NOTE BY MR. DRURY.--Thus the letter ended. After mature consideration it
has been decided to give verbatim most of the letter, and all of the
manuscript, and to append, as a prologue, an introduction to the
manuscript, detailing exactly the record of my connection therewith,
including my arguments with Professors Chickering and Vaughn, whom I
consulted concerning the statements made to me directly by its author. I
will admit that perhaps the opening chapter in my introduction may be
such as to raise in the minds of some persons a question concerning my
mental responsibility, for as the principal personage in this drama
remarks: "Mankind can not now accept as facts what I have seen." Yet I
walk the streets of my native city, a business man of recognized
thoughtfulness and sobriety, and I only relate on my own responsibility
what has to my knowledge occurred. It has never been intimated that I am
mentally irresponsible, or speculative, and even were this the case, the
material proof that I hold, and have not mentioned as yet, and may not,
concerning my relations with this remarkable being, effectually
disproves the idea of mental aberration, or spectral delusion. Besides,
many of the statements are of such a nature as to be verified easily, or
disproved by any person who may be inclined to repeat the experiments
suggested, or visit the localities mentioned. The part of the whole
production that will seem the most improbable to the majority of
persons, is that to which I can testify from my own knowledge, as
related in the first portion and the closing chapter. This approaches
necromancy, seemingly, and yet in my opinion, as I now see the matter,
such unexplained and recondite occurrences appear unscientific, because
of the shortcomings of students of science. Occult phenomena, at some
future day, will be proved to be based on ordinary physical conditions
to be disclosed by scientific investigations [for "All that is is
natural, and science embraces all things"], but at present they are
beyond our perception; yes, beyond our conception.
Whether I have been mesmerized, or have written in a trance, whether I
have been the subject of mental aberration, or have faithfully given a
life history to the world, whether this book is altogether romance, or
carries a vein of prophecy, whether it sets in motion a train of wild
speculations, or combines playful arguments, science problems, and
metaphysical reasonings, useful as well as entertaining, remains for the
reader to determine. So far as I, Llewellyn Drury, am concerned, this
is--
THE END.
[Illustration: handwritten script]
Had the above communication and the missing fragment of manuscript been
withheld (see page 161), it is needless to say that this second edition
of Etidorhpa would not have appeared.
On behalf of the undersigned, who is being most liberally scolded by
friends and acquaintances who can not get a copy of the first edition,
and on behalf of these same scolding mortals, the undersigned extends to
I-Am-The-Man the collective thanks of those who scold and the
scolded.--J. U. L.
[Illustration: handwritten script]
This introduction, which in the author's edition was signed by the
writer, is here reprinted in order that my views of the book be not
misconstrued.--J. U. L.
THE LIFE OF
PROF. DANIEL VAUGHN
BY PROF. RICHARD NELSON
TO WHICH IS ADDED
AN ACCOUNT OF HIS DEATH
BY FATHER EUGENE BRADY, S.J.
[Illustration: PROF. DANIEL VAUGHN.]
Story of the Life of Prof. Daniel Vaughn.[17]
[17] Reprinted from the Cincinnati Tribune.
BY PROF. RICHARD NELSON.
HIS VALUABLE LIBRARY SHOWING MARKS OF MUCH STUDY.
Twelve Years' Record in the Chair of Chemistry at the Cincinnati College
of Medicine.
[A paper read before the Literary Club by Prof. Richard Nelson.]
Few men, if any, so eminent in science and philosophy have been known to
live and die in such obscurity as the subject of this paper. A
mathematician whose knowledge has never been fathomed, an original
investigator in terrestrial and celestial chemistry, most of whose
speculations are now accepted as law; a contributor to the philosophical
journals of Europe, whose papers were received with distinguished favor;
an astronomer, who, in those papers, ventured to differ with Laplace,
and, too, as will be shown, a man skilled in classical scholarship, yet
unknown to his nearest neighbors and recognized by only a few in his own
city. He lived and died in obscurity and poverty in a city distinguished
for its schools of science and art, and the liberality and public spirit
of its men of wealth; who, if any, were to blame? One object of this
paper is to unravel the mystery.
HIS BIRTHPLACE AND PARENTAGE.
Daniel Vaughn was born in the year 1818 at Glenomara, four miles from
Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland. His father's name was John, who had two
brothers, Daniel and Patrick. John, like Daniel, was educated for the
church, but, being the eldest son, remained on the farm. Daniel became,
subsequently, the parish priest of Killaloe, and in 1845 was ordained
Bishop.
John Vaughn had three children, Daniel (the subject of this paper), Owen
and Margaret, afterward Mrs. Kent. The distance to the nearest school
being four Irish miles, John had his sons educated by a tutor till they
were prepared to enter a classical academy.
At the age of about sixteen Dan, as he was familiarly called, was placed
under the care of his uncle and namesake at Killaloe, where he entered
the academy. There the young student pursued the study of Greek, Latin
and mathematics, giving some attention to certain branches of physics,
for which he evinced peculiar aptitude.
HE EMIGRATES AND FINDS A HOME.
About the year 1840 his uncle, desirous of having the young man enter
the church, advanced him a sum of money to defray his expenses at a
theological school in Cork, but on seeing the American liners when he
reached Queenstown, the temptation to take the voyage to the land of
promise was too great for the young adventurer to resist, so he secured
a passage to New York. When at school he made wonderful advancement in
study, especially in higher mathematics, and felt he ought to go to a
country where he could be free to pursue his favorite line of thought
and where attainments in science would not be circumscribed, as in the
church.
Of his voyage and subsequent wanderings little is known until he reached
Kentucky. That he visited many schools and paid his way in part by
teaching there is no question. The college of the late Dr. Campbell, in
Virginia, was one of the institutions visited, but he felt he must push
on to Kentucky. About 1842 he had reached the Blue Grass region, near
the home of the late Colonel Stamps, in Bourbon County. The Colonel saw
him engaged at work and was quick to observe that the stranger was no
common man. Taking him to his house and supplying his wants, the Colonel
soon installed him as his guest, and eventually made him instructor of
his children. Access to the Colonel's library was a boon to the
stranger, developing in him traits of genius of which his host was very
proud.
It was only a short time till the neighboring farmers heard of the
distinguished young scholar, and desired to have the more mature members
of their families under his care. A school was opened in the Colonel's
house for instruction in the higher mathematics, the classics, geology,
physical geography and astronomy. The young people were pleased with
their teacher and made commendable progress, but the curriculum was too
varied and comprehensive for an instructor, who, though far advanced in
scholarship, had not yet studied the art of teaching.
ACCEPTS A PROFESSORSHIP.
In 1845 he accepted the chair of Greek in a neighboring college, which
afforded him leisure for his scientific pursuits. After an absence of
seven years the Professor returned to his old friend, Colonel Stamps and
family, where he remained some two years, leaving them to settle in
Cincinnati.
During his stay at the Colonel's (1851) he became a member of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1852
contributed to it his first article, entitled "On the Motions of
Numerous Small Bodies and the Phenomena Resulting Therefrom." Having
accumulated a valuable collection of books on science and philosophy and
obtained access to several libraries, public and private, in the city,
he was now in a condition to devote most of his time and energies to his
favorite sciences. For subsistence he delivered lectures before
teachers' institutes and colleges till 1856, when an affection of the
lungs compelled him to abandon the lecture field.
In the meantime he had offered papers for publication to Silliman's
Journal, the principal scientific magazine of America at that time,
but, receiving no response to his communications and being denied
publication, he took the advice of a friend and sent his subsequent
articles to the British Association for the Advancement of Science and
to the Philosophic Magazine, where they were received with favor. He was
much gratified to find his article on "Meteoric Astronomy" published in
the report of the Liverpool meeting of the association in 1854. Six
papers, which he subsequently sent in 1857, 1859 and 1861, met with
similar favor.
For several years he visited schools, colleges and teachers' institutes
in Oxford, Lebanon, Cleveland and other cities, lecturing on his
favorite branches of science. It had been his intention to popularize
the science of physical astronomy by the publication of tracts or
pamphlets.
PUBLISHES PAMPHLETS.
In the year 1856, at the request of teachers before whom he had lectured
at the institutes, and with a view to popularize scientific knowledge,
the Professor commenced the publication of pamphlets. The first number
treated of "The Geological Agency of Water and Subterranean Forces."
Only two of these pamphlets came into the possession of the
administrator. One of them was a good-sized volume, as may be inferred
from the following articles it contained:
"The Influence of Magnitude on Stability."
"The Doctrine of Gravitation."
"Theory of Tides."
"Effects of Tides."
"Cases of Excessive Tidal Action and Planetary Instability."
"The Rings of Saturn."
"The Supposed Influence of Satellites in Preserving Planetary Rings."
"Movements of Comets."
"The Tails of Comets."
"Mass and Density of Comets."
"Cometary Catastrophes."
"Phenomena Attending the Fall of Meteors."
"The Origin of Solar and Meteoric Light."
"Variable Stars and the Sun's Spots."
"Temporary Stars."
"Electrical Light and the Aurora Borealis."
"Proof of the Stability of the Solar System," with an appendix.
Some of these subjects had been treated of at greater length and
published by American and British associations for the advancement of
science.
He sent to the British Association for the Advancement of Science:
"Cases of Planetary Instability Indicated by the Appearance of
Temporary Stars."
"Appearance of Temporary Stars."
Other papers appeared:
"Note on the Sunspots," Philosophical Magazine for December, 1858.
"On the Solar Spots and Variable Stars," idem, Vol. 15, p. 359.
"Changes in the Conditions of Celestial Bodies," an essay.
"The Origin of Worlds," Popular Science Monthly, May, 1879.
"Planetary Rings and New Stars," Popular Science Monthly,
February, 1879.
"Astronomical History of Worlds," idem, September, 1878.
"On the Stability of Satellites in Small Orbits and the Theory of
Saturn's Rings," Philosophical Magazine, May, 1861.
"On the Origin of the Asteroids." Contributed to the American
Association for the Advancement of Science.
"Static and Dynamic Stability in the Secondary Systems,"
Philosophical Magazine, December, 1861.
"On Phenomena which May be Traced to the Presence of a Medium
Pervading all Space," idem, May 11, 1861.
The Professor contributed to other publications on both sides of the
Atlantic, but as he failed to retain copies of the articles or of the
magazines in which they were published, doubtless many papers of
interest are among the number.
The year 1860 found the Professor possessed of a valuable collection of
books, the accumulation of ten or fifteen years, all showing the marks
of wear, some of them besmeared with the drippings from his candle.
Among them were works of some of the most prominent authors in branches
of theoretical and practical science. Those of Laplace, Kepler,
Tycho-Brahe, Leibnitz, Herschel, Newton and others, together with many
pamphlets and periodicals, composed his library. He possessed a familiar
knowledge of the German, French, Italian and Spanish languages, and of
ancient Greek and Latin. Many of his papers appeared in the continental
languages. It may be here stated that for the eminent astronomer,
Laplace, as a scientist and writer, Prof. Vaughn entertained great
respect, though he could not accept his nebular hypothesis, because
important parts of it would not bear mathematical investigation. [The
proof is in the papers in my possession.--N.] In an article of the
Professor to the Popular Science Monthly (February, 1879) is a case of
the kind, showing that the distinguished astronomer ignored his own
famous theory. The article reads: "In endeavoring to account for the
direct motion in secondary systems Laplace contends that, in consequence
of friction the supposed primitive solar rings would have a greater
velocity in their outer than in their inner zones. Now, if friction is
to counteract to such an extent the normal effects of gravitation, it
must be an eternal bar against the origin of worlds by nebulous
dismemberment, and if the ring of attenuated matter were placed under
the circumstances suggested by the eminent astronomer, it would be
ultimately doomed, not to form a planet, but to coalesce with the
immense spheroid of fiery vapor it was supposed to have environed."
It is interesting to know that the theory of our Professor was the
correct one, as proved by a recent discovery of Prof. James E. Keeler,
astronomer of the Allegheny Observatory. As announced in a daily paper:
"Prof. James E. Keeler, of the Allegheny Observatory, has made a
wonderful discovery. It is a scientific and positive demonstration of
the fact that the rings of Saturn are made up of many small bodies and
that the satellites of the inner edge of the rings move faster than the
outer."
As to satellites, Prof. Vaughn, in the paper quoted, page 466, states:
"The matter spread over the wide annular fields is ever urged by its own
attraction to collect together and form satellites, which are ever
destroyed by attractive disturbance of the primary, and have their parts
scattered once more over a wide space."
INSTALLED AS PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY.
The Professor was elected to the chair of chemistry in the Cincinnati
College of Medicine and Surgery in 1860, where he served with
distinction for twelve years. His scholarly valedictory at that
institution is one of the papers reserved for publication in his
memoirs.
While in the college he continued his investigations in science,
applying his knowledge of terrestrial chemistry to the chemistry of the
heavens, as shown in nearly all his writings. Besides the position held
in the college, he gave lessons in schools and seminaries in geology,
astronomy, chemistry, Latin and Greek.
In 1873 he visited Lexington, where he met his old friend, Dr. J. C.
Darby, and delivered lectures in public, at the Sayre Institute and the
Baptist School, returning to Cincinnati the following spring. Except
from his writings, he seemed to have no source of revenue for several
years. How he managed to exist his most intimate friends could only
conjecture. True, he contributed papers to monthly publications, but
they appeared at such long intervals they could not be relied on for
support, so, in the autumn of 1878 his friends organized for him a
course of lectures, which were well patronized by physicians and others
versed in science. In the meantime, negotiations were opened with
prominent citizens of suburban towns for other lectures, and efforts
were made to retire the Professor on an annuity.
HIS END DRAWING NEAR.
Enfeebled health, which confined him to his room for several weeks,
prevented him from entering on the suburban course, so a second course
was projected for the city and one of the lectures delivered. From what
transpired after that lecture his friends were again anxious regarding
his health, and, as the time approached for the delivery of the second,
determined to see him. For reasons stated elsewhere it was with some
difficulty he was found. Prostrated on a couch, he was suffering from a
hemorrhage of the lungs of a few days previous, with evidences all
around of a state of extreme destitution. No time was lost in having him
removed to comfortable quarters in the Good Samaritan Hospital, where
his friends arranged for his care as a private patient. Next day, April
3, he expressed himself as greatly benefited by the change and talked
cheerfully and hopefully of the future. Next day, Friday, he continued
to improve, but on Saturday proof of his forthcoming article in the
Popular Science Monthly reached him, and, feeling that he ought to
return it promptly, he sat up to do the work. The effort was too great.
Overcome with exhaustion after its completion, he sank to sleep and a
little after two o'clock next morning, April 6, his weary spirit
peacefully took its flight. Born in 1818, the Professor was then in the
sixty-first year of his age.
HIS OBSEQUIES.
A committee of the more intimate friends of the deceased was formed,
consisting of the late Jacob Traber, his nephew, J. C. Sproull, Drs. J. J.
and William Taft and the writer.
Funeral services were held in the chapel of the Hospital, where,
considering the suddenness of the Professor's demise, many mourners were
present. The interest evinced was profound, while the floral tributes
that covered the casket were eloquent of affection and esteem.
The remains were interred in a burial lot of Jacob Traber, who
generously tendered its use until a separate place of interment and a
monument could be procured. The remains of the two friends now lie side
by side.
HIS EFFECTS.
After the funeral the committee referred to visited the room occupied by
the Professor prior to his decease, and had the writer, as his nearest
friend, procure letters of administration, so that papers of value, if
any, would be cared for. A few letters, some private relics, unsalable
remnants of books and pamphlets and scraps of manuscript constituted the
effects. The scarcity of manuscript was easily accounted, for, as it was
the habit of the deceased for years to print articles designed for
publication and have them mailed to magazines and to savants in
different parts of Europe and America.
CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITS OF STUDY.
A prominent characteristic of Prof. Vaughn was shyness--a shrinking from
familiarity or conspicuousness. He never was the first to salute a
casual acquaintance on the street, and when introduced to a stranger
would extend his hand with apparent diffidence or reserve--not with the
warmth of a hearty shake, but rather with a cautious presentation of the
finger tips. Undemonstrative in manner, and inexperienced in the customs
of social life, his diffidence was taken for coldness, yet he was kind
and tender hearted almost to a fault, and a most grateful recipient of a
favor. In his poverty he would part with money or personal property to
people whom he considered more necessitous than himself. Of the proceeds
of his last course of lectures he gave to one such a sum so large as to
almost discourage his friends from helping him.
Then, too, he was glad to render service to professional and public men.
He made translations for writers and wrote lectures for others and made
chemical analyses for the city when payment was not expected. As to his
placing a commercial value upon his services he never learned to do it,
though they often cost him both time and money that he could not well
spare.
His waking hours were always fully occupied in writing or study, either
in his laboratory, the libraries or in open-air observations. He was
thoroughly familiar with the geology of the neighborhood and the
physical geography of the entire continent, as may be seen by his
articles on "Volcanoes," "The Origin of Lakes and Mountains," "The
Absence of Trees on Prairies," "Malaria," etc. His ingenuity in the
construction of apparatus for his illustrations in chemistry was
remarkable. Given a few tubes of glass and rubber, a piece of tin, some
acid and alkali, a blow-pipe, soldering iron and a pair of pinchers, he
could construct at will enough apparatus for a lesson, a lecture or an
analysis.
Considering his poverty, it may be questioned how he was able to
maintain a laboratory. For twelve years he found a room at the Medical
College. At other times he extemporized quarters at his humble lodgings,
where the same apartment was to him laboratory, study and living room.
Such a room he could not find in a private house, so he sought it
elsewhere, as in the tenement in which he was found in his last
illness. That life necessarily isolated him from society, its pleasures
and advantages before he became familiar with the laws by which it was
governed.
Having acquired a mastery of Greek and Latin in his youth, he had a good
preparation for the acquisition of the modern languages; besides, to
prosecute his studies and investigations, he found it necessary to
understand most of the languages of Europe.
Exception has been taken to the Professor's manner as a lecturer. When
we consider his natural diffidence in the presence of strangers we are
surprised that he attempted to lecture at all. Take his case when he
last lectured,--his lecture hall, the operating room of the Dental
College, and his platform that of the operator with his audience around
but elevated a few feet above him. The position was an exceedingly
trying one, and some time elapsed before he was able to make a good
start. While hesitating, on such occasions, his eyes would wander around
the audience till they rested on those of a familiar friend. Immediately
he addressed himself to that person, and confidence was restored. Like
other public speakers we know of, he continued to address himself
chiefly to the one selected, however embarrassing it might be to that
individual.
HIS RELIGIOUS LIFE.
The Professor was a Bible student, if we judge from fragments found
among his effects and a well-worn Bible, now a relic in possession of a
former student. The book is a curiosity, worn as is the cover with marks
of his fingers as he held it, often with a candle in his hand, as shown
by occasional drippings on the page and cover.
He was not a member of any church. At least, had not been up to a month
before his decease, though he visited churches of all denominations and
was familiar with their doctrines and polity. His religion consisted in
his living up to his highest ideas of right and truth; hence he was
charitable almost to a fault. When he had not money to give, he parted
with his books.
An eloquent public speaker, referring to his private life, has said: "He
was social, kind and humane. He took pleasure in instructing the
children and communing with friends--good men and women, who loved and
admired him--and his humanity was gratified in bestowing what he valued
most--knowledge. To him nothing seemed more precious than truth, and to
shed the light of it abroad. His heart was in his work, and without a
glance to the right or left, he pursued his arduous quest."
Of the works of creation which occupied so much of his thoughts, the
Professor's views may be had by reading the following concluding remarks
found in his "Physical Astronomy:"
"Whatever doubts may hang over all speculations respecting distant
events, either of past or future time, we have reason to believe that
our universe will ever exhibit great and useful operations throughout
its extensive domains. From the ruins of some celestial bodies others
will rise to act a part in the drama of the physical creation in future
ages. Though nature's work may all decay, her laws remain the same, and
numerous agencies, obedient to their control and aided by occasional
interventions of creative power, must maintain the heavens forever in a
harmonious condition and transform innumerable spheres into seats of
light and intelligence. While the laws of nature have been thus widely
ordained for such great ends, their simplicity renders them intelligible
to the limited powers of the human mind, and the immense universe thus
becomes a vast field of intellectual enjoyment for man."
TESTIMONY OF THE LATE DR. JOHN HANCOCK.
The late Dr. Hancock, in writing to Mrs. J. W. McLaughlin, stated that he
attended institute lectures of Prof. Vaughn, making his acquaintance at
a meeting of the Southwestern Ohio Normal Institute. The Professor was
engaged to lecture on his favorite specialties, physical geography and
astronomy. "It is my recollection," says the doctor, "that Prof. Vaughn
was a graduate of Trinity Collage, Dublin. However that may be, there
can be no doubt as to his wide and profound scholarship. He was not only
deeply versed in the physical sciences, but was equally proficient in
the classics and mathematics. It is said by competent judges that he
read Greek and Latin as he would English, as though he thought in those
languages, and he was one of the few Americans who read through
Laplace's 'Mechanique Celeste.' He had a prodigious memory. At the
Oxford Institute, to which I have referred, some dozen of the leading
members, Prof. Vaughn among them, got up some literary games requiring
wide reading and retentive memories for successful rivalry. In these
games the Professor showed a wealth of reading and an ability to use it
on the instant that I have never seen approached by any other scholar.
It is needless to say that he was first in the game and the rest
nowhere.
"Some ten years afterward, when connected with Nelson's Commercial
College, I edited a little educational paper, the News and Educator, of
which Mr. Nelson was proprietor. In this relation I came much more
frequently in contact with Prof. Vaughn than I ever did before. To this
paper he contributed a number of articles on scientific subjects, but,
being printed in an obscure local paper, they attracted little
attention."
REMINISCENCES OF MRS. STAMPS.
Mrs. Eliza Stamps, widow of the late Colonel Stamps, in giving her
experience with the Professor, said: "He was a very industrious student,
in his profound researches pursuing them to the exclusion of every thing
else. He would frequently forget the demands of hunger and disregard the
summons to his meals. As to his engaging in innocent amusements, he
considered it a sacrifice of valuable time; yet, lest he should be
accused of selfishness or wanting in social etiquette, he sometimes left
his books to unite with the children in their games, and, diffident
though he was, would occasionally take part in the dance.
"He enjoyed the Colonel's library, but soon exhausted its resources and
those of the neighbors; so, to obtain a supply, he would go on foot to
Cincinnati, one hundred miles distant, and return in the same manner,
loaded with new books."
Throughout his after life he gave evidence of his great respect and
affection for Colonel Stamps, his benefactor, and his family, and the
young ladies and gentlemen who had been his pupils, who never ceased to
venerate him for his learning, or to love and cherish his memory. Some
such were among the mourners at his funeral.
REPUTATION IN ENGLAND.
The late Jacob Traber, one of the most intimate friends of the
Professor, has written: "In the year 1858 I was in the office of John
Sayre, bookseller, High Holborn, where I made the purchase of books that
were yet in the hands of the printer. I gave my address and directions
for shipping. When in the act of leaving the office I was accosted by an
elderly gentleman who, with the apology, 'Beg pardon, I overheard you
when you gave your address, Cincinnati, and desire to make inquiry about
one of your distinguished citizens, Daniel Vaughn. Assuming that you
know him, may I ask how long it is since you have seen him?' I replied
that I had known the Professor some four years, and had met him but a
few months ago. At that time I regarded the Professor as a mechanical
genius of the speculative type, and so expressed myself. A quick
rejoinder came in that broad and forcible accent of an Englishman: 'If
you Cincinnati people vote Vaughn as a speculative mechanic, the ripest
and profoundest mathematical scholar in England may be marked as his
apprentice. You have a treasure in that man. Why, sir, we send him
problems that fail to be mastered here, and speedily have them back not
only with a solution, but with the demonstration.' The speaker proved to
be one of the ablest scholars and scientists in Europe."
FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS CONDITION.
The subject of this paper, it will be inferred, did not inherit a
patrimony, yet he contributed his valuable services to many worthy
objects without pecuniary compensation. As has been stated, his great
pleasure, next to the investigation of truth, was to impart useful
knowledge and help the needy. When in the medical college he was paid
with shares of stock on which a dividend was never declared, and when
engaged in lecturing and teaching his diffidence prevented him from
placing a sufficient value on his services. Living the life of a
recluse, he concealed his poverty from his nearest friends, who were
ignorant even of his address. Then, he never sought a gratuity, and his
friends could only learn by conjecture when he was in need. When asked
if his privations did not cause him much anxiety, he said they gave him
no concern.
On more than one occasion the writer, at the request of men of wealth
and influence, proposed to retire him on an annuity, but he modestly but
firmly declined to accept, and it was not until after the announcement
of his last course that he consented. Then the proposition was to pay
his expenses at a hotel of his choice and advance him money for his
personal expenses, for which he was to lecture when and where he might
choose. The gentlemen most active in this project were the following,
now deceased: Henry Peachy, William F. Corry, Jacob Traber, Colonel
Geoffrey and others. Favorably known to the public were Drs. J. J. and
William Taft, Dr. Thad Reamy, J. C. Sproull, etc.
The project had so far matured that the writer and another had arranged
with Mr. Peachy to make the Lafayette National Bank the custodian of the
funds. Had the Professor survived, he would have enjoyed a life of
leisure and comfort, at one of the most prominent hotels in the city.
The people of Cincinnati were, therefore, not responsible for the
poverty of our friend, nor for the state of destitution in which he was
found prior to his removal to the hospital.
ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH OF PROF. VAUGHN, BY REV. EUGENE BRADY, S.J.
[Concerning the last days of Professor Vaughn, the following from
the pen of Father Brady, pastor of St. Xavier's Church, is of
special interest. This is peculiarly appropriate by reason of the
fact that Father Brady, while a boy, attended the college during
the time Professor Vaughn taught in Bardstown, Kentucky, and
finally comforted him in his last moments.--J. U. L.]
"MY DEAR MR. LLOYD:--
"Concerning the foot-note on page 160 of Etidorhpa. The
description of Daniel Vaughn is correct. The story of his
privations is quite true. He was so absorbed in science as to be
self-neglectful. Moreover, he was grossly neglected by those _who
made use of his labors_.
"A servant girl told the venerable Sister Anthony that a poor
lodger was dying in destitution in the west end of the city. The
lodger was Professor Vaughn. The Sister had the good man conveyed
to the Good Samaritan Hospital on April 1, 1879. She made him
comfortable, as he repeatedly declared. He died on April 6, 1879.
_Thoroughly conscious_ up to the last moment, _it was at his
request_ that the undersigned had the melancholy pleasure of
administering to him the last rites of the Catholic Church. It was
neither delirium nor senility that revived his faith. He was but
sixty-one years of age, and as rational as ever in life."
--EUGENE BRADY, S.J.
ETIDORHPA.
TO THE RECIPIENTS OF THE AUTHOR'S EDITION OF ETIDORHPA:
That so large an edition as 1,299 copies of an expensive book,
previously unseen by any subscriber, should have been taken in advance
by reason of a mere announcement, is complimentary to the undersigned;
and yet this very confidence occasioned him not a little anxiety. Under
such circumstances to have failed to give, either in workmanship or
subject-matter, more than was promised in the announcement of Etidorhpa,
would have been painfully embarrassing.
Not without deep concern, then, were the returns awaited; for, while
neither pains nor expense were spared to make the book artistically a
prize, still, beautiful workmanship and attractive illustrations may
serve but to make more conspicuous other failings. Humiliating indeed
would it have been had the recipients, in a spirit of charity, spoken
only of artistic merit and neat bookwork.
When one not a bookman publishes a book, he treads the danger-line. When
such a person, without a great publishing-house behind him, issues a
book like Etidorhpa--a book that, spanning space, seemingly embraces
wild imaginings and speculation, and intrudes on science and
religion--he invites personal disaster.
That in the case of the Author's Edition of Etidorhpa the reverse
happily followed, is evidenced by hundreds of complimentary letters,
written by men versed in this or that section wherein the book intrudes;
and in a general way the undersigned herein gratefully extends his
thanks to all correspondents--thanks for the cordial expressions of
approval, and for the graceful oversights by critics and correspondents,
that none better than he realizes have been extended towards blemishes
that must, to others, be not less apparent than they are to himself.
Since general interest has been awakened in the strange book Etidorhpa,
and as many readers are soliciting information concerning its reception,
it is not only as a duty, but as a pleasure, that the undersigned
reproduces the following abstracts from public print concerning the
Author's Edition, adding, that as in most cases the reviews were of
great length and made by men specially selected for the purpose, the
brief notes are but fragments and simply characteristic of their general
tenor.
The personal references indulged by the critics could not be excised
without destroying the value of the criticisms, and the undersigned can
offer no other apology for their introduction than to say that to have
excluded them would have done an injustice to the writers.
Respectfully,
JOHN URI LLOYD.
ETIDORHPA AS A WORK OF ART.
PROFESSOR S. W. WILLIAMS, WYOMING, OHIO.
If a fine statue or a stately cathedral is a poem in marble, a
masterpiece of the printer's art may be called a poem in typography.
Such is Etidorhpa. In its paper, composition, presswork, illustrations,
and binding--it is the perfection of beauty. While there is nothing
gaudy in its outward appearance, there is throughout a display of good
taste. The simplicity of its neatness, like that of a handsome woman, is
its great charm. Elegance does not consist in show nor wealth in
glitter; so the richest as well as the costliest garb may be rich in its
very plainness. The illustrations were drawn and engraved expressly for
this work, and consist of twenty-one full-page, half-tone cuts, and over
thirty half-page and text cuts, besides two photogravures. The best
artistic skill was employed to produce them, and the printing was
carefully attended to, so as to secure the finest effect. Only enameled
book paper is used; and this, with the wide margins, gilt top, trimmed
edges, and clear impressions of the type, makes the pages restful to the
eyes in reading or looking at them. The jacket, or cover, which protects
the binding, is of heavy paper, and bears the same imprint as the book
itself. Altogether, as an elegant specimen of the bookmakers' art it is
a credit to the trade. All honor to the compositors who set the type,
the artists who drew and engraved the illustrations, the electrotyper
who put the forms into plate, the pressman who worked off the sheets,
and the binder who gathered and bound them in this volume.
REVIEWS OF ETIDORHPA.
[Sidenote: B. O. Flower, Editor of The Arena, Boston.]
The present is an age of expectancy, of anticipation, and of prophecy;
and the invention or discovery or production that occupies the attention
of the busy world, as it rushes on its self-observed way, for more than
the passing nine day's wonder, must needs be something great indeed.
Such a production has now appeared in the literary world in the form of
the volume entitled "Etidorhpa, or the End of Earth;" the very title of
which is so striking as to arrest the attention at once.
A most remarkable book.... Surpasses, in my judgment, any thing that has
been written by the elder Dumas or Jules Verne, while in moral purpose
it is equal to Hugo at his best.... It appeals to the thoughtful
scientist no less than to the lover of fascinating romance.
[Sidenote: Mr. Herbert Bates, in the Commercial Gazette, Cincinnati.]
In summing, I would say that I have found the book distinctly
stimulating. It is odd, but with the oddity of force. It has passages of
uncanny imagination, but they excellently evade the enormous and
extravagant. It is a book that by its title and by such features as
strike one at a hurried glance might easily repel. Yet it is a book
that, studied carefully, calls for re-reading and deep meditation. Its
theories are capable of scientific demonstration, its imaginings, while
they may not be fact, are always consistent with it. The reader who lets
the outside repel him errs sadly. Let him read it, and he will be as
changed in his position toward it, as ready to convert others, as is the
reviewer, who picked it up with foreboding and laid it down with the
sense of having read great thoughts.
[Sidenote: Dr. W. H. Venable.]
"The End of Earth" is not like any other book. The charm of adventure,
the excitement of romance, the stimulating heat of controversy, the keen
pursuit of scientific truth, the glow of moral enthusiasm, are all found
in its pages. The book may be described as a sort of philosophical
fiction, containing much exact scientific truth, many bold theories, and
much ingenious speculation on the nature and destiny of man.... The
occult and esoteric character of the discussions adds a strange
fascination to them. We can hardly classify, by ordinary rules, a work
so unusual in form and purpose, so discursive in subject-matter, so
unconventional in its appeals to reason, religion and morality.... The
direct teaching of the book, in so far as it aims to influence conduct,
is always lofty and pure.
[Sidenote: Letter from Sir Henry Irving, to the Author.]
"_My Dear Sir:_ Let me thank you most heartily for sending me the
special copy of your wonderful book 'Etidorhpa,' which I shall ever
value. I may say that when by chance I found it in Cincinnati I read it
with the greatest interest and pleasure, and was so struck by it that I
have sent copies to several friends of mine here and at home. I hope I
may have the pleasure of meeting you some day either here or in London.
I remain, sincerely yours, HENRY IRVING.
"20th March, 1896."
[Sidenote: Etidorhpa as a work of art. Prof. S. W. Williams.]
If a fine statute or a stately cathedral is a poem in marble, a
masterpiece of the printer's art may be called a poem in typography.
Such is "Etidorhpa." In its paper, composition, presswork,
illustrations, and binding--it is the perfection of beauty. While there
is nothing gaudy in its outward appearance, there is throughout a
display of good taste.
The illustrations were drawn and engraved expressly for this work, and
consist of twenty-one full-page, half-tone cuts, and over thirty
half-page and text cuts, besides two photogravures. The best artistic
skill was employed to produce them, and the printing was carefully
attended to, so as to secure the finest effect.
[Sidenote: Eclectic Medical Journal, Cincinnati.]
No one could have written the chapter on the "Food of Man" but Professor
Lloyd; no one else knows and thinks of these subjects in a similar
way.... The "old man's" description of "the spirit of stone," "the
spirit of plants," and finally, "the spirit of man," is very fine, but
those who hear Professor Lloyd lecture catch Lloyd's impulses
throughout. The only regret one has in reading this entrancing work is,
that it ends unexpectedly, for the End of Earth comes without a
catastrophe. It should have been a hundred pages longer; the reader
yearns for more, and closes the book wistfully.
[Sidenote: New Idea, Detroit.]
One of the great charms of the book is the space between the lines,
which only the initiated can thoroughly comprehend. Don't fail to read
and re-read Etidorhpa. Be sure and read it in the light of
contemporaneous literature, for without doing so, its true beauty will
not appear. Aside from its subject-matter, the excellency of the
workmanship displayed by the printer, and artistic beauty of the
illustrations, will make Etidorhpa an ornament to any library.
[Sidenote: Cincinnati Student.]
This book, to use the words of the editor of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, is
"the literary novelty of the year."... In a literary sense, according to
all reviewers, it abounds with "word-paintings of the highest order"--in
some chapters being "terrible" in its vividness, several critics
asserting that Dante's Inferno has nothing more realistic....
[Sidenote: The British and Colonial Druggist, London, England.]
We have read it with absorbed interest, the vividly-depicted scenes of
each stage in the miraculous journey forming a theme which enthralls the
reader till the last page is turned. Many new views of natural laws are
given by the communicator, and argued between him and Drury, into which,
and into the ultimate intent of Etidorhpa, we will not attempt to enter,
but will leave it for each reader to peruse, and draw his own
conclusions.... Professor Lloyd's style is quaint and polished, and
perfectly clear. The printing and paper are all that can be desired, and
an abundance of artistic and striking illustrations are admirably
reproduced.
[Sidenote: New York World.]
Etidorhpa, the End of the Earth, is in all respects the worthiest
presentation of occult teachings under the attractive guise of fiction
that has yet been written. Its author, Mr. John Uri Lloyd, of
Cincinnati, as a scientist and writer on pharmaceutical topics, has
already a more than national reputation, but only his most intimate
friends have been aware that he was an advanced student of occultism.
His book is charmingly written, some of its passages being really
eloquent; as, for instance, the apostrophe to Aphrodite--whose name is
reversed to make the title of the story. It has as thrilling situations
and startling phenomena as imagination has ever conceived.... There is
no confusion between experiences and illusions, such as are common in
the works of less instructed and conscientious writers treating of such
matters. He knows where to draw the line and how to impress perception
of it, as in the four awful nightmare chapters illustrating the curse of
drink. Etidorhpa will be best appreciated by those who have "traveled
East in search of light and knowledge."...
[Sidenote: John Clark Ridpath, LL.D.]
We are disposed to think "Etidorhpa" the most unique, original, and
suggestive new book that we have seen in this the last decade of a not
unfruitful century.
[Sidenote: Times-Star, Cincinnati.]
It is as fascinating as the richest romance by Dumas, and mysterious and
awe-inspiring as the wild flights of Verne. Hugo wrote nothing more
impassioned than those terrible chapters where "The-Man-Who-Did-It"
drinks liquor from the mushroom cup. There never was a book like it. It
falls partly in many classes, yet lies outside of all. It will interest
all sorts and conditions of men and it has that in it which may make it
popular as the most sensational novel of the day. Intricate plotting,
marvelous mysteries, clear-cut science without empiricism, speculative
reasoning, sermonizing, historical facts, and bold theorizing make up
the tissue of the story, while the spirit of Etidorhpa, the spirit of
love, pervades it all.... Happy is the scientist who can present science
in a form so inviting as to charm not only the scholars of his own
profession, but the laymen besides. This, Professor John Uri Lloyd has
done in his Etidorhpa.
[Sidenote: The Inter-Ocean, Chicago.]
For eighteen years the writer has been seated at his desk, and all kinds
of books have been passed in review, but has never before met with such
a stumper as Etidorhpa. Its name is a stunner, and its title-page,
head-lines, and weird, artistic pictures send you such a ghastly welcome
as to make goblins on the walls, and fill the close room with spooks and
mystery. The writer has only known of Professor Lloyd as a scientist and
an expert in the most occult art of the pharmacist, and can scarcely
conceive him in the role of the mystic and romancer in the region
heretofore sacred to the tread of the supernatural.... The book is the
literary novelty of the year, but those interested in such lines of
thought will forget its novelties in a profound interest in the themes
discussed.
[Sidenote: The Chicago Medical Times.]
The work stands so entirely alone in literature, and possesses such a
marvelous versatility of thought and idea, that, in describing it, we
are at a loss for comparison. In its scope it comprises alchemy,
chemistry, science in general, philosophy, metaphysics, morals, biology,
sociology, theosophy, materialism, and theism--the natural and
supernatural.... It is almost impossible to describe the character of
the work. It is realistic in expression, and weird beyond Hawthorne's
utmost flights. It excels Bulwer-Lytton's Coming Race and Jules Verne's
most extreme fancy. It equals Dante in vividness and eccentricity of
plot.... The entire tone of the work is elevating. It encourages thought
of all that is ennobling and pure. It teaches a belief and a faith in
God and holy things, and shows God's supervision over all his works. It
is an allegory of the life of one who desires to separate himself from
the debasing influences of earth, and aspires to a pure and noble
existence, as beautiful and as true to the existing conditions of human
life as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The sorrow; the struggle with self;
the physical burdens; the indescribable temptations with the presence
and assistance of those who would assist in overcoming them; the dark
hours, Vanity Fair, and the Beulahland, are all there.
[Sidenote: Indianapolis Journal.]
In every respect the volume bearing the title Etidorhpa, or the End of
the Earth, is a most remarkable book. Typographically, it is both unique
and artistic--as near perfection in conception and execution as can be
conceived.... The author is John Uri Lloyd, of Cincinnati, a scientific
writer whose pharmaceutical treatises are widely known and highly
valued. That a man whose mind and time have been engrossed with the
affairs of a specialist and man of affairs could have found time to
enter the field of speculation, and there display not only the most
extensive knowledge of the exact natural sciences, and refute what is
held to be scientific truth with bold theories and ingenious
speculations on the nature and destiny of man is marvelous....
The Addenda is as original as the book itself, consisting, as it does,
of a list of names, some of whom are not subscribers, but to whom the
author is deeply obliged, or whom he regards as very dear friends, and
those of a few whom he personally admires.... If each of them has a copy
of Etidorhpa, or the End of the Earth, he possesses a book which is not
like any other book in the world.
[Sidenote: Cleveland Leader.]
It relates to a journey made by the old man under the guidance of a
peculiar being into the interior of the earth. The incidents of this
journey overshadow any thing that Verne ever wrote in his palmiest days.
But perhaps the most singular part of it is that they are all based on
scientific grounds. Dr. Lloyd, the author of the volume, is one of the
deepest students, and is well known as a profound writer on subjects
pertaining to his profession, as well as one who has taken much pains in
studying the occult sciences.... The book is a very pleasant one to
read, a little redundant at times, but full of information.... Readers
who succeed in securing it will be very lucky indeed.
TRANSCRIBER NOTES:
Punctuation corrected without note.
page 47: no illustration is found in the original book for
this reference.
page 228: "siezed" changed to "seized" (The guide seized me by the
hand).
page 284: "begun" changed to "began" (began a narcotic
hallucination).
page 338: "comformably" changed to "conformably" (that lies
conformably with the external crust).
page 385: "wierd" changed to "weird" (and weird, artistic pictures).
End of Project Gutenberg's Etidorhpa or the End of Earth., by John Uri Lloyd