Mr. Home writes to the Tunes to deny that he
ever contracted not to communicate with spirits during his stay in Rome, and gives the words of the undertaking, which was only not to give public seances, and to avoid all conversation on the subject of spiritualism. He did not undertake that the spirits should not make communi• cations or tap the tables, for this they do or not at their own sweet wilL He also undertook, it seems, that he had not sold his soul to the Devil in these words:—" I, Daniel Douglas Home, do hereby solemnly declare and avow that I have not sold my soul to the Devil, nor have I on any occasion been cognizant of holding com- munication with the Evil One." These engagements were taken before the Chief of the Inquisition, who, however, got nervous in spite of them, and sent Mr. Home away from Rome after all. Probably he reasoned that if Mr. Home hadsold his soul to the Devil, it would be in the nature of a treat to that gentleman to " avow and declare solemnly" that he had not,—while the Pope's only spiritual remedy would be to promote the completion of the purchase, and prevent its being voided or cancelled by any higher Power,—an unseemly office for his Holiness. Besides, what an opportunity might not have been thus afforded to the Devil of at last turning the tables on the Pope ? So Mr. Home had to beat a retreat to Nice.
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