THE POWER THAT GOVERNS THE WORLD.
"KNOWLEDGE is power" says the proverb, but where is the seat of knowledge ? The disciple of MESMER will tell you that he can communicate to his patient "a higher, fuller life than he had before " ; and that in this condition he "penetrates the darkness of external things, and attains a higher view of the whole of na- ture " ; that "with uncommon clearness he often distinguishes the secrets of the past, what is distant and unknown in the present, and the events of coining times." The manner in which this change is effected is thus described by KLUGE, a German adept- " The external senses are either closed entirely, or their character is changed, and the internal sense alone remains the same. * * The sense of feeling is metamorphosed into that of seeing, so that the somnambulist can distinguish by it not only the outlines of things but also colours with perfect precision. The region of the stomach becomes the central point of all sensation, and it is chiefly through this region that the sense of sight is supplied. * * * Hearing is likewise performed in this state by the pit of the sto- mach ; and the sense of smell becomes sometimes so acute as to distinguish the different ingredients of compound scents." More- over, "the clairvoyant has a clear insight into the internal physical state of persons in a magnetic connexion with him, just as be has of his own ; can determine their disease, its course, and future phsenomena, and prescribe the means of cure accordingly. He in- sists that he perceives the diseased state of others precisely as his own, by the stomach. His language has become more elevated than ordinary, and is marked by fire, spirit, and precision. His percep- tion is livelier and stronger, his thinking freer and deeper, his judg- ment quicker and more penetrating." Government will do well to reflect betimes on the preternatural energy and wisdom acquired by those who feel, see, hear, smell, speak, reason, divine, judge, all through the instrumentality of the stomach. John Bull is clearly getting into this magnetic state. He feels nothing but the cravings of his stomach—sees nothing but visions of big and small loaves—reasons about nothing but Free Trade as a cure for short commons—divines nothing but destruction from the Corn-laws. Under the influence of his stomachic orgasm his "language becomes more elevated than ordinary "—mouths are eloquent on the subject of the "Bread-tax" that never were eloquent before. It is in vain to think of juggling with a nation in this condition, when "its perception is livelier and stronger, its think- ing freer, deeper, its judgment quicker and more penetrating." And as to any hope of evading the power of the stomach, as not BERNARD CAVANAGH at this moment doing penance on the tread- mill in Berkshire for the crime of leze-majeste against that natural sovereign and arbiter of human affairs ?
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