Extract from Letter of Hon. Everard Feilding, Secretary of the Society for Psychic Research, to the Author, dated 15th March, 1917.
Extract from Letter of Hon. Everard Feilding, Secretary of the Society for Psychic Research, to the Author, dated 15th March, 1917.
"My dear Bond,
"... As to your record of the script, it would be most interesting if you were to publish it. There is no question but that the writing about the Edgar Chapel preceded the discovery of it by many months. I was present, if you remember, at what I believe was the beginning of the recrudescence of—— 's automatism, ... and that was before you ever started your work at Glastonbury, and before you were even appointed to the work. I remember your telling me when you were appointed, how interesting it was, as you were then able to test some of the statements made.
"No, there is no doubt whatever in my mind on that point; you will remember that the only doubt I have ever expressed was on the question as to how far something in one of the books on Glastonbury which you showed me afterwards, and which might have suggested the possibility of the actual position of the Edgar Chapel, might conceivably have influenced—— 's mind subconsciously; I forget what book it was, but I remember it was not the book which was taken at that time as the most authoritative."
Signed Statement of J.A.
"I, the undersigned J—— A——, hereby certify that I am the J.A. referred to in Mr. Bligh Bond's account of the automatic writings concerning Glastonbury Abbey and other matters, and that the transcript which he has made of the series of about fifty communications dating from 7th November, 1907, to 30th November, 1911, and also some supplementary writings produced in 1912 and later, appears to me correct so far as the same could be deciphered by us. I furthermore affirm that the writings were produced through my hand, but without knowledge of their nature or purport, and contain conclusions which I could not have arrived at normally, and which in many cases—as,e.g., in the case of the Edgar Chapel—were such as appeared to me most improbable, and were deemed fanciful until further research had elucidated points then obscure. My knowledge and reading were confined to documents which have been accessible to all students of the Abbey, and I had no unique source of information. The writings were produced often whilst my normal attention was devoted to other matters, and promiscuous conversation at these times was our rule. I held the pencil and Mr. Bond laid his fingers on the back of my hand or lightly grasped it. He did not direct it. There was nothing in my knowledge or experience that I know of to suggest the names of Bryant and others which are appended to the writings. Even the possible meaning of such a name as Manumetaxyl was unknown to me.34
Fig. 8.—Conjectural Appearance of the East End of the Abbey in the Sixteenth Century, showing the Edgar Chapel on Left Hand, the Retro-Quire and Monington's Addition of Two Bays to the Quire, All as viewed from the North Side.The arrow indicates the position of a conjectural north chantry (see text).
Fig. 8.—Conjectural Appearance of the East End of the Abbey in the Sixteenth Century, showing the Edgar Chapel on Left Hand, the Retro-Quire and Monington's Addition of Two Bays to the Quire, All as viewed from the North Side.The arrow indicates the position of a conjectural north chantry (see text).
Fig. 8.—Conjectural Appearance of the East End of the Abbey in the Sixteenth Century, showing the Edgar Chapel on Left Hand, the Retro-Quire and Monington's Addition of Two Bays to the Quire, All as viewed from the North Side.
The arrow indicates the position of a conjectural north chantry (see text).
"I am disposed to concur with Mr. Bond in theview that the subconscious part of the mind may in its operation traverse the limitations of individual knowledge, either acting telepathically through contact with some larger field of memory, or as itself part of a larger unit of a more pervasive kind as regards time and space, conditions which would imply that the individual may have powers of self-expression far greater than those which are normally available through the brain-mechanism controlled by the will and logical faculties.
"Gloucester,"July 24th, 1917."
"Gloucester,"July 24th, 1917."