The Conjuror’s Magazine, 1: 7 (February 1792) p.225
Gilbert answers the following query raised by the editor on behalf of a Miss Williams from CM 1: 4 (November 1791) p.127.
THE Substance of her letter is, the following desiderata. She requires some authentic proof of the accomplishment of some modern chiromantic prophecy, and which has lately been fulfilled. Our correspondents are wished to attend to her request.
ANSWER TO QUERY III IN NO. IV.
MISS Williams wishes some recent instance of the verification of a Chiromantic prophecy: I will give her several.
I was desired to look into a young gentleman’s hand whom I had never seen before, and of whose situation in life I was altogether uninformed. From the completion of a line from the table of his hand, to the finger of Mercury I judged him to belong to some Mercurial profession, most likely the Law; but from the tendency of a line firmly drawn to the mount of Jupiter, I concluded that he attempted to promote himself by friends to some place or genteel situation, rather than pursue the profession he had assumed. The line to Mercury being weekly drawn and retracting, confirmed at once the disposition, and gave presage of an accordant event. I was then asked, without being told whether I were right or wrong so far, if he were likely to visit distant parts. I observed, that I certainly saw a journey, and of some extent, but it did not appear to be taken all at once; there were various stops and good inns on the road. It was then confessed, that he had been called to the bar, and had gone the Circuits—and I declare, I had not even the idea of a legal circuit, when I described his journeying: shortly after, I was myself desired by him to solicit a post abroad. This is within three months. On the same day I told a lady whom I had never seen or heard of before, that she would shortly remove and had spent an easy and smooth life. Confessed the last, and before I saw her again the first had unexpectedly happened. I told an old lady, long heavily afflicted with the cramp, she would get over it. She has so. I could add more, but for taking up too much room. I will convince Miss Williams if she pleases.—Vide also J. Lackington’s Life. 1
B.
Notes
- [EDITOR: James Lackington, Memoirs of the first forty-five years of the life of J. L. … Written by himself, in a series of letters to a Friend, etc. Printed for and sold by the Author: London, [1791.] On p. 463-4 of the second edition (viewable in PDF as a Google Book search) Lackington, a bookseller, tells of a customer “looking at some books of palmistry in my shop […] he suddenly seized my right-hand, and looking for some time with great attention on the various lines, he informed me that I had twice been in danger of losing my life, once by water, and once by a wound in my head. He was certainly right, but I believe by chance, as I have many other times been in very great danger…” The customer goes on to make predictions “He likewise informed me that I should die by fire-arms pointed over a wall.” Lackington’s Life had much that would have been of interest to Gilbert. It deals with his complicated relationship with Methodism – Lackington was converted as a young man but subsequently left and writes as a disillusioned ex-member giving an inside view of their alleged hypocrisies and apocalyptic absurdities]. ↩︎