PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF ELIPHAS LEVI *

ELIPHAS LEVI was the son of a poor shoemaker in Paris, who naturally was unable to give the boy any education, but his aptitude for learning and his avidity for picking up stray bits of knowledge were so great, that at last the neighbours used to talk of him as “the clever lad.”  The Curé of the Parish hearing of this appellation sent for the boy, and after questioning him on many subjects was much surprised to find him so intelligent.  With the consent of his parents he placed him in the Seminary of Saint Sulpice in Paris, where he was brought up to be a priest, and became well versed in Latin and Greek, as well as a first-rate Hebrew scholar.  As he advanced with his studies great doubts presented themselves to his mind; he penetrated into the mysteries of occult science and felt that he could not with a clear conscience embrace the tenets of the Catholic Church.

   Before his last vows were taken he was sent as a punishment to an old out-of-the-way monastery, it having been discovered that he had on several occasions, while preaching in some country villages, given expression to opinions which were not considered consistent with the Catholic faith.  He was kept a prisoner in this monastery for some months.  His food was very scanty, consisting of little more than bread and water.  He had a large room allotted to him on the ground floor; the roof was vaulted, bare cold stones formed the floor, and the furniture consisted of a pallet bed, one chair and a table.

   This part of the monastery was said to be haunted, and he once related a very curious anecdote in connection with it.  One night being in the dark (for he was not allowed a light) he heard sounds as if an immense number of people were marching across the end of the room; they seemed to come in at one door and go out at the other, though in the day-time he had never found any second mode of ingress or egress, no trace of a door being visible.

   After passing many agitated and unpleasant hours he slept, and on awakening towards dawn saw the figure of a monk sitting by his side.  He was startled, thinking it was a ghost, when the apparition said to him, “Do not fear; I am not a denizen of the other world, but a real living man.”  This monk proved a good friend to him, for from that day he was better treated, received sufficient food, was given a smaller and more comfortable room, and had even books lent to him and writing materials placed at his disposal.

   On leaving the monastery he returned to the world, where he made the acquaintance of a beautiful young girl of sixteen, with whom he fell in love.  Her parents of course would not hear of her marrying him, as he was looked upon as an apostate priest.  Young Louis Constant cut the matter short by running away with her.  On hearing of the escapade of the young couple the parents relented and gave their consent to the marriage.  The union unfortunately was not a happy one; they lost their two children at an early age; and one morning Eliphas woke up to find that his wife had left him for ever.  He sought consolation in books and gave himself up altogether to the occult sciences.

   I met Eliphas Levi in Paris when he was living in a small apartment in the Rue de Sevres.  He was of short and corpulent figure; his face was kind and benevolent, beaming with good nature, and he wore a long grey beard which covered nearly the whole of his breast.  His apartment resembled a bric-a-brac shop, with specimens of the most beautiful and rare old china, tapestry, and valuable paintings.  In one of the rooms there was an alcove in which stood a bed covered with a gorgeous quilt of red velvet bordered with massive gold fringe, and a red velvet step stood before this magnificent couch having a soft cushion also of red and gold laid upon the top.

   Eliphas Levi lived a quiet and retired life, having few friends.  Those who had the privilege of constant intercourse with him were his devoted admirers, and deemed themselves most fortunate when they could prevail on him to come out of his retirement.  His habits of life were simple, but he was no vegetarian.  In fact he was almost an epicurean, and this weak point, which shewed itself on many occasions, was often to me a matter of wonder.  When I knew him his health was already broken and he was suffering from dropsy, which eventually killed him.  Personally, I knew but little of him, our intercourse being principally carried on in writing, although I tried to make a point of visiting him twice a year.  He always received me as a daughter, for he was of a kind and genial disposition.  I found in him what I have never met in any other individual since – a profound knowledge on occult subjects; I believe there was not a book on mysticism that he had not read.  He had a wonderful memory and a marvellous flow of language, his expressions and illustrations being of the choicest and rarest character.  One could sit for hours listening to his eloquent discourses on the occult side of nature.  With all these wonderful gifts he combined a benevolent, noble, and truthful nature.  Never did I leave his presence without feeling that my own nature had been uplifted to nobler and better things, and I took upon Eliphas Levi as one of the truest friends I ever had, for he taught me the highest truth which it is in the power of man or woman to grasp.  He had a horror of spiritualism, and used to say that mediums and spiritualists were like children playing with lighted matches near a barrel of powder which any moment might explode and destroy them.

   His death occurred in 1875, and he was deeply regretted by the few friends and pupils who had learned to love and admire him.

                                                                              MARY GEBHARD.

* Alphonse Louis Constant.