.CHEIRO'S MEMOIRS^ THE REMINISCENCES OF A SOCIETY PALMIST INCLUDING INTERVIEWS WITH KING EDWARD THE SEVENTH W. E. GLADSTONE, C. S. PARNELL, H. M. STANLEY, MADAME SARAH BERNHARDT, OSCAR WILDE, PROFESSOR MAX MULLER, BLANCHE ROOSEVELT, THE COMTE DE PARIS, JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, LORD RUSSELL OFKILLOWEN, ROBERT INGERSOLL, ELLA WHEELER WILCOX, MRS. LANGTRY, "MARK TWAIN," W. T. STEAD, RICHARD CROKER, MLLE. JANOTHA, AND OTHERS WITH TWENTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS PHILADELPHIA J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY LONDON : WILLIAM RIDER Sc SON LTD. 1912 f '? ? ') Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public ^i,t-t-' ^>^tna4^ Printed by BALLANTYNE & COMPANY LTD AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS Tavistock Street Covknt Garden England ^ London * Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Hsme Cottings, 177New Bond Sr.t iv A RECENT PHOTOGRAPH OK -'CHEIRO' Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public PREFACE Memories, like jewels, are sometimes bright, some times clouded, but, alas ! often broken by those who attempt to make their setting too elaborate. If I have erred by endeavouring to set these Memories in too simple a style it is not because I have not appreciated seriously enough the privilege of meeting such great personalities as King Edward VII., W. E. Gladstone, H. M. Stanley, Joseph Chamberlain, Lord Russell of Killowen, Charles Stewart Parnell, Mark Twain, and others, but, on the contrary, because I have felt that such names, being already set in the Temple of Time, required no elaborate phrases of mine to add to their glory. "Cheiro." Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 Public Domain in the United States, Google-digitized / http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google X, CONTENTS PAOE Foreword xiii CHAPTER I " - The Making of a Seer : The " Call of London Charles Stewart Parnell i CHAPTER II Travel and Early Professional Life : A Visit to India and Egypt : A Mysterious Murder : Early Dis appointments 14 CHAPTER III The Start in London : A Jew Friend and a Contract 22 CHAPTER IV The Choice of a Name : An Act of Parliament : The Contract Broken 29 CHAPTER V " " Troublesome Clients : The Mother and her Child 35 CHAPTER VI Madame Sarah Bernhardt and a Description of her Hand 39 vii Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Contents nam CHAPTER VII " " Fate Decides : Mrs. Walter Palmer's At Home 47 CHAPTER VIII Society Incidents : Blanche Roosevelt and a Meeting with Oscar Wilde : A Strange Prediction and its Fulfilment 52 CHAPTER IX Two Meetings with King Edward VII. : The Fadic Date 62 CHAPTER X King Edward's Visit to Paris : My Services towards the Entente Cordiale : The Launching of a News paper in the Interests of Peace 69 CHAPTER XI Queen Mary accepts my Book on Hands : King George's Occult Numbers 85 CHAPTER XII Some Interesting Personalities : Mr. W. T. Stead : Miss Maud Gonne : Mr. Richard Croker of Tammany Hall : Mile. Janotha 88 CHAPTER XIII Interesting Personalities (continued) : The Comte de Paris : Lady de Bathe (Mrs. Langtry) 94 CHAPTER XIV On Board an American Ship : A Graceful Com pliment to England's Queen : Madame Nordica " and a " State Room Tea 101 viii Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Contents PACK CHAPTER XV A Murderer's Hand and his Subsequent Conviction 109 CHAPTER XVI A Client Relates a Terrible History 115 CHAPTER XVII A Spiritualistic Seance and its Sequel 125 CHAPTER XVIII Mark Twain 130 CHAPTER XIX Colonel Robert Ingersoll : Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox and Mr. George Perkins 134 CHAPTER XX " The Story of " The Living Christ 140 CHAPTER XXI The Attempt on my Life : Saved by a Cigarette Case 147 CHAPTER XXII " " Return to London : The Thought Machine 153 CHAPTER XXIII H. M. Stanley, the famous Explorer, and an Intro duction to W. E. Gladstone 162 CHAPTER XXIV The Meeting with W. E. Gladstone 164 ix Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Contents nn CHAPTER XXV A Strange Experience and its Sequel 171 CHAPTER XXVI Some Curious Facts about this Study 184 CHAPTER XXVII Professor Max Muller 196 CHAPTER XXVIII The Late Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Russell of Killowen, and why he gave Impres sions of his Hands 199 CHAPTER XXIX The two Chamberlains : Heredity : The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour and other Distinguished Persons 203 CHAPTER XXX Conclusion 209 Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public ILLUSTRATIONS Facing " " Cheiro Frontispia* 'Repkoduction of Madame Bernhardt's Hand 42 Blanche Roosevelt's Tomb 56 -The Late King Edward VII. in his Library at Marlborough House 66 "Her Majesty Queen Mary 86 Lady de Bathe (Mrs. Langtry) 96 Madame Nordica 106 The Hand op a Murderer 108 mark Twain 130 'Admiral Dewey 146 '"Cheiro" and "The Thought Machine" 154 Charts of Mentality 160 'Sir H. M. Stanley 163 Gladstone 166 'Gladstone's Hand 168 The Hand of a Suicide 192 Professor Max Muller 196 Lord Russell of Killowen 198 Lord Russbll's Hand 300 The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain's Hand 202 The Right Hon. Austen Chamberlain's Hand 204 The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour's Hand ao6 xi Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 Public Domain in the United States, Google-digitized / http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google FOREWORD I believe I am justified in saying that no other person in modern times raised a branch of one of the so-called occult studies to a greater perfec tion or position of respect than I did during the period in which I was known professionally as " Cheiro." I make this statement in all humbleness, well realising that the particular talent for such work " " was given me for some purpose —as such I treated the " gift," and endeavoured to return it as one would a loan—if possible increased in value. No one deplores more than I do that my success has been followed by many imitators who have little aptitude or knowledge for occult studies of any kind, and so have since brought discredit on such pursuits. Some have gone so far as even to copy the name I took for my nom de guerre, but this alone is sufficient to prove that, xiii Generated for deveneyjp (University of Chicago) on 2015-10-17 20:18 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044012994307 / GMT 20:18 2015-10-17 on Chicago) of (University deveneyjp for Generated http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-us-google / Google-digitized States, United the in Domain Public Foreword as they have not had enough brains to make a name for themselves, they cannot have the requisite mental power to proceed far in occult studies. Excellence in any branch of occultism is attained by the same effort it is necessary to make in order to succeed in any other art, science, or profession. To paint pictures, the artist must first have the necessary temperament, the patience to study for years, and the courage to withstand the thousand and one disappointments that assail him on every side. In science it is the same. Yet think what study with the proper temperament can produce ! To the botanist the simplest leaf may tell the story of the tree, or to the zoologist the smallest frag ment of a bone may tell the history of a race.