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diff --git a/42921-8.txt b/42921-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ca0dde6..0000000 --- a/42921-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8405 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A World of Wonders, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: A World of Wonders - With Anecdotes and Opinions Concerning Popular Superstitions - -Author: Various - -Editor: Albany Poyntz - -Release Date: June 12, 2013 [EBook #42921] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A WORLD OF WONDERS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -A WORLD OF WONDERS. - - - - - A WORLD OF WONDERS, - WITH - ANECDOTES AND OPINIONS - CONCERNING - POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. - - - EDITED BY - ALBANY POYNTZ. - - - LONDON: - RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, - Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. - 1845. - - - - - LONDON: - Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -It is surprising, considering the gigantic strides effected by modern -science, how many of the errors and prejudices engendered by the ignorance -of the dark ages remain current in the world in its present days of -enlightenment. Like the winged seeds of certain weeds, their light and -impalpable nature renders them only the more difficult of extirpation. - -A cursory review and refutation of these popular prejudices and vulgar -errors has been attempted in the following Manual. A more scientific -analysis of so spreading a field would have expanded into a Cyclopædia. -But the ancient traditions and modern instances collected in its pages may -afford the reader amusement and instruction for the passing hour, as well -as an incentive to more profound investigations in hours to come. - - LONDON, - NOVEMBER, 1845. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - CHAPTER I. - LONGEVITY OF ANIMALS 1-10 - - CHAPTER II. - INCOMBUSTIBLE MEN 11-22 - - CHAPTER III. - VENTRILOQUISTS 23-31 - - CHAPTER IV. - POPE JOAN AND THE WANDERING JEW 32-36 - - CHAPTER V. - THE FABLES OF HISTORY 37-45 - - CHAPTER VI. - MELONS AND MONSTERS 46-53 - - CHAPTER VII. - THE JEWS 54-60 - - CHAPTER VIII. - VERBAL DELICACY 61-64 - - CHAPTER IX. - AEROLITES AND MIRACULOUS SHOWERS 65-74 - - CHAPTER X. - NOSTRUMS AND SPECIFICS 75-82 - - CHAPTER XI. - PHYSIOGNOMISTS 83-95 - - CHAPTER XII. - LAST WORDS OF DYING PERSONS 96-98 - - CHAPTER XIII. - THE ANTIPODES--MORNING AND EVENING DEW 99-102 - - CHAPTER XIV. - PERPETUAL LAMPS AND ARCHIMEDES 103-109 - - CHAPTER XV. - THE LYNX AND THE CAMELEON 110-115 - - CHAPTER XVI. - WILD WOMEN 116-118 - - CHAPTER XVII. - SYBILS 119-123 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - FORTUNE-TELLERS AND CHIROMACY 124-130 - - CHAPTER XIX. - ALBERTUS MAGNUS AND NOSTRADAMUS 131-137 - - CHAPTER XX. - LEECHES, SERPENTS, AND THE SONG OF THE DYING SWAN 138-146 - - CHAPTER XXI. - NEGROES 147-160 - - CHAPTER XXII. - FASCINATION; OR, THE ART OF PLEASING 161-170 - - CHAPTER XXIII. - THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE 171-177 - - CHAPTER XXIV. - GIANTS AND DWARFS 178-183 - - CHAPTER XXV. - ASTROLOGY 184-190 - - CHAPTER XXVI. - THE MOON AND LUNAR INFLUENCE 191-193 - - CHAPTER XXVII. - APPARITIONS 194-201 - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - NOBILITY AND TRADE 202-208 - - CHAPTER XXIX. - MERIT AND POPULARITY 209-219 - - CHAPTER XXX. - COMETS 220-223 - - CHAPTER XXXI. - POPULAR ERRORS 224-232 - - CHAPTER XXXII. - DREAMS 233-237 - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - PREJUDICES ATTACHED TO CERTAIN ANIMALS 238-243 - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - CONTENT AND COURTESY 244-248 - - CHAPTER XXXV. - THE DIVINING ROD 249-254 - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - BEES AND ANTS 255-260 - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - PREPOSSESSIONS AND ANTIPATHIES 261-265 - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - THE INFLUENCE OF BELLS UPON THUNDER STORMS 266-269 - - CHAPTER XXXIX. - SMALL POX AND VACCINATION 270-273 - - CHAPTER XL. - PRECOCIOUS AND CLEVER CHILDREN 274-279 - - CHAPTER XLI. - EDUCATION OF CHILDREN 280-282 - - CHAPTER XLII. - PREJUDICES OF THE FRENCH 283-288 - - CHAPTER XLIII. - MONSTROUS BIRTHS 289-293 - - CHAPTER XLIV. - THE ICHNEUMON AND THE HALCYON 294-295 - - CHAPTER XLV. - SORCERERS AND MAGICIANS 296-300 - - CHAPTER XLVI. - MALE AND FEMALE 301-307 - - CHAPTER XLVII. - MINOR SUPERSTITIONS 308-309 - - CHAPTER XLVIII. - SOMNAMBULISM 310-314 - - CHAPTER XLIX. - A FEW MORE WORDS ABOUT GHOSTS AND VAMPIRES, AND - LOUP-GAROUX 315-344 - - CHAPTER L. - APOCRYPHAL ANIMALS 345-352 - - CHAPTER LI. - PROFESSIONS ESTEEMED INFAMOUS 353-356 - - CHAPTER LII. - SUPERNATURAL HUMAN BEINGS 357-361 - - - - -A WORLD OF WONDERS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -LONGEVITY OF ANIMALS. - - -Most scholars are familiar with the quotation "cervi dicuntur diutissime -vivere," which has rendered proverbial the longevity of the stag. Among -birds, crows and parrots have also been said to attain miraculous length -of days; among fishes, the carp and pike; among reptiles, the tortoise. -But modern investigation has sufficiently proved that the number of -centuries, variously assigned as the natural age of these birds, beasts -and fishes, was, in the first instance, the invention of poets and -fabulists, carelessly adopted as authentic by lovers of the marvellous. - -It is now ascertained that aloes frequently flower three times in a -hundred years, and that three generations of the stag are included -within the same space of time. - -Hesiod, an ancient Greek poet whose works have only partially reached us, -was the first to institute a comparative inquiry into the age of the crow -and the stag. Hesiod assigns eighty-six years as the average span of human -life; yet he asserts that the rook attains eight hundred and sixty-four -years, and the crow thrice as many. Towards the stag, he is still more -liberal; declaring that these animals have been known to attain their -thirty-fifth century. Considering the age we assign to the world itself -when Hesiod flourished in it, no great experience as to the average -existence of so sempiternal an animal could have influenced his opinion. - -According to many ancient writers besides Hesiod, the stag is the longest -lived of animals; and the Egyptians have adopted it as the emblem of -longevity. Pliny relates that one hundred years after the death of -Alexander, several stags were taken in the different forests of Macedonia, -to whose necks that great monarch had, with his own hand, attached -collars. This extension of existence is, however, scarcely worth -recording, in comparison with the instance commemorated by French -historians, of a stag taken in the forest of Senlis, in the year 1037; -having a collar round its neck on which was inscribed, "Cæsar hoc me -donavit." - -A miraculous interpretation was assigned to this inscription, which has -consequently formed the ground-work of a popular error in France. The -"Cæsar" of the legend was admitted, without further examination, to be -Julius Cæsar, thereby allotting ten centuries as the age of the animal; -nay, seventy-seven years more, seeing that Julius Cæsar conquered Gaul -forty-two years before the birth of Christ. Nevertheless since the days of -Julius, the title of Cæsar had been bestowed on a sufficient number of -imperial potentates to explain the inscription on the collar upon more -rational grounds: the Cæsar who had thus adorned the stag being in all -probability its contemporary. But this was too simple an interpretation to -be acceptable to those wonder-seeking times. - -Aristotle decided the age of the stag, not from the showing of poets and -traditions, but from the indications of experiment. Having dissected a -considerable number of these animals, he pronounced their ordinary age to -be was from thirty to thirty-six years. Buffon was of a similar opinion, -which has been adopted by most succeeding naturalists. It has been -established as a law of comparative physiology, that the life of a -mammiferous animal is in proportion to its period of gestation, and the -duration of its growth. The sheep and goat, who bear their young five -months, and whose growth lasts two years, live from eight to ten, The -horse, which is borne ten months, and whose growth requires from five to -six years, lives from thirty to forty. We are, of course, speaking of the -horse in its natural state, uninjured by premature and excessive labour. -When submitted to the hands of man, the noble animal is condemned to -premature old age, by the application of spur and thong before it attains -sufficient strength for the unnatural speed it is compelled to attempt, -and the burthens it is forced to bear. Nor, even under these -circumstances, is it allowed to attain the span of life assigned by -nature; the hand of the knacker being put in request to end its days, the -moment its services cease to be profitable to its master. - -The camel, which is borne ten months, and requires four years for its -bodily development, usually attains the age of fifty. The elephant, -requiring a year's gestation, attains the climax of its growth at thirty, -and lives to a hundred. The gestation of a stag, therefore, being but of -eight months, there is no reason to infer a deviation in its favour from -the laws governing the nature of all other animals of the same genus. - -"The stag," says Buffon, "whose growth requires six years, lives from -thirty to forty. The prodigious age originally ascribed to this animal, is -a groundless invention of the poets, of which Aristotle demonstrated the -absurdity." - -A variety of instances of the miraculous longevity of animals may be found -in the works of the early German naturalists. It is related in the -collection of Voyages and Travels of Malte Brun, on the showing of these -authorities, that the Emperor Frederick II. having been presented with a -singularly fine pike, caused it to be thrown into a pond adjoining his -palace of Kaiserslautern, after affixing to it a collar bearing the -following Greek inscription: "I am the first fish cast into this pond by -the hands of the Emperor Frederick II.; October 5th, 1230." - -After remaining two hundred and sixty years in the pond, the pike was -taken in 1497, and carried to Heidelberg, to be served at the table of the -Elector Philip; when the collar and inscription were subjected to the -examination of the curious. The pike, at that time, weighed three hundred -and fifty pounds, and was nineteen feet in length--a miraculous fish in -every respect; for how are we to suppose that an inscription upon an -elastic collar would otherwise remain legible at the close of several -centuries? This story is evidently one of the marvels that figure so -profusely in the chronicles of old Germany during the middle ages. - -It has, however, often been asserted that aquatic animals are longer-lived -than others, from being cold-blooded, and losing nothing from -transpiration; though, from their peculiar nature, the fact is very -difficult of demonstration. Fordyce made some curious experiments upon the -tenacity of life in fishes; by placing gold fishes in a variety of vessels -filled with water; which, at first, he refreshed every day; then, every -third day, with which refreshment, and without other nourishment, they -lived for fifteen months. He next distilled the water; increased the -proportion of air in the vessels; and closed the apertures, so that no -insect could possibly penetrate. Nevertheless, the fish lived as before, -and were in good condition. - -The experimentalist now decided that the decomposition of the air afforded -them sufficient nutriment; by this theory invalidating the proverb 'that -it is impossible to live on air.' - -Without impugning the authenticity of these experiments, or the easy -sustenance of fishes, we may be permitted to observe that a variety of -circumstances are unfavourable to the fact of their miraculous longevity. -In the first place, their organization, especially that of the carp which -is supposed to be one of the longest-lived of fishes, is peculiarly -delicate; and the muscular effort to move in an element eight hundred -times heavier than atmospheric air, must be apt to exhaust the energies of -life. Such are the suggestions of common sense; too often unavailing -against the marvels of tradition, accepted by the credulity of mankind. - -The Parisians delight in boasting of the age of the venerable carp in the -reservoirs at Fontainebleau and Chantilly; the former especially, as -contemporary with Francis I. Other credulous persons declare that there -exist gigantic carp many centuries old, in the water beneath the Cathedral -of Strasbourg--a fact easily asserted because impossible to disprove. - -With respect to the tame old carp at Fontainebleau, which come to the -surface of the water to be fed by every visitor to that curious old -palace, the only grounds for asserting their great age is the inconclusive -fact, that there were tame old grey carp in the moat of Fontainebleau in -the reign of Francis I., as at the present time. But who is to prove that -they are identical? There were also troops and courtiers at Fontainebleau -at both epochs, whom it would be just as reasonable to assert were the -same persons. The only difference is that the generations of men are -visibly renewed; while the carp in the old moat slip away unnoticed, and -are succeeded by a younger fry. - -The longevity of certain species of the feathered kind has been just as -much exaggerated as that of the stag and the carp. Willoughby states in -his work on Ornithology, that a friend of his possessed a gander eighty -years of age; which in the end became so ferocious that they were forced -to kill it, in consequence of the havock it committed in the barn-yard. -He also talks of a swan three centuries old; and several celebrated -parrots are said to have attained from one hundred to one hundred and -fifty years. - -The experiments of able naturalists afford the best answer to such -statements. According to the best established authorities, pigeons, fowls, -and ducks, live, in a natural state, from ten to twelve years. Magpies, -crows, and jays, evince symptoms of caducity at the same age. Professor -Hufeland, of Jena, who has devoted considerable time and attention to the -study of the duration of life, assures us that the great eagle, and other -birds of the larger kind, such as the pelican and ostrich, are very -long-lived and of vigorous constitution. Specimens of the eagle tribe have -been known, however, to survive in a menagerie upwards of a hundred years. - -Hufeland relates that a Mr. Selwand, of London, received in 1793, from the -Cape of Good Hope, a falcon wearing a golden collar inscribed "To His -Majesty, King James of England, 1610." The bird was supposed to have -belonged to James I., and having escaped from its keepers, in order to -avoid recapture, to have traversed Europe and Africa, to end its days in a -state of nature among the Hottentots! Destiny, however, was not to be -defied; and the prisoner was recaptured in its old age, and sent back to -England. This incident probably originated in a hoax upon the credulity -of Mr. Selwand, practised by one of his colonial correspondents. Moreover, -Hufeland, after publishing his conviction of the prodigious longevity of -the eagle tribe, was himself very likely to become the object of one of -those mystifications, for which the supporters of new theories are -considered fair game. - -Credulity is unfortunately a weakness common to the human race; and a -tendency to exaggeration is scarcely less universal. Between the two -failings, monstrous stories obtain circulation; and as it is easier to -assent than examine, the world becomes overrun with errors and prejudices. -A curious anecdote related from mouth to mouth, becomes exaggerated into a -miracle. Thus, as regards the longevity of parrots, a bird of this species -which happens to survive three generations of the same family, though the -period may not exceed thirty years, is talked of in the circle of their -acquaintance as a Nestor or Methuselah; till, at last, from exaggeration -to exaggeration, its age becomes converted into a miracle. No one, -however, can personally attest the age of a parrot beyond fifty or sixty -years. All the rest must be hearsay. - -Among curious examples of longevity in animals, the dog of Ulysses is -cited, by many ancient authors, for the intelligence displayed in his -recognition of his master after twenty years' absence. A mule, which -lived to the age of ninety years, at Athens, has also been frequently -cited. - -The historian, Mézéray, relates, on the authority of Flodard, that Loup -Asnard, Duke of Aquitaine, on coming to do homage to Raoul, King of -France, about the beginning of the tenth century, appeared before the -monarch mounted on a horse a hundred years old. Such exceptions, however, -even if authentic, tend no more to prove the longevity of dogs, horses or -mules, than the incontestible fact that certain men, even in modern times, -have survived to the age of a century and a half, tend to establish that -period as the span of human existence. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -INCOMBUSTIBLE MEN. - - -There are instances in which it may be fairly said that seeing is not -believing. In the case of a variety of persons who have exhibited -themselves, in different times and countries, as endowed with the natural -power of resistance to fire, the frightful feats displayed serve only to -convince the spectator, that the incombustibility of the exhibitants is -but a skilful effort of legerdemain. - -It may be observed that the persons who pretend to this miraculous -faculty, seldom expose themselves to the hazard of the investigations of -the scientific world. For the exhibition of their exploits, they usually -prefer small towns to great cities. In former days, incombustible men -assumed, in Spain, the name of _saludores_; and most of those who have -since exhibited in public their insensibility to fire, are descendants or -imitators of these Spanish mountebanks. The _saludores_, however, -pretended to a power of curing all sorts of diseases by means of their -saliva; whereas, the incombustible individuals who have figured in France -and Germany, pretend only to handle fire with impunity, to swallow boiling -oil, walk upon glowing embers, or even among flames; all which exploits -they accomplish with perfect self-possession. So long as two hundred years -ago, however, the _saludores_ were recognised as impostors. Leonard Vain -relates a story of one of them, who, having pretended to the faculty of -sustaining the heat of a kindled oven, was forced by the populace into -one, without sufficient preparation; on opening which, at the close of an -hour, the man was found to be calcined. A somewhat severe mode of -punishing imposture! - -This example, however, did not serve to extinguish the race; and in 1806, -a man who called himself the miraculous Spaniard, opened an exhibition in -Paris, where he renewed all the skilful marvels of his predecessors, by -walking barefooted on red hot iron, drawing heated bars across his arms, -face and tongue, dipping his hands in molten lead, and swallowing, as if -with zest, a glass of boiling oil. This exhibition, to which the idlers of -the French capital resorted, produced a careful examination into the -precedents of antiquity for similar instances of incombustibility. - -Some cited the well-known lines of Virgil, with reference to the -exhibitions of the priests of Apollo, on Mount Soracte, where they walked -unhurt, in presence of the worshippers of their divinity, upon burning -embers. Others quoted the equally doubtful authority of Pliny; who relates -the same fact, adding that the privilege of incombustibility was -hereditary in a specific family; a fact the more remarkable, because all -the modern jugglers in this branch of the black art, pretend to descend -from St. Catherine. - -Varro, less credulous than Pliny, expressly states that the priests of the -Temple of Soracte possessed the secret of a composition which rendered -them fire-proof. - -Long after Varro, Strabo related that the votaries of the goddess Feronia -obtained, as the price of their devotions, the faculty of walking unhurt -over burning piles; and that the exhibition of this miraculous power -before her altars, attracted numerous spectators. - -"The worship of the goddess Feronia," says Strabo, "is much in vogue; her -temple being remarkable as the site of a miracle. Those persons whose -prayers the goddess deigns to propitiate, are enabled to defy the most -ardent flames. This miracle is renewed at her annual festival." - -It is also related that, not far from the city of Thyane, the birth-place -of Apollonius, there was a celebrated temple dedicated to Diana Persica; -the virgins devoted wherein to the worship of the goddess of Chastity, -possessed the power and privilege of treading unhurt upon burning embers. -A confirmation of these wonders is to be found in Aristotle and Apuleius. - -When the visitors of the miraculous Spaniard had satisfied themselves, -that antiquity supplied a variety of examples in substantiation of the -power to which he pretended, modern history was searched for further -attestation; when it appeared that Ambrose Paré and Cardan, depose to -having seen mountebanks so inured to the effects of molten lead and -boiling oil, that they were able to wash their faces and hands, unhurt, -with those terrible materials. Delrio, Delancre, and Bodin, advance many -curious facts of a similar nature. - -Had these incombustible individuals existed in the days when trial by -ordeal was still a form of law; or, rather, had the Art of Chemistry -attained at that period the power of hardening the human skin into -resistance of fire, the secret would have been invaluable. - -In those barbarous ages, a culprit sentenced to the fiery ordeal of -walking upon heated ploughshares, or plunging his limbs into boiling oil, -was tacitly condemned to death. We may infer, however, that Kings, Queens, -and Dignitaries of the Church were of a less combustible nature than -humbler mortals; for when these were forced to submit to the terrible -ordeal of fire, it was observed that they escaped unsinged; while serfs -and beggars, burnt like tinder: an understanding with the cruel -executioners of these savage laws, being essential to establish the -innocence of an accused person. - -It would appear as though a sinister influence had always attached itself -to the ill-fated See of Autun; for one of the first instances on record of -the ordeal of fire being applied to a member of the hierarchy, was that of -Simplicius, Bishop of Autun, who, after submitting to it in his life-time, -was canonized after death. Two later Bishops of Autun--the Abbé Roquette, -said to be the original of the Tartuffe of Molière, and the Prince de -Talleyrand, one of the most remarkable personages of modern times, have -certainly not experienced the same posthumous distinction. - -Simplicius, being a married man, when called to the honours of the See of -Autun, repudiated his wife, to whom he was tenderly attached. He was, -nevertheless, accused of retaining her conjugally in his palace after his -promotion to the mitre; in disproof of which, he submitted, and caused his -beloved wife to submit to the fiery ordeal in presence of a vast -congregation; when, both having escaped unhurt, Simplicius was eventually -promoted to the honour of the Calendar. - -St. Brie, the successor of St. Martin in the See of Tours, was also -accused of having become a father, to the discredit of his episcopal -functions; a charge he is said to have defeated by bestowing powers of -speech upon the infant, thereby enabling it to name its real father. In -addition to this exculpation, he submitted to the fiery ordeal; and having -gathered up his robe, and filled it with burning embers, proceeded in this -guise to the tomb of his predecessor, St. Martin, without experiencing the -slightest injury. It is not added in the legend, whether the garments of -the Bishop were also uninjured. - -One of the most celebrated trials by fire on record, is that of -Thuitberge, wife of Lothaire, King of France. Having been accused of more -than becoming intimacy with the young Prince, her brother, and condemned -to the ordeal, she had the good fortune to find a champion willing to -undertake it in her behalf. These champions or proxies were tantamount to -the special pleaders of the present day, being mostly hired by fee or -reward for the purpose. The champion of Thuitberge managed to establish -her innocence, by plunging his arm without injury into a cauldron of -boiling water; after which, Lothaire was compelled to admit the injustice -of his accusation, and retain her as his wife. Even at that epoch, -however, mistrust had arisen on this score; and certain servitors of the -King openly insinuated the existence of chemical compositions, by the -application of which a man might fortify his flesh against the action of -boiling fluids. Appeal from the decision of an ordeal was, however, -decided to be impossible. - -A celebrated Father of the Oratoire, the Père Lebrun, published a recipe -purporting to insure impunity against fire; consisting of equal parts of -alcohol, sulphur, ammonia, essence of rosemary, and onion juice. At the -moment Père Lebrun was devoting himself to experiments on the mysteries of -incombustibles, an English practician, named Richardson, was amazing the -world of science by the performance of prodigies. This person contrived to -walk upon burning embers, to place burning sulphur upon his hand, then -transferring it to his tongue, allow it to consume away without apparent -injury. He also allowed a piece of meat, or an oyster, to be cooked upon -his tongue; the fire for the purpose being kept up in a live coal by a -pair of bellows. He was also able to grasp a red hot bar of iron, and even -seize it between his teeth; to swallow molten glass and a mixture of -burning pitch and sulphur, so that the flames burst from his mouth as from -that of a furnace; just as common mountebanks emit fire from their mouths -by means of a coal wrapt in tow, which has been previously steeped in -spirits of wine. - -These experiments attracted so much attention, that scientific men -considered them deserving notice; and in 1677, Dodart, of the French -Academy of Sciences, addressed a letter on the subject to the Journal de -Science, proving that such phenomena might be achieved by time, address, -and perseverance, without the intervention of chemical agency. The -ordinary hardening of the hands and feet by labour and exercise, certainly -induce a belief that perseverance in the same means might be made to -produce absolute callosity. - -It is well known, that bakers are remarkable for the muscularity of their -arms and slightness of their legs; while dancers have usually slender arms -and muscular legs. The difference of exercise, necessitated by their -several professions, producing diverse development of limb. On the other -hand, there is no need to compare the sole of the foot of a lady who -seldom goes out, unless in a carriage, or treads on any other material -than luxurious carpets, with that of a peasant who goes bare-footed on the -flinty road, without inconvenience, to be assured that the same degree of -boiling water which could be sustained by the latter without -inconvenience, would blister the delicate epidermis of the former. - -Dodart observes that, in the ordinary circumstances of life, some people -are able to swallow their food much hotter than others; and that, as -regards the experiments of Richardson, charcoal loses its heat the moment -it is extinguished, and is easily extinguished by means of the human -saliva. It is a common trick of jugglers to put lighted tapers into their -mouths; and in the attempts made by Richardson to cook a piece of meat -upon his tongue, the slice was made so to envelop the ember, as to secure -his mouth from contact with the fire; while the bellows used during the -process, on pretence of keeping up the flame, were on the contrary, -intended to cool the mouth. As to the mixtures of boiling wax, pitch and -sulphur, Dodart states their temperature to have been such, that he could -hold his finger in them two seconds without pain. It is well known that -the workmen in the foundries are so inured to heat, as to touch, without -injury, metals in a state of fusion; frequently plunging their hands into -molten lead, in order to recover articles of value. Moreover, as regards -any ignited substance placed in the mouth, it naturally becomes -extinguished the moment the lips are reclosed; the gas from the human -lungs tending especially to that purpose. - -About the year 1774, there lived at the foundry of Laune, a man who could -walk unharmed over bars of red-hot iron, and hold burning coals in his -hands. The skin of this man was observed to emit a sort of unctuous -transpiration, which served as his preservative. - -These facts suffice to prove that the miraculous Spaniard, who affected -preternatural incombustibility, had no need of magic for the working of -his wonders. For another case, equally remarkable, we are indebted to -Sementini, an eminent Professor of Chemistry at Naples. - -A Sicilian, named Lionetti, came to that city for the purpose of -exhibiting feats of incombustibility; and soon excited public astonishment -by his power of drawing a red-hot plate of iron over his hair without -singeing it, on which he afterwards stamped with his naked feet. He also -drew rods of red-hot iron through his mouth, swallowed boiling oil, dipped -his fingers in molten lead, and dropped some on his tongue. He fearlessly -exposed his face to the flames of burning oil; poured sulphuric or -muriatic acid upon lighted embers, and imbibed the fumes; ending by -allowing a thick gold pin to be thrust deep into his flesh. - -The Neapolitans were as much enchanted by the feats of Lionetti as the -Parisian with those of the incombustible Spaniard. But at Naples, -Sementini, who was on the watch, perceived that, at the moment the -fire-proof man applied the heated materials to his skin, there escaped a -whitish vapour. Instead of swallowing a glass of boiling oil, according to -his announcement, he introduced only a quarter of a spoonful into his -mouth, and a few drops of molten lead upon his tongue, which was covered -with a white fur, like the secretion perceptible in cases of fever. When -he took the hot iron between his teeth, symptoms of suppressed pain were -perceptible; and the edges of his teeth were evidently charred by previous -performances of a similar description. From these appearances, Sementini -inferred that Lionetti made use of certain preparations which secured him -against the influence of heat, by hardening the epidermis; and that his -skin having become callous from use, was in itself able to resist, to a -certain degree, the action of fire. These conclusions, which concur with -those made by Dodart, in the case of Richardson, were verified by personal -observation and careful experiment. - -After many fruitless attempts to discover the chemical agents used by the -Incombustibles, the persevering Sementini found that by frequent frictions -of sulphuric acid, he was able to inure his flesh to the contact of -red-hot iron; and we are bound to admire the patience and courage of those -who, for the benefit of scientific discovery, attempt experiments of so -powerful and perilous a nature. To have exposed a fallacy in matters of -science, is equal to the discovery of a fact; and the extirpation of a -single error or false conclusion from the popular mind, is an act -deserving of gratitude. - -Sementini found that by bathing the parts thus deprived of their usual -sensitiveness with a solution of alum, their former sensibility to heat -was restored; and one day, happening to smear with soap the parts he had -re-softened in this manner with alum, he found, to his great surprise, -that they became hardened anew against the action of heat. The -experimentalist instantly applied to his tongue a preparation of soap, and -found that it enabled him to defy the contact of iron heated to a white -heat. To neutralize the faculty thus acquired, he had only to sprinkle his -tongue with sugar; a new application of soap serving at any moment to -render it fire-proof. - -By these experiments, in various countries, the pretension to a -supernatural power of incombustibility has been reduced to its true level. -The Priests of Soracte, the Virgins of Diana, the Champion of Queen -Thuitberge, and the Bishop of Autun, were doubtless adepts in the art of -the miraculous Spaniard; and according to the recipe of Sementini, a man -may be enabled to defy the element of fire as successfully as an expert -swimmer overmasters that of water, or an experienced aëronaut of air. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -VENTRILOQUISTS. - - -Ventriloquists are a better order of jugglers than the Incombustibles. The -feats of the latter are doubtless more surprising--the former, far more -amusing. To behold a man expose himself to even the semblance of a cruel -torture, affords a disgusting species of excitement; and such exhibitions -as those we have described, the feat of swallowing naked swords, or the -favourite practice of placing in contact with half-tamed beasts of prey a -human being who submits to the risk for the sake of a scanty remuneration, -is an order of public entertainment that does little honour to the taste -of the listless spectator. - -To witness feats of ventriloquism, on the contrary, is a diverting and -harmless pastime; though, had Messieurs Comte and Alexandre exhibited -their marvellous powers in the olden time, there is some probability that -they might have been exposed to jeopardy as sorcerers and magicians, or -to exorcism, as possessed of devils. - -Ventriloquism derives its name from an error of the ancients. So far from -being effected through the body, the mouth is the sole instrument of the -art or faculty we call ventriloquism. The first inference formed on this -subject was by the Greeks, who conceived the oracles of the Pythoness to -consist of the emanation of the soul from the viscera; and as the lips of -ventriloquists assumed the same form in the exercise of their art as those -of the Pythoness during her pretended inspirations, they ascribed the -effort to the same region of the body. - -Archbishop Eustatius, in treating of the Witch of Endor, attributes the -exploits of the magician Ob, in invoking the shade of Samuel, and -obtaining a reply from the apparition, to a devil, or the power of -ventriloquism. In the Book of the Septanti, the Witch of Endor is -described as a ventriloquist. - -Father Delrio, as an interpreter of the opinion of the ancients, and Henri -Boguet, the great legist, declared from the bench, that all persons -endowed with a natural power of ventriloquism, had hoarse, harsh voices, -and that the spirit by which they were possessed, must be dislodged by -exorcism. - -In the earlier days of ventriloquism, from the Witch of Endor downwards, -the art appears to have been almost peculiar to the female sex; though in -our own times professed only by males. In the fifteenth century, Rolande -du Vernois, accused of the exercise of ventriloquism, was condemned and -burnt as a witch; and about the middle of the sixteenth, the inhabitants -of Lisbon were amazed by the feats of a woman named Cecilia, who possessed -the art of causing her voice to issue from her elbow, foot, or any other -part of her body. In exhibiting this apparently preternatural power, she -pretended to have an invisible colleague, named Pierre Jean, with whom she -appeared to hold conversations; an exploit that exposed her to a charge of -witchcraft. She was tried for magic, and exiled to the Island of St. -Thomas, in remission of a sentence to be burnt alive. - -In the same century, a little old woman who had very much the air of a -witch, and whose voice appeared to issue from the centre of her body, made -her appearance in Italy, where she was arraigned for sorcery; but her -further history is unrecorded. - -A female ventriloquist, named Barbara Jacobi, narrowly escaped being burnt -at the stake in 1685, at Haarlem, where she was an inmate of the public -hospital. The curious daily resorted thither to hear her hold a dialogue -with an imaginary personage with whom she conversed as if concealed behind -the curtains of her bed. This individual, whom she called Joachim, and to -whom she addressed a thousand ludicrous questions, which he answered in -the same familiar strain, was for some time supposed to be a confederate. -But when the bystanders attempted to search for him behind the curtains, -his voice instantly reproached them with their curiosity from the opposite -corner of the room. As Barbara Jacobi had contrived to make herself -familiar with all the gossip of the city of Haarlem, the revelations of -the pretended familiar were such as to cause considerable embarrassment to -those who beset her with impertinent questions. - -The celebrated Thiémet used to exhibit at Paris a scene of a similar -nature, afterwards copied in London in the Monopolylogues of Matthews. -Having concealed himself in a sentry-box, which occupied the centre of his -small stage, the distant sound of a horn became audible; then, the cry of -a pack of hounds gradually approaching; during the intervals of which, a -miller and his wife were heard familiarly conversing in bed concerning -their household affairs. In the midst of their conversation, a knock was -heard; and a strange noise became audible from without, entreating the -miller to rise and show the way through the forest to a young Baron, who -had lost the track of the hounds. The miller promised compliance; when an -altercation ensued between him and his wife; the former wishing to rise, -the latter preventing him with a declaration that she had not courage to -be left alone in the mill. At length, the miller gets the better; and, -having risen, is about to put on his clothes, when the sobs and cries of -his abandoned spouse determine him to return to bed; and the scene used to -terminate with a loud exclamation on the part of the lady when the cold -knees of the miller apprized her of his return. This somewhat too familiar -exhibition used to elicit roars of laughter from the most fashionable -audiences; nor, till Thiémet issued from his sentry-box, could they be -prevailed upon to believe that he had been alone. - -Ventriloquism is, in truth, the working of a curious problem in acoustics; -the art resulting from a careful computation of distances and effects in -the science of sound. The resources afforded by such an art to the -priesthood of antiquity, who were thus enabled to create an oracle -wherever they thought proper, may easily be understood. When exercised -with dexterity, it was no wonder that the bewildered populace should -exclaim, like the Sybil of Cumæ, "Deus! ecce Deus!" Dodona and Delphos are -now generally believed to have been simply the scene of a clever -exhibition of ventriloquism. Fontenelle, and the learned Benedictine, Dom -Calmet, have both written extensively on the subject; the latter, more -especially, labouring to prove that a variety of marvels related by -Lucian, Philostratus, Iamblicus, and other eminent authors, are easily -explained by ventriloquism. - -Many French historians attribute to the same origin the apostrophe of the -pretended Spectre in the Forest of Mans, which so terrified the feeble -Charles VI., as to deprive him of reason. Such was the opinion of the Abbé -de la Chapelle; who, in 1772, published a volume on ventriloquism, in -which, among other examples, he cites the wonderful faculty of a grocer -named St. Gilles, residing at St. Germain en Laye; who, when visited by -the Abbé, made his voice appear to issue from every part of the house. St. -Gilles appears to have been a facetious personage as well as a skilful -ventriloquist; for as he was one day walking in the forest of St. Germain, -with a rich Prebendary, celebrated for his avarice and clerical abuses, a -voice was heard to reproach him with his pluralities and covetousness, -threatening to bury him under the ruins of his prebendal house, unless he -reformed the errors of his ways. The grocer being careful to assume an -appearance of the same terror that paralyzed his companion, the priest -regarded this interposition as the voice of his good angel; and instantly -proceeding to the nearest church, dropped the whole contents of his purse -into the poor's box; and on his return to Paris, devoted the remainder of -his days to repentance and good works. - -On another occasion, St. Gilles exercised his art in restoring family -peace to a young couple. The husband who had abandoned a young and lovely -wife, having accompanied him into the depths of the forest of St. Germain -for a morning walk, was also addressed by a supernatural voice, -threatening him with eternal punishment unless he renounced his dissolute -habits, and returned to the bosom of domestic life; a stratagem which -produced the happiest results. - -One of the most skilful proficients in the art, appears to have been a -Baron von Mengen, a German nobleman, as celebrated at Vienna, as St. -Gilles in France. The Baron never appeared in society without carrying a -doll in his pockets, with which he used to hold imaginary conversations. -An English traveller, amazed by the wit and wisdom of the doll, became at -length so excited by curiosity, as to insinuate his hand into the Baron's -pocket, in the hope of discovering his secret; when the doll instantly -shrieked aloud, and bitterly reproached the Englishman for his breach of -decorum. The amazement of the abashed foreigner increasing, the Baron -produced his doll, and explained the nature of the mystery. - -Philippe, a favourite actor of the Théâtre des Variétés, on his marriage -with Mademoiselle Volnais, the actress, proceeded with her into Lorraine -to visit an estate they had purchased; when the tenants having thought -proper to favour them with a magnificent reception, in the course of the -day, the bridegroom, deserting his place of honour, strolled out among the -revellers. While he appeared to be only conversing in a grave manner with -the Mayor of the place, to the dismay of the simple villagers, strange -voices were heard to issue from tuns of wine, reproaching them with their -excesses; and from wheelbarrows, reproving them for their idleness. The -whole village fancied itself bewitched; while Philippe enjoyed, for the -first time of his life, on his own account, a talent he had so often -exercised for the amusement of others. - -Comte, the best ventriloquist now extant, has performed a thousand similar -exploits. When on his travels in Belgium, he caused the voice of Margaret -of Austria, to issue from her tomb in the Church of Bron, addressing a -reprimand to the verger. At Rheims, he was nearly the cause of -depopulating the quarter of St. Nicholas, by causing voices to issue from -a variety of graves in the church-yard; while at Nevers, he revived the -miracle of Balaam, by enabling an overladen ass to reproach its master -with his cruelty. - -Another time, Monsieur Comte, when travelling by night in a diligence, the -travellers of which had fallen asleep, roused them from their slumbers by -a confusion of voices of robbers at the windows, calling aloud upon the -postillions to stop. The greatest consternation prevailed; when Monsieur -Comte offered to negociate for them with the robbers, and become the -depositary of their purses for the purpose. Having alighted from the -carriage for this object, he was heard conversing in the dark road with a -variety of voices, breathing the most frightful threats; and the -travellers considered themselves fortunate in being allowed to purchase -their lives by the cession of all they had about them. When daylight -broke, their adroit fellow-traveller restored their property; the mere -mention of his name sufficing to explain the nature of the jest which had -produced their alarm. - -On another occasion, he preserved the statues and carvings of a village -church from mutilation, by causing a voice to issue from the altar, -commanding the forbearance of the rustic population. He was, however, very -near falling a victim to the marvels of his art, at Fribourg; where the -populace, asserting him to be a sorcerer, fell upon him, and would have -thrown him into a heated oven to be consumed, but for the intervention of -the authorities. - -Nevertheless, in defiance of these well-known facts, ventriloquism still -appears miraculous to the vulgar. Thirty years ago, the learned Abbé Fiard -wrote a treatise to prove that the ancients were justified in their belief -that it proceeded from spiritual possession. Fortunately, the great -majority are content to accept it as a fertile source of recreation, -without troubling themselves concerning the origin of the faculty. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -POPE JOAN AND THE WANDERING JEW. - - -In the history of the world a variety of imaginary personages have found a -place, whom it has become difficult to dislodge. Created in the first -instance by the blunders of some careless writer, or by the sickly fancy -of some unsound judgment, they are adopted by popular favour, tricked up -according to its caprices, and committed to the hands of tradition to -mislead the opinions of posterity. The pretensions of a false Demetrius, a -false Dauphin, a false Heraclius, a Lambert Simnel, or a Perkin Warbeck, -are more easily disproved and set aside than those of the mere shadows -which flit over the surface of history; too impalpable to be seized upon -and compelled to render an account of themselves. - -Among these phantoms are Pope Joan, and the Wandering Jew; of whom every -one has heard something, though nothing to the purpose. Yet these -imaginary personages are too closely connected with the mysteries of our -faith to be otherwise than generally interesting. - -For how many years did the legend of the Wandering Jew, the porter of -Pilate, condemned to roam the earth till the second coming of Christ, and -having his necessities provided for by five-pence, which remained -inexhaustibly in his purse, obtain favour with the world--perpetually -renewed and brightened by the inventive hand of genius! Even now, though -no longer an article of belief among the enlightened classes, his story -obtains sufficient credit with the vulgar to merit a certain degree of -examination. - -The first writer who signalized the existence of the Wandering Jew, was -Matthew Paris, an English chronicler of the thirteenth century; who was -perhaps ignorant that he was only renewing a fable of the Greeks; Suidas -having recorded that a Greek named Pasès possessed a miraculous piece of -money, which as often as he expended it returned again into his pocket. - -Some inventors have too much modesty to pretend to originality. So it was -with Matthew Paris; who affected to have learned the legend of the -Wandering Jew from an Armenian Bishop, who spent some time in England. -This eastern dignitary, he asserts, had actually seen and conversed with -the Wandering Jew, whose name he stated to be Cartophilax; that he was -porter to the tribunal to which Jesus was conveyed by the Roman soldiers; -and had familiarly known the Virgin Mary and the Apostles. All the -romantic incidents of his story which have passed into an article of -popular faith, were first related by Matthew Paris. - -But may there not have been some allegorical or concealed sense connected -with the first creation of the Wandering Jew? At this period, Jews were -objects of universal persecution, and often publicly burnt. Is it not -likely enough that Matthew Paris intended to typify the whole persecuted -and wandering people of the Jews in the person of Cartophilax; or, may he -not have purposed to afford a means of safety and impunity to any Jew who -saw fit to take up the character? - -For thirteen centuries, then--as for eighteen, now--the Jewish people had -been driven from place to place, tracked like a beast of prey, and -subjected to every species of ignominy. Their destiny, in short, was a -mere extended exemplification of the fortunes of the Wandering Jew. May -not, moreover, the eternal five-pence have been intended to show, that -wherever he finds himself, a Jew can never be long in want of money? -Montesquieu only expresses the general opinion on this subject, in saying, -"Wherever you find gold, you will find a Jew." - -This theory will probably be regarded as more apocryphal than the -existence of Cartophilax! Nevertheless we would rather pin our faith on a -fanciful interpretation, than admit that a writer of so much moment to the -History of the World as the famous Matthew Paris, could voluntarily shake -the stability of his Chronicles by the wanton fabrication of such a -miracle. - -The invention of Pope Joan is still more easily accounted for; as -originating in the desire of the Reformed Church to expose to contempt the -honour of the See of Rome. No contemporary writer so much as alludes to -her existence; nor till sixty years after the period assigned as that of -her adventures, do we find the monk Radulphus relating the scandalous -chronicle of her pretended pontificate. A story of this description once -set afloat, will never want for commentators; and a variety of other -writers instantly seized upon it, improving the details at leisure. - -Seldom, however, has an imposture been adopted by such grave judgments, or -promulgated by such authoritative voices, as that of Pope Joan. But the -fact is that party spirit, or rather sectarian spirit, blinded the eyes of -these abettors of fraud. At the moment of the grand schism originating the -Reformed Church, the partizans of the new Faith seized upon the old wife's -tale of Pope Joan, and converted it into a serious argument against the -infallibility of Rome. - -"You boast of the assistance of divine grace, you pretend to the -inspiration of the Holy Ghost," said they to the Catholics; "that it -directs your councils and suggests your elections. How came it, then, that -with so omniscient a counsellor, you were deluded into promoting a woman -to the Papal See?--The single name of Pope Joan ought to suffice to attest -the incompetency of your Church!" - -The history of this pretended personage has been too often related, and is -of too gross a nature to deserve recital. Even the historians who have -been most serious in its attestation, disagree in the leading incidents; -some of them naming the female Pope Agnes, some Joan, and some Gilberta. -Voltaire, who was little prone to defend the purity of the See of Rome, -utterly discredits her existence; and in all Protestant countries, where -the fable was first called into existence, the name of Pope Joan is cited -only as a matter of jest and derision. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE FABLES OF HISTORY. - - -It is surprising how many of the facts of history have been reduced into -fictions by the careful investigations of modern enlightenment. For -centuries, it was established as an undeniable enormity of the empire, -that the Emperor Justinian put out the eyes of Belisarius. Tragedies, -operas and romances, were grounded upon this cruel incident; and the arts -have lent their aid to the perpetuation of a popular error. - -Let us examine the real state of the case. In 563, a conspiracy was -discovered against the Emperor Justinian; and the conspirators were -arrested on the eve of executing their criminal design. Certain of his -favourites, envious of the great name of Belisarius, suborned false -witnesses, whose testimony made it appear that he was included in the -plot; upon which, Justinian indulged in the bitterest reproaches against -his perfidy. Belisarius, strong in his sense of innocence, and the -consciousness of the great services he had rendered to the empire, -disdained to justify himself; and Justinian, weak, versatile, and -mistrustful, influenced by a paltry pusillanimity, caused him to be -stripped of his offices, made prisoner in his house, and deprived of all -attendants or companions. - -This state of things continued for the space of seven months; when the -innocence of Belisarius was, by the intervention of others, brought to -light; and he was at once restored to his former honours and the -confidence of his master. So far from being deprived of sight, and guided -about by a youth, as our imaginations have been misled into depicting him -by a variety of artists and men of letters, Belisarius died at an advanced -age in the full enjoyment of his senses. - -The two first authors who thought proper to load the memory of Justinian -with the odium of having put out the eyes of Belisarius, were Crinitus and -Raphael Mafféi, both belonging to the sixteenth century. No anterior -writer makes the smallest allusion to this act of barbarity; which, had it -been authentic, could scarcely have been buried in obscurity for a period -of ten centuries. The event which probably gave rise to so monstrous a -supposition was, the disgrace of Carpocratian; who, after being the chief -favourite of Justinian, was driven into exile in Egypt, and compelled to -beg his bread on the highways. But even in this instance, the fallen man -was not deprived of sight. - -One day, a village priest who was preaching in France, on the instability -of riches and the misfortunes of the great, perceiving his simple flock to -be melted into tears by the pathetic nature of his recital, comforted them -by adding, "Nevertheless, my brethren, take comfort, for, after all, these -traditions may be greatly exaggerated." It were as well, perhaps, if -historians were equally candid, more especially the one who first treated -of the cruel fortunes of Belisarius. - -This great man had, in truth, no need of factitious enhancements to secure -the sympathies of the sixteenth century; the nobleness of his character -having fully equalled the greatness of his exploits. As the conqueror of -the Goths, he sustained the fortunes of the empire; sacrificing himself -for his master, and refusing a crown when the throne was easily -accessible. After he had achieved the conquest of Italy, the jealousy of -Justinian recalled him from his command. Yet when the fortunes of his -country stood a second time in need of his sword, he did not hesitate to -lay down his resentment, and take up arms for its defence. - -A far more authentic instance of undeserved misfortune is the case of -Oedipus, who, born the heir of the throne, was secretly removed from the -palace in consequence of a prediction that he would become the murderer -of his father. To avoid the accomplishment of the oracle, the infant was -about to be destroyed; the servant, to whom the task was assigned, having -literally pierced his feet, and suspended him to the branches of a tree; -when unfortunately a shepherd, taking pity on the tortured babe, relieved -him and conveyed him to the Court of the Queen of Corinth, by whom, being -childless, he was reared as her son. At eighteen years of age, an oracle -enjoined him to go in search of his parents; and on his travels, having -killed a man by whom he was insulted, the victim proved to be his father. - -Oedipus arrives at Thebes. A riddle is proposed to him, the sense of which -he is so unfortunate as to guess; and having by this feat rid the country -of the Sphinx, he receives the promised reward in the hand of the Queen of -Thebes, who, in process of time, proves to be the mother of her young -husband. In consequence of this parricide and incest, a frightful -pestilence afflicts Thebes; and Oedipus in despair, puts out his own eyes, -banishes himself from his native country, and is followed into exile by -his daughter Antigone, who officiates as his guide. - -Such misfortunes naturally inspired the minds of the heathens with a -belief in the doctrine of fatality--a blind interpretation of events which -also served to induce a belief in the marvellous, and confirm half the -preposterous superstitions perpetuated by the weakness of the human race. - -Nothing can be more groundless, by the way, than our vain assertion of -being the only created beings who "contemplate Heaven with brow erect." -Not only do we share this distinction with the ourang-outangs, but with a -variety of birds, such as the crane and the ostrich; which, on this point, -are better qualified than ourselves, seeing that instead of the upper -eyelid falling, the lower eyelid rises over the eye; thus leaving them -more at liberty to raise their eyes to Heaven. - -False pretensions and vulgar errors of this kind abound in the world:--as -for instance, the belief that the pelican pierces her bosom to feed her -little ones with her blood--that the scent of bean-flowers produces -delirium--that the mole is blind--that the dove is a model of gentleness -and conjugal fidelity; and how often are the questions still mooted -whether Hannibal really worked a passage through the Alps with -vinegar--whether the coffin of Mahomet be really suspended at Mecca -between two loadstones--whether shooting stars be fragments of shattered -planets, or souls progressing from purgatory--whether beasts of prey are -afraid of fire; and whether human nature have ever exhibited affinities -with the brute creation in the form of fauns, dryads, satyrs, or -centaurs. - -The fable of the centaurs explains itself naturally enough by the wonder -created in the world by the first man hardy enough to reduce the horse to -a state of submission, and convert it into a domestic animal. We know that -a man on horseback has been regarded as a complex animal by many savage -nations; just as the Peruvians, when attacked by the artillery of Pizarro, -believed their invaders to be Gods, seeing that thunder was at their -disposal. - -As to fauns and satyrs, which probably consisted of shepherds whose lower -extremities were clad in goat skins, Herodotus declares that a whole -nation of them existed among the mountains of Scythia. Plutarch relates -that, in the time of Sylla, a faun was caught at Nymphea near Apollonia, -which was brought as a present to the Dictator. The creature could utter -no articulate sound,--its voice consisting of a noise between the cry of a -goat and the neighing of a horse; but exhibited social qualities, and was -much addicted to female society. This was probably some deaf and dumb -idiot, left by unnatural parents to perish in infancy, and miraculously -preserved; as in the case of Peter, the Wild Boy, found during the last -century in the forests of Westphalia, and maintained at the cost of the -King of England to a good old age. A similar specimen of degraded humanity -was exhibited at Paris under the name of the Savage of Aveyron; and the -historical fable of Valentine and Orson was probably founded on some -similar circumstance. - -According to Philostratus, a satyr was taken in Ethiopia of so mild and -gentle a disposition, as to have been easily tamed; and that certain of -the simeous tribes, such, for instance, as the ourang-outang called the -Wild Man of the Woods, should have been considered a satyr by both Greeks -and Romans, on a first inspection seems natural enough. St. Jerome, in his -life of St. Anthony, asserts that he encountered a satyr in the desart, -and that they conversed and breakfasted together. - -We should have thought these holy personages more in danger of an -encounter with wild beasts; concerning which peril, a passing remark may -be made, that the idea of frightening them away by fire is a popular -prejudice. Tavernier relates that some soldiers having lighted a great -fire to preserve themselves from the damp, in a forest of Africa, were set -upon by a lion, and that one of the men was greatly injured by this -midnight intruder, which was luckily shot dead by one of his comrades. - -As regards the popular opinion concerning the tomb of Mahomet, it is now -proved to be at Medina instead of Mecca, where the belief of many -centuries assigned it a place; but so far from being suspended in the air -by a loadstone, the coffin lies on the ground surrounded by an iron -balustrade. A learned Jesuit, by dint of many patient experiments, -ascertained the possibility of sustaining a human body in the air by the -power of the loadstone. But the quantity employed only served to realize -the miracle for the space of two seconds. On the discovery of the singular -properties of the loadstone, as affecting the polarization of the needle, -the vulgar naturally began to endow it with miraculous powers. In 1765, -the Journal Encyclopédique published an Essay attributing to the loadstone -the power of curing the tooth-ache; the person afflicted being required to -turn his face towards the North Pole, and touch the aching tooth with the -southern point of a magnetic needle. The system was pursued for a time by -a variety of quack dentists, but soon fell to the ground. - -With respect to shooting stars, philosophy remains undecided as to their -origin. But vulgar superstition clings to the belief that any wish formed -during the transit of one of these luminous bodies will be accomplished. -This idea probably purported in the first instance to demonstrate the -transitory nature of human wishes, as exemplified in the momentary glimpse -of the meteor. Some philosophers attribute shooting stars to the encounter -of the electric fluid with inflammable molecules in the atmosphere. -Descartes asserts that they are terrestrial particles which, meeting in -the air the second element, take fire and fall back to earth; leaving -where they fall a viscous matter. The truth is that they have never been -known to fall back upon the earth. Monsieur Biot has hazarded a conjecture -that they may be fragments of comets, falling with immense rapidity -through the realms of space. - -If this point of popular prejudice remain unremoved, nothing can be more -certain than that the mole possesses organs of vision--though small; and -that the fable of the maternal tenderness of the pelican, originated in -the flexible pouch in which she deposits the fish she collects for her own -food, and that of her young. The proverbial fidelity of the dove to her -mate has been equally disproved by naturalists; no person having ever kept -a pair of doves without noticing that they are birds of a peculiarly -irascible and quarrelsome nature. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -MELONS AND MONSTERS. - - -It might form an important matter of inquiry for naturalists, whether the -fruits appropriated by Providence to certain climates, do not become -unwholsome when transferred to others by the intervention of art. Certain -it is, that in various countries of the South, melons constitute an -article of national food; whereas, in the North, they pass for one of the -most pernicious productions of the vegetable kingdom; being the first -article of food interdicted during the prevalence of the cholera. - -The origin of the melon, however, appears very uncertain. Far from being -indigenous in Italy, it was asserted by the Roman naturalists to have been -brought from Africa by Metellus; while others believe it to have been -derived from their earlier Asiatic conquests. Scipio is said by some to -have first introduced it into Rome. From whatever source derived, the -gardeners of Greece and Rome made the culture of the melon a subject of -especial study. Pliny spoke of the delicacy and flavour of the fruit as -well as of its indigestibility. It may be observed, however, that in the -more ancient bas-reliefs and frescoes of fruit found in Herculaneum, the -melon does not appear. - -The modern arts of horticulture have added innumerable varieties of the -melon to the round and oblong species known to the Romans; and Godoy, the -Prince of Peace, devoted himself in Spain to the improvement of this -favourite fruit. It is a mistake, however, to suppose that the fine kind -called the Cantalupe, reached us from that country; the name being derived -from the village of Cantalupi near Rome, famous for the cultivation of its -melons. In Spain and France, the melon is eaten with roast meat, at -dinner; in England and Russia, it is eaten with sugar at dessert. By many -people the crudeness is qualified with pepper and ginger; but the Bavarian -mother of the Regent, Duke of Orleans, provoked much criticism in Paris by -powdering her slice of melon with Spanish snuff, according to the custom -in some parts of Germany. - -A strange object of luxury in the same country consists in snails. A large -white species of snail, much cultivated at Ulm, is sent to various parts -of Germany. One of the popular errors concerning these snails, is the -opinion that when decapitated the body will produce a new head. -Spallanzani and Voltaire tried the experiment on innumerable snails, and -attest that a head was really reproduced. It is well known that the body -of a fly will exist some time after being deprived of its head; and that, -on crushing the shell of a snail, the creature is able to repair, by -degrees, its shattered dwelling. But in spite of the authority of -Spallanzani and Voltaire, we have no faith in the power of reproduction of -a second head. Valmont de Bomare, after decapitating fifteen hundred, -decided that the opinion was erroneous; and, unwilling to suppose that two -such great authorities had imposed on public credulity, concludes that in -their reluctance to the task, they merely cut off the nose and ears of the -sensitive snails without effecting a positive decapitation. A fact untrue -of the snail, however, has been proved as regards several varieties of -polypi, which are able to reproduce themselves from fragments of a -dismembered polypus. There is one species of polypus susceptible of being -completely turned inside out, like a glove, without injury to the vital -power! - -Turenne, who wrote a Treatise on the nature of snails, may be called the -Attila of the species, since he admits having decapitated thousands and -thousands. He even affects compunction on the subject, after the example -of the Greek physician, Herophilus, who dissected seven hundred bodies in -illustration of his anatomical lectures in the theatre of Alexandria. -Turenne asserts that, if Valmont de Bomare and Adanson found no renovation -of head in the snails they decapitated, it was because they failed to -supply their victims with the food which snails are organized to imbibe -through the pores of their bodies by crawling over vegetable matter, even -when deprived of their heads. He declares that a period of two years is -indispensable for the reproduction of a head. - -The discoveries of modern navigators have unquestionably added to our -menageries a vast variety of animals unknown to the ancients, or known -only by hearsay, and esteemed apocryphal. But, on the other hand, various -animals with which the ancients pretended to be familiar have wholly -disappeared; such as sphinxes and griffins, the phoenix, the salamander, -the unicorn, besides many-headed serpents and dragons, which we now -abandon to the emblazonment of heraldry. - -The most famous dragons of antiquity were those which drew through the air -the car of Medea. The philosophic Possidonius--who made war so valiantly -against the gout, which he maintains to be no evil--speaks of a dragon -which covered an acre of ground; and could swallow a knight on horseback -with as much ease as the whale did Jonas. This was, however, an -insignificant reptile compared with the one discovered in India by St. -Maximus, Archbishop of Tyre, which covered five acres of ground. - -Both in sacred and profane history, dragons have honourable mention. -Cadmus is related to have destroyed a dragon; the garden of the Hesperides -was guarded by a dragon; St. George triumphed over a dragon; and the -Dragon of Wantley has become proverbial in English song. St. Augustin, -Bishop of Hippona, speaks with authority of the existence of dragons; -describing them as winged serpents which conceal themselves in caverns -during the day-time, though they occasionally venture forth and rise into -the air. From this it was inferred, by early naturalists, that the dragon -of the ancients was one of the larger serpent tribes, having a -cartilaginous substance similar to the wings of the bat, or flying-fish, -attached to its body. - -Suetonius declares that the Emperor Tiberius possessed a pet dragon, which -was completely tame and used to eat out of his hand; probably an iguano, -the sort of lizard which forms a luxurious object of food in the West -Indies; and which, though perfectly harmless, has a frightful appearance. -Crinitus records that, in the time of the Emperor Maurice, there was an -inundation of the Tiber, which left behind it, on the land, an enormous -dragon. The same writer mentions that the Emperor Augustus kept a -prodigious dragon in his palace, which he used to lead about with a -string. A constellation serves to attest the existence of the dragon of -Lernia. - -The tame dragon of the imperial palace was probably a tame boa-constrictor -similar to the one formerly kept in the library of the late Sir Joseph -Banks. - -Various are the records in ancient authors of prodigious serpents. Pliny -declares that, in Africa, the army of Regulus was kept in check by an -enormous serpent; a statement confirmed by Aulus Gellius and other -historians, and admitted by Rollin and Bossuet in their Histoire -universelle, and Histoire ancienne. Follard refutes it in his Commentary -on Polybius; conceiving the fact of a serpent of one hundred and twenty -feet keeping at bay a large army and its engines of war to be an insult to -the prowess of the Roman warriors. The following is the opinion the -celebrated Lacépède on this subject. - -"Travellers who have penetrated into the interior of Africa," says he, -"give an account of prodigious serpents, who advance among the bushes and -towering reeds of some vast jungle, like a huge beam suddenly endowed with -motion. Herds of gazelles and other timid animals take flight on their -approach; nor can iron penetrate the skin of the monster, which is, -indeed, appalling when extended to its utmost length, and ravenous after -food. The only chance of its extermination is by setting fire to the -nearest bushes of the jungle; and thus raising, as it were, a rampart of -fire between you and the gigantic reptile. - -"Such, probably, was the serpent which arrested the progress of the Roman -army on the coast of Africa. To compute its length at one hundred and -twenty feet, after Pliny, would probably be an exaggeration; but the Roman -naturalist adds that its skin remained some time suspended, as a trophy, -in a temple in Rome. Unless we deny all authenticity to history, -therefore, we are bound to believe in the existence of a prodigious -serpent, which when irritated by hunger, was known to attack the Roman -soldiers; and against which, in the sequel, they had successful recourse -to their engines of war." - -In the same manner, a distorted account may hereafter reach posterity of -the death of Chuny, the famous elephant, which so long inhabited a -menagerie in London; until becoming rabid from the effect of high feeding -and long confinement, a party of military was called in to despatch the -infuriated animal by a discharge of musketry, which was with some -difficulty effected. - -To attest the authenticity of the serpent of the time of Regulus, Pliny -expressly adds that the tradition is the more credible, because, in former -times, the serpents called boas, frequently found in Italy, were of such -prodigious size that, during the reign of the Emperor Claudius, so large -a one was found on the Vatican hill, that after its destruction, a child -was exhibited entire in its stomach. For many centuries, no boas have been -found in Italy; though naturalists accord in asserting them to have -existed there in the olden time; just as the kingdom of England, now -wholly free from the larger beasts of prey, was formerly overrun with -wolves. - -St. Isidore of Seville discredits the existence of the Lernian hydra; -inferring from its name that hydra only implied some torrent or lake which -Hercules effectually confined within banks; thus giving rise to the -tradition of his having crushed it with his club. The traditionary -monster, called a gargouille, said to have lived near Rouen, and to have -swallowed a prodigious number of victims, is now admitted to have been -simply a whirlpool in the Seine, destroyed by an alteration in the banks -effected by St. Romain, when Bishop of that See. The anniversary of this -event, regarded as the deliverance of the city from a monster, was -celebrated at Rouen till the period of the first Revolution; a prisoner -being annually delivered by the city on the Festival of St. Romain in -honour of the miracle. The gargouille or whirlpool, of Rouen, was but a -modern edition of the hydra. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE JEWS. - - -We have already alluded incidentally to the Jews. But the children of -Israel have been too long and too perseveringly an object of persecution -to all Christian nations, not to demand a more extended consideration. - -Mankind, in the present age, though scarcely less disposed than of old to -exercise the tyrannical influence of the strong over the weak, appear to -have substituted political for religious animosities; and the war of sects -has been converted into the feuds of parties. The days of the fagot and -the pile are happily at an end; and instead of martyrs, sacrificed in the -name of religion, the victim is forced to exclaim on the scaffold: "Oh, -liberty! in thy name, how many crimes are committed!" The number of human -victims sacrificed to religious intolerance in the various countries of -the world, would, however, afford grounds for a fearful computation. - -The very existence of the Jews may be regarded as among the miracles of -the Christian religion. A wandering nation, without King, without country, -without secular laws, maintained together only by the strength of a common -worship, could never have resisted the persecutions and proscriptions of -centuries, but for the intervention of the chastening hand of God. Even in -the countries where their existence is the happiest, stigmatized by public -detestation, and in highly Catholic nations treated as lepers, as parias, -as infected sheep--condemned to the hardest, and most ignominious -tasks--beaten, spat upon, despoiled, plundered, tortured, massacred--a -prey to the cupidity of the great, and the brutality of the little--such -is the history of the Jews from the days of Titus to the present time. -Nevertheless, they not only subsist, but flourish, in spite of the -universal prejudice against the name; maintaining unchanged, their laws, -customs, usages, and even physiognomy. The abhorrence with which they are -regarded by other nations, has necessitated intermarriages from generation -to generation, which serve to maintain the pure identity of the race. - -The Romans not only detested the Jews for the same motive which produced -their hatred of the Christians, namely--the impossibility of converting -them to the worship of the false Gods of Paganism, but confounded Jews and -Christians together in a common persecution. Yet this equality before the -tribunals and executioners of the Emperors and Pro-Consuls of Rome, never -availed to diminish the mutual hatred subsisting between them. No -amalgamation was possible between them, even amid the flames of a funeral -pile. Nero, on one occasion, attempted to illuminate Rome by means of Jews -steeped in resinous matter, and thus committed to the flames. - -No sooner had the Christians obtained supreme power, than they began, in -their turn, to inflict upon the remnant of Israel all the persecutions -they had themselves sustained at the hands of the Romans. The Jews were -compelled to wear a cap surmounted by horns, to show that they were -pre-destined to eternal punishment; and in a Council held at the Lateran, -at the commencement of the thirteenth century, they were forced to adopt -for robes, stuff of a yellow colour, bearing the representation of a wheel -or rack. During Passion Week, and at Easter, it was lawful to attack them -with any degree of ferocity. In many cities, it was the custom to inflict -corporeal punishment on a Jew publicly, every Good Friday, before the -great door of the Cathedral; in some, a positive crucifixion took place! - -Eight times have the Jews been driven out of France. Dagobert enjoined -them to embrace Christianity, on pain of banishment; Robert the Pious -issued the same edict; Philip Augustus, after crucifying several at Bray -sur Seine, caused all their synagogues to be burned, seized their -possessions, released their creditors, appropriated to himself a fifth of -their substance, and the remainder to landholders of adjoining estates. -Philippe le Bel dismissed them the kingdom, leaving them only the funds -indispensable for the journey. Nevertheless they returned, to be again -exiled by Charles VI. Under Louis XIII, was issued a new edict of -banishment. It was only under Louis XVI, one of the most humane of Kings, -that the Jews were restored to rights of citizenship in France. Nor was -their condition better, at the same epochs, in Great Britain and other -adjacent countries. - -A singular chance directed the attention of Napoleon to the condition of -the Jews. A representation of Racine's "Esther" was given one night at the -Opera for a benefit; and the following morning, Talma happening to -breakfast with the Emperor, the conversation turned on the performance of -the night before. As they were discussing the character of Mardochée, -Champagny, afterwards Duc de Cadore, made his appearance, who was at that -time Minister of the Interior. Napoleon instantly began interrogating him -concerning the position and resources of the Jews in France; and desired -that a report might be drawn up on the subject, and speedily submitted to -him. - -Champagny lost no time in obeying; and the results of this accidental -circumstance was the removal of the civil disabilities of the Jews. - -The prejudice, however, attached for so many years to the remnant of -Israel, is far from extirpated; and though in more than one country of -Europe, the honours of chivalry have been bestowed upon wealthy Jews, -influential in the financial operations of the kingdom, and consequently -in its politics, the popular feeling against them is unchanged. It is even -carried to a most unreasonable degree; and the Jews are reproached with -the very pursuits and professions forced upon their adoption by Christian -persecution. Commercial speculations were of course the sole resource of a -people without country, and without protection; and though we are indebted -to them for the useful financial substitute of bills of exchange, we use -the name of Jew almost synonymously with that of extortioner, without -regard to their commercial importance and utility. - -The emancipation accorded them in France, was given chiefly for -considerations developed ten years before by Monsieur de Clermont -Tonnerre, and other celebrated orators before the National Assembly. - -"The Code of Moses," argued they, "is conceived in a twofold spirit--a -religious, and a legislative. The political laws which it contains, have -ceased to be important--being only applicable to a nation nationally -combined and organized; whereas the Jews are a scattered and wandering -tribe, rather than a nation. The religious laws are a case of conscience; -serving to enlighten the spirit, and guide the social morality of the -children of Israel. From the period of the destruction of the Temple, the -Jews have politically ceased to exist; and these religious laws may be -said to operate in France, upon Frenchmen of the Jewish persuasion; in -Poland, upon Poles of the Jewish persuasion; in Germany, upon Germans of -the Jewish persuasion, and so forth." - -Upon this showing, civil rights were conceded to them in France, on -condition of their contributing their quota to the maintenance of the laws -and Government of the country in which they were naturalized. - -Till this epoch, a prejudice had prevailed in France that it was an -article of faith and duty among the Jews, to deceive and defraud a -Christian whenever it lay in their power; and that they were bound, from -the moment of their birth, by the Jewish law, to a strong animosity -towards us Christian people. Horrible rumours have been revived, at -different times, in different countries, of secret sacrifices of the Jews, -in which the blood of a Christian was a necessary component. - -These questions were openly met and discussed in a manly and temperate -manner, in the great Sanhedrim, composed of the highest and most -enlightened Jewish authorities; when a peremptory denial was established -to all these injurious charges. Prejudices nearly as absurd, and quite as -groundless formerly existed in England against the Catholics; the removal -of their civil disabilities being equally the result of the progress of -public enlightenment. - -As regards the question of usury so often imputed to the Jews, experience -has proved of late years, that the most notorious extortioners of this -description are of the Christian faith; and it is a question of ethics to -inquire whether there be greater turpitude in openly demanding an interest -of thirty per cent for a loan of money, or in obtaining the same profit by -sale or barter of commodities. A considerable number of tradesmen who -pride themselves upon their strict integrity, require a much higher ratio -of profit than the per centage of the money-lending Jews; nor is it -necessary to remind the reader that some of the most eminent bankers in -Europe, renowned equally for their probity and liberality, are of the -Jewish persuasion. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -VERBAL DELICACY. - - -There are certain words which appear to offend public delicacy more than -the very objects they designate; till it might almost be inferred that all -the sensitiveness of human nature had concentrated itself in the ear. The -study of ancient and modern languages will attest the truth of this -assertion; for many things are to be learned in a vocabulary besides the -idiom it pretends to teach. - -The stern Romans, for instance, who affected so stoical a disregard of -death, would not allow the word to be pronounced in their presence; though -the lives of their children was by the law placed at their mercy. Their -sense of delicacy would have been offended had it been mentioned before -them that such a one was "dead." It was necessary to say, "he hath lived." -In the noble defence of Milo, by Cicero, he dared not qualify by the -appropriate word the act of assassination committed by the slaves of his -client; but declared by periphrasis that under these circumstances, "the -slaves of Milo did what it became them to do." - -To the title of King, the Romans had vowed an eternal hatred, created by -the traditionary opprobrium of the Tarquins, and their contempt of the -innumerable Kings subjected to their arms, and dragged behind their -triumphal cars. But when Cæsar proclaimed himself Emperor, and assumed a -more sovereign power than the history of nations had as yet recorded, the -Roman people applauded the kingly office presented to them under any other -than the name abhorred. The same circumstance occurred in France at the -commencement of the present century. The French, after devoting themselves -to the extermination of Kings, hailed with delight the coronation of an -Emperor; though to proclaim himself "King" would have ensured the -premature downfall of Napoleon. - -Of late years, the ears of the world have become more than ever chaste and -refined; and certain words freely used by Shakspeare, in presence of the -Court of the Virgin Queen, and by Molière, in presence of that of the most -dignified of European monarchs, are now utterly proscribed, and expunged -from the modern stage. The fluctuations of opinion on these points, are -highly diverting. Dean Swift relates that, in his early days, the word -"whiskers" could not be mentioned in a lady's presence; a fact we should -be inclined to class among the ingenious fictions of the Dean of St. -Patrick; but that at the present day, that rational nation, the Americans, -have not courage to pronounce the word leg, even in talking of the limb of -a table or of a partridge. The false delicacy of the English takes refuge -in a foreign language. All such articles of dress or furniture as are held -of a nature unmentionable to ears polite, are named in French; as if the -word _chemise_ were a less explicit designation of an indispensable under -garment than the matter of fact word shift! All this is contemptible -hyprocrisy, and a silly compromise with common sense. Such an abbreviation -as crim. con. conveys fully as indelicate an allusion as the same words -written and pronounced in full. - -The author of the School for Scandal objected to so great a variety of -words as coarse and indelicate from female lips, that there sometimes -existed a difficulty in narrating to him the ordinary events of life. - -On the other hand, it is surprising how much may be effected by a change -of name with those whose ears are more impressionable than their -understanding. The French had signified pretty loudly at the revolution -their national opposition to a conscription, and to the _droits réunis_. -Against these exercises of administrative tyranny, they were prepared to -break into rebellion. Instead, however, of arguing with their pertinacity, -the Government wisely applauded it; substituting for a conscription, the -recruiting system, and for the _droits réunis_ the _contributions -indirectes_. We should be glad if any one would point out to us what was -changed in these two important departments of public service, besides the -name? This paltering, in a double sense, reminds us of the story of a -Frenchman, who was examining a library with persons more enlightened than -himself. "Ah! there are the works of my friend, Cicero," cried he. -"_Cicéron, c'est le même que Marc-Tulle._" - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -AEROLITES AND MIRACULOUS SHOWERS. - - -The fall of aërolites, often termed by the vulgar a shower of stones, is -either more frequent than in days of yore, or attracts more general -attention. - -The record of similar phenomena has, however, been handed down to us by -the ancients; for we are told of a shower of stones which, in the days of -Tullus Hostilius, fell upon the city immediately after the ruin of Alba. - -"While the Senate was occupied in its deliberations," says Livy, "a shower -of stones fell from Heaven upon the Alban Mount. The Prince, astonished at -the report of such a phenomenon, sent to ascertain the truth, and found -that a shower of pebbles had really fallen, similar to hailstones." - -Before the time of the Romans, the Greeks had witnessed similar phenomena. -In the Thracian Chersonesus there fell a huge greyish stone, which excited -the greatest consternation. - -A stone existed in Rome known as the stone of the Mother of the Gods, -which had originally fallen from the sky, like that of the Thracian -Chersonesus. It fell at Pessinuntum, in Phrygia, where the priests held it -in great veneration. The oracle at Rome having given out that the fortunes -of the Republic were secure if it could possess itself of this inestimable -treasure, the Senate sent an embassy into Phrygia by Scipio Nasica, who -enlarged upon the ties existing between the Phrygians and Romans through -Æneas; and skilfully setting forth the power of Rome and the protection -she was able to concede to the Pessinuntians, the priests gave up the -sacred stone. It was immediately carried in procession to Rome, exposed to -public view, and an annual festival instituted in its honour. - -A similar stone, which stood near the Temple of Delphos, was equally -venerated, and endowed with a still more marvellous origin; being supposed -to issue from the belly of Saturn, the God of the stone eaters. Tradition -recorded that Saturn, having swallowed it, and found it difficult of -digestion, threw it up again, when it fell in Greece. Upon this point, -Pausanias and Nonnus concur with the tradition. - -In the sixteenth century, a descent of stones took place on Mount Lebanon, -accompanied by a luminous globe. Various other instances might be cited -from the ancients; but these may suffice to establish proof of identity -between the modern and ancient phenomena. In most instances, they have -been supposed to be of divine origin and of ominous nature. Damascius -mentions that a physician of his day, named Eusebius, carried one about -his person, which conduced greatly to the relief of his patients. - -In the sixteenth century, it is stated that there fell near the Adda, in -Italy, nearly twelve hundred stones, one of which weighed one hundred, and -another sixty pounds. True is it that Cardan makes the assertion, which is -therefore doubtful. But Gassendi, who is deserving of credit, states that -on the 27th of November, 1627, with a clear atmosphere, at ten A.M., he -saw a luminous stone, about four feet in diameter, descend from Heaven -upon Mount Vaisian. It was enveloped in a luminous circle of various -colours, and passed at a hundred paces from two men, who estimated its -elevation at thirty-six feet. It gave out a hissing noise like a rocket, -accompanied with a smell of sulphur, and fell two hundred feet from the -spectators, plunging itself three feet into the soil. It was of a metallic -hue, and weighed fifty-four pounds; and is still to be seen at Aix, in -Provence. The largest ever known, fell at Ensisheim, in Alsace, in 1492; -its weight being near three hundred pounds. In the Abbé Richard's Natural -History of the Air, there is a description of a fall of stones which -took place in 1768, in Maine; from which we extract the following passage: - -"During a hurricane that took place near the Château of Lucé, in the -Province of Maine, a clap of thunder was heard, followed by a noise -similar to the roar of a wild beast; which was audible for many leagues -round. Some persons in the parish of Périgné thought they perceived a -dense body fall with great velocity into a meadow near the high road to -Mans; and on hurrying to the spot, found the stone imbedded in the ground. -At first, it was hot; but soon cooling, they were enabled to examine it at -leisure. It weighed seven pounds and a half, and was in form triangular; -or rather it had three protuberances, of which the one plunged in the -earth was grey, and the two others black. A fragment being submitted to -the examination of the Royal Academy of Sciences, for analysis, they -pronounced it neither to originate in thunder, nor to have fallen from the -skies, nor to be composed of mineral particles fused by the action of the -electric fluid; but a species of pyrites, giving out a smell of sulphur -during its solution. One hundred grains of this substance yielded, upon -analysis, eight grains and a half of sulphur, thirty-six of iron, and -fifty-five and a half of vitrifiable earth." The evidence of science, -however, seldom reaches the ear of the vulgar; and it would be difficult -to persuade the populace that aërolites do not fall from the sky. - -Aristotle, in mentioning the stone that fell in Thrace, rejects the idea -of its coming from the heavens; and Pliny confesses that most naturalists -are of the same opinion. This was a step towards the extinction of a -popular error. Fréret denies the existence of atmospheric stones, and -declares them to be volcanic emissions driven by the force of the winds. -He supposes Mount Albano to have been formerly a volcano; and that the -stones that fell must have issued from a re-opening of the crater. -Falconet, the sculptor, wrote a volume to prove that Pliny was in error -concerning atmospheric stones. While the learned world was thus at -variance, the multitude was justified in asserting them to fall from the -moon, since men of science were unable to prove the contrary. - -On the 26th of April, 1803, there fell a vast number of atmospheric stones -at Aigle, in the department of Orne. The peasants of the place, thinking -it was the end of the world, fell on their knees invoking divine mercy; -and even their betters shared their alarm. This phenomenon happened most -opportunely, as the world of science, both in Paris and London, was just -then discussing similar occurrences which had taken place in India and -Provence; and after most diligent inquiry, the Institute resolved to -despatch one of its members to the spot. Monsieur Biot, an enthusiast in -the cause of science, arrived on the spot on the 16th of July, and -collected the following facts. - -"About one o'clock, P.M., the sky being calm, with only a few greyish -clouds above the horizon, which did not diminish the fineness of the -weather, a luminous globe was seen, from Caen, from Pont Audemer, from the -vicinity of Alençon, Falaise, and Verneuil, rushing with great velocity -through the atmosphere; and immediately afterwards, a violent explosion -was heard at Aigle and thirty leagues round; lasting six minutes, and -resembling a discharge of artillery followed by that of musketry, and -terminating as with a roll of drums. - -"A small cloud of rectangular form seemed to have been the origin of all -this terrible noise; the broader side of which was towards the west. It -appeared to be motionless throughout the phenomenon; vapours being emitted -after each discharge. The cloud was very high in the air. The inhabitants -of two villages, situated a league asunder, perceived it as if exactly -suspended above their heads. A hissing noise, similar to a stone hurled -from a sling, was heard wherever it hovered; and at the same time, -numerous solid bodies fell, which being collected, proved to be meteoric -stones. - -"When tested, they were found to contain sulphur, iron in the metallic -state, magnesia and nickel; which, in the mineral kingdom have no -analogy." - -Monsieur Biot also stated that the direction of the meteor was precisely -that of the magnetic meridian; an important remark, as a guide for future -observations. The great point gained in this inquiry, is that the highest -order of science, agreeing with the earliest professors, adopts what by -progressive science was denied. - -The fact of showers of stones being established, all that remains to be -proved is their origin. Some still assert that they fall from the moon; -others attribute them to volcanos. Neither fact can be proved; and the -descent of aërolites at present remains a mystery. - -One phenomenon often succeeds another; and shortly after the fall of -stones at Aigle, a shower of peas took place in Spain, and the kingdom of -Leon. This last phenomenon occurred in the month of May of the same year; -and, in Spain, fifteen quintals of an unknown seed were collected after a -violent storm; being round in form, white in colour, less than peas in -size, and resembling no known seed. They seemed, however, to belong to the -leguminous family of plants. Cavanilla, the botanist, analized them -without being able to determine their class. These productions, at least, -could neither be supposed to come from the moon, nor to have a volcanic -origin. Some of the seeds were sown in the Botanic Garden of Madrid, but -without result. This is, however, by no means a solitary instance of a -miraculous shower. - -Pliny, Livy, Solinus, and Julius Obsequius have recorded showers of blood, -milk, wool, money, and pieces of flesh! Those authors make frequent -mention of such occurrences; dupes, no doubt, to the traditions of the -ancients. Lamothe Levayer, however, surpasses them all, and mentions the -fall of a man from the sky. Unless from a balloon, or the scaffolding of -some lofty building, we must be permitted to doubt; though he may, -perhaps, allude to some individual carried up by the force of a whirlwind; -for in the autumn of 1812, on the road to Genoa, a mule was raised up by -the wind, sustained during thirty seconds in the air, then disappeared in -a ravine, where it probably perished. - -If we deny the existence of showers of blood, we must admit that there -have been phenomena such as to justify impostors in propagating such -delusions. During the Siege of Genoa, in 1774, there fell a red rain upon -the suburb of San Pietro d'Arena, which caused much consternation among -the inhabitants; the wind having carried up a quantity of red earth, which -proved the cause of general alarm. A similar phenomenon took place, near -Hermanstadt, in Transylvania. - -"On the 17th of May, 1810," says a German journal, "there was a rain of -blood which lasted a quarter of an hour, accompanied by a violent storm, -and gusts of wind towards the south-west. Being collected on the spot by a -physician, and submitted to the chemical tests of sulphurated nitrous, -muriatic acid, acetate of lead, lime water, mercury, and saponaceous -spirit, it exhibited neither precipitation, nor loss of colour. Tested -with a solution of alum and fixed alkali, the precipitate induced a belief -that the colouring matter of this strange rain pertained to the vegetable -kingdom. - -To elucidate the mystery of the rain at Hermanstadt, it sufficed to -inquire in what point was the wind. For on examining the localities in the -southwesterly direction, the hills proved to be clothed with fir, in -bloom, and the rain of blood was instantly explained. For in the North of -Europe rains of a reddish yellow, impregnated with the bloom of the fir, -constantly occur. - -In 1608, the walls of Aix in Provence were covered with red spots, which -the people conceived to be blood. But Peiresc, a man of profound science, -undeceived them by proving them to be the spots left by a species of -butterfly on emerging from its crysalis; the number having been immense -that year at Aix. - -Till balloons and other aërial carriages are used as engines of warfare, -we despair of having to record an authentic shower of blood, or any other -than common place hail, rain, and snow. There is an instance of a shower -of money, or rather of false coinage, mentioned by Dion Cassius; who -states that a certain rain turned copper white, assigning to it the hue of -silver, which lasted for three days. This is far from miraculous; as it -requires only a portion of volatilized mercury to mingle with the rain, as -in the instance of the fir bloom, to produce such an effect. - -Showers of milk are explained by cretaceous matter carried into the air by -whirlwinds. The shreds of human flesh we read of are the red fragments -vomited by volcanoes; while showers of wool consist of the down of certain -trees, such as willows and osiers. Showers of cinders are of course the -result of volcanic eruption. The wind conveys them a prodigious distance; -for when Herculaneum and Pompeii were imbedded in lava, the ashes fell at -Rome, and even in Africa. - -About a century ago, the deck of a vessel sailing from Marseilles to -Martinique was covered with ashes some inches deep, which were known to -proceed from an earthquake in the Island of St. Vincent. No other cause -could be assigned, though the vessel was one hundred leagues from the -island. The velocity of a cannon-ball or shell has been calculated; but -that of the wind, like the origin of the meteoric stones, remains a -problem. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -NOSTRUMS AND SPECIFICS. - - -The title of "Talisman" might be fairly prefixed to this chapter; but we -will content ourselves with the word nostrum. Considering the number of -these specifics, and the blind confidence of the world in their efficacy, -the credulous must be surprised at the ailments which still afflict -humanity. Previous to the introduction of quinine, the ague was supposed -to be cured by dipping in three holy waters, in three different churches, -on the same Sunday; a difficult remedy for people residing where there is -only one church! A variety of charms for the ague are still in popular -use. - -Unsuccessful gamesters used formerly to make a knot in their linen; of -late years they have contented themselves with changing their chair as a -remedy against ill-luck. As a security against cowardice, it was once only -necessary to wear a pin plucked from the winding sheet of a corpse. To -insure a prosperous accouchement to your wife, you had but to tie her -girdle to a bell and ring it three times. To get rid of warts, you were to -fold up in a rag as many peas as you had warts, and throw them upon the -high road; when the unlucky person who picked them up became your -substitute. In the present day, to cure a tooth-ache, you go to your -dentist. In the olden time you would have solicited alms in honour of St. -Lawrence, and been relieved without cost or pain. - -The greater number of these charms or remedies were not resorted to by the -multitude alone, but recommended by Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus. In the -treaty on superstitions by the learned Curé, Thiers, these remedies are -recorded; being about as effective as the talismans of the ancients, -including the famed Palladium of Troy. - -Rome had faith in celestial bucklers, and the stone of the Mother of the -Gods. Virgil was skilled in the composition of talismans; a brazen fly -attributed to him attained more celebrity in his time than the immortal -"Georgics." This fly being suspended from one of the gates of Naples, the -charm proved so effective, that not a fly entered that city for a space of -eight years. A trumpet held by a statue, also invented by Virgil, -possessed the power of laying the dust in his garden! - -Gregory of Tours mentions that the city of Paris was secured from rats, -snakes, and fires, during a long period by means of a rat, a snake, and -dormouse of brass, which were destroyed by the Vandals. Pliny suggests -that Milo of Crotona was indebted for his prodigious strength to a -talisman, as we know that of Samson to have lain in his hair. The Egyptian -warriors wore figures of scarabs, in order to fortify their courage; and -Dr. Hufeland informs us that a German army having been defeated by the -French in the olden time, talismans were found upon the bodies of the dead -and wounded. - -Among the first talismans was that mentioned by Suidas as worn by the -Kings of Egypt to endow them with the love of justice. Pericles was proud -of wearing a talisman presented to him by the Grecian ladies. Macrobus -relates that the victors in the public games used to procure themselves -little boxes, in which mathematicians had inclosed preservatives against -envy; while Thiers informs us that an illustrious astrologer invented a -talisman for intercepting the approach of flies to a house; when to his -horror, no sooner was it suspended, than a fly, more daring than the rest, -deposed a contemptuous mark of disregard upon the charm. The absurdity of -these inventions, it is needless to assert; but let us consider the -subject of the ancient talismans simply as subjects only of curiosity. - -Talismans were cast in metal melted under the influence of a -constellation communicating some specific virtue. Amulets, talismans of a -secondary order, but equally efficacious, were formed of plants, figures -designed on ivory, metals, or precious stones. Such designs were called -"_gamahez_"--whence the word "_cameo_;"--and were preservatives against -fever, rheumatism, gout, tooth-ache, paralysis, apoplexy, cold, and other -diseases. The Platonists were great champions of amulets and talismans. -Gaffard wrote a treatise in assertion of their efficacy, and to defend -them against the imputation of magic. Not many years ago, the ladies of -Paris used to wear iron rings, manufactured by the celebrated locksmith, -Georget, which, like the galvanic rings now in fashion, were considered a -guarantee against the headache. A few uneradicated roots of popular -prejudice will always remain to produce a new crop. - -How were simple mortals to suppose themselves in error when following such -examples as Cato, Varro, and Julius Cæsar? The two first conceived that no -evil could overtake them so long as they made use of certain mysterious -words; and Cæsar, after falling out of his chariot, would not resume his -place till he had recited certain words to which he attributed the virtue -of warding off falls. - -Father Thiers relates that, in his time, the Benedictines of Germany and -France pretended to possess medals which protected them and their cattle -from accidents, sorcery, and witchcraft. According to his version, about -the year 1647, there was a vigorous crusade against sorcery, and many -magicians were executed. At Straubing, several declared, when legally -examined, that their maledictions were of no effect upon either the cattle -or inhabitants of the Castle of Nattemberg, in which were deposited -certain medals of St. Benedict, of which they gave the precise -description. A certain number of initials were inscribed upon them, which -being filled up with Latin words, signified "Divine cross, guide my steps, -banish Satan, cease to tempt me, I know thy poisons, and will eschew -them." No sooner did the monks hear of this discovery than they began -casting medals of a peculiar kind, which soon abounded in Germany. - -The French Benedictines became equally zealous; and having struck a -similar medal, published that it contained a charm against witchcraft and -disease, and was a guarantee against all ailings of man or beast; the -former requiring only to carry them in their pockets, the latter suspended -bell-fashion from their necks. - -Father Thiers so far from accrediting the efficacy of these medals, -declares that the French Benedictines ought to be too enlightened to -encourage such absurdities. But whether in good or bad faith, certain it -is that they made a speculation of trading with the medals. Thiers also -treats as impostors the curers of burns, and preventers of fire, who -pretend to disregard the danger of fire arms. According to a popular -tradition, a burn was cured by saying: "Fire lose thy heat, as Judas did -his colour when he betrayed the Lord." A chimney on fire was extinguished -by making three crosses upon the chimney-piece. Any fire was quickly -subdued by throwing an egg into the flames, which had been laid on the -Thursday, or Friday of Holy Week, during the celebration of divine -service. No fire arms availed against a person repeating thrice, "Malatus -dives fulgiter regissa," or wearing a band with a mystical inscription, -every letter being separated by a cross. The learned father declares such -practices to be absurd, and relates the following anecdote. - -"An old woman of Louvain, who had an affection of the eyes was assured she -had only to pronounce a few mysterious words to be cured. She instantly -addressed a young scholar of the University, offering to present him with -a new coat if he would write the words she dictated to him. The youth -consented, and seemed to write as she dictated. But on delivering to her -the sealed document, he enjoined her not to open it till she was cured, on -which she presented him the new coat and withdrew. Shortly afterwards, -her eyes being recovered, she confided her secret to a neighbour suffering -from the same affliction; who taking the mysterious paper into her care, -received the same benefit. Enchanted by their good fortune, they -determined to know the secret, and broke the seal of the document; which -was found to contain the following phrase, which the youth had maliciously -inserted. 'May the devil tear out thine eyes, old witch, and fill up the -sockets with burning embers.'" - -In the beginning of the last century, there were individuals who professed -to have a powder which extinguished fire. This was contained in a barrel, -and thrown into the flames. The barrel was in fact double, the external -one being full of water, the internal charged with gunpowder sufficient to -cause an explosion; and the water so dispersed, of course, extinguished -the fire, if inconsiderable. Had the authors of this invention not kept it -secret, we might have respected them; for though it produced no great -result, an idea though only half conceived may be the forerunner of more -important discoveries. Attempts have been made of late years to guarantee -thatched roofs against fire, by impregnating them with a preparation of -which we know not the composition. The success, though not complete, -should not be discouraged; for repeated experiments may be finally -successful. Flowers of sulphur are often employed for the extinction of -fires in chimnies, possessing properties which render the action of fire -less intense. - -However absurd the miraculous virtues attributed to talismans and amulets, -in some cases, the security they inspire may be of use to those who have -faith in their power. Imagination counts for something in the moral -organisation of man; and through the constant action and reaction of the -one on the other, the body may be at times advantageously soothed by the -serenity conferred on the mind through the influence of the fancy. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -PHYSIOGNOMISTS. - - -The world and its inhabitants are still exposed to a variety of grievous -afflictions and visitations in spite of the infallible nostrums for -preventing them, in general use; which appears surprising when we consider -the number of able scientific men constantly devoted to the study of our -physical nature, and the plausible novel theories which they every now and -then unfold to the world. Let those who devote themselves to the study of -physiological science persevere in their researches; which if not valuable -to others are at least amusing to themselves. According to the Abbé -Cottin's line, - - "The pleasure is to learn and not to know." - -Between the successive systems of Lavater and Gall, we give the decided -preference to the latter; the studies and experiments upon which are -founded on principles equally applicable to all human beings, whatever -their condition, sex, age, or habits; whether belonging to an -uncultivated or civilised state; while all other systems for promoting the -knowledge of human character, gravitate in a sphere more or less -exceptional; so that the application could never become general. An -eminent magistrate used to pretend that he could capitally convict a man -by a sight of his handwriting; and many people affect to pronounce upon -the shades and variations of human character on a similar indication. - -Considering the number of persons ignorant of the calligraphic art, we -almost prefer the system of the barber of Picard, who needed only to shave -a man to judge of his disposition! - -All the inferential systems that now command our attention were subjects -of contemplation to the ancients. Human physiognomy, above all, must have -ever presented a subject of powerful interest. It is a daily object of -reflection to all men, though unperceived by ourselves. A countenance -pleases or displeases us at first sight; yet we know not whether it be -beauty that charms, or the want of it that repels us. A face which charms -one man, disgusts another. Such a person is said to have a happy -countenance, such another, an unhappy one, on which the former may be -felicitated, the latter pitied; but it is most unfair to deduce from such -evidence the existence of good qualities in the one, or vices and defects -in the other. Such, however, is the elementary study of Physiognomy, and -such the delusion which our antipathies often create. - -Dimension and proportion first attracted the attention of the -philosophers. Aristotle compares a man whose head possesses extraordinary -volume to an owl; while Albertus Magnus looks upon him as an idiot; and -the physician, Porta, significantly informs us that Vitellius had an -immense head. If, on the contrary, a man possess a cerebrum of the usual -circumference, but exceeding by a little the volume of ordinary heads, the -same authors regard him as a man of superior intelligence, endowed with a -noble soul, a brilliant and fertile imagination; and, as an example, -adduce the head of Plato which exceeded in proportion the remainder of his -body. Alexander the Great had a small head, compared even with his person, -which as is well known was diminutive. - -The quality and colour of the hair was likewise a subject of speculative -theory for the ancients. Lank hair was considered indicative of -pusillanimity and cowardice; yet the head of Napoleon was guiltless of a -curl! Frizzly hair was thought an indication of coarseness and clumsiness. -The hair most in esteem, was that terminating in ringlets. Dares, the -historian, states that Achilles and Ajax Telamon had curling locks; such -also was the hair of Cymon, the Athenian. As to the Emperor Augustus, -nature had favoured him with such redundant looks, that no hair-dresser -in Rome could produce the like. Auburn or light brown hair was thought the -most distinguished, as portending intelligence, industry, a peaceful -disposition, as well as great susceptibility to the tender passion. Castor -and Pollux had brown hair; so also had Menelaus. Black hair does not -appear to have been esteemed by the Romans; but red was an object of -aversion. Ages before the time of Judas, red hair was thought a mark of -reprobation, both in the case of Typhon, who deprived his brother of the -sceptre of Egypt, and Nebuchednezzar who acquired it in expiation of his -atrocities. Even the donkey tribe suffered from this ill-omened -visitation, according to the proverb of "wicked as a red ass." Asses of -that colour were held in such detestation among the Copths, that every -year they sacrificed one by hurling it from a high wall. - -Next in importance to the hair, were the ears; the size and shape of which -harmless cartilages, supplied important conjectures. According to -Aristotle, large ears are indicative of imbecility; while small ones -announce madness. Ears which are flat, point out the rustic and brutal -man. Those of the fairest promise, are firm and of middling size. Happy -the man who boasts of square ears; a sure indication of sublimity of soul -and purity of life. Such, according to Suetonius, were the ears of the -Emperor Augustus. - -Having considered the conformation of the head, the colour and quality of -the hair, and the shape of the ears, let us treat of the complexion; of -which the most unfavourable is the yellow, livid, or leaden, like those of -Caligula, Attila, and the most notorious tyrants of the olden time. The -eyes should neither be too large nor too little; the first announcing -laziness, like those of the ox. Such were the eyes of Domitian, the -vainest, most inert, and cowardly of men. Upon this point, Aristotle is at -complete variance with Homer; who is so enraptured with large eyes, that, -in order to define the beauty of those of Juno, he names her _Boopis_ or -"ox-eyed." Neither large nor small eyes afford proof of intellect; and no -person who is not afflicted with squinting has any right to complain. - -It is usual to consider large eyes the finest, a prejudice so universal, -that it is commonly said, "She is ugly, certainly; but then she has such -fine eyes!"--or, "She is a pretty woman; but her eyes are too small." -Whereas neither form nor dimension constitutes the beauty or influence of -eyes; but rather their expression. The colour of eyes is a mere matter of -taste; though Aristotle asserts that persons gifted with almond shaped -blue eyes, are frank and intelligent; with brown, clever and good; with -green, courageous and enterprising. As to black eyes, Aristotle pronounces -them to be the sure prognostics of timidity and pusillanimity. Red eyes -are indicative of bad temper. The gossips of France have quite as good a -theory as that of Aristotle; viz: that "Les yeux bleus vont aux cieux; les -yeux gris, en Paradis; les yeux noirs, en purgatoire, les yeux verts, en -enfer!" - -Bushy eyebrows are indicative of a brutal obstinate and impious character; -long eyebrows, of arrogance, and insolence; spare eyebrows, of effeminacy -and cowardice. But if they are thick, flexible, and parallel, you may rely -on a sound judgment and superior wisdom. Such are ever the brows of -Jupiter; attesting the theory of Aristotle. - -The question of noses occupies a prominent place in theories of the human -physiognomy. The flat nose is indicative of a propensity to pleasure and -luxury; the pointed, of ill-temper and frivolity; a deviation from the -straight line, of a disposition to malice and repartee. Since the days of -Aristotle, this opinion has been permanent; a crooked nose, being the -attribute of a satirical mind. The owner of a diminutive nose, is usually -cunning and dissimulating; of a large nose, imprudent and discourteous. - -Let us here observe, that if there be one feature in the human face more -characteristic than another, it is the nose. Examine the head of a -skeleton which exhibits trace of human features, save the nasal bone; -which though prominent, is an integral part of the cerebral globe. Now if -the brain be the seat of intelligence, may not the nose be influenced by -its propinquity to the brain? Humbly submitting this question to the -consideration of science, we proceed to consider the theories of other -speculators. - -Amongst Europeans, the Italians rank first for beauty of nose; the Dutch, -for the excessive ugliness of that feature. The English nose is apt to be -thick and cartilaginous; that of the Jews, somewhat crooked. In France, -almost every man of genius has had a well-formed nose. Short and flat -noses, so censured by Aristotle, still rank low in the science of -physiognomy. Socrates, however, was a singular instance of a hideous nose. -Boerhaave and Gibbon possessed one of the same disagreeable form. - -The mouth attracted the notice of the ancients as much as the nose. A -moderate mouth was, in their estimation, a symbol of courage, capacity, -and nobleness of heart. The indication indeed was infallible when -accompanied with a square and well-formed chin, an expansive forehead, and -firm and rosy cheeks. The Greeks did not confine their observations to the -head and face in forming a judgment of the moral and intellectual -faculties; but regarded every component part of the human frame. Since, -however, we are more discreetly clothed than the Greeks, we decline -following their researches. The eyelids, nails, moles, and even teeth, -were taken into consideration: more especially the latter, as indicative -of the workings of the mind. If authentic, the science of physiognomy -would be universally studied, for how useful would it be to detect the -good or evil qualities of man or woman by a glance at their faces! As it -stands at present, however, many false inferences would be made. For -instance, we are told that well shaped blue eyes, portend intelligence and -frankness; qualities incompatible with a sound nose. But if found -together, as is often the case, what is to be decided between two positive -contradictions, the nose rendering impossible the virtues promised by the -eyes? The indications of the mouth and eyebrows may be equally at -variance; and physiognomy presents a tissue of similar contradictions. - -Having established the fallacy of the physiognomical system, we must -nevertheless render homage to the sagacity of Lavater, to his ingenious -and fascinating system, and conscientious enthusiasm for an art which he -has enriched with much valuable observations, and endeavoured to elevate -into a science. Lavater was sincerely devoted to his art, which -predominated over every other idea, and exalted his imagination to such a -degree, that he became rather the poet than the disciple of physiognomy. -Gifted with a highly impressionable nature, the countenances of certain -persons used to haunt his memory; and in early life, he made such -striking inferences from certain physiognomies, that he was induced to -persist in his studies. - -"My first attempts," said he, "were pitiful. Required to furnish a -discourse to the Society of Sciences at Zurich, I decided upon the theme -of physiognomy, and composed it with heedlessness and precipitation. - -"I was censured, praised, and laughed at; and could not refrain from -smiling, well aware how much of this was undeserved. At this moment, my -physiognomical convictions are so strong that I decide upon certain faces -with as absolute a certainty as of my existence." - -The sincerity of Lavater is undeniable. But even had we his convictions, -we should hesitate to decide in favour of the infallibility or -applicability of his system; which is more the result of a peculiar -personal sagacity, constantly on the watch, than the efficacy of the art. -A man may be born a physiognomist. But to become one by mere force of -study, is next to impossible. - -Zopirus was doubtless a great physiognomist. One day, on entering the -school of Socrates, he pronounced, at a glance, a man who was present to -be extremely vicious; and his conjecture was correct. But such sweeping -applications of the art of physiognomy would sanction calumny, by allowing -the accidents of nature to be made a test of character; when the -influence of religion, reason, or education might have successfully -subdued them. Were such a verdict held good, a fatal impediment would be -placed against all moral improvement. Refinement of intellect is often -connected with a coarse exterior; and the most prepossessing physiognomy -with the grossest violations of decency. "A pretty woman deficient in -sense," says Madame de Staël, "is a flower without fragrance;" and how -many scentless flowers of this kind are to be met with in society!--The -face of the esteemed La Fontaine was that of an idiot. Jean Jacques -Rousseau was remarkable for a stupid serenity of countenance, wholly at -variance with the impetuous and volcanic nature of his mind. The face of -Fénélon was devoid of all expression. I have heard of two brothers, one -possessing a charming countenance, and yet a rascal; the other, a -villainous face, yet a perfectly honest man. Moreover, our features are -constantly varying; and if our moral and intellectual faculties are to be -inferred from these changes, how are we to establish or follow up any -fixed principle, amid such a labyrinth of confusion? A system based upon -the general development of the brain is far more rational; because the -lobes of the brain are born with us, and if time develop them, it is in -manifest proportions. - -We admit, therefore, the talents of certain individuals for pronouncing -upon the characters of men, according to their physiognomy; and that they -may, by constant practice, enhance this personal aptitude. Individuals -educated for a diplomatic career, ought not to neglect this study, -proficiency in which is essential to their success. To divine, yet never -be divined; to read the physiognomy of others, while your own is devoid of -expression, formed one of the grand secrets of Monsieur de Talleyrand. -Most people who converse with a multiplicity of persons become -physiognomists; and if mistaken in their judgments, are less often so than -those who have intercourse with few. But the civilized man is so different -from the being pure from the hands of his Creator, that any system -comprising confusedly the state of nature and of civilization must -necessarily be fallacious. - -Study Lavater, therefore, and practice his art as a recreation among -friends; but make no serious conclusions drawn from physiognomical rules, -which abound in contradictions. - -Let us now proceed to point out the similitudes of feature betwixt certain -men and certain animals. Though we were created after the image of God, -many theorists establish physiognomical analogies between man and the -animal race. These speculators pretend that every human being had his -correspondent beast in this world; just as every good Christian has his -patron among the elect of Paradise. Charles Lebrun, the favourite painter -of Louis XIV, was a zealous adherent to this theory. Before his time, -Porta had devoted his attention to this ancient supposition; and -congratulated himself upon having detected a likeness between the face of -a setter and that of the divine Plato; an idea which prompted further -speculation. That a painter continually watching nature under every aspect -should be allured by such a theory, in which his practised eye has -compared and approximated objects, and detected similitudes unintelligible -to the vulgar, cannot be surprising. A mere hint, or trace suffices him -for the composition of a face, just as Cuvier recomposed the Mastodon by -merely seeing one of the bones. - -After profound studies, Charles Lebrun concluded that every human face had -features more or less correspondant with those of the various animal -species. His opinion rested upon a diagram, uniting a quantity of designs -with an explanatory text. The designs still exist, but the text is not -forthcoming; though something is known of it by means of one of his pupils -who survived him. Lebrun could distinguish by a glance at an animal's -head, whether it were carnivorous, or herbivorous, timid, or bold, -peaceful, or ferocious. To the bump on the higher part of the nose, he -assigned the locality of courage. To ascertain this endowment, either in -man or animals, therefore, you had only to cast an eye on the nose. "All -men of eminence," said he, "have well proportioned noses, of which the -aquiline has ever been esteemed the most distinguished; probably from its -similitude to the beak of the king of the air--the eagle. The Persians -esteemed the aquiline nose so highly, that supreme power was inaccessible -without it. Cyrus, Artaxerxes, and every monarch who ever swayed the -eastern world, boasted of this mark of distinction. - -Like all new theories, the paradoxes of Lebrun commanded much attention, -presenting a subject of inexhaustible controversy, as coming within the -scope of every one's observation. According to the system of Lebrun, the -Great Condé enjoyed the distinction of possessing the most heroic nose in -the kingdom, which, of course, brought the system into credit. Examine the -designs of Lebrun. The analogy between certain men and animals there -portrayed, is most striking. But the skill of a clever artist contrives -and exaggerates resemblances, like the wit of the caricaturist, whose -monstrosities, however absurd, often exhibit a remarkable degree of -likeness. - -As regards mere physical analogy, nothing can be cleverer than the works -of Grandville, whose animals seem to emulate our absurdities, habits, and -manners. But Lebrun and his disciples looked upon the thing seriously; -instituting pernicious deductions from certain accidents of form, and -tending to approximate enlightened man to the brute creation. The -materialism thus inculcated, would lead to the most serious moral -results. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -LAST WORDS OF DYING PERSONS. - - -Are the last words of the dying to be considered prophetic? Is a -supernatural intelligence vouchsafed to the last efforts of expiring -nature? Examples are cited in substantiation of this belief; but the -subject is one demanding the most serious consideration. Napoleon was of -opinion that Hannibal was the greatest warrior of antiquity; founding his -opinion upon the fact that the Roman historians, in describing his -character, must have rather disparaged than aggrandised the great enemy of -Rome. This luminous appreciation acquires to be constantly kept in view. -Every historian is more or less biassed with regard to the personages he -describes. He relates events after their accomplishment, and occasionally -miraculous incidents to enhance the value of his recital. - -The words spoken on death-beds may have been accidentally realized; as -often occurs to the prophesies of the living. But this does not confer -the gift of prophecy upon every death-bed. - -Ferdinand IV., King of Castille, having been cited by one of his victims -to appear in the presence of God; died on the thirtieth day. But the most -remarkable summons of this nature was that made by Jacques Molay, Grand -Master of the Templars, to Philip le Bel and Clement V., to appear in the -presence of God forty days before the end of the year. At the time -specified, Clement was carried to the tomb; but Philip did not follow him -until a year later, 1314, the martyrdom of the Templars having taken place -in 1312. It is true that Ferdinand IV. condemned to death the Brothers -Carvajal, unjustly accused of the murder of a Spanish gentleman; and that -their citation to the King in their dying moments was accomplished to a -day. But the health of the monarch was, at the time of their condemnation, -much impaired by the excesses of the table; so that his approaching end -seemed certain. As we observed respecting talismans, some imaginations are -worked upon by encouragement, while others are affected in the contrary -sense; and it needed no miracle for the menace of the Carvajals to hasten -the end of the King of Castille. - -Sometimes a careless word or sentence acquires, by accident, a semblance -of importance. At the death of Louis XV., all France recalled to mind the -words the Bishop of Senez had pronounced before him: "In forty days, -Nineveh shall be destroyed." Louis XV. died on the fortieth day, and the -Bishop was thought a prophet; a mere figure of eloquence having become -metamorphosed into a prediction. - -Much such a prophecy was uttered in the Church of Notre Dame, by a priest -named Beauregard, some years previous to the Revolution. "Thy temples -Lord," said he, "shall be thrown down and pillaged, thy name blasphemed, -thy rites proscribed. Great God! what do I hear! The holy canticles with -which these vaults once echoed, are drowned by profane and lascivious -songs; and the infamous divinities of paganism usurp the place of God, the -Creator, sitting on the throne of the Holy of Holies, and receiving the -sacred incense of our altars." - -These words became remarkable when realized at the Revolution. But when -they were uttered, the Revolution was already impending. Beauregard, -endowed with a zealous and vehement nature, touched upon the probable -consequence of a philosophy which he contemplated with horror; thus -becoming an unconscious refutation of the proverb, that "No man is a -prophet in his own country." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE ANTIPODES--MORNING AND EVENING DEW. - - -It is a gratifying thing when popular prejudices are overcome by the -progress of public enlightenment. The existence of the antipodes was -formerly disbelieved. Before the spherical form of our globe was -ascertained, how was it possible to suppose that there existed human -beings under our feet standing with their head downwards? - -Till the Newtonian theory was developed, it seemed impossible but that -persons so placed must fall into the realms of endless space. There is a -general disposition in human nature to believe all that is impossible as -well as to doubt every thing that really exists; and such was the -incredulity of the world with regard to the antipodes. - -The ancients, who admitted many absurdities, denied the existence of the -antipodes. The Fathers of the Church followed in their steps; some indeed -pronounced it heresy to hold such a belief. St. Augustin expressly says, -"Take heed lest thou believe such a fable." In his treatise on the Acts -of the Apostles, there is an argument remarkable enough, considering that -the rotundity of the earth was then unknown. "Faith teaches us, that all -men are from Adam. But if there were other men under the earth, they could -not be of Adam. How could they have found their way to the antipodes? Not -by land, for the antipodes are cut off from our hemisphere by boundless -seas. Not by sea; for the most experienced pilot would not dare launch his -vessel in such boundless space. It is, therefore, evident that the -doctrine of the antipodes is false and heretical." Time and experience -have taught us the folly of deciding upon topics exceeding our -comprehension. Yet, perhaps, even now we deny a host of truths, which at -some time may give us an insight into futurity. In great as well as -trifling things, every day brings its tribute to the cause of truth. The -antipodes are admitted to exist. The earth revolves round the sun, though -once supposed to be stationary in its place in the heavens; while the dew, -which our ancestors believed to descend from heaven, is known to be an -emanation from the earth." - -Such an error was pardonable enough. The dews are often made use of in -Holy Writ as a term of comparison; and the mercy of the Lord is implored -to descend upon his people like the dews from heaven. After many -experiments in elucidation of the origin of dew, a scientific observer -obtained the following results. - -Having placed some plants under glass bells, he examined them the -following morning, and finding them to be covered with dew like those left -in the air, he cut shreds of flannel; and placing them at graduated -heights, found that those nearest the earth were first wet, and that the -dew gradually rose towards the highest. Upon weighing the shreds, he found -those below to be the most saturated. Lastly, upon examining plants grown -in green-houses, he felt convinced that they also imbibed abundant dew. -These experiments excited attention; and Muschembroek, the author, had -many imitators. Among others, Dufay, who placed a double ladder thirty-two -feet high, in the centre of a garden, suspending tablets of glass at -different altitudes; so that each was equally exposed to the action of the -atmosphere. He remained at the foot of the ladder to watch the progress of -the phenomenon, and found that the tablets nearest the earth were the -first moist, and that the humidity ascended gradually to the highest. -Several other men of science repeated the same experiment with similar -results. - -The problem was thus solved, and proof obtained that dew ascended from the -earth. To the joy, however, of some, a doubt presented itself. By renewed -experiments it was found that this dew from the earth did not equally -affect all bodies, and was partial in its bearing. For instance, it -appeared to avoid gold, silver, metal, and polished marbles; while it -adhered to glass, oily and resinous substances. - -Place a gold or plated vessel under a crystal vase in a garden during the -night, and in the morning you will find the edges perfectly dry, while the -crystal vase will be wet. The cause of this difference is not accounted -for. Reaumur supposes, but does not affirm, that the golden vessel, -containing more caloric than the crystal, repels the dew, while the latter -attracts it. - -In confirmation of this supposition, Reaumur proposed the following -experiment. Place a china cup upon a stone within a hot-bed; and further -on, and beyond the influence of the hot-bed, another cup of similar form, -substance, and diameter; this will be charged with dew, the other will -remain dry. In explanation of this difference, it may be imagined that the -phenomenon of which they sought the solution, originated in electricity; -an opinion, however, which has no influence over the main discovery that -dews arise from the ground, instead of falling from the skies, as asserted -by the mythology of the ancients, and the tropes of Scripture. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -PERPETUAL LAMPS AND ARCHIMEDES. - - -Stability is not the characteristic of man or his works. The discovery of -perpetual motion has long been the object of our ambition; the sole -approach to which appears to be our futile perseverance in the pursuit. -Let us be content, therefore, with aspiring to duration, a sufficient -triumph for perishable man; and be it noted that this quality, though -impressed by human art upon inert matter, such as the Pyramids of Egypt, -is incompatible with the mutability of our social institutions. - -The word perpetual has been too often and too easily applied. The -marvellous is too often substituted for the true, just as great vices are -more widely apparent than great virtues. Who has not heard, for instance, -of perpetual lamps, miraculous as the Wonderful Lamp of the Arabian Tales! - -The Pagan priesthood originated these fabulous sepulchral lights; and -those of our own faith who had the weakness to adopt their deception, -endangered our confidence by recourse to unworthy trickeries. Pausanias -mentions a lamp of massive gold, consecrated by Callimachus, and endowed -with such properties as to endure a year without deterioration. Another is -said to have existed in a temple in England. Pope Gelasius affirms, in the -acts of St. Sylvester, that in the Baptistery of Rome, there was a lamp -which had burned without intermission since the reign of Constantine, -viz., half a century. That the dark ages should have admitted such marvels -is not surprising. But one of the illuminati of the sixteenth century, -Fortunio Liceti, composed a treaty concerning the existence of such lamps, -asserting that, upon opening the tomb of the giant Pallas, a lamp was -found which had been burning since the times of the pious Æneas. Another -was stated to have been found in the tomb of Tullia, during the -Pontificate of Paulinus, about fifteen centuries and a half after its -construction. In the reign of Justinian, a portrait of our Saviour was -discovered at Edessa with a lamp unrenovated from the period of the -Christian era, that is, during a period of five centuries. Fortunio cites -a vast number of similar examples; from which he infers that the Romans -possessed the secret of making inextinguishable lamps. His conviction -upon the subject is such, that he attempts to explain the possibility by -a theory that the combustion of the smoke produced fresh oil for the -nourishment of the lamp. This must surely have been the far-famed oil of -the Phoenix. - -It is scarcely worth while to controvert such absurdities; the fable of -perpetual lamps having faded before the dawning light of reason. Is it, -however, to be credited, that the genius of Descartes did not secure him -against this vulgar error? The views of that great man on the subject -deserve to be quoted as a proof of the aberrations to which superior minds -are subject. "After considering the fire produced by gunpowder," says -Descartes, "which is the most transitory in existence, let us inquire -whether there can exist a flame, enduring without the aid of fresh matter -for its support, like those found in the tombs of the ancients shut up for -centuries. I will not vouch for the truth of their existence; but think it -possible that in a vault so close that the air could never be disturbed, -the parts of the oil transformed into smoke, and from smoke into soot, -might, by sub-formation, arch themselves over the flame so as to protect -it from the air, and render it so weak as to lose the power of consuming -either oil or wick, so long as there should remain a shred unburnt by -which means the primary element existent in the flame and identified with -the little self-formed vault, might revolve therein like a little star. -It necessarily follows that the second element became expelled on all -sides, while trying to penetrate the pores still remaining in the little -dome; and the flame which remained feeble while the place was closed, -brightened the moment it was opened, and the external air admitted. The -surrounding smoke dispersed, the flame recovers its vigour for a moment, -and then expires. Such lamps, in fact, become perpetual, only from having -exhausted their oil." - -This statement is extracted from the Fourth Book of the Principles of -Philosophy of Descartes. In spite of the respect due to his name, we see -in it only a tissue of verbosity exhibiting science at a nonplus, and -advocating a groundless theory. But such a chimera on the part of so -eminent a man, ought to afford consolation to second-rate capacities, as a -proof that no one is exempt from delusions. - -From Descartes, let us turn to Archimedes, who conferred ten-fold power -upon the arm of man by arming it with the lever; and with becoming -deference avow our want of faith in the mirror by the burning reflections -of which he managed to destroy the Roman galleys! - -"Combustible bodies," observes Descartes, "cannot be ignited by means of -mirrors unless comprehended in the necessary focus. Geometry shows us that -the distance of a focus of a concave mirror is equal to the half of its -sphere; that is, if the mirror have been set from a sphere of a radius of -one foot, the distance of the focus will be of six inches. A sphere having -a radius of one foot, gives, therefore, but a focus of six inches, so that -to establish a focus at two hundred feet, would require a sphere with a -radius of four hundred feet, or eight hundred in diameter! Besides, how -could Archimedes procure such a mirror, when the art of casting mirrors -was unknown, and the manufacture of glass in its infancy? That it was a -metallic mirror is difficult to conceive. Such were the solutions -attempted of an insoluble problem. Doubtful anecdotes are so often and so -boldly adopted by the authors of antiquity, that we may regard as -unsubstantiated all facts upon which they are silent. Neither Livy, -Diodorus, nor Polybius mention the mirror of Archimedes; so that the -invention is probably modern, and most likely a fable of the sixteenth -century, prolific in inventions and amplifications. The press, then in its -infancy, delighted in the propagation of marvels and fallacies attributed -by their imbecile authors to the ancients, so as to assign them some -semblance of truth. Among such inventions was the mirror of Archimedes. - -Gallienus, indeed, mentions the burning of the fleet by Archimedes; but is -mute on the subject of the mirror, which he could scarcely have omitted, -had the fact been genuine. Tzetzes and Zoronas are the first who mention -it; the former in the following words: - -"When the Roman galleys were within arrow-shot, Archimedes caused an -hexagonal mirror to be made, and other smaller ones, each having -twenty-four angles, which were placed at a proportionate distance, and -could be worked by their hinges and certain metallic blades; their -position being such that the rays of the sun reflected upon their surface, -produced a fire which destroyed the Roman galleys, though at the distance -of a bow-shot." - -The author does not condescend to give his authority; relying for the -evidence of his authenticity upon his confederate, Zoronas, who relates -that, at the Siege of Constantinople, under the reign of Anastasius, -Probus burnt the enemy's fleet by means of brazen mirrors. He states that -the invention was not new, but belonged to Archimedes, who, as testified -by Dion, used them at the Siege of Syracuse by Marcellus. - -The mutual confederacy of a couple of mountebanks is as easily understood -as it would be susceptible of annihilation; did not such men as Kirchen -and Buffon become sureties, not for what Archimedes has done, but for what -he was capable of effecting. Previous to Descartes, the former had -asserted the possibility of igniting combustible matter at a great -distance by means of small plane mirrors, which could be managed so that -the rays might be directed upon any given object. This was simply a -theory; but Buffon decided upon making the experiment, the result of which -is well known. He caused to be constructed one hundred and sixty-eight -little mirrors six inches by eight, and directing their rays towards a -point, succeeded in igniting a body at a considerable distance. By this he -discovered a new principle, viz: that the action of the solar rays -reflected is in direct ratio of the diameter of the focus; proving, -moreover, that by multiplying the mirrors, an indefinite line of -combustion might be established. - -Can we infer, however, from these experiments of Buffon, that Archimedes -actually destroyed the Roman galleys? We think not; considering the -silence of the Roman writers on the subject, and the progress of science -in the time of Buffon, with reference to its discoveries in the time of -the Siege of Syracuse by Marcellus. Whether this mirror existed or not, -however, Archimedes must be admitted to be one of the greatest geniuses -the World of Science ever produced. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE LYNX AND THE CAMELEON. - - -The title of this chapter seems to promise a fable rather than a -dissertation; and a very amusing one might be grounded on the attributes -of the two animals, considering the perspicacity affected by poor -short-sighted mortals, and the mutability of colour of so many a human -mind. It is not, however, as emblems that we are about to treat of the -lynx and the cameleon. - -The lynx figures extensively in the poetry of the ancients. Not only do -they attribute miraculous properties to the eyes of the animal, as being -able to see through walls, but Pliny assures us that the excrements of the -lynx were transformed into amber, rubies, and carbuncles. The nature or -habits of this animal were so delicate, however, that its secretions were -as difficult to discover as those of cats; in consequence of which much -treasure was lost! They might as well have asserted at once, that jewels -found in mines were the produce of antediluvian lynxes. They proceeded, -however, to attribute the optical powers of the lynx to a variety of -individuals; nor have modern writers hesitated to follow their example. - -Valerius Maximus, Varro, and even Cicero, speak with ecstasies of the -powers of vision of the Sicilian, Strabo; who, from Cape Lilyboeum could -descry Carthage, and count the vessels sailing out of the port; the -distance being forty-five leagues! These worthies forgot, that even had -the sight of Strabo been still more powerful, the intermediary obstacles -caused by the rotundity of the globe must have circumvented his view. -Cæsar is said to have seen from Gaul all that passed in a port in Britain; -probably by a figure of speech purporting that he knew all that passed in -conquered countries, just as the eye of Napoleon was said to survey at -once his whole empire. - -About the year 1725, the marvellous history of a Portuguese woman set the -whole world of science into confusion, as will be found by referring to -the Mercure de France. This female was said to possess the gift of -discovering treasures. Without any other aid than the keen penetration of -her eyes, she was able to distinguish the different strata of earth, and -pronounce unerringly upon the utmost distances at a single glance. Her eye -penetrated through every substance, even the human body; and she could -discern the mechanism, and circulation of all animal fluids, and detect -latent diseases; although less skilful than the animal magnetiser, she did -not affect to point out infallible remedies. Ladies could learn from her -the sex of their forthcoming progeny. In short, her triumphs were -universal. - -The King of Portugal, greatly at a loss for water in his newly built -palace, consulted her; and after a glance at the spot, she pointed out an -abundant spring, upon which his Majesty rewarded her with a pension, the -Order of Christ, and a patent of nobility. - -In the exercise of her miraculous powers, certain preliminaries were -indispensable. She was obliged to observe a rigid fast; indigestion, or -the most trifling derangement of the stomach, suspending the marvellous -powers of her visual organs. - -The men of science of the day were of course confounded by such prodigies. -But instead of questioning the woman, they consulted the works of their -predecessors; not forgetting the inevitable Aristotle. By dint of much -research, they found a letter from Huygens asserting that there was a -prisoner of war at Antwerp, who could see through stuffs of the thickest -texture provided they were not red. The wonderful man was cited in -confirmation of the wonderful woman, and vice versâ. - -The Antwerp lynx, meanwhile, had attained considerable credit, from the -fact of two ladies visiting him in person, upon which he burst into -immoderate laughter. On the cause of his mirth being inquired into, he -stated that one of them had on no under garment, the truth of which -statement caused the ladies to take a hasty departure, in the dread of -revelations still more indiscreet. - -In the beginning of the present century there lived a physician at Lyons, -who seriously asserted that one of his patients had the power of reading -letters, though sealed. This was evidently a device to obtain notoriety, -and fill his purse at the expense of a credulous public. For what, in -fact, can be more grossly absurd than the assertion that either human -eyes, or those of the lynx possess the faculty of reading through opaque -bodies? Many attempts have been recently made by the upholders of -Magnetism to exhibit similar impositions. - -From the lynx we proceed to the cameleon; hoping to exonerate this much -defamed animal from the imputations of mutability so long lavished upon -its nature. Instead of being adopted as the symbol of fickleness, the -cameleon ought, in fact, to become the emblem of frankness and truth, -betraying in its changes of hue every impression of which it is -susceptible. - -The ancients denied the existence of the cameleon, treating it as an ideal -animal devoid of natural colour. They conceded to it, on the other hand, -a radiant body, and the faculty of existing without food. Such were the -opinions of Pliny, Aristotle, and Oelian. But Daubenton and Lacépède -devoted serious attention to the nature of the cameleon; and the scrutiny -of science has served to rectify a popular error. - -Cameleons have been brought alive to France, and a pair is now living in -the Zoological Gardens of England. But till lately, they were known in -Europe only through the preparations of our Museums of Natural History. -This singular animal belongs to the lizard tribe, and is found in hot -climates. Its length is from thirteen to fourteen inches; of which the -tail counts for half. The head is surmounted by a kind of cartilaginous -pyramid inclining backwards. The mouth is so formed as scarcely to afford -a view of its disproportionably large swallow. For some time too, the -cameleon passed for being devoid of hearing; but Camper has established -that it possesses that faculty, though in a limited degree. The organs of -sight on the other hand, are so acute as to exceed by far those of the -lynx. It can turn its eyes in every direction; moves with deliberate -dignity, and feeds on insects. But is not entitled to the encomiums of the -ancients with respect to sobriety; though it can fast for a period -exceeding a year. Of a pacific nature, it has numerous enemies; and being -timid to excess, its endless variations of hue are perceptible through a -very transparent skin. Heat and light influence the changes of its -colours; which vary between yellow, red, black, green, and white. - -Mademoiselle de Scudery possessed a pair of cameleons, from observations -upon which, it was seen that adjacent colours produced no effect upon -them; other colours than those near them often manifesting themselves on -the body. Bichat supposed that the mutations of the cameleon proceeded -from the quantity of air contained in the arterial blood; an opinion the -better founded, that this animal is able to fill itself with air and -discharge it at will. When asleep, or cold, or dead, the hue of the -cameleon is white. Such is the exact truth concerning two animals which -poets and historians have invested with fabulous properties; and to which -mankind have often been assimilated--by analogies now admitted to be -groundless. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -WILD WOMEN. - - -No age has been exempt from popular delusions; but there are certain -prejudices peculiar to certain localities. One of the characteristic -superstitions of Germany subsisted so lately as the middle of the last -century, as may be seen by a tradition of the date of 1753. - -"At that time," said the peasants of Grödich, "it was not uncommon to see -wild women issue from the Wunderburg, and approach the youths and maidens -attending their herds near the cavern of Glanegg, whom they asked for -bread. Sometimes, they would come out to glean in the fields; leaving the -mountain betimes, and at nightfall returning to their haunts without even -sharing the meals of their fellow-gleaners. - -One day, a little boy mounted upon a cart-horse, approached the -Wunderburg, when the wild women rushed forward, and would have carried -him off. The father, however, ran up and protected him. Unaware of the -mysteries connected with that awful mountain, he demanded what they meant -by attempting to carry off his son; to which the savages replied: 'that -among them he would be better taken care of, and that no harm should -happen to him in their abode.' But the father held fast his child, and the -women went weeping away." - -Another time these wild women entered Kügelstadt, a village beautifully -situated upon the same mountain, and carried off a boy watching a herd. At -the end of a year he returned, dressed in green, and sat on the trunk of a -tree at the foot of the mountain.[1] The woodsmen and his parents went the -next day in search of him, but in vain; nor was the youth ever beheld -again. A wild woman from the mountain went towards the village of Anif, -about half a league from Wunderburg, where she hollowed out a place of -shelter in the earth. - - [1] The reader will be struck by the affinity between this Legend, and - the Ettrick Shepherd's beautiful tale of "Kilmeny," taken from a - Highland tradition. - -Her hair was of great length and beauty falling to her feet, and proved -highly attractive to a peasant who chanced to encounter her, and who at -length ventured to make an avowal of his passion. The wild woman inquired -whether he were married; and the peasant not daring to own the truth, -answered in the negative. - -Shortly afterwards, his wife, terrified by his absence from home, came in -search of him; but instead of upbraiding him with his infidelity, fled in -dismay at the sight of the lady of the beautiful locks. The mysterious -woman now upbraided him with his want of veracity; assuring him that had -his wife testified the smallest jealousy, she would have killed him on the -spot. Bidding him be more faithful in future to the marriage tie, she -bestowed a bag of money upon him, and was never again seen in the -neighbourhood of Grölich. - -This story was treated as a jest by several French writers of the last -century. Yet the age, so severe upon the credulity of the simple peasants -of Wunderburg, believed in the devices of Cagliostro and the miracles of -Mesmer! The extremes of science and ignorance may consequently be said to -meet in the bewildering mazes of superstition. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -SYBILS. - - -The existence of one or more Sybils in the ancient world has been -distinctly proved. Classic authors are unanimous upon the subject. Suidas -tells us that there were fourteen; Varro, ten. Oelian asserts that there -were only four; while Martinus Capella reduces them to two. - -Dr. Petit, however, the author of the Essay "De Sybilla," reduces them to -one. Let us grant that the Sybil of Cumæ was the only authentic Sybil, -whether originating in Ionia, Syria, or Campania. Let us even establish -that her name was Demo, according to Pausanias, though Virgil declares -that she was called Deiphobe, and was the daughter of Glaucus. Suidas -calls his fourteen by the common name of Eriphile; Aristotle styles the -Sybil, Malanchrenes. After due consideration of these names, certain -writers unanimously adopted that of Amalthea. Be it our business to -inquire into the question upon the only reasonable grounds, namely, in a -symbolical sense. A man had need to belong to Rome or Greece to entertain -a due respect for the subject; where the existence of supernatural beings -placed by the Gods between heaven and earth, and predominating over Kings -and their subjects, was regarded as a blessing. In those times, such -creations had a salutary influence of which we cannot now appreciate the -value. The ancient social institutions, of so many centuries past, are -scarcely to be understood from books; since those by which we are actually -surrounded are not altogether comprehensible. - -Great was the veneration conceded to the Sybils in Greece and Rome; in -proof of which we need only cite the Sybilline volume--to discredit which -in the olden time, would have been a matter of danger. - -It is known to all that a venerable Sybil came to Tarquin, and offered to -sell him nine volumes of her prophecies, when her price being taxed as -exorbitant, she threw three volumes into the fire, still requiring the -same price for the remaining six. Still denied her price by Tarquin, three -more of the books shared the same fate; and on her adhering to her -original demand for the remaining three; Tarquin assembled the Augurs, who -advised the purchase, and the monarch was forced to submit to the terms of -the Sybil. - -From that moment, the Sybilline leaves became objects of veneration. They -were made over to the custody of the priests, and consulted upon -occasions of importance after a decree of the Senate. These volumes were -destroyed in the conflagration of the Capitol, eighty-three years before -Christ; a severe calamity to the Romans, who looked upon the Sybilline -books as a sacred charta. It is remarkable, that after the destruction of -these volumes, the Republic gradually declined, and fell under the yoke of -the Emperors. - -Immense as was the loss of the volumes, considering their influence over -the minds of the people, the Augurs and Senate hoped to replace the loss. -Zealous missionaries were sent to all the cities of Europe, Asia and -Africa, which affected to possess Sybilline verses; and more than two -thousand were brought back. But we are to conclude they were far from -genuine, as the Sybilline oracles declined in credit. Augustus suppressed -many of the verses, and the rest were burned by Stilicon, father-in-law of -the Emperor Honorius. - -In all countries of the ancient world, Virgins were objects of worship; -and even as connected with Pagan idolatries, there is something beautiful -and touching in the homage paid to virginal purity, more particularly in -contrast with the ferocity of manners of the early Romans. The most abject -corruption respected the worship of virginity. No virgin could be -immolated by the Romans; and Octavia was reduced to infamy ere she could -be lawfully sacrificed to the vengeance of Nero. The Sybils were sacred -virgins, which accounted for the veneration paid to them and their -oracles. St. Jerome expressly states that the gift of prophecy was -bestowed upon them in honour of their purity. As to the Sybil of Cumæ, she -was said to have rejected the advances of Apollo himself, though the God -offered to endow her with eternal youth and beauty; to which she preferred -the infirmities of mortal decrepitude in order to live and die in -chastity. - -As society is now constituted, nothing founded on error, or the frauds -usually called pious, can be termed justifiable. Tarquin and the Augurs -probably understood the inauthenticity of the Sybilline books; but it was -their cue to create a deep veneration for them, and assign a divine origin -to the laws, which in those days might not otherwise have been respected -by the people. - -In the time of Cicero, the Romans had learned to blush for their own -credulity; and in the following centuries, were confounded at seeing the -Fathers of the Christian Church return indirectly to ideas long fallen -into desuetude. St. Ambrose, however, denounced such doctrines; declaring -to the early Christians who were disposed to seek in the Sybilline books -exposition of their faith, that they were the idle production of fanatical -women. - -The Sybils of old were apparently prophetesses after the manner of Joanna -Southcote and Madame Krudener in the present century. The Sybilline -books, as existent in the days of St. Ambrose, teemed with frauds and -anachronisms, proving the ignorance of their authors, as much as the -credulity of those who believed in them. The events of the Christian -dispensation are as clearly announced in them as in the Holy Writ. The -personages are even mentioned by their proper names. Isaiah wrote: "A -virgin shall conceive." The Sybil is made to say, "The Virgin Mary shall -conceive, and shall bring forth Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem." The Sybil -also announces the Baptism of the Messiah in the Jordan; the coming of the -Holy Ghost under the form of a dove; the circumstances of the Passion; and -the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles. She pretends to have -witnessed events long after the coming of the Messiah; relates the second -conflagration of the Temple of Vesta, which took place one hundred and -seventy years after Jesus Christ, in the reign of Commodus, and affects to -have been in Noah's Ark; yet is so ignorant of the Holy Writings, that she -supposes Noah to have sojourned therein only forty and one days; while -Moses states him to have been an entire year. She also places Mount Ararat -in Phrygia instead of Armenia. - -Such was the value of the last edition of the Sybilline volumes; -conceived, no doubt, with good intentions; but, as articles of faith, -little better than a fiction. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -FORTUNE-TELLERS AND CHIROMANCY. - - -Of the numerous family of impostors, composed of mountebanks, gypsies, -chiromancers, fortune-tellers, and sorcerers; the gypsies date from the -fifteenth century, and were first seen in Bohemia, in strange garbs, with -swarthy faces, and pretending to great proficiency in the art of -soothsaying. - -They made their appearance in Paris, 1442; proclaiming themselves to be -pilgrims wandering in expiation of their sin. Among them, were a Duke, a -Count, and ten Cavaliers. The remainder, one hundred and twenty in number -were on foot. These strangers were lodged at the Holy Chapel, to which the -Parisians flocked to obtain a view of them. They had sallow complexions -and black frizzly hair, and spoke an unknown tongue. The females who -accompanied them, devoted themselves to fortune-telling. - -The Bishop of Paris eventually excommunicated them, and had them expelled -the city; a persecution which served to create an interest in their -favour; and returning to Paris, they multiplied both in that city and in -other parts of France to such a degree that, in 1560, the States of -Orleans found it necessary to rid the kingdom of them; and subject them to -the pain of the gallies if they dare return. Treated with merciless -severity, they gradually disappeared; taking refuge in Germany, Hungary, -England, and the banks of the Danube; where they have remained ever since. - -Gypsies are known by different names, according to the countries they -inhabit; and constitute a wandering tribe in all the civilized states of -Europe, still retaining their pristine habits and customs. - -Public curiosity has long been directed towards the origin of the gypsies. -Theologians first traced them to Cain on the following grounds: when by -the murder of his brother, the elder born of Adam had brought upon himself -the supreme malediction, a mark was set upon him to secure his -recognition, at that time mankind were white. The Almighty is supposed to -have changed the complexion of Cain, that all men might know him. The -gypsies, therefore, who exhibit such remarkable complexions, and lead such -vagabond lives, had every appearance of being a proscribed race; and the -progeny of the first murderer. Other theologians make the gypsies descend -from Shem, the son of Noah, or Cham, the inventor of magic; for the -gypsies pretend to be magicians, and to descend from Cham. Father Delrio -asserts their sorcery to be so effective, that if you give them a piece of -money, the others in your purse invariably take flight to join their -fellow. - -The gypsies, uncertain of their origin, suppose themselves to have been -expelled from Egypt, and condemned to wander the world for having refused -hospitality to Joseph and the Holy Virgin, when they took refuge on the -banks of the Nile. But even in Egypt, the gypsies are declared to be of -foreign origin; so that the problem has still to be decided. - -These people ground their predictions upon an inspection of the palm of -the hand. Juvenal distinctly alludes to female drawers of horoscopes. -"Such a woman," said he, "exhibits her hand and forehead to the diviner." - -The chiromantic principle has much analogy with those of judiciary -astrology; and Aristotle cites chiromancy as a positive science. -Chiromancers divide the hand into several regions, each presided by a -planet. The thumb belongs to Venus, the index to Jupiter, the middle -finger to Saturn, the annulary to the Sun, the auricular to Mercury, the -centre of the hand to Mars, the remainder to the Moon. The direction of -the line of life is still undecided by chiromancers; some placing it -between the thumb and index, traversing the centre of the palm; while the -Hebrew cabalists make it diverge in a quarter of a circle from the middle -of the wrist to the first joint of the index. To denote long life, this -line should be deeply defined; when feeble and superficial, it implies a -limited existence, (even if the person so qualified should have survived -his eightieth year!) - -The triangle in the palm of the hand is consecrated to Mars; the three -lines of which it is formed being regarded by chiromancers as most -important, and comprehending the united indications of mind and body. The -hepatic line proceeds from the liver, and forms one of the large sides of -the triangle. When deeply indicated, it is characteristic of an exalted -soul and magnanimous character; but accompanied by a propensity to anger -and despondency. The mediana, which forms the base of the triangle, -implies frankness, sprightliness, and the love of pleasure. Should the -thumb and its root be furrowed with numerous lines, crossing at right -angles, or forming ellipses, stars, and repeated circles, you are favoured -by Venus; but should you possess the ring of Gyges, beware of her wrath. -This name implies the circular line of the thumb, and indicates an -infamous death. Adrian Sicler declares in 1639, a notorious villain who -met his fate on the wheel had this awful sign on the first phalanx. - -Between chiromancers and fortune-tellers with cards, the sole difference -consists in the means employed; and if you watch the sleight of hand of -the latter, instead of listening to their chattering, you will be amazed -by their dexterity. - -Card-conjurors are mere upstarts by comparison with chiromancers, who were -consulted by Augustus in the zenith of his power. Their art cannot have -existed previous to the days of Charles VI., for whose diversion cards -were invented. - -The miserable personal plight of these foreshowers of the future, is -singularly at variance with their reputation. How many of them grovel in -filthy retreats; where for the smallest sum, they dispense their promises -of fame and fortune. It is lamentable to think how many dupes such -impostors still command. Fortune-tellers captivate the confidence of the -vulgar, by predicting circumstances of frequent and common-place -occurrence, with the certainty of occasionally hitting home. Should one of -these by accident make a fortunate guess, his fame is established. But -their extortions are unimportant compared with the debasement of faculties -apparent in those who consult them; whom they disgust with their useful -callings by fostering hopes of impossible eventualities; or keep weak -minds in a state of terror for the mere guerdon of a piece of silver. - -There are examples of people being so awe-struck by the predictions of -jugglers, as to fall their victim. A person has been known to die at -forty, merely because that term of life was assigned him by a -fortune-teller. A slight illness having brought to mind the fatal -prediction at the appointed period, cerebral fever ensued which ended in -death. Such a fact is mentioned by Dr. Bruhier in his work upon the -Caprices of the Imagination. - -Though evil is said never to exist without corresponding good, it would be -difficult to point out a compensation for the mischiefs of fortune-tellers -and card-conjurors. Their predictions have often proved fatal in private -life, and they have exercised their evil influence by urging Princes to -acts of cruelty. The Emperor Valens having incensed his subjects by his -tyrannies, certain of them, meditating his overthrow, consulted a -soothsayer, who predicted future events by means of a cock. A circle being -described with the letters of the alphabet around it, a grain of corn was -dropped on each, and a cock placed in the centre. The letters from which -he pecked the corn were immediately taken up and a horoscope grounded upon -them; and the cock having, in the present instance, pecked up grains from -letters T. H. E. O. D., the conspirators concluded that the empire ought -to belong to Theodore, the Secretary of Valens, a man of merit, and -generally esteemed. - -The crown was offered to him, which he was rash enough to accept; but the -plot being discovered, he and his accomplices were executed. Not satisfied -with this act of vengeance, Valens banished all those whose names began by -the letters selected by the cock. But this did not prevent Theodosius the -Great from being his successor. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -ALBERTUS MAGNUS AND NOSTRADAMUS. - - -In the year 1248, the Emperor William of Holland arrived at Cologne on the -anniversary of the festival of the Epiphany; when Albertus the Great, -invited him and his whole Court to a banquet in a garden near the Convent -of the Preaching Friars. The Emperor accepted the offer: but on the -appointed day, there was a great fall of snow; and the Emperor and his -Court were much disconcerted by the invitation. - -But though inclined to avoid exposure to such inclemency of weather, they -adhered to their engagement and proceeded to the scene of the -entertainment, where they found the tables spread, but the trees and turf -covered with snow. The guests were of course indignant at so absurd an -arrangement; but Albertus had contrived that no one could go out of the -garden, by placing at every entrance guards of imposing stature. The -Emperor and Princes having seated themselves, the dishes were placed on -the table; when the day became gradually fine, and the snow disappearing -as if by enchantment, the shrubs and flowers recovered their verdure and -perfume; while the trees suddenly presented fruits in luscious maturity, -with innumerable birds perched upon their branches warbling heart-stirring -music. - -The heat increasing, the guests were forced to throw off their outward -garb; but no one could conjecture whence or by whom the dishes of the -feast were produced; the menials who served them being strangers, richly -attired, and of the most courteous deportment. The feast being at an end, -servitors and birds vanished; the turf lost its verdure, the flowers their -odour; and the snow re-appeared as if in the gloom of winter. The outward -garments of the guests were, of course, resumed; and all persons repaired -to a vast hall, where a good fire was blazing. - -The Emperor, gratified with this wonderful entertainment, endowed the -convent of which Albertus was a member with a valuable estate; expressing -great esteem for the skill and dexterity of his entertainer. - -Such is the monkish legend; nor is it worth while to contest such -absurdities, no one being weak enough to believe seriously in tales of -enchantment worthy only to figure in the pages of a romance. - -Many such marvels are recorded of Albertus, entitling us to believe him a -sorcerer, and the ally of Satan. But he is known to have been, like Friar -Bacon, one of the most enlightened men of the thirteenth century; and it -often happens, that in order to enhance the fame of illustrious persons, -their biographers have resource to exaggerations that deteriorate their -well-won fame. Such was the case with Nostradamus; who, in spite of -himself, was made a prophet. The real name of Nostradamus, was Michael of -Notre-Dame, but a custom prevailed in his time of latinizing names; and -Nostradamus was one of the high-sounding titles likely to ensure -popularity. Among the French, it enjoyed equal fame with that of Matthew -Länsberg among the Germans. - -The family of Nostradamus was of Jewish extraction, and proclaimed itself -descended from Issachar; a personage reputed to have been profoundly -versed in chronological science. Michael was born, December 14, 1503, at -twelve precisely, in the village of St. Remi, in Provence. He studied at -Avignon, where he distinguished himself in rhetoric; then proceeded to -Montpellier for the study of medicine. Having attained the degree of -Doctor at twenty-six, an unusual occurrence, he was considered the -successor of Hippocrates and Galen; but disdaining all earthly vocations, -he devoted himself to astrology, and mysterious speculations upon the -future. - -Nostradamus first published his Ephemeris, proclaiming agricultural -epochs, eclipses, phases of the moon, the returns of the season, and the -variations of atmosphere; and predicted the approach of epidemics, the -progress of governments, the births and marriages of the great; peace, -war, land, and sea fights, and many other things, which, as a matter of -course, must be realized in some part or other of the world. His -predictions were so fortunate, that he was soon acknowledged to be a -prophet; every one seeking to benefit by his vast enlightenment. The wily -man, aware that speculation upon popular prejudices is a sure road to -fortune, and seeing the love of the marvellous predominate, soon laid -aside his almanack, and gave full play to his fecund imagination as a -soothsayer. - -Had Nostradamus been only a man of profound science, he would have pined -in obscurity; but as affording diversion for the Court of France, his fame -soon prevailed throughout Europe. When his predictions first appeared, in -1555, they had such success, that Henry II. and Catherine de Medicis -invited him to Paris. - -Enriched by their munificence, he returned to his vocation in Provence; -and four years later, the Duke of Savoy and Marguerite of France, on their -way to Nice, visited Nostradamus at Salon. The Duchess being _enceinte_, -the Duke desired to know the probable sex of the issue; a tolerable safe -order of prediction as the chances of verification are even. In this case, -he foretold a son who afterwards became the greatest Captain in -Europe--Charles Emanuel, Duke of Savoy. - -The system of Nostradamus was partly original; but grafted upon several -others. He not only consulted the stars to cast a nativity, but the form -and features of the party. The Governor of Henry IV. wishing to have the -horoscope of his youthful master, applied to him, when he demanded to see -the royal youth naked. Henry at first resisted, thinking it a trick, and -that they perhaps meant to castigate him unjustly; but finally consented, -and after the examination, it was predicted that he would become King of -France, and enjoy a long reign. - -These facts are avouched by the biographers of Nostradamus; who, though he -predicted the future to others, was unable to foresee his approaching end. -He died in July 1566, aged sixty-two; but his fame survived him, and his -tomb became a kind of shrine, being inscribed with testimonials to his -profound science and miraculous qualities. Louis XIII. visited it in 1622, -and Louis XIV. in 1660. - -Like most men possessed of high renown, who profit by the credulity of -their contemporaries, he had a host of fanatical adulators. Among them, -none more enthusiastically devoted than a man named Chavigny, who -abandoned every thing to follow the fortune of the prophet, and received -his last sigh. Chavigny became the interpreter and eulogist of his great -master, as he had been the depository of his secrets. He even ventured -upon some posthumous predictions. - -Inconsolable for the loss of his illustrious master, Chavigny abandoned -Provence, and settled at Lyons; where he solaced his regrets by reflecting -upon the predictions and discoveries of the great astrologer. He commented -upon three hundred stanzas of the great work of Nostradamus, the result of -thirty years' study; and published the first part of the "French Janus," -or rather, a partial explanation of his prophecies. In this curious work, -Chavigny collated, compared and approximated the stanzas bearing reference -to the events of his own century; and composed a chronological table, so -remarkable for order and method, as to impose upon superficial minds. So -singularly happy are some of the stanzas of Nostradamus, and their -associations with history are so striking, that the renowned Doctor might -almost pass for having been inspired. Such, at least, is the opinion of -many who have strictly examined the work. - -In 1695, one Guinaud, one of the royal pages and a zealous supporter of -Nostradamus, proposed to reconcile the prophecies of Nostradamus with -history, from the time of Henry II. till that of Louis XIV. Presuming upon -his genius for exposition, he undertook to prove that nothing could be -clearer and less mysterious than the predictions of his favourite -astrologer. - -In support of this opinion, he applies the following lines to the massacre -of St. Bartholomew: - - Le gros airain qui les heures ordonne; - Sur le trépas du tyran cassera; - Fleurs plainte et cris, eau glace, pain ne donne, - V.S.C. Paix, l'armée passera. - -The explanation of Guinaud is, perhaps, more striking than the lines of -Nostradamus. The "_gros airain_," he declares to be the little bell of the -palaces. In the "_trépas du tyran_," he foresees the death of Coligny; and -in the initials "_V.S.C._," he finds an unaccountable indication of Philip -II. and Charles V. - -The other analogies were equally far-fetched; and, as is not unusually the -case, the absurdity of the annotation was visited upon the original work. - -The prophesies of Nostradamus, like those of Merlin, are now nothing more -than a literary curiosity. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -LEECHES, SERPENTS, AND THE SONG OF THE DYING SWAN. - - -In the conclusions of naturalists there is much to respect. But we must -beware of false inferences. - -For instance, no one will deny that swallows skim the surface of the earth -on the approach of a storm. But it is simply because insects then swarm in -the lower regions of the atmosphere. The swallows seek their prey where -instinct teaches them that it is most abundant; not because a peculiar -sympathy warns them of the coming storm. Swans, ducks, goslings, also, -indicate hot weather by plunging oftener than usual, because the -temperature being oppressive, they seek a fresher one under the water. - -In the list of meteorological animals, leeches hold a prominent place. An -English physician pretends that they are lively when the sky is clear and -serene, and raise their heads above water to breathe the pure air. But if -the sky be gloomy and clouded, they conceal themselves in the mud, and -are evidently agitated at the approach of storms. The following are the -observations of Dr. Vitet, in his "Treaty on Medical Leeches." - -"Close up a quantity of leeches in jars of equal size containing the same -water, and expose them together to the open air. Never will you see -identity of action. In one jar, they are at the surface, in another at the -bottom, while in another they will be completely out of the water sticking -to the cover. Again, you will see all the leeches of the same jar in all -these different positions; some adhering by their tails from the borders -of the jar, others balancing themselves with the most perfect regularity. -It follows, therefore, that leeches are devoid of meteorological -susceptibility." - -Had not Dr. Vitet made his experiments on so large a scale, a single -leech, well-watched, would always have been said to announce changes of -weather and temperature. In the case of the Rana Arboria, or tree-frog, -which is sometimes confined in a glass jar to form a sort of living -weather-glass, it may be noticed that, when two frogs of the same species -are kept in the same glass, one is sure to be found at the top of the -ladder and one at the bottom, proving how little such indications are to -be depended upon. - -To leeches is attributed another peculiarity, equally groundless; the -faculty, namely, of ridding us of our corrupt blood, while they respect -the pure; a fact disproved by daily experience. - -According to a popular prejudice in many countries, snakes and vipers will -creep down the throats of persons imprudent enough to sleep in the open -fields with their mouths open; and strange things are related on this -subject, especially in Germany. - -About fifty years ago, the German newspapers announced that in Styria a -young girl being asleep with her mouth open, a viper made its way into her -throat. She was not aware of the fact; but a few days afterwards began to -experience an insupportable irritation. On a subsequent day, the viper -reappeared by the channel it had penetrated, hissing and raising itself on -its tail as if overjoyed at its emancipation; and immediately afterwards, -the girl vomited a quantity of viper's eggs. This anecdote so charmed the -French journalists, that they republished it in various directions, -neither suspecting that they were renewing a fable of the Greeks, nor -inquiring whether vipers were oviparous. - -The adventures of the Styrian girl was nearly forgotten, when a French -surgeon gave a fresh version of it in the following shape: - -"In the month of June, 1806, a child of four years old having fallen -asleep on the bank of the Canal de L'Ourcq with her mouth open, a snake -crept in and passed into her stomach, where it remained for nineteen days; -at the expiration of which, the child accidentally drank a glass of white -wine, when forth came the snake in the presence of her whole family!" -Witnesses were found to attest the fact; and the medical man who attended -the child, asserted the reptile to have been eighteen inches long! Dr. -Masson, surgeon to the civil Hospitals of Paris, made a report upon the -subject to the Faculty of Medicine, attributing the attraction of the -snake to the child having fed upon bread and milk, the predilection of -those reptiles for that sustenance being well known. - -Before we return to the above subject, we may as well inquire whether the -predilection of snakes for milk be really true. The French peasants agree -in this opinion with Pliny, Aldovrandus and Gesner. Yet all are wrong. -Snakes are furnished with numerous little teeth at the extremity of their -mouths, that their prey may not escape; so that if they sucked the cows as -asserted by the peasants, their teeth must become inextricably entangled -in the udder. The diminution of the milk in the dairies of the French -provinces, is nevertheless often most conveniently ascribed to the -interposition of snakes, innocent at least of this species of mischief. - -We must, therefore, conclude that Dr. Masson's little patient was not the -victim of the passion of the snake in question for milk. Is it credible, -however, that a snake eighteen inches long could introduce itself into the -mouth of a sleeping child without awaking it, or creep down the æsophagus -and into the stomach without being perceived? The marvellous snake was -probably nothing more than a worm such as is frequently ejected from the -mouths of children. - -Snakes, vipers, and serpents have always been leading features in fable, -and, at times, in history. Without alluding to the serpent-tempter, we -have the serpent of Aaron, which also serves as the attribute of -Esculapius, and ornaments the Caduceus of Mercury. We have the serpent -Python, and those which entwined themselves round the Laocoon and his -sons; the serpent concealed under the flowers, whose sting caused the -death of Eurydice; and finally, the asp of Cleopatra. But upon such -matters, the moderns have gone far beyond the ancients. If, for instance, -the asp which bit the bosom of Cleopatra had pertained to the species -which Father Charleroix saw at Paraguay, it might have been the rival of -Anthony; for the Padre expressly asserts that serpents are ever on the -watch to carry off females in the forests of that province. These may be -considered rivals to the Great Sea Serpent of the Americans. - -Bertholin, the learned Swedish doctor, relates strange anecdotes of -lizards, toads and frogs; stating that a woman, thirty years of age, being -thirsty, drank plentifully of water at a pond. At the end of a few months, -she experienced singular movements in her stomach, as if something were -crawling up and down; and alarmed by the sensation, consulted a medical -man, who prescribed a dose of orvietan in a decoction of fumitary. Shortly -afterwards, the irritation of the stomach increasing, she vomited three -toads and two young lizards, after which, she became more at ease. In the -spring following, however, her irritation of the stomach was renewed; and -aloes and bezoar being administered, she vomited three female frogs, -followed the next day by their numerous progeny. In the month of January -following, she vomited five more living frogs, and in the course of seven -years, ejected as many as eighty. Dr. Bertholin protests that he heard -them croak in her stomach! The utter incompatibility of the nature of -these reptiles with the temperature of the human stomach, renders denial -of the truth of this scientific anecdote almost superfluous. - -The Journal des Débats, then called the Journal de l'Empire, published the -following circumstances as having taken place at Joinville, in the -Department of the Meuse. - -"Marie Ragot, a widow, having complained for two years of a distaste for -food, and suffered from internal cramps. - -"These symptoms were at first attributed to an aneurism of the viscera; -but were soon found to proceed from some strange substance in the stomach. -After two months, Marie Ragot ejected from her mouth a living reptile in -the presence of many; who, on seeing it creep away, in the hurry of the -moment, inconsiderately crushed it. This reptile belonging to the lizard -class, was thin and long, its colour light grey, brown on the back, and -dark yellow under the belly. It had four small legs, each having -nail-tipped feelers, a triangular head, rather obtuse at the nose, bent, a -short tail and filiform at the extremity. This is all we have been able to -learn, the witnesses having stupidly destroyed the reptile. Ragot died -soon afterwards, and it remains undecided whether her death was caused by -the reptile remaining so long in her stomach. The lizard we have described -was doubtless the grey common wall lizard. It is supposed to have crept -into her mouth when asleep." - -While occupied by consideration of the marvels of physiological history, -we must not omit to mention the song of the Dying Swan; formerly applied -as a standard of composition for the highest pitch which melody could -attain, and as typical of the last strains emanating from the soul of the -poet. Virgil, Fénélon and Shakspeare, are known as the Swan of Mantua, -the Swan of Cambray, and Swan of Avon. Pliny, whose propensity for handing -down popular fallacies we have already noticed, says, in treating of the -gift of song conceded to swans by the poets: "The doleful strain -attributed to the swan, at the moment of death, is a prejudice disproved -by experience." Modern observation confirms his opinion that the song of -the swan is a mere metaphor. To urge this matter further would be -equivalent to pleading after judgment; had not Dr. Bertholin, who attended -the woman of the eighty frogs, endeavoured to revive the idea of the -ancients; quoting the declaration of one of his friends, Grégoire -Wilhelmi, that having seen one of a flight of swans expire, the others -hastened to its aid, giving forth harmonious sounds, as if singing the -funeral dirge of their departed companion. - -This story is evidently a romantic fiction. But if the domestic swan be -mute, it is not so with the wild one, which is guilty of the most -discordant noises, instead of the fabulous harmony so long attributed to -it. The Abbé Arnaud carefully observed two wild swans which sought refuge -on the waters of Chantilly, more particularly, as regarded their cries. -Buffon notices that they have a shrill, piercing shriek, far from -agreeable, and are quite insensible to the sound of music. - -The song of the swan, therefore, must be admitted to be as much a creation -of the poets as the song of the syrens which, according to Homer, -attracted the vessel of Ulysses. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -NEGROES. - - -Two important questions present themselves with regard to negroes: first, -the lawfulness or expediency of slavery; and secondly, the comparative -equality of the whites and blacks. The History of the World teaches us -that slavery is independent of colour, and existed every where of old, -under every form of Government. But the abolition of slavery was the work -of the Christian religion, of which it is one of the noblest mercies; and -let us never forget the saying of Montesquieu, "that it is our business to -prove the negroes less than men, lest they prove us to be less than -Christians." - -The celebrated Abbé Grégoire was one of the most zealous and persevering -advocates of the negroes. So enthusiastic was he in their cause, that he -might have been supposed to have undertaken it as a reproach to their -white brethren. - -With regard to the question of innate equality between the two races, we -cannot conceive a more apt illustration than that made by a Creole child, -on hearing at his father's table, a discussion upon negroes, a subject on -which most colonists differ entirely from the Abbé Grégoire. - -In the course of dessert, a gentleman, who had been loudest in -opprobriating the negroes, desired to be helped to grapes. The child -pertinaciously insisted on giving him white grapes instead of the black, -to which he had pointed. "One kind is as good as the other," said the -gentleman, "the only difference is in the colour of the skin." "And why -then," cried the child, "do you persist in refusing the same concession to -the poor negroes?" - -The scholiasts have written much which has tended only to render more -obscure the origin of the negro race; some deriving it from Cain, and -attributing its blackness to Divine wrath after the murder of Abel; others -from Shem, the son of Noah, which is the opinion of Dr. Hanneman, as is -seen in his Latin Treatise upon the colour of "the Descendants of Shem." -The learned German quotes numerous proofs of the culpable conduct of Shem -towards his father; adding that Shem had long practised the art of magic, -and being unable to transport into the ark all his works of witchcraft and -magic, had them engraved upon brass and stone, so as to find them after -the deluge. Hanneman cites the authority of Luther, who formally asserts -that the skin of Shem was blackened as a punishment for his irreverence; -and quotes a passage from the learned Ulricius, who in his treaty De -Tacticis, established that the sons of Ham had white skins, those of -Japhet a brownish complexion, while those of Shem were black as ebony. - -The anatomist, Meiners, adopting the theory of the facial angle, excluded -the negroes from the human race, and placed them in the family of apes and -ourang-outangs. - -According to the Abbé Grégoire, all black skinned races descend from the -Ethiopian. He founds his opinion upon the works of Herodotus, -Theophrastes, Pausanias, Athenoeus, Eusebius, Heliodorus, Josephus, Pliny, -and Terence; all of whom, in speaking of negroes, call them Ethiopians. As -regards their origin, all we know is, that the Ethiopians are from the -interior of Africa, and that their ancestors had short and woolly hair, -black skins, and thick lips. - -How are we to conciliate these pretensions with the assertions of -Diodorus, the Sicilian, supported by those of the learned Hearne? Some -affirm, on the other hand, that the Egyptians descend direct from the -Ethiopians; the pure Egyptian race existing only in the Copts, who have -woolly hair, round heads, flattened noses, and protruding cheek-bones. -Similar signs certainly characterize both negroes and Ethiopians. Egypt -was the cradle of civilization, and if inhabited by the Ethiopian race, -with the negroes originated sciences, arts, and institutions. In that -case, the problem of equality of intelligence becomes painfully solved; -and if we now possess a vast superiority of intellect over the negroes, we -owe it to their ancestors, who were our masters in almost every branch of -polite knowledge. - -With regard to colour, Virgil has said, "nimium ne crede colori." Dr. -Beddoes, moreover, completely overcame the difficulty; for by frequently -immersing the hand of a negro in a solution of muriatic acid, he rendered -it as white as ivory. In these speculative times, we should not be much -surprised to see a company established for washing the black population -white. This might furnish matter for reflection to Mr. Williams, of -Vermont, who in his History of that State, requires four thousand years -for effecting the transition from black to white, through the sole -influence of climate. - -Meiners, as we have seen, classes the negroes in the monkey tribe. How are -we to reconcile this sacrilegious classification with the dogmas of the -church, which canonize two blacks, viz. St. Elesbaan, patron of the -Portuguese and Spaniards, and the Queen of Sheba, the wife of Solomon? -Another great writer affirms, that black was the original colour of the -human race; and that the white race is in a state of degeneration. -Monsieur de Pauw shows the question of the negroes in another light, -refusing them an aptitude for civilization equal to the whites; but -attributing their colour to the scorching heat of the sun, which, by -wasting the brain, diminishes the faculties and organs of intelligence -that distinguish Europeans. Dr. Gall goes further, and pronounces the -negroes to be wholly deficient in the organs of music and mathematics. - -We cannot, however, expect to find the organ of music prominent in the -organization of man in a state of nature. As to the organ of mathematics, -were the negroes completely deficient in this, Meiners would be correct in -his assimilation; for the higher order of mathematics is not here implied, -but the simplest acts of calculation. No operation of the mind, however, -is possible without the aid of a certain kind of calculation. Moreover, -experience tends to confute the system of Dr. Gall. It is well known that -in Africa, there are nations far advanced in civilization; a false kind of -civilization, perhaps, and tainted with barbarism. They have no opera, for -instance, nor a jockey club, nor the excitement of breaking their necks at -steeple-chases. But they have cities, tribunals, laws, judges, -institutions, and armies; they declare war and make peace; discuss the -interests of the State, raise taxes, and regulate the public expenditure. -Denyan, who resided thirteen years in the kingdom of Juida, was astonished -by their wonderful policy; affirming that their diplomatists were capable -of competing with the most wary European cabinets. - -The Daccas, who occupy the fertile point of Cape Verd, are organized into -a Republic, under directors, lieutenants, and a hierarchy, analagous to -the different States existing in Europe. Bornou is governed by a monarchy; -but the throne is both hereditary and elective at the death of the -reigning Prince. His successors being selected from among his children -without respect to primogeniture. The most worthy is nominated to reign. -The funeral discourse is a panegyric or a censure, according to the tenor -of the reign of the deceased. - -This is stronger evidence of civilization than to possess a tenor equal to -Rubini, or a dancer comparable with Taglioni. - -The cities of Africa are not mere encampments. The capital of the Foulans -has seven thousand inhabitants. Mungo Park mentions that they are fond of -instruction, and read the books permitted by the Mahomedan religion with -great assiduity. In his expedition to the interior of Africa, this -celebrated traveller expresses his surprise at meeting with so much -unexpected magnificence. The city of Sego had thirty thousand inhabitants; -her population being less than those of Jenna, Timbuctoo, and Haussa. - -Barrow extols the character and pleasing manners of the Boushouannas. -Their capital, Litah, has from twelve to fifteen thousand souls; ruled by -a patriarchal government. The chief executes the will of the people, -emanating from a council composed of elders. Is such a council -characteristic of barbarism? Or a proof that the moral organization of the -negroes is inferior to that of the whites? - -Judging from the narratives of travellers, the maritime populations are -generally inferior to those of the interior. If this opinion be well -founded, there is every reason to infer that the circumstance arises from -the access of Europeans being less frequent with the interior than the -littoral. Often have we to deplore the demoralization we have conveyed to -distant countries. Is it just, therefore, to speak of the brutal barbarity -of the negroes, when all we see of it is partly our own work? - -If we proceed from nations to individuals, a whole catalogue of eminent -black men and mulattos presents itself. The name of Henry Diaz, demands a -prominent place on the list. From a common slave, he became Colonel of a -Portuguese regiment, which by his able tactics and daring courage often -defeated experienced Generals. In an engagement, in which, overpowered by -numbers, he perceived some troops on the point of giving way, he rushed -among them exclaiming: "Are these the brave companions of Henry Diaz?" On -hearing which, his men returned to the charge, and drove the enemy from -the field. In 1645, in the heat of battle, a ball penetrated his left hand -which he was about to have amputated, when he exclaimed: "Every finger of -my right hand shall learn to grasp the sword!" - -The famous St. George was a mulatto. His skill in fencing won him an -European reputation, and no one could surpass him in the art of -equitation. Moreover, Dr. Gall would have been forced to admit his -prodigious talent for music. Fifty years ago, the compositions of St. -George were eminently the fashion in the Parisian drawing-rooms. - -The republican armies boasted among the bravest of the brave, General -Alexander Dumas, who, though a mulatto, was surnamed by his companions in -arms, the Horatius Cocles of the Tyrol. Before Lille, accompanied only by -four of his men, he attacked a post of fifty Austrians, of whom he killed -six, and made sixteen prisoners. With the Army of the Alps, he scaled -Mount St. Bernard, stormed a redoubt, and turned the guns against the -enemy. He was the father of the French dramatist, Alexander Dumas, who has -immolated as many victims in his dramas, as his father destroyed in the -enemies of his country. - -Job-Ben-Solomon, son of the Mahomedan King of Banda, on the Gambia, was -taken prisoner in 1750, conducted to America, and sold as a slave. He had -a superior order of mind, understood Arabic, and was distinguished for his -talents. He enjoyed the friendship of Sir Hans Sloane, for whom he -translated several Arabic manuscripts; and was treated with distinction by -the Court of London, till the African Company had him reconducted to his -States. At the death of his father, he assumed the sceptre, and after -being the slave of Europeans, became the idol of his subjects. The history -of Job-Ben-Solomon presents a victorious argument against the prejudice -concerning negroes, for in him there existed not only courage but -intellect. A son of the King of Nimbana, who was educated in England, died -soon after his return to his native land; but during his stay in England, -he manifested great proofs of ability. He cultivated several sciences with -success, learnt several languages, and read the Bible in the original. - -Ramsay, who passed twenty years of his life among the negroes, mentions -their impressive eloquence when excited, as well as their talent for -mimicry and acting, in which they were not inferior to some of the best -performers then known in England. In Africa, they have various national -musical instruments, of which sixteen are stringed; without counting their -famous balafon, resembling the once famed spinet. Vocal music is as -familiar to them as instrumental; and their composers have been known to -produce melodies replete with grace. We may here quote Gossec, whose -opinion on the subject of music is preferable to that of Dr. Gall, as -being one of the greatest musical composers of his time; and in his famous -opera of the "Camp de Grand Pré," he introduced a negro melody from St. -Domingo, which met with immense success. The Abbé Grégoire also speaks of -certain itinerant negro minstrels, who sang, played, and narrated like the -minstrels of old. - -The negro race, therefore, have produced both heroes and artists, as well -as figured with distinction in the sciences. Derrham, once a slave at -Philadelphia, was made over to a physician, who employed him in the -compounding of his medicines. But soon ambition laid hold of the soul of -the slave, he acquired French, English, Spanish, and Latin; and perfected -himself in the hygienic and therapeutic sciences with such success, that, -in 1788, he was esteemed the most eminent practitioner in New Orleans, and -consulted from all parts of America. - -Another negro, named Amo, claims attention as distinguished in the annals -of science. A native of Guinea, he was brought to Amsterdam in 1707, and -presented to the Duke Augustus of Wolfenbüttel, who sent him to study at -Halle and Wittenberg. After distinguishing himself at both those -Universities, he publicly sustained a thesis upon the rights of the -negroes, "de Jure Manorum." Amo was versed in astronomy; spoke Latin, -Greek, Hebrew French, Dutch, and German, there were, indeed, few better -linguists. Some years ago, a Swedish professor having addressed one of our -academies in Latin, the different members, perplexed by their -insufficient acquaintance with that tongue, sent in great haste for one -of their absent members, the only one qualified to answer the learned -foreigner. This was the late Andrieux; but had the negro, Amo, been in the -way, he might have supplied his place. Amo was not only a man of universal -information, but had the art of imparting it to others. Differing from his -white colleagues, he preferred instructing his scholars to the ambition of -acquiring personal renown. His lectures, from the able manner in which he -combined the advantages of the ancient and modern systems, attracted -numerous auditors. He was invested with a diploma in 1744; the first -instance of a negro arriving at that distinction. Amo left a Dissertation -upon Sensation considered as distinct from the Soul, and present to the -body. Frederick the Great, who then reigned in Prussia, conferred the -dignity of Councillor of State upon Amo. But these honours, unprecedented -for a man of his colour, did not dazzle him so as to render him insensible -to the land of his birth. Pining for his native air, he resolved, after -the death of his patron, the Duke of Brunswick, to return, after thirty -years' absence, to his birth-place, Axim, on the Gold Coast; nor was -anything further heard of him in Europe after his departure for that -obscure place. - -Buffon, who was the contemporary of Amo, did not distinguish himself by -his definition of the negro race. "Negroes," said he, "are tall, fat, -well-made, but devoid of mind and genius." The great naturalist looked no -deeper than the epidermis, and was greatly mistaken in asserting negroes -to be tall and fat; as in general their stature scarcely equals our own. - -Father Charleroy, goes farther than Buffon, by stating that, the negroes -of Guinea have but limited capacities, some being quite imbecile, and few -being able to count beyond three; that they possess no memory, the past -being as unknown to them as the future. "On the other hand," he observes, -"they are docile, simple, humane, credulous, superstitious." This -definition of Father Charleroy may apply to a certain number of negroes; -but it also applies to a certain number of whites. Buffon maintains that -the negroes colonized at Sierra Leone had only the occupations of women, -and a disgust for all useful employment. Their dwellings he states to be -miserable hovels; declaring that they prefer sterile and wild spots to -beautiful valleys clothed with trees, and watered by the clearest streams. -Their roads, he adds, are twice as long as necessary; yet they always -follow the beaten track, insensible to the waste of time, which they never -calculate. M. Descourtils, who resided at St. Domingo, and closely -observed the negroes, declares them to be ignorant, superstitious, and -barbarous; their music being detestable and unmeaning. But though such -asseverations may be founded to a certain degree on fact--after having -shown the difference that exists between the maritime and fluvial tribes -of Africa, and those settled in the interior--we are inclined to inquire -whether the negroes of America, more particularly those of St. Domingo, -ought to be selected as the standard of the negro race? Are not -disabilities attributed to colour which are, in truth, caused by slavery? -Had not the Spartan Helots the same skin as Agis and Epaminondas? Yet what -could be more marked than their distinction of nature? Would it even be -fair to judge the inhabitants of Paris and London by the swarms of footmen -in those cities? - -Nevertheless, we are bound to agree with the most experienced -physiologists, that, independent of colour, independent of cerebral -conformation, independent of facial angularity, the most perfect specimens -of the human race are to be found in the temperate regions. The History of -the World bears out the fact; and upon this point, the best intentions of -philanthropy fall to the ground. Religion and humanity call aloud for the -abolition of slavery; while the massacres of St. Domingo prove the -necessity of its being prudent and progressive. At some still remote -period, posterity will probably abjure the prejudice of the white race -against the blacks. But this great revolution of popular feeling will not -be effected without long-established previous proof on the part of the -negro population, that the blessings of freedom have brought forth all the -fruits anticipated by the advocates of abolition. To decide upon their -equality of nature, in their present unequal condition, would be rash and -premature. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -FASCINATION; OR, THE ART OF PLEASING. - - -No individual of the human race, but at the bottom of his heart is -ambitious to please! But the charm is not more unequal in distribution -than the means are various. So various, indeed, and so uncertain, that in -our attempts to please we frequently produce the contrary effect. - -This universal propensity has given rise to absurd prejudices and -ridiculous efforts; and to a thousand arts, and trickeries, affording an -amusing subject for consideration. - -The desire of pleasing tended greatly to enhance, in the earlier stages of -society, the reputation and influence of sorcerers, fairies, and -supernatural beings; whose power was often invoked to increase the -personal attractions of their votaries. The wild efforts of Medea to -secure the affections of her faithless Jason are sufficiently known. Love -potions and philtres were a favourite resource of the ancients, never -weary of consulting sorcerers and enchantresses concerning their aptitude -to please. Virgil, Ovid, Tibullus, Propertius, all allude to the love -charms which could be procured at the hands of different magicians. Ovid, -who has so poetically described the delicate mysteries of the art of love, -laughs, it is true, at these incentives. - -"Had magicians," says he, "the power of inflaming lovers' hearts, would -Circe have allowed Ulysses to abandon her?" - -Horace accuses Canidia of killing children for the purpose of composing -love-potions; ignorant, apparently, that animal substances were -inadmissible in their composition. Vervain and rue, with a few other -mystic plants, gathered by the light of the moon, formed their chief -ingredients. According to some, a sovereign charm consists of _enula -campana_, or St. John's wort, plucked on the eve of that Saint, before -sunrise, ambergris, and other substances, of which the virtue would be -forfeited unless superscribed with the word "Scheva." - -One of the most ingenious authors of antiquity, Apuleius, has given, in -his work of the Golden Ass, a recipe for a love-charm composed of -different fishes; the claws of crayfish, crabs, and oyster shells. He was -accused of having tried its influence in obtaining the affections of his -wife to induce her to make a will in his favour. This recipe is the only -one of the kind not limited to the vegetable kingdom. - -Pudentilla, a rich dowager, who had been a widow for fifteen years, chose -for her future husband, the young, handsome, and clever Apuleius, who, -according to the account of the "Golden Ass," pleaded his cause as follows -before the tribunal. - -"I am accused," said he, "of sorcery, because Pudentilla espoused me after -fifteen years of widowhood. But would it not be better to inquire why she -consented to remain a widow so long? In support of the accusation of -magic, you say that I instructed fishermen to bring me fish for unlawful -purposes. Ought I to have employed a lawyer, a blacksmith, or a -bird-catcher? I am accused of collecting vermiculated oysters, striped -cockle-shells, and sea crayfish. But when Aristotle, Democritus, -Theophrastus, and other naturalists made collections of Natural History, -did you infer that it was for the confection of love-charms? A child -accidentally fell down, in my presence, on my return home, and I am -accused of sorcery! For the future, then, I presume I shall be bound to -hold in leading strings all the children that approach me; and to prevent -all little girls from stumbling, I must pick up the stones in the street, -and do away with the threshold of my door, lest any one make a false step -in entering my house. Pudentilla, it seems, informed her neighbours that -I was a magician. She might have seen fit to call me a Consul; but would -that have elevated me to the consular dignity?" - -Having pleaded his own cause in this vein of pleasantry, the judges -acquitted Apuleius, seeing clearly that so amiable and graceful a man -needed no love-charm for the conquest of the old widow. - -In those times, sovereigns as well as subjects were in the habit of -purchasing love-charms! According to Suetonius, Cesonia administered a -potion to her husband, Caligula, which increased both his madness and his -cruelty. The death of the poet Lucretius was caused by a similar potion -administered by his mistress, Lucilia. Eusebius mentions a Governor of -Egypt, who died from the same cause, and there are innumerable instances -of these potent decoctions producing insanity, as well as fatal -enfeeblement of body. Ovid furnishes the true recipe for love: "Ut ameris, -amabilis esto!" "To be loved, be amiable!" But such a charm being out of -the reach of many, it seems easier to purchase cosmetics at the perfumers, -which are about as effective in the creation of the tender passion as the -magic potions of darker ages. - -A pretension to youthful habits and appearance at an advanced period of -life, is perhaps one of the most effectual methods of becoming distasteful -and ridiculous. - -Still, however, a suitable attention to the care and variations of the -toilet, proves a great enhancement to beauty in its civilized state; nor -can there be a more vulgar error than the dictum of the poet, proclaiming: - - "Beauty unadorned, adorned the most." - -In the female bosom, the love of dress is an instinctive passion. Look at -two children of the same age, a girl and a boy; the one will be seen to -delight in feats of strength and agility; the other, as if in evidence of -the desire of pleasing instinctive in the opposite sex, is sure to prefer -a doll, a ribbon, or a pretty frock, in place of the drum or gun chosen by -the boy. Both have intuitively adopted their different vocations. Both are -ambitious to conquer by means suitable to their several sexes. - -What prodigies of art have been effected in France in consequence of the -love of dress generated in the fair sex by a desire to please; from the -period when the fair Gauls attired themselves in a sheep-skin fastened at -the throat with a thorn; but were not the less coquettish for this -enforced simplicity. - -At that period, their notions of coquetry consisted in having fanciful -designs tattooed upon their persons; and instead of pearls and diamonds, -by way of adornment, cockle-shells were suspended from their ears. Their -sole cosmetic consisted in unguents, which we now abhor as characteristic -of the Hottentots. - -Can the present inhabitants of Paris be really descended from these -savages? At that time all the elegance and refinement of dress, arising -from the desire to please, were concentrated in Rome; nor have modern -times raised the fair Parisians to a similar state of refinement. Juvenal -relates that it was thought indecent by the Roman ladies to spit or make -use of a handkerchief in public; and at Athens, the fair sex never -presumed to leave their chambers when suffering from a cold. What would -they have thought of the disgusting habits of the Parisian belles, who -contaminate their handkerchiefs by taking snuff, and yet ornament them -with embroideries!--But the ladies of the antique world scrupulously -avoided all that could provoke disgust--an essential preliminary in the -art of pleasing. - -In the early age of the Republic, the most refined cleanliness -distinguished the habits of the fair Romans. Under the Cæsars, and after -the conquest of the East, a taste for luxury, perfumes, and futilities of -all kinds was first indulged; while the sumptuous prodigality of the table -surpassed all precedent. The science of cosmetics then attained -perfection; and there appeared no limit to their coquetry. - -Pliny states that the Roman ladies, in order to make their skin white, -made use of a juice expressed from the seeds of the wild grape;--while -minium, white lead and chalk, filled up their wrinkles, and effaced -unseemly spots. - -"Tabula," said Martial, "is afraid of the rain; and Sabilla of the sun; -the one alarmed for the solution of her complexion, the other lest the -heat should evaporate the roses of her cheeks." - -Ovid has transmitted to us a recipe for a paste to secure whiteness of -skin, consisting of barley flour and lentils, eggs, hartshorn, narcissus -bulbs, gum, and honey. - -Poppæa invented a paste, which was moulded like a mask upon the face, to -be worn in the house. This mask was called at Rome the husband's face, -because it was only taken off for the suitor. When Poppæa travelled, she -was followed by a troop of donkeys, whose milk she used for her toilet; -and in the baths of the Roman palaces, the most unlimited luxury -prevailed. The ladies were served by numerous slaves, each having -particular attributions. One superintended the hair; another the -eye-brows; another the hands, which were dyed with pink; another, the -face; while the rest were devoted to the care of the wardrobe and jewels. - -These customs, handed down both by historians and poets, had solely for -their object the desire to please; among women, the most ungovernable of -all desires, and exceeding even the love of command. To please, however, -is a preliminary to authority. - -In modern times, the cosmetic art has become a branch of the sciences, and -forms a considerable source of industry and revenue. The walls of our -towns are covered with announcements of miraculous discoveries, pastes and -capillary oils, odoriferous waters,--all and each being efficacious and -infallible. Red hair may be transformed into beautiful black -tresses;--baldness may be made to give place to flowing locks; and all -these oils, pastes, and masks, which periodically change their name, are -in fact the same villanous cosmetics which never yet restored elasticity -to a withered skin, converted black to white, or bestowed curls upon a -bald pate. Art is great, but Time far greater; nor are the ravages of -years to be concealed. In divers of these preparations of lead, bismuth -and tin, the sulphurated and phosphoric properties produce the most -injurious effects. In others, the calcareous and aluminous substances -obstruct the pores of the skin, and by hardening it, annihilate its -elasticity. Minium, coral, and vegetable powders, are not less pernicious; -their corroding action augmenting, instead of diminishing the ailments of -the teeth and gums. - -These salutary observations were made long before our time; and it has -been as often observed that for the preservation of the complexion, -innocuous substances should be employed such as milk, honey, cucumber, or -melon-juice, mallow-water, and above all, that best of cosmetics, fresh -water, which is within the reach of all, and wants no alluring aid of -Chinese engravings on gilded bottles to recommend its miraculous -properties. - -The increased use of baths has fortunately rendered this cosmetic a matter -of universal adoption; and nothing is more likely to confer softness of -skin. - -Anne of Austria, the mother of Louis XIV., had so fine a skin, that no -linen could be found sufficiently delicate for her use, which caused -Cardinal Mazarin to observe that in another world, her eternal punishment -would consist in sleeping in coarse sheets. All the cold cream in the -world would not have effected a change in the susceptible epidermis of -Anne of Austria; and we repeat that cosmetics are both useless and -dangerous. - -Not even the consummate art of Jezebel availed to repair the irretrievable -ravages of time. Young girls of redundant health have been known to -swallow acids to counteract corpulency; after succeeding in which, they -die prematurely of pulmonary affections. An equally fatal result of the -desire to please is produced by over-lacing. Ladies desirous to conceal -their obesity had far better rely upon a well-chosen dress than upon this -injurious expedient. On the other hand, a tight shoe only exhibits more -prominently a foot of large dimensions. Nothing is more erroneous than -the proverb, "that people must suffer in order to look well." To be -graceful, the movements of the body should be unrestrained. - -We have already pointed out the distinction between the art of pleasing, -and the desire of pleasing. The desire is common to all, the art limited -to a few; and they who charm most are those who please naturally and -without effort. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. - - -How was the world ever brought to believe that students, in rags, -possessed the power of producing gold, when the misery of their personal -condition was so apparent? How could individuals, in the enjoyment of -competence, ever be tempted to own themselves in the pursuit of chimerical -opulence? How could an enlightened century give birth to so monstrous a -delusion? - -The alchemists, though not comprised among sorcerers, and requiring a -separate notice, rivalled them in the pretence to magic; for their volumes -abound in recipes for raising the dead, universal elixirs, the -regeneration of old people, the transformation of the ugly into the -beautiful, and even the creation of men and animals, without other aid -than that of a few cinders and herbs! - -Such miracles, however, were insignificant compared with the science of -producing gold; which, according to some was known to Job. The -philosopher's stone is said, by certain legends, to have been the origin -of his fortune; and his poverty to have been occasioned by its loss. These -alchemists do not explain how he came to forfeit the scientific powers -which had originally produced the stone; such details being beneath the -notice of the grand science. - -The philosopher's stone was, on the contrary, a creation of the fourteenth -century, and much accredited among the scientific men of that day. Raymond -Lully, Nicholas Flamel, Arnaud de Villeneuve, Paracelsus, and several -others, were initiated into the secret. Nicholas Flamel was a celebrated -alchemist, and having acquired an immense fortune, it was attributed to -the philosopher's stone, which of course stimulated the cupidity of the -proselytes of alchemy. Eager was their pursuit of a study which was to -endow them with boundless wealth; and these lunatics found coadjutors in -persons of weak and credulous mind, while wiser men diverted themselves by -sustaining their hopes, and affecting conviction of their success. Such -was Van Helmont, who published his belief in the existence of the -philosopher's stone, protesting that he had seen it, and tasted it; that -with a grain, he had produced several marks of pure gold. - -The ardour with which conjectural sciences are adopted, proves a serious -injury to positive science. Many learned men asserted the possibility of -the transmutation of metals; among others, the famous Pica of Mirandola. -Alchemists, however, were not unanimous concerning the principles of the -art. Some placed its origin in Heaven, and looked upon the rays of the sun -as its primitive source; the quintessence of which was called, in their -gibberish, the powder of projection. Others maintained that its elements -existed throughout every department of nature, constituting the active -principle of the universe. Some ascribed the principle to the metals -themselves. Mercury presented itself to them as the agent for producing -silver, according to the properties we have already described with -reference to miraculous showers. According to them, mercury had only to be -condensed, its mobility fixed, and its different parts coagulated, to -create silver. But by far the greater number indulged in still wider -speculations. Most of those who attempted the pursuit were brought to want -and wretchedness; and one of them observed, in his last moments, that he -could not imagine a bitterer curse to bequeath than the love of alchemy! - -All, however, were not martyrs to the art. Many of its advocates -perambulated the world, finding dupes in Princes, Kings and Emperors, who -paid dearly for their imaginary discoveries. These mountebanks were the -only real possessors of the philosopher's stone. After the treaty of -Westphalia, in 1648, the Emperor Ferdinand was convinced that he had -converted half a pound of mercury into gold by means of a philosophical -tincture; and in commemoration of the event, had a medal struck, bearing -the effigy of a youth with a face like a sun, shooting forth rays. On the -reverse was inscribed, "Glory to God for deigning to impart to his humble -creatures a portion of his infinite power." - -The mountebank to whom this transmutation was attributed, by name -Richthausen, was created a Baron; and repeated his experiments before the -Elector of Mayence and many other Sovereigns. His name was long celebrated -in Germany; but his end is unknown. It is well known that Cardinal de -Richelieu witnessed several experiments in pursuit of the philosopher's -stone, generously rewarding the operator. This may have been an expedient -of his Eminence in order to secure the services of these adroit -individuals; who, admitted into the bosom of illustrious families, became -a source of useful information. Voltaire relates that he saw one, Damusi, -Marquis of Conventiglio, handsomely remunerated by certain rich noblemen, -after producing, in their presence, two or three crowns of gold. - -No one has written more to the purpose on the subject of alchemists, than -Fontenelle. "Nothing but the blindness induced by avidity," says he, -"could induce the belief that a man, possessing the power of making gold, -must receive gold from another, before he can exhibit his art. How can -such a person stand in need of money? Nevertheless, these mountebanks, by -their fanatical conduct, mysterious language, and exorbitant promises, far -from rendering themselves objects of suspicion, acquire the utmost -influence. Without deciding upon the impractibility of making gold, -experience teaches us that the extreme difficulty of the operation must -render it unavailable in practice, if not in theory. But supposing that by -the means of a sulphur of gold, completely separated from other -principles, the point were gained by applying it to silver, so as to -produce a mass of gold of the same weight and volume, what would be the -result beyond a curious experiment effected at an enormous cost?" - -In this appreciation of alchemy, Fontenelle expresses himself with the -scrupulousness worthy the philosopher who said that he would not have -opened his hand had it been full of truth. In this instance he opens it -partially, admitting an experimental possibility which he knew did not -exist. - -Not only Kings and Emperors, but even the populace, delighting in the -marvellous, believed in the existence of the philosopher's stone; choosing -to attribute several sudden accumulations of wealth to this mysterious -source. Raymond Lullé had become rich by farming the duty imposed by -Edward III. upon the exportation of wool from England to Flanders. Arnaud -de Villeneuve, an eminent physician and chemist, effected cures by -specifics only known to himself, which were highly requited. Nicholas -Flamel enriched himself by seizing the ledgers of the Jews when expelled -from France; their creditors preferring a settlement with him, to paying -their liabilities into the exchequer; in return for which, he effaced -their names from the registers. - -These mountebanks are now known to have made use of a hollow cane, the -extremity being plugged with wax, by introducing which into the crucible, -on pretext of stirring up the different matters, as the wax melted the -gold fell out, and the miracle appeared to be accomplished. - -Others had their crucibles lined with a substance which yielded to the -action of the fire, when the gold concealed behind it appeared. These -clumsy tricks of legerdemain succeeded for several centuries; but -credulity flits round error, as the moth is attracted by the flame of the -taper, and is at length annihilated. - -In the beginning of the last century, a well-known Princess was the victim -of an absurd fraud. Being famed for her humanity, a wounded soldier -knocked at the door of her palace, and solicited hospitality. Having been -nobly received, on recovering from his wounds, he desired to offer some -acknowledgment of gratitude previous to his departure. This man pretended -to be possessed of three reeds, which, being placed in a crucible, -converted mercury into gold. These reeds he pretended to have discovered -in a ruined Abbey in Wurzbourg; a fact which he disinterestedly -communicated to the Princess; who, in return, loaded him with marks of -munificence. When, however, her Highness proceeded to apprize the Bishop -of Wurzbourg of the treasure concealed in his diocese, no such Abbey as -the one described by the crafty soldier was found to be in existence. This -kind of philosophers' stone is not a new invention, and there is little -chance of the secret being lost. - -There are still many persons engaged in the decomposition and -transmutation of metals;--viz: the coiners of base money. Even the Academy -of Sciences of Paris has still one member devoted to the miracles of the -crucible--Baron Cagnard de la Tour; who has made many wonderful -experiments on the nature and reproduction of diamonds. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -GIANTS AND DWARFS. - - -"Have dwarfs and giants ever really existed?" - -"Only so long as no traveller penetrated the countries they were supposed -to inhabit," would be the reasonable reply. For since the globe has been -explored in all directions, and tourists are compelled to be more measured -in their narratives, travellers' wonders are greatly diminished. - -A belief in the existence of nations of giants and dwarfs was, however, -long entertained; one of the many errors bequeathed to us by antiquity, -and adopted by modern credulity. - -The ancients had their Titans and Cyclops; of whom Polyphemus, the most -towering, was three hundred feet high; while we moderns, more moderate, -allow only ten feet to the Patagonian. From the period the Magellan -regions became better known, their proportions were still further reduced; -and we now allow only an average of seven feet. Credulity, distance, and -the love of the marvellous, tend greatly to the exaggeration of such -allotments. - -The Bible, like mythology, has its giants; but in most cases, they are -exceptional; and it is undeniable that nature often digresses, and -produces individuals differing in stature from the ordinary standard of -mankind. - -Most people have heard of Bébé, the famous dwarf of the King of Poland, -who came to Paris in the early part of the Consulate; and of Friand, the -giant, whose height exceeded seven feet two inches. But these two were -exceptions, not the types of a race. Excepting the Greenlanders, -Laplanders, and Samoyedes, there is little variation of stature among the -different populations of the globe, certainly not more than a tenth. As -regards the inhabitants of the arctic regions, we must bear in mind that -their stunted proportions are in harmony with the rigid, and unkindly -nature of their climates; in proof of which may be cited the similarity of -climate between Lapland and certain vallies of the frozen regions of -Switzerland. A similar influence is manifest in the inhabitants of the two -localities; the peasants of the Valais, afflicted with the goitre, having -more analogy with the Laplanders than with the fine population of -Switzerland. - -There are few phenomenal races, though many individuals; just as the -monstrous fruits grown for horticultural prizes cannot be regarded as fair -samples of a species. It would be as rational to cite, by way of example, -the fabulous creations of Rabelais and Swift, the giant Gargantua, and the -nation of Lilliputians. - -Polyphemus and his Cyclops are real, as they exist in the pages of Homer -and Virgil; but ideal the moment Flasellus asserts that the remains of -Polyphemus were found in Sicily, near Mount Eripana, of which he gives the -following account. - -"The giant was seated with his left hand resting on the mast of a ship -terminated like a club, and carrying fifteen hundred weight of lead. It -crumbled into dust upon being touched, except part of his skull; which -would have contained several bushels of corn. Three teeth of which the -least weighed one hundred ounces, and a thigh bone, one hundred and twenty -feet long, were still perfect." Between Homer, and Virgil, and Thomas -Flasellus there is all the difference of ingenious fiction and the -grossest imposture produceable in prose. - -In former days, the head of Adam was believed to have out-topped the -atmosphere, and that he touched the Arctic Pole with one hand, and the -Antarctic with the other; one of the hyperbolical exaggerations of the -rabbinical Scriptures. After Adam, the rabbins rank Og, the King of Basan, -to whom Holy Writ assigns thirteen or fourteen feet, while the rabbinical -writings declare that the stature of Og was such that the waters of the -deluge only came up to his knee. In the war against the Israelites, he -hurled a mountain against the enemy; but as he held it above his head, God -decreed that the ants should excavate it, so that it fell about his neck -like a collar. Moses, who was six ells high, profiting by the -circumstance, grasped a formidable axe, and making a spring of his own -height, could only strike the giant on the instep. The King, however, -fell, and encumbered by the mountain, was put to death. - -Polyphemus, and all other giants might have danced upon the palm of King -Og; and the thigh of the Cyclops would scarcely have furnished him a -toothpick. The Jewish rabbins affirm that the thigh bone of Og, the King -of Basan, was about twelve leagues long. They do not, however, give the -precise measure. - -Pomponius Mela, the most incredible of the authors of antiquity, states -that certain of the Indian tribes were of such exceeding stature, that -they mounted their elephants as we do our horses. Father Rhetel, a -Capuchin friar, saw at Thessalonica the bones of a giant ninety-six feet -long; the skull of which could contain twenty-four bushels of corn. -Herodotus states that the shoe of Perseus measured three feet. The wise -Plutarch, himself adopted the history of the giant Antæus, related by -that illustrious liar Gabirius. According to some historians, King -Tentradus was twenty-five feet high; Goliath was nine feet four inches; -the Emperor Maximin was more than eight; and the Elector of Brandenbourg, -Joachim, had at his Court a man named Michael, who was about eight feet -high. The height of Goliath, Maximin and Michael were mere instances of -the caprices of nature. - -The early legends of stupendous giants arose from the fact, that the -fossil remains of antediluvial animals were originally ascribed to the -human race; whereas, geologists have never found, either in calcareous or -granitical formations, any bones of the human species which could have -preceded the deluge. - -Having dismissed the giants, let us consider the dwarfs, concerning whom -our conclusions are the same:--that they are exceptions to the general -rule. Nay, the impossibility of establishing a race has been proved by a -German Princess, who having married and settled several couples of dwarfs, -failed in securing a diminutive progeny. - -The existence of pygmies is the sole question concerning the dwarfish -species requiring attention; but though so long credited by the ancients, -it is now looked upon as fabulous. Aristotle, the evangelist of science, -affirms that pygmies were not fabulous; and placed them near the source of -the Nile, in a country created purposely for them, in which the nature of -every thing was proportionate. Some authors have pronounced the pygmies to -have been twenty-eight inches high; but Juvenal only allows them a foot. -These ideal dwarfs must have been about the size of the young American, -popularly known under the name of General Tom Thumb. - -The pygmies are said to have been courageous and enterprising; dexterous -with the bow, and, according to Pliny, hewed down with an axe the corn, -which to them was in about the proportions of the oaks of Dodona. - -The most valorous exploit attempted by the pygmies was the siege of -Hercules. Pliny relates, that one day the son of Alcmena having fallen -asleep in the country of the pygmies, their King assembling his troops, -led a division against his right arm, surrounded his left, then at the -head of his troops charged the head, leaving the remainder of the army to -capture the feet. On awaking, Hercules spread out his cloak, and made the -whole army of pygmies prisoners. This is a pretty fable, and may have -originated the Lilliputians of the Dean of St. Patrick's. But we have no -hesitation in affirming, that though the words giants and pygmies may -serve as terms of comparison, they have no prototypes among the nations of -the earth. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -ASTROLOGY. - - -Among the most popular delusions of mankind, in earlier ages, were the -deductions drawn from the stars, under the name of astrology; a science so -long sustained by men of superior intellect, as to justify the credulity -of the ignorant. Hippocrates consulted the moon before he administered -medicine to his patients. Horace, Virgil, Richelieu, Mazarin, believed in -judicial astrology. Some attributed the honour of this discovery to -Abraham, others to Zoroaster; while the Greeks claim it for one of the -seven Sages of Greeks, Chilo of Lacedemonia, who professed to have -discovered in the heavens the germ and principle of our various -temperaments. - -The Romans adopted these astrological superstitions; and since that -period, both the study of the moon and stars, with the view to -prognostication, has proved a profitable pursuit. Petronius and the poet -Manilius assured their contemporaries that a child born under Aquarius, -could not fail to prefer fountains and cascades. But they forgot that -Aquarius was known long before the invention of fountains. Astrology was -then in its infancy, but like a youth improved by his travels, it acquired -strength and consistency among the Arabs. - -Long before the Arabs, however, the great Hermes had asserted: "As men -have seven apertures in the head, and there exist seven planets, it must -be inferred that every planet presides over one of these apertures in the -human head." The following is the manner in which Hermes disposed of them. -He made Jupiter and Saturn preside over the ears; Mars and Venus the -nostrils; the Sun and Moon represented the eyes; and Mercury had the care -of the mouth. New planets, however, have since been discovered; and in all -conscience, the disciples of Hermes ought to have made proportionate holes -in the head in support of his doctrines. - -Proceeding from the physical to the moral world, they established seven -presidencies; Venus over love, Mercury over eloquence, Saturn over grief, -the Sun over glory, and the Moon over domestic economy. - -After this ingenious arrangement, they assigned to every colour its -peculiar star. Blue belonged to Jupiter, yellow to the Sun, green to -Venus, red to Mars, probably from his sanguinary influence, white to the -Moon, black to Saturn, while Mercury presided over the different shadings -of all the colours. After the theory ensued the application, which was -nearly as follows: - -"Place a child in the centre of a circle, upon the circumference of which -the stars are disposed as at the moment of his conception, or birth. Their -influences concentrate upon him, and confer on him a fixed and unalterable -destiny. He will be virtuous or vicious, prosperous, or unfortunate in -this world, according to the configuration of the planets." - -According to the moral character of the stars, the Sun is benevolent and -auspicious; Saturn, dull, morose, and cold; the Moon moist and melancholy; -Jupiter, temperate, and his influences kindly; Mars, dry and fervent; -Venus prolific and affable; Mercury, inconstant and variable. - -Astrologers assigned twelve houses to the zodiac, appropriated to the -different planets. The first was consecrated to life and the body; from -whence emanates the white, black, and copper coloured races, giants, -dwarfs, albinos, idiots, and men of genius. The second house is devoted to -the interests of society in general; and in the third house, family -affairs between relatives of different degrees, excepting testamentary -dispositions, to which they devoted a fourth house. To pass from grave to -gay, enter the fifth house, where all is mirth, pleasure, and infantine -pastimes. Lackies and sempstresses occupy the sixth house, but they have -but little repose if the wall between it and the next house be not -tolerably thick; being inhabited by beautiful women, envy, hatred, and -malice. The eighth house of the zodiac is the cemetery; the ninth, the -head-quarters of voyages, missions, and processions; whilst the tenth is -the resort of the highest society, the nobility and dignitaries of state. -The eleventh house is destined for the prosperous, who pass their lives in -the delights of wit and friendship. The twelfth differs from the -preceding, being devoted to the groans of the wretched in their dungeons, -and the haunt of treason and shame. In building these zodiacal houses, the -representative form of certain Governments had not been anticipated, or a -better balance of power might have been effected. - -Such were the chimeras of antiquity, as handed down to modern times. -Plutarch relied so much on the efficacy of the stars, that he prevented -the Lacedemonians from going into battle before the full moon; and Cæsar -and Pompey frequently consulted the astrologers. The Emperor Augustus, -born under the sign Capricorn, had a medal struck in honour of his natal -star. Caracalla had the horoscope drawn of all those he employed; while -his policy, favour, and misgivings were uniformly decided by the stars. -When the horoscope of any influential person augured ill, Caracalla had -him put to death;--a fine triumph for astrology! - -Phrenology has now usurped the throne of astrology; and were sovereigns or -judges to form their judgments after the theory of Dr. Gall, they would -save themselves a world of trouble. - -The reign of Catherine de Medicis was the triumph of astrology in France. -Not a high-born dame but had her _Baron_, a name assigned to the family -astrologer, who was as much a matter of course as, in other times, a -family confessor. - -The astrological rage subsided during the reign of Louis XIV; but -disappeared only under the Regency. Voltaire, writes in 1757, when he was -sixty, that in his youth, the last adepts of astrology, Count -Boulainvilliers and the Italian Calonna, foretold his end at thirty years -of age. Voltaire remarks, "I have done them by thirty years!"--to which -the sequel added upwards of twenty more. - -When the Europeans first penetrated the vast regions of Asia, astrology -was found to be much in vogue in Persia and China. In the latter country, -the Emperor, on his accession, has his horoscope drawn. The Japanese -consult the stars previous to undertaking any enterprise. If they succeed, -they thank their stars; if they fail, they resign themselves to their -irresistible influence. - -Astrology had its hero, a Cato or Vatel, in the astrologer Cardan; who, -having predicted his death to the day and the hour, and failed in his -calculations, killed himself for the credit of science! A more judicious -prediction was that of the astrologer to Louis XI.; his master, who having -inquired of him the hour of his own death: "Two after that of your -Majesty!" replied he; and the oracle became a safeguard over his days. - -Human pride often stimulates the influence of superstition. Napoleon once -pointed out his star to Cardinal Fesch, who could not make it out. "It is -lost upon you," said the Emperor, "but I see it plainly enough!" Napoleon -affected reliance upon an influence which was known to be auspicious to -his fortunes. Had the Cardinal, in return, pretended to similar -distinction, he would probably have answered as Jean Jacques Rousseau did -to a shopkeeper, who complained of his stars. "How, Sir, do such people as -you pretend to have stars?" Were astrologers in general, like Cardan, -content to exercise their art upon themselves, we should not oppose their -proceedings. But their predictions have been known to produce a panic -throughout an entire population. For instance, a German mathematician, -named Stoffler, whose audacity was only equalled by the credulity of his -proselytes, predicted, towards the end of the fifteenth century, another -Deluge for the month of February, 1524. "How was it possible," he argued, -"to escape from the calamity, when at that particular period Mars and -Pisces, Saturn and Jupiter were to be in conjunction." Upon the eve of -this awful event, in various countries of Europe, carpenters could -scarcely be found in sufficient numbers to build the arks in preparation. - -Not a drop of rain, however, fell during the dreaded month of February, -and Stoffler became an object of general ridicule. Far, however, from -feeling himself defeated or acknowledging his error, he professed to have -made a mistake in the date; and predicted the end of the world for 1588. - -These predictions, alarming only to women and children, have been -frequently renewed by others. About the middle of the same century, the -Jews were one day seen waiting at their windows, expecting the arrival of -their Messiah; an Israelite, named Avenar, having announced his coming. -Cardan predicted a long and glorious reign to Edward VI, King of England; -who nevertheless died in his sixteenth year! - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -THE MOON AND LUNAR INFLUENCE. - - -From the stars in general to the moon in particular, there is but a step; -nor will we separate the midnight luminary from the company in which we -usually find her. Lovers and poets have from time immemorial found solace -in her beams; while the early philosophers pretended that she swallowed -stones in the manner of the mountebanks, in order to cast them down upon -us in the form of aërolites. This conclusion is as absurd as a thousand -others, of which the moon has been the object. The ingenuousness of the -old lady, who on hearing continually of new moons, inquired anxiously what -became of the old ones, is scarcely more surprising than the complex mass -of commentaries and hypotheses which regard the influence of the orb of -night. - -In former centuries, it was the custom to attribute the decay of public -monuments to the influence of the moon upon the surface of granite and -stone. Naturalists, however, having watched the work of animalculæ among -oysters, madrepores and corals, attributed this to the true cause. In the -year 1666, a physician of Caen remarked upon a stone wall of southern -aspect forming part of the Abbey of the Benedictines, a number of -cavities, into the deep sinuosities of which the hand could be inserted. -Instead of attributing this to the moon, he ascertained that they were -worked by insects whom he found concealed in the cavities. Experiment -opens the safest road to truth; while absurd theories transmitted from -generation to generation, obstruct the steps of a temple already -sufficiently difficult of ascent. - -Thomas Moult, the author of an almanack superior to the general run of -those popular publications, devoted himself to conjectures on the -variations of the weather as influenced by the moon; and consulted the -observations previously made by the Abbé Toaldo, who had noted down the -effect of eleven hundred and six moons upon the weather. He found that -nine hundred and fifty were accompanied by changes of weather; while the -other one hundred and fifty six, produced no effect. The proportion being -as one to six, the chances are that a new moon will produce a change of -weather; the influence being susceptible of increase from various -circumstances, in the proportion of thirty-three to one, when the new moon -is at its perigæum. - -Physicians formerly believed the phases of the moon to influence certain -diseases. Hippocrates and Galen assigned them as the cause of periodical -returns of epilepsy; while people of deranged intellect are vulgarly -styled lunatics. Bertholon observed the paroxysms of a maniac during one -year, and declared them to be aggravated by the full moon. It has been -asserted that among maritime populations, a greater number of deaths -occurred at the ebb than at the flow of the tide. At Brest, Rochefort and -St. Malo, a register was kept for thirty months of the number of deaths, -and the hours at which they took place; when the number was found to be -less at the hours supposed most fatal. The doctrine of Aristotle, which -had still many adherents, was overthrown by experience. - -Dr. Mead, an English physician, wrote a treatise on the influence of the -moon upon the human constitution, which has also fallen into oblivion. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -APPARITIONS. - - -The following anecdote is contained in one of the letters of Pliny, the -younger, which we select from many which figure in the annals of antiquity -as a type reproduced in various forms, with a change of scenery, by an -infinite number of chroniclers. - -"There was at Athens a spacious and convenient house, which was abandoned -because in the dead of night its inhabitants were invariably disturbed by -a clash of iron, and rattling of chains, which appeared to approach -gradually, and afterwards grow fainter and fainter. A spectre at length -appeared, in the shape of an old man with a venerable beard, and his hair -standing on end, with chains on his feet and hands, which he shook -furiously; so that those who had courage to take shelter in the house -passed fearful and sleepless nights. This privation of rest produced -illness, which increasing by constant panic, death often ensued. - -"The philosopher Athenodorus having arrived at Athens, and heard the story -of the deserted house, hired it, and took up his residence. - -"When evening set in, he had his bed put up in the front apartment; and -his tablets, lights, and writing implements placed on the table; after -which, his attendants retired to the rear of the house. Lest his -imagination should conjure up phantoms, he concentrated his whole -attention in writing. - -"At the beginning of the night, a deep silence prevailed. But at a later -hour, he heard the ring of chains, but continued to write on disbelieving -the evidence of his ears. - -"The noise becoming louder, seemed to approach his chamber door; and on -looking up, he beheld the spectre we have described; which seemed to -beckon him with its finger. Athenodorus made sign to his visitor to wait, -and continued his writing. The spectre shook its chains anew in the ears -of the philosopher; who, perceiving it to be still beckoning, rose, took -up the light, and followed it. The phantom walked as if sinking under the -weight of its chains; and on reaching the court-yard vanished, leaving -Athenodorus picking up herbs and leaves to mark the place of its -disappearance. - -"On the following day, he sought the magistrates of the city, and begged -to have the scene of the adventure examined. On due investigation, a -human skeleton, entangled in chains, was found interred on the ominous -spot. The bones were carefully collected, and publicly buried; and after -receiving the sacred rites of the dead, the spectre never again troubled -the repose of the house." - -Pliny does not relate this story as deserving of credence; but offered it -to his contemporaries as an ingenious lesson upon the influence of the -imagination, serving to inculcate the respect due from the living towards -the dead. Honours have been offered to the mortal remains of illustrious -men in all times and countries; and a reverence towards the grave may be -accepted as an indication of civilization. - -Plato affirmed that he saw the souls of the departed flitting about like -shadows; a prejudice we forgive the more readily in the man who first -revealed the existence of the soul, of which, in the name of Socrates, he -consecrated the immortality. - -Pausanias relates that whole armies reappeared after death with their arms -and baggage. - -"Four hundred years after the battle of Marathon," says he, "the neighing -of horses and cries of soldiers were heard upon the scene of action." - -The object of Pausanias was to hold up to the Athenians the example of -their illustrious ancestors by immortalizing the heroic combatants of that -memorable battle. But he no more heard the neighing of horses on the spot, -than Napoleon beheld forty centuries surveying his army from the apex of -the Pyramids, as figurately described in his sublime address to his -troops. - -Unmindful of the moral sense of things, and prone to judge the recitals of -antiquity according to the standard of our own ideas, regardless of the -changes of time, in our efforts to rectify the errors of our predecessors, -we fall into new ones. Due allowance ought to be made for time and place -in perusing such recitals as the following: - -"St. Spiridion, Bishop of Trimitonte, in Egypt, had a daughter, named -Irene, who died a virgin. After her decease, an individual presented -himself and claimed a deposit which had been in her custody, unknown to -her father, which was vainly sought for by St. Spiridion. Proceeding, -however, to his daughter's tomb, he called aloud her name, and demanded -what she had done with the object confided to her? 'You will find it -buried in such a spot!' replied a voice from the tomb; and proceeding to -the place pointed out, the treasure was found." - -St. Martin of Tours, disgusted by the reverence paid in his neighbourhood -to a pretended Saint, proceeded to his tomb, and enjoined him to arise. -The dead man issued from his grave, confessed that he was a robber justly -punished for his crimes, and condemned to eternal punishment. - -To appreciate these two miracles, we must revert to the times of those two -saints, that is, to the reign of superstition; in which the priesthood -officiated with magisterial power, keeping in check, by their moral -influence, the licentiousness of manners, and the perpetration of crime. -Of these Bishops, the one saw fit to defend the reputation of his -daughter, and inculcate the sacred nature of a trust; while the other -chose to exhibit the untenability of an assumed reputation. In both -instances, this was probably accomplished by means to which the -priesthoods of all countries have not disdained to resort; finding them -far more effectual with an unenlightened populace than abstract argument. - -A somewhat similar instance is related by Martinus Polonius, Platinus, and -Pierre Damien, of Pope Benedict IX. This Pontiff, they assure us, not only -rose again from the grave; but in the form of a wild beast, having the -head of an ass, the body of a bear, and the tail of a cat. As he wandered -in the forest, a holy hermit met and conversed with him. - -The truth is that the three authors of this story were Guelphs, and chose -to convert the Ghibeline Pontiff into a monster, by a pretended -apparition. So is it ever with party-writers, who do not disdain to have -recourse to the most absurd and disgraceful means in order to discredit -their opponents. - -As regards the vulgar family of ghosts, there can be little doubt that -such persons as really believe themselves to have been exposed to spectral -visitation, were affected either by some optical delusion, similar to that -of the "Fata Morgana" on the coast of Sicily, or the "mirage" of the -desart; in most cases, produced by the fatigue of over-study, and -infirmity of digestion. Such effects are, also, easily produced by the -interposition of malicious or jocose persons, in the way of -phantasmagoria. - -A celebrated instance of this kind is on record. The wife of the Provost -of Orleans dying in that city, limited by her will to the sum of six -golden crowns the expenses of her funeral; which was to take place at the -Convent of the Cordeliers. Her heirs conformed strictly to her -injunctions; thereby greatly incensing the friars, who determined to be -revenged. - -The Superior of the Convent caused a young monk to be secreted in the -vaults, and instructed him to cry aloud, and utter strange shrieks during -the performance of matins, and if invoked, to give no other answer than by -knocking thrice. The youth faithfully executed his charge; and, at the -moment agreed upon, made a hideous noise; so that the affrighted monks -suspended the sacred office. The officiating priest adjured the disturbed -spirit to tell them what was the matter; when three solemn knocks formed -the only answer, which was repeated three days consecutively. - -The phenomenon was soon bruited abroad by the monks; and on the days of -holy office, the noise was louder than usual; till the faithful deserted -the church in consternation. At length, they had recourse to exorcism; and -when the exorciser conjured the phantom, demanding to know whose was the -soul in torment, and naming in succession the various persons buried in -the church, no answer was returned till they came to the name of the -offending lady, when three loud knocks were distinctly audible. The spirit -was next interrogated whether she were not condemned to eternal punishment -for having secretly embraced the doctrines of Luther; and three, knocks -instantly confirmed the charge. She was next asked whether it would not -assuage her torments if her body were carried out of the Catholic Church -to be more appropriately interred; and three knocks again replied in the -affirmative. The Chapter being convoked, decided upon giving up the lady -to her husband, as being convicted of Lutheranism. But the Provost, -instead of giving credence to the opposition, submitted the case to the -tribunals of Paris, obtaining a special commission from the Chancellor -Duprat for the purpose. The result was the confession of the secreted -friar; whereupon the Superior of the Cordeliers and his confederate were -condemned to fine and imprisonment. - -Such delusions have been frequent from the time the Preaching Friars of -Bordeaux took occasion to relieve souls of purgatory in proportion to the -offerings placed before them, to that of the Convulsionaries, who, at the -commencement of the last century, exhibited their freaks on the site of -the cemetery of St. Médard. - -The most diverting piece of imposition is that related by Erasmus of a -priest, who, finding the fervour of his flock relax to the evident -diminution of his revenues, let loose one night in his burying-ground a -quantity of cray-fish, each having a lighted taper attached to it. The -parishioners instantly repaired to their pastor, who affirmed that these -wandering lights were souls from purgatory in search of masses; a -considerably supply of which was ordered on the spot. Owing, however, to -the carelessness of the priest, a cray-fish, with a piece of taper -adhering to it, was picked up the following day in the church-yard. - -Let those who are disposed to yield credit to ghost stories, visit but -once a good exhibition of Ombres Chinoises, or Fantasmagoria, or the -display of some able ventriloquist; and they will perceive that a good -ghost story is as easy of manufacture as a hat or a pair of gloves. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -NOBILITY AND TRADE. - - -The subject before us is too closely connected with the prejudices of -mankind not to call for consideration. The question is delicate, but we -hazard the argument, though at the risk of giving offence. - -The honours conceded to men of pre-eminent merit, who have rendered -service to their country, or to humanity in general, excite no -dissatisfaction;--the reaction begins with the second generation. -Hereditary nobility is a time-honoured prejudice. The founder of an -illustrious race is entitled to the respect of his contemporaries; but his -descendants become esteemed in proportion to the value attached to their -name. Unless they have conferred on it additional lustre, the inherited -rank exacts little consideration. - -Conquest was the origin of the most ancient nobility, as well as the -foundation of royalty. In France, from Clovis to Philip le Bel, there -were no other races of nobility; but after the reign of the latter, the -Kings of France exercised the right of ennoblement. From a right, nobility -in France became a concession. It is clear, therefore, that the power of -ennoblement, from the time of Philip le Bel, extinguished the illusions -concerning nobility which had previously prevailed. The facile formation -of nobility, the metamorphosis of the serf of yesterday into the baron of -the morrow, undeceived the multitude as to the right divine they had -hitherto attributed to the nobles; and deteriorated the consequence of the -order. From that epoch, illustrious names started forth from the middle -classes to figure at the Courts of Sovereigns; and in each succeeding -reign, we find names issuing from obscurity to cast a halo over the pages -of history. Many such still figure there; and some have added fresh lustre -to the names bequeathed them by their ancestors. - -A King of France one day ennobled all the burghers of Paris; who refused -the honour, conscious that, all being noble, nobility must cease to exist. - -The homage we pay to a great historical name is a justifiable feeling. -Among the ancient privileges of such nobility, one of the finest was that -of defending the country against foreign invasion. Previous to the use of -artillery, our armies were chiefly composed of cavalry. The infantry -became important under Francis I. at the battle of Marignan; after which, -this privilege became of less account. Till then, the defence of the -country was entrusted to its nobility. - -At the first declaration of war, the King convoked the chief vassals of -the crown; who, in their turn, assembled their Barons and Counts, -according to the order of the feudal system,--their vassals, and their -vassals' vassals; all marching under the banners of their chiefs. Many -were reduced to ruin by such expeditions. Montesquieu asserts that fear is -the soul of a despotic government, honour of a monarchical, and virtue of -a republican. Were he now alive, he would perhaps assign money as the -pivot of the representative system. How do things proceed in a citizen -kingdom? Precisely as in feudal times! Upon the first decision of a loan, -Government convenes the whole financial vassalage, confers with the Barons -and Counts of the Stock Exchange, with the puissant lords of speculations, -and humbler knights of stock jobbing. Armed cap-à-pie with the -irresistible credit of the great vassals, after a series of combats of -which the stock-jobbers are the heralds and trumpeters, they defeat the -unfortunate Gauls of the Exchange; while the triumphant Franks risk -nothing in the expedition. There is little exaggeration in this -comparison. It often happens that a mere substitution, and not the -overthrow of a system, takes place. - -Feudalism still exists, not only in the financial world, but among -individuals engaged in the same profession. Now that the law of -constitutional governments has proclaimed the principle of equality, the -thirst for distinction and supremacy has become more prevalent than ever. - -In military and civil communities, a hierarchy is indispensable to exact -respect from the lower towards the higher grades; without which, all -discipline would be impossible. But among men equally free, engaged in the -same calling, and eating the same bread, we can imagine nothing more -absurd than the assumed superiority of the fortunate over the -unprosperous. The insolence of the tradesman in a great way of business -towards the tradesman commencing his career far exceeds the insolence of -the patrician towards the plebeian; and the field officer of a regiment is -often seen to treat his subalterns as though they were footmen. - -That artists and men of letters should mutually treat each other according -to the reputation they may have acquired, is not surprising; seeing that, -in spite of the mercantile nature of modern literary productions, and the -dramatic and literary societies formed for the protection of their -material interests, men of letters, poets, painters, architects, -sculptors, musicians, and even actors, assume in the eyes of the public -precisely the place assigned to each by public favour and success; -standing on the ground of their individual, and not upon their corporate, -merit. - -Nevertheless, in all academies of art, science, and literature, the -principle of equality prevails. The only persons they regard as inferior, -are those who on their deaths will probably succeed to their places. - -Though we have alluded with sneering levity to the Counts and Barons of -Finance, we have no intention of speaking lightly on the subject. Nothing -can be more serious than the substitution of financial supremacy for those -more gloriously earned honours, the extinction of which would strike a -death-blow at civilisation. - -There are several banks in Europe exceeding in wealth and power the -richest citizens of Rome after the conquest of Asia. Independent of steam, -of gigantic undertakings, manufacturing or commercial, there is another -predominating power of the utmost importance; the enormous accumulation of -capital in the hands of a few, not to be lavished like that of the Romans -in patronage of the arts, or acts of beneficence; but doled out in -speculative fractions, often fatal to the interests of honest industry, -and rarely conducing to the interests of the country. - -In feudal times, the extortions of the Barons were undeniable; and -compulsory labour was a humiliating hardship. But upon their return from -the wars, when exacting from their serfs compensation for their shattered -armour, it was at least for the defence of the soil, as well as to face -the enemy again, if necessary, that these benevolences were required. In -countries where the feudal system is yet in force, such as Russia, the -moral existence of the serfs is inferior to that of our manufacturing -workmen; while as regards subsistence, the condition of the serfs is much -less precarious. Like our peasants of old, they enjoy their family ties, -breathe the fresh air, and tread upon their native soil; tilling the land -for the benefit of their Lord, instead of receiving a grudging -remuneration for their labour. - -Having frequently inquired of heads of manufactories, the wages of their -workmen; we have received such evasive answers, as to be reduced to our -own conjectures on the subject. - -Suppose that in a manufactory, one hundred pair of hands be daily -employed, and that the profits be £2000 per annum, it is clear that every -individual produces £20. A mutual convention exists; the master having the -power of dismissing the workman, and the latter of quitting the master; -the former being liable to the disasters of fire or bankruptcy, from which -the workman is exempt. The manufacturer having embarked his capital, has -an unquestionable right to high profits. But all this, is nevertheless -serfdom under another form; and we behold with pity these industrious -beings, breathing the burning and mephitic air prevailing in the -factories. The serf when sick, is cared for by his Lord; but the factory -man is dismissed without ceremony. For in the manufacturing districts, man -counts but as a machine, which if worn out, is replaced by another. - -We can scarcely be surprised, therefore, if the financial and -manufacturing aristocracy,--the strongbox nobility,--assume at the present -day the consequence of the chivalrous nobility of the olden time. It is -but fair, however, to admit that there are generous-minded manufacturers; -just as there were good-hearted Barons among the feudal tyrants. - -Much might be added on this subject; but a further disquisition would only -prolong into a political discussion, what we have only pretended to treat -on the score of vulgar prejudice. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -MERIT AND POPULARITY. - - -What is popularity? By what indications is it known? Who ratifies its -titles? And do those titles, conferred by favoritism, error, influence, -prejudice, interest, or flattery, possess more value or more durability -than the scattered leaves on which the Sybil inscribed her oracles? Is -merit a positive thing or a relative--a matter of conversation, or of -proof? - -What, we say again, is popularity? How is it acquired? How forfeited? Is -it the result of merit, or a capricious out-burst of opinion impersonating -itself so as to enjoy its own homage under the traits of a living statue? - -To these questions, it is difficult to give a definitive and conclusive -reply. Popularity is often the privilege and shield of a fool or rascal; -while genuine merit of a real and indisputable quality seldom secures it -unless from some accidental cause. Those who aspire to popularity care -more for the amount of suffrages, than for their specific worth. They -delight in being the object of popular excitement; and hearing their name -re-echoed, assign their personal qualities as the cause of these -capricious demonstrations. True merit heeds not such fulsome -acclamations;--too well aware that the man who becomes the tool of -popularity, ends in being an object of contempt. - -There are numerous ways of achieving popularity. But we must not forget to -distinguish the difference between the popularity of men, and the -popularity of their productions. Both are variable; being subject to the -influence of events, the vacillations of parties, and of human -inconstancy. Popularity is, however, less fickle as regards the -masterpieces of the mind of man, than as regards individuals whom it -frequently raises to the sky, the better to fling them down into the dust. -A man may sometimes be popular in spite of himself; dragged from his -seclusion, elevated above his natural position only to sink for want of -appropriate support. - -How many examples are to be found in our history, of such ephemeral -popularity; the idol of to-day being proscribed on the morrow of his -ovation! On such occasions, the public resembles a mind obeying by turns -two directly opposite impulsions. In such perplexities, the scales are -rarely held with a steady hand; and when they discover a man to be -deficient in the merit they have gratuitously attributed to him, they -avenge themselves by unnecessarily depreciating that which they have -capriciously overrated. The man who delights in popularity is as much -subjugated as the veriest slave in Rome. He must obey those whom he -desires to command; must adopt measures he wishes to repress; and if for a -moment he venture to pause for the admeasurement of the abyss he is -approaching, is taxed with cowardice and treachery! - -How great was the popularity of the brothers Lameth, when Mirabeau made -the terrible allusion: "And I too could command a triumph. But from the -Capitol to the Tarpeian rock, there is but a step!" How great was the -popularity of that very colossus of eloquence, Mirabeau himself; who died -in the nick of time that he might not survive the public favour which was -rapidly declining. - -What King was ever so popular as Louis XVI.? Yet his popularity had passed -away long before he ascended that throne of revolutions, the scaffold. The -popularity of Henri IV. lasted during his life, and was renewed by his -tragic end; but lay torpid for a century after his death, to be revived by -the genius of Voltaire. Under Louis XIII. and Louis XIV., the name of -Henri IV. was never mentioned; and had not the poem of the Henriade -refreshed the memory of the only King of whom the people are said to keep -holy the recollection; Henri IV., like Louis XII., and other excellent -Kings of France, would have been forgotten. - -After repopularizing Henri IV., Voltaire became in his turn the most -popular man in France, especially in the regions of the social and -intellectual world. Voltaire was the prince of flatterers. He flattered, -at the same time, kings and the people, but reproved as skilfully, so that -he delighted kings by their personal praise, and the people by general -reproaches against kings. - -Voltaire enjoyed immense popularity during his life, and high honours -after death; but in the sequel, he reaped the bitter fruits of the tree of -evil he had planted. All but forgotten during the Revolution, quite so -during the Empire, Voltaire only renewed his popularity at the -Restoration. The official censure issued against the reprinting of his -works, served for a time to restore him to importance. - -Voltaire so completely absorbed the attention of his time, that not one of -the great geniuses moving in the same sphere, arrived at any thing -approaching his popularity. Montesquieu would not compete with him; and -even Jean Jacques Rousseau, in spite of the superiority of his style, -barely acquired popularity. - -In general, popularity attaches rather to political than literary -eminence; inclining towards trivialities, such as songs and epigrams, -rather than to works of merit. A particular style of dress, or a cap of a -particular colour is often necessary to secure popular favour. Yet -popularity among the vulgar is not to be despised, being often the guerdon -of works of genuine merit; more particularly as regards the Fine Arts. -Barrel organs grinding the beautiful airs of our great composers in the -streets, stamp them with a certificate of popularity; while, as regards -pictures, their popularity is often insured by the intervention of some -unskilful engraver. - -Popularity sometimes attaches itself to tyrants; and Caligula and Nero -were more popular in Rome than Germanicus. What mattered the slaughter of -senators and patricians, or the confiscation of their property, so long as -the proceeds afforded food and sports to the people? The populace delight -especially in the downfall of royal favourites; and the overthrow of the -statue of Sejanus, once the idol of Rome, was hailed with shouts of -exultation. We cannot be surprised, however, that the Emperors of Rome -were popular; since Louis XI. of France, and Henry VIII. of England were -popular because they humbled the great, and summoned into their council -men of the lowest origin. - -Cardinal Richelieu completed the work of Louis XI. and destroyed the last -vestiges of feudalism. But in this case, the same course produced a -contrary effect. Richilieu was not popular. So true is it that popularity -knows neither law nor precedent. Louis XIV., though not individually -popular, was honoured for his conquests, so long as he remained -victorious. Louis XV. was popular only twice in his long life; once, when -a false report of his death had prevailed; and once, when he alighted from -his carriage in Paris to kneel before the Holy Sacrament. Popularity -possesses a somewhat loose morality; at times adopting the mistresses of -Kings; such as Gabrielle d'Estrées, Agnes Sorel, and even the infamous -Pompadour and du Barry. - -Of the great men who adorned the reign of Louis XIV., few were popular -during their life-time, with the exception of Molière and Corneille. -Molière, because the power of his genius placed itself between the monarch -and his people, castigating the vices of all classes with equal ridicule; -Corneille, because he excited the heroism of the kingdom by exalting the -Romans. His popularity was, however, less the result of his genius, than -of the envious persecutions of Cardinal Richelieu. - -Racine, Boileau, La Fontaine, acquired only posthumous fame, purely -literary, and likely to last for ever. Men of science are seldom popular; -their devotion to science, and the purity of their calling confining their -renown within certain limits. Those who benefit by the results of their -labours, think of them as lightly as those who enjoy the warmth of the -sun, without bestowing a thought upon its source. Few who use the barrow -and the truck are aware that for these useful inventions they are indebted -to Pascal; and what more popular than certain proverbs and quotations -forming part of every conversation, of which few of us are able to name -the author. - -The Revolution of 1789 was popular, and men of the highest merit shared in -its popularity by their adherence. Mathieu de Montmorency was popular when -the representative of the first Christian Barony sacrificed his titles to -the love of equality. The Bishop of Autun was popular when he presented to -the Constituent Assembly a proposition for applying the revenues of the -church to make good the deficit in the public revenue. The Abbé Sièyes was -popular when he pointed out the rights of man, omitting to speak of his -duties; and no popularity ever exceeded that of Bailly, till the fatal day -of his death upon the scaffold. The taking of the Bastille cannot be -considered a popular act, if the quality and number of the instigators be -taken into account. But the remembrance of the act became popular; and it -was consecrated the following year by the first federation solemnized in -the Champ de Mars. - -Never were there two more striking examples of the changes of public -opinion, than Rienzi at Rome, and Marat at Paris. The same populace which -dragged the remains of the former through the mud, afterwards assisted to -place his relics in the Pantheon dedicated to the illustrious men of the -country. - -In like manner, Cromwell, whose memory was for more than a century -infamous in England, is about to obtain a statue in the National Senate. - -Robespierre forfeited his popularity the moment he attempted to check the -effusion of blood of the victims; when the good cause of 1789 had become -sanguinary and frantic. Danton was more popular than Barrère. The -Girondins were popular with the people; the Mountagre faction with the -populace. It is remarkable, that in those times, every new administration -of Government was hailed by the acclamations of the people: who were just -as sure to rejoice at its downfall. So has it been in every great crisis -in France. In public exigencies, promises are made, incapable of -realization; every successive Government having shrunk from innovation and -reform, when it came to the moment of fulfilment. After the first -Revolution, popularity attended their military successes; but deserted the -vacillating policy of the Directory, and followed the banner of conquest -to Italy, under which the genius of Napoleon first shone forth; saluting -its victorious General on his return to Paris, accompanying him into -Egypt; and on his second return, raising him to sovereign power. - -From the 18th Brumaire, till the year 1812, popularity adhered constantly -to a single victorious standard. At the murder of the Duke D'Enghien, -popular enthusiasm underwent a certain degree of modification, and -partially adopted the Empress Josephine as the palladium of the imperial -fortunes; to which vulgar credulity and subsequent events seemed to lend -authenticity. The popularity of the Emperor declined after his divorce. - -In our examination of the influence of events upon the French people, we -have only twice found them manifest, at the same moment, exultation and -sorrow. Their indignation at the Emperor's cruel usage of Josephine, -vanished before the cradle of the King of Rome, and France was unanimous -in its gratulations on the birth of the imperial infant. The other event -is of later date. The day after the assassination of the Duke de Berry, -the gloom was universal. Some were horror-struck at the murder, some -deeply attached to the Prince and his family; while many were astonished -to find a mortal man where they had hitherto only discerned a Prince. -Nevertheless, the partizans of the imperial cause regarded the event as -the removal of an obstacle. - -Popularity escorted Charles X. from St. Cloud to Paris upon proceeding -there to take possession of his throne, and restore the liberty of the -press, which was destined some day to reverse it. It also attached itself -to the gates of the Palais Royal as the residence of the Orleans family; -but merely to mark a growing aversion to the Tuileries; a negative triumph -like that of an opposition united only by a common enmity to the powers -that be. - -In England, a similar transition was visible when the once popular Prince -of Wales, adopted by the people in opposition to the Court of the reigning -sovereign, became, as Prince Regent, an object of public dislike! - -Among the heroes and victims of popularity may be numbered La Fayette. For -half a century did he wrestle with the fluctuations of public favour. When -at the head of the Urban Guard, which subsequently assumed the name of the -National Guard, La Fayette was at the zenith of his glory. The colour of -his very horse became popular; and every one adopted his method of -dressing his hair. Popularity becoming negligent of her idol, the scowls -of the Court served to revive it; but falling into disgrace with the -Legislative Assembly, it was again at fault. Thus ended the first act of -the drama of La Fayette's popularity. - -Madame de Staël pronounced him to be an obstacle to his adversaries, -rather than an aid to his friends. The public soon lost sight of the man -so long the toy of its caprices. Shut up in the prison of Olmütz, he owed -his deliverance to the Conqueror of Italy, and returned to France -unnoticed; he afterwards offended the First Consul by presuming to offer -lessons to him upon the art of Government, and till the Restoration lived -in complete seclusion. - -A trip to the United States, in securing whose Independence he had -distinguished himself in early life, served to stir up the smouldering -embers of his popularity, which he left no means unattempted to increase; -and at the Revolution of July, popularity assigned to La Fayette the -honours of a new triumph; restoring to him the command of the National -Guard. - -The rapidity with which his name fell into oblivion on his decease, proves -that these apparitions of departed popularity--these reflections of an -earlier favour--are rarely permanent; and that to attain the honours of -history, a more solid merit is required than that which secures the -ephemeral sunshine of Popularity. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -COMETS. - - -Comets played a leading part among the omens of the olden time; and the -appearance of one in the heavens was the signal for popular panic. The -unlooked for appearance of a comet became a godsend to the astrologers. - -The credit of omens, however, was on the decline from the time when Cato -declared that it was impossible for two augurs to meet without a smile; -and for the Romans, the discredit of presages and omens was an important -matter, nature and all her works furnishing them with indications from -which auguries might be elicited. The omens of which they stood most in -awe were invariably connected with the left side. Thunder audible from the -left, or even the croaking of a frog to the left, filled them with such -consternation, that they instantly propitiated the Gods by an offering. -The sudden appearance of a mouse, determined Fabius Maximus to abdicate -the dictatorship; and the Consul Flaminius renounced a command of cavalry -in consequence of the same sinister omen. Great events certainly proceeded -in those centuries from the smallest causes. But in all this, the -self-love and vanity of the human race were chiefly apparent, the ancients -being convinced that even in the most insignificant details of their -lives, the Gods were actively interested. - -Hannibal rose superior to this weakness. Having advised Prusias to give -battle to the Romans, it is related that the King of Bithynia declined, -alleging that the entrails of the victims suggested a contrary conclusion. - -"You prefer then," said the Carthaginian hero, "the advice of a sheep's -liver to that of the head of a veteran General?--I pity you!" - -Ancient history affords only too many instances of similar superstition; -from the sacred fowls which were consulted only in imminent dangers, to -the deformed children flung into the Tiber, lest they should bring down -evil on the republic. The practice of the ancient Germans, by the way, of -plunging new-born infants into the Danube to render them robust, is more -easily explained; since being necessarily fatal to weakly children, the -qualities of the healthy ones who survived were readily attributable to -the immersion. - -The absurd prejudices connected with the appearance of comets, are about -equally deserving of attention. Madame de Sévigné writes upon this -subject in her usual lively style. - -"We are visited by a comet," says she, in one of her letters to her -daughter, "which is the finest of its kind, and possesses one of the most -splendid tails ever beheld in the heavens. All our great personages are -terrified; conceiving that Providence, having nothing better to do than -watch over their paltry comings and goings, has decreed their downfall, -and sent an intimation of it to the world by means of this comet." -Cardinal Mazarin was just then given over by his physicians, and those -about him saw fit to flatter his vanity by pretending that the Almighty -had signalized his last moments by a prodigy. Having mentioned to him that -a terrible comet was announcing the great event which struck panic into -the world, he had strength of mind to jest upon their vile adulation, -assuring them that the comet "did him a great deal too much honour." It -would be well, were all men to judge as wisely; for human pride must be -blind indeed, to suppose that the stars have no other duty in their -spheres than to regulate the affairs of mortals. - -A celebrated Spanish author has written concerning comets with even less -reverence than Madame de Sévigné. - -"Comets," said he, "are the very braggarts of the sky. They have been -aptly used as engines for the intimidation of Sovereigns, who have less -to fear upon the face of the earth than other men. Still, it is scarcely -necessary that the celestial bodies should derange themselves to appal -them, so long as they have the ambition of neighbouring Princes, the -insubordination of their subjects, and the numerous plagues of government -to hold them in subjection." - -The same writer attacks the influence of comets in terms less reverential -than those of the learned dissertations of Bayle; for he pretends that the -earth is too small a planet to attract so vast a meteor. As regards their -influence in the necrology of Kings, he proves that the average life of -royal personages equals the average life of peasants; without requiring -the aid of a comet to announce their natural dissolution. - -Various interpretations have been affixed at different times to the -appearance of comets. Thus, the one that appeared at Rome, shortly after -the death of Julius Cæsar, was regarded as a glorification of the deceased -Emperor; and in 1811, on the appearance of the comet which has given its -name to the year, as, "l'année de la comète,"--(the wines made from grapes -grown under its fervid influence being sold under the name of Comet -wines)--an attempt was made to convert it into an homage to the glory of -the Emperor Napoleon! - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -POPULAR ERRORS. - - -A popular error of the most fatal kind was the idea formerly prevalent -that a drowned person, being overpowered by the quantity of water he had -swallowed, was susceptible of restoration by suspending him with the head -downwards, so as to force him to disgorge it. More persons owed their -death to this stupid operation, than to the suspended respiration it was -intended to restore. It is only during the present century that the -experiments of the faculty all over the world have pointed out that the -only course to pursue with persons taken insensible out of the water, is -to restore circulation by warmth and friction of the extremities; and -respiration, by the introduction of air into the lungs. - -An equally strange legislative abuse connected with this subject, -prevailed in Paris till within the last few years. A reward of twelve -francs, or ten shillings was given to any person who saved another from -drowning by extricating his body from the Seine, while a reward of -six-and-thirty francs, or three times as much, was given to the person who -rescued a dead body from the water! This was evidently conceived in the -hygienic interests of a city, where the river water is in such extensive -use for baths and drinking; but it was in point of fact offering a premium -for murder: the morality of navigatory populations being in most countries -at a low ebb. - -Another French delusion fatal to human preservation, is the idea that the -person who cuts down the body of another found hanging, legally involves -himself in an accusation of murder; and nothing can be more injudicious -than the harshness with which the proceedings of an inquest are often -pursued; as if to justify the poltroonery of those whose first impulse on -discovering a body is to go in search of witnesses of the circumstances -attending the discovery, instead of lending immediate aid. - -A more innocent, but not less groundless popular prejudice is, that which -attaches itself to that most useful of domestic animals, the ass--the -war-horse of the poor. In all countries, this sure-footed and faithful -animal is adopted as an emblem of stupidity, from the patience with which -it submits to punishment and endures privation. A pair of ass's ears is -inflicted upon a child in reproof of his duncehood; and through life we -hear every blockhead of our acquaintance called an ass. Whereas the ass -is a beast of great intelligence; and we often owe our safety to its sure -and unerring foot beside the perilous precipice, where the steps of the -man of science would have faltered. - -The Fathers of the Church, and the Disciples of the Sorbonne, persuaded of -the universal influence of the Christian faith, believed the dark cross on -the back of the ass to date only from the day on which our Saviour made -his entry into Jerusalem. The ass of the desart was an animal of great -price. Pliny mentions that the Senator Arius paid for one the sum of four -hundred thousand sesterces. Naturalists have frequently remarked the -extraordinary dimensions of an ass's heart, which is thought an indication -of courage; and it is the custom of the peasantry of some countries to -make their children wear a piece of ass's skin about their person. The -ass's skin is peculiarly valuable, both for the manufacture of -writing-tablets and drums; which may be the reason why a dead ass is so -rarely seen. It is too valuable to be left on the highway. In many places, -the ass serves as a barometer. If he roll in the dust, fine weather may be -expected; but if he erect his ears, rain is certain. Why should not -animals experience the same atmospheric influences as man? Are we not -light-hearted in the sunshine, and depressed in a heavy atmosphere. - -Louis XI., of France, was a great patron of the ass. His astrologers -having failed in their predictions concerning the weather, he dismissed -them, and substituted an ass in their place, as being more weather-wise. -Certain physicians consider the emanations from the ass's body to possess -beneficial medical properties; while, in former days, the blood of the -bull was considered poisonous. - -The credulous Plutarch declared that Themistocles poisoned himself with -bullock's blood, upon the authority of the priests of Egina, who are also -cited by Pliny; and this same bullock's blood, esteemed poisonous, was -also considered a moral purification;--sins being expiated by the -sprinkling of the human body with the blood of the bull. On solemn -occasions, when the criminal was a man of wealth and distinction, so that -a bull was dedicated to his use, the blood was made to fall in a -perforated vessel, and the criminal standing beneath, received the sacred -aspersion upon his face and attire. The Emperor Julian submitted to this -act of expiation. Bullock's blood is now known to be as innocuous as that -of other animals; and is extensively used in more than one manufacture. - -During the Middle Ages, ground glass was supposed to act as an infallible -poison; and was long known by the name of "Succession Powder." Montfleury -speaks of it in one of his comedies. One of the personages, showing a -packet of it, observes: "Here is the making of many an heir!" - -Portal, and several other French physicians, have asserted in their works, -that ground glass is fatal to the swallower; and it is frequently used by -the poor as ratsbane, mixed up with the compositions intended for the -extermination of vermin. Jugglers were the first to controvert this error, -by publicly swallowing it with impunity, a feat which Dr. Franck having -witnessed, he immediately experimentalized on himself, and published the -results as conclusive against the received opinion. - -About the year 1810, a physician of Caen, named Sauvage, confirmed the -opinion of Franck. A young lady under his care swallowed a quantity of -powdered glass for the purpose of self-destruction without experiencing -the least injury; upon which Sauvage tried experiments on various animals, -administering ground glass to cats, dogs, and rats, on opening the bodies -of which, he could not detect the smallest effect. Many similar -experiments produced the same results. Dr. Cayol, in presence of his -colleagues, swallowed a quantity of irregular fragments of glass. So, -also, did Sauvage, without producing the smallest derangement of the -digestive organs. - -It is worthy of remark, that mountebanks often clear the way for the -march of science; a proof that the most trivial observations may be the -origin of the grandest results. Some students of Oxford, on visiting -Newton, found him blowing bubbles from a straw, and considered the -occupation childish. The philosopher was studying the theory of light. - -Since we have alluded to mountebanks, let us devote a few more words to -them. Jugglers have been known to swallow, not only pounded glass, but -stones and knife blades. A celebrated Spaniard, accused by the -Inquisition, proved his innocence by swallowing fiery coals without -injury; and the savage found in the woods at Aveyron, devoured all sorts -of fowls with their feathers. But these exploits will not bear comparison -with those of the Molucca savage, of whom we read an account in a volume -entitled: "The Testament of Jerome Sharp," printed in 1786. - -"I entered," says the narrator, "with one of my friends, and found a man -resembling an ourang-outang crouched upon a stool in the manner of a -tailor. His complexion announced a distant climate, and his keeper stated -that he found him in the island of Molucca. His body was bare to the hips, -having a chain round the waist, seven or eight feet long, was fastened to -a pillar, and permitted him to circulate out of the reach of the -spectators. His looks and gesticulations were frightful. His jaws never -ceased snapping, except when sending forth discordant cries, which were -said to be indicative of hunger. He swallowed flints when thrown to him, -but preferred raw meat, which he rushed behind his pillar to devour. He -groaned fearfully during his repast, and continued groaning until fully -satiated. When unable to procure more meat, he would swallow stones with -frightful avidity; which, upon examination of those which he accidentally -dropped, proved to be partly dissolved by the acrid quality of his saliva. -In jumping about, the undigested stones were heard rattling in his -stomach." - -The men of science quickly set to work to account for these feats, so -completely at variance with the laws of nature. But before they had hit -upon a theory, the pretended Molucca savage proved to be a peasant from -the neighbourhood of Besançon, who chose to turn to account his natural -deformities. When staining his face for the purpose, in the dread of -hurting his eyes, he left the eyelids unstained, which completely puzzled -the naturalists. By a clever sleight of hand, the raw meat was left behind -the pillar, and cooked meat substituted in its place. Some asserted his -passion for eating behind the pillar to be a proof of his savage origin; -most polite persons, and more especially Kings, being addicted to feeding -in public. The stones swallowed by the pretended savage were taken from a -vessel left purposely in the room full of them; small round stones, -encrusted with plaster, which afterwards gave them the appearance of -having been masticated in the mouth. Before the discovery of all this, the -impostor had contrived to reap a plentiful harvest. - -Some time afterwards, a woman was exhibited near the Louvre, who devoured -flints and slate with the utmost avidity. But the scientific world, -forewarned by its former credulity, took no note of her peculiarities of -appetite. - -It is recorded in the Gazette of Health, that the Abbé Monnier, of St. -Jean d'Angély, used in his youth to grind between his teeth fragments of -stone for recreation, and even in his declining age, continued the custom. -He would swallow a spoonfull during the day, and did not consider his -dinner complete without them. He was always pale and emaciated, which was -attributed to his singular diet. But his brother, who did not feed upon -stones, was precisely of the same temperament and appearance. The Abbé -lived till the age of ninety-eight. Diseased persons have been known to -devour without injury, earth, stones, chalk, and plaster; and an eminent -physician used to eat small lumps of plaster-of-Paris, as others swallow -sugar-plums. - -In the anatomical inquiries of Menelaus Winsemius, a Dutch physician, he -relates that in his time, a peasant of Friesland was in the habit of -swallowing flints, wood, glass, and live fish. In Wurtemberg, there was -also a miller, who for money would swallow birds, mice, lizards, -caterpillars, or fragments of glass and stone. He one day swallowed an -inkstandish, with all its appurtenances. These feats were publicly -attested by the Senate of Wurtemberg; after which, the man lived nineteen -years, subsisting upon twelve pounds of food per diem. There is scarcely a -fair throughout Europe at which such feats are not exhibited on a minor -scale. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -DREAMS. - - -In modern times, dreams have become a gratuitous affair; but in the time -of lotteries they possessed the greatest value with the votaries of Blind -Fortune. At the French offices, a register was kept of lucky numbers, -whose prizes were the result of dreams. Not a day passed but the office -keepers were applied to for numbers, the combination of which was foretold -by dreams. - -However great the weakness of those who put undue faith in such omens, it -must be admitted that the wanderings of the mind during sleep have been -productive of marvellous results. But just as the slightest opinions of -Montaigne are the result of the minutest self-study, a person desirous to -ascertain the real importance of a dream ought to consider what was the -state of health, disposition, mind and feeling of the dreamers. Many -dreams constitute a mere continuation of the occupations of the day. -Others arise from our habitual strain of mind. During illness or fever, -the mind, and consequently the dreams by which it is perplexed, assume an -exalted and unnatural tone. - -Authors have been known to compose during their sleep. Voltaire declares -that he composed his verses to Monsieur Touron while asleep; and on -returning from a ball, what young dancer does not fancy during the night, -that the violins of the orchestra are still ringing in his ears? -Hippocrates was so persuaded of the analogy of dreams with our physical -condition, that he points out specifics against evil dreaming. If the -stars turn pale in your dreams, you are to run in a circle; if the moon, -you must run in a straight line; if the sun, you must run both in a -straight line and a circle to avoid a repetition of the evil omen. - -By these prescriptions, he prevailed upon the lazy Athenians to assist -their bad digestion by the effect of exercise, so as to procure a calm and -gentle sleep. - -Pliny, the younger, mentions the following fact: "One of my slaves, who -was sleeping with his companions in the place usually allotted to them, -dreamed that two men, dressed in white, entered through the window, and -having shaven their heads, departed by the way they came. The following -morning he was found shaved, and his hair scattered on the ground." This -was probably some waggish trick practised on him by his companions when in -a state of intoxication. - -Valerius Maximus, on the authority of Cicero, relates a remarkable dream: - -"Two fellow-travellers arrived at Megara; the one putting up at an hotel, -the other at the house of a friend. Scarcely had the former fallen asleep, -when he saw his companion imploring him to come to his aid, as his host -was attempting to murder him. The impression was so strong as to wake him; -when, finding it a delusion, he went to sleep again. Once more, his friend -appeared, announcing the accomplishment of the crime, and that his -assassin had concealed his body under the dunghill, to which he begged his -companion to repair betimes, before they had time to remove it out of the -city. Overawed by so awful a vision, the friend rose forthwith, and -proceeding to the scene of the murder, found a carter and his cart about -to quit the court. On insisting to examine the load, the carter fled; when -the body was extricated from the dung, the whole affair discovered, and -the host condemned to death." - -This Greek story is related on the authority of Cicero, who was never at -Megara, and consequently knew the fact by hearsay. Had Cicero asserted -that he witnessed the affair, the story would have been difficult to -believe; as it is, posterity is absolved from the smallest credence. - -There lived at Marseilles, a bigoted woman, who passed her days at church, -and dreamt every night that she was transformed into a lamp: a dream she -chose to verify; for, on the day of her death, a silver lamp was -suspended, at her cost, in the choir of the church in which she was wont -to follow her devotions. - -Dreams are the peculiar province of the poet. Æneas, to justify his -abandonment of Dido, cites the commands of his father, who appears to him -every night. What more beautiful, except perhaps the dream of Athalia, -than the dream of Æneas, in which Hector presents himself to the son of -Anchises, pale and ghastly, as after he had become a victim to the -vengeance of Achilles? In the Greek plays, and the French tragedies -imitated from the Greek, dreams form a prominent feature. The family of -Atrides were great dreamers:--Atreus, Agamemnon, Orestes, and Egisthus, -the son of Atreus, had all remarkable dreams. - -In Lemercier's tragedy of "Agamemnon," Egisthus relates that which is -evidently the result of a dream;--but he will not admit it to be a dream, -declaring that he "did not sleep." - -The impressions of dreams are often so vivid that we confound in our -memory real facts with the visions of sleep. Hence, no doubt, the popular -expression of "You must have dreamt that!" - -The existence of dreams must be coeval with the human race. By the -ancients, the Gods were thought to preside over them. The dreams of -Pharaoh made the fortune of Joseph; and Artemidorus acquired a great -reputation under the Antonines, by interpreting dreams. According to him, -to dream of being weighed down by a mountain, portended proscription; and -to dream of death, meant marriage. To dream that you are deprived of -sight, intimates that you are about to lose one of your children. -Artemidorus interpreted dreams in the same manner as the celebrated -Mademoiselle Lenormand, or as Mrs. Williams, so well-known in London at -the commencement of the present century. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -OF PREJUDICES ATTACHED TO CERTAIN ANIMALS. - - -Innumerable are the auguries which the remnants of ancient superstition -have attached to certain animals. To meet a flock of sheep, is considered -a lucky omen. To overtake one when proceeding to the house of a friend, -determines many people to turn back as indicative of an inhospitable -reception. - -Two magpies are sure forerunners of good news; but a single one is -supposed to foreshow tidings of the death of a friend. - -Spiders are of evil omen; though the mischief they convey is attributed, -in Scotland, solely to the family of Bruce. There is a French proverb -which says, "Arraignée du soir--espoir," as if the hour of the day -influenced the nature of the omen. Lalande, the astronomer, is known to -have been fond of eating spiders. Yet the insect is an object of -repugnance to most people; and is, in some species, venomous. - -Of all reptiles, the toad is the most universally detested; as if gifted -with a magnetism of repulsion. The Abbé Rousseau asserts in his Treatise -on Natural History, that the sight of a toad has been known to produce -convulsions and death. "Having enclosed one of these reptiles," says he, -"in a glass jar, I stood watching it; when the creature rose on its hinder -legs, fixing its red and inflamed eyes upon me, till I became so faint and -depressed, as to be on the point swooning. A cold dew rose upon my face, -such as announces the approach of death." This was probably the result of -fear alone. Two living beings cannot long stare fixedly at each other -without one giving way. The power of the visual organ is very great; and -the stronger controls the weaker. As the pointer arrests the partridge, -the eye of Marius arrested the arm of the Cimber sent to assassinate him; -and by fixing his eye upon a troublesome dog, Talma could always prevent -its barking. The toad is a disgusting animal, but not a noxious animal. It -destroys many insects injurious to the beauty of our flower-gardens, and -plumpness of our esculents; while for sobriety, it has no competitor. -Toads have been found imbedded in blocks of marble and trunks of trees, -deprived of all chance of external air or nutriment. - -The lizard, which is nearly as unseemly to look on as the toad, has long -been deemed the friend of man; and the vulgar had formerly a superstition -that a piece of lizard's tail worn on the person secured good fortune. - -Lizards are sociably disposed, and fond of the human voice. They are said -by travellers in Surinam and Cayenne, to awake a sleeping person on the -approach of the rattlesnake. Alarmed at the approach of a snake, they have -probably been known to cross the face of some man lying asleep; and have -thus given rise to a popular fallacy. But if lizards be not the -benefactors of the human race, at least they do us no harm; a quality that -might be advantageously transferred to many of our own species. - -Pliny maintains that oysters grow fat or thin according to the phases of -the moon; while most modern oyster-eaters attribute the change to certain -months rather than certain weeks of the year. It is an equally erroneous -supposition that milk promotes the digestion of oysters; which may be -proved by trying to dissolve them in hot or cold milk. The prejudice that -they are out of season when no R figures in the name of the month, -originated in the difficulty of transferring them fresh from the coast to -the capital during the months of May, June, July, and August. By the -sea-side, they will be found good at all seasons of the year. - -In ancient times, the appearance of an owl in the day-time was esteemed a -prodigy; and the Romans used to rush to the temples, offering incense to -the Gods! Pliny considers the apparition of an owl an omen of sterility; -and an omelet made of owl's eggs was a sovereign specific against ebriety. -Among villagers, the shriek of the owl is still dreaded as a summons to -the other world. Yet this bird was favoured by dedication to the Goddess -of Wisdom, though ungifted with the powers of divination ascribed by the -Greeks to the vulture. According to the ancients, the vulture possessed -such olfactory powers, that it could foreshow the death of a person three -days previous to his decease. - -It may be observed, that all the animals to which particular superstitions -are attached, were known to the ancients; whereas those discovered during -the latter ages are free from imputation of supernatural power. - -The wild beasts of all climates make man their prey; but none kill him by -a look, as was said of the basilisk. Among the ancients, Aristotle, Pliny, -and Galen, persisted in the foregoing opinion; and among modern -propagators of errors, the German Athazen, and the Italian Vitello. If -Rome, the superb, crouched before an owl, a basilisk compelled Alexander -to raise the siege of an Asiatic city. Taking the besieged under its -protection, a basilisk, esconced betwixt two stones on the ramparts, -repulsed, without moving, two hundred Macedonians who were rash enough to -attack it. Sir Thomas Brown suggests the possibility, that the poison of -the basilisk may be so intense and subtle, as to be darted forth by means -of its visual organ. - -The venomous bite of the viper has given rise to a variety of popular -prejudices. The tooth of St. Amable was once the only specific; to which -succeeded a faith in the antidote of Maltese earth. Meanwhile the utmost -efforts of the faculty remain fruitless against the bite of the -rattle-snake, of the cobra di manilla, and several other of the more -venomous species. The quality of their venom is supposed to remain -unimpaired by the death of the reptiles; and instances are cited of -individuals having died of handling them, even after being preserved in -spirits of wine. The venom is deposited in two vesicles on either side the -head, above the muscle of the upper jaw, the remainder of its body being -completely innocuous; so that, in former days, viper broth was frequently -prescribed in pulmonary complaints. The venom of the viper becomes less -intense as it advances in age. - -It used to be believed, that the saliva of man was fatal to vipers, as -their venom to ourselves; an opinion maintained by Aristotle, Galen, -Varro, Pliny, and Figuier, the surgeon. The latter asserts that he killed -a viper by the effect of his own saliva. The experiments by Redi, the -learned physician of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and many others, proved -the absurdity of the idea. - -Benvenuto Cellini declares, in his Memoirs, that he saw a salamander in -the midst of his own fire; probably a lizard, inadvertantly brought from -the country among the logs of wood. No one has yet pleaded guilty to -having seen a phoenix, though for ages, a popular superstition attached to -this fabulous bird. The unicorn also continues to be placed among the -apocryphal animals, with the great sea-serpent of the American coast. - -The bite of the tarentula spider was long said to produce involuntary -dancing; simply because the persons bitten, on applying to the local -practitioners of the healing art, were instantly ordered to dance the -_pizzica_, the rapid Sicilian dance of the provinces where the tarentula -abounds, in order to promote circulation and neutralize the effects of the -poison. Whole villages used to assemble to witness the result, and -whenever the patient expired of the bite of the reptile, he was said to -have danced himself to death. Such is the origin of the Neapolitan -superstition of the tarentula. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -CONTENT AND COURTESY. - - -The first ambition of mankind is to be happy. To the brute creation, and -to man in a state of nature, happiness consists in sensual gratification. -To this, succeeds the factitious happiness of civilization; whence the -origin of a variety of popular errors and prejudices. From the days of -Horace to our own, people have been prone to envy those who pursue any -career but their own. But if the soldier envy the position of the -civilian, and _vice versâ_, it is clear that the ambition of being what -one is not, arises from the fact that every one is acquainted with the -drawback on his own profession, and only appreciates the advantages of -that to which he does not belong. La Fontaine never imagined anything more -true, or more charming, than the fable of the cobbler entreating the -financier to restore him his song and peaceful sleep, in exchange for the -hundred crowns he had bestowed upon him. Every one has heard the Persian -apologue of the Sophi, to whom, in a fit of acute suffering, the sole -remedy prescribed was the shirt of a happy man; a treasure difficult to -discover either in Court or city; till at length a ragged wretch was found -in the suburbs of Ispahan, who admitted himself to be perfectly happy; but -alas! he had not a shirt to his back; and the cure of the Sophi was not -more advanced than before. - -History has its lessons on this head as well as fiction. The Comte de -Ségur relates in his Memoirs, that previous to the Revolution, the Duke de -Lauraguais wrote to him as follows: - -"Congratulate me, my dear Ségur. Thanks be to Heaven, I am completely -ruined! I have nothing left, but am delivered from the importunities of my -creditors." - -Towards the termination of his career, this witty nobleman subsided into -voluntary habits of simplicity, differing strangely from his past -splendours. Never, however, had he been happier!--His peace of mind was -from within; superior to all incidents of birth, position, and fortune. - -It requires to have inhabited the various stories of the social edifice, -to be able to judge man under the various aspects resulting from fortune -and station. Happiness has little to do with either; fortune and -misfortune have alike their evil influences. Covetousness is as insatiable -as ambition. In proportion as people scale the ladder of opulence, they -discover others richer than themselves to excite their envy; and vanity -pervades every rank of society, marring the quietude of the human mind. -The laurels of Miltiades gave umbrage to Themistocles; and Cæsar declared -that he would rather be the first of a village, than second in Rome. A -wiser man was the shepherd who said: "Were I a King, I would keep my sheep -on horseback." - -The ceremonies of politeness, when carried to excess, are a source of -public inconvenience. The custom of addressing a lady bare-headed, as was -the case in France a century ago, when Louis XIV., even in a shower, -refused to put on his hat in the presence of females, was the cause of -many a serious indisposition. The custom of appearing bare-headed in -church is also dangerous to many; and, so far unreasonable, that men are -unable to appear in hats, while it would be accounted singular for a woman -to appear there without a bonnet. Can any reasonable motive be assigned -for such a distinction? - -Again, what is the origin of the ridicule attached to a person who is -left-handed? It is clear that some are born with an instinctive facility -in the use of the right hand--some of the left. Yet mothers punish their -children for using the left hand, as an act of awkwardness. The preference -given to the use of the right hand, though existing from the times of -antiquity, is not the less ridiculous. - -In Holy Writ, the right hand is made an instrument of benediction; which -probably conferred a superiority over the left. Theologians also contend -that the Son of God sat on the right of the heavenly throne. The Romans -conceded such superiority to the right hand, that when at table, they lay -on the left side that the right hand might be free. Aristotle maintained -that the pre-eminence of the right hand proceeded from the same -conformation by which the cray-fish have the right claw larger than the -left. Politeness in these days requires we should place the person we wish -to distinguish, on the right. The indiscriminate use of both hands is the -best lesson to teach a child:--indifference to the distinction bestowed by -the assignment of a place on either, the best lesson to be practised by -adolescence. - -Parisians consider it a lesson of politeness to their young children to -kiss their right hand before receiving any thing presented to them. The -left hand is, however, devoted to the wedding-ring. This is not a -Christian custom; but prevailed among the Assyrians, Medes, Egyptians, -Babylonians, and most of the people of antiquity. - -Many people object to uttering the word farewell in parting from a friend, -influenced by a prejudice that a fatality attaches to the word. Whence the -French mode of taking leave with "_sans adieu_!" - -The compliments formerly paid to a person sneezing are now happily -abandoned; having arisen in those early days of civilization when -epidemics were so far more frequent and fatal than now. It was the custom, -in most European countries, to say "God bless you," to the person who -sneezed, lest it should be symptomatic of the commencement of an illness. - -Sneezing has been the object of a variety of ridiculous prejudices. -Aristotle pronounces sneezing to be a gift from the Gods, and to be -honoured as a thing of holiness, and a sign of good health. Hippocrates -agrees with Aristotle, and pronounces it a great relief to parturient -women. The Rabbins assert that Adam sneezed after his fall; and that in -the primitive times, sneezing was a sure prognostic of death; and remained -so till the patriarch Jacob obtained from God that it should no longer be -the forerunner of dissolution. It is fortunate this change took place -previous to the use of snuff; or the snuffbox would have been accounted -fatal as that of Pandora. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE DIVINING ROD. - - -The superstition of the divining rod prevailed only a century and a half -ago. The following story concerning it, is too curious to be omitted. In -the year 1692, a vintner of Lyons and his wife were murdered in their -cellar, their assassins making away with their money. All attempts to -discover the culprits were vain, till a simple Dauphinese peasant, named -Jacques Aymar, boasted that, with the aid of a simple hazel twig, he could -discern the assassins. Having visited the scene of the murder, rod in -hand, it became agitated; and on following its indications till he reached -the right bank of the Rhone, Aymar entered the house of a gardener, where -three bottles stood on the table; when, lo! the rod instantly intimated -that the bottles had been emptied by the assassins! Two children of the -house owned that three ill-looking men had been there; on which Aymar -began to obtain some credit. Traces of three men were found imprinted on -the sand by the river-side; and, persuaded that they had embarked, Aymar -followed them, inquiring as he proceeded, and detecting the spots where -they had halted, to the astonishment of those who accompanied him. - -At the Sablon, the rod becoming agitated, Aymar announced that the -assassins were evidently in the camp; and his divining rod led him as far -as the gate of the prison of Beaucaire; which being opened, twelve of the -fifteen prisoners confined were brought before him. But the divining rod -was motionless till the approach of a certain humpbacked prisoner, who -declared his utter ignorance of the crime committed at Lyons. On the -indications of the rod, however, the hunchback being conducted to the -gardener's house was recognised as having been one of the party. At length -he confessed his guilt; protesting, however, that he was an involuntary -spectator, and did not participate in the murder. Having furnished Aymar -with information concerning the direction the assassins had taken, he -traced their steps to an inn at Toulon, where they had dined the previous -evening. On finding that the culprits had put to sea, he also embarked and -followed the course of their boat to its landing-place. But on reaching -the frontier, all further trace of them was lost. - -This wonderful story afforded a topic of discussion to the whole kingdom. -So many persons bore testimony to the truth of the story, that it was -impossible to doubt it; the more so, that Aymar followed it up with -exploits equally wonderful. He detected several thieves, as well as the -places where they had concealed their booty; and as a test of his powers, -the lady of the chief officer of police possessed herself, by stealth, of -the purse of one of her friends, and begged him to come to her and detect -the thief. Aymar instantly declared that they were amusing themselves at -his expense. - -The Prince de Condé, who, far from being superstitious, had greater faith -in his Field-Marshal's baton than the divining rod, could not resist his -curiosity to witness the feats of Aymar, and sent for him to Paris. As -soon as he recovered the fatigues of his journey, he was conducted to a -bureau, from which something of considerable value had disappeared; but -whether or not the magnificence of the place annihilated the power of the -divining rod, the charm was gone! Holes were dug in various parts of the -garden, in which were deposited gold, copper, stones, and other -substances. But the rod failed to point out the hidden treasure. In the -interim, a pair of silver candlesticks having been stolen from -Mademoiselle de Condé, Aymar's rod pointed out a goldsmith's shop, the -master of which being accused, was highly indignant. Thirty-six livres -were forwarded, however, the following morning as the price of the -objects; and it was supposed that Aymar had resorted to this expedient, -with the view of re-establishing his reputation. But it was all in vain! -The divining rod had lost its reputation, and Jacques Aymar was pronounced -to be an impostor. - -At his own request, however, he accompanied the King's advocate to a -street in which a murder had been committed; and the result being -unsatisfactory, Aymar was considered either a mountebank, or a man -following, with new pretensions, the old trade of recovering for reward -the stolen goods, in the abstraction of which he had participated. - -Science becomes dangerous in the hands of empirics, as weapons in the -hands of children. About forty years ago, a German doctor revived the -marvels of the divining rod, grounding his system upon the phenomena of -galvanism. But the philosophy of Volta disdained such an association. -Pleasantly exposed to ridicule in the admirable pages of the antiquary, it -is now estimated as on a par with the charm once supposed to be inherent -in the rope by which a human being had suffered the sentence of the law. -It is still proverbial with the vulgar, that any singularly lucky person -"carries a bit of hangman's rope in his pocket." - -Uninquiring incredulity is as great a proof of weakness as over -credulousness. The following instance of that incomprehensible foresight -which flashes upon the brain of certain individuals, under the name of -presentiment, passed under the notice of Gratien de Sémur. - -Madame de Saulce, the wife of a rich planter of St. Domingo, was residing -in France about the time of the Revolution. Her husband occasionally -visited his native country, leaving his lady at Paris, who was a woman of -sense and piety, by no means of a nervous temperament. During the last -voyage of her husband, being engaged at cards at an evening party, she -suddenly uttered a shriek, and sunk on her chair, exclaiming, "Monsieur -Saulce is dead!" Her friends crowding about her, attempted to tranquillize -her by their remonstrances, till by degrees she recovered her reason. So -powerful, however, had been the sensation or presentiment, that she had no -peace till she obtained news of her husband. - -A favourable letter arrived; but, alas! the date was anterior to that of -her vision. And soon afterwards, one of the friends present at the scene -of Madame de Saulce's ejaculation, received a communication from a -stranger in St. Domingo, requesting him to communicate to that lady the -distressing news of her husband's decease. Monsieur de Saulce had been -assassinated by his negroes, on the very day and hour of her fatal -presentiment. The event occurred in the presence of at least twenty -persons; and till the day of her death, the widow remained a prey to -sorrow mingled with awe and consternation. - -In the Memoirs of the great Sully will be found the record of the -presentiments of assassination, which oppressed the mind of Henry IV. "The -King," says he, "had the strongest presentiment of his dreadful destiny. -As the moment of his coronation approached, his alarm and consternation -increased; and in answer to my remonstrance, he exclaimed: 'In spite of -all you can urge, this ceremony is most distasteful to me. My heart -assures me that some misfortune will be the result.' After uttering these -desponding words, he sank back, overcome by gloomy anticipations; and -remained tapping the case of his spectacles, absorbed in gloomy reverie." - -The presentiment of Henri IV. of his approaching assassination, is -confirmed by the testimony of L'Etoile and Bassompierre, who, in their -Memoirs, relate the same particulars; and the fact is as historically -established as the evil dream of Calphurnia, and the denunciation of the -soothsayer to Julius Cæsar, on a parallel occasion. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -BEES AND ANTS. - - -Dull must be the blockhead, who could reproach La Fontaine with ignorance -of Natural History, and pronounce the fable of the "Ant and the -Grasshopper" bad, because the fabulist has not shown himself a rigid -naturalist. The great fault charged against La Fontaine, by the critics, -is having made the grasshopper sing. Its cry is considered by most people -far from melodious. - -The bee possesses a thousand poetical associations derived from our early -conversancy with the Georgics. From the remotest periods of antiquity, -bees have been recognised as attached to monarchical government, though -not to the Salique law. A hive has been compared to the palace of a -Czarina of Muscovy. - -The queen bee reigns over hundreds of male subjects with the despotism of -a Sultan; with the additional privilege of peopling her own dominions. -When the queen is on the point of increasing her numerous subjects, the -females invade the seraglio of their sovereign, and with their stings -exterminate all the male admirers of her majesty. The fecundity of a queen -is such, that she can produce sixty thousand of her species annually. The -males are easily recognized, being the sleekest and best formed of the -hive; and all its labours are carried on by them. To gather honey, and -bring back every day to the common exchequer the fruits of the plunder, -separate the honey from the wax, and with the latter construct their cell, -distil the honey, and die, constitute the duties of the bee. - -It has been asserted that the queen bee has no sting, which is an error. -Another error prevails, that after a bee has stung, it dies, leaving its -sting in the wound. Some one probably crushed a bee, and found the sting -in his finger, from which isolated fact a general conclusion has been -made. - -Réaumur applied himself to the study of bees; not, however, so devoutly as -the philosopher, Aristomachus, who consecrated fifty-eight years to it; or -the philosopher, Hytiscus, who conceived so great a passion for bees, that -he retired into the Desart, the better to observe them. He simply cleared -the way of errors, and discountenanced old traditions; but all was -conjecture with regard to bees, till the invention of glass hives; when -the government of those interesting insects became no longer a secret. -The devotion of the working bees to their queen is now well-known. When in -danger, or the hive is attacked, they rush to her aid; and even form a -mass to conceal her, and die in her defence. - -Réaumur relates the following anecdote of which he was a witness. A queen -bee, and some of her attendants were apparently drowned in a brook. He -took them out of the water, and found that neither the queen bee, nor her -attendants were quite dead. Réaumur exposed them to a gentle heat, by -which they were revived. The plebeian bees recovered first. The moment -they saw signs of animation in their queen, they approached her, and -bestowed upon her all the care in their power, licking and rubbing her; -and when the queen had acquired sufficient force to move, they hummed -aloud, as if in triumph! - -It has been thought that bees were prejudicial to the fructification of -plants, by robbing them of their pollen. This is not only an error, but -naturalists worthy of faith, are of opinion that their movement in a -blossom tends to sprinkle the pollen, and promote fecundity. - -Bees are of twofold service to the human race, by furnishing us with the -most refined means of lighting our houses, and of brightening our -furniture; to say nothing of their aromatic honey, surpassing the -sweetness of sugar. - -Little is known of the republics or monarchies of ants; or indeed of their -precise form of government. From the most remote period, however, it has -been the custom to represent the ant as the symbol of industry. - -The industrious habits of the ant cannot be questioned; but their much -vaunted foresight, as described by Boileau, and Addison's Spectator, is -now recognized as fabulous. - -According to naturalists, the ant is not without a certain analogy with -the bee; seeing that they have not one queen to each swarm, but a certain -number of queens for the reproduction of the species; there being -productive and unproductive ants. The working class is of a neutral sex. -The female ant deposits an egg, whence proceeds a worm, which becomes the -ant. As architects, also, to ants must be assigned the precedence over -bees; their cellular formations resulting from instinct, and not from -calculation. In the stupendous ant-hills so frequently seen in forests, -what a series of galleries, dormitories, corridors, and magazines is -contained; so that the numerous occupants find ample means of circulation. -But the ant cannot pretend to the gratitude of man in the same degree as -the bee. - -The following is a curious and well-attested fact. After the death of the -illustrious Lagrange, Parseval Deschênes, his coadjutor in his scientific -pursuits, who announced the coming of Pallas ten years previous to the -discovery of that planet--renounced his mathematical researches; and from -long habits of study acquired fresh occupation for his mind. - -While spending the summer with his friend, M. d'Aubusson de la Feuillade, -in the course of one of his rambles in the woods, he found an immense -ant-hill, and immediately resolved to make ants his study. He went every -day early enough to the ant-hill to see the first ant issue forth; and -followed it from the moment of its departure to that of its return. - -"About four o'clock in the afternoon," says he, "I saw my own particular -ant arrive heavily laden at the foot of the diminutive mountain; and, -finding it impossible to carry its burthen up the hill, deposit it and -look around for a confederate. None being at hand, it set forth again; and -about fifteen steps on its progress I saw my ant meet another equally -loaded. Both halted, and seemed to hold council; after which, they -proceeded together to the foot of the ant-hill. Then began the most -interesting scene I ever witnessed. The second ant disembarrassed itself -of its burthen; and, having provided themselves with a blade of grass, -they slipped it under the overweighted load, and, by their united efforts, -conveyed it over the hillock, and entered their respective cells! - -"After abandoning the study of mathematics as too abstruse," observes -Parseval, "I found the lever of Archimedes in use in an ant-hill." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -PREPOSSESSIONS AND ANTIPATHIES. - - -Undue prepossession against or in favour of some object, is as much to be -guarded against as any other irrational prejudices. - -It is not uncommon to hear people reply when some particular dish is -offered to them: "Thank you, I have never eaten any, and nothing could -persuade me to touch it." Such a prepossession scarcely would be -pardonable in women or children. - -An anecdote is related in the life of Talma, which has lately formed the -subject of a drama. - -A poor strolling player, universally rejected, arrived, at his wits' end, -in a city where the illustrious actor was expected. A bright idea flashed -across his mind to personate Talma; as whom he accordingly announced -himself. The authorities of the town hastened to offer him their homage. -The theatre was crowded, and all the world enraptured with his -performance. In the midst of his popularity, the real Talma arrived; but -foreseeing that a prepossession once established in favour of the imitator -was not likely to be easily reversed, departed without making himself -known. The chances were that he might have been hissed. - -It is difficult to comprehend the use of the flatteries of painters to -Princes and Princesses about to be married by proxy. The portraits being -exchanged, the betrothed receive a first strong impression, and form their -opinions accordingly. A favourable prepossession is conceived; and in -place of an agreeable and expressive countenance, a frightful reality is -often rendered more frightful by disappointment. - -With regard to literary predilections, the works of an unknown author, -however meritorious, often lie mildewed on the shelf, while some trash, -protected by a favourite name, becomes popular. The admirable leading -articles of Benjamin Constant produced no effect till he signed them with -his well-known name, when their merit was instantly recognised. When -Michael Angelo first exhibited the productions of his chisel, they were -treated as far inferior to the sculptures of the ancient world. In the -seclusion of his studio, and unknown to any one, he accordingly set to -work on a statue of Cupid; of which he broke off the arm, and concealed -the mutilated statue in the midst of the excavations making by the Pope. -When the statue was discovered, all Rome fell into ecstasies; pronouncing -it to be the work of Phidias or Praxiteles. Michael Angelo immediately -produced the mutilated arm, and his former critics became rebuked into -silence. - -At the time when the rage for Italian music excluded every other -composition from the stage, and the great French composers had fallen in -public estimation, Méhul avenged himself much in the manner of Michael -Angelo. Zealous in the cause of French music, he composed the opera of the -Irato, the words by the ingenious Hoffmann; who, to render the illusion -complete, made the libretto as incomprehensible as possible. The opera was -rehearsed in secret, though fifty persons were engaged in it; and it was -circulated in the world, that the forthcoming opera was a mere pasticcio, -borrowed from the operas recently in vogue in Italy. - -When the curtain rose, the overture was enthusiastically applauded. Still -more so, the different airs executed by Ellevion, Martin, and the -excellent company of the Comic Opera. The theatre was crowded with -enthusiastic admirers of Italian music, whose applause was vehement; one -person declaring that the music was by Fioravanti, and that he had heard -it at Naples; another, that it was by Cimarosa. At the end of the opera, -it was announced to be by Méhul, when the amateurs of the Italian school -were confounded. - -Teniers also exposed the unjust prejudices of his countrymen; who, -underrating his paintings, they sold far short of their value. Having -previously published a report of his death and burial, he instructed his -wife to assume widow's weeds; and, after a certain time, to announce the -sale of the paintings of her deceased husband. The stratagem succeeded, -his very detractors enhancing the value of his works. Teniers afterwards -returned to his native country, and resumed his labours, which were never -afterwards disparaged. - -When a History of France by Pigault Le Brun was announced, it was -pronounced to be detestable long before it appeared; solely because -Pigault Lebrun was the author of a variety of amusing novels. The famous -physician Portal turned to good account the prejudice that prevails in -Paris in favour of fashion. Established in the capital, he was some time -without obtaining practice. At length, he devoted all his means to the -purchase of a beautiful equipage, and sent it every day to stand before -the doors of illustrious patients. Of course the numerous inquirers after -the invalid, could not fail to remark the beautiful equipage of the -physician in every quarter of the town; and the Marchioness immediately -determined to try the physician of the Duchess, and _vice versâ_; till in -a short time, Portal received applications from all quarters, calling in -his advice to the noblest sufferers of the capital. Endowed with a -distinguished appearance, elegant manners, and considerable powers of -conversation, he became the indispensable attendant of all fashionable -invalids; and thus, founded a reputation to which he subsequently proved -himself entitled. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -THE INFLUENCE OF BELLS UPON THUNDER STORMS. - - -Science has long demonstrated the folly of ringing church bells during a -storm. The vibration of the air, produced by the movement of a bell, was -formerly supposed to disperse the fluid; which, on the contrary, it -attracts. For these fifty years past, the civic authorities have compelled -the bell-ringers to be silent during a storm. In former ages, when the -priests caused the bells to be rung during a storm, it was an act of piety -and not a physical experiment. Scientific men, on the contrary, have been -justified in declaring the vibration caused by the sound of a church bell -upon a cloud charged with electricity to be injurious, from the fact that -ringers have been struck dead by the electric fluid during the discharge -of their functions. But though bells are no longer rung during a storm, -the fluid falls just as often upon church steeples. It is, however, as -well to forbid the ringing of bells during a storm, for the simple reason -that to ring the bells, the ringer must be in the tower, where he is in -greater danger than elsewhere. Steeples are often surmounted by an iron -cross, or weathercock, which attracts the fluid. - -It is only lately we have made any proficiency in electrical science. -Franklin, who at the same moment brought fire from heaven and wrested the -sceptre from the potentates of the earth, was the inventor of the -conductor, which has probably preserved many monuments from destruction. -In the reign of Louis XIV, sailors were in the habit of affixing a pointed -sword to the summit of the mast, most likely acting under the experience -and impression which produced the conductor. A learned priest, the Abbé -Thiers, who died in 1703, in enumerating the superstitious practices of -his time, mentions the custom of affixing a pointed sword to a mast during -storms. The good old priest saw in it only a kind of superstition; while -the discovery of Franklin commanded the admiration of the world. It is not -unlikely that from the bosom of vulgar superstitions, science might -extract many a valuable discovery. - -In a late number of the Almanack of the Board of Longitude, Monsieur Arago -published a curious theory upon thunder, citing many interesting facts; -the only means of conferring popularity on knowledge, which, in its -severer garb, is too often banished to the lecture-room. The influence of -storms upon animate as well as inanimate bodies, is incontestable; for -which of us has not felt or witnessed the effects? Previous to the -approach of the storm, the depression of the air is perceptible upon our -limbs and spirits; and on beholding the dejected, languid, and uneasy -demeanour of the animal species, it might be supposed that so powerful a -sensation would be more oppressive to ourselves, were it not restrained by -reason. A similar sensation is experienced in a far higher degree, -previous to the shock of an earthquake. - -With the first drops of rain of a thunder storm, however, we experience -relief. Both animal and vegetable substances become decomposed during a -storm. Objects formed of goat or sheep-skin give out a nauseous smell. -White paper and other substances have been known to become covered with -spots of various hues. Oxen killed by lightning are unfit for use, so -nauseous and black is the flesh. Dairy-maids place a nail under the -vessels containing the milk, to prevent it turning, as well as under a hen -which is sitting. Remote approaches towards the conductor! - -Of the phenomena which signalize storms, nothing is more remarkable than -the repugnance of the electric fluid for silk. The steel ornaments of a -purse have been known to become twisted by the fluid, while the silk -remained uninjured. A covering of silk is accordingly the surest -preservative. But it is a curious fact that to none of the insect species -is a thunder-storm more fatal than to the silk-worm; as the silk-growers -know to their cost. - -The protective power of the laurel is now known to be fabulous; the laurel -tree being as much a conductor as any other. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -SMALL POX AND VACCINATION. - - -If any thing could excuse the exercise of arbitrary power on the part of a -Government, it would surely be in the act of compelling parents to -vaccinate their children; but the aversion to vaccination being still only -too common among certain classes of the people. Yet surely the law which -punishes parents for ill-usage of their children, might be extended to -punish their leaving these helpless creatures exposed to the infection of -pain and disfigurement? Jenner is decidedly one of the greatest -benefactors of the human race; for the vast increase of population in the -different countries of Europe is ascribed, by many political economists, -to the safeguard of vaccination, which has preserved more lives since its -introduction, than the terrible wars of the present century have -destroyed. - -In England, this admirable discovery was far more readily adopted than in -France; where, however versatile in fashions and governments, any -improvement tending to benefit the human race is slowly and cautiously -accepted. In the reign of Louis XIV, the introduction of yeast in the -making of bread met with general opposition; and it required the -interference of the legislature to secure its adoption. The introduction -of bark and emetics was also attended with violent opposition; and -inoculation introduced from Turkey into Western Europe by Lady Mary -Wortley Montague, found great difficulty in establishing itself in France. - -It was not, however, surprising that parents should hesitate about giving -their children a loathsome disease; before it became certified by long -experience that the virulence of the disorder was considerably lessened by -preparation; so as to secure a mother against the terrible self-reproaches -arising from the loss of a child under the inoculated malady. - -In England, more particularly in the county of Gloucester, from time -immemorial cows were subject to a contagious disease, which infected the -hands of the milkmaids, who were observed never to suffer from the -small-pox. This surmise being confirmed by experiment, Dr. Jenner -established himself in the county of Gloucester; where, by inoculating -people with vaccine matter, he secured them against the small-pox. - -So far from turning his discovery to pecuniary account, as most others -would have done, Jenner nobly proclaimed it to mankind, calling upon all -philantrophists to share his triumph. - -The Duke de Rochefauld-Liancourt having witnessed the effects of -vaccination in England, introduced it into France, and did more for its -propagation than the slow deliberations of the Parisian Schools of -Medicine. Dr. Pinel, however, tried experiments at the Hospital of the -Salpétrière, with perfect success; while Dr. Aubert was despatched by -Government to England to report upon the subject. The result was -favourable. Matter was imported from England in the month of May, 1800, -when thirty-eight children were vaccinated at the Hospital of La Pitié; -and commissions were instantly instituted throughout France. Jenner had, -however, his opponents. In London, it was denounced from the pulpit, as an -infringement on the dispensation of Providence; and in France, Doctors -Vaume, Chapon and others pronounced vaccination to be injurious to the -human constitution, and capable of reducing man to the condition of a -brute, by the introduction of animal virus into the blood. As if we -resembled a calf or sheep the more for having swallowed a mutton chop or -veal cutlet. - -With a few rare exceptions, vaccination has proved a security against the -small-pox, and the practice ought consequently to become universal. But -old women are still to be found with instances of children who have died -of convulsions after vaccination; as if that were the origin of their -illness and death. - -Among the lower orders, a prejudice prevails that an inferior kind of -vaccine matter is provided for them; and whenever their children exhibit -symptoms of disease or deformity, they comfort their self-love by -attributing it to the influence of vaccination. "Such maladies were -unknown in their families, till the madness of introducing matter from the -body of a stranger into that of their child conveyed also the germs of -disease." - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -PRECOCIOUS AND CLEVER CHILDREN. - - -It is a common observation respecting children, "that such or such a child -is too clever to live;" and though abundance of precocious children have -grown up, and into very ordinary men, it stands to reason that the -premature development of any particular quality in an extraordinary -degree, must exhaust the subject upon whom it operates. Gardeners thin the -superfluous shoots on trees, that those remaining may attain their perfect -growth. It would be difficult, perhaps, to pursue this system with -children who manifest supernaturally precocious capacities. But when such -cases present themselves, the vanity of parents often serves to forward an -evil result. The parents of children of genius usually stimulate instead -of checking the impulses requiring restraint; thus increasing the already -existing exhaustion. Proud of their infantine prodigy, which, in humble -life, becomes the object of some abominable speculation, nothing can be -more lamentable than the exhibition of these interesting little beings, -carried about from place to place, obtaining a notoriety of the most -injurious nature, and often let out for hire to some able speculator. The -exhibitionist, bent upon realising the largest profit in the shortest -time, and, reckless as to the source, having attained his end, cares not -whether the child perish in misery; and the laws, so severe upon the poor -hucksters in our streets, unprovided with a licence, sanction these -homicidal speculations! - -Baillet mentions one hundred and sixty-three children endowed with -extraordinary talents, among whom few arrived at an advanced age. The two -sons of Quintilian, so vaunted by their father, did not reach their tenth -year. Hermogenes, who at the age of fifteen, taught rhetoric to Marcus -Aurelius, who triumphed over the most celebrated rhetoricians of Greece, -did not die, but at twenty-four, lost his faculties and forgot all he had -previously acquired. Pica di Mirandola died at thirty-two; Johannes -Secundus at twenty-five; having at the age of fifteen composed admirable -Greek and Latin verses, and become profoundly versed in jurisprudence and -letters. Pascal, whose genius developed itself at ten years old, did not -attain the third of a century. - -In 1791, a child was born at Lubeck, named Henri Heinekem, whose -precocity was miraculous. At ten months of age, he spoke distinctly; at -twelve, learnt the Pentateuch by rote, and at fourteen months, was -perfectly acquainted with the Old and New Testaments. At two years of age, -he was as familiar with Ancient History as the most erudite authors of -antiquity. Sanson and Danville only could compete with him in geographical -knowledge; Cicero would have thought him an "alter ego," on hearing him -converse in Latin; and in modern languages, he was equally proficient. -This wonderful child was unfortunately carried off in his fourth year. -According to a popular proverb--"the sword wore out the sheath." - -The American family of the Davisons, whose Memoirs have been recently -before the public, afford two melancholy instances in point. Nevertheless, -the duty of every created being is to give the most ample development to -the predispositions conferred on him by his Creator; and this is certainly -to be accomplished without injury to the human frame. The mission of woman -is the perpetuation of the human race; and the statistical table of all -countries demonstrate that fruitful women have been remarkable for their -longevity. On the other hand, the tables of Blair and others prove that -unmarried women, whether spinsters or nuns, are shorter lived than -matrons. As regards the influence of an excessive exercise of the -intellect on the life of man, we can quote many instances of longevity -among the most eminent of ancient or modern times. - -Hippocrates, the greatest physician the world has ever seen, died at the -age of one hundred and nine, in the island of Cos, his native country. -Galen, the most illustrious of his successors, reached the age of one -hundred and four. The three sages of Greece, Solon, Thales, and Pittacus, -lived for a century. The gay Democritus outlived them by two years. Zeno -wanted only two years of a century when he died. Diogenes ten years more; -and Plato died at the age of ninety-four, when the eagle of Jupiter is -said to have borne his soul to Heaven. Xenophon, the illustrious warrior -and historian, lived ninety years. Polemon and Epicharmus ninety-seven; -Lycurgus eighty-five; Sophocles more than a hundred. Gorgias entered his -hundred and eighth year; and Asclepiades, the physician, lived a century -and a half. Juvenal lived a hundred years; Pacuvius and Varro but one year -less. Carneades died at ninety; Galileo at sixty-eight; Cassini at -ninety-eight; and Newton at eighty-five. In the last century, Fontenelle -expired in his ninety-ninth year; Buffon in his eighty-first; Voltaire in -his eighty-fourth. In the present century, Prince Talleyrand, Goethe, -Rogers, and Niemcewicz are remarkable instances. The Cardinal du Belloy -lived nearly a century; and Marshal Moncey lately terminated a glorious -career at eighty-five. - -Voltaire, though not a juvenile prodigy, was still young when he achieved -his brilliant reputation. At seventeen, he wrote the poem of La Ligue, -which afterwards became the Henriade; and at nineteen, produced the -tragedy of Oedipus. His constitution was then far from strong; and his -correspondence attests his frequent sufferings. No man, perhaps, ever made -a larger demand on his faculties. Yet his head may be said to have -survived the other members of his body, the extremities of which were long -insensible; his body reduced to a skeleton, his stomach rejecting all -sustenance, while to the last moment, his spirit gave proofs of wit and -genius. Among the precocious children who survived to maturity, though of -weakly health, were Alexander Pope and Dr. Johnson, both of whom may be -said to have "lisped in numbers." - -Liceti, the son of a Genoese physician, came into the world only a few -inches long, and it was thought impossible he could live. His father, -however, gave him the name of Fortunio, a singular selection, considering -the circumstances of the event, and placed him in an oven of even -temperature, under the care of an attentive nurse; and in the course of a -few months, Fortunio Liceti differed in nothing from children born in the -usual manner. The early years of this child passed much as that of -others, except that he evinced signs of superior intelligence. At -nineteen, he wrote a "Treatise on the Soul;" and in the course of a life -of seventy-nine years, embellished the literature of his country with -eighty works, bearing the stamp of great erudition. - -Marshal Richelieu was a child of untimely birth; and so delicate in frame, -as to be considered impossible to rear, though carefully wrapped in -cotton. Yet he lived to the age of eighty-five! Without intending to set -up Richelieu as a first-rate man, or defend his licentiousness, we cannot -deny him a prominent place among the distinguished Frenchmen of the last -century; being as much the representative of the tone and manners of the -great world, as Voltaire of the wit, or Mirabeau of the eloquence of the -country. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. - - -Neither the illustrious preceptor of Alexander, nor the amiable preceptor -of the Duke of Burgundy, nor all the professors of the universities of -England and France, ever effected so much in the way of education, as that -unrecognised president of all universities and public -schools--Example!--From the hour of their birth, children begin to -imitate. Their first words are mimicries of what they hear pronounced -before them. Hence the origin of different idioms and enunciations. -Montaigne made Latin the mother tongue of his son, by surrounding him with -persons who spoke no other language, and even a nurse who spoke Latin. - -The intellect of children expands long before they have the power of -expressing their ideas. Physicians have affirmed that children have been -known to die of jealousy, before they were old enough to express their -sensations. Excessive notice of another child, or seeming neglect of -themselves, has been found to induce a state of languor, and hasten their -end. Young children suffer doubly in illness, from the incapability of -expressing their pain. - -Their language being formed upon our own, and their conduct framed upon -our own, the duty of placing desirable examples before them is -sufficiently evident; yet we frequently punish them for faults of which -the first lesson was given by ourselves. In many conditions of life, -however, parents are forced to delegate to other hands the care of their -progeny. The labouring poor, for instance, cannot constantly watch over -them. While the rich wantonly confide their infants to the care of menial -hands, the poor trust them to any which God is pleased to send to their -aid. It is even more essential to avoid giving bad examples to children -than to offer them good. Yet how often are family dissensions and -recriminations exposed to their observation! A man and wife living ill -together, who so far forget themselves as to quarrel before their -children, create a preference and partizanship which must diminish the -respect equally due to both parents. In humbler life, abusive language -often ends with blows; and what must be the effect of such scenes on the -tender mind of infancy? - -The presence of children on such occasions, when proved before the -magistracy, ought to be considered an aggravation of the offence against -the law. Fathers and mothers by upbraiding each other in presence of their -children, often beget impressions which all their future representations -are unable to eradicate; and of what avail to the comfort of parents the -brilliant accomplishments and attractive manners of their children, if a -son have been taught to disparage his father, or a daughter to think ill -of her mother! Often do children so young as to appear deficient in -observation, receive vague but indelible impressions, afterwards recalled -by a retrospective view; when the past appears clear and free from the -vapours which veiled it from our earlier comprehension. - -Among the lower orders, if a poor man be laborious, his son is usually the -same. But the son of a father who ill-uses the mother, is pretty sure to -turn out an idler and a dunce in childhood, and, in riper years, a -ruffian. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -PREJUDICES OF THE FRENCH. - - -The prevailing weakness of the French, collectively and individually, is -to esteem themselves the type and model of perfection; the standard by -which the universe ought to be regulated. An Italian author once asserted -that the face of man was not made after that of God; but that the face of -the Creator was to be imagined after that of man. The French consider all -that resembles them, right: all that differs from them, wrong. This -prejudice entitles foreigners to laugh at them, whether justly or not. The -word "_fat_" appears to have been exclusively invented for the nation. -Vain, presumptuous, haughty, disdainful men are to be found in all -countries; but _fatuité_ is the peculiar attribute of Frenchmen; nor does -any other language possess an equivalent term. - -The French, unhesitatingly, pronounce themselves the most polished nation -of the universe; and Paris, the capital of the civilized world,--the city -of arts, sciences, elegance of manners, and refinement. In Paris only, -does genius receive due homage,--merit, encouragement,--or the mind its -full development. But the temple they have erected to their national -vanity, has begun to totter upon its flimsy foundation. - -Notwithstanding their assumed pre-eminence, no nation is more prone to -imitate the customs, usages, fashions, and forms of government of others. -Just as the Romans placed the Gods of their defeated enemies in their -Pantheon, the French, under Napoleon, brought back the customs of foreign -nations. - -For twelve centuries, the French possessed a system of government of their -own; but they decided, at length, to adopt that of the English. A -Revolution having occurred in England, and a King been beheaded in London, -an analogous event appeared indispensable; and a King of France, -consequently, ended his reign on the scaffold. In early times, one -legislative chamber was considered sufficient; but as there existed two in -England, their national vanity could not rest till gratified by a similar -number. In all this, there is little to support the vaunted superiority of -the French. - -Till the close of the last century, the French wore what is still termed, -on the continent, the French costume, or _habit Français_, with bags and -swords, which in England we call a court-dress. But the English having -laid aside these inconvenient appendages in favour of hunting and riding -coats, the latter were quickly adopted by the Parisians under the name of -_redingotte_. - -The Lord Cadogan of Marlborough's time, having found it convenient to -double up his queue, and bind it with a bow of black ribbon, the whole -French army adopted the fashion; and his Lordship's name became -immortalized in France by "_les perruques à la Cadogan_." - -The strong horses of Normandy required an easy but somewhat solid kind of -saddle, the form of which had prevailed from the time of Louis XIV. But -the English using a lighter and smaller kind, it was adopted in -preference; and certain moral philosophers who proceeded to England to -study the laws, manners, and system of government, having remarked in -addition that the English treated their horses as Alcibiades did his dog, -the horses on the other side the channel were forthwith anglicised by the -abbreviation of their tails. - -On the arrival of the Bourbons and the English in France, in 1814, the -long waists and cottage-bonnets of the ladies were made the ground-work of -innumerable caricatures. Yet a few years afterwards, generally they were -adopted! This Anglomania has been as much a matter of reproach to the -French for centuries past; as, in England, the preference of the English -ladies for French goods and manufactures. A serious source of discussion -between Napoleon and Josephine was her rage for English fashions. - -In the early part of the Revolution, the Duke of Orleans made frequent -excursions to England; in one of which he purchased a sword hilt of steel, -the execution of which was admirable. On his return to Paris, he exhibited -it to a celebrated steel worker, challenging him to produce its equal; on -which, taking up the hilt, the man pointed out his own name to the Prince, -as the manufacturer of the article, which had been exported to London. - -During the brilliant campaigns of Field-Marshal Suwarow, the form of his -hat and boots was copied by the military men of France; and when Bolivar -and Murillo were ascertained to wear hats of different dimensions, the -French partizans of the two chiefs assumed on one part, broad-brimmed -Spanish hats, on the other, a narrower shape. - -When the Russians came to Paris at the Restoration, another change took -place. Instead of the boots worn to protect the legs from the mud, the -wide trowsers of the Russians made to cover their boots, in consideration -of the bitterness of their climate, were instantly adopted by the nation -which pronounces itself the arbiter of Europe in matters of taste. The -padded chests of the Russian uniforms, also worn as a defence against the -weather, were imitated in defiance of climate and common sense. - -Previous to the arrival of the Russians in Paris, smoking was limited to -the operative classes, and soldiers who had fought in the German campaign. -But from the moment the Russians began to smoke in the open street, the -capital so famed for elegance, became polluted with the smell of tobacco. -A modern man of fashion can no more dispense with his cigar-case than -Bayard with his sword; and in imitation of the Spanish women, the -fashionable Parisian ladies, known by the name of _lionnes_, have taken to -smoking. - -In order to mark their estimation of the Swedes, when they elected to be -their Prince, Bernadotte, who is a Frenchman, they thought to do them the -highest honour by calling them the French of the north. Two noblemen, the -one an aide-de-camp of Napoleon, the other of the Emperor Alexander, -having made acquaintance at Tilsit, the former observed, with the -intention of paying a compliment: "You might really be taken for a -Frenchman!" to which the Russian, indignant at his rudeness, replied: -"Depend upon it you could never pass for a Russian!" - -It is a favourite vaunt of the braggarts of France, that their children -are born soldiers. "Stamp upon the soil of France, and myriads of warriors -will start up!" says one of their popular writers. - -In answer to this boast, observe the results of the drawing for the -conscription, when the most trifling bodily defects are put forth to -secure exemption from military service!--Nothing can exceed the despair of -those who draw what is called "a bad number;" though a military career -presents nearly the same advantages to a working man as any other to which -he may devote himself. - -The self-sufficiency of the nation stands perpetually self-convicted; and -it is now proverbial in Europe to "be as great a boaster as a Frenchman." - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -MONSTROUS BIRTHS. - - -The attachment existing betwixt animals of different kinds is an undoubted -fact. Dogs have been known to take kittens under their protection during -the absence, or after the death of the parent cat. Most people who have -been at the Jardin des Plantes, must have noticed the affection evinced by -the lion for the little dog that shares his cage. Two horses and an ass -having fed from the same rack during a period of fourteen years, on the -death of the ass, his two companions refused food and died. These -inclinations are probably the result of the familiarity with mankind -produced by domestication, which destroys their natural instincts. - -Parrots, starlings, jays, and magpies, do not talk in their wild state; -nor would a dog, or squirrel, of its free will, have turned a wheel. - -In a Norman farm, so singular an affection subsisted between a hen and a -cat attached to the barn-yard, that the cat was frequently seen sitting -upon the nest during the absence of her friend; and the eggs thus hatched -produced a hybrid race of fowl and cat--a fact certified by an eminent -Norman naturalist, Dr. Vimond, at the close of the last century. Towards -the beginning of the present, there was exhibited in the Rue St. Honoré, a -mastiff bitch having a litter of two puppies and two cats, which she had -brought into the world at a birth. - -The ancients frequently speak of monstrous progeny. Besides the famous -Minotaur of Crete, Pliny relates that a Roman lady, named Alcippa, -produced a young elephant, and that a female slave brought forth a -serpent. Julius Obsequens describes two Italian women, who, in the middle -of the fifteenth century, produced on the same day, the one a cat, the -other a dog. In such instances, dogs and cats seem to enjoy the -preference. A Swiss woman, however, is asserted to have produced a hare; a -Thuringian, a toad. Bayle speaks of a mare which produced a calf; and of a -woman, who became the mother of a black cat, which was burnt by command of -the Holy Inquisition in the belief that it was the offspring of the devil. -These marvels have been chiefly attested by monks and physicians; but -there is scarcely an instance in which any distinguished naturalist has -been able to confirm the fact. - -During the thirteenth century, in three different places, at Wittenberg, -Misnia, and Villefranche, children were born without heads. They died upon -coming into the world; but not without having exhibited symptoms of life. - -Carpi, the anatomist, mentions a child born in 1729, in whose head was -found nothing but clear water without a vestige of brain. On the other -hand, children have come into the world with a double volume of brain. In -1684, a woman gave birth to twins, of which the first-born survived only a -few hours, while the second exhibited a double head, having four eyes, two -noses, two tongues, but only two ears. - -The annals of anatomy furnish many such instances; and the cases of the -Siamese twins, and of the unfortunate sisters of Sgöny, are too well known -to need description. But if all the instances on record were -recapitulated, these blunders of nature are but as a grain of sand -compared with the regularity of her productions through an infinity of -ages. - -The idea of individuals having a double sex, created probably by Plato in -the fable of the Androgyne, the most ingenious fiction bequeathed to us by -antiquity, was for ages supposed to have its foundation in fact; and every -now and then, the irregularities of a Chevalier d'Eon revive the chimera, -to which anatomists oppose a decided negative. The beautiful statue of the -Florentine hermaphrodite at the Louvre is as much a chimerical being as a -sphinx. - -The Memoirs of the Chevalier d'Eon, published in America, declare one of -the most illustrious dynasties of modern Europe to be his descendents; an -assertion easily disproved by a comparison of the date of his visit to -Russia with that of the birth of the Emperor Paul. - -The Albinos were formerly considered a distinct race. They were sought in -the olden time as favourite appendages to the Courts of African and -Asiatic monarchs. Pliny places them in Albania, probably from the -similitude of name; but does not state that they constituted a nation. His -description of them, however, perfectly agrees with those of modern times; -having white hair, and eyes which he describes as resembling those of a -partridge. The Albinos are, in truth, an exceptional race; and their -peculiarities are seldom found to be hereditary. - -The morbid longings of women during pregnancy afford many remarkable -facts. Goulard relates, that in the neighbourhood of Andernach, on the -Rhine, a woman experienced such a longing for the flesh of her husband, -that she murdered him, ate one half of the body and salted the other; -when her appetite being appeased, she confessed the deed to two friends of -her husband. - -In the Helvetic Chronicles it is related, that in the time of Martin IV., -an illustrious lady of Rome, an object of affection to the supreme head of -the Church, gave birth to a son having the semblance of a wild beast; -which monstrous production was ascribed to the passion of his Holiness for -paintings of animals, numbers of which ornamented his palace, till the -continual view of such objects influenced the mind and body of his fair -inmate. - -A black child is generally believed to have been born to Marie Thérèse, -the wife of Louis XIV., in consequence of a little negro page in her -service having started from a hiding-place, and stumbled over her dress -early in her pregnancy. This child was educated at the Convent of Moret, -near Fontainebleau, where she took the veil, and where, till the epoch of -the Revolution, her portrait was shown. - -Mallebranche has assigned the greatest scope of imagination to women under -such circumstances. He mentions one, who having been present at the -breaking of a criminal on the wheel, gave birth to a child whose limbs -were broken at the exact places where those of the criminal were -fractured. Scarcely an anatomical museum but contains monstrous -productions. The question unsolved is the influence of the imagination of -the mother in producing these aberrations of nature. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -THE ICHNEUMON AND THE HALCYON. - - -Buffon assumes that the Ichneumon has been brought to a state of -domesticity. But he probably generalized from a single instance. The Pacha -of Egypt has a tame lion; and many other instances might be cited. But the -lion cannot be regarded as reduced to a domestic animal. - -According to Pliny, the ichneumon was an object of veneration among the -Egyptians. So also was the crocodile; these two determined enemies being -equally objects of adoration. By the ancients, the ichneumon was said to -watch the moment of the crocodile's sleep; when, finding the monster's -jaws open, it instantly crept in, and having devoured the bowels, made its -way out by the way it entered. - -Denon has given us the following account of the ichneumon in his Travels -in Egypt. - -"The ichneumon is seen lying upon the reeds of the Nile, in the -neighbourhood of the villages, to which it repairs in search of poultry -and eggs. The supposed antagonism of the ichneumon and crocodile, the one -eating the eggs of the other, and the former creeping down the throat of -the latter, is pure invention. These two animals do not dwell in the same -regions. Crocodiles are not known in Lower, nor ichneumons in Upper Egypt; -so that there can be no grounds for the prejudice which has existed twenty -centuries:--for Pliny, himself, probably handed down a tradition! - -The fable of the halcyon is so charming, that it ought to have been -founded on fact. But Ovid was a better poet than naturalist. - -To the power of tranquillizing the tempest, the halcyon was supposed to -add the gift of foretelling good or bad weather. By degrees, writers of -fiction endowed its feathers with the power of rendering silk proof -against the sting of insects, of yielding wealth and harmony, and -conferring grace and beauty on the wearers. The halcyon deposits its eggs -on the sea-shore, on the banks of lakes and rivers; and its breeding -season is that when the air is most calm and serene; but its power of -controlling the elements is wholly fabulous. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -SORCERERS AND MAGICIANS. - - -In the works of St. Augustin, we are informed that there existed in his -time in Italy, women possessed of the power attributed by the poets to -Circe, who transformed men into beasts of burthen, and compelled them to -bear their baggage. St. Augustin mentions that a priest named Præstantius -unfortunately meeting one of those women, was changed into a mule, and -compelled to bear a trunk on his back; and that it was only when she had -no further occasion for his services, he was allowed to resume his gown -and band. - -Are we to infer from this passage, that one of the greatest minds that -ever enlightened the Church believed in this species of transformation? -Certainly not! The works of St. Augustin are not to be literally -interpreted. - -The hyperbole simply implies that there are in Italy women whose charms -are so powerful, and whose allurements so dangerous, that men who give way -to their influence, ceasing to be men, are reduced to the condition of -brutes, and exercise the most degrading labour. As to the priest -Præstantius, his name contains the key to the mystery; and he was probably -one of the minor Canons of the Church converted into a slave to do the -errands of some attractive dame. - -This version of the passage of St. Augustin, so often cited for twelve -centuries by the believers in magic, was simply an exhortation against -female seduction to the laity and clergy of his time. It has proved, -however, no small advantage to mountebanks to be backed by the authority -of the illustrious name of St. Augustin! - -The annals of the Jesuits abound in terrible histories of atonement made -at the stake for imputed sorcery. The following instance is related by Dom -Calmet. Charles IV., Duke of Lorraine, had in his service a -valet-de-chambre, named Desbordes, who was accused of having hastened, by -the art of sorcery, the death of the Princess Mary of Lorraine, mother to -the Duke. - -"Charles IV. conceived suspicions against Desbordes, from the period of -his having furnished a grand banquet given by the Duke to a hunting party -at a moment's notice: Desbordes having made no other preparatives than to -open a chest, having three trays, upon which were three courses ready -prepared. During another hunting party, Desbordes reanimated three -criminals suspended from a gibbet, and commanded them to make obeisance to -the Duke; having done which, he bade them hang themselves again. Another -time, he made the figures in a piece of tapestry come down and join in the -dance. Charles IV., alarmed at these supernatural feats, eventually -brought Desbordes to trial; and he was condemned and executed as a -magician for mere acts of sleight of hand. - -The real cause of his condemnation was the enmity of the court-physicians -of Lorraine; whom he had irritated by the disappointment of their -predictions touching the death of the Princess Mary; for had his judges -really believed in his power of restoring the dead to life, their sentence -of execution would have been absurd. - -The most learned men of times famed for their learning have sometimes -condescended to confirm these popular errors. Baronius affirms the bridge -of the Spiritus Sanctus, in Rome, to have been erected by a glance from -the eye of a child of twelve years old, named Benezet; and his assertion -is founded upon five Papal bulls. - -Paulus Jovius, a man of unquestionable erudition, confirms the popular -legend concerning the black dog of Cornelius Agrippa; stating that, when -on his death-bed at Lyons, he uttered dreadful imprecations against his -faithful attendant, who was supposed by the vulgar to be a familiar spirit -disguised under the form of a cur; saying, "Away with thee wretched beast, -through whom I am lost to all eternity!" On which the dog precipitated -itself into the Saône, and appeared no more. Unfortunately for the -historian, Agrippa died at Grenoble, and not at Lyons, so that the Saône -is rather far fetched. But those who believe in familiar spirits are apt -to be loose in their notions of geography. - -The work of James I., upon Demonology, is one of the most curious records -of the superstition of his time, of which the feats of Nicholas Hopkins, -the witch-finder, afford so cruel an evidence. The royal author would, -perhaps, have been better employed in seeing a more enlightened education -bestowed upon his ill-advised son, than in perpetuating his own credulity. - -The Memoirs of the Cardinal de Richelieu admit his belief in witchcraft. -In his time, it was an advantage to a Minister of State to have at his -disposal accusations of a mysterious crime, where disculpation was next to -impossible. Urbain Grandier, the priest, who was condemned to death for -allowing the nuns of Loudun to communicate with the devil, was one among -many victims to the darkness of the public mind. - -By the Parliaments of France, hundreds were burnt for witchcraft in the -course of a few months. The shepherds of La Brie alone supplied -innumerable victims; as the supposed authors of all the domestic -misfortunes of the district, the murrain that carried off the cattle, and -the hooping-cough that carried off the children. Like the old women in -Scotland, they were "na canny;" and like them, expiated the prejudice -among faggots and tar-barrels. But though we no longer burn for -witchcraft, the profession is far from extinct; and in the remote -districts of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, there scarcely exists -a country magistrate but has had some charge brought before him implying -the exercise of witchcraft. The horse-shoe is still seen nailed above the -doors of our villages; and fortune-tellers, and spaewives are consulted, -in spite of Sunday schools and the Lancastrian system. Not a day passes, -but the ordeal of the Bible and key, the Sortes virgiliane of the vulgar, -is resorted to in some village of the British empire; but the exorcisms of -the school-master will probably drive both witches and witch-finders from -the land. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -MALE AND FEMALE. - - -When the learned Spaniard, Feijoo, was about to decide upon the -comparative power and merit of the two sexes, he invoked an angel to -descend from Heaven to enlighten his mind; so perplexing did he feel the -arguments on both sides. - -Rousseau, in comparing the sexes, observes, "as I pursue my -investigations, I perceive on all sides affinity--on all sides -discrepancy." - -And long may that discrepancy exist. The merit of woman consists in the -oppositeness of her qualities to those of the male sex. - -To be completely woman, is her perfection; as man is never more perfect -than when most completely man. Sybarites and Amazons are alike at variance -with nature; and Hercules handling the distaff of Omphale could not be -more absurd than Omphale wielding the club of Hercules. - -In heathen times, and even now, in countries uncivilized by Christianity, -the condition of women is of a subordinate and miserable nature. Aristotle -was one of the greatest depreciators of women; regarding them as an -incomplete production, and at variance with the ends of nature. He fancied -that, in a more perfect order of things, only men would be seen on earth. -In the tragedies of Euripides, women are treated with unmeasured contempt; -and his opinions being embraced by the Greeks, were adopted by the early -theologians alluded to by St. Augustin; who pretended that at the day of -judgment, God would reform his work, and the dead of both sexes rise again -of the masculine gender. In the fifth century, it was agitated in council, -whether our Saviour died for women as well as men; nor was it till after -the most violent contestation, decided in the affirmative. Mahomet, the -most violent opponent of the equality of sexes excluded women from -Paradise except in a few favoured instances. - -Chivalry was the first defender of the weaker sex. - -At the beginning of the twelfth century, a doctor, named Amauri, of the -diocese of Chartres, attempted to renew the doctrine of Aristotle -concerning women, declaring them to be imperfect works accidentally -proceeding from the hands of God. The Archbishop of Paris, however, -convened a council, which declared his doctrine to be heretical; and -anathemized Amauri, who having died previous to the decree, his lady was -disinterred, and thrown into the common sewer. This proceeding gave much -satisfaction to the Parisian populace; but was scarcely necessary to -refute the impertinent assertions of Aristotle and his disciple. - -It is unnecessary to dwell upon the criticisms, satires, and diatribes, of -which women have been the objects,--from Juvenal, to Boileau and Pope; and -from Boccaccio and Brantome, to La Fontaine and Byron:--for their -champions are, at least, as numerous as their assailants. Among themselves -Madame de Genlis in France, and Mary Wolstonecroft in England, have fought -a good fight in favour of the equality of the sexes. - -Mallebranche, one of the writers who has most profoundly studied the -question, accords to women a decided superiority in point of sensibility; -but decides them to be equally inferior to the male sex in point of -abstract ideas. Arguing upon the difference of organisation, and -conceiving the brain to be the seat of intellectual operations, he shows -that the brain of women is of a more feeble organization, and less -extended than that of men; and concludes, from the diameter of their head -being less, that their minds must maintain the same proportion. This -opinion is based upon the craniological, or phrenological system. - -Mallebranche agrees with Dr. Gall in the belief that the seat of -intelligence lies essentially in the brain, and that the amount of our -faculties is proportioned to the volume of that organ: that stupid animals -have scarcely any brain, and sagacious animals much; that no animal can -vie in proportion with that of man; and that among men, idiots are -remarkable for deficiency of brain. On this point, the learned and the -ignorant fully coincide;--a fool or idiot, having been always styled a -brainless fellow. - -The Cretins of the Valais, and the Pyrenees, who have very diminutive -heads, are alike devoid of intellect, and suffer from the same affliction. -In the intellectual physiology of Domangeon, he relates, that, of two -maniacs under his care, a young person suddenly bereft of reason had a -head incredibly small; while an old woman, similarly afflicted, had a -brain no larger than that of a child of three years old. - -Experiment has now proved the brain to be the seat of human intelligence. -The celebrated Dr. Richerand, attended a patient whose brain was -accidentally exposed, and anxious to convince himself that the brain was -really the seat of intelligence, he pressed that of his patient with his -hand, when the intellectual powers immediately ceased, and upon -withdrawing his hand, they recovered their faculties. - -Those who still deny the brain to be the seat of intelligence, instance, -in support of their theory, the existence of reason after the ossification -of the brain; and of children, born deficient in spinal marrow. Duverney -exhibited to the Academy of Sciences at Paris, the head of an ox nearly -petrified, notwithstanding which, it had never betrayed the least -uneasiness, or any unusual symptoms. - -It is certain that considerable portions of the brain have been removed -from a living subject, in cases of accident, without prejudice to the -intellectual faculties. But the lobes being double, a portion may be cut -away without affecting its power; as in losing an eye or an ear, the -faculty of seeing and hearing remains. - -All this, however, is a digression from the fact asserted; that the brain -of a woman weighs less by one sixteenth than that of a man! The mean -weight of the brain of a man is estimated at three pounds; and it is found -to be two pounds thirteen ounces in that of a woman, from which it may be -inferred that man is a sixteenth part more intelligent than woman. It may, -however, be argued that this is only accordant with the other comparative -proportions of the human frame. The stature of woman is a sixteenth less -than that of man, and the brain ought surely to be in proportion to the -stature. - -On this point, J. J. Rousseau observes, "A perfect woman and perfect man -ought to be as dissimilar in form and face, as in soul. A well-conditioned -man should not be less than five feet and a half in height, with a -sonorous voice and well-bearded chin." But considering the number of men -who expend many hours a day in adorning and perfuming their persons, and -lounging upon a sofa or beside a work-table, it is not wonderful that -women should be tempted to consider themselves somewhat nearer on a par -with those who renounce the manly attributes of their sex. - -In establishing between man and woman certain relations and differences, -Providence has clearly distinguished the condition of the two sexes. To -the stronger, he assigned rude labour and the tillage of the earth; to the -weaker, domestic duties, and the rearing of progeny. The one has an -out-door, the other an in-door existence; and by the duties of the mother, -the position of the slighter sex is distinctly pointed out. - -It would appear as if the comparative merit of the sexes were influenced -by the effect of climate; the Salique-law still prevailing in several of -the most civilized countries of Europe, in spite of the glorious reigns of -Elizabeth and Anne in England, and Catherine in Russia; and the living -example of three female sovereigns on the throne. But it may be added -that in two of the countries where woman is excluded from the throne, she -exercises in private life fourfold the influence assigned her in England, -Spain, or Portugal, where she is admitted to the privileges of supreme -power. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -MINOR SUPERSTITIONS. - - -One of the most prevalent minor superstitions has its origin in a -religious influence. Friday is regarded as the most unlucky day of the -week, from being that of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. People of all -classes object to commencing an undertaking, or a journey, on Friday; and -the Calabrian brigands forbear to assassinate on that day, however -difficult to postpone the premeditated crime till the following morning. -They feel convinced that a murder committed on a Friday will be overtaken -by the hand of justice. In Paris, the average quantity of new pieces -produced at the different theatres is from a hundred and fifty to two -hundred; and for the last thirty years, not one of these has been produced -for the first time on a Friday. - -Boileau, in one of his Satires, places among the number of human -weaknesses, the superstition which makes - - Twelve grouped together, fear an other one. - -The origin of this sentiment dates from the Last Supper; when, thirteen -being at table, one of them betrayed and another denied his master, and -"went and hanged himself;" and a prejudice has ever since prevailed that -out of every thirteen dipping together in the dish, one must fall a victim -before the end of the year. The probability that one out of every thirteen -may die in the course of the year, exceeds but little the usual chances of -mortality. - -The dislike which many entertain of seeing a knife and fork crossed on a -plate, has also reference to a religious objection as an emblem of the -crucifixion. Yet it sometimes obtains ascendancy over unbelievers. -Frederick the Great disliked seeing a knife and fork crossed so much, that -he never failed to uncross them. Others dislike to see three candles -lighted; an omen borrowed from the ancients, who regarded them as symbolic -of the Fates, the Furies, and the three heads of Cerberus. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -SOMNAMBULISM. - - -"Dreams are the interludes of a busy fancy," say the copybooks; and in -some instances they appear to excite in the body impulses equally active. - -Condillac, the mathematician, when surprised by sleep in the midst of his -abstruse calculations, often found that, on awaking, the solution of a -problem presented itself spontaneously to his mind, as though he had been -working in his sleep. - -But a more familiar instance of somnambulism is that of a deceased -Hampshire Baronet. - -This gentleman was nearly driven to distraction by the fact that, every -night, he went to bed in a shirt, and every morning awoke naked, without -the smallest trace of the missing garment being discovered. - -Hundreds of shirts disappeared in this manner; and as there was no fire in -his room, it was impossible to account for the mystery. The servants -believed their master to be mad; and even he began to fancy himself -bewitched. In this conjuncture, he implored an intimate friend to sleep in -the room with him; and ascertain by what manner of mysterious midnight -visitant his garment was so strangely removed. The friend, accordingly, -took up his station in the haunted chamber; and lo! as the clock struck -one, the unfortunate Baronet, who had previously given audible intimation -of being fast asleep, rose from his bed, rekindled with a match the candle -which had been extinguished, deliberately opened the door, and quitted the -room. His astonished friend followed; saw him open in succession a variety -of doors, pass along several passages, traverse an open court, and -eventually reach the stable-yard; where he divested himself of his shirt, -and disposed of it in an old dung heap, into which he thrust it by means -of a pitch fork. Having finished this extraordinary operation, without -taking the smallest heed of his friend who stood looking on, and plainly -saw that he was walking in his sleep, he returned to the house, carefully -reclosed the doors, re-extinguished the light, and returned to bed; where -the following morning he awoke, as usual, stripped of his shirt! - -The astonished eye-witness of this extraordinary scene, instead of -apprizing the sleep-walker of what had occurred, insisted that the -following night, a companion should sit up with him; choosing to have -additional testimony to the truth of the statement he was about to make; -and the same singular events were renewed, without the slightest change or -deviation. The two witnesses, accordingly, divulged all they had seen to -the Baronet; who, though at first incredulous, became of course convinced, -when, on proceeding to the stable-yard, several dozens of shirts were -discovered; though it was surmised that as many more had been previously -removed by one of the helpers, who probably looked upon the hoard as -stolen goods concealed by some thief. - -A far stranger circumstance has been related by a highly-beneficed member -of the Roman Catholic Church. - -In the College where he was educated was a young Seminarist who habitually -walked in his sleep; and while in a state of somnambulism, used to sit -down to his desk and compose the most eloquent sermons; scrupulously -erasing, effacing, or interlining, whenever an incorrect expression had -fallen from his pen. Though his eyes were apparently fixed upon the paper -when he wrote, it was clear that they exercised no optical functions; for -he wrote just as well when an opaque substance was interposed between them -and the sheet of paper. - -Sometimes, an attempt was made to remove the paper, in the idea that he -would write upon the desk beneath. But it was observed that he instantly -discerned the change; and sought another sheet of paper, as nearly as -possible resembling the former one. At other times, a blank sheet of paper -was substituted by the bystanders for the one on which he had been -writing; in which case, on reading over, as it were, his composition, he -was sure to place the corrections, suggested by the perusal, at precisely -the same intervals they would have occupied in the original sheet of -manuscript. - -This young priest, moreover, was an able musician; and was seen to compose -several pieces of music while in a state of somnambulism; drawing the -lines of the music paper for the purpose with a ruler and pen and ink, and -filling the spaces with his notes with the utmost precision, besides a -careful adaptation of the words, in vocal pieces. - -On one occasion, the somnambulist dreamt that he sprang into a river to -save a drowning child; and, on his bed, was seen to imitate the movements -of swimming. Seizing the pillow, he appeared to snatch it from the waves -and lay it on the shore. The night was intensely cold; and so severely did -he appear affected by the imaginary chill of the river, as to tremble in -every limb; and his state of cold and exhaustion when roused, was so -alarming, that it was judged necessary to administer wine and other -restoratives." - -It would require a volume to relate the wonders of artificial somnambulism -produced by Animal Magnetism, _i. e._ the somnolency produced in certain -organizations by persons constitutionally endowed for the purpose; during -which, some patients become so utterly insensible, that surgical -operations of the most painful nature, such as amputation, have been -performed upon them without their knowledge. Others appear to be -transported into a higher sphere; and in a frame of mind described under -the name of _clairvoyance_, become capable of reading sealed letters and -closed books; of speaking languages of which they are otherwise ignorant, -and indicating the name and nature of misunderstood diseases, as well as -the means of cure; though at the cessation of the state of somnambulism, -all recollection is effaced of the wonders they have performed under its -influence. - -The mysteries of Magnetic Science are at present so imperfectly -understood, and afford so wide a field for scientific argument, that it -would be presumptuous to enter further into the subject in a work -affecting to treat of errors and superstitions. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX. - -A FEW MORE WORDS ABOUT GHOSTS, VAMPIRES, AND LOUP-GAROUX. - - -In the winter of 1758, the sacristan of Polliac expired, after a few -hours' illness, of a fright produced by the sight of a large white rabbit -seated on the grave-stone of a famous poacher recently deceased, as he was -crossing the church-yard at midnight after accompanying the curate to -administer the last sacrament to a dying parishioner. The mind of this -poor fellow, who was a proficient in the ghost stories of the -neighbourhood, was probably deeply impressed by the melancholy scene he -had been witnessing; which, combined with the desperate character and -blasphemous habits of Blaise Rolland, the poacher, induced him to suppose -that the soul of the defunct had undergone transformation, or that Satan -himself was watching over his grave, in the shape of one of the animals -he had so often appropriated to himself. - -The rabbit proved in the sequel to be a tame one escaped from a -neighbouring farm. But in the interim, the poor man had fallen a victim to -his panic! A more rational being would have inquired of himself for what -purpose the Almighty could be supposed to suffer the soul of an obscure -poacher to revisit the earth, when we learn from divine writ His refusal -to permit the appearance of Dives to his brethren, as a superfluous -concession. "If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be -persuaded, though one rose from the dead!" - -Nothing can be more absurd than the functions attributed to ghosts, when -we know that the soul, at the moment of its separation from the body, is -an impalpable, invisible, substance. Yet this spiritual essence, which eye -hath not seen, or ear heard, is supposed to have exercised the power of -dragging chains, undrawing curtains, opening doors, ringing bells, -uttering groans, articulating reproaches; in the face of the Scriptural -Revelation "that the body shall return to the dust, and the spirit unto -GOD who gave it!" - -We find in St. John's Gospel, that the souls of mankind in the different -mansions of the Almighty, receive after death the reward of deeds done in -the body. Is it likely then that they should have leisure or inclination -for revisiting their dreary mansion of clay? - -There is one instinct which we are bound to accord to ghosts; _i. e._ a -wonderful aptitude for the discovery of cowards! In the ghost-stories of -all countries, it is observable that the first impulse of the person -addressed by a spectre is to take to his heels. With the exception of the -lady of the Beresford family, who is said to have sat and talked theology -with her brother, there is no record of a rational conversation between a -disembodied spirit and those of the flesh; for the pretended apparition of -Mrs. Veale, is now known to have been an ingenious bookseller's puff of -the work of Drelincourt on Death. - -In most instances, ghost-stories have their origin in some incident which -no one has been at the pains to investigate. In 1746, the public Theatre -of Anatomy, in Paris, was disturbed by the sudden frenzy of the porter in -care of the dissecting-room; who protested that the spirit of a young man, -whose body had been deposited there the preceding day, after having -committed suicide by throwing himself into the Seine, had appeared to him -in the course of the night, bewailing and lamenting the dreadful -consequences of his crime. - -Bruhier, the learned Professor of Anatomy, aware of the injurious -consequences likely to arise from a report that the theatre was haunted, -examined carefully into the details of the case; when it appeared that -this unfortunate young man, having recovered in the course of the night -from the state of insensibility in which he was deposited in the -dissecting-room, and terrified by the horrible aspect of the spot in which -he found himself, among dead bodies, skeletons and anatomical preparations -faintly illuminated by the light of a lamp, had dragged himself to the -door of the small adjoining room inhabited by the porter, and in faint -accents implored his assistance, and described the agonies of his -situation. - -The porter, roused from his sleep by the appeal of a dead man wrapped in -his winding-sheet, instantly lost his senses; and the doors being locked -upon them, the exhausted young man, whom Providence had thus fruitlessly -restored, sank a victim to cold and exhaustion. His body was discovered -stretched on the floor of the dissecting-room near the porter's door. But -for the judicious investigations of Monsieur Bruhier, this would have been -established as an authentic instance of spectral visitation! - -A similar circumstance occurred in Lancashire some years ago. - -A lady, the wife of a wealthy squire, died after a protracted illness; and -on the evening of her decease, her husband, desirous to pass a solitary -hour by the body, sent the nurse who was watching beside it, out of the -room. Before the expiration of an hour, the bell by which the deceased had -been in the habit of summoning the nurse, rang violently; and the woman, -fancying the unfortunate widower was taken suddenly ill, hurried into the -room. He dismissed her angrily, however, protesting that he had not rung. -Shortly afterwards, the bell was rung a second time; when the woman -observed to one of the servants that she should not attend to the summons, -as the gentleman might again repent having summoned her, and dismiss her -ungraciously. - -"It cannot be my master who is ringing now," replied the footman, "for I -have this moment left him in the drawing-room." - -And while he was still speaking, the bell of the chamber of death rang a -third time--and still more violently than before. - -The nurse was now literally afraid to obey the summons: nor was it till -several of the servants agreed to accompany her, that she could command -sufficient courage. At length, they ventured to open the door, expecting -to discover, within, some terrible spectacle. - -All, however, was perfectly tranquil; the corpse extended upon the bed -under a holland sheet, which was evidently undisturbed. Such, however, was -the agitation of the poor nurse, that nothing would induce her to remain -alone with the body; and one of the housemaids accordingly agreed to -become her companion in the adjoining dressing-room. - -They had not been there many minutes, when the bell again sounded; nor -could there be any mistake on the subject, for the bell-wire passing round -the dressing-room was in motion, and the servants in the offices could -attest the vibration of the bell. The family butler accordingly determined -to support the courage of the terrified women by accompanying them back to -the dressing-room, in which they were to sit with the door open, so as to -command a view of the bed. - -These precautions effectually unravelled the mystery! A string had been -attached to the bell-pull to enable the sick lady to summon her attendants -without changing her position, which, still unremoved, hung down upon the -floor; and a favourite kitten, often admitted into the room to amuse the -invalid, having entered the chamber unobserved, was playing with the -string, which, being entangled in her feet, had produced this general -panic. - -But for the opportune explanation of this trivial incident, the family -mansion would have obtained the notoriety of a haunted house, and probably -been deserted! - -Such was the case with the Crown Inn at Antwerp, where some years ago, a -white spectre, bearing a lamp in one hand and a bunch of keys in the -other, was seen by a variety of travellers passing along a corridor till -it disappeared in a particular chamber. - -Nothing would satisfy the neighbours that an unfortunate traveller had not -been, at some period or other, despatched in that fatal room by one of the -previous landlords of the house; and the Crown gradually obtained the name -of the Haunted Inn, and ceased to be frequented by its old patrons. - -The landlord, finding himself on the brink of ruin, determined to sleep in -the haunted-room with a view of proving the groundlessness of the story; -and caused his ostler to bear him company, on pretence of requiring a -witness to the absurdity of the report; but in reality, from cowardice. At -dead of night, however, just as the two men were composing themselves to -sleep in one bed, leaving another which was in the room untenanted, the -door flew open, and in glided the white spectre! - -Without pausing to ascertain what it might attempt on approaching the -other bed, towards which it directed its course, the two men rushed naked -out of the room; and by the alarm they created, confirmed, more fully than -ever, the evil repute of the house. - -Unable longer to sustain the cost of so unproductive an establishment, -the poor landlord advertised for sale the house in which he and his father -before him were born and bred. But bidders were as scarce as customers; -the inn remaining on sale for nearly a year, during which, from time to -time, the spectre reappeared. - -At length, an officer of the garrison, who had formerly frequented the -house, and recollected the excellent quality of its wine, moved to -compassion in favour of the poor host, undertook to clear up the mystery -by sleeping in the haunted chamber; nothing doubting that the whole was a -trick of some envious neighbour, desirous of deteriorating the value of -the freehold in order to become a purchaser. - -His offer having been gratefully accepted, the Captain took up his -quarters in the fatal room, with a bottle of wine, and a brace of loaded -pistols on the table before him; determined to shoot at whatever object -might enter the doors. - -At the usual hour of midnight, accordingly, when the door flew open and -the white spectre bearing a lamp and a bunch of keys made its appearance, -he seized his weapons of destruction; when, lo! as his finger was on the -point of touching the trigger, what was his panic on perceiving that the -apparition was no other than the daughter of his host, a young and pretty -girl, evidently walking in her sleep! Preserving the strictest silence, he -watched her set down the lamp, place her keys carefully on the -chimney-piece, and retire to the opposite bed, which, as it afterwards -proved, she had often occupied during the life-time of her late mother who -slept in the room. - -No sooner had she thoroughly composed herself, than the officer, after -locking the door of the room, went in search of her father and several -competent witnesses; including the water-bailiff of the district, who had -been one of the loudest in circulating rumours concerning the Haunted Inn. -The poor girl was found quietly asleep in bed; and her terror on waking in -the dreaded chamber, afforded sufficient evidence to all present of the -state of somnambulism in which she had been entranced. - -From that period, the spectre was seen no more; probably because the -landlord's daughter removed shortly afterwards to a home of her own. - -It has frequently occurred, for ill-disposed persons to profit by the -ill-name of a haunted house, as in the case of gangs of coiners and -thieves, who raise such reports in order to secure impunity in their -haunts. The Palace of the Tuileries is said to be haunted by a Red Man, -who regularly appears on the eve of any popular tumult, betiding evil to -the Royal Family of France. And appear he will, to the end of time; for -those who wish to create a political panic, take care that the apparition -shall be periodically renewed. The Palace at Berlin was at one time in -danger of having a Weisse Frau, or White Lady, to match with the Red Man. - -During the reign of Frederick I., one of the Princesses, his daughters, -being dangerously ill, a white spectre was seen to traverse the royal -corridor leading to her apartments; and from that moment, the royal family -gave up all hope of her recovery. The following night, the Princess -expired; and not a soul about the Court doubted that the fatal event had -been announced by the appearance of the White Lady, who, on being -challenged by the guard at the head of the staircase had flitted past like -a shadow. Great difficulty was found in procuring proper attendants to -watch beside the body of her royal highness; when one of the royal -Chaplains requested a sight of the depositions of the soldiers by whom the -spectre had been accosted. - -The mystery was instantly explained. A favourite attendant of the late -Princess, who, from the moment of her death had been confined to her bed -by severe affliction, happened to have mentioned to the Chaplain that, on -quitting her royal highness's room in search of him, about midnight, the -night preceding her mistress's demise, having a white veil thrown over her -head to keep her from the night air, she had been challenged by the -sentinel on guard; which being contrary to etiquette in a spot where her -person was well known, she had not thought proper to reply. On further -investigation, the evidence of the young lady herself was obtained; when -it appeared that the period of her passage in a white night-dress, to and -from the Princess's apartments, corresponded exactly with the apparitions -of the White Lady described by the soldiers a happy relief for those who -were compelled to inhabit that wing of the palace. - -A curious discovery occurred some years ago, at the head-quarters of the -French army on the banks of the Rhine. It appears that rumours became -suddenly prevalent of the repeated appearance of the spectre of the famous -General Marceau, who, was killed at Altenkirchen near Coblentz, in 1796, -and buried in the glacis of that city. He was, nevertheless, seen in his -uniform as a General of Chasseurs, with a drawn sword in his hand, by -several sentries and patroles; and nothing was discussed in Paris but the -nature of the omens to be inferred from this apparition of one of the -bravest officers of the Republic. - -It happened that the French Commandant of the city of Coblentz was a -school-fellow and intimate friend of General Marceau; and either in hopes -of once more beholding one so much beloved, or with a view of detecting -the impostor who had presumed to trifle with his memory, he marched to the -spot pointed out as the usual haunt of the spectre, escorted by a company -of grenadiers. - -Shortly after his arrival, the ghost made its customary appearance, and by -way of military salute, the Commandant ordered his men to "make ready" and -"present!" But ere he could add the fatal word "fire," the ghost was upon -its knees, whining piteously; realizing the officer's shrewd suspicions -that it would prove to be one of the boatmen of the Rhine, who had assumed -this appalling costume in order to pursue his calling unmolested, of -conveying by night to the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, opposite Coblentz, -(at that moment besieged by the French) the provisions and succours so -vital to the garrison. In the character of Marceau's ghost, accordingly, -he had nightly paraded the glacis; keeping the coast clear from intrusion, -while his boats traversed the river towards the fortress. - -Every one who has travelled in Hungary is familiar with the superstitions -of the Willis, or dancing-brides, and the Vampires, or bodies that -preserve a posthumous life by the suction of blood from human veins. But -the latter superstition has found its way to other countries. A grave -having been accidentally opened in a church-yard in Lorraine, about the -year 1726, the body of a schoolmaster who, in his lifetime, had been -strongly suspected of proficiency in the occult sciences, but who had been -dead nearly half a century, was discovered in his coffin, as plump and -fresh as though still alive; his eyes bright--his air joyous. - -The whole village having crowded to the spot to behold the miracle, -instantly recognised a Vampire in this healthful corpse. Thousands of -anecdotes were instantly cited of children lost in the neighbourhood; who, -though previously supposed to have fallen into the river, or been -destroyed by wolves, had evidently satisfied the dreadful appetites of the -dead schoolmaster! In order to keep him, for the future, quiet and -harmless in his grave, the villagers drove a stake through the body, after -having cut off his head and burnt it on the spot. - -Had they persevered in their search, they would doubtless have found -reason to fear, from the evidence of the adjoining graves, that their own -fathers and mothers were also Vampires. Many soils, particularly those -impregnated with nitre, have the property of preserving bodies by -converting them to a substance resembling spermaceti. Similar discoveries -have been made in several church-yards in England; but luckily without -provoking suspicions so preposterous. - -In the course of a few years, thanks to the progress of national -education, the best authenticated ghost-story going will scarcely find an -auditor. Half of the magic rites and mystic wonders of the olden time have -found able expositors in our own, in the retort and the crucible. We no -longer exorcise a ghost:--we decompose it,--like any other gas. - -The orgies of intemperance used to be a fertile source of apparitions; as -in the case of the female spectre which rebuked the infidelity of Lord -Lyttleton--and the appearance of Lord Lyttleton himself to his friend -Miles Peter Andrews; two _bon vivants_, who were most likely indebted for -their nocturnal visions to an extra bottle of claret, and a broiled bone. - -A clergyman, who had been struggling hard and sacrificing his nights' rest -for a series of months to a new translation of the Prophecies, took it -into his head one night, that three children had entered his room and were -seated at his writing table. As there was nothing alarming in such a -visitation, he continued to write on; and on retiring to bed, at daybreak, -left his young visitors apparently occupying their place. When he woke in -the morning, they had of course disappeared. - -The illusion was, however, so strong, and recurred so often, that his -studies were seriously interrupted; till at last he took the only wise -step ever taken by an inveterate ghost-seer:--he consulted an eminent -physician. - -"You have been overworking yourself," was the judicious reply, "and unless -you have recourse to air and exercise, your nervous system will become -seriously impaired. Such cases are by no means rare among men of studious -habits. In some instances, the spectrum is created by a disorder of the -optic nerve. In yours, I am pretty nearly sure that it arises from -derangement of the stomach. A good dose of calomel, my dear Sir, will lay -all your ghosts in the Red Sea!" - -An ignominious conclusion of a romance, which in some respects resembles -the story of the Lutheran clergyman related in Wraxall's Memoirs! who, on -taking possession of his cure, was awoke early next morning by the spectre -of a pastor in his gown and band, praying beside the desk at the foot of -his bed, and holding a ghastly child by either hand, whom he -recognised--by a likeness suspended in the parish church--as his -predecessor in the living. This occurred in summer time; but at the -beginning of winter, when the stove in his chamber came to be lighted, as -it never used to be in the time of the former pastor, an unpleasant smell -issuing from the chimney caused a search to be instituted; when lo! the -bones of two young children were found among the ashes in the stove. The -incumbent, who had already circulated the report of his ghost story, had -of course the comfort of finding child-murder attributed to his -predecessor. - -The instance of Eugene Aram and 'Dan Clarke's bones' affords strong proof -that those who hide can find; and in the ease in question, there appears -some doubt whether the spectre were the delinquent. - -The subject of ghosts, however, must not be treated with less reverence -than its due. Samuel and the Witch of Endor, and the declaration of the -Evangelist that, during the Passion of our Saviour "the dead were raised -up, and seen by many in the City of Jerusalem," remind us that spectral -visitations are consistent with the records of Holy Writ. But in this -case, as in that of demoniacal possession, the Christian era has produced -a revolution in the pschycological phenomena of nature; the power of the -evil one over the human race being modified so that the dead are no longer -raised up; while the angels of the Lord no longer manifest themselves to -the eyes of mankind, nor do His fallen angels take possession of the -living soul. - -A remarkable story connected with the belief in spectral visitations, is -that of the celebrated Bernhardi of Vienna; who after spending the evening -in a gay carouse with a party of young men of infidel principles, where he -boldly avowed his disbelief in the existence of ghosts, undertook to -proceed, as the bell tolled midnight, to an adjoining church-yard, and -stick into a grave pointed out to him, a fork which was taken from the -supper-table and presented to him for the purpose. - -A considerable wager was to depend upon his execution of the feat; and at -the appointed hour, with a daring deportment Bernhardi quitted the -company, and repaired to the scene of action. It was agreed that he should -return to the supper-table, leaving the fork sticking in the grave so as -to be found on the morrow, in token of his accomplishment of the exploit. - -Ten minutes would have sufficed for his visit to the church-yard. But at -the close of an hour he was still absent; when his companions became -convinced that he had turned coward and sneaked home to bed. They -instantly determined to convict his defection by following him to his -lodgings; but on their arrival, found, with no small consternation, that -he had not made his appearance. - -One of them, more his friend than the rest, really alarmed for his safety, -proposed that they should visit the church-yard, and ascertain, at least, -whether he had accomplished the feat. When lo! extended on the grave lay -the lifeless body of the scoffer; who had burst a blood-vessel and died of -fright. - -Having accidentally pinned down his cloak to the earth in sticking the -fork into the ground, where it still remained, he probably fancied himself -transfixed by the hands of the grisly tenant of the grave he was thus -unpardonably violating, for the sport of a drunken frolic; and thus became -the victim of his unwarrantable sacrilege. Let those who jest upon such -fearful matters, take warning by Bernhardi! - -Another superstition connected with the disembodied spirit, is the belief -that spectres are to be found in the neighbourhood of hidden treasures. - -In barbarous countries, it was the practice to kill a slave on a spot -where treasures were deposited, in order that his soul might watch over -the hoard, and terrify others from the spoil. - -In Ireland, such murders would be gratuitous; for almost every spot -pointed out as having been a depository of treasures, in the olden time, -is said to be haunted by a banshee. - -The same superstition appears to prevail in Germany and the Low Countries. - -Some years ago, a most ridiculous incident, founded upon this prejudice, -came before the inquisition of the Saxon tribunals. - -The Burgomaster of the village of Brummersdorf, being a man of dissolute -propensities, was in the habit of frequenting the public-house of the -place, in order to enjoy with loose companions the irregularities he dared -not attempt in his own house, in the fear of drawing upon himself the -reprehension of his superiors in office. A fellow of the name of -Osterwald, who acted as his clerk, was usually the companion of these -excesses; and many a good bottle of wine formed the cement of the -excellent understanding between them. - -One summer night, as they were seated, according to custom, in the public -room of the inn, considerably the worse for a carouse prolonged after the -decent inhabitants of the village had retired to rest, a stranger entered -the inn demanding a night's lodging; and having approached the table at -which the Burgomaster and his friend were drinking, continued to attract -their attention by uttering profound sighs. - -Provoked by the interruption, the Burgomaster, whose name was Listenbach, -demanded the cause of his affliction; to which the fellow replied that it -was one with which he did not choose to trouble two gentlemen so -distinguished as those he saw before him. - -Tickled by this flattery, Osterwald insisted on an explanation; and, at -length, after much show of caution and mystery, the stranger declared that -being a poor student of the University of Jena, he had been warned by a -dream to repair to the old Castle of Brummersdorf; where he would find a -fertile source of prosperity for his old age. - -"I knew not," said the stranger, "that there existed such a spot as -Brummersdorf on the face of the globe; but on consulting my books of -science, the following morning, I discovered, not only that it possessed -the ruins of an ancient castle, formerly one of the finest in Westphalia, -but that the constellations were favourable to the enterprize." - -"I recommend you then to set off at daybreak for the Castle," said -Osterwald, "which is situated only a few hundred yards' distance, on the -cliff overhanging the village." - -"Alas! I have just returned from thence!" replied the stranger. "I was -expressly enjoined in my dream to visit the spot at the full of the moon." - -"And what success have you met with, my good friend?" demanded Listenbach, -with increasing curiosity. - -"I need not tell you gentlemen, since you appear to be inhabitants of the -place," replied the stranger, "that the old Castle of Brummersdorf is the -depository of a prodigious treasure, the property of the extinct house of -that name." - -"Indeed!" exclaimed his astonished auditors. "That accounts for the edict -issued by Government that the inhabitants should on no account be -permitted to disturb a stone of that ancient monument!" - -"On arriving at the spot," rejoined the stranger, "I made known in a loud -voice the spiritual authority by which my mission was appointed. When lo! -the spirit to whom is delegated the guardianship of the hidden treasure -replied that he was not permitted to divulge the spot where it was buried, -unless adjured by three persons at once; and unless the vault containing -it were opened by a magic key--to be formed of pure gold. But alas! -however tempting the prospect, gentlemen, how is a poor devil like myself -to procure the twenty-one ducats which the spirit asserts to be -indispensable for the casting of the key; or the attendance of two -enterprizing companions willing to share my exploit, and its noble -reward?" - -"Your two companions are before you," exclaimed the boozy Burgomaster, "if -you will accept our company. Let me see what money I have in my purse!" - -Even without paying the reckoning--including a fresh bottle of wine, -called for to drink to the success of their expedition--the purse of the -Burgomaster did not furnish half the necessary sum. Nothing was easier for -him, however, than to despatch his clerk to the strong box of his office; -which, as he was obliging enough to acquaint them, contained nearly a -couple of hundred ducats. - -In as short a time as the condition of his intellects would allow, -Osterwald returned with the requisite sum; and the three companions, after -an inspiriting bumper, took their way towards the ruins of the old -castle.[2] - - [2] The scene of Dousterswivel in the house of the Antiquary, may, - perhaps, owe its origin to the heroes of the Castle of Brummersdorf. - -Having arrived on a platform before the venerable gateway, distinctly -visible by the brilliant light of the moon, the stranger drew from his -pocket a short black stick, with which he traced upon the parched turf a -small circle, adorning it with several mystical devices and symbols. - -"Within this magic circle," said he, addressing his companions who were -overcome, partly by wine and partly by awe, "you must place yourselves, in -order to be secure from the molestation of the evil spirits besetting the -spot; while I proceed to fulfil the conditions of the guardian spirit of -the eastern tower." - -The two drunkards, not a little pleased to be thus secured from an -interview so tremendous, readily complied; and having furnished the -stranger with the purse, took up their position within the circle. For -some time, intense anxiety kept them silent. At length, they ventured to -communicate to each other their opinion, that the interview between the -strange student and the Spirit of the Castle was somewhat long; but being -fortified by their position within the magic circle, weary of standing, -and oppressed by drowsiness, they agreed to stretch their limbs on the -ground. - -Next morning, the village of Brummersdorf was disturbed by the discovery -that in the course of the night the office of the Burgomaster had been -broken into, and its strong box pillaged, the iron safe being left empty -on the floor. A further search was immediately instituted; but no -Burgomaster was to be found; and his clerk being also absent, the -dissolute character of Listenbach and Osterwald caused them to fall under -suspicion of having embezzled and carried off the public funds. - -The testimony of the village landlord, however, soon induced other -surmises; and the constables, by whom the robbery was discovered, having -proceeded at the head of a body of peasants to the ruins of the old -Castle, the hapless Burgomaster and his drunken clerk were discovered -stretched on the ground:--not, as was in the first instance apprehended, -bathed in their gore, but quietly sleeping off the fumes of their carouse! - -The loss of his money was succeeded, of course, by the loss of the place -for which he had shown himself so incompetent. But in the course of the -summer, the cunning impostor was arrested; and it was the evidence of the -parties themselves on his trial which gave publicity to the story! - -An amusing anecdote occurs in the Memoirs of the President de Thou; whose -son, also a lawyer of eminence, having been despatched by Government in -1596 to the town of Saumur, on a mission of consequence, was desired to -take up his quarters in the ancient Hôtel-de-Ville, the seat of -Government. - -Having retired to bed with the uneasy feelings usually attendant on -sleeping in a strange place, particularly one of so gloomy and solitary an -aspect, the President was awoke about midnight by the weight of some heavy -burthen suddenly flung upon his chest; and entertained little doubt that -an attempt was about to be made upon his life. Being a man of strength and -courage, he seized the object in his arms, and flung it violently on the -floor; when, by the heavy moans that ensued, he perceived it to be a human -being. - -"Doubtless some thief," was his next reflection, "who was searching under -my bolster during my slumbers for my watch and purse." - -While the President was preparing to jump out of bed, the figure, which -was attired in white, rose feebly from the floor, and by the dim light of -the moon, assumed a somewhat spectral appearance. - -"Who are you?" cried the President, "answer this moment, or I will fell -you to the earth!" - -"Who am I, ignoramus? Who _should_ I be but the Queen of Heaven!" replied -a cracked female voice; while the servant of the President, who slept in -an adjoining room, being now disturbed, rushed in with lights; and with -the aid of the porter of the Hôtel-de-Ville discovered the intruder to be -a poor maniac, accustomed to wander about the streets of Saumur and find -shelter where she could. - -Perceiving the doorway of the private apartments of the Hôtel-de-Ville to -be open, the poor woman had profited by so unusual a circumstance to -secure the best bed-room. On Monsieur de Thou's return to Paris, the King, -who insisted on hearing from his own lips his ridiculous adventure, -complimented him on his presence of mind; admitting that, for his own -part, he stood more in fear of ghosts than of the shot of the enemy. - -Had the servants of Monsieur de Thou encountered this midnight visitant -instead of their master, it is probable that the town of Saumur would have -enjoyed the reputation of having a haunted Hôtel-de-Ville as long as one -stone remained upon another. - -The forest of Ratenau, in Westphalia, passed, during a whole year, for -being haunted by white spectres of the gnome or imp description; who -having accosted, not only the peasants of the neighbourhood, but some of -the servants of the Count returning after nightfall from the neighbouring -market, the road through the forest came to be deserted, and the greatest -consternation prevailed at the Schloss von Ratenau. - -"On my arriving at the Castle from Berlin to spend the summer," said the -Count, in relating the story, "I found the poor people firmly persuaded -that a supernatural race of beings had attained supreme power over a -portion of my estate; and it was vain to attempt to argue them into a more -rational frame of mind. Judge, however, of my surprise, when, on returning -through the forest, a few nights after my arrival, from the house of one -of my neighbours, the carriage stopped suddenly, the horses reared -violently; and the postillion, instead of attempting to keep his saddle, -began roaring aloud, 'The Spirits--The Evil Spirits!' - -"Another minute and the carriage was dashed from the road and overturned -in a ravine; nor was it without much difficulty that I extricated myself, -the postillion having already taken to his heels accompanied his fellow -servants. I confess to you, that, half stunned by the accident, I -experienced some uneasiness at the idea of finding myself alone, at -midnight, with the object which had produced this fearful consternation, -whether robber or impostor; nay, I will not swear that some of the -fantastic tales of Schiller and Goethe did not recur to my mind. - -"Great, therefore, was my satisfaction on emerging from the broken -vehicle, and perceiving two white shapes bounding and gambolling at a -distance among the hoary trunks of the oak trees, to recognize two -handsome white grey-hounds, which I afterwards ascertained to have strayed -from the kennel of the Prince Henry of Prussia, and to have subsisted for -a year on their depredations in the forest of Ratenau!" - -Another adventure occurred on the estate of a nobleman of the same family, -in the Duchy of Brunswick. An attempt was made to rob the village church; -the sacramental plate and poor-box being found one morning in the nave of -the church wrapped in a piece of old sacking, so as to give rise to an -opinion that the thieves must have been disturbed in their sacrilegious -enterprize. Some time afterwards, a gang of burglars having been arrested, -the judge of the neighbouring town charged them, after their conviction of -divers other robberies, with being accessory to the crime in question. - -In a moment, these fellows, who had preserved the most hardened audacity, -fell on their knees, and freely confessed the attempt; adding, that they -had been prevented carrying off their booty by the sudden appearance of -the evil one emerging from the vestry; and as far as the uncertain light -of their dark lantern in that vast area enabled them to judge, in the form -of a horned monster. - -A general laugh instantly arose in court; several of the inhabitants of -the village in question recognizing by this description, a tame stag, the -pet of a former incumbent of the living, which was allowed the run of the -presbytery orchard and church-yard; and which, having most opportunely -sought shelter in the porch on the night in question, had probably -followed the robbers into the church, which they entered by means of false -keys, leaving the doors open for their readier escape. - -It is recorded in the Memoirs of one of the free-thinking circle which -surrounded Baron d'Holbach, in Paris, previous to the Revolution, that -having retired to bed one night after a gay supper, during which this -_coterie_ of sceptics amused themselves with the most blasphemous -conversation, his gay companions, in order to try his courage, introduced -into his bed-room a goat, whose fleece had been steeped in spirits of -wine; which, when set on fire, gave to the unlucky animal an aspect truly -horrific. - -The goat almost equally terrified with its intended victim, instantly ran -to the bed and attempted to extinguish the flames by rubbing itself -against the bed-clothes, which it set on fire; and the young man, having -drunk freely at supper so as to be heavily asleep was with difficulty -extricated from the flames. The goat died of the consequences of this -cruel experiment; and the young man was subject for the remainder of his -life to epileptic fits. - -Many instances are on record of an equally serious termination to these -foolish practical jokes. Witness the well-known story of the young lady, -who, after boasting of her intrepidity, had a skeleton from a neighbouring -surgery brought into her bed-room by her brothers and some young friends -staying in her father's house. On retiring to rest, these cruel jesters -listened anxiously for the shrieks which they hoped would betray her -cowardice, and were greatly disappointed to find her as self-possessed as -she had announced; for instead of screaming, she went quietly to bed. But -alas! next morning, when the servant entered her room, she was found -playing with the skeleton, in a state of complete fatuity!-- - -In the southern provinces of France, there prevails a superstition, -derived probably from the lycanthropy of the ancients, that certain -persons assume at night the form of wolves, and roam the country for prey, -under the name of _loup-garoux_; a fable which gave rise to Perrault's -charming fairy-tale of Little Red Riding Hood. - -In a neighbourhood said to be frequented by one of these devastators, who -was of course no other than a man in wolf's clothing, who, in this assumed -character pillaged the adjacent farms, a _garde champêtre_ or country -constable, who had been several times attacked by the supposed monster, -contrived to lop off his paw with a hatchet; and, on the escape of the -_loup-garou_, found, as he expected, that the furry paw contained a human -hand! All the labourers of the neighbourhood were accordingly visited by -the gendarmes to ascertain, by his mutilation, the identity of the -sheep-stealer. But the delinquent had already fled the country; and the -imputed cause of his flight was confirmed a few years afterwards, by his -re-appearance in another department of France, maimed of his left hand! - -Sometimes, these _loup-garoux_ are madmen, whose insanity has taken this -monomaniacal form; as in the instance of the vintager near Padua, in the -sixteenth century, who was apprehended on a charge of furiously biting his -neighbours on pretence of his lycanthropic propensities. When reminded -that his face was unchanged, while the real _loup-garoux_ have always a -wolfish physiognony, he asserted that he was permitted to wear his -wolf-skin inwards; whereupon the barbarous village tribunal by which he -was tried, ordered his hands to be amputated and skinned, to ascertain the -truth of the assertion! - -Inflammation ensued, and the wretched lunatic died of his wounds!-- - - - - -CHAPTER L. - -APOCRYPHAL ANIMALS. - - -The tarantula is a spider about the size of a nut; the head being -surmounted by two horns charged with venomous matter. It has also antennæ -which become violently agitated at the sight of its prey; with eight legs, -and the same number of eyes, usually of a grey colour, but occasionally -marked with livid spots upon a blueish ground. This variety is considered -the most dangerous. The tarantula is hairy in the body, and lies torpid in -the earth during winter. It revives at the return of spring, when the -inhabitants of the district wear half boots for the protection of their -legs. - -In the month of June which is their breeding season, their venom acquires -more virulence. The part wounded by this animal becomes livid, yellow, or -black; and the victim sinks into despondency, as in cases of hydrophobia. -The following account of the bite of a tarantula is borrowed from the -letters of the physician St. André. - -A Neapolitan soldier who had been bitten by a tarantula, though apparently -cured, suffered from an annual attack of delirium, after which he used to -sink into a state of profound melancholy; his face becoming livid, his -sight obscure, his power of breathing checked, accompanied by sighs and -heavings. Sometimes he fell senseless, and devoid of pulsation; ejecting -blood from his nose and mouth, and apparently dying. Recourse was had to -the influence of music; and the patient began to revive at the sound, his -hands marking the measure, and the feet being similarly affected. Suddenly -rising and laying hold of a bystander, he began to dance with the greatest -agility during an uninterrupted course of four-and-twenty hours. His -strength was supported by administering to him wine, milk, and fresh eggs. -If he appeared to relapse; the music was repeated, on which he resumed his -dancing. This unfortunate being used to fall prostrate if the music -accidentally stopped, and imagine that the tarantula had again stung him. -After a few years he died, in one of these annual attacks of delirium. - -St. André is not the only man of science who attributes awful effects to -the bite of the tarantula. Baglini, a man of considerable eminence, -maintains that not only the bite causes the patient to dance, but that -the insect itself is readily excitable by music. - -The properties attributed to the tarantula, in modern times, are not borne -out by the testimony of the ancients. Dr. Pinel, in his commentaries upon -the works of Baglini, a most eminent authority in the World of Science, -quotes the adverse opinion of another man of acknowledged merit, -Epiphany-Ferdinandi, who declares that many persons of his acquaintance -had been bitten by tarantulas, without experiencing any other -inconvenience than might have occurred from the sting of a wasp. Thus -reduced to the class of a venomous spider, it becomes stripped of its -magic powers as the scorpion ceased to be a salamander, when the ordeal of -burning alcohol was found to be invariably fatal. - -The renown of the salamander is, however, of far more ancient date than -that of the tarantula. Aristotle, Pliny, Oelian, Nicander, all the -illustrious apostles of the marvellous, declare that the salamander lives -in the midst of flames, and exercises such a control over them, that one -salamander was capable of extinguishing the Lemnian forges. In the time of -Henri II., the famous Ambroise Paré, pronounced the salamander to be -incombustible. Others assert that they have seen salamanders extinguish -burning embers by emitting a viscous humour, and Benvenuto Cellini, in his -Memoirs, gives an account of having seen a salamander in the midst of his -fire. The salamander, or rather the newt that bears that name, partakes of -the lizard and frog, being generally from five to six inches in length. -Naturalists admit two kinds, the land and the water salamander. -Maupertius, among many others, submitted both species to the test of fire, -and the result was the same as with any other animal. - -The were-wolves of antiquity, and _loup-garoux_ of the middle ages, -disappeared in the open daylight of modern science. Virgil confers on -Moeris the power of transforming himself into a wolf, Varro Pamponius, -Mela, Strabo, ascribe the same faculty to various individuals skilled in -the art of magic. In the annals of the early French courts of law, there -may be found many instances of condemnation for witchcraft and -transformation into were-wolves for criminal purposes; and more than one -of these wretched victims, probably in a fit of mental aberration, pleaded -guilty to the accusation. - -In 1521, Pierre Burgot and Michael Verdun, confessed before the Parliament -of Besançon, that they had frequently transformed themselves into -were-wolves, and attacked little girls and boys. Half a century later, -the Parliament of Paris condemned to the flames Jacques Rollet for having -transformed himself into a were-wolf, and half devoured a little boy. If -we can believe the account of Job Pincel, Constantinople was so infested -with were-wolves, in the middle of the sixteenth century, that the Sultan -went forth with his guard and exterminated one hundred and fifty, when the -remainder took to flight. - -In a conference of theologians convened by the Emperor Sigismund, -transformation into were-wolves was pronounced a crime, and any assertion -to the contrary was accounted heresy. - -In the same century, domestic goblins or familiars were generally -accredited. In the twelfth century, a goblin domesticated in a small town -of Saxony, was known by the name of Cap-a-Point, and a great favourite -with the inhabitants; for whom he cleared their wood, lit their fires, and -turned their spits. He was, however, of a vindictive temper; and a -turnspit, in one of the kitchens he frequented, having ill-used him, he -strangled him in the night, cut him in pieces, and served him to his -master in a ragout. The goblin, who saved himself by flight, was -anathematized by the clergy as an evil spirit; being, in all probability, -some half idiotic deaf and dumb urchin, like Peter the Wild Boy. - -In the thirteenth century, a house in the Rue d'Enfer in Paris, -subsequently a monastery, was infested by goblins, and in the year 1262, -the King granted the reverend fathers an exemption from taxes, provided -they were able to exorcise these familiar spirits by their prayers and -invocations. Among the last on record were those seen by Monsieur -Berbiginer de Terre Neuve, who lived in the Rue Guénégaud, and left -copious Memoirs of his contentions with these imaginary beings!-- - -While witches, spirits, and salamanders, have disappeared from the surface -of Europe, modern Asia appears to have sustained a far greater loss in the -phoenix, which has ceased to rise from its ashes. - -Many writers, both ancient and modern, have minutely described the -appearance and habits of this fabulous bird; as though an object of -natural history rather than of poetical fiction. - -The phoenix may be regarded as an allegorical type, like most mythological -fables. Among the great writers who appear to have believed in its actual -existence was Tacitus. In the sixth book of his Annals, he affirms that -the phoenix was seen in Egypt under the Consulate of Paulus Fabius, and -Lucius Vitellius; and that its appearance gave rise to much discussion -among the scientific men of Egypt and Greece. Tacitus adds that the -periodical return of the phoenix is an incontestable truth. The scholiast, -Solinus, relates the same facts; adding that the phoenix was taken during -the last year of the eighth century of the foundation of Rome, where it -was exhibited to the public gaze. The event was recorded in the imperial -archives. - -The account given by Tacitus is far more doubtful than that of Solinus. -The Emperor Claudius probably chose that the Romans should see a phoenix -in a certain bird presented to their admiration; and many a modern -sovereign might, by the same means, have created a phoenix. - -The Fathers of the Church profess the same conviction as Tacitus and -Solinus concerning the phoenix. A passage taken from an Epistle to the -Corinthians by St. Clement, in speaking of the resurrection of mankind, -has the following passage: - -"There exists in Arabia, a bird, the only one of its kind, which is called -the phoenix. After living one hundred years, on the eve of death it -embalms itself; and having collected myrrh, incense, and aromatics, forms -a funeral pyre for its own obsequies. When its flesh is decomposed, a worm -is generated, which forms and perfects itself from the remains into a new -phoenix. Having acquired strength to take wing, it carries off the tomb -containing the mortal remains of its parent, and carries it from Arabia to -the city of Heliopolis, in Egypt. Having traversed the air, visible to all -eyes, it places its burthen on the altar of the Sun, and flies away again. -The priests, by consulting their chronicles, have discovered that this -phenomenon is repeated every five hundred years." - -The description of the phoenix by Solinus is as follows:--"This bird is of -the size of an eagle; its head embellished with a cone of feathers; its -neck surrounded with heron-like plumes and dazzling as gold. The remainder -of the body is of a beautiful violet, excepting the tail, which is a -mingled rose and blue." - -Plutarch speaks of the phoenix with as much reverence as if it were an -illustrious man. He states the brain to be an article of delicacy for the -table, though he does not mention having tasted it! The fable of the -phoenix, which is both graceful and ingenious, and has been rendered -available by the poets of the last two thousand years, was probably -invented by the priests of Egypt, the first embalmers of the dead. Another -bird of Arabia--the roc, or condor, has given rise to a thousand Oriental -fables. The Bird of Paradise, which was for centuries supposed to be the -inhabitant of a higher sphere, so rarely was it seen alive, has now been -tamed in an European aviary at Canton. Let us hope that some future -menagerie may obtain a specimen of the phoenix. - - - - -CHAPTER LI. - -PROFESSIONS ESTEEMED INFAMOUS. - - -In the reign of Louis XVIII., an oration was made in the French Chamber of -Deputies, complaining of the vileness of certain parties employed by the -police. The Duc Decazes, then at the head of the administration, replied: -"Point out to me honest men who would undertake the same functions, and I -promise to employ them." - -The infamy attached to spies and common informers is a wholesome -prejudice. In England, the nature of our constitution and political -institutions secures us from the intrusion of such vermin; who were -extensively employed in France by the police of the elder Bourbons and of -Napoleon. In Austria, and, above all, in Russia, no society is secure -against them; and half the Russian travellers dispersed through Europe, -even those bearing illustrious names, are neither more nor less than -spies. The fashionable watering places of the continent are infested by -these individuals, most of whom have solicited from the Emperor the -honourable appointment of travelling spy. - -A vocation which must always convey infamy, and which is more essential to -the well-being of society, is that of public executioner; and -notwithstanding the disgust with which it is contemplated, whenever there -occurs a vacancy in the office, in any country, a host of solicitors -present themselves. - -In Russia, which many pretend to consider a barbarous country, there is no -salaried executioner. So infamous is the office considered, that in the -event of a capital execution, a criminal convicted of a less heinous crime -undertakes it, and thereby gains his pardon. Formerly, in state -executions, the executioner used to be masked, to secure him from the -odium attending his calling. - -In some countries, the stage, or rather the profession of an actor is an -object of violent prejudice. In France actors were denied for several -centuries the rites of Christian burial, and even in the present century -have been made objects of excommunication. England was the first to show a -more liberal example, by the interment of Garrick in Westminster Abbey, -and the intermarriage of the nobility with actresses;--a violent and -pernicious extreme. During the Consulate in France, even on occasion of -state dinners, Mademoiselle Coutat was admitted as the associate of Madame -Bonaparte, as Talma of the First Consul. But on the restoration of the -Bourbons, public opinion resumed in this particular nearly all its former -inveteracy. - -In England, the leading members of the profession, such as the Kembles, -Young, Macready, Charles Kean, whose conduct in private life is as -exemplary as their talents on the stage are distinguished, are received in -society with the same respect conceded to any other order of literary -persons. In France, this honourable position would be untenable; so deeply -rooted are the prejudices of the vulgar. A clever French writer, who was -in his youth an actor, relates the following anecdote:-- - -"Being once engaged in a company of players in a town in the south of -France, he devoted the leisure of his theatrical duties to literary -pursuits. A shoe-maker, whom he employed, an ardent admirer of the -dramatic art, occasionally attempted to engage him in conversation; and -the actor indulged the man's passion for theatricals by presenting him -with tickets of free admission. At the end of some month's acquaintance, -the shoemaker entered the actor's lodgings one morning in the greatest -glee, and informed him that it was his daughter's wedding-day, and that he -was come to invite him to the ceremony. The actor, hesitating to accept -the invitation, made a variety of polite excuses to his humble friend, who -seized him cordially by the hand. "I see how it is," said he. "You think -my friends will not like to sit at table with an actor! But never mind. I -am not proud, and for my sake they will overlook it!" - -The gentlemen of the household of Louis XIV. refused to make the King's -bed with Molière, who had purchased a small place in the royal household, -because he had been an actor. This was a just punishment to one who should -have abstained from a position so infinitely below his rank in the great -scale of human nature. Of the individuals thus fastidious, the names are -unknown to posterity. That of Molière is immortal. - -John Kemble was the occasional guest of the Prince Regent, and Mrs. -Siddons enjoyed the highest distinctions from the highest personages in -the realm. Still, even in England, among the lower classes, a prejudice -prevails against comedians; but arising chiefly from the irregularities -with which many belonging to the inferior class of the profession are -unfortunately chargeable. - - - - -CHAPTER LII. - -SUPERNATURAL HUMAN BEINGS. - - -There is no species of supernatural power to which some impostor or other -has not pretended; some to incombustibility; some to insubmergeability; -some to invulnerability; some to invisibility. Men have been found who -pretend to fly,--to walk upon the surface of the waters,--to penetrate, by -the acuteness of their optics, into the depths of the earth. But though an -announcement of a balloon, a diving-bell, an electrical telegraph, or even -a railroad, would have appeared as much a matter of empty vaunt to the -ancients as these pretensions to ourselves, no extent of modern discovery -has enabled or is likely to enable mankind so thoroughly to defy the -existing laws of nature. The conformation of the human form expressly -points out the purposes and capabilities for which it was created. - -We read in old books, in proverbial reference to human speed, that such a -one 'runs like a man without a spleen;' and it has been asserted that the -bearers of the posts of the ancients, had their spleen extracted in order -to facilitate despatch. - -Even with our present chirurgical proficiency, such an operation would be -somewhat hazardous. But certain it is that dogs from which the spleen has -been removed in the way of experiment, are observed to grow unnaturally -fat, which would be no great advantage to a pedestrian. If the operation -in question were both harmless and effectual, it is deserving the -consideration of the King of Naples; who is accompanied by running footmen -from his palace in that city to his country palace of Caserta at some -leagues' distance; the unfortunate men being compelled to keep up on foot -with the hard trotting of the horses. Not a year passes, but one of these -victims of royal state drops dead from the exertion. - -Running footmen constituted a very imposing portion of royal and noble -equipage in former times, when preceding the stately carriages of -prelates, drawn by mules, or the lumbering coaches and six of the days of -the Stuarts; when part of their business was to forewarn the coachmen of -holes in the pavement, or water-courses in the imperfect roads. But the -office of running footman in the days of macadamization, is a work of -supererogation. The act of barbarity of removing the spleen from such men -would not be much more cruel, however, than killing them by so terrible an -excess of exertion. - -Nothing could be more remarkable than the feats of activity performed in -France by the _coureurs_, or running-footmen of the nobility prior to the -Revolution, and without any dangerous consequences. They were generally -Basques, or natives of the frontier country of Gascony, proverbially light -and active. - -In the Landes, adjoining their district, another species of activity -prevails--the walking or running on stilts, necessitated by the sandy -nature of the soil. A large company of the inhabitants of that curious -desart, proceeding to market, resembles the course of a troop of -ostriches, or emus, over the Pampas. - -The first aspect of these strangely-mounted men, probably gave rise to -some of the fictions of our early fairy-tales, such as the seven-leagued -boots of the ogre; just as the Laplanders and Patagonians originated races -of beings which exaggeration rendered fabulous. - -The marvels related by the traveller, Mandeville, and the more recent -wonders described by Mungo Park, drew down upon their narrators a charge -of mendacity, for which we have been forced to make atonement to their -memory. How curious will be the first book of travels in England, written -by a New Zealander!--The author would be sacrificed by his countrymen, on -his return, as a wanton impostor! - -It is related in French jest-books, that during the period of the -religious troubles of France, when decapitation was so common, a Gascon -executioner, boasting of his skill, was heard to protest that his victims -were so artistically despatched as to remain unconscious of their -execution. He was forced to say to them, 'have the goodness to shake your -head!'--when it rolled to the ground. In emulation of this foolish joke, -people used to assert during the Reign of Terror, that they were forced to -shake their heads every morning to be certain that, amid the general -massacre, they had escaped the guillotine. A century hence, what with the -acceleration of motion in every department--the application of caoutchouc -and bitumen to all sorts of purposes--and the general diffusion of -chemical science, we shall scarcely know whether we are on terra-firma, or -in the air; and the reflective powers of the human race may chance to -become strangely confused by such universal motation. - -We may at least anticipate from the same source, the obliteration of -vulgar errors, and the dissolution of popular prejudices. Our successors -will have no time to cherish such chimeras as omens, presages, or -presentiments: no leisure for listening to old wives' tales, or traditions -of ghosts and devils. - -For all classes, education effects the miracle of making the blind see, -the deaf hear, the lame walk; and in our own, its operations commence at -too early an age to leave our children at the mercy of ignorant -nurses--the fountain-head of all popular superstition. - -A love of the marvellous is, however, so strongly implanted in certain -natures, and our capacity is after all so finite, that prejudices must -ever, to a certain extent, prevail. Hypochondriacs, invalids, and pregnant -women, will always be susceptible of the terrors of superstition; and so -long as children are born with the marks and deformities to which all -animated nature is liable, so long as the winter wind howls, 'the owls -shriek, and the crickets cry,' nervous persons will not be wanting to -listen to the foolish interpretations of any empty-headed gossip at hand. - -To remedy the mischief, it becomes a peremptory duty to render the rising -generation 'wise virgins' in their youth, in order that they may not -become foolish old women in their age, to perpetuate the evils of POPULAR -PREJUDICES and NATIONAL SUPERSTITIONS. - - -END. - - - LONDON: - Printed by Schulze & Co., 13, Poland Street. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A World of Wonders, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A WORLD OF WONDERS *** - -***** This file should be named 42921-8.txt or 42921-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/9/2/42921/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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