The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-07-13

The EVIL EYE IN lTALY.-That people thus
carefully trained TO folly should be the victims of
many absurd superstitions, will surprise no one.
Amongst others, that of the evil eye exists, it APP
pears, amongst all classes, especially Of the Nea-
politans; and the little hands and horns of coral
continually offered for sale, which attract the aten
ton of strangers are intended talismans TO ward
off Its effects. The men wear them attached to
their watch chains the ladies to their brooches the
common people To earrings or attached TO string
round the neck The people who have the reputa-
taton of this unluckV MaI0cciO are called Gettatori
and are believed to have usually peculiar physi-
ognomy and persons with thin, strongly-marked
features, curved noses, and piercing eyes, very
suspicious and by no means TO be encountered
without proper precautiOn. Should our readers
meet any such one, it will be prudent to place the
third and fourth fingers and the thumb in the palm
of the hand, and present the first and little finger
in the figure of pair of horns in the direction of
the danger In the fashionable world of Naples, a
certain Duke v, though by no means answer
ing in appearance to the above description, has, it
is asserted, the authority ofno less person than
Mrs GrundY the not very desirable peculiarly of
these : witMing glances." He is known and es-
teemed for many excellent qualities, admired for
his talents, having written several dramas of high
pretension, but he is Gettat0rI, and people dare
not speak with him without placing themselves in
the aforementioned posture Of defence. A clever
foreigner, in whose company ! happened to meet
member of the Dukes family, tOr the evil eye is a
distinction hereditary in certain famles,) immedi-
ately, when addressed by him, made, ! noticed the
above sign. laughed at her for it, and asked, e If
she were not ashamed to give way to such a super
stition ~ g Well it is foolish" she answered
" but really things happen so strangely This
family brings misfortune wherever it comes and
in spite of the amabliiy of some of the members Of
it, there is certain something about them that
makes one shudder. There are so many instances -
Tell me some of them, pray,'' said l. g Well,
then" she replied only last year, when the Rus
sian court in Naples, and there was going to be
a grand fete in their honor, at the Prince Of Ks
he had sent for new furniture from Paris, and the
finest piece of all was splendid chandelier. Il
happened that the Prince himself was standing to
see it put up, when the Duke of 70 was an
nounced. The Prince ordered that he should De
shown into his private cabinet but before the mes
sage could be delivered the Duke entered eIclaln-
ing, what magnificent chandelier ne had no
sooner spoken than the hook in the ceiling gave
way, and down came the fine chandelier, smash,
upon the marble floor, and was snlVered INTO a
thousand pieces. swell what then = said |,
il was an accident An! but these accidents
are ALWAYS bappening.'' One day the Duke met
in the street C6nnt-, and inquired after his son.
Oh ~ was the reply. he s well as he always is.
No sooner boy1,ever. had the Count reached home
than he found mat his son had been taken i'll and
was in he'd He had been seized with sudden
oiddiness. had fallen to the ground, and, in so
doiT,r had broken his watch. The watch was
sent for and indicated the precise hour and minute
when It's health had been inquired after by the
Cettatori i-Itatiln Picture-book