Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-04-23
NO XIII.
NOTHING NEW UNDER ran son.

world, were but poor copyists after ALL
Their predecessors in humbug, after whom
longo irterpolIo, they copied, were far their
superfors, and transcribed them no less in
bofdness of design than in the date of their
influence over the public mind,
In the 9Th century, one Aldebert preten-
| ded he had received a letter from Our Sa-
yiour, which, he said, fell from heaven At
Jerusalem. He seduced multitudes to fol-
low him into the woods and deserts, and to
live in imitation Of John the Baptist.
In the 14th century, Gonsalvo Martin, q
Spaniard pretended to be the angel Michael.
The Inquisihoh took up this affair, and burn
ed Master Martin at the stake, in 1880.
In the 18th century, the SON Of a water
man at Kent, England, George Davis, BY
name, styled himself the nephew of God,
sent into the world to adopt children wor.
thy of heaven, he denied the resurrection,
and pretended to good many peculiar mo-
lions, not Just now lit to be made known ;
but to which those Of the rappings and knock
ings of our day are close parallels.
Then there was "The holy maid of Kent"
Elizabeth Barton, who, after cutting up,
queer shines for some time, in the time Of
Henry the 9Th, protesting knowledge OF
spiritual beings, and future events, and 30
on, was hanged at Tyburn, in 1884, As mar
rates Rapin. We know lucky Fish or
two; of our day, who may thank their stars
that they did not flourish in bluff King Har-
rvs time.
In the first year of Queen Mary's reign,
after her marriage with Philip OF Spain,
Chroniclers tells us that there was one Eliz.
abeth Croft, who used to secrete herself in
a well, and by noises Of one kind and an.
other procure many seditious speeches to
be uttered, in most mysterious and inex-
plicable manner. She got the name OF
1.-THE spirit of the well" but being exposed
was sentenced to stand on scafold, at st.
PauPs Cross, during sermon time, and con-
fess her imposture. We deal less harsniy
with our exposed humbugs in these happy
and enlightened days Of ours and well IT 49,
it is so.
In the 18th century one Valentine Great
rakes, an Irish impostor, (says Mr.. Putnam,
in his "World's Progress,") pretended to
cure. all diseases by striking the patient;
his imposture deceived the credulous and
occasioned very warm disputes. He was
examined before the Royal Society las our
Rochester Rappers were before the Medicsi
Faculty Of, Buffalo,) after which nothing
more was heard of him,
In the beginning Of the 18th century, one
Mary lofts pretended to the faculty OF pro-
ducing rabbits at pleasure, and actually I'M
posed on the King surgeon, who, with otn.
er medical men, espoussa her cause, ana
aided in protracting the continuance OF the
imposture, -.
The "Cock-Lane Ghost" imposition, which
in 1912, set all London wondering, was
like the Fish and Fox humbug, family al
fair, being practised upon the credulous
multitude by one PASSIONS, his wife and
their daughter. The deception, Tin which
there was good deal of Rochester rapping
and knocking,) originated with female.
and was the offspring of spirit OF revenge
and conspiracy, and was carried on at a
house in Cock-Lane, London, for good
while; but, as all such things are sooner or
later, it was at length detected, and all tne
parties were sent, as they deserved to be.
to the pillory.-[N Y. Express.
THE MANNER OF RETREAT OF ARAJ
TR1BEs.-When an Arab tribe is pursued
by an enemy they sleep and take their food
without haltsng. That they may not fall
from their camels while sleeping, they
stretch themselves out at length, placing
their feet in bag on each side of the ami
mails neck. Their food is prepared by the
women. One, mounted on camel loaded
with wheat, continues grinding with hand
mill and passes the meal to another who IS
provided with leathern water bottles sus.
pended on each side other camel; she hav-
ing prepared the paste, passes it to third,
who completes the operation by baking the
bread in thin slices on chafng dish or Por-
table oven, which is heated with wood or
straw. This bread, with a portion Of cheese
and dates, is then distributed by her to those
whom it is her province to feed, and the
frugal meal is finished with draft Of cam
els milk. The camels are. also MIXED as
thew walk, the men using for this purpose
large wooden bowls, which are passed fron
one to another.