Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-02-02
Whinns Of Great Men.


ing for antpathies. One man shudders at
the idea of swallowing an oyster, while an
other regards them as the choicest of deli
caces. And yet the lover OF oysters would
revolt at sight of a cooked frog, in which
the Frenchman rejoices.
But there are more remarkable antipa-
thies than this. Uladislas, King of Poland,
could not bear the sight Of an apple Ty-
cho Brahe changed color and bis legs shook
under him, at meeting with hare or fox.
Some people have remarkable antipathy
for cats, and know the instant that one has
entered the room. We have seen lady
thrown almost into Mysteries by the ap-
pearance of cat; and we have also seen
Mr.. Vandenhof, the actor. spling with much
apparent alarm, exclaimlng, "There is a
cat in the room!" Marshal SAKE had an
antipathy of the same kind for cats and
he who met and overthrow armies, fled at
sight Of poor puss Peter the Great durst
not cross bridge and though he tried TO
master the terror, failed TO do so; it was
with the utmost difficulty he could torbear
from shreking out
A spider hanging from tree made both
Marshal Turenne and GuStavus Adolphus
shudder The Marshal D'Albret became
sick on seeing boar's head ); and the Due
d'Eperron at sight of a leveret. The smell
of fish threw Erasmus into state of fever
Bayle fell into convusions once on hearing
the cook washing salad under the spout in
the Kitchen and scarce had the crosses
been placed on this table, ere Scaliger, who
was present. soon became as i'll as Bayle.
Music was played to bring the two saramts
back to life; but so touching were the
airs which were played, that 10 Lomo-
the-le-V Vayer, who was also present, fell
dead at the sound There are at this day
ladies' who cannot bear the odor of roses.
Madame de la Rochejaquelln related the
following anecdoe of her celebrated hus-
band, who led the royalist armies during
the war in Vendee. IN. de la Rocheia-
quelin," she says, Furnished an instance
of those physical antpathies which no de-
gree OF personal courage can oyercome.-
A little squirrel had been given me striped
with black and gray, which had been found
in the chamber of a republican officers la
dy. He had been informed of my little
knee when he entered the room. AS soon
as he saw the little animal, he became sud-
denly pale, and laughingIy told me that the
sight Of a squirrel caused him an invincible
horror. | made him pass his hand oyerits
back; he resolved to do so; but l saw he
trembled." In like manner, Charles John,
King of Sweden, had an insurmountable
aversion to dogs. In this case it seems to
have arisen from the circumstance of a per-
son of his acquaintance having died through
the bite of mad dog, and still more from
= his having seen one of his most intimate
= friends devourcd on the field Of battle ty
these animals One of Louis XlV.'s broth
ers had similar repugnance for horses,
and burst scarcely mount one. James l.,
! King Of England was. Mortified at sight Of a
= drawn sword 4; he instantly grew pale, and
sometimes swooned away. Louis XIV. oi
7 France, surnamed the Great, was once
:, thrown into a state Of the most appalling
: fright on hearing MasSillon preach his dread
: full sermon on The small number Of the e
Iect. The same monarch was thrown into
= fits by certain odors.
: We know some men who have the strong
q
y Disconnected by the presence of strange
faces; while there are new friends, who are
! never so happy as in the company Of others,
j, and shun solitude as peStilence. Some
o men cahnot help being superstiious and
fearful in spite Of all the courage they can
p muster. Many believe in dreams, though
: few dare to confess it.. If, at a dinner-par-
ty, it be observed that thirteen have sat
q down TO table, one or more OF the party
cannot help shudderlng inwardly. Many
will not believe in the prosperity OF voy-
age or enterprise begun on Friday. DIR
Johnson had singular aversion to enter
= ing any door or passage with his left foot
! first. When he found himself entering
: with the wrong foot he retraced his steps
and made start forward again, measuring
i, his PAGES until he entered the door with the
: right foot. He was also often observed tt
make long circuit, rathertban cross par
. ticular alley IN Leicester Fields. Johnson
- was subject TO dist ess'ng fits of melancholy
and though he wrote admirable papers or
religious philosophy, he had an unusua
: horror Of death.
Some of the greatest warriors have beer
afraid ofthunder. Caesar was almost thrown
into convulsons by it; but he was subjec
;. to fits of epilepsy. =. Thomas Aquinas alsc
. suffered greatly in thunderstorm and al
q ways regarded their coming on with unal
loyed terror. Queen Elizabeth would no
:. allow the name of her dead rival. Mary o
. Scotland, to be uttered in her presence
! The word death was full of horrors to her
= Nor could Talleyrand hear the same wolt
:. pronounced without changing color Hi'
q domestcs scarcely dared to. place before
!, him letters sealed with black, conveying
: the intelligence of the decease of friends
relations, or diplomatists. tsome fthem
r the decease was concealed from Talley
rand for many years.
q Montaigne, supposed to be stoc was
), like Johnson, full of prejudices and antipa
h thies. He always preferred odd numbers
+ though he would not sit at table one o.
thirteen. He began nothing on Friday
: He was alarmed at hare crossing his path
4 The Marquis d'Argeus, the chamberlain o.
Frederick the Great, when he found thir-
j teen at table, Immediately rose and escaped
Hobbies did not dare to sleep at night with
n out candle burning by his bedside. He
did not believe in God, but he had dread
Y ful horror Of the devil. Voltare, whom
!, one would have supposed to be devoid o
q tear--mocker as he was Of the beliefs anc
superstitions Of men-was thrown into a
larm and fear on hearing rocks growing or
: his left when in the country. Rosseau alsC
j had many Weaknesses. One Of these wa,