Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-01-17

mud EGR sA WI sAlk Slse 81 q 90, s
J, This curions sound has been held to an
lnounce the speedy decease of some iamat
of the house wherein it is heard; and over
whelming is the dread, and torturmg ar
the heart ithToes, occasioped by the tick
ling ofthisy supposed fatal watch. Thougl
natural history long ago declared tha
these, sounds proceed from harmless lit
tie insect, hundreds of believers still eXis
who refuse to be persuaded that the nois,
is not prophetic of the charnel. house.
Even those who have been brought tc
credit the fact that the ticking in question
is made by an insect, are reluctant all al
once to abandon a gloomy notion. and
therefore, affirm that the sound is. still sig,
ni6cant of death; for, say they, it comes
from spider in the. act of dying. and
when the ticks cease, the creature is dead.
Many intelligent persons are aware that
this latter opinion is equally erroneous
with the former; but as others may lack
such correct information, it might not be
altogether superhuous to state that the in
sect in question is not spider, but pc
d'eulus of old wood, species of ternaes be,
longing to the order aptera in the Linnean
system. y. 1t is very diminutive. There
are two kinds of death watches. One is
very different in appearance from the 9th
er. The former only beats seven or eight
quick strokes. at time-the latter will
beat some hours together. more delibe-
rately, and without ceasing. This tick
ing, instead ofhaying any thing to do with
death, is a Joyous sound, and harmless as
the cooling of dove.
Burton demonstrates the delusions Of
those who affirm that they see superna-
tural visions and hear supernatural noises
Z" That they see and hear SO many phan.
tasms, chimeras, visions, noises, etc., as
Fienus hath discoursed at large in his
book Of Imagination, and Lavater de
SPectriS,, their corrupt phantasy makes
them see and hear that which is indeed
neither heard nor seen. They that much
fast, or s0aht sleep, as melancholy or sick
men commonly do, see visions; or such
as arc weaksighted, very timorous by ra-
ture, mad, distracted, earnestly seek
They dream OF that they desire"
Again AS Ncrcatus proves, by rea-
son of inward vapor, and humors from
blood, cho!er, etc., diversely mixed, they
apprehend and see outwardly, as Mey sup
pose, divers images, which indeed are not.
AS they that drinks wine think all runs
round, when it is in their own brain, SO
it is with these men; the fault and cause
is inward Weak sight and vain per-
suasion withal, may effect much, and Sc
cOnd causes concurring, rs an oar in the
water makes a refraction, and seem big
ger, bended double, etc. The thickness
Of the air may cause such effects or any
object not we'll discerned in he dark, fear
and phantasy will suspect to be a ghost.
devil, etc., Vitellio hath such another
instance Of familiar acquaintance Of his,
that, after the want Of about three or four
nights sleep, as he was riding by river
side, he saw another riding with him, and
using all such gestures, rs he did !; but
when more light appeared. ID vanished.
Eremites aud anchorites have frequently
such absurd visions and revelations, by
reason of much fasting and bad diet Ma
ny are deceived by legerdemain, as Regi-
nald Scot hath we'll showed in his book
Of the discovery of witchcraft." Again :
" The hearing is as frequently deludcd as
the sight, from the same causes almost
as he that hears bells, will make them
sound what he list" Wilmington, the
hero of =" Wilmington and his Cat" to
wit .,"As the fool ol}thinketh, SO the bell
cIinketh."
In Homes "Year Book" story is re-
lated TO the following effect: Peter Priest :
ly, grave-stone cutter of Wakefield, in
Yorkshire, desiring to finish the epitapll
on certain tombstone, left his home one
evening for the church, in which he was
permitted occasionally to work Having
! arrived there, he set down his lantern,
and lighting another candle resumed hi.
rather gloomy tosk. Midnight approach.
| ed, and still his work was not completed
On sudden, a strange noise, as of an
utterance Of hiss - or "hush - startled
him. He looked round, but nothing was
seen-not even bat, or owl, fitting
athwart the upper darkness. Recovering
from his surprise, Peter concluded he bad
been deceived, and piled his chisel with
fresh vigor. In few minutes, however
the ominous word was again audible. He
once more searched, but in vain, for the
cause of so uncommon sound and be
ing at length terrified, was about to qui
the church, when sense of duty withelt
him, and lie renewed his work, which wa.
completed as the clock struck twelve. =
While, with downcast head, intently ex
smining eepitaph he had cut, the dread
Eful, " hush! y came louder than ever OF
his ear. Peter was now fairly appalled,
i He concluded that he himself was sum
moned TO the grave-that in fact he hat
been carving his own :" H1o AcEr." Tot
tering home, he went to bed, but coult
not sleep. Next morning his wife. hap
pening to observe his wig, exclaimed
80, Peter! what hast thou been do
ing to burn all the hair off one side of tn,
wig 90,
@Ah. Goo. bless thee Z, vocfferated th