The weekly union record., 1864-04-30
Extraordinary Dreams.

following instances OF Inc actual reaIlEailon cI
dreams in ancient ard modern times, We are
not influenced By any desire 10 increase the
credulity which seems TO have reached its
eliminating point in the case Of spirit rappings,
but simply TO furnish iOod for reflection for the
minds of those who take pleasure in the
consideration of subjects removed from the
hard facts of every day life
In 1853, Nicholas Wotton, The English
ambassador in France, dreamed two nights in
succession that bis nephew, Thomas Wotton,
then in England, was sbout to join al enter
prise which would result in the death and ruin
/ of himself and family. To prevent such a
catastrophe, be wrote to Queen Mary, and
begged her to send for his nephew, and cause
him to be examined by the lords of the council
on some frivolous pre.enSe, and committed to
the Tower. This was done; and, on the
ambassadors return, Thomas Wotton confessed
to him that, bat for his committal to prison, be
would have joined the insurrection led By Sir
Thomas Wyatt. /, is also recorded of the
same Thomas Wottop that be, being in Kent,
dreamed one night that the Oxford University
treasury had been robbed by FIVE persons and
as he was writing to his son at the University,
the next day, be mentioned bis dream. Singular
TO relate, the letter reached Sir Henry Wotton
on the morning after the robbery had been
actually committed, and led to the discovery
of the perpetrators.
NJ. Boismont, in a work on the subject Of
dreams, relates that young woman who was
living with her uncle, and whose mother was
many miles distant, dreamed she saw her looking
deadly pale, and apparently dying, and that
she heard her ask for her daughter. The
persons in the room, thinking it was her grand
daughter she wanted, who had the same pane.
went to fetch her; but the dying woman
signi6ed that it was not she, but her dsupbter
10 Paris whom she wanted 10 see. She appeared
deeply grieved at her absence. and in a few
minutes ceased to exist. 1t was afterward
found that her mother did actually die on that
night, and that the circumstances attending
her death were Precisely those her daughter
had witnessed in her dream.
There is another instance which we remember
to have read, but we are unable at this moment
to roier to the book in which it is related. 1t
is as follows: A man who was employed in a
brewery suddenly disappeared, and nothing
could be ascertained respecting him. Years
passed away without the mystery being cleared
up, until one night one of the workmen, who
slept in the same room with another. heard the
latter muttering something in his sleep about
/ the missing man. The workman questioned him
and ELECTED replies from him to The effect that
be had put the man into the furnace beneath
the vat. He was apprehended on the following
day. He then confessed that be had quarreed
with the other, and that, in the passion of the
moment, he had killed hin, and disposed of the
body by putting it 10 the furnace.
The author of Signs before Death" tells of q
certain Captain John Rogers, who commanded
3
night left the deck and went to bed, leaving
the chief mate in charge of the vessel. About
three hours afterward he awoke, aud heard the
second mate asking the other officer how the
vessel was going, and heard the chief mate reply
that the wind was fair, and the vessel was
sailing well. The captain then fell asleep again,
aud dreamed that a man pulled him and told
him to go on deck. He woke, turned over
aud went to sleep again, and again dreamed
the same thing, aud this repeatedly, until be
could bear it 10 longer, but dressed and went
on deck. The night was fair, and there was
nothing apparent to excite alarm He ques-
toned the mate, and received satisfactory
answers, whereupon he turned to go below
bat as be did so, be seemed to hear a voice
close to him say, "Heave the lead" He asked
the mate when he last took soundings, and what
y
fathoms," be answered. The captain ordered
him to heave the lead again. The soundings
were eleven fathoms aud at second cast only
seven fathoms. The vessel was put about
Immediately, ard as she wore round she had
only four fathoms and half under her stern
The next morning they found they were within
sight of the American coast, and that had the
vessel continued but one cables length further
3 in Jryht
she would have gone ashore.
There is a singular dream recorded in
"Worleys Wonders of the Little World" of an
English gentleman residing in Prague. He
was lying 10 bed one morning when be dreamed
that q shadow appeared to him, aud told him
that his father was dead. He awoke in great
alarm. and, taking his diary, made note Of the
circumstance. with the day and hour when il
took place. This book, with many other things
be put into a barrel and sent to England
Going from Prague to Nuremberg, be met al
the latter place merchant who had come from
England, aud who knew bis family well. This
gentleman told him that his father was dead
Four years later, be himself reached England
but, before be would touch the barrel be had
sent from Prague, he procured the attendance
of his sisters and soma friends, and in their
presence opened the barrel, took out the book
and called their attention to the entry. To the
astonishmeut of all present, the date was that
of the day on which bis father died. This same
gentleman says, a may lawfully swear that il
my youth at Cambridge, | bad like dream
of my mothers death; where, my brother
Henry lying with me, early in the morning
dreamed that my mother passed by with sad
countenance, and told me that she could not
come to my commencement, Il being in five
mouths to proceed Master of Arts, and she
having at that time promised to come tc
Cambridge.) When l related this dream to my
brother, both of us waking together in a sweat
he protested to NE that be dreamed the very
same, and when We had not the slightest knowl
edge OF our mothers sickness, neither 10 our
youthful affections were any whit moved with
the strangeDess Of this dream, yet the next
carrier brought Us word OF our mothers death.
The dream related by Sir Walter Scott must
be SO well known that We hesitate to repeat it
but we will do SO. because we think it is sus
ceptbla of explanation. Mr.. R., Of Bowlaud
a gentleman of property in the Vale of Gala