The mountain Democrat., 1864-02-13

riety Of supernatural iife IN which Shaks-
pearp'S power to enchant and 10 Olsen
chant are alike portsntiouS-the circum.
stances Of the blasted heath the army at
a diStance-the choral litanies, and the
rags Of the squald hags, are % finely i'm
agined in their kind as those which her
aid and surround the ghost of " Hamlet"
The case OF Nic0lai, the famous philosO
pher and bookseller of Berlin. is one Of the
most extraordinary on record -edording a
curious illustration of the long continu.
ance OF vivid spectral illusions In the
year 1901, he became much depressed in
spirits having neglected an habitual
course of bleeding; the consequence was,
thai withoUa OIH Slightest DeSfe1 ~ tSe reaf
existence Of the apparitions, and in state
Of mind completely sound, he saw, for q
period Of two months almost constantly
ann involuntary, n vast number oil human
and other spectral forms and even heard
their voices; finally, to get rid Of them. he
submitted to be leeched, and before the
close Of the same day, they disappeared
.foreycY.s TEiscase Il 2Fauliarly valuable.
because the account IS : ittN ~ man Of
Uncommon accutrnesS, who carefully ob.
served and recorded everything that pass
ed in his own mind; being aware of the
connection Of spectral Illusions with phys.
ical causes, in his own case he was able
distinctly 10 trace them TO bodily disease.
Together with Nicoai's own narrative,
much valuable information may be dcriv.
ed from Hibhert's Philosophy of Appari-
tinnS, to which excellent work we are in
dcbtcd for several of the facts given in
this article.
The following is one of the most inter
eSting ghost stories on record, relating to
an appa,ition seen by the daughter Of Sir
Charles Lee, Immediately preceding her
death. No reasonable doubt can be en-.
tertained Of its truth, as it was drawn up
by the Bishop OF Gloucester from the re-
cltal of the Young lady's father. Sir
Charles Lee, by his first wife, had only
one daughter, of which she died in child
birth; and when she was dead, her sister,
the Lady Evcrard, desired to have the ed
ucation Of the child, till she was marri.
ageble; and match was concluded for
her with Sir William Perkins, but was
prevented ia an extraordinary manner
One night she was awakened by the APP
partition Of her mother, who told her that
by IL o'clock next day she would be with
her; whereupon, Miss Lee, assisted by
her maid, arose and dressed, then went
into her closet, where she remained till 9,
and brought out letter for her father
Giving it to her aunt, she told her what
had happened, and wished that AS soon
as she vas dead, it might be sent to him.
Lady Everard considered that her neice
had Suddenly become "emented. and sent
for physician, who could discern no in
disposition Of her body but at her own re-
quest she was blcd, after which the chap.
lain read prayers, which being ended she
toe her guitar and psalm book and sung
80 meodiouSly that even her music mas
ter wondered. Near the stroke Of -, she
rose, sat herself down in great chair, and
presently fetching strong breathing or
two, i'm edatvly expired. In this case,
spectral illusion occurring to a tender and
delicate female, produced such power
fol impression on the mind as absolutely
to destroy life. In striking contrast to
this, is the case of the surdy assessor to
the Westminster Assembly, who receiv-
ed a cali from the arch tend himself, whom
he treated with cool contempt. The dew
il stood by his bedside. After little the
assessor ea2cd on him. and sGid "N thou
hast nothing to 10, have" and SO turn
ID himself to sleep.
Nothing is more certain than that there
are conditions of the body when spectral
app arauteS, such as occur to US in unea.
~ dreams, become sensible To the waking
vision, as in cases Of dclirium trcme1S, of
which the following is an example Mr..
Cassie Burroughs was one ofthe handsnm
est men in England-vcry valiant, but
proud and boudthirsty. There was then
in London a very beautiful Italian lady,
whom he had sedGced. The gentlewoman
died, and afterwards, in tavern. he spoke
Of 1t, contrary to bis sacred promise; and
then going out Of doors, the ghost Of the
lady rr,Gred to him. He was afterwards
troubled viii! her apparition, even while
drinking with others Tie last time he
Saw her was on the morning he fell in
duel. Ano,her authentic ease from like
cauSe is recorded, in which the devils that
fitted round the patients bed, were pre-
ci>cly like The forms he had seen in the
mn>icdl drama ur" Don Giovanni"
hbolt century ago IA nous inpoSi
tiul knoTn as the Cock Ian. ghost, was
prac,ccd in London by man named Par
Sons, his wifi and daughter; the contriv-
ance was that ola !r'nalc ventrilOquist,
and all who heard her believed she was
ghost. Among the dupes oH this occa
sion Was the celebrated Doctor SohnSon,
who, however, evcntually assisted in cx
posing the humbug, for which the parents
were punished. We are also told that
when a tr;ar personated an partition and
haunted the chamber OF the Emperor DO
seph OF Austria, relative of the monarch
laid hold Of the substantial phaDtaSm aud
fang him ont Of the window.
The theory of spiritual illusions has
been the subject of much scientific inqui'
ry, that it nov is tolerably we'll under
stood. The arguments relative to dreams
equally well apply to those embodied
pnantaSmS, which, under the popular
name Of ghosts, arc the spOrtive images
OF what may with great propriety, y,be >t"I-
ed our waking dreams. Although the
age of miracles has long since passed away,
God Stll works wonders, but by natu
raj means; nor need we be apprehrn>ive
that, in tracing these means, our faith in
the ilIimitable power, which created the
laws by which it works will be in the last
degree weakened" What yer be the
cause, it must be admitted that taste for
the supernatural has of late greatly in
creased among the educated of society.
WHAT will paralyze small minds, may
incite larger ones, as the breath which
extinguiShes the candle will kndle and
Strenuthen the fame nnon the hearth.