The Portland daily press., 1864-08-16
Tuesday Morning, August 16, 1864.
Prognostics.

priests OF delivering their answers. 1t subsis-
ted long time among the Greeks and Ro-
mans; and being by them adopted by the
Christians 1t was not till after succession OF
ages that il was exploded by the Romans 1t
consisted In casually opening some celebrated
poet, and among the Christians, the scriptures
and drawing from the first passage which pre-
sented itself TO the eye, a prognostic of what
would befal the person who thus made the ex-
pertinent. or as a guidance under some par
ticular exigency.
The practice, about the third century, crept
In among the Christians, of casually opening
their sacred books for directions under impor-
tant circumstances; to know the consequent
ce OF events, and what they had TO fear from
their rulers. This consultation of the divine
Will from the scriptures was of two kinds the
first as we said before, was casually opening
those writings but not before the guidance OF
heaven had been implpred, with prayer, FAST
Ing, and other acts OF religion. The second
was much more simple; the first words of the
scriptures, which were singing, or reading, at
the very instant the person who came to know
the disposition of heaven entered the church,
being considered as prognostic. St. Austin,
In his epistle to Januarius condems the prac-
tice, bat st. Gregory of Tours, by the follow
ing instance, which he relates as having happ-
ened to himself, shows that he entertained a
better opinion ioi IT,
"Leudastus, Earl of Tours" says St Greg
ory,"who was bent upon running me withQueen
Fergonde, coming to Tours, big with evil de-
signs against me, | withdrew TO my oratory
under deep concern, where l took the Psalms
to try II, at opening them. / should light upon
some consoilng verse. My heart revived
within me when cast my eyes upon this of
the nth Psalm: He caused them to go with
confidence, while the sea swallowed up their
enemies. Accordingly, the count spake not
q aword to my prejudice; and leaving Tours
that very day, the boat in which he was, sunk
In a storm, but his skill In swimming saved
him."
The following is also from the same author:
"Chranmes having revolted against Clo-
taires, his brother and being at Djou, the &C.
clesastic of the place, 10 order to foreknow
the success OF the procedure, consulted the
sacred books; but instead of the Psalms, they
made use Of St. Paul's Epistle and the Proph-
ct Isaiah. Opening the latter, they read these
words: i will pluck up the fence of my vine
yard, and it shall be destroyed; because, in
stead of good it has brought forth bad grapes
The epistles agreed with the prophecy, and it
was concluded to be a sure presage of the
tragical end of Chranmes"
St Consortia, in her youth, was passionate
ly courted by young man of very power
full family, though she had formed the inten-
tion OF taking the viel. Knowing that re-
fusal would expose her parents to many in
conyeniences, she desired weeks time to de-
termine her choice. At the expiration of
this time, which she had employed in deyout
exercises, her lover accompanied by the most
distinguished matrons OF the city, came to
know her answer.
II can neither accept of you nor refuse
you," said she; everything is in the hand OF
God; but if you will agree to Ii, let us go to
the church, and have mass said afterwards
let US lay the Holy Gospel on the altar, and
say joint prayer; then we will open the book,
TO be certainly informed of the divine will in
this affair."
This proposal could not certainly be refus-
ed; and the first verse that met the eye of
both was the following:
"Whosoever loyeth his father or his mother
better than me is not worthy OF me-"
Upon this Consortia said: "You see that
God claims me as his own.n The lover acqui-
esced.
About the eighth century this practice be
gan TO lose ground. 1t was prescribed by
several Popes and councils, and in terms which
rank 1t among Pagan superstitions. However,
some traces Of this custom aie found for
several ages after, both in the Greek and the
Latin church. On the eonsecration of a
Bishop, after laying the Bible upon his head,
ceremony still subsisted, that the first verse
that presented itself was accounted an omen
of his future behavior, and of the good and
evil which was reserved for him in the course
OF his Episcopacy. Thus a Bishop of Roches-
ter, at his conservation by Lafranc, Arch
bishop OF Canterbury, had very happy pas
sage in these words:
bring hither the best robe, and put it on
him.
But the answer of the Scripture at the con-
secraiion OF st. Leibert, Bishop of Cambray
was still more grateful:
This is my beloved Son, in whom l am
well pleased"
The death Of Albert, Bishop of Liege, is
said TO have been intimated TO him by these
words, which the Archbishop who consecrat-
ed him found at the opening of the New Tes-
lament:
sand the king sent an exeeutioner, and
commanded his head TO be brought, and he
went and beheaded him in the PRISON.
On this the primate, tenderly embracing
the new Bishop, said to him with tears:
my son, having given yourself up TO the
service Of God, carry yourself righteously
and devoutly, and prepare yourself for the
great trial OF martyrdom."
The Bishop was afterwards murdered by
the treacherous conniyancc of the Emperor
Henry vi.
These prognostics were alleged on the mos
important occasions. DE Garlande, Bishop o
Orleans, became SO odlous TO the clergy
that they sent complaint against him it
Pope Alexander Ill, concluding in this man
ner:
LET your apostoical hands put on strength
to strip naked the inquity Of this man; that
the curse prognosticated on the day of hi:
conservation may oyertake him; for the
Gospels being opened, according to custom
the first words were, and the young mar
leaving his linen cloth, fled from them max
ed'"
However ridiculous, these accounts may
appear, they are not more so than many othel
superstitions, such as fortune telling. The in
depreciation of dreams, &C., which Obtain a
the present day, but which, thanks TO philos
ophy, are doomed to give way to rationa
principles.
A SoLDIER's COUNSEL TO YOUNG LA
DIEs.-The following epistle appears in tn
Chicago Tribune:
"MEMPHIs, Tenn, July rs, 1864.
To Eight Young Ladies, residing in Iuinoi
Indiana and Michigan:
Ladies, permit me to address a few .lines