Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-13

Remarkable Escapes Of Eminent Men.
Some years ago a yousg man holding
subordinate positioni in the East India
Company's service. twice attempted TO
deprive himselfof life by swapping a
loaded pistol at his head. Each time
the pistol missed fire. A friend enter
ing his room shortly afterward, he
requested him to fire it out of the win
dow it then went off without any diff
Guilty. Satisfied thus that the weapon
had been duly primed and loaded, the
young man sprang up, exclaiming. ''I
must be reserved for something great -
and from that moment gave up the idea
OF suicide, which for some time previ-
Gus had been uppermost in his thoughts.
That young man afterward became
Lord Give.
Two brothers were on one occasion
walking together when violent storm
ofthunder and lightning overlook them.
One was struck dead on the spot, the
other-w spared else would the name
of the great reformer, Martin Luther,
have been unknown to mankind. .N
The holy St Augustine, having to
preach at distant town, took with him
guide, who by some unaccountable
means mistook the usual road and fell
into by-path. He afterward discov-
cred that his enemies, having heard of
his movements, had placed themselves
in tie proper road with the design of
numbering him. s.erNeA
Bacon. the sculptor, when tender
boy of five years old, fell into the pit of
soap-boiler, and must have persisted,
had not a workman, just entering the
yard, observed the top of his head,
and Immediately delivered him.
When Oliver Cromwell was an infant.
a monkey snatched him from his cradle.
ieaped with him through garrett win
dow, and ran along the leads Of the
house. The utmost alarm was excited
among the inmates, and various we're
the devices used to rescue the child from
the guardianship of his newly found
protector. All We're unavailing: his
would-be rescuers had lost courage, and
were In despair of ever seeing the baby
alive again, when the moDkty quietly
retraced his steps and deposited It's
burden SAFELY on the bed. On a subse-
quent occasion the waters had well-nigh
quenched his Unsuitable ambition. He
fell into deep pond, from drowning
In which clergyman named johnson
was the sole instrument of his rescue.
At the siege of Leicester, a young
soldier, about seventeen wears of age,
was drawn out for sentry duty. One oil
his comrades was very anxious to take
his place. No objection was made and
this man went. lie was shot dead
while on guard. The young man first
drawn afterward became the author oi
the Pilgrims Progress J~S Ia
Doddridge, when born, was so weekly
an infant it was believed TO be dead. A
nurse standing by fancied she saw some
signs of vitality. Thus the feeble spark
of life was saved from being extinguish.
ed, and an eminent author and consist
ent Christian preserved to the world
John Wesley, when Guild, was only
just preserved from fife. Almost the
moment after he was rescued, the root
of the house where he had been fell in.
OF Phillip Henry a similar instance is
recorded.
John Knox. the renowned Scotch re-
| former, was always wont to sit at the
head OF the table with his back to the
window. On one particular evening,
without, however, being able to account
for it, he would neither himself sit in
the chair nor permit any one else to oc-
cupy his place. That very night bull
let was shot in at the window, purpose.
ly to kill him; it grazed the chair in
which he sat, and made a hole in the
foot of candlest;ck on the table,
Many years have now elapsed since
three subalterns might have been seen
struggling in the water off st Helena;
one of them peculiarly helpless, was
fast succumbing. He was saved. to live
as Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Yelling
| ton. ev
The life of John Newton is but the
history of series of marvellous deliver
ances. As youth he had agreed to
accompany some friends on board q
man He arrived to late; the
boat in which bis friends had gone was
capsized and all its occupants drowned
On another occasion when tide survey
or. in the port of Liverpool, some bust
ness had detained him, so that lie came
to his boat much later than usual, to
the great surprise of those who were in
the habit of observing his then undevi-
ated punctuality He went out in the
boat, as heretofore, to inspect a ship,
which blew up before he reached her.
Had he left the shore few minutes
sooner, he must have persisted with the
rest on board.