Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-07-21
WHOLE NUMBER $50.

the future to whomsoever desired, pro-
vided only they paid them for their pro-
phecy. The society of the time offered
only acUteness and dfraUdulenceupOnO one
side, and upon the eOthersimplicity, ignO-
rance and credulity. When weODen the
annals of the epoch, we find a very con-
siderable number of predictions which
were undoubtedly accomplished, some
of the most startling of those are worthy
of record.
Louis the Eleventh of France was told
by an astTOlOger, as he came forth from
church, that even as ne was addressed,
his mortal enemy Charles the Rash was
killed, atthe same moment, by the Swiss
at the battle of GTaWsOn. In some days
after the news arrived of the battle, and
the prophecy was found to be true. Hen
Ty the third of France was told that he
would be assassinated. He had every
necessity to believe the prediction after
wards, for the blow Of n dagger killed
| him. Two attempts at murder, commit
ted against Henry the Fourth, were pre-
dicted by gentleman named VilIandry,
and by eastTOlOgerand mathematician
Rigacasa. Unfortunately, the King
placed no faith upon his warning, and
the pOniard of Ravaillac removed the
best of French mOnarche from this
world. One of the astrOlOgers attached
to the service of Catherine de Medicis
predicted to the Duke de BirOn, that he
would perish at the siege of EpeTnay. A
bullet realized the prediction.
Perhaps more curious fact is that told
Of the brother of this same duke, who,
desiring to consult the same astrOlOgeT,
received this answer
You shall die under the aX?"
What do you say?" asked BirOn.
"AIOnsigneurw he replied, if you like
the term better, you shall have your
head cut Off"
Furious at those words, BirOn fell on
the poor astrOlOger with the blows of a
cUdgel, and striking him until he was
exhausted, cast him for dead upon the
ground. However, his violence had nc
influence on the prediction, which came
to pass in six months afterward.
Luke Guaric predicted to John Benti-
vOgliO that he would lose the sovereign
| ty of Bologna. He predicted also that
Henry the Second would dieOf a wound
/ in the eye. Both of those predictions
! came to pass.
A little dwarf, who was very skilfu
| astTOlOger, predicted to the young Fran
| els Henry de MOntmOTenci, later Mar
] Sudl ue LuA6mDOuIgy IlldJ Ills ueeuS D
arms would render him the rival of {
great prince. More over, that by astrang,
fatality, he should be implicated in (;
process and dincarcerated. But, that mOTc
fortunate than his father, dead and de
capitated, he should retrieve his for
tunes, and by the renOwn of his victO
ries would restore and sustain his higI
reputation.
Notwithstanding those strange an,
startling condolences arising in the re
cords of astrOIogy, there is no doubt il
our enlightened times that the believer
in it, as a science, were the dupes of i'm
aginatiOn. As knowledge spread, tn
credulity in its predictions retired int
the breasts of those whom progress di
not reach. Religion, too, enlightenin
the masses, banished the influence of til
+, art from civilized natiOnsUntil at lengtl
the science which once drew the sag
! and the great to its investigation, is le
: to the gypsy on the roadside and Il
J charlatan, everywhere to impose UpC
! the dupe, still to be had amongst Il
! ignorant, the foolish and the vain.