The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-12-29
NOTES sOMstREmARKABLE omENs

our fortitude nor diminish our conf
dence in great ruling power. Small
incidents have sometimes preluded
great events nor is there any direct
superstition in noticing these apparent
forerunners, Though there may be much
superstition in being too deeply moved
BY them. When William the Norman
was landing on the Sussex coast his
foot slipped, and he fell to the ground.
Ono Of his soldiers gave the incident /.
sve.y oouftly turn BY crying out loudly,
"Joy to you sir |! You have already tax
en- possession of England p A short
time after, when the same prince was
armiug himself for the battle of Has-
tings, he perceived that in his hurry he
had put on his coat of mail the lower
side uppermost; but instead of showing
any symptoms Of superstitious discour-
agement, he cheerlully said to his at
tendants, "By this I prognosticate that
my dukedom is turned into kingdom"
A most singular chain q circumstances
preceded the assassination of that ex-
cellent monarch, Honry1v. of France,
In the morning of the dky on which he
was murdered by Ravaillac, Friday,
May 14th, 1920, he Vas excessively
pensive. In the hope Of composing his
spirits, he threw himself on his bed,
but, Was unable to rest. Thrice he
rose, and thrice he tell on his knees IN
prayer. Soon after, repairing to the
presence: chamber, his attendants en-;
deavored to divert the melancholy
which rreyed so deeply on his mind.
Being naturally amiable and cheerful,
be tried to fall in with the well.meant
pleasantly Of his mobiles, and attempted
to smile, but concluded thus: "We
have laughed enough for Friday there
will be weeping on Sunday" His
Queen, Marguerite de Mendecis, had
been crowned but the day before. La
Brosse, physician, is by some reported
to have said to the Duke de Vendomc
on that evening, "lf tho King survives
a danger which threatens him at pres
ept, he will live thirty these years.
The Duke entreated the King to grant
this physician an audience, and repeated
what the old gentleman had been say
ing. His Majesty, with unusual asper-
ity and hastiness, replied, "@He is an
old fool for telling you such things,
and you are a young one if you be-
lieve him." The dukes rejoinder given
was respectful and sensible: "Sire,
one may not believe such things, but
one may fear them:' Bayle, however,
has endeavcred to shake the credit Of
this whole story. The same day, as
the King and Queen were walking
through an apartment Of the palace,
the King stopped to speak with some
body present. The Queen stopping at
the same time, he said to her as by q
spirit of involuntary prophesy, !"'Go on,
90 on, Madame the Regent" A few
nights before the catastrophe the
Queen dreamed that al the jewels in
her crown were changed into perals
aud that she was told pearls were Sig
uidcant Of tears. Another night she
started and cried out in her sleep, and
walked the. King, who, asking her
what was the matter, she answered, II
have had a fr,ghtful dream !; but I
know that dreams are illusions" "I
was always OF the same OPINION, sald
Henry; "however, tell me your dream"
'I Dreamed" continued she, "that you
were stabbed with a knife under the
short ribs" "Thank God,' added the
King, cit was but dream" On the
Of the fatal day his Majesty
was, as we have before observed,
low. More than once he said
to those about him, Something or
other hangs very heavy on my heart"
Before he entered his carriage he took
leave of the Queen no fewer than three
times, and had not passed through
many streets e,e Rav.illac gave him
that fatal thrust which deprived
France of one Of the most generous
and humane sovereigns she ever had
Dub. Univ. Mag. |