The Western advance., 1874-03-28
Some Queer Superstitions.

IT is not necessary to 60 back to the
middle ages to find among the people the
grossest superstitions It is not yet 200
years, no longer ago, indeed, than the be-
ginning of the eighteenth century, when
men still believed in thousand absurd
things in which the devil, and Heaven
only knows what occult influences, played
an important part.
A considerable number of these super
stitious beliefs have been collected in
little French book which we have before
us. It is entitled LA Magic Naturelle,"
and was published in the year 1715. 1t
being copy of "revised and corrected"
edition, we are justified in coming to the
conclusio that the book had at least q
very fair sale. And then the publisher
neglected nothing, it would seem, to Sc
cure purchasers. On the cover there is
this announcement: "To be had of Rob-
ert le Turcq, rue d'Enfer, Amsterdam"
which is very like Robert the Devil, street
of the Intervals. This was sufficient to
attract the attentit of the credulous.
One entire chapter of the book is de-
voted to the oertus (powers, properties) of
certain animals. It is series of recipes,
directing how one may acquire super
natural power by utilizing different in
habitants of the animal kingdom.
Would you become brave, so brave even
as to have no fear of death itself! would
you be able to go everywhere without
danger, take part in the bloodiest en-
counters and remain unscathed then take
the feet of a hare and the head of black
bird, tie them together, and carry them
attached to your arm.
If this process does not please you,
choose another. This one, for example:
Cut the skin of a lion in thongs and tie
them round you But one has not always
lion at ones disposal. For such cases
the author has provided. The lark, the
rapa Of the Chaldeans, affords substi-
tute for the skin of the king of beasts.
He who will carry on his person the feet
of this bird will never be prosecuted; on
the contrary, he will always be ready to
face danger. He will always be victori-
Gus, and his enemies will fear him. The
right eye of this bird, enveloped in piece
of VOLTS skin, will make him who carries
it mild and amiable; and by putting
drop of lark's blood into glass of wine
one may make himself loved by the per-
son who drinks it. This last experiment
has been recently tried"
Who would ever have believed that the
lark possessed such long list of virtues?
Amiability, courage, invulnerability, etc,
etc.
"In ITO it was discovered" says our
author, " that if one takes of the blood of
the seal and bit of its heart and carries
them under his arm, he will surpass all
his fellows IN wit and judgment, and the
criminal who is thus provided will ex-
cite the sympathy and compassion of his
Judges"
But these are only bagatelles. Here is
something worth while, thanks to the eel,
by means of which the dead may be re-
suscitated. The only trouble is that the
preparation is somewhat difficult It is
necessary, in the first place, that the eel
should die for want of water, and further
more that its body should be perfect and
entire. Then we are directed to put the
eel in a mixture of strong vinegar and the
blood of the vulture and cover it over
with manure-how large the pile should
be is not stated. All that now is neces-
sary is to place the dead body before the
pile in order to see the person return to
life.
Another property of the eel: "If one
eats its heart warm he will be able to fore
tell future events.'
But let us leave the slippery eel for
that ominous bird of yore, ;" the raven
This member.of the feathered tribe is we'll