The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-06
From the PalE,Mall Gazette.I
pHof1arp ,AStrolO3y.

II is a circumstance OF curious import,
and one which may possibly attract the at
tention Of future Gibbon or Hume, that
In the very year In which we are celebrating
the sour-hundredth anniversary Of the in
PRODUCTION OF the printing-press into this
country, courts OF Justice should be busy
with trials OF various persons for extorting
money from her Majesty's lieses by palm
istry' and other subtle devices. So slow
is the progress Of our. race, after four CEN
tures of existence-iB England at any
rate-nearly two centuries OF perfect free
dom of the press has been unableto liberate
The human mind from one OF Its most de-
grading superstitions. The belief in witch
craft has hardly disappeared from some re-
mote country villages, while in great and
enlightened cities it has been replaced with
thousands and thousands OF men and women
by the astonishing creed known as esprit
ualism." There seems to be small hope
that human credulity is likely to die natu-
raj death before the light of knowledge and
reason. .5
The wise few among men very early came
to o decisive opinion on the subject of su-
pernatural appearances, dreams, omens,
presages, &C., &c. It is twenty centuries
since Cato wittily rebuked the man who
was frightened because mouse bad gnaWed
away part OF his shoe. "Cheer up, my
friend,' he said, "the circumstance need
cause you no alarm, for it was anaturahee-
currence. Now, il your shoe had eaten the
mouse I should have considered it an event
of gloomy augury." Equally wise, but
couched in Ioftier language, was his answer
when hidden to consult the Oracle: "Let
us leave oracles to women, to towards, and
to fools. The brave man, independent of
the gods, knows how to live and die him
self"
"Men mark when they HIT" observes
Bacon, "and never mark when they miss"
and to this circumstance he attributes the
belief in dreams and popular predictions.
ROUGH AND READY MODES
OF testing claims to supernatural powers.
"Dost thou know where thou wilt pass
Christmas 2" asked Henry VII. OF an as
troIoger. He could not tell. Whereupon
the Kings grace, which did still love
merry Jest, made answer: "Then am 1
wiser than thou, for know that thou wilt
spend Christmas in prison." John Gale
azzo, Duke of Milan, is said to have made
even merrier at the expense OF gentleman
who foretold him that he would die early.
"And how long do you expect to liver" ne
inquired of the prophet. only LORD, my
star promises me long life." "Never trust
in your star. man; you are to be hanged
this moment" And the Duke took care
that his own prediction should he fulfilled.
A certain Arab general, whom the French
chronicler calls Heggiage, was more cour-
teous in the expression OF his displcasure.
The General was sick, when an astroloSer,
by way OF comforting him, assured his En-
cclRncy that she illness from which he
was suffering would terminate fatally.
"Since you have said it," replied the Gene
raj, lit must be SO, and l have so great
confidence in your skill that I should Ae
clad to have the benefit Of your advice III
the next world. You will therefore be so
kind as to go there first and wait my
orders" The astrologer was Immediately
decapitated. Indee d, il one may express an
opinion in homeIy English, the wonder is
that astrologers should so often have been
such fools. Few seem to have had the
presence OF mind of Trasullus, who once
saved bis neck with commendable readl-
ness Of wit. -1iberius, so the Roman his
torian informs us, when living in exile ut
Rhodos, whittier he hed been banished by
the Emperor Augustus, loved to while
away the time by consulting OWNERS. The
interview usually took place on lofty emf
Enence overlooking the sea; and il the di-
viner, by some foolish answer, convicted
himself OF ignorance OF trickery, some
slaves were in attendance to pitch him
| head foremost over the cliff into the waves
below. 1t chanced on certain day that
Trasullus had been invited to one OF these
charming seances. "Tell me-" said II
berius with curious look, CHOW long do
you think you have to live?" Irasullus,
who was no fool, appeared to be absorbed
in mysterious calculations. then suddenly,
with an expression of alarm that was not
altogether feigned, he exclaimed "that he
was menaced at that very hour by great
danger" Satisfied with the answer, Tibe-
rius embraced him, and from henceforth
Trasullus became OF the number OF his
friends. -.
A ludicrous instance OF the result OF
trusting in predictions was afforded by
citizen OF Lyons, who had had his hor9s-
cope drawn, and been assured that be should
l. live exactly twenty years more and no
longer. Dividing his fortune into twenty
parts (the somewhat clumsy midayal SUBJ
stiute for the purchase OF terminabe an
nuity) he lived comfortably, working lit
tie, eating and drinking much-the citi-
zen's ideas were not lofty-till the twenty
wears were gone and all his money spent.
But death came not, and he had to beg his
bread, saying, "HaVe pity on poor man
who is living longer than he expected" 1t
is related Of the famous Cardan (1501-7G)
that he had too much self-respect to live on
under similar conditions. He had prophe-
sled that he should not live beyond the
completion OF his seventy-fith year, and
accordingly on entering his seyenty-Sixth
he refused to touch food. To do justice to
our own age it must be confessed that had
he lived in the nineteenth century instead
OF the sixteenth be would probably at the
age of seventY-ive been requested to choose
between eating his dinner at home and
having it forced down his throat in luna
tic asylum. But generally speaking it may
be doubted whether we deal as wisely with
charlstanry as the men Of ruder age.
MISS NELSON UNDER BLUE-GLAss TREAT
MEHT.-Miss Nelson is daily improving in
health. She has moved from the Market
Street side OF the Palace Hotel to tropical
parlors Mt the southwest corner, and forti-
fed herself behind stratum Of blue glass
placed within her bay-window, and reach
ing from the floor to the ceiling. Here she
basks the Iiyelong day in cerulean sun
shine. Her wardrobe is contained in elgh-
teen trunks, the smallest OF the regulation
Saratoga dimensions, and the largest the
size of small grain bin. The most pleth-