St. Landry democrat., 1883-07-28

way to the Kings private apartments.
Breaking through a glass door, she
dabbled herself in blood, and in a rag
ing fit of delirium cast herself upon the
King. The latter, who was not aware
Of the hopelessness Of her lunacy, was
so Mortified at the appearance of a
woman clad only in linen and covered
with blood that he imagined. with a
| superstition characteristic of the age,
that it was the White Lady, whose
ghost, according to-time- honored tradi-
ton, Invariably appeared when death
was around the house of Brandenburg.
He was seized with fever and died in
six weeks.
More ridiculous was the death of the
| French Marshal, De Montrevel, "whose
whole soul, says ST. Simon. '.was but
ambition and lucre, without ever hay
ing been able to distinguish his right
hand from his left, but concealing his
universal ignorance with an audacity
which favor, fashion and birth protect
ed. : He Was very superstitious man,
and one day a salt-cellar was upset at a
public dinner in his lap, and so fright
ened was he that he arose and announced
that he was dead man. He reached
| home and died in a few DAYS, in 1716,
literally scared to death by the absurd
casualty Of a salt-cellar's turning over.
Slight accidents, trivial in themselves,
often produce most ill-timed and fatal
results. .Anacreon, the Greek poet of
love, choked to death with grape
stone. Eschylus was killed by an eagle
| dropping a tortoise on his head, sup
posing it was rock. William the Con
queror was killed by being thrown on to
the pummel of his saddle, and Chrysop-
pus, the philosopher, laughed himself to
death at seeing an ass eating figs.
Moliere, the great French comedian and
dramatist, accidentally killed himself
while playing one of his pieces, 1.-The
Man Who Pretends To Be Dead"
"Old surly Death offended at his play,
Would not be jOked with in so free q way:
He, when he mimicked him, his voice re-
strained.
And made him ace in earnest when he
feigned."a
Thomas May, the historian of the
"Long Parliament and translator of
Lucan's Pharsalia,' and one of the
most versatile authors of the seven
teenth century, was found dead in his
bed with signs Of having been strangled.
He was very fat; had gone to bed
drunk, and tying his night-cap strings
too tight was found strangled. The old
authors whom drop too much and the
accident of going to bed booty killed
form quite a list. Sir George Etheridge,
author of s.Sir Fopling Flutter,'' hav-
ing passed the evening with some la
borious old soakers, staggered out to
light them downstairs He fell over
and broke his neck. Lee, the rival of
Dryden, was going home drunk, and,
falling in the street, was run over by
dray; and Edgar Allen Poe, the most
brilliant OF American poets. died of ex-
posure and ill-treatment when recover
ing from a debauch. A pinch of snuff
accidentally dropped into a glass of
wine that Jean Baptist Santeul, one of
the greatest Latin poets France ever
produced, was drinking, killed him in
a few hours. Eating too many melons
killed Argyropolis and the melancholy
Cowley. who had been to a mefry-mak-
ing with Rev. Thomas Sprat, afterward
Bishop Of Rochester. Both were drunk |
and lay down to sleep by haystack.
Cowley caught cold and died. Xenoc-
rates accidentally walked into well,
and Charles Lamb stumbled and pro-
duced a rupture which ended his life.
William Duprat, the Bishop of Cler-
mont, was the victim of an accident
which indicated his weakness of char
acter. He was the possessor of the
most beautiful beard that, up, to his
time, had ever been seen in France, and
was very proud of it. On Easter he
presented himself at his cathedral to as
slst in the performance of religious SER
rices. He found three canons awaiting
ais arrival. The dean held inhis hands
! pair of scissors and q razor, another
pore a copy Of the statute of the chapter
where it is: stated that in order to enter
he choir the beard must be shaved,
while the third pointed out to the Bishop
he spot where these fearful commands
we're inscribed. As the dean was about
o commence operations the Bishop
'ried: "Spare my beard and I will re-
lounce the bishopric.'' The Bishop
an off to his chateau, but eventually
Tielded to hestern canons of the church,
nut the modification of losing his beard
vas so great that he was thrown into
fever.
"A curious incident is related as occur J
ne during the war Of 1909 between En- l
land and France. A brig commanded ]
y an American was captured by the I
parrow cutter off San Domingo, under t
he belief that she was sailing under t
alse colors-at any rate, carrying enc I
ly's goods. The court at Port Royal
ound the; ships papers all correct, and |
le Captain swore SO positively as to I
er American nationality that the court
ecided in his favor. The American G
commander then began proceedings t
gainst Lieutenant Wylie, the Spar t
1w's commander. While the case was Y
ending small tender in the charge of r
i1lmaf, Enltnn 90 mo int, mort i