The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-12-22


IN the cruelties of the Emperors
OF Rome, and in the imbecility
OF certain of the Princes of India.
King Saul was man of ability and
Judgment when placed over the Israel
ties, but power made him mailman
and led him to destruction. King Neb-
uchadnezzar was at the head of one of
the most absolute governments known
to history, and we find him suffering
from some unknown malady which
historians regard as certain form of
insanity. The famous Babylonan mon
arch recorded in an inscr ption recently
deciphered "For four years the seat
OF the Kingdom did not rejoice my
heart. In all my dominions l did not
build high place of power. The
precious treasures of my kingdom Ibid
not lay up. In Babylon buildings for
myself and the honor of my kingdom
did not lay out In the worship of
Merodach, my lord, the joy of my heart,
in Babylon, the city of his sovereignty
and the seat of my empire, did not
sing his praises. l did not furnish his
affairs with victims, nor did clean out
the canals" From the description here
given it would be difficult to arrive at
any other conclusion than that Nebu-
chadnezzar was laboring under insanity
during the four years of which he
| speaks.
Although many of the Roman En-
perors were monsters in human shape,
Tiberius and Domitian surpassed all
the others in the insaneness of their
actions. The former, man of fifty
six when he donned the purple, began
his reign with apparent wisdom and
clemency, but soon gave way to the in
toxication of power. He shut himself
away from the people on the island of
Capera, and from that retreat ordered
those who had incurred his displeasure
to be put to death in the most shocking
manner. Domitian also began his
reign with mildness, but he, too, could
not withstand the temptations of abso-
lutte authority, and became, if possible,
more infamous than Tiberius. Both
these Emperors, while they are regarded
by all as unnatural tyrants, are thought
to have been themselves victims OF
lunacy, and thus not without some ex-
cuse for their cruelty. Theodore the
Great, founder of the Ostrogothic mon
archy. during the latter years of his reign
was the victim of Authorizations. The or
igin of these was crime Blinded by
jealousy, and yielding to the evil coun-
sells of his favorites, he ordered the ven
cradle statesman. Lvmmachus. one OF
the most upright men of the age, to be
put to death. Scarcely, however, had
the order been carried into execution
when the King was seized with remorse
and began to reproach himself for the
deed. His mind, strong as it had been,
gave way to the strain, and he became
haunted with direful visions, which ac-
companied him to the end of his life.
As an example of this, it is related that
one day new kind of fish was placed
upon his table, when he suddenly ut.
tered cry of terror and informed his
courtiers that the head of the fish was
like that of the murdered Lymmachus.
Several of the Kings of France have
been mentally infrm. Among these
was Charles VII, the Victorious. The
closing days of this monarch were rem
dered miserable by the undutiful con-
duct of his son, who afterward became
King under the title of Louis XII. and
was known as ''the Tiberius of France. y
| The young Prince was continually
plotting against his father, until the
| latter finally became broken hearted
and deranged He had an eyer-present
fear of assassination, and utterly re-
fused food, lest it should be poisoned.
He passed several successive days
in voluntary confinement without par,
taking OF nourishment of any kind.
After much elaboration his council re.
solved that force be employed to rescue
| him from the horrible death he was
bringing upon himself through the fea1
of death. Nutriment in the form Of
! jellies were accordingly administered,
but it was too late. Nature, thus cruel.
ly outraged, refused to rally, and
Charles VII, after successful reign Of
thirty-eight years, went down, a crazy
old man, to the miserable death Of
starvation.
Charles TX. of France was next thing
to an imbecile from his youth, but after
Catherine de Medici had induced him to
sign the decree that sent thousands Of
innocent persons to eternity in the
massacre of st. Bartholomew Day, he
became a confirmed monomaniac. Al
the time of the execution of his order
all the brutality in his nature exulted,
and he heard with joy the shouts of the
1 fha CT of RYt
narrowing remorse afterward took
possession of him. Visions of blood
startled him at all hours of the day
and night. He became prey
to the most direful fears Al
one moment he would break forth
in violent EXPLANATIONS, and would then
relapse into the quietude of heart-rend
ing despair. He heard voices in the ali
reproaching him for his cruelty to the
Huguenots, and the ghosts of his MUIR
dered victims never forsook his pres
ence. HIS faithful physica an, Ambrose
Pare, never deserted him, but no relief
could be afforded the troubled monarch.
| For many months prior to his death he
could scarcely rest at ALL and when he
died it was in the midst of the agonies
and grief Of an avengng conscience.
Charles MI. of Sweden, sometimes
styeed the Mailman of the North, is an
other case of roval lunacy. In some
respects he was man OF ability, but in
one direction he was a monomaniac.
This was his all-consuming passion for
conquest and military glory. His coun.
try was at that time the most powerful
nation of the North. and his great de-
sire was to extend its boundaries until