The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-11-20
GREAT MEMS ILLUSIONS
DEAN SWIFT SAID ALL MEN Arr
MAD IN SOME DEGREE. I

are more or less insane, differing only inv
degree. Certainly those who are conside,
cred sane--in which category the gentleo
reader is included are liable to halluci5o
nations, and it depends upon the extenis
to which we give way before, and believe
in, the Illusions of the brain, whether weu
walk abroad with our follies or are placedn
in a padded room e.
Byron often received visits from a
specter, but he knew it to be creation off,
the imagination. Pope saw an arm ap-n
parently come through the wall, andle
made inquiries after it's owner. Goethesr
states that he one day saw the exact
counterpart Of himself coming towardle
him. Ben Jonson spent the watches offs
the night an interested spectator of
crowd Of 1Tartars, Turks and Romann
Catholics, who rose up and fought roundh
his arm chair till sunrise. DR.. Jonson1-
heard his mother call his name in clear
voice, though she was at the time in an Ok
other city. And Sir Joshua Reynolds, n
leaving his house, thought the lampsl.
were trees and the men and women e,
bushes agitated by the breeze. n
VISIONS APPEARED.
Nicolai was alarmed at the appearance s
of dead body which vanished and came 1
again at intervals. This was followed r
by human faces, which came into the s
room, and after gazing upon him for e
while departed. None of his friends !,
was among the faces he saw. After.
enjoying silent acquaintance with his !
visitors for some weeks, they began to :
speak. and he describes their converse +.
ton as brief and agreeable. Such visi- r
1tors would cause many to lose their :
reason, but Nicolai knew they were but ,
the effects of indigestion.
Bostock. the psychologist, saw similar
figures and faces, and after recovering
from momentary surprise, he set him. :
self to study the habits and customs of his
curious visitors.ss This he had ample op-
portunity to do, as they remained with
him three days and nights. There was
one human face constantly before him
for twenty-four hours, the features and
headgear as distinct as those of a living
person, yet having no resemblance to
any one he had ever known. Finally
the phantom disappeared, to make way
for troops Of little human figures, which
disported themselves like fanticcini for
his entertainment.
The reason, says Connolly, that Nico-
lai and Bostock did not become hopeless
~ insane was because they never believed
in the reality of the visions. The effects
of the Illusions of some men have been
felt in history. Religions have been
founded on the words of men supposed
to have been inspired, but who were
merely suffering from form of madness
which medical science calls "ecstacy."
Oliver Cromwell, lying sleepless on his
couch, saw the curtains open and gigan-
tic woman appear, who told him he
would become the greatest man in Eng
| land.
In 1906 Gen. Rapp, having important
news, entered the emperor's apartment
unannounced, and found the great war
rior in a rapt attitude, gazing at the cell
ing. The general made an Intentional
poise, whereupon Napoleon seized his
arm and said e-,citedly, "Look up there!"
He looked and saw nothing. why"
said the emperor. "do you not see it? It
is my star; it is before you beaming; it
has never deserted me. Isee it on every
great occurrence urging me onward; it
is All unfailing omen of success"
SPIRITS THAT INSPIRED.
Some men have been inspired to per-
severe in their ife's work by self con-
jured illusion. Loyola, lying wounded
during the siege of Panpeluna, saw the
Virgin, who encouraged him to prose-
cute his mission. Benvenuto Cellini, i'm
prisoned at Rome, resolved to free him
self by self destruction, but was deferred
by the apparition of a young woman of
wondrous beauty, whose reproaches
turned him from his purpose This
spirit returned and consoled him on
other occasions when he was low spirit
ed Descartes was followed by an in
visible person whose voice he heard urg-
ing him to continue his researches after
truth.
Many have fondly chung to their illu-
sions, and though reasonable in most
things have at least been distinctly mad
in one. Tasso firmly believed that he
had familiar genius. whose great de-
light and chief recreation was to con-
fOASO WILL LIS l1lSuu, e. Mstl-
so, tried to persuade him Of this illusion,
whereupon the poet offered to introduce
his unbelieving friend to the spirit. But
though he often heard Tasso in CONVEX
sation with the imaginary being, it
never made itself visible to other eyes.
Few believe that Luther actually held
a warm discussion with an important
parsonage from the other world, yet that
he believed it himself we have his word,
and he has even left on record some &C
count of the dispute, from which it
would appear that his opponent is not so
willy as we have been led to believe. At
any rate he could not wind himself argu-
mentatively round the sturdy priest.
Ravaillac, while chanting the "Mis-
erere" and ''De Profundis," fondly be-
ieved that, the sounds he emitted were
of the nature and had the full effect of
trumpet. Count Emmanuel Swedenborg
believed that he had the privilege of in
terviewing persons in the spirit world.
Jean Engelbrecht was under similar
impression. Zimmerman was for some
time in constant fear Of an imaginary