The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-09-26
GREAT MEMS ILLUSIONS.
DEAN SWIFT SAID ALL MEN ARE
MAD IN SOME DEGREE.

Evidences Whfch Go to Prove the Truth
OF His Saying - Poets, Philosophers.
Soldiers and Reformers who Saw
spooks and Were Influenced by Them.
II has been said or sung that all men
are more or less insane, differing only in
degree Certainly those who are consid-
cred sane-in which category the gentle
reader is included-are liable to halluci-
nations, and it depends upon the extent
to which we give way before, and believe
in, the illusions of the brain, whether we
walk abroad with our follies or are placed
in padded room.
Byron often received visits from
specter, but he knew it to be creation of
the imagination. Pope saw an arm ap-
parently come through the wall, and
made inquiries after its owner. Goethe
states that he one day saw the exact
counterpart of himself coming toward
him. Ben Jonson spent the watches of
the night an interested spectator of
crowd of Tartars, Turks and Roman
Catholics, who rose up and fought round
his arm chair till sunrise DR.. Jonson
heard his mother call his name in clear
voice, though she was at the time in an
other city. And Sir Joshua Reynolds,
leaving his house, thought the lamps
were trees and the men and women
bushes agitated by the breeze.
VISIONS APPEARED.
Nicolai was alarmed at the appearance
of dead body which vanished and came
again at intervals This was followed
by human faces, which came into the
room, and after gazing upon him for
while departed. None of his friends
was among the faces he saw. After
enjoying a silent acquaintance with his
visitors for some weeks, they began to
speak, and he describes their converse
ton as brief and agreeable. Such visi-
itors 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. This he had ample op-
portuliity 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 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
ly 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 sigan-
tic woman appear, who told him he
would become the greatest man in Eng
land.
In 1906 Gen. Rapp, having important
news, entered the emperors 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 excitedly, "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. | see it ON every
great occurrence urging me onward; it
Is an unfailing omen of success"
SPIRITS THAT INSPIRED.
Some men have been inspired to per-
IL, tbat,- Efata IL
jured illusion. Loyola, lying wounded
during the siege Of Pampeluna, 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 u 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 clung 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-
verse with him. His friend, j. B. Man
30, tried to persuade him of this illusion,
whereupon the poet offered to introduce
his unhelieving friend to the spirit. But
though he often heard Tasso in CONVEX
sation with the imaginary being, it
never made itself viuihla 10 othar o,,a.
Few believe that Luther actually held
q 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 ac-
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-
mentatiyely round the sturdy priest.
Ravaillac, while chanting the mis-
erere" and "De Profundis," fondly be-
heved that the sounds he emitted were
of the nature and had the full effect of a
trumpet. Count Emmanuel Swedenborg
believed that he had the privilege of in
terviewing persons in the spirit world.
Jean Engelbrecht was under a similar
impression. Zimmerman was for some
time in constant fear OF an imaginary
enemy, whom he expected to arrive at
any moment, break into and wreck his
dwelling. Standard.
Leuwenhock by means of microscopes
observed spiders no bigger than a grain
OF sand, which spun threads 80 fine that