The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-13
THE SUPERSTITION OF MAN.
Some Curious nd Extrnvagsnt FoIlIes OF the
Human Race.

THE SUPERSTITION OF MAN.
Some Curious q nd Extravagant FoIIIes of the
Human Race.
To THE Howard CLUB-We propose, in
the course of the following article, to men,
ton some OF the more curious and ex-
travagant folles and link them together as
an unbroken chain of human activities
relative to the manias, illusions and errors
of mankind; preferring, however, to leave
the cause OF ridiculous action for another
essay, in which we shall dolineate the
origin and path, so to speak, OF all the fol-
lies of any note which the world has ex-
perienced.
Patrick Henry at one time said that at
was natural for man to indulge in the
illusions of hope" and | dare say that
CULVER, while visiting the isle of Laputa
found this trite expression too true.
While visiting the island he was conduct
ed to the great academy of Ladoga, where
he met person who had been trying for
eight years TO extract sunbeams out OF a.
cucumber, which were TO be put IN walls,
Theoretically sealed, aud set out to warm
the air in raw iuciement summers. An
other was at work attempting TO calcine
ice into gun-powder. He saw there an
architect who had devised plan for
building house bv commencing at the
roof and working downward to the foun-
dation: painter who had in his employ
three blind men, who were engaged in
mixing his paints and claimed that they
distinguished the color by its smell. No
less ludicrOus are the vain philosophers of
LadOga than are some of our more modern
thinkers. We need not search in the fairy
worlds imagination or in the archives OF
fancy to find these imperfectiOns and foil
les of mankind but we can find them in
the stories of history, biography and
science OF our present century.
1t is at all times painful to read the
stories of mental humiliation, of moral ex-
travagance and the lack OF pure and I'M
biased Judgment of humanity; of follies
attempting to set aside the most obvious
of natures laws, to perform impossible
ties, and, forsaking the dominion of sense
and knowledge, TO plunge into the un-
known and the unseen and the dark.
But not only SO, but also enter by the
same path and roam through the same
dark limbo OF vanity. So wild and so
unnatural has been the extravagances of
man that not only a section OF country
has been endangered, but the whole ma
ton has been led into the delusiOn, and
joining the few who started it helped to
ring the death knell of common sense
and good judgment.
1t seems as though at some time the
whole history OF country is nothing more
than a record of its follies. Superstitions
have tinted the history of every nation.
Strange delusions. ghosts, hobgoblins,
wonderful apparitions. optical phenomena,
etc. here pervaded at some time or another
the minds in general of all mankind OF
all the ridiculous foilies, the impersona-
ton of the evil principles has been the
most ridiculous. Every one is acquainted
and knows something about Salem witch
craft in this country therefore l will give
brief history of witchcraft in some of
the countries OF Europe. The witches who
were put TO death in Elfdale confessed
that the devil generally appeared as a lit
tie old man in a gray coat with red and
blue stockings. and exceedingly long
garters; he had very high crowned hat,
many coiored linen, and ong red beard
while at Tranent the devil appeared in a
black gown and hat; his nose like the
beak of an eagle; he had great burning
eyes; his hands and legs were hairy; he
had long claws upon his hands and feet,
and he spoke with a gruf voice. Some
the form Of an old lady whose hair was
wound about her head promiscuousiy, her
face wearing demoniac expression; she
would ride on an old broom carried from
place to place by the wind, obtaining en-
trance into houses by crawling through
the keyhole or by descending the chimney.
Following these delusions were the long
list Of occult influences, trials by jury and
ordeal the lengthy list Of national preiu-
dices and antipathies and the prodigies of
useless and Improbable labor.
How many errors have resulted from
mans universal belief of his close neigh
borhood to the spiritual world An idea
sublime in itself. perhaps true, but GER
tainly not topic for Legislative interior
ence or domestic teaching. Defoe wrote
the History of the Devil" He delineated
his character, so TO speak, which was in
accordance to the decisions of that day.
1t is certainly humiliating to think of the
sacrifices made, of innocent lives taken, of
beauty scandalized, OF virtue spurned with
a scorpions vengeance. But still we are
not surprised when we listen TO the ex-
preston OF noted English lord when he
says: ''Satans knowledge makes him
perfect in optics and thinning, whereby he
may easily bewitch the ewes of others to
whom he intends that his instruments
should not be seen in this manner, as was
formerly hinted-namely, he contracts the
pores OF the witch's vehicle which inter-
cepts q part of the rays rejecting from
her body; he condenses the interjacent
air with grosser meteors blown
into ii OF otherwise violently moves it,
which browns another part of the rays;
and, lastly, he obstructs the optic nerves
with humors stirred toward them, all of
which joined together intercept the whole