The record-union., 1898-05-23

tention, many years before he COM
menced his great task, of writing some
great poem for posterity, which the
world would not willingly let die"
Bossuet, when a youth, was present
ed to a number of prelates by one of the
Bishops of his church. who said to
him when he had left: That young
man who has just gone forth will be
one of the greatest luminaries of the
church"
Mazarin early predicted the brilliant
career of Louis XIV He said of him.
He has in him stuff for four Kings"
And at another time: He may take
the road little later than others, but
he will go much further"
One day a mason named Barbe said
to Nine. De Maintenon, who was at that
time the wife of Scarron: After much
trouble a great King will love you:
you will reign; but, although at the
summit of favor, it will be of no bene-
fit to you" He added some remarka-
BILE details, which appeared to cause
her some emotion. Her friends rallied
her about the prediction, when the con-
jurer said to them, with the air of a
man confident of the truth of what he
said: You will be glad to kiss the
hem of her garment then, instead of
amusing yourself at her expense"
On the other hand, Louis XIV one
day observed to Rochefoucald and the
Due De Crequi: "AstrOIogy is alto
gether false. 1 had my horoscope
drawn in Italy, and they told me that
after having lived a long time | would
fall in love with an old woman, and love
her to the end of my days. Is there the
least likelihood of that?" And, so there
ing, ne burst out laughing. But this
did not in the least hinder him from
marrying Nine. De Maintenon when she
was fifty years old. So that both the
prediction of the mason and that OF
the Italian cOnjurer came true at last.
When VOltaire was engaged in the
study of classical learning the Father
Lejay was once very much iritated by
the insolence of his repartees, and TAX
ing him by the collar, shook him rough
ly, saying. ''Wretched youth! You will
some day be the standard of deism in
France" Father Palu, Voltaire's con-
fessor. did not less correctly divine the
future career of his young penitent
when he said of him, This boy is de-
voured by thirst for celebrity"
Sterne has told an anecdote of what
happened to him at Halifax The
schoolmaster had got the ceiling newly
whitewashed, and the mischievous
boy, mounting the steps almost before
the job was completed, daubed with
brush on the ceiling the words, in
capital letters, 'Lau. Sterne." For this
the usher cruelty beat him at hear
ing of which the master expressed his
displeasure, and said, before Sterne,
that he would not have the name ef-
faced, seeing that Sterne was boy of
genius. and certain to make a reputa-
tion in the world.
Many predictions were made respect
ing Napoleon, about whose youth there
must have been something remarkable.
His aged relative, the ArchdeacOn of
Ajaccio, when dying, said TO the young
Bonapartes kneeling around his bedside
to receive his last blessing: You need
not think about the future of Napoleon;
he will make it for himself. Joseph,
you are the eldest of the house. but
Napoleon is the chief Have a care
over his future" Not only his uncle,
but all who knew Napoleon, predicted
that he would become an instrument
for great purposes. He was scarce fif-
teen years old when NJ. De Kergerion
said: Il perceive in this young man
a spark which cannot be too carefully
cherished" And Paoli said of him: He
is man of Plutarch's mold" The rhe-
torieian Domairon described him as
granite heated in a volcano" And