The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-07-03

praesentire. feel or perceive before
rect, though vague. perception of a
future event or feeling which seems
to be such a perception. Specifically,
it is an anteeedent impression or con-
viction, produced instinctively and
without any known cause. of some
thing about to happen. Though pre-
sentiments of good are common and
often fulfilled. as their results are
not tragical they are seldom remem-
bered or confc3l55ed with hope, and
for this reason the word PRESENT.
ment is confined almost exclusively
to the anticipation of impending evil,
and is practically the equivalent of
foreboding. Dreams often afford
similar materials for erroneous reas-
onings. but as they originate in the
mind. they are sometimes so similar
to presentiments that it is impossible
to decide whether a presentiment
caused the dream or the dream the
preSentiment
Novelists, poets. and even histori-
ans. have so often told us of present
iments. have SO often attributed them
to their real or fictitious personages,
that we have come to regard this sort
OF obscure vision of the future as
common and natural phenomenon.
The historian tells us of Captain So
andSo, who, overwhelmed on the eve
of battle with the fatal presentiment
that he should not survive the COM
bat, actually met his death; the nov
elist attributes to his heroine the pre-
sentiment of catastrophe impend-
ing over her soldier lover, which hap
pens in realization of her gloomy
forebodings. and they speak of these
things as constantly recurring. well
established facts of which there are
numerous examples that could not
well be disputed. Even animals are
said to be gifted with a presentiment
Of danger. Thus, according to Buff
fon. birds of passage have been OBJ
served to stay away from their nests
at the approach of an earthquake;
NNNN+ NAAo " Ahos mai dOSo ny
ual long bowling manifested their
presentiment of an approaching
earthquake, and it is a generally pre-
yailing belief that rats will. a few
days before the occurrence, leave a
house that is about to fall down or a
ship that is about to sink.
But, while in animals this phe-
nomenon admits of an explanation
by the assumption of instinct. which
seems to be given them by nature for
their preservation, this convenient
apology for our ignorance cannot be
made in the case of man. because he
mas reason, instead of instinct, for
his guide. Yet it has been contend
ed, and by persons of no mean under
standing, that fatal presentimentsa are
conveyed to the mind by means, II
not supernatural. at all events mys-
ferrous and wonderful, and numerous
examples, as We shall presently see,
have been adduced in proof of the
certainty of the warning, as we'll as
OF its mysterious occurrence.
Plutarch, in his tragic account of
julius Caesars assassination. men
tons the foreboding dream of Gaze
sar's wife, Calpurnia, in the night
preceding the fatal event. In her
dream she first saw blood flowing
from her husbands statue, and then
she dreamed that the roof of her
house was falling down and that Gaze
sar, his body all covered with blood
expired in her arms. Terrified by
these dreams she related them to
Caesar. imploring him not to go out
on that day Caesar, however,
laughed at her fears. went to the SEN
ate, and was stabbed to death by his
assassins. 1t is related that not only
did Henry w himself have a present
lment of his death, but also Maria de
Medicis was forewarned in dream
or the danger threatening the king
One night she started from her sleen
with Shrek and her eyes bathed in
tears. Asked by Henry " for the
cause of her terror, she replied, II
dreamed you were murdered" To
remove her fears the king said smil-
ing: Fortunately, dreams. accord
ing to the saying. are but fumes of
the stomach" A few DAYS later the
dagger of fanatic robbed France of
the best of her kings. 1t must. how
ever. be added that to-day the queen
is much suspected of having plotted
with d'Epernon the kings assassina-
ton, or at least of having had some
knowledge of the plot; her vague
terror. therefore, only expressed her
own part in the matter. Mozart's
premonition of his death is even
more wonderful. A stranger having
called on him to order requiem. he
at once felt the presentiment that
this requiem was destined to serve
for his own funeral. contracted an
incurable disease and died immedi-
arely after composing it. President
Lincoln. as is well known, had a pre-
sentiment of impending death. AS
numerous. mostly amplified, versions
exist of this incident, we give it here
as published by Gideon Welles In an
article printed in The Galaxy for
April, 1872: I'm the last cabinet
meeting in the Executive Mansion of
Friday, April IA. which was also at
tended by Mr.. Welles, General Grant
expressed his anxiety as to the news
from Sherman. The President re-
marked that the news would come |