The Mysteries of All Nations | Page 3

of May--May Poles and May Fires--Dispute between Men and Gods--Superstitious Customs in Scotland--Superstitious Ceremonies in England--June Marriages--July--August--September--October--Hallow-e'en Ceremonies--December--Christmas Trees and Gifts--The Misletoe--Privileges in Leap Year--Yule Log--Christmas Festivities 110
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MIRACLES PERFORMED BY HOLY PERSONS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF SACRED RELICS.
CHAPTER XV.
St. Peter, and Simon the Magician--Clement's Miracles and Death--St. Agnes--A Miraculous Circumstance--St. Blase's Power--St. Agatha's Holy Life--St. Patrick's Missionary Labours, and Expulsion of Reptiles from Ireland--St. Germanus stilling the Raging of the Sea--St. David and the Welsh Leeks--Stirrup Cup and Origin of "Pledging"--Elfrida's Treachery and Remorse--St. Benedict's Power--St. Dunstan cured by an Angel--The ?olian Harp--St. Columba's Prophecy concerning Iona--Sacred Ducks of Ireland--St. Paul binding a Dragon--Saints and Frogs--Friars and Jesuits--Father Mark proof against Fire--Virtue of Holy Water--St. Noel's Imprecation--St. Boniface--Pope Silvester assisted by Satan--Necromancing Popes--St. Januarius's Blood--St. Anthony's Conflicts with the Devil--St. Anthony's Hog and Bees--A Tradition concerning Melrose--St. Cuthbert--A Princess swallowed up by the Earth--Monk Waldevus's inexhaustible Stores--Holy Relics--Rusticus and his Hog 130
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POETS AND SUPERSTITION.
CHAPTER XVI.
Prophetic Verse--The Bardi--Bards maintained by Noblemen--Queen Elizabeth and the Bards--Effects of Prophetic Sayings and of Pipe Music--Messages to another World--Voices of Deceased Friends heard in the Gale--Human Forms in the Clouds--Evenings in the Highlands--Michael Scott--Constant Work for Evil Spirits--Stemming the Tweed--How the Eildon Hills were formed--Ropes of Sand--Scott and his Magic Books buried at Melrose--Ossianic Poems--Stories by Bards 150
CHAPTER XVII.
Shakspeare--An Outline of his Composition--"The Tempest"--Miranda beseeching Prospero to allay the Wild Waters--Ariel's Readiness to serve his Master--The Witch Sycorax--Caliban's Evil Wish--Neptune chased--"Midsummer Night's Dream"--Exploits of a Fairy--Doings of Puck--Titania and her Attendants--Ghosts and Spirits--Song--"Macbeth"--Weird Sisters--Macbeth's Doom--Witches' Caldron--Macbeth admonished by Spirits--"Antony and Cleopatra"--Dreadful Apparition--King's Death avenged 161
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Poet Gay--The "Spell"--Hobnelia--Lubberkin--Spells resorted to--Valentine Day--Ladybird sent on a Message of Love--Virtue of United Garters--Gipsies' Warnings--Knives sever Love--Story of Boccaccio--Apparition of a Deceased Lover--Poems by Burns--"Address to the Deil"--"Tam o' Shanter" 173
CHAPTER XIX.
Sir Walter Scott--His Belief in Superstition--How his Tales of Fiction are composed--A Town-Clerk frightened by an Apparition--A Ghost that did not understand Erse, but could communicate in Latin--Lovel and Edie Ochiltree--Discovery of Hidden Treasure--"Rob Roy"--Fairies' Caverns--Supposed Apparition in the Trossachs--Elfin People at the Firth of Forth--A Minister taken away by Fairies--Dame Glendinning's Tale--Lines from "Marmion"--A Fairy Knight--Mysterious Steed 187
CHAPTER XX.
Lord Byron taught Superstition--Byron and the Maid in Green--Bridge of Balgonie--Byron's Fear to ride over it--His Belief in Unlucky Days and Presentiments--Socrates's Demon--Monk Lewis's Monitor--Napoleon's Warnings--A Sorrowful Tale--Byron's Fortune told by a Sibyl--Hebrew Camyo--Abracadabra--Loch-na-Garr--Oscar of Alva--Byron's last Instructions 197
CHAPTER XXI.
Tale by Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd--Aikwood Castle--The Witch Henbane--Imps demanding Work--Michael Scott--Curious Sport--Dreadful Threat--Rats transformed into the form of Men--Inventor of Gunpowder--Summoning Evil Spirits--Latin the Language best understood by Satin and his Emissaries--Holy Signs and Charms--Effects of a Friar's Blessing--Magic Lantern--Michael Scott's Subscribed Conditions--Imps' Song--Dreadful Storm--Warlocks' Hymn--Eildon Hill 210
CHAPTER XXII.
Allan Ramsay--"The Gentle Shepherd"--Bauldy the Clown--Mause the reputed Witch--Praying Backwards--Sad Misfortunes--Supposed Power of the Devil to raise the Wind and send Rain and Thunder--Sir William disturbed--Symon's Announcement--Promise to gain a Lassie's Heart--Witches' Tricks--Longfellow's "Golden Legend"--"Song of Hiawatha" 218
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MONARCHS, PRIESTS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND SUPERSTITION.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Superstition--Commencement of Monarchy in Scotland--King Fergus I. crowned on the Fatal Stone of Destiny--Signs, Assistance of Spirits, Magicians, and Fortune-tellers--Natholocus sends a Friend to consult a Cunning Woman--Her Prediction--Constantine and Maxentius--A Heavenly Cross--A Famous Standard--Queen Guanora's Grave--Fear of St. Martin--The Church's Belief in Departed Saints--Relics venerated--King bewitched by Witches of Forres--Evil Signs--Sea Monster in the Don--Kenneth III. killed by an Infernal Machine--Virtue of Precious Stones--Weird Sisters--Consulting a Pythoness--Predictions by Druids--Domitian's Death foretold by Astrologers--Simon Magus--A Platonic Philosopher--The Emperor Julian instructed in Magic 234
CHAPTER XXIV.
Louis XI. and the Astrologer--A King's Enchanted Cap--David I. and the Mysterious Stag--Merlin the Magician--Prophecies concerning Queen Elizabeth and Mary--Dragon Caverns--Predictions of Evil--Changing a King's Love--The Holy Maid of Kent--Nobles put to Death for keeping company with Sorcerers--James I. of England and the Witches--Tranent Witches and Warlocks--Wise Wife of Keith--Two Hundred Witches sailing in Sieves--Raising Storms--Witch and Warlock Convention at Newhaven--Meeting of Witches at North Berwick--Witches tortured in Holyrood--The Devil's Mark--Bothwell's Fortune told--Witches and their Associates burned 242
CHAPTER XXV.
Cromwell in league with the Devil--Cromwell consulting Astrologers--Memorable Days in the Life of Cromwell--Duke of Hamilton warned of his Fate--Peden's Predictions--Traditions concerning Peden--John Brown the Martyr--Linlithgow Loch Swans--Hereford Children--Great Comet--Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter at Eventful Periods--Solomon's Power 254
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THE DRUIDS.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Druids laid claim to Supernatural Power--Representations of the Sun and Moon--Belief of Druids--Beltane Feasts--Arkite and Sabian Superstition--Dancing to the Song of the Cuckoo--Initiation into the Druidical Mysteries--The Goodmane's Land and the Guidman's Fauld--Offerings to Demi-gods--Propitiating Beasts of Prey--Sacred Cairns--Trees dedicated to Demons--Law forbidding Worship of the Sun, Moon, Fire, Rivers, Wells, Stones, or Forest Trees--Extracts from Kirk-Session Records--Land dedicated to Satan--Midsummer and Hallow Fires forbidden--Yule-day--Order of the General Assembly as to Druidical Customs--Old Customs ordered to be discontinued 262
CHAPTER XXVII.
Dr. Stuart on the Druids--Their Deities, etc.--Gauls descendants of Dis--Funeral Rites--Slaves and Clients burned--What Pliny says--Tallies used in making known the Will