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Dec 28, 2013 09:24AM
When going through this book, some things seemed silly and I thought people won't be credulous to believe in it. But those things believed in crowds and deluded themselves. For example, tulipomania in holland, people became so much excited in having that flower tulip at their homes. This raised the price to a zenith level with that madness of all classes of people, leaving most of their wealth to buy it.
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Intro for the Alchemists chapter:
"Dissatisfaction with his lot seems to be the characteristic of man in all ages and climates. So far, however, from being an evil, as at first might be supposed; it has been the greatest civiliser of our race; and has tended more than anything else, to raise us above the condition of the brutes.
But the same discontent which has been the source of all improvement, has been the parent of no small progeny of follies and absurdities." - Charles Mackay
"Dissatisfaction with his lot seems to be the characteristic of man in all ages and climates. So far, however, from being an evil, as at first might be supposed; it has been the greatest civiliser of our race; and has tended more than anything else, to raise us above the condition of the brutes.
But the same discontent which has been the source of all improvement, has been the parent of no small progeny of follies and absurdities." - Charles Mackay
Fortune telling:
"How flattering to the pride of man to think that the stars in their courses watch over him, and typify, by their movements and aspects, the joys or the sorrows that await him!"
"How flattering to the pride of man to think that the stars in their courses watch over him, and typify, by their movements and aspects, the joys or the sorrows that await him!"
... How we should pity the arrogance of the worm that crawls at our feet, if we knew that it also desired to know the secrets of futurity, and imagined that meteors shot athwart the sky to warn it that a tom-tit was hovering near to gobble it up; that storms and earthquakes, the revolutions of empires, or the fall of mighty monarchs, only happened to predict its birth, its progress, and its decay!
On omens:
There is nothing so inconsiderable which may not appear dreadful to an imagination that is filled with omens and prognostics.
Persons who would acknowledge freely that belief in omens was unworthy of a man of sense, have yet confessed at the same time that, in spite of their reason, they have been unable to conquer their fears of death when they heard the harmless insect called the death-watch ticking in the wall, or saw an oblong hollow coal fly out of the fire.
There is nothing so inconsiderable which may not appear dreadful to an imagination that is filled with omens and prognostics.
Persons who would acknowledge freely that belief in omens was unworthy of a man of sense, have yet confessed at the same time that, in spite of their reason, they have been unable to conquer their fears of death when they heard the harmless insect called the death-watch ticking in the wall, or saw an oblong hollow coal fly out of the fire.
An omen:
If thirteen persons sit at table, one of them will die within the year; and all of them will be unhappy.
If thirteen persons sit at table, one of them will die within the year; and all of them will be unhappy.
Too important to ignore:
If men could bring themselves to look upon death in this manner, living well and wisely till her inevitable approach, how vast a store of grief and vexation would they spare themselves!
If men could bring themselves to look upon death in this manner, living well and wisely till her inevitable approach, how vast a store of grief and vexation would they spare themselves!
The Magnetisers: (claiming that they can cure any disease)
The mummeries, strange gesticulations, and barbarous jargon of witches and sorcerers, which frightened credulous and nervous women, brought on all those symptoms of hysteria and other similar diseases, so well understood now, but which were then supposed to be the work of the Devil, not only by the victims and the public in general, but by the operators themselves. \m/
The mummeries, strange gesticulations, and barbarous jargon of witches and sorcerers, which frightened credulous and nervous women, brought on all those symptoms of hysteria and other similar diseases, so well understood now, but which were then supposed to be the work of the Devil, not only by the victims and the public in general, but by the operators themselves. \m/
The Crusades: (Religion wars)
A singular feature of the popular madness was the enthusiasm of the women. Everywhere they encouraged their lovers and husbands to forsake all things for the holy war. Many of them burned the sign of the cross upon their breasts and arms, and colored the wound with a red dye, as a lasting memorial of their zeal. Others, still more zealous, impressed the mark by the ame means upon the tender limbs of young children and infants at the breasts.
A singular feature of the popular madness was the enthusiasm of the women. Everywhere they encouraged their lovers and husbands to forsake all things for the holy war. Many of them burned the sign of the cross upon their breasts and arms, and colored the wound with a red dye, as a lasting memorial of their zeal. Others, still more zealous, impressed the mark by the ame means upon the tender limbs of young children and infants at the breasts.
Any maniac can kindle a conflagration, but it requires many wise men to put it out. Peter the Hermit had blown the popular fury into a flame, but to cool it again was beyond his power.
The institution of chivalry had also exercised its humanising influence, and coming bright and fresh through the ordeal of the crusades, had softened the character and improved the hearts of the aristocratic order...
Witch Mania :
Even if revelation did not teach us, we feel that we have that within us which shall never die; and all our experience of this life but makes us cling the more fondly to that one repaying hope. But in the early days of 'little knowledge,' this grand belief became the source of a whole train of superstitions, which , in their turn, became the fount from whence flowed a deluge of blood and horror.
Even if revelation did not teach us, we feel that we have that within us which shall never die; and all our experience of this life but makes us cling the more fondly to that one repaying hope. But in the early days of 'little knowledge,' this grand belief became the source of a whole train of superstitions, which , in their turn, became the fount from whence flowed a deluge of blood and horror.
"Thousands upon thousands of unhappy persons fell victims to this cruel and absurd delusion. In many cities of Germany, ..., the average number of executions for this pretended crime, was six hundred annually, or two everyday, if we leave out sundays, when it is to be supposed, that even this madness refrained from its work.
***** IMP *****
There are so many wondrous appearances in nature, for which science and philosophy cannot, even now, account, that it is not surprising that, when natural laws were still less understood, men should have attributed to supernatural agency every appearance which they could not otherwise explain.
There are so many wondrous appearances in nature, for which science and philosophy cannot, even now, account, that it is not surprising that, when natural laws were still less understood, men should have attributed to supernatural agency every appearance which they could not otherwise explain.
One of the seeds of Witch mania.
The popular notion of the devil was, that the was a large,, ill-formed, hairy sprite, with horns, a long tail, cloven feet, and dragon's wings. In this shape he was constantly brought on the stage by the monks in their early 'miracles' and 'mysteries'. In these representations he was an important personage, and answered the purpose of the clown in the modern pantomime. the great fun for the people was to see him well belabored by the saints with the clubs or cudgels, and to hear him howl with pain as he limped off, maimed b the blow of some vigorous anchorite.
The popular notion of the devil was, that the was a large,, ill-formed, hairy sprite, with horns, a long tail, cloven feet, and dragon's wings. In this shape he was constantly brought on the stage by the monks in their early 'miracles' and 'mysteries'. In these representations he was an important personage, and answered the purpose of the clown in the modern pantomime. the great fun for the people was to see him well belabored by the saints with the clubs or cudgels, and to hear him howl with pain as he limped off, maimed b the blow of some vigorous anchorite.
What tended to keep up the delusion in this unhappy city, and indeed all over Europe, was the number of hypochondriac and diseased persons who came voluntarily forward, and made confession of witchcraft. .....
Depraved persons who, in ordinary times, would have been thieves or murderers, added the desire of sorcery to their depravity, sometimes with the hope of acquiring power over their fellows, and sometimes with the hope of securing impunity in this world by the protection of Satan.
Depraved persons who, in ordinary times, would have been thieves or murderers, added the desire of sorcery to their depravity, sometimes with the hope of acquiring power over their fellows, and sometimes with the hope of securing impunity in this world by the protection of Satan.
