Clairvoyance and Occult PowersAtkinson, William Walker
Religion
Clairvoyance and Occult Powers
Atkinson, William Walker
Clairvoyance
"One only of the guests had not taken part in all the joyousness of this
conversation, and had even gently and cheerfully checked our splendid
enthusiasm. This was Cazotte, an amiable and original man, but unhappily
infatuated with the reveries of the illumaniti. He spoke, and with the
most serious tone, saying: 'Gentleman, be satisfied; you will all see this
great and sublime revolution, which you so much desire. You know that I am
a little inclined to prophesy; I repeat, you will see it,' He was answered
by the common rejoinder: 'One need not be a conjuror to see that.' He
answered: 'Be it so; but perhaps one must be a little more than conjuror
for what remains for me to tell you. Do you know what will be the
consequences of this revolution--what will be the consequence to all of
you, and what will be the immediate result--the well-established
effect--the thoroughly recognized consequences to all of you who are here
present?'
"'Ah' said Condorcet, with his insolent and half-suppressed smile, 'let us
hear--a philosopher is not sorry to encounter a prophet--let us hear!'
Cazotte replied: 'You, Monsier de Condorcet--you will yield up your last
breath on the floor of a dungeon; you will die from poison, which you will
have taken in order to escape from execution--from poison which the
happiness of that time will oblige you to carry about your person. You,
Monsieur de Chamfort, you will open your veins with twenty-two cuts of a
razor, and yet will not die till some months afterward.' These personages
looked at each other, and laughed again. Cazotte continued: 'You, Monsieur
Vicq d'Azir, you will not open your own veins, but you will cause yourself
to be bled six times in one day, during a paroxysm of the gout, in order
to make more sure of your end, and you will die in the night.'
"Cazotte went on: 'You, Monsieur de Nicolai, you will die on the scaffold;
you, Monsieur Bailly, on the scaffold; you, Monsieur de Malesherbes, on
the scaffold. 'Ah, God be thanked,' exclaimed Roucher, 'and what of I?'
Cazotte replied: 'You? you also will die on the scaffold.' 'Yes,' replied
Chamfort, 'but when will all this happen?' Cazotte answered: 'Six years
will not pass over, before all that I have said to you shall be
accomplished.' Here I (La Harpe) spoke, saying: 'Here are some astonishing
miracles, but you have not included me in your list.' Cazotte answered me,
saying: 'But you will be there, as an equally extraordinary miracle; you
will then be a Christian!' Vehement exclamations on all sides followed
this startling assertion. 'Ah!' said Chamfort, 'I am conforted; if we
shall perish only when La Harpe shall be a Christian, we are immortal;'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account