The Phantom World; or, The philosophy of spirits, apparitions, &c, &c.Calmet, Augustin
Religion
The Phantom World; or, The philosophy of spirits, apparitions, &c, &c.
Calmet, Augustin
Apparitions; Demonology; Spirits
Here follows another remarkable instance of an apparition, related by
M. d'Aubigne. "I affirm upon the word of the king[359] the second
prodigy, as being one of the three stories which he reiterated to us,
his hair standing on end at the time, as we could perceive. This one
is, that the queen having gone to bed at an earlier hour than usual,
and there being present at her _coucher_, amongst other persons of
note, the king of Navarre,[360] the Archbishop of Lyons, the Ladies de
Retz, de Lignerolles, and de Sauve, two of whom have since confirmed
this conversation. As she was hastening to bid them good night, she
threw herself with a start upon her bolster, put her hands before her
face, and crying out violently, she called to her assistance those who
were present, wishing to show them, at the foot of the bed, the
Cardinal (de Lorraine), who extended his hand towards her; she cried
out several times, 'M. the Cardinal, I have nothing to do with you.'
The King of Navarre at the same time sent out one of his gentlemen,
who brought back word that he had expired at that same moment."
I take from Sully's Memoirs,[361] which have just been reprinted in
better order than they were before, another singular fact, which may
be related with these. We still endeavor to find out what can be the
nature of that illusion, seen so often and by the eyes of so many
persons in the Forest of Fontainebleau; it was a phantom surrounded by
a pack of hounds, whose cries were heard, while they might be seen at
a distance, but all disappeared if any one approached.
The note of M. d'Ecluse, editor of these Memoirs, enters into longer
details. He observes that M. de Perefixe makes mention of this
phantom; and he makes him say, with a hoarse voice, one of these three
sentences: Do you expect me? or, Do you hear me? or, Amend yourself.
"And they believe," says he, "that these were sports of sorcerers, or
of the malignant spirit." The Journal of Henry IV., and the Septenary
Chronicle, speak of them also, and even assert that this phenomenon
alarmed Henry IV. and his courtiers very much. And Peter Matthew says
something of it in his History of France, tom. ii. p. 68. Bongars
speaks of it as others do,[362] and asserts that it was a hunter who
had been killed in this forest in the time of Francis I. But now we
hear no more of this spectre, though there is still a road in this
forest which retains the name of the _Grand Veneur_, in memory, it is
said, of this visionary scene.
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