these thy several behests? Of a truth I will accomplish all, and bow to
thy command. But stand nearer, I pray; for a little space let us cast
our arms about each other, and take our fill of dire sorrow."
With these words he stretched forth his hands to clasp him, but could
not; for, like a smoke, the spirit vanished earthward with a wailing
cry. Amazed, Achilles sprang up, and smote his hands together, and spake
a piteous word:--
"O ye heavens! surely, even among the dead, the soul and wraith are
something (yet is there no life therein at all). For all night long the
soul of poor Patroklos stood beside me, crying and making lamentation,
and bade me do his will; it was the perfect image of himself."
So he spake, and in the hearts of them all roused desire for
lamentation; and while they yet were mourning about the pitiful corpse
appeared rosy-fingered dawn.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 13: George Bell & Sons.]
XXXIX
VISION OF CROMWELL
By "ARISE EVANS"
A vision that I had presently after the king's death--I thought that I
was in a great hall, like the king's hall, or the castle in Winchester,
and there was none there but a judge that sat upon the bench and myself;
and as I turned to a window in the north-westward, and looking into the
palm of my hand, there appeared to me a face, head and shoulders like
the Lord Fairfax's, and presently it vanished. Again, there arose the
Lord Cromwell, and he vanished likewise; then arose a young face and he
had a crown upon his head, and he vanished also; and another young face
arose with a crown upon his head, and he vanished also; and another
young face arose with a crown upon his head, and vanished in like
manner; and as I turned the palm of my hand back again to me and looked,
there did appear no more in it. Then I turned to the judge and said to
him, there arose in my hand seven, and five of them had crowns; but when
I turned my hand, the blood turned to its veins, and these appeared no
more: so I awoke. The interpretation of this vision is, that after the
Lord Cromwell, there shall be kings again in England, which thing is
signified unto us by those that arose after him, who were all crowned,
but the generations to come may look for a change of the blood, and of
the name in the royal seat, after five kings once passed, 2 Kings x. 30.
(The words referred to in this text are these:) "And the Lord said unto
Jehu, because thou hast done well, etc., thy children of the fourth
generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel."
XL
LORD STRAFFORD'S WARNING
By the Rev. JOHN MASTIN
In the Rev. John Mastin's _History of Naseby_ is cited a story of an
apparition that was supposed to have appeared to Charles the First at
Daintree, near Naseby, previous to the famous battle of that name.
The army of Charles, says the historian, consisting of less than 5000
foot, and about as many horse, was ordered to Daintree, whither the King
went with a thorough resolution of fighting. The next day, however, to
the surprise of Prince Rupert and all the rest of the army, this design
was given up, and the former one of going to the north resumed. The
reason of this alteration in his plans was alleged to be some presages
of ill-fortune which the King had received, and which were related to
me, says Mr Mastin's authority, by a person of Newark, at that time in
His Majesty's horse. About two hours after the King had retired to rest,
said the narrator, some of his attendants hearing an uncommon noise in
his chamber, went into it, where they found His Majesty sitting up in
bed and much agitated, but nothing which could have produced the noise
they fancied they had heard. The King, in a tremulous voice, inquired
after the cause of their alarm, and told them how much he had been
disturbed, apparently by a dream, by thinking he had seen an apparition
of Lord Strafford, who, after upbraiding him for his cruelty, told him
he was come to return him good for evil, and that he advised him by no
means to fight the Parliament army that was at that time quartered at
Northampton, for it was one which the King could never conquer by arms.
Prince Rupert, in whom courage was the predominant quality, rated the
King out of his apprehensions the next day, and a resolution was again
taken to meet the enemy. The next night, however, the apparition
appeared to him a second time, but with looks of anger assuring him that
would be the last advice he should be permitted to give him, but that if
he kept his resolution of fighting he was undone. If His Majesty had
taken the advice of the friendly ghost, and marched northward the next
day, where the Parliament had few English forces, and where the Scots
were becoming very discontented, his affairs might, perhaps, still have
had a prosperous issue, or if he had marched immediately into the west
he might afterwards have fought on more equal terms. But the King,
fluctuating between the apprehensions of his imagination and the
reproaches of his courage, remained another whole day at Daintree in a
state of inactivity. The battle of Naseby, fought 14th June 1645, put a
finishing stroke to the King's affairs. After this he could never get
together an army fit to look the enemy in the face. He was often heard
to say that he wished he had taken _the warning_, and not fought at
Naseby; the meaning of which nobody knew but those to whom he had told
of the apparition which he had seen at Daintree, and all of whom were,
subsequently, charged to keep the affair secret.
XLI
KOTTER'S RED CIRCLE
From FERRIER'S "Apparitions"
Kotter's first vision was detailed by him, on oath, before the
magistrates of Sprottaw, in 1619. While he was travelling on foot, in
open daylight, in June 1616, a man appeared to him, who ordered him to
inform the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, that great evils were
impending over Germany, for the punishment of the sins of the people;
after which he vanished. The same apparition met him at different times,
and compelled him at length, by threats, to make this public
declaration.
After this, his visions assumed a more imposing appearance: on one
occasion the angel (for such he was now confessed to be) showed him
three suns, filling one half of the heavens; and nine moons, with their
horns turned towards the east, filling the other half. At the same time,
a superb fountain of pure water spouted from the arid soil, under his
feet.
At another time, he beheld a mighty lion, treading on the moon, and
seven other lions around him, in the clouds.
Sometimes he beheld the encounter of hostile armies, splendidly
accoutred; sometimes he wandered through palaces, whose only inhabitants
were devouring monsters; or beheld dragons of enormous size, in various
scenes of action.
He was at length attended by two angels, in his ecstasy; one of his
visions at this time was of the most formidable and impressive kind. "On
the 13th day of September, says he, both the youths returned to me,
saying, be not afraid, but observe the thing which will be shewn to
thee. And I suddenly beheld a circle, like the sun, red, and as it were,
bloody: in which were black and white lines, or spots, so intermingled,
that sometimes there appeared a greater number of blacks, sometimes of
white; and this sight continued for some space of time. And when they
had said to me, Behold! Attend! Fear not! No evil will befal thee! Lo,
there were three successive peals of thunder, at short intervals, so
loud and dreadful, that I shuddered all over. But the circle stood
before me, and the black and white spots were disunited, and the circle
approached so near that I could have touched it with my hand. And it was
so beautiful, that I had never in my life seen any thing more agreeable:
and the white spots were so bright and pleasant, that I could not
contain my admiration. But the black spots were carried away in cloud of
horrible darkness, in which I heard a dismal outcry, though I could see
no one. Yet these words of lamentation were audible: Woe unto us, who
have committed ourselves unto the black cloud, to be withdrawn from the
circle coloured with the blood of divine grace, in which the grace of
God, in his well-beloved Son, had inclosed us."
After several other piteous exclamations, he saw a procession of many
thousand persons, bearing palms, and singing hymns, but of very small
stature, enter the red circle, from the black cloud, chanting
halleluiah.
XLII
THE VISION OF CHARLES XI. OF SWEDEN
From a _Procés-verbal_
The authenticity of the following narrative rests upon a
_procés-verbal_, drawn out in form, and attested by the signatures of
four credible witnesses.