Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay (read book txt) 📖

“Sabbaths,” or meetings of witches and demons, ii. 107, 133. (See Witchcraft.) Sainte Croix, the slow poisoner in France, his crimes and death, ii. 208, 211. Saints, relics of, ii. 304. Saladin, his military successes, ii. 63; his defence of Acre, 69, 71; defeated at Azotus, 72; and at Jaffa, 74. “Saladin’s tithe,” a tax enforced by the Crusaders, ii. 65. Salamanders. (See the Rosicrucians.) Santa Scala, or Holy Stairs, at Rome, ii. 304. Schinderhannes, the German robber, ii. 256. Scotland, witchcraft in. (See Witchcraft.) Scott, Sir Walter, his anachronisms on the Crusades, ii. 74, 98. “Scratching Fanny,” or the Cock Lane Ghost; her remains in the vault of St. John’s Church, Clerkenwell, ii. 230. Seal of Edward I. (engraving), ii. 97. Seifeddoulet, the Sultan, his reception of Alfarabi, the alchymist, i. 98. Semlin attacked by the Crusaders, ii. 15. Sendivogius, a Polish alchymist, i. 164, 165. Senés, Bishop of, his report on Jean Delisle’s success in alchymy, i. 193. Serlo cuts off the hair of Henry I. (engraving), i. 296, 298. Seton, the Cosmopolite, an alchymist; memoir of, i. 163. Sevigné, Madame, her account of Madame de Brinvilliers, ii. 208, 213. Shakespere’s Mulberry-tree, ii. 307. Sharp, Giles, contriver of mysterious noises at Woodstock Palace, ii. 224. Shem, the son of Noah, an alchymist, i. 95. Sheppard, Jack, his popularity—lines on his portrait by Thornhill, ii. 252; evil effect of a novel and melo-dramas representing his career, 253. Sherwood Forest, and Robin Hood (engraving), ii. 249, 250. Shipton, Mother, her prophecy of the fire of London, i. 230; her popularity, 231; view of her cottage, 241. Simeon, the Patriarch, a promoter of the Crusades, ii. 7. Slang phrases. (See Popular Follies.) Slow Poisoners, the. (See Poisoning.) Smollett, on history and the South-Sea Bubble, i. 67. Soliman the Sultan, his conflict with the Crusaders, ii. 18. Somerset, the Earl of (poisoner of Sir Thos. Overbury), portrait of, ii. 200; his origin and rise at court; supposed vicious connexion with James I.; his intrigue and marriage with the Countess of Essex; the murder of Overbury; the earl’s trial and sentence, 193-201. Somerset, the Countess of, her participation in the murder of Sir Thos. Overbury, with portrait, ii. 201. Songs: on the Mississippi scheme, i. 36; on the South-Sea Bubble, 50; on famous thieves, ii. 260; on witchcraft, popular in Germany, 165; popularity of “Cherry Ripe,” “The Sea,” “Jim Crow,” 246. Songs, Beranger’s “Thirteen at Table,” i. 257. Songs of the Rosicrucians, i. 168, 204. Sorcery. (See Witchcraft and Alchemy.) Sorel, Agnes, her patronage of Jacques Cœur, the alchymist, i. 132. South-Sea Bubble, history of, i. 45-84; the Company originated by Harley, Earl of Oxford; its primary object, 45; visionary ideas of South-Sea trade; restrictions imposed by Spanish Government, 46; proposals to Parliament to reduce the debt; capital increased to twelve millions; success of the Company, 47; its application to take the whole state debt; counter application by the Bank of England; the former adopted by Parliament; stock rises from 130 to 300, 48; Sir R. Walpole’s warning; directors’ exertions to raise the prices, 49; bill passed; great demand for shares, 50; other bubble schemes started and encouraged, 51, 52; eighty-six of them dissolved, 55, 57; shares at 400; fall to 290, but raised by the directors’ schemes, 51; dividend declared; increased excitement, 52; Swift’ lines on Change Alley; extent of the delusion; frauds of schemers, 54; fears of the judicious; bubble companies proclaimed unlawful, 55; continued excitement; stock at 1000, 62, 63; Sir John Blunt, the chairman, sells out; stock falls; meeting of the company; Mr. Secretary Craggs supports directors, 63; increased panic; negociation with Bank of England, 64, 65; they agree to circulate the company’s bonds, 66; total failure of the company; social and moral evils of the scheme, 67; arrogance of the directors; petitions for vengeance on them; King’s speech to Parliament, 69; debates thereon, 69, 71; punishment resolved on, 70; Walpole’s plan to restore credit; officers of the company forbidden to leave England, 71; ministers proved to have been bribed by shares, 73, 77; directors apprehended; treasurer absconds, 73; measures to arrest him, 73, 74; directors expelled from Parliament, 74; chairman’s examination, 75; treasurer imprisoned at Antwerp, but escapes, 76; reports on the details of the fraud, 76; Mr. Stanhope, Secretary to Treasury, charged but acquitted; dissatisfaction thereon, 78; Mr. Aislabie, Chancellor of the Exchequer, committed to the Tower, and consequent rejoicings (engraving), 79; Sir George Caswall punished; the Earl of Sunderland acquitted; death of Mr. Secretary Craggs, and his father, participators in the fraud, 80; heavy fines on the directors; account of these proceedings by Gibbon the historian, 81; measures adopted to restore credit, 83; caricatures by Hogarth and others (seven engravings), 60, 61, 68, 70, 76, 82, 84. South-Sea House, view of, i. 45. Spara, Hieronyma, the slow poisoner of Rome, her trial and execution, ii. 205. Speculations. (See Money Mania, the Mississippi Scheme, South-Sea Bubble, and Bubble Schemes.) Spenser, his description of Merlin and his cave, i. 232, 237. Spirits. (See Demons, Witchcraft, Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, &c.) Sprenger, a German witch-finder; his persecutions, ii. 118-159. St. Bernard preaches the second Crusade, ii. 53, 55; his miracles, 56; failure of his prophecies, 62. St. Dunstan and the devil, ii. 103. St. Evremond, his account of the impositions of Valentine Greatraks, i. 270. St. Germain (Count de), the alchymist, memoir of, i. 200; his profusion of jewels, 203; his pretensions to long life, 205. St. John’s Eve, St. Mark’s Eve, St. Swithin’s Eve, superstitious customs, i. 258. Stanhope, Earl, supports the proposition to punish the directors of the South-Sea Company, i. 72, 73; is stigmatised in Parliament, and dies suddenly, 75. Stanhope, Charles, secretary to Treasury; his participation in the South-Sea fraud, i. 77, 78; his acquittal by parliament, and consequent disturbances, 78. Stedinger, the, a section of the Frieslanders; their independence; accused of witchcraft by the Pope, and exterminated by the German nobles, ii. 110, 111. Stephen, king of Poland, his credulity and superstition, i. 159. Stock jobbing. (See South-Sea Bubble.) “Stock Jobbing Cards,” or caricatures of the South-Sea Bubble (two engravings), i. 60, 61. Stonehenge ascribed to Merlin, i. 237. Suger dissuades Louis VII. from the Crusade, ii. 55-62. Sully, his wise opposition to duelling, ii. 279 Sunderland, Earl of, portrait of, i. 80; his participation in the South-Sea Bubble, i. 50, 77, 78; discontent at his acquittal, 80. Superstitions on the 1st of January, Valentine Day, Lady Day, St. Swithin’s Eve, St. Mark’s Eve, Candlemas Eve, Midsummer, St. John’s Eve, 29th February, 258. Surrey and the fair Geraldine; the vision shewn by Cornelius Agrippa, i. 142. Sweden, executions for witchcraft, ii. 177. Sylphs. (See the Rosicrucians.) Syria. (See the Crusades.) Tancred, his achievements in the first Crusade, ii. 26, 35, 38, 39, 45. Tax on beards imposed by Peter the Great, i. 301. Tedworth, Wiltshire, the “haunted house” there; narrative of the deception, ii. 224. Tempests caused by witches, ii. 102, 106, 133, 134. Templars, Knights, subdued by Saladin, ii. 63; support Frederick II. in the seventh Crusade, 86; their subsequent reverses,