Fanaticpreacherskeptuptheflameofterror。Everyshootingstarfurnishedoccasionforasermon，inwhichthesublimityoftheapproachingjudgmentwastheprincipaltopic。
　　Theappearanceofcometshasbeenoftenthoughttoforetellthespeedydissolutionofthisworld。Partofthisbeliefstillexists；
　　butthecometisnolongerlookeduponasthesign，buttheagentofdestruction。Solatelyasintheyear1832thegreatestalarmspreadovertheContinentofEurope，especiallyinGermany，lestthecomet，whoseappearancewasthenforetoldbyastronomers，shoulddestroytheearth。Thedangerofourglobewasgravelydiscussed。Manypersonsrefrainedfromundertakingorconcludinganybusinessduringthatyear，inconsequencesolelyoftheirapprehensionthatthisterriblecometwoulddashusandourworldtoatoms。
　　Duringseasonsofgreatpestilencemenhaveoftenbelievedthepropheciesofcrazedfanatics，thattheendoftheworldwascome。
　　Credulityisalwaysgreatestintimesofcalamity。Propheciesofallsortsarerifeonsuchoccasions，andarereadilybelieved，whetherforgoodorevil。Duringthegreatplague，whichravagedallEurope，betweentheyears1345and1350，itwasgenerallyconsideredthattheendoftheworldwasathand。PretendedprophetsweretobefoundinalltheprincipalcitiesofGermany，France，andItaly，predictingthatwithintenyearsthetrumpoftheArchangelwouldsound，andtheSaviourappearinthecloudstocalltheearthtojudgment。
　　NolittleconsternationwascreatedinLondonin1736bytheprophecyofthefamousWhiston，thattheworldwouldbedestroyedinthatyear，onthe13thofOctober。CrowdsofpeoplewentoutontheappointeddaytoIslington，Hampstead，andthefieldsintervening，toseethedestructionofLondon，whichwastobethe“beginningoftheend。“AsatiricalaccountofthisfollyisgiveninSwift’sMiscellanies，vol。iii。entitled，“ATrueandFaithfulNarrativeofwhatpassedinLondononaRumouroftheDayofJudgment。“Anauthenticnarrativeofthisdelusionwouldbeinteresting；butthissolemnwitticismofPopeandGayisnottobedependedupon。
　　Intheyear1761thecitizensofLondonwereagainfrightenedoutoftheirwitsbytwoshocksofanearthquake，andtheprophecyofathird，whichwastodestroythemaltogether。Thefirstshockwasfeltonthe8thofFebruary，andthrewdownseveralchimneysintheneighbourhoodofLimehouseandPoplar；thesecondhappenedonthe8thofMarch，andwaschieflyfeltinthenorthofLondon，andtowardsHampsteadandHighgate。Itsoonbecamethesubjectofgeneralremark，thattherewasexactlyanintervalofamonthbetweentheshocks；andacrack-brainedfellow，namedBell，asoldierintheLifeGuards，wassoimpressedwiththeideathattherewouldbeathirdinanothermonth，thathelosthissensesaltogether，andranaboutthestreetspredictingthedestructionofLondononthe5thofApril。Mostpeoplethoughtthatthefirstwouldhavebeenamoreappropriateday；buttherewerenotwantingthousandswhoconfidentlybelievedtheprediction，andtookmeasurestotransportthemselvesandfamiliesfromthesceneoftheimpendingcalamity。Astheawfuldayapproached，theexcitementbecameintense，andgreatnumbersofcredulouspeopleresortedtoallthevillageswithinacircuitoftwentymiles，awaitingthedoomofLondon。Islington，Highgate，Hampstead，Harrow，andBlackheath，werecrowdedwithpanic-strickenfugitives，whopaidexorbitantpricesforaccommodationtothehousekeepersofthesesecureretreats。Suchascouldnotaffordtopayforlodgingsatanyofthoseplaces，remainedinLondonuntiltwoorthreedaysbeforethetime，andthenencampedinthesurroundingfields，awaitingthetremendousshockwhichwastolaytheirhighcityalllevelwiththedust。AshappenedduringasimilarpanicinthetimeofHenryVIII，thefearbecamecontagious，andhundredswhohadlaughedatthepredictionaweekbefore，packeduptheirgoods，whentheysawothersdoingso，andhastenedaway。Theriverwasthoughttobeaplaceofgreatsecurity，andallthemerchantvesselsintheportwerefilledwithpeople，whopassedthenightbetweenthe4thand5thonboard，expectingeveryinstanttoseeSt。Paul’stotter，andthetowersofWestminsterAbbeyrockinthewindandfallamidacloudofdust。Thegreaterpartofthefugitivesreturnedonthefollowingday，convincedthattheprophetwasafalseone；butmanyjudgeditmoreprudenttoallowaweektoelapsebeforetheytrustedtheirdearlimbsinLondon。
　　Belllostallcreditinashorttime，andwaslookeduponevenbythemostcredulousasameremadman。Hetriedsomeotherprophecies，butnobodywasdeceivedbythem；and，inafewmonthsafterwards，hewasconfinedinalunaticasylum。
　　ApanicterroroftheendoftheworldseizedthegoodpeopleofLeedsanditsneighbourhoodintheyear1806。Itarosefromthefollowingcircumstances。Ahen，inavillagecloseby，laideggs，onwhichwereinscribed，inlegiblecharacters，thewords“Christiscoming。“Greatnumbersvisitedthespot，andexaminedthesewondrouseggs，convincedthatthedayofjudgmentwasnearathand。Likesailorsinastorm，expectingeveryinstanttogotothebottom，thebelieverssuddenlybecamereligious，prayedviolently，andflatteredthemselvesthattheyrepentedthemoftheirevilcourses。Butaplaintalesoonputthemdown，andquenchedtheirreligionentirely。Somegentlemen，hearingofthematter，wentonefinemorning，andcaughtthepoorhenintheactoflayingoneofhermiraculouseggs。Theysoonascertainedbeyonddoubtthattheegghadbeeninscribedwithsomecorrosiveink，andcruellyforcedupagainintothebird’sbody。
　　Atthisexplanation，thosewhohadprayed，nowlaughed，andtheworldwaggedasmerrilyasofyore。
　　AtthetimeoftheplagueinMilan，in1630，ofwhichsoaffectingadescriptionhasbeenleftusbyRipamonte，inhisinterestingwork“DePesteMediolani“，thepeople，intheirdistress，listenedwithaviditytothepredictionsofastrologersandotherimpostors。Itissingularenoughthattheplaguewasforetoldayearbeforeitbrokeout。Alargecometappearingin1628，theopinionsofastrologersweredividedwithregardtoit。Someinsistedthatitwasaforerunnerofabloodywar；othersmaintainedthatitpredictedagreatfamine；butthegreaternumber，foundingtheirjudgmentuponitspalecolour，thoughtitportendedapestilence。Thefulfilmentoftheirpredictionbroughtthemintogreatreputewhiletheplaguewasraging。
　　Otherprophecieswerecurrent，whichwereassertedtohavebeendeliveredhundredsofyearspreviously。Theyhadamostperniciouseffectuponthemindofthevulgar，astheyinducedabeliefinfatalism。Bytakingawaythehopeofrecovery-thatgreatestbalmineverymalady-theyincreasedthreefoldtheravagesofthedisease。
　　Onesingularpredictionalmostdrovetheunhappypeoplemad。Anancientcouplet，preservedforagesbytradition，foretold，thatintheyear1630thedevilwouldpoisonallMilan。EarlyonemorninginApril，andbeforethepestilencehadreacheditsheight，thepassengersweresurprisedtoseethatallthedoorsintheprincipalstreetsofthecityweremarkedwithacuriousdaub，orspot，asifasponge，filledwiththepurulentmatteroftheplague-sores，hadbeenpressedagainstthem。Thewholepopulationwerespeedilyinmovementtoremarkthestrangeappearance，andthegreatestalarmspreadrapidly。Everymeanswastakentodiscovertheperpetrators，butinvain。Atlasttheancientprophecywasremembered，andprayerswereofferedupinallthechurchesthatthemachinationsoftheEvilOnemightbedefeated。Manypersonswereofopinionthattheemissariesofforeignpowerswereemployedtospreadinfectiouspoisonoverthecity；butbyfarthegreaternumberwereconvincedthatthepowersofhellhadconspiredagainstthem，andthattheinfectionwasspreadbysupernaturalagencies。Inthemeantimetheplagueincreasedfearfully。Distrustandalarmtookpossessionofeverymind。
　　Everythingwasbelievedtohavebeenpoisonedbythedevil；thewatersofthewells，thestandingcorninthefields，andthefruituponthetrees。Itwasbelievedthatallobjectsoftouchwerepoisoned；thewallsofthehouses，thepavementofthestreets，andtheveryhandlesofthedoors。Thepopulacewereraisedtoapitchofungovernablefury。Astrictwatchwaskeptforthedevil’semissaries，andanymanwhowantedtoberidofanenemy，hadonlytosaythathehadseenhimbesmearingadoorwithointment；hisfatewascertaindeathatthehandsofthemob。Anoldman，upwardsofeightyyearsofage，adailyfrequenterofthechurchofSt。Antonio，wasseen，onrisingfromhisknees，towipewiththeskirtofhiscloakthestoolonwhichhewasabouttositdown。Acrywasraisedimmediatelythathewasbesmearingtheseatwithpoison。Amobofwomen，bywhomthechurchwascrowded，seizedholdofthefeebleoldman，anddraggedhimoutbythehairofhishead，withhorridoathsandimprecations。Hewastrailedinthismannerthroughthemiretothehouseofthemunicipaljudge，thathemightbeputtotherack，andforcedtodiscoverhisaccomplices；butheexpiredontheway。Manyothervictimsweresacrificedtothepopularfury。OneMora，whoappearstohavebeenhalfachemistandhalfabarber，wasaccusedofbeinginleaguewiththedeviltopoisonMilan。Hishousewassurrounded，andanumberofchemicalpreparationswerefound。Thepoormanasserted，thattheywereintendedaspreservativesagainstinfection；butsomephysicians，towhomtheyweresubmitted，declaredtheywerepoison。Morawasputtotherack，whereheforalongtimeassertedhisinnocence。Heconfessedatlast，whenhiscouragewasworndownbytorture，thathewasinleaguewiththedevilandforeignpowerstopoisonthewholecity；thathehadanointedthedoors，andinfectedthefountainsofwater。Henamedseveralpersonsashisaccomplices，whowereapprehendedandputtoasimilartorture。Theywereallfoundguilty，andexecuted。Mora’shousewasrasedtotheground，andacolumnerectedonthespot，withaninscriptiontocommemoratehisguilt。
　　Whilethepublicmindwasfilledwiththesemarvellousoccurrences，theplaguecontinuedtoincrease。Thecrowdsthatwerebroughttogethertowitnesstheexecutions，spreadtheinfectionamongoneanother。Butthefuryoftheirpassions，andtheextentoftheircredulity，keptpacewiththeviolenceoftheplague；everywonderfulandpreposterousstorywasbelieved。One，inparticular，occupiedthemtotheexclusion，foralongtime，ofeveryother。TheDevilhimselfhadbeenseen。HehadtakenahouseinMilan，inwhichhepreparedhispoisonousunguents，andfurnishedthemtohisemissariesfordistribution。Onemanhadbroodedoversuchtalestillhebecamefirmlyconvincedthatthewildflightsofhisownfancywererealities。Hestationedhimselfinthemarket-placeofMilan，andrelatedthefollowingstorytothecrowdsthatgatheredroundhim。Hewasstanding，hesaid，atthedoorofthecathedral，lateintheevening，andwhentherewasnobodynigh，hesawadark-colouredchariot，drawnbysixmilk-whitehorses，stopclosebesidehim。Thechariotwasfollowedbyanumeroustrainofdomesticsindarkliveries，mountedondark-colouredsteeds。Inthechariottheresatatallstrangerofamajesticaspect；hislongblackhairfloatedinthewind——fireflashedfromhislargeblackeyes，andacurlofineffablescorndweltuponhislips。Thelookofthestrangerwassosublimethathewasawed，andtrembledwithfearwhenhegazeduponhim。Hiscomplexionwasmuchdarkerthanthatofanymanhehadeverseen，andtheatmospherearoundhimwashotandsuffocating。Heperceivedimmediatelythathewasabeingofanotherworld。Thestranger，seeinghistrepidation，askedhimblandly，yetmajestically，tomountbesidehim。Hehadnopowertorefuse，andbeforehewaswellawarethathehadmoved，hefoundhimselfinthechariot。Onwardstheywent，withtherapidityofthewind，thestrangerspeakingnoword，untiltheystoppedbeforeadoorinthehigh-streetofMilan。Therewasacrowdofpeopleinthestreet，but，tohisgreatsurprise，nooneseemedtonoticetheextraordinaryequipageanditsnumeroustrain。Fromthisheconcludedthattheywereinvisible。Thehouseatwhichtheystoppedappearedtobeashop，buttheinteriorwaslikeavasthalf-ruinedpalace。Hewentwithhismysteriousguidethroughseverallargeand