Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.

ISBN: 9781890151409 | 1890151408
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 1/1/2000

eBook

Available Instantly

Online: 1825 Days

Downloadable: Lifetime Access

$31.44

Whenever struck by campaigns, fads, cults and fashions, the reader may take some comfort that Charles Mackay can demonstrate historical parallels for almost every neurosis of our times. The South Sea Bubble, Witch Mania, Alchemy, the Crusades, Fortune-telling, Haunted Houses, and even 'Tulipomania' are only some of the subjects covered in this book, which is given a contemporary perspective through Professor Norman Stone's lively new Introduction.

THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME

John Law; his birth and youthful career---Duel between Law and Wilson---Law's escape from the King's Bench---The ``Land-bank''---Law's gambling propensities on the continent, and acquaintance with the Duke of Orleans---State of France after the reign of Louis XIV.---Paper money instituted in that country by Law---Enthusiasm of the French People at the Mississippi Scheme---Marshall Villars---Stratagems employed and bribes given for an interview with Law---Great fluctuations in Mississippi stock---Dreadful murders---Law created comptroller-general of finances---Great sale for all kinds of ornaments in Paris---Financial difficulties commence---Men sent out to work the mines on the Mississippi, as a blind---Payment stopped at the bank---Law dismissed from the ministry---Payments made in specie---Law and the Regent satirised in song---Dreadful crisis of the Mississippi Scheme---Law, almost a ruined man, flies to Venice---Death of the Regent---Law obliged to resort again to gambling---his death at Venice

(45)

THE SOUTH-SEA BUBBLE

Originated by Harley Earl of Oxford---Exchange Alley a scene of great excitement---Mr. Walpole---Sir John Blunt---Great Demand for shares---Innumerable ``Bubbles''---List of nefarious projects and bubbles---Great rise in South-Sea stock---Sudden fall---General meeting of the directors---Fearful climax of the South-Sea expedition---Its effects on society---Uproar in the House of Commons---Escape of Knight---Apprehension of Sir John Blunt---Recapture of Knight at Tirlemont---His---second escape---Persons connected with the scheme examined---Their respective punishments---Concluding remarks

(43)

THE TULIPOMANIA

Conrad Gesner---Tulips brought from Vienna to England---Rage for the tulip among the Dutch---Its great value---Curious anecdote of a sailor and a tulip---Regular marts for tulips---Tulips employed as a means of speculation---Great depreciation in their value---End of the mania

(9)

THE ALCHYMISTS

Introductory remarks---Pretended antiquity of the art---Geber---Alfarabi---Avicenna---Albertus Magnus---Thomas Aquinas---Artephius---Alain de Lisle---Arnold de Villeneuve---Pietro d'Apone---Raymond Lulli---Roger Bacon---Pope John XXII.---Jean de Meung---Nicholas Flamel---George Ripley---Basil Valentine---Bernard of Treves---Trithemius---The Marechal de Rays---Jacques Coeur---Inferior adepts---Progress of the infatuation during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries---Augurello---Cornelius Agrippa---Paracelsus---George Agricola---Denys Zachaire---Dr. Dee and Edward Kelly---The Cosmopolite---Sendivogius---The Rosicrucians---Michael Mayer---Robert Fludd---Jacob Bohmen---John Heydon---Joseph Francis Borri---Alchymical writers of the seventeenth century---Delisle---Albert Aluys---Count de St.---Germain---Cagliostro---Present state of the science

(159)

MODERN PROPHECIES

Terror of the approaching day of judgment---A comet the signal of that day---The prophecy of Whiston---The people of Leeds greatly alarmed at that event---The plague in Milan---Fortune-tellers and Astrologers---Prophecy concerning the overflow of the Thames---Mother Shipton---Merlin---Heywood---Peter of Pontefract---Robert Nixon---Almanac-makers

257

(24)

FORTUNE-TELLING

Presumption and weakness of man---Union of Fortune-tellers and Alchymists---Judicial astrology encouraged in England from the time of Elizabeth to William and Mary---Lilly the astrologer consulted by the House of Commons as to the cause of the Fire of London---Encouragement of the art in France and Germany---Nostradamus---Basil of Florence---Antiochus Tibertus---Kepler---Necromancy---Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Arnold Villeneuve---Geomancy---Augury---Divination: list of various species of divination---Oneiro-criticism (interpretation of dreams)---Omens

281

(23)

THE MAGNETISERS

The influence of imagination in curing disease---Mineral magnetisers---Paracelsus---Kircher the Jesuit---Sebastian Wirdig---William Maxwell---The Convulsionaries of St. Medard---Father Hell---Mesmer, the founder of Animal Magnetism---D'Eslon, his disciple---M. de Puysegur---Dr. Mainauduc's success in London---Holloway, Loutherbourg, Mary Pratt, &c.---Perkins's ``Metallic Tractors''---Decline of the science

304

(42)

INFLUENCE OF POLITICS AND RELIGION ON THE HAIR AND BEARD

Early modes of wearing the hair and beard---Excommunication and outlawry decreed against curls---Louis VII.'s submission thereto the cause of the long wars between England and France---Charles V. of Spain and his courtiers---Peter the Great---His tax upon beards---Revival of beards and moustaches after the French Revolution of 1830---The King of Bavaria (1838) orders all civilians wearing moustaches to be arrested and shaved---Examples from Bayeux tapestry

346

(8)

THE CRUSADES

Different accounts of the Crusaders derived from History and Romance---Pilgrimages to the Holy Land first undertaken by converted Jews and the very credulous---Increasing number of pilgrims every year---Relics greatly valued---Haroun al Reschid---The pilgrims taxed---Robert of Normandy---The pilgrims persecuted by the Turks---Peter the Hermit---His first idea of rousing the powers of Christendom---His interview with Simeon---Peter the Hermit preaches the Holy War to all the nations of Christendom---The Pope crosses the Alps---King Philip accused of adultery with Bertrade de Montfort---The Council of Clermont---Oration of Urban II.---The ``Truce of God''---Gautier sans Avoir, or Walter the Pennyless---Gottschalk---The Arrival at Semlin---Peter the Hermit at Nissa---At Constantinople---The Crusaders conducted in safety to Constantinople---Fresh hordes from Germany---Godfrey of Bouillon---Count of Vermandois---Tancred---The siege of Antioch---The Holy Lance---Fate of Peter Barthelemy---Siege of Jerusalem---St. Bernard---Second Crusade: Siege of Damascus---Third Crusade: Death of Henry II.---Richard Coeur de Lion---Fourth Crusade---Fifth Crusade: Constantinople assaulted---Sixth Crusade: Camhel and Cohreddin---Seventh Crusade: Departure of Louis IX. for Cyprus---For Acre---His death at Carthage---End of the Crusades

354

(108)

THE WITCH MANIA

Popular notions of the devil---Inferior demons---Demons of both sexes---Demons preferring the night between Friday and Saturday---The devil in the shape of a goat---Sorcery---Execution of Joan of Arc---Witches burned in Europe---Various charges of Witchcraft---Trois Echelles---The Witches of Warbois---John Knox---Torture of Dr. Fian---The Lancashire Witches---Matthew Hopkins---Burnings at Wurzburg, at Lindheim, at Labourt---Request of the parliament of Rouen to the King, in 1670---Wurzburg the scene of the last case of Witchcraft---The Witchcraft of Lady Hatton---Witchcraft at Hastings and many other parts of England

462

(103)

THE SLOW POISONERS

Murder of Sir Thomas Overbury---Trial of Weston---Of Sir Jervis Elwes---Poisoning most prevalent in Italy---Poisons manufactured by La Tophania---Her death---Madame de Brinvilliers---The poisoning of her father and two brothers---Lavoisin and Lavigoreux

565

(28)

HAUNTED HOUSES

The haunted house in Aix-la-Chapelle---In Tours---The royal palace of Woodstock a haunted house---The supposed ghosts at Tedworth---At Cock Lane---At Stockwell---Haunted house at Baldarroch

593

(26)

POPULAR FOLLIES OF GREAT CITIES

Cant phrases---``Quoz''---``What a shocking bad hat''---``Hookey Walker''---``There he goes with his eye out''---``Has your mother sold her mangle?''---``Does your mother know you're out?''---``Tom and Jerry''---``Jim Crow''

619

(13)

POPULAR ADMIRATION OF GREAT THIEVES

Robin Hood---Claude Duval---Dick Turpin---Jonathan Wild---Jack Sheppard---Vidocq---Mausch Nadel---The Beggars' Opera---Rob Roy

632

(15)

DUELS AND ORDEALS

The origin of the Duello---All persons engaged in duelling excommunicated by the Council of Trent---The fire ordeal---The water ordeal---The Corsned---Duel between Ingelgerius and Gontran---Duel between Francois de Vivonne and Guy de Chabot---L'Isle-Marivaut and Marolles---Richelieu---Duel between the Dukes De Beaufort and De Nemours---Laws against duelling---Duel between Lord Sanquir and Turner---Between the Duke of Hamilton and Lord Mohun---German students inveterate duellists

647

(48)

RELICS

The True Cross---Tears of our Saviour---The Santa Scala, or Holy Stairs---The mad Knight of Malta---Shakespeare's Mulberry-tree

695

Please wait while the item is added to your bag...

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials