The amazing sequel to this strange story is that within the six years allotted by the prophecy, every detail thereof was verified absolutely.  The facts are known to all students of the French Revolution, and may be verified by reference to any history of that terrible period.  To appreciate the startling nature of the prophecy when made, one needs but to be acquainted with the position and characteristics of the persons whose destinies were foretold.  This celebrated instance of highly advanced future-time clairvoyance, or prevision, has never been equalled.  The reason, perhaps, is that Cazotte indeed was an advanced and highly developed occultist—­the account mentions this, you will notice.  This class of persons very seldom prophecy in this way, for reasons known to all occultists.  The ordinary cases recorded are those in which the manifestation is that of a person of lesser powers and less perfect development.

Advanced occultists know the danger of a careless use of this power.  They know that (omitting other and very important reasons) such revelations would work a terrible effect upon the minds of persons not sufficiently well balanced to stand the disclosure.  Moreover, they know that if the average person knew the principal details of his future life on earth, then he would lose interest in it—­it would become stale and would lose the attraction of the unknown.  In such a case, the pleasant things to come would lose their attractiveness by reason of having been dwelt on so long that their flavor was lost; and the unpleasant things would become unbearable by reason of the continual anticipation of them.  We are apt to discount our pleasures by dwelling too much upon them in anticipation; and, as we all know, the dread of a coming evil often is worse than the thing itself—­we suffer a thousand pangs in anticipation to one in reality.  But, as I have intimated, there are other, and still more serious reasons why the advanced occultists do not indulge in public prophecies of this kind.  It is probable that Cazotte decided to, and was permitted to, make his celebrated prophecy for some important occult reason of which La Harpe had no knowledge—­it doubtless was a part of the working out of some great plan, and it may have accomplished results undreamed of by us.  At any rate, it was something very much out of the; ordinary, even in the case of advanced occultists and masters of esoteric knowledge.

Another case which has a historic value is the well-known case concerning the assassination of Spencer Perceval, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in England, which occurred in the lobby of the House of Commons.  The persons who have a knowledge of the case report that some nine days before the tragic occurrence a Cornish mine manager, named John Williams, had a vision, three times in succession, in which he saw a small man, dressed in a blue coat and white waistcoat, enter the lobby of the House of Commons; whereupon another