they are either formed out of inanimate objects, which reflect more light than others around them, or of animals or human beings whose colour or change of place renders them more visible in the dark. When the eye dimly descries an inanimate object whose different parts reflect different degrees of light, its brighter parts may enable the spectator to keep up a continued view of it; but the disappearance and re-appearance of its fainter parts, and the change of shape which ensues, will necessarily give it the semblance of a living form, and if it occupies a position which is unapproachable, and where animate objects cannot find their way, the mind will soon transfer to it a supernatural existence. In like manner a human figure shadowed forth in a feeble twilight may undergo similar changes, and after being distinctly seen, while it is in a situation favourable for receiving and reflecting light, it may suddenly disappear in a position fully before, and within the reach of the observer's eye; and if this evanescence takes place in a path or road where there was no side-way by which the figure could escape, it is not easy for an ordinary mind to efface the impression which it cannot fail to receive. Under such circumstances, we never think of distrusting an organ which we have never found to deceive us; and the truth of the maxim that 'seeing is believing,' is too universally admitted, and too deeply rooted in our nature to admit on any occasion of a single exception."

Some of these illusions result from the state of thought and feeling in which a person is in at the period. The Irish peasant, when wandering along some lonesome path at twilight, or by night, has thoughts of fairies and ghost-stories suggested to him, till his superstitious fears are roused into a state of strong excitement, and in this state every bush appears to him as a ghost or fairy. I have a vivid memory of an instance of this kind of illusion, which occurred to myself. I was, at the time, exceedingly apprehensive of dogs, and one day on passing a house in the country, I saw, on turning suddenly, a large dog as I thought, making at me; the sensation was as vivid as any other, but the

illusion was gone in a moment, and the object that produced the apprehension of danger was seen to be no thing more than a large block of wood, as unlike a dog as it was possible to be. Children may easily be so excited by superstitions, as to have these fanciful illusions continually. I have known those who could scarce go out after dark without being terrified by some dreadful appearance, which, on examination, arose from some clothes on a line, or the moonshine on the trees, or the gable end of a house, and other ordinary objects. The illusion resulting from powerful superstitious excitement is finely illustrated by Shakespear, in his description of Macbeth's vision of the dagger:

"Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:-
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? or art thou but

A dagger of the mind; a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still;

And on thy blade, and dudgeon, gouts of blood,
Which was not so before.-There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business, which informs
Thus to mine eyes."

The illusions resulting from these strong states of excitement, it appears to me have, been much used by priests and necromancers, for the purpose of creating a faith in their powers. There was formerly a general practice, and indeed it exists at the present time, among the cunning vulgar, to govern children by exciting fears in them of bugaboos, and when these horrific fancied beings have been described to them, the state of excitement which is produced, it has been found, leads to illusions which confirm the belief in these supernatural

agents. On this knowledge the priest and magician have based much of their power, and have found it the means of controlling the grown-up children. In almost every part of the globe the priests are instigated, by their peculiar opinions and feelings, to excite as much fear as they possibly can of the peculiar gods and demons, or bugaboos, who are the objects of their worship, or, in more correct language, the instruments of their sway. The power of the Hindoo excitement seems much greater than those of the Mahometans, and the Mahometan's theologic excitements are stronger than those of the Christians. The Hindoo's fanatic impulse crushes him under the car Juggernaut; the Mahometan's superstition is adequate to impel him to the sacrifice of his life and fortune for the glory of his God and the prophet; the faith of Christians is by no means so powerful as that of either of these. It is, however undoubtedly true that there is a great deal of superstitious excitement in Christendom; we still hear of miracles being performed by the Catholic priesthood; but, without going abroad, any one who likes may find plenty of instances of theologic illusions, by attending the meetings of the more illiterate class of dissenters. A number of these people often get together in what is called prayer meetings," where they gradually are worked up into a frenzied excitement, during which their vociferations, and hideously extravagant gestures, are truly frightful. In this state, persons will repeat such words as "glory" and "Lord" for several minutes together, and when at the maximum of excitement, I have repeatedly heard them intimate that they were conscious the Holy Ghost was in them, and that Jesus was in their hearts; and these expressions I have found, by frequent enquiry, are not meant to be taken as metaphors, descriptive of their excitements; but, on the contrary, as "bona fide" true; indeed, when I have stated to such persons that they must be aware they were not speaking strictly true, and endeavoured to explain to them their error, they have invariably appeared much offended; and in one instance, being present at a

public discussion, where this subject was referred to, a female, in a strong state of excitement, stood forward and declared, with the usual maniacal energy and expression of countenance, that she was conscious that Jesus was in her bosom, for that she felt him there; the climax of her oration was the following exclamation, which she, pointing to her bosom with a look of exultation, frequently repeated in a wild shriek, "I have him here! I have him here!! I have him here!!!" &c. The Catholics in Ireland have the fullest confidence in the powers of the priest in all cases. He not only promises them a paradise beyond the clouds, and has power over witches, fairies, ghosts and the devil, but also is deemed adequate to cure disease of the body, and when the medical man has given up the patient, the priest comes with his "holy water," and often it is said performs the most wonderful cures. I have heard people declare that they have known persons in the last stage of consumption to be cured in this way. The mystic veneration that is paid to these men excites much vanity in them, and it would be unreasonable to expect from them, while so much reverenced by the vulgar, a confession of the inadequacy of their means, and the quackery of their conduct, both of which are palpable to all well educated people. They, like all other priests, make no effort to remove the popular superstitions, but, on the contrary, make war on those who attempt to do When a powerful theological excitement has been produced, illusions of sight, as well as feeling, take place, and in this state I have heard of people seeing angels in beams of light, and devils in shadows; just as children who have been wont to hear ghost-stories, fancy various objects to be goblins.

So.

There is also a liability to the production of much error through the ear. The echo was, by the ancients, said to have been a young woman, who was changed into a rock, and the illiterate of most countries have their superstitious notions respecting it. In the instance of the echo our sense is not deceived, the error which people have fallen into arises most probably thus;

the echo being somewhat analogous to the human voice, was thought to be a voice, and this notion being produced, they of course attributed like effects to like causes; hence most probably arose the notion of animate agents who produce echo.

The excitements of imagination have great influence on the ear; the tale of Whittington fancying the bells said to him "Turn back Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London," and also the ballad, the heroine of which declares that the church bells said to her, "Mary, do'nt marry John," are really quite philosophical. When at night-time a person is apprehensive of danger from robbers, every breath of wind sounds like the treading of feet, or the sawing of doors open, &c. The senses of taste and smell are often deceived; but those of touch and the muscular frame do not appear to be so liable to deception, as I have before stated in a former part of the essay.

Dreaming is a state of the consciousness produced in us when just verging between the sleeping and waking state. The thoughts are both leaders and suggestions, and excite a variety of feelings. The peculiarity of these thoughts is, that they pass for actual sensations, and that of the feelings is, that they are often unable to contract the muscles; I say often, because in some instances in dreaming there is sufficient nervous power excited to produce strong muscular efforts; but in the majority, there does not appear nervous adequacy to effect this.

One class of dreams arises from immediate sensations. If we go to bed at night and leave the window open so that the wind blows on us in sleep, or if the bed-clothes fall from us, we may be roused into the dreaming state, and the sensation of the cold air may suggest the sea shore and various thoughts respecting it; or it may very likely suggest the notions of our wandering in a state of nudity along the streets, &c. A noise in the house, made by something falling, or the ringing of a bell, or a knock at the door, often produces a dream which generally appears to have been going on from a long time previous to the noise, up to the period of its occurrence,

K