ESSAY 15. ON THE POWER OF THE IMAGINATION. The learned say, a strong imagination produces extraordinary incidents; every person is more or less influenced by it; some are overruled by its force. I am one of those who feel its most powerful effects; and as I want vigour to resist, my whole endeavours are to escape. The very sight of another man's sufferings materially affects me, and I more reluctantly visit those sick persons to whom I am attached, and those whom duty leads me to respect, than others whom I neither love nor esteem. I catch the ills I wish to relieve: I do not wonder that we imbibe severs, and various disorders, and that even death itself is the effect of a strong appre hension upon a weak mind. Simon Thomas was a noted physician of his time I one day happened to meet him at the house of a rich old man, who was troubled with pulmonary complaints. Upon discoursing with his patient upon the method of his cure, he advised him to draw me frequently into his society, that by continually fixing his eyes upon the freshness of my complexion, and his imagination on the sprighliness and vigour that then glowed in my youth, his constitution might perhaps be benefited; omitting at the same time to infer, that mine might be equally injured. Gallus Vibus so long puzzled his brains to comprehend the essence and movements of ideotism, that in the end he so entirely overset his own reason, that he could never after recover his judgment; and he might boast of becoming a fool from too much wisdom. There have been those whose sear has anticipated the executioner, and the man whose eyes were unbound to hear his pardon read, was found stone dead upon the scaffold, by the single stroke of the imagination. Physicians, on the contrary, by leading their patients to believe that they shall recover, sometimes produce a greater effect by the force of imagina tion, than could possibly be experienced from their nostrums. I myself knew a young man, who who having entertained company at his house, three or four days after bragged in jest, that he had induced them to eat a baked cat; at which a young lady conceived such disgust and horror, that violent complaints ensued, and occafioned her death. Even brute beasts are also subject to the force of imagination. Dogs die of grief for the loss of their masters, and are seen to tremble and start like horses, kicking and winnying in their sleep. The imagination acts still stronger in the human species, not only against our own bodies, but against that of others; as the plague, small-pox, and other maladies, have been caught by even the distant appearance of a sick person. The eyes of witches are said to be dangerous and hurtful. "What eye it is I do not know, Pretenders to magic are, however, no good authority for me, but we experimentally see that women impart the marks of their fancy to children unborn. I observed a little while ago a cat watching a bird upon the top of a tree; for some time they both mutually fixed their eyes upon each other; the bird at last let herself fall into the claws of the cat, either overcome by the force of her imagination, or drawn by the attractive powers of the cat. Such as are addicted to the pleafures of the field, have, I doubt not, heard the story of a falconer, who surveying steadfastly a kite in the air, laid a wager that he would bring her down with the sole power of his eye, and did so, it is said; for I charge the tales which I borrow upon the consciences of those from whom I have them. I leave the proofs of what I advance to reason, not to experience, every one Is at liberty to add his own examples. If I do not apply mine well, let others do it for me; also, in the subject of which I treat, viz. of manners and customs, how fabulous soever may be the testimonies and instances which I produce, provided they are possible, they serve as well as if they were true. And while amongst the events in history I cull out the most remarkable, whether the thing really hap pened at Rome or at Paris, to Peter or John, if it supplies me with variety I make my advantage vantage of it as well in shadow as in substance. The only design and end of some authors is, to give an account of things that have happened; my intention, if I can bring it to bear, is to write what may come to pass. In schools a liberty is allowed of contriving similitudes, when the scholars are at a loss for them in their own reading. I do not, however, avail myself of that privilege, not even in religious superstition, which exceeds all historical saith. Of the numerous examples I draw from thence, I have never altered or varied even the most trivial circumstances; my conscience does not falsify one tittle; what my ignorance may do I cannot answer for. And this sometimes leads me to consider, whether a divine or a philosopher, men whose wisdom and conscience ought to be so tender and exact, are fit to write hiftory. For how can they stake their reputation upon the popular opinion? How be responsible for the opinions of men they do not know; and with what assurance deliver their conjectures for current coin? They are frequently unwilling to give their oath before a judge, of circumstances to which they have been witness, F and |