NUMBER XXXVII ON THE FORCE OF IMAGINATION. Fear, like a fog, precludes the light, And I'll disarm the tyrant's rage. "THE force of imagination, especially when strengthened by fear, or a mournful depression of the spirits, we very well know, creates a thousand extravagant fancies in the mind, not only of individuals both learned and unlearned, but of whole multitudes; who, with different understandings, seem to see with the same eyes, and to hear with the same ears. A shadow is transformed into a spirit of darkness; a dwarf is magnified to a giant, and every thing in proportion, is increased and multiplied till it becomes hideous and appalling;" said Magdalina, as she skimmed over the foregoing relations of preachers and devils. Praters, if you please, Mr. Printer, pray attend to the M.S. I suppose it is now too late to correct that blunder, so it must e'en remain as it is. 66 Speaking of Devils," continued Magdalina, "reminds me of a servant I despatched, one evening, with a note to a friend; whose dwelling, to be sure, was situated rather awkwardly for nocturnal messengers. The girl was sent, however, and had to traverse the church-yard in her way; the awful gloom of which, though a beautiful moonlight night, had operated on her nervous system, and had prepared her to eye every thing around her with fear and trembling, and to transform and magnify all she beheld, into ghosts and hobgoblins.As she approached my friend's habitation, she thought she perceived a man standing at the door; but no way dismayed at such a sight, for it was not of man she was afraid, she journeyed onward; and as she came near and more near, a hideous form with goggle eyes, and horns, and ears, and tail, too, of prodigious size, arose to her view, and grew in her imagination till it out topped the steeple that partially shadowed it from the bright rays of a full moon. Starting back, with electrical swiftness, she flew across the silent repository of the dead, and reached home almost breathless with terror. Ld have mercy upon me, ma'am, I've seen the Devil,' said the poor girl as she entered the house, and threw herself on the first chair she could find, her legs scarcely able to support her along the passage. "What can you mean, Mary?" asked I, with precipitation. 'Mean ma'am,' replied the almost expiring Mary, that I saw the Devil; he was standing bolt upright at Mrs. F's door; his eyes all on fire-smoke flaming from his nostrils, though such a frosty night, and roaring with all his might dear me, what a presperation he's put me into.' I would fain have persuaded her that she was mistaken, or that it was a joke of some of her companions merely to try her courage; but the girl would not be persuaded. 'It is no mistake-nor it is no joke,' said she, ' of that I am sartin, for I'm frightened to death.' . 1 "With much ado, however, and in spite of her assertion, we at length prevailed on the girl to accompany her master, and point out to him this huge monster, who, she declared, had been the death of her. As they approached the spot, imagination, as inventive as ever, pourtrayed the giant form, with all the Satanic appearances as before described, in the very same position, standing bolt upright, in the portico they were about to enter. But Mary had not the power to budge another step when she came, even thus guarded, within sight of the fiend. There, sir, there he is don't you see him?' cried the poor terrified girl-pointing with the fore finger of her right hand to the identical spot, while her left foot was extended at its full stretch the contrary way, ready to start in a moment;→ 'there he stands, sir, all in black-take care, sir, he's beginning to growl again and look at 'its monstrous tail, sir!' Its a strange looking figure, sure enough, thought Master; however, I " must see what he's after, and accordingly, Master stepped forward to make the discovery. When lo! and behold, this monster of terror, that was sure enough standing bolt upright on his two hind legs, fell immediately down upon, all fours, to welcome the friend of the house; and proved to be nothing more than the large black Newfoundland dog, that had been trying to make his way into the house by putting up the latch of the door of the portico with his paw, a thing he was accustomed to do. But the door having been bolted in the inside, he could not accomplish his entrée, and therefore growled and howled most piteously to gain the admittance he so much desired. wa "Poor Mary, the moment she saw the animal fawn upon her master, flew off full speed, rending the air with her shrieks of terror; and declaring most positively, that she saw the Devil run away with her master all in a blaze. It requires no great penetration to see, that the fears of this simple girl realized on her mind all her fancies.n But what can be said, when men of good sense and education grant similar licenses to their inventive faculties ?" I knew a Gentleman,?? continued Magdalina,“ for a church yard must naturally raise a ghost-besides 'twould be a folly to introduce a solitary hobgoblin to stalk about in melancholy mood by himself-he should, at least, have half a dozen in his train. So I must give you an account of my learned friend :--- "He had had the misfortune to lose an affec ་་ tionate and beloved parent; and, though a man of rather a superior cast of mind, was apt to indulge in romantic reveries, or what the world, perhaps, would call superstitious contemplations. He had devoutly prayed, that if earthly mortals were ever permitted to revisit this nether world, he might once again be indulged with a sight of the dear and revered author of his being. In the gloomy stillness of midnight he wandered to her grave, implored afresh the wished-for indulgence, and looked wistfully around, though, perhaps, with fearful expectation. For let the bravest among the brave say what they will, there is an awful terror connected with this subject, that might unnerve the most courageous were they put to the test. My friend neither denied nor admitted the common opinion that departed spirits, sometimes, wander in this world; his prayer, however, was not granted, 'and he returned home night after night without being convinced. He was a' great pedestrian, and chose rather to follow the bent of his inclination, than to mount a steed, or be whirled over the surface of the earth from one place to another, without the liberty of contemplating a single object as he passed. In a melancholy mood, he set off one day, on one of these solitary rambles, to give full vent to his mournful sensations, and to contemplate, in lonely quiet, the heaviest of earthly afflictions the death of a dear and affectionate friend. It is in these lonely wanderings that the mind can feast itself on 1 |