from them may be nought the less conclusive or probable for being expressed with brevity.

The writer has scarcely anything to offer from his own experience as to dreams; and this may appear, at first view, a great disqualification for treating of them ; yet perhaps, on second thoughts, it will be deemed in one respect advantageous; as promising, in some degree, more unbiassed thoughts, than as though he had himself received extraordinary impressions through this medium, which might have too much influenced his judgment on the whole subject.

These Essays are the substance of lectures given at a literary institution; since enlarged, and considerably modified in form. The request of respected hearers encouraged their being prepared for the press; not without a sense of their imperfections, which in the revision and remodelling was much deepened. Hesitation has been at length overruled by considering, that even if the

inferences should appear weak or inconclusive, at least the facts collected are worthy to be thus placed in a combined view and arrangement, and to be examined by those who may argue from them more forcibly and justly. The utility of studying these phenomena,for which, at the beginning of the following Essays, the judgment of Dugald Stewart is adduced, might be further advocated from the opinion of Lord Bacon, who, in several hints, recommends such an inquiry.' To the instances which follow, very many might of course have been added, and some of them more curious than any which are here offered; but part of those are anonymous, or of doubtful authority; and others too marvellous, too seemingly artificial, to be entirely credible. There is none which I should be more inclined to insert than the dream of the Elector Frederic of Saxony, which "in substance (writes Dr.

1 In his work, "De Augmentis Scientiarum," (referred to in Stewart's Elements, vol. i. pp. 11, 12.) See Bacon's Works, vol. vi. pp. 6, 130, 133; Dr. Shaw's translation.

Merle d'Aubigné) is unquestionably authentic, though circumstances may have been added."" It is, indeed, so far attested, that one cannot wholly discredit it; but yet so expertly and consistently complete in its allegorical adaptedness, that one cannot but suspect it to be (as D'Aubigné himself intimates) a sort of enlarged or embellished version. Romanists, no doubt, would represent it as an "invention of the enemy;" that is, either of the party called by them heretical, or more probably of the great enemy" by whom they assert Luther and that party to have been themselves impelled.

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2

An intelligent writer has thought fit to state, in regard to dreams which have been viewed as "supernatural,"—" of course, we can only conclude that we are ignorant of the natural principle concerned:" he then relates

1 See his History of the Reformation, (Beveridge's transl.) vol. i. pp. 200-202.

2 In Chambers's Edinb. Journal, 1844.

three or four very striking instances, which, could the authority for their truth have been ascertained, would have been quite appropriate for this volume; and he adds,-"The question with many minds will be, are they natural events? Here we should suppose no enlightened person could hesitate for a moment to answer in the affirmative. As natural events, how, then, are they to be accounted for? The only answer is, that the principle, if it be one, is unknown to us."

Now, if "natural" be here meant to denote the operation of general laws, in such a sense as to exclude special and extraordinary design, I have myself to rank among the not "enlightened persons," who cannot at all view such occurrences as in that sense natural.

It is true, that in another (and unwonted) sense of the word,-surprising deliverances, predictive dreams or visions, and even the miracles recorded in scripture,- might be termed natural, as being parts of the great and

X

PREFACE.

diverse train or system of events which God

has preordained.'

Yet they widely differ from the common course of events, in being the reverse of ordinary, and therefore (like the creation of a new world, or of a new living creature, if we had been witnesses of these, or if we have good proof of them) they betoken more forcibly the immediate acting of a sovereign mind for an especial purpose.

1 Bishop Butler holds that "God's miraculous interpositions may have been, all along, by general laws of wisdom." (Analogy, part ii. chap. iv. p. 224;) and that "there may be beings to whom the whole Christian dispensation may appear as natural as the visible known course of things appears to us." (Ibid. part i. chap. i. p. 37.) And Dr. Price, while referring to the bishop, says, "Miracles imply no suspension of the laws of nature." "The interposition of superior power implied in a miracle may be entirely natural." (Four Dissertations, pp. 80, 81, and see p. 437.) Dr. Clarke writes, " Absolutely speaking, in the strict and philosophical sense, either nothing is miraculous, namely, if we have respect to the power of God; or, if we regard our own power and understanding, then almost everything as well what we call natural as what we call supernatural-is in this sense really miraculous; and it is only usualness or unusualness that makes the distinction." (Clarke on the Attributes, &c. p. 375.)