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at all ? Do any circumstances in our constitution, situation, andpeculiar character, determine the nature of our dreams? Withoutpretending to solve the above difficulties we shall here brieflymention the following facts concerning dreams, as deduced bythose who have paid particular attention to the subject. 1. Indreaming, we are not conscious of being asleep. This is wellknown trom a thousand circumstances. When awake, we oftenrecollect our dreams ; and we remember on such occasions, thatwhile those'dreams were passing through our minds, it never oc-curred to us, that we were separated by sleep from the activeworld: except in those cases, where we have a kind of doubledream; i. e. when, alter dreaming for some time, we dream thatwe have awaked from sleep, and told our preceding dream, whilein fact we still continue adeep the whole time. But during thissecond dream, and rehearsal of our former one, we are fully per-suaded that we are awake, till by awaking in reality, we are con-vinced that we are asleep all the time. We are also often observ-ed to act and talk in dreaming, as if we were busily engaged inthe intercourse of social life. ff. In dreaming, we do not consi-der ourselves as witnessing or bearing a part in a fictitious scene :we seem not to be in a similar situation with the actors in a dra-matic performance, or the spectators before whom they exhibit,but engaged in the business of real life. AH the varieties ofthought, that pass through our minds when awake, may also occurin dreams ; all the images which imagination presents in the for-mer state, she is also able to call up in the latter; all the sameemotions may be excited, and we are often actuated by equalviolence of passion ; none of the transactions, in which we are ca-pable of engaging while awake, is impossible in dreams : in short,our range of action and observation is equally wide in the onestate as in the other ; nay often more so ; for we may dream offlying, walking upon waters, and the like actions, which we cannotperform when awake : and while dreaming, we are not sensible ofany distinction, between our dreams and the events and transac-tions in which we are actually concerned, in our intercourse withthe world. 3. It is said, that all men are not liable to dream.Dr. Beattie, in a very pleasing essay on this subject, relates, thathe knew a gentleman who never dreamed, except when his healthwas in a disordered state: and Locke mentions, that a person ofhis acquaintance was a stranger to dreaming till the 26th year of hisage; when lie began to dream in consequence of having a fever.These instances, however, are two few ; and, besides, it does notappear that those persons had always attended, with the careof a philosopher making an experiment, to the circumstances oftheir sleep. They might dream, hut not recollect their dreamson awaking; and they might both dream and recollect theirdreams immediately upon awaking, yet afterwards suffer them toslip out of their memory. We do not advance this therefore as acertain fact concerning dreaming ; we are rather inclined to thinkit a mistake. But though it is by no means certain, that any ofthe human race are through the whole of life absolute strangers todreaming ; yet it is well known, that all men are not equally lia-ble to dream. The same person dreams more or less at differenttimes ; and as one person may be more exposed than another, tothose circumstances which promote this exercise of fancy, oneperson may therefore dream much oftener than another. Thesame diversity will naturally take place in this as in other acci-dents to which mankind are in general liable. 4. Though indreams imagination appears to be free from all restraint, and in-dulges in the most wanton freaks; yet it is agreed, that the ima-ginary transactions of the dreamer, if in health, generally bearsome relation to his particular character in the world, his habits ofaction, and the circumstances of his life. The lover dreams of hismistress ; the miser of his money ; the philosopher renews hisscientilic researches in sleep with the same assiduity as whenawake ; and the merchant returns to balance his books, and com-pute the profits of an adventure, when slumbering on his pillow.And not only to do the general circumstances of a person’s lifeinfluence his dreams ; but his passions and habits are nearly thesame when asleep as when awake. A person whose habits of lifeare virtuous, does not in his dreams plunge into a series of crimes;nor are the vicious reformed, when they pass into this imaginaryworld. The choleric man finds himself offended by slight provo-cations in his dreams, as well as in his ordinary intercourse withthe world, and a mild temper continues pacific in sleep. 5. r I hecharacter of a person’s dreams is influenced by his circumstances

when awake, in a still more unaccountable manner. Certaindreams usually arise in the mind after a person has beenin certain situations. Dr. Beattie relates, that he once, alterriding thirty miles in a high wind, passed a part of the Suc-ceeding night in dreams beyond description terrible. r l hestate of a person’s health, ami the manner in which the vitalfunctions are carried on, have a considerable influence in deter-mining the character of dreams. Alter too full a meal, or altereating of an unusual sort of food, a person has dreams of a certainnature. 6. In dreaming, the mind for the most part carries on nointercourse through the "senses with surrounding objects. Toucha person gently who is asleep, he feels not the impression. Youmay awake him by a smart blow ; but when the stroke is not suf-ficiently violent, he remains insensible of it. We speak softly be-side a person a-leep without fearing that he will overhear it. Hiseye-lids are shut; and even though light should fall upon the eye-ball, yet still his powers of vision are not awakened to active ex-ertion, unless the light be so strong as to rouse him from sleep.He is insensible both to sweet and to disagreeable smells. It isnot easy to try whether his organs of taste retain their activity,without awakening him ; yet from analogy it may be presumed,that these too are inactive. With respect to the circumstanceshere enumerated, it is indifferent whether a person be dreamingor buried in a deep sleep. Yet there is one remarkable fact con-cerning dreaming which may seem to contradict what has beenhere asserted. In dreams, we are liable not only to speak aloudin consequence of the suggestions of imagination, but some personseven get up, and walk about and engage in little enterprises, with-out awaking. Now, as we are in this instance so active, it seemsthat we cannot be then insensible of the presence of surroundingobjects. The sleep-walker is really sensible, in a certain degree,of the presence of the objects around him ; but he does not attendto them with all their circumstances, nor do they excite in himthe same emotions, as if he were awake. He feels no terror onthe brink of a precipice ; and in consequence of being free fromfear, he is also without danger in such a situation unless suddenlyawaked. This is one of the most inexplicable pha'nomena ofdreaming. There is another fact not quite consonant with whathas been above advanced. It is said, that in sleep a person willcontinue to hear the noise of a cataract in the neighbourhood, orregular strokes with a hammer, or any similar sound sufficientlyloud, and continued uninterruptedly horn hefore the time-of hisfalling asleep. And it is affirmed, that he awakes on the suddencessation of the noise. This fact is asserted on sufficient evidence :it is curious. Even when awake, if deeply intent on study, orclosely occupied in business, the sound of a clock striking in theneighbourhood, or the beating of a drum, will escape us unnotic-ed : and it is therefore the more surprising, that we should thuscontinue sensible to sounds when asleep. 7. Not only do a per-son’s general character, habits of life, and state of health, influencehis dreams ; hut those concerns, in which he has been most deeplyinterested during the preceding day, and the views which havearisen most frequently to his imagination, very often afford thesubjects of his dreams. When one looks forward with anxious ex-pectation towards any future event, he is likely to dream either ofthe disappointment, or the gratification of his wishes. If engagedthrough the day, either in business or amusements which he foundexceedingly agreeable, or in a way in which he has been extremelyunhappy, either his happiness or his misery is likely to be renewedin his dreams. 8. Though all kinds of dreams have been regard-ed among almost all nations, at least in some periods of their his-tory, as prophetic of future events ; yet it do.es not appear thatthis popular opinion has been established on good grounds.Christianity , indeed, teaches us to believe, that the Supreme Be-ing may, and actually does, operate on our minds, anil influenceat times the determinations of our will, without making us sensi-ble of the restraint to which we are thus subjected. And, in tbesame manner, no doubt, the suggestions which arise to us in someparticular dreams may tie produced. The imaginary transactions,in which we are then engaged, may be such as are actually to oc-cupy us in life; the strange and seemingly incoherent appear-ances, which are then presented to the mind, may allude to someevents which are to befal ourselves or offers. It is, therefore, byno means inconsistent w ilh the general providence of God , that somedreams should have a respect to futurity. We have no reason toregard the dreams, which are related in the Holy Scriptures, as

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