Class III. i. 2. 7. OF VOLITION. 315 



when taken into foreign fervice frequently to dcfert from this 

 cauie, and efpecially after hearing or finging a particular tune, 

 which was uied in their village dances, in their native country, 

 on which account the playing or finging this tune was forbid by 

 the punifhment of death. Zwingerus. 



Dear is that fhed, to which his foul conforms, 

 And dear that hill, which lifts him to the ftorms. 



Goldsmith. 



7. Spes religiofa. Superstitious hope. This maniacal hallu- 

 cination in its milder ftate produces, like fentimental love, an 

 agreeable reverie ; but when joined with works of fupereroga- 

 tion, it has occasioned many enormities. In India devotees con- 

 fign themfeJves by vows to mod painful and unceafing tortures, 

 fuch as holding up their hands, till they cannot retract them ; 

 hanging up by hooks put into the thick Ikin over their (boulders, 

 iitting upon fharp points, and other felf torments. While in 

 our part of the globe failing and mortification, as flagellation, 

 has been believed to pleafe a merciful Deity ! The ferenity, with 

 which many have feiffered cruel martyrdoms, is to be afcribed to 

 this powerful reverie. 



Mr. , a clergyman, formerly of this neighbourhood, be- 

 gan to bruife and wound himfelf for the fake of religious morti- 

 fication, and palled much time in prayer, and continued whole 

 nights alone in the church. As he had a wife and family of 

 fmall children, I believed the cafe to be incurable ; as other wife 

 the affection and employment in his family connections would 

 have cppofed the beginning of this infanity. He was taken to 

 a madhoufe without effect, and after he returned home, continu- 

 ed to beat and bruife himfelf, and by this kind of mortification, 

 and by fometimes long falling, he at length became emaciated 

 and died. I once told him in converfation, that " God was a 

 merciful being, and could not delight in cruelty, but that I fup- 

 pofed he worshipped the devil." He was {truck with this 

 idea, and promifed me not to beat himfelf for three days, and 

 I believe kept his word for one day. If this idea had been fre- 

 quently forced on his mind, it might probably have been of 

 fervice. 



When thefe works of fupererogation have been of a public 

 nature, what cruelties, murders, maffacrcs, has not this infanity 

 introduced into the world ! — A commander, who had been very 

 active in leading and encouraging the bloody deeds of St. Bar- 

 tholomew's day at Paris, on confeffmg his fins to a worthy ec- 

 ciefiaitic on his death-bed, was afked, " Have you nothing to 

 fay about St Bartholomew :" " On that day," he replied, " God 



Almighty 



