ox REVERIE. J09 



in which it is moi'e immediately engaged, and yielding to , ,. 



, . , , , ^ ' ^ \' 4. ' f • 1 suits are disre- 



impressions which lead to more interesting trains ot ideas, gardedfo more 



to suffer itself to be carried by them to an imaginary con- interesting 

 templation of distant scenes, or speaking over of former "^^^'"H* . 

 conversations ; — to a recollection of past transactions or 

 anticipation of future enjoyments. This mental obser- 

 vation is known by the name of Reverie : and is also 

 expressed in common conversation by the eraphatical me- 

 taphor — absence of mind. 



Without entering into the question how far volition is Reverie diflers 



1 L J.U xi. ' J ' L' • ' from abstrac- 



concerned; whether the mind is active or passive m a ^j^^ 



state of reverie, it will not be improper, for the sake of 



imparting clearer ideas on the subject, to draw a parallel 



betwixt reverie and abstraction, according to the common 



acceptation of the terms. Abstraction is the act of at- ^^ abstraction 



tending closely to the object of study, which is present to strongly fixed 



us: — Reverie is the state of being drawn away from an by choice oa 



observance of that object, by other reflections. The one ^^b'^ct^"^"*^ 



indicates strength ; the other a degree of weakness of in reverie it is 



mind :— abstraction is an effort to collect our thoughts: weakly surren- 



reverie consists in their being let loose, to wander whither- wanderings of 



soever they will. Abstraction is a steady and continued fancy. 



act of pondering on the object before us. Reverie, as it ^* '^ ^ ^.^"t of 



Ls to be considered in this paper, consists in a want of the 



power of abstraction. v 



Abstraction resists the impulses of external objects, Powerful 



which have a tendency to disturb the train of ideas in abstraction on 



study. Reverie surrenders the mind to these impulses, their studies. 



and to the new train of ideas, (foreign to the immediate 



subject of contemplation) which they introduce. Ab- Light mmds 



straction is peculiar to the philosopher : — reverie to per- reverie.'^ ^ ^ 



sons of sensibility and genius, uncorrected by strength of 



mind. Abstraction is the habit of the diligent. Reverie, 



the trilling of the idle*. 



Every 



mistry, or the Arts, yet its importance to all scientific and studious 

 men leaves me no doubt that it will be acceptable to the readers of 

 this Journal, whose progress in knowledge, and consequently the 

 advancement of the sciences, must be promoted in proportion as 

 their researches are guided by sound reason and an attention to the 

 processes of the mind. 

 f Jt may, in some cases, at first seem doubtful, whether to refer 



certain 



