PHANTASMS PRODUCED BY DISEASE. 293 



But when by a sort of exertion, the attention was roused, ^rjie voluntary 



the phantasms became as it were transparent, and the ob- attention of 



jects of sensation were seen as if through them. There v^gou^^;^!}^" 



was not the least difficulty in rendering either object visi- strength to ei- 



ble at pleasure : for the phantasms would nearly disap- 'J^r of the 



, ., . . , iM /- J J.1, , three, at pica- 



pear, while the attention was steadily fixed on the real sure. 



objects. Each particular phantasm was neither hastened 



nor retarded in its whole appearance or duration by this 



process. 



After a morning passed in this manner, I had a visit Advantages of 



from Dr. C , to whom I related the effects, and self-command, 



among other remarks I observed that I then ^"j^yed ^^^^^"^ 



the satisfaction of having cultivated my moral habits, and 



particularly in having always endeavoured to avoid 



being the slave of fear. '' I think," said I, "that this 



" is the breaking up of the system, and that it is 



" now in progress to speedy destruction. In this state, 



^' when the senses have become confused, and no longer 



<' tell me the truth, they still. present me with pleasing 



'' fictions, and, my sufferings are ipitigatcd by that calm* 



^' ncss which allows me to find amusement in what are 



^' probably the concluding scenes of life," 



I give these self-congratulations without scruple, be- The phantasm* 



cause I am an anonymous writer, and more particularly a^c affected by 



. "'the convers^- 



bocause they led to an observation of fact, which deserves tion, 



notice. When the doctor left me, my relaxed attention 

 returned to the phantasms, and some time afterwards, 

 Instead of a pleasing face, a visage of extreme rage appear- 

 ed, which presented a gun at me and made me start ; but 

 it remained the usual time and then gradually faded away. 



This immediately shewed me the probability of some ^^^^j ^-^^^ g^^^' 

 connection between my thoughts and these images ; for gested a con- 

 I ascribed the angry phantasm to the general reflection 1 "^^^'o^ he- 

 had formed in conversation with Dr. C . I recol- thoughts and 



lected some disquisitions of Locke in his Treatise on the ^^^ visionary 

 Conduct of the Mind, where he endeavours to account ^PP^^^^"^^^? 

 for the appearance of faces to persons of nervous habits. 

 It seemed to me, as if faces, in all their modifications, 

 being so associated with our recollections of the affections 

 or passions, would be most likely to offer themselves in 

 delirium : but I now thought it probable that other objects Attempt t« 



would 



