54 ON THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN MENTAL 



dreams, and a supposed apparition of the beloved object, that mad- 

 ness from love breaks out with fury, after longer or shorter inter- 

 vals of reason and tranquillity. The origin of the ideas which ul- 

 timately lead the Imagination to put on the character of insanity, 

 appears to be of the greatest importance to the elucidation of the 

 causes of mental alienation generally, and it likewise will furnish 

 the only certain data on which to effect its cure. This is a 

 point interesting, I should suppose, to all, and it was solely from an 

 intimate acquaintance with it that Rasselas and his sister were ena- 

 bled to effect the cure of the insane astronomer of Cairo. This 

 simple tale teaches us more of the nature of insanity, of its causes, 

 and mode of remedy, than half the elaborate and learnedly mysti- 

 cal treatises that medico-metaphysicians have ever penned. 



Of all the powers of the human mind the Imagination appears 

 to be the most subject to injury. The fantastic illusions and ideal 

 transformations, which are by far the most frequent forms of men- 

 tal derangement, are solely ascribable to lesions of this faculty. 

 How pathetic and how true is Ophelia's description of the unhinged 

 mind — 



u That noble and most sovereign reason, 



Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh ; 



• ***•* 



Blasted with extasie." 



Perfectly just is this comparison of the mind of the insane. It still 

 possesses all its faculties, like the octave of bells its full complement 

 of notes ; but their concord is destroyed, their harmony lost : its 

 workings hurt us by pain, instead of entrancing us by pleasure. 



It is not often that ambition, indulged and successful, destroys 

 the equilibrium of the mind. It is generally a vice of great souls — 

 a set purpose, pursued with patience, difficulty, and great mental 

 effort through a long series of obstacles, which it removes gradually 

 and laboriously from the tortuous and rugged pathway which it 

 travels. The mind is thus prepared for the new condition in which 

 it ultimately hopes to be placed, accommodates itself by anticipation 

 to the circumstances of that condition, and grows familiar with all 

 its relations and bearings. Even strong minds, have, however, 

 been totally deranged by the unlooked for and sudden success of 

 great political enterprises: they travel a beaten road — all opposing 

 force gives way before them — resistance becomes vain, and they ar- 

 rive at the goal of their wishes so unexpectedly, that the mind can 

 hardly persuade itself that such events are not rather the delusions 



