214 Reverie y consider sd as 



volition is concerned ; whether the mind is 

 active or passive in a 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. — Ab- 

 straction is the act of attending closely to the 

 object of study, which is present to us : — 

 Reverie is the state of being drawn away from 

 an observance of that object, by other reflec- 

 tions. The one indicates strength j the other 

 a degree of weakness of mind : — abstraction 

 is an effort to collect our thoughts : reverie 

 consists in their being let loose, to wander 

 whithersoever they will. — Abstraction is a 

 steady and continued act of pondering on the 

 object before us. Reverie, as it is to be con- 

 sidered in this paper, consists in a want of the 

 power of abstraction. 



Abstraction resists the impulses of external 

 objects, which have a tendency to disturb the 

 train of ideas in study. Reverie surrenders the 

 mind to these impulses, and to the new train 

 of ideas, (foreign to the immediate subject of 

 contemplation) which they introduce. Ab- 

 straction is peculiar to the philosopher; — 

 reverie to persons of sensibility and genius, un 

 corrected by strength of ,,mind.-^ Abstraction 



