connected with Literature, 215 



is the habit of the diligent. Reverie, the trifling 

 of the idle* 



Every man is conscious that his mind is 

 often imperceptibly conveyed away from the 

 objects that are presented to his senses, and 

 led to other catenations of ideas. Among 

 these it ranges for some time, till at length, in 

 a manner apparently inexplicable, it perceives 

 itself brought back to its immediate employ- ' 

 ment; but is equally at a loss to explain how it 



* It may, in some ca^cs at first seem doubtful, 

 whether to refer certain operation!* of the mind to the 

 former or the latter of these terms. Poetry is one ex- 

 ample — But a little reflection will solve the difficulty. 

 Some of the poets' finest ideas may be derived from 

 reverie ; — but to embody them in uords, to give them 

 a local habitation and a name, close abstraction is cer- 

 tainly required. 



It may^ also, be proper to observe, that there are two 

 distinct species of reverie ; each of which interrupts 

 study. The one i<= unconnected with the object of 

 our study, and is occasioned by a strong impression on 

 our mind, which dib'urbs the power of attending to 

 another subject : as if after witnessing an execution, I 

 should attempt to read a book of philosophy, the horrid 

 spectacle would in this case intrude upon my thoughts, 

 and render attention impossible. The other species 

 arises from the subject, and is frequently produced when 

 the mind is at ease. Cato's Soliloquy on reading 

 Plato's Treatise on the Soul's Immortality, may be sup- 

 posed to be an example of it ; — and this species of 

 reverie may easily be confounded with abstraction. 



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