34 On Popular lUufions. 



they fee, and even when they form an abfolute 

 prediftion, in confequence of former experience, 

 they are treated with derifion. Horfes and cowsy 

 adds my author, poflefs the fccond fight. What- 

 ever may be the cafe with thefe fagacious ani- 

 mals, it appears highly probable that the Seers 

 are hypochondriacal perfons. Their infular 

 fituation, their folitary employments, their 

 oppreflive poverty, added perhaps to the wild, 

 uncultivated fce'nes of their country, are fufiici- 

 ent to produce a depraved ftate of body, and 

 confequently of imagination, in thofe who are 

 at all pre-difpofed. A proof that the vifions 

 originate in the perfon's own fancy, is given, 

 undefignedly, by Martin himfelf. He relates 

 that a Seer informed him, he was entirely relieved 

 from his vifions by wearing a fprig of St. John's- 

 Wort quilted in the cape of his coat. Whatever 

 efFefts this plant (called Fuga Dsemonum from 

 its fuppofed virtues) might have produced inter- 

 nally as a bitter, no medical qualities could be 

 exerted by it in this cafej and it is difficuh_ to 

 account for the contempt with which Martin 

 confefles the predictions were at firft treated, 

 otherwife than by fuppofing that the greater 

 number had proved fallacious. 



Wierus fupplies an ample lift of the different 

 fpecies of divination. The Chryftallomantia is 

 well known in this country, by the fame of Kelly 

 and Dee. This confifts in appearances of fpirirs, 



or 



