Chap. XL ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 159 



entirely the fight of his heft eye, and, hy the other, could only diftin- 

 guifli objeds near him. If, therefore, we believe this fdt\y we cannot 

 doubt but that the human mind, even in this ftate of its exiftence, not 

 in a dream, or any ways difordered by bodily difeafe or madnefs, can 

 perceive objeds of fenfe, without the ufe of the fenfes. 



4t0t Walking in fleep is not a common phaenomenon, yet not very 

 uncommon, and fo well attefled, that we cannot doubt of the truth of 

 it. Thefe night-walkers fee every thing as well as they do when 

 awake ; but they have not the ufe of their eyes, which are fometimes 

 fhutjor, when they are open, they have not that motion of them which 

 is neceifary for the purpofe of vifion. Of one ot thefe, there is a very 

 remarkable ftory told in the French Encyclopedic, under the word 

 Noifa7nbule. He was a ftudent of divinity in the univerfity of Bour- 

 deaux, and was in ufe to rife in his fleep, and to write and read fer- 

 mons without the ufe of his eyes. The ftory is attefled by the Archbi- 

 fliop of Bourdeaux, who thought it a phaenomenon worthy of his 

 particular attention. And, that he might be fure he did not ufe his 

 eyes, he put a covering betwixt them and the paper while he was wri- 

 ting and reading. 



There was a phaenomenon of the like kindj concerning which I had 

 an opportunity of being very particularly and accurately informed. It 

 was the cafe of a young girl, in the neighbourhood of my houfe in the 

 country, who had a difeafe that is pretty well known in the country 

 where I live, under the name of the loiiphig^ that is, the jumping agiie\ 

 and which is no other than a kind of frenzy, which feizes the patients 

 in their fleep, and makes them jump and run like perfons pofll^fled. 

 The girl was attacked by this difeafe three years ago, in the fpring, 

 when flie was about fixteen years of age, and it bfled fomething more 

 than three months. The fit alv/ays feized her in the day-time, com- 

 monly about "feven or eight o'clock in the morning, after fhe had been 

 out of bed two or three hour?. It be;jan with a heavinefs and drowfi- 

 nefs, which ended in fleep, a'l leafl, what had the appeaiauce of fleep, 



tor 



