146 IGNIS FATUUS. [LeSSOH XXIH. 



tiguous object. In many places, one may be 

 almost sure of seeing them every dark night. 



That persons should be ltd out of the way by 

 these meteors is more to be attributed to their own 

 unreasonable fears, raised by prejudices instilled 

 into their minds in their infantile years, than any 

 other cause. For when the Ignis Fatuus happens 

 to overtake or approach them, ihcy are struck with 

 fear and surprize at so shining a light, and dismal 

 a spectre, as they imagine it to be; whence they, in 

 their fright, immediately run out of the direct 

 pathway, and by such deviation very probably 

 lose their road entirely : more especially, if (as 

 will most frequently be the case) the meteor be 

 attracted after them in iheir flight. 



From a consideration of what has been here ad- 

 vanced, the great importance of being educated 

 without having any superstitious or childish pre- 

 judices engrafted in the mind, is exceedingly ob- 

 vious : to the elder part of my readers I would 

 therefore take the liberty of recommending a pe- 

 culiar attention that no idle trash be insinuated 

 into the minds of their children j for in this, as 

 well as other cases, 



Children, like tender osiers, take the bow, 

 And as they first are fashiou'd always grow. 





To those who have, unfortunately, been badly 

 educated in this respect, a friendly act would be, 

 to endeavour with sound reasoning to convince 

 them of their error, and dissuade them from giving 

 hoed, in future,-to idle, superstitious, or inconsistent 



stories 



