NOTES ON GHOSTS AND GOBLINS. 413 



ment is thought to be endowed with some form of life, 

 and with mental faculties analagous to our own.' 



Another circumstance which seems to have consider- 

 able effect in preparing the mind to entertain super- 

 stitious emotions is intense or long- continued brooding 

 on sorrows, and especially on the loss of one dear to us. 

 Mingled with our thoughts at such times, the idea is 

 always more or less conscientiously entertained that our 

 lately-lost friend is near to us and knows our thoughts. 

 The reason may be convinced 



No spirit ever brake the band 

 That stays him from his native land, 

 Where first he walk'd when claspt in clay ; 



while nevertheless something within us teaches (wrongly 

 or rightly, who knows ?) that the spirit itself 



May come 



When all the nerve of sense is ntunb, 

 Spirit to spirit, ghost to ghost. 



Surely it is not the weak and ignorant alone who have 

 this experience. The mind of strongest mould need 

 not be ashamed to have entertained the thought, to 

 have even prayed the prayer, 



Descend, and touch, and enter ; hear 



The wish, too strong for words to name, 

 That in this blindness of the frame 



My Ghost may feel that thine is near. 



Under the influence of emotions such as these the 

 mind is prepared to be deceived. It is at such times 

 that visions of the departed have been seen. I do not 

 here speak of visions called up out of nothing the 

 ealthy mind cannot be so far betrayed but of visions 

 none the less imaginary. The mind has no creative 



