ILLUSIONS FROM OCULAR SPECTRA. 25 



things, I began, in three or four days, to have 

 more use of my eyes again ; and by forbearing 

 to look upon bright objects, recovered them 

 pretty well; though not so well but that, for 

 some months after, the spectrums of the sun be- 

 gan to return as often as I began to meditate 

 upon the phenomena, even though I lay in bed at 

 midnight with my curtains drawn. But now I 

 have been well for many years, though I am apt 

 to think, if I durst venture my eyes, I could still 

 make the phantasm return by the power of my 

 fancy. This story I tell you, to let you under- 

 stand, that in the observation related by Mr. 

 Boyle, the man's fancy probably concurred with 

 the impression made by the sun's light to produce 

 that phantasm of the sun which he constantly 

 saw in bright objects."* 



I am not aware of any effects that had the 

 character of supernatural having been actually 

 produced by the causes above described ; but it 

 is obvious, that if a living figure had been pro- 

 jected against the strong light which imprinted 

 these durable spectra of the sun, which might 

 really happen when the solar rays are reflected 

 from water, and diffused by its ruffled surface, 

 this figure would have necessarily accompanied 

 all the luminous spectres which the fancy created. 

 Even in ordinary lights, strange appearances may 

 be produced by even transient impressions ; and 

 if I am not greatly mistaken, the case which I 

 am about to mention is not only one which may 

 occur, but which actually happened. A figure 

 dressed in Hack, and mounted upon a white 

 horse, was riding along, exposed to the bright 



* See the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, Art. ACCIDENTAL 

 COLOURS. 



