O F S L E E F. SECT. XVIII, i *. 



jarring of a door, which is opened into our bed- 

 chamber, we fometimes dream a whole hiftory of 

 thieves or fire in the very inftant of awaking. 



Daring thefufpenfion of volition we cannot com* 

 pare our other ideas with thofe of the parts of time 

 in which they exift ; that is, we cannot compare the 

 imaginary fcene, which is before us, with thofe 

 changes of it, which precede or follow it : becaufe 

 this ad of comparing requires recollection or volun- 

 tary exertion. Whereas in our waking hours, we 

 are perpetually making this companion, and by 

 that means our waking ideas are kept confident with 

 each other by intuitive analogy ; but this comparifont 

 retards the fucceffion of them, by occafioning their 

 repetition. Add to this, that the tranfa&ions of 

 our dreams confift chiefly of vifible ideas, and that 

 a whole hiftory f thieves and fire may be beheld in 

 an inftant of time like the figures in a pifture. 



1 2. From this incapacity of attending to the parts 

 of time in our dreams, arifes our ignorance of the 

 length of fche night; which, but from our conftant 

 experience to the contrary, we fhould conclude was 

 but a few minutes, when our ileep is perfect. The 

 fame happens in our reveries ; thus when we are 

 pofTeffed with vehement joy, grief, or anger, time 

 appears fhort, for we exert no volition to compare 

 the prefent fcenery with the paft or future ; but when 

 we are compelled to perform thofe exercifes of mind 

 or body, which are unmixed with paflion, as in 

 travelling over a dreary country, time appears long ; 

 for our defire to fini(h our journey occafions us more 

 frequently to compare our prefent fituation with the 

 parts of time or place, which are before and behind 

 us. 



So when we are enveloped in deep contemplation 

 of any kind, or in reverie, as in reading a very in* 

 terefting play or romance, we meafure time very 

 inaccurately j and hence, if a play greatly affects 



our 



