*62 OF REVERIE. -SECT. XIX. 2. 



other refpech well, was fuddenly feized focn after 

 her ufual menflruation, with this very wonderful 

 rnalady 7 The difeafe began with vehement convul- 

 fions of ahnoft every mufcle of her body, with 

 great but vain efforts to vomit, * and the mod vio- 

 lent hiccoughs, that can be conceived : thefe were 

 fucceeded in about an hour with a fixed fpafm ; in 

 which one hand was applied to her head, and the 

 other to fupport k : in about half an hour thefe 

 eeafed, and the reverie began fuddenly, and was at 

 firft manifeft by the look of her eyes and counte- 

 nance, which feemed to exprefs attention. Then 

 fhe converfed aloud with imaginary perfons with 

 her eyes open, and could not for about an hour be 

 brought to attend to the flimulus of external ob- 

 jects by any kind of violence, which it was proper 

 to ufe : thefe fymptoms returned in this order every 

 day for five or fix weeks. 



Thefe converfations were quite confident, and 

 we could underftand, what (he fuppofed her imagi- 

 nary companions to anfwer, by the continuation of 

 her part of the difcourfe. Sometimes (he was an- 

 gry, at other times (hewed much wit and vivacity, 

 but was mod frequently inclined to melancholy. 

 In thefe reveries (he fometimes fung over fome 

 mufic with accuracy, and repeated whole pages 

 from the Englifh poets. In repeating fome lines 

 from Mr. Pope's works me had forgot one word, and 

 began again, endeavouring to recollect it; when 

 fhe came to the forgotten word, it was fhouted 

 aloud in her ear, and this repeatedly to no purpofe; 

 but by many trials fhe at length regained it her? 

 felf. 



Thefe paroxyfms were terminated with the appear- 

 ance of inexpreffible furprife, and great fear, from 

 which fhe was fome minutes in recovering herfelf, 

 Calling on her fitter with great agitation, and very 

 frequently underwent a repetition of convulfions, 



apprentljr 



