z8or. | 
could have been looked for at prefent. But, 
in the mean while, may we not hope, that 
in the northe-n counties, where the fubdi- 
vifions of parifhes are the molt numerous, 
this {cheme will not be thought unworthy 
of notice by the magiftrates 5 “and that they - 
will examine and correct the returns of the 
overfeers with fuch additional accuracy as 
may in this point of view be requifite ? 
Materials will thus be furnifhed -from 
which it will, be ealy to form provincial 
publications. By adding the numbers of 
the people, the motives of general curiohity 
and intereft would be increased, and the 
‘ pamphlets would be rendered more faleable 
and more ufeful. They would then ope- 
rate as examples, which might be exten- 
fively diffufed, and copied, or improved 
upon, elfewhere; and which, might at 
length caufe, all the counties to be em- 
braced in one fyftem, under the fanétion of 
government. 
There are fome inftances in which a 
townfhip is in a different hundred or coun- 
ty from the ref of the parifh of which it 
conftitutes a part; or the towafhip may 
confift of two or more places bearing diffe- 
rent names, and fituated in different pa- 
rifhes. Ifa correét account-could be ob- 
tained of fuch cafes, it would perhaps be 
- the beft way to include the townfhip under 
every divifion with which it may chance to 
be connected, and to exprefs in each place 
the sigcunaibances of the irregularity ina 
note. Where a remarkable village is not 
a townfhip, it may be mentioned in a note, 
and referred to from the index, by adding 
the letter # There are examples of all 
_thefe things in the fpecimens. 
In a work compriling all the counties, 
they ought to follow each other alphabeti- 
cally: each county comprehending: its 
weg wards, &c. each hundred its 
parifhes; and each parifh its townfhips ; 
all claffed alphabetically under their feve- 
ralheads. “Chis method ought to be pur- 
fued, if only one county: thould form the 
fubjeét of the publication, 
The magifrates in the fouthern part of 
the county of Weftmoreland intend to pay 
particular attention to this fubjeét when 
they receive the returns of the overfeers ; 
and they hope to be favoured with fuch 
affiftance from the other diviGons, as may 
enable them to publith their Nomina, Villa- 
yum, with the numbers. of the inhabitants 
annexed... They would be much gratified, 
fhould their humble endeavours contribute 
4o promote a public benefit in more exten- 
five counties, and ultimately throughout 
the whole kingdom, 
MonruiyY Maa, No. 73. 
Enquirer, No. XXIV« 
alle 
| 397 
The ENQUIRER, No, XXIV. 
Whether it be probable, that SLEEP is ever 
@ STATE Of TOTAL INSENSIBILITY ? 
‘< Sleep is'not, as has often been fuppofed, a 
{o{penfion of thought, but an irregular and 
diftempered ftate of the faculty.” Gopwin. 
T has been a prevailing opinion of phi- 
lofophers, as well as of the vulgar, 
that perfect fleep implies the total ab- 
fence of confcioutnefs ; thought occurring 
only in thofe cafes where it becomes in= 
complete or difturbed. 
On all hands it will be allowed, that 
dreaming very frequently accompanies 
fleep ; fo much fo,-that I thould imagine 
there was {carcely a fingle individual who 
had not, in many inftances of his life, re< 
membered to have dreamt ; but it is alfo 
true, that there is {carcely a fingle indivi- 
dual, who, after having awakened from 
this ftate, has not fometimes been unable to 
recollect what had been the fubjeét of his 
thoughts, or-even that he had thought at 
“Hence it has been argued, that in 
fuch cafes there had been a total abfence 
of contcioufnefs.: 
In the following paper,! fhall endéavour to 
thew, that this want of recoilé&tion may be 
accounted for upon different principles. In 
therit place: we cannot fail tohave remarked, 
that a dream, which we were unable to. 
recoliect.a fhort time after awakening, is 
not unfrequenily recailed to our remem- 
.brance by fome incident during the courfe 
of the day, which happens to be connected 
with the fubject of it, Whenever, et 
fore, a dream is not recolleéted at All, it 
probably arifes from the abfence of fome 
fuch affociated circumitance. Our faildre 
of memory,in this cafe feems exactly ana- 
logous to what we obferve fo often to 
occur immediately after a fate of reverie. 
When we are abruptly roufed fronra re- 
verie, by a companion who afks us the fub- 
je& of it, we in general find ourfelves at a | 
lofs to fatisfy the enquirer; having no 
more idea of what had juft been occupying 
our thoughts, than if we had been during: 
that time in a flate of abfolute infenfbi- 
lity. 
Inthe 2d place: T There is {ear ody any one 
of the phenomena of fleep which feems-fo re- 
markable as therapid manner inwhich ideas 
pafs through the mind whuf it is in that 
{tate, Images prefent themfelves in fuch 
quick fucceflion, that an almoft immenfe 
multitude of them appear to be crowded 
into the fhorteft period of time. Now this 
accelerated fucceffion of ideas cannot failto 
render the remembrance of them more than 
or commonly 
