In Brandenburg, a woman of very common education spoke with a clergyman in iambic verses.

In Wolfert's "Jahrbüchers des Magnet.," an account is given of Benvenuto Cellini's vision during a fever. "This bodily and mentally strong man had been attacked by fever, brought on by violent excitement of mind, consequent on the anger and vexation produced by a great danger. The following apparition of imminent danger, which bears great resemblance to the Charon so often represented by this artist, was always obstinately denied by him to be a phantom; and he appears from the narrative to have rather considered it as the appearance of a spirit. In the meantime,' says Bellini, Felix, my apprentice, assisted me in every possible way, and did everything for me that one person could do for another. Whilst I was perfectly in my senses, a terrible old man approached my bed, who wished to drag me forcibly into his enormous boat; and I called to Felix to come to me and drive away the terrible old man. Felix, who was very much attached to me, ran to me weeping, and exclaimed, Away, old traitor! you shall not rob me of my happiness!' The presence of my friends was a source of calmness to me; I spoke sensibly with them, but begged Felix to drive the old man away. I was asked what was the appearance of the old man, and while I was describing him, he seized me by the arm and forced me into the terrible boat. Scarcely had I finished speaking when I became insensible. It seemed to me as if the old man had actually thrown me into the boat. In that state, they say, I remained as one dead for a whole hour; and three full hours passed before I had completely recovered from the effect. Suddenly I came to myself again, and called to Felix that he should drive the old man away. Felix wished to run for a doctor, but I told him to stay with me, for the old man feared him and would leave me. Felix approached, and I touched him, when it seemed to me that the furious old man at once retreated; I, therefore, begged the boy to stay with me. At these words Felix threw his arms around my neck, and exclaimed that he wished nothing more than that I should live. I replied, when you wish that, lay hold of me, and protect me from the old man, who fears you, Felix did not leave me, and gradually I became better: the

old man was no longer so troublesome; I only saw him occasionally in dreams. Once I imagined that he was coming to bind me with cords, but Felix got before him and struck him with an axe: the old man fled, saying, 'Let me be, I will not return for a long time.'

The allegory formed by the soul during Cellini's fever phantasies is extremely clear and speaking: it not only exhibits the power of the magnetic rapport formed during the course of the illness between Cellini and his servant Felix, but every word, every image, every change in this living picture, shows the peculiar language spoken by the soul in exalted states.

In cases of apparent death or swooning, all kinds of visions present themselves, a recollection of which often remains after recovery. In consumption, mental visions often increase as the bodily powers diminish. Menzel gives, in the "Leaves from Prevorst" (p. 165) the following remarkable example of apparent death, which is extracted from Clavigero's History of Mexico:-" Parzanzin, the sister of Montezuma, died in 1509. Her brother had her placed, after a splendid funeral, in a subterraneous chamber in the Palace garden, and had the hole closed by a stone. The following day the Princess Parzanzin awoke, returned to the world, and sent to inform her brother that she had things of importance to communicate to him. Full of astonishment, he hastened to her and heard the following:In my death state I found myself placed in the centre of a great plain, which extended farther than I could see. In the middle I saw a road, which at some distance separated into several footpaths. On one side a torrent flowed with a terrible noise. I was about to swim across, when I perceived a beautiful youth clothed in a snow-white shining garment, who took me by the hand and said, 'Hold! the time is not yet come. God loves you, although you know it not.' He then led me along the river bank, where I saw a number of human skulls and bones, and heard lamentations. On the river I saw some great ships filled with men of a foreign colour and in foreign dresses. They were handsome, and had beards, helmets, and banners. It is God's will,' said the youth, 'that you should live and be a witness of the great changes to come over this kingdom.

The

lamentations arise from your ancestors, who are expiating their sins. Those in the ships will by their arms become masters of this kingdom; with them will come the knowledge of the only true God. At the end of the war, when that bath which cleanses from all sins shall have become known, you are to receive it first, and by your example incite others to the same.' After this speech the youth vanished, and I found myself alive: I pushed aside the stone, and was once more among men. The princess, it is said, lived many years in retirement. She was the first who was baptised at Tlatlalolko, in 1524."

"As in many cases," observes Kieser, "the abnormal matured spiritual life appears to be a superhuman knowledge, so in other cases does this abnormal cultivation of the mind become a penetrating power of vision more than human, and is then a psychical somnambulism. Such a case is known to me, where, before the outbreak of the French Revolution, a person in the last stages of consumption foretold its whole progress and consequences."

During the age of puberty, convulsions and somnambulic phenomena are very common in women; but in insanity they are often durable, and of that description in which, as it were, the state of somnambulism forms the lucida intervalla; for in insanity ecstatic states are not uncommon; and in all ages it has been regarded as prophetic, and in many cases venerated as holy.

The Hebrew word "Rabbi" (prophet), also means, one possessed by insanity; and the Greeks use the word "mania" also to express the idea of an inspired state. These ecstatic states, however, are passing paroxysms, and the visions are as variable as the spasms and those fleeting clairvoyant flashes which fall into the darkness of insanity. Predictions of all kinds, as well in reference to themselves as to others, are, according to Pinel's great experience, very often associated with aberration of the mind and nervous affections. The language of the soul in such cases is that of inspiration, and frequently allegorical. In asylums it is not unfrequently the case that songs, in perfect metre and the most elegant language, proceed from entirely uneducated persons. Tasso was most poetic in his wildest fits of mad.

ness; just so Lucretius; and Baboef is said to have written his last poems when in violent delirium.

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A person who was subject to periodical fits of aberration of mind, looked forward to them with pleasure, as he said that everything which he undertook in that state succeeded; that he was then able to speak fluently in verse, and to recite parts of Latin authors, which he had long forgotten, without hesitation and with great judgment."(Werner, p. 56.)

The powers of the seer are very often remarkable in insanity, and express themselves in direct or in allegorical language.

Claus the fool, at Weimar, suddenly entered the privy council, and exclaimed, "There are you all, consulting about very weighty things, no doubt; but no one considers how the fire in Coburg is to be extinguished." It was afterwards discovered that a fire had been raging at the very time in Coburg (Steinbeck, p. 537).

Nicetas Goniates gives the following, in his Life of Isaac Angelus :-"When the Emperor was in Rodostes, he went to see a man named Basilakus, who, it was reputed, knew the future, though all sensible people considered him a fool. Basilakus received him without any signs of respect, and gave no answers to his questions; but, going up to a portrait of the emperor which hung in the room, poked out the eyes with his stick, and endeavoured to knock the hat off. The Emperor left him, in the belief that he was really a fool. Some time afterwards, however, the nobles revolted against him, and placed his brother Alexis on the throne, who had Isaac's eyes put out."

That man possesses within him a higher indestructible soul, which even insanity cannot corrode, is shown thereby that it continues its exalted existence surrounded by the greatest confusion of the mind, and in calm moments, and particularly previous to dissolution, shows itself raised far above the disorganisation of the body; even in spite of insanity of many years' duration it is still in perfect and undisturbed harmony, and is capable of cultivation and a higher perfection. This is proved by the case of a woman in the Uckermark, who had been insane for twenty years,

and who died in 1781. For some time a calm resignation to the divine will had been observed during the short intervals of reason. A month before her death she at length awoke from her long dream. Those who had seen and known her before this time, now knew her no longer, so increased and expanded were the powers of her mind and soul, and so noble was her language. She spoke the most exalted truths with a distinctness and inward clearness which is seldom met with in common life. People crowded round her bed of sickness, and all who saw her admitted that if during the long space of her affliction she had been in communication with the most enlightened persons, her comprehensive powers and knowledge could not have been greater than they now were. (Steinbeck, p. 538).

To that abnormal somnambulism which is similar in character to the manifestations of delirium and the visions of insanity, belong those conditions which are either produced by chance or by the use of certain poisons. In such cases we find a certain poisonous intoxication and an exaltation of the soul which usually leave behind great weakness and depression. To these belong all narcotics. Passavant has collected many well-authenticated examples in his "Investigations concerning the Magnetism of Life." Acosta states that the Indian dancing girls drug wine with the seeds of the Datura stramonium. Whoever is so unfortunate, he farther says, as to partake of it, is for some time perfectly unconscious. He often, however, speaks with others, and gives answers as if he were in the full possession of his senses, although he has no control over his actions, is perfectly ignorant of whom he is with, and loses all remembrance of what has taken place when he awakes. (De opii usu, Doringio, Jen. 1620, p. 77). According to Gassandi, a shepherd in Provence produced visions and prophesied through the use of Deadly Nightshade. The Egyptians prepare an intoxicating substance from hemp, called Assis. They roll it into balls of the size of a chestnut. After having swallowed a few, they experience ecstatic visions.

Johann Wier mentions a plant in the Lebanon (Theangelides) which, if eaten, causes persons to prophesy. (Johann. Wierus de lamiis, § s.)

Kämpfer informs us that, at a festival in Persia, a drink