a journey to-第24部分

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avert　evil；　I　was　not　informed。　　The　Minister　is　now　living　by　whom
the　practice　was　abolished。

They　have　still　among　them　a　great　number　of　charms　for　the　cure　of
different　diseases；　they　are　all　invocations；　perhaps　transmitted
to　them　from　the　times　of　popery；　which　increasing　knowledge　will
bring　into　disuse。

They　have　opinions；　which　cannot　be　ranked　with　superstition；
because　they　regard　only　natural　effects。　　They　expect　better　crops
of　grain；　by　sowing　their　seed　in　the　moon's　increase。　　The　moon
has　great　influence　in　vulgar　philosophy。　　In　my　memory　it　was　a
precept　annually　given　in　one　of　the　English　Almanacks；　'to　kill
hogs　when　the　moon　was　increasing；　and　the　bacon　would　prove　the
better　in　boiling。'

We　should　have　had　little　claim　to　the　praise　of　curiosity；　if　we
had　not　endeavoured　with　particular　attention　to　examine　the
question　of　the　Second　Sight。　　Of　an　opinion　received　for　centuries
by　a　whole　nation；　and　supposed　to　be　confirmed　through　its　whole
descent；　by　a　series　of　successive　facts；　it　is　desirable　that　the
truth　should　be　established；　or　the　fallacy　detected。

The　Second　Sight　is　an　impression　made　either　by　the　mind　upon　the
eye；　or　by　the　eye　upon　the　mind；　by　which　things　distant　or　future
are　perceived；　and　seen　as　if　they　were　present。　　A　man　on　a
journey　far　from　home　falls　from　his　horse；　another；　who　is　perhaps
at　work　about　the　house；　sees　him　bleeding　on　the　ground；　commonly
with　a　landscape　of　the　place　where　the　accident　befalls　him。
Another　seer；　driving　home　his　cattle；　or　wandering　in　idleness；　or
musing　in　the　sunshine；　is　suddenly　surprised　by　the　appearance　of
a　bridal　ceremony；　or　funeral　procession；　and　counts　the　mourners
or　attendants；　of　whom；　if　he　knows　them；　he　relates　the　names；　if
he　knows　them　not；　he　can　describe　the　dresses。　　Things　distant　are
seen　at　the　instant　when　they　happen。　　Of　things　future　I　know　not
that　there　is　any　rule　for　determining　the　time　between　the　Sight
and　the　event。

This　receptive　faculty；　for　power　it　cannot　be　called；　is　neither
voluntary　nor　constant。　　The　appearances　have　no　dependence　upon
choice：　　they　cannot　be　summoned；　detained；　or　recalled。　　The
impression　is　sudden；　and　the　effect　often　painful。

By　the　term　Second　Sight；　seems　to　be　meant　a　mode　of　seeing；
superadded　to　that　which　Nature　generally　bestows。　　In　the　Earse　it
is　called　Taisch；　which　signifies　likewise　a　spectre；　or　a　vision。
I　know　not；　nor　is　it　likely　that　the　Highlanders　ever　examined；
whether　by　Taisch；　used　for　Second　Sight；　they　mean　the　power　of
seeing；　or　the　thing　seen。

I　do　not　find　it　to　be　true；　as　it　is　reported；　that　to　the　Second
Sight　nothing　is　presented　but　phantoms　of　evil。　　Good　seems　to
have　the　same　proportions　in　those　visionary　scenes；　as　it　obtains
in　real　life：　　almost　all　remarkable　events　have　evil　for　their
basis；　and　are　either　miseries　incurred；　or　miseries　escaped。　　Our
sense　is　so　much　stronger　of　what　we　suffer；　than　of　what　we　enjoy；
that　the　ideas　of　pain　predominate　in　almost　every　mind。　　What　is
recollection　but　a　revival　of　vexations；　or　history　but　a　record　of
wars；　treasons；　and　calamities？　　Death；　which　is　considered　as　the
greatest　evil；　happens　to　all。　　The　greatest　good；　be　it　what　it
will；　is　the　lot　but　of　a　part。

That　they　should　often　see　death　is　to　be　expected；　because　death
is　an　event　frequent　and　important。　　But　they　see　likewise　more
pleasing　incidents。　　A　gentleman　told　me；　that　when　he　had　once
gone　far　from　his　own　Island；　one　of　his　labouring　servants
predicted　his　return；　and　described　the　livery　of　his　attendant；
which　he　had　never　worn　at　home；　and　which　had　been；　without　any
previous　design；　occasionally　given　him。

Our　desire　of　information　was　keen；　and　our　inquiry　frequent。　　Mr。
Boswell's　frankness　and　gaiety　made　every　body　communicative；　and
we　heard　many　tales　of　these　airy　shows；　with　more　or　less　evidence
and　distinctness。

It　is　the　common　talk　of　the　Lowland　Scots；　that　the　notion　of　the
Second　Sight　is　wearing　away　with　other　superstitions；　and　that　its
reality　is　no　longer　supposed；　but　by　the　grossest　people。　　How　far
its　prevalence　ever　extended；　or　what　ground　it　has　lost；　I　know
not。　　The　Islanders　of　all　degrees；　whether　of　rank　or
understanding；　universally　admit　it；　except　the　Ministers；　who
universally　deny　it；　and　are　suspected　to　deny　it；　in　consequence
of　a　system；　against　conviction。　　One　of　them　honestly　told　me；
that　he　came　to　Sky　with　a　resolution　not　to　believe　it。

Strong　reasons　for　incredulity　will　readily　occur。　　This　faculty　of
seeing　things　out　of　sight　is　local；　and　commonly　useless。　　It　is　a
breach　of　the　common　order　of　things；　without　any　visible　reason　or
perceptible　benefit。　　It　is　ascribed　only　to　a　people　very　little
enlightened；　and　among　them；　for　the　most　part；　to　the　mean　and　the
ignorant。

To　the　confidence　of　these　objections　it　may　be　replied；　that　by
presuming　to　determine　what　is　fit；　and　what　is　beneficial；　they
presuppose　more　knowledge　of　the　universal　system　than　man　has
attained；　and　therefore　depend　upon　principles　too　complicated　and
extensive　for　our　comprehension；　and　that　there　can　be　no　security
in　the　consequence；　when　the　premises　are　not　understood；　that　the
Second　Sight　is　only　wonderful　because　it　is　rare；　for；　considered
in　itself；　it　involves　no　more　difficulty　than　dreams；　or　perhaps
than　the　regular　exercise　of　the　cogitative　faculty；　that　a　general
opinion　of　communicative　impulses；　or　visionary　representations；
has　prevailed　in　all　ages　and　all　nations；　that　particular
instances　have　been　given；　with　such　evidence；　as　neither　Bacon　nor
Bayle　has　been　able　to　resist；　that　sudden　impressions；　which　the
event　has　verified；　have　been　felt　by　more　than　own　or　publish
them；　that　the　Second　Sight　of　the　Hebrides　implies　only　the　local
frequency　of　a　power；　which　is　nowhere　totally　unknown；　and　that
where　we　are　unable　to　decide　by　antecedent　reason；　we　must　be
content　to　yield　to　the　force　of　testimony。

By　pretension　to　Second　Sight；　no　profit　was　ever　sought　or　gained。
It　is　an　involuntary　affection；　in　which　neither　hope　nor　fear　are
known　to　have　any　part。　　Those　who　profess　to　feel　it；　do　not　boast
of　it　as　a　privilege；　nor　are　considered　by　others　as
advantageously　distinguished。　　They　have　no　temptation　to　feign；
and　their　hearers　have　no　motive　to　encourage　the　imposture。

To　talk　with　any　of　these　seers　is　not　easy。　　There　is　one　living
in　Sky；　with　whom　we　would　have　gladly　conversed；　but　he　was　very
gross　and　ignorant；　and　knew　no　English。　　The　proportion　in　these
countries　of　the　poor　to　the　rich　is　such；　that　if　we　suppose　the
quality　to　be　accidental；　it　can　very　rarely　happen　to　a　man　of
education；　and　yet　on　such　men　it　has　sometimes　fallen。　　There　is
now　a　Second　Sighted　gentleman　in　the　Highlands；　who　complains　of
the　terrors　to　which　he　is　exposed。

The　foresight　of　the　Seers　is　not　always　prescience；　they　are
impressed　with　images；　of　which　the　event　only　shews　them　the
meaning。　　They　tell　what　they　have　seen　to　others；　who　are　at　that
time　not　more　knowing　than　themselves；　but　may　become　at　last　very
adequate　witnesses；　by　comparing　the　narrative　with　its
verification。

To　collect　sufficient　testimonies　for　the　satisfaction　of　the
publick；　or　of　ourselves；　would　have　required　more　time　than　we
could　bestow。　　There　is；　against　it；　the　seeming　analogy　of　things
confusedly　seen；　and　little　understood；　and　for　it；　the　indistinct
cry　of　national　persuasion；　which　may　be　perhaps　resolved　at　last
into　prejudice　and　tradition。　　I　never　could　advance　my　curiosity
to　conviction；　but　came　away　at　last　only　willing　to　believe。

As　there　subsists　no　longer　in　the　Islands　much　of　that　peculiar
and　discriminative　form　of　life；　of　which　the　idea　had　delighted
our　imagination；　we　were　willing　to　listen　to　such　accounts　of　past
times　as　would　be　given　us。　　But　we　soon　found　what　memorials　were
to　be　expected　from　an　illiterate　people；　whose　whole　time　is　a
series　of　distress；　where　every　morning　is　labouring　with
expedients　for　the　evening；　and　where　all　mental　pains　or　pleasure
arose　from　the　dread　of　winter；　the　expectation　of　spring；　the
caprices　of　their　Chiefs；　and　the　motions　of　the　neighbouring
clans；　where　there　was　neither　shame　from　ignorance；　nor　pride　in
knowledge；　neither　curiosity　to　inquire；　nor　vanity　to　communicate。

The　Chiefs　indeed　were　exempt　from　urgent　penury；　and　daily
difficulties；　and　in　their　houses　were　preserved　what　accounts
remained　of　past　ages。　　But　the　Chiefs　were　sometimes　ignorant　and
careless；　and　sometimes　kept　busy　by　turbulence　and　contention；　and
one　generation　of　ignorance　effaces　the　whole　series　of　unwritten
history。　　Books　are　faithful　repositories；　which　may　be　a　while
neglected　or　forgotten；　but　when　they　are　opened　again；　will　again
impart　their　instruction：　　memory；　once　interrupted；　is　not　to　be
recalled。　　Written　learning　is　a　fixed　luminary；　which；　after　the
cloud　that　had　hidden　it　has　past　away；　is　again　bright　in　its
proper　station。　　Tradition　is　but　a　meteor；　which；　if　once　it
falls；　cannot　be　rekindled。

It　seems　to　be　uni