’Oh，Iwish！oh，IwishtoseeWhomytrueloveistobe！’
Shortlyaftermidnight，youwillseeyourloverinadream，andbeinformedatthesametimeofalltheprincipaleventsofyourfuturelife。
“St。Swithin’sEve——Selectthreethingsyoumostwishtoknow；
writethemdownwithanewpenandredinkonasheetoffine-wovepaper，fromwhichyoumustpreviouslycutoffallthecornersandburnthem。Foldthepaperintoatrue-lover’sknot，andwraprounditthreehairsfromyourhead。Placethepaperunderyourpillowforthreesuccessivenights，andyourcuriositytoknowthefuturewillbesatisfied。
“St。Mark’sEve——Repairtothenearestchurchyardastheclockstrikestwelve，andtakefromagraveonthesouth-sideofthechurchthreetuftsofgrassthelongerandrankerthebetter，andongoingtobedplacethemunderyourpillow，repeatingearnestlythreeseveraltimes，’TheEveofSt。Markbypredictionisblest，Setthereforemyhopesandmyfearsalltorest:
Letmeknowmyfate，whetherwealorwoe；
Whethermyrank’stobehighorlow；
Whethertolivesingle，orbeabride，Andthedestinymystardothprovide。’
Shouldyouhavenodreamthatnight，youwillbesingleandmiserableallyourlife。Ifyoudreamofthunderandlightning，yourlifewillbeoneofgreatdifficultyandsorrow。
“CandlemasEve——OnthisnightwhichisthepurificationoftheVirginMary，letthree，five，seven，ornine，youngmaidensassembletogetherinasquarechamber。Hangineachcornerabundleofsweetherbs，mixedwithrueandrosemary。Thenmixacakeofflour，olive-oil，andwhitesugar；everymaidenhavinganequalshareinthemakingandtheexpenseofit。Afterwards，itmustbecutintoequalpieces，eachonemarkingthepieceasshecutsitwiththeinitialsofhername。Itisthentobebakedonehourbeforethefire，notawordbeingspokenthewholetime，andthemaidenssittingwiththeirarmsandkneesacross。Eachpieceofcakeisthentobewrappedupinasheetofpaper，onwhicheachmaidenshallwritethelovepartofSolomon’sSongs。Ifsheputthisunderherpillow，shewilldreamtrue。Shewillseeherfuturehusbandandeveryoneofherchildren，andwillknow，besides，whetherherfamilywillbepoororprosperous——acomforttoher，orthecontrary。
“Midsummer——Takethreeroses，smokethemwithsulphur，andexactlyatthreeintheday，buryoneoftherosesunderayewtree；thesecondinanewly-madegrave，andputthethirdunderyourpillowforthreenights，andattheendofthatperiodburnitinafireofcharcoal。Yourdreamsduringthattimewillbepropheticofyourfuturedestiny，and，whatisstillmorecuriousandvaluableMotherBridgetloquitur，themanwhomyouaretowed，willknownopeacetillhecomesandvisitsyou。Besidesthis，youwillperpetuallyhaunthisdreams。
“St。John’sEve——Makeanewpincushionoftheverybestblackvelvetnoinferiorqualitywillanswerthepurpose，andononesidestickyournameinfulllengthwiththeverysmallestpinsthatcanbeboughtnoneotherwilldo。Ontheotherside，makeacrosswithsomeverylargepins，andsurrounditwithacircle。Putthisintoyourstockingwhenyoutakeitoffatnight，andhangitupatthefootofthebed。Allyourfuturelifewillpassbeforeyouinadream。
“FirstNewMoonoftheYear——Onthefirstnewmoonintheyear，takeapintofclearspringwaterandinfuseintoitthewhiteofanegglaidbyawhitehen，aglassofwhitewine，threealmondspeeledwhite，andatablespoonfulofwhiterose-water。Drinkthisongoingtobed，notmakingmorenorlessthanthreedraughtsofit；repeatingthefollowingversesthreeseveraltimesinacleardistinctvoice，butnotsoloudastobeoverheardbyanybody:——
’IfIdreamofwaterpureBeforethecomingmorn，’TisasignIshallbepoor，Anduntowealthnotborn。
IfIdreamoftastingbeer，Middlingthenwillbemycheer-
Chequer’dwiththegoodandbad，Sometimesjoyful，sometimessad；
ButshouldIdreamofdrinkingwine，Wealthandpleasurewillbemine。
Thestrongerthedrink，thebetterthecheer-
Dreamsofmydestiny，appear，appear！’
“Twenty-ninthofFebruary——Thisday，asitonlyoccursonceinfouryears，ispeculiarlyauspicioustothosewhodesiretohaveaglanceatfuturity，especiallytoyoungmaidensburningwithanxietytoknowtheappearanceandcomplexionoftheirfuturelords。Thecharmtobeadoptedisthefollowing:Sticktwenty-sevenofthesmallestpinsthataremade，threebythree，intoatallowcandle。Lightitupatthewrongend，andthenplaceitinacandlestickmadeoutofclay，whichmustbedrawnfromavirgin’sgrave。Placethisonthechimney-place，intheleft-handcorner，exactlyastheclockstrikestwelve，andgotobedimmediately。Whenthecandleisburntout，takethepinsandputthemintoyourleft-shoe；andbeforeninenightshaveelapsedyourfatewillberevealedtoyou。“
Wehavenowtakenahastyreviewofthevariousmodesofseekingtodiscoverthefuture，especiallyaspractisedinmoderntimes。Themainfeaturesofthefollyappearessentiallythesameinallcountries。Nationalcharacterandpeculiaritiesoperatesomedifferenceofinterpretation。Themountaineermakesthenaturalphenomenawhichhemostfrequentlywitnessesprognosticativeofthefuture。Thedwellerintheplains，inasimilarmanner，seekstoknowhisfateamongthesignsofthethingsthatsurroundhim，andtintshissuperstitionwiththehuesofhisownclime。Thesamespiritanimatesthemall——thesamedesiretoknowthatwhichInfiniteMercyhasconcealed。Thereisbutlittleprobabilitythatthecuriosityofmankindinthisrespectwilleverbewhollyeradicated。Deathandill-fortunearecontinualbugbearstotheweak-minded，theirreligious，andtheignorant；andwhilesuchexistintheworld，divineswillpreachuponitsimpietyandphilosophersdiscourseuponitsabsurdityinvain。Still，itisevidentthatthesefollieshavegreatlydiminished。Soothsayersandprophetshavelostthecredittheyformerlyenjoyed，andskulkinsecretnowwheretheyonceshowedtheirfacesintheblazeofday。Sofarthereismanifestimprovement。
BOOKIII。
THEMAGNETISERS。
Somedeemedthemwondrouswise，andsomebelievedthemmad。
Beattie’sMinstrel。
Thewonderfulinfluenceofimaginationinthecureofdiseasesiswellknown。Amotionofthehand，oraglanceoftheeye，willthrowaweakandcredulouspatientintoafit；andapillmadeofbread，iftakenwithsufficientfaith，willoperateacurebetterthanallthedrugsinthepharmacopoeia。ThePrinceofOrange，atthesiegeofBreda，in1625，curedallhissoldierswhoweredyingofthescurvy，byaphilanthropicpieceofquackery，whichheplayeduponthemwiththeknowledgeofthephysicians，whenallothermeanshadfailed。[SeeVanderMye’saccountofthesiegeofBreda。Thegarrison，beingafflictedwithscurvy，thePrinceofOrangesentthephysicianstwoorthreesmallphials，containingadecoctionofcamomile，wormwood，andcamphor，tellingthemtopretendthatitwasamedicineofthegreatestvalueandextremestrarity，whichhadbeenprocuredwithverymuchdangeranddifficultyfromtheEast；andsostrong，thattwoorthreedropswouldimpartahealingvirtuetoagallonofwater。Thesoldiershadfaithintheircommander；theytookthemedicinewithcheerfulfaces，andgrewwellrapidly。TheyafterwardsthrongedaboutthePrinceingroupsoftwentyandthirtyatatime，praisinghisskill，andloadinghimwithprotestationsofgratitude。]Manyhundredsofinstances，ofasimilarkind，mightberelated，especiallyfromthehistoryofwitchcraft。Themummeries，strangegesticulations，andbarbarousjargonofwitchesandsorcerers，whichfrightenedcredulousandnervouswomen，broughtonallthosesymptomsofhysteriaandothersimilardiseases，sowellunderstoodnow，butwhichwerethensupposedtobetheworkofthedevil，notonlybythevictimsandthepublicingeneral，butbytheoperatorsthemselves。
Intheagewhenalchymybegantofallintosomedisrepute，andlearningtoliftupitsvoiceagainstit，anewdelusion，baseduponthispowerofimagination，suddenlyarose，andfoundapostlesamongallthealchymists。Numbersofthem，forsakingtheiroldpursuits，madethemselvesmagnetisers。Itappearedfirstintheshapeofmineral，andafterwardsofanimal，magnetism，underwhichlatternameitsurvivestothisday，andnumbersitsdupesbythousands。
Themineralmagnetisersclaimthefirstnotice，astheworthypredecessorsofthequacksofthepresentday。ThehonourclaimedforParacelsusofbeingthefirstoftheRosicrucianshasbeendisputed；
buthisclaimtobeconsideredthefirstofthemagnetiserscanscarcelybechallenged。Ithasbeenalreadymentionedofhim，inthepartofthisworkwhichtreatsofalchymy，that，likenearlyallthedistinguishedadepts，hewasaphysician；andpretended，notonlytomakegoldandconferimmortality，buttocurealldiseases。Hewasthefirstwho，withthelatterview，attributedoccultandmiraculouspowerstothemagnet。Animatedapparentlybyasincereconvictionthatthemagnetwasthephilosopher’sstone，which，ifitcouldnottransmutemetals，couldsootheallhumansufferingandarresttheprogressofdecay，hetravelledformanyyearsinPersiaandArabia，insearchofthemountainofadamant，sofamedinorientalfables。
WhenhepractisedasaphysicianatBasle，hecalledoneofhisnostrumsbythenameofazoth——astoneorcrystal，which，hesaid，containedmagneticproperties，andcuredepilepsy，hysteria，andspasmodicaffections。Hesoonfoundimitators。Hisfamespreadfarandnear；andthusweresownthefirstseedsofthaterrorwhichhassincetakenrootandflourishedsowidely。Inspiteofthedenialofmodernpractitioners，thismustbeconsideredtheoriginofmagnetism；forwefindthat，beginningwithParacelsus，therewasaregularsuccessionofmineralmagnetisersuntilMesmerappeared，andgaveanewfeaturetothedelusion。
Paracelsusboastedofbeingabletotransplantdiseasesfromthehumanframeintotheearth，bymeansofthemagnet。Hesaidthereweresixwaysbywhichthismightbeeffected。Oneofthemwillbequitesufficient，asaspecimen。“Ifapersonsufferfromdisease，eitherlocalorgeneral，letthefollowingremedybetried。Takeamagnet，impregnatedwithmummy[Mummieswereofseveralkinds，andwereallofgreatuseinmagneticmedicines。Paracelsusenumeratessixkindsofmummies；thefirstfouronlydifferinginthecompositionusedbydifferentpeopleforpreservingtheirdead，aretheEgyptian，Arabian，Pisasphaltos，andLybian。Thefifthmummyofpeculiarpowerwasmadefromcriminalsthathadbeenhanged；“forfromsuchthereisagentlesiccation，thatexpungeththewateryhumour，withoutdestroyingtheoilandspirituall，whichischerishedbytheheavenlyluminaries，andstrengthenedcontinuallybytheaffluenceandimpulsesofthecelestialspirits；whenceitmaybeproperlycalledbythenameofconstellatedorcelestialmummie。“Thesixthkindofmummywasmadeofcorpuscles，orspiritualeffluences，radiatedfromthelivingbody；