CONTENTS.

PART FIRST,

INTRODUCTION.

THE OBJECT OF THIS WORK.

Their

Nursery tales of giants, dwarfs, ghosts, fairies, and witches.

effect upon juvenile minds. — A belief in ghosts still prevalent. -

The excitability of the public mind. Ghost reported as having

been seen in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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CHAPTER I.

ORIGIN OF POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.

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Ignorance of correct reasoning. — Conclusions from particular facts.

― Water boiled by heat. Signs.→ Breaking a mirror. - General

conclusions from a few facts. — A victim to superstition in New

Hampshire. How signs may be multiplied. The design of

the Creator in endowing us with reason.

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CHAPTER II.

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INDUCTIVE PHILOSOPHY NOT UNDERSTOOD.

Ignorance of it the cause of many superstitions. — Lights seen in

marshy grounds, &c. Supposed to be supernatural.

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of these lights, and phenomena connected with them. Shrinking

and swelling of pork in boiling. - Cause. Supposed influence

of the moon in making soap, grafting trees, cutting timber, &c.

Lunar influence in matters of wedlock.-Love not to be fed on

moonshine.

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CHAPTER III.

IGNORANCE OF THE CAUSES OF DREAMS.

Fruitful source of superstitions. - Opinions of ancient divines.-

Dreams related in the Scriptures. Their object. - Principles of

mental philosophy applied to modern dreams. —Examples of

singular dreams. - Dreams occasioned by sickness. - Fulfilment

of certain dreams. - Causes of the same.- Remarkable case of a

German student. Case of a member of Congress. — Amusing

case concerning a passage of Scripture. — Necessity of a pure

conscience, and a careful attention to our stomachs.

CHAPTER IV.

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EFFECTS OF THE IMAGINATION ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

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Ignorance of it has given rise to many superstitions. Experiments

of Mesmer and Deslon in Paris.- Singular developments.

Trials at Dr. Franklin's house. - Children uninfluenced by mes-

meric operations. - Magnetizing a tree in Dr. Franklin's garden.

-Experiments upon two females. - Effect produced. — Experi-

ment upon a female by Dr. Sigault. — Practice among the

Chinese. Girl frightened to death by a Gypsy. - Practice

among the New Zealanders.- Killing others by incantation

Intercourse with departed spirits. An account of Perkins's

metallic tractors. Their supposed influence in various diseases.

Suspicions concerning them.-Experiments with wooden tractors.

- Result of these experiments. - Statements of a modern

mesmerizer.

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CHAPTER V.

IGNORANCE OF MENTAL PHILOSOPHY.

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- Case of a person

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This ignorance a cause of many superstitions.
who slept in a bed room supposed to be haunted. Skeleton seen
by moonlight.-Apparition seen by Dr. Gregory.. Case related by
Dr. Conolly. Ship's crew frightened by an apparition. - Young
lady supposed to have been murdered by pirates. Cases of im-
pressions connected with bodily disease. Phantasms in febrile
diseases. A farmer frightened to death by a light in the road. —
A figure like Death striking a lady in her side with a dart.

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Illusion of sight and hearing. · Case of a lady who saw her absent

husband standing by her side. — Countenance of a friend seen

in a mirror. — Tunes heard.—Inverted objects. — Visions of the

world of spirits. - Case of Baron Swedenborg.- Case of a lady

in Boston, who saw her deceased grandmother. The phantom

ship seen in New Haven. — The science of optics. — Of nauscopy.

-Cases of mirage.

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CHAPTER VI.

IGNORANCE OF TRUE RELIGION.

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God the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. - The natural world

governed by regular laws. Sign of the howling of a dog under

the window. - Lucky and unlucky days. Sir Matthew Hale's

opinion. Early laws of Connecticut. - Superstition of sailors.

- Timidity of Voltaire. — Peace and happiness on all days.—

How procured.

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CHAPTER VII.

BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT.

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A witch as regarded by our fathers. - Compact or agreement with

the devil. Carried through the air on brooms and spits. —

Anointing their bodies with a magical ointment. How to

prepare the same.. Singular ceremonies at the meetings of

witches. How they afflicted others. The bewitched pins

shown to Grace Greenwood. - Mode of examining and trying

witches. Witch catcher in England. - How he was arrested and

condemned. Singular record on a church book in Scotland. —

Notice of the Salem witchcraft. - How such superstitions are to

be done away. -Witches and wizards of modern times.

Moll Pitcher, the queen of the race. - Her place of abode. - Com-

pany that visited her. - Member of a church sent to consult her.

Casting out evil spirits in Syria. - Account of Lady Hester

Stanhope. The astrologer of Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

Chief characteristic of fortune seekers. Effects produced upon

them.

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CHAPTER IX.

FAIRIES, OR WANDERING SPIRITS, AND GYPSIES.

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Description of fairies, habits, localities, &c. Subterranean spirits

in Wales, called Knockers. - The Brownies in Scotland. - A

farmer in Ireland who was tormented by fairies.— Method taken

to appease their anger. Spenser's poem of the Fairy Queen. -

Gypsies and their employments. Casting the evil eye. · - Safe-

guard against it. Charm of the Bible and key. - Superstition

called the elf-shot. - Practice of poisoning animals, and the cure.

-Superstitions concerning the loadstone. - Translation of St.

Luke into the Gypsy tongue. Singular notions of the Gypsies

concerning it.- Condemned by the royal edict at Madrid. -

The Gypsy choirs at Moscow. Anecdote of Madame Catalini.. 61

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CHAPTER X.

OMENS, CHARMS, AND DIVINATION.

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Avor published upon these things. — Their injurious tendency. -
A sample of their contents.- - Practice of boxers. Whistling in
Setting hens on an odd number of eggs. -

a som at sea.

Salutes of an odd number of guns.

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- Omen concerning the
number thirten. Methods of ascertaining who will be a future

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- Crossing of knives.

comets.

CHAPTER XI.

MODERN MIRACLES.

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They partake of superstition. Instructions of the Savior concern-
ing them.Object of Scripture miracles. - Modern miracles not
satisfactory. Judge Howe's opinion concerning Christianity. –
Times of miracles ceased.

History of the prophet Matthias. -

York.

arrest for alleged crimes. - Account of John of Leyden.

of Cochrane, and his impositions.

His deceptions upon conspicuous individuals. — His

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CHAPTER XIII.

MORMON SUPERSTITION.

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Account of the golden plates found by Joseph Smith. Their

translation and publication in a volume.- Peculiar style of the

writings. Attempt at imitation. — Mormon preachers speaking

with new tongues. Increase of the doctrine, and why.- Mormon

cities not to be identified. Strong indications of fabrication.-

Fluency and earnestness of their preachers. Traits of the Coch-

ranites. Effects produced upon their hearers. —An account of

the real origin of the Mormon Bible, and its author. - Of Joseph

Smith, Jr., the Mormon prophet. His early characteristics. -

Exposure of the indecent ceremonies at Nauvoo, as established by

Smith and others.

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CHAPTER XIV.

MILLER DELUSION.

Frophecies of Mr. Miller. His computation of time..

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stars.

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- Its cause.

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Manage-

ment to suit his own particular views. - Keeping the world stand-

ing thirty years on a simple if.- Various blunders and mistakes.

Confession of his errors. -False information respecting signs.

Disappearance of stars. Of the Aurora Borealis. - Shooting

Sun and moon turning to blood. — Darkness of the sun.

- Remarkable appearances in various ages of the

Opinion concerning Halley's comet. - Ignorance of

the constitution of comets. - The comet of 1770. Tests of signs

that shall indicate the end of time.- Scientific men stationed in

various parts of the earth. No such changes as have been spoken

of by the second advent preachers, observed by them.

world.

INTERCOURSE WITH DEPARTED SPIRITS.

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Spirits, ghosts, and spectres seen in all ages. Account of the
magic crystals, or divining glasses. Seeing spirits in Egypt.-
Lady Blessington's crystal in England. - Spirit of Lord Nelson
described. The Latin language commonly used by spirits.—
An account of spirits that live in the SUN.- Spirits conversing
with human beings. Mode of communication by letters of fire,
or large printed capitals. — Interview with the spirit of Pharach.
- His presen: dwelling in the planet Jupiter. Information

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