they cannot be fummoned, detained, or recalled. The impreffion is fudden, and the effect often painful.

By the term Second Sight, feems to be meant a mode of feeing, fuperadded to that which Nature generally beftows. In the Earfe it is called Taifch; which fignifies likewife a fpectre, or a vifion. I know not, nor is it likely that the Highlanders ever examined, whether by Taisch, ufed for the Second Sight, they mean the power of feeing, or the thing feen.

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 feems to have the fame proportion in thofe vifionary scenes, as it obtains in real life: almost all remarkable events have evil for their basis; and are either miseries incurred, or miferies efcaped. Our fenfe is fo much stronger of what we fuffer, 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, treafons, and calamities? Death, which is confidered as the greatest evil, happens to all. The greatest good, be it what it will, is the lot but of a part.

That

That they should often fee death is to be expected; because death is an event frequent and important. But they fee likewife more pleafing incidents. A gentleman told me, that when he had once gone far from his own Ifland, one of his labouring fervants predicted his return, and defcribed the livery of his attendant, which he had never worn at home; and which had been, without any previous defign, occafionally given him.

Our defire of information was keen, and our inquiry frequent. Mr. Bofwell's frankness and gaiety made every body communicative; and. we heard many tales of these airy shows, with more or lefs evidence and diftinctnefs.

It is the common talk of the Lowland Scots, that the notion of the Second Sight is wearing away with other fuperftitions; and that its reality is no longer fuppofed, but by the groffeft people. How far its prevalence ever extended, or what ground it has loft, I know not. The Iflanders of all degrees, whether of rank or understanding, univerfally admit it, except the Minifters, who univerfally deny it, and are suspected to deny it, in confequence of a system, against conviction. One of them honestly told me, that he came to Sky with a refolution not to believe

it.

H 4

Strong

Strong reafons for incredulity will readily occur. This faculty of feeing things out of fight is local, and commonly useless. It is a breach of the common order of things, without any visible reafon or perceptible benefit. It is afcribed only to a people very little enlightened; and among them, for the most part, to the mean and the ignorant.

To the confidence of thefe objections it may be replied, that by prefuming to determine what is fit, and what is beneficial, they prefuppofe more knowledge of the univerfal fyftem than man has attained; and therefore depend upon principles too complicated and extensive for our comprehenfion; and that there can be no fecurity in the confequence, when the premises are not understood; that the Second Sight is only wonderful because it is rare, for, confidered in itself, it involves no more difficulty than dreams, or perhaps than the regular exercife of the cogitative faculty; that a general opinion of communicative impulfes, or vifionary representations, has prevailed in all ages and all nations; that particular inftances have been given, with fuch evidence, as neither Bacon nor Bayle has been able to refift; that fudden impreffions, which the event has verified, have been felt by more than

own

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 pretenfion to Second Sight, no profit was ever fought or gained. It is an involuntary affection, in which neither hope nor fear are known to have any part. Those who profefs to feel it, do not boaft of it as a privilege, nor are confidered by others as advantageously diftinguished. They have no temptation to feign; and their hearers have no motive to encourage the impofture.

To talk with any of thefe feers is not eafy. There is one living in Sky, with whom we would have gladly converfed; 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 fuppofe the quality to be accidental, it can very rarely happen to a man of education; and yet on fuch men it has fometimes fallen. There is now a Second Sighted gentleman in the Highlands, who complains of the terrors to which he is exposed.

H 5

The

The forefight of the Seers is not always prefcience: they are impreffed with images, of which the event only fhews them the meaning. They tell what they have feen to others, who are at that time not more knowing than themfelves, but may become at last very adequate witneffes, by comparing the narrative with its verification.

To collect fufficient teftimonies for the fatisfaction of the publick, or of ourfelves, would have required more time than we could beftow. There is, against it, the feeming analogy of things confufedly feen, and little understood; and for it, the indiftinct cry of national persuasion, which may be perhaps refolved at last into prejudice and tradition. I never could advance my curiofity to conviction; but came away at last only willing to believe.

As there fubfifts no longer in the Iflands much of that peculiar and difcriminative form of life, of which the idea had delighted our imagination, we were willing to liften to fuch accounts of paft times as would be given us. But we foon found what memorials were to be expected from an illiterate people, whofe whole time is a series of diftre's; where every morning is labouring with expedients for the evening; and where all mental

pains