One of the most celebrated examples of an apparition occurring in ancient history, is that which was present ed to Brutus before he came over from Asia ; and again, the night before the battle of Philippi, which announced itself as his evil genius. Without disputing the reality of the impression upon the mind of Brutus, it would be sufficiently warrantable to do, as the narrative occurs in historians, who have no scruple in recording the most incredible things, and without accusing the Roman hero of a temporary fit of childish terror, we may be justified in ascribing the delusion to that state of melancholy musing, to which his mind would naturally be brought by the dismal events in which he had then borne so active a share. The whole might have been a dream, or an effect of that state of reverie to which the mind is brought when it is in an intermediate condition betwixt sleeping and waking. It is upon this principle that Hobbes, in his "Treatise of Human Nature," has endeavoured to account for this supposed apparition : (Part I. c. 2.) "We read," says he "of Marcus Brutus (one that had his life given him by Julius Caesar, and was also his favourite, and notwithstanding murdered him,) how at Phillippi, the night before he gave battle to Augustus emsar, he saw a fearful apparition, which is couhnonly related by historians as a vision ; but, considering the circumstances, one may easily judge to have been a short dream. For, sitting in his tent, pensive and troubled with the horror of his rash act, it was not hard for him, slumbering in the cold, to dream of that which most affrighted him ; which fear, as by degrees it made him awake, so also it must needs make the apparition by degrees to vanish ; and having no as surance that he slept, he could have no cause to think it a dream, or any thing but a vision." The case of Dion, to whom, according to Plutarch, a similar appari tion appeared, may be accounted for by like principles ; for if we are to give credit to the story, he was sitting in the porch of his own house, in a musing and thought ful posture, when the spectre presented itself before him ; and this happened while the assassins were con triving his death, a little before lie was cruelly murder ed. A similar explanation has been given of the well known story, told by Clarendon, of the apparition of sir George Villiers, which appeared repeatedly at night to an officer of the king's wardrobe, to give warning of the approaching death of the duke of Buckingham, son to sir George. At that period, the duke was the general subject of conversation in the kingdom; and it was known, that he had rendered himself so unpopular by his crimes, that the idea of his assassination might naturally occur to a man, who was daily witnessing his conduct ; and might give birth to a dream, which, in the terror of the moment, might be mistaken for reality. We are, how ever, more disposed to consider this supposed appari tion as a contrivance of the duke's mother, who might adopt this expedient with a view to produce such an im pression on her son, as might lead to his reformation ; especially as the spectre commissioned the officer to tell the duke, that, if he did not do something to abate the malice of the people, he would be suffered to live hut a short time. This supposition, too, receives great countenance from the words with which Clarendon con cludes his narrative. " It is a notorious truth," says he, "that when the news of the duke's murder was brought to his mother, she seemed not in the least surprised, but received it as if she had foreseen it ; nor did afterwards express such a degree of sorrow, as was expected from such a mother for the loss of such a son."
Another cause of the prevalent belief in apparitions remains to be mentioned, which is at once a powerful support to this remarkable prejudice, and a very sin gular and almost unaccountable phenomenon in human nature. It has long been known, that mental derange ment, or temporary delirium, occasioned by fever or intoxication, often occasions visions, which completely impress the sufferer with a belief in their reality, and are to him external apparitions, directly affecting his senses. It has also been ascertained, that this may take place in a mind apparently recollected, though conside rably agitated and disturbed, and may to such a mind produce, for a time, the complete conviction of reality. Such at least are the particulars in the case of M. Ni colai of Berlin, as detailed by himself to the Royal Aca demy of that city in the year 1799.
This gentleman states, that, during the years 1790 and 1791, he underwent several very severe trials, which greatly agitated him. His system was also partially de ranged, by his having neglected a periodical bleeding, to which lie had accustomed himself, particularly by means of leeches applied to the anus, in order to relieve an obstruction in the small muscles of the abdomen, pro ceeding from his sedantary and studious way of life. Being in this anxious state of mind, and partial derange ment of bodily system, a circumstance happened on the 24th of February 1791, which distrescd him extremely. While his wife and another person were endeavouring to console him, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day, he suddenly observed, at the distance of ten paces before him, the figure of a deceased person, which con tinued some minutes; and which, in terror, he pointed out to his wife, who, however, saw nothing. The same figure appeared to him afterwards in the afternoon when alone, and apparently followed him into the apartment of his wife, whither he went to avoid it. In the same evening, also, several stalking figures appeared, but which had no connection with the first one. After this, the apparitions appeared in great numbers to M. Nico lai, and were transformed in the most extraordinary manner ; but, after the first impression of terror, they came to be viewed without apprehension, and readily distinguished from real objects. The figures appeared at all times, and in all situations, and whether his eyes were opon or shut ; and when some 'weeks had elap sed, he began, as he thought to hear them speak. This singular disease continued till the I Ith of April, when it was completely removed by his accustomod applica tion of leeches to the anus.
Similar instances of this kind of day-dreaming are upon record ; as of a member of the Berlin academy, who thought he saw in the hall of that society the fi gure of the late President Maupertuis ;—of various indi viduals, to whom phantoms of human countenances frequently appear ; and of Archibald, Duke of Argyle, who long thought himself haunted with spectres of a blue colour ; whence is said to have originated the term blue devils, applied to the workings of a melancholy imagination. (in)