at Dr. Franklin's house. — Children uninfluenced by mesmeric operations. — Magnetizing a tree in Dr. Franklin's garden. — Experiments upon two females.  — Effect produced. — Experiment 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.

29 CHAPTER V. IGNORANCE OF MENTAL PHILOSOPHY. This ignorance a cause of many superstitions. — Case of a person 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 impressions 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. — 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. 38 CHAPTER VI. IGNORANCE OF TRUE RELIGION. 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. 50 CHAPTER VII. BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT. 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. 53 CHAPTER VIII. NECROMANCY AND FORTUNE TELLING. Moll Pitcher, the queen of the race. — Her place of abode. —  Company 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. 58 CHAPTER IX. FAIRIES, OR WANDERING SPIRITS, AND GYPSIES. 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. — Safeguard 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 CHAPTER X. OMENS, CHARMS, AND DIVINATION. Books published upon these things. — Their injurious tendency.  — A sample of their contents. — Practice of boxers. — Whistling in a storm at sea. — Setting hens on an odd number of eggs. — Salutes of an odd number of guns. — Omen concerning the number thirteen. — Methods of ascertaining who will be a future husband. — Crossing of knives. — Click of insects. — Advent of comets. 76 CHAPTER XI. MODERN MIRACLES. They partake of superstition. — Instructions of the Savior concerning them. — Object of Scripture miracles. — Modern miracles not satisfactory. — Judge Howe's opinion concerning Christianity.  — Times of miracles ceased. 79 CHAPTER XII. FALSE PROPHETS AND CHRISTS. History of the prophet Matthias. — His career in Albany and New York. — His deceptions upon conspicuous individuals. — His arrest for alleged crimes. — Account of John of Leyden. — Sketch of Cochrane, and his impositions. 81 CHAPTER XIII. MORMON SUPERSTITION. 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