Contents: Preface. Life's secret—Phakir Chand—The indigent Brahman—The story of the Rakshasas—The story of Swet-Basanta—The evil eye of Sani—The boy whom seven mothers suckled—The story of Prince Sobur—The origin of opium—Strike but hear—The adventures of two thieves and of their sons—The ghost Brahman—The man who wished to be perfect—A ghostly wife—The story of a Brahmadaitya—The story of a Hiraman—The origin of rubies—The match-making jackal—The boy with the moon on his forehead—The ghost who was afraid of being bagged—The field of bones—The bald wife.
[I have not seen this. A copy is in the Bodleian; see Hazlitt's Handbook to Early English Literature, p. 152; and recently a copy was offered for sale by Brown, of Edinburgh, at £1 15s.; there is not a copy in the British Museum.]
In the form of conversation under the following chapters: The challenge—Nature and motives of ghosts—Prophecy of spectres—Illusion of spectres—Phantasy from mental association—Phantasy from cerebral excitement—Phantasy from cerebral congestion—Poetic phantasy—Phantasy from sympathy with the brain—Mysterious forms and signs—Analysis and classification of spectral illusion—Illusions of art—Illustration of mysterious sounds—Fairy mythology—Demonology—Nature of soul and mind—Nature of sleep—Sublimity and imperfection of dreaming—Prophecy of dreams—Moral causes of dreaming—Anachronism and coincidence of dreams—Intense impression—Influence of dark blood on the brain—Incubus or nightmare—Somniloquence and somnambulism—Imitative monomania—Reverie—Abstraction of intellect—Somnolence, trance, and catalepsy—Premature interment—Transmigration—Mesmerism—Sibylline influence.
[There does not seem to be much of value in this volume.]
Contents: Preface—General adages, proverbs, &c.—General proverbs in rhyme—Dayes of the weke moralysed—[months]—addenda: a song for Christmas day.