首页 >出版文学> Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions>第122章
  Stareomancy,ordiviningbytheelements。
  Aeromancy,ordiviningbytheair。
  Pyromancy,byfire。
  Hydromancy,bywater。
  Geomancy,byearth。
  Theomancy,pretendingtodivinebytherevelationoftheSpirit,andbytheScriptures,orwordofGod。
  Demonomancy,bytheaidofdevilsandevilspirits。
  Idolomancy,byidols,images,andfigures。
  Psychomancy,bythesoul,affections,ordispositionsofmen。
  Antinopomancy,bytheentrailsofhumanbeings。
  Theriomancy,bybeasts。
  Ornithomancy,bybirds。
  Icthyomancy,byfishes。
  Botanomancy,byherbs。
  Lithomancy,bystones。
  Kleromancy,bylots。
  Oneiromancy,bydreams。
  Onomancy,bynames。
  Arithmancy,bynumbers。
  Logarithmancy,bylogarithms。
  Sternomancy,bythemarksfromthebreasttothebelly。
  Gastromancy,bythesoundof,ormarksupon,thebelly。
  Omphelomancy,bythenavel。
  Chiromancy,bythehands。
  Paedomancy,bytheefeet。
  Onchyomancy,bythenails。
  Cephaleonomancy,byasses’heads。
  Tuphramancy,byashes。
  Kapnomancy,bysmoke。
  Livanomancy,bytheburningofincense。
  Keromancy,bythemeltingofwax。
  Lecanomancy,bybasinsofwater。
  Katoxtromancy,bylooking-glasses。
  Chartomancy,bywritinginpapers,andbyValentines。
  Macharomancy,byknivesandswords。
  Crystallomancy,bycrystals。
  Dactylomancy,byrings。
  Koseinomancy,bysieves。
  Axinomancy,bysaws。
  Kaltabomancy,byvesselsofbrass,orothermetal。
  Spatalamancy,byskins,bones,&c。
  Roadomancy,bystars。
  Sciomancy,byshadows。
  Astragalomancy,bydice。
  Oinomancy,bytheleesofwine。
  Sycomancy,byfigs。
  Typomancy,bycheese。
  Alphitomancy,bymeal,flour,orbran。
  Krithomancy,bycornorgrain。
  Alectromancy,bycocks。
  Gyromancy,bycircles。
  Lampadomancy,bycandlesandlamps。
  ONEIRO-CRITICISM,ortheartofinterpretingdreams,isarelicofthemostremoteages,whichhassubsistedthroughallthechangesthatmoralorphysicalrevolutionshaveoperatedintheworld。Therecordsoffivethousandyearsbearabundanttestimonytotheuniversaldiffusionofthebelief,thattheskilfulcouldreadthefutureindreams。Therulesoftheart,ifanyexistedinancienttimes,arenotknown;butinourday,onesimpleruleopensthewholesecret。Dreams,sayallthewiseacresinChristendom,aretobeinterpretedbycontraries。Thus,ifyoudreamoffilth,youwillacquiresomethingvaluable;ifyoudreamofthedead,youwillhearnewsoftheliving;
  ifyoudreamofgoldandsilver,yourunariskofbeingwithouteither;andifyoudreamyouhavemanyfriends,youwillbepersecutedbymanyenemies。Therule,however,doesnotholdgoodinallcases。
  Itisfortunatetodreamoflittlepigs,butunfortunatetodreamofbigbullocks。Ifyoudreamyouhavelostatooth,youmaybesurethatyouwillshortlyloseafriend;andifyoudreamthatyourhouseisonfire,youwillreceivenewsfromafarcountry。Ifyoudreamofvermin,itisasignthattherewillbesicknessinyourfamily;andifyoudreamofserpents,youwillhavefriendswho,inthecourseoftime,willproveyourbitterestenemies;but,ofalldreams,itismostfortunateifyoudreamthatyouarewallowinguptoyourneckinmudandmire。Clearwaterisasignofgrief;andgreattroubles,distress,andperplexityarepredicted,ifyoudreamthatyoustandnakedinthepublicstreets,andknownotwheretofindagarmenttoshieldyoufromthegazeofthemultitude。
  InmanypartsofGreatBritain,andthecontinentsofEuropeandAmerica,therearetobefoundelderlywomeninthevillagesandcountry-placeswhoseinterpretationsofdreamsarelookeduponwithasmuchreverenceasiftheywereoracles。Indistrictsremotefromtownsitisnotuncommontofindthemembersofafamilyregularlyeverymorningnarratingtheirdreamsatthebreakfast-table,andbecominghappyormiserableforthedayaccordingtotheirinterpretation。
  Thereisnotaflowerthatblossoms,orfruitthatripens,that,dreamedof,isnotominousofeithergoodoreviltosuchpeople。
  Everytreeofthefieldortheforestisendowedwithasimilarinfluenceoverthefateofmortals,ifseeninthenight-visions。Todreamoftheash,isthesignofalongjourney;andofanoak,prognosticateslonglifeandprosperity。Todreamyoustripthebarkoffanytree,isasigntoamaidenofanapproachinglossofacharacter;toamarriedwoman,ofafamilybereavement;andtoaman,ofanaccessionoffortune。Todreamofaleaflesstree,isasignofgreatsorrow;andofabranchlesstrunk,asignofdespairandsuicide。Theelder-treeismoreauspicioustothesleeper;whilethefir-tree,betterstill,betokensallmannerofcomfortandprosperity。
  Thelime-treepredictsavoyageacrosstheocean;whiletheyewandthealderareominousofsicknesstotheyoungandofdeathtotheold。
  Itisquiteastonishingtoseethegreatdemandthereis,bothinEnglandandFrance,fordream-books,andothertrashofthesamekind。
  TwobooksinEnglandenjoyanextraordinarypopularity,andhaverunthroughupwardsoffiftyeditionsinasmanyyearsinLondonalone,besidesbeingreprintedinManchester,Edinburgh,Glasgow,andDublin。
  Oneis“MotherBridget’sDream-bookandOracleofFate;“theotheristhe“NorwoodGipsy。“Itisstatedontheauthorityofonewho,iscuriousinthesematters,thatthereisademandfortheseworks,whicharesoldatsumsvaryingfromapennytosixpence,chieflytoservant-girlsandimperfectly-educatedpeople,alloverthecountry,ofupwardsofeleventhousandannually;andthatatnoperiodduringthelastthirtyyearshastheaveragenumbersoldbeenlessthanthis。
  Thetotalnumberduringthisperiodwouldthusamountto330,000。
  Amongtheflowersandfruitschargedwithmessagesforthefuture,thefollowingisalistofthemostimportant,arrangedfromapprovedsources,inalphabeticalorder:-
  Asparagus,gatheredandtiedupinbundles,isanomenoftears。Ifyouseeitgrowinginyourdreams,itisasignofgoodfortune。
  Aloes,withoutaflower,betokenlonglife:inflower,betokenalegacy。
  Artichokes。Thisvegetableisasignthatyouwillreceive,inashorttime,afavourfromthehandsofthosefromwhomyouwouldleastexpectit。
  Agrimony。Thisherbdenotesthattherewillbesicknessinyourhouse。
  Anemone,predictslove。
  Auriculas,inbeds,denoteluck;inpots,marriage:whiletogatherthem,foretellswidowhood。
  Bilberries,predictapleasantexcursion。
  Broom-flowers,anincreaseoffamily。
  Cauliflowers,predictthatallyourfriendswillslightyou,orthatyouwillfallintopovertyandfindnoonetopityyou。
  Dock-leaves,apresentfromthecountry。