Part 2

A vision is simply a dream happening when the body is awake instead of sleeping, as Vespasian when he saw the surgeon who had extracted Nero’s tooth.

The oracle is a revelation, or information given us by some angel or other celestial spirit who does God’s bidding. The angel appearing to Joseph the husband of the Virgin, and to the wise men, are examples of this.

Revery occurs when the passions are so vehement that they destroy the mental equilibrium for a time. Then what one thinks of during the day he will dream of at night, as a lover who has been thinking during the day of his beloved one will continue to do so at night while he is sleeping. Sometimes when one fears to meet a person, he will dream at night that he has met him; having fasted during the day, he will dream of eating, or, having been thirsty, of drinking. Avarice will make the miser dream of his gold, and speak of it when sleeping, as he would not do when awake.

Apparition is named Phantom by the Greeks, and is only that nocturnal vision sometimes presented to children and weak-minded persons, who imagine they see objects presented to intimidate or pain them.

Of these five kinds of dreams, the three first have an appearance of truth, but the last two are absolutely false.

It is to be remarked, with regard to all dreams, that those of which only parts are remembered, signify nothing at all; that those that memory retains are good and true; that they ought to occur about day-break, or at least after midnight, because until that time the senses and the body are occupied in the labor of digestion, and the mind disturbed by the remembrance of dinner, can dream of nothing reasonable. Nevertheless Artemidorus says, that a sober, temperate, and tranquil man can dream at any hour of the night, or even during the day, and that the fulfilment of such dreams will be certain.

Some authors divide dreams into three kinds, namely, dreams of natural objects, of animals, and of celestial objects. The natural things are those by which physicians judge of the temperament; dreams of animals show the passions and cares that the mind has felt during the day; those of celestial objects are the intimations of divine things, as for example, the statue that the king of Babylon saw when asleep, which is so well explained by the prophet Daniel.

There are few persons who have the gift of dreaming that which will be fulfilled, fewer still who know how to interpret them, because it is necessary to observe many things not generally known.

There are two principal kinds of dreams, the speculative or contemplative, and the allegorical or significative. To these one ought to pay attention, the speculative happening in the fulfilment as it occurred in dreams, for example: A prisoner in a small prison at Paris dreamed that a cord was being attached to his neck to hang him, that after it was done a stranger appeared with a sword who severed the cord and delivered him from death; this was fulfilled the next day, for the judge having pronounced his sentence, and given him to the hangman, he was delivered by unknown persons employed by his friends. Allegorical dreams on the contrary never happen as one has dreamed. Thus, to dream of an angel, signifies revelation or good news, but to see a serpent which tries to bite one signifies troubles arising from the envy of others.

Speculative dreams are soon fulfilled, allegorical ones not so quickly; a day or two often intervening between the dream and its completion.

ABOUT THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS.

“Dreams? Nonsense!” I hear some grave-faced person cry. Indeed! And where did this grave-faced person learn his wisdom? Not from experience, I will engage. No, experience teaches us the reverse of this. Dreams are _by no means_ nonsense. This I maintain openly in the face of all the world.

I maintain even that _every dream has its signification_. Not that it always discloses the future, I am far from asserting that. I say only it _has its signification_. Commonly a dream "permits us to cast a glance into the soul or into the heart of man. The thoughts which dwell in the former, and the feelings which sway the latter, shape themselves in sleep into various images, which throw a strong light upon the character. There have no doubt been many extravagant fictions palmed off as facts relative to dreams, but yet enough credible evidence exists of their importance to make any strange dream the subject of reflection and examination on the part of the dreamer; and it cannot be denied that many things in our dreams are actually omens.

A LIST OF DREAMS, WITH THEIR TRUE INTERPRETATION, TOGETHER WITH THE LUCKY NUMBERS OF THE LOTTERY WHICH THEY SIGNIFY.

ABOVE. To dream you see any thing hanging _above_ you signifies you will improve in your worldly prospects, and soon be in a better situation than you were before you had the dream. 76, 62, 14.

ABSENCE. To dream of absent persons, signifies that they will soon return. It also denotes success in business. 4, 22.

ABSCESS. If you dream you have an abscess, or running sore on your person, it foretells good fortune and good health, to be preceded by sickness. 3, 27.

ABUSE. To dream that you are abused and insulted, is a sign that some dispute will happen between you and some person with whom you have business; if you are in love, be assured that some one has attempted to injure you with the object of your affections, and that they have in a great measure succeeded. 6, 38, 44.

ABUNDANCE. If you dream you have an over-abundance of any thing, it goes by contrary, and is a sign of a scarcity; as if a farmer should dream that he had a great crop, it would predict a scarcity—not perhaps of that particular article of which he dreamed, but of something that would be important to him. 15.

ABYSS. To see an abyss, or deep hole, is a warning; avoid, after such a dream, taking a journey by land, or a voyage by sea, for eight-and forty hours, because it forebodes accidents by travelling. 62, 19.

ACCIDENT. To dream that an accident has happened to you, or to any one of your household, or with whom you live, foretells that you will see some one whom you little expect to see. 72, 3, 11.

ACCOUNTS. Dreams that relate to making up accounts are good omens. If you dream you found an error in your money account, it foretells that you will have a piece of good luck. Accounts blotted with ink is a sign of sickness. 14.

ACCUSE. To dream a person accuses you of any thing, is favorable to the dreamer. 66, 4.

ACORN. (_See Oak._) To dream you see swine eating acorns denotes that you will have reverses in business, and lose if you are not very careful; to dream of picking acorns signifies that a rich relative will leave you a fortune. 65.

ACQUAINTANCE. To dream you quarrel or fight with an acquaintance, forebodes divisions in your own family; in love, unfaithfulness; and losses in business. 42, 6.

ACTRESS. If you dream you love her, it is a sign you will meet with adversities. If you dream you see her on the stage you will be successful in all your undertakings. 68, 5, 18.

ADDER. To dream of this reptile is a sign that some one whom you think friendly to you will injure you in some way. 19, 2.

ADULTERY. It is in most cases a bad omen to dream that you have perpetrated this act. If the person you dreamed about is married, or is a prostitute, you may almost be sure that some misfortune will overtake you. If she is a virgin, it merely predicts that you will shortly have an invitation to a wedding. For a married woman to dream of adultery is a sign she will soon conceive and have a girl. To an unmarried woman such a dream is a sign of misfortune. 51, 7, 3.

AGUE. To dream that you have one, warns you against an inclination to strong drink; to dream your sweetheart has an ague, denotes affection and happiness. 39, 6, 1.

AIR. To dream that you see it clear and serene, shows that you shall be beloved and esteemed by most people; if at law, success. In short, all good is denoted by clear and serene air. But to dream that the air is thick, cloudy, dark, and troubled, denotes to the dreamer, grief, sickness, loss of good, hindrance of business, and crosses in love. 12, 9.

ALMONDS. Signify riches and happiness; to eat them shows you will have good luck in love matters. 73, 18, 10.

ALLIGATOR. (_See Reptile._)

ALMS. To dream they are begged of you, and you refuse them, shows want and misery to the dreamer; but to dream you give them freely, is a sign of joy and long life. 11, 13, 4.

ALTAR. To dream of an altar, betokens gladness, and affection in love. Of an _Ark_, the same. 71, 63, 4.

ANCHOR. To dream you see one, signifies unexpected success in love; but in business, it shows the success to be distant, and only obtainable with care. 47, 36.

ANGEL. To dream you see angels in your sleep, is a sign some are near you, and that the rest of your dream will come to pass. To see many angels, is a sign of many children, and much prosperity. 16, 8, 24.

ANGER. (_See Rage._) To dream that you have been provoked to anger, shows that you have powerful enemies; and warns you to be careful that all you do should be strictly honorable; but it also signifies you will hear good news, and be in a good humor. 44, 16.

ANGLING. (_See Fish._)

ANTS. To dream of ants, is unlucky; and to dream too often of them, shows the dreamer not to be long lived. 7, 49, 20.

APES. (_See Monkey._) To dream you have seen or had any thing to do with them, signifies malicious, though secret enemies; and warns you against carrying on law-suits. 17, 6.

APPARITION. To dream you see an apparition or spirit, clothed in white, signifies deceit, temptation to sin, and disappointment in love. 57.

The following is an old prediction in verse:

To dream of seeing strange apparitions, As devils, hobgoblins, and such visions, Does show thy love, or thy sweetheart, Hath a fair face, but devil’s heart.

APPAREL. (_See Silks and Satins._) To dream that your clothes are good, denotes prosperity and happiness; of white apparel, is good only for clergymen; to others it is a sign of trouble; to mechanics, decline of business; to the sick, death. If of black, however, it is of their recovery; of rich scarlet apparel, is good for rich men, signifying honor; but is death to the sick, and loss or captivity to the poor; to dream of women’s apparel, is good for the unmarried; but to a married man loss of his wife or sickness. 17, 20.

APPLES, or APPLE-TREES. (_See Orchard._) If sweet, denote joy and pleasure, especially to women and maids. Sour apples signify contention and sedition. 4, 11, 44.

APRICOTS. Content, health, and pleasure, if in season; if otherwise, vain hopes, bad fortune. 22, 5, 64.

ARMS. To dream your arms are withered or lean, denotes affliction, sickness and poverty; and if a woman, she is in danger of being a widow. If any person dream his arms are hairy it denotes increase of riches. 7.

ARMED MEN. (_See Zouave._)

ASHES. Great misfortune is at hand; to a lover or sweetheart, such a dream forebodes that he or she will be jealous because of seeing some one in company with their intended. 70.

ASP. To dream of the asp or adder, is a sign of designing enemies; but it is good, if they do not bite you. 17, 4.

ASS. To dream you hear an ass bray, shows you will meet with some loss; to see an ass run, signifies misfortune. 62, 18, 20.

ATTORNEYS. (_See Lawyer._) To dream you are speaking with them, shows hindrance of business, and that it requires much circumspection to insure success in your affairs. It also denotes loss of property. 16.

AWAKING. To dream you awake yourself is a happy end to all sorrow. To awake another is a sign you will inspire with love the one you wish. 61, 4.

BACK. To dream that your back is broken, hurt, or scabby, shows that your enemies will get the better of you. To dream of the backbone, signifies health and much joy. To see your back denotes misfortune. 2, 19, 42.

BACKGAMMON. (_See Dice._)

BACON. To dream of bacon or pork, denotes the death of some friend or relation, and that enemies will endeavor to do you a mischief; in love, it denotes a disappointment of some kind. 74.

BAGPIPES. To dream of bagpipes, signifies trouble, contention, and loss of a lawsuit. 20, 1.

BAKING. (_See Oven._) For a woman to dream she is baking bread, foretells thrift. If she is a farmer’s wife, it is a sign of good crops. If she burns her bread it is a sign that she will have a miscarriage. 18, 54.

BALL. (_See Dancing._) If you dream you are at a ball, and are dancing with a lady, it is a sign you will marry her; if you dream that she is gone, and you are looking round to find her and cannot, it foretells that she will not live long after marriage. Dreaming of playing ball, or seeing it played, foretells the speedy receipt of money; to see the ball roll about, signifies delay in its reception. 54, 11, 55.

BALLOON. Signifies you will undertake many visionary things in business, and success will not attend you. 46.

BANANA. To dream of this delicious fruit is a good omen; if you dream you are eating a banana, it is a sign you will be rich and happy. To dream you see bananas growing denotes success in love matters. If a girl dreams that her lover presents her with a ripe banana it foretells she will soon be married, or ought to be. 4, 11, 44.

BANK. If you dream you go to a large bank, and have money there, it is a sign that you will be poor at some future period of your life. 5, 78.

BANK-BILLS. (_See Money._)

BANKRUPT. A bad dream, your business is in a dangerous position, and without great care you will be forced to stop. 17, 60, 46.

BARBER. To dream of a barber, denotes losses. 55.

BARN. If you dream that you are in a barn that is well stored with hay and grain, it predicts that you will marry rich, or else inherit land. If the barn be empty, it will be the reverse of this, or else you will meet with a loss. 4, 75.

BARKING DOGS. Is a sign you have enemies who will detract, and insult you. 17, 61.

BARRELS. Signify wealth if they appear full; if empty, poverty. 14, 1, 7.

BASIN. If you dream that it is full money; if empty, you will make many debts. 2, 13, 69.

BATH, or BATHING. To dream you are at a bath where you see people bathing, is a sign you will have good luck in some undertaking. If you are in, bathing yourself, it predicts that you will confer a benefit on some person who will be very grateful. This dream also foretells a change of residence. 20, 31.

BAT. To dream of a bat, or bats, is a sign you will go on a bootless journey, or one that is not satisfactory. 42.

BATTLE. If you dream you are engaged in a battle, or see a battle, it is a sign that you will soon undertake some new enterprise, and will leave off the business or calling in which you are then engaged; it also predicts to a girl that she will meet a young man in whom she is much interested; to a soldier it foretells that he will be advanced in rank. 14.

BAYONET. To dream of a bayonet indicates that you have vindictive enemies. 64, 7.

BEAM. This signifies you will attain a high position in life. 9.

BEANS. To dream of eating beans is a sign of trouble. If you are picking beans, it denotes poverty. 72, 18, 11.

BEAR. To dream of seeing a bear, or bears, is a sign you have one or more enemies; if a bear attacks you, it predicts that you will overcome your enemy. 68.

BEARD. To dream you have a very little beard, signifies suits at law; if it is a long thick beard, the dream is a good one, for it shows success; for a person to dream of his beard falling out, he will lose some near relative, or will come to disgrace. 47, 3.

BEATING. For married people to dream of beating some one, shows that they will live a peaceful life; to bachelors, good fortune in their amours; if a lover beats his mistress, or a lady her suitor, it shows that the match will be broken off. 5.

BED. To dream that you are lying in bed, signifies that you are in danger; being in bed and not able to sleep, sickness; to see a stranger in your bed, brings quarrels in married life; a well-made bed, shows that you will become established in life. 63, 9.

BED-BUGS. Denote strife, and quarrels. 2, 10.

BEER. To dream you are drinking beer, is a sure sign of domestic troubles. 6, 8.

BEES. (_See Sting._) It is good and lucky to dream of bees; to a farmer it predicts good crops; to a lover, excellent success with his sweetheart; to a maid it promises a good and wealthy husband. 17, 62, 4.

BEGGARS. To dream that a beggar annoys you, is a sign of misfortune, or some piece of bad luck. To a young girl who has a suitor, it predicts that if she marries him she will be poor. 26.

BEHEADING. To dream that you see a person that is going to be beheaded, or if you see one beheaded, it is an excellent sign; in love you will be successful; in prison you will be released; and any trouble you have will soon vanish; it is also a sign you will soon meet a long absent friend who will be glad to see you. 74, 19, 10.

BELLS. To dream that you hear bells ringing merrily is a sign of a wedding, or else that you will soon hear some good news. If the bell tolls solemnly, it foretells a funeral or bad news. To a girl, the tolling of a bell predicts that some one will deceive her. 16.

BELLY. To dream one’s belly is bigger and fuller than ordinary, shows his family and estate will increase; if one dreams his belly is grown lean and shrunk up, he will be joyfully delivered of some bad accident; if any one dreams that his belly is swelled, and yet notwithstanding be empty, he will become poor; if a girl dreams of a big belly, it is a sign of marriage. 24, 77.

BET. To dream that you bet with any one, shows that you will suffer from your own imprudence. 66, 12, 72.

BIRDS. To dream of birds is much better for the rich than the poor; to dream of little birds, the contrary; to dream that you hear birds chirp is a good sign; to see birds fighting, signifies adversity; to see birds fly over your head, signifies prejudice by enemies. 14, 77.

BIRDS’ NESTS. To dream that you find one is a good sign; to dream that you find one without either eggs or birds, shows you will meet with great disappointment. 64.

BIRTH. (_See Still-born._) To dream of a birth is good for a poor man; to the sick it denotes death. 18, 42.

BITE. To dream that you are bitten, foretells much jealousy and sorrow. 15, 19.

BLASPHEMY. If you dream that you are cursing, it foretells bad fortune; if you are cursed, all your expectations will be fulfilled. 4, 72.

BLEEDING. (_See Fingers._) To dream of bleeding at the nose signifies loss of goods, and decay of riches; to a young girl it foretells the loss of her lover. 75, 19, 5.

BLIND. (_See Eye._) To dream of being blind shows that you are deceived in a supposed friend; this dream also threatens the dreamer with want of money; to a lover, it predicts that his sweetheart is untrue to him; this dream also foretells death. 66.

BLOOD. To dream you vomit blood, is good for him that is poor, for he shall soon get a sum of money. It is also very good for him that has no children, and whose kindred are in a strange country; the first shall see a child of his own; the other will hear favorable news of his kindred, or see them returning home. 11, 19.

BLOSSOMS. If you dream you see trees or plants in blossom, it predicts that you will get some money, or some article that you little expected. It also signifies that you will be pleased at something that will soon happen. 43, 14, 7.

BOAT. (_See Oar, and Rudder._) To dream you are sailing in a boat in pleasant weather, and enjoying yourself, denotes good success in business; to lovers it foretells happiness; if the weather is boisterous, it predicts quarrels, which will be speedily settled; dreams of sailing smoothly in boats are emphatically good ones to all kinds of people. 71, 10.

To dream of being in a boat, Does show that maidens’ fancies float; And whether sink or swim they do, To try love’s sport their skill they’ll show.

BOOKS. To be reading serious books, shows honor and station in life; to read lascivious books, shame and disgrace. 4.

BOOTS. (_See Shoes._) To dream of new boots and shoes, indicates sweethearts to the single, and friends to the married; old shoes or boots show separation, and dirty or old ones are a sign of poverty and sorrow. 33.

BOTTLES. To dream of bottles is a good sign; to a man, success in business; to a maid, speedy marriage; if they are broken, they signify sorrow. 56, 34.

BOUQUET. To receive one, much pleasure; to give one, signifies that your lover is constant. 43, 7.

BOY. If a lady dreams that she is delivered of a boy, her life will be a pleasant one. 52.

BREAD. (_See Thick._) To dream of bread is an excellent sign. If you see a good deal, the better the dream. It foretells good fortune to either man or woman. To lovers it predicts that they will make a good match and be well off, if not rich. To farmers it promises full and abundant crops. 1, 15.

BREAKFAST. To dream that you are eating breakfast shows you will do something of which you will be sorry. 21, 4.

BRASS. (_See Metals._)

BREAST. (_See Milk._) To dream of breasts, denotes great gain and profit to men; but to a woman, losses. If a young woman dreams that her breasts are full of milk, it signifies she is near her marriage. 76, 1, 10.

BREWING. To dream of brewing is a sign you should be up and doing; in love, it denotes idleness in your sweetheart; if in trade, you will sustain losses. 31.