You, while you are awake, sleep; and as you sleep, dream,

Tu vigilans dormis, etc. Hieron. Epist.

The Author of the following little Work begs leave to enter his caveat against all sarcastic strictures on the title of his Book, and requests that he may not be accused, as was Vigilantius, (for the sake of the play upon his name probably,) by St. Jerom, of writing in waking slumbers; because at a time so awful as the present, when every day teems with great events, and the fate of empires, he has employed his thoughts on Dreams; for, in truth, the fearful importance of the scenes which now interest the attention of mankind, as they only harass and afflict the mind, affording it no pro-spect of speedy relief, lead him to have recourse to speculative inquiries, with a view of receding from gloomy reflections, promising himself, as did Livy, when he projected his History, "the consolation of withdrawing from the eight of evils which prevail"

That the subject may afford some little entertainment, and even instroc-tion to the reader, is the Author's earnest hope: with this view he has collected, with much industry, whatever might throw light upon it, even to the admission of more accounts than have any strict claim to regard, that he may not appear to have neglected any dreams to which importance has been' attached; and he has endeavoured to enliven the remarks winch he has produced by the most apposite instances which could illustrate the theme, and often by poetical quotations, wishing to erect an altar, like that mentioned by Pausanias, on which sacred rites were performed, at the same time, to the Muses and to Sleep.