an agreement of affections and inclinations, or a conformity of natural qualities, humours, temperaments, which make two persons delighted and pleased with each other.

also denotes the quality of being affected by the affection of another; and may subsist either between different persons or bodies, or between different parts of the same body. It is either similar or dissimilar; similar, when the affection or action in the sympathizer is similar to the affection or action in the sympathant; and dissimilar, when those are different.—Sympathy too, is often an imitative faculty, sometimes involuntarily, frequently without consciousness: thus we yawn when we see others yawn, and are made to laugh by the laughing of another.

Sympathy, according to Dr Jackson*, relates to the *Treatise operations of the affections of the mind, to the operations of the imagination, and to the affections of the external senses.

1. The passions and affections of the mind produce in the body different sensations and impressions, and, as sympathies of consciousness, determine in general the spirits to those parts which labour most, or are most apt to be affected. Thus fear and anger determine to the heart; lust to the eyes, &c.; joy, pity, wonder, and the like, to the head. See PASSION, page 14.

The affections of the mind of one person will often work upon the spirits of many. Thus whole companies are sometimes disposed to be sad and melancholy, or merry and jovial, when any one is present much inclined to either of those states of mind; and it has been observed, Sympathy observed, that old people, who have loved the company of the young, and have been conversant continually with them, have generally lived long. But young people must not conclude from this, that the company and conversation of the grave and old will operate upon the living and sensitive principle, through the affections of their mind, and dispose them to be short-lived. On the contrary, by thus improving their understanding, they will be more enabled to fortify their constitution and resist the ravages of youthful indulgence.

It may also be further observed, that those tender sympathetic affections which lay hold of the mind, at the representation of theatrical performances, originate from the same principle, while they are to be considered as the surest test of just execution in the actor, and of the expressive language of the author. Indeed all stage effect depends on sympathy.

It has been said, that the passions of the mind are occasionally infectious, particularly some of them. Thus fear and shame are sometimes very suddenly so. We frequently may have occasion to see, that the starting of one will make another ready to start. Again, when one man is out of countenance in company, others will often blush in his behalf. However, the ferious passions may surely be so under the control of reason as to resist infection, whatever may be the case of temporary, muscular, or nervous attraction.

2. Our author is inclined to think, that a connection between the affections and sensations of the female mind and uterus, is very materially concerned in the process of generation, and probably can alone give efficacy to those actions and impressions subservient to conception, through the sympathizing affections of the mind. But this is a subject of which we know so little, that the speculations of even the most distinguished philosophers respecting it have been nothing but the wild ravings of imagination.

With respect to the depravity and force of the imagination in the production of sympathies, they always operate most upon "weak minds and spirits, and therefore most on women, superstitious and fearful persons, sick people, children, and young creatures." Their effects, however, sometimes fail to appear, because they are encountered and overcome by the mind and spirit before they work any manifest effects.

Such effects are obviated upon the same principle which establishes the prevention of bodily disease: "for, in infection and contagion from body to body (as, for example, during the plague), the malady may be received; but from the strength and good disposition of the body, it is expelled and wrought out before it has had sufficient time to form the disease."

It has been said, and many are of the opinion, that the force of imagination doth often forward the end proposed. Thus, for instance, it has been put as a question, "Whether a man, when he constantly and strongly believes that such a thing shall be (as that such a one will love him, and the like), helps any thing to the effecting the thing desired?" Certainly not in the manner which has been advanced, namely, "by a secret operation on the spirit of another." If he succeeds, it is either because he persevered, or because his perseverance and earnestness (and not any occult operation) makes him at length be attended to.

There is not a doubt but the force of imagination often gives energy to our actions. It may, however, unless we are much on our guard, easily delude us aside from reason. It has been the tree which has yielded the fruits of superstition in former times, and which has often fed the human mind with the most extravagant notions of sympathy. Sympathies of this kind, such as the power of charms, and the like, are now pretty generally exploded.

3. The five senses, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling, and seeing, are conscious of a sympathetic impression from odious objects. "1. A disagreeable sound will set the teeth on edge, and make all the body shiver. 2. The swallowing of a nauseous medicine will be attended with a shaking of the head and neck. 3. Disagreeable smells produce nearly the same effect, which are less perceived, because there is a remedy at hand by stopping the nose. 4. If you come suddenly out of the sun into the shade, the sense of feeling is disturbed by a chilliness or shivering of the whole body. 5. And even sudden darkness produces a propensity to shivering.

There is a very apparent reason why a sympathy should take place between the eyes. Hence their motions are synchronous. It may be said, that custom and habit dispose the eyes to move one and the same way; "for when one moveth towards the nose, the other eye moveth from the nose."

Though the eyes are by nature prone to move in concert, custom will, however, destroy this natural concert, and produce the contrary effect. Thus some people can squint when they will. Our author therefore gives this caution to mothers and nurses: "Let them not suffer infants to sit with a candle placed behind them; for both their eyes will be disposed to move outwards, as affecting to see the light of the candle, which may bring on the habit of squinting."

It appears as a quality in the senses of hearing and seeing, "that the instrument of each separate sense has a sympathy and similitude to that which giveth the reflection." Thus it has been observed, "that the eye will sympathize with a crystal glass or water, and the ear with caves and such hollow places as are suited to report echo."

Sympathies have been compared to unisons of found in music. Unisons of sound produce agreeable sympathetic feelings; the reverse produce disagreeable feelings. "All concords and discords of music are (no doubt) sympathies and antipathies of sound." Moreover, "they are said to work as well by report of sound as by motion."

The most agreeable as well as odious objects operate in a secondary way, in producing those sympathetic impressions and actions which they commonly give rise to. An increased secretion of saliva often takes place at the sight of a favourite dish; and the running of water from a bottle, or otherwise, will sometimes affect individuals of a particular temperature, with an involuntary propensity to void urine.

Many have attempted to account for the remarkable sympathy which takes place between parts of the body seemingly unconnected with each other; but as these attempts are merely conjectures, without any solid principles to rest on, we pass them over as the dreams of ingenious men. It would be fortunate for science, if men would confine themselves to those subjects which can be known. SYMPATHY known, and never draw conclusions till they have established principles. See Physiology, chap. ii.