ich　they　thus　attached　to　it；　to　give　it　stability。　　The　revolution　finally　shook　the　structure　of　this　pernicious　mysticism。　　It　was　not；　however；　destroyed；　for　even　during　the　period　of　the　greatest　excitement　the　secret　meetings　were　still　kept　up；　prophetic　books；　by　Convulsionnaires　of　various　denominations；　have　appeared　even　in　the　most　recent　times；　and　only　a　few　years　ago　（in　1828）　this　once　celebrated　sect　still　existed；　although　without　the　convulsions　and　the　extraordinarily　rude　aid　of　the　brethren　of　the　faith；　which；　amidst　the　boasted　pre…eminence　of　French　intellectual　advancement；　remind　us　most　forcibly　of　the　dark　ages　of　the　St。　John's　dancers。
  6。　　Similar　fanatical　sects　exhibit　among　all　nations　of　ancient　and　modern　times　the　same　phenomena。　　An　overstrained　bigotry　is　in　itself；　and　considered　in　a　medical　point　of　view；　a　destructive　irritation　of　the　senses；　which　draws　men　away　from　the　efficiency　of　mental　freedom；　and　peculiarly　favours　the　most　injurious　emotions。　　Sensual　ebullitions；　with　strong　convulsions　of　the　nerves；　appear　sooner　or　later；　and　insanity；　suicidal　disgust　of　life；　and　incurable　nervous　disorders；　are　but　too　frequently　the　consequences　of　a　perverse；　and；　indeed；　hypocritical　zeal；　which　has　ever　prevailed；　as　well　in　the　assemblies　of　the　Maenades　and　Corybantes　of　antiquity　as　under　the　semblance　of　religion　among　the　Christians　and　Mahomedans。
  There　are　some　denominations　of　English　Methodists　which　surpass；　if　possible；　the　French　Convulsionnaires；　and　we　may　here　mention　in　particular　the　Jumpers；　among　whom　it　is　still　more　difficult　than　in　the　example　given　above　to　draw　the　line　between　religious　ecstasy　and　a　perfect　disorder　of　the　nerves；　sympathy；　however；　operates　perhaps　more　perniciously　on　them　than　on　other　fanatical　assemblies。　　The　sect　of　Jumpers　was　founded　in　the　year　1760；　in　the　county　of　Cornwall；　by　two　fanatics；　who　were；　even　at　that　time；　able　to　collect　together　a　considerable　party。　　Their　general　doctrine　is　that　of　the　Methodists；　and　claims　our　consideration　here　only　in　so　far　as　it　enjoins　them　during　their　devotional　exercises　to　fall　into　convulsions；　which　they　are　able　to　effect　in　the　strangest　manner　imaginable。　　By　the　use　of　certain　unmeaning　words　they　work　themselves　up　into　a　state　of　religious　frenzy；　in　which　they　seem　to　have　scarcely　any　control　over　their　senses。　　They　then　begin　to　jump　with　strange　gestures；　repeating　this　exercise　with　all　their　might　until　they　are　exhausted；　so　that　it　not　unfrequently　happens　that　women　who；　like　the　Maenades；　practise　these　religious　exercises；　are　carried　away　from　the　midst　of　them　in　a　state　of　syncope；　whilst　the　remaining　members　of　the　congregations；　for　miles　together；　on　their　way　home；　terrify　those　whom　they　meet　by　the　sight　of　such　demoniacal　ravings。　　There　are　never　more　than　a　few　ecstatics；　who；　by　their　example；　excite　the　rest　to　jump；　and　these　are　followed　by　the　greatest　part　of　the　meeting；　so　that　these　assemblages　of　the　Jumpers　resemble　for　hours　together　the　wildest　orgies；　rather　than　congregations　met　for　Christian　edification。
  In　the　United　States　of　North　America　communities　of　Methodists　have　existed　for　the　last　sixty　years。　　The　reports　of　credible　witnesses　of　their　assemblages　for　divine　service　in　the　open　air　（camp　meetings）；　to　which　many　thousands　flock　from　great　distances；　surpass；　indeed；　all　belief；　for　not　only　do　they　there　repeat　all　the　insane　acts　of　the　French　Convulsionnaires　and　of　the　English　Jumpers；　but　the　disorder　of　their　minds　and　of　their　nerves　attains　at　these　meetings　a　still　greater　height。　　Women　have　been　seen　to　miscarry　whilst　suffering　under　the　state　of　ecstasy　and　violent　spasms　into　which　they　are　thrown；　and　others　have　publicly　stripped　themselves　and　jumped　into　the　rivers。　They　have　swooned　away　by　hundreds；　worn　out　with　ravings　and　fits；　and　of　the　Barkers；　who　appeared　among　the　Convulsionnaires　only　here　and　there；　in　single　cases　of　complete　aberration　of　intellect；　whole　bands　are　seen　running　on　all　fours；　and　growling　as　if　they　wished　to　indicate；　even　by　their　outward　form；　the　shocking　degradation　of　their　human　nature。　　At　these　camp…　meetings　the　children　are　witnesses　of　this　mad　infatuation；　and　as　their　weak　nerves　are　with　the　greatest　facility　affected　by　sympathy；　they；　together　with　their　parents；　fall　into　violent　fits；　though　they　know　nothing　of　their　import；　and　many　of　them　retain　for　life　some　severe　nervous　disorder　which；　having　arisen　from　fright　and　excessive　excitement；　will　not　afterwards　yield　to　any　medical　treatment。
  But　enough　of　these　extravagances；　which　even　in　our　now　days　embitter　the　live　of　so　many　thousands；　and　exhibit　to　the　world　in　the　nineteenth　century　the　same　terrific　form　of　mental　disturbance　as　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　once　did　to　the　benighted　nations　of　the　Middle　Ages。
  End