Having read the foregoing to a friend he asked me whether I believed
that by Forethought and Suggestion a gentleman could be induced
without diffidence to offer himself in marriage, since, as is well
known, that the most eligible young men often put off wedding for
years because they cannot summon up courage to propose. To which I
replied that I had no great experience of such cases, but as regarded
the method I was like the Scotch clergyman who, being asked by a
wealthy man if he thought that the gift of a thousand pounds to the
Kirk would save the donor's soul, replied: "I'm na prepairet to
preceesly answer thot question--but I wad vara warmly advise ye to
_try_ it."

It must be remembered that for the very great majority of cases, if
really not for all, the practicer of this process must be of temperate
habits, and never attempt after a hearty meal, or drinking freely, to
exercise Forethought or Self-Suggestion. Peaceful mental action during
sleep requires that there shall be very light labor of digestion, and
disturbed or troublesome dreams are utterly incompatible with really
successful results. Nor will a single day's temperance suffice. It
requires many days to bring the whole frame and constitution into good
fit order. Here there can be no evasion, for more than ordinary
temperance in food and drink is _absolutely indispensable_.

It is a principle, recognized by all physiologists, that digestion and
fixed thought cannot go on together; it is even unadvisable to read
while eating. Thus in all the old magical operations, which were, in
fact, self-hypnotism, a perfect fast is insisted on with reason. This
is all so self-evident that I need not dwell on it. It will be
needless for anyone to take up this subject as a trifling pastime, or
attempt self-suggestion and development of will with as little