"
And again, in his Virgil--
"When heavy sleep has closed the sight,
And sickly fancy labours in the night,
We seem to run, and, destitute of force,
Our sinking limbs forsake us in the course;
In vain we heave for breath--_in vain we cry_--
_The nerves unbraced, their usual strength deny,
And on the tongue the flattering accents die_."
Now this man seems to have had the use not only of his limbs, but of his
faculty of speech, while dreaming; and it was not till after he awoke
that he felt the oppression Dryden describes; for it is stated, that
when he awoke he had no distinct recollection of his dream, but only a
confused feeling of oppression and fatigue, and used to tell his
companions that he was sure they had been playing some trick upon him.
W.A.R.
P.S. This is a sleepy article; and I would warn its reader to endeavour
not to fall asleep over it, and thus endanger his falling over his
chair; and lest some familiar friend or _chere amie_ should, finding
his instructions in his hand, take the opportunity of making the
experiment, and may be create a little jealous quarrel or so.
* * * * *
SONNET TO THE RIVER ARUN.
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