XV + 

I wish I could write a chapter upon sleep. + 

A fitter occasion could never have presented itself, than what this moment offers, when all the curtains of the family are drawnвБ†вАФthe candles put outвБ†вАФand no creatureвАЩs eyes are open but a single one, for the other has been shut these twenty years, of my motherвАЩs nurse. + 

It is a fine subject! + 

And yet, as fine as it is, I would undertake to write a dozen chapters upon buttonholes, both quicker and with more fame, than a single chapter upon this. + 

Buttonholes! there is something lively in the very idea of вАЩemвБ†вЄЇвБ†and trust me, when I get amongst вАЩemвБ†вЄЇвБ†You gentry with great beardsвБ†вЄЇвБ†look as grave as you willвБ†вЄїIвАЩll make merry work with my buttonholesвБ†вАФI shall have вАЩem all to myselfвБ†вАФвАЩtis a maiden subjectвБ†вАФI shall run foul of no manвАЩs wisdom or fine sayings in it. + 

But for sleepвБ†вЄЇвБ†I know I shall make nothing of it before I beginвБ†вАФI am no dab at your fine sayings in the first placeвБ†вАФand in the next, I cannot for my soul set a grave face upon a bad matter, and tell the worldвБ†вАФвАЩtis the refuge of the unfortunateвБ†вАФthe enfranchisement of the prisonerвБ†вАФthe downy lap of the hopeless, the weary, and the brokenhearted; nor could I set out with a lye in my mouth, by affirming, that of all the soft and delicious functions of our nature, by which the great Author of it, in his bounty, has been pleased to recompense the sufferings wherewith his justice and his good pleasure has wearied usвБ†вЄЇвБ†that this is the chiefest (I know pleasures worth ten of it); or what a happiness it is to man, when the anxieties and passions of the day are over, and he lies down upon his back, that his soul shall be so seated within him, that whichever way she turns her eyes, the heavens shall look calm and sweet above herвБ†вАФno desireвБ†вАФor fearвБ†вАФor doubt that troubles the air, nor any difficulty past, present, or to come, that the imagination may not pass over without offence, in that sweet secession. + 

вАЬGodвАЩs blessing,вАЭ said Sancho Pan√Іa, вАЬbe upon the man who first invented this selfsame thing called sleepвБ†вАФit covers a man all over like a cloak.вАЭ Now there is more to me in this, and it speaks warmer to my heart and affections, than all the dissertations squeezвАЩd out of the heads of the learned together upon the subject. + 

вАФNot that I altogether disapprove of what Montaigne advances upon itвБ†вАФвАЩtis admirable in its wayвБ†вАФ(I quote by memory). + 

The world enjoys other pleasures, says he, as they do that of sleep, without tasting or feeling it as it slips and passes by.вБ†вАФWe should study and ruminate upon it, in order to render proper thanks to him who grants it to us.вБ†вАФFor this end I cause myself to be disturbed in my sleep, that I may the better and more sensibly relish it.вБ†вЄЇвБ†And yet I see few, says he again, who live with less sleep, when need requires; my body is capable of a firm, but not of a violent and sudden agitationвБ†вАФI evade of late all violent exercisesвБ†вЄЇвБ†I am never weary with walkingвБ†вЄЇвБ†but from my youth, I never liked to ride upon pavements. I love to lie hard and alone, and even without my wifeвБ†вЄЇвБ†This last word may stagger the faith of the worldвБ†вЄЇвБ†but remember, вАЬLa Vraisemblance (as¬†Bayle says in the affair of Liceti) nвАЩest pas toujours du C√іt√© de la Verit√©.вАЭ And so much for sleep. + 