The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-06-27
About sleep.

serenity of the other being requisite to Sc
cure it in perfection. Herein the sanction OF
physical and moral laws is euriously appar-
ent; sleep reflects their sway with exactitude,
and is one of the most prevalent of compen-
satory agencies in human lfe-sweetly obliy-
ious TO the child of toll, prolonged for the
immature, haunted to the guilty. Its ,essa-
tion for a long period often prophecies insan-
ity; IFS unlimited indulgence benumbs the
faculties; unknown in its pure delights to
the luxurious idler-beautiful beyond the po-
cts dream in childhood, horrible in its night
mare struggles in the gourmand, calm as sculp-
ture, fcycrish as passion, venerable in the
aged angelic according to the beautiful Irish
suPerstition) in the smile of the dreaming
infant--there is not phase of humanity it
does not reflect. Two great functions of life
it secretly fnlfls-lessening the How of the
arteral current, and, at the same time, re-
newing the wondrous nervous force whereby
/ We live, endure, enjoy and act; each sensi-
bility is quickened, each organ revived, ey-
cry muscle newly strung. In dreams" SAYS
German philosopher, IA species of genial
vegetation arrests the wearing strife between
mind and body, and by associating them
more closely together, restores and regener-
atcs our existence"
And then the waking up-to what! ! there
in lies the bano and the blessing; those are
deep chapters in human history that record
the feelings waerewih heroes, saints, crimi-
mails, lovers, and mourners, have awoke to
rca'on-after darium, to consciousness Of a
prison cell, to the sense OF great bcrcave-
mcnt, TO the greetings Of a triumphant afec-
tion--to find ones self Ike Byron, fmous--
to the abandoned rcycl--to the fatal con
cicrgc, TO the shallow of death, or in fresh
and winsomc scenes, such as made Montaisnc,
on his travels, leap ioyiiIHy from his bed 10
monotonous routine, bitter drndgory, newly
acquired freedom, or TO the scafod; what
anguish and eestary ere involved in these
contrasts
As an animal blessing, that most sensual
Of natural philosophers, Sanrho Panza, has
melnorably announced the praise of sleep in
terms so hearty that VIC never weary Of re
peating them. il Is one Of the most admi-
rablc touches IN thc peerless romance Of Ger
vanics, to contrast the knights voluntary
yigs with The gross slembor Of his squire,
and put into the lattar's mouth such pane
gyric as this: "WMle am asleep, feel
neither hope nor despair. | am free from
pain and inscn'ibe of glory. Now bles-
sings light on him that first invented this
same sleep! it covers man a ovcr-tho''s
and MI, Ike \ cloak; Il is meat for the hungry,
drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, cold
for ihe hot 1t i, the current coin that pur-
clascs all the pleasures of the world cheap;
and the balance that sets the king and the
shepherd, The fool and the wise man, even.
There IS only one thing, which somebody
puts into my head. that dislike in sleep
it Is that ii resembles death; there is avery |
little difference between man in his first
sleep and a man in his last sleep
The essential difference between the two
however, has been ap.ly defined; sleep is
well called metaphysical, not organic death
and it is because Of this partial separation,
a. it were, Of the phenomena Of body and .
mind. Of consciousness and action, that spir- |
itual and interpretive mcR have ever found .
such food for speculation and hints for psy-
Geological discovery in dreams. DE Qnin-
cy has written of them with almost scientific
insight; Colcridgc composed Kubh Khan
while asleep; Shelley recorded and Allston
related dreams memorahly; Charles Lamb
morning rcvcric in bed to digest .
them; Byron had supcrstitious regard for
their revelations; aud Lord Brougham, in
his natural theology, accounts for them by a
state between sleeping and waking;
Alfcri dreamed continually Of magnificent
horses; Montaignc's father caused lin, in
infancy, to be awakened by music, to avoid
all jar Of sensation in passing from sleep TO
as n means Of harmonizing
The temperament and Swedcnborgian wri-
ter (Sampsoa Reed says that in sleeping we
are especially "opon to heavenly intimations,"
md adds, "the great use of sleep is usually
supposed to he the renovation Of physical or
Intellectual strength; but to the new church
t is known that its highest use is rcgenera-
ion"-S Southern Literary Messenger.
AERAnAa LINCoLN-A late Haypers Ueei}y
We have received CIay &c. gives us a portrait Of
ABRAHAM Lincoln. the nominee for President of
he BLACK Republicans and a horrid looking
wretch he is!-sooty and scoundrelly in aspect;
cross between the nutmeg dealer, the horse
wrapper and the nightmare creature, fit, ev-
IDENTIFY, for petty treason. small stratagemS, and
II sorts Of spoils. We confess our obligations
o the Harpers for their promptness and pains
aking in giving us portraits Of all these cquivocal
,entry the moment they become conspicuous IN
ase positions or in rascally practices? Their |
has uses similar to those % the police :
'licc, by which all notorious rcprobatcs are at !
nee photographed and thus rendered identiiia- |
Ne in all sections where thcy happen to turn up.