28^8 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IV. 



and with the dead as well as the living ; or, if he has had the mis- 

 fortune, which, I doubt, is the cafe of many in this age, not to have 

 known much Virtue or Worth, but is an Antient Scholar, his Ima- 

 gination will raife from their tombs the heroes of Greece and Rome, 

 and make him enjoy their Society. 



And here I beg leave again to quote Mr Thomfon, in his Caftle 

 of Indolence, the iineft allegorical poem in any language, and moft 

 complete, according to my judgment, both in ftyle and verfificatlon, 

 and particularly beautiful upon the fubjed of Dreams. It is where 

 he prays for good Dreams, in thefc fweet verfes, following the 

 ftanza above quoted concerning Dreams of horror and affright, 



}"£• Guardian Spirits^ to ivhoni man is dear ! 

 From thefe f mil Daemons Jhield the midnight gloom.: 

 Angels of Fancy and of Love ! be near, , 



And o'er the Blank of Sleep diffufe a bloom : 

 Evoke thefacred Shades of Greece and Rome^ 

 And let them Virtue "with a look impart : 

 But chief, a ivhile^ 1 lend us from the Tomb 

 Thofe long-lojl Friends for ivhom in Love ivefmarty 

 And fill ivith pious a-we andjoy-mixt ivoe the heart. 



But, if to virtue and learning be joined philofophy, and if to hoik. 

 be added that cathartic manner of life *, by which the later Platoni- 

 cians faid that they were difengaged from the Body as much as was 

 poflible in this life, and their Minds exalted to a communication 

 with Superior Minds, we fliall then enjoy the greatcft happlnefs that 

 Gur nature is capable qf in this ftate, and, in our Sleeping Life, ftiall 

 anticipate, in fome degree, the joys that are prepared for the reli- 

 gious and virtuous in the other life that is to come with the Sleep of 

 Death. 



That 



* Page 163. 17/ 



