For doe but consider what an excellent thing
sleepe is: It is so inestimable a Jewel, that, if a
Tyrant would giue his crowne for an houres slumber,
it cannot be bought: of so beautifull a shape is it, that
though a man lye with an Empresse, his heart cannot
be at quiet, till he leaues her embracements to be at
rest with the other: yea, so greatly indebted are we
to this kinseman of death, that we owe the better
tributary, halfe of our life to him: and thers good
cause why we should do so: for sleepe is that golden
chaine that ties health and our bodies together.
Who complains of want? of woundes? of cares? of
great mens oppressions, of captiuity? whilest he
sleepeth? Beggers in their beds take as much pleasure
as Kings: can we therefore surfet on this delicate
_Ambrosia_? can we drink too much of that whereof
to tast too little tumbles vs into a church-yard, and to
vse it but indifferently, throwes vs into Bedlam? No,
no, looke vppon _Endymion_, the Moones Minion, who
slept threescore and fifteene yeares, and was not a
haire the worse for it. Can lying abedde till noone
then (being not the threescore and fifteenth thousand
part of his nap) be hurtfull?
Besides, by the opinion of all Phylosophers and
Physitians, it is not good to trust the aire with our
bodies / till the Sun with his flame-coloured wings,
hath fand away the mistie smoake of the morning,
and refind that thicke tobacco-breath which the
rheumaticke night throwes abroad of purpose to put
out the eye of the Element: which worke questionlesse
cannot be perfectly finished, till the sunnes
Car-horses stand prancing on the very top of highest
noon: so that then (and not till then) is the most
healthfull houre to be stirring. Do you require
examples to perswade you? At what time do Lords
and Ladies vse to rise, but then? your simpring
Merchants wiues are the fairest lyers in the world:
and is not eleuen a clocke their common houre?
they finde (no doubt) vnspeakable sweetnesse in such
lying, else they would not day by day put it so in
practise. In a word, midday slumbers are golden;
they make the body fat, the skin faire, the flesh
plump, delicate and tender; they set a russet colour
on the cheekes of young women, and make lusty
courage to rise vp in men; they make vs thrifty, both
in sparing victuals (for breakefasts thereby are savd
from the hell-mouth of the belly) and in preseruing
apparell; for while wee warm us in our beds, our
clothes are not worne.
The casements of thine eyes being then at this
commendable time of the day, newly set open, choose
rather to haue thy wind-pipe cut in peeces then to
salute any man. Bid not good-morrow so much as
to thy father, tho he be an Emperour. An idle
ceremony it is, and can doe him little good; to
thy selfe it may bring much harme: for if he be a
wise man that knowes how to hold his peace, of
necessity must he be counted a foole that cannot
keep his tongue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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