Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, July, 1851Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, July, 1851
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
We were acquainted with a young lady accustomed to sit up in bed and
recite poetry in her sleep, whose mother assured us that she sometimes
took cognizance of circumstances which she could not, in any way,
account for. On one occasion they had been to a ball; and, after the
daughter was in bed and asleep, her mother went quietly into her room,
and taking away her dress and gloves deposited them in another room.
Presently, as usual, the fair somnambule began talking in her sleep; her
mother entered, as usual, into conversation with her; and, at length,
asked, "But what have you done with your new ball-dress?" "Why, you
know," replied she, "you have laid it on the couch in the drawing-room."
"Yes," continued the mother, "but your gloves--what have you done with
them?" "You know well enough," she answered, in an angry tone, "you have
locked them up in your jewel-box." Both answers were correct; and it may
be here observed that somnambulists, if equivocated with in
conversation, or in any way played upon, will express themselves
annoyed, and betray angry feelings. The truthfulness of sleep-talking
may, we apprehend, always be relied on. In this state there is no
attempt at evasion; no ingenuity exercised to disguise any thing. The
master-mind of Shakspeare--which seems to have divined the secrets of
Nature, and illustrated scientific principles before they were
discovered by philosophers--recognized this fact, in making Iago thus
rouse the jealousy of Othello:
"There are a kind of men so loose of soul
That in their sleep will mutter their affairs;
One of this kind is Cassio.
In sleep I heard him say, 'Sweet Desdemona,
Let us be wary.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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