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Article ON DREAMS. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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On Dreams.
volume ; and perhaps there is not a human being in existence , possessed of reasonable faculties , but what has experienced the truth of this in some period or other of his life . „ . We shall close this brief essay , by relating a few extraordinary cases of this kind ; and leave the reader to form his own conclusion respecting them . In the life of Sir Plenty Wottonby honest Isaac Waltonwe meet
, , with the following relation ; which we shall copy in his own words . 'In the year of our Redemption 155 , 3 , Nicholas Wotton , Dean of Canterbury , being thei ] Ambassador in France , dreamed that his nephew , Thomas Wotton , was inclined to be a party in such a project , as , if he were not suddenly prevented , would turn both to the loss of his life and ruin of his family . Doubtless the good Dean did
well know that common dreams are but a senseless paraphrase on our waking thoughts ; or of the business of the day past ; or , are the result of our over-engaged affections , when we betake ourselves to rest ; and knew that the observation of them may turn to silly superstitions ; as they too often do . But though he might know all this and might als ' o believe that prophecies are ceased ; yetdoubtlesshe
, , could not but consider that all dreams are not to be neglected , or cast away without all consideration ; and did therefore rather lay this dream aside , than intend totally to lose it ; and dreaming the same again , the night following , when itbecame a double dream , like that of Pharaoh ( of which double dreams the learned have made many observations ) and considering that it had no dependence on his
waking thoughts , much less on the desires ofdns heart , then he did more seriously consider it ; and remembered that Almi ghty God was pleased in a dream to reveal , and to assure Monica , the mother of St . Justin , ' that he ( her son ) for whom she wept so bitterly , and prayed so much , should at last become a Christian . ' This , I believe , the good Dean considered ; and considered also that Almi ghty God ( though the causes of dreams be often unknown ) hath evenin these
, latter times also , by a certain illumination of the soul in sleep , discovered many things that human wisdom could not foresee . Upon these considerations , he resolved to use so prudent a remed y , by way of prevention , as might introduce no great inconvenience either to himself or to his nephew . And to that end , he wrote to the Queen , ( 'twas Queen Mary ) and besought her that she would cause his
nephew , Thomas Wotton , to be sent for out of Kent , and that the Lords of the Council mi g ht interrogate him in some such feigned questions , as might give a colour for his commitment into a favourable prison ; declaring , that he would acquaint her Majesty with the true reason of his request , when he should next become so happy as to see , and speak to her Majesty . '
' 'Twas clone as the Dean desired : and in prison I must leave Mr . Wotton , till I have told the reader what followed . At this time a marriage was concluded betwixt our Queen Mary and Philip , Kino-.of Spain : and though this was concluded with the advice , if not by the persuasion of her privy council , as having many probabilities of advantage to this nation , yet divers persons , of a contrary persuasion
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Dreams.
volume ; and perhaps there is not a human being in existence , possessed of reasonable faculties , but what has experienced the truth of this in some period or other of his life . „ . We shall close this brief essay , by relating a few extraordinary cases of this kind ; and leave the reader to form his own conclusion respecting them . In the life of Sir Plenty Wottonby honest Isaac Waltonwe meet
, , with the following relation ; which we shall copy in his own words . 'In the year of our Redemption 155 , 3 , Nicholas Wotton , Dean of Canterbury , being thei ] Ambassador in France , dreamed that his nephew , Thomas Wotton , was inclined to be a party in such a project , as , if he were not suddenly prevented , would turn both to the loss of his life and ruin of his family . Doubtless the good Dean did
well know that common dreams are but a senseless paraphrase on our waking thoughts ; or of the business of the day past ; or , are the result of our over-engaged affections , when we betake ourselves to rest ; and knew that the observation of them may turn to silly superstitions ; as they too often do . But though he might know all this and might als ' o believe that prophecies are ceased ; yetdoubtlesshe
, , could not but consider that all dreams are not to be neglected , or cast away without all consideration ; and did therefore rather lay this dream aside , than intend totally to lose it ; and dreaming the same again , the night following , when itbecame a double dream , like that of Pharaoh ( of which double dreams the learned have made many observations ) and considering that it had no dependence on his
waking thoughts , much less on the desires ofdns heart , then he did more seriously consider it ; and remembered that Almi ghty God was pleased in a dream to reveal , and to assure Monica , the mother of St . Justin , ' that he ( her son ) for whom she wept so bitterly , and prayed so much , should at last become a Christian . ' This , I believe , the good Dean considered ; and considered also that Almi ghty God ( though the causes of dreams be often unknown ) hath evenin these
, latter times also , by a certain illumination of the soul in sleep , discovered many things that human wisdom could not foresee . Upon these considerations , he resolved to use so prudent a remed y , by way of prevention , as might introduce no great inconvenience either to himself or to his nephew . And to that end , he wrote to the Queen , ( 'twas Queen Mary ) and besought her that she would cause his
nephew , Thomas Wotton , to be sent for out of Kent , and that the Lords of the Council mi g ht interrogate him in some such feigned questions , as might give a colour for his commitment into a favourable prison ; declaring , that he would acquaint her Majesty with the true reason of his request , when he should next become so happy as to see , and speak to her Majesty . '
' 'Twas clone as the Dean desired : and in prison I must leave Mr . Wotton , till I have told the reader what followed . At this time a marriage was concluded betwixt our Queen Mary and Philip , Kino-.of Spain : and though this was concluded with the advice , if not by the persuasion of her privy council , as having many probabilities of advantage to this nation , yet divers persons , of a contrary persuasion