Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/349

CONCERNING EARLY RISING. 345 at home. Nasica perceived how matters went, and departed. After- wards Ennius, in his turn, entering the house of Nasica, asks the boy whether his master was within or not. Nasica cries aloud from an inner room, saying, I am not at home. Ennius, knowing his voice, cries, Art thou not an impudent fellow? Dost think I don't know thee when thou speakest? Rather you, says Nasica, are the more impudent, who won't give credit to me myself when I believed your servant.

Ne. Perhaps you were very busy. Ph. JSTo, in troth, I was most pleasantly at leisure. Ne. Again you perplex me with riddles. Ph. Why, then, I will speak plainly, and not call anything out of its name. Ne. Say on. Ph. In short, I was fast asleep. Ne. What sayest thou? what, at past eight, when the sun rises' this month before four? Ph. The sun is very welcome to rise at midnight for me ; truly I love to sleep my bellyful. Ne. But was this by accident, or is it your common custom ? Ph. Why, truly, I am pretty much used to it.

Ne. But the habit of evil is most pernicious. Ph. There is no sleep so pleasant as after sunrising.

Ne. Prithee, at what hour do you use to leave your bed ? Ph. Why, some time betwixt four and nine. Ne. A very pretty space of time, truly ; a woman of quality is scarce so long a dressing. But how came you into this agreeable method ? Ph. Because we used to spend most part of the night in good eating and drinking, play, merriment, and what not, and this expense we repay by a good sound sleep in the morning. Ne. I scarce ever saw a prodigal more undone than thee. Ph. It seems to me rather parsimony than profuseness ; for in the meantime I neither burn my candles nor wear out my clothes. Ne. Ridiculous pai-simony, to destroy jewels that thou mayest preserve glass. The philosopher was of quite another opinion, who, being asked what was the most precious thing, replied time. Moreover, when it plainly appears that the morning is the best part of the whole day, you delight to destroy the most precious part of the most precious thing. Ph. Is that destroyed which is given to the body ? Ne. It is rather taking away from the body, which is then best affected, most lusty and strong, when it is refreshed by timely and moderate sleep, and corro- borated by early rising.

Ph. But it is a pure pleasant thing to sleep. Ne. What can be pleasant to him who has no sense of anything ? Ph. Why, that alone is pleasing to have no sense of trouble. Ne. At this rate, those are most happy who sleep in their graves, for they are never disturbed with troublesome dreams. Ph. They say the body is fed very much by sleep. Ne. This is the food of dormice and not of men. The beasts who are made only to eat are crammed very fitly, but how does it relate to man to heap up fat, unless that he may trudge on under the greater burden? Tell me now, if you had a servant, would you have him fat and lumpish or gay and spritely, apt for any employ- ment? Pk. But I am no servant. Ne. No matter; it is enough for me that you had rather have one alert and tit for business, than a fellow stoutly crammed. Ph. Certainly I would. Ne. Now, Plato says, The mind of a man is the man, the body nothing more than the mansion or instrument. You will certainly confess, I suppose, the soul to be the principal part of a man, the body only the attendant of