’Glaphyra the Daughter of
King Archelaus, after the Death of her two
first Husbands (being married to a third, who was Brother
to her first Husband, and so passionately in love
with her that he turned off his former Wife to make
room for this Marriage) had a very odd kind of Dream.
She fancied that she saw her first Husband coming towards
her, and that she embraced him with great Tenderness;
when in the midst of the Pleasure which she expressed
at the Sight of him, he reproached her after the
following manner: Glaphyra, says he, thou
hast made good the old Saying, That Women are not
to be trusted. Was not I the Husband of thy
Virginity? Have I not Children by thee? How
couldst thou forget our Loves so far as to enter
into a second Marriage, and after that into a third,
nay to take for thy Husband a Man who has so shamelessly
crept into the Bed of his Brother? However, for
the sake of our passed Loves, I shall free thee
from thy present Reproach, and make thee mine for
ever. Glaphyra told this Dream to several Women
of her Acquaintance, and died soon after. [6] I thought
this Story might not be impertinent in this Place,
wherein I speak of those Kings: Besides that,
the Example deserves to be taken notice of as it contains
a most certain Proof of the Immortality of the Soul,
and of Divine Providence. If any Man thinks
these Facts incredible, let him enjoy his own Opinion
to himself, but let him not endeavour to disturb the
Belief of others, who by Instances of this Nature are
excited to the Study of Virtue.’
L.
[Footnote 1: Walk]
[Footnote 2: ‘Essay on the Human Understanding’,
Bk. II., ch. 33.]
[Footnote 3: into]
[Footnote 4: the Rooms]
[Footnote 5: ‘Lucret.’ iv. 34, &c.]
[Footnote 6: Josephus, ‘Antiq. Jud.’
lib. xvii. cap. 15, 415.]
* * * *
*
No. 111. Saturday, July 7, 1711.
Addison.
‘...
Inter Silvas Academi quaerere Verum.’
Hor.
The Course of my last Speculation led me insensibly
into a Subject upon which I always meditate with great
Delight, I mean the Immortality of the Soul.
I was yesterday walking alone in one of my Friend’s
Woods, and lost my self in it very agreeably, as I
was running over in my Mind the several Arguments
that establish this great Point, which is the Basis
of Morality, and the Source of all the pleasing Hopes
and secret Joys that can arise in the Heart of a reasonable
Creature. I considered those several Proofs,
drawn;
First, From the Nature of the Soul it self,
and particularly its Immateriality; which, tho’
not absolutely necessary to the Eternity of its Duration,
has, I think, been evinced to almost a Demonstration.
Secondly, From its Passions and Sentiments,
as particularly from its Love of Existence, its Horrour
of Annihilation, and its Hopes of Immortality, with
that secret Satisfaction which it finds in the Practice
of Virtue, and that Uneasiness which follows in it
upon the Commission of Vice.
