English humorists of the eighteenth century : Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith . le-case: those who remainedbehind, says he, are the true religious; they make use of music towarm their hearts, and to lift them to a proper pitch of rapture:examine their beha\iour, and you will confess there are some amongus who practise true devotion. I now looked round me as directed, but saw nothing of thatfervent devotion which he had promised: one of the worshippersappeared to be ogUng the company through a glass; another wasfervent, not in addresses to Heaven, but to hi
English humorists of the eighteenth century : Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith . le-case: those who remainedbehind, says he, are the true religious; they make use of music towarm their hearts, and to lift them to a proper pitch of rapture:examine their beha\iour, and you will confess there are some amongus who practise true devotion. I now looked round me as directed, but saw nothing of thatfervent devotion which he had promised: one of the worshippersappeared to be ogUng the company through a glass; another wasfervent, not in addresses to Heaven, but to his mistress; a thirdwhispered, a fourth took snuff, and the priest himself, in a drowsytone, read over the duties of the day. Bless my eyes! cried I, as I happened to look towards the doors,what do I see? one of the worshippers fallen fast asleep, and actu-ally simk down on his cushion! Is he now enjoying the benefitof a trance, or does he receive the influence of some mysterious \a-sion? — Alas! alas! repUed my companion, no such thing; hehas only had the misfortune of eating too hearty a dinner, and finds 434. The Sleeping Congregation. CITIZEN OF THE WORLD it impossible to keep his eyes open. Turning to another part ofthe temple, I perceived a young lady just in the same ciroimstancesand attitude: Strange, cried I; can she, too, have over-eatenherself? — Oh, fie! repUed my friend, you now grow censori-ous. She grow drowsy from eating too much I that would be pro-fanation I She only sleeps now from ha\ing sat up all night at a bragpart}-. — Turn me where I v\-ill, then, says I, I can perceive nosingle s}Tnptom of devotion among the worshippers, except fromthat old woman in the comer, who sits groaning behind the longsticks of a mourning fan; she indeed seems greatly edified withwhat she hears. — Ay, rephed my friend, I knew we shouldfind some to catch you; I know her; that is the deaf lady who livesin the cloisters. In short, the remissness of belia\-iour in almost all
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectenglishliterature
