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The works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, a new ed., with notes (1811)
The works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison a new ed with notes - 1811 Author:Joseph Addison Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: No. 7. THURSDAY, MARCH 8. Somnia, tcrrores magicos, miracula, sagas, Nocturnes lemures, portentamie Thessala rides t COOING yesterday to dine with an old ... more »acquaintance, I had the misfortune to find his whole family very much dejected. Upon asking him the occasion of it, he told me that his wife had dreamt a strange dream the night before, which they were afraid portended some misfortune to themselves or to their children. At her coming into the room, I observed a settled melancholy in her countenance, which I should have been troubled for, had I not heard from whence it proceeded. We were no sooner sat down, but, after having looked upon me a little while, ' My dear,' says she, turning to her husband, ' you may now see the stranger that was in the candle last night.' Soon after this, as they began to talk of family affairs, a little boy at the lower end of the table told her, that he was to go into join-hand on Thursday. ' Thursday!' says she. ' No, child, if it please God, you shall not begin upon Childermas-day : tell your writing master that Friday will be soon enough.' I was reflecting with myself on the oddness of her fancy, and wondering that any body would establish it as a rule to lose a day in every week. In the midst of these my musings, she desired me to reach her a little salt upon the point of my knife, which I did in such a trepidation and hurry of obedience, that I let it drop by the way; at which she immediately startled, and said it fell towards her. Upon this J looked very blank; and observing the concern of the whole fabje, began to consider myself, with some confusion, as a person that had brought a disaster upon the family. The lady, however, recovering herself, after a little space, said to her husband, with a sigh, ' My dear, misfortunes never come sin...« less