om France at the Restoration.]

[Footnote 175: Gloves with silver fringe round the wrists. A
Fringe-Glove Club is mentioned in No. 30 of the _Spectator_.]

[Footnote 176: See No. 95.]

[Footnote 177: See No. 45.]

[Footnote 178: Themistocles.]

[Footnote 179: Cf. "1 Henry IV." act i. sc. 2, where Prince Hal says to
Falstaff, "Farewell, thou latter spring!"]

[Footnote 180: A love of youthful pleasure. Cf. "Henry VIII." act i. sc.
3,

"Well said, Lord Sands,
Your colt's tooth is not cast yet."
]

[Footnote 181: See No. 150]

[Footnote 182: 1 Epist. xviii. 31.]

[Footnote 183: 1 Od. v. 5.]

No. 152. [ADDISON.

From _Tuesday, March 28_, to _Thursday, March 30, 1710_.

Di, quibus imperium est animarum, Umbraeque silentes,
Et Chaos, et Phlegethon, loca nocte silentia late,
Sit mihi fas audita loqui; sit numine vestro
Pandere resalta terra et caligine mersas.
VIRG., AEn. vi. 264.

* * * * *

_From my own Apartment, March 29._

A man who confines his speculations to the time present, has but a very
narrow province to employ his thoughts in. For this reason, persons of
studious and contemplative natures often entertain themselves with the
history of past ages, or raise schemes and conjectures upon futurity.
For my own part, I love to range through that half of eternity which is
still to come, rather than look on that which is already run out;
because I know I have a real share and interest in the one, whereas all
that was transacted in the other can be only matter of curiosity to me.

Upon this account, I have been always very much delighted with
meditating on the soul's immortality, and in reading the several notions
which the wisest of men, both ancient and modern, have entertained on
that subject. What the opinions of the greatest philosophers have been,
I have several times hinted at, and shall give an account of them from
time to time as occasion requires. It may likewise be worth while to
consider, what men of the most exalted genius, and elevated imagination,
have thought of this matter. Among these, Homer stands up as a prodigy
of mankind, that looks down upon the rest of human creatures as a
species beneath him. Since he is the most ancient heathen author, we
may guess from his relation, what were the common opinions in his time
concerni