The wording, "our princes slumber altogether too much in a deep sleep. While they are acting so peacefully," reminds me of the way political and moral failure are figured in the Old Arcadia. While he's trying to talk Pyrocles out of remaining in Arcadia to moon over Philoclea, Musidorus remonstrates that Pyrocles has "let [his] mind fall asleep," and of course the Arcadia slides into complete civil disorder while Basilius is under the influence of Gynecia's grandmother's sleeping potion.
A couple of useful takes on this are Garrett Sullivan, "ROmance, Sleep, and the Passions in SPS's Old Arcadia" ELH 74 (2007): 735-57 and David Houston Wood, "'[A] Deathful Suck': Passions, Potions, and Poisons in Sidney's Old Arcadia," Prose Studies 28 (2006): 150-67.
Joel Davis
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From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Roger Kuin [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 8:25 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sleeping sickness?
(apologies for X-posting)
I wonder if anyone can give some help on 16C disease. In a 1575
letter to Languet, Philip Sidney writes about Protestant
princes' (lack of) reaction to current dangers:
> this is certain: our princes slumber altogether too much in a deep
> sleep. While they are acting so peacefully, I wish that they would
> watch out, lest they fall into that sickness which joins Death's
> image to Death itself.
The 'sickness' to which he refers could of course simply be the sin
of Sloth; but I was wondering if in Early Modern Europe there was any
specific disease we know about that might have been described in this
way. Encephalitis lethargica seems not to have turned up until the
early 20C; and African Tryponosomiasis was, I believe, not known in
Europe at the time.
Any help much appreciated.
Roger Kuin
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