Dr. ARMSTRONG, the Poet of Health, observes,
"'Tis _the great Art of_ LIFE to manage well The restless Mind."
The grand secret seems to be, to contrive that the exercise of the Body, and that of the Mind, may serve as relaxations to each other.
Over Exertion, or Anxiety of Mind, disturbs Digestion infinitely more than any fatigue of Body--the Brain demands a much more abundant supply of the Animal Spirits, than is required for the excitement of mere Legs and Arms.
"'Tis the Sword that wears out the Scabbard."
Of the two ways of fertilizing the Brain--by Sleep, or by Spirituous Stimulus--(for some write best in the Morning, others when wound up with Wine, after Dinner or Supper:) the former is much less expensive--and less injurious to the constitution than either Port, or Brandy, whose aid it is said that some of our best Authors have been indebted to, for their most brilliant productions.
Calling one day on a literary friend, we found him reclining on a Sofa--on expressing our concern to find him indisposed, he said, "No, I was only _hatching_,--I have been writing till I was quite tired--my paper must go to Press to day--so I was taking my usual restorative--_A Nap_--which if it only lasts five minutes, so refreshes my Mind--that my Pen goes to work again spontaneously."
Is it not better _Economy of Time_, to go to sleep for half an hour,--than to go on noodling all day in a nerveless and semi-superannuated state--if not asleep, certainly not effectively Awake--for any purpose requiring the Energy of either the Body, or the Mind.
"_A Forty Winks Nap_," in an horizontal posture, is the best preparative for any extraordinary exertion of either.
Those who possess, and employ the powers of the Mind most--seldom attain the greatest Age[25]:--see BRUNAUD _de L'Hygiene des Gens de Lettres, Paris_, 8vo. 1819:--the Envy their Talent excites,--the Disappointment they often meet with in their expectations of receiving the utmost attention and respect, (which the world has seldom the gratitude to pay them while they live,) keep them in a perpetual state of irritation and disquiet--which frets them prematurely to their Grave[26].
_To rest a whole Day_--under great fatigue of either Body or Mind, is occasionally extremely beneficial--it is impossible to regulate Sleep by the hour;--when the Mind and the Body have received all the refreshment which Sleep can give, people cannot lie in Bed, and till then, they should not Rise[27].