Themes · 1712
Sweet are the slumbers of the virtuous man.
— Joseph Addison · Cato
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The line presents pleasant sleep as a reward of virtue. It associates being good with resting peacefully, suggesting the comfort of a clear conscience. The claim is an idealised moral observation about character and contentment, rather than a promise that good people never struggle to sleep.
Context reviewed