suffer to slumber

[Mher]

Hi, people. Could you suggest another synonym of "suffer" that will suit the given context? What I have in mind is "subjected to" or "condemned to." Do you agree with my options?

"Alas! the grim legion of sepulchral terrors cannot be regarded as altogether fanciful — but, like the Demons in whose company Afrasiab made his voyage down the Oxus, they must sleep, or they will devour us — they must be suffered
to slumber, or we perish."
(http://poestories.com/read/premature)

 

[Grumpy]

How about simply "made to"?

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher


"There are moments when, even to the sober eye of Reason, the world of our sad Humanity may assume the semblance of a Hell – but the imagination of man is no Carathis, to explore with impunity its every cavern. Alas! the grim legion of sepulchral terrors cannot be regarded as altogether fanciful — but, like the Demons in whose company Afrasiab made his voyage down the Oxus, they must sleep, or they will devour us — they must be suffered to slumber, or we perish."

As the sentence preceding the OP's quoted passage seems to be warning against investigating the dark corners of our humanity too thoroughly, and thereby disturbing various demons, perhaps "they must be allowed to slumber" is what's intended.

 

[Mher]

not a teacher


"There are moments when, even to the sober eye of Reason, the world of our sad Humanity may assume the semblance of a Hell – but the imagination of man is no Carathis, to explore with impunity its every cavern. Alas! the grim legion of sepulchral terrors cannot be regarded as altogether fanciful — but, like the Demons in whose company Afrasiab made his voyage down the Oxus, they must sleep, or they will devour us — they must be suffered to slumber, or we perish."

As the sentence preceding the OP's quoted passage seems to be warning against investigating the dark corners of our humanity too thoroughly, and thereby disturbing various demons, perhaps "they must be allowed to slumber" is what's intended.

Or maybe "they must be left to sleep."

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher


Or maybe "they must be left to sleep."

That's more-or-less the sense for "allow" that I was suggesting.

Definition #2. "Give the necessary time or opportunity for…"
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/allow

 

[probus]

To me, "to suffer" someone to do something means "to permit or allow" him or her to do so, usually reluctantly. It is an antiquated usage.

 

[Mher]

To me, "to suffer" someone to do something means "to permit or allow" him or her to do so, usually reluctantly. It is an antiquated usage.

That is what I meant when I suggested "condemned to" in my original post.

 

[Tdol]

To me, "to suffer" someone to do something means "to permit or allow" him or her to do so, usually reluctantly. It is an antiquated usage.

The only example that comes to mind reading the thread is Jesus' Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Suffer as it's used there is old-fashioned, maybe even somewhat archaic. But it's not wrong. To suffer someone to do something is to allow it or put up with it, but not to like it, want it, or encourage it.

Shakespeare: "The eagle suffers little birds to sing."

My vote: it's fine as is.