首页 >出版文学> LETTERS>第22章

第22章

  _Heart。_Accordingly,Sir,thisacquaintancewasnottheconsequenceofmydoings。Itwasoneofyourprojectswhichthrewusinthewayofit。Itwasyou,remember,¬I,whodesiredthemeetingatLegrand&Molinos。Inevertroublemyselfwithdomesnorarches。TheHalleauxbledsmighthaverotteddownbeforeIshouldhavegonetoseeit。Butyou,forsooth,whoareeternallygettingustosleepwithyourdiagrams&crotchets,mustgo&examinethiswonderfulpieceofarchitecture。Andwhenyouhadseenit,oh!itwasthemostsuperbthingonearth!WhatyouhadseentherewasworthallyouhadyetseeninParis!Ithoughtsotoo。ButImeantitofthelady&gentlemantowhomwehadbeenpresented;¬ofaparcelofsticks&chipsputtogetherinpens。Youthen,Sir,¬I,havebeenthecauseofthepresentdistress。
  _Head。_Itwouldhavebeenhappyforyouifmydiagrams&
  crotchetshadgottenyoutosleeponthatday,asyouarepleasedtosaytheyeternallydo。MyvisittoLegrand&Molinoshadpublicutilityforit’sobject。AmarketistobebuiltinRichmond。WhatacommodiousplanisthatofLegrand&Molinos;especiallyifweputonitthenobledomeoftheHalleauxbleds。IfsuchabridgeastheysheweduscanbethrownacrosstheSchuylkillatPhiladelphia,thefloatingbridgestakenup&thenavigationofthatriveropened,whatacopiousresourcewillbeadded,ofwood&provisions,towarm&feedthepoorofthatcity?WhileIwasoccupiedwiththeseobjects,youweredilatingwithyournewacquaintances,&contrivinghowtopreventaseparationfromthem。Everysoulofyouhadanengagementfortheday。Yetalltheseweretobesacrificed,thatyoumightdinetogether。Lyingmessengersweretobedespatchedintoeveryquarterofthecity,withapologiesforyourbreachofengagement。YouparticularlyhadtheeffronterytosendwordtotheDutchessDanvillethat,onthemomentweweresettingouttodinewithher,despatchescametohandwhichrequiredimmediateattention。
  Youwantedmetoinventamoreingeniousexcuse;butIknewyouweregettingintoascrape,&Iwouldhavenothingtodowithit。Well,afterdinnertoSt。Cloud,fromSt。CloudtoRuggieri’s,fromRuggieritoKrumfoltz,&ifthedayhadbeenaslongasaLaplandsummerday,youwouldstillhavecontrivedmeansamongyoutohavefilledit。
  _Heart。_Oh!mydearfriend,howyouhaverevivedmebyrecallingtomymindthetransactionsofthatday!HowwellI
  rememberthemall,&thatwhenIcamehomeatnight&lookedbacktothemorning,itseemedtohavebeenamonthagone。Goonthen,likeakindcomforter&painttomethedaywewenttoSt。Germains。Howbeautifulwaseveryobject!thePortdeReuilly,thehillsalongtheSeine,therainbowsofthemachineofMarly,theterraceofSt。
  Germains,thechateaux,thegardens,thestatuesofMarly,thepavillonofLucienne。RecollecttooMadrid,Bagatelle,theKing’sgarden,theDessert。Howgrandtheideaexcitedbytheremainsofsuchacolumn!Thespiralstaircasetoowasbeautiful。Everymomentwasfilledwithsomethingagreeable。Thewheelsoftimemovedonwitharapidityofwhichthoseofourcarriagegavebutafaintidea。
  Andyetintheeveningwhenonetookaretrospectoftheday,whatamassofhappinesshadwetravelledover!Retraceallthosescenestome,mygoodcompanion,&Iwillforgivetheunkindnesswithwhichyouwerechidingme。ThedaywewenttoSt。Germainswasalittletoowarm,Ithink;wasitnot?
  _Head。_Thouartthemostincorrigibleofallthebeingsthateversinned!Iremindedyouofthefolliesofthefirstday,intendingtodeducefromthencesomeusefullessonsforyou,butinsteadoflisteningtothese,youkindleattherecollection,youretracethewholeserieswithafondnesswhichshewsyouwantnothingbuttheopportunitytoactitoveragain。Ioftentoldyouduringitscoursethatyouwereimprudentlyengagingyouraffectionsundercircumstancesthatmusthavecostyouagreatdealofpain:thatthepersonsindeedwereofthegreatestmerit,possessinggoodsense,goodhumour,honesthearts,honestmanners,&eminenceinalovelyart;thattheladyhadmoreoverqualities&accomplishments,belongingtohersex,whichmightformachapterapartforher:suchasmusic,modesty,beauty,&thatsoftnessofdispositionwhichistheornamentofhersex&charmofours,butthatalltheseconsiderationswouldincreasethepangofseparation:thattheirstayherewastobeshort:thatyourackourwholesystemwhenyouarepartedfromthoseyoulove,complainingthatsuchaseparationisworsethandeath,inasmuchasthisendsoursufferings,whereasthatonlybeginsthem:&thattheseparationwouldinthisinstancebethemoresevereasyouwouldprobablyneverseethemagain。
  _Heart。_Buttheytoldmetheywouldcomebackagainthenextyear。
  _Head。_Butinthemeantimeseewhatyousuffer:&theirreturntoodependsonsomanycircumstancesthatifyouhadagrainofprudenceyouwouldnotcountuponit。Uponthewholeitisimprobable&thereforeyoushouldabandontheideaofeverseeingthemagain。
  _Heart。_MayheavenabandonmeifIdo!
  _Head。_Verywell。Supposethentheycomeback。Theyaretostaytwomonths,&whentheseareexpired,whatistofollow?
  PerhapsyouflatteryourselftheymaycometoAmerica?
  _Heart。_Godonlyknowswhatistohappen。Iseenothingimpossibleinthatsupposition。AndIseethingswonderfullycontrivedsometimestomakeushappy。WherecouldtheyfindsuchobjectsasinAmericafortheexerciseoftheirenchantingart?
  especiallythelady,whopaintslandscapessoinimitably。Shewantsonlysubjectsworthyofimmortalitytorenderherpencilimmortal。
  TheFallingSpring,theCascadeofNiagara,thePassageofthePotowmacthroughtheBlueMountains,theNaturalbridge。ItisworthavoyageacrosstheAtlantictoseetheseobjects;muchmoretopaint,andmakethem,&therebyourselves,knowntoallages。AndourowndearMonticello,wherehasnaturespreadsorichamantleundertheeye?mountains,forests,rocks,rivers。Withwhatmajestydowethererideabovethestorms!Howsublimetolookdownintotheworkhouseofnature,toseeherclouds,hail,snow,rain,thunder,allfabricatedatourfeet!andtheglorioussunwhenrisingasifoutofadistantwater,justgildingthetopsofthemountains,&
  givinglifetoallnature!IhopeinGodnocircumstancemayevermakeeitherseekanasylumfromgrief!WithwhatsinceresympathyI
  wouldopeneverycellofmycompositiontoreceivetheeffusionoftheirwoes!Iwouldpourmytearsintotheirwounds:&ifadropofbalmcouldbefoundonthetopoftheCordilleras,orattheremotestsourcesoftheMissouri,Iwouldgothithermyselftoseek&tobringit。Deeplypractisedintheschoolofaffliction,thehumanheartknowsnojoywhichIhavenotlost,nosorrowofwhichIhavenotdrunk!Fortunecanpresentnogriefofunknownformtome!Whothencansosoftlybindupthewoundofanotherashewhohasfeltthesamewoundhimself?ButHeavenforbidtheyshouldeverknowasorrow!Letusturnoveranotherleaf,forthishasdistractedme。
  _Head。_Well。Letusputthispossibilitytotrialthenonanotherpoint。WhenyouconsiderthecharacterwhichisgivenofourcountrybythelyingnewspapersofLondon,&theircredulouscopyersinothercountries;whenyoureflectthatallEuropeismadetobelievewearealawlessbanditti,inastateofabsoluteanarchy,cuttingoneanother’sthroats,&plunderingwithoutdistinction,howcanyouexpectthatanyreasonablecreaturewouldventureamongus?
  _Heart。_Butyou&Iknowthatallthisisfalse:thatthereisnotacountryonearthwherethereisgreatertranquillity,wherethelawsaremilder,orbetterobeyed:whereeveryoneismoreattentivetohisownbusiness,ormeddleslesswiththatofothers:wherestrangersarebetterreceived,morehospitablytreated,&withamoresacredrespect。
  _Head。_True,you&Iknowthis,butyourfriendsdonotknowit。
  _Heart。_Buttheyaresensiblepeoplewhothinkforthemselves。
  Theywillaskofimpartialforeignerswhohavebeenamongus,whethertheysaworheardonthespotanyinstancesofanarchy。Theywilljudgetoothatapeopleoccupiedasweareinopeningrivers,diggingnavigablecanals,makingroads,buildingpublicschools,establishingacademies,erectingbusts&statuestoourgreatmen,protectingreligiousfreedom,abolishingsanguinarypunishments,reforming&
  improvingourlawsingeneral,theywilljudgeIsayforthemselveswhetherthesearenottheoccupationsofapeopleattheirease,whetherthisisnotbetterevidenceofourtruestatethanaLondonnewspaper,hiredtolie,&fromwhichnotruthcaneverbeextractedbutbyreversingeverythingitsays。
  _Head。_IdidnotbeginthislecturemyfriendwithaviewtolearnfromyouwhatAmericaisdoing。Letusreturnthentoourpoint。Iwishedtomakeyousensiblehowimprudentitistoplaceyouraffections,withoutreserve,onobjectsyoumustsosoonlose,&
  whoselosswhenitcomesmustcostyousuchseverepangs。Rememberthelastnight。YouknewyourfriendsweretoleaveParisto-day。
  Thiswasenoughtothrowyouintoagonies。Allnightyoutossedusfromonesideofthebedtotheother。Nosleep,norest。Thepoorcrippledwristtoo,neverleftonemomentinthesameposition,nowup,nowdown,nowhere,nowthere;wasittobewonderedatifit’spainsreturned?TheSurgeonthenwastobecalled,&toberatedasanignoramusbecausehecouldnotdivinethecauseofthisextraordinarychange。Infine,myfriend,youmustmendyourmanners。Thisisnotaworldtoliveatrandominasyoudo。Toavoidthoseeternaldistresses,towhichyouareforeverexposingus,youmustlearntolookforwardbeforeyoutakeastepwhichmayinterestourpeace。Everythinginthisworldisamatterofcalculation。Advancethenwithcaution,thebalanceinyourhand。
  Putintoonescalethepleasureswhichanyobjectmayoffer;butputfairlyintotheotherthepainswhicharetofollow,&seewhichpreponderates。Themakinganacquaintanceisnotamatterofindifference。Whenanewoneisproposedtoyou,viewitallround。
  Considerwhatadvantagesitpresents,&towhatinconveniencesitmayexposeyou。Donotbiteatthebaitofpleasuretillyouknowthereisnohookbeneathit。Theartoflifeistheartofavoidingpain:
  &heisthebestpilotwhosteersclearestoftherocks&shoalswithwhichheisbeset。Pleasureisalwaysbeforeus;butmisfortuneisatourside:whilerunningafterthat,thisarrestsus。Themosteffectualmeansofbeingsecureagainstpainistoretirewithinourselves,&tosufficeforourownhappiness。Those,whichdependonourselves,aretheonlypleasuresawisemanwillcounton:fornothingisourswhichanothermaydepriveusof。Hencetheinestimablevalueofintellectualpleasures。Eveninourpower,alwaysleadingustosomethingnew,nevercloying,werideserene&
  sublimeabovetheconcernsofthismortalworld,contemplatingtruth&nature,matter&motion,thelawswhichbinduptheirexistence,&
  thateternalbeingwhomade&boundthemupbythoselaws。Letthisbeouremploy。Leavethebustle&tumultofsocietytothosewhohavenottalentstooccupythemselveswithoutthem。Friendshipisbutanothernameforanalliancewiththefollies&themisfortunesofothers。Ourownshareofmiseriesissufficient:whyenterthenasvolunteersintothoseofanother?Istheresolittlegallpouredintoourcupthatwemustneedshelptodrinkthatofourneighbor?
  Afrienddiesorleavesus:wefeelasifalimbwascutoff。Heissick:wemustwatchoverhim,&participateofhispains。Hisfortuneisshipwrecked;oursmustbelaidundercontribution。Helosesachild,aparent,orapartner:wemustmournthelossasifitwereourown。
  _Heart。_Andwhatmoresublimedelightthantomingletearswithonewhomthehandofheavenhathsmitten!towatchoverthebedofsickness,&tobeguileit’stedious&it’spainfulmoments!toshareourbreadwithonetowhommisfortunehasleftnone!Thisworldaboundsindeedwithmisery:tolightenit’sburthenwemustdivideitwithoneanother。Butletusnowtrythevirtuesofyourmathematicalbalance,&asyouhaveputintoonescaletheburthenoffriendship,letmeputit’scomfortsintotheother。Whenlanguishingthenunderdisease,howgratefulisthesolaceofourfriends!howarewepenetratedwiththeirassiduities&attentions!
  howmucharewesupportedbytheirencouragements&kindoffices!
  Whenheavenhastakenfromussomeobjectofourlove,howsweetisittohaveabosomwhereontoreclineourheads,&intowhichwemaypourthetorrentofourtears!Grief,withsuchacomfort,isalmostaluxury!Inalifewhereweareperpetuallyexposedtowant&
  accident,yoursisawonderfulproposition,toinsulateourselves,toretirefromallaid,&towrapourselvesinthemantleofself-sufficiency!Forassuredlynobodywillcareforhimwhocaresfornobody。Butfriendshipisprecious,notonlyintheshadebutinthesunshineoflife;&thankstoabenevolentarrangementofthings,thegreaterpartoflifeissunshine。Iwillrecurforprooftothedayswehavelatelypassed。Ontheseindeedthesunshonebrightly。