登陆注册
5463000000038

第38章 PAUL AND VIRGINIA(30)

/Paul./--Ah! I only want to have Virginia with me: without her I have nothing,--with her, I should possess all my desire. She alone is to me birth, glory, and fortune. But, since her relations will only give her to some one with a great name, I will study. By the aid of study and of books, learning and celebrity are to be attained. I will become a man of science: I will render my knowledge useful to the service of my country, without injuring any one, or owning dependence on any one. I will become celebrated, and my glory shall be achieved only by myself.

/The Old Man./--My son, talents are a gift yet more rare than either birth or riches, and undoubtedly they are a greater good than either, since they can never be taken away from us, and that they obtain for us every where public esteem. But they may be said to be worth all that they cost us. They are seldom acquired but by every species of privation, by the possession of exquisite sensibility, which often produces inward unhappiness, and which exposes us without to the malice and persecutions of our contemporaries. The lawyer envies not, in France, the glory of the soldier, nor does the soldier envy that of the naval officer; but they will all oppose you, and bar your progress to distinction, because your assumption of superior ability will wound the self-love of them all. You say that you will do good to men; but recollect, that he who makes the earth produce a single ear of corn more, renders them a greater service than he who writes a book.

/Paul./--Oh! she, then, who planted this papaw tree, has made a more useful and more grateful present to the inhabitants of these forests than if she had given them a whole library.

So saying, he threw his arms around the tree, and kissed it with transport.

/The Old Man./--The best of books,--that which preaches nothing but equality, brotherly love, charity, and peace,--the Gospel, has served as a pretext, during many centuries, for Europeans to let loose all their fury. How many tyrannies, both public and private, are still practised in its name on the face of the earth! After this, who will dare to flatter himself that any thing he can write will be of service to his fellow men? Remember the fate of most of the philosophers who have preached to them wisdom. Homer, who clothes it in such noble verse, asked for alms all his life. Socrates, whose conversation and example gave such admirable lessons to the Athenians, was sentenced by them to be poisoned. His sublime disciple, Plato was delivered over to slavery by the order of the very prince who protected him; and, before them, Pythagoras, whose humanity extended even to animals, was burned alive by the Crotoniates. What do I say?--many even of these illustrious names have descended to us disfigured by some traits of satire by which they became characterized, human ingratitude taking pleasure in thus recognising them; and if, in the crowd, the glory of some names is come down to us without spot or blemish, we shall find that they who have borne them have lived far from the society of their contemporaries; like those statues which are found entire beneath the soil in Greece and Italy, and which, by being hidden in the bosom of the earth, have escaped uninjured, from the fury of the barbarians.

You see, then, that to acquire the glory which a turbulent literary career can give you, you must not only be virtuous, but ready, if necessary, to sacrifice life itself. But, after all, do not fancy that the great in France trouble themselves about such glory as this.

Little do they care for literary men, whose knowledge brings them neither honours, nor power, nor even admission at court. Persecution, it is true, is rarely practised in this age, because it is habitually indifferent to every thing except wealth and luxury; but knowledge and virtue no longer lead to distinction, since every thing in the state is to be purchased with money. Formerly, men of letters were certain of reward by some place in the church, the magistracy, or the administration; now they are considered good for nothing but to write books. But this fruit of their minds, little valued by the world at large, is still worthy of its celestial origin. For these books is reserved the privilege of shedding lustre on obscure virtue, of consoling the unhappy, of enlightening nations, and of telling the truth even to kings. This is, unquestionably, the most august commission with which Heaven can honour a mortal upon this earth.

Where is the author who would not be consoled for the injustice or contempt of those who are the dispensers of the ordinary gifts of fortune, when he reflects that his work may pass from age to age, from nation to nation, opposing a barrier to error and to tyranny; and that, from amidst the obscurity in which he has lived, there will shine forth a glory which will efface that of the common herd of monarchs, the monuments of whose deeds perish in oblivion, notwithstanding the flatterers who erect and magnify them?

/Paul./--Ah! I am only covetous of glory to bestow it on Virginia, and render her dear to the whole world. But can you, who know so much, tell me whether we shall ever be married? I should like to be a very learned man, if only for the sake of knowing what will come to pass.

/The Old Man./--Who would live, my son, if the future were revealed to him?--when a single anticipated misfortune gives us so much useless uneasiness--when the foreknowledge of one certain calamity is enough to embitter every day that precedes it! It is better not to pry too curiously, even into the things which surround us. Heaven, which has given us the power of reflection to foresee our necessities, gave us also those very necessities to set limits to its exercise.

/Paul./--You tell me that with money people in Europe acquire dignities and honours. I will go, then, to enrich myself in Bengal, and afterwards proceed to Paris, and marry Virginia. I will embark at once.

/The Old Man./--What! would you leave her mother and yours?

同类推荐
  • 黔南会灯录

    黔南会灯录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Doctor

    The Doctor

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 私呵昧经

    私呵昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大萨遮尼干子受记经

    大萨遮尼干子受记经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 与舍弟书十六通

    与舍弟书十六通

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 都市之无极仙帝

    都市之无极仙帝

    武极天师叶寻遭受九天神劫,重生少年时代。这一世,我必将不留遗憾,将那些冷眼嘲讽我的人踩在脚下。这一世,我要让命运改写,沧海倒流。这一世,我要那星河逆转,万仙拜服!我要告诉所有轻视我的人:我,叶寻。回来了!ps:不种马,放心收藏,每天稳定两更,看情况加更。
  • 绝霄云帝

    绝霄云帝

    浩瀚宙宇,悠悠千古。绝代巨擎―李玄机陨落弥渡秘境,风云百载转瞬即逝,重新转世势必要掌控这天道、打破这轮回、续上前世旧缘………重临万界巅峰………… 前世登临万界之颠,得到凤凰重生诀,今世转世是否……境界划分:武徒武士武师武宗武王武尊武圣武帝………………
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 低原反应

    低原反应

    季涛一接到他母亲从内地打到拉萨的电话,就气不打一处来。季涛用劲将电话扔在沙发上,一屁股坐下,拿起一根香蕉,胡乱剥了一下皮,看也不看,就径直塞进了嘴巴里。不想刚咬一口,就被噎住了。他连连咳嗽,表情很是怪异。妻子卓玛看到他那付难受的神情,连忙上前,帮他拍了拍背,又递了一杯水给他。季涛接过,喝了大大的一口。水顺喉而下,季涛终于觉得好受了一些,然后,就转向了卓玛,挥舞着手里还没有咬完的那半截香蕉,说,你看,这孩子!你说我们现在应该怎么办?!反正,我是没有一点办法了!卓玛轻轻地靠近了他一些,拿过他手里的香蕉,扔在桌上,说,你现在终于说没有办法了?
  • 漫游者系列2:飞黄腾达

    漫游者系列2:飞黄腾达

    常说金钱和爱情不可兼得,但出生于伊利诺伊斯州的农家男孩乔治·安德森两者都想要。在他的腾达之路上,CIA、哥伦比亚大毒枭,还有某些世界上最神秘最有权势的人群相继出现。当然,这条路上同时也充满了背叛……
  • 江少的农家小宠妻

    江少的农家小宠妻

    努力多年,一朝付之东水。以为要开始种田,却开始了一日日的娇宠,青梅竹马的相爱,宛若为了他而来。一朝遭截杀,跳下悬崖,宛若重生。却发现不管过了多久,她都是他唯一的宝贝,他的爱妻。1v1宠文,欢迎入坑。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 泠泠剑光

    泠泠剑光

    如若世所不容,众人皆弃;如若命运多舛,形影相吊;那么,是背负罪孽,隐忍屈辱;还是重拾名剑,抗争天下?“在斑驳交错的世间轮回中,我已经做出了我的选择。”无妨深渊地狱,不惧狂澜风啸,我都是那盏长明烛灯,我都是那缕不灭星火。ps1:男主视角,但不妨碍我写男女双强;ps2:这是两个人物于逆境中不断抗争的故事。剧情前期慢热,从第九章起开始起飞
  • 涉世女孩(密码测试)

    涉世女孩(密码测试)

    随着社会的发展,学生毕业后,应聘成为求职的重要方法。许多少女在面试之前对简历的设计、面试时相遇到的问题都会进行充分的准备,但往往容易忽略面试时的着装。现在告诉你面试着装的4大原则,让你在众多竞争者中脱颖而出。
  • 法医王妃之邪佞王爷慢慢追

    法医王妃之邪佞王爷慢慢追

    一场事故,让现代法医即墨青菀成为了一具古代敛房里的尸体,本能的尸检,意外的带来真相,平反一桩冤案。府衙府官的招揽,让她成为了府衙之中唯一的仵作,却不料王爷府的一桩案子,偶遇双眸殊色的王爷,却从此被纠缠..........生下来开始,双眸殊色让苍山映这个皇子被所有人疏远,十几岁征战沙场,战神之名得来不易,却没有人知道他所希望,唯独那一人的那一句话,让他心中绽放万丈光芒,自此以后,是追是缠,他都要把这人留在身边.........