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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第16章

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coveredhimself。godwasstillhisfriend!

    hehimselfacpaniedthenewly…marriedpairontheroadwhentheyleftthetown;and;afterwishingthemallthehappinesswhichwasdeniedtohim;hereturnedwithresignationtotheoldhouseinthesuburb。

    itwastherethatheendedhislife;forsakenbymen;butnotashesaidbythefatherwhichisinheaven。hefelthispresenceeverywhere;itwastohimintheplaceofallelse。whenhedied;itwaswithasmile;andlikeanexilesettingoutforhisowncountry。hewhohadconsoledhiminpovertyandill…health;whenhewassufferingfrominjusticeandforsakenbyall;hadmadedeathagainandblessingtohim。

    eightoclock鈥斺�攁llihavejustwrittenhaspainedme!tillnowihavelookedintolifeforinstructionhowtolive。isitthentruethathumanmaximsarenotalwayssufficient?thatbeyondgoodness;prudence;moderation;humility;self…sacrificeitself;thereisonegreattruth;whichalonecanfacegreatmisfortunes?andthat;ifmanhasneedofvirtuesforothers;hehasneedofreligionforhimself?

    when;inyouth;wedrinkourwinewithamerryheart;asthescriptureexpressesit;wethinkwearesufficientforourselves;strong;happy;andbeloved;webelieve;likeajax;weshallbeabletoescapeeverystorminspiteofthegods。butlaterinlife;whenthebackisbowed;whenhappinessprovesafadingflower;andtheaffectionsgrowchill…then;infearofthevoidandthedarkness;westretchoutourarms;likethechildovertakenbynight;andwecallforhelptohimwhoiseverywhere。

    iwasaskingthismorningwhythisgrowingconfusionalikeforsocietyandfortheindividual?invaindoeshumanreasonfromhourtohourlightsomenewtorchontheroadside:thenightcontinuestogroweverdarker!isitnotbecausewearecontenttowithdrawfartherandfartherfromgod;thesunofspirits?

    butwhatdothesehermitsreveriessignifytotheworld?theinwardturmoilsofmostmenarestifledbytheoutwardones;lifedoesnotgivethemtimetoquestionthemselves。havetheytimetoknowwhattheyare;andwhattheyshouldbe;whosewholethoughtsareinthenextleaseorthelastpriceofstock?heavenisveryhigh;andwisemenlookonlyattheearth。

    buti鈥斺�攑oorsavageamidallthiscivilization;whoseekneitherpowernorriches;andwhohavefoundinmyownthoughtsthehomeandshelterofmyspirit鈥斺�攊cangobackwithimpunitytotheserecollectionsofmychildhood;and;ifthisourgreatcitynolongerhonorsthenameofgodwithafestival;iwillstrivestilltokeepthefeasttohiminmyheart。



 CHAPTER VII

    thepriceofpowerandtheworthoffame

    sunday;july1st。

    yesterdaythemonthdedicatedtojuno(junius;june)bytheromansended。

    to…dayweenteronjuly。

    inancientromethislattermonthwascalledquintiles(thefifth);becausetheyear;whichwasthendividedintoonlytenparts;beganinmarch。whennumapompiliusdivideditintotwelvemonthsthisnameofquintileswaspreserved;aswellasthosethatfollowed鈥斺�攕exteles;september;october;november;december鈥斺�攁lthoughthesedesignationsdidnotaccordwiththenewlyarrangedorderofthemonths。atlast;afteratimethemonthquintiles;inwhichjuliuscaesarwasborn;wascalledjulius;whencewehavejuly。thusthisname;placedinthecalendar;isbeetheimperishablerecordofagreatman;itisanimmortalepitaphontimeshighway;engravedbytheadmirationofman。

    howmanysimilarinscriptionsarethere!seas;continents;mountains;stars;andmonuments;haveallinsuccessionservedthesamepurpose!wehaveturnedthewholeworldintoagoldenbook;likethatinwhichthestateofveniceusedtoenrollitsillustriousnamesanditsgreatdeeds。

    itseemsthatmankindfeelsanecessityforhonoringitselfinitselectones;andthatitraisesitselfinitsowneyesbychoosingheroesfromamongitsownrace。thehumanfamilylovetopreservethememory;oftheparvenusofglory;aswecherishthatofagreatancestor;orofabenefactor。

    infact;thetalentsgrantedtoasingleindividualdonotbenefithimselfalone;butaregiftstotheworld;everyonesharesthem;foreveryonesuffersorbenefitsbyhisactions。geniusisalighthouse;meanttogivelightfromafar;themanwhobearsitisbuttherockuponwhichthislighthouseisbuilt。

    ilovetodwelluponthesethoughts;theyexplaintomeinwhatconsistsouradmirationforglory。whengloryhasbenefitedmen;thatadmirationisgratitude;whenitisonlyremarkableinitself;itistheprideofrace;asmen;welovetoimmortalizethemostshiningexamplesofhumanity。

    whoknowswhetherwedonotobeythesameinstinctinsubmittingtothehandofpower?apartfromtherequirementsofagradationofranks;ortheconsequencesofaconquest;themultitudedelighttosurroundtheirchiefswithprivileges鈥斺�攚hetheritbethattheirvanitymakesthemthustoaggrandizeoneoftheirowncreations;orwhethertheytrytoconcealthehumiliationofsubjectionbyexaggeratingtheimportanceofthosewhorulethem。theywishtohonorthemselvesthroughtheirmaster;theyelevatehimontheirshouldersasonapedestal;theysurroundhimwithahalooflight;inorderthatsomeofitmaybereflecteduponthemselves。

    itisstillthefableofthedogwhocontentshimselfwiththechainandcollar;sothattheyareofgold。

    thisservilevanityisnotlessnaturalorlessmonthanthevanityofdominion。whoeverfeelshimselfincapableofmand;atleastdesirestoobeyapowerfulchief。serfshavebeenknowntoconsiderthemselvesdishonoredwhentheybecamethepropertyofamerecountafterhavingbeenthatofaprince;andsaint…simonmentionsavaletwhowouldonlywaituponmarquises。

    july7th;sevenoclockp。m鈥斺�攊havejustnowbeenuptheboulevards;itwastheoperanight;andtherewasacrowdofcarriagesintheruelepelletier。thefoot…passengerswhowerestoppedatacrossingrecognizedthepersonsinsomeoftheseaswewentby;andmentionedtheirnames;theywerethoseofcelebratedorpowerfulmen;thesuccessfulonesoftheday。

    nearmetherewasamanlookingonwithhollowcheeksandeagereyes;whosethinblackcoatwasthreadbare。hefollowedwithenviouslooksthesepossessorsoftheprivilegesofpoweroroffame;andireadonhislips;whichcurledwithabittersmile;allthatpassedinhismind。

    〃lookatthem;theluckyfellows!〃thoughthe;〃allthepleasuresofwealth;alltheenjoymentsofpride;aretheirs。theirnamesarerenowned;alltheirwishesfulfilled;theyarethesovereignsoftheworld;eitherbytheirintellectortheirpower;andwhilei;poorandunknown;toilpainfullyalongtheroadbelow;theywingtheirwayoverthemountain…topsgildedbythebroadsunshineofprosperity。〃

    ihaveehomeindeepthought。isittruethattherearetheseinequalities;idonotsayinthefortunes;butinthehappinessofmen?

    dogeniusandauthorityreallywearlifeasacrown;whilethegreaterpartofmankindreceiveitasayoke?isthedifferenceofrankbutadifferentuseofmensdispositionsandtalents;orarealinequalityintheirdestinies?asolemnquestion;asitregardstheverificationofgodsimpartiality。

    july8th;noon鈥斺�攊wentthismornin
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