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strength；health；fort；work鈥斺�攖houhasttakenallfromme。ihaveonlyreceivedoutrageandlossfromthee；andyetthoudaresttoclaimmygratitude！
〃ah！diethen；sincethydayise；butdiedespisedandcursed；andmayiwriteonthytombtheepitaphthearabianpoetinscribeduponthatofaking：
〃rejoice；thoupasser…by：hewhomwehaveburiedherecannotliveagain。〃
iwaswakenedbyahandtakingmine；andopeningmyeyes；irecognizedthedoctor。
afterhavingfeltmypulse；henoddedhishead；satdownatthefootofthebed；andlookedatme；rubbinghisnosewithhissnuffbox。ihavesincelearnedthatthiswasasignofsatisfactionwiththedoctor。
〃well！sowewantedoldsnub…nosetocarryusoff？〃saidm。lambert；inhishalf…joking；half…scoldingway。〃whatthedeuceofahurrywewerein！itwasnecessarytoholdyoubackwithbotharmsatleast！〃
〃thenyouhadgivenmeup；doctor？〃askedi；ratheralarmed。
〃notatall；〃repliedtheoldphysician。〃wecantgiveupwhatwehavenotgot；andimakeitarulenevertohaveanyhope。wearebutinstrumentsinthehandsofprovidence；andeachofusshouldsay；withambroisepare：itendhim；godcureshim！〃
〃mayhebeblessedthen；aswellasyou；〃criedi；〃andmaymyhealthebackwiththenewyear！〃
m。lambertshruggedhisshoulders。
〃beginbyaskingyourselfforit；〃resumedhe；bluntly。〃godhasgivenityou；anditisyourownsense；andnotchance；thatmustkeepitforyou。onewouldthink；tohearpeopletalk；thatsicknessesuponusliketherainorthesunshine；withoutonehavingawordtosayinthematter。beforeweplainofbeingillweshouldprovethatwedeservetobewell。〃
iwasabouttosmile；butthedoctorlookedangry。
〃ah！youthinkthatiamjoking；〃resumedhe；raisinghisvoice；〃buttellme；then；whichofusgiveshishealththesameattentionthathegivestohisbusiness？doyoueconomizeyourstrengthasyoueconomizeyourmoney？doyouavoidexcessandimprudenceintheonecasewiththesamecareasextravaganceorfoolishspeculationsintheother？doyoukeepasregularaccountsofyourmodeoflivingasyoudoofyourine？
doyouconsidereveryeveningwhathasbeenwholesomeorunwholesomeforyou；withthesamecarethatyoubringtotheexaminationofyourexpenditure？youmaysmile；buthaveyounotbroughtthisillnessonyourselfbyathousandindiscretions？〃
ibegantoprotestagainstthis；andaskedhimtopointouttheseindiscretions。theolddoctorspreadouthisfingers；andbegantoreckonuponthemonebyone。
〃primo；〃criedhe；〃wantofexercise。youliveherelikeamouseinacheese；withoutair；motion；orchangensequently；thebloodcirculatesbadly；thefluidsthicken；themuscles；beinginactive；donotclaimtheirshareofnutrition；thestomachflags；andthebraingrowsweary。
〃secundo。irregularfood。capriceisyourcook；yourstomachaslavewhomustacceptwhatyougiveit；butwhopresentlytakesasullenrevenge；likeallslaves。
〃tertio。sittinguplate。insteadofusingthenightforsleep；youspenditinreading；yourbedsteadisabookcase；yourpillowsadesk！
atthetimewhentheweariedbrainasksforrest；youleaditthroughthesenocturnalorgies；andyouaresurprisedtofindittheworseforthemthenextday。
〃quarto。luxurioushabits。shutupinyourattic；youinsensiblysurroundyourselfwithathousandeffeminateindulgences。youmusthavelistforyourdoor；ablindforyourwindow；acarpetforyourfeet；aneasy…chairstuffedwithwoolforyourback；yourfirelitatthefirstsignofcold；andashadetoyourlamp；andthankstoalltheseprecautions；theleastdraughtmakesyoucatchcold；monchairsgiveyounorest；andyoumustwearspectaclestosupportthelightofday。
youhavethoughtyouwereacquiringforts；andyouhaveonlycontractedinfirmities。
〃quinto〃
〃ah！enough；enough；doctor！〃criedi。〃pray；donotcarryyourexaminationfarther；donotattachasenseofremorsetoeachofmypleasures。〃
theolddoctorrubbedhisnosewithhissnuffbox。
〃yousee；〃saidhe；moregently；andrisingatthesametime；〃youwouldescapefromthetruth。youshrinkfrominquiry鈥斺�攁proofthatyouareguilty。habemusconfitentemreum！butatleast；myfriend；donotgoonlayingtheblameontime；likeanoldwoman。〃
thereuponheagainfeltmypulse；andtookhisleave；declaringthathisfunctionwasatanend；andthattherestdependeduponmyself。
whenthedoctorwasgone；isetaboutreflectinguponwhathehadsaid。
althoughhiswordsweretoosweeping；theywerenotthelesstrueinthemain。howoftenweaccusechanceofanillness；theoriginofwhichweshouldseekinourselves！perhapsitwouldhavebeenwisertolethimfinishtheexaminationhehadbegun。
butistherenotanotherofmoreimportance鈥斺�攖hatwhichconcernsthehealthofthesoul？amisosureofhavingneglectednomeansofpreservingthatduringtheyearwhichisnowending？havei；asoneofgodssoldiersuponearth；keptmycourageandmyarmsefficient？shallibereadyforthegreatreviewofsoulswhichmustpassbeforehimwhoisinthedarkvalleyofjehoshaphat？
darestthouexaminethyself；omysoul！andseehowoftenthouhasterred？
first；thouhasterredthroughpride！forihavenotdulyvaluedthelowly。ihavedrunktoodeeplyoftheintoxicatingwinesofgenius；andhavefoundnorelishinpurewater。ihavedisdainedthosewordswhichhadnootherbeautythantheirsincerity；ihaveceasedtolovemensolelybecausetheyaremen鈥斺�攊havelovedthemfortheirendowments；ihavecontractedtheworldwithinthenarrowpassofapantheon；andmysympathyhasbeenawakenedbyadmirationonly。thevulgarcrowd；whichioughttohavefollowedwithafriendlyeyebecauseitisposedofmybrothersinhopeorgrief；ihaveletpassbywithasmuchindifferenceasifitwereaflockofsheep。iamindignantwithhimwhorollsinrichesanddespisesthemanpoorinworldlywealth；andyet；vainofmytriflingknowledge；idespisehimwhoispoorinmind鈥斺�攊scornthepovertyofintellectasothersdothatofdress；itakecreditforagiftwhichididnotbestowonmyself；andturnthefavoroffortuneintoaweaponwithwhichtoattackothers。
ah！if；intheworstdaysofrevolutions；ignorancehasrevoltedandraisedacryofhatredagainstgenius；thefaultisnotaloneintheenviousmaliceofignorance；butesinpart；too；fromthecontemptuousprideofknowledge。
alas！ihavetoopletelyforgottenthefableofthetwosonsofthemagicianofbagdad。
oneofthem；struckbyanirrevocabledecreeofdestiny；wasbornblind；whiletheotherenjoyedallthedelightsofsight。thelatter；proudofhisownadvantages；laughedathisbrothersblindness；anddisdainedhimasapanion。onemorningtheblindboywishedtogooutwithhim。
〃towhatpurpose；〃saidhe；〃sincethegodshaveputnothinginmonbetweenus？formecreationisastage；whereathousandcharmingscenesandwonderfulactorsappearinsuccession；foryouitisonlyanobscureabyss；atthebottomofwhichyouheartheconfusedmurmurofaninvisibleworldntinuethenaloneinyourdarkness；andleavethepleasuresoflighttothoseuponwhomtheday…starshines。