from this world to the next-第14部分

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uneasiness；　and　my　nights　were　restless　and　sleepless。　　The　story

of　our　amour　was　now　pretty　public；　and　the　ladies　talked　of　our

match　as　certain；　but　my　acquaintance　denied　their　assent；

saying；　'No；　no；　he　is　too　wise　to　marry　so　imprudently。'　　This

their　opinion　gave　me；　I　own；　very　great　pleasure；　but；　to　say

the　truth；　scarce　compensated　the　pangs　I　suffered　to　preserve

it。



〃One　day；　while　I　was　balancing　with　myself；　and　had　almost

resolved　to　enjoy　my　happiness　at　the　price　of　my　character；　a

friend　brought　me　word　that　Ariadne　was　married。　　This　news

struck　me　to　the　soul；　and　though　I　had　resolution　enough　to

maintain　my　gravity　before　him　（for　which　I　suffered　not　a　little

the　more）；　the　moment　I　was　alone　I　threw　myself　into　the　most

violent　fit　of　despair；　and　would　willingly　have　parted　with

wisdom；　fortune；　and　everything　else；　to　have　retrieved　her；　but

that　was　impossible；　and　I　had　now　nothing　but　time　to　hope　a

cure　from。　　This　was　very　tedious　in　performing　it；　and　the

longer　as　Ariadne　had　married　a　Roman　cavalier；　was　now　become　my

near　neighbor；　and　I　had　the　mortification　of　seeing　her　make　the

best　of　wives；　and　of　having　the　happiness　which　I　had　lost；

every　day　before　my　eyes。



〃If　I　suffered　so　much　on　account　of　my　wisdom　in　having　refused

Ariadne；　I　was　not　much　more　obliged　to　it　for　procuring　me　a

rich　widow；　who　was　recommended　to　me　by　an　old　friend　as　a　very

prudent　match；　and；　indeed；　so　it　was；　her　fortune　being　superior

to　mine　in　the　same　proportion　as　that　of　Ariadne　had　been

inferior。　　I　therefore　embraced　this　proposal；　and　my　character

of　wisdom　soon　pleaded　so　effectually　for　me　with　the　widow；　who

was　herself　a　woman　of　great　gravity　and　discretion；　that　I　soon

succeeded；　and　as　soon　as　decency　would　permit　（of　which　this

lady　was　the　strictest　observer）　we　were　married；　being　the

second　day　of　the　second　week　of　the　second　year　after　her

husband's　death；　for　she　said　she　thought　some　period　of　time

above　the　year　had　a　great　air　of　decorum。



〃But；　prudent　as　this　lady　was；　she　made　me　miserable。　　Her

person　was　far　from　being　lovely；　but　her　temper　was　intolerable。



During　fifteen　years'　habitation；　I　never　passed　a　single　day

without　heartily　cursing　her；　and　the　hour　in　which　we　came

together。　　The　only　comfort　I　received；　in　the　midst　of　the

highest　torments；　was　from　continually　hearing　the　prudence　of　my

match　commended　by　all　my　acquaintance。



〃Thus　you　see；　in　the　affairs　of　love；　I　bought　the　reputation　of

wisdom　pretty　dear。　　In　other　matters　I　had　it　somewhat　cheaper；

not　that　hypocrisy；　which　was　the　price　I　gave　for　it；　gives　one

no　pain。　　I　have　refused　myself　a　thousand　little　amusements　with

a　feigned　contempt；　while　I　have　really　had　an　inclination　to

them。　　I　have　often　almost　choked　myself　to　restrain　from

laughing　at　a　jest；　and　（which　was　perhaps　to　myself　the　least

hurtful　of　all　my　hypocrisy）　have　heartily　enjoyed　a　book　in　my

closet　which　I　have　spoken　with　detestation　of　in　public。　　To　sum

up　my　history　in　short；　as　I　had　few　adventures　worth

remembering；　my　whole　life　was　one　constant　lie；　and　happy　would

it　have　been　for　me　if　I　could　as　thoroughly　have　imposed　on

myself　as　I　did　on　others：　　for　reflection；　at　every　turn；　would

often　remind　me　I　was　not　so　wise　as　people　thought　me；　and　this

considerably　embittered　the　pleasure　I　received　from　the　public

commendation　of　my　wisdom。　　This　self…admonition；　like　a　memento

mori　or　mortalis　es；　must　be；　in　my　opinion；　a　very　dangerous

enemy　to　flattery：　　indeed；　a　weight　sufficient　to　counterbalance

all　the　false　praise　of　the　world。　　But　whether　it　be　that　the

generality　of　wise　men　do　not　reflect　at　all；　or　whether　they

have；　from　a　constant　imposition　on　others；　contracted　such　a

habit　of　deceit　as　to　deceive　themselves；　I　will　not　determine：

it　is；　I　believe；　most　certain　that　very　few　wise　men　know

themselves　what　fools　they　are；　more　than　the　world　doth。　　Good

gods！　could　one　but　see　what　passes　in　the　closet　of　wisdom！　how

ridiculous　a　sight　must　it　be　to　behold　the　wise　man；　who

despises　gratifying　his　palate；　devouring　custard；　the　sober　wise

man　with　his　dram…bottle；　or；　the　anti…carnalist　（if　I　may　be

allowed　the　expression）　chuckling　over　a　bdy　book　or　picture；

and　perhaps　caressing　his　house…maid！



〃But　to　conclude　a　character　in　which　I　apprehend　I　made　as

absurd　a　figure　as　in　any　in　which　I　trod　the　stage　of　earth；　my

wisdom　at　last　but　an　end　to　itself；　that　is；　occasioned　my

dissolution。　　



〃A　relation　of　mine　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　empire

disinherited　his　son；　and　left　me　his　heir。　　This　happened　in　the

depth　of　winter；　when　I　was　in　my　grand　climacteric；　and　had　just

recovered　of　a　dangerous　disease。　　As　I　had　all　the　reason

imaginable　to　apprehend　the　family　of　the　deceased　would　conspire

against　me；　and　embezzle　as　much　as　they　could；　I　advised　with　a

grave　and　wise　friend　what　was　proper　to　be　done；　whether　I

should　go　myself；　or　employ　a　notary　on　this　occasion；　and　defer

my　journey　to　the　spring。　　To　say　the　truth；　I　was　most　inclined

to　the　latter；　the　rather　as　my　circumstances　were　extremely

flourishing；　as　I　was　advanced　in　years；　and　had　not　one　person

in　the　world　to　whom　I　should　with　pleasure　bequeath　any　fortune

at　my　death。





〃My　friend　told　me　he　thought　my　question　admitted　of　no　manner

of　doubt　or　debate；　that　common　prudence　absolutely　required　my

immediate　departure；　adding；　that　if　the　same　good　luck　had

happened　to　him　he　would　have　been　already　on　his　journey；　'for；'

continued　he；　'a　man　who　knows　the　world　so　well　as　you；　would　be

inexcusable　to　give　persons　such　an　opportunity　of　cheating　you；

who；　you　must　be　assured；　will　be　too　well　inclined；　and　as　for

employing　a　notary；　remember　that　excellent　maxim；　Ne　facias　per

alium；　quod　fieri　potest　per　te。　　I　own　the　badness　of　the　season

and　your　very　late　recovery　are　unlucky　circumstances；　but　a　wise

man　must　get　over　difficulties　when　necessity　obliges　him　to

encounter　them。'　



〃I　was　immediately　determined　by　this　opinion。　　The　duty　of　a

wise　man　made　an　irresistible　impression；　and　I　took　the

necessity　for　granted　without　examination。　　I　accordingly　set

forward　the　next　morning；　very　tempestuous　weather　soon　overtook

me；　I　had　not　traveled　three　days　before　I　relapsed　into　my

fever；　and　died。



〃I　was　now　as　cruelly　disappointed　by　Minos　as　I　had　formerly

been　happily　so。　　I　advanced　with　the　utmost　confidence　to　the

gate；　and　really　imagined　I　should　have　been　admitted　by　the

wisdom　of　my　countenance；　even　without　any　questions　asked：　　but

this　was　not　my　case；　and；　to　my　great　surprise；　Minos；　with　a

menacing　voice；　called　out　to　me；　'You　Mr。　there；　with　the　grave

countenance；　whither　so　fast；　pray？　　Will　you　please；　before　you

move　any　farther　forwards；　to　give　me　a　short　account　of　your

transactions　below？'　　I　then　began；　and　recounted　to　him　my　whole

history；　still　expecting　at　the　end　of　every　period　that　the　gate

would　be　ordered　to　fly　open；　but　I　was　obliged　to　go　quite

through　with　it；　and　then　Minos　after　some　little　consideration

spoke　to　me　as　follows：



〃　'You；　Mr。　Wiseman；　stand　forth　if　you　please。　　Believe　me；　sir；

a　trip　back　again　to　earth　will　be　one　of　the　wisest　steps　you

ever　took；　and　really　more　to　the　honor　of　your　wisdom　than　any

you　have　hitherto　taken。　　On　the　other　side；　nothing　could　be

simpler　than　to　endeavor　at　Elysium；　for　who　but　a　fool　would

carry　a　commodity；　which　is　of　such　infinite　value　in　one　place；

into　another　where　it　is　of　none？　　But；　without　attempting　to

offend　your　gravity　with　a　jest；　you　must　return　to　the　place

from　whence　you　came；　for　Elysium　was　never　designed　for　those

who　are　too　wise　to　be　happy。'



〃This　sentence　confounded　me　greatly；　especially　as　it　seemed　to

threaten　me　with　carrying　my　wisdom　back　again　to　earth。　　I　told

the　judge；　though　he　would　not　admit　me　at　the　gate；　I　hoped　I

had　committed　no　crime　while　alive　which　merited　my　being　wise

any　longer。　　He　answered　me；　I　must　take　my　chance　as　to　that

matter；　and　immediately　we　turned　our　backs　to　each　other。〃





CHAPTER　XVII



Julian　enters　into　the　person　of　a　king。



〃I　was　now　born　at　Oviedo　in　Spain。　　My　father's　name　was

Veremond；　and　I　was　adopted　by　my　uncle　king　Alphonso　the　chaste。



I　don't　recollect　in　all　the　pilgrimages　I　have　made　on　earth

that　I　ever　passed　a　more　miserable　infancy　than　now；　being　under

the　utmost　confinement　and　restraint；　and　surrounded　with

physicians　who　were　ever　dosing　me；　and　tutors　who　were

continually　plaguing　me　with　their　instructions；　even　those　hours

of　leisure　which　my　inclination　would　have　spent　in　play　were

allotted　to　tedious　pomp　and　ceremony；　which；　at　an　age　wherein　I

had　no　ambition　to　enjoy　the　servility　of　courtiers；　enslaved　me

more　than　it　could　the　meanest　of　them。　　However；　as　I　advanced

towards　manhood；　my　condition　made　me　some　amends；　for　the　most

beautiful　women　of　their　own　accord　threw　out　lures　for　me；　and　I

had　the　happiness；　which　no　man　in　an　inferior　degree　can　arrive

at；　of　enjoying　the　most　delicious　creatures；　without　the

previous　and　tiresome　ceremonies　of　courtship；　unless　with　the

most　simple；　young　and　unexperienced。　　As　for　the　court　ladies；

they　regarded　me　rather　as　men　do　the　most　lovely　of　the　other

sex；　and；　though　they　outwardly　retained　some　appearance　of

modesty；　they　in　reality　rather　considered　themselves　as

receiving　than　conferring　favors。



〃Another　happiness　I　enjoyed　was　in　conferring　favors　of　another

sort；　for；　as　I　was　extremely　good…natured　and　generous；　so　I　had

daily　opportunities　of　satisfying　those　passions。　　Besides　my　own

princely　allowance；　which　was　very　bountiful；　and　with　which　I

did　many　liberal　and　good　actions；　I　recommended　numberless

persons　of　merit　in　distress　to　t