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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第章

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calatmosphere。ifhegetsleave;allgoeswell;ifheiskeptathispost;thecountryisindanger。hisopiniononpublicaffairsisbutacalculationofhisowninterest。myfriendisalmostastatesman。

    ihadsomeconversationwithhim;andhetoldmeseveralcuriousparticularsofpubliclife。

    thenewministerhasoldfriendswhoseopinionsheopposes;thoughhestillretainshispersonalregardforthem。thoughseparatedfromthembythecolorshefightsunder;theyremainunitedbyoldassociations;buttheexigenciesofpartyforbidhimtomeetthem。iftheirintercoursecontinued;itwouldawakensuspicion;peoplewouldimaginethatsomedishonorablebargainwasgoingon;hisfriendswouldbeheldtobetraitorsdesiroustosellthemselves;andhethecorruptministerpreparedtobuythem。hehas;therefore;beenobligedtobreakofffriendshipsoftwentyyearsstanding;andtosacrificeattachmentswhichhadbeeasecondnature。

    sometimes;however;theministerstillgiveswaytohisoldfeelings;hereceivesorvisitshisfriendsprivately;heshutshimselfupwiththem;andtalksofthetimeswhentheycouldbeopenfriends。bydintofprecautionstheyhavehithertosucceededinconcealingthisblotoffriendshipagainstpolicy;butsoonerorlaterthenewspaperswillbeinformedofit;andwilldenouncehimtothecountryasanobjectofdistrust。

    forwhetherhatredbehonestordishonest;itnevershrinksfromanyaccusation。sometimesitevenproceedstocrime。theusherassuredmethatseveralwarningshadbeengiventheministerwhichhadmadehimfearthevengeanceofanassassin;andthathenolongerventuredoutonfoot。

    then;fromonethingtoanother;ilearnedwhattemptationscameintomisleadoroverehisjudgment;howhefoundhimselffatallyledintoobliquitieswhichhecouldnotbutdeplore。misledbypassion;over…persuadedbyentreaties;orpelledforreputationssake;hehasmanytimesheldthebalancewithanunsteadyhand。howsadtheconditionofhimwhoisinauthority!notonlyarethemiseriesofpowerimposeduponhim;butitsvicesalso;which;notcontentwithtorturing;succeedincorruptinghim。

    weprolongedourconversationtillitwasinterruptedbytheministersreturn。hethrewhimselfoutofthecarriagewithahandfulofpapers;andwithananxiousmannerwentintohisownroom。aninstantafterwardhisbellwasheard;hissecretarywascalledtosendoffnoticestoallthoseinvitedfortheevening;theballwouldnottakeplace;theyspokemysteriouslyofbadnewstransmittedbythetelegraph;andinsuchcircumstancesanentertainmentwouldseemtoinsultthepublicsorrow。

    itookleaveofmyfriend;andhereiamathome。whatihavejustseenisananswertomydoubtstheotherday。nowiknowwithwhatpangsmenpayfortheirdignities;nowiunderstandthatfortunesellswhatwebelieveshegives。

    thisexplainstomethereasonwhycharlesvaspiredtothereposeofthecloister。

    andyetihaveonlyglancedatsomeofthesufferingsattachedtopower。

    whatshallisayofthefallsinwhichitspossessorsareprecipitatedfromtheheightsofheaventotheverydepthsoftheearth?ofthatpathofpainalongwhichtheymustforeverbeartheburdenoftheirresponsibility?ofthatchainofdecorumsandennuiswhichenpasseseveryactoftheirlives;andleavesthemsolittleliberty?

    thepartisansofdespotismadherewithreasontoformsandceremonies。

    ifmenwishtogiveunlimitedpowertotheirfellow…man;theymustkeephimseparatedfromordinaryhumanity;theymustsurroundhimwithacontinualworship;and;byaconstantceremonial;keepupforhimthesuperhumanparttheyhavegrantedhim。ourmasterscannotremainabsolute;exceptonconditionofbeingtreatedasidols。

    but;afterall;theseidolsaremen;and;iftheexclusivelifetheymustleadisaninsulttothedignityofothers;itisalsoatormenttothemselves。everyoneknowsthelawofthespanishcourt;whichusedtoregulate;hourbyhour;theactionsofthekingandqueen;〃sothat;〃

    saysvoltaire;〃byreadingitonecantellallthatthesovereignsofspainhavedone;orwilldo;fromphilipiitothedayofjudgment。〃itwasbythislawthatphilipiii;whensick;wasobligedtoenduresuchanexcessofheatthathediedinconsequence;becausethedukeofuzeda;whoalonehadtherighttoputoutthefireintheroyalchamber;happenedtobeabsent。

    whenthewifeofcharlesiiwasrunawaywithonaspiritedhorse;shewasabouttoperishbeforeanyonedaredtosaveher;becauseetiquetteforbadethemtotouchthequeen。twoyoungofficersendangeredtheirlivesforherbystoppingthehorse。theprayersandtearsofherwhomtheyhadjustsnatchedfromdeathwerenecessarytoobtainpardonfortheircrime。everyoneknowstheanecdoterelatedbymadamecampanofmarieantoinette;wifeoflouisxvi。oneday;beingathertoilet;whenthechemisewasabouttobepresentedtoherbyoneoftheassistants;aladyofveryancientfamilyenteredandclaimedthehonor;asshehadtherightbyetiquette;but;atthemomentshewasabouttofulfilherduty;aladyofhigherrankappeared;andinherturntookthegarmentshewasabouttooffertothequeen;whenathirdladyofstillhighertitlecameinherturn;andwasfollowedbyafourth;whowasnootherthanthekingssister。thechemisewasinthismannerpassedfromhandtohand;withceremonies;courtesies;andpliments;beforeitcametothequeen;who;halfnakedandquiteashamed;wasshiveringwithcoldforthegreathonorofetiquette。

    12th;sevenoclock;p。m鈥斺€攐ninghomethisevening;isaw;standingatthedoorofahouse;anoldman;whoseappearanceandfeaturesremindedmeofmyfather。therewasthesamebeautifulsmile;thesamedeepandpenetratingeye;thesamenoblebearingofthehead;andthesamecarelessattitude。

    ibeganlivingoveragainthefirstyearsofmylife;andrecallingtomyselftheconversationsofthatguidewhomgodinhismercyhadgivenme;andwhominhisseverityhehadtoosoonwithdrawn。

    whenmyfatherspoke;itwasnotonlytobringourtwomindstogetherbyaninterchangeofthought;buthiswordsalwayscontainedinstruction。

    notthatheendeavoredtomakemefeelitso:myfatherfearedeverythingthathadtheappearanceofalesson。heusedtosaythatvirtuecouldmakeherselfdevotedfriends;butshedidnottakepupils:thereforehewasnotdesiroustoteachgoodness;hecontentedhimselfwithsowingtheseedsofit;certainthatexperiencewouldmakethemgrow。

    howoftenhasgoodgrainfallenthusintoacorneroftheheart;and;whenithasbeenlongforgotten;allatonceputforththebladeandeintoear!itisatreasurelaidasideinatimeofignorance;andwedonotknowitsvaluetillwefindourselvesinneedofit。

    amongthestorieswithwhichheenlivenedourwalksorourevenings;thereisonewhichnowreturnstomymemory;doubtlessbecausethetimeisetoderiveitslessonfromit。

    myfather;whowasapprenticedattheageoftwelvetooneofthosetradingcollectorswhocallthemselvesnaturalists;becausetheyputallcreationunderglassesthattheymaysellitbyretail;hadalwaysledalifeofpovertyandlabor。obligedtorisebeforedaybreak;byturnsshop…boy;clerk;andlaborer;hewasmadetobearalonealltheworkofatradeofwhichhismasterreapedalltheprofits。intruth;thislatterhadapeculiartalentformakingthemostofthelaborofotherpeople。

    thoughunfithimselffortheexecutionofanykindofwork;nooneknewbetterhowtosellit。hiswordswereanet;inwhichpeoplefoundthemselvestakenbeforetheywereaware。andsincehewasdevotedtohimselfalone;andlookedontheproducerashisenemy;andthebuyerasprey;heusedthembothwiththatobstinateperseverancewhichavariceteaches。

    myfatherwasaslavealltheweek;andcouldcallhimselfhisownonlyonsunday。themasternaturalist;whousedtospendthedayatthehouseofanoldfemalerelative;thengavehimhislibertyonconditionthathedinedout;andathisownexpense。butmyfatherusedsecretlytotakewithhimacrustofbread;whichhehidinhisbotanizing…box;and;leavingparisassoonasitwasday;hewouldwanderfarintothevalleyofmontmorency;thewoodofmeudon;oramongthewindingsofthemarne。

    excitedbythefreshair;thepenetratingperfumeofthegrowingvegetation;orthefragranceofthehoneysuckles;hewouldwalkonuntilhungerorfatiguemadeitselffelt。thenhewouldsitunderahedge
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