第56章

Andbesides，’tisforthosewhoseaffairscompelthemtotravelinthedepthofwinterthroughtheGrisonscountrytobesurpriseduponthewaywithgreatinconveniences。I，who，forthemostpart，travelformypleasure，donotordermyaffairssoill。Ifthewaybefoulonmyrighthand，Iturnonmyleft;ifIfindmyselfunfittoride，IstaywhereI

am;and，sodoing，inearnestIseenothingthatisnotaspleasantandcommodiousasmyownhouse。’TistruethatIalwaysfindsuperfluitysuperfluous，andobserveakindoftroubleeveninabundanceitself。

HaveIleftanythingbehindmeunseen，Igobacktoseeit;’tisstillonmyway;Itracenocertainline，eitherstraightorcrooked。——[RousseauhastranslatedthispassageinhisEmile，bookv。]——DoInotfindintheplacetowhichIgowhatwasreportedtome——asitoftenfallsoutthatthejudgmentsofothersdonotjumpwithmine，andthatIhavefoundtheirreportsforthemostpartfalse——Inevercomplainoflosingmylabour:Ihave，atleast，informedmyselfthatwhatwastoldmewasnottrue。

Ihaveaconstitutionofbodyasfree，andapalateasindifferent，asanymanliving:thediversityofmannersofseveralnationsonlyaffectsmeinthepleasureofvariety:everyusagehasitsreason。Lettheplateanddishesbepewter，wood，orearth;mymeatbeboiledorroasted;letthemgivemebutteroroil，ofnutsorolives，hotorcold，’tisallonetome;andsoindifferent，thatgrowingold，Iaccusethisgenerousfaculty，andwouldwishthatdelicacyandchoiceshouldcorrecttheindiscretionofmyappetite，andsometimessoothemystomach。WhenI

havebeenabroadoutofFranceandthatpeople，outofcourtesy，haveaskedmeifIwouldbeservedaftertheFrenchmanner，Ilaughedatthequestion，andalwaysfrequentedtablesthemostfilledwithforeigners。

Iamashamedtoseeourcountrymenbesottedwiththisfoolishhumourofquarrellingwithformscontrarytotheirown;theyseemtobeoutoftheirelementwhenoutoftheirownvillage:wherevertheygo，theykeeptotheirownfashionsandabominatethoseofstrangers。DotheymeetwithacompatriotinHungary？Othehappychance！Theyarehenceforwardinseparable;theyclingtogether，andtheirwholediscourseistocondemnthebarbarousmannerstheyseeaboutthem。Whybarbarous，becausetheyarenotFrench？Andthosehavemadethebestuseoftheirtravelswhohaveobservedmosttospeakagainst。Mostofthemgofornootherendbuttocomebackagain;theyproceedintheirtravelwithvastgravityandcircumspection，withasilentandincommunicableprudence，preservingthemselvesfromthecontagionofanunknownair。WhatIamsayingofthemputsmeinmindofsomethinglikeitIhaveattimesobservedinsomeofouryoungcourtiers;theywillnotmixwithanybutmenoftheirownsort，andlookuponusasmenofanotherworld，withdisdainorpity。

Putthemuponanydiscoursebuttheintriguesofthecourt，andtheyareutterlyataloss;asveryowlsandnovicestousaswearetothem。

’Tistrulysaidthatawell—bredmanisacompoundman。I，onthecontrary，travelverymuchsatedwithourownfashions;IdonotlookforGasconsinSicily;Ihaveleftenoughofthemathome;IratherseekforGreeksandPersians;theyarethemenIendeavourtobeacquaintedwithandthemenIstudy;’tistherethatIbestowandemploymyself。Andwhichismore，IfancythatIhavemetbutwithfewcustomsthatarenotasgoodasourown;Ihavenot，Iconfess，travelledveryfar;scarceoutofthesightofthevanesofmyownhouse。

Astotherest，mostoftheaccidentalcompanyamanfallsintoupontheroadbegethimmoretroublethanpleasure;IwaivethemasmuchasI

civillycan，especiallynowthatageseemsinsomesorttoprivilegeandsequestermefromthecommonforms。Yousufferforothersorotherssufferforyou;bothoftheminconveniencesofimportanceenough，butthelatterappearstomethegreater。’Tisararefortune，butofinestimablesolace;tohaveaworthyman，oneofasoundjudgmentandofmannersconformabletoyourown，whotakesadelighttobearyoucompany。

Ihavebeenataninfinitelossforsuchuponmytravels。Butsuchacompanionshouldbechosenandacquiredfromyourfirstsettingout。

Therecanbenopleasuretomewithoutcommunication:thereisnotsomuchasasprightlythoughtcomesintomymind，thatitdoesnotgrievemetohaveproducedalone，andthatIhavenoonetocommunicateitto:

"Sicumhacexceptionedetursapientia，utillaminclusamteneam，necenuntiem，rejiciam。"

["Ifwisdombeconferredwiththisreservation，thatImustkeepittomyself，andnotcommunicateittoothers，Iwouldnoneofit。"

——"Seneca，Ep。，6。]

Thisotherhasstraineditonenotehigher:

"Sicontigeriteavitasapienti，utommumrerumafliuentibuscopiis，quamvisomnia，quaecognitionedignasunt，summootiosecumipseconsideretetcontempletur，tamen，sisolitudotantasit，uthominemviderenonpossit，excedatavita。"

["Ifsuchaconditionoflifeshouldhappentoawiseman，thatinthegreatestplentyofallconvenienceshemight，atthemostundisturbedleisure，considerandcontemplateallthingsworththeknowing，yetifhissolitudebesuchthathemustnotseeaman，lethimdepartfromlife。"——Cicero，DeOffic。，i。43。]

Architaspleasesmewhenhesays，"thatitwouldbeunpleasant，eveninheavenitself，towanderinthosegreatanddivinecelestialbodieswithoutacompanion。Butyet’tismuchbettertobealonethaninfoolishandtroublesomecompany。Aristippuslovedtoliveasastrangerinallplaces:

"MesifatameispaterenturducerevitamAuspiciis，"

["Ifthefateswouldletmeliveinmyownway。"——AEneid，iv。340。]

Ishouldchoosetopassawaythegreatestpartofmylifeonhorseback:

"Viseregestiens，Quapanedebacchenturignes，Quanebula，pluviiquerores。"

["Visittheregionswherethesunburns，wherearethethickrain—

cloudsandthefrosts。"——Horace，Od。，iii。3，54。]

"Haveyounotmoreeasydiversionsathome？Whatdoyoutherewant？Isnotyourhousesituatedinasweetandhealthfulair，sufficientlyfurnished，andmorethansufficientlylarge？Hasnottheroyalmajestybeenmorethanoncethereentertainedwithallitstrain？Aretherenotmorebelowyourfamilyingoodeasethanthereareaboveitineminence？

Isthereanylocal，extraordinary，indigestiblethoughtthatafflictsyou？"

"Quatonunccoquat，etvexetsubpectorefixa。"

["Thatmaynowworryyou，andvex，fixedinyourbreast。"

——Cicero，DeSenect，c。1，ExEnnio。]

"Wheredoyouthinktolivewithoutdisturbance？"

"NunquamsimpliciterFortunaindulget。"

["Fortuneisneversimplycomplaisant（unmixed）。"

——QuintusCurtius，iv。14]

Yousee，then，itisonlyyouthattroubleyourself;youwilleverywherefollowyourself，andeverywherecomplain;forthereisnosatisfactionherebelow，buteitherforbrutishorfordivinesouls。Hewho，onsojustanoccasion，hasnocontentment，wherewillhethinktofindit？

Howmanythousandsofmenterminatetheirwishesinsuchaconditionasyours？Dobutreformyourself;forthatiswhollyinyourownpower！

whereasyouhavenootherrightbutpatiencetowardsfortune:

"Nullaplacidaquiesest，nisiquamratiocomposuit。"

["Thereisnotranquillitybutthatwhichreasonhasconferred。"

——Seneca，Ep。，56。]

Iseethereasonofthisadvice，andseeitperfectlywell;buthemightsoonerhavedone，andmorepertinently，inbiddingmeinonewordbewise;thatresolutionisbeyondwisdom;’tisherpreciseworkandproduct。Thusthephysiciankeepspreachingtoapoorlanguishingpatientto"becheerful";buthewouldadvisehimalittlemorediscreetlyinbiddinghim"bewell。"Formypart，Iambutamanofthecommonsort。’Tisawholesomeprecept，certainandeasytobeunderstood，"Becontentwithwhatyouhave，"thatistosay，withreason:

andyettofollowthisadviceisnomoreinthepowerofthewisemenoftheworldthaninme。’Tisacommonsaying，butofaterribleextent:

whatdoesitnotcomprehend？Allthingsfallunderdiscretionandqualification。Iknowverywellthat，totakeitbytheletter，thispleasureoftravellingisatestimonyofuneasinessandirresolution，and，insooth，thesetwoareourgoverningandpredominatingqualities。

Yes，Iconfess，Iseenothing，notsomuchasinadream，inawish，whereonIcouldsetupmyrest:varietyonly，andthepossessionofdiversity，cansatisfyme;thatis，ifanythingcan。Intravelling，itpleasesmethatImaystaywhereIlike，withoutinconvenience，andthatIhaveaplacewhereincommodiouslytodivertmyself。Iloveaprivatelife，because’tismyownchoicethatIloveit，notbyanydissentingfromordislikeofpubliclife，which，peradventure，isasmuchaccordingtomycomplexion。Iservemyprincemorecheerfullybecauseitisbythefreeelectionofmyownjudgmentandreason，withoutanyparticularobligation;andthatIamnotreducedandconstrainedsotodoforbeingrejectedordislikedbytheotherparty;andsoofalltherest。Ihatethemorselsthatnecessitycarvesme;anycommodityuponwhichIhadonlytodependwouldhavemebythethroat;

"Alterremusaquas，altermihiradatarenas;"

["Letmehaveoneoarinthewater，andwiththeotherraketheshore。"——Propertius，iii。3，23。]

onecordwillneverholdmefastenough。Youwillsay，thereisvanityinthiswayofliving。Butwhereistherenot？Allthesefinepreceptsarevanity，andallwisdomisvanity:

"Dominusnovitcogitationessapientum，quoniamvanaesunt。"

["TheLordknoweththethoughtsofthewise，thattheyarevain。"

——Ps。xciii。II;orICor。iii。20。]

Theseexquisitesubtletiesareonlyfitforsermons;theyarediscoursesthatwillsendusallsaddledintotheotherworld。Lifeisamaterialandcorporalmotion，anactionimperfectandirregularofitsownproperessence;Imakeitmybusinesstoserveitaccordingtoitself:

"Quisquesuospatimurmanes。"

["Weeachofussufferourownparticulardemon。"——AEneid，vi。743。]

"Sicestfaciendum，utcontranaturamuniversamnihilcontendamus;

eatamenconservatapropriamsequamur。"

["Wemustsoorderitasbynomeanstocontendagainstuniversalnature;butyet，thatrulebeingobserved，tofollowourown。"

——Cicero，DeOffcc。，i。31。]

Towhatendaretheseelevatedpointsofphilosophy，uponwhichnohumanbeingcanrely？andthoserulesthatexceedbothouruseandforce？

Iseeoftenthatwehavetheoriesoflifesetbeforeuswhichneithertheproposernorthosewhohearhimhaveanyhope，nor，whichismore，anyinclinationtofollow。Ofthesamesheetofpaperwhereonthejudgehasbutjustwrittenasentenceagainstanadulterer，hestealsapiecewhereontowritealove—lettertohiscompanion’swife。Shewhomyouhavebutjustnowillicitlyembracedwillpresently，eveninyourhearing，moreloudlyinveighagainstthesamefaultinhercompanionthanaPortiawoulddo;——[ThechastedaughterofCatoofUtica。]——andmentherearewhowillcondemnotherstodeathforcrimesthattheythemselvesdonotreputesomuchasfaults。Ihave，inmyyouth，seenamanofgoodrankwithonehandpresenttothepeopleversesthatexcelledbothinwitanddebauchery，andwiththeother，atthesametime，themostripeandpugnacioustheologicalreformationthattheworldhasbeentreatedwithalthesemanyyears。Andsomenproceed;weletthelawsandpreceptsfollowtheirway;ourselveskeepanothercourse，notonlyfromdebaucheryofmanners，butofttimesbyjudgmentandcontraryopinion。Dobuthearaphilosophicallecture;theinvention，eloquence，pertinencyimmediatelystrikeuponyourmindandmoveyou;thereisnothingthattouchesorstingsyourconscience;’tisnottothistheyaddressthemselves。Isnotthistrue？。ItmadeAristosay，thatneitherabathnoralecturedidaughtunlessitscouredandmademenclean。Onemaystopattheskin;butitisafterthemarrowispickedoutas，afterwehaveswallowedgoodwineoutofafinecup，weexaminethedesignsandworkmanship。Inallthecourtsofancientphilosophy，thisistobefound，thatthesameteacherpublishesrulesoftemperanceandatthesametimelessonsinloveandwantonness;Xenophon，，intheverybosomofClinias，wroteagainsttheAristippicvirtue。’Tisnotthatthereisanymiraculousconversioninitthatmakesthemthuswavering;’tisthatSol