第23章

Howgaydidthefaceofnatureappear！Hills，valleys，chateaux，gardens，rivers，everyobjectworeit’sliveliesthue！Whencedidtheyborrowit?Fromthepresenceofourcharmingcompanion。Theywerepleasing，becausesheseemedpleased。Alone，thescenewouldhavebeendull&insipid：theparticipationofitwithhergaveitrelish。Letthegloomymonk，sequesteredfromtheworld，seekunsocialpleasuresinthebottomofhiscell！Letthesublimatedphilosophergraspvisionaryhappinesswhilepursuingphantomsdressedinthegarboftruth！Theirsupremewisdomissupremefolly；&theymistakeforhappinessthemereabsenceofpain。Hadtheyeverfeltthesolidpleasureofonegenerousspasmoftheheart，theywouldexchangeforitallthefrigidspeculationsoftheirlives，whichyouhavebeenvauntinginsuchelevatedterms。Believemethenmyfriend，thatthatisamiserablearithmeticwhichcouldestimatefriendshipatnothing，oratlessthannothing。Respectforyouhasinducedmetoenterintothisdiscussion，&tohearprinciplesutteredwhichIdetest&abjure。Respectformyselfnowobligesmetorecallyouintotheproperlimitsofyouroffice。Whennatureassignedusthesamehabitation，shegaveusoveritadividedempire。Toyousheallottedthefieldofscience；tomethatofmorals。Whenthecircleistobesquared，ortheorbitofacomettobetraced；whenthearchofgreateststrength，orthesolidofleastresistanceistobeinvestigated，takeuptheproblem；itisyours；

naturehasgivenmenocognizanceofit。Inlikemanner，indenyingtoyouthefeelingsofsympathy，ofbenevolence，ofgratitude，ofjustice，oflove，offriendship，shehasexcludedyoufromtheircontroul。Totheseshehasadaptedthemechanismoftheheart。

Moralsweretooessentialtothehappinessofmantoberiskedontheincertaincombinationsofthehead。Shelaidtheirfoundationthereforeinsentiment，notinscience。Thatshegavetoall，asnecessarytoall：thistoafewonly，assufficingwithafew。I

knowindeedthatyoupretendauthoritytothesovereigncontroulofourconductinallitsparts：&arespectforyourgravesaws&

maxims，adesiretodowhatisright，hassometimesinducedmetoconformtoyourcounsels。AfewfactshoweverwhichIcanreadilyrecalltoyourmemory，willsufficetoprovetoyouthatnaturehasnotorganizedyouforourmoraldirection。WhenthepoorweariedsouldierwhomweovertookatChickahomonywithhispackonhisback，beggedustolethimgetupbehindourchariot，youbegantocalculatethattheroadwasfullofsouldiers，&thatifallshouldbetakenupourhorseswouldfailintheirjourney。Wedroveontherefore。Butsoonbecomingsensibleyouhadmademedowrong，thatthowecannotrelieveallthedistressedweshouldrelieveasmanyaswecan，Iturnedabouttotakeupthesouldier；buthehadenteredabyepath，&wasnomoretobefound；&fromthatmomenttothisI

couldneverfindhimouttoaskhisforgiveness。Again，whenthepoorwomancametoaskacharityinPhiladelphia，youwhisperedthatshelookedlikeadrunkard，&thathalfadollarwasenoughtogiveherfortheale-house。Thosewhowantthedispositionstogive，easilyfindreasonswhytheyoughtnottogive。WhenIsoughtheroutafterwards，&didwhatIshouldhavedoneatfirst，youknowthatsheemployedthemoneyimmediatelytowardsplacingherchildatschool。Ifourcountry，whenpressedwithwrongsatthepointofthebayonet，hadbeengovernedbyit’sheadsinsteadofit’shearts，whereshouldwehavebeennow?HangingonagallowsashighasHaman’s。Youbegantocalculate&tocomparewealthandnumbers：wethrewupafewpulsationsofourwarmestblood；wesuppliedenthusiasmagainstwealthandnumbers；weputourexistencetothehazardwhenthehazardseemedagainstus，andwesavedourcountry：

justifyingatthesametimethewaysofProvidence，whosepreceptistodoalwayswhatisright，andleavetheissuetohim。Inshort，myfriend，asfarasmyrecollectionservesme，IdonotknowthatI

everdidagoodthingonyoursuggestion，oradirtyonewithoutit。

Idoforeverthendisclaimyourinterferenceinmyprovince。Fillpapersasyoupleasewithtriangles&squares：tryhowmanywaysyoucanhang&combinethemtogether。Ishallneverenvynorcontroulyoursublimedelights。Butleavemetodecidewhen&wherefriendshipsaretobecontracted。YousayIcontractthematrandom。

SoyousaidthewomanatPhiladelphiawasadrunkard。IreceivenooneintomyesteemtillIknowtheyareworthyofit。Wealth，title，office，arenorecommendationstomyfriendship。Onthecontrarygreatgoodqualitiesarerequisitetomakeamendsfortheirhavingwealth，title，&office。YouconfessthatinthepresentcaseI

couldnothavemadeaworthierchoice。YouonlyobjectthatIwassosoontolosethem。Wearenotimmortalourselves，myfriend；howcanweexpectourenjoymentstobeso?Wehavenorosewithoutit’sthorn；nopleasurewithoutalloy。Itisthelawofourexistence；&

wemustacquiesce。Itistheconditionannexedtoallourpleasures，notbyuswhoreceive，butbyhimwhogivesthem。True，thisconditionispressingcruellyonmeatthismoment。Ifeelmorefitfordeaththanlife。ButwhenIlookbackonthepleasuresofwhichitistheconsequence，IamconscioustheywereworththepriceIampaying。Notwithstandingyourendeavourstootodampmyhopes，I

comfortmyselfwithexpectationsoftheirpromisedreturn。Hopeissweeterthandespair，&theyweretoogoodtomeantodeceiveme。Inthesummer，saidthegentleman；butinthespring，saidthelady：&I

shouldloveherforever，wereitonlyforthat！Knowthen，myfriend，thatIhavetakenthesegoodpeopleintomybosom；thatI

havelodgedtheminthewarmestcellIcouldfind：thatIlovethem，&willcontinuetolovethemthroughlife：thatiffortuneshoulddisposethemononesidetheglobe，&meontheother，myaffectionsshallpervadeit’swholemasstoreachthem。Knowingthenmydetermination，attemptnottodisturbit。Ifyoucanatanytimefurnishmatterfortheiramusement，itwillbetheofficeofagoodneighbortodoit。IwillinlikemannerseizeanyoccasionwhichmayoffertodothelikegoodturnforyouwithCondorcet，Rittenhouse，Madison，LaCretelle，oranyotherofthoseworthysonsofsciencewhomyousojustlyprize。

Ithoughtthisafavorablepropositionwhereontoresttheissueofthedialogue。SoIputanendtoitbycallingformynight-cap。MethinksIhearyouwishtoheavenIhadcalledalittlesooner，&sosparedyoutheennuiofsuchasermon。IdidnotinterruptthemsoonerbecauseIwasinamoodforhearingsermons。

Youtoowerethesubject；&onsuchathesisIneverthinkthethemelong；notevenifIamtowriteit，andthatslowly&awkwardly，asnow，withthelefthand。Butthatyoumaynotbediscouragedfromacorrespondencewhichbeginssoformidably，Iwillpromiseyouonmyhonourthatmyfuturelettersshallbeofareasonablelength。I

willevenagreetoexpressbuthalfmyesteemforyou，forfearofcloyingyouwithtoofulladose。But，onyourpart，nocurtailing。

Ifyourlettersareaslongasthebible，theywillappearshorttome。Onlyletthembebrimfulofaffection。IshallreadthemwiththedispositionswithwhichArlequin，in_Lesdeuxbillets_speltthewords”_jet’aime_，”andwishedthatthewholealphabethadenteredintotheircomposition。

Wehavehadincessantrainssinceyourdeparture。Thesemakemefearforyourhealth，aswellasthatyouhadanuncomfortablejourney。Thesamecausehaspreventedmefrombeingabletogiveyouanyaccountofyourfriendshere。ThisvoyagetoFontainebleauwillprobablysendtheCountdeMoustier&theMarquisedeBrehantoAmerica。Danquervillepromisedtovisitme，buthasnotdoneitasyet。DelaTudecomessometimestotakefamilysoupwithme，&

entertainsmewithanecdotesofhisfive&thirtyyearsimprisonment。

HowfertileisthemindofmanwhichcanmaketheBastile&DungeonofVincennesyieldinterestinganecdotes！YouknowthiswasformakingfourversesonMmedePompadour。ButIthinkyoutoldmeyoudidnotknowtheverses。Theywerethese：_”Sansesprit，sanssentiment，Sansetrebelle，nineuve，EnFranceonpeutavoirlepremieramant：Pompadourenestl’epreuve。”_Ihavereadthememoirofhisthreeescapes。Astomyselfmyhealthisgood，exceptmywristwhichmendsslowly，&mymindwhichmendsnotatall，butbroodsconstantlyoveryourdeparture。ThelatenessoftheseasonobligesmetodeclinemyjourneyintothesouthofFrance。PresentmeinthemostfriendlytermstoMr。Cosway，&receivemeintoyourownrecollectionwithapartiality&awarmth，proportioned，nottomyownpoormerit，buttothesentimentsofsincereaffection&

esteemwithwhichIhavethehonourtobe，mydearMa