rasselas, prince of abyssinia-第13部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

THE　conversation　had　a　short　pause。　　The　Prince；　having　considered　　his　sister's　observation；　told　her　that　she　had　surveyed　life　with　　prejudice　and　supposed　misery　where　she　did　not　find　it。　　〃Your　　narrative；〃　says　he；　〃throws　yet　a　darker　gloom　upon　the　prospects　　of　futurity。　　The　predictions　of　Imlac　were　but　faint　sketches　of　　the　evils　painted　by　Nekayah。　　I　have　been　lately　convinced　that　　quiet　is　not　the　daughter　of　grandeur　or　of　power；　that　her　　presence　is　not　to　be　bought　by　wealth　nor　enforced　by　conquest。　　　It　is　evident　that　as　any　man　acts　in　a　wider　compass　he　must　be　　more　exposed　to　opposition　from　enmity　or　miscarriage　from　chance。　　　Whoever　has　many　to　please　or　to　govern　must　use　the　ministry　of　　many　agents；　some　of　whom　will　be　wicked　and　some　ignorant；　by　some　　he　will　be　misled　and　by　others　betrayed。　　If　he　gratifies　one　he　　will　offend　another；　those　that　are　not　favoured　will　think　　themselves　injured；　and　since　favours　can　be　conferred　but　upon　few　　the　greater　number　will　be　always　discontented。〃
〃The　discontent；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃which　is　thus　unreasonable；　I　　hope　that　I　shall　always　have　spirit　to　despise　and　you　power　to　　repress。〃
〃Discontent；〃　answered　Rasselas；　〃will　not　always　be　without　reason　　under　the　most　just　and　vigilant　administration　of　public　affairs。　　　None；　however　attentive；　can　always　discover　that　merit　which　　indigence　or　faction　may　happen　to　obscure；　and　none；　however　　powerful；　can　always　reward　it。　　Yet　he　that　sees　inferior　desert　　advanced　above　him　will　naturally　impute　that　preference　to　　partiality　or　caprice；　and　indeed　it　can　scarcely　be　hoped　that　any　　man；　however　magnanimous　by　Nature　or　exalted　by　condition；　will　be　　able　to　persist　for　ever　in　fixed　and　inexorable　justice　of　　distribution；　he　will　sometimes　indulge　his　own　affections　and　　sometimes　those　of　his　favourites；　he　will　permit　some　to　please　　him　who　can　never　serve　him；　he　will　discover　in　those　whom　he　　loves　qualities　which　in　reality　they　do　not　possess；　and　to　those　　from　whom　he　receives　pleasure　he　will　in　his　turn　endeavour　to　　give　it。　　Thus　will　recommendations　sometimes　prevail　which　were　　purchased　by　money　or　by　the　more　destructive　bribery　of　flattery　　and　servility。
〃He　that　hath　much　to　do　will　do　something　wrong；　and　of　that　wrong　　must　suffer　the　consequences；　and　if　it　were　possible　that　he　　should　always　act　rightly；　yet；　when　such　numbers　are　to　judge　of　　his　conduct；　the　bad　will　censure　and　obstruct　him　by　malevolence　　and　the　good　sometimes　by　mistake。
〃The　highest　stations　cannot　therefore　hope　to　be　the　abodes　of　　happiness；　which　I　would　willingly　believe　to　have　fled　from　　thrones　and　palaces　to　seats　of　humble　privacy　and　placid　　obscurity。　　For　what　can　hinder　the　satisfaction　or　intercept　the　　expectations　of　him　whose　abilities　are　adequate　to　his　　employments；　who　sees　with　his　own　eyes　the　whole　circuit　of　his　　influence；　who　chooses　by　his　own　knowledge　all　whom　he　trusts；　and　　whom　none　are　tempted　to　deceive　by　hope　or　fear？　　Surely　he　has　　nothing　to　do　but　to　love　and　to　be　loved；　to　be　virtuous　and　to　be　　happy。〃
〃Whether　perfect　happiness　would　be　procured　by　perfect　goodness；〃　　said　Nekayah；　〃this　world　will　never　afford　an　opportunity　of　　deciding。　　But　this；　at　least；　may　be　maintained；　that　we　do　not　　always　find　visible　happiness　in　proportion　to　visible　virtue。　　All　　natural　and　almost　all　political　evils　are　incident　alike　to　the　　bad　and　good；　they　are　confounded　in　the　misery　of　a　famine；　and　　not　much　distinguished　in　the　fury　of　a　faction；　they　sink　together　　in　a　tempest　and　are　driven　together　from　their　country　by　　invaders。　　All　that　virtue　can　afford　is　quietness　of　conscience　　and　a　steady　prospect　of　a　happier　state；　this　may　enable　us　to　　endure　calamity　with　patience；　but　remember　that　patience　must　　oppose　pain。〃

CHAPTER　XXVIII　…　RASSELAS　AND　NEKAYAH　CONTINUE　THEIR　CONVERSATION。

〃DEAR　Princess；〃　said　Rasselas；　〃you　fall　into　the　common　errors　of　　exaggeratory　declamation；　by　producing　in　a　familiar　disquisition　　examples　of　national　calamities　and　scenes　of　extensive　misery　　which　are　found　in　books　rather　than　in　the　world；　and　which；　as　　they　are　horrid；　are　ordained　to　be　rare。　　Let　us　not　imagine　evils　　which　we　do　not　feel；　nor　injure　life　by　misrepresentations。　　I　　cannot　bear　that　querulous　eloquence　which　threatens　every　city　　with　a　siege　like　that　of　Jerusalem；　that　makes　famine　attend　on　　every　flight　of　locust；　and　suspends　pestilence　on　the　wing　of　　every　blast　that　issues　from　the　south。
〃On　necessary　and　inevitable　evils　which　overwhelm　kingdoms　at　once　　all　disputation　is　vain；　when　they　happen　they　must　be　endured。　　　But　it　is　evident　that　these　bursts　of　universal　distress　are　more　　dreaded　than　felt；　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands　flourish　in　　youth　and　wither　in　age；　without　the　knowledge　of　any　other　than　　domestic　evils；　and　share　the　same　pleasures　and　vexations；　whether　　their　kings　are　mild　or　cruel；　whether　the　armies　of　their　country　　pursue　their　enemies　or　retreat　before　them。　　While　Courts　are　　disturbed　with　intestine　competitions　and　ambassadors　are　　negotiating　in　foreign　countries；　the　smith　still　plies　his　anvil　　and　the　husbandman　drives　his　plough　forward；　the　necessaries　of　　life　are　required　and　obtained；　and　the　successive　business　of　the　　season　continues　to　make　its　wonted　revolutions。
〃Let　us　cease　to　consider　what　perhaps　may　never　happen；　and　what；　　when　it　shall　happen；　will　laugh　at　human　speculation。　　We　will　not　　endeavour　to　modify　the　motions　of　the　elements　or　to　fix　the　　destiny　of　kingdoms。　　It　is　our　business　to　consider　what　beings　　like　us　may　perform；　each　labouring　for　his　own　happiness　by　　promoting　within　his　circle；　however　narrow；　the　happiness　of　　others。
〃Marriage　is　evidently　the　dictate　of　Nature；　men　and　women　were　　made　to　be　the　companions　of　each　other；　and　therefore　I　cannot　be　　persuaded　but　that　marriage　is　one　of　the　means　of　happiness。〃
〃I　know　not；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃whether　marriage　be　more　than　one　　of　the　innumerable　modes　of　human　misery。　　When　I　see　and　reckon　　the　various　forms　of　connubial　infelicity；　the　unexpected　causes　of　　lasting　discord；　the　diversities　of　temper；　the　oppositions　of　　opinion；　the　rude　collisions　of　contrary　desire　where　both　are　　urged　by　violent　impulses；　the　obstinate　contest　of　disagreeing　　virtues　where　both　are　supported　by　consciousness　of　good　　intention；　I　am　sometimes　disposed　to　think；　with　the　severer　　casuists　of　most　nations；　that　marriage　is　rather　permitted　than　　approved；　and　that　none；　but　by　the　instigation　of　a　passion　too　　much　indulged；　entangle　themselves　with　indissoluble　compact。〃
〃You　seem　to　forget；〃　replied　Rasselas；　〃that　you　have；　even　now　　represented　celibacy　as　less　happy　than　marriage。　　Both　conditions　　may　be　bad；　but　they　cannot　both　be　worse。　　Thus　it　happens；　when　　wrong　opinions　are　entertained；　that　they　mutually　destroy　each　　other　and　leave　the　mind　open　to　truth。〃
〃I　did　not　expect；〃　answered；　the　Princess；　〃to　hear　that　imputed　　to　falsehood　which　is　the　consequence　only　of　frailty。　　To　the　　mind；　as　to　the　eye；　it　is　difficult　to　compare　with　exactness　　objects　vast　in　their　extent　and　various　in　their　parts。　　When　we　　see　or　conceive　the　whole　at　once；　we　readily　note　the　　discriminations　and　decide　the　preference；　but　of　two　systems；　of　　which　neither　can　be　surveyed　by　any　human　being　in　its　full　　compass　of　magnitude　and　multiplicity　of　complication；　where　is　the　　wonder　that；　judging　of　the　whole　by　parts；　I　am　alternately　　affected　by　one　and　the　other　as　either　presses　on　my　memory　or　　fancy？　　We　differ　from　ourselves　just　as　we　differ　from　each　other　　when　we　see　only　part　of　the　question；　as　in　the　multifarious　　relations　of　politics　and　morality；　but　when　we　perceive　the　whole　　at　once；　as　in　numerical　computations；　all　agree　in　one　judgment；　　and　none　ever　varies　in　his　opinion。〃
〃Let　us　not　add；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃to　the　other　evils　of　life　the　　bitterness　of　controversy；　nor　endeavour　to　vie　with　each　other　in　　subtilties　of　argument。　　We　are　employed　in　a　search　of　which　both　　are　equally　to　enjoy　the　success　or　suffer　by　the　miscarriage；　it　　is　therefore　fit　that　we　assist　each　other。　　You　surely　conclude　　too　hastily　from　the　infelicity　of　marriage　against　its　　institution；　will　not　the　misery　of　life　prove　equally　that　life　　cannot　be　the　gift　of　Heaven？　　The　world　must　be　peopled　by　　marriage　or　peopled　without　it。〃
〃How　the　world　is　to　be　peopled；〃　returned　Nekayah；　〃is　not　my　care　　and　need　not　be　yours。　　I　see　no　danger　that　the　present　generation　　should　omit　to　leave　successors　behind　them；　we　are　not　now　　inquiring　for　the　world；　but　for　ourselves。〃

CHAPTER　XXIX　…　THE　DEBATE　ON　MARRIAGE　（CONTINUED）。

〃THE　good　of　the　whole；〃　says　Rasselas；　〃is　the　same　with　the　good　　of　all　its　parts。　　If　marriage　be　best　for　mankind；　it　must　be　　evidently　best　for　individuals；　or　a　permanent　and　necessary　duty　　must　be　the　cause　of　evil；　and　some　must　be　inevitably　sacrificed　　to　the　convenience　of　others。　　In　the　estimate　which　you　have　made　　of　the　two　states；　it　appears　that　the　incommodities　of　a　single　　life　are　in　a　great　measure　necessary　and　certain；