rasselas, prince of abyssinia-第14部分

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；　but　those　of　the　　conjugal　state　accidental　and　avoidable。　　I　cannot　forbear　to　　flatter　myself　that　prudence　and　benevolence　will　make　marriage　　happy。　　The　general　folly　of　mankind　is　the　cause　of　general　　complaint。　　What　can　be　expected　but　disappointment　and　repentance　　from　a　choice　made　in　the　immaturity　of　youth；　in　the　ardour　of　　desire；　without　judgment；　without　foresight；　without　inquiry　after　　conformity　of　opinions；　similarity　of　manners；　rectitude　of　　judgment；　or　purity　of　sentiment？
〃Such　is　the　common　process　of　marriage。　　A　youth　and　maiden；　　meeting　by　chance　or　brought　together　by　artifice；　exchange　　glances；　reciprocate　civilities；　go　home　and　dream　of　one　another。　　　Having　little　to　divert　attention　or　diversify　thought；　they　find　　themselves　uneasy　when　they　are　apart；　and　therefore　conclude　that　　they　shall　be　happy　together。　　They　marry；　and　discover　what　　nothing　but　voluntary　blindness　before　had　concealed；　they　wear　out　　life　in　altercations；　and　charge　Nature　with　cruelty。
〃From　those　early　marriages　proceeds　likewise　the　rivalry　of　　parents　and　children：　　the　son　is　eager　to　enjoy　the　world　before　　the　father　is　willing　to　forsake　it；　and　there　is　hardly　room　at　　once　for　two　generations。　　The　daughter　begins　to　bloom　before　the　　mother　can　be　content　to　fade；　and　neither　can　forbear　to　wish　for　　the　absence　of　the　other。
〃Surely　all　these　evils　may　be　avoided　by　that　deliberation　and　　delay　which　prudence　prescribes　to　irrevocable　choice。　　In　the　　variety　and　jollity　of　youthful　pleasures；　life　may　be　well　enough　　supported　without　the　help　of　a　partner。　　Longer　time　will　increase　　experience；　and　wider　views　will　allow　better　opportunities　of　　inquiry　and　selection；　one　advantage　at　least　will　be　certain；　the　　parents　will　be　visibly　older　than　their　children。〃
〃What　reason　cannot　collect；〃　and　Nekayah；　〃and　what　experiment　has　　not　yet　taught；　can　be　known　only　from　the　report　of　others。　　I　　have　been　told　that　late　marriages　are　not　eminently　happy。　　This　　is　a　question　too　important　to　be　neglected；　and　I　have　often　　proposed　it　to　those　whose　accuracy　of　remark　and　comprehensiveness　　of　knowledge　made　their　suffrages　worthy　of　regard。　　They　have　　generally　determined　that　it　is　dangerous　for　a　man　and　woman　to　　suspend　their　fate　upon　each　other　at　a　time　when　opinions　are　　fixed　and　habits　are　established；　when　friendships　have　been　　contracted　on　both　sides；　when　life　has　been　planned　into　method；　　and　the　mind　has　long　enjoyed　the　contemplation　of　its　own　　prospects。
〃It　is　scarcely　possible　that　two　travelling　through　the　world　　under　the　conduct　of　chance　should　have　been　both　directed　to　the　　same　path；　and　it　will　not　often　happen　that　either　will　quit　the　　track　which　custom　has　made　pleasing。　　When　the　desultory　levity　of　　youth　has　settled　into　regularity；　it　is　soon　succeeded　by　pride　　ashamed　to　yield；　or　obstinacy　delighting　to　contend。　　And　even　　though　mutual　esteem　produces　mutual　desire　to　please；　time　itself；　　as　it　modifies　unchangeably　the　external　mien；　determines　likewise　　the　direction　of　the　passions；　and　gives　an　inflexible　rigidity　to　　the　manners。　　Long　customs　are　not　easily　broken；　he　that　attempts　　to　change　the　course　of　his　own　life　very　often　labours　in　vain；　　and　how　shall　we　do　that　for　others　which　we　are　seldom　able　to　do　　for　ourselves？〃
〃But　surely；〃　interposed　the　Prince；　〃you　suppose　the　chief　motive　　of　choice　forgotten　or　neglected。　　Whenever　I　shall　seek　a　wife；　it　　shall　be　my　first　question　whether　she　be　willing　to　be　led　by　　reason。〃
〃Thus　it　is；〃　said　Nekayah；　〃that　philosophers　are　deceived。　　There　　are　a　thousand　familiar　disputes　which　reason　never　can　decide；　　questions　that　elude　investigation；　and　make　logic　ridiculous；　　cases　where　something　must　be　done；　and　where　little　can　be　said。　　　Consider　the　state　of　mankind；　and　inquire　how　few　can　be　supposed　　to　act　upon　any　occasions；　whether　small　or　great；　with　all　the　　reasons　of　action　present　to　their　minds。　　Wretched　would　be　the　　pair；　above　all　names　of　wretchedness；　who　should　be　doomed　to　　adjust　by　reason　every　morning　all　the　minute　details　of　a　domestic　　day。
〃Those　who　marry　at　an　advanced　age　will　probably　escape　the　　encroachments　of　their　children；　but　in　the　diminution　of　this　　advantage　they　will　be　likely　to　leave　them；　ignorant　and　helpless；　　to　a　guardian's　mercy；　or　if　that　should　not　happen；　they　must　at　　least　go　out　of　the　world　before　they　see　those　whom　they　love　best　　either　wise　or　great。
〃From　their　children；　if　they　have　less　to　fear；　they　have　less　　also　to　hope；　and　they　lose　without　equivalent　the　joys　of　early　　love；　and　the　convenience　of　uniting　with　manners　pliant　and　minds　　susceptible　of　new　impressions；　which　might　wear　away　their　　dissimilitudes　by　long　cohabitation；　as　soft　bodies　by　continual　　attrition　conform　their　surfaces　to　each　other。
〃I　believe　it　will　be　found　that　those　who　marry　late　are　best　　pleased　with　their　children；　and　those　who　marry　early　with　their　　partners。〃
〃The　union　of　these　two　affections；〃　said　Rasselas；　〃would　produce　　all　that　could　be　wished。　　Perhaps　there　is　a　time　when　marriage　　might　unite　them　…　a　time　neither　too　early　for　the　father　nor　too　　late　for　the　husband。〃
〃Every　hour；〃　answered　the　Princess；　〃confirms　my　prejudice　in　　favour　of　the　position　so　often　uttered　by　the　mouth　of　Imlac；　that　　'Nature　sets　her　gifts　on　the　right　hand　and　on　the　left。'　　Those　　conditions　which　flatter　hope　and　attract　desire　are　so　constituted　　that　as　we　approach　one　we　recede　from　another。　　There　are　goods　so　　opposed　that　we　cannot　seize　both；　but　by　too　much　prudence　may　　pass　between　them　at　too　great　a　distance　to　reach　either。　　This　is　　often　the　fate　of　long　consideration；　he　does　nothing　who　　endeavours　to　do　more　than　is　allowed　to　humanity。　　Flatter　not　　yourself　with　contrarieties　of　pleasure。　　Of　the　blessings　set　　before　you　make　your　choice；　and　be　content。　　No　man　can　taste　the　　fruits　of　autumn　while　he　is　delighting　his　scent　with　the　flowers　　of　the　spring；　no　man　can　at　the　same　time　fill　his　cup　from　the　　source　and　from　the　mouth　of　the　Nile。〃

CHAPTER　XXX　…　IMLAC　ENTERS；　AND　CHANGES　THE　CONVERSATION。

HERE　Imlac　entered；　and　interrupted　them。　　〃Imlac；〃　said　Rasselas；　　〃I　have　been　taking　from　the　Princess　the　dismal　history　of　private　　life；　and　am　almost　discouraged　from　further　search。〃
〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Imlac；　〃that　while　you　are　making　the　choice　　of　life　you　neglect　to　live。　　You　wander　about　a　single　city；　　which；　however　large　and　diversified；　can　now　afford　few　novelties；　　and　forget　that　you　are　in　a　country　famous　among　the　earliest　　monarchies　for　the　power　and　wisdom　of　its　inhabitants　…　a　country　　where　the　sciences　first　dawned　that　illuminate　the　world；　and　　beyond　which　the　arts　cannot　be　traced　of　civil　society　or　domestic　　life。
〃The　old　Egyptians　have　left　behind　them　monuments　of　industry　and　　power　before　which　all　European　magnificence　is　confessed　to　fade　　away。　　The　ruins　of　their　architecture　are　the　schools　of　modern　　builders；　and　from　the　wonders　which　time　has　spared　we　may　　conjecture；　though　uncertainly；　what　it　has　destroyed。〃
〃My　curiosity；〃　said　Rasselas；　〃does　not　very　strongly　lead　me　to　　survey　piles　of　stone　or　mounds　of　earth。　　My　business　is　with　man。　　　I　came　hither　not　to　measure　fragments　of　temples　or　trace　choked　　aqueducts；　but　to　look　upon　the　various　scenes　of　the　present　　world。〃
〃The　things　that　are　now　before　us；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃require　　attention；　and　deserve　it。　　What　have　I　to　do　with　the　heroes　or　　the　monuments　of　ancient　times　…　with　times　which　can　never　return；　　and　heroes　whose　form　of　life　was　different　from　all　that　the　　present　condition　of　mankind　requires　or　allows？〃
〃To　know　anything；〃　returned　the　poet；　〃we　must　know　its　effects；　　to　see　men；　we　must　see　their　works；　that　we　may　learn　what　reason　　has　dictated　or　passion　has　excited；　and　find　what　are　the　most　　powerful　motives　of　action。　　To　judge　rightly　of　the　present；　we　　must　oppose　it　to　the　past；　for　all　judgment　is　comparative；　and　of　　the　future　nothing　can　be　known。　　The　truth　is　that　no　mind　is　much　　employed　upon　the　present；　recollection　and　anticipation　fill　up　　almost　all　our　moments。　　Our　passions　are　joy　and　grief；　love　and　　hatred；　hope　and　fear。　　Of　joy　and　grief；　the　past　is　the　object；　　and　the　future　of　hope　and　fear；　even　love　and　hatred　respect　the　　past；　for　the　cause　must　have　been　before　the　effect。
〃The　present　state　of　things　is　the　consequence　of　the　former；　and　　it　is　natural　to　inquire　what　were　the　sources　of　the　good　that　we　　enjoy；　or　the　evils　that　we　suffer。　　If　we　act　only　for　ourselves；　　to　neglect　the　study　of　history　is　not　prudent。　　If　we　are　　entrusted　with　the　care　of　others；　it　is　not　just。　　Ignorance；　when　　it　is　voluntary；　is　criminal；　and　he　may　properly　be　charged　with　　evil　who　refused　to　learn　how　he　might　prevent　it。
〃There　is　no　part　of　history　so　generally　useful　as　that　which　　relates　to　the　progress　of　the　human　mind；　the　gradual　improvement　　of　reason；　the　successive　advances　of　science；　the　vicissitudes　of　　learning　and　ignorance　（which　are　the　light　and　darkness　of　　thinking　beings）；　the　extinction　and　resusc