Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

much injured friend! my foul, as my body, lies in ruins; in scattered fragments of broken thought -Remorfe for the past, throws my thought on the future. Worfe dread of the future ftrikes it back on the past. I turn, and turn, and find no ray. Didft thou feel half the mountain that is on me, thou wouldst ftruggle with the martyr for his ftake; and blefs Heaven for the flames !—that is not an everlasting flame; that is not an unquenchable fire."

How were we ftruck! yet foon after, ftill more. With what an eye of distraction, what a face of defpair! he cried out :-" My principles have poifoned my friend; my extravagance has beggared my boy! my unkindness has murdered my wife!

And is there another hell?-Oh! thou blafphemed, yet indulgent LORD GOD! Hell itfelf is a refuge, if it hide me from thy frown!"

Soon after, his understanding failed... His terrified imagination uttered horrors not to be repeated, or ever forgotten. And ere the fun (which, I hope, has seen few like him) arose, the gay, young, noble, ingenious, accomplished, and moft wretched Altamont, expired!

If this is a man of pleasure, what is a man of pain? How quick, how total, is their tranfit! In what a difinal gloom they fet for ever! How short, alas! the day of their rejoicing!-For a moment they glitter they dazzle. In a moment, where are they? Oblivion covers their memories. Ah! would it did! Infamy fnatches them from oblivion. In the long-living annals of infamy their triumphs are recorded. Thy fufferings ftill bleed in the bofom, poor Altamont! of the heart-ftricken friend-

for A'tamont had a friend. He might have had many. His tranfient morning might have been the dawn of an immortal day. His name might have been gloriously enrolled in the records of eternity. His memory might have left a fweet fragrance behind it, grateful to the furviving friend, falutary to the fucceeding generation. With what capacities was he endowed! with what advantages, for being greatly good! But with the talents of an angel, a man may be a fool. If he judges amifs in the fupreme point, judging right in all elfe, but aggravates his folly; as it fhows him wrong, tho' bleffed with the best capacity of being right.

DR. YOUNG.

CHAPTER VII

DIALO UES.

SECTION I.

DEMOCRITUS AND HERACLITUS.*

The Vices and Follies of Men, fhould excite Compaffion

I

rather than Ridicule.

DEMOCRITUS.

FIND it impoffible to reconcile myself to a melancholy philofophy.

HERACLITUS.

And I am equally unable to approve of that vain philofophy, which teaches men to defpife and ridicule one another. To a wife and feeling mind, the world appears in a wretched and painful light.

DEMOCRITUS.

Thou art too much affected with the state of things; and this is a fource of mifery to thee.

HERACLITUS.

And I think thou art too little moved by it. Thy mirth and ridicule bespeak the buffoon, rather than the philofopher. Does it not excite thy compaffion, to see mankind fo frail, fo blind, fo far departed from the rules of virtue?

Democritus and Heraclitus were two ancient philofophers, the former of whom laughed, and the latter wept, at the errors and Lollies of mankind.

[ocr errors]

DEMOCRITUS.

I am excited to laughter, when I fee fo much impertinence and folly.

HERACLITUS.

And yet, after all, they, who are the objects of thy ridicule, include, not only mankind in general, but the perfons with whom thou livest, thy friends, thy family, nay, even thyself.

DEMOCRITUS.

I care very little for all the filly perfons I meet with; and think I am justifiable in diverting myfelf with their folly.

[ocr errors]

HERACLITUS.

If they are weak and foolish, it marks neither wifdom nor humanity, to infult rather than pity them. But is it certain, that thou art not as extravagant as they are?

DEMOCRITUS.

I prefume that I am not; fince, in every point, my fentiments are the very reverfe of theirs.

HERACLITUS.

There are follies of different kinds. By conftantly amufing thy felf with the errors and mifconduct of others, thou mayft render thyself equally ridiculous and culpable.

DEMOCRITUS.

Thou art at liberty to indulge fuch fentiments; and to weep over me too, if thou haft any tears to fpare. For my part, I cannot refrain from pleafing myself with the levities and ill-conduct of the world about me. Are not all men foolish or irregular in their lives?

:

HERACLITUS.

Alas! there is but too much reafon to believe, they are fo and on this ground, I pity and deplore their condition. We agree in this point, that men do not conduct themfelves according to reasonable and just principles: but I, who do not fuffer myself to act as they do, must yet regard the dictates of my understanding and feelings, which compel me to love them; and that love fills me with compaffion for their mistakes and irregularities. Canft thou condemn me for pitying my own fpecies, my brethren, perfons. born in the fame condition of life, and deftined to the fame hopes and privileges? If thou fhouldft enter a hofpital, where fick and wounded perfons refide, wouldtheir wounds and diftreffes excite thy mirth ?. And yet, the evils of the body bear no comparison with thofe of the mind. Thou wouldst certainly blush at thy barbarity, if thou hadst been so unfeeling, as to laugh at or despise a poor miferable being who had loft one of his legs: and yet thou art fo deftitute of humanity, as to ridicule thofe, who appear to be deprived of the noble powers of the understanding, by the little regard which they pay to its dictates.

T

DEMOCRITUS.

He who has loft a leg is to be pitied, becaufe the lofs is not to be imputed to himself: but he who rejects the dictates of reafon and confcience, voluntarily deprives himself of their aid. The lofs originates in his own folly.

HERACLITUS.

Ah! fo much the more is he to be pitied! A furious maniac, who fhould pluck out his own

« ElőzőTovább »