from this world to the next-第14节

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hearers。　　My　mother　therefore　was　forced　to　use　her　own　industry；

and　while　I　was　soothing　the　ears　of　the　crowd；　she　applied　to

their　pockets；　and　that　generally　with　such　good　success　that　we

now　began　to　enjoy　a　very　comfortable　subsistence；　and　indeed；

had　we　had　the　least　prudence　or　forecast；　might　have　soon

acquired　enough　to　enable　us　to　quit　this　dangerous　and

dishonorable　way　of　life：　　but　I　know　not　what　is　the　reason　that

money　got　with　labor　and　safety　is　constantly　preserved；　while

the　produce　of　danger　and　ease　is　commonly　spent　as　easily；　and

often　as　wickedly；　as　acquired。　　Thus　we　proportioned　our

expenses　rather　by　what　we　had　than　what　we　wanted　or　even

desired；　and　on　obtaining　a　considerable　booty　we　have　even

forced　nature　into　the　most　profligate　extravagance；　and　have

been　wicked　without　inclination。



〃We　carried　on　this　method　of　thievery　for　a　long　time　without

detection：　　but；　as　Fortune　generally　leaves　persons　of

extraordinary　ingenuity　in　the　lurch　at　last；　so　did　she　us；　for

my　poor　mother　was　taken　in　the　fact；　and；　together　with　myself；

as　her　accomplice；　hurried　before　a　magistrate。　　



〃Luckily　for　us；　the　person　who　was　to　be　our　judge　was　the

greatest　lover　of　music　in　the　whole　city；　and　had　often　sent　for

me　to　play　to　him；　for　which；　as　he　had　given　me　very　small

rewards；　perhaps　his　gratitude　now　moved　him：　　but；　whatever　was

his　motive；　he　browbeat　the　informers　against　us；　and　treated

their　evidence　with　so　little　favor；　that　their　mouths　were　soon

stopped；　and　we　dismissed　with　honor；　acquitted；　I　should　rather

have　it　said；　for　we　were　not　suffered　to　depart　till　I　had　given

the　judge　several　tunes　on　the　fiddle。



〃We　escaped　the　better　on　this　occasion　because　the　person　robbed

happened　to　be　a　poet；　which　gave　the　judge；　who　was　a　facetious

person；　many　opportunities　of　jesting。　　He　said　poets　and

musicians　should　agree　together；　seeing　they　had　married　sisters；

which　he　afterwards　explained　to　be　the　sister　arts。　　And　when

the　piece　of　gold　was　produced　he　burst　into　a　loud　laugh；　and

said　it　must　be　the　golden　age；　when　poets　had　gold　in　their

pockets；　and　in　that　age　there　could　be　no　robbers。　　He　made　many

more　jests　of　the　same　kind；　but　a　small　taste　will　suffice。



〃It　is　a　common　saying　that　men　should　take　warning　by　any　signal

delivery；　but　I　cannot　approve　the　justice　of　it；　for　to　me　it

seems　that　the　acquittal　of　a　guilty　person　should　rather　inspire

him　with　confidence；　and　it　had　this　effect　on　us：　　for　we　now

laughed　at　the　law；　and　despised　its　punishments；　which　we　found

were　to　be　escaped　even　against　positive　evidence。　　We　imagined

the　late　example　was　rather　a　warning　to　the　accuser　than　the

criminal；　and　accordingly　proceeded　in　the　most　impudent　and

flagitious　manner。



〃Among　other　robberies；　one　night；　being　admitted　by　the　servants

into　the　house　of　an　opulent　priest；　my　mother　took　an

opportunity；　whilst　the　servants　were　dancing　to　my　tunes；　to

convey　away　a　silver　vessel；　this　she　did　without　the　least

sacrilegious　intention；　but　it　seems　the　cup；　which　was　a　pretty

large　one；　was　dedicated　to　holy　uses；　and　only　borrowed　by　the

priest　on　an　entertainment　which　he　made　for　some　of　his

brethren。　　We　were　immediately　pursued　upon　this　robbery　（the　cup

being　taken　in　our　possession）；　and　carried　before　the　same

magistrate；　who　had　before　behaved　to　us　with　so　much　gentleness：

but　his　countenance　was　now　changed；　for　the　moment　the　priest

appeared　against　us；　his　severity　was　as　remarkable　as　his　candor

had　been　before；　and　we　were　both　ordered　to　be　stripped　and

whipped　through　the　streets。



〃This　sentence　was　executed　with　great　severity；　the　priest

himself　attending　and　encouraging　the　executioner；　which　he　said

he　did　for　the　good　of　our　souls；　but；　though　our　backs　were　both

flayed；　neither　my　mother's　torments　nor　my　own　afflicted　me　so

much　as　the　indignity　offered　to　my　poor　fiddle；　which　was

carried　in　triumph　before　me；　and　treated　with　a　contempt　by　the

multitude；　intimating　a　great　scorn　for　the　science　I　had　the

honor　to　profess；　which；　as　it　is　one　of　the　noblest　inventions

of　men；　and　as　I　had　been　always　in　the　highest　degree　proud　of

my　excellence　in　it；　I　suffered　so　much　from　the　ill…treatment　my

fiddle　received；　that　I　would　have　given　all　my　remainder　of　skin

to　have　preserved　it　from　this　affront。



〃My　mother　survived　the　whipping　a　very　short　time；　and　I　was　now

reduced　to　great　distress　and　misery；　till　a　young　Roman　of

considerable　rank　took　a　fancy　to　me；　received　me　into　his

family；　and　conversed　with　me　in　the　utmost　familiarity。　　He　had

a　violent　attachment　to　music；　and　would　learn　to　play　on　the

fiddle；　but；　through　want　of　genius　for　the　science；　he　never

made　any　considerable　progress。　　However；　I　flattered　his

performance；　and　he　grew　extravagantly　fond　of　me　for　so　doing。　

Had　I　continued　this　behavior　I　might　possibly　have　reaped　the

greatest　advantages　from　his　kindness；　but　I　had　raised　his　own

opinion　of　his　musical　abilities　so　high；　that　he　now　began　to

prefer　his　skill　to　mine；　a　presumption　I　could　not　bear。　　One

day　as　we　were　playing　in　concert　he　was　horribly　out；　nor　was　it

possible；　as　he　destroyed　the　harmony；　to　avoid　telling　him　of

it。　　Instead　of　receiving　my　correction；　he　answered　it　was　my

blunder　and　not　his；　and　that　I　had　mistaken　the　key。　　Such　an

affront　from　my　own　scholar　was　beyond　human　patience；　I　flew

into　a　violent　passion；　I　flung　down　my　instrument　in　a　rage；　and

swore　I　was　not　to　be　taught　music　at　my　age。　　He　answered；　with

as　much　warmth；　nor　was　he　to　be　instructed　by　a　strolling

fiddler。　　The　dispute　ended　in　a　challenge　to　play　a　prize　before

judges。　　This　wager　was　determined　in　my　favor；　but　the　purchase

was　a　dear　one；　for　I　lost　my　friend　by　it；　who　now；　twitting　me

with　all　his　kindness；　with　my　former　ignominious　punishment；　and

the　destitute　condition　from　which　I　had　been　by　his　bounty

relieved；　discarded　me　for　ever。



〃While　I　lived　with　this　gentleman　I　became　known；　among　others；

to　Sabina；　a　lady　of　distinction；　and　who　valued　herself　much　on

her　taste　for　music。　　She　no　sooner　heard　of　my　being　discarded

than　she　took　me　into　her　house；　where　I　was　extremely　well

clothed　and　fed。　　Notwithstanding　which；　my　situation　was　far

from　agreeable；　for　I　was　obliged　to　submit　to　her　constant

reprehensions　before　company；　which　gave　me　the　greater

uneasiness　because　they　were　always　wrong；　nor　am　I　certain　that

she　did　not　by　these　provocations　contribute　to　my　death：　　for；

as　experience　had　taught　me　to　give　up　my　resentment　to　my　bread；

so　my　passions；　for　want　of　outward　vent；　preyed　inwardly　on　my

vitals；　and　perhaps　occasioned　the　distemper　of　which　I　sickened。



〃The　lady；　who；　amidst　all　the　faults　she　found；　was　very　fond　of

me；　nay；　probably　was　the　fonder　of　me　the　more　faults　she　found；

immediately　called　in　the　aid　of　three　celebrated　physicians。　

The　doctors　（being　well　fee'd）　made　me　seven　visits　in　three

days；　and　two　of　them　were　at　the　door　to　visit　me　the　eighth

time；　when；　being　acquainted　that　I　was　just　dead；　they　shook

their　heads　and　departed。



〃When　I　came　to　Minos　he　asked　me　with　a　smile　whether　I　had

brought　my　fiddle　with　me；　and；　receiving　an　answer　in　the

negative；　he　bid　me　get　about　my　business；　saying　it　was　well　for

me　that　the　devil　was　no　lover　of　music。〃





CHAPTER　XVI



The　history　of　the　wise　man。



〃I　now　returned　to　Rome；　but　in　a　very　different　character。　

Fortune　had　now　allotted　me　a　serious　part　to　act。　　I　had　even　in

my　infancy　a　grave　disposition；　nor　was　I　ever　seen　to　smile；

which　infused　an　opinion　into　all　about　me　that　I　was　a　child　of

great　solidity；　some　foreseeing　that　I　should　be　a　judge；　and

others　a　bishop。　　At　two　years　old　my　father　presented　me　with　a

rattle；　which　I　broke　to　pieces　with　great　indignation。　　This　the

good　parent；　being　extremely　wise；　regarded　as　an　eminent　symptom

of　my　wisdom；　and　cried　out　in　a　kind　of　ecstasy；　'Well　said；

boy！　I　warrant　thou　makest　a　great　man。'



〃At　school　I　could　never　be　persuaded　to　play　with　my　mates；　not

that　I　spent　my　hours　in　learning；　to　which　I　was　not　in　the

least　addicted；　nor　indeed　had　I　any　talents　for　it。　　However；

the　solemnity　of　my　carriage　won　so　much　on　my　master；　who　was　a

most　sagacious　person；　that　I　was　his　chief　favorite；　and　my

example　on　all　occasions　was　recommended　to　the　other　boys；　which

filled　them　with　envy；　and　me　with　pleasure；　but；　though　they

envied　me；　they　all　paid　me　that　involuntary　respect　which　it　is

the　curse　attending　this　passion　to　bear　towards　its　object。



〃I　had　now　obtained　universally　the　character　of　a　very　wise

young　man；　which　I　did　not　altogether　purchase　without　pains；　for

the　restraint　I　laid　on　myself　in　abstaining　from　the　several

diversions　adapted　to　my　years　cos