rasselas, prince of abyssinia-第20节

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o　say；　and　sometimes；　　when　I　was　leaving　him；　would　call　me　back；　pause　a　few　moments；　　and　then　dismiss　me。〃

CHAPTER　XLI　…　THE　ASTRONOMER　DISCOVERS　THE　CAUSE　OF　HIS　UNEASINESS。

〃AT　last　the　time　came　when　the　secret　burst　his　reserve。　　We　were　　sitting　together　last　night　in　the　turret　of　his　house　watching　the　　immersion　of　a　satellite　of　Jupiter。　　A　sudden　tempest　clouded　the　　sky　and　disappointed　our　observation。　　We　sat　awhile　silent　in　the　　dark；　and　then　he　addressed　himself　to　me　in　these　words：　　'Imlac；　　I　have　long　considered　thy　friendship　as　the　greatest　blessing　of　　my　life。　　Integrity　without　knowledge　is　weak　and　useless；　and　　knowledge　without　integrity　is　dangerous　and　dreadful。　　I　have　　found　in　thee　all　the　qualities　requisite　for　trust　…　benevolence；　　experience；　and　fortitude。　　I　have　long　discharged　an　office　which　　I　must　soon　quit　at　the　call　of　Nature；　and　shall　rejoice　in　the　　hour　of　imbecility　and　pain　to　devolve　it　upon　thee。'
〃I　thought　myself　honoured　by　this　testimony；　and　protested　that　　whatever　could　conduce　to　his　happiness　would　add　likewise　to　mine。
〃'Hear；　Imlac；　what　thou　wilt　not　without　difficulty　credit。　　I　　have　possessed　for　five　years　the　regulation　of　the　weather　and　the　　distribution　of　the　seasons。　　The　sun　has　listened　to　my　dictates；　　and　passed　from　tropic　to　tropic　by　my　direction；　the　clouds　at　my　　call　have　poured　their　waters；　and　the　Nile　has　overflowed　at　my　　command。　　I　have　restrained　the　rage　of　the　dog…star；　and　mitigated　　the　fervours　of　the　crab。　　The　winds　alone；　of　all　the　elemental　　powers；　have　hitherto　refused　my　authority；　and　multitudes　have　　perished　by　equinoctial　tempests　which　I　found　myself　unable　to　　prohibit　or　restrain。　　I　have　administered　this　great　office　with　　exact　justice；　and　made　to　the　different　nations　of　the　earth　an　　impartial　dividend　of　rain　and　sunshine。　　What　must　have　been　the　　misery　of　half　the　globe　if　I　had　limited　the　clouds　to　particular　　regions；　or　confined　the　sun　to　either　side　of　the　equator？'〃

CHAPTER　XLII　…　THE　OPINION　OF　THE　ASTRONOMER　IS　EXPLAINED　AND　　JUSTIFIED。

〃I　SUPPOSE　he　discovered　in　me；　through　the　obscurity　of　the　room；　　some　tokens　of　amazement　and　doubt；　for　after　a　short　pause　he　　proceeded　thus：…
〃'Not　to　be　easily　credited　will　neither　surprise　nor　offend　me；　　for　I　am　probably　the　first　of　human　beings　to　whom　this　trust　has　　been　imparted。　　Nor　do　I　know　whether　to　deem　this　distinction　a　　reward　or　punishment。　　Since　I　have　possessed　it　I　have　been　far　　less　happy　than　before；　and　nothing　but　the　consciousness　of　good　　intention　could　have　enabled　me　to　support　the　weariness　of　　unremitted　vigilance。'
〃'How　long；　sir；'　said　I；　'has　this　great　office　been　in　your　　hands？'
〃'About　ten　years　ago；'　said　he；　'my　daily　observations　of　the　　changes　of　the　sky　led　me　to　consider　whether；　if　I　had　the　power　　of　the　seasons；　I　could　confer　greater　plenty　upon　the　inhabitants　　of　the　earth。　　This　contemplation　fastened　on　my　mind；　and　I　sat　　days　and　nights　in　imaginary　dominion；　pouring　upon　this　country　　and　that　the　showers　of　fertility；　and　seconding　every　fall　of　rain　　with　a　due　proportion　of　sunshine。　　I　had　yet　only　the　will　to　do　　good；　and　did　not　imagine　that　I　should　ever　have　the　power。
〃'One　day　as　I　was　looking　on　the　fields　withering　with　heat；　I　　felt　in　my　mind　a　sudden　wish　that　I　could　send　rain　on　the　　southern　mountains；　and　raise　the　Nile　to　an　inundation。　　In　the　　hurry　of　my　imagination　I　commanded　rain　to　fall；　and　by　comparing　　the　time　of　my　command　with　that　of　the　inundation；　I　found　that　　the　clouds　had　listened　to　my　lips。'
〃'Might　not　some　other　cause；'　said　I；　'produce　this　concurrence？　　　The　Nile　does　not　always　rise　on　the　same　day。'
〃'Do　not　believe；'　said　he；　with　impatience；　'that　such　objections　　could　escape　me。　　I　reasoned　long　against　my　own　conviction；　and　　laboured　against　truth　with　the　utmost　obstinacy。　　I　sometimes　　suspected　myself　of　madness；　and　should　not　have　dared　to　impart　　this　secret　but　to　a　man　like　you；　capable　of　distinguishing　the　　wonderful　from　the　impossible；　and　the　incredible　from　the　false。'
〃'Why；　sir；'　said　I；　'do　you　call　that　incredible　which　you　know；　　or　think　you　know；　to　be　true？'
〃'Because；'　said　he；　'I　cannot　prove　it　by　any　external　evidence；　　and　I　know　too　well　the　laws　of　demonstration　to　think　that　my　　conviction　ought　to　influence　another；　who　cannot；　like　me；　be　　conscious　of　its　force。　　I　therefore　shall　not　attempt　to　gain　　credit　by　disputation。　　It　is　sufficient　that　I　feel　this　power　　that　I　have　long　possessed；　and　every　day　exerted　it。　　But　the　life　　of　man　is　short；　the　infirmities　of　age　increase　upon　me；　and　the　　time　will　soon　come　when　the　regulator　of　the　year　must　mingle　with　　the　dust。　　The　care　of　appointing　a　successor　has　long　disturbed　　me；　the　night　and　the　day　have　been　spent　in　comparisons　of　all　the　　characters　which　have　come　to　my　knowledge；　and　I　have　yet　found　　none　so　worthy　as　thyself。'〃

CHAPTER　XLIII　…　THE　ASTRONOMER　LEAVES　IMLAC　HIS　DIRECTIONS。

〃'HEAR；　therefore；　what　I　shall　impart　with　attention；　such　as　the　　welfare　of　a　world　requires。　　If　the　task　of　a　king　be　considered　　as　difficult；　who　has　the　care　only　of　a　few　millions；　to　whom　he　　cannot　do　much　good　or　harm；　what　must　be　the　anxiety　of　him　on　　whom　depends　the　action　of　the　elements　and　the　great　gifts　of　　light　and　heat？　　Hear　me；　therefore；　with　attention。
〃'I　have　diligently　considered　the　position　of　the　earth　and　sun；　　and　formed　innumerable　schemes；　in　which　I　changed　their　situation。　　　I　have　sometimes　turned　aside　the　axis　of　the　earth；　and　sometimes　　varied　the　ecliptic　of　the　sun；　but　I　have　found　it　impossible　to　　make　a　disposition　by　which　the　world　may　be　advantaged；　what　one　　region　gains　another　loses　by　an　imaginable　alteration；　even　　without　considering　the　distant　parts　of　the　solar　system　with　　which　we　are　acquainted。　　Do　not；　therefore；　in　thy　administration　　of　the　year；　indulge　thy　pride　by　innovation；　do　not　please　thyself　　with　thinking　that　thou　canst　make　thyself　renowned　to　all　future　　ages　by　disordering　the　seasons。　　The　memory　of　mischief　is　no　　desirable　fame。　　Much　less　will　it　become　thee　to　let　kindness　or　　interest　prevail。　　Never　rob　other　countries　of　rain　to　pour　it　on　　thine　own。　　For　us　the　Nile　is　sufficient。'
〃I　promised　that　when　I　possessed　the　power　I　would　use　it　with　　inflexible　integrity；　and　he　dismissed　me；　pressing　my　hand。　　'My　　heart；'　said　he；　'will　be　now　at　rest；　and　my　benevolence　will　no　　more　destroy　my　quiet；　I　have　found　a　man　of　wisdom　and　virtue；　to　　whom　I　can　cheerfully　bequeath　the　inheritance　of　the　sun。'〃
The　Prince　heard　this　narration　with　very　serious　regard；　but　the　　Princess　smiled；　and　Pekuah　convulsed　herself　with　laughter。　　　〃Ladies；〃　said　Imlac；　〃to　mock　the　heaviest　of　human　afflictions　is　　neither　charitable　nor　wise。　　Few　can　attain　this　man's　knowledge　　and　few　practise　his　virtues；　but　all　may　suffer　his　calamity。　　Of　　the　uncertainties　of　our　present　state；　the　most　dreadful　and　　alarming　is　the　uncertain　continuance　of　reason。〃
The　Princess　was　recollected；　and　the　favourite　was　abashed。　　　Rasselas；　more　deeply　affected；　inquired　of　Imlac　whether　he　　thought　such　maladies　of　the　mind　frequent；　and　how　they　were　　contracted。

CHAPTER　XLIV　…　THE　DANGEROUS　PREVALENCE　OF　IMAGINATION。

〃DISORDERS　of　intellect；〃　answered　Imlac；　〃happen　much　more　often　　than　superficial　observers　will　easily　believe。　　Perhaps　if　we　　speak　with　rigorous　exactness；　no　human　mind　is　in　its　right　state。　　　There　is　no　man　whose　imagination　does　not　sometimes　predominate　　over　his　reason　who　can　regulate　his　attention　wholly　by　his　will；　　and　whose　ideas　will　come　and　go　at　his　command。　　No　man　will　be　　found　in　whose　mind　airy　notions　do　not　sometimes　tyrannise；　and　　force　him　to　hope　or　fear　beyond　the　limits　of　sober　probability。　　　All　power　of　fancy　over　reason　is　a　degree　of　insanity；　but　while　　this　power　is　such　as　we　can　control　and　repress　it　is　not　visible　　to　others；　nor　considered　as　any　deprivation　of　the　mental　　faculties；　it　is　not　pronounced　madness　but　when　it　becomes　　ungovernable；　and　apparently　influences　speech　or　action。
〃To　indulge　the　power　of　fiction　and　send　imagination　out　upon　the　　wing　is　often　the　sport　of　those　who　delight　too　much　in　silent　　speculation。　　When　we　are　alone　we　are　not　always　busy；　the　labour　　of　excogitation　is　too　violent　to　last　long；　the　ardour　of　inquiry　　will　sometimes　give　way　to　idleness　or　satiety。　　He　who　has　nothing　　external　that　can　divert　him　must　find　pleasure　in　his　own　　thoughts；　and　must　conceive　himself　what　he　is　not；　for　who　is　　pleased　with　what　he　is？　　He　then　expatiates　in　boundless　futurity；　　and　culls　from　all　imaginable　conditions　that　which　for　the　present　　moment　he　should　most　desire；　amuses　his　desires　with　impossible　　enjoyments；　and　confers　upon　his　pride　unattainable　dominion。　　The　　mind　dances　from　scene　to　scene；　unites　all　pleasures　in　all　　combinations；　and　riots　in　delights　which　Nature　and　fortune；　with　　all　their　bounty；　cannot　bestow。
〃In　time　some　particular　train　of　ideas　fixes　the　attention；　all　　other　intellectual　gratifications　are　rejected；　the　mind；　in　　wearin