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 temper" target="_blank" title="n.犬热病；色粉颜料">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" target="_blank" title="n.抑制；管束；克制">restraint I laid on myself in abstaining from the several
diversions adapted to my years cost me many a yearning; but the

pride which I inwardly enjoyed in the fancied dignity of my
character made me some amends.

"Thus I passed on, without anything very memorablehappening to
me, till I arrived at the age of twenty-three, when unfortunately

I fell acquainted with a young Neapolitan lady whose name was
Ariadne. Her beauty was so exquisite that her first sight made a

violentimpression on me; this was again improved by her
behavior, which was most genteel, easy, and affable: lastly, her

conversation completed the conquest. In this she discovered a
strong and lively understanding, with the sweetest and most

benign temper. This lovely creature was about eighteen when I
first unhappily beheld her at Rome, on a visit to a relation with

whom I had great intimacy. As our interviews at first were
extremelyfrequent, my passions were captivated before I

apprehended the least danger; and the sooner probably, as the
young lady herself, to whom I consulted every method of

recommendation, was not displeased with my being her admirer.
"Ariadne, having spent three months at Rome, now returned to

Naples, bearing my heart with her: on the other hand, I had all
the assurances consistent with the constraint under which the

most perfect modesty lays a young woman, that her own heart was
not entirely unaffected. I soon found her absence gave me an

uneasiness not easy to be borne or to remove. I now first
applied to diversions (of the graver sort, particularly to

music), but in vain; they rather raised my desires and heightened
my anguish. My passion at length grew so violent, that I began

to think of satisfying it. As the first step to this, I
cautiously inquired into the circumstances of Ariadne's parents,

with which I was hitherto unacquainted: though, indeed, I did
not apprehend they were extremely great, notwithstanding the

handsome appearance of their daughter at Rome. Upon examination,
her fortune exceeded my expectation, but was not sufficient to

justify my marriage with her, in the opinion of the wise and
prudent. I had now a violent struggle between wisdom and

happiness, in which, after several grievous pangs, wisdom got the
better. I could by no means prevail with myself to sacrifice

that character of profoundwisdom, which I had with such uniform
conduct obtained, and with such cautionhitherto preserved. I

thereforeresolved to conquer my affection, whatever it cost me;
and indeed it did not cost me a little.

"While I was engaged in this conflict (for it lasted a long time)
Ariadne returned to Rome: her presence was a terrible enemy to

my wisdom, which even in her absence had with great difficulty
stood its ground. It seems (as she hath since told me in Elysium

with much merriment) I had made the same impressions on her which
she had made on me. Indeed, I believe my wisdom would have been

totally subdued by this surprise, had it not cunningly suggested
to me a method of satisfying my passion without doing any injury

to my reputation. This was by engaging her privately as a
mistress, which was at that time reputable enough at Rome,

provided the affair was managed with an air of slyness and
gravity, though the secret was known to the whole city.

"I immediately set about this project, and employed every art and
engine to effect it. I had particularly bribed her priest, and

an old femaleacquaintance and distant relation of hers, into my
interest: but all was in vain; her virtue opposed the passion in

her breast as strongly as wisdom had opposed it in mine. She
received my proposals with the utmostdisdain, and presently

refused to see or hear from me any more.
"She returned again to Naples, and left me in a worse condition

than before. My days I now passed with the most irksome
uneasiness, and my nights were restless and sleepless. The story

of our amour was now pretty public, and the ladies talked of our
match as certain; but my acquaintance denied their assent,

saying, 'No, no, he is too wise to marry so imprudently.' This
their opinion gave me, I own, very great pleasure; but, to say

the truth, scarce compensated the pangs I suffered to preserve
it.

"One day, while I was balancing with myself, and had almost
resolved to enjoy my happiness at the price of my character, a

friend brought me word that Ariadne was married. This news
struck me to the soul; and though I had resolution enough to

maintain my gravity before him (for which I suffered not a little
the more), the moment I was alone I threw myself into the most

violent fit of despair, and would willingly have parted with
wisdom, fortune, and everything else, to have retrieved her; but

that was impossible, and I had now nothing but time to hope a
cure from. This was very tedious in performing it, and the

longer as Ariadne had married a Roman cavalier, was now become my
near neighbor, and I had the mortification of seeing her make the

best of wives, and of having the happiness which I had lost,
every day before my eyes.

"If I suffered so much on account of my wisdom in having refused
Ariadne, I was not much more obliged to it for procuring me a

rich widow, who was recommended to me by an old friend as a very
prudent match; and, indeed, so it was, her fortune being superior

to mine in the same proportion as that of Ariadne had been
inferior. I therefore embraced this proposal, and my character

of wisdom soon pleaded so effectually for me with the widow, who
was herself a woman of great gravity and discretion, that I soon

succeeded; and as soon as decency would permit (of which this
lady was the strictest observer) we were married, being the

second day of the second week of the second year after her
husband's death; for she said she thought some period of time

above the year had a great air of decorum.
"But, prudent as this lady was, she made me miserable. Her