登陆注册
4606300000300

第300章

It was a prophecy, for Joseph II. positively killed himself, although not wilfully, and it was his self-conceit which prevented him from knowing it. He was not wanting in learning, but the knowledge which he believed himself to possess destroyed the learning which he had in reality. He delighted in speaking to those who did not know how to answer him, whether because they were amazed at his arguments, or because they pretended to be so; but he called pedants, and avoided all persons, who by true reasoning pulled down the weak scaffolding of his arguments. Seven years ago I happened to meet him at Luxemburg, and he spoke to me with just contempt of a man who had exchanged immense sums of money, and a great deal of debasing meanness against some miserable parchments, and he added,--

"I despise men who purchase nobility."

"Your majesty is right, but what are we to think of those who sell it?"

After that question he turned his back upon me, and hence forth he thought me unworthy of being spoken to.

The great passion of that king was to see those who listened to him laugh, whether with sincerity or with affectation, when he related something; he could narrate well and amplify in a very amusing manner all the particulars of an anecdote; but he called anyone who did not laugh at his jests a fool, and that was always the person who understood him best. He gave the preference to the opinion of Brambilla, who encouraged his suicide, over that of the physicians who were directing him according to reason. Nevertheless, no one ever denied his claim to great courage; but he had no idea whatever of the art of government, for he had not the slightest knowledge of the human heart, and he could neither dissemble nor keep a secret; he had so little control over his own countenance that he could not even conceal the pleasure he felt in punishing, and when he saw anyone whose features did not please him, he could not help making a wry face which disfigured him greatly.

Joseph II. sank under a truly cruel disease, which left him until the last moment the faculty of arguing upon everything, at the same time that he knew his death to be certain. This prince must have felt the misery of repenting everything he had done and of seeing the impossibility of undoing it, partly because it was irreparable, partly because if he had undone through reason what he had done through senselessness, he would have thought himself dishonoured, for he must have clung to the last to the belief of the infallibility attached to his high birth, in spite of the state of languor of his soul which ought to have proved to him the weakness and the fallibility of his nature. He had the greatest esteem for his brother, who has now succeeded him, but he had not the courage to follow the advice which that brother gave him. An impulse worthy of a great soul made him bestow a large reward upon the physician, a man of intelligence, who pronounced his sentence of death, but a completely opposite weakness had prompted him, a few months before, to load with benefits the doctors and the quack who made him believe that they had cured him. He must likewise have felt the misery of knowing that he would not be regretted after his death--a grievous thought, especially for a sovereign. His niece, whom he loved dearly, died before him, and, if he had had the affection of those who surrounded him, they would have spared him that fearful information, for it was evident that his end was near at hand, and no one could dread his anger for having kept that event from him.

Although very much pleased with Vienna and with the pleasures I

enjoyed with the beautiful frauleins, whose acquaintance I had made at the house of the baroness, I was thinking of leaving that agreeable city, when Baron Vais, meeting me at Count Durazzo's wedding, invited me to join a picnic at Schoenbrunn. I went, and I

failed to observe the laws of temperance; the consequence was that I

returned to Vienna with such a severe indigestion that in twenty-four hours I was at the point of death.

I made use of the last particle of intelligence left in me by the disease to save my own life. Campioni, Roquendorf and Sarotin were by my bedside. M. Sarotin, who felt great friendship for me, had brought a physician, although I had almost positively declared that I

would not see one. That disciple of Sangrado, thinking that he could allow full sway to the despotism of science, had sent for a surgeon, and they were going to bleed me against my will. I was half-dead; I

do not know by what strange inspiration I opened my eyes, and I saw a man, standing lancet in hand and preparing to open the vein.

"No, no!" I said.

And I languidly withdrew my arm; but the tormentor wishing, as the physician expressed it, to restore me to life in spite of myself, got hold of my arm again. I suddenly felt my strength returning. I put my hand forward, seized one of my pistols, fired, and the ball cut off one of the locks of his hair. That was enough; everybody ran away, with the exception of my servant, who did not abandon me, and gave me as much water as I wanted to drink. On the fourth day I had recovered my usual good health.

That adventure amused all the idlers of Vienna for several days, and Abbe Grosse-Tete assured me that if I had killed the poor surgeon, it would not have gone any further, because all the witnesses present in my room at the time would have declared that he wanted to use violence to bleed me, which made it a case of legitimate self-

defence. I was likewise told by several persons that all the physicians in Vienna were of opinion that if I had been bled I should have been a dead man; but if drinking water had not saved me, those gentlemen would certainly not have expressed the same opinion. I

同类推荐
  • Fairy Tales

    Fairy Tales

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仙都志

    仙都志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Ancien Regime

    The Ancien Regime

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上赤文洞神三箓

    太上赤文洞神三箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 斗南暐禅师语录

    斗南暐禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 战破苍穹

    战破苍穹

    电竞界公认第一高手萧远,因一场离奇的车祸失去了逆天的手速,当他重返职业圈,还能否再创辉煌?“人没有梦想和咸鱼有什么区别?”本书非种马,主角性别男,爱好不明。书友交流群:167776076
  • 雄才伟略的政治家(4)(世界名人成长历程)

    雄才伟略的政治家(4)(世界名人成长历程)

    《世界名人成长历程——雄才伟略的政治家(4)》本书分为英迪拉·甘地、弗朗索瓦·密特朗、李光耀等部分。
  • The Little Lame Prince

    The Little Lame Prince

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 星辰象限

    星辰象限

    恒星的光芒遥远而黯淡,巨大的气态行星飘浮在闪烁的繁星间,雄伟的光环仿佛触手可及。我将机械外骨骼固定在殖民地的外壳上,脚下钛合金外壳上用已经褪色的油漆勾勒出这座太空殖民地的编号——YG922。在宇宙的真空中,熔化的金属像糖稀一样流动,由于不存在氧化现象,焊接变得非常容易。被微流星损坏的天线支架歪曲地耸立在落满宇宙尘埃的外壳上,依靠数个螺栓固定。作为一名空间技师,修复损坏的外部设备是我的工作。我的右手在一次意外事故中被截肢,现在失去的肢体已经被机械义肢所替代,通过连接在义肢上的数据线,我可以将机械外骨骼的辅助电脑与自己的神经回路连接起来。
  • 健康红宝书:健康语录

    健康红宝书:健康语录

    本书搜集整理了古今中外有关运动、饮食、生活、心理、医疗和益寿等方面具有代表性的健康语录,再结合相关内容阐述其深刻内涵,同时为了想得更周到一些,以增强实用性和理解性,还增加了“贴心提示”和“语录链接”等内容,所以,具有很强的科学性和指导性,是广大读者身心健康的良师益友。
  • 你好,我的先生

    你好,我的先生

    某女意外碰见外星来客,本以为可以搜刮“油水”,不料却反为奴为仆。他长长的睫毛像扇面一样,在阳光下似渡了一层金影。面色苍白,鲜血从嘴角溢出,显得格外刺眼。……“你哭什么?”他不解的看着她不断用纸巾擦眼角,眼睛水汪汪的,上颊也被擦的红红的。“先生,如果给你的爱一个期限,你希望是一万年吗?”“不希望。”我对你的爱,没有期限。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 妖孽皇子下堂妃

    妖孽皇子下堂妃

    她,性格坚强乐观,内心聪慧善良,他,表面谦和温雅,实际冷酷凌厉;她,被皇上作为一柄双刃剑赐婚于他,他,因为种种顾虑,不敢亲近于她;一场场阴谋诡计、一个个囹圄困境,她陪着他,他护着她,他们相互扶持,又彼此伤害,他们携手作战,又各自猜疑;她在还未爱上他之前,总能笑看他的风流情史,爱上他后,又眼里揉不得半点沙子般的打发他身边所有凤蝶;他在还不知道自己爱上她时,总能冷脸对她默默宠爱,在知道自己爱上她后,那冷脸更是变本加厉,当然,宠爱也是变本加厉。欢乐对话(一)“娘娘,明日你可就得保持这笑脸,钱财上亏了侧妃,人情上可得做足面子,得让前来的人都看到娘娘的贤良淑德才是。”某男闻得丫鬟的话,正要踏进屋的脚步顿了顿,然后才落地,另一只脚抬起,这时又听得屋里传来某女喜笑颜开的声音:“安啦!姐姐我就当是宝贝儿子娶媳妇了,我这做娘亲的自然笑得灿烂,绝不给儿子丢脸,保证你家殿下见了一准夸我大度。”某男的另一只脚也顿了顿,然后才落地。欢乐对话(二)“刚才那面粉头跟你说什么了?”某男一脸阴沉。“没说什么啊!就说我是他见过最漂亮、最温柔、最善良的姑娘,还给了我他老家的地址,让我以后常与他写信联系。”某女欢喜道。某男咬牙,一字一句道:“他让你常给他写信?”“恩,是啊,他还说让我给他写信时避开你,免得你吃醋。”“我吃醋?哼!我会吃醋?他也太看得起他自己了。”某男嗤之以鼻。某女表示赞同:“是啊,你堂堂皇子殿下,吃飞醋这种事也太丢脸了。”顿了顿又道:“哦,我要去清风楼见我表哥,你刚才不说有事吗,你忙你的去吧!我先走了。”“你见他干什么?”某男急道。“前几天他不是帮了我一小忙么,我去感谢他。”“不准去。”“为什么啊?”“恩。。。问这么多干什么,总之你别去了,我自会派人送礼去谢他的。”欢乐对话(三)“哎,刚才有人夸你了耶。”“是么。”某男神色淡淡,隔了一会又不甚在意的问道:“夸我什么了?”“夸你温柔、和善什么的,恩,还有夸你长得好看。”“是么。”某男嘴角不经意掀起一丝得意。“是啊是啊,她们说你长得花容月貌,比流芳阁的花魁还漂亮呢!”某男脸色一僵。某女又道:“不过她们夸人也太没水准了,花容月貌怎么能用来形容你呢!”某男脸色微微好转。“应该用倾国倾城才对嘛!”某男脸色由晴转阴,一副狂风暴雨来临之前的阴暗。
  • 捕获女王一只

    捕获女王一只

    【日更保证,欢迎跳坑】【正文已完结,还有番外】在第一次见面,是她打工的地方,他舔着下唇,嘴角残留的一丝红色液体让他本就精致的容颜更显邪魅,那时候,他对她说:“我觉得你长得很想我未来的女朋友。”她态度高冷,给了他三个字:“神经病!”第二次见面,是在她就读的学校。当他看到站在一旁的她时,嘴角勾起一抹弧度,笑得张狂:“我们又见面了,是不是很有缘?我觉得你就是我未来的女朋友。”第三次见面,是在她所在的班级。他坐在教室里,笑的一脸奸诈,还暗含一丝得意:“亲爱滴,你来了~拿上身份证,我们去登记吧!”有人说过,多次碰到不是偶然,是必然,这是彼此间冥冥中注定的缘分使然,但本书女主却觉得她和他之间,不存在什么偶然,也不存在什么必然,纯粹就是这货欠揍!同样的,也有一句俗话说得好,是可忍孰不可忍,于是乎,女主爆发了!“洛宝宸,你他妈的到底想干嘛!”“我不想干嘛,我就想把你拐回家做女朋友!”感谢好友甜思友情赞助的封面一张!么么哒!
  • 未刻本叶氏医案

    未刻本叶氏医案

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 流云大陆之逆天修徒

    流云大陆之逆天修徒

    一个强者为尊的大陆,在这个大路上,有着各种各样历史悠久的门派。这个大陆崇尚武风,其中更是分着等级为:修徒、修士、修师、修皇、修宗、修尊、修圣以及其上的圣徒等级。而东方距离大陆中心数万米开外的,有一个名为白虎城的城市。这个城市中的东方家族是最古老的家族,讲述这个家族的恩怨情仇。