登陆注册
5246300000320

第320章 CHAPTER VII(2)

The manners of the Dutch nobility of that age wanted the grace which was found in the highest perfection among the gentlemen of France, and which, in an inferior degree, embellished the Court of England; and his manners were altogether Dutch. Even his countrymen thought him blunt. To foreigners he often seemed churlish. In his intercourse with the world in general he appeared ignorant or negligent of those arts which double the value of a favour and take away the sting of a refusal. He was little interested in letters or science. The discoveries of Newton and Leibnitz, the poems of Dryden and Boileau, were unknown to him. Dramatic performances tired him; and he was glad to turn away from the stage and to talk about public affairs, while Orestes was raving, or while Tartuffe was pressing Elmira's hand. He had indeed some talent for sarcasm, and not seldom employed, quite unconsciously, a natural rhetoric, quaint, indeed, but vigorous and original. He did not, however, in the least affect the character of a wit or of an orator. His attention had been confined to those studies which form strenuous and sagacious men of business. From a child he listened with interest when high questions of alliance, finance, and war were discussed. Of geometry he learned as much as was necessary for the construction of a ravelin or a hornwork. Of languages, by the help of a memory singularly powerful, he learned as much as was necessary to enable him to comprehend and answer without assistance everything that was said to him, and every letter which he received. The Dutch was his own tongue. He understood Latin, Italian, and Spanish. He spoke and wrote French, English, and German, inelegantly, it is true, and inexactly, but fluently and intelligibly. No qualification could be more important to a man whose life was to be passed in organizing great alliances, and in commanding armies assembled from different countries.

One class of philosophical questions had been forced on his attention by circumstances, and seems to have interested him more than might have been expected from his general character. Among the Protestants of the United Provinces, as among the Protestants of our island, there were two great religious parties which almost exactly coincided with two great political parties. The chiefs of the municipal oligarchy were Arminians, and were commonly regarded by the multitude as little better than Papists.

The princes of Orange had generally been the patrons of the Calvinistic divinity, and owed no small part of their popularity to their zeal for the doctrines of election and final perseverance, a zeal not always enlightened by knowledge or tempered by humanity. William had been carefully instructed from a child in the theological system to which his family was attached, and regarded that system with even more than the partiality which men generally feel for a hereditary faith. He had ruminated on the great enigmas which had been discussed in the Synod of Dort, and had found in the austere and inflexible logic of the Genevese school something which suited his intellect and his temper. That example of intolerance indeed which some of his predecessors had set he never imitated. For all persecution he felt a fixed aversion, which he avowed, not only where the avowal was obviously politic, but on occasions where it seemed that his interest would have been promoted by dissimulation or by silence. His theological opinions, however, were even more decided than those of his ancestors. The tenet of predestination was the keystone of his religion. He often declared that, if he were to abandon that tenet, he must abandon with it all belief in a superintending Providence, and must become a mere Epicurean.

Except in this single instance, all the sap of his vigorous mind was early drawn away from the speculative to the practical. The faculties which are necessary for the conduct of important business ripened in him at a time of life when they have scarcely begun to blossom in ordinary men. Since Octavius the world had seen no such instance of precocious statesmanship. Skilful diplomatists were surprised to hear the weighty observations which at seventeen the Prince made on public affairs, and still more surprised to see a lad, in situations in which he might have been expected to betray strong passion, preserve a composure as imperturbable as their own. At eighteen he sate among the fathers of the commonwealth, grave, discreet, and judicious as the oldest among them. At twenty-one, in a day of gloom and terror, he was placed at the head of the administration. At twenty-three be was renowned throughout Europe as a soldier and a politician. He had put domestic factions under his feet: he was the soul of a mighty coalition; and he had contended with honour in the field against some of the greatest generals of the age.

同类推荐
  • 赋四相诗 礼部尚书

    赋四相诗 礼部尚书

    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。
  • Utilitarianism

    Utilitarianism

    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。
  • 太极拳散手秘诀

    太极拳散手秘诀

    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 Arrow of Gold

    The Arrow of Gold

    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。
  • 佛说大方广菩萨十地经

    佛说大方广菩萨十地经

    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
  • 桦树皮上的随想曲:路易斯·厄德里克小说研究

    桦树皮上的随想曲:路易斯·厄德里克小说研究

    本书旨在以社会生态学的视角为切入点,对路易斯·厄德里克的长篇小说作一整体性研究,由绪论、社会生态学简述、关爱、平等、和谐、自信等七部分组成。
  • 倾非魔

    倾非魔

    本文一对一,男强女强她,洛倾云,洛家直系九小姐,一身灵力气息全无,千百年难遇的废材体质,当灵魂再造,21世纪女特种兵队长,洛倾云,当她变成她,世界也为之疯狂。新生的她,从此一鸣惊人,大放异彩。宅门深深,锁不住一身傲骨。上一秒还在于你欢声笑语,下一秒却可以面无表情的砍下你的头颅。为了亲人,千古世家,她灭;为了朋友,绝世高手,她杀;为了爱人,即使是世界,她毁。无情却又重情,绝情却又痴情。世人皆道她狂妄,她却说“欺她在意者,必千百倍还之。辱她朋友者,必血溅当场。”他,血魔天,乃那浩瀚血池之中一抹孤魂,飘荡无望,千百年的孤寂,让他忘了情为何物。冷酷绝情的他完全不把人命放在眼里,挥手间就毁了世人所奢望的一切,但独独对她,他狠不下心,下不了手,爱恨交缠,痴心相付。宁负天下人,不负洛倾云,为了她,即使毁了这天下那又如何,世人皆道他无情,他却一笑置之,只道“无情才是他的本性”当绝情情遇上无情,痴情对上痴心,又将碰撞出怎样的火花? 短简介本文一对一,男强女强她,洛倾云,洛家直系九小姐,千百年难遇的废材体质,当灵魂再造,世界也为之疯狂。宅门深深,锁不住一身傲骨。为了亲人,千古世家,她灭;为了朋友,绝世高手,她杀;为了爱人,即使是世界,她毁。他,血魔天,乃血池之中一抹孤魂,千百年的孤寂,让他忘了情为何物。冷酷绝情的他完全不把人命放在眼里,挥手间就毁了世人所奢望的一切。当绝情情遇上无情,痴情对上痴心,又将碰撞出怎样的火花?
  • 千里驹传奇

    千里驹传奇

    刘月鹤误投泉林寿,孔孟僧暗夺千里驹。宦官刘瑾专权,欲夺大明江山,勾结孔孟恶和尚,血染泉林寺院。多亏李氏兄妹,为国为民锄奸,夺回宝马千里驹,昭雪忠良冤案。此事出在大明正德年间,乃明武宗朱厚照在位。正德皇帝宠信宦官刘瑾,封他为九千岁之职。刘瑾在一人之下,万人之上,还不满足,一心要害死皇帝,篡夺江山。他暗中勾结山东泉林寺一个和尚俗姓任,名叫孔孟,等待时机,杀君篡国。
  • 为爱繁华误入秋

    为爱繁华误入秋

    《为爱繁华误入秋》收录了郁达夫所著的最经典、最纯美、最精致的作品,包括小说和散文。书中的小说多带有“自叙传”的色彩,有的注重内心的纷争与苦闷描写,有的侧重反映社会底层民众的疾苦。书中的散文,无论是游记还是写景的散文,也深深植入了作者的思想感情、个性和人生际遇。全书内容香艳而沉郁,语言感伤而率真,一定程度上体现了作者的思想风貌、创作风格以及浓郁的浪漫主义倾向。
  • 生者不死

    生者不死

    穿越是个好事,穿越到不会死的世界更是好事中的好事,但是当这个世界带个魂字,设计师姓宫崎,那就是坑爹中的坑爹了。穿越到这个世界,马上就死了1001次,接着系统的声音响起,其实这是无限流哦~龙背上的骑兵、尼尔、无限传说2、血源诅咒、反乌托邦公职……一个又一个坑死人不偿命的世界,这一切的真相是什么?抬头仰望,这是主神之间的最终交锋,人类的生存方式,文明的延续手段,到底谁会胜利?所有被设计出来的万物终会迎来毁灭,我们一直被囚禁在生与死的无限螺旋中,这是诅咒?还是惩罚,我们是否终有一天会将弓箭射向给了我们这个谜题的神?为了卑微的希望,不死者们集结到了一起。一切尽在《生者不死》~
  • 快穿之逆袭女

    快穿之逆袭女

    无cp【全书免费,更新随缘】注:女主绝不傻白甜强者之路——注孤生。且看她快穿之路之茫茫。打得了怪兽,捉得了鬼,虐得了渣渣,踢得了渣男:装得了萝莉(暴力萝莉)扮得了蜀黍:卖得了萌,耍得了帅:……脸…可要可不要是终身代语.永远耍酷永远装嫩永远不知好歹。
  • 陪你度过抑郁期

    陪你度过抑郁期

    本书的内容从了解内心深处开始,主要希望大家不要抱有“抑郁症原来就是这样一种疾病”或“抑郁症是非常可怕的疾病”等先入为主的看法。抑郁症是一种“精神感冒”。感冒如果不治疗的话有可能发展成肺炎。“精神感冒”也是一样,如果放任自流,也会逐渐加重,甚至有可能发展到最坏的结果--自杀。希望大家能够充分认识这一点。本书先介绍了抑郁症各种时期的特点,紧接着讲述了抑郁症的三大疗法,最后讲述了抑郁症的预防及家人的配合治疗。希望这本书能对读者抗击抑郁有帮助。
  • 掌旗英雄略

    掌旗英雄略

    故事起始于西北荒漠,回民起义频繁的晚清。陕甘总督夫人和小姐路遇一伙奇怪的强盗,幸得一褴褛少年相救。这少年是谁?为何身怀怪异刀法却有意隐瞒自己身世?又为何所有人都在苦苦寻找他,他究竟有哪些与众不同之处?漠漠边尘起烽烟,看他如何一步步走来,打熬筋骨,征战沙场,看风起云涌。
  • 腹黑竹马欺上身:吃定小青梅

    腹黑竹马欺上身:吃定小青梅

    小时候,他嫌弃她又笨又丑,还取了个绰号:“酱油瓶!”长大后,他各种欺负她,理由是:“因为本大爷喜欢你,才欺负你!”他啥都好,就是心肠不好,从五岁就开始欺负她,骂她蠢傻,取她绰号,收她漫画,逼她锻炼,揭她作弊……连早个恋,他都要横插一脚!
  • 宋先生的小镇花

    宋先生的小镇花

    塊昼坝上曾经流传着一个传说。说是天上的玄女执意追寻自己人间的情郎而不幸毁掉一个家庭,受天界惩戒,幡然醒悟后玄女为赎罪便自戕于坝上。仙骨化作存汶山体,仙气流入河中,自此塊昼坝下云雾腾腾,水面波光粼粼,浮光跃金,之后数千年凡有情侣在此求愿皆能得偿所愿,后人慈悲而筑玄女石像,留存至今。那年南方带着她的情郎跋涉来此求取姻缘。宋归舟并不曾听过传说,还以为小姑娘贪凉,想下河玩水,自己这做哥的要满足她领着她玩。趁着宋归舟率先跳下坝子入河沟时,南方偷摸跑到玄女像前,怀着近乎虔诚的心向玄女祈祷她和坝下的男孩长长久久。这样一份隐秘细腻的心思于一个十六岁的少女而言,是沉重而刻骨铭心的,是情不自禁的欢喜和不自持的苦涩。*后来宋归舟没告诉她,那天把南方送回家后,几天后偶然听得寇思书说那传说。深更半夜,四野寂和,他穿过密林跪在玄女像下求了同愿。~所谓爱情就是你给我雾霭我赠你光明,你让我抽筋剥皮,我愿为你削骨挫皮重塑身躯,爱情是信仰是忠诚是自由,是你做我心里的鬼魂,我做你梦里的爱人,是你折下一根肋骨填满我的整个灵魂,是你在彼岸,我助你渡河。**十年之后塊昼坝上再见那个女孩,已为人妻为人母,当年的灵动少女如今身姿绰约,清润温和。这个值得宋归舟奉上一腔孤勇和热情去爱的姑娘历经岁月流砾的打磨,褪变稚嫩,成了温柔成熟的女人。人,生而难于奔忙,难于舍得,难于敢作敢为,难于不枉此行,多是遗憾自负于心,贪恋繁华,远避苦楚,顽抗孤独。*唯少年与爱不可远望。本文1v1,he,豪门与现实谨以此文献给每个从小镇走出的边缘青年,不忘故土,初心犹存,孤胆勇敢,以一己之力做这个欲望时代的刺客。