登陆注册
5362600000467

第467章

I owe several other such niceties to custom. Nature has also, on the other side, helped me to some of hers: as not to be able to endure more than two full meals in one day, without overcharging my stomach, nor a total abstinence from one of those meals without filling myself with wind, drying up my mouth, and dulling my appetite; the finding great inconvenience from overmuch evening air; for of late years, in night marches, which often happen to be all night long, after five or six hours my stomach begins to be queasy, with a violent pain in my head, so that I always vomit before the day can break. When the others go to breakfast, I go to sleep; and when I rise, I am as brisk and gay as before. I had always been told that the night dew never rises but in the beginning of the night; but for some years past, long and familiar intercourse with a lord, possessed with the opinion that the night dew is more sharp and dangerous about the declining of the sun, an hour or two before it sets, which he carefully avoids, and despises that of the night, he almost impressed upon me, not so much his reasoning as his experiences. What, shall mere doubt and inquiry strike our imagination, so as to change us?

Such as absolutely and on a sudden give way to these propensions, draw total destruction upon themselves. I am sorry for several gentlemen who, through the folly of their physicians, have in their youth and health wholly shut themselves up: it were better to endure a cough, than, by disuse, for ever to lose the commerce of common life in things of so great utility. Malignant science, to interdict us the most pleasant hours of the day! Let us keep our possession to the last; for the most part, a man hardens himself by being obstinate, and corrects his constitution, as Caesar did the falling sickness, by dint of contempt.

A man should addict himself to the best rules, but not enslave himself to them, except to such, if there be any such, where obligation and servitude are of profit.

Both kings and philosophers go to stool, and ladies too; public lives are bound to ceremony; mine, that is obscure and private, enjoys all natural dispensation; soldier and Gascon are also qualities a little subject to indiscretion; wherefore I shall say of this act of relieving nature, that it is desirable to refer it to certain prescribed and nocturnal hours, and compel one's self to this by custom, as I have done; but not to subject one's self, as I have done in my declining years, to a particular convenience of place and seat for that purpose, and make it troublesome by long sitting; and yet, in the fouler offices, is it not in some measure excusable to require more care and cleanliness?

"Naturt homo mundum et elegans animal est."

[Man is by nature a clean and delicate creature."--Seneca,Ep., 92.]

Of all the actions of nature, I am the most impatient of being interrupted in that. I have seen many soldiers troubled with the unruliness of their bellies; whereas mine and I never fail of our punctual assignation, which is at leaping out of bed, if some indispensable business or sickness does not molest us.

I think then, as I said before, that sick men cannot better place themselves anywhere in more safety, than in sitting still in that course of life wherein they have been bred and trained up; change, be it what it will, distempers and puts one out. Do you believe that chestnuts can hurt a Perigordin or a Lucchese, or milk and cheese the mountain people?

We enjoin them not only a new, but a contrary, method of life; a change that the healthful cannot endure. Prescribe water to a Breton of threescore and ten; shut a seaman up in a stove; forbid a Basque footman to walk: you will deprive them of motion, and in the end of air and light:

"An vivere tanti est?

Cogimur a suetis animum suspendere rebus, Atque, ut vivamus, vivere desinimus. .

Hos superesse reor, quibus et spirabilis aer Et lux, qua regimur, redditur ipsa gravis."

["Is life worth so much? We are compelled to withhold the mind from things to which we are accustomed; and, that we may live, we cease to live . . . . Do I conceive that they still live, to whom the respirable air, and the light itself, by which we are governed, is rendered oppressive?"--Pseudo-Gallus, Eclog., i. 155, 247.]

If they do no other good, they do this at least, that they prepare patients betimes for death, by little and little undermining and cutting off the use of life.

Both well and sick, I have ever willingly suffered myself to obey the appetites that pressed upon me. I give great rein to my desires and propensities; I do not love to cure one disease by another; I hate remedies that are more troublesome than the disease itself. To be subject to the colic and subject to abstain from eating oysters are two evils instead of one; the disease torments us on the one side, and the remedy on the other. Since we are ever in danger of mistaking, let us rather run the hazard of a mistake, after we have had the pleasure. The world proceeds quite the other way, and thinks nothing profitable that is not painful; it has great suspicion of facility. My appetite, in various things, has of its own accord happily enough accommodated itself to the health of my stomach. Relish and pungency in sauces were pleasant to me when young; my stomach disliking them since, my taste incontinently followed. Wine is hurtful to sick people, and 'tis the first thing that my mouth then finds distasteful, and with an invincible dislike.

Whatever I take against my liking does me harm; and nothing hurts me that I eat with appetite and delight. I never received harm by any action that was very pleasant to me; and accordingly have made all medicinal conclusions largely give way to my pleasure; and I have, when I was young, "Quem circumcursans huc atque huc saepe Cupido Fulgebat crocink splendidus in tunic."

同类推荐
  • Within the Law

    Within the Law

    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。
  • 仁王般若经疏

    仁王般若经疏

    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。
  • 混唐后传

    混唐后传

    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。
  • 佛说阿阇世王女阿术达菩萨经

    佛说阿阇世王女阿术达菩萨经

    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。
  • 赵氏孤儿大报仇

    赵氏孤儿大报仇

    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
  • 美国枪之谜(长篇连载三)

    美国枪之谜(长篇连载三)

    著名西部影片名宿巴克·霍恩计划重归银幕,不想在椭圆形大竞技场表演马上特技时,被一枪击毙。纽约市警察局全体出动,进行了规模空前的搜查,但毫无结果。一个月后,在相同的地点,在相同的场景中,死神再次故技重施,复制了又一场凶杀。两起命案件相同,却又迷雾重重:警察在两万观众的睽睽之下,竟然找不到凶器,找不到凶手,找不到动机。
  • 一顿自己的晚餐

    一顿自己的晚餐

    这是一本与食物有关的书。一本探讨怎样做好一顿简单的居家晚餐的书。没有复杂的技法和特殊的食材。简简单单。就希望你能,好好给自己做一顿饭,好好照顾自己。时间,每一分,每一秒都在眼前流淌而过。我们要珍惜每一顿食物。好好享用它,感受它。不管你在什么地方,不管你正遭遇什么,你只管好好吃你的饭,喝你的汤。就算全世界与你为敌,好吃的,永远站在你这一边。
  • 豪门强婚,误惹妖魅总裁

    豪门强婚,误惹妖魅总裁

    谈寒冬,秦朝集团太子爷,钱和女人都不缺,当遭遇家里逼婚时。人前,他脱口而出。“你们不用再多费心思,我和顾初夏已经领证了”背后,却用尽阴险手段,逼她成婚。顾初夏含泪问他:“你喜欢的不是我,为何苦苦相逼”谈寒冬冷酷地说:“我们,本就无关爱情”“如果我说不呢?”“那你父亲这辈子别想从牢狱里出来”顾初夏闻言,身体狠狠一震,心底最后一丝希望破灭。*九年前,他们本是形影不离的恋人,九年后,他再见她,形同陌路,忘得彻彻底底。现在,他用她父亲,来威逼她成婚。婚后,却和她的闺蜜,极尽缠绵,出双入对。当她终于怀孕,满怀欣喜地想告诉他时,他却说,他不喜欢孩子,有就打掉。*多年后,他出现在她和孩子的面前。谈寒冬深情脉脉:“顾初夏,当我女朋友”顾初夏冷眼:“不要”谈寒冬委屈:“为什么,我送车送房还送你一个孩子,你还要我送什么”顾初夏冷漠:“我只要你从来都没出现过”谈寒冬坚定:“顾初夏,你有了孩子还想逃?妄想!”本文正剧,有宠有虐,非小白文,不喜误入。
  • 补续芝园集

    补续芝园集

    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。
  • 最怕一生平庸无为,还安慰自己平淡可贵

    最怕一生平庸无为,还安慰自己平淡可贵

    本书从职场、情感、人际等多方面,对现实生活里导致你一生平庸无为的现象进行了剖析,既有令你警醒的故事影射;又有针对时弊的理论陈述,犹如注入你心灵的“一剂猛药”。31个故事,31段人生,读着这些戳痛人心的真理,可曾看到似曾相识的自己?
  • 萌娃来袭:爸比不好惹

    萌娃来袭:爸比不好惹

    “爸比,你难道不知道妈咪最喜欢什么吗?”一身黑衣的东方朔夜嘴角淡淡的上扬,接着问道:“你知道?”“当然知道了!因为妈咪更爱我一些嘛!”小包子洋洋得意的拍着自己的胸脯。当恶魔爸比与腹黑儿子狼狈为奸,香香妈咪应该如何接招!
  • 成功没有时间表

    成功没有时间表

    《成功没有时间表》主要精选了作者郭龙从2009年至2012年发表在《青年文摘》《读者》《意林》《格言》等期刊上的美文,有励志美文,也有人物故事,更有一些感悟美文,这些故事会带给你心灵的启迪。
  • 韩氏医通

    韩氏医通

    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。
  • 海妖你好

    海妖你好

    ”奶奶世界上真的有海妖吗“,“那种潜伏在心里。吞噬思想的怪物是存在的.明夕",”你又在骗我,奶奶,他们都说海妖是不存在的,那只是你编的故事”‘’他们是没见过啊,如果海妖真只是一个故事该多好。
  • 青少年国学课

    青少年国学课

    1900年2月10日,梁启超写下了激扬一代中国人的巨作《少年中国说》,“少年强则国强,少年富则国富。”而今天梁启超曾寄望的少年具有的希望、进取、日新、破格、盛气、豪壮、造世界等气质,都在这一代身上依稀看见。可是,代价是他们身上的中国传统日趋稀薄,他们身上的特质与个体不复存在。到哪里才能找回我们丢失的传统?最好的途径和方法就是从老祖宗的国学典籍中寻找我们的根,重拾我们心灵的真善美。