少年维特的烦恼-第10章

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Do　you　understand　——　can　you　explain　the　causes　which　occasion　them　，
and　make　them　inevitable？　If　you　can　，　you　will　be　less　hasty　with　your
decision。〃

　　〃But　you　will　allow　，〃　said　Albert　；　〃that　some　actions　are　criminal，
let　them　spring　from　whatever　motives　they　may。〃　I　granted　it　，　and　shrugged
my　shoulders。

　　〃But　still，　my　good　friend　，〃　I　continued　，　〃there　are　some　exceptions
here　too。　Theft　is　a　crime；　but　the　man　who　mits　it　from　extreme　poverty，
with　no　design　but　to　save　his　family　from　perishing，　is　he　an　object
of　pity　，　or　of　punishment　？　Who　shall　throw　the　first　stone　at　a　husband，
who　，　in　the　heat　of　just　resentment　，　sacrifices　his　faithless　wife
and　her　perfidious　seducer？　or　at　the　young　maiden　，　who，　in　her　weak
hour　of　rapture　，　forgets　herself　in　the　impetuous　joys　of　love？　Even
our　laws，　cold　and　cruel　as　they　are　，　relent　in　such　cases　，　and　withhold
their　punishment。〃

　　〃That　is　quite　another　thing，〃　said　Albert　；　〃because　a　man　under
the　influence　of　violent　passion　loses　alI　power　of　reflection，　and　is
regarded　as　intoxicated　or　insane。〃

　　〃Oh　！　you　people　of　sound　understandings　，〃　I　replied　，　smiling，
〃are　ever　ready　to　exclaim　'Extravagance，　and　madness，　and　intoxication！
'　You　moral　men　are　so　calm　and　so　subdued！　You　abhor　the　drunken　man，
and　detest　the　extravagant；　you　pass　by，　like　the　Levite，　and　thank
God　，　like　the　Pharisee，　that　you　are　not　like　one　of　them。　I　have　been
more　than　once　intoxicated，　my　passions　have　always　bordered　on　extravagance
：　I　am　not　ashamed　to　confess　it　；　for　I　have　learned　，　by　my　own　experience，
that　all　extraordinary　men，　who　have　acplished　great　and　astonishing
actions　，　have　ever　been　decried　by　the　world　as　drunken　or　insane。　And
in　private　life　，　too，　is　it　not　intolerable　that　no　one　can　undertake
the　execution　of　a　noble　or　generous　deed　，　without　giving　rise　to　the
exclamation　that　the　doer　is　intoxicated　or　mad　？　Shame　upon　you　，　ye
sages　！〃

　　〃This　is　another　of　your　extravagant　humours，〃　said　Albert　：　〃you
always　exaggerate　a　case，　and　in　this　matter　you　are　undoubtedly　wrong
；　for　we　were　speaking　of　suicide，　which　you　pare　with　great　actions，
when　it　is　impossible　to　regard　it　as　anything　but　a　weakness。　It　is　much
easier　to　die　than　to　bear　a　life　of　misery　with　fortitude。〃

　　I　was　on　the　point　of　breaking　off　the　conversation　，　for　nothing
puts　me　so　pletely　out　of　patience　as　the　utterance　of　a　wretched　monplace
when　I　am　talking　from　my　inmost　heart。　However　，　I　posed　myself，
for　I　had　often　heard　the　same　observation　with　sufficient　vexation　；
and　I　answered　him，　therefore，　with　a　little　warmth　，　〃You　call　this
a　weakness——　beware　of　being　led　astray　by　appearances。　When　a　nation，
which　has　long　groaned　under　the　intolerable　yoke　of　a　tyrant　，　rises
at　last　and　throws　off　its　chains　，　do　you　call　that　weakness？　The　man
who　，　to　rescue　his　house　from　the　flames，　finds　his　physical　strength
redoubled　，　so　that　he　lifts　burdens　with　ease　，　which，　in　the　absence
of　excitement　，　he　could　scarcely　move　；　he　who　，　under　the　rage　of
an　insult　，　attacks　and　puts　to　flight　half　a　score　of　his　enemies　，
are　such　persons　to　be　called　weak？　My　good　friend　，　if　resistance　be
strength，　how　can　the　highest　degree　of　resistance　be　a　weakness　？〃

　　Albert　looked　steadfastly　at　me　，　and　said　，　〃Pray　forgive　me　，
but　I　do　not　see　that　the　examples　you　have　adduced　bear　any　relation
to　the　question。〃　〃Very　likely，〃　I　answered；　〃for　I　have　often　been
told　that　my　style　of　illustration　borders　a　little　on　the　absurd。　But
let　us　see　if　we　cannot　place　the　matter　in　another　point　of　view　，　by
inquiring　what　can　be　a　man's　state　of　mind　who　resolves　to　free　himself
from　the　burden　of　life　，——　a　burden　often　so　pleasant　to　bear　，—
—　for　we　cannot　otherwise　reason　fairly　upon　the　subject。

　　〃Human　nature　，〃　I　continued　，　〃has　its　limits。　It　is　able　to　endure
a　certain　degree　of　joy　，　sorrow　，　and　pain　，　but　bees　annihilated
as　soon　as　this　measure　is　exceeded。　The　question　，　therefore，　is　，
not　whether　a　man　is　strong　or　weak　，　but　whether　he　is　able　to　endure
the　measure　of　his　sufferings。　The　suffering　may　be　moral　or　physical
；　and　in　my　opinion　it　is　just　as　absurd　to　call　a　man　a　coward　who　destroys
himself　，　as　to　call　a　man　a　coward　who　dies　of　a　malignant　fever。〃

　　〃Paradox，　all　paradox！〃　exclaimed　Albert。　〃Not　so　paradoxical　as
you　imagine　，〃　I　replied。　〃You　allow　that　we　designate　a　disease　as　mortal
when　nature　is　so　severely　attacked　，　and　her　strength　so　far　exhausted，
that　she　cannot　possibly　recover　her　former　condition　under　any　change
that　may　take　place。

　　〃Now，　my　good　friend　，　apply　this　to　the　mind　；　observe　a　man　in
his　natural　，　isolated　condition　；　consider　how　ideas　work，　and　how
impressions　fasten　on　him　，　till　at　length　a　violent　passion　seizes　him，
destroying　all　his　powers　of　calm　reflection，　and　utterly　ruining　him。

　　〃It　is　in　vain　that　a　man　of　sound　mind　and　cool　temper　understands
the　condition　of　such　a　wretched　being，　in　vain　he　counsels　him。　He　can
no　more　municate　his　own　wisdom　to　him　than　a　healthy　man　can　instil
his　strength　into　the　invalid　，　by　whose　bedside　he　is　seated。〃

　　Albert　thought　this　too　general。　I　reminded　him　of　a　girl　who　had
drowned　herself　a　short　time　previously　，　and　I　related　her　history。

　　She　was　a　good　creature　，　who　had　grown　up　in　the　narrow　sphere　of
household　industry　and　weekly　appointed　labour；　one　who　knew　no　pleasure
beyond　indulging　in　a　walk　on　Sundays　，　arrayed　in　her　best　attire　，
acpanied　by　her　friends，　or　perhaps　joining　in　the　dance　now　and　then
at　some　festival，　and　chatting　away　her　spare　hours　with　a　neighbour　，
discussing　the　scandal　or　the　quarrels　of　the　village　，　trifles　sufficient
to　occupy　her　heart。　At　length　the　warmth　of　her　nature　is　influenced
by　certain　new　and　unknown　wishes。　Inflamed　by　the　flatteries　of　men，
her　former　pleasures　bee　by　degrees　insipid，　till　at　length　she　meets
with　a　youth　to　whom　she　is　attracted　by　an　indescribable　feeling　；　upon
him　she　now　rests　all　her　hopes　；　she　forgets　the　world　around　her　；
she　sees，　hears，　desires　nothing　but　him，　and　him　only。　He　alone　occupies
all　her　thoughts。　Uncorrupted　by　the　idle　indulgence　of　an　enervating
vanity，　her　affection　moving　steadily　toward　its　object，　she　hopes　to
bee　his，　and　to　realise　，　in　an　everlasting　union　with　him　，　all
that　happiness　which　she　sought　，　all　that　bliss　for　which　she　longed。
His　repeated　promises　confirm　her　hopes　：　embraces　and　endearments　，
which　increase　the　ardour　of　her　desires，　overmaster　her　soul。　She　floats
in　a　dim，　delusive　anticipation　of　her　happiness　；　and　her　feelings
bee　excited　to　their　utmost　tension。　She　stretches　out　her　arms　finally
to　embrace　the　object　of　all　her　wishes　and　her　lover　forsakes　her。　Stunned
and　bewildered，　she　stands　upon　a　precipice。　All　is　darkness　around　her。
No　prospect　，　no　hope，　no　consolation　——　forsaken　by　him　in　whom　her
existence　was　centred　！　She　sees　nothing　of　the　wide　world　before　her，
thinks　nothing　of　the　many　individuals　who　might　supply　the　void　in　her
heart　；　she　feels　herself　deserted　，　forsaken　by　the　world；　and，　blinded
and　impelled　by　the　agony　which　wrings　her　soul　，　she　plunges　into　the
deep，　to　end　her　sufferings　in　the　broad　embrace　of　death。　See　here，
Albert，　the　history　of　thousands　；　and　tell　me，　is　not　this　a　case
of　physical　infirmity　？　Nature　has　no　way　to　escape　from　the　labyrinth
：　her　powers　are　exhausted　：　she　can　contend　no　longer，　and　the　poor
soul　must　die。

　　〃Shame　upon　him　who　can　look　on　calmly，　and　exclaim，　'The　foolish
girl！　she　should　have　waited　；　she　should　have　allowed　time　to　wear
off　the　impression；　her　despair　would　have　been　softened　，　and　she　would
have　found　another　lover　to　fort　her。'　One　might　as　well　say　，　'The
fool，　to　die　of　a　fever！　why　did　he　not　wait　till　his　strength　was　restored，
till　his　blood　became　calm？　all　would　then　have　gone　well，　and　he　would
have　been　alive　now。'〃

　　Albert，　who　could　not　see　the　justice　of　the　parison，　offered
some　further　objections　，　and，　amongst　others　，　urged　that　I　had　taken
the　case　of　a　mere　ignorant　girl。　But　how　any　man　of　sense，　of　more　enlarged
views　and　experience，　could　be　excused　，　he　was　unable　to　prehend。
〃My　friend！〃　I　exclaimed　，　〃man　is　but　man；　and，　whatever　be　the　extent
of　his　reasoning　powers　，　they　are　of　little　avail　when　passion　rages
within，　and　he　feels　himself　confined　by　the　narrow　limits　of　nature。
It　were　better，　then　——　but　we　will　talk　of　this　some　other　time　，
〃　I　said，　and　caught　up　my　hat。　Alas　！　my　heart　was　full；　and　we　parted
without　conviction　on　either　side。　How　rarely　in　this　world　do　men　understand
each　other！

　　AUGUST　15。　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　in　this　world　nothing　is　so
indispensable　as　love。　I　observe　that　Charlotte　could　not　lose　me　without
a　pang，　and　the　very　children　have　but　one　wish；　that　is，　that　I　should
visi