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stream I pass ， and watch them as they float gently away。 I forget whether
I told you that Albert is to remain here。 He has received a government
appointment ， with a very good salary； and I understand he is in high
favour at court。 I have met few persons so punctual and methodical in
business。
AUGUST 12。 Certainly Albert is the best fellow in the world。 I had
a strange scene with him yesterday。 I went to take leave of him ； for
I took it into my head to spend a few days in these mountains ， from
where I now write to you。 As I was walking up and down his room ， my
eye fell upon his pistols。 〃Lend me those pistols ，〃 said I， 〃for my
journey。〃 〃By all means ，〃 he replied， 〃if you will take the trouble
to load them； for they only hang there for form。〃 I took down one of
them； and he continued ， 〃Ever since I was near suffering for my extreme
caution ， I will have nothing to do with such things。〃 I was curious
to hear the story。 〃I was staying ，〃 said he ， 〃some three months ago，
at a friend's house in the country。 I had a brace of pistols with me，
unloaded； and I slept without any anxiety。 One rainy afternoon I was
sitting by myself ， doing nothing， when it occurred to me I do not know
how that the house might be attacked， that we might require the pistols，
that we might in short， you know how we go on fancying ， when we have
nothing better to do。 I gave the pistols to the servant ， to clean and
load。 He was playing with the maid， and trying to frighten her ， when
the pistol went off —— God knows how！—— the ramrod was in the barrel
； and it went straight through her right hand， and shattered the thumb。
I had to endure all the lamentation ， and to pay the surgeon's bill；
so， since that time， I have kept all my weapons unloaded。 But ， my
dear friend ， what is the use of prudence？ We can never be on our guard
against all possible dangers。 However ，〃 —— now， you must know I can
tolerate all men till they e to 〃however ；〃 —— for it is self…evident
that every universal rule must have its exceptions。 But he is so exceedingly
accurate， that ， if he only fancies he has said a word too precipitate，
or too general， or only half true， he never ceases to qualify ， to
modify， and extenuate， till at last he appears to have said nothing
at all。 Upon this occasion， Albert was deeply immersed in his subject
： I ceased to listen to him， and became lost in reverie。 With a sudden
motion， I pointed the mouth of the pistol to my forehead ， over the
right eye。 〃What do vou mean？〃 cried Albert， turning back the pistol。
〃It is not loaded ，〃 said I。 〃And even if not，〃 he answered with impatience，
〃what can you mean？ I cannot cornprehend how a man can be so mad as to
shoot himself ， and the bare idea of it shocks me。〃
〃But why should any one ，〃 said I， 〃in speaking of an action， venture
to pronounce it mad or wise ， or good or bad ？ What is the meaning of
all this？ Have you carefully studied the secret motives of our actions？
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 excitemen