from this world to the next- 第18部分

sickness　or　infirmity　but　that　which　old　age　necessarily　induced；

I　at　last；　without　the　least　pain；　went　out　like　the　snuff　of　a

candle。



〃Minos；　having　heard　my　history；　bid　me　compute；　if　I　could；　how

many　lies　I　had　told　in　my　life。　　As　we　are　here；　by　a　certain

fated　necessity；　obliged　to　confine　ourselves　to　truth；　I

answered；　I　believed　about　50；000；000。　　He　then　replied；　with　a

frown；　'Can　such　a　wretch　conceive　any　hopes　of　entering

Elysium？'　　I　immediately　turned　about；　and；　upon　the　whole；　was

rejoiced　at　his　not　calling　me　back。〃





CHAPTER　XX



Julian　performs　the　part　of　a　statesman。



〃It　was　now　my　fortune　to　be　born　of　a　German　princess；　but　a

man…midwife；　pulling　my　head　off　in　delivering　my　mother；　put　a

speedy　end　to　my　princely　life。



〃Spirits　who　end　their　lives　before　they　are　at　the　age　of　five

years　are　immediately　ordered　into　other　bodies；　and　it　was　now

my　fortune　to　perform　several　infancies　before　I　could　again

entitle　myself　to　an　examination　of　Minos。



〃At　length　I　was　destined　once　more　to　play　a　considerable　part

on　the　stage。　　I　was　born　in　England；　in　the　reign　of　Ethelred

II。　　My　father's　name　was　Ulnoth：　　he　was　earl　or　thane　of

Sussex。　　I　was　afterwards　known　by　the　name　of　earl　Goodwin；　and

began　to　make　a　considerable　figure　in　the　world　in　the　time　of

Harold　Harefoot；　whom　I　procured　to　be　made　king　of　Wessex；　or

the　West　Saxons；　in　prejudice　of　Hardicanute；　whose　mother　Emma

endeavored　afterwards　to　set　another　of　her　sons　on　the　throne；

but　I　circumvented　her；　and；　communicating　her　design　to　the

king；　at　the　same　time　acquainted　him　with　a　project　which　I　had

formed　for　the　murder　of　these　two　young　princes。　　Emma　had　sent

for　these　her　sons　from　Normandy；　with　the　king's　leave；　whom　she

had　deceived　by　her　religious　behavior；　and　pretended　neglect　of

all　worldly　affairs；　but　I　prevailed　with　Harold　to　invite　these

princes　to　his　court；　and　put　them　to　death。　　The　prudent　mother

sent　only　Alfred；　retaining　Edward　to　herself；　as　she　suspected

my　ill　designs；　and　thought　I　should　not　venture　to　execute　them

on　one　of　her　sons；　while　she　secured　the　other；　but　she　was

deceived；　for　I　had　no　sooner　Alfred　in　my　possession　than　I

caused　him　to　be　conducted　to　Ely；　where　I　ordered　his　eyes　to　be

put　out；　and　afterwards　to　be　confined　in　a　monastery。



〃This　was　one　of　those　cruel　expedients　which　great　men　satisfy

themselves　well　in　executing；　by　concluding　them　to　be　necessary

to　the　service　of　their　prince；　who　is　the　support　of　their

ambition。　　



〃Edward；　the　other　son　of　Emma；　escaped　again　to　Normandy；

whence；　after　the　death　of　Harold　and　Hardicanute；　he　made　no

scruple　of　applying　to　my　protection　and　favor；　though　he　had

before　prosecuted　me　with　all　the　vengeance　he　was　able；　for

the　murder　of　his　brother；　but　in　all　great　affairs　private

relation　must　yield　to　public　interest。　　Having　therefore

concluded　very　advantageous　terms　for　myself　with　him；　I　made　no

scruple　of　patronizing　his　cause；　and　soon　placed　him　on　the

throne。　　Nor　did　I　conceive　the　least　apprehension　from　his

resentment；　as　I　knew　my　power　was　too　great　for　him　to

encounter。　　



〃Among　other　stipulated　conditions；　one　was　to　marry　my　daughter

Editha。　　This　Edward　consented　to　with　great　reluctance；　and　I

had　afterwards　no　reason　to　be　pleased　with　it；　for　it　raised

her；　who　had　been　my　favorite　child；　to　such　an　opinion　of

greatness；　that；　instead　of　paying　me　the　usual　respect；　she

frequently　threw　in　my　teeth　（as　often　at　least　as　I　gave　her　any

admonition）；　that　she　was　now　a　queen；　and　that　the　character　and

title　of　father　merged　in　that　of　subject。　　This　behavior；

however；　did　not　cure　me　of　my　affection　towards　her；　nor　lessen

the　uneasiness　which　I　afterwards　bore　on　Edward's　dismissing　her

from　his　bed。



〃One　thing　which　principally　induced　me　to　labor　the　promotion　of

Edward　was　the　simplicity　or　weakness　of　that　prince；　under　whom

I　promised　myself　absolute　dominion　under　another　name。　　Nor　did

this　opinion　deceive　me；　for；　during　his　whole　reign；　my

administration　was　in　the　highest　degree　despotic：　　I　had

everything　of　royalty　but　the　outward　ensigns；　no　man　ever

applying　for　a　place；　or　any　kind　of　preferment；　but　to　me　only。　

A　circumstance　which；　as　it　greatly　enriched　my　coffers；　so　it　no

less　pampered　my　ambition；　and　satisfied　my　vanity　with　a

numerous　attendance；　and　I　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　those　who

only　bowed　to　the　king　prostrating　themselves　before　me。



〃Edward　the　Confessor；　or　St。　Edward；　as　some　have　called　him；

in　derision　I　suppose；　being　a　very　silly　fellow；　had　all　the

faults　incident；　and　almost　inseparable；　to　fools。　　He　married　my

daughter　Editha　from　his　fear　of　disobliging　me；　and　afterwards；

out　of　hatred　to　me；　refused　even　to　consummate　his　marriage；

though　she　was　one　of　the　most　beautiful　women　of　her　age。　　He

was　likewise　guilty　of　the　basest　ingratitude　to　his　mother　（a

vice　to　which　fools　are　chiefly；　if　not　only；　liable）；　and；　in

return　for　her　endeavors　to　procure　him　a　throne　in　his　youth；

confined　her　in　a　loathsome　prison　in　her　old　age。　　This；　it　is

true；　he　did　by　my　advice；　but　as　to　her　walking　over　nine

plowshares　red…hot；　and　giving　nine　manors；　when　she　had　not　one

in　her　possession；　there　is　not　a　syllable　of　veracity　in　it。



〃The　first　great　perplexity　I　fell　into　was　on　the　account　of　my

son　Swane；　who　had　deflowered　the　abbess　of　Leon；　since　called

Leominster；　in　Herefordshire。　　After　this　fact　he　retired　into

Denmark；　whence　he　sent　to　me　to　obtain　his　pardon。　　The　king　at

first　refused　it；　being　moved　thereto；　as　I　afterwards　found；　by

some　churchmen；　particularly　by　one　of　his　chaplains；　whom　I　had

prevented　from　obtaining　a　bishopric。　　Upon　this　my　son　Swane

invaded　the　coasts　with　several　ships；　and　committed　many

outrageous　cruelties；　which；　indeed；　did　his　business；　as　they

served　me　to　apply　to　the　fear　of　this　king；　which　I　had　long

since　discovered　to　be　his　predominant　passion。　　And；　at　last；　he

who　had　refused　pardon　to　his　first　offense　submitted　to　give　it

him　after　he　had　committed　many　other　more　monstrous　crimes；　by

which　his　pardon　lost　all　grace　to　the　offended；　and　received

double　censure　from　all　others。



〃The　king　was　greatly　inclined　to　the　Normans；　had　created　a

Norman　archbishop　of　Canterbury；　and　had　heaped　extraordinary

favors　on　him。　　I　had　no　other　objection　to　this　man　than　that　he

rose　without　my　assistance；　a　cause　of　dislike　which；　in　the

reign　of　great　and　powerful　favorites；　hath　often　proved　fatal　to

the　persons　who　have　given　it；　as　the　persons　thus　raised　inspire

us　constantly　with　jealousies　and　apprehensions。　　For　when　we

promote　any　one　ourselves；　we　take　effectual　care　to　preserve

such　an　ascendant　over　him；　that　we　can　at　any　time　reduce　him　to

his　former　degree；　should　he　dare　to　act　in　opposition　to　our

wills；　for　which　reason　we　never　suffer　any　to　come　near　the

prince　but　such　as　we　are　assured　it　is　impossible　should　be

capable　of　engaging　or　improving　his　affection；　no　prime

minister；　as　I　apprehend；　esteeming　himself　to　be　safe　while　any

other　shares　the　ear　of　his　prince；　of　whom　we　are　as　jealous　as

the　fondest　husband　can　be　of　his　wife。　　Whoever；　therefore；　can

approach　him　by　any　other　channel　than　that　of　ourselves；　is；　in

our　opinion；　a　declared　enemy；　and　one　whom　the　first　principles

of　policy　oblige　us　to　demolish　with　the　utmost　expedition。　　For

the　affection　of　kings　is　as　precarious　as　that　of　women；　and　the

only　way　to　secure　either　to　ourselves　is　to　keep　all　others　from

them。



〃But　the　archbishop　did　not　let　matters　rest　on　suspicion。　　He

soon　gave　open　proofs　of　his　interest　with　the　Confessor　in

procuring　an　office　of　some　importance　for　one　Rollo；　a　Roman　of

mean　extraction　and　very　despicable　parts。　　When　I　represented　to

the　king　the　indecency　of　conferring　such　an　honor　on　such　a

fellow；　he　answered　me　that　he　was　the　archbishop's　relation。　

'Then；　sir；'　replied　I；　'he　is　related　to　your　enemy。'　　Nothing

more　passed　at　that　time；　but　I　soon　perceived；　by　the

archbishop's　behavior；　that　the　king　had　acquainted　him　with　our

private　discourse；　a　sufficient　assurance　of　his　confidence　in

him　and　neglect　of　me。



〃The　favor　of　princes；　when　once　lost；　is　recoverable　only　by　the

gaining　a　situation　which　may　make　you　terrible　to　them。　　As　I

had　no　doubt　of　having　lost　all　credit　with　this　king；　which

indeed　had　been　originally　founded　and　constantly　supported　by

his　fear；　so　I　took　the　method　of　terror　to　regain　it。



〃The　earl　of　Boulogne　coming　over　to　visit　the　king　gave　me　an

opportunity　of　breaking　out　into　open　opposition；　for；　as　the

earl　was　on　his　return　to　France；　one　of　his　servants；　who　was

sent　before　to　procure　lodgings　at　Dover；　and　insisted　on　having

them　in　the　house　of　a　private　man　in　spite　of　the　owner's　teeth；

was；　in　a　fray　which　ensued；　killed　on　the　spot；　and　the　earl

himself；　arriving　there　soon　after；　very　narrowly　escaped　with

his　life。　　The　earl；　enraged　at　this　affront；　returned　to　the

king　at　Gloucester　with　loud　complaints　and　demands　of

satisfaction。　　Edward　consented　to　his　demands；　and　ordered　me　to

chastise　the　rioters；　who　were　under　my　government　as　earl　of

Kent：　　but；　instead　of　obeying　these　orders；　I　answered；　with

some　warmth；　that　the　English　were　not　used　to　punish　people

unheard；　nor　ought　their　rights　and　privileges　to　be　violated；

that　the　accused　should　be　first　summonedif　guilty；　should　make

satisfaction　both　with　body　and　estate；　but；　if　innocent；　should

be　discharged。　　Adding；　with　great　ferocity；　that　as　earl　of　Kent

it　was　my　duty　to　protect　those　under　my　government　against　the

insults　of　foreigners。



〃This　accident　was　extremely　lucky；　as　it　gave　my　quarrel　with

the　king　a　popular　color；　and　so　ingratiated　me　with　the