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Linacre, surgeon to King Henry VIII.; divers animals of all kinds;
Egyptian mummies, and similar curiosities; I should be a member of the
College of Physicians, and have the right of using the library, built in
1
652 by the celebrated Hervey, and of studying in the lantern of that
dome, whence you can see the whole of London. I could continue my
observations of solar obfuscation, and prove that a caligenous vapour
arises from the planet. Such was the opinion of John Kepler, who was
born the year before the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, and who was
mathematician to the emperor. The sun is a chimney which sometimes
smokes; so does my stove. My stove is no better than the sun. Yes, I
should have made my fortune; my part would have been a different one--I
should not be the insignificant fellow I am. I should not degrade
science in the highways, for the crowd is not worthy of the doctrine,
the crowd being nothing better than a confused mixture of all sorts of
ages, sexes, humours, and conditions, that wise men of all periods have
not hesitated to despise, and whose extravagance and passion the most
moderate men in their justice detest. Oh, I am weary of existence! After
all, one does not live long! The human life is soon done with. But
no--it is long. At intervals, that we should not become too discouraged,
that we may have the stupidity to consent to bear our being, and not
profit by the magnificent opportunities to hang ourselves which cords
and nails afford, nature puts on an air of taking a little care of
man--not to-night, though. The rogue causes the wheat to spring up,
ripens the grape, gives her song to the nightingale. From time to time a
ray of morning or a glass of gin, and that is what we call happiness! It
is a narrow border of good round a huge winding-sheet of evil. We have a
destiny of which the devil has woven the stuff and God has sewn the hem.
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