Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-05-14
THE HISTORY OF RASSElAS.
PRINCE OF ABYsslNlA.
CHAPTER MIX.

las. sis the same with the good of all its
parts. If marriage be best for mankind
it must be evidently best for individuals,
or permanent and necessary duty must
be the cause of evil. and some must be
inevitably sacrificed to the convenience
of others. In the estimate which you
have made of the two states, it appears
that the accommodates of a single life
are, in a great measure, necessary and
certain, but those of the cOniugal state
accidental and avoidable.
81 cannot forbear to flatter myself
that prudence and benevolence will make
marriage happy. The general folly of
mankind is the cause of general COM
plant. What can be expected but dis
appointment and repentance from a
choice made in the immaturity of youth,
in the ardor of desire, without judgment,
without foresight, without inquiry after
conformity of opinions, similarity of
manners, recttude of judgment, or
purity of sentiment?
"Such is the common process of mar
riage. a youth or maiden meeting by
chance, or brought together by artitce.
exchange glances, reciprocate civilities,
go home, and dream of one another.
Having little to divert attention. or d-
versify thought, they find themselves
uneasy when they are apart, and there
fore conclude that they shall be happy
together. They marry, and discover
what nothing but voluntary blindness
before had concealed they wear out life
in alterations, and charge nature with
cruelty.
''From those early marriages proceeds
likewise the rivalry of parents and chill
dren: the son is eager to enjoy the
world before the father is willing to for
sake it. and there is hardly room at once
for two generations. The daughter be-
gins to bloom before the mother can be
content to fade. and neither can forbear
to wish for the absence of the other.
''Surely all these evils may be avoided
by that deliberation and delay which
prudence prescribeS to irrevocable choice.
In the variety and iollity of youthful
pleasures life may be well enough sup
ported without the help of partner.
Longer time will increase experience,
and wider views will allow better oppor-
tunities of inquiry and selection; one
advantage. at least, will be certain: the
parents will be visibly older than their
children"
"What reason cannot collect" said
Nekayah, "and what experiment has
not yet taught, can be known only from
the report of others. | have been told
that late marriages are not eminently
happy. This is a question too impor-
tant to be neglected, and | have often
proposed it to those whose accuracy of
remark and cOmprehensiveness of knowl-
edge made their suffrages worthy of re-
gard. They have generally determined
that it is dangerous for a man and
woman to suspend their fate upon each
other, at time when opinions are fixed,
and habits are established; when friend
ships have been contracted on both sides.
when life has been planned into method,
and the mind has long enjoyed the con-
temptation of its own prospects.
sit is scarcely possible that two, trav.
cling through the world, under the con-
duct of chance, should have been both
directed to the same path, and it will not
often happen that either will quit the
track which custom has made pleasing
When the desultory levity of youth has
settled into regularity, it is soon succeed
ed by pride ashamed to yield, or obsti,
macy delighting to contend And even
though mutual esteem produces mutual
desire to please, time itself, as it modifies
unchangeably the external mien, deter
mines likewise the direction of the pas.
sions, and gives an infleXible rigidity tC
the manners. Long customs are not
easily broken: he that attempts to change
the course of his own life very OfteI
labOrs in vain: and how shall we do thai
for others, which we are seldom able tC
do for Ourselves?"
'But surely" interpOsed the prince
''you suppose the chief motive of choice
forgotten or neglected. Whenever
shall seek a wife, it shall be my frs
question, whether she he willing to bt
led by reasOng'
"Thus it is" said Nekayah, "that phil
osophers are deceived. There are 1
thousand familiar disputes which reason
never can decide; questions that elude in
/, vestigation, and make logic ridiculous
cases where something must be done, an,
where little can be said. Consider tn
state of mankind, and inquire how few
can be supposed to act upon any occasions