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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
visit them again to…morrow。 I went this afternoon to tune Charlotte's
piano。 But I could not do it， for the little ones insisted on my telling
them a story； and Charlotte herself urged me to satisfy them。 I waited
upon them at tea， and they are now as fully contented with me as with
Charlotte ； and I told them my very best tale of the princess who was
waited upon by dwarfs。 I improve myself by this exercise， and am quite
surprised at the impression my stories create。 If I sometimes invent an
incident which I forget upon the next narration ， they remind one directly
that the story was different before ； so that I now endeavour to relate
with exactness the same anecdote in the same monotonous tone， which never
changes。 I find by this ， how much an author injures his works by altering
them， even though they be improved in a poetical point of view。 The first
impression is readily received。 We are so constituted that we believe
the most incredible things； and， once they are engraved upon the memory，
woe to him who would endeavour to efface them。
AUGUST 18。 Must it ever be thus ，—— that the source of our happiness
must also be the fountain of our misery ？ The full and ardent sentiment
which animated my heart with the love of nature ， overwhelming me with
a torrent of delight， and which brought all paradise before me ， has
now bee an insupportable torment ， a demon which perpetually pursues
and harasses me。 When in bygone days I gazed from these rocks upon yonder
mountains across the river， and upon the green ， flowery valley before
me， and saw alI nature budding and bursting around ； the hills clothed
from foot to peak with tall ， thick forest trees ； the valleys in all
their varied windings ， shaded with the loveliest woods； and the soft
river gliding along amongst the lisping reeds ， mirroring the beautiful
clouds which the soft evening breeze wafted across the sky，—— when
I heard the groves about me melodious with the music of birds ， and saw
the million swarms of insects dancing in the last golden beams of the
sun ， whose setting rays awoke the humming beetles from their grassy
beds， whilst the subdued tumult around directed my attention to the ground，
and I there observed the arid rock pelled to yield nutriment to the
dry moss， whilst the heath flourished upon the barren sands below me ，
all this displayed to me the inner warmth which animates all nature ，
and filled and glowed within my heart。 I felt myself exalted by this overflowing
fulness to the perception of the Godhead， and the glorious forms of an
infinite universe became visible to my soul ！ Stupendous mountains enpassed
me， abysses yawned at my feet， and cataracts fell headlong down before
me； impetuous rivers rolled through the plain， and rocks and mountains
resounded from afar。 In the depths of the earth I saw innumerable powers
in motion ， and multiplying to infinity； whilst upon its surface， and
beneath the heavens ， there teemed ten thousand varieties of living creatures。
Everything around is alive with an infinite number of forms ； while mankind
fly for security to their petty houses， from the shelter of which they
rule in their imaginations over the wide…extended universe。 Poor fool ！
in whose petty estimation all things are little。 From the inaccessible
mountains ， across the desert which no mortal foot has trod， far as
the confines of the unknown ocean ， breathes the spirit of the eternal
Creator ； and every atom to which he has given existence finds favour
in his sight。 Ah， how often at that time has the flight of a bird， soaring
above my head ， inspired me with the desire of being transported to the
shores of the immeasurable waters ， there to quaff the pleasures of life
from the foaming goblet of the Infinite ， and to partake ， if but for
a moment even ， with the confined powers of my soul， the beatitude of
that Creator who acplishes all things in himself ， and through himself！
My dear friend， the bare recollection of those hours still consoles
me。 Even this effort to recall those ineffable sensations ， and give
them utterance， exalts my soul above itself， and makes me doubly feel
the intensity of my present anguish。
It is as if a curtain had been drawn from before my eyes， and， instead
of prospects of eternal life， the abyss of an ever open grave yawned
before me。 Can we say of anything that it exists when all passes away ，
when time ， with the speed of a storm， carries all things onward，—
— and our transitory existence ， hurried along by the torrent ， is
either swallowed up by the waves or dashed against the rocks？ There is
not a moment but preys upon you ，—— and upon all around you， not a
moment in which you do not yourself bee a destroyer。 The most innocent
walk deprives of life thousands of poor insects ： one step destroys the
fabric of the industrious ant ， and converts a little world into chaos。
No： it is not the great and rare calamities of the world ， the floods
which sweep away whole villages ， the earthquakes which swallow up our
towns ， that affect me。 My heart is wasted by the thought of that destructive
power which lies concealed in every part of universal nature。 Nature has
formed nothing that does not consume itself ， and every object near it
： so that， surrounded by earth and air， and all the active powers，
I wander on my way with aching heart； and the universe is to me a fearful
monster ， for ever devouring its own offspring。
AUGUST 21。 In vain do I stretch out my arms toward her when I awaken
in the morning from my weary slumbers。 In vain do I seek for her at night
in my bed ， when some innocent dream has happily deceived me ， and placed
her near me in the fields ， when I have seized her hand and covered it
with countless kisses。 And when I feel for her in the half confusion of
sleep ， with the ha