The Life of Sir Samuel Romilly Written by Himself with a Selection from His Correspondence, 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 edition. Excerpt: ...toute faculte d'ecrire et de m'occuper. Il fut heureuac disais-je un jour en parlant de Fontenelle. Ce mot, qui devrait retentir avec tant de joie dans les ames honnetes, a peine on ose le prononcer: la haine et l'envie ont toujours reproche son bonheur a Fontenelle.; elles lui ont fait un crime de n'avoir point attire sur lui la persecution des prejuges de son siecle, de n'avoir indique qu'a demi la verite qu'il voyait toute entiere; de ne lui avoir ote les voiles qui lajcachaient que pour lui en donner d'autres qui la derobent; d'avoir montre le Genie tremblant devant les Prejuges qui devaient tremblendevant lui. Quelle passion que l'envie elle poursuit sans relache l'homme de genie, pour lui rendre tous les tourmens qu'elle en recoit. S'il fait entendre des plaintes, elle pretend qu'il s'avilit par la ven this one precarious day by privations of our own choicwby voluntary privations? And what, after all, are those pitiful objects of human invention, for the sake of which this short-lived being, unhappy in himself, unhappy by his fellow-creatures and in the circumstances which surround him, this being, called Man, aggravates his sorrows and lessens his enjoymentsl Indeed, this reflection at times so depresses my spirits, that it deprives me of all power of Writing and of application. "He was happy," said I, one day, in speaking of Fontanelle. These words, which ought to find a joyful echo in every good breast, alas one hardly ventures to utter them. Hatred and envy have ever made Fontanelle happiness a cause of reproach to...