The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
_Heart._ Oh, my friend! this is no moment to upbraid my foibles. I am
rent into fragments by the force of my grief! If you have any balm, pour
it into my wounds; if none, do not harrow them by new torments. Spare me
in this awful moment! At any other, I will attend with patience to your
admonitions.
_Head._ On the contrary, I never found that the moment of triumph, with
you, was the moment of attention to my admonitions. While suffering under
your follies, you may perhaps be made sensible of them, but the paroxysm
over, you fancy it can never return. Harsh, therefore, as the medicine may
be, it is my office to administer it. You will be pleased to remember,
that when our friend Trumbull used to be telling us of the merits and
talents of these good people, I never ceased whispering to you that we
had no occasion for new acquaintances; that the greater their merits and
talents, the more dangerous their friendship to our tranquillity, because
the regret at parting would be greater.
_Heart._ Accordingly, Sir, this acquaintance was not the consequence of
my doings. It was one of your projects, which threw us in the way of it.
It was you, remember, and not I, who desired the meeting at Legrand and
Motinos. I never trouble myself with domes nor arches. The Halle aux bleds
might have rotted down, before I should have gone to see it. But you,
forsooth, who are eternally getting us to sleep with your diagrams and
crotchets, must go and examine this wonderful piece of architecture; and
when you had seen it, oh! it was the most superb thing on earth! What you
had seen there was worth all you had yet seen in Paris! I thought so too.
But I meant it of the lady and gentleman to whom we had been presented;
and not of a parcel of sticks and chips put together in pens. You, then,
Sir, and not I, have been the cause of the present distress.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account