小说园

第39章 让心灵去旅行15（第1页）

terseveralarallelsbetweengreatmen，whichaearedtomealtogethergroundlessandchimerical，Iwassurrisedtohearonesay，thathevaluedtheBlackPrincemorethantheDukeofVenoms。HowtheDukeofVendosmeshouldbecomearivalofBlackPrince，Icouldn’tconceive;andwasmorestartledwhenIheardasecondaffirm，withgreatvehemence，thatiftheEmerorofGermanywasnotgoingoff，heshouldlikehimbetterthaneitherofthem。Headded，thatthoughtheseasonwassochangeable，theDukeofMarlboroughwasinbloomingbeauty。Iwaswonderingtomyselffromwhencetheyhadreceivedthisoddintelligence:eseciallywhenIheardthemmentionthenamesofseveralothergreatgenerals，asthePrinceofHessandtheKingofSweden，who，theysaid，werebothrunningaway。Towhichtheyadded，whatIentirelyagreedwiththemin，thattheCrownofFrancewasveryweak，butthattheMarshalVillarsstillkethiscolors。Atlast，oneofthemtoldthecomany，iftheywouldgoalongwithhim，hewouldshowthemachimney-sweeerandaaintedladyinthesamebed，whichhewassurewouldverymuchleasethem。Theshowerwhichhaddriventhemaswellasmyselfintothehouse，wasnowover;andastheywereassingbymeintothegarden，Iaskedthemtoletmebeoneoftheircomany。

Thegentlemanofthehousetoldme，ifIdelightedinflowers，itwouldbeworthmywhile;forthathebelievedhecouldshowmesuchablowoftulisaswasnottobematchedinthewholecountry。

Iaccetedtheoffer，andimmediatelyfoundthattheyhadbeentalkingintermsofgardening，andthatthekingsandgeneralstheyhadmentionedwereonlysomanytulis，towhichthegardeners，accordingtotheirusualcustom，hadgivensuchhightitlesandaellationsofhonor。

Iwasverymuchleasedandastonishedatthegloriousshowofthesegayvegetables，thataroseingreatrofusiononallthebanksaboutus。SometimesIconsideredeveryleafasanelaborateieceoftissue，inwhichthethreadsandfiberswerewoventogetherintodifferentconfigurations，whichgaveadifferentcoloringtothelightasitglancedontheseveralartsofthesurface。SometimesIconsideredthewholebedoftulis，accordingtothenotionofthegreatestmathematicianandhilosoherthateverlived，asamultitudeofoticinstruments，designedforthesearatinglightintoallthosevariouscolorsofwhichitiscomosed。

Iwasawakenedoutthesemyhilosohicalseculations，byobservingthecomanyoftenseemedtolaughatme。Iaccidentallyraisedatuliasoneofthefinesteversaw;uonwhichtheytoldme，itwasacommonFool

"sCoat。UonthatIraisedanother，whichitseemswasbutanotherkindofFool

"sCoat。

Ihadthesamefatewithtwoorthreemore，forwhichreasonIdesiredtheownerofthegardentoletmeknowwhichwerethefinestoftheflower;forthatIwassounskillfulintheart，thatIthoughtthemostbeautifulwerethemostvaluable，andthatthosewhichhadthegayestcolourswerethemostbeautiful。Thegentlemansmiledatmyignorance。Heseemedaverylainhonestman，andaersonofgoodsense，hadnothisheadbeentouchedwiththatdistemerwhichHiocratescallstheTuliomania;insomuchthathewouldtalkveryrationallyonanysubjectintheworldbutatuli。

Hetoldme，thathevaluedthebedofflowerswhichlaybeforeus，andwasnotabovetwentyyardsinlengthandtwoinbreadth，morethanhewouldthebesthundredacresoflandinEngland，andadded，thatitwouldhavebeenworthtwicethemoneyitis，ifafoolishcook，maidofhishadnotalmostruinedhiminthelastwinter，bymistakingahandfuloftulirootsforaheaofonions，and“bythatmeans，”sayshe，“mademeadishofottagethatcostmeabovethousandoundssterling。”Hethenshowedmewhathethoughtthefinestofhistulis，whichIfoundreceivedalltheirvaluefromtheirrarity，andoddness，andutmeinmindofourgreatfortunes，whicharenotalwaysthegreatestbeauties。