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Article THE VANITY OF FAME. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Vanity Of Fame.
THE VANITY OF FAME .
[ From the French of M . de VOITAIRE . } TN the year 1723 , at the Hague , I accidentall y fell into the com-¦ ^ pany of a Chinese , who , to a perfect knowledge in trade , joined great learning , and an extensive skill in science , two points , which though they may seem inconsistent to an European taste , are no way incompatible in themselves . If we are in this respect
wrong , we may thank the prevailing sway which money has obtained , and the little regard that merit is ever likel y to find amongst our politer part of the world . This Stranger , who spoke the Dutch tolerably , came into a Bookseller ' s shop , where several men of Letters happened to be . He asked for a book , and was presented with Mr . Bossuet ' s Universal but indifferentl
History , y translated . At so promising a title , the Chinese seem'd quite overjoyed . 1 am too happy ( he cried ) I shall see what notions you have here , of our vast empire , of a nation that has subsisted as such for fifty thousand years , under a continued succession of Princes . I shall learn your sentiments of our religion , our sciences and learned men , and of that pure worship we offer to the supreme Being . With what pleasure shall I read your account of our arts , many of which are older with us than most of your
mo-, narchies in Europe . I doubt your author is but ill informed of the war we had 22 , 552 years ago with the warlike people of Tonquin , and the Japaneze , or of the solemn embassy which the powerful emperor of India sent , to desire laws of us in the year of the world 500 , 000 , 000 , 000 , 79 1 , 2 ^ , 500 , 000- —Alas ( interrupted a Gentleman present ) your nation is not once mentioned in this book , you make too inconsiderable fi
a gure : The principal subject here is the oldest nation in the world , the chosen people of the Jews . _ The Jews ! ( cried the Chinese ) 1 suppose then that this nation at least possesses three parts of the globe . He was answered that indeed they expected it , but at . present their chief men were only the principal brokers in this country . You mistakesurel
, y ( replied the Asiatic ) have these people , ever had a large empire ? I returned that for some ages they had been masters of a small territory ; but that the anti quity of a nation was not to be estimated b y the extent of a country , no more than the merit of a man by his riches But ( continued the stranger ) are there no other people mentioned in this book ?—Yes ( d the virtuosowho stood
, answere , b y me ) you have it in a long account of a country called Egypt , about fourscore leagues in breadth , in which is a lake 150 leagues in compass . — -Hold ! ( interrupted the Chinese smiling ) that is good ! -all the world in this kingdom was learned—said the virtuoso
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Vanity Of Fame.
THE VANITY OF FAME .
[ From the French of M . de VOITAIRE . } TN the year 1723 , at the Hague , I accidentall y fell into the com-¦ ^ pany of a Chinese , who , to a perfect knowledge in trade , joined great learning , and an extensive skill in science , two points , which though they may seem inconsistent to an European taste , are no way incompatible in themselves . If we are in this respect
wrong , we may thank the prevailing sway which money has obtained , and the little regard that merit is ever likel y to find amongst our politer part of the world . This Stranger , who spoke the Dutch tolerably , came into a Bookseller ' s shop , where several men of Letters happened to be . He asked for a book , and was presented with Mr . Bossuet ' s Universal but indifferentl
History , y translated . At so promising a title , the Chinese seem'd quite overjoyed . 1 am too happy ( he cried ) I shall see what notions you have here , of our vast empire , of a nation that has subsisted as such for fifty thousand years , under a continued succession of Princes . I shall learn your sentiments of our religion , our sciences and learned men , and of that pure worship we offer to the supreme Being . With what pleasure shall I read your account of our arts , many of which are older with us than most of your
mo-, narchies in Europe . I doubt your author is but ill informed of the war we had 22 , 552 years ago with the warlike people of Tonquin , and the Japaneze , or of the solemn embassy which the powerful emperor of India sent , to desire laws of us in the year of the world 500 , 000 , 000 , 000 , 79 1 , 2 ^ , 500 , 000- —Alas ( interrupted a Gentleman present ) your nation is not once mentioned in this book , you make too inconsiderable fi
a gure : The principal subject here is the oldest nation in the world , the chosen people of the Jews . _ The Jews ! ( cried the Chinese ) 1 suppose then that this nation at least possesses three parts of the globe . He was answered that indeed they expected it , but at . present their chief men were only the principal brokers in this country . You mistakesurel
, y ( replied the Asiatic ) have these people , ever had a large empire ? I returned that for some ages they had been masters of a small territory ; but that the anti quity of a nation was not to be estimated b y the extent of a country , no more than the merit of a man by his riches But ( continued the stranger ) are there no other people mentioned in this book ?—Yes ( d the virtuosowho stood
, answere , b y me ) you have it in a long account of a country called Egypt , about fourscore leagues in breadth , in which is a lake 150 leagues in compass . — -Hold ! ( interrupted the Chinese smiling ) that is good ! -all the world in this kingdom was learned—said the virtuoso