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Article THE VANITY OF FAME. ← Page 2 of 2
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Vanity Of Fame.
Excellent things ' . answered the Chinese , —but is that all you have to tell me ? No , resumed the European , you next have an account of the celebrated Greeks . Who are these ? -The inhabitants of a province about two hundred times less than China ( said the other ) who have been famous all over the world . ——I never ( replied the Chinese , with a pleasant air ) heard of these people in all my travels , either in IndiaJapanov Great Tartarythrough most of which
, , , countries I have been . Strange ignorance ( cried the virtuoso ) unaccountable barbarity ! 1 suppose then you have never heard of Epaminondas the Theban , nor the port of Piraeum , you cannot tell the names of Achilles ' s Horses , nor how the ass of Silenus was called . You know nothing of Jupiter , nor Diogenes , nor Lais , nor Cybele ,
nor I am afraid ( answered the philosopher ) you are equally unacquainted with our history . I should , 1 fear , surprize you with the ever memorable accident which happened to the celebrated Xiofu Conco-chi Ganku , and that you are intirely uninstructed in the mysteries of the great Fi-si-hihu . But pray let me know what other strange matters are contained in this Universal History ? Upon that ,
my friend descanted learnedly for near a quarter of an hour on the revolutions of the Roman State , but when he came to mention Julius Ca ? sar , the Chinese stopped him , saying , 1 think I have heard of this man , pray was not he a Turk ? How , ( replied his antagonist with some heat ) do not you know at least the difference between Pagans , Christians , and
Mahometans ? Did you never hear of Constantine , and the Popes ? We have some confused account , ( replied the Chinese ) of a person called Mahomet . . . . ¦ Sure ( said the virtuoso ) you must at least know something of Luther , Zuinglius , Oecolampadius , and Bellarmine , —I shall never remember such hard names , said the Asiatic , very gravely : And
with these words he left us to sell a considerable Parcel of Peko Tea , and fine Geogram , with the profit of which he bought several European commodities , and returned tohis country , adoring Tyen * , and imploring the protection of Confucius . This conversation fully convinced me of the vanity of human glory , I could not help thus reflecting with myself . Since the names iter unknown in the
of the great Caesar , and the deified Jup are most ancient , most extensive , most beautiful , most populous , and best governed empire on eaith ; how- ridiculous , is'it for even the princes of our little dynasties to hope for fame I Oye vain preachers of a small parish , ye doctors and heads of universities I ye trifling authors , ye unweariedly stupid commentators , how -well does it become you to boast a lasting reputation !
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Vanity Of Fame.
Excellent things ' . answered the Chinese , —but is that all you have to tell me ? No , resumed the European , you next have an account of the celebrated Greeks . Who are these ? -The inhabitants of a province about two hundred times less than China ( said the other ) who have been famous all over the world . ——I never ( replied the Chinese , with a pleasant air ) heard of these people in all my travels , either in IndiaJapanov Great Tartarythrough most of which
, , , countries I have been . Strange ignorance ( cried the virtuoso ) unaccountable barbarity ! 1 suppose then you have never heard of Epaminondas the Theban , nor the port of Piraeum , you cannot tell the names of Achilles ' s Horses , nor how the ass of Silenus was called . You know nothing of Jupiter , nor Diogenes , nor Lais , nor Cybele ,
nor I am afraid ( answered the philosopher ) you are equally unacquainted with our history . I should , 1 fear , surprize you with the ever memorable accident which happened to the celebrated Xiofu Conco-chi Ganku , and that you are intirely uninstructed in the mysteries of the great Fi-si-hihu . But pray let me know what other strange matters are contained in this Universal History ? Upon that ,
my friend descanted learnedly for near a quarter of an hour on the revolutions of the Roman State , but when he came to mention Julius Ca ? sar , the Chinese stopped him , saying , 1 think I have heard of this man , pray was not he a Turk ? How , ( replied his antagonist with some heat ) do not you know at least the difference between Pagans , Christians , and
Mahometans ? Did you never hear of Constantine , and the Popes ? We have some confused account , ( replied the Chinese ) of a person called Mahomet . . . . ¦ Sure ( said the virtuoso ) you must at least know something of Luther , Zuinglius , Oecolampadius , and Bellarmine , —I shall never remember such hard names , said the Asiatic , very gravely : And
with these words he left us to sell a considerable Parcel of Peko Tea , and fine Geogram , with the profit of which he bought several European commodities , and returned tohis country , adoring Tyen * , and imploring the protection of Confucius . This conversation fully convinced me of the vanity of human glory , I could not help thus reflecting with myself . Since the names iter unknown in the
of the great Caesar , and the deified Jup are most ancient , most extensive , most beautiful , most populous , and best governed empire on eaith ; how- ridiculous , is'it for even the princes of our little dynasties to hope for fame I Oye vain preachers of a small parish , ye doctors and heads of universities I ye trifling authors , ye unweariedly stupid commentators , how -well does it become you to boast a lasting reputation !