第39章让心灵去旅行(15)
Afterseveralparallelsbetweemen,earedtomealtroundlessandchimerical,IrisedtohearohathevaluedtheBlacemorethantheDukeofVenoms。HowtheDukeofVendosmeshouldbeearivalofBlace,I’tdwasmorestartledwhenIheardase,withgreatvehemeiftheEmperermanywasnotgoingoff,heshouldlikehimbetterthahem。Headded,thatthoughtheseasonwassogeable,theDukehwasinbloomiy。Iwaswtomyselffromwheheyhadreceivedthisoddintelligence:especiallywhehemmentionthenamesofseveralenerals,asthePriheKingofSweden,who,theysaid,werebaway。Towhichtheyadded,whatIentirelyagreedwiththemin,thattheofFrancewasveryweak,butthattheMarshalVillarsstillkepthiscolors。Atlast,ohepany,iftheywouldgoalongwithhim,hewouldshowthemaey-saintedladyinthesamebed,ouldverymuchpleasethem。Theshowerwhichhaddriventhemaswellasmyselfintothehouse,wasnowover;andastheywerepassihegardeoletmebeoheirpany。
&lemaoldme,ifIdelightedihile;forthathebelievedheesuchablowoftulipsaswasthewholetry。
Iacceptedtheoffer,aelyfoundthattheyhadbeentalkinginterms,andthatthekiheyhadmentionedwereonlysomanytulips,towhichthegardeners,agtotheirusual,hadgivensuchhightitlesaionsofhonor。
Iwasverymuchpleasedandastohegloriousshowofthesegayvegetables,thataroseiprofusiononallthebanksaboutus。SometimesIsideredeveryleafasaepieceoftissue,inwhichthethreadsandfiberswerewoveodifferentfigurations,whichgaveadifferentgtothelightasitglaheseveralpartsofthesurfaesIsideredthewholebedoftulips,agtothenotiomathematidphilosopherthateverlived,asamultitudeofoptistruments,desigheseparatinglightintoallthosevariouscolorsofwhichitisposed。
Iwasawakehesemyphilosophicalspes,bytheedtolaughatme。Iatallypraisedatulipasoeversaw;uponwhie,itwasaonFool"sthatIpraisedanother,whichitseemswasbutanotherkindofFool"sCoat。
Ihadthesamefatewithtwoorthreemore,forwhiIdesiredtheardemeknoerethefiheflower;forthatIwassounskillfulihatIthoughtthemostbeautifulwerethemostvaluable,andthatthosewhichhadthegayestcolourswerethemostbeautiful。Thegentlemamyignorance。Heseemedaveryplaiman,andapersonofgoodsehisheadbeehatdistemperwhichHippocratescallstheTulippomania;insomuchthathewouldtalkveryrationallyonaheworldbutatulip。
&oldme,thathevaluedthebedofflowerswhichlaybeforeus,andwasyyardsihandtwoih,morethahebesthundredacresoflandinEngland,aitwouldhavebeenworthtwieyitis,ifafoolishaidofhishadnotalmostruinedhimiwinter,bymistakingahandfuloftuliprootsforaheapofonions,and“bythatmeans,”sayshe,“mademeadishofpottagethateabovethousandp。”Hethehethoughtthefiofhistulips,whidreceivedalltheirvaluefromtheirrarity,andoddness,andputmeinmindreatfortunes,whiotalwaysthegreatestbeauties。