Memoirs of the Private Life of My Father

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1818 edition. Excerpt: ...The fool enjoys those sweets without being beloved. He is satisfied that he makes the same deep impression upon every woman he sees that he makes upon himself. He fancies himself beloved because he is convinced that he is amiable, and he is convinced that he. is amiable because he is a fool; it is upon this base, one which cannot be shaken, that his happiness is raised. The fool was ever a happy lover, a tranquil husband; and, since nothing goes wrong with him, should his wife happen to amuse herself with any little infidelity, he is too well satisfied with himself ever to suppose that possible, and he is still tranquil, still happy. Even if at the dawn of day he should see a man quit the apartment of his wife, he runs in, hastens to her casket of jewels, looks them over, finds all safe, and laughs and chuckles that the stupid robber had not wit enough to discover them. What a spectacle of happiness this picture, feeble as it is, displays?--Fathers and mothers, can you be insensible to it?--Will you not change your system of education?--'Tis to flatter your own vanity, 'tis to throw a lustre round yourelves, that you wish to see your children shine by their talents and attainments, and that you labour with so much ardour to accomplish it. You prepare the tressels on which you would raise yowselves, and in your impatience to see them great you wish the happiest moments of their lives, those of their childhood, at an end. What a mistake is this!--Because you are only happy yourselves in proportion to the estimation in which you find yourselves held by others, you think you are promoting the happiness of your children in endeavouring to inspire them with the same sentiment, and in assisting them to satisfy it.-- Cruel that you are P might they say...