第19部分(第6/7 頁)

ed　upon　my　labour；　the　cessation　of　being　has　never　in　itself　had　power　to　afflict　me。　Pain　I　cannot　well　endure；　and　I　do　indeed　think　with　apprehension　of　being　subjected　to　the　trial　of　long　deathbed　torments。　It　is　a　sorry　thing　that　the　man　who　has　fronted　destiny　with　something　of　manly　calm　throughout　a　life　of　stress　and　of　striving；　may；　when　he　nears　the　end；　be　dishonoured　by　a　weakness　which　is　mere　disease。　But　happily　I　am　not　often　troubled　by　that　dark　anticipation。

I　always　turn　out　of　my　way　to　walk　through　a　country　churchyard；　these　rural　resting…places　are　as　attractive　to　me　as　a　town　cemetery　is　repugnant。　I　read　the　names　upon　the　stones；　and　find　a　deep　solace　in　thinking　that　for　all　these　the　fret　and　the　fear　of　life　are　over。　There　es　to　me　no　touch　of　sadness；　whether　it　be　a　little　child　or　an　aged　man；　I　have　the　same　sense　of　happy　acplishment；　the　end　having　e；　and　with　it　the　eternal　peace；　what　matter　if　it　came　late　or　soon？　There　is　no　such　gratulation　as　Hic　jacet。　There　is　no　such　dignity　as　that　of　death。　In　the　path　trodden　by　the　noblest　of　mankind　these　have　followed；　that　which　of　all　who　live　is　the　utmost　thing　demanded；　these　have　achieved。　I　cannot　sorrow　for　them；　but　the　thought　of　their　vanished　life　moves　me　to　a　brotherly　tenderness。　The　dead；　amid　this　leafy　silence；　seem　to　whisper　encouragement　to　him　whose　fate　yet　lingers：　As　we　are；　so　shalt　thou　be；　and　behold　our　quiet！

XIII

Many　a　time；　when　life　went　hard　with　me；　I　have　betaken　myself　to　the　Stoics；　and　not　all　in　vain。　Marcus　Aurelius　has　often　been　one　of　my　bedside　books；　I　have　read　him　in　the　night　watches；　when　I　could　not　sleep　for　misery；　and　when　assuredly　I　could　have　read　nothing　else。　He　did　not　remove　my　burden；　his　proofs