Chapter 124 Letter III to Madame de Olbe

My little cousin, my benefactor, my best friend, I came back from the ends of the earth, and brought back a heart that misses you very much.I have crossed the equator four times; I have run across the two hemispheres; I have seen the four parts of the world; The figure lingers in my mind all the time.I can't avoid my dearest person, her voice and smile are faster than the current of the sea, faster than the speed of the wind, and she follows me everywhere; wherever I go, the precious thing that keeps me alive follows me to where.I have suffered a lot; I have seen others suffer more.How many wretched souls have I seen die!well!What a price they paid for living!And I survived! . . . In fact, I may not be considered poor, my companions suffer far more than I; I have seen them suffer terribly, and should suffer more than I.I thought to myself: "I am suffering here, but after all, I have a place in this world where I am happy and peaceful." My days on the shores of Lake Geneva compensated for my suffering on the ocean .On my arrival I was happy to see my hopes fulfilled; and gentleman Edward told me that you and Julie were safe and sound, and that though you had lost your husband you still had your lady friend and your Daughter, that should be enough to make you happy.

I am very anxious to send this letter to you, so I will not tell you the details of my sea voyage.I ventured to hope that a more suitable opportunity would presently present itself.Now, I only want to give you an overview, not to whet your appetite, but to satisfy your curiosity first.The voyage I mentioned to you just now took almost four years. When I returned, I was in the same ship that I set out on. The first thing I saw was South America, a vast continent conquered by Europeans for lack of iron, and who, in order to rule it, had turned it into a wasteland.I saw the coast of Brazil, where Lisbon and London had plundered all the treasures, and the local people were poor, and there were gold and diamonds everywhere, but no one dared to take them.I have passed through rough seas in the Antarctic Circle without incident; I have encountered the most terrible storms in the Pacific Ocean.

On the treacherous sea and the strange polar region, I was attacked by rough waves and strong winds. I overlooked the haunts of the so-called giants.They are called giants because of their bravery and tenacity.They maintained their independence by austerity of life and simple diet, not by their large stature.I spent three months on a wild but interesting island, where nature still retains its pristine beauty, as if it were a sanctuary for persecuted pure lovers Place.But the greedy Europeans, according to their rough temper, will not allow the meek and peaceful Indians to live on this isolated island, and swear that they will not live on it themselves.

I have seen on the coasts of Mexico and Peru the same scene as I have seen in Brazil: I have seen its inhabitants few and miserable, the poor remnants of two mighty tribes, ravaged though rich in gold and silver , disgrace and poverty, they are resenting the sky, why they are given so much wealth but let them suffer.I have seen an entire city, consumed by relentless fire, with no one to help, no one to help.Such is the result of the incessant wars of the educated, humane, and polite peoples of Europe, who will do anything to defeat their enemies, even if they do not do it themselves. If they don't get any benefits from it, they will still do it. According to their thinking, as long as they hurt the enemy, it is equivalent to benefiting themselves.I've traveled almost all over the west coast of America.I was amazed to see fifteen hundred leagues of coast and the greatest ocean in the world in the hands of a Power who held in his hand the keys to half the globe.

After crossing the ocean, I saw a new sight on that other continent.I found that the most numerous and glorious nation in the world was ruled by a handful of brigands; and, having observed this well-known nation carefully, I was not a little astonished that it should be composed of slaves.Raided and conquered, they have always been the prey of those who came first, and will continue to do so for hundreds of years.I think they deserve it, because they don't even have the courage to groan.They are educated but lazy, hypocritical and deceitful, boastful and full of empty words, quick-witted but not very talented, rich in appearance but ineffective, polite, smiling but cunning and treacherous. ; They are full of benevolence and morality, but they are actually good at polite greetings.My tracks have trod upon a second deserted island, less known than the first, but more beautiful and lovely.On this island, a serious accident happened, which almost trapped us forever.I am perhaps the only one who is not at all afraid of this sweet exile.From now on, am I not exiled everywhere?I found in this memorable and frightening place what inspired human wisdom, which lifted civilized man from the loneliness of having nothing, but finally pushed civilized man into the abyss of insatiable desire. middle.

On the wide ocean, which should be the most suitable for people to communicate with each other, I saw two large ships chasing each other and attacking each other with extreme violence, as if the huge ocean could not hold them.I saw them shooting at each other, and there was a lot of cannon fire.In one short battle, I saw the spectacle of hell; I heard the cheers of the victors drown out the groans of the wounded and the cries of the dying.I am ashamed to have my share of the great spoil; I take it, but only deposit it; and if it is taken from some unfortunate, it shall be returned to them in the future.

I found that a greedy, patient and hard-working people, through long and persistent efforts, finally overcome the difficulties that other heroic peoples have never overcome, and moved the European way to far away Africa.I found that these vast and impoverished areas seemed to have been used exclusively for the settlement of bands of slaves.As soon as I saw their humble and wretched appearance, I turned my contempt, fear and pity eyes away; seeing a quarter of my own kind turned into livestock for others, I felt sad for being human in vain . At last I found among my traveling companions a group of strong and proud men whose manners and liberty made me feel that they were recovering the honor of being human, for which pain and death were nothing, and who in this All there is to fear in the world is hunger and boredom.I have seen their chiefs as generals, soldiers, navigators, wise men, great men, and perhaps even friends worthy of a gentleman like Edward Pompston; Claire de Albe's, like Julie de Etanche's, can sacrifice itself like you to comfort the hearts of those who love you.

How can I tell you about my healing?I'm depending on you to figure this out.Have I become freer and wiser than before I left?I think so, but can't be sure.The same image still haunts me; you know well if it will be erased from my mind; its effect on me shows that she is admirable, it is not an illusion, it haunts you like The same will remain forever in the heart of me, the unfortunate.Yes, little cousin, I think I am overwhelmed by her virtues, and to her I am only the tenderest and best friend she has ever had, and I will love her as you love her.Or rather, my affection for her was not diminished, but revised; however carefully I reflected, I felt that my affection was as pure as that of the one from whom it had been inspired.What can I say to you except that I am willing to undergo the test that will teach me how to judge myself?I am a sincere and open person; I want to be what I should be, but there are so many reasons why I can't trust my heart, how can I guarantee that my heart will not change?Is the past out of my control?Can I stop the burning flames of love from the past from consuming me?How can I distinguish today's events from yesterday's events by mere imagination?How can I treat the woman who used to be my lover as my friend today?Whatever you may think of the secret motive of my eagerness, it is sincere and reasonable; it deserves your approval.I can assure you in advance that I at least wish well.Allow me to see you, to examine me for yourself, or allow me to see Julie, so that I can see what I am.

I have to accompany Gentleman Edward to Italy.I will pass by you!Why don't you let me see you?Think about it, how is this possible?well!If you really don't want me to see you, then don't be offended if I don't listen to you.But why do you have to do this?You're not the same Claire anymore?You were a kind and compassionate, virtuous and intelligent woman. You have loved me since I was young, and you should love me even more today, because I owe everything to you today. ! No, no, dear friend, you would not reject me so cruelly, nor would you treat me so cruelly.Don't push me into the abyss of pain.Once again, once again in my lifetime, I present my heart before you.I want to see you, you will agree.I want to see her, and she will agree.You both know very well that I have a lot of respect for her.Think about it, if I felt unworthy to appear in front of her, would I still ask to see her?She has long bemoaned the results of her splendor, alas!Let her see the fruits of her virtue!

Postscript: Mr. Edward has to stay here for a while due to business delays.If I can go to see you, why can't I go first and get to you sooner?