Book contents
- Frontmatter
- CONTENTS
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Select Bibliography
- Note on the Text
- VOL I Adelaide and Theodore, or Letters on Education
- LETTER I From the Baron d’ Almane to the Viscount de Limours.
- LETTER II Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER III The Countess d’ Ostalis, to the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER IV Viscountess de Limours, to the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER V Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER VI Viscountess de Limours to the Baroness
- LETTER VII The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER VIII Answer from the Viscountess
- LETTER IX Answer from the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER X Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XI Answer from the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER XII The Baroness to the Countess d’ Ostalis
- LETTER XIII Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XIV The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER XV The same to the same
- LETTER XVI Baron d’ Almane to the Viscount de Limours
- LETTER XVII Viscount to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XVIII Answer from the Baron d’ Almane, to the Viscount de Limours
- LETTER XIX From the same to the same
- LETTER XX From the Baron d’ Almane to the Viscount de Limours
- LETTER XXI From the Baroness d’ Almane, to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER XXII The Baroness d’ Almane, to the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER XXIII Answer from the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER XXIV From the Count de Roseville, Brother to the Viscountess de Limours, to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XXV The Viscountess to the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER XXVI Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXVII Answer from the Viscountess Limours
- LETTER XXVIII From the Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXIX From the same to the same
- LETTER XXX Answer from the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER XXXI Answer from the Baroness
- LETTER XXXII From the Viscountess, in Answer
- LETTER XXXIII From the Chevalier d’ Herbain, to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XXXIV Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXXV From the same to the same
- LETTER XXXVI The Count de Roseville to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XXXVII The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXXVIII Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XXXIX Answer from the Baroness
- LETTER XL The same to the same
- LETTER XLI Same to the same
- LETTER XLII Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XLIII Madame d’ Ostalis to the Baroness
- LETTER XLIV Answer from the Baroness to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER XLV The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER XLVI From the same to the same
- LETTER XLVII Count de Roseville to the Baron
- LETTER XLVIII Baron to the Viscount
- LETTER XLIX Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER L Madame d’ Ostalis to the Baroness
- LETTER LI From the Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER LII Answer from the Barones
- LETTER LIII From the same to the same
- LETTER LIV The Count de Roseville to the Baron
- LETTER LV Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER LVI The Baroness to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER LVII The Baroness to Madame de Valmont
- LETTER LVIII The Baroness to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER LIX Madame de Valcy to Madame de Germeuil
- LETTER LX The Baroness to Madame de Valmont
- LETTER LXI The Baroness to Madame d' Ostalis
- LETTER LXII Madame de Valcy to Mons. de Creny
- LETTER LXIII Madame d' Almane, to Madame de Valmont
- VOL II Adelaide and Theodore, or Letters on Education
- VOL III ADELAIDE AND THEODORE
- Course of Reading pursued by Adelaide, from the Age of six Years, to Twenty-two
- Index
- Endnotes
LETTER XVIII - Answer from the Baron d’ Almane, to the Viscount de Limours
from VOL I - Adelaide and Theodore, or Letters on Education
- Frontmatter
- CONTENTS
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Select Bibliography
- Note on the Text
- VOL I Adelaide and Theodore, or Letters on Education
- LETTER I From the Baron d’ Almane to the Viscount de Limours.
- LETTER II Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER III The Countess d’ Ostalis, to the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER IV Viscountess de Limours, to the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER V Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER VI Viscountess de Limours to the Baroness
- LETTER VII The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER VIII Answer from the Viscountess
- LETTER IX Answer from the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER X Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XI Answer from the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER XII The Baroness to the Countess d’ Ostalis
- LETTER XIII Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XIV The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER XV The same to the same
- LETTER XVI Baron d’ Almane to the Viscount de Limours
- LETTER XVII Viscount to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XVIII Answer from the Baron d’ Almane, to the Viscount de Limours
- LETTER XIX From the same to the same
- LETTER XX From the Baron d’ Almane to the Viscount de Limours
- LETTER XXI From the Baroness d’ Almane, to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER XXII The Baroness d’ Almane, to the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER XXIII Answer from the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER XXIV From the Count de Roseville, Brother to the Viscountess de Limours, to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XXV The Viscountess to the Baroness d’ Almane
- LETTER XXVI Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXVII Answer from the Viscountess Limours
- LETTER XXVIII From the Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXIX From the same to the same
- LETTER XXX Answer from the Viscountess de Limours
- LETTER XXXI Answer from the Baroness
- LETTER XXXII From the Viscountess, in Answer
- LETTER XXXIII From the Chevalier d’ Herbain, to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XXXIV Baroness d’ Almane to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXXV From the same to the same
- LETTER XXXVI The Count de Roseville to the Baron d’ Almane
- LETTER XXXVII The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER XXXVIII Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XXXIX Answer from the Baroness
- LETTER XL The same to the same
- LETTER XLI Same to the same
- LETTER XLII Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER XLIII Madame d’ Ostalis to the Baroness
- LETTER XLIV Answer from the Baroness to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER XLV The Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER XLVI From the same to the same
- LETTER XLVII Count de Roseville to the Baron
- LETTER XLVIII Baron to the Viscount
- LETTER XLIX Baroness to the Viscountess
- LETTER L Madame d’ Ostalis to the Baroness
- LETTER LI From the Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER LII Answer from the Barones
- LETTER LIII From the same to the same
- LETTER LIV The Count de Roseville to the Baron
- LETTER LV Viscountess to the Baroness
- LETTER LVI The Baroness to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER LVII The Baroness to Madame de Valmont
- LETTER LVIII The Baroness to Madame d’ Ostalis
- LETTER LIX Madame de Valcy to Madame de Germeuil
- LETTER LX The Baroness to Madame de Valmont
- LETTER LXI The Baroness to Madame d' Ostalis
- LETTER LXII Madame de Valcy to Mons. de Creny
- LETTER LXIII Madame d' Almane, to Madame de Valmont
- VOL II Adelaide and Theodore, or Letters on Education
- VOL III ADELAIDE AND THEODORE
- Course of Reading pursued by Adelaide, from the Age of six Years, to Twenty-two
- Index
- Endnotes
Summary
Yes, my dear friend, my son's happiness is the chief duty, and sole end of my life; this dear, and sacred interest, is the only one which animates me. I am going to satisfy your friendship, and I hope clear up your doubts. I am persuaded that a reserved man, who is confined in his ideas, can never be perfectly happy. He is not to be pitied, because he has no idea of a greater degree of happiness. But it is not less true, that the situation is like that of a mere vegetable, uniform and tiresome: he is deprived of those lively and numerous pleasures, which are reserved for men of superior talents. It is much less owing to our senses that we are happy, than to our ideas and reflections. During our sleep, dreams have a natural power over our minds to affect us as much, or more, than even reality can do. But observe, it is terror in particular which makes the strongest impressions, because the stupification we are under makes us still more susceptible; and pleasing dreams make only a trifling impression on our minds. Your dreams have a thousand times represented to you enchanted palaces, and hidden treasures, &c. &c. Did those things overjoy you, or did they ever give you the pleasure you feel at the first scene of an opera? No, surely; and why? Because your imagination is without activity, and you have neither understanding, nor the power of reflection. We say every day, ‘Happiness is mere matter of opinion, and he who thinks himself happy, in really so.’ The Savage, reduced to live in a desart without society, pleasures, or ideas, is then as happy as the enlightened Sage; whose life is made pleasing to him by study, by friendship, and by benevolence! It would be absurd to believe on to support such an argument.
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- Adelaide and Theodoreby Stephanie-Felicite De Genlis, pp. 42 - 44Publisher: Pickering & ChattoFirst published in: 2014