UpontheMemoirsofMonsieurduBellayIfindthis:\"’Tisalwayspleasanttoreadthingswrittenbythosethathaveexperiencedhowtheyoughttobecarriedon;butwithal，itcannotbedeniedbutthereisamanifestdecadenceinthesetwolords——[MartinduBellayandGuillaumedeLangey，brothers，whojointlywrotetheMemoirs。]——fromthefreedomandlibertyofwritingthatshineintheelderhistorians，suchastheSiredeJoinville，thefamiliarcompanionofSt。Louis;Eginhard，chancellortoCharlemagne;andoflaterdate，PhilipdeCommines。WhatwehavehereisratheranapologyforKingFrancis，againsttheEmperorCharlesV。，thanhistory。Iwillnotbelievethattheyhavefalsifiedanything，astomatteroffact;buttheymakeacommonpracticeoftwistingthejudgmentofevents，veryoftencontrarytoreason，toouradvantage，andofomittingwhatsoeveristicklishtobehandledinthelifeoftheirmaster;witnesstheproceedingsofMessieursdeMontmorencyanddeBiron，whicharehereomitted:nay，somuchastheverynameofMadamed’Estampesisnotheretobefound。Secretactionsanhistorianmayconceal;buttopassoverinsilencewhatalltheworldknowsandthingsthathavedrawnafterthempublicandsuchhighconsequences，isaninexcusabledefect。Infine，whoeverhasamindtohaveaperfectknowledgeofKingFrancisandtheeventsofhisreign，lethimseekitelsewhere，ifmyadvicemayprevail。TheonlyprofitamancanreapfromtheseMemoirsisinthespecialnarrativeofbattlesandotherexploitsofwarwhereinthesegentlemenwerepersonallyengaged;insomewordsandprivateactionsoftheprincesoftheirtime，andinthetreatiesandnegotiationscarriedonbytheSeigneurdeLangey，wherethereareeverywherethingsworthytobeknown，anddiscoursesabovethevulgarstrain。\"
CHAPTERXI
OFCRUELTY
Ifancyvirtuetobesomethingelse，andsomethingmorenoble，thangoodnature，andthemerepropensiontogoodness，thatwearebornintotheworldwithal。Well—disposedandwell—descendedsoulspursue，indeed，thesamemethods，andrepresentintheiractionsthesamefacethatvirtueitselfdoes:butthewordvirtueimports，Iknownotwhat，moregreatandactivethanmerelyforamantosufferhimself，byahappydisposition，tobegentlyandquietlydrawntotheruleofreason。Hewho，byanaturalsweetnessandfacility，shoulddespiseinjuriesreceived，woulddoubtlessdoaveryfineandlaudablething;buthewho，provokedandnettledtothequickbyanoffence，shouldfortifyhimselfwiththearmsofreasonagainstthefuriousappetiteofrevenge，andafteragreatconflict，masterhisownpassion，wouldcertainlydoagreatdealmore。
Thefirstwoulddowell;thelattervirtuously:oneactionmightbecalledgoodness，andtheothervirtue;formethinks，theverynameofvirtuepresupposesdifficultyandcontention，andcannotbeexercisedwithoutanopponent。’Tisforthisreason，perhaps，thatwecallGodgood，mighty，liberalandjust;butwedonotcallHimvirtuous，beingthatallHisoperationsarenaturalandwithoutendeavour。——[Rousseau，inhisEmile，bookv。，adoptsthispassagealmostinthesamewords。]——