A Visit to the Monastery of La Trappe in 1817 - LightNovelsOnl.com
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The person in question was a youth not turned sixteen, who destroyed himself last summer, while at college, and who left the following paper as his last will. The lady who gave it me copied it from the original.
"Testament de Villemain.
"Samedi. July 6th, 1816.
"Je donne mon corps aux Pedants: je legue mon ame aux manes de Voltaire et de J.J. Rousseau, qui m'ont appris a mepriser toutes les vaines superst.i.tions de ce monde, et tous les vains prejuges qu'a enfantes la grossierete des hommes, et surtout les subtiles noirceurs des fourbes de Pretres.
"J'ai toujours reconnu un Etre supreme, et ma religion a toujours ete la religion naturelle.
"Quant a mes biens terrestres, je donne: (Here he mentions various articles to his favorite school-fellows).
"A Mondesir, mon dernier soupir.
"J'ai toujours connu, je l'ai dit plus haut, reconnu un Etre supreme, j'ai toujours pense que la seul religion digne de lui, etait la vertu et la probite!
"J'ose dire que je m'en suis rarement ecarte malgre la faiblesse, et la fragilite humaine.
"Je parois devant l'Etre supreme en disant avec Voltaire: 'Un Bonze, honnete homme, un Dervis, charitable, trouveront plutot grace a ses yeux, qu'un Pontife ambitieux.'"
Then follows a Latin quotation, "All things are due to death, and without delay, sooner or later, hasten to the same goal: Hither we all tend: This is our last asylum".
"De tout les Pedants qui m'ont le plus tourmente je compte surtout Poir, son Jeannes et Veissier, qui sont la cause du vol que je fais a la nature en tranchant moi meme le fil de mes jours; je leur pardonne, l'equite le fait aussi: Je n'ai cesse de repeter avec Rousseau avant de mourir. 'Tu veux cesser de vivre, sais-tu si tu as commence.'
"Adieu!!! Mortels et foiblesses! VILLEMAIN".]
Here conclude my notes, and if my reader has condescended to accompany me through my little Tour without feeling fatigue or displeasure at his "Compagnon de Voyage," my aim and ambition as an author are satisfied--so wis.h.i.+ng that all the journeys he may ever take, may prove as delightful to him as this has been to me, I sincerely thank him for his attention, and kindly bid him Farewell!
FINIS.
