noyoungmanbelievesheshalleverdie.itwasasayingofmybrother's,andafineone.thereisafeelingofeternityinyouth,whichmakesusamendforeverything.tobeyoungistobeasoneoftheimmortalgods.onehalfoftimeindeedisflown-theotherhalfremainsinstoreforuswithallitscountermeasure;forthereisnolinedrawn,andweseenolimittoourhopesandwishes.wemakethecomingageourownthevast,theunboundedprospectliesbeforeus.
death.oldage.arewordswithoutameaning.thatpabyusliketheideaairwhichweregardnot.othersmayhaveundergone,ormaystillbeliabletothem-we"bearacharmedlife“,whichlaughstoscornallsuchsicklyfancies.asinsettingoutondelightfuljourney,westrainoureagergazeforward-biddingthelovelyscenesatdistancehail!
andseenoendtothelandscape,newobjectspresentingthemselvesasweadvance;so,inthecommencementoflife,wesetnoboundstoourinclinations.nortotheunrestrictedopportunitiesofgratifyingthem.wehaveasyetfoundnoobstacle,nodispositiontoflag;anditseemsthatwecangoonsoforever.welookroundinanewworld,fulloflife,andmotion,andceaselessness;andfeelinourselvesallthevigorandspirittokeeppacewithit,anddonotforeseefromanypresentsymptomshowweshallbeleftbehindinthenaturalcourseofthings,declineintooldage,anddropintothegrave.
itisthesimplicity,andasitwereabstractedourfeelingsinyouth,that(sotospeak)identifiesuswithnature,and(ourexperiencebeingslightandourpassionsstrong)deludesusintoabeliefofbeingimmortallikeit.ourshort-livesconnectionwithexistencewefondlyflatterourselves,isanindissolubleandlastingunion-ahoneymoonthatknowsneithercoldness,jar,norseparation.
asinfantssmileandsleep,wearerockedinthecradleofourwaywardfancies,andlulledintosecuritybytheroaroftheuniversearoundus0wequaffthecupoflifewitheagerhastewithoutdrainingit,insteadofwhichitonlyoverflowsthemore-objectsprearoundus,fillingthemindwiththeirmagnitudeandwiththestrongofdesiresthatwaituponthem,sothatwehavenoroomforthethoughtsofdeath.