The Mystery of Marie Roget. Stories / Тайна Мари Роже. Рассказы. Книга для чтения на английском языке

There was a time,” said the devil, as if reciting some passage from a book – “there was a time when occurred an anarchy of five years, during which the republic, bereft of all its officers, had no magistracy besides the tribunes of the people, and these were not legally vested with any degree of executive power – at that time, Monsieur Bon-Bon – at that time only I was in Rome, and I have no earthly acquaintance, consequently, with any of its philosophy.”[24 - Ils ecrivaient sur la Philosophie (Cicero, Lucretius, Seneca) mais c’etait la Philosophie Grecque.

– Condorcet. Они писали о философии (Цицерон, Лукреций, Сенека), но это была греческая философия. – Кондорсе. (примеч. авт.)]

“What do you think of – what do you think of – hiccup! – Epicurus[25 - Epicurus – Эпикур (341–270 до н. э.), древнегреческий философ-материалист]?”

“What do I think of whom?” said the devil, in astonishment, “you cannot surely mean to find any fault with Epicurus! What do I think of Epicurus! Do you mean me, sir? – I am Epicurus! I am the same philosopher who wrote each of the three hundred treatises commemorated by Diogenes Laertes[26 - Diogenes Laertes – Диоген Лаэртский (1 пол.

III в.), древнегреческий писатель, автор компилятивного сочинения по истории греческой философии]. ”

“That’s a lie!” said the metaphysician, for the wine had gotten a little into his head.

“Very well! – very well, sir! – very well, indeed, sir!” said his Majesty, apparently much flattered.

“That’s a lie!” repeated the restaurateur, dogmatically; “that’s a – hiccup! – a lie!”

“Well, well, have it your own way[27 - have it your own way – (разг.) пусть будет по-вашему]!” said the devil, pacifically, and Bon-Bon, having beaten his Majesty at argument, thought it his duty to conclude a second bottle of Chambertin.

“As I was saying,” resumed the visiter – “as I was observing a little while ago, there are some very outré notions in that book of yours, Monsieur Bon-Bon. What, for instance, do you mean by all that humbug about the soul? Pray, sir, what is the soul?”

“The – hiccup! – soul,” replied the metaphysician, referring to his MS.[28 - MS.