I was overcome with this goodness, and desired him not to have any consideration for me; and as for my brother, I was certain that his sentiments would concur with mine, in giving up everything to his father's happiness, and I would by all means have him gratify his passion; for I should hate myself, if I thought I was a burden, rather than a pleasure to him. That if we lived on less, we might be contented; which it was impossible for us to be, whilst he was uneasy. During the time I was speaking, I saw the most lively joy in his eyes: he was happy that I approved his passion; and I, to find what I said was agreeable to him.
"The next day he sent for me into his chamber, and told me he had been thinking on what I had said concerning the reasonableness of his indulging himself with respect to Livia; he really believed I was in the right; that he had turned it in his mind every way, and found, that as he could not be easy without her, it would be more for all our advantages that he should have her. In short, he presently proved, that the most prudent and wisest thing he could do was to marry her. It was no hard matter for him to make me believe whatever he pleased; for I had so implicit a faith in what he said, that his bare affection was to me the strongest proof. But I have often since reflected, that it is a great misfortune that a good understanding, when it is accompanied with a very strong imagination, only makes people judge right, where their own inclinations are not concerned; but when once any violent passion interposes, it serves only to hide and gloss over all bad consequences that attend the gratification of that passion, and removes difficulties out of the way to a man's own destruction; which a person of less sense, and a cooler fancy, would never be able to accomplish: for strength of either mind or body
