So wrote Kafka and I was reminded of it when I discovered the writings of William Hazlitt. I came upon him when I was searching for Somerset Maugham's book "The Gentleman in the Parlour".
Maugham was a keen reader as well as an accomplished writer who employed many literary references in his writing.
He had used part of Hazlitt's musings 'It is great to shake off the trammels of the world and public opinion...and become the creature of the moment, and to be known by no other title than "The Gentleman in the Parlour"' in Hazlitt's essay On going a journey for the title of his book.
And so I came to read Hazlitt's essays On the love of life, On the past and future, On the difference between writing and speaking, and On the fear of death.
Consider the opening paragraph of this last essay: "Perhaps the best cure for the fear of death is to reflect that life has a beginning as well as an end. There was a time when we were not: this gives us no concern—why, then, should it trouble us that a time will come when we shall cease to be?"
As for travelling, "One of the pleasantest things in the world is going a journey; but I like to go by myself. I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me. I am then never less alone than when alone.", and "I should ... like well enough to spend the whole of my life in travelling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home!"
Wise words indeed! And there is so much more! So go and read Hazlitt; you will feel much the better for it!
