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ORIENTAL CEREMONY.

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149

rity, seems always at his ease, as if born to1 the station that he fills. Education, that is, the having learned 2 with difficulty to read and write a letter of four or five lines, makes no distinction, being an attainment of which those of the highest rank are sometimes deficient.* I presented to the Naze, a common-looking fellow,5 the Pasha's firman, which as usual he kissed and placed to his forehead. As soon as his Coptic writer had read it to him, he ordered me 7 a pipe, an attention previously omitted, and in the meantime offered me his own, but my servant at that moment entered with mine. I had ordered it, because my not assuming my right 10 in this trifling etiquette would have made me less respected,11 not only by the Naze and his court, but, what was of real consequence, by the Arabs who were to accompany me across the desert to 13 Berber. Generally,14 I hate etiquette and ceremony as the north and north-east winds of society; but I have found from experience 15 that with the Turks it is absolutely necessary to insist on their observance. Travellers, in their ignorance of Eastern manners, are generally too humble to them.16

HOSKINS, "Travels in Ethiopia."

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1 As if born to, comme s'il avait été appelé par sa naissance à— that is, the having learned, qui consiste à avoir appris-3 makes, n'établit--4 being an attainment, etc.......deficient, comme c'est un mérite qui manque parfois aux gens du plus haut rang-5 a common-looking fellow, individu d'une tournure commune6 placed, porta-7 he ordered me, il ordonna qu'on m'apportât-8 see note, p. 91-9 I had ordered it, que j'avais commandée-10 my not assuming my right, si je n'avais usé de mon droit (see note ", p. 87)— 11 would have made me less respected, j'aurais été moins respecté12 see note, p. 40-13 to, jusqu'à-14 generally, en règle générale15 I have found from experience, l'expérience m'a démontré-16 to them, vis-à-vis d'eux.

ON THE CONDUCT OF THE UNDERSTANDING.1

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2

3

Some men may be disposed to ask, "Why conduct my understanding with such endless care? And what is the use of so much knowledge?"-What is the use of so much knowledge? What is the use of so much life? What are we to do 5 with the seventy years of existence allotted 7 to us? And how are we to live

6

them out to the last ? I solemnly declare that, but for the love of knowledge, I should consider the life of the meanest hedger and ditcher 10 as preferable to that of the greatest and richest man here present: for the fire of our minds is like the fire which the Persians burn in the mountains,-it flames night and day, and is immortal, and not to be quenched.11 Upon something it must act and feed,12 upon the pure spirit 13 of knowledge, or upon the foul dregs of polluting passions.14 Therefore, when I say, in conducting your understanding, love knowledge with 15 a great love, with a vehement love, with a love coeval with 16 life; what do I say but 17 love innocence, love virtue,-love purity of conduct,-love that which, if you are rich and great,18 will sanctify the blind fortune which has made you so,1 19 and make men call it justice,20—love that which, if you are poor, will

1 Conduct of the understanding, direction de l'entendement (or: des facultés intellectuelles) -2 some men, certaines gens-3" with a care so endless" (see note, p. 51)— what is the use of, à quoi sert - see note, p. 40-6 with, de-7" which are granted"-8 to live them out to, les épuiser jusqu'à-9 but for, sans-10 the meanest hedger and ditcher, le plus obscur terrassier-11 and not to be quenched, et ne doit pas s'éteindre-12 upon something it must act and feed, il lui faut absolument un objet et un aliment-13 upon the pure spirit, il lui faut l'esprit pur-14 or upon the foul dregs of polluting passions, ou la lie empoisonnée des passions corruptrices-15 with, de-16 coeval with, aussi durable que-17 what do I say but, qu'est-ce à dire sinon 18 great, puissant-19 so, tel-20 and make men call it justice, et lui conciliera aux yeux des hommes un caractère de justice.

THE CONDUCT OF THE UNDERSTANDING.

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151

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render your poverty respectable, and make the proudest feel it unjust to laugh at1 the meanness 2 of your fortunes,3-love that which will comfort you, adorn you, and never quit you,-which will open to you the kingdom of thought, and all the boundless regions of conception, as an asylum against the cruelty, the injustice, and the pain that may be your lot in the outer world, -that which will make your motives habitually great and honourable, and light up in an instant a thousand noble disdains at the very thought of meanness and of fraud! Therefore, if any young man here 10 have embarked his life in pursuit 11 of knowledge, let him go on 12 without doubting or fearing the event; 13 let him not be intimidated by the cheerless beginnings of knowledge, by the darkness from which she springs,14 by the difficulties which hover around her, by the wretched habitations in which she dwells, by the want 15 and sorrow which sometimes journey in her train; 16 but let him ever follow her as the Angel that guards him, and as the Genius 17 of his life. She will bring him out at last 18 into 19 the light of day, and exhibit him to the world comprehensive in acquirements, fertile in resources, rich in imagination, strong in reasoning, pru

1 And make the proudest feel it unjust to laugh at, et fera sentir aux plus fiers l'injustice de se moquer de 2 meanness, médiocrité3 sing.-4 4 that which will comfort you, adorn you, ce qui sera pour vous une source de bien-être et un ornement-5 may, pourront— 6 which will make your motives habitually, qui donnera à vos actions habituelles des mobiles-7 light up, suscitera-8 a, to be left out9 the very thought of meanness, la seule pensée de la bassesse10 here, ici présent-11 have embarked his life in pursuit, s'est embarqué dans la vie à la poursuite-12 let him go on, qu'il persévère -13 without doubting or fearing the event, sans défiance et sans crainte quant au résultat-14 by the darkness from which she springs, par les ténèbres qui enveloppent sa source-15 want, privations16 which sometimes journey in her train, qui cheminent parfois à sa suite-17 genius, bon génie-18 she will bring him out at last, elle finira par l'amener (see note ", p. 66)—19 into, à.

dent and powerful above his fellows, in all the relations. and in all the offices of life.

SYDNEY SMITH,

"Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy."

TOPSY-AND HER EDUCATION.

Miss Ophelia instituted regular hours and employments for her, and undertook to teach her to read and1

sew.

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magic, and was very soon

needles, threw them chinks of the walls; thread, or with a sly

In the former art the child was quick enough: 2 she learned her letters as if by able to read plain reading; but the sewing was a more difficult matter.5 The creature was as lithe as a cat, and as active as a monkey, and the confinement was her abomination; so7 she broke her slily out of windows, or down in she tangled, broke, or dirtied her movement would throw a reel away altogether.10 Her motions were almost as quick as those of a practised conjurer, and her command of her face quite as great; and though Miss Ophelia could not help feeling that so many accidents could not possibly happen in succession, 12 yet she could not, without a watchfulness which

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1 And, et à-2 in the former art the child was quick enough, dans le premier de ces arts notre gamine fit des progrès assez rapides (or: était loin d'être sotte)-3 as if by, comme par 4 was very soon able to read plain reading, fut bientôt en état de lire des livres faciles-5 was a more difficult matter, fut une tout autre affaire- the confinement was her abomination, elle ne détestait rien tant que d'être renfermée-7 aussi- out of, par les-9 or down in, ou dans— 10 or with, etc......altogether, ou bien elle en jetait à la sourdine toute une bobine à la fois-11 and her command of her face quite as great, et elle était tout aussi maîtresse de son visage-12 that so many, etc. ......in succession, que tout cela ne pouvait être une série de purs accidents.

80,

TOPSY-AND HER EDUCATION.

153

would leave her no time for anything else,1 detect her.2

4

Topsy was soon a noted character 3 in the establishment. Her talent for every species of drollery, grimace, and mimicry for dancing, tumbling, climbing, singing, whistling, imitating every 5 sound that hit her fancy—seemed inexhaustible. In her play hours she invariably had every child in the establishment at her heels, open-mouthed with admiration and wonder -not excepting 9 Miss Eva, who appeared to be fascinated by her wild diablerie, as a dove is sometimes charmed by a glittering serpent.

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Topsy was smart and energetic in all manual operations,10 learning everything that was taught her 11 with 12 surprising quickness. With a few lessons 13 she had learned the proprieties 14 of Miss Ophelia's chamber, in a way with which 15 even that particular lady could find no fault.16 Mortal hands could not lay counterpane smoother,17 adjust pillows more accurately, sweep and dust and arrange more perfectly,18 than Topsy, when she chose 19—but she didn't very often choose. If Miss Ophelia, after 20 three or four days of careful and patient

1 Which would, etc......else, qui ne lui aurait pas laissé le temps de faire autre chose-2 she could not......detect her, il lui était impossible de la prendre sur le fait... 3 was soon a noted character, se fit bientôt une réputation-4 her talent for......seemed inexhaustible, elle semblait posséder un talent inépuisable pour..... 5" all the"-6 that hit her fancy, qui lui passaient par la tête-7 every child in, toutes les petites filles de-8 open-mouthed with, ébahies de- not excepting, sans en excepter-10 operations, exercices-11 everything that was taught her, "all that they (on) taught to her"—12 see note, p. 44— 13 with a few lessons, en quelques leçons-14 proprieties, “rules”—15 in a way with which, à un tel point que-16 could find no fault, ne pouvait rien trouver à redire-17 mortal hands could not lay counterpane smoother, il n'y avait pas de mains au monde capables de disposer une couverture avec plus de netteté-18 and arrange more perfectly, et de tout ranger avec un soin plus parfait-19 chose, le voulait— 20 after, au bout de.