of fear, nor could danger deter him from carrying out his work. The hatred he excited in the Netherlands was such, that, as he was warned, it was not safe for him to go out after dark.3 Placards were posted up in Brussels menacing his life if he persisted in the prosecution of Egmont. He held such menaces as light as he did the1 entreaties of the Countess, or the arguments of her counsel. Far from being moved by personal considerations, no power could turn him from that narrow path which he professed to regard as the path of duty. He went surely, though it might be slowly, towards the mark,5 crushing by his iron will every obstacle that lay in his track. We shudder at the contemplation of such a character, relieved by scarcely a single touch of humanity. Yet we must admit there is something which challenges our admiration in the stern uncompromising manner, without fear or favour, with which a man of this indomitable temper carries his plans into execution.

PRESCOTT, "History of the Reign of Philip II."

ASCENT OF THE PYRAMIDS.

It is not what it once was to go to the pyramids." They have become regular lions 10 for the multitudes

1 As little did he know of fear, la peur lui était tout aussi inconnue 2 from carrying out his work, de l'exécution de son œuvre-3 after dark, après la chûte du jour- he held such menaces as light as he did the, il faisait aussi pea de cas de ces menaces que des-5 he went, surely, though it might be slowly, towards the mark, il marchait au but, lentement peut-être, mais d'un pas sûr—6 every..........that lay in his track, tous les......qui se trouvaient sur son chemin-7 relieved by scarcely a single touch of humanity, à peine adouci par un seul sentiment humain 8 with which, dont.

9 It is not, etc......pyramids, une visite aux pyramides n'est plus ce que c'était jadis-10 regular lions, des célébrités fort ordinaires.

of travellers; but still, common as the journey has become,1 no man can stand on the top of the great pyramid of Cheops and look out upon the dark mountains of Mokattam bordering the Arabian desert; upon the ancient city of the Pharaohs, its domes, its mosques, its minarets, glittering in the light of a vertical sun; upon the rich valley of the Nile, and the "river of Egypt" rolling at his feet; the long range of pyramids and tombs extending along the edge of the desert to the ruined city of Memphis, and the boundless and eternal sands of Africa, without considering that moment an epoch not to be forgotten.3 Thousands of years roll through his mind, and thought recalls the men who built them, their mysterious uses, the poets, historians, philosophers, and warriors who have gazed upon them with wonder like his own.5

9

For one who but yesterday was bustling in the streets of a busy city it was a thing of strange and indescribable interest to be standing on the top of the great pyramid, surrounded by a dozen half naked Arabs, forgetting, as completely as if they never had been, the stirring scenes of his distant home. But even here petty vexations followed me, and half the interest of the time and scene was destroyed by the clamour of my guides. The descent I found extremely easy; many persons complain of the dizziness caused by looking down from such a height,10

to,

1 Common as......has become, tout commun qu'est devenu......-2 jusqu'à 3 not to be forgotten, à ne jamais oublier-4 through, dans5 wonder like his own, un étonnement pareil au sien-6 one, quelqu'un 7 but yesterday, la veille encore-8 was bustling, allait et venait9 to be standing, que d'être là debout-10 caused by looking down from such a height, que l'on éprouve en regardant à terre d'une pareille

hauteur.

but I did not find myself so affected; and though the donkeys at the base looked like flies, I could almost have danced down1 the mighty sides.2

STEPHENS, "Travels in Egypt," etc.

THE HOLY INQUISITION IN SPAIN. The tribunal of the Inquisition, which, although it was not the parent, has been the nurse and guardian of ignorance and superstition,3 in every kingdom into which it has been admitted, was introduced into Spain near a century before the present period (1559) by Ferdinand and Isabella; and was principally intended to prevent the relapse of the Jews and Moors, who had been converted, or pretended to be converted, to the faith of the Church of Rome. Its jurisdiction was not confined to the Jews and Moors, but extended to all those who, in their practice or opinions, differed from the established church. In the united kingdoms of Castille and Arragon, there were eighteen different inquisitorial courts; having each of them its counsellors, termed Apostolic Inquisitors; its secretaries, serjeants, and other officers; and, besides these, there were twenty thousand familiars dispersed throughout the kingdom, who acted as spies and informers, and were employed to apprehend all suspected persons, and to

3

1 I could almost have danced down, j'aurais presque pu descendre, en dansant-2 the mighty sides, les flancs majestueux de la pyramide. Although it was not the parent, has been......of......, bien qu'il n'ait pas été le père de...... en a été......- was......intended to, il avait...... pour objet de-5 officers, fonctionnaires-6 who acted as, qui servaient de.

commit them for their trial, to the prisons which belonged to the Inquisition. By these familiars, persons were seized on bare2 suspicion; and, in contradiction to the common rules of law, they were put to the torture, tried and condemned by the inquisitors, without being confronted either with their accusers, or with the witnesses on whose evidence they were condemned. The punishments inflicted were more or less dreadful, according to the caprice and humour of the judges. The unhappy victims were either strangled, or committed to the flames, or loaded with chains and shut up in dungeons during life. Their effects were confiscated, and their families stigmatized with infamy.5

This institution was, no doubt, well calculated to produce an uniformity of religious profession; but it had a tendency likewise to destroy the sweets of social life; to banish all freedom of thought and speech; to disturb men's minds with the most disquieting apprehensions, and to produce the most intolerable slavery, by reducing persons of all ranks of life 10 to a state of abject dependance upon11 priests; whose integrity, were it 12 even greater than that of other men, must have been 13 corrupted by the uncontrolable authority which they were allowed 14 to exercise....

2

By 15 15 this tribunal, a visible change was wrought 16

1 To commit, etc......to, et les jeter pour être ensuite jugés, danson bare, sur de simples-3 in contradiction to the, contrairement aux —1 during life, pour la vie-5 stigmatized with infamy, marquées du sceau de l'infamie-6 well calculated to, très-propre à-7 an uniformity of, l'uniformité dans 8 it had a tendency, elle tendait parole-10 ranks of life, rangs de la société 11 upon, des-12 eût-elle été-13 must have been, devait nécessairement être 14 they were allowed, on leur permettait—15 by, sous l'influence de-16 was wrought, s'opéra.

speech,

were it,

in the temper of the people, and reserve, distrust and jealousy became the distinguishing character of a Spaniard. It perpetuated and confirmed the reign of ignorance and superstition. It inflamed the rage of religious bigotry, and, by the cruel spectacles to which, in the execution of its decrees, it familiarised the people, it nourished in them that ferocious spirit which, in the Netherlands3 and America, they manifested by deeds that have fixed an everlasting reproach on the Spanish name.

2

ROBERT WATSON, "Philip the Second."

A MAN OVERBOARD.5

On the morning of the 10th of November, 1835, I found myself off the coast of Galicia, whose lofty mountains, gilded by the rising sun, presented a magnificent appearance. I was bound for Lisbon; we passed Cape Finisterre, and, standing farther out to sea, speedily lost sight of land. On the morning of the 11th the sea was very rough, and a remarkable circumstance occurred. I was on the forecastle, discoursing with two of the sailors: one of them, who had just left his hammock, said, "I have had a strange dream, which I do not much like; for," continued he, pointing up to the mast, "I dreamt that I fell into the sea from the cross-trees." He was heard to say this by several of the crew besides

1 To which, avec lesquels-2 in them, en lui (le peuple)—3 Netherlands, Pays-Bas-fixed......on, attaché..........à.

A man overboard, un homme à la mer-6 off, en face de- I was bound for, je me rendais à-8 standing farther out to sea, prenant le large speedily lost sight of land, nous perdîmes bientôt de vue la

terre.

9