XIV. PARIS.

Paris, the heart and soul of France—the head-quarters of European luxury and pleasure-naturally excites, in the highest degree, the interest and curiosity of strangers, while those who know it, are confirmed in their attachment by the variety and freshness of its charms. 'Paris,' it has been justly said, 'must be the second home1 of every man who has a taste for the most refined enjoyments which wealth can bring. Whether he seeks for happiness from art or society,2 or what is more generally understood by pleasure, let him go to Paris. All that is most distinguished awaits him there; he will find the noblest houses, the most imposing streets, the most attractive pleasure-grounds; he will find the most varied amusements, all ready to fill up his time if he come without knowing a soul or bringing a single letter. To another class, the extremely wealthy of all countries, the new Paris holds out ever-increasing attractions. To live in Paris for a year or two will be the desire of all the new generation who can afford it.'4

1 Le séjour adoptif. 2 Dans les arts ou dans la société. 3 Le Paris de nos jours offre. Qui en ont les moyens.

XV. RABELAIS IN DIFFICULTY.

2

This celebrated wit was once at a great distance from Paris, and without money to bear his expenses thither. The ingenious author being thus sharp set1 got together a convenient quantity of brick-dust, and having disposed of it into several papers, wrote upon one, Poison for Monsieur; upon a second, Poison for the Dauphin; and on a third, Poison for the King. He then laid3 his papers so that his landlord, who was an inquisitive man and a good subject, might get a sight of them. The plot succeeded as he desired; the host gave immediate intelligence to the Secretary of State. The Secretary presently sent down a special messenger, who brought up the traitor to Court, and provided him, at the King's expense, with proper accommodations on the road. As soon as he appeared he was known to be the celebrated Rabelais, and his powder, upon examination, being found very innocent, the jest was only laughed at, for which a less eminent droll would have been sent to the galleys. SPECTATOR.

1 Dans cet embarras. 2 Paquets. 8 Il arrangea ensuite. Le tour. 6 On ne fit que rire d'une plaisanterie. 7 Farceur.

nut.

XVI. DEAN SWIFT OUTWITTED.

5 On recon

A friend of Dean Swift one day sent him a turbot, as a present, by a servant who had frequently been on similar errands,1 but who had never received the most trifling mark of the Dean's generosity. Having gained admission, he opened the door of the study, and abruptly putting down the fish, cried very rudely, 'Master has sent you a turbot.' 'Young man,'

said the Dean, rising from his easy chair, 'is that the way you deliver your message? let me teach you better manners; sit down in my chair, we will change situations, and I will show you how to behave in future.' The boy sat down, and the Dean, going to the door, came up to the table with a respectful pace, and making a low bow said: 'Sir, my master presents his kind compliments,8 hopes you are well, and requests your acceptance of a small present.' 'Does he?' replied the boy; 'return him my best thanks,10 and there 's half-a-crown for yourself.' The Dean thus drawn into an act of generosity laughed heartily, and gave the boy a crown for his wit.11

1 Qui avait fréquemment fait de semblables commissions. 2 Moindre. 3 Etant entré dans la maison. 4 D'un ton très grossier. 5 Est-ce ainsi que vous vous acquittez de... 5 Donner une leçon de politesse. S'approcher. 7 Profond salut. 8 Faire bien des compliments. 9 Say, Begs you to accept this. 10 Remerciez le bien de ma part. 11 Say, The wit he had shown.

XVII. A DREAM OF CHARLES THE FIFTH.

The Emperor Charles the Fifth being one day out a hunting1 lost his way in the forest, and having come to a house, entered it to refresh himself. There were in it four men, who pretended to sleep. One of them rose, and approaching the Emperor, told him he had dreamt he should take his watch, and took it. Then another rose and said that he had dreamt that his surtout fitted him wonderfully, and took it. The third took his purse. At last the fourth came up, and said he hoped he would not take it ill if he searched him, and in doing it perceived around the Emperor's neck a small gold chain, to which a whistle was attached, which he wished to rob him of. But the Emperor said: 'My good friend, before depriving me of this trinket, I must teach you its virtue.' Saying this he whistled. His attendants, who were seeking him, hastened to the house, and were thunderstruck to behold his Majesty in such a state. But the Emperor seeing himself out of danger, said: 'These men3 have dreamt all that they liked. I wish in my turn also to dream.' And after having mused a few seconds he said, 'I have dreamt that you all four deserve to be hanged;' which was no sooner spoken than executed before the house.

1 A la chasse. 2 Frappé d'étonnement. 8 Voici des hommes qui.

XVIII. SHAKESPEARE.

Of the personal history of this the greatest of our poets we know very little, though many attempts have been made to twist surmises into facts. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford, on the river Avon, in Warwickshire, April 23, 1564, and he died there on the same day of the month, April 1616. The greater part of his life was spent in London, where he was the friend and companion of all the great men of the time, and a favourite with Queen Elizabeth and James I. His occupation was that

2

of an actor. Most of his works are written for the stage, and consist of historical dramas, of tragedies and comedies. It would be difficult to single out of these any better than the rest, so fine are the characters from the highest to the lowest, so suited to each are the speeches given them to utter. Any one wishing to have the richest library attainable in the smallest number of volumes, to become acquainted with the purest and best English, to study the highest standards of beauty in character and sentiment, should purchase Shakespeare's works, and read and re-read them till they become to him familiar friends. The Englishman who does not know and read Shakespeare, does not know one of England's greatest glories, and will never be able to estimate fully all that his country's language can express.

1 L'histoire personnelle du plus grand de nos poètes est très peu connue. 2 Il serait difficile d'en choisir un de meilleur que les autres. 3 Tant il y a de naturel dans le language qu'il leur préte.

XIX. A QUID PRO QUO.

It was customary with Frederick the Great, whenever a new soldier appeared in his guards, to ask him three questions; viz., 'How old are you? How long have you been in my service? Are you satisfied with your pay and treatment?' It happened that a young soldier, born in France, who had served in his own country, desired to enlist in the Prussian service. His figure caused him to be immediately accepted; but he was totally ignorant of the German dialect; and his captain giving him notice that the king would question him in that tongue the first time he should see him, cautioned him at the same time to learn by heart the three answers that he was to make to the king. Accordingly he learnt them by the next day; and as soon as he appeared in the ranks Frederick came up to interrogate him: but he happened to begin upon him by the second question, and asked him, 'How long have you been in my service?' Twenty-one years,' answered the soldier. The king, struck with his youth, which plainly indicated that he had not borne a musket as long as that, said to him, much astonished, 'How old are you?' 'One year, an't please your Majesty.' Frederick, more astonished still, cried, 'You or I must certainly be bereft of our senses.' The soldier, who took this for the third question, replied firmly, 'Both, an't please your Majesty.'

1 N'en déplaise à Votre Majesté. 2 Avec aplomb.

XX. SUGAR.

Sugar is a sweet crystallized substance obtained from the juice of the sugar-cane, a reed-like plant1 growing in most hot climates, but supposed to be originally a native of the East.

The root of the cane is jointed, and sends up several stems which are also jointed, and which rise to a height ranging from eight to twenty feet. A leaf three or four feet long springs from each joint, the flowers, which are whitish, and enveloped in long down, grow in burches at the top of the case.

When the canes are ripe, which is generally in February, March, and April, they are cut down close to the root, the leaves are stripped, the stalks are divided into convenient lengths, and taken at once to the crushing mill. Here they are squeezed between iron rollers, and the juice flows, after passing through a strainer, into large clarifying vessels. After this the juice is several times brought to great heat with a view to3 cause evaporation, and the deposit of a sugary sediment. When the juice is sufficiently boiled down, it is removed into a copper boiler, and from this it is conveyed into a shallow wooden vessel, in which it crystallizes. After the lapse of a few hours, the dark-looking mass, consisting of sugar and liquid molasses (treacle, being that part of the juice which will not crystallize), is put into hogsheads with holes bored in the bottom. These hogsheads are set on wooden frames over a tank, into which the treacle drains, after which the hogsheads are filled up, headed in, and are ready for exportation.

4

1 Une espèce de roseau. 2 On les coupe à la racine. 8 Est à plusieurs reprises fortement chauffé dans le but de. 4 Mis sur fond.

XXI. THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

The British Empire, exclusive of its foreign dependencies, consists of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the smaller islands contiguous and subordinate to them. Great Britain, the largest and by far the most important of the British Islands, is divided into the kingdoms of England and Scotland; the former occupying its southern, the most fruitful and extensive, and the latter its northern, more barren, and smaller portion. After the withdrawal of the Romans from Great Britain, these two divisions became separate and independent states, between which the most violent animosities frequently subsisted. In consequence of the marriage of Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. of England, to James iv. king of Scotland in 1502, James vi., king of Scotland, ascended the English throne upon the demise of Queen Elizabeth in 1604. But, notwithstanding this union of the crowns, the two kingdoms had distinct and independent legislatures till 1707, when,2 under the auspices of Queen Anne, a legislative union of England and Scotland was completed. In many respects, however, the institutions of the two countries still continue peculiar. The common law and the judicial establishments of England differ much from those of Scotland; the prevailing religion and the church establishment of the former are also

materially different from those of the latter; and the manners and customs of the two countries, though gradually assimilating, still preserve many distinguishing features.—M⭑CULLOCH.

1 Comprend. 2 Epoque à laquelle.

XXII. MOTION OF OUR GLOBE.

This diurnal sphere on which we live would alone evince1 the power of its Almighty Maker. When we consider its magnitude, its daily rotation, its annual revolution, the rapidity of its course, and reflect how vast must be the power to move this single mass, we are lost in amazement, and humbled under a deep sense of our own weakness. It was calculated by a late astronomer, that with a lever whose fulcrum was3 six hundred miles from the earth's centre, and with a moving power equal to two hundred pounds in weight, or the power of an ordinary man, and in velocity equal to a cannon-ball, placed at the immense distance of twelve quadrillions of miles, it would require twenty-seven billions of years to move the earth one inch. How vain would be the united force of all the human beings that now people the earth to produce even this effect! Yet our globe rushes onward in its course, at the rate of one thousand miles a minute. But what is our earth to the planet Saturn, which is more than one thousand times bigger than this sphere of ours? What is it to the sun, nearly a million times greater? What is it to the whole planetary and cometary systems? Only one of five hundred masses. What is the planetary system itself? It is nothing when compared to the universe,-nothing to the thousands and thousands of systems, each enlightened by its sun and stars, extending through the immensity of space. From the nearest of these stars or suns our distance is not less than thirty-seven billions of miles; and when we reflect that luminous bodies are discoverable by the telescope, whose light, if we may credit the calculations of an eminent astronomer, has been nearly two millions of years in reaching our globe, though moving at the rate of more than ten millions of miles in a minute, what a conception does this give of the universe!-CROMBIE.

1 Suffirait à elle seule pour démontrer.

2 Preterite Indefinite. 8 Condit. Pres.

XXIII. THE DOCTOR'S SERVANT.

She was about thirty years old, and had a sufficiently plump and cheerful face, though it was twisted up into an odd expression of tightness1 that made it comical. But the extraordinary homeliness of her gait and manner would have superseded any face in the world. To say that she had two left legs and somebody else's arms, and that all four limbs seemed to be out of joint, and to start from perfectly wrong places when they were set in motion, is to offer the mildest outline of the reality. To say