Acres. Sir Lucius, I doubt it is going; yes, my valour is certainly going! it is sneaking off! I feel it oozing out, as it were, at the palms of my hands!3 Sir L. Your honour; your honour-Here they are. Acres. Oh, that I was safe at Clod Hall! or could be shot before I was aware !5 LOUIS XI. (King of France; from 1461 to 1483.) BRAVE enough for every useful and political purpose, Louis had not a spark of that romantic valour, or of the pride generally associated with it, which fought on 7 for the point of honour when the point of utility had long been gained. Calm, crafty, and profoundly attentive to his own interest, he made every sacrifice, both of pride and passion, which could interfere with it.10 He was careful in disguising his real sentiments and purposes from all who 11 approached him, and frequently used the expressions, "that the king knew not how to reign who knew not how to 1 il me semble. 3 pour ainsi dire, qui me glisse entre les doigts. 'un 4 que ne suis-je.-' safe;' see page 117, note 11, and always translate it so when it means scathed,' uninjured when it means 'secured, the French for it is, en sûreté, and when it signifies 'affording safety' (as e. g., a safe harbour) we use sûr. 5 Leave out 'or;' puissé-je être tué avant même que je m'en doute. Notice that an acute accent is placed, for the sake of euphony, over the final e of puisse (pres. subj.). Observe also this construction, the pronoun being placed after the verb; the same thing takes place after dusse (imp. subj.) used in a similar way, as dussé-je être tué, j'irai, were I to be killed, I shall go there.' These kinds of sentences are elliptical, the governing verb or conjunction being understood: the first sentence is for je désire que je puisse, &c., and the second, for bien que (or, quoique) je dusse, &c. 6 See page 42, note 8. 7 See page 6, note 5. It may be observed here, that the present tense would be preferable, the fact being a constant one. 8 but. 9 10 Simply, est atteint. y nuire; or, better, le compromettre. 11 from,' here, d.-'all who,' &c.; see page 31, note 16. dissemble;1 and that, for himself, if he thought his very cap knew his secrets, he would throw it into the3 fire." No man of his own or of any other time better understood how to avail himself of the frailties of others, and when to avoid giving any advantage by the untimely indulgence of his own.1 7 He was by nature vindictive and cruel, even to the extent of finding pleasure in the frequent executions which he commanded. But as no touch of mercy ever induced him to spare when he could with safety condemn, so no sentiment of vengeance ever stimulated him to a premature violence. He seldom sprang on his prey till it was fairly within his grasp, and till all hope of rescue was vain; and his movements were so studiously disguised, that his success was generally what first announced to the world the object 10 he had been endeavouring to attain. In like manner 11 the avarice of Louis gave way to 12 apparent profusion13 when it was necessary to bribe the favourite or minister of a rival prince for 14 averting any impending attack, or 15 to break up any alliance confederated against him.16 He was fond of licence and pleasure,17 but not even his ruling passions ever withdrew him from the most regular attendance to public business and the affairs of his kingdom. His knowledge of mankind was profound, and he had sought it in the private walks of life; in which he often personally mingled ; and, though naturally proud and haughty, he hesitated not, with an inattention to the arbitrary divisions of society, which was then thought something portentously unnatural,+ to raise from the lowest rank men whom he employed on the most important duties, and 5 knew so well how to choose them, that he was rarely disappointed in 7 their qualities. 8 Yet there were contradictions in the character of this artful and able monarch; for human nature is never uniform. Himself the most false and insincere of mankind, some of the greatest errors of his life arose from too rash a confidence in the honour and integrity of others. When these errors took place, they seem to have arisen from an over-refined system of 9 policy, which induced Louis 10 to assume the appearance of undoubting confidence in those whom it was his object to 11 over-reach; for, in his general 12 conduct, he was as jealous 13 and suspicious as any tyrant who ever breathed.14 Two other points may be noticed to complete the sketch of this formidable character, by which he rose among the rude chivalrous sovereigns of the period to the rank of a keeper among wild beasts, who, by superior wisdom and policy, by distribution of food, and some discipline by blows, comes finally to predominate over those who, if unsubjected by his arts, would by main strength have torn him to pieces. 4 6 8 The first of these attributes was Louis's 1 excessive superstition, a plague 2 with which Heaven often afflicts those who refuse to listen to the dictates of religion. The remorse arising from his evil actions Louis never endeavoured to appease by any relaxation in 5 his Macchiavelian stratagems, but laboured in vain to soothe and silence that painful feeling by superstitious observances, severe penance, and profuse gifts to the ecclesiastics. The second property, 10 with which the first is sometimes found 11 strangely united, was a disposition to low pleasures and obscure debauchery.12 The wisest, or at least 13 the most crafty, sovereign of his time,14 was fond of ordinary 15 life, and, being himself a man of wit, enjoyed the jests and repartees of social conversation more than could have been expected from 17 other points of his character. He even mingled in the comic adventures of obscure intrigue, with a freedom little consistent with the habitual and guarded jealousy of his character; 18 and 19 was so fond of this species of humble 20 gallantry, that he caused 21 a number of its gay and licentious anecdotes to be enrolled in a collection well known to 22 book-collectors, in whose eyes (and the work is unfit for any other) the right edition is very precious.23—(WALTER SCOTT, Quentin Durward.) 16 1 de ces traits caractéristiques de sition, whereas au moins commonly Louis XI. était une. 2 See page 27, note 2. 3 dont. 4 Translate, 'Never Louis endeavoured to appease the remorse,' &c. 5 en changeant quelque chose à. 8 pratiques. 9 Use the plural. 10 Simply, Le second. 11 See page 8, note 6. 12 Use the plural; 'obscure,' secrètes. 13 du moins; this expression generally indicates a restriction of the preceding part of the propo expresses a minimum, as, 'we were 14 Use 'he,' here in French. 16 Simply, de la conversation. 18 son naturel méfiant et ombrageux. Put a full stop here. 19 Enfin, il. 20 ignoble. 21 See page 9, note 6. 22 des. 23 pour lesquels la bonne édition est d'un très-grand prix, et qui seuls doivent se permettre d'y jeter les yeux. SKETCH OF CAESAR'S CAREER AND CHARACTER. 6 THE man who broke the power of Gallia in an eight years' war has written 1 the history of the 2 war himself. He was a 3 soldier in his youth, like most Romans of rank, and he had been a governor 3 in Spain shortly before he was5 consul. But it was not till after he was more than forty years of age that his military career commenced, and he obtained a field wide enough for his daring and capacious genius. It was Cæsar's ambitions to conquer the Gauls, and it was prudent policy in the Romans, for Italy was never safe 10 so long as the restless and warlike men beyond thell Alps were unsubdued. The rapidity of Caesar's movements, the immense extent of country over which his military operations extended, his battles, his sieges, his defeats, and his victories, with their political consequences, give to his work an untiring interest, if we read it with proper knowledge and in a proper way. Nor 12 let any man, who thinks that he knows 13 something of modern warfare," venture to disparage either the Roman or his enemies without 15 a map always before him, and his attention well awake to the significance of a few words written in the Latin language, and written by Cæsar. The Gauls fought with courage and desperation; they showed military talent,16 and in the arm of cavalry they were strong.17 They were inferior in infantry and in their weapons ;1 .18 and they were weakened by political disunion. Cæsar pursued |