Perfectly possible, as I could prove if you were strong enough to bear it."

"Quite strong enough," I said, and bade him speak on.1

Suppose you were offered the fairy ring that rendered3 the possessor invisible, and enabled him to hear everything that was said,5 and all that was thought of him, would you throw it away or put it on your finger ?"

"Put it on my finger," I replied; "and this instant, for a true friend is better than a magic ring, I put it on."

10

"You are very brave; then you shall hear the lines I heard in a rival salon, repeated by him who last wafted the censer to you10 to-night." He repeated a kind of doggrel pasquinade, beginning with 1

Dumont, who had the courage, for my good, to inflict the blow, could not stay to see its 1 effect; and this time I was left alone, not with my nonsense, but with my reason. It was quite 15 sufficient. I was cured: my only consolation in my disgrace was, that I honourably kept Dumont's counsel. The friend who composed 16 the lampoon from that day to this 17

1 Bade him speak on, je le priai de s'expliquer-2 suppose you were offered, si l'on vous offrait-3 rendered, rend- enabled him to, le met à même de 5 everything that was said, tout ce qu'on dit-6 put it on your, vous la mettriez-vous au-7 this instant, à l'instant même-8 is better, vaut mieux-9 then you shall, eh bien! vous allez-10 by him who last wafted the censer to you, par celui qui vous a le dernier jeté l'encensoir au visage 11 with, ainsi-12 gentles, aimables gens-13 the prating she, la babillarde-14 to...its, pour en...l'15 quite, pleinement 16 composed, avait composé-17 to this, jusqu'à présent.

never knew that I had heard it; though I must own I often longed1 to tell him, when he was offering his incense again, that I wished he would reverse his practice, and let us have3 the satire in my presence, and keep the flattery for my absence.

2

MARIA EDGEWORTH.

CONSTANTINOPLE.

Much as I have heard of the beauties of the Asiatic as well as of the European banks of the Bosphorus, I must say that they very much exceeded any description I had ever read, or any panorama I had ever seen of them. The ever-changing character of the hills that rise on each side; the magic variations of colour cast upon them by the travelling sun and by their own shadows; the pendent groves and gardens; the castles and fortifications of the Middle Ages; the old Moorish architecture of the houses and palaces, which extend for 10 five or six miles under the hills, beside the blue waters; the splendid new residences, built on either shore, by the present 11 Sultan or his ministers, with their light Oriental fronts,12 their latticed windows, their bronze doors,

9

1 Though I must own I often longed, j'avoue cependant que l'envie m'est souvent venue-2 I wished he would reverse his practice, j'aurais voulu qu'il renversât l'ordre de ses procédés-3 and let us have, et qu'il nous donnât.

4 Much as, etc......banks, bien que l'on m'eût fort vanté les beautés des rives, tant Asiatiques qu'Européennes-5 I must say that they very much exceeded, j'ai trouvé qu'elles dépassaient assurément de beaucoup -6 any......I had ever, toutes les......que j'en avais jamais on, de 8 cast upon them by the travelling sun and by, que leur donnent tour à tour le soleil dans son parcours et-9 the Middle Ages, le Moyen-Age -10 for, sur un espace de present, actuel-12 light Oriental fronts, façades Orientales dégagées.

and snow-white marble steps;1 the towering2 Turkish ships of war, anchored off3 the arsenal; the merchant brigs of all nations, sailing up or down the waves; the innumerable boats bent on business or pleasure,5 urged by the oar or wafted by the wind in every direction; the costume of the Frank, mingling with that of the Turk, the Albanian, the Greek, the Tartar, the wild mountaineer from Caucasus, the slave from Circassia, the horse-dealer from Arabia, the silk and carpet merchant from Persia, the Dervish from India, and the veiled form of woman wherever she appeared, spread out a picture of human life and industry, and of natural grandeur before me, such as no other part of the world could disclose."

QUIN, "Steam Voyage down the Danube."

NATIONAL PREJUDICES.

I respect knowledge; but I do not despise ignorance. They (the peoples of Rome) think only as their fathers thought, worship as they worshipped.10 They do no more; and, if ours had not burst their bondage, 12 braving imprisonment and death, might not we, at this very moment, have been exhibiting,13

1 And snow-white marble steps, et leurs gradins de marbre aussi blancs que la neige-2 towering, hauts-3 anchored off, à l'ancre près de-4 sailing up or down the waves, montant ou descendant le Détroit -5 bent on business or pleasure, en route aux affaires ou en train au plaisir spread out, tout cela étalait-7 such as......could disclose, tel que n'en pourrait montrer.......

8 People, gens-9 only, simplement—10 worship as they worshipped, et leur culte est le même-no, rien de-12 burst their bondage, brisé leurs entraves-13 might not we, etc.......exhibiting, ne pourrions-nous pas être en ce moment même en train d'exhiber.

in our streets and our churches, the same processions, ceremonials, and mortifications?

Nor should we1 require from those who are in an earlier stage of society, what belongs to a later.3 They are only where we once were; and why hold them in derision? It is their business to cultivate the inferior arts before they think of the more refined; and in many of the last, what are we as a nation, when compared to others that have passed away? Unfortunately, it is too much the practice of Governments to nurse and keep alive in the governed their national prejudices. It withdraws 8 their attention from what is passing at home, and makes them 10 better11 tools in the hands of ambition. Hence 12 next-door neighbours 13 are held up to us 14 from our childhood as natural enemies; and we are

urged on 15 like curs to worry each other.16

14

In like manner we should1 learn to be just to 18 individuals. Who can say, "In such circumstances I should have done otherwise?" Who, did he but reflect 19 by what slow gradations, often by how many strange concurrences, we are led astray; with how much reluctance, how much agony, how many efforts to escape, how many self-accusations, how many

1 Nor should we, nous ne devrions pas non plus-2 who are in an earlier stage, qui se trouvent placés à une époque plus reculée-3 to a later, à une époque plus rapprochée before they think of the more refined, avant de songer aux plus élevés-5 as a nation, comme nation

6 when compared to, en comparaison de-7 it is too much, etc......alive, il arrive trop souvent aux gouvernements d'entretenir et d'aviver8 it withdraws, cela détourne-9 what is passing at home, ce qui se passe chez eux-10 makes them, en fait better, plus souples12 hence, c'est ainsi que-13 next door neighbours, nos plus proches voisins 14 are held up to us, nous sont dénoncés-15 and we are urged on, et l'on nous pousse-16 to......each other, à nous......les uns les autres 17 we should, nous devrions-18 to, envers-19 who, did he but reflect, quel est celui qui, s'il réfléchissait seulement.

sighs, how many tears-who, did he but reflect for a moment, would have the heart to cast a stone? Fortunately, these things are known to Him from whom1 no secrets are hidden; and let us rest in the assurance that His judgments are not as ours are. SAMUEL ROGERS, " Italy."

JOAN OF ARC.

Shakspeare, who is horribly unjust to3 Joan of Arc,* has put a sublime speech into her mouth, where she answers Burgundy," who had accused her of sorcery

"Because you want the grace that others have,

You judge it straight a thing impossible

8

To' compass wonders but by the help of devils!"

11

The whole theory of popular superstition comprised in three lines! But Joan herself-how9 at her name the whole heart seems to rise up in resentment,10 not so much against her cowardly executioners as against those who have so wronged her memory! Never was a character, historically pure, bright, definite, and perfect in every feature and outline, so abominably treated in poetry and fiction,-perhaps for this reason, that she was in herself so exquisitely wrought,12

1 To Him from whom, de Celui pour qui-2 His..., ses...à lui. 3 To, envers where, lorsque-5 Burgundy, au Duc de Bourgogne you want, il vous manque-7 you judge it straight a thing impossible to, vous jugez incontinent que c'est chose impossible que de- but by help, sauf avec l'aide-9 how, combien 10 to rise up in resentment, se soulever de colère-11 so wronged, tellement outragé-12 in herself 80 exquisitely wrought, d'une nature si exquise.

* Joan of Arc (the Maid of Orleans) was born at Domremi, a village on the borders of Lorraine, in 1409, and was put to death at Rouen in 1431.