him all those who seek them with difficulty, through1 judgment, comparison, and experience.

4

Had the first success of Voltaire been less signal ;2 had it not suddenly invested him with a glory which caused him to be sought by men of rank and wealth, he would no doubt have preserved more modesty and caution. The character of his first writings shows us that he did not bring into the world a very independent spirit..... But when the young author, elated by the applause of the theatre, and still more by the flattering familiarity of some great men,5 saw that he had imposed an useless restraint upon himself, and that the more he mocked at all things, the better he should succeed in pleasing those whose friend he flattered himself he was, then he lost by degrees the reserve which he had at first maintained, and was emboldened to speak of all things with irreverence.

6

BARANTE,

"Littérature Française au XVIIIe siècle."

MOUNT VESUVIUS.

The torrent of fire is of a dusky hue; yet when it ignites a vine or a tree, it sends forth 10 a clear bright blaze; but the lava itself is of that lurid tint, such as one imagines infernal fire; it rolls on slowly like

1 With difficulty, through, péniblement, par-2 had, etc.......signal, si les premiers succès de V. eussent été moins éclatants-3 caused him to be sought, le fit rechercher (see note, p. 38)—4 elated by, enivré de-5 great men, grands seigneurs-6 an useless restraint, des bornes inutiles-7 the more he mocked at all things, plus il se jouerait de tout (see note, p. 103)—8 in pleasing, à plaire à-9 was emboldened to, s'enhardit à.

10 It sends forth, on en voit sortir-11 such, etc.......fire, tel qu'on se représente un fleuve de l'enfer.

MOUNT VESUVIUS.

315

4

a sand, black by1 day, red by night. One hears as it approaches a crackling sound, that alarms the more from its slightness,3-cunning seems joined with * strength. Thus secretly advances the royal tiger with stealthy tread. This lava creeps on ever slowly, yet loses not a moment; if it encounter a high wall or any building that opposes its progress, it stops, and heaps against the obstacle its black and bituminous flood, and buries it beneath its burning waves. Its course is not so rapid but that men may fly before it ;7 but like time, it overtakes the old or the imprudent, who from its heavy and silent approach think it 10 easy to escape. Its brightness is so vivid that the earth is reflected 11 in the sky, which appears in 12 perpetual lightning; this again is mirrored 13 in the sea, and all nature glows in 14 their threefold fires.

9

The wind is heard, and its effects perceived 15 as it forms 16 a whirlpool of flame in the gulph whence the lava issues: one trembles at what may be passing 17 in the bosom of the earth, and one feels that a strange fury shakes it beneath one's 18 steps. The rocks which surround the source of the lava are covered with pitch and sulphur, whose colours have something 19 unearthly: 20 a livid green, a tawny brown,21 and a sombre red, form

2

1 By, de- a crackling sound, un petit bruit d'étincelles-3 that, etc.......slightness, qui fait d'autant plus de peur qu'il est léger4 with, "to"-5 with stealthy tread, à pas comptés--6 creeps on, etc. not, avance sans jamais se hâter, et sans perdre 7 but, etc...... before it, pour que les hommes ne puissent pas fuir devant elle8 the old, les vieillards-9 from its, etc......approach, la voyant venir lourdement et silencieusement-10 it, "that it is"-" is reflected, se réfléchit 12 which appears in, et lui donne l'apparence d'un13 this again is mirrored, ce ciel à son tour, se répète-14 glows in, est embrasée par 15 the wind, etc.......perceived, le vent se fait entendre et se fait voir-16 as it forms, par-17 one trembles, etc. ...passing, on a peur de ce qui se passe-18 one's, our" 19 see note, p. 56-20 unearthly, infernal-21 a tawny brown, un jaune

brun.

eye,

3

as it were 1 2 a dissonance to the and distress the sight, just as the ear would be distracted by those harsh cries witches would utter 5 when they conjured down, at midnight, the moon from heaven. All that is

9

near the volcano reminds one of the infernal regions,7 and the descriptions of the poets were no doubt borrowed from hence. There we may conceive how man came to believe in 10 the existence of a power of evil,11 that thwarted the designs of Providence.

MME DE STAËL," Corinne."

A FROST-BITTEN NOSE.

One day I took it into my head to 12 go my rounds 13 on foot.14 I armed myself from head to foot 15 against the inroads 16 of the cold; I enveloped myself in 17 a large Astracan frock-coat, I buried my ears in a 18 furred cap, I wound round my neck a Cashmere scarf, and sallied1o into the street, the only part of my person that was exposed to the air being the tip of my nose.20

At first everything went on admirably; I was even surprised at the little impression the cold made upon me, and I laughed to myself 21 at the many tales I had

1 Form as it were, forment comme- 2 to, pour-3 distress, tourmentent-4 just, etc.......distracted, comme l'ouïe serait déchirée— 5 would utter, faisaient entendre (see note a, p. 54)—6 when they, etc.......from heaven, quand elles appelaient, de nuit, la lune sur la terre- reminds, etc.......regions, rappelle l'enfer-8 from hence, de ces lieux-9 there, c'est là que-10 man came to believe in, les hommes ont cru à-11 a power of evil, un génie malfaisant.

12 I took it into my head to, je me décidai de-13 go my rounds, faire mes courses- 14 on foot, en me promenant-15 from head to foot, de pied en cap-16 inroads, hostilités-17 in, de-18 I buried my ears in a......., je m'enfonçai un......sur les oreilles-19 sallied, je m'aventurai-20° the only, etc.......nose, n'ayant de toute ma personne que le bout du nez à l'air-21 to myself, tout bas.

7

A FROST-BITTEN NOSE.

5

6

317

heard on the subject.1 I was, moreover, delighted that chance had given me this opportunity of becoming acclimatized. However, as the two first pupils on whom I called 2 were not at home, I began to think that chance managed matters too well, when I fancied I saw the people I met looking at me with a certain uneasiness, but still without speaking. Presently a gentleman, more communicative, it would seem, than the rest, said to me in passing, "Nofs!" As I did not know a word of Russian, I thought it was not worth while to stop for the sake of a monosyllable, and I walked on. At the corner of the Rue des Pois, I met an iostchik, who was passing at full speed, driving his sledge; but rapid as was his course, he, too, thought himself bound to speak to me, and called out, "Nofs! nofs!" At length, on reaching 10 the Place de l'Amirauté, I found myself face to face with a mougick, who said nothing at all, but who, picking up a handful of snow, threw himself upon me, and before I could disentangle myself from all my paraphernalia, began toll besmear my 12 face and to rub more especially my nose with 13 all his might.1 I did not much relish the joke,15 especially considering the weather,16 and, drawing one of my arms out of one of my pockets, I dealt him 17 a blow with my fist,18 which sent him rolling 19 ten yards off.20 Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, two peasants just then

1 At the many, etc.......subject, de tous les contes que j'en avais entendu faire-2 on whom I called, chez lesquels je me rendais— 3 managed matters......, faisait......les choses-4 I fancied, etc....... I met, je crus remarquer que ceux que je croisais-5 "were looking at me" it would seem, à ce qu'il paraît-7 the rest, les autres

walked on, continuai mon chemin-9 rapid as was, si rapide que fût-10 on reaching, en arrivant sur-11 began to, se mit à—12 see note, p. 7-13 with, de-14 might, force-15 I did, etc.......joke, je trouvai la plaisanterie assez médiocre—16 considering the weather, par le temps qu'il faisait-17 I dealt him, je lui allongeai-18 with my fist, de poing—19 infinitive—20 ten yards off, à dix pas.

2

6

passed, who, after looking at me for a moment, seized hold of me, and, in spite of my resistance, held me fast by the arms, while my desperate mougick took up another handful of snow, and, as if determined not to be beaten, threw himself once more upon me. 5 This time, taking advantage of my utter inability to defend myself, he began again his frictions. But, though my arms were tied, my tongue was 7 free: imagining myself the victim of some mistake, or of some concerted attack, I shouted most lustily for help.8 An officer came up running, and asked me in French what was the matter.10

13

"What, sir!" I exclaimed, making a last effort, and getting rid of my three men, who, with the most unconcerned air in 11 the world, went on 12 their way, "do you not see what those rascals were doing to me?". "Well, what were they doing to you?"-" Why,18 they were rubbing my face with snow; would you think that a good joke,14 I should like to know,15 in such weather as this ?" 16" But, my good sir, they were rendering you an enormous service," replied my interlocutor, looking at me, as we say, we 17 Frenchmen, in the very white of the eyes."How so?"-"Why of course your nose was being 18 frozen."-" Good heavens !" 19 I exclaimed,

دو

1 Looking at me, m'avoir regardé for, to be left out-3 held me fast by the arms, me maintinrent les bras-4 desperate, enragé-5 if, etc.

9

.beaten, comme s'il ne voulait pas en avoir le démenti- 6 my utter inability to, l'impossibilité où j'étais de 7 though, etc.......was, si j'avais les bras pris, j'avais la langue- I shouted most lustily for help, j'appelai de toute ma force au secours- came up running, accourut10 what was the matter, à qui j'en avais- 11 with the most unconcerned air in, de l'air le plus tranquille de-12 went on, se remirent à continuer- 13 why, mais-14 a good joke, une plaisanterie de bon goût-15 I should like to know, par hasard-16 in such weather as this, avec le temps qu'il fait 17 see note 1, p. 69—18 why, etc............... being, sans doute, vous aviez le nez-19 good heavens, miséricorde.