2 8 and administer to an honest pride in their own minds, will by no means, alas! do their business in the world.1 Prudence and circumspection are necessary even to the best of men. They are, indeed, as it were, a guard to Virtue, without which she can never be safe. It is not enough that your designs, nay, that your actions are intrinsically good; you must take care they shall appear so.5 If your inside be never so beautiful, you must preserve a fair outside also. This must be constantly looked to, or malice and envy will take care to blacken it so, that the sagacity and goodness of an Allworthy will not be able to see through it,9 and to discern the beauties within. Let this, my young readers, be your constant maxim, that no man can be good enough to enable him 10 to neglect the rules of prudence; nor 11 will Virtue herself look beautiful, unless she be bedecked with the outward ornaments of decency 12 and decorum. And this precept, my worthy disciples, if you read with due attention, you will, I hope, find 13 sufficiently enforced by examples 14 in the following pages. 16 I ask pardon for this short appearance, by way 15 of chorus, on the stage.1 It is in reality for my own sake that,17 while I am discovering the rocks on which innocence and goodness often split,18 I may not be misunderstood to 2 recommend1 the very means to my worthy readers by which I intend to show them they will be undone.3 Aud this, as I could not prevail on any of my actors to speak, I myself was obliged to declare.—(FIELDING, Tom Jones.) A PRETTY QUARREL BETWEEN MASTER TOM JONES AND HIS PLAYMATE. THE matter which put an end to the debate mentioned in the last chapter, was no other than a quarrel between Master Blifil and Tom Jones, the consequence of which had been a bloody nose to the former; for though Master Blifil, notwithstanding he was the younger, was, in size, above the other's match, yet Tom was much his superior at the noble art of boxing. 6 8 Tom, however, cautiously avoided all engagements7 with that youth; for, besides that Tommy Jones was an innofensive lad amidst all his roguery, and really loved Blifil, Mr. Thwackum, being always second of the latter, would have been sufficient to deter him.9 But well says a certain author, 10 "No man is wise at all hours." ." It is, therefore, no wonder 12 that a boy is not so. conditional, in French. Et comme je n'ai pu décider aucun de mes acteurs à se charger de cette déclaration, je me suis vu obligé de la faire moi-même. 5 L'incident.-'put an end to :' leave out 'an,' in the translation. avait l'avantage de la taille. 7 'engagements,' d'en venir aux mains; and render 'all' by toujours (see page 19, note 5). 8 un vaurien assez inoffensif. 9 c'en était assez pour le retenir. 10 Mais un auteur dit, avec rai Use the singular. 12 Il n'est donc pas étonnant; followed by the subjunctive.— 9 boy,' un enfant, here. son. 3 A difference1 arising at play between the two lads, Master Blifil called Tom a beggarly wretch.2 Upon which the latter, who was somewhat passionate in his disposition, immediately caused that phenomenon in the face of the former, which we have above mentioned.1 5 Master Blifil now, with the blood running from his nose, and the tears galloping after from his eyes, appeared before his uncle and the tremendous Thwackum; in which court an indictment of an assault, battery, and wounding, was instantly preferred against Tom, who, in his excuse, only pleaded the provocation, which was, indeed, all the matter that Master Blifil had omitted. 6 It is, indeed, possible that this circumstance might have escaped his memory ;7 for, in his reply, he positively insisted that he had made use of no such appellation; adding, "Heaven forbids such naughty words should ever come out of my mouth." 9 Tom, though against all form of law, rejoined in the affirmance of the words.10 Upon which Master Blifil said, "It is no wonder. Those who will tell one fib, will hardly stick at another.11 If I had told 12 my master such a wicked fib as you have done,13 I should be ashamed to show my face." 14 "What fib, child?" cries Thwackum, pretty eagerly. 66 'Why he told you that nobody was with him a shooting when he killed 15 the partridge; but he knows," (here he 1 différend, in the sense of 'dis- fût sortie de la (page 11, note 1) pute, 'quarrel.' mémoire. 2 vilain gueux. 3 qui était un peu emporté de su nature; or, qui avait souvent la tête un peu près du bonnet (fam.). 4 le phénomène susmentionné. 5 le nez ruisselant de sang et les yeur ruisselants de pleurs, à qui mieux mieux. 6 tribunal où fut déposée (see page 3. note 3, and page 28 note 4) aussitôt contre Tom une plainte d'attaque, voies de fait et blessure. Put a full stop here, and begin, Celui-ci. 7 eût (subjunc., after possible) échappé de sa mémoire; or, lui 8 A Dieu ne plaise (see page 51, note 1). 9 Translate, 'should ever have come out' (the compound of the present subjunctive, in French); see page 116, note 11. 10 renouvela ses affirmations. 11 quand on a menti une fois on ne craint guère de mentir deux. 12 We say, in French, faire, as well as dire, un mensonge. 6 13 wicked,' impudent, here.as you have done;' simply, que le vôtre. 14 de me montrer. 15 Leave out why.'-Translate, when he has killed.' 1 burst into a flood of tears,) "yes, he knows, for he confessed it to me, that Black George, the gamekeeper, was there. Nay, he said-yes, you did-deny it if you can,3 that you would not have confessed the truth, though master had cut you to pieces."4 6 8 At this 5 the fire flashed from Thwackum's eyes, and he cried out in triumph, "Oh! oh! this is your mistaken notion of honour! This is the boy who was not to be whipped again !"7 But Mr. Allworthy, with a more geutle aspect, turned towards the lad, and said, "Is this true, child? How came you to persist so obstinately in a falsehood?" Tom said, "He scorned a lie as much as any one; but he thought his honour engaged him to act as he did; for he had promised the poor fellow to conceal him ;10 which,” he said, "he thought himself further obliged to do, as 11 the gamekeeper had begged him not to go into the gentleman's manor,12 and had, at last, gone himself in compliance with his persuasions." 13 He said, "This was the whole truth of the matter,14 and he would take his oath 15 of it ;" and he concluded with very passionately begging Mr. Allworthy to have compassion on 16 the poor fellow's 17 family, especially as he himself only had been 18 guilty, and the other had been with difficulty prevailed on to do what he did. “In 1 éclata en sanglots. 2 Même il a dit, - oui, vous l'avez dit. 3 See p. 5, n. 14, and p. 44, n. 4. Authors, as has been said, often dispense with le, in such cases: taste and euphony must sometimes decide the propriety of its use or omission here the use of this pronoun would be inelegant, on account of its repetition at so short an interval. 4 quand notre maître vous aurait mis en pièces. 5 A ces mots. Strange enough, we here use mots, and yet, in these words' would be en ces termes (not mots). 6 voilà votre fausse idée. page 97, note 8 See à qui il ne fallait plus donner le fouet. deed, sir," said he, "it could hardly be called a lie that I told; for the poor fellow was entirely innocent of the whole matter.2 I should have gone3 alone after the birds; nay, I did go at first, and he only followed me to prevent more mischief. Do pray,5 sir, let me be punished; take my little horse away again; but, pray, sir, forgive poor George."7 Mr. Allworthy hesitated a few moments, and then dismissed the boys, advising them to live more friendly and peaceably together.-(FIELDING.) SOPHIA'S LITTLE BIRD. 8 TOM JONES, when very young, had presented Sophia with a little bird, which he had taken from 10 the nest, had nursed up, and taught to sing.11 Of this bird, Sophia, then about thirteen years old, was so extremely fond, 12 that her chief business was to feed and tend it, and her chief pleasure to play with it. By these means Tommy (for so the bird was called) 13 was become so tame, that it would feed out of 14 the hand of its mistress, would perch upon her finger, and lie contented 15 in her bosom, where it seemed sensible of its own happiness; 16 though she always kept a small string about its leg,17 1 Translate, 'what I have told can hardly be called (page 8, note 15, page 9, note 12, page 104, note 12; and others) & lie.' 2 Leave out of the whole matter.' 3 Use courir (to run), here. 7 The verb pardonner requires vous ont fait. 8 See page 29, note 12 11 See page 60, note 3. 12 Sophie, qui avait alors environ treize ans, aimait si passionnément cet oiseau. 13 (c'était le nom de l'oiseau). 14 See page 45, note, and page 61, note 15 et dormait tranquillement. 16 Put a full stop here (see page 24, note 3); and begin Cependant. 17 about,' à. its leg;' see page 11, note 1. J Z |