nor would ever trust it with the liberty of flying

away.

One day, when 2 Mr. Allworthy and his whole family dined at Mr. Western's, 3 Master Blifil, being in the garden with little Sophia, and observing the extreme fondness that she showed for her little bird, desired her to trust it for a moment in his hands. Sophia presently 5 complied with the young gentleman's request, and after some previous caution delivered him her bird; of which he was no sooner in possession, than he slipped the string from its leg, and tossed it into the air.

The foolish animal no sooner perceived itself at liberty, than, forgetting all the favours it had received from Sophia, flew directly from her, and perched on a bough at some distance.

8

Sophia, seeing her bird gone, screamed out so loud,9 that Tom Jones, who was at a little distance, immediately rau 10 to her assistance.

11

He was no sooner informed of what had happened, than he cursed Blifil for a pitiful malicious rascal;12 and then immediately stripping off his coat, he ap

running, and is also used when the point to be reached is not the one on which the mind is dwelling; thus, if, instead of reading about Sophia, and the spot where she was with her bird, we had been entertained with an account of Tom Jones, of his sayings and doings, and of the particular spot where he was, we should have used courir, in our translation, for the point to be reached by him would then have been the farther of the two in our minds.

11 Remember that some neuter verbs, like arriver (to happen,' and also 'to arrive'), venir, devenir, tomber, &c., are conjugated, in their compound tenses, with the auxiliary être, not with avoir. Ses page 66, note 12.

12 traita B- de misérable mé chant drôle.

1

plied himself to climbing the tree to which the bird escaped.2

4

Tom had almost recovered his little namesake, when the branch on which it was perched, and that hung over a canal, broke, and the poor lad plunged over head and ears into the water.5

6

Sophia's concern now changed its object, and, as she apprehended the boy's life was in danger, she screamed ten times louder than before; and indeed Master Blifil himself now seconded her with all the vociferation in his power.7

10

The company, who were sittings in a room next the garden, were instantly alarmed, and came all forth;9 but just as they reached the canal, Tom (for the water was luckily pretty shallow in that part) arrived safely on shore.11

Thwackum fell 12 violently on 13 poor Tom, who stood dripping and shivering before him, when Mr. Allworthy desired him to have 14 patience; and turning to Master Blifil, said, "Pray, child, what is the reason of all this disturbance ?"

Master Blifil answered, "Indeed, uncle, 15 I am very sorry for what I have done. I have been unhappily the occasion of it all.16 I had Miss Sophia's bird in my hand, and thinking the poor creature languished for liberty, I own I could not forbear giving it what it desired, for I always thought there was something very cruel in confining anything.17 It seemed to be against the law of

Nature, by which everything hath a right to liberty; nay, it is even unchristian, for it is not doing what we would be done by. But if I had imagined Miss Sophia would have been so much concerned at it, I am sure I would never have done it; nay 5 if I had known what would have happened to the bird itself, for when Master Jones, who climbed up that tree after it, fell into the water, the bird took a second flight, and presently a nasty hawk carried it " 8 away.

7

Poor Sophia, who now first9 heard of her little Tommy's fate, (for her concern for Jones had prevented her perceiving it when it10 happened,) shed a shower11 of tears. These Mr. Allworthy endeavoured to assuage, promising her a much finer bird; but she declared she would never have 12 another. Her father chid her for 13 crying so for a foolish bird, but 14 could not help telling young Blifil if he was a son of his his back should be well flayed.

15

Sophia now returned to her chamber, the two young gentlemen were sent home, 16 and the rest of the company returned 17 to their bottle, where a conversation ensued on the 18 subject of the bird.-(FIELDING.)

1 en vertu de.

2 bien plus, c'est anti-chrétien. 3 car ce n'est pas faire ce que nous voudrions qu'on nous fit (subj., after vouloir).

I am sure,' certes, here; and put this part of the sentence first, that is, after 'but.')

5 ou même seulement. 6 pour le prendre.-'fell;' translate, has fallen' (see page 116, note 11).

7 s'est envolé de nouveau. 8 et un vilain épervier vient de l'emporter.

now first;' translate, for the first time,' and after the verb. 10 de voir ce qui.

11 torrent.

12 Translate here by the imperfect indicative of vouloir; in the same way we say, e. g., voulez-vous du boeuf, 'will you have some beef?' 13 de.

14 See page 23, note 6.

15

que s'il était son père, il le fouetterait d'importance.—s'il était, literally, if he (Mr. A-); if 'he' was used in the sense of 'that gentleman,' we should rather say c'était instead of il était (see p. 72, note 13): same case as at p. 80, n3.

16 renvoyés (page 28, note 4) chez eux (p. 78, n. ").

17 According to some grammarians, and according to the French Academy itself, le reste must always be followed by the verb, pronoun, &c., in the singular. I beg to dissent from this, on no less an authority than that of Madame de Staël, of Racine, and of other writers, who have used the plural. It is true, that when there is a kind of unanimity, of inseparable unity, among the persons or things mentioned, the singular may be more properly used, as in

SCENE FROM “THE RIVALS.”

Enter Sir Lucius O'Trigger and Bob Acres, with vistols.

Acres. By my valour! then, Sir Lucius, forty yards is good distance. Odds levels and aims!-I say it is a good distance.1

3

Sir L. It is for 2 muskets, or small field-pieces; upon my conscience, Mr. Acres, you must leave these things to me.5 Stay, now I'll show you. (Measures paces along the stage.) There now, that is a very pretty distance-a pretty gentleman's distance. 8

Acres. Zounds! we might as well fight in a sentry-box! I tell you, Sir Lucius, the farther he is off, 10 the cooler I shall take

11

aim.1 my

Sir L. Faith! then 12 I suppose you would aim at him best of all if he was out of sight!

Acres. No, Sir Lucius; but I should think 18 forty, or eight-and-thirty 14 yards—

Sir L. Pho! pho! nonsense! 15 three or four feet between the mouths of your pistols is as good as a mile. 16

the example given by the Academy, "le reste des hommes est de mon avis," that is, they are all of one opinion, of one mind. But here, in our text, had the rest of the company only one bottle to divide among them all? or had they, if not a bottle each, at least more than one for them all? The use of the singular, here, (s'en revint à sa bouteille) might perhaps seem to imply the former, rather than the latter, of these suppositions; which would be absurd.

Acres. Odds bullets, no! by my valour, there is no merit in killing him so near !2 Do, my dear Sir Lucius, let me bring him down at a long shot :3 a long shot, Sir Lucius, if you love me!

Sir L. Well, the gentleman's friend and I must 5 settle that. But tell me now, Mr. Acres, in case of an accident, is there any little will or commission I could execute for you?

Acres. I am much obliged to you, Sir Lucius; but I don't understand

Sir L. Why, you may think there's no being shot at without a little risk; and, if an unlucky bullet should carry a quietus with it-I say it will be no time then to be bothering you about? family matters.

Acres. A quietus!

8

Sir L. For instance, now; if that should be the case, would you choose to be pickled, and sent home? or would it be the same to you to lie here in the Abbey? I'm told there is very snug lying 10 in the Abbey.

Acres. Pickled! Snug lying in the Abbey-Odds tremors !11 Sir Lucius, don't talk so!

Sir L. I suppose, Mr. Acres, you never were engaged 12 in an affair of this kind before?

Acres. No, Sir Lucius, never before.

Sir L. Ah! that's a pity;13 there's nothing like being used to a thing.14 Pray, now,15 how would you receive the gentleman's shot ?16

1 Balles de D-(vulgar).

2 de si près.

3 do; see page 88, note 2; bring him down,' &c., l'abattre à une longue portée.

4 second, in this sense; yet, there is no objection to using ami. 5 See page 65, note 12.

6 Vous devez bien penser qu'on nessuie pas le feu d'un adversaire sans courir quelques petits risques.

et si par malheur une balle vient à (happen to,' 'should,') vous étendre (or, coucher—or, jeter-or, husser) sur le carreau, ce ne sera