Acres. Odds files! I've practised that ;1 there,2 Sir Lucius, there-(puts himself into an attitude)-a sidefront, hey? Odd! I'll make myself small enough :5 I'll stand edgeways.6 Sir L. Now, you're quite out; for if you stand so when I take my aim-(Levelling at him.)s Acres. Zounds, Sir Lucius! are you sure it is not cocked ? 10 Sir L. Never fear. Acres. But-but-you don't know; it may go off of its own head! 11 Sir L. Pho! be easy.12 Well, now,13 if I hit you in the body, my bullet has a double chance; for if it misses a vital part of your right side, 'twill be very hard if it don't succeed 14 on the left. Acres. A vital part! Sir L. But there ; 15 fix yourself so-(Placing him)-let him see the broad-side of your full front; there 16. -now a ball or two may pass clean through your body, and never do you any harm at all. 17 Acres. Clean through me! a ball or two clean through Sir L. Ay, may they ; and it is much the genteelest attitude into the bargain.2 Acres. Lookye !3 Sir Lucius-I'd just as lieve1 be shot in an awkward posture, as a genteel one ;5 so, by my valour! I will stand edgeways. Sir L. (Looking at his watch.) to disappoint us;7 ha! no, faith. coming. Acres. Eh! what! coming! 8 Sure, they don't mean Sir L. Ay, who are those yonder, getting over the stile ?9 11 Acres. There are two of them 10 indeed! well, let them come; hey, Sir Lucius! we-we-we-we-won't run. Sir L. Run! you 12 Acres. No, I say, we won't run, by my valour! Sir L. What the devil's the matter with Acres. Nothing, nothing, my dear friend; my dear Sir Lucius; but I-I-I don't feel 13 quite so bold, somehow, as I did. 14 Sir L. O fie! consider 15 your honour. Acres. Ay, true; my honour; do, Sir Lucius, edge in 16 a word or two, every now and then, 17 about my honour. Sir L. Well, here they're coming. (Looking.) Acres. Sir Lucius, if I wasn't with you I should almost think I was 18 afraid. If my valour should 19 leave me! Valour will come and go.20 Sir L. Then pray keep it fast, while you have it. 1 Eh, mais, sans doute; or, Oui, la chose est possible. 2 en outre; and at the beginning of the sentence. (We also say, in the same sense, Qu'est-ce qui vous prend?) 13 'to feel,' here, se sentir. 14 6 as que tout à l'heure (lit., just now'); see page 48, note 9, and page 34, note 1-'somehow render this by à vrai dire, and put it after mais (but). 15 songez d. 16 m'adresser. 17 de temps à autre. 18 Translate, 'I am afraid.' 19 allait; or, venait à (see above, note 7 of page 120). 20 See page 45, note 4; also page 115, note 14, &c. 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 4 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. 4 que ne suis-je.-' safe;' see page 117, note 11, and always translate it so when it means " unscathed, 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 7. 7 See page 6, note 13. It may be observed here, that the present tense would be preferable, the fact being a constant one. 8 but. 9 Simply, est atteint. 10 y nuire; or, better, le compromettre. 11 from,' here, d.-'all who, &c.; see page 82, note 8. dissemble;1 and that, for himself, if he thought his very cap knew his secrets, he would throw it into the 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. 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. 9 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 1 See p. 92, n. 13, and apply the rule to this case. Leave out 'how,' here, after to know' (savoir). 2 Use connaître, hero. 3 au; it would be speaking too pointedly to use dans, here. 4 de donner avantage sur lui en édant inconsidérément aux siennes. 5 au point. 6 sentiment, or, mouvement. 7 désir. 8 to stimulate,' faire commettre. -'a premature violence,' un acte prématuré de violence. 9 à sa portée. 10 que ce n'était ordinairement que par le succès qu'il avait obtenu qu'on apprenait le but. 11 De même. 12 se changeait en; or, faisait the affairs1 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;2 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 conduct, he was as jealous 13 and suspicious as any tyrant who ever breathed.14 11 12 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. |