coast grows almost within water-mark. A fisherman's cottage peeped from among 2 the trees. Even at this dead hour of night there were lights moving3 upon the shore probably occasioned by the unloading a smuggling lugger from 5 the Isle of Man, which was lying in the bay. On the light from the sashed door of the house being observed, a halloo from the vessel," Ware hawk! Douse the glim!" alarmed those who were on shore, and the lights instantly disappeared.8 12 It was one hour after midnight, and the prospect around was lovely. The grey old towers of the ruin, partly entire, partly broken-here bearing the rusty weather stains of ages, and there partially mantled with 10 ivy, stretched along the verge of the dark rock which rose on the right hand 11 of Mannering. In front was the quiet bay, whose little waves, crisping and sparkling 13 to the moonbeams, rolled successively along its surface, and dashed with a soft and murmuring ripple against 14 the silvery beach. To the left, the woods advanced far into 15 the ocean, waving in the moonlight along ground of an undulating and varied form,16 and presenting those varieties of light and shade, and that interesting combination of glade and thicket, upon which the eye delights to rest, charmed with what it sees, yet curious to pierce still deeper 17 into the intricacies of the woodland scenery.18 1 presque jusqu'à l'endroit atteint par les marées. 2 perçait à travers; or, On y remarquait, à travers . . . &c. 3 Même à cette heure avancée de la nuit, des lumières allaient et venaient (or, on voyait des lumières se promener). éclairant sans doute le.'smuggling lugger;' lougre de contrebandiers. 5 venant de. 6 which was lying;' simply, et à l'ancre. 7 Turn, 'As soon as they perceived,' &c.; or, 'At the sight of,' &c. 8 on cria du navire: "Gare à vous, éteignez !" et à ce cri d'alarme, toutes les lumières du rivage disparurent à l'instant. Above rolled the planets, each, by its own liquid orbit of light, distinguished1 from inferior or more distant stars. So strangely can imagination deceive even those by whose volition it has been excited,2 that Mannering, while gazing upon these brilliant bodies, was half-inclined3 to believe in the influence ascribed to them by superstition over human events.(W. SCOTT, Guy Mannering.) LADY MONTAGU TO MRS. THISTLETHWAYTE. [A familiar Letter.] Adrianople, April 1, 1718. I CAN now tell dear Mrs. Thistlethwayte that I am safely arrived at the end of my very long journey. I will not tire you with the account of the many fatigues I have suffered. You would rather be informed of the strange things that are to be seen here ;10 and a letter out of Turkey that has nothing extraordinary in it,11 would be as great a disappointment as my visitors will receive at London if I return thither without any rareties to show them. What shall I tell you of 12-You never saw 13 camels in your life; and perhaps the description of them will appear ... pensed with. Thus, either translate, tell my dear,' &c., or, tell you, dear (or, my dear),' &c.: the latter turn, however, is preferable. 7 See page 28, note 4. 8 See page 1, note 12 and page 32, note 12. 9 Vous aimerez mieux (aimer mieux is used like the Latin malo). 10 qu'on voit ici; or, de ce pays. 11that has... in it,' qui ne contiendrait; or, qui ne racon terait. 12 See page 1, note 18, new to you: I can assure you the first sight of them was so to me; and though I have seen hundreds of pictures of those animals, I never saw any that was resembling enough to give a true idea of them. I am going to make a bold observation, and possibly a false one, because nobody has ever made it before me; but I do take them to be of the stag kind;4 their legs, bodies, and necks are exactly shaped like them, and their colour very near the same. 'Tis true they are much larger, being a great deal higher than a horse; and so swift, that, after the defeat of Peterwaradin, they far outran7 the swiftest horses, and brought the first news of the loss of the battle to Belgrade.S They are never thoroughly tamed; the drivers take care to tie them one to another with strong ropes, fifty in a string, led by an ass, on which the driver rides. I have 10 seen three hundred in one 11 caravan. They carry the third part more than any 12 horse; but 'tis a particular art to load them, because of the bunch on their backs. They seem to 1 Je vais vous en parler: ce sera du nouveau pour vous. Put a full stop here, as well as after 'life.' J'ai été, je vous assure, bien étonnée la première fois que j'en ai vu. 3 In such cases, the noun must be repeated, in French. Je classe le chameau dans la famille des cerfs. 5 Translate, its.' 6 pelage. 7 les chameaux prirent le pas sur ・ (or, gagnèrent... de vitesse). This expression, prendre le pas, however, is more frequently used in the sense of 'to take precedence.' 6 8 Turn, and it was (ce furent, plural) they which brought the first to Belgrade (page 22, note 1) the news of the loss of the battle.' The French say, as the English, putting the verb in the singular, c'est nous (it is we), and c'est vous (it is you); but they say, putting it in the plural, ce sont eux-or, elles (it is they); and this, not only in the present tense, but in All tenses and moods, the only ex 5 me very ugly creatures; their heads being ill-formed and disproportioned to their bodies. They carry all the burdens; and the beasts destined to the plough are buffaloes, an animal you are also unacquainted with.1 They are larger and more clumsy 2 than an ox; they have short, thick, black horns close to their heads, which grow turning backwards. They say this horn looks very beautiful when 'tis polished. They are all black, with very short hair on their hides, and have extremely little white eyes, that make them look like devils. The country people dye their tails, and the hair of their forehead, by way of ornament.7 Horses are not put here to any laborious work, nor are they at all fit for it.9 They are beautiful and full of spirit,10 but generally little and not strong, as the breed of colder countries; 11 very gentle, however, with all their vivacity, and also swift and sure-footed.12 I have a little white favourite that I would not part with on any terms :13 he prances under me with so much fire, you would think that 14 I had a great deal of courage to dare to mount him; yet, I'll assure you,15 I never rid a horse so much at my command 16 in my life. Here are some little birds held in 17 a sort of religious reverence, and for that reason they multiply prodigiously : turtles 18 on the account of their innocence; and storks, because they are supposed to make every winter the pil 1 'an animal;' see page 27, note 8 are also,' &c., ne connaissez pas non plus. 2 pesants. 3 close,' &c., qui s'étendent en arrière de leurs têtes. 4 corne, bien polie, sert à faire de beaux ouvrages. 5 Translate, simply, "Their hair (poil, speaking of animals) is black and short.' 6 Turn, which (page 8, note 6) renders them somewhat similar to the devil.' 7 Turn, 'To embellish them, dye their tail (page 11, note and 6) ; and also p. 12, notes and the hairs of their (la) head.' 8 On ne fait pas ici travailler grimage to Mecca. To say truth, they are the happiest subjects2 under the Turkish government, 3 and are so sensible of their privileges, that they walk the streets without fear, and generally build in the low parts 5 of houses. Happy are those whose houses are so distinguished, as the vulgar Turks are perfectly persuaded that they will not be that year attacked either by fire or pestilence. I have the happiness of one of their sacred nests under my chamberwindow.8 Now I am talking of my chamber, I remember the description of the houses here will be as new to you as any of the birds or beasts. I suppose you have read in most of our accounts of Turkey, that the houses 10 are the most miserable pieces of building11 in the world. I can speak very learnedly on that subject,12 having been in so many of them ;13 and I assure you 'tis no such thing.14 We are now lodged in a palace belonging to the grand-signior. 1 really think the manner of building here very agreeable, and proper for the country. 'Tis true they are not at all solicitous 15 to beautify the outsides of their houses,1 and they are generally built of wood, which I own is the cause of many inconveniences; but this is not to be charged on the ill taste of the people, but on the oppres 1 de. note 4. 2 êtres. 17 16 -'Mecca;' see page 21, or, sciemment-savamment―en (or, 3 Turn, in Turkey' (page 32, note 6). avec) connaissance de cause. 13 Turn, for I have seen many of them (en, before the verb).' 14 que rien n'est moins vrai; or, qu'il n'en est rien. We 15 qu'on n'est pas très soucieux 16 de la beauté des façades. |