to offer their thoughts,1 are far your inferiors. It is true indeed, that a great misfortune is apt to weaken the mind and disturb the understanding.2 This, indeed, might be some pretence to us to administer our consolations, if we had been wholly strangers to the person gone. But, my Lord, whoever had the honour to know her, wants a com forter as much as your Lordship; because, though their loss is not so great, yet they have not the same firmness and prudence to support the want of a friend, a patroness, 5 a benefactor, as you have to support that of a daughter. My Lord, both religion and reason forbid me to have the least concern for that lady's death, upon her own account;7 and he must be an ill Christian, or a perfect stranger to her virtues, who9 would not wish himself, with all submission to God Almighty's will, in her condition. But your Lordship, who hath lost such a daughter, and we, who have lost such a friend, and the world, which hath lost such an example, have,10 in our several degrees,11 greater cause to lament than, perhaps, was ever given by any private person 12 before.1 For, my Lord, I have sat down to think of 13 every amiable quality that could enter into the composition of a lady,14 and could not single out one which she did not 15 possess in as high a perfection as human nature is capable of.16 But, as to your Lordship's own particular,17 as it is an inconceivable misfortune to 18

1 croiraient pouvoir dire leur 10 See page 65, note 12. 11 chacun pour notre part respec

sentiment.

2 Translate, 'may sometimes disturb weaken the mind and (troubler) the exercise of its (page 37, note 4) faculties.' 8 qui n'est plus. 4 privation.

5 protectrice.

8 que-see page 10, note 3: p. 3, note 18; and p. 40, note 4. pour elle-même.

7

8 ou un.

9 ou dans une ignorance complète des vertus de la défunte-for the sake of clearness, here, as son, sa, ses, mean 'his' (and its') as well as 'her.'-'who,' thus placed; see page 92, note 1o

tive.

12 que l'on n'en a jamais eu de déplorer une perte particulière quelconque; and put perhaps ' before greater.'

13 Simply, j'ai réfléchi à.

14 Turn, susceptible (page 164, note 1) of uniting to constitute a Lady (une femme estimable, in this sense).'

15 See page 35, note 20,

16 Translate, the highest degree of perfection to which.... can reach.'

17 antiquated, for 'own self,' oi 'own person."

18 See page 138, note 7.

have lost such a daughter, so it is a possession which few can boast of, to have had such a daughter. I have often said to your Lordship that I never knew any one, by many degrees, so happy in their domestics as you ;2 and I affirm so still, though not by so many degrees ;3 from whence it is very obvious that your Lordship should reflect upon what you have left, and not upon what you have lost.

To say the truth, my Lord, you began to be too happy for a mortal; much more happy than is usual with the dispensations of Providence long to continue. You had been the great instrument of preserving your country from foreign and domestic ruin; you have had the felicity of establishing your family in the greatest lustre, without any obligation to the bounty of your prince, or any industry9 of your own; you have triumphed over 10 the violence and treachery of your enemies by your courage and ability, and, by the steadiness of your temper, over the inconstancy and caprice of your friends. Perhaps your Lordship has felt too much complacency within yourself, upon this universal success; and God Almighty, who would not disappoint 12 your endeavours for the public, thought fit to punish you with a domestic loss, where 13 he knew your heart was most exposed; and at the same time has fulfilled his own wise purposes, 14 by rewarding in

1 Turn, so it is a blessing (bien) which few can boast of possessing' -see page 1, note 12. It is a possession.. to have had, see page 60, note 2.

2 à beaucoup près aussi heureux dans son cercle domestique qu'ellemême. In such cases as this (with 'Lordship,' 'Majesty,' &c.), the French logically keep to the use of the third person (elle-même in our translation), instead of passing at once to the second (you,' in our text). See the LA FONTAINE, page 15, line 10 and following.'domestics;' see, for a use of this word in nearly the same sense, page 62, note

3 though,' &c., mais je dirai atte fois à moins de chose près.

4 what is left-remains you (to it-note 2, above).'

to

5 Turn, than one is (see p. 5, n. 14, and p. 30, n. 11) usually long by the dispensations of Providence.'

6 Translate, You had powerfully contributed to preserve.'

7 de la ruine qu'entraînent les guerres étrangères et les dissensions intestines (or, les guerres civiles).

8without owing anything.' "'or; see page 42, note 7.'industry,' in this sense, effort, or travail, or peine. 10 de. 11 une trop grande satisfaction intérieure de.

12 faire échouer; or, trahir. 13 là où. 14his,' les.-'own,' qui lui son. propres; and at the end.

N

a better life that excellent nature he has taken from

you.

I know not, my Lord, why I write this to you, nor hardly what I am writing. I am sure it is not from any compliance with form; it is not from thinking2 that I can give your Lordship any ease: I think it was an impulse upon me that I should3 say something. And whether I shall send you what I have written, I am yet in doubt.

WORLDLY MOTIVES.4

Ir a fault may be found with Mrs. Bute's arrangements, it is this, that she was too eager :5 she managed rather too well; undoubtedly she made Miss Crawley more ill than was necessary; and though the old invalid succumbed to 6 her authority, it was so harassing and severe, that the victim would be inclined to escape 7 at the very first chance which fell in her way. Managing women, the ornaments of their sex,- women who order everything for everybody, and know so much better10 than any person

1 pour satisfaire aux exigences de. 2 in the idea.'

8 que je me suis senti entraîné dans mon cœur à; or, qu'une voix intérieure m'a crié qu'il fallait que je (see page 22, note 9).

Motifs intéressés.

5 S'il y avait un reproche à adresser à Mme B-, c'était d'apporter trop d'ardeur à l'exécution de ses plans.

6 sous-succomber sous, implies the idea of a weight, under which we bend, whereas succomber à implies the idea of a struggle, wherein we are overcome, as, succomber à la tentation, à la douleur, &c. But, here, the best rendering for to succumb under an (or, her) authority' will be courber la tête sous le joug, as an idea of voluntary submission, rather than

9

concerned, what is good for their neighbours, don't sometimes speculate upon the possibility of a domestic revolt, or upon other extreme consequences resulting from their overstrained authority.1

Thus, for instance, Mrs. Bute, with the best intentions no doubt in the world, and wearing herself to death 2 as she did by foregoing sleep, dinner, fresh air, for the sake of her invalid sister-in-law, carried her conviction of the old lady's illness so far, that she almost managed her into her coffin. She pointed out her sacrifices and their results one day to the constant apothecary, Mr. Clump.

66

"I am sure, my dear Mr. Clump," she said, no efforts of mine have been wanting to restore 5 our dear invalid, whom the ingratitude of her nephew has laid on the bed of sickness. I never shrink from personal discomfort: I never refuse to sacrifice myself."

"Your devotion, it must be confessed, is admirable,” Mr. Clump says, with a low bow ;9 “but”

"I have scarcely closed my eyes 10 since my arrival: I give up sleep, health, every comfort, to my sense of 11 duty. When my poor James was in 12 the small-pox, did I allow any hireling to nurse him? No."

"You did what became an excellent mother, my dear Madam-the best of mothers; but".

"As the mother of a family and the wife13 of an English clergyman, I humbly trust 14 that my principles are good,” 15 Mrs. Bute said, with a happy solemnity of conviction; and, as long as Nature supports me, never, never, Mr. Clump, will I desert 16 the post of duty.17 Others may

66

je puis me donner ce témoignage de n'avoir négligé aucune tentative pour rendre

la santé à.

6

ce lit de douleur.

'pure.'

16 Turn, 'never, as long as (tam que) nature supports (page 52

7 See page 67, note 16, and page note 2) me, I will desert."

149, note 15.

8 dévouement.

17 la place ou mon devoir m'en. chaine.

bring that gray head with sorrow on the bed of sickness' (here Mrs. Bute, waving her hand, pointed to one of old Miss Crawley's coffee-coloured fronts, which was perched on a stand in the dressing-room), "but I will never quit it. Ah, Mr. Clump! I fear, I know, that2 that couch needs spiritual as well as medical consolation."

"What I was going to observe, my dear Madam,”here the resolute Clump once more interposed with a bland air" what I was going to observe when you gave utterance to sentiments which do you so much honour, was that I think you alarm yourself needlessly about our kind friend, and sacrifice your own health too prodigally in her favour."5

"I would lay down my life for my duty, or for any member of my husband's family," Mrs. Bute interposed.

"Yes, Madam, if need were; but we don't want Mrs. Bute Crawley to be a martyr," Clump said gallantly. "Dr. Squills and myself have both considered Miss Crawley's case with every anxiety and care, as you may suppose. We see her low-spirited and nervous;9 family events have 10 agitated her."

"Her nephew will come to perdition," Mrs. Crawley

cried.

"Have agitated her and you arrived like a guardian angel, my dear Madam, a positive 12 guardian angel, I assure you, to soothe her under the pressure of calamity. But Dr. Squills and I were thinking 13 that our amiable friend is not in such a state as renders 14 confinement to her bed necessary.15 She is depressed, but this confinement perhaps

1 See page 148, note 12.

2 'I fear,' &c., je ne le sais que trop

Turn, as much the spiritual assistance (secours, plur.) as that (plur.) of the physician.'

4 se décida à dire Clump.

5 et que vous faites à cause d'elle bon marché de votre santé.

trop

'I would give.'

7 See page 4, note 1.

9 Nous l'avons trouvée dans un état de faiblesse et de surexcitation

nerveuse.

10

'affairs had.'-'to agitate,' here, mettre tout en émoi.

se perdra.

12 positively a.'

13 Use the present.

14 See p. 38, n. 3, and p, 35, n. 29. 15 The following turn will be the best, as 'confinement,' in this

and I.'-'have see page 65, sense, can hardly be rendered very

note 12.

idiomatically by a noun- the