which his master had him taken care of,22 and ever after acknowledged his obligation to this little animal as the preserver of his life. Thus his love and fidelity had their full reward.

MORAL.-The poorest man may repay his obligations23 to the richest and greatest, by faithful and affectionate service; the meanest creature may obtain the favour and regard25 of the Creator himself, by humble gratitude and stedfast obedience.

AVERSION SUBDUED.

A DRAMA.

SCENE. A Road in the Country.
Arbury and Belford, walking.

Bel. Pray, who is the present possessor of the Brookby estate ?2
Arb. A man of the name of Goodwin.

Bel. Is he a good neighbour to you ?3

Arb. Far from it; and I wish he had settled a hundred miles off, rather than come here to spoil our neighbourhood.

Bel. I am sorry to hear that; but what is your objection to him?1 Arb. Oh, there is nothing in which we agree. In the first place, he is quite of the other side in politics; and that, you know, is enough to prevent all intimacy.

Bel. I am not entirely of that opinion. But what else?

Arb. He is no sportsman, and refuses to join our association for protecting the game. Neither does he choose to be a member of any of our clubs.

Bel. Has he been asked ??

Arb. I don't know that he has1o directly; but he might easily propose himself if he liked it. But he is of a close unsocial temper, and I believe very niggardly.

Bel. How has he shown it?

what regards the first part of the sentence "I should wish," and as to the manner of expressing distance from any place.

6 When "to hear" means "to learn," translate it by apprendre, and not by entendre.

7 Turn: "of what do you complain?' or "what has he done to you?"

8 Turn: "he does not like hunting." (The same observation may be made upon "neither" as was made upon "nor." See No. 8 to the fable of "The Little Dog.")

9 Turn by the active voice.

10 In such a case as this, indicating doubt, we often use Je ne sache pas, (or) non pas que je sache.

Arb. His style of living is not equal to his fortune; and I have heard of several instances of his attention to petty economy.

Bel. Perhaps he spends his money in charity.

Arb. Not he, I dare say. It was but last week that a poor fellow, who had lost his all by a fire, went to him with a subscription paper, in which were the names of all the gentlemen in the neighbourhood; and all the answer he got was, that he would consider of it.

Bel. And did he consider?

Arb. I don't know, but I suppose it was only an excuse. Then his predecessor had a park well stocked with deer, and used to make liberal presents of venison to all his neighbours. But this frugal gentleman has sold them all off, and got a flock of sheep instead.12 Bel. I don't see much harm in that, now mutton is so dear.

Arb. To be sure he has a right to do as he pleases with his park ; but that is not the way to be beloved, you know. As to myself, I have

reason1s to think he bears me particular ill will.16

Bel. Then he is much in the wrong; for I believe you are as free from ill will to others as any man living. But how has he shown it, pray?

Arb. In twenty instances. He had a horse upon sale the other day, to which I took a liking,18 and bid money for it. As soon as he found I was about it, he sent it off to a fair on the other side of the county. My wife, you know, is passionately fond of cultivating flowers. Riding 19 lately by his grounds, she observed something new, and took a great longing for a root or cutting of it. My gardener mentioned her wish to his (contrary, I own, to my inclination), and he told his master; but, instead of obliging her, he charged the gardener on no account to touch20 the plant. little while ago, I turned off a man for saucy behaviour; but as he had lived many years with me, and was a very useful servant, I meant to take him again upon22 his submission, which,23 I did not doubt, would soon happen. Instead of that, he goes and offers himself to my civil neighbour, who, without deigning to apply to me, even for a character, entertains him immediately. In short, he has not the least of a gentleman about him, and I would give anything to be well rid25 of him.

Bel. Nothing, to be sure, can be more unpleasant in the country than a bad neighbour, and I am concerned it is your lot to have one. But there is a man who seems as if he wanted to speak with you.

11 Turn: "His manner of living is not proportionate to his fortune."

12 Remplacer.

13 De.

14 If expressed, this expression should be transposed.

15 J'ai lieu, or sujet, or des raisons. 16 En vouloir à, an idiom.

17 Vous êtes aussi peu capable de haine "as any man living," "que qui que ce soit.

18 Turn: "which pleased me."

[A countryman approaches.

19 Turn: "Passing lately on horseback (cr) in a carriage."

20 Toucher, to touch; toucher à, to meddle with.

21 "To mean " is expressed either by vouloir, avoir intention, se proposer. 22 Turn: "after an act of his submission," or "if he would apologise." 23 As "which" refers to an action expressed by a verb, use ce qui.

24 Turn: "He has not at all the manners of a gentleman" (un homme comme il faut).

25 "To get rid of," se défaire de.

Arb. Ah! it is the poor fellow that was burnt out.26 Wel, Raid, how go you on?-what has the subscription produced you?

Richard. Thank your honour,27 my losses are nearly all made up. Arb. I am very glad of that; but when I saw the paper last, it did not reach half way.

Rich. It did not,28 sir; but you may remember asking29 me what Mr. Goodwin had done for me, and I told you he took time to consider of it. Well, sir, I found that the very next day he had been at our town, and had made very particular inquiry3° about me and my losses among my neighbours. When I called upon him, in a few days after, he told me he was very glad to find that I bore such a good character, and that the gentlemen round had so kindly taken up my case;31 and he would prevent the necessity of my going any further for relief. Upon which he gave me, God bless him! a draft3ž upon his banker for fifty pounds. Arb. Fifty pounds!

Rich. Yes, sir: it has made me quite my own man again;33 and I am now going to purchase a new cart and team of horses.

Arb. A noble gift, indeed; I could never have thought it. Well, Richard, I rejoice at your good fortune I am sure you are much obliged to Mr. Goodwin.

Rich. Indeed I am, sir; and to all my good friends.

you !34

Bel. Niggardliness, at least, is not this man's foible.

God bless

[Goes on.

Arb. No; I was mistaken in that point. I wronged him, and I am sorry for it. But what a pity it is that men of real generosity should not be amiable in their manners, and as ready to oblige in trifles as in matters of consequence.

Bel. True; 'tis a pity when that is really the case.35

Arb. How much less an exertion it would have been36 to have shown

some civility about a horse or a flower-root!

Bel. A propos of flowers, there's your gardener carrying a large one in a pot.

Enter Gardener.

Arb. Now, James, what have you got there?

Gard. A flower, sir, for Madam, from Mr. Goodwin's.

Arb. How did you come by it?

Gard. His gardener, sir, sent me words to come for it. We should have had it before, but Mr. Goodwin thought it would not more safely. Arb. I hope he has got more of them.

Gard. He has only a seedling plant38 or two, sir; but hearing that Madam took a liking to1o it, he was resolved to send it her, and a choice thing it is !41 I have a note for Madam in my pocket.

Arb. Well, go on.

[Exit Gardener.

Bel. Methinks this does not look like deficiency in civility.

Arb. No; it is a very polite action-I can't deny it; and I am obliged to him for it. Perhaps, indeed, he may feel he owes me a little amends.12

Bel. Possibly. It shows he can feel, however.

Arb. It does.

Ha! there's Yorkshire Tom coming with a string43 of horses from the fair. I'll step up and speak to him.-[Enter Tom.] Now, Tom, how have horses gone at Market-hill ?

Tom. Dear enough, your honour.

Arb. How much more did you get for Mr. Goodwin's mare than I offered him?

Tom. Ah! sir, that was not a thing for your riding, and that Mr. Goodwin well knew. You never saw such a vicious toad.44 She had liked to have killed the groom two or three times. So I was ordered to offer her to the mail-coach people, and get what I could from them. I might have sold her better if Mr. Goodwin would have let me, for she was a fine creature to look at as need be, and quite sound.46

Arb. And that was the true reason, Tom, why the mare was not sold to me?

Tom. It was, indeed, sir.

Arb. Then I am highly obliged to Mr. Goodwin. [Tom rides on.] This was handsome behaviour indeed!

Bel. Yes, I think it was somewhat more than politeness: it was real goodness of heart.

Arb. It was. I find I must alter my opinion of him, and I do it with pleasure. But, after all, his conduct with respect to my servant is somewhat unaccountable.

Bel. I see reason to think so well of him in the main, that I am inclined to hope he will be acquitted in this matter too.

Arb. There the fellow is; I wonder he has my old livery on yet. [Ned approaches, pulling off his hat.

Ned. Sir, I was coming to your honour.

Arb. What can you have to say to me now, Ned?

Ned. To ask pardon, sir, for my misbehaviour, and beg you to take me again.

Arb. What! have you so soon parted with your new master?

Ned. Mr. Goodwin never was my master, sir. He only kept me in his house till I could make it up with18 you again; for he said he was sure you were too honourable a gentleman to turn off49 an old servant

without good reason, and he hoped you weald admit my excuses after your anger was over.

Arb. Did he say all that?

Ned. Yes, sir; and he advised me not to delay any longer to ask your pardon.

Arb. Well, go to my house, and I will talk with you on my return. Bel. Now, my friend, what think you of this?

Arb. I think more than I can well express. It will be a lesson to me never to make hasty judgments again.

Bel. Why, indeed, to have concluded that such a man had nothing of the gentleman about him must have been rather hasty.

Arb. I acknowledge it. But it is the misfortune of these reserved characters that they are so long in making themselves known;50 though, when they are known, they often proves the most truly estimable. I am afraid, even now, that I must be content with13 esteeming him at a distance.54

Bel. Why so?

Arb. You know I am of an open sociable disposition.

Bel. Perhaps he is so too.

Arb. If he was, surely we should have been better acquainted before this time.55

Bel. It may have been prejudice, rather than temper, that has kept you asunder.

Arb. Possibly so. That vile spirit of party had such a sway in the country, that men of the most liberal dispositions can hardly free themselves from its influence. It poisons all the kindness of society; and yonder comes an instance of its pernicious effects.

Bel. Who is he?

56

Arb. A poor schoolmaster, with a large family, in the next markettown, who has lost all his scholars by his activity on our side in the last election. I heartily wish it was in my power to do something for him; for he is a very honest man, though perhaps rather too warm. [The schoolmaster comes up.

Now, Mr. Penman, how go things with you? Penman. I thank you, sir, they have gone poorly enough; but I hope they are in a way to mend.

Arb. I am glad to hear it ;-but how?

Pen. Why, sir, the free-school of Stokes' is vacant, and I believe I am likely to get it.

50 Se faire connaître. This is a construction which differs from the English; that is, two verbs coming together, the latter, governed by the first, is always in the infinitive, present tense.

51 Quoique, quand would be harsh; therefore it had better be turned another way: quoique leur nature, or leur conduite une fois connue, or mise à décou

vert.

52 Leur attire, or leur gagne, or leur merite, l'estime générale.

53 The literal, être content de, signifies "to be glad of;" but here, "to be

"

content means "to be satisfied, not to require more," which expression is translated by se contenter de; that is, Je crains qu'il ne faille me contenter de l'estimer, &c.

54 De loin would hardly give the meaning; it is better therefore to turn it by "without cultivating his acquaintance."

55 Turn: "There is a long time that," &c., or "we should have known (lies) since a long time."

56"Father of a numerous family." 57 La chaire.