Imatges de pàgina
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In spite of oceans and deserts, of hunger and pestilence, of spies and penal laws, of dungeons and racks, of gibbets and quartering-blocks,1 Jesuits were to be found under every disguise, and in every country -scholars, physicians, merchants, serving-men; in the hostile court of Sweden, in the old manor-houses of Cheshire, among the hovels of Connaught: arguing, instructing, consoling, stealing away the hearts of the young, animating the courage of the timid, holding up the crucifix before the eyes of the dying.

Nor was it less their office to plot against the thrones and lives5 of apostate kings, to spread evil rumours, to raise tumults, to inflame civil wars, to arm the hand of the assassin. Inflexible in nothing but in their fidelity to the church, they were equally ready to appeal in her cause to the spirit of loyalty and to the spirit of freedom. Extreme doctrines of obedience and extreme doctrines of liberty-the right of rulers to misgovern the people, the right of every one of the people to plunge his knife in the heart of a bad ruler-were inculcated by the same man, according as he addressed himself to the subject of Philip or to the subject of Elizabeth.

MACAULAY,

"Essay on Ranke's History of the Popes."

GREY FRIARS SCHOOL.

Mention has been made once or twice in the

1 Quartering-blocks, l'écartèlement—2 were to be found, se trouvaient -3 scholars, hommes de lettres nor was it less their office to, et ce n'était pas moins leur mission de (or: il n'entrait pas moins dans leur sphère de)—5 lives, la vie—6 evil, sinistres―7 inflame, allumer— 8 but in, sauf dans.

9 Mention has been made, il a été fait mention.

course of this history of the Grey Friars School,where the Colonel, and Clive, and I had1 been brought up, an ancient foundation of the time of James I., still subsisting in the heart of London city. The death-day of the founder of the place3 is still kept solemnly by Cistercians. In their chapel, where assemble the boys of the school, and the fourscore old men of the hospital, the founder's tomb stands5-a huge edifice, emblazoned with heraldic decorations, and clumsy, carved allegories. There is an old hall, a beautiful specimen of the architecture of James's time; an old hall ?-many old halls; old staircases, old passages, old chambers decorated with old portraits, walking in the midst of which, we walk as it were in the early seventeenth century. To others than Cistercians, Grey Friars is a dreary place possibly. Nevertheless, the pupils educated there love to revisit it; and the oldest of us grow young again for an hour or two as we come back into those scenes of childhood.

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The custom of the school is,10 that on the 12th December, the founder's day, the head gown-boy shall recite a Latin oration in praise Fundatoris Nostri, and upon other subjects; and a goodly company of old Cistercians is generally brought together 12 to attend this oration; after which we go to chapel and hear a sermon; after which we adjourn to a great dinner, where old condisciples meet, old toasts

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1 Had, nous avions-2 in the, au-3 the place, l'institution-4 kept, observé......stands, se trouve...... 6 walking in, etc......the early, au milieu desquels ou se sent comme transporté au commencement du -1 to, pour- as we come back into, en revenant au milieu de of, de notre 10 the custom of the school is, c'est la coutume de l'école11the head gown-boy shall recite, le premier boursier récite-12 is ......brought together, s'assemble.......

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are given,1 and speeches are made. Before marching from the oration-hall to chapel, the stewards of the day's dinner, according to old-fashioned rite, have wands put into their hands, walk to church at the head of the procession, and sit there in3 places of honour. The boys are already in their seats, with smug fresh faces, and shining white collars; the old black-gowned pensioners are on their benches; the chapel is lighted, and Founder's Tomb, with its grotesque carvings, monsters, heraldries, darkles and shines with the most wonderful shadows and lights. There he lies, Fundator Noster, in his ruff and gown, awaiting the great Examination-day. We oldsters,7 be we ever so old, become boys again as we look at9 that familiar old tomb, and think how 10 the seats are altered since we were here, and how the doctornot the present doctor, the doctor of our time-used to sit 12 yonder, and his awful eye used to frighten us shuddering boys, on whom it lighted; 13 and how the boy next us would kick our shins 14 during service time, and how the monitor would cane us afterwards because our shins were kicked. Yonder sit forty cherry-cheeked boys, thinking about home and holidays to-morrow.15 Yonder sit some threescore old gentlemen, pensioners of the hospital, listening to the prayers and psalms. You hear them coughing

1 Given, portés-2 old-fashioned, antique-3 in, à-4 smug fresh faces, des visages frais et heureux-5 shining white, éclatants de blancheur-6 there he lies, c'est là qu'il repose-7 we oldsters, nous autres anciens-8 be we ever so old, si vieux que nous soyons-9 as we look at, en regardant-10 and think how, et nous songeons combien -11 and how, et comme quoi-12 used to sit, s'asseyait-13 on whom it lighted, lorsque son vif regard tombait sur nous 14 the boy next us would kick our shins, notre voisin nous donnait malgré tout des coups de pied dans les jambes 15 thinking about home and holidays tomorrow, qui pensent au foyer paternel et aux vacances de demain.

feebly in the twilight-the old reverend black-gowns. Is Codd Ajax alive, you wonder ?1-the Cistercian lads called the old gentlemen Codds, I know not wherefore-I know not wherefore-but is old2 Codd Ajax alive, I wonder ?3 or Codd Soldier? or kind old Codd Gentleman? or has the grave closed over1 them ? A plenty of candles light up this chapel, and this scene of age and youth, and early memories,5 and pompous death. How solemn the well-remembered prayers are,6 here uttered again in the place where in childhood we used to hear them! How beautiful and decorous the rite; how noble the ancient words of the supplications which the priest utters, and to which generations of fresh children and troops of bygone seniors have cried Amen! under those arches.

THACKERAY, "The Newcomes."

ALARIC BEFORE ROME (A.D. 409).

The last resource of the Romans was in the clemency, or at least in the moderation, of the King of the Goths. The senate, who in this emergency assumed the supreme powers of government, appointed two ambassadors to negotiate with the enemy. This important trust was delegated to Basilius, a senator, of Spanish extraction, and already conspicuous in

1 Is C. A. alive, you wonder? vous vous demandez si C. A. vit encore ?- 2 old, le vieux-3 I wonder, je voudrais bien le savoir4 has......closed over, ......s'est-elle fermée sur 5 early memories, souvenirs d'enfance-6 how solemn the......are, qu'elles sont solennelles,

ces......

7 Trust......delegated, mission......confiée-8 already conspicuous, qui s'était déja distingué.

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the administration of provinces; and to John, the first tribune of the notaries, who was peculiarly qualified, by1 his dexterity in business, as well as by his former intimacy with the Gothic prince. When they were introduced into his presence, they declared, perhaps in a more lofty style than became3 their abject condition, that the Romans were resolved to maintain their dignity, either in peace or war; and that, if Alaric refused them a fair and honourable capitulation, he might sound his trumpets, and prepare to give battle to an innumerable people, exercised in arms and animated by despair. “The thicker the hay, the easier it is mowed," was the concise reply of the barbarian; and this rustic metaphor was accompanied by a loud and insulting laugh, expressive of his contempt for the menaces of an unwarlike populace, enervated by luxury before they were 10 emaciated by famine. He then condescended to fix the ransom which he would accept as the price of his retreat from the walls of Rome: all the gold and silver in the city, whether it werell the property of the State, or of individuals; all the rich and precious moveables, and all the slaves who could prove their title to the name of barbarians. The ministers of the senate presumed to 12 ask in a 13 modest and suppliant tone, "If such, O King! are your demands, what do you intend to leave us ?"-" Your lives!” 14

1 Who was peculiarly qualified by, que rendait particulièrement propre à cette mission-2 as well as by, ainsi que-3 in a more lofty style than became, avec plus de hauteur qu'il ne convenait à-4 prepare to give battle, se préparer à livrer bataille-5 the thicker, plus épais estthe easier it is mowed, plus il est facile à faucher-7 by a loud and, d'un gros--8 expressive, expression-9 unwarlike, efféminée-10 before they were, avant d'être-11 whether it were, que ce fût-12 presumed to, se hasardèrent à-13 in a, d'un-14 your lives, la vie !

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