MOSES AT THE FAIR.

As the fair happened1 on the following day, I had intentions of going myself; but my wife persuaded me that I had got a cold, and nothing could prevail upon her to permit me from home.5 "No, my dear," said she, "our boy Moses is a discreet boy, and can buy and sell to very good advantage; you know all our great bargains are of his purchasing. He always stands out and higgles, and actually tires them 1o till he gets a bargain.' 11

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As I had some 12 opinion of my son's prudence, I was willing enough to13 entrust him with this commission; and the next morning14 I perceived his sisters mighty busy in fitting out 15 Moses for the fair; trimming his hair,16 brushing his buckles, and cocking his 17 hat with pins. The business of the toilet being over, 18 we had at last the satisfaction of seeing him mounted upon the colt, with a deal box before him,19 to bring home groceries in.20 He had on 21 a coat made of that cloth they call thunder-and-lightning, which, though grown 22 too short, was 23 too good to be thrown away.24 His waistcoat was of gosling green,25 and his

3

1 Happened, se tenait-2 on the, le-3 of going, d'y aller-4 got to be left out permit me from home, me laisser sortir-6 my dear, mon ami- to very good advantage, fort avantageusement-8 great bargains are of his purchasing, bonnes acquisitions, c'est lui qui les a faitesstands out, tient ferme-10 actually tires them, il fatigue son monde11 he gets, il ait fait-12 some, assez bonne-13 I was willing enough to, je consentis à-14 next morning, lendemain matin-15 in fitting out, à bichonner-16 trimming his hair, à le friser-17 brushing his...... cocking his, à lui nettoyer ses......à lui relever son-18 being over, terminée-19 with a deal box before him, flanqué d'une boite de sapin _20 to bring home...in, dans laquelle il devait rapporter-21 on to be left out- 22 grown, devenu—23 was, était encore 24 thrown away, mis de côté-25 of gosling green, vert d'oie.

sisters had tied his1 hair with a broad black ribbon. We all followed him several paces from the door, bawling after him,3 "Good luck! good luck!" till we could see him no longer.

"But as I live,1 yonder comes Moses,5 without a 6 horse, and the box on his back."

As she spoke, Moses came slowly on foot, and sweating beneath the deal box which he had strapped round his shoulders like a pedlar. "Welcome! welcome, Moses! Well, my boy, what have you' brought us from the fair?" "I have brought you myself," cried Moses with a sly look,10 and resting.ll the box on the dresser. "Ay, Moses," cried my wife, "that we know; but where is the horse? "I have sold him," cried Moses, "for three pounds five shillings and twopence." "Well done,12 my good boy," returned she; "I knew you would touch them off. 13 Between ourselves, three pounds five shillings and twopence is no bad day's work.14 Come, let us have it, then." 15 "I have brought back no money, cried Moses again; "I have laid it all out in 16 a bargain, and here it is,"17 pulling out a bundle from his breast.18 "Here they are a gross of green spectacles, with silver rims,19 and shagreen cases." 20 "A gross of green spectacles!" repeated my wife, in

1 Had...his, lui avaient...les-2 several, à quelques- .....after him, lui...... as I live, sur ma vie-5 yonder comes Moses, voici Moïse qui revient-6 a to be left out-7 his, le-8 which he had strapped round his shoulders, qu'il s'était attachée sur le dos-9 you, tu 10 with a sly look, d'un air malin-1 and resting, en posant-12 well done, à la bonne heure-13 I knew you would touch them off, je savais bien que tu leur en ferais voir-14 is no bad day's work, ce n'est pas une mauvaise journée-15 come, let us have it then, voyons, donne-lesmoi-16 in, à—17 and here it is, que voici--18 from his breast, de sa veste-19 with silver rims, à montures d'argent-20 and...cases, et avec des étuis de....

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a faint voice. "And you have parted with the colt, and brought us back nothing but a gross of green paltry 2 spectacles!" "Dear mother," cried the boy, 'why won't you listen to reason ?3 I had them a dead bargain, or else I should not have bought them. The silver rims alone will sell for double the money. "A fig for the silver rims!" cried my wife in a passion.o "I daresay they won't sell for above half the money 10 at the rate of broken silver, five shillings an ounce." "You need be under no uneasiness," 12 cried I, "about selling 13 the rims, for they are not worth sixpence; for I perceive they are only copper varnished over." "What!" cried my wife, "not 15 silver! the rims not silver!" "No," cried I,16 "no more silver than your saucepan." "And so," returned she,17 "we have parted with the colt, and have only got 18 a gross of green spectacles, with copper rims and shagreen cases! A murrain take such trumpery! 19 The blockhead has been imposed upon,20 and should have known his company better!" 21 "There, my dear," cried 1,23 "you are wrong; he should not have known them at all." "Marry, hang the idiot! "24 returned she,25 "to bring

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1 In a, d'une-2 paltry, méchantes-3 listen to reason, entendre raison- I had them a dead bargain, j'ai fait un admirable marchéor else, autrement-6 will sell for double the money, se vendront le double de la somme-7 a fig for, foin des in a passion, en colère9 I daresay, je suis sûre que- 10 for above half the money, pour plus de la moitié de la somme-11 an, 1-12 you need be under no uneasiness, ne vous mettez pas en peine-13 about selling, de la vente de-14 they are only copper varnished over, elles sont tout bonnement en cuivre verni -15 not, pas en-16 and 17 cried I and returned she, better omitted18 got to be left out—19 a murrain take such trumpery! au diable l'escroquerie !20 the blockhead has been imposed upon, l'imbécile s'est laissé duper-21 and should have known his company......, il aurait dû ......connaitre son monde-22 there, quant à cela-23 and 25 cried I and returned she, better omitted as above-24 hang the idiot! peste du sot!

me such stuff;1 if I had them 2 I would throw them in the3 fire." "There again you are wrong, my dear," cried I,5 "for though they be copper, we will keep them by us; as copper spectacles, you know,8 are better than nothing."

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By this time the unfortunate Moses was undeceived.10 He now11 saw that he had indeed been imposed upon 12 by a prowling 13 sharper, who, observing his figure,14 had marked him for an easy prey. I therefore asked him the circumstances 15 of his deception.16 He sold 17 the horse, it seems, and walked the fair in search of18 another. A reverend-looking 19 man brought him to a tent under pretence of having one 20 to sell. "Here," 21 continued Moses, "we met another man, very well dressed, who desired to borrow twenty pounds upon these, saying that he wanted money, and would dispose of them 23 for a third of their value. The first gentleman, who pretended to be my friend, whispered me to buy them, and cautioned me not to let so good an opportunity pass.2 I sent for 26 Mr. Flamborough, and they talked him up as finely as they did me; 27 and so at last 28

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1 Such stuff, de pareilles drogues-2 if I had them, si je les tenais3 in the, au- there again, ici encore-5 cried I, better omitted-6 by us, par devers nous (may be left out)-7 as, car-8 you know, entendezvous-9 are better, valent mieux- 10 by, etc.......undeceived, le pauvre M. était maintenant revenu de son erreur-or: les yeux du pauvre M. se dessillèrent en ce moment-11 now to be left out-12 imposed upon, dupé-13 prowling, aux aguets-14 observing his figure, sur sa mine-15 circumstances, détails-16 deception, mésaventure-17 sold, avait vendu 18 walked the fair in search of, se promenait dans la foire en en cherchant 19 reverend-looking, à figure respectable-20 of having one, qu'il en avait un 21 here, là-2 these, ces lunettes23 would dispose of them, qu'il les donnerait-24 whispered me to, me conseilla tout bas de-25 cautioned me not to let...pass, m'engagea à ne pas laisser échapper-26 I sent for, j'envoyai chercher 27 they, etc. ......me, ils l'éblouirent, comme moi, par de belles paroles-28 and so at last, si bien qu'à la fin.

we were persuaded to buy the two gross between

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us.

GOLDSMITH, "Vicar of Wakefield."

THE PORT-ROYAL SOCIETY.

Every lover of letters has heard of3 this learned society, which contributed so greatly to establish in France a taste for just reasoning, simplicity of style, and philosophical method. Their "Logic, or the Art of Thinking," for its lucid, accurate, and diversified matter,5 is still an admirable work; notwithstanding the writers had to emancipate themselves from the barbarism of the scholastic logic. It was the conjoint labours of Arnauld* and Nicole. Europe has benefited by the labours of these learned men; 10 but not many have attended to11 the origin and dissolution of this literary society.

9

In the year 1637, Le Maistre, a 12 celebrated advocate, resigned 13 the bar, and 14 the honour of being Conseiller d'Etat, which his uncommon merit had obtained him, though then only 15 twenty-eight years of age.16 His brother, De Sericourt, who had followed the military profession, quitted it at the same

1 We were persuaded to, nous consentîmes à-2 between us, à nous deux.

3 Has heard of, a entendu parler de- greatly, puissamment-5 for its lucid, accurate, aud diversified matter, pour la lucidité, la précision, et la variété de la matière-6 still, encore aujourd'hui-7 notwithstandiug......had, bien que......aient eu-8 the conjoint labour, l'œuvre en commun-9 has benefited by, a profité de-10 learned men, savants11 not many have attended to, peu se sont enquis de 12 a to be left out-13 resigned, renonça à-14 and, et à 15 though then only, bien qu'il n'eût alors que-16 of age to be left out.

* See Biographical notice in Appendix.