IV.

Bess, who died soon after he was full grown[1], and whose death was occasioned by his being turned (S. 161, N. 21, and S. 87, N. 6) into his box, which had been washed, while it was yet damp[2], was a hare of great humour and drollery[3]. Puss was tamed by gentle usage; Tiny was not to be tamed at all; and Bess had a[4] courage and confidence that made him tame from the beginning[5]. I always admitted them into the parlour after supper, when (S. 131, N. 4), the[6] carpet affording their feet a firm hold, they would frisk, _and_ bound, and play _a_ thousand gambols, in[7] which Bess, being remarkably strong and fearless, was always superior to the rest. One evening, the cat being in the room, it had the hardiness to pat Bess upon the cheek, an indignity which[8] he resented by drumming upon her (S. 43, N. 9, _B_) back with such violence that the cat was happy to escape from _under_ his paws, and[9] hide herself.

I describe the animals as having had each a character of his own[10]. Such they were in fact[11], and their countenances were so expressive of that character, that, when I looked only on the face of either, I immediately knew which it was[12].—WILLIAM COWPER, “THE GENTLEMAN’S MAGAZINE, 1784.”

[1] +völlig ausgewachsen sein.+

[2] which — damp = which after having been washed (+nach der Reinigung+) was yet damp.

[3] = was a very facetious _and_ droll hare.

[4] = so much.

[5] = that he became tame from the very (+gleich im+) beginning.

[6] Place the clause ‘the — hold’ after ‘they — gambols’: To play gambols, +possierliche Luftsprünge machen+.

[7] in which = in (+bei+) which games.

[8] an indignity which = which offence.

[9] Say ‘and to be able to hide herself’.

[10] as — own = as if each of the same had had (Pluperf. Subj.) his own character.

[11] = That was however (+aber auch+) really the case.

[12] that — was = that from (+aus+) the face of each I could at once distinguish (+erkennen+) who it (= he) was.

_Section 191._

PRINCE BISMARCK’S HOME[1].

After crossing the threshold I found myself in a small, plain apartment—the reception-room—in the centre of which stands a simple little polished table with four legs. This is a relic of historical significance. A brass plate let into the square top[2] bears _the_ following inscription: “At this table the preliminaries of peace between Germany and France were signed, February 26th, 1871, at Versailles, No. 14 Rue de Provence.” In the centre of the table is[3] a round piece _of_ green cloth, and on it are visible a number of spots[4] caused by (S. 185, N. 26) the drippings[5] from the candles used on the momentous occasion of the negotiations between the Chancellor and Jules Favre[6]. The table was the property of the lady in whose house the Chancellor was quartered[7], and of whom he bought it. In the same room stands a gigantic wardrobe richly sculptured[8], and a second wardrobe (S. 5, N. 2), according to Castellan (S. 10, N. 2) Hackmack’s explanation, was made from[9] the wood of a linden tree, in the shade of which Prince Bismarck, when a[10] merry student at Göttingen, had frequently reposed. The adjoining room is the Prince’s study. A bookcase contains a small library[11] for immediate use and for reference, among its books being a French account of[12] the peace negotiations of 1871. The writing-desk occupies the centre of the room. A polished fire-screen, highly[13] ornamented and of Asiatic origin, is a present from the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. On the mantel-piece stands a bronze statuette, about three feet high, representing the Grand Elector—a present from the Emperor. A slip of paper attached to the Marshal’s baton in the Elector’s outstretched hand, bears the Imperial autograph[14]: “To[15] Prince Bismarck—Christmas, 1880,—W.” On the wall, behind the statuette, hangs, in a richly gilt frame, a painting by[16] Hünten, representing the attack of dragoons of the guard on French infantry at Mars-la-Tour; the Chancellor’s two sons, Herbert and William, being[17] in the midst of the fight.—THE CORRESPONDENT OF THE LONDON “DAILY NEWS.”

[1] here +Hauseinrichtung+.

[2] here +Tisch+; the plate was let into the table, +die Platte war in den Tisch hineingelegt+.

[3] = lies.

[4] and — spots = and upon the same one sees still some spots.

[5] +das Lecken+; render ‘from the’ by the Gen. of the def. art., and turn ‘used — negotiations’ by ‘during the momentous negotiations’.

[6] +~Jules Favre~, geboren den 21. März 1809 zu Lyon, machte sich zuerst als Redner und gewandter Advokat einen Namen, beschäftigte sich jedoch später auch mit der Politik, wo er stets zur demokratischen Partei gehörte. Nach der Februarrevolution von 1848 wurde er Generalsekretär im Ministerium des Innern, dann Mitglied der Nationalversammlung, in der er als Gegner des zum Präsidenten gewählten Prinzen Ludwig Napoleon auftrat. Im Jahre 1858 in den gesetzgebenden Körper gewählt, wurde er nach dem Sturze des Kaiserreichs und der Erklärung der Republik Mitglied der Regierung der Nationalverteidigung und Minister des Äußern, als welcher er im Jahre 1871 zu Versailles und Frankfurt a/M mit dem Fürsten Bismarck über den Frieden unterhandelte. Am 2. August 1871 zog er sich jedoch vom politischen Leben zurück und starb am 19. Januar 1880.+

[7] = lived (S. 116, N. 17).

[8] richly sculptured, +mit reicher Bildhauerarbeit verziert+, which use attributively, as explained in S. 7, N. 3, _A_; ‘wardrobe’, here +Wandschrank+.

[9] +aus+.

[10] when a = as.

[11] Supply ‘intended’ (+bestimmt+) here, and place the words ‘intended for (+zu+, contracted with the def. art.) — reference’ before ‘library’.

[12] +über+.

[13] +höchst künstlerisch+; and — origin = and made (+verfertigen+) in Asia, all to be placed before ‘screen’.

[14] +trägt die vom Kaiser eigenhändig geschriebenen Worte.+

[15] +Dem.+

[16] +von.+

[17] = are, +sich befinden+.

_Section 192._

ROYAL BENEVOLENCE.

Frederick the Great, King of Prussia[1], once rang the bell[2] of his cabinet; but as nobody answered[3], he opened the door of the ante-chamber, and there found his page fast asleep[4] upon a chair[5]. He went up to awake him, but, coming nearer, he observed a paper in his pocket, upon which something was written[6]. This excited his curiosity. He pulled it out, and found that it was a letter from the page’s mother, the contents of which were nearly as follows[7]: “She returned her son many thanks[8] for the money he had saved out of his salary and sent to her, which had proved a very timely assistance[9]. God would certainly reward him for it, and if he continued to serve God and his king faithfully and conscientiously, he could not fail of success[10] and prosperity in this world[11].” Upon reading (S. 55, N. 1) this, the king stepped softly into his closet, fetched a rouleau[12] _of_ ducats, and put it with the letter into the page’s pocket (S. 43, N. 9, _B_). He then rang again till the page awoke and came into his closet. “You have[13] been asleep, I suppose?” said the king. The page could not deny it, stammered out an excuse[14], put, in his embarrassment, his hand into his pocket, and felt the rouleau _of_ ducats. He immediately pulled it out, turned[15] pale, and looked at the king with tears in his eyes. “What is the matter with you?” said the king. “Oh!” replied the page, “somebody has contrived[16] my ruin: I know nothing of this money.” “What God bestows[17],” resumed the king, “He bestows in sleep. Send the money to your mother (App. § 5), give my respects to her[18], and inform her that I will take care[19] of both her and you.”—W. BUCK.

[1] +=Friedrich der Große=, König von Preußen, wurde am 24. Januar 1712 in Berlin geboren und war der Sohn des Königs Friedrich Wilhelm I, der den den Künsten und Wissenschaften ergegeben Jüngling oft tyrannisch und hart behandelte und ihn selbst gegen seine Neigung im Jahre 1733 mit der Prinzessin Elisabeth Christine von Braunschweig-Bevern vermählte. Nach dem Tode seines Vaters bestieg er am 31. Mai 1740 den preußischen Thron, auf dem er bald Gelegenheit fand, seine bedeutenden Talente als Staatsmann und Feldherr zu bethätigen. Die Geschichte nennt ihn wohl mit Recht den größten Fürsten, Feldherrn und Staatsmann seiner Zeit, und als er am 17. August 1786 auf seinem Lustschlosse zu Sanssouci starb, hinterließ er seinem Nachfolger ein um 1325 Quadratmeilen vergrößertes Reich, einen Schatz von über 70 Millionen Thalern, eine Armee von 200,000 Mann und einen kräftig emporblühenden Staat.+

[2] to ring the bell, +die Glocke ziehen+; of = in.

[3] = appeared.

[4] +in tiefem Schlafe+.

[5] Supply here +sitzen+.

[6] The clause ‘upon — written’ may be briefly rendered by ‘+beschrieben+’, to be placed before paper, inflected as an adj.

[7] were ... as follows, +folgendermaßen lautete+.

[8] to return a person many thanks, +einem vielmals danken+. Construe this and the following passages according to App. §§ 28, 30 and 31.

[9] Place the words ‘sent to her’ before ‘money’, attributively, and render ‘which — assistance’ by +und ihr sehr gelegen gekommen sei+.

[10] You cannot fail of success, +das Glück kann dir nicht fehlen+.

[11] = life.

[12] +Rolle+, f.

[13] = Thou hast, after which place the adv. +wohl+ = I suppose.

[14] = stammered some words of (+der+) excuse.

[15] = became.

[16] +ersonnen+.

[17] = gives.

[18] give — her, +grüße sie von mir+.

[19] to take care of a person, +für einen sorgen+; of — you = of both of you. He saw both of us, +Er sah uns beide+.

_Section 193._

TELEGRAPHY (S. 3, N. 2) AMONG BIRDS.

I watch[1] a flock[2] _of_ crows who, by some own correspondent of theirs, have learned that Farmer Blyth will hold a ploughing match on his grounds[3], and have in consequence summoned their brethren[4] to a diet _of_ worms. How unconcerned they look, as if worms were nothing to them[5]! How grave, as if it were an Ecclesiastical Convocation[6], and they had no thought of earthly things[7]! Yet point[8] a gun, or anything like it towards them, and in a moment (App. § 14) the young birds even whose backs seemed turned to you[9] will give a flutter[10] of their wings, which appears an involuntary struggle[11], but in reality is as significant a danger-signal as a red flag on a railway[12], and is sufficient to clear the field. Nor [= And yet ... not] are those crows exceptionally wise. All their feathered brethren[13] have made a sacred compact[14] that never with their consent shall salt be put upon their tails. The sparrows are not so idle that[15] they do not pass the word to each other when crumbs are falling thick[16] from some rich man’s table. The doves, though they look so innocent (S. 27, N. 8) do not spend[17] all their time in cooing love-songs and cradle-lullabies[18], or in pruning their rainbow-feathers. They have a Telegraphy of their own[19], and[20] by a mere peck, or a [+das+] ruffle of their feathers, can direct each other to the fields where the autumn wheat[21] is germinating best, or[22] the garden where the green peas are fullest and brightest[23].—PROFESSOR C. WILSON.

[1] +beobachten.+

[2] +Schar+, f.

[3] to hold a ploughing match on one’s grounds, +auf seinem Felde pflügen lassen+.

[4] = friends; ‘diet’, here +Gericht+, n.

[5] This is nothing to me, +dies geht mich nichts an+. See App. § 33.

[6] +Kirchenversammlung+, f.

[7] to have no thought of earthly things, +an nichts Irdisches denken+.

[8] The huntsman pointed a gun towards me, +der Jäger richtete eine Flinte auf mich+.

[9] whose — you = that apparently seemed to turn their (S. 43, N. 9, _B_) back to thee.

[10] to give a flutter, +eine leichte flatternde Bewegung machen+; of = with.

[11] an involuntary struggle = quite involuntary (+unwillkürlich+).

[12] = in the railway-service (S. 36, N. 7, _A_).

[13] = All birds.

[14] Supply ‘among (+unter+) one another’ here.

[15] +als daß+; to pass the word = to give a hint.

[16] to fall thick, +im Überflusse auf die Erde fallen+.

[17] +verbringen.+

[18] in — lullabies, +mit dem Girren von Liebes- und Wiegenliedern+.

[19] We have a library of our own, +wir haben unsere eigene Bibliothek+.

[20] Here follows the verb ‘can’; supply ‘with the beak’ after ‘peck’.

[21] = where the wheat in autumn.

[22] The prep. ‘to’ must be repeated here.

[23] = stand thickest and best (+schön+). See S. 183, N. 24.

_Section 194._

THE HANSE[1].