perhaps　to　take　a　walk；　and　who　knows　but　that　from　such　excursions
  both　his　mind　and　body　may　derive　more　benefit　than　from　books　and
  school？　　Many　people　go　to　sleep　to　escape　from　idleness；　the
  Spaniards　do；　and；　according　to　the　French　account；　John　Bull；　the
  'squire；　hangs　himself　in　the　month　of　November；　but　the　French；
  who　are　a　very　sensible　people；　attribute　the　action　A　UNE　GRANDE
  ENVIE　DE　SE　DESENNUYER；　he　wishes　to　be　doing　something；　say　they；
  and　having　nothing　better　to　do；　he　has　recourse　to　the　cord。
  It　was　for　want　of　something　better　to　do　that；　shortly　after　my
  return　home；　I　applied　myself　to　the　study　of　languages。　　By　the
  acquisition　of　Irish；　with　the　first　elements　of　which　I　had　become
  acquainted　under　the　tuition　of　Murtagh；　I　had　contracted　a　certain
  zest　and　inclination　for　the　pursuit。　　Yet　it　is　probable　that　had
  I　been　launched　about　this　time　into　some　agreeable　career；　that　of
  arms　for　example；　for　which；　being　the　son　of　a　soldier；　I　had；　as
  was　natural；　a　sort　of　penchant；　I　might　have　thought　nothing　more
  of　the　acquisition　of　tongues　of　any　kind；　but；　having　nothing　to
  do；　I　followed　the　only　course　suited　to　my　genius　which　appeared
  open　to　me。
  So　it　came　to　pass　that　one　day；　whilst　wandering　listlessly　about
  the　streets　of　the　old　town；　I　came　to　a　small　book…stall；　and
  stopping；　commenced　turning　over　the　books；　I　took　up　at　least　a
  dozen；　and　almost　instantly　flung　them　down。　　What　were　they　to　me？
  At　last；　coming　to　a　thick　volume；　I　opened　it；　and　after
  inspecting　its　contents　for　a　few　minutes；　I　paid　for　it　what　was
  demanded；　and　forthwith　carried　it　home。
  It　was　a　tessaraglot　grammar；　a　strange　old　book；　printed　somewhere
  in　Holland；　which　pretended　to　be　an　easy　guide　to　the　acquirement
  of　the　French；　Italian；　Low　Dutch；　and　English　tongues；　by　means　of
  which　any　one　conversant　in　any　one　of　these　languages　could　make
  himself　master　of　the　other　three。　　I　turned　my　attention　to　the
  French　and　Italian。　　The　old　book　was　not　of　much　value；　I　derived
  some　benefit　from　it；　however；　and；　conning　it　intensely；　at　the
  end　of　a　few　weeks　obtained　some　insight　into　the　structure　of
  these　two　languages。　　At　length　I　had　learnt　all　that　the　book　was
  capable　of　informing　me；　yet　was　still　far　from　the　goal　to　which
  it　had　promised　to　conduct　me。　　'I　wish　I　had　a　master！'　I
  exclaimed；　and　the　master　was　at　hand。　　In　an　old　court　of　the　old
  town　lived　a　certain　elderly　personage；　perhaps　sixty；　or
  thereabouts；　he　was　rather　tall；　and　something　of　a　robust　make；
  with　a　countenance　in　which　bluffness　was　singularly　blended　with
  vivacity　and　grimace；　and　with　a　complexion　which　would　have　been
  ruddy；　but　for　a　yellow　hue　which　rather　predominated。　　His　dress
  consisted　of　a　snuff…coloured　coat　and　drab　pantaloons；　the　former
  evidently　seldom　subjected　to　the　annoyance　of　a　brush；　and　the
  latter　exhibiting　here　and　there　spots　of　something　which；　if　not
  grease；　bore　a　strong　resemblance　to　it；　add　to　these　articles　an
  immense　frill；　seldom　of　the　purest　white；　but　invariably　of　the
  finest　French　cambric；　and　you　have　some　idea　of　his　dress。　　He　had
  rather　a　remarkable　stoop；　but　his　step　was　rapid　and　vigorous；　and
  as　he　hurried　along　the　streets；　he　would　glance　to　the　right　and
  left　with　a　pair　of　big　eyes　like　plums；　and　on　recognising　any　one
  would　exalt　a　pair　of　grizzled　eyebrows；　and　slightly　kiss　a　tawny
  and　ungloved　hand。　　At　certain　hours　of　the　day　be　might　be　seen
  entering　the　doors　of　female　boarding…schools；　generally　with　a
  book　in　his　hand；　and　perhaps　another　just　peering　from　the　orifice
  of　a　capacious　back　pocket；　and　at　a　certain　season　of　the　year　he
  might　be　seen；　dressed　in　white；　before　the　altar　of　a　certain
  small　popish　chapel；　chanting　from　the　breviary　in　very
  intelligible　Latin；　or　perhaps　reading　from　the　desk　in　utterly
  unintelligible　English。　　Such　was　my　preceptor　in　the　French　and
  Italian　tongues。　　'Exul　sacerdos；　vone　banished　priest。　　I　came
  into　England　twenty…five　year　ago；　〃my　dear。〃'
  CHAPTER　XV
  Monsieur　Dante　…　Condemned　musket　…　Sporting　…　Sweet　rivulet　…　The
  Earl's　Home　…　The　pool　…　The　sonorous　voice　…　What　dost　thou　read？
  …　Man　of　peace　…　Zohar　and　Mishna　…　Money…changers。
  So　I　studied　French　and　Italian　under　the　tuition　of　the　banished
  priest；　to　whose　house　I　went　regularly　every　evening　to　receive
  instruction。　　I　made　considerable　progress　in　the　acquisition　of
  the　two　languages。　　I　found　the　French　by　far　the　most　difficult；
  chiefly　on　account　of　the　accent；　which　my　master　himself　possessed
  in　no　great　purity；　being　a　Norman　by　birth。　　The　Italian　was　my
  favourite。
  'Vous　serez　un　jour　un　grand　philologue；　mon　cher；'　said　the　old
  man；　on　our　arriving　at　the　conclusion　of　Dante's　Hell。
  'I　hope　I　shall　be　something　better；'　said　I；　'before　I　die；　or　I
  shall　have　lived　to　little　purpose。'
  'That's　true；　my　dear！　philologist　…　one　small　poor　dog。　　What
  would　you　wish　to　be？'
  'Many　things　sooner　than　that；　for　example；　I　would　rather　be　like
  him　who　wrote　this　book。'
  'Quoi；　Monsieur　Dante？　　He　was　a　vagabond；　my　dear；　forced　to　fly
  from　his　country。　　No；　my　dear；　if　you　would　be　like　one　poet；　be
  like　Monsieur　Boileau；　he　is　the　poet。'
  'I　don't　think　so。'
  'How；　not　think　so？　　He　wrote　very　respectable　verses；　lived　and
  died　much　respected　by　everybody。　　T'other；　one　bad　dog；　forced　to
  fly　from　his　country　…　died　with　not　enough　to　pay　his　undertaker。'
  'Were　you　not　forced　to　flee　from　your　country？'
  'That　very　true；　but　there　is　much　difference　between　me　and　this
  Dante。　　He　fled　from　country　because　he　had　one　bad　tongue　which　he
  shook　at　his　betters。　　I　fly　because　benefice　gone；　and　head　going；
  not　on　account　of　the　badness　of　my　tongue。'
  'Well；'　said　I；　'you　can　return　now；　the　Bourbons　are　restored。'
  'I　find　myself　very　well　here；　not　bad　country。　　Il　est　vrai　que　la
  France　sera　toujours　la　France；　but　all　are　dead　there　who　knew　me。
  I　find　myself　very　well　here。　　Preach　in　popish　chapel；　teach
  schismatic；　that　is　Protestant；　child　tongues　and　literature。　　I
  find　myself　very　well；　and　why？　　Because　I　know　how　to　govern　my
  tongue；　never　call　people　hard　names。　　Ma　foi；　il　y　a　beaucoup　de
  difference　entre　moi　et　ce　sacre　de　Dante。'
  Under　this　old　man；　who　was　well　versed　in　the　southern　languages；
  besides　studying　French　and　Italian；　I　acquired　some　knowledge　of
  Spanish。　　But　I　did　not　devote　my　time　entirely　to　philology；　I　had
  other　pursuits。　　I　had　not　forgotten　the　roving　life　I　had　led　in
  former　days；　nor　its　delights；　neither　was　I　formed　by　Nature　to　be
  a　pallid　indoor　student。　　No；　no！　　I　was　fond　of　other　and；　I　say
  it　boldly；　better　things　than　study。　　I　had　an　attachment　to　the
  angle；　ay；　and　to　the　gun　likewise。　　In　our　house　was　a　condemned
  musket；　bearing　somewhere　on　its　lock；　in　rather　antique
  characters；　'Tower；　1746'；　with　this　weapon　I　had　already；　in
  Ireland；　performed　some　execution　among　the　rooks　and　choughs；　and
  it　was　now　again　destined　to　be　a　source　of　solace　and　amusement　to
  me；　in　the　winter　season；　especially　on　occasions　of　severe　frost
  when　birds　abounded。　　Sallying　forth　with　it　at　these　times；　far
  into　the　country；　I　seldom　returned　at　night　without　a　string　of
  bullfinches；　blackbirds；　and　linnets　hanging　in　triumph　round　my
  neck。　　When　I　reflect　on　the　immense　quantity　of　powder　and　shot
  which　I　crammed　down　the　muzzle　of　my　uncouth　fowling…piece；　I　am
  less　surprised　at　the　number　of　birds　which　I　slaughtered　than　that
  I　never　blew　my　hands；　face；　and　old　honeycombed　gun；　it　one　and
  the　same　time；　to　pieces。
  But　the　winter；　alas！　（I　speak　as　a　fowler）　seldom　lasts　in　England
  more　than　three　or　four　months；　so；　during　the　rest　of　the　year；
  when　not　occupied　with　my　philological　studies；　I　had　to　seek　for
  other　diversions。　　I　have　already　given　a　hint　that　I　was　also
  addicted　to　the　angle。　　Of　course　there　is　no　comparison　between
  the　two　pursuits；　the　rod　and　line　seeming　but　very　poor　trumpery
  to　one　who　has　had　the　honour　of　carrying　a　noble　firelock。　　There
  is　a　time；　however；　for　all　things；　and　we　return　to　any　favourite
  amusement　with　the　greater　zest；　from　being　compelled　to　relinquish
  it　for　a　season。　　So；　if　I　shot　birds　in　winter　with　my　firelock；　I
  caught　fish　in　summer；　or　attempted　so　to　do；　with　my　angle。　　I　was
  not　quite　so　successful；　it　is　true；　with　the　latter　as　with　the
  former；　possibly　because　it　afforded　me　less　pleasure。　　It　was；
  indeed；　too　much　of　a　listless　pastime　to　inspire　me　with　any　great
  interest。　　I　not　unfrequently　fell　into　a　doze；　whilst　sitting　on
  the　bank；　and　more　than　once　let　my　rod　drop　from　my　hands　into　the
  water。
  At　some　distance　from　the　city；　behind　a　rang