of　the　House　of　Lancaster；　than　the　ILIAD　itself。　　The　events
  described　are　as　lofty　as　those　sung　by　Homer　in　his　great　work；
  and　the　characters　brought　upon　the　stage　still　more　interesting。
  I　think　Hotspur　as　much　of　a　hero　as　Hector；　and　young　Henry　more
  of　a　man　than　Achilles；　and　then　there　is　the　fat　knight；　the
  quintessence　of　fun；　wit；　and　rascality。　　Falstaff　is　a　creation
  beyond　the　genius　even　of　Homer。'
  'You　almost　tempt　me　to　read　Shakespeare　again　…　but　the　Germans？'
  'I　don't　admire　the　Germans；'　said　the　youth；　somewhat　excited。　　'I
  don't　admire　them　in　any　point　of　view。　　I　have　heard　my　father　say
  that；　though　good　sharpshooters；　they　can't　be　much　depended　upon
  as　soldiers；　and　that　old　Sergeant　Meredith　told　him　that　Minden
  would　never　have　been　won　but　for　the　two　English　regiments；　who
  charged　the　French　with　fixed　bayonets；　and　sent　them　to　the　right…
  about　in　double…quick　time。　　With　respect　to　poetry；　setting
  Shakespeare　and　the　English　altogether　aside；　I　think　there　is
  another　Gothic　nation；　at　least；　entitled　to　dispute　with　them　the
  palm。　　Indeed；　to　my　mind；　there　is　more　genuine　poetry　contained
  in　the　old　Danish　book　which　I　came　so　strangely　by；　than　has　been
  produced　in　Germany　from　the　period　of　the　Niebelungen　lay　to　the
  present。'
  'Ah；　the　Koempe　Viser？'　said　the　elderly　individual；　breathing
  forth　an　immense　volume　of　smoke；　which　he　had　been　collecting
  during　the　declamation　of　his　young　companion。　　'There　are　singular
  things　in　that　book；　I　must　confess；　and　I　thank　you　for　showing　it
  to　me；　or　rather　your　attempt　at　translation。　　I　was　struck　with
  that　ballad　of　Orm　Ungarswayne；　who　goes　by　night　to　the　grave…hill
  of　his　father　to　seek　for　counsel。　　And　then；　again；　that　strange
  melancholy　Swayne　Vonved；　who　roams　about　the　world　propounding
  people　riddles；　slaying　those　who　cannot　answer；　and　rewarding
  those　who　can　with　golden　bracelets。　　Were　it　not　for　the　violence；
  I　should　say　that　ballad　has　a　philosophic　tendency。　　I　thank　you
  for　making　me　acquainted　with　the　book；　and　I　thank　the　Jew　Mousha
  for　making　me　acquainted　with　you。'
  'That　Mousha　was　a　strange　customer；'　said　the　youth；　collecting
  himself。
  'He　WAS　a　strange　customer；'　said　the　elder　individual；　breathing
  forth　a　gentle　cloud。　　'I　love　to　exercise　hospitality　to　wandering
  strangers；　especially　foreigners；　and　when　he　came　to　this　place；
  pretending　to　teach　German　and　Hebrew；　I　asked　him　to　dinner。
  After　the　first　dinner；　he　asked　me　to　lend　him　five　pounds；　I　DID
  lend　him　five　pounds。　　After　the　fifth　dinner；　he　asked　me　to　lend
  him　fifty　pounds；　I　did　NOT　lend　him　the　fifty　pounds。'
  'He　was　as　ignorant　of　German　as　of　Hebrew；'　said　the　youth；　'on
  which　account　he　was　soon　glad；　I　suppose；　to　transfer　his　pupil　to
  some　one　else。'
  'He　told　me；'　said　the　elder　individual；　'that　he　intended　to　leave
  a　town　where　he　did　not　find　sufficient　encouragement；　and；　at　the
  same　time；　expressed　regret　at　being　obliged　to　abandon　a　certain
  extraordinary　pupil；　for　whom　he　had　a　particular　regard。　　Now　I；
  who　have　taught　many　people　German　from　the　love　which　I　bear　to
  it；　and　the　desire　which　I　feel　that　it　should　be　generally
  diffused；　instantly　said　that　I　should　be　happy　to　take　his　pupil
  off　his　hands；　and　afford　him　what　instruction　I　could　in　German；
  for；　as　to　Hebrew；　I　have　never　taken　much　interest　in　it。　　Such
  was　the　origin　of　our　acquaintance。　　You　have　been　an　apt　scholar。
  Of　late；　however；　I　have　seen　little　of　you　…　what　is　the　reason？'
  The　youth　made　no　answer。
  'You　think；　probably；　that　you　have　learned　all　I　can　teach　you？
  Well；　perhaps　you　are　right。'
  'Not　so；　not　so；'　said　the　young　man　eagerly；　'before　I　knew　you　I
  knew　nothing；　and　am　still　very　ignorant；　but　of　late　my　father's
  health　has　been　very　much　broken；　and　he　requires　attention；　his
  spirits　also　have　become　low；　which；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　he
  attributes　to　my　misconduct。　　He　says　that　I　have　imbibed　all　kinds
  of　strange　notions　and　doctrines；　which　will；　in　all　probability；
  prove　my　ruin；　both　here　and　hereafter；　which　…　which　…　'
  'Ah！　　I　understand；'　said　the　elder；　with　another　calm　whiff。　　'I
  have　always　had　a　kind　of　respect　for　your　father；　for　there　is
  something　remarkable　in　his　appearance；　something　heroic；　and　I
  would　fain　have　cultivated　his　acquaintance；　the　feeling；　however；
  has　not　been　reciprocated。　　I　met　him；　the　other　day；　up　the　road；
  with　his　cane　and　dog；　and　saluted　him；　he　did　not　return　my
  salutation。'
  'He　has　certain　opinions　of　his　own；'　said　the　youth；　'which　are
  widely　different　from　those　which　he　has　heard　that　you　profess。'
  'I　respect　a　man　for　entertaining　an　opinion　of　his　own；'　said　the
  elderly　individual。　　'I　hold　certain　opinions；　but　I　should　not
  respect　an　individual　the　more　for　adopting　them。　　All　I　wish　for
  is　tolerance；　which　I　myself　endeavour　to　practise。　　I　have　always
  loved　the　truth；　and　sought　it；　if　I　have　not　found　it；　the　greater
  my　misfortune。'
  'Are　you　happy？'　said　the　young　man。
  'Why；　no！　　And；　between　ourselves；　it　is　that　which　induces　me　to
  doubt　sometimes　the　truth　of　my　opinions。　　My　life；　upon　the　whole；
  I　consider　a　failure；　on　which　account；　I　would　not　counsel　you；　or
  any　one；　to　follow　my　example　too　closely。　　It　is　getting　late；　and
  you　had　better　be　going；　especially　as　your　father；　you　say；　is
  anxious　about　you。　　But；　as　we　may　never　meet　again；　I　think　there
  are　three　things　which　I　may　safely　venture　to　press　upon　you。　　The
  first　is；　that　the　decencies　and　gentlenesses　should　never　be　lost
  sight　of；　as　the　practice　of　the　decencies　and　gentlenesses　is　at
  all　times　compatible　with　independence　of　thought　and　action。　　The
  second　thing　which　I　would　wish　to　impress　upon　you　is；　that　there
  is　always　some　eye　upon　us；　and　that　it　is　impossible　to　keep
  anything　we　do　from　the　world；　as　it　will　assuredly　be　divulged　by
  somebody　as　soon　as　it　is　his　interest　to　do　so。　　The　third　thing
  which　I　would　wish　to　press　upon　you　…　'
  'Yes；'　said　the　youth；　eagerly　bending　forward。
  'Is　…　'　and　here　the　elderly　individual　laid　down　his　pipe　upon　the
  table　…　'that　it　will　be　as　well　to　go　on　improving　yourself　in
  German！'
  CHAPTER　XXIV
  The　alehouse…keeper　…　Compassion　for　the　rich　…　Old　English
  gentleman　…　How　is　this？　…　Madeira　…　The　Greek　Parr　…　Twenty
  languages　…　Whiter's　health　…　About　the　fight　…　A　sporting
  gentleman　…　The　flattened　nose　…　Lend　us　that　pightle　…　The　surly
  nod。
  'HOLLOA；　master！　can　you　tell　us　where　the　fight　is　likely　to　be？'
  Such　were　the　words　shouted　out　to　me　by　a　short　thick　fellow；　in
  brown　top…boots；　and　bareheaded；　who　stood；　with　his　hands　in　his
  pockets；　at　the　door　of　a　country　alehouse　as　I　was　passing　by。
  Now；　as　I　knew　nothing　about　the　fight；　and　as　the　appearance　of
  the　man　did　not　tempt　me　greatly　to　enter　into　conversation　with
  him；　I　merely　answered　in　the　negative；　and　continued　my　way。
  It　was　a　fine　lovely　morning　in　May；　the　sun　shone　bright　above；
  and　the　birds　were　carolling　in　the　hedgerows。　　I　was　wont　to　be
  cheerful　at　such　seasons；　for；　from　my　earliest　recollection；
  sunshine　and　the　song　of　birds　have　been　dear　to　me；　yet；　about
  that　period；　I　was　not　cheerful；　my　mind　was　not　at　rest；　I　was
  debating　within　myself；　and　the　debate　was　dreary　and
  unsatisfactory　enough。　　I　sighed；　and　turning　my　eyes　upward；　I
  ejaculated；　'What　is　truth？'
  But　suddenly；　by　a　violent　effort　breaking　away　from　my
  meditations；　I　hastened　forward；　one　mile；　two　miles；　three　miles
  were　speedily　left　behind；　and　now　I　came　to　a　grove　of　birch　and
  other　trees；　and　opening　a　gate　I　passed　up　a　kind　of　avenue；　and
  soon　arriving　before　a　large　brick　house；　of　rather　antique
  appearance；　knocked　at　the　door。
  In　this　house　there　lived　a　gentleman　with　whom　I　had　business。　　He
  was　said　to　be　a　genuine　old　English　gentleman；　and　a　man　of
  considerable　property；　at　this　time；　however；　he　wanted　a　thousand
  pounds；　as　gentlemen　of　considerable　property　every　now　and　then
  do。　　I　had　brought　him　a　thousand　pounds　in　my　pocket；　for　it　is
  astonishing　how　many　eager　helpers　the　rich　find；　and　with　what
  compassion　people　look　upon　their　distresses。　　He　was　said　to　have
  good　wine　in　his　cellar。
  'Is　your　master　at　home？'　said　I；　to　a　servant　who　appeared　at　the
  door。
  'His　worship　is　at　home；　young　man；'　said　the　servant；　as　he　looked
  at　my　shoes；　which　bore　evidence　that　I　had　come　walking。　　'I　beg
  your　pardon；　sir；'　he　added；　as　he　looked　me　in　the　face。
  'Ay；　ay；　servants；'　thought　I；　as　I　followed　the　man　into　the
  house；　'always　look　people　in　the　face　when　you　open　the　door；　and
  do　so　before　you　look　at　their　shoes；　or　you　may　mistake　the　he