580 THE ROMANCE OF THE SELF; 



" This house to be let, with immediate possession/' (maison a louer 

 presentement.) He knocks twice at the door the porter at last gets 

 up, and asks the gentleman's pleasure. " We wish to see the house." 

 " How, sir, at this hour?" " To be sure; and why not? read 

 ' This house to let, with immediate possession' " The porter wakes 

 his master, a light is brought, and our pitiless wags dance the land- 

 lord, half asleep and half awake, through every room in the house, from 

 the gaurets to the cellar : at last, Vallier exclaims, " I have seldom 

 met with a house better built or more commodious ; but," addressing 

 himself to the landlord, " it certainly has one great defect." " And 

 what is that, sir?" " It is very dark." " Parbleu ! and how should 

 it be otherwise?" cried the impatient proprietor, " it is not yet day- 

 light." Seeing, however, that he had to do with men of rank, and 

 humourists, he soon joined in the general laugh. 



The society of such friends might well have dictated the verse 



" Tout ce qui vit n'est fait que pour nous rejouir, 

 Et se moquer du monde est tout 1'art d'eu jour. 

 Ma foi, quand jc parcours tout ce qui le compose, 

 Je ne trouve que nous qui valions quelque chose." 



Le M&hant, Acte ii. Sc. 3. 



THE ROMANCE OF THE SELF. 



"How am I glutted with conceit of this ! 



Shall I make spirits fetch me what I please ? 



Resolve me of all ambiguities ? 



Perform what desperate enterprise I will ? 



I'll have them fly to India for gold ; 



Ransack the ocean for orient pearl; 



And search all corners of the new-found world 



For pleasant fruits and princely delicates." 



MARLOWE. 



" FROM morning to night do I toil," said Hubert, the wood-cutter, 

 as he returned one evening from the forest, " and rags and poverty 

 are my only rewards ; but I will endure it no longer ; this very night 

 will I betake me to the wizard Grimerius, accept of his terms, and 

 become rich. What care I about having a self? I shall have wealth 

 enough to support a dozen selfs, and my second self will be a com- 

 panion to my first self." 



Grimerius was a learned and skilful magician, and so wonderous 

 were the powers of his art, that the ministers of darkness tremblingly 

 performed his bidding, and the elements were the slaves of his will. 

 He dwelt alone at least without any earthly companion. He 

 stamped with his foot, and a score of infernal lacquies attended the 

 summons, and were ready to fly, at his command, to the world's 

 verge. If he wished to vent his wrath on man, away rode his spirits 

 on the wings of the wind, and the tall and stately ship was dashed 

 upon the rocks, or whelmed beneath the furious waves. The fierce 

 volcano opened wide its hot and flaming jaws, and fertile villages be- 



