DEDICATIONS. 



213 



quite at case, when the next day 

 they both made their appearance. 

 The Professor presented me for- 

 mally. Herr Fairy-hunter made a 

 great many bows ; and as so many 

 bows involve a good many curtsies, 

 I inclined nearly as often. Then, 

 with a last reverence he spoke, in 

 English, and said, very slowly, 

 ' I complain of you much, that you 

 are so disagreeable ; but now I 

 make an extra.' I made my last 

 reverence in reply. Such a speech, 

 by way of a complimentary one, 

 was rather startling, and not a little 

 alarming. I looked nervously at 

 the Professor, who, with profound 

 gravity, interpreted his friend's 

 meaning thus, ' He pities you for 

 being so disagreeably circumstanc- 

 ed ; but he is making an abridg- 

 ment of his book, and, therefore, 

 cannot now make hia tour.' I 

 bowed with a sense of relief, and 

 the fairy-hunter and myself ex- 

 changed some sentences which I do 

 not record, as I believe the fairies 

 alone would be able to understand 

 the language. ' I have got another 

 plan for you,' said the Professor ; 

 'yes, this is the very thing. A 

 teacher of music here wishes to 

 take his wife and child into the 

 country, and one of our opera- 

 voices, who also speaks Italian 

 which you do likewise will go 

 with them. They will all join you ; 

 but as they must leave their affairs 

 here, they expect you will pay all 

 the travelling expenses. They will 

 bring their own provisions, because 

 there are none to be got on the 

 road. That if, fair.' ' Very fair, 

 indeed,' I answered, ' the very 

 tiling.' 'I complain of you much!' 

 murmured the fairy-hunter, look- 

 ing at me compassionately. ' You 

 must, then, take a carriage,' said 

 the Professor. ' It will be quite 

 filled,' I replied. 'Four persons, 

 with horse-cloaks, pipes, tobacco- 

 pouches, provisions, and luggage !' 

 'And the child,' added the Pro- 



fessor. 'Ah! I suppose I must 

 take it on my knee. ' ' You are 

 very disagreeable,' said the fairy- 

 hunter, with a look of commisera- 

 tion at me : but I thought, secretly, 

 that others were still more dis- 

 agreeable. ' But Mr Murray's 

 Hand-book says it is dangerous to 

 take a heavy carriage over the 

 hills of Norway, and certainly a 

 roll down among such et cetcras 

 would not be pleasant,' I added. 

 Herr Fairy-hunter moved uneasily 

 on his chair, worked his hands to- 

 gether, shook his head disprovingly, 

 and said, ' You must be complained 

 of.'" Miss Bunbury at last suc- 

 ceeded in finding a guide and com- 

 panion. 



SCIENCE AND COMMERCE. 



The commercial world owes to 

 two retired philosophers, in the 

 solitude of their study, Locke and 

 Smith, those principles which dig- 

 nify trade into a liberal pursuit, 

 and connect it with the happiness 

 of a people. 



DEDICATIONS. 



The virtuous Duke of Montau- 

 sier, governor of the Dauphin of 

 France in the reign of Louis XIV., 

 would never suffer his pupil to read 

 the dedications that were addressed 

 to him. One day, however, he dis- 

 covered him reading one of these 

 epistles in private ; but, instead of 

 taking it from him, he obliged him 

 to read it aloud, and, stopping him 

 at the end of every phrase, said, 

 " Do you not see, sir, that they are 

 laughing at you with impunity? 

 Can you sincerely believe yourself 

 possessed of all the good qualities 

 ascribed to you ? Can you read, 

 without indignation, such gross 

 flattery, which they would not 

 presume to oiler without having 

 the lowest opinion of your under- 

 standing ?" 



At a time when the ministers of 

 state were frequently changed in 



