262 



TABLE-TALK AICD VARIETIES. 



very learned Hebraists. The ex- 

 aminer, turning to M. Simon, 

 asked him if he had any taste for 

 this beautiful language 1 M. Simon 

 observed, that he was acquainted 

 with its elements, and had always 

 had a peculiar pleasure in the study 

 of the Scriptures in the original. 

 "Ho w delighted I am to hear it !" said 

 the examiner ; " and how seldom do 

 we meet with minds so well-directed 

 as yours ! Tell me, however, what is 

 the Hebrew name for Genesis ?' 

 "fiercsit/i," replied M. Simon. The 

 field being thus opened, the combat 

 began ; both parties became ani- 

 mated ; they declaimed, they argued, 

 they cited polyglots, and rabbis 

 ancient and modern. The exami- 

 ner, confounded at such a display 

 of erudition, made but a feeble re- 

 sistance. M. Simon pressed him, 

 pushed him on all sides, and gave 

 him no quarter. The examiner 

 stumbled at last, and was fairly 

 beaten down, and trampled under 

 foot by his tremendous antagonist. 

 The bishop, who laughed from his 

 very heart, was delighted to witness 

 and prolong the battle ; but seeing 

 that dinner was getting cold, and 

 taking pity, too, on the discomfited 

 examiner, he gave his benediction 

 to M. Simon, .assuring him that, 

 next day, he and his brethren should 

 be admitted to holy orders without 

 farther examination. The prelate 

 went to dinner, the examiner to 

 dry the perspiration produced by 

 the debate, and M. Simon to his 

 lodging, along with his companions, 

 laughing in his sleeve at the result 

 of the examination. (Melange, 

 d'Histoire et de Litterature.) 



DESCARTES. 



Descartes, when in Holland, 

 had, with a great deal of industry, 

 constructed an automaton girl, 

 (which gave rise to the report that 

 he had a daughter named Fran- 

 chine), in order to prove demon- 

 stratively that brutes have no 



souls, and are merely well-con- 

 structed machines, which are put 

 in motion by the impression of ex- 

 ternal substances that strike against 

 them, and communicate to them a 

 portion of their motion. Having 

 put this machine on board a vessel, 

 the captain had the curiosity to 

 open the chest in which it was 

 packed, and, surprised at the ap- 

 pearance of the automaton, which 

 moved like an animated being, he 

 got frightened, and threw it into 

 the sea, thinking it was the devil. 



DEDICATIONS. 



Authors are frequently but very 

 ill repaid by those to whom they 

 dedicate their books. The only re- 

 ward which Theodore Gaza received 

 from Sixtus IV. for his dedication, 

 of the Treatise of Aristotle on the 

 Nature of Animals, was the price of 

 the binding of his book, which the 

 Pope generously repaid to him. 

 Tasso was not more successful with 

 his dedications. Ariosto, in pre- 

 senting his poems to the Cardinal 

 d'Este, was saluted with a sarcasm, 

 which will be remembered as long 

 as his works. The historian Du- 

 pliex, a very fertile author, present- 

 ing one ot his books to the Duke 

 d'Epernin, that nobleman, turning 

 abruptly towards the Pope's nuncio, 

 who was present, remarked, " This 

 is one of your breeding authors ; he 

 is delivered of a book every month." 



BIBLIOMANIA. 



The bibliomania has been on the 

 increase among men of letters for 

 a century past: and some wishing 

 to form vast libraries, have searched 

 not only the whole of Europe, but 

 also the East, to discover ancient 

 books and rare manuscripts ; which 

 has been the source of many impos- 

 tures aud ridiculous mistakes. To- 

 wards the close of last century, 

 some cheats or ignorant persons 

 sent over from India to Paris a 

 number of Arabian manuscripts, 



