M. DE BAUTRU. 



271 



may speak of him with unmixed 

 admiration, or with unmixed con- 

 tempt. But those only judge of 

 him correctly who take iu at one 

 view Bacon in speculation and 

 Bacon in action. They will have 

 no difficulty in comprehending how 

 one and the same man should have 

 been far before his age and far 

 behind it, in one line the boldest 

 and most useful of innovators, in 

 another line the most obstinate 

 champion of the foulest abuses. In 

 his library, all his rare powers were 

 under the guidance of an honest 

 ambition, of an enlarged philan- 

 thropy, of a sincere love of truth. 

 There, no temptation drew him 

 away from the right course. Thomas 

 Aquinas could pay no fees. Duns 

 Scotus could confer no peerages. 

 The master of the sentences had no 

 rich reversions in his gift. Far 

 different was the situation of the 

 great philosopher when he came 

 forth from his study and his labo- 

 ratory to mingle with the crowd 

 which filled the galleries of White- 

 hall. In all that crowd there was 

 no man equally qualified to render 

 great and lasting services to man- 

 kind. But in all that crowd there 

 was not a heart more set on things 

 which no man ought to suffer to 

 be necessary to his happiness, on 

 things which can often be obtained 

 only by the sacrifice of integrity 

 and honour. To be the leader of 

 the human race hi the career of 

 irnpi'ovement, to found on the ruins 

 of ancient intellectual dynasties a 

 more prosperous and a more en- 

 during empire, to be revered by the 

 latest generations as the most illus- 

 trious among the benefactors of 

 mankind, all this was within his 

 reach. But all this availed him 

 nothing while some quibbling special 

 pleader was promoted before him 

 to the bench, while some heavy 

 country gentleman took precedence 

 of him by virtue of a purchased 

 coronet, while some pander, happy 



in a fair wife, could obtain a more 

 cordial salute from Buckingham, 

 while some buffoon, versed in all 

 the latest scandal of the court, 

 could draw a louder laugh from 

 James. (Macaulay.) 



THE RETORT COURTEOUS. 



was, like 



many others who take the name of 

 Count, without the property. In 

 a company where I was present, 

 he once endeavoured to turn into 

 ridicule an abbe, who, according to 

 custom, had assumed the name, 

 without possessing a benefice. "It 

 is strange," said he, "that we should 

 have known each other so long, and 

 yet that L don't know whereabouts 

 your abbey lies." "What!" said 

 the abbe, " don't you know ? It is 

 within your county." (Menage.) 



THE FIRST SMOKER. 



Tobacco was first brought into- 

 repute in England by Sir Walter 

 Raleigh. By the caution he took 

 in smoking it privately, he did not 

 intend it should be copied. l5ut 

 sitting one day, in deep meditation, 

 with a pipe in his mouth, he inad- 

 vertently called to his man to bring 

 him a tankard of small-beer. The 

 fellow, coming into the room, threw 

 all the liquor into his master's face, 

 and running down stairs, bawled 

 out, "Fire! Help! Sir Walter 

 has studied till his head is on fire, 

 and the smoke bursts out at his 

 mouth and nose ! " 



M. DE BAUTRtT. 



M. de Bautru had been often 



Eressed by the Queen to show her 

 is wife. At last she told him 

 plainly, that she was determined to 

 be presented to her. Bautru, who 

 had resisted as long as he possibly 

 could, promised to bring her with 

 him after dinner ; " but, please your 

 Majesty," added he, "she is terribly 

 deaf." " O, no matter," said the 

 Queen, "I will talk loud." He 



