46 NATIVE INHABITANTS OF GEANADA. Book I. 
acquaintance of two brothers, young gentlemen belonging 
to one of the more distinguished families of the country. 
One of them filled a government office at the capital ; the 
other had studied medicine at the University of Leon and 
had commenced following his profession at Granada. 
Both were distinguished by their scientific and literary 
pursuits. The doctor, however, seemed to be stronger in 
philosophy than in the medical art and science. The 
people of Granada, who are much in the habit of showing 
their interest for a public character by giving him a 
nickname, called him Doctor Matagente, — i. e. Doctor 
Menkiller. But he was of a metaphysical turn of mind, 
feeling himself greatly attracted by the mysteries of 
German philosophy, into which he had been initiated by 
some French books that had found their way to Nicaragua. 
" The Germans," he observed, "have a great philosopher 
named Schlegel, who has written a book bearing the title 
of ' Philosophy of Life/ They have another great 
philosopher called Hegel, but this one is too difficult to 
be understood." " Los Alemanes," he continued in an 
enthusiastic strain, " son la nacion la mas cientifica, la 
mas filosofica, la mas profunda !" a compliment I was not 
prepared to hear paid to the German nation in these 
quarters of the world ; but which, considering that we had 
no man like Mr. Chatfield to make us respected in Central 
America, I thought a great consolation. The doctor's 
brother, the politician, is the author of several pamphlets 
printed in Nicaragua. In reading one of them, it struck 
me how schools and systems of philosophy, even without 
being understood, extend their influence over the world, 
and how even the most abstract metaphysician of Germany 
should never forget — and especially if he should have the 
misfortune of being translated into French — that he may 
