THE NORMANS.

59

THE NORMANS.

4

3

The polite luxury of the Norman presented a striking contrast to the coarse voracity and drunkenness of his Saxon and Danish neighbours. He loved to display his magnificence, not in huge piles of food 3 and hogsheads of strong drink, but in large and stately edifices, rich armour, gallant 5 horses, choice falcons, well-ordered tournaments, banquets delicate rather than abundant, and wines remarkable rather for their exquisite flavour than for their intoxicating power. That chivalrous spirit which has exercised so powerful an influence on the politics, morals, and manners of all the European nations, was found in the highest exaltation among 10 the Norman nobles. Those nobles were distinguished 11 by their graceful bearing 12 and insinuating address 13 They were distinguished also 14 by their skill in negotiation,15 and by a natural eloquence which they assiduously cultivated. It was the boast of one of their historians 16 that the Norman gentlemen were orators from 17 the cradle. But their chief fame was derived from 18 their military exploits. Every country,

α

1 Polite, élégant--2 to, avec- 3 in huge piles of food, dans un amas de mets grossiers-4 plural-5 gallant, superbes-6 flavour, bouquet -7 power, force-8 the politics, la politique-9 was found in the highest exaltation, brillait dans tout son éclat 10 among, chez11"distinguished themselves"-12 bearing, port-13 address, manières 14"they were equally remarkable"-15 plural-16 it was the boast of one of their historians, un de leurs historiens déclarait avec orgueil-17 from, dès—18 their chief fame was derived from......, ils durent surtout leur renommée à...... (or: c'est à......qu'ils durent surtout leur renommée).

a The words européen, normand, anglais, français, and all such, do not take a capital, except when used substantively. In fact, capitals are relatively little used in French; and many other words, such as titles of persons (as noticed p. 14) and the names of the days and months, etc., which require a capital in English, begin in French with a small letter.

from the Atlantic Ocean to the Dead Sea, witnessed the prodigies of their discipline and valour. One Norman knight, at the head of a handful of warriors, scattered the Celts of Connaught. Another founded the monarchy of the Two Sicilies, and saw the emperors both 3 of the East and of the West a fly before his arms. A third, the Ulysses of the first crusade, was invested by his fellow-soldiers with 5 the sovereignty of Antioch; and a fourth, the Tancred whose name lives in the great poem of Tasso,* was celebrated through Christendom 7 as the bravest and most generous of the champions of the Holy Sepulchre.

The vicinity of so remarkable a people early began to produce an effect on the public mind of England. Before the Conquest, English princes received their education in Normandy. English sees and English estates were bestowed on 10 Normans. The French of Normandy was familiarly spoken 11 in the 12 palace of

1 Witnessed the prodigies of, fut témoin des prodiges opérés par -2 of, du-3 both, to be left out-4 fellow-soldiers, compagnons d'armes 5 invested by......with, placé par......à la tête de-6 whose name lives in, qu'a immortalisé-7 through Christendom, dans toute la chrétienté-8 to produce an effect, à exercer de l'influence9 imperf.-10 were bestowed on, étaient conférés à-11 was familiarly spoken, se parlait familièrement (or: était familier)—12 in the, au.

a

Of the East and of the West, d'Orient et d'Occident.-The words est and ouest belong to physical geography, especially to meteorology; whilst Orient and Occident belong more properly to political geography, although often used in either sense in poetry. The words levant and couchant are also found in the poetical style as substitutes for est and onest;-Levant being technically used besides (with a capital in this sense) to designate the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, considered in a political and commercial point of view.

b Of Tasso, du Tasse.-Notice the definite article, which is found also in a few other names, chiefly of great Italians, as l'Arioste, le Corrége, le Dante, le Dominiquin, etc.

* Torquato Tasso was born at Sorrento in 1544, and died in

Westminster.

GOOD BREEDING.

61

The Court of Rouen seems to have

been to the court of Edward the Confessor what the court of Versailles long afterwards was to the court of Charles the Second.

MACAULAY, "History of England."

4

GOOD BREEDING.

London, November 3, O.S.,2 1749.

b

11

A friend of yours and mine has very justly defined good breeding to be,3 the result of much good sense, some good nature,5 and a little self-denial for the sake of others, and with a view to obtain the same indulgence from them. Taking this for granted 10 (as 11 I think 12 it cannot be13 disputed 14), it is astonishing to me 15 that anybody 16 who has good sense and good nature (and I believe you have both) can 17 essentially fail in good breeding.18 As to the modes of it,19 indeed, 1" In short, the."

13

2 O.S., V.S. (vieux style)-3 good breeding to be, les bonnes manières comme étant-4 some, d'une certaine somme de-5 good nature, bonté de cœur-6 and a little, et d'un peu-7 for the sake of others, dans l'intérêt des autres-8 and with a view, dans le but-9 from them, de leur part-10 taking this for granted, cette définition admise-11 as, and"-12 see note p. 3-13 it cannot be, elle ne saurait être (see note, p. 16)-14 disputed, contestée-15 it is asto

__17

nishing to me, je m'étonne-16 " somebody". can, puisse-notice the subjunctive-18 essentially fail in good breeding, manquer essentiellement aux bonnes manières-or (to avoid the too frequent repetition of the same expression): aux bienséances-19 as to the modes of it, literally: "as to the forms under which they show themselves."

a This construction is not French. Translate "un de vos amis et des miens," i. e. one of your friends and of mine." Sometimes we jocosely say un mien ami, un tien cousin, une sienne nièce. This familiar expression, however, does not apply to notre, votre, leur.

Adverbs of quantity (beaucoup, peu, trop, assez, plus, moins, autant, etc.) require the preposition de before the noun with which they are construed, in the same way as in Latin they require that noun to be put in the genitive case.

they vary according to persons, places, and circumstances, and are only to be acquired by observation and experience; but the substance of it is everywhere and eternally the same. Good manners are, to 3 particular societies, what good morals are to society in general, their cement and their security.

9

And as 5 laws are enacted to enforce good morals, or at least to prevent the ill effects of bad ones, so there are certain rules of civility, universally implied 10 and received, to enforce good manners, and punish bad ones.11 And indeed 12 there seems to me to be 13 less 14 difference, both between the crimes and punishments,15 than at first one would imagine.1 16 The immoral man, who invades another's property, is justly hanged for it; 17 and the ill-bred man 18 who, by his ill manners, invades and disturbs the quiet and comforts 19 of private life, is by common consent 20 as justly banished from society. . . . For my own21 part, I really think that, next to the consciousness of doing 22 a good action, that of doing a civil one is the most pleasing; 23 and the epithet which I should

bad".

1 Are only to be acquired, ne s'acquièrent que (see note ", p. 50)— 2 of it is, en est-3 to, pour -4 security, sauvegarde-5 as, de même que-6 laws are enacted to enforce, des lois sont établies pour contraindre à-7 ill effects, effets pernicieux-8 of bad ones, des mauvaises-9 so, de même-10 implied, comprises-11 "to punish the 12 indeed, à dire vrai-13 there seems to me to be, il me semble y avoir-14 "less of" (see note, p. 61)-15 both, etc... punishments, entre ces crimes et ces châtiments respectifs—16 than at first one would imagine, qu'on ne se l'imaginerait à première vue (see notes, p. 17, and a, p. 29)-17 for it, pour son crime (see note, p. 16)-18 ill-bred, mal élevé 19 comforts, le bien-être 20 by common consent, d'un commun accord-21 own, to be left out-" next to the consciousness of doing, après la satisfaction intérieure que cause-23 that, etc......pleasing, celle que cause une action obligeante est la plus douce.

22

a Another's property, la propriété d'autrui.-When the pronoun another or others is used in the indefinite sense of our fellowcreatures in general, our neighbour (notre prochain), it must be rendered by autrui.

THE DUKE OF ALVA.

63

covet the most, next to that of Aristides, would be that

of well-bred.

LORD CHESTERFIELD.

THE DUKE OF ALVA.

4

The truth seems to be, that Alva1 was a man of an arrogant nature, an inflexible will, and of the most narrow and limited views.3 His doctrine of implicit obedience went as far as that of Philip himself. In enforcing it, he disdained the milder methods of argument or conciliation. It was on force, brute force,7 alone that he relied. He was bred a soldier, early accustomed to the stern discipline of the camp. The only law he recognised 10 was martial law; his only argument, the sword. No 11 agent could have been 12 fitter to execute the designs of a despotic prince. His hard, impassible nature was not to be influenced by 13 those affections which sometimes turn 14 the most obdurate from their purpose. As little did he know of fear,15 nor 16 could danger deter him from carrying out his work.17 The hatred he excited 18 in the Netherlands was such, that, as he was warned,19 it was not safe 20 for him to go out after dark.21 Placards were posted up in

1 Alva, Albe-2 "and of an❞—3 and of, etc., "with the views the most narrow and the most limited (bornées) "— went as far as, était poussée aussi loin que-5 in enforcing it, "and in the application of that doctrine"-6 he disdained, etc......or, il dédaignait les moyens de douceur, l'argument ou la-7 brute force, sur la force brutale-8 he relied, il s'appuyait-9 he was bred a, il avait été élevé en-10 he recognised, qu'il reconnût (mark the subjunctive mood)— 11 "no other"-12 see note ", p. 27-13 was not to be influenced by, était étrangère á l'influence de-14 turn, détournent-15 as little did he know of fear, la peur lui était tout aussi inconnue-16 nor (see note a, p. 5)-17 from carrying out his work, de l'exécution de son œuvre-18 excited, inspirait-19 as he was warned, comme on l'en prévint—20 safe, prudent-2 after dark, après la chûte du jour.