3

RIENZI IN POWER.

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penser of justice 1-isa a transition so sudden, as to 2 render dizzy the most sober brain. And, perhaps, in proportion to the imagination, the enthusiasm, the genius of the man, will the suddenness be dangerous-excite 5 too extravagant a hope and lead to too chimerical an ambition. The qualities that made him rise hurry him to his fall; and victory at the Marengo of his fortunes urges him to destruction at its Moscow.

In his greatness, Rienzi did not so much acquire new qualities, as develope in brighter light and deeper shadow those which he had always exhibited. 10 On the one hand, he was 12 just, resolute, the friend of the oppressed, the terror of the oppressor. intellect illumined everything it touched.

His wonderful

13

By 18 rooting

out abuse,14 and by searching examination 15 and wise arrangement,16 he had trebled the

revenues of the city

without imposing a single new tax. Faithful to his idol of liberty, he had not been betrayed by the wish of the people into 17 despotic authority; but had, as we have

4

1 From the victim, etc., literally: "from victim (no article) of the oppression to become the dispenser of the justice"- so sudden as to, assez soudaine pour-3 the man, l'individu- perhaps, in proportion to......will the suddenness be, il se peut qu'en raison même de......, cette soudaineté soit d'autant plus-5 excite, qu'elle fasse naître-6 hope, plural-7 that made him rise hurry him, qui l'ont élevé le précipitent- fortunes, sing.— in his greatness, etc., literally: "it is not that in his elevation Rienzi may have displayed (ait déployé) so many new qualities, but he developed and put more strongly in relief those, etc."-10"to exhibit" in this sense is "faire preuve de" on the one hand, d'un côté 12 imperfect-13 by, "in" -14 abuse, plural-15 and by searching examination, "and by instituting a severe examination"-16 arrangement, mesures-17 he had not been betrayed......into, il ne s'était pas laissé entraîner......à.

11

a Is, c'est là.-This pronoun ce, when the verb "to be" has a verb in the infinitive for its nominative, gives force to the sentence, and becomes indispensable, if there be more than one infinitive, as in our rendering of the text (bondir and devenir).—“Là” is added here to make the sentence more pointed, more emphatic.

Had, "il" avait.-When two verbs, one affirmative and the

seen, formally revived, and established with new powers, the Parliamentary Council of the city. However extensive his own authority, he referred its 2 exercise to the people; in their name he alone declared himself to govern,3 and he never executed any signal action without submitting to them 5 its reasons or its justification. No less faithful to his desire to restore prosperity as well as freedom to Rome, he had seized the first dazzling epoch of his power to propose that great federative league with the Italian states which would, as he rightly said, have raised Rome to the indisputable head of European nations. Under his rule 10 trade was secure, literature was welcome,11 art 12 began to rise.13

16

On the other hand,14 the prosperity which made more apparent 15 his justice, his integrity, his patriotism, his virtues, and his genius, brought out no less glaringly his arrogant consciousness of 17 superiority, his love of display, and the wild 18 and daring insolence of his ambition. Though too just to avenge himself by retaliating on the 19 patricians their own violence; though, in his troubled and 20 stormy tribuneship, not one21 unmerited 22 or illegal execution of baron or citizen could be alleged

1 However extensive, quelque étendue que fût-2 he referred its, literally: "he of it referred the" (see note, p. 80)—3 in their name he alone declared himself to govern, il déclarait de son propre accord qu'il gouvernait au nom du peuple-4 "he never took a single important measure"-5 to them, lui (see note ", p. 10)-6 see note 2 above-7 dazzling, éclatante-8" said it”—9 to the indisputable head, indisputably to the head"-10 rule, administration- welcome, encouraged"-12art, plur. -13 to rise, à fleurir-14 on the other hand, de l'autre côté-15 made more apparent, fit éclater davantage16 brought out no less glaringly, exposa également au grand jour17 his arrogant consciousness of, l'arrogance que lui donnait la conscience de sa-18 wild, fougueuse-19 by retaliating on the, en rendant aux-20 though, in his troubled and, bien qu'au milieu des troubles de son-21 not one, pas une seule-22 unmerited, "unjust."

other negative, have the same nominative, a personal pronoun must always be used in French before the second verb.

DR. JOHNSON TO LORD CHESTERFIELD.

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against him, even by his enemies, yet he could not deny his proud heart the pleasure of humiliating those who had ridiculed him as a buffoon, despised him as a a plebeian, and who, even now, slaves to his face, were cynics behind his back. "They stood before him. while he sat," says his biographer, "all these barons, bareheaded; their hands crossed upon their breasts; their looks downcast ;-oh, how frightened they were!" A picture more disgraceful to the servile cowardice of the nobles than the haughty sternness of the tribune. It might be that he deemed it policy to break the spirit of his foes, and to awe those whom it was a vain hope to conciliate.

BULWER, "Rienzi, the last of the Tribunes."

DR. JOHNSON* TO LORD CHESTERFIELD.†

MY LORD,-I have lately been informed by the proprietor of the World, that two papers, in which my

1 Despised him, "and despised"-2 were cynics, le déchiraient à belles dents-3 while he sat, tandis qu'il restait assis-4 breasts, sing. (see note, p. 7)—5 how (standing for "how much"), comme, or: combien-not: comment-6 to, pour-7 it might be that he deemed it policy, peut-être considérait-il comme d'une bonne politique8 whom it was a vain hope to, qu'il eût été inutile d'espérer. Papers, articles.

9

a As a buffoon (that is, as if he had been a buffoon), comme "un" bouffon.-As a plebeian (that is, because he was a plebeian), comme plébéien. In the latter case the article is dropped.-Notice this distinction.

A picture, simply: tableau. The article a is not to be translated, in French, before a substantive used “in apposition," i. e., close to another to qualify itt-or placed at the beginning of a sentence, as in our text, to qualify a fact stated just before.

* Samuel Johnson was born at Lichfield in 1709, and died in 1784.

Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, was born in 1694, and died in 1773.

"Dictionary" is recommended to the public, were written by your Lordship. To be so distinguished 1 is an honour which, being very little accustomed to favours from the great, I know not well 2 how to receive, or in what terms to acknowledge.

3

8

9

When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your Lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your address,5 and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself 7 le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre ;-that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending; but I found my attendance so little encouraged that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to 10 continue it. When I had 11 once addressed your Lordship in public, I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can pos12 I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected, be it ever so little.13

sess;

Seven years, my Lord, have now passed 14 since 15 I waited in your outward rooms,16 or 17 was repulsed from 18 your door; during which 19 time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties of which it is

1 To be so distinguished, une semblable distinction-2 I know not well, je ne sais guère-3 "nor"—4 I first visited, je me présentai pour la première fois chez-5 address, abord-6 and could not forbear to wish, et je conçus, malgré moi, le désir—7 that I might boast myself, de pouvoir me vanter d'être- that regard for which I saw the world contending, cet intérêt dont je voyais le monde jaloux-9 my attendance, mes avances-10 would suffer me to, ne pouvait me permettre de-11 when I had, “after having❞—12 which a retired and uncourtly scholar......, que......un homme studieux vivant dans la retraite, loin du grand monde (see note d, p. 13)— 13 to have his all neglected, be it ever so little, de voir dédaigner (see note, p. 80) l'offre de tout ce qu'il possède, quelque petit que soit ce tout-1 have now passed, se sont écoulées-13 since, depuis le jour que- 16 outward rooms, antichambre-17 or, en d'autres termes18 was repulsed from, que je me vis refuser (see note, p. 80)— 19 which, ce.

DR. JOHNSON TO LORD CHESTERFIELD.

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useless to complain, and have brought it at last to the verge of publication, without one 2 act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or 3 one smile of favour. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a patron before. The shepherd in Virgil grew at last 6 acquainted with Love, and found him a native of the rocks.

5

α

Is not a patron, my Lord, one 10 who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water,11 and, when he has reached ground,1% encumbers him with 13 assistance? The notice which you have been pleased to take of 14 my labours, had it been early, had been kind;15 but it has been delayed 16 till 17 I am indifferent,18 and cannot " enjoy it; till 19 I am solitary, and cannot impart it; till 20 I am known, and do not want it. I hope 21 it is no 22 very cynical asperity not to confess 23 obligation where 24 no benefit 25 has been received, or 26 to be unwilling 27 that the public should consider 28 me as owing that to a patron which 29 Providence has enabled me to do for 30 myself.

.

1 To the verge, à la veille-2 one, un seul-3 "nor❞—4 ..I did not expect, je ne m'étais pas attendu à......-5 I never had a......before, jamais jusqu'alors je n'avais eu de......—6 in, " of "_" grew at last acquainted with, finit par connaître (see note a, p. 66)—8 a, to be left out-9 "a patron, my Lord, is it not❞—10 one, un personnage-11 struggling for life in the water, disputer sa vie aux flots12 reached ground, gagné la terre—13 with, "of"-14 the notice which you have been pleased to take of, l'attention que vous avez daigné accorder à-15 had it, etc.......kind, si elle s'était montrée plus tôt, eût été un acte de bonté-16 delayed, trop différée-17, 19, and 20 till, to be left out-18 I am indifferent, je suis maintenant peu sensible-21 I hope, j'aime à croire-22 it is no, il n'y a pas de-23 not to confess, à ne point reconnaître—24 where, là où-25 benefit, avantage- 26 or, ni27 to be unwilling, à ne point vouloir-28 should consider, present subj. -29 that......which,......ce que (see note a, p. 52)—30 to do for, d'accomplir de.

a And cannot, et je ne puis. In this dignified style puis is better than the more familiar peux. For the omission of pas, see note ",