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maid mine is a professed lady s maid trained by a french at st and called though her russian name is very pretty very clever and very good in the main is deeply in love with her but of course i shall not let her marry him as i should then lose her services nor will my father hear of s his freedom he puts him off with fair words and raises his price year by year but for you i appointed a russian girl new to service her name is she will i hope suit you but if she prove awkward you must box her ears or if you prefer it i will do so myself i hope to have no need for either said herself in a small box pray do not do that yourself the servants will only despise you i will ring for and she did so as she spoke the bell was answered by a pretty young russian in the national dress â a tight fitting crimson that is with gold buttons up the front over a full tied with blue ribbons and her long fair hair in a thick which hung down her back as she and had no mutual language remained in the room under pretence of being but in reality to see the contents of the box and who would rather have with the company and of but feared to appear hastily finished dressing amid much chattering and then repaired to the dining room again flinging her arm round her and bearing her with a dancing step as if they were performing a without music m received them as a hungry man might be expected to do who had only had and a small glass of brandy at a side table to his appetite â that is if not with impatience he placed himself in the centre of an oval table with a young lady on either hand the fish was spoilt he raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders as if it were no more than he expected a tall awkward man servant in ill fitting livery brought him a dish of roast and stumbling dropped the joint on the floor go into the comer michael said m on which the abashed meekly went up to a corner of the room and placed himself there with his hands straight to his sides while knew not which way to look and could hardly help laughing who was watching her with the of a hawk saw the difficulty with which she was her and burst out into a perfect peal of merriment this will never do thought who conquered herself immediately by a strong effort chiefly and enforced by the consideration of the poor footman s supposed annoyance what is that for said m with surprise because papa it is so funny to see made ready to burst with laughing yet not daring to do so she is better bred than you are there is nothing to laugh at she will get used to our customs presently oh yes very soon said i have no disposition to laugh i assure you but am very sorry for the poor man and that it should have been needful to you to correct him perhaps in consideration of the pain i have been the means of giving him his punishment may now be change my plate michael said m him however as he did so and beware of such awkwardness again or i shall send you to the police station as this was to a threat of a good poor michael looked penitent enough m then asked several questions about her journey the state of the roads her passage from england and similar topics but so much de en that she felt chilled seemed chiefly occupied in watching her and when she spoke it was generally to utter something or and childish she was much prettier however than had given reason to expect and dressed with a lavish profusion of ornament to which her english eyes had not been accustomed it seemed the result of extremely girlish tastes by authority or by limited means the instant they had dined said now papa we will leave you to your wine and in her too familiar caressing way led into the drawing room whispering with a suppressed laugh i might have added to his nap too as soon as had seated herself threw herself on a cushion at her feet and indulged herself with another good investigation saying i know i shall like you though i did not expect it for you exactly resemble the heroine of the last french novel i read â les de â un grand front â les â le â la figure i know we shall like each other â pray what do you think i do not form my conclusions as rapidly as you do said you must give me at least a fortnight to make up my mind that reply is arid and to the last degree said but i know what it means â â that you are afraid of committing yourself you are either afraid of me by saying how and forward you think me or you are afraid and of flattering me by saying you think me altogether charming aye which said no matter cried all will come straight i mean to put myself completely under your control till i find i don t like it nobody you know could make me do that but myself for though i heard papa tell you that nobody could manage me but himself the fact is no one but i can manage him and i could get him to dismiss you directly i give you my word but don t be afraid i don t want to do so i want you to take me in hand and make me just what i wish â a in short will you i

1Charles Darwin

do not know that i can said you distrust me ah well never mind tell me now all about your english home i want to know what sort of place you come from â what sort of people you have been accustomed to see have some mercy on me said consider that i am a poor weary traveller repose of body and mind nothing rests me so much as talking said nor does anything tire me more than silence that is one reason why i am glad you are come please yourself and me too then said by talking for both and that you may study my character i have guessed your motive no matter what is there to conceal in it my faults i m afraid are as soon seen as my virtues i am glad you know you have some faults pray what are they oh it will be too hard to tell you what you will so soon find out and i may not know them all perhaps perhaps that is a very malicious echo of yours however will you really candidly tell me all you find amiss in me most readily hum i should like to see your first letter to england â not that i should advise you to put anything into it you would wish no one here to see especially about papa for it will certainly be read by whom said hastily well there are people in the house and people out of the house â i say no more only this i tell you that papa reads as he thinks every note and letter of mine â as far as he knows but mark you i have ways and means my dear i am perfectly astounded by the with which you tell me a stranger of actions and feelings i consider highly why if you were about in and the servants may call you miss may said she at length but i shall certainly call you papa led me to suppose you would be somebody quite old perhaps he meant to surprise me into liking you and yet no that is not his way of doing things no he was really surprised himself i believe unless he affected to be so for the sake of lowering your salary but it makes no difference to us i hope and believe we shall like each other but you look terribly tired are you would you like to retire to your room confessed that nothing would be so acceptable to her so let it be then i will accompany you to see that all is comfortable were you to remain up we could only play preference or chat while my father or read letters come then chapter vi s revelations on their way to s room drew her into her own which was with every comfort and many luxuries remain here a little while said she placing her in an easy chair and i will soon return to you saying which she ran off leaving to collect her thoughts in a scene so new and strange to her what a position is mine thought she here is a girl too old to fear me too young to be her own mistress too giddy and self willed to promise me anything short of continual trouble and for what success dare i hope nay that is not my affair â duties are ours events are god s returned after an absence of some length come now cried she and you will find i have not been wasting my time when i thought some cross old was coming to look after me i appointed her a room as furnished as possible thinking anything would be good enough and for her â a hard bed greasy chair and shabby change as you shall in fact scarcely recognised her old an down covered with new and pretty green silk pillow case and an elegant as well as comfortable easy chair writing table and with abundant for her wardrobe showed that had not been of her to morrow you shall have pictures and said but just now is engaged and cannot nail them up may i see you i should like it so much but no no you are too tired content yourself to night with your de and till tomorrow when you will have plenty of leisure for i shall be engaged with my religion master as papa calls him oh he has such a red nose â i fear the good old soul loves brandy then why does he smell of it hey â what is this book you are taking out so carefully you may look and see the holy bible containing the old and new translated out of the original tongues and with the former diligently compared and this is the book you are so and fond of i believe i shall like to read it though madame said it has done a world of harm may with a fond mother s prayers and blessing so then your mother gave it you made no answer and remained reading where she stood for some little time laying it down at length with the brief word curious i must teach her reverence thought at this moment and another young woman who was extremely pretty and well dressed entered carrying a small couch between them this is my french maid said familiarly patting the girl on the back hold up your head and show yourself to advantage the young person did not seem disposed to fulfil her mistress s commands and having to silently withdrew she seems to have been shedding tears and looks in distress said only because she has had a piece of bad news for said his old grandmother died and was buried in his absence â was he much attached to her well she was his only relative and had him a good deal but young

1Charles Darwin

men don t care much for their do they â she was a deaf dirty old woman one she could help the other she could not e and no but they made her very disagreeable i told to see she had all the attention that was proper and wanted to go to the funeral but all her fine linen was about neither nor so of course i could not spare her â what are you thinking of me said suddenly you take me so by surprise that you chase my ideas out of my head said i am thinking that â you are very young burst out laughing time will cure me of that said she what a good thing if it could cure me of every other fault as certainly i well good night good night i see you are dying to get rid of me and kissing her with her usual and she left at length to peace and solitude her head was dizzy with long travelling and with new impressions her thoughts were confused now darting ofi to her home then sadly returning to herself and she disturbed herself with the questions what shall i do how shall i get on as these were beyond her power to settle we shall not presume to settle them for her but leave her to the quiet enjoyment of a night s good sleep the next morning was summoned to rather a late breakfast which m discussed as as his dinner the previous evening and incessantly but of such trifles in such a trifling manner that they made no impression thus she spent ten minutes in the tie of her father s and on the subject of in general what their excellence lay in and how it was to be attained then on the comparative merits of tea coffee and then on the of servants and lastly on the impossibility of wearing any but french shoes when she entered on this subject m pushed away his cup his newspaper and walked off to his office we shall see no more of him till dinner said and now i must consider the bill of fare give my orders and prepare for my old priest so you can do what you like as had plenty to do in her own room this was by no means to her when she had finished she sat down to write to her mother with great eagerness but as soon as she had written dearest dearest mother she paused with tears in her eyes â home feelings came over her so strongly there was so much to say so much that had better remain why should she give one fruitless pang to her so far away but yet there was plenty to be told that might and should be told and when once she began her pen ran quickly enough pausing at length she felt a soft â i and breath on her cheek and turning round with a start found the smiling face of close to her is this what you call honour in russia said why need you bring in the country said the what is it to me what all the say â then there s an end said coldly removing the caressing hand from her shoulder and her pen â do i you said you do much more replied continuing to write i had supposed there was an innate sense of honour in every s breast what if it should not be in mine there can be no fellow feeling between us well said and in that case i shall take measures to procure another situation in st or you would not cried i certainly should â and shall seemed for once struck dumb ah said she presently recovering my father would not let you your father would have no power to prevent me i am not a and but you would not go would you her arms about her and speaking you are only in play quite in earnest and whether in play or in earnest i never say one thing when i mean another oh that quite incredible cried no human being ever attained such a pitch of perfection as that i am sorry you think so but really i wish you would at present give me the opportunity of finishing my letter i want to understand a little more of this honour you think so much of said still hovering about her it prevents people from doing shabby things shabby with a little yes whether alone or not â whether with the utmost secrecy and as they think without the power of detection or not the of s colour betrayed con that she had not always been bound by this nice restraint but her eye brightened too there sounds something grand in it said she grand repeated i am quite ashamed of you it is far too common to be grand go busy yourself till your priest comes in writing a uttle theme upon honour and try to dear up your and ideas about it they will not ill prepare you for your christian instructions and kissing her kindly but gravely she resumed her employment when had finished her letter she went in search of her charge whom she met up stairs to her i have done said have you yes how shall i send my letter without its being made use of in the way you have hinted at after a moment of serious thought you had better i believe said give it to you think him safe i believe him the soul of honour he refused once in spite of a considerable bribe to convey a letter of mine to who is ah i cannot talk of him out here on the landing cried with a sudden vivid as beautiful as it was uncommon she threw her arm round s waist and tried to her into her

1Charles Darwin

having dismissed to find she sat down on a low stool at s feet and proceeded thus â vas â by the bye you are aware is not a russian name â he had a â is one of the and most completely handsome young men you ever and saw noble of course but poor as an when he likes people he says to them the prettiest things you ever heard or can imagine he has frequently said things of this sort to me conceive how i like him he is s first cousin consequently we used continually to meet at her father s house and when we were riding as he with me sang with me flattered me how could i do else than â but here s desires to know who can be trusted faithfully to post her letters without reading them in the first instance or taking them to any one else to read i have mentioned you i feel the compliment said need be under no fear for her letters between this room and the post office and receiving s packet he withdrew only a partial assurance said gravely though all that he can be responsible for but to resume â and she turned her eyes on with a look full of affectionate anxiety ah do not look so sad said where was i as be with you sang with you and flattered you what could â and aye â what could be the result hut one of course i thought of him continually was happiest in his sight and and when out of it it would have been the same with you in my place i trust it would not nonsense that s because you ve never seen him we â privately of course â what makes you look so very very un happy i wish i could my letter to my mother why because my charge here is altogether a different one from what i had supposed one to which i feel quite unequal and one which i feel i must v oh no no â dearest hush listen to me â the warmest caresses have no effect â i believed i was come to undertake the domestic education of a young simple pure hearted feeling girl even of the knowledge of the grown up world s bad ways innocent of as an english girl instead of which â oh â â blushed till cheek neck and brow shared the she turned away from s eyes it s nothing said she at last in a tone of affected lightness but her voice was scarcely audible it s everything said oh mamma and mamma â and she laid her head on her arms and wept are you crying for vm said with emotion but you won t go i must what and leave me to grow worse oh and flinging her arms round the neck of her new friend she burst into a passionate fit of weeping i would stay if you would grow better said weeping too i i will i will that is i u â anything to keep you here for i like you so much and i m so lonely and sobbed anew what means have i had of being good whom have i had to teach me poor girl position example everything has been against me you must show me how to be good and i will try but indeed i know not whether i can oh yes dear if you will indeed try and indeed pray to succeed if the will is not wanting you cannot fail the will shall not be wanting said drying her eyes so now let us kiss and be friends and don t talk any more in that shocking way of leaving me for if do it often i shall only think you say so to frighten me and now what shall we do here is the best part of the day before us and it is and o late to go to church too early to visit of course i am not going to do a b c lessons like a little child in fact the best ay you can me will be to and improve me by your general conversation and example giving me a little hint now and then when you think i want it me in trouble and me in difficulty i believe some course of that sort will be the best to pursue said yes yes i know it quite well â i am not so stupid as you may think however ignorant i may be i know my own wants and feel them what i have been at a loss for has been how to remedy them i believe my father without intending it in the least has supplied me with the very person to assist me before you say any more dear let me that habit of continually unworthy motives to your father it shows such a want of filial respect why how on earth can i respect him i must know a little more of him before i can answer that question but whatever may be a parent s faults a child should try to cover them looked about this but instead of discussing the subject said â well we will lunch now and then drive out and you would like to see something of the city i suppose very much i was thinking of a walk if you did not mind the cold a walk oh women of fashion don t walk much said laughing we will drive about the principal streets and do a little but first lunch and while that is making ready we will sing if you please with all her regained lightness of heart she accompanied to the drawing room and sitting down to a grand over the keys with more facility than expression that will give you some idea of

1Charles Darwin

my style said she breaking off abruptly and then dashing into and do you like that do you like that she inquired at the end of each for s approval was becoming more desirable to her and she felt pretty secure of admiration of her musical abilities you have not heard me sing yet said she without attending to the footman s announcement of luncheon and she launched into di mi il with a young fresh voice that only required cultivation to win the applause she thought already its o and due now let me hear yoa said she starting up and drawing to the music stool after a moment s thought played part of s mass in c and then sang â though i trace each and flower who was keenly sensitive to the power of music was subdued by it and when it ceased there was a pause that s not at all my style said she at length but it is much finer and now for luncheon and then for our drive v â r y tr v â â ff i i chapter vii s forgot to tell you said to her new friend as they drove through the principal street that madame is expecting us this evening at one of her dull where people do nothing but eat talk scandal play et and look at each other s dresses are you then considered old enough to go out into society inquired with you for my steady replied laughing the fact is i make rules for myself people know i am a girl with plenty of money in prospect so they are not very hard upon me my father cares not where i am if i am with safe companions so why should i not take what little and meagre compensation for never going to st i find within my reach i know many prudent and look on me with great dislike and contempt but what matters it ah â at this moment a gentleman dressed and driving a very shabby looked earnestly into the carriage and bowed profoundly to he was about eight and twenty and strikingly handsome thought he looked like count of s stranger or any hero of the sentimental romantic school turning to she caught a glimpse of a deep blush ere she averted her head the next moment she laid her hand on s arm who was it said now you have seen him was s reply is he not what a word you think him interesting â not particularly so my dear i have never been accustomed to think persons interesting or merely from their â and in such a moment too i i am all in a flutter perhaps we may meet him to night ah what shall i do i knew not he was here i supposed him at st if your father has forbidden your meeting him you must remain at home my father has not forbidden though i know he does not like him and he has consented to my accepting madame f s invitation therefore i shall go three horses abreast and what a pity it is you are the temptations and trials of a later age far happier and more would you be quietly improving your mind thank you i dare say ah we are driving past s i want gloves gold thread and half a dozen things how i am they alighted at a fashionable shop where would have been amused at the russian mode of goods had she not been full of painful anxieties the required so much beating down was so capricious and hovered over so many pretty things she did not want that daylight before they left the shop had yet other purchases to make at different shops though snow were beginning to through the air and she now seemed much more occupied in thinking how many per had her for the french ribbons than of the handsome besides she was continually nodding and bowing to female acquaintance of various degrees of intimacy therefore conversation for a more disengaged season amused herself with noticing the many new objects in the streets the bridges churches the tea shops with a white and painted on their with glimpses of boys in their shirt sleeves and waiting on long bearded the street little station houses at street corners of wearing apparel with their owners sleeping on of goods or awake and priests with long hair and flowing robes of various descriptions from the noble s driven by a long bearded coachman in a velvet cap with a red round his waist to the rude and cart drawn by oxen nothing struck her more than continually seeing men kissing and embracing their male acquaintance wherever they met them three kisses on one cheek three on the other â six in all to each fresh party it was quite dusk when they drove into their own and they had to dr ss in haste not to keep m waiting he them with his accustomed what of your day we have been papa and in the morning i had my old priest and no studies no lessons we practised singing a little said carelessly i am rather too old papa for dates of t events and measures and those sorts of things i think some system of regular mental application might be devised and should be pursued said m looking at and i think so too sir said i hope to some plan of the kind to morrow i at the thought of it said ing fearfully and then laughing the sham as usual was soon followed by a real one what plan do you propose to adopt pursued m and other have broken into the day said i must look into s books before i arrange anything to see what progress she has made and what she has read my books cried merrily what do

1Charles Darwin

you suppose are the books that form nearly my whole library i cannot tell nor am i probably acquainted with their authors you know best about that they are â paul de victor de â the last is harmless enough at any rate said the others i only know by name to tell you the truth that is my case too only wanted to frighten you â you will certainly frighten me if you do not speak the truth aye aye quite right said m you p and are taking up the right tone with her as for me i know none of the authors she has mentioned one may be as good or as bad as another but i look to you to confine her to the good i certainly shall if i can said looked mischievous but said nothing and helped herself to and where do come from where do come from where does come from said she suddenly those are the sort of questions my old used to ask me much good they could do to my mind morals and manners â she was of the old school said m shortly but if you had treated her with respect and submission she could have taught you much i prefer the new school papa and am much obliged to you for giving me so nice a companion as to you papa but not to me i should not respect her a bit the more but all the less the question is not of what you like but of what you owe it s a debt i shall not pay muttered have some preserved no thank you and y j then let us retreat to our own and have a nap before we dress papa we are going to madame s this evening so you told me before i hope you will enjoy yourselves wm you go too no it would be no enjoyment to im i knew he would say so whispered to as they left the dining room but i wished to be secure of it you cannot think how it pains me said to hear you talk in this way are you going to side with papa indeed you yourself make me now and then think there is need for it put yourself in m s place the father of child who him and treats him of an only daughter scarcely sixteen who carries on surely if he knew captain â captain repeated laughing violently poor fi is not in the army â i wish he were i i thought he looked uke a military man said ah he would become a uniform that s certain no poor fellow father pinched himself to give him a good university education till he was f and three and twenty thinking he had interest enough to procure him good government employment after waiting more than a year got a place worth â how much do you think â four silver a month i from which one was for his rank leaving him three for board lodging clothes cigars and all tlie necessary expenses of a gentleman on that he he does not look much reduced said smiling well of course he does not absolutely want bread he boards with his father in st and with his uncle here between one and the other of them and his visits to country seats when he is not wanted in his office he seldom has to find himself in food but only think three a month i not enough for gloves doubtless he would think a rich wife no bad thing said this idea seemed a new one to for she changed colour and looked quickly at that won t do said she the next minute i am certain that is not his motive for seeking to please me i hate people and unjust people too and you are unjust in a person of whom you know nothing come let us sleep a little while to prepare us for the of the evening i feel dreadfully tired and she threw herself on a couch and the next instant was or seemed to be asleep on the opposite couch thought long and of home in about an hour started up saying it was time to dress doubtful what amount of would be suitable and a black satin dress and white swan s down hoped she was attired whether for few or many in white with of golden wheat ears and bright gold ornaments pronounced s costume old enough for a grandmother yet on deliberation decided that it was very appropriate for a and that she looked very pretty in spite of it but if you were not in mourning said she pink or delicate pale blue satin would suit you best and leave me about as poor as a government clerk with three a month said four said who did not like the allusion he receives four if he cannot spend them but with regard to your mourning why should you wear it in this country where no one knows you are aa orphan because i loved my father more than you love yours said was checked and led the way to the car in silence yo and the streets were powdered with fresh fallen snow and yery ill lighted at madame s however were plenty of aiid to light them into a region of warmth and brilliancy dressed ladies were sitting in a row all round the drawing room and talking in groups in the midst and now and then singly addressing themselves to their female acquaintance places were found for and in the circle by the obliging madame and they then had ample leisure to look at the company and talk to one another entertaining is it not said is this the way you have parties in england i am sure it cannot be the french plan here come the servants

1Charles Darwin

with i always make it a rule to eat as many as i can to pass away the time and i advise you to do the same the bon are delicious between the courses took care to keep her eye turned towards the door through which she expected or hoped to see enter but the prolonged disappointment of her wishes filled her with how tiresome this is said she aside to what a horribly stupid evening i wish i were in bed and asleep but â is it possible can it indeed be she yes it is oh and y i look at my friend that young lady in next the old lady in black velvet and see how she meets my eye as if we had never before met some certainly said no not quite that but â so so base i to think what we have exchanged what vows we have made what we have on one another what of eternal fidelity we have uttered and â it should come to this are you enough of an english scholar said to be acquainted with our s night s dream no said s not sâ why because one of his felt very much as you do at the of her friend and expressed it very â injurious most ungrateful maid is au the friendship that we two have shared when we have the hasty footed time for parting us â oh and is au forgot that s exactly it said with a deep sigh what had the one from the other they were both attached to the same person or at least one of them was in a dreamy kind of state that it appear so that makes our cases appear more parallel and i really fear sometimes whispered rather excitedly that may be my rival about this time m a old gentleman addressed himself to and stood before her talking of trifles for some time he had a son a heavy dull young man for whom he thought would be a very good wife but did not think so and never gave him any encouragement if my son were here now said m with a very polite smile he would compliment you on your looks quite in elegant terms whereas i can only say in my plain way i am glad to see you looking so well i like the plain way best said the other way is very easily learnt indeed can you teach it me oh yes very easily it is only to exchange the really true right phrase for one much stronger for instance instead of telling me i look well to tell me i look quite divine indeed well you look quite divine ah m that won t do from you why not oh anybody can tell at once it is not one of your own expressions m laughed said he feared it might be and the and walked off to the next guest meanwhile s ears had done double duty for while listening to m she had been unable to help at the same time the remarks made by some ladies a little way off on her own and s dresses the want of style in the one the extravagance of the other followed by some strong on s appearing in society at an age when unmarried young ladies were commonly never seen then followed local which was too ignorant of the parties alluded to for her to be able to tell whether they were true or but the tone of the conversation was such as to give her a very low opinion of the and to make her think that the of young girls from frequent admission into such society was a very sensible arrangement meanwhile the rooms were becoming very full and very warm and secretly thought the evening was being spent in a very stupid manner there is quite a little crowd of gentlemen in the room said she to they appear to be doing something â what playing et said ah there is among them i and the colour in her cheeks can he afford to out of three a month said and i am quite sorry i told you of that you make such an unkind and disagreeable use of it on every occasion i dare say ive wins doubtless he plays well as he does everything well no great merit said if he plays at all said i think he had better play well than ill he little thinks i am here i wonder if he will see me and she sighed ladies cannot go into that room except to go away certainly not said there is not one lady there here he comes whispered in a tremor of joy ah no â he is stopping to speak to she will not tell him i am here and he never thinks of looking this way how perverse she watched them and grew pale cruel cruel she presently murmured she has given him her purse however said and he has returned with it to the you are really too sharp sighted however if that s the way him from me much good may it do her people are beginning to go away let us go was in hopes would see her as she passed through the room she was disappointed chapter an and its consequences as they drove out of the they met j another carriage coming in and as neither of the chose to back there was a violent between them and a for in the street some of whom called loudly for the police said laughing it is s empty carriage which certainly ought to have given place to ours so it will serve her coachman right if he is sent to the police station but what will your friend do repeated scornfully my foe rather she will stand shivering in her white satin shoes on

1Charles Darwin

the steps till she finds it wiser to return to the room but is that a christian way of speaking let us interfere we can t said we have no gentleman with us and we cannot put our heads out of cover and for the wind cuts like a knife hear what a is going on i enjoy it hark some one is speaking with authority and very angrily a policeman suggested no said with eagerness it is some one from the house â it sounds like â it is i declare â ah goodness he is commanding our coachman to back in order that s may pass he knows not i am here we will not i forbid it but at the same moment the carriage awkwardly and then forward caught a post and screamed and could not repress a hasty exclamation the tumult in the was now violent â s voice over all who was presently felt lifted oflf her and then herself awkwardly from the carriage it was cold and there was in her transparent white and gold shivering in the snow is it you cried a voice joyfully and the person who had and who had been one of the foot passengers detained by the carriages hastily took oâ f his cloak and threw it around her the police will set up the carriage directly said he but meanwhile you will catch your death i what a surprise exclaimed who would have thought of your being here and but at this moment interposed â is it possible cried he in a low voice what have i done to me the accident is owing let me hasten to repair it i can take care of this young lady sir said you have done her harm enough already f what right have you sir said fiercely the right of a sir said putting him aside with very little ceremony the carriage is set up now make way that i may replace my cousin in it â is he your cousin said again between him and yes yes said hastily do you doubt my word sir said putting him aside this time very roughly and rapidly assisting into the carriage was ready to foam with rage but without paying the least attention to something very much like a handed in and then springing lightly into the carriage after them closed the door himself and laughed gaily as they drove out of the do i you said he i had better see you safe home i was on my way thither why you surprise me beyond and sion cried when did you reach st just a week ago and after seeing all at home i came on here to see how you and my uncle were i arrived here just in time i think i who was that rascal with his voice that me about so you must not think badly of him said embarrassed i know him very well and as he did not know you he did all for t e best in inquiring whether you had a right to interfere i like that said contemptuously it was he who interfered not i i helped you out of the carriage did not i madame â appealing to not madame interrupted allow me to present you to my dear english friend and may only think what a delightful successor to old madame bowed and then resumed â but this who is he don t call him names please said he is hum i only know of one of that name and he does not do any credit to it of course he is not the same then said the i mean pursued is and the only son ol old of st who himself to give him an expensive education which he by turning out a complete ah then it is not the same said he holds a pitiful place under government persisted and runs dreadfully into debt which he can only get out of by his at play by the by he is related to the your old friends here then it must be the same the were friends once said biting her lip but they are no great friends now â witness their carriage driving against mine just now was it theirs and you and â and i have been in the same room together all this evening and she never once spoke to me there s a friend well but i don t know all the â you may have her first â was it so but h e we are i had better not come in to night had i said why not said my father never any one very warmly but i hope he is enough of a russian to be glad to see his sister s step son we have the character for hospitality at any rate said she appealing to o and i won t wait to be asked twice then said springing out and offering his hand to each in turn michael will run down to the inn for my i dare say smiled without speaking and as the large scarlet shawl carelessly wrapped round her dropped off observed start a little and hastily survey her from head to foot with extreme admiration without noticing it tripped into the drawing room where m was on a sofa drawn close to the stove papa here s cried she rousing him who said m rubbing his eyes and while he was kissing the young man three times on each cheek heard give orders for rather a substantial supper to be served immediately and for a room to be prepared for m they were soon seated round the supper table without any regard to the of the hour laughing talking helping others and herself abundantly to cold and ham and looking brilliantly pretty while m after a glass of became comparatively quite lively so picked

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you up at madame s said he pushing the case to who silently put it aside and i no papa it wasn t there interposed hastily in coming away an empty e was driven against ours we were and who happened to be passing very kindly us from our uncomfortable position saw everything put to rights and then saw us home i am sure you ought to be very much obliged to him said m coolly as if the obligation did not by any means extend to himself either with respect to his carriage or his daughter have you been long here only this evening arrived sir but how long have you returned from your travels barely a week sir you have been quite a traveller these two years yes sir i have made acquaintance with england france germany and italy as well as with the shores of the seen nothing like old mother russia hey nothing like her certainly sir no i thought not are we going to war with england think you well sir it like it but i hope it may blow over they had better not with us i think hey ha ha i â he en and nor we with them sir do they seem much frightened can t say i saw any signs of it sir no i suppose not m john bull as he calls himself is very fond of running his head against a stone wall you forget papa said that this cannot be a very agreeable hearing to nor to any english ear of course said m with a little apology for a bow â or a little bow for an apology however it s what everybody be talking of soon if it comes to anything which i hope it will not said well papa it is getting terribly late so we will wish you good night i hope you will find everything comfortable in your room if not michael shall get his hair well pulled ah we are too ready at that said do you know i have lived so long in foreign parts that i would rather with cold water than that michael s hair should fly about the hall what a you must have grown i said laughing and still standing near him though as if about to go where s is he in the house yes he was always a favourite of yours i remember you shall have him for your attendant and if you like instead of michael but he has grown quite a great gentleman since you were here â quite a superior young man papa makes him a sort of â i m afraid there must be no in that quarter luckily there will be no need of it well good night good night and waving her hand to him she off he looking after her as if be not so pretty and charming for a long while g chapter ix uncle and nephew you seem to have engaged a very young for my cousin sir said when had disappeared a said m helping himself to another glass of and then putting in the take another glass why now getting up as if had declined any more refreshment and putting his hands in his pockets how much do you suppose she costs me it is impossible for me to say sir but if she be capable of forming my cousin s mind and making it as lovely as her person i should hardly think her dear at any price two thousand a year i silver paper very cheap sir if she the conditions i am led to understand her to be completely and very young though but as steady as old time then sir i think your two thousand could not be better invested but what a salary for so young a person i i determined to spare nothing for s advantage â â thereby showing yourself my dear sir a very affectionate father affectionate i yes i but she makes pretty hard on my affection too that girl s are enormous i m sorry for it sir she won t do for a poor man s wife what does that signify sir hey you do not mean to marry her to a poor man i suppose certainly not but there s many a man would like to snap her up doubtless sir and it was lest any adventurer should take advantage of her that i should have thought an older lady than may however virtuous and accomplished she might be would have been a well i may have been penny wise and pound foolish in this affair after all said m somewhat uneasily and how so sir said with surprise two ladies proposed to by my english correspondent one of them equally well spoken of for integrity and had the additional advantage of being a widow lady of mature age experienced in who had educated and introduced to the world three girls of high rank what could induce you sir to give her up for miss may she wanted two thousand silver and miss may was content with paper she was unaware of the difference raised his eyebrows the trait was so characteristic of m that he said nothing you are surprised said m the source of his expression you well may be do these english women receive such in their own country so sir you see it is a long way to come russia is considered a semi barbarous country by those who don t know anything about it i believe they think the bears and wolves come up to our very doors ha i miss may if she be what she has been represented to you would very likely command a salary of a hundred to a hundred and twenty guineas in her and own country and something extra is expected for being â banished i believe she supposed this little

1Charles Darwin

better than said m with a grim smile but i am amazed such young persons should command such â far beyond those of many good government places ah sir and what do the officers who fill those places know reading writing a little french and a good deal of it were injustice to place a first class english on the same level often she will be found a thorough in birth as well as education descended from one of those old families who scorn to receive of nobility â perhaps the of some officer or clergyman carefully educated in all that it a woman to know without having had any view of it to others the youth of such a lady as miss may is not always considered an objection in england it is thought that the young have a peculiar facility of to the young and the girls in happy homes are so in â by walls no by the moral of goodness and purity that while their parents ward off all evil from without their need not to be eyed and you thinks then may s youth no objection hardly so in england said doubtfully but this affair of the shows her so ignorant of our ways and that she may be hardly equal to her task nothing like finds place in an english home incredible here she may permit to form dangerous acquaintances my dear so did old madame indeed she never could gain the child s confidence â actually let her carry on a correspondence under her very nose indeed cried alarmed with whom with oh drawing a deep breath of relief better with her than with her cousin what cousin he is quite a lives no one knows how except by as an official and by gambling as a man of fashion i dare say he thinks a rich wife would set him up nicely he won t get one out of my house though said m with a of disdain and well sir i hope not no no i ll take care of that not a letter or note passes in or out of this house without my knowing it any from that quarter you may depend would go into the fire why now it was i who detected the correspondence which madame had overlooked surely sir aa was not a very dangerous one f no knowing no knowing to what it might have led and who do you think of all the people least likely to be suspected was the of the letters to and fro no no the old with his bland face and flowing white beard i had the well out of the old at the station i promise you there was no in the noise he made well said with a sigh i am glad it was not at any rate oh has as yet done nothing worthy of or at least has not yet been found out for mark you that is the utmost i can say of any one of my i have not the least opinion of the integrity of any one of them what a pity yes truly it is but we masters cannot help ourselves â and don t you think a different system â no no no no system i tell you will alter their wicked nature there is not one good among them no not one speaking â i m not speaking nor either and what do you think said when i charged her to her face with her correspondence that if i put no confidence in her integrity i must expect to find myself rather filial piety but yet sir you must make allowance for a poor girl left much to servants and i am persuaded you do certainly i do said m with a little emotion in his voice and this is the way i am repaid for it no sir â for your want of confidence in her she said ah well don t let us talk any more about it there s one thing i should like you to do while you are here â what is that sir you used to be and great friends â get it up again if you can and win her confidence most happy sir because said m tapping him em and i on the chest with his forefinger i know you re safe as the ice at christmas sir find out which way the wind is â do you mark me â and let me know it shall not be the worse for i have a match for her in my eye not with a no no with somebody worth his weight in gold and true as gold â never mind his name and another thing â you speak english sir be then with may make friends with her find out what she really is it is highly important to know it is indeed sir and i shall be very glad to know what she is for my own gratification as well as yours but the length of my stay here must necessarily be so short don t talk yet of going no sir only i fear a week or at the utmost a fortnight well well you must make the more use of your time yes sir and now i will say good night when reappeared in the morning it was to announce that had a troublesome cold and would keep her room no wonder said looking disappointed and it was dreadful for her to stand in the snow in that dress and those thin satin shoes shall you send for the doctor smiled and said she did not think ill enough to need advice â or be very ready to take it she talks of coming down by and by wrapped in a shawl said she had much better remain where she is said my advice is very disinterested for

1Charles Darwin

i have many things i want to say to her what think you of my english miss may it is excellent said surely you must have been a long time in england you flatter we readily acquire languages because your own is so difficult that all others appear easy it may be so do you find russian difficult i have so little opportunity of hearing it almost constantly speaks french or english it is only of my russian maid that i can learn a little russian and i have some difficulty in understanding her you will get on better by and by and after all it will be comparatively to you as french is universally spoken by the upper ranks yes but i should like to have the power of talking with the lower ranks too and you are an accustomed to visit poor cottages said smiling certainly i am a clergyman s daughter ladies do not trouble themselves here with much of that sort i am sorry to hear it why not oh the dwellings of the are so dirty and those are evils which the visits of ladies would tend to remove it our hearts to see something of those beneath us they do see something in the summer time the come and dance on the lawn before their country house windows ah that is too theatrical the poor people are naturally gay while their lasts and afford no fair of the habitual state of their minds it is very low poor creatures so i feared how can it be otherwise in a slave country wretchedness and sin are known in your country also which is free but not to the same extent have you ever been in i speak of that county not as being better than others but as that which i know best i know parts of it is very rural very beautiful i saw the hop picking there it was and almost equal to the i visited some of the cottages they were exquisitely neat and dean the people seemed grave busy and happy in vn i saw the and i saw no nor dancing under the trees no that is not congenial to us somehow dancing and morality never go hand in hand among our lower orders nor music music is more cultivated than it was but we are not an essentially musical people how do you like our russian airs very much they are chiefly that i have heard i am to make a of them will you allow me to write out a few for i have nothing particular to do this i shall be much obliged to you here is music paper can you write them from memory oh yes notes words and au without ven them on a piano you must be a good no good comes of perhaps i shall make some all said as left him she is a nice creature thought he to himself as he seized the pen and began to connect the ruled lines with not so lovely as and but very sweet looking unaffected cheerful dignified and with a voice one would like to be in the habit of hearing all one s life it will tone s down frequently speaks in too high a key she is but cheerfulness is more lasting is the prettiest at sixteen but miss may will perhaps have the advantage of her at six and twenty she is probably within a few of that age now yet how blooming she is not a mere apple blossom complexion but one that will last and yet she is quite old enough for s companion she will win her confidence nay it is dear she has it already nearly yet there is such self possession about her that no one would dare to address her or her pupil in her presence otherwise than with respect who be the fellow my uncle has his eye on for i wonder can it be my invaluable self i fear my distinguished merits are not sufficiently recognised by the old gentleman for that and yet he looked very cunning i m glad i warned him against â that fellow is a wolf in sheep s clothing hem i am the bass with the meanwhile starting up from her pillow as entered was saying have you been talking to what has he been saying how do you like him g and you ask too many questions at once said â i like the little i have seen of him very well that is a horrid cold expression very much then he is not handsome though like i infinitely prefer his looks however they are frank intelligent and good humoured yes and they completely index his character he is such a pleasant person to have in the house is he going to stay i have heard no mention of going oh i dare say he will stay i hope he will that is if i am able to come down before papa gives him a m seems to like him i think ah papa likes nobody so well as his own bread and salt said laughing he is quite an exception to the general rule which is to welcome every new comer like an angel and be glad of his society as long as he will stay papa is just the one to say some day when we are all particularly comfortable together well mr when must you return to st laughed for it sounded very much like the truth but do tell me what he talked to you about said eagerly of me and no not of you after my telling him i did not think you ill enough to require a medical cruel i told him you talked of getting up but he said you had much better remain where you were though there were many things he should otherwise have liked to talk

1Charles Darwin

to you about then i shall certainly get up said don t hinder me i will ring for perhaps he will go out before i am dressed no he is writing music ah so much the better he has a very nice voice you shall hear it by and by i shall get up now directly h chapter x interference was still writing music when and late in the entered the drawing room he had been out in the had with some acquaintance arid on his return had drawn a little table close to one of the windows to avail himself of the remaining daylight dear i hope you are better this afternoon said he going to meet her and affectionately taking her hand oh yes much better thank you said you look flushed and heavy eyed however you had better have remained in bed what when told me you had a thousand things to talk to me about unreasonable the thousand things were of no importance i could waited does papa seem glad to see you this time oh yes he is quite cordial that s right i was so afraid he would send off before i came down and on the contrary he has asked me to stay a little while â long enough said laughing to find out whether miss may is real english or only scotch or irish laughed that would be a pretty joke said neither he nor i could find it out are you really english really english said a maid of and pray how are you going to form my cousin s mind inquired i must it a little to begin with said i find she has very cloudy ideas of the thirty years war and knows nothing of the sanction is there any need of my knowing all these things said great need i am sure mamma never heard of them times are altered now well if you say so i suppose i must submit i really was going to rebel think how nicely the time will slip away in the summer while you are going through a well chosen course of reading aye let us put it off to the summer was talking of beginning directly h and the summer is a long way off said before it comes you may be able to little english books like princess let them be pretty ones and then i shall not mind it you and i will take our books and work out of doors when we go to and spend the mornings in the open air that will be pleasant yes only we shall want some nice person like to hold our fetch us things from the house and lie on the grass at our feet smiled at this addition to their studies could not bring us things from the house said she ah how i cried men always impart instruction best and s conversation is very improving is it not not just now i fear you will come to us won t you unfortunately i shall probably be tossing about on the for it is likely the emperor may give me a private mission ah horrible but what are your thousand things well â to begin with the first that occurs to me when i was here last you and were sworn friends always flying into each other s and i o i arms or walking about with your arms round each other s what has put an end to all that the reason is said a little to cover her embarrassment and as sometimes happens the feigned cough provoked a real one which could not easily be stopped there i shall go on in this way till i am quite exhausted unless i am quiet for a little while said i will go back to my music writing for ten minutes by my watch said and then talk to you instead of letting you talk to me there is a little air i want to finish before it is quite dark he returned to his writing table while took her to the other window and each of them was nearly hidden by the ample crimson curtains at this moment michael looking rather bewildered threw open the door and in a manner announced some name that sounded like hastily retreating the moment he could close the door upon the visitor it was who approaching caught her hand exclaiming loveliest how can i ever â i don t think you ever can sir said a cold distinct voice from the nearest window while blushing scarlet hastily said â i and m you do not perceive my cousin and withdrew her hand darted a glance round the room that comprehended the other inmates and as soon as he saw turned his chair almost with its back towards him and addressed again in a tone of intimacy that seemed to refuse to be she overwhelmed with confusion never raised her eyes but with burning almost answered his inquiries which were in reality of the most common place kind he made exaggerated expressions of regret at not knowing she was present at madame s the preceding evening and at having caused her such an unpleasant accident and repeated his tender inquiries with so little except in the of his voice that conscious of s attention to all that passed said with a little annoyance you asked me that before did not disguise a smile but though saw it did not it cut one way however meanwhile had left the window and seated herself beside found the sentimental h he therefore began to talk in a gay and lively way with a good deal of satire of madame s entertainment and the appearance characters and histories of several of her guests it was just the amusing non and sense that an empty young man often addresses to his partner of the preceding night and having overcome

1Charles Darwin

her first fit of embarrassment was fast yielding to his powers of entertainment laughing at his and now and then answering in the same vein when suddenly pushing aside his writing table rang the so violently that looked round as soon as michael re appeared pray inform m cried to him that is here he will be so delighted to see him the tone was so cheery but its irony so well understood by every one present that had to struggle with an almost disposition to laugh but she fortunately was able to look stony cold though not daring to raise her eyes from her work as for he glared for a moment at as if he would him and the next instant as if resolved to do all he could with the present moment he renewed his remarks to in a manner that them from by melting tones studied changes of attitude and looks of admiration he was listening however for an approaching step and as soon as he could retreat without being driven from the field he rose bowed gracefully over s hand more to and then looking at and full in tke face without the least attempt at courtesy stalked out of the room burst into a fit of laughter before could have been out of ear shot looked exceedingly angry thank me dear as you ought cried triumphantly for helping you out of your difficulty thank you â for what pray cried for with no no nothing of the sort for but decidedly getting rid of an impertinent fellow disagreeable to you and to my uncle who had no business to intrude he is not at all disagreeable to me said and i think it was quite due to me that he should call to inquire how i was even if my father does not like him much like him much why my dear uncle says he shall never if he can help it cross his threshold so you have been talking it over with papa i cried with flashing eyes really you have lost no time is it not too bad if you ask me said gently i must say that though i wondered at m coolness i think he well himself of a disagreeable office and thanks miss may said laughing i see nothing to laugh about said still highly what right have you pray to interfere with my visiting acquaintance only the right of an affectionate cousin who knows a little more of the world than you do ha ha â ho ho how the fellow looked when i said my uncle would be so glad to see him and roared with laughter burst into a passionate fit of tears was checked directly he drew near and would have taken her hand but she him with indignation how could i tell said he in an tone that you cared seriously for him wait till i say i do replied she struggling with her sobs but you are unreasonable interposed first you are angry with your cousin for treating m as a person in whom you have no interest and next for supposing you have any just so continued for knowing you so well i took it for granted you felt nothing but dislike and contempt for a man of his notorious character you are envious of him said drying her eyes io and envious ho ho you may laugh as scornfully as you like but i know it is so i must want somebody to be envious about michael here re appeared and announced that m had gone out no matter said quietly the occasion for him is past in the evening went to the and played and but she would not ask to sing nor would she play over the airs he had written out to see if they were correct herself on the plea that her cold made her eyes weak was or seemed very little annoyed by her he knew they were for his against and while she wrapped in her shawl and sitting nearly in the dark continued to play for her own selfish amusement he made and sat beside at her work how miserable that poor dog is said he at length in a low voice is he said with surprise i have scarcely seen him since my journey for he is generally at the office has used him and with which has almost driven mad and to turn the tables on her he has paid attentions and to for whom he does not care a straw which has the breach almost past repair wiu be glad of itâ repeated oh yes continued quietly but wants to keep s services to herself and therefore is resolved that she shall not marry there s a soft hearted young lady for you i i fear there is something of this feeling fear it i know it i she would own it directly if we her with it and burst into a fit of laughter at the idea of its being wrong nor should i have thought so much of it two years ago but do put a softer nature into her if you can yes if i can repeated sighing but the task is so difficult early habits national customs and above all are so hard to make successful war with as for i have told him he may rely on it that is true to him in her heart and only to draw him on to make an offer he where s the good when he dares not marry i have told him at any rate not to trifle with or he will make three miserable instead of two he has promised to what are you two about cried suddenly starting up and joining them your good of course said io and comparing notes of my faults i suppose much good may you derive from it it will do

1Charles Darwin

me none not if you resolve it shall not we were talking of some persons you think infinitely beneath you for example for example poor i he s a nice fellow much you care for him i care a great deal â i think very highly of him that s your opinion of him not your interest in him you don t want to make him happy what by marrying why now you unreasonable â you profess i know to have an interest in me and yet would you have any patience with me if â if wanted to do anything as unreasonable as does for example if you wanted to marry said looking full at her blushed scarlet for the sake of argument yes said she no because i know he would make you miserable so would make miserable if he married her without our consent and if they were both cast out of house and home the cases are not parallel is a man of bad character and that rests only on your assertion do you doubt my assertion yes because you are prejudiced why should i be prejudiced she raised her eyebrows but made no reply enough said he impatiently i see we can never agree and he m who appeared just waking up to a game of preference chapter xl unexpected disappearance where s said the next morning at breakfast gone said m coolly gone repeated she with a little start yes he has been recalled to st by the emperor but how sudden â how strange not to wait to say farewell you are so late we have had our letters an hour or more and being about to start at the same time and offering him a seat in his they went oflf together that dull muttered to herself he has a companion indeed i would rather have gone alone well we shall be rather stupid for a day or two and then go on just as if he had never been here it does not in the least signify she was however all the morning and would settle to nothing beheld the task and before her with something like dismay at length made bring down all her ball dresses and receive an infinite number of directions about their alteration suggested that some of the changes were impossible called her stupid and appealed to my dear said i came hither to direct your studies not to your wardrobe cried every one is against me carry the things away and do as i have desired had scarcely obeyed when michael announced who proved to be one of the ladies whose conversation had displeased at madame s party she now appeared of some piece of intelligence she was very desirous to communicate for people who have little information of a better sort are generally very fond of news well have you heard what has happened said she as soon as a few inquiries had been answered no said rousing up what is the matter ah poor that horrid had words with him at the table last night and shot him this morning and dead cried turning very white yes most likely by this time though not quite so when he was brought home all in blood â only fancy madame in fits â her husband in the priest sent for the doctor too i hope said dear me we must send and inquire and what has become of oh he made oflf directly of course the wretch we shall hear nothing of him again in this neighbourhood for some time to come rely on it the must be very much shocked doubtless is some even think her secretly married to him did you see her give him her purse the other night her father would never give his consent and therefore they are probably awaiting his death which cannot be far oâ that is too scandalous cried indignantly and i really you ought not to spread such you are very young and don t know how bad the world is said smiling well i only ran in for a moment and must not stay when she was gone this is the way she will run in and out of the house of every one she knows said to secure the first telling of this terrible affair shall go immediately and and inquire how m s son is â he is no great favourite of mine but i should be much shocked at his dying especially by the hand of may be right in saying i do not know how bad the world is but i can see it to be bad enough already or and scandal would not be such frequent resources perhaps will prove to be not so much hurt after all and may not have fled i am certain he has not married nor would she be so as to be her good old father s death on the whole i am rather glad than otherwise that is away m s son proved to be wounded and had really disappeared leaving all his bills so that whose affection for him sprang much more from the imagination than the heart hearing him universally ill spoken of and found very little attach itself to her preference and became rather disgusted with it herself as long as remained in danger she could settle to nothing and was particularly annoyed at the reports of visitors was not sorry for it thinking it a useful though premature lesson in the experience of life and she privately rejoiced that the had been fought on so sordid a pretext as a money quarrel rather i and than about to whose future alliance both were considered her feelings and her might have been excited whereas annoyance was what she now chiefly suffered and she appeared for the time so thoroughly awakened to the perception of the vices of society and weary of

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hearing of them and mixing in them that considered the opportunity a favourable one for the of a more profitable life she proved to be in the right after a severe nervous attack during which showed her the kindest consideration suddenly manifested a great eagerness to do and be whatever desired and to put herself completely imder her guidance make me like yourself if you can said she for you are and good if you will not mind the trouble neither will i was truly in earnest and in a short time a system of useful and improving occupation was established between them which supplied such high and pleasant that became comparatively to the trifles which had hitherto amused her they worked together read together talked of what they read and of the national of their respective countries sang and played and studied each other s languages and i begin to like these books of yours better than french said but to what good all these which no one else wiu appreciate or care about and she sighed study them for their own sake said it must be a poor that does not repay us many times over for the trouble of making wished to awaken and cherish in her a spirit of active benevolence it seemed strange to her that it should need awakening that should hitherto only have cared for herself and a very few only for the mass of her acquaintance and not at all for the poor to in her some interest in her dwelt frequently on her previous english country life and cottage frequently listened with perfect indifference to allusions to feeding the hungry and clothing the naked but all at once she seemed inspired by a great desire to distinguish herself by acts of mercy and to make clothes for ragged little i do believe she one day exclaimed that you and would suit each other exactly who is the most eccentric old lady in the world i beg your pardon but she really is different from else she is a widow who lives i and near our country seat in an old white wooden house with green shutters surrounded by trees whether other people will not visit her or she will not visit them i know not but very few ladies go near her nor does she seem to care about being consigned to comparative solitude though she is very cheerful and when any one drops in on her â now and then however saying very severe things in what does her consist she reads many books that you or at least i never heard of she never touches medicine herself but gives plenty to any who ask for it and is looked upon as quite an eminent physician by the she has two summer and two winter gowns which she alternate years and wears them by turns till they are completely worn out she always wears a bonnet indoors the shape of which was certainly never seen in paris she and for her little allows no keeps her own accounts makes all her people attend divine worship sings hymns and her voice on the her orchard is full of and she gives every on his marriage three or four apple and cherry trees for his garden that bear fruit the third year no wonder you think her eccentric because she gives a for marriage you and mean ah well her three are quite old maids and is grey headed if any f them married i doubt if they would get trees they might though â she is so very eccentric well it seemed at first a doubtful compliment to me to say you thought we should suit one another but your definition of her prevents my feeling yes yes i am sure you will be pleased though madame could not endure her i will take you to call on her when summer comes i am hardly a favourite of hers at any rate she says very things to me sometimes but so kindly that it is impossible to take at dinner time to the surprise and pleasure of m brought home an english gentleman of the name of he was the stranger who had looked on at the funeral of s grandmother what he had heard on that occasion from the had not given him a very favourable impression of m but as he happened to have some business to with him and was desirous of acquiring some insight into the domestic life of the he willingly accepted m s invitation without expecting much pleasure to from it beyond the satisfaction of his curiosity what were his surprise and gratification on being and introduced not only to the young and lovely daughter of his rugged host but to a of his own young intelligent and a lady at table though he performed its to and gave her the admiration of the eye it was to whom he involuntarily yielded the attention of the ear you have perhaps visited the grave of your distinguished said i have he replied though it was a long journey to who was he whom are you speaking of said m to whom mr explained that an english and of and prison discipline had fallen a victim to his humanity in attendance on a young russian lady and was buried at m seemed to have a vague remembrance of it but to think it very uttle worth remembering do you ever winter at st said mr to alas no said sighing i have never yet seen even more than twice though it is only a hundred and eighty from us but papa half promises i shall spend the next winter at st with my aunt this is a fine city enough to content rational people i think said m appealing to his guest and it looks well at a distance said mr reluctantly but the approach is bad

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through the interminable and and the city itself looks deserted we have fifty thousand inhabitants though said m i understand that is your population but no one would think it our public buildings are fine well you have a good many blue and green and some fa and flights of steps one or two large and a good many â that is all the arms you manufacture here are very inferior to ours â i am disappointed what more would you have said m â palaces perhaps and a better theatre but yet for a provincial city we do very well what would you have better lighting and well â there might be an improvement but it would cost money sir â it would cost money i would have a better fire hardly a night passes without a destructive fire yes because our houses are of wood then they would be better of brick or stone of course of course said his host just as and a would be better if he were a but the does very well as he is nevertheless does he said mr with an amused look at who did not think it safe to return it ah you come from a country of said m pardon me ours is a limited very limited indeed ha ha ha but with plenty of in it for all that i call yours a vulgar sort of government you know called you a nation of a stale joke now said mr coolly it will not excuse your system if our system is all you have to say against us said m we who reap the advantage of it can smile and let your objection pass mr does not look as if it were all said laughing oh no returned he in the same light tone though taking advantage of it to pursue the subject higher up things are as bad or worse the universal system of the of justice no open courts no testimony no testimony without a stamp to the enormous profit of government why now to day you may believe me i give you my word m when i say that this owes me fifteen and hundred which i placed in his hands before i went to i have stated the fact in a writing duly stamped and presented it to the proper division of the civil court after waiting a month to my great inconvenience i am told that my document is not worthy of attention being written on the wrong sort of paper i appeal on another kind which is sold to me for the right sort â i do this three times and each time my appeal is rejected on the same pretext and on applying to you for information how to act you advise me as a friend to offer a considerable bribe â a a interposed m you may call it a but it is nothing short of a bribe â which in a word i never will give m burst into a fit of laughter and then replied you will wait long enough then for your fifteen hundred we shall see said mr yes my dear sir we shall see we shall see but you had better look on the thing as a little per â a per for what for having been cheated a fee that time has made it habitual to expect this is a dull subject to discuss before ladies your pf us are sweeping said and the war into her own quarter is there nothing then in russia that you will praise oh yes said he bowing and smiling the beauty of the russian ladies i thought said looking towards that the english ladies bore away the palm if such compliments are passing from one to the other said it is time for us to run out of hearing smiled and rose from table during the evening mr conversed agreeably enough for both his female to hope they might see him again it was very pleasant to to talk to some one who knew many persons and places familiar to her and forgot her desire to shine in the pleasure of listening to their animated conversation the nine months winter was now nearly half got through during the remainder of it mr called on them frequently â for much to his he found himself unable to carry his point of getting his appeal attended to without recourse to and corruption at sorely against his will he gave the required in consequence of it was informed that he was charged by john with keeping back from him fifteen hundred denied the fact mr had then to p his witnesses whose were taken and down on stamped paper subject to the same objections as the first he now became curious as an observer of national character and customs to see how far this would go at m s recommendation he be it observed being connected with the same office he again which were again accepted the case then went before the president and of the court but the decision was still deferred and m hinted to mr that this was because the president was being by mr determined to carry the matter through just at the last moment and the decision was made in his favour but now came the actually could not pay the debt and there was no alternative for him but mr s heart for him what i doom a to exile for a paltry sum of money equivalent to about three hundred pounds english he could not he must the fellow in the strongest terms let him go and pocket the loss â as indeed he would have to do either way so he had lost his time and temper in addition to the original sum and went his ways with a light heart and was soon well to do in the world again with

1Charles Darwin

a poor wretch or two under him to beat as much as he liked and threaten with i i and while this affair was still became seriously annoyed at the loss of several small articles which she was convinced were by as she had been extremely kind to this girl she was the more hurt at it yet hardly knew how to proceed not having made sufficient progress in russian to make her as effective as she could and knowing that if she called in the aid of the case would be much more severely dealt with than she while she was in the loss of a pair of hair which had given her and to which only have had access disturbed her so much that she to apply to taking the precaution of a promise from her beforehand that she should no more than deemed y necessary she had just come to this determination when looking pleased and a little fluttered came up to her with a letter in her hand and sitting down beside her put her arm round s waist only see said she here is a note from to me enclosed in a letter to papa who has given it to me at once without even breaking the seal he has never written to me before and i don t know why he should now but at all events there can be no secrets in it and if there were and i have none from you so you shall hear what he says and breaking the seal she just glanced down the page and then read as follows in english â off dear it was very to leave you in the way i did without stopping to say farewell but the emperor s summons admitted of no delay and i was glad to be sped on my way by even such a stupid companion as once in st there was plenty to keep me there till i received my ins and now here we are frozen up off island which our great peter chose as the site for the nursery of a young and the of a navy but i am not going to to you upon and i want to write about yourself you know very well dear i have always felt a brother s interest in you which has perhaps made me rather than blind to your little and you could get nothing but outward polish from that old madame but miss may will if you will let her make you all that is amiable and in woman dear be good be such as you are you are already secure of being loved but you will be loved and and esteemed too by a higher class of minds than you now to if you will but be ruled by just principle right feeling and good sense miss may being so attractive and will make this the easier to you i hope to come to my uncle s for a little shooting in the course of the summer and then to find you pursuing a steady course of self improvement but it is not only the conduct of your u i am thinking of you have already many human beings dependent on you and hereafter will probably have many more think how you shall answer to god for your care of them i don t mean by knitting for the little and giving brandy and tea to their fathers ai d mothers this is all very well as far as it goes but it only costs a little money and trouble do not leave hearts to ache or break when it depends on yourself nor by impatience and passion cause unnecessary personal to be inflicted which only the mind and the disposition miss may will tell you who has said these ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone farewell dear i am sure you have had enough of my preaching i shall tell my uncle i have sent you a little sermon and then he will respect the seal your affectionate cousin and it w a sermon but yet a very kind one said when she had finished and i am very much obliged to him for sending it but higher minds â ah dear he must know as well as i do that there are none such here and that if i aim at all these good things it must be for their own sake and nothing lower but i will and you will be rewarded said kissing her their looks and tones were so full of emotion that they hardly heard mr announced young ladies kissing in a morning said he why not in the morning as well as at any other time of the day cried gaily why not truly he replied but i never knew such kissing people as you from the emperor to the you never see a couple of shaggy fellows meeting in the street without their on each other three kisses on the right cheek and three on the left what of that said amused well it looks stupid i think i can t bear the custom myself and always say stand oflf i shall get a challenge or two for it some of these days i know but i can t help it how goes your said the decision is to be made this morning and i i and have a in my pocket to slip into the president s hand at the very last moment oh aye you may well say oh but it s actually the only way i shall show it all up in my book are you writing a book said to be sure i am that s my only compensation i have a gloomy joy in making the worst of things take care of what you say the police will have their eye upon you do you

1Charles Darwin

think me unaware of that i believe they every word i write between my going to bed and my getting up i make it perfectly easy to them leave my key in the lock or on the top of my desk are you not afraid said why you don t suppose i keep my journal in a way they can comprehend do you no no when i mean black i write white and for i put and laughed at this novel expedient he said he would make the london pay for his revelations so handsomely that even if he failed to recover his debt he would be into pocket for the worse case he was able to make out the more he should expect for it especially said he now that a and standing between the two countries seems we shall say of one another the bitterest things we can no foes like old friends that is true enough said thinking of and herself i must be oflf cried mr starting up or will get ahead of me after au and laughing he hurried away when to s letter she said that she believed he had written it chiefly for the sake of and and that she would think the subject over though she meant to take no step in a hurry then since you are so reasonable said i will mention to you a difficulty of my own and she told her of the suspected of would have resorted to extreme measures but knowing that would not like them she simply proposed finding a substitute for who should be sent back to her village though would have preferred some system she knew it to be out of her reach and therefore to s proposal with thanks for so easy a remedy accordingly before dark to her no small surprise and dismay found herself in a old k he en and on her way back whence she came with a small deal box beside the contents of which had been duly searched before her departure and a smelling bottle her last q withdrawn and restored to its owner the hair however which cared for much more were not found was convinced probably with reason that a good beating or hair pulling would have obtained a confession of the fate of the stolen goods if not their restoration but was too much of an to seek to regain them on such terms so the question was dropped the s place was supplied by return of by a young girl called chapter xii spring came at last the ice broke up the snow gradually disappeared the roads and streets became masses of black mud and the of the winter made the air almost water b an now to through that had heretofore been everything felt damp and and the heat of the was nearly heard of loaded sticking fast in the street mire of others being dug oat and of ladies bent on pleasure at any price being draped to theatres and by oxen to their es the amused her she had been surprised at the length and of the previous fast of eight weeks but every one seemed resolved on compensation for it afterwards as a matter of curiosity or rather of interest she accompanied once or twice as a to the greek church though it held been an understood thing k and before she left england that she should be allowed the free exercise of her own religion and that on sundays and days should have another the are between four and five in the morning the or communion service between nine and ten no seats are provided for all the congregation stand except during the greater part of the service consists of and hymns occasionally sung but most frequently read and the extreme length of the service the priests to read so fast that it is scarcely possible to follow them only music is but this is often most exquisitely performed when entered the cathedral which though is one of the most massive in russia the gorgeous effects of colour of light and shade the dresses of the priests composed of richly embroidered and glittering with gems the glare of some hundred wax lights and lamps of various sizes the of incense the strains of exquisite music and the sight of crowds of standing or themselves till their touched the pavement was almost overpowering to her little addressed itself to the soul but everything to the senses on the first of may though it happened to be a cold day every one threw off their winter and appeared in the spring fashions the and wives especially in the brightest and richest silk loaded with real or mock jewels and painted red and white in the most manner were to be seen driving about with their looking husbands in the old national costume who leaving their wives to with each other in dress only sought to rival one another in the beauty and of their horses longed for the country and for the first recognition of the violet and in their native woods but business delayed m in town rather longer than was expected at length preparations began to be made for the flitting to and every one about the house with an air of gaiety nor were the preparations hastened without reason for the russian summer comes in so suddenly and lasts so short a time that are neat travelling boxes were produced out of store fitted up with cups plates knives and forks for the road â as such luxuries would not be by the the distance indeed to m s country house was only eighty one long day s journey but they must eat though they need not sleep upon the road many of the servants seemed to rejoice in going to the country where they would see their parents brothers and sisters but wore a face

1Charles Darwin

of settled and for was to be left behind had become very useful to m in his office and was to sleep in it and take care of it during his master s absence hence s but told with great glee that she had thought the matter well over and was preparing for a pleasant surprise she had resolved to tell her that she would no longer withhold her consent to her marriage but did not mean to do so till the day before their journey and then she added i shall have her services all the summer but she and will have something to look forward to â so all parties will be satisfied was very glad of this but every time she saw s drooping head and mien she wondered how could forbear to end her painful state of mind however was quite satisfied with her own good intentions and would have been very much surprised had she been told she was doing less than the utmost that could be expected of her on the evening but one before their departure came in to receive some directions from his manner was respectful but dry and cold there was not the slightest appearance of personal attachment to his young mistress there was no frown on his brow but there was no smile on his lip as he went out he sighed and i could not forbear that another in your place said a was s cheerful reply we may all be burnt in our beds to night observed they were not however and the next morning she met in the corridor with eyes wet with happy tears on descending the stairs she met the usually quiet looking de bu pardon i cried he her in an agitated manner into the is going to make us happy and i know â yes i could swear â it is through your and wept her hand and kneeling he kissed it many times and hurried away next appeared all smiles and when m entered she danced up to him and kissed him you are quite thb morning said he coolly yes papa because i feel very happy i have i believe performed a good action i have told papa that i will consent to her marrying ho â and has s master told him he may marry you will i hope papa will you not and child even is no property of but of mine you are not even of age your haste is somewhat premature not another word would he speak all felt quite dismayed and seemed a little thrown out but not much he can t bear any one to take a liberty whispered she not even me i know it to be a matter of perfect indifference to him whether or not he has told me that it entirely depended on me presently while m was still reading the newspaper went to the window and smiling beckoned to to join her looking into the court yard saw and standing together in the secure privacy as they thought it of an he with his arm passed round her waist and talking to her with great animation to which she was listening with an attentive ear till happening to look up she caught a glimpse of s blue muslin and blushing like a rose darted into the house m at the same moment rose and went away and began to pack up her music suddenly white as marble looked into the room and clasping his hands threw himself before oh i if you love your mother s e â ic ic â â â i mr c s just dow bee d be at the of borne â j i ah no co v iâ i â v â â ii you â h â t good remember m ow â prospect of your lived on hope now i â and for you with my father in some moment mind i do not for i cannot promise to be successful nor will you be it is my belief ejaculated struggling for self mastery but what i can do i will dear excellent and he gratefully kissed her hand yes said with emotion i shall hope to succeed and if i do not you know we are but where we were no that we can never be interrupted and i must henceforth regard ourselves as married in the sight of heaven â we can never never be as we were â never with regard to yourself for we thought you henceforth we shall you never as we ere towards for till i made suit to him he never fully showed his black heart well well i not hear all this â go now for we are busy go and live on hope if i can and with a sigh and a smile he withdrew this incident threw a gloom over the day there was much to be done and till had not leisure to read a second time and with full enjoyment a letter from england she had received at breakfast the pleasure was a sorrowful one too it brought all whom she loved so vividly before her and and yet they were so far off nor were their prospects so as to make her at ease concerning them she mused long and sadly then and just before she went to her bed looked out of the window the sky as usual was lurid in one or two quarters with distant fires nearer at hand all was in dark shade though she fancied she could dimly discern the moving to and fro and hear him up the with which he occasionally kept himself awake by on it very feeble and harmless airs she had sought repose and was just dropping asleep when she was roused by a voice at no great distance beneath her at first low and subdued but gradually venturing

1Charles Darwin

on more strength so mellow sweet and sorrowful that its pathetic music rent the heart evidently it was not the though on his beat a friend then of his or he would not have permitted the to take place the air was slow and plaintive and the voice so excellent the style so cultivated that though she had heard much of the national genius for music could not suppose the to be of the lower orders but felt convinced the must be intended for whose departure it anxious to know whether were awake and listening she softly passed through the door which opened into her bed chamber and there lay in rosy sleep but she started from her light slumber as bent over her and hastily asked if it were time to arise no said hush i hark i there is the most lovely singing beneath the window sprang out of bed went towards the window and listened intently after a short pause the singer had resumed with still more and passion the words were distinctly â how can i live on hope tis ejaculated he does sing i know they would have engaged him of my father for the italian opera if they could but papa tried to make too hard a bargain for him i wonder if hears him she sleeps in the adjoining closet and he is under her window not mine â shall i go in and see no don t her privacy it is the last time she will hear him i must have one little peep yes she is out of bed and kneeling at the window whispered eagerly sobbing as if her heart would break poor i just hear him â there s a dying fall â â what a charming it really is â but i am very sleepy so good night good night and returned to her own room to listen yet longer to the that subdued the very soul chapter xiii summer time in the country the bedroom of m lay on the opposite side of the house or it is probable the would not have been attempted in the morning all were early and were in good spirits but m looked black as night could he have heard the singing thought not and she was growing accustomed now to these fits of impenetrable gloom as for he looked so unlikely to strike the light in the grave business of the morning that almost doubted if he could have been the after all he came and went answering m s repeated with a dogged mien and returning replies to his dry commands â the dog is dangerous muttered m at length as left the room he is ready to fly at his master s throat oh no papa interposed he is only sorry we are all going away and a kind cheerful word from you would make him smile and a frown was her only answer and she darted away to the house door to cry i be sure you water those flowers while we are away he smiled but sadly and said yes and be sure you read all the books i have left out for you for they are very amusing and interesting he smiled more gladly this time and said yes well thought of and well spoken said for he feels you have kindly endeavoured to cheer his loneliness a kiss was s answer everything was now ready ven to the and m s writing desk under the carriage seat soon they were rattling along the ill paved streets between rows of wooden houses with yellow painted upper stories then through the long mean till they reached the high road which was still than the streets the bearded coachman now began to talk to his of horses and make long speeches to them as if they were reasonable creatures at first the unexpected repeatedly threw and against one another while their rattling over the stones prevented their speaking except in raised voices but was not to be she was in a mood and what do you expect our country house to be like said she just then they were passing a forlorn looking two house about a from the road without hedge wall or tree near it the sun shining full on its windows something like that said looked and gave a little nod was rather dismayed well we must make the best of it said she aye nothing like philosophy said is there papa i was not attending to what you were saying said m i said there is nothing like philosophy such a as that hardly requires an answer i think said m to his newspaper his did not prevent and from enjoying their journey to especially to whom everything was new everything was interesting â whether the and in their early green at long and remote intervals â the rows of long straggling log huts with their to the road and with straw dignified by the name of villages â the lone houses of landed set on the or against the sides of and low hills â the staring white post houses with the double headed eagle over the doors or the poor with and heavily carved window frames at one of these in a miserable town they found a broken down belonging to m that had been sent forward with servants and luggage being repaired for the rest of the journey and here m who for some time had laid aside his newspaper and sat in gloomy silence suddenly declared he must return at once to his office as something of importance bad been forgotten an old was at hand but some time was occupied in getting it ready and in the meantime they all alighted and entered the best parlour the house afforded reminded her father that unless he dined here he would probably go as nothing was prepared for him at

1Charles Darwin

home but he said soup or a s head were likely to be the best dishes the house afforded and that he would rather trust to old to provide him something there was nothing to do therefore but to look at the gathered round the and or examine the painted eggs and china in the little comer cupboard till the was ready and thought even the glare of the sun to the close and air of the inn parlour and at length the was ready and m having replaced and in his own carriage promised to be with them at night or at latest the morning it was unfortunate said as they pursued their way that m should be obliged to return and travel in that uncomfortable oh said i believe it is nothing in the world but a pretence to see what is about papa is so dreadfully suspicious i i have known him to do so before he first people and then expects them to which they often do if they can as for the inn dinner it was only because he thought the expense might be saved and that you and i might a well be content with the cold chicken for he neither soup nor and will not care a straw if serves him her own dish of smoked meat with i believe he would keep us all on such if he could â with perhaps the of a great joint of large red half cooked pork on saints days but now is not the country becoming rather â just a little â pretty yes spring makes everything hark i there is a lark is it â yes i see that it is one but its song is less gay than ours â it is like the music of your country look at that dirty woman driving the pigs l and out of her cottage they run straight across the sleeping in the sun and he never surely he might leave off his coat in this warm weather how short all the are oh the tall ones are picked off for the army indeed then i think russian mothers must pray for short sons in the afternoon the bow to which the outside horses are attached gave way and they were obliged to stop to have it repaired one or two came lazily out of some road side cottages to look on rather than help and as was desirous to see the inside of a peasant s dwelling she thought this a good opportunity to enter one it was neither worse nor better than the rest but a miserable place the stove took up the greater part of it and on this lay an old woman muttering to herself and apparently half a boy sat on the ground in a corner himself bark shoes intently watched by two young children with bare feet the walls were hung with wretched little images of saints which seemed excellent fly for they were covered with hundreds of a middle aged woman thin and was clearing away the remains of the mid day meal from the top of an old chest that served for a table the food consisted but of black bread and with a can of and but the are hospitable to a proverb â of their little a they ll give and the peasant looked wistfully t her food and then at the ladies as if wishing yet feeling ashamed to invite them to partake of it but a second look at seemed to decide her on her line of conduct and she put the loaf away without even making them welcome to her dwelling bread and salt said but the customary you are welcome to them was we are interrupting your meal i fear said we have fed was the dry answer are these all your children all these are my children but they are not all i have had two are buried not lost but gone before said the mother made no answer you are an ingenious little fellow said the little will they last you long oh no i shall wear them out in a day or two but i can make plenty more â they don t take me long we have a family pair of boots for the mud and snow but father generally has them and they are too large for you perhaps yes whose are you said l and not yours said the mother rudely not yours thank heaven looked surprised why are you glad of it inquired she have i ever done you any harm hurts the goose hurts the said the peasant and again the pot cannot contend with the brass pan and again the lamb feels the knife even though he not is it not so good mother aye aye cried the old woman taking up the string of and a poor wife is better than a cruel love is better than riches not a in the sun lest in the dark the thee the cow has a long tongue but she dares not speak i cannot imagine how i have you said i do not think i ever saw you before i have seen you though more than once said the woman and moreover my father is the perhaps you don t know him ah cried with a quick vivid blush what has become of the good old man i can remember him ever since i was a little child and you had him beaten almost to death i no was he beaten was he beaten ah surely you must have known â you might have laid your fingers in the an it was owing to you and owing to me but not done by my order or with my knowledge said i simply knew he had disappeared and have often wondered what had become of him he won t cross your path again said the

1Charles Darwin

woman it was owing to his carrying letters or messages for you without your father s knowledge and your father had him beaten almost to death i am sorry very sorry said accept this though it will not his beating it is over now and cannot be helped the woman softened and said i believe you are sorry â and this will buy bread for my children then let us say no more kind words go farther than who knows how oft the carpet was beaten cried the old woman he is a fool that refuses a for his wound though a broken head be a curse an empty stomach makes it worse michael here came to announce that the harness bow was replaced and as they left the cottage the mother of the family said with a little the single word â forgive i do and forgive me also said if in aught i have may god be your help said the woman salvation to thee said and and the last farewell word was â go with god i well said laughing a little as they drove off see what your desire for a visit has cost me â it has been a good lesson to you said and i think you must be glad to have had the opportunity of making some acknowledgment â i will not say â of your injury oh but you may say we are not so fastidious as you english and a of a higher class than these would think a handful of blows well paid for by a handful of as these two never seemed to tire of one another s company the rest of the journey was very pleasant about an hour before sunset they turned off the high road towards what looked like a forest with here and there a gleam of water flights of birds flew overhead disturbed by the noise of wheels along the road gay wild flowers grew among the long tangled grass and the air was fresh and pleasant they drove up a lime tree avenue and michael alighted to open a rusty gate which gave them the opportunity of hearing the barking of a number of fierce dogs that s our welcome said we shall get no better so we may as well welcome ourselves and and at least may welcome you to the home of my forefathers they were now at the door of a old stone mansion which facing the north and surrounded by neglected looked gloomy enough but yet more than respectable â dignified had already arrived and awaited them among a group of servants in the hall led the way through a and room to the drawing room it was more stately but more shabby than had expected an old yellow flock paper with gold covered the damp walls some large misty and portraits by different and indifferent artists hung round the room the heavily carved chairs and not of the school were covered with faded and dirty satin there were no books flowers or musical instruments to give any air of elegance my is in my own dressing room said i will have it brought down to morrow but hitherto i have had no one in the house whom i cared to play to or please except indeed when he came to shoot wild ducks well what is your impression i have hardly had time to form one said give me till to morrow and of course said laughing well it cannot be helped to me it never looked so cheerful as your presence makes it already tomorrow we will set things in order meanwhile i will show you your room which is close to mine so you need have no fears even in this old rambling house wherein the ghost of my great grandfather is said to walk in a long on windy wintry nights there is no need for us to dress for one another â we will have coffee stroll up the lime tree alley to the river come home to eat ice chat a little read a little and go to bed found the premises included a long concert room and theatre but neither chapel nor library her own room was hung with a common striped paper decorated with some poor prints and small pictures of saints with an old fashioned glass in a dark wooden frame carved in like curled leaves it looked out on an orchard full of crooked apple cherry and overgrown with moss and well apparently by and a wooden wall divided the orchard from a kitchen garden full of and common pot beyond which were corn fields and the roofs of a few cottages s room which was only divided from s by a dressing room had a different aspect and a and prettier look out though there was something desolate in the of a broken fountain an stone urn a statue lying among the long grass and a this seems a place that has seen better days said how should it be otherwise said my great grandfather had i have been told four hundred household servants including a complete band of a company of actors and besides scene painters house painters cabinet makers and every trade you can think of all of them born on his own land besides these there were without end and coach makers and forty female servants whose sole business was and at his death each of his four sons took equal shares of his of course my grandfather had only a hundred of the household ten of whom were but though a man greatly beloved he became poor every one him my father i am afraid ruined him and brought sorrow on the old man s grey hairs that was before i was bom as soon as my father found himself the sole representative of the house he became and going from one extreme to

1Charles Darwin

the other grew excessively you what he is now and when people say he has made much money â he has not the heart to spend it so we live in the comer of our great old house like sand in an empty shell but come let ns go down to the river before the sun sets throw your veil over your head you will find it enough they strolled down the wood path to the enjoying the refreshing coolness various small animals alarmed at their light tread ran among the and birds and fluttered over their heads they reached the brink of a small but deep river which told contained and other good fish it seemed the spot for a to dream out his days flocks of wild ducks were gliding on the surface of the waters and a couple of themselves on a little of the opposite bank a young man seated under some trees was engaged in fishing close to the spot on which and stood a little boy stretched all along on the ground was intently reading suddenly laid her hand on his shoulder and made him give a great start he turned round his open honest face and looked up to her with great blue wondering eyes ah exclaimed he gladly i did not know you were here and is grand enough for me said why who taught you to read the widow ah the widow the dear good woman we must go and see her to morrow and what book has she given you he silently held it towards her a translation from the english into modem said examining it look i one of s tracts â the young exclaimed how very singular to meet with it here i chapter xiv a lord of the soil the young man who had been fishing now approached with an air his dress though not below that of many a russian country gentleman was so ill chosen and that guessed him to be many degrees beneath the rank that really was his he wore an frock coat far from new with brass buttons leather and a violet satin a good deal his mien was and his countenance not bad but totally destitute of intelligence as he slowly drew near he seemed deeply occupied in pulling a pair of coarse gloves over a pair of coarse hands as if for the sole purpose of immediately pulling one of them oflf again to present his hand all glorious with gaudy rings to the want of between his sentences which he rarely finished had the appearance of proceeding from embarrassment but was in reality a habit that had become natural to him from the confusion of his ideas had yet to and i j learn how and a landed proprietor can become who dwells wholly and solely among his i did not know said he awkwardly that you were here â that is â i supposed â to be sure told me â only i thought it was not to be till next week â that is a day or two â as had very little to do with our arrangements said whose contrasted with his embarrassment it did not signify if he were not quite clear about them you need make no apology paul for fishing in our grounds you know you have my father s free permission to do so and i ve just caught a beautiful continued paul at every other word which i shall do myself the honour â the pleasure i mean of carrying up to the house â thank you pray do not trouble yourself here is little will run up with it ah that will be still that is â of course i should be most happy and paul hid his blushing face among the long grass in which he affected to be seeking for the though it was close at hand all the while here boy cried he with a decision and command that showed how he could speak to a even though not belonging to himself readily i and took the fish tucked his little book under his arm gave another bright look and trotted off to the house it s easy to see how good you are said paul gazing on with a in his round blue eyes that was almost silly that boy now â quite you and so must every one i should think â every one that is that â who â thank you don t it said i believe little is fond of me seeing he owes to me many toys cakes and games of play and now let me present you in form m paul to my friend may ah â french i suppose said paul raising his hat half a yard above his head and holding it there for a minute while his good white teeth were displayed in a smile that extended nearly ear to ear no english said better and better said that every one thinks â oh no every one does not think said quietly as if he had made a general observation and how is m dear me i ought to have asked that before only â that is i may a well walk up to the house and ask him myself your attention is needless as my father has yet joined us and oh â then i ll walk up to the house for the pleasure of seeing looked as if she were inclined to remind him he was doing that already but as she afterwards told she thought he deserved to be rewarded for finishing one of his sentences really coming from him it was quite and where are you in this neighbourhood said as they slowly returned up the alley oh at my aunt s as usual said paul that is â ah yes by the by i recollect i did once stay at m s â

1Charles Darwin

oh yes â ah to be sure and another time you know with â only that time was before the â well i in an altered key and very abruptly to little as he came running back from the house take my basket and rod boy â you know where i left them â up to s and mind you don t hurt any of the tackle at do you hear â or i ll set you to rights arrived at the door steps m seemed quite inclined to go in and spend the evening but with an that did not seem exerted for the first time told him so that her journey ad tired her and she required repose that he was to understand her and content himself with ing that he would give his aunt the honour and l o and pleasure of knowing of her arrival and would wait on her to inquire after her health the next day if i have my usual good luck said after he was gone i shall so time our visit to his aunt as that he shall call here when we are out and we shall call there when he is did have her usual good luck for the following morning just as she and were driving out of the gate they caught a glimpse of him in the far distance approaching by another road enveloped in a cloud of dust now said as they drew near their destination we shall be sure to find our good widow engaged with all her heart and soul on some of the moment â killing the on her garden wall fruit collecting rose leaves for a pot measuring english for her maids to or preserving but the best of it is that she never minds setting aside her own to her whole interest in that of her neighbour and don t mind if she attacks me about something or other for she always means it kindly and to tell you the truth she never hurts me much the loud barking of dogs now proclaimed their arrival at the gate of a white wooden house of moderate dimensions and quaint but comfortable aspect with green painted shutters and backed by a few trees an old man presently hurried and through the little court yard with an of into the house through a side door where they could see him slipping on an old livery coat and down his grey locks with his hands in another minute he was at the front door and opening the gate with a smile of welcome spoke to him kindly which seemed much to gratify him and after showing her into the little low drawing room he could not help lingering to chat with her a few minutes and tell her how badly he and his had had the during the winter before he summoned the latter from the garden some flies for fishing in the process of making on a small table beside a chair with a yellow and white striped cotton cover the nephew s whereabouts when he was at home and an easier chair in an old fashioned covering of white with a half finished net near it indicated the seat of his aunt there were a great many little about the room ranged with considerable neatness though without any fruitless attempts at their of which it might be said they were of a kind likely to be chiefly valuable to their owner who had probably some pleasant or associations with every one of them and these gave an air of habitation and comfort to the room that made it â ar more attractive to than the great saloon of m and m shells dried flowers wax fruit stuffed birds a live and golden fish gleaming in the sun as they darted round their crystal globe â books and pieces of china stuck up on various little corner shelves â very handsome and comparatively new writing old prints framed glazed or pinned or against the wall â all these though smiled at by had a kind of interest for who fancied something affectionate and amiable about the owner the peculiar look of a book on the table near her induced her to take it up to her great surprise it was the indian journal of dr translated into modem she had just laid it down with an expression of wonder to when the widow entered and running briskly up to her young neighbour embraced her and kissed her on each cheek three times she might be a little turned of fifty but her skin was as smooth and soft as satin and tinted like a it was no to kiss her smiling cherry lips small pearl white teeth she bore a strong resemblance to her nephew but her blue eyes were mild without being stupid and her nose was less of a her dress was a small fresh white satin bonnet made on a foundation probably by herself a gown rather washed out and pinned round her so and as to reveal a white muslin snowy thread stockings and shoes â not slippers â with substantial and coming up well over the a green china shawl over her shoulders i am so glad to see you cried she with animation taking one step backwards to survey with attention and completeness and then rapidly giving her six more kisses paul brought me word you had arrived in the country but little him the rogue for which he got a box on the ear poor boy said oh but paul was so disappointed said his aunt though i him for it too but i could not do so severely because i know that everything relating to you concerns him so much well and you too turning to you are the english lady yes yes paul told me so the of the humane and of who wrote the pretty

1Charles Darwin

little books â yes and of the good dr who came among us to the holy among our poor people lives he still â oh i hope he does i you see i know all about you yes and about your good little queen â i hope we are not going to war with her we have had our female sovereigns too â â famous ones they were but not good â no no r m and great but not good my dear do you ever read a little history now i know you were not fond of it but you should my child â not for show but to be a resource against the evening of life then when beauty is fled you will feel the advantage of a well informed mind if it be but five pages a day â that is what i say to paul â set yourself a regular task if it be but five pages i make him do it too â that is when i can but sometimes he says oh aunt i must finish this fly or oh aunt i must go fishing and now and then i hear him at dinner i ask him to give an account of what he has read i go back as far as and i say what can you tell me about i cannot say he can tell much he says oh aunt i have passed long ago â i can t remember so far back i am now in the false ha ha ha never mind he ll be the better for it in time because mark you he now knows there was once a which at first he did not yes yes we shall get on in time he will become interested when he reaches peter the great i generally set him to read in the evening because i found his mornings were always taken up and then i gave him his book after dinner while i took a little nap but whenever i awoke i saw him just closing his book and putting his pocket handkerchief over his head with the dish empty and a great and heap of on his plate he would then say i am going to think over what i have read and gently draw his handkerchief down over his face ah i knew what would come of that â you may both guess that presently i heard him but i am thankful and proud to tell you said that i neither over my book nor run away from it do i no said you have become rather fond of reading provided the book be not too dry such as this for example said the good taking up dr this is not dry â no not at all and it would do you good it was translated when i was a girl by our good princess ah she was indeed one in a thousand she aided your good dr turning to in forming a bible society in she visited the st and the to the poor prisoners like your good mrs she visited also the and poor houses she translated various works by your more your your â what say i she four hundred thousand copies of different useful productions composed or translated by herself â among the poor mind you â being in modem and at her own expense for with the assistance of the good dr and she printed bound and published them herself at an expense of ten thousand oh she was a good woman a self denying woman much that alexander our good emperor privately joined her in the work and contributed to it twelve thousand because he said it was for the benefit of his poor ignorant subjects what think you was it not a noble deed certainly i think so said i should like to hear you say so more heartily however rejoined because mind you you yourself will some of these days be the mistress of great wealth and it is only the of great wealth who can do good on this large scale and too often they want the heart to do it but ask yourself how much pleasure in comparison would the princess have had think you had she spent her ten thousand not on the souls of the poor but at et or in a diamond as large as a my dear she would have made no provision whatever for the evening of life whereas a woman who her wealth in and her time in her talents may grow as old and ugly as she pleases with for who asks what the author of a pretty book is like or who cares whether an old or young plays behind the green curtain at this point paul entered looking ex and warm with his ride and dressed with great attention to appearances even if with little success how unfortunate i was said he approaching with his broad smile not to find you at home â that is i am fortunate in finding you here so that there s no i think except the annoyance of your ride on a hot day said that makes a i am afraid no not to see you r that is to be sure i might have seen you here and more of you too if i had not gone out â and if you had just mentioned yesterday that you meant to call this morning on my aunt at this moment old the man servant entered with a large old fashioned silver on which were little glasses a case and a very elegant silver chased basket filled to overflowing with a tempting variety of cakes bon and of rich cake handed the basket to her young friends herself and desired her nephew to help them to for though it went against her conscience to induce young people to take she could not refrain

1Charles Darwin

from making them welcome to the best of whatever she had so it was of no use to say no because the more they declined the more she pressed and paul to with his aunt ii â n he en and liberality though the was none of his filled the glasses so full that it was impossible to raise them without letting the contents run over and then bade old with his shaking hands to present them to the ladies and not to the or he would his head for him this nearly s gravity and was obliged to inform her that though m did not seriously mean to do anything so shocking a threat of the head was to one of sending a man to serve in the army old went off shaking the venerable in question in a very marked manner and contented herself with hoping that as she and had merely touched the with their lips old would privately have the of it which might be some compensation for the to his respectable meanwhile paul considering himself at once as host and guest continued to offer the to and again and again in spite of their having already declined taking any more and each time himself of the opportunity of helping himself to the largest piece left so that the elegant cakes which had certainly not been provided for him instead of being heaped in rich profusion â nearly to the glittering handle shrunk down below he brim of the basket and once when and him his mouth so full of and sugar that he nearly choked in attempting to answer her concluded her visit by inviting him to come and partake of his beautiful with m and themselves at six o clock an invitation which he immediately accepted and which appeared no less gratifying to his aunt chapter xv country nâ dr what do you think of my old friend said to as they drove off i like her said she is homely but kindly i think she gave you little reason to accuse her of severity that shows how much i must be improved said laughing indeed i know i am you think me â ar enough off still from what i ought to be but i know i am more at any rate than i was they had yet several country neighbours to visit the next was a widow lady in narrow circumstances with two grown up daughters who were neither intelligent nor well informed they lived all the year round in the country and envied those who could spend the winter in st or even a second class provincial town they were discontented with their lot and seemed incapable of mending it was not surprised that and did not like these people she pitied them but did not think their companionship could be or improving next they paid a state visit to a grand who was said to in politics and who was surrounded by a cluster of admirers and she was too self important a personage to have much attention to bestow on a young person like who was chilled by her reception and soon took leave next they called on some very french ladies fresh from who were dressed in the height of the fashion and could only talk of the fashionable world other visitors were present and a young lady dressed in mourning who appeared to be staying in the house after one or two gestures of surprise and emotion in the background came for ward and taking by the hand exclaimed dear how long is this to last v it makes me profoundly miserable â i declare to you since this coolness arose i have never known peace cast all the blame of it on me if you will only say you forgive me i have no blame to cast on you that i know of said looking much embarrassed for whom are you in mourning is it possible you did not know that had lost his father as a near relative â and of course we put on complimentary mourning but between ourselves dearest the old man s death is not much to be regretted for is now in a position free from all pecuniary difficulties she looked as she spoke at who changed colour as soon as she heard his name but she did not seem to have a word to say when ceased after an awkward pause she with some effort replied â then i hope he will pay his debts his debts of course â that is if he have any said who seemed to think it a very odd question to raise are you not concerned for the poor fellow i am sorry he has lost his father certainly said with that is if he be sorry himself and if he is not he is the more to be pitied and for i believe his father was a very good old man how changed you are said reproachfully da come to the window and winding her arm round the reluctant s waist she drew her out of s hearing and talked to her at the window with much display of earnestness seemed in great perplexity and discomfort at length she broke up the conference by saying well i must go now or papa will be kept waiting and will you not let me come to you then said i must not you know papa has insisted on our intimacy being broken oflf ah you are so cold and applied the corner of her handkerchief to her eyes but was firm and hastened to take leave of the lady of the house and of all the friends round her whom she knew afterwards counted up forty eight kisses that had been exchanged on the occasion you surprised me by your firmness said she to when they were once more together â i rather surprised myself

1Charles Darwin

said between laughing and crying i had no idea till we met how my sentiments towards her had changed you have to answer for it i hope i may never have anything heavier to answer for said to me she so clearly seems not only artificial but that i think her an companion for you what designs can she have said in the first place she designs to make you think her very attached to you which i really believe is not the case well i have my doubts about it too said â though once you could not have hurt me more than by saying so what can have made me and so sharp sighted i suppose living with so truthful and honest a person as yourself knowing what the real thing is i have learnt to detect the it may be so said but very young persons are apt to be deceived by any who think it worth their while or worth their said there i have made an english especially if they flatter pursued which she certainly did sometimes said and i am afraid i liked it i had nothing better to like then what do you like better now inquired common sense plain dealing and sincere affection â you dear said kissing her number forty nine said laughing why you cross cold creature would you have one live without kissing at all ah there is the old driving away from the door and there is mr standing on the steps well papa has soon picked up a visitor tell me how old do you think he is m â â no no mr oh perhaps thirty two or thirty three â he cannot be less than thirty three i think that s rather old for what said and for whom you mean said what i cried is he to be the successor to no you stupid of course i was thinking of thank you said laughing but i have no views of the kind you seem to allude to nor i think has he he is certainly not very handsome said and yet he has a pleasant cheerful face â a good countenance as people say â a sensible head good forehead quick eye and pleasant smile is he above or below the average of your countrymen you may take him as a pretty fair average specimen pray is m an average specimen of yours well there you have the advantage of me certainly at our table to day the english will bear the palm you and mr against paul and papa â why not against paul and you said that would be more polite and more dutiful i think certainly said but here is mr waiting to receive us well mr welcome cordially welcome to the surprise is equal to the pleasure and i concluded you would be surprised said he laughing and offering his hand to assist her from the carriage but m was so pressing there was no refusing him and i thought it would be so nice to come down here and get on with my book oh if that is all it is paying us a very poor compliment said well but the town was so dull without you there was no bearing it even for twenty four hours and he â what s the dull town to me robin s not here for robin read or whichever you like certainly said but this is very perverse of you mr did i not press you as much as a lady could to come here the very evening before we started â but m did hem that is true you remind me what a very young lady i am and what has now made papa more gracious why i took his part yesterday in rather an awkward affair going to the public office i heard high words proceeding from your father s surprised to hear his voice i looked in and found a young fellow in a furious rage ready to collar him and of course that would not do i came to the rescue and took the by the of the neck rascal proved to be one of your precious who had taken advantage of your father s absence to open his desk with a false key exclaimed and in dismay the very fellow so of course there was nothing for it but the police station â oh â papa did not have him cried you both seem very much moved ladies the young villain is i believe not worth your pity â no he was not actually though within an inch of it because i who wanted to see how matters of this sort are conducted for my book you know went along with him and made out by the way that it was not a case of but only of evidence this of course made all the difference so i took the responsibility on myself of staying the policeman s hand while i returned to m to find if it were the case and if so to for a of sentence your father had it seemed to me been a little too hasty â he suspected that the impression of his private key had been taken in wax and that during his short absence the lock of his desk had been with and papers within it examined though not removed it had very likely been done it is just n and like you saving the ladies but there was no proof of it whatever therefore i as an englishman and a lover of fair play begged off and he came in for only a i half repented of doing so too the next minute for the young rascal would by no means beg pardon and promise never to do so any â but turned dead sulky as i think can do more to the purpose than any others and

1Charles Darwin

when he was sent about his business he muttered something that sounded very much to the effect â you have taught me what i can do and it shall go hard but i better your teaching thereupon i shook my fist at him and growled m fell upon my neck kissed me three times on each cheek treated me to dinner at a â we had a capital fish soup roast so so bad wine good coffee and cigars m expressed the emotions invited me hither offered me a seat in his carriage and â â here i am i must go and welcome papa said and then dress for dinner after you one of our sixteen spare sixteen you told me six and twenty no no i never did i ve them six and in my journal â i must them that s flat ladies au when and returned to the drawing and room they found m already arrived in his best dress suit and mr giving him an amused investigation as a natural m was talking to the young russian about fishing and field sports this young fellow said mr aside to has been occupying half an hour or more in trying to drown a lame duck he has shot it for us and the duck has tumbled into the rushes and there it sticks for he can t carry on his story any farther during the whole of dinner mr took a mischievous pleasure in drawing him out which he did with such success that was f lad of any pretext to smile and laughed continually and openly m from time to time it was difficult to know whether he attended to the or not well and so you killed him dead at last said mr and then i suppose the next thing was to have the duck cooked yes that is â i â here paul gave michael a smart rap on the head for knocking his bread off the table how do you like it rich very said mr with a side glance that almost put into fits well ducks always are rich certainly said paul i hadn t thought of that â bless my heart n o and for michael of malice this time had tripped and the hot down the of s neck his dress of course he was sent oflf in disgrace with the promise of a shaved head but it was with what mr called a gloomy joy at having had his revenge all sorts of from and offers of assistance clean c from m and mr of course took place but the young man having rubbed his well with a fine said he should do very well as he was that was if the ladies didn t mind assured him she did not mind and the remainder of the meal was by any misfortunes the whole party returned to the drawing room still in the glare of the summer sun though tempered with blinds and light there was music under the windows oh see exclaimed there are dancing on the lawn i knew they would said and was expecting your surprise i heard the of before we came in this is to welcome you i suppose said mr yes but they often do it while the summer lasts and very pretty â very sentimental we have nothing to come up to this in england miss may no said â all the better the are prettier than we see in england said the full white with blue ribbons the tight fitting crimson with its gold lace and buttons the long of fair hair down the back and the gold embroidered shoes are very picturesque all for effect but the effect is good so is that of the men s red shirts confined round their with silver bands and the men themselves are pleasant looking though ah there is my little maid stealing in among the dancers a cheerful looking young peasant is offering her his hand how she looks up at us â this is what i call very delightful said paul stretching himself on one of the old satin and looking out on the lawn â pastoral without and polish within a very pretty girl is now dancing ha her partner is the rascal that the hot down my back he wants a taste of the that fellow chapter xvi la said the next morning at breakfast which thanks to english influence was not taken apart and in were you not amused at paul s polish within certainly said i shall make what artists call a finished sketch of that young noble said mr i take him to be not an exceptional case but a specimen of a class and shall therefore cultivate his society and make a thorough study of him i am afraid your book will be dreadfully mr well there will be some quiet irony in it no doubt there are things that one must either storm or laugh at and i prefer doing the latter would it not be better said since poor m will never have the opportunity of by your printed to avail yourself of your intended intimacy with him to him to self improvement rather than show him up in your book and i might do both â that is if there were any in him of being which i fear there is not but i have no objection to try on the contrary i am rather fond of saying to people you had better have done this â you ought not to have done that i believe there are plenty of others who are of it said pray tell me candidly do our musical performances your attention when you are writing not at all on the contrary i am very fond of hearing miss may s white fingers sweetly the harp and yours coming down with prodigious power in a grand on

1Charles Darwin

the piano mr said no more than the truth â the sound of music made the gloomy old house more cheerful and he could set down the chain of his ideas quite while were being played in the room below sometimes he back in his chair for a few minutes of luxurious rest after by no means too laborious occupation and thought with great satisfaction how comfortable it was to be studying the natives under the roof of a silent host with a lively daughter and her sensible friend often he would proceed to dwell on their respective characters and give himself a little credit for keeping well with so a person as m â an matter occasionally certainly but well worth undertaking and for the sake of dependent advantages he found the best way was to see as little of his host as he could which was easily managed as m wrote in his study and took solitary walks of inspection about his estate mr contrived to write at least as much in his own room as m in his study and to keep in it either till he could join and call on paul or take a solitary stroll by himself his personal observations on the and their dwellings were by no means favourable some of the younger as had said were cheerful and honest looking but the greater number were and grown old before their time without industry or energy and dwelling in huts with doors hanging loose on their hinges open to every pig that chose to walk in his proper dwelling now and then mr fell in with an or a of old rags and with him on country matters getting a good deal of curious miscellaneous information as long as it did not affect the man s own interest many of the in poor person s mouth struck him as having a good deal of fidelity and submission in them such as â a good slave is willing to die for his master pride for the common sense for the the has but one thing to mind â how to get and his work done but still they were only employed as never sincerely used with respect to m indeed when mr saw how he sold them their spare time at the highest possible price how he suffered their to fall to ruin how severely he punished even the of a stick and how seldom he responded even by a nod to the timid of his people there seemed nothing surprising in their giving him among themselves the of the â that is the silent man on the contrary was popular everywhere and more so this summer than she had ever been before for had her to a sort of house and as these visits were kindly and pleasantly made and generally followed by the remedy of some domestic want nuisance the women became ready to kiss the hem of her garment was sorry to find that her former maid had not returned to her father s cottage any the better for her abode in an ill managed establishment and had finally disappeared from the neighbourhood in company with a travelling merchant sometimes after the intense heat of the day mr would stroll out with and to the river side or through the wood paths to the village here they often found a couple of villagers and dancing while a man with his back against a tree played the and a few on sat on logs or stood around sometimes a merry fellow seated in the middle of a plank balanced on a tub afforded a see saw to a couple of light hearted girls whose pretty laughter and little screams of sham fright were enjoyed by him in perfect quiet at other times a prettier domestic scene might be witnessed at the door of a favourite of s â favourite because he was always and his cottage always clean it stood in a little thicket apart from the rest and though only built of logs they were with the and a sort of staircase led to a little gallery running round the outside of the upper floor and shaded by the projecting f oi and the and in the yard were drawn up out of the way indoors the table and benches were as white as could make them the walls were decorated with gaily coloured little pictures of saints and a lamp burned before an image in the corner in front of this neat little dwelling the honest might be found on summer evenings sitting on an tub in the shade giving his little boy a ride on his toe while a few years older pursued his study of the young with jack and under a tree or hunted in the wood for wild of which he often brought a little offering meanwhile the comely wife of was usually looking on not far off with er youngest child in her arms with her on the affairs of the day and often making him laugh at some piece of homely wit or family joke that never grew stale had had a fourth child that was carried off while in infancy she thought by the or wood fairy her wiser neighbours by a wolf this humble family if with superstition were devout was punctual at church on sundays and saints days and never started on his morning s work without crossing himself and imploring the divine protection had formerly been slave to the widow who had taught her many good things and who on finding her warmly attached to the good and steady had out of the tenderness of her heart prevailed on m to buy her in exchange for a le ff valuable and permit the marriage to take place therefore paul in knocking occasionally on the head might think he was only keeping a boy in order who ought to have belonged

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to his aunt when visited she would freely partake of her bread and delicious honey made by the and thousands of bees that among the flowers sometimes she would read to her a little at other times or borrow one of his pretty baskets and go with him to hunt for would sit or under the or perhaps mr would tempt them both into the boat with at the and after a great deal of and get them into the middle of the river and there rest upon his oars telling them droll stories without end to which with wide open eyes would listen as attentively as any of the rest though he could not understand a word mr was a very careless but what did it signify often he ran them or got among the long leaves and of the water lilies rousing flocks of noisy wild ducks justly at this intrusion into their sometimes they would remain on the water till quite dark as dark at least as a russian summer night ever is when the still air was full of sweet the shadows fell broad and dark and no sound was audible save now and then the plunge of a large fish or some mysterious cry that shuddering said was made by the wood spirit at other times would tempt mr to swing her in one of the large that still stood in the pleasure grounds and make the air ring with her and girlish laughter as she cried higher higher mr evidently liked the amusement as well as often herself whether his growing attachment to any affection for its young mistress or whether s openly expressed partiality could into any deeper feeling and the question began to make grave but the russian summer was growing and â hot there was no night to be c led night and m took advantage of it to exact field labour by night of the poor who slept through the heat of the day the quickly followed the hay making but it was impossible to carry on either beneath the burning rays of the sun and even when the awoke and languidly resumed their or their it was soon to lay them aside while they their thirst at the nearest brook and now spent little time in the house but sat under the trees listening while mr read or walter scott frequently he and had long to which silently listened with deep attention and as was certain was thus a world of good she encouraged and led to these conversations as much as mr would let her and he was a willing for instead of writing he had and become of lying all along in the shade attired in grey with a straw hat over his eyes his arms under his head and his tongue ready to discourse on any theme grave or gay religious moral artistic or literary that his companions chose to start are you a philosopher he said to one day when was chasing a butterfly why do you ask said you are s are you not but all your teaching is by the â i see no school routine no parade of you scatter your seed hither and thither leaving time to prove whether it takes root and brings forth fruit or is dried up and withered is not that the best way with a pupil like yours undoubtedly i give you infinite credit for it the fact is i did not know what kind of charge i was undertaking nor did m seem to find me the kind of he had intended to engage and as it suited all parties better that i should remain here than that i should return home and as there was too little of age between and me for her to be disposed to submit to any formal exercise of authority i made the best of things and taught her what i could and when she would i hardly know what i shall make of her and make her like yourself sweet miss may looked grave i am quite in earnest persisted mr she is so by you that you may make her what you please she is very fond of me certainly and i feel it gives me a great deal of power over her indeed i think she is growing a little like me already do you ho ho ho it may sound conceited perhaps â conceited ho ho â ho ho ho ho well mr you know often learn their nurses peculiar looks and way and is but a child of larger growth but the resemblance i spoke of is that of tastes feelings habits and â yes i will say â principles more than any other she has learnt to find a retired life may be full of pleasant resources she has acquired a real relish for many good english authors â not only and and johnson but more s best prose works and the bible itself how you get along with her religion is the most curious of all she has read my d with because the way had been paved for it by s charles the fifth i found her profoundly ignorant of the history of the and told her so and i wonder how you got some of your books into russia on the principle of the old i some may steal a horse c well but the bible a little love of forbidden fruit helped you there i fancy at any rate i did not force it on her she asked me to let her read it i made a great favour of it and proposed our reading it together beginning with the new testament of course certainly not i how is that to be understood without reading the old testament first we began reading through one subject one character or portion at a time the creation for instance for one reading

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the flood another another jacob another joseph another i see she found this excessively interesting â so did i we used to be quite glad sometimes when m came home later than usual then you know we got to and egypt which was very interesting ground i wanted her first to get a comprehensive view of history and its bearing on christianity she became profoundly interested in david â we went through the at the same time of course noticing the types when we got to solomon we read the and go on miss may â and all this while you know she was going to church every saint s day with madame crossing herself herself before different so she does now but in a different spirit her religion when i began with her was so completely that it left the door open for me now i am sometimes ready to tremble at the possible effect of the light breaking in upon her â yet how can i hold back what can i do go on telling me about your then you know we came to the when we began it was necessary to read the at the same time the new testament became our chief reading and we only read the in it we are now in st john s remarks are often excessively original and interesting sometimes she says another window is opened on me i what would her old religion master say luckily we have left him behind us what will m say i doubt if he will say anything he never gave me the smallest direction on the subject â laid no on me â asked no promises it was who before i left england that i should not be expected to attend the greek church and mr fell into profound thought his eyes glowed with some internal interest but its nature did not appear here comes our charming butterfly said he suddenly well since you have crushed the poor thing i will sing its and he began â poor bom to flutter and to die â falling into the second directly took the first till he got down to such unreasonable bass that he suddenly gave a shriek in that made stop her ears all at once the sky became darkened by clouds a sudden summer storm was impending the wind rose large drops of rain fell and increased to a torrent they could reach the house the thunder broke with a sound their heads and the lightning seemed to tear up the ground immediately their feet wet and panting burst into gay laughter as she reached the house and â hook the rain drops from her hair but who was rather overcome sought her own room and felt awed and subdued by the sudden the jews call thunder the voice of the lord thought she how grand how terrible it is and she repeated to herself the voice of the and lord is mighty in operation the voice of the lord is a glorious voice it the even the mighty of the voice of the lord the flames of fire the voice of the lord the wilderness yea even the of from a child she had had an instinctive dread of thunder and lightning which might have acquired an unreasonable had not her mother talked quietly to her about it and taught her a hymn which even now to her â how the tempest t the rain in rattling torrents my trembling soul that power who bade this tempest rise the wind and fulfil his word in them his glorious is heard by him the electric fires are stirred â of earth and skies oh tis a glorious blessed thing for which to praise thee my that i a helpless worm can cling with confidence to thee that i by faith amidst the storm can hear thy voice can view thy form nay feel thy warm extended over me amid the clapping to of doors and outer shutters along the numerous galleries and passages fancied she heard the peculiar tones of s voice in some of the distant offices o and afterwards meeting in the corridor the bright but suppressed smile on her lips and the light in her eye made conclude must really have unexpectedly arrived and she asked her oh dear no said immediately growing very a from has indeed arrived with for m but a very different looking person i assure you â quite a common man j and with a uttle jerk of the chin that spoke of offended dignity passed on on the family she found the s had occasioned no small disturbance m had been summoned to on official business of no pleasant complexion it would seem from the cloud on his brow dinner had been hastened and mr who was glad to improve his acquaintance with readily agreed to accompany his host when that gentleman in an kind of way said i suppose you don t want to go m seemed quite brightened by the idea of having him for his companion this will be very pleasant â very pleasant repeated he as he down his fish soup i don t expect to be there more than a day or two but it is lonely to be shut up by one s self at an inn and soon they were oflf and observed to how strange it was that mr should seem to have so won upon her father whom she had never seen to like any person so much before without knowing why felt melancholy in her sadness influenced by an uncomfortable as to the nature of her father s summons to though his habitual excluded her from any knowledge of his affairs suppose he should have displeased government said she and that whether or not there should be some charge for him to answer such things occur every day and as false witnesses are easily

1Charles Darwin

especially if the accused is rich he may be sent to at a moment s notice and we may never see him more as believed such instances not uncommon the idea did not make her more cheerful and looked very grave said she at length if jou were me what should you do in such a case what case if my father were sent to really i do not know i think i should send for well i think that would be as good a plan as any unless your uncle â s father is not my real uncle you know and only my aunt s second husband he does not know nearly so much of our as does then i should think would be the proper person yes after another long pause â i am so glad mr is with him he will do what he can out of good nature and for my sake and the very name of an englishman is some sort of protection as yet only if he found my father had done anything very bad he would not stand by him and how could we expect it oh dear i don t like the idea of and suddenly bursting into tears she flung her arms round and wept on her bosom and wept bitterly too chapter xvii the storm seemed to have made the air closer of clearing it the great gloomy old seemed more dismal than ever and at night felt so lonely and dejected that she b ed to let her sleep with her instead of sleeping she lay awake a long time telling dismal stories the servants she said firmly believed that when the house was left locked up for the winter it was taken possession of by her great grandfather s ghost they also believed in a domestic spirit a kind of lie by the fire called the whom poor over tired servants sometimes heard moving about them and doing their work they also believed that the ghost of s mother walked and o had many mournful stories to relate of this lady at length they both slept at dead of night was roused from an uneasy dream she could hear the run water not only through the leaden pipes but up between the window and window sill and and thence dropping down on the floor the storm however had now passed the air was cooler and the moon was shining out between masses of clouds could not sleep being very sensitive to influences the in the air powerfully excited her nerves and made them thrill at the most trifling sound while the stillness of night undisturbed at length even by the drops became almost more in a highly atmosphere the faintest is heard in this highly atmosphere then fancied she heard the remote sounds of s voice singing in the open air and as she had just been dreaming of him sending m to with a look of malicious satisfaction the supposition of his being at hand did not seem so absurd as it would have done in broad daylight especially as she had fancied she heard his voice in the afternoon as his being about the house if he really were so was certainly without sanction sat up in bed to listen more attentively all was silent she lay down again she heard the distant voice this time she continued to hear it when she sat up and being exceedingly feverish and nervous she resolved to the mystery if she could and without disturbing she softly rose slipped on her and dressing gown and slippers and stole along the corridor to a spare bedroom at the farthest end of it which communicated with the wing occupied by the or maid servants entered this bedroom the ghostly light was streaming in through the tall narrow window the waving branch of a tree across which made her step backwards in for at first she thought some one was trying to get through the window she approached it and listened all was still she looked out all was shadow she was going away when she thought she heard voices softly talking and a little laugh she strained her face against the window but could see nothing she softly opened it but not so softly as not to be heard and just as she looked out she saw a shadow steal round the angle of the house there was nothing more to be done so she returned to her room none the wiser or more comfortable for having left it started up in wild dismay mamma â who s there â have they taken him cried she taken whom dear oh is it you with a deep sigh papa to oh no nothing of the sort lie down dear there is no alarm then why are you out of bed looking round and as if she still expected to see a spirit not quite melted into air i fancied i heard about the house i he is in town we think him to be so but i fancied i heard his voice yesterday and just now when i woke i seemed to hear him singing oh dear you must have been dreaming do come to bed and again slept in the morning the in sunshine by streamed through the green window blinds the flowers seemed laughing in their beds the were singing the grass looked and even the moss grow and and the old see and looked less ghostly and forlorn than usual light drawn up by the beams reminded of passages in milton and the sound of the fell pleasantly on the ear flocks of white wheeled rapidly overhead and still higher the lark was singing a of rejoicing beneath a sky of blue now are your fancies about said gaily as she threw open the window where now are your fancies about retorted they came with the storm and with

1Charles Darwin

the storm they have departed are we late and no very early don t let us ring for our maids but do without them for once â i shall enjoy it for a and as soon as i am dressed i will run over to the bath house s movements were quick as light her was soon made and gaily over for her more leisurely proceedings she left the room and tripped down one of the many flights of at the foot in the doorway equally to her surprise and his she ran against they both turned white as death and then red he stood exclaimed she as soon as she could gain her breath what do you here i have but â just arrived he stammered no said with spirit you have not just arrived for your voice was heard yesterday and also in the night he turned deadly pale pardon you have done very wrong i came with â letters where then are they he had none he fell at her feet had stepped into a little waiting room at the foot of the stairs she now sat down shut the door said she he obeyed and stood like a penitent i promised to speak for you to my and but you have not said he reproachfully that is more than you know i told you i should await a good time you should have been satisfied i had not forgotten you doubtless murmured in the your conduct has made you very of such kindness you took advantage of my father s absence from the office â i didn t cried fiercely hush â you have not heard what i was going to say at any rate you are taking advantage of his absence now and has not he driven me to it cried still more violently he treated me like a hound he sent me to the police station he threatened to my head was i going to stand this â i who had done him no wrong â i who was his right hand and who had received the education of a gentleman from whom from him for his own selfish purposes and to make me feel more keenly you know â you know you are wrong you must go back directly i was going back said he very passionately you had no business to come i do not know what my father will say you must go back directly and oh yes he will â he will said who had for some time been listening at the door and who now stole in bathed in tears but do not tell of him indeed indeed he is very sorry and will never do so again keep his secret and we will ever bless you â â and she threw herself at s feet stood his neck well if you will really promise faithfully â said the i will said at her feet in a moment then i will not of my own accord mention this to papa nor unless he speaks of it first for you know how very angry he would be i think i do he would be almost ready to he me thank you â thank you kindest i go hence this moment in ten minutes i shall be ofi the estate and kissing her hand he was gone after him returned much fluttered to you look as if your bath had not agreed with you said closing her little bible i have not bathed nor shall i now oh i have been so worried and she told her all and now said sighing i shall go to my own room and make a better at my â o and leisure and if gives my hair an extra pull or two i shall know it is for my having got up an hour too early and perhaps i should do the same to her if we were in each other s case towards evening a drove briskly to the door and m and mr threw themselves from it in towering one for himself the other for his companion m had been sent on a fool s errand he was not expected or wanted at the government office and as the handwriting of the was unknown to all and the had disappeared the author of the mischief could not be traced and exchanged uneasy looks but said nothing and who had been seriously alarmed about embraced her father with affection and said really papa i am very glad to have you safe home again he was touched and put his arm round her and rested his head against her shoulder for a few minutes then he began to talk about and inquiries upon my honour sir said mr i should recommend you to take no more trouble about the matter we have had a very hot and unpleasant journey as it is and if you get yourself about it much you may throw yourself into a fever than which nothing would be more agreeable to your enemy whoever he is and oh i ve plenty of enemies said m in rather a satisfied tone than otherwise and as mr was glad to see him disposed to yield the point and and were thankful that no suspicion seemed to turn towards they were all satisfied together and sat down to a good dinner which the gentlemen seemed to think some compensation for their was astonished that a nature so suspicious as that of m should not at once have made him attribute the to she forgot that she was behind the scenes that the had not actually been fixed on him and that the unknown and his bore every appearance of having really come from m was very liberal this day of his champagne which he did not often drink himself nor offer very freely to others he told ie thought she must have taken

1Charles Darwin

the pledge and that she was a good girl and should keep up her spirits as they were in glee and in merry king it cannot be said that a cat and her came tumbling in but another drove up to the house containing and as he seemed to have brought a and some luggage it was clear he came to stay ordered some of the dishes to be brought and back and a dinner spread for him on a was in the room the next moment kissing all round even miss may though he knew that she knew that he knew it was not the custom of her country she took it with composure while he looked as grave as a judge having reached mr whom he did not kiss had never seen him before and looked at him rather sharply mr stood the scrutiny with perfect indifference and m named them to one another bowed gracefully but rather and turning to cleared his brow directly and began to give her his step mother s love and sundry kind messages this went on till he sat down to his dinner â and as he seemed inclined to talk rather than eat him to silence for ten minutes while he paid due respect to ham and chicken and diverted attention from him with the object of his dining in peace they were soon all as cheerfully as before and as the champagne had certainly warmed m s heart and loosened his tongue in a remarkable manner he became so very lively with mr that who had never heard his uncle make a joke before and was up his ears to catch every word that passed was quite astonished he knew not that m had and just been relieved from a state of intense anxiety throughout which he had found mr the greatest support and that he consequently felt towards him a degree of gratitude which his rugged nature was seldom capable of or expressing before dinner was over was actually jealous of this new comer this jolly englishman who seemed equally at home with with miss may and with the hitherto m saying the easiest things with the greatest ease treated by the servants as if he were the son of the house finding fault with or national customs and personal characteristics cutting up the neighbours by name and in short doing everything with the most perfect did not know whether to feel quite at him or to consider him a capital fellow â he would judgment but at any rate he would not let him everybody as he was doing just now for everybody read mr was paying her some most extravagant compliments looking as if he were in deep earnest and the next moment laughing at her to her face for believing them said she had not believed them and then there was and a great deal of the light sort of touch and go that passes very well for wit in general society looked at he thought p and she looked pained but no the next minute she was joining them as heartily as either only never went too far her wit was always by truth and and s was within bounds too girlish innocent â it was only that englishman well but really he seemed a clever fellow too that was a clever remark of his on the wealth of nations â would book it calling england at the time of the first french revolution the of the universe was good â so good that the man must have honour and honesty to say it was borrowed he might have appropriated it without any chance of detection for who in russia ever heard of robert hall miss may to be sure â ah of course but yet would do him the justice to think he was honest â englishmen generally were so rough bluff but sincere and candid this was evidently a veritable john bull so decided to consider him a specimen of a class and make the best of him accordingly soon they were all in the drawing room coffee and mr to sing we be merry of fairy land his singing in s opinion was and he gladly gave up attending to it to listen to his uncle s account of the summons to which appeared to him a very mysterious and unpleasant affair and when it was sufficiently discussed looked about him and found drawn into the toils of the illustrious stranger and talking with mr and of s and asking questions about national comparing them with those of her own country its its its c their comparative beauty or terror wondering why russia had not produced a mr s assertion that he could only have been what he was in a land of the free appealing to whether must not have been anywhere and finally with a sigh a graceful tribute to liberty can this be thought in amazement how changed how improved ah if she were charming before with all her follies all her faults what must she be now he was sinking into a reverie when over the keys said come come and give mr a little better singing than his own if i can certainly said instantly rising the is a mischievous wood fairy with hair as green as grass who people to harm calling them by their names the is dumb gigantic with like the bark of a tree and keeps at you thi the trees its hands together p and if you can indeed now mr you are going to hear a little really good music so pray attend with a view to self improvement what shall we begin with you have made me quite i don t know that i can sing at all oh nonsense come tu and in another instant his penetrating voice was the admiring ears of mr and the tender heart of

1Charles Darwin

till the former told the latter he felt quite subdued though i can t do anything like that added he in an i can appreciate it in another it comes natural i believe to these young i doubt if all that and would be suitable to a plain englishman â however go on m don t leave off don t leave off i could hear you all night h v vi i ir ft e chapter xviii jealousy r how do you like country life in russia said to the next morning oh â quite as much as i expected what an unsatisfactory uncomfortable sort of answer who is to know how much or how little you expected do you miss anything yes i miss the the blue bell the scented violet the and the i we have however the lily of the valley dog rose flower and pretty blue â won t those do as well â abundance of and all wild whereas you must cultivate them see how our summer bursts on us all at once but i prefer its gradual advance and our country life is more cheerful than yours what with our dances and songs all the evenings our out of door life your dances on the grass we have not but our and songs are less plaintive our are not obliged to sleep for hours during the intolerable heat of the day and make up for it by working far into the night but our summer nights are almost like day â only a sort of twilight a day without a sun i must confess i prefer a night that has a little darkness total no sun no moon returned smiling repeat him our beautiful mysterious night miss may said mr impatiently faltering a little repeated â night when our first parent knew thee from report divine and heard thy name did he not tremble for this goodly frame this glorious of light and blue a curtain of dew bathed in the rays of the great setting flame with the host of heaven came and all creation in man s view t who could have thought such darkness lay concealed within thy beams sun or who could find whilst fly and leaf and insect stood revealed that to such countless thou mad st us blind â why do we then with anxious strife if light can thus deceive why may not life your poets can t come up to that said mr rather was silent then said let me hear it again please and complied then said very beautiful certainly our general however had not long to know night only by report and you will remember miss may he knew it in these you were speaking of our summer nights as if they lasted all the year round instead of only three months i forgot that said what a thing to forget cried mr then as if he had deserted the cause of his he attacked again with you have no poets like ours â no nor milton we can appreciate your however said with temper no one but an englishman can persisted mr it is something however to reverence him which i admit you do we can reverence what we can t understand much obliged said bowing with mock politeness â painting again pursued mr you ve no good painters none to come up to ours the arts require a free soil â they fade and in a land of slavery well i cannot say i much admire your english school said and in music we beat you hollow â â i â â â â r â st iu i and and mr walked off with his tin case and umbrella unconsciously he was helping forward s education he had already made her not only very fond of collecting wild flowers but had given her a very tolerable insight into so that she could pretty correctly make out the orders and classes of most of the specimens within her reach whatever she did voluntarily she did was struck at first when with girlish she ran her female exercises o er then became a little jealous of her in collecting for mr specimens into his and her own and writing the name order and class under each in her most careful and distinct hand s writing like her mind had run wild before undertook its training now she not only wrote much more neatly but in her general habits and appearance cultivated neatness saw the improvement but saw it with a little bitterness he attributed it too much to a desire to appear to advantage in the eyes of mr knew to be an ancient and noble english name he doubted not mr s being quite s equal in point of descent he appeared to be in circumstances his person thought was decidedly his eyes teeth and voice in speaking good his dress and bearing and thoroughly and even aristocratic still however jealous of his power over a young girl would not have dreamed of his obtaining the slightest footing in the good graces of his uncle but strange to say he had made his way even with m i he could say things do things with that would never have ventured on this was too bad began to feel very savage and his holiday at if more interesting was less agreeable than he had expected sometimes he thought the gentle of s open enjoyment of mr s society though she did not interfere at other times he thought was too began to feel isolated he reckoned up his grievance the first â mr who wrote a fine free though not always hand took up one day the russian airs henry had written out for and bursting into a fit of laughter said who wrote this miserable little grievance the second â mr who could sketch well and boldly in pencil had a weakness

1Charles Darwin

for colouring he wished to his journal with a series of coloured and after making dreadful work with lake and indian red would call miss may or to his aid pop the paint brush into their hands make them take his seat and then stand behind it eagerly watching their and with his face so very very near theirs that would have felt it a privilege to take him by the collar and lead him to the door grievance the third â to do her justice was very kind and to himself but just like a cousin and nothing more if he looked at her she looked at him again like the poor cat i th no downcast looks no blush â nothing sentimental in short affairs were brought to a crisis by paul one morning m put into s hands a letter he had received from paul and desired her to read it the letter was a proposal of marriage so extremely well expressed that was it must have been drawn up by his good aunt the was miserable m watched her with attention but without anxiety well said he well papa said returning him the letter â what answer shall i give i am much obliged to you papa for asking me such a question i hope there need be no hesitation on your part any more than on mine to answer it in the negative no said m after a pause you see the amount of his tax he has not nearly so many as i had supposed if it had been â and felt thankful it was not â but as it is only paul i think you may do better thank you papa â i think so too said and kissing his hand she hastened away to tell and congratulate herself on her escape m s dry brief answer was written and sent off the next morning received a note from the widow her in the most earnest manner to call upon her without delay this is rather awkward said she wishes me to go to her without you and as p ul will probably take care to be at home he will be falling on his knees to me or some such absurdity i think i must decline at breakfast however mr casually said he should call on young who had proposed shooting with him and make some arrangement therefore afterwards told that if she would go with her she would call on who would be sure to attack her the first time she saw her and meanwhile her with notes to the good widow s therefore they went as soon as mr had been allowed a fair start soon came running in to them and the usual number of kisses ah i knew you would come said she taking s hand and making her sit close beside her â i knew that kind heart and â tapping her on the cheek oh we have been in such a state here you have no idea â paul ringing for hot water â well and so that stem father of yours won t let you two young people be happy but he must â but he must but my dear kind interrupted you do papa injustice for i can assure you he very kindly showed me paul s letter ah poor p ul â your father had better not have done that you are clever and instructed and no doubt were disgusted at the poor fellow s style â say was it a very pretty letter very prettily composed though not very prettily â ah foolish fellow he should have shown it to me i â let me see it before it goes paul said i â why so aunt said he is it the custom to show letters of this sort to one s before they are sent â so as i could not say it was let me alone says he and it will be done well enough if i can but get a good pen and a piece of sugar in my mouth â so he locked himself up and copied the letter out quite to his mind but you see that went for nothing because of course he did not know his was not good so that it is a pity your father showed his letter which he had better have read aloud to you since you say it was well pressed dear me i dear me what could he and have omitted â the amount of his tax the number of his â all that was put in perhaps then it was too business like but surely he said your charming daughter â your lovely daughter no he said nothing of the sort he said your daughter and that was all oh oh â shocking â shameful no wonder you were hurt no indeed i liked the sentence much better as it was ah you say so to save appearances but i m confident â you haven t the letter about you â no indeed said laughing but my dear i can for its being in the rough â stay i have it by me â and in her anxiety to show that paul knew something about manners his aunt plunging into her pockets pulled out a paper put on her spectacles and began very eagerly to read saying this is the first rough oh this is really going too far cried with irrepressible mirth my dearest if paul had written me twenty thousand letters in the finest text hand full of lovely and charming it would be to no good well resumed i grant you that it and is always best to plead one s own cause by word of mouth and so i told him paper said i is cold and dry and only appeals to the reason what is written on paper may be over by the

1Charles Darwin

reader and twisted into a thousand the writer never intended whereas the human voice full of pathos and passion is a fine instrument equal to any tune you can want to play upon it whether or convincing and besides you can back it up by a melting look posture clasped hands and many other gestures oh aunt says he you can talk like a book and if you had to do all that you could accomplish it i dare say but somehow when i go into the presence of any nice young lady i never can finish my sentences well we must grant that he cannot but after all is that an objection oh yes said shaking her head an objection could not it be got over said it could not be got over said why will not said appealing to speak a word for my poor boy i dare say it would be of some good oh no said still shaking her head it will not be of any good you persisted and with smiles assured her she thought it would be of no use well it s a great pity said heaving a deep sigh which seemed to roll off a good deal of her trouble you see i had made it out so nicely that they would do very well together for if she has the most sense he has the most love which helps to equal things i had me how they would my evening of life with their mutual affections and here went into an agony of laughter but i see it is not to be pursued good so i may as well give it up without letting it make any difference between us for there is no reason why we should not continue good friends oh no none whatever said you would have him so nicely and made him so fond of home said why he is very steady already is not he said opening her eyes oh yes only â as to being fond of home he s of your house than of mine or his own and though it is not very for him to stay with an old aunt i m always afraid of his going home for long together for fear of his marrying one of the maids and smiled but said nothing come said the good lady to rather abruptly i have a curious picture to show you done with a red hot it is only in the next room which is my bedroom not you putting aside for you ve seen it already â there s a magazine for you on the table who saw that was to have a made no difficulty directly was with the widow she found something getting into her throat her nose and eyes and began to cough never mind i can tell you what it is said her hostess though i had forgotten it at the time â i have been setting my maids to put the feathers of my feather bed into a new case consequently the air is full of i don t suppose it will settle for hours i did not see that this was any reason for its settling in her lungs and was going to propose a retreat at the first pause but had to wait for it do you now in england said sitting down by her bedside in a leisurely manner bee s wax your or not some think it a good plan and others don t i really cannot answer your question said my mother was an excellent con q and her companion but why should you stand while i sit i cannot bear to see it i fear i must go said we have paid a long visit and i hear some one speaking to said with a very significant look it s only paul â i heard him come in just before we quitted the room and that s why left oh then indeed i must go said opening the door don t interrupt the young folks cried trying to detain her but was not to be stayed and there on the drawing room carpet knelt paul about a yard from almost sitting on his heels at the same time and clasping his hands in a attitude was smelling a rose and looking embarrassed and very much amused paul seeing with his aunt peering over her shoulders thought his duty work done and rose on the whole pleased that his aunt had had a glimpse of how well he had done it and were now preparing to leave the house immediately but the silver basket and must again make their appearance and again paul pressed them to eat failing which he did not hesitate to do so himself i thought you were to have been shooting with mr to day said re and her easy every day tone with him yes â no said paul with his mouth full that is â we were to have gone and he asked me but i told him i had an engagement and so i had or at any rate hoped to have you know looking â an engagement with you oh said and are you going with him to morrow no said he speaking briefly and to the point directly he was on a subject he knew himself master of there will be a change in the weather â the ducks fly rapidly from the open ground and the scent of the grass is strongly perceptible how goes on the history of russia said have you got to peter the great yet ah said he into his old manner you re too hard upon me you know i ve been thinking of you when they reached home the first person they saw to their surprise was standing openly on the house steps i really have brought this time said he in a low voice

1Charles Darwin

to perhaps you will speak for me before i return â if you have not spoken yet i will if i can said i have brought a letter for you also said to q and said michael at the same instant my master desired to see you as soon as you returned see me repeated i am ready michael preceded and announced her m evidently had not expected her so soon for he hastily a letter among some others on the table â not so hastily but that saw him do so ho â here is a letter somewhere for you miss may said he hunting it out again and looking slightly embarrassed at having been caught in the act of examining it pray sit down â i had something to say oh you have been with i understand to s and his brow contracted as he looked suspiciously at her was that wise i am at a loss sir to understand you if you mean with regard to the chance of seeing m i do you are not one of his and i hope oh no sir and we were assured that he would be engaged with mr mr is now writing in his own room shortly before we left madame s house we found that her nephew had given up his engagement for purposes of his own doubtless sir and i mean with regard to you understand me miss may i know did he see her yes sir alone yes sir for a few minutes what miserably bad management surely i have some right to be displeased it was unfortunate sir and very disagreeable to us both but you need not apprehend any bad result from it refused his renewed offer in the most manner and has done nothing but laugh about it ever since ho and m s features relaxed into something like a grim smile have the goodness to desire to come to me i want to speak to her chapter xix willingly retired with her precious letter which she could see at a glance had been opened since it was first sealed in a few minutes all smiles joined her father sit down said he so you have been calling on madame yes papa it must have been done soon or late and as i had reason to suppose paul would not be at home i thought the sooner i went the better perhaps you were right you saw him however none the better for him said well i hope you feel i have behaved to you with great kindness and indulgence in this business certainly papa you are very young to have any voice in such matters it is what very few fathers allow i can and assure you i have now a more eligible offer to you with indeed said with a little flutter observe â i do not say to propose to you but to you with because this is and admits not of a negative arrived in your absence â oh yes said hurriedly and the poor fellow looks very ill papa â pray clear your head of s looks at present certainly papa only i had promised to make a little petition to you for him and as you will probably soon send him back and the affair you are about to speak of may put it out of my head i thought it best just to name it while it occurred to me but having done so you will it if you please till i have spoken on a more important subject if you prove yourself a dutiful and child i may indulge you respecting a petition so insignificant as any must be that is concerned in thank you papa you are very kind said faltering the have long been friends of ours oh dear papa interrupted i do hope you are going to say nothing about why not said m frowning and o because papa he is such a very stupid young man this interruption is very and you might have waited i think till i introduced the subject in the manner i considered most suitable since you have been so rude however i shall it how came you to suppose i had anything to say to you about your own words papa you did not allow me to finish my sentence said m you had better not in future refuse gentlemen s proposals till you know they are made blushed like the morning you will now have the goodness to take pen ink and paper and write a courteous note to madame inviting her and her family to spend a few weeks with us before the fine weather breaks up prepared to country houses in russia are so frequently crowded with guests that she had often complained that her father s was an exception to the general rule yet now she would gladly have with any additional visitors let me see it said m when she had finished handed the note to him and played with her pen your handwriting is much improved said her father and thanks to miss may papa he read in silence how is this said he you have only asked them for a week â i said a few weeks i am sure you will be tired of them papa long before the end of a fortnight that is my not yours write it over again and do not end with believe me c c but write at full length yours with respect wrote but with less neatness and care she was much annoyed this is worse written said m the second edition but it may go you have only put yours respectfully however sat silent and rather stubborn m rang the bell and gave orders for to prepare himself to carry this note immediately to madame on his way home and now said he as soon as the door was closed

1Charles Darwin

i expect you to show how well and gracefully you can do the honours of my house to entertain a couple of young men like mr and is one thing to entertain elderly married people wealthy and well born is another you will now have an opportunity of showing what miss may has done for you â of proving to me whether i have done wrong in giving you so young a and and in placing you at so early an age at the head of my house certainly papa i hope to give you satisfaction let everything be done and without then i must have money papa well you may draw upon me but the estate supplies our table of course in butter eggs fish poultry and so forth but the house is in horrible condition and quite unfit for the inspection of the keen sighted madame she will see directly papa how things are well said he reluctantly after an uneasy pause do what is absolutely wanting but i am sure it cannot be in the way of substantial and yellow wash if you wiu even a little i have no objection to oh papa that will look for the inferior rooms i was about to say if you had not interrupted the best rooms are and only require bee s wax and you are speaking papa as if we had as many as my great grandfather consider how short of hands we are take on more then if you want them to the end of the season it is a well known fact however â â â and that the more servants you keep the worse the work is done i am sure i have not the least objection said to go on with our present household if you are willing to madame s visit till the house is ready to receive her which you would take care should not be in a hurry said m quickly no no the first expense will be in the end set the house in order then under miss may s direction and if it be well done at a reasonable cost i shall not complain i fear we may have some of opinion hereafter said respecting reasonable and unreasonable however papa i accept your and will immediately begin your commands and now papa about â â what of him said m as if in surprise you promised that if i complied with your wishes which i have done you would grant me a request what wishes have you complied with writing the note and undertaking to set the house in order ho ho ho you can t suppose those were the wishes i was alluding to can you a very different thing indeed however let me hear what you want and dear papa â and tried her most tone â you know poor wants to marry well and his brow grew black as night and wants to marry well still you know papa it will require some in me to give up s services whereas s being married will make no difference at all to you i don t require you to make a self sacrifice but i am willing to make it if you will just consent in order that they may be happy i ll not consent and his clenched hand came down on the table with the force of a it make a difference to me and i don t care about their being happy i is a vile malicious wretch â a villain deserving no better reward than the â a treacherous rascal that will get his deserts some day in once for all they shall never marry i â you mean dropping dog what are you standing there in the doorway for listening to every word i say i obey orders said calmly there are your sir take them and be gone directly you have left those two letters at m s return to your post i shall look in on you at a moment you expect not and took up the letters i a word and retired with perfect self command what does he mean by being so deadly quiet said m ready to grind his teeth it s not natural to him â he s sulky and sulky dogs are let me never hear a word from you again in his behalf and speechless left him without a word in the corridor she met humming a tune dearest what is the matter cried he in alarm you are as white as death nothing of consequence thank you said she with tears starting the moment she spoke nothing but you are weeping and he took her hand my father has been so severe to â i would rather not say any more about it now â i would rather go to with a look he let her go in the she met said he looking very white but speaking very quietly and steadily do not for me any more i can see and you can that it will be of no use you will ac me of for michael brought me m s orders to repair to him directly and i was only acting in obedience to them but i am glad i heard what and i did there can now be no mistake thank you for your kind and i have taken leave of each other we await better times he kissed her hand and departed hastened to who was still engaged with her english letter what is the matter said oh you have a letter from your home i will not intrude on you now do not go away said something has vexed you and my letter has had the bloom taken oflf the seal said ah all alike and throwing herself on the ground she rested her head on s lap what is the matter papa has been so unkind so

1Charles Darwin

cruel to poor has behaved very very well well i am extremely sorry for him but i fear we can do him no good he must hope for better times that is what he says have you seen him oh no his composure is unnatural i am rather afraid of what it may â well but we are going to have visitors papa began with a long of so ominous a kind that i thought he had and something to communicate which he knew i should not like instead of which it all ended in his desiring me to invite the to spend a few weeks with us you were agreeably surprised it might have been worse but i cannot say i like it for i think it will lead to no good however i must make the best of it and papa is so very desirous madame should spy no defects in our old house that he has given me for all reasonable under your direction is not that delightful the visit is an uncertain evil but the is a certain good never very anxious concerning the future immediately began to consider what wanted doing what she wanted to do and what would be the probable cost her first estimate was so unreasonable that was obliged to reduce it to nearly half then came a scale of and balanced by and after considerable time and trouble made out a pretty good scheme and then began to consider the of the who would best execute her orders it is a good thing is so friendly to me said she for i must get him to send me many things i shall want and if they were for papa s and pleasure rather than mine he would be purposely dull and but he knows well enough that and fancy articles are the last things my father would willingly spend money upon and therefore i must even desire him not to exceed my soon the sounds of and began to grate very on the ears of mr and while clouds of dust from walls that were being stripped of old and filled the air what is all this grand commotion about said coming to rather uneasily nothing less than an impending visit from the said what â is he coming i have every reason to think he is now don t look so dreadfully dismal not dismal at all said stoutly only that he is a very tiresome fellow and will quite spoil our little party completely come if you think so too it s some compensation i do think so i assure you why did you invite them then papa insisted on it he is not usually fond of guests and by no means this is evidently a special case ah i m afraid some harm will come of iti what sort of harm i have a of evil i think the old people are a match between you and there s no knowing said can you think of such a thing patiently where s the use of being impatient you alarm me could you enter into an engagement of this sort without making an a struggle i don t think i could said but i have never been tried and till we are put to the proof we never really know our own strength or weakness this makes me wretched i cried starting up and walking about the room but after all it may come to nothing said you are yourself perhaps i am very much obliged to you however for so much with me perhaps if things come to the worst i may call upon you to take my part you may rely upon me but dear why talk of being obliged to me we are obliged to people for performing voluntary acts of kindness towards us which cost them some pain or trouble r and now so far from its being any trouble or pain to me to do anything whatever for you it is the greatest pleasure in my existence i am very much obliged to you repeated looking down no it is i who am obliged â obliged to tell you that i would do anything for you in former times i used to think you had many faults and i told you of them without scruple â sometimes too roughly perhaps oh no i but now you have conquered them that s quite a mistake i am sorry to say well we all have faults of course but you â in short you are altogether â no i won t use that ridiculous word â charming i won t make you vain looking at her with tender affection i will only say you are all that the heart and mind of a good and sensible man could wish if i am in the way of becoming such it is something said but good and sensible men are not very among us i m afraid and if they were it would make no difference to papa unless they had plenty of money how fond he is of mr cried suddenly can you account for it in some degree mr took my father s part one day when he was quarrelling violently with papa first drives to and then is afraid of the consequences he was in bodily fear then and considered mr a protector another time some malicious person played a upon papa and induced him to set ofi for on what he expected to be some very unpleasant business i think he was afraid of mr went with him and again his presence inspired papa with confidence you see there are not many people who take papa s part and so he feels rather grateful for it no doubt said with an smile i do not think my uncle s gratitude will ever exceed discreet bounds is this englishman rich i do not know my

1Charles Darwin

uncle will not like him if he is not why as a son in law for instance what question is there of him in that relation said blushing deeply you must be why do you blush i wonder how you can ask and she started up to go away you must explain what is there to explain and she ran off i don t believe she has understood me after all i thought r tâ â chapter xx the visitors as soon as an answer could possibly be received had a note from madame accepting the for herself ber husband and son there is a great deal too much of dear and sweet in this said i now always distrust such lavish professions though once they pleased me how long ago said looking up with a smile from a little water colour drawing he was making last winter said honestly however i must make the best of it and you and mr must help me as much as you can suppose we get the old lady into the swing or the merry go round s d mr taking a great deal too much red in his brush that would be fine fun and you must not call her old mr if you mean to win her good graces i can tell you madame is still thought by some a very fine woman and is at any rate a very fine lady if she s young all the easier to amuse her said mr there s an old we ll have some pistol practice or suppose we get up some good said you have a private theatre the most melancholy place in the house said it seems full of the ghosts of departed follies besides our party is too small and we do not want to increase it if we make the house too pleasant to them they will stay too long so we fall back upon the swing said mr we must take care the lady doesn t fall om it is she heavy why yes said smiling i will tell the to look to it and the boat is for want of paint ah i am afraid the season is too much advanced for you see paul was quite right about the change of weather we have had rain every day since the boat however may as well be painted wouldn t paul make a favourable diversion of the enemy now and then suggested mr rubbing marine what a â â if and capital looking over s shoulder what s the reason mine looks so bad too full a brush suggested rather pre colouring eh pre it strikes me said can t you advise anything a perhaps said but i think a fresh sheet of paper would be better that is too bad said looking up from her writing however on seeing mr s she said that if he would sketch the figure again she would tint it a little gave an amused look but glancing at his performance she said she thought the colouring too it gave the effect of moonlight rather than sunshine so his was a little checked it was no unusual thing for to correct the drawings the singing the composition and even the opinions of these gentlemen and yet her influence was so gentle that no one had the idea of her being all round and cant expressions phrases silly loose fled before her without her using heavier weapons than a little ridicule or serious even m had given up swearing in her hearing frequently mr had put a chapter of his book into her hands saying there miss may do correct that for me if you can don t and spare me be as severe as you like and she took him at his word drew her pencil through needless changed for sentences and added and to and full stops besides setting an occasional against the opinions themselves these always led to and in which even if were sometimes defeated mr found his own ideas wonderfully cleared and his opinions confirmed while at other times he would frankly own himself wrong and the passage saying it is better to have a rap over the from you than from the critics though exceedingly well informed for a russian was not accustomed to this kind of conversation he had met with witty dazzling in st and in the provinces but s cultivated mind and calm good sense were as new as delightful to him they to brighter worlds and led the way on the eve of their visitors arrival was summoned to m s study she could not bear these but was obliged to submit to them after a preparatory cough â our guests said he will soon be here everything in s province i trust is as it should be and everything i think sir said madame s apartment is and even elegant you have m s morning room i believe and we have written out the dinner cards ourselves perhaps you would like to see them no no i neither understand nor care for these matters â all i shall have to do will be to pay the bills and that is enough you have known me sufficiently long miss may to be aware that i am a plain quiet man without any taste for society i hope my putting myself out of my way on the present occasion will not be pains lost he looked at who knew not exactly what the mute question implied i hope not sir said she s future prospects â resumed m â i am now speaking to you in confidence â her future prospects depend much on this visit her future prospects are not unimportant to you i hope no sir i have learnt to take the interest in them that is well on my part i have learnt to repose the greatest confidence in you

1Charles Darwin

for so young a person you are remarkably and discreet i have watched you closely i assure you j i have no doubt of it thought you may now be of the greatest use to me and to she is naturally heedless and perverse but your influence and over her is that you may easily direct her line of conduct she will take her tone from you and if she thinks you impressed by our guests if you take every way of them â i can do nothing interrupted m paused gave her one of his hard cold looks and resumed â i need not use the word what i mean is that you should take every opportunity to place them in a right and favourable light in a right light as far as in me lies said and i always make favourable when i can well said m after another pause that is all i suppose i am to expect from you there is a sort of about you occasionally miss may which i can only to bowed in short continued he more quickly make her like them as much as you can and make them like her as much as you can and get on all of you as well as you can together and it will be the better for all parties in the end for the young people must come together eventually happen what will and here they are i immediately retired right glad that the interview was over while m hastened to welcome his guests and the next fortnight passed very much as usually pass in country houses full of company late prolonged newspapers to look over lounging on letters to write dogs to caress the news of the day to talk over morning visits to pay long drives to take long to make before dinner fishing and shooting for the gentlemen for the ladies music for the young cards for the old s last letter from england had brought her information concerning mr it annoyed her that it should have been shared with m her mother wrote â the mr h you speak of is not the mr h your friend used to talk of but a first cousin of his an only son and a man of good fortune who has been very kind and generous to his mother and sisters one of the latter has married a cousin of s a poor who through mr h has been presented to a good living mr h has a nice little estate in out at nurse at present while he travels as his to his family have rather him but he means to return in a few months and gives out that he shall be a jolly bachelor take his mother and unmarried sister to live with him and repair the church and old mansion house and was reading this letter for the twentieth time when came in sat down beside her and put her arm round her waist laid aside her letter said rather reproachfully i let you see all my letters but you never show me any of yours this is from my mother said it must be very delightful to have a mother â a mother whom we can entirely trust and love said only it is so hard to be apart from her said and a tear started into her eye kissed it away i wonder what she thinks of me said she for of course you tell her everything about me does she consider me a very naughty girl oh no she is beginning to like you very much that must be owing to you you dear but i came to consult with you don t you think we get on very with madame she can do nothing but praise and her son she continually and that sets me yawning too just now she is taking a little nap would it not be more think you to invite some more people how would m like it he is so bent on pleasing the and he and finds it such hard work that i don t think he would mind the question is whom to ask you have not a great many to choose from what say you to madame oh the good creature never from her home and if she did it would be with paul at her elbow there are the two miss my dear what can you be thinking of those stupid girls i well you say you think their stupidity is chiefly owing to their want of society and you frequently pity them for so for a little change and never having it that is true said wistfully do you think it would be a good action what should you think about it in their place i certainly should i i should be delighted and i dare say they will not be much in the way well then i will invite them that is if papa too â it is worth a trial she is really a favourite of mine and paul and may bestow their stupidity upon one another thought the scheme so desirable that the instant she had secured her father s consent she sent off her invitations her note occasioned a tremendous commotion in the small household of madame who was always the and pleasures of society to her incredulous daughters because she could not afford to let them enter it on the present occasion they took her by storm and she was more easily overcome because she herself was included in the invitation and the prospect of spending a week under the same roof with two or three unmarried gentlemen made her not altogether despair of some good result to her daughters so every needle in the house was instantly set to work on book muslin pink blue while madame undertook to for herself one or two surprising head dresses and the

1Charles Darwin

making of a new black satin dress it was a pity the invitation had not been sent sooner for two days was terribly short notice however wonders were done in those two days and at the appointed time they started in their old coach for as fine as s step mother and sisters as for the good she was still so reluctant to give up all hope of s paul that contrary to habits the growth of years she tore herself from her home to give him a chance which she flattered herself she might render a somewhat less forlorn one the increase of chattering was very great when these additions to the circle were assembled for dinner and the pink the blue and and the surprising head dress the old uncommonly madame round eyes with sensations as she saw one lady after another sail into the room and secretly in setting her to talk to madame and and paul to bestow their welcome attention on and elizabeth she kept for herself she was too good for the common herd and as merry as a bird was well content to find herself placed between and admirably planted out muttered to mr well distributed was the reply good furniture pictures nearly the same distribution took place at dinner and prevailed afterwards till the card tables were opened paul indeed hovered about but she managed to content him with a few cheerful and then glided away to another guest so that he found himself presently in his old position in front of whom he began to think a tolerably agreeable girl however would by no means be put off upon elizabeth but continued to by his to win her attention throughout the evening the good natured could not help taking a little malicious pleasure in watching and his continual and as frequent returns to the field ah said she aside to it is easy to see our dear does not like that young man and yet he will not see it himself how blind we all are if it were not so how could he possibly suppose that with such manners as his he could himself with so charming a girl she has sense taste cultivation whereas he has not one of the three i overheard him at dinner time talking so you cannot think if my paul is more he is not quite so stupid he seems getting on very well i see with the youngest miss has she any sense do you think rather replied that her opportunities of judging of her had been few i am desirous paul should attach himself to persons of sense resumed because none can impart what they do not possess now it was the greatest pleasure to me that your english guest mr took him up in the way he did at first because it was so improving but of late i am sorry to say he seems to have dropped him and taken up instead i shall accuse him of it too mr mr madam returned mr obeying the summons come and talk with us a little if you please and mr as i observe you are only overlooking the players i have something to say to you mr immediately drew a chair in front of her and and placed himself on it in an attitude of polite attention you were kind enough sir to bestow a good deal of your leisure some ago on my nephew paul but i fear you have grown tired of him tired ma am i oh no i he got tired of me surely that was impossible â you must be under some mistake he could not be tired of you my dear sir well my dear ma am it looked very much like it at your particular desire i spoke to him on several subjects â thank you i thank you that was exactly what i wished â till he got so desperately tired of them or of me that it could not be concealed oh i i am shocked that was so very wrong of paul so very very rude i must speak to him about it my dear lady you had much better water finds its own level so does the soul of man your nephew is at this moment sitting under the influence of a far more successful teacher than myself we men can never polish one another nor ourselves tis you ladies who do that the fact is ascertained throughout civilized creation and upon my word mr it is quite a privilege to hear you talk â it is indeed sir i assure you i do not regret having broken through my established habits to come here and this pleasing circle man has been called the creature of habit ma am but there is no reason why he should be its slave you see i mi a native of a free country and don t uke slavery in any form so you must excuse me of course â of course we must all allow for national prejudices but now what do you think sir of this dear country of ours â old mother russia plenty of madam â plenty of i that s just what i think and just what i say of paul both are susceptible of more cultivation but both have doubtless said mr d with a slight cough your nephew is an excellent he brings down a rail on the wing a man who in one thing sometimes in another said undoubtedly said mr do think so said appealing to certainly said i think it is often ihe case s and then a man who is a good may be a good husband said he may said mr laughing just as a good coachman may be a good or a good may be a good carpenter your images my dear sir are so very but i am persuaded â

1Charles Darwin

yes i am confident â paul will be a very good husband only under one condition said mr solemnly â so solemnly that he the attention of both his listeners only under one condition repeated he shaking his head what can that be cried that he said mr laughing and he rose and walked away he soon returned however and keeping clear of paul talked so nicely that and were both entertained and interested on the whole the evening went off very pleasantly in the course of a few days however became desperately tired of the miss they could neither play sing talk nor listen well but their self confidence being great their thin high pitched voices were continually drowning the better tones of those who were conversing sensibly while small shallow and sentiment formed the of their talk the swing and merry go round had little rest in fine weather and the clear air rang with and their shrill screams and thin laughter but indoors they lay on turning over the leaves of novels without reading them and interrupting the occupations of others by their or yawning if they thought themselves neglected how brightly our shines by force of contrast observed mr to as they set out with their pieces one morning surely it is not the custom of your country to call young ladies by their christian names unless you are related or going to be related to them said surely you have been long enough in england to know it is not the custom of our country to salute young ladies as you saluted miss may on your arrival here unless you are related or going to be related to them retorted mr bit his lip two wrongs don t make a right observed he however perhaps you becoming related to one of them in which case of course my objection falls to the ground perhaps i do said mr may i ask to which inquired quickly that hardly sounds to me like a very sensible question said mr certainly i ve no claim to your confidence said growing hot there are many things to be considered said mr o and doubtless said perhaps i might not get consent very said however i m not quite hopeless said mr oh nor i cried more and more you are such a favourite nobody could say no to you gently my friend your tone sounds anything but i have by no means so strong a conviction that nobody could say no you are such a favourite with my uncle burst forth that he could refuse you nothing nothing repeated mr well i fancy he could refuse me a good many things however in this his is not the first consent that is likely to be asked do you mean to win and her without it exclaimed with flashing eyes what if i do said mr coolly if he s your uncle he is not mine one thing at a time win her first and tell him afterwards i doubt if he will let you take her out of the empire ho ho ho we ll see about that mr cried in a rage i doubt if it is not duty to him immediately with your intentions make your mind up what your duty is and and then act upon it that s my advice and it s what i do myself only you seem to me rather putting your finger into another man s pie my relationship â began oh â aye aye â your relationship of course interrupted mr himself beginning to feel considerably irritated that s the way people excuse themselves to themselves and try to excuse themselves to others â only they never do your relationship you would like i believe to be still nearer related who says that cried clear as the sun no good denying it to me â a fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind or if it does not it makes us wondrous quick in one another you deal in said impatiently well we shall not have leisure to deal with them much longer for here come a of young ladies to the water side with emphatically and young coming down another alley looking at one another it really the case for looked extremely with and he looked not only but very angry the miss and paul came up at the same time while the two elder ladies were in the distance and at the head of the alley down which and had just passed all seemed making for the boat a pleasure party had been so much on by and elizabeth that it had been hastily got up observing that if they were quick they should reach mr and soon enough to ask them to give up their shooting began the boat in a very hurried manner and hastily and raising one of the oars in nearly a perpendicular direction he hit mr s piece with it there was a report a scream and fell wretch â o my these words were unconsciously uttered by mr as he caught her up in his arms and tenderly bore her towards the house all was confusion and bathed in tears was close beside him following them as fast as she could madame on a bank madame offering her a smelling bottle and elizabeth after shrieking a little were asking a thousand ant questions of paul shifted from one foot to another looking very uneasy young after swearing once or twice hastily made off was the only one who thought of a doctor he darted towards the house repeating to himself my chapter xxi explanations we were at cross purposes all the time said to mr n the evening of the day on which was shot yes said mr for in spite of his english manhood he had been crying very heartily and was now sitting shut up in his own room to which

1Charles Darwin

had obtained only by dint of repeated and what a bear you must have thought me said what a goose you were begging your pardon what in the world should i want with a russian wife when there were plenty and too many of good english ones to be had for proper asking not at the first asking though â some of em why now here have i made three offers to miss may in this very house â is it possible fact the first time was when you were giving and a spin in the merry go round that time she laughed at me the next time i wrote to her she took no notice of it the third time just two days ago she was called it persecution â said i made her position very trying to her â she must leave it â she must tell m â she must go home she would have done so before but for love of well i would not leave it so â i would not be put down i put her to the question â did she hate me no did she know any ill of me no did she think it would her friends no had she taken a vow to die single no by this time she began to smile so i took advantage of that and kept on at it you see sir â i just mention it to you as a young man by way of example â till she at last she would write to her mother so here we are resumed he after a short but not pause â here we are but here we are not long likely to be for she says i must go away till she gets her answer and i actually meant to have gone to morrow however here we are as i said before and here i shall remain that s flat till she gets better for nobody could expect me to turn out under present circumstances here i shall remain till she gets better unless poor dies oh dear â oh and his silk pocket handkerchief was again cast over his face and head what a mess the whole house is in resumed and he presently withdrawing the handkerchief and the widow like a p r of angels hovering round my come you need not class them together said you may a angel if you please but the old lady is a wonderful creature an old angel we ve an inn in london called the old angel says nobody could have the wounds and extracted the shot as she did why she quite cut out the red little doctor â left him nothing to do but to a draught people s real characters come out on these occasions see what a poor useless selfish creature madame is and madame nearly as bad as â for the girls they are seizing the opportunity to lay close siege to paul and i think it very likely will carry him off m is raging because has refused young and is shut up with the father while the son has turned sulky is lucky in having a pretext for shutting herself up in s room she won t escape the tempest though when she comes out if these people had any delicacy they would all go off to their homes and leave the house quiet they are going soon said madame is very angry with and was for leaving immediately i heard her telling her husband she and should have one serious conference with her and if it were depart at once she says such independence in a young girl is intolerable and all owing to her bad training her shall not suffer i i shall give a hint of this the first time i see her she will then soon afford madame the opportunity she desires and the separation will speedily follow the only came for a limited time which has almost expired s presence here is extremely valuable and she iâ kind hearted to go away while miss may is ip danger while paul is such a that he is perfectly well groaned mr i pray for s speedy r though it will be the signal for my departure you could not go once more could you to â ome fresh tidings i ll go directly said rising he left the room and proceeded to a little at the end of the corridor where squeezed wine glasses c for and where he had once or twice seen her already and procured news how all was going on in the at present however only was there she was leaning her head against the window with her handkerchief at her eyes dear said he may i come in how sorry i am for you and oh how sorry i am for her replied weeping what shall i do if i lose her i hope and think that you will not dr p assured me he did not apprehend a fatal result i hope he will prove in the right but i fear â i fear â oh she is in such a heavenly state of mind if i were in her place should i be so i hope you would i fear i should not she has given me all her directions what to do in the event of her death with such they were very few and simple some tears fell when she dictated a letter to her mother â they were the only ones she shed she desired kind little tokens might be given to the servants â little to you and to mr everything of value to be sent to her mother of course she ve me some excellent advice â i think i can never forget it wept anew then resumed she she bade me get her little prayer book and read the prayers for the

1Charles Darwin

sick â beautiful prayers they were â and then she desired me to take her little bible and read several of the concluding chapters of the gospel of st john i began with the death of and read quite on to the end of st john s gospel oh what a heavenly book why is it not in the hands of all and why are we not always reading it when and i reached the concluding verses which i read very low i found she had dropped asleep i then left her in charge of and stole in here at this moment entered â m is inquiring for you tell him i really cannot come stay â do you go and make my excuses to him he will take them better from you how are they all getting on down stairs the young ladies are playing with m that is well and the old ladies are playing preference that is very well tell them i will come down by and by and she returned to s room sat up all night long for the first time in her life it was good discipline for her madame had insisted and had entreated she would resign her charge to them but strong affection made her keep her post slept in the adjoining dressing room and often stole in at intervals read s little bible then mused on what she had read towards midnight who by great had hitherto been able to lie quite quiet and still became feverish and rather light headed i know i am talking nonsense said she pre and but i cannot help it i seem to be going home very fast in an old with and somebody riding behind me very hard but never able to come up do you think you can cut lock of my hair oh yes said she was afraid however of taking it down for fear of being unable to put it up again and yet was reluctant to her by cutting it where it would be missed i think i had better call said no no said don t be afraid and she drew out the gold pin that confined the beautiful chestnut cut out a good piece said she there that will do nicely lay it aside somewhere and if i die let mr carry it to mamma and tell him he may keep a lock of it himself this seemed all very simple to â and now said if you will read me one or two of the i think it may keep me from wandering i have heard of their producing that on persons inclined to be light headed did as she was desired in her soft soothing voice and found become perfectly still and quiet soon after she heard a hushed outside the door and softly opened it to see who was and there mr in his slippers stood a little way off quiet whispered he nodded put her finger on her lips and softly closed the door heard it however who was it cried she only mr said kissing her lie quiet dear my mr smiled quietly as she repeated the words mentally and soon she was repeating them aloud without knowing it to the great surprise of the alarmed mamma cried suddenly starting up in her bed hush hush dear it is only your own dear lie down dearest you will the she s there cried no darling it is only ah â dropped on her pillow put her cheek next to s â one so cool the other so burning â and tried to remember some of the magic words of the little hook not being like instructed in the from her childhood though had daily to supply the deficiency the only words that just now came to her aid were let not your heart be troubled ye believe in god believe also in me and they were enough let not your heart be troubled â let not your heart be troubled â s troubled heart stayed itself on these healing words and she murmured them instead of mr somehow the word on y still seemed to haunt her with a sudden inspiration â way it simply the inspiration of affection â whispered only oh happy whisper i s lips were soon muttering in a sort of â only only au my trust shall be in towards day she became perfectly still worn out was presently sleeping for sorrow a light kiss awoke her the good in a surprising cap of quite a different from madame s and in a gown had noiselessly entered examined her sleeping patient and was now bending over the sleepy young nurse you must go to bed now dear child whispered she it is five o clock â you will have five hours good sleep before any one is and shall arouse you in due time not a word lest you disturb her you need not fear leaving her in my hands you have done your duty this night affectionately and well tears started into the young girl s eyes it sounded so like a mother s praise she returned s and yes i have seen in private and he me that it was entirely owing to the into which you had thrown him by the exceedingly offensive method of your of him that he lost his self government and struck mr s piece he may say so said but there was nothing offensive in what i said though i certainly made it plain enough it is all to no purpose for his wife you will be the will take place either before he leaves this house or immediately on our return to town therefore you must reconcile yourself to it as well as you can it never take place though said passionately it shall cried m the stove so hard with his fist that it drew blood he confirmed

1Charles Darwin

it with an oath and would wait to hear no more she reached the corridor panting and ready to drop what is the matter said meeting her my father has sworn said she almost that i shall be to before he leaves the house or at farthest immediately on our return to town you shall not i said so but oh he was in such a rage t and as to strike the stove so violently that the blood from his hand and i think if i provoke him yet more he will some of these days strike me turned white and then red he shall not repeated he after a s pause trust in me dear and fear nothing he shall not i has taught me to put trust in god said however in a secondary sense i do put trust in you i pray that you may be god s instrument to protect me oh what a it makes in our prayers when we ask for some thing we feel we really want doubtless said but go and lie down dear â has told me you have been up all night they will not want you down stairs yet for they sat up late playing cart and if they come down before you do i will make your excuses go now dear and rest â don t go first to for is with her and quite in her element i must go and convey her report to mr who as you may suppose is anxious enough i is he said why don t you know said with surprise then in an expressive whisper they are in love no cried and engaged pursued at least something very akin to it that explains â ejaculated only think of my knowing it before you strange indeed yes there go now and think it over on your bed at leisure and in quiet i think i must you must and pressing her hand he quitted her and passed on towards mr s room reappeared among her guests at the usual hour simply but not dressed calmer and graver than was her wont but courteous and attentive all this was in obedience to the expressed wish of by yes yes said that good lady s cheek fondly all this will be good discipline for you we must rejoice with those that rejoice as well as weep with those that weep and there s no need this morning for weeping â our dear invalid is going on quite nicely and it is such a privilege to me to take charge of her that i shall not think of coming down stairs where nobody wants me but drink a cup of in the snug little dressing room between your two rooms what a pretty idea together though apart and such a pretty little room as you have made it too with its large t and of flowers its book shelves easy chairs little tables and beautiful i oh tm quite glad i came here i assure you to be so pleasantly useful is a treat after my own heart go pretty one go they will be like beads without you but i shall not be missed i smiled and after one long kiss obeyed the were all very much out of humour they scarcely inquired after and seemed to think more than she was paul s continued to find acceptance with the miss their mother observed his attentions with pleasure and gave broad hints how much they should like to their visit which would not understand so as this was to be their last day a great deal was to be crowded into it and rejoicing in the approaching breaking up made arrangements of her time and comfort for their amusement to do the thing handsomely to the last now and then when her eyes met mr s she gave him an uncommonly bright look so bright that had not become possessed of his secret he would have died of jealousy mr repaid these bright looks by equally bright ones in return though not being of the extent of her information he was rather doubtful what they meant as madame inter and several of these beaming glances she became fully convinced of mischief somewhere and as soon as breakfast was over she in a stately manner requested a private interview with in her own dressing room said oh certainly lightly but remained making final arrangements with the for their morning call on the which it was necessary to prepare for early as m left the room he whispered to her mind what you say with a warning look lingered to give her a private hint also and thus paused for a moment in the to collect her thoughts before she entered the formidable presence as the disagreeable interview which followed was strictly between themselves it need only be said that immediately it was over madame rang the bell violently and desired to see m after speaking with whom for a few minutes she again rang the bell violently and desired to see m that gentleman was not immediately to be found and in the meanwhile a little fluttered by her own boldness had time to hasten to the of her friend and who like the white all around her was lying very in a bed with flowers fresh air her bible on the and the kind seated beside her here comes our darling said cheer and fully dear child we have been talking of you all the morning but what is the matter you look as scared as a uttle bird at a random shot oh i have had such a tiresome with madame said but it is over now and it must have come sooner or later said madame i guess what it was all about be firm be firm that young man is wholly unworthy of you he is dreadfully fond of cart

1Charles Darwin

it is very easy to say be firm said smiling a little â but rather hard for so young a girl as i am to fight the battle all by myself against papa and the three oh i will take your part and so i am sure will your good cousin and i need hardly say if it would be of the least use so would paul unfortunately it would not said though i thank you all the same suggested our voices would go for nothing but they might public opinion is a powerful engine and if the public opinion made itself known that you would be thrown away upon public opinion might have some weight opinion has very little weight i m aid said against private obstinacy and interest m desires to see you immediately made and in madame s dressing room said at the door say i am coming directly returned and bending over to kiss her she whispered you naughty i have found you out i know all blushed like a rose and smiling gaily withdrew in about a quarter of an hour she returned looking and harassed s pitying look overcame her she turned her head aside and burst into tears poor child poor child cried laying aside her knitting and taking her hand never mind them dear â never mind them i be firm be firm could not help laughing there was no want of firmness they would tell you said she my father politely said i was as obstinate as a pig however the is at least put oflf till we return to town and madame and i have made ourselves so thoroughly unpleasant to each other that she is going to pack up immediately and depart before dinner meanwhile i must go with the to the and since i must not remain up here it will be rather a relief to me to be out of the house dear good what a treasure you are what should we do just now without you and giving the old lady one of her impulsive embraces departed o and the four ladies filled the mr and paul were their the drive was pleasant enough they found the as usual surrounded by her political friends and whether or in some other capacity was among them and half in a picturesque posture at the s feet rather took by surprise but his power over her was gone to her improved taste he appeared vulgar and her improved judgment pronounced him superficial while his admiration of a new object showed neither good feeling nor good manners as s emotions were very easily in her honest countenance had the satisfaction of seeing that he annoyed her a little while he had the disappointment of likewise perceiving that annoyance was the utmost amount of the pain he could now inflict upon her and that she was feeling less and less of it every moment would not her visit the whole party were invited by the to luncheon after which they strolled round the pleasure grounds now gay with tints of every from the darkest green and colour to the yellow and scarlet they then returned home just in time to receive the cold of the chapter xxii the nest forsaken was very soon summoned to m s study which was becoming quite a terror to the family said he abruptly when is this englishman going mr sir upon my word air you ought to know best i know nothing at all â he keeps staying on and on without having the manners to go and no russian can be so ill bred as to give a guest notice to quit yet his presence begins to be as tiresome to me as i am aware it has long been to you on the contrary sir i think him a very capital fellow appearances have you then why last week you could hardly speak to bim â and once or twice you were so rude that i wondered bow his good humour could enable bim to put up with it appearances have deceived us both it seems and said why now to me you appeared so fond of him that i was ready to be jealous did i you did indeed sir well â you see he s writing a book about us and i did not want him to receive any impressions add to which he s a pleasant companion enough and when you ve said that you ve said all he s a mere swallow a bird of passage just so sir then why does not he fly away could not help laughing upon my word sir i don t know but could not you give him a little hint â you are not his host you know â that you yourself will soon be on the move and you suppose he will be â or something of that sort so thought that s my hint well sir i can sound him aye do that s just what i want he is as you say a capital fellow but you see he s not quite safe is not he said looking not quite safe here just at present repeated m madame gave me a hint of it is becoming too partial to him i d stake my life sir madame is quite mistaken i she is only afraid of any one with her son f â and there may be just reason for her fear though and i do not choose there should be any for be things how they may her son and will be directly we get back to town uncle will you bear with me for a moment i am very sorry to tell you â what don t hesitate â that young man is very fond of play oh nonsense he is indeed sir he s deeply in debt to i can assure you of it and

1Charles Darwin

what if you can i m resolved the marriage shall take place surely dear sir you have some regard for the interests and happiness of your only child in consulting one i consult both she is too young to know what her real happiness is but you won t consult her interest if you marry her to a man to high play your fine fortune will go to pay his debts of honour how do you know anything about my fine fortune mr certainly sir i know nothing no nor are likely to do for anything you know about it i may be as poor as a beggar i may be as fond of play as i may be as deep in his debt as he is to ana i may have or or away every penny i have and every one of my you may sir certainly said looking confounded see then how little you know what you are talking about go go i leave me to settle my own aâ and settle yours as you like i have seen a little of life and of the world and of human nature and am not quite a fool afford me your advice when i ask it i bowed and withdrew only mr was in the drawing room â the ladies were hurrying their s better said he laying down a i have seen your doctor or whatever his name is and he me she is completely out of danger and will soon be quite well that s a comfort said for well or ill you will not be very welcome if you remain here much longer to watch her my uncle has just been asking me how long you mean to stay and i promised to sound you and this is the way i set about it they both laughed what an old he is said mr however i really have paid him an visit and important purposes have been answered b therefore as it and is pleasanter to take one s leave than be told to go ril drop him a hint in the course of the evening that i mean to go to the day after tomorrow that will be a good move said and if i can leave with any comfort i ll go too and we can travel so far together in my the entrance of madame and her daughters more being said paul quickly followed and prevailed on to leave to the care of and resume her customary place at table though the party was there was a subdued in it paul between and elizabeth cheerfully submitted to be made much of by them m receiving an early intimation dropped casually that and mr would leave him on the next day but one was as cordial to both of them as it was in his nature to be to any one they were both cheerful and succeeded in communicating their cheerfulness to and madame without much difficulty though as has already been said it was of a subdued complexion in the evening while m and madame were having a game at preference and the miss were trying to teach paul to sing was sitting up wrapped in and having what she called a gossip with and and madame and as the good had completely won her heart by her ways and girl like sympathy did not know why she should not win her confidence too and when after many shallow mysterious allusions said â i may tell her may not i with a soft blush and gentle flutter said oh â yes if you will listened eagerly to the news and congratulated her most warmly upon it only it is not at all fixed said oh but it soon will be cried the sanguine madame your good mother is sure to consent you have given me a complete idea of her and of your english home with its and by the aid of that famous sketch book of yours the only person i am sorry for is paul ejaculated while looked ready to laugh before she heard the joke yes my dear young friend for so much have i seen of you during my short visit here that i am convinced you could make paul happy however events are otherwise ordained â all for the best i doubt not and as for it is easy to see where her preference lies where cried in ah you may well blush like scarlet never mind he s quite worthy of you a very nice young man though he has cut out paul i why did i not and se him making his court to you this morning in the window of s little glass closet no replied bursting into a fit of laughter though her cheeks were burning for pity s sake keep your to yourself and don t reveal them to papa or i shall be worse off than ever rely upon my discretion said very gravely and now do tell me like a dear discreet woman as you are â do you not think when the are gone to morrow if she tries to be very well indeed may without harm be moved into our little adjoining that you are so fond of indeed i think so said madame though i am the last person who would advise anything and do not you think that as mr will go away the following morning he might without any breach of the come up there and have a little chat with in the course of the afternoon you or i playing of course with plenty of cotton wool stuffed into our ears a faint colour on s cheeks showed how much she would like it though she laughed at the idea of s playing and said she thought madame would do much better madame thought so too therefore and having carried her point left them to

1Charles Darwin

dwell on the agreeable future while she went as she said to tempt to let the miss hear what good singing really was slept all the better for her pleasant prospect of the morrow and in the morning was pronounced by madame to have made so much progress as to be quite equal to sitting up for a few hours in the dressing room arranged cushions for effect as well as comfort on the little couch and made the most arrangement of books flowers and fancy works with a girlish pleasure in setting out to the greatest advantage for her lover was such a pretty invalid that she needed none of these attractions but still they were finishing touches of a picture every detail of which mr might carry away in his heart whether he did so or whether it had only room for he himself could best tell after he had spoken his last word and looked his last look his heart sunk a little as he left her at the thought how many things might go wrong before he saw her again meanwhile had sped her parting guests the who very sincerely expressed themselves very sorry to go and she had done the kindest thing she could by persuading paul to attend them home on his return he seemed much pleased the old lady as he called her had in and on his going in and her and had invited him to dine there quite in an way the following week that evening the party was very small and rather quiet was very feverish all the more so perhaps for three or four little notes from mr brought to her at intervals by the who while any demand for vigilance in the invalid room remained took of madame played preference with m mr came and went collecting his books and drawings and persuading and to give him a good many drawings of their own besides helping himself to as many as he liked with permission from s he had also managed to obtain from the soft hearted the beautiful of hair and sat over a board moving the pieces but conversing very earnestly in low tones less audible than whispers they were both very anxious about her future prospects the next day the party was yet smaller without much regard for her health managed to be dressed and carried into the time enough to receive mr s last talked earnestly and sorrowfully to instead of eating his breakfast and soon â too soon â the was at the door were spoken again and again and soon the travellers were seen fast driving down u and the lime tree avenue watched them till they disappeared and then turned away with a heavy heart paul observed they should be very dull now and wished he could do anything for her for that he felt quite to her this sounded like quite a sensible observation from him and told him that if he would make a collection of birds feathers for miss may them on cards and write the names under them she was sure would like it very much this set paul to work for hours she was glad to have found an s employment for him for the weather was breaking up very much and winter coming on fast consented to her visit for a week for the sake of cheering up her young friends and virtue was its own reward for they cheered her too and she returned home with her mind stored with agreeable and self memories â no bad provision for the evening of life as for paul she declared his visit had quite brightened him up and indeed a great deal of the mould and had really been rubbed off and he too had his agreeable memories to fall back on throughout the whole of the winter frequently alluding to them when warmly shut in for the evening with the preface i say aunt do you remember when we were making that pleasant visit at with those pretty girls the mr and would have written had and it not been for a fear of m s their confidential letters m now began to talk of returning to his warm house in the old cathedral town for the winter every allusion to which filled with pain and fear for she knew her was intended closely to follow she procured from time to time on the plea that was not yet strong enough to travel and though m considered the objection of no moment and in s absence spoke of her as little more than a superior servant full paid and for her services he yielded oftener than might have been expected perhaps from a natural preference for the present lull to the commotion he was aware would take place when was commanded to submit to the thus time wore away and heavily till m definitely fixed the day for the journey there was a agreement to say nothing of the hateful ceremony as long as it could be avoided but felt its dreary shadow surrounding her farewell visits were paid to and the in spite of the horses being scarcely able to through the mud and once or twice they literally stuck fast these excursions were good preparations said for her longer journey the good took leave of them with tears and her young friends could not forbear weeping a uttle from sympathy even paul began to doubt whether he j and to find a use for his handkerchief and blew his nose by way of exciting his emotions you have been very kind to me always said he gazing tenderly on after putting her in the carriage that is â good bye paul â be very kind to your said â that is my parting and see if you can t get through peter the great this winter for i shall ask you next spring

1Charles Darwin

above all be sure you look in pretty often on the for you will quite them you know they don t see a nice young man every day your will shall be my law said he and his blue eyes were fixed upon her to the last was not strong enough to pay two visits in one day and as it yet wanted a week to the day fixed on for their journey they deferred calling on the till the morrow the next morning however put her cheerful face through s half opened door exclaiming jack frost as you call him has come at last and the ground is like glass no chance of our stirring out again till the horses are rough shod the piercing cold had indeed set in and the winter closed upon them in earnest although was very cold had grown so fond of it that she said she would sooner the snow in a than start a day before the time it was not left to he choice however on the and third day of the frost while they were at breakfast m received a letter which he had no sooner read hastily than he let it drop from his hand and fell back in his chair uttered a cry and hastened to his collar but he roused himself directly by a strong effort apparently impelled by the fear of her taking up the letter and reading it seized it himself thrust it into his pocket and gasped out that rascal â he has been too sharp for me at last prepare for an instant journey home i â if i do not reach it in twelve hours i am ruined his distress was so terrible that trembled and longed to speak but dared not obedience and she saw would be the greatest she could show him in an short time every necessary preparation was made everything that could be left behind was left wrapped to their in and with boiling hot foot under their feet they commenced their and perilous journey papa said after a long silence could help you no i am afraid not there is no knowing some spy has betrayed me to the police â betrayed is the wrong word you interrupt me my dear â i must think over what must be done i am accused â of course â to the government the tone was kinder usual â i â and would have taken his hand if it had not been buried in a mass of fur but he was out of reach â impenetrable morally and bodily his own soul alone knew its burden afraid of on him again remained silent or addressed now and then a whispered remark to all was cheerless without and within they travelled slowly on account of the frost they observed that water was everywhere frozen as long as they could observe anything but it soon became impossible to see through the carriage windows before they started m had given orders for fresh horses to be taken on at every post house and had sent forward a to them they were fortunate in not being detained anywhere towards the middle of the day the basket there was a brandy which as a russian m did not fail to make use of he even pressed his companions to share some of its contents he ate his with and then ventured to say â perhaps papa as m is in the same office he may be of some assistance to you no my love no on the contrary as he is a step below me and would gain a higher position by my removal i fear he may rejoice at it my love i how a kind word always went to s heart the hand was now she bent down and kissed it he appeared not to notice and the caress and having finished his slight meal his head back and shut his eyes as if to sleep but the wistful saw a tear shining on his though a tear of self pity how often she thought with tenderness of it afterwards the cold became more extreme as they proceeded what must it be in thought m s suspicions of m had brought to her mind a â the of the world are oft of vice or of pleasure what has become now thought she of the bond of union that lately existed between these two men it has dissolved at the first touch of self interest m s impatience towards the end of the day became he urged the drivers forward by large rewards and once when there appeared a chance of their being delayed for some hours he was almost by dint of and he pushed forward as rapidly as there was any possibility of doing and the end was that they drove into his own just at nine o clock where s was his first hurried inquiry of the good natured looking who came up touching his cap to his master the replied he did not know go and ask said m it is past and hurrying into the house he snatched up a lamp and locked xxi and and nearly frozen with cold crept to the stove their arrival was unexpected and premature â nothing was ready and the house felt fearfully cold while their and supper were being hastily prepared michael came in and told his young mistress that could not find tell my father â stay i will tell him said she ran to his study door and tapped saying â papa papa what is the matter said he opening the door and looking very white nothing to alarm you only that cannot be found the thing of all others to alarm me cried he the villain has i must go at once to the â he turned round and hastily completed what he was about he was thrusting

1Charles Darwin

a great many papers into the stove and waiting to see them consumed oh papa it is so bitterly cold you will catch your death if you go out i can t help it shall the fetch you a no i shall make myself warmer walking and save time save time â how can that be it is some uttle distance to the stand and no little distance to the nearest bridge is the river frozen and oh yes quite across oh yes men and boys have got across it all day papa it cannot be safe trust me my dear to look after my own safety he finished his fur coat pulled his fur cap over his eyebrows and set forth wistfully looking after him he passed across the court through the deep into the open street the streets were ill paved but tolerably lighted the hot tea shops and shops were full of customers little oil lamps were before miserable pictures of st and st men and boys were running about the streets on their various errands speaking cheerfully to each other horses in and were slipping on the ice the river side was dark and ill lighted but m knew every step he spoke to somebody standing on the brink is it safe quite safe he took one step on the river â then drew back what if it be not this is no time for the emergency is dangerous papers must be destroyed he proceeds he gains the middle oh wretched man the ice gives way beneath him chapter the birds scattered and awaited m s return in great anxiety at length decided that his business would detain him at the office all night and that they had better not sit up for him the would let him in early in the morning awoke with looks of alarm m had not come in all night and could nowhere be found there are strange reports about said checking a sob but i m sure has done no harm was dismayed and perplexed since neither nor mr were at hand and the could not be consulted she knew not what to do at length with s approval she wrote a little note to her father and sent it to the office by the some time elapsed b i s x and when he and came it was to say m had not been seen at the office his room was locked up at this moment burst in looking white as ashes cried he do not believe me to be a villain some spy has certainly been papers of my master s but it was not i on the contrary directly i found the police were about to apprehend him i sent him notice through a friend and it was only on his service that i have made a hurried journey they tell me he is neither to be found at home nor in the office surely they cannot yet have seized him can he have i will hasten to make every inquiry thank heaven is innocent exclaimed as soon as he was gone clasped her hands and looked upwards some hours after returned looking haggard and awe stricken his papers are seized said he and the police are hunting for him high and low but they will never find him for â what oh speak quickly cried alas he attempted to cross the river the ice gave way uttered a faint cry and hid her face in her hands has everything been done â cried everything that could be done said sadly but what was there to do the river cannot be dragged â the under current has d ss and away by this time and the ice will not break up before the spring he will never be found lives are lost in this way every winter by this time was weeping passionately her sobs at length became sobbing bitterly vainly brought her strong while supported her in her arms and spoke to her in the most soothing tones when she became composed enough to speak her first words were â send for every one felt it the best thing wrote a few lines which undertook to despatch immediately by a safe hand by the time came all the town knew the story more or less distorted m was understood to have government to an enormous extent his property was and his daughter was a beggar the who at first had sent now thought it best to give up altogether while other acquaintances less self interested made kind inquiries and offered temporary assistance but declined it and was inaccessible to everybody found his uncle s will a large fortune to which now no longer existed and leaving her and it to the of s father that father a kind and honourable man was assured would not give up his trust though was he y to him instantly her directly and the answer arrived to let him escort her and to his parents who were now in st and of whose kind reception he made no doubt the answer could not reach them in less than a fortnight but they did not wait for it for the house they occupied was no longer their own â everything in it was and and under the protection of found themselves the town in little more than a week after their entering it their minds rendered them less sensible to the horrors of a winter journey through russia than they would otherwise have been and s kindness softened the trials he could not remove they had long and fruitless on the future fruitless because they were utterly ignorant how far m s had extended or were known to himself he had lived and to himself he had died the ice had not more completely closed over his remains than mystery had sealed his intentions arrived at st the travellers received the

1Charles Darwin

and of the and of the cause of its â â â â of the first of of the war of â xxiv of the affairs of â â xxv of â â of the of sir john â and of the of the of the fall of of of of the rise of high art xxx of the count of of and di â of the â â of the two of the â of â of louis the of the fall of â and of the league against â â of francis the first of of da and michael of the fall of â xl of and his woes of and of peter martyr of and of the war of s conspiracy â â of the story of of the war of of of the fall of italy of the of the from l of napoleon s first italian campaign ll of napoleon s second italian campaign ul of the french in italy the old collar restored how the old collar wore and wore out how the time seemed come â â but was not italy a expression italy a political substance daybreak advancing day â the story of italy chapter l brief sketch of the origin of italy s loss of liberty the birth of italy the garden of europe had once say the poets its golden age it was peopled by a race of and who supported themselves on the fruits of the earth and lived in harmony and content if they did live in harmony and content these and must have been very different from those of whom we read the earliest records in scripture and italy a very different country from what it has been ever since it had a history in plain fact it has always been the battle c the of italy field of warlike tribes and warlike the broken sword has been ever from the trampled grass round the fountain and the fountain s waters stained with blood an and race may have peopled italy in those remote times of which we have no account afterwards warlike tribes who their native countries to this fertile and romantic land introduced the use of arms if they did not find them there already but even gain could find a stone to kill his brother a variety of little states arose each possessing its own laws and interests and perpetually at with its neighbours thus the teeth of discord were very early sown in italian soil about years before a young shepherd of royal birth laid the foundations of the city whose laws were to govern the world seven kings reigned over rome in succession the then established their liberty and chose yearly two who acted as their und under their republican government the ie people on the the of earth they not only conquered the whole of italy bat great part of asia and africa at length made themselves sovereigns of the world the death blow was given to their liberty by c who became actual monarch while he professed no aim but the support of the republic and though he was slain by and a few bold friends of liberty his death only led to a succession of equally absolute and more the had become too to be capable of properly the advantages of liberty and what is liberty not freedom from all laws for such would be the worst slavery in the world â not of the wicked poor from punishment but an exercise of the same control over the wicked rich as over the poor liberty such laws as secure the multitude from the absolute dominion of one man whether good or wicked it is possessed by the republic whose hold their offices of the people and who may be disgraced if they abuse the public trust â by the limited where the parliament the power of the sovereign and him the t bt of italy supplies only while he the interests of his people it is not possessed in an absolute where the lives and happiness of multitudes depend on an emperor s ambition and caprice nor by a in which a blood thirsty while shouting the of liberty the property of peaceful citizens and drag them to the gallows or the from the time that rome ceased to be a republic she gradually lost her virtue and grandeur the people became luxurious and indolent the soldiers more powerful than their masters often raised to the throne their of the moment whom in the heat of passion they as frequently the instead of making new had great trouble in the large armies of from germany and who entered italy with fire and sword and laid all waste around them the unable to them by force had recourse to and their of course only encouraged the to renew their in the fifth century king of the the of italy invaded italy but was driven back by the invincible bravery and energy of law and prime minister to the eight years afterwards repeated his attack and made his way to the gates of rome into which he obtained entrance at dead of nights a ensued and after remaining six days in rome proceeded with his victorious army he met with no resistance but an illness of a few days ended his life and he was buried in the bed of a river fifty years after italy was invaded by king of the the of mankind s person was as savage as his mind he is described like the of a fairy tale with a large head eyes a flat nose thin beard and broad shoulders he and burnt the principal towns in the north of italy and left the threatening it with a re terrible the following year thia was ted by hi death we perceive the like a flock of the of sheep again and again the prey of every

1Charles Darwin

of wolves disposed to attack them and rescued from their foes not by their own but by the natural of death it was not thus the poor naked the the cruel of many cities was involuntarily the cause of the most singular one ever built when he descended from the and made known his approach by the flames of burning villages the inhabitants of ye a small district of and a few citizens of sought refuge among the small islands of the gulf here they found only a few poor â and their families dwelling in mean huts on one of the islands known as the â this island the made the of their new settlement they erected substantial dwellings and built bridges from island to island beautiful as the morning rose from the sea no society can long exist without laws and government of some sort and the were the of glad to yearly from three or four but at length they shook these off and elected yearly of their own becoming dissatisfied with these they resolved to elect a duke or who should make war and peace elect and be a king in all but in name in after times the s power became greatly so that he became merely servant of the state but the power fell into the hands of and returned no more to the p n of the miserable state op the country the â s revenge thb roman empire had already split into the and western and in the year the western empire which had long been declining was finally extinguished a commander in the pay of rome was made king of italy ruled with firmness and moderation respected the laws and defended the country from the leaving italy no just reason to the of its long line of who with few exceptions had deserved only hatred or contempt meanwhile the state of the country was very miserable plains once covered with waving com and villages had become blackened showed where towns had the t bt op italy been burnt large on the land poisoned the air and bands of wolves through the forests and howled round dwellings but from this time a nobler spirit was into italy the soldiers of had compelled him to divide among them a third part of his territory thus a race of hardy and industrious men became whose descendants with roman luxury distinguished themselves as brave free spirited was driven from his throne king of the is said to have reigned wisely and well after his death italy again became the scene of the em of the east placed called over it but the were driven out by the a people from after whom the north of italy has been named ever since the or owed their name to their long they are thus described by â their heads were shaven behind but the t by of italy the shaggy locks hung over their eyes and mouth and a long beard represented the name and character of the nation their dress consisted of loose linen garments after the fashion of the which were decorated in their opinion with broad of various colours the legs and feet were clothed in long and open and even in the security of peace a sword was to their side yet this strange apparel and horrid aspect often concealed a gentle and generous disposition and as soon as the rage of battle had subsided the and subjects were sometimes surprised by the humanity of the victor the first king of established the system in italy and divided the lands which he conquered between his officers on condition of their serving him in the field when summoned they drew lots for these lands which were thence called and divided them again into smaller portions which they let to tenants whom they called or ch these or ch received their lands on the same condition of appearing in the field when summoned the story of italy and they were served by who their ground and followed them to battle of course the king reserved crown lands for himself the military of his provinces thirty in number were called after the death of they assumed independence and each became the monarch of his little had scarcely secured his possessions when he fell a victim to the revenge of his beautiful wife having cruelly been forced by him to drink from her father s skull she resolved to be freed from so odious a tyrant and persuaded two of his attendants to murder him fearful of the consequences of her guilt fled from and one of s chiefs reigned in his stead chapter m french selfish policy of the third of the twenty one kings mounted the throne king of to make himself king of all italy but was unsuccessful certain against his authority having been threatened with punishment fled to and threw themselves on the protection of pope the third he refused to give them up to who glad of the excuse for a quarrel collected his forces the and rome reader mark what did he sent for assistance to the king of france his letters messages and presents of relics including some of the chain of st peter would the t bt of italy n yery little with the french had not offered him the of borne and to in his his to the western empire au all reluctance disappeared before this powerful bribe the king of hastily troops for the pope s defence of which no sooner heard than he raised the siege and returned to thus the third obtained present safety at a price that has cost italy dear by affording a precedent for french in her affairs the held possession of their kingdom till the year when their sent their king prisoner to paris and himself with the iron crown of this crown has been regarded with superstitious by the as

1Charles Darwin

been presented to the by his mother the and to be made of the nails which had fastened our to the cross it consisted of an iron ring within a of gold and was kept in the cathedral of oyer the altar and guarded with great the of italy placed this crown on his head with his own hands uttering the memorable words god has given it me beware who touches it i a man does not acquire a divine right to a thing by that god has given it him our s name has been too often taken in vain by those who have claimed as his gift what he has simply from was afterwards crowned king of rome by the pope and ever after this title was claimed by the princes of the german empire till napoleon the crown to himself and the title of king of rome to his infant son we find him asserting in one of his famous that only bestowed certain on the pope as and that he consequently held them as of france the of rome had gradually risen in power from the establishment of christianity in italy to the reign of the emperor when in the year bishop of rome obtained of the emperor a law dictated probably by himself the story of italy that as the merit of st peter who was the prince of and the dignity of the city of had established the of the see nothing should be attempted against its authority that neither the of nor of any other provinces should do anything without the authority of the pope of the eternal city and that whatever he should order should be a law to all others but at the time this law was made the eastern empire had a pope of its own the bishop of who claimed equal privileges with the roman and it was only at the close of the century that the seventh creed that the title of pope should solely belong to the bishop of rome as father of the whole christian this concerned their spiritual with regard to their dominion the second had to the emperor of the west and stirred up the roman citizens to resist his government in the days of the next pope the threw off all to the emperor the story of italy formed into a kind of republic chose their own and yielded submission only to the pope the of claimed all the rights of the roman an imperial was placed by them in rome to administer justice an oath of was of the people and the occasionally interfered in the election of the at in the year an energetic ambitious named became pope the to free himself from the yoke of any monarch he forbade on pain of to bestow such a decree was like a declaration war against all the princes of who had long considered if their right to bestow on their no monarch however presumed to take up the quarrel except the emperor the who in defiance of the pope continued to name to vacant sees the of italy it aad those to them by the pope immediately the emperor and open war ensued between them of the the and the pope in those days lived a widow lady op she possessed and what has gone by the name of the of st peter no children she thought she should do a righteous act in her estates to the church otherwise they would have to the empire her making a will to this effect and the purport of the will coming to be publicly reported caused her to be held little short of a saint by the church party while the emperor and his loudly against it the pope having the emperor none of the dared hold to him any longer also a strong party was formed against him by the of italy princes of hia empire wherefore sorely deprived of the support of his subjects and in peril of losing his empire was forced to humble himself before the pope and promise submission to his will in the depth of a bitter cold winter when snow was quivering through the air he crossed the with his wife and infant son and entered here the counts and principal men of the cities came forth to meet him saying ah sir resent the insolent conduct of the pope and we will assist you with men and money but the emperor much broken in spirit had not the heart to follow their counsel instead of it he repaired to the s castle of where the pope with pride was waiting to receive him as soon as the emperor reached the outer gate of the castle the s guards told him he must dismiss all his attendants before they could admit him the emperor did this and entered the castle all alone when he reached ihe second gate he was ordered c do ef to lay his royal robes and pat on â mean garment as an outward and visible sign of his and this also be did and with bare feet the emperor left by hai ty pope io three at the from morning night for the mercy of hot the y of the nor did the her piteous that he have the pope at made a ef when the men of of and how the emperor had stood and in the at the gate for pardon and the p his heart him and a deaf ear to his cry their spirit and they vowed they the emperor s quarrel yet therefore when the emperor returned throng they said ah let us now you and that proud pope repent his haughty conduct t and they in him to hie bad said and take up arms against him then ike anew the of italy and then henry by setting up a new pope and after his

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rival emperor he marched against the came ont with her to oppose his progress but he her troops and took the holy city then the pope took refuge in the castle of st and thence escaped to i a short time died new p es sprang up toâ the emperor for years aod he too then it was ag should power om the their from the emperor chapter v of duke s escape meanwhile three had sprung up in the south â and s day was bright but short it fell into the hands of the duke of the heir to the of was who was shut up in prison at by his brother and when died his took advantage of the of and seized on the for himself the men of would not endure this and they resolved to set the captive duke free the task was they must resort to and thus they accomplish it some merchants of and on board a trading vessel bound for arriving at that town they spread themselves through the of the streets and according to the simple of those times demand of the inhabitants a night s shelter and entertainment some of them agreeably to their expectation and doubtless having put themselves in the way of obtaining it are offered a lodging by the of the imprisoned duke who tell them they have a spare room homely indeed yet at their service the merchants after some trifling not to excite suspicion too readily embrace the proposal and promise the a moderate on the morrow meanwhile they put a few pieces of money into their hands and bid them procure them a tolerable supper of bread meat and a jar or two of good wine adding they shall be well pleased for their to partake of it the liking the invitation weu enough and suspecting no harm hasten off to their favourite and shops return loaded with cups and dishes spread the table with alacrity accept their seats readily eat talk cheerfully and pledge their guests heartily by degrees they find the wine mounting into their heads ihey grow fu t b t br of drowsy they attend no more to songs and merry tales their eyes close their limbs fall dead asleep this was the moment so the merchants starting from their seats gate other an intelligent look gently yet swiftly dis engaged the heavy of keys from the then seizing a lamp stole out of the room â probably turning the key on the â and hastened in of the duke s cell the duke had wasted his best days in prison hie had no hope of release and was in perpetual of a death from the hands of his and suspicious brother he knew not that was dead and when he heard the key of his cell rattle iu the lock at an unusual perhaps thought his own death was at hand all at once he is told he is free his brother is dead he is duke of he is hurried off to the vessel by his and can hardly believe himself awake till he feels the night air â his brow as he stands on the little deck the of italy the people of who had been banished to broke forth into when they heard of the duke s death and returned in a body to their city but they could not it from its possessor without a long and bloody struggle and each party resorted to foreign they summoned to their assistance the of spain and africa who after affording temporary aid the south of and it the day they had chapter vl of â of the soon after the death of of the having landed m the advanced into the very heart of italy and at the same time of cavalry poured in from the north and the country meeting with ineffectual opposition from the but good arose from this the chief cities demanded the emperor s permission for ever since they had acknowledged to him to defend themselves which it would have been cruel indeed to refuse the effect produced was startling every town was quickly fortified every town a the and citizens learned to depend on themselves and thus were laid the foundations of the story of the italian now was the dawn of italian glory was the first to provoke the anger of the empire well says that italy has many of her miseries by her sins the had behaved with shameful cruelty to the citizens of whom they four years and drove out of their city which they to the ground forty two years afterwards two citizens of threw themselves at the feet of the ob and him to the injuries of their republic â foreign again why could not they fight it out among themselves or put up with it the emperor very glad of an excuse for beginning a war with italy sent the imperative orders to restore to the men of their ancient possessions the treated the message with contempt and the emperor having already assembled his army entered italy complaints of the of the poured in to him from various quarters the pre thb of however on which he took up a them was that they denied his army of he the men of to their i they replied that they were not to their friends in and took their town but spared their and they took refuge with their friends the who received them with open arms then entered and assumed the crown then instead of attacking he proceeded to to be crowned there so much time was thus that he was obliged to hia army and return to germany of the over and they for their faithful altar two during which they had not n the returned with a the express purpose oâ taking their he found thâ y bad surrounded il by a deep and

1Charles Darwin

broad moat so that his and towers were of no use they must be oat to this end he them so closely that the of provisions being at length exhausted they were obliged to surrender then they tasted of the bitterness they had formerly inflicted on the men of they were deprived of their privileges and forced to submit to an imperial magistrate they not endure it they â they were a second time â they were again forced to surrender they were driven from their city and in seven days was reduced to a heap of ruins from this time set no bounds to his tyranny and oppression a general feeling of disgust and hatred rose against him throughout the of a powerful league was him the citizens of and promised each other mutual ci for twenty years and ihe first act of the famous league was to to the fame of their and to erect a needful defence against the emperor s the t bt of italy of and they founded a new town on the of those the ground was carefully surveyed by the stood by with his the pope blessed the spot and the first stone of was laid the liberal sums of money to its but the building was chiefly to the and who worked with a will though the looked on and like the and the who said even a fox may knock down your wall the city of straw was the name found for by its enemies straw being mixed with earth in its formation but the city arose and in spite of them the inhabitants of the surrounding towns and villages into it and from came three thousand including some noble families also furnished a large and the siege laid to by the emperor in ended in an retreat the city the t bt of six years elapsed before was able to resume the war in he then for the third and last time against the no longer animated by personal but by patriotism were prepared to conquer or die in defence of their city their nobility and citizens formed two bodies of one consisting of nine hundred men solemnly pledged to maintain the to the last the other of three hundred youths who had sworn to defend the this waa a heavy car drawn by oxen and supporting the banner of the republic it afforded a common centre to the round which they rallied and they were accustomed to regard it with veneration the lower orders of citizens formed six bodies of foot soldiers thus prepared the no sooner heard of s approach than they advanced to meet him on the plain of fifteen miles from city the were a little handful of men compared with the and when they saw the ths of imperial cavalry charging them at foil gallop headed by the emperor the heart of many an honest within him â a general thrill of fear ran through their ranks but they did not torn about and run no fell on their knees and cried to god to defend them and their cause and be did he gave them courage to start to their feet and their and stand the of the german cavalry like men â a a breathing wood yet the pressure was so fierce that they nearly gave way under it â they could scarce keep their ground again they lifted up their voices with an eâ great and bitter cry god help us again he did they threw themselves on the enemy utterly fearless of danger and gained a complete a wonderful victory it was a day to be much remembered unto the lord it reminds us of our own victory in the days of good bishop which we read of in the old saxon after the battle nowhere be found he had fought it was the of italy he must be dead but his body could not be found among the slain a few days afterwards he appeared before the of alone disguised and a proud hopes of conquering italy were at an end he had led seven armies to their destruction had the country and was now returning home and t p the of the â of the ain when invaded italy the pope fled to the received him very and sailed out against the fleet which the emperor had sent in pursuit of him he obtained a complete victory and on his return the grateful alexander went forth to meet him attended it y a great of people he embraced the with many thanks and blessings then drawing a ring from his finger said to him in a clear impressive voice that was distinctly heard by the attentive listeners â take this ring use it oh i to retain the sea henceforth in to this city â yea the with this ring and let the marriage be celebrated to the end of time that the world may ever know that the of rules and that the is subject to it as a wife unto her husband fancy the loud applause that must hate rent the air that time forth the on in a richly and gilded tiie and proceeded in great state to a little a few miles from accompanied by the nobility and in their pleasure boats and there after offering up some prayers he dr a ring into the sea saying â i thee sea i in token of perpetual dominion on the defeat of d might again be called free th e treaty of ti him and the states their ent of tjie ul of the german which implied no ence with their private rights and e supply of the emperor s visits well had it be for th m had they have thrown off these two conditions perhaps they could n tâ at did not still the immediate pressure of the the story of italy chain was

1Charles Darwin

the rein lay loose on their necks and it remained to be seen what use they would make of their liberty they made a bad use no sooner were they freed from foreign enemies than quarrels broke out between neighbouring cities they caught up the names of and which in germany had signified the rival houses of and and they applied them to their own those who called themselves supported the against the those who were known as supported the against the but under these names they fought out their private as well as public quarrels and was this to be well perhaps it was a necessity in days when passions and were so little those who expect in a free state says the wise to see the people in war and in peace are desirous of and it may be advanced as a general rule that whenever a perfect calm is visible in a state the t bt of italy that calls itself a republic the spirit of liberty no longer exists the beauty in these towns says a writer of the present day is that in spite of the war which has carried on against the her own creatures and preventing as much as possible their action there is so much life in these old bodies that as soon as the pressure is withdrawn they right themselves in an instant they establish their self government as if they had always exercised it there is no new organization required the most objectionable among the old go away of their own free will popular men are taken in and the whole system works admirably â times june vm of and of the nobility of the tyrant of thb old tell us that when thb fourth entered italy about twenty years after the death of which occurred in he two of his of of at and took steps to reconcile them summoned them to appear before him they no sooner entered his presence than accused the of attempted his life the emperor desired to hear the charge sir says in early days i thought my fast friend but times change feelings interests and purposes one day we met in and i was walking with him in the place of st mark of when lo you i found the t bt of myself by armed men to make things worse my arm to prevent my defending myself and had i not shaken him off pretty roughly i should have been as indeed was one of my men at my side this call i not friendship therefore without word i challenge here the to single combat the was eagerly ig to reply the commanded and they were to themselves to looks and gestures next the bade them both attend him on horseback placing himself between them and observing that though bowing low to himself they paid no to one another said he carelessly salute the on ri moving his hat cried sir god save you the sullenly muttered god save you in return but without b the emperor noticing sir said he a uttle quickly salute the story of italy on which the uncovered and cried more cordially god save you it seemed but a lip reconciliation however after all but presently the road becoming the emperor took the lead and looking behind him after a while to see what had become of his two companions he perceived them riding close together in earnest discourse the the emperor s heart him lest they should be against himself and at the end of his not very comfortable ride he took aside and asked what had been the subject of his conversation with the sir said he simply we were of the pleasant days of our boyhood and youth and have returned to our early friendship this harmony however was not of long duration for these two chiefs took different sides in the and and their enmity only ceased with their lives the rural nobility who had derived such dignity and consequence from their possessions in the early times of the were gradually de the story of italy pressed and overpowered by the they were refused the rights of unless they resided some months every year within the town walls nor was this plan ill devised instead of being shut up in their castles surrounded only by and for occupation on petty warfare or the chase they beheld themselves surrounded by equals in birth and fortune and amid the stir of active life they naturally took interest in what passed around them and became ambitious to strive with others for and public offices most of the cities were governed by two â that name once so dear to rome â and on extraordinary the whole body of the people was assembled to sanction the public proceedings but in ordinary affairs they were represented by a or council after the peace of the were by a supreme magistrate termed a who to prevent personal bias for or against any of the citizens was selected from some distant city among the rural nobility no two names the of more in than those mentioned of and the march a district of great extent was divided between them in nearly equal shares and the house of arose in power till its chief of the who was the opponent of became in fact absolute master of a d several adjacent cities the cruelty of this was so enormous that the pope actually preached a against him yet because the undertook this the took part with the tyrant therefore trusting in the number and power of his troubled himself little at the approach of the hostile force of the and the territory with fire and sword leaving his own city of the â by this entered the city in triumph and immediately threw open the doors of all the overflowing with s the scene which then presented itself smote the of

1Charles Darwin

italy every heart prisoners young and old many of noble birth came forth and by and among the rest a band of helpless children whom had deprived of sight such wanton created a universal feeling against him but he had not yet filled the measure of his crimes eleven thousand were in attendance on him when their city was taken and as he feared they might go over to the he threw them all into prison and only two hundred of them escaped famine or violent death held out two years against the at the end of that time he was forsaken even by the who united with the against him as a enemy to the human who required to be like a wolf or wild he fell into their hands covered with wounds v and furious at his defeat maintained an obstinate silence and after a few days im miserably perished who would have these stories related when he was a little boy pictures punished in hell by being cast into a sea of blood chapter ix of the in south italy â of op â and of the the were a race of after possessing themselves of that part of france which from them is called they from land to land in well armed bands and found their way to southern italy here ihey founded the small city of and making it their head quarters fought for any who would pay for their services dissatisfied with their hire they seized on the fertile province of and divided it between twelve of their chiefs whom they called counts after this they reduced nearly all the country that now forms the kingdom of including the island of the three of and could not long exist in such a dangerous neighbourhood they fell into the hands of the the of italy i and and were united by the under the title of the two this was of a baron named do the father of twelve sons all of whom sought their fortunes in south italy the fourth son was robert or the cunning who became sovereign of his younger brother conquered and was the father of the second in consequence of robert the second leaving his crown to his daughter who married a german prince the two became to germany hence we find rule in at that early day the fourth crossed the to assume the crown of but his death gave the pope occasion to attempt the acquisition of the two for himself had only left a son of three years old whom innocent the fourth did not much fear there was an uncle of the little however of who was a more dangerous can the of italy for tbe throne pope innocent died daring the and seized the of the new pope â hb not let the matter thus rest though there now little chance of to the estates of the church he t any rate to throne the he therefore invited the king of france s brother charles count of to take possession of the charles too readily accepted e invitation invaded fought a victorious battle and the th found themselves at the mercy of a conqueror whose they detested and united in yoimg to assume his father s crown he was now a fine young man of burning to acquire his he therefore immediately forth at the head of young german nobility many of them like himself panting for the first of their fields as soon be had th he w by the italian on his approach the of italy to the and declared in his and smiled on his hopes having crossed the mountains of however he charles of to oppose his youthful forces with a army with the of a young and inexperienced commander he immediately offered him battle at the the enthusiasm of s troops gave them a decided advantage but while he was himself on having nearly driven the french off the field the count of who had quietly waited till the were off their guard burst on them from with a reserve force with which he completely his while a terrible slaughter was among the german troops and a few faithful to the castle of a nobleman who had his cause deaf to humanity however he his fugitive into the hands of the count of his cause was lost charles ordered his head to be instantly struck off on reaching the block he his hands and exclaimed â the of italy my mother dreadful will be thy grief on learning my fate then taking off his he flung it among the awe stricken about the as a pledge of future vengeance on their and quietly laid his head on the block the glove was carried by some to peter king of who had married tbe s daughter he considering himself in right of his wife heir to the italian crown only awaited a convenient opportunity of it from charles of that opportunity was not long wanting on the evening of monday as the citizens of were going in procession to at the church of a train passed them and at the same moment a french officer who was lounging about to see the procession made an insulting speech to the bride which so enraged a young at her side that he instant the frenchman to the heart the offence and the revenge were the work of a moment immediately a cry arose among the the of italy s of with the and a the ripe for rose to in ev ry aiid me escaped whose and temperate conduct had him respect this good man s name was e et as soon as the king of heard of the of the he hastened to take advantage of it and was crowned at charles of then him to single combat the king of england was to be at the lists were prepared the spectators

1Charles Darwin

assembled the the charles of attended by a hundred knights rode into the lists he was a man of sixty the king of only forty the latter therefore had the better chance of victory hour passed after hour and the king never came at length just at sunset he rode into ihe lists with a hundred knights but the declared the day now too far spent for the combat to take place and charles of quitted the lists highly dissatisfied so the story of italy he determined to renew the war with french assistance but in the mean time his son whom he had left at risked an engagement and lost it his being taken prisoner so afflicted charles of that he put an end to his own life chapter x of the and customs of the in the a s power of is required to some picture of italian and customs in the century yet somewhat we know we know that all the old roman remains existing now existed then â that crops poorly were by ruins of grand old â that huts of the construction were reared against the walls of fine old temples â and that shattered columns and broken lay among the tangled grass in those times says a writer about the year speaking of the days of the manners of the were rude a man and his wife ate off the same plate there were no wooden handled knives nor more than one or two drinking cups in a house candles of wax ed the t by of italy or were unknown a servant held a torch during supper the clothes of men were of leather scarcely gold or silver was seen on their dress the common people ate flesh but three times a week and kept their cold meat for supper many did not drink wine in summer a small stock of com seemed riches the portions of women were small their dress even after marriage was simple the pride of the men was to be well provided with arms and horses that of the nobility to have lofty towers of which all the cities in italy were full but has been exchanged for â everything exquisite is sought after in dress â gold silver pearls and rich foreign and rich are required hence fraud and tyranny the conquest of says by charles of in seems to have been the epoch of increasing luxury in italy knights with their and golden â the chariot of his queen covered thâ t bt of with velvet and sprinkled with lilies of gold a the citizens of some years later we find of on his marriage with three rich dresses on the c while on the same occasion receives from count of a handsome a sort of dress common to men and women with twenty of gold this was in and seven years afterwards was the marriage of the of with no of which the has left ns the following description â on sunday the th of june the bride and bridegroom entered amid a great of citizens arranged in six divisions the lady was escorted by many clothed in and other th ir horses in of the same all marching in military with and music in this manner they gained the great square where they wheeled off to middle ages the of italy the right and left while the lady advanced upon a white arrayed in scarlet under a lined with six gentlemen led her and she was followed by the great doctors of the university in white robes with great so that never did lady appear with greater magnificence â she alighted at the stairs of the great hall of the and followed by the most distinguished of her train ascended and took her seat within they then tore off their upper dresses of silk and threw them with the and among the crowd below they then appeared in dresses of scarlet and and leaving the hall came in procession down the street dances and were kept up for several days glimpses of national character and manners are from various incidents in the which distracted italy as soon as it was freed from foreign with expired the house of grey skin the of and its the lost ground before the and many cities became the scenes of fearful popular a few instances may be given xl of and of the widow de a girl of noble birth loved and was bj as their houses had long been at enmity s brothers discovering s attachment a deadly revenge lying in wait for him on his return from a stolen interview they him with poisoned and flung his body into a deserted court some to her lover followed in his footsteps till she came to the of blood and then traced them to the spot where lay his remains with a faint hope that life might not be quite extinct she sucked his poisoned wounds and in thus doing found her own death this dreadful tragedy was the signal for declared the ot italy war between the and a o of forty days took place in the streets of ia and ended in the being driven ont of tbe city next an told s enough by among many other vâ ry powerful families in says he were the and the next to these came the and now there was a certain widow lady of good fortune of the house of who had a daughter of beauty she had settled it in her own mind that it would be well to bestow this fair young girl on who was in the bloom of and the head of his house this her design either from or from thinking that it was hardly yet time to disclose it she had as yet imparted to no one when chance brought it to her ears that a lady of the house of

1Charles Darwin

was in just to mess â the news of which highly the widow hoping still to prevent the marriage from being the of italy by means of her daughter she happened one day to from her window walking alone in the street below taking her daughter by the she hurried with her down stairs and left the young girl standing at the door then going forth she met as if by the merest chance and stopping to chat with him presently said in a casual way so you are going to be married i hear truly i am glad you have found yourself a wife though if the truth be owned i meant to have bestowed on you my daughter she glanced as she spoke towards the door at which stood the young lady â the looked that way too and beholding the charming beauty of the girl and considering her noble birth and large fortune neither of which were inferior to those of the lady to whom he was engaged he had such a mind to marry her that setting at his word and the shame of breaking it not to mention the dangerous consequences that might thence he cried nay then since you have destined her for me i should be ungrateful not to accept her seeing there is yet the of italy tune â and in their marriage was concluded forthwith no sooner came this to be known than the and their near relations the flaming with rage met together with many of their and came to the conclusion that so gross an could not be endured without great shame and that the blood of must for his offence and while some of the party were suggesting the evils that might thence cut the matter short by saying that they who at such trifles would never achieve anything worth doing adding this notable ha â a done has a head the bloody deed was therefore to and three others these on sunday lay in wait in the palace which stands between the and till they riding over the bridge on a fine white horse doubtless in the belief that it was as easy a matter to forgive an injury as to break off a match they rushed from the t bt of italy th fell on him as he was aad him at the base of statue this filled the whole city with confusion for some sided with the and some with the and was distracted with these till the time of the the second y who the of the this party had now assumed the name of and the who were were at length driven out of but after the emperor s death proceeds the men of substance in thought it better tp make up their old quarrels than to ruin the city wherefore the recalled the and the forgave the and all went merry as a marriage bell the city was then divided into six parts and put under the of twelve citizens two to division two men of from some distant town were set over these the one as the other as captain of the people a also the t bt of italy and called out every when the draw by oxen in scarlet ap i in the midst also an alarm bell called was loudly rung before they took the to give the due warning â such generosity then marked their proceedings there is no describing what grandeur and strength then not only the head of all but with the chief cities of italy and it would have risen yet higher and higher had it not been for its unhappy famous painters poets st were already richly their powers in the air of ty but the were getting the upper hand whereon the called in the oe of oe by the aid of whose troops defeated the on the river so that instead of returning to the city they took refuge in thia was â lo e il in the t bt of described by the power of the seemed for the time completely â their and women and children were all miserably cast forth from their native city meanwhile the general carried things with a high hand in the city that his name became in it and it was among the in solemn at whether they should not the city altogether and another elsewhere no one opposed this proposition except who says was a man of great soul excellent in war and the head of the never said he will i consent that the dear ity which even our enemies spared shall be destroyed by our own hands were i the last of the i would die a thousand deaths to defend her walls saying which he quitted the assembly his voice prevailed and the city was spared who was born five years after the battle of the represents craving news of him the story of of bis beloved city and referring to his memorable speech then sighing his head he shook â not singly mixed i in that said he nor without cause such part with others took but when assembled numbers had to sweep fair from the earth away my voice alone was raised against the deed of and lore op the black and white of and meanwhile a tragedy occurred in the neighbouring city of the consequences of which again the had a son named a son named lore these two young men one day had a few words a and lore in the heat of passion drew his sword and slightly wounded his cousin went home and told his father lore did the same s father determined he would have blood for blood lore s father thought no great harm done but him go and beg his uncle s pardon say he had not meant to hurt his cousin and would not do so again lore went on

1Charles Darwin

his errand as soon as his uncle saw him he with the op italy rage and without hearing a word he had to say made his servants drag him off to a and there with his own sword he struck off his nephew s hand now said he you may go home and tell your father that wounds are healed by steel but not by words lore sick and fainting staggered home to his father whose wrath far exceeded that even of he made a public quarrel of it and all sided with one or the other s party called themselves or the â s or the and as both were they became known as the black and white a nobleman named took up the cause of the who were his personal friends of course therefore the house of which opposed that of took up the and thus the black and white quarrel spread from to the citizens of whom we really are to suppose there were a few found all this a dreadful thb t by of italy to and sent word of it to the pope who summoned to him and insisted on his being on good with pretended the utmost surprise and said how could he be otherwise than on good terms when he had never been on bad ones it all a mistake he could assure his so de returned home laughing in his sleeve and very soon after a street quarrel took place between the and the which put their dispositions quite out of doubt chapter of in those days might have been seen in the streets of an almost looking with something in hi aspect who as he passed along now nodded to the learned now paused to chat for a few moments with the noble now painter or laid his hand on his shoulder and asked with int est what progress he was making in his famous of the or described to him a vision of his own th marriage of st with poverty in vivid burning words that the artist fastened home and made a rough sketch of it for future that man was ri he was bom in in he was of good birth and education of a thoughtful ment had already fought two battles had the story of italy married unhappily and had plunged into public life he is said to have been with fourteen he was also one of the or chief of in and with the he opposed a project of sending for charles of to silence the of the city in which we must esteem him a true he was however over ruled charles of was invited to and speedily drove the white out of it never to return under penalty of being burnt alive among these was who however did not immediately quit but assisted the in various fruitless attempts to re enter the city at length with a bitter heart he shook oâ f the dust on his feet against it and proceeded depressed and destitute to the court of can lord of here he says he found how salt is the taste of another man s bread and how hard it is to climb another man s stairs his rough sarcastic nature was little appreciated by the luxurious patron who sheltered him he the of under his home and terrible and asked him one day in a marked manner how it was that the court was much more popular there is nothing to surprise one in it replied gravely of tastes is the chief bond of friendship he wandered forth to other courts â to â to â to meanwhile his wondrous poem was itself forth and taking the gloom hue of his ideas its subject was dark and horrible its treatment was severe yet it boasted flowers of exquisite poetry that sprang up like the vegetation in the neighbourhood of a he it with the philosophy and of the age he introduced living friends and foes into his drama with questionable taste and bestowed on them imaginary woes according to his own judgment of their merits and yet his pages were with truths and in lofty morality pointing was not as yet invented but no sooner was his completed than it was copied re copied commented upon with eager in the story of from one end of italy to the other and so soon as copies to a hitherto of extent it became l over the land thick tu leaves on â the next italian book printed to the bible five hundred years have passed and its spell as of some old still lies on us here is a not badly rendered beloved in the original by every true of about that season of the year when with his rays and now the nights to the days draw near when the frost upon the ground the perfect semblance of her sister white but of her not long the fashion stays the poor and garment lacking peasant arising looks abroad and sees the ground all his flank he to comes home and round and round abject like one who knows not what to do then out with of hope new found perceiving that the world has changed its hue in that short while and takes his staff in hand and his flock to in field anew chapter of the and bad end of loss of italian by the tyranny of these things affairs went on quietly h in only that was troubled in his mind at not having that weight and importance he considered his to literally we must ay that he tried to by an honest plea the of his heart in many good citizens who had the management of public money and setting it about that they had not been faithful to their trust this led to and the called in the to put down these latter quiet was restored and public

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affairs remained just where they were before bat the conduct of was the of italy the cause of incessant mischief and in that at last it became he was to appear before the j to answer for his conduct and failing to do so was pronounced and a rebel to the government accusation and sentence only occupied two hours thereupon barred and bolted himself up in his own house which was strong enough to resist the of the people from without however they took possession of the adjoining houses and breaking through the party walls came upon him when they were least expected or wished on this he and his men made a rush and actually fought their way through the people and out of the city however was captured at and his enemies should not look him in the face in the streets of he dropped oflf his horse as they were carrying him back and there lay on the ground making believe to be dead till some one him the of san buried him without any honours and this was the end of the t bt of italy says his who if he had had a mind might have had an end more blessed but an important change was now taking place in many towns of by force or free consent each became under the dominion of some powerful lord submitted to martin to and to the house of to the and to thus the lives of these little were as short as they were brilliant and entirely owing to the conduct of their own members if we ask what advantages they had derived from their republican government to the bitterness and that had continually disturbed their peace â tell us that they had for the time been freed from the tyranny of lords and that industry had been promoted trade encouraged literature and the fine arts cultivated and a spirit of self dependence and energy awakened in the minds of the citizens and were not these worth preserving at the expense of personal resentment a wise republic says ought the of italy not to run any which may expose it to or ill the only happiness its several members should to is to e to their state but the moving object of the italian i as the of over the rather than fail in which they made no scruple calling ins foreign which as we hav the beginning and perhaps shall see te the â d s to the very life of freedom sixty years after â death italy was by the presence of german emperor the then entered and assumed the iron crown he declared he powers of the to be and re them to surrender them all submitted but his resistance ended in his fall and other refused submission to the emperor and he was poisoned at by a while the to him old and then burst out anew the who had reigned sixty years in were by the the of italy as bad a race as we read of in history the chief of the house was imprisoned for life for his own crimes by louis the fourth and during his enjoyed a shadow of its former liberty but the death of the prisoner appeased the king who allowed his heir to regain the or of by paying a heavy fine s character for made him a true he was succeeded by and who were even worse than who was of succeeded to the on his brother s death and by bis arts to it the of and not content with this he desired to make himself master of a yet more dangerous enemy of the republic had sprung up in the person of thus pleasantly his story r xv op you must know says he that the family of the is numbered among the noblest in though in our days it has fallen like so many others into of this house was bom one who himself to religion was made a of st michael of and was commonly known as his only sister had been given in marriage to but being dead the worthy lady returned to her brother s roof resolved not to marry again behind s house lay a into which being surrounded by several kitchen gardens it was not difficult to enter now it happened one morning that having risen with the sun and gone forth into the story of italy the garden to gather certain while the dew yet lay upon them â now now that simple for their various and several virtues â she heard a rustling among the leaves and turning her head to the spot whence the sound proceeded was aware of a low and wailing hastening to the place and looking among the vine leaves what should she find but a lovely little infant who with outstretched hands and tear face seemed her compassion she wondering pitying and a little shocked took up the tender babe in her arms and carried him indoors where having washed him and wrapped him in white she presented him to her good brother as soon as he returned home the worthy was as much surprised as his sister had been but the lovely child and having talked over with her what they had better do with him they presently determined that he being a priest and she without children they should adopt the little thus placed as it were by providence in their hands a nurse therefore the of was procured for the child who was the grew up a promising lad and thinking to him for the church designed at some future time to his in his favour but nothing was further from the inclination of who coming to be a tall bright haired of fourteen no little over the good and â threw aside his books and declared himself all for war that there was no peace

1Charles Darwin

unless he was let handle arms or practise running jumping or with boys of his own age and sort and if he could be persuaded to look into a book at all it would be all about fighting which gave vexation to and one day he was playing at rough games with other boys at the upper end of st michael s place when a gentleman stood to observe him who was no other than who had long fought under the and esteemed the bead of the in the t bt of up something of the lad s which ed him in him all the more he spoke to him and asked if he were content to in the house of an old priest with whom he could hear of nothing but church and masses and would not rather live in the house of a gentleman who would teach him to ride and to fence knew well enough how the s heart would leap at the yery mention of riding and nevertheless stood blushing and ashamed and being pressed for an answer said he could do nothing without f otherwise there was nothing he should so dearly lore oi this managed matters so well with that the worthy at length yielded to his proposals the more readily that he foresaw it would be impossible to keep the lad in leading strings therefore having quitted the house of the for that of the it is extraordinary in the op italy how short a space he became an in all masculine exercises he became an excellent and could the most fiery with grace and elegance while at and notwithstanding his youth his strength and were with all this he excessively modest and remarked for his respect to his elders he had just attained his year when the were driven out of and their cause sent to their assistance who took with him the young soldier however was little more than twenty when we find him fighting for the of who had taken refuge in was lord of and his son was lord of of sent to his son him to him at supper invited him to supper but did not him determined on the thing being done off to with four hundred horse to see it done himself directly he was the story of italy gone the drove out his family and chose themselves a new when he reached he found the equally disposed to be their favourite was under arrest and they demanded his liberty was obliged to set him free and placing himself at the head of the people with very little ceremony drove out the who fled to the court of where he miserably died from a soldier of fortune now found himself master of a city for the made him general of their army and hid brilliant career led them to confer on him the of to which was soon added the of as the laughed at his pretensions he made war on them with his usual success but he was summoned home by a dangerous conspiracy the family had helped to raise to the and themselves they his destruction having slain his lieutenant they were proceeding to rouse the of italy the people when st da the only man of t fi ly advised them to lay down their arms promising to for them with this he did as soon the returned to and pleaded hard for his ho saying forgive them in tion of th youth as well as of the old ship between you and me be of good ch r replies g my grief at hearing of the rebellion was mi ch less than is my joy at finding it m longer in existence bid your family com tp without ar for thank god i can find pleasure in liberality but be lied unto him he put every one of thâ n to death and all and he or imprisoned au whom he looked as enemies and their houses to the ground and built himself a strong hold out of the thereof after this himself of by which the to that degree that took the field against him with forty thousand men lay in wait the t bt of italy for them near at a pass called which is narrow rather than steep and overlooked by a grim old castle belonging to a german named who was friendly to the contrived his and got possession of his castle the night before the attempted the pass next the latter were surprised to find the passage disputed by the enemy those who first advanced in front a on each side and their own men pressing from behind they fell into not knowing that to advance would be their safety nor the small number of the and pursued them to the gates of and before it many days the then applied to king of of whom they hired four thousand horse two hundred thousand a year the ten thousand horse and thirty thousand foot they took the field in may and determined to assault awaited them on the about g the t bt of italy half way between and with twenty thousand foot aiid four thousand horse here were upwards of sixty thousand in battle array against each other on the th of june the attempted to pass the river in the face of who fell upon them before they were out of the water and many whose horses reared and fell back upon them were smothered in the mud the remainder of the endeavoured to ford the river higher up but were everywhere harassed by s troops who flung light at them from the opposite bank the tumult was immense at length brought up a close behind his wearied men whom he bade give place to the fresh comers this afforded many of the time to land but exhausted and weary they were unfit to cope

1Charles Darwin

with the fresh troops and the result was the total defeat both of their and cavalry not a third of their fine army escaping but providence most adverse to s glory at the time it seemed to have reached its the story of italy height cut short all those designs he so fondly had cherished which nothing but death could have prevented his attempting exposed to a cold cutting wind while heated with the exertions of the day that he might praise and thank his victorious troops in person was chilled and afterwards attacked by a terrible fever which no medical skill could remedy feeling that his end was approaching he seems to have had a glimpse afforded him of his past career and its results in proportions than during his life of ceaseless activity and his adopted son to his bedside he uttered a few words of counsel and farewell observing with some earnestness that had he known how short was to be his career he never would have commenced these which had only procured him a great many enemies but would have remained content with the of how many of us fail to make a just estimate of life till at its close i chapter of of thb contest between of and peter of for the crown of the two was renewed between their sons at length it to charles the second of who left the crown to his sou though of still the possession of robert was an amiable more esteemed for hia literary and his patronage of science aud wit than for his military or political skill like s his books were dearer to him than his kingdom he invited the moat eminent scholars to and was proud to call his friend this good prince had the to his only son who left two infant daughters the eldest of whom became to the tbe of throne b gifted and a lady of but among them the ornament of a meek find quiet spirit nor of a pure and mind early to prince of hun who indeed was brought to while yet the care of his nurse the young princess a ha â red of the awkward boy as he the brutal man king robert too regretted selected so a husband for his daughter and shortly before his death made a will settling the of oa and from any share in the ty sixteen years old when she became queen and husband was only two years older freed from control at â too tender an age she plunged into from to vice om to crime till she trembled not to hear her maid hint the of deaths her listening to the proposal of guilt was naturally followed by guilt itself the story of italy a hunting party waa devised at and were both to be present after the day s the royal company found refreshment and rest in a beyond the city walls in this abode sacred to purposes of religion the unfortunate was at dead of night his piercing cries reached the ears of his old nurse who had accompanied him from and who it would seem still hovered about him with dutiful and devoted she entered his bedroom in the greatest terror and there found only the queen sitting by the bedside with her face hidden in her hands her broken answers confirmed the worst suspicions of who seized a lamp and hurrying with it to the looked forth and beheld the dead body of the unfortunate prince in the garden below s at the discovery roused the sleeping inmates of the and the dreadful catastrophe immediately became known though the had escaped penetrated with shame and remorse returned to where she the of italy had hitherto been the popular darling but the of her crime had preceded her and she was received with stem looks and ominous silence the princes of the blood royal fortified their palaces and their as if they considered their o u lives and her brother in law the duke of the people to take up arms against her pope the sixth considering himself called ob to interfere desired the chief justice of to inquire into the murder without respect of persons the queen s was arrested and being put to the torture confessed the names of the on this the chief justice followed by multitudes of the citizens carrying among them a flag on which the murder of was painted appeared before the queen s palace to demand that the should be given up in vain would have them from their just fate those miserable and guilty persons including the maid were put to painful and disgraceful deaths louis king of however did not the italy that brother s death was while the principal remained he towards with purpose of on herself at his approach she fled to pro from whence she proceeded to where the then resided ae an humble for protection there is a curious print the old of the copies of representing presenting herself to and for his hit tion i have it before me as i write here is th pope a good humoured full faced elderly man a goodly double chin triple crowned with bi hand and in a richly decorated mantle clasped at the throat with descending from his throne sit each side of which a and holding out hie hand to who and pretty with a en her head in wide mantle lined w h before him and eagerly takes his hand priests behind her look ei m j the of italy while two and a warrior in complete the group the audience hall a decorated window but artist has not distracted attention by a article of was tried be re a public fear her husband s and pleaded own cause with great eloquence she was by her judges but not in the minds of most of her countrymen aâ ter many

1Charles Darwin

years in and she her kingdom in but was again attacked by the king of who insisted on her being tried a second time who had meanwhile contracted a marriage the prince or this second trials and was so hard r a her conduct that she pleaded her having been under the this as wâ should think it was admitted aa and was on the king of again withdrew his troops she and of were crowned at within a year of s death she married a the of italy third time and the death of this third husband was to have been brought about by her means after this she married yet a fourth time at length came severe though justice she was and by the sixth and the duke of seized her imprisoned her and finally put her to death by man her blood was shed but in what manner records do not relate we only know that her body lay seven days in state and that she perished in may at the age of fifty six some have thought fit to trace a likeness between her and mary queen of as beautiful accomplished intellectual pitiless perhaps there may be some she was a great friend of men of learning say the and men of learning were her friends in return but they could not make much of her say what they would the worst passages in are said to have been written in with her taste and even command xvii of and of yes those were the of and of it was on the th of that first saw in the church of at and it was some twenty years after that he met in this was a memorable meeting for the of idle stories s life had been neither useful nor pure neither good at law nor commerce his for classic learning and his vivid fancy had contributed much to the pleasures but to the morals of his country let us eat and drink for to morrow we die he loved and loved amiss and was made no better by it but made others worse on the other hand loved amiss for he loved a married woman but he might almost as well have loved some bright particular star for he the op italy wanted little else than a to hang his sentimental verses on beautiful they were too grave serious profound verses full of melancholy and learning and subtle thought very different from the thoughts of the in gay the lover of dangerous too scarcely dangerous to or to any woman though very disagreeable to her husband but dangerous to his own mind still quite a flight above to his emotions to lament the swiftness with which time stole away his youth and to upon the vanity of the splendid reputation he was daily afforded him an opportunity of the best powers of his eloquence â of pouring forth those majestic torrents of against the vices of his age in which he delighted to employ his pen and so it came to pass that when this grave and masculine writer was in mature life passing through on his way to borne on occasion of the he there fell in who having acquired some degree of fame to the acquaintance of italy with him only ended with s life mark the of intercourse with a better and higher mind than hia own soon after this meeting with says one of his y the mind of seems to haye undergone a considerable change it is not improbable that the counsels of his friend who is known to have warned him against the vain pursuits of his former years was one of the main causes of this reform the death of his father and the responsibility with which he found himself invested was no doubt another moved by all these considerations began to regard the of the republic of with a different feeling and appears toâ have formed some intention of taking a part with his fellow citizens in the conduct of the state at first however he shrank from the toil and hazard in which he feared such a course would involve him but at length his dislike of politics vanished before the growing energy of his mind li fact he became a public man and was â dr the of italy sent on several honourable and about the same time appeared his noted much of which had been written daring his residence in the corrupt court of queen and which as i have not read i ought not to condemn but as would say one who has read it has given his opinion which i believe to be so certain and true that i might protest it to be my own and it is that on the darkest and most terrific that ever painter employed he drew an infinite variety of the and most graceful forms â but that the general impression of the work on the reader is of anger and pain that such genius should have been so abused hence when an old old man of venerable aspect sought out one day and told him with much mystery and awful gravity that he brought him a death bed message from one father who had never seen him but who was endowed with a spirit of prophecy and charged him as he valued his own soul to change his life and his style of writing s heart like that of the roman smote him at the sound of the of italy judgment and the life to come and with one brave manly his former pursuits he wrote to his dear to tell him of his and the cause of it did not believe in sudden nor jet altogether in the of the warning he discouraged from any too sudden change while respecting the purity of his intentions and assured him that he need neither sell his

1Charles Darwin

books nor his studies to be in favour with god and man however assumed the habit and began to read divinity he continued his search for greek and rescued many valuable from destruction in doing thus he expended more than he could afford and warmly pressed him to share his purse and his home i live so simply said he that what is enough for one will be enough for two it was kindly spoken with equal noble refused to accept the generous offer but though he refused to make his house his home he availed himself of every opportunity t bt of of seeing his dear they t three m together in so pleasant profitable a manner that they remembered it satisfaction during of their the of to show their due appreciation of invited him to fill the honourable post of on the j â of with a salary of s â his remaining days were and honoured and the death of loosened the last tie that bound him to the world and inclined him yet more earnestly to prepare himself for with we take leave of these three great names of the plague of next for the great which broke out in in the lifetime of and in the of so much rain fell that grain in the ground and the following did not yield a sixth part of the usual produce when bread falls short the poor are forced upon and diet which produces sickness low fever and at length some dangerous no fewer than thousand persons in alone were compelled by the famine to depend on the state for their daily food though the rich were nobly generous many poor creatures wandered through the fields and woods to their craving hunger with roots and the occasioned by this improper diet t on a dreadful which spread from country to country the story op italy swift as the wind till three of europe had fallen its in many instances whole families were swept off in others the sick were cruelly deserted by those who hoped to escape parents and children husbands and wives forgot natural affection in their eagerness for self pre it is to be hoped that these were balanced by cases of sublime self devotion but unhappily these have escaped the historian the dead were hurried into hastily dug and it is supposed that many were thrown into graves in whom life was not quite extinct has given an ideal picture of the plague at which doubtless its real features mingled with softening touches of pity and love at length the plague was stayed by slow degrees families returned from the country to their deserted homes shops were re opened trade restored and italy was again the scene of health and industry chapter xix of rome like other cities had adopted the of a foreign magistrate only calling him instead of a vigorous mind and hand were demanded of such an officer in the year the possessed such a in in those days the members of each noble family had a street to themselves and their palaces strongly fortified and supporting each other were alike fitted to withstand the rage of the people and the hand of civil authority at the head of the citizens a hundred and forty of these to the ground and some of their occupants whose crimes had long deserved punishment were hung from their own the made common cause against him and imprisoned him but he was rein thb of italy stated in office and to hold it till his death the removal of the residence first to and then to the ambition and oppression of the who committed the most daring crimes with in their private wars they destroyed many of the finest monuments of antiquity and whoever won the day the poor equally the times called forth a man to bridle them was an inn keeper s son in an obscure quarter of somehow he had a good classical education from his youth says an old writer he was nourished with the milk of eloquence he was a good a better and an excellent writer ah how much and how rapidly he read he made great use of and great delight he took in relating the magnificence of caesar every day he meditated among the marble which be around rome none like him could the ancient he could turn all ancient writings into modem language and interpret the of tiie of different where be now he would exclaim those virtuous where dow their justice f had i but been bom in those happy times v s talent and t him into notice he accompanied an to the pope at he himself in such a manner as to obtain the post of public at he made an acquaintance with that into on returning to rome discharged the duties of his new office with a that won general meanwhile he much on the possibility of the people from the oppression of and frequently them on the of rome their by pictures of its remarkable events or of political the people his apt scholars at length loudly called on him to assume the name of their the witnessed his proceedings with ia or contempt the family invited him to their palaces to amuse the story of italy themselves with what they considered his wild dreams at length a summons to the door of the church of san bidding a hundred citizens meet him at midnight on mount having imposed on them an oath of secrecy he on the crimes of the and dwelt on the wrongs and formidable power of the people he then caused a to be made by sound of trumpet throughout the city calling on all good citizens to next day before the church of st for the re establishment of the good estate the night was passed by him in fervent prayer and in the morning he

1Charles Darwin

went forth but in complete attended by a hundred sworn followers the pope s accompanied him and thus gave his proceedings the sanction of the church he was welcomed at the appointed spot by multitudes of people who rent the air with their shouts on reaching the ascended a lofty balcony from which he addressed the assemblage the story of italy meanwhile news of his proceedings had reached one of the most powerful who immediately hastened to rome from his seat saying contemptuously he would throw the madman out of window this speech being repeated from one to another and s return reported the people rang the alarm bell of the city as against their common enemy and the rapid of the armed citizens caused the house of to fly to their country seats immediately commanded all the other to quit rome and was obeyed the new then lost no time in establishing such laws as seemed called for having restored the forces and of the public he permitted those to return to rome who would take the oath of to the new government never was a complete change more speedily effected a den of robbers was converted into the discipline of a camp or the was patient to hear swift to inexorable to punish he was accessible to the poor man and the stranger nor could birth and dignity protect the the the t bt w italy woods began to rejoice that were no longer tested with the oxen began to plough proceeded in safety to th the and were crowded trade and good faith were restored in the and a purse of gold might haye been exposed on ti e highway danger hoping to extend happy condition things italy addressed letters to the states he â nd the king of appealed te as im his dispute with of wrote letters of and applause dazzled unhappily by success he began to as some the style of an actual monarch and the pope outraged the nobility and wounded and disgusted the people they resisted us authority and he his too late offered to his port th y accepted his and he quitted the which soon into its former and wretchedness after from place to place poor and despised was at length betrayed into the the story of italy of the pope who threw him into prison after many years he was released and sent to rome as the people welcomed with joy the man they had with disgrace but was no longer the same had his noble fire â the bold and vehement republican had become the feeble minister of authority the people soon discovered the difference and he fell a victim to their rage in a popular tumult chapter xx of the ea and of the republic and of the cause of its it is possible to conceive in how short a time the acquired astonishing authority and grandeur not only did their city become the first in but one of the most considerable in italy and it would have risen to an incredible height had it not been for the of that wicked little demon who since the beginning of the world has crept from house to house from man to from woman to woman from city to city from country to country making the most odious mischief and whose name in one word is i am aware that this is a very homely and mean title for what is more under the various heads of internal divisions national hereditary and the story op the like but bad temper is the very thing and the reading of history will be more improving than it commonly is if we keep this clearly in sight nay i am sorry i did not perceive this at the very beginning and keep it in view all along because it would have brought many rather dry intimately into our own hearts and homes however as i have plainly stated facts without any there is the less reason though there was none before to suspect me of straining a moral out of nothing to adorn a tale and if any one will but just be at the trouble of looking back through the foregoing pages they will see how many a riddle is solved by this simple application passions indeed are far less prominent than nor is it surely a wise thing to give dignified names to emotions why should a man be called or a a bon or a woman who certainly does not consider by whom the world was made nor why she was put in it a woman of the world to if had been a sort of man would he have made of drink oat of her s if the had been of would he hare kept the emperor r in had the people of met been even and polite would they needed to call in fore had a frenchman good would there have been the had remembered that a done be undone aj lied just as much to s marriage as to his death needed ha to take up the by a fool being part bo is hurt would have been a r â iâ as for and lore dearly mi t hav e their hands off other if th y had first r ed their tongues whereby many useful have continued to mind their business instead os joining in street and so od to the end oâ the chapter oh friends had the kept their what a different story might have written of them instead of i d to relate those constant among than t bt of ill at brought ih n under the joke i have already said a good way back thai of the of that city by the death of his brother turned his es on the of that favoured republic attentively ing his proceedings with some anxiety beheld him flattering the other cities of

1Charles Darwin

into his alliance and who should au have been friends with became of and the r could only count among its the two small states of and the treacherous so often told the he meant them well that they had very good reason for it and y fair morning his troops appeared before the though taken by surprise threw a small body of into the town to assist the inhabitants in its defence meanwhile however the fast and thick to the of his device a and with seven thousand horse and six â t ot this thb of italy ornament of the church swept the country to the very gates of the fall of seemed certain troops had now come into their leaders or fought for whoever paid them highest without caring whether the cause were right or wrong they put out their strength very little against one another a battle was little more than a mockery between them and the slain as on an opera stage were up and fighting again tomorrow at the slightest disgust they were ready to go over to the other side and when they had no regular engagement they made a prey of the country places and villages hence italy has never boasted our english farm houses and for why they are too the country people took refuge in walled villages and even those were enough the only in the widely extended and desolate fields were the or huts where agricultural implements are kept and where at most a farm servant sleeps to guard the grain and other stores but the homes were chiefly in the towns and this of t bt of the is supposed to be one of the the seem to have been for they had no to to the and scarcely any in pay where were their and why did not they ring the great bell perhaps they did for no leader of any would engage himself to them and they were thrown on their own meanwhile the in villages were holding out so stoutly that the could make no bead against them irritated at this delay he raised the siege of and little town of it was shut up as tightly as an cavalry was useless against it its were proof against and was not yet much in use famine however might reduce the garrison in time but the five hundred who formed that garrison were as yet well and laughed their to scorn the of meanwhile the enemy s supplies and did the all the mischief they could thb t by of italy at length the in were nearly worn out a company of brave young men headed by a then resolved to relieve them they undertook their dangerous enterprise by and boldly but cautiously stole right through the s camp and were admitted into the town the five hundred men welcomed them with tears of joy and regained confidence from the unexpected relief the s were all in vain he caused engines and wooden towers to be constructed immense stones and fragments of rock were hurled over the walls but his engines were burnt his soldiers â not as hired would have driven them ofi but with dismal slaughter and after two months spent before this petty town he was obliged to raise the siege in mortification and disgrace the had by this time a considerable force which completed his discomfiture and obliged him to sue for peace thus the republic yet flourished so insignificant in itself but by such gallant reminds one of the der the of italy in the fairy tale who transported himself into the body of a little bird so great was the contrast between its frame and the spirit it ts chapter of the after these things i say not that quarrelled with but very provoked by seizing one of her castles the were sufficiently masters of themselves to take no notice of this petty insult whereon the increasing in malice imposed a duty on all vessels entering their harbour whereby they an ancient and respected treaty this was too bad of the but the with great good temper merely sent their ships to another harbour this served the right for the commerce of had been so productive to them that their business was now brought to a stand the and thereupon became so that the were obliged to take off the unjust duty but the did not condescend to take advantage of the of italy it on which the wrong from first to last fitted out some armed and tried to force the vessels to in their harbour rather than this the brought their from and they also hired vessels of war to attack the on their own element â salt water now in old almost forgotten times the had generously defended the from enemies when nearly all their citizens were absent on another expedition leaving the city in gratitude for this friendship the had erected some exquisitely beautiful pillars iq as monuments of the event but now when all the friendship that these two had shared was the carried off the chains which defended the entrance of the port and hung them up on the columns as if in reproach of the ingratitude just then an english soldier of fortune named sir john arrived in italy with a company of english men at arms to seek service as a free lance or and was hired by the the of to fight the the of his men put to shame the inferior fighting of the the going from bad to worse the territory and annoyed their enemies by such petty as flinging dead dogs and cats over their walls and hanging three before the city gates with the names of three respectable this was not very witty neither was it very wise while i write the air is heavy and the small birds are keeping up an astonishing soon the storm

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will come and the birds will be quite quiet so in italy â the rage of against and against was awfully by the plague it killed them faster than they killed one another â they were by it and made peace the were pay a hundred thousand for the expenses of the war and engaged never more to enforce the unjust duty freed foreign hostility fell a prey to domestic tyranny and sank under the of one of her meanest citizens chapter xxii of is the early times of the possessed supreme power by but defects being perceived in this form of government a council was established bj consent of the people consisting of four hundred and eighty men of high birth the grand council soon limited the s pre and appointed a council of forty to administer criminal justice a council of sixty assisted the in domestic and foreign affairs and the famous council of held authority over the other and privately and ed all state crimes the was bound to have no private correspondence with foreign states to acquire no property beyond the to interfere in no process and to permit no citizen to use the t bt op italy tokens of in thus stripped of power it might truly be said â had bat their titles for their glories an outward honour for an toil a noble was of he was of temper and once he was to receive the on a public occasion he was so much with the bishop for keeping him waiting that he gave him a smart blow he was a personal friend of s who considered him to have more spirit than prudence in being then an old man was elected of the same year an annual hunt took after which the as was usual gave a banquet â to this banquet came a certain a gentleman of poor estate and very young but and daring and who loved one of the of the s conduct was offensive to the who with his usual d him to be thrust off the or raised platform which was done by the s accordingly in great rage the of italy went off to the then deserted hail of audience and there wrote words on the s wooden chair in the morning the writing was seen and pronounced scandalous and being discovered to be the the council of forty him to two months imprisonment and then a year s surely this was severity enough but the said they should have hanged him by the neck or at the least banished him for life just at this time the first day of lent a gentleman of the house of went to the to require something of the masters of the the admiral of the happening to what he wanted cried no it cannot be done on this high words ensued between them and struck the admiral just above the eye with his fist so that a ring on his finger cut the admiral s face and drew blood the admiral face all ran in great heat to the and for justice what can i do for thee replied the think upon the shameful which has been the story op italy written concerning me and how slightly is that will show you the mind of the council of forty my lord said the admiral if you wish to he a prince indeed and not only in name i have the heart if you will but support me ta make you absolute prince of all this state and you may then punish them all how so cried the so then they the sent for his nephew who lived in his palace and acquainted him with the plot they then sent for a seaman named philip and for who was exceeding and cunning then taking counsel among themselves they agreed to call in some others and these met secretly in the s palace night by night it was that sixteen or seventeen leaders should be stationed in various parts of the city each being at the head of forty armed men who were not to know their destination at the set time they were to make among themselves the t by of italy that the mi t have an excuse for ringing the great bell and when the and leading citizens were drawn together in the principal square by the sound of the bell the were to cut them to pieces which done the was to be proclaimed sovereign lord of the day fixed on was april th this dangerous conspiracy was by one a of s who hearing some words fall from some of the parties concerned went to his master and begged him by no means to leave the house on the th of april he was then going away but being full of alarm had him locked up and then hurried off to who afterwards became and told him of the warning he had received these two then went to a third after which they all three examined ana then leaving him still in confinement they summoned the council when all were assembled the whole story was told them they were as it were with after re examining they the of italy assembled men whom they sent to secure the towards nightfall they assembled in the palace and caused the gates of the court yard to be shut they then sent to the keeper of the bell tower and him strict orders that the bell was not on any pretext to be rung meanwhile the being secured were brought before them as the of ten soon ascertained that the ought to be numbered among them they desired that twenty men of the state ould take part in their though without permission to late at night they summoned the who was entertaining his friends any suspicion of mischief the minor were first tried condemned and executed and were

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hanged on the red pillars the p ace balcony with in their mouths a few who had been ignorant of the object of the conspiracy were â on the th of april was to have his head struck off on the landing place of the stone staircase where the the of italy took their oath on first entering the palace on the following day the doors of the palace being shut the cap of the state was removed from the s head and he was on the appointed spot one of the council of ten then took the bloody sword and went to the columns over the palace of st mark where he ex the sword to the with a loud voice that â the terrible doom hath fallen on the traitor it was a serious matter to be of before the days of who unquestionably deserved to die five of the first fifty five were banished with their eyes put oat nine were five were and two fell in battle chapter of the war of or all the cities of the south none but and exceed of shape and backed by a mountain wooded with oaks and the sloping sides of which are gay with and garden brilliant with the red it rises above a beautiful bay the waters of which seem to brim to overflowing the streets are narrow but it is for the sake of the refreshing shade they afford they are full of palaces with their marble court yards high arched and lions rushing down the as if to defend the approach from danger nature seems to have destined the city for a sea port the near neighbourhood and interests however of and occasioned almost constant warfare between them the story of italy and a more distant but equally dangerous enemy was found in the attacked the in the sea and again at acre and the warfare of these ill was attended with a vast amount of meanwhile was distracted by the of her four principal families the and at length the disease wrought its own cure a nobleman of character was by the republic to repress the insolence of the and his impartial and temperate use of power procured him the reward of being elected the first of in a war broke out between and which is known as the war of a furious battle took place n them at sea in which the were victorious victor the admiral drew off the shattered remains of his to where he was thrown into prison as though the defeat had been owing to the of the elated by their sailed in triumph within sight of the of six passages the small islands behind which the city is built the had caused these to be hastily closed by chains to prevent the entrance of the enemy and each passage was guarded by vessels plants ith in spite of these the admiral resolved to force one of the passages and attack the city just within the opening he selected on a cluster of small islands stands the city of twenty five miles from entered this passage and took by storm four thousand â into his hands and elated by his success rejected for peace saying ye shall obtain no peace from us i promise you nor from our ally he lord of till we have put a in the mouth of your wild horses in the place of st the on hearing these words prepared to defend their city with heroism on looking round for the man to execute their the of italy measures they find none to equal the injured victor they summoned him from his prison and with the mild and dignity natural to hun resumed his command under his direction the were fortified or defended by armed vessels and new were equipped the citizens in the spirit of self defence melted down their family plate for the service of the state the remained perhaps hoping to reduce the city by famine ere they were aware they found themselves attacked by a fleet under a brave old past his year he had sailed from during the night and at daybreak he pushed a large round vessel into the narrow channel of and her so as to block it up the little aware of his purpose set this vessel on fire it burnt to the water s edge and then sank so that the passage which was shallow became this was precisely what the had wished the of italy he closed the other by sinking loads of stones and lay in wait with his fleet so that the instead of were at this critical juncture a distant was which proved to be that of a admiral who had been in the ignorant of the danger at home he now approached with eighteen abundantly stored with provisions at this shouts rang through the s fleet and the confidence of the increased after several months resistance the were compelled to surrender at discretion chapter xxiv of the of amid the perpetual of rose a man of noble birth but attached to the cause of the people who seized the opportunity of being made prior to the authority of the nobility the most remarkable of his measures was the creation of a with a guard of a thousand citizens this officer was appointed to put in execution the of the to whom at first he was subordinate he was however raised to an equality with them and finally placed at their head new and were chosen every two months and they resided in the public palace the were excluded firom ail public offices which made so that in ho was banished firom ed the of the old nobility having been thus depressed a new aristocracy sprang up in the families of the citizen among these were the the and the a foreign magistrate named captain of defence exercised almost unlimited power

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a french adventurer called the duke of this authority for some time of which he made the worst use he was driven out of the city and then followed the and of the and which extended among the whole mass of shops and private houses were closed and for the favourite popular purpose of street fighting and the were driven out of the city with their success the mob then proceeded to fire and the the riot lasted three days and the were utterly able to it at length the broke into the public palace and the letting their fears conquer their courage it and fled at this moment a bare footed wool the t bt of clothed in rag whose was to the of the stair case and addressing the crowd cried â see that the palace iâ aad the city in your what are you going to do then ma ny voices cried you shall be be it so then said he very readily luckily for the city he was one of those who owe more to nature than fortune and seeking some immediate of a good many f his followers he bade them instantly go in search of a certain whidi carried of them off ne tt he commanded to be made that th re should be no more of death and to enforce this order he set up a gallows in the great square the people having found who seems to have been much hated he was hung to the gallows by one foot and cruelly put to death having shown the people he was not going to trifle in the administration of government then sent them all to their work this occasioned much the story of italy nation but liis will was to be obeyed and a large body of armed and mounted citizens enforced it having restored to comparative tranquillity very quietly resigned his office another wool was immediately made as if the virtue lay in the calling rather than the man but it was soon found that though there were many wool there was only one michael three years after the returned to power land banished the good michael for having favoured the fifty years of tolerable ensued the having it all their own way without much departing says the times considered from moderation and respect for the laws chapter xxv of vi c a little too much red in the brush would make a portrait of extremely like that of one of the highly coloured in jack the giant his statue may still be seen at he is in the full of the age says a traveller the or serpent his family being displayed on his ugly broad back this succeeded his uncle the in the of his cruelty can only be accounted for on the grounds of insanity but there is no reason why a man simply because he has a wicked mind should be supposed to be out of it kept five thousand hounds which he on his richest citizens who were bound to lodge and board them handsomely once every two the of italy months there was a dog inspection if a dog were too fat his keeper was for over feeding him if he were too thin probably the same â he were dead the keeper was imprisoned and lost all his property pleasant things these the fifth had now resumed the residence at rome to the great joy of the he formed an alliance with the â s the fourth to italy of the but really to humble the alliance was joined by the king of the of and various chiefs as for he engaged sir john and his free the emperor entered italy with a considerable army but to the no small anger and disappointment of his made terms for himself with and then returned to germany after large sums from various cities the pope formed a new league without him and sent a bull of by two to who made them u in short things went the t rt of italy against the league and this brutal man had his day and his way â the set time came he had a nephew count of as bad a as any but not brutal and affecting for his own purposes to be of weak mind and very much given to travelling from shrine to shrine with a well armed he at length drew near and his uncle hearing of his approach rode out on a mule to meet accompanied by his two sons the count of having given his men private orders advanced to as if to embrace him with affection but while he had him in his arms the soldiers seized the j bridle threw off and dragged him away to a where after lingering some time he was poisoned the count meanwhile seized on and endeavoured to the applause of the world by a liberal and moderate conduct chapter of the â s old chronicle â the fortunes of the â reads like a romance it one to give a to the history of a single family distinguished by some pleasanter traits than are boasted by most of the rival houses things going every day from bad to worse in the citizens resolved to elect one of themselves to do such things for the common welfare as he thought good after much debate the choice fell on da who promised to do his best for the happiness of the republic this was in was succeeded by as worthy a man as himself finding his uncle was against him and the lord of to deprive him of his resolved to disappoint his uncle by frankly giving the of italy the very thing he meant to seize and retiring into private life this he did but some years after died and left the in the hands of his and soon afterwards wrote to his brother to

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have and his nephew without delay as they were said to be against him who was of a temper and on friendly terms with the read this letter with grief but feared to disregard it giving orders therefore to his guards to the as soon as they should enter his he sent a messenger to and to say he wanted to see them immediately the messenger found the uncle and nephew enjoying the cool evening air in the garden of their country house having laid aside their warm garments for white caps and on account of the heat on hearing the message said merrily the of what can want of us he its but now and ordering out a horse he mounted it took his nephew up behind him and thus two on horse they rode off to ihe di just as thej were meanwhile full of trouble was for them from a balcony and could at the same time see his guards lying in wait for them the gate as soon as th were speaking distance out cheerfully what do you want of us now we were just going to bed on this s feelings impelled him to save them and he eagerly cried about then and ride back again â it was a mistake â return home i no longer want you they obeyed in no little surprise nest morning showed the letter on reading which said with m i such tales to gate him ik much an egg whereas i have given him the story of however here i am you can do with me as you like embraced hun saying was seeking to the number of his friends and so the matter dropped when however that the two still lived he wrote to his brother him yet more vehemently to put them to death and sent the letter by a confidential servant who on arriving at found playing with a friend while the two looked on said carelessly to pray take the letter and read it for me my lord interrupted the servant i had strict orders to give it only to yourself on this smiling out his hand for it and passing it on to continued the game on glancing over the letter was filled with dismay what is it about says nothing my lord said save that your brother wants a german and wishes you to procure him one any come this way the of but drawing his nephew aside he showed him the letter which appeared to both of them of too dangerous import to be overlooked retiring therefore from the palace as soon as they could they sent a messenger to the camp begging that de the would instantly come to their support next day met the two in the fruit market and was with them when a messenger came hastily up to him and said my lord save yourself de with the troops of is at the san gate in alarm asked what he should do he advised him to retire to the two then went to meet the commander da was proclaimed lord of and the kind hearted in da succeeded to the of he joined the league against during die war of for which that republic afterwards took revenge on him and his descendants the count di became lord of he the of a between the lords of and which broke out into a furious war this gave an opportunity of distinction to da son of says was of middle stature well knit of a dark complexion and somewhat stem aspect but considerate gracious humane and brave the count di with his usual the strife between the two seized both their cities for himself more than that he made a league with and against the were at their wit s end and faith s end too hoping that if would his son might reign without being to the they proposed it at the council board in the presence of both the old looked dismayed his son indignant after a moment s silence no no i won t listen to it said the young man and hastened away his father however was brought to to their views and the of italy sent for his son to add his own wish to theirs that he should accept the held out long but the extremity of their affairs offered no other alternative and with regret he accepted the his virtues and bravery having made him very popular the city was filled with the old retired next morning to his still faithful city of however could not save his from the count di who having seized on it sent the old to be imprisoned at and with his wife and children to a old castle at here possessing apparent liberty pursued the of a private gentleman the wood cutting and other works about the castle and forming acquaintance with the neighbouring gentry his mild pleasing manners procured hint esteem and the governor of who was son in law to the count di took occasion one day when he was with to bid him beware of the thb of count s designs as he had hired to him between the castle and town warmly thanking him for the warning returned as soon as he could to his wife and brothers and considered with them what to do they decided that he and with his two youngest brothers and three or four servants should immediately leave privately on pretence of a pilgrimage leaving the children with the remaining brother this they did and rapidly and safely got out of italy which they performed their at the shrine of st and then embarked on the they descended the river to and then along to mar the count hearing of their escape was sending men in all directions to trace them some of these arriving at heard of them and hastily put off with his companions from

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shore though a violent storm was coming on poor suffered dreadfully from sickness and terror and begged to land thb of italy die would sooner travel on foot than endure such misery so she and her good l were set ashore the rest to a given point by sea at the first town they reached they passed the night and next morning hired an ass on which he placed and then walked by her side they the boat waiting for them and again embarked but scarcely had they put off when another storm arose they landed at aod passed the night in a church next morning they re embarked but e again driven by stress of weather this time not without danger firom their heir party now consisted of wife his two brothers and three servants after a long and journey on foot ey at an inn near for ent ai a man with the of a hastened to teu the that six men with a of beauty and apparently ef r a were refreshing at an inn near the the t bt of gates and that the lady was being carried off against her will this story caused the to send a guard of soldiers after them the and the who was were their way when hearing the regular tramp of s feet thej hastily plunged into a thicket they were pursued and but so close to the sh re that his way to the boat and defended himself till all but he were in it then he overpowered and captured hi the water s very edge the cried out in alarm hare a you do e e is the da lord of ah my lord then the leader of the s we knew not it was you but thought you were carrying off that lady w i finding the harmless nature of the willingly w t to the and explained it to him mi the with great l the of sent a fresh of provisions to his vessel to which the then when next they landed they fell in with a friend named and were with him when they were warned of the approach of forty of s again then they were compelled to flight and concealed themselves in a thicket till the had passed then they proceeded and cheered his weary wife by telling her that they should presently reach where his dear friend would think himself but too happy to supply them with horses nay to cheer her the more he sent a servant forward to and the horses therefore was their disappointment when the man returned saying could neither lend them horses nor admit them into the city which was filled with s troops at this unhappy news poor fainted away and fell to the ground da caught her up in his arms exclaiming dearest sister for god s sake be of good cheer and he will give us aid the story of italy from her she endeavoured to compose herself though the effort was a wretched one and the party proceeded in unbroken silence to a poor tavern near where thej could obtain no lodging but a stable a miserable supper the and his wife lay down on some straw while the others with the friendly who had accompanied them kept watch outside all at once a great of horses was heard and soon afterwards the voice of a man at the door of the inn loudly calling on the host to tell him where the da was to be found i am he cries the friendly promptly what do you want my lord says the man in a low voice and very respectfully i come from with a letter and ten horses for your use hearing the voices came forth read the letter and was delighted to find that s had only been assumed out of prudence the now discovering the rank of his guests was as anxious to accommodate t bt of y aa he had bow he g ve up his own bed to them and this waa the first that the delicately red in had slept in a bed since she left the next di and bis safely in where they were joined by their children and wore happy in being out of the d should not their story end here it mighty if it were not ne pace ne dine however some years of happiness were be re a short repose left his beloved family and entered germany to seek the aid of the duke of in recovering foreign tion again the duke promised him assistance and as s could lend him five thousand horse and he himself reckoned on being able to raise three thousand he thought this would be enough to enable him to drive out just then the di unfortunately r himself broke his terms with the who immediately prepared to go to war with the of joined the league against him bo that the da entered the territory under favourable and regained possession of his city to the general joy of john â and of the fate of the john the english free had fought first with then for the count di and now he went to the other party again and took arms against his late master he had led his men at arms to within fifteen miles of when his were defeated by the in pay of who immediately marched to make an end of sir john sir john instead of retreating in a hurry very continued to lie behind his till even his own men were out of patience with him suddenly when the were least expecting him he was down upon them and gave them a complete defeat he then raised his camp and entered the plains of which are frequently to make matters the t by of italy worse s general had cut the so that when sir john and

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his men got up in the morning they found they had been sleeping under water at this juncture a messenger arrived from the enemy s general with a for sir john very carefully covered up a fox in a trap the old knight looked at it very and turning to the messenger said tell your master fair sir that the fox appears nothing sad and doubtless knows by what door he shall get out in fact waiting till nightfall the old soldier left all his tents standing and led the way through the water which reached the horses after keeping along the two days and nights he crossed it and led his weary men into the territory he died a natural death in and was buried by the da reigned many years in tranquillity in spite of who had meantime assumed the title of duke of at length a war broke out between and in which the and the of t took part this gave an of to b two eldest sons the first ci whom was years of age a and spirited of great talent but what quick tempered tall and dark like his his brother was twenty fair like his mother and as handsome a as any in mild and pious his address sweet and winning his air yet and brave these young men were token prisoners but et in the following was to the same afternoon one of his attendants a was looking about him in the public square when he was by a fellow why does not your master says he softly think of escaping if he into duke a he will never again see but what h do says the i will show you said the and taking him by the arm he led him away to a place where the town walls low that they might be t bt of when there would be nothing to do but to swim the moat and into the the was and in short they well everything between them that the was that very night was confined at bnt two pretended letters to him through his confidential servant by putting them inside fish by this means his was he was accustomed to play at â other men in the castle court yard for exercise one day he threw the ball as if by chance the and the gate being for some one to fetch it he darted out flew to the water side sprang into the boat and was carried to the shore whence his wa safely effected after this an ensued between and which soon broke into open war though the were brave and beloved the adds e terribly against them nearly all s towns were and at length that such dreadful i y ensued in the the story op italy city that was induced to treat with the having obtained a firom them he visited them in their camp and would have proposed terms but they told him it was not in their power to treat they would send immediately to ascertain the s will and if he would meantime resign to them the city and castle in token of submission they would pledge themselves to restore them to him were the accommodation not effected trusting to their honour yet with a heavy heart he complied they then urged him to the by hastening to and throwing himself on their generosity in an evil hour he complied accompanied by his eldest son who said father if we go we go to death nevertheless if it be your will i cheerfully obey was already in a prison on reaching the hall of the they threw themselves at the feet of the who in a long and bitter speech enlarged on their and then without letting them make any defence gave the signal for their removal they were put into the same with whom they had the story of italy the of embracing after spending several days together they were placed in separate meantime the of ten whether to put them into an iron cage or put them to death the cage was made but it was that they should be four men entered the cell of for that purpose he defended himself to the last then his son met the same fate on the same spot lastly the young after a few lines to his bride the lady cried lord into thy hands i commend my spirit and flinging himself on his knees was immediately all the younger of the house were got rid of the house of was extinct of t hb fall of pi a had interposed between and the might have been bnt at the time her was most needed her citizens were engrossed in a and cruel attempt on the liberties of their ancient enemy which met with a success it little had admitted a f within her walls the commander obtained a footing in and finding it unlikely he could retain his possession made the best bargain he could for himself by it to the for four hundred thousand gold fearing to be by offered to sell to them himself and they eagerly closed with his proposals no sooner did the find they were to be betrayed into the hands of their the of italy ancient enemy than they flew to arms and took refuge in the there he remained however till he had admitted the the immediately ed the drove ont the garrison and sent to to against their proceedings the refused to listen to and the though destitute of sources took up arms in self defence the con from whom they might have assistance were already engaged by their enemies and was closely ah what misery â hard must it hare gone with them before ih y could send forth their old men and children in hopes that the of beings would procure them a ee passage through the camp

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the drove them back â they were greeted with no smiles of welcome by their fellow citizens on their return for they could but their nearly exhausted stores now might be seen wretched beings gaunt and haggard crawling through the streets and along the the of at and the rank weeds and that sprang from the walls and between the stones such sufferings might have subdued their constancy but there is no word said of their desiring to surrender they were betrayed by the treachery of a during the he admitted the into the city to their credit they did all they could to soften the blow to the food was abundantly distributed among them and the behaved with moderation but nothing could reconcile them to their fate from that time their commerce declined enterprise and industry were a deadly crept over the fallen republic liberty may be a name but it is a name that acts as a chapter â of of â of the rise of high art being had left the throne of to louis of uncle to the king of france he died before he could make good his claims and his rival the duke of dying also the competition was carried on by their sons the young louis of was indolent frivolous devoted to pleasure of on the contrary was an energetic ambitious early with principles of e and no wonder therefore that he obtained the throne there were as well as rival kings and having the to drive pope the seventh out of their city hoped to be admitted into it himself g indignantly him but he afterwards obtained the story of italy by fraud what was denied to force and took possession not only of rome but of most of the he then to make himself king of ail italy and commanded the to acknowledge him their sovereign they treated the with disdain what cried he to their you count but four hundred â what arms do you propose to direct against me tour own answered the in fact both knew that the were at the command of the highest and the without delay the services of di one of the most distinguished leaders of the free companies the also invited louis of to re enter the field and his temporary success against led to one of those curious which could only take place in a country where men are paid for fighting by the job thus it was â louis s hired soldiers had no sooner won a victory than they began to plunder finding he was not pursued sent large sums of gold to his the story of captured troops thus he got all his men back a n to start with a it is folly to call this war it was one cares nothing which got the better to day which to morrow died his place was taken by his sister whose vices disgrace history in the great council of both the rival and elected martin the fifth in their stead you see was still free and very glorious the house of was getting more and more into but had as yet done nothing of the interests of the republic that good old man great grandfather of the famous was never ambitious of public offices yet was honoured with them all wise generous and just he won and deserved universal esteem on his death bed he said to his two sons with respect to the honours of the state if you would live with security accept only such as are bestowed on you by the laws and favour of your fellow citizens for it is the exercise of that power which is obtained by violence and m the of not of that which is given that occasions hatred those were the days when the fine arts were hastening to their height of glory daring the century italy had been filled with admirers and of but in the there was a manifest striving after originality of style and the schools of and rose into eminence at the head of them all was the school of and the by undertaking to a second bronze gate to st john s surpassing the first which was with exquisite designs of afforded an object of competition worthy of the greatest artists and open to all the successful was ti an italian an would say can breathe air that life whether bond or free the arts cannot â they can no more live out of air than a in an exhausted xxx of the count of the patronage of third duke of a brilliant who from a simple rose to be of his extended the of from to st from to the duke having by s means so greatly heightened the grandeur of his house experienced the jealousy that had tormented most of his ancestors at the freedom and prosperity of the had now enjoyed eighteen happy years their literature art were in the of glory â the temptation was too strong he broke the treaty between them the prepared for the war with firmness and secured the alliance of the of then being the union of these two powerful states was sufficient to make the duke of repent his his only reliance waa on the of yet such was his that he injured and offended the only man on whom he could depend jealous of s popularity with the of his extraordinary talents and of the lofty station thej had obtained him maria gradually withdrew from him his confidence and treated him with that measured coldness which is most grating to a warm and impetuous character at length he denied him admission to his presence and next deprived him of his command on this s indignation broke forth he flew to and offered his services to the they immediately bade him lead their troops against his late master and he reduced the city and territory

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of in a single campaign the duke was forced to sue for peace which he was the first to break the following year and the war was renewed against him with equal success on one occasion the duke s the op italy cavalry to charge him in the midst of a marsh where lie knew his own ground they no sooner entered it than the heavily armed sunk into the and while thus helpless were assailed by s foot soldiers who every one of their horses and did not kill a single man to who like harry fought each for his own hand was to blood the however loved blood better than money and from that time forth regarded with an evil eye unfortunately for him his third campaign was unsuccessful he was invited to under pretence of with the and was greeted both on the road and on entering the city with he proceeded to the palace with his attendants but these were dismissed under the pretext that the would require his presence longer than it would be agreeable to them to wait ominous words however entered the palace alone the gates were immediately closed behind him and he was then informed the was in disposed and could not see him till next the t bt of italy he about to withdraw but was and dragged towards a private door in a piercing he cried i am lost but while wildly struggling to free himself he was thrust into a a few days afterwards he was put to the torture though the wounds he had in the service of were yet â for he had shed his own blood he had spared that of others it is said he confessed treachery to but â made in pain are violent and the rack strange no proof of his guilt was produced either then or ever after that did not hinder his publicly executed with a in his mouth at the end of the war and restored what they had taken to each other alone was richer for the war â who the of his prisoners and their blood all the worse for possessions in the main land did her little good and only excited the jealousy of states that would willingly have let her boast the empire of the seas chapter of di â of the an young peasant named was digging one day in the fields â it was somewhere about the year â when he was by a party of soldiers belonging s famous free company of st george who invited him to the life of a free companion had many for the youth and aa he ed at the and shining of the he felt inclined to take service with them half in jest he exclaimed â i will throw my into that old if it fall to the ground so shall your if it lodge in the branches i will you it caught in branches on which he the story of this was he who rapidly became as one of the they gave him the of because he carried things pretty much by force and his descendants bore the name as an honourable distinction had not long been in s company before he formed a friendship with di who had been bom in a far sphere than himself he was the son of a nobleman who with many of his had been driven into and after acquiring some experience under he returned at the head of his brother and of a strong body of and took possession of his native city the had little reason to repent of it for he had many of the qualities which win popular regard his old master died and his comrade was the leader of a free company but jealousy and distrust had sprung up between the early friends and the knowledge that one was engaged in the service of any particular prince or state was only an to the other to engage with the opposite party they only agreed the op italy in selling their services as dearly as possible and considering war a trade to be kept up for their benefit had now risen from the command of a men to that of six thousand he was of the church and had received the title of count op from the pope during s temporary seized his estates which so exasperated him that for twenty years he and his rival made deadly war with one another having then attached himself to the losing party and being reduced to poverty and distress took the romantic resolution of throwing himself on the generosity of his old enemy and older friend with a few he rode to s camp requested an audience which was immediately granted related his misfortunes and his advice and aid greatly surprised at once forgot all his former bitterness he spoke to his friend with delightful cordiality and their ancient friendship was in a moment restored to end only with their lives ths of italy nor wanting in proofs of friendship he took such measures for s assistance that he was soon in his possessions and engaged by the of was soon afterwards drowned in â to ford a river heard of his death with and felt a gloomy that he should not long him in fact he was soon afterwards defeated in an engagement wounded and taken prisoner and these so on his proud spirit that he would not eat nor speak and died three days after liis defeat on the death of his son a young man of three and twenty was elected captain of his troop for three his services were hired by maria duke ci the duke had a beautiful and amiable whose name was as of the of the there were of course many for her hand among these son of the peasant held the foremost place but if he could forget the

1Charles Darwin

obscurity of his this was by no means the case the of the duke of who dared not openly reject him but whose promises to bestow on him his daughter s hand were continually broken at length in disgust entered the service of and then at war with his able compelled the duke to sue for peace with the renewed promise of s hand this time the marriage was celebrated and received as his bride s portion the duke however soon made a powerful league against his son in law who in four years found himself stripped of all his wealth except which he hoped would spare for his daughter s sake but the duke prepared to it from him on which and prepared to support was compelled to sue his son in law humbly for protection just at the time when was hesitating between his obedience to and his relationship to his wife s ther a proof of distrust on the part of the decided him he took up the cause of and was on the road to him when he received news of his death the t bt of italy the male heir of being thus extinct the had no desire to have for their master he took up arms however to make good his cause and they were forced to receive him into their city with joy his was celebrated with magnificence and his rule gave the no reason to regret during his lifetime that they had exchanged the line of for that of unfortunately the vices of his proved to them that they had only changed one line of for another chapter of the two the severity displayed by the towards and found new objects for its exercise in a father and son to whom from the dignity of their position as chief citizens of the state it might have been thought some mercy would be extended we sometimes believe ourselves influenced by abstract principles of justice when in feet we are the instruments of headlong passions and the council of ten while imagining themselves the impartial judges of the two were in reality but the tools of a this nobleman whose name was attributed the death of his two nearest relatives to the elder and with bitter irony had the following entry in his books the of italy for the deaths of my father and leaving a blank for the of the payment of distinguished himself in youth as an able general and in extreme old age was living in the enjoyment of public esteem and domestic tranquillity to his extreme sorrow his son was accused of having received presents from foreign princes especially from the duke of and was brought to trial before the council of ten the in spite of his paternal anguish was not allowed to quit the his son was cross tortured on the rack and pronounced guilty the father had to pronounce his sentence of his place of exile was to be di but he fell ill at on his way there and was permitted to remain at instead but not to quit it on pain of death about five years after a named was returning home late one evening when he was murdered at his own door suspicion having the of no nearer object fell on young a of his having been observed in the city on the night of the murder since which he had disappeared he was sought out and tortured but confessed nothing â having most likely nothing to confess the council next sent for yoimg from and again put him on the rack the unfortunate young man never ceasing to his innocence as there was nothing to colour a sentence of death evidence if such it could be called was considered sufficient to justify his being banished for life to from this hated spot the forlorn prisoner continual entreaties to his friends to get his sentence reversed and most wrote one of these letters to duke of a treacherous messenger carried the letter to the council of ten to foreign aid was considered in a citizen of a vessel was immediately despatched to bring the before his judges the story of italy on his arrival their first act was to sentence him to receive thirty it was a singular destiny says for the citizen of a republic and the son of a prince to be thrice put to the question and the torture was this time the more odious as having no end to gain â the act with which he was charged being when the unhappy prisoner was asked between the intervals of the what had induced him to write to the duke of he replied for the very reason that he thought if his letter he should be brought to where he would gladly undergo the torture for the sake of once more breathing the same air with his beloved parents wife and children this touching confession only caused his judges to his former sentence of exile with the addition that as he had formerly been at large in the town of his exile he should now be in close for a they permitted him a farewell interview with his family but it was to be under their own eyes and lore the story of italy had thus the pleasure of witnessing their the aged supporting his tottering frame on a staff â his venerable â s wife â and his four children were brought into the council room no sooner did see them than with eyes overflowing with tears he fell at his father s feet and stretching towards him his hands by the rack cried ah my lord my father plead for me that i may remain at home returned his heart broken but father obey what thy country commands and seek nothing else after mingling their tears together for a few minutes he was torn from their arms and hurried

1Charles Darwin

into the vessel which was to convey him back to the ship had scarcely sailed when a nobleman fell sick and being at l e point of death confessed that he had committed the murder for which had been banished the confession came too late the unhappy young man had died almost immediately on reaching hid prison n the t bt of italy his father who in happier times had twice sought to his dignity and twice be i told by the th t his services were too to be spared was now on the point of the last effort of s malice his the council hall to give way to his grief after his farewell to his son afforded his â an opportunity of on his increasing and suggesting his the council of ten of which was a member thought fit in a matter of such high importance to summon twenty fi e other s to take part in their and as object was kept secret the grand council from whom the twenty five were to be chosen suspecting the purpose of the meeting bent co the s brother as one of the number as his presence would effectually have disconcerted them in their object they instead of sending him back shut him up and made him swear be would never reveal his having been excluded in spite of s the deliberation lasted eight days a then waited the of italy on the to inform him that the considering him no longer capable of the duties of his requested him to it twice cried i have offered to my charge but instead of my wish an oath was of me not to my demand i to have prolonged my days for the sake of me it ill becomes you however to reproach with his long life a man who has eighty years served the republic i am still ready to hj down my life but for my dignity i have sworn to keep it till it is taken from me by the this placed the council in a position they by no means wished however they at once proceeded to pronounce a formal sentence of and then assigned him a and commanded him to quit the palace in eight days on pain of having all his property had the cruel joy of carrying this decree to the he heard it attentively and then remarked i never foresaw that my old age the t bt of italy would be to the state however the decree is passed and i yield to it he then took off his state robes and gave up the ring which was broken in his presence next in the dress of a private citizen accompanied by his brother and all his relations he quitted the palace which had been his home thirty five years and having descended the giants staircase he proceeded to his private house amidst a crowd of his subjects struck with deep pity at his venerable appearance having reached his home he charged his friends to forget the injuries of his enemies and attempted to do so himself but the sound of the great of st mark to announce the election of his successor struck on his ear like a death his agitation caused the of a blood vessel which occasioned his immediate death the violence of popular feeling on the occasion was such that the council of ten forbade the affair of to be spoken of on pain of death chapter of the one by one the free of italy had submitted or been betrayed to and at length the noblest of them all submitted to a distinguished family whose rule over it was not the less real that at first it was almost for many years the house of had been illustrious though from its device and name it was supposed that the ancient family profession had been that of medicine de who succeeded his father in both in his and capacity was a prudent moderate man yet had a bitter enemy in de who pronounced his ambition dangerous to the state two hundred citizens were called on to direct public affairs some of whom for s others for his death he was banished the t bt of italy for ten years but the readiness with which he gave way to the temporary against him had such an effect that in less than a the drove and his from the city and de was recalled and hailed as the father of his country for many following years enjoyed prosperity and reputation he the library and divided his time between public business and the pursuits of literature as he advanced in life state affairs became too much for him he was deeply affected by the death of his second son a young man of great promise and had great fears that his remaining son was not of a character to maintain the dignity of his he him however on his death bed to pay that strict attention to concerns which had been the source of their immense wealth and he expired in the seventy sixth year of his age lamented by his friends and by most of his fellow citizens the modest of the style in which had lived had been as remarkable as the magnificence of the public works with which he had adorned the the t bt ot italy city and science had been by his patronage he had maintained with most of the in europe while among his countrymen he conducted himself like a private citizen such men as de are the noblest pride of a republic and yet sometimes involuntarily it the attending on the father was transferred to the son but s feeble character soon revealed itself and he is chiefly as the of the celebrated after his deaths in the principal waited on and requested he would that authority which his ther and grandfather had exercised

1Charles Darwin

before him was twenty one years of age more remarkable for the appearance of strength than elegance his person could not be called handsome though his countenance was intelligent his education had been first rate and so were his talents thai whether in affairs of business or amusement he in whatever he the of his younger brother was only sixteen against these two brothers at the very opening of s public life a conspiracy was formed of the darkest character the house of jealous of the and considering itself wronged by it pope the fourth a deep revenge at the lives of both brothers after much deliberation it was agreed that the should take place on sunday in the church of maria and that the signal for its execution should be the elevation of the host what an idea this gives us of the piety of the times to this scheme an obstacle arose a who was hired to deal b death blow was shocked at the of doing so before the altar of od and refused to add to murder two priests therefore less scrupulous were with his office accordingly on the fatal day they were at their posts when of danger entered the church but to their disappointment they perceived that he was not accompanied by his brother the t ey of italy two of the therefore left the church and hurried to the house of where they found him lying on a couch too much to it willingly they told him his absence from church would be taken and putting their arms round him as if in playful but in reality to ascertain whether he wore his they compelled him with which he knew not how to resist to accompany them to the church at the fatal moment the bell rang the priest raised the consecrated the people fell on their knees and at the same instant was to the heart meanwhile one of the priests aimed a savage blow at s throat but it merely him and roused him to instant resistance twisting his cloak rapidly round his left arm as a shield he drew his sword and defended himself till his friends rallied round him the two priests perceiving their failure disappeared among the crowd meanwhile s friends dragged him into the and closed its brazen doors all this passed so rapidly that the t rt of half the congregation unable to see what happened and hearing the fearful tumult believed the roof was falling in and a general rush towards the doors but no sooner did they learn the truth than they formed a round and safely him home the news of s murder and the attempt on flew through the city all was tumult and confusion of the were secured and immediately put to death for many days the cry of perish the through the streets as the the in spite of s them to and leave the punishment of the guilty to the pope instead of endeavouring to conceal his having had any concern in this conspiracy was so enraged at its failure that he and made with the king of for the purpose of war on as was the sole object of the pope s hatred he earnestly the of italy to him from for the sake of the city s peace his was met by that of the citizens who declared they would defend him at cost two years the war re was carried on to the loss of the therefore resolved to withdraw himself privately from the city which he did and proceeded without delay to the head quarters of his king of was not distinguished by many noble or generous characteristics nevertheless he could not behold a brave and honest man thus trusting to honour and throwing himself on his protection without affording him a friendly reception remained his guest three months by the end of time he had made the king his warm and was able to return to his beloved city with the glad tidings of peace a invasion soon afterwards spread consternation through italy a considerable army had landed in the south and seized the city of d ty five were preparing to the story of italy them when the sudden death of the put an end to the invasion no sooner was the pope relieved from his fear of the than he himself with to the house of of its possessions after a tedious war of little interest suddenly made terms for himself with the duke of leaving the to do the best they could his death soon afterwards relieved italy of a pope who to himself and his family set at defiance every moral principle war broke out between his successor and the king of of s reception of him in his distress never rested till he had reconciled him with the pope and his subjects was much touched by it and wrote it was proved to that i and my subjects truly loved him and now he has proved to me that he loves me and my children which i hope we shall never forget while thus the duties of a friend did not neglect those of a citizen he sought not to extend the territory of but to improve the op italy and strengthen what it possessed so that observed has converted into iron what he found of glass the supreme government had hitherto been exercised by the and ten who were changed every two months but it found that the short duration of their power sometimes prevented their engaging with sufficient alacrity in such decisive measures as were necessary on important occasions recommended and obtained the appointment of a body of seventy citizens who were to deliberate and decide as in matters of peace and war so effectually did he reform the police that a contemporary writes from â here we have no no no by night as by day

1Charles Darwin

every one is in safety and are unknown the accusation of one is not suffered to affect the safety of many for it is a with that it is better to confide all than in a this was a season of prosperity and tranquillity not only in but generally throughout italy thb t by of italy as had not been tasted for ages â if ever before the whole extent of that country says was not only its wide plains and valleys but n amidst its most and regions and under no control but that of its native nobility and rulers not only in the riches and number oi its inhabitants but in the magnificence of its princes in the splendour of many noble and superb cities and in the ice and majesty of with men t in the administration of public skilled in every honourable science and art it stood high in the estimation of foreign nations in a villa the towers of â on the steep slope of that lofty hill crowned by the mother city in gardens which might have envied and at his side delighted his hours of leisure with the beautiful visions of philosophy for which the summer stillness of an italian sky appears the most congenial accompaniment â the of the prospect from an elevation of a great in its silence is one of the most impressive as well as beautiful that can be beheld but it mast have brought seriousness to the mind of one who by the force of events and the ambition of his family and himself was involved in the dangerous necessity of governing without the right and as as might be without the semblance of r if thoughts like these could bring a cloud on the mind of unfit for the object he sought in that retreat he might restore its serenity by other scenes which his garden commanded mountains bright with various hues and clothed with wood bounded the horizon and on most sides at no great distance but in these were other of his own while the level country bore witness to his agricultural improvements the classic diversion of a s cares the thick darkness in which learning had been for ages enveloped was now rapidly disappearing men of science in all parts of italy were directing their attention to the discovery and study of ancient the of and the formation of public and the introduction of the art of rapidly the progress of learning under the patronage of scholars were encouraged to the with the utmost care that they might be sent to the press with the greatest possible accuracy nor was he less attentive to the progress of the fine arts those who wished to oblige him says were accustomed to collect from every part of the world and for their age or statues and whatever else bore the stamp of antiquity the young michael was among the artists who copied these valuable studies all this was very refined and very delightful the had a reverse of course people may have all these things and not be rich towards god men were mad for who cared very little about christ and this was grief of heart to a who was then sadly pacing the streets of chapter of he is â i have him before me now â from the by in the gallery â bom died a nd how he was of â like sprang from a family of and sad even as a boy he stole away from his companions to in lonely walks at length he fled from his father s house to knocked at the door of a and was admitted two days after he thus wrote in excuse to his father â tou who know so well how to appreciate the things of earth judge not with the passionate judgment of a woman but looking to judge according to reason whether i am not right in the world the motive which me to enter into a religious life is this â the great misery of the world the crimes the pride the the t bt of italy the monstrous by which it is for there is none that good no not one many times a day have i uttered this verse with tears i age i t i have been unable to support the monstrous wickedness of italy everywhere i have seen virtue despised vice in honour since god then in answer to my prayer showed me a way of escape dared i decline it he seems to have sought the simply for the sake of his own soul without yet feeling himself called on to save the souls of others he became a mild obedient brother of the order much to reading the bible and gradually becoming aware that the terrific power of its language could alone shake the world around him according to the custom of his order he went from city to city in spiritual instruction at length he came to his own city from thence he was sent to and received into the of st mark destined to be for ever associated with his name he was made of the at first the of italy his preaching was not particularly liked gradually his made its way he preached of real things as if they were real the room in which he became he went out with his hearers into the garden and preached among the rose bushes next year he was made prior of the he was told it would be right to thank for the do i owe it to god or to him inquired he to god of course in the first instance my thanks then are due to another day is walking in our garden let him walk as long as he will and the prior calmly continued to read dropped gold into the box thought it too much for the purpose and

1Charles Darwin

sent it to be distributed by the among the poor his power as a preacher increased and his tone grew bolder on being warned that he might offend he replied go and tell him of his sins i am a stranger here and he the first citizen in the place yet he shall depart before i do this was afterwards looked on as prophetic the of before many months had passed he was to s death bed he him to hold fast his faith replied it was he bade him resign himself with composure to death should such be the will of god with joy replied if such be his decree some say he then blessed him and left him others that he said if you would have peace with god you must restore her liberties and that turned his face to the wall without speaking but this is uncertain died at the age of forty four on the th of april his son succeeded without a struggle to what has well been termed the acknowledged but of his father his character soon betrayed itself on the approach of charles the eighth of france to claim the throne of the king sent a friendly to which answered being in fact the ally of the king of charles at once prepared to attack now burst forth behold the sword of the lord is upon the land instantly and rapidly the op italy terrified at th threatened assault of the city hastened to the french king and for peace charles made such hard terms vith hun that the citizens when they heard of the surrender of their the occupation of their ports and a loan of became furious and the fled from charles the eighth entered the city as and demanded that the should be the firmly refused what if i sound my trumpets said the bang will ring her alarm bell replied one of them boldly he knew it would be the signal of a general muster to arms and to press the point him as a powerful weapon for good in the hand of god the bang made peace with the city and departed it at once of himself and of the after their sway had lasted seventy years was then the master mind in the city he to a general reform the government was placed in the hands of a controlled by a great council the city was to be pre eminently the of italy a christian city for purity and s pulpit was his throne from it he luxury gambling and the of the clergy if they travel fix m one place to another said he they must fain take everything with them on it i would rather eat bread and like a day with a good appetite than re as they do on and oh this is no time for dancing and folly put down balls whether in town or country close all at six o clock shut all shops even on holy days if indeed your tooth ache why have it out even on a festival â there can be no harm in that â but stand about buying boxes and toys and they minded him â they loved him they came from afar to hear this good earnest man till not a of was left in the cathedral by eager listeners women dressed plainly nursed their children from and were dutiful to their husbands men were temperate sober and their own the t bt of italy business were empty churches were full food was cheap aud everything at its fair price were not mere but solemn and awful ceremonies men of the highest among his not content with this organized a sacred of boys and youths who went from house to house and in the name of christ and the virgin mary that people should from proceeding beyond the bounds of discretion these young seized and carried cards boards e as to sin they were cast into a great heap and burnt nay people came of their own accord and added for the flame and if some threw in old finery they did not much value artists cast in pictures poets that we may be sure were dear to them as are all the works of one s own hands more or less the enthusiasm for goodness was fervent ad the flame and alas almost as the pope though he heard of all this the of italy looked on it but as the passing influence of a that would soon wear itself out the best way said one of his to such busy gentlemen is with so was offered â a cardinal s hat no other hat will i accept answered he than the red hat of at length the pope him the and wrote to foreign princes claiming their interference to a pope who was no pope what meant was that alexander had obtained the triple crown by and corruption and that he could not be god s because he was undoubtedly an no wonder that a furious bull was against the of such bold truths commanding the to put the former in execution the was alarmed and entreated for the peace of to from preaching the bitter enemies of his order provoked him to refer the question to the immediate decision of god by the fiery ordeal the t bt of italy declined the test but it was accepted for him by one of his warmest admirers who was willing to pass through the flames for the sake of his beloved prior everything was prepared for the ordeal to take place on the eve of palm sunday a pile was erected in the principal square forty yards long with a narrow path through the centre along which was to pass the pile was suspected to contain as well as other soldiers priests people the rival orders himself all assembled to take part in

1Charles Darwin

the event they reached the fatal spot then commenced a strange â was about to enter the fiery path in his robes the insisted on his laying them aside â they might be enchanted he was willing to change them for a s gown â but he must lay aside his cross then he would bear the host â what carry his s body into the fire a tumult ensued s enemies were ready to strike him dead suddenly a violent rain storm d the t bt of descended soaked them to the skin and speedily cleared the ground pronounced it a special interference of god the ordeal was given up next morning the assembled early and agreed that for the peace of the city must leave it a sentence of was passed meanwhile his was by his enemies was on his knees before the altar the burst in seized and two of his bound their hands behind their backs and dragged them forth to the mob who received them with and as passed along he was his wrists were twisted and he narrowly escaped being torn to pieces the news flew to rome and was received with joy the prisoners examination lasted ten days the first day was put to the exquisite torture called a cord is passed under the arm the body suddenly hauled up and let down with a violence that every joint was of tender and delicate frame the anguish made him say what they would that he might be freed from it but as soon as the pain the op italy ceased the re asserted her dominion the and he his false confession however was made the ground of his condemnation though even then there was a difficulty in finding a colour for capital punishment a new and less scrupulous took office the pope sent two to the proceedings one of whom is reported to have said we shall see a fine blaze â i have the condemnation in my pocket a fresh and still more trying took place pain wrung from the tortured man whatever they would which he as constantly as soon as the agony god thou hast caught me exclaimed he in his unutterable anguish i have told i have denied thee of bear witness that i have denied him purely for fear of were better to torture for the truth next day examination and torture again on the evening of the nd his sentence was communicated to him he prayed long and fervently then laid his weary head on the lap of his friend the t bt of and fell in the morning he and his fellow received the lord s supper and were then taken to the stake crowds assembled to see the pitiless end of the man whom lately they had worshipped the details of the are painfully minute was the last to be burnt his courage did not fail him as it had done under the torture he died firmly calmly with no word of remonstrance or of self accusation his ashes were cast into the for what is but the blaze of fame the people s praise if all be praise and what the people but a herd confused a miscellaneous who things vulgar and well weighed scarce worth the praise they praise and they they know not what and know not whom but as one leads the other and what delight to be by such to live upon their breath and be their talk of whom to be were no small praise his cell remains nearly in its original condition and contains his portrait painted during his life the door is inscribed has f in chapter of louis the twelfth â of the fall of â and of the league against louis the twelfth the successor of charles the eighth immediately assumed the titles of duke of and king of the two and soon led an army into italy to his claims duke of trembled at his approach he had his s and was suspected of hastened his death he had been assailed by private affliction in the loss of his wife and child which had so deeply affected him that for a after the fatal loss he never took his meals at table but received them from the hands of a servant in a chamber hung with black which he constantly occupied from his stupor by the news that the king of france had assumed his title and was rapidly approaching fled from his the of italy into from whence he vainly the emperor s assistance in the mean time louis entered as sovereign on the th of october his first care was to seize the infant son of the duke and send him captive to france having hired eight thousand advanced to contest possession of the and fortune at first favoured him but his troops were bought over by the french king so that he found himself suddenly and utterly deserted he implored them at least to protect his retreat this they refused but him to try to escape disguised aa one of themselves he preferred assuming the garb of a which however he afterwards changed for that of a soldier but in spite of all his precautions he was taken and transferred from to till at last he perished in the castle of had louis been content with pushing his thus far he might have retained them might easily have been united to his by means of and but he could not the of italy ye satisfied till he had acquired the more brilliant prize of with the powerful support of pope alexander the sixth and the king of spain he was enabled to approach as conqueror and it was betrayed into his hands by its general da the king of for a and louis was glad to be quit of him as a rival by allowing him an income of thirty thousand

1Charles Darwin

a furious contest between france and spain concerning their respective spoils again occasioned a warfare in which whatever party became victorious would be equally during this contest a singular proof was given of italian courage de a french commander having spoken of it the spanish general asserted he had an italian company under his command equal if not superior to the french it was put to the trial thirteen met thirteen in combat and the obtained a complete victory over their louis the twelfth fearful of losing made a three years with the king of spain the t by of italy daring which da was to hold possession of as after this italy enjoyed a temporary calm war had been going on for fourteen years between and which at length was ended by the of france and spain the to win the day as before they used their success very but the their yoke and in great numbers throughout this war had given no assistance to her sister states but had even favoured their the time now me when she was to reap the consequences of her selfish policy a attack on was between the pope the emperor the king of spain and the of and almost every european power had some temptation given them to countenance this attack of the republic and even england was invited to join the league to such a powerful what resistance could solitary oppose there is a fable of an indian who saw a lion coming towards him on one hand while on the the story of italy other was a precipice he waited till the lion was in the act of springing on him and then threw himself flat on the ground so that the lion flew over the precipice in like manner hy suddenly and robbed her enemies of their prey and destroyed the at first they had laughed the league to scorn but no sooner did the lion appear in sight â no sooner did the french army enter their than they were seized with a panic their forces were defeated their possessions occupied and they found themselves in their watery â their fine was accidentally burnt their fortress at struck by lightning which a powder magazine one of their treasure ships sank and their most valuable papers were destroyed by the fall of the building in which they were kept on one side was the king of france with thousand on the other the forces of the pope the emperor arid the of and p did the of italy now was the fatal moment the com fled leaving everything behind him open to the the in dismay recalled all their troops and thought only of defending the city the finding everything thus unexpectedly yielded to them concluded the war was over the king of spain having seized the of saw no reason for keeping his soldiers in the field the king of france his army and quitted italy the pope condescended to make peace with the the german troops were from and the emperor led home his forces scarcely any one was better or se off than they had been at the beginning except the duke of chapter of francis the first it is surprising how soon the of fire and sword are outwardly repaired by the gracious hand of nature though their moral effects remain for ages nothing says a recent traveller can exceed the beauty of the country round the vines hang in from rows of trees in fields of and the hills are clothed with and gardens to their with here and there a walled town or old castle on a distant height groups of children were playing in the fields by the road side and a little girl was swinging on a of vine between the there was nothing in the scene to remind us that this country had been the t et of italy a battle field over and over again and little more than two years ago had been the theatre of war in like manner during her earlier times so elastic was italy that the foreign pressure was no sooner removed than she rose to her level yet countries as well as individuals grow old and are depressed by the load their youthful strength enabled them to bear louis the twelfth was succeeded by the francis thb first whose cherished design was to the of the french arms and assert his title to the was then in the hands of son of who fought a desperate battle with the french and lost it on the plains of after obtaining possession of francis returned to france the charles the fifth then to ally himself with the pope who on condition that and should be to the holy see consented to aid him in the french and the t by of francis was leading a second army across the when he was summoned back by the treachery of and obliged to leave the to admiral the campaign ended for france but the king led new forces across the in the depth of winter he was taken prisoner in the famous battle of and the emperor s was established in italy his troops under held military possession of and oppressed that beautiful country with every species of tyranny while his spanish army kept the whole in awe the consternation of the at their was extreme and the oppression of their became so that a general league was formed for common defence the promise of assistance from france the ventured to communicate their project to the of who betrayed them to the emperor died and was succeeded in his by de who forced the duke of to surrender then thb t bt of italy marched on borne and abandoned the holy to the of his the fearful scenes that roused the indignation of europe francis the first sent troops and henry the eighth sent to the pope

1Charles Darwin

the and made common cause in driving the from italy the remains of the german army fled before most of the towns declared for the french and he would doubtless have won the day but for the disgust which the french court gave to a citizen of gen chapter of the had always been distinguished for their naval exploits next to the immortal the citizen of whom they had most reason to be proud was both were oppressed by foreign courts one discovered a new world the other secured the happiness of the little state in which he had been bom was bom in and early evinced a for the sea he at length became admiral of the fleet and fought for some years under the flag of the french who were then masters of at length he was summoned to unite with the french and in the army in while them by land had hitherto served the french with fidelity a d but his honest the t bt of italy had provoked the ministers of francis the first to treat him with coldness and severity his pay was withheld his advice rejected and his character represented to the king as ambitious and obstinate bore these injuries in silence but when his enemies em by his forbearance proceeded to withdraw the french trade from and erect na into its rival his indignation could no longer be suppressed he sent a warm remonstrance to the king demanding justice for his country and himself francis replied by sending an officer to hun in command to arrest him and seize his declared his readiness to give up his command and those which belonged to france but his own he said were his private property and he would give them up to no one he immediately the french not daring to and offered his services to charles the on condition that his native city should be freed the emperor joyfully accepted his terms and no longer the enemy but the ally of the the of brought them relief and protection the siege was raised was left in the hands of charles the fifth and returning triumphantly to assisted his fellow citizens in driving the french out of it the city was now in his power but instead of making it his own he assembled the citizens and begged them to establish what form of government they thought most desirable twelve citizens were chosen to direct the administration of the republic the would willingly have bestowed on the title of prince but he steadily it saying his greatest happiness was to promote that of his they then erected a statue to him in their public square inscribed to the best of citizens and most successful of years of tranquil happiness ensued and as s hair became with age he daily found the esteem and respect of his friends increase to his sorrow however he was and he therefore designed for his heir his grand nephew the young man was frivolous and conceited and the t by of italy talked with so little discretion of what he should do when he succeeded his uncle that the citizens were offended and alarmed among those who were most suspicious of s designs was count of this nobleman possessed of engaging and manners concealed beneath i careless and cheerful all the dispositions that incline men to take the lead in dangerous his pride was deeply wounded by the airs of and he or affected to believe that to make his nephew of having sounded many of his friends and ascertained who among them were jealous of the he entered into correspondence with the duke of and the french at and introduced many of his into the city on pretence of to arm some vessels against the a man of desperate fortunes named was his chosen and he to pro pose openly among s friends what the count had hardly dared to whisper to his own heart that the of should be offered that pre eminence to which was supposed to this project increased the count s and it was agreed that the day for the execution of their purpose would be the second of january when the of the preceding year would go out of office a short interval would before his successor was elected on the important mornings called on the by whom he was received with their usual which gave him reason to believe they were quite ignorant of the impending catastrophe towards dusk he returned to his palace the gates of which had been set open in the i and guards placed before them who allowed ev ry one to enter but no one to return the court yard was therefore crowded with persons who knew not what to suspect from their the of the count had been admitted into the palace and were distributed among the various apartments during the day and one or two had invited the most influential citizens to an entertainment the same evening in the count of the t by of italy s palace at the appointed time the began to and were somewhat dismayed to see the courts and halls filled with suspicions looking men some of them heavily armed as soon as they were all assembled at once the matter in hand by them on the power and ambition of the family and assuring them that if they were ready to shake them off everything was prepared for action the voices of his friends overpowered those of the timid and hastened to his wife whom he hastily and with emotion bade farewell and then leaving her in the utmost consternation at his mysterious words and conduct he joined his companions aud forth at their head one party attacked the harbour others seized the gates and of the city cries of and liberty rang through the streets the tumult soon reached the ears of the with a few attendants hastened

1Charles Darwin

to the harbour but was slain at one of the gates the news of his death was carried to his venerable uncle the t bt of s d who not doubting that all was lost mounted his horse and escaped from the city s triumph now seemed complete but there literally was but a step between him and death in crossing a plank to enter one of the his foot slipped and he fell into the sea to rise no more was the first to discover the fatal accident and endeavoured to conceal it but it came to the knowledge of s brother who when the of the came to with the count of replied i am he to whom that title now belongs the news of s death rapidly spreading the conspiracy fell asunder like a rope of sand some of the hastened home hoping they had not been recognized others escaped from the city the morning soon rose on silent and deserted streets with no signs of the midnight save here and there perhaps a pool of blood or a broken sword towards evening returned to the city and was welcomed with grave respect his cheek perhaps looked paler and his brow more than usual for the death of his nephew was a painful loss to the old d the of italy man and he might have thought his had ill what he had done and for them but he made no complaints and the remainder of his days passed and chapter of da and michael though it may be and has been said that da and michael li e and shakespeare belonged to no particular age or country but to all time and to the whole world yet it is nevertheless the glory of england and of the era that it produced shakespeare and it is the glory of in the century that it produced and michael was bom at near in e is father was an advocate and small landed proprietor â not rich but in what we may call genteel circumstances the boy early evinced talents for and music poetry and painting some think that to have a genius for everything is to doing several things the t by of italy tolerably and nothing but this is by no means the fact many if not most men who have in one thing have shown their superiority in several others being sent by his father to study under an artist named enraged his master by soon him yet all his thoughts were not of painting sometimes he was absorbed in sometimes eagerly studying and natural history a parallel case occurs in the more recent of i often admired said de the love he had for his art old as he was i saw him among the ruins of ancient rome out in the or along the banks of the a scene that pleased him and i often met him with his handkerchief full of stones moss or flowers which he was carrying home that he might copy them bom nature one day i asked him how he had attained such a degree of perfection as to have gained so high a rank among the great painters of italy he replied i ha neglected nothing the of italy q in like manner neglected nothing one day a poor peasant brought him a circular of wood cut from an old fig tree he had been and asked him if he would be good enough to paint something on it that would his cottage prompted by his wild fancy collected together from and river mud a most assemblage of and and out of them all a sort of monster which he painted as if issuing from the strangely wood it was so horribly natural that when his father saw it he started back in terror this however was not high art made several other studies of a far description and designed some very beautiful sacred and when he was about thirty years of age he was invited to to execute a colossal statue of his handsome person wit and elegance recommended him to the duke who retained him at his court about seventeen years he was at during the of charles the eighth q the t by of italy and of louis the twelfth his model of the statue was destroyed by the french soldiers who used it as a his patron the duke fell a victim to the french king the painting at by which we best know is the famous last supper little italian boys hawk plaster casts of it at our cottage doors at forty eight years of age returned to pursue his art at here he found a young and dangerous in michael twenty two years younger than himself they were rivals for the honour of painting in one side of the great council hall in the subject was to illustrate the history now even this little book must have shown that italian history is full of subjects for the historical artist selected for his subject the defeat of the general by the army in it was so wonderfully executed says his that the horses themselves seemed animated by the same as their nor is it possible to describe the variety of attitudes the splendour of the dresses and the of s of the warriors nor the incredible skill displayed in the forms and actions of the horses michael chose for his subject the moment before the same battle when a party of soldiers were surprised while bathing by the them to arms s design was preferred neither of the paintings now exist from went to rome and thence to where francis the first was then holding his court the french king received him with distinction and settled on him a of seven hundred gold crowns for life he accompanied him back to france and finding age and infirmity warn him of the approach of

1Charles Darwin

death prepared himself for it by devotion and acts of mercy and charity this truly great painter died in michael was of noble birth but poor his father desired he should apply himself to some occupation that should add to the income of the and strongly of his pursuing the fine arts but at length his objections were removed by a celebrated artist who pleaded his son s cause ith good and took him as his pupil the t bt of italy l m noticing the engaged in some of the rare antique fragments with which his garden was enriched was so with his genius that he undertook the entire charge of his training gave him an apartment in his palace and provided his father with an official situation e is treatment of the youth was indeed so flattering that it excited the violent jealousy of other students one of whom expressed his wrath by giving michael such a blow on the nose that it it for the rest of his life i felt the bone and yield under my fist as if they had been said half ashamed but then how he did provoke me one of them was but sixteen the other perhaps not much older so it was but a between two boys michael lost his patron just when he would have been most valuable to him and when the were driven from he took refuge in where he applied himself to thence he proceeded to rome where he thb t by of obtained so much reputation he was recalled to there it was that he after this he was engaged to the tomb of pope the second for which he designed his famous statue of moses the pope was not as might be supposed dead he was desirous of getting up a suitable monument for his future remains he was able to look after it himself had a great deal of intercourse with him and was employed by him to paint die ceiling of the chapel the pope was impatient and the painter was by him and indignantly quitted borne l his work unfinished the pope sent five him but in at length after much of friends he returned the pope was at supper in a rage he exclaimed instead of obeying our commands and coming to us thou hast compelled us to seek thee holy father cried michael falling on his knees my offence has not been from ill nature but i cannot brook the t by of hear the ignorant fellow cried a bishop thinking to with the pope one would think he did not know to whom he was speaking the pope gave the bishop a smart rap across the shoulders with his staff and said it is thou who art ignorant and â om our sight the poor bishop withdrew much and the pope a little called michael to him and gave him his blessing michael s paintings in the chapel are of art sir told his pupils that if they did not admire them when they first saw them they should study them again and again till they did admire them and when he concluded his last lecture he said i desire that the last name i utter in this place should be â michael i chapter op the fall of charles the fifth received the italian crown at from the hands of the pope and returned to germany after the chains of slavery on every state but one monarch of the two invested with the iron crown of acknowledged sovereign of the lords of and the of and the pope his mere servant and trembling at his frown â all these things him nothing as long as maintained her attitude it was evident therefore that a pretext would soon be found for attacking her and admiring her constancy and trembling for her safety offered to secure for her by his the emperor s protection but his offer was steadily declined the story op italy charles at what he deemed the of the sent an army under the prince of orange into to reduce the state to obedience this had been expected and the though without a single ally prepared with cheerfulness and to defend their freedom all their was necessarily on their national the his loom the smith his the his to arms for his beloved republic three thousand youths of the highest rank marched in procession to the cathedral and took a solemn oath to conquer or die two thousand elders in the presence of their families bound th by the same sacred engagement michael an flew to the defence of his native city poured his into her and assumed the office of general the the nobility freely iâ to the destruction of their splendid and gardens beyond the walls and in them to the ground the most sublime sacrifices were made with cheerfulness and the t bt of s as their circle became by the approach of the enemy each drawn closer to his neighbour s heart convinced of the impossibility of saving the republic died of a broken heart and many felt a gloomy that the would l e fatal but were none the less to risk their blood in the glorious cause the enemy at length appeared within sight of on beholding from the eminence on which they halted the lovely city in the below the splendour of its buildings and the beauty of its situation the troops their arms in exultation and exclaimed get ready thy golden for we are come to purchase with our i the prince of orange having reduced the open country surrounded the city with and commenced a regular yet the successfully defended for above a and during one of their brilliant the prince was slain this was however more than to the by the the story op italy fall of their brave commander and the destruction of his still it

1Charles Darwin

is supposed that had the made a general attack on the camp immediately on the prince s death they might have delivered their city unhappily long confinement starvation and the secret of had severed the that so long and nobly had bound this unfortunate people captain general of had treated with the enemy and on receiving the s orders to attack the imperial camp he refused well aware he had a party within the walls that would support him the ever since their from had been seeking to regain their position in it and won over by their to his eternal disgrace admitted the enemy into the city how much is achieved by fraud that could never be done by force i nothing no nothing e er shall make us if we unto ourselves will be but true but treachery within the walls of a house or a city the t by of d the uttle city of â equally the garrison the i beholding their submitted in despair to their fate and as a last resource endeavoured to procure honourable terms for their city they obtained the promise of general forgiveness and the preservation under certain of the semblance of liberty but scarcely was the treaty signed before it was broken a mock parliament was assembled consisting only of the of the under whose vote the principal of liberty were banished tortured or put to death and alexander de was proclaimed first grand duke of the republic s day was ended chapter xl of his woes near the hill of so famous for its sweet may still be seen an old tower on used by a great for his hard by is his country house kept till very and perhaps still much as he left it not in that but at a middle sized man with hair and beard of brown and keen blue eyes gazed intently through a with by himself and since known as a and took his first observation through it of the moon it appeared near i â as if it had been distant only two semi of the earth he gazed with intense interest then directed his wondrous instrument towards various and fixed stars which he beheld he tells us with incredible delight the of italy he returned to the moon he was soon able to trace on its of mountains deep hollows and other the dark and luminous spaces he regarded as seas and in different degrees the light of the sun important and as these were they were nothing to what this ardent made on the th of january at one o clock in the morning when directing his glass to the planet he observed three stars near it that were new to him in a straight line subsequent observation on following nights discovered to his amazement that these stars and another four in all round they were in fact his when he announced this discovery the world was in a burst into a fit of laughter from surprise rather than incredulity for a capacity for reasoning the capacity for believing on the other hand the absurd and obstinate would not so much as look through s to see if the thing were so the story of italy because they were sure it could not be would have been ashamed of such stupid however continued to add one brilliant discovery to another and the opposition which they encountered was more a triumph to him than a mortification he laughed merrily said something cutting and went on taking observations at length he announced as a certain fact that the sun did not move round the earth but the earth round the sun the clergy thought this was going a little too far one of them preached against him on his name by choosing for bis text ye men of why stand ye here looking up into heaven he was to the and after examining the charges against him its decree was that he should his doctrines and pledge himself that he would neither teach defend nor publish them in future shrugged his shoulders and promised he was not a martyr of science the system was therefore put down of course the earth could not go round the sun the story of italy if it were forbidden by the diverted his attention to a new method of finding the at sea observe he was not merely an he was a philosopher of the highest kind an into truth of every description except truth however he could not help teaching indirectly what he had denied formally and he did not conceal privately that his belief in the earth s round the sun remained he published a work on his theory in which he spoke of the ignorance of the in and language pope who had given him much support could no longer do so with was summoned to appear before the at rome and his advanced age and health were not allowed to excuse him worn out with illness and fatigue he arrived in borne on the th of february and having his arrival to the awaited its orders at the palace of the his examination commenced in april when h thk of t wm to the holy bnt the with which his were attended to was indeed contrasted with ihe conduct of the table was by die his own waited on him and slept in an adjoining apartment he fretted himself ill and the pope s cardinal him on his own responsibility and al him to to the s palace after the had examined he was allowed to defend himself which he did with some attempt at which was into an a of his offence on the day appointed for him to hear his sentence he was clothed in a dress and then conducted to his judges a long and tedious of his errors was read which he was told deserved but that this

1Charles Darwin

should not be inflicted if with a true penitent heart he and cursed his remained in the prison of the during the of italy d its pleasure and weekly for the next years the seven what could he o what he did was to obey orders â fall on his knees before the assembled lay his hands on the bible and swear never m e to teach the doctrine of the earth s round the â tan when he rose from his knees he signed his and was then committed to prison his was ordered to be at several at it was read in the church of and many of his friends had to hear his of what after all was true had spent four miserable days in prison he was permitted at the request of the to return to him in his palace he spent six months there with his k ind friend with no other than that he should not go out of doors for his judges were desirous to show that they had no personal hatred of him but only of his sin â which after all was none at the six months end he was permitted to b s thb of italy to his near under the same te hi of not the house he had two â both in the hard by at the who loved him with devotion eagerly undertook to the weekly or him â and it was allowed bnt she only lived to do so for a month and then her afflicted father mourned her with strong and tears often during the silent night watches he fancied himself called by his sweet child his darling maria of and of peter martyr will it be said in our time of italy the people that sat in darkness have seen a great light time will show â meanwhile our prayer for them mast be let the people praise thee lord not images of wood and stone yea let all the people praise from time to time some good and holy man arose who penetrated the darkness a little for himself and a few others though not for long was one of these he was a born of obscure parents at in early with a deep sense of religion he became a and observed the rules of holy living but without obtaining peace of mind and assurance of salvation at length said he i became satisfied that christ by his sacrifice of himself once offered the story op italy obtained full forgiveness for all who believe in him that religious vows of human invention are not only useless but sinful and that the roman church though calculated to the senses by its extraordinary pomp and splendour is and abominable in the sight of god in italy it was not the custom as in germany for the regular clergy to preach this task was performed exclusively by the and those of them who possessed the best gifts for the pulpit were sent by their chapters to preach in the principal cities during lent which was almost the only season of the year when the people enjoyed religious instruction s talents procured him the highest distinction in this office he was gifted with a sweet and noble eloquence and the s of his life lent its weight to the effect of his his external appearance also contributed to effect his snow white head and flowing down to his with a clear pale skin penetrating eye rendered him at once venerable and interesting he never rode on horseback or in a carriage the story of italy but performed all his on even when advanced in years when he visited the palaces of princes he was always welcomed with the honors due to a man of high rank yet wherever he lodged he retained all the simplicity of the the emperor the fifth when he was in italy heard preach and exclaimed afterwards with emphasis that man would make the stones weep only as he was not a stone we are not told that he wept however obtained some notable fruits of his preaching some their sins some made up quarrels some large sums of for the poor his fame reached cardinal at and he wrote to the excellent of begging her to prevail on with she had great influence to preach at during the next lent he did so and the cardinal wrote to ia that he was charmed with him beyond mc t him mo eloquent holy and what pleasure what joy o what delight has he n me i i will reserve his the story of italy praises till i can on them to you dear more at my leisure so little did his church perceive the tendency of his doctrines that he was twice chosen chief of his order he appealed directly to the in support of what he said but he persuaded and to what was good rather than against what was his grand doctrine was justification by faith which he thoroughly understood peter martyr was thirteen years younger than and bom in he must not be confounded with peter martyr d any more than michael with michael this peter martyr as much in judgment and learning as in natural he on st paul s and when he came to the third chapter of the first to the which the make one of the main pillars of the doctrine of he gave quite a different reading of it this raised the cry of against him and the of italy he was from preaching he appealed to rome and the was taken off he continued to preach but withdrew from to and thence to finally he his country visited england at the of edward the sixth became professor of divinity at oxford and afterwards at where he died in measures were taken by the pope for the of the opinions the however made an earnest

1Charles Darwin

request that might be sent to them a second time he preached to them with great acceptance but in consequence of making what was into a dangerous allusion to some passing events he was suspended from preaching and to appear at rome to answer certain charges against hearing that his death was certainly resolved on he escaped to where the amiable and pious b afterwards imprisoned for her own to the doctrines kindly assisted him to escape to this was looked upon as a great by the t by f who could not bear to lose him what has befallen thee cried thej what evil spirit has possessed thee like the king of ah how great thou in the eyes of all men oh how beautiful and fair thy coarse but sacred cap the cardinal s hat and the pope s thy gown the most glorious apparel thy bed of the couch â why why hast thou forsaken us s flight was the signal for the apprehension of some of his dearest friends and a severe inquiry into the principles of the some of whom escaped and others and so the in italy died out and was no more heard of chapter of and what stirring the streets of must we in the days of her university as the students poured forth from some popular lecture there were to be seen among the crowd scholars from turkey and as well as from every land in and about the middle of the sixteenth century there might have been recognized among them to whoever met the merry glance of his bright blue eye the tall graceful form of th admired of all observe rs and promising to rival his father in poetic fame â it was then thought he could hardly him soon we find him in the early bloom of life first under the patronage of cardinal d then to that of duke of f and the two beautiful his they the t by of italy were beauties â and singularly youthful in appearance the youngest was said to have the sweetest mouth in italy they were daughters of the unfortunate queen but did not inherit her principles they were learned gifted and accomplished dined at their and wrote charming verses on them both but his heart belonged to the youngest he was in continual attendance on her in that beautiful palace and its enchanted gardens where we are told that banks of flowers were watered by fountains that broke with their the stillness of the sleepy air where breezes sighed for very happiness amid leafy and shaded woods with statues and marble where broad flights of steps descended from to the river and where temples to and repose were decorated by the most admirable painters whether returned the love of the poet has never been known she had a tender feeling heart liked his flattering devotion doubtless spoke gently other became the of madly jealous and envious of him â he was sen ted to the duke his papers were seized examined and kept from him he was attacked by the duke turned his back on him the took their tone from their master he was weary of his court life and fled from it he had a dear sister living at alone and on foot he made his way to her sleeping in or lonely eating and with the and often paying them with a song or a story he traversed the country once he fell in with a band of robbers when they found who he was what cried they the writer of those charming verses and gave him a good supper and set him on his way he assumed a shepherd s garb and presented himself to his sister in this curious to know whether she would recognize him she did not and when he told her a long about himself his dangers and misfortunes her warm tears flowed fast could bear it no longer â he caught her in his arms the duke and could not let thb of him alone in this peaceful they him back with letters â he was the ornament of the court came came reluctantly felt if he returned within s influence he love her as the event proved him in the right the other sister had married the duke of who was younger than herself they had differences and she returned to live with her brother and sister she liked to have her share of s perhaps that had made the duke jealous not care for her she found it out and resolved he should repent it one night when he was with her something occurred which made him believe his wine was poisoned such things were common enough in those days he started up the page who h ing him â the s screamed â a scene ensued was put under arrest he resisted but to no good the duke had him kept in ward all night next meaning he was visited by the they found him feverish with indignation shook their heads went to thb t by of italy the duke and said they feared he was not quite himself after thi the lunatic asylum of was quite simple he was confined there and thus he wrote from it casting the the window â i who loved renown sympathy companionship with my kind am shut up in i who the dear face of nature and panted for fresh air am in a close cell i who was delicate in my apparel fastidious in my cleanliness nice in my food fare like a have not water enough to my thirst much less for washing i who like many imaginative persons am unable to support solitude am now lonely day and and day after day without seeing even a physician or a and only hearing the dismal sounds of ii and lashes oh tell me you who love me instead

1Charles Darwin

of seeking to cure me of being mad are they not trying to make me so writing implements indeed i am allowed but alas fancy and imagination are stifled in this dark cell my mind refuses to form images and i know not that my letters full of sad will ever reach their destination s the t et op italy earth earth earth cover not this injustice testify against it time to all duration meanwhile the lovely of an complaint and died he wrote ne on her â his heart was too sore his immortal poem was being published and so as to rob him of both fame and profit if this were not enough to turn a poet s brain what was his mind now could form images and as it supplied his only amusement he let it run to waste in a thousand wild and beautiful fancies sometimes he was talking in imagination with mighty men of old â sometimes with angels a great and effort was made for his by the princes of europe but without effect after a while it was stirred up anew by the pope the duke of and the duke of at length at the instance of the latter the duke of let go free he found italy ringing with praises of his poem he was thankful but it could never the past his health was ruined by his confinement thb of italy he went from place to place honoured and welcomed sometimes in a sometimes in a hospital sometimes the guest of his friend till after some yet not altogether unhappy years he closed his career by a pious and pathetic death regretted and honoured chapter of the war the island of was one of the most valuable possessions of the who had obtained possession of it in in the thb second insisted on the the island which he called a nest of who his subjects the had already stripped of nearly all her islands but and which were too valuable to yield without a struggle consequently a furious war broke out old has published a chronicle of this war in small printed in wherein they who are curious may read all the speeches made on both sides for and against it â i have my girlish translation of a good deal of it now on my knee â and how the resident at the of italy d sent word home of all that passed in the learnt it au from a of the grand and how the thereupon made ready their ships of war hired troops and other states to attack the but all this ia told in so many words that even an would be more than this little r â enough to say that there were only two of any strength on the island â and â the of which consisting originally of but men been by sickness but that little force defended with a bravery and constancy rarely if ever an immense army of it and commenced a fierce assault on these two before the s were ready they were fitting out a hundred which formed a fleet not unworthy of the best days of the republic but the were in much stronger force and obtained complete possession of the the sought foreign aid in vain and were cast on their own resources they s the t by of italy in a few to but were unable to obtain any decisive advantage over the enemy while the of were exposed to all the horrors of a close siege the rival encountered in the gulf of their vessels covered an extent of four miles and one of the most sea fights ensued that the world has ever known thirty thousand were slain two hundred of their vessels captured or destroyed but the victory was purchased by the death of five thousand of the and they were so exhausted by the battle as to be unable to further opposition to the who swept the the succeeding year with a second as formidable as the first was already theirs yielded after incredible sufferings and a peace was concluded leaving the in possession of the hardly prize chapter of s from this period italy in death like repose reduced beneath the yoke of spain and she was no longer distinguished in arts or arms the poor shadow of her ancient energy could only be seen in the contest of the with the whom they dispersed in spite of their being protected by in a conspiracy was discovered on which has founded his tragedy of preserved though with little regard to the real incidents and spain were not at war at the time but there was the greatest jealousy between them and the council of ten kept a close watch on the spanish the of one morning the were dismayed on entering the square of st mark at beholding d the of italy to the pillars the bodies of several strangers who had been executed during the night next morning several others were found hanging in like manner and news soon of the summary execution of while on foreign service he was a sea captain a little given to who had deserted the of and engaged himself to the republic the s proceedings were always conducted with such mystery that they could only be but it was that hundreds of had been c to the and afterwards secretly some dangerous seemed to have been discovered and the feeling against was so strong that though he thought it safest to meanwhile the grove and preserved usual silence nor was it five months aft that they public to be offered up in the ii for the of the state from danger it since appeared that the duke op of had of the the of italy crown of in which he was secretly encouraged by the council of ten but they became jealous of him and

1Charles Darwin

sought to him in s plot the duke was removed from his vice and died in prison had betrayed the duke to the twelve months before they took any steps to seize the and instead of the expected reward of his treachery he was executed with the rest among whom was a french captain of whom it is only known that he betrayed a plot â origin and object uncertain chapter of the story op if the proceedings of the council of ten with respect to s conspiracy are in mystery the and penetration of henry threw more light on their hasty and unjust treatment of a noble who fell a victim to their dark and jealous policy as many had done before him sir henry having acquired an intimate acquaintance with the italian language and customs during a five years residence on the and being also distinguished for his virtue learning and talents was appointed our to in and resided in that state nearly twenty years during the whole of that time he enjoyed the esteem of the and which was due to the and moderation of his conduct while the the of italy variety and point of his made it accounted a privilege to be admitted to his table in one of his letters he gives a full account of s case which so forcibly the proceedings of the council of ten that i think it worth and slightly there is says he among the of this government a very awful under the title of of state to which are commonly three gentlemen of the and natures to these about the of april last came two fellows of mean condition bom about the di but inhabitants of by name and â as some say uncle and nephew â certainly of near kindred which in this report is a circumstance for thereby they were to and consequently their united were of the less these persons with the of that time whose names may be spared about a reward which is usual for the discovery of certain gentlemen who at times and in disguised the op italy forms did haunt the houses of foreign ministers and in particular of the spanish agent at the this secret list they then an actual and thereby upon pain of death restrained from all conference in this state with public instruments by special permission to their discovery they one who served the same spanish agent and had as they said acquainted them with the of and such gentlemen to him but first they wished or so the thought fit to proceed against upon this double without examining the because that would stir some noise and then perhaps those others whom they meant to might take fear and escape thereupon coming from the next at night down the palace was by order of the suddenly muffled and do put in close prison and after usual his own denial not being against two agreeing he was by sentence of the council to accuse the of of ten some fifteen days â after his in prison and cm the twenty first of the said april was hanged by one leg on a gallows in the public from break of day till with all imaginable circumstances of his very face having been bruised by dragging on the ground after this the two pursue their occupation now animated with success and next they name but one of the whether by nature more advised than the rest or with that which was already done would by no means proceed any farther without a pre of the bat which might now the more conveniently and silently be taken because he had left the house of the spanish ag t and was married in the town to a s to make short they draw this man to a secret account where he doth not only having ever any gentleman in the agent s house but likewise all such interest as the pretend to have in his ce having never spoken with any the of italy of them but only three words by chance with the elder upon the di san thereupon the confronted him the they confess without any torture their malicious plot and had sentence to be hanged as was afterwards done but now the voice running of this detection the of the executed and make haste to present a petition to the that the of the be re examined about their uncle the council of ten upon this petition did very early in the morning and put to voices whether the should be satisfied in the first the balls were equal in the second there was one more they say in the negative box the petition therefore being denied no possible way remained for the to clear the of their uncle which likewise in the region of that government had been a stop to their own fortunes but by means of the to whom their the of souls before death and by him at of the said the matter was revealed whereupon ensued a solemn declaration of the council of ten touching the of the said just eight months and twenty days after his death â whether in this case there were any mixture of private passion or that perhaps some light to which was subject might the of the judges i dare not dispute but surely in three hundred and twelve years that the hath stood there was never cast on it a greater â s life and correspondence of sir h of the of thb success of the war encouraged the to project the capture of aad on pretence of attacking the sent thither a fleet containing fifty thousand men whose was as alarming as unexpected the defended themselves with bravery and the struggle was prolonged for five and twenty years during the whole of which time general of distinguished himself by his courage and genius from all

1Charles Darwin

parts of europe to assist the and towards the conclusion of the war six thousand french arrived burning to be led to immediate action was aware of its but he was the french were defeated and so discouraged by their ill fortune that no entreaties could induce them to remain on the t bt of italy the they were pro of than good for the were the elated ai d shelter of the french example were glad to abandon a struggle of which they were weary left with the remnant of an exhausted army to defend a heap of ruins was forced to surrender and returned to to reap injustice and ingratitude as the reward of his labours he was accused before the council of ten first of cowardice but that was too evidently false to be supported then of treachery and fraud on which charges he was imprisoned for an indefinite period fifteen years of repose and prosperity repaired the of war still in at length the republic found itself again engaged in a perilous war the sought in vain for some one of sufficient merit to take the command of the fleet none was found who could with and the injured commander was summoned from prison to resume his authority by a decree which afforded the most d the t bt of italy effectual proof of the false and nature of the charges against admirable in and prosperity did not disdain the high mission imposed upon him since he could benefit his country and by all his former bravery and ability in its behalf he took the noblest revenge chapter of the time of the fifth the kingdom of had been ruled by spanish to meet the constant demands of their masters and themselves they im r the country by heavy taxes on almost every necessary of life fish was flesh was oil was even flour and bread were so that the poor had scarcely any food except fruit â that four millions of gold might be sent to spain the country groaned and no wonder the of being appointed of found there was nothing in fact left to tax but fruit so he that the peasant s water and bunch of grapes must pay its d the t bt of italy toll i this was just too much the people would not it in one of the little villages on the gulf of was the vine covered cottage of a and his wife who maintained themselves by honest labour for such was the of his name put to sea at daybreak and cast his while his wife carried the produce of their little garden to the nothing could be or more innocent than their life one day s wife having filled her donkey s and driven it to the city was passing through the gates when a tax stopped her and demanded the new toll she thought he must be joking and became indignant when he persisted said she could not and would not â and was carried to prison when returned home at night he was stunned at the news that awaited him he hastened to to sue f his wife s and was told he could only obtain it on payment of a the of italy what could he do boat and fishing tackle would not half the he must sell his cottage if a could he found while brooding on this melancholy state of affairs and cursing the tax that had been his ruin he cheerfully by a young comrade who came to claim his assistance at a holiday game on the day of our lady of said he there is to be a mock fight in the market place and you and i are to be the leaders what say you will you head the christians or the sorrowfully told him he had graver things m his mind and related his story the young man listened with surprise and sympathy and after a pause said well we must see what can be done i by no means advise you to refuse being the captain of the mock fight for something may turn up to procure your wife s release was struck by this and began busily to consider how he might turn the occasion to his advantage a sham fortress was erected in die t the t rt of italy market place which three or four hundred men were to attack and as many to defend was to lead the and pity for his misfortunes was mingled in many of breasts with the desire to them on the appointed day he joined his companions early his feet were bare his head covered by the common red cap worn by the of his coarse linen were fastened round the waist by a striped cotton and he carried a long cane to the end of which was tied a pitched which in the course of the fight was to be set on fire and hurled into the fortress at the head of his little army be entered the market place where and his garrison were already stationed in all the glory of and tin that day was destined to behold a struggle though not of the christians and but was without any determined plan and the course of events was shaped by an accident the and were as usual the t bt of italy s setting out their and the s officers were going their rounds and collecting the ensued some threw their vegetables into the air declaring they would rather give them away than pay the tax and the strife was becoming alarming when suddenly springing up the church steps cried aloud people from this moment let there be no taxes in he was answered by a shout the crowd ever j minute increased and placing himself at its head proceeded towards the s palace news of the tumult flew to the d i

1Charles Darwin

ho trembling and dismayed obeyed the summons of the mob and stepped forth into the balcony he to the fruit tax and the flour tax also cried many voices this tax had not been of his and he therefore replied he had no power to it on this the people burst into the palace and commenced the work of while the duke fled to the of st with his the of italy and thence wrote to promising to all taxes on food and c him a bribe let the taxes be publicly said and the people will return to obedience on this the abandoned the hope of gaining and shut himself up in the though unprepared for the position in which he thus unexpectedly found himself placed directed all the energies of a strong and virtuous mind to the welfare of the people he caused the of to be by sound of trumpet hundreds of p sons who had been imprisoned for non payment of the new taxes and hung pictures of the king of spain in the streets under to remind or persuade the people they were not the cry was long life to the king and death to his bad government meanwhile the was forces om various parts to suppress the thb t bt of italy a a body of troops ad were met hj at tbe head of the by were taken prisoners aiid treated witb that they joined in the of liberty and ma a the e stooped to treachery in ht to the power of ha engaged a note to him â d then affected to yield to ths by on a certain day a general and formal tion of id be from the altar the took effect on the appointed day the was with eager and just as the treaty waa g read and general attention was on it a bullet whistled over s head succeeded by a of shrieks a d cries from all and the were soon overwhelmed beneath the knives and of the enraged people while s the t bt of who was raised his m much blood was shed and the instead of triumphantly his was more hated than ever from this time had melancholy of his fate he was not afraid however to attend a conference to which the invited him that they might settle the unhappy differences between the government and the people on this occasion he exchanged his peasant s garb for a suit of white and silver with a velvet hat edged with feathers multitudes of people accompanied him to the s palace and when his prolonged stay made them fear for his personal safety and urged them to call on him loudly he stepped forth said i am here and withdrew leaving them in a moment he could not help saying to the see how easily they may he governed the duke promised to all the taxes imposed since the time of charles the fifth and to observe the and withdrew well the story of italy with the conditions he had obtained a few days after he joined a pleasure party at the weather was intensely hot and feverish with excitement drank off a glass of water which produced such alarming effects that many attributed them to poison he was seized with frenzy and in his delirium gave orders for the and death of friends and enemies it was found necessary to bind and confine him during an interval of reason he became aware of his sad state and of his to the leader of the people he went to church and after the service he addressed the congregation who were hushed into the most painful silence he was charging them to remember how hard he had struggled for their liberties when reason again and he was borne away by two to one of their this was the moment seized on by the whom the had hired to him they lay in wait and called him by name d the t bt of himself by bis countrymen started to his feet in momentary of his demanding in his gentle tone my people do you call me a discharge of fire arms was the only answer and he fell exclaiming the enraged flew to on learning his death and the was at i to give way before them but the of a spanish fleet in the bay threw the into disorder a furious om and shipping and a regular assault a body of â ov ill directed efforts of the and the duke d obtained a triumphant to hie authority which be used with severity another story chapter op the tall of italy and now italy lay very low who wonder that during their long f m j her people at length learnt to feel like it became a matter of indifference to them whether were under the yoke of spain or â thej no could feel pride m their â nor affection its s they no loi distinguished themselves as soldiers merchants poets or tbe hearts that beat high f r fame now felt that pulse no more f had flourished in a free state the hard of had himself when his country fell the hands of lo ib thb twelfth and sold his hereditary possessions to relieve the necessities of his the story of italy sovereign michael had aided the defence of but those great examples no longer kindled and only a useless vanity the had introduced into italy a contempt for that commerce which had been considered no degradation to the noblest houses of and a new opera or a church procession became affairs of importance when glory and freedom had become empty names and they who cease to practise virtue gradually cease also to believe in it thus when the treaty of la in secured the independence of italy her people had lost their own dignity too completely to take their place

1Charles Darwin

among the nations it seemed as some one has lately said that they must be in blood â do something at the expense of their own lives â that should their moral worth they thought themselves more fortunate in having forty years of tranquillity spent in the most trivial amusements exchanged its for kings of the younger branches of the spanish royal family the first of these charles thb of d the seventh quiet reign of twenty one years was called from the throne of to that of on the death of his eldest brother and was succeeded by his son the fourth this young prince devoted himself to field sports and left state affairs entirely in the hands of an named who had come to in a low capacity and had gradually obtained the confidence of its king and queen such was the position of the court at the beginning of the first french revolution as for its grand of the house of were to their once honoured name and on the of their line the passed to francis of afterwards emperor of â s beloved he left the to his second son this prince was only eighteen years of age when he became duke of and he attached to himself the affections of his people by protecting the poor encouraging industry his and his safety to the fidelity of his subjects d the of italy he did not indeed possess the ring of king by he baffled and the of his enemies bat he sometimes which enabled him by an means to ascertain for the dispositions and wants of his people he limited the of and and and the was afterwards summoned from the to the empire and left his crown to his son joseph chapter f of ex n of the from and now comes a little gleam of light â but not the glorious dawn of day during a war concerning the succession the had been active of the french and who afterwards them â nd made a separate peace for themselves the seized the of themselves on the republic and sent the a strong force to take possession of it the were compelled to surrender to admit the troops within their walls to deliver up their military stores and to send six of their principal citizens to to the of the maria very this but the cruelty and of the on obtaining possession of the city made things still worse d the t by of italy twenty four millions of from the citizens in three months and continued to demand fresh supplies at length a trifling accident gave vent to popular feeling â in removing some the carriage of a mortar broke down people collected to look on furious words were uttered by an officer to a to whom he the fault and growing instead of cooler he at length struck the italian with his cane the man instantly returned the blow it was a spark to never did popular rage spread more rapidly the streets were showers of stones flung at the hurled from the house tops every house and palace poured forth its men and in twenty four hours not an remained in the hearing of the guarded the passes of the hills and in a few days the freedom of seemed re established l of napoleon s t italian campaign the house of is one of the most ancient in europe its possessions early included and itself which was a little independent spot that owed to none probably to germany â and certainly to france the counts of were very fond of territory and though they had no with italy except that of neighbourhood it was not long before they to their this was in the twelfth century in the the counts became and three centuries later the became kings when the french revolution in the last century broke out and declared war against europe victor king of sided with the the of against and in with king of sent a to where the english were holding out against and young napoleon tf jet little known was taken owing to the skill of who for his reward appointed general of an army destined to attack italy the objects of this attack were â first to the king of give up the second to the emperor s army on the by obliging him to send troops into to the pope having entered italy e the b ai the at the hâ â d men found himself opposed by two of die u and the under he obtained his first over the at a he ht west of and then dispersed the rf all fell into his hands the king of died of then crossed the po to the great of the who were t of italy rapidity of bis movements after the field of and making the terrible passage of the bridge of i he marched straight to hitherto napoleon had proved him a brilliant soldier he was now found to be also a cruel and conqueror the were forced to pay him eight hundred thousand pounds and tp send to paris twenty of their pictures to a people so proud of their in the arts appeared little short of aad they felt less the loss of their money than of the r which they as the glories of their country though the princes of aud had taken no share in the war yet they must pay toll and their picture mi statues w e from them thirty thousand disgusted with their flew to ann and burned their towns and put the inhabitants to death the continually defeated were driven from town to town till tbey reached the and the king of aâ ed for u d the of â the pope thus left proceeded to execute article the third of his instructions seized and lie was probably about to march upon rome

1Charles Darwin

when trembling for his capital sent hasty offers of peace was only to be bought off by a of money a hundred of the pope s finest pictures and statues a large supply of military stores and the towns of and the grand duke of had always been friendly to the french republic notwithstanding which napoleon seized his sea port of afterwards with him he said with glee i have just received letters from which tell me your brother has no longer a foot of territory in a new army took the field under general but he was no match for this brilliant young general and experienced repeated he threw himself into while it was and a new force under arriving from germany obliged napoleon to divide his troops two fiercely battles at the bridge of the story of italy terminated as usual in the victor j of and for two months he held possession of with the exception of four armies had been a fifth had no better success napoleon perceiving his error in having suffered himself and his men to become in italy now altered his course the and founded two so called in and after being reduced to the utmost extremity surrendered on honourable terms and then entered the of the pope whom he did not think he had sufficiently he was only met by raw whom he easily dispersed and the trembled at the prospect of a sack terrible as in former times the sixth hastened to make terms with the approaching victor and napoleon after him of a good part of his was content to leave him in possession of the rest the had remained till their boundaries they then awaited of x t an opportunity of revenge which when the french were drawn oflf from italy to germany by tlie charles they then declared war with france four hundred wounded in the at w re by the and the crew of a fr ch slain at under the eyes of the they had thrown off the mask rather loo soon the retreated before who a treaty with the and then set himself to punish the lion of t mark said he sh u the dust the on learning this amid discord and confusion in the midst of the french appeared on the coast and w e landing when the hastily sent w to bâ that it resigned itself entirely into his hands he demanded that it should give up the who had proposed e of the j prison s resign the po of on the and furnish france with five ships of war three millions of gold the amount laid ont in stores of their best the story of italy pictures and five hundred on these conditions he promised them tranquillity but insisted that his troops should occupy the capital on pretence of seeing that tranquillity established on this the proud its authority napoleon returned to where held a court that might not have disgraced an and a treaty was settled with which established the freedom of and under the names of the and while to to for these was handed over to her a ee gift â â to so low a point of degradation had â that haughty republic napoleon returned to france the to him for restoring a semblance of their republican freedom ll of napoleon s second italian campaign during napoleon s expedition to egypt the of assisted by the emperor of russia regained possession of alliance was soon dissolved and on his return from egypt prepared to revenge himself on having received the title of first of france he led his troops across the notwithstanding the of the season that he might take the by surprise old and soldiers yet remember that journey when they saw heavy guns dismounted from their carriages dragged over the rocks by the violent exertions of the men â a hundred of whom were sometimes to a single cannon others carried the wheels and carriages on their shoulders the of when they came to any difficulty cheered them on when they he made the drums beat and the trumpet sound a charge he knew the way to carry his point that s certain might we not apply the same way to many other things not the trumpet the drum â but the thus his army crossed those giant to the no small dismay of the and yielded to the french who then advanced to where they were joyfully hailed as the of liberty at this time the french garrison under in was closely by the on one hand and the english fleet on the other their distress for food was terrible was sold at half a crown a pound and when that was not to be had the soldiers devoured then shoes and fifteen thousand men perished of hunger and sickness and was compelled to surrender the english admiral said no terms could be too good for him and the french were allowed to march from the city with their d b thb t bt of halt arms and baggage and proceed to the head quarters of the principal members of the republic were allowed a passage to france in english ships and among them was the noted as much as poet the decisive battle of caused the general to offer the surrender of and on condition of aa un retreat to napoleon agreed to it returned triumphantly to and formally restored to its republican government â then leaving the care of italy to returned to paris had he but then died or been true i ah should we have were we cut off is the midst of our days great was the joy of the at being restored to liberty mind you they had not restored and were unworthy of it what we earn we don t or at any rate we den t des ve ow characters but that for which we

1Charles Darwin

have i and us most for which we strive blood the of italy and tears and prayers they did not deserve liberty neither did they have it f heir was of short duration soon after s return to paris he summoned four hundred and fifty italian to to consult on of importance the of men met them and proposed the establishment of a new form of government in italy â in which the authority should rest in a president vice president and council the not seeing his drift made no objection he then proposed that napoleon should be that this showed his aim pretty clearly they dared not they were not king john s â nor there a di among them so hastened from paris to â them very much promised they should not find him â and away went the weak silly not quite knowing what a weak thing they had done has been numbered among them but some say he was at it is certain however that he the t bt of italy considered and called the greatest of mortals from that time indeed napoleon was anxious to promote the progress and prosperity of especially of and have the french always been better masters than the from the days of charles of and his and glittering knights â they ride light as in their â the heavily as the old man of the sea on s back have a master at all and let him be english or french having assumed the authority of king was not long in seeking the name in he became emperor of the french and persuaded his council to accord him the additional title of of italy he crowned himself at with the iron crown of uttering the old god has given it me â beware who touches it and returned to paris leaving to act as his chapter of the french rule in italy napoleon gilded the chain and it with flowers public roads were made streets cleared churches finished palaces built schools and public institutions established cleanliness and general security promoted with such rapidity that more was done in a few years to change the outward of italy than had been previously effected in centuries all good excellent as far as it went the beautiful of begun by and left unfinished for ages was completed â the a palace of the arts and was fitted up for public schools of painting architecture and a royal and imperial school for the orphan daughters of italian officers was founded by napoleon who was aware of the neglected education of the i ladies it was d the t bt of italy placed under the of an accomplished and amiable the de lor all this was good as far as it went true these things were all paid for by taxes on the themselves lazy as thej were they grumbled no little yet several rousing from their and applying themselves to business nearly doubled their fortunes all this was good as far as it went what was wanting the sixth had been hurried to the grave by the french whose prisoner he died the seventh an amiable old man was compelled by napoleon to sign a treaty called the which he did with extreme reluctance of the time he said laying its even upon m napoleon next insisted on his travelling to paris to take part in his â a condescension to which no pope had stooped before was indignant at all thb and at the of his subsequent treatment on returning to rome he resolved to prove himself a thb of italy free agent and with no great reason to love us to be a party to the war with england which so napoleon that he him of his few remaining caused one of his to take military of borne declared the pope s dominion ended appointed a committee to govern the city to these and replied by the emperor but napoleon was not king john these were the days of fact not fable of knights but not of the round table of not rob what did napoleon care for being his general arrested the pope at midnight and sent him under a strong escort to many efforts were then made to the poor old man into a of his rights but remained firm and in consequence was kept prisoner three years at all italy was now napoleon s was governed by his step son prince the of italy no longer had a resident pope and as for the kingdom of it had heen declared no longer to exist and was therefore re created and presented to tb and afterwards to the republic which being interpreted means was formed into a new department of the french empire one of the emperor s sisters was queen of on the other two he bestowed the of and ah to pass away like the fabric of a vision that leaves not a wreck behind chapter the old restored in napoleon s power expired the were restored the of replaced italy in the hands of her former masters was seized tried and executed king the king of returned from his long exile and began to restore everything to the place in which he had left it five and twenty professors of the academy were dismissed for having received their of napoleon were restored erected the government everywhere re established was to the of the king of his kingdom thus became an italian state destined in less than half a century to take the of italy a prominent part ia italian affairs and were ruled by princes was subject to was connected by a royal marriage with italian soldiers were sent abroad italy was by the girls schools were with the of books a relieved from the vigilance of the french police rendered the roads thirteen kept in awe a town containing twelve hundred inhabitants a magistrate remarked to

1Charles Darwin

an english traveller it is strange that thirty two d maintained public security and that now we have two hundred and fifty of our own people are everywhere committed very strange and very sad at a man another as he came out of church in the presence of a large congregation exclaiming â â at length the d are gone who have stood in my way these three years chapter how the old collar the collar fretted as any collar does that is continually crying were and till even the temperate and were weary of their at length in a revolution broke out in and king was compelled to promise his subjects a constitution about the same time demanded a representative government the have been called the oi italy they are more hardy vigorous thoughtful less and impulsive than their southern brethren in the absence of their king charles his cousin charles p of he appeared favourable to reform but the king would not hear of it and the were bitterly disappointed x the of again ensued a the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play to kill time and thought that is in worthless amusements but it would not do there were some who could not in a general was planned it broke out in and but was speedily put down by s strong arm which then proceeded to punish charles s accession to the crown re awakened the hopes of the now stepped forth and him to the cause of liberty warning him of danger if he refused his reward was and whose rare gifts and even severe morals gave him wonderful then became a notorious leading many to violent deaths but never himself secret political forbidden meetings â such were the weapons of young italy and they exasperated the ruling powers without doing any good to the people in a detected conspiracy in led to the story of italy and and the bang was kept in awe by the government and even threatened with if he showed any favour to the thus they on or rather beneath the surface for another ten years when the eloquent and patriotic pens of and b began to advocate the cause of reform and shadow forth a future italian with the king of for its chief charles must have thrilled when he found the dearest most secret purpose of his life thus indicated and a warm response on being spoken to about the rigid economy which he had practised from the commencement of his reign he had answered it is to enable us to do great things and on another occasion the time is not yet come â like the little of smoke that an of nay as he was and strictly as the church the use of the to the he had read the forbidden the of italy book and copied into his the in â thou ma jest not set a stranger over thee that is not thy brother the thought the time was come and the ninth confirmed their burning desire by his reign with a general pardon of political for two years and progress strange sight went hand in hand amid the blessings of the people wherever good was to be done science promoted public order health and safety secured there was the good man seen placidly at work he was attempting the reform within the church that could only be made out of it and timidly him though at a distance grand duke of was a bitter enemy of progress nevertheless in he granted his people a free press and a national guard for which sixty thousand of his subjects went in procession to thank him by way of the seized which is in the states this excited compassion for the pope and charles warmly offered him support he even ventured to declare the of in writing that should a war for the of italy be by providence he would not hesitate to join it he too granted his people a free press and several improvements in all this our government cheered them on and led them to expect our countenance and sympathy ly woke these were watched with die utmost by other states in mo the expressed wish for reform was threatened with the newspapers were suppressed knots of two or three people were the mention of the pope and all persons commanded to keep in doors finally troops were in to the op and the op were the died and the duke succeeded her in the same system of prevailed in it was coupled with poor italy was crippled in the boot one of the old of torture while the injured people were ready to burst into and violence warning friendly voices from other quarters them to be temperate to do nothing by their to arrest the other the of inevitable march of events they listened and bade their bursting hearts be still they held meetings but not ones in which they shouted their king s name and in the same that of the pope at length a petition to the king of to show mercy and favour mild was drawn up and signed by count the b count and the answer was highly in consequence the sent the king word that unless liberal institutions were granted them before his birthday january th they should take up arms which they did the king terrified at the magnitude of the made some and then on hearing that men were about to march against him he suddenly changed his tone to one of entire sympathy with his people and promised them a constitution it was no fault of the that they believed in him especially as his new included a known liberal in a few days the new the t bt of constitution drawn up by appeared but before it could take events were by the revolution in france and the

1Charles Darwin

and flight of louis three hundred including the venerable returned to their native land on hearing of the what news awaited them on landing at they heard with transport that had been in and that the had thrown off their yoke and though almost had driven out and that was free it seemed like a dream this was in march on the th news of the at had reached it was like a spark to crowds assembled in the squares shouting arms and a guard and demanding a leader the put himself at their head and led them to the governor s palace sad to relate thâ re were wretches among the who fell on s and them to death it was a bad omen the story of italy the governor saved himself by flight leaving to supply his place count o who cried i will do what yon wish i will do what yon wish down with the police a guard cried the mob yes yes the police shall be set aside for a guard â ton must give it us in writing he did so trembling and in a little time the decree was published at the then they the streets crying â long live thb ninth long live independence and italy but the day was not won the under yet possessed the castle the gates and many strong positions in the city it remained to be proved therefore who should be masters of delicate women and tender children were seen tearing up the stones and carrying them into their houses to cast on the heads of their some prepared oil some boiling water some their knives brought forth their thb t bt of italy pieces or a stick with an iron point hun of were in the streets meanwhile the cannon heavily from the castle and were answered by the bells from thirty church suddenly a strong body of dispersed the crowd and carried off many prisoners two days the strife continued and the obtained and kept possession of the the great square and the palace they attacked the police the contest continued a day and a night on the th the formed themselves into a government and passed several the city was a complete battle field where balls shells and various fell on all sides the felt the want of assistance from other cities and threw urgent appeals to them over the walls they even sent them up in some of which fell in the others reached and in consequence thousands of to and from the tops of church the story of italy they might be seen winding their way among the rice and now and then falling on a body of within the city every one did what he observed the motions of the enemy through their from prepared and others melted lead for balls or prepared ladies fired guns and boys from surprised soldiers a citizen whose right hand was fired his gun with his left â a dying man wrote on the wall courage brothers with his blood the charity shown during these five days among the was universal in many houses the wounded were collected and carefully tended ladies prepared and â the rich gave wine and food s palace was taken his soldiers but not hurt his plate and furniture handed over to the government towards dusk on the fifth day the drew off his forces from the city and to conceal his departure had all his consisting of sixty thb of continually shifted from place to place and fired from different points to conceal his whereabouts a ball however discharged from one of these set fire to a great mass of straw and and a glare of light aa brilliant aa it was transient illuminated the retreat of the general these five days had cost five thousand men he retreated towards meantime the government of took suitable measures for public safety and order the were free chapter how the time seemed charles felt the time was come and gave his subjects their desired constitution â not in a panic or with mental but in real good faith soon he was leading a gallant army into italy to support the cause of freedom and of was so constrained by the of the time as to feel compelled to send him of his best troops as a was now beginning to tremble at the fire he had himself kindled and to feel that he had his church and himself his people for a constitution he hesitated â at length reluctantly and it was under the direction of his minister cardinal who was then as much the advocate for reform as he has since been its opponent s the t bt of the bravery of the king of and his two sons the of and by the of their troops met the they deserved the of two months were crowned by the battle of and the surrender of instead of at the extension of his own kingdom charles proclaimed to the that his sole aim was to complete the work so leaving them at the conclusion of the war to determine on their own form of government the did not reply to this generous announcement in the proper spirit and the arrival of among them completed their from charles a house divided against itself cannot stand and the elements of failure were already to be perceived the pope withdrew his sanction from the war and the king of withdrew his troops hitherto had not thrown off the mask but on the approach of the th of may when the chambers were to be opened it began to be that he was only going to grant the story op italy a modified different from that to which he had pledged himself as this proved to be the case the their resignation which the king refused the day was spent in fruitless consultation at length

1Charles Darwin

the king sent word to the weary that he would make some and they were about to consent to this compromise when one of their party rushed wildly into the hall exclaiming the troops are preparing to attack us â nothing remains but for us to defend ourselves whether this were indeed the truth cannot now be known the alarm spread the people threw up in the streets the military were drawn out and opposed them face to face all night without a shot being fired on either side there is too much reason to think had wished and to bring on this crisis he grimly observed too can make a demonstration three shots were unhappily at length fired from the people s side which was instantly answered by a of and then the day s slaughter s the of italy began at least a thousand lives were sacrificed â those of the as well as the its the were by the bait of plunder to become the king s most active and effective agents and and without remorse houses and shops were stripped the sick murdered in their beds the wounded flung from windows mothers slain with their meanwhile the with the and charles was called king of north italy unfortunately he did not pursue immediately after the battle of and the had time to himself safely behind the while the made brilliant but useless and laid unsuccessful that had recently declared itself a free republic was now by the towards the end of may however were attempted by the government with and but the in both cities fearing the injury to their cause to communicate these offers of to charles and the of italy thereby drew a fearful on themselves yet the were great the only question is would they hare been it is probable only desired to gain time at length had concentrated a hundred thousand troops round the had but sixty thousand and they were dispersed over a large field of operations after many engagements without decisive results the battle of was fought on the th of july the were the many of whom had not tasted food for hours the engagement lasted eleven hours heat was intense many died from exhaustion others were seen firing on their knees when they were too weak to stand it need hardly be said the were defeated the king drew off the shattered remains of his army to but was the scene of and dismay an assembled beneath the palace windows hoarsely the king as their and attempted to force an entrance t the of italy pale bat collected charles would allow no to be risked in his defence i would be said he than see my soldiers take the life of one italian in my behalf on foot therefore and at midnight he escaped from the city and led his war worn soldiers without the walls they were followed by a long train of who could not endure to submit anew to the yoke half seemed to enter on voluntary exile the roads were choked with carts and carriages when the entered the city it seemed asleep or dead chapter but was not what then the master on the collar and kicked his dog into its martial law were matters of course england and france interposed but with little success for charles boiled at being by his friends as well as hunted down by his enemies and was equally opposed to any concession then came the of the pope s new minister count a man who had been disposed to promote the people s welfare with the utmost but had not inspired confidence among the it their own cause desire of liberty became confused with lawless and was punished as such it is thought the pope might at this time have saved his country instead of that he fled from it sm thb t bt of he escaped to and became die tool of its king nothing could be more more destitute of order and co operation than what ensued the head of the to maintain order in rome but was neither by the pope nor supported by his the were for a assembly of representatives from every italian province who were to meet in rome and deliberate on the of the country felt the danger of it yet unable to carry it out the pope refused even to hear of it and the were forbidden to enter the to reconcile with his subjects the king of then offered to support his cause with ten thousand men but was coldly refused the breach daily retired from the those who remained in office the pope and on the th of february the roman republic was proclaimed instantly four great powers were against it the of italy a spain france resolved to replace tbe pope the grand duke of affected to yield to the wishes of his people but had a secret understanding with and withdrew for safety to thinking his time was now come appeared in and was publicly by liis rival as the greatest calamity of all italy he was the idol tf t e as much so as o of the irish the duke of was and he fled in great alarm to was again to try the fortunes of war the tion of england and france failed in terms from and this honourable had no choice except between two parties â the of his country the hot moreover his troops had been with and made to suppose him to the cause under these circumstances he was willing to fight for his country but as a simple officer he begged that a general might be sent from france two the of italy were sent neither of them suitable for a command one was a pole the other a who had fought for doubtless when he heard who were to be his the campaign lasted three days rapidly

1Charles Darwin