The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-15
Nv.

Nv.
In all Of Heine's writings there is none bet
ter calculated to exhibit the peculiar sudden
turns and elusive flavor OF his humor than the
passage reproduced In this volume wherain
he recalls his youth and education. Referring
to the method Of instruction at the school in
which he was q pupil. he recalls that every
thing was got by heart-"The Roman Kings.
chronology. Greek. Hebrew. geography. Cor
man. mental arithmetic-Lord! My head is
still Riddy with It! All must be learned by
heart. And much OF 1t was eventually to my
advantage. For had / not learned the Roman
Kings by heart It would subsequently, have
been a matter OF perfect Indifference to mo
whether Niebuher had or had not proved that
they never really existed" As for the Latin.
he tells the lady to whom lie Is %recounting
these "reminiscences that she really can
have no idea how muddIed 1t is. The
Romans would never have found time
to conquer the world II they had been
obliged first to learn Latin. Those happy
people knew in their cradles the nouns with
an accusative in i'm. y y = 1t went better in
Hebrew. for l always had a great prediction
for the Jews. although they to this very hour
have cruciiled my good name: but ! never
could get so far in Hebrew MS my watch. which
had an Intimate intercourse with pawnbrok-
ers. and In consequence acquired many Jew
ish hablts for instance. 1t would not 60 on
Saturday. " = Meanwhile / learned much
moro German. and that Is not such child's play.
For We poor Germans who have already been
sufficiently plagued with soldiers quartered
on us. military duties. poll taxes. and q thou
sand other exactions. must needs over and
above all this torment each other with accu-
satives and datives.
1T o,ocaoIa1 hatta. u not,.o1 It.z.. -
there we find fewer changes. and We always
have standard engravings OF apes. kangaroos.
zebras. rhinoceroses. &c. And having many
such pictures in my memory It often happens
that at first sight many mortals appear TO me
like old acquaintances.
II did we'll in mythology: I took real delight
in the mob OF gods and Coddesses who ruled
the world in Joyous nakedness. l do not be.
lieve that there WAS a schoolboy in ancient
Rome who knew the chief articles OF his cate
chism-that Is. tho loves OF ~yenus-better than
]. To tell tho truth. it seems to me that II we
must learn all the heather gods by heart. we
might as well have kept them from the first
and we have not perhaps made so much out
OF our new Roman Trinity. or even our jewish
monothsism. Perhaps that mythology was
not In reality so immoral as We imagine. and
1t was. for example. q very decent thought OF
hoiii0 o W thS ' FCbao - ho
band.
But l succeeded best OF all in the French
class Of the Able d'Aulnoi. o French smigrs.
who had written q number OF grammars. and
wore a red wig. and jumped about very ner-
vously when he recitsd his Art pOetiQue and his
Historic ARemande. He was the only mar In
the whole gymnasium who taught German
history. Still French has its difficulties. and
many bitter words came In. I remember stlll.
as though 1t happened yesterday. the scrapes
i got into through Ia religion. Six times ca mt
the question: Henri. what Is the French for
tho faith"r Aud six times. ever more
tearfully. l replied: 1T Is called Il
crsdi.' And at the seventh question. with
q deep cherry-red face. my furious examiner
cried. 1t 10 called Ia religion and there was
. rain OF blows. and all my school fellows
laughed. Madame. since that day l can mover
hssr the word religion but my back turns pale
with terror and my checks rod with shsma.
And to speak truly. 10 credit has during my
life stood me in better stead h . u religion
Farblsu. madame. I have succeeded we'll In
French. i understand not only patois. but
even srlstocratlc nurse-msid French"
Hsins goes on to say that he learned per-
haps as much from a French drummer as from
any other instructor. and that until he heard
that man drum he never understood the story
OF tbs taking OF the Bastille. OF the Tuileries.
and the like In our school e~ompsndiums
OF history we merely read hon their HIGH
nesses the Dukes n PrinceA with the most
] noble spousss Of the a~torssAid.wsrs bshssdsd