American people are not as selfish as Italians. Italians will hate a man for ever for a Paul or Bioca. I got acquainted with an Italian at the work shop of Hiram Powers, and this young man volunteered to show me Florence, which would of course save me the expense of a lacquey; and my old lacquey told me he wished this man was dead, as he had deprived him of a Ducat. An English writer, tells a tale on Fontenelle thus: "He once ordered some asparagus cooked in oil for his dinner, for he was passionately fond of it; in five minutes afterwards, an abbey came to see him on some church politics, and as it is usual in France to ask ones friend how he wishes his dinner cooked and name what you have, Fontenelles told the old man what he had, and the old man said he would have half of the asparagus cooked in butter. Fontenelles thought it a great sacrafice, but said nothing. Thirty minutes afterward the abbey's valet came down in the parlor and exclaimed in great sorrow that while the abbey was washing he was taken with an apilepic fit and was dead. Fontenelles struck the youth on the shoulders and said, "run to the kitchen and tell the cook, to cook all the asparagus in oil."" Now this was indeed a selfish man. Sam Slick asked a country beaux "why it was that such a fine looking gentleman as himself was not married where so many pretty ladies were?" His answer was "when I offer my hand to a lady, she will be a lady!" This is another selfish man. An Irishman once drinking his neighbors wine was too selfish to testify his approbation of its merrits, by drinking a toast of such good wine to his neighbor. At last he was compelled to drink one, and he said, "here is to my wifes husband." The French is celebrated for eating, the Yankee for his pride, and Irishmen for their toddies. "The lads and lasses blightly bent, To mind both soul and body, Set round the table weel content And steer about the toddy." But I have never found even wit, to justify an Italian's selfishness, only sublimity of meanness is an Italian's selfishness. BACK TO PARIS