Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, RichterCarlyle, Thomas
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Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, Richter
Carlyle, Thomas
German fiction -- Translations into English
You in truth are all aware that, directly in the teeth of this calumny,
it is courage, it is desperadoes (provided they be not braggarts and
tumultuous persons), whom I chiefly venerate; for example, my
brother-in-law, the Dragoon, who never in his life bastinadoed one man,
but always a whole social circle at the same time. How truculent was my
fancy, even in childhood, when I, as the parson was toning away to the
silent congregation, used to take it into my head: "How now, if thou
shouldst start up from the pew, and shout aloud: I am here too, Mr.
Parson!" and to paint out this thought in such glowing colours, that for
very dread, I have often been obliged to leave the church! Anything like
Rugenda's battle-pieces; horrid murder-tumults, sea-fights or Stormings
of Toulon, exploding fleets; and, in my childhood, Battles of Prague on
the harpsichord; nay, in short, every map of any remarkable scene of
war: these are perhaps too much my favourite objects; and I read--and
purchase nothing sooner; and doubtless, they might lead me into many
errors, were it not that, my circumstances restrain me. Now, if it be
objected that true courage is something higher than mere thinking and
willing, then you, my worthy Friends, will be the first to recognise
mine, when it shall break forth into, not barren and empty, but active
and effective words, while I strengthen my future Catechetical Pupils,
as well as can be done in a course of College Lectures, and steel them
into Christian heroes.
[Note 103: Good princes easily obtain good subjects; not so easily
good subjects good princes: thus Adam, in the state of innocence, ruled
over animals all tame and gentle, till simply through his means they
fell and grew savage.]
[Note 5: For a good Physician saves, if not always from the
disease, at least from a bad Physician.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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