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Article CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF A DUMB PHILOSOPHER. Page 1 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Account Of A Dumb Philosopher.
CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF A DUMB PHILOSOPHER .
[ CONTINUED FROM VOL . x . P . 3 65 . ]
I TRIUMPHED , however , at last , when , at near twelve o ' clock , the 1 rest of the company being gone , and --our second bottles almost empty , he at once , with a graceful smile and countenance , broke out iii the following words , which he directed to me , in the French idiom : ' Sir , ' said he , ' I perceive you are a stranger , and therefore-speak of travellerswhich
to you in French , the universal language , , I presume , you understand . ' To carry on the humour , I answered him only with a nod . ' Sir , ' continued he , ' I must confess you have out-done me in my own way , and I admire it the more in you , as in Hi it is the result of many years thoughts and reasoning with myself : but in at leastif I be allowed to jud byour ageit is
you , , may ge y , hardly of so long a standing ; may I presume to ask you your country ?' This question almost puzzled me ; 1 had told my landlord I was a German ; but feared to say the same to him , lest -he should discover me by mv speech : 1 had , however , the presence of mind to answer
him , without hesitation , that I was a Swiss ; a nation , which , though they generally understand German , speak it very corrupt !)' , and I thought the progress I had made in that tongue mig ht enable me to imitate their jargon , by larding my discourse with a pretty many French words , tacked to German terminations , an affected way , which prevails as well in Switzerland as in Germany . ' I left my native country' continued I' youngand have been many years
, , , absent , iu several parts of Europe ; but have spent much the greater part of my time in England ; I have been before in Germany , in the suite of a public minister , who went from the Court of Great Britain to the Imperial Court - , lam now going again to Vienna , in my way to Italy , and have taken this route , for the opportunity of visiting this part of Germany . And as for my taciturnity , on which
von are pleased to compliment me , I think myself obliged , in honour , to undeceive yon , and te !! you it is a meer borrowed mask . As I propose to spend some weeks here , I desired my landlord to recommend me to the acquaintance of some gentleman of learning ; upon Which he gave me a sketch of your character , and it appeared to me . in so amiable a light , that I resolved upon this , I hope innocent ,
stratagem , to break your accustomed silence , aud open a way to your friendship : I have succeeded in the first part of my attempt , and it low depends upon your goodness to crown the remainder of it with the same success . ' 1 found he was a little fluttered upon my mentioning our landlord ' s
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Account Of A Dumb Philosopher.
CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF A DUMB PHILOSOPHER .
[ CONTINUED FROM VOL . x . P . 3 65 . ]
I TRIUMPHED , however , at last , when , at near twelve o ' clock , the 1 rest of the company being gone , and --our second bottles almost empty , he at once , with a graceful smile and countenance , broke out iii the following words , which he directed to me , in the French idiom : ' Sir , ' said he , ' I perceive you are a stranger , and therefore-speak of travellerswhich
to you in French , the universal language , , I presume , you understand . ' To carry on the humour , I answered him only with a nod . ' Sir , ' continued he , ' I must confess you have out-done me in my own way , and I admire it the more in you , as in Hi it is the result of many years thoughts and reasoning with myself : but in at leastif I be allowed to jud byour ageit is
you , , may ge y , hardly of so long a standing ; may I presume to ask you your country ?' This question almost puzzled me ; 1 had told my landlord I was a German ; but feared to say the same to him , lest -he should discover me by mv speech : 1 had , however , the presence of mind to answer
him , without hesitation , that I was a Swiss ; a nation , which , though they generally understand German , speak it very corrupt !)' , and I thought the progress I had made in that tongue mig ht enable me to imitate their jargon , by larding my discourse with a pretty many French words , tacked to German terminations , an affected way , which prevails as well in Switzerland as in Germany . ' I left my native country' continued I' youngand have been many years
, , , absent , iu several parts of Europe ; but have spent much the greater part of my time in England ; I have been before in Germany , in the suite of a public minister , who went from the Court of Great Britain to the Imperial Court - , lam now going again to Vienna , in my way to Italy , and have taken this route , for the opportunity of visiting this part of Germany . And as for my taciturnity , on which
von are pleased to compliment me , I think myself obliged , in honour , to undeceive yon , and te !! you it is a meer borrowed mask . As I propose to spend some weeks here , I desired my landlord to recommend me to the acquaintance of some gentleman of learning ; upon Which he gave me a sketch of your character , and it appeared to me . in so amiable a light , that I resolved upon this , I hope innocent ,
stratagem , to break your accustomed silence , aud open a way to your friendship : I have succeeded in the first part of my attempt , and it low depends upon your goodness to crown the remainder of it with the same success . ' 1 found he was a little fluttered upon my mentioning our landlord ' s