SENECA'S SPEECH TO NERO. 105 Cheicks ware aware (1) of his intentions, but that being offended by the treatment which had been inflicted upon the Cheick Saddah, they made no opposition to it. The assassin, taking advantage of the moment that Kleber was walking in the garden of the Palace Ellequier, presented a petition to him, and while he was reading it plunged a randjar into his bowels; he was tried (2) and executed, as well as four Cheicks his accomplices. Previous to this, several individuals had been sent in 1798 and 99 by Djezzar Pacha, to wage the sacred war against Napoleon; but as the latter was greatly favoured by the Cheicks, they opposed it, and consequently saved his life. He twice owed his preservation to the respect which he paid to the customs, privileges, manners, and religion of the country. THE SPEECH OF SENECA THE PHILOSOPHER TO NERO. May it please the imperial majesty of Cæsar favourably to accept the humble submissions and grateful acknowledgments of the weak though faithful guide of his youth. It is now a great many years since I first had the honour of attending your imperial majesty as preceptor, and your bounty has rewarded my labours with such affluence, as has drawn upon me, what 1 had reason to expect, the envy of many of those persons who are al (1) To be aware, être prévenu. (2) Tried, jugé. ways ready to prescribe to their prince, where to bestow (1) and where to withhold (2) his favours. It is well known that your illustrious ancestor Augustus bestowed on his deserving favourites Agrippa, and Mecænas, honours and emoluments, suitable to the dignity of the benefactor, and to the services of the receivers : nor has his conduct been blamed. My employment about your imperial majesty has indeed been purely domestic: I have neither headed your armies, nor assisted at your councils. But you know, sir (though there are some who do not seem to attend to it), that a prince may be served in different ways, some more, others less conspicuous, and that the latter (3) may be to him as valuable as the former (4). " But what, say my enemies, "shall a private person (5), of equestrian rank, and a provincial by birth, be advanced to an equality with the patricians? shall an upstart (6) of no name nor family, rank (7) with those who can, by the statues which make the ornament of their palaces, reckon backwards a line of ancestors long enough to tire out the Fasti (8)? Shall a philosopher who has written for others precepts of moderation and contempt of all that is external, shall he (1) To bestow, accorder. (2) To withhold, retenir. (3) The latter, celui-ci ou celle-ci. (4) The former, celui-là ou celle-là. (5) A private person, un simple particulier. (6) An upstart, un parvenu. (7) To rank with, figurer avec, prendre rang avec. (8) Fasti, almanach contenant la liste des courtisans, des familles nobles, etc. SENECA'S SPEECH TO NERO. 107 himself live in affluence and luxury? shall he purchase estates (1) and lay out money (2) at interest? shall he build palaces, plant gardens, and adorn a country at his own expense and for his own pleasure?" Cæsar has given royally as became (5) imperial magnificence. Seneca has received what his prince bestowed: nor did he ever ask; he is only guilty of not refusing. Cæsar's rank places him above the reach of invidious (4) malignity. Seneca is not, nor can be high enough to despise the envious. As the overloaded soldier or traveller would be glad to be relieved of his burden, so I, in this last stage (5) of the journey (6) of life, now that I find myself unequal to the lightest cares, beg (7) that Cæsar would kindly ease me of the trouble of my unwieldy (8) wealth. I beseech him to restore to the imperial treasury, whence it came, what is to me superfluous and cumbrous (9). The time, and the attention, which I am now obliged to bestow upon my villa and my gardens, I shall be glad to apply to the regulation of my mind. Gæsar is in the flower of life. Long may he be (10) equal (1) Estates, terres, biens. (2) To lay out money, employer de l'argent. (3) To become, convenir. (4) Invidious, envieux. (5) Last stage, dernier relais. (6) Journey, voyage; en parlant des voyages par mer les Anglais disent voyage. (7) To beg, prier, supplier. (8) Unwieldy, énorme, difficile à remuer. (9) Cumbrous ou cumbersome, embarrassant. (10) Long may he be, puisse-t-il être longtemps. to the toils of government! His goodness will grant to his worn-out (1) servant leave to retire. It will not be derogatory from Cæsar's greatness, to have it said that he bestowed favours on some who, so far from being intoxicated with them, showed that they could be happy when (at their own request) divested (2) of them. FAME. Fame, like all other things which are supposed to give or to increase happiness, is dispensed (5) with equality of distribution. He that is loudly praised will be clamorously (4) censured; he that rises hastily into Fame, will be in danger of sinking (5) suddenly into oblivion, MEMORY. The necessity of Memory to the acquisition of Knowledge is inevitably felt (5) and universally acknowledged, so that scarcely any other of the mental faculties are commonly considered as necessary to a student: he that admires the proficiency (7) of another, always attributes it to the happiness of his Memory: and he that (1) Worn-out, usé, épuisé. (2) Divested, privé, dépossédé. (3) Dispensed, distribué. (4) Clamorously, hautement. (5) To sink, tomber, s'enfoncer, couler bas. INVENTION OF THE GAMUT. 109 laments his own defects, concludes with a wish that his Memory were better. INVENTION OF THE GAMUT. About the year 1100, a Benedictine (1) monk named Guido Aretini, a native of Tuscany, having a very musical ear, was struck with the inexpressive and unharmonious manner in which the monks chaunted or rather bawled out (2) the litanies and Latin hymns. His delicate ear told him that certain syllables of the verse should be more emphatically expressed than others; and being particularly disgusted with their manner of singing the hymn dedicated to ST. JOHN, he took it and marked the emphatic syllables with points or dots in the following manner. Ut queant laxis Resonare fibris Mira gestorum Famuli tuorum. Solve polluti Labii reatum, Sancte Johannes. This notation gave him the syllables UT RE MI FA SOL LA. A note however was yet wanting (3) to complete the natural scale (4); he added a dot (5) and marked it (1) Benedictine, bénédictin, de St.-Benoit. |