Francis I., which is related by Blaise de Montluc. Having outridden all his followers, the king took shelter at nightfall in the cabin of a charcoal burner, whose wife he found sitting alone on the floor before the fire. She told him, when he asked for hospitality, that he must wait her husband's return, which he did, seating himself on the only chair the cabin contained. Presently the man came in, and, after a brief greeting, made the king give him up the chair, saying he was used to sit in it, and it was but right that a man should be master in his own house. Francis expressed his entire concurrence in this doctrine, and he and his host supped together very amicably on game poached from the royal forest. 66 Man," said Ferdinand VII. to the Duke of Medina Celi, the premier nobleman of Spain, who was helping him on with his great coat, man, how little "At home I am great," replied the you are! house I am a king" (Spanish).' 66 When I am in my own 1 Mientras en mi casa estoy, rey me soy. PRESENCE. ABSENCE. SOCIAL INTERCOURSE. 66 Long absent, soon forgotten. Friends living far away are no friends" (Greek). "He that is absent will not be the heir" (Latin).1 "Absence is love's foe: far from the eyes, far from the heart" (Spanish).2 "The dead and the absent have no friends" (Spanish). "The absent are always in the wrong" (French).* "Absent, none without fault; present, none without excuse" (French)." Against this string of proverbs, all running in one direction, we may set off the Scotch saying,— They are aye gude that are far awa'; and this French one: "A little absence does much Without affirming too absolutely that— good." 1 Absens hæres non erit. 2 Ausencia enemiga de amor: quan lejos de ojo tan lejos de corazon. * A muertos y a idos no hay mas amigos. 4 Les absents ont toujours tort. • Absent n'est point sans coulpe, ni présent sans exouse. "Un peu d'absence fait grand bien. 2 Friends agree best at a distance which was a proverb before Rochefoucauld wrote it down among his maxims-we may admit that "To preserve friendship a wall must be put between " (French);1 and that "A hedge between keeps friendship green" (German). "Love your neighbour, but do not pull down the hedge" (German).3 "There are certain limits of sociality, and prudent reserve and absence may find a place in the management of the tenderest relations."(Friends in Council.) This lesson the Spaniards embody in two proverbs, bidding you "Go to your aunt's (or your brother's) house, but not every day." Friends meet with more pleasure after a short separation. "The imagination," says Montaigne, "embraces more fervently and constantly what it goes in search of than what one has at hand. Count up your daily thoughts, and you will find that you are most absent from your friend when you have him with you. His presence relaxes your attention, and gives your thoughts liberty to absent themselves at every turn and upon every occasion." Better be unmannerly than troublesome. I wad rather my friend should think me framet than fashious. -Scotch. That is, I would rather my friend should think me 1 Pour amitié garder il faut parois entreposer. 2 Ein Zaun dazwischen mag die Liebe erfrischen. 3 Liebe deinen Nachbar, reiss aber den Zaun nicht ein. A casa de tu tia, mas no cada dia. A casa de tu hermano, mas no cada serano, strange (fremd, German) than troublesome (fâcheux, French). Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest. "Aweel, kinsman," says Rob Roy to the baillie, "ye ken our fashion-foster the guest that comes, further him that maun gang." "Let the guest go before the storm bursts" (German).* 8 If the badger leaves his hole the tod will creep into it.-Scotch. "He that quits his place loses it" (French). "Whoso absents himself, his share absents itself " (Arab). 1 El huesped y el pece á tres dias hiede. 2 Lass den Gast ziehen eh das Gewitter ausbricht. 3 Qui quitte sa place la perd. FRIENDSHIP. 66 He is my friend who grinds at my mill. That is, who is serviceable to me-a vile sentiment if understood too absolutely; but the proverb is rather to be interpreted as offering a test by which genuine friendship may be distinguished from its counterfeit. Deeds are love, and not fine speeches" (Spanish).' If you love me, John, your acts will tell me so (Spanish). "In the world you have three sorts of friends," says Chamfort; "your friends who love you, your friends who do not care about you, and your friends who hate you." 2 Scotch. Kindness will creep where it canna gang. · It will find some way to manifest itself, in spite of all hinderances. As Burns sings, "A man may hae an honest heart, Though poortith hourly stare him; A man may tak a neebor's part, Yet no hae cash to spare him." Friendship canna stand aye on ane side. - Scotch. It demands reciprocity. "Little presents keep up 1 Obras son amores, que no buenas razones. ? Se bien me quieres, Juan, tus obras me lo diran. |