MY father put on his spectacles—looked,—took them off,—put them into
the case—all in less than a statutable minute; and without opening his
lips, turned about and walked precipitately down stairs: my mother
imagined he had stepped down for lint and basilicon; but seeing him
return with a couple of folios under his arm, and _Obadiah_ following
him with a large reading-desk, she took it for granted ’twas an herbal,
and so drew him a chair to the bedside, that he might consult upon the
case at his ease.
——If it be but right done,—said my father, turning to the _Section—de
sede vel subjecto circumcisionis_,—for he had brought up _Spenser de
Legibus Hebræorum Ritualibus_—and _Maimonides_, in order to confront
and examine us altogether.——
——If it be but right done, quoth he:—only tell us, cried my mother,
interrupting him, what herbs?——For that, replied my father, you must
send for Dr. _Slop._
My mother went down, and my father went on, reading the section as
follows,
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *—Very well,—said my father, * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *—nay, if
it has that convenience——and so without stopping a moment to settle it
first in his mind, whether the _Jews_ had it from the _Egyptians_, or
the _Egyptians_ from the _Jews_,—he rose up, and rubbing his forehead
two or three times across with the palm of his hand, in the manner we
rub out the footsteps of care, when evil has trod lighter upon us than
we foreboded,—he shut the book, and walked down stairs.—Nay, said he,
mentioning the name of a different great nation upon every step as he
set his foot upon it—if the EGYPTIANS,—the SYRIANS,—the
PHOENICIANS,—the ARABIANS,—the CAPPADOCIANS,——if the COLCHI, and
TROGLODYTES did it——if SOLON and PYTHAGORAS submitted,—what is
TRISTRAM?——Who am I, that I should fret or fume one moment about the
matter?