Ask to see _Lettres Physiques et Morales sur l'Histoire de la Terre et
de l'Homme, adressées à la Reine d'Angleterre. Par M. de Luc._ 1778.
Ask your mother to send a messenger forthwith to Pakenham Hall to borrow
this book; and if the gossoon does not bring it from Pakenham Hall, next
morning at flight of night send off another or the same to Castle
Forbes, and to Mr. Cobbe, who, if he has not the book, ought to be
hanged, and if he has, drawn and quartered if he does not send it to
you. But if, nevertheless, he should not send it, do not rest satisfied
under three fruitless attempts; let another--not the same boy, as I
presume his feet are weary--gossoon be off at the flight of night for
Baronstown, and in case of a fourth failure there, order him neither to
stint nor stay till he reaches Sonna, where I hope he will at last find
it. Now if, after all, it should not amuse you, I shall be much
mistaken, that's all. Skip over the tiresome parts, of which there are
many, and you will find an account of the journey we are going to make,
and of many of the feelings we have had in seeing glaciers, seas of ice
and mountains.
I believe I mentioned in some former letter that we had become
acquainted with M. Arago, who, in his height and size, reminded us of
our own dear Dr. Brinckley, but I am sure I did not tell what I kept for
you, my dear Lucy, that you might have the pleasure of telling it to
your mother and all the friends around you.
When M. Arago was with us in our excursion to Chamouni, he was speaking
of the voyage of Captain Scoresby to the Arctic regions, which he had
with him and was reading with great delight. As I found he was fond of
voyages and travels, and from what he said of this book perceived that
he was an excellent judge of their merits, I asked if he had ever
happened to meet with a book called _Karamania_, by a Captain Beaufort.
He knew nothing of our connection with him, and I spoke with a perfect
indifference from which he could not guess that I felt any interest
about the book, or the person, but the sort of lighting up of pleasure
which you have seen in Dr. Brinckley's face when he hears of a thing he
much approves, immediately appeared in Monsieur Arago's face, and he
said _Karamania_ was, of all the books of travels he had seen, that
which he admired the most: that he had admired it for its clearness, its
truth, its perfect freedom from ostentation. He said it contained more
knowledge in fewer words than any book of travels he knew, and must
remain a book of reference--a standard book. Then he mentioned several
passages that he recollected having liked, which proved the impression
they had made; the Greek fire, the amphitheatre at Sidé, etc. He knew
the book as well as we do, and alluded to the parts we all liked with
great rapidity and delight in perceiving our sympathy. He pointed out
the places where an ordinary writer would have given pages of
amplification. He was particularly pleased with the manner in which the
affair of the sixty Turks is told, and said, "That marked the character
of the man and does honour to his country."
I then told him that Captain Beaufort was uncle to the two young ladies
with me!
He told me he had read an article in the _Journal des Sçavans_ in which
_Karamania_ is mentioned and parts translated. I have recommended it to
many at Paris who wanted English books to translate, but I am sorry to
say that little is read there besides politics and novels. Science has,
however, a better chance than literature.
Whenever any one in your Book Society wants to bespeak a book, perhaps
you could order _Recueil des Éloges, par M. Cuvier._ They contain the
_Lives_, not merely the _Éloges_, of all the men of science since 1880,
written, and with an excellent introduction. The lives of Priestley and
Cavendish are written with so much candour towards the English
philosophers that even Mr. Chenevix cannot have anything to complain of.
_To_ MISS HONORA EDGEWORTH.