"It is a mere sending of a sinful soul to the evil un," said the old

woman, "the sending a living creature to Wayland Smith."

"Peace, Gammer Sludge!" said the pedagogue; "PAUCA VERBA, Gammer Sludge;

look to the furmity, Gammer Sludge; CURETUR JENTACULUM, Gammer Sludge;

this gentleman is none of thy gossips." Then turning to Tressilian, he

resumed his lofty tone, "And so, most worshipful, you would really think

yourself FELIX BIS TERQUE should I point out to you the dwelling of this

same smith?"

"Sir," replied Tressilian, "I should in that case have all that I want

at present--a horse fit to carry me forward;--out of hearing of your

learning." The last words he muttered to himself.

"O CAECA MENS MORTALIUM!" said the learned man "well was it sung by

Junius Juvenalis, 'NUMINIBUS VOTA EXAUDITA MALIGNIS!'"

"Learned Magister," said Tressilian, "your erudition so greatly exceeds

my poor intellectual capacity that you must excuse my seeking elsewhere

for information which I can better understand."

"There again now," replied the pedagogue, "how fondly you fly from him

that would instruct you! Truly said Quintilian--"

"I pray, sir, let Quintilian be for the present, and answer, in a word

and in English, if your learning can condescend so far, whether there is

any place here where I can have opportunity to refresh my horse until I

can have him shod?"

"Thus much courtesy, sir," said the schoolmaster, "I can readily render

you, that although there is in this poor hamlet (NOSTRA PAUPERA REGNA)

no regular HOSPITIUM, as my namesake Erasmus calleth it, yet, forasmuch

as you are somewhat embued, or at least tinged, as it were, with good

letters, I will use my interest with the good woman of the house to

accommodate you with a platter of furmity--an wholesome food for which

I have found no Latin phrase--your horse shall have a share of the

cow-house, with a bottle of sweet hay, in which the good woman Sludge so

much abounds, that it may be said of her cow, FAENUM HABET IN CORNU;

and if it please you to bestow on me the pleasure of your company, the

banquet shall cost you NE SEMISSEM QUIDEM, so much is Gammer Sludge

bound to me for the pains I have bestowed on the top and bottom of her

hopeful heir Dickie, whom I have painfully made to travel through the

accidence."

"Now, God yield ye for it, Master Herasmus," said the good Gammer, "and

grant that little Dickie may be the better for his accident! And for the

rest, if the gentleman list to stay, breakfast shall be on the board in

the wringing of a dishclout; and for horse-meat, and man's meat, I bear

no such base mind as to ask a penny."




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