foundtheAntinomianinhislittlelibrary，dustinghisbooks；andtheAntinomianclergymanwasatallmanofaboutseventy，whoworeahatwithabroadbrimandashallowcrown，andwhosemannerofspeakingwasexceedinglynasal；andwhenIsawhim，Icried，outofbreath，’HaveyouaDanishBible？’andhereplied，’Whatdoyouwantitfor，friend？’andIanswered，’TolearnDanishby’；’Andmaybetolearnthyduty，’repliedtheAntinomianpreacher。’Truly，Ihaveitnot，but，asyouareacustomerofmine，Iwillendeavourtoprocureyouone，andIwillwritetothatlaudablesocietywhichmencalltheBibleSociety，anunworthymemberofwhichIam，andI
hopebynextweektoprocurewhatyoudesire。’
AndwhenIheardthesewordsoftheoldman，Iwasveryglad，andmyheartyearnedtowardshim，andIwouldfainenterintoconversationwithhim；andIsaid，’WhyareyouanAntinomian？FormypartIwouldratherbeadogthanbelongtosuchareligion。’
’Nay，friend，’saidtheAntinomian，’thouforejudgestus；knowthatthosewhocallusAntinomianscallussodespitefully，wedonotacknowledgethedesignation。’’Thenyoudonotsetalllawatnought？’saidI。’Farbeitfromus，’saidtheoldman，’weonlyhopethat，beingsanctifiedbytheSpiritfromabove，wehavenoneedofthelawtokeepusinorder。DidyoueverheartellofLodowickMuggleton？’’NotI。’’Thatisstrange；knowthenthathewasthefounderofourpoorsociety，andafterhimwearefrequently，thoughopprobriously，termedMuggletonians，forweareChristians。Hereishisbook，which，perhaps，youcandonobetterthanpurchase，youarefondofrarebooks，andthisisbothcuriousandrare；Iwillsellitcheap。Thankyou，andnowbegone，IwilldoallIcantoprocuretheBible。’
AndinthismannerIprocuredtheDanishBible，andIcommencedmytask；firstofall，however，Ilockedupinaclosetthevolumewhichhadexcitedmycuriosity，saying，’OutofthisclosetthoucomestnottillIdeemmyselfcompetenttoreadthee，’andthenI
satdowninrightearnest，comparingeverylineintheoneversionwiththecorrespondingoneintheother；andIpassedentirenightsinthismanner，tillIwasalmostblind，andthetaskwastediousenoughatfirst，butIquailednot，andsoonbegantomakeprogress：andatfirstIhadamisgivingthattheoldbookmightnotproveaDanishbook，butwassoonreassuredbyreadingmanywordsintheBiblewhichIrememberedtohaveseeninthebook；andthenIwentonrightmerrily，andIfoundthatthelanguagewhichI
wasstudyingwasbynomeansadifficultone，andinlessthanamonthIdeemedmyselfabletoreadthebook。
Anon，Itookthebookfromthecloset，andproceededtomakemyselfmasterofitscontents；Ihadsomedifficulty，forthelanguageofthebook，thoughinthemainthesameasthelanguageoftheBible，differedfromitinsomepoints，beingapparentlyamoreancientdialect；bydegrees，however，Iovercamethisdifficulty，andI
understoodthecontentsofthebook，andwelldidtheycorrespondwithallthoseideasinwhichIhadindulgedconnectedwiththeDanes。Forthebookwasabookofballads，aboutthedeedsofknightsandchampions，andmenofhugestature；balladswhichfromtimeimmemorialhadbeensungintheNorth，andwhichsometwocenturiesbeforethetimeofwhichIamspeakinghadbeencollectedbyoneAndersVedel，wholivedwithacertainTychoBrahe，andassistedhiminmakingobservationsupontheheavenlybodies，ataplacecalledUraniasCastle，onthelittleislandofHveen，intheCattegat。
CHAPTERXXIII
Thetwoindividuals-Thelongpipe-TheGermans-Werther-ThefemaleQuaker-Suicide-Gibbon-JesusofBethlehem-Fillyourglass-Shakespeare-EnglishatMinden-MelancholySwayneVonved-Thefifthdinner-Strangedoctrines-Areyouhappy？-ImproveyourselfinGerman。
ITmightbesomesixmonthsaftertheeventslastrecorded，thattwoindividualswereseatedtogetherinacertainroom，inacertainstreetoftheoldtownwhichIhavesofrequentlyhadoccasiontomentionintheprecedingpages；oneofthemwasanelderly，andtheotheraveryyoungman，andtheysatoneithersideofafireplace，besideatableonwhichwerefruitandwine；
theroomwasasmallone，andinitsfurnitureexhibitednothingremarkable。Overthemantelpiece，however，hungasmallpicturewithnakedfiguresintheforeground，andwithmuchfoliagebehind。
Itmightnothavestruckeverybeholder，foritlookedoldandsmoke-dried；butaconnoisseur，oninspectingitclosely，wouldhavepronouncedittobeajudgmentofParis，andamasterpieceoftheFlemishschool。
Theforeheadoftheelderindividualwashigh，andperhapsappearedmoresothanitreallywas，fromthehairbeingcarefullybrushedback，asifforthepurposeofdisplayingtothebestadvantagethatpartofthecranium；hiseyeswerelargeandfull，andofalightbrown，andmighthavebeencalledheavyanddull，hadtheynotbeenoccasionallylightedupbyasuddengleam-notsobrillianthoweverasthatwhichateveryinhalationshonefromthebowlofthelongclaypipewhichhewassmoking，butwhich，fromacertainsuckingsoundwhichaboutthistimebegantobeheardfromthebottom，appearedtobegivingnoticethatitwouldsoonrequirereplenishmentfromacertaincanister，which，togetherwithalightedtaper，stooduponthetablebesidehim。
’Youdonotsmoke？’saidhe，atlength，layingdownhispipe，anddirectinghisglancetohiscompanion。
Nowtherewasatleastonethingsingularconnectedwiththislast，namely，thecolourofhishair，which，notwithstandinghisextremeyouth，appearedtoberapidlybecominggray。Hehadverylonglimbs，andwasapparentlytallofstature，inwhichhedifferedfromhiselderlycompanion，whomusthavebeensomewhatbelowtheusualheight。
’No，Ican’tsmoke，’saidtheyouth，inreplytotheobservationoftheother；’Ihaveoftentried，butcouldneversucceedtomysatisfaction。’
’IsitpossibletobecomeagoodGermanwithoutsmoking？’saidthesenior，halfspeakingtohimself。
’Idaresaynot，’saidtheyouth；’butIshan’tbreakmyheartonthataccount。’
’Asforbreakingyourheart，ofcourseyouwouldneverthinkofsuchathing；heisafoolwhobreakshisheartonanyaccount；butitisgoodtobeaGerman，theGermansarethemostphilosophicpeopleintheworld，andthegreatestsmokers：nowItracetheirphilosophytotheirsmoking。’
’Ihaveheardsaytheirphilosophyisallsmoke-isthatyouropinion？’
’Why，no；butsmokinghasasedativeeffectuponthenerves，andenablesamantobearthesorrowsofthislifeofwhicheveryonehashissharenotonlydecently，butdignifiedly。SuicideisnotanationalhabitinGermanyasitisinEngland。’
’Butthatpoorcreature，Werther，whocommittedsuicide，wasaGerman。’
’Wertherisafictitiouscharacter，andbynomeansafelicitousone；IamnoadmirereitherofWertherorhisauthor。ButIshouldsaythat，ifthereeverwasaWertherinGermany，hedidnotsmoke。
Werther，asyouveryjustlyobserve，wasapoorcreature。’
’Andaverysinfulone；Ihaveheardmyparentssaythatsuicideisagreatcrime。’
’Broadly，andwithoutqualification，tosaythatsuicideisacrime，isspeakingsomewhatunphilosophically。Nodoubtsuicide，undermanycircumstances，isacrime，averyheinousone。Whenthefatherofafamily，forexample，toescapefromcertaindifficulties，commitssuicide，hecommitsacrime；therearethosearoundhimwholooktohimforsupport，bythelawofnature，andhehasnorighttowithdrawhimselffromthosewhohaveaclaimuponhisexertions；heisapersonwhodecampswithotherpeople’sgoodsaswellashisown。Indeed，therecanbenocrimewhichisnotfoundeduponthedeprivingothersofsomethingwhichbelongstothem。Amanishangedforsettingfiretohishouseinacrowdedcity，forheburnsatthesametimeordamagesthoseofotherpeople；butifamanwhohasahouseonaheathsetsfiretoit，heisnothanged，forhehasnotdamagedorendangeredanyotherindividual’sproperty，andtheprincipleofrevenge，uponwhichallpunishmentisfounded，hasnotbeenaroused。Similartosuchacaseisthatofthemanwho，withoutanyfamilyties，commitssuicide；forexample，wereItodothethingthisevening，whowouldhavearighttocallmetoaccount？Iamaloneintheworld，havenofamilytosupport，and，sofarfromdamaginganyone，shouldevenbenefitmyheirbymyaccelerateddeath。However，Iamnoadvocateforsuicideunderanycircumstances；thereissomethingundignifiedinit，unheroic，un-Germanic。Butifyoumustcommitsuicide-andthereisnoknowingtowhatpeoplemaybebrought-
alwayscontrivetodoitasdecorouslyaspossible；thedecencies，whetheroflifeorofdeath，shouldneverbelostsightof。I
rememberafemaleQuakerwhocommittedsuicidebycuttingherthroat，butshediditdecorouslyanddecently：kneelingdownoverapail，sothatnotonedropfelluponthefloor；thusexhibitinginherlastactthatnicesenseofneatnessforwhichQuakersaredistinguished。Ihavealwayshadarespectforthatwoman’smemory。’
Andhere，fillinghispipefromthecanister，andlightingitatthetaper，herecommencedsmokingcalmlyandsedately。
’ButisnotsuicideforbiddenintheBible？’theyouthdemanded。
’Why，no；butwhatthoughitwere!-theBibleisarespectablebook，butIshouldhardlycallitonewhosephilosophyisofthesoundest。Ihavesaidthatitisarespectablebook；Imeanrespectablefromitsantiquity，andfromcontaining，asHerdersays，“theearliestrecordsofthehumanrace，“thoughthoserecordsarefarfrombeingdispassionatelywritten，onwhichaccounttheyareoflessvaluethantheyotherwisemighthavebeen。
ThereistoomuchpassionintheBible，toomuchviolence；now，tocometoalltruth，especiallyhistorictruth，requirescooldispassionateinvestigation，forwhichtheJewsdonotappeartohaveeverbeenfamous。Weareourselvesnotfamousforit，forweareapassionatepeople；theGermansarenot-theyarenotapassionatepeople-apeoplecelebratedfortheiroaths；weare。
TheGermanshavemanyexcellenthistoricwriters，we……’tistruewehaveGibbon……YouhavebeenreadingGibbon-whatdoyouthinkofhim？’
’Ithinkhimaverywonderfulwriter。’
’Heisawonderfulwriter-oneSUIGENERIS-unitingtheperspicuityoftheEnglish-forweareperspicuous-withthecooldispassionatereasoningoftheGermans。Gibbonsoughtafterthetruth，foundit，andmadeitclear。’
’ThenyouthinkGibbonatruthfulwriter？’