well-verywell-butstillperformingapart。Hiscompanion!-
there，indeed，wasthebruiser-nomistakeabouthim：atallmassiveman，withabroadcountenanceandaflattenednose；dressedlikeabruiser，butnotlikeabruisergoingintothering；heworewhite-toppedboots，andaloosebrownjockeycoat。
Asthefirstadvancedtowardsthetable，behindwhichthemagistratesat，hedoffedawhitecastorfromhishead，andmaderatheragenteelbow；lookingatme，whosatsomewhatononeside，hegaveakindofnodofrecognition。
’MayIrequesttoknowwhoyouare，gentlemen？’saidthemagistrate。
’Sir，’saidthemaninadeep，butnotunpleasantvoice，’allowmetointroducetoyoumyfriend，Mr-，thecelebratedpugilist’；andhemotionedwithhishandtowardsthemassivemanwiththeflattenednose。
’Andyourownname，sir？’saidthemagistrate。
’Mynameisnomatter，’saidtheman；’wereItomentionittoyou，itwouldawakenwithinyounofeelingofinterest。ItisneitherKeannorBelcher，andIhaveasyetdonenothingtodistinguishmyselflikeeitherofthoseindividuals，orevenlikemyfriendhere。However，atimemaycome-wearenotyetburied；andwhensoevermyhourarrives，IhopeIshallprovemyselfequaltomydestiny，howeverhigh-
’Likebirdthat’sbredamongsttheHelicons。’
Andhereasmilehalftheatricalpassedoverhisfeatures。
’InwhatcanIobligeyou，sir？’saidthemagistrate。
’Well，sir；thesoulofwitisbrevity；wewantaplaceforanapproachingcombatbetweenmyfriendhereandabravefromtown。
Passingbyyourbroadacresthisfinemorningwesawapightle，whichwedeemedwouldsuit。Lendusthatpightle，andreceiveourthanks；’twouldbeafavour，thoughnotmuchtogrant：weneitheraskforStonehengenorforTempe。’
Myfriendlookedsomewhatperplexed；afteramoment，however，hesaid，withafirmbutgentlemanlyair，’Sir，IamsorrythatI
cannotcomplywithyourrequest。’
’Notcomply!’saidtheman，hisbrowbecomingdarkasmidnight；andwithahoarseandsavagetone，’Notcomply!whynot？’
’Itisimpossible，sir；utterlyimpossible!’
’Whyso？’
’Iamnotcompelledtogivemyreasonstoyou，sir，nortoanyman。’
’Letmebegofyoutoalteryourdecision，’saidtheman，inatoneofprofoundrespect。
’Utterlyimpossible，sir；Iamamagistrate。’
’Magistrate!thenfareyewell，foragreen-coatedbufferandaHarmanbeck。’
’Sir!’saidthemagistrate，springingupwithafacefierywithwrath。
But，withasurlynodtome，themanlefttheapartment；andinamomentmoretheheavyfootstepsofhimselfandhiscompanionwerehearddescendingthestaircase。
’Whoisthatman？’saidmyfriend，turningtowardsme。
’Asportinggentleman，wellknownintheplacefromwhichIcome。’
’Heappearedtoknowyou。’
’Ihaveoccasionallyputonthegloveswithhim。’
’Whatishisname？’
CHAPTERXXV
Doubts-WisekingofJerusalem-Letmesee-Athousandyears-
Nothingnew-Thecrowd-Thehymn-Faith-CharlesWesley-Therehestood-Farewell，brother-Death-Sun，moon，andstars-Windontheheath。
THEREwasonequestionwhichIwascontinuallyaskingmyselfatthisperiod，andwhichhasmorethanoncemettheeyesofthereaderwhohasfollowedmethroughthelastchapter：’Whatistruth？’Ihadinvolvedmyselfimperceptiblyinadrearylabyrinthofdoubt，and，whicheverwayIturned，noreasonableprospectofextricatingmyselfappeared。ThemeansbywhichIhadbroughtmyselfintothissituationmaybeverybrieflytold；Ihadinquiredintomanymatters，inorderthatImightbecomewise，andIhadreadandponderedoverthewordsofthewise，socalled，tillIhadmademyselfmasterofthesumofhumanwisdom；namely，thateverythingisenigmaticalandthatmanisanenigmatohimself；
thencethecryof’Whatistruth？’IhadceasedtobelieveinthetruthofthatinwhichIhadhithertotrusted，andyetcouldfindnothinginwhichIcouldputanyfixedordeliberatebelief-I
was，indeed，inalabyrinth!InwhatdidInotdoubt？WithrespecttocrimeandvirtueIwasindoubt；Idoubtedthattheonewasblamableandtheotherpraiseworthy。Arenotallthingssubjectedtothelawofnecessity？Assuredlytimeandchancegovernallthings：Yethowcanthisbe？alas!
Thentherewasmyself；forwhatwasIborn？Arenotallthingsborntobeforgotten？That’sincomprehensible：yetisitnotso？
Thosebutterfliesfallandareforgotten。Inwhatismanbetterthanabutterfly？Allthenisborntobeforgotten。Ah!thatwasapangindeed；’tisatsuchamomentthatamanwishestodie。ThewisekingofJerusalem，whosatinhisshadyarboursbesidehissunnyfish-pools，sayingsomanyfinethings，wishedtodie，whenhesawthatnotonlyallwasvanity，butthathehimselfwasvanity。Willatimecomewhenallwillbeforgottenthatnowisbeneaththesun？Ifso，ofwhatprofitislife？
IntruthitwasasorevexationofspirittomewhenIsaw，asthewisemansawofold，thatwhateverIcouldhopetoperformmustnecessarilybeofverytemporaryduration；andifso，whydoit？I
saidtomyself，whatevernameIcanacquire，willitendureforeternity？scarcelyso。Athousandyears？Letmesee!whathaveI
donealready？IhavelearntWelsh，andhavetranslatedthesongsofAbGwilym，sometenthousandlines，intoEnglishrhyme；IhavealsolearntDanish，andhaverenderedtheoldbookofballadscastbythetempestuponthebeachintocorrespondingEnglishmetre。
Good!haveIdoneenoughalreadytosecuremyselfareputationofathousandyears？No，no!certainlynot；IhavenottheslightestgroundforhopingthatmytranslationsfromtheWelshandDanishwillbereadattheendofathousandyears。Well，butIamonlyeighteen，andIhavenotstatedallthatIhavedone；Ihavelearntmanyothertongues，andhaveacquiredsomeknowledgeevenofHebrewandArabic。ShouldIgooninthiswaytillIamforty，Imustthenbeverylearned；andperhaps，amongotherthings，mayhavetranslatedtheTalmud，andsomeofthegreatworksoftheArabians。
Pooh!allthisismerelearningandtranslation，andsuchwillneversecureimmortality。Translationisatbestanecho，anditmustbeawonderfulechotobeheardafterthelapseofathousandyears。No!allIhavealreadydone，andallImayyetdointhesameway，Imayreckonasnothing-merepastime；somethingelsemustbedone。Imusteitherwritesomegrandoriginalwork，orconqueranempire；theonejustaseasyastheother。ButamI
competenttodoeither？Yes，IthinkIam，underfavourablecircumstances。Yes，IthinkImaypromisemyselfareputationofathousandyears，ifIdobutgivemyselfthenecessarytrouble。
Well!butwhat’sathousandyearsafterall，ortwiceathousandyears？Woeisme!Imayjustaswellsitstill。
’WouldIhadneverbeenborn!’Isaidtomyself；andathoughtwouldoccasionallyintrude：ButwasIeverborn？IsnotallthatIseealie-adeceitfulphantom？Isthereaworld，andearth，andsky？Berkeley’sdoctrine-Spinoza’sdoctrine!Dearreader，I
hadatthattimeneverreadeitherBerkeleyorSpinoza。Ihavestillneverreadthem；whoarethey，menofyesterday？’Allisalie-alladeceitfulphantom，’areoldcries；theycomenaturallyfromthemouthsofthosewho，castingasidethatchoicestshieldagainstmadness，simplicity，wouldfainbewiseasGod，andcanonlyknowthattheyarenaked。Thisdoubtinginthe’universalall’isalmostcoevalwiththehumanrace：wisdom，socalled，wasearlysoughtafter。Allisalie-adeceitfulphantom-wassaidwhentheworldwasyetyoung；itssurface，saveascantyportion，yetuntroddenbyhumanfoot，andwhenthegreattortoiseyetcrawledabout。Allisalie，wasthedoctrineofBuddh；andBuddhlivedthirtycenturiesbeforethewisekingofJerusalem，whosatinhisarbours，besidehissunnyfish-pools，sayingmanyfinethings，and，amongstothers，’Thereisnothingnewunderthesun!’
Oneday，whilstIbentmywaytotheheathofwhichIhavespokenonaformeroccasion，atthefootofthehillswhichformeditI
cametoaplacewhereawagonwasstanding，butwithouthorses，theshaftsrestingontheground；therewasacrowdaboutit，whichextendedhalf-wayupthesideoftheneighbouringhill。Thewagonwasoccupiedbysomehalfadozenmen；somesitting，othersstanding-theyweredressedinsober-colouredhabilimentsofblackorbrown，cutinaplainandratheruncouthfashion，andpartiallywhitewithdust；theirhairwasshort，andseemedtohavebeensmootheddownbytheapplicationofthehand；allwerebareheaded-
sittingorstanding，allwerebareheaded。Oneofthem，atallman，wasspeakingasIarrived；ere，however，Icoulddistinguishwhathewassaying，heleftoff，andthentherewasacryforahymn’tothegloryofGod’-thatwastheword。Itwasastrange-soundinghymn，aswellitmightbe，foreverybodyjoinedinit：therewerevoicesofallkinds，ofmen，ofwomen，andofchildren-ofthosewhocouldsingandofthosewhocouldnot-athousandvoicesalljoined，andalljoinedheartily；novoiceofallthemultitudewassilentsavemine。Thecrowdconsistedentirelyofthelowerclasses，labourersandmechanics，andtheirwivesandchildren-