"Ob mir das Glück noch etwas günstig bleibt 741. Ein Günstling, s. m. a favourite, chiefly at court; ein Liebling, s. m. a favourite, a darling. Both words are diminutives. The syllable ling generally adds the idea of something weak, contemptible, or reprehensible. The English language has retained a few of these diminutives from the old Saxon, as bantling, codling, foundling, hireling, stripling, &c. There is between ein Günstling, a court favourite, and Liebling, a favourite, a darling, a material difference, which the French, who have only the word favori, cannot express. "Der Cardinal de Richelieu war der Günstling aber gewiss nicht der Liebling, des Königs Ludwig XIII. der ihn mit Gunstbezeugungen (with favours) überhäufte. Der grosse König von Preussen Friedrich II. hat hunter den Menschen keinen Günstling gehabt, unter seinen Hunden aber hatte er immer einen Liebling. Heinrich IV. ist der Liebling aller Franzosen; sie lieben ihn am meisten unter ihren Königen, sie können ihm aber keine Gunstbezeugungen erweisen. Daher ist es ehrenvoller der Liebling von einem geschätzen Manne zu seyn, als sein Günstling, und man würde einen Sully herabsetzen wenn man ihn den Günstling Heinrichs IV. nennen wollte. 742. Mit diesen lässt sich's leichter laufen, with these it lets itself run more easily, with these one may run more easily. We say, es lässt sich thun, it suffers itself to be done, it may be done. 743. The following legend, in blank verse, was written by J. G. Von Herder: it is entitled DER FRIEDENSSTIFTER. Dreimal war der kühne Karl geschlagen Stolz vermag: als sich die böse Zwietracht Auch ins Herz der Tapfern schlich. Sie zankten Lieblos um des Sieges reiche Beute. Fast schon theilte sich der Eidgenossen Bündniss. Denn mit Frankreichs Gelde waren Ohne Speis' und Trank, so spricht die Sage, Stille Einkehr in sich selbst geliebet, Für ihn ward. Er nahm von Weib und Kindern THE PEACE-MAKER. Thrice had Charles the Bold been vanquished, and thrice had the power of Burgundy been overcome in blood; Granson, Morat, Nancy, were lasting monuments of the superiority of valour over unjust pride, when fatal discord also crept into the heart of the brave. They im. piously quarrelled about the rich booty they had conquered. The union of the confederates was almost broken. For with French money, French manners, sensuality, and luxury, had got into the country. The Swiss confederacy was on the brink of dissolution, when at the last diet at Stanz, in Underwalden, an old man entered the assembly, erect and tall; his eye darted terror, but blended with goodness and grace; his beard was long, and split by a few smooth hairs; a celestial countenance shone on his tawny face. Lean and meagre, he stood with a commanding attitude, and manfully spoke, gracefully and slowly: "Dear confederates, let not hatred, envy, and jealousy, spring up among you, or else your rule is at an end. Neither stretch your boundaries too far, that you may long enjoy your dearly-bought peace. Confederates, do not ally yourselves with foreign powers, to burthen yourselves with alien cares and alien manners: do not sell your country from dishonest self-interest. Protect yourselves, and do not admit robbers and vagabonds as citizens and countrymen. Fall violently upon no one without a grievous cause; but when attacked, fight boldly, and have God before your eyes in your courts of justice, and honour your priests. Follow their doctrine, though they themselves should not follow it. We drink the clear fresh water, be the pipe of silver or of wood. And true remain to the faith of your fathers! Times will come, hard times, full of malice and rebellion; be on your guard, keep faithfully together, true to the steps and ways of your fathers. Thus you will stand. No attack will fell, no storm shake you. Be not proud, ye ancient Cantons! Admit Soleure and Fribourg as brothers; it will do you good." Thus spoke he, bowed, and left the assembly. All who recognized the holy man, heard in him the voice of an angel. It was Brother Claus, of Underwalden, who, says the tradition, lived twenty years in his solitary chapel, without food or drink. In his childhood and youth a star had often appeared to him in the heavens, which inclined his heart to inward contemplation. At all times, even when he was engaged in business, he had been fond of calm meditation; he had brought up ten sons and daughters, and faithfully assisted his country in warlike expeditions, until the world became too narrow for him. He took an affectionate farewell of his wife and children, and with their blessing he went into solitude. To many pilgrims who sought him he gave advice and assistance; one word of his lulled to calm many a storm of the soul, many a sorrow, for he was of strong heart, mighty, free, and shunned the despoilers of his country like the plague. He frequently prophesied, and knew the inmost secrets of the hearts. The daily and highly simple prayer of his life was, "O God, take me from myself, and let me be wholly thine!" Such was Brother Claus. The diet of the Confederates followed his counsel; Soleure and Fribourg were unanimously admitted into the confederacy. 744. Erlegen, part. past of the insep. irr. comp. neut. Erliegen, to sink under, which follows the irregularities of liegen; ich erliege, ich erlag, ich bin erlegen, and also occasionally ich habe erlegen. It must be carefully distinguished from the active erlegen, to pay down, to knock down, to kill. We say both unter der Last erliegen; and with the dative only der Last erliegen, to sink under the burthen; figuratively, dem Schmerze, der Traurigkeit, dem Unglück erliegen, to sink under pain, affliction, misfortune. 745. Vermag, the present of the indicative of the insep. irr. neut. comp. vermögen, to be able, to have the power, the physical strength to effect something. It follows the irregularities of mögen; the particle ver has merely the strengthening power. Ich vermag, ich vermochte, ich habe vermocht. We frequently employ it with the participle present, ich bin nicht vermögend weiter zu gehen, I cannot go further, I am not able to go further. And construed with über, as here, vermögen denotes to have influence, to have power over; ich vermag nichts über ihn. When the influence is not direct, we say bei; er vermag viel bei dem Könige, he has great credit with the king. But vermögend seyn, used absolutely without any dependent idea, is," to be in easy circumstances, to have a good income." 746. Schlich, impf. of the irr. neut, schleichen, to sneak, to creep, to crawl, to go softly, to slide, to steal away. Ich schleiche, ich schlich, ich bin geschlichen. Sie schleicht wie eine Katze. Der Dieb schlich aus dem Garten. Ein schleichendes Fieber, an hectic fever. Der Wiesenpfad schleicht zwischen dem Bach und lispelnden Bäumen, the path over the meadow meanders between the brook and whispering trees: figuratively, die Bosheit schleicht im finsterm, malice crawls in the dark. Sich schleichen, refl. to insinuate one's-self, to creep into. And Schleichen, actively, to introduce secretly, to smuggle. Hence der Schleichhandel, masc. smuggling, contraband trade; ein Schleichhändler, masc. a smuggler. Schleichwaaren, pl. fem. smuggled goods. 747. Der Friedenstag, sub. mas. a solemn meeting for the maintenance of union and peace; here, the Swiss diet. 748. Schlicht, adj. plain, smooth, flat, unadorned. Der schlichte Menschenverstand, masc. common sense. Ein schlichter Mann, a plain man. Lasset nicht dass Hass und Neid-aufkommen, suffer not that hatred and envy-spring up. In common conversation we use lassen with the infinitive lassen sie ihn nicht ausgehen, do not let him, do not suffer him to go out. Aufkommen, sep. comp. to come up, to get up, to arise, to spring up: figuratively, to grow rich, to prosper. See auf, sec. 709. 749. Die Missgunst, sub. fem. malevolence, ill-will, jealousy. It is derived from gönnen, to be pleased with a person's good fortune, and combined with miss, missgönnen, to be displeased with another's good fortune. The German particle mis or miss is the same with the Latin "dis," and the English "mis." It denotes a failing, something wrong or amiss, the opposite of what it should be. In the North of Germany it is still used as an adj. and means uncertain, not to be depended upon, insecure. They say, Haben ist gewiss, kriegen ist miss, to have is certain, to get is uncertain: it is the French proverb-Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras; or the English-A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. Missgunst, (displeasure at a man's good fortune,) unterscheidet sich von dem Neide (envy) durch die Bewegungs gründe ihres Verdrusses (the motives of their displeasure.) Bei dem Neide ist es das Verlangen das Gut selbst zu besitzen was ein |