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？’