Part 128

Say ‘and feel that it is better and nobler to die’, etc.

+vermodern+; to crumble away, +verfallen+; ‘ease’, here +Gemächlichkeit+.

+Auch halten sie dafür.+

Construe thus: ‘that God will bless the cause (+Sache+, f.) of liberty’, and use the attributive constr. for the transl. of ‘and the — nationality’. Any other constr. would be much too clumsy.

= deeds.

to give victory, +den Sieg verleihen+; to go forth to battle, +in die Schlacht ziehen+.

+auf.+

Supply ‘then, that’.

= conquer.

Section 159.

THE WAY TO MASTER THE TEMPER.

A London (S. 157, N. 4) merchant, having a dispute with a Quaker concerning a business account, determined to institute a law-suit against him. Desirous of amicably settling the matter, the Quaker called at the house of the merchant, when the latter became so enraged that he vehemently declared to his servant that he would (App. §§ 28 and 30) not see his opponent. “Well, friend,” said the Quaker quietly, “may God put thee in a better mind.” The merchant was subdued by the kindness of the reply, and, after careful consideration, became convinced that he was wrong. He sent for the Quaker, and after making a humble apology, he asked: “How were you able to bear my abuse with so much patience?” “Friend,” replied the Quaker, “I was naturally as hot and violent as thou art, but I knew that to indulge my temper was sinful, and also very foolish. I observed that men in a passion always spoke very loud, and I thought that, if I could control my voice, I should keep down my passion. I therefore made it a rule never to let it rise above a certain key; and by a careful observance of this rule I have, with the blessing of God, entirely mastered my natural temper.”—ALCOTT.

+Wie man seinen Zorn beherrschen kann.+

Change ‘having’ into ‘had’; the object is best placed after ‘account’.

Supply ‘and’ before ‘determined’; to institute a law-suit against a person, +einen gerichtlich belangen+.

to settle a matter amicably, +eine Sache auf gütliche Weise ordnen+. Comp. S. 30, N. 4, and note that the Present Participle ‘being’ is understood at the commencement of this period.

= whereupon.

= emphatically, +nachdrücklich+.

Say ‘may God alter thy mind (+Gesinnung+, f.)’.

to be subdued, +sich besiegt fühlen+; by, +durch+.

‘that — wrong’ may be briefly turned by ‘of his wrong’.

to send for a person, +einen zu sich rufen lassen+.

‘and — asked’. This passage, literally translated, would be inelegant in German, say: ‘humbly begged his pardon, and asked then’. Abuse, +Beleidigung+, f.

+von Natur.+

= passionate.

= that it was sinful, etc.; to indulge one’s temper, +seinem Zorn freien Lauf lassen+.

= that I could (App. § 33) conquer my anger through mastering my voice (+durch Beherrschung meiner Stimme+).

We make it a rule never to let our voices rise beyond a certain key, +wir machen es uns zur Regel, unsere Stimmen nie über eine gewisse Tonstärke hinaus zu erheben+.