第63章

If you will have a tree bear more fruit than it hath used to do， it is not anything you can do to the boughs， but it is the stirring of the earth， and putting new mould about the roots， that must work it.

LORD BACON'S Advancement of Learning， b. ii.

In a short time Harry's health was so much improved， and consequently the strength and activity of his mind so much increased， that Hugh began to give him more exact mental operations to perform. But as if he had been a reader of Lord Bacon， which as yet he was not， and had learned from him that "wonder is the seed of knowledge，" he came， by a kind of sympathetic instinct， to the same conclusion practically， in the case of Harry. He tried to wake a question in him， by showing him something that would rouse his interest. The reply to this question might be the whole rudiments of a science.

Things themselves should lead to the science of them. If things are not interesting in themselves， how can any amount of knowledge about them be？ To be sure， there is such a thing as a purely or abstractly intellectual interest--the pleasure of the mere operation of the intellect upon the signs of things； but this must spring from a highly exercised intellectual condition， and is not to be expected before the pleasures of intellectual motion have been experienced through the employment of its means for other ends. Whether this is a higher condition or not， is open to much disquisition.

One day Hugh was purposely engaged in taking the altitude of the highest turret of the house， with an old quadrant he had found in the library， when Harry came up.

"What are you doing， big brother？" said he； for now that he was quite at home with Hugh， there was a wonderful mixture of familiarity and respect in him， that was quite bewitching.

"Finding out how high your house is， little brother，" answered Hugh.

"How can you do it with that thing？ Will it measure the height of other things besides the house？""Yes， the height of a mountain， or anything you like.""Do show me how."

Hugh showed him as much of it as he could.

"But I don't understand it."

"Oh！ that is quite another thing. To do that， you must learn a great many things--Euclid to begin with."That very afternoon Harry began Euclid， and soon found quite enough of interest on the road to the quadrant， to prevent him from feeling any tediousness in its length.

Of an afternoon Hugh had taken to reading Shakspere to Harry.

Euphra was always a listener. On one occasion Harry said：

"I am so sorry， Mr. Sutherland， but I don't understand the half of it. Sometimes when Euphra and you are laughing，--and sometimes when Euphra is crying，" added he， looking at her slyly， "I can't understand what it is all about. Am I so very stupid， Mr. Sutherland？" And he almost cried himself.

"Not a bit of it， Harry， my boy； only you must learn a great many other things first.""How can I learn them？ I am willing to learn anything. I don't find it tire me now as it used.""There are many things necessary to understand Shakspere that Icannot teach you， and that some people never learn. Most of them will come of themselves. But of one thing you may be sure， Harry， that if you learn anything， whatever it be， you are so far nearer to understanding Shakspere."The same afternoon， when Harry had waked from his siesta， upon which Hugh still insisted， they went out for a walk in the fields. The sun was half way down the sky， but very hot and sultry.

"I wish we had our cave of straw to creep into now，" said Harry. "Ifelt exactly like the little field-mouse you read to me about in Burns's poems， when we went in that morning， and found it all torn up， and half of it carried away. We have no place to go to now for a peculiar own place； and the consequence is， you have not told me any stories about the Romans for a whole week.""Well， Harry， is there any way of making another？""There's no more straw lying about that I know of，" answered Harry；"and it won't do to pull the inside out of a rick， I am afraid.""But don't you think it would be pleasant to have a change now； and as we have lived underground， or say in the snow like the North people， try living in the air， like some of the South people？""Delightful！" cried Harry.--"A balloon？"

"No， not quite that. Don't you think a nest would do？""Up in a tree？"

"Yes."

Harry darted off for a run， as the only means of expressing his delight. When he came back， he said：

"When shall we begin， Mr. Sutherland？"

"We will go and look for a place at once； but I am not quite sure when we shall begin yet. I shall find out to-night， though."They left the fields， and went into the woods in the neighbourhood of the house， at the back. Here the trees had grown to a great size， some of them being very old indeed. They soon fixed upon a grotesque old oak as a proper tree in which to build their nest； and Harry， who， as well as Hugh， had a good deal of constructiveness in his nature， was so delighted， that the heat seemed to have no more influence upon him； and Hugh， fearful of the reaction， was compelled to restrain his gambols.

Pursuing their way through the dark warp of the wood， with its golden weft of crossing sunbeams， Hugh began to tell Harry the story of the killing of C鎠ar by Brutus and the rest， filling up the account with portions from Shakspere. Fortunately， he was able to give the orations of Brutus and Antony in full. Harry was in ecstasy over the eloquence of the two men.

"Well， what language do you think they spoke， Harry？" said Hugh.

"Why，" said Harry， hesitating， "I suppose--" then， as if a sudden light broke upon him--"Latin of course. How strange！""Why strange？"