rummles had had the means of
presenting such an admirable spectacle on any boards, he never would
have contented himself without several encores of the whole twenty
operations.

An experienced reader, therefore, will not need to spend many hours
before he appreciates pretty thoroughly what he has to expect--of good,
of bad, and of indifferent--from this famous book. It is, though in a
different sense from Montaigne's, a _livre de bonne foi_. And we must
remember that the readers whom it directly addressed expected from books
of this kind "pastime" in the most literal and generous, if also
humdrum, sense of the word; noble sentiments, perhaps a little learning,
possibly a few hidden glances at great people not of antiquity only. All
these they got here, most faithfully supplied according to their demand.

[Sidenote: Extracts--the introduction of Cyrus to Mandane.]

Probably nothing will give the reader, who does not thus read for
himself, a better idea of the book than some extract translations,
beginning with Artamene's first interview with Mandane,[161] going on to
his reflections thereon, and adding a perhaps slightly shortened version
of the great fight recounted later, in which again some evidence of the
damaging absence of humour, and some suggestions as to the originals of
divers well-known parodies, will be found. (It must be remembered that
these are all parts of an enormous _recit_ by Chrisante, one of
Artamene's confidants and captains, to the King of Hircania, a monarch
doubtless inured to hardships in the chase of his native tigers, or
requiring some sedative as a change from it.)

No sooner had the Princess seen my Master than she rose, and
prepared to receive him with much kindness and much joy,
having already heard, by Arbaces, the service he had done to
the King, her father. Artamene then made her two deep bows,
and coming closer to her, but with all the respect due to a
person of her condition, he kissed [_no doubt the hem of_]
her robe, and presented to her the King's letter, which she
read that very instant. When she had done, he was going to
begin the conversation with a compliment, after telling her
what had brought him; but the Princess anticipated him in
the most obliging manner. "What Divinity, generous
stranger," said she, "has brought you among us to save all
Cappadocia by saving its King? and to render him a service
whi