He Embraced Me
Very Affectionately And Conducted Me Into His Parlour, An Apartment
Of Tolerable Size, Hung Round With Shelves, Which Were Crowded With
Books.
At one end there was a kind of table or desk covered with
black leather, with a large easy
Chair, into which he pushed me, as
I, with the true eagerness of a bibliomaniac, was about to inspect
his shelves; saying, with considerable vehemence, that there was
nothing there worthy of the attention of an Englishman, for that
his whole stock consisted of breviaries and dry Catholic treatises
on divinity.
His care now was to furnish us with refreshments. In a twinkling,
with the assistance of his old attendant, he placed on the table
several plates of cakes and confectionery, and a number of large
uncouth glass bottles, which I thought bore a strong resemblance to
those of Schiedam, and indeed they were the very same. "There,"
said he, rubbing his hands; "I thank God that it is in my power to
treat you in a way which will be agreeable to you. In those
bottles there is Hollands thirty years old"; and producing two
large tumblers, he continued, "fill, my friends, and drink, drink
it every drop if you please, for it is of little use to myself, who
seldom drink aught but water. I know that you islanders love it,
and cannot live without it; therefore, since it does you good, I am
only sorry that there is no more."
Observing that we contented ourselves with merely tasting it, he
looked at us with astonishment, and inquired the reason of our not
drinking.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 290 of 809
Words from 80835 to 81104
of 222596
