llent by interpolations of his own. This was his especial practice
with regard to translation, of which he would fain be esteemed the king.
This Radical literato is slightly acquainted with four or five of the
easier dialects of Europe, on the strength of which knowledge he would
fain pass for a universal linguist, publishing translations of pieces
originally written in various difficult languages; which translations,
however, were either made by himself from literal renderings done for him
into French or German, or had been made from the originals into English,
by friendless young men, and then deformed by his alterations.

Well, the Radical got the appointment, and the writer certainly did not
grudge it him. He, of course, was aware that his friend had behaved in a
very base manner towards him, but he bore him no ill-will, and invariably
when he heard him spoken against, which was frequently the case, took his
part when no other person would; indeed, he could well afford to bear him
no ill-will. He had never sought for the appointment, nor wished for it,
nor, indeed, ever believed himself qualified for it. He was conscious,
it is true, that he was not altogether unacquainted with the language and
literature of the country with which the appointment was connected. He
was likewise aware that he was not altogether deficient in courage and in
propriety of behaviour. He knew that his appearance was not particularly
against him; his face not being like that of a convicted pickpocket, nor
his gait resembling that of a fox who has lost his tail; yet he never
believed himself adapted for the appointment, being aware that he had no
aptitude for the doing of dirty work, if called to do it, nor pliancy
which would enable him to submit to scurvy treatment, whether he did
dirty work or not--requisites, at the time of which he is speaking,
indispensable in every British official; requisites, by-the-bye, which
his friend, the Radical, possessed in a high degree; but though he bore
no ill-will towards his friend, his friend bore anything but good-will
towards him; for from the moment that he had obtained the appointment for
himself, his mind was filled with the most bitter malignity against the
writer, and naturally enough; for no one ever yet behaved in a base
manner towards another without forthwith conceiving a mortal hatred
against him. You wrong another, know yourself to have acted basely, and
are enraged, not against yourse