English
Onthe24thofMay,1863,myuncle,ProfessorLiedenbrock,rushedintohislittlehouse,No.19Königstrasse,oneoftheoldeststreetsintheoldestportionofthecityofHamburg.
Marthamusthaveconcludedthatshewasverymuchbehindhand,forthedinnerhadonlyjustbeenputintotheoven.
"Well,now,"saidItomyself,"ifthatmostimpatientofmenishungry,whatadisturbancehewillmake!"
"M.Liedenbrocksosoon!"criedpoorMarthaingreatalarm,halfopeningthedining–roomdoor.
"Yes,Martha;butverylikelythedinnerisnothalfcooked,foritisnottwoyet.SaintMichael'sclockhasonlyjuststruckhalf–pastone."
"Thenwhyhasthemastercomehomesosoon?"
"Perhapshewilltellusthathimself."
"Hereheis,MonsieurAxel;Iwillrunandhidemyselfwhileyouarguewithhim."
AndMartharetreatedinsafetyintoherowndominions.
Iwasleftalone.ButhowwasitpossibleforamanofmyundecidedturnofmindtoarguesuccessfullywithsoirascibleapersonastheProfessor?
WiththispersuasionIwashurryingawaytomyownlittleretreatupstairs,whenthestreetdoorcreakeduponitshinges;heavyfeetmadethewholeflightofstairstoshake;andthemasterofthehouse,passingrapidlythroughthedining–room,threwhimselfinhasteintohisownsanctum.
Butonhisrapidwayhehadfoundtimetoflinghishazelstickintoacorner,hisroughbroadbrimuponthetable,andthesefewemphaticwordsathisnephew:
"Axel,followme!"
IhadscarcelyhadtimetomovewhentheProfessorwasagainshoutingafterme:
"What!notcomeyet?"
AndIrushedintomyredoubtablemaster'sstudy.
OttoLiedenbrockhadnomischiefinhim,Iwillinglyallowthat;butunlessheveryconsiderablychangesashegrowsolder,attheendhewillbeamostoriginalcharacter.
HewasprofessorattheJohannaeum,andwasdeliveringaseriesoflecturesonmineralogy,inthecourseofeveryoneofwhichhebrokeintoapassiononceortwiceatleast.
Notatallthathewasover–anxiousabouttheimprovementofhisclass,oraboutthedegreeofattentionwithwhichtheylistenedtohim,orthesuccesswhichmighteventuallycrownhislabours.
Suchlittlemattersofdetailnevertroubledhimmuch.
HisteachingwasastheGermanphilosophycallsit,'subjective';itwastobenefithimself,notothers.Hewasalearnedegotist.
Hewasawellofscience,andthepulleysworkeduneasilywhenyouwantedtodrawanythingoutofit.Inaword,hewasalearnedmiser.
Germanyhasnotafewprofessorsofthissort.
Tohismisfortune,myunclewasnotgiftedwithasufficientlyrapidutterance;not,tobesure,whenhewastalkingathome,butcertainlyinhispublicdelivery;thisisawantmuchtobedeploredinaspeaker.
Thefactis,thatduringthecourseofhislecturesattheJohannaeum,theProfessoroftencametoacompletestandstill;hefoughtwithwilfulwordsthatrefusedtopasshisstrugglinglips,suchwordsasresistanddistendthecheeks,andatlastbreakoutintotheunasked–forshapeofaroundandmostunscientificoath:thenhisfurywouldgraduallyabate.
Nowinmineralogytherearemanyhalf–Greekandhalf–Latinterms,veryhardtoarticulate,andwhichwouldbemosttryingtoapoet'smeasures.
Idon'twishtosayawordagainstsorespectableascience,farbethatfromme.
True,intheaugustpresenceofrhombohedralcrystals,retinasphalticresins,gehlenites,Fassaites,molybdenites,tungstatesofmanganese,andtitaniteofzirconium,why,themostfacileoftonguesmaymakeaslipnowandthen.
Itthereforehappenedthatthisvenialfaultofmyuncle'scametobeprettywellunderstoodintime,andanunfairadvantagewastakenofit;thestudentslaidwaitforhimindangerousplaces,andwhenhebegantostumble,loudwasthelaughter,whichisnotingoodtaste,noteveninGermans.
AndiftherewasalwaysafullaudiencetohonourtheLiedenbrockcourses,Ishouldbesorrytoconjecturehowmanycametomakemerryatmyuncle'sexpense.
Neverthelessmygoodunclewasamanofdeeplearning–afactIammostanxioustoassertandreassert.
Sometimeshemightirretrievablyinjureaspecimenbyhistoogreatardourinhandlingit;butstillheunitedthegeniusofatruegeologistwiththekeeneyeofthemineralogist.
Armedwithhishammer,hissteelpointer,hismagneticneedles,hisblowpipe,andhisbottleofnitricacid,hewasapowerfulmanofscience.
Hewouldreferanymineraltoitsproperplaceamongthesixhundred[l]elementarysubstancesnowenumerated,byitsfracture,itsappearance,itshardness,itsfusibility,itssonorousness,itssmell,anditstaste.
ThenameofLiedenbrockwashonourablymentionedincollegesandlearnedsocieties.
HumphryDavy,[2]Humboldt,CaptainSirJohnFranklin,GeneralSabine,neverfailedtocalluponhimontheirwaythroughHamburg.
Becquerel,Ebelman,Brewster,Dumas,Milne–Edwards,Saint–Claire–Devillefrequentlyconsultedhimuponthemostdifficultproblemsinchemistry,asciencewhichwasindebtedtohimforconsiderablediscoveries,forin1853therehadappearedatLeipziganimposingfoliobyOttoLiedenbrock,entitled,"ATreatiseuponTranscendentalChemistry,"withplates;awork,however,whichfailedtocoveritsexpenses.
ToallthesetitlestohonourletmeaddthatmyunclewasthecuratorofthemuseumofmineralogyformedbyM.Struve,theRussianambassador;amostvaluablecollection,thefameofwhichisEuropean.
Suchwasthegentlemanwhoaddressedmeinthatimpetuousmanner.
Fancyatall,spareman,ofanironconstitution,andwithafaircomplexionwhichtookoffagoodtenyearsfromthefiftyhemustownto.
Hisrestlesseyeswereinincessantmotionbehindhisfull–sizedspectacles.
Hislong,thinnosewaslikeaknifeblade.
Boyshavebeenheardtoremarkthatthatorganwasmagnetisedandattractedironfilings.
Butthiswasmerelyamischievousreport;ithadnoattractionexceptforsnuff,whichitseemedtodrawtoitselfingreatquantities.
WhenIhaveadded,tocompletemyportrait,thatmyunclewalkedbymathematicalstridesofayardandahalf,andthatinwalkinghekepthisfistsfirmlyclosed,asuresignofanirritabletemperament,IthinkIshallhavesaidenoughtodisenchantanyonewhoshouldbymistakehavecovetedmuchofhiscompany.
HelivedinhisownlittlehouseinKönigstrasse,astructurehalfbrickandhalfwood,withagablecutintosteps;itlookedupononeofthosewindingcanalswhichintersecteachotherinthemiddleoftheancientquarterofHamburg,andwhichthegreatfireof1842hadfortunatelyspared.
[1]Sixty–three.(Tr.)
[2]AsSirHumphryDavydiedin1829,thetranslatormustbepardonedforpointingouthereananachronism,unlesswearetoassumethatthelearnedProfessor'scelebritydawnedinhisearliestyears.(Tr.)
Itistruethattheoldhousestoodslightlyofftheperpendicular,andbulgedoutalittletowardsthestreet;itsroofslopedalittletooneside,likethecapovertheleftearofaTugendbundstudent;itslineswantedaccuracy;butafterall,itstoodfirm,thankstoanoldelmwhichbuttresseditinfront,andwhichofteninspringsentitsyoungspraysthroughthewindowpanes.
MyunclewastolerablywelloffforaGermanprofessor.
Thehousewashisown,andeverythinginit.
Thelivingcontentswerehisgod–daughterGräuben,ayoungVirlandaiseofseventeen,Martha,andmyself.
Ashisnephewandanorphan,Ibecamehislaboratoryassistant.
IfreelyconfessthatIwasexceedinglyfondofgeologyandallitskindredsciences;thebloodofamineralogistwasinmyveins,andinthemidstofmyspecimensIwasalwayshappy.
Inaword,amanmightlivehappilyenoughinthelittleoldhouseintheKönigstrasse,inspiteoftherestlessimpatienceofitsmaster,foralthoughhewasalittletooexcitable–hewasveryfondofme.
Butthemanhadnonotionhowtowait;natureherselfwastooslowforhim.
InApril,afterahadplantedintheterra–cottapotsoutsidehiswindowseedlingplantsofmignonetteandconvolvulus,hewouldgoandgivethemalittlepullbytheirleavestomakethemgrowfaster.
Indealingwithsuchastrangeindividualtherewasnothingforitbutpromptobedience.Ithereforerushedafterhim.
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