And now for _Lippius's_ clock! said I, with the air of a man, who had got thro' all his difficulties----nothing can prevent us seeing that, and the _Chinese_ history, &c., except the time, said _Franois_----for 'tis almost eleven --Then we must speed the faster, said I, striding it away to the cathedral.
I cannot say, in my heart, that it gave me any concern in being told by one of the minor canons, as I was entering the west door, --That _Lippius's_ great clock was all out of joints, and had not gone for some years ----It will give me the more time, thought I, to peruse the _Chinese_ history; and besides I shall be able to give the world a better account of the clock in its decay, than I could have done in its flourishing condition----
----And so away I posted to the college of the Jesuits.
Now it is with the project of getting a peep at the history of _China_ in _Chinese_ characters--as with many others I could mention, which strike the fancy only at a distance; for as I came nearer and nearer to the point--my blood cool'd--the freak gradually went off, till at length I would not have given a cherrystone to have it gratified ------The truth was, my time was short, and my heart was at the Tomb of the Lovers ----I wish to God, said I, as I got the rapper in my hand, that the key of the library may be but lost; it fell out as well------
_For all the JESUITS had got the cholic_--and to that degree, as never was known in the memory of the oldest practitioner.
'And now for Lippius's clock!' said I - 'nothing can prevent us seeing that, and the Chinese history.'
'Except the time,' said Franois, 'for 'tis almost eleven.'
'Then we must speed the faster,' said I, striding away to the cathedral.
I cannot say, in my heart, that it gave me any concern in being told, as I was entering the west door, that Lippius's great clock had not worked for some years.
'It will give me more time,' thought I, 'to peruse the Chinese history; and besides, I shall be able to give the world an account of the clock in its decay.'
-And so away I hurried to the Jesuit college.
Now, like many projects, the wish of getting a peep at the history of China in Chinese, struck the fancy only at a distance; - for as I came nearer to the point, my wish cooled, till at length I would not have given a cherrystone to have it gratified. My time was short, and my heart was at the Tomb of the Lovers.
'I wish to God,' said I, as I knocked, 'that the key of the library may be lost.'
It ended just as well-
For all the Jesuits had got the colic.