第422页 / 共1118页

"But I will tell the true reason," added Renzo, "it is because

they themselves hold the pen, and, therefore, they do not record

their own words; but let a poor man speak, they are very

attentive, and in a moment, there it is, in black and white for

some future occasion. They are cunning, also; and when they want

to perplex a poor youth, who does not know how to read, but who

has a little--I know well--" beating his forehead with his hand,

and pointing to it with his finger, to make himself understood;

"and when they perceive that he begins to comprehend the

difficulty, they throw into the conversation some Latin, to make

him lose the thread of their argument, to put him at his wits'

end, to confuse his brains. This custom must be broken up:

to-day, every thing has been done after the people's fashion,

without paper, pen, and ink. To-morrow, if they know how to

conduct themselves, we shall do still better, without hurting a

hair of any one's head; all in the way of justice."