Page:Works of Heinrich Heine 07.djvu/195

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
FRENCH AFFAIRS.
175

loving sires, who longed to see them in their homes again—Honour thy father and thy mother, then thy days shall be prolonged upon the earth! In others, too, there suddenly awoke an endless yearning for their fatherland, for the romantic valleys of the noble Rhine, for the dear mountains, for winsome Suabia, the land of pure true love and woman's faith, of joyous ballads and of healthy air. It is said that thus far more than 120,000 passports have been issued at the Hôtel de Ville.[1] Although the cholera evidently first attacked the poorer classes, the rich still very promptly took to flight. Certain parvenus should not be too severely judged for having done so, for they probably reflected that the cholera, which came hither all the long way from Asia, does not know that we have quite lately grown rich on Change, and thinking that we are still poor devils, will send us to turn up our toes to the daisies.[2] M. Aguado, one of the richest bankers and a chevalier of the Legion of Honour, was field-marshal


  1. French version "On dit qu'on a délivré" dans ces circonstances plus de cent mille passeports."—Translator.
  2. "Halt uns vielleicht noch für einen armen Lump, und lässt uns ins Gras beissen." French version—"Pourrait bien nous prendre encore pour de pauvres hères et nous faire manger de l'herbe par la racine." An American might render this: "Bid us go to grass, and stay under." "Multæ terricolis linguæ, una cœlestibus."—Translator.