Section 109 On Self Culture1
(From2 an address delivered to an assemblage of young men at Edinburgh.)
I3 stand before you a self-educated man. My education was4 that which was supplied at the humble parish schools of Scotland; and it was only5 when I6 went to Edinburgh, a poor boy, that I devoted my evenings, after the labours of the day, to the cultivation of7 that intellect which the Almighty has given me. From seven or eight in the morning till nine or ten at night8, was I at9 my business as a bookseller’s apprentice10, and11 it was only during hours after these, stolen from sleep, that I could devote myself to study. I assure you that I did not read novels12; my attention was devoted13 to physical science and other useful matters14. During15 that period I taught myself French. I look back16 to that time with great pleasure, and am almost sorry I have not to go17 through the same troubles again. I18 reaped more pleasure when I had not a sixpence in my pocket, studying in a garret in Edinburgh, than I now find when sitting amidst all the elegancies and comforts of a parlour.—William Chambers.
Notes
1 Über Selbstbildung.
2 Aus; to deliver an address to an assemblage, vor einer Versammlung eine Rede halten; young men, junge Leute.
3 I — man. This sentence does not allow of a literal rendering; say ‘You see before you a man who has educated himself’ (sich selbst bilden or aus´bilden).
4 was — Scotland = was such as (it) (eine solche, wie sie) is given (erteilen) at (in) a simple Scottish village-school.
5 The adverb ‘only’, when used in reference to time, is turned by ‘erst’, but in references to number by ‘nur’; as—
This man has only (but) one coat. Dieser Mann hat nur einen Rock.
It is only one o’clock. Es ist erst ein Uhr.
6 when — boy = when I, a poor boy, came to (S. 72, N. 4) Ed.
7 Construe the clause ‘of — me’ according to S. 48, N. 6; intellect, Geist.
8 ‘at night’, here abends, since Nacht applies only to the hours between 11 P.M. and 5 A.M.
9 at = in, contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.
[10] Supply here thätig (engaged).
11 Say ’and only during the later (später) hours, which I stole from sleep (dem Schlafe ab´stehlen), could I’, etc.
12 Roman, m.
13 auf naturwissenschaftliche Studien... gerichtet.
14 Gegenstand, m.
15 ‘During that period’ may be briefly rendered by damals; to teach oneself German, ohne Lehrer Deutsch studieren.
16 zurück´blicken.
17 to go through troubles, Beschwerden durch´machen; again, noch einmal. For the constr. see App. § 19.
18 Say ‘When (S. 4, N. 2) I had no sixpence (Sechspfennigstück, n.) in my pocket and studied in a garret in E., I felt (sich fühlen) happier than now, when (da) I sit in an elegant and comfortable (behaglich) parlour’.