[Lavengro by George Borrow]@TWC D-Link book
Lavengro

CHAPTER XXIV
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Sit down, young gentleman, you shall have a glass of Madeira, and the best I have." Thereupon he got up, and, followed by his two terriers, walked slowly out of the room.
I looked round the room, and, seeing nothing which promised me much amusement, I sat down, and fell again into my former train of thought.
"What is truth ?" said I.
"Here it is," said the magistrate, returning at the end of a quarter of an hour, followed by the servant, with a tray; "here's the true thing, or I am no judge, far less a justice.

It has been thirty years in my cellar last Christmas.

There," said he to the servant, "put it down, and leave my young friend and me to ourselves.

Now, what do you think of it ?" "It is very good," said I.
"Did you ever taste better Madeira ?" "I never before tasted Madeira." "Then you ask for a wine without knowing what it is ?" "I ask for it, sir, that I may know what it is." "Well, there is logic in that, as Parr would say; you have heard of Parr ?" "Old Parr ?" "Yes, old Parr, but not that Parr; you mean the English, I the Greek Parr, as people call him." "I don't know him." "Perhaps not--rather too young for that; but were you of my age, you might have cause to know him, coming from where you do.

He kept school there, I was his first scholar; he flogged Greek into me till I loved him--and he loved me; he came to see me last year, and sat in that chair; I honour Parr--he knows much, and is a sound man." "Does he know the truth ?" "Know the truth! he knows what's good, from an oyster to an ostrich--he's not only sound but round." "Suppose we drink his health ?" "Thank you, boy: here's Parr's health, and Whiter's." "Who is Whiter ?" "Don't you know Whiter?
I thought everybody knew Reverend Whiter the philologist, though I suppose you scarcely know what that means.


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