I saw that all that related to his race was the weak point of the Armenian.  I did not flatter the Armenian with respect to his race or language.  ‘An inconsiderable people,’ said I, ’shrewd and industrious, but still an inconsiderable people.  A language bold and expressive, and of some antiquity, derived, though perhaps not immediately, from some much older tongue.  I do not think that the Armenian has had any influence over the formation of the languages of the world, I am not much indebted to the Armenian for the solution of any doubts; whereas to the language of Mr. Petulengro—­’

‘I have heard you mention that name before,’ said the Armenian; ’who is Mr. Petulengro?’

And then I told the Armenian who Mr. Petulengro was.  The Armenian spoke contemptuously of Mr. Petulengro and his race.  ’Don’t speak contemptuously of Mr. Petulengro,’ said I, ’nor of anything belonging to him.  He is a dark mysterious personage; all connected with him is a mystery, especially his language; but I believe that his language is doomed to solve a great philological problem—­Mr. Petulengo—­’

‘You appear agitated,’ said the Armenian; ’take another glass of wine; you possess a great deal of philological knowledge, but it appears to me that the language of this Petulengro is your foible:  but let us change the subject; I feel much interested in you, and would fain be of service to you.  Can you cast accounts?’

I shook my head.

‘Keep books?’

‘I have an idea that I could write books,’ said I; ’but, as to keeping them—­’ and here again I shook my head.

The Armenian was silent some time; all at once, glancing at one of the wire cases, with which, as I have already said, the walls of the room were hung, he asked me if I was well acquainted with the learning of the Haiks.  ‘The books in these cases,’ said he, ’contain the masterpieces of Haik learning.’

‘No,’ said I; ’all I know of the learning of the Haiks is their translation of the Bible.’

‘You have never read Z—–?’

‘No,’ said I, ‘I have never read Z—–.’

‘I have a plan,’ said the Armenian; ’I think I can employ you agreeably and profitably; I should like to see Z—–­ in an English dress; you shall translate Z—–­ If you can read the Scriptures in Armenian, you can translate Z—–.  He is our Esop, the most acute and clever of all our moral writers—­his philosophy—­’

‘I will have nothing to do with him,’ said I.

‘Wherefore?’ said the Armenian.

‘There is an old proverb,’ said I, ’"that a burnt child avoids the fire.”  I have burnt my hands sufficiently with attempting to translate philosophy, to make me cautious of venturing upon it again’; and then I told the Armenian how I had been persuaded by the publisher to translate his philosophy into German, and what sorry thanks I had received; ’And who knows,’ said I, ’but the attempt to translate Armenian philosophy into English might he attended with yet more disagreeable consequences?’