Chapter XXXIII: In Hungary

I have often been asked how it came about that, after my long and varied career in Asia as well as in Europe, I made up my mind to settle quietly down in Hungary and to look upon the Chair of Oriental Languages at the University of Pesth as a fit reward for my extraordinary struggles in life. It was during my first audience with the Emperor-King of Austro-Hungary that the kind-hearted monarch asked me whether I intended to remain in the country, and what he could do in my favour. On having alluded to my desire for a professorship at the Hungarian University, his Majesty suggested that such out-of-the-way studies were not much cultivated even at Vienna, how then could I hope to find an audience at Budapest? I remarked upon that, if nobody else would learn, I should learn myself. The Emperor fully understood, and he kindly remarked, "Your sufferings deserve a remuneration, and I shall look into your case." Two or three months had scarcely elapsed, when I got my appointment with the modest salary of one hundred pounds a year, which sum the Hungarian Minister for Public Instruction very soon doubled; and this, together with the income derived from the small sum I got for the English, French and German editions of my book, fully sufficed to cover my expenses--nay to enable me to found a family. When it became public that I intended to marry, people generally said, "What an unhappy idea; and what a pity for that poor girl!" People took it for sure that I must get tired of matrimony in a very short time, and that I should leave home, family, wife and everything, to run again after adventures in the interior of Asia. Well, people were grossly mistaken, for neither was I an adventurer by natural impulse, nor were all the praises bestowed upon me strong enough to drive me again into the wilderness, or to instigate me to renew my wanderings. It is true I was but thirty-two years old when I returned to Europe, and although temporarily worn out by fatigue, I regained my former strength in one year; but already I had spent twenty years in wanderings of all sorts, and the idea of possessing my own room, my own furniture, and my own library, made me exceedingly happy. I revelled in the thought of being able to write down and to publish those of my explorations which interest but a small community, but are of so much more value.

I may conclude with the saying, "Dixi et salvavi animam." I hope I shall never have to repent the extraordinary fatigues and troubles with which I had to proceed on the thorny path; and if the last rays of the parting sun of my life approach, I still shall say, "It was a hot, but a fine day, sir!"

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Transcriber's Note: The Table of Contents lists several sub-topics for each chapter. In the original edition, these appeared as headers on odd-numbered pages. In the HTML version of this electronic edition, these have been placed as sidenotes adjacent to the relevant passages.

The following typographical errors present in the original edition have been corrected.

In the Table of Contents, "Tragedy appreciated" was changed to "Tragedy Appreciated", and a missing period was added after "XXVI".

In Chapter II, a period was changed to a comma after "from the mouths of the Sulina, I gazed".

In Chapter IV, "I ememployed this short time" was changed to "I employed this short time".

In Chapter X, a comma was changed to a period after "continually wagging with an air of great importance".

In Chapter XI, "only such persons are called rowzekhans" was changed to "only such persons are called rawzekhans".

In Chapter XIV, a missing quotation mark was added after "from Kuhi Kaff."

In Chapter XV, "living entirely in Persion fashion" was changed to "living entirely in Persian fashion", and a comma was changed to a period after "their extreme excitability and irritability".

In Chapter XX, "for which are hearts had been longing" was changed to "for which our hearts had been longing".

In Chapter XXI, "four days in the high plateau of Kaflandir" was changed to "four days in the high plateau of Kaflankir".

In Chapter XXII, "altered appear ance" was changed to "altered appearance".

In Chapter XXIV, a quotation mark was added after "the men we have selected for your travelling companions", "with what heavy hearts we looked foward to" was changed to "with what heavy hearts we looked forward to", and "Thy glorious ancester Timur" was changed to "Thy glorious ancestor Timur".

In Chapter XXV, "to tread with these articles amongst the nomadic people" was changed to "to trade with these articles amongst the nomadic people".

In Chapter XXVIII, "comtemplating the unnecessary danger" was changed to "contemplating the unnecessary danger".

In Chapter XXIX, "the aspects of the city seems entirely changed" was changed to "the aspect of the city seems entirely changed".

In Chapter XXXIII, "the last rays of the parting sun of my life approaches" was changed to "the last rays of the parting sun of my life approach".

In the advertisement for The Story of Nations, a comma was changed to a period after "Head Master of Marlborough", a quotation mark was added after "the charm of romance", and a misplaced period was corrected after "as pleasurable as it is profitable".