The latter in particular was long afterwards spoken of in
Vaud, as an exposition little short of the well-known judgment of Solomon,
who had resorted to the same keen-edged weapon in order to solve a point
almost as knotty as this settled by the bailiff. When the approbation had
a little subsided, the warmed Peterchen continued his discourse, which
possessed the random and generalized logic of most of the dissertations
that are uttered in the interests of things as they are, without paying
any particular deference to things as they should be.
"What is the use of teaching the multitude to read and write?" he asked.
"Had not Franz Kauffman known how to write, could he have imitated his
master's hand, and would he have lost his head for mistaking another man's
name for his own? a little reflection shows us he would not. Now, as for
the other art, could the people read bad books had they never learned the
alphabet? If there is a man present who can say to the contrary, I absolve
him from his respect, and invite him to speak boldly, for there is no
Inquisition in Vaud, but we invite argument.
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