第54部分(第2/7 頁)

　The　collection　was　then　sold　by　auction　and　dispersed。

I　asked　Budge　if　he　believed　in　the　efficacy　of　curses。　He　hesitated　to　answer。　At　length　he　said　that　in　the　East　men　believed　that　curses　took　effect；　and　that　he　had　always　avoided　driving　a　native　to　curse　him。　A　curse　launched　into　the　air　was　bound　to　have　an　effect　if　coupled　with　the　name　of　God；　either　on　the　person　cursed　or　on　the　curser。　Budge　mentioned　the　case　of　Palmer；　who　cursed　an　Arab　of　Sinai；　and　the　natives　turned　the　curse　on　him　by　throwing　him　and　his　panions　down　a　precipice；　and　they　were　dashed　to　pieces。　Budge　added；　“I　have　cursed　the　fathers　and　female　ancestors　of　many　a　man；　but　I　have　always　feared　to　curse　a　man　himself。”

Two　other　stories　of　Budge’s　are　worth　preserving。

When　he　was　at　Cambridge　Dr。　Peile　of　Christ’s　offered　him　an　exhibition　if　he　would　be　examined　in　Assyrian；　and　as　Budge’s　funds　were　exiguous　he　was　very　anxious　to　get　the　exhibition。　An　examiner；　Professor　Sayce　of　Oxford；　was　found　to　set　the　papers　—　four　in　all　—　and　the　days　for　the　examination　were　fixed。　The　night　before　the　day　of　the　examination　Budge　dreamed　a　dream　in　which　he　saw　himself　seated　in　a　room　that　he　had　never　seen　before　—　a　room　rather　like　a　shed　with　a　skylight　in　it。　The　tutor　came　in　with　a　long　envelope　in　his　hand；　and　took　from　it　a　batch　of　green　papers；　and　gave　one　of　these　to　Budge　for　him　to　work　at　that　morning。　The　tutor　locked　him　in　and　left　him。　When　he　looked　at　the　paper　he　saw　it　contained　questions　and　extracts　from　bilingual　Assyrian　and　Akkadian　texts　for　translation。　The　questions　he　could　answer；　but　he　could　not　translate　the　texts；　though　he　knew　them　by　sight；　and　his　emotions　were　so　great　that　he　woke　up　in　a　fright。　At　length　he　fel