The Englishman, pleased with my reasoning, wrote down the following old couplet, and gave it to me to read: 'Dicite, grammatici, cur mascula nomina cunnus, Et cur femineum mentula nomen habet.' After reading it aloud, I exclaimed, "This is Latin indeed." "We know that," said my mother, "but can you explain it ?" "To explain it is not enough," I answered; "it is a question which is worthy of an answer." And after considering for a moment, I wrote the following pentameter: 'Disce quod a domino nomina servus habet.' This was my first literary exploit, and I may say that in that very instant the seed of my love for literary fame was sown in my breast, for the applause lavished upon me exalted me to the very pinnacle of happiness.

The Englishman, quite amazed at my answer, said that no boy of eleven years had ever accomplished such a feat, embraced me repeatedly, and presented me with his watch.

My mother, inquisitive like a woman, asked M.Grimani to tell her the meaning of the lines, but as the abbe was not any wiser than she was M.Baffo translated it in a whisper.
Surprised at my knowledge, she rose from her chair to get a valuable gold watch and presented to my master, who, not knowing how to express his deep gratitude, treated us to the most comic scene.

My mother, in order to save him from the difficulty of paying her a compliment, offered him her cheek.

He had only to give her a couple of kisses, the easiest and the most innocent thing in good company; but the poor man was on burning coals, and so completely out of countenance that he would, I truly believe, rather have died than give the kisses.