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THE STORY OF MY STRUGGLES




_BY THE SAME AUTHOR._


ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY:

His Life and Adventures.

     Imperial 16mo, cloth, 6s. Boys' Edition, crown 8vo, cloth gilt,
     gilt edges, 5s.


THE STORY OF HUNGARY.

     Fully Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth, 5s. (THE STORY OF THE
     NATIONS SERIES.)


LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN.


[Illustration: PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY AT THE AGE OF 70

(_Photo by Strelisky._)]




THE STORY OF MY STRUGGLES

THE MEMOIRS OF ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY

PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES
IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BUDAPEST

VOLUME I

[Illustration: Logo]

LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN
PATERNOSTER SQUARE. 1904


(_All rights reserved._)




Preface


Authors of Autobiographies are much exposed to fall into
self-glorification. If I nevertheless have undertaken to write the
following pages, I have done so because of the unexpectedly favourable
criticism which the first two chapters of my book--_Life and Adventures
of Arminius Vambéry, Written by Himself_--met with in England and in
America. In this book I tried to lay before the public an account of
such travels and wanderings of mine as were not comprised in my first
book on Central Asia, and in addition I thought it advisable to give a
few outlines of my juvenile adventures and struggles. Strange to say it
was the narrative of the latter which elicited the particular interest
of my readers, as I noticed from the many letters I received from the
most distant parts of Europe and America.

Well, I said to myself, if such short sketches of my curious career have
evoked this interest on the part of my readers, what will be the
impression if I draw the picture of my whole life and of all the
vicissitudes I went through from my childhood to my present old age?
This is the main reason of the issue of the present volumes. Keeping in
mind the Oriental proverb, "To speak of his own self is the business of
the Shaitan," I have reluctantly touched upon many topics connected with
my personality, but events are mostly inseparable from actors, and
besides I have found encouragement in recalling the appreciation Britons
and Americans are habitually ready to accord to the career of self-made
men.

There are besides other motives which have served as incentives to these
pages. The various stages of my life have been passed in various
countries and societies, and a personal record of men and events dating
from half a century back may not be without interest to the present
generation. Unchecked by conventional modesty and false shame, I have
related all I went through in plain and unadorned words, and if I have
not concealed facts relating to my very humble origin and to the
mistakes I committed, neither have I thought it necessary to leave
unmentioned the result of my labours and the honours entailed by them.
It is now forty years ago since I had first the honour of coming before
the British public, and my desire to be thoroughly known by it may be
pardoned.

A. VAMBÉRY.




Contents


CHAPTER I.
                                PAGE
MY ANTECEDENTS AND INFANCY         1


CHAPTER II.

JUVENILE STRUGGLES                33


CHAPTER III.

THE PRIVATE TUTOR                 69


CHAPTER IV.

MY FIRST JOURNEY TO THE EAST     105


CHAPTER V.

MY SECOND JOURNEY TO THE EAST    161


CHAPTER VI.

THE RETURN TO EUROPE             203




Illustrations


PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY AT THE AGE OF SEVENTY      _Frontispiece_

PROFESSOR VAMBÉRY IN HIS EIGHTEENTH YEAR    _Facing page 35_


My Antecedents and Infancy




CHAPTER I

MY ANTECEDENTS AND INFANCY


"_Cogito ergo sum!_" Yes, I am here, but the date of my birth I cannot
positively state, as I have no means of ascertaining it. I had the
problematic good fortune to be born of Jewish parents, and as at that
time the Jews in Hungary were not compelled by law to be regularly
registered, and the authorities were satisfied