第 4 节
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两块 更新:2021-02-18 22:14 字数:9322
order to encourage all men to do their duty; we say to
any man of any rankget enormously rich; make immense
fees as a lawyer; or great speeches; or distinguish
yourself and win battlesand you; even you; shall come
into the privileged class; and your children shall reign
naturally over ours。'
How can we help Snobbishness; with such a prodigious
national institution erected for its worship? How can we
help cringing to Lords? Flesh and blood can't do
otherwise。 What man can withstand this prodigious
temptation? Inspired by what is called a noble
emulation; some people grasp at honours and win them;
others; too weak or mean; blindly admire and grovel
before those who have gained them; others; not being able
to acquire them; furiously hate; abuse; and envy。 There
are only a few bland and not…in…the…least…conceited
philosophers; who can behold the state of society; viz。;
Toadyism; organised:base Man…and…Mammon worship;
instituted by command of law:Snobbishness; in a word;
perpetuated;and mark the phenomenon calmly。 And of
these calm moralists; is there one; I wonder; whose heart
would not throb with pleasure if he could be seen walking
arm…in…arm with a couple of dukes down Pall Mall? No it
is impossible in our condition of society; not to be
sometimes a Snob。
On one hand it encourages the commoner to be snobbishly
mean; and the noble to be snobbishly arrogant。 When a
noble marchioness writes in her travels about the hard
necessity under which steam…boat travellers labour of
being brought into contact 'with all sorts and conditions
of people:' implying that a fellowship with God's
creatures is disagreeable to to her Ladyship; who is
their superier:when; I say; the Marchioness of
writes in this fashion; we must consider that out of her
natural heart it would have been impossible for any woman
to have had such a sentiment; but that the habit of
truckling and cringing; which all who surround her have
adopted towards this beautiful and magnificent lady;
this proprietor of so many black and other diamonds;has
really induced her to believe that she is the superior of
the world in general: and that people are not to
associate with her except awfully at a distance。 I
recollect being once at the city of Grand Cairo; through
which a European Royal Prince was passing India…wards。
One night at the inn there was a great disturbance: a man
had drowned himself in the well hard by: all the
inhabitants of the hotel came bustling into the Court;
and amongst others your humble servant; who asked of a
certain young man the reason of the disturbance。 How was
I to know that this young gent was a prince? He had not
his crown and sceptre on: he was dressed in a white
jacket and felt hat: but he looked surprised at anybody
speaking to him: answered an unintelligible monosyllable;
andBECKONED HIS AID…DE…CAMP TO COME AND SPEAK TO ME。
It is our fault; not that of the great; that they should
fancy themselves so far above us。 If you WILL fling
yourself under the wheels; Juggernaut will go over you;
depend upon it; and if you and I; my dear friend; had
Kotow performed before us every day;found people
whenever we appeared grovelling in slavish adoration; we
should drop into the airs of superiority quite naturally;
and accept the greatness with which the world insisted
upon endowing us。
Here is an instance; out of Lord L's travels; of that
calm; good…natured; undoubting way in which a great man
accepts the homage of his inferiors。 After making some
profound and ingenious remarks about the town of
Brussells; his lordship says:'Staying some day at the
Hotel de Belle Vue; a greatly overrated establishment;
and not nearly as comfortable as the Hotel de FranceI
made acquaintance with Dr。 L; the physician of the
Mission。 He was desirous of doing the honours of the
place to me; and he ordered for us a DINER EN GOURMAND at
the chief restaurateur's; maintaining it surpassed the
Rocher at Paris。 Six or eight partook of the
entertainment; and we all agreed it was infinitely
inferior to the Paris display; and much more extravagant。
So much for the copy。
And so much for the gentleman who gave the dinner。 Dr。
L; desirous to do his lordship 'the honour of the
place;' feasts him with the best victuals money can
procureand my lord finds the entertainment extravagant
and inferior。 Extravagant! it was not extravagant to
HIM;Inferior! Mr。 L did his best to satisfy those
noble jaws; and my lord receives the entertainment; and
dismisses the giver with a rebuke。 It is like a three…
tailed Pasha grumbling about an unsatisfactory
backsheesh。
But how should it be otherwise in a country where
Lordolatry is part of our creed; and where our children
are brought up to respect the 'Peerage' as the
Englishman's second Bible?
CHAPTER IV
THE COURT CIRCULAR; AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SNOBS
Example is the best of precepts; so let us begin with a
true and authentic story; showing how young aristocratic
snobs are reared; and how early their Snobbishness may be
made to bloom。 A beautiful and fashionable lady
(pardon; gracious madam; that your story should be made
public; but it is so moral that it ought to be known to
the universal world)told me that in her early youth she
had a little acquaintance; who is now indeed a beautiful
and fashionable lady too。 In mentioning Miss Snobky;
daughter of Sir Snobby Snobky; whose presentation at
Court caused such a sensation; need I say more?
When Miss Snobky was so very young as to be in the
nursery regions; and to walk off early mornings in St。
James's Park; protected by a French governess and
followed by a huge hirsute flunkey in the canary coloured
livery of the Snobkys; she used occasionally in these
promenades to meet with young Lord Claude Lollipop; the
Marquis of Sillabub's younger son。 In the very height of
the season; from some unexplained cause; the Snobkys
suddenly determined upon leaving town。 Miss Snobky spoke
to her female friend and confidante。 'What will poor
Claude Lollipop say when he hears of my absence?' asked
the tender…hearted child。
'Oh; perhaps he won't hear of it;' answers the
confidante。
'MY DEAR; HE WILL READ IT IN THE PAPERS;' replied the
dear little fashionable rogue of seven years old。 She
knew already her importance; and how all the world of
England; how all the would…be…genteel people; how all the
silver…fork worshippers; how all the tattle…mongers; how
all the grocers' ladies; the tailors' ladies; the
attorneys' and merchants' ladies; and the people living
at Clapham and Brunswick Square;who have no more chance
of consorting with a Snobky than my beloved reader has of
dining with the Emperor of Chinayet watched the
movements of the Snobkys with interest and were glad to
know when they came to London and left it。
Here is the account of Miss Snobky's dress; and that of
her mother; Lady Snobky; from the papers:
'MISS SNOBKY。
Habit de Cour; composed of a yellow nankeen illusion
dress over a slip of rich pea…green corduroy; trimmed en
tablier; with bouquets of Brussels sprouts: the body and
sleeves handsomely trimmed with calimanco; and festooned
with a pink train and white radishes。 Head…dress;
carrots and lappets。
'LADY SNOBKY。
'Costume de Cour; composed of a train of the most superb
Pekin bandannas; elegantly trimmed with spangles;
tinfoil; and red…tape。 Bodice and underdress of sky…blue
velveteen; trimmed with bouffants and noeuds of bell…
pulls。 Stomacher a muffin。 Head…dress a bird's nest;
with a bird of paradise; over a rich brass knocker en
ferroniere。 This splendid costume; by Madame Crinoline;
of Regent Street; was the object of universal
admiration。'
This is what you read。 Oh; Mrs。 Ellis! Oh; mothers;
daughters; aunts; grandmothers of England; this is the
sort of writing which is put in the newspapers for you!
How can you help being the mothers; daughters; &c。 of
Snobs; so long as this balderdash is set before you?
You stuff the little rosy foot of a Chinese young lady of
fashion into a slipper that is about the size of a salt…
cruet; and keep the poor little toes there imprisoned and
twisted up so long that the dwarfishness becomes
irremediable。 Later; the foot would not expand to the
natural size were you to give her a washing…tub for a
shoe and for all her life she has little feet; and is a
cripple。 Oh; my dear Miss Wiggins; thank your stars that
those beautiful feet of yoursthough I declare when you
walk they are so small as to be almost invisiblethank
your stars that society never so practised upon them; but
look around and see how many friends of ours in the
highest circles have had their BRAINS so prematurely and
hopelessly pinched and distorted。
How can you expect that those poor creatures are to move
naturally when