第 5 节
作者:两块      更新:2021-02-18 22:14      字数:9322
  hopelessly pinched and distorted。
  How can you expect that those poor creatures are to move
  naturally when the world and their parents have mutilated
  them so cruelly?  As long as a COURT CIRCULAR exists; how
  the deuce are people whose names are chronicled in it
  ever to believe themselves the equals of the cringing
  race which daily reads that abominable trash?  I believe
  that ours is the only country in the world now where the
  COURT CIRCULAR remains in full flourishwhere you read;
  'This day his Royal Highness Prince Pattypan was taken an
  airing in his go…cart。'  'The Princess Pimminy was taken
  a drive; attended by her ladies of honour; and
  accompanied by her doll;' &c。  We laugh at the solemnity
  with which Saint Simon announces that SA MAJESTE SE
  MEDICAMENTE AUJOURD'HUI。  Under our very noses the same
  folly is daily going on。  〃That wonderful and mysterious
  man; the author of the COURT CIRCULAR; drops in with his
  budget at the newspaper offices every night。  I once
  asked the editor of a paper to allow me to lie in wait
  and see him。
  I am told that in a kingdom where there is a German King…
  Consort (Portugal it must be; for the Queen of that
  country married a German Prince; who is greatly admired
  and respected by the natives); whenever the Consort takes
  the diversion of shooting among the rabbit…warrens of
  Cintra; or the pheasant…preserve of Mafra; he has a
  keeper to load his guns; as a matter of course; and then
  they are handed to the nobleman; his equerry; and the
  nobleman hands them to the Prince who blazes awaygives
  back the discharged gun to the nobleman; who gives it to
  the keeper; and so on。  But the Prince WON'T TAKE THE GUN
  FROM THE HANDS OF THE LOADER。
  As long as this unnatural and monstrous etiquette
  continues; Snobs there must be。  The three persons
  engaged in this transaction are; for the time being;
  Snobs。
  1。  The keeperthe least Snob of all; because he is
  discharging his daily duty; but he appears here as a
  Snob; that is to say; in a position of debasement;before
  another human being (the Prince); with whom he is allowed
  to cemmunicate through another party。  A free Portuguese
  gamekeeper; who professes himself to be unworthy to
  communicate directly with any person; confesses himself
  to be a Snob。
  2。  The nobleman in waiting is a Snob。  If it degrades
  the Prince to receive the gun from the gamekeeper; it is
  degrading to the nobleman in waiting to execute that
  service。  He acts as a Snob towards the keeper; whom he
  keeps from communication with the Princea Snob to the
  Prince; to whom he pays a degrading homage。
  3。  The King…Consort of Portugal is a Snob for insulting
  fellow…men in this way。  There's no harm in his accepting
  the services of the keeper directly; but indirectly he
  insults the service performed; and the servants who
  perform it; and therefore; I say; respectfully; is a most
  undoubted; though royal Snob。
  And then you read in the DIARIO DO GOBERNO'Yesterday
  his Majesty the King took the diversion of shooting the
  woods off Cintra; attended by Colonel the honourable
  Whiskerando Sombrero。  His Majesty returned to the
  Necessidades to lunch; at;' &c。 &c。。
  Oh! that COURT CIRCULAR! once more; I exclaim。
  Down with the COURT CIRCULARthat engine and propagator
  of Snobbishness!  I promise to subscribe for a year to
  any daily paper that shall come out without a COURT
  CIRCULARwere it the MORNING HERALD itself。  When I read
  that trash; I rise in my wrath; I feel myself disloyal; a
  regicide; a member of the Calf's Head Club。  The only
  COURT CIRCULAR story which ever pleased me; was that of
  the King of Spain; who in great part was roasted; because
  there was not time for the Prime Minister to command the
  Lord Chamberlain to desire the Grand Gold Stick to order
  the first page in waiting to bid the chief of the
  flunkeys to request the House…maid of Honour to bring up
  a pail of water to put his Majesty out。
  I am like the Pasha of three tails; to whom the Sultan
  sends HIS COURT CIRCULAR; the bowstring。
  It CHOKES me。  May its usage be abolished for ever。
  CHAPTER V
  WHAT SNOBS ADMIRE
  Now let us consider how difficult it is even for great
  men to escape from being Snobs。  It is very well for the
  reader; whose fine feelings are disgusted by the
  assertion that Kings; Princes; Lords; are Snobs; to say
  'You are confessedly a Snob yourself。  In professing to
  depict Snobs; it is only your own ugly mug which you are
  copying with a Narcissus…like conceit and fatuity。'  But
  I shall pardon this explosion of ill…temper on the part
  of my constant reader; reflecting upon the misfortune of
  his birth and country。  It is impossible for ANY Briton;
  perhaps; not to be a Snob in some degree。  If people can
  be convinced of this fact; an immense point is gained;
  surely。  If I have pointed out the disease; let us hope
  that other scientific characters may discover the remedy。
  If you; who are a person of the middle ranks of life; are
  a Snob;you whom nobody flatters particularly; you who
  have no toadies; you whom no cringing flunkeys or shopmen
  bow out of doors; you whom the policeman tells to move
  on; you who are jostled in the crowd of this world; and
  amongst the Snobs our brethren: consider how much harder
  it is for a man to escape who has not your advantages;
  and is all his life long subject to adulation; the butt
  of meanness; consider how difficult it is for the Snobs'
  idol not to be a Snob。
  As I was discoursing with my friend Eugenio in this
  impressive way; Lord Buckram passed us; the son of the
  Marquis of Bagwig; and knocked at the door of the family
  mansion in Red Lion Square。  His noble father and mother
  occupied; as everybody knows; distinguished posts in the
  Courts of late Sovereigns。  The Marquis was Lord of the
  Pantry; and her Ladyship; Lady of the Powder Closet to
  Queen Charlotte。  Buck (as I call him; for we are very
  familiar) gave me a nod as he passed; and I proceeded to
  show Eugenio how it was impossible that this nobleman
  should not be one of ourselves; having been practised
  upon by Snobs all his life。
  His parents resolved to give him a public education; and
  sent him to school at the earliest possible period。  The
  Reverend Otto Rose; D。D。; Principal of the Preparatory
  Academy for young noblemen and gentlemen; Richmond Lodge;
  took this little Lord in hand; and fell down and
  worshipped him。  He always introduced him to fathers and
  mothers who came to visit their children at the school。
  He referred with pride and pleasure to the most noble the
  Marquis of Bagwig; as one of the kind friends and patrons
  of his Seminary。  He made Lord Buckram a bait for such a
  multiplicity of pupils; that a new wing was built to
  Richmond Lodge; and thirty…five new little white dimity
  beds were added to the establishment。  Mm。 Rose used to
  take out the little Lord in the one…horse chaise with her
  when she paid visits; until the Rector's lady and the
  Surgeon's wife almost died with envy。  His own son and
  Lord Buckram having been discovered robbing an orchard
  together; the Doctor flogged his own flesh and blood most
  unmercifully for leading the young Lord astray。  He
  parted from him with tears。  There was always a letter
  directed to the Most Noble the Marquis ef Bagwig; on the
  Doctor's study table; when any visitors were received by
  him。
  At Eton; a great deal of Snobbishness was thrashed out of
  Lord Buckram; and he was birched with perfect
  impartiality。  Even there; however; a select band of
  sucking tuft…hunters followed him。  Young Croesus lent
  him three…and…twenty bran…new sovereigns out of his
  father's bank。  Young Snaily did his exercises for him;
  and tried 'to know him at home;' but Young Bull licked
  him in a fight of fifty…five minutes; and he was caned
  several times with great advantage for not sufficiently
  polishing his master Smith's shoes。  Boys are not ALL
  toadies in the morning of life。
  But when he went to the University; crowds of toadies
  sprawled over him。  The tutors toadied him。  The fellows
  in hall paid him great clumsy compliments。  The Dean
  never remarked his absence from Chapel; or heard any
  noise issuing from his rooms。  A number of respectable
  young fellows; (it is among the respectable; the Baker
  Street class; that Snobbishness flourishes; more than
  among any set of people in England)a number of these
  clung to him like leeches。  There was no end now to
  Croesus's loans of money; and Buckram couldn't ride out
  with the hounds; but Snaily (a timid creature by nature)
  was in the field; and would take any leap at which his
  friend chose to ride。  Young Rose came up to the same
  College; having been kept back for that express purpose
  by his father。  He spent a quarter's allowance in giving
  Buckram a single dinner; but he knew there was always
  pardon for him for extravagance in such a cause; a