o；　there　needs　a　seeing　man　who　is　himself　noble；　cognizant　by　internal　experience　of　the　symptoms　of　nobleness。　　Shall　we　never　think　of　this；　shall　we　never　more　remember　this；　then？　　It　is　forever　true；　and　Nature　and　Fact；　however　we　may　rattle　our　ballot…boxes；　do　at　no　time　forget　it。
  From　the　lowest　and　broadest　stratum　of　Society；　where　the　births　are　by　the　million；　there　was　born；　almost　in　our　own　memory；　a　Robert　Burns；　son　of　one　who　〃had　not　capital　for　his　poor　moor…farm　of　Twenty　Pounds　a　year。〃　　Robert　Burns　never　had　the　smallest　chance　to　got　into　Parliament；　much　as　Robert　Burns　deserved；　for　all　our　sakes；　to　have　been　found　there。　For　the　manit　was　not　known　to　men　purblind；　sunk　in　their　poor　dim　vulgar　element；　but　might　have　been　known　to　men　of　insight　who　had　any　loyalty　or　any　royalty　of　their　ownwas　a　born　king　of　men：　　full　of　valor；　of　intelligence　and　heroic　nobleness；　fit　for　far　other　work　than　to　break　his　heart　among　poor　mean　mortals；　gauging　beer！　　Him　no　Tenpound　Constituency　chose；　nor　did　any　Reforming　Premier：　　in　the　deep…sunk　British　Nation；　overwhelmed　in　foggy　stupor；　with　the　loadstars　all　gone　out　for　it；　there　was　no　whisper　of　a　notion　that　it　could　be　desirable　to　choose　him；except　to　come　and　dine　with　you；　and　in　the　interim　to　gauge。　And　yet　heaven…born　Mr。　Pitt；　at　that　period；　was　by　no　means　without　need　of　Heroic　Intellect；　for　other　purposes　than　gauging！　　But　sorrowful　strangulation　by　red…tape；　much　_tighter_　then　than　it　now　is　when　so　many　revolutionary　earthquakes　have　tussled　it；　quite　tied　up　the　meagre　Pitt；　and　he　said；　on　hearing　of　this　Burns　and　his　sad　hampered　case；　〃Literature　will　take　care　of　itself。〃〃Yes；　and　of　you　too；　if　you　don't　mind　it！〃　answers　one。
  And　so；　like　Apollo　taken　for　a　Neat…herd；　and　perhaps　for　none　of　the　best　on　the　Admetus　establishment；　this　new　Norse　Thor　had　to　put　up　with　what　was　going；　to　gauge　ale；　and　be　thankful；　pouring　his　celestial　sunlight　through　Scottish　Song…writing；the　narrowest　chink　ever　offered　to　a　Thunder…god　before！　　And　the　meagre　Pitt；　and　his　Dundasses　and　red…tape　Phantasms　（growing　very　ghastly　now　to　think　of）；　did　not　in　the　least　know　or　understand；　the　impious；　god…forgetting　mortals；　that　Heroic　Intellects；　if　Heaven　were　pleased　to　send　such；　were　the　one　salvation　for　the　world　and　for　them　and　all　of　us。　　No；　they　〃had　done　very　well　without〃　such；　did　not　see　the　use　of　such；　went　along　〃very　well〃　without　such；　well　presided　over　by　a　singular　Heroic　Intellect　called　George　the　Third：　　and　the　Thunder…god；　as　was　rather　fit　of　him；　departed　early；　still　in　the　noon　of　life；　somewhat　weary　of　gauging　ale！O　Peter；　what　a　scandalous　torpid　element　of　yellow　London　fog；　favorable　to　owls　only　and　their　mousing　operations；　has　blotted　out　the　stars　of　Heaven　for　us　these　several　generations　back；which；　I　rejoice　to　see；　is　now　visibly　about　to　take　itself　away　again；　or　perhaps　to　be　_dispelled_　in　a　very　tremendous　manner！
  For　the　sake　of　my　Democratic　friends；　one　other　observation。　　Is　not　this　Proposal　the　very　essence　of　whatever　truth　there　is　in　〃Democracy；〃　this；　that　the　able　man　be　chosen；　in　whatever　rank　be　is　found？　　That　he　be　searched　for　as　hidden　treasure　is；　be　trained；　supervised；　set　to　the　work　which　he　alone　is　fit　for。　　All　Democracy　lies　in　this；　this；　I　think；　is　worth　all　the　ballot…boxes　and　suffrage…movements　now　going。　　Not　that　the　noble　soul；　born　poor；　should　be　set　to　spout　in　Parliament；　but　that　he　should　be　set　to　assist　in　governing　men：　　this　is　our　grand　Democratic　interest。　　With　this　we　can　be　saved；　without　this；　were　there　a　Parliament　spouting　in　every　parish；　and　Hansard　Debates　to　stem　the　Thames；　we　perish；die　constitutionally　drowned；　in　mere　oceans　of　palaver。
  All　reformers；　constitutional　persons；　and　men　capable　of　reflection；　are　invited　to　reflect　on　these　things。　　Let　us　brush　the　cobwebs　from　our　eyes；　let　us　bid　the　inane　traditions　be　silent　for　a　moment；　and　ask　ourselves；　like　men　dreadfully　intent　on　having　it　_done_；　〃By　what　method　or　methods　can　the　able　men　from　every　rank　of　life　be　gathered；　as　diamond…grains　from　the　general　mass　of　sand：　　the　able　men；　not　the　sham…able；and　set　to　do　the　work　of　governing；　contriving；　administering　and　guiding　for　us！〃　　It　is　the　question　of　questions。　　All　that　Democracy　ever　meant　lies　there：　　the　attainment　of　a　truer　and　truer　Aristocracy；　or　Government　again　by　the　_Best_。
  Reformed　Parliaments　have　lamentably　failed　to　attain　it　for　us；　and　I　believe　will　and　must　forever　fail。　　One　true　Reforming　Statesman；　one　noble　worshipper　and　knower　of　human　intellect；　with　the　quality　of　an　experienced　Politician　too；　he；　backed　by　such　a　Parliament　as　England；　once　recognizing　him；　would　loyally　send；　and　at　liberty　to　choose　his　working　subalterns　from　all　the　Englishmen　alive；　he　surely　might　do　something？　　Something；　by　one　means　or　another；　is　becoming　fearfully　necessary　to　be　done！　　He；　I　think；　might　accomplish　more　for　us　in　ten　years；　than　the　best　conceivable　Reformed　Parliament；　and　utmost　extension　of　the　suffrage；　in　twice　or　ten　times　ten。
  What　is　extremely　important　too；　you　could　try　this　method　with　safety；　extension　of　the　suffrage　you　cannot　so　try。　　With　even　an　approximately　heroic　Prime　Minister；　you　could　get　nothing　but　good　from　prescribing　to　him　thus；　to　choose　the　fittest　man；　under　penalties；　to　choose；　not　the　fittest　of　the　four　or　the　three　men　that　were　in　Parliament；　but　the　fittest　from　the　whole　Twenty…seven　Millions　that　he　could　hear　of；at　his　peril。　　Nothing　but　good　from　this。　　From　extension　of　the　suffrage；　some　think；　you　might　get　quite　other　than　good。　　From　extension　of　the　suffrage；　till　it　became　a　universal　counting　of　heads；　one　sees　not　in　the　least　what　wisdom　could　be　extracted。　　A　Parliament　of　the　Paris　pattern；　such　as　we　see　just　now；　might　be　extracted：　　and　from　that？　　Solution　into　universal　slush；　drownage　of　all　interests　divine　and　human；　in　a　Noah's…Deluge　of　Parliamentary　eloquence；such　as　we　hope　our　sins；　heavy　and　manifold　though　they　are；　have　not　yet　quite　deserved！
  Who；　then；　is　to　be　the　Reforming　Statesman；　and　begin　the　noble　work　for　us？　　He　is　the　preliminary；　one　such；　with　him　we　may　prosecute　the　enterprise　to　length　after　length；　without　him　we　cannot　stir　in　it　at　all。　A　true　_king_；　temporary　king；　that　dare　undertake　the　government　of　Britain；　on　condition　of　beginning　in　sacred　earnest　to　〃reform〃　it；　not　at　this　or　that　extremity；　but　at　the　heart　and　centre。　　That　will　expurgate　Downing　Street；　and　the　practical　Administration　of　our　Affairs；　clear　out　its　accumulated　mountains　of　pendantries　and　cobwebs；　bid　the　Pedants　and　the　Dullards　depart；　bid　the　Gifted　and　the　Seeing　enter　and　inhabit。　　So　that　henceforth　there　be　Heavenly　light　there；　instead　of　Stygian　dusk；　that　God's　vivifying　light　instead　of　Satan's　deadening　and　killing　dusk；　may　radiate　therefrom；　and　visit　with　healing　all　regions　of　this　British　Empire；which　now　writhes　through　every　limb　of　it；　in　dire　agony　as　if　of　death！　　The　enterprise　is　great；　the　enterprise　may　be　called　formidable　and　even　awful；　but　there　is　none　nobler　among　the　sublunary　affairs　of　mankind　just　now。　　Nay　tacitly　it　is　the　enterprise　of　every　man　who　undertakes　to　be　British　Premier　in　these　times；and　I　cannot　esteem　him　an　enviable　Premier　who；　because　the　engagement　is　_tacit_；　flatters　himself　that　it　does　not　exist！　　〃Show　it　me　in　the　bond；〃　he　says。　　Your　Lordship；　it　actually　exists：　　and　I　think　you　will　see　it　yet；　in　another　kind　of　〃bond〃　than　that　sheepskin　one！
  But　truly；　in　any　time；　what　a　strange　feeling；　enough　to　alarm　a　very　big　Lordship；　this：　　that　he；　of　the　size　he　is；　has　got　to　the　apex　of　English　affairs！　　Smallest　wrens；　we　know；　by　training　and　the　aid　of　machinery；　are　capable　of　many　things。　　For　this　world　abounds　in　miraculous　combinations；　far　transcending　anything　they　do　at　Drury　Lane　in　the　melodramatic　way。　　A　world　which；　as　solid　as　it　looks；　is　made　all　of　aerial　and　even　of　spiritual　stuff；　permeated　all　by　incalculable　sleeping　forces　and　electricities；　and　liable　to　go　off；　at　any　time；　into　the　hugest　developments；　upon　a　scratch　thoughtfully　or　thoughtlessly　given　on　the　right　point：Nay；　for　every　one　of　us；　could　not　the　sputter　of　a　poor　pistol…shot　shrivel　the　Immensities　together　like　a　burnt　scroll；　and　make　the　Heavens　and　the　Earth　pass　away　with　a　great　noise？　　Smallest　wrens；　and　canary…birds　of　some　dexterity；　can　be　trained　to　handle　lucifer…matches；　and　have；　before　now；　fired　off　whole　powder…magazines　and　parks　of　artillery。　　Perhaps　without　much　astonishment　to　the　canary…bird。　The　canary…bird　can　hold　only　its　own　quantity　of　astonishment；　and　may　possibly　enough　retain　its　presence　of　mind；　were　even　Doomsday　to　come。　It　is　on　this　principle　that　I　explain　to　myself　the　equanimity　of　some　men　and　Premiers　whom　we　have　known。
  This　and　the　other　Premier　seems　to　take　it　with　perfect　coolness。　　And　yet；　I　say；　what　a　strange　feeling；　to　find　himself　Chief　Governor　of　England；　girding　on；　upon　his　moderately　sized　new　soul；　the　old　battle…harness　of　an　Oliver　Cromwell；　an　Edward　Longshanks；　a