lavengro-第143章

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disabilities　from　Dissenters；　which　will　allow　the　Holy　Father　to　

play　his　own　game　in　England。'



On　my　inquiring　how　the　Holy　Father　intended　to　play　his　game；　the　

man　in　black　gave　me　to　understand　that　he　intended　for　the　present　

to　cover　the　land　with　temples；　in　which　the　religion　of　

Protestants　would　be　continually　scoffed　at　and　reviled。



On　my　observing　that　such　behaviour　would　savour　strongly　of　

ingratitude；　the　man　in　black　gave　me　to　understand　that　if　I　

entertained　the　idea　that　the　See　of　Rome　was　ever　influenced　in　

its　actions　by　any　feeling　of　gratitude　I　was　much　mistaken；　

assuring　me　that　if　the　See　of　Rome　in　any　encounter　should　chance　

to　be　disarmed；　and　its　adversary；　from　a　feeling　of　magnanimity；　

should　restore　the　sword　which　had　been　knocked　out　of　its　hand；　

the　See　of　Rome　always　endeavoured　on　the　first　opportunity　to　

plunge　the　said　sword　into　its　adversary's　bosom；　conduct　which　the　

man　in　black　seemed　to　think　was　very　wise；　and　which　he　assured　me　

had　already　enabled　it　to　get　rid　of　a　great　many　troublesome　

adversaries；　and　would；　he　had　no　doubt；　enable　it　to　get　rid　of　a　

great　many　more。



On　my　attempting　to　argue　against　the　propriety　of　such　behaviour；　

the　man　in　black　cut　the　matter　short　by　saying　that　if　one　party　

was　a　fool　he　saw　no　reason　why　the　other　should　imitate　it　in　its　

folly。



After　musing　a　little　while；　I　told　him　that　emancipation　had　not　

yet　passed　through　the　legislature；　and　that　perhaps　it　never　

would；　reminding　him　that　there　was　often　many　a　slip　between　the　

cup　and　the　lip；　to　which　observation　the　man　in　black　agreed；　

assuring　me；　however；　that　there　was　no　doubt　that　emancipation　

would　be　carried；　inasmuch　as　there　was　a　very　loud　cry　at　present　

in　the　land　…　a　cry　of　'tolerance；'　which　had　almost　frightened　the　

Government　out　of　its　wits；　who；　to　get　rid　of　the　cry；　was　going　

to　grant　all　that　was　asked　in　the　way　of　toleration；　instead　of　

telling　the　people　to　'hold　their　nonsense；'　and　cutting　them　down　

provided　they　continued　bawling　longer。



I　questioned　the　man　in　black　with　respect　to　the　origin　of　this　

cry；　but　he　said；　to　trace　it　to　its　origin　would　require　a　long　

history；　that；　at　any　rate；　such　a　cry　was　in　existence；　the　chief　

raisers　of　it　being　certain　of　the　nobility；　called　Whigs；　who　

hoped　by　means　of　it　to　get　into　power；　and　to　turn　out　certain　

ancient　adversaries　of　theirs　called　Tories；　who　were　for　letting　

things　remain　IN　STATU　QUO；　that　these　Whigs　were　backed　by　a　party　

amongst　the　people　called　Radicals；　a　specimen　of　whom　I　had　seen　

in　the　public…house；　a　set　of　fellows　who　were　always　in　the　habit　

of　bawling　against　those　in　place；　'and　so；'　he　added；　'by　means　of　

these　parties；　and　the　hubbub　which　the　Papists　and　other　smaller　

sects　are　making；　a　general　emancipation　will　be　carried；　and　the　

Church　of　England　humbled；　which　is　the　principal　thing　which　the　

See　of　Rome　cares　for。'



On　my　telling　the　man　in　black　that　I　believed　that；　even　among　the　

high　dignitaries　of　the　English　Church；　there　were　many　who　wished　

to　grant　perfect　freedom　to　religions　of　all　descriptions；　he　said　

he　was　aware　that　such　was　the　fact；　and　that　such　a　wish　was　

anything　but　wise；　inasmuch　as；　if　they　had　any　regard　for　the　

religion　they　professed；　they　ought　to　stand　by　it　through　thick　

and　thin；　proclaiming　it　to　be　the　only　true　one；　and　denouncing　

all　others；　in　an　alliterative　style；　as　dangerous　and　damnable；　

whereas；　by　their　present　conduct；　they　were　bringing　their　

religion　into　contempt　with　the　people　at　large；　who　would　never　

continue　long　attached　to　a　Church　the　ministers　of　which　did　not　

stand　up　for　it；　and　likewise　cause　their　own　brethren；　who　had　a　

clearer　notion　of　things；　to　be　ashamed　of　belonging　to　it。　　'I　

speak　advisedly；'　said　he；　in　continuation；　'there　is　one　

Platitude。'



'And　I　hope　there　is　only　one；'　said　I；　'you　surely　would　not　

adduce　the　likes　and　dislikes　of　that　poor　silly　fellow　as　the　

criterions　of　the　opinions　of　any　party？'



'You　know　him；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'nay；　I　heard　you　mention　

him　in　the　public…house；　the　fellow　is　not　very　wise；　I　admit；　but　

he　has　sense　enough　to　know　that；　unless　a　Church　can　make　people　

hold　their　tongues　when　it　thinks　fit；　it　is　scarcely　deserving　the　

name　of　a　Church；　no；　I　think　that　the　fellow　is　not　such　a　very　

bad　stick；　and　that　upon　the　whole　he　is；　or　rather　was；　an　

advantageous　specimen　of　the　High　Church　English　clergy；　who；　for　

the　most　part；　so　far　from　troubling　their　heads　about　persecuting　

people；　only　think　of　securing　their　tithes；　eating　their　heavy　

dinners；　puffing　out　their　cheeks　with　importance　on　country　

justice　benches；　and　occasionally　exhibiting　their　conceited　wives；　

hoyden　daughters；　and　gawky　sons　at　country　balls；　whereas　

Platitude　…　'



'Stop；'　said　I；　'you　said　in　the　public…house　that　the　Church　of　

England　was　a　persecuting　Church；　and　here　in　the　dingle　you　have　

confessed　that　one　section　of　it　is　willing　to　grant　perfect　

freedom　to　the　exercise　of　all　religions；　and　the　other　only　thinks　

of　leading　an　easy　life。'



'Saying　a　thing　in　the　public…house　is　a　widely　different　thing　

from　saying　it　in　the　dingle；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'had　the　

Church　of　England　been　a　persecuting　Church；　it　would　not　stand　in　

the　position　in　which　it　stands　at　present；　it　might；　with　its　

opportunities；　have　spread　itself　over　the　greater　part　of　the　

world。　　I　was　about　to　observe　that；　instead　of　practising　the　

indolent　habits　of　his　High　Church　brethren；　Platitude　would　be　

working　for　his　money；　preaching　the　proper　use　of　fire　and　faggot；　

or　rather　of　the　halter　and　the　whipping…post；　encouraging　mobs　to　

attack　the　houses　of　Dissenters；　employing　spies　to　collect　the　

scandal　of　neighbourhoods；　in　order　that　he　might　use　it　for　

sacerdotal　purposes；　and；　in　fact；　endeavouring　to　turn　an　English　

parish　into　something　like　a　Jesuit　benefice　in　the　south　of　

France。'



'He　tried　that　game；'　said　I；　'and　the　parish　said　〃Pooh；　pooh；〃　

and；　for　the　most　part；　went　over　to　the　Dissenters。'



'Very　true；'　said　the　man　in　black；　taking　a　sip　at　his　glass；　'but　

why　were　the　Dissenters　allowed　to　preach？　why　were　they　not　beaten　

on　the　lips　till　they　spat　out　blood；　with　a　dislodged　tooth　or　

two？　　Why；　but　because　the　authority　of　the　Church　of　England　has；　

by　its　own　fault；　become　so　circumscribed　that　Mr。　Platitude　was　

not　able　to　send　a　host　of　beadles　and　sbirri　to　their　chapel　to　

bring　them　to　reason；　on　which　account　Mr。　Platitude　is　very　

properly　ashamed　of　his　Church；　and　is　thinking　of　uniting　himself　

with　one　which　possesses　more　vigour　and　authority。'



'It　may　have　vigour　and　authority；'　said　I；　'in　foreign　lands；　but　

in　these　kingdoms　the　day　for　practising　its　atrocities　is　gone　by。　　

It　is　at　present　almost　below　contempt；　and　is　obliged　to　sue　for　

grace　IN　FORMA　PAUPERIS。'



'Very　true；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'but　let　it　once　obtain　

emancipation；　and　it　will　cast　its　slough；　put　on　its　fine　clothes；　

and　make　converts　by　thousands。　　'What　a　fine　Church！'　they'll　say；　

'with　what　authority　it　speaks！　no　doubts；　no　hesitation；　no　

sticking　at　trifles。　　What　a　contrast　to　the　sleepy　English　Church！　　

They'll　go　over　to　it　by　millions；　till　it　preponderates　here　over　

every　other；　when　it　will　of　course　be　voted　the　dominant　one；　and　

then　…　and　then　…　'　and　here　the　man　in　black　drank　a　considerable　

quantity　of　gin　and　water。



'What　then？'　said　I。



'What　then？'　said　the　man　in　black；　'why　she　will　be　true　to　

herself。　　Let　Dissenters；　whether　they　be　Church　of　England；　as　

perhaps　they　may　still　call　themselves；　Methodist；　or　Presbyterian；　

presume　to　grumble；　and　there　shall　be　bruising　of　lips　in　pulpits；　

tying　up　to　whipping…posts；　cutting　off　ears　and　nose