the book of snobs-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



single　instance　of　vulgarity；　or　envy；　or　assumption。



Men　and　women；　as　far　as　I　have　known　them；　they　are　all

modest　in　their　demeanour；　elegant　in　their　manners；

spotless　in　their　lives；　and　honourable　in　their　conduct

to　the　world　and　to　each　other。　　You　MAY；　occasionally；

it　is　true；　hear　one　literary　man　abusing　his　brother；

but　why？　　Not　in　the　least　out　of　malice；　not　at　all　from

envy；　merely　from　a　sense　of　truth　and　public　duty。

Suppose；　for　instance；　I；　good…naturedly　point　out　a

blemish　in　my　friend　MR。　PUNCH'S　person；　and　say；　MR。　P。

has　a　hump…back；　and　his　nose　and　chin　are　more　crooked

than　those　features　in　the　Apollo　or　Antinous；　which　we

are　accustomed　to　consider　as　our　standards　of　beauty；

does　this　argue　malice　on　my　part　towards　MR。　PUNCH？　　Not

in　the　least。　　It　is　the　critic's　duty　to　point　out

defects　as　well　as　merits；　and　he　invariably　does　his

duty　with　utmost　gentleness　and　candour。



An　intelligent　foreigner's　testimony　about　our　manners　is

always　worth　having；　and　I　think；　in　this　respect　the

work　of　an　eminent　American；　Mr。　N。　P。　Willis　is

eminently　valuable　and　impartial。　　In　his　'History　of

Ernest　Clay；'　a　crack　magazine…writer；　the　reader　will

get　an　exact　account　of　the　life　of　a　popular　man　of

letters　in　England。　　He　is　always　the　lion　of　society。



He　takes　the　PAS　of　dukes　and　earls；　all　the　nobility

crowd　to　see　him：　I　forget　how　many　baronesses　and

duchesses　fall　in　love　with　him。　　But　on　this　subject　let

us　hold　our　tongues。　　Modesty　forbids　that　we　should

reveal　the　names　of　the　heart…broken　countesses　and　dear

marchionesses　who　are　pining　for　every　one　of　the

contributors　in　PUNCH。



If　　　　　　anybody　wants　to　know　how　intimately　authors　are

connected　with　the　fashionable　world；　they　have　but　to

read　the　genteel　novels。　　What　refinement　and　delicacy

pervades　the　works　of　Mrs。　Barnaby！　　　What　delightful

good　company　do　you　meet　with　in　Mrs。　Armytage！　　She

seldom　introduces　you　to　anybody　under　a　marquis！　　I

don't　know　anything　more　delicious　than　the　pictures　of

genteel　life　in　'Ten　Thousand　a　Year；'　except　perhaps　the

'Young　Duke；'　and　'Coningsby。'　　There's　a　modest　grace

about　THEM；　and　an　air　of　easy　high　fashion；　which　only

belongs　to　blood；　my　dear　Sirto　true　blood。



And　what　linguists　many　of　our　writers　are！　　Lady　Bulwer；

Lady　Londonderry；　Sir　Edward　himselfthey　write　the

French　language　with　a　luxurious　elegance　and　ease　which

sets　them　far　above　their　continental　rivals；　of　whom　not

one　（except　Paul　de　Kock）　knows　a　word　of　English。



And　what　Briton　can　read　without　enjoyment　the　works　of

James；　so　admirable　for　terseness；　and　the　playful　humour

and　dazzling　offhand　lightness　of　Ainsworth？　　Among　other

humourists；　one　might　glance　at　a　Jerrold；　the　chivalrous

advocate　of　Toryism　and　Church　and　State；　an　a　Beckett；

with　a　lightsome　pen；　but　a　savage　earnestness　of

purpose；　a　Jeames；　whose　pure　style；　and　wit　unmingled

with　buffoonery；　was　relished　by　a　congenial　public。



Speaking　of　critics；　perhaps　there　never　was　a　review

that　has　done　so　much　for　literature　as　the　admirable

QUARTERLY。　　It　has　its　prejudices；　to　be　sure；　as　which

of　us　has　not？　　It　goes　out　of　its　way　to　abuse　a　great

man；　or　lays　mercilessly　on　to　such　pretenders　as　Keats

and　Tennyson；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　the　friend　of

all　young　authors；　and　has　marked　and　nurtured　all　the

rising　talent　of　the　country。　　It　is　loved　by　everybody。

There；　again；　is　BLACKWOOD'S　MAGAZINEconspicuous　for

modest　elegance　and　amiable　satire；　that　review　never

passes　the　bounds　of　politeness　in　a　joke。　　It　is　the

arbiter　of　manners；　and；　while　gently　exposing　the

foibles　of　Londoners　（for　whom　the　BEAUX　ESPRITS　of

Edinburgh　entertain　a　justifiable　contempt）；　it　is　never

coarse　in　its　fun。　　The　fiery　enthusiasm　of　the　ATHENAEUM

is　well　known：　and　the　bitter　wit　of　the　too　difficult

LITERARY　GAZETTE。　　The　EXAMINER　is　perhaps　too　timid；　and

the　SPECTATOR　too　boisterous　in　its　praisebut　who　can

carp　at　these　minor　faults？　　No；　no；　the　critics　of

England　and　the　authors　of　England　are　unrivalled　as　a

body；　and　hence　it　becomes　impossible　for　us　to　find

fault　with　them。



Above　all；　I　never　knew　a　man　of　letters　ASHAMED　OF　HIS

PROFESSION。　　Those　who　know　us；　know　what　an　affectionate

and　brotherly　spirit　there　is　among　us　all。　　Sometimes

one　of　us　rises　in　the　world：　we　never　attack　him　or

sneer　at　him　under　those　circumstances；　but　rejoice　to　a

man　at　his　success。　　If　Jones　dines　with　a　lord；　Smith

never　says　Jones　is　a　courtier　and　cringer。　　Nor；　on　the

other　hand；　does　Jones；　who　is　in　the　habit　of

frequenting　the　society　of　great　people；　give　himself　any

airs　on　account　of　the　company　he　keeps；　but　will　leave　a

duke's　arm　in　Pall　Mall　to　come　over　and　speak　to　poor

Brown；　the　young　penny…a…liner。



That　sense　of　equality　and　fraternity　amongst　authors　has

always　struck　me　as　one　of　the　most　amiable

characteristics　of　the　class。　　It　is　because　we　know　and

respect　each　other；　that　the　world　respects　us　so　much；

that　we　hold　such　a　good　position　in　society；　and　demean

ourselves　so　irreproachably　when　there。



Literary　persons　are　held　in　such　esteem　by　the　nation

that　about　two　of　them　have　been　absolutely　invited　to

court　during　the　present　reign；　and　it　is　probable　that

towards　the　end　of　the　season；　one　or　two　will　be　asked

to　dinner　by　Sir　Robert　Peel。



They　are　such　favourites　with　the　public；　that　they　are

continually　obliged　to　have　their　pictures　taken　and

published；　and　one　or　two　could　be　pointed　out；　of　whom

the　nation　insists　upon　having　a　fresh　portrait　every

year。　　Nothing　can　be　more　gratifying　than　this　proof　of

the　affectionate　regard　which　the　people　has　for　its

instructors。



Literature　is　held　in　such　honour　in　England；　that　there

is　a　sum　of　near　twelve　hundred　pounds　per　annum　set

apart　to　pension　deserving　persons　following　that

profession。　　And　a　great　compliment　this　is；　too；　to　the

professors；　and　a　proof　of　their　generally　prosperous　and

flourishing　condition。　　They　are　generally　so　rich　and

thrifty；　that　scarcely　any　money　is　wanted　to　help　them。



If　every　word　of　this　is　true；　how；　I　should　like　to　know

am　I　to　write　about　Literary　Snobs？







CHAPTER　XVII



A　LITTLE　ABOUT　IRISH　SNOBS



You　do　not；　to　be　sure；　imagine　that　there　are　no　other

Snobs　in　Ireland　than　those　of　the　amiable　party　who　wish

to　make　pikes　of　iron　railroads　（it's　a　fine　Irish

economy）；　and　to　cut　the　throats　of　the　Saxon　invaders。

These　are　of　the　venomous　sort；　and　had　they　been

invented　in　his　time；　St。　Patrick　would　have　banished

them　out　of　the　kingdom　along　with　the　other　dangerous

reptiles。



I　think　it　is　the　Four　Masters；　or　else　it's　Olaus

Magnus；　or　else　it's　certainly　O'Neill　Daunt；　in　the

'Catechism　of　Irish　History；'　who　relates　that　when

Richard　the　Second　came　to　Ireland；　and　the　Irish　chiefs

did　homage　to　him；　going　down　on　their　knees　the　poor

simple　creatures！and　worshipping　and　wondering　before

the　English　king　and　the　dandies　of　his　court；　my　lords

the　English　noblemen　mocked　and　jeered　at　their　uncouth

Irish　admirers；　mimicked　their　talk　and　gestures；　pulled

their　poor　old　beards；　and　laughed　at　the　strange　fashion

of　their　garments。



The　English　Snob　rampant　always　does　this　to　the　present

day。　　There　is　no　Snob　in　existence；　perhaps；　that　has

such　an　indomitable　belief　in　himself：　that　sneers　you

down　all　the　rest　of　the　world　besides；　and　has　such　an

insufferable；　admirable；　stupid　contempt　for　all　people

but　his　ownnay；　for　all　sets　but　his　own。　　'Gwacious

Gad'　what　stories　about　'the　Iwish'　these　young　dandies

accompanying　King　Richard　must　have　had　to　tell；　when

they　returned　to　Pall　Mall；　and　smoked　their　cigars　upon

the　steps　of　'White's。'



The　Irish　snobbishness　developes　itself　not　in　pride　so

much　as　in　servility　and　m