第 4 节
作者: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