登陆注册
4712000000043

第43章

They have the sense of superiority, the absence of all the ambitious effort which disgusts in the aspiring classes, a pure tone of thought and feeling, and the power to command, among their other luxuries, the presence of the most accomplished men in their festive meetings.

Loyalty is in the English a sub-religion. They wear the laws as ornaments, and walk by their faith in their painted May-Fair, as if among the forms of gods. The economist of 1855 who asks, of what use are the lords? may learn of Franklin to ask, of what use is a baby? They have been a social church proper to inspire sentiments mutually honoring the lover and the loved. Politeness is the ritual of society, as prayers are of the church; a school of manners, and a gentle blessing to the age in which it grew. 'Tis a romance adorning English life with a larger horizon; a midway heaven, fulfilling to their sense their fairy tales and poetry. This, just as far as the breeding of the nobleman really made him brave, handsome, accomplished, and great-hearted.

On general grounds, whatever tends to form manners, or to finish men, has a great value. Every one who has tasted the delight of friendship, will respect every social guard which our manners can establish, tending to secure from the intrusion of frivolous and distasteful people. The jealousy of every class to guard itself, is a testimony to the reality they have found in life. When a man once knows that he has done justice to himself, let him dismiss all terrors of aristocracy as superstitions, so far as he is concerned.

He who keeps the door of a mine, whether of cobalt, or mercury, or nickel, or plumbago, securely knows that the world cannot do without him. Every body who is real is open and ready for that which is also real.

Besides, these are they who make England that strongbox and museum it is; who gather and protect works of art, dragged from amidst burning cities and revolutionary countries, and brought hither out of all the world. I look with respect at houses six, seven, eight hundred, or, like Warwick Castle, nine hundred years old. Ipardoned high park-fences, when I saw, that, besides does and pheasants, these have preserved Arundel marbles, Townley galleries, Howard and Spenserian libraries, Warwick and Portland vases, Saxon manuscripts, monastic architectures, millennial trees, and breeds of cattle elsewhere extinct. In these manors, after the frenzy of war and destruction subsides a little, the antiquary finds the frailest Roman jar, or crumbling Egyptian mummy-case, without so much as a new layer of dust, keeping the series of history unbroken, and waiting for its interpreter, who is sure to arrive. These lords are the treasurers and librarians of mankind, engaged by their pride and wealth to this function.

Yet there were other works for British dukes to do. George Loudon, Quintinye, Evelyn, had taught them to make gardens. Arthur Young, Bakewell, and Mechi, have made them agricultural. Scotland was a camp until the day of Culloden. The Dukes of Athol, Sutherland, Buccleugh, and the Marquis of Breadalbane have introduced the rape-culture, the sheep-farm, wheat, drainage, the plantation of forests, the artificial replenishment of lakes and ponds with fish, the renting of game-preserves. Against the cry of the old tenantry, and the sympathetic cry of the English press, they have rooted out and planted anew, and now six millions of people live, and live better on the same land that fed three millions.

The English barons, in every period, have been brave and great, after the estimate and opinion of their times. The grand old halls scattered up and down in England, are dumb vouchers to the state and broad hospitality of their ancient lords. Shakspeare's portraits of good duke Humphrey, of Warwick, of Northumberland, of Talbot, were drawn in strict consonance with the traditions. A sketch of the Earl of Shrewsbury, from the pen of Queen Elizabeth's archbishop Parker;(* 3) Lord Herbert of Cherbury's autobiography; the letters and essays of Sir Philip Sidney; the anecdotes preserved by the antiquaries Fuller and Collins; some glimpses at the interiors of noble houses, which we owe to Pepys and Evelyn; the details which Ben Jonson's masques (performed at Kenilworth, Althorpe, Belvoir, and other noble houses,) record or suggest; down to Aubrey's passages of the life of Hobbes in the house of the Earl of Devon, are favorable pictures of a romantic style of manners. Penshurst still shines for us, and its Christmas revels, "where logs not burn, but men." At Wilton House, the "Arcadia" was written, amidst conversations with Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke, a man of no vulgar mind, as his own poems declare him. I must hold Ludlow Castle an honest house, for which Milton's "Comus" was written, and the company nobly bred which performed it with knowledge and sympathy. In the roll of nobles, are found poets, philosophers, chemists, astronomers, also men of solid virtues and of lofty sentiments; often they have been the friends and patrons of genius and learning, and especially of the fine arts; and at this moment, almost every great house has its sumptuous picture-gallery.

(* 3) Dibdin's Literary Reminiscences, vol. 1, xii.

Of course, there is another side to this gorgeous show. Every victory was the defect of a party only less worthy. Castles are proud things, but 'tis safest to be outside of them. War is a foul game, and yet war is not the worst part of aristocratic history. In later times, when the baron, educated only for war, with his brains paralyzed by his stomach, found himself idle at home, he grew fat and wanton, and a sorry brute. Grammont, Pepys, and Evelyn, show the kennels to which the king and court went in quest of pleasure.

同类推荐
  • 砚谱

    砚谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说信佛功德经

    佛说信佛功德经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 伤寒六书

    伤寒六书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Jeanne d'Arc

    Jeanne d'Arc

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Driven From Home

    Driven From Home

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 武帝丹神

    武帝丹神

    一代丹道大宗师卫长风,在炼制九劫生死丹的时候遭遇大劫身死丹灭,却不想千年之后在一位同名同姓的卑微少年身上夺舍重生!这一世,他要填补前生所有的遗憾!这一世,他要重炼丹神,再成无上武帝!这一世,他要傲视万古大陆,笑看风起云涌!
  • 开心国学800问

    开心国学800问

    本书所选的国学知识难易适中、活泼有趣,犹如身临其境《开心辞典》,让人在一种快乐的氛围中开阔视野,提高文化修养。糕点为什么叫“点心”?“五福临门”究竟是哪“五福”?“黄花闺女”的“黄花”到底是什么花?婚礼上为什么一定要放鞭炮?
  • 许一世情深意浓

    许一世情深意浓

    [总裁式的校园文,甜宠无毒,欢迎收藏]原本打算带个假男朋友去解解危机,不料,带个假的去换个真的回来;那人出身豪门,气质清贵,才华横溢,举止优雅,内心腹黑,可对她宠入骨;他居高临下:你说过以身相许的,诺言保质期怎么这么短?她俏皮耍赖:就是一,这么短!
  • 邻家有女名貂蝉

    邻家有女名貂蝉

    邻家有女初长成,回眸一笑百媚生。群雄割据风云变,气吞山河入我坑……
  • 三国骁雄韩遂

    三国骁雄韩遂

    序言本小说主角韩遂,从距184年爆发黄巾起义尚有21年的公元164年冬写起,尽量吻合史料记载的重大事件和时间,重在推演东汉末年到底发生了什么。介绍了东汉末年许多重量级人物以及他们的来龙去脉。历史人物的重要职位、重要事件及时间基本遵循历史。通过文学手法将历史人物联系在一起使之生动鲜活。184年,韩遂以凉州小官吏身份被大将军何进召见,同年因在西凉名望大而被逼迫参加叛军,187年灭叛军首领掌握军权,雄据西凉32年,与曹操起兵到去世32年军政生涯相当,比出身西凉的重量级人物董卓、李傕、郭汜、张济、马腾等都活的长,是解读东汉覆灭秘密的关键人物。刘备214年占益州,韩遂亡于215年,东汉亡于220年,三国正式形成于229年,北魏始于386年,隋朝建于581年,唐朝建于618年。这些政权的种子其实都与汉末西凉密不可分。耳目一新的东汉末年趣闻、天文地理、历史人物、事件、物产、物价、贸易、风土人情等足以一饱眼福。对西部甘肃、青海、宁夏、内外蒙古以及中原、东北、南方、周边国家等地的历史有全新的了解。
  • 草包逆袭:傲娇夫君欠调教

    草包逆袭:傲娇夫君欠调教

    轩辕国第一草包女月芊芊死于非命,再睁眼,斗转星移,灵魂互换成华夏第一奸商月芊芊!她看似人畜无害,实则锱铢必报,聪颖狠辣。听说药医很吃香?那我这药医之祖吃什么?听说天极武学很流弊?拿来垫桌角,厚度刚刚好!???有只外表冷酷,内心火热的傲娇腹黑男,一眼看穿她的伪装,从此赖上,再不放手。??“娘子,为夫知你医术高明,可否请你帮为夫查看一下~”某男凑到某女身上,娇气的哼哼两声。???“哪里有毛病?”???“不育~”某男挑了挑眉。?????
  • 明伦汇编皇极典创守部

    明伦汇编皇极典创守部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一将功成万骨枯

    一将功成万骨枯

    深爱十年的未婚夫惨死沙场,还背负了通敌叛国的千古骂名。为替未婚夫报仇,洗清冤屈,她不惜毁去容貌进去军营,辗转投入太子麾下。却不想,案情背后,疑点重重,最终拨开迷雾,她发现真相竟然如此残酷……原本冰封的内心,也在此过程中渐渐破冰。在毁灭和重生之间徘徊的她,最后却发现选择权并不在她手上……
  • 青明劫

    青明劫

    天地之初,有一青木。其枝生万物,其叶诞众灵,其干撑天地,其根控幽冥。居于其冠者,是为神明;居于其根者,是为魍魉。人居其下,上通天,下入地,不惧生死,可往轮回。然一日,有舟天降,控舟者无血无肉,无性无灵。其众斩青木,灭天地,人鬼神明皆不存。又千万年,天地复生,人间却再无神通。然又有众,自称青木门徒,掌控天书,教化世人,传说亦由此而始。本书便是讲这青木的故事,也是讲那青木之人的情仇。
  • 一不小心爱上你

    一不小心爱上你

    有一个人,就这样闯进她的生活里,陪着她哭,看着她笑,难道这真的只是亲情吗?可是有一天,他的突然离开,也把连心的快乐彻底带走。也正是因为他的离开,连心遇到了一生挚爱萧然。他们的故事也在悄然的开始着,结束一段感情最好的办法,就是爱上另一个人。可是萧然的追爱路上,却不是一帆风顺,看看他是怎么追到连心的吧!--情节虚构,请勿模仿