lavengro- 第116部分

has　discovered　that　literary　men　are　not　always　disposed　to　be　

lickspittles。'



'For　example；　Dante；'　said　I。



'Yes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'a　dangerous　personage；　that　poem　of　

his　cuts　both　ways；　and　then　there　was　Pulci；　that　MORGANTE　of　his　

cuts　both　ways；　or　rather　one　way；　and　that　sheer　against　us；　and　

then　there　was　Aretino；　who　dealt　so　hard　with　the　POVERI　FRATI；　

all　writers；　at　least　Italian　ones；　are　not　lickspittles。　　And　then　

in　Spain；　…　'tis　true；　Lope　de　Vega　and　Calderon　were　most　

inordinate　lickspittles；　the　PRINCIPE　CONSTANTE　of　the　last　is　a　

curiosity　in　its　way；　and　then　the　MARY　STUART　of　Lope；　I　think　I　

shall　recommend　the　perusal　of　that　work　to　the　Birmingham　

ironmonger's　daughter　…　she　has　been　lately　thinking　of　adding　〃a　

slight　knowledge　of　the　magneeficent　language　of　the　Peninsula〃　to　

the　rest　of　her　accomplishments；　he！　he！　he！　　But　then　there　was　

Cervantes；　starving；　but　straight；　he　deals　us　some　hard　knocks　in　

that　second　part　of　his　QUIXOTE。　　Then　there　were　some　of　the　

writers　of　the　picaresque　novels。　　No；　all　literary　men　are　not　

lickspittles；　whether　in　Italy　or　Spain；　or；　indeed；　upon　the　

Continent；　it　is　only　in　England　that　all　…　'



'Come；'　said　I；　'Mind　what　you　are　about　to　say　of　English　literary　

men。'



'Why　should　I　mind？'　said　the　man　in　black；　'there　are　no　literary　

men　here。　　I　have　heard　of　literary　men　living　in　garrets；　but　not　

in　dingles；　whatever　philologists　may　do；　I　may；　therefore；　speak　

out　freely。　　It　is　only　in　England　that　literary　men　are　invariably　

lickspittles；　on　which　account；　perhaps；　they　are　so　despised；　even　

by　those　who　benefit　by　their　dirty　services。　　Look　at　your　

fashionable　novel…writers；　he！　he！　…　and；　above　all；　at　your　

newspaper　editors；　ho！　ho！'



'You　will；　of　course；　except　the　editors　of　the　…　from　your　censure　

of　the　last　class？'　said　I。



'Them！'　said　the　man　in　black；　'why；　they　might　serve　as　models　in　

the　dirty　trade　to　all　the　rest　who　practise　it。　　See　how　they　

bepraise　their　patrons；　the　grand　Whig　nobility；　who　hope；　by　

raising　the　cry　of　liberalism　and　by　putting　themselves　at　the　head　

of　the　populace；　to　come　into　power　shortly。　　I　don't　wish　to　be　

hard；　at　present；　upon　those　Whigs；'　he　continued；　'for　they　are　

playing　our　game；　but　a　time　will　come　when；　not　wanting　them；　we　

will　kick　them　to　a　considerable　distance：　　and　then；　when　

toleration　is　no　longer　the　cry；　and　the　Whigs　are　no　longer　backed　

by　the　populace；　see　whether　the　editors　of　the　…　will　stand　by　

them；　they　will　prove　themselves　as　expert　lickspittles　of　

despotism　as　of　liberalism。　　Don't　think　they　will　always　bespatter　

the　Tories　and　Austria。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'I　am　sorry　to　find　that　you　entertain　so　low　an　

opinion　of　the　spirit　of　English　literary　men；　we　will　now　return；　

if　you　please；　to　the　subject　of　the　middle　classes；　I　think　your　

strictures　upon　them　in　general　are　rather　too　sweeping　…　they　are　

not　altogether　the　foolish　people　which　you　have　described。　　Look；　

for　example；　at　that　very　powerful　and　numerous　body　the　

Dissenters；　the　descendants　of　those　sturdy　Patriots　who　hurled　

Charles　the　Simple　from　his　throne。'



'There　are　some　sturdy　fellows　amongst　them；　I　do　not　deny；'　said　

the　man　in　black；　'especially　amongst　the　preachers；　clever　withal　

…　two　or　three　of　that　class　nearly　drove　Mr。　Platitude　mad；　as　

perhaps　you　are　aware；　but　they　are　not　very　numerous；　and　the　old　

sturdy　sort　of　preachers　are　fast　dropping　off；　and；　as　we　observe　

with　pleasure；　are　generally　succeeded　by　frothy　coxcombs；　whom　it　

would　not　be　very　difficult　to　gain　over。　　But　what　we　most　rely　

upon　as　an　instrument　to　bring　the　Dissenters　over　to　us　is　the　

mania　for　gentility；　which　amongst　them　has　of　late　become　as　

great；　and　more　ridiculous　than　amongst　the　middle　classes　

belonging　to　the　Church　of　England。　　All　the　plain　and　simple　

fashions　of　their　forefathers　they　are　either　about　to　abandon；　or　

have　already　done　so。　　Look　at　the　most　part　of　their　chapels　…　no　

longer　modest　brick　edifices；　situated　in　quiet　and　retired　

streets；　but　lunatic…looking　erections；　in　what　the　simpletons　call　

the　modern　Gothic　taste；　of　Portland　stone；　with　a　cross　upon　the　

top；　and　the　site　generally　the　most　conspicuous　that　can　be　found。　　

And　look　at　the　manner　in　which　they　educate　their　children　…　I　

mean　those　that　are　wealthy。　　They　do　not　even　wish　them　to　be　

Dissenters　…　〃the　sweet　dears　shall　enjoy　the　advantages　of　good　

society；　of　which　their　parents　were　debarred。〃　　So　the　girls　are　

sent　to　tip…top　boarding…schools；　where　amongst　other　trash　they　

read　ROKEBY；　and　are　taught　to　sing　snatches　from　that　high…flying　

ditty；　the　〃Cavalier〃　…





'Would　you　match　the　base　Skippon；　and　Massey；　and　Brown；

With　the　barons　of　England；　who　fight　for　the　crown？　…





he！　he！　their　own　names。　　Whilst　the　lads　are　sent　to　those　hotbeds　

of　pride　and　folly　…　colleges；　whence　they　return　with　a　greater　

contempt　for　everything　〃low；〃　and　especially　for　their　own　

pedigree；　than　they　went　with。　　I　tell　you；　friend；　the　children　of　

Dissenters；　if　not　their　parents；　are　going　over　to　the　Church；　as　

you　call　it；　and　the　Church　is　going　over　to　Rome。'



'I　do　not　see　the　justice　of　that　latter　assertion　at　all；'　said　I；　

'some　of　the　Dissenters'　children　may　be　coming　over　to　the　Church　

of　England；　and　yet　the　Church　of　England　be　very　far　from　going　

over　to　Rome。'



'In　the　high　road　for　it；　I　assure　you；'　said　the　man　in　black；　

'part　of　it　is　going　to　abandon；　the　rest　to　lose　their　

prerogative；　and　when　a　Church　no　longer　retains　its　prerogative；　

it　speedily　loses　its　own　respect；　and　that　of　others。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'if　the　higher　classes　have　all　the　vices　and　

follies　which　you　represent；　on　which　point　I　can　say　nothing；　as　I　

have　never　mixed　with　them；　and　even　supposing　the　middle　classes　

are　the　foolish　beings　you　would　fain　make　them；　and　which　I　do　not　

believe　them　as　a　body　to　be；　you　would　still　find　some　resistance　

amongst　the　lower　classes：　　I　have　a　considerable　respect　for　their　

good　sense　and　independence　of　character；　but　pray　let　me　hear　your　

opinion　of　them。'



'As　for　the　lower　classes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　believe　them　

to　be　the　most　brutal　wretches　in　the　world；　the　most　addicted　to　

foul　feeding；　foul　language；　and　foul　vices　of　every　kind；　wretches　

who　have　neither　love　for　country；　religion；　nor　anything　save　

their　own　vile　selves。　　You　surely　do　not　think　that　they　would　

oppose　a　change　of　religion！　why；　there　is　not　one　of　them　but　

would　hurrah　for　the　Pope；　or　Mahomet；　for　the　sake　of　a　hearty　

gorge　and　a　drunken　bout；　like　those　which　they　are　treated　with　at　

election　contests。'



'Has　your　church　any　followers　amongst　them？'　said　I。



'Wherever　there　happens　to　be　a　Romish　family　of　considerable　

possessions；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'our　church　is　sure　to　have　

followers　of　the　lower　class；　who　have　come　over　in　the　hope　of　

getting　something　in　the　shape　of　dole　or　donation。　　As；　however；　

the　Romish　is　not　yet　the　dominant　religion；　and　the　clergy　of　the　

English　establishment　have　some　patronage　to　bestow；　the　churches　

are　not　quite　deserted　by　the　lower　classes；　yet；　were　the　Romish　

to　become　the　established　religion；　they　would；　to　a　certainty；　all　

go　over　to　it；　you　can　scarcely　imagine　what　a　self…interested　set　

they　are　…　for　example；　the　landlord　of　that　public…house　in　which　

I　first　met　you；　having　lost　a　sum　of　money　upon　a　cock…fight；　and　

his　affairs　in　consequence　being　in　a　bad　condition；　is　on　the　eve　

of　coming　over　to　us；　in　the　hope　that　two　old　Popish　females　of　

property；　whom　I　confess；　will　advance　a　sum　of　money　to　set　him　up　

again　in　the　world。'



'And　what　could　have　put　such　an　idea　into　the　poor　fellow's　head？'　

said　I。



'Oh；　he　and　I　have　had　some　conversation　upon　the　state　of　his　

affairs；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　think　he　might　make　a　rather　

useful　convert　in　these　parts；　provided　things　take　a　certain　turn；　

as　they　doubtless　will。　　It　is　no　bad　thing　to　have　a　fighting　

fellow；　who　keeps　a　public…house；　belonging　to　one's　religion。　　He　

has　been　occasionally　employed　as　a　bully　at　elections　by　the　Tory　

party；　and　he　may　serve　us　in　the　same　capacity。　　The　fellow　comes　

of　a　good　stock；　I　heard　him　say　that　his　father　headed　the　High　

Church　mob　who　sacked　and　burnt　Priestley's　house　at　Birmingham；　

towards　the　end　of　the　last　century。'



'A　disgraceful　affair；'　said　I。



'What　do　you　mean　by　a　disgraceful　affair？'　said　the　man　in　black。　　

'I　assure　you　that　nothing　has　occurred　for　the　last　fifty　years　

which　has　given　the　High　Church　party　so　much　credit　in　the　eyes　of　

Rome　as　that；　…　we　did　not　imagine　that　the　fellows　had　so　much　

energy。　　Had　they　followed　up　that　affair　by　twenty　others　of　a　

similar　kind；　they　would　by　this　time　have　had　everything　in　their　

own　power；　but　they　did　not；　and；　as　a　necessary　consequence；　they　

are　reduced　to　almost　nothing。'



'I　suppose；'　said　I；　'that　your　Church　would　have　acted　very　

differently　in　its　place。'



'It　has　always　done　so；'　said　the　man　in　black；　coolly　sipping。　　

'Our　Church　has　always　armed　the　brute　population　against　the　

genius　and　intellect　of　a　country；　provided　that　same　intellect　and　

genius　were　not　willing　to　become　its　instruments　and　eulogists；　

and　provided　we　once　obtain　a　firm　hold　here　again；　we　would　not　

fail　to　do　so。　　We　would　occasionally　stuff　the　beastly　rabble　with　

horseflesh　and　bitter　ale；　and　then　halloo　them　on　against　all　

those　who　were　obnoxious　to　us。'



'Horseflesh　and　bitter　ale！'　I　replied。



'Yes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'horseflesh　and　bitter　ale　…　the　

favourite　delicacies　of　their　Saxon　ancestors；　who　were　always　

ready　to　do　o