And whereas it is considered by very many, and seems proved by the experience of the last ---- years that the country can do quite well without a monarch, and may therefore save the extra expense of monarchy2:
And whereas it is calculated that from the accession of George I. of blessed memory until the decease of the most beloved of Queens, Victoria, a period of upwards3 of a century and a half, the Royal Family of the House of Guelph have received full and fair payment in every respect for their generous and heroic conduct in coming to occupy the throne and other high places of this kingdom, and in saving us from the unconstitutional Stuarts:
And whereas the said Stuarts may now be considered extinct, and thus no longer dangerous to this realm: And whereas the said Royal Family of the House of Guelph is so prolific4 that the nation cannot hope to support all the members thereof for a long period to come in a royal manner:
And whereas the constitution of our country is so far Venetian that it cannot but be improved in harmony and consistency6 by being made more Venetian still:
Be it enacted7, etc., That the Throne now vacant through the ever-to-be-deplored death of her late most gracious Majesty8 shall remain vacant. That the mem-ers of what has been hitherto the Royal Family keep all the property they have accumulated, the nation resuming from them all grants of sinecures9 and other salaried appointments. That no member of the said Family be eligible10 for any public appointment whatever for at least one hundred years. That the Dukes in the order of their seniority shall act as Doges (with whatever title be considered the best) year and year about, under penalty of large fines in cases of refusal, save when such refusal is supported by clear proof of poverty (being revenue under a settled minimum), imbecility, brutality11, or other serious disqualification. That no members of a ducal family within a certain degree of relationship to the head of the house be eligible for any public appointment whatever; the head of the house being eligible for the Dogeship only. That the duties of the Doge be simply to seal and sign Acts of Parliament, proclamations, etc., when requested to do so by the Ministry12; and to exercise hospitality to royal or ruling and other representatives of foreign countries, as well as to distinguished14 natives. That a fair and even excessive allowance be made to the Doge for the expenses of his year of office. That the royal palaces be official residences of the Doge. That the Doge be free from all political responsibility as from all political power; but be responsible for performing liberally and courteously15 the duties of hospitality, so that Buckingham Palace shall not contrast painfully with the Mansion16 House. Etc., etc.
God preserve the Doge!
The Commission of Inquiry17 having thus triumphantly18 vindicated19 our beloved and gracious Sovereign against the cruel aspersions of people in general, and having moreover drafted a plan for obviating20 such aspersions against any British King or Queen in future, ends its Report, and dissolves itself, with humble21 thankfulness to God Almighty22 whose grace alone has empowered it to conclude its arduous23 labors24 so speedily, and with results so incalculably beneficial.
P. S.—Since the above report was drawn25 up, that ardent26 English patriot27 and loyalist, Benjamin Disraeli, being by the grace of God and the late Earl of Derby Prime Minister of this realm, has proposed that Parliament shall enable her Most Gracious Majesty to assume the additional title of Empress of India, and Parliament has so far humbly28 assented29. Being sore pressed by many cantankerous30 persons to give valid31 reasons for this change, he has given reasons many and weighty; such as the earnest desire of the princes and people of India, which desire has been so abundantly expressed that the expressions thereof cannot be produced lest they should overwhelm Parliament and destroy the balance of the world in general; then the imposing32 authority of “Whitaker’s Almanack,” a dissenting33 minister and a school-girl aged34 twelve: and lastly the necessity of such a title for scaring all the Russias from India. But I believe that in deference35 to the well-known modesty36 of her Most Gracious Majesty he has not produced the most cogent37 reason of all, which is that for her wonderful and continual goodness during the past fourteen years in abstaining38 from the active functions of royalty39, thus not only doing no mischief40 but preparing us for a Republic de jure by habituating us to a Republic de facto, she merits a great reward; and that, as she has already more money than she knows what to do with, this reward of royal virtue41 can most fittingly be rendered by her grateful subjects promoting her to the rank of Empress. And it should be noted42 that whereas the old title of Queen has a certain strength and stability in the habitudes if not in the affections of the people, the new fangled title of Empress has no such support, so that in assuming it our beloved monarch is but working consistently and resolutely43 toward the great end of her reign13, the speedy abolition44 of monarchy and establishment of a Republic.
点击收听单词发音
1 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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2 monarchy | |
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国 | |
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3 upwards | |
adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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4 prolific | |
adj.丰富的,大量的;多产的,富有创造力的 | |
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5 courteous | |
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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6 consistency | |
n.一贯性,前后一致,稳定性;(液体的)浓度 | |
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7 enacted | |
制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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9 sinecures | |
n.工作清闲但报酬优厚的职位,挂名的好差事( sinecure的名词复数 ) | |
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10 eligible | |
adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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11 brutality | |
n.野蛮的行为,残忍,野蛮 | |
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12 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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13 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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14 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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15 courteously | |
adv.有礼貌地,亲切地 | |
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16 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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17 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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18 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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19 vindicated | |
v.澄清(某人/某事物)受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 );表明或证明(所争辩的事物)属实、正当、有效等;维护 | |
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20 obviating | |
v.避免,消除(贫困、不方便等)( obviate的现在分词 ) | |
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21 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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22 almighty | |
adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的 | |
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23 arduous | |
adj.艰苦的,费力的,陡峭的 | |
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24 labors | |
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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25 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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26 ardent | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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27 patriot | |
n.爱国者,爱国主义者 | |
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28 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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29 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30 cantankerous | |
adj.爱争吵的,脾气不好的 | |
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31 valid | |
adj.有确实根据的;有效的;正当的,合法的 | |
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32 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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33 dissenting | |
adj.不同意的 | |
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34 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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35 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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36 modesty | |
n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素 | |
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37 cogent | |
adj.强有力的,有说服力的 | |
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38 abstaining | |
戒(尤指酒),戒除( abstain的现在分词 ); 弃权(不投票) | |
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39 royalty | |
n.皇家,皇族 | |
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40 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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41 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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42 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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43 resolutely | |
adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
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44 abolition | |
n.废除,取消 | |
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