About Wellington, then, he says, that he believes him at the present day to be infinitely3 overrated. But there certainly was a time when he was shamefully4 underrated. Now what time was that? Why, the time of pseudo-Radicalism5, par6 excellence7, from ‘20 to ‘32. Oh! the abuse that was heaped on Wellington by those who traded in Radical1 cant8 — your newspaper editors and review writers! and how he was sneered9 at then by your Whigs, and how faintly supported he was by your Tories, who were half ashamed of him; for your Tories, though capital fellows as followers10, when you want nobody to back you, are the faintest creatures in the world when you cry in your agony, ‘Come and help me!’ Oh! assuredly Wellington was infamously11 used at that time, especially by your traders in Radicalism, who howled at and hooted12 him; said he had every vice13 — was no general — was beaten at Waterloo — was a poltroon14 — moreover a poor illiterate15 creature, who could scarcely read or write; nay16, a principal Radical paper said bodily he could not read, and devised an ingenious plan for teaching Wellington how to read. Now this was too bad; and the writer, being a lover of justice, frequently spoke17 up for Wellington, saying, that as for vice, he was not worse than his neighbours; that he was brave; that he won the fight at Waterloo, from a half-dead man, it is true, but that he did win it. Also, that he believed he had read ‘Rules for the Manual and Platoon Exercises’ to some purpose; moreover, that he was sure he could write, for that he the writer had once written to Wellington, and had received an answer from him; nay, the writer once went so far as to strike a blow for Wellington; for the last time he used his fists was upon a Radical sub-editor, who was mobbing Wellington in the street, from behind a rank of grimy fellows; but though the writer spoke up for Wellington to a certain extent when he was shamefully underrated, and once struck a blow for him when he was about being hustled18, he is not going to join in the loathsome19 sycophantic20 nonsense which it has been the fashion to use with respect to Wellington these last twenty years. Now what have those years been to England? Why the years of ultra-gentility, everybody in England having gone gentility mad during the last twenty years, and no people more so than your pseudo-Radicals. Wellington was turned out, and your Whigs and Radicals got in, and then commenced the period of ultra-gentility in England. The Whigs and Radicals only hated Wellington as long as the patronage21 of the country was in his hands, none of which they were tolerably sure he would bestow22 on them; but no sooner did they get it into their own, than they forthwith became admirers of Wellington. And why? Because he was a duke, petted at Windsor and by foreign princes, and a very genteel personage. Formerly23 many of your Whigs and Radicals had scarcely a decent coat on their backs; but now the plunder24 of the country was at their disposal, and they had as good a chance of being genteel as any people. So they were willing to worship Wellington because he was very genteel, and could not keep the plunder of the country out of their hands. And Wellington has been worshipped, and prettily25 so, during the last fifteen or twenty years. He is now a noble fine-hearted creature; the greatest general the world ever produced; the bravest of men; and — and — mercy upon us! the greatest of military writers! Now the present writer will not join in such sycophancy26. As he was not afraid to take the part of Wellington when he was scurvily27 used by all parties, and when it was dangerous to take his part, so he is not afraid to speak the naked truth about Wellington in these days, when it is dangerous to say anything about him but what is sycophantically28 laudatory29. He said, in ‘32, that as to vice, Wellington was not worse than his neighbours; but he is not going to say, in ‘54, that Wellington was a noble-hearted fellow; for he believes that a more cold-hearted individual never existed. His conduct to Warner, the poor Vaudois, and Marshal Ney, showed that. He said, in ‘32, that he was a good general and a brave man; but he is not going, in ‘54, to say that he was the best general, or the bravest man the world ever saw. England has produced a better general — France two or three — both countries many braver men. The son of the Norfolk clergyman was a braver man; Marshal Ney was a braver man. Oh, that Battle of Copenhagen! Oh, that covering the retreat of the Grand Army! And though he said in ‘32 that he could write, he is not going to say in ‘54 that he is the best of all military writers. On the contrary, he does not hesitate to say that any Commentary of Julius Caesar, or any chapter in Justinus, more especially the one about the Parthians, is worth the ten volumes of Wellington’s Despatches; though he has no doubt that, by saying so, he shall especially rouse the indignation of a certain newspaper, at present one of the most genteel journals imaginable — with a slight tendency to Liberalism, it is true, but perfectly30 genteel — which is nevertheless the very one which, in ‘32, swore bodily that Wellington could neither read nor write, and devised an ingenious plan for teaching him how to read.
Now, after the above statement no one will venture to say, if the writer should be disposed to bear hard upon Radicals, that he would be influenced by a desire to pay court to princes, or to curry31 favour with Tories, or from being a blind admirer of the Duke of Wellington; but the writer is not going to declaim against Radicals, that is, real Republicans, or their principles; upon the whole, he is something of an admirer of both. The writer has always had as much admiration32 for everything that is real and honest as he has had contempt for the opposite. Now, real Republicanism is certainly a very fine thing, a much finer thing than Toryism, a system of common robbery, which is, nevertheless, far better than Whiggism 205 — a compound of petty larceny33, popular instruction, and receiving of stolen goods. Yes, real Republicanism is certainly a very fine thing, and your real Radicals and Republicans are certainly very fine fellows, or rather were fine fellows, for the Lord only knows where to find them at the present day — the writer does not. If he did he would at any time go five miles to invite one of them to dinner, even supposing that he had to go to a workhouse in order to find the person he wished to invite. Amongst the real Radicals of England, those who flourished from the year ‘16 to ‘20, there were certainly extraordinary characters, men partially34 insane, perhaps, but honest and brave — they did not make a market of the principles which they professed35, and never intended to do so; they believed in them, and were willing to risk their lives in endeavouring to carry them out. The writer wishes to speak in particular of two of these men, both of whom perished on the scaffold — their names were Thistlewood and Ings. 206 Thistlewood, the best known of them, was a brave soldier, and had served with distinction as an officer in the French service; he was one of the excellent swordsmen of Europe; had fought several duels36 in France, where it is no child’s play to fight a duel37; but had never unsheathed his sword for single combat, but in defence of the feeble and insulted. He was kind and open-hearted, but of too great simplicity38; he had once ten thousand pounds left him, all of which he lent to a friend, who disappeared and never returned him a penny. Ings was an uneducated man, of very low stature39, but amazing strength and resolution; he was a kind husband and father, and though a humble40 butcher, the name he bore was one of the royal names of the heathen Anglo–Saxons. These two men, along with five others, were executed, and their heads hacked41 off, for levying42 war against George the Fourth; the whole seven dying in a manner which extorted43 cheers from the populace; the most of them uttering philosophical44 or patriotic45 sayings. Thistlewood, who was, perhaps, the most calm and collected of all, just before he was turned off, said: ‘We are now going to discover the great secret.’ Ings, the moment before he was choked, was singing ‘Scots wha ha’ wi’ Wallace bled.’ Now, there was no humbug46 about those men, nor about many more of the same time and of the same principles. They might be deluded47 about Republicanism, as Algernon Sidney was, and as Brutus was, but they were as honest and brave as either Brutus or Sidney, and as willing to die for their principles. But the Radicals who succeeded them were beings of a very different description; they jobbed and traded in Republicanism, and either parted with it, or at the present day are eager to part with it for a consideration. In order to get the Whigs into power, and themselves places, they brought the country by their inflammatory language to the verge48 of a revolution, and were the cause that many perished on the scaffold; by their incendiary harangues49 and newspaper articles they caused the Bristol conflagration50, for which six poor creatures were executed; they encouraged the mob to pillage51, pull down and burn, and then rushing into garrets looked on. Thistlewood tells the mob the Tower is a second Bastile; let it be pulled down. A mob tries to pull down the Tower; but Thistlewood is at the head of that mob; he is not peeping from a garret on Tower Hill like Gulliver at Lisbon. Thistlewood and Ings say to twenty ragged52 individuals, Liverpool and Castlereagh are two satellites of despotism; it would be highly desirable to put them out of the way. And a certain number of ragged individuals are surprised in a stable in Cato Street, making preparations to put Castlereagh and Liverpool out of the way, and are fired upon with muskets53 by Grenadiers, and are hacked at with cutlasses by Bow Street runners; but the twain who encouraged those ragged individuals to meet in Cato Street are not far off, they are not on the other side of the river, in the Borough54, for example, in some garret or obscure cellar. The very first to confront the Guards and runners are Thistlewood and Ings; Thistlewood whips his long thin rapier through Smithers’ lungs, and Ings makes a dash at Fitzclarence with his butcher’s knife. Oh, there was something in those fellows! — honesty and courage! — but can as much be said for the inciters of the troubles of ‘32. No; they egged on poor ignorant mechanics and rustics55, and got them hanged for pulling down and burning, whilst the highest pitch to which their own daring ever mounted was to mob Wellington as he passed in the streets.
Now, these people were humbugs56, which Thistlewood and Ings were not. They raved57 and foamed58 against kings, queens, Wellington, the aristocracy, and what not, till they had got the Whigs into power, with whom they were in secret alliance, and with whom they afterwards openly joined in a system of robbery and corruption59, more flagitious than the old Tory one, because there was more cant about it; for themselves they got consulships, commissionerships, and in some instances governments; for their sons clerkships in public offices; and there you may see those sons with the never-failing badge of the low scoundrel-puppy, the gilt60 chain at the waistcoat pocket; and there you may hear and see them using the languishing61 tones, and employing the airs and graces which wenches use and employ who, without being in the family way, wish to make their keepers believe that they are in the family way. Assuredly great is the cleverness of your Radicals of ‘32, in providing for themselves and their families. Yet, clever as they are, there is one thing they cannot do — they get governments for themselves, commissionerships for their brothers, clerkships for their sons, but there is one thing beyond their craft — they cannot get husbands for their daughters, who, too ugly for marriage, and with their heads filled with the nonsense they have imbibed62 from gentility novels, go over from Socinus to the Pope, becoming sisters in fusty convents, or having heard a few sermons in Mr. Platitude’s ‘chapelle,’ seek for admission at the establishment of mother S—— who, after employing them for a time in various menial offices, and making them pluck off their eyebrows63 hair by hair, generally dismisses them on the plea of sluttishness; whereupon they return to their papas to eat the bread of the country, with the comfortable prospect64 of eating it still in the shape of a pension after their sires are dead. Papa (ex uno disce omnes) living as quietly as he can; not exactly enviably it is true, being now and then seen to cast an uneasy and furtive65 glance behind, even as an animal is wont66 who has lost by some mischance a very sightly appendage67; as quietly however as he can, and as dignifiedly, a great admirer of every genteel thing and genteel personage, the Duke in particular, whose ‘Despatches,’ bound in red morocco, you will find on his table. A disliker of coarse expressions and extremes of every kind, with a perfect horror for revolutions and attempts to revolutionize, exclaiming now and then, as a shriek68 escapes from whipped and bleeding Hungary, a groan69 from gasping70 Poland, and a half-stifled curse from down-trodden but scowling71 Italy, ‘Confound the revolutionary canaille, why can’t it be quiet!’ In a word, putting one in mind of the parvenu72 in the ‘Walpurgis Nacht.’ The writer is no admirer of Gothe, but the idea of that parvenu was certainly a good one. Yes, putting one in mind of the individual who says:
‘Wir waren wahrlich auch nicht dumm,
???Und thaten oft was wir nicht sollten;
Doch jetzo kehrt sich alles um und um,
???Und eben da wir’s fest erhalten wollten.’
(‘We were no fools, as every one discern’d,
???And stopp’d at nought73 our projects in fulfilling;
But now the world seems topsy-turvy turn’d,
???To keep it quiet just when we were willing.’)
Now, this class of individuals entertain a mortal hatred74 for ‘Lavengro’ and its writer, and never lose an opportunity of vituperating both. It is true that such hatred is by no means surprising. There is certainly a great deal of difference between Lavengro and their own sons; the one thinking of independence and philology75, whilst he is clinking away at kettles, and hammering horse-shoes in dingles; the others stuck up at public offices with gilt chains at their waistcoat-pockets, and giving themselves the airs and graces of females of a certain description. And there certainly is a great deal of difference between the author of ‘Lavengro’ and themselves — he retaining his principles and his brush; they with scarlet76 breeches on, it is true, but without their republicanism and their tails. Oh, the writer can well afford to be vituperated by your pseudo-Radicals of ‘32!
Some time ago the writer was set upon by an old Radical 207 and his wife; but the matter is too rich not to require a chapter to itself.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
radical
|
|
| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
radicals
|
|
| n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
infinitely
|
|
| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
shamefully
|
|
| 可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
radicalism
|
|
| n. 急进主义, 根本的改革主义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
par
|
|
| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
excellence
|
|
| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
cant
|
|
| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
sneered
|
|
| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
followers
|
|
| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
infamously
|
|
| 不名誉地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
hooted
|
|
| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
vice
|
|
| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
poltroon
|
|
| n.胆怯者；懦夫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
illiterate
|
|
| adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
nay
|
|
| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
hustled
|
|
| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
loathsome
|
|
| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sycophantic
|
|
| adj.阿谀奉承的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
patronage
|
|
| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
bestow
|
|
| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
plunder
|
|
| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
prettily
|
|
| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
sycophancy
|
|
| n.拍马屁，奉承，谄媚；吮痈舐痔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
scurvily
|
|
| 下流地，粗鄙地，无礼地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
28
sycophantically
|
|
| adv.sycophantic（阿谀的，拍马的）的变形 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
29
laudatory
|
|
| adj.赞扬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
curry
|
|
| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
larceny
|
|
| n.盗窃（罪） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
partially
|
|
| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
professed
|
|
| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
duels
|
|
| n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 )；竞争，斗争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
duel
|
|
| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
simplicity
|
|
| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
stature
|
|
| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
hacked
|
|
| 生气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
levying
|
|
| 征（兵）( levy的现在分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
extorted
|
|
| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
philosophical
|
|
| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
patriotic
|
|
| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
humbug
|
|
| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
deluded
|
|
| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
verge
|
|
| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
harangues
|
|
| n.高谈阔论的长篇演讲( harangue的名词复数 )v.高谈阔论( harangue的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
conflagration
|
|
| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
pillage
|
|
| v.抢劫；掠夺；n.抢劫，掠夺；掠夺物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
ragged
|
|
| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
muskets
|
|
| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
borough
|
|
| n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
rustics
|
|
| n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
humbugs
|
|
| 欺骗( humbug的名词复数 )； 虚伪； 骗子； 薄荷硬糖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
57
raved
|
|
| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
foamed
|
|
| 泡沫的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
corruption
|
|
| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
gilt
|
|
| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
languishing
|
|
| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
imbibed
|
|
| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
eyebrows
|
|
| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
prospect
|
|
| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
furtive
|
|
| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
wont
|
|
| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
appendage
|
|
| n.附加物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
shriek
|
|
| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
groan
|
|
| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
gasping
|
|
| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
scowling
|
|
| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
parvenu
|
|
| n.暴发户，新贵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
nought
|
|
| n.／adj.无，零 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
hatred
|
|
| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
philology
|
|
| n.语言学；语文学 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
scarlet
|
|
| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |