Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Strephons will no more be figured in pea-green spencers and sky-blue inexpressibles; Turkey carpets will be thought more pleasant to the feet than the velvet sward; and fashion will now and for ever exert her rightful supremacy over the unjust and most preposterous encroachments of nature. There are, however, a few observations of peculiar interest to you in particular, and to the community in general, which ought here to be introduced. No argument concerning the country should be allowed to pass without some discussion on a subject of paramount importance to individuals-of vital importance to the 'state. I speak of the corn-laws. While

Here the promised oration was most summarily concluded by the rapid breaking up of the party.

CHAPTER VI.

We proceed to Lady Alderney's soirée.-Mephistophiles describes some of the modern antiques of society-the Corinna, the Machiavelli, and the Bacon.-I hear some portions of my history before unknown to me, and am interrupted in an interesting conversation with the countess.-The Man of the World gives an interesting account of the state of music in England.

THE carriages were so numerous in Grosvenor Place, that it was some time before we could drive up to Lady Alderney's door. Amid the swearing of coachmen, the bawling of policemen, the clatter of wheels, the smacking of whips, and the contact of poles and panels, we alighted; and soon found ourselves proceeding up the grand staircase, at the extremity of a well-dressed crowd, who were endeavouring to advance to the drawing-room. By dint of some exertion and considerable ingenuity, we at last entered a splendid suite of apartments on the first floor, tastefully decorated for the occasion, and well filled with persons who were in some way or other distinguished from the mass of society. Many were unknown to me; but as Mephistophiles acted as my cicerone, it was my own fault if I remained long in ignorance of their names or characters.

"Who is that beautiful and intellectual-looking woman, with her hair braided so classically, conversing with the Duke of Leatherhead ?" I asked.

"That is the honourable Sybilla Scribe," he replied, "who has written many sweet verses, many sweet stories, and has manufactured a sufficient quantity of literary sweetmeats to gain among the good-natured multitude a considerable notoriety."

"I have read some of her poems, and think them very beautiful," said I. "She is generally reckoned the Corinna of the age."

66

[ocr errors]

"Perhaps she more resembles an Aspasia," he remarked, with something like sarcasm. However, the duke is certainly not a Pericles. He is persuading her to have her portrait taken for a gallery of illustrious women of the present day his grace is now forming. She, nothing loath,' consents; and the duke will give an extravagant sum to a popular artist, who will show her up' in the next exhibition of the Royal Academy in some masquerade character, looking for inspiration and admiration, with a head of braided hair that shall be the envy of Truefitt, and scribbling her own name in a handwriting so delicately beautiful that every one will imagine it was produced by the new system of Carstairs, that gives proficiency in half a dozen lessons."

"In my opinion she is a woman of considerable genius," I observed, thinking that Mephistophiles was not doing her justice. "Is she not in some way related to the great Gammonem ?"

66

Great, do you call him?" he exclaimed, elevating his eyebrows. "True, in the judgment of this immaculate world, he was great. He was a great talker-a great prof ligate a superior sort of Jeremy Diddler- -a very brilliant specimen of nature's mosaic gold. His bright polish and shining appearance made many consider there was something sterling about him; it was mere brass. She is his granddaughter, the child of his hopeful son Tom. There is a showy girl about town who writes bad puns and stupid jokes, who also lays claim to a similar relationship to the great Gammonem: but Sybilla does not recognise her; she says she is an impostor. However, if the latter has no legitimate grounds for her claim, she may yet boast of the

honoured blood. The great orator was a very fatherly sort of character, and not particular to trifles. He patronised good-looking nursery-maids occasionally."

"He died under very peculiar circumstances, did he not ?" I inquired.

66

Very peculiar," he replied with emphasis. "His extravagance had ruined his fortune, and his excesses destroyed his health. While death was entering his bedroom door, the bailiffs were breaking into his drawing-room windows. I believe the former made the first seizure. Though he died empoverished and disgraced, and left his creditors without a sixpence to satisfy their claims, when his widow followed him, her executors proved for forty thousand pounds. Rather strange that,' you would say; but such things occur every day. However, they are a clever family. Mrs. Tom writes novels; one daughter composes songs; Sybilla manufactures all sorts of literary matters; and another member dashes about in his cabriolet, somewhat after the fashion of his illustrious progenitor. He has recently gained considerable celebrity by running off with a wealthy heiress; and for the success of this elopement he is much indebted to his beautiful relative. They are a very clever family."

"And who is that elegant, though certainly not very young creature, talking to Lord Mulberry ?" said I, as I gazed in admiration on a lady with a most intellectual countenance. "If ever there were features expressive of genius, she possesses them."

"Indeed!" exclaimed my companion with a sneer; "genius, in the common opinion, means a facility of scribbling. Probably it is not misplaced here. Lady Stanza Dromedary is another wholesale purveyor of prettinesses to the pensive public. She has written novels and poems enough to gain her the reputation of a bas bleu among her acquaintance, and provide the tradespeople of a parish with waste paper. She has passed her best days. It may easily be imagined that, when very young, she was beautiful. Her ladyship was then one of the maids of honour to the old queen. Now her majesty was the very Pamela of the court. She called chanticleer the male fowl,' and turned away one of her pages for offending her royal delicacy by giving the bird its right name. The youthful Lady

Stanza had a very beautiful face, and a peculiarly beautiful figure, and was not by any means desirous of avoiding the admiration they occasioned. She led the fashion in her day; and if her particular friends had unsatisfactory necks and arms, her ladyship would dress in low body and short sleeves. One day she came into the presence with part of her dress elegantly looped up, to display to greater advantage than usual her unrivalled leg. I am not certain her majesty went into fits, but I know the maid of honour was dismissed till she could appear in a more decorous attire. Some time afterward she married a clergyman and became serious; since then she has been left a widow, and become clever.” "I have always heard a most amiable character of her," said I.

"Yes, your amiable people make up half the population," he replied; "and the appearance of that universal virtue is hailed, as the shipwrecked sailor welcomed the gallows, as a sign of peculiar civilization. Ay, there stands the Marquis of Foreground, explaining the merits of that 'genuine Titian,' which is merely a copy, to the fair Countess of Rosepink. How eloquently his lordship displays the cant of the artist! Her ladyship paints a little herself: her cheek will show with what skill. Observe that old gentleman with white flowing hair, and many decorations on his breast, sitting, or rather reclining his almost useless limbs, in that easy chair. His face does not indicate great genius; 'tis that of a man cut after dinner of a cheeseparing;' it expresses cunning rather than wisdom, imbecility instead of intelligence. Yet he is a person of genius, of extraordinary genius; the greatest man of the age. He has made hypocrisy a science, and raised intrigue to a place among the useful arts. He is the famous Prince Protocol, the foreign ambassador, the modern Machiavelli. No one is so well acquainted with the secret machinery of governments; and his superior knowledge has been called into operation whenever any part of the works was out of order. He has had a hand in all the movements; has wound them up and set them going for the last fifty years, and has been, therefore, employed as a sort of regulator to his own government. Occasionally he has meddled with the wheels, and put the springs out, but he took care that no one should suspect him. Like the glazier in the story, he has more

than once had a fling at the church windows that he might have to do the repairs-the mischief, of course, was done in the dark. He now mends church windows by the year, and has a similar stipend for regulating the state machinery. No one understands so well the doctrine of appearances: he has studied it till he has obtained an unequalled proficiency. None know better the utility of oaths, and the advantage of employing them upon appropriate occasions. The frequency with which he has used them is almost equalled by his repetition of their perjuries. Like a person who, from taking small portions of poison, is enabled by practice to swallow any quantity with impunity, the prince has so disciplined himself, that he might with safety employ any and every kind of oath. Kings are the automata of his ereating; the people wonder and admire; the machinist laughs and profits. Such is this venerable minister; the father, or, I should say, the grandfather of modern diplomacy."

"But who is the thin man, with that vulgar face, talking to him?" I inquired.

"Oh, that is no other than the celebrated, or notorious, which you like, Lord Bubble and Squeak. He is considered by a discerning few, of which number he of course forms one, the Bacon of the present age. Whether any similarity exists, remains to be proved. The author of the Novum Organon was a great pedant, an illustrious humbug, a magnificent hypocrite. He rose into power by dexterous intrigues; he gained popularity as a denouncer of abuses; and he was driven out of office in consequence of pursuing his natural love of corruption to an extent beyond all precedent. He lived in deceit, and died in disgrace. To this the life of the right honourable Lord Bubble and Squeak cannot by any possibility be compared; and, of course, it must not be expected that his end will resemble that of this estimable personage: but you will know him better shortly."

We at last approached the countess. She was relating something which appeared of particular interest to a circle of attentive listeners, from whom I heard exclamations of "How strange !"-"How romantic !"-" How very singular!"" Can it be possible!"—" Well, I should never have believed it." Her eye caught mine, and she slightly blushed; yet she immediately advanced to meet us, and, as

« AnteriorContinuar »