History of English Literature Volume 2 (of 3)Taine, Hippolyte
History
History of English Literature Volume 2 (of 3)
Taine, Hippolyte
English literature -- History and criticism
That is the husband; let us look at the father, Sir Tunbelly Clumsey, a
country gentleman, elegant, if any of them were. Tom Fashion knocks at
the door of the mansion, which looks like "Noah's ark," and where they
receive people as in a besieged city. A servant appears at a window with
a blunderbuss in his hand, who is at last with great difficulty
persuaded that he ought to let his master know that somebody wishes to
see him. "Ralph, go thy weas, and ask Sir Tunbelly if he pleases to be
waited upon. And dost hear? call to nurse that she may lock up Miss
Hoyden before the geat's open."[329] Please to observe that in this
house they keep a watch over the girls. Sir Tunbelly comes up with his
people, armed with guns, pitchforks, scythes, and clubs, in no amiable
mood, and wants to know the name of his visitor. "Till I know your name,
I shall not ask you to come into my house; and when I know your
name--'tis six to four I don't ask you neither."[330] He is like a
watchdog growling and looking at the calves of an intruder. But he
presently learns that this intruder is his future son-in-law; he utters
some exclamations, and makes his excuses. "Cod's my life! I ask your
lordship's pardon ten thousand times. (_To a servant._) Here, run in
a-doors quickly. Get a Scotch-coal fire in the great parlor; set all the
Turkey-work chairs in their places; get the great brass candlesticks
out, and be sure stick the sockets full of laurel. Run!... And do you
hear, run away to nurse, bid her let Miss Hoyden loose again, and if it
was not shifting-day, let her put on a clean tucker, quick!"[331] The
pretended son-in-law wants to marry Hoyden straight off. "Not so soon
neither! that's shooting my girl before you bid her stand!... Besides,
my wench's wedding-gown is not come home yet."[332] The other suggests
that a speedy marriage will save money. Spare money? says the father,
"Udswoons, I'll give my wench a wedding dinner, though I go to grass
with the king of Assyria for't.... Ah! poor girl, she'll be scared out
of her wits on her wedding-night; for, honestly speaking, she does not
know a man from a woman but by his beard and his breeches."[333]
Foppington, the real son-in-law, arrives. Sir Tunbelly, taking him for
an impostor, calls him a dog; Hoyden proposes to drag him in the
horse-pond; they bind him hand and foot, and thrust him into the
dog-kennel; Sir Tunbelly puts his fist under his nose and threatens to
knock his teeth down his throat. Afterwards, having discovered the
impostor, he says, "My lord, will you cut his throat? or shall I?...
Here, give me my dog-whip.... Here, here, here, let me beat out his
brains, and that will decide all."[334] He raves, and wants to fall upon
Tom Fashion with his fists. Such is the country gentleman, of high birth
and a farmer, boxer and drinker, brawler and beast. There steam up from
all these scenes a smell of cooking, the noise of riot, the odor of a
dunghill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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