‘Quite unconscious, however, of the effect he produced, he
trotted on beside his secretary, talking to himself nearly all
the way, until they came within a mile or two of London, when
now and then some passenger went by who knew him by sight, and
pointed him out to some one else, and perhaps stood looking
after him, or cried in jest or earnest as it might be, “Hurrah,
Geordie! No Popery!” At which he would gravely pull off his
hat, and bow. When they reached the town and rode along the
streets, these notices became more frequent; some laughed, some
hissed, some turned their heads and smiled, some wondered who
he was, some ran along the pavement by his side and cheered.
When this happened in a crush of carts and chairs and coaches,
he would make a dead stop, and pulling off his hat, cry,
“Gentlemen, No Popery!” to which the gentlemen would respond
with lusty voices, and with three times three; and then, on he
would go again with a score or so of the raggedest, following
at his horse’s heels, and shouting till their throats were
parched.
‘The old ladies too—there were a great many old ladies in the
streets, and these all knew him. Some of them—not those of the
highest rank, but such as sold fruit from baskets and carried
burdens—clapped their shrivelled hands, and raised a weazen,
piping, shrill “Hurrah, my lord.” Others waved their hands or
handkerchiefs, or shook their fans or parasols, or threw up
windows, and called in haste to those within, to come and see.
All these marks of popular esteem he received with profound
gravity and respect; bowing very low, and so frequently that
his hat was more off his head than on; and looking up at the
houses as he passed along, with the air of one who was making a
public entry, and yet was not puffed-up or proud.’
No one would think of citing such a passage as this, as exemplifying the
proportioned beauty of finished writing; it is not the writing of an
evenly developed or of a highly cultured mind; it abounds in jolts and
odd turns; it is full of singular twists and needless complexities: but,
on the other hand, no one can deny its great and peculiar merit. It is an
odd style, and it is very odd how much you read it. It is the overflow of
a copious mind, though not the chastened expression of an harmonious one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account