Modern literature: a novel, Volume 1 (of 3)Bisset, Robert
General
Modern literature: a novel, Volume 1 (of 3)
Bisset, Robert
England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction
demonstrate to be extremely wrong.--What did his India bill do?--It
violated chartered rights; I say, violated chartered rights, and it
raised a fourth estate within the empire.--I pointed that out to my
friends Burke and Windham, and advised them to explain it to Mr. Fox,
but they would have their own ways; and so it fares. There are other
parts of Mr. Fox’s conduct, which I by no means approve. I very much
blame his support of the dissenters, and his friendly disposition
to Priestley, a heretic and infidel, and one that would destroy our
church: one that has himself boasted that he would blow up the church
with gunpowder. Can one that is preparing to blow up the church, be
called a friend to the church? mark that.” Mrs. Halifax, the lady
whom we have before mentioned, being a sound churchwoman, agreed with
the censure of Priestley, and observed that “that was a very strong
_argement_, that those who would set fire to a place could not wish
well to the owner. There was,” says she, “in our neighbourhood, a barn
set on fire on purpose the other week, and all the country said it
must have been done in malice.” Our hero praised the sagacity of those
who found out that wilful incendiaries must act from bad motives.--“I
remember,” he said, “reading in the history of England, that there was
a gunpowder plot contrived, in order to blow up the Parliament house,
and that the chief instrument was one Guy Faux;” he with much gravity
observed, “I cannot think that this same Guy Faux was a well wisher
to the Parliament.” The young lady smiled at this observation in such
a way as demonstrated her thoroughly to comprehend the character,
or at least, intellectual reach of Dr. Truism. The travellers now
returned to the coach, and sleep soon put an end to the conversation.
Our hero had been somewhat amused by the pompous emptiness of Dr.
Truism, but his mind was really engaged by a very different object.
The charms of the young lady engrossed his thoughts and feelings, and
did not suffer Morpheus to possess his usual influence. His fine
expressive eyes had told the fair nymph the sentiments by which he was
impressed, but told it with such delicacy and softness as could not
give offence, at least did not give offence. Whether from the jolting
of the coach, or some other reason, she also was awake a considerable
part of the time. She had fallen into a slumber about morning, and
the rest continued buried in sleep, while some of their noses loudly
testified that it was not the sleep of death. Our hero was gazing on
the lovely nymph with fervid admiration and eager delight, when, the
rising sun playing on her eyelids, opened her beautiful eyes, and
she beheld the impassioned gaze of Hamilton. She could not possibly
misunderstand the expression of his looks, and received them with more
confusion than displeasure. Many minutes elapsed before our hero began
the conversation.--He durst not venture to speak to the young lady on
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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