Rank and Talent; A Novel, Vol. 1 (of 3)Scargill, William Pitt
General
Rank and Talent; A Novel, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Scargill, William Pitt
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
It is now high time to introduce more particularly to our readers
the Hon. Philip Martindale. He has been glancing and flitting before
our eyes; but he has not stayed long enough to be fairly seen and
understood. He did not appear to great advantage at the assizes, where
he sat laughing or sneering at the progress of his own cause; nor
would he have made a very imposing figure, had we opened upon him on
the evening of the day of the trial, when, on his return home, the
trusty Oliver announced to him the arrival of two gentlemen, calling
themselves sheriffs’ officers. To delay any longer to introduce our
honorable acquaintance to our readers, would be intruding upon their
patience beyond reason.
The Hon. Philip Martindale finding that it would not be possible to get
rid of this encumbrance by any other means than by discharging the
debt, and knowing that the debt could not be discharged without money,
and knowing that money was not at that emergency to be obtained but by
the medium of the people of Israel, sent his trusty Oliver to the Red
Lion to provide a chaise to carry him on his way to London. It would be
more agreeable to us, if it were possible, to bring our readers to an
acquaintance with the honorable gentleman lolling in his own chariot,
for that would be more befitting his rank in society, than to see him
travelling in so plebeian a vehicle as a hired chaise, drawn by a pair
of hack horses. But though the Hon. Philip Martindale was a man of high
rank, and somewhat proud of the station which he held in society, he
was not altogether unable or unwilling to condescend; and though the
Denvers, the Flints, the Prices, and all the other gentry, thought
him a very proud and haughty man, yet there were many in Brigland,
many in Newmarket, and many in London and its vicinity, who could bear
testimony to his condescension.
To describe a journey to London in a post-chaise, along thirty or
forty miles of turnpike-road, bounded on the right hand by hedges
and ditches, and on the left by ditches and hedges, requires powers
of description and imagination to which we are too humble to make
pretension. As we are not presuming to descant on the history of the
journey, we may as well say a word or two concerning the person who
took the said journey. We are perfectly aware that it would be more
artist-like and effective, to let our characters speak for themselves,
and by their own acts or words develope their own peculiarities;
but this is not altogether possible to be done effectually; for the
same words from different lips have a different meaning; and there
is a peculiarity of tone and accent and look which does much towards
rendering the character intelligible. These matters may be imitated
in the drama on the stage, but they cannot be well transfused into
plainly-written dialogue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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