The Fitz-Boodle PapersThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The Fitz-Boodle Papers
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Imaginary letters; Satire, English
The profession I would urge (upon a person duly qualified to undertake
it) has, I confess, at the first glance, something ridiculous about
it; and will not appear to young ladies so romantic as the calling of a
gallant soldier, blazing with glory, gold lace, and vermilion coats;
or a dear delightful clergyman, with a sweet blue eye, and a
pocket-handkerchief scented charmingly with lavender-water. The
profession I allude to WILL, I own, be to young women disagreeable, to
sober men trivial, to great stupid moralists unworthy.
But mark my words for it, that in the religious world (I have once or
twice, by mistake no doubt, had the honor of dining in “serious” houses,
and can vouch for the fact that the dinners there are of excellent
quality)--in the serious world, in the great mercantile world, among the
legal community (notorious feeders), in every house in town (except some
half-dozen which can afford to do without such aid), the man I propose
might speedily render himself indispensable.
Does the reader now begin to take? Have I hinted enough for him that
he may see with eagle glance the immense beauty of the profession I am
about to unfold to him? We have all seen Gunter and Chevet; Fregoso, on
the Puerta del Sol (a relation of the ex-Minister Calomarde), is a good
purveyor enough for the benighted olla-eaters of Madrid; nor have I any
fault to find with Guimard, a Frenchman, who has lately set up in the
Toledo, at Naples, where he furnishes people with decent food. It has
given me pleasure, too, in walking about London--in the Strand,
in Oxford Street, and elsewhere, to see fournisseurs and
comestible-merchants newly set up. Messrs. Morel have excellent articles
in their warehouses; Fortnum and Mason are known to most of my readers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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