The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 329, August 30, 1828 — John Shaqi
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 329, August 30, 1828Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 329, August 30, 1828
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
Lord Spoonbill was not one of those careless young men who lose at the
university what they have gained at school; one reason was, that he had
little or nothing to lose; nor was his lordship one of those foolish
people who go to a university and study hard to acquire languages which
they never use, and sciences which they never apply in after-life. His
lordship had sense enough to conclude that, as the nobility do not talk
Greek, he had no occasion to learn it; and as hereditary legislators have
nothing to do with the exact sciences, it would be a piece of idle
impertinence in him to study mathematics. But his lordship had heard that
hereditary legislators did occasionally indulge in other pursuits, and for
those pursuits he took especial care to qualify himself. In his lordship's
cranium, the organ of exclusiveness was strongly developed. We do not mean
that his head was so constructed internally, as to exclude all useful
furniture, but that he had a strong sense of the grandeur of nobility and
the inseparable dignity which attaches itself to the privileged orders.
The only instances in which he condescended to persons in inferior rank,
were when he was engaged at the race-course at Newmarket, or when he found
that condescension might enable him to fleece some play-loving plebeian,
or when affairs of gallantry were concerned. In these matters no one could
be more condescending than Lord Spoonbill. We should leave but an
imperfect impression on the minds of our readers if we should omit to
speak of his lordship's outward and visible form. This was an essential
part of himself which he never neglected or forgot; and it should not be
neglected or forgotten by his historian. He was tall and slender, his face
was long, pale and thin, his forehead was narrow, his eyes large and dull,
his nose aquiline, his mouth wide, his teeth beautifully white and well
formed, and displayed far more liberally than many exhibitions in the
metropolis which are only "open from ten till dusk." His lips were thin,
but his whiskers were tremendously thick. Of his person he was naturally
and justly proud. Who ever possessed such a person and was not proud of it?
_Colonel Crop_ was only Colonel Crop; he enjoyed the rank of colonel, and
that was all the rank that he could boast; he was tolerated at the castle;
he dined occasionally with his lordship; and occasionally partook of the
pleasure of shooting the birds which were cultivated on his lordship's
estate. In town, he patronised the countess' routs, and in the country he
was a companion for the earl, when not otherwise engaged. He was proud of
the earl's acquaintance, though he was not weak enough to suppose that he
was more than tolerated. The haughtiest of the great do sometimes pick up
such acquaintances as Colonel Crop, and they cannot easily get rid of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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