The Romany Rye: A sequel to "Lavengro"Borrow, George
General
The Romany Rye: A sequel to "Lavengro"
Borrow, George
Adventure stories; England -- Fiction; Romanies -- Fiction
for his horse, entitled to more than the scoundrel lord, who attempts to
cheat him of one-fourth of its value.
Millions, however, seem to think otherwise, by their servile adoration of
people whom without rank, wealth and fine clothes they would consider
infamous, but whom possessed of rank, wealth and glittering habiliments
they seem to admire all the more for their profligacy and crimes. Does
not a blood-spot, or a lust-spot, on the clothes of a blooming emperor,
give a kind of zest to the genteel young god? Do not the pride,
superciliousness and selfishness of a certain aristocracy make it all the
more regarded by its worshippers? and do not the clownish and
gutter-blood admirers of Mr. Flamson like him all the more because they
are conscious that he is a knave? If such is the case—and alas! is it
not the case?—they cannot be too frequently told that fine clothes,
wealth and titles adorn a person in proportion as he adorns them; that if
worn by the magnanimous and good they are ornaments indeed, but if by the
vile and profligate they are merely _san benitos_, and only serve to make
their infamy doubly apparent; and that a person in seedy raiment and
tattered hat, possessed of courage, kindness and virtue, is entitled to
more respect from those to whom his virtues are manifested than any cruel
profligate emperor, selfish aristocrat, or knavish millionnaire in the
world.
The writer has no intention of saying that all in England are affected
with the absurd mania for gentility; nor is such a statement made in the
book; it is shown therein that individuals of various classes can prize a
gentleman, notwithstanding seedy raiment, dusty shoes or tattered hat—for
example, the young Irishman, the rich genius, the postillion, and his
employer. Again, when the life of the hero is given to the world, amidst
the howl about its lowness and vulgarity, raised by the servile crew whom
its independence of sentiment has stung, more than one powerful voice has
been heard testifying approbation of its learning and the purity of its
morality. That there is some salt in England, minds not swayed by mere
externals, he is fully convinced; if he were not, he would spare himself
the trouble of writing; but to the fact that the generality of his
countrymen are basely grovelling before the shrine of what they are
pleased to call gentility, he cannot shut his eyes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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