contributions to all the year round-第6部分

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their　falsehood　and　deceit　will　become　manifest　as　the　sun；　it　will

be　seen　that　they　do　nothing　which　they　stand　pledged　to　the

Bleater's　London　Correspondent　to　do；　it　will　be　seen　that　they　are

among　the　blackest　parties　in　this　black　and　base　conspiracy。　　This

will　become　apparent；　sir；　not　only　as　to　their　public　proceedings

but　as　to　their　private　affairs。　　The　outraged　Tattlesnivellian　who

now　drags　this　infamous　combination　into　the　face　of　day；　charges

those　literary　persons　with　making　away　with　their　property；

imposing　on　the　Income　Tax　Commissioners；　keeping　false　books；　and

entering　into　sham　contracts。　　He　accuses　them　on　the　unimpeachable

faith　of　the　London　Correspondent　of　the　Tattlesnivel　Bleater。　　With

whose　evidence　they　will　find　it　impossible　to　reconcile　their　own

account　of　any　transaction　of　their　lives。



The　national　character　is　degenerating　under　the　influence　of　the

ramifications　of　this　tremendous　conspiracy。　　Forgery　is　committed；

constantly。　　A　person　of　noteany　sort　of　person　of　notedies。

The　Bleater's　London　Correspondent　knows　what　his　circumstances　are；

what　his　savings　are　（if　any）；　who　his　creditors　are；　all　about　his

children　and　relations；　and　（in　general；　before　his　body　is　cold）

describes　his　will。　　Is　that　will　ever　proved？　　Never！　　Some　other

will　is　substituted；　the　real　instrument；　destroyed。　　And　this　（as

has　been　before　observed）；　is　England。



Who　are　the　workmen　and　artificers；　enrolled　upon　the　books　of　this

treacherous　league？　　From　what　funds　are　they　paid；　and　with　what

ceremonies　are　they　sworn　to　secrecy？　　Are　there　none　such？　　Observe

what　follows。　　A　little　time　ago　the　Bleater's　London　Correspondent

had　this　passage：　　〃Boddleboy　is　pianoforte　playing　at　St。

Januarius's　Gallery；　with　pretty　tolerable　success！　　He　clears　three

hundred　pounds　per　night。　　Not　bad　this！！〃　　The　builder　of　St。

Januarius's　Gallery　（plunged　to　the　throat　in　the　conspiracy）　met

with　this　piece　of　news；　and　observed；　with　characteristic

coarseness；　〃that　the　Bleater's　London　Correspondent　was　a　Blind

Ass〃。　　Being　pressed　by　a　man　of　spirit　to　give　his　reasons　for　this

extraordinary　statement；　he　declared　that　the　Gallery；　crammed　to

suffocation；　would　not　hold　two　hundred　pounds；　and　that　its

expenses　were；　probably；　at　least　half　what　it　did　hold。　　The　man　of

spirit　（himself　a　Tattlesnivellian）　had　the　Gallery　measured　within

a　week　from　that　hour；　and　it　would　not　hold　two　hundred　pounds！

Now；　can　the　poorest　capacity　doubt　that　it　had　been　altered　in　the

meantime？



And　so　the　conspiracy　extends；　through　every　grade　of　society；　down

to　the　condemned　criminal　in　prison；　the　hangman；　and　the　Ordinary。

Every　famous　murderer　within　the　last　ten　years　has　desecrated　his

last　moments　by　falsifying　his　confidences　imparted　specially　to　the

London　Correspondent　of　the　Tattlesnivel　Bleater；　on　every　such

occasion；　Mr。　Calcraft　has　followed　the　degrading　example；　and　the

reverend　Ordinary；　forgetful　of　his　cloth；　and　mindful　only　（it

would　seem；　alas！）　of　the　conspiracy；　has　committed　himself　to　some

account　or　other　of　the　criminal's　demeanour　and　conversation；　which

has　been　diametrically　opposed　to　the　exclusive　information　of　the

London　Correspondent　of　the　Bleater。　　And　this　（as　has　been　before

observed）　is　Merry　England！



A　man　of　true　genius；　however；　is　not　easily　defeated。　　The

Bleater's　London　Correspondent；　probably　beginning　to　suspect　the

existence　of　a　plot　against　him；　has　recently　fallen　on　a　new　style；

which；　as　being　very　difficult　to　countermine；　may　necessitate　the

organisation　of　a　new　conspiracy。　　One　of　his　masterly　letters；

lately；　disclosed　the　adoption　of　this　stylewhich　was　remarked

with　profound　sensation　throughout　Tattlesnivelin　the　following

passage：　　〃Mentioning　literary　small　talk；　I　may　tell　you　that　some

new　and　extraordinary　rumours　are　afloat　concerning　the

conversations　I　have　previously　mentioned；　alleged　to　have　taken

place　in　the　first　floor　front　（situated　over　the　street　door）；　of

Mr。　X。　Ameter　（the　poet　so　well　known　to　your　readers）；　in　which；　X。

Ameter's　great　uncle；　his　second　son；　his　butcher；　and　a　corpulent

gentleman　with　one　eye　universally　respected　at　Kensington；　are　said

not　to　have　been　on　the　most　friendly　footing；　I　forbear；　however；

to　pursue　the　subject　further；　this　week；　my　informant　not　being

able　to　supply　me　with　exact　particulars。〃



But；　enough；　sir。　　The　inhabitant　of　Tattlesnivel　who　has　taken　pen

in　hand　to　expose　this　odious　association　of　unprincipled　men

against　a　shining　（local）　character；　turns　from　it　with　disgust　and

contempt。　　Let　him　in　few　words　strip　the　remaining　flimsy　covering

from　the　nude　object　of　the　conspirators；　and　his　loathsome　task　is

ended。



Sir；　that　object；　he　contends；　is　evidently　twofold。　　First；　to

exhibit　the　London　Correspondent　of　the　Tattlesnivel　Bleater　in　the

light　of　a　mischievous　Blockhead　who；　by　hiring　himself　out　to　tell

what　he　cannot　possibly　know；　is　as　great　a　public　nuisance　as　a

Blockhead　in　a　corner　can　be。　　Second；　to　suggest　to　the　men　of

Tattlesnivel　that　it　does　not　improve　their　town　to　have　so　much　Dry

Rubbish　shot　there。



Now；　sir；　on　both　these　points　Tattlesnivel　demands　in　accents　of

Thunder；　Where　is　the　Attorney　General？　　Why　doesn't　the　Times　take

it　up？　　（Is　the　latter　in　the　conspiracy？　　It　never　adopts　his

views；　or　quotes　him；　and　incessantly　contradicts　him。）

Tattlesnivel；　sir；　remembering　that　our　forefathers　contended　with

the　Norman　at　Hastings；　and　bled　at　a　variety　of　other　places　that

will　readily　occur　to　you；　demands　that　its　birthright　shall　not　be

bartered　away　for　a　mess　of　pottage。　　Have　a　care；　sir；　have　a　care！

Or　Tattlesnivel　（its　idle　Rifles　piled　in　its　scouted　streets）　may

be　seen　ere　long；　advancing　with　its　Bleater　to　the　foot　of　the

Throne；　and　demanding　redress　for　this　conspiracy；　from　the　orbed

and　sceptred　hands　of　Majesty　itself！







THE　YOUNG　MAN　FROM　THE　COUNTRY







A　song　of　the　hour；　now　in　course　of　being　sung　and　whistled　in

every　street；　the　other　day　reminded　the　writer　of　these　wordsas

he　chanced　to　pass　a　fag…end　of　the　song　for　the　twentieth　time　in　a

short　London　walkthat　twenty　years　ago；　a　little　book　on　the

United　States；　entitled　American　Notes；　was　published　by　〃a　Young

Man　from　the　Country〃；　who　had　just　seen　and　left　it。



This　Young　Man　from　the　Country　fell　into　a　deal　of　trouble；　by

reason　of　having　taken　the　liberty　to　believe　that　he　perceived　in

America　downward　popular　tendencies　for　which　his　young　enthusiasm

had　been　anything　but　prepared。　　It　was　in　vain　for　the　Young　Man　to

offer　in　extenuation　of　his　belief　that　no　stranger　could　have　set

foot　on　those　shores　with　a　feeling　of　livelier　interest　in　the

country；　and　stronger　faith　in　it；　than　he。　　Those　were　the　days

when　the　Tories　had　made　their　Ashburton　Treaty；　and　when　Whigs　and

Radicals　must　have　no　theory　disturbed。　　All　three　parties　waylaid

and　mauled　the　Young　Man　from　the　Country；　and　showed　that　he　knew

nothing　about　the　country。



As　the　Young　Man　from　the　Country　had　observed　in　the　Preface　to　his

little　book；　that　he　〃could　bide　his　time〃；　he　took　all　this　in

silent　part　for　eight　years。　　Publishing　then；　a　cheap　edition　of

his　book；　he　made　no　stronger　protest　than　the　following：





〃My　readers　have　opportunities　of　judging　for　themselves　whether　the

influences　and　tendencies　which　I　distrusted　in　America；　have　any

existence　but　in　my　imagination。　　They　can　examine　for　themselves

whether　there　has　been　anything　in　the　public　career　of　that　country

during　these　past　eight　years；　or　whether　there　is　anything　in　its

present　position；　at　home　or　abroad；　which　suggests　that　those

influences　and　tendencies　really　do　exist。　　As　they　find　the　fact；

they　will　judge　me。　　If　they　discern　any　evidences　of　wrong…going；

in　any　direction　that　I　have　indicated；　they　will　acknowledge　that　I

had　reason　in　what　I　wrote。　　If　they　discern　no　such　thing；　they

will　consider　me　altogether　mistaken。　　I　have　nothing　to　defend；　or

to　explain　away。　　The　truth　is　the　truth；　and　neither　childish

absurdities；　nor　unscrupulous　contradictions；　can　make　it　otherwise。

The　earth　would　still　move　round　the　sun；　though　the　whole　Catholic

Church　said　No。〃





Twelve　more　years　having　since　passed　away；　it　may　now；　at　last；　be

simply　just　towards　the　Young　Man　from　the　Country；　to　compare　what

he　originally　wrote；　with　recent　events　and　their　plain　motive

powers。　　Treating　of　the　House　of　Representatives　at　Washington；　he

wrote　thus：





〃Did　I　recognise　in　this　assembly；　a　body　of　men；　who；　applying

themselves　in　a　new　world　to　correct　some　of　the　falsehoods　and

vices　of　the　old；　purified　the　avenues　to　Public　Life；　paved　the

dirty　ways　to　Place　and　Power；　debated　and　made　laws　for　the　Common

Good；　and　had　no　party　but　their　Country？



〃I　saw　in　them；　the　wheels　that　move　the　meanest　perversion　of

virtuous　Political　Machinery　that　the　worst　tools　ever　wrought。

Despicable　trickery　at　elections；　under…handed　tamperings　with

public　officers；　cowardly　attacks　upon　opponents；　with　scurrilous

newspapers　for　shields；　and　hired　pens　for　daggers；　shameful

trucklings　to　mercenary　knaves；　whose　claim　to　be　considered；　is；

that　every　day　and　week　they　sow　new　crops　of　ruin　with　their　venal

types；　which　are　the　dragon's　teeth　of　yore；　in　everything　but

sharpness；　aidings　and　abettings　of　every　bad　inclination　in　the

popular　mind；　and　artful　suppressions　of　all　its　good　influences：

such　things　as　these；　and　in　a　word；　Dishonest　Faction　in　its　most

depraved　and　most　unblushing　form；　stared　out　from　every　corner　of

the　crowded　hall。



〃Did　I　see　among　them；　the　intelligence　and　refinement：　　the　true；

honest；　patriotic　heart　of　America？　　Here　and　there；　were　drops　of

its　blood　and　life；　but　they　scarcely　co