the vicar of wakefield-第21章

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did　not　consider　the　impropriety　of　my　being　in　such　company　till　I　saw　a　mob　gather　about　me。　I　therefore　took　shelter；　as　fast　as　possible；　in　the　first　ale…house　that　offered；　and　being　shewn　into　the　common　room；　was　accosted　by　a　very　well…drest　gentleman；　who　demanded　whether　I　was　the　real　chaplain　of　the　company；　or　whether　it　was　only　to　be　my　masquerade　character　in　the　play。　Upon　informing　him　of　the　truth；　and　that　I　did　not　belong　in　any　sort　to　the　company；　he　was　condescending　enough　to　desire　me　and　the　player　to　partake　in　a　bowl　of　punch；　over　which　he　discussed　modern　politics　with　great　earnestness　and　interest。　I　set　him　down　in　my　mind　for　nothing　less　than　a　parliament…man　at　least；　but　was　almost　confirmed　in　my　conjectures；　when　upon　my　asking　what　there　was　in　the　house　for　supper；　he　insisted　that　the　Player　and　I　should　sup　with　him　at　his　house；　with　which　request；　after　some　entreaties；　we　were　prevailed　on　to　comply。



CHAPTER　19

The　description　of　a　person　discontented　with　the　present　government；　and　apprehensive　of　the　loss　of　our　liberties


The　house　where　we　were　to　be　entertained；　lying　at　a　small　distance　from　the　village；　our　inviter　observed；　that　as　the　coach　was　not　ready；　he　would　conduct　us　on　foot；　and　we　soon　arrived　at　one　of　the　most　magnificent　mansions　I　had　seen　in　that　part　of　the　country。　The　apartment　into　which　we　were　shewn　was　perfectly　elegant　and　modern；　he　went　to　give　orders　for　supper；　while　the　player；　with　a　wink；　observed　that　we　were　perfectly　in　luck。　Our　entertainer　soon　returned；　an　elegant　supper　was　brought　in；　two　or　three　ladies；　in　an　easy　deshabille；　were　introduced；　and　the　conversation　began　with　some　sprightliness。　Politics；　however；　was　the　subject　on　which　our　entertainer　chiefly　expatiated；　for　he　asserted　that　liberty　was　at　once　his　boast　and　his　terror。　After　the　cloth　was　removed；　he　asked　me　if　I　had　seen　the　last　Monitor；　to　which　replying　in　the　negative；　'What；　nor　the　Auditor；　I　suppose？'　cried　he。　'Neither；　Sir；'　returned　I。　'That's　strange；　very　strange；'　replied　my　entertainer。　'Now；　I　read　all　the　politics　that　come　out。　The　Daily；　the　Public；　the　Ledger；　the　Chronicle；　the　London　Evening；　the　Whitehall　Evening；　the　seventeen　magazines；　and　the　two　reviews；　and　though　they　hate　each　other；　I　love　them　all。　Liberty；　Sir；　liberty　is　the　Briton's　boast；　and　by　all　my　coal　mines　in　Cornwall；　I　reverence　its　guardians。'　'Then　it　is　to　be　hoped；'　cried　I；　'you　reverence　the　king。'　'Yes；'　returned　my　entertainer；　'when　he　does　what　we　would　have　him；　but　if　he　goes　on　as　he　has　done　of　late；　I'll　never　trouble　myself　more　with　his　matters。　I　say　nothing。　I　think　only。　I　could　have　directed　some　things　better。　I　don't　think　there　has　been　a　sufficient　number　of　advisers：　he　should　advise　with　every　person　willing　to　give　him　advice；　and　then　we　should　have　things　done　in　anotherguess　manner。'

'I　wish；'　cried　I；　'that　such　intruding　advisers　were　fixed　in　the　pillory。　It　should　be　the　duty　of　honest　men　to　assist　the　weaker　side　of　our　constitution；　that　sacred　power　that　has　for　some　years　been　every　day　declining；　and　losing　its　due　share　of　influence　in　the　state。　But　these　ignorants　still　continue　the　cry　of　liberty；　and　if　they　have　any　weight　basely　throw　it　into　the　subsiding　scale。'

'How；'　cried　one　of　the　ladies；　'do　I　live　to　see　one　so　base；　so　sordid；　as　to　be　an　enemy　to　liberty；　and　a　defender　of　tyrants？　Liberty；　that　sacred　gift　of　heaven；　that　glorious　privilege　of　Britons！'

'Can　it　be　possible；'　cried　our　entertainer；　'that　there　should　be　any　found　at　present　advocates　for　slavery？　Any　who　are　for　meanly　giving　up　the　privileges　of　Britons？　Can　any；　Sir；　be　so　abject？'

'No；　Sir；'　replied　I；　'I　am　for　liberty；　that　attribute　of　Gods！　Glorious　liberty！　that　theme　of　modem　declamation。　I　would　have　all　men　kings。　I　would　be　a　king　myself。　We　have　all　naturally　an　equal　right　to　the　throne：　we　are　all　originally　equal。　This　is　my　opinion；　and　was　once　the　opinion　of　a　set　of　honest　men　who　were　called　Levellers。'　They　tried　to　erect　themselves　into　a　community；　where　all　should　be　equally　free。　But；　alas！　it　would　never　answer；　for　there　were　some　among　them　stronger；　and　some　more　cunning　than　others；　and　these　became　masters　of　the　rest；　for　as　sure　as　your　groom　rides　your　horses；　because　he　is　a　cunninger　animal　than　they；　so　surely　will　the　animal　that　is　cunninger　or　stronger　than　he；　sit　upon　his　shoulders　in　turn。　Since　then　it　is　entailed　upon　humanity　to　submit；　and　some　are　born　to　command；　and　others　to　obey；　the　question　is；　as　there　must　be　tyrants；　whether　it　is　better　to　have　them　in　the　same　house　with　us；　or　in　the　same　village；　or　still　farther　off；　in　the　metropolis。　Now；　Sir；　for　my　own　part；　as　I　naturally　hate　the　face　of　a　tyrant；　the　farther　off　he　is　removed　from　me；　the　better　pleased　am　I。　The　generality　of　mankind　also　are　of　my　way　of　thinking；　and　have　unanimously　created　one　king；　whose　election　at　once　diminishes　the　number　of　tyrants；　and　puts　tyranny　at　the　greatest　distance　from　the　greatest　number　of　people。　Now　the　great　who　were　tyrants　themselves　before　the　election　of　one　tyrant；　are　naturally　averse　to　a　power　raised　over　them；　and　whose　weight　must　ever　lean　heaviest　on　the　subordinate　orders。　It　is　the　interest　of　the　great；　therefore；　to　diminish　kingly　power　as　much　as　possible；　because　whatever　they　take　from　that　is　naturally　restored　to　themselves；　and　all　they　have　to　do　in　the　state；　is　to　undermine　the　single　tyrant；　by　which　they　resume　their　primaeval　authority。　Now；　the　state　may　be　so　circumstanced；　or　its　laws　may　be　so　disposed；　or　its　men　of　opulence　so　minded；　as　all　to　conspire　in　carrying　on　this　business　of　undermining　monarchy。　For；　in　the　first　place；　if　the　circumstances　of　our　state　be　such；　as　to　favour　the　accumulation　of　wealth；　and　make　the　opulent　still　more　rich；　this　will　encrease　their　ambition。　An　accumulation　of　wealth；　however；　must　necessarily　be　the　consequence；　when　as　at　present　more　riches　flow　in　from　external　commerce；　than　arise　from　internal　industry：　for　external　commerce　can　only　be　managed　to　advantage　by　the　rich；　and　they　have　also　at　the　same　time　all　the　emoluments　arising　from　internal　industry：　so　that　the　rich；　with　us；　have　two　sources　of　wealth；　whereas　the　poor　have　but　one。　For　this　reason；　wealth　in　all　commercial　states　is　found　to　accumulate；　and　all　such　have　hitherto　in　time　become　aristocratical。　Again；　the　very　laws　also　of　this　country　may　contribute　to　the　accumulation　of　wealth；　as　when　by　their　means　the　natural　ties　that　bind　the　rich　and　poor　together　are　broken；　and　it　is　ordained　that　the　rich　shall　only　marry　with　the　rich；　or　when　the　learned　are　held　unqualified　to　serve　their　country　as　counsellors　merely　from　a　defect　of　opulence；　and　wealth　is　thus　made　the　object　of　a　wise　man's　ambition；　by　these　means　I　say；　and　such　means　as　these；　riches　will　accumulate。　Now　the　possessor　of　accumulated　wealth；　when　furnished　with　the　necessaries　and　pleasures　of　life；　has　no　other　method　to　employ　the　superfluity　of　his　fortune　but　in　purchasing　power。　That　is；　differently　speaking；　in　making　dependents；　by　purchasing　the　liberty　of　the　needy　or　the　venal；　of　men　who　are　willing　to　bear　the　mortification　of　contiguous　tyranny　for　bread。　Thus　each　very　opulent　man　generally　gathers　round　him　a　circle　of　the　poorest　of　the　people；　and　the　polity　abounding　in　accumulated　wealth；　may　be　compared　to　a　Cartesian　system；　each　orb　with　a　vortex　of　its　own。　Those；　however；　who　are　willing　to　move　in　a　great　man's　vortex；　are　only　such　as　must　be　slaves；　the　rabble　of　mankind；　whose　souls　and　whose　education　are　adapted　to　servitude；　and　who　know　nothing　of　liberty　except　the　name。　But　there　must　still　be　a　large　number　of　the　people　without　the　sphere　of　the　opulent　man's　influence；　namely；　that　order　of　men　which　subsists　between　the　very　rich　and　the　very　rabble；　those　men　who　are　possest　of　too　large　fortunes　to　submit　to　the　neighbouring　man　in　power；　and　yet　are　too　poor　to　set　up　for　tyranny　themselves。　In　this　middle　order　of　mankind　are　generally　to　be　found　all　the　arts；　wisdom；　and　virtues　of　society。　T