Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/378

"We read but of one."

"Was there an Adam connected with the aristocracy, and an Adam pledged to support the eternal principles of the people?"

"I have always understood that when Adam was created, there was neither an aristocracy nor a people."

"No; but I was only just going to say, if there was no aristocracy in those days, why should there be an aristocracy now? an aristocracy which lives upon the vitals of the people, and sucks a matter of two hundred millions a-year from the sweat of the poor man's brow. Did Nature ever make an aristocracy?"

"Yes."

"Never in this world."

"The aristocracy of intellect is Nature's own."

"Aye! but that's altogether a different thing: we weren't speaking of the aristocracy of intellect—that's a spark from heaven's anvil, struck to enlighten the world; like a boney fide star which shoots to another and tells it all it knows. We were speaking of the aristocracy of wealth—the aristocracy of corruption—the aristocracy of plunder—the profligate, pandering, puppet-show, pudding-headed, pompous, aristocracy—did Nature ever make that?"

"Do you speak of the aristocracy of England?"

"Of course!"

"Then what, I ask, do you know of that aristocracy?"

"What do I know of them!—what! Are they not a parcel of plundering, pandering, arrogant—"

"Stop," said Sylvester. "Language of that description tells only with a mob—men of sense despise it. The vulgar have been taught to believe that arrogance forms one of the chief characteristics of the aristocracy. They have yet to learn that the nearer we approach the apex of civilised society, the nearer we approach the perfection of civilised simplicity. But you appear to have lost sight of the point from which we started, and to which I imagined you were about to return."

"What point was that?"

"Equality."

"Just so. Well; don't you think it monstrous that some should have so much, sir, while others have so little?"

"Why that depends entirely upon circumstances."

"Well, but just look you here, sir; you see that man there, sir, in the smock-frock—him that's got a pipe in his mouth, sir."

"Yes—well?"

"Well, sir, what do you think he has a-week?"

"Ten shillings, perhaps."

"Five, sir. No more than five."

"Is that a fact?"

"I know it well, sir. Perhaps you wouldn't mind if I called him?"

"Certainly not! I should like to speak to him."

"You won't find much intellect about him; he hasn't been fructified to any amalgamating extent. Dick!"

Dick stopped as if he had some remote idea of his having been called,