V. -- THAT THE POOR COPY THE VICES OF THE RICH

Asmoothtexttothelatter;and,preachedfromthepulpit,issureofadocileaudiencefromthepewslinedwithsatin.Itistwicesittinguponvelvettoafoolishsquiretobetold,thathe——andnotperversenature,asthehomilieswouldmakeusimagine,isthetruecauseofalltheirregularitiesinhisparish.Thisisstrikingattherootoffree-willindeed,anddenyingtheoriginalityofsininanysense.Butmenarenotsuchimplicitsheepasthisesto.Iftheabstinencefromevilonthepartoftheupperclassesistoderiveitselffromnohigherprinciple,thantheapprehensionofsettingillpatternstothelower,webegleavetodischargethemfromallsqueamishnessonthatscore:theymayeventaketheirfillofpleasures,wheretheycanfindthem.TheGenius[p255]ofPoverty,hamperedandstraitenedasitis,isnotsobarrenofinventionbutitcantradeuponthestapleofitsownvice,withoutdrawingupontheircapital.Thepoorarenotquitesuchservileimitatorsastheytakethemfor.Someofthemareverycleverartistsintheirway.Hereandtherewefindanoriginal.WhotaughtthePoortosteal,topilfer?Theydidnotgotothegreatforschoolmastersinthesefacultiessurely.Itiswellifinsomevicestheyallowustobe——nocopyists.Innoothersenseisittruethatthepoorcopythem,thanasservantsmaybesaidtotakeaftertheirmastersandmistresses,whentheysucceedtotheirreversionarycoldmeats.Ifthemaster,fromindispositionorsomeothercause,neglecthisfood,theservantdinesnotwithstanding.

"O,but(somewillsay)theforceofexampleisgreat."Weknewaladywhowassoscrupulousonthishead,thatshewouldputupwiththecallsofthemostimpertinentvisitor,ratherthanletherservantsayshewasnotathome,forfearofteachinghermaidtotellanuntruth;andthisintheveryfaceofthefact,whichsheknewwellenough,thatthewenchwasoneofthegreatestliarsupontheearthwithoutteaching;somuchso,thathermistresspossiblyneverheardtwowordsofconsecutivetruthfromherinherlife.Butnaturemustgofornothing:examplemustbeeverything.Thisliaringrain,whoneveropenedhermouthwithoutalie,mustbeguardedagainstaremoteinference,whichshe(prettycasuist!)mightpossiblydrawfromaformofwords——literallyfalse,butessentiallydeceivingnoone——thatundersomecircumstancesafibmightnotbesoexceedinglysinful——afiction,too,notatallinherownway,oronethatshecouldbesuspectedofadopting,forfewservant-wenchescaretobedeniedtovisitors.

Thiswordexampleremindsusofanotherfinewordwhichisinuseupontheseoccasions——encouragement."Peopleinourspheremustnotbethoughttogiveencouragementtosuchproceedings."Tosuchafranticheightisthisprinciplecapableofbeingcarried,thatwehaveknownindividualswhohavethoughtitwithinthescopeoftheirinfluencetosanctiondespair,andgiveeclatto——suicide.Adomesticinthefamilyofacountymemberlatelydeceased,forlove,orsomeunknowncause,cuthisthroat,butnotsuccessfully.Thepoorfellowwasotherwisemuchlovedandrespected;andgreatinterestwasusedinhisbehalf,uponhisrecovery,thathemightbepermittedtoretainhisplace;hiswordbeingfirstpledged,notwithoutsomesubstantialsponsorstopromiseforhim,thatthelikeshouldneverhappenagain.Hismasterwasinclinabletokeephim,buthismistressthoughtotherwise;andJohnintheendwasdismissed,herladyshipdeclaringthatshe"couldnotthinkofencouraginganysuchdoingsinthecounty."[p256]