England and the English - Edward Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton - Google Books

Books

CONTENTS:

BOOK THE FIRST.

Apology for Freedom with a great Name.-National Prejudices illustrated.-Dis-

tinctions between the Vanity of the French and English.-The Root of our Notions

is the Sentiment of Property,-Anecdote of the French Patriot and the English

one. The sense of Independence.-Its Nature with us defined.-Freedom not

the Cause of Unsociability.-Effects of Commerce upon the Disposition to Gaiety.

-Story of the Dutchman and the English Merchant.
3

The effect of the openness of Public Honours to the Plebeian counteracted by the

Patrician influences.-Mr. Hunt's bon mot.-Character of Lord Lachrymal.-

Mistake of the People in their jealousy of the Crown.-Causes that distinguish

the influence of the English, from that of any other, Aristocracy.-The numerous

Grades of Society.-How created.-Spirit of Imitation and vying.-The Reserve

and Orgueil of the English traced to their causes.-The Aristocracy operate on

Character-Character on Laws.-Want of Amusements among the Poor.

Story of a Chinese Emperor.-Applied to this work.-Dislike to Foreigners, how

caused. Abatement of the dislike. One cause, however, still continues.-

Anecdote of a Russian, and his two visits to England.-National Honesty and

national Honour.- English Generosity.-Rather a characteristic of the People

than the Nobles.-Chivalry, the attribute more of the former than the latter.-

Illustrative Anecdotes.- Regard for Character. Its consequences over-rated,

wherefore?-Common Sense not a characteristic of the highest and the lowest

Classes. Causes and Effects of that common sense among the middle Class.-

The accusation of the Ferocity of the English refuted.-Propensity to Suicide not

a distinction of the English.-The vitality of Absurdities illustrated by the story

of Archimedes.-National Spirit of Industry.-The last Adventure of Micro-

Courage of the English.-Description of English Duelling.-Valour of the English

Army.-Question of flogging in the Army dispassionately considered.-Its Aboli-

tion, to be safe, must be coupled with other Reforms in the Code.

The Sir Harry Hargrave of one party-The Tom Whitehead of another.-William

Muscle, of the Old School of Radical.-Samuel Square, a Psuedo-philosopher of

the New. My Lord Mute, the Dandy Harmless.-Sir Paul Snarl, the Dandy Ve-

nomous.-Mr. Warm, the Respectable Man.-Mr. Cavendish Fitzroy, a corollary

from the theorem of Mr. Warm.-The English Thief.-The Practical Man. 44

BOOK THE SECOND.

Respect paid to Wealth.-Fable from Quevedo.-Fashion.-Distinction between

Fashion and Opinion.-Contention between the Great and the Rich.-The Love

of Display. Anecdote of Lucien Bonaparte.-First blow to Parade given by a

Despot.-Custom of Match-making.-Marriages for Love not very common.—

Quin's bon mot applicable to the Herd of Elegans.-Open Match-making is pre-

judicial to Sincerity, and contributes to Dulness.-So poor an Ambition blights

the Sympathy with public Virtue.-Story of the Thurstons.-A clever Woman's

Excuse for the Radicalism of her Nephew.-Political Sentiment stronger among

Females of the Middle and Lower Class.-Anecdote of a Scot and Lot Voter, and

his affianced.-Power of Ridicule stronger with us than the French.-More dan-

gerous in its Influence over a grave than a frivolous People.-Influence of Cliques.

-Society in the Provinces more natural and courteous than in London.-Cha-

racter of the Longuevilles.-Clubs; their salutary Effect.-They contain the

Germ of a great social Revolution.

Inelegance of Conversation.-With us the Court does not cultivate the Graces of

Language.-Samples of Dialogue.-Literary Men; their want of a fixed position

with us. They do not mix enough in Society to refine its Tone.-Effect of Night

Sittings in Parliament in diminishing the intellectual Attractions of Society.-

Men of Letters fall into three Classes.-Characters of Nettleton, Nokes, and

The feeling of Melancholy and Weariness; how engendered.-We grow out of it

with Age.-The Philosophy of Idleness, its Sadness.-A Reason why we are a

Religious People.

Portrait of M-, an Exclusive Reformed.-Causes of his Amelioration.-Fashion

has received a Shock.-Opinions travel upward, Manners downward.-View of

Society in a Manufacturing Town.-The Manufacturers and the Operatives.-

Cause in Customs for a Movement in Politics.-Political Unions injurious to

the Popular Cause.

The Physical State of the Inhabitants of Manufacturing Towns.-Proportion of

Deaths in a Manufacturing and Agricultural District no Standard of the Proportion

of Disease.-The Childhood of the Poor.-Extract from Elia.-Evidence on the

Factory Bill.-Progress to Manhood.-Artificial Stimulus.-Noble Traits of the

Operatives; Desires better than their Condition.-Immorality, two Causes, Phy-

sical and Moral.-Excess of early Labour should be restricted.-National Edu-

cation promoted.-Poor-laws are the History of the Poor.-Indisposition to

work, not want of it, is the cause of Pauperism.-Evidence of the truth of that

Proposition. Fable of Eriel and Mephistopheles.-The Aged worse off than the

Able-bodied.-Relief considered a Right.-Pernicious influence of the Aristo-

[cracy.-The Clergy vindicated.-Public Charities, how prejudicial.-Present

Poor-laws deaden natural Affections of Parent and Child.-Cause of Licentious-

ness.-Inundations of the Irish.-Remedies, difficulty of them exaggerated.-

Governments should be really executive, not merely executional.-Outline of a

proposed Reform in the Poor-laws.-Concluding Remarks.

BOOK THE THIRD.

Religion and Education, subjects legitimately combined.-Quintilian's Remark

against learning too hastily.-We learn too slowly.-Reason why parents submit

to a deficient Education for their Children.-Supposition that Connexions are ac-

quired at Schools considered and confuted-Supposition that Distinctions at a

Public School are of permanent Advantage to the after Man.-Its fallacy.-Abo-

lition of Close Boroughs likely to affect the Number sent to Public Schools.-

What is taught at a Public School ?-the Classics only, and the Classics badly.-

The abuses of Endowments thus shown.-The Principle of Endowments defended.

-In vain would we defend them unless their Guardians will reform.-The Higher

Classes necessitated, for Self-preservation, to establish a sounder System of Edu-

cation for themselves. .
105

Religion more taught in Schools for the Middle Orders than those for the Higher.

-But Moral Science equally neglected.-King's College, and the London Uni-

Governments require Strength in order to dispense with Violence.-State of our po-

pular Education.-Report of Lord Brougham's Committee.-The Poor defrauded

of some Schools.-Ousted from others.-Ancient popular Education in England.

-How corrupted.-Progress made by Sunday and Lancasterian Schools.-Bene-

ficial Zeal of the Clergy.-Religion necessary to the Poor.-A greater Proportion

of our People educated than is supposed; but how educated!-Evidence on this

subject.-The Class-books in the Schools at Saxe Weimar.-Comparative Survey

of popular Education in Prussia, &c.

National Character evinced in the varying Modes of Christianity.-Religion must

not be separated from the Emotions and made solely a matter of Reason-A Semi-

liberalism common to every Noblesse.-Its debasing effects.-Coldness in the

Pulpit.-Its Cause.-The influence of the Higher Classes on Religion.-Church

Patronage.-Description of Country Clergymen.-Evidence of the Bishop of

London upon New Churches.-Another (a political) Cause of Weakness in the

Established Church.-But the Established Church should (if reformed) be pre-

served. Reasons in favour of it.—But if a State Religion it should become more

a Portion of the State.

Theological error of the Puritans.—Over-restraint produces Overlooseness.-The

Preservation of the Sabbath regarded in a legislative point of view.-Two Causes

of Demoralization connected with its infringment.-How amended.—Amusement

better than Idleness; the French Boor and the English.-Instruction better than

Amusement.-Rope-Dancer and Philosopher.-Ridiculous Questions of the

Sabbath Committee.-Two Deductions to be drawn from it.-The Evidence before

it.-Corroboration of the Principle of this Work.

A popular Error confuted, by tracing the origins of Morality, Religion, and Philo-

sophy.-Importance of studying Morality as a Science.-Invariable Injury both

to Religion and Morals, where Ecclesiastics alone have taught Morality.—Ad-

vantage to Religion in the cultivation of Moral Science.-The_English_backward

in the Science, hence Faults in their Morality.-Erroneous Laws.-Distinction

between public and private Virtue.-Regard to Appearances.-Anecdote of the

Opera-dancer. - Abstract Science necessary to practical Results. - Religious

Rules misapplied.- Bishop, the Murderer.- Public Charities.-Too much In-

fluence assigned to Fear.-Want of Morality shown in Taxes.-Gin-drinking.—

Progress of Intemperance.-Singular Evidence on that point.-Too exclusive a

regard for Sexual Decorum baffles itself.-State of Licentiousness in this

Country.-All our Notions vague and vacillating.-Want of Moral Science

leaves the Influences to the World, hence exaggerated respect to Wealth and

of Display.-Anecdote of Lucien Bonaparte.-First blow to Parade given by a

Despot. Custom of Match-maling.-Marriages for Love not very common.-

Quin's bon mot applicable to the Herd of Elegans.-Open Match-making is pre-

judicial to Sincerity, and contributes to Dulness.-So poor an Ambition blights

the Sympathy with public Virtue.-Story of the Thurstons.-A clever Woman's

Excuse for the Radicalism of her Nephew.-Political Sentiment stronger among

Females of the Middle and Lower Class.-Anecdote of a Scot and Lot Voter, and

his affianced.-Power of Ridicule stronger with us than the French.-More dan-

gerous in its Influence over a grave than a frivolous People.-Influence of Cliques.

-Society in the Provinces more natural and courteous than in London.-Cha-

racter of the Longuevilles.-Clubs; their salutary Effect.-They contain the

Germ of a great social Revolution.

Inelegance of Conversation.-With us the Court does not cultivate the Graces of

Language. Samples of Dialogue.-Literary Men; their want of a fixed position

with us. They do not mix enough in Society to refine its Tone.-Effect of Night

Sittings in Parliament in diminishing the intellectual Attractions of Society.-

Men of Letters fall into three Classes.-Characters of Nettleton, Nokes, and

The feeling of Melancholy and Weariness; how engendered-We grow out of it

with Age.-The Philosophy of Idleness, its Sadness.-A Reason why we are a

Religious People.

Portrait of M——, an Exclusive Reformed.-Causes of his Amelioration.—Fashion

has received a Shock.-Opinions travel upward, Manners downward.-View of

Society in a Manufacturing Town.-The_Manufacturers and the Operatives.—

Cause in Customs for a Movement in Politics.-Political Unions injurious to

the Popular Cause.

The Physical State of the Inhabitants of Manufacturing Towns.-Proportion of

Deaths in a Manufacturing and Agricultural District no Standard of the Proportion

of Disease.-The Childhood of the Poor.-Extract from Elia.-Evidence on the

Factory Bill.-Progress to Manhood.-Artificial Stimulus.-Noble Traits of the

Operatives; Desires better than their Condition.-Immorality, two Causes, Phy-

sical and Moral.-Excess of early Labour should be restricted.-National Edu-

cation promoted.-Poor-laws are the History of the Poor.-Indisposition to

work, not want of it, is the cause of Pauperism.-Evidence of the truth of that

Proposition.-Fable of Eriel and Mephistopheles.-The Aged worse off than the

Able-bodied.-Relief considered a Right.-Pernicious influence of the Aristo-

[cracy. The Clergy vindicated.-Public Charities, how prejudicial.-Present

Poor-laws deaden natural Affections of Parent and Child.-Cause of Licentious-

ness.-Inundations of the Irish.-Remedies, difficulty of them exaggerated.—

Governments should be really executive, not merely executional.-Outline of a

proposed Reform in the Poor-laws.-Concluding Remarks.
78

BOOK THE THIRD.

Religion and Education, subjects legitimately combined.-Quintilian's Remark

against learning too hastily.We learn too slowly.-Reason why parents submit

to a deficient Education for their Children.-Supposition that Connexions are ac-

quired at Schools considered and confuted-Supposition that Distinctions at a

Public School are of permanent Advantage to the after Man.-Its fallacy.-Abo-

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