Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Chapter X[XXV]II. The Subject Continued.


From Thackeray's, "Vanity Fair", further describing how to make US grate again.



“I wonder how many families are driven to roguery and to ruin by great practitioners in Crawley’s way?

“How many great noblemen rob their petty tradesmen, condescend to swindle their poor retainers out of wretched little sums, and cheat for a few shillings?

“Who pities a poor barber who can’t get his money for powdering the footmen’s heads; or a poor carpenter who has ruined himself by fixing up ornaments and pavilions for my lady’s déjeuner; or the poor devil of a tailor whom the steward patronizes, and who has pledged all he is worth, and more, to get the liveries ready which my lord has done him the honour to bespeak?

“When the great house tumbles down, these miserable wretches fall under it unnoticed; as they say in the old legends, before a man goes to the devil himself, he sends plenty of other souls thither.”