oflivingatVersailles。IfanythingcouldexceedGrey’sreluctancetoleave
hisgreathouseinNorthumberlandfortheexcitementsofParliament，itwas
Fox’sreluctancetoleavehislittlehouseinSurrey。Thetasteforcountry
pleasuresandforcountrysportswasneverlost，anditspersistenceexplains
thephysicalvitalityofthearistocracy。Thiswasasocialfactofgreat
importance，foritishealthafterallthatwinshalfthebattlesofclasses。
NoquantityofBurgundyandPortcouldkilloffaracethatwascontinually
restoringitshealthbylifeintheopenair；itdidnotmatterthatSquire
Westerngenerallyspentthenightunderthetableifhegenerallyspentthe
dayinthesaddle。Thisinheritanceofanopen-airlifeisprobablythereason
thatinEngland，incontrasttoFranceandItaly，goodlooksaremoreoften
tobefoundinthearistocracythaninotherclassesofsociety。
Itwasduetothisphysicalvigourthatthearistocracy，corruptandselfish
thoughitwas，neverfellintothesupremeviceofmoraldecadence。Theother
EuropeanaristocraciescrumbledatoncebeforeNapoleon：theEnglisharistocracy，
amidstallitsblundersanderrors，keptitscharacterforenduranceand
fortitude。Throughoutthatlongstruggle，whenNapoleonwasstrewingEurope
withhistriumphsand，asSheridansaid，makingkingsthesentinelsofhis
power，Englandaloneneverbrokeatreatyormadeasurrenderathisbidding。
FortenyearsPittseemstheonefixedpointamongtherulersofEurope。
Itisnot，ofcourse，tobearguedthattherulingclassshowedmorevalour
anddeterminationthananyotherclassofEnglishmenwouldhaveshown：the
empire-buildersofthecentury，menofdaringandenterpriseondistantfrontiers，
werenotusuallyoftherulingclass，andDr。Johnsononcewroteanessay
toexplainwhyitwasthattheEnglishcommonsoldierwasthebravestof
thecommonsoldiersoftheworld。ThecomparisonisbetweentheEnglisharistocracy
andtheotherchampionsoflawandorderinthegreatordealofthiswar，
andinthatcomparisontheEnglisharistocracystandsoutinconspicuous
eminenceinaEuropeofshiftingandmeltinggovernments。
Thepoliticsofasmallclassofprivilegedpersonsenjoyinganundisputed
powermighteasilyhavedegeneratedintoamerebusinessofmoney-making
andnothingelse。Thereisplentyofthisatmosphereintheeighteenth-century
system：astudymerelyofthesocietymemoirsoftheageisenoughtodissipate
thefineoldillusionthatmenofbloodandbreedinghaveaniceandfastidious
Senseaboutmoney。Justtheoppositeisthetruth。Aristocracieshavehad
theirvirtues，hutthevirtueofamagnificentdisdainformoneyisnotto
beexpectedinaclasswhichhasforgenerationstakenitasamatterof
coursethatitshouldbemaintainedbytheState。AtnotimeinEnglishhistory
havesordidmotivesbeensoconspicuousinpoliticsasduringthedayswhen
powerwasmostamonopolyofthearistocracy。Nopoliticianshavesacrificed
somuchoftheirtime，ability，andprinciplestothepursuitofgainas
thepoliticiansoftheagewhenpoormencouldonlysqueezeintopolitics
bytwosorthreesinageneration，whenthearistocracyputwholefamilies
intotheHouseofCommonsasamatterofcourse，andBurkeboastedthatthe
HouseofLordswaswholly，andtheHouseofCommonswasmainly，composed
forthedefenceofhereditaryproperty。
Butthepoliticsoftheeighteenthcenturyarenotamerescramblefor
placeandpower。AnagewhichproducedthetwoPittscouldnotbecalled
anageofmereavarice。AnagewhichproducedBurkeandFoxandGreycould
notbecalledanageofmereambition。Thepoliticsofthislittleclass
areilluminatedbythegreatandgenerousbehaviourofindividuals。IfEngland
wastheonlycountrywheretherulingclassmadeastandagainstNapoleon，
Englandwastheonlycountrywheremembersoftherulingclasswerefound
tomakeastandfortheideasoftheRevolution。Perhapstheproudestboast
thattheEnglisholigarchycanmakeistheboastthatsomeofitsmembers，
nursedastheyhadbeeninasoftandfeatheredworldofluxuryandprivilege，
couldlookwithoutdismayonwhatBurkecalledthestrange，wild，nameless，
enthusiasticthingestablishedinthecentreofEurope。Thespectacleof
FoxandSheridanandGreyleadingouttheirhandfulofLiberalsnightafter
nightagainsttheTreasonandSeditionBills，atatimewhenanavalanche
ofterrorhadoverwhelmedthemindofEngland，whenPitt，Burke，andDundas
thoughtnomalicetoopoisoned，GillrayandRowlandsonnodeformingtouch
ofthebrushtoobrutal，whentheupperclassesthoughttheyweregoingto
losetheirproperty，andthemiddleclassesthoughttheyweregoingtolose
theirreligion，isoneofthesublimespectaclesofhistory。Thisquality
offearlessnessinthedefenceofgreatcausesisdisplayedinafinesuccession
ofcharactersandincidents；Chatham，whosecourageinfacinghiscountry’s
dangerswasnotgreaterthanhiscourageinblaminghiscountry’scrimes；
Burke，withhiselaboraterageplayingroundthedazzlingrenownofaRodney；
Fox，whosevoicesoundslikethundercomingoverthemountains，hurledat
thewholeraceofconquerors；Holland，pleadingalmostalonefortheabolition
ofcapitalpunishmentforstealingbeforeabenchofbishops；amansolittle
giventorevolutionarysympathiesasFitzwilliam，leavinghislord-lieutenancy
ratherthancondonethemassacreofPeterloo。Ifmoralcourageisthepower
ofcombatinganddefyinganenvelopingatmosphereofprejudice，passion，
andpanic，agenerationwhichwaspoorinmostofthepublicvirtueswas，
atleast，conspicuouslyrichinone。Foreignpolicy，thetreatmentofIreland，
ofIndia，ofslaves，arebeyondthescopeofthisbook，butinglancingat
theclasswhosetreatmentoftheEnglishpoorhasbeenthesubjectofour
study，itisonlyjusttorecordthatinotherregionsofthoughtandconduct
theybequeathedagreatinheritanceofmoralandliberalideas：apassion
forjusticebetweenpeoples，asensefornationalfreedom，agreatbodyof
principlebywhichtocheck，refine，anddisciplinethegrossappetitesof
nationalambition。Thoseideasweretheideasofaminority，buttheywere
expressedanddefendedwithaneloquenceandapowerthathavemadetheman
importantandagloriouspartofEnglishhistory。Inallthisdevelopment
ofliberaldoctrineitisnotfancifultoseetheennoblinginfluenceof
theGreekwritersonwhomeveryeighteenth-centurypoliticianwasbredand
nourished。
FoxthoughtinthebaddaysofthewarwiththeRevolutionthathisown
ageresembledtheageofCicero，andthatParliamentarygovernmentinEngland，
underminedbythepoweroftheCourt，woulddisappearlikelibertyinrepublican
Rome。Thereisastrangeletterinwhich，condolingwithGreyonhisfather’s
becomingapeer，heremarksthatitmattersthelessbecausetheHouseof
Commonswillsoonceasetobeofanyimportance。Thispredictionwasfalsified，
andEnglandneverproducedaCaesar。Thereis，however，arealanalogyin
thesocialhistoryofthetwoperiods。TheEnglishrulingclasscorresponds
totheRomansenatorialorder，bothclassesclaimingofficeonthesameground
offamilytitle，aCavendishbeingasinevitableasaClaudius，andanAEmilius
asaGower。TheequiteswerethesecondrankoftheRomansocialaristocracy，
asthemanufacturersorbankerswereoftheEnglish。ARomanequescould
passintothesenatorialorderbyholdingthequaestorship；anEnglishmanufacturer
couldpassintothegoverningclassbybuyinganestate。TheEnglisharistocracy，
liketheRoman，lookedalittledoubtfullyonnew-comers，andevenaCicero
oraCanningmightcomplainofthe。freezingwelcomeoftheoldnobles；but
itpreferredtouseratherthantoexcludethem。
Inbothsocietiesthearistocracyregardedthepoorinmuchthesamespirit，
asaproblemofdisciplineandorder，andpassedontoposteritythesame
vaguesuggestionofsqualorandturbulence。Thusitcomesthatmostpeople
whothinkofthepoorintheRomanRepublicthinkonlyofthegreatcorn
largesses；andmostpeoplewhothinkofthepoorineighteenth-centuryEngland
thinkonlyofthegreatsystemofrelieffromtherates。Mr。WardeFowler
hasshownhowharditistofindintheRomanwritersanyrecordsofthe
poor。Soitiswiththerecordsofeighteenth-centuryEngland。Inbothsocieties
theobscuritywhichsurroundedthepoorinlifehassettledontheirwrongs
inhistory。Foronepersonwhoknowsanythingaboutsoimmenseaneventas
thedisappearanceoftheoldEnglishvillagesociety，thereareahundred
whoknoweverythingaboutthefashionablescenesofhighpoliticsandhigh
play，thatformedtheexcitingworldoftheupperclasses。Thesilencethat
shroudsthesevillagerevolutionswasnotquiteunbroken，butthecrythat
disturbeditislikeanoisethatbreakforamomentonthenight，andthen
diesaway，onlyservingtomakethestillnessdeeperandmoresolemn。TheDesertedVillageisknownwherevertheEnglishlanguageisspoken，
butGoldsmith’scriticshavebeenapttotreatit，asDr。Johnsontreated
it，asabeautifulpieceofirrelevantpathos，andhispictureofwhatwas
happeninginEnglandhasbeenadmiredasapictureofwhatwashappening
inhisdiscolouringdreams。Macaulayconnectedthatpicturewithreality
inhisingenioustheory，thatEnglandprovidedthevillageofthehappyand
smilingopening，andIrelandthevillageofthesombreandtragicalend。
Oneenclosurehasbeendescribedinliterature，anddescribedbyavictim，
JohnClare，theNorthamptonshirepeasant，whodriftedintoamadhousethrough
alifeofwantandtrouble。Thosewhorecallthediscussionsofthetime，
andtheassumptionoftheupperclassesthattheonlyquestionthatconcerned
thepoorwasthequestionwhetherenclosureincreasedemployment，willbe
struckbythegenuineemotionwithwhichClaredwellsonthenaturalbeauties
ofthevillageofhischildhood，andhisattachmenttohishomeanditsmemories。
ButClare’sdaywasbriefandhehasfewreaders。3*Inartthemostundistinguished
featuresofthemostundistinguishedmembersofthearistocracydwellin
theglowingcoloursofaReynolds；thepoorhavenoheirlooms，andthere
wasnoMillettopreservethesorrowanddespairofthehomelessanddispossessed。
Socomfortablyhavetherichsoothedtosleepthesensibilitiesofhistory。
Thesedebonairlordswhosmileatusfromthefamilygalleriesdonotgrudge
usourknowledgeoftheescapadesatBrooks’soratWhite’sinwhichthey
sowedtheirwildoats，butwefancytheyaregratefulforthepoppyseeds
ofoblivionthathavebeenscatteredoverthesecretsoftheirestates。Happy
theracethatcansoengagetheworldwithitsfolliesthatitcansecure
reposeforitscrimes。
DeQuinceyhascomparedtheblottingoutofacolonyofAlexander’sin
theremoteandunknownconfinesofcivilisation，tothedisappearanceof
oneofthosestarrybodieswhich，fixedinlongitudeandlatitudeforgenerations，
areonenightobservedtobemissingbysomewanderingtelescope。’Theagonies
ofaperishingworldhavebeengoingon，butallisbrightandsilentin
theheavenlyhost。’Soisitwiththeagoniesofthepoor。Wilberforce，in
themidstofthescenesdescribedinthisvolume，coulddeclare，’Whatblessings
doweenjoyinthishappycountry；Iamreadingancienthistory，andthe
picturesitexhibitsofthevicesandthemiseriesofmenfillmewithmixed
emotionsofindignation，horrorandgratitude。’Amidthegreatdistressthat
followedWaterlooandpeace，itwasacommonplaceofstatesmenlikeCastlereagh
andCanningthatEnglandwastheonlyhappycountryintheworld，andthat
solongasthemonopolyoftheirlittleclasswasleftuntouched，herhappiness
wouldsurvive。Thatclasshasleftbrightandamplerecordsofitslifein
literature，inart，inpoliticaltraditions，inthedisplayofgreatorations
anddebates，inmemoriesofbrilliantconversationandsparklingwit；it
hasleftdimandmeagrerecordsofthedisinheritedpeasantsthatarethe
shadowofitswealth；oftheexiledlabourersthataretheshadowofits
pleasures；ofthevillagessinkinginpovertyandcrimeandshamethatare
theshadowofitspoweranditspride。
SeearemarkableletterfromLordDudley。’Hehasalreadybeenenough
ontheContinentforanyreasonableandeitherofcuriosityorinstruction，
andhisavailinghimselfsoimmediatelyofthisopportunitytogotoaforeign
countryagainlooksalittletoomuchlikedistasteforhisown。’——Letters
toIvyfromthefirstEarlofDudley，October1808。
SeeonthissubjectaveryinterestingarticlebyMrL。MarchPhillippe
intheContemporaryReview，August1911。
HelpstonewasenclosedbyanActof1809。Clarewasthensixteenyears
old。Hisassociationwiththeoldvillagelifehadbeenintimate，forhe
hadtendedgeeseandsheeponthecommon，andhehadlearnttheoldcountry
songsfromthelastvillagecowherd。HispoemonHelpstonewaspublished
in1820。