comed on _this_ occasion. He that went away with his frock-skirts
looped over his arm, comes back riding high; suddenly made one of the
dignitaries of this world. Reflective readers will admit that here was
a trial for a man. Yesterday a poor mendicant, allowed to possess not
above two shillings of money, and without authority to bid a dog run
for him,--this man today finds himself a _Dominus Abbas_, mitred Peer
of Parliament, Lord of manor-houses, farms, manors, and wide lands; a
man with 'Fifty Knights under him,' and dependent, swiftly obedient
multitudes of men. It is a change greater than Napoleon's; so sudden
withal. As if one of the Chandos day-drudges had, on awakening some
morning, found that _he_ overnight was become Duke! Let Samson with
his clear-beaming eyes see into that, and discern it if he can. We
shall now get the measure of him by a new scale of inches,
considerably more rigorous than the former was. For if a noble soul is
rendered tenfold beautifuler by victory and prosperity, springing now
radiant as into his own due element and sun-throne; an ignoble one is
rendered tenfold and hundredfold uglier, pitifuler. Whatsoever vices,
whatsoever weaknesses were in the man, the parvenu will show us them
enlarged, as in the solar microscope, into frightful distortion. Nay,
how many mere seminal principles of vice, hitherto all wholesomely
kept latent, may we now see unfolded, as in the solar hothouse, into
growth, into huge universally-conspicuous luxuriance and development!

* * * * *

But is not this, at any rate, a singular aspect of what political and
social capabilities, nay, let us say, what depth and opulence of true
social vitality, lay in those old barbarous ages, That the fit
Governor could be met with under such disguises, could be recognised
and laid hold of under such? Here he is discovered with a maximum of
two shillings in his pocket, and a leather scrip round his neck;
trudging along the highway, his frock-skirts looped over his arm. They
think this is he nevertheless, the true Governor; and he proves to be
so. Brethren, have we no need of discovering true Governors, but will
sham ones forever do for us? These were absurd superstitious
blockheads of Monks; and we are enlightened Tenpound Franchisers,
without taxes on knowledge! Where, I say, are our superior, are our
similar or at all comparable discoveries? We also have eyes, or ought
to have; we have hustings,