burlesques-第23部分
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my dear fellow; lend me five hundred and oblige
〃'Yours; very gratefully;
〃'BAREACRES。'
〃Note。Bareacres may press me about the Depity Leftnant; but I'M
for the cavvlery。〃
〃Jewly will always be a sacrid anniwussary with me。 It was in that
month that I became persnally ecquaintid with my Prins and my
gracious Sovarink。
〃Long before the hospitious event acurd; you may imadgin that my
busm was in no triffling flutter。 Sleaplis of nights; I past them
thinking of the great ewentor if igsosted natur DID clothes my
highlidsthe eyedear of my waking thoughts pevaded my slummers。
Corts; Erls; presntations; Goldstix; gracious Sovarinx mengling in
my dreembs unceasnly。 I blush to say it (for humin prisumpshn
never surely igseeded that of my wicked wickid vishn); one night I
actially dremt that Her R。 H。 the Princess Hallis was grown up; and
that there was a Cabinit Counsel to detummin whether her & was to
be bestoad on me or the Prins of Sax…Muffinhausen…Pumpenstein; a
young Prooshn or Germing zion of nobillaty。 I ask umly parding for
this hordacious ideer。
〃I said; in my fommer remarx; that I had detummined to be presented
to the notus of my reveared Sovaring in a melintary coschewm。 The
Court…shoots in which Sivillians attend a Levy are so uncomming
like thethelivries (ojous wud! I 8 to put it down) I used to
wear before entering sosiaty; that I couldn't abide the notium of
wearing one。 My detummination was fumly fixt to apeer as a Yominry
Cavilry Hoffiser; in the galleant youniform of the North Diddlesex
Huzzas。
〃Has that redgmint had not been out sins 1803; I thought myself
quite hotherized to make such halterations in the youniform as
shuited the presnt time and my metured and elygint taste。 Pig…
tales was out of the question。 Tites I was detummind to mintain。
My legg is praps the finist pint about me; and I was risolved not
to hide it under a booshle。
〃I phixt on scarlit tites; then; imbridered with goold; as I have
seen Widdicomb wear them at Hashleys when me and Mary Hann used to
go there。 Ninety…six guineas worth of rich goold lace and cord did
I have myhandering hall hover those shoperb inagspressables。
〃Yellow marocky Heshn boots; red eels; goold spurs and goold
tassels as bigg as belpulls。
〃JackitFrench gray and silver oringe fasings & cuphs; according
to the old patn; belt; green and goold; tight round my pusn; &
settin hoff the cemetry of my figgar NOT DISADVINTAJUSLY。
〃A huzza paleese of pupple velvit & sable fir。 A sayber of
Demaskus steal; and a sabertash (in which I kep my Odiclone and
imbridered pocket ankercher); kimpleat my acooterments; which;
without vannaty; was; I flatter myself; UNEAK。
〃But the crownding triumph was my hat。 I couldnt wear a cock At。
The huzzahs dont use 'em。 I wouldnt wear the hojous old brass
Elmet & Leppardskin。 I choas a hat which is dear to the memry of
hevery Brittn; an at which was inwented by my Feeld Marshle and
adord Prins; an At which VULGAR PREJIDIS & JOAKING has in vane
etempted to run down。 I chose the HALBERT AT。 I didn't tell
Bareacres of this egsabishn of loilty; intending to SURPRISE him。
The white ploom of the West Diddlesex Yomingry I fixt on the topp
of this Shacko; where it spread hout like a shaving…brush。
〃You may be sure that befor the fatle day arrived; I didnt niglect
to practus my part well; and had sevral REHUSTLES; as they say。
〃This was the way。 I used to dress myself in my full togs。 I made
Fitzwarren; my boddy servnt; stand at the dor; and figger as the
Lord in Waiting。 I put Mrs。 Bloker; my laundress; in my grand harm
chair to reprasent the horgust pusn of my Sovring; Frederick; my
secknd man; standing on her left; in the hattatude of an illustrus
Prins Consort。 Hall the Candles were lighted。 'Captain de la
Pluche; presented by Herl Bareacres;' Fitzwarren; my man;
igsclaimed; as adwancing I made obasins to the Thrown。 Nealin on
one nee; I cast a glans of unhuttarable loilty towards the British
Crownd; then stepping gracefully hup; (my Dimascus Simiter WOULD
git betwigst my ligs; in so doink; which at fust was wery
disagreeble)rising hup grasefly; I say; I flung a look of manly
but respeckfl hommitch tords my Prins; and then ellygntly ritreated
backards out of the Roil Presents。 I kep my 4 suvnts hup for 4
hours at this gaym the night before my presntation; and yet I was
the fust to be hup with the sunrice。 I COODNT sleep that night。
By abowt six o'clock in the morning I was drest in my full uniform;
and I didnt know how to pass the interveaning hours。
〃'My Granmother hasnt seen me in full phigg;' says I。 'It will
rejoice that pore old sole to behold one of her race so suxesfle in
life。 Has I ave read in the novle of 〃Kennleworth;〃 that the Herl
goes down in Cort dress and extoneshes Hamy Robsart; I will go down
in all my splender and astownd my old washywoman of a Granmother。'
To make this detummination; to horder my Broom; to knock down
Frederick the groomb for delaying to bring it; was with me the wuck
of a momint。 The next sor as galliant a cavyleer as hever rode in
a cabb; skowering the road to Healing。
〃I arrived at the well…known cottitch。 My huncle was habsent with
the cart; but the dor of the humble eboad stood hopen; and I passed
through the little garding where the close was hanging out to dry。
My snowy ploom was ableeged to bend under the lowly porch; as I
hentered the apartmint。
〃There was a smell of tea therethere's always a smell of tea
therethe old lady was at her Bohee as usual。 I advanced tords
her; but ha! phansy my extonishment when I sor Mary Hann!
〃I halmost faintid with himotion。 'Ho; Jeames!' (she has said to
me subsquintly) 'mortial mann never looked so bewtifle as you did
when you arrived on the day of the Levy。 You were no longer
mortial; you were diwine!'
〃R! what little Justas the hartist has done to my mannly etractions
in the groce carriketure he's made of me。〃*
* This refers to an illustrated edition of the work。
。 。 。 。 。 。
〃Nothing; perhaps; ever created so great a sensashun as my
hentrance to St。 Jeames's; on the day of the Levy。 The Tuckish
Hambasdor himself was not so much remarked as my shuperb turn out。
〃As a Millentary man; and a North Diddlesex Huzza; I was resolved
to come to the ground on HOSSBACK。 I had Desparation phigd out as
a charger; and got 4 Melentery dresses from Ollywell Street; in
which I drest my 2 men (Fitzwarren; hout of livry; woodnt stand
it;) and 2 fellers from Rimles; where my hosses stand at livry。 I
rode up St。 Jeames's Street; with my 4 Hadycongsthe people
huzzayingthe gals waving their hankerchers; as if I were a Foring
Prinshall the winders crowdid to see me pass。
〃The guard must have taken me for a Hempror at least; when I came;
for the drums beat; and the guard turned out and seluted me with
presented harms。
〃What a momink of triumth it was! I sprung myjestickly from
Desperation。 I gav the rains to one of my horderlies; and;
salewting the crowd; I past into the presnts of my Most Gracious
Mrs。
〃You; peraps; may igspect that I should narrait at lenth the
suckmstanzas of my hawjince with the British Crown。 But I am not
one who would gratafy IMPUTTNINT CURAIOSATY。 Rispect for our
reckonized instatewtions is my fust quallaty。 I; for one; will dye
rallying round my Thrown。
〃Suffise it to say; when I stood in the Horgust Presnts;when I
sor on the right & of my Himperial Sovring that Most Gracious
Prins; to admire womb has been the chief Objick of my life; my
busum was seased with an imotium which my Penn rifewses to
dixcribemy trembling knees halmost rifused their hoffisI
reckleck nothing mor until I was found phainting in the harms of
the Lord Chamberling。 Sir Robert Peal apnd to be standing by (I
knew our wuthy Primmier by Punch's picturs of him; igspecially his
ligs); and he was conwussing with a man of womb I shall say
nothink; but that he is a hero of 100 fites; AND HEVERY FITE HE FIT
HE ONE。 Nead I say that I elude to Harthur of Wellingting? I
introjuiced myself to these Jents; and intend to improve the
equaintance; and peraps ast Guvmint for a Barnetcy。
〃But there was ANOTHER pusn womb on this droring…room I fust had
the inagspressable dalite to beold。 This was that Star of fashing;
that Sinecure of neighboring i's; as Milting observes; the
ecomplisht Lady Hangelina Thistlewood; daughter of my exlent frend;
John George Godfrey de Bullion Thistlewood; Earl of Bareacres;
Baron Southdown; in the Peeridge of the United Kingdom; Baron
Haggismore; in Scotland; K。T。; Lord Leftnant of the County of
Diddlesex; &c。 &c。 This young lady was with her Noble Ma; when I
was kinducted tords her。 And surely never lighted on this hearth a
more delightfle vishn。 In that gallixy of Bewty the Lady Hangelina
was the fairest Starin that reath of Loveliness the sweetest
Rosebud! Pore Mary Hann; my Art's young affeckshns had been
senterd on thee; but like water through a sivv; her immidge
disappeared in a momink; and left me intransd in the presnts of
Hangelina。
〃Lady Bareacres made me a myjestick bowa grand and hawfle pusnage
her Ladyship is; with a Roming Nose; and an enawmus ploom of
Hostridge phethers; the fare Hangelina smiled with a sweetness
perfickly bewhildring; and said; 'O; Mr。 De la Pluche; I'm so
delighted to make your acquaintance。 I have often heard of you。'
〃'Who;' says I; 'has mentioned my insiggnificknt igsistance to the
fair Lady Hangelina? kel bonure igstrame poor mwaw!' (For you see
I've not studdied 'Pelham' for nothink; and have lunt a few French
phraces; without which no Gent of fashn speaks now。)
〃'O;' replies my lady; 'it was Papa first; and then a very; VERY
old friend of yours。'
〃'Whose name is;' says I;