Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-23
Oddities Of the English Mobility.

The personality OF the late Lord Hunting
tower, whose memory has been revived Dy the
disclosures OF cause celebre concluded last
week. Is lot likely soon to fade from The minds
or those who ever enjoyed tue distinguished
honor Of his society, or who even kne Y him by
s1ghr. he was pre- eminently the peer OF the
pavement, and had graduated In almost every
art OF eccentric blackguardi5m.. Much was for
given him by the multitude, because sinner
HIS fotites and vices. it was charltabiv said,
were hereditary, and therefore venial Like tse
title, they were part OF the family estate, and
IL would be as unreasonable to condemn the
representative of an ancient race because he
concentrated In himself all the faiItngs and in
EQUITIES OF his forefatners as because his phys
iognomy REPRODUCED the combined features of a
series Of family portraits. Gout In these days
Is becoming little common; and since
the reform bill OF 1882 the middle classes
nave bad the audacity TO assert their claim TO
share In Its agonies. But there are still some
valetudinarian eccentricitles which are severely
limited to the very highest society. The men,
bers OF one noble and titled house, which mas
supplied us with at least two Secretaries OF
State during the last twenty years. have
hereditary tncapactty for eating roast mutton.
One OF their ancestors probably was seized With
off that dish, In the days OF the first crusade,
and his descendants have been unable TO toler-
ate 1t ever since. The odd thing Is, they can
eat, and condescend to like, boiled mutton.
especially when served with caper sauce and
turntps. Another family, which, though not
titled, is OF an antiquity greater than the pro-
pr1etors Of most coronets can boast, in the west
OF England, has been famous from father TO
son, during several centuries, for its instructive
dislike TO boiled tongue. These are historic
instances, and they might De multiplied with
endless and entertaining variety.
Since the accession OF Queen Victoria abso-
lutte dementia has lost much Of the patrician
reputation which it enjoyed In the days of
George III. But certain peculiar decisions are
still highly aristocratic appanage. Here is
peer who has strong conviction that he is
endowed with the gift OF immortality. He has
made his VIII as matter Of form, but he knows
Cal use for the document. On all other subjects
than this he is perfectly sane. His lOrdship In
fact Is, except In reference to this particular
man OF the world, who thoroughly understands
the management OF his estates and Improve.
ment OF his property; a patron OF the arts, and
father firmly believed, and protested on his
deathbed, that he should reappear after an 10.
terval OF ten years His grandfather was an
souls. In fact, there has not been one Of their
lordships for centuries who has not been re-
markable for the oddly OF bis notions on all
that belongs to the limit and the sequel OF
There is another peer OF the realm, who, fol-
lowing the hereditary usage OF his house, sud-
denly, and without word of warning, aosents
himSeif-nO one knows where, or how, Or why
from his friends and relatives, for q week, q
month, or year. He has asked party OF
friends to dine with him at the family mansion.
1AO CUmpdUS 6IIltC, UUt Ills AOIuSulp has kOUS
from home, and left no orders That day next
year he takes his place In the Bpper Cham Der
OF the legislature as II nothing had happened
There Is another peer-very highly placed, In
deed-who. like his ancestors for the last two
generations-has curious weakness for pur-
chasing cold roast fowls at .co0k-shOps.
paper, and he carries them home under his
arm. But perhaps the comm0neSt craze TO be
met with In the families OF the nobility Is the
religious or ecclesiastical Each member Of the
House is little 'gone" upon some different
form OF faith. One Is suddenly received into
the congregation Of Plymouth Brethren; an
other precipltately fees to the church OF Rome:
third has recently embraced the creed OF
buddhism. fourth Is cryptic Mahomeran; q
tongues; sixth, furious and embittered
atheist. People smile and look knowing when
you mention the names of the representatives
OF this race. It Is allowed that they are. sever.
ally and individually, by no means fools; but
they are. each OF them, pronounced little
Tin the family"