The Irish standard., 1890-10-04
TITLED ENGLISH FREAKS.
Members of the Nobility Who Are
Not Apollos in Their
Appearance.
THE PEERS DEGENERATlNG.
Dukes Whose Bodies Are Deforrned And
8 Lord Whose Eyes Are Not
Matched.

Matched.
The following article on the decad-
ence of the English aristOcracy who
rule Ireland and other portions of her
majesty's dominions we take from the
E.ondon correspondent OF the New
York World. The British nobility are
fast degenerating in physique as we'll as
in morals and the day is not far distant
when the house of lords and the titled
ruffians who sit in it will exist no
longer to curse the afflicted and long
suffering people OF the British islands.
This is what the correspondent OF Che
World SAYS about them:
tsIs the nobility Of England deter
iorating? The question may We'll be
asked in view of the startling fact that
80 less than fifteen peers, entitled by
birth to sit in Che house OF lords as
aeglsIators for their Kingdom, are TO day
;nrnates Of private lunatic asylums in
the vicinity of London. How many are
hidden from their friends in various
retreats on She continent Of Europe it
ss difficult to tell; but it is Significant
that Of about FIVE hundred peers. never
more than one hundred gather in the
upper legislative chamber, and the
average attendance is not over forty.
The nobility used to he noted for fine
specimens of manly physique. It's not
the case to. day. 1t might be invidious
50 mention too many instances OF miss
hapan humanity IN that class. One OF
the most noted is that OF. the duke OF
Newcastle, who, If he were a p00r man,
instead OF the recipient OF wealthy
sevenues. could obtain a living as
monstrositv in a dime museum. The
slouss of Newcastle i5 one Of the proud
est and most ancient ill England, and
it was one of the ancestors Of the pres
ant; duke who claimed the credit Of
striking down the King of Scotland On
She fatal field OF Flodden. when King
James and his nobility Derlshed almost
70 man in the most desperate of En-
xlish border battles.
The father Of the present duke was a
man Of good appearance and average
physique. but naughty and oYerbearing
to marked degree.
Owning valuable collieries, he occa-
sionally gave them his personal atten-
Sion. At that time child labor was
permitted in the English coal pits, and
boys and girls who should have been at
school were to be seen coming forth
from the pits at evening, grimy and
black as imps of Satan.
Petitions to the duke to alleviate the
condition of these little serfs were un.
avail1ng, and he also presented strong
opposition to the legislation which
ultimately came to the relief of the
miners, and redeemed England from
the disgrace Of infant slavery. 1t was
during discussion of the subject, in
She house of lords, that the Earl OF
Winchelsea held up before the eyes of
his colleagues picture OF. one OF the
little unfortunates, hlnch-backed and
plackened, staggering under a load Of
coal. Tie Duke of Newcastle affected
TO laugh at it. 1t is but too true, hoW~
ever, that his son. afterwards born. was
and is much more mishapen than that
poor little slave in the picture.
Speaking of marks have you ever
heard of the "Cross Of Cadoganf' Pro-
bably not: for it is a secret kept with
Jealous care, and outside Of a few Old
inhabitants, known hardly to any ex
.eept members of that illustrious family.
The old inhabitants in question are to
be found at Bury st. Edmunds, the
seat Of the Cadogan family, and 1t was
while Oh a visit there | heard the ira
dition. The Cadogans, like many other
leading houses in the English nobility.
were greatly enriched by the condsca.
tion of church property under Henry
VIII, and a portion OF the abbey lands
at Bury st. Edmunds fell to their share.
The monks, driven forth on the world
to beg. left the familiar walls with
bitter curses on their prosecutors, as
they regarded the king and the mobiles
that shared in the spoils. One Of these
monks, known as Brother Wilfred, but
whose real name is said to have been zen
William Locke, was arrested on tnes
charge Of treason in some exp xpressloln Y TO
NJ. :S<s,&