The morning call., 1893-10-08

his diffidence and phlegmatic manner, the
Incidence of his style In speaking and
barrenness of enthusiasm suggest that he
regards greatness as bore, and that he
would personally be much happier were
he allowed to seclude himself on his estates
and go to races like one of the crowd.
The Bishop, who is coiled up like a
hedgehog asleep, is one of his Iawn-sleeved
class as a lord spiritual among the peers.
He is a representative OF what Is termed
state church, has $4,000 year. palace
In the country, residence In London,
coachman and fiunkeys, who formerly wore
red coats, and many other appurtenances
of osten tatiOn not considered unbecoming
to the heads OF the church. AS peer
spiritual Bish0pis supposed to be neutral
and clrcumspect in politics. but every man
of them voted against home rule for Ire-
land. Generally speaking they have shown
their eminence in history by narrow
minded craftsmanship. There have been
proposals to drum them out Of the House
of Lords, and doubtless they will retire
when compelled by the edisestablishment of
the church. Their presence as legislators
on fat salaries, which amount to $4,000 in
the case of the Archbishop OF Canterbury,
is not a pleasing exhibition of humility
when contrasted with the cruel lot of
curates who receive $50 year and read all
the prayers a Bishop can. But Bishops
perform guard functions royal weddings.
They roll forth the service very sonor-
ously and the royal pairs ought TO be ex-
cepti0nally happy after such august bene-
dicriOns, which is not, however, invariably
the case, as George the Fourth proved.
The power of wealth in the peerage Is
illustrated markedly in the person of Lord
Rothschlld. There are numbers of others.
like the Duke of Westminster, the Duke of
Buceleuch, Earl Dudley and the Marquis
of Londonderry, very opulent, but Lord
d. Ia ,.lnr, II n
tor every shilling any Of the brewers or
ground-rent-co collecting peers could procure.
He is kind man, personally amiabe and
a very powerful magnet as a flnancier with
the taxes Of nations passing across his
counter. He has more to do with holding
the dogs of war in leash than the mass of
people suppose, and assuredly he has to he
reckoned with by any monarch who con-
templates flashing the sword and throwing
away the scabbard. In an ideal arstocracy
he would have his place as successful
man, not dependent upon the bubble repu-
| tatioD of the caDnon's mouth for his title
Save by paying for the powder in advance
much older that Queen Victoria's, or of
all the Barons who in Debretl's pages ac-
compauied William of Normandy across
the channel. But then we are all supposed
| to go back to Noah If we could only trace
the process by heradic hieroglypblcs and
Dl0loGical mODStrOSltieS, out IN the case OIL
most useful human beings genealogical
success is rare beyond ones great-grand-
| father.
Mr.. Gould's portraits of sthe Dillustri-
ous show of what plain timber the peer
| ege Is constructed. These lords are very
human, very selfish, very little, and what
better could be expected from the
hereditary principle? 1t does not follow
that an eminent father las an eminent
son. Nature plays tricks in lapses to
poverty of intellect and alteration of dis
position which the biologist cannot
fathom. There has been no line of
| Shakespeares, Drydens, Millions, Ho-
gartbs, Turner's, Newtons. Youngs. Well
| ingtons, Nelson's. Each In his time has
flashed across the armament of genius
without the sembance of a surviving
train. If titles ennoble we paradoxcally
see the ennobling result In degradation 10
the verge of preposterOuSness.
| But it is in its effect on society that all
| this pauoply of sham and snobhery has its
most vicious aspect. The wealthy grub
| ber, the successful lawyer, the political
| mountebank and time-server, the general
and admiral who fight for their country
| bravely-all hope TO get into the peerage.
! To be buried in Westminster Abbey is a
| high ambition, but to be buried in the
House of Lords. you and your family, and
to lord it on false pretenses over fellow
mortais must be rldiculed as an ignoble