. Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern. e access to the knowledge which we loved. THE CAVALIERSFrom What historian has ever estimated the Cavalier character?There is Clarendon, the grave, rhetorical, decorous law-yer, piling words, congealing arguments; very stately, alittle grim. There is Hume, the Scotch metaphysician, who hasmade out the best case for such people as never were, for aCharles who never died, for a Strafford who would never havebeen attainted; a saving, calculating North-countryman, fat, im-passive, who lived on eightpence a day. What have these peopleto
. Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern. e access to the knowledge which we loved. THE CAVALIERSFrom What historian has ever estimated the Cavalier character?There is Clarendon, the grave, rhetorical, decorous law-yer, piling words, congealing arguments; very stately, alittle grim. There is Hume, the Scotch metaphysician, who hasmade out the best case for such people as never were, for aCharles who never died, for a Strafford who would never havebeen attainted; a saving, calculating North-countryman, fat, im-passive, who lived on eightpence a day. What have these peopleto do with an enjoying English gentleman ? It is easy for adoctrinaire to bear a post-mortem examination,—it is much thesame whether he be alive or dead; but not so with those wholive during their life, whose essence is existence, whose being isin animation. There seem to be some characters who are notmade for history, as there are some who are not made for oldage. A Cavalier is always young. The buoyant life arises CHARLES I From Painting by Van Dyck SALTER BAGEHOT I2J„ us, rich in hope, strong in vigor, irregular in action; men youngand ardent, framed in the prodigality of nature; open to everyenjoyment, alive to every passion, eager, impulsive; brave with-out discipline, noble without principle; prizing luxury, despisingdanger; capable of high sentiment, but in each of whom the Addiction was to courses vain,His companies unlettered, rude, and shallow,His hours filled up with riots, banquets, sports,And never noted in him any study,Any retirement, any sequestrationFrom open haunts and popularity. We see these men setting forth or assembling to defend theirking or church, and we see it without surprise; a rich daringloves danger, a deep excitability likes excitement. If we lookaround us, we may see what is analogous: some say that thebattle of the Alma was won by the <( uneducated gentry * ; theuneducated gentry would be Cavaliers now. The politicalsentiment is pa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcu3192406643, bookyear1896
