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    whose mind and morals the highest of all training should be bestowed , the hereditary legislator of this mighty empire , is brought up on the present system of our public schools and universities ? What are those seminaries but places where the children of the minor aristocracy may associate with the offspring of the major aristocracy , in the base hope of forming high connexion ,

    by which in after life the servility of the youth may be paid for to the man in the wages of corruption ? With that worldly tact , which our author so pleasantly mingles with his purer principles ,, he shows the speculators , not how vicious their procedure is , but what little chance there is of its success . He adroitly proves , that to sacrifice your boy ' s chance of acquiring knowledge , wisdom , and character , to that of his being afterwards the acknowledged

    friend and protege of little Lord John or William , is a bad spec . He shows that there may really be a better prospect of his getting on by his being well educated . Now this is to the point . It * stands to reason , ' and comes home to ' common sense . ' It is 4 practical ; ' and none of your mere theoretical subtilties . And even if the youth by his own diligence betters his father's bargain , and learns what is professedly taught at these time-hallowed institutions ; ' grant that your son obtains all the academical honours ; grant even that he enters Parliament through the distinction he has obtained , have those honours taught him the principles of jurisprudence , the business of legislation , the details of finance , the magnificent mysteries of commerce ; perhaps even

    they have not taught him the mere and vulgar art of public speaking . How few of the young men thus brought forward ever rise into fame . ' And this is all that is done for younger sons , and those who have to make their way in the world . The heirs of rank , opulence , and power , those who are born to be the nation ' s masters , have little inducement even to feed upon these husks . Of course there is a tendency to keep down the tone of education throughout the country . A classical education is essential to a gentleman . It is by a sort of mental insurrection that the schools of the middle classes have be ^ un to teach some useful knowledge . The insurrection will no doubt become a revolution , but this will be in defiance of the spirit of aristocracy , thereby showing more plainly the enormity of the abuse which it destroys . Our limits compel us only briefly to mention a few other characteristics of which illustrations may be found in Mr . Bulwer ' s volumes .

    The spirit of aristocracy debases the religion and morality of the country . It is very true , as our author observes , that in meetings of the people , the highest passions are usually appealed to ; and in those of the legislature , the lowest . At the generosity to which the one responds , the other smiles , or perhaps laughs outright . In the church , the livings are chiefly the property of the aristocracy . * Thus the preaching salvation really becomes a

    Untitled Article

    Characteristics of English Aristocracy * 597

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1833, page 597, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2622/page/13/