English
Itwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes,itwastheageofwisdom,itwastheageoffoolishness,itwastheepochofbelief,itwastheepochofincredulity,itwastheseasonofLight,itwastheseasonofDarkness,itwasthespringofhope,itwasthewinterofdespair,wehadeverythingbeforeus,wehadnothingbeforeus,wewereallgoingdirecttoHeaven,wewereallgoingdirecttheotherway—inshort,theperiodwassofarlikethepresentperiod,thatsomeofitsnoisiestauthoritiesinsistedonitsbeingreceived,forgoodorforevil,inthesuperlativedegreeofcomparisononly.
Therewereakingwithalargejawandaqueenwithaplainface,onthethroneofEngland;therewereakingwithalargejawandaqueenwithafairface,onthethroneofFrance.
InbothcountriesitwasclearerthancrystaltothelordsoftheStatepreservesofloavesandfishes,thatthingsingeneralweresettledforever.
ItwastheyearofOurLordonethousandsevenhundredandseventy-five.
SpiritualrevelationswereconcededtoEnglandatthatfavouredperiod,asatthis.
Mrs.Southcotthadrecentlyattainedherfive-and-twentiethblessedbirthday,ofwhomapropheticprivateintheLifeGuardshadheraldedthesublimeappearancebyannouncingthatarrangementsweremadefortheswallowingupofLondonandWestminster.
EventheCock-laneghosthadbeenlaidonlyarounddozenofyears,afterrappingoutitsmessages,asthespiritsofthisveryyearlastpast(supernaturallydeficientinoriginality)rappedouttheirs.
MeremessagesintheearthlyorderofeventshadlatelycometotheEnglishCrownandPeople,fromacongressofBritishsubjectsinAmerica:which,strangetorelate,haveprovedmoreimportanttothehumanracethananycommunicationsyetreceivedthroughanyofthechickensoftheCock-lanebrood.
France,lessfavouredonthewholeastomattersspiritualthanhersisteroftheshieldandtrident,rolledwithexceedingsmoothnessdownhill,makingpapermoneyandspendingit.
UndertheguidanceofherChristianpastors,sheentertainedherself,besides,withsuchhumaneachievementsassentencingayouthtohavehishandscutoff,histonguetornoutwithpincers,andhisbodyburnedalive,becausehehadnotkneeleddownintheraintodohonourtoadirtyprocessionofmonkswhichpassedwithinhisview,atadistanceofsomefiftyorsixtyyards.
Itislikelyenoughthat,rootedinthewoodsofFranceandNorway,thereweregrowingtrees,whenthatsuffererwasputtodeath,alreadymarkedbytheWoodman,Fate,tocomedownandbesawnintoboards,tomakeacertainmovableframeworkwithasackandaknifeinit,terribleinhistory.
ItislikelyenoughthatintheroughouthousesofsometillersoftheheavylandsadjacenttoParis,therewereshelteredfromtheweatherthatveryday,rudecarts,bespatteredwithrusticmire,snuffedaboutbypigs,androostedinbypoultry,whichtheFarmer,Death,hadalreadysetaparttobehistumbrilsoftheRevolution.
ButthatWoodmanandthatFarmer,thoughtheyworkunceasingly,worksilently,andnooneheardthemastheywentaboutwithmuffledtread:therather,forasmuchastoentertainanysuspicionthattheywereawake,wastobeatheisticalandtraitorous.
InEngland,therewasscarcelyanamountoforderandprotectiontojustifymuchnationalboasting.
Daringburglariesbyarmedmen,andhighwayrobberies,tookplaceinthecapitalitselfeverynight;familieswerepubliclycautionednottogooutoftownwithoutremovingtheirfurnituretoupholsterers’warehousesforsecurity;thehighwaymaninthedarkwasaCitytradesmaninthelight,and,beingrecognisedandchallengedbyhisfellow-tradesmanwhomhestoppedinhischaracterof“theCaptain,”gallantlyshothimthroughtheheadandrodeaway;themallwaswaylaidbysevenrobbers,andtheguardshotthreedead,andthengotshotdeadhimselfbytheotherfour,“inconsequenceofthefailureofhisammunition:”afterwhichthemallwasrobbedinpeace;thatmagnificentpotentate,theLordMayorofLondon,wasmadetostandanddeliveronTurnhamGreen,byonehighwayman,whodespoiledtheillustriouscreatureinsightofallhisretinue;prisonersinLondongaolsfoughtbattleswiththeirturnkeys,andthemajestyofthelawfiredblunderbussesinamongthem,loadedwithroundsofshotandball;thievessnippedoffdiamondcrossesfromthenecksofnoblelordsatCourtdrawing-rooms;musketeerswentintoSt.Giles’s,tosearchforcontrabandgoods,andthemobfiredonthemusketeers,andthemusketeersfiredonthemob,andnobodythoughtanyoftheseoccurrencesmuchoutofthecommonway.
Inthemidstofthem,thehangman,everbusyandeverworsethanuseless,wasinconstantrequisition;now,stringinguplongrowsofmiscellaneouscriminals;now,hangingahousebreakeronSaturdaywhohadbeentakenonTuesday;now,burningpeopleinthehandatNewgatebythedozen,andnowburningpamphletsatthedoorofWestminsterHall;to-day,takingthelifeofanatrociousmurderer,andto-morrowofawretchedpilfererwhohadrobbedafarmer’sboyofsixpence.
Allthesethings,andathousandlikethem,cametopassinandcloseuponthedearoldyearonethousandsevenhundredandseventy-five.
Environedbythem,whiletheWoodmanandtheFarmerworkedunheeded,thosetwoofthelargejaws,andthoseothertwooftheplainandthefairfaces,trodwithstirenough,andcarriedtheirdivinerightswithahighhand.
Thusdidtheyearonethousandsevenhundredandseventy-fiveconducttheirGreatnesses,andmyriadsofsmallcreatures—thecreaturesofthischronicleamongtherest—alongtheroadsthatlaybeforethem.
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