登陆注册
19501700000065

第65章

SOME ACCOUNT OF EATANSWILL; OF THE STATE OF PARTIESTHEREIN; AND OF THE ELECTION OF A MEMBER TO SERVE IN PARLIAMENT FOR THATANCIENT, LOYAL, AND PATRIOTIC BOROUGH

W E will frankly acknowledge, that up to the period of our being first immersed in the voluminous papers of the Pickwick Club, we had never heard of Eatanswill; we will with equal candour admit, that we have in vain searched for proof of the actual existence of such a place at the present day.Knowing the deep reliance to be placed on every note and statement of Mr.Pickwick's, and not presuming to set up our recollection against the recorded declarations of that great man, we have consulted every authority, bearing upon the subject, to which we could possibly refer.

We have traced every name in schedules A and B, without meeting with that of Eatanswill; we have minutely examined every corner of the Pocket County Maps issued for the benefit of society by our distinguished publishers, and the same result has attended our investigation.We are therefore led to believe, that Mr.Pickwick, with that anxious desire to abstain from giving offence to any, and with those delicate feelings for which all who knew him well know he was so eminently remarkable, purposely substituted a fictitious designation, for the real name of the place in which his observations were made.We are confirmed in this belief by a little circumstance, apparently slight and trivial in itself, but when considered in this point of view, not undeserving of notice.In Mr.Pickwick's note-book, we can just trace an entry of the fact, that the place of himself and followers were booked by the Norwich coach; but this entry was afterwards lined through, as if for the purpose of concealing even the direction in which the borough is situated.We will not, therefore, hazard a guess upon the subject, but will at once proceed with this history; content with the materials which its characters have provided for us.

It appears, then, that the Eatanswill people, like the people of many other small towns, considered themselves of the utmost and most mighty importance, and that every man in Eatanswill, conscious of the weight that attached to his example, felt himself bound to unite, heart and soul, with one of the two great parties that divided the town--the Blues and the Buffs.

Now the Blues lost no opportunity of opposing the Buffs, and the Buffs lost no opportunity of opposing the Blues; and the consequence was, that whenever the Buffs and Blues met together at public meeting, Town-Hall, fair, or market, disputes and high words arose between them.With these dissensions it is almost superfluous to say that everything in Eatanswill was made a party question.If the Buffs proposed to new skylight the market-place, the Blues got up public meetings, and denounced the proceeding; if the Blues proposed the erection of an additional pump in the High Street, the Buffs rose as one man and stood aghast at the enormity.There were Blue shops and Buff shops, Blue Inns and Buff Inns;--there was a Blue aisle and a Buff aisle in the very church itself.

Of course it was essentially and indispensably necessary that each of these powerful parties should have its chosen organ and representative:

and, accordingly, there were two newspapers in the town--the Eatanswill Gazette and the Eatanswill Independent; the former advocating Blue principles, and the latter conducted on grounds decidedly Buff.Fine newspapers they were.Such leading articles, and such spirited attacks!--"Our worthless contemporary, the Gazette"--"That disgraceful and dastardly journal, the Independent"--"That false and scurrilous print, the Independent"--"That vile and slanderous calumniator, the Gazette"; these, and other spirit-stirring denunciations were strewn plentifully over the columns of each, in every number, and excited feelings of the most intense delight and indignation in the bosoms of the townspeople.

Mr.Pickwick, with his usual foresight and sagacity, had chosen a peculiarly desirable moment for his visit to the borough.Never was such a contest known.The Honourable Samuel Slumkey, of Slumkey Hall, was the Blue candidate;and Horatio Fizkin, Esq., of Fizkin Lodge, near Eatanswill, had been prevailed upon by his friends to stand forward on the Buff interest.The Gazette warned the electors of Eatanswill that the eyes not only of England, but of the whole civilised world, were upon them; and the Independent imperatively demanded to know, whether the constituency of Eatanswill were the grand fellows they had always taken them for, or base and servile tools, undeserving alike the name of Englishmen and the blessings of freedom.Never had such a commotion agitated the town before.

It was late in the evening, when Mr.Pickwick and his companions, assisted by Sam, dismounted from the roof of the Eatanswill coach.Large blue silk flags were flying from the windows of the Town Arms Inn, and bills were posted in every sash, intimating, in gigantic letters, that the honourable Samuel Slumkey's Committee sat there daily.A crowd of idlers were assembled in the road, looking at a hoarse man in the balcony, who was apparently talking himself very red in the face in Mr.Slumkey's behalf; but the force and point of whose arguments were somewhat impaired by the perpetual beating of four large drums which Mr.Fizkin's committee had stationed at the street corner.There was a busy little man beside him, though, who took off his hat at intervals and motioned to the people to cheer, which they regularly did, most enthusiastically; and as the red-faced gentleman went on talking till he was redder in the face than ever, it seemed to answer his purpose quite as well as if anybody had heard him.

同类推荐
  • 慈明瑞象灯仪

    慈明瑞象灯仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 饮流斋说瓷

    饮流斋说瓷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说义足经

    佛说义足经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 广动植之三

    广动植之三

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 注十疑论

    注十疑论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 末命

    末命

    这世界上不只是有名侦探这个职业,还有冥侦探。他们冥侦探都会有一个事务所,事务所会有一个特殊的规矩,周一,周二,周三,周五这四天白天正常营业,为广大的人民群众解决一些麻烦。而周四,周六,周日这三天只有晚上营业,虽然晚上也会有客人、但是来的就不一定是活人了。…………《末命》陪你揭开不一样的灵异世界!每天两更,本文轻松诙谐幽默,不算恐怖。喜欢的赶紧收藏喽……
  • 命运的枷锁-美人谋

    命运的枷锁-美人谋

    一个意外死于黑道追杀的女孩,穿越来到了古南越国。知道了所有人命运的她,却无法自拔的爱上了他,杨子齐,南越的四皇子。今世的重生的她亦是掌握不了自己的命运,更别说是别人的命运,明明知道故事发展到最后会是一个悲剧,无论她努力了多少,却还是眼眼睁睁地看着悲剧发生了。前世今生都逃避过命运的摆布,今生离开的结局也许是她最好的归宿!情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 佛说文殊师利般涅槃经

    佛说文殊师利般涅槃经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 节气与养生

    节气与养生

    我们知道,自然界的一切生物无时无刻不在受春湿、夏热、秋凉、冬寒气候变化的影响。我国古典医学名着《黄帝内经》首次提出了“天人相应”的养生观。这种观点认为,人生活在自然界中,同时也是自然界的重要组成部分,人体的生理活动受自然的影响而不断地调整和适应。大自然阴阳消长的变化,引起了四时寒暑冷凉的变化,并形成了春生夏长秋收冬藏的生物发展规律。
  • 空地导弹科技知识(上)

    空地导弹科技知识(上)

    不论什么武器,都是用于攻击的工具,具有威慑和防御的作用,自古具有巨大的神秘性,是广大军事爱好者的最爱。
  • 总裁,惹爱成婚

    总裁,惹爱成婚

    顾修宸在退役前最后一次执行任务时,不慎受伤,藏身何苗苗家。何苗苗只是以为在家捡了个帅大叔,当她被人化妆穿上婚纱塞进那辆加长版的劳斯莱斯里的时候,顿然觉悟她捡的不是一般人,是牛叉带闪电的顾氏总裁大人。---俗称高富帅!更没想到,婚后生活多姿多彩,无法直视。家婆不爱,前女友挑衅,小叔子想跟她私奔,那都不是事。“报告总裁大人现在四面楚歌,请求支援。”某人丢下上百亿的合同狂风而去.“砰。”枪声响起。何苗苗缓缓倒下。顾修宸谢谢你为我挡下无数风霜。顾修宸我也一样视你为生命!爱情这玩意谁也不懂谁爱谁多一点,顾修宸终有一天你会知道,在我心里视为生命的那个人是谁!【此文宠文,结局美好】新文【限时契约,霸道老公不离婚】
  • 家有憨妻

    家有憨妻

    他是当红的天王巨星,她是乡下来的憨丫头。现代版的“父母之命,媒妁之言”,无奈地接受这段令人揪心的婚姻。婚前,她竟然向他提出婚前约定,一年后她净身出户,婚嫁各不相干。婚后,她就像病毒一样扩散,让每个人在不知不觉的情况下被她感染上。
  • DNF之无双剑神

    DNF之无双剑神

    一名猝死的初中生莫凡,在不知道自己已死的情况下,被阎王骗入死对头的世界,阿拉德大陆,他是颓废一生?还是不甘命运的着弄奋起反抗?
  • 丑颜乱世:废材大小姐

    丑颜乱世:废材大小姐

    一朝穿越,狂傲杀手竟是穿越到了废材大小姐身上!样貌无盐,痴傻不堪,生生被弃于乱葬岗之中。凤眸初睁,这天下必定会有她墨倾情的一半!丑颜怎样?她有无敌妖灵在身。被弃怎样?她宁愿孤独一世一生人。“墨倾情,不管你爱我恨我厌我还是无视我,喜欢你还是我的权利。”那日,他嘴角带笑。“奉君此生”
  • 邪少拐爱

    邪少拐爱

    欢迎大家收看植生的新作《邪少拐爱》,作品有点虐爱,喜欢的亲们别忘了收藏,呵呵……感谢支持。有空可以到隔壁坐坐,长篇《猎心:定个糊涂老婆》,地址:http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/440819/她本是个小保姆,只为生活努力;阴差阳错一纸合约成为了不能见光的情妇;本有爱却无爱,本有心却迷失;为了生活她忍受了别人不能忍受的事情;本来平静的生活也是涟漪阵阵;他只是众多公子哥中的一员;深爱着自己认为值得爱的女人;他纵容她的种种行为;为博红颜一笑可以无情地伤害另外一个无辜的人;当捧在手中的明珠有一天消失了;他将她成为了泄恨的工具;她有心逃离,投入了爱人的怀里;他却步步追逐,只因一句:“我现在喜欢你”;感情的纠缠时缘起还是缘落;逃避是幸福的源泉还噩梦的开始……