literature, we should never lack in these
regions hosts of literary men of some kind or other to eulogise us,
provided our religion were in the fashion, and our popish nobles
chose--and they always do our bidding--to admit the canaille to their
tables--their kitchen tables. As for literature in general,' said he,
'the Santa Sede is not particularly partial to it, it may be employed
both ways. In Italy, in particular, it has discovered that literary men
are not always disposed to be lickspittles.'

'For example, Dante,' said I.

'Yes,' said the man in black, 'a dangerous personage; that poem of his
cuts both ways; and then there was Pulci, that _Morgante_ of his cuts
both ways, or rather one way, and that sheer against us; and then there
was Aretino, who dealt so hard with the _poveri frati_; all writers, at
least Italian ones, are not lickspittles. And then in Spain,--'tis true,
Lope de Vega and Calderon were most inordinate lickspittles; the
_Principe Constante_ of the last is a curiosity in its way; and then the
_Mary Stuart_ of Lope; I think I shall recommend the perusal of that work
to the Birmingham ironmonger's daughter--she has been lately thinking of
adding "a slight knowledge of the magneeficent language of the Peninsula"
to the rest of her accomplishments, he! he! he! But then there was
Cervantes, starving, but straight; he deals us some hard knocks in that
second part of his _Quixote_. Then there were some of the writers of the
picaresque novels. No, all literary men are not lickspittles, whether in
Italy or Spain, or, indeed, upon the Continent; it is only in England
that all--'

'Come,' said I, 'Mind what you are about to say of English literary men.'

'Why should I mind?' said the man in black, 'there are no literary men
here. I have heard of literary men living in garrets, but not in
dingles, whatever philologists may do; I may, therefore, speak out
freely. It is only in England that literary men are invariably
lickspittles; on which account, perhaps, they are so despised, even by
those who benefit by their dirty services. Look at your fashionable
novel-writers, he! he!--and, above all, at your newspaper editors, ho!
ho!'

'You will, of course, except the editors of the--from your censure of the
last class?' said I.

'Them!' said the man in black; 'why, they might serve as models in the
dirty trade to all the rest who practise it. See how they bepraise their
patrons, the grand Whig nobili