stop to think too much about
capital. It is a bugbear. Capital is a bugbear; and it is talked
about by those who have it,--and by some that have not so much of it
neither,--for the sake of putting down competition, and keeping the
market to themselves.

There's the same game going on all the world over; and it's the
natural game for mankind to play at. They who's up a bit is all for
keeping down them who is down; and they who is down is so very soft
through being down, that they've not spirit to force themselves up.
Now I saw that very early in life. There is always going on a battle
between aristocracy and democracy. Aristocracy likes to keep itself
to itself; and democracy is just of the same opinion, only wishes to
become aristocracy first.

We of the people are not very fond of dukes; but we'd all like to be
dukes well enough ourselves. Now there are dukes in trade as well
as in society. Capitalists are our dukes; and as they don't like to
have their heels trod upon any more than the other ones, why they
are always preaching up capital. It is their star and garter, their
coronet, their ermine, their robe of state, their cap of maintenance,
their wand of office, their noli me tangere. But stars and garters,
caps and wands, and all other noli me tangeres, are gammon to those
who can see through them. And capital is gammon. Capital is a very
nice thing if you can get it. It is the desirable result of trade. A
tradesman looks to end with a capital. But it's gammon to say that
he can't begin without it. You might as well say a man can't marry
unless he has first got a family. Why, he marries that he may have a
family. It's putting the cart before the horse.

It's my opinion that any man can be a duke if so be it's born to him.
It requires neither wit nor industry, nor any pushing nor go-ahead
whatsoever. A man may sit still in his arm-chair, half asleep half
his time, and only half awake the other, and be as good a duke as
need be. Well; it's just the same in trade. If a man is born to a
dukedom there, if he begins with a large capital, why, I for one
would not thank him to be successful. Any fool could do as much as
that. He has only to keep on polishing his own star and garter, and
there are lots of people to swear that there is no one like him.

But give me the man who can be a duke without being born to it. Give
me the man who can go ahead in trade without capital; who can begin
the world with a quick pair of ha