m in the political world, as in society we do to those whose
rank and station are the guarantees of their power. Many other
countries of Europe have also their claims upon us, but still smaller
in degree. Italy, with all its association of classical
elegance--Spain, whose history shines with the solemn splendour of an
illuminated missal, where gold and purple are seen blending their
hues, scarce dimmed by time; but what shall we say of those
newly-created powers, which springing up like mushroom families, give
themselves all the airs of true nobility, and endeavour by a strange
mockery of institutions and customs of their greater neighbours, to
appear of weight and consequence before the world. Look, for instance,
to Belgium the _bourgeois gentilhomme_ of politics, which, having
retired from its partnership with Holland, sets up for a gentleman on
its private means. What can be more ludicrous than its attempts at
high-life, its senate, its ministry, its diplomacy; for strange enough
the ridicule of the individual can be traced extending to a nation,
and when your city lady launched into the world, displays upon her
mantelpiece the visiting cards of her high neighbours, so the first
act of a new people is, to open a visiting acquaintance with their
rich neighbours, and for this purpose the first thing they do is to
establish a corps of diplomacy.

Now your city knight may have a fat and rosy coachman, he may have a
tall and portly footman, a grave and a respectable butler; but
whatever his wealth, whatever his pretension, there is one functionary
of a great household he can never attain to--he can never have a groom
of the chambers. This, like the "chasseur" abroad, is the appendage of
but one class, by constant association with whom its habits are
acquired, its tastes engendered, and it would be equally absurd to see
the tall Hungarian in all the glitter of his hussar costume, behind
the caleche of a pastrycook, as to hear the low-voiced and courteous
minion of Devonshire House announce the uncouth, unsyllabled names,
that come east of St. Dunstan's.

So, in the same way, your new nations may get up a king and a court, a
senate, an army, and a ministry, but let them not meddle with
diplomacy--the moment they do this they burn their fingers: your
diplomate is like your chasseur, and your groom of the chambers; if he
be not well done, he is a miserable failure. The world has so many
types to refer to on this head, there