ed hat, possessed of courage, kindness, and virtue, is
entitled to more respect from those to whom his virtues are manifested
than any cruel profligate emperor, selfish aristocrat, or knavish
millionaire in the world.

The writer has no intention of saying that all in England are affected
with the absurd mania for gentility; nor is such a statement made in the
book; it is shown therein that individuals of various classes can prize a
gentleman, notwithstanding seedy raiment, dusty shoes, or tattered
hat--for example, the young Irishman, the rich genius, the postillion,
and his employer. Again, when the life of the hero is given to the
world, amidst the howl about its lowness and vulgarity, raised by the
servile crew whom its independence of sentiment has stung, more than one
powerful voice has been heard testifying approbation of its learning and
the purity of its morality. That there is some salt in England--minds
not swayed by mere externals--he is fully convinced; if he were not, he
would spare himself the trouble of writing; but to the fact that the
generality of his countrymen are basely grovelling before the shrine of
what they are pleased to call gentility he cannot shut his eyes.

Oh! what a clever person that Cockney was, who, travelling in the
Aberdeen railroad carriage, after edifying the company with his remarks
on various subjects, gave it as his opinion that Lieutenant P--- {337}
would, in future, be shunned by all respectable society! And what a
simple person that elderly gentleman was, who, abruptly starting, asked,
in rather an authoritative voice, 'And why should Lieutenant P--- be
shunned by respectable society?' and who, after entering into what was
said to be a masterly analysis of the entire evidence of the case,
concluded by stating, 'that having been accustomed to all kinds of
evidence all his life, he had never known a case in which the accused had
obtained a more complete and triumphant justification than Lieutenant
P--- had done in the late trial.'

Now, the Cockney, who is said to have been a very foppish Cockney, was
perfectly right in what he said, and therein manifested a knowledge of
the English mind and character, and likewise of the modern English
language, to which his catechist, who, it seems, was a distinguished
member of the Scottish Bar, could lay no pretensions. The Cockney knew
what the Lord of Session knew not--that the British public is gentility
crazy--and he knew, moreov