SEARCH
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prev | Current Page 204 | Next

Smollett, Tobias George, 1721-1771

"The Expedition of Humphry Clinker"

'That (said captain
C--) is my friend C-- T--, almost the only man of parts who has
any concern in the present administration -- Indeed, he would have
no concern at all in the matter, if the ministry did not find it
absolutely necessary to make use of his talents upon some
particular occasions -- As for the common business of the nation,
it is carried on in a constant routine by the clerks of the
different offices, otherwise the wheels of government would be
wholly stopt amidst the abrupt succession of ministers, every one
more ignorant than his predecessor -- I am thinking what a fine
hovel we should be in, if all the clerks of the treasury, the
secretaries, of the war-office, and the admiralty, should take it
in their heads to throw up their places in imitation of the great
pensioner --But, to return to C-- T--; he certainly knows more
than all the ministry and all the opposition, if their heads were
laid together, and talks like an angel on a vast variety of
subjects. He would really be a great man, if he had any
consistency or stability of character -- Then, it must be owned, he
wants courage, otherwise he would never allow himself to be cowed
by the great political bully, for whose understanding he has
justly a very great contempt.


Pages:
192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216