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he will hardly be allowed to write English or to spell his own name. To be well spoken of, he must enlist under some standard; he must belong to some coterie. He must get the esprit de corps on his side: he must have literary bail in readiness. Thus they prop up one another’s rickety heads at Murray— — —’s shop, and a spurious reputation, like false argument, runs in a circle. Cro— — —ke— — —r affirms that Gi— — —ffo— — —rd is sprightly, and Gi— — —ffo— — —rd that Cro— — —ke— — —r is genteel; D’Israeli— — — that Ja— — —co— — —b is wise, and Ja— — —co— — —b that D’Israeli— — — is good-natured. A Member of Parliament must be answerable that you are not dangerous or dull before you can be of the entrée. You must commence toad-eater to have your observations attended to; if you are independent, unconnected, you will be regarded as a poor creature. Your opinion is honest, you will say; then ten to one it is not profitable. It is at any rate your own. So much the worse; for then it is not the world’s. Tom Hill— — — is a very tolerable barometer in this respect. He knows nothing, hears everything, and repeats just what he hears; so that you may guess pretty well from this round-faced echo what is said by others! Almost everything goes by presumption and appearances. “Did you not think Mr. B{{{1}}}— — —’s language very elegant?”—I thought he bowed