Free Caltraps of Time by David I. Masson Page B

living shou’d be too Nasty, for the Publick Good; and some English Men (they say) have rais’d up Brawls against ‘em. But the generality of English Natives are so mealy-mouth’d, that they dare not speak these Fears alowd, lest they have a foul Name of Racialist clapp’d on ‘em, of which they are in mortal terror, from the thought of some Massacres perform’d a score of years before in Germany, and Oppressions committed thousands of leagues away in Africa and America.
     
    For this they have some Colour, seeing that they are so much, as they call it, One World, that notions travell fast in their Time. But I think it partly but one case of a ready Superstition of Opinion among ‘em which comes, as I ghess, from their singular prospect, whereby all can read, and vote for Parliament, as if they were equal, while most regard neither the Word of Religion nor fair Argument, but are blown this way and that by the least Gale or Breath of Censure from their fellows. They have a vast Esteem for Sophistries; they are very easie in believing such things as they wou’d have to be so, and are not forward to entertain a solid Reasoning. He that can fasten a Good, or a Bad name, howso ever ill-conceiv’d, upon any thing that is done, or made, or worn, or said, is scarce question’d, but straight his word is taken up. So they are blown hither and thither, by the Writers in the Courants, and the Speakers in the Tellies, and the Devizers of the Advertisements, the Blind leading the Blind.
     
    Another cause of their being so biddable and so quiet, is perhaps that from the Hurry of the Day, they have little stomach for Trouble, and little room, in which to think for them selves. For tho’ they live so well, yet they are also in a continual Coursing, and if their leisure is long, yet even there the World presses on ‘em from all sides. Between their Running after every Notion, and their perpetual Hast, you wou’d say, that Ants had been mated with Munkies, to breed ‘em.
     
    All these matters, as I have said, I learnt not at once, but during many weeks. I spent my mornings in the back parts of the Shop. For my Dinner (always at the early hour of Noon) I went to a number of Eating Houses with my Host, or retum’d with him to his House. If we came home, I often stay’d there afterwards, and try’d some Husbandry in their Garden, or walk’d abroad untill I knew the Neighbourhood well. The Wife, who also controul’d the Chariot, sometimes kept it by her after Dinner, while the Husband return’d to his Shop in one of their Busses. If the day were bright, she wou’d then bring me out in this Car, and over the Countrey-side. I suffer’d a Surprize, when I saw our Range of Hills, not much chang’d, tho’ with single Houses here and there built over ‘em, and Poles of Metal to carry their Electricity over the Land. But every where was a Vapour or Smoak on the brightest of days. A Stream, where I am wont to fish, was become a Sluice between Walls of Stone, and black besides, in the midst of another Town, where is nothing today but a Farm (after which this Town was nam’d, as I found). The great part of the Land about is cover’d with their Houses, and where our Farm-tracks wind, are hard Roads, where-on their Chariots continually rush by and roar. Their Towns are for the most part built of red Bricks, but blacken’d by their Smoaks, of which a great amount comes from Factorys as wide as Villages and as populous as Towns, where they make their many Goods.
     
    On fair Saturdays, or Sundays (for they went to no Church, which much troubled me) my Host and his Wife wou’d bring their Car further abroad, and on occasion to the Sea. There I had another Surprize, for there hundreds, yea thousands of Men, Women and Children sate upon the Beaches (and many with lowd Raydeows whose Clamour assail’d my Ears); and a few score even walk’d into the shallow Sea; but all cloath’d, tho’ in such small Garments, that hid scarce any