6

'Was there some miracle at work here; like those Fire-balls, and 'supernal and infernal prodigies, which, in the case of the Jewish Mysteries, have also more than once scared back the Alien? Be 'this as it may, such failure on my part, after best efforts, must excuse the imperfection of this sketch; altogether incomplete, yet the completest I could give of a Sect too singular to be ' omitted.

'Loving my own life and senses as I do, no power shall induce me, as a private individual, to open another Fashionable Novel. 'But luckily, in this dilemma, comes a hand from the clouds; 'whereby if not victory, deliverance is held out to me. Round one ' of those Book-packages, which the Stillschweigen'sche Buchhandlung is in the habit of importing from England, come, as is 'usual, various waste printed-sheets (macalatur-blätter), by way of 'interior wrappage into these the Clothes-Philosopher, with a certain Mohamedan reverence even for waste paper, where curious knowledge will sometimes hover, disdains not to cast his eye. Readers may judge of his astonishment when on such a defaced stray sheet, probably the outcast fraction of some English Periodical, such as they name Magazine, appears something like a Dissertation on this very subject of Fashionable Novels! It sets out, indeed, chiefly from the Secular point of view; directing itself, not without asperity, against some to me unknown individual, named Pelham, who seems to be a Mystagogue, and leading Teacher and Preacher of the Sect; so that, what indeed ' otherwise was not to be expected in such a fugitive fragmentary sheet, the true secret, the Religious physiognomy and physiology of the Dandiacal Body, is nowise laid fully open there. Nevertheless, scattered lights do from time to time sparkle out, whereby I have endeavoured to profit. Nay, in one passage selected from the Prophecies, or Mythic Theogonies, or whatever they are (for the style seems very mixed) of this Mystagogue, I find what appears to be a Confession of Faith, or Whole Duty of Man, according to the tenets of that Sect. Which Confession or Whole Duty, therefore, as proceeding from a source so authentic, I shall here arrange under Seven distinct Articles, and in very abridged shape lay before the German world; therewith taking leave of this matter. Observe, also, that to avoid

'possibility of error, I, as far as may be, quote literally from the 'Original:

'ARTICLES OF FAITH.

"1. Coats should have nothing of the triangle about them; at 'the same time, wrinkles behind should be carefully avoided.

"2. The collar is a very important point: it should be low behind, and slightly rolled.

"3. No license of fashion can allow a man of delicate taste to 'adopt the posterial luxuriance of a Hottentot.

"4. There is safety in a swallow-tail.

"5. The good sense of a gentleman is nowhere more finely de'veloped than in his rings.

"6. It is permitted to mankind, under certain restrictions, to 'wear white waistcoats.

"7. The trowsers must be exceedingly tight across the hips." All which Propositions I, for the present, content myself with 'modestly but peremptorily and irrevocably denying.

'In strange contrast with this Dandiacal Body stands another 'British Sect, originally, as I understand, of Ireland, where its 'chief seat still is; but known also in the main Island, and in'deed everywhere rapidly spreading. As this Sect has hitherto ' emitted no Canonical Books, it remains to me in the same state of obscurity as the Dandiacal, which has published Books that 'the unassisted human faculties are inadequate to read. The 'members appear to be designated by a considerable diversity of names, according to their various places of establishment in 'England they are generally called the Drudge Sect; also, un'philosophically enough, the White Negroes; and, chiefly in 'scorn by those of other communions, the Ragged-Beggar Sect. 'In Scotland, again, I find them entitled Hallanshakers, or the 'Stook-of-Duds Sect; any individual communicant is named 'Stook-of-Duds (that is, Shock of Rags), in allusion, doubtless, to 'their professional Costume. While in Ireland, which, as men'tioned, is their grand parent hive, they go by a perplexing mul'tiplicity of designations, such as B gtrotters, Redshanks, Ribbon

'men, Cottiers, Peep-of-Day Boys, Babes in the Wood, Rockites, 'Poor-Slaves: which last, however, seems to be the primary and 'generic name; whereto, probably enough, the others are only 'subsidiary species, or slight varieties; or, at most, propagated 'offsets from the parent stem, whose minute subdivisions, and 'shades of difference, it were here loss of time to dwell on. Enough for us to understand, what seems indubitable, that the 'original Sect is that of the Poor-Staves; whose doctrines, practiเ ces, and fundamental characteristics pervade and animate the 'whole Body, howsoever denominated or outwardly diversified.

The precise speculative tenets of this Brotherhood: how the 'Universe, and the Man, and Man's Life, picture themselves to 'the mind of an Irish Poor-Slave; with what feelings and opin'ions he looks forward on the Future, round on the Present, back on the Past, it were extremely difficult to specify. Something 'Monastic there appears to be in their Constitution: we find 'them bound by the two Monastic Vows of Poverty and Obe'dience; which Vows, especially the former, it is said, they ob-. 6 serve with great strictness; nay, as I have understood it, they 'are pledged, and be it by any solemn Nazarene ordination or 'not, irrevocably consecrated thereto, even before birth. That the 'third Monastic Vow, of Chastity, is rigidly enforced among them, 'I find no ground to conjecture.

'Furthermore, they appear to imitate the Dandiacal Sect in 'their grand principle of wearing a peculiar Costume. Of which 'Irish Poor-Slave Costume no description will indeed be found in the present Volume; for this reason, that by the imperfect organ of Language it did not seem describable. Their raiment 'consists of innumerable skirts, lappets, and irregular wings, of 'all cloths and of all colours; through the labyrinthic intricacies ' of which their bodies are introduced by some unknown process. 'It is fastened together by a multiplex combination of buttons, 'thrums, and skewers; to which frequently is added a girdle of 'leather, of hempen or even of straw rope, round the loins. To 'straw rope, indeed, they seem partial, and often wear it by way 'of sandals. In head-dress they affect a certain freedom; hats 'with partial brim, without crown, or with only a loose, hinged, or valve crown; in the former case, they sometimes invert the

'hat, and wear it brim uppermost, like a University-cap, with 'what view is unknown.

'The name Poor-Slaves, seems to indicate a Slavonic, Polish, 'or Russian origin: not so, however, the interior essence and 'spirit of their Superstition, which rather displays a Teutonic or 'Druidical character. One might fancy them worshippers of 'Hertha, or the Earth: for they dig and affectionately work con'tinually in her bosom; or else, shut up in private Oratories, 'meditate and manipulate the substances derived from her; sel'dom looking up towards the Heavenly Luminaries, and then 'with comparative indifference. Like the Druids, on the other hand, they live in dark dwellings; often even breaking their 'glass-windows, where they find such, and stuffing them up with pieces of raiment, or other opaque substances, till the fit obscu'rity is restored. Again, like all followers of Nature-Worship, 'they are liable to outbreakings of an enthusiasm rising to fero'city; and burn men, if not in wicker idols, yet in sod cottages.

In respect of diet, they have also their observances. All 'Poor-Slaves are Rhizophagous (or Root-eaters); a few are Ichthyophagous, and use Salted Herrings: other animal food they 'abstain from; except indeed, with perhaps some strange invert'ed fragment of a Brahminical feeling, such animals as die a 'natural death. Their universal sustenance is the root named 'Potato, cooked by fire alone; and generally without condiment 'or relish of any kind, save an unknown condiment named Point, 'into the meaning of which I have vainly inquired; the victual 'Potatoes-and-Point not appearing, at least not with specific ac'curacy of description, in any European Cookery-Book whatever. For drink they use, with an almost epigrammatic counterpoise 'of taste, Milk, which is the mildest of liquors, and Potheen, which 'is the fiercest. This latter I have tasted, as well as the English 'Blue-Ruin, and the Scotch Whisky, analogous fluids used by the 'Sect in those countries: it evidently contains some form of al'cohol, in the highest state of concentration, though disguised 'with acrid oils and is, on the whole, the most pungent substance 'known to me, indeed, a perfect liquid fire. In all their Reli'gious Solemnities, Potheen is said to be an indispensable requi'site, and largely consumed

'An Irish Traveller, of perhaps common veracity, who presents 'himself under the to me unmeaning title of The late John Ber'nard, offers the following sketch of a domestic establishment, the 'inmates whereof, though such is not stated expressly, appear to 'have been of that Faith. Thereby shall my German readers 'now behold an Irish Poor-Slave, as it were with their own eyes; 'and even see him at meat. Moreover, in the so precious waste'paper sheet, above mentioned, I have found some corresponding 'picture of a Dandiacal Household, painted by that same Dandi'acal Mystagogue, or Theogonist: this also, by way of counterpart and contrast, the world shall look into.

'First, therefore, of the Poor-Slave, who appears likewise to 'have been a species of Innkeeper. I quote from the original: "The furniture of this Caravansera consisted of a large iron 'Pot, two oaken Tables, two Benches, two Chairs, and a Potheen 'Noggin. There was a Loft above (attainable by a ladder), upon 'which the inmates slept; and the space below was divided by a 'hurdle into two Apartments; the one for their cow and pig, the 'other for themselves and guests. On entering the house we 'discovered the family, eleven in number, at dinner; the father 'sitting at the top, the mother at bottom, the children on each 'side of a large oaken Board which was scooped out in the mid'dle, like a Trough, to receive the contents of their Pot of Pota'toes. Little holes were cut at equal distances to contain Salt; ' and a bowl of Milk stood on the table: all the luxuries of meat 'and beer, bread, knives, and dishes were dispensed with." The 'Poor-Slave himself our Traveller found, as he says, broad-backed, 'black-browed, of great personal strength, and mouth from ear to ear. His Wife was a sun-browned but well-featured woman; 'and his young ones, bare and chubby, had the appetite of ravens. Of their Philosophical, or Religious tenets or observances, no 'notice or hint.

'But now, secondly, of the Dandiacal Household; in which, 'truly, that often-mentioned Mystagogue and inspired Penman 'himself has his abode: "A Dressing-room splendidly furnished; 'violet-coloured curtains, chairs and ottomans of the same hue. 'Two full-length Mirrors are placed, one on each side of a table, 'which supports the luxuries of the Toilet. Several Bottles of