SOMETHINGisthereaboutPeacockthatwedon\'tpossess。Strainyourneckeverso，youcan\'tmakeitaslongorasblueashis——cockyourtailasmuchasyouplease，anditwillneverbehalfsofinetolookat。Butthemostabsurd，disgusting，contemptiblesightintheworldwouldyouandIbe，leavingthebarn—doorformylady\'sflower—garden，forsakingournaturalsturdywalkforthepeacock\'sgenteelricketystride，andadoptingthesqueakofhisvoiceintheplaceofourgallantlustycock—a—doodle—dooing。
Doyoutaketheallegory？Ilovetospeakinsuch，andtheabovetypeshavebeenpresentedtomymindwhilesittingoppositeagimcrackcoat—of—armsandcoronetthatarepaintedintheInvalidesChurch，andassignedtooneoftheEmperor\'sGenerals。
Ventrebleu！Madam，whatneedhaveTHEYofcoats—of—armsandcoronets，andwretchedimitationsofoldexplodedaristocraticgewgawsthattheyhadflungoutofthecountry——withtheheadsoftheownersinthemsometimes，forindeedtheywerenotparticular——ascoreofyearsbefore？Whatbusiness，forsooth，hadtheytobemeddlingwithgentilityandapingitsways，whohadcourage，merit，daring，geniussometimes，andaprideoftheirowntosupport，ifproudtheywereinclinedtobe？Acleveryoungman（whowasnotofhighfamilyhimself，buthadbeenbredupgenteellyatEtonandtheuniversity）——youngMr。GeorgeCanning，atthecommencementoftheFrenchRevolution，sneeredat\"RolandtheJust，withribbonsinhisshoes，\"andthedandies，whothenworebuckles，votedthesarcasmmonstrouskilling。Itwasajoke，mydear，worthyofalackey，orofasillysmartparvenu，notknowingthesocietyintowhichhisluckhadcasthim（Godhelphim！inlateryears，theytaughthimwhattheywere！），andfancyinginhissillyintoxicationthatsimplicitywasludicrousandfashionrespectable。See，now，fiftyyearsaregone，andwhereareshoebuckles？Extinct，defunct，kickedintotheirrevocablepastoffthetoesofallEurope！
Howfataltotheparvenu，throughouthistory，hasbeenthisrespectforshoebuckles。Where，forinstance，wouldtheEmpireofNapoleonhavebeen，ifNeyandLanneshadneversportedsuchathingasacoat—of—arms，andhadonlywrittentheirsimplenamesontheirshields，afterthefashionofDesaix\'sscutcheonyonder？——theboldRepublicanwholedthecrowningchargeatMarengo，andsentthebestbloodoftheHolyRomanEmpiretotheright—about，beforethewretchedmisbegottenimperialheraldrywasborn，thatwastoprovesodisastroustothefatherofit。Ithasalwaysbeenso。Theywon\'tamalgamate。Acountrymustbegovernedbytheoneprincipleortheother。Butgive，inarepublic，anaristocracyeversolittlechance，anditworksandplotsandsneaksandbulliesandsneersitselfintoplace，andyoufinddemocracyoutofdoors。Isitgoodthatthearistocracyshouldsotriumph？——thatisaquestionthatyoumaysettleaccordingtoyourownnotionsandtaste;andpermitmetosay，Idonotcaretwopencehowyousettleit。Largebookshavebeenwrittenuponthesubjectinavarietyoflanguages，andcomingtoavarietyofconclusions。Greatstatesmenarethereinourcountry，fromLordLondonderrydowntoMr。Vincent，eachinhisdegreemaintaininghisdifferentopinion。Buthere，inthematterofNapoleon，isasimplefact:hefoundedagreat，glorious，strong，potentrepublic，abletocopewiththebestaristocraciesintheworld，andperhapstobeatthemall;heconvertshisrepublicintoamonarchy，andsurroundshismonarchywithwhathecallsaristocraticinstitutions;andyouknowwhatbecomesofhim。Thepeopleestranged，thearistocracyfaithless（whendidtheyeverpardononewhowasnotofthemselves？）——theimperialfabrictumblestotheground。Ifitteachesnothingelse，mydear，itteachesoneagreatpointofpolicy——namely，tostickbyone\'sparty。
Whilethesethoughts（andsundryothersrelativetothehorriblecoldoftheplace，theintensedulnessofdelay，thestupidityofleavingawarmbedandabreakfastinordertowitnessaprocessionthatismuchbetterperformedatatheatre）——whilethesethoughtswerepassinginthemind，thechurchbegantofillapace，andyousawthatthehouroftheceremonywasdrawingnear。