Novels and Tales Vivian Grey - 1 Author:Benjamin Disraeli Volume: 1 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1900 Original Publisher: Longmans, Green Subjects: Fiction / Classics Fiction / Literary Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos ... more »or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER XV Swf It render ! you know what a Toadey is ? That agreeable animal which you meet every day in civilised society. But perhaps yon have not speculated very curiously upon this interesting race. So much the worse ! for you cannot live many lustres without finding it of some service to be a little acquainted with their habits. The world in general is under a mistake as to the nature of these vermin. They are by no means characterised by that similarity of disposition for which your common observer gives them credit. There are Toadeys of all possible natures. There is your Common-place Toadey, who merely echoes its feeder's common-place observations. There is your Playing-up Toadey, who, unconscious to its feeder, is always playing up to its feeder's weaknesses ; and, as the taste of that feeder varies, accordingly provides its catcs and confitures. A little bit of scandal for a dashing widow, or a pious little hymn for a sainted one; the secret history of a newly discovered gas for a May Fair feeder, and an interesting aneedote about a Newgate bobcap or a Penitentiary apron for a charitable one. Then there is your Drawing-out Toadey, who omits no opportunity of giving you a chance of being victorious in an argument where there is no contest, and a dispute where there is no difference ; and then there is but we detest essay writing, so we introduce you at once to a party of these vermin. If yon wish to enjoy a curious sight, you must w...« less