Fashionable Philosophy

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Fashionable Philosophy

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Oliphant
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Title: Fashionable Philosophy and Other Sketches
Author: Laurence Oliphant

Release Date: November 20, 2005 [eBook #17120]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
FASHIONABLE PHILOSOPHY***

Transcribed from the 1887 William Blackwood and Sons edition by
David Price, email [email protected]

FASHIONABLE PHILOSOPHY AND OTHER SKETCHES
[Title page: title.jpg]
BY LAURENCE OLIPHANT
AUTHOR OF 'PICCADILLY,' 'ALTIORA PETO,' 'MASOLLAM,'
ETC.
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND
LONDON MDCCCLXXXVII
PRICE ONE SHILLING

PREFACE.
That railway travel is not, as a rule, conducive to serious thought, may
fairly be inferred from the class of literature displayed on the bookstalls
at the stations. I have therefore refrained from any attempt to excite the
reflective faculties of the reader, excepting in the first and third of the
accompanying sketches, and even in these have only ventured to
suggest ideas, the full scope and pregnancy of which it must be left to
his own idiosyncrasy to appreciate and develop, the more especially as
they bear upon a certain current of investigation which has recently
become popular.
I have to express my thanks to the Editor of the 'Nineteenth Century
Review' for the kind permission he has granted me to reproduce "The
Sisters of Thibet"; and I avail myself of the opportunity thus afforded
of removing the impression which, to my surprise, was conveyed to me
by letters from numerous correspondents, that the article contained any
record of my own personal experiences. The satire was suggested by
the work of an author whose sincerity I do not doubt, and for whose
motives I have the highest respect, in order to point out what appears to
me the defective morality, from an altruistic and practical point of view,

of a system of which he is the principal exponent in this country, and
which, under the name of Esoteric Buddhism, still seems to possess
some fascination for a certain class of minds.
The other articles originally appeared in 'Blackwood's Magazine,' and I
wish to express my acknowledgments to my publishers for their usual
courtesy in allowing me to republish them in this form.
ATHENAEUM CLUB, January 1887.
CONTENTS.
Fashionable Philosophy The Brigand's Bride: a tale of Southern Italy
The Sisters of Thibet Adolphus: a comedy of affinities

FASHIONABLE PHILOSOPHY.
SCENE--_A London Drawing-room_. TIME--5 _o'clock_ P.M.
The afternoon tea apparatus in one corner of the room, and Lady
Fritterly on a couch in another. The Hon. Mrs Allmash is announced.
Lady Fritterly. How too kind, dear, of you to come, and so early, too!
I've got such a lot of interesting people coming, and we are going to
discuss the religion of the future.
Mrs Allmash. How quite delightful! I do so long for something more
substantial than the theologies of the past! It is becoming quite puzzling
to know what to teach one's children: mine are getting old enough now
to understand about things, and one ought to teach them something. I
was talking about it to that charming Professor Germsell last night.
Lady Fritterly. Well, I hope he is coming presently, so you will be able
to continue your conversation. Then there is Mr Coldwaite, the
celebrated Comtist; and Mr Fussle, who writes those delightful articles
on prehistoric aesthetic evolution; and Mr Drygull, the eminent
theosophist, whose stories about esoteric Buddhism are quite too

extraordinary, and who has promised to bring a Khoja--a most
interesting moral specimen, my dear--who has just arrived from
Bombay; and Lord Fondleton.
Mrs Allmash. Lord Fondleton! I did not know that he was interested in
such subjects.
Lady Fritterly. He says he is, dear; between ourselves--but this, of
course, is strictly _entre nous_--I rather think that it is I who interest
him: but I encourage him, poor fellow; it may wean him from the
unprofitable life he is leading, and turn his mind to higher things. Oh! I
almost forgot,---then there is my new beauty!
Mrs Allmash. Your new beauty!
Lady Fritterly. Yes; if you could only have dined with me the other
night, you would have met her. I had such a perfect little dinner. Just
think! A poet, an actor, a journalist, a painter, a wit, and a new beauty.
I'll tell you how I found her. She really belongs at present to Lady
Islington and myself; but of course, now we have started her, all the
other people will snap her up. We found that