An English Election: Summary

Oliver Goldsmith was one of the most delightful writers of the 18th century. In essay, he describes the campaigns and celebrations of the English people during the public elections to the post of magistrates conducted every seventh year. The candidates make the voters happy by inviting them to numerous lunches and dinners. No festival in the world can be compared with it for the lavish eating involved  A large number of cows, pigs, geese and turkeys are killed for preparing the election parties.

In many foreign countries, people discuss important matters over a cup of coffee  But, in England, conferences  and meetings can be conducted only over lunch or over dinner. When a new church is built, all the village people are entertained with a feast. When a new hospital is inaugurated  all the doctors, nurses and the prospective patients are given a great lunch. When a company conducts a director board meeting, they eat upon the discussion instead of simply talking about it across empty tables.

An English Election

By Oliver Goldsmith

The English are at present employed in celebrating a feast which becomes general every seventh year; the Parliament of the nation being then dissolved and another appointed to be chosen. This solemnity falls infinitely short of our Feast of the Lanterns in magnificence and splendour; it is also surpassed by others of the East in unanimity and pure devotion, but no festival in the world can compare with it for eating. Their eating indeed amazes me: Had I five hundred heads, and were each head furnished with brains, yet would they all be insufficient to compute the number of cows, pigs, geese and turkeys, which upon this occasion die for the good of their country!

To say the truth, eating seems to make a grand ingredient in all English parties of zeal, business or amusement. When a Church is to be built, or an Hospital endowed, the Directors assemble, and instead of consulting upon it, they eat upon it, by which means the business goes forward with success. When the Poor are to be relieved, the officers appointed to dole out public charity, assemble and eat upon it: Nor has it ever been known, that they filled the bellies of the poor till they had previously satisfied their own. But in the election of Magistrates the people seem to exceed all bounds; the merits of a candidate are often measured by the number of his treats; his constituents assemble, eat upon him, and lend their applause, not to his integrity or sense, but the quantities of his beef and brandy.