'Come now, you'll say I used to be a Tory.'

Grayscale illustration of a man in formal attire on a large platform holding his hat and addressing a large group of people in the streets.

Jack Lingon, rector of Little Treby and uncle of Harold, addresses the crowd at Harold Transome's political rally as Harold sits behind him. Reverend Lingon says, "Come now, you'll say I used to be a Tory," although he now has more liberal views. His pragmatic yet humorous political speech demonstrates the shifting allegiances and nuanced perspectives within the Reform era. His argument for adaptability over rigid, dogmatic ideology, highlights the complex and evolving nature of political identity in the novel (Chapter 19).

Hartrick, Archibald Standish (1864-1950)

George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org

1908

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Hartrick, Archibald Standish (1864-1950), 'Come now, you'll say I used to be a Tory.', George Eliot Illustrations Gallery, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/83508