Well, I mean that fanatics,
hypocrites, and malicious gossips generally rule society :
sometimes under the cloak of religion, sometimes as envious, presumptuous censors, they intimidate the true and
innocent, who resist not, nor despise, — but slavishly cower
before their unblushing falsehood....
(Scenes Beyond the Western Border, August 1852; and
Scenes and Adventures in the Army, 355)
The imputation of tyranny is no great stretch from "intimidate" and "slavishly cower." In the book version, the synoptic
Table of Contents describes this section as "
Tyranny
of Society and Fashion."
Like an icicle-dagger, Goneril at once stabbed and froze; so at least
they said; and when she saw frankness and innocence tyrannized into sad
nervousness under her spell, according to the same authority, inly she
chewed her blue clay, and you could mark that she chuckled. (The Confidence-man)
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