Lords in wigs

Their portraits don’t do them justice; they don’t show the gangrened legs arthritic hands, or addled brains. Powdered wigs hide their scabrous skulls. Makeup and clever lighting conceal their pale cheeks and syphilitic noses. They think that not smiling gives an air of gravitas, but actually smiling would reveal their rotting teeth. Some lords are painted standing with swords, but the painters had to fake that; they couldn’t stand for even a short sitting. Then there’s their meanness, abusiveness, mendaciousness, immorality, greed, idolatry, childish narcissism, and petty grudges. They must be praised for stupid decisions and given credit for any success. They lie to others and to themselves and forget that their self importance is a leprous sore, festering and stinking.