Final answer:
The word 'unwashed' matches with 'a) the mob' which refers to the general populace or lower classes, as opposed to the elite, scholars, or nobility who are associated with higher social standing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term "unwashed" colloquially refers to the masses or the common people and often carries a connotation of the unsophisticated or the lower classes. Therefore, the correct match for the word "unwashed" among the options given would be a) the mob. This term contrasts with groups like the elite, the scholars, and the nobility, who have historically been associated with higher status, power, or education in society.
In the context provided, the mention of the nobility being 'shut into themselves' and the comparison to 'good people' of the upper ranks further illustrates the societal divide between the upper classes and the common people, or 'the mob.' Looking at various social strata throughout history, such as in Neo-Assyrian society or the European nobility, one can see the distinctions between the different classes and how the elites often separated themselves from the common masses.