william ewart gladstone-第7章

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on　those　who　from　time　to　time　filled　the　place　that　had　been　his　in
the　government　of　the　country　or　the　leadership　of　his　party。
Although　his　opinion　on　current　questions　was　frequently　solicited；
he　scarcely　ever　allowed　it　to　be　known；　and　never　himself　addressed
the　nation；　except　（as　already　mentioned）　on　behalf　of　what　he
deemed　a　sacred　cause；　altogether　above　partythe　discharge　by
Britain　of　her　duty　to　the　victims　of　the　Turk。　　As　soon　as　an
operation　for　cataract　had　enabled　him　to　read　or　write　for　seven
hours　a　day；　he　devoted　himself　with　his　old　ardor　to　the
preparation　of　an　edition　of　Bishop　Butler's　works；　resumed　his
multifarious　reading；　and　filled　up　the　interstices　of　his　working…
time　with　studies　on　Homer　which　he　had　been　previously　unable　to
complete。　　No　trace　of　the　moroseness　of　old　age　appeared　in　his
manners　or　his　conversation；　nor　did　he；　though　profoundly　grieved
at　some　of　the　events　which　he　witnessed；　and　owning　himself
disappointed　at　the　slow　advance　made　by　some　causes　dear　to　him；
appear　less　hopeful　than　in　earlier　days　of　the　general　progress　of
the　world；　or　less　confident　in　the　beneficent　power　of　freedom　to
promote　the　happiness　of　his　country。　　The　stately　simplicity　which
had　been　the　note　of　his　private　life　seemed　more　beautiful　than
ever　in　this　quiet　evening　of　a　long　and　sultry　day。　　His
intellectual　powers　were　unimpaired；　his　thirst　for　knowledge
undiminished。　　But　a　placid　stillness　had　fallen　upon　him　and　his
household；　and　in　seeing　the　tide　of　his　life　begin　slowly　to　ebb；
one　thought　of　the　lines　of　his　illustrious　contemporary　and　friend：


　　　such　a　tide　as　moving　seems　asleep；
　　　　　　Too　full　for　sound　or　foam；
When　that　which　drew　from　out　the　boundless　deep
　　　　　　Turns　again　home。



CHAPTER　VI：　　SOCIAL　QUALITIES



Adding　these　charms　of　manner　to　a　memory　of　extraordinary　strength
and　quickness　and　to　an　amazing　vivacity　and　variety　of　mental
force；　any　one　can　understand　how　fascinating　Mr。　Gladstone　was　in
society。　　He　enjoyed　it　to　the　last；　talking　as　earnestly　and
joyously　at　eighty…five　as　he　had　done　at　twenty　on　every　topic　that
came　up；　and　exerting　himself　with　equal　zest；　whether　his
interlocutor　was　an　arch…bishop　or　a　young　curate。　　Though　his　party
used　to　think　that　he　overvalued　the　political　influence　of　the
great　Whig　houses　and　gave　them　more　than　their　fair　share　of　honors
and　appointments；　no　one　was　personally　more　free　from　that　taint　of
snobbishness　which　is　so　frequently　charged　upon　Englishmen。　　He
gave　the　best　he　had　to　everybody　alike；　paying　to　men　of　learning
and　letters　a　respect　which　they　seldom　receive　from　English
politicians　or　social　magnates。　　And　although　he　was　scrupulously
observant　of　all　the　rules　of　precedence　and　conventions　of　social
life；　it　was　easy　to　see　that　neither　rank　nor　wealth　had　that
importance　in　his　eyes　which　the　latter；　especially　nowadays；
commands　in　London。　　Dispensing　titles　and　decorations　with　a
liberal　hand；　his　pride　always　refused　such　so…called　honors　for
himself。　　When　Mr。　Disraeli　became　Earl　of　Beaconsfield；　his　smile
had　a　touch　of　contempt　in　it　as　he　observed；　〃I　cannot　forgive　him
for　not　having　made　himself　a　duke。〃

It　was　often　said　of　him　that　he　lacked　humor；　but　this　was　only　so
far　true　that　he　was　apt　to　throw　into　small　matters　a　force　and
moral　earnestness　which　ordinary　people　thought　needless；　and　to
treat　seriously　opponents　whom　a　little　light　sarcasm　would　have
better　reduced　to　their　insignificance。　　In　private　he　was　wont　both
to　tell　and　enjoy　good　stories；　while　in　Parliament；　though　his　tone
was　generally　earnest；　he　would　occasionally　display　such　effective
powers　of　banter　and　ridicule　as　to　make　people　wonder　why　they　were
so　rarely　put　forth。　　A　great　deal　of　what　passes　in　London　for
humor　is　mere　cynicism；　and　he　hated　cynicism　so　heartily　as　to
dislike　even　humor　when　it　had　a　touch　of　cynical　flavor。　　Wit　he
enjoyed；　but　did　not　produce。　　The　turn　of　his　mind　was　not　to
brevity　and　point　and　condensation。　　He　sometimes　struck　off　a
telling　phrase；　but　never　polished　an　epigram。　　His　conversation　was
luminous　rather　than　sparkling；　you　were　interested　and　instructed
while　you　listened；　but　the　words　seldom　dwelt　in　your　memory。

After　the　death　of　Thomas　Carlyle　he　was　beyond　dispute　the　best
talker　in　London；　and　a　talker　far　more　agreeable　than　either
Carlyle　or　Macaulay；　inasmuch　as　he　was　no　less　ready　to　listen　than
to　speak；　and　never　wearied　the　dinner…table　by　a　monologue。　　His
simplicity；　his　spontaneity；　his　genial　courtesy；　as　well　as　the
vast　fund　of　knowledge　and　of　personal　recollections　at　his　command；
made　him　extremely　popular　in　society；　so　that　his　opponents　used　to
say　that　it　was　dangerous　to　meet　him；　because　one　might　be　forced
to　leave　off　hating　him。　　He　was；　perhaps；　too　prone　to　go　on
talking　upon　one　subject　which　happened　to　fill　his　mind　at　the
moment；　nor　was　it　easy　to　divert　his　attention　to　something　else
which　others　might　deem　more　important。　　Those　who　stayed　with　him
in　the　same　country　house　sometimes　complained　that　the　perpetual
display　of　force　and　eagerness　fatigued　them；　as　one　tires　of
watching　the　rush　of　Niagara。　　His　guests；　however；　did　not　feel
this；　for　his　own　home　life　was　quiet　and　smooth。　　He　read　and　wrote
a　good　many　hours　daily；　but　never　sat　up　late；　almost　always　slept
soundly；　never　missed　early　morning　service　at　the　parish　church；
never　seemed　oppressed　or　driven　to　strain　his　strength。　　With　all
his　impetuosity；　he　was　remarkably　regular；　systematic；　and
deliberate　in　his　habits　and　ways　of　doing　business。　　A　swift　reader
and　a　surprisingly　swift　writer；　he　was　always　occupied；　and　was
skilful　in　using　even　the　scraps　and　fragments　of　his　time。　　No
pressure　of　work　made　him　fussy　or　fidgety；　nor　could　any　one
remember　to　have　seen　him　in　a　hurry。



CHAPTER　VII：　　AUTHORSHIP



The　best　proof　of　his　swiftness；　his　industry；　and　his　skill　in
economizing　time　is　to　be　found　in　the　quantity　of　his　literary
work；　which；　considering　the　abstruse　nature　of　the　subjects　to
which　most　of　it　is　related；　would　have　been　creditable　to　the
diligence　of　a　German　professor　sitting　alone　in　his　study。　　As　to
the　merits　of　the　work　there　has　been　some　controversy。　　Mankind　are
slow　to　credit　the　same　person　with　eminence　in　various　fields。
When　they　read　the　prose　of　a　great　poet；　they　try　it　by　severer
tests　than　would　be　applied　to　other　prose…writers。　　When　a　painter
wins　fame　by　his　portraits　or　his　landscapes；　they　are　apt　to
discourage　any　other　kind　of　painting　he　may　attempt。　　So　Mr。
Gladstone's　reputation　as　an　orator　stood　in　his　own　light　when　he
appeared　as　an　author。　　He　was　read　with　avidity　by　thousands　who
would　not　have　looked　at　the　article　or　book　had　it　borne　any　other
name；　but　he　was　judged　by　the　standard；　not　of　his　finest　printed
speeches；　for　his　speeches　were　seldom　models　of　composition；　but
rather　by　that　of　the　impression　which　his　speeches　made　on　those
who　heard　them。　　Since　his　warmest　admirers　could　not　claim　for　him
as　a　writer　of　prose　any　such　pre…eminence　as　belonged　to　him　as　a
speaker；　it　followed　that　his　written　work　was　not　duly　appreciated。
Had　he　been　a　writer　and　nothing　else；　he　would　have　been　famous　and
powerful　by　his　pen。

He　might；　however；　have　failed　to　secure　a　place　in　the　front　rank。
His　style　was　forcible；　copious；　rich　with　various　knowledge；　warm
with　the　ardor　of　his　nature。　　But　it　had　three　serious　defects。　　It
was　diffuse；　apt　to　pursue　a　topic　into　details；　when　these　might
have　been　left　to　the　reader's　own　reflection。　　It　was　redundant；
employing　more　words　than　were　needed　to　convey　the　substance。　　It
was　unchastened；　indulging　too　freely　in　tropes　and　metaphors；　in
quotations　and　adapted　phrases　even　when　the　quotation　added　nothing
to　the　sense；　but　was　due　merely　to　some　association　in　his　own
mind。　　Thus　it　seldom　reached　a　high　level　of　purity　and　grace；　and
though　one　might　excuse　its　faults　as　natural　to　the　work　of　a　swift
and　busy　man；　they　were　sufficient　to　prevent　readers　from　deriving
much　pleasure　from　the　mere　form　and　dress　of　his　thoughts。
Nevertheless　there　are　passages；　and　not　a　few　passages；　both　in　the
books　and　in　the　articles；　of　rare　merit；　among　which　may　be　cited
（not　as　exceptionally　good；　but　as　typical　of　his　strong　points）　the
striking　picture　of　his　own　youthful　feeling　toward　the　Church　of
England　contained　in　the　　〃Chapter　of　Autobiography；〃　and　the
refined　criticism　of　〃Robert　Elsmere；〃　published　in　1888。　　Almost
the　last　thing　he　wrote；　a　pamphlet　on　the　Greek　and　Cretan
question；　published　in　the　spring　of　1897；　has　all　the　force　and
cogency　of　his　best　days。　　Two　things　were　never　wanting　to　him：
vigor　of　expression　and　an　admirable　command　of　appropriate　words。

His　writings　fall　into　three　classes：　　political；　theological；　and
literarythe　last　including；　and　indeed　chiefly　consisting　of；　his
books　and　articles　upon　Homer　and　the　Homeric　question。　　All　the
political　writings；　except　his　books　on　〃The　State　in　its　Relations
to　the　Church〃　and　〃Church　Principles　Considered　in　their　Results；〃
belong　to　the　class　of　occasional　literature；　being　pamphlets　or
articles　produced　with　a　view　to　some　current　crisis　or　controversy。
They　are　valuable　chiefly　as　proceeding　from　one　who　bore　a　leading
part　in　the　affairs　they　relate　to；　and　as　embodying　vividly　the
opinions　and　aspirations　of　the　moment；　less　frequently　in　respect
of　permanent　lessons　of　political　wisdom；　such　as　one　finds　in
Machiavelli　or　Tocqueville　or　Edmund　Burke。　　Like　Pitt　and　Peel；　Mr。
Gladstone　had　a　mind　which；　whatever　its　original　tendencies；　had
come　to　be　rather　practical　than　meditative。　　He　was　fond　of
generalizations　and　principles；　but　they　were　always　directly
related　to　the　questions　that　came　before　him　in　actual　politics；
and　the　number　of　general　maxims　or　illuminative　suggestions　to　be
found　in　his　writings　and　speeches　is　not　large　in　proportion　to
their　sustained　intellectual　vigor。　　Even　Disraeli；　though　his　views
were　often　fanciful　and　his　epigrams　often　forced；　gives　us　more
frequently　a　brilliant　（if　only　half　true）　historical　apercu；　or
throws　a　flash　of　light　into　some　corner　of　human　character。　　Of　the
theological　essays；　which　are　mainly　apologetic　and　concerned　with
the　authenticity　and　authority　of　Scripture；　it　is　enough　to　say
that　they　exhibit　the　same　general　characteristics　as　the　treatises
dealing　with　Homer；　which　were　the　most　serious　piece　of　work　that
proceeded　from　Mr。　Gladstone's　pen。　　These　Homeric　treatises　are　in
one　sense　worthless；　in　another　sense　admirable。　　Those　parts　of
them　which　deal　with　early　Greek　mythology　and　religion；　with
Homeric　geography　and　genealogy；　and　in　a　less　degree　with　the　use
of　Homeric　epithets；　have　been　condemned　by　the　unanimous　voice　of
scholars　as　fantastic。　　The　premises　are　assumed　without　sufficient
investigation；　while　the　reasonings　are　fine…drawn　and　flimsy。
Extraordinary　ingenuity　is　shown　in　piling　up　a　lofty　fabric；　but
the　foundation　is　of　sand；　and　the　edifice　has　hardly　a　solid　wall
or　b