history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第14节

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　and　the　Honorable　Gentlemen；　I　must　say；　are　small。　The　hour；　little　as　you　dream　of　it；　my　Honorable　Friends；　is　pregnant　with　questions　that　are　immense。　Wide　Continents；　long　Epochs　and　AEons　hang　on　this　poor　jargoning　of　yours；　the　Eternal　Destinies　are　asking　their　much…　favored　Nation；　'Will　you；　can　you？'much…favored　Nation　is　answering　in　that　manner。　Astonished　at　its　own　stupidity；　and　taking　refuge　in　laughter。　The　Eternal　Destinies　are　very　patient　with　some　Nations；　and　can　disregard　their　follies；　for　a　long　while；　and　have　their　Cromwell；　have　their　Pitt；　or　what　else　is　essential；　ready　for　the　poor　Nation；　in　a　grandly　silent　way！

〃Certain　it　is；though　how　could　poor　Newcastle　know　it　at　all！　here　is　again　the　hour　of　tide　for　England。　Tide　is　full　again；　has　been　flowing　long　hundreds　of　years；　and　is　full：　certain；　too；　that　time　and　tide　wait　on　no　man　or　nation。　In　a　dialect　different　from　Cromwell's　or　Pitt's；　but　with　a　sense　true　to　theirs；　I　call　it　the　Eternal　Destinies　knocking　at　England's　door　again：　'Are　you　ready　for　the　crisis；　birth…point　of　long　Ages　to　you；　which　is　now　come？'　Greater　question　had　not　been；　for　centuries　past。　None　to　be　named　with　it　since　that　high　Spiritual　Question　（truly　a　much　higher；　and　which　was　in　fact　the　PARENT　of　this　and　of　all　of　high　and　great　that　lay　ahead）；　which　England　and　Oliver　Cromwell　were　there　to　answer：　'Will　you　hold　by　Consecrated　Formulas；　then；　you　English；　and　expect　salvation　from　traditions　of　the　elders；　or　are　you　for　Divine　Realities；　as　the　one　sacred　and　indispensable　thing？'　Which　they　did　answer；　in　what　way　we　know。　Truly　the　Highest　Question；　which　if　a　Nation　can　answer　WELL；　it　will　grow　in　this　world；　and　may　come　to　be　considerable；　and　to　have　many　high　Questions　to　answer；this　of　Pitt's；　for　example。　And　the　Answers　given　do　always　extend　through　coming　ages；　and　do　always　bear　harvests；　accursed　or　else　blessed；　according　as　the　Answers　were。　A　thing　awfully　true；　if　you　have　eye　for　it；a　thing　to　make　Honorable　Gentlemen　serious；　even　in　the　age　of　percussion…　caps！　No；　my　friend；　Newcastleisms；　impious　Poltrooneries；　in　a　Nation；　do　not　die：neither　（thank　God）　do　Cromwellisms　and　pious　Heroisms；　but　are　alive　for　the　poor　Nation；　even　in　its　somnambulancies；　in　its　stupidest　dreams。　For　Nations　have　their　somnambulancies；　and；　at　any　rate；　the　questions　put　to　Nations；　in　different　ages；　vary　much。　Not　in　any　age；　or　turning…point　in　History；　had　England　answered　the　Destinies　in　such　a　dialect　as　now　under　its　Newcastle　and　National　Palaver。〃

3。　OF　WALPOLE；　AS　RECORDING　ANGEL。　〃Walpole's　　George　the　Second　　is　a　Book　of　far　more　worth　than　is　commonly　ascribed　to　it；　almost　the　one　original　English　Book　yet　written　on　those　times；which；　by　the　accident　of　Pitt；　are　still　memorable　to　us。　But　for　Walpole；burning　like　a　small　steady　light　there；　shining　faithfully；　if　stingily；　on　the　evil　and　the　good；that　sordid　muddle　of　the　Pelham　Parliaments；　which　chanced　to　be　the　element　of　things　now　recognizable　enough　as　great；　would　be　forever　unintelligible。　He　is　unusually　accurate；　punctual；　lucid；　an　irrefragable　authority　on　English　points。　And　if；　in　regard　to　Foreign；　he　cannot　be　called　an　understanding　witness；　he　has　read　the　best　Documents　accessible；　has　conversed　with　select　Ambassadors　（Mitchell　and　the　like；　as　we　can　guess）；　and　has　informed　himself　to　a　degree　far　beyond　most　of　his　contemporaries。　In　regard　to　Pitt's　Speeches；　in　particular；　his　brief　jottings；　done　rapidly　while　the　matter　was　still　shining　to　him；　are　the　only　Reports　that　have　the　least　human　resemblance。　We　may　thank　Walpole　that　Pitt　is　not　dumb　to　us；　as　well　as　dark。　Very　curious　little　scratchings　and　etchings；　those　of　Walpole；　frugal；　swift；　but　punctual　and　exact；　hasty　pen…and…ink　outlines；　at　first　view；　all　barren；　bald　as　an　invoice；　seemingly；　but　which　yield　you；　after　long　study　there　and　elsewhere；　a　conceivable　notion　of　what　and　how　excellent　these　Pitt　Speeches　may　have　been。　Airy；　winged；　like　arrow…flights　of　Phoebus　Apollo；　very　superlative　Speeches　indeed。　Walpole's　Book　is　carefully　printed；few　errors　in　it　like　that　'Chapeau'　for　CHASOT；〃　which　readers　remember：〃but；　in　respect　to　editing；　may　be　characterized　as　still　wanting　an　Editor。　A　Book　UNedited；　little　but　lazy　ignorance　of　a　very　hopeless　type；　thick　contented　darkness；　traceable　throughout　in　the　marginal　part。　No　attempt　at　an　Index；　or　at　any　of　the　natural　helps　to　a　reader　now　at　such　distance　from　it。　Nay；　till　you　have　at　least　marked；　on　the　top　of　each　page；　what　Month　and　Year　it　actually　is；　the　Book　cannot　be　read　at　all；except　by　an　idle　creature；　doing　worse　than　nothing　under　the　name　of　reading！〃

4。　PITT'S　SPEECHES；　FORESHADOWING　WHAT。　〃It　is　a　kind　of　epoch　in　your　studies　of　modern　English　History　when　you　get　to　understand　of　Pitt's　Speeches；　that　they　are　not　Parliamentary　Eloquences；　but　things　which　with　his　whole　soul　he　means；　and　is　intent　to　DO。　This　surprising　circumstance；　when　at　last　become　undeniable；　makes；　on　the　sudden；　an　immense　difference　for　the　Speeches　and　you！　Speeches　are　not　a　thing　of　high　moment　to　this　Editor；　it　is　the　Thing　spoken；　and　how　far　the　speaker　means　to　do　it；　that　this　Editor　inquires　for。　Too　many　Speeches　there　are；　which　he　hears　admired　all　round；　and　has　privately　to　entertain　a　very　horrid　notion　of！　Speeches；　the　finest　in　quality　（were　quality　really　'fine'　conceivable　in　such　case）；　which　WANT　a　corresponding　fineness　of　source　and　intention；　corresponding　nobleness　of　purport；　conviction；　tendency；　these；　if　we　will　reflect；　are　frightful　instead　of　beautiful。　Yes；and　always　the　frightfuler；　the　'finer'　they　are；　and　the　faster　and　farther　they　go；　sowing　themselves　in　the　dim　vacancy　of　men's　minds。　For　Speeches；　like　all　human　things；　though　the　fact　is　now　little　remembered；　do　always　rank　themselves　as　forever　blessed；　or　as　forever　unblessed。　Sheep　or　goats；　on　the　right　hand　of　the　Final　Judge；　or　else　on　the　left。　There　are　Speeches　which　can　be　called　true；　and；　again；　Speeches　which　are　not　true：Heavens；　only　think　what　these　latter　are！　Sacked　wind；　which　you　are　intended　to　SOW；that　you　may　reap　the　whirlwind！　After　long　reading；　I　find　Chatham's　Speeches　to　be　what　he　pretends　they　are：　true；　and　worth　speaking　then　and　there。　Noble　indeed；　I　can　call　them　with　you：　the　highly　noble　Foreshadow；　necessary　preface　and　accompaniment　of　Actions　which　are　still　nobler。　A　very　singular　phenomenon　within　those　walls；　or　without！

〃Pitt；　though　nobly　eloquent；　is　a　Man　of　Action；　not　of　Speech；　an　authentically　Royal　kind　of　Man。　And　if　there　were　a　Plutarch　in　these　times；　with　a　good　deal　of　leisure　on　his　hands；　he　might　run　a　Parallel　between　Friedrich　and　Chatham。　Two　radiant　Kings：　very　shining　Men　of　Action　both；　both　of　them　hard　bested；　as　the　case　often　is。　For　your　born　King　will　generally　have；　if　not　〃all　Europe　against　him；〃　at　least　pretty　much　all　the　Universe。　Chatham's　course　to　Kingship　was　not　straight　or　smooth；as　Friedrich；　too；　had　his　well…nigh　fatal　difficulties　on　the　road。　Again；　says　the　Plutarch；　they　are　very　brave　men　both；　and　of　a　clearness　and　veracity　peculiar　among　their　contemporaries。　In　Chatham；　too；　there　is　something　of　the　flash　of　steel；　a　very　sharp…cutting；　penetrative；　rapid　individual；　he　too；　and　shaped　for　action；　first　of　all；　though　he　has　to　talk　so　much　in　the　world。　Fastidious；　proud；　no　King　could　be　prouder；　though　his　element　is　that　of　Free…Senate　and　Democracy。　And　he　has　a　beautiful　poetic　delicacy；　withal；　great　tenderness　in　him；　playfulness；　grace；　in　all　ways；　an　airy　as　well　as　a　solid　loftiness　of　mind。　Not　born　a　King；alas；　no；　not　officially　so；　only　naturally　so；　has　his　kingdom　to　seek。　The　Conquering　of　Silesia；　the　Conquering　of　the　Pelham　ParliamentsBut　we　will　shut　up　the　Plutarch　with　time　on　his　hands。

〃Pitt's　Speeches；　as　I　spell　them　from　Walpole　and　the　other　faint　tracings　left；　are　full　of　genius　in　the　vocal　kind；　far　beyond　any　Speeches　delivered　in　Parliament：　serious　always；　and　the　very　truth；　such　as　he　has　it；　but　going　in　many　dialects　and　modes；　full　of　airy　flashings；　twinkles　and　coruscations。　Sport；　as　of　sheet…lightning　glancing　about；　the　bolt　lying　under　the　horizon；　bolt　HIDDEN；　as　is　fit；　under　such　a　horizon　as　he　had。　A　singularly　radiant　man。　Could　have　been　a　Poet；　too；　in　some　small　measure；　had　he　gone　on　that　line。　There　are　many　touches　of　genius；　comic；　tragic；　lyric；　something　of　humor　even；　to　be　read　in　those　Shadows　of　Speeches　taken　down　for　us　by　Walpole。　。。。

〃In　one　word；　Pitt；　shining　like　a　gleam　of　sharp　steel　in　that　murk　of　contemptibilities；　is　carefully　steering　his　way　towards　Kingship　over　it。　Tragical　it　is　（especially　in　Pitt's　case；　first　and　last）　to　see　a　Royal　Man；　or　Born　King；　wading　towards　his　throne　in　such　an　element。　But；　alas；　the　Born　King　（even　when　he　tries；　which　I　take　to　be　the　rarer　case）　so　seldom　can　arrive　there　at　all；sinful　Epochs　there　are；　when　Heaven's　curse　has　been　spoken；　and　it　is　that　awful　Being；　the　Born　Sham…King；　that　arrives！　Pitt；　however；　does　it。　Yes；　and　the　more　we　study　Pitt；　the　more　we　shall