biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第10节

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the　soul　and　the　　brain　of　the　Sebastopol　defence。　　The　first　fell　in　the　siege；　the　　second　lived　to　write　its　history；　to　become　a　valued　friend　of　　Kinglake；　to　explore　and　interpret　in　his　company　long　afterwards　　the　scenes　of　struggle；　his　book　and　his　personal　guidance　gave　to　　the　historian　what　would　otherwise　have　been　unattainable；　a　clear　　knowledge　of　the　conflict　as　viewed　from　within　the　town。

The　pitched　battlefields　of　the　campaign　were　three；　Alma；　　Balaclava；　Inkerman。　　The　Alma　chapter　is　the　most　graphic；　for　　there　the　fight　was　concentrated；　offering　to　a　spectator　by　Lord　　Raglan's　side　a　COUP　D'OEIL　of　the　entire　action。　　The　French　were　　by　bad　generalship　virtually　wiped　out；　for　Bosquet　crossed　the　　river　too　far　to　the　right；　Canrobert　was　afraid　to　move　without　　artillery；　Prince　Napoleon　and　St。　Arnaud's　reserves　were　jammed　　together　in　the　bottom　of　the　valley。　　We　see；　as　though　on　the　　spot；　the　advance；　irregular　and　unsupported；　of　Codrington's　　brigade；　their　dash　into　the　Great　Redoubt　and　subsequent　　disorderly　retreat；　the　enemy　checked　by　the　two　guns　from　Lord　　Raglan's　knoll　and　by　the　steadiness　of　the　Royal　Fusiliers；　the　　repulse　of　the　Scots　Fusiliers　and　the　peril　which　hung　over　the　　event；　then　the　superb　advance　of　Guards　and　Highlanders　up　the　　hill；　thin　red　line　against　massive　columns；　which　determined　　finally　the　action。

The　interest　of　the　Balaclava　fight　centres　in　the　two　historic　　cavalry　charges。　　Here　again；　from　his　position　on　the　hill　above；　　Kinglake　witnessed　both；　the　first；　clear　in　smokeless　air；　the　　second　lost　in　the　volleying　clouds　which　filled　the　valley　of　　death。　　He　saw　the　enormous　mass　of　Russian　cavalry；　3；500　sabres；　　flooding　like　an　avalanche　down　the　hill　with　a　momentum　which　　Scarlett's　tiny　squadron　could　not　for　a　moment　have　resisted；　　their　unexplained　halt；　the　three　hundred　seizing　the　opportunity　　to　strike；　digging　individually　into　the　Russian　ranks；　the　scarlet　　streaks　visibly　cleaving　the　dense　grey　columns。　　Inwedged　and　　surrounded；　in　their　passionate　blood　frenzy；　with　ceaseless　play　　of　whirling　sword；　with　impetus　of　human　and　equestrian　weight　and　　strength；　the　red　atoms　hewed　their　way　to　the　Russian　rear；　　turned；　worked　back；　emerged；　reformed；　while　the　4th　and　5th　　Dragoons；　the　Royals；　the　1st　Inniskillings；　dashed　upon　the　amazed　　column　right；　left；　front；　till　the　close…locked　mass　headed　slowly　　up　the　hill；　ranks　loosened；　horsemen　turned　and　galloped　off；　a　　beaten　straggling　herd。　　Eight　minutes　elapsed　from　the　time　when　　Scarlett　gave　the　word　to　charge；　until　the　moment　when　the　　Russians　broke：　we　turn　from　the　fifty　describing　pages；　breathless　　as　though　we　had　ridden　in　the　melley；　if　the　episode　has　no　　historical　parallel；　the　narrative　is　no　less　unique。　　Our　greatest　　contemporary　poet　tried　to　celebrate　it；　his　lines　are　tame　and　　unexciting　beside　Kinglake's　passionate　pulsing　rhapsody。　　Its　　effect　upon　the　Russian　mind　was　lasting；　out　of　all　their　vast　　array　hardly　a　single　squadron　was　ever　after　able　to　keep　its　　ground　against　the　approach　of　English　cavalry；　while　but　for　　Cathcart's　obstinacy　and　Lucan's　temper　it　would　have　issued　in　the　　immediate　recapture　of　the　Causeway　Heights。

The　Charge　of　the　Light　Brigade；　on　the　other　hand；　while　it　　stirred　the　imagination　of　the　poet；　shocked　the　military　　conscience　of　the　historian。　　He　saw　in　it　with　agony；　as　Lord　　Raglan　saw；　as　the　French　spectators　saw；　no　act　of　heroic　　sacrifice；　but　a　needless；　fruitless　massacre。　　〃You　have　lost　the　　Light　Brigade；〃　was　his　commander's　salutation　to　Lord　Lucan。　　〃C'EST　MAGNIFIQUE；　MAIS　CE　N'EST　PAS　LA　GUERRE；〃　was　the　oft…quoted　　reproof　of　Bosquet。　　The　〃someone's　blunder；〃　the　sullen　perversity　　in　misconception　which　destroyed　the　flower　of　our　cavalry；　has　　faded　from　men's　memories；　the　splendour　of　the　deed　remains。　　It　　is　well　to　recover　salvage　from　the　irrevocable；　to　voice　and　to　　prolong　the　deep　human　interest　attaching　to　death　encountered　at　　the　call　of　duty；　that　is　the　poet's　task；　and　brilliantly　it　has　　been　discharged。　　Its　other　side；　the　paean　of　sorrow　for　a　self…　destructive　exploit；　the　dirge　on　lives　wantonly　thrown　away；　the　　deep　blame　attaching　to　the　untractableness　which　sent　them　to　　their　doom；　was　the　task　of　the　historian；　and　that　too　has　been　　faithfully　and　lastingly　accomplished。

Inkerman　was　the　most　complicated　of　the　battles；　the　chapters　　which　record　it　are　correspondingly　taxing　to　the　reader。　　More　　than　once　or　twice　they　must　be　scanned；　with　close　study　of　their　　lucid　maps；　before　the　intricate　sequences　are　fairly　and　　distinctively　grasped；　the　sixth　book　of　Thucydides；　a　standing　　terror　to　young　Greek　students；　is　light　and　easy　reading　compared　　with　the　bulky　sixth　volume　of　Kinglake。　　The　hero　of　the　day　was　　Pennefather；　he　maintained　on　Mount　Inkerman　a　combat　of　pickets　　reinforced　from　time　to　time；　while　around　him　through　nine　hours　　successive　attacks　of　thousands　were　met　by　hundreds。　　The　　disparity　of　numbers　was　appalling。　　At　daybreak　40；000　Russian　　troops　advanced　against　3；000　English　and　were　repulsed。　　Three　　hours　later　19；000　fresh　troops　came　on；　passed　through　a　gap　in　　our　lines；　which　Cathcart's　disobedience；　atoned　for　presently　by　　his　death；　had　left　unoccupied；　and　seized　the　heights　behind　us；　　they　too　were　dispossessed；　but　our　numbers　were　dwindling　and　our　　strength　diminishing。　　The　Home　Ridge；　key　of　our　position；　was　　next　invaded　by　6；000　Russians；　the　7th　St。　Leger；　linked　with　a　　few　Zouaves　and　with　200　men　of　our　77th　Regiment；　French　and　　English　for　once　joyously　intermingled；　hurled　them　back。　　It　was　　the　crisis　of　the　fight；　Canrobert's　interposition　would　have　　determined　it；　but　he　sullenly　refused　to　move。　　Finally；　led　by　　two　or　three　daring　young　officers；　300　of　our　wearied　troops　　charged　the　Russian　battery　which　had　tormented　us　all　day；　their　　artillerymen；　already　flinching　under　the　galling　fire　of　two　18…　pounders；　brought　up　by　Lord　Raglan's　foresight　early　in　the　　morning；　hastily　withdrew　their　guns；　and　the　battle　was　won。　　It　　was　a　day　of　Homeric　rushes；　Burnaby；　with　only　twenty　men　to　　support　him；　rescuing　the　Grenadier　Guards'　colours；　the　onset　of　　the　20th　with　their　〃Minden　Yell〃；　Colonel　Daubeny　with　two　dozen　　followers　cleaving　the　Russian　trunk　column　at　the　barrier；　Waddy's　　dash　at　the　retreating　artillery　train；　foiled　only　by　the　presence　　and　the　readiness　of　Todleben。　　One　marvels　in　reading　how　the　　English　held　their　own；　their　victory　against　so　tremendous　odds　is　　ascribed　by　the　historian　to　three　conditions；　the　hampering　of　the　　enemy　by　his　crowded　masses；　the　slaughter　amongst　his　officers　　early　in　the　fight；　which　deprived　their　men　of　leadership；　above　　all；　the　dense　mist　which　obscured　from　him　the　fewness　of　his　　opponents。　　If　Canrobert　with　his　fresh　troops　had　followed　in　　pursuit；　the　Russian's　retreat　must　have　been　turned　into　a　rout　　and　his　artillery　captured；　if　on　the　following　day　he　had　　assaulted　the　Flagstaff　Bastion；　Sebastopol；　Todleben　owned；　must　　have　fallen。　　He　would　do　neither；　his　hesitancy　and　apparent　　feebleness　have　already　been　explained；　but　to　it；　and　to　the　　sinister　influence　which　held　his　hand；　were　due　the　subsequent　　miseries　of　the　Crimean　winter。

But　the　epic　muse　exacted　from　Kinglake；　as　from　Virgil　long　　before；　the　portrayal　not　only　of　generals　and　of　battles；　but　of　　two　great　monarchs；　each　in　his　own　day　conspicuously　and　　absolutely　prominent　…　the　Czar　Nicholas　and　the　Emperor　Napoleon：


〃dicam　horrida　belia；　Dicam　acies；　actosque　animis　in　funera　REGES。〃


His　handling　of　them　is　characteristic。　　Few　men　living　then　could　　have　approached　either　without　a　certain　awe；　their　〃genius〃　　rebuked；　…　like　Mark　Antony's；　in　the　presence　of　Caesars　so　　imposing　and　so　mighty；　Kinglake's　attitude　towards　both　is　the　　attitude　of　cold　analysis。

In　the　opening　of　the　fifties　the　Czar　Nicholas　was　the　most　　powerful　man　then　living　in　the　world。　　He　ruled　over　sixty　million　　subjects　whose　loyalty　bordered　on　worship：　he　had　in　arms　a　　million　soldiers；　brave　and　highly　trained。　　In　the　troubles　of　　1848　he　had　stood　scornful　and　secure　amid　the　overthrow　of　　surrounding　thrones；　and　the　entire　impact　of　his　vast　and　well…　organized　Empire　was　subject　to　his　single　will；　whatever　he　chose　　to　do　he　did。　　Of　stern　and　unrelenting　nature；　of　active　and　　widely　ranging　capacity　for　business；　of　gigantic　stature　and　　commanding　presence；　he　inspired　almost　universal　terror；　and　yet　　his　friendliness　had　when　he　pleased　a　glow　and　frankness　　irresistible　in　its　charm。　　Readers　of　Queen　Victoria's　early　life　　will　recall　the　alarm　she　felt　at　his　sudden　proposal　to　visit　　Windsor　in　1844；　the　fascination　which　his　presence　exercised　on　　her　when　he　became　her　guest。　　He　professed　to　embody　his　standard　　of　conduct　in　the　English　word　〃gentleman〃；　his　ideal　of　human　　grandeur　was　the　character　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington。　　It　was　an　　evil　destiny　that　betrayed　this　high…minded　man　into　crooked　ways；　　that　made　England　sacrifice　the　stateliest　among　her　ancient　　friends　to　an　ignoble　and　crime…stained　a