biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第15节

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ng　with　a　friend　at　Brighton；　he　insisted　on　riding　over　　to　Rottingdean；　where　Sir　Frederick　Pollock　was　staying。　　〃I　　mastered；〃　he　said；　in　answer　to　remonstrances；　〃I　mastered　the　　peculiarities　of　the　Brighton　screw　before　you　were　born；　and　have　　never　forgotten　them。〃　　Vaulting　into　his　saddle　he　rode　off；　　returning　with　a　schoolboy's　delight　at　the　brisk　trot　he　had　found　　practicable　when　once　clear　of　the　King's　Road。　　Long　after　his　　hearing　had　failed；　his　sight　become　grievously　weakened；　and　his　　limbs　not　always　trustworthy；　he　would　never　allow　a　cab　to　be　　summoned　for　him　after　dinner；　always　walking　to　his　lodgings。　　But　　he　had　to　give　up　by　and　by　his　daily　canter　in　Rotten　Row；　and　　more　reluctantly　still　his　continental　travel。　　Foreign　railways　　were　closed　to　him　by　the　SALLE　D'ATTENTE；　he　could　not　stand　　incarceration　in　the　waiting…rooms。

The　last　time　he　crossed　the　Channel　was　at　the　close　of　the　　Franco…Prussian　war；　on　a　visit　to　his　old　friend　M。　Thiers；　then　　President。　　It　was　a　dinner　to　deputies　of　the　Extreme　Left；　and　　Kinglake　was　the　only　Englishman；　〃so；〃　he　said；　〃among　the　　servants　there　was　a　sort　of　reasoning　process　as　to　my　identity；　　ending　in　the　conclusion；　'IL　DOIT　ETRE　SIR　DILKE。'〃　　Soon　the　　inference　was　treated　as　a　fact；　and　in　due　sequence　came　newspaper　　paragraphs　declaring　that　the　British　Ambassador　had　gravely　　remonstrated　with　the　President　for　inviting　Sir　Charles　Dilke　to　　his　table。　　Then　followed　articles　defending　the　course　taken　by　　the　President；　and　so　for　some　time　the　ball　was　kept　up。　　The　　remonstrance　of　the　Ambassador　was　a　myth；　Lord　Lyons　was　a　friend　　of　Sir　Charles；　but　the　latter　was　suspect　at　the　time　both　in　　England　and　France；　in　England　for　his　speeches　and　motion　on　the　　Civil　List；　in　France；　because；　with　Frederic　Harrison；　he　had　　helped　to　get　some　of　the　French　Communists　away　from　France；　and　　the　French　Government　was　watching　him　with　spies。　　In　Sir　　Charles's　motion　Kinglake　took　much　interest；　refusing　to　join　in　　the　cry　against　it　as　disloyal。　　Sir　Charles；　he　said；　spoke　no　　word　against　the　Queen；　and　only　brought　the　matter　before　the　　House　because　challenged　to　repeat　in　Parliament　the　statements　he　　had　made　in　the　country。　　As　a　matter　of　policy　he　thought　it　　mistaken：　〃Move　in　such　a　matter　openly；　and　party　discipline　　compels　your　defeat；　bring　pressure　to　bear　on　a　Cabinet；　some　of　　its　members　are　on　your　side；　and　you　may　gain　your　point。〃　　Sir　　Charles's　speech　was　calmly　argumentative；　and　to　many　minds　　convincing；　it　provoked　a　passionate　reply　from　Gladstone；　and　when　　Mr。　Auberon　Herbert　following　declared　himself　a　Republican；　a　　tumult　arose　such　as　in　those　pre…Milesian　days　had　rarely　been　　witnessed　in　the　House。　　But　the　wisdom　of　Kinglake's　counsel　is　　sustained　by　the　fact　that　many　years　afterwards；　as　a　result　of　　more　private　discussion；　Mr。　Gladstone　pronounced　his　conversion　to　　the　two　bases　of　the　motion；　publicity；　and　the　giving　of　the　State　　allowance　to　the　head　of　the　family　rather　than；　person　by　person；　　to　the　children　and　grandchildren　of　the　Sovereign。　　Action　　pointing　in　this　direction　was　taken　in　1889　and　1901　on　the　advice　　of　Tory　ministers。

Amongst　Frenchmen　of　the　highest　class；　intellectually　and　　socially；　he　had　many　valued　friends；　keeping　his　name　on　the　　〃Cosmopolitan〃　long　after　he　had　ceased　to　visit　it；　since　〃one　　never　knows　when　the　distinguished　foreigner　may　come　upon　one；　and　　of　such　the　Cosmo　is　the　London　Paradise。〃　　But　he　used　to　say　that　　in　the　other　world　a　good　Frenchman　becomes　an　Englishman；　a　bad　　Englishman　becomes　a　Frenchman。　　He　saw　in　the　typical　Gaul　a　　compound　of　the　tiger　and　the　monkey；　noted　their　want　of　　individuality；　their　tendency　to　go　in　flocks；　their　susceptibility　　to　panic　and　to　ferocity；　to　the　terror　that　makes　a　man　kill　　people；　and　〃the　terror　that　makes　him　lie　down　and　beg。〃　　We　　remember；　too；　his　dissection　of　St。　Arnaud；　as　before　all　things　a　　type　of　his　nation；　〃he　impersonated　with　singular　exactness　the　　idea　which　our　forefathers　had　in　their　minds　when　they　spoke　of　　what　they　called　'a　Frenchman；'　for　although　（by　cowing　the　rich　　and　by　filling　the　poor　with　envy）；　the　great　French　Revolution　had　　thrown　a　lasting　gloom　on　the　national　character；　it　left　this　one　　man　untouched。　　He　was　bold；　gay；　reckless；　vain；　but　beneath　the　　mere　glitter　of　the　surface　there　was　a　great　capacity　for　　administrative　business；　and　a　more　than　common　willingness　to　take　　away　human　life。〃

〃I　relish；〃　Kinglake　said　in　1871；　〃the　spectacle　of　Bismarck　　teaching　the　A　B　C　of　Liberal　politics　to　the　hapless　French。　　His　　last　MOT；　they　tell　me；　is　this。　　Speaking　of　the　extent　to　which　　the　French　Emperor　had　destroyed　his　own　reputation　and　put　an　end　　to　the　worship　of　the　old　Napoleon；　he　said：　'He　has　killed　himself　　and　buried　his　uncle。'〃　　Again；　in　1874；　noting　the　CONTRE　COUP　　upon　France　resulting　from　the　Bismarck　and　Arnim　despatches；　he　　said：　〃What　puzzles　the　poor　dear　French　is　to　see　that　truth　and　　intrepid　frankness　consist　with　sound　policy　and　consummate　wisdom。　　　How　funny　it　would　be；　if　the　French　some　day；　as　a　novelty；　or　　what　they　would　call　a　CAPRICE；　were　to　try　the　effect　of　truth；　　〃though　not　naturally　honest；〃　as　Autolycus　says；　〃were　to　become　　so　by　chance。〃

He　thought　M。　Gallifet　DANS　SA　LOGIQUE　in　liking　the　Germans　and　　hating　Bismarck；　for　the　Germans；　in　having　their　own　way；　would　　break　up　into　as　many　fragments　as　the　best　Frenchman　could　desire；　　and　Bismarck　is　the　real　suppressor　of　France。　　Throughout　the　　Franco…Prussian　war　he　sided　strongly　with　the　Prussians；　refusing　　to　dine　in　houses　where　the　prevailing　sympathy　with　France　would　　make　him　unwelcome　as　its　declared　opponent；　but　he　felt　〃as　a　　nightmare〃　the　attack　on　prostrate　Paris；　〃as　a　blow〃　the　　capitulation　of　Metz；　denouncing　Gambetta　and　his　colleagues　as　　meeting　their　disasters　only　with　slanderous　shrieks；　〃possessed　by　　the　spirit　of　that　awful　Popish　woman。〃　　Bismarck　as　a　statesman　he　　consistently　admired；　and　deplored　his　dismissal。　　I　see；　he　said；　　all　the　peril　implied　by　Bismarck's　exit；　and　the　advent　of　his　　ambitious　young　Emperor。　　It　is　a　transition　from　the　known　to　the　　unknown；　from　wisdom；　perhaps；　to　folly。

His　Crimean　volumes　continued　to　appear；　in　1875；　1880；　finally　in　　1887；　while　the　Cabinet　Edition　was　published　in　1887…8。　　This　last　　contained　three　new　Prefaces；　in　Vol。　I。　as　we　have　seen；　the　　memorial　of　Nicholas　Kireeff；　in　Vol。　II。　the　latter　half　of　the　　original　Preface　to　Vol。　I。；　cancelled　thence　at　Madame　Novikoff's　　request；　though　now　carefully　modified　so　as　to　avoid　anything　　which　might　irritate　Russia　at　a　moment　when　troubles　seemed　to　be　　clearing　away。　　In　his　Preface　to　Vol。　VII。　he　had　three　objects；　　to　set　right　the　position　of　Sir　E。　Hamley；　who　had　been　neglected　　in　the　despatches；　to　demolish　his　friend　Lord　Bury；　who　had　　〃questioned　my　omniscience〃　in　the　〃Edinburgh　Review〃；　and　to　　exonerate　England　at　large　from　absurd　self…congratulations　about　　the　〃little　Egypt　affair；〃　the　blame　of　such　exaggeration　resting　　with　those　whom　he　called　State　Showmen。

Silent　to　acquaintances　about　the　progress　of　his　work；　he　was　　communicative　to　his　few　intimates；　though　never　reading　aloud　　extracts　or　allowing　them　to　be　seen。　　In　1872　he　would　speak　　pathetically　of　his　〃Crimean　muddle；〃　perplexed；　as　he　well　might　　be；　by　the　intricacies　of　Inkerman。　　Asked　if　he　will　not　introduce　　a　Te　Deum　on　the　fall　of　Louis　Napoleon；　he　answered　that　to　write　　without　the　stimulus　of　combat　would　be　a　task　beyond　his　energy；　　〃when　I　took　the　trouble　to　compose　that　fourteenth　chapter；　the　　wretched　Emperor　and　his　gang　were　at　the　height　of　their　power　in　　Europe　and　the　world；　but　now！〃　He　was　insatiate　as　to　fresh　facts：　　utilized　his　acquaintance　with　Todleben；　whom　he　had　first　met　on　　his　visit　to　England　in　1864；　sought　out　Prince　Ourusoff　at　a　later　　time；　and　inserted　particulars　gleaned　from　him　in　Vol。　IX。；　　Chapter　V。

In　1875　he　told　Madame　Novikoff　that　his　task　was　done　so　far　as　　Inkerman　was　concerned；　and　was　proud　to　think　that　he　had　rescued　　from　oblivion　the　heroism　of　the　Russian　troops　in　what　he　calls　　the　〃Third　Period〃　of　the　great　fight；　ignored　as　it　was　by　all　　Russian　historians　of　the　war。　　He　made　fruitless　inquiries　after　a　　paper　said　to　have　been　left　behind　him　by　Skobeleff；　explaining　　that　〃India　is　a　cherry　to　be　eaten　by　Russia；　but　in　two　bites〃；　　it　was　contrary　to　the　general's　recorded　utterances　and　probably　　apocryphal。　　Russophobe　as　regarded　Turkey；　he　sneered　at　England's　　sentimental　support　of　nationalities　as　〃Platonic〃：　a　capital　　epithet　he　called　it；　and　envied　the　Frenchman　who　applied　it　to　　us；　declaring　that　it　had　turned　all　the　women　against　us。　　He　was　　moved　by　receiving　Korniloff's　portrait　with　a　kind　message　from　　the　dead　hero's　family；　seeing　in　the　features　a　confirmation　of　　the　ideal　which　he　had　formed　in　his　own　mind　and　had　tried　to　　convey　to　others。　　Readers　of　his　book　will　recall　the　fine　tribute　　to　Korniloff's　powers；　and　the　description　of　his　death；　in　　Chapters　VI。　and　XIII。　of　Vo