biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第18节

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a　bore　to　him　if　he　had　been　contumacious　against　the　　Holy　Father。

Kinglake　was　strongly　attracted　by　W。　E。　Forster；　a　〃rough　　diamond；〃　spoken　of　at　one　time　as　a　possible　Prime　Minister。　　　Beginning　life；　he　said；　as　a　Quaker；　with　narrow　opinions；　his　　vigour　of　character　and　brain…power　shook　them　off。　　Powerful；　　robust；　and　perfectly　honest；　yet　his　honesty　inflicted　on　him　a　　doubleness　of　view　which　caused　him　to　be　described　as　engaging　his　　two　hands　in　two　different　pursuits。　　His　estimate　of　Sir　R。　Morier　　would　have　gladdened　Jowett's　heart；　he　loved　him　as　a　private　　friend；　eulogized　his　public　qualities；　rejoiced　over　his　　appointment　as　Ambassador　at　St。　Petersburg；　seeing　in　him　a　　diplomatist　with　not　only　a　keen　intellect　and　large　views；　but　　vibrating　with　the　warmth；　animation；　friendliness；　that　are　　charmingly　UN…diplomatic。　　Of　Carlyle；　his　life…long；　though　not　　always　congenial　intimate；　he　used　to　speak　as　having　great　graphic　　power；　but　being　essentially　a　humourist；　a　man　who；　with　those　he　　could　trust；　never　pretended　to　be　in　earnest；　but　used　to　roar　　with　glorious　laughter　over　the　fun　of　his　own　jeremiads；　〃so　far　　from　being　a　prophet　he　is　a　bad　Scotch　joker；　and　knows　himself　to　　be　a　wind…bag。〃　　He　blamed　Froude's　revelations　of　Carlyle　in　〃The　　Reminiscences；〃　as　injurious　and　offensive。　　Froude　himself　he　　often　likened　to　Carlyle；　the　thoughts　of　both；　he　said；　ran　in　the　　same　direction；　but　of　the　two；　Froude　was　by　far　the　more　　intellectual　man。

Staunch　friend　to　the　few；　polite；　though　never　effusive；　to　the　　many；　he　also　nourished　strong　antipathies。　　The　appearance　in　　Madame　Novikoff's　rooms　of　a　certain　Scotch　bishop　invariably　drove　　him　out　of　them；　〃Peter　Paul；　Bishop　of　Claridge's；〃　he　called　him。　　　To　Von　Beust　（the　Austrian　Chancellor）；　who　spoke　English　in　a　　rapid　half…intelligible　falsetto；　he　gave　the　name　of　MIRLITON　　（penny　trumpet）。　　His　allusions　to　Mirliton　and　to　the　Bishop　　frequently　mystified　Madame　Novikoff's　guests。　　For　he　loved　to　　talk　in　cypher。　　Canon　Warburton；　kindly　searching　on　my　behalf　his　　brother　Eliot's　journals；　tells　me　that　he　and　Kinglake；　meeting　　almost　daily；　lived　in　a　cryptic　world　of　jokes；　confidences；　　colloquialisms；　inexplicable　to　all　but　their　two　selves。

He　cordially　disliked　〃The　Times〃　newspaper；　alleging　instances　of　　the　unfairness　with　which　its　columns　had　been　used　to　spite　and　　injure　persons　who　had　offended　it；　chuckling　over　Hayward's　　compact　anathema；　…　〃'The　Times；'　which　as　usual　of　late　supplied　　its　lack　of　argument　and　proof　by　assumption；　misrepresentation；　　and　personality。〃　　He　thought　that　its　attacks　upon　himself　had　　helped　his　popularity。　　〃One　of　the　main　causes；〃　he　said　in　1875；　　〃of　the　interest　which　people　here　were　good　enough　to　take　in　my　　book　was　the　fight　between　'The　Times'　and　me。　　In　1863　it　raged；　　in　1867　it　was　renewed　with　great　violence；　and　now　I　suppose　the　　flame　kindles　once　more；　though　probably　with　diminished　strength。　　　In　1863　the　storm　of　opinion　generally　waxed　fierce　against　me；　but　　now；　as　I　hear；　'The　Times'　is　alone；　journals　of　all　politics　　being　loud　in　my　praise。　　But　I　never　look　at　any　comment　on　my　　volumes　till　long　afterwards；　and　I　never　in　my　life　wrote　to　a　　newspaper。〃　　Once；　when　Chenery；　the　editor；　came　to　join　the　table　　at　the　Athenaeum　where　he　and　Mr。　Cartwright　were　dining；　Kinglake　　rose；　and　removed　to　another　part　of　the　room。　　〃The　Times〃　had　　inserted　a　statement　that　Madame　Novikoff　was　ordered　to　leave　　England；　and　he　thus　publicly　resented　it。　　〃So　unlike　me；〃　he　　said；　relating　the　story；　〃but　somehow　a　savagery　as　of　youth　came　　over　me　in　my　ancient　days；　it　was　like　being　twenty　years　old　　again。〃　　It　came　out；　however；　that　〃our　indiscreet　friend　Froude〃　　had　written　something　which　justified　the　paragraph；　and　Kinglake　　sent　his　AMENDE　to　Chenery；　with　whom　ordinarily　he　was　on　most　　friendly　terms。

He　disliked　Irishmen　〃in　the　lump；〃　saying　that　human　nature　is　the　　same　everywhere　except　in　Ireland。　　Parnell　he　personally　admired；　　though　hating　Home　Rule；　and　stigmatized　as　gross　hypocrisy　the　　desertion　of　him　by　Liberals　after　the　divorce　trial。　　He　was　wont　　to　speak　irreverently　of　Lord　Beaconsfield；　whom　he　had　known　well　　at　Lady　Blessington's　in　early　days。　　He　would　have　found　himself　　in　accord　with　Huxley；　who　used　to　thank　God；　his　friend　Mr。　Fiske　　tells　us；　that　he　had　never　bowed　the　knee　either　to　Louis　Napoleon　　or　Benjamin　Disraeli。　　He　poured　scorn　on　the　Treaty　of　Berlin。　　　Russia；　he　said；　defeating　the　Turks　in　war；　has　defeated　　Beaconsfield　in　diplomacy。　　If　Englishmen　understood　such　things　　they　would　see　that　the　Congress　was　a　comedy；　anyone　who　will　　satisfy　himself　as　to　what　Russia　was　really　anxious　to　obtain；　and　　then　look　at　the　Salisbury…Schouvaloff　treaty；　will　see　that；　　thanks　to　Beaconsfield's　imbecility；　Schouvaloff　obtained　one　of　　the　most　signal　diplomatic　triumphs　that　was　ever　won。　（27）　　A　　sound　ENTENTE　between　Russia　and　England　he　thought　both　possible　　and　desirable；　but　conceived　it　to　be　rendered　difficult　by　the　　want　of　steadiness　and　capacity　which；　for　international　purposes；　　were　the　real　faults　of　Lord　Beaconsfield　and　Lord　Salisbury。　　He　　repeated　with　much　amusement　the　current　anecdote　of　Lord　　Beaconsfield's　conquest　of　Mrs。　Gladstone。　　Meeting　her　in　society；　　he　was　said　to　have　inquired　with　tenderness　after　Mr。　Gladstone's　　health；　and　then　after　receiving　the　loving　wife's　report　of　her　　William；　to　have　rejoined　in　his　most　dulcet　tones；　〃Ah！　take　care　　of　him；　for　he　is　very　VERY　precious。〃　　He　always　attributed　　Dizzy's　popularity　to　the　feeling　of　Englishmen　that　he　had　〃shown　　them　sport；〃　an　instinct；　he　thought；　supreme　in　all　departments　of　　the　English　mind。

Towards　his　old　schoolfellow　Gladstone　he　never　felt　quite　　cordially；　believing；　rightly　or　wrongly；　that　the　great　statesman　　nourished　enmity　towards　himself。　　He　called　him；　as　has　been　said；　　〃a　good　man　in　the　worst　sense　of　the　term；　conscientious　with　a　　diseased　conscience。〃　　He　watched　with　much　amusement；　as　　illustrating　the　moral　twist　in　Gladstone's　temperament；　the　　〃Colliery　explosion；〃　as　it　was　called；　when　Sir　R。　Collier；　the　　Attorney…General；　was　appointed　to　a　Puisne　Judgeship；　which　he　　held　only　for　a　day　or　two；　in　order　to　qualify　him　for　a　seat　on　a　　new　Court　of　Appeal；　together　with　a　very　similar　trick；　by　which　　Ewelme　Rectory；　tenable　only　by　an　Oxonian；　was　given　to　a　　Cambridge　man。　　The　responsibility　was　divided　between　Gladstone　　and　Lord　Hatherley　the　Chancellor；　with　the　mutual　idea　apparently　　that　each　of　the　two　became　thereby　individually　innocent。　　But　Sir　　F。　Pollock；　in　his　amusing　〃Reminiscences；〃　recalls　the　amicable　　halving　of　a　wicked　word　between　the　Abbess　of　Andouillet　and　the　　Novice　Margarita　in　〃Tristram　Shandy。〃　　It　answered　in　neither　

case。　　〃'They　do　not　understand　us；'　cried　Margarita。　　'BUT　THE　　DEVIL　DOES；'　said　the　Abbess　of　Andouillet。〃　　〃The　Collier　scandal　　narrowly　escaped　by　two　votes　in　the　Lords；　twenty…seven　in　the　　Commons；　a　Parliamentary　vote　of　censure；　and　gave　unquestionably　a　　downward　push　to　the　Gladstone　Administration。　　Mr。　Gladstone；　on　　the　other　hand；　cordially　admired　Kinglake's　speeches；　saying　that　　few　of　those　he　had　heard　in　Parliament　could　bear　so　well　as　his　　the　test　of　publication。

To　the　great　Prime　Minister's　absolute　fearlessness　he　did　full　　justice；　as　one　of　the　finest　features　in　his　character；　and　loved　　to　quote　an　epigram　by　Lord　Houghton；　to　whom　Gladstone　had　　complained　in　a　moment　of　weariness　that　he　led　the　life　of　a　dog。　　　〃Yes；〃　said　Houghton；　〃but　of　a　St。　Bernard　dog；　ever　busied　in　　saving　life。〃　　He　loved　to　contrast　the　twofold　biographical　　paradox　in　the　careers　of　the　two　famous　rivals；　Gladstone　and　　Disraeli；　the　dreaming　Tory　mystic；　incarnation　of　Oxford　　exclusiveness　and　Puseyite　reserve；　passing　into　the　Radical　　iconoclast；　the　Jew　clerk　in　a　city　lawyer's　office；　〃bad　specimen　　of　an　inferior　dandy；〃　coming　to　rule　the　proudest　aristocracy　and　　lead　the　most　fastidious　assembly　in　the　world。

He　was　not　above　broad　farce　when　the　fancy　seized　him。　　At　the　　time　when　a　certain　kind　of　nonsense　verse　was　popular；　he；　with　　Sir　Noel　Paton　and　others；　added　not　a　few　facetious　sonnets　to　　Edward　Lear's　book；　which　lay　on　Madame　Novikoff's　table。　　His　　authorship　is　betrayed　by　the　introduction　of　familiar　　Somersetshire　names；　Taunton；　Wellington；　Curry　Rivel；　Creech；　　Trull；　Wilton：


〃There　was　a　young　lady　of　Wilton；　Who　read　all　the　poems　of　Milton：　And；　when　she　had　done；　She　said；　'What　bad　fun！'　This　prosaic　young　lady　of　Wilton。〃


There　were　many　more；　but　this　will　perhaps　suffice；　EX　UNGUE　　LEONEM。　　They　were　addressed　to　the　〃Fair　Lady　of　Claridge's；〃　　Madame　Novikoff's　hotel　when　in　London；　and　were　signed　〃Peter　　Paul；　Bishop　of　Claridge's。〃


〃There　is　a　fair　lady　at　Claridge's；　Whose　smile　is　more　charming　to　me；　Than　the　rapture　of　ninety…nine　marriages　Could　possibly；　possibly；　be；　…　〃


is　the　final　dedicatory　stanza。　　It　is　the　gracious　fooling　of　a　　philosopher　who　understood　his　company。　　〃There　are　folks；〃　says　　Mr。　Counse