biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第5节

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ed　with　public　school　　freemasonry。　　Scarcely　in　the　acquired　insight　of　all　the　　intervening　years　could　those　who　enjoyed　it　then　more　keenly　　appreciate　it　to…day。　　Transcendent　gift　of　genius！　to　gladden　　equally　with　selfsame　words　the　reluctant　inexperience　of　boyhood　　and　the　fastidious　judgment　of　maturity。　　Delightful　self…　accountant　reverence　of　author…craft！　which　wields　full　knowledge　　of　a　shaddock…tainted　world；　yet　presents　no　licence　to　the　　prurient　lad；　reveals　no　trail　to　the　suspicious　moralist。



CHAPTER　III　…　LITERARY　AND　PARLIAMENTARY　LIFE



KINGLAKE　returned　from　Algiers　in　1844　to　find　himself　famous　both　　in　the　literary　and　social　world；　for　his　book　had　gone　through　　three　editions　and　was　the　universal　theme。　　Lockhart　opened　to　him　　the　〃Quarterly。〃　　〃Who　is　Eothen？〃　wrote　Macvey　Napier；　editor　of　　the　〃Edinburgh；〃　to　Hayward：　〃I　know　he　is　a　lawyer　and　highly　　respectable；　but　I　should　like　to　know　a　little　more　of　his　　personal　history：　he　is　very　clever　but　very　peculiar。〃　　Thackeray；　　later　on；　expresses　affectionate　gratitude　for　his　presence　at　the　　〃Lectures　on　English　Humourists〃：…　〃it　goes　to　a　man's　heart　to　　find　amongst　his　friends　such　men　as　Kinglake　and　Venables；　　Higgins；　Rawlinson；　Carlyle；　Ashburton　and　Hallam；　Milman；　　Macaulay；　Wilberforce；　looking　on　kindly。〃　　He　dines　out　in　all　　directions；　himself　giving　dinners　at　Long's　Hotel。　　〃Did　you　ever　　meet　Kinglake　at　my　rooms？〃　writes　Monckton　Milnes　to　MacCarthy：　　〃he　has　had　immense　success。　　I　now　rather　wish　I　had　written　his　　book；　WHICH　I　COULD　HAVE　DONE　…　AT　LEAST　NEARLY。〃　　We　are　reminded　　of　Charles　Lamb　…　〃here's　Wordsworth　says　he　could　have　written　　Hamlet；　IF　HE　HAD　HAD　A　MIND。〃　　〃A　delightful　Voltairean　volume；〃　　Milnes　elsewhere　calls　it。

〃Eothen〃　was　reviewed　in　the　〃Quarterly〃　by　Eliot　Warburton。　　　〃Other　books；〃　he　says；　〃contain　facts　and　statistics　about　the　　East；　this　book　gives　the　East　itself　in　vital　actual　reality。　　Its　　style　is　conversational；　or　the　soliloquy　rather　of　a　man　　convincing　and　amusing　himself　as　he　proceeds；　without　reverence　　for　others'　faith；　or　lenity　towards　others'　prejudices。　　It　is　a　　real　book；　not　a　sham；　it　equals　Anastasius；　rivals　'Vathek；'　its　　terseness；　vigour；　bold　imagery；　recall　the　grand　style　of　Fuller　　and　of　South；　to　which　the　author　adds　a　spirit；　freshness；　　delicacy；　all　his　own。〃　　Kinglake；　in　turn；　reviewed　〃The　Crescent　　and　the　Cross〃　in　an　article　called　〃The　French　Lake。〃　　From　a　　cordial　notice　of　the　book　he　passes　to　a　history　of　French　　ambition　in　the　Levant。　　It　was　Bonaparte's　fixed　idea　to　become　an　　Oriental　conqueror　…　a　second　Alexander：　Egypt　in　his　grasp；　he　　would　pass　on　to　India。　　He　sought　alliance　against　the　English　　with　Tippoo　Saib；　and　spent　whole　days　stretched　upon　maps　of　Asia。　　　He　was　baffled；　first　at　Aboukir；　then　at　Acre；　but　the　partition　　of　Turkey　at　Tilsit　showed　that　he　had　not　abandoned　his　design。　　　To　have　refrained　from　seizing　Egypt　after　his　withdrawal　was　a　　political　blunder　on　the　part　of　England。

By　far　the　most　charming　of　Kinglake's　articles　was　a　paper　on　the　　〃Rights　of　Women；〃　in　the　〃Quarterly　Review〃　of　December；　1844。　　　Grouping　together　Monckton　Milnes's　〃Palm　Leaves；〃　Mrs。　Poole's　　〃Sketch　of　Egyptian　Harems；〃　Mrs。　Ellis's　〃Women　and　Wives　of　　England；〃　he　produced　a　playful；　lightly　touched；　yet　sincerely　　constructed　sketch　of　woman's　characteristics；　seductions；　　attainments；　the　extent　and　secret　of　her　fascination　and　her　　deeper　influence；　her　defects；　foibles；　misconceptions。　　He　was　　greatly　vexed　to　learn　that　his　criticism　of　〃Palm　Leaves〃　was　　considered　hostile；　and　begged　Warburton　to　explain。　　His　praise；　　he　said；　had　been　looked　upon　as　irony；　his　bantering　taken　to　　express　bitterness。　　Warburton　added　his　own　conviction　that　the　　notice　was　tributary　to　Milnes's　fame；　and　Milnes　accepted　the　　explanation。　　But　the　chief　interest　of　this　paper　lies　in　the　　beautiful　passage　which　ends　it。　　〃The　world　must　go　on　its　own　　way；　for　all　that　we　can　say　against　it。　　Beauty；　though　it　beams　　over　the　organization　of　a　doll；　will　have　its　hour　of　empire；　the　　most　torpid　heiress　will　easily　get　herself　married；　but　the　wife　　whose　sweet　nature　can　kindle　worthy　delights　is　she　that　brings　to　　her　hearth　a　joyous；　hopeful；　ardent　spirit；　and　that　subtle　power　　whose　sources　we　can　hardly　trace；　but　which　yet　so　irradiates　a　　home　that　all　who　come　near　are　filled　and　inspired　by　a　deep　sense　　of　womanly　presence。　　We　best　learn　the　unsuspected　might　of　a　　being　like　this　when　we　try　the　weight　of　that　sadness　which　hangs　　like　lead　upon　the　room；　the　gallery；　the　stairs；　where　once　her　　footstep　sounded；　and　now　is　heard　no　more。　　It　is　not　less　the　　energy　than　the　grace　and　gentleness　of　this　character　that　works　　the　enchantment。　　Books　can　instruct；　and　books　can　exalt　and　　purify；　beauty　of　face　and　beauty　of　form　will　come　with　bright　　pictures　and　statues；　and　for　the　government　of　a　household　hired　　menials　will　suffice；　but　fondness　and　hate；　daring　hopes；　lively　　fears；　the　lust　of　glory　and　the　scorn　of　base　deeds；　sweet　　charity；　faithfulness；　pride；　and；　chief　over　all；　the　impetuous　　will；　lending　might　and　power　to　feeling：…　these　are　the　rib　of　the　　man；　and　from　these；　deep　veiled　in　the　mystery　of　her　very　　loveliness；　his　true　companion　sprang。　　A　being　thus　ardent　will　　often　go　wrong　in　her　strenuous　course；　will　often　alarm；　sometimes　　provoke；　will　now　and　then　work　mischief　and　even　perhaps　grievous　　harm；　but　she　will　be　our　own　Eve　after　all；　the　sweet…speaking　　tempter　whom　heaven　created　to　be　the　joy　and　the　trouble　of　this　　pleasing　anxious　existence；　to　shame　us　away　from　the　hiding…places　　of　a　slothful　neutrality；　and　lead　us　abroad　in　the　world；　men　　militant　here　on　earth；　enduring　quiet；　content　with　strife；　and　　looking　for　peace　hereafter。〃　　（11）　Beautiful　words　indeed！　how　　came　the　author　of　a　tribute　so　caressingly　appreciative；　so　　eloquently　sincere；　to　remain　himself　outside　the　gates　of　　Paradise？　how　could　the　pen　which　in　the　Crimean　chapter　on　the　　Holy　Shrines　traced　so　exquisitely　the　delicate　fancifulness　of　　purest　sexual　love；　perpetrate　that　elaborate　sneer　over　the　　bachelor　obsequies　of　Carrigaholt　…　〃the　lowly　grave；　that　is　the　　end　of　man's　romantic　hopes；　has　closed　over　all　his　rich　fancies　　and　all　his　high　aspirations：　he　is　utterly　married。〃　（12）

〃Gai；　gai；　mariez　vous；　Mettez　vous　dans　la　misere！　Gai；　gai；　mariez　vous；　Mettez　vous　la　corde　au　cou！〃　（13）


There　is　generally　a　good　reason　for　prolonged　celibacy；　a　reason　　which　the　bachelor　as　generally　does　not　betray：　Kinglake　remained　　single；　by　his　own　account；　because　he　had　observed　that　women　　always　prefer　other　men　to　their　own　husbands。　　Yet；　although　　unmarried；　perhaps　because　unmarried；　he　heartily　admired　many　　clever　women；　formed　with　them　sedate　but　genuine　friendships；　the　　L'AMOUR　SANS　AILES；　sometimes　called　〃Platonic〃　by　persons　who　have　　not　read　Plato；　found　in　their　illogical　clear…sightedness；　in　　their　＇Greek　word　which　cannot　be　reproduced＇；　to　use　the　master's　　own　untranslatable　phrase；　a　titillating　stimulus　which　he　missed　　in　men。　　He　thought　that　the　Church　should　ordain　priestesses　as　　well　as　priests；　the　former　to　be　the　Egerias　of　men；　as　the　latter　　are　the　Pontiffs　of　women。　　And　Lady　Gregory　tells　us；　that　when　　attacked　by　gout；　he　wished　for　the　solace　of　a　lady　doctor；　and　　wrote　to　one　asking　if　gout　were　beyond　her　scope。　　She　answered：　　〃Dear　Sir；　…　Gout　is　not　beyond　my　scope；　but　men　are。〃

In　1854　he　accompanied　Lord　Raglan　to　the　Crimea。　　〃I　had　heard；〃　　writes　John　Kenyon；　〃of　Kinglake's　chivalrous　goings　on。　　We　were　　saying　yesterday　that　though　he　might　write　a　book；　he　was　among　　the　last　men　to　go　that　he　might　write　a　book。　　He　is　wild　about　　matters　military；　if　so　calm　a　man　is　ever　wild。〃　　He　had　hoped　to　　go　in　an　official　position　as　non…combatant；　but　this　was　refused　　by　the　authorities。　　His　friend；　Lord　Raglan；　whose　acquaintance　he　　had　made　while　hunting　with　the　Duke　of　Beaufort's　hounds；　took　him　　as　his　private　guest。　　Arrested　for　a　time　at　Malta　by　an　attack　of　　fever；　he　joined　our　army　before　hostilities　began；　rode　with　Lord　　Raglan's　staff　at　the　Alma　fight；　likening　the　novel　sensation　to　　the　excitement　of　fox…hunting；　and　accompanied　the　chief　in　his　　visit　of　tenderness　to　the　wounded　when　the　fight　was　over。　　　Throughout　the　campaign　the　two　were　much　together；　as　we　shall　　notice　more　fully　later　on。　　There　are　often　slight　but　　unmistakable　signs　of　Kinglake's　presence　as　spectator　and　auditor　　of　Lord　Raglan's　deeds　and　words；　（14）　his　affection　and　reverence　　for　the　great　general　animate　the　whole；　in　outward　composure　and　　latent　strength　the　two　men　resembled　each　other　closely。　　The　book　　is；　in　fact；　a　history　of　Lord　Raglan's　share　in　the　campaign；　　begun　in　1856　at　the　request　of　Lady　Raglan；　the　narrative　ends　　when　the　〃Caradoc〃　with　the　general's　body　on　board　steams　out　of　　the　bay；　〃Farewell〃　flying　at　her　masthead；　the　Russian　batteries；　　with　generous　recognition；　ceasing　to　fire　till　the　ship　was　out　of　　sight。　　〃Lord　Raglan　is　dead；〃　said　Kinglake　as　vol。　viii。　was