biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第6节

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ng　to　fire　till　the　ship　was　out　of　　sight。　　〃Lord　Raglan　is　dead；〃　said　Kinglake　as　vol。　viii。　was　sent　　to　press；　〃and　my　work　is　finished。〃

Ten　years　were　to　elapse　before　the　opening　volumes　should　appear；　　and　meanwhile　he　entered　parliament　for　the　borough　of　Bridgewater；　　which　had　rejected　him　in　1852。　　His　colleague　was　Colonel　Charles　　J。　Kemyss　Tynte；　member　of　a　family　which　local　influence　and　　lavish　expenditure　had　secured　in　the　representation　of　the　town　　for　nearly　forty　years。　　Catechized　as　to　his　political　creed；　he　　answered：　〃I　call　myself　an　advanced　Liberal；　but　I　decline　to　go　　into　parliament　as　the　pledged　adherent　of　Lord　Palmerston　or　any　　other　Liberal。〃　　He　adds；　in　response　to　a　further　question：　〃I　am　　believed　to　be　the　author　of　'Eothen。'〃　　He　broke　down　in　his　　maiden　speech；　but　recovered　himself　in　a　later　effort；　and　spoke；　　not　unfrequently；　on　subjects　then　important；　now　forgotten；　on　the　　outrage　of　the　〃Charles　et　George〃；　the　capture　of　the　Sardinian　　〃Cagliari〃　by　the　Neapolitans　on　the　high　seas；　our　attitude　　towards　the　Paris　Congress　of　1857；　while　in　1858　he　led　the　revolt　　against　Lord　Palmerston's　proposal　to　amend　the　Conspiracy　Laws　in　　deference　to　Louis　Napoleon；　in　1860　vigorously　denounced　the　　annexation　of　Savoy　and　Nice；　and　in　1864　moved　the　amendment　to　　Mr。　Disraeli's　motion　in　the　debate　on　the　Address；　which　was　　carried　by　313　to　295。　　His　feeble　voice　and　unimpressive　manner　　prevented　him　from　becoming　a　power　in　the　House；　but　his　speeches　　when　read　are　full；　fluent；　and　graceful；　the　late　Sir　Robert　　Peel's　remarkable　harangue　against　the　French　Emperor　in　the　course　　of　an　earlier　debate　was　taken；　as　he　is　said　to　have　owned；　mainly　　from　a　speech　by　Kinglake；　delivered　so　indistinctly　that　the　　reporters　failed　to　catch　it；　but　audible　to　Sir　Robert　who　sate　　close　beside　him。

With　his　constituents　he　was　more　at　ease　and　more　effective。　　His　　seat　for　Bridgewater　was　challenged　at　a　general　election　by　Henry　　Padwick；　a　hanger…on　to　Disraeli　and　a　well…known　bookmaker　on　the　　turf；　who；　with　an　Irish　Colonel　Westbrook；　tried　to　cajole　the　　electors　and　their　wives　by　extravagant　compliments　to　the　town；　　its　neighbourhood；　its　denizens；　a　place　celebrated；　as　Captain　　Costigan　said　of　Chatteris；　〃for　its　antiquitee；　its　hospitalitee；　　the　beautee　of　its　women；　the　manly　fidelitee；　generositee；　and　　jovialitee　of　its　men。〃　　Kinglake　met　them　on　their　own　ground。　　In　　his　flowery　speeches　the　romance　of　Sinai　and　Palestine　faded　　before　the　glories　of　the　little　Somersetshire　town。　　What　was　the　　Jordan　by　comparison　with　the　Parrett？　　Could　Libanus　or　Anti…　Libanus　vie　with　the　Mendip　and　the　Quantock　Hills？　　The　view　　surveyed　by　Monmouth　from　St。　Mary's　Tower　on　the　Eve　of　Sedgemoor　　transcended　all　the　panoramas　which　the　Holy　Land　or　Asia　Minor　　could　present！　　But　his　more　serious　orations　were　worthy　of　his　　higher　fame。　　In　the　panic　of　1858；　when　the　address　of　the　French　　colonels　to　the　Emperor；　beseeching　to　be　led　against　England；　had　　created　serious　alarm　on　this　side　the　Channel；　he　went　down　to　　Bridgewater　to　enlighten　the　West　of　England。　　〃Why；〃　he　asked；　〃do　　we　fear　invasion？　　The　population　of　France　is　peaceful；　the　　'turnip…soup　Jacques　Bonhomme'　is　peaceful；　the　soldiers　of　the　　line　are　peaceful。　　Why　are　we　anxious？　　Because　there　sits　in　his　　chamber　at　the　Tuileries　a　solitary　moody　man。　　He　is　deeply　　interested　in　the　science　and　the　art　of　war；　he　told　me　once　that　　he　was　contemplating　a　history　of　all　the　great　battles　ever　　fought。　　He　holds　absolute　control　over　vast　resources　both　in　men　　and　money；　he　has　shown　that　he　can　attack　successfully　at　a　few　　weeks'　notice　the　greatest　European　military　power：　gout　or　　indigestion　may　at　any　moment　convert　him　into　an　enemy　of　　ourselves。　　Until　France　returns　to　parliamentary　government　this　　danger　is　imminent　and　continual。　　Our　safety　lies　in　our　fleet；　　and　in　that　alone。　　If　for　twenty…four　hours　only　the　Channel　were　　denuded　of　our　ships　in　time　of　war　with　France；　they　would　hurl　　upon　our　shores　a　force　we　could　not　meet。　　Such　denudation　must　be　　made　impossible；　our　fleet　so　augmented　and　strengthened　as　to　　provide　impregnably　at　all　times　for　home　defence　no　less　than　for　　foreign　necessities。　　Our　danger；　I　repeat；　lies　in　no　hostility　on　　the　part　of　the　French　army；　in　no　ferocity　on　the　part　of　the　　French　people；　in　no　PRESENT　unfriendliness　on　the　part　of　the　　French　Emperor：　it　arises　from　the　fact　that　a　revolutionary　　government　exists　in　France；　which　has　armed　one　man；　under　the　　name　of　Emperor　…　Dictator　rather；　I　should　say　…　with　a　power　so　　colossal；　that　until　such　power　is　moderated；　as　all　power　ought　to　　be；　no　neighbour　can　be　entirely　safe。〃　　This　speech　was　reproduced　　in　〃The　Times。〃　　Montalembert　read　it　with　admiration。　　〃Who；〃　he　　asked　Sir　M。　E。　Grant　Duff；　〃who　is　Mr。　Kinglake？〃　　〃He　is　the　　author　of　'Eothen。'〃　　〃And　what　is　'Eothen？'　　I　never　heard　of　it。〃

He　found　great　enjoyment　in　parliamentary　life；　but　was　in　1868　　unseated　on　petition　for　bribery　on　the　part　of　his　agents。　　Blue…　books　are　not　ordinarily　light　reading；　but　the　Report　of　the　　Commissioners　appointed　to　inquire　into　the　alleged　corrupt　　practices　at　Bridgewater　is　not　only　a　model　of　terse　and　vigorous　　composition；　but　to　persons　with　a　sense　of　humour；　inclined　to　　view　human　irregularities　and　inconsistencies　in　a　sportive　rather　　than　an　indignant　light；　it　is　a　sustained　and　diverting　comedy。　　　Of　the　constituency；　both　before　and　after　the　Reform　Bill；　three…　fourths；　the　Commissioners　artlessly　inform　us；　sought　and　received　　bribes；　of　the　remainder；　all　but　a　few　individuals　negotiated　and　　gave　the　bribes。　　So　in　every　election；　both　sides　bribed　avowedly；　　if　a　luckless　Purity　Candidate　appeared；　he　was　promptly　informed　　that　〃Mr。　Most〃　would　win　the　seat：　highest　bribes　decided　each　　election；　further　bribes　averted　petitions。　　When　once　a　desperate　　riot　took　place　and　the　ringleaders　were　tried　at　Quarter　Sessions；　　the　jury　were　bribed　to　acquit；　in　the　teeth　of　the　Chairman's　　summing　up。　　At　last；　in　1868；　the　defeated　candidate　petitioned；　　blue…book　literature　was　enriched　by　a　remarkable　report；　and　the　　borough　was　disfranchised。　　Of　course　Kinglake　had　only　himself　to　　thank；　if　a　gentleman　chooses　to　sit　for　a　venal　borough；　and　to　　intrust　his　interests　to　a　questionable　agent；　he　must；　in　the　　words　of　Mrs。　Gamp；　〃take　the　consequences　of　sech　a　sitiwation。〃　　　The　consequences　to　him　were　loss　of　his　present　seat；　and　　permanent　exclusion　from　Parliament。

He　was　keenly　mortified　by　his　ostracism；　speaking　of　himself　ever　　after　as　〃a　political　corpse。〃　　Thenceforward　he　gave　his　whole　　energy　to　literary　work；　to　occasional　reviews；　mainly　to　his　　〃Invasion　of　the　Crimea。〃　　In　the　〃Edinburgh〃　I　think　he　never　　wrote；　cordially　disliking　its　then　editor。　　A　fine　notice　in　　〃Blackwood〃　of　Madame　de　Lafayette's　life　was　from　his　pen。　　　Surveying　the　Revolutionary　Terror；　he　points　out　that　　Robespierre's　opponents　were　in　numbers　overwhelmingly　strong；　but　　lacked　cohesion　and　leaders；　while　the　Mountain；　dominated　by　a　　single　will；　was　legally　armed　with　power　to　kill；　and　went　on　　killing。　　The　Church　played　into　Robespierre's　hands　by　enforcing　　Patience　and　Resignation　as　the　highest　Christian　virtues；　　confusing　the　idea　of　submission　to　Heaven　with　the　idea　of　　submission　to　a　scoundrel。　　Had　Hampden　been　a　Papist　he　would　have　　paid　ship…money。　　He　wrote　also　in　〃The　Owl；〃　a　brilliant　little　　magazine　edited　by　his　friend　Laurence　Oliphant；　a　〃Society　　Journal；〃　conducted　by　a　set　of　clever　well…to…do　young　bachelors　　living　in　London；　addressed　like　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette；〃　in　　〃Pendennis；〃　〃to　the　higher　circles　of　society；　written　by　　gentlemen　for　gentlemen。〃　　When　the　expenses　of　production　were　　paid；　the　balance　was　spent　on　a　whitebait　dinner　at　Greenwich；　and　　on　offerings　of　flowers　and　jewellery　to　the　lady　guests　invited。　　　It　came　to　an　end；　leaving　no　successor　equally　brilliant；　high…　toned；　wholesome；　its　collected　numbers　figure　sometimes　at　a　　formidable　price　in　sales　and　catalogues。　（15）

The　first　two　volumes　of　his　〃Crimea〃　had　appeared　in　1863。　　They　　were　awaited　with　eager　expectation。　　An　elaborate　history　of　the　　war　had　been　written　by　a　Baron　de　Bazancourt；　condemned　as　unfair　　and　unreliable　by　English　statesmen；　and　severely　handled　in　our　　reviews。　　So　the　wish　was　felt　everywhere　for　some　record　less　　ephemeral；　which　should　render　the　tale　historically；　and　　counteract　Bazancourt's　misstatements。　　〃I　hear；〃　wrote　the　Duke　of　　Newcastle；　〃that　Kinglake　has　undertaken　the　task。　　He　has　a　noble　　opportunity　of　producing　a　text…book　for　future　history；　but　to　　accomplish　this　it　must　be　STOICALLY　impartial。〃

The　beauty　of　their　style；　the　merciless　portraiture　of　the　Second　　Empire；　the　unparalleled　diorama　of　the　Alma　fight；　combined　to　　gain　for　these　first　four…and…twenty　chapters　an　immediate　vogue　as　　emphatic　and　as　widely　spread　as　that　which　saluted　the　opening　of　　Macaulay's　〃History。〃　　None　of　the　later　volumes；　though　highly　　prized　as　battle　narratives；　quite　came　up　to　these。　　T