biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第9节

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dined　alone　with　him　in　his　tent　on　the　evening　of　the　eventful　　day。

If　Lord　Raglan　was　the　Hector　of　the　Crimean　Iliad；　its　Agamemnon　　was　Lord　Stratford：　〃king　of　men；〃　as　Stanley　called　him　in　his　　funeral　sermon　at　Westminster；　king　of　distrustful　home　Cabinets；　　nominally　his　masters；　of　scheming　European　embassies；　of　insulting　　Russian　opponents；　of　presumptuous　French　generals；　of　false　and　　fleeting　Pashas　（LE　SULTAN；　C'EST　LORD　STRATFORD；　said　St。　Arnaud）；　　of　all　men；　whatever　their　degree；　who　entered　his　ambassadorial　　presence。　　Ascendency　was　native　to　the　man；　while　yet　in　his　teens　　we　find　Etonian　and　Cambridge　friends　writing　to　him　deferentially　　as　to　a　critic　and　superior。　　At　four　and　twenty　he　became　Minister　　to　a　Court　manageable　only　by　high…handed　authority　and　menace。　　He　　owned；　and　for　the　most　part　controlled；　a　violent　temper；　it　broke　　bounds　sometimes；　to　our　great　amusement　as　we　read　to…day；　to　the　　occasional　discomfiture　of　ATTACHES　or　of　dependents；　（19）　to　the　　abject　terror　of　Turkish　Sublimities　who　had　outworn　his　patience。　　　But　he　knew　when　to　be　angry；　he　could　pulverize　by　fiery　outbreaks　　the　Reis　Effendi　and　his　master；　Abdu…l…Mejid；　but　as　　Plenipotentiary　to　the　United　States　he　could　〃quench　the　terror　of　　his　beak；　the　lightning　of　his　eye；〃　disarming　by　his　formal　　courtesy　and　winning　by　his　obvious　sincerity　the　suspicious　and　　irritable　John　Quincy　Adams。　　When　Menschikoff　once　insulted　him；　　seeing　that　a　quarrel　at　that　moment　would　be　fatal　to　his　purpose；　　he　pretended　to　be　deaf；　and　left　the　Russian　in　the　belief　that　　his　rude　speech　had　not　been　heard。　　Enthroned　for　the　sixth　time　　in　Constantinople；　at　the　dangerous　epoch　of　1853；　he　could　point　　to　an　unequalled　diplomatic　record　in　the　past；　to　the　Treaty　of　　Bucharest；　to　reunion　of　the　Helvetic　Confederacy　shattered　by　　Napoleon's　fall；　to　the　Convention　which　ratified　Greek　　independence；　to　the　rescue　from　Austrian　malignity　of　the　　Hungarian　refugees。

His　conduct　of　the　negotiations　preceding　the　Crimean　War　is　justly　　called　the　cornerstone　of　his　career：　at　this　moment　of　his　　greatness　Kinglake　encounters　and　describes　him：　through　the　　brilliant　chapters　in　his　opening　volume；　as　more　fully　later　on　　through　Mr。　Lane　Poole's　admirable　biography；　the　Great　Eltchi　is　　known　to　English　readers。　　He　moves　across　the　stage　with　a　majesty　　sometimes　bordering　on　what　Iago　calls　bombast　circumstance；　drums　　and　trumpets　herald　his　every　entrance；　now　pacing　the　shady　　gardens　of　the　Bosphorus；　now　foiling；　〃in　his　grand　quiet　way；〃　　the　Czar's　ferocious　Christianity；　or　torturing　his　baffled　　ambassador　by　scornful　concession　of　the　points　which　he　formally　　demanded　but　did　not　really　want；　or　crushing　with　〃thin；　tight；　　merciless　lips　and　grand　overhanging　Canning　brow〃　the　presumptuous　　French　commander　who　had　dared　to　enter　his　presence　with　a　plot　　for　undermining　England's　influence　in　the　partnership　of　the　　campaign。　　Was　he；　we　ask　as　we　end　the　fascinating　description；　　was　he；　what　Bright　and　the　Peace　Party　proclaimed　him　to　be；　the　　cause　of　the　Crimean　War？　　The　Czar's　personal　dislike　to　him　…　a　　caprice　which　has　never　been　explained　（20）　…　exasperated　no　doubt　　to　the　mind　of　Nicholas　the　repulse　of　Menschikoff's　demands；　but　　that　the　precipitation　of　the　prince　and　his　master　had　put　the　　Russian　Court　absolutely　in　the　wrong　is　universally　admitted。　　It　　has　been　urged　against　him　that　his　recommendation　of　the　famous　　Vienna　Note　to　the　Porte　was　official　merely；　and　allowed　the　　watchful　Turks　to　assume　his　personal　approbation　of　their　refusal。　　　It　may　be　so；　his　biographer　does　not　admit　so　much：　but　it　is　　obvious　that　the　Turks　were　out　of　hand；　and　that　no　pressure　from　　Lord　Stratford　could　have　persuaded　them　to　accept　the　Note。　　　Further；　the　〃Russian　Analysis　of　the　Note；〃　escaping　shortly　　afterwards　from　the　bag　of　diplomatic　secrecy；　revealed　to　our　　Cabinet　the　necessity　of　those　amendments　to　the　Note　on　which　the　　Porte　had　insisted。　　And　lastly；　the　passage　of　the　Dardanelles　by　　our　fleet；　which　more　than　any　overt　act　made　war　inevitable；　was　　ordered　by　the　Government　at　home　against　Lord　Stratford's　counsel。　　　Between　panic…stricken　statesmen　and　vacillating　ambassadors；　Lord　　Clarendon　on　one　side；　M。　de　la　Cour　on　the　other；　the　Eltchi　　stands　like　Tennyson's　promontory　of　rock；


〃Tempest…buffeted；　citadel…crowned。〃


Napoleon　at　St。　Helena　attributed　much　of　his　success　in　the　field　　to　the　fact　that　he　was　not　hampered　by　governments　at　home。　　Every　　modern　commander；　down　certainly　to　the　present　moment；　must　have　　envied　him。　　Kinglake's　mordant　pen　depicts　with　felicity　and　　compression　the　men　of　Downing　Street；　who　without　military　　experience　or　definite　political　aim；　thwarted；　criticised；　over…　ruled；　tormented；　their　much…enduring　General。　　We　have　Aberdeen；　　deficient　in　mental　clearness　and　propelling　force；　by　his　horror　　of　war　bringing　war　to　pass；　Gladstone；　of　too　subtle　intellect　and　　too　lively　conscience；　〃a　good　man　in　the　worst　sense　of　the　term〃；　　Palmerston；　above　both　in　keenness　of　instinct　and　in　strength　of　　will；　meaning　war　from　the　first；　and　biding　his　time　to　insure　it；　　Newcastle；　sanguine　to　the　verge　of　rashness；　loyally　adherent　to　　Lord　Raglan　while　governed　by　his　own　judgment；　distrustful　under　　stress　of　popular　clamour；　Panmure；　ungenerous；　rough…tongued；　　violent；　churlish；　yet　not　malevolent　…　〃a　rhinoceros　rather　than　a　　tiger〃　…　hurried　by　subservience　to　the　newspaper　Press　into　　injustice　which　he　afterwards　recognized；　yet　did　but　sullenly　　repair。　　We　see　finally　that　dominant　Press　itself；　personified　in　　the　all…powerful　Delane；　a　potentate　with　convictions　at　once　　flexible　and　vehement；　forceful　without　spite　and　merciless　without　　malignity；　writing　no　articles；　but　evoking；　shaping；　revising　all。　　　The　French　commanders　were　not　hampered　by　the　muzzled　Paris　Press；　　which　had　long　since　ceased　to　utter　any　but　dictated　sentiments；　　they　suffered　even　more　disastrously　from　the　imperious　　interference　of　the　Tuileries。　　Canrobert's　inaction；　mutability；　　sudden　alarms；　flagrant　breaches　of　faith；　were　inexplicable　until　　long　afterwards；　when　the　fall　of　the　Empire　disclosed　the　secret　　instructions　…　disloyal　to　his　allies　and　ruinous　to　the　campaign　…　　by　which　Louis　Napoleon　shackled　his　unhappy　General。　　In　　Canrobert's　successor；　Pelissier；　he　met　his　match。　　For　the　first　　time　a　strong　man　headed　the　French　army。　　Short　of　stature；　bull…　necked　and　massive　in　build；　with　grey　hair；　long　dark　moustache；　　keen　fiery　eyes；　his　coarse　rough　speech　masking　tested　brain　power　　and　high　intellectual　culture；　he　brought　new　life　to　the　benumbed　　French　army；　new　hope　to　Lord　Raglan。　　The　duel　between　the　　resolute　general　and　the　enraged　Emperor　is　narrated　with　a　touch　　comedy。　　All　that　Lord　Raglan　desired；　all　that　the　Emperor　　forbade；　Pelissier　was　stubbornly　determined　to　accomplish；　the　　siege　should　be　pressed　at　once；　the　city　taken　at　any　cost；　the　　expedition　to　Kertch　resumed。　　Once　only；　under　torment　of　the　　Emperor's　reproaches　and　the　Minister　at　War's　remonstrances；　his　　resolution　and　his　nerve　gave　way；　eight　days　of　failing　judgment　　issued　in　the　Karabelnaya　defeat；　the　severest　repulse　which　the　　two　armies　had　sustained；　but　the　paralysis　passed　away；　he　showed　　himself　once　more　eager　to　act　in　concert　with　the　English　general；　　…　when　the　long…borne　strain　of　disappointment　and　anxiety　sapped　　at　last　Lord　Raglan's　vital　forces；　and　the　hard　fierce　Frenchman　　stood　for　upwards　of　an　hour　beside　his　dead　colleague's　bedside；　　〃crying　like　a　child。〃

The　lieutenants　of　Lord　Raglan　in　the　Crimea　have　long　since　passed　　away；　but　in　artistic　epical　presentment　they　retain　their　place　　around　him。　　Airey；　his　right　hand　from　the　first　disembarkation　at　　Kalamita　Bay；　strong…willed；　decisive；　ardent；　thrusting　away　　suspense　and　doubt；　untying　every　knot；　is　vindicated　by　his　Chief　　against　the　Duke　of　Newcastle's　wordy　inculpation　in　the　severest　　despatch　perhaps　ever　penned　to　his　official　superior　by　a　soldier　　in　the　field。　　Colin　Campbell；　with　glowing　face；　grey　kindling　　eye；　light；　stubborn；　crisping　hair；　leads　his　Highland　brigade　tip　　the　hill　against　the　Vladimir　columns；　till　〃with　the　sorrowful　　wail　which　bursts　from　the　brave　Russian　infantry　when　they　have　to　　suffer　loss；〃　eight　battalions　of　the　enemy　fall　back　in　retreat。　　　Lord　Lucan；　tall；　lithe；　slender；　his　face　glittering　and　panther…　like　in　moments　of　strenuous　action；　wins　our　hearts　as　he　won　　Kinglake's；　in　spite　of　the　mis…aimed　cleverness　and　presumptuous　　self…confidence　which　always　criticised　and　sometimes　disobeyed　the　　orders　of　his　Chief。　　General　Pennefather；　〃the　grand　old　boy；〃　his　　exulting　radiant　face　flashing　everywhere　through　the　smoke；　his　　resonant　innocuous　oaths　roaring　cheerily　down　the　line；　sustains　　all　day　the　handful　of　our　troops　against　the　tenfold　masses　of　the　　enemy。　　Generous　and　eloquent　are　the　notices　of　Korniloff　and　　Todleben；　the　great　sailor　and　the　great　engineer；　the　soul　and　the　　brain　of　the　Sebastopol　defence。　　The　first　fell　in　the　siege；　the　　second　lived　t