william ewart gladstone-第11节

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their　countrymen；　and　have　been　as　party　leaders　exposed　to　angry
and　sometimes　dishonest　criticism；　can　it　be　said　that　there　stands
on　record　against　them　no　malignant　word　and　no　vindictive　act！
This　was　due　not　perhaps　entirely　to　natural　sweetness　of
disposition；　but　rather　to　self…control　and　to　a　certain　largeness
and　dignity　of　soul　which　would　not　condescend　to　anything　mean　or
petty。　　Nor　should　it　be　forgotten　that　the　perfectly　happy　life
which　he　led　at　home；　cared　for　in　everything　by　a　devoted　wife；
kept　far　from　him　those　domestic　troubles　which　have　soured　the
temper　and　embittered　the　judgments　of　not　a　few　famous　men。
Reviewing　his　whole　career；　and　summing　up　the　impressions　and
recollections　of　those　who　knew　him　best；　this　dignity　is　the
feature　which　dwells　most　in　the　mind；　as　the　outline　of　some
majestic　Alp　moves　one　from　afar　when　all　the　lesser　beauties　of
glen　and　wood；　of　crag　and　glacier；　have　faded　in　the　distance。　　As
elevation　was　the　note　of　his　oratory；　so　was　magnanimity　the　note
of　his　character。

The　favorite　Greek　maxim　that　no　man　can　be　called　happy　till　his
life　is　ended　must；　in　the　case　of　statesmen；　be　extended　to　warn　us
from　the　attempt　to　fix　any　one's　place　in　history　till　a　generation
has　arisen　to　whom　he　is　a　mere　name；　not　a　familiar　figure　to　be
loved；　opposed；　or　hated。　　Few　reputations　made　in　politics　keep　so
far　green　and　fresh　that　men　continue　to　read　and　write　and
speculate　about　the　person　when　those　who　can　remember　him　living
have　departed。　　Out　of　all　the　men　who　have　played　a　leading　part　in
English　public　life　in　the　present　century　there　are　but　seven　or
eightPitt；　Fox；　Canning；　Wellington；　Peel；　O'Connell；　Disraeli；
perhaps　Melbourne　and　Broughamwho　still　excite　our　curiosity。　　The
great　poet　or　the　great　artist　lives　longerindeed；　he　lives　as
long　as　his　books　or　his　pictures；　the　statesman；　like　the　musician
or　the　actor；　begins　to　be　forgotten　so　soon　as　his　voice　is　still；
unless　he　has　so　dominated　the　men　of　his　own　time；　and　made　himself
a　part　of　his　country's　history；　that　his　personal　character　becomes
a　leading　factor　in　the　course　which　events　took。　　Tried　by　this
test；　Mr。　Gladstone's　fame　seems　destined　to　last。　　His　eloquence
will　soon　become　merely　a　tradition；　for　his　printed　speeches　do　not
preserve　its　charm。　　His　main　acts　of　policy；　foreign　and　domestic；
will　have　to　be　judged　by　their　still　unborn　consequences。　　If　his
books　continue　to　be　read；　it　will　be　rather　because　they　are　his
than　in　respect　of　any　permanent　contribution　they　have　made　to
knowledge。　　But　whoever　follows　the　annals　of　England　during　the
memorable　years　from　1843　to　1894　will　meet　his　name　on　almost　every
page；　will　feel　how　great　must　have　been　the　force　of　an　intellect
that　could　so　interpenetrate　the　events　of　its　time；　and　will　seek
to　know　something　of　the　wonderful　figure　that　rose　always
conspicuous　above　the　struggling　throng。

There　is　a　passage　in　the　〃Odyssey〃　where　the　seer　Theoclymenus；　in
describing　a　vision　of　death；　says：　　〃The　sun　has　perished　out　of
heaven。〃　　To　Englishmen；　Mr。　Gladstone　has　been　like　a　sun　which；
sinking　slowly；　has　grown　larger　as　he　sank；　and　filled　the　sky　with
radiance　even　while　he　trembled　on　the　verge　of　the　horizon。　　There
were　able　men；　and　famous　men；　but　there　was　no　one　comparable　to
him　in　power　and　fame　and　honor。　　Now　he　is　gone。　　The　piercing　eye
is　dim；　and　the　mellow　voice　is　silent；　and　the　light　has　died　out
of　the　sky。








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