william ewart gladstone-第2节

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importance　to　the　sacraments；　feeling　himself　nearer　to　the　Church
of　Rome；　despite　what　he　deemed　her　corruptions；　than　to　any　of　the
non…episcopal　Protestant　churches。　　Henceforth　his　interests　in　life
were　as　much　ecclesiastical　as　political。　　For　a　time　he　desired　to
be　ordained　a　clergyman。　　Had　this　wish　been　carried　out；　it　can
scarcely　be　doubted　that　he　would　eventually　have　become　the　leading
figure　in　the　Church　of　England　and　have　sensibly　affected　her
recent　history。　　The　later　stages　in　his　career　drew　him　away　from
the　main　current　of　political　opinion　within　that　church。　　He　who
had　been　the　strongest　advocate　of　established　churches　came　to　be
the　leading　agent　in　the　disestablishment　of　the　Protestant
Episcopal　Church　in　Ireland；　and　a　supporter　of　the　policy　of
disestablishment　in　Scotland　and　in　Wales。　　But　the　color　which
these　Oxford　years　gave　to　his　mind　and　thoughts　was　never
obliterated。　　They　widened　the　range　of　his　interests　and　deepened
his　moral　zeal　and　religious　earnestness。　　But　at　the　same　time　they
confirmed　his　natural　bent　toward　over…subtle　distinctions　and　fine…
drawn　reasonings；　and　they　put　him　somewhat　out　of　sympathy　not　only
with　the　attitude　of　the　average　Englishman；　who　is　essentially　a
Protestant；that　is　to　say；　averse　to　sacerdotalism；　and　suspicious
of　any　other　religious　authority　than　that　of　the　Bible　and　the
individual　conscience；but　also　with　two　of　the　strongest
influences　of　our　time；　the　influence　of　the　sciences　of　nature；　and
the　influence　of　historical　criticism。　　Mr。　Gladstone；　though　too
wise　to　rail　at　science；　as　many　religious　men　did　till　within　the
last　few　years；　could　never　quite　reconcile　himself　either　to　the
conclusions　of　geology　and　zoology　regarding　the　history　of　the
physical　world　and　the　animals　which　inhabit　it；　or　to　the　modern
methods　of　critical　inquiry　as　applied　to　Scripture　and　to　ancient
literature　generally。　　The　training　which　Oxford　then　gave；
stimulating　as　it　was；　and　free　from　the　modern　error　of　over
specialization；　was　defective　in　omitting　the　experimental　sciences；
and　in　laying　undue　stress　upon　the　study　of　language。　　A　proneness
to　dwell　on　verbal　distinctions　and　to　trust　overmuch　to　the
analysis　of　terms　as　a　means　of　reaching　the　truth　of　things　is
noticeable　in　many　eminent　Oxford　writers　of　that　and　the　next
succeeding　generationsome　of　them；　like　the　illustrious　F。　D。
Maurice；　far　removed　from　Dr。　Newman　and　Mr。　Gladstone　in
theological　opinion。

When　the　brilliant　young　Oxonian　entered　the　House　of　Commons　at　the
age　of　twenty…three；　Sir　Robert　Peel　was　leading　the　Tory　party　with
an　authority　and　ability　rarely　surpassed　in　parliamentary　annals。
Within　two　years　the　young　man　was　admitted　into　the　short…lived
Tory　ministry　of　1834；　and　soon　proved　himself　an　active　and
promising　lieutenant　of　the　experienced　chief。　　Peel　was　an
eminently　wary　and　cautious　man；　alive　to　the　necessity　of　watching
the　signs　of　the　times；　of　studying　and　interpreting　the　changeful
phases　of　public　opinion。　　His　habit　was　to　keep　his　own　counsel；
and　even　when　he　perceived　that　the　policy　he　had　hitherto　followed
would　need　to　be　modified；　to　continue　to　use　guarded　language　and
refuse　to　commit　himself　to　change　till　he　perceived　that　the
fitting　moment　had　arrived。　　He　was；　moreover；　a　master　of　detail；
slow　to　propound　a　plan　until　he　had　seen　how　its　outlines　were　to
be　filled　up　by　appropriate　devices　for　carrying　it　out　in　practice。
These　qualities　and　habits　of　the　minister　profoundly　affected　his
gifted　disciple。　　They　became　part　of　the　texture　of　his　own
political　character；　and　in　his　case；　as　in　that　of　Peel；　they
sometimes　brought　censure　upon　him；　as　having　withheld　too　long　from
the　public　views　or　purposes　which　he　thought　it　unwise　to　disclose
till　effect　could　promptly　be　given　to　them。　　Such　reserve；　such　a
guarded　attitude　and　conservative　attachment　to　existing
institutions；　were　not　altogether　natural　to　Mr。　Gladstone's　mind；
and　the　contrast　between　them　and　some　of　his　other　qualities；　like
the　contrast　which　ultimately　appeared　between　his　sacerdotal
tendencies　and　his　political　liberalism；　contributed　to　make　his
character　perplexing　and　to　expose　his　conduct　to　the　charge　of
inconsistency。　　Inconsistent；　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　the　word；　he
was　not；　much　less　changeable。　　He　was　really；　in　the　main　features
of　his　political　convictions　and　the　main　habits　of　his　mind；　one　of
the　most　tenacious　and　persistent　of　men。　　But　there　were　always　at
work　in　him　two　tendencies。　　One　was　the　speculative　desire　to　probe
everything　to　the　bottom；　to　try　it　by　the　light　of　general
principles　and　logic；　and　where　it　failed　to　stand　this　test；　to
reject　it。　　The　other　was　the　sense　of　the　complexity　of　existing
social　and　political　arrangements；　and　of　the　risk　of　disturbing　any
one　part　of　them　unless　the　time　had　arrived　for　resettling　other
parts　also。　　Every　statesman　feels　both　these　sides　to　every
concrete　question　of　reform。　　No　one　has　set　them　forth　more
cogently；　and　in　particular　no　one　has　more　earnestly　dwelt　on　the
necessity　for　the　latter；　than　the　most　profound　thinker　among
English　statesmen；　Edmund　Burke。　　Mr。　Gladstone；　however；　felt　and
stated　them　with　quite　unusual　force；　and　when　he　stated　the　one
side；　people　forgot　that　there　was　another　which　would　be　no　less
vividly　present　to　him　at　some　other　moment。　　He　was　not　only；　like
all　successful　parliamentarians；　necessarily　something　of　an
opportunist；　though　perhaps　less　so　than　his　master　Peel；　but　was
moved　by　emotion　more　than　most　statesmen；　and　certainly　more　than
Peel。　　The　relative　strength　with　which　the　need　for　comprehensive
reform　or　the　need　for　watchful　conservatism　presented　itself　to　his
mind　depended　largely　upon　the　weight　which　his　emotions　cast　into
one　or　the　other　scale；　and　this　element　made　it　difficult　to
forecast　his　probable　action。　　Thus　his　political　character　was　the
result　of　influences　differing　widely　in　their　origininfluences；
moreover；　which　it　was　hard　for　ordinary　observers　to　appreciate。



CHAPTER　III：　　PARLIAMENTARIAN



Mr。　Gladstone　sat　for　sixty…three　years　in　Parliament；　and　for　more
than　twenty…six　years　was　the　leader　of　his　party；　and　therefore　the
central　figure　of　English　politics。　　As　has　been　said；　he　began　as　a
high　Tory；　remained　about　fifteen　years　in　that　camp；　was　then　led
by　the　split　between　Peel　and　the　protectionists　to　take　up　an
intermediate　position；　and　finally　was　forced　to　cast　in　his　lot
with　the　Liberals；　for　in　England；　as　in　America；　third　parties
seldom　endure。　　No　parliamentary　career　in　English　annals　is
comparable　to　his　for　its　length　and　variety；　and　of　those　who　saw
its　close　in　the　House　of　Commons；　there　was　only　one　man；　Mr。
Villiers　（who　died　in　January；　1898）；　who　could　remember　its
beginning。　　He　had　been　opposed　in　1833　to　men　who　might　have　been
his　grandfathers；　he　was　opposed　in　1893　to　men　who　might　have　been
his　grandchildren。　　In　a　sketch　like　this；　it　is　impossible　to
describe　or　comment　on　the　events　of　such　a　life。　　All　that　can　be
done　is　to　indicate　the　more　salient　characteristics　which　a　study
of　his　career　as　a　statesman　and　a　parliamentarian　sets　before　us。

The　most　remarkable　of　these　characteristics　is　the　sustained
freshness；　openness；　eagerness　of　mind；　which　he　preserved　down　to
the　end　of　his　life。　　Most　of　us；　just　as　we　make　few　intimate
friends；　so　we　form　few　new　opinions　after　thirty…five。
Intellectual　curiosity　may　remain　fresh　and　strong　even　after　fifty；
but　its　range　steadily　narrows　as　one　abandons　the　hope　of　attaining
any　thorough　knowledge　of　subjects　other　than　those　which　make　the
main　business　of　one's　life。　　One　cannot　follow　the　progress　of　all
the　new　ideas　that　are　set　afloat　in　the　world。　　One　cannot　be
always　examining　the　foundations　of　one's　political　or　religious
beliefs。　　Repeated　disappointments　and　disillusionments　make　a　man
expect　less　from　changes　the　older　he　grows；　and　mere　indolence　adds
its　influence　in　deterring　us　from　entering　upon　new　enterprises。
None　of　these　causes　seemed　to　affect　Mr。　Gladstone。　　He　was　as　much
excited　over　a　new　book　（such　as　Cardinal　Manning's　Life）　at　eighty…
six　as　when　at　fourteen　he　insisted　on　compelling　little　Arthur
Stanley　（afterward　Dean　of　Westminster；　and　then　aged　nine）　to
procure　Gray's　poems；　which　he　had　just　perused　himself。　　His
reading　covered　almost　the　whole　field　of　literature；　except
physical　and　mathematical　science。　　While　frequently　declaring　that
he　must　confine　his　political　thinking　and　leadership　to　a　few
subjects；　he　was　so　observant　of　the　movements　of　opinion　that　the
course　of　talk　brought　up　scarcely　any　topic　in　which　he　did　not
seem　to　know　what　was　the　latest　thing　that　had　been　said　or　done。
Neither　the　lassitude　nor　the　prejudices　common　in　old　age　prevented
him　from　giving　a　fair　consideration　to　any　new　doctrines。　　But
though　his　intellect　was　restlessly　at　work；　and　though　his　eager
curiosity　disposed　him　to　relish　novelties；　except　in　theology；　that
bottom　rock　in　his　mind　of　caution　and　reserve；　which　has　already
b