william ewart gladstone-第6节

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said　in　admiration　of　the　towering　personality。

People　who　read　next　day　the　report　in　the　newspapers　of　a　speech
delivered　on　such　an　occasion　could　not　comprehend　the　impression　it
had　made　on　the　listeners。　　〃What　was　there　in　it　so　to　stir　you？〃
they　asked。　　They　had　not　seen　the　glance　and　the　gestures；　they　had
not　heard　the　vibrating　voice　rise　to　an　organ　peal　of　triumph　or
sink　to　a　whisper　of　entreaty。　　Mr。　Gladstone's　voice　was　naturally
one　of　great　richness　and　resonance。　　It　was　a　fine　singing　voice；
and　a　pleasant　voice　to　listen　to　in　conversation；　not　the　less
pleasant　for　having　a　slight　trace　of　Liverpool　accent　clinging　to
it。　　But　what　struck　one　in　listening　to　his　speeches　was　not　so
much　the　quality　of　the　vocal　chords　as　the　skill　with　which　they
were　managed。　　He　had　the　same　gift　of　sympathetic　expression；　of
throwing　his　feeling　into　his　voice；　and　using　its　modulations　to
accompany　and　convey　every　shade　of　meaning；　that　a　great　composer
has　when　he　puts　music　to　a　poem；　or　a　great　executant　when　he
renders　at　once　the　composer's　and　the　poet's　thought。　　And　just　as
great　singers　or　violinists　enjoy　the　practice　of　their　art；　so　it
was　a　delight　to　him　to　put　forth　this　faculty　of　expression
perhaps　an　unconscious；　yet　an　intense　delight；　as　appeared　from
this　also；　that　whenever　his　voice　failed　him　（which　sometimes
befell　in　later　years）　his　words　came　less　easily；　and　even　the
chariot　of　his　argument　seemed　to　drive　heavily。　　That　the　voice
should　so　seldom　have　failed　him　was　wonderful。　　When　he　had　passed
his　seventy…fifth　year；　it　became　sensibly　inferior　in　volume　and
depth　of　tone。　　But　its　strength；　variety；　and　delicacy　remained。
In　April；　1886；　he　being　then　seventy…seven；　it　held　out　during　a
speech　of　nearly　four　hours　in　length。　　In　February；　1890；　it
enabled　him　to　deliver　with　extraordinary　effect　an　eminently　solemn
and　pathetic　appeal。　　In　March；　1895；　those　who　listened　to　it　the
last　time　it　was　heard　in　Parliamentthey　were　comparatively　few；
for　the　secret　of　his　impending　resignation　had　been　well　kept
recognized　in　it　all　the　old　charm。　　But　perhaps　the　most　curious
instance　of　the　power　it　could　exert　is　to　be　found　in　a　speech　made
in　1883；　during　one　of　the　tiresome　debates　occasioned　by　the
refusal　of　the　Tory　party　and　of　some　timorous　Liberals　to　allow　Mr。
Bradlaugh　to　be　sworn　as　a　member　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　This
speech　produced　a　profound　impression　on　those　who　heard　it；　an
impression　which　its　perusal　to…day　fails　to　explain。　　That
impression　was　chiefly　due　to　the　grave　and　reverent　tone　in　which
he　delivered　some　sentences　stating　the　view　that　it　is　not　our
belief　in　the　bare　existence　of　a　Deity；　but　the　realizing　of　him　as
being　also　a　Providence　ruling　the　world；　that　is　of　moral　value　and
significance；　and　was　due　in　particular　to　the　lofty　dignity　with
which　he　declaimed　six　lines　of　Lucretius；　setting　forth　the
Epicurean　view　of　the　gods　as　unconcerned　with　mankind。　　There　were
probably　not　ten　men　in　the　House　of　Commons　who　could　follow　the
sense　of　the　lines　so　as　to　appreciate　their　bearing　on　his
argument。　　But　these　stately　and　sonorous　hexametershexameters
that　seemed　to　have　lived　on　through　nineteen　centuries　to　find
their　application　from　the　lips　of　an　orator　to…day；　the　sense　of
remoteness　in　the　strange　language　and　the　far…off　heathen　origin；
the　deep　and　moving　note　in　the　speaker's　voice；　thrilled　the
imagination　of　the　audience　and　held　it　spellbound；　lifting　for　a
moment　the　whole　subject　of　debate　into　a　region　far　above　party
conflicts。　　Spoken　by　any　one　else；　the　passage　culminating　in　these
Lucretian　lines　might　have　produced　little　effect。　　It　was　the　voice
and　manner；　above　all　the　voice；　with　its　marvelous　modulations；
that　made　the　speech　majestic。

Yet　one　must　not　forget　to　add　that　with　him；　as　with　some　other
famous　statesmen；　the　impression　made　by　a　speech　was　in　a　measure
due　to　the　admiring　curiosity　and　wonder　which　his　personality
inspired。　　He　was　so　much　the　most　interesting　human　being　in　the
House　of　Commons　that；　when　he　withdrew；　many　members　said　that　the
place　had　lost　half　its　attraction　for　them；　and　that　the　chamber
seemed　empty　because　he　was　not　in　it。　　Plenty　of　able　men　remained。
But　even　the　ablest　seemed　ordinary；　perhaps　even　commonplace；　when
compared　with　the　figure　that　had　vanished；　a　figure　in　whom　were
combined；　as　in　no　other　man　of　his　time；　an　unrivaled　experience；
an　extraordinary　activity　and　versatility　of　intellect；　a　fervid
imagination；　and　an　indomitable　will。



CHAPTER　V：　　ORIGINALITY　AND　INDEPENDENCE



Though　Mr。　Gladstone's　oratory　was　a　main　source　of　his　power；　both
in　Parliament　and　over　the　people；　the　effort　of　his　enemies　to
represent　him　as　a　mere　rhetorician　will　seem　absurd　to　the
historian　who　reviews　his　whole　career。　　The　mere　rhetorician　adorns
and　popularizes　the　ideas　which　have　originated　with　others；　he
advocates　policies　which　others　have　devised；　he　follows　and
expresses　the　sentiments　which　already　prevail　in　his　party。　　He　may
help　to　destroy；　he　does　not　construct。　　Mr。　Gladstone　was　himself　a
source　of　new　ideas　and　new　policies；　he　evoked　new　sentiments　or
turned　sentiments　into　new　channels。　　He　was　a　constructive
statesman　not　less　conspicuously　than　Pitt；　Canning；　and　Peel。　　If
the　memory　of　his　oratorical　triumphs　were　to　pass　completely　away；
he　would　deserve　to　be　remembered　in　respect　of　the　mark　he　left
upon　the　British　statute…book　and　of　the　changes　he　wrought　both　in
the　constitution　of　his　country　and　in　her　European　policy。　　To
describe　the　acts　he　carried　would　almost　be　to　write　the　history　of
recent　British　legislation；　to　pass　a　judgment　upon　their　merits
would　be　foreign　to　the　scope　of　this　sketch：　　it　is　only　to　three
remarkable　groups　of　measures　that　reference　can　here　be　made。

The　first　of　these　three　groups　includes　the　financial　reforms
embodied　in　a　series　of　fourteen　budgets　between　the　years　1853　and
1882；　the　most　famous　of　which　were　the　budgets　of　1853　and　1860。
In　the　former　Mr。　Gladstone　continued　the　work　begun　by　Peel　by
reducing　and　simplifying　the　customs　duties。　　The　deficiency　in
revenue　thus　caused　was　supplied　by　the　enactment　of　less　oppressive
imposts；　and　particularly　by　resettling　the　income　tax；　and　by　the
introduction　of　a　succession　duty　on　real　estate。　　The　preparation
and　passing　of　this　very　technical　and　intricate　Succession　Duty　Act
was　a　most　laborious　enterprise；　of　which　Mr。　Gladstone　used　to
speak　as　the　severest　mental　strain　he　had　ever　undergone。

＇Greek　text＇

The　budget　of　1860；　among　other　changes；　abolished　the　paper　duty；
an　immense　service　to　the　press；　which　excited　the　hostility　of　the
House　of　Lords。　　They　threw　out　the　measure；　but　in　the　following
year　Mr。　Gladstone　forced　them　to　submit。　　His　achievements　in　the
field　of　finance　equal；　if　they　do　not　surpass；　those　of　Peel；　and
are　not　tarnished；　as　in　the　case　of　Pitt；　by　the　recollection　of
burdensome　wars。　　To　no　minister　can　so　large　a　share　in　promoting
the　commercial　and　industrial　prosperity　of　modern　England；　and　in
the　reduction　of　her　national　debt；　be　ascribed。

The　second　group　includes　the　two　great　parliamentary　reform　bills
of　1866　and　1884　and　the　Redistribution　Bill　of　1885。　　The　first　of
these　was　defeated　in　the　House　of　Commons；　but　it　led　to　the
passing　next　year　of　an　even　more　comprehensive　billa　bill　which；
though　passed　by　Mr。　Disraeli；　was　to　some　extent　dictated　by　Mr。
Gladstone；　as　leader　of　the　opposition。　　Of　these　three　statutes
taken　together；　it　may　be　said　that　they　have　turned　Britain　into　a
democratic　country；　changing　the　character　of　her　government　almost
as　profoundly　as　did　the　Reform　Act　of　1832。

The　third　group　consists　of　a　series　of　Irish　measures；　beginning
with　the　Church　Disestablishment　Act　of　1869；　and　including　the　Land
Act　of　1870；　the　University　Education　Bill　of　1873　（defeated　in　the
House　of　Commons）；　the　Land　Act　of　1881；　and　the　home…rule　bills　of
1886　and　1893。　　All　these　were　in　a　special　manner　Mr。　Gladstone's
handiwork；　prepared　as　well　as　brought　in　and　advocated　by　him。　　All
were　highly　complicated；　and　of　onethe　Land　Act　of　1881；　which　it
took　three　months　to　carry　through　the　House　of　Commonsit　was　said
that　so　great　was　its　intricacy　that　only　three　men　understood　it
Mr。　Gladstone　himself；　his　Attorney…General　for　Ireland；　and　Mr。　T。
M。　Healy。　　So　far　from　shrinking　from；　he　seemed　to　revel　in；　the
toil　of　mastering　an　infinitude　of　technical　details。　　Yet　neither
did　he　want　boldness　and　largeness　of　conception。　　The　Home…Rule
Bill　of　1886　was　nothing　less　than　a　new　constitution　for　Ireland；
and　in　all　but　one　of　its　most　essential　features　had　been
practically　worked　out　by　himself　more　than　four　months　before　it
was　presented　to　Parliament。

Of　the　other　important　measures　passed　while　he　was　prime　minister；
two　deserve　special　mention；　the　Education　Act　of　1870　and　the
Local…Government　Act　of　1894。　　Neither　of　these；　however；　was
directly　his　work；　though　he　took　a　leading　part　in　piloting　the
former　through　the　House　of