biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第13部分

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stone's　tame　foreign　　policy；　and　especially　in　the　pusillanimity　his　government　showed　　when　insulted　by　Gortschakoff。　　He　always　does　justice　to　her　　influence　with　Gladstone；　his　great　majority　at　the　polls　in　1880　　is　HER　victory　and　HER　triumph；　but　his　Turkophobia　is　no　less　her　　creation：　〃England　is　stricken　with　incapacity　because　you　have　　stirred　up　the　seething　caldron　that　boils　under　Gladstone's　skull；　　putting　in　diabolical　charms　and　poisons　of　theology　to　overturn　　the　structure　of　English　polity：〃　she　will　be　able；　he　thinks；　to　　tell　her　government　that　Gladstone　is　doing　his　best　to　break　up　　the　British　Empire。

He　quotes　with　approbation　the　newspaper　comparison　of　her　to　the　　Princess　Lieven。　　She　disparages　the　famous　ambassadress；　he　sets　　her　right。　　Let　her　read　the　〃Correspondence；〃　by　his　friend　Mr。　　Guy　Le　Strange；　and　she　will　see　how　large　a　part　the　Princess　　played　in　keeping　England　quiet　during　the　war　of　1828…29。　　She　did　　not　convert　her　austere　admirer；　Lord　Grey；　to　approval　of　the　　Russian　designs；　nor　overcome　the　uneasiness　with　which　the　Duke　of　　Wellington　regarded　her　intrigues；　but　the　Foreign　Minister；　Lord　　Aberdeen；　was　apparently　a　fool　in　her　hands；　and；　whoever　had　the　　merit；　the　neutrality　of　England　continued。　　That　was；　he　repeats　　more　than　once；　a　most　critical　time　for　Russia；　it　was　an　object　　almost　of　life　and　death　to　the　Czar　to　keep　England　dawdling　in　a　　state　of　actual　though　not　avowed　neutrality。　　It　is；　he　argued；　a　　matter　of　fact；　that　precisely　this　result　was　attained；　and　〃I　　shall　be　slow　to　believe　that　Madame　de　Lieven　did　not　deserve　a　　great　share　of　the　glory　（as　you　would　think　it）　of　making　England　　act　weakly　under　such　circumstances；　more　especially　since　we　know　　that　the　Duke　did　not　like　the　great　lady；　and　may　be　supposed　to　　have　distinctly　traced　his　painful　embarrassment　to　her　power。〃　　So　　the　letters　go；　interspersed　with　news；　with　criticisms　of　notable　　persons；　with　comments　enlightening　or　cynical　on　passing　political　　events：　with　personal　matters　only　now　and　then；　as　when　he　notes　　the　loss　of　his　two　sisters；　dwells　with　unwonted　feeling　on　the　　death　of　his　eldest　nephew　by　consumption；　condoles　with　her　on　her　　husband's　illness；　gives　council；　wise　or　playful；　as　to　the　　education　of　her　son。　　〃I　am　glad　to　hear　that　he　is　good　at　Greek；　　Latin；　and　Mathematics；　for　that　shows　his　cleverness；　glad　also　to　　hear　that　he　is　occasionally　naughty；　for　that　shows　his　force。　　I　　advise　you　to　claim　and　exercise　as　much　control　as　possible；　　because　I　am　certain　that　a　woman　…　especially　so　gifted　a　one　as　　you　…　knows　more；　or　rather　feels　more；　about　the　right　way　of　　bringing　up　a　boy　than　any　mere　man。〃

Unbrokenly　the　correspondence　continues：　the　intimacy　added　charm；　　interest；　fragrance　to　his　life；　brought　out　in　him　all　that　was　　genial；　playful；　humorous。　　He　fights　the　admonitions　of　coming　　weakness；　goes　to　Sidmouth　with　a　sore　throat；　but　takes　his　papers　　and　his　books。　　It　is；　he　says；　a　deserted　little　sea…coast　place。　　　〃Mrs。　Grundy　has　a　small　house　there；　but　she　does　not　know　me　by　　sight。　　If　Madame　Novikoff　were　to　come；　the　astonished　little　　town；　dazzled　first　by　her；　would　find　itself　invaded　by　　theologians；　bishops；　ambassadors　of　deceased　emperors；　and　an　ex…　Prime…Minister。〃　　But　as　time　goes　on　he　speaks　more　often　of　his　　suffering　throat；　of　gout；　increasing　deafness；　only　half　a　voice：　　his　last　letter　is　written　in　July；　1890；　to　condole　with　his　　friend　upon　her　husband's　death。　　In　October　his　nurse　takes　the　　pen；　Madame　Novikoff　comes　back　hurriedly　from　Scotland　to　find　him　　in　his　last　illness。　　〃It　is　very　nice；〃　he　told　his　nurse；　〃to　see　　dear　Madame　Novikoff　again；　but　I　am　going　down　hill　fast；　and　　cannot　hope　to　be　well　enough　to　see　much　of　her。〃　　This　is　in　　November；　1890；　on　New　Year's　Eve　came　the　inexorable；　〃Terminator　　of　delights　and　Separator　of　friends。〃



CHAPTER　VI　…　LATER　DAYS；　AND　DEATH



FOR　twenty　years　Kinglake　lived　in　Hyde　Park　Place；　in　bright　　cheerful　rooms　looking　in　one　direction　across　the　Park；　but　on　　another　side　into　a　churchyard。　　The　churchyard；　Lady　Gregory　tells　　us；　gave　him　pause　on　first　seeing　the　rooms。　　〃I　should　not　like　　to　live　here；　I　should　be　afraid　of　ghosts。〃　　〃Oh　no；　sir；　there　is　　always　a　policeman　round　the　corner。〃　（24）　　〃Pleaceman　X。〃　has　not；　　perhaps；　before　been　revered　as　the　Shade…compelling　son　of　Maia：


〃Tu　pias　laetis　animas　reponis　Sedibus；　VIRGAQUE　LEVEM　COERCES　AUREA　TURBAM。〃


Here　he　worked　through　the　morning；　the　afternoon　took　him　to　the　　〃Travellers；〃　where　his　friends；　Sir　Henry　Bunbury　and　Mr。　Chenery；　　usually　expected　him；　then　at　eight　o'clock；　if　not；　as　Shylock　　says；　bid　forth；　he　went　to　dine　at　the　Athenaeum。　　His　dinner　seat　　was　in　the　left…hand　corner　of　the　coffee…room；　where；　in　the　　thirties；　Theodore　Hook　had　been　wont　to　sit；　gathering　near　him　so　　many　listeners　to　his　talk；　that　at　Hook's　death　in　1841　the　　receipts　for　the　club　dinners　fell　off　to　a　large　amount。　　Here；　in　　the　〃Corner；〃　as　they　called　it；　round　Kinglake　would　be　Hayward；　　Drummond　Wolff；　Massey；　Oliphant；　Edward　Twisleton；　Strzelecki；　　Storks；　Venables；　Wyke；　Bunbury；　Gregory；　American　Ticknor；　and　a　　few　more；　Sir　W。　Stirling　Maxwell；　when　in　Scotland；　sending　　hampers　of　pheasants　to　the　company。　　〃Hurried　to　the　Athenaeum　for　　dinner；〃　says　Ticknor　in　1857；　〃and　there　found　Kinglake　and　Sir　　Henry　Rawlinson；　to　whom　were　soon　added　Hayward　and　Stirling。　　We　　pushed　our　tables　together　and　had　a　jolly　dinner。　。　。　。　To　the　　Athenaeum；　and　having　dined　pleasantly　with　Merivale；　Kinglake；　and　　Stirling；　I　hurried　off　to　the　House。〃　　In　later　years；　when　his　　voice　grew　low　and　his　hearing　difficult；　he　preferred　that　the　　diners　should　resolve　themselves　into　little　groups；　assigning　to　　himself　a　TETE…A…TETE；　with　whom　at　his　ease　he　could　unfold　　himself。

No　man　ever　fought　more　gallantly　the　encroachments　of　old　age　…　ON　　SUT　ETRE　JEUNE　JUSQUE　DANS　SES　VIEUX　JOURS。　　At　seventy…four　years　　old；　staying　with　a　friend　at　Brighton；　he　insisted　on　riding　over　　to　Rottingdean；　where　Sir　Frederick　Pollock　was　staying。　　〃I　　mastered；〃　he　said；　in　answer　to　remonstrances；　〃I　mastered　the　　peculiarities　of　the　Brighton　screw　before　you　were　born；　and　have　　never　forgotten　them。〃　　Vaulting　into　his　saddle　he　rode　off；　　returning　with　a　schoolboy's　delight　at　the　brisk　trot　he　had　found　　practicable　when　once　clear　of　the　King's　Road。　　Long　after　his　　hearing　had　failed；　his　sight　become　grievously　weakened；　and　his　　limbs　not　always　trustworthy；　he　would　never　allow　a　cab　to　be　　summoned　for　him　after　dinner；　always　walking　to　his　lodgings。　　But　　he　had　to　give　up　by　and　by　his　daily　canter　in　Rotten　Row；　and　　more　reluctantly　still　his　continental　travel。　　Foreign　railways　　were　closed　to　him　by　the　SALLE　D'ATTENTE；　he　could　not　stand　　incarceration　in　the　waiting…rooms。

The　last　time　he　crossed　the　Channel　was　at　the　close　of　the　　Franco…Prussian　war；　on　a　visit　to　his　old　friend　M。　Thiers；　then　　President。　　It　was　a　dinner　to　deputies　of　the　Extreme　Left；　and　　Kinglake　was　the　only　Englishman；　〃so；〃　he　said；　〃among　the　　servants　there　was　a　sort　of　reasoning　process　as　to　my　identity；　　ending　in　the　conclusion；　'IL　DOIT　ETRE　SIR　DILKE。'〃　　Soon　the　　inference　was　treated　as　a　fact；　and　in　due　sequence　came　newspaper　　paragraphs　declaring　that　the　British　Ambassador　had　gravely　　remonstrated　with　the　President　for　inviting　Sir　Charles　Dilke　to　　his　table。　　Then　followed　articles　defending　the　course　taken　by　　the　President；　and　so　for　some　time　the　ball　was　kept　up。　　The　　remonstrance　of　the　Ambassador　was　a　myth；　Lord　Lyons　was　a　friend　　of　Sir　Charles；　but　the　latter　was　suspect　at　the　time　both　in　　England　and　France；　in　England　for　his　speeches　and　motion　on　the　　Civil　List；　in　France；　because；　with　Frederic　Harrison；　he　had　　helped　to　get　some　of　the　French　Communists　away　from　France；　and　　the　French　Government　was　watching　him　with　spies。　　In　Sir　　Charles's　motion　Kinglake　took　much　interest；　refusing　to　join　in　　the　cry　against　it　as　disloyal。　　Sir　Charles；　he　said；　spoke　no　　word　against　the　Queen；　and　only　brought　the　matter　before　the　　House　because　challenged　to　repeat　in　Parliament　the　statements　he　　had　made　in　the　country。　　As　a　matter　of　policy　he　thought　it　　mistaken：　〃Move　in　such　a　matter　openly；　and　party　discipline　　compels　your　defeat；　bring　pressure　to　bear　on　a　Cabinet；　some　of　　its　members　are　on　your　side；　and　you　may　gain　your　point。〃　　Sir　　Charles's　speech　was　calmly　argumentative；　and　to　many　minds　　convincing；　it　provoked　a　passionate　reply　from　Gladstone；　and　when　　Mr。　Auberon　Herbert　following　declared　himself　a　Republican；　a　　tumult　arose　such　as　in　those　pre…Milesian　days　had　rarely　been　　witnessed　in　the　House。　　But　the　wisdom　of　Kinglake's　counsel　is　　sustained　by　the　fact　that　many　years　afterwards；　as　a　result　of　　more　private　discussion；　Mr。　Gladstone　pronounced　his　conversion　to　　the　two　bases　of　the　motion；　publicity；　and　the　giving　of　the　State　　allowance　to　the　head　of　the　family　rather　than；　person　by　person；　　to　the　children　and　grandchildren　of　the　Sovereign。　　Action　　pointing　in　this　direction　was　taken　in　1889　and　1901　on　the　advice　　of　Tory　ministers。

Amongst　Frenchmen　of　the　highest　class；　intellectually　and　　socially；　he　had　many　valued　friends；　keeping　his　name　on　the　　〃Cosmopolitan〃　long　after　he　had　ceased　to　visit　it；　since　〃one　　never　knows　when　the　distinguished　foreigner　may　come　upon　one；　and　　of　such　the　Cosmo　is　the　London　Paradise。〃　　But　he　used　to　say　that　　in　the　other　world　a　good　Frenchman　becomes　an　Englishman；　a　bad　　Englishman　becomes　a　Frenchman。　　He　saw　in　the　typical　Gaul　a　　compound　of　the　tiger　and　the　monkey；　noted　their　want　of　　individuality；　their　tendency　to　go　in　flocks；　their　susceptibility　　to　panic　and　to　ferocity；　to　the　terror　that　makes　a　man　kill　　people；　and　〃the　terror　that　makes　him　lie　down　and　beg。〃　　We　　remember；　too；　his　dissection　of　St。　Arnaud；　as　before　all　things　a　　type　of　his　nation；　〃he　impersonated　with　singular　exactness　the　　idea　which　our　forefathers　had　in　their　minds　when　they　spoke　of　　what　they　called　'a　Frenc