biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第14部分

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ess　the　　idea　which　our　forefathers　had　in　their　minds　when　they　spoke　of　　what　they　called　'a　Frenchman；'　for　although　（by　cowing　the　rich　　and　by　filling　the　poor　with　envy）；　the　great　French　Revolution　had　　thrown　a　lasting　gloom　on　the　national　character；　it　left　this　one　　man　untouched。　　He　was　bold；　gay；　reckless；　vain；　but　beneath　the　　mere　glitter　of　the　surface　there　was　a　great　capacity　for　　administrative　business；　and　a　more　than　common　willingness　to　take　　away　human　life。〃

〃I　relish；〃　Kinglake　said　in　1871；　〃the　spectacle　of　Bismarck　　teaching　the　A　B　C　of　Liberal　politics　to　the　hapless　French。　　His　　last　MOT；　they　tell　me；　is　this。　　Speaking　of　the　extent　to　which　　the　French　Emperor　had　destroyed　his　own　reputation　and　put　an　end　　to　the　worship　of　the　old　Napoleon；　he　said：　'He　has　killed　himself　　and　buried　his　uncle。'〃　　Again；　in　1874；　noting　the　CONTRE　COUP　　upon　France　resulting　from　the　Bismarck　and　Arnim　despatches；　he　　said：　〃What　puzzles　the　poor　dear　French　is　to　see　that　truth　and　　intrepid　frankness　consist　with　sound　policy　and　consummate　wisdom。　　　How　funny　it　would　be；　if　the　French　some　day；　as　a　novelty；　or　　what　they　would　call　a　CAPRICE；　were　to　try　the　effect　of　truth；　　〃though　not　naturally　honest；〃　as　Autolycus　says；　〃were　to　become　　so　by　chance。〃

He　thought　M。　Gallifet　DANS　SA　LOGIQUE　in　liking　the　Germans　and　　hating　Bismarck；　for　the　Germans；　in　having　their　own　way；　would　　break　up　into　as　many　fragments　as　the　best　Frenchman　could　desire；　　and　Bismarck　is　the　real　suppressor　of　France。　　Throughout　the　　Franco…Prussian　war　he　sided　strongly　with　the　Prussians；　refusing　　to　dine　in　houses　where　the　prevailing　sympathy　with　France　would　　make　him　unwelcome　as　its　declared　opponent；　but　he　felt　〃as　a　　nightmare〃　the　attack　on　prostrate　Paris；　〃as　a　blow〃　the　　capitulation　of　Metz；　denouncing　Gambetta　and　his　colleagues　as　　meeting　their　disasters　only　with　slanderous　shrieks；　〃possessed　by　　the　spirit　of　that　awful　Popish　woman。〃　　Bismarck　as　a　statesman　he　　consistently　admired；　and　deplored　his　dismissal。　　I　see；　he　said；　　all　the　peril　implied　by　Bismarck's　exit；　and　the　advent　of　his　　ambitious　young　Emperor。　　It　is　a　transition　from　the　known　to　the　　unknown；　from　wisdom；　perhaps；　to　folly。

His　Crimean　volumes　continued　to　appear；　in　1875；　1880；　finally　in　　1887；　while　the　Cabinet　Edition　was　published　in　1887…8。　　This　last　　contained　three　new　Prefaces；　in　Vol。　I。　as　we　have　seen；　the　　memorial　of　Nicholas　Kireeff；　in　Vol。　II。　the　latter　half　of　the　　original　Preface　to　Vol。　I。；　cancelled　thence　at　Madame　Novikoff's　　request；　though　now　carefully　modified　so　as　to　avoid　anything　　which　might　irritate　Russia　at　a　moment　when　troubles　seemed　to　be　　clearing　away。　　In　his　Preface　to　Vol。　VII。　he　had　three　objects；　　to　set　right　the　position　of　Sir　E。　Hamley；　who　had　been　neglected　　in　the　despatches；　to　demolish　his　friend　Lord　Bury；　who　had　　〃questioned　my　omniscience〃　in　the　〃Edinburgh　Review〃；　and　to　　exonerate　England　at　large　from　absurd　self…congratulations　about　　the　〃little　Egypt　affair；〃　the　blame　of　such　exaggeration　resting　　with　those　whom　he　called　State　Showmen。

Silent　to　acquaintances　about　the　progress　of　his　work；　he　was　　communicative　to　his　few　intimates；　though　never　reading　aloud　　extracts　or　allowing　them　to　be　seen。　　In　1872　he　would　speak　　pathetically　of　his　〃Crimean　muddle；〃　perplexed；　as　he　well　might　　be；　by　the　intricacies　of　Inkerman。　　Asked　if　he　will　not　introduce　　a　Te　Deum　on　the　fall　of　Louis　Napoleon；　he　answered　that　to　write　　without　the　stimulus　of　combat　would　be　a　task　beyond　his　energy；　　〃when　I　took　the　trouble　to　compose　that　fourteenth　chapter；　the　　wretched　Emperor　and　his　gang　were　at　the　height　of　their　power　in　　Europe　and　the　world；　but　now！〃　He　was　insatiate　as　to　fresh　facts：　　utilized　his　acquaintance　with　Todleben；　whom　he　had　first　met　on　　his　visit　to　England　in　1864；　sought　out　Prince　Ourusoff　at　a　later　　time；　and　inserted　particulars　gleaned　from　him　in　Vol。　IX。；　　Chapter　V。

In　1875　he　told　Madame　Novikoff　that　his　task　was　done　so　far　as　　Inkerman　was　concerned；　and　was　proud　to　think　that　he　had　rescued　　from　oblivion　the　heroism　of　the　Russian　troops　in　what　he　calls　　the　〃Third　Period〃　of　the　great　fight；　ignored　as　it　was　by　all　　Russian　historians　of　the　war。　　He　made　fruitless　inquiries　after　a　　paper　said　to　have　been　left　behind　him　by　Skobeleff；　explaining　　that　〃India　is　a　cherry　to　be　eaten　by　Russia；　but　in　two　bites〃；　　it　was　contrary　to　the　general's　recorded　utterances　and　probably　　apocryphal。　　Russophobe　as　regarded　Turkey；　he　sneered　at　England's　　sentimental　support　of　nationalities　as　〃Platonic〃：　a　capital　　epithet　he　called　it；　and　envied　the　Frenchman　who　applied　it　to　　us；　declaring　that　it　had　turned　all　the　women　against　us。　　He　was　　moved　by　receiving　Korniloff's　portrait　with　a　kind　message　from　　the　dead　hero's　family；　seeing　in　the　features　a　confirmation　of　　the　ideal　which　he　had　formed　in　his　own　mind　and　had　tried　to　　convey　to　others。　　Readers　of　his　book　will　recall　the　fine　tribute　　to　Korniloff's　powers；　and　the　description　of　his　death；　in　　Chapters　VI。　and　XIII。　of　Vol。　IV。　（Cabinet　Edition）。

Many　of　his　comments　on　current　events　are　preserved　in　the　notes　　or　in　the　memories　of　his　friends。　　Sometimes　these　were　　characteristically　cynical。　　He　ridiculed　the　newspaper　parade　of　　national　sympathy　with　the　Prince　of　Wales's　illness：　〃We　are　　represented　as　all　members　of　the　royal　family；　and　all　in　family　　hysterics。〃　　Dizzy's　orientalization　of　Queen　Victoria　into　an　　Empress　angered　him；　as　it　angered　many　more。　　The　last　Empress　　Regnant；　he　said；　was　Catherine　II。　and　it　seems　to　be　thought　that　　by　advising　the　Queen　to　take　that　great　monarch's　title；　we　shall　　exercise　a　wholesome　influence　on　the　morals　of　our　women。　　He　　would　quote　Byron's


〃Russia's　mighty　Empress　Behaved　no　better　than　a　common　sempstress；〃


〃there　was　an　old…fashioned　sacredness；　which；　however　foolish　　intrinsically；　was　still　useful；　in　our　title　of　'The　Queen'；　nor　　do　we　see　the　policy　of　adding　a　SUPREME　DE　VOLAILLE　to　the　bread　　and　wine　of　our　Sacrament。〃

He　chuckled　over　the　indignation　of　the　HAUTE　VOLEE；　when　on　the　　visit　to　England　of　President　Grant's　daughter　in　1872；　Americans　　in　London　sent　out　cards　of　invitation　headed　〃To　meet　Miss　Grant；〃　　as　at　a　profane　imitation　of　a　practice　hitherto　confined　to　　royalties；　laughing　not　at　the　legitimate　American　mimicry　of　　European　consequence；　but　at　the　silly　formalists　in　Society　who　　fumed　over　the　imagined　presumption。　　Consulted　by　an　invalid　as　to　　the　charm　of　Ostend　for　a　seaside　residence；　he　limited　it　to　　persons　of　gregarious　habits；　〃the　people　are　all　driven　down　to　　the　beach　like　a　flock　of　sheep　in　the　morning；　and　in　the　evening　　they　are　all　driven　back　to　their　folds。〃　　He　reported　a　feeble　　drama　written　by　his　ancient　idol；　Lord　Stratford　de　Redcliffe；　〃it　　is　a　painful　thing　to　see　a　man　of　his　quality　and　of　his　age　　unduly　detained　in　the　world；　when　the　Emperor　Nicholas　died；　the　　Eltchi　lost　his　RAISON　D'ETRE。〃　　He　disparaged　the　wild　fit　of　　morality　undergone　by　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃　during　the　scandalous　　〃Maiden　Tribute〃　revelation；　pronouncing　its　protegees　to　be　　〃clever　little　devils。〃　　He　was　greatly　startled　by　Gortschakoff's　　famous　circular；　annulling　the　Black　Sea　clause　in　the　Treaty　of　　Paris；　and　much　relieved　by　Bismarck's　dexterous　interposition；　　which　saved　the　susceptibility　of　Europe；　and　especially　of　　England；　by　yielding　as　a　favour　to　the　demand　of　Russia　what　no　　one　was　in　a　position　to　refuse；　but　he　maintained；　and　Lord　　Stratford　agreed　with　him；　that　Gortschakoff's　precipitate　act　was　　governed　by　circumstances　never　revealed　to　mankind。　　He　learned；　　too；　that　it　caused　the　Chancellor　to　be　DECONSIDERE　in　high　　Russian　circles；　he　was　called　〃UN　NARCISSE　QUI　SE　MIRE　DANS　SON　　ENCRIER。〃　　Kinglake　used　to　say　that　in　conceding　the　right　of　the　　Sultan　to　exclude　any　war…flag　from　the　Bosphorus　and　the　　Dardanelles；　Russia　was　treating　Turkey　as　a　bag…fox；　to　be　gently　　hunted　occasionally；　but　not　mangled　or　killed；　and　he　felt　keenly　　the　ridicule　resting　on　the　allies；　who　were　compelled　to　surrender　　the　neutralization　purchased　at　the　cost　of　so　much　blood　and　　treasure。　　He　watched　with　much　amusement　the　restoration　of　　Turkish　self…confidence。　　〃Turkey　believes　that　he　is　no　longer　a　　sick　man；　and　is　turning　all　his　doctors　out　of　the　house；　to　the　　immense　astonishment　of　the　English　doctor；　so　conscious　of　his　own　　rectitude　that　he　cannot　understand　being　sent　off　with　the　quacks。　　　You　know　in　our　beautiful　Liturgy　we　have　a　prayer　for　the　Turks；　　it　looks　as　if　our　supplications　had　become　successful。〃　　His　　interest　in　Turkey　never　flagged。　　〃I　am　in　a　great　fright；〃　he　　said　in　1877；　〃about　my　dear　Turks；　because　Russia　gives　virtual　　command　of　the　army　before　Plevna　to　Todleben；　a　really　great　HOMME　　DE　GUERRE。〃

Russophobia　was　at　that　time　so　strong　in　London　that　Madame　　Novikoff　hesitated　to　visit　England；　and　he　himself　feared　that　she　　might　find　it　uncomfortable。　　Her　alarm；　however；　was　ridiculed　by　　Hayward；　〃most　faithful　of　the　Russianisers；　ready　to　do　battle　for　　Russia　at　any　moment；　declaring　her　to　be　quite　virtuous；　with　no　　fault　but　that　of　being　INCOMPRISE。〃　　But　he　groaned　over　the　　humiliation　of　England　under　Russia's　bold　stroke；　noting　　frequently　a　decay　of　English　character　which　he　ascribed　to　　chronic　causes。　　The　Englishman　taken　separately；　he　said；　seems　　much　the　same　as　he　used　to　be；　but　there　is　a　softening　of　the　　aggregate　brain　which　affects　Englishmen　when　acting　together。　　He　　hailed　the　great　Liberal　victory　of　1880；　and　watched　with　　interest；　as　one　behind　the　scenes；　the　negotiations　which　led　to　　Lord　Hartington's　withdrawal　and　Mr。　Gladstone's　resumption　of　　power；　for　in　these　his　friend　Hayward　was　an　active　go…between；　　removing　by　his　tact　and　frankness　〃hitches〃　which　might　otherwise　　have　been　disastrous。　　He　thought　W。　E。　Forster's　attack　on　Mr。　　Gladstone's　Irish　policy　in　1882　ill…managed　for　his　own　position；　　his　famous　speech　not　sufficiently　〃clenching。〃　　Had　he　separated　　from　his　chief　on　broad