biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第15部分

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osition；　　his　famous　speech　not　sufficiently　〃clenching。〃　　Had　he　separated　　from　his　chief　on　broader　grounds；　refusing　complicity　with　a　　Minister　who　consented　to　parley　with　the　imprisoned　Irishmen；　he　　would；　Kinglake　thought；　have　occupied　a　highly　commanding　　position。　　At　present　his　difference　from　his　colleagues　was　one　　only　of　degree。

He　was　once　beguiled；　amongst　friends　very　intimate；　into　telling　a　　dream。　　He　dreamed　that　he　was　attending　an　anatomical　lecture　…　　which；　as　a　fact；　he　had　never　done　…　and　that　his　own　body；　from　　which　he　found　himself　entirely　separated；　was　the　dissected　　subject　on　which　the　lecturer　discoursed。　　The　body　lay　on　a　table　　beside　the　lecturer；　but　he　himself；　his　entity；　was　at　the　other　　end　of　the　room；　on　the　furthest　or　highest　of　a　set　of　benches　　raised　one　above　the　other　as　at　a　theatre。　　He　imagined　himself　in　　a　vague　way　to　be　disagreeing　with　the　lecturer；　but　the　strongest　　impression　on　his　mind　was　annoyance　at　being　so　badly　placed；　so　　far　from　the　professor　and　from　his　own　body　that　he　could　not　see　　or　hear　without　an　effort。　　The　dream；　he　pointed　out；　showed　this　　curious　fact；　that　without　any　conscious　design　or　effort　of　the　　will　a　man　may　conceive　himself　to　be　in　perfect　possession　of　his　　identity；　whilst　separated　from　his　own　body　by　a　distance　of　　several　feet。　　〃The　highest　concept；〃　said　Jowett；　〃which　man　forms　　of　himself　is　as　detached　from　the　body。〃　　（〃Life；〃　ii。　241。）　　The　　lecture…room　which　he　imagined　was　one　of　the　lower　school…rooms　at　　Eton；　with　which　he　had　been　familiar　in　early　days。

After　Hayward's　death　in　1884；　his　own　habits　began　to　change。　　He　　still　dined　at　the　Athenaeum　〃corner；〃　but　increasing　deafness　　began　to　make　society　irksome；　and；　his　solitary　meal　ended；　he　　spent　his　evenings　reading　in　the　Library。　　By…and…by　that　too　　became　impossible。　　His　voice　grew　weak；　throat　and　tongue　were　　threatened　with　disease。　　In　1888　he　went　to　Brighton　with　a　nurse；　　returned　to　rooms　on　Richmond　Hill；　then　to　Bayswater　Terrace。　　An　　operation　was　performed　and　he　seemed　to　recover；　but　relapsed。　　　Old　friends　tended　him：　Madame　Novikoff；　Mr。　Froude　and　Mr。　Lecky；　　Madame　de　Quaire　and　Mrs。　Brookfield；　Lord　Mexborough　his　ancient　　fellow…traveller；　Mrs。　Craven；　Sir　William　and　Lady　Gregory；　with　a　　few　more；　cheered　him　by　their　visits　so　long　as　he　was　able　to　　bear　them；　and　his　brother　and　sister；　Dr。　and　Mrs。　Hamilton　　Kinglake；　were　with　him　at　the　end。　　Patient　to　the　last；　kind　and　　gentle　to　all　about　him；　he　passed　away　quietly　on　New　Year's　Day；　　1891：


〃being　merry…hearted；　Shook　hands　with　flesh　and　blood；　and　so　departed。〃


His　remains　were　cremated　at　Woking；　after　a　special　service　at　　Christchurch；　Lancaster　Gate；　attended　by　Dr。　and　Mrs。　Kinglake　　with　their　son　Captain　Kinglake；　the　Duke　of　Bedford；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　　Lecky；　Mrs。　W。　H。　Brookfield　and　her　son　Charles。


No　good　portrait　of　him　has　been　published。　　That　prefixed　to　　Blackwood's　〃Eothen〃　of　1896　was　furnished　by　Dr。　Kinglake；　who；　　however；　looked　upon　it　as　unsatisfactory。　　The　〃Not　an　M。P。〃　of　　〃Vanity　Fair；〃　1872；　is　a　grotesque　caricature。　　The　photograph　　here　reproduced　（p。　128）；　by　far　the　best　likeness　extant；　he　gave　　to　Madame　Novikoff　in　1870；　receiving　hers　in　return；　but　　pronouncing　the　transaction　〃an　exchange　between　the　personified　　months　of　May　and　November。〃　　The　face　gives　expression　to　the　shy　　aloofness　which；　amongst　strangers；　was　characteristic　of　him　　through　life。　　He　had　even　a　horror　of　hearing　his　name　pealed　out　　by　servants；　and　came　early　to　parties　that　the　proclamation　might　　be　achieved　before　as　few　auditors　as　possible。　　Visiting　the　newly　　married　husband　of　his　friend　Adelaide　Kemble；　and　being　the　first　　guest　to　arrive；　he　encountered　in　Mr。　Sartoris　a　host　as　　contentedly　undemonstrative　as　himself。　　Bows　passed；　a　seat　by　the　　fire　was　indicated；　he　sat　down；　and　the　pair　contemplated　one　　another　for　ten　minutes　in　absolute　silence；　till　the　lady　of　the　　house　came　in；　like　the　prince　in　〃The　Sleeping　Beauty；〃　though　not　　by　the　same　process；　to　break　the　charm。　　He　gave　up　calling　at　a　　house　where　he　was　warmly　appreciated；　because　father；　mother；　　daughter；　bombarded　him　with　questions。　　〃I　never　came　away　without　　feeling　sure　that　I　had　in　some　way　perjured　myself。〃

On　his　shyness　waited　swiftly　ensuing　boredom；　if　his　neighbour　at　　table　were　garrulous　or　BANALE；　his　face　at　once　betrayed　　conversational　prostration；　a　lady　who　often　watched　him　used　to　　say　that　his　pulse　ought　to　be　felt　after　the　first　course；　and　　that　if　it　showed　languor　he　should　be　moved　to　the　side　of　some　　other　partner。　　〃He　had　great　charm；〃　writes　to　me　another　old　　friend；　〃in　a　quiet　winning　way；　but　was　'dark'　with　rough　and　　noisy　people。〃　　So　it　came　to　pass　that　his　manner　was　threefold；　　icy　and　repellent　with　those　who　set　his　nerves　on　edge；　good…　humoured；　receptive；　intermittently　responsive　in　general　and　　congenial　company；　while；　at　ease　with　friends　trusted　and　beloved；　　the　lines　of　the　face　became　gracious；　indulgent；　affectionate；　the　　SOURIRE　DES　YEUX　often　inexpressibly　winning　and　tender。　　　〃Kinglake；〃　says　Eliot　Warburton　in　his　unpublished　diary；　〃talked　　to　us　to…day　about　his　travels；　pessimistic　and　cynical　to　the　rest　　of　the　world；　he　is　always　gentle　and　kind　to　us。〃　　To　this　dear　　friend　he　was　ever　faithful；　wearing　to　the　day　of　his　death　an　　octagonal　gold　ring　engraved　〃Eliot。　Jan：　1852。〃　　He　would　never　　play　the　RACONTEUR　in　general　company；　for　he　had　a　great　horror　of　　repeating　himself；　and；　latterly；　of　being　looked　upon　as　a　bore　by　　younger　men；　but　he　loved　to　pour　out　reminiscences　of　the　past　to　　an　audience　of　one　or　two　at　most：　〃Let　an　old　man　gather　his　　recollections　and　glance　at　them　under　the　right　angle；　and　his　　life　is　full　of　pantomime　transformation　scenes。〃　　The　chief　　characteristic　of　his　wit　was　its　unexpectedness；　sometimes　acrid；　　sometimes　humorous；　his　sayings　came　forth；　like　Topham　Beauclerk's　　in　Dr。　Johnson's　day；　like　Talleyrand's　in　our　own；　poignant　　without　effort。　　His　calm；　gentle　voice；　contrasted　with　his　　startling　caustic　utterance；　reminded　people　of　Prosper　Merimee：　　terse　epigram；　felicitous　APROPOS；　whimsical　presentment　of　the　　topic　under　discussion；　emitted　in　a　low　tone；　and　without　the　　slightest　change　of　muscle：


〃All　the　charm　of　all　the　Muses　Often　flowering　in　a　lonely　word。〃　（25）


Questions　he　would　suavely　and　often　wittily　parry　or　repel：　to　an　　unhistorical　lady　asking　if　he　remembered　Madame　Du　Barry；　he　said；　　〃my　memory　is　very　imperfect　as　to　the　particulars　of　my　life　　during　the　reign　of　Lous　XV。　and　the　Regency；　but　I　know　a　lady　who　　has　a　teapot　which　belonged；　she　says；　to　Madame　Du　Barry。〃　　Madame　　Novikoff；　however；　records　his　discomfiture　at　the　query　of　a　　certain　Lady　E…；　who；　when　all　London　was　ringing　with　his　first　　Crimean　volumes；　asked　him　if　he　were　not　an　admirer　of　Louis　　Napoleon。　　〃LE　PAUVRE　KINGLAKE；　DECONTENANCE；　REPONDIT　TOUT　BAS　　INTIMIDE　COMME　UN　ENFANT　QU'ON　MET　DATES　LE　COIN：　OUI　…　NON　…　PAS　　PRECISEMENT。〃

He　had　no　knowledge　of　or　liking　for　music。　　Present　once　by　some　　mischance　at　a　MATINEE　MUSICALE；　he　was　asked　by　the　hostess　what　　kind　of　music　he　preferred。　　His　preference；　he　owned；　was　for　the　　drum。　　One　thinks　of　the　〃Bourgeois　Gentilhomme；〃　〃LA　TROMPETTE　　MARINE　EST　UN　INSTRUMENT　QUI　ME　PLAIT；　EL　QUI　EST　HARMONIEUX〃；　we　　are　reminded；　too；　of　Dean　Stanley；　who；　absolutely　tone…deaf；　and　　hurrying　away　whenever　music　was　performed；　once　from　an　adjoining　　room　in　his　father's　house　heard　Jenny　Lind　sing　〃I　know　that　my　　Redeemer　liveth。〃　　He　went　to　her　shyly；　and　told　her　that　she　had　　given　him　an　idea　of　what　people　mean　by　music。　　Once　before；　he　　said　in　all　seriousness；　the　same　feeling　had　come　over　him；　when　　before　the　palace　at　Vienna　he　had　heard　a　tattoo　rendered　by　four　　hundred　drummers。


Kinglake　used　to　regret　the　disuse　of　duelling；　as　having　impaired　　the　higher　tone　of　good　breeding　current　in　his　younger　days；　and　　even　blamed　the　Duke　of　Wellington　for　proscribing　it　in　the　army。　　　He　had　himself　on　one　occasion　sent　a　cartel；　and　stood　waiting　for　　his　adversary；　like　Sir　Richard　Strachan　at　Walcheren；　eight　days　　on　the　French　coast；　but　the　adversary　never　came。　　Hayward　once　　referred　to　him；　as　a　counsellor；　and　if　necessary　a　second；　a　　quarrel　with　Lord　R…。　　Lord　R…'s　friend　called　on　him；　a　Norfolk　　squire；　〃broad…faced　and　breathing　port　wine；〃　after　the　fashion　of　　uncle　Phillips　in　〃Pride　and　Prejudice；〃　who　began　in　a　boisterous　　voice；　〃I　am　one　of　those；　Mr。　Kinglake；　who　believe　R…　to　be　a　　gentleman。〃　　In　his　iciest　tones　and　stoniest　manner　Kinglake　　answered：　〃That；　Sir；　I　am　quite　willing　to　assume。〃　　The　effect；　　he　used　to　say；　as　he　told　and　acted　the　scene；　was　magical；　〃I　had　　frozen　him　sober；　and　we　settled　everything　without　a　fight。〃　　Of　　all　his　friends　Hayward　was　probably　the　closest；　an　association　of　　discrepancies　in　character；　manner；　temperament；　not　complementary；　　but　opposed　and　hostile；　irreconcilable；　one　would　say；　but　for　the　　knowledge　that　in　love　and　friendship　paradox　reigns　supreme。　　　Hayward　was　arrogant；　overbearing；　loud；　insistent；　full　of　strange　　oaths　and　often　unpardonably　coarse；　〃our　dominant　friend；〃　　Kinglake　called　him；　〃odious〃　is　the　epithet　I　have　heard　commonly　　bestowed　upon　him　by　less　affectionate　acquaintances。　　Kinglake　was　　reserved；　shy；　reticent；　with　the　high　breeding；　grand　manner；　　quiet　urbanity；　GRATA　PROTERVITAS；　of　a　waning　epoch；　restraint；　　concentration；　tact　of　omission；　dictating　alike　his　silence　and　　his　speech；　his　well…weighed　words　〃crystallizing　into　epigrams　as　　they　touched　the　air。〃　（26）　　When　Hayward's　last　illness　came　upon　　him　in　1884；　Kinglake　nursed　him　tenderly；　spending　the　morning　in　　his　friend's　lodgings　at　8；　St。　James's　Street；　the　house　which　　Byron　occupied　in　his　early　London　days；　and　bringing　on　the　latest　　bulletin　to　the　club。　　The　patient　rambled　towards　the　end；　〃we　　ought　to　be　getting　ready　to　catch　the　train　that　we　may　go　to　my　　sister's　at　Lyme。〃　Kinglake　quieted　his　sick　friend　by　an　assurance　　that　the　servants；　who