biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第6部分

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He　found　great　enjoyment　in　parliamentary　life；　but　was　in　1868　　unseated　on　petition　for　bribery　on　the　part　of　his　agents。　　Blue…　books　are　not　ordinarily　light　reading；　but　the　Report　of　the　　Commissioners　appointed　to　inquire　into　the　alleged　corrupt　　practices　at　Bridgewater　is　not　only　a　model　of　terse　and　vigorous　　composition；　but　to　persons　with　a　sense　of　humour；　inclined　to　　view　human　irregularities　and　inconsistencies　in　a　sportive　rather　　than　an　indignant　light；　it　is　a　sustained　and　diverting　comedy。　　　Of　the　constituency；　both　before　and　after　the　Reform　Bill；　three…　fourths；　the　Commissioners　artlessly　inform　us；　sought　and　received　　bribes；　of　the　remainder；　all　but　a　few　individuals　negotiated　and　　gave　the　bribes。　　So　in　every　election；　both　sides　bribed　avowedly；　　if　a　luckless　Purity　Candidate　appeared；　he　was　promptly　informed　　that　〃Mr。　Most〃　would　win　the　seat：　highest　bribes　decided　each　　election；　further　bribes　averted　petitions。　　When　once　a　desperate　　riot　took　place　and　the　ringleaders　were　tried　at　Quarter　Sessions；　　the　jury　were　bribed　to　acquit；　in　the　teeth　of　the　Chairman's　　summing　up。　　At　last；　in　1868；　the　defeated　candidate　petitioned；　　blue…book　literature　was　enriched　by　a　remarkable　report；　and　the　　borough　was　disfranchised。　　Of　course　Kinglake　had　only　himself　to　　thank；　if　a　gentleman　chooses　to　sit　for　a　venal　borough；　and　to　　intrust　his　interests　to　a　questionable　agent；　he　must；　in　the　　words　of　Mrs。　Gamp；　〃take　the　consequences　of　sech　a　sitiwation。〃　　　The　consequences　to　him　were　loss　of　his　present　seat；　and　　permanent　exclusion　from　Parliament。

He　was　keenly　mortified　by　his　ostracism；　speaking　of　himself　ever　　after　as　〃a　political　corpse。〃　　Thenceforward　he　gave　his　whole　　energy　to　literary　work；　to　occasional　reviews；　mainly　to　his　　〃Invasion　of　the　Crimea。〃　　In　the　〃Edinburgh〃　I　think　he　never　　wrote；　cordially　disliking　its　then　editor。　　A　fine　notice　in　　〃Blackwood〃　of　Madame　de　Lafayette's　life　was　from　his　pen。　　　Surveying　the　Revolutionary　Terror；　he　points　out　that　　Robespierre's　opponents　were　in　numbers　overwhelmingly　strong；　but　　lacked　cohesion　and　leaders；　while　the　Mountain；　dominated　by　a　　single　will；　was　legally　armed　with　power　to　kill；　and　went　on　　killing。　　The　Church　played　into　Robespierre's　hands　by　enforcing　　Patience　and　Resignation　as　the　highest　Christian　virtues；　　confusing　the　idea　of　submission　to　Heaven　with　the　idea　of　　submission　to　a　scoundrel。　　Had　Hampden　been　a　Papist　he　would　have　　paid　ship…money。　　He　wrote　also　in　〃The　Owl；〃　a　brilliant　little　　magazine　edited　by　his　friend　Laurence　Oliphant；　a　〃Society　　Journal；〃　conducted　by　a　set　of　clever　well…to…do　young　bachelors　　living　in　London；　addressed　like　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette；〃　in　　〃Pendennis；〃　〃to　the　higher　circles　of　society；　written　by　　gentlemen　for　gentlemen。〃　　When　the　expenses　of　production　were　　paid；　the　balance　was　spent　on　a　whitebait　dinner　at　Greenwich；　and　　on　offerings　of　flowers　and　jewellery　to　the　lady　guests　invited。　　　It　came　to　an　end；　leaving　no　successor　equally　brilliant；　high…　toned；　wholesome；　its　collected　numbers　figure　sometimes　at　a　　formidable　price　in　sales　and　catalogues。　（15）

The　first　two　volumes　of　his　〃Crimea〃　had　appeared　in　1863。　　They　　were　awaited　with　eager　expectation。　　An　elaborate　history　of　the　　war　had　been　written　by　a　Baron　de　Bazancourt；　condemned　as　unfair　　and　unreliable　by　English　statesmen；　and　severely　handled　in　our　　reviews。　　So　the　wish　was　felt　everywhere　for　some　record　less　　ephemeral；　which　should　render　the　tale　historically；　and　　counteract　Bazancourt's　misstatements。　　〃I　hear；〃　wrote　the　Duke　of　　Newcastle；　〃that　Kinglake　has　undertaken　the　task。　　He　has　a　noble　　opportunity　of　producing　a　text…book　for　future　history；　but　to　　accomplish　this　it　must　be　STOICALLY　impartial。〃

The　beauty　of　their　style；　the　merciless　portraiture　of　the　Second　　Empire；　the　unparalleled　diorama　of　the　Alma　fight；　combined　to　　gain　for　these　first　four…and…twenty　chapters　an　immediate　vogue　as　　emphatic　and　as　widely　spread　as　that　which　saluted　the　opening　of　　Macaulay's　〃History。〃　　None　of　the　later　volumes；　though　highly　　prized　as　battle　narratives；　quite　came　up　to　these。　　The　political　　and　military　conclusions　drawn　provoked　no　small　bitterness；　his　　cousin；　Mrs。　Serjeant　Kinglake；　used　to　say　that　she　met　sometimes　　with　almost　affronting　coldness　in　society　at　the　time；　under　the　　impression　that　she　was　A。　W。　Kinglake's　wife。　　Russians　were；　　perhaps　unfairly；　dissatisfied。　　Todleben；　who　knew　and　loved　　Kinglake　well；　pronounced　the　book　a　charming　romance；　not　a　　history　of　the　war。　　Individuals　were　aggrieved　by　its　notice　of　　themselves　or　of　their　regiments；　statesmen　chafed　under　the　　scientific　analysis　of　their　characters；　or　at　the　publication　of　　official　letters　which　they　had　intended　but　not　required　to　be　　looked　upon　as　confidential；　and　which　the　recipients　had　in　all　　innocence　communicated　to　the　historian。　　Palmerstonians；　accepting　　with　their　chief　the　Man　of　December；　were　furious　at　the　exposure　　of　his　basenesses。　　Lucas　in　〃The　Times〃　pronounced　the　work　　perverse　and　mischievous；　the　〃Westminster　Review〃　branded　it　as　　reactionary。　　〃The　Quarterly；〃　in　an　article　ascribed　to　A。　H。　　Layard；　condemned　its　style　as　laboured　and　artificial；　as　palling　　from　the　sustained　pomp　and　glitter　of　the　language；　as　wearisome　　from　the　constant　strain　after　minute　dissection；　declaring　it　　further　to　be　〃in　every　sense　of　the　word　a　mischievous　book。〃　　　〃Blackwood；〃　less　unfriendly；　surrendered　itself　to　the　beauty　of　　the　writing；　〃satire　so　studied；　so　polished；　so　remorseless；　and　　withal　so　diabolically　entertaining；　that　we　know　not　where　in　　modern　literature　to　seek　such　another　philippic。〃

Reeve；　editor　of　the　〃Edinburgh；〃　wished　Lord　Clarendon　to　attack　　the　book；　he　refused；　but　offered　help；　and　the　resulting　article　　was　due　to　the　collaboration　of　the　pair。　　It　caused　a　prolonged　　coolness　between　Reeve　and　Kinglake；　who　at　last　ended　the　quarrel　　by　a　characteristic　letter：　〃I　observed　yesterday　that　my　malice；　　founded　perhaps　upon　a　couple　of　words；　and　now　of　three　years'　　duration；　had　not　engendered　corresponding　anger　in　you；　and　if　my　　impression　was　a　right　one；　I　trust　we　may　meet　for　the　future　on　　our　old　terms。〃

On　the　other　hand；　the　〃Saturday　Review；〃　then　at　the　height　of　its　　repute　and　influence；　vindicated　in　a　powerful　article　Kinglake's　　truth　and　fairness；　and　a　pamphlet　by　Hayward；　called　〃Mr。　Kinglake　　and　the　Quarterlies；〃　amused　society　by　its　furious　onslaught　upon　　the　hostile　periodicals；　laid　bare　their　animus；　and　exposed　their　　misstatements。　　〃If　you　rise　in　this　tone；〃　he　began；　in　words　of　　Lord　Ellenborough　when　Attorney…General；　〃I　can　speak　as　loudly　and　　emphatically：　I　shall　prosecute　the　case　with　all　the　liberality　of　　a　gentleman；　but　no　tone　or　manner　shall　put　me　down。〃　　And　the　　dissentient　voices　were　drowned　in　the　general　chorus　of　　admiration。　　German　eulogy　was　extravagant；　French　Republicanism　　was　overjoyed；　Englishmen；　at　home　and　abroad；　read　eagerly　for　the　　first　time　in　close　and　vivid　sequence　events　which；　when　spread　　over　thirty　months　of　daily　newspapers；　few　had　the　patience　to　　follow；　none　the　qualifications　to　condense。　　Macaulay　tells　us　　that　soon　after　the　appearance　of　his　own　first　volumes；　a　Mr。　　Crump　from　America　offered　him　five　hundred　dollars　if　he　would　　introduce　the　name　of　Crump　into　his　history。　　An　English　gentleman　　and　lady；　from　one　of　our　most　distant　colonies；　wrote　to　Kinglake　　a　jointly　signed　pathetic　letter；　intreating　him　to　cite　in　his　　pages　the　name　of　their　only　son；　who　had　fallen　in　the　Crimea。　　He　　at　once　consented；　and　asked　for　particulars　…　manner；　time；　place　　…　of　the　young　man's　death。　　The　parents　replied　that　they　need　not　　trouble　him　with　details；　these　should　be　left　to　the　historian's　　kind　inventiveness：　whatever　he　might　please　to　say　in　　embellishment　of　their　young　hero's　end　they　would　gratefully　　accept。

Unlike　most　authors；　from　Moliere　down　to　Dickens；　he　never　read　　aloud　to　friends　any　portion　of　the　unpublished　manuscript；　never；　　except　to　closest　intimates；　spoke　of　the　book；　or　tolerated　　inquiry　about　it　from　others。　　When　asked　as　to　the　progress　of　a　　volume　he　had　in　hand；　he　used　to　say；　〃That　is　really　a　matter　on　　which　it　is　quite　out　of　my　power　even　to　inform　myself〃；　and　I　　remember　how　once　at　a　well…selected　dinner…party　in　the　country；　　whither　he　came　in　good　spirits　and　inclined　to　talk　his　best；　a　　second…hand　criticism　on　his　book　by　a　conceited　parson；　the　　official　and　incongruous　element　in　the　group；　stiffened　him　into　　persistent　silence。　　All　England　laughed；　when　Blackwood's　　〃Memoirs〃　saw　the　light；　over　his　polite　repulse　of　the　kindly　　officious　publisher；　who　wished；　after　his　fashion；　to　criticise　　and　finger　and　suggest。　　〃I　am　almost　alarmed；　as　it　were；　at　the　　notion　of　receiving　suggestions。　　I　feel　that　hints　from　you　might　　be　so　valuable　and　so　important；　it　might　be　madness　to　ask　you　　beforehand　to　abstain　from　giving　me　any；　but　I　am　anxious　for　you　　to　know　what　the　dangers　in　the　way　of　long　delay　might　be；　the　　result　of　even　a　few　slight　and　possibly　most　useful　suggestions。　。　　。　。　You　will　perhaps　（after　what　I　have　said）　think　it　best　not　to　　set　my　mind　running　in　a　new　path；　lest　I　should　take　to　re…　writing。〃　　Note；　by　the　way；　the　slovenliness　of　this　epistle；　as　　coming　from　so　great　a　master　of　style；　that　defect　characterizes　　all　his　correspondence。　　He　wrote　for　the　Press　〃with　all　his　　singing　robes　about　him〃；　his　letters　were　unrevised　and　brief。　　　Mrs。　Simpson；　in　her　pleasant　〃Memories；〃　ascribes　to　him　the　　ELOQUENCE　DU　BILLET　in　a　supreme　degree。　　I　must　confess　that　of　　more　than　five　hundred　letters　from　his　pen　which　I　have　seen　only　　six　cover　more　than　a　single　sheet　of　note…paper；　all　are　alike　　careless　and　unstudied　in　style；　though　often　in　matter　　characteristic　and　informing。　　〃I　am　not　by　nature；〃　he　would　say；　　〃a　letter…writer；　and　habitually　think　of　the　uncertainty　as　to　who　　may　be　the　reader　of　anything　that　I　write。　　It　is　my　fate；　as　a　　writer　of　history；　to　have　before　me　letters　never　inte