history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第16章

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s　now　recognizable　enough　as　great；　would　be　forever　unintelligible。　He　is　unusually　accurate；　punctual；　lucid；　an　irrefragable　authority　on　English　points。　And　if；　in　regard　to　Foreign；　he　cannot　be　called　an　understanding　witness；　he　has　read　the　best　Documents　accessible；　has　conversed　with　select　Ambassadors　（Mitchell　and　the　like；　as　we　can　guess）；　and　has　informed　himself　to　a　degree　far　beyond　most　of　his　contemporaries。　In　regard　to　Pitt's　Speeches；　in　particular；　his　brief　jottings；　done　rapidly　while　the　matter　was　still　shining　to　him；　are　the　only　Reports　that　have　the　least　human　resemblance。　We　may　thank　Walpole　that　Pitt　is　not　dumb　to　us；　as　well　as　dark。　Very　curious　little　scratchings　and　etchings；　those　of　Walpole；　frugal；　swift；　but　punctual　and　exact；　hasty　pen…and…ink　outlines；　at　first　view；　all　barren；　bald　as　an　invoice；　seemingly；　but　which　yield　you；　after　long　study　there　and　elsewhere；　a　conceivable　notion　of　what　and　how　excellent　these　Pitt　Speeches　may　have　been。　Airy；　winged；　like　arrow…flights　of　Phoebus　Apollo；　very　superlative　Speeches　indeed。　Walpole's　Book　is　carefully　printed；few　errors　in　it　like　that　'Chapeau'　for　CHASOT；〃　which　readers　remember：〃but；　in　respect　to　editing；　may　be　characterized　as　still　wanting　an　Editor。　A　Book　UNedited；　little　but　lazy　ignorance　of　a　very　hopeless　type；　thick　contented　darkness；　traceable　throughout　in　the　marginal　part。　No　attempt　at　an　Index；　or　at　any　of　the　natural　helps　to　a　reader　now　at　such　distance　from　it。　Nay；　till　you　have　at　least　marked；　on　the　top　of　each　page；　what　Month　and　Year　it　actually　is；　the　Book　cannot　be　read　at　all；except　by　an　idle　creature；　doing　worse　than　nothing　under　the　name　of　reading！〃

4。　PITT'S　SPEECHES；　FORESHADOWING　WHAT。　〃It　is　a　kind　of　epoch　in　your　studies　of　modern　English　History　when　you　get　to　understand　of　Pitt's　Speeches；　that　they　are　not　Parliamentary　Eloquences；　but　things　which　with　his　whole　soul　he　means；　and　is　intent　to　DO。　This　surprising　circumstance；　when　at　last　become　undeniable；　makes；　on　the　sudden；　an　immense　difference　for　the　Speeches　and　you！　Speeches　are　not　a　thing　of　high　moment　to　this　Editor；　it　is　the　Thing　spoken；　and　how　far　the　speaker　means　to　do　it；　that　this　Editor　inquires　for。　Too　many　Speeches　there　are；　which　he　hears　admired　all　round；　and　has　privately　to　entertain　a　very　horrid　notion　of！　Speeches；　the　finest　in　quality　（were　quality　really　'fine'　conceivable　in　such　case）；　which　WANT　a　corresponding　fineness　of　source　and　intention；　corresponding　nobleness　of　purport；　conviction；　tendency；　these；　if　we　will　reflect；　are　frightful　instead　of　beautiful。　Yes；and　always　the　frightfuler；　the　'finer'　they　are；　and　the　faster　and　farther　they　go；　sowing　themselves　in　the　dim　vacancy　of　men's　minds。　For　Speeches；　like　all　human　things；　though　the　fact　is　now　little　remembered；　do　always　rank　themselves　as　forever　blessed；　or　as　forever　unblessed。　Sheep　or　goats；　on　the　right　hand　of　the　Final　Judge；　or　else　on　the　left。　There　are　Speeches　which　can　be　called　true；　and；　again；　Speeches　which　are　not　true：Heavens；　only　think　what　these　latter　are！　Sacked　wind；　which　you　are　intended　to　SOW；that　you　may　reap　the　whirlwind！　After　long　reading；　I　find　Chatham's　Speeches　to　be　what　he　pretends　they　are：　true；　and　worth　speaking　then　and　there。　Noble　indeed；　I　can　call　them　with　you：　the　highly　noble　Foreshadow；　necessary　preface　and　accompaniment　of　Actions　which　are　still　nobler。　A　very　singular　phenomenon　within　those　walls；　or　without！

〃Pitt；　though　nobly　eloquent；　is　a　Man　of　Action；　not　of　Speech；　an　authentically　Royal　kind　of　Man。　And　if　there　were　a　Plutarch　in　these　times；　with　a　good　deal　of　leisure　on　his　hands；　he　might　run　a　Parallel　between　Friedrich　and　Chatham。　Two　radiant　Kings：　very　shining　Men　of　Action　both；　both　of　them　hard　bested；　as　the　case　often　is。　For　your　born　King　will　generally　have；　if　not　〃all　Europe　against　him；〃　at　least　pretty　much　all　the　Universe。　Chatham's　course　to　Kingship　was　not　straight　or　smooth；as　Friedrich；　too；　had　his　well…nigh　fatal　difficulties　on　the　road。　Again；　says　the　Plutarch；　they　are　very　brave　men　both；　and　of　a　clearness　and　veracity　peculiar　among　their　contemporaries。　In　Chatham；　too；　there　is　something　of　the　flash　of　steel；　a　very　sharp…cutting；　penetrative；　rapid　individual；　he　too；　and　shaped　for　action；　first　of　all；　though　he　has　to　talk　so　much　in　the　world。　Fastidious；　proud；　no　King　could　be　prouder；　though　his　element　is　that　of　Free…Senate　and　Democracy。　And　he　has　a　beautiful　poetic　delicacy；　withal；　great　tenderness　in　him；　playfulness；　grace；　in　all　ways；　an　airy　as　well　as　a　solid　loftiness　of　mind。　Not　born　a　King；alas；　no；　not　officially　so；　only　naturally　so；　has　his　kingdom　to　seek。　The　Conquering　of　Silesia；　the　Conquering　of　the　Pelham　ParliamentsBut　we　will　shut　up　the　Plutarch　with　time　on　his　hands。

〃Pitt's　Speeches；　as　I　spell　them　from　Walpole　and　the　other　faint　tracings　left；　are　full　of　genius　in　the　vocal　kind；　far　beyond　any　Speeches　delivered　in　Parliament：　serious　always；　and　the　very　truth；　such　as　he　has　it；　but　going　in　many　dialects　and　modes；　full　of　airy　flashings；　twinkles　and　coruscations。　Sport；　as　of　sheet…lightning　glancing　about；　the　bolt　lying　under　the　horizon；　bolt　HIDDEN；　as　is　fit；　under　such　a　horizon　as　he　had。　A　singularly　radiant　man。　Could　have　been　a　Poet；　too；　in　some　small　measure；　had　he　gone　on　that　line。　There　are　many　touches　of　genius；　comic；　tragic；　lyric；　something　of　humor　even；　to　be　read　in　those　Shadows　of　Speeches　taken　down　for　us　by　Walpole。　。。。

〃In　one　word；　Pitt；　shining　like　a　gleam　of　sharp　steel　in　that　murk　of　contemptibilities；　is　carefully　steering　his　way　towards　Kingship　over　it。　Tragical　it　is　（especially　in　Pitt's　case；　first　and　last）　to　see　a　Royal　Man；　or　Born　King；　wading　towards　his　throne　in　such　an　element。　But；　alas；　the　Born　King　（even　when　he　tries；　which　I　take　to　be　the　rarer　case）　so　seldom　can　arrive　there　at　all；sinful　Epochs　there　are；　when　Heaven's　curse　has　been　spoken；　and　it　is　that　awful　Being；　the　Born　Sham…King；　that　arrives！　Pitt；　however；　does　it。　Yes；　and　the　more　we　study　Pitt；　the　more　we　shall　find　he　does　it　in　a　peculiarly　high；　manful　and　honorable　as　well　as　dexterous　manner；　and　that　English　History　has　a　right　to　call　him　'the　acme　and　highest　man　of　Constitutional　Parliaments；　the　like　of　whom　was　not　in　any　Parliament　called　Constitutional；　nor　will　again　be。'〃

Well；　probably　enough；　too　probably！　But　what　it　more　concerns　us　to　remember　here；　is　the　fact；　That　in　these　dismal　shufflings　which　have　been；　Pittin　spite　of　Royal　dislikes　and　Newcastle　peddlings　and　chicanerieshas　been　actually　in　Office；　in　the　due　topmost　place；　the　poor　English　Nation　ardently　demanding　him；　in　what　ways　it　could。　Been　in　Office；and　is　actually　out　again；　in　spite　of　the　Nation。　Was　without　real　power　in　the　Royal　Councils；　though　of　noble　promise；　and　planting　himself　down；　hero…like；　evidently　bent　on　work；　and　on　ending　that　unutterable　〃St。…Vitus's…dance〃　that　had　gone　so　high　all　round　him。　Without　real　power；　we　say；　and　has　had　no　permanency。　Came　in　llth…19th　November；　1756；　thrown　out　5th　April；　1757。　After　six　months'　trial；　the　St。　Vitus　finds　that　it　cannot　do　with　him；　and　will　prefer　going　on　again。　The　last　act　his　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　did　in　England　was　to　displace　Pitt：　〃Down　you；　I　am　the　man！〃　said　Royal　Highness；　and　went　to　the　Weser　Countries　on　those　terms。

Would　the　reader　wish　to　see；　in　summary；　what　Pitt's　Offices　have　been；　since　he　entered　on　this　career　about　thirty　years　ago？　Here；　from　our　Historian；　is　the　List　of　them　in　order　of　time；　STAGES　OF　PITT'S　COURSE；　he　calls　it：

1。　〃DECEMBER；　1734；　Comes　into　Parliament；　age　now　twenty…six；　Cornet　in　the　Blues　as　well；　being　poor；　and　in　absolute　need　of　some　career　that　will　suit。　APRIL；　1736；　makes　his　First　Speech：　Prince　Frederick　the　subject；who　was　much　used　as　battering…ram　by　the　Opposition；　whom　perhaps　Pitt　admired　for　his　madrigals；　for　his　Literary　patronizings；　and　favor　to　the　West…Wickham　set。　Speech；　full　of　airy　lightning；　was　much　admired。　Followed　by　many；　with　the　lightning　getting　denser　and　dense