william ewart gladstone-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


pugnacity；　for　he　was　not　disputatious　in　ordinary　conversation；　as
because　it　called　out　his　fighting　force　and　stimulated　his　whole
nature。　　〃I　am　never　nervous　in　reply；〃　he　once　said；　〃though　I　am
sometimes　nervous　in　opening　a　debate。〃　　And　although　his
impetuosity　sometimes　betrayed　him　into　imprudence　when　he　was　taken
unawares；　no　one　could　be　more　wary　or　guarded　when　a　crisis　arrived
whose　gravity　he　had　foreseen。　　In　the　summer　of　1881　the　House　of
Lords　made　some　amendments　to　the　Irish　Land　Bill　which　were　deemed
ruinous　to　the　working　of　the　measure；　and　therewith　to　the
prospects　of　the　pacification　of　Ireland。　　A　conflict　was　expected
which　might　have　strained　the　fabric　of　the　constitution。　　The
excitement　which　quickly　arose　in　Parliament　spread　to　the　whole
nation。　　Mr。　Gladstone　alone　remained　calm　and　confident。　　He
devised　a　series　of　compromises；　which　he　advocated　in　conciliatory
speeches。　　He　so　played　his　game　that　by　a　few　minor　concessions　he
secured　nearly　all　of　the　points　he　cared　for；　and；　while　sparing
the　dignity　of　the　Lords；　steered　his　bill　triumphantly　out　of　the
breakers　which　had　threatened　to　engulf　it。　　Very　different　was　his
ordinary　demeanor　in　debate　when　he　was　off　his　guard。　　Observers
have　often　described　how　his　face　and　gestures　while　he　sat　in　the
House　of　Commons　listening　to　an　opponent　would　express　all　the
emotions　that　crossed　his　mind；　with　what　eagerness　he　would　follow
every　sentence；　sometimes　contradicting　half　aloud；　sometimes
turning　to　his　next　neighbor　to　express　his　displeasure　at　the
groundless　allegations　or　fallacious　arguments　he　was　listening　to；
till　at　last　he　would　spring　to　his　feet　and　deliver　a　passionate
reply。　　His　warmth　would　often　be　in　excess　of　what　the　occasion
required；　and　quite　disproportioned　to　the　importance　of　his
antagonist。　　It　was　in　fact　the　unimportance　of　the　occasion　that
made　him　thus　yield　to　his　feeling。　　As　soon　as　he　saw　that　bad
weather　was　coming；　and　that　careful　seamanship　was　wanted；　his
coolness　returned；　his　language　became　guarded　and　careful；　and
passion；　though　it　might　increase　the　force　of　his　oratory；　never
made　him　deviate　a　hand's　breadth　from　the　course　he　had　chosen。



CHAPTER　IV：　　ORATOR



Of　that　oratory；　something　must　now　be　said。　　By　it　he　rose　to　fame
and　power；　as；　indeed；　by　it　most　English　statesmen　have　risen；　save
those　to　whom　wealth　and　rank　and　family　connections　have　given　a
sort　of　presumptive　claim　to　high　office；　like　the　Cavendishes　and
the　Russells；　the　Cecils　and　the　Bentincks。　　And　for　many　years；
during　which　Mr。　Gladstone　was　distrusted　as　a　statesman　because；
while　he　had　ceased　to　be　a　Tory；　he　had　not　fully　become　a　Liberal；
his　eloquence　was　the　main；　one　might　almost　say　the　sole；　source　of
his　influence。　　Oratory　was　a　power　in　English　politics　even　a
century　and　a　half　ago；　as　the　career　of　the　elder　Pitt　shows。　　But
within　the　last　fifty　years；　years　which　have　seen　the　power　of　rank
and　family　connections　decline；　it　has　continued　to　be　essential　to
the　highest　success　although　much　less　cultivated　as　a　fine　art；　and
brings　a　man　quickly　to　the　front；　though　it　will　not　keep　him　there
should　he　prove　to　want　the　other　branches　of　statesmanlike
capacity。

The　permanent　reputation　of　an　orator　depends　upon　two　things；　the
witness　of　contemporaries　to　the　impression　produced　upon　them；　and
the　written　or　printedwe　may；　perhaps；　be　soon　able　to　say　the
phonographedrecord　of　his　speeches。　　Few　are　the　famous　speakers
who　would　be　famous　if　they　were　tried　by　this　latter　test　alone；
and　Mr。　Gladstone　was　not　one　of　them。　　It　is　only　by　a　rare
combination　of　gifts　that　one　who　speaks　with　so　much　readiness；
force；　and　brilliance　as　to　charm　his　listeners　is　also　able　to
deliver　such　valuable　thoughts　in　such　choice　words　that　posterity
will　read　them　as　literature。　　Some　few　of　the　ancient　orators　did
this；　but　we　seldom　know　how　far　those　of　their　speeches　which　have
been　preserved　are　the　speeches　which　they　actually　delivered。
Among　moderns；　some　French　preachers；　Edmund　Burke；　Macaulay；　and
Daniel　Webster　are　perhaps　the　only　speakers　whose　discourses　have
passed　into　classics　and　find　new　generations　of　readers。　　Twenty
years　hence　Mr。　Gladstone's　will　not　be　read；　except；　of　course；　by
historians。　　They　are　too　long；　too　diffuse；　too　minute　in　their
handling　of　details；　too　elaborately　qualified　in　their　enunciation
of　general　principles。　　They　contain　few　epigrams　and　few　of　those
weighty　thoughts　put　into　telling　phrases　which　the　Greeks　called
＇Greek　text＇。

The　style；　in　short；　is　not　sufficiently　rich　or　finished　to　give　a
perpetual　interest　to　matters　whose　practical　importance　has
vanished。　　The　same　oblivion　has　overtaken　all　but　a　very　few　of　the
best　things　of　Grattan；　Pitt；　Canning；　Plunket；　Brougham；　Peel；
Bright。　　It　may；　indeed；　be　saidand　the　examples　of　Burke　and
Macaulay　show　that　this　is　no　paradoxthat　the　speakers　whom
posterity　most　enjoys　are　rarely　those　who　most　affected　the
audiences　that　listened　to　them。

If；　on　the　other　hand；　Mr。　Gladstone　be　judged　by　the　impression　he
made　on　his　own　time；　his　place　will　be　high　in　the　front　rank。　　His
speeches　were　neither　so　concisely　telling　as　Mr。　Bright's　nor　so
finished　in　diction；　but　no　other　man　among　his　contemporaries
neither　Lord　Derby　nor　Mr。　Lowe　nor　Mr。　Disraeli　nor　Bishop
Wilberforce　nor　Bishop　Mageedeserved　comparison　with　him。　　And　he
rose　superior　to　Mr。　Bright　himself　in　readiness；　in　variety　of
knowledge；　in　persuasive　ingenuity。　　Mr。　Bright　required　time　for
preparation；　and　was　always　more　successful　in　alarming　his
adversaries　and　stimulating　his　friends　than　in　either　instructing
or　convincing　anybody。　　Mr。　Gladstone　could　do　all　these　four
things；　and　could　do　them　at　an　hour's　notice；　so　vast　and　well
ordered　was　the　arsenal　of　his　mind。

His　oratory　had　many　conspicuous　merits。　　There　was　a　lively
imagination；　which　enabled　him　to　relieve　even　dull　matter　by
pleasing　figures；　together　with　a　large　command　of　quotations　and
illustrations。　　There　were　remarkable　powers　of　sarcasmpowers；
however；　which　he　rarely　used；　preferring　the　summer　lightning　of
banter　to　the　thunderbolt　of　invective。　　There　was　admirable
lucidity　and　accuracy　in　exposition。　　There　was　great　skill　in　the
disposition　and　marshaling　of　his　arguments；　and　finallya　gift　now
almost　lost　in　Englandthere　was　a　wonderful　variety　and　grace　of
appropriate　gesture。　　But　above　and　beyond　everything　else　which
enthralled　the　listener；　there　were　four　qualities；　two　specially
conspicuous　in　the　substance　of　his　eloquenceinventiveness　and
elevation；　two　not　less　remarkable　in　his　mannerforce　in　the
delivery；　expressive　modulation　in　the　voice。

Of　the　swift　resourcefulness　of　his　mind；　something　has　been　said
already。　　In　debate　it　shone　out　with　the　strongest　ray。　　His
readiness；　not　only　at　catching　a　point；　but　at　making　the　most　of
it　on　a　moment's　notice；　was　amazing。　　Some　one　would　lean　over　the
back　of　the　bench　he　sat　on　and　show　a　paper　or　whisper　a　sentence
to　him。　　Apprehending　its　bearings　at　a　glance；　he　would　take　the
bare　fact　and　so　shape　and　develop　it；　like　a　potter　molding　a　bowl
on　the　wheel　out　of　a　lump　of　clay；　that　it　grew　into　a　cogent
argument　or　a　happy　illustration　under　the　eye　of　the　audience；　and
seemed　all　the　more　telling　because　it　had　not　been　originally　a
part　of　his　case。　　Even　in　the　last　two　years　of　his　parliamentary
life；　when　his　sight　had　so　failed　that　he　read　nothing；　printed　or
written；　except　what　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　read；　and　when
his　deafness　had　so　increased　that　he　did　not　hear　half　of　what　was
said　in　debate；　it　was　sufficient　for　a　colleague　to　whisper　a　few
words　to　him；　explaining　how　the　matter　at　issue　stood；　and　he　would
rise　to　his　feet　and　extemporize　a　long　and　ingenious　argument；　or
perhaps　retreat　with　dexterous　grace　from　a　position　which　the
course　of　the　discussion　or　the　private　warning　of　the　〃whips〃　had
shown　to　be　untenable。　　No　one　ever　saw　him　at　a　loss　either　to　meet
a　new　point　raised　by　an　adversary　or　to　make　the　m