my memories of eighty years-第62章

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hing　or　write　something　which　his　ministers　desired。　　The　king's　answer　always　was：　　〃When　I　visited　that　greatest　man　of　all　the　world；　General　Washington；　at　his　home；　I　asked　him　at　one　time：　　'General；　is　it　not　possible　that　in　your　long　and　wonderful　career　as　a　soldier　and　statesman　that　you　have　made　mistakes？'　　The　general　answered：　　'I　have　never　done　anything　which　I　cared　to　recall　or　said　anything　which　I　would　not　repeat；'　and　the　king　would　say：　　'I　cannot　do　that　or　sign　that；　because　if　I　do　I　cannot　say　for　myself　what　General　Washington　said　of　himself。'〃

The　duke　asked　me　to　spend　a　week…end　with　him　at　Chantilly；　and　it　is　one　of　the　regrets　of　my　life　that　I　was　unable　to　accept。

I　happened　to　be　in　London　on　two　successive　Sundays。　　On　the　first　I　went　to　Westminster　Abbey　to　hear　Canon　Farrar　preach。　　The　sermon　was　worthy　of　its　wonderful　setting。　　Westminster　Abbey　is　one　of　the　most　inspiring　edifices　in　the　world。　　The　orator　has　to　reach　a　high　plane　to　be　worthy　of　its　pulpit。　　I　have　heard　many　dull　discourses　there　because　the　surroundings　refuse　to　harmonize　with　mediocrity。　　The　sermon　of　Canon　Farrar　was　classic。　　It　could　easily　have　taken　a　place　among　the　gems　of　English　literature。　　It　seemed　to　me　to　meet　whatever　criticism　the　eminent　dead；　buried　in　that　old　mausoleum；　might　have　of　these　modern　utterances。　　I　left　the　Abbey　spiritually　and　mentally　elated。

The　next　Sunday　I　went　to　hear　Charles　Spurgeon。　　It　was　a　wonderful　contrast。　　Spurgeon's　Metropolitan　Tabernacle　was　a　very　plain　structure　of　immense　proportions　but　with　admirable　acoustics。　There　was　none　of　the　historic　enshrining　the　church；　which　is　the　glory　of　Westminster　Abbey；　no　church　vestments　or　ceremonials。

Mr。　Spurgeon；　a　plain；　stocky…looking　man；　came　out　on　the　platform　dressed　in　an　ordinary　garb　of　black　coat；　vest；　and　trousers。　It　was　a　vast　audience　of　what　might　be　called　middle…class　people。　Mr。　Spurgeon's　sermon　was　a　plain；　direct；　and　exceedingly　forcible　appeal　to　their　judgment　and　emotions。　　There　was　no　attempt　at　rhetoric；　but　hard；　hammerlike　blows。　　As　he　rose　in　his　indignation　and　denunciation　of　some　current　evils；　and　illustrated　his　argument　with　the　Old　Testament　examples　of　the　punishment　of　sinners；　the　audience　became　greatly　excited。　　One　of　the　officers　of　the　church；　in　whose　pew　I　sat；　groaned　aloud　and　gripped　his　hands　so　that　the　nails　left　their　mark。　　Others　around　him　were　in　the　same　frame　of　mind　and　spirit。

I　saw　there　and　then　that　the　men　who　fought　with　Cromwell　and　won　the　battle　of　Naseby　had　in　modern　England　plenty　of　descendants。　They　had　changed　only　in　outward　deference　to　modern　usages　and　conditions。　　If　there　had　been　occasion；　Mr。　Spurgeon　could　have　led　them　for　any　sacrifice　to　what　they　believed　to　be　right。　I　felt　the　power　of　that　suppressed　feelingI　would　not　say　fanaticism；　but　intense　conscientiousnesswhich　occasionally　in　elections　greatly　surprises　English　politicians。

Canon　Farrar's　sermon　easily　takes　its　place　among　the　selected　books　of　the　library。　　Spurgeon's　address　was　straight　from　the　shoulder；　blow　for　blow；　for　the　needs　of　the　hour。



One　of　the　novel　incidents　of　the　generous　hospitality　which　I　enjoyed　every　year　in　London　was　a　dinner　at　the　Athenaeum　Club　given　to　me　by　one　of　the　members　of　the　government　at　that　time。　He　was　a　gentleman　of　high　rank　and　political　importance。　　There　were　twenty…six　at　the　dinner；　and　it　was　a　representative　gathering。

At　the　conclusion　our　host　made　a　very　cordial　speech　on　more　intimate　relations　between　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain；　and　then　in　a　complimentary　phrase　introduced　me；　saying：　　〃I　hope　you　will　speak　freely　and　without　limit。〃

I　was　encouraged　by　a　most　sympathetic　audience　and　had　a　good　time　during　my　effort。　　No　one　else　was　called　upon。　　My　host　was　complimentary　and　said：　　〃Your　speech　was　so　satisfactory　that　I　thought　best　not　to　have　any　more。〃

Some　time　afterwards　he　said　to　me：　　〃Many　of　my　friends　had　heard　of　you　but　never　heard　you；　so　I　made　up　my　mind　to　give　them　the　opportunity；　and　what　was　really　a　purely　social　affair　for　every　other　guest；　I　turned　into　an　international　occasion　just　to　draw　you　out。　　However；　the　fraud；　if　it　was　a　fraud；　was　an　eminent　success。〃



No　one　in　England　did　more　for　Americans　than　Sir　Henry　Lucy。　Every　American　knew　all　about　him；　because　of　his　reputation；　and　particularly　because　he　was　the　author　of　that　most　interesting　column　in　Punch　called　the　〃Essence　of　Parliament。〃

At　his　luncheons　he　gathered　eminent　men　in　public　life　and　in　the　literary　and　journalistic　activities　of　Great　Britain。　　These　luncheons　were　most　informal；　and　under　the　hospitable　genius　of　Lucy　the　guests　became　on　intimate　terms。　　There　was　no　table　in　London　where　so　many　racy　stories　and　sometimes　valuable　historical　reminiscences　could　be　heard。

To　be　a　guest　at　one　of　Sir　Lucy's　luncheons　was　for　an　American　to　meet　on　familiar　terms　with　distinguished　men　whom　he　knew　all　about　and　was　most　anxious　to　see　and　hear。

At　a　large　dinner　I　had　a　pleasant　encounter　with　Sir　Henry。　In　order　to　meet　another　engagement；　he　tried　to　slip　quietly　out　while　I　was　speaking。　　I　caught　sight　of　his　retreating　figure　and　called　loudly　the　refrain　of　the　familiar　song；　〃Linger　longer；　Lucy。〃　　The　shout　of　the　crowd　brought　Sir　Henry　back；　and　the　other　entertainment　lost　a　guest。



In　several　of　my　visits　to　London　I　went　to　see　not　only　places　of　interest　but　also　houses　and　streets　made　famous　in　English　literature。　　In　one　of　my　many　trips　to　St。　Paul's　Cathedral　I　was　looking　at　the　tomb　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington　in　the　crypt　and　also　at　the　modest　tomb　of　Cruikshank；　the　artist；　near　by。

The　superintendent　asked　me　who　I　was　and　many　questions　about　America；　and　then　said：　　〃Many　Americans　come　here；　but　the　most　remarkable　of　them　all　was　Colonel　Robert　G。　Ingersoll。　　He　was　very　inquisitive　and　wanted　to　know　all　about　Wellington's　tomb。　I　told　him　that　the　duke's　body　was　first　put　in　a　wooden　coffin；　and　this　was　incased　in　steel；　that　this　had　made　for　it　a　position　in　a　stone　weighing　twenty　tons　and　over　that　was　a　huge　stone　weighing　forty　tons。　　He　gave　me　a　slap　on　the　back　which　sent　me　flying　quite　a　distance　and　exclaimed：　　'Old　man；　you　have　got　him　safe。　　If　he　ever　escapes　cable　at　my　expense　to　Robert　G。　Ingersoll；　Peoria；　Illinois；　U。　S。　A。'〃



I　had　an　opportunity　to　know　that　the　war　by　Germany　against　France　and　England　was　a　surprise　to　both　countries。　　While　in　London　during　part　of　June；　1914；　I　met　Cabinet　ministers　and　members　of　Parliament；　and　their　whole　thought　and　anxiety　were　concentrated　on　the　threatened　revolution　in　Ireland。

The　Cabinet　had　asked　the　king　to　intervene　and　he　had　called　representatives　of　all　parties　to　meet　him　at　Buckingham　Palace。　After　many　consultations　he　declared　settlement　or　compromise　were　impossible。　　The　situation　was　so　critical　that　it　absorbed　the　attention　of　the　government；　the　press；　and　the　public。

About　the　first　of　July　I　was　in　Paris　and　found　the　French　worried　about　their　finances　and　the　increase　in　their　military　expenses　which　were　reaching　threatening　figures。　　The　syndicate　of　French　bankers　were　seriously　alarmed。　　There　was　no　suspicion　of　German　purpose　and　preparations　for　attack。

While　in　Geneva　a　few　weeks　afterwards　I　became　alarmed　by　letters　from　relatives　in　Germany　who　were　socially　intimate　with　people　holding　very　important　positions　in　the　government　and　the　army；　and　their　apprehensions　from　what　their　German　friends　told　them　and　what　they　saw　led　to　their　joining　us　in　Switzerland。

One　day　the　Swiss　refused　to　take　foreign　money　or　to　make　exchange　for　Swiss；　or　to　cash　letters　of　credit　or　bank　checks。　　I　immediately　concluded　that　the　Swiss　bankers　knew　of　or　suspected　Germany's　hostile　intentions；　and　with　only　two　hours；　and　two　families　with　their　trunks　to　pack；　we　managed　to　reach　and　secure　accommodations　on　the　regular　train　for　Paris。　　There　was　nothing　unusual　either　at　the　railroad　station　or　in　the　city。

One　of　the　amusing　incidents　which　are　my　life…preservers　occurred　at　the　statio