eminent victorians-第51章

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grey　on　his　hair　and　whiskers。　There　was　the　same　contrast

enigmatic　and　attractivebetween　the　sunburnt　brick…red　

complexionthe　hue　of　the　seasoned　travellerand　the　large　blue



eyes；　with　their　look　of　almost　childish　sincerity。　To　the　

friendly　inquirer；　he　would　explain；　in　a　row；　soft；　and　very　

distinct　voice；　that　he　was　engaged　in　elucidating　four　

questionsthe　site　of　the　Crucifixion；　the　line　of　division　

between　the　tribes　of　Benjamin　and　Judah；　the　identification　of　

Gideon；　and　the　position　of　the　Garden　of　Eden。　He　was　also；　he　

would　add；　most　anxious　to　discover　the　spot　where　the　Ark　first　

touched　ground；　after　the　subsidence　of　the　Flood：　he　believed；　

indeed；　that　he　had　solved　that　problem；　as　a　reference　to　some　

passages　in　the　book　which　he　was　carrying　would　show。



This　singular　person　was　General　Gordon；　and　his　book　was　the　

Holy　Bible。



In　such　complete　retirement　from　the　world　and　the　ways　of　men；　

it　might　have　seemed　that　a　life　of　inordinate　activity　had　found



at　last　a　longed…for；　final　peacefulness。　For　month　after　

month；　for　an　entire　year；　the　General　lingered　by　the　banks　of　

the　Jordan。　But　then　the　enchantment　was　suddenly　broken。　Once　

more　adventure　claimed　him；　he　plunged　into　the　whirl　of　high　

affairs；　his　fate　was　mingled　with　the　frenzies　of　Empire　and　the



doom　of　peoples。　And　it　was　not　in　peace　and　rest；　but　in　ruin　

and　horror；　that　he　reached　his　end。



The　circumstances　of　that　tragic　history；　so　famous；　so　bitterly　

debated；　so　often　and　so　controversially　described；　remain　full　

of　suggestion　for　the　curious　examiner　of　the　past。　There　emerges



from　those　obscure；　unhappy　records　an　interest；　not　merely　

political　and　historical；　but　human　and　dramatic。　One　catches　a　

vision　of　strange　characters；　moved　by　mysterious　impulses；　

interacting　in　queer　complication；　and　hurrying　at　lastso　it　

almost　seemslike　creatures　in　a　puppet　show　to　a　predestined　

catastrophe。　The　characters；　too；　have　a　charm　of　their　own：　they



are　curiously　English。　What　other　nation　on　the　face　of　the　earth



could　have　produced　Mr。　Gladstone　and　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　and　Lord　

Hartington　and　General　Gordon？　Alike　in　their　emphasis　and　their　

lack　of　emphasis；　in　their　eccentricity　and　their

conventionality；　

in　their　matter…of…factness　and　their　romance；　these　four　figures



seem　to　embody　the　mingling　contradictions　of　the　English　spirit。



As　for　the　mise…en…scene；　it　is　perfectly　appropriate。　But　first；



let　us　glance　at　the　earlier　adventures　of　the　hero　of　the　piece。



Charles　George　Gordon　was　born　in　1833。　His　father；　of　Highland　

and　military　descent；　was　himself　a　Lieutenant…General；　his　

mother　came　of　a　family　of　merchants；　distinguished　for　their　sea



voyages　into　remote　regions　of　the　Globe。　As　a　boy；　Charlie　was　

remarkable　for　his　high　spirits；　pluck；　and　love　of　mischief。　

Destined　for　the　Artillery；　he　was　sent　to　the　Academy　at　

Woolwich；　where　some　other　characteristics　made　their　appearance。



On　one　occasion；　when　the　cadets　had　been　forbidden　to　leave　the　

dining…room　and　the　senior　corporal　stood　with　outstretched　arms　

in　the　doorway　to　prevent　their　exit；　Charlie　Gordon　put　his　head



down；　and；　butting　the　officer　in　the　pit　of　the　stomach；　

projected　him　down　a　flight　of　stairs　and　through　a　glass　door　at



the　bottom。　For　this　act　of　insubordination　he　was　nearly　

dismissed　while　the　captain　of　his　company　predicted　that　he　

would　never　make　an　officer。　A　little　later；　when　he　was　

eighteen；　it　came　to　the　knowledge　of　the　authorities　that　

bullying　was　rife　at　the　Academy。　The　new…comers　were　questioned；



and　one　of　them　said　that　Charlie　Gordon　had　hit　him　over　the　

head　with　a　clothes…brush。　He　had　worked　well；　and　his　record　was



on　the　whole　a　good　one；　but　the　authorities　took　a　serious　view　

of　the　case；　and　held　back　his　commission　for　six　months。　It　was　

owing　to　this　delay　that　he　went　into　the　Royal　Engineers；　

instead　of　the　Royal　Artillery。



He　was　sent　to　Pembroke；　to　work　at　the　erection　of　

fortifications；　and　at　Pembroke　those　religious　convictions；　

which　never　afterwards　left　him；　first　gained　a　hold　upon　his　

mind。　Under　the　influence　of　his　sister　Augusta　and　of　a　'very　

religious　captain　of　the　name　of　Drew'；　he　began　to　reflect　upon　

his　sins；　look　up　texts；　and　hope　for　salvation。　Though　he　had　

never　been　confirmed　he　never　was　confirmed　he　took　the　

sacrament　every　Sunday；　and　he　eagerly　perused　the　Priceless　

Diamond；　Scott's　Commentaries；　and　The　Remains　of　the　Rev。　R。　

McCheyne。　'No　novels　or　worldly　books；'　he　wrote　to　his　sister；　

'come　up　to　the　Commentaries　of　Scott。。。。　I；　remember　well　when　

you　used　to　get　them　in　numbers；　and　I　used　to　laugh　at　them；　

but；　thank　God；　it　is　different　with　me　now。　I　feel　much　happier　

and　more　contented　than　I　used　to　do。　I　did　not　like　Pembroke；　

but　now　I　would　not　wish　for　any　prettier　place。　I　have　got　a　

horse　and　gig；　and　Drew　and　myself　drive　all　about　the　country。　I



hope　my　dear　father　and　mother　think　of　eternal　things。。。　

Dearest　Augusta；　pray　for　me；　I　beg　of　you。'



He　was　twenty…one；　the　Crimean　War　broke　out；　and　before　the　year



was　over；　he　had　managed　to　get　himself　transferred　to　Balaclava。



During　the　siege　of　Sebastopol　he　behaved　with　conspicuous　

gallantry。　Upon　the　declaration　of　peace；　he　was　sent　to　

Bessarabia　to　assist　in　determining　the　frontier　between　Russia　

and　Turkey；　in　accordance　with　the　Treaty　of　Paris；　and　upon　this



duty　he　was　occupied　for　nearly　two　years。　Not　long　after　his　

return　home；　in　1860；　war　was　declared　upon　China。　Captain　Gordon



was　dispatched　to　the　scene　of　operations；　but　the　fighting　was　

over　before　he　arrived。　Nevertheless；　he　was　to　remain　for　the　

next　four　years　in　China；　where　he　was　to　lay　the　foundations　of　

extraordinary　renown。



Though　he　was　too　late　to　take　part　in　the　capture　of　the　Taku　

Forts；　he　was　in　time　to　witness　the　destruction　of　the　Summer　

Palace　at　Pekingthe　act　by　which　Lord　Elgin；　in　the　name　of　

European　civilisation；　took　vengeance　upon　the　barbarism　of　the　

East。



The　war　was　over；　but　the　British　Army　remained　in　the　country；　

until　the　payment　of　an　indemnity　by　the　Chinese　Government　was　

completed。　A　camp　was　formed　at　Tientsin；　and　Gordon　was　occupied



in　setting　up　huts　for　the　troops。　While　he　was　thus　engaged；　he　

had　a　slight　attack　of　smallpox。　'I　am　glad　to　say；'　he　told　his　

sister；　'that　this　disease　has　brought　me　back　to　my　Saviour；　and



I　trust　in　future　to　be　a　better　Christian　than　I　have　been　

hitherto。'



Curiously　enough　a　similar　circumstance　had；　more　than　twenty　

years　earlier；　brought　about　a　singular　succession　of　events　

which　were　now　upon　the　point　of　opening　the　way　to　Gordon's　

first　great　adventure。　In　1837；　a　village　schoolmaster　near　

Canton　had　been　attacked　by　illness；　and；　as　in　the　case　of　

Gordon；　illness　had　been　followed　by　a　religious　revulsion。　Hong…

Siu…Tsuen　for　such　was　his　name　saw　visions；　went　into　

ecstasies；　and　entered　into　relations　with　the　Deity。　Shortly　

afterwards；　he　fell　in　with　a　Methodist　missionary　from　America；　

who　instructed　him　in　the　Christian　religion。　The　new　doctrine；　

working　upon　the　mystical　ferment　already　in　Hong's　mind；　

produced　a　remarkable　result。　He　was；　he　declared；　the　prophet　of



God；　he　was　more　he　was　the　Son　of　God；　he　was　Tien　Wang；　the　

Celestial　King；　he　was　the　younger　brother　of　Jesus。　



The　times　were　propitious；　and　proselytes　soon　gathered　around

him。　

Having　conceived　a　grudge　against　the　Government；　owing　to　his

failure　

in　an　examination；　Hong　gave　a　political　turn　to　his　teaching；　

which　soon　developed　into　a　propaganda　of　rebellion　against　the　

rule　of　the　Manchus　and　the　Mandarins。　The　authorities　took　

fright；　attempted　to　suppress　Hong　by　force；　and　failed。　T