biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第12节

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inous　and　entangled　matter；　but　it　is　not　　unique　amongst　martial　records　as　〃Eothen〃　is　unique　amongst　books　　of　travel：　it　is　through　〃Eothen〃　that　its　author　has　soared　into　a　　classic；　and　bids　fair　to　hold　his　place。　　And；　apart　from　the　　merit　of　style；　great　campaigns　lose　interest　in　a　third；　if　not　in　　a　second　generation；　their　historical　consequence　effaced　through　　lapse　of　years；　their　policy　seen　to　have　been　nugatory　or　　mischievous；　their　chronicles；　swallowed　greedily　at　the　birth　like　　Saturn's　progeny；　returning　to　vex　their　parent；　relegated　finally　　to　an　honourable　exile　in　the　library　upper　shelves；　where　they　　hold　a　place　eyed　curiously；　not　invaded：


〃devoured　As　fast　as　they　are　made；　forgot　as　soon　As　done。　。　。　。　To　have　done；　is　to　hang　Quite　out　of　fashion；　like　a　rusty　mail；　In　monumental　mockery。〃



CHAPTER　V　…　MADAME　NOVIKOFF



THE　Cabinet　Edition　of　〃The　Invasion　of　the　Crimea〃　appeared　in　　1877；　shortly　after　the　Servian　struggle　for　independence；　which　　aroused　in　England　universal　interest　and　sympathy。　　Kinglake　had　　heard　from　the　lips　of　a　valued　lady　friend　the　tragic　death…tale　　of　her　brother　Nicholas　Kireeff；　who　fell　fighting　as　a　volunteer　　on　the　side　of　the　gallant　Servian　against　the　Turk：　and；　much　　moved　by　the　recital；　offered　to　honour　the　memory　of　the　dead　hero　　in　the　Preface　to　his　forthcoming　edition。　　He　kept　his　word；　made　　sympathetic　reference　to　M。　Kireeff　in　the　opening　of　his　Preface；　　but　passed　in　pursuance　of　his　original　design　to　a　hostile　　impeachment　of　Russia；　its　people；　its　church；　its　ruler。　　This　was　　an　error　of　judgment　and　of　feeling；　and　the　lady；　reading　the　　manuscript；　indignantly　desired　him　to　burn　the　whole　rather　than　　commit　the　outrage　of　associating　her　brother's　name　with　an　attack　　on　causes　and　personages　dear　to　him　as　to　herself。　　Kinglake　　listened　in　silence；　then　tendered　to　her　a　CRAYON　ROUGE；　begging　　her　to　efface　all　that　pained　her。　　She　did　so；　and；　diminished　by　　three…fourths　of　its　matter；　the　Preface　appears　in　Vol。　I。　of　the　　Cabinet　Edition。　　The　erasure　was　no　slight　sacrifice　to　an　author　　of　Kinglake's　literary　sensitiveness；　mutilating　as　it　did　the　　integrity　of　a　carefully　schemed　composition；　and　leaving　visible　　the　scar。　　He　sets　forth　the　strongly　sentimental　and　romantic　side　　of　Russian　temperament。　　Love　of　the　Holy　Shrines　begat　the　war　of　　1853；　racial　ardour　the　war　of　1876。　　The　first　was　directed　by　a　　single　will；　the　second　by　national　enthusiasm；　yet　the　mind　of　　Nicholas　was　no　less　tossed　by　a　breathless　strife　of　opposing　　desires　and　moods　than　was　Russia　at　large　by　the　struggle　between　　Panslavism　and　statesmanship。　　Kinglake　paints　vividly　the　imposing　　figure　of　the　young　Kireeff；　his　stature；　beauty；　bravery；　the　　white　robe　he　wore　incarnadined　by　death…wounds；　his　body　captured　　by　the　hateful　foes。　　He　goes　on　to　tell　how　myth　rose　like　an　　exhalation　round　his　memory：　how　legends　of　〃a　giant　piling　up　　hecatombs　by　a　mighty　slaughter〃　reverberated　through　mansion　and　　cottage；　town　and　village；　cathedral　and　church；　until　thousands　of　　volunteers　rushed　to　arms　that　they　might　go　where　young　Kireeff　　had　gone。　　Alexander's　hand　was　forced；　and　the　war　began；　which　　but　for　England's　intervention　would　have　cleared　Europe　of　the　　Turk。　　We　have　the　text；　but　not　the　sermon；　the　Preface　ends　　abruptly　with　an　almost　clumsy　peroration。

The　lady　who　inspired　both　the　eulogy　and　the　curtailment　was　　Madame　Novikoff；　more　widely　known　perhaps　as　O。　K。；　with　whom　　Kinglake　maintained　during　the　last　twenty　years　of　life　an　　intimate　and　mutual　friendship。　　Madame　Olga　Novikoff；　NEE　Kireeff；　　is　a　Russian　lady　of　aristocratic　rank　both　by　parentage　and　　marriage。　　In　a　lengthened　sojourn　at　Vienna　with　her　brother…in…　law；　the　Russian　ambassador；　she　learned　the　current　business　of　　diplomacy。　　An　eager　religious　propagandist；　she　formed　alliance　　with　the　〃Old　Catholics〃　on　the　Continent；　and　with　many　among　the　　High　Church　English　clergy；　becoming；　together　with　her　brother　　Alexander；　a　member　of　the　REUNION　NATIONALE；　a　society　for　the　　union　of　Christendom。　　Her　interest　in　education　has　led　her　to　　devote　extensive　help　to　school　and　church　building　and　endowment　　on　her　son's　estate。　　God…daughter　to　the　Czar　Nicholas；　she　is　a　　devoted　Imperialist；　nor　less　in　sympathy；　as　were　all　her　family；　　with　Russian　patriotism：　after　the　death　of　her　brother　in　Servia　　on　July　6/18；　1876；　she　became　a　still　more　ardent　Slavophile。　　The　　three　articles　of　her　creed　are；　she　says；　those　of　her　country；　　Orthodoxy；　Autocracy；　Nationalism。　　Her　political　aspirations　have　　been　guided；　and　guided　right；　by　her　tact　and　goodness　of　heart。　　　Her　life's　aim　has　been　to　bring　about　a　cordial　understanding　　between　England　and　her　native　land；　there　is　little　doubt　that　her　　influence　with　leading　Liberal　politicians；　and　her　vigorous　　allocutions　in　the　Press；　had　much　to　do　with　the　enthusiasm　　manifested　by　England　for　the　liberation　of　the　Danubian　States。　　　Readers　of　the　Princess　Lieven's　letters　to　Earl　Grey　will　recall　　the　part　played　by　that　able　ambassadress　in　keeping　this　country　　neutral　through　the　crisis　of　1828…9；　to　her　Madame　Novikoff　has　　been　likened；　and　probably　with　truth；　by　the　Turkish　Press　both　　English　and　Continental。　　She　was　accused　in　1876　of　playing　on　the　　religious　side　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　character　to　secure　his　interest　　in　the　Danubians　as　members　of　the　Greek　Church；　while　with　　unecclesiastical　people　she　was　said　to　be　equally　skilful　on　the　　political　side；　converting　at　the　same　time　Anglophobe　Russia　by　　her　letters　in　the　〃Moscow　Gazette。〃　　Mr。　Gladstone's　leanings　to　　Montenegro　were　attributed　angrily　in　the　English　〃Standard〃　to　　Madame　Novikoff：　〃A　serious　statesman　should　know　better　than　to　　catch　contagion　from　the　petulant　enthusiasm　of　a　Russian　Apostle。〃　　　The　contagion　was　in　any　case　caught；　and　to　some　purpose；　letter　　after　letter　had　been　sent　by　the　lady　to　the　great　statesman；　then　　in　temporary　retirement；　without　reply；　until　the　last　of　these；　〃a　　bitter　cry　of　a　sister　for　a　sacrificed　brother；〃　brought　a　feeling　　answer　from　Mrs。　Gladstone；　saying　that　her　husband　was　deeply　　moved　by　the　appeal；　and　was　writing　on　the　subject。　　In　a　few　days　　appeared　his　famous　pamphlet；　〃Bulgarian　Horrors　and　the　Question　　of　the　East。〃

Carlyle　advised　that　Madame　Novikoff's　scattered　papers　should　be　　worked　into　a　volume；　they　appeared　under　the　title　〃Is　Russia　　Wrong？〃　with　a　preface　by　Froude；　the　moderate　and　ultra…prudent　　tone　of　which　infuriated　Hayward　and　Kinglake；　as　not　being　　sufficiently　appreciative。　　Hayward　declared　some　woman　had　biassed　　him；　Kinglake　was　of　opinion　that　by　studying　the　ETAT　of　Queen　　Elizabeth　Froude　had　〃gone　and　turned　himself　into　an　old　maid。〃

Froude's　Preface　to　her　next　work；　〃Russia　and　England；　a　Protest　　and　an　Appeal；〃　by　O。　K。；　1880；　was　worded　in　a　very　different　tone　　and　satisfied　all　her　friends。　　The　book　was　also　reviewed　with　　highest　praise　by　Gladstone　in　〃The　Nineteenth　Century。〃　　Learning　　that　an　assault　upon　it　was　contemplated　in　〃The　Quarterly；〃　　Kinglake　offered　to　supply　the　editor；　Dr。　Smith；　with　materials　　which　might　be　so　used　as　to　neutralize　a　PERSONAL　attack　upon　O。　　K。　　Smith　entreated　him　to　compose　the　whole　article　himself。　　〃I　　could　promise　you；〃　he　writes；　〃that　the　authorship　should　be　kept　　a　profound　secret；〃　but　this　Kinglake　seems　to　have　thought　　undesirable。　　The　article　appeared　in　April；　1880；　under　the　title　　of　〃The　Slavonic　Menace　to　Europe。〃　　It　opens　with　a　panegyric　on　　the　authoress：　〃She　has　mastered　our　language　with　conspicuous　　success；　she　expostulates　as　easily　as　she　reproaches；　and　she　　exhibits　as　much　facility　in　barbing　shafts　of　satire　as　in　framing　　specious　excuses　for　daring　acts　of　diplomacy。〃　　It　insists　on　the　　high　esteem　felt　for　her　by　both　the　Russian　and　Austrian　　governments；　telling　with　much　humour　an　anecdote　of　Count　Beust；　　the　Prime　Minister　of　Austria　during　her　residence　in　Vienna。　　The　　Count；　after　meeting　her　at　a　dinner　party　at　the　Turkish　Embassy；　　composed　a　set　of　verses　in　her　honour；　and　gave　them　to　her；　but　　she　forgot　to　mention　them　to　her　brother…in…law。　　The　Prime　　Minister；　encountering　the　latter；　asked　his　opinion　of　the　verses；　　and　the　ambassador　was　greatly　amazed　at　knowing　nothing　of　the　　matter。　（23）　　From　amenities　towards　the　authoress；　the　article　　passes　abruptly　to　hostile　criticism　of　the　book；　declares　it　to　be　　proscribed　in　Russia　as　mischievous；　and　to　have　precipitated　a　　general　war　by　keeping　up　English　interest　in　Servian　rebellion。　　　It　sneers　in　doubtful　taste　at　the　lady's　learning：


〃sit　non　doctissima　conjux；　Sit　nox　cum　somno；　sit　sine　lite　dies；〃


denounces　the　Slavs　as　incapable　of　being　welded　into　a　nation；　　urging　that　their　independence　must　destroy　Austria…Hungary；　a　　consummation　desired　by　Madame　Novikoff；　with　her　feline　contempt　　for　〃poor　dear　Austria；〃　but　which　all　must　unite　to　prevent　if　　they　would　avert　a　European　war。

How　could　one　clear　harp；　men　asked　themselves　as　they　read；　have　　produced　so　diverse　tones？　　The　riddle　is　solved　when　we