biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第4节

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ird；　and　〃eagle　eye　of　Jove〃　in　the　following　　sentence　was　replaced　by　〃dread　Commoter　of　our　globe。〃　　The　phrase　　〃a　natural　Chiffney…bit〃　（p。　109）；　I　have　found　unintelligible　to…　day　through　lapse　of　time　even　to　professional　equestrians　and　　stable…keepers。　　Samuel　Chiffney；　a　famous　rider　and　trainer；　was　　born　in　1753；　and　won　the　Derby　on　Skyscraper　in　1789。　　He　managed　　the　Prince　of　Wales's　stud；　was　the　subject　of　discreditable　　insinuations；　and　was　called　before　the　Jockey　Club。　　Nothing　was　　proved　against　him；　but　in　consequence　of　the　FRACAS　the　Prince　　severed　his　connection　with　the　Club　and　sold　his　horses。　　Chiffney　　invented　a　bit　named　after　him；　a　curb　with　two　snaffles；　which　　gave　a　stronger　bearing　on　the　sides　of　a　horse's　mouth。　　His　rule　　in　racing　was　to　keep　a　slack　rein　and　to　ride　a　waiting　race；　not　　calling　on　his　horse　till　near　the　end。　　His　son　Samuel；　who　　followed　him；　observed　the　same　plan；　from　its　frequent　success　the　　term　〃Chiffney　rush〃　became　proverbial。　　In　his　ride　through　the　　desert　（p。　169）　Kinglake　speaks　of　his　〃native　bells　…　the　innocent　　bells　of　Marlen；　that　never　before　sent　forth　their　music　beyond　　the　Blaygon　hills。〃　　Marlen　bells　is　the　local　name　for　the　fine　　peal　of　St。　Mary　Magdalen；　Taunton。　　The　Blaygon；　more　commonly　　called　the　Blagdon　Hills；　run　parallel　with　the　Quantocks；　and　　between　them　lies　the　fertile　Vale　of　Taunton　Deane。　　〃Damascus；〃　　he　says；　on　p。　245；　〃was　safer　than　Oxford〃；　and　adds　a　note　on　Mr。　　Everett's　degree　which　requires　correction。　　It　is　true　that　an　　attempt　was　made　to　NON…PLACET　Mr。　Everett's　honorary　degree　in　the　　Oxford　Theatre　in　1843　on　the　ground　of　his　being　a　Unitarian；　not　　true　that　it　succeeded。　　It　was　a　conspiracy　by　the　young　lions　of　　the　Newmania；　who　had　organized　a　formidable　opposition　to　the　　degree；　and　would　have　created　a　painful　scene　even　if　defeated。　　　But　the　Proctor　of　that　year；　Jelf；　happened　to　be　the　most…hated　　official　of　the　century；　and　the　furious　groans　of　undergraduate　　displeasure　at　his　presence；　continuing　unabated　for　three…quarters　　of　an　hour；　compelled　Wynter；　the　Vice…Chancellor；　to　break　up　the　　Assembly；　without　recitation　of　the　prizes；　but　not　without　　conferring　the　degrees　in　dumb　show：　unconscious　Mr。　Everett　　smilingly　took　his　place　in　red　gown　among　the　Doctors；　the　Vice…　Chancellor　asserting　afterwards；　what　was　true　in　the　letter　though　　not　in　the　spirit；　that　he　did　not　hear　the　NON…PLACETS。　　So　while　　Everett　was　obnoxious　to　the　Puseyites；　Jelf　was　obnoxious　to　the　　undergraduates；　the　cannonade　of　the　angry　youngsters　drowned　the　　odium　of　the　theological　malcontents；　in　the　words　of　Bombastes：


〃Another　lion　gave　another　roar；　And　the　first　lion　thought　the　last　a　bore。〃


The　popularity　of　〃Eothen〃　is　a　paradox：　it　fascinates　by　violating　　all　the　rules　which　convention　assigns　to　viatic　narrative。　　It　　traverses　the　most　affecting　regions　of　the　world；　and　describes　no　　one　of　them：　the　Troad　…　and　we　get　only　his　childish　raptures　over　　Pope's　〃Homer's　Iliad〃；　Stamboul　…　and　he　recounts　the　murderous　　services　rendered　by　the　Golden　Horn　to　the　Assassin　whose　SERAIL；　　palace；　council　chamber；　it　washes；　Cairo　…　but　the　Plague　shuts　　out　all　other　thoughts；　Jerusalem　…　but　Pilgrims　have　vulgarized　　the　Holy　Sepulchre　into　a　Bartholomew　Fair。　　He　gives　us　　everywhere；　not　history；　antiquities；　geography；　description；　　statistics；　but　only　KINGLAKE；　only　his　own　sensations；　thoughts；　　experiences。　　We　are　told　not　what　the　desert　looks　like；　but　what　　journeying　in　the　desert　feels　like。　　From　morn　till　eve　you　sit　　aloft　upon　your　voyaging　camel；　the　risen　sun；　still　lenient　on　　your　left；　mounts　vertical　and　dominant；　you　shroud　head　and　face　　in　silk；　your　skin　glows；　shoulders　ache；　Arabs　moan；　and　still　　moves　on　the　sighing　camel　with　his　disjointed　awkward　dual　swing；　　till　the　sun　once　more　descending　touches　you　on　the　right；　your　　veil　is　thrown　aside；　your　tent　is　pitched；　books；　maps；　cloaks；　　toilet　luxuries；　litter　your　spread…out　rugs；　you　feast　on　　scorching　toast　and　〃fragrant〃　（10）　tea；　sleep　sound　and　long；　then　　again　the　tent　is　drawn；　the　comforts　packed；　civilization　retires　　from　the　spot　she　had　for　a　single　night　annexed；　and　the　Genius　of　　the　Desert　stalks　in。

Herein；　in　these　subjective　chatty　confidences；　is　part　of　the　　spell　he　lays　upon　us：　while　we　read　we　are　IN　the　East：　other　　books；　as　Warburton　says；　tell　us　ABOUT　the　East；　this　is　the　East　　itself。　　And　yet　in　his　company　we　are　always　ENGLISHMEN　in　the　　East：　behind　Servian；　Egyptian；　Syrian；　desert　realities；　is　a　　background　of　English　scenery；　faint　and　unobtrusive　yet　persistent　　and　horizoning。　　In　the　Danubian　forest　we　talk　of　past　school…　days。　　The　Balkan　plain　suggests　an　English　park；　its　trees　planted　　as　if　to　shut　out　〃some　infernal　fellow　creature　in　the　shape　of　a　　new…made　squire〃；　Jordan　recalls　the　Thames；　the　Galilean　Lake；　　Windermere；　the　Via　Dolorosa；　Bond　Street；　the　fresh　toast　of　the　　desert　bivouac；　an　Eton　breakfast；　the　hungry　questing　jackals　are　　the　place…hunters　of　Bridgewater　and　Taunton；　the　Damascus　gardens；　　a　neglected　English　manor　from　which　the　〃family〃　has　been　long　　abroad；　in　the　fierce；　dry　desert　air　are　heard　the　〃Marlen〃　bells　　of　home；　calling　to　morning　prayer　the　prim　congregation　in　far…off　　St。　Mary's　parish。　　And　a　not　less　potent　factor　in　the　charm　is　　the　magician's　self　who　wields　it；　shown　through　each　passing　　environment　of　the　narrative；　the　shy；　haughty；　imperious　Solitary；　　〃a　sort　of　Byron　in　the　desert；〃　of　cultured　mind　and　eloquent　　speech；　headstrong　and　not　always　amiable；　hiding　sentiment　with　　cynicism；　yet　therefore　irresistible　all　the　more　when　he　　condescends　to　endear　himself　by　his　confidence。　　He　meets　the　　Plague　and　its　terrors　like　a　gentleman；　but　shows　us；　through　the　　vicarious　torments　of　the　cowering　Levantine　that　it　was　courage　　and　coolness；　not　insensibility；　which　bore　him　through　it。　　A　foe　　to　marriage；　compassionating　Carrigaholt　as　doomed　to　travel　　〃Vetturini…wise；〃　pitying　the　Dead　Sea　goatherd　for　his　ugly　wife；　　revelling　in　the　meek　surrender　of　the　three　young　men　whom　he　sees　　〃led　to　the　altar〃　in　Suez；　he　is　still　the　frank；　susceptible；　　gallant　bachelor；　observantly　and　critically　studious　of　female　　charms：　of　the　magnificent　yet　formidable　Smyrniotes；　eyes；　brow；　　nostrils；　throat；　sweetly　turned　lips；　alarming　in　their　latent　　capacity　for　fierceness；　pride；　passion；　power：　of　the　Moslem　women　　in　Nablous；　〃so　handsome　that　they　could　not　keep　up　their　　yashmaks：〃　of　Cypriote　witchery　in　hair；　shoulder…slope；　　tempestuous　fold　of　robe。　　He　opines　as　he　contemplates　the　plain；　　clumsy　Arab　wives　that　the　fine　things　we　feel　and　say　of　women　　apply　only　to　the　good…looking　and　the　graceful：　his　memory　wanders　　off　ever　and　again　to　the　muslin　sleeves　and　bodices　and　〃sweet　　chemisettes〃　in　distant　England。　　In　hands　sensual　and　vulgar　the　　allusions　might　have　been　coarse；　the　dilatings　unseemly；　but　the　　〃taste　which　is　the　feminine　of　genius；〃　the　self…respecting　　gentleman…like　instinct；　innocent　at　once　and　playful；　keeps　the　　voluptuary　out　of　sight；　teaches；　as　Imogen　taught　Iachimo；　〃the　　wide　difference　'twixt　amorous　and　villainous。〃　　Add　to　all　these　　elements　of　fascination　the　unbroken　luxuriance　of　style；　the　easy　　flow　of　casual　epigram　or　negligent　simile；　…　Greek　holy　days　not　　kept　holy　but　〃kept　stupid〃；　the　mule　who　〃forgot　that　his　rider　　was　a　saint　and　remembered　that　he　was　a　tailor〃；　the　pilgrims　　〃transacting　their　salvation〃　at　the　Holy　Sepulchre；　the　　frightened；　wavering　guard　at　Satalieh；　not　shrinking　back　or　　running　away；　but　〃looking　as　if　the　pack　were　being　shuffled；〃　　each　man　desirous　to　change　places　with　his　neighbour；　the　white　　man's　unresisting　hand　〃passed　round　like　a　claret　jug〃　by　the　　hospitable　Arabs；　the　travellers　dripping　from　a　Balkan　storm　　compared　to　〃men　turned　back　by　the　Humane　Society　as　being　　incurably　drowned。〃　　Sometimes　he　breaks　into　a　canter；　as　in　the　　first　experience　of　a　Moslem　city；　the　rapturous　escape　from　　respectability　and　civilization；　the　apostrophe　to　the　Stamboul　　sea；　the　glimpse　of　the　Mysian　Olympus；　the　burial　of　the　poor　dead　　Greek；　the　Janus　view　of　Orient　and　Occident　from　the　Lebanon　　watershed；　the　pathetic　terror　of　Bedouins　and　camels　on　entering　a　　walled　city；　until；　once　more　in　the　saddle；　and　winding　through　　the　Taurus　defiles；　he　saddens　us　by　a　first　discordant　note；　the　　note　of　sorrow　that　the　entrancing　tale　is　at　an　end。

Old　times　return　to　me　as　I　handle　the　familiar　pages。　　To　the　　schoolboy　six　and　fifty　years　ago　arrives　from　home　a　birthday　　gift；　the　bright　green　volume；　with　its　showy　paintings　of　the　　impaled　robbers　and　the　Jordan　passage；　its　bulky　Tatar；　towering　　high　above　his　scraggy　steed；　impressed　in　shining　gold　upon　its　　cover。　　Read；　borrowed；　handed　round；　it　is　devoured　and　discussed　　with　fifth　form　critical　presumption；　the　adventurous　audacity　　arresting；　the　literary　charm　not　analyzed　but　felt；　the　vivid　　personality　of　the　old　Etonian　winged　with　public　school　　freemasonry。　　Scarcely　in　the　acquired　insight　of　all　the　　intervening　years