biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第7节

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〃　　None　of　the　later　volumes；　though　highly　　prized　as　battle　narratives；　quite　came　up　to　these。　　The　political　　and　military　conclusions　drawn　provoked　no　small　bitterness；　his　　cousin；　Mrs。　Serjeant　Kinglake；　used　to　say　that　she　met　sometimes　　with　almost　affronting　coldness　in　society　at　the　time；　under　the　　impression　that　she　was　A。　W。　Kinglake's　wife。　　Russians　were；　　perhaps　unfairly；　dissatisfied。　　Todleben；　who　knew　and　loved　　Kinglake　well；　pronounced　the　book　a　charming　romance；　not　a　　history　of　the　war。　　Individuals　were　aggrieved　by　its　notice　of　　themselves　or　of　their　regiments；　statesmen　chafed　under　the　　scientific　analysis　of　their　characters；　or　at　the　publication　of　　official　letters　which　they　had　intended　but　not　required　to　be　　looked　upon　as　confidential；　and　which　the　recipients　had　in　all　　innocence　communicated　to　the　historian。　　Palmerstonians；　accepting　　with　their　chief　the　Man　of　December；　were　furious　at　the　exposure　　of　his　basenesses。　　Lucas　in　〃The　Times〃　pronounced　the　work　　perverse　and　mischievous；　the　〃Westminster　Review〃　branded　it　as　　reactionary。　　〃The　Quarterly；〃　in　an　article　ascribed　to　A。　H。　　Layard；　condemned　its　style　as　laboured　and　artificial；　as　palling　　from　the　sustained　pomp　and　glitter　of　the　language；　as　wearisome　　from　the　constant　strain　after　minute　dissection；　declaring　it　　further　to　be　〃in　every　sense　of　the　word　a　mischievous　book。〃　　　〃Blackwood；〃　less　unfriendly；　surrendered　itself　to　the　beauty　of　　the　writing；　〃satire　so　studied；　so　polished；　so　remorseless；　and　　withal　so　diabolically　entertaining；　that　we　know　not　where　in　　modern　literature　to　seek　such　another　philippic。〃

Reeve；　editor　of　the　〃Edinburgh；〃　wished　Lord　Clarendon　to　attack　　the　book；　he　refused；　but　offered　help；　and　the　resulting　article　　was　due　to　the　collaboration　of　the　pair。　　It　caused　a　prolonged　　coolness　between　Reeve　and　Kinglake；　who　at　last　ended　the　quarrel　　by　a　characteristic　letter：　〃I　observed　yesterday　that　my　malice；　　founded　perhaps　upon　a　couple　of　words；　and　now　of　three　years'　　duration；　had　not　engendered　corresponding　anger　in　you；　and　if　my　　impression　was　a　right　one；　I　trust　we　may　meet　for　the　future　on　　our　old　terms。〃

On　the　other　hand；　the　〃Saturday　Review；〃　then　at　the　height　of　its　　repute　and　influence；　vindicated　in　a　powerful　article　Kinglake's　　truth　and　fairness；　and　a　pamphlet　by　Hayward；　called　〃Mr。　Kinglake　　and　the　Quarterlies；〃　amused　society　by　its　furious　onslaught　upon　　the　hostile　periodicals；　laid　bare　their　animus；　and　exposed　their　　misstatements。　　〃If　you　rise　in　this　tone；〃　he　began；　in　words　of　　Lord　Ellenborough　when　Attorney…General；　〃I　can　speak　as　loudly　and　　emphatically：　I　shall　prosecute　the　case　with　all　the　liberality　of　　a　gentleman；　but　no　tone　or　manner　shall　put　me　down。〃　　And　the　　dissentient　voices　were　drowned　in　the　general　chorus　of　　admiration。　　German　eulogy　was　extravagant；　French　Republicanism　　was　overjoyed；　Englishmen；　at　home　and　abroad；　read　eagerly　for　the　　first　time　in　close　and　vivid　sequence　events　which；　when　spread　　over　thirty　months　of　daily　newspapers；　few　had　the　patience　to　　follow；　none　the　qualifications　to　condense。　　Macaulay　tells　us　　that　soon　after　the　appearance　of　his　own　first　volumes；　a　Mr。　　Crump　from　America　offered　him　five　hundred　dollars　if　he　would　　introduce　the　name　of　Crump　into　his　history。　　An　English　gentleman　　and　lady；　from　one　of　our　most　distant　colonies；　wrote　to　Kinglake　　a　jointly　signed　pathetic　letter；　intreating　him　to　cite　in　his　　pages　the　name　of　their　only　son；　who　had　fallen　in　the　Crimea。　　He　　at　once　consented；　and　asked　for　particulars　…　manner；　time；　place　　…　of　the　young　man's　death。　　The　parents　replied　that　they　need　not　　trouble　him　with　details；　these　should　be　left　to　the　historian's　　kind　inventiveness：　whatever　he　might　please　to　say　in　　embellishment　of　their　young　hero's　end　they　would　gratefully　　accept。

Unlike　most　authors；　from　Moliere　down　to　Dickens；　he　never　read　　aloud　to　friends　any　portion　of　the　unpublished　manuscript；　never；　　except　to　closest　intimates；　spoke　of　the　book；　or　tolerated　　inquiry　about　it　from　others。　　When　asked　as　to　the　progress　of　a　　volume　he　had　in　hand；　he　used　to　say；　〃That　is　really　a　matter　on　　which　it　is　quite　out　of　my　power　even　to　inform　myself〃；　and　I　　remember　how　once　at　a　well…selected　dinner…party　in　the　country；　　whither　he　came　in　good　spirits　and　inclined　to　talk　his　best；　a　　second…hand　criticism　on　his　book　by　a　conceited　parson；　the　　official　and　incongruous　element　in　the　group；　stiffened　him　into　　persistent　silence。　　All　England　laughed；　when　Blackwood's　　〃Memoirs〃　saw　the　light；　over　his　polite　repulse　of　the　kindly　　officious　publisher；　who　wished；　after　his　fashion；　to　criticise　　and　finger　and　suggest。　　〃I　am　almost　alarmed；　as　it　were；　at　the　　notion　of　receiving　suggestions。　　I　feel　that　hints　from　you　might　　be　so　valuable　and　so　important；　it　might　be　madness　to　ask　you　　beforehand　to　abstain　from　giving　me　any；　but　I　am　anxious　for　you　　to　know　what　the　dangers　in　the　way　of　long　delay　might　be；　the　　result　of　even　a　few　slight　and　possibly　most　useful　suggestions。　。　　。　。　You　will　perhaps　（after　what　I　have　said）　think　it　best　not　to　　set　my　mind　running　in　a　new　path；　lest　I　should　take　to　re…　writing。〃　　Note；　by　the　way；　the　slovenliness　of　this　epistle；　as　　coming　from　so　great　a　master　of　style；　that　defect　characterizes　　all　his　correspondence。　　He　wrote　for　the　Press　〃with　all　his　　singing　robes　about　him〃；　his　letters　were　unrevised　and　brief。　　　Mrs。　Simpson；　in　her　pleasant　〃Memories；〃　ascribes　to　him　the　　ELOQUENCE　DU　BILLET　in　a　supreme　degree。　　I　must　confess　that　of　　more　than　five　hundred　letters　from　his　pen　which　I　have　seen　only　　six　cover　more　than　a　single　sheet　of　note…paper；　all　are　alike　　careless　and　unstudied　in　style；　though　often　in　matter　　characteristic　and　informing。　　〃I　am　not　by　nature；〃　he　would　say；　　〃a　letter…writer；　and　habitually　think　of　the　uncertainty　as　to　who　　may　be　the　reader　of　anything　that　I　write。　　It　is　my　fate；　as　a　　writer　of　history；　to　have　before　me　letters　never　intended　for　my　　eyes；　and　this　has　aggravated　my　foible；　and　makes　me　a　wretched　　correspondent。　　I　should　like　very　much　to　write　letters　gracefully　　and　easily；　but　I　can't；　because　it　is　contrary　to　my　nature。〃　　〃I　　have　got；〃　he　writes　so　early　as　1873；　〃to　shrink　from　the　use　of　　the　pen；　to　ask　me　to　write　letters　is　like　asking　a　lame　man　to　　walk；　it　is　not；　as　horse…dealers　say；　'the　nature　of　the　beast。'　　　When　others　TALK　to　me　charmingly；　my　answers　are　short；　faltering；　　incoherent　sentences；　so　it　is　with　my　writing。〃　　〃You；〃　he　says　to　　another　lady　correspondent；　〃have　the　pleasant　faculty　of　easy；　　pleasant　letter…writing；　in　which　I　am　wholly　deficient。〃

In　fact；　the　claims　of　his　Crimean　book；　which　compelled　him　　latterly　to　refuse　all　other　literary　work；　gave　little　time　for　　correspondence。　　Its　successive　revisions　formed　his　daily　task　　until　illness　struck　him　down。　　Sacks　of　Crimean　notes；　labelled　　through　some　fantastic　whim　with　female　Christian　names　…　the　Helen　　bag；　the　Adelaide　bag；　etc。　…　were　ranged　round　his　room。　　His　　working　library　was　very　small　in　bulk；　his　habit　being　to　cut　out　　from　any　book　the　pages　which　would　be　serviceable；　and　to　fling　　the　rest　away。　　So；　we　are　told；　the　first　Napoleon；　binding　　volumes　for　his　travelling　library；　shore　their　margins　to　the　　quick；　and　removed　all　prefaces；　　title…pages；　and　other　　superfluous　leaves。　　So；　too；　Edward　Fitzgerald　used　to　tear　out　of　　his　books　all　that　in　his　judgment　fell　below　their　authors'　　highest　standard；　retaining　for　his　own　delectation　only　the　　quintessential　remnants。　　Vols。　III。　and　IV。　appeared　in　1868；　V。　　in　1875；　VI。　in　1880；　VII。　and　VIII。　in　1887；　while　a　Cabinet　　Edition　of　the　whole　in　nine　volumes　was　issued　continuously　from　　1870　to　1887。　　Our　attempt　to　appreciate　the　book　shall　be　reserved　　for　another　chapter。



CHAPTER　IV　…　〃THE　INVASION　OF　THE　CRIMEA〃



WAS　the　history　of　the　Crimean　War　worth　writing？　　Not　as　a　　magnified　newspaper　report；　…　that　had　been　already　done　…　but　as　a　　permanent　work　of　art　from　the　pen　of　a　great　literary　expert？　　　Very　many　of　us；　I　think；　after　the　lapse　of　fifty　years；　feel　　compelled　to　say　that　it　was　not。　　The　struggle　represented　no　　great　principles；　begot　no　far…reaching　consequences。　　It　was　not　　inspired　by　the　〃holy　glee〃　with　which　in　Wordsworth's　sonnet　　Liberty　fights　against　a　tyrant；　but　by　the　faltering　boldness；　the　　drifting；　purposeless　unresolve　of　statesmen　who　did　not　desire　it；　　and　by　the　irrational　violence　of　a　Press　which　did　not　understand　　it。　　It　was　not　a　necessary　war；　its　avowed　object　would　have　been　　attained　within　a　few　weeks　or　months　by　bloodless　European　　concert。　　It　was　not　a　glorious　war；　crippled　by　an　incompatible　　alliance　and　governed　by　the　Evil　Genius　who　had　initiated　it　for　　personal　and　sordid　ends；　it　brought　discredit　on　baffled　generals　　in　the　field；　on　Crown；　Cabinet；　populace；　at　home。　　It　was　not　a　　fruitful　war；　the　detailed　results　purchased　by　its　squandered　life　　and　treasure　lapsed　in　swift　succession　during　twenty　sequent　　years；　until　the　la