the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


at　he　should　be　able　to　draw　his　breath　more　easily　in　a　southern　climate；　and　would　probably　have　set　out　for　Rome　and　Naples；　but　for　his　fear　of　the　expense　of　the　journey。　　That　expense；　indeed；　he　had　the　means　of　defraying；　for　he　had　laid　up　about　two　thousand　pounds；　the　fruit　of　labours　which　had　made　the　fortune　of　several　publishers。　　But　he　was　unwilling　to　break　in　upon　this　hoard；　and　he　seems　to　have　wished　even　to　keep　its　existence　a　secret。　　Some　of　his　friends　hoped　that　the　government　might　be　induced　to　increase　his　pension　to　six　hundred　pounds　a　year：　　but　this　hope　was　disappointed；　and　he　resolved　to　stand　one　English　winter　more。　　That　winter　was　his　last。　　His　legs　grew　weaker；　his　breath　grew　shorter；　the　fatal　water　gathered　fast；　in　spite　of　incisions　which　he；　courageous　against　pain；　but　timid　against　death；　urged　his　surgeons　to　make　deeper　and　deeper。　　Though　the　tender　care　which　had　mitigated　his　sufferings　during　months　of　sickness　at　Streatham　was　withdrawn；　he　was　not　left　desolate。　　The　ablest　physicians　and　surgeons　attended　him；　and　refused　to　accept　fees　from　him。　　Burke　parted　from　him　with　deep　emotion。　　Windham　sate　much　in　the　sick　room；　arranged　the　pillows；　and　sent　his　own　servant　to　watch　a　night　by　the　bed。　　Frances　Burney；　whom　the　old　man　had　cherished　with　fatherly　kindness；　stood　weeping　at　the　door；　while　Langton；　whose　piety　eminently　qualified　him　to　be　an　adviser　and　comforter　at　such　a　time；　received　the　last　pressure　of　his　friend's　hand　within。　　When　at　length　the　moment；　dreaded　through　so　many　years；　came　close；　the　dark　cloud　passed　away　from　Johnson's　mind。　　His　temper　became　unusually　patient　and　gentle；　he　ceased　to　think　with　terror　of　death；　and　of　that　which　lies　beyond　death；　and　he　spoke　much　of　the　mercy　of　God；　and　of　the　propitiation　of　Christ。　　In　this　serene　frame　of　mind　he　died　on　the　13th　of　December　1784。　　He　was　laid；　a　week　later；　in　Westminster　Abbey；　among　the　eminent　men　of　whom　he　had　been　the　historian；Cowley　and　Denham；　Dryden　and　Congreve；　Gay；　Prior；　and　Addison。　Since　his　death　the　popularity　of　his　worksthe　Lives　of　the　Poets；　and；　perhaps；　the　Vanity　of　Human　Wishes；　exceptedhas　greatly　diminished。　　His　Dictionary　has　been　altered　by　editors　till　it　can　scarcely　be　called　his。　　An　allusion　to　his　Rambler　or　his　Idler　is　not　readily　apprehended　in　literary　circles。　　The　fame　even　of　Rasselas　has　grown　somewhat　dim。　　But；　though　the　celebrity　of　the　writings　may　have　declined；　the　celebrity　of　the　writer；　strange　to　say；　is　as　great　as　ever。　　Boswell's　book　has　done　for　him　more　than　the　best　of　his　own　books　could　do。　　The　memory　of　other　authors　is　kept　alive　by　their　works。　　But　the　memory　of　Johnson　keeps　many　of　his　works　alive。　　The　old　philosopher　is　still　among　us　in　the　brown　coat　with　the　metal　buttons　and　the　shirt　which　ought　to　be　at　wash；　blinking；　puffing；　rolling　his　head；　drumming　with　his　fingers；　tearing　his　meat　like　a　tiger；　and　swallowing　his　tea　in　oceans。　　No　human　being　who　has　been　more　than　seventy　years　in　the　grave　is　so　well　known　to　us。　　And　it　is　but　just　to　say　that　our　intimate　acquaintance　with　what　he　would　himself　have　called　the　anfractuosities　of　his　intellect　and　of　his　temper　serves　only　to　strengthen　our　conviction　that　he　was　both　a　great　and　a　good　man。　。。。

WILLIAM　PITT。　（January　1859。）　William　Pitt；　the　second　son　of　William　Pitt；　Earl　of　Chatham；　and　of　Lady　Hester　Granville；　daughter　of　Hester　Countess　Temple；　was　born　on　the　28th　of　May　1759。　　The　child　inherited　a　name　which；　at　the　time　of　his　birth；　was　the　most　illustrious　in　the　civilised　world；　and　was　pronounced　by　every　Englishman　with　pride；　and　by　every　enemy　of　England　with　mingled　admiration　and　terror。　　During　the　first　year　of　his　life；　every　month　had　its　illuminations　and　bonfires；　and　every　wind　brought　some　messenger　charged　with　joyful　tidings　and　hostile　standards。　　In　Westphalia　the　English　infantry　won　a　great　battle　which　arrested　the　armies　of　Louis　the　Fifteenth　in　the　midst　of　a　career　of　conquest；　Boscawen　defeated　one　French　fleet　on　the　coast　of　Portugal；　Hawke　put　to　flight　another　in　the　Bay　of　Biscay；　Johnson　took　Niagara；　Amherst　took　Ticonderoga；　Wolfe　died　by　the　most　enviable　of　deaths　under　the　walls　of　Quebec；　Clive　destroyed　a　Dutch　armament　in　the　Hooghly；　and　established　the　English　supremacy　in　Bengal；　Coote　routed　Lally　at　Wandewash；　and　established　the　English　supremacy　in　the　Carnatic。　　The　nation；　while　loudly　applauding　the　successful　warriors；　considered　them　all；　on　sea　and　on　land；　in　Europe；　in　America；　and　in　Asia；　merely　as　instruments　which　received　their　direction　from　one　superior　mind。　　It　was　the　great　William　Pitt；　the　great　commoner；　who　had　vanquished　French　marshals　in　Germany；　and　French　admirals　on　the　Atlantic；　who　had　conquered　for　his　country　one　great　empire　on　the　frozen　shores　of　Ontario；　and　another　under　the　tropical　sun　near　the　mouths　of　the　Ganges。　　It　was　not　in　the　nature　of　things　that　popularity　such　as　he　at　this　time　enjoyed　should　be　permanent。　　That　popularity　had　lost　its　gloss　before　his　children　were　old　enough　to　understand　that　their　father　was　a　great　man。　　He　was　at　length　placed　in　situations　in　which　neither　his　talents　for　administration　nor　his　talents　for　debate　appeared　to　the　best　advantage。　　The　energy　and　decision　which　had　eminently　fitted　him　for　the　direction　of　war　were　not　needed　in　time　of　peace。　　The　lofty　and　spirit…stirring　eloquence　which　had　made　him　supreme　in　the　House　of　Commons　often　fell　dead　on　the　House　of　Lords。　　A　cruel　malady　racked　his　joints；　and　left　his　joints　only　to　fall　on　his　nerves　and　on　his　brain。　　During　the　closing　years　of　his　life；　he　was　odious　to　the　court；　and　yet　was　not　on　cordial　terms　with　the　great　body　of　the　opposition。　　Chatham　was　only　the　ruin　of　Pitt；　but　an　awful　and　majestic　ruin；　not　to　be　contemplated　by　any　man　of　sense　and　feeling　without　emotions　resembling　those　which　are　excited　by　the　remains　of　the　Parthenon　and　of　the　Coliseum。　　In　one　respect　the　old　statesman　was　eminently　happy。　　Whatever　might　be　the　vicissitudes　of　his　public　life；　he　never　failed　to　find　peace　and　love　by　his　own　hearth。　　He　loved　all　his　children；　and　was　loved　by　them；　and；　of　all　his　children；　the　one　of　whom　he　was　fondest　and　proudest　was　his　second　son。　The　child's　genius　and　ambition　displayed　themselves　with　a　rare　and　almost　unnatural　precocity。　　At　seven；　the　interest　which　he　took　in　grave　subjects；　the　ardour　with　which　he　pursued　his　studies；　and　the　sense　and　vivacity　of　his　remarks　on　books　and　on　events；　amazed　his　parents　and　instructors。　　One　of　his　sayings　of　this　date　was　reported　to　his　mother　by　his　tutor。　　In　August　1766；　when　the　world　was　agitated　by　the　news　that　Mr　Pitt　had　become　Earl　of　Chatham；　little　William　exclaimed；　〃I　am　glad　that　I　am　not　the　eldest　son。　　I　want　to　speak　in　the　House　of　Commons　like　papa。〃　　A　letter　is　extant　in　which　Lady　Chatham；　a　woman　of　considerable　abilities；　remarked　to　her　lord；　that　their　younger　son　at　twelve　had　left　far　behind　him　his　elder　brother；　who　was　fifteen。　　〃The　fineness；〃　she　wrote；　〃of　William's　mind　makes　him　enjoy　with　the　greatest　pleasure　what　would　be　above　the　reach　of　any　other　creature　of　his　small　age。〃　　At　fourteen　the　lad　was　in　intellect　a　man。　　Hayley；　who　met　him　at　Lyme　in　the　summer　of　1773；　was　astonished；　delighted；　and　somewhat　overawed；　by　hearing　wit　and　wisdom　from　so　young　a　mouth。　　The　poet；　indeed；　was　afterwards　sorry　that　his　shyness　had　prevented　him　from　submitting　the　plan　of　an　extensive　literary　work；　which　he　was　then　meditating；　to　the　judgment　of　this　extraordinary　boy。　　The　boy；　indeed；　had　already　written　a　tragedy；　bad　of　course；　but　not　worse　than　the　tragedies　of　his　friend。　　This　piece　is　still　preserved　at　Chevening；　and　is　in　some　respects　highly　curious。　　There　is　no　love。　　The　whole　plot　is　political；　and　it　is　remarkable　that　the　interest；　such　as　it　is；　turns　on　a　contest　about　a　regency。　　On　one　side　is　a　faithful　servant　of　the　Crown；　on　the　other　an　ambitious　and　unprincipled　conspirator。　　At　length　the　King；　who　had　been　missing；　reappears；　resumes　his　power；　and　rewards　the　faithful　defender　of　his　rights。　　A　reader　who　should　judge　only　by　internal　evidence　would　have　no　hesitation　in　pronouncing　that　the　play　was　written　by　some　Pittite　poetaster　at　the　time　of　the　rejoicings　for　the　recovery　of　George　the　Third　in　1789。　The　pleasure　with　which　William's　parents　observed　the　rapid　development　of　his　intellectual　powers　was　alloyed　by　apprehensions　about　his　health。　　He　shot　up　alarmingly　fast；　he　was　often　ill；　and　always　weak；　and　it　was　feared　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　rear　a　stripling　so　tall；　so　slender；　and　so　feeble。　　Port　wine　was　prescribed　by　his　medical　advisers：　　and　it　is　said　that　he　was；　at　fourteen；　accustomed　to　take　this　agreeable　physic　in　quantities　which　would；　in　our　abstemious　age；　be　thought　much　more　than　sufficient　for　any　full…grown　man。　　This　regimen；　though　it　would　probably　have　killed　ninety…nine　boys　out　of　a　hundred；　seems　to　have　been　well　suited　to　the　peculiarities　of　William's　constitution；　for　at　fifteen　he　ceased　to　be　molested　by　disease；　and；