william ewart gladstone-第1章

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William　Ewart　Gladstone


by　James　Bryce







CHAPTER　I：　　INTRODUCTION



No　man　has　lived　in　our　times　of　whom　it　is　so　hard　to　speak　in　a
concise　and　summary　fashion　as　Mr。　Gladstone。　　For　forty　years　he
was　so　closely　associated　with　the　public　affairs　of　his　country
that　the　record　of　his　parliamentary　life　comes　near　to　being　an
outline　of　English　politics。　　His　activity　spread　itself　out　over
many　fields。　　He　was　the　author　of　several　learned　and　thoughtful
books；　and　of　a　multitude　of　articles　upon　all　sorts　of　subjects。
He　showed　himself　as　eagerly　interested　in　matters　of　classical
scholarship　and　Christian　doctrine　and　ecclesiastical　history　as　in
questions　of　national　finance　and　foreign　policy。　　No　account　of　him
could　be　complete　without　reviewing　his　actions　and　estimating　the
results　of　his　work　in　all　these　directions。　　But　the　difficulty　of
describing　and　judging　him　goes　deeper。　　His　was　a　singularly
complex　nature；　a　character　hard　to　unravel。　　His　individuality　was
extremely　strong；　all　that　he　said　or　did　bore　its　impress。　　Yet　it
was　an　individuality　so　far　from　being　self…consistent　as　sometimes
to　seem　a　bundle　of　opposite　qualities　capriciously　united　in　a
single　person。　　He　might　with　equal　truth　be　called；　and　he　has　been
in　fact　called；　a　conservative　and　a　revolutionary。　　He　was
dangerously　impulsive；　and　had　frequently　to　suffer　from　his
impulsiveness；　yet　he　was　also　not　merely　wary　and　cautious；　but　so
astute　as　to　have　been　accused　of　craft　and　dissimulation。　　So　great
was　his　respect　for　authority　and　tradition　that　he　clung　to　views
regarding　the　unity　of　Homer　and　the　historical　claims　of　Christian
sacerdotalism　which　the　majority　of　competent　specialists　have　now
rejected。　　So　bold　was　he　in　practical　matters　that　he　transformed
the　British　constitution；　changed　the　course　of　English　policy　in
the　Orient；　destroyed　an　established　church　in　one　part　of　the
United　Kingdom；　and　committed　himself　to　the　destruction　of　two
established　churches　in　two　other　parts。　　He　came　near　to　being　a
Roman　Catholic　in　his　religious　opinions；　yet　was　for　twenty　years
the　darling　leader　of　the　English　Protestant　Nonconformists　and　the
Scotch　Presbyterians。　　No　one　who　knew　him　intimately　doubted　his
conscientious　sincerity　and　earnestness；　yet　four　fifths　of　the
English　upper　classes　were　in　his　later　years　wont　to　regard　him　as
a　self…interested　schemer　who　would　sacrifice　his　country　to　his
lust　for　power。　　Though　he　loved　general　principles；　and　often
soared　out　of　the　sight　of　his　audience　when　discussing　them；　he
generally　ended　by　deciding　upon　points　of　detail　the　question　at
issue。　　He　was　at　different　times　of　his　life　the　defender　and　the
assailant　of　the　same　institutions；　yet　he　scarcely　seemed
inconsistent　in　doing　opposite　things；　because　his　method　and　his
arguments　preserved　the　same　type　and　color　throughout。　　Any　one　who
had　at　the　beginning　of　his　career　discerned　in　him　the　capacity　for
such　strange　diversities　and　contradictions　would　probably　have
predicted　that　they　must　wreck　it　by　making　his　purposes　weak　and
his　course　erratic。　　Such　a　prediction　would　have　proved　true　of　any
one　with　less　firmness　of　will　and　less　intensity　of　temper。　　It　was
the　persistent　heat　and　vehemence　of　his　character；　the　sustained
passion　which　he　threw　into　the　pursuit　of　the　object　on　which　he
was　for　the　moment　bent；　that　fused　these　dissimilar　qualities　and
made　them　appear　to　contribute　to　and　to　increase　the　total　force
which　he　exerted。



CHAPTER　II：　　EARLY　INFLUENCES



The　circumstances　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　political　career　help　to
explain；　or；　at　any　rate；　will　furnish　occasion　for　the　attempt　to
explain；　this　complexity　and　variety　of　character。　　But　before　we
come　to　his　manhood　it　is　convenient　to　advert　to　three　conditions
whose　influence　on　him　has　been　profound：　　the　first　his　Scottish
blood；　the　second　his　Oxford　education；　the　third　his　apprenticeship
to　public　life　under　Sir　Robert　Peel。

Theories　of　character　based　on　race　differences　are　dangerous；
because　they　are　so　easy　to　form　and　so　hard　to　test。　　Still；　no　one
denies　that　there　are　qualities　and　tendencies　generally　found　in
the　minds　of　men　of　certain　stocks；　just　as　there　are　peculiarities
in　their　faces　or　in　their　speech。　　Mr。　Gladstone　was　born　and
brought　up　in　Liverpool；　and　always　retained　a　touch　of　Lancashire
accent。　　But；　as　he　was　fond　of　saying；　every　drop　of　blood　in　his
veins　was　Scotch。　　His　father　was　a　Lowland　Scot　from　the
neighborhood　of　Biggar；　in　the　Upper　Ward　of　Lanarkshire；　where　the
old　yeoman's　dwelling　of　Gledstanes〃the　kite's　rock〃may　still　be
seen。　　His　mother　was　of　Highland　extraction；　by　name　Robertson；
from　Dingwall；　in　Ross…shire。　　Thus　he　was　not　only　a　Scot；　but　a
Scot　with　a　strong　infusion　of　the　Celtic　element；　the　element
whence　the　Scotch　derive　most　of　what　distinguishes　them　from　the
English。　　The　Scot　is　more　excitable；　more　easily　brought　to　a　glow
of　passion；　more　apt　to　be　eagerly　absorbed　in　one　thing　at　a　time。
He　is　also　more　fond　of　abstract　intellectual　effort。　　It　is　not
merely　that　the　taste　for　metaphysical　theology　is　commoner　in
Scotland　than　in　England；　but　that　the　Scotch　have　a　stronger　relish
for　general　principles。　　They　like　to　set　out　by　ascertaining　and
defining　such　principles；　and　then　to　pursue　a　series　of　logical
deductions　from　them。　　They　are；　therefore；　somewhat　bolder
reasoners　than　the　English；　less　content　to　remain　in　the　region　of
concrete　facts；　more　eager　to　hasten　on　to　the　process　of　working
out　a　body　of　speculative　doctrines。　　The　Englishman　is　apt　to　plume
himself　on　being　right　in　spite　of　logic；　the　Scotchman　delights　to
think　that　it　is　through　logic　he　has　reached　his　conclusions；　and
that　he　can　by　logic　defend　them。　　These　are　qualities　which　Mr。
Gladstone　drew　from　his　Scottish　blood。　　He　had　a　keen　enjoyment　of
the　processes　of　dialectic。　　He　loved　to　get　hold　of　an　abstract
principle　and　to　derive　all　sorts　of　conclusions　from　it。　　He　was
wont　to　begin　the　discussion　of　a　question　by　laying　down　two　or
three　sweeping　propositions　covering　the　subject　as　a　whole；　and
would　then　proceed　to　draw　from　these　others　which　he　could　apply　to
the　particular　matter　in　hand。　　His　well…stored　memory　and　boundless
ingenuity　made　this　finding　of　such　general　propositions　so　easy　a
task　that　a　method　in　itself　agreeable　sometimes　appeared　to　be
carried　to　excess。　　He　frequently　arrived　at　conclusions　which　the
judgment　of　the　sober　auditor　did　not　approve；　because；　although
they　seemed　to　have　been　legitimately　deduced　from　the　general
principles　just　enunciated；　they　were　somehow　at　variance　with　the
plain　teaching　of　the　facts。　　At　such　moments　one　felt　that　the　man
who　was　charming　but　perplexing　Englishmen　by　his　subtlety　and
ingenuity　was　not　himself　an　Englishman　in　mental　quality；　but　had
the　love　for　abstractions　and　refinements　and　dialectical　analysis
which　characterizes　the　Scotch　intellect。　　He　had　also　a　large
measure　of　that　warmth　and　vehemence；　called　in　the　sixteenth
century　the　perfervidum　ingenium　Scotorum；　which　belong　to　the
Scottish　temperament；　and　particularly　to　the　Celtic　Scot。　　He
kindled　quickly；　and　when　kindled；　he　shot　forth　a　strong　and
brilliant　flame。　　To　any　one　with　less　power　of　self…control　such
intensity　of　emotion　as　he　frequently　showed　would　have　been
dangerous；　nor　did　this　excitability　fail；　even　with　him；　to　prompt
words　and　acts　which　a　cooler　judgment　would　have　disapproved。　　But
it　gave　that　spontaneity　which　was　one　of　the　charms　of　his　nature；
it　produced　that　impression　of　profound　earnestness　and　of
resistless　force　which　raised　him　out　of　the　rank　of　ordinary
statesmen。　　The　tide　of　emotion　swelling　fast　and　full　seemed　to
turn　the　whole　rushing　stream　of　intellectual　effort　into　whatever
channel　lay　at　the　moment　nearest。

With　these　Scottish　qualities；　Mr。　Gladstone　was　brought　up　at
school　and　college　among　Englishmen；　and　received　at　Oxford；　then
lately　awakened　from　a　long　torpor；　a　bias　and　tendency　which　never
thereafter　ceased　to　affect　him。　　The　so…called　〃Oxford　Movement；〃
which　afterward　obtained　the　name　of　Tractarianism　and　carried　Dr。
Newman；　together　with　other　less　famous　leaders；　on　to　Rome；　had　not
yet；　in　1831；　when　Mr。　Gladstone　won　his　degree　with　double　first…
class　honors；　taken　visible　shape；　or　become；　so　to　speak；　conscious
of　its　own　purposes。　　But　its　doctrinal　views；　its　peculiar　vein　of
religious　sentiment；　its　respect　for　antiquity　and　tradition；　its
proneness　to　casuistry；　its　taste　for　symbolism；　were　already　potent
influences　working　on　the　more　susceptible　of　the　younger　minds。　　On
Mr。　Gladstone　they　told　with　full　force。　　He　became；　and　never
ceased　to　be；　not　merely　a　High…churchman；　but　what　may　be　called　an
Anglo…Catholic；　in　his　theology；　deferential　not　only　to
ecclesiastical　tradition；　but　to　the　living　voice　of　the　visible
church；　respecting　the　priesthood　as　the　recipients　（if　duly
ordained）　of　a　special　grace　and　peculiar　powers；　attaching　great
importance　to　the　sacraments；　feeling　himself　nearer　to　the　Church
of　Rome；　despite　what　he　deemed　her　corruptions；　than　to　any　of　the
non…episcopal　Protestant　churches。　　Henceforth　his　interests　in　life
were　as　much　ecclesiastical　as　political。　　For　a　time　he　desired　to
be　ordained　a　clergyman。　　Had　this　wish　been　carried　out；　it　can
scarcely　be　doubted　that　he　would　eventually　have　become　the　leading
figure　in　the　Church　of　England　and　have　sensibly　affected　her
recent　history。　　The　later　stages　in　his　career　drew　him　away　from
the　main　current　of　political　opinion　within　that　church。　　He　who
had　been　the　strongest　advocate　of　established　churches　came　to　be
the　leading　agent　in　the　disestablishment　of　the　Protestant
Episcopal　Church　in　Ireland；　and　a　supporter　of　the　policy　of
disestablishment　in　Scotland　and　in　Wales。　　But　the　color　which
these　Oxford　years　gave　to　his　mind　and　thoughts　was　never
obliterated。　　They　widened　the　range　of　his　interests　and　deepened
his　moral　zeal　and　religious　earnestness。　　But　at　the　same　time　they
confirmed　his　natural　bent　toward　over…subtle　distinctions　and　fine…
drawn　reasonings；　and　they　put　him　somewhat　out　of　sympathy　not　only
with　the　attitude　of　the　average　Englishman；　who　is　essentially　a
Protestant；that　is　to　say；　averse　to　sacerdotalism；　and　suspicious
of　any　other　religious　authority　than　that　of　the　Bible　and　the
individual　conscience；but　also　with　two　of　the　strongest
influences　of　our　time；　the　influence　of　the　sciences　of　nature；　and
the　influence　of　historical　criticism。　　Mr。　Gladstone；　though　too
wise　to　rail　at　science；　as　many　religious　men　did　till　within　the
last　few　years；　could　never　quite　reconcile　himself　either　to　the
conclusions　of　geology　and　zoology　regarding　the　history　of　the
physical　world　and　the　animals　which　inhabit　it；　or　to　the　modern
methods　of　critical　inquiry　as　applied　to　Scripture　and　to　ancient
literature　generally。　　The　training　which　Oxford　then　gave；
stimulating　as　it　was；　and　free　from　the　modern　error　of　over
specialization；　was　defective　in　omitting　th