william ewart gladstone-第4章

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secured　nearly　all　of　the　points　he　cared　for；　and；　while　sparing
the　dignity　of　the　Lords；　steered　his　bill　triumphantly　out　of　the
breakers　which　had　threatened　to　engulf　it。　　Very　different　was　his
ordinary　demeanor　in　debate　when　he　was　off　his　guard。　　Observers
have　often　described　how　his　face　and　gestures　while　he　sat　in　the
House　of　Commons　listening　to　an　opponent　would　express　all　the
emotions　that　crossed　his　mind；　with　what　eagerness　he　would　follow
every　sentence；　sometimes　contradicting　half　aloud；　sometimes
turning　to　his　next　neighbor　to　express　his　displeasure　at　the
groundless　allegations　or　fallacious　arguments　he　was　listening　to；
till　at　last　he　would　spring　to　his　feet　and　deliver　a　passionate
reply。　　His　warmth　would　often　be　in　excess　of　what　the　occasion
required；　and　quite　disproportioned　to　the　importance　of　his
antagonist。　　It　was　in　fact　the　unimportance　of　the　occasion　that
made　him　thus　yield　to　his　feeling。　　As　soon　as　he　saw　that　bad
weather　was　coming；　and　that　careful　seamanship　was　wanted；　his
coolness　returned；　his　language　became　guarded　and　careful；　and
passion；　though　it　might　increase　the　force　of　his　oratory；　never
made　him　deviate　a　hand's　breadth　from　the　course　he　had　chosen。



CHAPTER　IV：　　ORATOR



Of　that　oratory；　something　must　now　be　said。　　By　it　he　rose　to　fame
and　power；　as；　indeed；　by　it　most　English　statesmen　have　risen；　save
those　to　whom　wealth　and　rank　and　family　connections　have　given　a
sort　of　presumptive　claim　to　high　office；　like　the　Cavendishes　and
the　Russells；　the　Cecils　and　the　Bentincks。　　And　for　many　years；
during　which　Mr。　Gladstone　was　distrusted　as　a　statesman　because；
while　he　had　ceased　to　be　a　Tory；　he　had　not　fully　become　a　Liberal；
his　eloquence　was　the　main；　one　might　almost　say　the　sole；　source　of
his　influence。　　Oratory　was　a　power　in　English　politics　even　a
century　and　a　half　ago；　as　the　career　of　the　elder　Pitt　shows。　　But
within　the　last　fifty　years；　years　which　have　seen　the　power　of　rank
and　family　connections　decline；　it　has　continued　to　be　essential　to
the　highest　success　although　much　less　cultivated　as　a　fine　art；　and
brings　a　man　quickly　to　the　front；　though　it　will　not　keep　him　there
should　he　prove　to　want　the　other　branches　of　statesmanlike
capacity。

The　permanent　reputation　of　an　orator　depends　upon　two　things；　the
witness　of　contemporaries　to　the　impression　produced　upon　them；　and
the　written　or　printedwe　may；　perhaps；　be　soon　able　to　say　the
phonographedrecord　of　his　speeches。　　Few　are　the　famous　speakers
who　would　be　famous　if　they　were　tried　by　this　latter　test　alone；
and　Mr。　Gladstone　was　not　one　of　them。　　It　is　only　by　a　rare
combination　of　gifts　that　one　who　speaks　with　so　much　readiness；
force；　and　brilliance　as　to　charm　his　listeners　is　also　able　to
deliver　such　valuable　thoughts　in　such　choice　words　that　posterity
will　read　them　as　literature。　　Some　few　of　the　ancient　orators　did
this；　but　we　seldom　know　how　far　those　of　their　speeches　which　have
been　preserved　are　the　speeches　which　they　actually　delivered。
Among　moderns；　some　French　preachers；　Edmund　Burke；　Macaulay；　and
Daniel　Webster　are　perhaps　the　only　speakers　whose　discourses　have
passed　into　classics　and　find　new　generations　of　readers。　　Twenty
years　hence　Mr。　Gladstone's　will　not　be　read；　except；　of　course；　by
historians。　　They　are　too　long；　too　diffuse；　too　minute　in　their
handling　of　details；　too　elaborately　qualified　in　their　enunciation
of　general　principles。　　They　contain　few　epigrams　and　few　of　those
weighty　thoughts　put　into　telling　phrases　which　the　Greeks　called
＇Greek　text＇。

The　style；　in　short；　is　not　sufficiently　rich　or　finished　to　give　a
perpetual　interest　to　matters　whose　practical　importance　has
vanished。　　The　same　oblivion　has　overtaken　all　but　a　very　few　of　the
best　things　of　Grattan；　Pitt；　Canning；　Plunket；　Brougham；　Peel；
Bright。　　It　may；　indeed；　be　saidand　the　examples　of　Burke　and
Macaulay　show　that　this　is　no　paradoxthat　the　speakers　whom
posterity　most　enjoys　are　rarely　those　who　most　affected　the
audiences　that　listened　to　them。

If；　on　the　other　hand；　Mr。　Gladstone　be　judged　by　the　impression　he
made　on　his　own　time；　his　place　will　be　high　in　the　front　rank。　　His
speeches　were　neither　so　concisely　telling　as　Mr。　Bright's　nor　so
finished　in　diction；　but　no　other　man　among　his　contemporaries
neither　Lord　Derby　nor　Mr。　Lowe　nor　Mr。　Disraeli　nor　Bishop
Wilberforce　nor　Bishop　Mageedeserved　comparison　with　him。　　And　he
rose　superior　to　Mr。　Bright　himself　in　readiness；　in　variety　of
knowledge；　in　persuasive　ingenuity。　　Mr。　Bright　required　time　for
preparation；　and　was　always　more　successful　in　alarming　his
adversaries　and　stimulating　his　friends　than　in　either　instructing
or　convincing　anybody。　　Mr。　Gladstone　could　do　all　these　four
things；　and　could　do　them　at　an　hour's　notice；　so　vast　and　well
ordered　was　the　arsenal　of　his　mind。

His　oratory　had　many　conspicuous　merits。　　There　was　a　lively
imagination；　which　enabled　him　to　relieve　even　dull　matter　by
pleasing　figures；　together　with　a　large　command　of　quotations　and
illustrations。　　There　were　remarkable　powers　of　sarcasmpowers；
however；　which　he　rarely　used；　preferring　the　summer　lightning　of
banter　to　the　thunderbolt　of　invective。　　There　was　admirable
lucidity　and　accuracy　in　exposition。　　There　was　great　skill　in　the
disposition　and　marshaling　of　his　arguments；　and　finallya　gift　now
almost　lost　in　Englandthere　was　a　wonderful　variety　and　grace　of
appropriate　gesture。　　But　above　and　beyond　everything　else　which
enthralled　the　listener；　there　were　four　qualities；　two　specially
conspicuous　in　the　substance　of　his　eloquenceinventiveness　and
elevation；　two　not　less　remarkable　in　his　mannerforce　in　the
delivery；　expressive　modulation　in　the　voice。

Of　the　swift　resourcefulness　of　his　mind；　something　has　been　said
already。　　In　debate　it　shone　out　with　the　strongest　ray。　　His
readiness；　not　only　at　catching　a　point；　but　at　making　the　most　of
it　on　a　moment's　notice；　was　amazing。　　Some　one　would　lean　over　the
back　of　the　bench　he　sat　on　and　show　a　paper　or　whisper　a　sentence
to　him。　　Apprehending　its　bearings　at　a　glance；　he　would　take　the
bare　fact　and　so　shape　and　develop　it；　like　a　potter　molding　a　bowl
on　the　wheel　out　of　a　lump　of　clay；　that　it　grew　into　a　cogent
argument　or　a　happy　illustration　under　the　eye　of　the　audience；　and
seemed　all　the　more　telling　because　it　had　not　been　originally　a
part　of　his　case。　　Even　in　the　last　two　years　of　his　parliamentary
life；　when　his　sight　had　so　failed　that　he　read　nothing；　printed　or
written；　except　what　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　read；　and　when
his　deafness　had　so　increased　that　he　did　not　hear　half　of　what　was
said　in　debate；　it　was　sufficient　for　a　colleague　to　whisper　a　few
words　to　him；　explaining　how　the　matter　at　issue　stood；　and　he　would
rise　to　his　feet　and　extemporize　a　long　and　ingenious　argument；　or
perhaps　retreat　with　dexterous　grace　from　a　position　which　the
course　of　the　discussion　or　the　private　warning　of　the　〃whips〃　had
shown　to　be　untenable。　　No　one　ever　saw　him　at　a　loss　either　to　meet
a　new　point　raised　by　an　adversary　or　to　make　the　most　of　an
unexpected　incident。　　Sometimes　he　would　amuse　himself　by　drawing　a
cheer　or　a　contradiction　from　his　opponents；　and　would　then　suddenly
turn　round　and　use　this　hasty　expression　of　their　opinion　as　the
basis　for　a　fresh　argument　of　his　own。　　In　this　particular　kind　of
debating　power；　for　the　display　of　which　the　House　of　Commonsan
assembly　of　moderate　size；　which　knows　all　its　leading　figures
familiarlyis　an　apt　theater；　he　has　been　seldom　rivaled　and　never
surpassed。　　Its　only　weakness　sprang　from　its　superabundance。　　He
was　sometimes　so　intent　on　refuting　the　particular　adversaries
opposed　to　him；　and　persuading　the　particular　audience　before　him；
that　he　forgot　to　address　his　reasonings　to　the　public　beyond　the
House；　and　make　them　equally　applicable　and　equally　convincing　to
the　readers　of　next　morning。

As　dignity　is　one　of　the　rarest　qualities　in　literature；　so
elevation　is　one　of　the　rarest　in　oratory。　　It　is　a　quality　easier
to　feel　than　to　describe　or　analyze。　　We　may　call　it　a　power　of
ennobling　ordinary　things　by　showing　their　relation　to　great　things；
of　pouring　high　emotions　round　them；　of　bringing　the　worthier
motives　of　human　conduct　to　bear　upon　them；　of　touching　them　with
the　light　of　poetry。　　Ambitious　writers　and　speakers　incessantly
strain　after　effects　of　this　kind；　but　they　are　effects　which　study
and　straining　do　not　enable　a　man　to　attain。　　Vainly　do　most　of　us
flap　our　wings　in　the　effort　to　soar；　if　we　rise　from　the　ground　it
is　because　some　unusually　strong　or　deep　burst　of　feeling　makes　us
for　the　moment　better　than　ourselves。　　In　Mr。　Gladstone　the　capacity
for　feeling　was　at　all　times　so　strong；　the　susceptibility　of　the
imagination　so　keen；　that　he　soared　without　effort。　　His　vision
seemed　to　take　in　the　whole　landscape。　　The　points　actually　in
question　might　be　small；　but　the　principles　involved　were　to　him
far…reaching。　　The　contests　of　to…day　seemed　to　interest　him　because
their　effect　would　be　felt　in　a　still　distant　future。　　There　are
rhetoricians　skilful　in　playing　by　words　and　manner　on　every　chord
of　human　nature；　rhetoricians　who　move　you　indeed；　and　may　even
carry　you　away　for　the　moment；　but　whose　sincerity　you　nevertheless
doubt；　because　the　sense　of　spontaneity　is　lacking。　　Mr。　Gladstone
was　not　of　these。　　He　never　seemed　to　be　forcing　an　effect　or
assuming　a　sentiment。　　To　listen　to　him　was　to　feel　convinced　of　his
own　conviction　and　of　the　reality　of　the　warmth　with　which　he
expressed　it。　　Nor　was　this　due　to　the　perfection　of　his　rhetorical
art。　　He　really　did　feel　what　he　expressed。　　Sometimes；　of　course；
like　all　statesmen；　he　had　to　maintain　a　cause　whose　weakness　he
knew；　as；　for　instance；　when　it　became　necessary　to　defend　the
blunder　of　a　colleague。　　But　even　in　such　cases　he　did　not　simulate
feeling；　but　reserved　his　earnestness　for　those　parts　of　the　case　on
which　it　could　be　honestly　expended。　　As　this　was　true　of　the
imaginative　and　emotional　side　of　his　eloquence　altogether；　so　was
it　especially　true　of　his　unequaled　power　of　lifting　a　subject　from
the　level　on　which　other　speakers　had　treated　it　into　the　purer　air
of　permanent　principle；　perhaps　even　of　moral　sublimity。

The　note　of　genuineness　and　spontaneity　which　marked　the　substance
of　his　speeches　was　no　less　conspicuous　in　their　delivery。　　Nothing
could　be　more　easy　and　graceful　than　his　manner　on　ordinary
occasions。　　His　expository　discourses；　such　as　those　with　which　he
introduced　a　complicated　bill　or　unfolded　a　financial　statement；
were　models　of　their　kind；　not　only　for　lucidity；　but　for　the
pleasant　smoothness；　equally　free　from　monotony　and　from　abruptness；
with　which　the　stream　of　speech　flowed　from　his　lips。　　The　task　was
performed　so　well　that　people　thought　it　an　easy　task　till　they　saw
how　immeasurably　inferior　were　the　performances　of　two　subsequent
chancellors　of　the　exchequer　so　able　in　their　respective　ways　as　Mr。
Lowe　and　Mr。　Goschen。　　But　when　an　occasion　arrived　which　quickened
men's　pulses；　a