william ewart gladstone-第8章

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Extraordinary　ingenuity　is　shown　in　piling　up　a　lofty　fabric；　but
the　foundation　is　of　sand；　and　the　edifice　has　hardly　a　solid　wall
or　beam　in　it。　　A　clever　conjecture　is　treated　as　a　fact；　an
inference　possible　but　represented　as　probable　is　drawn　from　this
conjecture；　a　second　inference　is　based　upon　the　first；　we　are　made
to　forget　that　the　probability　of　this　second　is　at　most　only　half
the　probability　of　the　first；　the　process　is　continued　in　the　same
way；　and　when　the　whole　superstructure　is　complete；　the　reader　is
provoked　to　perceive　how　much　dialectical　skill　has　been　wasted　upon
a　series　of　hypotheses　which　a　breath　of　common…sense　criticism
dissipates。　　If　one　is　asked　to　explain　the　weakness　in　this
particular　department　of　so　otherwise　strong　a　mind；　the　answer
would　seem　to　be　that　the　element　of　fancifulness　in　Mr。　Gladstone's
intellect；　and　his　tendency　to　mistake　mere　argumentation　for
verification；　were　checked　in　practical　politics　by　constant
intercourse　with　friends　and　colleagues　as　well　as　by　the　need　of
convincing　visible　audiences；　while　in　theological　or　historical
inquiries　his　ingenuity　roamed　with　a　dangerous　freedom　over　wide
plains　where　no　obstacles　checked　its　course。　　Something　may　also　be
due　to　the　fact　that　his　philosophical　and　historical　education　was
received　at　a　time　when　the　modern　critical　spirit　and　the　canons　it
recognizes　had　scarcely　begun　to　assert　themselves　at　Oxford。
Similar　defects　may　be　discerned　in　other　eminent　writers　of　his　own
and　preceding　generations　of　Oxford　men；　defects　which　persons　of
equal　or　even　inferior　power　in　later　generations　would　not　display。
In　some　of　these；　and　particularly　in　Cardinal　Newman；　the　contrast
between　dialectical　acumen；　coupled　with　surpassing　rhetorical
skill；　and　the　vitiation　of　the　argument　by　a　want　of　the　critical
faculty；　is　even　more　striking　than　in　Mr。　Gladstone's　case；　and　the
example　of　that　illustrious　man　suggests　that　the　dominance　of　the
theological　view　of　literary　and　historical　problems；　a　dominance
evident　in　Mr。　Gladstone；　counts　for　something　in　producing　the
phenomenon　noted。

With　these　deficiencies；　Mr。　Gladstone's　Homeric　work　had　the　great
merit　of　being　based　on　a　full　and　thorough　knowledge　of　the　Homeric
text。　　He　had　seen　that　Homer　is　not　only　a　poet；　but　an　〃historical
source〃　of　the　highest　value；　a　treasure…house　of　data　for　the　study
of　early　Greek　life　and　thought；　an　authority　all　the　more
trustworthy　because　an　unconscious　authority；　addressing　not
posterity　but　his　own　contemporaries。　　With　this　thorough　knowledge
of　the　matter　contained　in　the　poems；　Mr。　Gladstone　was　able　to
present　many　interesting　and　permanently　valuable　pictures　of　the
political　and　social　life　of　Homeric　Greece；　while　the　interspersed
literary　criticisms　are　often　subtle　and　suggestive；　erring；　when
they　do　err；　chiefly　through　what　may　be　called　the　over…earnestness
of　his　mind。　　He　sometimes　takes　the　poet　too　seriously；　he　is　apt
to　read　an　ethical　purpose　into　descriptive　or　dramatic　touches
which　are　merely　descriptive　or　dramatic。　　But　he　has　for　his　author
not　only　that　intense　sympathy　which　is　the　best　basis　for
criticism；　but　a　real　justness　of　poetic　taste　which　the　learned　and
painstaking　German　commentator　frequently　wants。　　That　he　was　a
sound　and　accurate　scholar　in　that　somewhat　narrow　sense　of　the　word
which　denotes　a　grammatical　and　literary　mastery　of　Greek　and　Latin；
goes　without　saying。　　Men　of　his　generation　were　more　apt　to　keep　up
their　familiarity　with　the　ancient　classics　than　is　the　present
generation；　and　his　habit　of　reading　Greek　for　the　sake　of　his
Homeric　studies；　and　Latin　for　the　sake　of　his　theological；　made
this　familiarity　more　than　usually　thorough。　　Like　most　Etonians；　he
loved　and　knew　the　poets　by　preference。　　Theology　claimed　a　place
beside　poetry；　history　came　next；　and　was　always　a　favorite　branch
of　study。　　It　seemed　odd　that　the　constitutional　history　of　England
was　by　no　means　one　of　his　strong　subjects；　but　the　fact　is　that
this　was　preeminently　a　Whig　subject；　and　Mr。　Gladstone　never　was　a
Whig；　never　learned　to　think　upon　the　lines　of　the　great　Whigs　of
former　days。　　His　knowledge　was　not；　perhaps；　very　wide；　but　it　was
generally　exact；　indeed；　the　accuracy　with　which　he　grasped　facts
that　belonged　to　the　realm　of　history　proper　was　sometimes　in
strange　contrast　to　the　fanciful　way　in　which　he　reasoned　from　them；
or　to　the　wildness　of　his　conjectures　in　the　prehistoric　region。
For　metaphysics　strictly　so　called　he　had　apparently　little　turn
his　reading　did　not　go　far　beyond　those　companions　of　his　youth；
Aristotle　and　Bishop　Butler；　and　philosophical　speculation
interested　him　only　so　far　as　it　bore　on　Christian　doctrine。
Neither；　in　spite　of　his　eminence　as　a　financier　and　an　advocate　of
free　trade；　did　he　show　much　taste　for　economic　studies。　　On
practical　topics；　such　as　the　working　of　protective　tariffs；　the
abuse　of　charitable　endowments；　the　development　of　fruit…culture　in
England；　the　duty　of　liberal　giving　by　the　rich；　the　utility　of
thrift　among　the　poor；　his　remarks　were　always　full　of　point；
clearness；　and　good　sense；　but　he　seldom　launched　out　into　the　wider
sea　of　economic　theory。　　He　must　have　possessed　mathematical　talent；
for　he　took　a　first　class　in　mathematics　at　Oxford；　at　the　same　time
as　his　first　in　classics；　but　it　was　a　subject　he　soon　dropped。
Regarding　the　sciences　of　nature；　the　sciences　of　experiment　and
observation；　he　seemed　to　feel　as　little　curiosity　as　any　educated
man　who　notes　the　enormous　part　they　play　in　the　modern　world　can
feel。　　Sayings　of　his　have　been　quoted　which　show　that　he
imperfectly　comprehended　the　character　of　the　evidence　they　rely
upon　and　of　the　methods　they　employ。　　On　one　occasion　he　astonished
a　dinner…table　of　younger　friends　by　refusing　to　accept　some　of　the
most　certain　conclusions　of　modern　geology。　　No　doubt　he　belonged
（as　the　famous　Lord　Derby　once　said　of　himself）　to　a　pre…scientific
age；　still；　it　was　hard　to　avoid　thinking　that　he　was　unconsciously
influenced　by　a　belief　that　such　sciences　as　geology　and　biology；
for　instance；　were　being　worked　in　a　sense　hostile　to　revealed
religion；　and　were　therefore　influences　threatening　the　moral
welfare　of　mankind。



CHAPTER　VIII：　　RELIGIOUS　CHARACTER



Of　all　the　things　with　which　men　are　concerned；　religion　was　that
which　had　the　strongest　hold　upon　his　thoughts　and　feelings。　　He　had
desired；　when　quitting　the　university；　to　become　a　clergyman；　and　it
was　only　his　father's　opposition　that　made　him　abandon　the　idea。
Never　thereafter　did　he　cease　to　take　the　warmest　and　most　constant
interest　in　all　the　ecclesiastical　controversies　that　distracted　the
Established　Church。　　He　was　turned　out　of　his　seat　for　Oxford
University　by　the　country　clergy；　who　form　the　bulk　of　the　voters。
He　incurred　the　bitter　displeasure　of　four　fifths　of　the　Anglican
communion　by　disestablishing　the　Protestant　Episcopal　Church　in
Ireland；　and　from　1868　to　the　end　of　his　life　found　nearly　all　the
clerical　force　of　the　English　establishment　arrayed　against　him；
while　his　warmest　support　came　from　the　Nonconformists　of　England
and　the　Presbyterians　of　Scotland。　　Yet　nothing　affected　his
devotion　to　the　church　in　which　he　had　been　brought　up；　nor　to　the
body　of　Anglo…Catholic　doctrine　he　had　imbibed　as　an　undergraduate。
After　an　attack　of　influenza　which　had　left　him　very　weak　in　the
spring　of　1891；　he　endangered　his　life　by　attending　a　meeting　on
behalf　of　the　Colonial　Bishoprics　Fund；　for　which　he　had　spoken
fifty　years　before。　　His　theological　opinions　tinged　his　views　upon
not　a　few　political　subjects。　　They　filled　him　with　dislike　of　the
legalization　of　marriage　with　a　deceased　wife's　sister；　they　made
him　a　vehement　opponent　of　the　bill　which　established　the　English
Divorce　Court　in　1857；　and　a　watchfully　hostile　critic　of　all
divorce　legislation　in　America　afterward。　　Some　of　his　friends
traced　to　the　same　cause　his　low　estimate　of　German　literature　and
even　his　political　aversion　to　the　German　Empire。　　He　could　not
forget　that　Germany　had　been　the　fountain　of　rationalism；　while
German　Evangelical　Protestantism　was　more　schismatic　and　further
removed　from　the　medieval　church　than　it　pleased　him　to　deem　the
Church　of　England　to　be。　　He　had　an　exceedingly　high　sense　of　the
duty　of　purity　of　life　and　of　the　sanctity　of　domestic　relations；
and　his　rigid　ideas　of　decorum　inspired　so　much　awe　that　it　used　to
be　said　to　a　person　who　had　told　an　anecdote　with　ever　so　slight　a
tinge　of　impropriety；　〃How　many　thousands　of　pounds　would　you　take
to　tell　that　to　Gladstone？〃　　When　living　in　the　country；　it　was　his
constant　practice　to　attend　daily　morning　service　in　the　parish
church；　and　on　Sunday　to　read　in　it　the　lessons　for　the　day；　nor　did
he　ever　through　his　long　career　transgress　his　rule　against　Sunday
labor。

Religious　feeling；　coupled　with　a　system　of　firm　dogmatic　beliefs；
was　the　mainspring　of　his　whole　career；　a　guiding　light　in
perplexities；　a　source　of　strength　in　adverse　fortune；　a　consolation
in　sorrow；　a　beacon　of　hope　beyond　the　disappointments　and
shortcomings　of　life。　　He　did　not　make　what　is　commonly　called　a
profession　of　religion；　and　talked　little　about　it　in　general
society；　though　always　ready　to　plunge　into　a　magazine　controversy
when　Christianity　was　assailed。　　But　those　who　knew　him　well　knew
that　he　was　always　referring　current　questions　to；　and　trying　his
own　conduct　by；　a　religious　standard。　　He　was　a　remarkable　example
of　the　coexistence　together　with　a　Christian　virtue　of　a　quality
which　theologians　treat　as　a　sin。　　He　was　an　exceedingly　proud　man；
yet　an　exceedingly　humble　Christian。　　With　a　high　regard　for　his　own
dignity　and　a　keen　sensitiveness　to　any　imputation　on　his　honor；　he
was　deeply　conscious　of　his　imperfections　in　the　eye　of　God；
realizing　the　sinfulness　and　feebleness　of　human　nature　with　a
medieval　intensity。　　The　language　of　self…depreciation　he　was　wont
to　use；　though　people　often　thought　it　unreal；　was　the　genuine
expression　of　his　sense　of　the　contrast　between　the　religious　ideal
he　set　up　and　his　own　attainment。　　And　the　tolerance　which　he
extended　to　those　who　attacked　him　or　who　had　（as　he　thought）
behaved　ill　in　public　life　was　largely　due　to　this　pervading　sense
of　the　frailty　of　human　character；　and　of　the　inextricable　mixture
in　conduct　of　good　and　bad　motives。　　〃It　is　always　best　to　take　the
charitable　view；〃　he　once　observed　in　passing　through　the　division
lobby；　when　a　friend　had　quoted　to　him　the　saying　of　Dean　Church
that　Mark　Pattison　had　painted　himself　too　black　in　his
autobiography〃always　best；　especially　in　politics。〃

This　indulgent　view；　which　seemed　to　develop　in　his　later　years；　was
the　more　remarkable　because　his　feelings　were　strong　and　his
expressions　sometimes　too　vehement。　　There　was　nothing　in　it　of　the
cynical　〃man　of　the　world〃　acceptance　of　a　low　standard　as　the　only
possible　standard；　for　his　moral　earnestness　was　as　fervent　at
eighty…eight　as　it　had　been　at　thirty。　　Although　eminently
accessible　and　open　in　the　ordinary　converse　of　society；　he　was　in
reali