william ewart gladstone-第3章

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describe　or　comment　on　the　events　of　such　a　life。　　All　that　can　be
done　is　to　indicate　the　more　salient　characteristics　which　a　study
of　his　career　as　a　statesman　and　a　parliamentarian　sets　before　us。

The　most　remarkable　of　these　characteristics　is　the　sustained
freshness；　openness；　eagerness　of　mind；　which　he　preserved　down　to
the　end　of　his　life。　　Most　of　us；　just　as　we　make　few　intimate
friends；　so　we　form　few　new　opinions　after　thirty…five。
Intellectual　curiosity　may　remain　fresh　and　strong　even　after　fifty；
but　its　range　steadily　narrows　as　one　abandons　the　hope　of　attaining
any　thorough　knowledge　of　subjects　other　than　those　which　make　the
main　business　of　one's　life。　　One　cannot　follow　the　progress　of　all
the　new　ideas　that　are　set　afloat　in　the　world。　　One　cannot　be
always　examining　the　foundations　of　one's　political　or　religious
beliefs。　　Repeated　disappointments　and　disillusionments　make　a　man
expect　less　from　changes　the　older　he　grows；　and　mere　indolence　adds
its　influence　in　deterring　us　from　entering　upon　new　enterprises。
None　of　these　causes　seemed　to　affect　Mr。　Gladstone。　　He　was　as　much
excited　over　a　new　book　（such　as　Cardinal　Manning's　Life）　at　eighty…
six　as　when　at　fourteen　he　insisted　on　compelling　little　Arthur
Stanley　（afterward　Dean　of　Westminster；　and　then　aged　nine）　to
procure　Gray's　poems；　which　he　had　just　perused　himself。　　His
reading　covered　almost　the　whole　field　of　literature；　except
physical　and　mathematical　science。　　While　frequently　declaring　that
he　must　confine　his　political　thinking　and　leadership　to　a　few
subjects；　he　was　so　observant　of　the　movements　of　opinion　that　the
course　of　talk　brought　up　scarcely　any　topic　in　which　he　did　not
seem　to　know　what　was　the　latest　thing　that　had　been　said　or　done。
Neither　the　lassitude　nor　the　prejudices　common　in　old　age　prevented
him　from　giving　a　fair　consideration　to　any　new　doctrines。　　But
though　his　intellect　was　restlessly　at　work；　and　though　his　eager
curiosity　disposed　him　to　relish　novelties；　except　in　theology；　that
bottom　rock　in　his　mind　of　caution　and　reserve；　which　has　already
been　referred　to；　made　him　refuse　to　part　with　old　views　even　when
he　was　beginning　to　accept　new　ones。　　He　allowed　both　to　〃lie　on　the
table〃　together；　and　while　declaring　his　mind　to　be　open　to
conviction；　he　felt　it　safer　to　speak　and　act　on　the　old　lines　till
the　process　of　conviction　had　been　completed。　　It　took　fourteen
years；　from　1846　to　1860；　to　carry　him　from　the　Conservative　into
the　Liberal　camp。　　It　took　five　stormy　years　to　bring　him　round　to
Irish　home　rule；　though　his　mind　was　constantly　occupied　with　the
subject　from　1880　to　1885；　and　those　who　watched　him　closely　saw
that　the　process　had　advanced　some　considerable　way　even　in　1881。
And　as　regards　ecclesiastical　establishments；　having　written　a　book
in　1838　as　a　warm　advocate　of　state　churches；　it　was　not　till　1867
that　he　adopted　the　policy　of　disestablishment　for　Ireland；　not　till
1890　that　he　declared　himself　ready　to　apply　it　in　Wales　and
Scotland　also。

Both　these　qualitieshis　disposition　to　revise　his　opinions　in　the
light　of　new　arguments　and　changing　conditions；　and　the　reticence　he
maintained　till　the　process　of　revision　had　been　completedexposed
him　to　misconstruction。　　Commonplace　men；　unwont　to　give　serious
scrutiny　to　their　opinions；　ascribed　his　changes　to　self…interest；
or　at　best　regarded　them　as　the　index　of　an　unstable　mind。　　Dull　men
could　not　understand　why　he　should　have　forborne　to　set　forth　all
that　was　passing　in　his　mind；　and　saw　little　difference　between
reticence　and　dishonesty。　　Much　of　the　suspicion　and　even　fear　with
which　he　was　regarded；　especially　after　1885；　arose　from　the　idea
that　it　was　impossible　to　predict　what　he　would　do　next；　and　how　far
his　openness　of　mind　would　carry　him。　　In　so　far　as　they　tended　to
shake　public　confidence；　these　characteristics　injured　him　in　his
statesman's　work；　but　the　loss　was　far　outweighed　by　the　gain。　　In　a
country　where　opinion　is　active　and　changeful；　where　the　economic
conditions　that　legislation　has　to　deal　with　are　in　a　state　of
perpetual　flux；　where　the　balance　of　power　between　the　upper　and
middle　and　poorer　classes　has　been　swiftly　altering　during　the　last
sixty　years；　no　statesman　can　continue　to　serve　the　public　if　he
adheres　obstinately　to　the　views　with　which　he　started　in　life。　　He
mustunless；　of　course；　he　stands　aloof　in　permanent　opposition
either　submit　to　advocate　measures　he　secretly　mislikes；　or　else
must　keep　himself　always　ready　to　learn　from　events；　and　to
reconsider　his　opinions　in　the　light　of　emergent　tendencies　and
insistent　facts。　　Mr。　Gladstone's　pride　as　well　as　his　conscience
forbade　the　former　alternative；　it　was　fortunate　that　the
inexhaustible　activity　of　his　intellect　made　the　latter　natural　to
him。　　He　was　accustomed　to　say　that　the　great　mistake　of　his　earlier
views　had　been　in　not　sufficiently　recognizing　the　worth　and　power
of　liberty；　and　the　tendency　which　things　have　to　work　out　for　good
when　left　to　themselves。　　The　application　of　this　principle　gave
room　for　many　developments；　and　many　developments　there　were。　　He
may　have　wanted　that　prescience　which　is；　after　integrity；　the
highest　gift　of　a　statesman；　but　which　is　almost　impossible　to　a　man
so　pressed　by　the　constant　and　engrossing　occupations　of　an　English
minister　that　he　cannot　find　time　for　the　patient　study　and　thought
from　which　alone　sound　forecasts　can　issue。　　But　he　had　the　next
best　quality；　that　of　always　learning　from　the　events　which　passed
under　his　eyes。

With　this　singular　openness　and　flexibility　of　mind；　there　went　a
not　less　remarkable　ingenuity　and　resourcefulness。　　His　mind　was
fertile　in　expedients；　and　still　more　fertile　in　reasonings　by　which
to　recommend　the　expedients。　　This　gift　was　often　dangerous；　for　he
was　apt　to　be　carried　away　by　the　dexterity　of　his　own　dialectic；
and　to　think　schemes　substantially　good　in　whose　support　he　could
muster　so　formidable　an　array　of　arguments。　　He　never　seemed　to　be
at　a　loss；　in　public　or　private；　for　a　criticism；　or　for　an　answer
to　the　criticisms　of　others。　　If　his　power　of　adapting　his　own　mind
to　the　minds　of　those　whom　he　had　to　convince　had　been　equal　to　the
skill　and　swiftness　with　which　he　accumulated　a　mass　of　matter
persuasive　to　those　who　looked　at　things　in　his　own　way；　no　one
would　have　exercised　so　complete　a　control　over　the　political
opinion　of　his　time。　　But　his　mind　had　not　this　power　of　adaptation。
It　moved　on　its　own　linespeculiar　lines；　which　were　often
misconceived；　even　by　those　who　sought　to　follow　him　most　loyally。
Thus　it　happened　that　he　was　blamed　for　two　opposite　faults。　　Some；
pointing　to　the　fact　that　he　had　frequently　altered　his　views；
denounced　him　as　a　demagogue　profuse　of　promises；　ready　to　propose
whatever　he　thought　likely　to　catch　the　people's　ear。　　Others
complained　that　there　was　no　knowing　where　to　have　him；　that　he　had
an　erratic　mind；　whose　currents　ran　underground　and　came　to　the
surface　in　unexpected　places；　that　he　did　not　consult　his　party；　but
followed　his　own　predilections；　that　his　guidance　was　unsafe　because
his　decisions　were　unpredictable。　　Both　these　views　were　unfair；　yet
the　latter　came　nearer　to　the　truth　than　the　former。　　No　great
popular　leader　had　in　him　less　of　the　true　ring　of　the　demagogue。
He　saw；　of　course；　that　a　statesman　cannot　oppose　the　popular　will
beyond　a　certain　point；　and　may　have　to　humor　it　in　order　that　he
may　direct　it。　　Now　and　then；　in　his　later　days；　he　so　far　yielded
to　his　party　advisers　as　to　express　his　approval　of　proposals　for
which　he　cared　little　personally。　　But　he　was　too　self…absorbed；　too
eagerly　interested　in　the　ideas　that　suited　his　own　cast　of　thought；
to　be　able　to　watch　and　gage　the　tendencies　of　the　multitude。　　On
several　occasions　he　announced　a　policy　which　startled　people　and
gave　a　new　turn　to　the　course　of　events。　　But　in　none　of　these
instances；　and　certainly　not　in　the　three　most　remarkable；his
declarations　against　the　Irish　church　establishment　in　1868；　against
the　Turks　and　the　traditional　English　policy　of　supporting　them　in
1876；　and　in　fa