william ewart gladstone-第6章

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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；　and　particularly　when　some　sudden　storm　burst　on　the
House　of　Commons；　a　place　where　the　waves　rise　as　fast　as　in　a
mountain　lake　under　a　squall　rushing　down　a　glen；　the　vehemence　of
his　feeling　found　expression　in　the　fire　of　his　eye　and　the
resistless　strength　of　his　words。　　His　utterance　did　not　grow
swifter；　nor　did　the　key　of　his　voice　rise；　as　passion　raises　and
sharpens　it　in　most　men。　　But　the　measured　force　with　which　every
sentence　was　launched；　like　a　shell　hurtling　through　the　air；　the
concentrated　intensity　of　his　look；　as　he　defied　antagonists　in
front　and　swept　his　glance　over　the　ranks　of　his　supporters　around
and　behind　him；　had　a　startling　and　thrilling　power　which　no　other
Englishman　could　exert；　and　which　no　Englishman　had　exerted　since
the　days　of　Pitt　and　Fox。　　The　whole　proud；　bold；　ardent　nature　of
the　man　seemed　to　flash　out；　and　one　almost　forgot　what　the　lips
said　in　admiration　of　the　towering　personality。

People　who　read　next　day　the　report　in　the　newspapers　of　a　speech
delivered　on　such　an　occasion　could　not　comprehend　the　impression　it
had　made　on　the　listeners。　　〃What　was　there　in　it　so　to　stir　you？〃
they　asked。　　They　had　not　seen　the　glance　and　the　gestures；　they　had
not　heard　the　vibrating　voice　rise　to　an　organ　peal　of　triumph　or
sink　to　a　whisper　of　entreaty。　　Mr。　Gladstone's　voice　was　naturally
one　of　great　richness　and　resonance。　　It　was　a　fine　singing　voice；
and　a　pleasant　voice　to　listen　to　in　conversation；　not　the　less
pleasant　for　having　a　slight　trace　of　Liverpool　accent　clinging　to
it。　　But　what　struck　one　in　listening　to　his　speeches　was　not　so
much　the　quality　of　the　vocal　chords　as　the　skill　with　which　they
were　managed。　　He　had　the　same　gift　of　sympathetic　expression；　of
throwing　his　feeling　into　his　voice；　and　using　its　modulations　to
accompany　and　convey　every　shade　of　meaning；　that　a　great　composer
has　when　he　puts　music　to　a　poem；　or　a　great　executant　when　he
renders　at　once　the　composer's　and　the　poet's　thought。　　And　just　as
great　singers　or　violinists　enjoy　the　practice　of　their　art；　so　it
was　a　delight　to　him　to　put　forth　this　faculty　of　expression
perhaps　an　unconscious；　yet　an　intense　delight；　as　appeared　from
this　also；　that　whenever　his　voice　failed　him　（which　sometimes
befell　in　later　years）　his　words　came　less　easily；　and　even　the
chariot　of　his　argument　seemed　to　drive　heavily。　　That　the　voice
should　so　seldom　have　failed　him　was　wonderful。　　When　he　had　passed
his　seventy…fifth　year；　it　became　sensibly　inferior　in　volume　and
depth　of　tone。　　But　its　strength；　variety；　and　delicacy　remained。
In　April；　1886；　he　being　then　seventy…seven；　it　held　out　during　a
speech　of　nearly　four　hours　in　length。　　In　February；　1890；　it
enabled　him　to　deliver　with　extraordinary　effect　an　eminently　solemn
and　pathetic　appeal。　　In　March；　1895；　those　who　listened　to　it　the
last　time　it　was　heard　in　Parliamentthey　were　comparatively　few；
for　the　secret　of　his　impending　resignation　had　been　well　kept
recognized　in　it　all　the　old　charm。　　But　perhaps　the　most　curious
instance　of　the　power　it　could　exert　is　to　be　found　in　a　speech　made
in　1883；　during　one　of　the　tiresome　debates　occasioned　by　the
refusal　of　the　Tory　party　and　of　some　timorous　Liberals　to　allow　Mr。
Bradlaugh　to　be　sworn　as　a　member　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　This
speech　produced　a　profound　impression　on　those　who　heard　it；　an
impression　which　its　perusal　to…day　fails　to　explain。　　That
impression　was　chiefly　due　to　the　grave　and　reverent　tone　in　which
he　delivered　some　sentences　stating　the　view　that　it　is　not　our
belief　in　the　bare　existence　of　a　Deity；　but　the　realizing　of　him　as
being　also　a　Providence　ruling　the　world；　that　is　of　moral　value　and
significance；　and　was　due　in　particular　to　the　lofty　dignity　with
which　he　declaimed　six　lines　of　Lucretius；　setting　forth　the
Epicurean　view　of　the　gods　as　unconcerned　with　mankind。　　There　were
probably　not　ten　men　in　the　House　of　Commons　who　could　follow　the
sense　of　the　lines　so　as　to　appreciate　their　bearing　on　his
arg