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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； 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 new