按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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
argument。 But these stately and sonorous hexametershexameters
that seemed to have lived on through nineteen centuries to find
their application from the lips of an orator to…day； the sense of
remoteness in the strange language and the far…off heathen origin；
the deep and moving note in the speaker's voice； thrilled the
imagination of the audience and held it spellbound； lifting for a
moment the whole subject of debate into a region far above party
conflicts。 Spoken by any one else； the passage culminating in these
Lucretian lines might have produced little effect。 It was the voice
and manner； above all the voice； with its marvelous modulations；
that made the speech majestic。
Yet one must not forget to add that with him； as with some other
famous statesmen； the impression made by a speech was in a measure
due to the admiring curiosity and wonder which his personality
inspired。 He was so much the most interesting human being in the
House of Commons that； when he withdrew； many members said that the
place had lost half its attraction for them； and that the chamber
seemed empty because he was not in it。 Plenty of able men remained。
But even the ablest seemed ordinary； perhaps even commonplace； when
compared with the figure that had vanished； a figure in whom were
combined； as in no other man of his time； an unrivaled experience；
an extraordinary activity and versatility of intellect； a fervid
imagination； and an indomitable will。
CHAPTER V： ORIGINALITY AND INDEPENDENCE
Though Mr。 Gladstone's oratory was a main source of his power； both
in Parliament and over the people； the effort of his enemies to
represent him as a mere rhetorician will seem absurd to the
historian who reviews his whole career。 The mere rhetorician adorns
and popularizes the ideas which have originated with others； he
advocates policies which others have devised； he follows and
expresses the sentiments which already prevail in his party。 He may
help to destroy； he does not construct。 Mr。 Gladstone was himself a
source of new ideas and new policies； he evoked new sentiments or
turned sentiments into new channels。 He was a constructive
statesman not less conspicuously than Pitt； Canning； and Peel。 If
the memory of his oratorical triumphs were to pass completely away；
he would deserve to be remembered in respect of the mark he left
upon the British statute…book and of the changes he wrought both in
the constitution of his country and in her European policy。 To
describe the acts he carried would almost be to write the history of
recent British legislation； to pass a judgment upon their merits
would be foreign to the scope of this sketch： it is only to three
remarkable groups of measures that reference can here be made。
The first of these three groups includes the financial reforms
embodied in a series of fourteen budgets between the years 1853 and
1882； the most famous of which were the budgets of 1853 and 1860。
In the former Mr。 Gladstone continued the work begun by Peel by
reducing and simplifying the customs duties。 The deficiency in
revenue thus caused was supplied by the enactment of less oppressive
imposts； and particularly by resettling the income tax； and by the
introduction of a succession duty on real estate。 The preparation
and passing of this very technical and intricate Succession Duty Act
was a most laborious enterprise； of which Mr。 Gladstone used to
speak as the severest mental strain he had ever undergone。
＇Greek text＇
The budget of 1860； among other changes； abolished the paper duty；
an immense service to the press； which excited the hostility of the
House of Lords。 They threw out the measure； but in the following
year Mr。 Gladstone forced them to submit。 His achievements in the
field of finance equal； if they do not surpass； those of Peel； and
are not tarnished； as in the case of Pitt； by the recollection of
burdensome wars。 To no minister can so large a share in promoting
the commercial and industrial prosperity of modern England； and in
the reduction of her national debt； be ascribed。
The second group includes the two great parliamentary reform bills
of 1866 and 1884 and the Redistribution Bill of 1885。 The first of
these was defeated in the House of Commons； but it led to the
passing next year of an even more comprehensive billa bill which；
though passed by Mr。 Disraeli； was to some extent dictated by Mr。
Gladstone； as leader of the opposition。 Of these three statutes
taken together； it may be said that they have turned Britain into a
democratic country； changing the character of her government almost
as profoundly as did the Reform Act of 1832。
The third group consists of a series of Irish measures； beginning
with the Church Disestablishment Act of 1869； and including the Land
Act of 1870； the University Education Bill of 1873 （defeated in the
House of Commons）； the Land Act of 1881； and the home…rule bills of
1886 and 1893。 All these were in a special manner Mr。 Gladstone's
handiwork； prepared as well as brought in and advocated by him。 All
were highly complicated； and of onethe Land Act of 1881； which it
took three months to carry through the House of Commonsit was said
that so great was its intricacy that only three men understood it
Mr。 Gladstone himself； his Attorney…General for Ireland； and Mr。 T。
M。 Healy。 So far from shrinking from； he seemed to revel in； the
toil of mastering an infinitude of technical details。 Yet neither
did he want boldness and largeness of conception。 The Home…Rule
Bill of 1886 was nothing less than a new constitution for Ireland；
and in all but one of its most essential features had been
practically worked out by himself more than four months before it
was presented to Parliament。
Of the other important measures passed while he was prime minister；
two deserve special mention； the Education Act of 1870 and the
Local…Government Act of 1894。 Neither of these； however； was
directly his work； though he took a leading part in piloting the
former through the House of