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！
Dignities a curious list might be made out of Chancellors ignorant of the
105
… Page 106…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
principles of equity； and First Lords of the Admiralty ignorant of the
principles of navigation； of Colonial ministers who could not repeat the
names of the Colonies； of Lords of the Treasury who did not know the
difference between funded and unfunded debt； and of Secretaries of the
India Board who did not know whether the Mahrattas were Mahometans
or Hindoos。 On these grounds； some persons； incapable of seeing more
than one side of a question； have pronounced parliamentary government a
positive evil； and have maintained that the administration would be greatly
improved if the power； now exercised by a large assembly； were
transferred to a single person。 Men of sense will probably think the
remedy very much worse than the disease； and will be of opinion that
there would be small gain in exchanging Charles Townshend and
Windham for the Prince of the Peace； or the poor slave and dog Steenie。
Pitt was emphatically the man of parliamentary government； the type
of his class； the minion； the child； the spoiled child； of the House of
Commons。 For the House of Commons he had a hereditary； an infantine
love。 Through his whole boyhood； the House of Commons was never out
of his thoughts； or out of the thoughts of his instructors。 Reciting at his
father's knee； reading Thucydides and Cicero into English； analysing the
great Attic speeches on the Embassy and on the Crown； he was constantly
in training for the conflicts of the House of Commons。 He was a
distinguished member of the House of Commons at twenty…one。 The
ability which he had displayed in the House of Commons made him the
most powerful subject in Europe before he was twenty…five。 It would have
been happy for himself and for his country if his elevation had been
deferred。 Eight or ten years； during which he would have had leisure and
opportunity for reading and reflection； for foreign travel； for social
intercourse and free exchange of thought on equal terms with a great
variety of companions； would have supplied what； without any fault on his
part； was wanting to his powerful intellect。 He had all the knowledge that
he could be expected to have； that is to say； all the knowledge that a man
can acquire while he is a student at Cambridge； and all the knowledge that
a man can acquire when he is First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of
the Exchequer。 But the stock of general information which he brought
106
… Page 107…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
from college； extraordinary for a boy； was far inferior to what Fox
possessed； and beggarly when compared with the massy； the splendid； the
various treasures laid up in the large mind of Burke。 After Pitt became
minister； he had no leisure to learn more than was necessary for the
purposes of the day which was passing over him。 What was necessary for
those purposes such a man could learn with little difficulty。 He was
surrounded by experienced and able public servants。 He could at any
moment command their best assistance。 From the stores which they
produced his vigorous mind rapidly collected the materials for a good
parliamentary case； and that was enough。 Legislation and administration
were with him secondary matters。 To the work of framing statutes； of
negotiating treaties； of organising fleets and armies； of sending forth
expeditions； he gave only the leavings of his time and the dregs of his fine
intellect。 The strength and sap of his mind were all drawn in a different
direction。 It was when the House of Commons was to be convinced and
persuaded that he put forth all his powers。
Of those powers we must form our estimate chiefly from tradition； for
of all the eminent speakers of the last age Pitt has suffered most from the
reporters。 Even while he was still living； critics remarked that his
eloquence could not be preserved； that he must be heard to be appreciated。
They more than once applied to him the sentence in which Tacitus
describes the fate of a senator whose rhetoric was admired in the Augustan
age： 〃Haterii canorum illud et profluens cum ipso simul exstinctum est。〃
There is； however； abundant evidence that nature had bestowed on Pitt the
talents of a great orator； and those talents had been developed in a very
peculiar manner； first by his education； and secondly by the high official
position to which he rose early； and in which he passed the greater part of
his public life。
At his first appearance in Parliament he showed himself superior to all
his contemporaries in command of language。 He could pour forth a long
succession of round and stately periods； without premeditation； without
ever pausing for a word； without ever repeating a word； in a voice of silver
clearness； and with a pronunciation so articulate that not a letter was
slurred over。 He had less amplitude of mind and less richness of
107
… Page 108…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
imagination than Burke； less ingenuity than Windham； less wit than
Sheridan； less perfect mastery of dialectical fence； and less of that highest
sort of eloquence which consists of reason and passion fused together；
than Fox。 Yet the almost unanimous judgment of those who were in the
habit of listening to that remarkable race of men placed Pitt； as a speaker；
above Burke； above Windham； above Sheridan； and not below Fox。 His
declamation was copious； polished； and splendid。 In power of sarcasm he
was probably not surpassed by any speaker； ancient or modern； and of this
formidable weapon he made merciless use。 In two parts of the oratorical
art which are of the highest value to a minister of state he was singularly
expert。 No man knew better how to be luminous or how to be obscure。
When he wished to be understood； he never failed to make himself
understood。 He could with ease present to his audience； not perhaps an
exact or profound； but a clear； popular； and plausible view of the most
extensive and complicated subject。 Nothing was out of place； nothing was
forgotten； minute details； dates； sums of money； were all faithfully
preserved in his memory。 Even intricate questions of finance； when
explained by him； seemed clear to the plainest man among his hearers。 On
the other hand； when he did not wish to be explicit；and no man who is at
the head of affairs always wishes to be explicit；he had a marvellous
power of saying nothing in language which left on his audience the
impression that he had said a great deal。 He was at once the only man who
could open a budget without notes； and the only man who； as Windham
said； could speak that most elaborately evasive and unmeaning of human
compositions； a King's speech； without premeditation。
The effect of oratory will always to a great extent depend on the
character of the orator。 There perhaps never were two speakers whose
eloquence had more of what may be called the race； more of the flavour
imparted by moral qualities； than Fox and Pitt。 The speeches of Fox owe a
great part of their charm to that warmth and softness of heart； that
sympathy with human suffering； that admiration for everything great and
beautiful； and that hatred of cruelty and injustice； which interest and
delight us even in the most defective reports。 No person； on the other hand；
could hear Pitt without perceiving him to be a man of high； intrepid； and
108
… Page 109…