登陆注册
4705400000052

第52章

(December 1831)

Some Memorials of John Hampden, his Party, and his Times. By LORD NUGENT. Two vols. 8vo. London: 1831.

We have read this book with great pleasure, though not exactly with that kind of pleasure which we had expected. We had hoped that Lord Nugent would have been able to collect, from family papers and local traditions, much new and interesting information respecting the life and character of the renowned leader of the Long Parliament, the first of those great English commoners whose plain addition of Mister has, to our ears, a more majestic sound than the proudest of the feudal titles. In this hope we have been disappointed; but assuredly not from any want of zeal or diligence on the part of the noble biographer. Even at Hampden, there are, it seems, no important papers relating to the most illustrious proprietor of that ancient domain. The most valuable memorials of him which still exist, belong to the family of his friend Sir John Eliot. Lord Eliot has furnished the portrait which is engraved for this work, together with some very interesting letters. The portrait is undoubtedly an original, and probably the only original now in existence. The intellectual forehead, the mild penetration of the eye, and the inflexible resolution expressed by the lines of the mouth, sufficiently guarantee the likeness. We shall probably make some extracts from the letters. They contain almost all the new information that Lord Nugent has been able to procure respecting the private pursuits of the great man whose memory he worships with an enthusiastic, but not extravagant veneration.

The public life of Hampden is surrounded by no obscurity. His history, more particularly from the year 1640 to his death, is the history of England. These Memoirs must be considered as Memoirs of the history of England; and, as such, they well deserve to be attentively perused. They contain some curious facts which, to us at least, are new, much spirited narrative, many judicious remarks, and much eloquent declamation.

We are not sure that even the want of information respecting the private character of Hampden is not in itself a circumstance as strikingly characteristic as any which the most minute chronicler, O'Meara, Mrs. Thrale, or Boswell himself, ever recorded concerning their heroes. The celebrated Puritan leader is an almost solitary instance of a great man who neither sought nor shunned greatness, who found glory only because glory lay in the plain path of duty. During more than forty years he was known to his country neighbours as a gentleman of cultivated mind, of high principles, of polished address, happy in his family, and active in the discharge of local duties; and to political men as an honest, industrious, and sensible member of Parliament, not eager to display his talents, stanch to his party and attentive to the interests of his constituents. A great and terrible crisis came. A direct attack was made by an arbitrary government on a sacred right of Englishmen, on a right which was the chief security for all their other rights. The nation looked round for a defender. Calmly and unostentatiously the plain Buckinghamshire Esquire placed himself at the head of his countrymen, and right before the face and across the path of tyranny. The times grew darker and more troubled. Public service, perilous, arduous, delicate, was required, and to every service the intellect and the courage of this wonderful man were found fully equal. He became a debater of the first order, a most dexterous manager of the House of Commons, a negotiator, a soldier. He governed a fierce and turbulent assembly, abounding in able men, as easily as he had governed his family. He showed himself as competent to direct a campaign as to conduct the business of the petty sessions. We can scarcely express the admiration which we feel for a mind so great, and, at the same time, so healthful and so well proportioned, so willingly contracting itself to the humblest duties, so easily expanding itself to the highest, so contented in repose, so powerful in action. Almost every part of this virtuous and blameless life which is not hidden from us in modest privacy is a precious and splendid portion of our national history. Had the private conduct of Hampden afforded the slightest pretence for censure, he would have been assailed by the same blind malevolence which, in defiance of the clearest proofs, still continues to call Sir John Eliot an assassin. Had there been even any weak part in the character of Hampden, had his manners been in any respect open to ridicule, we may be sure that no mercy would have been shown to him by the writers of Charles's faction. Those writers have carefully preserved every little circumstance which could tend to make their opponents odious or contemptible. They have made themselves merry with the cant of injudicious zealots. They have told us that Pym broke down in speech, that Ireton had his nose pulled by Hollis, that the Earl of Northumberland cudgelled Henry Martin, that St.

同类推荐
  • 新唐书

    新唐书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 盛世危言

    盛世危言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 迦叶仙人说医女人经

    迦叶仙人说医女人经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • John Bull on the Guadalquivir

    John Bull on the Guadalquivir

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 途次大梁雪中奉天平

    途次大梁雪中奉天平

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 立世繁华之本妃无常

    立世繁华之本妃无常

    据说韩府二小姐是个无才无能的大奇葩,性子懦弱无比,有爹生没爹疼?某公主斜眼瞅着窝在某王爷怀里吃葡萄的韩洛隐。奇葩倒是真的,无才无能谁说的!名满京城的红衣姑娘知道是谁吗?韩洛隐!懦弱无比谁说的?知道灭了明芜国的是谁吗?韩洛隐!有爹生没爹疼?某公主看了眼坐在那里两眼放光的韩老爷子,心里无限哀叹,传闻不可信啊!一朝穿越,却碰上了上一世杀死自己的凶手?韩洛隐简直想拍手叫好。本想报完仇后就出去潇洒快活,却没料到,在自己还未来到这个世界的时候,就被大国师盯上了。算计,暗杀,随着身份一层一层被剥开,所牵扯的,也越来越多……
  • 重生八零之华彩人生

    重生八零之华彩人生

    前世她忘却了他,嫁人生子,后弃生离世,竟想起了那个狠心的男人!得机缘重生,今世她不要再有遗憾,愿亲人和睦,共创辉煌!那个军哥哥,你给我站住!你今生我要跟着你,哪怕再次面对生死!我也绝不放手!……文案无能,原谅宝妈吧(?????)
  • 一场游戏一场梦(珍藏一生的经典散文)

    一场游戏一场梦(珍藏一生的经典散文)

    本书包括跳动的涟漪,岁月如诗,爱在心灵深处,真爱无疆,温馨的亲情,爱的世界,生命中的那些感动。
  • 朱颜浅

    朱颜浅

    命运多舛的女主安颜浅,受尽了世事人心的折磨,死在了孤苦无依的寂寂秋夜里。命运嘲弄,人心不古,在生命的终结,她终于看清了这世界上的冷漠,阴冷与邪恶。重生一世,她带着往生的回忆与仇恨醒来。那些本以为刻骨铭心的伤痛,随着重生后的光阴流逝,最终变成了前尘一梦,梦醒时分,原来她只是在奈何桥边路过。
  • 喜欢你不止一朝一夕

    喜欢你不止一朝一夕

    “大家好,我叫钟意,我喜欢你的那个钟意。”三年前,钟意突然离开了我的世界,没有留下一句告别。三年后,在大学校园里又突然看到了他,而他,已经成为了我的学长……这是缘分吗?久别重逢的我们,到底还会发生什么样的故事……
  • 精灵之异世界传奇

    精灵之异世界传奇

    这是一个神奇的世界,在这个世界上生活着人类,神奇宝贝和魔兽三个种族。这个世界只有一块巨大无比的陆地,这块大陆被命名为梦缘大陆,大陆中间有一条贯穿了整个大陆的山脉叫十万群山将整个大陆一分为二,东边是人类主导人类和精灵混居的国度;西边则完全是精灵的世界,没有人类能够踏足这片土地;十万群山就完全是魔兽的地盘,并且每年魔兽都会向人类的国度和精灵的领地发起进攻。我们的故事就要从一个名叫步惊雷的少年开始说起。
  • 古龙文集:楚留香新传(1)借尸还魂

    古龙文集:楚留香新传(1)借尸还魂

    面对不可思议的还魂之谜,楚留香如何找回真正的“尸体”,又如何揭露江湖第一杀手组织的真相?
  • Demon殿下是校花

    Demon殿下是校花

    “拿开你的爪子!我对男人没兴趣!”“可我对女人有兴趣~”“流氓!你居然敢非礼我!”“你最好乖乖的,等流氓我回来接着调戏你。”她被人当了替身新娘,害得落荒而逃进了贼窝。本是为了回收五个人的灵魂,却闯入了一群自以为是狂妄自大的痞子世界!好戏连番上场!
  • 重生之无上大帝归来

    重生之无上大帝归来

    等待万年只为与你相见,万年前你不负我,今世我定不负你
  • 梦情若水

    梦情若水

    当江湖遇见朝廷,他们是否能分礼抗庭,一见高低。还是他们都敌不过命运的洪流,被命运牵着走。她可以为了爱人舍弃生命和一切,却战胜不了内心的胆怯与懦弱。一个人在陌生的世界里恐慌不安,习惯了不辞而别,习惯一个人自私地做好所有决定,这样的她是不是太残忍?异世,她将战胜这命运,还是开始对命运俯首称臣。最终是这宿命选择了她?还是她选择了这宿命?我们可以错过世上所有美好的风景,但是不要错过该与爱人相爱的时光。