Others abide4 our question, thou art free—
so do we address the Navy. For, although it baffles curiosity and ends by eliminating it, it is only to substitute faith. We do not take for granted all the things that we cannot understand: sometimes, indeed, we deny them; but we are satisfied to take for granted the Navy. We know that it is there. Where "there" is we may have no notion; by "there" we mean probably everywhere. The Navy is not only there, the Navy is everywhere, and therefore all's well. That is our simple creed5.
A further cause for this quiet and unusual acceptivity is to be found in the medium in which the Navy works—the sea itself. The sea has ever been a barrier to investigation6, and the Navy and the sea are one. Public opinion is land-made, and landsmen have neither time nor inclination7 to cope with the riddles8 of the ocean, which to most of us is vague and inimical, the home of risks and discomforts9 which it is wiser to avoid. Well content to consider her, from a safe distance, as a Sphinx, we are very happy that to others has fallen the perilous10 lot of patrolling her and very full of gratitude11 for their courage and success.
If the Army, on the contrary, is so much under the microscope, it is largely because it has few or no mysteries. We know the rules. Armies are made up of men like ourselves (only better). They advance as we do, by putting one foot before another, on the solid earth. Their movements are followable, even if we cannot always understand them; daily bulletins are printed in the public Press. But the Navy keeps its secrets. Not only have we no notion where it is, but we should be little the wiser as to its inner purposes if, scanning the illimitable and capricious waves, it should be our fortune to descry12 here and there a flotilla of its dark grey hulls13. Even in harbour most men pointing out a cruiser to their children say "That's a dreadnought"—a state of confusion bred and fostered by the strange, dark, dangerous element in which the Navy has its being.
So much for the causes of our odd willingness to forego one of the chief privileges of British birthright, which is to criticise14, even to belittling15, all that is ours. But there is justification16, too, as the state of the sea to-day testifies. Thanks to the Navy there is at this moment hardly an enemy ship at large on the surface of the waters. The Kaiser's darling ironclads are idle as painted ships upon a painted ocean: not even an ocean, a canal. Our troops in millions have crossed to the Continent. We have enough to eat.
By what wonders of efficiency and discipline, machinery17 and co-ordination, this result has been brought about we neither know nor are concerned to enquire18. Enough that it is. But when it comes to personnel, curiosity is legitimate19; and this collection of portraits and brief biographies has been prepared in the belief that very many of those whose lives have been rendered secure by these efforts of the Navy would like to see what manner of men are in control of our safeguards. This is the heyday20 of the picture, and here are the pictures of our leading sailors—the commanders who stand between us and the foe21 and keep the foe at bay.
Charles Lamb (who was less of a sea-dog even than most men) confessed in old age that he once sat to an artist friend for the portraits of sixteen British Admirals. Mr. Dodd (even could a sitter of such notable companionableness be now found) would have forced himself to dispense22 with the fun of using him, for verisimilitude's sake, because all these heads have been drawn23 from life and are reproduced as nearly as possible in the colours of life. Looking over the forty and more Naval24 heroes whom he has limned25, one is struck by a generic26 likeness27 which is deeper than such superficial similarity as the service beard can confer. Most of the Admirals look like Admirals—and is there a better thing to be? Certainly there is no better word. Not only have their ability and courage and character united to lift them to high position and authority; but here, again, we discern the subtle and penetrating28 influence of the sea, a mistress who will allow no relaxation29 of vigilance or toil30, so swiftly and dangerously changeable can she be. Hence the keen eyes, the level gaze, of all who would understand and cope with her, and noticeably of all this gallant31 company.
In the present work the emphasis is laid rather upon the illustrations than the letterpress. It is a gallery of portraits rather than a series of biographies such as "The Lives of the British Admirals," which was written by Dr. John Campbell, and, with periodical additions, so long held the field. The time for such biographies happily is not yet. But when it comes may there be some victories (already, of course, there are three or four) to record as decisive and as noble as those in Campbell's volumes!
E. V. LUCAS.
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1
admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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2
inquisitive
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adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的 | |
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3
sonnet
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n.十四行诗 | |
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abide
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vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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creed
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n.信条;信念,纲领 | |
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investigation
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n.调查,调查研究 | |
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7
inclination
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n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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riddles
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n.谜(语)( riddle的名词复数 );猜不透的难题,难解之谜 | |
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9
discomforts
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n.不舒适( discomfort的名词复数 );不愉快,苦恼 | |
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10
perilous
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adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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11
gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 | |
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12
descry
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v.远远看到;发现;责备 | |
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13
hulls
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船体( hull的名词复数 ); 船身; 外壳; 豆荚 | |
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14
criticise
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v.批评,评论;非难 | |
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15
belittling
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使显得微小,轻视,贬低( belittle的现在分词 ) | |
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16
justification
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n.正当的理由;辩解的理由 | |
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machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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18
enquire
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v.打听,询问;调查,查问 | |
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19
legitimate
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adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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20
heyday
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n.全盛时期,青春期 | |
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21
foe
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n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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22
dispense
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vt.分配,分发;配(药),发(药);实施 | |
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23
drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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24
naval
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adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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limned
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v.画( limn的过去式和过去分词 );勾画;描写;描述 | |
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generic
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adj.一般的,普通的,共有的 | |
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likeness
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n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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28
penetrating
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adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的 | |
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29
relaxation
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n.松弛,放松;休息;消遣;娱乐 | |
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30
toil
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vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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gallant
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adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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