The result of his multifarious and exhausting labors3 was a determination to make a tour of recreation, and not unnaturally4 he decided5 to visit England, a country which to every American of Anglo-Saxon race must possess a first attraction. His second wife, who died but a few weeks since, his daughter, and Mrs. Page, the wife of his brother-in-law, were of the party. His youngest son, Edward, then a Dartmouth student, joined them later.
Mr. Webster’s fame had preceded him, and he received unusual honors. One paper in announcing his arrival said, “We cordially welcome to our shores this great and good man, and accept him as a fit representative of all the great and good qualities of our transatlantic brethren.” So great was the curiosity to see him that the press of carriages about the door of his hotel was almost unprecedented6. He was invited everywhere, and was cordially received by the most prominent men. In fact, he was a “lion,” and that in a marked sense.
Among others he met that eccentric and craggy genius, Thomas Carlyle, and I am sure my readers young and old will like to know what impression the great senator made upon the Scotch7 philosopher.
This is what Carlyle writes:
“American notabilities are daily becoming notable among us, the ties of the two parishes, mother and daughter, getting closer and closer knit. Indissoluble ties!
“I reckon that this huge smoky wen may for some centuries yet be the best Mycale for our Saxon Panionium, a yearly meeting-place of ‘all the Saxons’ from beyond the Atlantic, from the antipodes, or wherever the restless wanderers dwell and toil8. After centuries, if Boston, if New York, have become the most convenient ‘All-Saxondom,’ we will right cheerfully go thither9 to hold such festival and leave the wen.
“Not many days ago I saw at breakfast the notablest of all your notabilities, Daniel Webster. He is a magnificent specimen10. You might say to all the world, ‘This is our Yankee Englishman; such limbs we make in Yankee-land!’ As a logic-fencer, advocate or parliamentary Hercules, one would incline to back him at first sight against the extant world. The tanned complexion11, that amorphous12 crag-like face, the dull black eyes under the precipice13 of brows [I am sure no one ever called Mr. Webster’s eyes dull before or since], like dull anthracite furnaces only waiting to be blown, the mastiff mouth accurately14 closed—I have not traced so much of silent Berseker’s rage that I remember of in any other man. ‘I guess I should not like to be your nigger.’ Webster is not loquacious15, but he is pertinent16, conclusive17, a dignified18, perfectly-bred man, though not English in breeding, a man worthy19 of the best reception among us, and meeting such, I understand.”
In a letter to Mr. Ticknor, John Kenyon indulges in some reminiscences of Mr. Webster, whom he met intimately, having traveled with him and his family party during four days.
“Coleridge used to say that he had seldom known or heard of any great man who had not ‘much of the woman in him.’ Even so, that large intellect of Daniel Webster seemed to be coupled with all softer feelings, and his countenance20 and bearing at the very first impressed me with this.
“All men, without having studied either science, are, we all know, more or less phrenologists and physiognomists. Right or wrong, I had found as I thought much sensibility in Webster’s countenance. A few weeks afterwards I had an opportunity of learning that it was not there only. We were in a hackney coach, driving along the New Road to Baring’s in the City. It was a longish drive, and we had time to get into a train of talk, also we were by that time what I may presume to call ‘intimate.’ I said, ‘Mr. Webster, you once, I believe, had a brother?’ ’Yes,’ he kindly21 said, ‘when I see you and your brother together I often think of him,’ and—I speak the fact as it was—I saw, after a little more talk on the subject of his brother, the tears begin to trickle22 down his cheek till he said to me, ‘I’ll give you an account of my early life,’ and he began with his father, and the farm in New Hampshire, and his own early education, and that of his brother, the details of his courtship and first marriage, and his no property at the time, but of his hopes in his profession and of his success, as he spoke23 showing much emotion. How could one help loving a man at once so powerful and so tender?”
The opinions of those who are themselves eminent24 are of interest. Let us see, therefore, what Hallam, the historian, says of our subject.
“I have had more than one opportunity,” he writes to Mr. Ticknor, “of hearing of you, especially from your very distinguished countryman, Mr. Webster, with whom I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted last summer. It is but an echo of the common voice here to say that I was extremely struck by his appearance, deportment and conversation. Mr. Webster approaches as nearly to the beau ideal of a republican senator as any man that I have ever seen in the course of my life, worthy of Rome, or Venice, rather than of our noisy and wrangling25 generation. I wish that some of our public men here would take example from his grave and prudent26 manner of speaking on political subjects, which seemed to me neither too incautious nor too strikingly reserved.”
It is seldom that a man’s personal appearance is so impressive as that of Daniel Webster, seldom that his greatness is so visibly stamped upon his face and figure. An admirer of Mr. Webster was once shocked by hearing him called “a hum-bug.” “What do you mean?” he demanded angrily. “I mean this,” was the reply, “that no man can possibly be as great as he looks.”
I have said that Mr. Webster was the recipient27 of attentions from all classes, I may add, from the highest in the land. Mr. and Mrs. Webster dined privately28 with Queen Victoria by special invitation, and it is recorded that the young Queen, for she was then young, was much impressed by the majestic29 demeanor30 of the great American. Even the Eton boys, who are wont31 to chaff32 all visitors, forgot their propensity33 in the presence of Mr. Webster. As Mr. Kenyon, already quoted, writes: “Not one look of unseemly curiosity, much less of the quizzing which I had rather anticipated, had we to undergo. Webster was not merely gratified, he was visibly touched by the sight. You remember that Charles Lamb said at Eton—I do not pretend to quote his exact words—‘What a pity that these fine youths should grow up into paltry34 members of Parliament!’ For myself, when I saw them so cheerful and yet so civilized35 and well-conditioned, I remember thinking to myself at the moment, ’Well, if I had a boy I should send him to Eton.’”
While at the Castle Inn, in Windsor, Mr. Webster wrote the following autograph, by request, for Mr. Kenyon:
“When you and I are dead and gone
This busy world will still jog on,
And laugh and sing and be as hearty36
As if we still were of the party.”
There is no doubt that Mr. Webster enjoyed heartily37 his well-earned recreation. He had good cause. Never certainly up to that time had an American been received in England with such distinguished honors. I will close by his own account of the way in which he was received.
“I must say that the good people have treated me with great kindness. Their hospitality is unbounded, and I find nothing cold or stiff in their manners, at least not more than is observed among ourselves. There may be exceptions, but I think I may say this as a general truth. The thing in England most prejudiced against the United States is the press. Its ignorance of us is shocking, and it is increased by such absurdities38 as the travelers publish, to which stock of absurdities I am sorry to say Captain Marryatt is making an abundant addition. In general the Whigs know more and think better of America than the Tories. This is undeniable. Yet my intercourse39 I think is as much with the Conservatives as the Whigs. I have several invitations to pass time in the country after Parliament is prorogued40. Two or three of them I have agreed to accept. Lord Lansdowne and the Earl of Radnor have invited us, who live in the south, the Duke of Rutland, Sir Henry Halford, Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Lonsdale, etc., who live in the north.”
Of one thing my young reader may be assured, that no attentions, however elevated the source, had any effect upon the simple dignity of a typical American citizen, or influenced him when a few years later, as Secretary of State, it became his duty to deal with our relations with England.
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1 enumerate | |
v.列举,计算,枚举,数 | |
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2 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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3 labors | |
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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4 unnaturally | |
adv.违反习俗地;不自然地;勉强地;不近人情地 | |
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5 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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6 unprecedented | |
adj.无前例的,新奇的 | |
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7 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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8 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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9 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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10 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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11 complexion | |
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
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12 amorphous | |
adj.无定形的 | |
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13 precipice | |
n.悬崖,危急的处境 | |
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14 accurately | |
adv.准确地,精确地 | |
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15 loquacious | |
adj.多嘴的,饶舌的 | |
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16 pertinent | |
adj.恰当的;贴切的;中肯的;有关的;相干的 | |
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17 conclusive | |
adj.最后的,结论的;确凿的,消除怀疑的 | |
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18 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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19 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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20 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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21 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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22 trickle | |
vi.淌,滴,流出,慢慢移动,逐渐消散 | |
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23 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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24 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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25 wrangling | |
v.争吵,争论,口角( wrangle的现在分词 ) | |
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26 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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27 recipient | |
a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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28 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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29 majestic | |
adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的 | |
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30 demeanor | |
n.行为;风度 | |
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31 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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32 chaff | |
v.取笑,嘲笑;n.谷壳 | |
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33 propensity | |
n.倾向;习性 | |
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34 paltry | |
adj.无价值的,微不足道的 | |
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35 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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36 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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37 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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38 absurdities | |
n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 );荒谬;谬论;荒谬的行为 | |
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39 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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40 prorogued | |
v.使(议会)休会( prorogue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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