酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

The Ayrshire Legatees-Part18_John Galt(1779-1839)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
amid their native shades--that the amiabledivine found himself in a

condition to call on Miss Isabella Tod.



During this visit, Saunders Dickie, the postman, brought a London

letter to the door, for Miss Isabella; and Mr. Snodgrass having



desired the servant to inquire if there were any for him, had the

good fortune to get the following from Mr. Andrew Pringle:-



LETTER XXIX

Andrew Pringle Esq., to the Rev. Mr. Charles Snodgrass



My Dear Friend--I never receive a letter from you without

experiencing a strong emotion of regret, that talents like yours



should be wilfully consigned to the sequestered vegetation of a

country pastor's life. But we have so often discussed this point,



that I shall only offend your delicacy if I now revert to it more

particularly. I cannot, however, but remark, that although a



private station may be the happiest, a public is the proper sphere

of virtue and talent, so clear, superior, and decided as yours. I



say this with the more confidence, as I have really, from your

letter, obtained a better conception of the queen's case, than from



all that I have been able to read and hear upon the subject in

London. The rule you lay down is excellent. Public safety is



certainly the only principle which can justify mankind in agreeing

to observe and enforce penal statutes; and, therefore, I think with



you, that unless it could be proved in a very simple manner, that it

was requisite for the public safety to institute proceedings against



the queen--her sins or indiscretions should have been allowed to

remain in the obscurity of her private circle.



I have attended the trial several times. For a judicial proceeding,

it seems to me too long--and for a legislative, too technical.



Brougham, it is allowed, has displayed even greater talent than was

expected; but he is too sharp; he seems to me more anxious to gain a



triumph, than to establish truth. I do not like the tone of his

proceedings, while I cannot sufficiently admire his dexterity. The



style of Denman is more lofty, and impressed with stronger

lineaments of sincerity. As for their opponents, I really cannot



endure the Attorney-General as an orator; his whole mind consists,

as it were, of a number of little hands and claws--each of which



holds some scrap or portion of his subject; but you might as well

expect to get an idea of the form and character of a tree, by



looking at the fallen leaves, the fruit, the seeds, and the

blossoms, as anything like a comprehensive view of a subject, from



an intellect so constituted as that of Sir Robert Gifford. He is a

man of application, but of meagre abilities, and seems never to have



read a book of travels in his life. The Solicitor-General is

somewhat better; but he is one of those who think a certain



artificial gravityrequisite to professionalconsequence; and which

renders him somewhat obtuse in the tact of propriety.



Within the bar, the talent is superior to what it is without; and I

have been often delighted with the amazingfineness, if I may use



the expression, with which the Chancellor discriminates the shades

of difference in the various points on which he is called to deliver



his opinion. I consider his mind as a curiosity of no ordinary

kind. It deceives itself by its own acuteness. The edge is too



sharp; and, instead of cutting straight through, it often diverges--

alarming his conscience with the dread of doing wrong. This



singular subtlety has the effect of impairing the reverence which

the endowments and high professional accomplishments of this great



man are otherwise calculated to inspire. His eloquence is not

effective--it touches no feeling nor affects any passion; but still



it affords wonderful displays of a lucid intellect. I can compare

it to nothing but a pencil of sunshine; in which, although one sees



countless motes flickering and fluctuating, it yet illuminates, and

steadily brings into the most satisfactory distinctness, every



object on which it directly falls.




文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号