Shadow of great britain

"My Lords, Mr. Hastings has arrived."

Arthur walked into the office led by his secretary. When he looked up, he saw two important figures in the cabinet leaning on the sofa and looking at him with a smile.

Although Arthur had previously learned about today's highlight from Chadwick, as long as this matter was not completely clarified, he always felt uneasy in his heart.

To be honest, it's just a knighthood with a lower rank, and he already has a lot of such false reputations.

Rather than asking others to call him Sir, he wanted to get something real along the way.

At the very least, he had to get some useful information from the two Your Excellencies. He was still at a loss as to what the assassination case in Liverpool was about and whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs was involved.

Although Talleyrand insisted that this matter had something to do with the Russians, Arthur always only listened to half of what the old cripple said.

Metternich spent millions of francs to get most of the intelligence from Talleyrand, which was mostly false. How could he, a little superintendent of Scotland Yard, pay a penny to let an old lame man who was playing around in Europe dig his heart out?

The lessons learned from Louis XVI, the Directory, Napoleon, Louis XVIII and others are there. You still have to be careful when doing business with Talleyrand.

Arthur politely took off his hat and said hello to the two Excellencies. After everyone chatted for a while, they quickly got to the point.

Brougham took out the document Arthur sent back from Liverpool from the desk drawer and said with a smile.

"The results of your work in Liverpool are obvious to all. The General Administration of Customs is also very happy about the inspection work of undeclared duties. As for the Central Health Commission, although the medical authorities still have doubts about the new treatment, at least they From an objective factual point of view, Liverpool's emergency measures to close water wells did curb the further spread of cholera.

Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, the three lakeside bugs, had previously ridiculed the government's compulsory quarantine measures and the Liverpool authorities' use of beer instead of drinking water. As a result, as cholera spread, they gradually Control, they are silent now. "

Arthur put down the document bag in his hand and asked in confusion: "How did the three of them get involved in cholera prevention and control?"

The Viscount of Melbourne leaned on the sofa and held a wine glass and whispered softly: "It's not that they are linked together, but the three of them put it together. They attributed the Liverpool assassination to the government's excessive control of the epidemic, and also said that the reason for the occurrence of cholera It was due to a century of industrialization and urbanization in Britain. Dirty cities became hotbeds of disease, and many of the disease outbreaks over the past few decades were unheard of before.”

Arthur sat on the sofa and considered it for a while, and commented tactfully: "In a sense, I think the three of them are right. But if we only look at cholera, according to the statistics I obtained, in rural areas The incidence rate is actually no lower than that in cities. And due to the lack of professional doctors, once cholera breaks out in rural areas, the mortality rate is simply appallingly high."

Brougham heard this and asked: "Are you talking about the small village near Sunderland? It was indeed a tragedy. No one in a village of dozens of people was spared, until the postman went to deliver the letter the next week. Only then did we realize that there was no one alive in the village. If it hadn’t been for the collectable letter, we might not have known what happened there until now.”

Viscount Melbourne shook his head and said: "The three of them cannot study this kind of thing in detail. After all, they are not working in the government. And since the French Revolution, their ideas have gradually become more conservative and pragmatic. If only Let them talk about moral issues."

Arthur couldn't help but frown when he heard this.

He never imagined that these three Lakeside poets could still be tied to the French Revolution.

Arthur asked: "You mean, the three of them are republicans?"

"It was."

Viscount Melbourne smiled and said: "When the French Revolution happened, Wordsworth was in Paris. During that time, he was very close to the Girondins and even joined them for a time. Even when he returned to England later, he was still in London. He vigorously promoted France's so-called advanced ideas.

However, after the Jacobin dictatorship in 1793, the Girondins who once held power were brutally suppressed, and many of Wordsworth's friends were executed during that period. In his own words, it was Robespierre and the Reign of Terror that clouded the light of the Revolution, but his fall did not restore hope.

He said he still believed in the ideals of the early republicans and believed, like all radicals, that the war could have been avoided. However, when France's expansionist ambitions became increasingly apparent, especially after their rejection of Britain's peace proposal in 1796 and Napoleon's victory in Italy, Wordsworth completely changed.

In the face of the facts, he could no longer believe the propaganda slogans of the French government. He could no longer believe that the continuation of the war was just a conspiracy of the British cabinet of Peter Jr., and he no longer believed that amidst the turmoil in France, the ideals of the Revolution were still intact. Store it somewhere intact.

After 1796, Wordsworth disappeared for a long time. And when he appeared in the public eye again, he became what he is now - without a clear creed to declare, the once fanatics finally lost their faith, and even had no opposite beliefs.

Slowly, he began to shout words that were less Wordsworthian than words that made it difficult to imagine that this man had ever supported the execution of Louis XVI.

'I firmly oppose any form of violence unless stubborn arrogance and ignorance make it necessary. ’

‘Only by vigorously promoting the universal principles essential to human welfare can the same disaster be prevented from happening in England. ’

In a sense, I still sympathize with this gentleman. Although Wordsworth's words were fierce and annoying in the past, I can feel a youthful vitality from him. But now, except in his verses, the earthy aroma of the fields can no longer be found anywhere else in him. "

Lord Brougham tapped his fingertips on the table: "Not only has he lost the vitality of youth, he is now more Tory than a real Tory. When I ran for parliament in Westmoreland County in 1818 , the campaign idea is to denounce the Lowther family's long-term monopoly on two local parliamentary seats, advocate limiting the political influence of large real estate families after being elected, and advocate vigorous reforms, the implementation of universal suffrage and religious tolerance.

I thought Coleridge would support me at that time, but I didn't expect that he would side with the Lowther family. Perhaps the attack by my supporters on the Lowther family's campaign convoy touched his sensitive nerves. He actually published a pamphlet called "Two Letters to the Yeomen of Westmoreland County", one by one. He refuted my claims and said that he saw the Jacobin style in me. "

Viscount Melbourne smiled and asked: "How did he refute you?"

Brougham raised his head and stared at the ceiling and said: "Let me think about it. In the first letter, he said that if democratic actions in urban industrial areas were not checked and balanced by some hereditary large real estate families, then the national constitution and laws would be unable to withstand the many shocks they experience.

In the second letter it is emphasized that nothing, except property, can be an absolute guarantee of a fair or accurate judgment of a man's prudence and knowledge. As for my slogan of ‘Annual Parliament and Universal Suffrage’, he said that I was just plagiarizing the ideas of the Doctrine of the Rights of Man.

Although he supported this view in his early years, the history of the two decades following the French Revolution showed that this expectation of a more popular parliament with more frequent changes of members was a fallacy. And since I don't have much property in Westmoreland, my campaign is nothing more than a campaign to disrupt the simple, natural contentment of Westmoreland people with "rude slogans from the dirty streets of the city."

At the end, he did not forget to drag out John Wilkes, who had caused the election riots, and warned local voters not to repeat the mistake of Middlesex County in electing a demagogic outsider as a member of parliament. .

However, he was not completely opposed to reform, but his reformist views were too Tory. "

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but think of Wordsworth's previous article in "Blackwood".

He repeated: "It is not immoral to take it as a basic principle that citizens must possess certain fixed property to be qualified to assume arduous legislative responsibilities. We must put aside the idea of ​​farmers or craftsmen becoming legislators, because only after a lot of education Only then can they identify who among their neighbors is more qualified to be entrusted with the interests of all. And the current level of education in Britain is obviously not enough to enable them to acquire the ability to discern the truth."

Brougham smiled and nodded when he heard this: "Yes, that's it. He has changed so much. The Wordsworth he was back then is gone. He has gone from a Whig who was more radical than me." Man becomes an old Tory more conservative than Robert Peel.”

When Lord Brougham said this, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Viscount Melbourne.

"Logically speaking, you shouldn't have such a high opinion of Wordsworth. When we were at the Allmark Club, I remember that you had some quarrels with Wordsworth and his wife?"

"It's not really a quarrel."

Viscount Melbourne smiled and said: "I just think that although Mr. Wordsworth's poems are good, they are far from the level that the lady said."

Arthur heard this and asked curiously: "What is going on specifically? Can you introduce it?"

"It's actually nothing."

Viscount Melbourne said: “You should know that Mr. Wordsworth is very popular in the ladies’ small literary circle.

At that time, I happened to be chatting about literature with a lady at the Allmark Club. As a result, the lady asked me: 'Have you read Mr. Wordsworth's new collection of poems? ’

So I answered her: 'I thought that buying a copy would be fulfilling the responsibility of a civilized person. ’

When the lady heard this, her face straightened and she insisted on asking me: "Civilized people should still read Wordsworth." ’”

When Arthur heard this, he took out his handkerchief, covered his mouth and coughed repeatedly: "Although I know that ladies have a preference for Wordsworth, I am still a little surprised to speak so bluntly in front of you. and."

Viscount Melbourne just blinked helplessly after hearing this: "In fact, the ladies not only prefer Wordsworth, they will also give Faraday the same treatment. The incident between me and Faraday made them unhappy. Even a blood relative like my sister accused me of my faults in front of me. Arthur, I am really grateful that you can help convince Faraday."

Arthur smiled and waved his hand: "It's just a little effort. And the key to solving this matter is that you are willing to put down your arrogance and write an apology letter to Mr. Faraday. In my opinion, not everyone can do this." Kind of magnanimous.”

Upon hearing this, Viscount Melbourne chuckled: "Writing a letter of apology is just a matter of ink. You can handle things so appropriately. It's no wonder that more and more ladies now prefer you. Although Your reputation is not as good as Wordsworth and Faraday, but you already have many die-hard supporters, including my sister Emily Cowper. Even in my opinion, your future development will definitely be Better than Wordsworth and Faraday.”

Arthur's vigilance became even higher when he heard that Viscount Melbourne had put a bunch of high hats on him one after another.

He replied with a smile: "You have always had a good sense, but maybe you saw it wrong this time. How can I compare with those two outstanding figures?"

Viscount Melbourne said seriously.

"Arthur, I am not flattering. What I said is well-founded. In my opinion, Mr. Faraday is too obsessed with the study of natural philosophy and is not even willing to leave the Royal Society. He could have become A great man like Sir Isaac Newton was remembered by future generations, but he set limitations on himself, so he could only stay in the field of research.

Wordsworth, on the other hand, had too much psychological baggage. In his early years, he was an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution. Even Byron and Shelley regarded him as one of their own and praised him as the "uncastrated democratic singer". However, after experiencing changes in his thoughts and tempering in life, Wordsworth finally chose to accept the position of stamp tax collector due to the pressure of life.

At this time, Shelley and others ridiculed him for "giving up being a pioneer and a free man just for a handful of money." But those people didn't know that Wordsworth earned less than 140 pounds a year from writing, but he had five children to support. In addition, he also had to support Coleridge, who was addicted to opium, and help raise tuition for Coleridge's children.

Compared with them, you have fewer constraints. You have been on the right path when you were young, and you have not drawn premature conclusions about your destiny, so even if you make a small mistake, you still have the opportunity to repent in time. At this point, you're destined to be something more than they are. "

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and replied: "If you compare Mr. Faraday and me, although I don't think I can compare with his achievements, I think we are the same kind of people. But if you want to use Hua Mr. Zworth gave an example, which is obviously a misunderstanding."

"Huh?" Viscount Melbourne asked, "Can you be more detailed?"

Arthur replied: "Your Excellency, like Mr. Faraday, I am committed to making the world a better place. But before that, I was also bound by the "Greater Metropolitan Police Management Regulations." You know, the police are You cannot have a personal political stance. As long as it is beneficial to the public interest, the police will do it and it has nothing to do with Whig Tory."

"So, how do you define what is beneficial to the public interest?"

Arthur smiled softly: "This requires detailed analysis of specific issues."