Shadow of great britain

Although it was still early in the morning, the proctor's office at the University of Göttingen was noisy.

Arthur looked at the angry Professor John Herbart, the assistant to the superintendent, and could only maintain a polite smile as if he was sorry.

According to Herbart, the new superintendent performed very well when he first took office. He not only relaxed the academic control on campus and promoted the local liberal atmosphere, but also controlled everything within reasonable limits.

But with the arrival of Heinrich Heine a few days ago, Herbart felt that the orderly and controllable atmosphere of progressive reforms was broken. The students gathered wildly in the square, took off their hats and threw them into the sky, and cheered various slogans that were strictly prohibited by the German Confederation Parliament.

However, Sir Arthur Hastings, a police expert who is regarded as a conservative lackey in London, has no intention of stepping forward to cool down the situation.

Although Professor Herbart is also a liberal, he considers himself not a radical liberal but a conservative among liberals. He believed that if the situation was allowed to get out of control, the tragedy of the Frankfurt Garrison incident would soon be repeated on the Göttingen campus.

Because of this, Professor Herbart went to the Superintendent's office early in the morning today and said to Arthur face to face: He hopes that the Superintendent can show up with half of the courage he showed under the Tower of London in June last year.

Arthur certainly understands the concerns of the old professor, but the problem is that the professor who has lived on campus for a long time looks at things from a different perspective than the police chief who has been fighting on the front line of the counterrevolution for a long time.

In Arthur's opinion, compared with what happened in London last June, what the Göttingen students did was almost like playing house.

They have neither that kind of influential enough leader...

Oh, maybe now, but that leader was Heinrich Heine.

Secondly, even if there are leaders, they do not have a clear organizational structure.

Hmm... No, there is an organization now, but that organization is the Gestapo.

Finally, even if they have both, are these college students really dangerous?

hiss……

Arthur knew that there was such an organization. They had a clear leader, Giuseppe Mazzini, and a well-organized party called Young Italy. They even colluded with evil foreign forces.

But the result?

Oh!

They really did something big!

They have fully driven the performance growth of the news and publishing industry in Italian states by several percentage points.

But unfortunately, out of consideration for protecting national secrets, Arthur could not tell Professor Herbart everything in detail.

He could only say tactfully: "Mr. Herbart, please believe that things are not as bad as you think. I am a liberal, that is true, but like you, I am also a liberal with German characteristics. . If things really get to the point where the bottom line is reached, I will never show mercy, whether it is imprisonment or expulsion."

Professor Herbart was obviously still worried: "What about Heinrich Heine? Are you going to let him talk nonsense on campus?"

"Actually, you should have more say than me regarding Heine."

Arthur stood up and walked in front of the window with his hands behind his back: "We all know that Heine completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Bonn, the University of Göttingen and the University of Berlin. In these three schools, he received Following the teachings of Savigny, Hegel, Theold, Schlegel and others, I don’t think..."

Unexpectedly, before Arthur could finish his words, he was interrupted by Herbart: "Your Excellency, you are completely sophistry. But all students studying law in these three schools will accept their teachings. I hope you pay attention. The focus should be on why he moved to three schools during his undergraduate studies.”

Arthur did not directly contradict Herbart, but asked: "If he was really so bad, why did the academic committee allow him to finally complete his J.D. thesis in Göttingen?"

Herbart shook his head and sighed: "Your Excellency, I never said that Heinrich was bad. On the contrary, he was quite outstanding. His talent made Gustav Göttingen the treasure of Göttingen and the representative of the historical school of law. Professor Hu Guo could not help but admire: Heine was not only a lovable candidate for a doctorate in law, but also a poet who wrote a large number of popular poems. In Heine, literature and law are closely linked. . It was precisely because of Hu Guo’s appreciation that we reluctantly accepted this undergraduate who had been expelled from Göttingen.”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but go back to the case and write down these words: "You should have told me these things earlier. However, since Professor Hu Guo can vouch for him, then I can't vouch for him Already?"

"This is different."

Professor Herbart insisted: "As the dean of the law school, Professor Hugo is free to accept any students he wants. As a professor of philosophy, I have no right to intervene. But Heine is not currently admitted to Göttingen as a student. The university, coupled with the current sensitive period, putting him in will definitely not be conducive to the overall development of the school. "

"In other words, it's okay for him to be active outside the campus?"

Seeing Arthur's persistence, Herbart was silent for a long time and sighed: "This is my bottom line. You should also consider that the management of the Student Punishment Committee is not easy to do."

"I understand your difficulty." Arthur put down his pen and stood up to see the guest off: "Don't worry, sir, if something happens, and if the committee cannot control it, I will let the police intervene in the end."

Herbart stood by the door and shook his head: "I hope it doesn't come to that point. More than Heine, I don't want the police to pollute this pure academic land."

Click.

Herbart closed the door, and Arthur heard footsteps in the distance. Perhaps due to occupational disease, he hummed a tune and took out a student file that had been dusty for many years from the drawer in the office, and started today's entertainment activities.

An eye-catching name is written on the cover of the file - Heinrich Heine.

Most of the files of ordinary students are only a few thin pages, but Heine's file is almost as long as a novel.

Arthur first took out a thick stack of various warnings and sanctions, then took out several transcripts, and finally a stack of Heine's letters of defense to the Student Disciplinary Committee.

While Arthur was admiring these calligraphy works written by great German poets, he was secretly thinking about how many tens of thousands of francs the University of Göttingen owed Heine over the years.

He was watching with interest when suddenly, with a click, the office door was pushed open.

With arrogance and contempt in his eyes, Heine walked to the opposite side of Arthur, pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his legs gracefully: "Eight years later, Göttingen still looks like this."

Arthur swept the portfolio under the table and said, "What's wrong? Heinrich, I only feel cordial and proud every time I return to the University of London, but you seem to have a different view of the word alma mater than I do."

Heine said with some disgust: "I don't hate Göttingen, but I hate many people here and those illusory words that make people crazy. For a long time, everything with the word patriotism makes me feel Disgusting. Those nasty idiots working hard out of patriotism. They wear proper work clothes, are divided into three levels of masters, apprentices and apprentices, and use the same etiquette. And they fight in the country. Yes, I was indeed a little annoyed when I saw this disguised face.”

At this point, Heine changed the subject and said: "But this does not mean that I hate patriotism. What I hate is just German patriotism. France also has patriotism, and their patriotism also lies in loving their country. But France is also a civilized country, a humane and progressive country. And what about German patriotism? On the contrary, German patriotism consists in hating the French, hating civilization and freedom. Therefore, because I praise France, I Not a German patriot. Now, do you know why I'm angry?"

Arthur saw through Heine's thoughts at a glance: "It seems that not everyone among the student community in Göttingen welcomes their hero."

Heine wanted to curse, but before he could curse, something else seemed to come to his mind. The aura that had just risen weakened, and even his eyes became much softer.

"Love of freedom is a flower that blooms in prison. Only in prison can you feel the value of freedom. Therefore, only when you go to the border of Germany, you will have a love for the German motherland, especially when you see me growing up abroad. When the land is experiencing misfortune, this love for the motherland becomes even stronger.

I don’t want to put gold on my face, but I want to say that when I heard about the Frankfurt garrison incident and when I heard that the German Confederation Congress passed the amendment to the "Carlsbad Resolution", I felt a surge in my heart. A strong feeling that I want to be back here. This is not the result of sudden patriotism, it is something nobler, kinder, and simpler. I just hope that my hometown can become better. "

Heine lay on his desk and sighed: "Perhaps I should thank Alexander. When he told me that we had entered Prussia, my heart was in my throat. I just wanted to stuff this fat man into a sack and beat him. . But slowly, when the fear passed, I suddenly felt a sense of resignation. Let them come, the Prussian gendarmes, let them come! The captured Heinrich Heine is standing right here! Come on, shoot me!"

"Heinrich, if you really need it, I can report to the Mainz Intelligence Office of the German Confederation at any time."

"Are you serious?"

"No, I just want to tell you that I'm pretty good at playing a reactionary."

Heine rolled his eyes at him: "Sometimes I really don't understand you. Where do you stand? You are a student of Jeremy Bentham!"

Arthur smiled: "At the same time, I have been William IV's knight for three years. I have people on both sides. Whoever suffers a loss makes me feel bad. As you said, Hein Rishi, my position cannot be explained by narrow liberalism and patriotism.”

Heine raised his eyebrows and asked: "So? You really won't go to the Mainz Intelligence Office to report me?"

"Of course not." Arthur replied with a smile: "If I really wanted to report it, why would I say it and let you know?"

Heine was about to say something, but suddenly his eyes suddenly glanced at the document in Arthur's hand: "What are you looking at? Could it be the material to report me?"

"Nothing." Arthur dispelled Heine's doubts with one sentence: "If they really want to arrest you, why bother writing a letter of denunciation? I've already done it now."

He stood up and sorted out the documents on the desk quite naturally: "Do you still remember the friend who drifted in South America that I mentioned to you? This is a letter from him to me, which tells about some reptiles he found in South America."

"Oh! Mr. Charles Darwin?"

Heine's eyes lit up and said: "The author of "The Diary of the Beagle"? That's a very good book. Although it has no literary merits, it is very interesting to read. To be honest, among the serial works of "The Englishman", this is my favorite one."

Arthur smiled and put the documents back into the drawer: "Heinrich, you are right to say that "I'm sorry for the disrespect to the author of "Flowers of Evil". Have you forgotten Mr. Elder Carter?"

"Damn it! Indeed, there is also Carter! His poems are really weird, with depravity, death, corruption, forbidden love, pain, and constantly offending false social morality and public order!"

Heine showed great respect when talking about Carter: "Whether in terms of technique or subject selection, Carter is a genius. It's a pity that those vulgar people can't understand Carter's greatness. Even Carter himself dared to publish "Flowers of Evil" anonymously, and the British Book Committee also seriously included this collection of poems in the banned list. This is really ironic. "

Arthur originally just wanted to distract Heine's attention, but when he heard Heine's evaluation of Elder, the self-esteem of the higher species forced him to ask back : "If you really think this collection of poems is so good, why don't you write one on the same subject?"

"Come on! This is what I admire about Carter, he actually dared to write those things on paper!"

Heine praised: "I don't have his courage. What Britain can't accept, most people in France and Germany probably can't accept. Apart from anything else, if I really wrote such a collection of poems, my uncle would probably break up with me completely."

"Uncle?" Arthur recalled: "Oh, I remember, Mr. Salomon Heine, the big banker in Hamburg. Although you didn't seduce your two sisters, I remember that he seems to have continued to support you all these years?"

"To be precise, he supported me until July this year. But since he I heard that after I accepted the French government subsidy, the funding was cut off. "

"Huh?" Arthur asked, "Is your uncle also a German patriot?"

"Heh..." Heine pouted and said, "He just fears that being too closely associated with me will affect his business. You have to understand that among those who work as bankers, there are not many patriots."

"What about your father?"

"My father? My father probably doesn't care about the kind of subject I write. He might even laugh and pat his son on the shoulder and say that the little guy in the Heine family has finally grown up. But unfortunately, the lively big boy died four years ago. "

Heine turned the chair upside down and leaned on the back of the chair, with a look of nostalgia in his eyes: "In fact, one of the reasons why I went to live in the UK during that period was to commemorate him. He served in the Hanoverian Kingdom Army in the early days of the Napoleonic Wars. I still have a portrait of him at that time at home, in which he is wearing the uniform of the British King's German Corps.

He had long, golden hair that was as smooth as Chinese silk, but he had to follow the local Franconia custom of putting long curls on his head like a big bun with a small comb, and then powdering his hair with white powder. To me, this looked very stupid.

But there was no way, the old man liked it, and he asked people to powder his head until the day he died. But this also corresponded to his position in the Hanoverian army. He was a quartermaster in Prince Ernst's army. The Prussians generally called this position "mealworm".

Because of this experience, the old man boasted every day about how close his relationship with the prince was. He believed all his life that Prince Ernst had never forgotten his old friend. But the embarrassing thing is that the old guy himself could not explain why His Royal Highness never sent anyone to look for him. ”

Arthur couldn't help but hold his chin and smiled: "It sounds like you almost became a British. After all, many people in the Royal German Legion later moved to Britain. Mr. Schneider's father from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came to Britain at that time."

Heine shrugged and said, "Who knows, life is sometimes so wonderful. After my father retired from the army, he moved to Düsseldorf and fell in love with my mother there. But unfortunately, my father developed some bad habits during his military career, so my mother could only help him change them little by little."

"For example?"

Heine counted on his fingers: "There are many. Perhaps because of frequent contact with nobles, my father developed a hobby of playing high-level games, he likes to sponsor theatrical art, or, well, let me put it more bluntly, his real purpose is to protect those actresses who devote themselves to this. In addition, he also learned all the nobles' hobbies of walking dogs and raising horses.

When my father first came to Düsseldorf, he was engaged in business. He opened a silk shop. But his monthly income was not as much as his spending. Before he married my mother, he raised twelve fat and strong horses. But my mother warned him that if he wanted to marry her, he had to sell all the animals first. Because these animals eat too much oats, but they can't give back anything except horse manure.

My father had no choice but to surrender in front of love. He first sold the horses, and then his grooms and hounds were also sent away by my mother. Only the ugliest spotted hound named Yoli was left. However, the reason why this dog was left was not because it was the most capable, but because it was the least capable one in the pack. "

"Huh?" Arthur asked, "Why do you have to keep this one? ”

Heine recalled the funny things in his childhood, and the poet who was always indifferent to poisonous snakes couldn't help laughing.

“Because Yoli obviously couldn't play the role of a hunting dog, my mother thought that my father couldn't take it hunting. My father first picked it up at the door of the house. It and my father exchanged meaningful glances, and then my father sighed and said, "Alas, Yoli." Yoli wagged his tail sadly and walked towards my father.

At that time, I thought to myself that this dog was really a flattering hypocrite. Facts also verified my point of view. It was the only hunting dog allowed to stay in my house. It's a pity that my father didn't have the eyes to recognize its true face. When he was in the army, the nobles around him didn't have the seriousness and honor of a soldier, so he was always like this, focusing not on courage but on the surface.

But Yoli couldn't get by for a lifetime. He had no ability and could only rely on flattery to please his master. My father once saw his pet being kicked and yelping in a particularly pitiful way, so he admitted in a bad mood that the bastard was pretending. Later, when Jolly was covered with scabies and lice, my mother insisted on drowning him, and my father had no choice but to let it go without any objection.

So, you see, Arthur, how different is the indifference of people when sacrificing their four-legged pets from the attitude of kings sacrificing their two-legged pets? Patriotism, this is really a ridiculous word. I would rather be driven away like those capable hounds than be drowned by my master like a hypocrite like Jolly. "