Select Works of Edmund Burke: Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents and The Two Speeches on America. Edmund Burke

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СКАЧАТЬ unsurpassable. The more sensitive elements in human nature, however, will not consent to be thus desolated, and the formal writer is thwarted at every step by the recoil of his own mechanism. In the literary art, as in all others, nature must be patiently studied. Burke, who never aimed at merely literary fame, and never once, in his mature years, cherished the thought of living to future ages in his works, was well acquainted with the economics of his art. He devoted himself solely to the immediate object before him, with no sidelong glance at the printing press or the library shelf. He reasoned little, or not at all, when he conceived reason to be out of place, or insufficient for his purpose. He never rejected a phrase or a thought because it did not reach the standard required by literary dignity. With all this, his writing always reaches a high standard of practical excellence, and is always careful and workmanlike. It is, moreover, well attuned to the ear. The cadence of Burke’s sentences always reminds us that prose writing is only to be perfected by a thorough study of the poetry of the language. Few prose writers were so well acquainted with the general body of English verse, and few have habitually written so fully, so delicately, and so harmoniously.

      This slight general sketch could not be better concluded than with the beautiful inscription composed by Dr. Parr for a national monument to Burke. Such a monument was demanded by public opinion, and the project was favoured by most of Burke’s friends and admirers; but the House was never moved in the subject, partly from a scruple lest the wishes expressed in Burke’s will should be violated, and partly on account of the disturbed state of popular opinion. The inscription is considered the best that Parr ever wrote: and as that eminent scholar was most eminent in inscriptions, it may be regarded as a masterpiece.

      [1] EDMUNDO . BURKE

      VIRO

      MULTIS . ET . EXQUISITIS . LITTERIS . IMBUTO

      ET . SUMMA . INGENII . PRAEDITO . GLORIA

      SODALI

      SUIS . AMABILI

      ET . IN . OMNI . GENERE . FACETIARUM . ORNATISSIMO

      CIVI

      QUI . REMPUBLICAM . PROPRIAM . BRITANNORUM

      IDCIRCO . ESSE . OPTIMAM . STATUEBAT

      QUOD . REGALIS . SENATORII . POPULARISQUE . JURIS

      CONSENSU . FUNDATA . ESSET

      ET . COMMUNIONE . UTILITATIS . STABILITA

      CRITICO

      QUI . E . RECONDITA . VI . VERBORUM . QUOTIDIANORUM⁵²

      QUOD . AUT . VERUM . EST

      AUT . AD . ID . QUAM . PROXIME . ACCEDIT

      ACUTE . ARGUTEQUE . ELICUIT

      INTIMOS . QUOSDAM . ANIMI . SENSUS . PATEFECIT

      ET . ADUMBRATAS . IN . EODEM . A . NATURA

      RERUM . IMAGINES

      MULTO . EXPRESSIORES . DEFINIENDO . ET . EXPLICANDO . REDDIDIT

      PHILOSOPHO

      QUI . MULTIPLICES . ET . ABSTRUSAS . REI . POLITICAE . RATIONES

      CUM . DISCIPLINA . MORALI . CONJUNCTAS

      UBERRIME . ET . GRAVISSIME . ILLUSTRAVIT

      ORATORI

      QUI . COPIOSE . ERUDITE . SPLENDIDE . DICENDO . EFFECIT

      UT . OMNES . ARTES . SE . PRAEBERENT

      COMITES . ELOQUENTIAE . AC . MINISTRAS

      QUI . VIXIT . ANN . LXVII . MENS . V . DIES . XXVII

      DECESSIT . VIII . ID . QUINTIL . ANNO . SACRO . M . DCC . LXXXXVII

      ET . BEACONSFIELDIAE . IN . AGRO . BUCKINGENSI

      SEPULTUS . EST

      REX . SENATUSQUE . BRITANNICUS

      H . M . P . P . IMPEN . PONENDUM . JUSSERUNT.

      [li] Burke is so copious and so clear a writer that the text of his works is, in general, amply sufficient to make him intelligible to an intelligent reader. It is believed that all additional illustration which is necessary is included in the Notes at the end of the volume; but those who require still further information may refer to the works mentioned in the footnote.⁵³ It only remains to give some particulars of the history of the works in the present volume.

      The “Present Discontents” is a political pamphlet of the old school. The style is mainly pedestrian, relieved by some touches of humour, and by a few passages of a descriptive character. It contains much solid reasoning, but no superfluities have been admitted, and there is a certain affectation of plainness, intended to sustain the author’s assumed character of a private citizen. The facts are admirably marshalled, and it is clear that long meditation in the writer’s mind has given the principal arguments as a well-rounded form. Burke had already written and printed an historical jeu-d’esprit, shadowing forth the principal maters in the pamphlet under the figment of an insurrection against the Crown of Spain, in the form of a remonstrance from the supposed insurgents. The pamphlet itself seems to have been commenced shortly after the unusually early prorogation of parliament in May 1769, [lii] when the turbulence of the freeholders of Middlesex was extending to the country at large. The nation was indignant that a ministry labouring under an unprecedented weight of odium should continue to stand their ground. Most of the counties were holding meetings for petitions of remonstrance to the King on the subject of the Middlesex election. The administration adopted the singular course of endeavouring to repress the symptoms, instead of to cure the disease. They moved heaven and earth, in the words of Burke, to prevent the progress of the spirit of petitioning. Rigby got it under in Essex: then proceeded to Norfolk, and was busy, when the first mention of this pamphlet occurs in Burke’s letters, opposing it in Northamptonshire. The ministry were looking with anxious eyes to Yorkshire, where the influence of Lord Rockingham was sufficient to authorise or to prevent a county petition; and the Whig leader seems to have hesitated on a matter so little in accordance with Whig traditions. Burke, however, urged him to this measure; and the Petition, which bears the marks of Burke’s pen, was signed by more than 10,000 freeholders.⁵⁴ Lord Temple, in Buckinghamshire, was less scrupulous; and Burke assisted to present the remonstrance of the freeholders of that county at St. James’ on the 29th of November.

      Burke had much difficulty in continuing his pamphlet from time to time, in adapting it to the frequent changes in the unsettled state of affairs.⁵⁵ At first it seems to have been drawn out in the form of a letter, addressed to a retired member of the Rockingham party (John White, formerly M.P. for Retford). In October he sent a large portion of the manuscript to Lord Rockingham, with a request that it might be circulated among the party. He writes:

      The whole is in a manner new cast, something to the prejudice of the order, which, if I can, I will rectify, though [liii] I fear this will be difficult. The former scheme would no ways answer, and I wish I had entirely thrown it aside, as it has embarrassed me a good deal. The whole attack on Pitt’s conduct must be omitted, or we shall draw the cry of the world upon us, as if we meant directly to quarrel with all mankind.

      Burke wished the responsibility of the pamphlet to be divided fairly with all the other supporters of Lord Rockingham:

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