Chapter 361: Brighter than the Stars

Chapter 358 Brighter than the Stars

“Your Excellencies, Mr. Hastings has arrived.”

Arthur walked into the office led by his secretary and looked up to see the two important figures of the cabinet leaning back on the sofa and surveying him with a smile.

Although Arthur had already learned about today’s main event from Chadwick’s mouth earlier, as long as this was not completely cleared up, his heart always felt less than solid.

Honestly, a lower order Sir Medal was just a medal, he already had quite a lot of this kind of false reputation.

Compared to letting others open their mouths and call him Sir, he was more interested in fishing for some real stuff along the way.

At the very least, he had to get some useful information out of His Excellency’s mouth, what was going on with the assassination case in Liverpool, and whether or not the Ministry of the Interior was involved, he still had no idea until now.

Although Talleyrand bites this thing and the Russians have something to do, but for the old cripple words, Arthur has always been only half-listened to.

Metternich spent millions of francs to get information from Talleyrand there are most of the false information, he is a small superintendent of Scotland Yard did not pay a penny, can let the old cripple to play around Europe out of his heart and lungs?

Louis XVI, the government, Napoleon, Louis XVIII and so on people’s previous experience is there, and Talleyrand business or have to be careful.

Arthur politely took off his hat and greeted His Excellency, all the pleasantries for a while soon cut to the chase.

Brougham from the desk drawer pulled out the document Arthur sent back from Liverpool, smiled and opened his mouth.

“The results of your work in Liverpool are there for all to see. The Customs Department side is also rejoicing over the inspection of the omitted tariffs. As for the Central Health Committee, although the medical authorities are still skeptical about the new treatment, but at least the emergency measure of closing the wells in Liverpool has indeed curbed the further spread of cholera from an objective and factual point of view.

Coleridge, Sauter and Wordsworth, the three Lakeside stinkers who had previously ridiculed the government’s compulsory quarantine measures as well as the Liverpool authorities’ substitution of beer for potable water, have now stopped squealing as the cholera’s spreading tendency has been gradually brought under control.”

Arthur put down the paper bag in his hand and asked suspiciously, “How did the three of them get involved with cholera control?”

Viscount Melbourne leaned back on the sofa with a glass of wine and said softly, “It’s not brought together, but the three of them labeled it themselves. They blamed the government’s over-control of the epidemic for the Liverpool assassination, and said that the reason why cholera happened was due to Britain’s industrialization and urbanization over the past century. Dirty cities have become breeding grounds for epidemics, and many of the outbreaks that have occurred over the decades were unheard of before.”

Arthur sat on the couch for a moment of deliberation and commented politely, “In a sense, I don’t think the three of them are wrong. But if we’re talking about cholera alone, according to the statistics I’ve gotten, the incidence is actually no lower in rural areas than in the cities. And due to the lack of specialized doctors, once there is an outbreak of cholera in rural areas, the death rate is simply appalling.”

Brougham sniffed and asked, “You’re talking about that small village near Sunderland, aren’t you, that was indeed a tragedy. A village of a few dozen people was spared, and it wasn’t until the next week when the letter carrier went to deliver the letter that he realized there were no living people left in the village. If it hadn’t been for that letterhead that arrived paid for, we probably wouldn’t have known what had happened locally until now.”

Viscount Melbourne shook his head and said, “The three of them can’t go into details about this kind of thing, after all, they don’t work for the government. And since the French Revolution, the three of them have gradually tended to be more conservative and pragmatic in their thinking, so if it’s just to talk about moral issues let them be.”

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

How could he not imagine that these three Lakeside poets could still be tied to the French Revolution?

Arthur asked, “Are you saying that the three of them are republicans?”

“Were.”

Viscount Melbourne laughed, “Wordsworth was in Paris when the French Revolution took place, and during that time he was very close to the Gileadists, even joining them for a time. Even later, when he returned to England, he was in London advocating the so-called advanced ideas of France.

However, after the Jacobin dictatorship in 1793, the Girondists, who were once in power, were subjected to bloody repression, and many of Wordsworth’s friends were executed during that period. In his own words, it was Robespierre and the Reign of Terror that overshadowed the light of the Revolution, yet his downfall did not restore hope.

He paid lip service to the fact that he still believed in the ideas of the early republicans, and was convinced, like all radicals, that the war could have been avoided. But when France’s expansionist ambitions became more and more evident, especially after their rejection of Britain’s peace offer in 1796 and Napoleon’s victory in Italy, Wordsworth was a changed man.

In the face of the facts, he could no longer believe in the propaganda of the French government, no longer believe that the continuation of the war was merely a conspiracy of Britain’s Little Pitt Cabinet, and no longer believe that the ideals of the Revolution were still intact somewhere amidst all the turmoil in France.

After 1796 Wordsworth disappeared for a long time. And by the time he reappeared in the public eye, he had become what he is now-with no clear creed to proclaim, the one-time fanatic who had at last lost his faith, if not his faith in the opposite.

Slowly, he began to shout out words so less Wordsworthian that it was hard to imagine that this man had once supported the execution of Louis XVI back in the day.

‘I am firmly opposed to violence in any form, unless stubborn arrogance and ignorance make it necessary.’

‘The same catastrophe can be avoided in England only by the strenuous propagation of universal principles essential to the welfare of mankind.’

In a sense, I still sympathize with this gentleman. Though Wordsworth used to be vehement and offensive in his speech, I could sense in him a youthful vigor. But now that earthy fragrance of the fields is no longer to be found in him anywhere else but in his verses.”

Lord Brougham’s fingertips tapped the table, “More than the absence of youthful vigor, he is now more Tory than a true Tory. When I ran for Parliament in Westmoreland in 1818, I campaigned on denouncing the longstanding monopoly of the Rauser family on the two local parliamentary seats, on limiting the political influence of large real estate families when elected, and on vigorous reforms to implement universal suffrage and religious tolerance.

I expected Coleridge to support me at that time, but I didn’t expect him to side with the Lawther family. Perhaps my supporters’ attack on the Lawther family’s electioneering caravan rattled his sensibilities, and he actually went right ahead and published a pamphlet called Two Letters to the Homesteaders of Westmoreland County, refuting my claims point by point and saying that he saw Jacobinism in me.”

Viscount Melbourne smiled and asked, “How did he refute you?”

Brougham tilted his head and stared at the ceiling, “Let me think. In his first letter, he claimed that the democratic action in the industrial areas of the towns would not have been able to withstand the many shocks that they have experienced had it not been checked and balanced by the hereditary large estate families of certain families, then the constitution and laws of the country. In the second letter it is emphasized that, apart from property, there is nothing that absolutely guarantees a fair or exact judgment of a man’s prudence and knowledge. As for my slogan of ‘Annual Parliaments and Universal Suffrage’, he said that I was merely plagiarizing the ideas of the Treatise on Human Rights.

Although he had supported this idea in his early years, the history of the twenty years following the French Revolution showed that this expectation of making parliaments more popular and MPs more frequently changed was a fallacy. And given that I don’t own much property in Westmoreland County, my campaign is nothing more than breaking down the simple natural contentment of Westmorelanders with ‘rude slogans from the dirty streets of the city’.

Toward the end, he doesn’t forget to drag out John Wilkes, who caused a campaign riot back in the day, for some criticism, cautioning local voters not to make the same mistake that Middlesex County made by electing demagogic outsiders to the legislature.

He’s not entirely against reform, though, except that his kind of reformist views would be just too Tory.”

Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but think of Wordsworth’s article that had been posted in Blackwood’s once upon a time.

He opened his mouth to repeat: “It is not immoral to make it a fundamental principle that citizens should possess a certain amount of fixed property in order to qualify them for the arduous duties of legislation. We must put aside the idea of making farmers or artisans legislators, for it is only with a good deal of education that they can be enabled to screen from their neighbors which man is better qualified to be entrusted with the interests of the multitude. And the present level of education in Britain is evidently not sufficient to enable them to acquire the ability to discern the truth.”

Brougham smiled at that and nodded, “That’s right. He’s changed so much, the Wordsworth of his day is gone, he’s gone from being a Whig more radical than me to an old Tory more conservative than Robert Peel.”

As Lord Brougham spoke, he suddenly turned his head once to look at Viscount Melbourne.

“It is only reasonable that you should not think so highly of Wordsworth. In the past, when you were at the Ormac Club, I seem to remember that you had some altercations with the ladies because of Wordsworth, huh?”

“It wasn’t exactly an altercation.”

Viscount Melbourne smiled and spoke up, “I just think that although Mr. Wordsworth’s poems are well-written, they are still far from reaching the level of what that lady said in her mouth.”

Arthur smiled and said curiously, “What exactly is going on? Can you introduce it?”

“It’s really nothing.”

Viscount Melbourne spoke, “You should know that Mr. Wordsworth is highly sought after in the ladies’ small literary circle.

I happened to be talking about literature with a lady at the Ormac Club at the time, and the lady ended up asking me, ‘Have you read Mr. Wordsworth’s new book of poems?’

So I answered her, ‘I thought I had done my duty as a civilized man by buying a copy.’

The result was that when the lady heard this, her face straightened, and she insisted on demanding of me, ‘Civilized people should still read Wordsworth.'”

Hearing this, Arthur took out a handkerchief and covered his mouth and coughed loudly, “Although I know that ladies have a preference for Wordsworth, it still surprises me a little to be so outspoken in front of you.”

Viscount Melbourne just blinked helplessly when he heard that, “Actually, the ladies don’t just favor Wordsworth, they also give Faraday the same treatment. That business with Faraday and I before has upset them. Even blood relatives like my sister have counted me wrong to my face. Arthur, you were able to help convince Faraday, and that’s something I really appreciate.”

Arthur smiled and waved his hand, “It was just a favor. And the key point for this matter to be resolved is still your willingness to put your foot down to write an apology letter to Mr. Faraday. In my opinion, not everyone can have that kind of temperament.”

Viscount Melbourne sniffed and laughed softly, “Writing a letter of apology is just a matter of a little ink. You can handle things so decently, and it’s no wonder that the percentage of ladies who favor you amongst them is starting to grow these days. Though your reputation is not quite as good as Wordsworth’s or Faraday’s, you have a number of hard-core supporters, my sister Emily Cowper being one. Even as it seems to me that you will certainly do better than Wordsworth and Faraday in the future as well.”

Arthur’s vigilance grew as he heard Viscount Melbourne give him a bunch of high hats in a row.

He smiled and returned, “You have always had a good eye, but this time you may have been wrong. How can I be compared to those two outstanding figures?”

Viscount Melbourne said in a serious manner.

“Arthur, I am not boasting; I have a basis for what I am saying. It seems to me that Mr. Faraday was too much intoxicated with the study of natural philosophy even to step out of the Royal Society. He could have been a great man like Sir Isaac Newton, to be remembered by future generations, but set himself up so that he had to stop at the field of study.

Wordsworth, on the other hand, fell into the category of having too much psychological baggage; he was an ardent supporter of the French Revolution in his early years, and even Byron and Shelley took him in as one of their own, praising him as an ‘unemasculated singer of democracy’. But after experiencing a change of mind and the trials and tribulations of life, Wordsworth eventually chose to accept the position of Stamp Collector due to the necessities of life.

At this point, Shelley and the gang again mocked him as ‘giving up being a pioneer and a free man for a mere handful of silver’. But little did the gang know that Wordsworth earned less than £140 a year from his writing, yet had five children to support. On top of that, he had to pick up Coleridge, who was addicted to opium towns, and help raise money for Coleridge’s children’s school fees.

Compared with them, you have less constraints, young on the right path, and did not prematurely give their own fate, so even if a small mistake has the opportunity to repent in time. In this, you are destined to become a more outstanding character than them.”

Arthur sniffed and just smiled back, “If you are comparing Mr. Faraday to me, although I don’t think I can match his achievements, I think we are at least in the same category. However, if you want to use Mr. Wordsworth as an example, then obviously you have to step into the wrong area.”

“Hmm?” Viscount Melbourne asked, “Can you go into more detail?”

Arthur returned, “Your Excellency, like Mr. Faraday, I am dedicated to making the world a better place. But before that, I was also bound by the Greater London Police Department Regulations again. As you know, a police officer cannot have a personal political position. As long as it’s in the public interest, the police will do it, and that’s nothing to do with Phaedoory.”

“And what do you define as beneficial to the public interest?”

Arthur laughed softly, “That would have to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.”

(End of chapter)