the days of my life-第32章

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was　a　tall；　refined…looking　man　of　about　sixty…five；　who　always　seemed　to　me　to　be　employed　in　collecting　first…hand　information；　questioning　everyone　whom　he　met　on　the　chance　of　extracting　something　of　value。　I　think　that　occasionally　the　Colonial　officials　and　others　rather　resented　his　continual　cross…examination。　Indeed　there　is　a　trace　of　this　in　a　report　that　he　wrote　to　the　Colonial　Office　as　to　Shepstone’s　character；　dated　February　1879；　in　which　document　he　plained　that　he　could　not　get　as　much　out　of　Sir　Theophilus　as　he　would　have　wished。　Now　knowing　my　Chief　as　well　as　I　did；　my　conclusion　is　that　he　did　not　altogether　like　being　pumped；　especially　as　he　was　not　sure　what　use　would　be　made　of　the　information　or　if　it　would　be　correctly　assimilated。　Shepstone　was　always　open　enough　with　those　whom　he　thoroughly　knew　and　trusted；　but　these；　I　admit；　were　not　very　many　in　number。　Sir　Bartle　describes　him　as　“a　singular　type　of　an　Africander　Talleyrand；　shrewd；　observant；　silent；　self…contained；　immobile。”　So　he　may　have　appeared　to　him；　but　I　doubt　whether　he　ever　really　understood　the　man　or　with　what　keys　to　unlock　his　heart。
In　short；　I　imagine　that　when　he　was　in　Frere’s　pany　Shepstone　always　remained　more　or　less　on　the　defensive。　Whatever　may　be　the　truth　of　this　matter；　Sir　Bartle　makes　one　undoubted　mistake　in　the　paper　from　which　I　have　quoted。　He　says　that　Shepstone　had　no　sort　of　sympathy　with　the　Boers。　This　was　not　the　case；　as　I　know　from　many　talks　with　him。　He　was　full　of　sympathy　for　the　Boers；　and　understood　them　as　few　men　did。　Moreover　he　appreciated　all　their　good　points；　and　most　of　them　admired　and　were　attached　to　him　personally。　Had　this　not　been　so　he　could　never　have　annexed　the　Transvaal　with　such　parative　ease。　Moreover　it　should　be　remembered　that　all　the　acute　troubles　with　the　Boers　arose　after　his　departure　from　that　country。
In　my　opinion；　if　I　may　venture　to　give　it；　Sir　Bartle　Frere　was　a　great　administrator　and　almost　a　great　man。　But　I　do　not　think　he　was　suited　to　the　position　in　which　he　found　himself。　Had　Lord　Carnarvon　been　a　better　judge　of　men　and　of　character；　he　would　not　have　appointed　Frere　to　the　High　missionership　of　South　Africa。　Frere　imported　into　South　Africa　the　methods　of　the　great　Indian　administrators；　and　attempted　to　apply　to　peoples　as　far　apart　in　all　essentials　of　habit　and　of　character　as　is　the　North　Pole　from　the　Tropics　the　policy　that　he　had　learned　in　the　training　and　traditions　of　the　East。
Had　he　been　a　younger　man　he　might　have　adapted　himself；　and　without　altering　his　principles；　which　were　just　and　good；　changed　the　manner　of　their　application。　But　age　had　already　overtaken　him　when　he　landed　at　the　Cape。　He　looked　upon　the　Zulus　as　though　they　had　been　some　Indian　clan　whom　he；　the　Satrap；　had　only　to　lift　his　hand　to　sweep　away　in　the　interests　of　the　mighty　and　remote　Dominion　which　he　served。　He　overlooked　the　wide　divergence　of　the　circumstances　of　the　two　lands　and　of　the　plications　introduced　by　the　existence　in　South　Africa　of　two　white　peoples　—　the　English　and　the　Dutch　—　hereditary　foes；　who　only　awaited　the　removal　of　a　mon　danger　to　spring　at　each　other’s　throats。　I　do　not　believe　that　he　ever　grasped　the　problem　in　its　entirety　as；　for　instance；　Shepstone　did。　He　saw　the　Zulu　war　cloud　looming　on　the　frontier　of　Natal　and　determined　to　burst　it　even　if　it　should　rain　blood。　But　he　did　not　see　that　by　this　act　of　his；　which；　after　all；　might　perhaps　have　been　postponed；　he　was　ensuring　the　rebellion　of　the　Transvaal　Dutch。　His　Indian　traditions　came　into　and　dominated　his　mind。　Yonder　was　a　savage　people　who　threatened　the　rights　of　the　Crown　and　the　safety　of　its　subjects。　Let　them　be　destroyed！　Fiat　justitia　ruat　coelum！
Even　at　this　distance　of　time　it　is　difficult　to　speak　of　the　treatment　meted　out　to　this　most　upright　public　servant　and　distinguished　man；　who；　be　it　remembered；　had　only　accepted　his　office　at　the　urgent　prayer　of　the　British　Government；　without　using　words　of　burning　indignation。　By　the　Liberals　he　was　of　course　attacked；　since　his　action　gave　them　a　convenient　stick　wherewith　to　beat　the　Government。　This　was　to　be　expected。　What　was　not　to　be　expected　was　the　lack　of；　or　rather　the　half…hearted　nature　of　the　support　which　he　received　from　his　official　superiors。　About　this　time　Lord　Carnarvon　resigned　the　Colonial　Secretaryship　owing　to　some　difference　of　opinion　between　himself　and　his　colleagues　on　other　matters；　which；　in　view　of　the　state　of　South　African　affairs；　many　people　will　think　he　might　have　overlooked；　and　Sir　Michael　Hicks　Beach　filled　his　place。
The　next　step　in　the　persecution　of　Sir　Bartle　Frere　was　to　attack　him　through　his　pocket；　as　Shepstone　was　afterwards　attacked　in　the　same　way。　A　certain　special　allowance　of　2000　pounds　a　year；　which　he　had　made　one　of　the　conditions　of　his　acceptance　of　office；　was　publicly　withdrawn　from　him。　This　was　done　by　Lord　Kimberley；　the　Liberal　Secretary　of　State　for　the　Colonies　in　1880；　and　as　even　then　Frere　would　not　allow　himself　to　be　goaded　into　resignation　over　a　money　matter；　a　few　months　later　the　sacrifice　was　pleted。　He　was　recalled　with　ignominy；　no　other　word　seems　to　meet　the　case。　He　retired　to　England　to　die；　as　thought　many　of　his　friends；　of　a　broken　heart。　Thus　did　Britain　reward　her　faithful　servant　whose　greatest　crime　was　an　error　of　judgment；　if　indeed　he　really　erred；　a　matter　that　may　well　be　argued。　Well；　he　took　with　him　the　love　and　respect　of　every　loyal　man　in　South　Africa；　and　oils　are　forgotten；　his　name　will　shine　on　serene　and　untarnished　in　the　sky　of　history。
To　return　to　my　personal　reminiscences　of　this　great　Governor。　During　the　year　1877；　in　an　unguarded　moment　I　wrote　an　article　descriptive　of　my　visit　to　Secocoeni；　which　was　published　in　an　English　magazine。　In　the　course　of　this　article　I　gave　an　accurate　and　lively　account　of　the　menage　of　an　ordinary　Transvaal　Boer；　in　the　course　of　which　I　was　so　foolish　as　to　say　that　the　ladies　were；　for　the　most　part；　plain　and　stout。　I　do　not　think　that　I　signed　the　paper；　but　from　internal　evidence　it　was　traced　back　to　me；　and；　needless　to　say；　translated　into　Dutch　by　the　journals　of　the　Cape　Colony。　Then　a　great　hubbub　arose；　and　ultimately；　two　years　later；　the　matter　came　to　the　ears　of　Sir　Bartle　Frere。
He　sent　for　me　and　very　rightly　reproached　me　for　my　indiscretion。　In　defence　I　replied　that　I　had　written　no　word　that　was　not　the　strict　and　absolute　truth。
“Haggard；”　he　said　in　his　suave　voice；　“do　you　not　know　that　there　are　occasions　on　which　the　truth　is　the　last　thing　that　should　be　uttered？　I　beg　you　in　future　to　keep　it　to　yourself。”
I　bethought　me　of　Talleyrand’s　saying　that　language　was　given　to　us　to　conceal　our　thoughts；　but　did　not；　I　think；　attempt　to　cap　the　argument　by　its　quotation。　In　fact；　his　censure　was　well　deserved。　As　St。　Paul　teaches　us；　all　things　may　be　lawful；　but　all　things　are　not　expedient；　and　at　this　juncture　it　was　certainly　inexpedient　to　make　little　jokes　about　the　uncountable　fleas　in　Boer　bedsteads。
Another　noted　man　who　visited　us　was　Mr。　Anthony　Trollope；　who　rushed　through　South　Africa　in　a　post…cart；　and；　as　a　result；　published　his　impressions　of　that　country。　My　first　introduction　to　him　was　amusing。　I　had　been　sent　away　on　some　mission；　I　think　it　was　to　Rustenberg；　and　returned　to　Government　House　late　one　night。　On　going　into　the　room　where　I　was　then　sleeping　I　began　to　search　for　matches；　and　was　surprised　to　hear　a　gruff　voice；　proceeding　from　my　bed；　asking　who　the　deuce　I　was。　I　gave　my　name　and　asked　who　the　deuce　the　speaker　might　be。
“Anthony　Trollope；”　replied　the　gruff　voice；　“Anthony　Trollope。”
Mr。　Trollope　was　a　man　who　concealed　a　kind　heart　under　a　somewhat　rough　manner；　such　as　does　not　add　to　the　fort　of　colonial　travelling。
I　think　that　my　most　pleasant　recollections　of　the　Transvaal　are　those　connected　with　my　journeys　on　circuit　in　pany　with　Judge　Kotze。　Generally　we　travelled　in　an　ox…waggon　from　town　to　town；　and　employed　our　leisure　as　we　went　in　shooting；　for　at　that　time　parts　of　the　Transvaal　veld　were　still　black　with　game。　Then　at　night　we　would　sit　by　our　camp　fire　eatin