〃Homer's Iliad〃； Stamboul … and he recounts the murderous services rendered by the Golden Horn to the Assassin whose SERAIL； palace； council chamber； it washes； Cairo … but the Plague shuts out all other thoughts； Jerusalem … but Pilgrims have vulgarized the Holy Sepulchre into a Bartholomew Fair。 He gives us everywhere； not history； antiquities； geography； description； statistics； but only KINGLAKE； only his own sensations； thoughts； experiences。 We are told not what the desert looks like； but what journeying in the desert feels like。 From morn till eve you sit aloft upon your voyaging camel； the risen sun； still lenient on your left； mounts vertical and dominant； you shroud head and face in silk； your skin glows； shoulders ache； Arabs moan； and still moves on the sighing camel with his disjointed awkward dual swing； till the sun once more descending touches you on the right； your veil is thrown aside； your tent is pitched； books； maps； cloaks； toilet luxuries； litter your spread…out rugs； you feast on scorching toast and 〃fragrant〃 （10） tea； sleep sound and long； then again the tent is drawn； the comforts packed； civilization retires from the spot she had for a single night annexed； and the Genius of the Desert stalks in。
Herein； in these subjective chatty confidences； is part of the spell he lays upon us： while we read we are IN the East： other books； as Warburton says； tell us ABOUT the East； this is the East itself。 And yet in his company we are always ENGLISHMEN in the East： behind Servian； Egyptian； Syrian； desert realities； is a background of English scenery； faint and unobtrusive yet persistent and horizoning。 In the Danubian forest we talk of past school… days。 The Balkan plain suggests an English park； its trees planted as if to shut out 〃some infernal fellow creature in the shape of a new…made squire〃； Jordan recalls the Thames； the Galilean Lake； Windermere； the Via Dolorosa； Bond Street； the fresh toast of the desert bivouac； an Eton breakfast； the hungry questing jackals are the place…hunters of Bridgewater and Taunton； the Damascus gardens； a neglected English manor from which the 〃family〃 has been long abroad； in the fierce； dry desert air are heard the 〃Marlen〃 bells of home； calling to morning prayer the prim congregation in far…off St。 Mary's parish。 And a not less potent factor in the charm is the magician's self who wields it； shown through each passing environment of the narrative； the shy； haughty； imperious Solitary； 〃a sort of Byron in the desert；〃 of cultured mind and eloquent speech； headstrong and not always amiable； hiding sentiment with cynicism； yet therefore irresistible all the more when he condescends to endear himself by his confidence。 He meets the Plague and its terrors like a gentleman； but shows us； through the vicarious torments of the cowering Levantine that it was courage and coolness； not insensibility； which bore him through it。 A foe to marriage； compassionating Carrigaholt as doomed to travel 〃Vetturini…wise；〃 pitying the Dead Sea goatherd for his ugly wife； revelling in the meek surrender of the three young men whom he sees 〃led to the altar〃 in Suez； he is still the frank； susceptible； gallant bachelor； observantly and critically studious of female charms： of the magnificent yet formidable Smyrniotes； eyes； brow； nostrils； throat； sweetly turned lips； alarming in their latent capacity for fierceness； pride； passion； power： of the Moslem women in Nablous； 〃so handsome that they could not keep up their yashmaks：〃 of Cypriote witchery in hair； shoulder…slope； tempestuous fold of robe。 He opines as he contemplates the plain； clumsy Arab wives that the fine things we feel and say of women apply only to the good…looking and the graceful： his memory wanders off ever and again to the muslin sleeves and bodices and 〃sweet chemisettes〃 in distant England。 In hands sensual and vulgar the allusions might have been coarse； the dilatings unseemly； but the 〃taste which is the feminine of genius；〃 the self…respecting gentleman…like instinct； innocent at once and playful； keeps the voluptuary out of sight； teaches； as Imogen taught Iachimo； 〃the wide difference 'twixt amorous and villainous。〃 Add to all these elements of fascination the unbroken luxuriance of style； the easy flow of casual epigram or negligent simile； … Greek holy days not kept holy but 〃kept stupid〃； the mule who 〃forgot that his rider was a saint and remembered that he was a tailor〃； the pilgrims 〃transacting their salvation〃 at the Holy Sepulchre； the frightened； wavering guard at Satalieh； not shrinking back or running away； but 〃looking as if the pack were being shuffled；〃 each man desirous to change places with his neighbour； the white man's unresisting hand 〃passed round like a claret jug〃 by the hospitable Arabs； the travellers dripping from a Balkan storm compared to 〃men turned back by the Humane Society as being incurably drowned。〃 Sometimes he breaks into a canter； as in the first experience of a Moslem city； the rapturous escape from respectability and civilization； the apostrophe to the Stamboul sea； the glimpse of the Mysian Olympus； the burial of the poor dead Greek； the Janus view of Orient and Occident from the Lebanon watershed； the pathetic terror of Bedouins and camels on entering a walled city； until； once more in the saddle； and winding through the Taurus defiles； he saddens us by a first discordant note； the note of sorrow that the entrancing tale is at an end。
Old times return to me as I handle the familiar pages。 To the schoolboy six and fifty years ago arrives from home a birthday gift； the bright green volume； with its showy paintings of the impaled robbers and the Jordan passage； its bulky Tatar； towering high above his scraggy steed； impressed in shining gold upon its cover。 Read； borrowed； handed round； it is devoured and discussed with fifth form critical presumption； the adventurous audacity arresting； the literary charm not analyzed but felt； the vivid personality of the old Etonian winged with public school freemasonry。 Scarcely in the acquired insight of all the intervening years could those who enjoyed it then more keenly appreciate it to…day。 Transcendent gift of genius！ to gladden equally with selfsame words the reluctant inexperience of boyhood and the fastidious judgment of maturity。 Delightful self… accountant reverence of author…craft！ which wields full knowledge of a shaddock…tainted world； yet presents no licence to the prurient lad； reveals no trail to the suspicious moralist。
CHAPTER III … LITERARY AND PARLIAMENTARY LIFE
KINGLAKE returned from Algiers in 1844 to find himself famous both in the literary and social world； for his book had gone through three editions and was the universal theme。 Lockhart opened to him the 〃Quarterly。〃 〃Who is Eothen？〃 wrote Macvey Napier； editor of the 〃Edinburgh；〃 to Hayward： 〃I know he is a lawyer and highly respectable； but I should like to know a little more of his personal history： he is very clever but very peculiar。〃 Thackeray； later on； expresses affectionate gratitude for his presence at the 〃Lectures on English Humourists〃：… 〃it goes to a man's heart to find amongst his friends such men as Kinglake and Venables； Higgins； Rawlinson； Carlyle； Ashburton and Hallam； Milman； Macaulay； Wilberforce； looking on kindly。〃 He dines out in all directions； himself giving dinners at Long's Hotel。 〃Did you ever meet Kinglake at my rooms？〃 writes Monckton Milnes to MacCarthy： 〃he has had immense success。 I now rather wish I had written his book； WHICH I COULD HAVE DONE … AT LEAST NEARLY。〃 We are reminded of Charles Lamb … 〃here's Wordsworth says he could have written Hamlet； IF HE HAD HAD A MIND。〃 〃A delightful Voltairean volume；〃 Milnes elsewhere calls it。
〃Eothen〃 was reviewed in the 〃Quarterly〃 by Eliot Warburton。 〃Other books；〃 he says； 〃contain facts and statistics about the East； this book gives the East itself in vital actual reality。 Its style is conversational； or the soliloquy rather of a man convincing and amusing himself as he proceeds； without reverence for others' faith； or lenity towards others' prejudices。 It is a real book； not a sham； it equals Anastasius； rivals 'Vathek；' its terseness； vigour； bold imagery； recall the grand style of Fuller and of South； to which the author adds a spirit； freshness； delicacy； all his own。〃 Kinglake； in turn； reviewed 〃The Crescent and the Cross〃 in an article called 〃The French Lake。〃 From a cordial notice of the book he passes to a history of French ambition in the Levant。 It was Bonaparte's fixed idea to become an Oriental conqueror … a second Alexander： Egypt in his grasp； he would pass on to India。 He sought alliance against the English with Tippoo Saib； and spent whole days stretched upon maps of Asia。 He was baffled； first at Aboukir； then at Acre； but the partition of Turkey at Tilsit showed that he had not abandoned his design。 To have refrained from seizing Egypt after his withdrawal was a political blunder on the part of England。
By far the most charming of Kinglake's articles was a paper on the 〃Rights of Women；〃 in the 〃Quarterly Review〃 of December； 1844。 Grouping together Monckton Milnes's 〃Palm Leaves；〃 Mrs。 Poole's 〃Sketch of Egyptian Harems；〃 Mrs。 Ellis's 〃Women and Wives of England；〃 he produced a playful； lightly touched； yet sincerely constructed sketch of woman's characteristics； seductions； attainments； the extent and secret of her fascination and her deeper influence； her defects； foibles； misconceptions。 He was greatly vexed to learn that his criticism of 〃Palm Leaves〃 was considered hostile； and begged Warburton to explain。 His praise； he said； had been looked upon as irony； his bantering taken to express bitterness。 Warburton added his own conviction that the notice was tributary to Milnes's fame； and Milnes accepted the explanation。 But the chief interest of this paper lies in the beautiful passage which ends it。 〃The world must go on its own way； for all that we can say against it。 Beauty； though it beams over the organization of a doll； will have its hour of empire； the most to