The decline and fall of the British Empire - University of Oregon

More documents

Recommendations

Info

4 The Decline and Fall records of English life from the beginning of the Twentieth Century tp its close, I have been almost startled out of my senses by the symptoms of decay common to the two epochs. The only difference, apart from the setting, is that the decline of England was far more rapid. The reason is obvious. There were far more competitors in the field. I cannot do better than begin my account by referring to the prophetic act of a typical English statesman in the year 1905. Lord Rosebery* had always been happy in his phrases but he was never so gloomily felicitous as when in this momentous year he gave the name of Cicero| to The Author feels that an apology is due for this somewhat unkind allusion to a very charming personality. He earnestly hopes that all allusions to early Edwardian Politics and Letters will be read by the English with that kindly spirit in which they were written. t A famous Roman.
of the British Empire 5 a horse with which he won * The Derby/ a great Enghsh race. And if some friend of that unfortunate people had foreseen the future, he could scarcely have done better than present every member of the British Parliament, if not with a Roman racehorse, at any rate with a little ivory statue of Cicero. For Cicero was a great talker. He talked incessantly and on all subjects. He talked of old age and virtue ; he talked of books and politics ; he talked of Pompey, who was the Kitchener of the Italian * man in the street'; but above all things he talked about the Roman Empire. Shortly after Cicero talked about it the Roman Empire began to decline. Empires do not ask for orators. They ask for men of action, who are prepared to do their duty. Now in 1905 the English House of Commons slowly but surely was
Page 3: 3nth Thousand. he Decline nd Pall o
Page 6 and 7: :.-:;;•; ,iPRESS" 'NOTICES. We co
Page 8 and 9: iv Preface they failed to do, and w
Page 10 and 11: 2 The Decline and Fall it impossibl
Page 14 and 15: 6 The Decline and Fall following in
Page 16 and 17: 8 The Decline and Fall Boasted of a
Page 18 and 19: lo The Decline and Fall Twentieth C
Page 20 and 21: 12 The Decline and Fall know in all
Page 22 and 23: 14 The Decline and Fall Gibbon note
Page 24 and 25: i6 The Decline and Fall conspicuous
Page 26 and 27: i8 The Decline and Fall V. Gradual
Page 28 and 29: 20 The Decline and Fall thousands u
Page 30 and 31: 22 The Decline and Fall emasculated
Page 32 and 33: 24 The Decline and Fall Such a line
Page 34 and 35: 26 The Decline and Fall Gibbon comm
Page 36 and 37: 28 The Decline and Fall work. But,
Page 38 and 39: 30 The Decline and Fall slumber, an
Page 40 and 41: 32 The Decline and Fall the mass of
Page 42 and 43: 34 The Decline and Fall hook with o
Page 44 and 45: 36 The Decline and Fall and from th
Page 46 and 47: 38 The Decline and Fall blame. It i
Page 48 and 49: 40 The Decline and Fall read and to
Page 50 and 51: 42 The Decline and Fall that humani
Page 52 and 53: 44 The Decline and Fall way, too, t
Page 54 and 55: 46 The Decline and Fall fell becaus
Page 56 and 57: 48 The Decline and Fall seem to hav
Page 58 and 59: 50 The Decline and Fall How came it
Page 60 and 61: 52 The Decline and Fall not prove t
Page 62 and 63:
54 The Decline and Fall the sturdy
Page 64 and 65:
56 The Decline and Fall country. Th
Page 66 and 67:
58 The Decline and Fall which is ba
Page 68 and 69:
6o The Decline and Fall task has fa
Page 70:
Press Notices " Worthy of considera
Page 74 and 75:
RETURN TO the circulation desl< of
show all

The decline and fall of the British Empire - University of Oregon

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?