Read Anglo-Saxon Attitudes for Free Online Page B

the Upper Nile; but he has taken me, and, I dare say, many of you on an even wider spiritual journey, for he has recalled, to me at any rate, a time when historical studies demanded, as their simple prerequisites, learning worn lightly, high courage of imagination, and strong intellectual discipline.'
    Sir Edgar glowered at a number of scholars whom he felt to be pre-eminently lacking in these qualities. Gerald Middleton moved uneasily in his chair. He had strongly approved the speech himself, but he disliked a show of emotion in those whom, like Sir Edgar, he regarded as champions of reserve and decorum. How very unpleasant the effects of old age are, he reflected.
    Jasper Stringwell-Anderson crossed his legs elegantly and observed Gerald closely through narrowed eyelids. He guessed that Sir Edgar's unwonted emotionalism would affect Gerald adversely and feared that it would stiffen his reluctance to become editor. 'Yes, yes,' he muttered, 'we're delighted to know there is still some heat in the dying embers, but don't go on for too long.' Sir Edgar, however, had more to say.
    'The study of history is not a simple amassing of knowledge,' his voice seemed to gain strength, 'less still a technique; it is not even an exercise of wise judgement or clever analysis. It is, it must be, a discipline of the spirit, an act of faith in civilization.'
    Clarissa Crane, conspicuously chic among the audience, felt that this was all she had hoped for: Professor Pforzheim's distinguished air and the 'magical' names he had mentioned - Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, Canton - had quite enchanted her. She was well on the golden road to Samarkand; indeed, had quite forgotten once or twice the annoying prohibition against smoking. And now this famous old man burning with dry fervour. 'A pocket prophet in short black coat and striped trousers, burning with dry fervour.' She was delighted with the phrase - it would serve so well to interpret the academic world to her literary friends.
    'It is peculiarly fitting,' Sir Edgar was saying, 'that we should have heard this note again at the annual Stokesay Lecture. In his latter days, Stokesay spoke too often in those tones of generality, of popular rhetoric which is not the voice of history but of journalism. I can say this now, because I often said it to him,' he chuckled grimly.
    Theo Roberts whispered to Jasper, 'I'd like to have heard that.'
    'But,' Sir Edgar continued, 'Stokesay was one of the last great historians. At his best, he was very great, at his least, he never fell into that paltry, document-grubbing pedantry that now so often serves us up petty detail, preliminary field work, and supposes that it is giving us history.'
    Rose Lorimer's eyes were shining and the artificial roses bobbed up and down in her excitement; she turned and smiled at random to the company behind her. A young woman lecturer from Sheffield catching one of these smiles was quite disconcerted; but Jasper, practised in the art, received two or three and dexterously returned soothing glances.
    'Above all,' Sir Edgar ended, 'it would peculiarly have pleased Lionel Stokesay to know that the best of his memorial lectures - and having heard them all, I can confidently say it was the best - was given to us by a visitor from Germany, for Stokesay loved that country and delighted in its great tradition of scholarship and the breadth of its view of history's claims and functions.'
    Sir Edgar sat down, feeling that perhaps he had gone a little too far, but after all, the fellow had given a fine speech, even if he was a Hun. He shook Professor Pforzheim's hand. 'Thank you, my dear fellow,' he said, 'a memorable and splendid occasion.'
    The audience broke up into little groups. Gerald Middleton started to edge his way out before the discussion began. Professor Clun, however, had other ideas.
    'Well,' he said, 'I don't think we learned anything new from that.' His protuberant green eyes stared up at Gerald's great height in intelligent