Chapter 265 Golf and Book and Newspaper Censorship (6K2)

As an ancient sport that originated in the 15th century, golf has been rooted in the British Isles for a long time.

However, the first region where golf became popular was not England, but Scotland.

In fact, at the beginning, it was just a hockey-like sport called Chole, which originated from the Flanders region of Belgium.

This sport, which only requires a stick, a ball and a few holes dug by moles, quickly became popular in Scotland. In a few years, it became a national sport loved by everyone from nobles and priests to ordinary people.

But perhaps because the land of Scotland is so vast and the local population is small, after a period of evolution, the Scottish people who are eager to play are no longer limited to playing Chole in a small area. They naturally expanded the scope of this activity to the entire pasture and farmland nearby. Various natural obstacles, wheat fields and ponds and puddles increase the difficulty of the game, but correspondingly increase its fun.

After that, they also changed Chole to a formal English name - golf.

But while everyone was having fun, the King of Scotland was not happy.

The nobles and commoners of the country were addicted to playing golf and football, and they didn't even practice archery. If the English from the south come to play in the future, will you hit them into the hole with one shot or kick them into the door with one kick?

Feeling that the country might fall into a national defense crisis, His Majesty the King thought hard and finally made a decision that went against the will of the people of the country.

In 1457, after notifying Parliament, King James II of Scotland officially issued a national seal rescript, requiring the country to ban golf and football.

However, although the national seal rescript said so, the actual effect of this rescript is actually equivalent to banning mahjong in China.

God doesn't care about the Scottish people playing golf, so how can you, the king, have a say in this matter?

In this way, this edict was finally abolished in 1502 half a century after it was issued.

The reason for the abolition is also very simple, because the new king, James IV, the grandson of James II, is a golf buddy himself. The first thing he did after taking office was to go straight to the Perth Archery Workshop in the capital to order two excellent golf clubs.

In 1553, Archbishop St. Andrews, one of the two leaders of the Scottish religious community, who governed the four dioceses of Aberdeen, Dunkeld, Galloway and Argyll and the Isles, also issued a decree allowing local residents to play golf in St. Andrews.

However, Archbishop St. Andrews may not have thought about the consequences of his decree. For a long time afterwards, the church found that there were often a group of people who secretly played golf during Sunday sermons.

For this reason, the city of Edinburgh even had to stipulate that playing golf during Sunday sermons was strictly prohibited.

In 1603, after England and Scotland officially merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, the first British King James I naturally brought the habit of playing golf from Scotland to England.

The Blackheath Golf Course that Arthur and his friends visited today was also established by this earliest British king in 1608.

Thanks to the king's love of golf and his order in 1618 that the British people had an innate right to play golf on Sundays, Arthur and his friends did not have to check the calendar when they went out to play, let alone be criticized by the priests.

Arthur walked out of the wooden shed in the preparation area of ​​the golf course, unbuttoned his tailcoat to reveal the white shirt and breeches he was wearing inside, covered his eyebrows with his hands and looked up at the sun hidden behind the dark clouds in the sky.

Next to him was an old acacia tree that had been growing for who knows how many years, and under his feet was lush grass. In the distance was a green and a pond, and not far from the pond was a small river separated by a canal dam. There was a wooden bridge over the river, and occasionally you could see several officers in Royal Navy uniforms riding by on horseback.

And under the trees on the green, you could occasionally see a few gentlemen sitting under the trees, looking up at the sky with sad faces, as if they were waiting for apples.

It was not surprising to see the Royal Navy here, because at the northernmost end of the golf course was the Royal Naval College that Elder had taken Arthur to visit.

As for the gentlemen under the fruit trees, Arthur guessed that they were probably employees of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The Royal Observatory and the stadium are both located in Blackheath Park, and can be reached in a short walk. As for why these gentlemen looked so sad, Arthur thought it was probably related to Mr. George Airy, the director of the Royal Observatory.

Working under that conceited, jealous, narrow-minded and old-fashioned scholar was a headache just thinking about it.

Even in the field of electromagnetism, which had nothing to do with Mr. Airy, he could still criticize Arthur and Mr. Faraday for their new ideas, not to mention living with this astronomical tyrant day and night.

However, this tyrant was not completely useless. In Arthur's opinion, in addition to being one of the best mathematical lunatics and outstanding astronomers in Cambridge, his most outstanding achievement was designing the glasses that could correct astigmatism.

Arthur put the club behind his back, stretched, and casually swung it a few times in the air. As a skilled swordsman, he quickly found the center of gravity of the club. Just as he was thinking about finding a ball to try, he heard the voice of Lionel Rothschild behind him.

Lionel saw through at a glance his intention to hit the ball high and far with a stick, and said with a smile: "Arthur, this is not cricket, you have to lower the cue. But If you really want to knock two sticks, I will set up a game later. Are you free next Saturday? "

"next Saturday?"

Arthur thought about it for a moment: "It's hard to say. Lionel, you also know. The Parliament may be dissolved. Some emergency may happen in the meantime. I don't want to let you go after making an appointment." Pigeon."

"Then let's talk about it when you have some free time."

After saying this, Lionel waved to the caddy next to him and motioned for him to bring the club bag. He pulled a pole from it and threw it towards Arthur: "Try this, American walnut." The wooden pole is much easier to use than the one you have. The best wood in Britain has been dragged to the Royal Navy for shipbuilding, and the wood that can be used to make golf clubs is of second grade. "

Arthur took the club and simply waved it twice, causing a gust of wind: "It seems to be much stronger than the one I have."

Lionel smiled and leaned forward: "I said, Arthur, Blackheath usually plays the "St. Andrews Rules". Is Mr. Talleyrand familiar with it?"

"It doesn't matter what the rules are. Mr. Talleyrand, like me, is a beginner. You can give him a little more time. He had a bad experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and was not in a good mood. He was in the carriage just now." At that time, I was still holding back my money.”

When Lionel heard this, he just tapped Arthur's shoulder lightly with his hand. He smiled and said: "Arthur, what are you talking about? I will not let Mr. Talleyrand. If I lose Well, that’s just Mr. Talleyrand’s talent. Isn’t it normal for an outstanding diplomat who can maneuver around Europe to have some talent in golf?”

Arthur pursed his lips, took out an apple from his pocket and took a bite: "There is indeed a reason why Rothschild's business is so good!"

Lionel was stunned by the sudden appearance of the apple: "Where did you get this apple?"

Arthur raised his head towards the green in front: "Isn't this resourceful? It's picked fresh. Do you want to try it? I have one in my pocket. It's much fresher than the Newton store on Jermyn Street."

"This..." Lionel couldn't laugh or cry: "Otherwise, you should keep it for Mr. Talleyrand. He met a few acquaintances at the entrance of the stadium. It will probably take a while before he comes here."

When Agares, who was squatting on the acacia tree and chewing an apple, heard this, he spat out the apple peel and said, "You weird little Jew, what's the big deal about eating two rotten apples? I'm eating a golden apple." , your ancestors haven’t even crossed the Red Sea yet!”

But Lionel obviously didn't notice the devil's dirty words. While Talleyrand was away, he happened to have something to talk to Arthur about.

Lionel dismissed the caddy and said with a smile: "Actually, I had an encounter with Mr. Talleyrand a few years ago, but he probably doesn't remember it."

"Huh? What about this?"

When Arthur said this, he suddenly remembered: "I almost forgot that your uncle, Mr. James Rothschild, is in charge of your family's business in Paris, right?"

Lionel smiled and replied: "That's right. I was studying in Paris at that time, and Uncle James wanted to take me to see the world. He went to the Tuileries Palace to meet Charles X, who was the one who robbed you The man at the Regent's Crescent House was talking about the issuance of French national debt, so he took me there with him.

I was still young at that time, and I didn’t dare to say anything along the way. My uncle just introduced me to the important figures in the French court one by one, including Prince Polignac, Prince Condé, and Lafayette. During the introduction, I suddenly saw an old lame man walking out of the palace. After he walked away, I learned from others that he was the famous Talleyrand. "

Arthur raised his eyebrows and asked, "Really? What do they think of him?"

Lionel scratched his chin: "They said a lot. On the good side, for example, Mr. Talleyrand is considered a Voltaire-like figure. His humorous mouth can always pop out a few worthwhile words from time to time. A classic saying that has been praised for a long time and made the audience willing to pay for it.

As for the bad aspects, they are nothing more than clichés, such as: France's misfortune is that this land gave birth to a guy like Talleyrand who does not even have the most basic moral qualities. What's even more unfortunate is that the results France achieved at the Congress of Vienna were actually achieved by such a guy. "

Arthur wrapped the apple core in a handkerchief and stuffed it into his pocket: "If all the French think this way, it would be a bit unfair. I don't know Mr. Talleyrand well, but I think he is a person The reason why he has no regard for morality is precisely because he was born in France.

He grew up in a time when only one moral was true in France, and that was the likes and dislikes of the king. No matter how many bad things you do, as long as the king still smiles at you, you are a moral gentleman. If the king kicks you into the Bastille, no matter how many good things you do, you must still be a hypocrite.

Therefore, Mr. Talleyrand doesn't care what others think of him. Not only does he not care, he doesn't even bother to conceal his misdeeds. Not only him, but also Mr. Vidocq, the head of the security department of the Paris Police Department, who I know, is like this. They call this style of behavior active silence.

Whether it was during the reign of Louis XVI, the Great Revolution, or when Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, this style of behavior could help them survive intact in the political arena. As for those who make sarcastic remarks, if we put them in the same period, let alone asking them to change the court six times, they will most likely be guillotined earlier than Louis XVI. "

When Lionel heard this, he couldn't help but smile with an unknown meaning. He took out the cigar box from his pocket and opened the lid with a flick: "Arthur, I didn't expect you to be with my Uncle James." I hold the same view, I thought young people like us all love fantasy.”

Arthur reached out and took out one from the cigar box and lit it: "Young people do love to fantasize, so if you can wake up earlier than your peers, you will easily have an advantage. You can put your fantasies into practice earlier. Use your time to learn some useful skills or knowledge, although these skills and knowledge may seem very insignificant compared to some people’s natural advantages.”

Lionel smiled: "But it's better than nothing."

Arthur nodded slightly: "That's right, at least you've got a head start."

When Lionel heard this, he suddenly changed the topic and said: "Arthur, speaking of this, I happened to know the list of some young people who love fantasy. I wonder if you are interested in helping them get rid of useless and harmful things as soon as possible. Fantasy, do something down-to-earth.”

"Um?"

Arthur sensed something wrong in Lionel's words. He opened his mouth half-open and let the cigar smoke billow on his lips: "The order of the Financial City is not a security team hired by the Financial City autonomous group at a huge cost. Are you responsible? Your police force is much more abundant than in the metropolitan area, and Scotland Yard can't get involved there. "

"No, no, no, Arthur, you misunderstood." Lionel asked with a smile: "I'm not talking about attacks and destruction in the physical sense, but attacks on Rothschild in terms of public opinion and spirituality. ”

"Public opinion and spirit?"

Arthur did not intend to directly agree to his friend's request, but chose to continue talking in circles with him: "Lionel, didn't Rothschild just purchase a large amount of shares in The Times this year? I don’t think there is any newspaper in Britain that can surpass The Times in terms of public opinion. Even the recent surge in sales of our The British newspaper is due to the marriage advertisements published in The Times.”

Lionel saw that Arthur was still unwilling to let go, so he tentatively gave him an introduction: "Arthur, I remember that you like literature and philosophy very much."

"Of course, if it weren't for this, I wouldn't have started "The British"." Arthur calmly took a puff of his cigar: "Lionel, you know, literature is my dream, just like playing the piano."

Lionel asked with a smile: "In addition to writing, do you also read literary review magazines such as Blackwood? The article reprinted from the French newspaper in the previous issues of Blackwood was extraordinary. ”

When Arthur heard this, he immediately remembered that article: "Are you talking about the article about the Paris debate between Ludwig Berner and Heine? That article is indeed wonderful. Although I don't completely agree with Berner Sir’s argument, but I have to applaud his creative metaphorical approach.”

Lionel couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "You're right, after all, except for Bernard, probably no one in the world would denounce Mr. Goethe of Weimar as a 'rhyme slave'. "

Arthur said half-jokingly: "That's better than Hegel of Württemberg. After all, in Bernard's words, Hegel is a 'non-rhyming slave'."

Lionel nodded and said: "However, he was still merciful in his evaluation of Heine. He just compared Heine to a 'slave of aestheticism'."

The red devil, lying on his side on the acacia tree, picked out his ears with a branch, frowned and said, "Are they all fucking slaves? Arthur, is this Bernard a Spartan living in ancient Greece?" ?”

Lionel smiled and continued: "But leave Goethe and Hegel aside. Regarding the description of Heine, I think Bernard was really right. As he said in the article: Escape once Illusion can make people wiser than discovering a truth. Arthur, you police officers are always so realistic and rational. Mr. Berner's insight is probably related to his early work as a police clerk. I think, Heine. The husband is still reluctant to break free from his illusion.

Look at what he wrote, and yet he wanted to get it all published in Britain. Although Britain has initially achieved freedom of press and publication, in the field of book censorship, at least the facts must be respected, right? "

Arthur took the yellowed manuscript from Lionel's hand, and after just one glance, he instantly understood why Rothschild was so angry about this manuscript.

People all over Europe, look before you. Rothschild I, Wellington, Metternich and the Pope have joined forces to form a wall against freedom.

These Rothschilds have always played the same game, to make money. Bankers are the nation's greatest enemies, and they have done more damage to the foundations of freedom than anyone else. There is no doubt that if Rothschild had not provided financial support to those dictators, most Europeans would have enjoyed complete freedom by this time.

Although the Rothschilds are not currently claiming the crown, when a throne is unoccupied, they will provide comprehensive advice and elect a new king.

France's July Revolution? This is just a self-entertaining joke!

If Louis Philippe is still King of France in a year, he can crown himself!

Not at Saint-Remy Cathedral in Reims, but at Notre-Dame de la Bourse in Paris!

Rothschild will serve as archbishop of the ceremony. After the coronation, the doves would be released as usual, and one of them would fly to St. Helena, land on Napoleon's tomb, and say mockingly to his remains that they had seen his successor crowned yesterday, but not by the pope. With anointing, the whole body was anointed by a Jew. Moreover, the current rulers of France have acquired a title, 5% as emperor, 3% as king, and the rest as protector of bankers and traders!

When Arthur saw the manuscript, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He took a deep breath and asked, "If I remember correctly, isn't Mr. Heine himself a Jew? Even if he dislikes Ross, Child, there’s no need to humiliate the Jewish identity in the last paragraph, right?”

Lionel shook his head slightly and said: "No, the last paragraph was not written by Heine, but the masterpiece of his friend Mr. Bone."

Arthur blew out a smoke ring: "Are you sure? Will my friends make fun of Mr. Heine's ethnicity?"

"Pretty sure."

Lionel nodded with a complicated expression: "Because Mr. Born is also a Jew, and he was a Jew born in the Jewish Street in Frankfurt. My grandfather came from there. Even now, we still often They will return to the ancestral home in Frankfurt to hold a family meeting. I don’t understand what they are thinking. Of these two guys, Heine doesn’t know what he is resisting, and Born is even worse. The Jews became German nationalists.”

"Jewish German nationalists?"

Arthur covered his mouth and took a deep breath: "Hiss... I didn't know that these three things could be put together. It's really... very imaginative. Mr. Heine is at best a young man's confusion. , but Mr. Bone is seriously ill."

"That's right."

Lionel smiled helplessly or angrily, and he said: "As a Jew who came from Frankfurt, doesn't he still understand where the most serious rejection of Jews in Europe is? The German state! Britain's Although Jews have few rights, what we get here is far from what we can get in Germany. Arthur, I don't ask you to prevent the publication of this book, but if possible, I ask you to censor it. Go talk to them both."

Arthur frowned and asked, "According to the article in Blackwood, isn't Mr. Heine in Paris at this time?"

"Yes, Heine is still in Paris." Lionel said: "But Born is in London at the moment, and Heine will come to London soon to talk to him about publishing this book "Travel Sketches" in English It’s a matter of edition.”

"Then..." Arthur paused: "How did you know about this?"

Lionel smiled slightly, and he took out a letter from his coat pocket: "Arthur, I have to remind you a little, if you want to deliver a letter, don't use the British General Post Office, it is not only slow but also easy to lose. In addition, Rothschild’s post and courier service is the best in Europe.”

Arthur also understood after hearing this. He put out his cigar and pressed it twice with his toes: "Unfortunately, Rothschild is still not very satisfactory in terms of confidentiality..."