An ancient sport that originated in the 15th century, golf has long been rooted on the island of Britain.

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

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

The sport, which only required a stick, a ball and a few holes dug by moles, quickly became popular in Scotland, and within a few years it became a popular national sport in Scotland, from the aristocratic clergy to the common people.

But perhaps because the land of Scotland is too vast, coupled with the small number of local populations, so after a period of evolution, the fun-minded Scottish people are not confined to only playing Chole in a small area, they naturally expand the scope of this activity to the entire nearby pastures and farmland, all kinds of natural obstacles, wheat fields and pond puddles although increase the difficulty of the game, but correspondingly improve its fun.

After that, they also changed Chole's official English name - golf.

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

The aristocratic commoners of the whole country were addicted to playing golf and football, and even bows and arrows were not practiced. In the future, if the English from the south come at us, are you going to put them in the hole with one shot or kick them in the door?

His Majesty, who felt that the country was in danger of falling into a national defense crisis, learned from the pain and finally made a decision that went against the will of the people of the whole country.

In 1457, King James II of Scotland officially issued a national seal after a note to Parliament, requiring that golf and football should not be played in the country.

However, although the edict of the national seal says so, the actual effect of this edict is actually equivalent to the ban on mahjong in China.

The Scottish people play golf, and God can't control it, so where can your king speak in this matter?

In this way, after half a century of issuance, the edict was finally abolished in 1502.

The reason for the abolition is also simple, because the new king, James IV, the grandson of James II, was himself a golfer. The first thing he did when he took office was to go straight to the city's Poes Bow & Arrow Workshop and order two fine clubs.

In 1553, the Archbishop of St. Andrews, one of the two major religious leaders of Scotland and the four dioceses of Aberdeen, Dunkeld, Galloway and Argyle and the Isles, issued an edict allowing the local population to play golf in St. Andrews.

But Archbishop St. Andrews probably had no idea what the consequences of his oracle would be, and for a long time afterward, the Church discovered that it was common for people to secretly play golf during Sunday sermons.

For this reason, the city of Edinburgh even had to impose a strict ban on playing during Sunday sermons.

In 1603, after the official union of England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, the first British king, James I, naturally brought the habit of golfing from Scotland to England.

Arthur's Blackheath Stadium, where they visit today, was founded in 1608 by the first king of Britain.

Thanks to the king's love of golf and his decree in 1618 that the British people had an inherent right to play golf on Sundays, Arthur and his children could not check their calendars while they were out playing, let alone be rebuked by the clergy.

Arthur stepped out of the wooden shed in the stadium preparation area, unbuttoned his tuxedo to reveal the white shirt and breeches he was wearing, and put his hands on his eyebrows to look up at the sun hidden behind dark clouds in the sky.

Beside him was an old acacia tree that had grown for an unknown number of years, with green grass at his feet, and in the distance a green and pond, and not far from the pond was a small river separated by a ditch embankment, with a wooden bridge over it, and the occasional officer in Royal Navy uniform could be seen riding by.

And under the trees on the green, you can 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's not surprising to see the Royal Navy here, as at the far north of the pitch is the Royal Naval College, which Elder took Arthur to visit.

As for the gentlemen under the fruit trees, Arthur speculated that most of them were employees of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The Royal Observatory is located in Blackheath Park, just a short walk away. As for why these gentlemen looked sad, Arthur felt that it was probably related to Mr. George Airy, the director of the Royal Observatory.

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

Even in the field of electromagnetism, which has nothing to do with Mr. Airy, he can rush to Arthur and Mr. Faraday's new ideas, let alone get along with the astronomical tyrant.

But the tyrant wasn't useless, and in Arthur's opinion, the guy's most outstanding achievement, apart from Cambridge's greatest mathematical maniac and brilliant astronomer, was to design the glasses that corrected astigmatism.

Arthur stretched his back with his back and swung a few more casually into the air, and as a skilled swordsman, he quickly found the center of gravity of the club, and just as he was trying to find a ball, the voice of Lionel Rothschild came from behind him.

Lionel saw through 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 club a little bit." But if you really want to knock two sticks, I'll go back and form a game, are you free next Saturday? ”

"Next Saturday?"

Arthur pondered, "It's hard to say. Lionel, you know that too. The council is going to be dissolved, and any emergency can happen in the middle, so I don't want to release your pigeons later. ”

"Then we'll talk about it when you're free."

With that, Lionel beckoned to the caddie next to him, motioning for him to bring the club bag, and he pulled a club from it and threw it at Arthur: "Try this, the American walnut club is much easier to use than the one you have." The best wood in Britain has been towed by the Royal Navy to build ships, and the wood that can be used to make golf clubs is all second-class. ”

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

Lionel leaned in with a smile: "I said, Arthur, Blackheath generally plays the "St. Andrews Rule", is Mr. Talleyrand familiar with it?" ”

"It doesn't matter what the rules are, Mr. Talleyrand, like me, is a beginner. You let him do a little later, he touched his nose in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, he was not in a very good mood, and he was holding back his money when he was in the carriage just now. ”

When Lionel heard this, he just tapped Arthur's shoulder lightly with his hand, and he opened his mouth and smiled: "Arthur, what are you talking about?" I'm not going to let Mr. Talleyrand. If I lose, it is purely because Monsieur Talleyrand is talented, a brilliant diplomat who can crisscross Europe, and isn't it normal that he has a little talent in golf? ”

Arthur pursed his lips, took out an apple from his pocket and took a bite: "Rothschild's business can do so well, and there is a reason why!" ”

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

Arthur raised his head at the green in front of him: "Isn't this a resource?" Freshly picked. Would you like to try it, I still have one in my pocket, it's much fresher than the Newton specialty on Jeming Street. ”

"This ......," Lionel said with a smile, "or you should keep it for Mr. Talleyrand, who met a few acquaintances at the gate of the court, and it is estimated that it will be a while before he comes." ”

Agares, who was squatting on the acacia tree and nibbling on apples, heard this, and spat down the apple peel with a snort: "Rare and weird little Jews, what's the big deal about eating two rotten apples?" When Lao Tzu nibbled on the golden apple, your ancestors didn't cross the Red Sea! ”

But Lionel apparently did not perceive the devil's foul language, and while Talleyrand was away, he happened to have something to talk to Arthur about.

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

"Huh? And what about this? ”

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

Lionel smiled and replied, "That's right. I was studying in Paris, and Uncle James wanted to take me to see the world. He went to the Tuileries Palace to meet Charles X, the same one who robbed you of the house of the Regency Crescent, and brought me with him when he was talking about the issuance of French bonds.

I was too young to say anything along the way, but my uncle introduced me one by one to the great men of the French court, the Prince of Polignac, the Prince of Condé, and Lafayette. While I was about to introduce him, I suddenly saw an old lame man come out of the court, and when he was far away, I learned that he was the famous Talleyrand. ”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and asked, "Really?" What did they all say about him? ”

Lionel scratched his chin: "They say a lot, and on the good side, for example, Monsieur Talleyrand is considered a Voltaire-like figure, and his humorous mouth always pops out a few classic words that are worth singing for a long time and making the audience willing to pay for it."

The bad side is nothing more than clichés, such as the misfortune of France, that this land has produced a man like Talleyrand, who does not possess even the most basic moral qualities. What is even more unfortunate is that the results that France achieved at the Vienna Conference were actually achieved by such a guy. ”

Arthur wrapped the apple core in a handkerchief and stuffed it into his pocket: "If the French think so, it would be a bit unfair." I don't know much about Monsieur Talleyrand, but I think he was a man who didn't think much about morality precisely because he was born in France.

In the era when he was growing up, there was only one morality true in France, and that was the king's likes and dislikes. No matter how many bad things you do, as long as the king smiles at you, you are a moral gentleman. If the king kicks you into the Bastille, you will be a hypocrite, no matter how much good you do.

Therefore, Monsieur Talleyrand does not care what others think of him, not only does he not care, but he does not even bother to hide his various bad deeds. This is true not only of him, but even of Mr. Vidocq, the head of the security department of the Grand Paris Police Agency, whom I know, who call this style of behavior active silence.

Whether it was during the reign of Louis XVI, the Revolution, or Napoleon's ascension to the throne, this style of conduct helped them survive in politics intact. As for those who speak cool words, if they were put in the same period, let alone changed six times, they would have been guillotined earlier than Louis XVI. ”

When Lionel heard this, he couldn't help but show a smile of 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 have the same opinion as my Uncle James, I thought that young people like us are very fond of fantasy." ”

Arthur reached out and took one out of the humidor and lit it: "Young people do love fantasy, so if you can wake up earlier than your peers, then you will easily have an advantage." You can use your fantasy time earlier to learn useful skills or knowledge, even though these skills and knowledge may seem very insignificant compared to the natural strengths of some people. ”

Lionel smiled, "But it's better than nothing." ”

Arthur nodded slightly: "That's right, at least you've run away." ”

When Lionel heard this, he suddenly changed his words and said: "Arthur, speaking of which, 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 fantasies as soon as possible and do something down-to-earth." ”

"Huh?"

Arthur tasted a hint of error in Lionel's words, and he half-opened his mouth to let the cigar smoke curtain roll on his lips: "Isn't the order of the financial city in charge of the security team hired by the financial city local government at great expense?" You've got a lot more police than you have in the metropolitan area, and Scotland Yard doesn't have a hand in there. ”

"No, no, Arthur, you're mistaken." Lionel smiled and asked: "I'm not talking about attack and destruction in the physical sense, but an attack on Rothschild on the level of public opinion and spirituality." ”

"Public opinion and spirit?"

Arthur did not intend to accept the friend's request directly, but chose to continue to go around in circles with him: "Lionel, didn't Rothschild just buy a large stake in The Times this year?" I don't think there's any newspaper in Britain that can overwhelm The Times in terms of public opinion. Even the recent surge in sales of our "British" is due to the marriage advertisement published in The Times. ”

Lionel didn't let go of Arthur, so he tentatively threw him an introduction: "Arthur, I remember that you like literature and philosophy very much. ”

"Of course, if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have started 'British.'" Arthur took a calm sip on his cigar: "Lionel, you know, literature is my dream, just like playing the piano. ”

Lionel smiled and asked, "Then when you're not writing, do you still read literary criticism magazines like Blackwood?" The article in the previous issues of Blackwood, which reprinted a French newspaper, was extraordinarily wonderful. ”

When Arthur heard this, he immediately remembered that it was the article: "Do you mean that article about the polemic between Ludwig Bernard and Heine in Paris?" That one was really wonderful. While I do not fully agree with Mr. Bernard's argument, I have to applaud his creative figurative approach. ”

Lionel couldn't help but laugh directly when he heard this: "That's right, after all, except for Bernard, probably no one in this world will denounce Mr. Goethe in Weimar as a 'rhyming minion'." ”

Arthur half-jokingly: "That's also better than Hegel in Württemberg, after all, in Bernard's mouth, Hegel is a 'slave who doesn't rhyme'." ”

Lionel nodded: "But his evaluation of Heine is still merciful, he just compares Heine to a 'slave of aestheticism'." ”

The red devil lying on his side on the acacia tree plucked his ears with a branch, frowned and said, "All minions? Arthur, is this Bernard a Spartan who lived in ancient Greece? ”

Lionel smiled and continued, "But Goethe and Hegel aside. As for the description of Heine, I don't think Berner is really wrong. As he said in his article: breaking free from an illusion is wiser than discovering a truth. Arthur, you policemen have always been so realistic and sensible, and Mr. Bernard's insightful thinking probably has something to do with his early years as a police clerk. I think Mr. Heine is now reluctant to break free from his hallucinations.

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

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

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

These Rothschilds have always played the same game, with the aim of making a fortune. Bankers are the nation's worst enemies, and they do more damage to the foundations of freedom than anyone else. There is no doubt that if Rothschild had not provided financial support to the dictators, the majority of Europeans would have enjoyed complete freedom by this time.

Although the Rothschilds are not currently vying for the crown, when a throne is unoccupied, they offer a full range of advice to elect a new king.

The July Revolution in France? It's nothing more than a joke to amuse yourself!

If Louis Philippe were still King of France a year from now, he would have crowned himself!

Not in the Cathedral of Saint-Rémy in Reims, but in Notre-Dame on the Paris Stock Exchange!

Rothschild will serve as archbishop of the ceremony. After the coronation, the doves are released as usual, and one of them will fly to St. Helena, where it will stop at Napoleon's grave, and then mockingly say to his remains that they saw his heir crowned yesterday, but not anointed by the Pope, but anointed by a Jew. Moreover, the current rulers of France have acquired the title of 5% emperor, 3% king, and the rest patron of bankers and traders!

When Arthur saw this manuscript, the corners of his mouth twitched a few times, he took a deep breath, and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, isn't Mr. Heine himself a Jew?" Even if he dislikes Rothschild, there is no need to humiliate the identity of the Jew 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. Bonn." ”

Arthur spat out the smoke ring: "Are you sure?" Will a friend make fun of Mr. Heine's nation? ”

"Pretty sure."

Lionel nodded with a complicated expression: "Because Mr. Born is also a Jew, and he is also a Jew born in Frankfurt's Jewish Street, and it was from there that my grandfather came out." Even now, we often go back to our ancestral home in Frankfurt for family meetings. I don't know what they think, Heine doesn't know what he's rebelling against of the two. Born was even worse, as a Jew became a German nationalist. ”

"Jewish German nationalists?"

Arthur covered his mouth and took a deep breath: "Hiss...... I didn't even know that these three things could fit together, it's really ...... Very imaginative. Mr. Heine is at best a young man's confusion, but Mr. Born is mad, and not light. ”

"That's right."

Lionel didn't know whether he was helpless or angry, and he said: "As a Jew who came out of Frankfurt, doesn't he still understand where the worst rejection of Jews is in all of Europe? German Confederation! The Jews of Britain certainly had very few rights, but what we get here is far from being comparable in Germany. Arthur, I don't ask you to stop the publication of this book, but if possible, I beg that you would be able to talk to both of them in the name of censorship. ”

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

"That's right, Heine is still in Paris." Lionel spoke, "But Born is in London at this time, and Heine will come to London in a little while to talk to him about publishing the English version of the Travel Sketches." ”

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

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

Arthur also understood when he heard this, he snuffed out the cigar and crushed it twice on his toes: "It's a pity that in terms of secrecy, Rothschild is still not as good as it should be......"

(End of chapter)