Leaving my wife who wanted to browse around souvenir shops downtown, my daughter and I dropped in at Merton College which I had visited five years ago. Common tourists had to pay the admission fee at the gate, but we were allowed free admittance thanks to her ID. Then she went to a dress hire shop to receive a Degree Day Ceremony outfit, leaving me in Merton College. I felt she really fitted in with Oxford. Born in a small town in Japan and now graduating from the world's most prestigious university, I admired my young hopeful.
Ten-noh spent two years in this college in his 20's. I knew from his memoir that Andrew Irvine was a student of Oxford University, who got lost along with George Mallory on Mount Everest. I found his monument and paid a ten-second silence to him. Then I found a memorial tablet of previous wardens. The name of the warden who had taken care of young Ten-noh was on the tablet. Forty years have passed since Ten-noh had belonged to this college, and they became a page of history.
On the way to Merton College, my daughter asked me about Cecil Rhodes whose statue was set in Oriel College. I was surprised at its existence in this glorious university. According to my daughter, the pros and cons of the dismantlement of the statue became a controversial social problem. I explained his wrongdoings as follows:
Africans faced a huge calamity especially after the exploration by Livingstone in the time of Queen Victoria in the latter half of 19th century. Cecil Rhodes was the main player along with the father of Winston Churchill to hit the devastating blow to Africans. He arrogantly founded a country whose name was from him, Rhodesia. This country is now called Zimbabwe. Its political turmoil is continuing even now. He collected lots of money and resources from Africa at the cost of local people's lives. His act might have been beneficial for the U.K., but putting him in perspective, he was simply the villain of today's instability of African nations. Oxford University should sever the relationship with him. She was listening to me with no defiance.
After I left Merton College, I found myself in front of Oriel College on the High Street, the busiest street being packed with tourists in Oxford City. Looking up, I found the statue of Cecil Rhodes. Here of all places! My camera wouldn't identify the letters on the statue and I didn't take pictures. In return, I'll show you two pictures from the net. His statue at the most conspicuous place of the college,,,how stupid! I was lost for words.
(Vocabulary)
browse [自] (店内を) ぶらぶら見て歩く, ひやかす
fit in with 溶け込んでいる
my young hopeful 前途有望な娘
villain 悪党、悪人；＜問題などの＞元凶
with no defiance 神妙に
Here of all places! よりによってこんな場所で(他にもあるだろうに)
土産物店をぶらぶらするというカミさんを残して、５年前にも立ち寄ったマートンカレッジを訪問した。ここでも通常なら料金を払う必要があるのだが、娘がＩＤを提示してフリーパス。僕を中へ入れてくれた後、娘は貸衣装屋へ行った。学位授与式に使う衣装を予約しているのだとか。当たり前だが、オックスフォードの街に溶け込んでいる。頼もしくなったものだ。
ここは陛下が二年間過ごされたコレッジ。陛下の本で知ったある登山家の慰霊碑を見たかった。慰霊碑に１０秒ほどの黙祷をして、教会に入ると陛下が何度も世話になったと書かれている学長が銘板に乗っていて、歴史になっていた。陛下の留学から４０年近くになるのだから当たり前かもしれないが、自分も歴史の流れの中に居ることを改めて痛感した。
マートンカレッジへ向かう途中で、娘がセシル・ローズについて尋ねてきた。Oriel Collegeに銅像があって撤去するかどうかもめているとか。セシル・ローズについて最近調べたばかりだったからかなり詳しく説明した。１９世紀後半、ビクトリア女王の時代、David Livingstoneの探検以降、アフリカは悲惨な目に合ってきたこと、セシル・ローズは傲慢にも自分の名を冠した国を造り、その国は今はジンバブエとなったが、いまだに政治的混乱の中にある。ウインストン・チャーチルの親父と結託しての悪行は枚挙に暇がない。日本も被害者だった。イギリスに富をもたらしたという点でイギリスにとっては功労者かもしれないが、一般的には極悪人である。オックスフォード大学に資金面で貢献したのだろうが、こんな奴とは手を切るべき、、、娘は珍しく神妙に僕の話を聞いていた。少しは尊敬してくれたろうか？（笑）
マートンカレッジを出てからorioleへ行ってみた。オックスフォード市内で最も賑やかな通りに面した場所に彼の銅像があった。驚いた。下の写真はネット上で探したもの。
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