4.Young Peel next went to Oxford，where he greatly distinguished himself by his talents，his studious habits，and his gentlemanly conduct.He was no mere book-worm，however.He was a keen cricketer，and he was very fond of boating.At the close of his college career，he took，for the first time under the new system of examination，a “double first class degree；”that is to say，he wasfirst in classics and first also in mathematics.
5.Peel came of age in February 1809，and almost immediately thereafterahe entered the House of Commons as member for Cashel.
The plans which
old Sir Robert Peel had laid down for his son’s preparation for life had thus been completely carried out.If，instead of being a human creature，the sona Cashel.-A small town of Tipperary，in Ireland，49miles north-east of Cork.
had been a machine，the father‘s design could not have been more exactly fulfilled.
6.Young Peel’s reputation had preceded him when he entered public life，and every opportunity was given him to show his powers.He seconded the Address to the Throne in 1810.He became private secretary to Lord Liverpool；and when that nobleman became Premier in 1812，Peel，then only twenty-four years of age，was made Chief Secretary for Ireland.
7.Peel devoted himself to his parliamentary and his official duties with the same zeal and industry which he had shown during his training at home，at school，and at college.With him，sitting in the House of Commons was not a fashionable dignity；it was an arduous apprenticeship to the profession of politics.
8.His rise，however，was steady and rapid.In 1818he was selected to represent the University of Oxford in Parliament.In 1822he became Home Secretary in the Liverpool Administration.He applied himself with his usual method and eamestness to improving and simplifying the Criminal Law；and his famous “FiveaActs”
are a monument at once of his industry and of his humanity.
9.Peel‘s father，who was also in Parliament，was a stanch Tory.The son began life in the same political faith，and adhered to it as long as he could.But with experience and independent study，his opinions underwent great changes.
10.When Peel was convinced that he had been wrong，he did not hesitate to admit his error.There were three great occasions on which Peel not only proclaimed his conversion，but also became the active promoter of measures which he had formerly opposed.
11.In 1811，he had voted，with his father，against adopting the recommendation of a committee of the House of Commons，that the Bank of England should resume the making of payments in cash-that is，in coin-instead of continuing to pay in paper money only.In 1819，Peel was himself chairman of a committee that advised resumption，and he carried through Parliament.a Bill for thatpurpose.This defection gave great pain to his father，who referred to it feelingly in the House of Commons.
12.From the very commencement of his public life，Peel had opposed Catholicbemancipation.
It was chiefly because of this that he had been selected torepresent Oxford in 1818.In 1829he carried through Parliament the Catholic Emancipation Act，which is now generally approved.
a Five Acts.-Acts bringing together the laws relating to the prevention and punishment of crime.In them many cruel sentences were abolished，and prisoners were treated humanely.
b Catholic Emancipation.-The abolition of the law which excluded Roman Catholics from the House ofCommons13.The third question on which Peel changed sides was that of Free Trade.At first he opposed all change in the Corn Laws；then he proposed a sliding-scale；and lastly，in 1846，he carried the Bill for the total repeal of the Corn Laws.His change on this question broke up the Tory party，and led to a re-arrangement of the political forces under the flags of Liberalism and Conservatism.
14.Sir Robert Peel was twice Prime Minister-first in 1834-35，and afterwards from 1841till 1846.The Protectionists，as the opponents of Free Trade were called，avenged themselves on Peel for deserting them，by joining with the Liberals to oppose his Irish Coercion Bill in 1846.He was defeated，and resigned office.During the next four years he supported the Ministry of Earl Russell.In June 1850he was thrown from his horse.His collar-bone was broken，and he died a few days afterwards.
15.Besides the adoption of Free Trade，his second Ministry was famous for a Bank Act passed in 1844，and for reforms in the tariff，or scale of duties on articles of merchandise.His work as a financial reformer was taken up and carried out by his pupil and follower，Mr.W.E.Gladstone.
中文阅读
1.罗伯特·皮尔爵士出生时，他父亲就发誓要让他将来为国效力。这一誓言一直得到如实遵守。这个男孩接受的全部教育和家庭培养，都是着眼于有一天让他进入英国议会下院而设计的。
2.年幼时，父亲就要求他背诵一些伟大演讲家的演说，还要求他在餐桌上发表即席讲话，并让他尽可能将所能记住的周日布道内容尽量重复出来。
3.少年皮尔从家里被送往哈罗学校，在那里，他的朗诵才华和表演天赋均高人一筹。他在那里认识了“挚交”拜伦a，而拜伦也承认，作为一名学者，皮尔的学识远在他之上。
4.年轻的皮尔随后去了牛津，在那里，他的才华、勤学的习惯以及绅士派头十足的举止非常引人瞩目。然而，他并不是书呆子。他是个身手敏捷的板球队员，并且很喜欢划船。在大学生涯行将结束时，他在第一次应用新型考试系统的考验下，获得了一个“一级双学位”，也就是说，他的文学和数学都是一等。
5.1809年皮尔一成年，便几乎马上进入了英国下院，成为卡什尔b的议员。老罗伯特·皮尔爵士为儿子未来打算而设计的方案，从此全部实现。如果这位父亲对孩子不实施人的教育，而把他当作一台机器，那么他对孩子的设计就不会那么如愿并得以实现。
a Byron，拜伦，乔治·戈登（1788~1824年）：英国诗人，被公认为是浪漫主义运动的先驱。著作有《恰尔德·哈罗德游记》、《希永的囚徒》以及讽刺长诗《唐璜》。--译者注b 卡什尔：爱尔兰蒂帕雷里的一个小镇，科克东北49英里处。
6.当青年皮尔进入社会时，便已经名噪一时，他也得到了各种展示才华的机会。1810年，他支持向王室谏言的法案。后来，他成了利物浦爵士的私人秘书，而当此位贵人于1812年成为首相时，年仅24岁的皮尔当上了爱尔兰的大总督。
7.皮尔怀着他在家庭、中学和大学接受训练期间展示出的同样的激情和勤勉，致力于他的议会事务和官员职责。对他来说，在下院占有一席之地并不是什么值得炫耀的时髦事，而是为进入政坛辛苦地打基础。
8.然而他的升迁却又稳又快。1818年，他当选为牛津大学在议会中的代表。
1822年，他成为利物浦行政机关的内政大臣。他用自己常用的方法、怀着自己惯有的热情，全力改善和简化“刑法”，而他著名的“五项法案”a则立即成为标志着他勤奋和谦逊品质的里程碑。
9.父亲也在议会任职，是一名忠实的托利党人。儿子怀着同样的政治信念开始政治生活，并尽可能长久地忠于这种信念。但在经过实践检验和独立学习之后，他的看法也经历了很大的变化。
10.当皮尔确信自己犯了错误的时候，会毫不犹豫地承认错误。曾经出现过三次这样的事：皮尔不仅坦言自己改变看法，而且成为之前曾反对过的措施的积极推动者。
