PREFACE
Thestudiesinthisvolumeoriginallyappearedinthe\"St。James’sGazette。\"Two,fromafriendlyhand,havebeenomittedherebytheauthoroftherest,asnonsuapoma。OnewasbyMr。RICHARD
SWIVELLERtoabooncompanionandbrotherinthelyricApollo;theother,thoughpurportingtohavebeenaddressedbyMessrs。DOMBEY&
SONtoMr。TOOTS,isbelieved,oninternalevidence,tohavebeencomposedbythepatronoftheCHICKENhimself。Afewprefatorynotes,anintroductoryessay,andtwolettershavebeenadded。
Theportraitinthefrontispiece,copiedbyMr。T。HodgefromanoldpaintingintheClubatSt。Andrews,isbelievedtorepresenttheBaronBradwardineaddressinghimselftohisball。
A。L。
FRIENDSINFICTION
EveryfancywhichdwellsmuchwiththeunbornandimmortalcharactersofFictionmustaskitself,Didthepersonsincontemporarynovelsnevermeet?Insolittleaworldtheirpathsmustoftenhavecrossed,theirorbitsmusthaveintersected,thoughwehearnothingabouttheadventurefromtheaccreditednarrators。
Inhistoricalfictionauthorsmaketheirpeoplemeetrealmenandwomenofhistory——LouisXI。,Lazarus,MaryQueenofScots,GeneralWebbe,Moses,theManintheIronMask,MarieAntoinette;thelistisendless。Butnovelists,inspiteofMr。Thackeray’sadvicetoAlexandreDumas,andofhisownexamplein\"RebeccaandRowena,\"
havenotintroducedeachother’scharacters。DumasneverpursuedthefortunesoftheMasterofRavenswoodafterhewaspickedupbythatcoastingvesselintheKelpie’sFlow。Sometimesameetingbetweencharactersinnovelsbydifferenthandslookedallbutunavoidable。\"Pendennis\"and\"DavidCopperfield\"cameoutsimultaneouslyinnumbers,yetPenneverencounteredSteerforthattheUniversity,nordidWarrington,inhislifeofjournalism,jostleagainstareporternamedDavidCopperfield。OnefearsthattheMajorwouldhavecalledSteerforthatiger,thatPenwouldhavebeenveryloftilycondescendingtothenephewofBetsyTrotwood。
ButCaptainCostiganwouldscarcelyhaverefusedtotakeasipofMr。Micawber’spunch,andIdoubt,notthatLitimerwouldhaveconspireddarklywithMorgan,theMajor’ssinisterman。Mostofthosedelightfulsetsofoldfriends,theDickensandThackeraypeople,mightwellhavemet,thoughtheybelongedtoverydifferentworlds。Inoldernovels,too,itmighteasilyhavechancedthatMr。EdwardWaverleyofWaverleyHonour,cameintocontactwithLieutenantBooth,or,aftertheForty—five,withThomasJones,or,inScotland,BalmawhapplemighthaveforegatheredwithLieutenantLismahagow。MightnotevenJeanieDeanshavecrossedthepathofMajorLambertofthe\"Virginians,\"andbeenhelpedonherwaybythatgoodman?AssuredlyDugaldDalgettyinhiswanderingsinsearchoffightsandfortunemayhavecrushedacuporrattledadiceboxwithfourgallantgentlemenoftheKing’sMousquetaires。
ItisagreeabletowonderwhatalltheseveryrealpeoplewouldhavethoughtoftheircompanionsintheregionofRomance,andtoguesshowtheirnatureswouldhaveactedandreactedoneachother。
Thiswastheideawhichsuggestedthefollowinglittleessaysinparody。Inmakingthemthewriter,thoughanassiduousandveterannovelreader,hadtorecognisethatafterallheknew,onreallyintimateandfriendlyterms,comparativelyfewpeopleintheParadiseofFiction。Settingasidethedramaticpoetsandtheircreations,thechildrenofMoliereandShakspeare,thereaderofnovelswillfind,maybe,thathisairyfriendsarescarcesomanyashedeemed。WeallknowSanchoandtheDon,byreputeatleast;
wehaveallourmemoriesofGilBlas;ManonLescautdoesnotfadefromtheheart,norherlover,theChevalierdesGrieux,fromtheremembrance。OurmentalpictureofAnnaKarenineisfreshenoughandfairenough,buthowfewcanmostofusrecalloutofthemyriadprogenyofGeorgeSand!Indiana,Valentine,Lelia,doyouquitebelieveinthem,wouldyouknowthemifyoumetthemintheParadiseofFiction?Nounonemightrecognise,butthereisahazinessaboutLaPetiteFadette。Consuelo,letitbeadmitted,isnotevanescent,oblivionscattersnopoppyoverher;butMadameSand’slaterladies,stillmorehermen,areeasilylostintheforestsoffancy。Eventheirnameswithdifficultyreturntous,andifwereadtheroll—call,wouldHoraceandJacquescryAdsumlikethegoodColonel?TherearelivingcriticswhohaveallMr。
GeorgeMeredith’sheroinesandheroesandodditiesattheirfingerends,andyetforgetthatmusicalname,likethecloseofarichhexameter,ClareDoriaForey。Butthisisadigression;itisperhapsadmittedthatGeorgeSand,sogreatanovelist,gavetheworldfewcharacterswholiveinandaredeartomemory。Wecanjustfancyoneofherdignifiedlaterheroines,allself—
renunciationandruralsentiment,preachinginvaintothatrealwoman,EmmaBovary。HERweknow,herweremember,aswerememberfew,comparatively,ofBalzac’sthrongingfaces,fromLaCousineBettetoSeraphitusSeraphita。Manyofthosearecertaintoliveandkeeptheirhold,butitisbydintoflongandelaboratepreparation,description,analysis。Astrangerintermeddlethnotwiththem,thoughwecanfancyLuciendeRubempreletlooseinacountryneighbourhoodofGeorgeSand’s,andmakingsonnetsandlovetosomeruralchatelaine,whileVautrinmightstrayamongtheruffiansofGaboriau,agiantofcrime。AmongM。Zola’speople,howeveritmayfarewithothers,Ifindmyselfrememberingfew:
theguiltyHippolytusof\"LaCuree,\"thepoorgirlin\"LaFortunedesRougon,\"theAbbeMouret,theartistin\"L’Oeuvre,\"andthehalfidioticgirlofthefarmhouse,andHelenein\"UnPaged’Amour。\"TheyarenotamongstM。Zola’smostprominentcreations,anditmustbesomeaccidentthatmakesthemmostmemorableandrecognisabletooneofhisreaders。
Probablyweallnoticethatthecharactersoffictionwhoremainourintimates,whosewordscometoourlipsoften,whoseconductinthisorthatsituationwecouldeasilyforecast,arethecharacterswhomwemetwhenwewereyoung。Wemaybewronginthinkingthemthebest,themosttrueandlivingoftheunborn;perhapstheyonlyseemsorealbecausetheycamefreshtofreshheartsandunwornmemories。Thisatleastwemustallowfor,whenwearetemptedtosayaboutnovelists,\"Theoldarebetter。\"Itwaswewho,longago,wereyoungandbetter,betterfittedtoenjoyandretainthepleasureofmakingnewvisionaryacquaintances。Ifthisbeso,whatanargumentitisinfavourofreadingthebestbooksfirstandearliestinyouth!DotheladieswhonowfindScottslow,andMissAustendull,andDickensvulgar,andThackerayprosy,andFieldingandRichardsonimpossible,cometothisbeliefbecausetheybeganearlywiththevolumesofthecirculatinglibrary?Aretheirmemorieshappilystoredwiththewordsanddeedsofmodernfictitiousromps,andpassionategovernesses,andtremendousguardsmenwithhugecigars?Arethepeopleof——well,whymentionnamesoflivingauthors?——ofwhomyouwill——arethoseasmuchtotheyoungreadersof1890asQuentinDurward,andColonelNewcome,andSamWeller,andBeckySharp,andAnneElliot,andElizabethBennett,andJaneEyreweretoyoungreadersof1860?Itmayverywellbeso,andweseniorswillnotregretourchoice,andtheyoungmenandmaidswillbepleasedenoughwiththeirs。Yetitisnotimpossiblethattheoldreallyarebetter,anddonotgainalltheirlifeandpermanentcharmmerelyfromtheunjadedmemoriesandaffectionswithwhichwecametothemlongago。
Weshallneverbecertain,forevenifwetriedtheexperimentofcomparing,wearenolongergoodjudges,ourheartsarewithouroldfriends,whomwethinkdeathless;theirbirthisfarenoughoffintime,buttheywillserveusforours。
Thesefriends,ithasbeensaid,arenotsuchaverynumerouscompanyafterall。Mostofthemarechildrenofourownsoil,theirspiritsweremadeinEngland,oratleastinGreatBritain,or,perhaps,cameofEnglishstockacrosstheseas,likeourdearoldLeatherStockingandMadamHesterPrynne。Probablymostofusareinsularenoughtoconfessthislimitation;evenifwebesounpatriotictoreadfarmorenewFrenchthannewEnglishnovels。
OnemaystudyM。Daudet,andnotrememberhisSidonieaswerememberBecky,norhisPetitChoseorhisJackaswerememberDavidCopperfield。IntheParadiseofFictionarefolkofallnationsandtongues;buttheEnglish(asSwedenborgsawthemdoinginhisvisionofHeaven)keepverymuchtothemselves。TheAmericanvisitors,orsomeofthem,disdainouroldacquaintances,andassociatewithRussian,Spanish,Lithuanian,Armenianheroesandheroines,conversing,probably,insomesortofFrench。Fewofus\"poorislanders\"aresocosmopolitan;wereadforeignnovels,andyetamongallthebrilliantpersonsmettherewerememberbutafew。Mostofmyownforeignfriendsinfictionwearlove—locksandlargeboots,haverapiersattheirsidewhichtheyareveryreadytodraw,aregreattrenchermen,mightyfinedrinkers,andsomewhatgallantintheirconducttothesex。ThereisalsoacitizenortwofromFuretiere’s\"RomanBourgeois,\"thereisManon,aforesaid,andacompanyofpicaroons,andanarchbishop,andaladystyledMarianne,andanewlyennobledCountofmysteriouswealth,andtwogrisettes,namedMimiandMusette,withtheirstudent—lovers。M。
Balzachasintroducedustomystics,andmurderers,andoldmaids,anddoctors,andadventurers,andpoets,andagirlwithgoldeneyes,andmalefactors,andbankrupts,andmadoldcollectors,peasants,cures,critics,dreamers,debauchees;butallthesearesomewhatdistantacquaintances,manyofthemundesirableacquaintances。Inthegreat\"ComedieHumaine\"haveyouasinglerealfriend?SomeofCharlesdeBernard’sfolkaremoreakintous,suchas\"LaFemmedeQuaranteAns,\"andtheownerofthehoundJustinian,andthatdrunkenartistin\"Gerfaut。\"ButanEnglishmanisratherfriendless,ratheranalienandanoutcast,inthesocietyofFrenchfiction。MonsieurdeCamorsisnotofourmonde,noristheEnfantduSiecle;indeed,perhapsgoodMonsieurSylvestreBonnardisassympatheticasanyoneinthatpopulouscountryofmodernFrenchromance。OrdoyouknowFifiVollard?
Somethingmustbeallowedforstrangemanners,forexoticideas,andwaysnotourown。Moreperhapsisduetowhat,asEnglishmenthink,isthelackofHUMOURinthemostbrilliantandwittyofraces。WehavefriendsmanyinMoliere,inDumas,inRabelais;butitisfarmoredifficulttobefamiliar,atease,andhappyinthecirclestowhichMadameSand,M。Daudet,M。Flaubert,orM。PaulBourgetintroduceus。M。Bourget’soldprofessor,in\"LeDisciple,\"weunderstand,buthedoesnotinteresthimselfmuchinus,andtousheisratheracuriosity,a\"character,\"thananintimate。Wearedriventothebeliefthathumour,withitslovingandsmilingobservation,isnecessarytotheauthorwhowouldmakehispersonsrealandcongenial,and,aboveall,friendly。NowhumouristhequalitywhichDumas,Moliere,andRabelaispossessconspicuouslyamongFrenchmen。Montaignehasittoo,andmakeshimselfdeartous,asthehumorousnovelistsmaketheirfanciedpeopledear。Withouthumouranauthormaydrawcharactersdistinctandclear,andentertaining,andevenreal;buttheywantatmosphere,andwiththemweareneverintimate。Mr。AlfredAustinsaysthat\"weknowtheheroortheheroineinproseromancefarmorefamiliarlythanweknowtheheroorheroineinthepoemorthedrama。\"\"WhichoftheseriouscharactersinShakspeare’splaysarenotindefiniteandshadowycomparedwithHarryEsmondorMaggieTulliver?\"TheSERIOUScharacters——theyareseldomveryfamiliarordefinitetousinanykindofliterature。Onemightsay,tobesure,thatheknowsHotspuragooddealmoreintimatelythanheknowsMr。HenryEsmond,andthathehasaprettydefiniteideaofIago,Othello,Macbeth,KingLear,asdefiniteashehas(tofollowMr。Austin)ofTitoMelema。ButwecannotreckonOthello,orMacbeth,orKingLearasFRIENDS;nay,wewouldratherdrinkwiththehonestancient。Allheroesandtheheroinesareusuallytooaugust,andalsotooyoung,tobefriendlywithus;tobehandledhumorouslybytheircreators。WeknowCuddieHeadriggagreatdealbetterthanHenryMorton,andLeBalafrebetterthanQuentinDurward,andDugaldDalgettybetterthananybody。Humouritisthatgivesfleshandbloodtothepersonsofromance;makesMr。
Lenvillereal,whileNicholasNicklebyisonlya\"walkinggentleman。\"YoucannotknowOliverTwistasyouknowtheDodgerandCharlieBates。IfyoumetEdwardWaverleyyoucouldscarcetellhimfromanotheryoungofficerofhistime;buttherewouldbenochanceofmistakeabouttheDugaldcreature,orBailieNicolJarvie,ortheBaronBradwardine,orBalmawhapple。
Theseideasmightbepushedtoofar;itmightbesaidthatonlythepersonsin\"characterparts\"——moreorlesscaricatures——arereallyvividintherecollection。ButColonelNewcomeisasrealasCaptainCostigan,andGeorgeWarringtonastheChevalierStrong。
Theheroiscommonlytoomuchofabeautenebreuxtobeactual;
Scottknewitwell,andinoneofhisunpublishedlettersfranklyadmitsthathisheroesarewooden,andnofavouritesofhisown。
Hehadtomakethem,asmostauthorsmaketheirheroes,romantic,amorous,andserious;fewofthemhavethelifeofRolandGraeme,orevenofQuentinDurward。IvanhoemightputonthecloakoftheMasterofRavenswood,theMastermightwearthearmouroftheDisinheritedKnight,andthedisguisewoulddeceivethekeenest。
Nay,Mr。HenryEsmondmightpassforeither,ifarrayedinappropriatecostume。
Totreataherowithhumourisdifficultinromance,allbutimpossible。Hencetheheroesarerarelyourfriends,exceptinFielding,or,nowandthen,inThackeray。Nobookissofulloffriendsasthenovelthathasnohero,buthasRawdonCrawley,Becky,LadyJane,Mr。JimCrawley,MacMurdo,Mrs。MajorO’Dowd,andtherest。EvenDobbinistoomuchtheherotobeadmittedamongourmostkindlyacquaintances。SounluckyareheroesthatweknowSquireWesternandthePhilosopherSquareandParsonAdamsfarbetterthaneventhatunheroichero,TomJones,orJosephAndrews。
ThehumourofFieldingandhistendernessmakeAmeliaandSophiafarmoresureofourheartsthan,letussay,Rowena,ortheFairMaidofPerth,orFloraMacIvor,orRoseBradwardine。ItishumourthatmakesMr。Collinsimmortal,andMrs。Bennett,andEmma;whileamultitudeofnicegirlsinfiction,goodgirlstoo,areasdeadasQueenTiah。
Perhaps,afterall,thistheoryexplainswhyitissoveryhardtorecallwithvividnessthepersonsofourlaterfiction。Humourisnotthestrongpointofnoveliststo—day。TheremaybeamateurswhoknowMr。Howells’scharactersastheireldersknowSophiaandAmeliaandCatherineSeyton——theremaybe。Totheoldreaderofromance,howeverearnestlyhekeepsupwithmodernfiction,thesaltoflifeseemsoftenlackinginitspuppetsoritspersons。
AmongthecreationsoflivingmenandwomenI,forone,feelthatI
havetwofriendsatleastacrossthesea,MasterThomasSawyerandhiscompanion,HuckleberryFinn。Ifthesearenotrealboys,thenDr。Farrar’sEricISarealboy;Icannotputitstronger。Thereisaladyonthosedistantshores(forsheneverdiedofRomanfever)whoImayventuretobelieveisnotunfriendly——MissAnnieP。Miller——andthereisadaughterofMr。SilasLaphamwhomonecannotreadilyforget,andthereisabeeryjournalistina\"ModernInstance,\"anacquaintance,adistantprofessionalacquaintance,notafriend。TherestofthefictitiouswhitepopulationoftheStatesareshadowytomyself;Ihaveoftenfollowedtheirfortuneswithinterest,butthedetailsslipmyagingmemory,whichrecallsTopsyandUncleRemus。
Tospeakofnewfriendsathomeisamoredelicatematter。Amanmayhaveanunduepartialityfortheairychildrenofhisfriends’
fancy。Mr。MeredithhasintroducedmetoanamiableCountess,toastrangecountrygirlnamedRhoda,toawonderfuloldAEschyleannurse,tosomegenuineboys,toawiseYouth,——butthatsocietygrowsasnumerousasbrilliant。Mr。Besanthasmadeusfriendswithtwinsofliteraryandartisticgenius,withaveryhighly—
culturedFellowofLothian,withaSonofVulcan,withabevyoffairbutratherindistinguishabledamsels,likeagroupofagreeable—lookinggirlsatadance。Buttheyaretoobusywiththeirpartnerstobefriendly。Weadmirethem,buttheyareunconcernedwithus。InMr。Black’slargefamilytheWhaupseemsmostcongenialtosomestrangers;thenameofoneofMr。Payn’sfriendlyladsisLegion,andMissBroughton’sdogs,withTHEIR
friendSara,andMrs。Moberley,welcomethecasualvisitorwithhospitablecare。Amongthekindlychildrenofalatergenerationonemaynumberasailormanwithawoodenleg;aHighlandgentleman,who,thoughlandless,bearsaking’sname;anIrishchevalierwhowasoutinthe’45;aZuluchiefwhopliedtheaxewell;aprivatenamedMulvaneyinHerMajesty’sIndianarmy;anelderlysportsmanofagileimaginationorunparalleledexperienceinremoteadventure。{1}Alltheseapersonwhohadonceencounteredthemwouldrecognise,perhaps,whenhewasfortunateenoughtofindhimselfintheircompany。
Therearechildren,too,ofadeadauthor,anauthorseldomlaudedbycritics,who,possibly,haveasmanylivingfriendsasanymoderncharacterscanclaim。AverylargecompanyofChristianpeoplearefondofLordWelter,CharlesRavenshoe,FloraandGus,LadyAscot,theboywhoplayedfiveswithabrassbutton,andadozenothersofHenryKingsley’smen,women,andchildren,whomwehavelaughedwithoften,andverynearlycriedwith。ForHenryKingsleyhadhumour,andhischildrenaredeartous;whilewhichofCharlesKingsley’sfarmorefamousoffspringwouldbewelcome——
unlessitwereSalvationYeo——ifwemetthemallintheParadiseofFiction?
Itisnotverysafe,inliteratureasinlife,tospeakwellofourfriendsoroftheirfamilies。Otherreaders,otherpeople,havetheirs,whomwemaynotcaremuchfor,whomwemayevenchancenevertohavemet。InthefollowingLettersfromOldFriends(mainlyreprintedfromthe\"St。James’sGazette\"),afewofthewritersmay,tosomewhoglanceatthesketches,beunfamiliar。
WhenDugaldDalgetty’sepistleonhisduelwithAramiswaswritten,amanoflettersproposedtowriteareplyfromAramisinacertainjournal。ButhisEditorhadneverheardofanyofthegentlemenconcernedinthataffairofhonour;hadneverheardofDugald,ofAthos,Porthos,Aramis,norD’Artagnan。Hehadnotbeenintroducedtothem。Thislittlebookwillbefortunatefarbeyonditsdesertsifittemptsafewreaderstoextendthecircleoftheirvisionaryacquaintances,offriendswho,likeBrahma,knownotbirth,nordecay,\"sleep,waking,nortrance。\"
AthememoredelicateandintimatethanthatofourFriendsinfictionawaitsamorepassionatewriterthanthepresentparodist。
OurLOVESinfictionareprobablynumerous,andourchoicedependsonageandtemperament。Inromance,ifnotinlife,wecanbeinlovewithanumberofladiesatonce。ItisprobablethatBeatrixEsmondhasnotfewerknightsthanMarieAntoinetteorMaryStuart。
Theseladieshavebeenthemarksofscandal。Unkindthingsaresaidofallthree,butourheartsdonotbelievetheevilreports。
SirWalterScottrefusedtowritealifeofMaryStuartbecausehisopinionwasnotonthepopularside,noronthesideofhisfeelings。ThereasoningandjudicialfacultiesmaybeconvincedthatBeatrixwas\"otherthanaguidane,\"butreasondoesnottouchtheaffections;weseeherwiththeeyesofHarryEsmond,and,likehim,\"rememberaparagon。\"WithsimilarlackoflogicwebelievethatMrs。Wenhamreallyhadoneofherheadaches,andthatBeckywasguiltlessonanotoriousoccasion。Badornotsobad,whatladywouldwesogladlymeetasMrs。RawdonCrawley,whosekindnesswassogreatthatsheevencondescendedtobeamusingtoherownhusband?Foramoreseriousandlife—longaffectiontherearefewheroinessosatisfactoryasSophiaWesternandAmeliaBooth(neeHarris)。Neverbeforenorsincedidaman’sidealputonfleshandblood——outofpoetry,thatis,——andapartfromtheladiesofShakspeare。Fielding’swomenhaveamanlyhonour,tolerance,greatness,inadditiontotheirtendernessandkindness。
Literaturehasnottheirpeers,andlifehasneverhadmanytocomparewiththem。Theyarenot\"superior\"likeRomola,norflightyanddestituteoftastelikeMaggieTulliver;amongFielding’scrowdoffribblesandsotsandoafstheycarrythatpuremolyoftheLadyin\"Comus。\"Itiscurious,indeed,thatmenhavedrawnwomenmoretrueandcharmingthanwomenthemselveshaveinvented,andtheheroinesofGeorgeEliot,ofGeorgeSand(exceptConsuelo),andevenofMissAusten,donotsubdueuslikeDiVernon,norwinoursympathieslikeRebeccaofYork。Theymaypleaseandcharmfortheirhour,buttheyhavenottheimmortalityofthefirstheroinesofall——ofHelen,orofthatAlcmenawhomakesevencomedygravewhensheenters,andevenPlautuschivalrous。Poetry,ratherthanprosefiction,istheproperhomeofourspiritualmistresses;theydwellwhereRosalindandImogenare,withwomenperhapsasunrealorasidealasthemselves,men’slostlovesandunforgotten,inaParadiseapart。
LETTER:FromMr。CliveNewcometoMr。ArthurPendennis。
Mr。Newcome,amarriedmanandanexileatBoulogne,sendsMr。
ArthurPendennisapoemonhisundyingaffectionforhiscousin,MissEthelNewcome。HedesiresthatitmaybepublishedinajournalwithwhichMr。Pendennisisconnected。HeaddsafewremarksonhispicturesfortheAcademy。
Boulogne,March28。
DearPen,——IhavefinishedBelisarius,andhehasgonetofacetheAcademicians。ThereisanotherlittlethingIsent——\"Blondel\"I
callit——atroubadourplayingunderacastlewall。Theyhavenotmuchchance;butthereisalwaysthelittleprint—shopinLongAcre。Mysketchesofmail—coachescontinuetopleasethepublic;
theyhaveraisedthepricetoaguinea。
Herewearenothappierthanwhenyouvisitedus。Mypoorwifeisnobetter。Itissomethingtohaveputmyfatheroutofhearingofhermother’stongue:thatcannotcrosstheChannel。PerhapsIamaswellhereasintown。ThereIalwayshope,IalwaysfeartomeetHER……mycousin,youknow。IthinkIseeherfaceundereverybonnet。GodknowsIdon’tgowheresheislikelytobemet。
Oh,Pen,haeretlethalisarundo;itisalwaysright——theLatinDelectus!EverythingIseeisfullofher,everythingIdoisdoneforher。\"Perhapsshe’llseeitandknowthehand,andremember,\"
Ithink,evenwhenIdothemail—coachesandthemilestones。I
usedtodrawforheratBrightonwhenshewasachild。Mysketches,mypictures,arealwaysmakingthatsilentpiteousappealtoher,WON’TYOULOOKATUS?WON’TYOUREMEMBER?Idaresayshehasquiteforgotten。HereIsendyoualittlesetofrhymes;mypictureofBlondelandthisoldstorybroughtthemintomymind。
Theyaregazes,asthedrunkpaintersaysin\"Gerfaut;\"theyareveiled,amystery。Iknowshe’snotinacastleoratoweroracloisteredcellanywhere;sheisinParkLane。Don’tIreaditinthe\"MorningPost?\"ButIcan’t,Iwon’t,goandsingatthearea—
gate,youknow。TryifF。B。willputtherhymesintothepaper。
DotheytakeitininParkLane?Seewhetheryoucangetmeaguineaforthesetearsofmine:\"MesLarmes,\"Pen,doyouremember?——Yoursever,C。N。
Theversesareenclosed。
THENEWBLONDEL。
OmaReine!
AlthoughtheMinstrel’slostyoulong,AlthoughforbreadtheMinstrelsings,Ah,stillforyouhepipesthesong,Andthrumsuponthecrazystrings!
AsBlondelsangbycotandhall,Throughtownandstreamandforestpassed,Andfound,atlength,thedungeonwall,AndfreedtheLion—heartatlast—
Somustyourhaplessminstrelfare,Byhillandhollowvioling;
Heflingsadittyontheair,Hewondersifyouhearhimsing!
ForinsomecastleyoumustdwellOfthiswidelandhewandersthrough—
Inpalace,tower,orcloisteredcell—
Heknowsnot;buthesingstoYOU!
Thewindmayblowittoyourear,Andyou,perchance,mayunderstand;
Butfromyourlattice,thoughyouhear,Heknowsyouwillnotwaveahand。
Youreyesuponthepagemayfall,Morelikethepagewillmissyoureyes;
Youmaybelisteningafterall,Sogoeshesingingtillhedies。
LETTER:FromtheHon。CecilBertietotheLadyGuinevere。
Mr。CecilTremayne,whoserved\"UnderTwoFlags,\"anofficerinherMajesty’sGuards,describestotheLadyGuineverethecircumstancesofhisencounterwithMissAnnieP。(orDaisy)Miller。TheincidenthasbeenomittedbyOuidaandMr。HenryJames。
Youaskme,Camarada,whatIthinkofthelittleAmericandonzella,DaisyMiller?HesternaRosa,ImaycrywiththeblindoldbardofTusculum;orshallwesay,HesternaMargaritae?Yesterday’sDaisy,yesterday’sRose,wereitofPaestum,whovaluesitto—day?Maisousontlesneigesd’automne?However,yesterday——thedaybeforeyesterday,rather——MissAnnieP。Millerwaswellenough。
WeweresmokingattheclubwindowsonthePonteVecchio;
Marmalada,GiovanellioftheBersaglieri,youngPontooftheK。O。B。’s,andmyself——menwhonevergiveathoughtsavetothegoldembroideryoftheirpantouflesortheexquisiteebonlaqueroftheirRussialeathercricket—shoes。Suddenlyweheardaclatterinthestreets。TheriderlesschargersoftheBersaglieriwereracingdowntheSantoCroce,andjustturning,withaswingandshriekofclatteringspurs,intotheMaremma。Inthemidstofthestreet,underourverywindow,wasalittlethinglikeabutterfly,withyeuxdepervenche。Youremember,Camarada,Voltaire’sloveofthepervenche;wehavepluckedit,havewenot?inhisgardenofLesCharmettes。Nousn’ironsplusauxbois!Basta!
Buttoreturn。Thereshestood,terror—stricken,petrified,likeherwhoofoldturnedherbackonZoarandbeheldtheincandescenthurricaneofhailsmitetheCityofthePlain!Shewasdressedinwhitemuslin,jolicommeuncoeur,withamyriadfrillsandflouncesandknotsofpale—colouredribbon。Open—eyed,open—
mouthed,shestaredatthetideoffoamingsteeds,likeamaidenmartyrgazingattheon—rushingwavesofocean!\"Caramba!\"saidMarmalada,\"voilaunejeunefillepastropbiengardee!\"
Giovanelliturnedpale,and,mutteringCorpodiBacco,quaffedacarafonofgreenChartreuse,holdingatleastaquart,whichstoodbyhiminitsnativepewter。YoungPontomerelymuttered,\"Egad!\"
Ileapedthroughtheopenwindowandlandedatherfeet。
Theracingsteedswerewithintenyardsofus。CalmlyIcastmyeyeovertheirpoints。Farthefleetest,thoughhedidnotholdthelead,wasMarmalada’scharger,theAtysgelding,byCelerimaoutofSacdeNuit。WithonewaveofmyarmIhadplacedheronhiscrupper,and,withthesameaction,swungmyselfintothesaddle。Then,inaflashandthunderofflyinghorses,wesweptliketawnylightningdownthePincian。ThelastwordsIheardfromtheclubwindow,throughtheheliotrope—scentedair,were\"ThirtytooneonAtys,halfonlyifdeclared。\"Theywerewageringonourlives;theslangofthepaddockwasontheirlips。
Onward,downward,wesped,thefairstrangerlifelessinmyarms。
Pastscarletcardinalsinmufti,pastbrilliant[Greektext]likethosewhoswayedtheCityoftheVioletCrown;pastpifferaridancinginfrontofmanyanalbergo;throughtheGhettowithitsmarmorinepalaces,overtheFountainofTrevi,acrosstheCascine,downthestreetsoftheVaticanweflewamongyellsof\"Owner’sup,\"\"Thegeldingwins,hardheld,\"fromtheexcitedbourgeoisie。
HeavenandearthswambeforemyeyesaswereachedthePonsSublicia,andheardthetawnywatersofTiberswayingtothesea。
THEPONSSUBLICIAWASUP!
Withanoathofdespair,forlifeissweet,IrammedmypersuadersintoAtys,caughthimbythehead,andsenthimstraightatthefloodedTiber!
\"Va—t—endonc,especedetype!\"saidthegirlonmysaddle—bow,findinghertongueatlast。Fear,orgirlishmodesty,hadhithertokepthersilent。
ThenAtysroseonhisfetlocks!Despitehisdoubleburden,thegoodsteedmeanttohaveit。Hedeemed,perchance,hewaswiththeQuornortheBaron’s。Herose;hesprang。Thedeepyellowwater,coldinthemoon’srays,withthefarthestbankbutachillgreylineinthemist,laybeneathus!Amomentthatseemedaneternity!Thenwelandedonthefar—offfurtherbank,andforthefirsttimeIcouldtakeapullathishead。Iturnedhimontheriver’sbrim,andleapedhimbackagain。
TherunawaywasnowastameasadrivendeerinRichmondPark。
Well,Camarada,theadventureisover。Shewasgrateful,ofcourse。Thesepervencheeyesweresuffusedwithadewyradiance。
\"Youcan’tcall,\"shesaid,\"foryouhaven’tbeenintroduced,andMrs。Walkersayswemustbemoreexclusive。I’mdyingtobeexclusive;butI’mverymuchobligedtoyou,andsowillmotherbe。
Let’ssee。I’llbeattheColosseumto—morrownight,aboutten。
I’mboundtoseetheColosseum,bymoonlight。Good—bye;\"andsheshookherpaleparasolatme,andflutteredaway。
Ah,Camarada,shallIbethere?Quescais—je?Well,’tistimetogotothedanceattheHolyFather’s。Adieu,Carissima。——Toutavous,CIS。
LETTER:BarryLyndonMr。RedmondBarry(betterknownasBarryLyndon)tellshisunclethestoryofasingularencounteratBerlinwithMr。AlanStuart,calledAlanBreck,andwellknownasthecompanionofMr。DavidBalfourinmanyadventures。Mr。Barry,atthistime,wasinthepayofHerrPotzdorff,ofhisPrussianMajesty’sPolice,andwastheassociateoftheChevalier,hiskinsman,inthepursuitoffortune。
Berlin,April1,1748。
UncleBarry,——IdictatetoPippi,myrighthandbeingwounded,andthatbynocommonaccident。GoingdowntheLindenStrasseyesterday,Iencounteredamob;and,beingcuriousinPotzdorff’sinterest,penetratedtothekernelofit。ThereIfoundtwomenofmyoldregiment——Kurzandanother——atwordswithasmall,dark,nimblefellow,whocarriedbrightanddancingeyesinapock—markedface。Hehadhisirondrawn,aheavybox—handledcut—and—thrustblade,andseemedreadytofallatonceonthepairthathadbeenjeeringhimforhisstrangespeech。
\"Whoisthis,lads?\"Iasked。
\"EinEnglander,\"answeredthey。
\"NoEnglishman,\"sayshe,inacuriousaccentnotunlikeourbrogue,\"butaplaingentleman,thoughhebearsaking’snameandhathAlanBrecktohisby—name。\"
\"Come,come,\"saysIinGerman,\"letthegentlemangohisway;heismyowncountryman。\"Thiswastrueenoughforthem;andyoushouldhaveseentheHighlander’seyesflash,andgrowdimagain。
Itookhisarm,forPotzdorffwillexpectmetoknowallaboutthestranger,andmarchedhimdowntotheDreiKonige。
\"Iamyourhost,sir;whatdoyoucallfor,Mr。Stuartof—?\"saidI,knowingthereisneveraScotbuthasthenameofhiskailyardtackedtohisown。
\"AKing’snameisgoodenoughforme;Ibearitplain。Mr。—?\"
saidhe,reddening。
\"TheycallmetheChevalierBarry,ofBallybarry。\"
\"Iaminthebettercompany,sir,\"quothhe,withagrandbow。
Whenabowlofpunchwasbroughthetakesoffhishat,anddrinks,verysolemnly,\"TotheKing!\"
\"Overthewater?\"Iasked。
\"Nay,sir,onTHISside,\"hesaid;andIsmokedtheJacobite。Buttoshortenthestory,whichamusesmytediumbutmaybegetitinyou,Iaskedhimifheknewthecards。
\"I’mjustdaftwhenIgettothecartes,\"heansweredinhisbrogue,andwefelltopiquet。NowmyScotworeaveryfinecoat,andonthesameverylargesmoothsilverbuttons,wellburnished。
Therefore,perceivingsuchanadvantageasaskilledplayermayenjoy,Ilethimwinalittletowhethisappetite,butpresentlyusedhisbuttonsasamirror,whereinIreadilydetectedthestrengthofthecardsheheld。Beforeattemptingthisartifice,I
hadsolemnlyturnedmychairroundthrice。
\"Youhavechangedtheluck,sir,\"saysMr。Breck,orStuart,presently;and,risingwithamightygraveair,heturnedhiscoatandputitoninsideout。
\"Sir,\"saysI,\"whatamItounderstandbythisconduct?\"
\"WhatforshouldnotIturnmycoat,forluck,ifyouturnyourchair?\"sayshe。\"Butifyouarenotpreceeselysatisfied,Iwillbeproudtostepoutsidewithyou。\"
IansweredthatwewerenotinaHighlandwilderness,andthatifnomaliceweremeantnoaffrontwastaken。Wecontinuedatthegametill,thoughdeprivedofmymirror,Ihadwonsome500
Fredericks。Onthisherose,saying,\"Sir,inthispurseyouwillfindtheexactsumthatIamowingyou,andIwillcallformyemptysporranthemorn。ItwasRobRoy’sbeforeitwasmine。\"
Therewithhelaidonthetableasortofgoatskinpouch,suchasHighlandersgirdabouttheirloins,andmarchedforth。
Isettoworkatopeninghispouch,thatwasfastenedbyaspringandbutton,seemingeasyenoughofaccess。ButIhadscarcepressedthebuttonwhenlo!aflash,apistolshot,andmyrighthandisgrazedwithabulletthatflewoutofthebag。ThisHighlanderoftheDevilhadsomemechanisminhispursethatdischargedasmallsteelpistolwhenunwarilyopened。Myhandisbutslightlywounded,yetIcannotholdmysword,norhathmysearchbroughtmeanynewsofAlanBreck。HehasvanishedlikeanemissaryoftheDevilorthePretender,asIdoubtnotheis。ButIwillhavehisblood,ifheisnotoneoftheirScotchfairies。——
YourlovingNephew,REDMONDBARRY,OFBALLYBARRY。
P。S。——TheFrederickswereinthebag,alltold。
LETTER:FromMrs。GamptoMrs。Prig。
Mrs。Gampnursesanoldfriendwhoisunderasingulardelusion。
Todgers’s。
MypreciousBetsy,——WhichwhenlastweparteditwasnotasIcouldwish,butbearingmaliceinourhearts。But,asoftenandoftenMrs。Harrishavesaiditbeforeme,withthetearsinherangeleyes——oneofthemhavingaslightcastfromanaccidentwiththemoderatorlamp,Harrisbeingquickinhistemper——oftenandoftenhaveshesaidtome:\"Ah,Sairey,thequarrelsoffriendsisaffection’sbestrestorer。\"Andgoodreasontoknowitshehave,withahusbandaswasevertrue,andnevergavehernocausetoformthewishtopizenthemashasgoodlooks,but,forIwillnotdeceiveyou,readywithhishands。
Andso,betweenyouandmemayitbe,BetsyPrig,aswasconstantpartnersaforethemChuzzlewidges,andNadgetts,andLewsomses,andTiggses,andChuffeysgotthatmixedandthataggerawatingthattorememberwhoofthempoisonedwhichorforwhyinaslimedraught,itmakesmypoorheadgoround,norcouldsuchbesoothingtothetemper。Soletbygonesbebygonesbetweenus。For,wantingofmyBetsy,Iamnowinanicestateofconfusion,withapatientaswaswellbeknowntomeinyoungerdays,whentherewasn’tsomuchofashadderonthismortialvial,{2}meaningMr。Pecksniff。Whichyouwillnotforgetofhim,byreasonofhisdaughterasmarriedthatJonadge,andhiscollarsasmintsofmoneymusthavegonetothegettingthemup;butisnowatTodgers’s,andconfusedinhispoormind,thinkinghisselfSomebodyelsehighinParliament。AndwonderatitIdonot,themChuzzlewidgesandChuffeysbeingthatdistracting,andeverprovingtobesomeotherpussonindisguise,aswouldconfugeacalkilatingboy。
Sobeingappliedtofortonightlyhim,thereinthatverysickroom——forwhyshouldIdeceiveyou?——Imeetsthedailynuss;and,Betsy,IwasthatovercometohavesuchapardnerpropogedtomeasIhadtoringandasktheyoungwomanimmediateforasmallglassoftheiroldestrum,beingwhatIamnotaccustomedtobuthavinghadaturn。For,willyoubelieveit,shewasnotawidgerwomanashasexperienceinthewaysofmen,butahuzzyinabragiancaplikethemtheNunswearin\"MariarMonk,\"asyoumayhaveseenitinthesmallsweet—shops,atapenny。Andherhandsaswhiteasherpapistrycap,andsheaturningupofhernoseatwhatIhadtook,andapresumingtogiveMEadviceaboutnussing,asSt。
Pancradge’sChurchyardwouldn’tholdthemI’veseencomfortabletotheirlonghomes,andnocomplaintsmadebuteverthehighestsatigefaction。SoIupsandgivesherabitofmymind;andMrs。
Todgerscomingdown,\"It’sshegoesorme,\"saysI,\"forneverwillSaireyGampnuss,sickormonthly,withapardnerashasnotconfidenceinme,norIinher,butcontrary。\"ThenSHEsaysshe’llgoandspeaktothedoctoraboutit;andoutshetrampswithhernoseintheair,andsneezingmostawful,notbeingaccustomedtothatwhichItake,finditstrengthening,butasithavebeenacauseofsorrowandstrifeletitbenamelessbetweenyouandme。
Fortohavethename\"Snuffey\"broughtforwarditiswhattheheartcanforgive,butneverforgetinthisvalleyoftheshaddock。
Ihavenussedamanylunacies,Betsy,andinageneralwayamdispogedtohumourthemratherthansetthemrightupaginthefirewhenfractious。ButthisPecksniffisthetryingestcreature;hehavinggotitinhismindasheisSomebodyveryhigh,andtalkingabouttheHouse,andBills,andclauses,andthe\"sacredcauseofUniversalAnarchy,\"forsuchwashisBiblelanguage,thoughmeaningtomenomorethanthebabeunborn。WherebyMrs。Harrisshehaveoftensaidtome,\"WhatDOthemblessedinfantsoccupytheirlittlemindswithaforetheyarecalledintothatconditionwhere,unlesschangedatnuss,Providencehaveappointedthem?\"AndmanyatimehaveIsaid,\"Seeknot,Mrs。Harris,todiskiver;forweknownotwot’shiddeninourownhearts,andthetortersoftheImpositionshouldnotmakemediwulgeit。\"
ButPecksniffisthataggravatingasIcanhardlyheedthewordsI
nowputonthepaper。
\"Someofmybirdshaveleftme,\"sayshe,\"forthestranger’sbreast,andonehavetookwingfortheGovernmentbenches。{3}ButIhaveeversacrificedmycountry’shappinesstomyown,andIwillnotbegintoregulatemylifebyotherrulesofconductnow。I
knowthepurityofmyownmotives,andwhilemyMerry,mylittleSirWilliam,playfulwarbler,prattlesunderthispatriarchalwing,andmyCherry,mydarlingMorley,supportstheoldman’stotteringwalk,IcandowithoutmyGoschy,mydears,Icandowithouthim。\"
AndwantstoborrerMYumbrellerforthem\"torallyround,\"thebragianidgiot!
Achatteringcreaturehealwayswere,andwillbe;but,Betsy,I
havethiswerymominkfixedhimupwithashoehorninhismouth,aswaslyingroundprovidential,andthestringsofmybonnet,andthelastwordashewillsaythisblessednightwassomelunacyabout\"denouncingtheclogeure,\"aswon’tgivemuchmoretroublenow。
Sohavingrungforashilling’sworthofgin—and—waterwarm,andwishingyouwasheretotakeanotherofthesame,Iputsmylipstoit,anddrinkstooneaswasmyfrequentpardnerinthismortialvale,andam,asinolddays,myBetsy’sownSAIREYGAMP。
LETTER:FromHerodotusofHalicarnassustoSophoclestheAthenian。
Herodotusdescribes,inalettertohisfriendSophocles,acuriousencounterwithamarinerjustreturnedfromunknownpartsofAfrica。
ToSophocles,theAthenian,greeting。Yesterday,asIwasgoingdowntothemarket—placeofNaucratis,ImetNicarete,whoofallthehetairaiinthisplaceisthemostbeautiful。Now,thehetairaiofNaucratisarewontsomehowtobeexceedinglyfair,beyondallwomenwhomweknow。ShehadwithheracertainPhocaeanmariner,whowasbutnowreturnedfromavoyagetothosepartsofAfricawhichliebelowArabia;andshesalutedmecourteously,asknowingthatitismywonttoseekoutandinquirethetidingsofallmenwhohaveintelligenceconcerningtheendsoftheearth。
\"Hailtothee,Nicarete,\"saidI;\"verilythouartthismorningaslovelyasthedawn,orasthebeautifulRhodopisthatdiederethouwertborntousthroughthefavourofAphrodite。\"{4}
NowthisRhodopiswasshewhobuilt,theysay,thePyramidofMycerinus:whereintheyspeaknottrulybutfalsely,forRhodopislivedlongafterthekingswhobuiltthePyramids。
\"Rhodopisdiednot,OHerodotus,\"saidNicarete,\"butisyetliving,andasfairasevershewas;andhewhoisnowmylover,eventhisPhanesofPhocaea,hathlatelybeheldher。\"
Thensheseemedtometobejesting,likethatscribewhotoldmeofKrophiandMophi;forRhodopislivedinthedaysofKingAmasisandofSapphotheminstrel,andwasbelovedbyCharaxus,thebrotherofSappho,whereforeSapphoreviledhiminasong。HowthencouldRhodopis,whoflourishedmorethanahundredyearsbeforemytime,belivingyet?
WhileIwasconsideringthesethingstheyledmeintotheboothofonethatsoldwine;andwhenNicaretehadsetgarlandsofrosesonourheads,PhanesbeganandtoldmewhatInowtelltheebutwhetherspeakingtrulyorfalselyIknownot。HesaidthatbeingonavoyagetoPunt(forsotheEgyptianscallthatpartofArabia),hewasdrivenbyanorthwindformanydays,andatlastlandedinthemouthofacertainriverwhereweremanysea—fowlandwater—birds。Andtherebyisarock,nocommonone,butfashionedintothelikenessoftheheadofanEthiopian。Therehesaidthatthepeopleofthatcountryfoundhim,namelytheAmagardoi,andcarriedhimtotheirvillage。Theyhavethispeculiartothemselves,andunlikeallotherpeopleswhomweknow,thatthewomanasksthemaninmarriage。Theythen,whentheyhavekissedeachother,aremanandwifewedded。Andtheyderivetheirnamesfromthemother;whereintheyagreewiththeLycians,whetherbeingacolonyoftheLycians,ortheLyciansacolonyoftheirs,Phanescouldnotgivemetounderstand。But,whereastheyareblackandtheLyciansarewhite,Iratherbelievethatoneofthemhaslearnedthiscustomfromtheother;foranythingmighthappeninthepastoftime。
TheAmagardoihavealsothiscustom,suchasweknowofnoneotherpeople;thattheyslaystrangersbycrowningthemwithamphorae,havingmadethemred—hot。Now,havingtakenPhanes,theywereabouttocrownhimonthiswise,whenthereappearedamongthemaveiledwoman,verytallandgoodly,whomtheyconceivetobeagoddessandworship。ByherwasPhanesdeliveredoutoftheirhands;and\"shekepthiminherhollowcaveshavingadesirethatheshouldbeherlover,\"asHomersaysintheOdyssey,iftheOdysseybeHomer’s。AndPhanesreportsofherthatsheisthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld,butofhercomingthither,whenceshecameorwhen,shewouldtellhimnothing。Buthesworetome,byhimwhoisburiedatThebes(andwhosenameinsuchamatterasthisitisnotholyformetoutter),thatthiswomanwasnootherthanRhodopistheThracian。ForthereisaportraitofRhodopisinthetempleofAphroditeinNaucratis,and,knowingthisportraitwell,PhanesrecognisedbyitthatthewomanwasRhodopis。{5}
ThereforeRhodopisisyetliving,beingnowaboutonehundredandfiftyyearsofage。AndPhanesaddedthatthereisinthecountryoftheAmagardoiafire;andwhosoentersintothatfiredoesnotdie,butis\"withoutageandimmortal,\"asHomersaysconcerningthehorsesofPeleus。Now,IwouldhavedeemedthathewasmakingamockofthatsacredstorywhichheknowswhohasbeeninitiatedintothemysteriesofDemeteratEleusis。ButheandNicareteareabouttosailtogetherwithoutdelaytothecountryoftheAmagardoi,believingthattheretheywillenterthefireandbecomeimmortal。YetmethinksthatRhodopiswillnotlooklovinglyonNicarete,whentheymeetinthatland,norNicareteonRhodopis。
Nay,beliketheamphorawillbemadehotforoneortheother。
Such,howbeit,wasthestoryofPhanesthePhocaean,whetherhespokefalselyortruly。TheGodbewiththee。
HERODOTUS。
LETTER:MrsProudieMrs。Proudie,wifeoftheBishopofBarchester,admitsMrs。
Quiverfulintoherconfidence。Mrs。Proudiefirsttakespleasureinanewandpiousacquaintance,LadyCrawley(neeSharp),butafterwardsdiscoversthetruecharacterofthisinsidiousanddangerouswoman。
ThePalace,Barchester,July17。
DearLetitia,——Theappearanceofmumpsinasmallfamilyoffourteenlikeyours,isindeedoneofthosedispensationswhichteachushowmysteriousaretheways!ButIneednottellyoutobemostcarefulaboutcold,whichgreatlyaddstothevirulenceofthecomplaint,anditisdifficultforyou,inlodgingsatBrighton,tokeepawatchfuleyeonsomanyatonce。Maythisdisciplinebeblessedtoyou,andtothedearchildren!
IhavemuchtotellyouofBarchester。Thelightworldlytoneofsomefamiliesinthisplace(IwillnotmentiontheGrantleysnortheArabins)hasbeenchecked,Ihope,byoneofthoseaccidentswhichsurely,surely,arenottobeconsideredaccidentsalone!
Youknowhowstrongismyobjectiontofancyfairsorbazaars,toooftenratherscenesofgiddymerrimentthanexhibitionsofgenuineChristianfeeling。Yetbymeansofoneofthese(howstrangelyarethingsordered!)ahappychange,Itrust,isbeingbroughtaboutinourmidst。
YouhaveheardofHogglestock,thoughyoumayneverhavevisitedthatbenightedandoutlyingparish。Indeed,Iwasnevertheremyselftilllastweek,whenTomfeltithisduty(thoughwoefullymisdirected,tomymind,butwearefalliblecreatures)togoandopenabazaarinthatplacefortherestorationofthechurch。{6}
Iaccompaniedhim;forItrustedthatanopportunitymightbemadeforme,andthatImightespeciallybearinonthemindoftherector’swifetheabsolutenecessityofSabbath—dayschools。TherectorisaMr。Crawley。Heledusonourarrivalintoasceneofredcloth,waxdollsmostindelicatelydisplayed,cushions,antimacassars,andsimilarIDOLS。TheBishop’sspeech(Icomposeditmyself)youwillreadinthe\"BarchesterGuardian,\"whichIsendyou。WhileapprovingtheENDherebukedtheMEANS,andtooktheopportunitytoreadamuch—neededlessononJESUITRYandthedangersofworldlinessinhighecclesiasticalplaces。Letthosewincewhofeelasenseoftheirownbackslidings。WhentheBishophadended,Ideterminedtowalkoncethroughthebazaarjusttomakesurethattherewerenolotteriesnorgamesofchance——adesecrationofourMITESnowtoo,toofrequent。AsIwasreturningthroughthethrong,alas!ofPLEASURE—SEEKERS,andwishingthatI
mightscourgethemoutoftheschoolroom,Mr。Crawleymetme,incompanywithaladywhodesired,hesaid,tobepresentedtome。
Heisadistantrelationofthewell—knowncountyfamily,theCrawleys,ofQueen’sCrawley;thepresentbaronet,SirRawdon,havingrecentlymarriedMissJaneDobbin,daughterofColonelDobbin。Theladywhowasnowintroducedtome,andwhoseSTILL
PLEASINGfacewearsanaspectofhumbledevoutness,wasLadyCrawley,motherofthepresentbaronet。
\"Madam,\"shesaid,\"IcamehereinthebeliefthatIwasdischargingapiousduty。Mylife,alas!hasbeenoneofsoretrial,andIonlytrytodogood。\"……
IwasgoingtosaythatIhadseenhernameinascoreofcharitylists,andknewherasapatronessoftheDestituteOrange—Girls,theNeglectedWasherwomen,andtheDistressedMuffin—Men。Butsheshookherhead;andthen,lookingupatmewitheyeslikeaSAINT’S
(ifourPRIVILEGESpermittedustobelieveinthesefabulousbeingsoftheRomishsuperstition),shesaid,\"Ah,no!Ihavealwaysbeeninthewrong。ThebeautifuladdressoftheBishopofBarchesterhasawakenedme,andconvincedmethatthePATHdoesnotliethroughFancyFairs。Ihavetobeginagain。Whoshallguideme?\"
ItrustIamnotsubjecttovanity;butthenewsthatI(forI
composedtheCharge,asImayalmostcallit)hadbeentheinstrumentofsoaffectingachangedidnotfailtopleaseme。I
thankedLadyCrawley,andexpressedmydeepinterestinheralteredconvictions。FinallyshepromisedtocomeonavisittousatthePalace(sheusuallyresidesatBathorCheltenham),andhasbeenthreedaysaninmate。NeverhaveImetamoresingularexampleofwhattheTruthcandoforonewho,assheadmits,waslongagoaworldling。\"Ihaveseenthevanityofit,\"shetellsme,withtearsinhereyes;andfromherexampleIexpectanAWAKENINGamongourworldlings。TheywillfollowthepathofaTITLEDperson。TomismuchinterestedinhisCONVERT,ashethinksher。NottoMEbetheglory!——Yourassuredfriend,EMILYBARNUM。{7}
FromMrs。ProudietoMrs。Quiverful。
ThePalace,Barchester,July22。
DearLetitia,——MyhandtremblessowithindignationthatIcanhardlydirectmypen。PrayBURNmyletterofJuly17atonce,ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso。{8}WehavebeenDECEIVEDinthatwoman!Sheisabrazenfaced,painteddaughterofHeth,andhasnomorerighttothetitleofLadyCrawleythanYOUhave。IamtoldthatshewasatonetimetheparamourofLordSteyne,andthatherconductmadeitimpossibleforherhusbandtolivewithher。AndthisisthewomanwhohascomewithinthegatesofthepalaceofaChristianprelate;nay,more,whohassecuredhissignaturetoachequeofveryconsiderablevalue。Ithinkmysuspicionswerefirstexcitedbythedisappearanceofthebrandyintheliqueur—
stand,andbymeeting\"herladyship’s\"maidcarryingthebottleuptoherroom!IspoketotheBishop,buthewouldnotlistentome—
—quiteunlikehimself;andeventurnedonmeinherdefence。
Enteringhisstudyhastilyonthefollowingday,Ifoundherkneelingathisfeet,heryellowhair(dyed,nodoubt,forshemustbesixtyifsheisaday)abouthershoulders,doingwhatdoyousuppose—?CONFESSINGHERSELFTOTHEBISHOPOFBARCHESTER
Andhewaslisteningtoher\"confession\"withanappearanceofinterest,andwithoneofherhandsinhis。
\"Serpent!\"Isaid——andhergreeneyesglitteredjustlikeone——
\"unhandhislordship!\"Shegavealittlelaughandsaid,\"DearMrs。Proudie,donotletmemonopolisetheBishop’stime。PerhapsIamintheway?\"
\"Andyoushallgooutofit,\"Isaid。\"YouareoneofthosewhocauseIsraeltosin。YoubringtheConfessional,foritisnobetter,intothehouseofaPrelateoftheProtestantChurchofEngland!\"WouldyoubelievethatshehadtheassurancetoanswermewithapassagefromthePrayerBook,whichIhaveoftenfeltcertainmustbeMISTRANSLATED?
\"Pack,madam,\"saidI;\"weknowwhocanquoteScriptureforhisownends!\"
AndIprettysoonsawheroutofthehouse,thoughNOTINTIME;fortheinfatuatedBishophadalreadygivenherachequeforasumwhichIcannotbringmyselftotellyou,fortheFundsoftheDestituteOrange—Girls。Notapennyofitwilltheyeversee;nordoIapproveofsuchostentatiousalmsinanycase。——Yoursinhaste,EMILYBARNUM。
P。S。——IhaveheardfromLadyCourtneyallherhistory。ItisABOMINABLE。
LETTER:FromRobertSurtees,Esq。,ofMainsforth,toJonathanOldbuck,Esq。,ofMonkbarns。
ItiswellknownthatMr。SurteesofMainsforthnotonlypalmedoffonSirWaiterScottseveralballadsofhisownmanufacture,butalsoinventedandpretendedtohavefoundinadocument(sinceburned)thestoryoftheduelwiththespectreknightwhichoccursinMarmion。InthefollowingletterthisingeniousantiquaryplaysthesamegamewithMr。JonathanOldbuck,ofMonkbarns,thecelebratedantiquary。AnoteonthesubjectispublishedintheAppendix。
Mainsforth,May9,1815。
DearSir,——IamsomethingoftheMussulman’shumour,asyouknow,andneverwillinglypassbyascrapofprintedpaper,howeveritcomesinmyway。Icannot,indeed,likethe\"Spectator,\"\"mentionapaperkitefromwhichIhavereceivedgreatimprovement,\"nor\"ahat—casewhichIwouldnotexchangeforallthebeaversinGreatBritain。\"ItisinalessunlikelyplacethatIhavemadealittlediscoverywhichwillinterestyou,Ihope;forasitchances,notonlyhasalostballadbeenatleastpartiallyrecovered,but……
however,Iwillkeepyourlearnedpatienceonthetenterhooksforawhile。
BusinesstakingmetoNewcastleoflate,IfoundmyselfinBell’slittleshoponthequay。{9}Youknowthemanbyreportatleast;
heismoreacollectorthanabookseller,thoughpoor;andIverilybelievethathewouldsellallhischildren——DouglasBell,PercyBell,HobbieBell,andKinmontBell——\"forasong。\"Balladsarehisfoible,andhecanhardlybemadetopartwithoneofthebroadsidesinhisbrokenportfolios。Well,semelinsanivimusomnes(bytheway,diditeverstrikeyouthattheRoman\"cribbed\"thatline,asthevulgarsay,fromanepigramintheAnthology?),andyouandIwillscarcethrowthefirststoneatthepoorman’sfolly。However,Iamdelayingyournaturaleagerness。Sonowforthestoryofmygreatdiscovery。AsourfriendBellwouldscarcelethisdustybroadsheetlumberoutofhishands,Iwasturningtoleavehiminnoverygoodhumour,whenInoticedasmallandratherlongoctavo,indirtyandcrumpledvellum,lyingonthetopofaheapofrubbish,Boston’s\"CrookintheLot,\"\"ThePilgrim’sProgress,\"andotherchap—booktrumpery。Idonotknowwhatgoodangelthatwatchesoveruscollectorsmademetakeupthething,whichIfoundtobenothinglessthanacopyofoldGuillaumeCoquillart。ItwasnotGalliotduPre’sedition,inlettresrondes,but,stillmoreprecioushaditonlybeencomplete,anexampleinblackletter。Igiveyouthewholetitle。Firstthemotto,inthefriezeofanarchitecturaldesign,[Greektext]。
Then,insmallcapitals—
LESOEUVRES
MAISTREGVIL
LAUMECOQUIL
LARTENSONVI
VANTOFFICIAL
DEREIMS。NOV
VELLEMENTRE
VEVESETCORRI
GEES。
M。D。XXXV。
OnlesvendaLyonenlaMaisondeFrancoysJuste,DemourantdevantnostreDamedeConfort。
Bybad(orgood)luckthisrarepiecewasimperfect——thebackgapingandthreesheetsgone。But,inturningovertheleaves,I
sawsomethingthatbroughtmyheart,astheysay,intomymouth。
So,beatingdownBellfromhisupsetpriceoffourpencetosixbawbees,Ipushedthetreasurecarelesslyinmypocket,andneverstoppedtillIwasinalonelyplacebyTyne—sideandsecurefromobservation。Then,withmyknife,IverycarefullyuncasedMaistreGuillaume,andextractedthesheetofparchment,printedinblackletterwithredcapitals,thathadbeenusedtolinethebinding。
Acornerofithadcreptout,throughtheinjuriesoftime,andonthat,inBell’s\"crame\"(foritismoreacramethanashop),IhadcaughtthemysticwordsRunjtmachtGunjt。
Andnow,Ithink,Monkbarns,youprickupyourearsandwipeyourspectacles。Thatisthemotto,aseveryoneofthelearnedfamilyofantiquariesiswellaware,and,asyouhaveoftentoldme,ofyourgreatforbear,thevenerableandpraiseworthyAldobrandOldenbucktheTypographer,whofledfromtheLowCountriesduringthetyrannicalattemptofPhilipII。tosuppressatoncecivilandreligiousliberty。Asalltheworldknows,hewithdrewfromNurembergtoScotland,andsetuphisPenatesand(whatyoumaynothithertohavebeenawareof)hisPrintingPressatFairport,andunderyourancestralroofofMonkbarns。But,whatwillsurpriseyouyetmore,theparchmentsheetwhichbearsAldobrand’smottoinGermancontainsprintedmatteringoodScots!Thisexcellentandenterprisingmanmusthavesethimselftoplyhisnobleartinhisnewhome,andinourunfamiliartongue。