P。R。
LETTER:FromHaroldSkimpole,Esq。,totheRev。CharlesHoneyman,M。A。
TheseletterstelltheirowntaleofGeniusandVirtueindigentandinchains。TheeloquenceofaHoneyman,theaccomplishmentsofaSkimpole,leadonlytoCursitorStreet。
Coavins’s,CursitorStreet,May1。
MyDearHoneyman,——ItisMay—day,wheneventhechimney—sweeper,developingthepleasantunconsciouspoetryofhisnature,forgetstheflues,wreathestheflowers,andpersuadeshimselfthatheisJack—in—the—Green。Jackwho?WasheJackSprat,ortheyoungswainwhomatedwithJill!Whoknows?Thechimney—sweeperhasallIask,allthatthebutterfliespossess,allthatCommon—senseandBusinessandSocietydenytoHaroldSkimpole。Helives,heisfree,heis\"inthegreen!\"IaminCoavins’s!InCursitorStreetIcannothearthestreamswarble,thebirdschant,themusicrollthroughthestatelyfane,letussay,ofLadyWhittlesea’s。
Coavins’s(asCoavins’smansays)is\"a’ouse;\"buthowunlike,forexample,thehospitablehomeofourfriendJarndyce!IcansketchCoavins’s,butIcannotalterit:Icansetittomusic,onCoavins’spiano;buthowmelancholyarethejinglingstrainsofthatdilapidatedinstrument!AtJarndyce’shouse,whenIamthere,Iaminpossessionofit:hereCoavins’sisinpossessionofme——
ofthepersonofHaroldSkimpole。
AndwhyamIhere?WhyamIfarfromlandscape,music,conversation?Why,merelybecauseIwillfollowneitherFamenorFortunenorFaith。Theycalltousinthemarket—place,butIwillnotdance。Fameblowshertrumpet,andoffershershilling(theQueen’s)。Faithpealsherbells,andasksforMYshilling。
Fortunerattlesherbanking—scales。Theycall,andtheworldjoinsthewaltz;butIwillnotmarchwiththem。\"Goafterglory,commerce,creeds,\"Icry;\"onlyletHaroldSkimpolelive!\"{16}
Theworldpursuesthejanglingmusic;butinmyearsoundthepipesofPan,thevoicesoftheriverandthewood。
YetIcannotbeintheplayground,whithertheyinviteme。HaroldSkimpoleisfettered——bywhat?Byitems!Iregretmyincapacityfordetails。ItmaybethetinkerorthetailoratwhosesuitIamdetained。Iamcertainitisnotatthatofthesoldier,orthesailor,ortheploughboy,orthethief。But,fortheapothecary——
why,yes——itMAYbetheapothecary!InthedawnoflifeIloved——
whohasnot?——Iwedded。Isetaboutsurroundingmyselfwithrosycheeks。Thesecheeksgrowpallid。IcallfortheaidofScience——
Sciencesendsinherbill!\"TotheMixtureasBefore,\"somuchto\"theTonic,\"somuch。Thecheeksarerosyagain。Ipourforththeblessingsofafather’sheart;buttherestandsScienceinexorable,withherbill,heritems。Ivainlypointoutthatthemixturehasplayeditspart,thetonichasplayedITSpart;andthat,inthenatureofthings,thetransactionisended。Thebillisunappeasable。Iforgetthedetails;acertainnumberofpiecesofyellowandwhitedrossarespokenof。Ah,Iseeitisfifteenandsomeoddshillingsandcoppers。Letussaytwenty。
MydearHoneyman,youwho,asIhear,areabouttofollowtheflutesofAphroditeintoatemplewhereHymengildsthehornsofthevictims{17}——you,Iamsure,willhurrytomyrescue。Youmaynothavethespecieactuallyinyourcoffers;butwithyourprospects,surelyyoucansignsomething,ormakeoversomething,orbacksomething,sayapostobitorpostvincula,oremploysomeotherinstrument?Excusemyinexperience;or,Ishouldsay,excusemycongenitalinabilitytoprofitbyexperience,nowconsiderable,ofDIFFICULTIES——andoffriendship。LetnotthesunofMay—daygodownonHaroldSkimpoleinCoavins’s!——Yoursever,H。S。
P。S。——AyouthfulmyrmidonofCoavins’swillwaitforareply。
Shallwesay,whileweareaboutit,Twenty—five?
FromtheRev。CharlesHoneymantoHaroldSkimpole,Esq。
CursitorStreet,May1。
MyDearSkimpole,——HowwouldIhavejoyed,hadProvidenceplaceditwithinmypowertorelieveyourdistress!Butitcannotbe。LiketheCarthaginianQueenofwhomwereadinhappierdaysatdearoldBorhambury,ImaysaythatIamhaudignarusmali。But,alas!theveryevilsinwhichIamnotunlearned,makeitimpossibleformetoaddmiserissuccurreredisco!RatheramImyselfinneedofsuccour。You,mydearHarold,havefallenamongthieves;ImaytootrulyaddthatinthisIamyourneighbour。Thedensinwhichwearelodgedarecontiguous;weareseparatedonlybythebars。YournotewassentonhitherfrommyroomsinWalpoleStreet。SincewemetIhaveknowntheutmostthatwoman’sperfidyandtherichman’scontumelycaninflict。ButIcanbearmypunishment。Iloved,I
trusted。ShetowhosehandIaspired,sheonwhoseaffectionsI
hadbasedhopesatonceofhappinessinlifeandofextendedusefulnessintheclericalprofession,SHEwaslessconfiding。ShesummonedtohercouncilaminionoftheLaw,oneBriggs。HIS
estimateofmypositionandprospectscouldnotpossiblytallywiththatofonewhoseHOPESarenotsetwheretheworldlingplacesthem。Lethim,andsuchashe,takethoughtforthemorrowandchafferaboutsettlements。Idonotregretthegoldtowhichyousodelicatelyallude。Isorrowonlyforthebloomthathasbeenbrushedfromthesoaringpinionsofapureanddisinterestedaffection。Suntlacrymaererum,andthehandkerchiefinwhichI
burymyfaceisdankwiththem。
NoristhisdisappointmentmyonlyCROSS。Thecarrion—birdsofcommercehavemarkeddownthestrickendeerfromtheireyriesinBondStreetandJermynStreet。ToknowhowSolomonshasbehaved,andtheBLACKcoloursinwhichMoss(ofWardourStreet)hasshownhimself,istoreceiveanewlightonthecharacterofaPeoplechosenunderaverydifferentDispensation!Detainersflockin,likeravenstoafeast。AtthismomentIhaveenduredthehumiliationofmeetingasneeringchildofthisworld——Mr。ArthurPendennis——theemissaryofone{18}towhomIgaveinotherdaysthesweetestblossominthegardenofmyaffections——mysister——ofonewhohas,indeed,behavedlikeabrother——INLAW!Myworddistrusted,mystatementsreceivedwithachillingscepticismbythisNABOBNewcome,Iamurgedtomakesome\"composition\"withmycreditors。Theworldisverycensorious,theearofaBishopiseasilywon;whoknowshowthosewhohaveENVIEDtalentsnotmisusedmayturnmycircumstancestomydisadvantage?Youwillseethat,farfromaidinganother,Iamratherobligedtoseeksuccourmyself。Butthatsayingaboutthesparrowsabideswithmetomycomfort。Couldaughtbedone,thinkyou,withabillbackedbyourjointnames?OnJuly12mypew—rentswillcomein。IsweartoyouthattheyHAVENOTBEENANTICIPATED。Yoursafflictedly,CHARLESHONEYMAN。
P。S。——WouldJarndycelendhisnametoasmallbillatthreemonths?
Youknowhimwell,andIhaveheardthatheisamanofbenevolentcharacter,andofsubstance。But\"howhardlyshallarichman\"——
yourememberthetext。——C。H。
LETTER:FromMissHarriettoM。GuydeMaupassant。
Thisnote,fromoneoftheEnglishdamselswhomM。GuydeMaupassantdislikessomuch,iswritteninsuchFrenchastheladycouldmuster。Itexplainsthatrecurrentmystery,WHYENGLISHWOMEN
ABROADSMELLOFGUTTA—PERCHA。Thereasonisnotdiscreditabletoourcountrywomen,butifM。deMaupassantasks,asheoftendoes,whyEnglishwomendresslikescarecrowswhentheyareontheContinent,MissHarrietdoesnotprovidetheanswer。
MissPinkerton’s,Stratford—atte—Bowe,Mars12。
Monsieur,——Vousdevezmeconnaitre,quoiquejenevousconnaispaslemoinsdumonde。Ilm’estdefendudelirevosromans,jenesaistroppourquoi;maisj’aibienlulanoticequeM。HenryJamesaconsacree,dansleFortnightlyReview,avotreaimabletalent。
Vousn’aimezpas,acequ’ilparait,ni\"lasaleAngleterre\"nilesfillesdecepaysimmonde。Jefiguremoi—memedansvosromans(oumoa—meme,\"carlesAnglais,ilestconvenu,prononcentcepronomcommelenomd’unoiseaumonstrueuxetmemeprehistoriquedeNewZealand)——oui,\"MissHarriet\"serisqueassezsouventdansvoscontesassezrisques。
Vousavezpose,Monsieur,lesublimeprobleme,\"Commentseprennentelleslesdemoisellesanglaisespoursentirtoujourslecaoutchouc?\"(\"tosmellofindia—rubber\":traductionHenryJames)。
Enpremierlieu,Monsieur,ellesne\"smellofindia—rubber\"quandellessetrouventchezelles,danslesbougesinfectesqu’onappelleles\"statelyhomesofEngland。\"{19}C’estseulemental’etrangerquenousrepandonsl’odeursaineetrejouissantedecaoutchouc。Etpourquoi?Parceque,Monsieur,MissHarriettientasontub——outob——lachoseestanglaise;c’estpermispourtantaungalanthommed’enprononcerlenomcommeilveut,oucommeilpeutOr,quandellevoyage,MissHarriettrouve,assezsouvent,quele\"tub\"estuneinstitutiontout—a—faitinconnueaseshotes。Quefait—elledonc?Elleportedanssamalleuntubdecaoutchouc,\"patentcompressibleindia—rubbertub!\"Inutileadirequesesvetementssetrouventimpregnesdu\"smellofindia—rubber。\"Voici,Monsieur,lasolutionnaturelle,etmemefortlouable,d’unequestionquiestfaitepourdesespererlessavantsdelaFrance!
Vous,Monsieur,quietesunstylisteaccompli,veuillezbienmepardonnerlestortsquejeviensdefairealabellelanguefrancaise。Dame,onfaitcequ’onpeut(commeonditdanslesromanspoliciers)pouretreintelligibleaunecrivainsicelebre,quinelitcouramment,peut—etre,l’idiomebarbareetmalsonnantdelasaleAngleterre。M。PaulBourgetlui—memenelitplusleGrec。
Nonomniapossumusomnes。
Agreez,Monsieur,messentimentslesplusdistingues。
MISSHARRIET。
LETTER:FromS。Gandish,Esq。,tothe\"NewcomeIndependent。\"
THEROYALACADEMY。
ItappearsthatMr。Gandish,atagreatage——thoughhewasnotolderthanseveralindustriousAcademicans——withdrewfromtheactiveexerciseofhisartandemployedhislearningandexperienceasArtCriticofthe\"NewcomeIndependent。\"ThefollowingcritiqueappearstoshowtracesofdecliningmentalvigourintheveteranGandish。
Ourgreatgalleryhasoncemoreopenedherdoors,ifnottothepublic,noreventothefashionableelite,atleasttothecritics。
TheyareamotleythrongwholoungeonPressDaysinthesumptuoushalls;ladies,smallboys,clergymenarethere,andamongthembutfew,perhaps,whohavereceivedthetraininginHighArtofyourcorrespondent,andhavehadtheireye,throughalifetimemorethancommonlyprolonged,onthegloriousAntique。AndwhatshallwesayofthepresentAcademy?Insomeways,thingshaveimprovedalittlesincemy\"Boadishia\"camebackonmyhands(1839)atatimewhenHighArtandtheAntiquewouldnotdointhiscountry:theywouldnotdo。Asfarasthenewexhibitionshows,theydobetternowthanwhenthecenturywasyoungerand\"PortraitoftheArtist,byS。Gandish\"——atthirty—threeyearsofage——wasofferedinvaintothejealouslyPapistcliquewhothencontrolledtheUffizi。
Foreignersaremoreaffablenow;theyhavetakenMr。Poynter’sofhimself。
ToreturntotheAntique,whatthePresident’s\"CaptiveAndromache\"
musthavecostinmodelsaloneisdifficulttoreckon。Whentimeswerecheaper,fiftyyearssince,myancientBritonsin\"Boadishia\"
stoodmeinthirtypounds:thecentralfigures,however,weremembersofmyownfamily。Togiveeveryonehisdue,\"Andromache\"
ishighart——yes,itishigh——andtheAntiquehasnotbeenoverlooked。Abouttheback—viewoftheyoungpartyatthefountainMr。Horsleymayhavesomethingtosay。Formypart,thereseemsawantofmuscleinvigorousaction:wherearetheBICEPS,wherearethethewsofMichaelAngelo?ThePresidentisatouchtooquietforatasteframedinthebestschools。Astohiscolour,whereisthatnuttybrowntoneoftheflesh?ButthedesignsontheGreekvasearecarefullyrendered;thoughIhavehearditremarkedbyaclassicalscholarthatthesekindofvaseswerenotinuseaboutHomer’stime。Still,theintentionisgood,thoughthecostumesarenotwhatWEshouldhavecalledAncientRomanwhenthePresidentwasaboy——ay,orearlier。
Then,Mr。Alma—Tadema,hehasnotturnedHISbackonthegloriousAntique。\"TheRosesofHeliogabalus\"arenotexplainedinthecatalogue。AsfarasIunderstand,therehasbeenanearthquakeatabanquetofthisunprincipledmonarch。TheKinghimself,andhisfriends,aresafeenoughatakindofhightable;thoughwhichIS
Heliogabalus(hebeingaconsumptive—lookingcharacterinhiscoinsintheClassicalDictionary)yourcritichasnotmadeout。Theearthhavingopeneddownbelow,theheadsofsomewomen,andofamanwithabeardandhishairdoneuplikeagirl,aretossingaboutinaquantityofrose—leaves,whichhaddoubtlessbeenstrownonthefloor,asMartialtellsuswasthecustom,dumregnatrosa。
SoIoverheardaveryeruditecriticremarking。Thecompositionofthepiecewouldbethusaccountedfor;butIcannotpretendthatMr。TademaremindsoneofeitherPoussinorAnnibaleCarracci。
However,rumourwhispersthatahighpricehasbeenpaidforthiscuriousperformance。TomythinkingthefriendsofHeliogabalusarealittleflatandleatheryinthehandlingoftheflesh。Thesilverwork,andthemarble,willpleaseadmirersofthiseccentricartist;butIcanhardlycallthewholeeffect\"High。\"ButMr。
Armitage’s\"Siren\"willconsolepeoplewhoremembertheoldschool。
Thisbeautifulgirl(somewhatcarelessinherattitude,thoughshehasbeensensibleenoughNOTtositdownonthedamprockwithoutputtingherdraperybeneathher)wouldhavebeenatruegeminoneoftheoldBooksofBeauty,suchastheHonourablePercyPopjoyandmyoldfriend,MissBunnion,usedtocontributetointhepalmydaysoftheEnglishschool。Mr。Armitage’s\"Juno,\"standinginmid—air,withthemoonintheneighbourhood,isalsoanexampletoyouth,andveryunlikethewaysuchthingsaregenerallydonenow。
Mr。Burne—Jones(whodoesnotexhibit)neverdidanythinglikethis。PoorHaydon,withwhomIhavesmokedmanyapipe,wouldhaveacknowledgedthatMr。Goodall’s\"David’sPromisetoBathsheba\"and\"BytheSeaofGalilee\"provethathisaspirationsarenearlyfulfilled。Theseareextremelylargepictures,yetwellhung。ThefigureofAbishagisalittletoomuchintheFrenchtasteforanold—fashionedpainter。Arslonga,nudaveritas!Ihope(andsowilltheLiberalreadersofthe\"NewcomeIndependent\")thatitisbyanaccidentthecataloguereads——\"TheTraitor。\"\"EarlSpencer,K。G。\"\"TheMoonlighters。\"(Nos。220,221,225。)SomeToryWAG
amongtheHangingCommitteemayhavetakenthisjuxtapositionforwit:ourreaderswilladoptadifferentview。
ThereisafinedoginMr。BritonRiviere’s\"Requiescat,\"buthowdidtherelationsofthedeadknightinplatearmouracquiretheembroidery,atleastthreecenturieslater,onwhichheislaidtohislastrepose?Thisdestroystheillusion,butdoesnotdiminishthepathosintheattitudeofthefaithfulhound。Mr。Long’slargepictureappearstoexhibitanOrientalgirlbeingtriedbyajuryofmatrons——atleast,nothavingmyDiodorusScriblerusbyme,I
canarriveatnootherconclusion。Fromthenumberofmodelsengaged,thispicturemusthavebeendesignedquiteregardlessofexpense。ItisastudyoftheAntique,butIdoubtifSmeewouldhavecalleditHighArt。
SpeakingofSmeeremindsmeofportraits。Imiss\"PortraitofaLady,\"\"PortraitofaGentleman;\"thenamesofthesittersarenowalwaysgiven——aconcessiontothenotoriety—huntingproclivitiesofthepresentperiod。Fewportraitsaremoreinthestyleofthepalmydaysofourschool(justafterLawrence)thanastudyofaladybyMr。Goodall(687)。Ontheotherhand,youngMr。RichmondgoesbacktotheantiquatedmannerofReynoldsinoneofhisrepresentations。ImustadmitthatIhearthisworkmuchadmiredbymany;tomeitseemsold—fashionedandlackinginblandnessandaffability。MrWaterhousehasastudyofasubjectfromapoemthatMr。Pendennis,thenovelist(whomIknewwell),wasveryfondofwhenhefirstcameonthetown:\"TheLadyofShalott。\"Itrepresentsaverydelicateinvalid,inaboat,underacounterpane。
Irememberthepoemran(itwasbyyoungMr。Tennyson):—
Theycrossedthemselves,theirstarstheyblest,Knight,minstrel,abbot,squire,andguest。
TherelayaparchmentonherbreastThatpuzzledmorethanalltherestThewell—fedwitsofCamelot:
\"Thewebwaswovencuriously,Thecharmisbrokenutterly;
Drawnearandfearnot,thisisI
TheLadyofShalott。\"
Iadmitthatthewonderanddismayofthe\"well—fedwits,\"iftheLadywaslikeMr。Waterhouse’spictureofher,donotsurpriseme。
ButIconfessIdonotunderstandmodernpoetry,nor,perhaps,modernpainting。WhereishistoricalArt?WhereisAlfredandtheCake——asubjectwhich,asiswellknown,Idiscoveredinmyresearchesinhistory。Whereis\"UdolphointheTower\"?orthe\"DukeofRothsaytheFourthDayafterHewasDeprivedofhisVictuals\"?or\"KingJohnSigningMagnaCharta\"?Theyaregonewiththeredcurtain,thebrowntree,thestorminthebackground。
Artisrevolutionary,likeeverythingelseinthesetimes,whenTreasonitself,intheformofahoaryapostateandreviewerofcontemporaryfiction,glaresfromthewalls,andispaintedbyRoyal——markROYAL!——Academicians!……
FromThomasPotts,Esq。,ofthe\"NewcomeIndependent,\"toS。
Gandish,Esq。
Newcome,May3。
MyDearSir,——Iamtrulysorrytohavetointerruptaconnectionwithsooldandrespectedacontributor。ButIthinkyouwillacknowledge,onreadingtheproofofyourarticleontheAcademy,whichIenclose,thatthetimehasarrivedwhenpubliccriticismisnolongeryourprovince。Idonotsomuchrefertotheold—
fashionedtoneofyourobservationsonmodernart。Iknowlittleaboutit,andcarenotmuchmore。Butyouhaveentirelyforgotten,towardstheendofthenotice,thatthe\"NewcomeIndependent,\"asbecomesitsname,isajournalofLibertyandProgress。TheveryproperremarksonLordSpencer’sportraitelsewhereshowthatyouarenotunacquaintedwithourpolitics;but,attheclose(expressing,Ifear,yourtruesentiments),youglideintolanguagewhichmakesmeshudder,andwhich,ifprintedinthe\"Independent,\"
wouldspellruin。Sendit,byallmeans,tothe\"Sentinel,\"ifyoulike。SendyourToryviews,Imean。Asforyourquotationfromthe\"LadyofShalott,\"Icanfinditnowhereinthepoemofthatnamebytheauthoryoustrangelystyle\"youngMr。Tennyson。\"{20}
Iencloseachequeforaquarter’ssalary,and,whilealwayshappytomeetyouasmanwithman,mustgetthenoticeoftheAcademywrittenupintheofficefromthe\"DailyTelegraph,\"\"Standard,\"
and\"Times。\"{21}——Faithfullyandwithdeepregretyours,THOMASPOTTS。
LETTER:FromMonsieurLecoq,RueJerusalem,Paris,toInspectorBucket,ScotlandYard。
Thiscorrespondenceappearstoprovethatmistakesmaybemadebythemostastuteofficersofpolice,andthatevensomanifestaBritonasMr。Pickwickmightchancetofindhimselfinthetoilsofinternationalconspiracy。
(Translated。)May19,1852。
SirandDearFellow—Brother(confrere)。——Thesocordialunderstandingbetweenourcountriesoughttoexpanditselfintoacommunityofthepoliticalpolice。ButthejustsusceptibilitiesoftheOldEnglandforbidatthismomenttherestorationtoafriendlyPowerofpoliticaloffenders。InthenameoftheFrenchpoliceofsuretyIventuretopresenttothefamousofficerBucketaprayerthathewillshuthiseyes,foronce,ontheletter,andopenhishearttothespiritofthelaws。
NooneneedstoteachMonsieurBucketthataforeignmiscreantcanbegivenup,underallreserves,tothejustice!Asmallvialofaharmlesssoporific,aclosedcarriage,aprivatecabinonboardaChannelsteamer——withtheseandalittleoftheadroitnesssoremarkedinthecelebratedBucket,theaffairisinthebag!(danslesac)。Allthesethingsareinthecords(danslescordes)ofmyesteemedEnglishfellow—brother;willhenotemploythemintheinterestofadevotedcolleagueandafriendlyAdministration?Weseekamalefactoroftheworstspecies(unchenapandelapireespece)。Thisfunnyfellow(drole)callshimselfCountofFosco,andheresidesinWoodRoad5,St。John’sForest;worthabodeofamiscreantfitfortheForestofBondy!Heisamanbald,stout,fair,andpayingwellincountenance(ilpaiedemine),conceivinghimselftoresemblethegreatNapoleon。Atthefirstsightyouwouldsayaphilanthrope,afriendofman。Onhisrightarmhebearsasmallredmark,round,thebrandofasocietyofthemostdangerous。DearSir,youwillnotmisshim?Whenonceheisinourhands,faithofLecoq,youshalltellusyournewsastowhetherFrancecanbegrateful。Ofmorewordsthereisnoneed。——I
remain,alltoyou,withtheassuranceofmymostdistinguishedconsideration,LECOQ。
FromInspectorBuckettoM。Lecoq。
May22。
DearSir,——Yourpolitefavourtohand,andcontentsnoted。Youareamanoftheworld;Iamamanoftheworld,andproudtodealwithyouasbetweenmanandman。Thelittleirregularityshallbenoconsideration,allshallbesquared,andthemanwantedruninwithpunctualityanddespatch。ExpecthimatCalaisonthe26thcurrent,——Faithfullyyours,C。BUCKET。
FromCountFoscotoSamuelPickwick,Esq。,G。C。M。P。C。,GoswellRoad。
5ForestRoad,St。John’sWood,May23。
DearSir,——Whenwemetlatelyatthehospitableboardofourcommonfriend,BenjaminAllen,Esq。,latelyelectedProfessorofChemistryintheUniversityofLondon,ourconversationturned(ifyoucanpassmetheintoxicatingfavourofrememberingit)onthegloriousscienceofchemistry。Formethisknowledgehaseverpossessedirresistibleattractions,fromtheenormouspowerwhichitconfersofheapingbenefitsonthesufferingraceofmankind。Othersmayrejoiceintheadvantageswhichaknowledgeofitbestows——thepowerwhichcanreduceaHannibaltothelevelofadrummerboy,oranall—pervadingShakspearetotheintellectualestateofavestryman,thoughitcannotatpresentreversethoseprocesses。
Theconsiderationofthedestructiveascomparedwiththeconstructiveforcesofchemistrywaspresent,asIrecollect,toyourpowerfulintellectonthefestiveoccasiontowhichIrefer。
\"Yes!\"yousaid(permitmetorepeatyourverywords)——\"Yes,CountFosco,Alexander’smorningdraughtshallmakeAlexanderrunforhislifeatthefirstsoundoftheenemy’strumpet。Somuchchemistrycanachieve;butcanshehelpaswellasharm?Nay,cansheanswerforitthatthelemonwhichProfessorAllen,fromthebestandpurestofmotives,hasblendedwiththismilk—punch,shallnotdisagreewithmeto—morrowmorning?Canchemistry,CountFosco,thusthwartmalignconstitutionaltendency?\"
Thesewereyourwords,sir,andIamnowreadytoansweryourdeep—
searchingquestionintheaffirmative。ProlongedassiduousapplicationtomyArthasshownmehowtopreservethelemoninMilkPunch,andyetdestroy,ordisengage,thedeleteriouselements。Willyousogreatlyhonourscience,andFoscoherservant,astosupwithmeonthenightofthetwenty—fifth,atnineo’clock,andprove(youneednotdreadthetest)whetheratruefollowerofknowledgeoravainbabblersigns——inexile——thenameofISIDOROTTAVIOBALDASSAREFOSCO?
FromMr。PickwicktotheCountFosco。
May24。
MyDearSir,——Manythanksforyourverykindinvitation。Apartfromtheinterestsofscience,thepleasureofyourcompanyalonewouldbemorethanenoughtomakemegladlyacceptit。Ishallhavetheenjoymentoftestingyourmilk—punchto—morrownightatnine,withtheconfidentexpectationthatyouradmirablestudieswillhaveovercomeatendencywhichformanyyearshaspreventedmefromrelishing,asIcouldwish,oneofthebestthingsinthisgoodworld。Lemon,infact,hasalwaysdisagreedwithme,asProfessorAllenorSirRobertSawyerwillbeabletoassureyou;soyourvaluableexperimentcanbeput,inmycase,toacrucialtest。——Veryfaithfullyyours,SAMUELPICKWICK。
FromInspectorBuckettoM。Lecoq。
May26,1A。M。
MyDearSir,——Wehavetakenyourmanwithoutdifficulty。Bald,benevolent—looking,stout,perhapsfancieshimselflikeNapoleon;
ifso,isdeceived。Wenabbedhimasleepoverhisliquorandalone,attheaddressyoumeanttogive,5ForestRoad,St。John’sWood。Thehousewasempty,servantsout,notasoulbuthimathome。HespeaksEnglishwellforaforeigner,andtriestomakeoutheisaBritishsubject。Wasratherconfusedwhentook,andkeptejaculating\"ColdPunch,\"apparentlywiththehopeofpersuadingusthatsuchwashisnameoralias。HealsocalledforoneSam——probablyanaccomplice。HetravelstoCalaisto—dayasalunaticpatientinastrait—waistcoat,underchargeoffour\"keepers\"belongingtotheforce;andItrustthatyouhavemadepreparationsforreceivingyourprisoner,andthatourmanagementofthecasehasgivensatisfaction。WhatIlikeisdoingbusinesswithamanlikeyou。WemaynotbesosmartnorsocleveratdisguisesastheFrenchprofession,butweflatterourselveswearepunctualandcautious。——Faithfullyyours,C。BUCKET。
FromMr。PickwicktoMr。Perker,Solicitor,Gray’sInn。
SaintePelagie,May28。
DearPerker,——Forheaven’ssakecomeoverhereatonce,bringingsomeonewhocanspeakFrench,andbailmeout,orwhatevertheprocessoftheirlawmaybe。Ihavebeenarrested,illegallyandwithoutwarrant,atthehouseofascientificfriend,CountFosco,whereIhadbeensupping。AsfarasIcanunderstand,IamaccusedofaplotagainstthelifeoftheEmperoroftheFrench;butthewholeproceedingshavebeenunintelligibleandarbitrarytoadegree。IcannotthinkthatanEnglishcitizenwillbeallowedtoperishbytheguillotine——innocentandpracticallyunheard!Pleasebringlinenandbrushes,&c。,butnotSam,whowouldbecertaintoembroilhimselfwiththeFrenchpolice。IamwritingtotheTimesandLordPalmerston。——Sincerelyyours,SAMUELPICKWICK。
FromMonsieurLecoqtoInspectorBucket。
May27。
Sir,——Therehasarrivedafrightfulmisunderstanding。ThemanyouhavesentusisnotFosco。OfFoscohehasonlythebaldness,theairbenevolent,andthegirth。Thebrandonhisrightarmisnomorethanthemarkofvaccination。BroughtbeforetheCommissaryofPolice,theprisoner,whohasnotonewordofFrench,washeardthroughaninterpreter。HegiveshimselfthenameofPiquouique,rentier,English;andheappealstohisAmbassador。OfpapershehadlettersbearingthenameSamuelPickwick,and,onhisbuttons,thelettersP。C。,whichwesuspectarethebadgeofasecretsociety。Butthisisnottothepoint;foritiscertainthat,whateverthecrimesofthisbrigand,heisNOTFosco,butanEnglishman。ThatheshouldbefoundinthedomicileofFoscowhenthatdrollhadevadedissuspicious(louche),andhisexplanationdoesnotpermititselftobeunderstood。Ihavefearthatweenjoybadluck,andthatM。Palmerstonwillmakehimselftobeheardonthismatter。
Accept,Monsieur,theassuranceofmyhighconsideration。
LECOQ。
P。S。——Ourcomrade,theCountSmorltork,ofthePoliceofManners(policedesmoeurs),hascometopresenthimself。Confrontedwiththebandit,hegiveshimreason,andoffershisfaiththatthemanisPiquouique,withwhomheencounteredhimselfwhenonamissionofsecrecytoEnglanditisnowsomeyears。Whattodo?(Quefaire?)
LETTER:FromMr。AllanQuatermaintoSirHenryCurtis。
Mr。Quatermainoffersthecorrectaccountoftwocelebratedrightandleftshots,alsoanadventureofthestrangerintheStoryofanAfricanFarm。
DearCurtis,——Youaskmetogiveyouthetrueaccount,inwriting,ofthoserightandleftshotsofmineatthetwolions,thecrocodile,andtheeagle。Thebrutesarestuffednow,inthehallathome——thelionseachonapedestal,andthealligatoronthefloorwiththeeagleinhisjaws——muchastheywerewhenIsettledthemandsavedtheStranger。Allsortsofstorieshavegotintothepapersaboutthebusiness,whichwassimpleenough;so,thoughnohandwithapen,Imayaswellwriteitallout。
IwasupontheKnobkerryRiver,prospectingfordiamonds,inOmomborombunga’scountry。IhadnobodywithmebutpoorJim—jim,whoafterwardsmetwithanawfuldeath,otherwisehewouldhavebeengladtocorroboratemytale,ifitneededit。OnenightIhadcomebacktiredtocamp,whenIfoundastrangersittingbythefire。Hewasadark,fat,Frenchifiedlittlechap,andyouwon’tbelieveme,butitisafactthatheworegloves。Iaskedhimtostaythenight,ofcourse,andinspannedthewaggonsinlaager,forOmomborombunga’simpiswereout,swearingtowashtheirspearsinthebloodofTheGreatWhiteLiar——aPortuguesetravellerprobably;
ifnot,Idon’tknowwhohecanhavebeen;perhapsthisstranger:
hegavenoname。Well,wehadourbiltongtogether,andtheStrangerputhimselfoutsideagooddealoftheverylittlebrandyIhadleft。Wegotyarning,sotospeak,andItoldhimafewofthecuriousadventuresthatnaturallyfalltothelotofamaninthosewildcountries。TheStrangerdidnotsaymuch,butkeptplayingwithahugecarvedwalking—stickthathehad。Presentlyhesaid,\"Lookatthisstick;IboughtitfromaboyonaSouthAfricanFarm。Doyouunderstandwhatthecarvingsmean?\"
\"HangedifIdo!\"Isaid,afterturningitabout。
\"Well,doyouseethatfigure?\"andhetouchedathinglikeaNoahoutofachild’sark。\"Thatwasahunterlikeyou,myfriend,butnotinallrespects。Thathunterpursuedavastwhitebirdwithsilverwings,sailingintheeverlastingblue。\"
\"Everlastingbosh!\"saidI;\"thereisnobirdofthekindontheveldt。\"
\"ThatbirdwasTruth,\"saystheStranger,\"and,judgingfromtheanecdoteyoutellmeabouttheBabyanwomanandtheZulumedicine—
man,itisabirdYOUdon’ttroubleyourselfwithmuch,myfriend。\"
ThiswasaprettycoolthingtosaytoamanwhoseveracityisknownlikeaproverbfromSheba’sBreaststotheZambesi。
FoideMacumazahn,theZulussay,meaningastrueasayarnofAllanQuatermain’s。Well,mybloodwasup;nomanshallcallAllanQuatermainaliar。ThefellowwasgoingonwithaprodigiouspalaveraboutawhitefeatherofTruth,andMountSinai,andtheLandofAbsoluteNegation,andIdon’tknowwhat,butIsignifiedtohimthatifhedidnotbelievemyyarnsIdidnotwanthiscompany。\"I’msorrytoturnyouout,\"Isaid,\"fortherearelionsaround\"——indeedtheywereroaringtoeachother——\"andyouwillhaveaparrotytime。Butyouapologise,oryougo!\"
Helaughedhisshortthicklaugh。\"Iamamanwhohopesnothing,feelsnothing,fearsnothing,andbelievesnothingthatyoutellme!\"
Igotupandwentforhimwithmyfists,andwhetherhefearednothingornotIdon’tknow;buthescooted,droppingayellowFrenchnovel,byoneCatulleMendes,thatIcouldmakeneitherheadnortailof。Iafterwardsheardthattherewassomethingaboutthisstrangerinabookcalled\"TheStoryofanAfricanFarm,\"
whichIoncebegan,butneverfinished,notbeingabletounderstandmostofit,andbeingvexedbythegrossimprobabilityofthegirlnotmarryingthebaby’sfather,hebeingreadyandwillingtomakeheranhonestwoman。However,Iamnocritic,butaplainmanwhotellsaplaintale,andIbelievepersonsofsouladmirethebookverymuch。Anyway,itdoesnotsaywhotheStrangerwas——anallegoricalkindofbagmanIfancy;butIamnotdonewithhimyet。
Outhewentintothedark,wherehundredsoflionscouldbeplainlyseenmakinglove(atwhichseasontheyareverydangerous)bytheflashesoflightning。
Itwasaterrificyetbeautifulspectacle,andonewhichIcanneverforget。Theblackofnightwouldsuddenlyopenlikeahugesilverflower,deepwithindeep,tillyoualmostfanciedyoucouldseewithinthegatesofheaven。Thehillsstoodoutdarkagainsttheillimitablesplendour,andoneverykoppieyousawthehugelions,likekittensatplay,roaringtillyoucouldscarcelyhearthethunder。Therainwasrushinglikeariver,allglitteringlikediamonds,andthen,inthetwinklingofaneye,allwasblackasawolf’smouthtillthenextflash。Thelightning,comingfromallquarters,appearedtomeetaboveme,andnowwasred,nowgolden,nowsilveragain,whilethegreatcat—likebeasts,astheyleapedorlay,lookedlikegold,red,andsilverlions,remindingmeofthesignsofpublic—housesinoldEngland,faraway。
MeantimethedongabeneathroaredwiththefloodedtorrentthattherainwasbringingdownfromtheheightsofUmbopobekatanktshiu。
Istoodwatchingthegrandspectacleforsometime,ratherpityingtheStrangerwhowasoutinit,bynofaultofmine。ThenI
knockedtheashesoutofmypipe,ateamealyortwo,andcreptintomykartel,{22}andsleptthesleepofthejust。
AboutdawnIwoke。Thethunderhadrolledawaylikeabaddream。
Thelonglevelsilvershaftsofthedawnwerefloodingtheheights,raindropsglitteredlikediamondsoneverykopjeandkarroobush,leavingthedeepdongabathedinthesolemnpallofmysteriousnight。
Mythoughtswentrapidlyoverthemillionsofleaguesoflandandsea,wherelife,thatperpetualproblem,wasnowawakingtoanotherdayofstruggleandtemptation。Thenthegoldenarrowsofthedayfollowedfast。Thesilverandblueskygrewroseatewiththatwidewildblushwhichtestifiestothemodestdelightofnature,satisfiedandgratefulforhersilentexistenceandheramorousrepose。Ibreakfasted,wentdownintothedongawithablackboy,poorJim—jim,whowasafterwards,asIsaid,toperishbyanawfulfate,otherwisehewouldtestifytothetruthofmyplainstory。I
beganpokingamongtherocksinthedrybasinofthedonga,{23}
andhadjustpickedupapebble——Iknewitbythesoapyfeelforadiamond。Uncutitwasaboutthreetimesthesizeofthekoh—i—
noor,say1,000carats,andIwasrejoicinginmyluckwhenIheardthescreamofahumanbeinginthelastagonyofterror。Lookingup,Isawthatoneithersideofthedonga,whichwasabouttwentyfeetwide,agreatblacklionandlionesswerestandingwithopenjaws,whilesomefiftyyardsinfrontofmeanalligator,inadeeppoolofthefloodeddonga,wasstretchinghisopensnoutandgleamingteethgreedilyupwards。Overheadflewaneagle,andIN
MID—AIRBETWEEN,asIamalivingandhonourableman,ahumanbeingwasleapingthechasm。Hehadbeenpursuedbytheliononmyleft,andhadbeendriventoattempttheterribleleap;butifhecrossedhewascertaintofallintothejawsoftheliononmyright,whileifhefellshortinhisjump,doyousee,thealligatorwasreadyforhimbelow,andthegreatgoldeneaglewatchedthebusinessfromabove,incaseheattemptedtoescapeTHATway。
Allthistakeslongtotell,thoughitwaspassinginaflashoftime。Droppingthediamond(whichmusthaverolledintoacreviceoftherock,forIneversawitagain),Icaughtupmydouble—
barrelledrifle(oneofWesson&Smith’s),aimedatthelionontherighthandofthedongawithmyrightbarrel,andthenhastilyfiredmyleftatthealligator。Whenthesmokeclearedaway,themanhadreachedtherightsideofthedongasafeandsound。Seeingthatthealligatorwasdying,Iloadedagain,bowledoverthelionessontheleft,settledtheeagle’sbusiness(hefelldeadintothejawsofthedyingalligator,whichclosedonhimwithasnap)。Ithenclimbedthewallofthedonga,andtherelay,fainting,theStrangeroflastnight——themanwhofearednothing——
thebloodofthedeadliontricklingoverhim。Hiscelebratedallegoricalwalking—stickfromtheAfricanFarmhadbeenbrokenintotwopiecesbythebulletafterit(thebullet)hadpassedthroughtheheadofthelion。And,asthe\"IngoldsbyLegends\"say,\"nobodywasonepennytheworse,\"exceptthewildbeasts。Theman,however,hadhadaparrotytime,anditwasagoodhourbeforeI
couldbringhimround,duringwhichhefinishedmybrandy。Hestillworegloves。WhathewasdoinginOmuborumbunga’scountryI
donotknowtothisday。Ineverfoundthediamondagain,thoughI
huntedlong。ButImustsaythattwobetterrightandleftshots,consideringthatIhadnotimetoaim,andthattheywerereallysnapshots,Ineverremembertohavemadeinmylongexperience。
Thisistheshortandthelongofthematter,whichwastalkedofagooddealintheColony,andaboutwhich,Iamtold,someinaccurateaccountshavegotintothenewspapers。Ihatewriting,asyouknow,anddon’tpretendtogivealiterarycolourtothislittlebusinessoftheshots,butmerelytella\"plain,unvarnishedtale,\"asthe\"IngoldsbyLegends\"say。
AstotheStranger,whathewasdoingthere,orwhohewas,orwhereheisnow,Icantellyounothing。Hetoldmehewasboundfor\"thealmightymountainsofDry—factsandRealities,\"whichhekindlypointedouttomeamongthecarvingsofhiswalking—stick。
Hethensighedwearily,verywearily,andscooted。Ithinkhecametonogood;buthenevercameinmywayagain。
Andnowyouknowtheyarnofthetwostuffedlionsandthealligatorwiththeeagleinhisjaws。
Everyours,ALLANQUATERMAIN。
LETTER:FromtheBaronBradwardinetoEdwardWaverley,Esq。,ofWaverleyHonour。
TheBaronexplainsthemysteriouscircumstancesofhisaffairwithhisthirdcousin,SirHewHalbert。——\"Waverley,\"chap。xiv。
TullyVeolan,May17,1747。
SonEdward,——TouchingmyquarrelwithSirHewHalbert,anentwhichItoldyounomorethanthatitwas\"settledinafittingmanner,\"
youhavelongteasedmeforanamplerexplanation。ThisIhavewithheld,asconceivingthatittendedrathertovainquolibetsandjesting,thantothatrespectinwhichtheduello,orsinglecombat,shouldberegardedbygentlemenofnameandcoatarmour。
ButSirHewbeingdead,andburiedwithhisfathers,themattermaybebroachedasamongfriendsandpersonsofhonour。Thegroundofourdispute,asyeknow,wasanunthinkingscoffofSirHew’s,hebeingmyownthirdcousinbythemother’sside,AndersonofEttrickHallhavingintermarried,aboutthetimeoftheSolemnLeagueandCovenant,withAndersonofTushielaw,bothofwhichhousesareconnectedwiththeHalbertsofDinniewuddieandwiththeBradwardines。Butstemmataquidfaciunt?SirHew,beingayoungman,andthemaut,asthevulgarsay,abovethemeal,afterafuneralofoneofourkinintheCathedralKirkyardofSt。Andrews,wemetatGlass’sInn,where,inthepresenceofmanygentlemen,occurredourunfortunatedissension。
Weencounteredbetimesnextmorning,onasecludedspotofthesandshardbythetown,attheEden—mouth。{24}Theweaponswerepistols,SirHew,byaslightpassinginfirmity,beingdisabledfromtheuseofthesword。Inchgrabbitwasmysecond,andStrathtyrumdidthesameofficeformykinsman,SirHew。Thepistolsbeingchargedandprimed,andwealignedforenenteachotherattheconvenientdistanceoftwelvepaces,thewordwasgiventofire,andbothweaponshavingbeendischarged,andthesmokehavingclearedaway,SirHewwasdiscoveredfallentotheground,procumbushumi,andexanimate。Thebloodwasflowingfreelyfromaface—wound,andmyunhappykinsmanwassenseless。Atthismomentweheardavoice,asofoneclamantisineremo,cry\"Fore!\"towhichpayingnoheedinthenaturalagitationofourspirits,wehurriedtoliftmyfallenopponentandexaminehiswound。Uponaclosersearchitprovedtobenoshot—wound,butamereclour,orbruise,whereofthereasonwasnowapparent,hehavingbeenstruckbytheballofagolfer(fromusconcealedbythedunes,orbunkers,ofsand)andnotbythedischargeofmyweapon。Atthismomentaplebeianfellowappearedwithhisarmacampestria,orclubs,cleeks,irons,andthelike,underhisarm,who,withoutpayinganyattentiontooursituation,strucktheballwherewithhehadfelledmykinsmaninthedirectionofthehole。
Reflectiondirectedustotheconclusionthatbothpistolshadmissedtheiraim,andthatSirHewhadfallenbeneathachanceblowfromthisfellow’sgolf—ball。Butasmykinsmanwasstillhorsdecombat,andincapableoffurtheraction,beingunwitting,too,oftherealcauseofhisdisaster,InchgrabbitandStrathtyrum,intheirdiscretionasseconds,orbellijudices,deemeditbetterthatweshouldkeepastillsough,andthatSirHewshouldneverbeinformedconcerningthecauseofhisdiscomfiture。Thisresolutionwekept,andSirHewwore,tillthedayofhislatelamenteddecease,abulletamongthesealsofhiswatch,hebeingpersuadedbyStrathtyrumthatithadbeenextractedfromhisbrain—pan,whichcertainlywasofthethickest。Butthiswasallabam,orbite,amongyoungmen,andasploretolaughoverbyourthreeselves,norwouldIhaveittogoabroadnowthatSirHewisdead,asbeingprejudicialtothememoryofaworthyman,andanhonourablefamilyconnectedwithourown。WhereforeIprayyoukeepastillsoughhereanent,asyouloveme,whoremain——Yourlovinggoodfather,BRADWARDINE。
APPENDIX
NoteonLetterofMr。SurteestoMr。JonathanOldbuck,p。64。
NoliteraryforgerieswereevermuchbetterdonethantheshamballadswhichSurteesofMainsforthimposedonSirWalterScott。
Thepoemswerespiritedandgoodoftheirkind;andthoughwewondernowthatsomeofthemcouldtakeinanexpert,itisbynomeansassuredthatweareevento—dayacquaintedwiththewholeofSurtees’frauds。Whyamanotherwisehonourable,kindly,charitable,andlearned,exercisedhisingenuitysocruellyuponatrustingcorrespondentandastaunchfriend,itishardlypossibletoguess。ThebiographersofSurteesmaintainthathewantedtotryhisskillonScott,thenonlyknowntohimbycorrespondence;
andthat,havingsucceeded,hewasafraidtoriskScott’sfriendshipbyaconfession。Thisisplausible;andifgoodmaycomeoutofevil,wemayrememberthattwopicturesquepartsof\"Marmion\"areduetooneconfessedandanothercertainsupercherieofSurtees。Itcannotbesaidinhisdefencethathehadnoconceptionofthemischiefofliteraryfrauds;inmorethanonepassageofhiscorrespondencehementionsRitson’sdetestationofthesepractices。\"Toliteraryimposition,astendingtoobscurethepathofinquiry,Ritsongavenoquarter,\"saysthisarchliteraryimpostor。
AbriefaccountofSurtees’labourinthefieldofshamballadwritingmaybefreshtomanypeoplewhomerelyknowhimastherealauthorof\"Barthram’sDirge\"andof\"TheSlayingofAnthonyFeatherstonhaugh。\"Inanundatedletterof1806,Scott,writingfromAshestiel,thanksSurteesforhis\"obligingcommunications。\"
Surteesmanifestlybeganthecorrespondence,beingattractedbythe\"BorderMinstrelsy。\"ThusitappearsthatSurteesdidNOTforge\"HobbieNoble\"inthefirsteditionofthe\"Minstrelsy\";forhemakessomesuggestionsastothe\"EarlofWhitfield,\"dreadedbytheheroofthatballad,whichScotthadalreadypublished。ButhewasalreadydeceivingScott,whowritestohimabout\"RalphEure,\"
or\"LordEure,\"andabouta\"Goth,whomeltedLordEure’sgoldchain。\"ThisLordEureisdoubtlessthe\"LordEurie\"oftheballadinthelatereditionsofthe\"BorderMinstrelsy,\"aballadactuallycomposedbySurtees。ThatwilypersonimmediatelysentScottaballadon\"TheFeudbetweentheRidleysandFeatherstones,\"inwhichScottbelievedtothedayofhisdeath。Heintroduceditin\"Marmion。\"
ThewhilesaNorthernharperrudeChauntedarhymeofdeadlyfeud,HowthefierceThirlwallsandRidleysall,&c。
Inhisnote(\"BorderMinstrelsy,\"secondedition,1808,p。xxi。)
Scottsaystheballadwastakendownfromanoldwoman’srecitationattheAlstonMoorlead—mines\"bytheagentthere,\"andsentbyhimtoSurtees。Consequently,whenSurteessaw\"Marmion\"inprinthehadtoaskScottnottoprint\"THEagent,\"ashedoesnotknoweventhenameofColonelBeaumont’schiefagentthere,but\"anagent。\"
Thushehedgedhimselffromanotimpossibledisclaimerbytheagentatthemines。
Readersof\"Marmion\"willrememberhowOnce,nearNorham,theredidfightAspectrefell,offiendishmight,InlikenessofaScottishknight,WithBrianBulmerbold,AndtrainedhimnightodisallowTheaidofhisbaptismalvow。
ThislegendismoreofSurtees’fun。\"Themostsingulartaleofthiskind,\"saysSirWalter,\"iscontainedinanextractcommunicatedtomebymyfriendMr。Surtees,ofMainsforth,whocopieditfromaMS。noteinacopyofBurthogge\"OntheNatureofSpirits,1694,8vo,\"whichhadbeenthepropertyofthelateMr。
Gill。ItwasnotinMr。Gill’sownhand:butprobablyanhundredyearsolder,andwassaidtobe\"ElibroConvent。Dunelm。perT。
C。extract。;\"thisT。C。beingThomasCradocke,Esq。Scottadds,thatthepassage,whichhegivesintheLatin,suggestedtheintroductionofthetourneywiththeFairyKnightin\"Marmion。\"
Well,WHEREisCradocke’sextract?Theoriginalwas\"lost\"beforeSurteessenthis\"copy\"toSirWalter。\"Thenoteshadbeencarelesslyorinjudiciouslyshakenoutofthebook。\"Surteesadds,anothereditorconfirmsit,thatnosuchstoryexistsinanyMS。oftheDeanandChapterofDurham。Nodoubtheinventedthewholestory,andwroteithimselfinmediaevalLatin。
Notcontentwithtwo\"whoppers,\"asMr。JoGargerymightcallthem,Surteesgoesontoinventaperfectlyincredibleheraldicbearing。
HefounditinaMS。noteinthe\"Gwillim’sHeraldry\"ofMr。GyllorGill——thenameiswrittenbothways。\"Hebearethperpaleorandarg。,overallaspectrepassant,SHROUDEDSABLE\"——\"he\"beingNewton,ofBeverley,inYorkshire。SirWalteractuallyswallowedthisamazingfib,andalludestoitin\"RobRoy\"(1818)。ButMr。
Raine,theeditorofSurtees’Life,inheritedorboughthiscopyofGwillim,thatofMr。GillorGyll;\"andIfindinitnotraceofsuchanentry。\"\"LordDerwentwater’sGood—Night\"isprobablyentirelybySurtees。\"AfriendofMr。Taylor’s\"gavehimaTynedaleballad,\"Hey,WillyRidley,winnayoustay?\"whichisalso\"autDiabolusautRobertus。\"Asto\"Barthram’sDirge,\"\"fromAnnDouglas,awitheredcronewhoweedsmygarden,\"copieswithvarioustentativeversesinSurtees’handhavebeenfound。Oddlyenough,SirWalterhadoncediscoveredasmallsepulchralcross,upset,inLiddesdale,nearthe\"NineStaneRig;\"andthisprobablymadehimmoreeasilydeceived。Surteesverycleverlyputsomelines,whichCOULDnothavebeenoriginal,inbrackets,ashisownattempttofilluplacunae。Suchare[Whenthedewfellcoldandstill,Whentheaspengreyforgettoplay,Andthemistclungtothehill。]
Anyonereadingthepiecewouldsay,\"Itmustbegenuine,fortheCONFESSEDinterpolationsarenotintheballadstyle,whichtheinterpolator,therefore,couldnotwrite。\"AnattemptwhichSurteesmadewhencomposingthesong,andwhichhewiselyrejected,couldnothavefailedtoexciteScott’ssuspicions。Itran—
TheyburiedhimwhenthebonnymayWasontheflow’ringthorn;
AndshewakedhimtilltheforestgreyOfeveryleafwaslorn;
TilltherowantreeofgramaryeItsscarletclustersshed,AndthehollingreenalonewasseenWithitsberriesglisteningred。
WhetherSurtees’\"BrownManoftheMuirs,\"towhichScottalsogaveaplaceinhisownpoetry,wasatruelegendornot,thereadermaydecideforhimself。
Concerninganotherballadinthe\"Minstrelsy\"——\"AuldMaitland\"——
ProfessorChildhasexpressedasuspicionwhichmostreadersfeel。
WhatScotttoldEllisaboutit(Autumn,1802)was,thathegotitintheForest,\"copieddownfromtherecitationofanoldshepherdbyacountryfarmer。\"Whowasthefarmer?WillLaidlawhademployedJamesHogg,asshepherd。Hogg’smotherchanted\"AuldMaitland。\"HoggfirstmetScottinthesummerof1801。Theshepherdhadalreadyseenthefirstvolumeofthe\"Minstrelsy。\"
Didhe,thereupon,write\"AuldMaitland,\"teachhismotherit,andinduceLaidlawtotakeitdownfromherrecitation?TheoldladysaidshegotitfromAndrewMoir,whohadit\"fraeauldBabyMettlin,whowassaidtohavebeenanothernoragudeane。\"ButwehaveHogg’sownstatementthat\"aiblinsmagran’—mitherwasanuncoleear,\"andthisqualitymayhavebeenhereditary。Ontheotherside,Hoggcouldhardlyhaveheldhistongueabouttheforgery,ifforgeryitwas,whenhewrotehis\"DomesticMannersandPrivateLifeofSirWalterScott\"(1834)。Thewholeinvestigationisalittledepressing,andmakesoneveryshyofunauthenticatedballads。
Footnotes:
{1}Whoknowswhatmayhappen?Imaydiebeforeheseesthelight;soIwilladdamongmyfriendsSKALAGRIMLAMB’S—TAIL。
{2}CanMrs。Gampmean\"dial\"?
{3}1887。
{4}Inhisfamiliarcorrespondence,itwillbeobserved,Herodotusdoesnottroublehimselftomaintainthedignityofhistory。
{5}Mr。FlindersPetriehasjustdiscoveredandsenttoMr。Holly,ofTrinity,Cambridge,thewell—knowntraveller,awall—paintingofabeautifulwoman,excavatedbytheEgyptExplorationSociety,fromtheruinedsiteoftheTempleofAphroditeinNaucratis。Mr。
Holly,inanaffectinglettertotheACADEMY,statesthatherecognisesinthispicture\"anadmirablethoughsomewhatarchaicportraitofSHE。\"TherecanthusbelittleornodoubtthatSHE
wasRhodopis,andthereforeseveralhundredyearsolderthanshesaid。Butfewwillblameherforbeinganxiousnottoclaimherfullage。
ThisunexpectedrevelationappearstothrowlightonsomefascinatingpeculiaritiesinthebehaviourofSHE。
{6}ThegreatintimacybetweenMrs。ProudieandMrs。Quiverful,indicatedbyMrs。Proudie’suseoftheBishop’sChristianname——andthatabbreviated——hasamazedthediscovererandeditorofhercorrespondence。
{7}ThissignatureofMrs。Proudie’sissounusualanassumptionoftheepiscopalstyle,thatitmightwellcastadoubtontheauthenticityofherletter。Butexpertspronounceitgenuine。
\"Barnum,\"ofcourse,is\"BaronumCastrum,\"theratheroddRomannameofBarchester。
{8}IthasbeenseenthatMrs。Quiverfuldidnotobeythisinjunction。
{9}ThismanwaswellknowntoSirWalterScott,whospeaksofhiscurioushabitsinanunpublishedmanuscript。
{10}Mr。Forth,wearesure,isquitewrong,andnoneofthescholarshequoteshassaidanythingofthekind。
{11}\"He\"clearlymeans,notAddison,butProfessorForth,thelady’shusband。
{12}ItwasnotAsiatics,butAztecs;notPittites,butHittites!
Womancareslittleforthesestudies!——A。L。
{13}Theeditorhasnodoubtthatsomeonewas——MissWatson。Cf。
’Belinda。’
{14}OwingtothesuddendeceaseoftheDeaninwell—knownandmelancholycircumstances,thisletterwasnotdelivered。
{15}Alas,notwisely!Butanycarefulreaderof\"TheSilenceofDeanMaitland\"willseethattheBabywasananachronism。——ED。
{16}ThisappearstohavebeenafavouriteremarkofMr。
Skimpole’s。Itwillbenoticedthat,quitewithoutintendingit,Mr。SkimpolewasthefounderofourNewCyrenaicSchool。
{17}Mr。Skimpole’srecollectionsofclassicalritualarealittlemixedhereabouts。HereferstoMr。Honeyman’sprojectedunionwiththewidowofMr。Bromley,thefamoushatter。
{18}ColonelNewcome,indeed。
{19}Non,Monsieur,jeneciteni\"Woodsworth\"ni\"levieuxWilliams。\"
{20}Mr。Pottsoughttohaveconsultedtheeditionof1833,wherehewouldhavefoundtheverseasquotedbyMr。Gandish。
{21}Andanicemixtureitmusthavebeen!——A。L。
{22}Thewoodenbedfastenedinanox—waggon。
{23}Mr。Quatermainhasjustsaidthatthedongawasfilledbyaroaringtorrent。Istherenotsomeinconsistencyhere?
{24}AttheHIGHHOLE,indeed。——A。L。