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memories and portraits-第9章

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craftsman can fail to see how much the one must have tried in his 

time to imitate the other。  Burns is the very type of a prime force 

in letters: he was of all men the most imitative。  Shakespeare 

himself; the imperial; proceeds directly from a school。  It is only 

from a school that we can expect to have good writers; it is almost 

invariably from a school that great writers; these lawless 

exceptions; issue。  Nor is there anything here that should astonish 

the considerate。  Before he can tell what cadences he truly 

prefers; the student should have tried all that are possible; 

before he can choose and preserve a fitting key of words; he should 

long have practised the literary scales; and it is only after years 

of such gymnastic that he can sit down at last; legions of words 

swarming to his call; dozens of turns of phrase simultaneously 

bidding for his choice; and he himself knowing what he wants to do 

and (within the narrow limit of a man's ability) able to do it。



And it is the great point of these imitations that there still 

shines beyond the student's reach his inimitable model。  Let him 

try as he please; he is still sure of failure; and it is a very old 

and a very true saying that failure is the only highroad to 

success。  I must have had some disposition to learn; for I clear…

sightedly condemned my own performances。  I liked doing them 

indeed; but when they were done; I could see they were rubbish。  In 

consequence; I very rarely showed them even to my friends; and such 

friends as I chose to be my confidants I must have chosen well; for 

they had the friendliness to be quite plain with me; 〃Padding;〃 

said one。  Another wrote: 〃I cannot understand why you do lyrics so 

badly。〃  No more could I!  Thrice I put myself in the way of a more 

authoritative rebuff; by sending a paper to a magazine。  These were 

returned; and I was not surprised nor even pained。  If they had not 

been looked at; as (like all amateurs) I suspected was the case; 

there was no good in repeating the experiment; if they had been 

looked at … well; then I had not yet learned to write; and I must 

keep on learning and living。  Lastly; I had a piece of good fortune 

which is the occasion of this paper; and by which I was able to see 

my literature in print; and to measure experimentally how far I 

stood from the favour of the public。





II





The Speculative Society is a body of some antiquity; and has 

counted among its members Scott; Brougham; Jeffrey; Horner; 

Benjamin Constant; Robert Emmet; and many a legal and local 

celebrity besides。  By an accident; variously explained; it has its 

rooms in the very buildings of the University of Edinburgh: a hall; 

Turkey…carpeted; hung with pictures; looking; when lighted up at 

night with fire and candle; like some goodly dining…room; a 

passage…like library; walled with books in their wire cages; and a 

corridor with a fireplace; benches; a table; many prints of famous 

members; and a mural tablet to the virtues of a former secretary。  

Here a member can warm himself and loaf and read; here; in defiance 

of Senatus…consults; he can smoke。  The Senatus looks askance at 

these privileges; looks even with a somewhat vinegar aspect on the 

whole society; which argues a lack of proportion in the learned 

mind; for the world; we may be sure; will prize far higher this 

haunt of dead lions than all the living dogs of the professorate。



I sat one December morning in the library of the Speculative; a 

very humble…minded youth; though it was a virtue I never had much 

credit for; yet proud of my privileges as a member of the Spec。; 

proud of the pipe I was smoking in the teeth of the Senatus; and in 

particular; proud of being in the next room to three very 

distinguished students; who were then conversing beside the 

corridor fire。  One of these has now his name on the back of 

several volumes; and his voice; I learn; is influential in the law 

courts。  Of the death of the second; you have just been reading 

what I had to say。



And the third also has escaped out of that battle of in which he 

fought so hard; it may be so unwisely。  They were all three; as I 

have said; notable students; but this was the most conspicuous。  

Wealthy; handsome; ambitious; adventurous; diplomatic; a reader of 

Balzac; and of all men that I have known; the most like to one of 

Balzac's characters; he led a life; and was attended by an ill 

fortune; that could be properly set forth only in the COMEDIE 

HUMAINE。  He had then his eye on Parliament; and soon after the 

time of which I write; he made a showy speech at a political 

dinner; was cried up to heaven next day in the COURANT; and the day 

after was dashed lower than earth with a charge of plagiarism in 

the SCOTSMAN。  Report would have it (I daresay; very wrongly) that 

he was betrayed by one in whom he particularly trusted; and that 

the author of the charge had learned its truth from his own lips。  

Thus; at least; he was up one day on a pinnacle; admired and envied 

by all; and the next; though still but a boy; he was publicly 

disgraced。  The blow would have broken a less finely tempered 

spirit; and even him I suppose it rendered reckless; for he took 

flight to London; and there; in a fast club; disposed of the bulk 

of his considerable patrimony in the space of one winter。  For 

years thereafter he lived I know not how; always well dressed; 

always in good hotels and good society; always with empty pockets。  

The charm of his manner may have stood him in good stead; but 

though my own manners are very agreeable; I have never found in 

them a source of livelihood; and to explain the miracle of his 

continued existence; I must fall back upon the theory of the 

philosopher; that in his case; as in all of the same kind; 〃there 

was a suffering relative in the background。〃  From this genteel 

eclipse he reappeared upon the scene; and presently sought me out 

in the character of a generous editor。  It is in this part that I 

best remember him; tall; slender; with a not ungraceful stoop; 

looking quite like a refined gentleman; and quite like an urbane 

adventurer; smiling with an engaging ambiguity; cocking at you one 

peaked eyebrow with a great appearance of finesse; speaking low and 

sweet and thick; with a touch of burr; telling strange tales with 

singular deliberation and; to a patient listener; excellent effect。  

After all these ups and downs; he seemed still; like the rich 

student that he was of yore; to breathe of money; seemed still 

perfectly sure of himself and certain of his end。  Yet he was then 

upon the brink of his last overthrow。  He had set himself to found 

the strangest thing in our society: one of those periodical sheets 

from which men suppose themselves to learn opinions; in which young 

gentlemen from the universities are encouraged; at so much a line; 

to garble facts; insult foreign nations and calumniate private 

individuals; and which are now the source of glory; so that if a 

man's name be often enough printed there; he becomes a kind of 

demigod; and people will pardon him when he talks back and forth; 

as they do for Mr。 Gladstone; and crowd him to suffocation on 

railway platforms; as they did the other day to General Boulanger; 

and buy his literary works; as I hope you have just done for me。  

Our fathers; when they were upon some great enterprise; would 

sacrifice a life; building; it may be; a favourite slave into the 

foundations of their palace。  It was with his own life that my 

companion disarmed the envy of the gods。  He fought his paper 

single…handed; trusting no one; for he was something of a cynic; up 

early and down late; for he was nothing of a sluggard; daily ear…

wigging influential men; for he was a master of ingratiation。  In 

that slender and silken fellow there must have been a rare vein of 

courage; that he should thus have died at his empl

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