the lumley autograph-第2章

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it　a　more　elegant　shrine　than　the　precious　pages　of　the　Holberton
Album；　a　volume　encased　in　velvet；　secured　with　jeweled　clasps；
reposing　on　a　tasteful　etagere。

｛etagere　=　small　table　or　shelf　for　displaying　curios　（French）｝

But　I　proceed　without　further　delay　to　relate　some　of　the　more
important　steps　in　the　progress　of　this　interesting　paper；　from　the
garret　of　the　starving　poet　to　the　drawing…rooms　of　Holberton　House；
merely　observing　by　way　of　preface　that　the　following　notice　may　be
relied　on　so　far　as　it　goes；　the　writerColonel　Jonathan　Howard　of
Trenton；　New　Jersey；having　had　access　to　the　very　best　authorities；
and　having　also　had　the　honor　of　being　enlisted　in　the　service　of　the
Lumley　Autograph　upon　an　occasion　of　some　importance；　as　will　be
shown　by　the　narrative。

It　was　just　one　hundred　years　since；　in　1745；　that　this　celebrated
letter　was　first　brought　to　light；　from　the　obscurity　in　which　it　had
already　lain　some　half　a　century；　and　which　no　subsequent　research
has　been　able　fully　to　clear　away。　In　the　month　of　August　of　that
year；　the　Rev。　John　Lumley；　tutor　to　Lord　G…；　had　the　honor　of
discovering　this　curious　relic　under　the　following　circumstances。

Mr。　Lumley　was　one　day　perched　on　the　topmost　step　of　a　library
ladder；　looking　over　a　black　letter　volume　of　Hollinshed；　from　the
well　filled　shelves　of　his　pupil。　Suddenly　he　paused；　and　his
antiquarian　instincts　were　aroused　by　the　sight　of　a　sheet　of　paper；
yellow　and　time　worn。　He　seized　it　with　the　eagerness　of　a　book…
worm；　and　in　so　doing　dropped　the　volume　of　Hollinshed　alarmingly
near　the　wig…covered　head　of　his　youthful　pupil；　who　with　closed
eyes；　and　open　mouth；　lay　reclining　on　a　sofa　below。　The　book；
grazing　the　curls　of　the　young　lord's　wig；　he　sprang　up　from　his　nap；
alive　and　sound；　though　somewhat　startled。

｛Hollinshed　=　Raphael　Holinshed　（d。　1580）；　famous　writer　of　British
historical　chronicles；　used　by　Shakespeare　as　source　for　some　of　his
plays｝

〃Hang　it　Lumley；　what　a　rumpus　you　keep　up　among　the　books！　You
well　nigh　drove　that　old　volume　into　my　head　by　a　process　more
summary　than　usual。〃

The　learned　tutor　made　a　thousand　apologies；　as　he　descended　the
ladder；　but　on　touching　the　floor　his　delight　burst　forth。

〃It　was　this　paper；　my　lord；　which　made　me　so　awkwardI　have
lighted　on　a　document　of　the　greatest　interest！〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　pupil　looking　askance　at　letter；　and　tutor。

〃An　original　letter　which　comes　to　hand；　just　in　time　for　my　lives　of
the　tragediansthe　volume　to　be　dedicated　to　your　lordshipit　is　a
letter　of　poor　Otway。〃

｛Otway　=　Thomas　Otway　（1652…1685）；　English　playwright　who　wrote
a　number　of　important　tragedies　in　verse；　but　who　died　destitute　at
the　age　of　33。　The　Coopers　were　familiar　with　his　work；　James
Fenimore　Cooper　used　quotations　from　Otway's　〃The　Orphan〃　for
three　chapter　heading　epigraphs　in　his　1850　novel；　〃The　Ways　of　the
Hour〃｝

〃Otway？What；　the　fellow　you　were　boring　me　about　last　night？〃

〃The　same　my　lordthe　poet　Otwayyou　may　remember　we　saw　his
Venice　Preserved　last　week。　It　is　a　highly　interesting　letter；　written
in　great　distress；　and　confirms　the　story　of　his　starvation。　You　see
the　signature。〃

｛Venice　Preserved　=　a　well…known　play　by　Otway；　written　in　1682｝

〃That　name；　Otway？Well；　to　my　mind　it　is　as　much　like　Genghis
Khan。〃

〃Oh；　my　lord！Thomas　Otway　clearlysignatures　are　always　more　or
less　confused。

〃Well；　have　it　your　own　way。It　may　be　Tom；　Dick；　or　Harry　for　all　I
care；〃　said　the　youth；　stretching　himself　preparatory　to　a　visit　to　his
kennels；　and　such　was　his　indifference　to　this　literary　treasure　that
he　readily　gave　it　to　his　tutor。　In　those　days；　few　lords　were　literary。

Mr。　Lumley's　delight　at　this　discovery；　was　very　much　increased　by
the　fact　that　he　was　at　that　moment　anxious　to　bring　out　an　edition
of　the　English　Tragedians　of　the　seventeenth　century。　The　lives　of
several　of　these　authors　had　been　already　written　by　him；　and　he
was　at　that　moment　engaged　on　that　of　Otway。　A　noted　publisher
had　taken　the　matter　into　consideration；　and　if　the　undertaking　gave
promise　of　being　both　palatable　to　the　public；　and　profitable　to
himself；　a　prospectus　was　to　be　issued。　Now　here　was　a　little　tit…bit
which　the　public　would　doubtless　relish；　for　it　was　beginning　to　feel
some　interest　in　Otway's　starvation；　the　poet　having　been　dead　half
a　century。　It　is　true　that　the　signature　of　the　poor　starving　author；
whoever　he　may　have　been；　was　so　illegible　that　it　required　some
imagination　to　see　in　it；　the　name　of　Otway；　but　Mr。　Lumley　had
enough　of　the　true　antiquarian　spirit；　to　settle　the　point　to　his　own
entire　satisfaction。　The　note　was　accordingly　introduced　into　the　life
of　Otway；　with　which　the　learned　tutor　was　then　engaged。　The　work
itself；　however；　was　not　destined　to　see　the　light；　its　publication
was　delayed；　while　Mr。　Lumley　accompanied　his　pupil　on　the　usual
continental　tour；　and　from　this　journey　the　learned　gentleman　never
returned；　dying　at　Rome；　of　a　cold　caught　in　the　library　of　the
Vatican。　By　his　will；　the　MS。　life　of　Otway　with　all　his　papers；　passed
into　the　hands　of　his　brother；　an　officer　in　the　army。　Unfortunately；
however；　Captain　Lumley；　who　was　by　no　means　a　literary　character；
proved　extremely　indifferent　to　this　portion　of　his　brother's
inheritance；　which　he　treated　with　contemptuous　neglect。

After　this　first　stage　on　the　road　to　fame；　twenty　more　years　passed
away　and　the　letter　of　the　starving　poet　was　again　forgotten。　At
length　the　papers　of　the　Rev。　Mr。　Lumley；　fell　into　the　hands　of　a
nephew；　who　inherited　his　uncle's　antiquarian　tastes；　and　clerical
profession。　In　looking　over　the　MSS。；　he　came　to　the　life　of　Otway；
and　was　struck　with　the　letter　given　there；　never　having　met　with　it
in　print；　there　was　also　a　note　appended　to　it　with　an　account　of　the
manner　in　which　it　had　been　discovered　by　the　editor；　in　the　library
of　Lord　G…；　and　affirming　that　it　was　still　in　his　own　possession。
The　younger　Lumley　immediately　set　to　work　to　discover　the　original
letter；　but　his　search　was　fruitless；　it　was　not　to　be　found　either
among　the　papers　of　his　uncle；　or　those　of　his　father。　It　was　gone。
He　was　himself　a　tutor　at　Cambridge　at　the　time；　and　returning　to
the　university；　he　carried　with　him　his　uncle's　life　of　Otway；　in　MS。
Some　little　curiosity　was　at　first　excited　among　his　immediate
companions　by　these　facts；　but　it　soon　settled　down　into　an　opinion
unfavorable　to　the　veracity　of　the　late　Mr。　Lumley。This　nettled　the
nephew；　and　as　Lord　G…；　was　still　living；　a　gouty　bloated　roue；　he
at　length　wrote　to　inquire　if　his　lordship　knew　any　thing　of　the
matter。　His　lordship　was　too　busy；　or　too　idle；　to　answer　the　inquiry。
Some　time　later；　however；　the　younger　Lumley；　then　a　chaplain　in
the　family　of　a　relative　of　Lord　G…'s；　accidentally　met　his　uncle's
former　pupil；　and　being　of　a　persevering　disposition；　he　ventured　to
make　a　personal　application　on　the　subject。

〃Now　you　recall　the　matter　to　me；　Mr。　Lumley；　I　do　recollect
something　of　the　kind。　I　remember　one　day；　giving　my　tutor　some
musty　old　letter　he　found　in　the　library　at　G…；　and　by　the　bye　he
came　near　cracking　my　skull　on　the　same　occasion！〃

Mr。　Lumley　was　not　a　little　pleased　by　this　confirmation　of　the　story；
though　he　found　that　Lord　G…　had　not　even　read　the　letter；　nor
did　he　know　any　thing　of　its　subsequent　fate；　he　only　remembered
looking　at　the　signature。　Not　long　after　the　meeting　at　which　this
explanation　had　taken　place；　Mr。　Lumley　received　a　visit　from　a
stranger；　requesting　to　see　the　MS。　Life　of　Otway　in　his　possession。
It　was　handed　to　him；　he　examined　it；　and　was　very　particular　in　his
inquiries　on　the　subject；　giving　the　chaplain　to　understand　that　he
was　the　agent　of　a　third　person　who　wished　to　purchase　either　the
original　letter　if　possible；　or　if　that　could　not　be　found；　the　MS。
containing　the　copy。　Mr。　Lumley　always　believed　that　the　employer　of
this　applicant　was　no　other　than　that　arch…gatherer；　Horace　Walpole；
who　gave　such　an　impulse　to　the　collecting　mania；　he　declined
selling　the　work；　however；　for　he　had　thoughts　of　printing　it　him