r. f. murray-第2章

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ecessary　for　the　development　of　his　powers。　　I　confess　to　believing　in　strenuous　work　at　the　classics；　as　offering；　apart　from　all　material　reward；　the　best　and　most　solid　basis；　especially　where　there　is　no　exuberant　original　genius；　for　the　career　of　a　man　of　letters。　　The　mental　discipline　is　invaluable；　the　training　in　accuracy　is　invaluable；　and　invaluable　is　the　life　led　in　the　society　of　the　greatest　minds；　the　noblest　poets；　the　most　faultless　artists　of　the　world。　　To　descend　to　ordinary　truths；　scholarship　is；　at　lowest；　an　honourable　gagne…pain。　　But　Murray；　like　the　majority　of　students　endowed　with　literary　originality；　did　not　share　these　rather　old…fashioned　ideas。　　The　clever　Scottish　student　is　apt　to　work　only　too　hard；　and；　perhaps；　is　frequently　in　danger　of　exhausting　his　powers　before　they　are　mature；　and　of　injuring　his　health　before　it　is　confirmed。　　His　ambitions；　to　lookers…on；　may　seem　narrow　and　school…boyish；　as　if　he　were　merely　emulous；　and　eager　for　a　high　place　in　his　‘class；'　as　lectures　are　called　in　Scotland。　　This　was　Murray's　own　view；　and　he　certainly　avoided　the　dangers　of　academic　over…work。　　He　read　abundantly；　but；　as　Fitzgerald　says；　he　read　‘for　human　pleasure。'　　He　never　was　a　Greek　scholar；　he　disliked　Philosophy；　as　presented　to　him　in　class…work；　the　gods　had　made　him　poetical；　not　metaphysical。

There　was　one　other　cause　of　his　lack　of　even　such　slender　commercial　success　in　letters　as　was　really　necessary　to　a　man　who　liked　‘plain　living　and　high　thinking。'　　He　fell　early　in　love　with　a　city；　with　a　placehe　lost　his　heart　to　St。　Andrews。　　Here；　at　all　events；　his　critic　can　sympathise　with　him。　　His　‘dear　St。　Andrews　Bay；'　beautiful　alike　in　winter　mists　and　in　the　crystal　days　of　still　winter　sunshine；　the　quiet　brown　streets　brightened　by　the　scarlet　gowns；　the　long　limitless　sands；　the　dark　blue　distant　hills；　and　far…off　snowy　peaks　of　the　Grampians；　the　majestic　melancholy　towers；　monuments　of　old　religion　overthrown；　the　deep　dusky　porch　of　the　college　chapel；　with　Kennedy's　arms　in　wrought　iron　on　the　oaken　door；　the　solid　houses　with　their　crow　steps　and　gables；　all　the　forlorn　memories　of　civil　and　religious　feud；　of　inhabitants　saintly；　royal；　heroic；　endeared　St。　Andrews　to　Murray。　He　could　not　say；　like　our　other　poet　to　Oxford；　‘Farewell；　dear　city　of　youth　and　dream！'　　His　whole　nature　needed　the　air；　‘like　wine。'　　He　found；　as　he　remarks；　‘health　and　happiness　in　the　German　Ocean；'　swimming　out　beyond　the　‘lake'　where　the　witches　were　dipped；　walking　to　the　grey　little　coast…towns；　with　their　wealth　of　historic　documents；　their　ancient　kirks　and　graves；　dreaming　in　the　vernal　woods　of　Mount　Melville　or　Strathtyrum；　rambling　（without　a　fishing…rod）　in　the　charmed　‘dens'　of　the　Kenley　burn；　a　place　like　Tempe　in　miniature：　　these　things　were　Murray's　usual　enjoyments；　and　they　became　his　indispensable　needs。　　His　peculiarly　shy　and；　as　it　were；　silvan　nature；　made　it　physically　impossible　for　him　to　live　in　crowded　streets　and　push　his　way　through　throngs　of　indifferent　men。　　He　could　not　live　even　in　Edinburgh；　he　made　the　effort；　and　his　health；　at　no　time　strong；　seems　never　to　have　recovered　from　the　effects　of　a　few　months　spent　under　a　roof　in　a　large　town。　　He　hurried　back　to　St。　Andrews：　　her　fascination　was　too　powerful。　　Hence　it　is　that；　dying　with　his　work　scarcely　begun；　he　will　always　be　best　remembered　as　the　poet　of　The　Scarlet　Gown；　the　Calverley　or　J。　K。　S。　of　Kilrymont；　endowed　with　their　humour；　their　skill　in　parody；　their　love　of　youth；　but　（if　I　am　not　prejudiced）　with　more　than　the　tenderness　and　natural　magic　of　these　regretted　writers。　　Not　to　be　able　to　endure　crowds　and　towns；　（a　matter　of　physical　health　and　constitution；　as　well　as　of　temperament）　was；　of　course；　fatal　to　an　ordinary　success　in　journalism。　　On　the　other　hand；　Murray's　name　is　inseparably　connected　with　the　life　of　youth　in　the　little　old　college；　in　the　University　of　the　Admirable　Crichton　and　Claverhouse；　of　the　great　Montrose　and　of　Ferguson；the　harmless　Villon　of　Scotland；the　University　of　almost　all　the　famous　Covenanters；　and　of　all　the　valiant　poet…Cavaliers。　　Murray　has　sung　of　the　life　and　pleasures　of　its　students；　of　examinations　and　Gaudeamusessupper　partieshe　has　sung　of　the　sands；　the　links；　the　sea；　the　towers；　and　his　name　and　fame　are　for　ever　blended　with　the　air　of　his　city　of　youth　and　dream。　　It　is　not　a　wide　name　or　a　great　fame；　but　it　is　what　he　would　have　desired；　and　we　trust　that　it　may　be　long…lived　and　enduring。　　We　are　not　to　wax　elegiac；　and　adopt　a　tearful　tone　over　one　so　gallant　and　so　uncomplaining。　　He　failed；　but　he　was　undefeated。

In　the　following　sketch　of　Murray's　life　and　work　use　is　made　of　his　letters；　chiefly　of　letters　to　his　mother。　　They　always　illustrate　his　own　ideas　and　attempts；　frequently　they　throw　the　light　of　an　impartial　and　critical　mind　on　the　distinguished　people　whom　Murray　observed　from　without。　　It　is　worth　remarking　that　among　many　remarks　on　persons；　I　have　found　not　one　of　a　censorious；　cynical；　envious；　or　unfriendly　nature。　　Youth　is　often　captious　and　keenly　critical；　partly　because　youth　generally　has　an　ideal；　partly；　perhaps　chiefly；　from　mere　intellectual　high　spirits　and　sense　of　the　incongruous；　occasionally　the　motive　is　jealousy　or　spite。　Murray's　sense　of　fun　was　keen；　his　ideal　was　lofty；　of　envy；　of　an　injured　sense　of　being　neglected；　he　does　not　show　one　trace。　　To　make　fun　of　their　masters　and　pastors；　tutors；　professors；　is　the　general　and　not　necessarily　unkind　tendency　of　pupils。　　Murray　rarely　mentions　any　of　the　professors　in　St。　Andrews　except　in　terms　of　praise；　which　is　often　enthusiastic。　　Now；　as　he　was　by　no　means　a　prize　student；　or　pattern　young　man　for　a　story…book；　this　generosity　is　a　high　proof　of　an　admirable　nature。　　If　he　chances　to　speak　to　his　mother　about　a　bore；　and　he　did　not　suffer　bores　gladly；　he　not　only　does　not　name　the　person；　but　gives　no　hint　by　which　he　might　be　identified。　　He　had　much　to　embitter　him；　for　he　had　a　keen　consciousness　of　‘the　something　within　him；'　of　the　powers　which　never　found　full　expression；　and　he　saw　others　advancing　and　prospering　while　he　seemed　to　be　standing　still；　or　losing　ground　in　all　ways。　　But　no　word　of　bitterness　ever　escapes　him　in　the　correspondence　which　I　have　seen。　　In　one　case　he　has　to　speak　of　a　disagreeable　and　disappointing　interview　with　a　man　from　whom　he　had　been　led　to　expect　sympathy　and　encouragement。　　He　told　me　about　this　affair　in　conversation；　‘There　were　tears　in　my　eyes　as　I　turned　from　the　house；'　he　said；　and　he　was　not　effusive。　　In　a　letter　to　Mrs。　Murray　he　describes　this　unlucky　interview；a　discouragement　caused　by　a　manner　which　was　strange　to　Murray；　rather　than　by　real　unkindness；and　he　describes　it　with　a　delicacy；　with　a　reserve；　with　a　toleration；　beyond　all　praise。　These　are　traits　of　a　character　which　was　greater　and　more　rare　than　his　literary　talent：　　a　character　quite　developed；　while　his　talent　was　only　beginning　to　unfold　itself；　and　to　justify　his　belief　in　his　powers。

Robert　Murray　was　the　eldest　child　of　John　and　Emmeline　Murray：　　the　father　a　Scot；　the　mother　of　American　birth。　　He　was　born　at　Roxbury；　in　Massachusetts；　on　December　26th；　1863。　　It　may　be　fancy；　but；　in　his　shy　reserve；　his　almost　farouche　independence；　one　seems　to　recognise　the　Scot；　while　in　his　cast　of　literary　talent；　in　his　natural　‘culture；'　we　observe　the　son　of　a　refined　American　lady。　To　his　mother　he　could　always　write　about　the　books　which　were　interesting　him；　with　full　reliance　on　her　sympathy；　though　indeed；　he　does　not　often　say　very　much　about　literature。

Till　1869　he　lived　in　various　parts　of　New　England；　his　father　being　a　Unitarian　minister。　　‘He　was　a　remarkably　cheerful　and　affectionate　child；　and　seldom　seemed　to　find　anything　to　trouble　him。'　　In　1869　his　father　carried　him　to　England；　Mrs。　Murray　and　a　child　remaining　in　America。　　For　more　than　a　year　the　boy　lived　with　kinsfolk　near　Kelso；　the　beautiful　old　town　on　the　Tweed　where　Scott　passed　some　of　his　childish　days。　　In　1871　the　family　were　reunited　at　York；　where　he　was　fond　of　attending　the　services　in　the　Cathedral。　　Mr。　Mu