r. f. murray-第8章

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　this　secession　from　the　newspaper。

After　various　attempts　to　find　occupation；　he　did　some　proof…reading　for　Messrs。　Constable。　　Among　other　things　he　‘read'　the　journal　of　Lady　Mary　Coke；　privately　printed　for　Lord　Home。　　Lady　Mary；　who　appears　as　a　lively　child　in　The　Heart　of　Midlothian；　‘had　a　taste　for　loo；　gossip；　and　gardening；　but　the　greatest　of　these　is　gossip。'　　The　best　part　of　the　book　is　Lady　Louisa　Stuart's　inimitable　introduction。　　Early　in　October　he　decided　to　give　up　proof…reading：　　the　confinement　had　already　told　on　his　health。　　In　the　letter　which　announces　this　determination　he　describes　a　sermon　of　Principal　Caird：　　‘Voice；　gesture；　language；　thoughtall　in　the　highest　degree；combined　to　make　it　the　most　moving　and　exalted　speech　of　a　man　to　men　that　I　ever　listened　to。'　　‘The　world　is　too　much　with　me；'　he　adds；　as　if　he　and　the　world　were　ever　friends；　or　ever　likely　to　be　friendly。

October　27th　found　him　dating　from　St。　Andrews　again。　　‘St。　Andrews　after　Edinburgh　is　Paradise。'　　His　Dalilah　had　called　him　home　to　her；　and　he　was　never　again　unfaithful。　　He　worked　for　his　firm　friend；　Professor　Meiklejohn；　he　undertook　some　teaching；　and　he　wrote　a　little。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　his　biographer　made　Murray's　acquaintance。　　I　had　been　delighted　with　his　verses　in　College　Echoes；　and　I　asked　him　to　bring　me　some　of　his　more　serious　work。　　But　he　never　brought　them：　　his　old　enemy；　reserve；　overcame　him。　　A　few　of　his　pieces　were　published　‘At　the　Sign　of　the　Ship'　in　Longman's　Magazine；　to　which　he　contributed　occasionally。

From　this　point　there　is　little　in　Murray's　life　to　be　chronicled。　In　1890　his　health　broke　down　entirely；　and　consumption　declared　itself。　　Very　early　in　1891　he　visited　Egypt；　where　it　was　thought　that　some　educational　work　might　be　found　for　him。　　But　he　found　Egypt　cold；　wet；　and　windy；　of　Alexandria　and　the　Mediterranean　he　says　little：　　indeed　he　was　almost　too　weak　and　ill　to　see　what　is　delightful　either　in　nature　or　art。


‘To　aching　eyes　each　landscape　lowers；　To　feverish　pulse　each　gale　blows　chill；　And　Araby's　or　Eden's　bowers　Were　barren　as　this　moorland　hill；'


says　the　least　self…conscious　of　poets。　　Even　so　barren　were　the　rich　Nile　and　so　bleak　the　blue　Mediterranean　waters。　　Though　received　by　the　kindest　and　most　hospitable　friends；　Murray　was　homesick；　and　pined　to　be　in　England；　now　that　spring　was　there。　　He　made　the　great　mistake　of　coming　home　too　early。　　At　Ilminster；　in　his　mother's　home；　he　slowly　faded　out　of　life。　　I　have　not　the　heart　to　quote　his　descriptions　of　brief　yet　laborious　saunters　in　the　coppices；　from　the　letters　which　he　wrote　to　the　lady　of　his　heart。　　He　was　calm；　cheerful；　even　buoyant。　　His　letters　to　his　college　friends　are　all　concerned　with　literature；　or　with　happy　old　times；　and　are　full　of　interest　in　them　and　in　their　happiness。

He　was　not　wholly　idle。　　He　wrote　a　number　of　short　pieces　of　verse　in　Punch；　and　two　or　three　in　the　St。　James's　Gazette。　　Other　work；　no　doubt；　he　planned；　but　his　strength　was　gone。　　In　1891　his　book；　The　Scarlet　Gown；　was　published　by　his　friend；　Mr。　A。　M。　Holden。　The　little　volume；　despite　its　local　character；　was　kindly　received　by　the　Reviews。　　Here；　it　was　plain；　we　had　a　poet　who　was　to　St。　Andrews　what　the　regretted　J。　K。　S。　was　to　Eton　and　Cambridge。　　This　measure　of　success　was　not　calculated　to　displease　our　alumnus　addictissimus。

Friendship　and　love；　he　said；　made　the　summer　of　1892　very　happy　to　him。　　I　last　heard　from　him　in　the　summer　of　1893；　when　he　sent　me　some　of　his　most　pleasing　verses。　　He　was　in　Scotland；　he　had　wandered　back；　a　shadow　of　himself；　to　his　dear　St。　Andrews。　　I　conceived　that　he　was　better；　he　said　nothing　about　his　health。　　It　is　not　easy　to　quote　from　his　letters　to　his　friend；　Mr。　Wallace；　still　written　in　his　beautiful　firm　hand。　　They　are　too　full　of　affectionate　banter：　　they　also　contain　criticisms　on　living　poets：　he　shows　an　admiration；　discriminating　and　not　wholesale；　of　Mr。　Kipling's　verse：　　he　censures　Mr。　Swinburne；　whose　Jacobite　song　（as　he　wrote　to　myself）　did　not　precisely　strike　him　as　the　kind　of　thing　that　Jacobites　used　to　sing。

They　certainly　celebrated


‘The　faith　our　fathers　fought　for；　The　kings　our　fathers　knew；'


in　a　different　tone　in　the　North。

The　perfect　health　of　mind；　in　these　letters　of　a　dying　man；　is　admirable。　　Reading　old　letters　over；　he　writes　to　Miss　…；　‘I　have　known　a　wonderful　number　of　wonderfully　kind…hearted　people。'　　That　is　his　criticism　of　a　world　which　had　given　him　but　a　scanty　welcome；　and　a　life　of　foiled　endeavour；　of　disappointed　hope。　　Even　now　there　was　a　disappointment。　　His　poems　did　not　find　a　publisher：　what　publisher　can　take　the　risk　of　adding　another　volume　of　poetry　to　the　enormous　stock　of　verse　brought　out　at　the　author's　expense？　This　did　not　sour　or　sadden　him：　　he　took　Montaigne's　advice；　‘not　to　make　too　much　marvel　of　our　own　fortunes。'　　His　biographer；　hearing　in　the　winter　of　1893　that　Murray's　illness　was　now　considered　hopeless；　though　its　rapid　close　was　not　expected；　began；　with　Professor　Meiklejohn；　to　make　arrangements　for　the　publication　of　the　poems。　　But　the　poet　did　not　live　to　have　this　poor　gratification。　　He　died　in　the　early　hours　of　1894。

Of　the　merits　of　his　more　serious　poetry　others　must　speak。　　To　the　Editor　it　seems　that　he　is　always　at　his　best　when　he　is　inspired　by　the　Northern　Sea；　and　the　long　sands　and　grey　sea　grasses。　　Then　he　is　most　himself。　　He　was　improving　in　his　art　with　every　year：　　his　development；　indeed；　was　somewhat　late。

It　is　less　of　the　writer　than　the　man　that　we　prefer　to　think。　　His　letters　display；　in　passages　which　he　would　not　have　desired　to　see　quoted；　the　depth　and　tenderness　and　thoughtfulness　of　his　affections。　　He　must　have　been　a　delightful　friend：　　illness　could　not　make　him　peevish；　and　his　correspondence　with　old　college　companions　could　never　be　taken　for　that　of　a　consciously　dying　man。　He　had　perfect　courage；　and　resolution　even　in　his　seeming　irresoluteness。　　He　was　resolved　to　be；　and　continued　to　be；　himself。　　‘He　had　kept　the　bird　in　his　bosom。'　　We；　who　regret　him；　may　wish　that　he　had　been　granted　a　longer　life；　and　a　secure　success。　　Happier　fortunes　might　have　mellowed　him；　no　fortunes　could　have　altered　for　the　worse　his　admirable　nature。　　He　lives　in　the　hearts　of　his　friends；　and　in　the　pride　and　sympathy　of　those　who；　after　him；　have　worn　and　shall　wear　the　scarlet　gown。

The　following　examples　of　his　poetry　were　selected　by　Murray's　biographer　from　a　considerable　mass；　and　have　been　seen　through　the　press　by　Professor　Meiklejohn；　who　possesses　the　original　manuscript；　beautifully　written。



MOONLIGHT　NORTH　AND　SOUTH



Love；　we　have　heard　together　The　North　Sea　sing　his　tune；　And　felt　the　wind's　wild　feather　Brush　past　our　cheeks　at　noon；　And　seen　the　cloudy　weather　Made　wondrous　with　the　moon。

Where　loveliness　is　rarest；　‘Tis　also　prized　the　most：　The　moonlight　shone　her　fairest　Along　that　level　coast　Where　sands　and　dunes　the　barest；　Of　beauty　seldom　boast；

Far　from　that　bleak　and　rude　land　An　exile　I　remain　Fixed　in　a　fair　and　good　land；　A　valley　and　a　plain　Rich　in　fat　fields　and　woodland；　And　watered　well　with　rain。

Last　night　the　full　moon's　splendour　Shone　down　on　Taunton　Dene；　And　pasture　fresh　and　tender；　And　coppice　dusky　green；　The　heavenly　light　did　render　In　one　enchanted　scene；

One　fair　unearthly　vision。　Yet　soon　mine　eyes　were　cloyed；　And　found　those　fields　Elysian　Too　rich　to　be　enjoyed。　Or　was　it　our　division　Made　all　my　pleasure　void？

Across　the　window　glasses　The　curtain　then　I　drew；　And；　as　a　sea…bird　passes；　In　sleep　my　spirit　flew　To　grey　and　windswept　grasses　And　moonlit　sandsand　you。



WINTER　AT　ST。　ANDREWS



The　city　once　again　doth　wear　Her　wonted　dress　of　winter's　bride；　Her　mantle　woven　of　misty　air；　With　saffron　sunlight　faintly　dyed。　She　sits　above　the　seething　tide；　Of　all　her　summer　robes　forlorn　…　And　dead　is　all　her　summer　pride　…　The　leaves　are　off　Queen　Mary's　Thorn。

All　round；　the　landscape　stretches　bare；　The　bleak　fields　lying　far　and　wide；　Monotonous；　with　here　and　there　A　lone　tree　on　a　lone　hillside。　No　more