ItwasnotaltogetherahappytimethatLeverpassedathome.Notonlydidhisnativecriticsbelabourhimmostungrudginglyfor\"TomBurke，\"thatvividandchivalrousromance，buthemadeenemiesofauthors.Heeditedamagazine！Isnotthatenough？Heweariedofwadingthroughwaggon—loadsofthatpureunmitigatedrubbishwhichpeoplearepermittedto\"shoot\"ateditorialdoors.Howmuchdustthereisinittohowfewpearls！HedidnotreturnMSS.punctuallyandpolitely.Theofficecatcouldeditthevolunteeredcontributionsofmanyamagazine，butLeverwasevenmorecasualandcarelessthananexperiencedofficecat.Hegrewcrabbed，andtriedtoquarrelwithMr.Thackerayforthatdelightfulparody\"PhilFogarty，\"nearlyasgoodasagenuinestorybyLever.
Besetbycritics，burlesquedbyhisfriend，hechangedhisstyle（Mr.Fitzpatricktellsus）andbecamemoresober——andnotsoentertaining.HeactuallypublishedacriticismofBeyle，ofStendhal，thatpsychologicalprig，thedarlingofcultureandofM.
PaulBourget.HarryLorrequeronStendhal！——itbeggarsbelief.HenearlyfoughtaduelwiththegentlemanwhoissaidtohavesuggestedMr.PecksnifftoDickens！Yettheycallhisearlynovelsimprobable.NothingcouldbelessplausiblethanacombatbetweenHarryLorrequerandagentlemanwho，evenremotely，resembledthefatherofCherryandMerry.
Leverwentabroadagain，andinFlorenceortheBathsofLucca，inTriesteorSpezia，hepassedtherestofhislife.HesawtheItalianrevolutionof1848，anditaddedtohismelancholy.Thisisplainfromoneofhisnovelswithacurioushistory——\"ConCregan.\"
Hewroteitatthesametimeas\"TheDaltons，\"andhedidnotsignit.Thereviewerspraised\"ConCregan\"attheexpenseofthesignedwork，rejoicingthatLever，as\"TheDaltons\"proved，wasexhausted，andthatanewIrishauthor，theauthorof\"ConCregan，\"wascomingtoeclipsehim.Inshort，heeclipsedhimself，andhedidnotlikeit.Hisrighthandwasjealousofwhathislefthanddid.Itseemsoddthatanyhumanbeing，howeverdullandenvious，failedtodetectLeverintherapidandvivaciousadventuresofhisIrish\"GilBlas，\"
heroofoneoftheverybestamonghisbooks，apiecenotunworthyofDumas.\"Con\"waswrittenaftermidnight，\"TheDaltons\"inthemorning;andtherecanbenodoubtwhichsetofhourswasmorefavourabletoLever’sgenius.Ofcourseheliked\"TheDaltons\"
best;ofallpeople，authorsappeartobetheirownworstcritics.
ItisnotpossibleeventocatalogueLever’slaterbookshere.
Againhedroveapairofnovelsabreast——\"TheDodds\"and\"SirJasperCarew\"——whichcontainsomeofhismostpowerfulsituations.Whenalmostanoldman，sad，outworninbody，straitenedincircumstances，hestillproducedexcellenttalesinthislatermanner——\"LordKilgobbin，\"\"ThatBoyofNorcott’s，\"\"ADay’sRide，\"
andmanymore.Thesearethethoughtsofatiredmanoftheworld，whohasdoneandseeneverythingthatsuchmenseeanddo.Hesaysthathegrewfat，andbald，andgrave;hewroteforthegraveandthebald，notforthehappierworldwhichisyoung，andcurly，andmerry.Hediedatlast，itissaid，inhissleep;anditisaddedthathedidwhatHarryLorrequerwouldnothavedone——helefthisaffairsinperfectorder.
Leverlivedinanagesofullofgreatnoveliststhat，perhaps，heisnotprizedasheshouldbe.Dickens，Bulwer，Thackeray，Trollope，GeorgeEliot，werehiscontemporaries.Butwhenweturnbackandreadhimoncemore，weseethatLever，too，wasaworthymemberofthatfamouscompany——aromancerforboysandmen.
THEPOEMSOFSIRWALTERSCOTT
Yesterday，asthesunwasverybright，andtherewasnowind，Itookafishing—rodonchanceandScott’spoems，androwedintothemiddleofSt.Mary’sLoch.Everyhill，everytuftofheatherwasreflectedinthelake，asinasilvermirror.Therewasnosoundbutthelappingofthewateragainsttheboat，thecryoftheblackcockfromthehill，andthepleasantplashofatroutrisinghereandthere.
SoIread\"TheLayoftheLastMinstrel\"overagain，here，inthemiddleofthesceneswherethestoryislaidandwherethefightswerefought.ForwhentheBaronwentonpilgrimage，\"AndtookwithhimthiselvishpageToMary’sChapeloftheLowes，\"
itwastotheruinedchapelHEREthathecame，\"Forthere，besideourLadye’slake，Anofferinghehadsworntomake，Andhewouldpayhisvows.\"
Buthisenemy，theLadyofBranksome，gatheredaband，\"Ofthebestthatwouldrideathercommand，\"
andtheyallcamefromthecountryround.Branksome，wheretheladylived，istwentymilesoff，towardsthesouth，acrosstherangesoflonelygreenhills.Harden，whereherally，WatofHarden，abode，iswithintwelvemiles;andDeloraine，whereWilliamdwelt，isnearerstill;andJohnofThirlestanehadhissquaretowerintheheather，\"wherevictualnevergrew，\"onEttrickWater，withintenmiles.Thesegentlemen，andtheirkinsfolkandretainers，beingatfeudwiththeKers，triedtoslaytheBaron，intheChapelof\"LoneSt.MaryoftheWaves.\"
\"Theywerethreehundredspearsandthree.
ThroughDouglasburn，upYarrowstream，Theirhorsesprance，theirlancesgleam.
TheycametoSt.Mary’sLakeereday;
Butthechapelwasvoid，andtheBaronaway.
Theyburnedthechapelforveryrage，AndcursedLordCranstoun’sgoblin—page.\"
TheScottswerearoughclanenoughtoburnaholychapelbecausetheyfailedtokilltheirenemywithinthesacredwalls.But，asI
readagain，forthetwentiethtime，SirWalter’spoem，floatingonthelonelybreastofthelake，intheheartofthehillswhereYarrowflows，amongthelittlegreenmoundsthatcovertheruinsofchapelandcastleandlady’sbower，IaskedmyselfwhetherSirWalterwasindeedagreatanddelightfulpoet，orwhetherhepleasesmesomuchbecauseIwasborninhisowncountry，andhaveonedropofthebloodofhisBorderrobbersinmyownveins？
Itisnotalwayspleasanttogobacktoplaces，ortomeetpeople，whomwehavelovedwell，longago.Iftheyhavechangedlittle，wehavechangedmuch.Thelittleboy，whosefirstbookofpoetrywas\"TheLadyoftheLake，\"andwhonaturallybelievedthattherewasnopoetlikeSirWalter，issadlychangedintothemanwhohasreadmostoftheworld’spoets，andwhohears，onmanysides，thatScottisoutwornanddoomedtodeservedoblivion.Aretheyrightorwrong，thecriticswhotellus，occasionally，thatScott’sgoodnovelsmakeupforhisbadverse，orthatverseandprose，allmustgo？Procaptulectoris，bythereader’staste，theystandorfall;
yetevenpessimismcanscarcelybelievethattheWaverleyNovelsaremortal.Theywereoncethejoyofeveryclassofminds;theycannotceasetobethejoyofthosewhoclingtothepermanentlygood，andcanunderstandandforgivelapses，carelessnesses，andtheleisurelyliteraryfashionofaformerage.But，astothepoems，manygivethemupwhoclingtothenovels.Itdoesnotfollowthatthepoemsarebad.Inthefirstplace，theyareoftwokinds——lyricandnarrative.Now，thefashionofnarrativeinpoetryhaspassedawayforthepresent.ThetrueGreekepicsarereadbyafewinGreek;
byperhapsfewerstillintranslations.Butsodeterminedarewenottoreadtalesinverse，thatproserenderings，evenoftheepics，nay，evenoftheAtticdramas，havecomemoreorlessintovogue.ThisaccountsforthecomparativeneglectofSirWalter’slays.TheyarespokenofasWaverleyNovelsspoiled.Thismustalwaysbetheopinionofreaderswhowillnotsubmittostoriesinverse;itbynomeansfollowsthattheverseisbad.Ifwemakeanexception，whichwemust，infavourofChaucer，whereistherebetterverseinstorytellinginthewholeofEnglishliterature？
Thereaderswhodespise\"Marmion，\"or\"TheLadyoftheLake，\"dosobecausetheydislikestoriestoldinpoetry.Frompoetrytheyexpectotherthings，especiallyalingeringcharmandmagicofstyle，areflectiveturn，\"criticismoflife.\"Thesethings，exceptsofaraslifecanbecriticisedinaction，arealientotheMuseofnarrative.Storiesandpicturesareallsheoffers：Scott’spictures，certainly，arefreshenough，histalesareexcellentenough，hismannerissufficientlydirect.Totakeexamples：everyonewhowantstoreadScott’spoetryshouldbeginwiththe\"Lay.\"
Fromopeningtocloseitneverfalters：—
\"NineandtwentyknightsoffameHungtheirshieldsinBranksomeHall;
NineandtwentysquiresofnameBroughttheirsteedstobowerfromstall，NineandtwentyyeomentallWaited，duteous，onthemall
Tenofthemweresheathedinsteel，Withbeltedsword，andspuronheel;
TheyquittednottheirharnessbrightNeitherbydaynoryetbynight：
TheylaydowntorestWithcorsletlaced，Pillowedonbucklercoldandhard;
TheycarvedatthemealWithglovesofsteel，Andtheydranktheredwinethroughthehelmetbarred.\"
Now，isnotthatabravebeginning？Doesnottheverseclankandchimelikeswordsheathonspur，likethebitsofchampinghorses？
Then，whenWilliamofDeloraineissentonhislonelymidnightrideacrossthehauntedmoorsandwolds，doestheversenotgallopliketheheavyarmouredhorse？
\"Unchallenged，thencepassedDeloraine，ToancientRiddell’sfairdomain，WhereAill，frommountainsfreed，Downfromthelakesdidravingcome;
Eachwavewascrestedwithtawnyfoam，Likethemaneofachestnutsteed，Invain！notorrent，deeporbroad，Mightbartheboldmoss—trooper’sroad;
Atthefirstplungethehorsesunklow，Andthewaterbrokeo’erthesaddle—bow.\"
Theselasttwolineshavetheverymovementandnote，thedeepheavyplunge，thestillswirlofthewater.WellIknowthelochswhenceAillcomesredinflood;manyatrouthaveItakeninAill，longago.This，ofcourse，causesafavourableprejudice，apersonalbiastowardsadmiration.ButIthinkthepoetryitselfisgood，andstirsthespirit，evenofthosewhoknownotAilmoor，themotherofAill，thatliesdarkamongthemelancholyhills.
ThespiritisstirredthroughoutbythechivalryandthecourageofScott’smenandofhiswomen.ThustheLadyofBranksomeaddressestheEnglishinvaderswhohavetakenherboyprisoner：—
\"FortheyoungheirofBranksome’sline，Godbehisaid，andGodbemine;
Throughmenofriendshallmeethisdoom;
Here，whileIlive，nofoefindsroom.
ThenifthyLordstheirpurposeurge，Takeourdefianceloudandhigh;
Oursloganistheirlyke—wakedirge，Ourmoat，thegravewheretheyshalllie.\"
Ay，andthoughtheminstrelsaysheisnolovepoet，andthough，indeed，heshinesmoreinwarthaninlady’sbower，isnotthisanoblestanzaontruelove，andworthyofwhatoldMalorywritesinhis\"Mortd’Arthur\"？BecausehereScottspeaksforhimself，andofhisownunhappyandimmortalaffection：—
\"Truelove’sthegiftwhichGodhasgivenTomanalonebeneaththeHeaven.
ItisnotFantasy’shotfire，Whosewishes，soonasgranted，fly;
Itlivethnotinfiercedesire，Withdeaddesireitdocknotdie：
Itisthesecretsympathy，Thesilverlink，thesilkentie，Whichhearttoheartandmindtomind，Inbodyandinsoulcanbind.\"
Truthandfaith，courageandchivalry，afreelifeinthehillsandbythestreams，ashrewdbrain，anopenheart，akindwordforfriendorfoeman，thesearewhatyoulearnfromthe\"Lay，\"ifyouwanttolearnlessonsfrompoetry.Itisarudelegend，perhaps，asthecriticssaidatonce，whencriticsweredisdainfulofwizardpriestsandladiesmagical.Butitisadeathlesslegend，Ihope;
itappealstoeveryyoungheartthatisnotearlyspoiledbylowcunning，andcynicism，andloveofgain.Theminstrel’sownprophecyistrue，andstill，andalways，\"Yarrow，asherollsalong，Bearsburdentotheminstrel’ssong.\"
Afterthe\"Lay\"came\"Marmion，aTaleofFloddenField.\"Itisfarmoreambitiousandcomplicatedthanthe\"Lay，\"andisnotmuchworsewritten.SirWalterwaseverarapidandcarelesspoet，andashetookmorepainswithhisplot，hetooklesswithhisverse.Hisfriendsreprovedhim，butheansweredtooneofthem—
\"SinceoftthyjudgmentcouldrefineMyflattenedthoughtandcumbrousline，Stillkind，asisthywont，attend，Andintheminstrelsparethefriend：
Thoughwildascloud，asstream，asgale，Flowforth，flowunrestrained，mytale！\"
AnyonewhoknowsScott’scountryknowshowcloudandstreamandgaleallsweepatoncedownthevalleyofEttrickorofTweed.Westwind，wildcloud，redriver，theypourforthasbyoneimpulse——
forthfromthefar—offhills.Helethisversesweepoutinthesamestormysort，andmanya\"cumbrousline，\"manya\"flattenedthought，\"youmaynote，ifyouwill，in\"Marmion.\"Forexample—
\"Andthinkwhathemustnexthavefelt，Atbucklingofthefalchionbelt.\"
The\"Lay\"isatalethatonlyversecouldtell;muchof\"Marmion\"
mighthavebeentoldinprose，andmostof\"Rokeby.\"ButprosecouldnevergivethepictureofEdinburgh，nortellthetaleofFloddenFightin\"Marmion，\"whichIverilybelieveisthebestbattle—pieceinallthepoetryofalltime，bettereventhanthestandofAiasbytheshipsintheIliad，betterthantheslayingoftheWooersintheOdyssey.Norcouldprosegiveusthehuntingofthedeerandthelonggallopoverhillsideanddownvalley，withwhichthe\"LadyoftheLake\"begins，openingtherebytheenchantedgatesoftheHighlandstotheworld.\"TheLadyoftheLake，\"exceptinthebattle—piece，istoldinalessrapidmetrethanthatofthe\"Lay，\"lessvariedthanthatof\"Marmion.\"\"Rokeby\"livesonlybyitssongs;the\"LordoftheIsles\"byBannockburn，the\"FieldofWaterloo\"bytherepulseoftheCuirassiers.Butallthepoemsareinterspersedwithsongsandballads，asthebeautifulballadof\"AliceBrand\";andScott’sfamerestsonTHESEfarmorethanonhislaterversifiedromances.Comingimmediatelyaftertheverytamestpoetswhoeverlived，likeHayley，Scottwrotesongsandballadsaswildandfree，asmelancholyorgay，asevershepherdsang，orgipsycarolled，orwitch—wifemoaned，oroldforgottenminstrellefttotheworld，musicwithnomaker’sname.Forexample，taketheOutlaw’srhyme—
\"Withburnishedbrandandmusketoon，Sogallantlyyoucome，IreadyouforabolddragoonThatliststhetuckofdrum.
Ilistnomorethetuckofdrum，Nomorethetrumpethear;
Butwhenthebeetlesoundshishum，Mycomradestakethespear.
And，oh，thoughBrignalbanksbefair，AndGretawoodsbegay，Yetmicklemustthemaidendare，WouldreignmyQueenofMay！\"
Howmusical，again，isthis！—
\"ThismornismerryJune，Itrow，Theroseisbuddingfain;
Butsheshallbloominwintersnow，Erewetwomeetagain.
Heturnedhischargerashespake，Upontherivershore，Hegavehisbridle—reinsashake，Said，’Adieuforevermore，Mylove！
Adieuforevermore！’\"
Turningfromthelegendsinverse，letitnotbeforgottenthatScottwasagreatlyricalpoet.Mr.Palgraveisnottoolenientajudge，andhis\"GoldenTreasury\"isatouchstone，aswellasatreasure，ofpoeticgold.InthisvolumeWordsworthcontributesmorelyricsthananyotherpoet：ShelleyandShakespearecomenext;
thenSirWalter.FormypartIwouldgladlysacrificeafewofWordsworth’sforafewmoreofScott’s.Butthismaybeprejudice.
Mr.Palgraveisnotprejudiced，andweseehowhighishisvalueforSirWalter.
Therearescoresofsongsinhisworks，touchingandsad，orgayasahunter’swaking，thattelloflovelythingslostbytradition，andfoundbyhimonthemoors：allthese——notprizedbySirWalterhimself——areinhisgift，andinthatofnootherman.Forexample，his\"EveofSt.John\"issimplyamasterpiece，aballadamongballads.Nothingbutanoldsongmovesuslike—
\"Arethesethelinkso’Forth，shesaid，Arethesethebendso’Dee！\"
Hemighthavedonemoreofthebest，hadheverygreatlycared.
Aloneamongpoets，hehadneithervanitynorjealousy;hethoughtlittleofhisownverseandhisownfame：wouldthathehadthoughtmore！wouldthathehadbeenmorecarefulofwhatwassoprecious！
Butheturnedtoprose;badepoetryfarewell.
\"Yet，onceagain，farewell，thouMinstrelHarp，Yet，onceagain，forgivemyfeeblesway.
AndlittlereckIofthecensuresharpMayidlycavilatanidlelay.\"
Peoplestillcavilidly，complainingthatScottdidnotfinish，ordidnotpolishhispieces;thathewasnotKeats，orwasnotWordsworth.Hewashimself;hewastheLastMinstrel，thelatest，thegreatest，thenoblestofnaturalpoetsconcernedwithnaturalthings.Hesangoffree，fierce，andwarlikelife，ofstreamsyetrichinsalmon，andmoorsnotyetoccupiedbybrewers;oflonelyplaceshauntedinthelonggreytwilightsoftheNorth;ofcrumblingtowerswhereoncedwelttheLadyofBranksomeortheFlowerofYarrow.Naturesummedupinhimmanyapastageaworldofancientfaiths;andbeforethegreattimeofBritainwhollydied，toBritain，astoGreece，shegaveherHomer.Whenhewasold，andtired，andnearhisdeath——sowornwithtroubleandlabourthatheactuallysignedhisownnamewrong——hewrotehislatestverse，foralady.Itends—
\"Mycountry，bethougloriousstill！\"
andsohedied，withinthesoundofthewhisperofTweed，foreseeingtheyearswhenhiscountrywouldnomorebeglorious，thinkingofhiscountryonly，forgettingquitetheprivatesorrowofhisownlaterdays.
PeoplewilltellyouthatScottwasnotagreatpoet;thathisboltisshot，hisfameperishing.Littlehecaredforhisfame！ButformypartIthinkandhopethatScottcanneverdie，tillmengrowupintomanhoodwithouteverhavingbeenboys——tilltheyforgetthat\"OneglorioushourofcrowdedlifeIsworthanagewithoutaname！\"
Thus，thechargesagainstSirWalter’spoetryare，onthewhole，littlemorethantheoldcriticalfallacyofblamingathingfornotbeingsomethingelse.\"Ittakesallsortstomakeaworld，\"inpoetryasinlife.SirWalter’ssortisaverygoodsort，andinEnglishliteratureitsplacewasempty，andwaitingforhim.Thinkofwhathedid.Englishpoetryhadlongbeenverytameandcommonplace，writtenincoupletslikePope’s，veryartificialandsmart，orsensibleandslow.Hecamewithpoemsofwhichthemusicseemedtogallop，likethunderinghoofsandringingbridlesofarushingbordertroop.Hereweregoblin，ghost，andfairy，fightandforay，fairladiesandtruelovers，gallantknightsandhardblows，blazingbeaconsoneveryhillcrestandonthebartisanofeverytower.Herewasaworldmadealiveagainthathadbeendeadforthreehundredyears——aworldofmenandwomen.
Theysaythatthearchaeologyisnotgood.Archaeologyisascience;initsapplicationtopoetry，Scottwasitsdiscoverer.
Otherscannametheplatesofacoatofarmourmorelearnedlythanhe，buthemademenwearthem.TheycallhisGothicartfalse，hisarmourpasteboard;butheputlivingmenunderhiscastledroofs，livingmenintohisbreastplatesandtaslets.Scienceadvances，oldknowledgebecomesignorance;itispoetrythatdoesnotdie，andthatwillnotdie，while—
\"ThetripleprideOfEildonlooksoverStrathclyde.\"
JOHNBUNYAN
Dr.JohnsononcetookBishopPercy’slittledaughteronhisknee，andaskedherwhatshethoughtofthe\"Pilgrim’sProgress.\"Thechildansweredthatshehadnotreadit.\"No？\"repliedtheDoctor;
\"thenIwouldnotgiveonefarthingforyou，\"andhesetherdownandtooknofurthernoticeofher.
Thisstory，iftrue，provesthattheDoctorwasratherintolerant.
Wemustnotexcommunicatepeoplebecausetheyhavenotourtasteinbooks.Themajorityofpeopledonotcareforbooksatall.
ThereisadescendantofJohnBunyan’salivenow，ortherewaslately，whoneverreadthe\"Pilgrim’sProgress.\"Booksarenotinhisline.Nay，Bunyanhimself，whowrotesixtyworks，wasnogreatreader.AnOxfordscholarwhovisitedhiminhisstudyfoundnobooksatall，exceptsomeofBunyan’sownandFoxe’s\"BookofMartyrs.\"
Yet，littleastheworldingeneralcaresforreading，ithasreadBunyanmorethanmost.Onehundredthousandcopiesofthe\"Pilgrim\"
arebelievedtohavebeensoldinhisownday，andthestoryhasbeendoneintothemostsavagelanguages，aswellasintothoseofthecivilisedworld.
Dr.Johnson，whodidnotlikeDissenters，praisesthe\"invention，imagination，andconductofthestory，\"andknewnootherbookhewishedlongerexcept\"RobinsonCrusoe\"and\"DonQuixote.\"Well，Dr.
JohnsonwouldnothavegivenafarthingforME，asIamquitecontentedwiththepresentlengthofthesemasterpieces.WhatbooksdoYOUwishlonger？IwishHomerhadwrittenacontinuationoftheOdyssey，andtolduswhatOdysseusdidamongthefar—offmenwhonevertastedsaltnorheardofthesea.Alandepicaftertheseaepic，howgooditwouldhavebeen——fromHomer！ButitwouldhavetaxedtheimaginationofDantetocontinuetheadventuresofChristianandhiswifeaftertheyhadoncecrossedtheriverandreachedthecity.
JohnBunyanhasbeenmorefortunatethanmostauthorsinoneofhisbiographies.
HislifehasbeenwrittenbytheRev.Dr.Brown，whoisnowministerofhisoldcongregationatBedford;andanexcellentlifeitis.
Dr.BrownisneitherRoundheadnorCavalier;forthoughheis，ofcourse，onBunyan’sside，hedoesnotthrowstonesatthebeautifulChurchofEngland.
ProbablymostofusareonBunyan’ssidenow.Itmightbeagoodthingthatweshouldalldwelltogetherinreligiousunity，buthistoryshowsthatpeoplecannotbebribedintobrotherhood.TheytriedtobullyBunyan;theyarrestedandimprisonedhim——unfairlyeveninlaw，accordingtoDr.Brown，notunfairly，Mr.Froudethinks——andhewouldnotbebullied.
Whatwasmuchmoreextraordinary，hewouldnotbeembittered.Inspiteofall，hestillcalledCharlesII.\"agraciousPrince.\"Whenasubjectisinconscienceatvariancewiththelaw，Bunyansaid，hehasbutonecourse——toacceptpeaceablythepunishmentwhichthelawawards.Hewasneversoured，neverangeredbytwelveyearsofdurance，notexactlyinaloathsomedungeon，butinveryuncomfortablequarters.Whentherecameabriefintervaloftoleration，hedidnotoccupyhimselfinbrawling，butinpreaching，andlookingafterthemannersandmoralsofthelittle\"church，\"
includingonewomanwhobroughtdisagreeablechargesagainst\"BrotherHoneylove.\"Thechurchdecidedthattherewasnothinginthecharges，butsomehowthenameofBrotherHoneylovedoesnotinspireconfidence.
AlmosteverybodyknowsthemainfactsofBunyan’slife.TheymaynotknowthathewasofNormandescent（asDr.Brownseemstosucceedinproving），northattheBunyanscameoverwiththeConqueror，northathewasagipsy，asothershold.OnDr.Brown’sshowing，Bunyan’sancestorslosttheirlandsinprocessoftimeandchange，andBunyan’sfatherwasatinker.Hepreferredtocallhimselfabrazier——hiswastheratherunexpectedtradetowhichMr.
DickproposedapprenticingDavidCopperfield.
Bunyanhimself，\"thewondrousbabe，\"asDr.Brownenthusiasticallystyleshim，waschristenedonNovember30th，1628.Hewasborninacottage，longfallen，andhardbywasamarshyplace，\"averitablesloughofdespond.\"BunyanmayhavehaditinmindwhenhewroteofthesloughwhereChristianhadsomuchtrouble.Hewasnotatravelledman：allhisknowledgeofpeopleandplaceshefoundathisdoors.Hehadsomeschooling，\"accordingtotherateofotherpoormen’schildren，\"andassuredlyitwasenough.
Thegreatcivilwarbrokeout，andBunyanwasasoldier;hetellsusnotonwhichside.Dr.BrownandMr.LewisMorristhinkhewasonthatoftheParliament，buthisoldfather，thetinker，stoodfortheKing.Mr.Froudeisrathermoreinclinedtoholdthathewasamongthe\"gaygallantswhostruckforthecrown.\"Hedoesnotseemtohavebeenmuchunderfire，buthegotthatknowledgeoftheappearanceofwarwhichheusedinhissiegeoftheCityofMansoul.
OnecanhardlythinkthatBunyanlikedwar——certainlynotfromcowardice，butfromgoodnessofheart.
In1646thearmywasdisbanded，andBunyanwentbacktoElstowvillageandhistinkering，hisbell—ringing，hisdancingwiththegirls，hisplayingat\"cat\"onaSundayafterservice.
Hemarriedveryyoungandpoor.Hemarriedapiouswife，andreadallherlibrary——\"ThePlainMan’sPathwaytoHeaven，\"and\"ThePracticeofPiety.\"HebecameverydevoutinthespiritoftheChurchofEngland，andhegaveuphisamusements.ThenhefellintotheSloughofDespond，thenhewentthroughtheValleyoftheShadow，andbattledwithApollyon.
PeoplehavewonderedWHYhefanciedhimselfsuchasinner？Heconfessestohavingbeenaliarandablasphemer.IfImayguess，I
fancythatthiswasmerelytheliterarygeniusofBunyanseekingforexpression.Hislies，Iwouldgobail，weretremendousromances，wildfictionstoldforfun，neverliesofcowardiceorforgain.Astohisblasphemies，hehadanextraordinarypoweroflanguage，andthatwashowhegaveitplay.\"Fancyswearing\"washisonlyliterarysafety—valve，inthoseearlydays，whenheplayedcatonElstowGreen.
Thenheheardavoicedartfromheavenintohissoul，whichsaid，\"Wiltthouleavethysinsandgotoheaven，orhavethysinsandgotohell？\"Sohefellonrepentance，andpassedthoseawfulyearsofmentaltorture，whenallnatureseemedtotempthimtotheUnknownSin.
Whatdidallthismean？ItmeantthatBunyanwaswithinanaceofmadness.
Ithappenstoacertainproportionofmen，religiouslybroughtup，tosufferlikeBunyan.Theyhearvoices，theyareafraidofthatawfulunknowniniquity，andofeternaldeath，asBunyanandCowperwereafraid.
WasitnotDeQuinceywhowasatschoolwithabullywhobelievedhehadbeenguiltyoftheunpardonableoffence？Bullyingisanoffencemuchlesspardonablethanmostmenareguiltyof.Theirbestplan（inBunyan’smisery）istotellApollyonthattheDevilisanass，todotheirworkandspeakthetruth.
Bunyangotquitofhisterroratlast，brieflybybelievinginthegoodnessofGod.Hedidnotsay，likeMr.Carlyle，\"Well，ifallmyfearsaretrue，whatthen？\"HiswasaChristian，notastoicaldeliverance.
The\"church\"inwhichBunyanfoundshelterhadforministeraconvertedmajorinaRoyalistregiment.Itwasaquaintlittlecommunity，thememberslivingliketheearlydisciples，correctingeachother’sfaults，andkeepingasevereeyeoneachother’slives.
Bunyanbecameaministerinit;but，Puritanashewas，heletshisPilgrimsdanceonjoyfuloccasions，andevenMr.Ready—to—HaltwaltzeswithayoungladyofthePilgrimcompany.
AsaministerandteacherBunyanbegantowritebooksofcontroversywithQuakersandclergymen.Thepointsdebatedarenolongerimportanttous;themainthingwasthathegotapenintohishand，andfoundaproperoutletforhisgenius，abetterwaythanfancyswearing.
IfhehadnotbeencastintoBedfordjailforpreachinginacottage，hemightneverhavedreamedhisimmortaldream，norbecomeallthathewas.Theleisuresofgaolwerelong.Inthat\"den\"theMusecametohim，thefairkindMuseoftheHomeBeautiful.Hesawallthatcompanyofhis，solikeandsounlikeChaucer’s：Faithful，andHopeful，andChristian，thefellowshipoffiends，thetruculentCavaliersofVanityFair，andGiantDespair，withhisgrievouscrabtreecudgel;andotherpeoplehesawwhoarewithusalways，——
thehandsomeMadamBubble，andtheyoungwomanwhosenamewasDull，andMr.WorldlyWiseman，andMr.FacingBothways，andByends，allthepersonsofthecomedyofhumanlife.
HehearstheangelicsongsoftheCitybeyondtheriver;hehearsthem，butrepeatthemtoushecannot，\"forI’mnopoet，\"ashesayshimself.HebeheldthecountryofBeulah，andtheDelectableMountains，thatearthlyParadiseofnaturewherewemightbehappyyet，andwandernofarther，iftheworldwouldletus——fairmountainsinwhosestreamsIzaakWaltonwasthenevencastingangle.
ItispleasanttofancyhowWaltonandBunyanmighthavemetandtalked，underaplanetreebytheOuse，whiletheMayshowerswerefalling.SurelyBunyanwouldnothavelikenedthegoodoldmantoFormalist;andcertainlyWaltonwouldhaveenjoyedtravellingwithChristian，thoughthebookwasbynoneofhisdearbishops，butbyaNon—conformist.Theyweremadetolikebutnottoconverteachother;inmattersecclesiasticaltheysawtheoppositesidesoftheshield.Eachwroteamasterpiece.Itistoolatetopraise\"TheCompleteAngler\"orthe\"Pilgrim’sProgress.\"Youmayputingenuityontherack，butshecansaynothingnewthatistrueaboutthebestromancethateverwasweddedtoallegory，noraboutthebestidylofoldEnglishlife.
Thepeoplearelivingnow——allthepeople：thenoisybullyingjudges，asoftheFrenchRevolutionaryCourts，ortheHangingCourtsafterMonmouth’swar;thedemure，gravePuritangirls;andMatthew，whohadthegripes;andlazy，fecklessIgnorance，whocametosoillanend，poorfellow;andsturdyOldHonest，andtimidMr.Fearing;
notsinglepersons，butdozens，ariseonthememory.
Theycome，asfresh，asvivid，asiftheywereoutofScottorMoliere;theTinkerisasgreatamasterofcharacterandfictionasthegreatest，almost;hisstyleispure，andplain，andsound，fullofoldidioms，andevenofsomethinglikeoldslang.Butevenhisslangisclassical.
Bunyaniseverybody’sauthor.TheveryCatholicshavetheirowneditionofthePilgrim：theyhavecutoutGiantPope，buthavebeentoogood—naturedtoinsertGiantProtestantinhisplace.
Unheralded，unannounced，thoughnotuncriticised（theyaccusedtheTinkerofbeingaplagiarist，ofcourse），BunyanoutshonetheCourtwits，thelearned，thepoetsoftheRestoration，andeventhegreattheologians.
Hisotherbooks，except\"GraceAbounding\"（anautobiography），\"TheHolyWar，\"and\"Mr.Badman，\"areonlyknowntostudents，normuchreadbythem.Thefashionofhistheology，asofalltheology，passedaway;itisbyvirtueofhisimagination，ofhisromance，thathelives.
Theallegory，ofcourse，isfullofflaws.ItwouldnothavebeenmanlyofChristiantorunoffandsavehisownsoul，leavinghiswifeandfamily.ButBunyanshrankfromshowingushowdifficult，ifnotimpossible，itisforamarriedmantobeasaint.
Christianawasreallywithhimallthroughthatpilgrimage;andhowhemusthavebeenhamperedbythatwomanoftheworld！Buthadtheallegoryclungmorecloselytotheskirtsoftruth，itwouldhavechangedfromaromancetoasatire，from\"ThePilgrim’sProgress\"to\"VanityFair.\"TherewastoomuchloveinBunyanforasatiristofthatkind;hehadjustenoughforahumourist.
Borninanotherclass，hemighthavebeen，hewouldhavebeen，awritermorerefinedinhisstrength，moreuniformlyexcellent，butneversouniversalnorsopopularinthebestsenseoftheterm.
InthechangeoftimesandbeliefitisnotimpossiblethatBunyanwillliveamongtheclasswhomheleastthoughtofaddressing——
scholars，loversofworldlyliterature——fordevotionandpovertyarepartingcompany，whileartendurestillcivilisationperishes.
ArewebetterorworsefornolongerbelievingasBunyanbelieved，nolongerseeingthatAbyssofPascal’sopenbesideourarmchairs？
Thequestionisonlyaformofthatwideriddle，Doesanytheologicalorphilosophicalopinionmakeusbetterorworse？Thevastmajorityofmenandwomenarelittleaffectedbyschemesandtheoriesofthislifeandthenext.Theywhoevenaskforareplytotheriddlearethefew：mostofustaketheeasy—goingmoralityofourworldforaguide，aswetakeBradshawforarailwayjourney.
Itisthefewwhomustfindoutananswer：onthatanswertheirlivesdepend，andthelivesofothersareinsensiblyraisedtowardstheirlevel.BunyanwouldnothavebeenaworsemanifhehadsharedthefaithofIzaakWalton.IzaakhadhisreplytoallquestionsintheChurchCatechismandtheArticles.Bunyanfoundhisinthetheologyofhissect，appealingmorestronglythanorthodoxytoanaturemorebellicosethanIzaak’s.Menlikehim，withhisindomitablecourage，willneverlackasolutionofthepuzzleoftheearth.Atworsttheywilllivebylaw，whethertheydaretospeakofitasGod’slaw，ordarenot.Theywillalwaysbeourleaders，ourCaptainGreathearts，inthepilgrimagetothecitywhere，ledorunled，wemustallatlastarrive.Theywillnotfailus，whileloyaltyandvalourarehumanqualities.ThedaymayconceivablycomewhenwehavenoChristiantomarchbeforeus，butweshallneverlackthecompanyofGreatheart.
TOAYOUNGJOURNALIST
DearSmith，—
Youinformmethatyoudesiretobeajournalist，andyouarekindenoughtoaskmyadvice.Well，beajournalist，byallmeans，inanyhonestandhonourablebranchoftheprofession.Butdonotbeaneavesdropperandaspy.Youmayflyintoapassionwhenyoureceivethisveryplainlywordedadvice.Ihopeyouwill;but，forseveralreasons，whichInowgoontostate，Ifearthatyouwon’t.
Ifearthat，eitherbynaturalgiftorbyacquiredhabit，youalreadypossesstheimperturbabletemperwhichwillbesousefultoyouifyoudojointhearmyofspiesandeavesdroppers.IfIamright，youhavemadeupyourmindtorefusetotakeoffence，aslongasbynottakingoffenceyoucanwriggleyourselfforwardinthebandofjournalisticreptiles.Youwillberevengedonme，inthatcase，someday;youwilllieinwaitformewithadirtybludgeon，andstealonmeoutofasewer.Ifyoudo，permitmetoassureyouthatIdon’tcare.Butifyouarealreadyinarage，ifyouareabouttearingupthisepistle，andarestartingtoassaultmepersonally，oratleasttoanswermefuriously，thenthereiseveryhopeforyouandforyourfuture.Ithereforeventuretostatemyreasonsforsupposingthatyouareinclinedtobeginacoursewhichyourfather，ifhewerealive，woulddeplore，asallhonourablemenintheirheartsmustdeploreit.WhenyouwereattheUniversity（letmecongratulateyouonyourdegree）youedited，orhelpedtoedit，TheBull—dog.Itwasnotaverybrilliantnoraverywitty，butitwasanextremely\"racy\"periodical.Itspokeofallmenanddonsbytheirnicknames.Itwasfullofsecond—handslang.Itcontainedmanypersonalanecdotes，tothedetrimentofmanypeople.
Itprintedgarbledandspitefulversionsofprivateconversationsonprivateaffairs.Itdidnotevensparetomakecommentsonladies，andonthedetailsofdomesticlifeinthetownandintheUniversity.ThecopieswhichyousentmeIglancedatwithextremedisgust.
Inmytime，morethanascoreofyearsago，asimilarperiodical，butamuchmorecleverperiodical，wasputforthbymembersoftheUniversity.Itcontainedanovelwhich，evennow，wouldbeworthseveralill—gottenguineastothemakersofthechroniquescandaleuse.Butnobodyboughtit，anditdiedanearlydeath.
Timeshavealtered，Iamafogey;buttheideasofhonouranddecencywhichfogiesholdnowwereheldbyyoungmeninthesixtiesofourcentury.Iknowverywellthattheseideasareobsolete.I
amnotpreachingtotheworld，norhopingtoconvertsociety，buttoYOU，andpurelyinyourownprivate，spiritualinterest.Ifyouenteronthispathoftattle，mendacity，andmalice，andif，withyourclevernessandlighthand，youaresuccessful，societywillnotturnitsbackonyou.Youwillbefearedinmanyquarters，andwelcomedinothers.Ofyourparagraphspeoplewillsaythat\"itisashame，ofcourse，butitisveryamusing.\"Therearesomanyshamesintheworld，shamesnotatallamusing，thatyoumayseenoharminaddingtothenumber.\"IfIdon’tdoit，\"youmayargue，\"someoneelsewill.\"Undoubtedly;butWHYSHOULDYOUDOIT？
Youarenotastarvingscribbler;ifyoudeterminetowrite，youcanwritewell，thoughnotsoeasily，onmanytopics.Youhavenotthatlastsadexcuseofhunger，whichdrivespoorwomentothestreets，andmakesunhappymenactaspublicblabsandspies.IfYOUtaketothismetier，itmustbebecauseyoulikeit，whichmeansthatyouenjoybeingalistenertoandreporteroftalkthatwasnevermeantforanyearsexceptthoseinwhichitwasuttered.ItmeansthatthehospitableboardisnotsacredforYOU;itmeansthat，withyou，friendship，honour，allthatmakeshumanlifebetterthanalowsmoking—room，areonlyvaluableforwhattheirbetrayalwillbring.
ItmeansthatnoteventhewelfareofyourcountrywillpreventyoufromrunningtothePresswithanysecretwhichyoumayhavebeenentrustedwith，orwhichyoumayhavesurprised.Itmeans，thispeculiarkindofprofession，thatallthingsopenandexcellent，andconspicuoustoallmen，arewithyouofnoaccount.Art，literature，politics，aretoceasetointerestyou.Youaretoschemetosurprisegossipabouttheprivatelives，dress，andtalkofartists，menofletters，politicians.Yourprofessionalworkwillsinkbelowthelevelofservants’gossipinapublic—houseparlour.Ifyouhappentomeetamanofknownname，youwillwatchhim，willlistentohim，willtrytosneakintohisconfidence，andyouwillblab，formoney，abouthim，andyourblabwillinevitablybemendacious.Inshort，likethemostpitiableoutcastsofwomankind，and，withouttheirexcuse，youwilllivebysellingyourhonour.Youwillnotsuffermuch，norsufferlong.Yourconsciencewillveryspeedilybesearedwithared—hotiron.Youwillbeontheroadwhichleadsfrommeredishonourtocrime;andyoumayfindyourselfactuallypractisingchantage，andextortingmoneyasthepriceofyoursilence.Thisisthelowestdeep：thevastmajority，evenofsocialmouchards，donotsinksolowasthis.
Theprofessionofthecritic，eveninhonourableandopencriticism，isbesetwithdangers.Itisoftenhardtoavoidsayinganunkindthing，acruelthing，whichissmart，andwhichmayevenbedeserved.Whocansaythathehasescapedthistemptation，andwhatmanofheartcanthinkofhisownfallwithoutasenseofshame？
Thereare，Iadmit，authorssoantipathetictome，thatIcannottrustmyselftoreviewthem.WouldthatIhadneverreviewedthem！
Theycannotbesobadastheyseemtome：theymusthavequalitieswhichescapemyobservation.Thenthereisthetemptationtohitback.Someonewrites，unjustlyorunkindlyasyouthink，ofyouorofyourfriends.Youwaittillyourenemyhaswrittenabook，andthenyouhaveyourinnings.Itisnotinnaturethatyourreviewshouldbefair：youmustinevitablybemoreonthelook—outforfaultsthanmerits.Theereintage，the\"smashing\"ofaliteraryfoeisverydelightfulatthemoment，butitdoesnotlookwellinthelightofreflection.Butthesedeedsaremerepeccadilloescomparedwiththeconfirmedhabitofregardingallmenandwomenasfairgameforpersonaltattleandthesatingofprivatespite.Nobody，perhaps，beginswiththisintention.Mostmenandwomencanfindreadysophistries.Ifareportaboutanyonereachestheirears，theysaythattheyaredoinghimaservicebypublishingitandenablinghimtocontradictit.Asifanymortaleverlistenedtoacontradiction！Andtherearecharges——thatofplagiarism，forexample——whichcanneverbedisproved，evenifcontradictionswerelistenedtobythepublic.Theaccusationgoeseverywhere，iscopiedintoeveryprintedrag;thecontradictiondieswiththedailydeathofasinglenewspaper.Youmayreplythatamanofsensewillbeindifferenttofalseaccusations.Hemay，ormaynotbe，——thatisnotthequestionforyou;thequestionforyouiswhetheryouwillcirculatenewsthatisfalse，probably，andspiteful，certainly.
Inshort，thewholeaffairregardsyourselfmorethanitregardstheworld.Plentyofpoisonissold：isitwellforyoutobeoneofthemerchants？Isitthebusinessofaneducatedgentlemantolivebythetradeofaneavesdropperandablab？IntheMemoirsofM.
BlowitzhetellsyouhowhebeganhisillustriouscareerbyprocuringthepublicationofremarkswhichM.Thiershadmadetohim.Hethen\"wenttoseeM.Thiers，notwithoutsomeapprehension.\"Isthatthekindofemotionwhichyouwishtobehabitualinyourexperience？Doyouthinkitagreeabletobecomeshame—facedwhenyoumeetpeoplewhohaveconversedwithyoufrankly？Doyouenjoybeingasneak，andfeelinglikeasneak？Doyoufindblushingpleasant？Ofcourseyouwillsoonlosethepowerofblushing;butisthatanagreeableprospect？Dependonit，therearediscomfortsintheprogresstothebrazen，inthejourneytotheshameless.Youmay，ifyourtattleispolitical，becomeserviceabletomenengagedingreataffairs.Theymayevenaskyoutotheirhouses，ifthatisyourambition.Youmayurgethattheycondoneyourdeeds，andareevenartandpartinthem.Butyoumustalsobeawarethattheycallyou，andthinkyou，areptile.Youarenotoneofthosewhowilldothedevil’sworkwithoutthedevil’swages;butdoyouseriouslythinkthatthewagesareworththedegradation？
Manymenthinkso，andarenotinotherrespectsbadmen.Theymayevenbekindlyandgenial.Gentlementheycannotbe，normenofdelicacy，normenofhonour.Theyhavesoldthemselvesandtheirself—respect，somewithease（theyaretheleastblamable），somewithastruggle.Theyhaveseenbetterthings，andperhapsvainlylongtoreturntothem.Theseare\"St.Satan’sPenitents，\"andtheirremorseisvain：
Virtutemvideant，intabescantquerelicta.
Ifyoudon’twishtobeofthisdismalcompany，thereisonlyonecourseopentoyou.Neverwriteforpublicationonelineofpersonaltattle.Letallmen’spersonsandprivatelivesbeassacredtoyouasyourfather’s，——thoughtherearetattlerswhowouldsellparagraphsabouttheirownmothersiftherewereamarketfortheware.Thereisnohalf—wayhouseonthisroad.Oncebegintoprintprivateconversation，andyouarelost——lost，thatis，todelicacyandgradually，tomanyotherthingsexcellentandofgoodreport.Thewholequestionforyouis，Doyoumindincurringthisdamnation？Ifthereisnothinginitwhichappalsandrevoltsyou，ifyourconscienceissatisfiedwithafewreadysophisms，orifyoudon’tcareapinforyourconscience，fallto！
Vousirezloin！Youwillprattleinprintaboutmen’sprivatelivestheirhiddenmotives，theirwaistcoats，theirwives，theirboots，theirbusinesses，theirincomes.Mostofyourprattlewillinevitablybelies.Butgoon！nobodywillkickyou，Ideeplyregrettosay.Youwillearnmoney.Youwillbewelcomedinsociety.Youwillliveanddiecontent，andwithoutremorse.Idonotsupposethatanyparticularinfernowillawaityouinthefuturelife.Whoeverwatchesthisworld\"withlargerothereyesthanours\"
willdoubtlessmakeallowanceforyou，asforusall.Iamnotpretendingtobeawhitbetterthanyou;probablyIamworseinmanyways，butnotinyourway.Puttingitmerelyasamatteroftaste，Idon’tliketheway.Itmakesmesick——thatisall.ItisasinwhichIcancomfortablydamn，asIamnotinclinedtoit.Youmayputitinthatlight;andIhavenowayofconvertingyou，nor，ifI
havenotdissuadedyou，ofdissuadingyou，fromcontinuing，onalargerscale，yourpracticesinTheBull—dog.
MR.KIPLING’SSTORIES
Thewindblowethwhereitlisteth.ButthewindofliteraryinspirationhasrarelyshakenthebungalowsofIndia，as，inthetalesoftheoldJesuitmissionaries，themagicalairshookthefrail\"medicinetents，\"whereHuronconjurorspractisedtheirmysteries.Withaworldofromanceandofcharacterattheirdoors，EnglishmeninIndiahaveseenasiftheysawitnot.Theyhavebeenbusyingoverning，inmakingwar，makingpeace，buildingbridges，layingdownroads，andwritingofficialreports.Ourliteraturefromthatcontinentofourconquesthasbeensparseindeed，exceptinthewayofbiographies，ofhistories，andofratherlocalandunintelligiblefacetiae.Exceptthenovelsbytheauthorof\"Tara，\"
andSirHenryCunningham’sbrilliantsketches，suchas\"Dustypore，\"
andSirAlfredLyall’spoems，wemightalmostsaythatIndiahascontributednothingtoourfinerliterature.Thatoldhauntofhistory，thewealthofcharacterbroughtoutinthatconfusionofraces，ofreligions，andtheoldandnew，hasbeenwealthuntouched，atreasure—housesealed：thosepagodatreeshaveneverbeenshaken.
AtlasttherecomesanEnglishmanwitheyes，withapenextraordinarilydeft，anobservationmarvellouslyrapidandkeen;
and，bygoodluck，thisEnglishmanhasnoofficialduties：heisneitherasoldier，norajudge;heismerelyamanofletters.Hehasleisuretolookaroundhim，hehasthepowerofmakingusseewhathesees;and，whenwehavelostIndia，whensomenewpowerisrulingwhereweruled，whenourempirehasfollowedthatoftheMoguls，futuregenerationswilllearnfromMr.Kipling’sworkswhatIndiawasunderEnglishsway.
Itisoneofthesurprisesofliteraturethatthesetinymasterpiecesinproseandversewerepoured，\"asrichmengivethatcarenotfortheirgifts，\"intothecolumnsofAnglo—Indianjournals.Theretheywerethoughtcleverandephemeral——partofthechatteroftheweek.Thesubjects，nodoubt，seemedsofamiliar，thatthestrengthofthehandling，thebrillianceofthecolour，werescarcelyrecognised.ButMr.Kipling’svolumesnosoonerreachedEnglandthanthepeopleintowhosehandstheyfellwerecertainthatherewerethebeginningsofanewliteraryforce.Thebookshadthestrangeness，thecolour，thevariety，theperfumeoftheEast.ThusitisnowonderthatMr.Kipling’sreputegrewupasrapidlyasthemysteriousmangotreeoftheconjurors.Therewerecritics，ofcourse，readytosaythatthethingwasmerelyatrick，andhadnothingofthesupernatural.Thatopinionisnotlikelytoholditsground.PerhapsthemostsevereofthecriticshasbeenayoungScotchgentleman，writingFrench，andwritingitwonderfullywell，inaParisianreview.HechosetoregardMr.KiplingaslittlebutanimitatorofBretHarte，derivinghispopularitymainlyfromthenovelandexoticcharacterofhissubjects.Nodoubt，ifMr.Kiplinghasaliteraryprogenitor，itisMr.BretHarte.AmonghisearlierversesafewarewhatanimitatoroftheAmericanmighthavewritteninIndia.ButitisawildjudgmentwhichtracesMr.
Kipling’ssuccesstohisuse，forexample，ofAnglo—Indianphrasesandscrapsofnativedialects.ThepresenceoftheseelementsisamongthecauseswhichhavemadeEnglishmenthinkAnglo—Indianliteraturetediouslyprovincial，andIndiaabore.Mr.Kipling，ontheotherhand，makesusregardthecontinentwhichwasaboreanenchantedland，fullofmarvelsandmagicwhicharereal.Therehas，indeed，arisenatasteforexoticliterature：peoplehavebecomealivetothestrangenessandfascinationoftheworldbeyondtheboundsofEuropeandtheUnitedStates.Butthatisonlybecausemenofimaginationandliteraryskillhavebeenthenewconquerors——theCortesesandBalboasofIndia，Africa，Australia，Japan，andtheislesofthesouthernseas.Allsuchconquerors，whethertheywritewiththepolishofM.PierreLoti，orwiththecarelessnessofMr.Boldrewood，have，atleast，seennewworldsforthemselves;havegoneoutofthestreetsoftheover—populatedlandsintotheopenair;havesailedandridden，walkedandhunted;haveescapedfromthefogandsmokeoftowns.Newstrengthhascomefromfresherairintotheirbrainsandblood;hencethenoveltyandbuoyancyofthestorieswhichtheytell.Hence，too，theyarerathertobecountedamongromanticiststhanrealists，howeverrealistheessentialtruthoftheirbooks.Theyhavefoundsomuchtoseeandtorecord，thattheyarenottemptedtousethemicroscope，andporeforeverontheminuteincharacter.Agreatdealofrealism，especiallyinFrance，attractsbecauseitisnovel，becauseM.Zolaandothershavealsofoundnewworldstoconquer.Butcertainprovincesinthoseworldswerenotunknownto，butwerevoluntarilyneglectedby，earlierexplorers.Theywerethe\"BadLands\"oflifeandcharacter：surelyitiswisertoseekquitenewrealmsthantobuildmudhutsanddunghillsonthe\"BadLands.\"
Mr.Kipling’swork，likeallgoodwork，isbothrealandromantic.
Itisrealbecauseheseesandfeelsveryswiftlyandkeenly;itisromantic，again，becausehehasasharpeyefortherealityofromance，fortheattractionandpossibilityofadventure，andbecauseheisyoung.Ifareaderwantstoseepettycharactersdisplayedinalltheirmeannesses，ifthisberealism，surelycertainofMr.Kipling’spaintedandfriskymatronsarerealisticenough.TheseamysideofAnglo—Indianlife：theintrigues，amorousorsemi—political——theslangofpeoplewhodescribediningas\"manglinggarbage\"the\"gamesoftenniswiththeseventhcommandment\"——hehasnotneglectedanyofthese.Probablythesketchesaretrueenough，andpity’tistrue：forexample，thesketchesin\"UndertheDeodars\"andin\"TheGadsbys.\"Thatworthypair，withtheirfriends，aretomyselfasunsympathetic，almost，asthecharactersin\"LaConquetedePlassans.\"ButMr.Kiplingistoomuchatruerealisttomaketheirselfishnessandpettinessunbroken，unceasing.Weknowthat\"Gaddy\"isabrave，modest，andhard—workingsoldier;and，whenhislittlesillybride（whoprefersbeingkissedbyamanwithwaxedmoustaches）liesneartodeath，certainlyIamnearertotearsthanwhenIamobligedtoattendthebedofLittleDombeyorofLittleNell.ProbablythereisagreatdealofslangyandunrefinedAnglo—Indiansociety;and，nodoubt，tosketchitinitstruecoloursisnotbeyondtheprovinceofart.Atworstitisredeemed，inpart，byitsconstancyinthepresenceofvariousperils——fromdisease，andfrom\"thebulletflyingdownthepass.\"Mr.Kiplingmaynotbe，andveryprobablyisnot，areaderof\"Gyp\";but\"TheGadsbys，\"especially，readsliketheworkofanAnglo—Indiandisciple，trammelledbycertainEnglishconventions.
ThemorePharisaicrealists——thoseofthestrictestsect——wouldprobablywelcomeMr.Kiplingasayoungerbrother，sofaras\"UndertheDeodars\"and\"TheGadsbys\"areconcerned，ifhewerenotoccasionallywittyandevenflippant，aswellasrealistic.But，veryfortunately，hehasnotconfinedhisobservationtotheleisuresandpleasuresofSimla;hehaslookedoutalsoonwarandonsport，onthelifeofallnativetribesandcastes;andhasevenglancedacrossthebordersof\"TheUndiscoveredCountry.\"
AmongMr.Kipling’sdiscoveriesofnewkindsofcharacters，probablythemostpopularishisinventionoftheBritishsoldierinIndia.
Heaversthathe\"lovesthatverystrongman，ThomasAtkins\";buthisaffectionhasnotblindedhimtothefaultsofthebeloved.Mr.
Atkinsdrinkstoomuch，istoocarelessagallantinlove，hasbeeneducatedeithertoomuchortoolittle，andhasotherfaults，partlydue，apparently，torecentmilitaryorganisation，partlytothefeverishandunsettledstateofthecivilisedworld.Butheisstillbrave，whenheiswellled;stillloyal，aboveall，tohis\"trustychum.\"EveryEnglishmanmusthopethat，ifTerenceMulvaneydidnottakethecityofLungtungPenasdescribed，yetheisready，andwillingsototakeit.Mr.MulvaneyisashumorousasMickyFree，butmoremelancholyandmoretruculent.Hehas，perhaps，\"wonhiswaytothemythical\"already，andisnotsomuchasoldier，asanincarnation，notofKrishna，butofmanysoldierlyqualities.Ontheotherhand，PrivateOrtheris，especiallyinhisfrenzy，seemstoshewallthetruth，andmuchmorethanthelifeof，aphotograph.
Such，wepresume，isthesoldier，andsucharehisexperiencesandtemptationsandrepentance.Butnobodyeverdreamedoftellingusallthis，tillMr.Kiplingcame.Asforthesoldierinaction，the\"TakingofLungtungPen，\"andthe\"DrumsoftheForeandAft，\"andthatothertaleofthebattlewiththePathansinthegorge，areamongthegoodfightsoffiction.Theystirthespirit，andtheyshouldbedistributed（inaddition，ofcourse，tothe\"Soldier’sPocketBook\"）intheranksoftheBritisharmy.Mr.Kiplingisaswellinformedaboutthesoldier’swomen—kindasaboutthesoldier：
aboutDinahShaddasaboutTerenceMulvaney.Leverneverinstructedusonthesematters：MickyFree，ifheloves，ridesaway;butTerenceMulvaneyistruetohisoldwoman.Gallant，loyal，reckless，vain，swaggering，andtender—hearted，TerenceMulvaney，iftherewereenoughofhim，\"wouldtakeSt.Petersburginhisdrawers.\"Canwebetoogratefultoanauthorwhohasextended，asMr.Kiplinginhismilitarysketcheshasextended，thefrontiersofourknowledgeandsympathy？
Itisamerequestionofindividualtaste;but，formyownpart，hadItomakeasmallselectionfromMr.Kipling’stales，IwouldincludemoreofhisstudiesinBlackthaninWhite，andmanyofhisexcursionsbeyondtheprobableandnatural.Itisdifficulttohaveonespecialfavouriteinthiskind;butperhapsthestoryofthetwoEnglishadventurersamongthefreemasonsofunknownKafiristan（inthe\"PhantomRickshaw\"）wouldtakeaveryhighplace.Thegas—
heatedairoftheIndiannewspaperofficeissoreal，andintoitcomesawandererwhohasseennewfacesofdeath，andwhocarrieswithhimaheadthathaswornaroyalcrown.Thecontrastsareofbrutalforce;thelegendisamongthebestofsuchstrangefancies.
Thenthereis，inthesamevolume，\"TheStrangeRideofMorrowbieJukes，\"themostdreadfulnightmareofthemostawfulBunkerintherealmsoffancy.Thisisaveryearlywork;ifnothingelseofMr.
Kipling’sexisted，hismemorymightlivebyit，asdoesthememoryoftheAmericanIrishmanbythe\"DiamondLens.\"Theshammagicof\"IntheHouseofSuddhu\"isasterribleastruenecromancycouldbe，andIhaveafaiblesseforthe\"BisaraofPooree.\"\"TheGateoftheHundredSorrows\"isarealisticversionof\"TheEnglishOpiumEater，\"andmorepowerfulbydintoflessrhetoric.Asforthesketchesofnativelife——forexample，\"OntheCityWall\"——toEnglishreaderstheyarenolessthanrevelations.Theytestify，moreeventhanthemilitarystories，totheauthor’sswiftandcertainvision，hiscertaintyinhiseffects.Inbrief，Mr.Kiplinghasconqueredworlds，ofwhich，asitwere，weknewnottheexistence.
Hisfaultsaresoconspicuous，somuchonthesurface，thattheyhardlyneedtobenamed.Theyarecuriouslyvisibletosomereaderswhoareblindtohismerits.Thereisafalseairofhardness（quiteincontradictiontothesentimentinhistalesofchildishlife）;thereisaknowingair;therearemannerisms，suchas\"Butthatisanotherstory\";thereisadisplayofslang;thereisthetooobtrusiveknockingofthenailonthehead.Everybodycanmarktheseerrors;afewcannotovercometheirantipathy，andsoloseagreatdealofpleasure.
ItisimpossibletoguesshowMr.Kiplingwillfareifheventuresononeoftheusualnovels，oftheorthodoxlength.Fewmenhavesucceededbothintheconteandthenovel.Mr.BretHarteislimitedtotheconte;M.GuydeMaupassantisprobablyathisbestinit.Scottwrotebutthreeorfourshorttales，andonlyoneoftheseisamasterpiece.Poeneverattemptedanovel.Hawthorneisalmostaloneinhiscommandofbothkinds.WecanliveonlyinthehopethatMr.Kipling，soskilledinsomanyspeciesoftheconte，sovigorousinsomanykindsofverse，willalsobetriumphantinthenovel：thoughitseemsunlikelythatitsscenecanbeinEngland，andthoughitiscertainthatawriterwhosocutstothequickwillnotbehappywiththenovel’salmostinevitable\"padding.\"Mr.Kipling’slongesteffort，\"TheLightwhichFailed，\"
can，perhaps，hardlybeconsideredatestortouchstoneofhispowersasanovelist.Thecentralinterestisnotpowerfulenough;
thecharactersarenotsosympathetic，asaretheinterestandthecharactersofhisshortpieces.Manyofthesepersonswehavemetsooftenthattheyarenotmerepassingacquaintances，butalreadyfindinustheloyaltyduetooldfriends.
Footnotes：
{1}ThesubjecthasbeenmuchmoregravelytreatedinMr.RobertBridges’s\"AchillesinScyros.\"
{2}Conjecturemaycease，asMr.MorrishastranslatedtheOdyssey.
{3}ForHelenPendennis，seethe\"Letters，\"p.97.
{4}Mr.Henleyhaslately，asaloyalDickensite，beendefendingtheplotsofDickens，andhistragedy.Procaptulectoris;ifthereaderlikesthem，thentheyaregoodforthereader：\"goodabsolute，notformethough，\"perhaps.Theplotof\"MartinChuzzlewit\"maybegood，buttheconductofoldMartinwouldstrikemeasimprobableifImetitinthe\"ArabianNights.\"ThatthecreatorofPecksniffshouldhavetakenhismisdeedsseriously，asifMr.PecksniffhadbeenaTartuffe，notadelight，seemscurious.