第1章

PREFACE

Thestudiesinthisvolumeoriginallyappearedinthe\"St。James’sGazette。\"Two,fromafriendlyhand,havebeenomittedherebytheauthoroftherest,asnonsuapoma。OnewasbyMr。RICHARD

SWIVELLERtoabooncompanionandbrotherinthelyricApollo;theother,thoughpurportingtohavebeenaddressedbyMessrs。DOMBEY&

SONtoMr。TOOTS,isbelieved,oninternalevidence,tohavebeencomposedbythepatronoftheCHICKENhimself。Afewprefatorynotes,anintroductoryessay,andtwolettershavebeenadded。

Theportraitinthefrontispiece,copiedbyMr。T。HodgefromanoldpaintingintheClubatSt。Andrews,isbelievedtorepresenttheBaronBradwardineaddressinghimselftohisball。

A。L。

FRIENDSINFICTION

EveryfancywhichdwellsmuchwiththeunbornandimmortalcharactersofFictionmustaskitself,Didthepersonsincontemporarynovelsnevermeet?Insolittleaworldtheirpathsmustoftenhavecrossed,theirorbitsmusthaveintersected,thoughwehearnothingabouttheadventurefromtheaccreditednarrators。

Inhistoricalfictionauthorsmaketheirpeoplemeetrealmenandwomenofhistory——LouisXI。,Lazarus,MaryQueenofScots,GeneralWebbe,Moses,theManintheIronMask,MarieAntoinette;thelistisendless。Butnovelists,inspiteofMr。Thackeray’sadvicetoAlexandreDumas,andofhisownexamplein\"RebeccaandRowena,\"

havenotintroducedeachother’scharacters。DumasneverpursuedthefortunesoftheMasterofRavenswoodafterhewaspickedupbythatcoastingvesselintheKelpie’sFlow。Sometimesameetingbetweencharactersinnovelsbydifferenthandslookedallbutunavoidable。\"Pendennis\"and\"DavidCopperfield\"cameoutsimultaneouslyinnumbers,yetPenneverencounteredSteerforthattheUniversity,nordidWarrington,inhislifeofjournalism,jostleagainstareporternamedDavidCopperfield。OnefearsthattheMajorwouldhavecalledSteerforthatiger,thatPenwouldhavebeenveryloftilycondescendingtothenephewofBetsyTrotwood。

ButCaptainCostiganwouldscarcelyhaverefusedtotakeasipofMr。Micawber’spunch,andIdoubt,notthatLitimerwouldhaveconspireddarklywithMorgan,theMajor’ssinisterman。Mostofthosedelightfulsetsofoldfriends,theDickensandThackeraypeople,mightwellhavemet,thoughtheybelongedtoverydifferentworlds。Inoldernovels,too,itmighteasilyhavechancedthatMr。EdwardWaverleyofWaverleyHonour,cameintocontactwithLieutenantBooth,or,aftertheForty—five,withThomasJones,or,inScotland,BalmawhapplemighthaveforegatheredwithLieutenantLismahagow。MightnotevenJeanieDeanshavecrossedthepathofMajorLambertofthe\"Virginians,\"andbeenhelpedonherwaybythatgoodman?AssuredlyDugaldDalgettyinhiswanderingsinsearchoffightsandfortunemayhavecrushedacuporrattledadiceboxwithfourgallantgentlemenoftheKing’sMousquetaires。

ItisagreeabletowonderwhatalltheseveryrealpeoplewouldhavethoughtoftheircompanionsintheregionofRomance,andtoguesshowtheirnatureswouldhaveactedandreactedoneachother。

Thiswastheideawhichsuggestedthefollowinglittleessaysinparody。Inmakingthemthewriter,thoughanassiduousandveterannovelreader,hadtorecognisethatafterallheknew,onreallyintimateandfriendlyterms,comparativelyfewpeopleintheParadiseofFiction。Settingasidethedramaticpoetsandtheircreations,thechildrenofMoliereandShakspeare,thereaderofnovelswillfind,maybe,thathisairyfriendsarescarcesomanyashedeemed。WeallknowSanchoandtheDon,byreputeatleast;

wehaveallourmemoriesofGilBlas;ManonLescautdoesnotfadefromtheheart,norherlover,theChevalierdesGrieux,fromtheremembrance。OurmentalpictureofAnnaKarenineisfreshenoughandfairenough,buthowfewcanmostofusrecalloutofthemyriadprogenyofGeorgeSand!Indiana,Valentine,Lelia,doyouquitebelieveinthem,wouldyouknowthemifyoumetthemintheParadiseofFiction?Nounonemightrecognise,butthereisahazinessaboutLaPetiteFadette。Consuelo,letitbeadmitted,isnotevanescent,oblivionscattersnopoppyoverher;butMadameSand’slaterladies,stillmorehermen,areeasilylostintheforestsoffancy。Eventheirnameswithdifficultyreturntous,andifwereadtheroll—call,wouldHoraceandJacquescryAdsumlikethegoodColonel?TherearelivingcriticswhohaveallMr。

GeorgeMeredith’sheroinesandheroesandodditiesattheirfingerends,andyetforgetthatmusicalname,likethecloseofarichhexameter,ClareDoriaForey。Butthisisadigression;itisperhapsadmittedthatGeorgeSand,sogreatanovelist,gavetheworldfewcharacterswholiveinandaredeartomemory。Wecanjustfancyoneofherdignifiedlaterheroines,allself—

renunciationandruralsentiment,preachinginvaintothatrealwoman,EmmaBovary。HERweknow,herweremember,aswerememberfew,comparatively,ofBalzac’sthrongingfaces,fromLaCousineBettetoSeraphitusSeraphita。Manyofthosearecertaintoliveandkeeptheirhold,butitisbydintoflongandelaboratepreparation,description,analysis。Astrangerintermeddlethnotwiththem,thoughwecanfancyLuciendeRubempreletlooseinacountryneighbourhoodofGeorgeSand’s,andmakingsonnetsandlovetosomeruralchatelaine,whileVautrinmightstrayamongtheruffiansofGaboriau,agiantofcrime。AmongM。Zola’speople,howeveritmayfarewithothers,Ifindmyselfrememberingfew:

theguiltyHippolytusof\"LaCuree,\"thepoorgirlin\"LaFortunedesRougon,\"theAbbeMouret,theartistin\"L’Oeuvre,\"andthehalfidioticgirlofthefarmhouse,andHelenein\"UnPaged’Amour。\"TheyarenotamongstM。Zola’smostprominentcreations,anditmustbesomeaccidentthatmakesthemmostmemorableandrecognisabletooneofhisreaders。

Probablyweallnoticethatthecharactersoffictionwhoremainourintimates,whosewordscometoourlipsoften,whoseconductinthisorthatsituationwecouldeasilyforecast,arethecharacterswhomwemetwhenwewereyoung。Wemaybewronginthinkingthemthebest,themosttrueandlivingoftheunborn;perhapstheyonlyseemsorealbecausetheycamefreshtofreshheartsandunwornmemories。Thisatleastwemustallowfor,whenwearetemptedtosayaboutnovelists,\"Theoldarebetter。\"Itwaswewho,longago,wereyoungandbetter,betterfittedtoenjoyandretainthepleasureofmakingnewvisionaryacquaintances。Ifthisbeso,whatanargumentitisinfavourofreadingthebestbooksfirstandearliestinyouth!DotheladieswhonowfindScottslow,andMissAustendull,andDickensvulgar,andThackerayprosy,andFieldingandRichardsonimpossible,cometothisbeliefbecausetheybeganearlywiththevolumesofthecirculatinglibrary?Aretheirmemorieshappilystoredwiththewordsanddeedsofmodernfictitiousromps,andpassionategovernesses,andtremendousguardsmenwithhugecigars?Arethepeopleof——well,whymentionnamesoflivingauthors?——ofwhomyouwill——arethoseasmuchtotheyoungreadersof1890asQuentinDurward,andColonelNewcome,andSamWeller,andBeckySharp,andAnneElliot,andElizabethBennett,andJaneEyreweretoyoungreadersof1860?Itmayverywellbeso,andweseniorswillnotregretourchoice,andtheyoungmenandmaidswillbepleasedenoughwiththeirs。Yetitisnotimpossiblethattheoldreallyarebetter,anddonotgainalltheirlifeandpermanentcharmmerelyfromtheunjadedmemoriesandaffectionswithwhichwecametothemlongago。

Weshallneverbecertain,forevenifwetriedtheexperimentofcomparing,wearenolongergoodjudges,ourheartsarewithouroldfriends,whomwethinkdeathless;theirbirthisfarenoughoffintime,buttheywillserveusforours。

Thesefriends,ithasbeensaid,arenotsuchaverynumerouscompanyafterall。Mostofthemarechildrenofourownsoil,theirspiritsweremadeinEngland,oratleastinGreatBritain,or,perhaps,cameofEnglishstockacrosstheseas,likeourdearoldLeatherStockingandMadamHesterPrynne。Probablymostofusareinsularenoughtoconfessthislimitation;evenifwebesounpatriotictoreadfarmorenewFrenchthannewEnglishnovels。

OnemaystudyM。Daudet,andnotrememberhisSidonieaswerememberBecky,norhisPetitChoseorhisJackaswerememberDavidCopperfield。IntheParadiseofFictionarefolkofallnationsandtongues;buttheEnglish(asSwedenborgsawthemdoinginhisvisionofHeaven)keepverymuchtothemselves。TheAmericanvisitors,orsomeofthem,disdainouroldacquaintances,andassociatewithRussian,Spanish,Lithuanian,Armenianheroesandheroines,conversing,probably,insomesortofFrench。Fewofus\"poorislanders\"aresocosmopolitan;wereadforeignnovels,andyetamongallthebrilliantpersonsmettherewerememberbutafew。Mostofmyownforeignfriendsinfictionwearlove—locksandlargeboots,haverapiersattheirsidewhichtheyareveryreadytodraw,aregreattrenchermen,mightyfinedrinkers,andsomewhatgallantintheirconducttothesex。ThereisalsoacitizenortwofromFuretiere’s\"RomanBourgeois,\"thereisManon,aforesaid,andacompanyofpicaroons,andanarchbishop,andaladystyledMarianne,andanewlyennobledCountofmysteriouswealth,andtwogrisettes,namedMimiandMusette,withtheirstudent—lovers。M。

Balzachasintroducedustomystics,andmurderers,andoldmaids,anddoctors,andadventurers,andpoets,andagirlwithgoldeneyes,andmalefactors,andbankrupts,andmadoldcollectors,peasants,cures,critics,dreamers,debauchees;butallthesearesomewhatdistantacquaintances,manyofthemundesirableacquaintances。Inthegreat\"ComedieHumaine\"haveyouasinglerealfriend?SomeofCharlesdeBernard’sfolkaremoreakintous,suchas\"LaFemmedeQuaranteAns,\"andtheownerofthehoundJustinian,andthatdrunkenartistin\"Gerfaut。\"ButanEnglishmanisratherfriendless,ratheranalienandanoutcast,inthesocietyofFrenchfiction。MonsieurdeCamorsisnotofourmonde,noristheEnfantduSiecle;indeed,perhapsgoodMonsieurSylvestreBonnardisassympatheticasanyoneinthatpopulouscountryofmodernFrenchromance。OrdoyouknowFifiVollard?

Somethingmustbeallowedforstrangemanners,forexoticideas,andwaysnotourown。Moreperhapsisduetowhat,asEnglishmenthink,isthelackofHUMOURinthemostbrilliantandwittyofraces。WehavefriendsmanyinMoliere,inDumas,inRabelais;butitisfarmoredifficulttobefamiliar,atease,andhappyinthecirclestowhichMadameSand,M。Daudet,M。Flaubert,orM。PaulBourgetintroduceus。M。Bourget’soldprofessor,in\"LeDisciple,\"weunderstand,buthedoesnotinteresthimselfmuchinus,andtousheisratheracuriosity,a\"character,\"thananintimate。Wearedriventothebeliefthathumour,withitslovingandsmilingobservation,isnecessarytotheauthorwhowouldmakehispersonsrealandcongenial,and,aboveall,friendly。NowhumouristhequalitywhichDumas,Moliere,andRabelaispossessconspicuouslyamongFrenchmen。Montaignehasittoo,andmakeshimselfdeartous,asthehumorousnovelistsmaketheirfanciedpeopledear。Withouthumouranauthormaydrawcharactersdistinctandclear,andentertaining,andevenreal;buttheywantatmosphere,andwiththemweareneverintimate。Mr。AlfredAustinsaysthat\"weknowtheheroortheheroineinproseromancefarmorefamiliarlythanweknowtheheroorheroineinthepoemorthedrama。\"\"WhichoftheseriouscharactersinShakspeare’splaysarenotindefiniteandshadowycomparedwithHarryEsmondorMaggieTulliver?\"TheSERIOUScharacters——theyareseldomveryfamiliarordefinitetousinanykindofliterature。Onemightsay,tobesure,thatheknowsHotspuragooddealmoreintimatelythanheknowsMr。HenryEsmond,andthathehasaprettydefiniteideaofIago,Othello,Macbeth,KingLear,asdefiniteashehas(tofollowMr。Austin)ofTitoMelema。ButwecannotreckonOthello,orMacbeth,orKingLearasFRIENDS;nay,wewouldratherdrinkwiththehonestancient。Allheroesandtheheroinesareusuallytooaugust,andalsotooyoung,tobefriendlywithus;tobehandledhumorouslybytheircreators。WeknowCuddieHeadriggagreatdealbetterthanHenryMorton,andLeBalafrebetterthanQuentinDurward,andDugaldDalgettybetterthananybody。Humouritisthatgivesfleshandbloodtothepersonsofromance;makesMr。

Lenvillereal,whileNicholasNicklebyisonlya\"walkinggentleman。\"YoucannotknowOliverTwistasyouknowtheDodgerandCharlieBates。IfyoumetEdwardWaverleyyoucouldscarcetellhimfromanotheryoungofficerofhistime;buttherewouldbenochanceofmistakeabouttheDugaldcreature,orBailieNicolJarvie,ortheBaronBradwardine,orBalmawhapple。

Theseideasmightbepushedtoofar;itmightbesaidthatonlythepersonsin\"characterparts\"——moreorlesscaricatures——arereallyvividintherecollection。ButColonelNewcomeisasrealasCaptainCostigan,andGeorgeWarringtonastheChevalierStrong。

Theheroiscommonlytoomuchofabeautenebreuxtobeactual;

Scottknewitwell,andinoneofhisunpublishedlettersfranklyadmitsthathisheroesarewooden,andnofavouritesofhisown。

Hehadtomakethem,asmostauthorsmaketheirheroes,romantic,amorous,andserious;fewofthemhavethelifeofRolandGraeme,orevenofQuentinDurward。IvanhoemightputonthecloakoftheMasterofRavenswood,theMastermightwearthearmouroftheDisinheritedKnight,andthedisguisewoulddeceivethekeenest。

Nay,Mr。HenryEsmondmightpassforeither,ifarrayedinappropriatecostume。

Totreataherowithhumourisdifficultinromance,allbutimpossible。Hencetheheroesarerarelyourfriends,exceptinFielding,or,nowandthen,inThackeray。Nobookissofulloffriendsasthenovelthathasnohero,buthasRawdonCrawley,Becky,LadyJane,Mr。JimCrawley,MacMurdo,Mrs。MajorO’Dowd,andtherest。EvenDobbinistoomuchtheherotobeadmittedamongourmostkindlyacquaintances。SounluckyareheroesthatweknowSquireWesternandthePhilosopherSquareandParsonAdamsfarbetterthaneventhatunheroichero,TomJones,orJosephAndrews。

ThehumourofFieldingandhistendernessmakeAmeliaandSophiafarmoresureofourheartsthan,letussay,Rowena,ortheFairMaidofPerth,orFloraMacIvor,orRoseBradwardine。ItishumourthatmakesMr。Collinsimmortal,andMrs。Bennett,andEmma;whileamultitudeofnicegirlsinfiction,goodgirlstoo,areasdeadasQueenTiah。

Perhaps,afterall,thistheoryexplainswhyitissoveryhardtorecallwithvividnessthepersonsofourlaterfiction。Humourisnotthestrongpointofnoveliststo—day。TheremaybeamateurswhoknowMr。Howells’scharactersastheireldersknowSophiaandAmeliaandCatherineSeyton——theremaybe。Totheoldreaderofromance,howeverearnestlyhekeepsupwithmodernfiction,thesaltoflifeseemsoftenlackinginitspuppetsoritspersons。

AmongthecreationsoflivingmenandwomenI,forone,feelthatI

havetwofriendsatleastacrossthesea,MasterThomasSawyerandhiscompanion,HuckleberryFinn。Ifthesearenotrealboys,thenDr。Farrar’sEricISarealboy;Icannotputitstronger。Thereisaladyonthosedistantshores(forsheneverdiedofRomanfever)whoImayventuretobelieveisnotunfriendly——MissAnnieP。Miller——andthereisadaughterofMr。SilasLaphamwhomonecannotreadilyforget,andthereisabeeryjournalistina\"ModernInstance,\"anacquaintance,adistantprofessionalacquaintance,notafriend。TherestofthefictitiouswhitepopulationoftheStatesareshadowytomyself;Ihaveoftenfollowedtheirfortuneswithinterest,butthedetailsslipmyagingmemory,whichrecallsTopsyandUncleRemus。

Tospeakofnewfriendsathomeisamoredelicatematter。Amanmayhaveanunduepartialityfortheairychildrenofhisfriends’

fancy。Mr。MeredithhasintroducedmetoanamiableCountess,toastrangecountrygirlnamedRhoda,toawonderfuloldAEschyleannurse,tosomegenuineboys,toawiseYouth,——butthatsocietygrowsasnumerousasbrilliant。Mr。Besanthasmadeusfriendswithtwinsofliteraryandartisticgenius,withaveryhighly—

culturedFellowofLothian,withaSonofVulcan,withabevyoffairbutratherindistinguishabledamsels,likeagroupofagreeable—lookinggirlsatadance。Buttheyaretoobusywiththeirpartnerstobefriendly。Weadmirethem,buttheyareunconcernedwithus。InMr。Black’slargefamilytheWhaupseemsmostcongenialtosomestrangers;thenameofoneofMr。Payn’sfriendlyladsisLegion,andMissBroughton’sdogs,withTHEIR

friendSara,andMrs。Moberley,welcomethecasualvisitorwithhospitablecare。Amongthekindlychildrenofalatergenerationonemaynumberasailormanwithawoodenleg;aHighlandgentleman,who,thoughlandless,bearsaking’sname;anIrishchevalierwhowasoutinthe’45;aZuluchiefwhopliedtheaxewell;aprivatenamedMulvaneyinHerMajesty’sIndianarmy;anelderlysportsmanofagileimaginationorunparalleledexperienceinremoteadventure。{1}Alltheseapersonwhohadonceencounteredthemwouldrecognise,perhaps,whenhewasfortunateenoughtofindhimselfintheircompany。

Therearechildren,too,ofadeadauthor,anauthorseldomlaudedbycritics,who,possibly,haveasmanylivingfriendsasanymoderncharacterscanclaim。AverylargecompanyofChristianpeoplearefondofLordWelter,CharlesRavenshoe,FloraandGus,LadyAscot,theboywhoplayedfiveswithabrassbutton,andadozenothersofHenryKingsley’smen,women,andchildren,whomwehavelaughedwithoften,andverynearlycriedwith。ForHenryKingsleyhadhumour,andhischildrenaredeartous;whilewhichofCharlesKingsley’sfarmorefamousoffspringwouldbewelcome——

unlessitwereSalvationYeo——ifwemetthemallintheParadiseofFiction?

Itisnotverysafe,inliteratureasinlife,tospeakwellofourfriendsoroftheirfamilies。Otherreaders,otherpeople,havetheirs,whomwemaynotcaremuchfor,whomwemayevenchancenevertohavemet。InthefollowingLettersfromOldFriends(mainlyreprintedfromthe\"St。James’sGazette\"),afewofthewritersmay,tosomewhoglanceatthesketches,beunfamiliar。

WhenDugaldDalgetty’sepistleonhisduelwithAramiswaswritten,amanoflettersproposedtowriteareplyfromAramisinacertainjournal。ButhisEditorhadneverheardofanyofthegentlemenconcernedinthataffairofhonour;hadneverheardofDugald,ofAthos,Porthos,Aramis,norD’Artagnan。Hehadnotbeenintroducedtothem。Thislittlebookwillbefortunatefarbeyonditsdesertsifittemptsafewreaderstoextendthecircleoftheirvisionaryacquaintances,offriendswho,likeBrahma,knownotbirth,nordecay,\"sleep,waking,nortrance。\"

AthememoredelicateandintimatethanthatofourFriendsinfictionawaitsamorepassionatewriterthanthepresentparodist。

OurLOVESinfictionareprobablynumerous,andourchoicedependsonageandtemperament。Inromance,ifnotinlife,wecanbeinlovewithanumberofladiesatonce。ItisprobablethatBeatrixEsmondhasnotfewerknightsthanMarieAntoinetteorMaryStuart。

Theseladieshavebeenthemarksofscandal。Unkindthingsaresaidofallthree,butourheartsdonotbelievetheevilreports。

SirWalterScottrefusedtowritealifeofMaryStuartbecausehisopinionwasnotonthepopularside,noronthesideofhisfeelings。ThereasoningandjudicialfacultiesmaybeconvincedthatBeatrixwas\"otherthanaguidane,\"butreasondoesnottouchtheaffections;weseeherwiththeeyesofHarryEsmond,and,likehim,\"rememberaparagon。\"WithsimilarlackoflogicwebelievethatMrs。Wenhamreallyhadoneofherheadaches,andthatBeckywasguiltlessonanotoriousoccasion。Badornotsobad,whatladywouldwesogladlymeetasMrs。RawdonCrawley,whosekindnesswassogreatthatsheevencondescendedtobeamusingtoherownhusband?Foramoreseriousandlife—longaffectiontherearefewheroinessosatisfactoryasSophiaWesternandAmeliaBooth(neeHarris)。Neverbeforenorsincedidaman’sidealputonfleshandblood——outofpoetry,thatis,——andapartfromtheladiesofShakspeare。Fielding’swomenhaveamanlyhonour,tolerance,greatness,inadditiontotheirtendernessandkindness。

Literaturehasnottheirpeers,andlifehasneverhadmanytocomparewiththem。Theyarenot\"superior\"likeRomola,norflightyanddestituteoftastelikeMaggieTulliver;amongFielding’scrowdoffribblesandsotsandoafstheycarrythatpuremolyoftheLadyin\"Comus。\"Itiscurious,indeed,thatmenhavedrawnwomenmoretrueandcharmingthanwomenthemselveshaveinvented,andtheheroinesofGeorgeEliot,ofGeorgeSand(exceptConsuelo),andevenofMissAusten,donotsubdueuslikeDiVernon,norwinoursympathieslikeRebeccaofYork。Theymaypleaseandcharmfortheirhour,buttheyhavenottheimmortalityofthefirstheroinesofall——ofHelen,orofthatAlcmenawhomakesevencomedygravewhensheenters,andevenPlautuschivalrous。Poetry,ratherthanprosefiction,istheproperhomeofourspiritualmistresses;theydwellwhereRosalindandImogenare,withwomenperhapsasunrealorasidealasthemselves,men’slostlovesandunforgotten,inaParadiseapart。

LETTER:FromMr。CliveNewcometoMr。ArthurPendennis。

Mr。Newcome,amarriedmanandanexileatBoulogne,sendsMr。

ArthurPendennisapoemonhisundyingaffectionforhiscousin,MissEthelNewcome。HedesiresthatitmaybepublishedinajournalwithwhichMr。Pendennisisconnected。HeaddsafewremarksonhispicturesfortheAcademy。

Boulogne,March28。

DearPen,——IhavefinishedBelisarius,andhehasgonetofacetheAcademicians。ThereisanotherlittlethingIsent——\"Blondel\"I

callit——atroubadourplayingunderacastlewall。Theyhavenotmuchchance;butthereisalwaysthelittleprint—shopinLongAcre。Mysketchesofmail—coachescontinuetopleasethepublic;

theyhaveraisedthepricetoaguinea。

Herewearenothappierthanwhenyouvisitedus。Mypoorwifeisnobetter。Itissomethingtohaveputmyfatheroutofhearingofhermother’stongue:thatcannotcrosstheChannel。PerhapsIamaswellhereasintown。ThereIalwayshope,IalwaysfeartomeetHER……mycousin,youknow。IthinkIseeherfaceundereverybonnet。GodknowsIdon’tgowheresheislikelytobemet。

Oh,Pen,haeretlethalisarundo;itisalwaysright——theLatinDelectus!EverythingIseeisfullofher,everythingIdoisdoneforher。\"Perhapsshe’llseeitandknowthehand,andremember,\"

Ithink,evenwhenIdothemail—coachesandthemilestones。I

usedtodrawforheratBrightonwhenshewasachild。Mysketches,mypictures,arealwaysmakingthatsilentpiteousappealtoher,WON’TYOULOOKATUS?WON’TYOUREMEMBER?Idaresayshehasquiteforgotten。HereIsendyoualittlesetofrhymes;mypictureofBlondelandthisoldstorybroughtthemintomymind。

Theyaregazes,asthedrunkpaintersaysin\"Gerfaut;\"theyareveiled,amystery。Iknowshe’snotinacastleoratoweroracloisteredcellanywhere;sheisinParkLane。Don’tIreaditinthe\"MorningPost?\"ButIcan’t,Iwon’t,goandsingatthearea—

gate,youknow。TryifF。B。willputtherhymesintothepaper。

DotheytakeitininParkLane?Seewhetheryoucangetmeaguineaforthesetearsofmine:\"MesLarmes,\"Pen,doyouremember?——Yoursever,C。N。

Theversesareenclosed。

THENEWBLONDEL。

OmaReine!

AlthoughtheMinstrel’slostyoulong,AlthoughforbreadtheMinstrelsings,Ah,stillforyouhepipesthesong,Andthrumsuponthecrazystrings!

AsBlondelsangbycotandhall,Throughtownandstreamandforestpassed,Andfound,atlength,thedungeonwall,AndfreedtheLion—heartatlast—

Somustyourhaplessminstrelfare,Byhillandhollowvioling;

Heflingsadittyontheair,Hewondersifyouhearhimsing!

ForinsomecastleyoumustdwellOfthiswidelandhewandersthrough—

Inpalace,tower,orcloisteredcell—

Heknowsnot;buthesingstoYOU!

Thewindmayblowittoyourear,Andyou,perchance,mayunderstand;

Butfromyourlattice,thoughyouhear,Heknowsyouwillnotwaveahand。

Youreyesuponthepagemayfall,Morelikethepagewillmissyoureyes;

Youmaybelisteningafterall,Sogoeshesingingtillhedies。

LETTER:FromtheHon。CecilBertietotheLadyGuinevere。

Mr。CecilTremayne,whoserved\"UnderTwoFlags,\"anofficerinherMajesty’sGuards,describestotheLadyGuineverethecircumstancesofhisencounterwithMissAnnieP。(orDaisy)Miller。TheincidenthasbeenomittedbyOuidaandMr。HenryJames。

Youaskme,Camarada,whatIthinkofthelittleAmericandonzella,DaisyMiller?HesternaRosa,ImaycrywiththeblindoldbardofTusculum;orshallwesay,HesternaMargaritae?Yesterday’sDaisy,yesterday’sRose,wereitofPaestum,whovaluesitto—day?Maisousontlesneigesd’automne?However,yesterday——thedaybeforeyesterday,rather——MissAnnieP。Millerwaswellenough。

WeweresmokingattheclubwindowsonthePonteVecchio;

Marmalada,GiovanellioftheBersaglieri,youngPontooftheK。O。B。’s,andmyself——menwhonevergiveathoughtsavetothegoldembroideryoftheirpantouflesortheexquisiteebonlaqueroftheirRussialeathercricket—shoes。Suddenlyweheardaclatterinthestreets。TheriderlesschargersoftheBersaglieriwereracingdowntheSantoCroce,andjustturning,withaswingandshriekofclatteringspurs,intotheMaremma。Inthemidstofthestreet,underourverywindow,wasalittlethinglikeabutterfly,withyeuxdepervenche。Youremember,Camarada,Voltaire’sloveofthepervenche;wehavepluckedit,havewenot?inhisgardenofLesCharmettes。Nousn’ironsplusauxbois!Basta!

Buttoreturn。Thereshestood,terror—stricken,petrified,likeherwhoofoldturnedherbackonZoarandbeheldtheincandescenthurricaneofhailsmitetheCityofthePlain!Shewasdressedinwhitemuslin,jolicommeuncoeur,withamyriadfrillsandflouncesandknotsofpale—colouredribbon。Open—eyed,open—

mouthed,shestaredatthetideoffoamingsteeds,likeamaidenmartyrgazingattheon—rushingwavesofocean!\"Caramba!\"saidMarmalada,\"voilaunejeunefillepastropbiengardee!\"

Giovanelliturnedpale,and,mutteringCorpodiBacco,quaffedacarafonofgreenChartreuse,holdingatleastaquart,whichstoodbyhiminitsnativepewter。YoungPontomerelymuttered,\"Egad!\"

Ileapedthroughtheopenwindowandlandedatherfeet。

Theracingsteedswerewithintenyardsofus。CalmlyIcastmyeyeovertheirpoints。Farthefleetest,thoughhedidnotholdthelead,wasMarmalada’scharger,theAtysgelding,byCelerimaoutofSacdeNuit。WithonewaveofmyarmIhadplacedheronhiscrupper,and,withthesameaction,swungmyselfintothesaddle。Then,inaflashandthunderofflyinghorses,wesweptliketawnylightningdownthePincian。ThelastwordsIheardfromtheclubwindow,throughtheheliotrope—scentedair,were\"ThirtytooneonAtys,halfonlyifdeclared。\"Theywerewageringonourlives;theslangofthepaddockwasontheirlips。

Onward,downward,wesped,thefairstrangerlifelessinmyarms。

Pastscarletcardinalsinmufti,pastbrilliant[Greektext]likethosewhoswayedtheCityoftheVioletCrown;pastpifferaridancinginfrontofmanyanalbergo;throughtheGhettowithitsmarmorinepalaces,overtheFountainofTrevi,acrosstheCascine,downthestreetsoftheVaticanweflewamongyellsof\"Owner’sup,\"\"Thegeldingwins,hardheld,\"fromtheexcitedbourgeoisie。

HeavenandearthswambeforemyeyesaswereachedthePonsSublicia,andheardthetawnywatersofTiberswayingtothesea。

THEPONSSUBLICIAWASUP!

Withanoathofdespair,forlifeissweet,IrammedmypersuadersintoAtys,caughthimbythehead,andsenthimstraightatthefloodedTiber!

\"Va—t—endonc,especedetype!\"saidthegirlonmysaddle—bow,findinghertongueatlast。Fear,orgirlishmodesty,hadhithertokepthersilent。

ThenAtysroseonhisfetlocks!Despitehisdoubleburden,thegoodsteedmeanttohaveit。Hedeemed,perchance,hewaswiththeQuornortheBaron’s。Herose;hesprang。Thedeepyellowwater,coldinthemoon’srays,withthefarthestbankbutachillgreylineinthemist,laybeneathus!Amomentthatseemedaneternity!Thenwelandedonthefar—offfurtherbank,andforthefirsttimeIcouldtakeapullathishead。Iturnedhimontheriver’sbrim,andleapedhimbackagain。

TherunawaywasnowastameasadrivendeerinRichmondPark。

Well,Camarada,theadventureisover。Shewasgrateful,ofcourse。Thesepervencheeyesweresuffusedwithadewyradiance。

\"Youcan’tcall,\"shesaid,\"foryouhaven’tbeenintroduced,andMrs。Walkersayswemustbemoreexclusive。I’mdyingtobeexclusive;butI’mverymuchobligedtoyou,andsowillmotherbe。

Let’ssee。I’llbeattheColosseumto—morrownight,aboutten。

I’mboundtoseetheColosseum,bymoonlight。Good—bye;\"andsheshookherpaleparasolatme,andflutteredaway。

Ah,Camarada,shallIbethere?Quescais—je?Well,’tistimetogotothedanceattheHolyFather’s。Adieu,Carissima。——Toutavous,CIS。

LETTER:BarryLyndonMr。RedmondBarry(betterknownasBarryLyndon)tellshisunclethestoryofasingularencounteratBerlinwithMr。AlanStuart,calledAlanBreck,andwellknownasthecompanionofMr。DavidBalfourinmanyadventures。Mr。Barry,atthistime,wasinthepayofHerrPotzdorff,ofhisPrussianMajesty’sPolice,andwastheassociateoftheChevalier,hiskinsman,inthepursuitoffortune。

Berlin,April1,1748。

UncleBarry,——IdictatetoPippi,myrighthandbeingwounded,andthatbynocommonaccident。GoingdowntheLindenStrasseyesterday,Iencounteredamob;and,beingcuriousinPotzdorff’sinterest,penetratedtothekernelofit。ThereIfoundtwomenofmyoldregiment——Kurzandanother——atwordswithasmall,dark,nimblefellow,whocarriedbrightanddancingeyesinapock—markedface。Hehadhisirondrawn,aheavybox—handledcut—and—thrustblade,andseemedreadytofallatonceonthepairthathadbeenjeeringhimforhisstrangespeech。

\"Whoisthis,lads?\"Iasked。

\"EinEnglander,\"answeredthey。

\"NoEnglishman,\"sayshe,inacuriousaccentnotunlikeourbrogue,\"butaplaingentleman,thoughhebearsaking’snameandhathAlanBrecktohisby—name。\"

\"Come,come,\"saysIinGerman,\"letthegentlemangohisway;heismyowncountryman。\"Thiswastrueenoughforthem;andyoushouldhaveseentheHighlander’seyesflash,andgrowdimagain。

Itookhisarm,forPotzdorffwillexpectmetoknowallaboutthestranger,andmarchedhimdowntotheDreiKonige。

\"Iamyourhost,sir;whatdoyoucallfor,Mr。Stuartof—?\"saidI,knowingthereisneveraScotbuthasthenameofhiskailyardtackedtohisown。

\"AKing’snameisgoodenoughforme;Ibearitplain。Mr。—?\"

saidhe,reddening。

\"TheycallmetheChevalierBarry,ofBallybarry。\"

\"Iaminthebettercompany,sir,\"quothhe,withagrandbow。

Whenabowlofpunchwasbroughthetakesoffhishat,anddrinks,verysolemnly,\"TotheKing!\"

\"Overthewater?\"Iasked。

\"Nay,sir,onTHISside,\"hesaid;andIsmokedtheJacobite。Buttoshortenthestory,whichamusesmytediumbutmaybegetitinyou,Iaskedhimifheknewthecards。

\"I’mjustdaftwhenIgettothecartes,\"heansweredinhisbrogue,andwefelltopiquet。NowmyScotworeaveryfinecoat,andonthesameverylargesmoothsilverbuttons,wellburnished。

Therefore,perceivingsuchanadvantageasaskilledplayermayenjoy,Ilethimwinalittletowhethisappetite,butpresentlyusedhisbuttonsasamirror,whereinIreadilydetectedthestrengthofthecardsheheld。Beforeattemptingthisartifice,I

hadsolemnlyturnedmychairroundthrice。

\"Youhavechangedtheluck,sir,\"saysMr。Breck,orStuart,presently;and,risingwithamightygraveair,heturnedhiscoatandputitoninsideout。

\"Sir,\"saysI,\"whatamItounderstandbythisconduct?\"

\"WhatforshouldnotIturnmycoat,forluck,ifyouturnyourchair?\"sayshe。\"Butifyouarenotpreceeselysatisfied,Iwillbeproudtostepoutsidewithyou。\"

IansweredthatwewerenotinaHighlandwilderness,andthatifnomaliceweremeantnoaffrontwastaken。Wecontinuedatthegametill,thoughdeprivedofmymirror,Ihadwonsome500

Fredericks。Onthisherose,saying,\"Sir,inthispurseyouwillfindtheexactsumthatIamowingyou,andIwillcallformyemptysporranthemorn。ItwasRobRoy’sbeforeitwasmine。\"

Therewithhelaidonthetableasortofgoatskinpouch,suchasHighlandersgirdabouttheirloins,andmarchedforth。

Isettoworkatopeninghispouch,thatwasfastenedbyaspringandbutton,seemingeasyenoughofaccess。ButIhadscarcepressedthebuttonwhenlo!aflash,apistolshot,andmyrighthandisgrazedwithabulletthatflewoutofthebag。ThisHighlanderoftheDevilhadsomemechanisminhispursethatdischargedasmallsteelpistolwhenunwarilyopened。Myhandisbutslightlywounded,yetIcannotholdmysword,norhathmysearchbroughtmeanynewsofAlanBreck。HehasvanishedlikeanemissaryoftheDevilorthePretender,asIdoubtnotheis。ButIwillhavehisblood,ifheisnotoneoftheirScotchfairies。——

YourlovingNephew,REDMONDBARRY,OFBALLYBARRY。

P。S。——TheFrederickswereinthebag,alltold。

LETTER:FromMrs。GamptoMrs。Prig。

Mrs。Gampnursesanoldfriendwhoisunderasingulardelusion。

Todgers’s。

MypreciousBetsy,——WhichwhenlastweparteditwasnotasIcouldwish,butbearingmaliceinourhearts。But,asoftenandoftenMrs。Harrishavesaiditbeforeme,withthetearsinherangeleyes——oneofthemhavingaslightcastfromanaccidentwiththemoderatorlamp,Harrisbeingquickinhistemper——oftenandoftenhaveshesaidtome:\"Ah,Sairey,thequarrelsoffriendsisaffection’sbestrestorer。\"Andgoodreasontoknowitshehave,withahusbandaswasevertrue,andnevergavehernocausetoformthewishtopizenthemashasgoodlooks,but,forIwillnotdeceiveyou,readywithhishands。

Andso,betweenyouandmemayitbe,BetsyPrig,aswasconstantpartnersaforethemChuzzlewidges,andNadgetts,andLewsomses,andTiggses,andChuffeysgotthatmixedandthataggerawatingthattorememberwhoofthempoisonedwhichorforwhyinaslimedraught,itmakesmypoorheadgoround,norcouldsuchbesoothingtothetemper。Soletbygonesbebygonesbetweenus。For,wantingofmyBetsy,Iamnowinanicestateofconfusion,withapatientaswaswellbeknowntomeinyoungerdays,whentherewasn’tsomuchofashadderonthismortialvial,{2}meaningMr。Pecksniff。Whichyouwillnotforgetofhim,byreasonofhisdaughterasmarriedthatJonadge,andhiscollarsasmintsofmoneymusthavegonetothegettingthemup;butisnowatTodgers’s,andconfusedinhispoormind,thinkinghisselfSomebodyelsehighinParliament。AndwonderatitIdonot,themChuzzlewidgesandChuffeysbeingthatdistracting,andeverprovingtobesomeotherpussonindisguise,aswouldconfugeacalkilatingboy。

Sobeingappliedtofortonightlyhim,thereinthatverysickroom——forwhyshouldIdeceiveyou?——Imeetsthedailynuss;and,Betsy,IwasthatovercometohavesuchapardnerpropogedtomeasIhadtoringandasktheyoungwomanimmediateforasmallglassoftheiroldestrum,beingwhatIamnotaccustomedtobuthavinghadaturn。For,willyoubelieveit,shewasnotawidgerwomanashasexperienceinthewaysofmen,butahuzzyinabragiancaplikethemtheNunswearin\"MariarMonk,\"asyoumayhaveseenitinthesmallsweet—shops,atapenny。Andherhandsaswhiteasherpapistrycap,andsheaturningupofhernoseatwhatIhadtook,andapresumingtogiveMEadviceaboutnussing,asSt。

Pancradge’sChurchyardwouldn’tholdthemI’veseencomfortabletotheirlonghomes,andnocomplaintsmadebuteverthehighestsatigefaction。SoIupsandgivesherabitofmymind;andMrs。

Todgerscomingdown,\"It’sshegoesorme,\"saysI,\"forneverwillSaireyGampnuss,sickormonthly,withapardnerashasnotconfidenceinme,norIinher,butcontrary。\"ThenSHEsaysshe’llgoandspeaktothedoctoraboutit;andoutshetrampswithhernoseintheair,andsneezingmostawful,notbeingaccustomedtothatwhichItake,finditstrengthening,butasithavebeenacauseofsorrowandstrifeletitbenamelessbetweenyouandme。

Fortohavethename\"Snuffey\"broughtforwarditiswhattheheartcanforgive,butneverforgetinthisvalleyoftheshaddock。

Ihavenussedamanylunacies,Betsy,andinageneralwayamdispogedtohumourthemratherthansetthemrightupaginthefirewhenfractious。ButthisPecksniffisthetryingestcreature;hehavinggotitinhismindasheisSomebodyveryhigh,andtalkingabouttheHouse,andBills,andclauses,andthe\"sacredcauseofUniversalAnarchy,\"forsuchwashisBiblelanguage,thoughmeaningtomenomorethanthebabeunborn。WherebyMrs。Harrisshehaveoftensaidtome,\"WhatDOthemblessedinfantsoccupytheirlittlemindswithaforetheyarecalledintothatconditionwhere,unlesschangedatnuss,Providencehaveappointedthem?\"AndmanyatimehaveIsaid,\"Seeknot,Mrs。Harris,todiskiver;forweknownotwot’shiddeninourownhearts,andthetortersoftheImpositionshouldnotmakemediwulgeit。\"

ButPecksniffisthataggravatingasIcanhardlyheedthewordsI

nowputonthepaper。

\"Someofmybirdshaveleftme,\"sayshe,\"forthestranger’sbreast,andonehavetookwingfortheGovernmentbenches。{3}ButIhaveeversacrificedmycountry’shappinesstomyown,andIwillnotbegintoregulatemylifebyotherrulesofconductnow。I

knowthepurityofmyownmotives,andwhilemyMerry,mylittleSirWilliam,playfulwarbler,prattlesunderthispatriarchalwing,andmyCherry,mydarlingMorley,supportstheoldman’stotteringwalk,IcandowithoutmyGoschy,mydears,Icandowithouthim。\"

AndwantstoborrerMYumbrellerforthem\"torallyround,\"thebragianidgiot!

Achatteringcreaturehealwayswere,andwillbe;but,Betsy,I

havethiswerymominkfixedhimupwithashoehorninhismouth,aswaslyingroundprovidential,andthestringsofmybonnet,andthelastwordashewillsaythisblessednightwassomelunacyabout\"denouncingtheclogeure,\"aswon’tgivemuchmoretroublenow。

Sohavingrungforashilling’sworthofgin—and—waterwarm,andwishingyouwasheretotakeanotherofthesame,Iputsmylipstoit,anddrinkstooneaswasmyfrequentpardnerinthismortialvale,andam,asinolddays,myBetsy’sownSAIREYGAMP。

LETTER:FromHerodotusofHalicarnassustoSophoclestheAthenian。

Herodotusdescribes,inalettertohisfriendSophocles,acuriousencounterwithamarinerjustreturnedfromunknownpartsofAfrica。

ToSophocles,theAthenian,greeting。Yesterday,asIwasgoingdowntothemarket—placeofNaucratis,ImetNicarete,whoofallthehetairaiinthisplaceisthemostbeautiful。Now,thehetairaiofNaucratisarewontsomehowtobeexceedinglyfair,beyondallwomenwhomweknow。ShehadwithheracertainPhocaeanmariner,whowasbutnowreturnedfromavoyagetothosepartsofAfricawhichliebelowArabia;andshesalutedmecourteously,asknowingthatitismywonttoseekoutandinquirethetidingsofallmenwhohaveintelligenceconcerningtheendsoftheearth。

\"Hailtothee,Nicarete,\"saidI;\"verilythouartthismorningaslovelyasthedawn,orasthebeautifulRhodopisthatdiederethouwertborntousthroughthefavourofAphrodite。\"{4}

NowthisRhodopiswasshewhobuilt,theysay,thePyramidofMycerinus:whereintheyspeaknottrulybutfalsely,forRhodopislivedlongafterthekingswhobuiltthePyramids。

\"Rhodopisdiednot,OHerodotus,\"saidNicarete,\"butisyetliving,andasfairasevershewas;andhewhoisnowmylover,eventhisPhanesofPhocaea,hathlatelybeheldher。\"

Thensheseemedtometobejesting,likethatscribewhotoldmeofKrophiandMophi;forRhodopislivedinthedaysofKingAmasisandofSapphotheminstrel,andwasbelovedbyCharaxus,thebrotherofSappho,whereforeSapphoreviledhiminasong。HowthencouldRhodopis,whoflourishedmorethanahundredyearsbeforemytime,belivingyet?

WhileIwasconsideringthesethingstheyledmeintotheboothofonethatsoldwine;andwhenNicaretehadsetgarlandsofrosesonourheads,PhanesbeganandtoldmewhatInowtelltheebutwhetherspeakingtrulyorfalselyIknownot。HesaidthatbeingonavoyagetoPunt(forsotheEgyptianscallthatpartofArabia),hewasdrivenbyanorthwindformanydays,andatlastlandedinthemouthofacertainriverwhereweremanysea—fowlandwater—birds。Andtherebyisarock,nocommonone,butfashionedintothelikenessoftheheadofanEthiopian。Therehesaidthatthepeopleofthatcountryfoundhim,namelytheAmagardoi,andcarriedhimtotheirvillage。Theyhavethispeculiartothemselves,andunlikeallotherpeopleswhomweknow,thatthewomanasksthemaninmarriage。Theythen,whentheyhavekissedeachother,aremanandwifewedded。Andtheyderivetheirnamesfromthemother;whereintheyagreewiththeLycians,whetherbeingacolonyoftheLycians,ortheLyciansacolonyoftheirs,Phanescouldnotgivemetounderstand。But,whereastheyareblackandtheLyciansarewhite,Iratherbelievethatoneofthemhaslearnedthiscustomfromtheother;foranythingmighthappeninthepastoftime。

TheAmagardoihavealsothiscustom,suchasweknowofnoneotherpeople;thattheyslaystrangersbycrowningthemwithamphorae,havingmadethemred—hot。Now,havingtakenPhanes,theywereabouttocrownhimonthiswise,whenthereappearedamongthemaveiledwoman,verytallandgoodly,whomtheyconceivetobeagoddessandworship。ByherwasPhanesdeliveredoutoftheirhands;and\"shekepthiminherhollowcaveshavingadesirethatheshouldbeherlover,\"asHomersaysintheOdyssey,iftheOdysseybeHomer’s。AndPhanesreportsofherthatsheisthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld,butofhercomingthither,whenceshecameorwhen,shewouldtellhimnothing。Buthesworetome,byhimwhoisburiedatThebes(andwhosenameinsuchamatterasthisitisnotholyformetoutter),thatthiswomanwasnootherthanRhodopistheThracian。ForthereisaportraitofRhodopisinthetempleofAphroditeinNaucratis,and,knowingthisportraitwell,PhanesrecognisedbyitthatthewomanwasRhodopis。{5}

ThereforeRhodopisisyetliving,beingnowaboutonehundredandfiftyyearsofage。AndPhanesaddedthatthereisinthecountryoftheAmagardoiafire;andwhosoentersintothatfiredoesnotdie,butis\"withoutageandimmortal,\"asHomersaysconcerningthehorsesofPeleus。Now,IwouldhavedeemedthathewasmakingamockofthatsacredstorywhichheknowswhohasbeeninitiatedintothemysteriesofDemeteratEleusis。ButheandNicareteareabouttosailtogetherwithoutdelaytothecountryoftheAmagardoi,believingthattheretheywillenterthefireandbecomeimmortal。YetmethinksthatRhodopiswillnotlooklovinglyonNicarete,whentheymeetinthatland,norNicareteonRhodopis。

Nay,beliketheamphorawillbemadehotforoneortheother。

Such,howbeit,wasthestoryofPhanesthePhocaean,whetherhespokefalselyortruly。TheGodbewiththee。

HERODOTUS。

LETTER:MrsProudieMrs。Proudie,wifeoftheBishopofBarchester,admitsMrs。

Quiverfulintoherconfidence。Mrs。Proudiefirsttakespleasureinanewandpiousacquaintance,LadyCrawley(neeSharp),butafterwardsdiscoversthetruecharacterofthisinsidiousanddangerouswoman。

ThePalace,Barchester,July17。

DearLetitia,——Theappearanceofmumpsinasmallfamilyoffourteenlikeyours,isindeedoneofthosedispensationswhichteachushowmysteriousaretheways!ButIneednottellyoutobemostcarefulaboutcold,whichgreatlyaddstothevirulenceofthecomplaint,anditisdifficultforyou,inlodgingsatBrighton,tokeepawatchfuleyeonsomanyatonce。Maythisdisciplinebeblessedtoyou,andtothedearchildren!

IhavemuchtotellyouofBarchester。Thelightworldlytoneofsomefamiliesinthisplace(IwillnotmentiontheGrantleysnortheArabins)hasbeenchecked,Ihope,byoneofthoseaccidentswhichsurely,surely,arenottobeconsideredaccidentsalone!

Youknowhowstrongismyobjectiontofancyfairsorbazaars,toooftenratherscenesofgiddymerrimentthanexhibitionsofgenuineChristianfeeling。Yetbymeansofoneofthese(howstrangelyarethingsordered!)ahappychange,Itrust,isbeingbroughtaboutinourmidst。

YouhaveheardofHogglestock,thoughyoumayneverhavevisitedthatbenightedandoutlyingparish。Indeed,Iwasnevertheremyselftilllastweek,whenTomfeltithisduty(thoughwoefullymisdirected,tomymind,butwearefalliblecreatures)togoandopenabazaarinthatplacefortherestorationofthechurch。{6}

Iaccompaniedhim;forItrustedthatanopportunitymightbemadeforme,andthatImightespeciallybearinonthemindoftherector’swifetheabsolutenecessityofSabbath—dayschools。TherectorisaMr。Crawley。Heledusonourarrivalintoasceneofredcloth,waxdollsmostindelicatelydisplayed,cushions,antimacassars,andsimilarIDOLS。TheBishop’sspeech(Icomposeditmyself)youwillreadinthe\"BarchesterGuardian,\"whichIsendyou。WhileapprovingtheENDherebukedtheMEANS,andtooktheopportunitytoreadamuch—neededlessononJESUITRYandthedangersofworldlinessinhighecclesiasticalplaces。Letthosewincewhofeelasenseoftheirownbackslidings。WhentheBishophadended,Ideterminedtowalkoncethroughthebazaarjusttomakesurethattherewerenolotteriesnorgamesofchance——adesecrationofourMITESnowtoo,toofrequent。AsIwasreturningthroughthethrong,alas!ofPLEASURE—SEEKERS,andwishingthatI

mightscourgethemoutoftheschoolroom,Mr。Crawleymetme,incompanywithaladywhodesired,hesaid,tobepresentedtome。

Heisadistantrelationofthewell—knowncountyfamily,theCrawleys,ofQueen’sCrawley;thepresentbaronet,SirRawdon,havingrecentlymarriedMissJaneDobbin,daughterofColonelDobbin。Theladywhowasnowintroducedtome,andwhoseSTILL

PLEASINGfacewearsanaspectofhumbledevoutness,wasLadyCrawley,motherofthepresentbaronet。

\"Madam,\"shesaid,\"IcamehereinthebeliefthatIwasdischargingapiousduty。Mylife,alas!hasbeenoneofsoretrial,andIonlytrytodogood。\"……

IwasgoingtosaythatIhadseenhernameinascoreofcharitylists,andknewherasapatronessoftheDestituteOrange—Girls,theNeglectedWasherwomen,andtheDistressedMuffin—Men。Butsheshookherhead;andthen,lookingupatmewitheyeslikeaSAINT’S

(ifourPRIVILEGESpermittedustobelieveinthesefabulousbeingsoftheRomishsuperstition),shesaid,\"Ah,no!Ihavealwaysbeeninthewrong。ThebeautifuladdressoftheBishopofBarchesterhasawakenedme,andconvincedmethatthePATHdoesnotliethroughFancyFairs。Ihavetobeginagain。Whoshallguideme?\"

ItrustIamnotsubjecttovanity;butthenewsthatI(forI

composedtheCharge,asImayalmostcallit)hadbeentheinstrumentofsoaffectingachangedidnotfailtopleaseme。I

thankedLadyCrawley,andexpressedmydeepinterestinheralteredconvictions。FinallyshepromisedtocomeonavisittousatthePalace(sheusuallyresidesatBathorCheltenham),andhasbeenthreedaysaninmate。NeverhaveImetamoresingularexampleofwhattheTruthcandoforonewho,assheadmits,waslongagoaworldling。\"Ihaveseenthevanityofit,\"shetellsme,withtearsinhereyes;andfromherexampleIexpectanAWAKENINGamongourworldlings。TheywillfollowthepathofaTITLEDperson。TomismuchinterestedinhisCONVERT,ashethinksher。NottoMEbetheglory!——Yourassuredfriend,EMILYBARNUM。{7}

FromMrs。ProudietoMrs。Quiverful。

ThePalace,Barchester,July22。

DearLetitia,——MyhandtremblessowithindignationthatIcanhardlydirectmypen。PrayBURNmyletterofJuly17atonce,ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso。{8}WehavebeenDECEIVEDinthatwoman!Sheisabrazenfaced,painteddaughterofHeth,andhasnomorerighttothetitleofLadyCrawleythanYOUhave。IamtoldthatshewasatonetimetheparamourofLordSteyne,andthatherconductmadeitimpossibleforherhusbandtolivewithher。AndthisisthewomanwhohascomewithinthegatesofthepalaceofaChristianprelate;nay,more,whohassecuredhissignaturetoachequeofveryconsiderablevalue。Ithinkmysuspicionswerefirstexcitedbythedisappearanceofthebrandyintheliqueur—

stand,andbymeeting\"herladyship’s\"maidcarryingthebottleuptoherroom!IspoketotheBishop,buthewouldnotlistentome—

—quiteunlikehimself;andeventurnedonmeinherdefence。

Enteringhisstudyhastilyonthefollowingday,Ifoundherkneelingathisfeet,heryellowhair(dyed,nodoubt,forshemustbesixtyifsheisaday)abouthershoulders,doingwhatdoyousuppose—?CONFESSINGHERSELFTOTHEBISHOPOFBARCHESTER

Andhewaslisteningtoher\"confession\"withanappearanceofinterest,andwithoneofherhandsinhis。

\"Serpent!\"Isaid——andhergreeneyesglitteredjustlikeone——

\"unhandhislordship!\"Shegavealittlelaughandsaid,\"DearMrs。Proudie,donotletmemonopolisetheBishop’stime。PerhapsIamintheway?\"

\"Andyoushallgooutofit,\"Isaid。\"YouareoneofthosewhocauseIsraeltosin。YoubringtheConfessional,foritisnobetter,intothehouseofaPrelateoftheProtestantChurchofEngland!\"WouldyoubelievethatshehadtheassurancetoanswermewithapassagefromthePrayerBook,whichIhaveoftenfeltcertainmustbeMISTRANSLATED?

\"Pack,madam,\"saidI;\"weknowwhocanquoteScriptureforhisownends!\"

AndIprettysoonsawheroutofthehouse,thoughNOTINTIME;fortheinfatuatedBishophadalreadygivenherachequeforasumwhichIcannotbringmyselftotellyou,fortheFundsoftheDestituteOrange—Girls。Notapennyofitwilltheyeversee;nordoIapproveofsuchostentatiousalmsinanycase。——Yoursinhaste,EMILYBARNUM。

P。S。——IhaveheardfromLadyCourtneyallherhistory。ItisABOMINABLE。

LETTER:FromRobertSurtees,Esq。,ofMainsforth,toJonathanOldbuck,Esq。,ofMonkbarns。

ItiswellknownthatMr。SurteesofMainsforthnotonlypalmedoffonSirWaiterScottseveralballadsofhisownmanufacture,butalsoinventedandpretendedtohavefoundinadocument(sinceburned)thestoryoftheduelwiththespectreknightwhichoccursinMarmion。InthefollowingletterthisingeniousantiquaryplaysthesamegamewithMr。JonathanOldbuck,ofMonkbarns,thecelebratedantiquary。AnoteonthesubjectispublishedintheAppendix。

Mainsforth,May9,1815。

DearSir,——IamsomethingoftheMussulman’shumour,asyouknow,andneverwillinglypassbyascrapofprintedpaper,howeveritcomesinmyway。Icannot,indeed,likethe\"Spectator,\"\"mentionapaperkitefromwhichIhavereceivedgreatimprovement,\"nor\"ahat—casewhichIwouldnotexchangeforallthebeaversinGreatBritain。\"ItisinalessunlikelyplacethatIhavemadealittlediscoverywhichwillinterestyou,Ihope;forasitchances,notonlyhasalostballadbeenatleastpartiallyrecovered,but……

however,Iwillkeepyourlearnedpatienceonthetenterhooksforawhile。

BusinesstakingmetoNewcastleoflate,IfoundmyselfinBell’slittleshoponthequay。{9}Youknowthemanbyreportatleast;

heismoreacollectorthanabookseller,thoughpoor;andIverilybelievethathewouldsellallhischildren——DouglasBell,PercyBell,HobbieBell,andKinmontBell——\"forasong。\"Balladsarehisfoible,andhecanhardlybemadetopartwithoneofthebroadsidesinhisbrokenportfolios。Well,semelinsanivimusomnes(bytheway,diditeverstrikeyouthattheRoman\"cribbed\"thatline,asthevulgarsay,fromanepigramintheAnthology?),andyouandIwillscarcethrowthefirststoneatthepoorman’sfolly。However,Iamdelayingyournaturaleagerness。Sonowforthestoryofmygreatdiscovery。AsourfriendBellwouldscarcelethisdustybroadsheetlumberoutofhishands,Iwasturningtoleavehiminnoverygoodhumour,whenInoticedasmallandratherlongoctavo,indirtyandcrumpledvellum,lyingonthetopofaheapofrubbish,Boston’s\"CrookintheLot,\"\"ThePilgrim’sProgress,\"andotherchap—booktrumpery。Idonotknowwhatgoodangelthatwatchesoveruscollectorsmademetakeupthething,whichIfoundtobenothinglessthanacopyofoldGuillaumeCoquillart。ItwasnotGalliotduPre’sedition,inlettresrondes,but,stillmoreprecioushaditonlybeencomplete,anexampleinblackletter。Igiveyouthewholetitle。Firstthemotto,inthefriezeofanarchitecturaldesign,[Greektext]。

Then,insmallcapitals—

LESOEUVRES

MAISTREGVIL

LAUMECOQUIL

LARTENSONVI

VANTOFFICIAL

DEREIMS。NOV

VELLEMENTRE

VEVESETCORRI

GEES。

M。D。XXXV。

OnlesvendaLyonenlaMaisondeFrancoysJuste,DemourantdevantnostreDamedeConfort。

Bybad(orgood)luckthisrarepiecewasimperfect——thebackgapingandthreesheetsgone。But,inturningovertheleaves,I

sawsomethingthatbroughtmyheart,astheysay,intomymouth。

So,beatingdownBellfromhisupsetpriceoffourpencetosixbawbees,Ipushedthetreasurecarelesslyinmypocket,andneverstoppedtillIwasinalonelyplacebyTyne—sideandsecurefromobservation。Then,withmyknife,IverycarefullyuncasedMaistreGuillaume,andextractedthesheetofparchment,printedinblackletterwithredcapitals,thathadbeenusedtolinethebinding。

Acornerofithadcreptout,throughtheinjuriesoftime,andonthat,inBell’s\"crame\"(foritismoreacramethanashop),IhadcaughtthemysticwordsRunjtmachtGunjt。

Andnow,Ithink,Monkbarns,youprickupyourearsandwipeyourspectacles。Thatisthemotto,aseveryoneofthelearnedfamilyofantiquariesiswellaware,and,asyouhaveoftentoldme,ofyourgreatforbear,thevenerableandpraiseworthyAldobrandOldenbucktheTypographer,whofledfromtheLowCountriesduringthetyrannicalattemptofPhilipII。tosuppressatoncecivilandreligiousliberty。Asalltheworldknows,hewithdrewfromNurembergtoScotland,andsetuphisPenatesand(whatyoumaynothithertohavebeenawareof)hisPrintingPressatFairport,andunderyourancestralroofofMonkbarns。But,whatwillsurpriseyouyetmore,theparchmentsheetwhichbearsAldobrand’smottoinGermancontainsprintedmatteringoodScots!Thisexcellentandenterprisingmanmusthavesethimselftoplyhisnobleartinhisnewhome,andinourunfamiliartongue。