roundabout papers-第17部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　was　thin　and　deaf；　and　very　silent；　he　scarcely　opened　his　lips　during　the　dinner；　and　he　made　one　pun。　Some　gentleman　missed　his　snuff…box；　and　Hood　said；（the　Freemasons'　Tavern　was　kept；　you　must　remember；　by　Mr。　CUFF　in　those　days；　not　by　its　present　proprietors）。　　Well；　the　box　being　lost；　and　asked　for；　and　CUFF　（remember　that　name）　being　the　name　of　the　landlord；　Hood　opened　his　silent　jaws　and　said　*　*　*　*　*　　Shall　I　tell　you　what　he　said？　　It　was　not　a　very　good　pun；　which　the　great　punster　then　made。　　Choose　your　favorite　pun　out　of　〃Whims　and　Oddities；〃　and　fancy　that　was　the　joke　which　he　contributed　to　the　hilarity　of　our　little　table。　Where　those　asterisks　are　drawn　on　the　page；　you　must　know；　a　pause　occurred；　during　which　I　was　engaged　with　〃Hood's　Own；〃　having　been　referred　to　the　book　by　this　life　of　the　author　which　I　have　just　been　reading。　　I　am　not　going　to　dissert　on　Hood's　humor；　I　am　not　a　fair　judge。　　Have　I　not　said　elsewhere　that　there　are　one　or　two　wonderfully　old　gentlemen　still　alive　who　used　to　give　me　tips　when　I　was　a　boy？　　I　can't　be　a　fair　critic　about　them。　　I　always　think　of　that　sovereign；　that　rapture　of　raspberry…tarts；　which　made　my　young　days　happy。　　Those　old　sovereign…contributors　may　tell　stories　ever　so　old；　and　I　shall　laugh；　they　may　commit　murder；　and　I　shall　believe　it　was　justifiable　homicide。　　There　is　my　friend　Baggs；　who　goes　about　abusing　me；　and　of　course　our　dear　mutual　friends　tell　me。　　Abuse　away；　mon　bon！　　You　were　so　kind　to　me　when　I　wanted　kindness；　that　you　may　take　the　change　out　of　that　gold　now；　and　say　I　am　a　cannibal　and　negro；　if　you　will。　　Ha；　Baggs！　　Dost　thou　wince　as　thou　readest　this　line？　　Does　guilty　conscience　throbbing　at　thy　breast　tell　thee　of　whom　the　fable　is　narrated？　　Puff　out　thy　wrath；　and；　when　it　has　ceased　to　blow；　my　Baggs　shall　be　to　me　as　the　Baggs　of　oldthe　generous；　the　gentle；　the　friendly。　No；　on　second　thoughts；　I　am　determined　I　will　not　repeat　that　joke　which　I　heard　Hood　make。　　He　says　he　wrote　these　jokes　with　such　ease　that　he　sent　manuscripts　to　the　publishers　faster　than　they　could　acknowledge　the　receipt　thereof。　　I　won't　say　that　they　were　all　good　jokes；　or　that　to　read　a　great　book　full　of　them　is　a　work　at　present　altogether　jocular。　　Writing　to　a　friend　respecting　some　memoir　of　him　which　had　been　published；　Hood　says；　〃You　will　judge　how　well　the　author　knows　me；　when　he　says　my　mind　is　rather　serious　than　comic。〃　　At　the　time　when　he　wrote　these　words；　he　evidently　undervalued　his　own　serious　power；　and　thought　that　in　punning　and　broad…grinning　lay　his　chief　strength。　　Is　not　there　something　touching　in　that　simplicity　and　humility　of　faith？　　〃To　make　laugh　is　my　calling；〃　says　he；　〃I　must　jump；　I　must　grin；　I　must　tumble；　I　must　turn　language　head　over　heels；　and　leap　through　grammar；〃　and　he　goes　to　his　work　humbly　and　courageously；　and　what　he　has　to　do　that　does　he　with　all　his　might；　through　sickness；　through　sorrow；　through　exile；　poverty；　fever；　depressionthere　he　is；　always　ready　to　his　work；　and　with　a　jewel　of　genius　in　his　pocket！　　Why；　when　he　laid　down　his　puns　and　pranks；　put　the　motley　off；　and　spoke　out　of　his　heart；　all　England　and　America　listened　with　tears　and　wonder！　Other　men　have　delusions　of　conceit；　and　fancy　themselves　greater　than　they　are；　and　that　the　world　slights　them。　　Have　we　not　heard　how　Liston　always　thought　he　ought　to　play　Hamlet？　　Here　is　a　man　with　a　power　to　touch　the　heart　almost　unequalled；　and　he　passes　days　and　years　in　writing；　〃Young　Ben　he　was　a　nice　young　man；〃　and　so　forth。　　To　say　truth；　I　have　been　reading　in　a　book　of　〃Hood's　Own〃　until　I　am　perfectly　angry。　　〃You　great　man；　you　good　man；　you　true　genius　and　poet；〃　I　cry　out；　as　I　turn　page　after　page。　　〃Do；　do；　make　no　more　of　these　jokes；　but　be　yourself；　and　take　your　station。〃　When　Hood　was　on　his　death…bed；　Sir　Robert　Peel；　who　only　knew　of　his　illness；　not　of　his　imminent　danger；　wrote　to　him　a　noble　and　touching　letter；　announcing　that　a　pension　was　conferred　on　him：

〃I　am　more　than　repaid；〃　writes　Peel；　〃by　the　personal　satisfaction　which　I　have　had　in　doing　that　for　which　you　return　me　warm　and　characteristic　acknowledgments。　〃You　perhaps　think　that　you　are　known　to　one　with　such　multifarious　occupations　as　myself；　merely　by　general　reputation　as　an　author；　but　I　assure　you　that　there　can　be　little；　which　you　have　written　and　acknowledged；　which　I　have　not　read；　and　that　there　are　few　who　can　appreciate　and　admire　more　than　myself；　the　good　sense　and　good　feeling　which　have　taught　you　to　infuse　so　much　fun　and　merriment　into　writings　correcting　folly　and　exposing　absurdities；　and　yet　never　trespassing　beyond　those　limits　within　which　wit　and　facetiousness　are　not　very　often　confined。　　You　may　write　on　with　the　consciousness　of　independence；　as　free　and　unfettered；　as　if　no　communication　had　ever　passed　between　us。　　I　am　not　conferring　a　private　obligation　upon　you；　but　am　fulfilling　the　intentions　of　the　legislature；　which　has　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　Crown　a　certain　sum　（miserable；　indeed；　in　amount）　to　be　applied　to　the　recognition　of　public　claims　on　the　bounty　of　the　Crown。　　If　you　will　review　the　names　of　those　whose　claims　have　been　admitted　on　account　of　their　literary　or　scientific　eminence；　you　will　find　an　ample　confirmation　of　the　truth　of　my　statement。　〃One　return；　indeed；　I　shall　ask　of　you；that　you　will　give　me　the　opportunity　of　making　your　personal　acquaintance。〃

And　Hood；　writing　to　a　friend；　enclosing　a　copy　of　Peel's　letter；　says；　〃Sir　R。　Peel　came　from　Burleigh　on　Tuesday　night；　and　went　down　to　Brighton　on　Saturday。　　If　he　had　written　by　post；　I　should　not　have　it　till　to…day。　　So　he　sent　his　servant　with　the　enclosed　on　SATURDAY　NIGHT；　another　mark　of　considerate　attention。〃　　He　is　frightfully　unwell；　he　continues：　his　wife　says　he　looks　QUITE　GREEN；　but　ill　as　he　is；　poor　fellow；　〃his　well　is　not　dry。　　He　has　pumped　out　a　sheet　of　Christmas　fun；　is　drawing　some　cuts；　and　shall　write　a　sheet　more　of　his　novel。〃　Oh；　sad；　marvellous　picture　of　courage；　of　honesty；　of　patient　endurance；　of　duty　struggling　against　pain！　　How　noble　Peel's　figure　is　standing　by　that　sick…bed！　how　generous　his　words；　how　dignified　and　sincere　his　compassion！　　And　the　poor　dying　man；　with　a　heart　full　of　natural　gratitude　towards　his　noble　benefactor；　must　turn　to　him　and　say〃If　it　be　well　to　be　remembered　by　a　Minister；　it　is　better　still　not　to　be　forgotten　by　him　in　a　'hurly　Burleigh！'〃　　Can　you　laugh？　　Is　not　the　joke　horribly　pathetic　from　the　poor　dying　lips？　　As　dying　Robin　Hood　must　fire　a　last　shot　with　his　bowas　one　reads　of　Catholics　on　their　death…beds　putting　on　a　Capuchin　dress　to　go　out　of　the　worldhere　is　poor　Hood　at　his　last　hour　putting　on　his　ghastly　motley；　and　uttering　one　joke　more。　He　dies；　however；　in　dearest　love　and　peace　with　his　children；　wife；　friends；　to　the　former　especially　his　whole　life　had　been　devoted；　and　every　day　showed　his　fidelity；　simplicity；　and　affection。　　In　going　through　the　record　of　his　most　pure；　modest；　honorable　life；　and　living　along　with　him；　you　come　to　trust　him　thoroughly；　and　feel　that　here　is　a　most　loyal；　affectionate；　and　upright　soul；　with　whom　you　have　been　brought　into　communion。　　Can　we　say　as　much　of　the　lives　of　all　men　of　letters？　　Here　is　one　at　least　without　guile；　without　pretension；　without　scheming；　of　a　pure　life；　to　his　family　and　little　modest　circle　of　friends　tenderly　devoted。　And　what　a　hard　work；　and　what　a　slender　reward！　　In　the　little　domestic　details　with　which　the　book　abounds；　what　a　simple　life　is　shown　to　us！　　The　most　simple　little　pleasures　and　amusements　delight　and　occupy　him。　　You　have　revels　on　shrimps；　the　good　wife　making　the　pie；　details　about　the　maid；　and　criticisms　on　her　conduct；　wonderful　tricks　played　with　the　plum…puddingall　the　pleasures　centring　round　the　little　humble　home。　　One　of　the　first　men　of　his　time；　he　is　appointed　editor　of　a　Magazine　at　a　salary　of　300L。　per　annum；　signs　himself　exultingly　〃Ed。　N。　M。　M。；〃　and　the　family　rejoice　over　the　income　as　over　a　fortune。　　He　goes　to　a　Greenwich　dinnerwhat　a　feast　and　a　rejoicing　afterwards！

〃Well；　we　drank　'the　Boz'　with　a　delectable　clatter；　which　drew　from　him　a　good　warm…hearted　speech。　。　。　。　　He　looked　very　well；　and　had　a　younger　brother　along　with　him。　。　。　。　　Then　we　had　songs。　　Barham　chanted　a　Robin　Hood　ballad；　and　Cruikshank　sang　a　burlesque　ballad　of　Lord　H；　and　somebody；　unknown　to　me；　gave　a　capital　imitation　of　a　French　showman。　　Then　we　toasted　Mrs。　Boz；　and　the　Chairman；　and　Vice；　and　the　Traditional　Priest　sang　the　'Deep　deep　sea；'　in　his　deep　deep　voice；　and　then　we　drank　to　Procter；　who　wrote　the　said　song；　also　Sir　J。　Wilson's　good　health；　and　Cruikshank's；　and　Ainsworth's：　and　a　Manchester　friend　of　the　latter　sang　a　Manchester　ditty；　so　full　of　trading　stuff；　that　it　really　seemed　to　have　been　not　composed；　but　manufactured。　　Jerdan；　as　Jerdanish　as　usual　on　such　occasionsyou　know　how　paradoxically　he　is　QUITE　AT　HOME　in　DINING　OUT。　　As　to　myself；　I　had　to　make　my　SECOND　MAIDEN　SPEECH；　for　Mr。　Monckton　Milnes　proposed　my　health　in　terms　my　modesty　might　allow　me　to　repeat　to　YOU；　but　my　memory　won't。　　However；　I　ascribed　the　toast　to　my　notoriously　bad　health；　and　assured　them　that　their　wishes　had　already　improved　itthat　I　felt　a　brisker　circulationa　more　genial　warmth　about　the　heart；　and　explained　that　a　certain　trembling　of　my　hand　was　not　from　palsy；　or　my　old　ague；　but　an　inclination　in　my　hand　to　shake　itself　with　every　one　present。　Whereupon　I　had　to　go　through　the　friendly　ceremony　with　as　many　of　the　company　as　were　within　reach；　besides　a　few　more　who　came　express　from　the　other　end　of　the　table。　　VERY　gratifying；　wasn't　it？　　Though　I　cannot　go　quite　so　far　as　Jane；　who　wants　me　to　have　that　hand　chopped　off；　bottled；　and　preserved　in　spirits。　　She　was　sitting　up　for　me；　very　anxiously；　as　usual　when　I　go　out；　because　I　am　so　domestic　and　steady；　and　was　down　at　the　door　before　I　could　ring　at　the　gate；　to　which　Boz　kindly　sent　me　in　his　own　carriage。　Poor　girl！　what　WOULD　she　do　if　she　had　a　wild　husband　instead　of　a　tame　one？〃

And　the　poor　anxious　wife　is　sitting　up；　and　fondles　the　hand　which　has　been　shaken　by