roundabout papers-第41部分

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r　to　pay　them。　In　America　the　love　and　regard　for　Irving　was　a　national　sentiment。　Party　wars　are　perpetually　raging　there；　and　are　carried　on　by　the　press　with　a　rancor　and　fierceness　against　individuals　which　exceed　British；　almost　Irish；　virulence。　　It　seemed　to　me；　during　a　year's　travel　in　the　country；　as　if　no　one　ever　aimed　a　blow　at　Irving。　All　men　held　their　hand　from　that　harmless；　friendly　peacemaker。　　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　see　him　at　New　York；　Philadelphia；　Baltimore；　and　Washington；*　and　remarked　how　in　every　place　he　was　honored　and　welcome。　　Every　large　city　has　its　〃Irving　House。〃　　The　country　takes　pride　in　the　fame　of　its　men　of　letters。　　The　gate　of　his　own　charming　little　domain　on　the　beautiful　Hudson　River　was　for　ever　swinging　before　visitors　who　came　to　him。　　He　shut　out　no　one。**　　I　had　seen　many　pictures　of　his　house；　and　read　descriptions　of　it；　in　both　of　which　it　was　treated　with　a　not　unusual　American　exaggeration。　It　was　but　a　pretty　little　cabin　of　a　place；　the　gentleman　of　the　press　who　took　notes　of　the　place；　whilst　his　kind　old　host　was　sleeping；　might　have　visited　the　whole　house　in　a　couple　of　minutes。

*　At　Washington；　Mr。　Irving　came　to　a　lecture　given　by　the　writer；　which　Mr。　Filmore　and　General　Pierce；　the　President　and　President　Elect；　were　also　kind　enough　to　attend　together。　　〃Two　Kings　of　Brentford　smelling　at　one　rose；〃　says　Irving；　looking　up　with　his　good…humored　smile。　**　Mr。　Irving　described　to　me；　with　that　humor　and　good…humor　which　he　always　kept；　how；　amongst　other　visitors；　a　member　of　the　British　press　who　had　carried　his　distinguished　pen　to　America　（where　he　employed　it　in　vilifying　his　own　country）　came　to　Sunnyside；　introduced　himself　to　Irving；　partook　of　his　wine　and　luncheon；　and　in　two　days　described　Mr。　Irving；　his　house；　his　nieces；　his　meal；　and　his　manner　of　dozing　afterwards；　in　a　New　York　paper。　　On　another　occasion；　Irving　said；　laughing；　〃Two　persons　came　to　me；　and　one　held　me　in　conversation　whilst　the　other　miscreant　took　my　portrait！〃

And　how　came　it　that　this　house　was　so　small；　when　Mr。　Irving's　books　were　sold　by　hundreds　of　thousands；　nay；　millions；　when　his　profits　were　known　to　be　large；　and　the　habits　of　life　of　the　good　old　bachelor　were　notoriously　modest　and　simple？　　He　had　loved　once　in　his　life。　　The　lady　he　loved　died；　and　he；　whom　all　the　world　loved；　never　sought　to　replace　her。　　I　can't　say　how　much　the　thought　of　that　fidelity　has　touched　me。　　Does　not　the　very　cheerfulness　of　his　after　life　add　to　the　pathos　of　that　untold　story？　　To　grieve　always　was　not　in　his　nature；　or；　when　he　had　his　sorrow；　to　bring　all　the　world　in　to　condole　with　him　and　bemoan　it。　Deep　and　quiet　he　lays　the　love　of　his　heart；　and　buries　it；　and　grass　and　flowers　grow　over　the　scarred　ground　in　due　time。　Irving　had　such　a　small　house　and　such　narrow　rooms；　because　there　was　a　great　number　of　people　to　occupy　them。　　He　could　only　afford　to　keep　one　old　horse　（which；　lazy　and　aged　as　it　was；　managed　once　or　twice　to　run　away　with　that　careless　old　horseman）。　　He　could　only　afford　to　give　plain　sherry　to　that　amiable　British　paragraph…　monger　from　New　York；　who　saw　the　patriarch　asleep　over　his　modest；　blameless　cup；　and　fetched　the　public　into　his　private　chamber　to　look　at　him。　　Irving　could　only　live　very　modestly；　because　the　wifeless；　childless　man　had　a　number　of　children　to　whom　he　was　as　a　father。　　He　had　as　many　as　nine　nieces；　I　am　toldI　saw　two　of　these　ladies　at　his　housewith　all　of　whom　the　dear　old　man　had　shared　the　produce　of　his　labor　and　genius。　〃Be　a　good　man；　my　dear。〃　　One　can't　but　think　of　these　last　words　of　the　veteran　Chief　of　Letters；　who　had　tasted　and　tested　the　value　of　worldly　success；　admiration；　prosperity。　　Was　Irving　not　good；　and；　of　his　works；　was　not　his　life　the　best　part？　　In　his　family；　gentle；　generous；　good…humored；　affectionate；　self…denying：　in　society；　a　delightful　example　of　complete　gentlemanhood；　quite　unspoiled　by　prosperity；　never　obsequious　to　the　great　（or；　worse　still；　to　the　base　and　mean；　as　some　public　men　are　forced　to　be　in　his　and　other　countries）　eager　to　acknowledge　every　contemporary's　merit；　always　kind　and　affable　to　the　young　members　of　his　calling；　in　his　professional　bargains　and　mercantile　dealings　delicately　honest　and　grateful；　one　of　the　most　charming　masters　of　our　lighter　language；　the　constant　friend　to　us　and　our　nation；　to　men　of　letters　doubly　dear；　not　for　his　wit　and　genius　merely；　but　as　an　exemplar　of　goodness；　probity；　and　pure　life：I　don't　know　what　sort　of　testimonial　will　be　raised　to　him　in　his　own　country；　where　generous　and　enthusiastic　acknowledgment　of　American　merit　is　never　wanting：　but　Irving　was　in　our　service　as　well　as　theirs；　and　as　they　have　placed　a　stone　at　Greenwich　yonder　in　memory　of　that　gallant　young　Bellot；　who　shared　the　perils　and　fate　of　some　of　our　Arctic　seamen；　I　would　like　to　hear　of　some　memorial　raised　by　English　writers　and　friends　of　letters　in　affectionate　remembrance　of　the　dear　and　good　Washington　Irving。　As　for　the　other　writer；　whose　departure　many　friends；　some　few　most　dearly…loved　relatives；　and　multitudes　of　admiring　readers　deplore；　our　republic　has　already　decreed　his　statue；　and　he　must　have　known　that　he　had　earned　this　posthumous　honor。　　He　is　not　a　poet　and　man　of　letters　merely；　but　citizen；　statesman；　a　great　British　worthy。　Almost　from　the　first　moment　when　he　appears；　amongst　boys；　amongst　college　students；　amongst　men；　he　is　marked；　and　takes　rank　as　a　great　Englishman。　　All　sorts　of　successes　are　easy　to　him：　as　a　lad　he　goes　down　into　the　arena　with　others；　and　wins　all　the　prizes　to　which　he　has　a　mind。　　A　place　in　the　senate　is　straightway　offered　to　the　young　man。　　He　takes　his　seat　there；　he　speaks；　when　so　minded；　without　party　anger　or　intrigue；　but　not　without　party　faith　and　a　sort　of　heroic　enthusiasm　for　his　cause。　　Still　he　is　poet　and　philosopher　even　more　than　orator。　　That　he　may　have　leisure　and　means　to　pursue　his　darling　studies；　he　absents　himself　for　a　while；　and　accepts　a　richly…remunerative　post　in　the　East。　　As　learned　a　man　may　live　in　a　cottage　or　a　college　common…room；　but　it　always　seemed　to　me　that　ample　means　and　recognized　rank　were　Macaulay's　as　of　right。　　Years　ago　there　was　a　wretched　outcry　raised　because　Mr。　Macaulay　dated　a　letter　from　Windsor　Castle；　where　he　was　staying。　Immortal　gods！　　Was　this　man　not　a　fit　guest　for　any　palace　in　the　world？　or　a　fit　companion　for　any　man　or　woman　in　it？　　I　dare　say；　after　Austerlitz；　the　old　K。　K。　court　officials　and　footmen　sneered　at　Napoleon　for　dating　from　Schonbrunn。　　But　that　miserable　〃Windsor　Castle〃　outcry　is　an　echo　out　of　fast…retreating　old…world　remembrances。　　The　place　of　such　a　natural　chief　was　amongst　the　first　of　the　land；　and　that　country　is　best；　according　to　our　British　notion　at　least；　where　the　man　of　eminence　has　the　best　chance　of　investing　his　genius　and　intellect。　If　a　company　of　giants　were　got　together；　very　likely　one　or　two　of　the　mere　six…feet…six　people　might　be　angry　at　the　incontestable　superiority　of　the　very　tallest　of　the　party；　and　so　I　have　heard　some　London　wits；　rather　peevish　at　Macaulay's　superiority；　complain　that　he　occupied　too　much　of　the　talk；　and　so　forth。　　Now　that　wonderful　tongue　is　to　speak　no　more；　will　not　many　a　man　grieve　that　he　no　longer　has　the　chance　to　listen？　　To　remember　the　talk　is　to　wonder：　to　think　not　only　of　the　treasures　he　had　in　his　memory；　but　of　the　trifles　he　had　stored　there；　and　could　produce　with　equal　readiness。　　Almost　on　the　last　day　I　had　the　fortune　to　see　him；　a　conversation　happened　suddenly　to　spring　up　about　senior　wranglers；　and　what　they　had　done　in　after　life。　　To　the　almost　terror　of　the　persons　present；　Macaulay　began　with　the　senior　wrangler　of　1801…2…　3…4；　and　so　on；　giving　the　name　of　each；　and　relating　his　subsequent　career　and　rise。　　Every　man　who　has　known　him　has　his　story　regarding　that　astonishing　memory。　　It　may　be　that　he　was　not　ill　pleased　that　you　should　recognize　it；　but　to　those　prodigious　intellectual　feats；　which　were　so　easy　to　him；　who　would　grudge　his　tribute　of　homage？　　His　talk　was；　in　a　word；　admirable；　and　we　admired　it。　Of　the　notices　which　have　appeared　regarding　Lord　Macaulay；　up　to　the　day　when　the　present　lines　are　written　（the　9th　of　January）；　the　reader　should　not　deny　himself　the　pleasure　of　looking　especially　at　two。　　It　is　a　good　sign　of　the　times　when　such　articles　as　these　（I　mean　the　articles　in　The　times　and　Saturday　Review）　appear　in　our　public　prints　about　our　public　men。　　They　educate　us；　as　it　were；　to　admire　rightly。　　An　uninstructed　person　in　a　museum　or　at　a　concert　may　pass　by　without　recognizing　a　picture　or　a　passage　of　music；　which　the　connoisseur　by　his　side　may　show　him　is　a　masterpiece　of　harmony；　or　a　wonder　of　artistic　skill。　　After　reading　these　papers　you　like　and　respect　more　the　person　you　have　admired　so　much　already。　　And　so　with　regard　to　Macaulay's　style　there　may　be　faults　of　coursewhat　critic　can't　point　them　out？　　But　for　the　nonce　we　are　not　talking　about　faults：　we　want　to　say　nil　nisi　bonum。　　Well　take　at　hazard　any　three　pages　of　the　〃Essays〃　or　〃History；〃and；　glimmering　below　the　stream　of　the　narrative；　as　it　were；　you；　an　average　reader；　see　one；　two；　three；　a　half…score　of　allusions　to　other　historic　facts；　characters；　literature；　poetry；　with　which　you　are　acquainted。　　Why　is　this　epithet　used？　　Whence　is　that　simile　drawn？　　How　does　he　manage；　in　two　or　three　words；　to　paint　an　individual；　or　to　indicate　a　landscape？　　Your　neighbor；　who　has　HIS　reading；　and　his　little　stock　of　literature　stowed　away　in　his　mind；　shall　detect　more　points；　allusions；　happy　touches；　indicating　not　only　the　prodigious　memory　and　vast　learning　of　this　master；　but　the　wonderful　industry；　the　honest；　humble　previous　toil　of　this　great　scholar。　　He　reads　twenty　books　to　write　a　sentence；　he　travels　a　hundred　miles　to　make　a　line　of　description。　Many　Londonersnot　allhave　seen　the　British　Museum　Library。　　I　speak　a　coeur　ouvert；　and　pray　the　kindly　reader　to　bear　with　me。　　I　have　seen　all　sorts　of　domes　of　Peters　and　Pauls；　Sophia；　Pantheon；　what　not？and　have　been　struck　by　none　of　them　so　much　as　by　that　catholic　dom