roundabout papers-第42部分

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uls；　Sophia；　Pantheon；　what　not？and　have　been　struck　by　none　of　them　so　much　as　by　that　catholic　dome　in　Bloomsbury；　under　which　our　million　volumes　are　housed。　　What　peace；　what　love；　what　truth；　what　beauty；　what　happiness　for　all；　what　generous　kindness　for　you　and　me；　are　here　spread　out！　　It　seems　to　me　one　cannot　sit　down　in　that　place　without　a　heart　full　of　grateful　reverence。　　I　own　to　have　said　my　grace　at　the　table；　and　to　have　thanked　heaven　for　this　my　English　birthright；　freely　to　partake　of　these　bountiful　books；　and　to　speak　the　truth　I　find　there。　　Under　the　dome　which　held　Macaulay's　brain；　and　from　which　his　solemn　eyes　looked　out　on　the　world　but　a　fortnight　since；　what　a　vast；　brilliant；　and　wonderful　store　of　learning　was　ranged！　what　strange　lore　would　he　not　fetch　for　you　at　your　bidding！　　A　volume　of　law；　or　history；　a　book　of　poetry　familiar　or　forgotten　（except　by　himself　who　forgot　nothing）；　a　novel　ever　so　old；　and　he　had　it　at　hand。　　I　spoke　to　him　once　about　〃Clarissa。〃　　〃Not　read　'Clarissa！'〃　he　cried　out。　　〃If　you　have　once　thoroughly　entered　on　'Clarissa'　and　are　infected　by　it；　you　can't　leave　it。　　When　I　was　in　India　I　passed　one　hot　season　at　the　hills；　and　there　were　the　Governor…General；　and　the　Secretary　of　Government；　and　the　Commander…in…Chief；　and　their　wives。　　I　had　'Clarissa'　with　me：　and；　as　soon　as　they　began　to　read；　the　whole　station　was　in　a　passion　of　excitement　about　Miss　Harlowe　and　her　misfortunes；　and　her　scoundrelly　Lovelace！　　The　Governor's　wife　seized　the　book；　and　the　Secretary　waited　for　it；　and　the　Chief　Justice　could　not　read　it　for　tears！〃　　He　acted　the　whole　scene：　he　paced　up　and　down　the　〃Athenaeum〃　library：　I　dare　say　he　could　have　spoken　pages　of　the　bookof　that　book；　and　of　what　countless　piles　of　others！　In　this　little　paper　let　us　keep　to　the　text　of　nil　nisi　bonum。　　One　paper　I　have　read　regarding　Lord　Macaulay　says　〃he　had　no　heart。〃　Why；　a　man's　books　may　not　always　speak　the　truth；　but　they　speak　his　mind　in　spite　of　himself：　and　it　seems　to　me　this　man's　heart　is　beating　through　every　page　he　penned。　　He　is　always　in　a　storm　of　revolt　and　indignation　against　wrong；　craft；　tyranny。　　How　he　cheers　heroic　resistance；　how　he　backs　and　applauds　freedom　struggling　for　its　own；　how　he　hates　scoundrels；　ever　so　victorious　and　successful；　how　he　recognizes　genius；　though　selfish　villains　possess　it！　　The　critic　who　says　Macaulay　had　no　heart；　might　say　that　Johnson　had　none：　and　two　men　more　generous；　and　more　loving；　and　more　hating；　and　more　partial；　and　more　noble；　do　not　live　in　our　history。　　Those　who　knew　Lord　Macaulay　knew　how　admirably　tender　and　generous；*　and　affectionate　he　was。　　It　was　not　his　business　to　bring　his　family　before　the　theatre　footlights；　and　call　for　bouquets　from　the　gallery　as　he　wept　over　them。

*　Since　the　above　was　written；　I　have　been　informed　that　it　has　been　found；　on　examining　Lord　Macaulay's　papers；　that　he　was　in　the　habit　of　giving　away　MORE　THAN　A　FOURTH　PART　of　his　annual　income。

If　any　young　man　of　letters　reads　this　little　sermonand　to　him；　indeed；　it　is　addressedI　would　say　to　him；　〃Bear　Scott's　words　in　your　mind；　and　'be　good；　my　dear。'〃　　Here　are　two　literary　men　gone　to　their　account；　and；　laus　Deo；　as　far　as　we　know；　it　is　fair；　and　open；　and　clean。　　Here　is　no　need　of　apologies　for　shortcomings；　or　explanations　of　vices　which　would　have　been　virtues　but　for　unavoidable　&c。　　Here　are　two　examples　of　men　most　differently　gifted：　each　pursuing　his　calling；　each　speaking　his　truth　as　God　bade　him；　each　honest　in　his　life；　just　and　irreproachable　in　his　dealings；　dear　to　his　friends；　honored　by　his　country；　beloved　at　his　fireside。　　It　has　been　the　fortunate　lot　of　both　to　give　incalculable　happiness　and　delight　to　the　world；　which　thanks　them　in　return　with　an　immense　kindliness；　respect；　affection。　　It　may　not　be　our　chance；　brother　scribe；　to　be　endowed　with　such　merit；　or　rewarded　with　such　fame。　　But　the　rewards　of　these　men　are　rewards　paid　to　OUR　SERVICE。　　We　may　not　win　the　baton　or　epaulettes；　but　God　give　us　strength　to　guard　the　honor　of　the　flag！

ON　HALF　A　LOAF。　A　LETTER　TO　MESSRS。　BROADWAY；　BATTERY　AND　CO。；　OF　NEW　YORK；　BANKERS。

Is　it　all　over？　　May　we　lock　up　the　case　of　instruments？　　Have　we　signed　our　wills；　settled　up　our　affairs；　pretended　to　talk　and　rattle　quite　cheerfully　to　the　women　at　dinner；　so　that　they　should　not　be　alarmed；　sneaked　away　under　some　pretext；　and　looked　at　the　children　sleeping　in　their　beds　with　their　little　unconscious　thumbs　in　their　months；　and　a　flush　on　the　soft…pillowed　cheek；　made　every　arrangement　with　Colonel　MacTurk；　who　acts　as　our　second；　and　knows　the　other　principal　a　great　deal　too　well　to　think　he　will　ever　give　in；　invented　a　monstrous　figment　about　going　to　shoot　pheasants　with　Mac　in　the　morning；　so　as　to　soothe　the　anxious　fears　of　the　dear　mistress　of　the　house；　early　as　the　hour　appointed　for　thethe　little　affairwas；　have　we　been　awake　hours　and　hours　sooner；　risen　before　daylight；　with　a　faint　hope；　perhaps；　that　MacTurk　might　have　come　to　some　arrangement　with　the　other　side；　at　seven　o'clock　（confound　his　punctuality！）　heard　his　cab…wheel　at　the　door；　and　let　him　in　looking　perfectly　trim；　fresh；　jolly；　and　well　shaved；　driven　off　with　him　in　the　cold　morning；　after　a　very　unsatisfactory　breakfast　of　coffee　and　stale　bread…and…butter　（which　choke；　somehow；　in　the　swallowing）；　driven　off　to　Wormwood　Scrubs　in　the　cold；　muddy；　misty；　moonshiny　morning；　stepped　out　of　the　cab；　where　Mac　has　bid　the　man　to　halt　on　a　retired　spot　in　the　common；　in　one　minute　more；　seen　another　cab　arrive；　from　which　descend　two　gentlemen；　one　of　whom　has　a　case　like　MacTurk's　under　his　arm；　looked　round　and　round　the　solitude；　and　seen　not　one　single　sign　of　a　policemanno；　no　more　than　in　a　row　in　London；deprecated　the　horrible　necessity　which　drives　civilized　men　to　the　use　of　powder　and　bullet；taken　ground　as　firmly　as　may　be；　and　looked　on　whilst　Mac　is　neatly　loading　his　weapons；　and　when　all　ready；　and　one　looked　for　the　decisive　One；　Two；　Threehave　we　even　heard　Captain　O'Toole　（the　second　of　the　other　principal）　walk　up；　and　say：　〃Colonel　MacTurk；　I　am　desired　by　my　principal　to　declare　at　this　elevenththis　twelfth　hour；　that　he　is　willing　to　own　that　he　sees　HE　HAS　BEEN　WRONG　in　the　dispute　which　has　arisen　between　him　and　your　friend；　that　he　apologizes　for　offensive　expressions　which　he　has　used　in　the　heat　of　the　quarrel；　and　regrets　the　course　he　has　taken？〃　　If　something　like　this　has　happened　to　you；　however　great　your　courage；　you　have　been　glad　not　to　fight；however　accurate　your　aim；　you　have　been　pleased　not　to　fire。　On　the　sixth　day　of　January　in　this　year　sixty…two；　what　hundreds　of　thousandsI　may　say；　what　millions　of　Englishmen；　were　in　the　position　of　the　personage　here　sketchedChristian　men；　I　hope；　shocked　at　the　dreadful　necessity　of　battle：　aware　of　the　horrors　which　the　conflict　must　produce；　and　yet　feeling　that　the　moment　was　come；　and　that　there　was　no　arbitrament　left　but　that　of　steel　and　cannon！　　My　reader；　perhaps；　has　been　in　America。　　If　he　has；　he　knows　what　good　people　are　to　be　found　there；　how　polished；　how　generous；　how　gentle；　how　courteous。　　But　it　is　not　the　voices　of　these　you　hear　in　the　roar　of　hate；　defiance；　folly；　falsehood；　which　comes　to　us　across　the　Atlantic。　　You　can't　hear　gentle　voices；　very　many　who　could　speak　are　afraid。　　Men　must　go　forward；　or　be　crushed　by　the　maddened　crowd　behind　them。　　I　suppose　after　the　perpetration　of　that　act　ofwhat　shall　we　call　it？of　sudden　war；　which　Wilkes　did；　and　Everett　approved；　most　of　us　believed　that　battle　was　inevitable。　　Who　has　not　read　the　American　papers　for　six　weeks　past？　　Did　you　ever　think　the　United　States　Government　would　give　up　those　Commissioners？　　I　never　did；　for　my　part。　　It　seems　to　me　the　United　States　Government　have　done　the　most　courageous　act　of　the　war。　　Before　that　act　was　done；　what　an　excitement　prevailed　in　London！　　In　every　Club　there　was　a　parliament　sitting　in　permanence：　in　every　domestic　gathering　this　subject　was　sure　to　form　a　main　part　of　the　talk。　　Of　course　I　have　seen　many　people　who　have　travelled　in　America；　and　heard　them　on　this　matterfriends　of　the　South；　friends　of　the　North；　friends　of　peace；　and　American　stockholders　in　plenty。〃They　will　never　give　up　the　men；　sir；〃　that　was　the　opinion　on　all　sides；　and；　if　they　would　not；　we　knew　what　was　to　happen。　For　weeks　past　this　nightmare　of　war　has　been　riding　us。　　The　City　was　already　gloomy　enough。　　When　a　great　domestic　grief　and　misfortune　visits　the　chief　person　of　the　State；　the　heart　of　the　people；　too；　is　sad　and　awe…stricken。　　It　might　be　this　sorrow　and　trial　were　but　presages　of　greater　trials　and　sorrow　to　come。　　What　if　the　sorrow　of　war　is　to　be　added　to　the　other　calamity？　　Such　forebodings　have　formed　the　theme　of　many　a　man's　talk；　and　darkened　many　a　fireside。　　Then　came　the　rapid　orders　for　ships　to　arm　and　troops　to　depart。　　How　many　of　us　have　had　to　say　farewell　to　friends　whom　duty　called　away　with　their　regiments；　on　whom　we　strove　to　look　cheerfully；　as　we　shook　their　hands；　it　might　be　for　the　last　time；　and　whom　our　thoughts　depicted；　treading　the　snows　of　the　immense　Canadian　frontier；　where　their　intrepid　little　band　might　have　to　face　the　assaults　of　other　enemies　than　winter　and　rough　weather！　　I　went　to　a　play　one　night；　and　protest　I　hardly　know　what　was　the　entertainment　which　passed　before　my　eyes。　　In　the　next　stall　was　an　American　gentleman；　who　knew　me。　　〃Good　heavens；　sir；〃　I　thought；　〃is　it　decreed　that　you　and　I　are　to　be　authorized　to　murder　each　other　next　week；　that　my　people　shall　be　bombarding　your　cities；　destroying　your　navies；　making　a　hideous　desolation　of　your　coast；　that　our　peaceful　frontier　shall　be　subject　to　fire；　rapine；　and　murder？〃　　〃They　will　never　give　up　the　men；〃　said　the　Englishman。　　〃They　will　never　give　up　the　men；〃　said　the　American。　And　the　Christmas　piece　which　the　actors　were　playing　proceeded　like　a　piece　in　a　dream。　　To　make　the　grand　comic　performance　doubly　comic；　my　neighbor　presently　informed　me　how　one　of　the　best　friends　I　had　in　Americathe　most　hospitable；　kindly；　amiable　of　men；　from　whom　I　had　twice　received　th