r. f. murray-his poems with a memoir-第6部分

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wait　for　the　spark　from　heaven　to　fall；　the　spark　must　be　caught；

and　tended；　and　cherished。　　A　man　must　labour　till　he　finds　his

vein；　and　himself。　　Again；　if　literature　is　an　art；　it　is　also　a

profession。　　A　man's　very　first　duty　is　to　support　himself　and

those；　if　any；　who　are　dependent　on　him。　　If　he　cannot　do　it　by

epics；　tragedies；　lyrics；　he　must　do　it　by　articles；　essays；　tales；

or　how　he　honestly　can。　　He　must　win　his　leisure　by　his　labour；　and

give　his　leisure　to　his　art。　　Murray；　at　this　time；　was　diligent　in

helping　to　compile　and　correct　educational　works。　　He　might；　but　for

the　various　conditions　of　reserve；　hatred　of　towns；　and　the　rest；

have　been　earning　his　leisure　by　work　more　brilliant　and　more

congenial　to　most　men。　　But　his　theory　of　literature　was　so　lofty

that　he　probably　found　the　other；　the　harder；　the　less　remunerative；

the　less　attractive　work；　more　congenial　to　his　tastes。



He　describes；　to　Mrs。　Murray；　various　notable　visitors　to　St。

Andrews：　　Professor　Butcher；　who　lectured　on　Lucian；　and　is　‘very

handsome；'　Mr。　Arthur　Balfour；　the　Lord　Rector；　who　is　‘rather

handsome；'　and　delights　the　listener　by　his　eloquence；　Mr。

Chamberlain；　who　pleases　him　too；　though　he　finds　Mr。　Chamberlain

rather　acrimonious　in　his　political　reflections。　　About　Lucian；　the

subject　of　Mr。　Butcher's　lecture；　Murray　says　nothing。　　That

brilliant　man　of　letters　in　general；　the　Alcibiades　of　literature；

the　wittiest；　and；　rarely；　the　most　tender；　and；　always；　the　most

graceful；　was　a　model　who　does　not　seem　to　have　attracted　Murray。

Lucian　amused；　and　amuses；　and　lived　by　amusing：　　the　vein　of

romance　and　poetry　that　was　his　he　worked　but　rarely：　　perhaps　the

Samosatene　did　not　take　himself　too　seriously；　yet　he　lives　through

the　ages；　an　example；　in　many　ways　to　be　followed；　of　a　man　who

obviously　delighted　in　all　that　he　wrought。　　He　was　no　model　to

Murray；　who　only　delighted　in　his　moments　of　inspiration；　and　could

not　make　himself　happy　even　in　the　trifles　which　are　demanded　from

the　professional　pen。



He　did；　at　last；　endeavour　to　ply　that　servile　engine　of　which

Pendennis　conceived　so　exalted　an　opinion。　　Certainly　a　false　pride

did　not　stand　in　his　way　when；　on　May　5；　1889；　he　announced　that　he

was　about　to　leave　St。　Andrews；　and　attempt　to　get　work　at　proof…

correcting　and　in　the　humblest　sorts　of　journalism　in　Edinburgh。

The　chapter　is　honourable　to　his　resolution；　but　most　melancholy。

There　were　competence　and　ease　waiting　for　him；　probably；　in　London；

if　he　would　but　let　his　pen　have　its　way　in　bright　comment　and

occasional　verse。　　But　he　chose　the　other　course。　　With　letters　of

introduction　from　Mr。　Meiklejohn；　he　consulted　the　houses　of　Messrs。

Clark　and　Messrs。　Constable　in　Edinburgh。　　He　did　not　find　that　his

knowledge　of　Greek　was　adequate　to　the　higher　and　more　remunerative

branches　of　proof…reading；　that　weary　meticulous　toil；　so　fatiguing

to　the　eyesight。　　The　hours；　too；　were　very　long；　he　could　do　more

and　better　work　in　fewer　hours。　　No　time；　no　strength；　were　left　for

reading　and　writing。　　He　did；　while　in　Edinburgh；　send　a　few　things

to　magazines；　but　he　did　not　actually　‘bombard'　editors。　　He　is　‘to

live　in　one　room；　and　dine；　if　not　on　a　red　herring；　on　the　next

cheapest　article　of　diet。'　　These　months　of　privation；　at　which　he

laughed；　and　some　weeks　of　reading　proofs；　appear　to　have　quite

undermined　health　which　was　never　strong；　and　which　had　been　sorely

tried　by　‘the　wind　of　a　cursed　to…day；　the　curse　of　a　windy　to…

morrow；'　at　St。　Andrews。　　If　a　reader　observes　in　Murray　a　lack　of

strenuous　diligence；　he　must　attribute　it　less　to　lack　of

resolution；　than　to　defect　of　physical　force　and　energy。　　The　many

bad　colds　of　which　he　speaks　were　warnings　of　the　end；　which　came　in

the　form　of　consumption。　　This　lurking　malady　it　was　that　made　him

wait；　and　dally　with　his　talent。　　He　hit　on　the　idea　of　translating

some　of　Bossuet's　orations　for　a　Scotch　theological　publisher。

Alas！　the　publisher　did　not　anticipate　a　demand；　among　Scotch

ministers；　for　the　Eagle　of　Meaux。　　Murray；　in　his　innocence；　was

startled　by　the　caution　of　the　publisher；　who　certainly　would　have

been　a　heavy　loser。　　‘I　honestly　believe　that；　if　Charles　Dickens

were　now　alive　and　unknown；　and　were　to　offer　the　MS。　of　Pickwick　to

an　Edinburgh　publisher；　that　sagacious　old　individual　would　shake

his　prudent　old　head；　and　refuse　（with　the　utmost　politeness）　to

publish　it！'　　There　is　a　good　deal　of　difference　between　Pickwick

and　a　translation　of　old　French　sermons　about　Madame；　and　Conde；　and

people　of　whom　few　modern　readers　ever　heard。



Alone；　in　Edinburgh；　Murray　was　saddened　by　the　‘unregarding'

irresponsive　faces　of　the　people　as　they　passed。　　In　St。　Andrews　he

probably　knew　every　face；　even　in　Edinburgh　（a　visitor　from　London

thinks）　there　is　a　friendly　look　among　the　passers。　　Murray　did　not

find　it　so。　　He　approached　a　newspaper　office：　　‘he　＇the　Editor　whom

he　met＇　was　extremely　frank；　and　told　me　that　the　tone　of　my　article

onwas　underbred；　while　the　verses　I　had　sent　him　had　nothing　in

them。　　Very　pleasant　for　the　feelings　of　a　young　author；　was　it　not？

。　。　。　Unfavourable　criticism　is　an　excellent　tonic；　but　it　should　be

a　little　diluted　。　。　。　I　must；　however；　do　him　the　justice　to　say

that　he　did　me　a　good　turn　by　introducing　me　to　…；　。　。　。　who　was

kind　and　encouraging　in　the　extreme。'



Murray　now　called　on　the　Editor　of　the　Scottish　Leader；　the

Gladstonian　organ；　whom　he　found　very　courteous。　　He　was　asked　to

write　some　‘leader…notes'　as　they　are　called；　paragraphs　which

appear　in　the　same　columns　as　the　leading　articles。　　These　were

published；　to　his　astonishment；　and　he　was　‘to　be　taken　on　at　a

salary　ofa　week。'　　Let　us　avoid　pecuniary　chatter；　and　merely　say

that　the　sum；　while　he　was　on　trial；　was　not　likely　to　tempt　many

young　men　into　the　career　of　journalism。　　Yet　‘the　work　will　be　very

exacting；　and　almost　preclude　the　possibility　of　my　doing　anything

else。'　　Now；　as　four　leader　notes；　or；　say；　six；　can　be　written　in

an　hour；　it　is　difficult　to　see　the　necessity　for　this　fatigue。

Probably　there　were　many　duties　more　exacting；　and　less　agreeable；

than　the　turning　out　of　epigrams。　　Indeed　there　was　other　work　of

some　more　or　less　mechanical　kind；　and　the　manufacture　of　‘leader

notes'　was　the　least　part　of　Murray's　industry。　　At　the　end　of　two

years　there　was　‘the　prospect　of　a　very　fair　salary。'　　But　there　was

‘night…work　and　everlasting　hurry。'　　‘The　interviewing　of　a　half…

bred　Town…Councillor　on　the　subject　of　gas　and　paving'　did　not

exhilarate　Murray。　　Again；　he　had　to　compile　a　column　of　Literary

News；　from　the　Athenaeum；　the　Academy；　and　so　on；　‘with　comments　and

enlargements　where　possible。'　　This　might　have　been　made　extremely

amusing；　it　sounds　like　a　delightful　task；the　making　of　comments

on　‘Mr。　…　has　finished　a　sonnet：'　‘Mr。　…‘s　poems　are　in　their

fiftieth　thousand：'　‘Miss　…　has　gone　on　a　tour　of　health　to　the

banks　of　the　Yang…tse…kiang：'　‘Mrs。　…　is　engaged　on　a　novel　about

the　Pilchard　Fishery。'　　One　could　make　comments　（if　permitted）　on

these　topics　for　love；　and　they　might　not　be　unpopular。　　But　perhaps

Murray　was　shackled　a　little　by　human　respect；　or　the　prejudices　of

his　editor。　　At　all　events　he　calls　it　‘not　very　inspiring

employment。'　　The　bare　idea；　I　confess；　inspirits　me　extremely。



But　the　literary　follet；　who　delights　in　mild　mischief；　did　not

haunt　Murray。　　He　found　an　opportunity　to　write　on　the　Canongate

Churchyard；　where　Fergusson　lies；　under　the　monument　erected　by

Burns　to　the　boy　of　genius　whom　he　called　his　master。　　Of　course　the

part　of　the　article　which　dealt　with　Fergusson；　himself　a　poet　of

the　Scarlet　Gown；　was　cut　out。　　The　Scotch　do　not　care　to　hear　about

Fergusson；　in　spite　of　their　‘myriad　mutchkined　enthusiasm'　for　his

more　illustrious　imitator　and　successor；　Burns。



At　this　time　Edinburgh　was　honouring　itself；　and　Mr。　Parnell；　by

conferring　its　citizenship　on　that　patriot。　　Murray　was　actually

told　off　‘to　stand　at　a　given　point　of　the　line　on　which　the　hero

marched；'　and　to　write　some　lines　of　‘picturesque　description。'

This　kind　of　thing　could　not　go　on。　　It　was　at　Nelson's　Monument

that　he　stood：　　his　enthusiasm　was　more　for　Nelson　than　for　Mr。

Parnell；　and　he　caught　a　severe　cold　on　this　noble　occasion。

Murray's　opinions　clashed　with　those　of　the　Scottish　Leader；　and　he

withdrew　from　its　service。



Just　a　week　passed　between　the　Parnellian　triumph　and　Murray's

retreat　from　daily　journalism。　　‘On　a　newspaper　one　must　have　no

opinions　except　those　which　are　favourable　to　the　sale　of　the　paper

and　the　filling　of　its　advertisement　columns。'　　That　is　not

precisely　an　accurate　theory。　　Without　knowing　anything　of　the

circumstances；　one　may　imagine　that　Murray　was　rather　impracticable。

Of　course　he　could　not　write　against　his　own　opinions；　but　it　is

unusual　to　expect　any　one　to　do　that；　or　to　find　any　one　who　will　do

it。　　‘Incompatibility　of　temper'　probably　caused　this　secession　from

the　newspaper。



After　various　attempts　to　find　occupation；　he　did　some　proof…reading

for　Messrs。　Constable。　　Among　other　things　he　‘read'　the　journal　of

Lady　Mary　Coke；　privately　printed　for　Lord　Home。　　Lady　Mary；　who

appears　as　a　lively　child　in　The　Heart　of　Midlothian；　‘had　a　taste

for　loo；　gossip；　and　gardening；　but　the　greatest　of　these　is

gossip。'　　The　best　part　of　the　book　is　Lady　Louisa　Stuart's

inimitable　introduction。　　Early　in　October　he　decided　to　give　up

proof…reading：　　the　confinement　had　already　told　on　his　health。　　In

the　letter　which　announces　this　determination　he　describes　a　sermon

of　Principal　Caird：　　‘Voice；　gesture；　language；　thoughtall　in　the

highest　degree；combined　to　make　it　the　most　moving　and　exalted

speech　of　a　man　to　men　that　I　ever　listened　to。'　　‘The　world　is　too

much　with　me；'　he　adds；　as　if　he　and　the　world　wer