tracks of a rolling stone-第47部分

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George　Cayley　and　I；　with　the　assistance　of　his　father　and　　others；　had　started　a　weekly　paper　called　'The　Realm。'　　It　　was　professedly　a　currency　paper；　and　also　supported　a　fiscal　　policy　advocated　by　Mr。　Cayley　and　some　of　his　parliamentary　　clique。　　Coming　in　one　day；　and　finding　us　hard　at　work；　　Thackeray　asked　for　information。　　We　handed　him　a　copy　of　the　　paper。　　'Ah；'　he　exclaimed；　with　mock　solemnity；　'〃The　　Rellum；〃　should　be　printed　on　vellum。'　　He　too；　like　　Tennyson；　was　variable。　　But　this　depended　on　whom　he　found。　　　In　the　presence　of　a　stranger　he　was　grave　and　silent。　　He　　would　never　venture　on　puerile　jokes　like　this　of　his　　'Rellum'　…　a　frequent　playfulness；　when　at　his　ease；　which　　contrasted　so　unexpectedly　with　his　impenetrable　exterior。　　　He　was　either　gauging　the　unknown　person；　or　feeling　that　he　　was　being　gauged。　　Monckton　Milnes　was　another。　　Seeing　me　　correcting　some　proof　sheets；　he　said；　'Let　me　give　you　a　　piece　of　advice；　my　young　friend。　　Write　as　much　as　you　　please；　but　the　less　you　print　the　better。'

'For　me；　or　for　others？'

'For　both。'

George　Cayley　had　a　natural　gift　for；　and　had　acquired　　considerable　skill；　in　the　embossing　and　working　of　silver　　ware。　　Millais　so　admired　his　art　that　he　commissioned　him　to　　make　a　large　tea…tray；　Millais　provided　the　silver。　　Round　　the　border　of　the　tray　were　beautifully　modelled　sea…shells；　　cray…fish；　crabs；　and　fish　of　quaint　forms；　in　high　relief。　　　Millais　was　so　pleased　with　the　work　that　he　afterwards　　painted；　and　presented　to　Cayley；　a　fine　portrait　in　his　best　　style　of　Cayley's　son；　a　boy　of　six　or　seven　years　old。

Laurence　Oliphant　was　one　of　George　Cayley's　friends。　　　Attractive　as　he　was　in　many　ways；　I　had　little　sympathy　with　　his　religious　opinions；　nor　did　I　comprehend　Oliphant's　　exalted　inspirations；　I　failed　to　see　their　practical　　bearing；　and；　at　that　time　I　am　sorry　to　say；　looked　upon　him　　as　an　amiable　faddist。　　A　special　favourite　with　both　of　us　　was　William　Stirling　of　Keir。　　His　great　work　on　the　Spanish　　painters；　and　his　'Cloister　Life　of　Charles　the　Fifth；'　　excited　our　unbounded　admiration；　while　his　BONHOMIE　and　　radiant　humour　were　a　delight　we　were　always　eager　to　　welcome。

George　Cayley　and　I　now　entered　at　Lincoln's　Inn。　　At　the　end　　of　three　years　he　was　duly　called　to　the　Bar。　　I　was　not；　for　　alas；　as　usual；　something　'turned　up；'　which　drew　me　in　　another　direction。　　For　a　couple　of　years；　however；　I　'ate'　　my　terms　…　not　unfrequently　with　William　Harcourt；　with　whom　　Cayley　had　a　Yorkshire　intimacy　even　before　our　Cambridge　　days。

Old　Mr。　Cayley；　though　not　the　least　strait…laced；　was　a　　religious　man。　　A　Unitarian　by　birth　and　conviction；　he　began　　and　ended　the　day　with　family　prayers。　　On　Sundays　he　would　　always　read　to　us；　or　make　us　read　to　him；　a　sermon　of　　Channing's；　or　of　Theodore　Parker's；　or　what　we　all　liked　　better；　one　of　Frederick　Robertson's。　　He　was　essentially　a　　good　man。　　He　had　been　in　Parliament　all　his　life；　and　was　a　　broad…minded；　tolerant；　philosophical　man…of…the…world。　　He　　had　a　keen　sense　of　humour；　and　was　rather　sarcastical；　but；　　for　all　that；　he　was　sensitively　earnest；　and　conscientious。　　　I　had　the　warmest　affection　and　respect　for　him。　　Such　a　　character　exercised　no　small　influence　upon　our　conduct　and　　our　opinions；　especially　as　his　approval　or　disapproval　of　　these　visibly　affected　his　own　happiness。

He　was　never　easy　unless　he　was　actively　engaged　in　some　　benevolent　scheme；　the　promotion　of　some　charity；　or　in　what　　he　considered　his　parliamentary　duties；　which　he　contrived　to　　make　very　burdensome　to　his　conscience。　　As　his　health　was　　bad；　these　self…imposed　obligations　were　all　the　more　　onerous；　but　he　never　spared　himself；　or　his　somewhat　scanty　　means。　　Amongst　other　minor　tasks；　he　used　to　teach　at　the　　Sunday…school　of　St。　John's；　Westminster；　in　this　he　　persuaded　me　to　join　him。　　The　only　other　volunteer；　not　a　　clergyman；　was　Page　Wood　…　a　great　friend　of　Mr。　Cayley's　…　　afterwards　Lord　Chancellor　Hatherley。　　In　spite　of　Mr。　　Cayley's　Unitarianism；　like　Frederick　the　Great；　he　was　all　　for　letting　people　'go　to　Heaven　in　their　own　way；'　and　was　　moreover　quite　ready　to　help　them　in　their　own　way。　　So　that　　he　had　no　difficulty　in　hearing　the　boys　repeat　the　day's　　collect；　or　the　Creed；　even　if　Athanasian；　in　accordance　with　　the　prescribed　routine　of　the　clerical　teachers。

This　was　right；　at　all　events　for　him；　if　he　thought　it　　right。　　My　spirit　of　nonconformity　did　not　permit　me　to　　follow　his　example。　　Instead　thereof；　my　teaching　was　purely　　secular。　　I　used　to　take　a　volume　of　Mrs。　Marcet's　　'Conversations'　in　my　pocket；　and　with　the　aid　of　the　　diagrams；　explain　the　application　of　the　mechanical　forces；　…　　the　inclined　plane；　the　screw；　the　pulley；　the　wedge；　and　the　　lever。　　After　two　or　three　Sundays　my　class　was　largely　　increased；　for　the　children　keenly　enjoyed　their　competitive　　examinations。　　I　would　also　give　them　bits　of　poetry　to　get　　by　heart　for　the　following　Sunday　…　lines　from　Gray's　　'Elegy；'　from　Wordsworth；　from　Pope's　'Essay　on　Man'　…　such　　in　short　as　had　a　moral　rather　than　a　religious　tendency。

After　some　weeks　of　this；　the　boys　becoming　clamorous　in　　their　zeal　to　correct　one　another；　one　of　the　curates　left　　his　class　to　hear　what　was　going　on　in　mine。　　We　happened　at　　the　moment　to　be　dealing　with　geography。　　The　curate；　　evidently　shocked；　went　away　and　brought　another　curate。　　　Then　the　two　together　departed；　and　brought　back　the　rector　…　　Dr。　Jennings；　one　of　the　Westminster　Canons　…　a　most　kind　and　　excellent　man。　　I　went　on　as　if　unconscious　of　the　　censorship；　the　boys　exerting　themselves　all　the　more　eagerly　　for　the　sake　of　the　'gallery。'　　When　the　hour　was　up；　Canon　　Jennings　took　me　aside；　and　in　the　most　polite　manner　thanked　　me　for　my　'valuable　assistance；'　but　did　not　think　that　the　　'Essay　on　Man；'　or　especially　geography；　was　suited　for　the　　teaching　in　a　Sunday…school。　　I　told　him　I　knew　it　was　　useless　to　contend　with　so　high　a　canonical　authority；　　personally　I　did　not　see　the　impiety　of　geography；　but　then；　　as　he　already　knew；　I　was　a　confirmed　latitudinarian。　　He　　clearly　did　not　see　the　joke；　but　intimated　that　my　services　　would　henceforth　be　dispensed　with。

Of　course　I　was　wrong；　though　I　did　not　know　it　then；　for　it　　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　there　were　no　Board　Schools　in　　those　days；　and　general　education；　amongst　the　poor；　was　　deplorably　deficient。　　At　first；　my　idea　was　to　give　the　　children　（they　were　all　boys）　a　taste　for　the　'humanities；'　　which　might　afterwards　lead　to　their　further　pursuit。　　I　　assumed　that　on　the　Sunday　they　would　be　thinking　of　the　　baked　meats　awaiting　them　when　church　was　over；　or　of　their　　week…day　tops　and　tipcats；　but　I　was　equally　sure　that　a　time　　would　come　when　these　would　be　forgotten；　and　the　other　　things　remembered。　　The　success　was　greater　from　the　　beginning　than　could　be　looked　for；　and　some　years　afterwards　　I　had　reason　to　hope　that　the　forecast　was　not　altogether　too　　sanguine。

While　the　Victoria　Tower　was　being　built；　I　stopped　one　day　　to　watch　the　masons　chiselling　the　blocks　of　stone。　　　Presently　one　of　them；　in　a　flannel　jacket　and　a　paper　cap；　　came　and　held　out　his　hand　to　me。　　He　was　a　handsome　young　　fellow　with　a　big　black　beard　and　moustache；　both　powdered　　with　his　chippings。

'You　don't　remember　me；　sir；　do　you？'

'Did　I　ever　see　you　before？'

'My　name　is　Richards；　don't　you　remember；　sir？　　I　was　one　of　　the　boys　you　used　to　teach　at　the　Sunday…school。　　It　gave　me　　a　turn　for　mechanics；　which　I　followed　up；　and　that's　how　I　　took　to　this　trade。　　I'm　a　master　mason　now；　sir；　and　the　　whole　of　this　lot　is　under　me。'

'I　wonder　what　you　would　have　been；'　said　I；　'if　we'd　stuck　　to　the　collects？'

'I　don't　think　I　should　have　had　a　hand　in　this　little　job；'　　he　answered；　looking　up　with　pride　at　the　mighty　tower；　as　　though　he　had　a　creative　share　in　its　construction。

All　this　while　I　was　working　hard　at　my　own　education；　and　　trying　to　make　up　for　the　years　I　had　wasted　（so　I　thought　of　　them）；　by　knocking　about　the　world。　　I　spent　laborious　days　　and　nights　in　reading；　dabbling　in　geology；　chemistry；　　physiology；　metaphysics；　and　what　not。　　On　the　score　of　　dogmatic　religion　I　was　as　restless　as　ever。　　I　had　an　　insatiable　thirst　for　knowledge；　but　was　without　guidance。　　I　　wanted　to　learn　everything；　and；　not　knowing　in　what　　direction　to　concentrate　my　efforts；　learnt　next　to　nothing。　　　All　knowledge　seemed　to　me　equally　important；　for　all　bore　　alike　upon　the　great　problems　of　belief　and　of　existence。　　　But　what　to　pursue；　what　to　relinquish；　appeared　to　me　an　　unanswerable　riddle。　　Difficult　as　this　puzzle　was；　I　did　not　　know　then　that　a　long　life's　experience　would　hardly　make　it　　simpler。　　The　man　who　has　to　earn　his　bread　must　fain　resolve　　to　adapt　his　studies　to　that　end。　　His　choice　not　often　rests　　with　him。　　But　the　unfortunate　being　cursed　in　youth　with　the　　means　of　idleness；　yet　without　genius；　without　talents　even；　　is　terribly　handicapped　and　perplexed。

And　now；　with　life　behind　me；　how　should　I　advise　another　in　　such　a　plight？　　When　a　young　lady；　thus　embarrassed；　wrote　to　　Carlyle　for　counsel；　he　sympathetically　bade　her　'put　her　　drawers　in　order。'

Here　is　the　truth　to　be　faced　at　the　outset：　　'Man　has　but　　the　choice　to　go　a　little　way　in　many　paths；　or　a　great　way　　in　only　one。'　　'Tis　thus　John　Mill　puts　it。　　Which　will　he；　　which　should　he；　choose？　　Both　courses　lead　alike　to　　incompleteness。　　The　universal　man　is　no　specialist；　and　has　　to　generalise　without　his　details。　　The　specialist　sees　only　　through　his　microscope；　and　knows　about　as　much　of　cosmology　　as　does　his　microbe。　　Goethe；　the　most　comprehensive　of　　Seers；　must　needs　expose　his　incompleteness　by　futile　　attempts　to　disprove　Newton's　theory　of　colour。　　Newton　must　　needs　expose　his；　by　a　still　more　lamentable　attempt　to　prove　　the　Apocalypse　as　true　as　his　own　discovery　of　the　laws　of　　gravitation。　　All　science　nowadays　is　necessarily　confined　to　　experts。　　Without　illustrating　the　fact　by　invidious　hints；　I　　invite　anyone　to　consider　the　intellectual　cost　to　the　world　　which　such　limitation　entails；　nor　is　t