the lumley autograph-第2章

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〃The　same　my　lordthe　poet　Otwayyou　may　remember　we　saw　his
Venice　Preserved　last　week。　It　is　a　highly　interesting　letter；　written
in　great　distress；　and　confirms　the　story　of　his　starvation。　You　see
the　signature。〃

｛Venice　Preserved　=　a　well…known　play　by　Otway；　written　in　1682｝

〃That　name；　Otway？Well；　to　my　mind　it　is　as　much　like　Genghis
Khan。〃

〃Oh；　my　lord！Thomas　Otway　clearlysignatures　are　always　more　or
less　confused。

〃Well；　have　it　your　own　way。It　may　be　Tom；　Dick；　or　Harry　for　all　I
care；〃　said　the　youth；　stretching　himself　preparatory　to　a　visit　to　his
kennels；　and　such　was　his　indifference　to　this　literary　treasure　that
he　readily　gave　it　to　his　tutor。　In　those　days；　few　lords　were　literary。

Mr。　Lumley's　delight　at　this　discovery；　was　very　much　increased　by
the　fact　that　he　was　at　that　moment　anxious　to　bring　out　an　edition
of　the　English　Tragedians　of　the　seventeenth　century。　The　lives　of
several　of　these　authors　had　been　already　written　by　him；　and　he
was　at　that　moment　engaged　on　that　of　Otway。　A　noted　publisher
had　taken　the　matter　into　consideration；　and　if　the　undertaking　gave
promise　of　being　both　palatable　to　the　public；　and　profitable　to
himself；　a　prospectus　was　to　be　issued。　Now　here　was　a　little　tit…bit
which　the　public　would　doubtless　relish；　for　it　was　beginning　to　feel
some　interest　in　Otway's　starvation；　the　poet　having　been　dead　half
a　century。　It　is　true　that　the　signature　of　the　poor　starving　author；
whoever　he　may　have　been；　was　so　illegible　that　it　required　some
imagination　to　see　in　it；　the　name　of　Otway；　but　Mr。　Lumley　had
enough　of　the　true　antiquarian　spirit；　to　settle　the　point　to　his　own
entire　satisfaction。　The　note　was　accordingly　introduced　into　the　life
of　Otway；　with　which　the　learned　tutor　was　then　engaged。　The　work
itself；　however；　was　not　destined　to　see　the　light；　its　publication
was　delayed；　while　Mr。　Lumley　accompanied　his　pupil　on　the　usual
continental　tour；　and　from　this　journey　the　learned　gentleman　never
returned；　dying　at　Rome；　of　a　cold　caught　in　the　library　of　the
Vatican。　By　his　will；　the　MS。　life　of　Otway　with　all　his　papers；　passed
into　the　hands　of　his　brother；　an　officer　in　the　army。　Unfortunately；
however；　Captain　Lumley；　who　was　by　no　means　a　literary　character；
proved　extremely　indifferent　to　this　portion　of　his　brother's
inheritance；　which　he　treated　with　contemptuous　neglect。

After　this　first　stage　on　the　road　to　fame；　twenty　more　years　passed
away　and　the　letter　of　the　starving　poet　was　again　forgotten。　At
length　the　papers　of　the　Rev。　Mr。　Lumley；　fell　into　the　hands　of　a
nephew；　who　inherited　his　uncle's　antiquarian　tastes；　and　clerical
profession。　In　looking　over　the　MSS。；　he　came　to　the　life　of　Otway；
and　was　struck　with　the　letter　given　there；　never　having　met　with　it
in　print；　there　was　also　a　note　appended　to　it　with　an　account　of　the
manner　in　which　it　had　been　discovered　by　the　editor；　in　the　library
of　Lord　G…；　and　affirming　that　it　was　still　in　his　own　possession。
The　younger　Lumley　immediately　set　to　work　to　discover　the　original
letter；　but　his　search　was　fruitless；　it　was　not　to　be　found　either
among　the　papers　of　his　uncle；　or　those　of　his　father。　It　was　gone。
He　was　himself　a　tutor　at　Cambridge　at　the　time；　and　returning　to
the　university；　he　carried　with　him　his　uncle's　life　of　Otway；　in　MS。
Some　little　curiosity　was　at　first　excited　among　his　immediate
companions　by　these　facts；　but　it　soon　settled　down　into　an　opinion
unfavorable　to　the　veracity　of　the　late　Mr。　Lumley。This　nettled　the
nephew；　and　as　Lord　G…；　was　still　living；　a　gouty　bloated　roue；　he
at　length　wrote　to　inquire　if　his　lordship　knew　any　thing　of　the
matter。　His　lordship　was　too　busy；　or　too　idle；　to　answer　the　inquiry。
Some　time　later；　however；　the　younger　Lumley；　then　a　chaplain　in
the　family　of　a　relative　of　Lord　G…'s；　accidentally　met　his　uncle's
former　pupil；　and　being　of　a　persevering　disposition；　he　ventured　to
make　a　personal　application　on　the　subject。

〃Now　you　recall　the　matter　to　me；　Mr。　Lumley；　I　do　recollect
something　of　the　kind。　I　remember　one　day；　giving　my　tutor　some
musty　old　letter　he　found　in　the　library　at　G…；　and　by　the　bye　he
came　near　cracking　my　skull　on　the　same　occasion！〃

Mr。　Lumley　was　not　a　little　pleased　by　this　confirmation　of　the　story；
though　he　found　that　Lord　G…　had　not　even　read　the　letter；　nor
did　he　know　any　thing　of　its　subsequent　fate；　he　only　remembered
looking　at　the　signature。　Not　long　after　the　meeting　at　which　this
explanation　had　taken　place；　Mr。　Lumley　received　a　visit　from　a
stranger；　requesting　to　see　the　MS。　Life　of　Otway　in　his　possession。
It　was　handed　to　him；　he　examined　it；　and　was　very　particular　in　his
inquiries　on　the　subject；　giving　the　chaplain　to　understand　that　he
was　the　agent　of　a　third　person　who　wished　to　purchase　either　the
original　letter　if　possible；　or　if　that　could　not　be　found；　the　MS。
containing　the　copy。　Mr。　Lumley　always　believed　that　the　employer　of
this　applicant　was　no　other　than　that　arch…gatherer；　Horace　Walpole；
who　gave　such　an　impulse　to　the　collecting　mania；　he　declined
selling　the　work；　however；　for　he　had　thoughts　of　printing　it　himself。
The　application　was　mentioned　by　him；　and；　of　course；　the
manuscript　gained　notoriety；　while　the　original　letter　became　a
greater　desideratum　than　ever。　The　library　at　G…　was　searched
most　carefully　by　a　couple　of　brother　book…worms；　who　crept　over　it
from　cornice　to　carpeting；　but　to　no　purpose。

｛Horace　Walpole　=　Horace　Walpole　（1717…1797）；　a　prolific　writer；
connoisseur；　and　collector；　best　known　for　his　extensive
correspondence；　he　established　a　taste　for　literary　collecting　by
would…be　cultured　gentlemen　in　England｝

Some　ten　years　later　stillabout　the　time；　by　the　bye；　when
Chatterton's　career　came　to　such　a　miserable　close　in　London；　and
when　Gilbert　was　dying　in　a　hospital　at　Parisit　happened　that　a
worthy　physician；　well　known　in　the　town　of　Southampton　for　his
benevolence　and　eccentricity；　was　on　a　professional　visit　to　the　child
of　a　poor　journeyman　trunk…maker；　in　the　same　place。　A　supply　of　old
paper　had　just　been　brought　in　for　the　purpose　of　lining　trunks；
according　to　the　practice　of　the　day。　A　workman　was　busy　sorting
these；　rejecting　some　as　refuse；　and　preserving　others；　when　the
doctor　stopped　to　answer　an　inquiry　about　the　sick　child。

｛Chatterton　=　Thomas　Chatterton　（1752…1770）；　British　poet；　who
created　an　imaginary　Thomas　Rowley；　a　supposed　medieval　monk；　to
whom　he　ascribed　some　of　his　poems。　Chatterton　committed　suicide
at　the　age　of　18　when　a　poem　of　his；　allegedly　by　Rowley；　was
rejected；　he　was　buried　in　a　pauper's　grave。　Susan　Fenimore　Cooper
no　doubt　has　this　in　mind　in　naming　a　character　in　this　story
Theodosia　Rowley。

｛Gilbert　=　Nicolas　Gilbert　（1751…1780）；　French　poet；　who　died　in
Paris　at　the　age　of　29。　The　French　writer　Count　Alfred　de　Vigny
（1797…1863）；　in　his　book　of　essays　〃Stello〃　（1832）；　popularized　a
legend　that　Gilbert　had　died　insane　and　in　abject　poverty　at　the
charity　hospital　of　the　Hotel　Dieu　in　Paris；　and　compared　his
miserable　end　with　that　of　Chatteron；　it　seems　likely　that　Vigny；
whose　book　appeared　while　Susan　Fenimore　Cooper　was　studying　in
Paris；　was　her　source　for　this　reference　to　Gilbert。　In　fact；　Gilbert
was　not　impoverished；　and　died　of　injuries　after　falling　from　his
horse｝

〃Better；　Hopkinsdoing　well。　But　what　have　you　here？　I　never　see
old　papers　but　I　have　an　inclination　to　look　them　over。　If　a　man　has
leisure；　he　may　often　pick　up　something　amusing　among　such
rubbish。　Don't　you　ever　read　the　papers　that　pass　through　your
hands？〃

〃No；　sirI　'as　no　time　for　that；　sir。　And　then　I　was　never　taught　to
read　writing；　and　these　'ere　papers　is　all　written　ones。　We　puts　them
that's　written　for　one　trunk；　and　them　that's　printed　for　another；　as
you　see；　sir；　one　must　have　a　heye　to　the　looks　of　the　work。〃

〃Why　yesyou　seem　to　manage　the　job　very　well；　and　I　have　a
trunk；　by　the　bye；　that　wants　patching　up　before　my　boy　carries　it　off
with　him；　I'll　send　it　round　to　you；　Hopkins。　But　staywhat's　this？〃
and　the　doctor　took　up　a　soiled；　yellow　sheet　of　paper；　from　the
heap　rejected　by　the　workman；　it　contained　a　scrawl　which　proved　to
be　the　identical　letter　of　the　poor　poet；　the　Lumley　autograph；
though　in　what　manner　it　became　mingled　with　that　heap　of　rubbish
has　never　been　satisfactorily　ascertained。

〃Here's　a　poor　fellow　who　had　a　hard　fate；　Hopkins；〃　said　the
benevolent　man；　thoughtfully。　〃It　is　as　good　as　a　sermon　on　charity
to　read　that　letter。〃

The　trunk…maker　begged　to　hear　it。

〃Well；　poor　journeyman　as　I　be；　I　was　never　yet　in　so　bad　a　way　as
that；　sir。〃

〃And　never　will　be；　I　hope；　but　this　was　a　poet；　Hopkinsand　that's
but　an　indifferent　trade　to　live　by。　I'll　tell　you　what；　my　good　friend；〃
said　the　doctor；　suddenly；　〃that　letter　is　worth　keeping；　and　you　may
paste　it　in　the　trunk　I'll　send　round　this　afternoonput　it　in　the　lid；
where　it　can　be　read。〃

The　trunk　was　sent；　and　the　letter　actually　pasted　in　it　as　part　of　the
new　lining。　Dr。　H…；　who；　as　we　have　observed；　was　rather
eccentric　in　his　ways；　had　a　son　about　to　commence　his　career　as　a
soldier；　and　the　worthy　man　thought　the　letter　might　teach　the　youth
a　useful　lesson　of　moderation　and　temperance；　by　showing　him　every
time　he　opened　his　trunk；　the　extreme　of　want　to　which　his　fellow
beings　were　occasionally　reduced。　What　success　followed　the　plan
we　cannot　say。　The　trunk；　however；　shared　the　young　soldier's
wandering　life；　it　carried　the　cornet's　uniform　to　America；　it　was
besieged　in　Boston；　and　it　made　part　of　the　besieging　baggage　at
Charleston。　It　was　not　destined；　however；　to　remain　in　the　new
world；　but　followed　its　owner　to　the　East　Indies；　carrying　on　this
second　voyage；　a　lieutenant's　commission。　At　length；　after　passing
five…and…twenty　years　in　Bengal；　the　trunk　returned　again　to
Southampton；　as　one　among　some　dozen　others　which　made　up　the
baggage　of　the　gallant　Colonel　H…；　now　rich　in　laurels　and　rupees。
The　old　trunk　had　even　the　honorable　duty　assigned　it　of　carrying　its
master's　trophies；　doubtless　the　most　precious　portion　of　the
colonel's　possessions；　though　at　the　same　time　the　lightest；　as　for
the　rupees；　the　old　worn…out　box　would　have　proved　quite　unequal　to
transporting　a　single　bag　of　them；　for　it　was　now　sadly　unfit　for
service；　thanks　to　the　ravages　of　time　and　the　white　ants；　and；
indeed；　owed　its　preservation　and　return　to　its　native　soil　solely　to
the　letter　pasted　in　the　lid；　which；　in　the　eyes　of　Colonel　H…；　was
a　memento　of　home；　and　the　eccentric　character　of　a　deceased
parent。

｛cornet　=　the　lowest　officer　rank　in　a　British　cavalry　regiment；　below
that　of　Lieutenant；　now　obsolete｝

The　time　had　now　come；　however；　when　the　Lumley　autograph　was
about　to　emerge　forever　from　obscurity；　and　receive　the　full　homage
of　collectors；　the　hour　of　triumph　was　at　hand；　the　neglect　of　a
century　was　to　be　fully　repaid　by　the　highest　honors　of　fame。　The
eye　of　beauty　was　about　to　kindle　as　it　rested　on　the　Lumley
autograph；　jeweled　fingers　were　to　be　raised；　eager　to　snatch　the
treasure　from　each　other；　busy　literati　stood　ready　armed