roundabout to boston-第1章

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Roundabout　to　Boston

by　William　Dean　Howells






During　the　four　years　of　my　life　in　Venice　the　literary　intention　was
present　with　me　at　all　times　and　in　all　places。　　I　wrote　many　things　in
verse；　which　I　sent　to　the　magazines　in　every　part　of　the　English…
speaking　world；　but　they　came　unerringly　back　to　me；　except　in　three
instances　only；　when　they　were　kept　by　the　editors　who　finally　printed
them。　　One　of　these　pieces　was　published　in　the　Atlantic　Monthly；　another
in　Harpers　Magazine；　the　third　was　got　into　the　New　York　Ledger　through
the　kindness　of　Doctor　Edward　Everett　Hale；　who　used　I　know　not　what
mighty　magic　to　that　end。　　I　had　not　yet　met　him；　but　he　interested
himself　in　my　ballad　as　if　it　had　been　his　own。　　His　brother；　Charles
Hale；　later　Consul…General　for　Egypt；　whom　I　saw　almost　every　moment　of
the　two　visits　he　paid　Venice　in　my　time；　had　sent　it　to　him；　after
copying　it　in　his　own　large；　fair　hand；　so　that　it　could　be　read。
He　was　not　quite　of　that　literary　Boston　which　I　so　fondly　remembered　my
glimpses　of；　he　was　rather　of　a　journalistic　and　literary　Boston　which　I
had　never　known；　but　he　was　of　Boston；　after　all。　　He　had　been　in
Lowell's　classes　at　Harvard；　he　had　often　met　Longfellow　in　Cambridge；　he
knew　Doctor　Holmes；　of　course；　and　he　let　me　talk　of　my　idols　to　my
heart's　content。　　I　think　he　must　have　been　amused　by　my　raptures；　most
people　would　have　been；　but　he　was　kind　and　patient；　and　he　listened　to
me　with　a　sweet　intelligence　which　I　shall　always　gratefully　remember。
He　died　too　young；　with　his　life's　possibilities　mainly　unfulfilled；　but
none　who　knew　him　could　fail　to　imagine　them；　or　to　love　him　for　what　he
was。




I。

Besides　those　few　pitiful　successes；　I　had　nothing　but　defeats　in　the
sort　of　literature　which　I　supposed　was　to　be　my　calling；　and　the　defeats
threw　me　upon　prose；　for　some　sort　of　literary　thing；　if　not　one；　then
another；　I　must　do　if　I　lived；　and　I　began　to　write　those　studies　of
Venetian　life　which　afterwards　became　a　book；　and　which　I　contributed　as
letters　to　the　'Boston　Advertiser'；　after　vainly　offering　them　to　more
aesthetic　periodicals。　　However；　I　do　not　imagine　that　it　was　a　very
smiling　time　for　any　literary　endeavorer　at　home　in　the　life…and…death
civil　war　then　waging。　　Some　few　young　men　arose　who　made　themselves
heard　amid　the　din　of　arms　even　as　far　as　Venice；　but　most　of　these　were
hushed　long　ago。　　I　fancy　Theodore　Winthrop；　who　began　to　speak；　as　it
were；　from　his　soldier's　grave；　so　soon　did　his　death　follow　the　earliest
recognition　by　the　public；　and　so　many　were　his　posthumous　works；　was
chief　of　these；　but　there　were　others　whom　the　present　readers　must　make
greater　effort　to　remember。　　Forceythe　Willson；　who　wrote　The　Old
Sergeant；　became　known　for　the　rare　quality　of　his　poetry；　and　now　and
then　there　came　a　poem　from　Aldrich；　or　Stedman；　or　Stoddard。　　The　great
new　series　of　the　'Biglow　Papers'　gathered　volume　with　the　force　they　had
from　the　beginning。　　The　Autocrat　was　often　in　the　pages　of　the　Atlantic；
where　one　often　found　Whittier　and　Emerson；　with　many　a　fresh　name　now
faded。　　In　Washington　the　Piatts　were　writing　some　of　the　most　beautiful
verse　of　the　war；　and　Brownell　was　sounding　his　battle　lyrics　like　so
many　trumpet　blasts。　　The　fiction　which　followed　the　war　was　yet　all　to
come。　　Whatever　was　done　in　any　kind　had　some　hint　of　the　war　in　it；
inevitably；　though　in　the　very　heart　of　it　Longfellow　was　setting　about
his　great　version　of　Dante　peacefully；　prayerfully；　as　he　has　told　in　the
noble　sonnets　which　register　the　mood　of　his　undertaking。

At　Venice；　if　I　was　beyond　the　range　of　literary　recognition　I　was　in
direct　relations　with　one　of　our　greatest　literary　men；　who　was　again　of
that　literary　Boston　which　mainly　represented　American　literature　to　me。
The　official　chief　of　the　consul　at　Venice　was　the　United　States　Minister
at　Vienna；　and　in　my　time　this　minister　was　John　Lothrop　Motley；　the
historian。　　He　was　removed；　later；　by　that　Johnson　administration　which
followed　Lincoln's　so　forgottenly　that　I　name　it　with　a　sense　of
something　almost　prehistoric。　　Among　its　worst　errors　was　the　attempted
discredit　of　a　man　who　had　given　lustre　to　our　name　by　his　work；　and　who
was　an　ardent　patriot　as　well　as　accomplished　scholar。　　He　visited　Venice
during　my　first　year；　which　was　the　darkest　period　of　the　civil　war；　and
I　remember　with　what　instant　security；　not　to　say　severity；　he　rebuked　my
scarcely　whispered　misgivings　of　the　end；　when　I　ventured　to　ask　him　what
he　thought　it　would　be。　　Austria　had　never　recognized　the　Secessionists
as　belligerents；　and　in　the　complications　with　France　and　England　there
was　little　for　our　minister　but　to　share　the　home　indignation　at　the
sympathy　of　those　powers　with　the　South。　　In　Motley　this　was　heightened
by　that　feeling　of　astonishment；　of　wounded　faith；　which　all　Americans
with　English　friendships　experienced　in　those　days；　and　which　he；　whose
English　friendships　were　many；　experienced　in　peculiar　degree。

I　drifted　about　with　him　in　his　gondola；　and　refreshed　myself；　long
a…hungered　for　such　talk；　with　his　talk　of　literary　life　in　London。
Through　some　acquaintance　I　had　made　in　Venice　I　was　able　to　be　of　use　to
him　in　getting　documents　copied　for　him　in　the　Venetian　Archives；
especially　the　Relations　of　the　Venetian　Ambassadors　at　different　courts
during　the　period　and　events　he　was　studying。　　All　such　papers　passed
through　my　hands　in　transmission　to　the　historian；　though　now　I　do　not
quite　know　why　they　need　have　done　so；　but　perhaps　he　was　willing　to　give
me　the　pleasure　of　being　a　partner；　however　humble；　in　the　enterprise。
My　recollection　of　him　is　of　courtesy　to　a　far　younger　man　unqualified　by
patronage；　and　of　a　presence　of　singular　dignity　and　grace。　　He　was　one
of　the　handsomest　men　I　ever　saw；　with　beautiful　eyes；　a　fine　blond　beard
of　modish　cut；　and　a　sensitive　nose；　straight　and　fine。　　He　was
altogether　a　figure　of　worldly　splendor；　and　I　had　reason　to　know　that　he
did　not　let　the　credit　of　our　nation　suffer　at　the　most　aristocratic
court　in　Europe　for　want　of　a　fit　diplomatic　costume；　when　some　of　our
ministers　were　trying　to　make　their　office　do　its　full　effect　upon　all
occasions　in　〃the　dress　of　an　American　gentleman。〃　　The　morning　after　his
arrival　Mr。　Motley　came　to　me　with　a　handful　of　newspapers　which；
according　to　the　Austrian　custom　at　that　day；　had　been　opened　in　the
Venetian　post…office。　　He　wished　me　to　protest　against　this　on　his　behalf
as　an　infringement　of　his　diplomatic　extra…territoriality；　and　I　proposed
to　go　at　once　to　the　director　of　the　post：　I　had　myself　suffered　in　the
same　way；　and　though　I　knew　that　a　mere　consul　was　helpless；　I　was
willing　to　see　the　double…headed　eagle　trodden　under　foot　by　a　Minister
Plenipotentiary。　　Mr。　Motley　said　that　he　would　go　with　me；　and　we　put
off　in　his　gondola　to　the　post…office。　　The　director　received　us　with　the
utmost　deference。　　He　admitted　the　irregularity　which　the　minister
complained　of；　and　declared　that　he　had　no　choice　but　to　open　every
foreign　newspaper；　to　whomsoever　addressed。　　He　suggested；　however；　that
if　the　minister　made　his　appeal　to　the　Lieutenant…Governor　of　Venice；
Count　Toggenburg　would　no　doubt　instantly　order　the　exemption　of　his
newspapers　from　the　general　rule。

Mr。　Motley　said　he　would　give　himself　the　pleasure　of　calling　upon　the
Lieutenant…Governor；　and　〃How　fortunate；〃　he　added；　when　we　were　got　back
into　the　gondola；　〃that　I　should　have　happened　to　bring　my　court　dress
with　me！〃　I　did　not　see　the　encounter　of　the　high　contending　powers；　but
I　know　that　it　ended　in　a　complete　victory　for　our　minister。

I　had　no　further　active　relations　of　an　official　kind　with　Mr。　Motley；
except　in　the　case　of　a　naturalized　American　citizen；　whose　property　was
slowly　but　surely　wasting　away　in　the　keeping　of　the　Venetian　courts。
An　order　had　at　last　been　given　for　the　surrender　of　the　remnant　to　the
owner；　but　the　Lombardo…Venetian　authorities　insisted　that　this　should　be
done　through　the　United　States　Minister　at　Vienna；　and　Mr。　Motley　held　as
firmly　that　it　must　be　done　through　the　United　States　Consul　at　Venice。
I　could　only　report　to　him　from　time　to　time　the　unyielding　attitude　of
the　Civil　Tribunal；　and　at　last　he　consented；　as　he　wrote；　〃to　act
officiously；　not　officially；　in　the　matter；〃　and　the　hapless　claimant　got
what　was　left　of　his　estate。

I　had　a　glimpse　of　the　historian　afterwards　in　Boston；　but　it　was　only
for　a　moment；　just　before　his　appointment　to　England；　where　he　was　made
to　suffer　for　Sumner　in　his　quarrel　with　Grant。　　That　injustice　crowned
the　injuries　his　country　had　done　a　most　faithful　patriot　and　high…
spirited　gentleman；　whose　fame　as　an　historian　once　filled　the　ear　of　the
English…speaking　world。　　His　books　seemed　to　have　been　written　in　a
spirit　already　no　longer　modern；　and　I　did　not　find　the　greatest　of　them
so　moving　as　I　expected　when　I　came　to　it　with　all　the　ardor　of　my
admiration　for　the　historian。　　William　the　Silent　seemed　to　me；　by　his
worshipper's　own　showing；　scarcely　level　with　the　popular　movement　which
he　did　not　so　much　direct　as　follow；　but　it　is　a　good　deal　for　a　prince
to　be　able　even　to　follow　his　people；　and　it　cannot　be　said　that　Motley
does　not　fully　recognize　the　greatness　of　the　Dutch　people；　though　he　may
see　the　Prince　of　Orange　too　large。　　The　study　of　their　character　made　at
least　a　theoretical　democrat　of　a　scholar　whose　instincts　were　not
perhaps　democratic；　and　his　sympathy　with　that　brave　little　republic
between　the　dikes　strengthened　him　in　his　fealty　to　the　great
commonwealth　between　the　oceans。　　I　believe　that　so　far　as　he　was　of　any
political　tradition；　he　was　of　the　old　Boston　Whig　tradition；　but　when　I
met　him　at　Venice　he　was　in　the　glow　of　a　generous　pride　in　our　war　as　a
war　against　slavery。　　He　spoke　of　the　negroes　and　their　simple…hearted；
single…minded　devotion　to　the　Union　cause　in　terms　that　an　original
abolitionist　might　have　used；　at　a　time　when　original　abolitionists　were
not　so　many　as　they　have　since　become。

For　the　rest；　I　fancy　it　was　very　well　for　us　to　be　represented　at　Vienna
in　those　days　by　an　ideal　democrat　who　was　also　a　real　swell；　and　who　was
not　likely　to　discredit　us　socially　when　we　so　much　needed　to　be　well
thought　of　in　every　way。


At　a　court　where　the　family　of　Count　Schmerling；　the　Prime　Minister；
could　not　be　received　for　want　of　the　requisite　descents；　it　was　well　to
have　a　minister　who　would　not　commit　the　mistake　of　inviting　the　First
Society　to　meet　the　Second　Society；　as　a　former　Envoy　Extraordinary　had
done；　with　the　effect　of　finding　himself　left　entirely　to　the　Second
Society　during　the　rest　of　his　stay　in　Vienna。




II。

One　of　my　consular　colleagues　under　Motley　was　another　historian；　of　no
such　popularity；　indeed；　nor　even　of　such　success；　but　perhaps　not　of
inferior　powers。　　This　was　Richard　Hildreth；　at　Trieste；　the　author　of
one　of　the　sincerest　if　not　the　truest　histories　of　the　United　States；
according　to　the　testimony　both　of　his　liking　and　his　misliking　critics。
I　have　never　read　his　history；　and　I　speak　of　it　only