memories and portraits-第15章

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grapple　of　genuine　converse。　　If　they　know　Othello　and　Napoleon；　

Consuelo　and　Clarissa　Harlowe；　Vautrin　and　Steenie　Steenson；　they　

can　leave　generalities　and　begin　at　once　to　speak　by　figures。



Conduct　and　art　are　the　two　subjects　that　arise　most　frequently　and　

that　embrace　the　widest　range　of　facts。　　A　few　pleasures　bear　

discussion　for　their　own　sake；　but　only　those　which　are　most　social　

or　most　radically　human；　and　even　these　can　only　be　discussed　among　

their　devotees。　　A　technicality　is　always　welcome　to　the　expert；　

whether　in　athletics；　art　or　law；　I　have　heard　the　best　kind　of　

talk　on　technicalities　from　such　rare　and　happy　persons　as　both　

know　and　love　their　business。　　No　human　being　ever　spoke　of　scenery　

for　above　two　minutes　at　a　time；　which　makes　me　suspect　we　hear　too　

much　of　it　in　literature。　　The　weather　is　regarded　as　the　very　

nadir　and　scoff　of　conversational　topics。　　And　yet　the　weather；　the　

dramatic　element　in　scenery；　is　far　more　tractable　in　language；　and　

far　more　human　both　in　import　and　suggestion　than　the　stable　

features　of　the　landscape。　　Sailors　and　shepherds；　and　the　people　

generally　of　coast　and　mountain；　talk　well　of　it；　and　it　is　often　

excitingly　presented　in　literature。　　But　the　tendency　of　all　living　

talk　draws　it　back　and　back　into　the　common　focus　of　humanity。　　

Talk　is　a　creature　of　the　street　and　market…place；　feeding　on　

gossip；　and　its　last　resort　is　still　in　a　discussion　on　morals。　　

That　is　the　heroic　form　of　gossip；　heroic　in　virtue　of　its　high　

pretensions；　but　still　gossip；　because　it　turns　on　personalities。　　

You　can　keep　no　men　long；　nor　Scotchmen　at　all；　off　moral　or　

theological　discussion。　　These　are　to　all　the　world　what　law　is　to　

lawyers；　they　are　everybody's　technicalities；　the　medium　through　

which　all　consider　life；　and　the　dialect　in　which　they　express　

their　judgments。　　I　knew　three　young　men　who　walked　together　daily　

for　some　two　months　in　a　solemn　and　beautiful　forest　and　in　

cloudless　summer　weather；　daily　they　talked　with　unabated　zest；　and　

yet　scarce　wandered　that　whole　time　beyond　two　subjects　…　theology　

and　love。　　And　perhaps　neither　a　court　of　love　nor　an　assembly　of　

divines　would　have　granted　their　premisses　or　welcomed　their　

conclusions。



Conclusions；　indeed；　are　not　often　reached　by　talk　any　more　than　by　

private　thinking。　　That　is　not　the　profit。　　The　profit　is　in　the　

exercise；　and　above　all　in　the　experience；　for　when　we　reason　at　

large　on　any　subject；　we　review　our　state　and　history　in　life。　　

From　time　to　time；　however；　and　specially；　I　think；　in　talking　art；　

talk　becomes　elective；　conquering　like　war；　widening　the　boundaries　

of　knowledge　like　an　exploration。　　A　point　arises；　the　question　

takes　a　problematical；　a　baffling；　yet　a　likely　air；　the　talkers　

begin　to　feel　lively　presentiments　of　some　conclusion　near　at　hand；　

towards　this　they　strive　with　emulous　ardour；　each　by　his　own　path；　

and　struggling　for　first　utterance；　and　then　one　leaps　upon　the　

summit　of　that　matter　with　a　shout；　and　almost　at　the　same　moment　

the　other　is　beside　him；　and　behold　they　are　agreed。　　Like　enough；　

the　progress　is　illusory；　a　mere　cat's　cradle　having　been　wound　and　

unwound　out　of　words。　　But　the　sense　of　joint　discovery　is　none　the　

less　giddy　and　inspiriting。　　And　in　the　life　of　the　talker　such　

triumphs；　though　imaginary；　are　neither　few　nor　far　apart；　they　are　

attained　with　speed　and　pleasure；　in　the　hour　of　mirth；　and　by　the　

nature　of　the　process；　they　are　always　worthily　shared。



There　is　a　certain　attitude；　combative　at　once　and　deferential；　

eager　to　fight　yet　most　averse　to　quarrel；　which　marks　out　at　once　

the　talkable　man。　　It　is　not　eloquence；　not　fairness；　not　

obstinacy；　but　a　certain　proportion　of　all　of　these　that　I　love　to　

encounter　in　my　amicable　adversaries。　　They　must　not　be　pontiffs　

holding　doctrine；　but　huntsmen　questing　after　elements　of　truth。　　

Neither　must　they　be　boys　to　be　instructed；　but　fellow…teachers　

with　whom　I　may　wrangle　and　agree　on　equal　terms。　　We　must　reach　

some　solution；　some　shadow　of　consent；　for　without　that；　eager　talk　

becomes　a　torture。　　But　we　do　not　wish　to　reach　it　cheaply；　or　

quickly；　or　without　the　tussle　and　effort　wherein　pleasure　lies。



The　very　best　talker；　with　me；　is　one　whom　I　shall　call　Spring…

Heel'd　Jack。　　I　say　so；　because　I　never　knew　any　one　who　mingled　so　

largely　the　possible　ingredients　of　converse。　　In　the　Spanish　

proverb；　the　fourth　man　necessary　to　compound　a　salad；　is　a　madman　

to　mix　it：　Jack　is　that　madman。　　I　know　not　which　is　more　

remarkable；　the　insane　lucidity　of　his　conclusions　the　humorous　

eloquence　of　his　language；　or　his　power　of　method；　bringing　the　

whole　of　life　into　the　focus　of　the　subject　treated；　mixing　the　

conversational　salad　like　a　drunken　god。　　He　doubles　like　the　

serpent；　changes　and　flashes　like　the　shaken　kaleidoscope；　

transmigrates　bodily　into　the　views　of　others；　and　so；　in　the　

twinkling　of　an　eye　and　with　a　heady　rapture；　turns　questions　

inside　out　and　flings　them　empty　before　you　on　the　ground；　like　a　

triumphant　conjuror。　　It　is　my　common　practice　when　a　piece　of　

conduct　puzzles　me；　to　attack　it　in　the　presence　of　Jack　with　such　

grossness；　such　partiality　and　such　wearing　iteration；　as　at　length　

shall　spur　him　up　in　its　defence。　　In　a　moment　he　transmigrates；　

dons　the　required　character；　and　with　moonstruck　philosophy　

justifies　the　act　in　question。　　I　can　fancy　nothing　to　compare　with　

the　VIM　of　these　impersonations；　the　strange　scale　of　language；　

flying　from　Shakespeare　to　Kant；　and　from　Kant　to　Major　Dyngwell　…



〃As　fast　as　a　musician　scatters　sounds

Out　of　an　instrument〃



the　sudden；　sweeping　generalisations；　the　absurd　irrelevant　

particularities；　the　wit；　wisdom；　folly；　humour；　eloquence　and　

bathos；　each　startling　in　its　kind；　and　yet　all　luminous　in　the　

admired　disorder　of　their　combination。　　A　talker　of　a　different　

calibre；　though　belonging　to　the　same　school；　is　Burly。　　Burly　is　a　

man　of　a　great　presence；　he　commands　a　larger　atmosphere；　gives　the　

impression　of　a　grosser　mass　of　character　than　most　men。　　It　has　

been　said　of　him　that　his　presence　could　be　felt　in　a　room　you　

entered　blindfold；　and　the　same；　I　think；　has　been　said　of　other　

powerful　constitutions　condemned　to　much　physical　inaction。　　There　

is　something　boisterous　and　piratic　in　Burly's　manner　of　talk　which　

suits　well　enough　with　this　impression。　　He　will　roar　you　down；　he　

will　bury　his　face　in　his　hands；　he　will　undergo　passions　of　revolt　

and　agony；　and　meanwhile　his　attitude　of　mind　is　really　both　

conciliatory　and　receptive；　and　after　Pistol　has　been　out　Pistol'd；　

and　the　welkin　rung　for　hours；　you　begin　to　perceive　a　certain　

subsidence　in　these　spring　torrents；　points　of　agreement　issue；　and　

you　end　arm…in…arm；　and　in　a　glow　of　mutual　admiration。　　The　outcry　

only　serves　to　make　your　final　union　the　more　unexpected　and　

precious。　　Throughout　there　has　been　perfect　sincerity；　perfect　

intelligence；　a　desire　to　hear　although　not　always　to　listen；　and　

an　unaffected　eagerness　to　meet　concessions。　　You　have；　with　Burly；　

none　of　the　dangers　that　attend　debate　with　Spring…Heel'd　Jack；　who　

may　at　any　moment　turn　his　powers　of　transmigration　on　yourself；　

create　for　you　a　view　you　never　held；　and　then　furiously　fall　on　

you　for　holding　it。　　These；　at　least；　are　my　two　favourites；　and　

both　are　loud；　copious；　intolerant　talkers。　　This　argues　that　I　

myself　am　in　the　same　category；　for　if　we　love　talking　at　all；　we　

love　a　bright；　fierce　adversary；　who　will　hold　his　ground；　foot　by　

foot；　in　much　our　own　manner；　sell　his　attention　dearly；　and　give　

us　our　full　measure　of　the　dust　and　exertion　of　battle。　　Both　these　

men　can　be　beat　from　a　position；　but　it　takes　six　hours　to　do　it；　a　

high　and　hard　adventure；　worth　attempting。　　With　both　you　can　pass　

days　in　an　enchanted　country　of　the　mind；　with　people；　scenery　and　

manners　of　its　own；　live　a　life　apart；　more　arduous；　active　and　

glowing　than　any　real　existence；　and　come　forth　again　when　the　talk　

is　over；　as　out　of　a　theatre　or　a　dream；　to　find　the　east　wind　

still　blowing　and　the　chimney…pots　of　the　old　battered　city　still　

around　you。　　Jack　has　the　far　finer　mind；　Burly　the　far　more　

honest；　Jack　gives　us　the　animated　poetry；　Burly　the　romantic　

prose；　of　similar　themes；　the　one　glances　high　like　a　meteor　and　

makes　a　light　in　darkness；　the　other；　with　many　changing　hues　of　

fire；　burns　at　the　sea…level；　like　a　conflagration；　but　both　have　

the　same　humour　and　artistic　interests；　the　same　unquenched　ardour　

in　pursuit；　the　same　gusts　of　talk　and　thunderclaps　of　

contradiction。



Cockshot　（5）　is　a　different　article；　but　vastly　entertaining；　and　

has　been　meat　and　drink　to　me　for　many　a　long　evening。　　His　manner　

is　dry；　brisk　and　pertinacious；　and　the　choice　of　words　not　much。　　

The　point　about　him　is　his　extraordinary　readiness　and　spirit。　　You　

can　propound　nothing　but　he　has　either　a　theory　about　it　ready…

made；　or　will　have　one　instantly　on　the　stocks；　and　proceed　to　lay　

its　timbers　and　launch　it　in　your　presence。　　〃Let　me　see；〃　he　will　

say。　　〃Give　me　a　moment。　　I　SHOULD　have　some　theory　for　that。〃　　A　

blither　spectacle　than　the　vigour　with　which　he　sets　about　the　

task；　it　were　hard　to　fancy。　　He　is　possessed　by　a　demoniac　energy；　

welding　the　elements　for　his　life；　and　bending　ideas；　as　an　athlete　

bends　a　horse…shoe；　with　a　visible　and　lively　effort。　　He　has；　in　

theorising；　a　compass；　an　art；　what　I　would　call　the　synthetic　

gusto；　something　of　a　Herbert　Spencer；　who　should　see　the　fun　of　

the　thing。　　You　are　not　bound；　and　no　more　is　he；　to　place　your　

faith　in　these　brand…new　opinions。　　But　some　of　them　are　right　

enough；　durable　even　for　life；　and　the　poorest　serve　for　a　cock　shy　

…　as　when　idle　people；　after　picnics；　float　a　bottle　on　a　pond　and　

have　an　hour's　diversion　ere　it　sinks。　　Whichever　they　are；　serious　

opinions　or　humours　of　the　moment；　he　still　defends　his　ventures　

with　indefatigable　wit　and　spirit；　hitting　savagely　himself；　but　

taking　punishment　like　a　man。　　He　knows　and　never　forgets　that　

people　talk；　first　of　all；　for　the　sake　of　talking；　conducts　

himself　in　the　ring；　to　use　the　old　slang；　like　a　thorough　

〃glutton；〃　and　honestly　enjoys　a　telling　facer　from　his　adversary。　　

Cockshot　is　bottled　effervescency；　the　sworn　foe　of　sleep。　　Three…

in…the…morning　Cockshot；　says　a　victim。　　His　talk　is　like　the　

driest　of　all　imaginable　dry　champagnes。　　Sleight　of　hand　and　

inimitable　quickness　are　the　qualities　by　which　he　lives。　　

Athelred；　on　the　other　hand；　presents　you　with　the　spectacle　of　a　

sincere　and　somewhat　slow　nature　thinking　aloud。　　He　is　the　most　

unready　man　I　ever　knew　to　shine　in　conversation。　　You　may　see　him　

sometimes　wrestle　with　a　refractory　jest　for　a　minu