biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第3节

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o　me　a　now　famous　lady　who　as　　a　girl　had　known　Mrs。　Procter　well；　〃made　friendly　company　　yesterday　to　a　lonely　meal；　and　brought　back　memories　of　Mr。　　Kinglake's　kind　spoiling　of　a　raw　young　woman；　and　of　the　wit；　the　　egregious　vanity；　the　coarseness；　the　kindness；　of　that　hard　old　　worldling　our　Lady　of　Bitterness。〃　　In　the　presence　of　one　man；　　Tennyson；　she　laid　aside　her　shrewishness：　〃talking　with　Alfred　　Tennyson　lifts　me　out　of　the　earth　earthy；　a　visit　to　Farringford　　is　like　a　retreat　to　the　religious。〃　　A　celebrity　in　London　for　　fifty　years；　she　died；　witty　and　vigorous　to　the　last；　in　1888。　　　〃You　and　I　and　Mr。　Kinglake；〃　she　says　to　Lord　Houghton；　〃are　all　　that　are　left　of　the　goodly　band　that　used　to　come　to　St。　John's　　Wood；　Eliot　Warburton；　Motley；　Adelaide；　Count　de　Verg；　Chorley；　　Sir　Edwin　Landseer；　my　husband。〃　　〃I　never　could　write　a　book；〃　she　　tells　him　in　another　letter；　〃and　one　strong　reason　for　not　doing　　so　was　the　idea　of　some　few　seeing　how　poor　it　was。　　Venables　was　　one　of　the　few；　I　need　not　say　that　you　were　one；　and　Kinglake。〃

Kinglake　was　called　to　the　Chancery　Bar；　and　practised　apparently　　with　no　great　success。　　He　believed　that　his　reputation　as　a　writer　　stood　in　his　way。　　When；　in　1845；　poor　Hood's　friends　were　helping　　him　by　gratuitous　articles　in　his　magazine；　〃Hood's　Own；〃　Kinglake　　wrote　to　Monckton　Milnes　refusing　to　contribute。　　He　will　send　10　　pounds　to　buy　an　article　from　some　competent　writer；　but　will　not　　himself　write。　　〃It　would　be　seriously　injurious　to　me　if　the　　author　of　'Eothen'　were　AFFICHED　as　contributing　to　a　magazine。　　My　　frailty　in　publishing　a　book　has；　I　fear；　already　hurt　me　in　my　　profession；　and　a　small　sin　of　this　kind　would　bring　on　me　still　　deeper　disgrace　with　the　solicitors。〃

Twice　at　least　in　these　early　years　he　travelled。　　〃Mr。　Kinglake；〃　　writes　Mrs。　Procter　in　1843；　〃is　in　Switzerland；　reading　Rousseau。〃　　　And　in　the　following　year　we　hear　of　him　in　Algeria；　accompanying　　St。　Arnaud　in　his　campaign　against　the　Arabs。　　The　mingled　interest　　and　horror　inspired　in　him　by　this　extra…ordinary　man　finds　　expression　in　his　〃Invasion　of　the　Crimea〃　（ii。　157）。　　A　few；　a　　very　few　survivors；　still　remember　his　appearance　and　manners　in　　the　forties。　　The　eminent　husband　of　a　lady；　now　passed　away；　who　　in　her　lifetime　gave　Sunday　dinners　at　which　Kinglake　was　always　　present；　speaks　of　him　as　SENSITIVE；　quiet　in　the　presence　of　noisy　　people；　of　Brookfield　and　the　overpowering　Bernal　Osborne；　liking　　their　company；　but　never　saying　anything　worthy　of　remembrance。　　A　　popular　old　statesman；　still　active　in　the　House　of　Commons；　　recalls　meeting　him　at　Palmerston；　Lord　Harrington's　seat；　where　　was　assembled　a　party　in　honour　of　Madame　Guiccioli　and　her　second　　husband；　the　Marquis　de　Boissy；　and　tells　me　that　he　attached　　himself　to　ladies；　not　to　gentlemen；　nor　ever　joined　in　general　　tattle。　　Like　many　other　famous　men；　he　passed　through　a　period　of　　shyness；　which　yielded　to　women's　tactfulness　only。　　From　the　first　　they　appreciated　him；　〃if　you　were　as　gentle　as　your　friend　　Kinglake；〃　writes　Mrs。　Norton　reproachfully　to　Hayward　in　the　　sulks。　　Another　coaeval　of　those　days　calls　him　handsome　…　an　　epithet　I　should　hardly　apply　to　him　later　…　slight；　not　tall；　　sharp　featured；　with　dark　hair　well　tended；　always　modishly　dressed　　after　the　fashion　of　the　thirties；　the　fashion　of　Bulwer's　　exquisites；　or　of　H。　K。　Browne's　〃Nicholas　Nickleby〃　illustrations；　　leaving　on　all　who　saw　him　an　impression　of　great　personal　　distinction；　yet　with　an　air　of　youthful　ABANDON　which　never　quite　　left　him：　〃He　was　pale；　small；　and　delicate　in　appearance；〃　says　　Mrs。　Simpson；　Nassau　Senior's　daughter；　who　knew　him　to　the　end　of　　his　life；　while　Mrs。　Andrew　Crosse；　his　friend　in　the　Crimean　　decade；　cites　his　finely　chiselled　features　and　intellectual　brow；　　〃a　complexion　bloodless　with　the　pallor　not　of　ill…health；　but　of　　an　old　Greek　bust。〃



CHAPTER　II　…　〃EOTHEN〃



〃EOTHEN〃　appeared　in　1844。　　Twice；　Kinglake　tells　us；　he　had　　essayed　the　story　of　his　travels；　twice　abandoned　it　under　a　sense　　of　strong　disinclination　to　write。　　A　third　attempt　was　induced　by　　an　entreaty　from　his　friend　Eliot　Warburton；　himself　projecting　an　　Eastern　tour；　and　to　Warburton　in　a　characteristic　preface　the　　narrative　is　addressed。　　The　book；　when　finished；　went　the　round　of　　the　London　market　without　finding　a　publisher。　　It　was　offered　to　　John　Murray；　who　cited　his　refusal　of　it　as　the　great　blunder　of　　his　professional　life；　consoling　himself　with　the　thought　that　his　　father　had　equally　lacked　foresight　thirty　years　before　in　　declining　the　〃Rejected　Addresses〃；　he　secured　the　copyright　later　　on。　　It　was　published　in　the　end　by　a　personal　friend；　Ollivier；　of　　Pall　Mall；　Kinglake　paying　50　pounds　to　cover　risk　of　loss；　even　　worse　terms　than　were　obtained　by　Warburton　two　years　afterwards　　from　Colburn；　who　owned　in　the　fifties　to　having　cleared　6；000　　pounds　by　〃The　Crescent　and　the　Cross。〃　　The　volume　was　an　octavo　　of　418　pages；　the　curious　folding…plate　which　forms　the　　frontispiece　was　drawn　and　coloured　by　the　author；　and　was　compared　　by　the　critics　to　a　tea…tray。　　In　front　is　Moostapha　the　Tatar；　the　　two　foremost　figures　in　the　rear　stand　for　accomplished　Mysseri；　　whom　Kinglake　was　delighted　to　recognize　long　afterwards　as　a　　flourishing　hotel　keeper　in　Constantinople；　and　Steel；　the　　Yorkshire　servant；　in　his　striped　pantry　jacket；　〃looking　out　for　　gentlemen's　seats。〃　　Behind　are　〃Methley；〃　Lord　Pollington；　in　a　　broad…brimmed　hat；　and　the　booted　leg　of　Kinglake；　who　modestly　hid　　his　figure　by　a　tree；　but　exposed　his　foot；　of　which　he　was　very　　proud。　　Of　the　other　characters；　〃Our　Lady　of　Bitterness〃　was　Mrs。　　Procter；　〃Carrigaholt〃　was　Henry　Stuart　Burton　of　Carrigaholt；　　County　Clare。　　Here　and　there　are　allusions；　obvious　at　the　time；　　now　needing　a　scholiast；　which　have　not　in　any　of　the　reprints　been　　explained。　　In　their　ride　through　the　Balkans　they　talked　of　old　　Eton　days。　　〃We　bullied　Keate；　and　scoffed　at　Larrey　Miller　and　　Okes；　we　rode　along　loudly　laughing；　and　talked　to　the　grave　　Servian　forest　as　though　it　were　the　Brocas　clump。〃　（9）　　Keate　　requires　no　interpreter；　Okes　was　an　Eton　tutor；　afterwards　Provost　　of　King's。　　Larrey　or　Laurie　Miller　was　an　old　tailor　in　Keate's　　Lane　who　used　to　sit　on　his　open　shop…board；　facing　the　street；　a　　mark　for　the　compliments　of　passing　boys；　as　frolicsome　youngsters　　in　the　days　of　Addison　and　Steele；　as　High　School　lads　in　the　days　　of　Walter　Scott；　were　accustomed　to　〃smoke　the　cobler。〃　　The　Brocas　　was　a　meadow　sacred　to　badger…baiting　and　cat…hunts。　　The　badgers　　were　kept　by　a　certain　Jemmy　Flowers；　who　charged　sixpence　for　each　　〃draw〃；　Puss　was　turned　out　of　a　bag　and　chased　by　dogs；　her　chance　　being　to　reach　and　climb　a　group　of　trees　near　the　river；　known　as　　the　〃Brocas　Clump。〃　　Of　the　quotations；　〃a　Yorkshireman　　hippodamoio〃　（p。　35）　is；　I　am　told；　an　OBITER　DICTUM　of　Sir　Francis　　Doyle。　　〃Striving　to　attain；〃　etc。　（p。　33）；　is　taken　not　quite　　correctly　from　Tennyson's　〃Timbuctoo。〃　　Our　crew　were　〃a　solemn　　company〃　（p。　57）　is　probably　a　reminiscence　of　〃we　were　a　gallant　　company〃　in　〃The　Siege　of　Corinth。〃　　For　〃'the　own　armchair'　of　our　　Lyrist's　'Sweet　Lady'〃　Anne'〃　（p。　161）　see　the　poem；　〃My　own　arm…　chair〃　in　Barry　Cornwall's　〃English　Lyrics。〃　　〃Proud　Marie　of　　Anjou〃　（p。　96）　and　〃single…sin　…　〃　（p。　　121）；　are　unintelligible；　a　　friend　once　asked　Kinglake　to　explain　the　former；　but　received　for　　answer；　〃Oh！　that　is　a　private　thing。〃　　It　may；　however；　have　been　　a　pet　name　for　little　Marie　de　Viry；　Procter's　niece；　and　the　CHERE　　AMIE　of　his　verse；　whom　Eothen　must　have　met　often　at　his　friend's　　house。　　The　St。　Simonians　of　p。　83　were　the　disciples　of　Comte　de　　St。　Simon；　a　Parisian　reformer　in　the　latter　part　of　the　eighteenth　　century；　who　endeavoured　to　establish　a　social　republic　based　on　　capacity　and　labour。　　Pere　Enfantin　was　his　disciple。　　The　〃mystic　　mother〃　was　a　female　Messiah；　expected　to　become　the　parent　of　a　　new　Saviour。　　〃Sir　Robert　once　said　a　good　thing〃　（p。　93）；　refers　　possibly　to　Sir　Robert　Peel；　not　famous　for　epigram；　whose　one　good　　thing　is　said　to　have　been　bestowed　upon　a　friend　before　Croker's　　portrait　in　the　Academy。　　〃Wonderful　likeness；〃　said　the　friend；　　〃it　gives　the　very　quiver　of　the　mouth。〃　　〃Yes；〃　said　Sir　Robert；　　〃and　the　arrow　coming　out　of　it。〃　　Or　it　may　mean　Sir　Robert　　Inglis；　Peel's　successor　at　Oxford；　more　noted　for　his　genial　　kindness　and　for　the　perpetual　bouquet　in　his　buttonhole　at　a　date　　when　such　ornaments　were　not　worn；　than　for　capacity　to　conceive　　and　say　good　things。　　In　some　mischievous　lines　describing　the　　Oxford　election　where　Inglis　supplanted　Peel；　Macaulay　wrote


〃And　then　said　all　the　Doctors　sitting　in　the　Divinity　School；　Not　this　man；　but　Sir　Robert'　…　now　Sir　Robert　was　a　fool。〃


But　in　the　fifth　and　later　editions　Kinglake　altered　it　to　〃Sir　　John。〃

By　a　curious　oversight　in　the　first　two　editions　（p。　41）　JOVE　was　　made　to　gaze　on　Troy　from　Samothrace；　it　was　rightly　altered　to　　Neptune　in　the　third；　and　〃eagle　eye　of　Jove〃　in　the　following　　sentence　was　replaced　by　〃dread　Commoter　of　our　globe