memories and portraits-第15部分

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original　work　as　something　due　already　to　the　nation；　and　none　of　

them　has　ever　taken　out　a　patent。　　It　is　another　cause　of　the　

comparative　obscurity　of　the　name：　for　a　patent　not　only　brings　in　

money；　it　infallibly　spreads　reputation；　and　my　father's　

instruments　enter　anonymously　into　a　hundred　light…rooms；　and　are　

passed　anonymously　over　in　a　hundred　reports；　where　the　least　

considerable　patent　would　stand　out　and　tell　its　author's　story。



But　the　life…work　of　Thomas　Stevenson　remains；　what　we　have　lost；　

what　we　now　rather　try　to　recall；　is　the　friend　and　companion。　　He　

was　a　man　of　a　somewhat　antique　strain：　with　a　blended　sternness　

and　softness　that　was　wholly　Scottish　and　at　first　somewhat　

bewildering；　with　a　profound　essential　melancholy　of　disposition　

and　（what　often　accompanies　it）　the　most　humorous　geniality　in　

company；　shrewd　and　childish；　passionately　attached；　passionately　

prejudiced；　a　man　of　many　extremes；　many　faults　of　temper；　and　no　

very　stable　foothold　for　himself　among　life's　troubles。　　Yet　he　was　

a　wise　adviser；　many　men；　and　these　not　inconsiderable；　took　

counsel　with　him　habitually。　　〃I　sat　at　his　feet；〃　writes　one　of　

these；　〃when　I　asked　his　advice；　and　when　the　broad　brow　was　set　in　

thought　and　the　firm　mouth　said　his　say；　I　always　knew　that　no　man　

could　add　to　the　worth　of　the　conclusion。〃　　He　had　excellent　taste；　

though　whimsical　and　partial；　collected　old　furniture　and　delighted　

specially　in　sunflowers　long　before　the　days　of　Mr。　Wilde；　took　a　

lasting　pleasure　in　prints　and　pictures；　was　a　devout　admirer　of　

Thomson　of　Duddingston　at　a　time　when　few　shared　the　taste；　and　

though　he　read　little；　was　constant　to　his　favourite　books。　　He　had　

never　any　Greek；　Latin　he　happily　re…taught　himself　after　he　had　

left　school；　where　he　was　a　mere　consistent　idler：　happily；　I　say；　

for　Lactantius；　Vossius；　and　Cardinal　Bona　were　his　chief　authors。　　

The　first　he　must　have　read　for　twenty　years　uninterruptedly；　

keeping　it　near　him　in　his　study；　and　carrying　it　in　his　bag　on　

journeys。　　Another　old　theologian；　Brown　of　Wamphray；　was　often　in　

his　hands。　　When　he　was　indisposed；　he　had　two　books；　GUY　MANNERING　

and　THE　PARENT'S　ASSISTANT；　of　which　he　never　wearied。　　He　was　a　

strong　Conservative；　or；　as　he　preferred　to　call　himself；　a　Tory；　

except　in　so　far　as　his　views　were　modified　by　a　hot…headed　

chivalrous　sentiment　for　women。　　He　was　actually　in　favour　of　a　

marriage　law　under　which　any　woman　might　have　a　divorce　for　the　

asking；　and　no　man　on　any　ground　whatever；　and　the　same　sentiment　

found　another　expression　in　a　Magdalen　Mission　in　Edinburgh；　

founded　and　largely　supported　by　himself。　　This　was　but　one　of　the　

many　channels　of　his　public　generosity；　his　private　was　equally　

unstrained。　　The　Church　of　Scotland；　of　which　he　held　the　doctrines　

（though　in　a　sense　of　his　own）　and　to　which　he　bore　a　clansman's　

loyalty；　profited　often　by　his　time　and　money；　and　though；　from　a　

morbid　sense　of　his　own　unworthiness；　he　would　never　consent　to　be　

an　office…bearer；　his　advice　was　often　sought；　and　he　served　the　

Church　on　many　committees。　　What　he　perhaps　valued　highest　in　his　

work　were　his　contributions　to　the　defence　of　Christianity；　one　of　

which；　in　particular；　was　praised　by　Hutchinson　Stirling　and　

reprinted　at　the　request　of　Professor　Crawford。



His　sense　of　his　own　unworthiness　I　have　called　morbid；　morbid；　

too；　were　his　sense　of　the　fleetingness　of　life　and　his　concern　for　

death。　　He　had　never　accepted　the　conditions　of　man's　life　or　his　

own　character；　and　his　inmost　thoughts　were　ever　tinged　with　the　

Celtic　melancholy。　　Cases　of　conscience　were　sometimes　grievous　to　

him；　and　that　delicate　employment　of　a　scientific　witness　cost　him　

many　qualms。　　But　he　found　respite　from　these　troublesome　humours　

in　his　work；　in　his　lifelong　study　of　natural　science；　in　the　

society　of　those　he　loved；　and　in　his　daily　walks；　which　now　would　

carry　him　far　into　the　country　with　some　congenial　friend；　and　now　

keep　him　dangling　about　the　town　from　one　old　book…shop　to　another；　

and　scraping　romantic　acquaintance　with　every　dog　that　passed。　　His　

talk；　compounded　of　so　much　sterling　sense　and　so　much　freakish　

humour；　and　clothed　in　language　so　apt；　droll；　and　emphatic；　was　a　

perpetual　delight　to　all　who　knew　him　before　the　clouds　began　to　

settle　on　his　mind。　　His　use　of　language　was　both　just　and　

picturesque；　and　when　at　the　beginning　of　his　illness　he　began　to　

feel　the　ebbing　of　this　power；　it　was　strange　and　painful　to　hear　

him　reject　one　word　after　another　as　inadequate；　and　at　length　

desist　from　the　search　and　leave　his　phrase　unfinished　rather　than　

finish　it　without　propriety。　　It　was　perhaps　another　Celtic　trait　

that　his　affections　and　emotions；　passionate　as　these　were；　and　

liable　to　passionate　ups　and　downs；　found　the　most　eloquent　

expression　both　in　words　and　gestures。　　Love；　anger；　and　

indignation　shone　through　him　and　broke　forth　in　imagery；　like　what　

we　read　of　Southern　races。　　For　all　these　emotional　extremes；　and　

in　spite　of　the　melancholy　ground　of　his　character；　he　had　upon　the　

whole　a　happy　life；　nor　was　he　less　fortunate　in　his　death；　which　

at　the　last　came　to　him　unaware。









CHAPTER　X。　TALK　AND　TALKERS





Sir；　we　had　a　good　talk。　…　JOHNSON。



As　we　must　account　for　every　idle　word；　so　we　must　for　every　idle　

silence。　…　FRANKLIN。





THERE　can　be　no　fairer　ambition　than　to　excel　in　talk；　to　be　

affable；　gay；　ready；　clear　and　welcome；　to　have　a　fact；　a　thought；　

or　an　illustration；　pat　to　every　subject；　and　not　only　to　cheer　the　

flight　of　time　among　our　intimates；　but　bear　our　part　in　that　great　

international　congress；　always　sitting；　where　public　wrongs　are　

first　declared；　public　errors　first　corrected；　and　the　course　of　

public　opinion　shaped；　day　by　day；　a　little　nearer　to　the　right。　　

No　measure　comes　before　Parliament　but　it　has　been　long　ago　

prepared　by　the　grand　jury　of　the　talkers；　no　book　is　written　that　

has　not　been　largely　composed　by　their　assistance。　　Literature　in　

many　of　its　branches　is　no　other　than　the　shadow　of　good　talk；　but　

the　imitation　falls　far　short　of　the　original　in　life；　freedom　and　

effect。　　There　are　always　two　to　a　talk；　giving　and　taking；　

comparing　experience　and　according　conclusions。　　Talk　is　fluid；　

tentative；　continually　〃in　further　search　and　progress〃；　while　

written　words　remain　fixed；　become　idols　even　to　the　writer；　found　

wooden　dogmatisms；　and　preserve　flies　of　obvious　error　in　the　amber　

of　the　truth。　　Last　and　chief；　while　literature；　gagged　with　

linsey…woolsey；　can　only　deal　with　a　fraction　of　the　life　of　man；　

talk　goes　fancy　free　and　may　call　a　spade　a　spade。　　Talk　has　none　

of　the　freezing　immunities　of　the　pulpit。　　It　cannot；　even　if　it　

would；　become　merely　aesthetic　or　merely　classical　like　literature。　　

A　jest　intervenes；　the　solemn　humbug　is　dissolved　in　laughter；　and　

speech　runs　forth　out　of　the　contemporary　groove　into　the　open　

fields　of　nature；　cheery　and　cheering；　like　schoolboys　out　of　

school。　　And　it　is　in　talk　alone　that　we　can　learn　our　period　and　

ourselves。　　In　short；　the　first　duty　of　a　man　is　to　speak；　that　is　

his　chief　business　in　this　world；　and　talk；　which　is　the　harmonious　

speech　of　two　or　more；　is　by　far　the　most　accessible　of　pleasures。　　

It　costs　nothing　in　money；　it　is　all　profit；　it　completes　our　

education；　founds　and　fosters　our　friendships；　and　can　be　enjoyed　

at　any　age　and　in　almost　any　state　of　health。



The　spice　of　life　is　battle；　the　friendliest　relations　are　still　a　

kind　of　contest；　and　if　we　would　not　forego　all　that　is　valuable　in　

our　lot；　we　must　continually　face　some　other　person；　eye　to　eye；　

and　wrestle　a　fall　whether　in　love　or　enmity。　　It　is　still　by　force　

of　body；　or　power　of　character　or　intellect；　that　we　attain　to　

worthy　pleasures。　　Men　and　women　contend　for　each　other　in　the　

lists　of　love；　like　rival　mesmerists；　the　active　and　adroit　decide　

their　challenges　in　the　sports　of　the　body；　and　the　sedentary　sit　

down　to　chess　or　conversation。　　All　sluggish　and　pacific　pleasures　

are；　to　the　same　degree；　solitary　and　selfish；　and　every　durable　

band　between　human　beings　is　founded　in　or　heightened　by　some　

element　of　competition。　　Now；　the　relation　that　has　the　least　root　

in　matter　is　undoubtedly　that　airy　one　of　friendship；　and　hence；　I　

suppose；　it　is　that　good　talk　most　commonly　arises　among　friends。　　

Talk　is；　indeed；　both　the　scene　and　instrument　of　friendship。　　It　

is　in　talk　alone　that　the　friends　can　measure　strength；　and　enjoy　

that　amicable　counter…assertion　of　personality　which　is　the　gauge　

of　relations　and　the　sport　of　life。



A　good　talk　is　not　to　be　had　for　the　asking。　　Humours　must　first　be　

accorded　in　a　kind　of　overture　or　prologue；　hour；　company　and　

circumstance　be　suited；　and　then；　at　a　fit　juncture；　the　subject；　

the　quarry　of　two　heated　minds；　spring　up　like　a　deer　out　of　the　

wood。　　Not　that　the　talker　has　any　of　the　hunter's　pride；　though　he　

has　all　and　more　than　all　his　ardour。　　The　genuine　artist　follows　

the　stream　of　conversation　as　an　angler　follows　the　windings　of　a　

brook；　not　dallying　where　he　fails　to　〃kill。〃　　He　trusts　implicitly　

to　hazard；　and　he　is　rewarded　by　continual　variety；　continual　

pleasure；　and　those　changing　prospects　of　the　truth　that　are　the　

best　of　education。　　There　is　nothing　in　a　subject；　so　called；　that　

we　should　regard　it　as　an　idol；　or　follow　it　beyond　the　promptings　

of　desire。　　Indeed；　there　are　few　subjects；　and　so　far　as　they　are　

truly　talkable；　more　than　the　half　of　them　may　be　reduced　to　three：　

that　I　am　I；　that　you　are　you；　and　that　there　are　other　people　

dimly　understood　to　be　not　quite　the　same　as　either。　　Wherever　talk　

may　range；　it　still　runs　half　the　time　on　these　eternal　lines。　　The　

theme　being　set；　each　plays