robert louis stevenson-第26部分

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rity。　　A　last　dying　speech　and　confession　（as　it　were）　to　　show　that　not　for　nothing　were　they　held　rare　fellows　in　their　　day。〃


Just　a　month　or　two　before　Mr　Henley's　self…revealing　article　　appeared　in　the　PALL　MALL　MAGAZINE；　Mr　Chesterton；　in　the　DAILY　　NEWS；　with　almost　prophetic　forecast；　had　said：


〃Mr　Henley　might　write　an　excellent　study　of　Stevenson；　but　it　　would　only　be　of　the　Henleyish　part　of　Stevenson；　and　it　would　show　　a　distinct　divergence　from　the　finished　portrait　of　Stevenson；　　which　would　be　given　by　Professor　Colvin。〃


And　it　were　indeed　hard　to　reconcile　some　things　here　with　what　Mr　　Henley　set　down　of　individual　works　many　times　in　the　SCOTS　AND　　NATIONAL　OBSERVER；　and　elsewhere；　and　in　literary　judgments　as　in　　some　other　things　there　should；　at　least；　be　general　consistency；　　else　the　search　for　an　honest　man　in　the　late　years　would　be　yet　　harder　than　it　was　when　Diogenes　looked　out　from　his　tub！

Mr　James　Douglas；　in　the　STAR；　in　his　half…playful　and　suggestive　　way；　chose　to　put　it　as　though　he　regarded　the　article　in　the　PALL　　MALL　MAGAZINE　as　a　hoax；　perpetrated　by　some　clever；　unscrupulous　　writer；　intent　on　provoking　both　Mr　Henley　and　his　friends；　and　　Stevenson's　friends　and　admirers。　　This　called　forth　a　letter　from　　one　signing　himself　〃A　Lover　of　R。　L。　Stevenson；〃　which　is　so　good　　that　we　must　give　it　here。


A　LITERARY　HOAX。　TO　THE　EDITOR　OF　THE　STAR。

SIR　…　I　fear　that；　despite　the　charitable　scepticism　of　Mr　Douglas；　　there　is　no　doubt　that　Mr　Henley　is　the　perpetrator　of　the　　saddening　Depreciation　of　Stevenson　which　has　been　published　over　　his　name。

What　openings　there　are　for　reprisals　let　Mr　Henley's　conscience　　tell　him；　but　permit　me　to　remind　him　of　two　or　three　things　which　　R。　L。　Stevenson　has　written　concerning　W。　E。　Henley。

First　this　scene　in　the　infirmary　at　Edinburgh：

〃（Leslie）　Stephen　and　I　sat　on　a　couple　of　chairs；　and　the　poor　　fellow　（Henley）　sat　up　in　his　bed　with　his　hair　and　beard　all　　tangled；　and　talked　as　cheerfully　as　if　he　had　been　in　a　king's　　palace；　or　the　great　King's　palace　of　the　blue　air。　　He　has　taught　　himself　two　languages　since　he　has　been　lying　there。　　I　SHALL　TRY　　TO　BE　OF　USE　TO　HIM。〃

Secondly；　this　passage　from　Stevenson's　dedication　of　VIRGINIBUS　　PUERISQUE　to　〃My　dear　William　Ernest　Henley〃：

〃These　papers　are　like　milestones　on　the　wayside　of　my　life；　and　as　　I　look　back　in　memory；　there　is　hardly　a　stage　of　that　distance　but　　I　see　you　present　with　advice；　reproof；　or　praise。　　Meanwhile；　many　　things　have　changed；　you　and　I　among　the　rest；　but　I　hope　that　our　　sympathy；　founded　on　the　love　of　our　art；　and　nourished　by　mutual　　assistance；　shall　survive　these　little　revolutions；　undiminished；　　and；　with　God's　help；　unite　us　to　the　end。〃

Thirdly；　two　scraps　from　letters　from　Stevenson　to　Henley；　to　show　　that　the　latter　was　not　always　a　depreciator　of　R。　L。　Stevenson's　　work：

〃1。　I'm　glad　to　think　I　owe　you　the　review　that　pleased　me　best　of　　all　the　reviews　I　ever　had。。。。　To　live　reading　such　reviews　and　die　　eating　ortolans　…　sich　is　my　aspiration。

〃2。　Dear　lad；　…　If　there　was　any　more　praise　in　what　you　wrote；　I　　think　…　（the　editor　who　had　pruned　down　Mr　Henley's　review　of　　Stevenson's　PRINCE　OTTO）　has　done　us　both　a　service；　some　of　it　　stops　my　throat。　。　。　。　Whether　（considering　our　intimate　relations）　　you　would　not　do　better　to　refrain　from　reviewing　me；　I　will　leave　　to　yourself。〃

And；　lastly；　this　extract　from　the　very　last　of　Stevenson's　letters　　to　Henley；　published　in　the　two　volumes　of　LETTERS：

〃It　is　impossible　to　let　your　new　volume　pass　in　silence。　　I　have　　not　received　the　same　thrill　of　poetry　since　G。　M。's　JOY　OF　EARTH　　volume；　and　LOVE　IN　A　VALLEY；　and　I　do　not　know　that　even　that　was　　so　intimate　and　deep。　。　。　。　I　thank　you　for　the　joy　you　have　given　　me；　and　remain　your　old　friend　and　present　huge　admirer；　R。　L。　S。〃


It　is　difficult　to　decide　on　which　side　in　this　literary　friendship　　lies　the　true　modesty　and　magnanimity？　　I　had　rather　be　the　author　　of　the　last　message　of　R。　L。　Stevenson　to　W。　E。　Henley；　than　of　the　　last　words　of　W。　E。　Henley　concerning　R。　L。　Stevenson。



CHAPTER　XXV　…　MR　CHRISTIE　MURRAY'S　IMPRESSIONS



MR　CHRISTIE　MURRAY；　writing　as　〃Merlin〃　in　our　handbook　in　the　　REFEREE　at　the　time；　thus　disposed　of　some　of　the　points　just　dealt　　with　by　us：


〃Here　is　libel　on　a　large　scale；　and　I　have　purposely　refrained　　from　approaching　it　until　I　could　show　my　readers　something　of　the　　spirit　in　which　the　whole　attack　is　conceived。　　'If　he　wanted　a　　thing　he　went　after　it　with　an　entire　contempt　for　consequences。　　　For　these；　indeed；　the　Shorter　Catechist　was　ever　prepared　to　　answer；　so　that　whether　he　did　well　or　ill；　he　was　safe　to　come　out　　unabashed　and　cheerful。'　　Now　if　Mr　Henley　does　not　mean　that　for　　the　very　express　picture　of　a　rascal　without　a　conscience　he　has　　been　most　strangely　infelicitous　in　his　choice　of　terms；　and　he　is　　one　of　those　who　make　so　strong　a　profession　of　duty　towards　mere　　vocables　that　we　are　obliged　to　take　him　AU　PIED　DE　LA　LETTRE。　　A　　man　who　goes　after　whatever　he　wants　with　an　entire　contempt　of　　consequences　is　a　scoundrel；　and　the　man　who　emerges　from　such　an　　enterprise　unabashed　and　cheerful；　whatever　his　conduct　may　have　　been；　and　justifies　himself　on　the　principles　of　the　Shorter　　Catechism；　is　a　hypocrite　to　boot。　　This　is　not　the　report　we　have　　of　Robert　Louis　Stevenson　from　most　of　those　who　knew　him。　　It　is　a　　most　grave　and　dreadful　accusation；　and　it　is　not　minimised　by　Mr　　Henley's　acknowledgment　that　Stevenson　was　a　good　fellow。　　We　all　　know　the　air　of　false　candour　which　lends　a　disputant　so　much　　advantage　in　debate。　　In　Victor　Hugo's　tremendous　indictment　of　　Napoleon　le　Petit　we　remember　the　telling　allowance　for　fine　　horsemanship。　　It　spreads　an　air　of　impartiality　over　the　most　　mordant　of　Hugo's　pages。　　It　is　meant　to　do　that。　　An　insignificant　　praise　is　meant　to　show　how　a　whole　Niagara　of　blame　is　poured　on　　the　victim　of　invective　in　all　sincerity；　and　even　with　a　touch　of　　reluctance。

〃Mr　Henley；　despite　his　absurdities　of　''Tis'　and　'it　were；'　is　a　　fairly　competent　literary　craftsman；　and　he　is　quite　gifted　enough　　to　make　a　plain　man's　plain　meaning　an　evident　thing　if　he　chose　to　　do　it。　　But　if　for　the　friend　for　whom　'first　and　last　he　did　　share'　he　can　only　show　us　the　figure　of　one　'who　was　at　bottom　an　

excellent　fellow；'　and　who　had　'an　entire　contempt'　for　the　　consequences　of　his　own　acts；　he　presents　a　picture　which　can　only　　purposely　be　obscured。　。　。　。

〃All　I　know　of　Robert　Louis　Stevenson　I　have　learned　from　his　　books；　and　from　one　unexpected　impromptu　letter　which　he　wrote　to　　me　years　ago　in　friendly　recognition　of　my　own　work。　　I　add　the　　testimonies　of　friends　who　may　have　been　of　less　actual　service　to　　him　than　Mr　Henley；　but　who　surely　loved　him　better　and　more　　lastingly。　　These　do　not　represent　him　as　the　victim　of　an　　overweening　personal　vanity；　nor　as　a　person　reckless　of　the　　consequences　of　his　own　acts；　nor　as　a　Pecksniff　who　consoled　　himself　for　moral　failure　out　of　the　Shorter　Catechism。　　The　books　　and　the　friends　amongst　them　show　me　an　erratic　yet　lovable　　personality；　a　man　of　devotion　and　courage；　a　loyal；　charming；　and　　rather　irresponsible　person　whose　very　slight　faults　were　counter…　balanced　many　times　over　by　very　solid　virtues。。。。

〃To　put　the　thing　flatly；　it　is　not　a　heroism　to　cling　to　mere　　existence。　　The　basest　of　us　can　do　that。　　But　it　is　a　heroism　to　　maintain　an　equable　and　unbroken　cheerfulness　in　the　face　of　death。　　　For　my　own　part；　I　never　bowed　at　the　literary　shrine　Mr　Henley　and　　his　friends　were　at　so　great　pains　to　rear。　　I　am　not　disposed　to　　think　more　loftily　than　I　ever　thought　of　their　idol。　　But　the　Man　　…　the　Man　was　made　of　enduring　valour　and　childlike　charm；　and　　these　will　keep　him　alive　when　his　detractors　are　dead　and　buried。〃


As　to　the　Christian　name；　it　is　notorious　that　he　was　christened　　Robert　Lewis　…　the　Lewis　being　after　his　maternal　grandfather　…　Dr　　Lewis　Balfour。　　Some　attempt　has　been　made　to　show　that　the　Louis　　was　adopted　because　so　many　cousins　and　relatives　had　also　been　so　　christened；　but　the　most　likely　explanation　I　have　ever　heard　was　　that　his　father　changed　the　name　to　Louis；　that　there　might　be　no　　chance　through　it　of　any　notion　of　association　with　a　very　　prominent　noisy　person　of　the　name　of　Lewis；　in　Edinburgh；　towards　　whom　Thomas　Stevenson　felt　dislike；　if　not　positive　animosity。　　　Anyhow；　it　is　clear　from　the　entries　in　the　register　of　pupils　at　　the　Edinburgh　Academy；　in　the　two　years　when　Stevenson　was　there；　　that　in　early　youth　he　was　called　Robert　only；　for　in　the　school　　list　for　1862　the　name　appears　as　Robert　Stevenson；　without　the　　Lewis；　while　in　the　1883　list　it　is　given　as　Lewis　Robert　　Stevenson。　　Clearly　if　in　earlier　years　Stevenson　was；　in　his　　family　and　elsewhere；　called　ROBERT；　there　could　have　then　arisen　　no　risk　of　confusion　with　any　of　his　relatives　who　bore　the　name　of　　Lewis；　and　all　this　goes　to　support　the　view　which　I　have　given　　above。　　Anyhow　he　ceased　to　be　called　Robert　at　home；　and　ceased　in　　1863　to　be　Robert　on　the　Edinburgh　Academy　list；　and　became　Lewis　　Robert。　　Whether　my　view　is　right　or　not；　he　was　thenceforward　　called　Louis　in　his　family；　and　the　name　uniformly　spelt　Louis。　　　What　blame　on　Stevenson's　part　could　be　attached　to　this　family　　determination　it　is　hard　to　see　…　people　are　absolutely　free　to　　spell　their　names　as　they　please；　and　the　matter　would　not　be　worth　　a　moment's　attention；　or　the　waste　of　one　drop　of　ink；　had　not　Mr　　Henley　chosen　to　be　very　nasty　about　the　name；　and　in　the　PALL　MALL　　MAGAZINE　article　persisted　in　printing　it　Lewis　as　though　that　were　　worthy　of　him　and　of　it。　　That　was　not　quite　the　unkindest　cut　of　　all；　but　it　was　as　unkind　as　it　was　trumpery。　　Mr　Christie　Murray　　neatly　set　off　the　trumpery　spite　of　this　in　the　following　passage：


〃Stevenson；　it　appears；　according　to　his　friend's　judgment；　was　　'incessantly　and　passionately　interested　in　Stevenson；'　but　most　of　　us　are　incessantly　and　passionately　interested　in　ourselves。　　'He　　could　not　be　in　the　same　room　with　a　mirror　but　he