robert louis stevenson-第32部分

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　not；　since　he　did　not　know　Thoreau　till　after　it　was　written；　but　　if　you　will　oblige　me　and　be　so　good　as　to　turn　to　p。　xix。　of　　Preface；　BY　WAY　OF　CRITICISM；　to　FAMILIAR　STUDIES　OF　MEN　AND　BOOKS　　you　will　read：

〃'Upon　me　this　pure；　narrow；　sunnily…ascetic　Thoreau　had　exercised　　a　wondrous　charm。　　I　HAVE　SCARCE　WRITTEN　TEN　SENTENCES　SINCE　I　WAS　　INTRODUCED　TO　HIM；　BUT　HIS　INFLUENCE　MIGHT　BE　SOMEWHERE　DETECTED　BY　　A　CLOSE　OBSERVER。'

〃It　is　very　detectable　in　many　passages　of　nature…description　and　　of　reflection。　　I　write；　my　Lord；　merely　that；　in　case　opportunity　　should　arise；　you　might　notice　this　fact。　　I　am　sure　R。　L。　　Stevenson　would　have　liked　it　recognised。　…　I　remain；　my　Lord；　　always　yours　faithfully；　etc。；

ALEXANDER　H。　JAPP。〃


In　reply　to　this　Lord　Rosebery　sent　me　only　the　most　formal　　acknowledgment；　not　in　the　least　encouraging　me　in　any　way　to　　further　aid　him　in　the　matter　with　regard　to　suggestions　of　any　　kind；　so　that　I　was　helpless　to　press　on　his　lordship　the　need　for　　some　corrections　on　other　points　which　I　would　most　willingly　have　　tendered　to　him　had　he　shown　himself　inclined　or　ready　to　receive　　them。

I　might　also　have　referred　Lord　Rosebery　to　the　article　in　THE　　BRITISH　WEEKLY　（1887）；　〃Books　that　have　Influenced　Me；〃　where；　　after　having　spoken　of　Shakespeare；　the　VICOMTE　DE　BRAGELONNE；　　Bunyan；　Montaigne；　Goethe；　Martial；　Marcus　Aurelius's　MEDITATIONS；　　and　Wordsworth；　he　proceeds：


〃I　suppose；　when　I　am　done；　I　shall　find　that　I　have　forgotten　much　　that　is　influential；　as　I　see　already　I　have　forgotten　Thoreau。〃


I　need　but　to　add　to　what　has　been　said　already　that；　had　Lord　　Rosebery　written　and　told　me　the　result　of　his　references　and　　encouraged　me　to　such　an　exercise；　I　should　by…and…by　have　been　　very　pleased　to　point　out　to　him　that　he　blundered；　proving　himself　　no　master　in　Burns'　literature；　precisely　as　Mr　Henley　blundered　　about　Burns'　ancestry；　when　he　gives　confirmation　to　the　idea　that　　Burns　came　of　a　race　of　peasants　on　both　sides；　and　was　himself　　nothing　but　a　peasant。

When　the　opportunity　came　to　correct　such　blunders；　corrections　　which　I　had　even　implored　him　to　make；　Lord　Rosebery　（who　by　　several　London　papers　had　been　spoken　of　as　〃knowing　more　than　all　　the　experts　about　all　his　themes〃）；　that　is；　when　his　volume　was　　being　prepared　for　press；　did　not　act　on　my　good　advice　given　him　　〃FREE；　GRATIS；　FOR　NOTHING〃；　no；　he　contented　himself　with　simply　　slicing　out　columns　from　the　TIMES；　or　allowing　another　man　to　do　　so　for　him；　and　reprinting　them　LITERATIM　ET　VERBATIM；　all　　imperfect　and　misleading；　as　they　stood。　　SCRIPTA　MANET　alas！　only　　too　truly　exemplified　to　his　disadvantage。　　But　with　that　note　of　　mine　in　his　hand；　protesting　against　an　ominous　and　fatal　omission　　as　regards　the　confessed　influences　that　had　operated　on　Stevenson；　　he　goes　on；　or　allows　Mr　Geake　to　go　on；　quite　as　though　he　had　　verified　matters　and　found　that　I　was　wrong　as　regards　the　facts　on　　which　I　based　my　appeal　to　him　for　recognition　of　Thoreau　as　having　　influenced　Stevenson　in　style。　　Had　he　attended　to　correcting　his　　serious　errors　about　Stevenson；　and　some　at　least　of　those　about　　Burns；　thus　adding；　say；　a　dozen　or　twenty　pages　to　his　book　wholly　　fresh　and　new　and　accurate；　then　the　TIMES　could　not　have　got；　even　　if　it　had　sought；　an　injunction　against　his　publishers　and　him；　and　　there　would　have　been　no　necessity　that　he　should　pad　out　other　and　　later　speeches　by　just　a　little　whining　over　what　was　entirely　due　　to　his　own　disregard　of　good　advice；　his　own　neglect　…　his　own　　fault　…　a　neglect　and　a　fault　showing　determination　not　to　revise　　where　revision　in　justice　to　his　subject's　own　free　and　frank　　acknowledgments　made　it　most　essential　and　necessary。

Mr　Justice　North　gave　his　decision　against　Lord　Rosebery　and　his　　publishers；　while　the　Lords　of　Appeal　went　in　his　favour；　but　the　　House　of　Lords　reaffirmed　the　decision　of　Mr　Justice　North　and　　granted　a　perpetual　injunction　against　this　book。　　The　copyright　in　　his　speech　is　Lord　Rosebery's；　but　the　copyright　in　the　TIMES'　　report　is　the　TIMES'。　　You　see　one　of　the　ideas　underlying　the　law　　is　that　no　manner　of　speech　is　quite　perfect　as　the　man　speaks　it；　　or　is　beyond　revision；　improvement；　or　extension；　and；　if　there　is　　but　one　VERBATIM　report；　as　was　the　case　of　some　of　these　speeches　　and　addresses；　then　it　is　incumbent　on　the　author；　if　he　wishes　to　　preserve　his　copyright；　to　revise　and　correct　his　speeches　and　　addresses；　so　as　to　make　them　at　least　in　details　so　far　differ　　from　the　reported　form。　　This　thing　ought　Lord　Rosebery　to　have　　done；　on　ethical　and　literary　GROUNDS；　not　to　speak　of　legal　and　　self…interested　grounds；　and　I；　for　one；　who　from　the　first　held　　exactly　the　view　the　House　of　Lords　has　affirmed；　do　confess　that　I　　have　no　sympathy　for　Lord　Rosebery；　since　he　had　before　him　the　　suggestion　and　the　materials　for　as　substantial　alterations　and　　additions　from　my　own　hands；　with　as　much　more　for　other　portions　　of　his　book；　had　he　informed　me　of　his　appreciation；　as　would　have　　saved　him　and　his　book　from　such　a　sadly　ironical　fate　as　has　　overtaken　him　and　it。

From　the　whole　business　…　since　〃free；　gratis；　for　nothing；〃　I　　offered　him　as　good　advice　as　any　lawyer　in　the　three　kingdoms　　could　have　done　for　large　payment；　and　since　he　never　deemed　it　　worth　while；　even　to　tell　me　the　results　of　his　reference　to　　FAMILIAR　STUDIES；　I　here　and　now　say　deliberately　that　his　conduct　　to　me　was　scarcely　so　courteous　and　grateful　and　graceful　as　it　　might　have　been。　　How　different　…　very　different　…　the　way　in　which　　the　late　R。　L。　Stevenson　rewarded　me　for　a　literary　service　no　whit　　greater　or　more　essentially　valuable　to　him　than　this　service　　rendered　to　Lord　Rosebery　might　have　been　to　him。

This　chapter　would　most　probably　not　have　been　printed；　had　not　Mr　　Coates　re…issued　the　inadequate　and　most　misleading　paragraph　about　　Mr　Stevenson　and　style　in　his　Lord　Rosebery's　LIFE　AND　SPEECHES　　exactly　as　it　was　before；　thus　perpetuating　at　once　the　error　and　　the　wrong；　in　spite　of　all　my　trouble；　warnings；　and　protests。　　It　　is　a　tragicomedy；　if　not　a　farce　altogether；　considering　who　are　　the　principal　actors　in　it。　　And　let　those　who　have　copies　of　the　　queer　prohibited　book　cherish　them　and　thank　me；　for　that　I　do　by　　this　give　a　new　interest　and　value　to　it　as　a　curiosity；　law…　inhibited；　if　not　as　high　and　conscientious　literature　…　which　it　　is　not。

I　remember　very　well　about　the　time　Lord　Rosebery　spoke　on　Burns；　　and　Stevenson；　and　London；　that　certain　London　papers　spoke　of　his　　deliverances　as　indicating　more　knowledge　…　fuller　and　exacter　　knowledge　…　of　all　these　subjects　than　the　greatest　professed　　experts　possessed。　　That　is　their　extravagant　and　most　reckless　　way；　especially　if　the　person　spoken　about　is　a　〃great　politician〃　　or　a　man　of　rank。　　They　think　they　are　safe　with　such　superlatives　　applied　to　a　brilliant　and　clever　peer　（with　large　estates　and　many　　interests）；　and　an　ex…Prime　Minister！　　But　literature　is　a　　republic；　and　it　must　here　be　said；　though　all　unwillingly；　that　　Lord　Rosebery　is　but　an　amateur　…　a　superficial　though　a　clever　　amateur　after　all；　and　their　extravagances　do　not　change　the　fact。　　　I　declare　him　an　amateur　in　Burns'　literature　and　study　because　of　　what　I　have　said　elsewhere；　and　there　are　many　points　to　add　to　　that　if　need　were。　　I　have　proved　above　from　his　own　words　that　he　　was　crassly　and　unpardonably　ignorant　of　some　of　the　most　important　　points　in　R。　L。　Stevenson's　development　when　he　delivered　that　　address　in　Edinburgh　on　Stevenson　…　a　thing　very；　very　pardonable　…　　seeing　that　he　is　run　after　to　do　〃speakings〃　of　this　sort；　but　to　　go　on；　in　face　of　such　warning　and　protest；　printing　his　most　　misleading　errors　is　not　pardonable；　and　the　legal　recorded　result　　is　my　justification　and　his　condemnation；　the　more　surely　that　even　　that　would　not　awaken　him　so　far　as　to　cause　him　to　restrain　Mr　　Coates　from　reproducing　in　his　LIFE　AND　SPEECHES；　just　as　it　was　　originally；　that　peccant　passage。　　I　am　fully　ready　to　prove　also　　that；　though　Chairman　of　the　London　County　Council　for　a　period；　　and　though　he　made　a　very　clever　address　at　one　of　Sir　W。　Besant's　　lectures；　there　is　much　yet　…　very　much　…　he　might　learn　from　Sir　　W。　Besant's　writings　on　London。　　It　isn't　so　easy　to　outshine　all　　the　experts　…　even　for　a　clever　peer　who　has　been　Prime　Minister；　　though　it　is　very；　very　easy　to　flatter　Lord　Rosebery；　with　a　　purpose　or　purposes；　as　did　at　least　once　also　with　rarest　tact；　at　　Glasgow；　indicating　so　many　other　things　and　possibilities；　a　　certain　very　courtly　ex…Moderator　of　the　Church　of　Scotland。



CHAPTER　XXXI　…　MR　GOSSE　AND　MS。　OF　TREASURE　ISLAND



MR　EDMUND　GOSSE　has　been　so　good　as　to　set　down；　with　rather　an　air　　of　too　much　authority；　that　both　R。　L。　Stevenson　and　I　deceived　　ourselves　completely　in　the　matter　of　my　little　share　in　the　　TREASURE　ISLAND　business；　and　that　too　much　credit　was　sought　by　me　　or　given　to　me；　for　the　little　service　I　rendered　to　R。　L。　　Stevenson；　and　to　the　world；　say；　in　helping　to　secure　for　it　an　　element　of　pleasure　through　many　generations。　　I　have　not　SOUGHT　　any　recognition　from　the　world　in　this　matter；　and　even　the　mention　　of　it　became　so　intolerable　to　me　that　I　eschewed　all　writing　about　　it；　in　the　face　of　the　most　stupid　and　misleading　statements；　till　　Mr　Sidney　Colvin　wrote　and　asked　me　to　set　down　my　account　of　the　　matter　in　my　own　words。　　This　I　did；　as　it　would　have　been　really　　rude　to　refuse　a　request　so　graciously　made；　and　the　reader　has　it　　in　the　ACADEMY　of　10th　March　1900。　　Nevertheless；　Mr　Gosse's　　statements　were　revived　and　quoted；　and　the　thing　seemed　ever　to　　revolve　again　in　a　round　of　controversy。

Now；　with　regard　to　the　reliability　in　this　matter　of　Mr　Edmund　　Gosse；　let　me　copy　here　a　little　note　made　at　request　some　time　　ago；　dealing　with　two　points。　　The　first　is　this：


1。　MOST　ASSUREDLY　I　carried　away　from　Braemar　in　my　portmanteau；　as　　R。　L。　Stevenson　says　in　IDLER'S　article　and　in　chapter　of　MY　FIRST　　BOOK　reprinted　in　EDINBURGH　EDITION；　several　chapters　of　TREASURE　　ISLAND。　　On　that　point　R。　L。　Stevenson；　myself；　and　M