contributions to all the year round-第13部分

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no　one　was　more　affectionate　while　under　such　influences。　　It　is　not

a　small　virtue　to　feel　such　genuine　pleasure；　as　he　always　did　in

giving　and　receiving　pleasure。　　His　generosity；　too；　was　bestowed

chiefly　on　those　who　could　make　small　acknowledgment　in　thanks　and

no　return　in　kind。〃



Some　of　his　earlier　contemporaries　may　have　thought　him　a　vain　man。

Most　assuredly　he　was　not；　in　the　common　acceptation　of　the　term。　　A

vain　man　has　little　or　no　admiration　to　bestow　upon　competitors。

Landor　had　an　inexhaustible　fund。　　He　thought　well　of　his　writings；

or　he　would　not　have　preserved　them。　　He　said　and　wrote　that　he

thought　well　of　them；　because　that　was　his　mind　about　them；　and　he

said　and　wrote　his　mind。　　He　was　one　of　the　few　men　of　whom　you

might　always　know　the　whole：　　of　whom　you　might　always　know　the

worst；　as　well　as　the　best。　　He　had　no　reservations　or　duplicities。

〃No；　by　Heaven！〃　he　would　say　（〃with　unimaginable　energy〃）；　if　any

good　adjective　were　coupled　with　him　which　he　did　not　deserve：　　〃I

am　nothing　of　the　kind。　　I　wish　I　were；　but　I　don't　deserve　the

attribute；　and　I　never　did；　and　I　never　shall！〃　　His　intense

consciousness　of　himself　never　led　to　his　poorly　excusing　himself；

and　seldom　to　his　violently　asserting　himself。　　When　he　told　some

little　story　of　his　bygone　social　experiences；　in　Florence；　or　where

not；　as　he　was　fond　of　doing；　it　took　the　innocent　form　of　making

all　the　interlocutors；　Landors。　　It　was　observable；　too；　that　they

always　called　him　〃Mr。　Landor〃rather　ceremoniously　and

submissively。　　There　was　a　certain　〃Caro　Pedre　Abete　Marina〃

invariably　so　addressed　in　these　anecdoteswho　figured　through　a

great　many　of　them；　and　who　always　expressed　himself　in　this

deferential　tone。



Mr。　Forster　writes　of　Landor's　character　thus：





〃A　man　must　be　judged；　at　first；　by　what　he　says　and　does。　　But　with

him　such　extravagance　as　I　have　referred　to　was　little　more　than　the

habitual　indulgence　（on　such　themes）　of　passionate　feelings　and

language；　indecent　indeed　but　utterly　purposeless；　the　mere

explosion　of　wrath　provoked　by　tyranny　or　cruelty；　the

irregularities　of　an　overheated　steam…engine　too　weak　for　its　own

vapour。　　It　is　very　certain　that　no　one　could　detest　oppression　more

truly　than　Landor　did　in　all　seasons　and　times；　and　if　no　one

expressed　that　scorn；　that　abhorrence　of　tyranny　and　fraud；　more

hastily　or　more　intemperately；　all　his　fire　and　fury　signified

really　little　else　than　ill…temper　too　easily　provoked。　　Not　to

justify　or　excuse　such　language；　but　to　explain　it；　this

consideration　is　urged。　　If　not　uniformly　placable；　Landor　was

always　compassionate。　　He　was　tender…hearted　rather　than　bloody…

minded　at　all　times；　and　upon　only　the　most　partial　acquaintance

with　his　writings　could　other　opinion　be　formed。　　A　completer

knowledge　of　them　would　satisfy　any　one　that　he　had　as　little　real

disposition　to　kill　a　king　as　to　kill　a　mouse。　　In　fact　there　is　not

a　more　marked　peculiarity　in　his　genius　than　the　union　with　its

strength　of　a　most　uncommon　gentleness；　and　in　the　personal　ways　of

the　man　this　was　equally　manifest。〃Vol。　i。　p。　496。





Of　his　works；　thus：





〃Though　his　mind　was　cast　in　the　antique　mould；　it　had　opened　itself

to　every　kind　of　impression　through　a　long　and　varied　life；　he　has

written　with　equal　excellence　in　both　poetry　and　prose；　which　can

hardly　be　said　of　any　of　his　contemporaries；　and　perhaps　the　single

epithet　by　which　his　books　would　be　best　described　is　that　reserved

exclusively　for　books　not　characterised　only　by　genius；　but　also　by

special　individuality。　　They　are　unique。　　Having　possessed　them；　we

should　miss　them。　　Their　place　would　be　supplied　by　no　others。　　They

have　that　about　them；　moreover；　which　renders　it　almost　certain　that

they　will　frequently　be　resorted　to　in　future　time。　　There　are　none

in　the　language　more　quotable。　　Even　where　impulsiveness　and　want　of

patience　have　left　them　most　fragmentary；　this　rich　compensation　is

offered　to　the　reader。　　There　is　hardly　a　conceivable　subject；　in

life　or　literature；　which　they　do　not　illustrate　by　striking

aphorisms；　by　concise　and　profound　observations；　by　wisdom　ever

applicable　to　the　deeds　of　men；　and　by　wit　as　available　for　their

enjoyment。　　Nor；　above　all；　will　there　anywhere　be　found　a　more

pervading　passion　for　liberty；　a　fiercer　hatred　of　the　base；　a　wider

sympathy　with　the　wronged　and　the　oppressed；　or　help　more　ready　at

all　times　for　those　who　fight　at　odds　and　disadvantage　against　the

powerful　and　the　fortunate；　than　in　the　writings　of　Walter　Savage

Landor。〃Last　page　of　second　volume。





The　impression　was　strong　upon　the　present　writer's　mind；　as　on　Mr。

Forster's；　during　years　of　close　friendship　with　the　subject　of　this

biography；　that　his　animosities　were　chiefly　referable　to　the

singular　inability　in　him　to　dissociate　other　people's　ways　of

thinking　from　his　own。　　He　had；　to　the　last；　a　ludicrous　grievance

（both　Mr。　Forster　and　the　writer　have　often　amused　themselves　with

it）　against　a　good…natured　nobleman；　doubtless　perfectly　unconscious

of　having　ever　given　him　offence。　　The　offence　was；　that　on　the

occasion　of　some　dinner　party　in　another　nobleman's　house；　many

years　before；　this　innocent　lord　（then　a　commoner）　had　passed　in　to

dinner；　through　some　door；　before　him；　as　he　himself　was　about　to

pass　in　through　that　same　door　with　a　lady　on　his　arm。　　Now；　Landor

was　a　gentleman　of　most　scrupulous　politeness；　and　in　his　carriage

of　himself　towards　ladies　there　was　a　certain　mixture　of　stateliness

and　deference；　belonging　to　quite　another　time；　and；　as　Mr。　Pepys

would　observe；　〃mighty　pretty　to　see〃。　　If　he　could　by　any　effort

imagine　himself　committing　such　a　high　crime　and　misdemeanour　as

that　in　question；　he　could　only　imagine　himself　as　doing　it　of　a　set

purpose；　under　the　sting　of　some　vast　injury；　to　inflict　a　great

affront。　　A　deliberately　designed　affront　on　the　part　of　another

man；　it　therefore　remained　to　the　end　of　his　days。　　The　manner　in

which；　as　time　went　on；　he　permeated　the　unfortunate　lord's　ancestry

with　this　offence；　was　whimsically　characteristic　of　Landor。　　The

writer　remembers　very　well　when　only　the　individual　himself　was　held

responsible　in　the　story　for　the　breach　of　good　breeding；　but　in

another　ten　years　or　so；　it　began　to　appear　that　his　father　had

always　been　remarkable　for　ill　manners；　and　in　yet　another　ten　years

or　so；　his　grandfather　developed　into　quite　a　prodigy　of　coarse

behaviour。



Mr。　Boythornif　he　may　again　be　quotedsaid　of　his　adversary；　Sir

Leicester　Dedlock：　　〃That　fellow　is；　AND　HIS　FATHER　WAS；　AND　HIS

GRANDFATHER　WAS；　the　most　stiff…necked；　arrogant；　imbecile；　pig…

headed　numskull；　ever；　by　some　inexplicable　mistake　of　Nature；　born

in　any　station　of　life　but　a　walking…stick's！〃



The　strength　of　some　of　Mr。　Landor's　most　captivating　kind　qualities

was　traceable　to　the　same　source。　　Knowing　how　keenly　he　himself

would　feel　the　being　at　any　small　social　disadvantage；　or　the　being

unconsciously　placed　in　any　ridiculous　light；　he　was　wonderfully

considerate　of　shy　people；　or　of　such　as　might　be　below　the　level　of

his　usual　conversation；　or　otherwise　out　of　their　element。　　The

writer　once　observed　him　in　the　keenest　distress　of　mind　in　behalf

of　a　modest　young　stranger　who　came　into　a　drawing…room　with　a　glove

on　his　head。　　An　expressive　commentary　on　this　sympathetic

condition；　and　on　the　delicacy　with　which　he　advanced　to　the　young

stranger's　rescue；　was　afterwards　furnished　by　himself　at　a　friendly

dinner　at　Gore　House；　when　it　was　the　most　delightful　of　houses。

His　dresssay；　his　cravat　or　shirt…collarhad　become　slightly

disarranged　on　a　hot　evening；　and　Count　D'Orsay　laughingly　called

his　attention　to　the　circumstance　as　we　rose　from　table。　　Landor

became　flushed；　and　greatly　agitated：　　〃My　dear　Count　D'Orsay；　I

thank　you！　　My　dear　Count　D'Orsay；　I　thank　you　from　my　soul　for

pointing　out　to　me　the　abominable　condition　to　which　I　am　reduced！

If　I　had　entered　the　Drawing…room；　and　presented　myself　before　Lady

Blessington　in　so　absurd　a　light；　I　would　have　instantly　gone　home；

put　a　pistol　to　my　head；　and　blown　my　brains　out！〃



Mr。　Forster　tells　a　similar　story　of　his　keeping　a　company　waiting

dinner；　through　losing　his　way；　and　of　his　seeing　no　remedy　for　that

breach　of　politeness　but　cutting　his　throat；　or　drowning　himself；

unless　a　countryman　whom　he　met　could　direct　him　by　a　short　road　to

the　house　where　the　party　were　assembled。　　Surely　these　are

expressive　notes　on　the　gravity　and　reality　of　his　explosive

inclinations　to　kill　kings！



His　manner　towards　boys　was　charming；　and　the　earnestness　of　his

wish　to　be　on　equal　terms　with　them　and　to　win　their　confidence　was

quite　touching。　　Few；　reading　Mr。　Forster's　book；　can　fall　to　see　in

this；　his　pensive　remembrance　of　that　〃studious　wilful　boy　at　once

shy　and　impetuous〃；　who　had　not　many　intimacies　at　Rugby；　but　who

was　〃generally　popular　and　respected；　and　used　his　influence　often

to　save　the　younger　boys　from　undue　harshness　or　violence〃。　　The

impulsive　yearnings　of　his　passionate　heart　towards　his　own　boy；　on

their　meeting　at　Bath；　after　years　of　separation；　likewise　burn

through　this　phase　of　his　character。



But　a　more　spiritual；　softened；　and　unselfish　aspect　of　it；　was　to

derived　from　his　respectful　belief　in　happiness　which　he　himself　had

missed。　　His　marriage　had　not　been　a　felicitous　oneit　may　be

fairly　assumed　for　either　sidebut　no　trace　of　bitterness　or

distrust　concerning　other　marriages　was　in　his　mind。　　He　was　never

more　serene　than　in　the　midst　of　a　domestic　circle；　and　was

invariably　remarkable　for　a　perfectly　benignant　interest　in　young

couples　and　young　lovers。　　That；　in　his　ever…fresh　fancy；　he

conceived　in　this　association　innumerable　histories　of　himself

involving　far　more　unlikely　events　that　never　happene