contributions to all the year round-第14部分

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conceived　in　this　association　innumerable　histories　of　himself

involving　far　more　unlikely　events　that　never　happened　than　Isaac

D'Israeli　ever　imagined；　is　hardly　to　be　doubted；　but　as　to　this

part　of　his　real　history　he　was　mute；　or　revealed　his　nobleness　in

an　impulse　to　be　generously　just。　　We　verge　on　delicate　ground；　but

a　slight　remembrance　rises　in　the　writer　which　can　grate　nowhere。

Mr。　Forster　relates　how　a　certain　friend；　being　in　Florence；　sent

him　home　a　leaf　from　the　garden　of　his　old　house　at　Fiesole。　　That

friend　had　first　asked　him　what　he　should　send　him　home；　and　he　had

stipulated　for　this　giftfound　by　Mr。　Forster　among　his　papers

after　his　death。　　The　friend；　on　coming　back　to　England；　related　to

Landor　that　he　had　been　much　embarrassed；　on　going　in　search　of　the

leaf；　by　his　driver's　suddenly　stopping　his　horses　in　a　narrow　lane；

and　presenting　him　（the　friend）　to　〃La　Signora　Landora〃。　　The　lady

was　walking　alone　on　a　bright　Italian…winter…day；　and　the　man；

having　been　told　to　drive　to　the　Villa　Landora；　inferred　that　he

must　be　conveying　a　guest　or　visitor。　　〃I　pulled　off　my　hat；〃　said

the　friend；　〃apologised　for　the　coachman's　mistake；　and　drove　on。

The　lady　was　walking　with　a　rapid　and　firm　step；　had　bright　eyes；　a

fine　fresh　colour；　and　looked　animated　and　agreeable。〃　　Landor

checked　off　each　clause　of　the　description；　with　a　stately　nod　of

more　than　ready　assent；　and　replied；　with　all　his　tremendous　energy

concentrated　into　the　sentence：　　〃And　the　Lord　forbid　that　I　should

do　otherwise　than　declare　that　she　always　WAS　agreeableto　every

one　but　ME！〃



Mr。　Forster　step　by　step　builds　up　the　evidence　on　which　he　writes

this　life　and　states　this　character。　　In　like　manner；　he　gives　the

evidence　for　his　high　estimation　of　Landor's　works；　andit　may　be

addedfor　their　recompense　against　some　neglect；　in　finding　so

sympathetic；　acute；　and　devoted　a　champion。　　Nothing　in　the　book　is

more　remarkable　than　his　examination　of　each　of　Landor's　successive

pieces　of　writing；　his　delicate　discernment　of　their　beauties；　and

his　strong　desire　to　impart　his　own　perceptions　in　this　wise　to　the

great　audience　that　is　yet　to　come。　　It　rarely　befalls　an　author　to

have　such　a　commentator：　　to　become　the　subject　of　so　much　artistic

skill　and　knowledge；　combined　with　such　infinite　and　loving　pains。

Alike　as　a　piece　of　Biography；　and　as　a　commentary　upon　the　beauties

of　a　great　writer；　the　book　is　a　massive　book；　as　the　man　and　the

writer　were　massive　too。　　Sometimes；　when　the　balance　held　by　Mr。

Forster　has　seemed　for　a　moment　to　turn　a　little　heavily　against　the

infirmities　of　temperament　of　a　grand　old　friend；　we　have　felt

something　of　a　shock；　but　we　have　not　once　been　able　to　gainsay　the

justice　of　the　scales。　　This　feeling；　too；　has　only　fluttered　out　of

the　detail；　here　or　there；　and　has　vanished　before　the　whole。　　We

fully　agree　with　Mr。　Forster　that　〃judgment　has　been　passed〃as　it

should　be〃with　an　equal　desire　to　be　only　just　on　all　the

qualities　of　his　temperament　which　affected　necessarily　not　his　own

life　only。　　But；　now　that　the　story　is　told；　no　one　will　have

difficulty　in　striking　the　balance　between　its　good　and　ill；　and

what　was　really　imperishable　in　Landor's　genius　will　not　be

treasured　less；　or　less　understood；　for　the　more　perfect　knowledge

of　his　character〃。



Mr。　Forster's　second　volume　gives　a　facsimile　of　Landor's　writing　at

seventy…five。　　It　may　be　interesting　to　those　who　are　curious　in

calligraphy；　to　know　that　its　resemblance　to　the　recent　handwriting

of　that　great　genius；　M。　Victor　Hugo；　is　singularly　strong。



In　a　military　burial…ground　in　India；　the　name　of　Walter　Landor　is

associated　with　the　present　writer's　over　the　grave　of　a　young

officer。　　No　name　could　stand　there；　more　inseparably　associated　in

the　writer's　mind　with　the　dignity　of　generosity：　　with　a　noble

scorn　of　all　littleness；　all　cruelty；　oppression；　fraud；　and　false

pretence。







ADDRESS　WHICH　APPEARED　SHORTLY　PREVIOUS　TO　THE　COMPLETION　OF　THE

TWENTIETH　VOLUME　（1868）；　INTIMATING　A　NEW　SERIES　OF　〃ALL　THE　YEAR

ROUND〃







I　beg　to　announce　to　the　readers　of　this　Journal；　that　on　the

completion　of　the　Twentieth　Volume　on　the　Twenty…eighth　of　November；

in　the　present　year；　I　shall　commence　an　entirely　New　Series　of　All

the　Year　Round。　　The　change　is　not　only　due　to　the　convenience　of

the　public　（with　which　a　set　of　such　books；　extending　beyond　twenty

large　volumes；　would　be　quite　incompatible）；　but　is　also　resolved

upon　for　the　purpose　of　effecting　some　desirable　improvements　in

respect　of　type；　paper；　and　size　of　page；　which　could　not　otherwise

be　made。　　To　the　Literature　of　the　New　Series　it　would　not　become　me

to　refer；　beyond　glancing　at　the　pages　of　this　Journal；　and　of　its

predecessor；　through　a　score　of　years；　inasmuch　as　my　regular

fellow…labourers　and　I　will　be　at　our　old　posts；　in　company　with

those　younger　comrades；　whom　I　have　had　the　pleasure　of　enrolling

from　time　to　time；　and　whose　number　it　is　always　one　of　my

pleasantest　editorial　duties　to　enlarge。



As　it　is　better　that　every　kind　of　work　honestly　undertaken　and

discharged；　should　speak　for　itself　than　be　spoken　for；　I　will　only

remark　further　on　one　intended　omission　in　the　New　Series。　　The

Extra　Christmas　Number　has　now　been　so　extensively；　and　regularly；

and　often　imitated；　that　it　is　in　very　great　danger　of　becoming

tiresome。　　I　have　therefore　resolved　（though　I　cannot　add；

willingly）　to　abolish　it；　at　the　highest　tide　of　its　success。



CHARLES　DICKENS。







Footnotes：



｛1｝　　Walter　Savage　Landor：　　a　Biography；　by　John　Forster；　2　vols。

Chapman　and　Hall。








End