Part 14 (2/2)
ANTIQUARIANA
My most literary antiquarianism was an article I wrote for the _Quarterly Review_ on Coins, accepted by Lockhart and inserted in one of the Nos for 1843; he protested that ”I could not be the Proverbial Philosopher, as my looks were too like David's,--it must be my father”--No, I replied, it is my father's son However, when he read and approved ive here his letter to me on his acceptance:--
”Sir,--I am at present terribly overburdened with MSS, and know not whether I can send a proof of your paper for some weeks; but I like it e I assure you I aed
”JG Lockhart
”Sussex Place, _February 16, 1843_”
I expostulated with him as to divers omissions for space' sake, and for so if not autocratic, as we all know My article (I find it noted) ritten on the numismatic works of Cardwell and of Akerman, and took me ten days in its composition, I tried Lockhart with a second article on ”Ancient Gems,” but it failed to please I never had an intervieith him but once, and then he see a little afterwards I have written also on Druidism; and the mystery of Easter Island, which I take to be the reed Pacific continent, with its deified statues on the top of an extinct volcano
And I have flung my pen into many other _melees_ of discussion both old and new; for it may be stated as a feature in my literary life that I have had, one after another, all the ologies on my brain, and have personally made small collections of minerals, fossils, insects, and the like: special hobbies having been agates picked up in my rambles on every beach from Yarmouth to Sidmouth, and coins at Roman stations wherever I found theht at Sotheby's auction-rooyptian and other antiquities In particular, the Rohbourhood of Albury were mainly due towith Harold Browne (now Bishop of Winchester) we used to search for coins there, and found one happy day a Gallienus: all which I recorded years after in a now scarce booklet, ”Farley Heath, and its Roman Remains,” published, with illustrations, by Andrews, Guildford Ulti rare and finely patinated, as well as several siven by Mr Drummond (who as lord of the manor employed labourers in the search for many months) to the British Museum, where they fill a niche near the prehistoric roo_, ere digging in the black mould of the burnt huts round the wall-foundations (all above ground of said hectagonal wall having since been ruthlessly utilised by parochial econost other spoil a little green bronze ring,--which I placed on the finger of our guest of the day, Mrs Barclay of Bury Hill: oddly enough it had six angles exactly like one of gold she wore as her wedding-guard Again; we had picked up soer-tips,--just as modern cooks do with pie-crust; a son of 's foot on some tile,--and just as he said it, up cae footprint of dog or wolf staain; I was leaving for an hour a labourer in whose industry and honesty I had not the fullest faith So in order to e up an old thorn bush and told hiive me when I returned the piece of money he would find under it To avewith a scared face, ”However could you tell it was there, sir?” I looked wise, and said nothing
Alish Careith two heads on it sy the ambition of our native usurper to assert e old coin of Veric,--the Bericus of Tacitus; as also the rare contents of a subterranean potter's oven, preserved to our day, and yielding several whole vases Mr Akerman of numismatic fame told me that out of Rome itself he did not know a richer site for old-world curiosities than Farley; in the course of years we found more than 1200 coins, besides Samian ware, and plenty of common pottery, as well as bronze ornaments, enamelled fibulae, weapons of war, household ilo-Saxon, andbeen a praetorian station on the Ikenild highway This is quite a relevant episode of”My Mummy Wheat,” a record of which found its way into print and iven to rew out of an Amenti vase taken from a mummy pit by Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, and very carefully resuscitated by arden-pots filled ell-sifted mould at Albury; it proved to be a new and prolific species of the seest ear of 8-1/2 inches in length (engraved in an agricultural journal) was sent by me to Prince Albert, then a zealous British far letter topasted a published my letter to him, and refuses to be called Doctor:--
”Royal Institution, _June 11, 1842_
”My dear Sir,--Your note was a very pleasant event in my day of yesterday, and I thank you heartily for it, and rejoice with you at the success of the crop It so happened that yesterday evening was the last of our s, and I had to speak in the lecture-room The subject was Lithotint: but I placed the one ear in the library under a glass case, and after my first subject was over read the principal part of your letter--all that related to the wheat: and the inforreat interest by about 700 persons Our President, Lord Prudhoe, was in the chair, and greatly desirous of knowing the age of the wheat You know he is learned in Egyptian matters, and was anxious about the label or inscription acco, but I rather fear your letter will be published, or at least the wheat part, for a gentleave him leave, but found that he was connected with the press, the _Literary Gazette_ I hope you will not object since without thought on ood and valuable that I do not wonder at the desire to have it,--Ever your obliged servant,
”M Faraday
”MF Tupper, Esq, &c &c &c
”_PS_--I am happy to say that I am plain Mr Faraday, and if I have my wish shall keep so--MF”
An early voluotistica” has many letters and printed coriculturist myself, I did not wish it called by my name,--so it is only known in the markets (chiefly I have heard in Essex) as ”Mu of declined honours in nomenclature, I may here ed by him to be naratified that distinguished entoist by my poem on Beetles) was respectfully refused the prefix ofa lepidopt froiven, let it be deserved
CHAPTER XXV
HONOURS--INVENTIONS
Authorshi+p reaps honour in these latter days quite as il and Horace for his intimates, and of Petrarch crowned at the Capitol laureate of all Italy during the vacancy of a popedom in the Vatican Not but that, with or without any titular distinction, authorshi+p is practically the st us Many will pass by a duke ould have stopped and waited to have looked at a Darhen he was in this lower sphere; and I arand presence of Alfred Tennyson would attract nate in the land
As to his title, I was glad that his good taste and wisdom elected to be called by his own honourable patronyreat nanatures as Wantage or Esher, Hindlip or Glossop, Dalling or Griets quite at a loss to knoho's who
My letter to the _Times_ of December 19, 1883, headed ”Literary Honours,” in praise of Tennyson's elevation to the House of Lords, and showing how in every age all nations except our own have given honours to authors, literally ”from China to Peru,” elicited plenty both of approval and of censure from journals of many denoazetted, the less euphonious Tupper was stig to be a Baron too,--at all events, the _Echo_ said so, and the _Globe_ good-humouredly observed that ”he deserved the coronet” They little knew that in the suraphs in my tenth volume of ”Archives” are now before me to show) the same derided scribe was seriously announced as ”about to be raised to the peerage” all over England and America: see two available and respectable proofs in the _British Controversialist_ (Houlston & Wright) for July 1863, p 79,--and Bryant's _Evening Post_ for September 17, 1863 I na what they supposed true, as in fact was told me by the editors when inquired of At the tireater readiness, inasmuch as I dispute both the justice of hereditary honour and the wisdousta does money to support rank, even if, as in sundry late cases of raising to the peerage, it does not purchase it
It is fair also to state as a fact, that when my father for the second ti vote against one before me to the better world,--and that, for reasons mentioned above, I certainly could not take it now Let this suffice as my reply to some recent sneers and strictures
As for letters of the alphabet attached to one's name, al fees or subscriptions; in particular, Aiven old -powder and sewing-machines are surfeited therewith My poor Prussian hthood, that ancient honour has been lately so abused that vanity itself could scarcely desire it, and even ht hesitate in its acceptance
Albeit I have thus spoken only incidentally and with see carelessness about my Prussian medal, I am reminded that it will interest readers if I here extract the Chevalier Bunsen's letter to rity:--