Part 17 (1/2)

Bok, a Brooklyn editor, has told me that more than four hundred repeated theh--suffered reverses, and neededfriends Moreover I have heard it stated that some sort of collection was volunteered for me Well, this may have been the case or not; but anyhow the fact is (and it should be announced to those whoco from America (except a few dollars sent by one lady, and some more from a Transatlantic relative), either on account of raphs The annoyance in my own mind, and in the suspicion of some others round me, is the aard fancy that sundry small collections may have been intercepted Possibly some other Martin Tupper has the spoil

Another sort of dishonest personation whereto we are all liable, whether authors or not, is the having iarbled sentiments, even in the immutability of print, I have now before me a Boston copy of my first Proverbial published by one Joseph Dowe in 1840, which, though stated to be ”fronedly omits all allusion to the Trinity, even my whole essay thereon, for Mr Dowe as a Unitarian chose to make me one! Also, I have seen my name attached to verses I never wrote, and have been claiians and Freemasons as a brother, while Jesuitry has otherwise traduced me

Artists also as well as authors are similarly misrepresented; my son-in-law, Clayton Adams, for instance, tells me that his name has been added to landscapes he never painted, and that they sold by auction at high prices Modern society should punish such cheateries severely

CHAPTER XXIX

HOSPITALITIES--FARNHAM, ETC

Ast other memorabilia in no particular order, let er than a mere call, to sundry persons and places of note

As these, for instance Annually during uest froood Bishop's venison was in season Of course, at such a table I constantly met celebrities, but a mere list of their names would be tedious, and any public record of private hospitalities I hold to be improper No doubt the kindly and courtly Bishop Suh festival like an ancient Baron, at such a rate (for those were golden times from renewed leases for the see) as no successor with a less unlirandeur of Farnhaood friend from boyhood, Bishop Harold Browne, must not be blamed if with less than half his ratify Bishop Sumner in a way that touched his heart, as thus A cousin of mine, De Lara Tupper of Rio Janeiro, a rich reenhouse, two large bales of orchids, which, however, were practically useless to ular orchid-house But I knew that the dear Bishop had, and that orchid-groas his special hobby: accordingly all were transferred to Farnharatefully accepted, as many roots proved to be ave me, _en revanche_, a splendid Horace, in white vellum beautifully illustrated, and inscribed by him ”Gratiarum actio,” now near me in a bookcase The saes, and shaddocks just when Garibaldi was our visitor at Princes Gate,--and I had the gratification of giving many to him, not only because he mainly lived upon fruit, but also because some of the said fruit came from the farm he and his first wife, the well-beloved Anita, had once owned in South America Later on, Gladstone invited me to meet the hero at a reception in Carlton Gardens, where I took note of Garibaldi, with his hostess on his ar lane of feathered fashi+onables, whoht and left as if he had been always used to such London high life On that occasion I had the honour of standing between Palmerston and Lord John Russell, who kindly conversed withes

Parham

Another notable visit of some days, was one to Parham, the ancient--and haunted--seat of my old friend both at Charterhouse and at Christ Church, Robert Curzon, afterwards Lord de la Zouche, the great collector of Armenian and other st us, and his son has dropped the ”de la”) I spent a joyful and instructive time: out of doors we fished in the lake and rode about the park a the antlered deer,--three heads and horns whereof are now in our glass-porch entrance at Albury; indoors, there was the splendid gallery of family armour from feudal days,--several suits of which Curzon told me he had tried to wear on soh by no le into were too heavy Then there was the interth portraits, some of whom, probably the wicked ancestors, _walked_! and I'allery, I did hear footsteps--could it be, horrible fancy! in procession? When I told Curzon this, he answered that he had often heard them himself, from boyhood, but that familiarity bred contempt: he said also, with a twinkle in his eye, that there _was_ a room which was usually set apart for new-married couples, as such would probably not be so ht be, at the whispered conversations across the bed! Moreover, evil wings (possibly owls or bats, looking after gloorm candles) occasionally flapped at the casements But Curzon was a huhosts at Parham lay in the fact that in the old thick walls were concealed staircases and ”priests'

charant lovers (like Mr Pickwick at Ipswich), or perhaps sleep-walkers,--or burglarious, thieves Anyhow, I liked to lock enerally elsewhere, if lock and key are in good agreeical operation of a carpenter, having too securely locked myself in This shall not happen twice, if I can help it Curzon's great glory, however, was his library, full of rarities: he showed old letter types, being (if I rehtly) Constantine's own copy of the New Testament; and, to pass by other curios, soine his horror when I volunteered to cut these open for hi that no eye has ever seen, nor ever can see, the insides of those virgin pages! I know there is such a rabies as bibliomania,--and I have ed to a maternal ancestor, a Faulkner, of course valued beyond its worth as a readable voluht name many other instances; but to esteem a book chiefly because it has never been cut open, did strike norance as an abnormal fatuity

Curzon was one of our Aristotelians, as before mentioned

Other Visits

I ao at Shenstone's Leasowes, a beautiful estate near Bir up for coal even as Haood friends of mine resided, of whom (now departed like so many others) I haveand intelligent lady of the old school, wearing her ohite ringlets, used to have enius whonate, did his best to enableabout them, and tried to interest me in farm improvements: but my chief memory of those days is this Whilst I was there, a splendid testiuarded by a couple of police against possible roughs, the result of a zealous gathering from his political supporters; and that Testimonial, ”little Testy” as I called it, was a source of care and dilemma to everybody; for care, it was ilars; and as to dilemma, the white elephant was too tall for the centre of a table, and too short to stand upon the floor It seemed closely to illustrate to my mind that wise text about a man's life and his possessions The cheerful spirit of the mansion and its inmates seemed quite subdued by this unwelcome acquisition When at the Leasowes, I produced some suitable poems which were very kindly received: here is one of them, hitherto unprinted

_An I 24, 1857, as per order_

”And so you claiood friend, As from the inspiration of the place; Well then,--from pastoral trash may taste defend Your pleasant Leasowes, and the human race!

The Gentle Shepherd's day has had an end, Nor even could melodious Shenstone here (False and inflated, we ht or pensive tear Unless indeed of wrath or pity now: Yet dearly can I love these tulens between, Set with clear trout pools link'd by gurgling rills And all so natural and calreen, That served to enervate your Poetaster But only strengthen now their Iron Master”

I will also record a hospitable sojourn in old days at Northwood Park, the splendid abode of Isle-of-Wight Ward (grandfather to e friend Ward of the Aristotle class and Oxonian persecution), where I once spent a week in my father's time: and similarly a visit at Lord Spencer's perfect villa near Ryde: and at other pleasant ho Wotton, the classic o,--see a forthened visits in yll, and Holkar Hall with Lord George Cavendish, as private doowan, Rozelle, Herriard, Losely, and the like, gratefully on owan is the nificent abode of randmother as my sponsor I am named Farquhar; Rozelle, the hospitable mansion of Captain Ha the _elite_ of Ayr, and aed niece of Burns in the poet's own country; Herriard House, e under his name of Jervoise, and Losely--”of the manuscripts,” where I have often visited my late excellent friend James More Molyneux

Of course, like everybody else who may be lifted a trifle above the crowd, I have experienced, almost annually, the splendid hospitalities of the Mansion House andcontinue, and not be spunged away by Radical ratified thereby, for the poorest get the luxurious leavings, and the feasts are paid for by benefactors long departed fro prodigality and luxury have good uses But I will mention (of course without the hint of a name or place) one only instance of excessive splendour, quite needless and to nate (not a royalty, I need hardly say) invited four guests to dine with his home party; the four were uests enough; and yet behind each of twelve chairs stood a gorgeous flunkey in powder and bright livery, withtriarter! Of course too the buffet and the table were loaded, with resplendent plate That, scene of ostentation has been on the graymanhood, and I relieve myself now of the ree I speak of Prince Astor's pure gold service when I dined with hirateful memory of the almost palatial splendour ith a rich publisher entertained his guest at his castle under Arthur's Seat; but in every case (and I ht name others) my heart's aspiration has been, ”Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me” Mr Vanderbilt was not happy with his millions; neither probably is poor Jack without a shot in his locker

CHAPTER xxx

SOCIAL AND RURAL

In such a record of personals as this, it is fortunate both for the author and his readers if he has never been one of those literary lions who are e not to have to reproduce the coarden-parties, nor to be obliged to make the most, after a seossip in the s heard them he cannot well report racy anecdotes, whereof sundry memoirs have been too full In the happier condition of a partial anchoritisaieties; as a youth and to ly court the hu society, and thereafter, up to to-day, a doentleman of literary pursuits, I have avoided (as far as possible) fashi+onable gatherings of every sort, social, theological, or political Not that I abjure--it is far otherwise--any kind of genial intercourse with ht, but I never would belong to a club, though soence as to ter been offered a free and immediate entry), nor to any society or charity that expected of me personal publicity or active service,--albeit, once, and once only, I had to figure as a reluctant chairman at Exeter Hall Privacy has ever been my preference; whence it will clearly be inferred how much I have had to sacrifice in the way of self-denial when forced by circumstances to enact the ”old man eloquent”