PREFACE

TOTHELASTESSAYSOFELIA

BYAFRIENDOFTHELATEELIA

Thispoorgentleman,whoforsomemonthspasthadbeeninadecliningway,hathatlengthpaidhisfinaltributetonature.

Tosaytruth,itistimeheweregone.Thehumourofthething,iftherewasevermuchinit,wasprettywellexhausted;andatwoyearsandahalfexistencehasbeenatolerabledurationforaphantom.

Iamnowatlibertytoconfess,thatmuchwhichIhaveheardobjectedtomylatefriendswritingswaswell-founded.Crudetheyare,Igrantyou——asortofunlicked,inconditethings——villainouslyprankedinanaffectedarrayofantiquemodesandphrases.Theyhadnotbeenhis,iftheyhadbeenotherthansuch;andbetteritis,thatawritershouldbenaturalinaself-pleasingquaintness,thantoaffectanaturalness(socalled)thatshouldbestrangetohim.Egotisticaltheyhavebeenpronouncedbysomewhodidnotknow,thatwhathetellsus,asofhimself,wasoftentrueonly(historically)ofanother;asinaformerEssay(tosavemanyinstances)——whereunderthefirstperson(hisfavoritefigure)heshadowsforththeforlornestateofacountry-boyplacedataLondonschool,farfromhisfriendsandconnections——indirectoppositiontohisownearlyhistory.

Mylatefriendwasinmanyrespectsasingularcharacter.Thosewhodidnotlikehim,hatedhim;andsome,whooncelikedhimafterwardsbecamehisbitteresthaters.Thetruthis,hegavehimselftoolittleconcernwhatheuttered,andinwhosepresence.Heobservedneithertimenorplace,andwouldeenoutwithwhatcameuppermost.Withtheseverereligionistliewouldpassforafreethinker;whiletheotherfactionsethimdownforabigot,orpersuadedthemselvesthathebeliedhissentiments.Fewunderstoodhim;andIamnotcertainthatatalltimeshequiteunderstoodhimself.Hetoomuchaffectedthatdangerousfigure——irony.Hesoweddoubtfulspeeches,andreapedplain,unequivocalhatred——Hewouldinterruptthegravestdiscussionwithsomelightjest;andyet,perhaps,notquiteirrelevantinearsthatcouldunderstandit.Yourlongandmuchtalkershatedhim.Theinformalhabitofhismind,joinedtoaninveterateimpedimentofspeech,forbadehimtobeallorator;andheseemeddeterminedthatnooneelseshouldplaythatpartwhenhewaspresent.Hewaspetitandordinaryinhispersonandappearance.Ihaveseenhimsometimesinwhatiscalledgoodpany,butwherehehasbeenastranger,sitsilent,andbesuspectedforanoddfellow;tillsomeunluckyoccasionprovokingit,bewouldstutteroutsomesenselesspun(notaltogethersenselessperhaps,ifrightlytaken),whichhasstampedhischaracterfortheevening.Itwashitormisswithhim;butninetimesoutoften,hecontrivedbythisdevicetosendawayawholepanyhisenemies.Hisconceptionsrosekindlierthanhisutterance,andhishappiestimpromptushadtheappearanceofeffort.Hehasbeenaccusedoftryingtobewitty,whenintruthhewasbutstrugglingtogivehispoorthoughtsarticulation.Hechosehispanionsforsomeindividualityofcharacterwhichtheymanifested——Hence,notmanypersonsofscience,andfewprofessedliterati,wereofhiscouncils.Theywere,forthemostpart,personsofanuncertainfortune;and,astosuchpeoplemonlynothingismoreobnoxiousthanagentlemanofsettled(thoughmoderate)ine,hepassedwithmostofthemforagreatmiser.Tomyknowledgethiswasamistake.Hisintimados,toconfessatruth,wereintheworldseyearaggedregiment.Hefoundthemfloatingonthesurfaceofsociety;andthecolour,orsomethingelse,intheweedpleasedhim.Theburrsstucktohim——buttheyweregoodandlovingburrsforallthat.Henevergreatlycaredforthesocietyofwhatarecalledgoodpeople.Ifanyofthesewerescandalised(andoffencesweresuretoarise),hecouldnothelpit.Whenbehasbeenremonstratedwithfornotmakingmoreconcessionstothefeelingofgoodpeople,hewouldretortbyasking,whatonepointdidthesegoodpeopleeverconcedetohim?Hewastemperateinhismealsanddiversions,butalwayskeptalittleonthissideofabstemiousness.OnlyintheuseoftheIndianweedhemightbethoughtalittleexcessive.Hetookit,hewouldsay,asasolventofspeech.Marry——asthefriendlyvapourascended,howhisPrattlewouldcurlupsometimeswithit!theligaments,whichtongue-tiedhim,wereloosened,andthestammererproceededastatist!

IdonotknowwhetherIoughttobemoanorrejoicethatmyoldfriendisdeparted.Hisjestswerebeginningtogrowobsolete,andhisstoriestobefoundout.Hefelttheapproachesofageandwhilehepretendedtoclingtolife,yousawhowslenderwerethetieslefttobindhim.Discoursingwithhimlatterlyonthissubject,heexpressedhimselfwithapettishness,whichIthoughtunworthyofhim.Inourwalksabouthissuburbanretreat(ashecalledit)atShacklewell,somechildrenbelongingtoaschoolofindustryhadmetus,andbowedandcurtseyed,ashethought,inanespecialmannertohim."Theytakemeforavisitinggovernor,"hemutteredearnestly.Hehadahorror,whichhecarriedtoafoible,oflookinglikeanythingimportantandparochial.Hethoughtthatheapproachednearertothatstampdaily.Hehadageneralaversionfrombeingtreatedlikeagraveorrespectablecharacter,andkeptawaryeyeupontheadvancesofagethatshouldsoentitlehim.Heherdedalways,whileitwaspossible,withpeopleyoungerthanhimself.Hedidnotconformtothemarchoftime,butwasdraggedalongintheprocession.Hismannerslaggedbehindhisyears.Hewastoomuchoftheboy-man.Thetogavirilisneversategracefullyonhisshoulders.Theimpressionsofinfancyhadburntintohim,andheresentedtheimpertinenceofmanhood.Thesewereweaknesses;butsuchastheywere,theyareakeytoexplicatesomeofhiswritings.