；　as　would　have　　saved　him　and　his　book　from　such　a　sadly　ironical　fate　as　has　　overtaken　him　and　it。
  From　the　whole　business　…　since　〃free；　gratis；　for　nothing；〃　I　　offered　him　as　good　advice　as　any　lawyer　in　the　three　kingdoms　　could　have　done　for　large　payment；　and　since　he　never　deemed　it　　worth　while；　even　to　tell　me　the　results　of　his　reference　to　　FAMILIAR　STUDIES；　I　here　and　now　say　deliberately　that　his　conduct　　to　me　was　scarcely　so　courteous　and　grateful　and　graceful　as　it　　might　have　been。　　How　different　…　very　different　…　the　way　in　which　　the　late　R。　L。　Stevenson　rewarded　me　for　a　literary　service　no　whit　　greater　or　more　essentially　valuable　to　him　than　this　service　　rendered　to　Lord　Rosebery　might　have　been　to　him。
  This　chapter　would　most　probably　not　have　been　printed；　had　not　Mr　　Coates　re…issued　the　inadequate　and　most　misleading　paragraph　about　　Mr　Stevenson　and　style　in　his　Lord　Rosebery's　LIFE　AND　SPEECHES　　exactly　as　it　was　before；　thus　perpetuating　at　once　the　error　and　　the　wrong；　in　spite　of　all　my　trouble；　warnings；　and　protests。　　It　　is　a　tragicomedy；　if　not　a　farce　altogether；　considering　who　are　　the　principal　actors　in　it。　　And　let　those　who　have　copies　of　the　　queer　prohibited　book　cherish　them　and　thank　me；　for　that　I　do　by　　this　give　a　new　interest　and　value　to　it　as　a　curiosity；　law…　inhibited；　if　not　as　high　and　conscientious　literature　…　which　it　　is　not。
  I　remember　very　well　about　the　time　Lord　Rosebery　spoke　on　Burns；　　and　Stevenson；　and　London；　that　certain　London　papers　spoke　of　his　　deliverances　as　indicating　more　knowledge　…　fuller　and　exacter　　knowledge　…　of　all　these　subjects　than　the　greatest　professed　　experts　possessed。　　That　is　their　extravagant　and　most　reckless　　way；　especially　if　the　person　spoken　about　is　a　〃great　politician〃　　or　a　man　of　rank。　　They　think　they　are　safe　with　such　superlatives　　applied　to　a　brilliant　and　clever　peer　（with　large　estates　and　many　　interests）；　and　an　ex…Prime　Minister！　　But　literature　is　a　　republic；　and　it　must　here　be　said；　though　all　unwillingly；　that　　Lord　Rosebery　is　but　an　amateur　…　a　superficial　though　a　clever　　amateur　after　all；　and　their　extravagances　do　not　change　the　fact。　　　I　declare　him　an　amateur　in　Burns'　literature　and　study　because　of　　what　I　have　said　elsewhere；　and　there　are　many　points　to　add　to　　that　if　need　were。　　I　have　proved　above　from　his　own　words　that　he　　was　crassly　and　unpardonably　ignorant　of　some　of　the　most　important　　points　in　R。　L。　Stevenson's　development　when　he　delivered　that　　address　in　Edinburgh　on　Stevenson　…　a　thing　very；　very　pardonable　…　　seeing　that　he　is　run　after　to　do　〃speakings〃　of　this　sort；　but　to　　go　on；　in　face　of　such　warning　and　protest；　printing　his　most　　misleading　errors　is　not　pardonable；　and　the　legal　recorded　result　　is　my　justification　and　his　condemnation；　the　more　surely　that　even　　that　would　not　awaken　him　so　far　as　to　cause　him　to　restrain　Mr　　Coates　from　reproducing　in　his　LIFE　AND　SPEECHES；　just　as　it　was　　originally；　that　peccant　passage。　　I　am　fully　ready　to　prove　also　　that；　though　Chairman　of　the　London　County　Council　for　a　period；　　and　though　he　made　a　very　clever　address　at　one　of　Sir　W。　Besant's　　lectures；　there　is　much　yet　…　very　much　…　he　might　learn　from　Sir　　W。　Besant's　writings　on　London。　　It　isn't　so　easy　to　outshine　all　　the　experts　…　even　for　a　clever　peer　who　has　been　Prime　Minister；　　though　it　is　very；　very　easy　to　flatter　Lord　Rosebery；　with　a　　purpose　or　purposes；　as　did　at　least　once　also　with　rarest　tact；　at　　Glasgow；　indicating　so　many　other　things　and　possibilities；　a　　certain　very　courtly　ex…Moderator　of　the　Church　of　Scotland。
  CHAPTER　XXXI　…　MR　GOSSE　AND　MS。　OF　TREASURE　ISLAND
  MR　EDMUND　GOSSE　has　been　so　good　as　to　set　down；　with　rather　an　air　　of　too　much　authority；　that　both　R。　L。　Stevenson　and　I　deceived　　ourselves　completely　in　the　matter　of　my　little　share　in　the　　TREASURE　ISLAND　business；　and　that　too　much　credit　was　sought　by　me　　or　given　to　me；　for　the　little　service　I　rendered　to　R。　L。　　Stevenson；　and　to　the　world；　say；　in　helping　to　secure　for　it　an　　element　of　pleasure　through　many　generations。　　I　have　not　SOUGHT　　any　recognition　from　the　world　in　this　matter；　and　even　the　mention　　of　it　became　so　intolerable　to　me　that　I　eschewed　all　writing　about　　it；　in　the　face　of　the　most　stupid　and　misleading　statements；　till　　Mr　Sidney　Colvin　wrote　and　asked　me　to　set　down　my　account　of　the　　matter　in　my　own　words。　　This　I　did；　as　it　would　have　been　really　　rude　to　refuse　a　request　so　graciously　made；　and　the　reader　has　it　　in　the　ACADEMY　of　10th　March　1900。　　Nevertheless；　Mr　Gosse's　　statements　were　revived　and　quoted；　and　the　thing　seemed　ever　to　　revolve　again　in　a　round　of　controversy。
  Now；　with　regard　to　the　reliability　in　this　matter　of　Mr　Edmund　　Gosse；　let　me　copy　here　a　little　note　made　at　request　some　time　　ago；　dealing　with　two　points。　　The　first　is　this：
  1。　MOST　ASSUREDLY　I　carried　away　from　Braemar　in　my　portmanteau；　as　　R。　L。　Stevenson　says　in　IDLER'S　article　and　in　chapter　of　MY　FIRST　　BOOK　reprinted　in　EDINBURGH　EDITION；　several　chapters　of　TREASURE　　ISLAND。　　On　that　point　R。　L。　Stevenson；　myself；　and　Mr　James　　Henderson；　to　whom　I　took　these；　could　not　all　be　wrong　and　co…　operating　to　mislead　the　public。　　These　chapters；　at　least　vii。　or　　viii。；　as　Mr　Henderson　remembers；　would　include　the　FIRST　THREE；　　that　is；　FINALLY　REVISED　VERSIONS　FOR　PRESS。　　Mr　Gosse　could　not　　then　HAVE　HEARD　R。　L。　STEVENSON　READ　FROM　THESE　FINAL　VERSIONS　BUT　　FROM　FIRST　DRAUGHTS　ONLY；　and　I　am　positively　certain　that　with　　some　of　the　later　chapters　R。　L。　Stevenson　wrote　them　off…hand；　and　　with　great　ease；　and　did　not　revise　them　to　the　extent　of　at　all　　needing　to　re…write　them；　as　I　remember　he　was　proud　to　tell　me；　　being　then　fully　in　the　vein；　as　he　put　it；　and　pleased　to　credit　　me　with　a　share　in　this　good　result；　and　saying　〃my　enthusiasm　over　　it　had　set　him　up　steep。〃　　There　was　then；　in　my　idea；　a　necessity　　that　Stevenson　should　fill　up　a　gap　by　verbal　summary　to　Mr　Gosse　　（which　Mr　Gosse　has　forgotten）；　bringing　the　incident　up　to　a　　further　point　than　Mr　Gosse　now　thinks。　　I　am　certain　of　my　facts　　under　this　head；　and　as　Mr　Gosse　clearly　fancies　he　heard　R。　L。　　Stevenson　read　all　from　final　versions　and　is　mistaken　…　COMPLETELY　　mistaken　there　…　he　may　be　just　as　wrong　and　the　victim　of　error　or　　bad　memory　elsewhere　after　the　lapse　of　more　than　twenty　years。
  2。　I　gave　the　pencilled　outline　of　incident　and　plot　to　Mr　　Henderson　…　a　fact　he　distinctly　remembers。　　This　fact　completely　　meets　and　disposes　of　Mr　Robert　Leighton's　quite　imaginative　BILLY　　BO'SUN　notion；　and　is　absolute　as　to　R。　L。　Stevenson　before　he　left　　Braemar　on　the　21st　September　1881；　or　even　before　I　left　it　on　　26th　August　1881；　having　clear　in　his　mind　the　whole　scheme　of　the　　work；　though　we　know　very　well　that　the　absolute　re…writing　out　　finally　for　press　of　the　concluding　part　of　the　book　was　done　at　　Davos。　　Mr　Henderson　has　always　made　it　the　strictest　rule　in　his　　editorship　that　the　complete　outline　of　the　plot　and　incident　of　　the　latter　part　of　a　story　must　be　supplied　to　him；　if　the　whole　　story　is　not　submitted　to　him　in　MS。；　and　the　agreement；　if　I　am　　not　much　mistaken；　was　entered　into　days　before　R。　L。　Stevenson　　left　Braemar；　and　when　he　came　up　to　London　some　short　time　after　　to　go　to　Weybridge；　the　only　arrangement　then　needed　to　be　made　was　　about　the　forwarding　of　proofs　to　him。
  The　publication　of　TREASURE　ISLAND　in　YOUNG　FOLKS　began　on　the　1st　　October　1881；　No。　565　and　ran　on　in　the　following　order：
  OCTOBER　1；　1881。　THE　PROLOGUE
  No。　565。
  I。　The　Old　Sea　Dog　at　the　Admiral　Benbow。　II。　Black　Dog　Appears　and　Disappears。
  No。　566。
  Dated　OCTOBER　8；　1881。
  III。　The　Black　Spot。
  No。　567。
  Dated　OCTOBER　15；　1881。
  IV。　The　Sea　Chart。　V。　The　Last　of　the　Blind　Man。　VI。　The　Captain's　Papers。
  No。　568。
  Dated　OCTOBER　22；　1881。
  THE　STORY
  I。　I　go　to　Bristol。　II。　The　Sea…Cook。　Ill。　　Powder　and　Arms。
  Now；　as　the　numbers　of　YOUNG　FOLKS　were　printed　about　a　fortnight　　in　advance　of　the　date　they　bear　under　the　title；　it　is　clear　that　　not　only　must　the　contract　have　been　executed　days　before　the　　middle　of　September；　but　that　a　large　proportion　of　the　COPY　must　　have　been　in　Mr　Henderson's　hands　at　that　date　too；　as　he　must　have　　been　entirely　satisfied　that　the　story　would　go　on　and　be　finished　　in　a　definite　time。　　On　no　other　terms　would　he　have　begun　the　　publication　of　it。　　He　was　not　in　the　least　likely　to　have　accepted　　a　story　from　a　man　who；　though　known　as　an　essayist；　had　not　yet　　published　anything　in　the　way　of　a　long　story；　on　the　ground　merely　　of　three　chapters　of　prologue。　　Mr　Gosse　left　Braemar　on　5th　　September；　when　he　says　nine　chapters　were　written；　and　Mr　　Henderson　had　offered　terms　for　the　story　before　the　last　of　these　　could　have　reached　him。　　That　is　on　seeing；　say　six　chapters　of　　prologue。　　But　when　Mr　Gosse　speaks　about　three　chapters　only　　written；　does　he　mean　three　of　the　prologue　or　three　of　the　story；　　in　addition　to　prologue；　or　what　does　he　mean？　　The　facts　are　　clear。　　I　took　away　in　my　portmanteau　a　large　portion　of　the　MS。；　　together　with　a　very　full　outline　of　the