第 2 节
作者:白寒      更新:2021-04-30 15:47      字数:9321
  attained was one worthy of its merits; and we could not have wished it a
  more   elegant   shrine   than   the   precious   pages   of   the   Holberton Album;   a
  volume   encased   in   velvet;   secured   with   jeweled   clasps;   reposing   on   a
  tasteful etagere。
  {etagere = small table or shelf for displaying curios (French)}
  But    I  proceed    without     further   delay   to   relate  some     of  the   more
  important steps in the progress of this interesting paper; from the garret of
  the    starving   poet    to  the  drawing…rooms        of  Holberton      House;    merely
  observing by way of preface that the following notice may be relied on so
  far   as  it  goes;   the  writerColonel      Jonathan    Howard      of  Trenton;    New
  Jersey;having had access to the very best authorities; and having also had
  the honor of being enlisted in the service of the Lumley Autograph upon
  an occasion of some importance; as will be shown by the narrative。
  It was just one hundred years since; in 1745; that this celebrated letter
  was first brought to light; from the obscurity in which it had already lain
  some half a century; and which no subsequent research has been able fully
  to clear away。 In the month of August of that year; the Rev。 John Lumley;
  tutor to Lord G…; had the honor of discovering this curious relic under
  the following circumstances。
  Mr。   Lumley   was   one   day   perched   on   the   topmost   step   of   a   library
  ladder;   looking   over   a   black   letter   volume   of   Hollinshed;   from   the   well
  filled   shelves    of   his  pupil。   Suddenly     he   paused;    and    his  antiquarian
  instincts were  aroused by  the  sight of   a sheet of   paper;  yellow  and   time
  worn。 He seized it with the eagerness of a book… worm; and in so doing
  dropped the volume of Hollinshed alarmingly near the wig…covered head
  of his youthful pupil; who with closed eyes; and open mouth; lay reclining
  on a sofa below。 The book; grazing the curls of the young lord's wig; he
  sprang up from his nap; alive and sound; though somewhat startled。
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  {Hollinshed = Raphael Holinshed (d。 1580); famous writer of British
  historical chronicles; used by Shakespeare as source for some of his plays}
  〃Hang it Lumley; what a rumpus you keep up among the books! You
  well nigh drove that old volume into my head by a process more summary
  than usual。〃
  The   learned   tutor   made   a   thousand   apologies;   as   he   descended   the
  ladder; but on touching the floor his delight burst forth。
  〃It   was   this  paper;   my   lord;  which    made     me   so  awkwardI      have
  lighted on a document of the greatest interest!〃
  〃What is it?〃 asked the pupil looking askance at letter; and tutor。
  〃An original letter which comes to hand; just in time for my lives of
  the tragediansthe volume to be dedicated to your lordshipit is a letter of
  poor Otway。〃
  {Otway = Thomas Otway (1652…1685); English playwright who wrote
  a number of important tragedies in verse; but who died destitute at the age
  of 33。 The Coopers were familiar with his work; James Fenimore Cooper
  used   quotations   from   Otway's   〃The   Orphan〃   for   three   chapter   heading
  epigraphs in his 1850 novel; 〃The Ways of the Hour〃}
  〃Otway?What; the fellow you were boring me about last night?〃
  〃The same my lordthe poet Otwayyou may remember we saw his
  Venice Preserved last week。 It is a highly interesting letter; written in great
  distress; and confirms the story of his starvation。 You see the signature。〃
  {Venice Preserved = a well…known play by Otway; written in 1682}
  〃That   name;   Otway?Well;   to   my   mind   it   is   as   much   like   Genghis
  Khan。〃
  〃Oh; my lord!Thomas Otway clearlysignatures are always more or
  less confused。
  〃Well; have it your own way。It may be Tom; Dick; or Harry for all I
  care;〃    said  the   youth;   stretching    himself    preparatory    to  a  visit  to  his
  kennels;   and   such   was   his   indifference   to   this   literary   treasure   that   he
  readily gave it to his tutor。 In those days; few lords were literary。
  Mr。 Lumley's delight at this discovery; was very much increased by the
  fact   that   he   was   at   that   moment   anxious   to   bring   out   an   edition   of   the
  English   Tragedians   of   the   seventeenth   century。   The   lives   of   several   of
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  these authors had been already written by him; and he was at that moment
  engaged   on   that   of   Otway。 A  noted   publisher   had   taken   the   matter   into
  consideration; and if the undertaking gave promise of being both palatable
  to   the   public;   and   profitable   to   himself;   a   prospectus   was   to   be   issued。
  Now here was a little tit…bit which the public would doubtless relish; for it
  was beginning to feel some interest in Otway's starvation; the poet having
  been dead half a century。 It is true that the signature of the poor starving
  author; whoever he may have been; was so illegible that it required some
  imagination to see in it; the name of Otway; but Mr。 Lumley had enough
  of    the   true   antiquarian     spirit;  to   settle   the   point   to   his  own     entire
  satisfaction。 The note was accordingly introduced into the life of Otway;
  with which the learned tutor was then engaged。 The work itself; however;
  was not destined to see the light; its publication was delayed; while Mr。
  Lumley accompanied his pupil on the usual continental tour; and from this
  journey  the   learned gentleman   never   returned;  dying   at   Rome;  of   a   cold
  caught   in   the   library   of   the Vatican。   By   his   will;   the   MS。   life   of   Otway
  with all his papers; passed into the hands of his brother; an officer in the
  army。 Unfortunately; however; Captain Lumley; who was by no means a
  literary    character;    proved     extremely      indifferent    to  this   portion    of  his
  brother's inheritance; which he treated with contemptuous neglect。
  After   this   first   stage   on  the   road   to   fame;   twenty   more   years   passed
  away and the letter of the starving poet was again forgotten。 At length the
  papers   of   the   Rev。   Mr。   Lumley;   fell   into   the   hands   of   a   nephew;   who
  inherited his uncle's antiquarian tastes; and clerical profession。 In looking
  over the MSS。; he came to the life of Otway; and was struck with the letter
  given   there;   never   having   met   with   it   in   print;   there   was   also   a   note
  appended       to  it  with   an   account    of   the  manner      in  which    it  had   been
  discovered by the editor; in the library of Lord G…; and affirming that it
  was still in his own possession。 The younger Lumley immediately set to
  work to discover the original letter; but his search was fruitless; it was not
  to be found either among the papers of his uncle; or those of his father。 It
  was gone。 He was himself a tutor at Cambridge at the time; and returning
  to   the   university;   he   carried   with   him   his   uncle's   life   of   Otway;   in   MS。
  Some little curiosity was at first excited among his immediate companions
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  by these facts; but it soon settled down into an opinion unfavorable to the
  veracity of the late Mr。 Lumley。This nettled the nephew; and as Lord G
  …; was still living; a gouty bloated roue; he at length wrote to inquire if
  his lordship knew any thing of the matter。 His lordship was too busy; or
  too   idle;   to   answer   the   inquiry。   Some   time   later;   however;   the   younger
  Lumley;      then   a  chaplain   in  the   family   of  a  relative   of  Lord    G…'s;
  accidentally   met     his   uncle's   former   pupil;   and   being   of  a  persevering
  disposition; he ventured to make a personal application on the subject。
  〃Now      you   recall   the   matter   to   me;   Mr。   Lumley;     I  do   recollect
  something of the kind。 I remember one day; giving my tutor some musty
  old letter he found in the library at G…; and by the bye he came near
  cracking my skull on the same occasion!〃
  Mr。 Lumley was not a little pleased by this confirmation of the story;
  though he found that Lord G… had not even read the letter; nor did he
  know any thing of its subsequent fate; he only remembered looking at the
  signature。 Not long after the meeting at which this explanation had taken
  place; Mr。 Lumley received a visit from a stranger; requesting to see the