PREFACE. DURING the later years of his residence in England, Landor prepared a Collection of his Writings to which he had given careful revision, and in which the Imaginary Conversations were classified and arranged in the order he had most desired to see them printed in. This Collection he placed in my hands on going abroad for the last time; with instruction that if it should be published in any form after his death, the subjoined letter should accompany it by way of Dedication: WALTER LANDOR TO JOHN FORSTER. My dear Friend, Temperance Societies rose up 'soon after the construction of Gin-Palaces. Our literature may take perhaps a similar turn; for it is accus'tomed to take rapid and opposite ones. In that case 'you may live to superintend such Edition or Selection 'from my Writings as may be called for after my death. I place them in your hands with the more pleasure, since you have thought them not unworthy of your 'notice, and even your study, among the labours of our Greatest Authors, our Patriots in the best times. The world is indebted to you for a knowledge of their 3965 'characters and their works: I shall be contented to be 'WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR.' Acting on this permission. it was proposed to print a Selection only; and by the plan of carefully abridging each dialogue rather than wholly omitting any, the number and variety in the subjects would have remained to show the greatest marvel of Landor's remarkable achievement. But after much progress in this, its profoundly unsatisfactory result compelled me to lay it aside. When the necessary reductions had been made, stores of wisdom and of wit undoubtedly were left; everywhere there were striking aphorisms, concise and penetrating observations, exquisite criticism, surpassing strength as well as loveliness of language; but what had most given life to each Conversation was gone. The proper setting for its jewels of speech or thought, the vividness of character, the subtlety of imagination, seemed to be no longer there. A remark made in my Life was thus put to the proof. In this it was said that though Landor's fiveact dramas were only dialogues in verse, his prose dialogues were one-act dramas; and that, however freely his talkers might borrow their opinions from himself, the dramatic conditions incident to their talk were never in any case lost sight of. Applicable to nearly all the Imaginary Conversations, the remark applies yet more forcibly to those other prose works overflowing most with beauties apparently isolated; and which In the last are here, also by the author's wish, printed in closer sequence and connection than formerly with the Dialogues, to which, however differing in form, they essentially belong. Take from them only such beauties, and you do not bring with you from the Pentameron the rich Italian colour, or from Pericles and Aspasia the faultless Greek simplicity, or from Shakespeare's Examination what makes the book unique. there is a charm which consists in the fact that its hero, not yet the author of the wonderful plays, is merely the lad who is to grow into that greatest of men; but this is in the nature of a secret known to the reader only, and, everybody else in the book being whimsically unconscious of it, including the youth himself, it is not to be enjoyed but by reading the whole. For these and other reasons the intended Selections from Landor's Writings have been abandoned, and the Edition which accompanies this revised Life will under every head comprise the completed work, with the author's last revision. There will be omission only of such parts of the poetical writings as Landor had himself deliberately rejected. Of the form in which the Biography of Landor accompanies the new Edition of his Works, I crave permission to state that the pains and care bestowed upon its revision have not been less than were given to the composition of it. While every objection to the form in which it originally appeared that seemed to be reasonable has been considered and as far as possible remedied, nothing material has been omitted. The condensation has been effected by leaving out letters and extracts from Landor's writings, but everything characteristic in the matter thus put aside has been retained in substance or narrative; and with some confidence I now dismiss the book as an honest and faithful picture of a man who took distinguished rank among the greatest of his contemporaries, and is as likely as the best to hold his place with many future generations of Englishmen. Palace-Gate House, Kensington, 7th of February 1874. The date of the very interesting communication which follows, from my friend Mr. Charles Reade, reveals how long this work has been waiting the result of my attempted substitution of Selections for the Completed Works, in the Edition that was to accompany it. Mr. Reade's anecdotes of his father did not reach me until the Biography had been printed in its present shape; but happily they corroborate in all respects its account of Landor's school days, and their vivacity and worth make them a valuable addition to the volume. J. F. 2 Albert-terrace, Knightsbridge, October 5th, 1872. This is the little gossip I promised you. Valeat quantum. My late father told these and many other Rugby stories with a great deal of gusto and point. I wish I had listened more seriously. However, in these few I have recollected the very phrases of Doctor James and of Landor, whose youthful genius made a great impression on my father, himself a man above the common. Yours very sincerely, CHARLES READE. My father, John Reade of Ipsden, Oxon, was sent to Rugby at eight years of age. Next day, in the afternoon, a much bigger boy espied him, and said, 'Hy, you new boy, I want you.' It was to carry a casting-net. heavy. Little Reade found it rather Master Landor cast the net several times in a certain water, and caught nothing. Thereupon he blamed his attendant. You are the cause of this,' said he. 'I begin to fear you are a boy of ill omen' (sic). He cast again, and drew a blank. 'Decidedly,' said Master Landor, 'you are a boy of ill omen. 'However,' says he, 'we won't lay it on the Fates till we have 'tried all mortal means. Sapiens dominabitur astris. We must 'poach a little.' Accordingly he proceeded to a forbidden preserve. At the gate stood a butcher, contemplating heifers at feed. I say, butcher, let me fish the brook there.' 'Well, sir, 't ain't mine.' 'Then what objection can you possibly have? 'Why, master, I ha'n't no objection; but you see-' 'Much obliged,' says this smart boy, and entered the field directly, cast in the brook, but caught nothing. 'Reade,' said he, 'this is not to be borne. You are a boy ' of too ill omen. Now here is a favourite hole: if I catch nothing in it, I shall yield to your evil Destiny; but I warn you 'I shall make you carry the net home, and I shall flick you all 'the way with my handkerchief.' Little Reade looked very rueful at that. The net, even when dry, had seemed mortal heavy to him, and he began to calculate how much more it would weigh when wet and dirty. The net was cast-a good circle-drawn steadily to land, and lo struggling in its meshes a pike of really unusual size. Master Landor raised a shout of triumph, then instantly remembering his partner, he turned to Master Reade. "Welcome to Rugby, sir, welcome! You are a boy of excellent omen. I'll carry the net home, and you shall sup off this fish; it is the joint production of my skill and your favourable Star.' |