r. f. murray-his poems with a memoir-第3章

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Lollard　ideas。　　In　1413　the　Antipope　Benedict　XIII。；　to　whom

Scotland　then　adhered；　granted　six　bulls　of　confirmation　to　the　new

University。　　Not　till　1430　did　Bishop　Wardlaw　give　a　building　in

South　Street；　the　Paedagogium。　　St。　Salvator's　College　was　founded

by　Bishop　Kennedy　（1440…1466）：　　it　was　confirmed　by　Pius　II。　in

1458。　　Kennedy　endowed　his　foundation　richly　with　plate　（a　silver

mace　is　still　extant）　and　with　gorgeous　furniture　and　cloth　of　gold。

St。　Leonard's　was　founded　by　Prior　Hepburn　in　1512。　　Of　St。

Salvator's　the　ancient　chapel　still　remains；　and　is　in　use。　　St。

Leonard's　was　merged　with　St。　Salvator's　in　the　last　century：　　its

chapel　is　now　roofless；　some　of　the　old　buildings　remain；　much

modernised；　but　on　the　south　side　fronting　the　gardens　they　are

still　picturesque。　　Both　Colleges　were；　originally；　places　of

residence　for　the　students；　as　at　Oxford　and　Cambridge；　and　the

discipline；　especially　at　St。　Leonard's；　was　rather　monastic。　　The

Reformation　caused　violent　changes；　all　through　these　troubled　ages

the　new　doctrines；　and　then　the　violent　Presbyterian　pretensions　to

clerical　influence　in　politics；　and　the　Covenant　and　the　Restoration

and　Revolution；　kept　busy　the　dwellers　in　what　should　have　been

‘quiet　collegiate　cloisters。'　　St。　Leonard's　was　more　extreme；　on

Knox's　side；　than　St。　Salvator's；　but　was　also　more　devoted　to　King

James　in　1715。　　From　St。　Andrews　Simon　Lovat　went　to　lead　his

abominable　old　father's　clan；　on　the　Prince　Regent's　side；　in　1745。

Golf　and　archery；　since　the　Reformation　at　least；　were　the　chief

recreations　of　the　students；　and　the　archery　medals　bear　all　the

noblest　names　of　the　North；　including　those　of　Argyll　and　the　great

Marquis　of　Montrose。　　Early　in　the　present　century　the　old　ruinous

college　buildings　of　St。　Salvator's　ceased　to　be　habitable；　except

by　a　ghost！　　There　is　another　spectre　of　a　noisy　sort　in　St。

Leonard's。　　The　new　buildings　are　mere　sets　of　class…rooms；　the

students　live　where　they　please；　generally　in　lodgings；　which　they

modestly　call　bunks。　　There　is　a　hall　for　dinners　in　common；　it　is

part　of　the　buildings　of　the　Union；　a　new　hall　added　to　an　ancient

house。



It　was　thus　to　a　university　with　ancient　associations；　with　a

religio　loci；　and　with　more　united　and　harmonious　student…life　than

is　customary　in　Scotland；　that　Murray　came　in　1881。　　How　clearly　his

biographer　remembers　coming　to　the　same　place；　twenty　years　earlier！

how　vivid　is　his　memory　of　quaint　streets；　grey　towers；　and　the

North　Sea　breaking　in　heavy　rollers　on　the　little　pier！



Though；　like　a　descendant　of　Archbishop　Sharp；　and　a　winner　of　the

archery　medal；　I　boast　myself　Sancti　Leonardi　alumnus　addictissimus；

I　am　unable　to　give　a　description；　at　first　hand；　of　student　life　in

St。　Andrews。　　In　my　time；　a　small　set　of　‘men'　lived　together　in

what　was　then　St。　Leonard's　Hall。　　The　buildings　that　remain　on　the

site　of　Prior　Hepburn's　foundation；　or　some　of　them；　were　turned

into　a　hall；　where　we　lived　together；　not　scattered　in　bunks。　　The

existence　was　mainly　like　that　of　pupils　of　a　private　tutor；　seven…

eighths　of　private　tutor　to　one…eighth　of　a　college　in　the　English

universities。　　We　attended　the　lectures　in　the　University；　we

distinguished　ourselves　no　more　than　Murray　would　have　approved　of；

and　many　of　us　have　remained　united　by　friendship　through　half　a

lifetime。



It　was　a　pleasant　existence；　and　the　perfume　of　buds　and　flowers　in

the　old　gardens；　hard　by　those　where　John　Knox　sat　and　talked　with

James　Melville　and　our　other　predecessors　at　St。　Leonard's；　is

fragrant　in　our　memories。　　It　was　pleasant；　but　St。　Leonard's　Hall

has　ceased　to　be；　and　the　life　there　was　not　the　life　of　the　free

and　hardy　bunk…dwellers。　　Whoso　pined　for　such　dissipated　pleasures

as　the　chill　and　dark　streets　of　St。　Andrews　offer　to　the　gay　and

rousing　blade；　was　not　encouraged。　　We　were　very　strictly　‘gated；'

though　the　whole　society　once　got　out　of　window；　and；　by　way　of

protest；　made　a　moonlight　march　into　the　country。　　We　attended

‘gaudeamuses'　and　solatiaUniversity　suppersbut　little；　indeed；

he　who　writes　does　not　remember　any　such　diversions　of　boys　who　beat

the　floor；　and　break　the　glass。　　To　plant　the　standard　of　cricket　in

the　remoter　gardens　of　our　country；　in　a　region　devastated　by　golf；

was　our　ambition；　and　here　we　had　no　assistance　at　all　from　the

University。　　It　was　chiefly　at　lecture；　at　football　on　the　links；

and　in　the　debating　societies　that　we　met　our　fellow…students；　like

the　celebrated　starling；　‘we　could　not　get　out；'　except　to　permitted

dinners　and　evening　parties。　　Consequently　one　could　only　sketch

student　life　with　a　hand　faltering　and　untrained。　　It　was　very

different　with　Murray　and　his　friends。　　They　were　their　own　masters；

could　sit　up　to　all　hours；　smoking；　talking；　and；　I　dare　say；

drinking。　　As　I　gather　from　his　letters；　Murray　drank　nothing

stronger　than　water。　　There　was　a　certain　kind　of　humour　in　drink；

he　said；　but　he　thought　it　was　chiefly　obvious　to　the　sober

spectator。　　As　the　sober　spectator；　he　sang　of　violent　delights

which　have　violent　ends。　　He　may　best　be　left　to　illustrate　student

life　for　himself。　　The　‘waster'　of　whom　he　chants　is　the　slang　name

borne　by　the　local　fast　man。





THE　WASTER　SINGING　AT　MIDNIGHT。

AFTER　LONGFELLOW。



Loud　he　sang　the　song　Ta　Phershon

For　his　personal　diversion；

Sang　the　chorus　U…pi…dee；

Sang　about　the　Barley　Bree。



In　that　hour　when　all　is　quiet

Sang　he　songs　of　noise　and　riot；

In　a　voice　so　loud　and　queer

That　I　wakened　up　to　hear。



Songs　that　distantly　resembled

Those　one　hears　from　men　assembled

In　the　old　Cross　Keys　Hotel；

Only　sung　not　half　so　well。



For　the　time　of　this　ecstatic

Amateur　was　most　erratic；

And　he　only　hit　the　key

Once　in　every　melody。



If　〃he　wot　prigs　wot　isn't　his'n

Ven　he's　cotched　is　sent　to　prison；〃

He　who　murders　sleep　might　well

Adorn　a　solitary　cell。



But；　if　no　obliging　peeler

Will　arrest　this　midnight　squealer；

My　own　peculiar　arm　of　might

Must　undertake　the　job　to…night。





The　following　fragment　is　but　doubtfully　autobiographical。　　‘The

swift　four…wheeler'　seldom　devastates　the　streets　where；　of　old；　the

Archbishop's　jackmen　sliced　Presbyterian　professors　with　the

claymore；　as　James　Melville　tells　us：…





TO　NUMBER　27x。



Beloved　Peeler！　friend　and　guide

And　guard　of　many　a　midnight　reeler；

None　worthier；　though　the　world　is　wide；

Beloved　Peeler。



Thou　from　before　the　swift　four…wheeler

Didst　pluck　me；　and　didst　thrust　aside

A　strongly　built　provision…dealer



Who　menaced　me　with　blows；　and　cried

‘Come　on！　come　on！'　　O　Paian；　Healer；

Then　but　for　thee　I　must　have　died；

Beloved　Peeler！





The　following　presentiment；　though　he　was　no　‘waster；'　may　very　well

have　been　his　own。　　He　was　only　half　Scotch；　and　not　at　all

metaphysical：…





THE　WASTER'S　PRESENTIMENT



I　shall　be　spun。　　There　is　a　voice　within

Which　tells　me　plainly　I　am　all　undone；

For　though　I　toil　not；　neither　do　I　spin；

I　shall　be　spun。



April　approaches。　　I　have　not　begun

Schwegler　or　Mackintosh；　nor　will　begin

Those　lucid　works　till　April　21。



So　my　degree　I　do　not　hope　to　win；

For　not　by　ways　like　mine　degrees　are　won；

And　though；　to　please　my　uncle；　I　go　in；

I　shall　be　spun。





Here　we　must　quote；　from　The　Scarlet　Gown；　one　of　his　most　tender

pieces　of　affectionate　praise　bestowed　on　his　favourite　city：…





A　DECEMBER　DAY



Blue；　blue　is　the　sea　to…day；

Warmly　the　light

Sleeps　on　St。　Andrews　Bay　…

Blue；　fringed　with　white。



That's　no　December　sky！

Surely　‘tis　June

Holds　now　her　state　on　high；

Queen　of　the　noon。



Only　the　tree…tops　bare

Crowning　the　hill；

Clear…cut　in　perfect　air；

Warn　us　that　still



Winter；　the　aged　chief；

Mighty　in　power；

Exiles　the　tender　leaf；

Exiles　the　flower。



Is　there　a　heart　to…day；

A　heart　that　grieves

For　flowers　that　fade　away；

For　fallen　leaves？



Oh；　not　in　leaves　or　flowers

Endures　the　charm

That　clothes　those　naked　towers

With　love…light　warm。



O　dear　St。　Andrews　Bay；

Winter　or　Spring

Gives　not　nor　takes　away

Memories　that　cling



All　round　thy　girdling　reefs；

That　walk　thy　shore；

Memories　of　joys　and　griefs

Ours　evermore。



‘I　have　NOT　worked　for　my　classes　this　session；'　he　writes　（1884）；

‘and　shall　not　take　any　places。'　　The　five　or　six　most　distinguished

pupils　used；　at　least　in　my　time；　to　receive　prize…books　decorated

with　the　University's　arms。　　These　prize…men；　no　doubt；　held　the

‘places'　alluded　to　by　Murray。　　If　HE　was　idle；　‘I　speak　of　him　but

brotherly；'　having　never　held　any　‘place'　but　that　of　second　to　Mr。

Wallace；　now　Professor　of　Moral　Philosophy　at　Oxford；　in　the　Greek

Class　（Mr。　Sellar's）。　　Why　was　one　so　idle；　in　Latin　（Mr。　Shairp）；

in　Morals　（Mr。　Ferrier）；　in　Logic　（Mr。　Veitch）？　but　Logic　was

unintelligible。



‘I　must　confess；'　remarks　Murray；　in　a　similar　spirit　of　pensive

regret；　‘that　I　have　not　had　any　ambition　to　distinguish　myself

either　in　Knight's　（Moral　Philosophy）　or　in　Butler's。'　｛1｝



Murray　then　speaks　with　some　acrimony　about　earnest　students；　whose

motive；　he　thinks；　is　a　small　ambition。　　But　surely　a　man　may　be

fond　of　metaphysics　for　the　sweet　sake　of　Queen　Entelechy；　and；

moreover；　these　students　looked　forward　to　days　in　which　real　work

would　bear　fruit。



‘You　must　grind　up　the　opinions　of　Plato；　Aristotle；　and　a　lot　of

other　men；　concerning　things　about　which　they　knew　nothing；　and　we

know　nothing；　taking　these　opinions　at　second　or　third　hand；　and

never　looking　into　the　works　of　these　men；　for　to　a　man　who　wants　to

take　a　place；　there　is　no　time　for　anything　of　that　sort。'



Why　not？　　The　philosophers　ought　to　be　read　in　their　own　language；

as　they　are　now　read。　　The　remarks　on　the　most　fairy　of

philosophersPlato；　on　the　greatest　of　all　minds；　that　of

Aristotle；　are　boyish。　　Again　‘I　speak　but　brotherly；'　remembering

an　old　St。　Leonard's　essay　in　which　Virgil　was　called　‘the　furtive

Mantuan；'　and　another；　devoted　to　ridicule　of　Euripides。　　But　Plato

and　Aristotle　we　never　blasphemed。



Murray　adds　that　he　thinks；　next　year；　of　taking　the　highest　Greek

Class；　and　English　Literature。　　In　the　latter；　under　Mr。　Baynes；　he

took　the　first　place；　which　he　mentions　casually　to　Mrs。　Murray

about　a　year　after　date：…





‘A　sweet　life　and　an　idle

He　lives　from　year　to　year；

Unknowing　bit　or　bridle；

There　are　no　Proctors　here。'





In　Greek；　despite　his　enthusiastic　admiration　of　the　professor；　Mr。

Campbell；　he　did　not　much　enjoy　himself：…





‘Thrice　happy　are　those

Who　ne'er　heard　of　Greek　Prose　…

Or　Greek　Poetry　either；　as　far　as　that　goes；

For　Liddell　and　Scott

Shall　cumber　them　not；

Nor　Sargent　nor　Sidgwick　shall　break