r. f. murray-his poems with a memoir-第6章

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he　met＇　was　extremely　frank；　and　told　me　that　the　tone　of　my　article

onwas　underbred；　while　the　verses　I　had　sent　him　had　nothing　in

them。　　Very　pleasant　for　the　feelings　of　a　young　author；　was　it　not？

。　。　。　Unfavourable　criticism　is　an　excellent　tonic；　but　it　should　be

a　little　diluted　。　。　。　I　must；　however；　do　him　the　justice　to　say

that　he　did　me　a　good　turn　by　introducing　me　to　…；　。　。　。　who　was

kind　and　encouraging　in　the　extreme。'



Murray　now　called　on　the　Editor　of　the　Scottish　Leader；　the

Gladstonian　organ；　whom　he　found　very　courteous。　　He　was　asked　to

write　some　‘leader…notes'　as　they　are　called；　paragraphs　which

appear　in　the　same　columns　as　the　leading　articles。　　These　were

published；　to　his　astonishment；　and　he　was　‘to　be　taken　on　at　a

salary　ofa　week。'　　Let　us　avoid　pecuniary　chatter；　and　merely　say

that　the　sum；　while　he　was　on　trial；　was　not　likely　to　tempt　many

young　men　into　the　career　of　journalism。　　Yet　‘the　work　will　be　very

exacting；　and　almost　preclude　the　possibility　of　my　doing　anything

else。'　　Now；　as　four　leader　notes；　or；　say；　six；　can　be　written　in

an　hour；　it　is　difficult　to　see　the　necessity　for　this　fatigue。

Probably　there　were　many　duties　more　exacting；　and　less　agreeable；

than　the　turning　out　of　epigrams。　　Indeed　there　was　other　work　of

some　more　or　less　mechanical　kind；　and　the　manufacture　of　‘leader

notes'　was　the　least　part　of　Murray's　industry。　　At　the　end　of　two

years　there　was　‘the　prospect　of　a　very　fair　salary。'　　But　there　was

‘night…work　and　everlasting　hurry。'　　‘The　interviewing　of　a　half…

bred　Town…Councillor　on　the　subject　of　gas　and　paving'　did　not

exhilarate　Murray。　　Again；　he　had　to　compile　a　column　of　Literary

News；　from　the　Athenaeum；　the　Academy；　and　so　on；　‘with　comments　and

enlargements　where　possible。'　　This　might　have　been　made　extremely

amusing；　it　sounds　like　a　delightful　task；the　making　of　comments

on　‘Mr。　…　has　finished　a　sonnet：'　‘Mr。　…‘s　poems　are　in　their

fiftieth　thousand：'　‘Miss　…　has　gone　on　a　tour　of　health　to　the

banks　of　the　Yang…tse…kiang：'　‘Mrs。　…　is　engaged　on　a　novel　about

the　Pilchard　Fishery。'　　One　could　make　comments　（if　permitted）　on

these　topics　for　love；　and　they　might　not　be　unpopular。　　But　perhaps

Murray　was　shackled　a　little　by　human　respect；　or　the　prejudices　of

his　editor。　　At　all　events　he　calls　it　‘not　very　inspiring

employment。'　　The　bare　idea；　I　confess；　inspirits　me　extremely。



But　the　literary　follet；　who　delights　in　mild　mischief；　did　not

haunt　Murray。　　He　found　an　opportunity　to　write　on　the　Canongate

Churchyard；　where　Fergusson　lies；　under　the　monument　erected　by

Burns　to　the　boy　of　genius　whom　he　called　his　master。　　Of　course　the

part　of　the　article　which　dealt　with　Fergusson；　himself　a　poet　of

the　Scarlet　Gown；　was　cut　out。　　The　Scotch　do　not　care　to　hear　about

Fergusson；　in　spite　of　their　‘myriad　mutchkined　enthusiasm'　for　his

more　illustrious　imitator　and　successor；　Burns。



At　this　time　Edinburgh　was　honouring　itself；　and　Mr。　Parnell；　by

conferring　its　citizenship　on　that　patriot。　　Murray　was　actually

told　off　‘to　stand　at　a　given　point　of　the　line　on　which　the　hero

marched；'　and　to　write　some　lines　of　‘picturesque　description。'

This　kind　of　thing　could　not　go　on。　　It　was　at　Nelson's　Monument

that　he　stood：　　his　enthusiasm　was　more　for　Nelson　than　for　Mr。

Parnell；　and　he　caught　a　severe　cold　on　this　noble　occasion。

Murray's　opinions　clashed　with　those　of　the　Scottish　Leader；　and　he

withdrew　from　its　service。



Just　a　week　passed　between　the　Parnellian　triumph　and　Murray's

retreat　from　daily　journalism。　　‘On　a　newspaper　one　must　have　no

opinions　except　those　which　are　favourable　to　the　sale　of　the　paper

and　the　filling　of　its　advertisement　columns。'　　That　is　not

precisely　an　accurate　theory。　　Without　knowing　anything　of　the

circumstances；　one　may　imagine　that　Murray　was　rather　impracticable。

Of　course　he　could　not　write　against　his　own　opinions；　but　it　is

unusual　to　expect　any　one　to　do　that；　or　to　find　any　one　who　will　do

it。　　‘Incompatibility　of　temper'　probably　caused　this　secession　from

the　newspaper。



After　various　attempts　to　find　occupation；　he　did　some　proof…reading

for　Messrs。　Constable。　　Among　other　things　he　‘read'　the　journal　of

Lady　Mary　Coke；　privately　printed　for　Lord　Home。　　Lady　Mary；　who

appears　as　a　lively　child　in　The　Heart　of　Midlothian；　‘had　a　taste

for　loo；　gossip；　and　gardening；　but　the　greatest　of　these　is

gossip。'　　The　best　part　of　the　book　is　Lady　Louisa　Stuart's

inimitable　introduction。　　Early　in　October　he　decided　to　give　up

proof…reading：　　the　confinement　had　already　told　on　his　health。　　In

the　letter　which　announces　this　determination　he　describes　a　sermon

of　Principal　Caird：　　‘Voice；　gesture；　language；　thoughtall　in　the

highest　degree；combined　to　make　it　the　most　moving　and　exalted

speech　of　a　man　to　men　that　I　ever　listened　to。'　　‘The　world　is　too

much　with　me；'　he　adds；　as　if　he　and　the　world　were　ever　friends；　or

ever　likely　to　be　friendly。



October　27th　found　him　dating　from　St。　Andrews　again。　　‘St。　Andrews

after　Edinburgh　is　Paradise。'　　His　Dalilah　had　called　him　home　to

her；　and　he　was　never　again　unfaithful。　　He　worked　for　his　firm

friend；　Professor　Meiklejohn；　he　undertook　some　teaching；　and　he

wrote　a　little。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　his　biographer　made

Murray's　acquaintance。　　I　had　been　delighted　with　his　verses　in

College　Echoes；　and　I　asked　him　to　bring　me　some　of　his　more　serious

work。　　But　he　never　brought　them：　　his　old　enemy；　reserve；　overcame

him。　　A　few　of　his　pieces　were　published　‘At　the　Sign　of　the　Ship'

in　Longman's　Magazine；　to　which　he　contributed　occasionally。



From　this　point　there　is　little　in　Murray's　life　to　be　chronicled。

In　1890　his　health　broke　down　entirely；　and　consumption　declared

itself。　　Very　early　in　1891　he　visited　Egypt；　where　it　was　thought

that　some　educational　work　might　be　found　for　him。　　But　he　found

Egypt　cold；　wet；　and　windy；　of　Alexandria　and　the　Mediterranean　he

says　little：　　indeed　he　was　almost　too　weak　and　ill　to　see　what　is

delightful　either　in　nature　or　art。





‘To　aching　eyes　each　landscape　lowers；

To　feverish　pulse　each　gale　blows　chill；

And　Araby's　or　Eden's　bowers

Were　barren　as　this　moorland　hill；'





says　the　least　self…conscious　of　poets。　　Even　so　barren　were　the

rich　Nile　and　so　bleak　the　blue　Mediterranean　waters。　　Though

received　by　the　kindest　and　most　hospitable　friends；　Murray　was

homesick；　and　pined　to　be　in　England；　now　that　spring　was　there。　　He

made　the　great　mistake　of　coming　home　too　early。　　At　Ilminster；　in

his　mother's　home；　he　slowly　faded　out　of　life。　　I　have　not　the

heart　to　quote　his　descriptions　of　brief　yet　laborious　saunters　in

the　coppices；　from　the　letters　which　he　wrote　to　the　lady　of　his

heart。　　He　was　calm；　cheerful；　even　buoyant。　　His　letters　to　his

college　friends　are　all　concerned　with　literature；　or　with　happy　old

times；　and　are　full　of　interest　in　them　and　in　their　happiness。



He　was　not　wholly　idle。　　He　wrote　a　number　of　short　pieces　of　verse

in　Punch；　and　two　or　three　in　the　St。　James's　Gazette。　　Other　work；

no　doubt；　he　planned；　but　his　strength　was　gone。　　In　1891　his　book；

The　Scarlet　Gown；　was　published　by　his　friend；　Mr。　A。　M。　Holden。

The　little　volume；　despite　its　local　character；　was　kindly　received

by　the　Reviews。　　Here；　it　was　plain；　we　had　a　poet　who　was　to　St。

Andrews　what　the　regretted　J。　K。　S。　was　to　Eton　and　Cambridge。　　This

measure　of　success　was　not　calculated　to　displease　our　alumnus

addictissimus。



Friendship　and　love；　he　said；　made　the　summer　of　1892　very　happy　to

him。　　I　last　heard　from　him　in　the　summer　of　1893；　when　he　sent　me

some　of　his　most　pleasing　verses。　　He　was　in　Scotland；　he　had

wandered　back；　a　shadow　of　himself；　to　his　dear　St。　Andrews。　　I

conceived　that　he　was　better；　he　said　nothing　about　his　health。　　It

is　not　easy　to　quote　from　his　letters　to　his　friend；　Mr。　Wallace；

still　written　in　his　beautiful　firm　hand。　　They　are　too　full　of

affectionate　banter：　　they　also　contain　criticisms　on　living　poets：

he　shows　an　admiration；　discriminating　and　not　wholesale；　of　Mr。

Kipling's　verse：　　he　censures　Mr。　Swinburne；　whose　Jacobite　song　（as

he　wrote　to　myself）　did　not　precisely　strike　him　as　the　kind　of

thing　that　Jacobites　used　to　sing。



They　certainly　celebrated





‘The　faith　our　fathers　fought　for；

The　kings　our　fathers　knew；'





in　a　different　tone　in　the　North。



The　perfect　health　of　mind；　in　these　letters　of　a　dying　man；　is

admirable。　　Reading　old　letters　over；　he　writes　to　Miss　…；　‘I　have

known　a　wonderful　number　of　wonderfully　kind…hearted　people。'　　That

is　his　criticism　of　a　world　which　had　given　him　but　a　scanty

welcome；　and　a　life　of　foiled　endeavour；　of　disappointed　hope。　　Even

now　there　was　a　disappointment。　　His　poems　did　not　find　a　publisher：

what　publisher　can　take　the　risk　of　adding　another　volume　of　poetry

to　the　enormous　stock　of　verse　brought　out　at　the　author's　expense？

This　did　not　sour　or　sadden　him：　　he　took　Montaigne's　advice；　‘not

to　make　too　much　marvel　of　our　own　fortunes。'　　His　biographer；

hearing　in　the　winter　of　1893　that　Murray's　illness　was　now

considered　hopeless；　though　its　rapid　close　was　not　expected；　began；

with　Professor　Meiklejohn；　to　make　arrangements　for　the　publication

of　the　poems。　　But　the　poet　did　not　live　to　have　this　poor

gratification。　　He　died　in　the　early　hours　of　1894。



Of　the　merits　of　his　more　serious　poetry　others　must　speak。　　To　the

Editor　it　seems　that　he　is　always　at　his　best　when　he　is　inspired　by

the　Northern　Sea；　and　the　long　sands　and　grey　sea　grasses。　　Then　he

is　most　himself。　　He　was　improving　in　his　art　with　every　year：　　his

development；　indeed；　was　somewhat　late。



It　is　less　of　the　writer　than　the　man　that　we　prefer　to　think。　　His

letters　display；　in　passages　which　he　would　not　have　desired　to　see

quoted；　the　depth　and　tenderness　and　thoughtfulness　of　his

affections。　　He　must　have　been　a　delightful　friend：　　illness　could

not　make　him　peevish；　and　his　correspondence　with　old　college

companions　could　never　be　taken　for　that　of　a　consciously　dying　man。

He　had　perfect　courage；　and　resolution　even　in　his　seeming

irresoluteness。　　He　was　resolved　to　be；　and　continued　to　be；

himself。　　‘He　had　kept　the　bird　in　his　bosom。'　　We；　who　regret　him；

may　wish　that　he　had　been　granted　a　longer　life；　and　a　secure

success。　　Happier　fortunes　might　have　mellowed　him；　no　fortunes

could　have　altered　for　the　worse　his　admirable　nature。　　He　lives　in

the　hearts　of　his　friends；　and　in　the　pride　and　sympathy　of　those

who；　after　him；　have　worn　and　shall　wear　the　scarlet　gown。



The　following　examples　of　his　poetry　were　selected　by　Murray's

biographer　from　a　considerable　mass；　and　have　been　seen　through　the

press　by　Professor　Meiklejohn；　who　possesses　the　original

manuscript；　beautifully　written。