第5章

Tulkinghorn？HowwouldGeorgeWarringtonappreciateMr.Pickwick？

Yes，thetwogreatnovelistswereasopposedastwomencouldbe——inmanner，instyle，inknowledgeofbooks，andoftheworld.AndyethowadmirablyThackeraywritesaboutDickens，inhislettersasinhisbooks！Howhedelightsinhim！Howmanlyisthatemulationwhichenablesanauthortoseeallthepointsinhisrival，andnottocarpatthem，buttopraise，andbestimulatedtokeenereffort！

Considerthispassage."HaveyoureadDickens？O！itischarming！

BraveDickens！Ithassomeofhisveryprettiesttouches——thoseinimitableDickenstoucheswhichmakesuchagreatmanofhim，andthereadingofthebookhasdoneanotherauthoragreatdealofgood."

Thackerayisjustasgenerous，andperhapsmorecritical，inwritingofKingsley."Afine，honest，go—a—headfellow，whochargesasubjectheartily，impetuously，withthegreatestcourageandsimplicity;butwithnarroweyes（hisareextraordinarilybrave，blueandhonest），andwithlittleknowledgeoftheworld，Ithink.

Butheissuperiortousworldlingsinmanyways，andIwishIhadsomeofhishonestpluck."

Ihaveoftenwishedthatgreatauthors，whentheirdaysofcreationwereover，when"theirmindsgrowgreyandbald，"wouldcondescendtotellusthehistoryoftheirbooks.SirWalterScottdidsomethingofthiskindintheprefacestothelasteditionoftheWaverleyNovelspublishedduringhislife.Whatcanbemoreinterestingthanhisaccount，intheintroductiontothe"FortunesofNigel，"ofhowheworked，howheplanned，andfoundallhisplotsandplansoverriddenbythedemonattheendofhispen！ButSirWalterwasfailingwhenhebeganthoseliteraryconfessions;goodastheyare，hecametothemtoolate.Yetthesearenotconfessionswhichanauthorcanmakeearly.ThepaganAztecsonlyconfessedonceinalifetime——inoldage，whentheyhadfewertemptationstofalltotheiroldloves：thentheymadeacleanbreastofitonceforall.Soitmightbewithanauthor.Whileheisinhiscreativevigour，wewanttohearabouthisfanciedpersons，aboutPendennis，Beatrix，Becky，notabouthimself，andhowheinventedthem.Butwhenhehaspassedhisbest，thenitishewhobecomesofinterest;itisabouthimselfthatwewishhimtospeak，asfarashemodestlymay.Whowouldnotgive"LoveltheWidower"and"Philip"forsomeautobiographicalandliteraryprefacestotheoldernovels？Theyneednothavebeenmoreegotisticthanthe"RoundaboutPapers."Theywouldhavehadfarmorecharm.Somethingscannotbeconfessed.WedonotaskwhowastheoriginalSirPittCrawley，ortheoriginalBlancheAmory.Butwemightlearninwhatmood，inwhatcircumstancestheauthorwrotethispassageorthat.

TheLetterscontainafewnotesofthiskind，afewliteraryconfessions.WehearthatEmmySedleywaspartlysuggestedbyMrs.

Brookfield，partlybyThackeray’smother，muchbyhisownwife.

TherescarceseemsroomforsomanyelementsinEmmy’spersonality.

Forsomereasonladieslovehernot，nordomenadoreher.IhavebeenherfaithfulknighteversinceIwastenyearsoldandread"VanityFair"somewhatstealthily.Whydoesonelikeherexceptbecausesheissuchathoroughwoman？Sheisnotclever，sheisnotverybeautiful，sheisunhappy，andshecanbejealous.Onepitiesher，andthatisakintoamoretendersentiment;onepitiesherwhileshesitsinthecorner，andBecky’sgreeneyesflatterheroafofahusband;onepitiesherinthepovertyofherfather’shouse，inthefamousbattleoverDaffy’sElixir，intheseparationfromtheyoungerGeorge.Youbegintowishsomegreatjoytocometoher：

itdoesnotcomeunalloyed;youknowthatDobbinhadbadquartersofanhourwiththislady，andhadtodisguisealittleofhistendernessforhisowndaughter.Yes，Emmyismorecomplexthansheseems，andperhapsitneededthreeladiestocontributethevariouselementsofherpersonandhercharacter.Oneofthem，thejealousone，lentatouchtoHelenPendennis，toLaura，toLadyCastlewood.

ProbablythismaybethereasonwhysomepersonsdislikeThackerayso.Hisverybestwomenarenotangels.{3}Aretheverybestwomenangels？Itisapiousopinion——thatbordersonheresy.

WhentheLettersbegantobewritten，in1847，Thackerayhadhisworstyears，inaworldlysense，behindhim.Theywerepast：thetimeswhenhewroteinGalignanifortenfrancsaday.Hasanyliteraryghouldisinterredhisoldten—francarticlesinGalignani？

Thetimeof"BarryLyndon，"too，wasover.Hesaysnothingofthatmasterpiece，andonlyawordabout"TheGreatHoggartyDiamond.""I

havebeenre—readingit.Uponmywordandhonour，ifitdoesn’tmakeyoucry，Ishallhaveameanopinionofyou.Itwaswrittenatatimeofgreataffliction，whenmyheartwasverysoftandhumble.

Amen.Ichhabeauchvielgeliebt."Of"Pendennis，"asitgoeson，hewritesthatitis"awfullystupid，"whichhasnotbeentheverdictoftheages.Hepicksupmaterialsashepasses.Hedineswithsomeofficers，andperhapshestationsthematChatteris.HemeetsMissG—，andherconversesuggestsalovepassagebetweenPenandBlanche.Whydidhedislikefairwomenso？Itrunsallthroughhisnovels.Beckyisfair.Blancheisfair.Outsidetheoldyellowcoversof"Pendennis，"youseetheblondemermaid，"amusing，andclever，anddepraved，"draggingthelovertothesea，andthenut—brownmaidholdinghimback.Angelina，ofthe"RoseandtheRing，"istheBeckyofchildhood;sheisfair，andthegoodRosalbaisbrune.Inwriting"Pendennis"hehadasingularexperience.Helookedoverhisown"backnumbers，"andfound"apassagewhichIhadutterlyforgottenasifIhadneverreadorwrittenit."InLockhart’s"LifeofScott，"JamesBallantynesaysthat"whenthe’BrideofLammermoor’wasfirstputintohishandsinacompleteshape，hedidnotrecollectonesingleincident，character，orconversationitcontained."Thatistosay，herememberednothingofhisowninvention，thoughhismemoryofthetraditionalpartswasasclearasever.Ballantyneremarks，"Thehistoryofthehumanmindcontainsnothingmorewonderful."TheexperienceofThackerayisaparalleltothatofScott."Pendennis，"itmustbenoted，wasinterruptedbyasevereillness，and"TheBrideofLammermoor"wasdictatedbySirWalterwheningreatphysicalpain.OnoneoccasionThackeray"lituponaverystupidpartof’Pendennis，’Iamsorrytosay;andyethowwellwrittenitis！Whatashametheauthordon’twriteacompletegoodstory！Willhediebeforedoingso？orcomebackfromAmericaanddoit？"

Didheeverwrite"acomplete，goodstory"？Didanyoneeverdosuchathingaswriteathree—volume，novel，oranovelofequallength，whichwas"acomplete，goodstory"？Probablynot;orifanymortaleversucceededinthetask，itwasthegreatAlexanderDumas.

"TheThreeMusketeers，"Itakeleavetothink，and"TwentyYearsAfter，"arecompletegoodstories，goodfrombeginningtoend，storiesfrombeginningtoendwithoutabreak，withoutneedlessepisode.Perhapsonemaysayasmuchfor"OldMortality，"andfor"QuentinDurward."ButScottandDumaswerebornstory—tellers;

narrativewastheessenceoftheirgeniusatitsbest;thecurrentofromancerollsfleetlyon，bearingwithitpersonsandevents，mirroringscenes，butneverceasingtobethemainthing——thecentralinterest.Perhapsnarrativelikethisisthechiefsuccessofthenovelist.Heistriumphantwhenhecarriesuson，asWolf，thefamouscritic，wascarriedonbythetideoftheIliad，"inthatpureandrapidcurrentofaction."NobodywouldclaimthisespecialmeritforThackeray.Heisoneofthegreatestofnovelists;hedisplayshumannatureandhumanconductsothatweforgetourselvesinhispersons，buthedoesnotmakeusforgetourselvesintheirfortunes.WhetherClivedoesordoesnotmarryEthel，orEsmond，Beatrix，doesnotverygreatlyexciteourcuriosity.WecannotringthebellsforClive’ssecondweddingasthevillagerscelebratedthebridalofPamela.Itisthedevelopmentofcharacter，itistheauthor’scomments，itishisownpersonalityandhisunmatchedandinimitablestyle，thatwinouradmirationandaffection.Wecantakeup"VanityFair，"or"Pendennis，"or"TheNewcomes，"justwherethebookopensbychance，andreadthemwithdelight，aswemayreadMontaigne.Whenonesaysonecantakeupabookanywhere，itgenerallymeansthatonecanalsolayitdownanywhere.ButitisnotsowithThackeray.Wheneverwemeethimheholdsuswithhischarm，hishumour，hiseloquence，histenderness.Ifhehasnot，inthehighestdegree，thenarrativepower，hedoespossess，inadegreeperhapsbeyondanyotherwriterofEnglish，thatkindofpoeticqualitywhichisnotincompatiblewithprosewriting.

Agreatdealhasbeensaidaboutprosepoetry.Asarule，itisverypoorstuff.Asproseithasatendencytorunintoblankverse;aspoetryitishighlyrhetoricalandself—conscious.Itwouldbeinvidiousandmightbeirritatingtoselectexamplesfrommodernmastersofprose—poetry.Theyhaveneverbeenpoets.ButtheproseofapoetlikeMiltonmaybe，andis，poeticalinthetruesense;andso，uponoccasions，wastheproseofThackeray.Someexampleslingeralwaysinthememory，anddwellwiththeirmusicinthehearing.OneIhavequotedelsewhere;thepassagein"TheNewcomes"whereClive，atthelectureonthePoetryoftheDomesticAffections，givenbySirBarnesNewcome，seesEthel，whomhehaslost.

"Andthepast，anditsdearhistories，andyouthanditshopesandpassions，andtonesandlooks，foreverechoingintheheartandpresentinthememory——those，nodoubt，poorClivesawandheardashelookedacrossthegreatgulfoftimeandpartingandgrief，andbeheldthewomanhehadlovedformanyyears.""Thegreatgulfoftime，andparting，andgrief，"——someofusareonthefarthersideofit，andouroldselves，andouroldhappiness，andouroldaffectionsbeyond，grownear，growclear，nowandthen，atthesightofafacemetbychanceintheworld，atthechancesoundofavoice.Sucharehumanfortunes，andhumansorrows;nottheworst，notthegreatest，fortheseoldlovesdonotdie——theyliveinexile，andarethebetterpartsofoursouls.Notthegreatest，northeworstofsorrows，forshameisworse，andhopelesshunger，andalifeallofbarrentoilwithoutdistractions，withoutjoy，mustbefarworse.Butofthosemyriadtragediesofthelifeofthepoor，Thackeraydoesnotwrite.Howfarhewasawareofthem，howdeeplyhefeltthem，wearenotinformed.Hishighesttragedyisthatofthehungeroftheheart;hismostnobleprosesoundsinthatmeetingofHarryEsmondwithLadyCastlewood，intheimmortalspeechwhichhastheburden，"bringingyoursheaveswithyou！"Allthatsceneappearstomenolessunique，nolessunsurpassable，nolessperfect，thanthe"OdetotheNightingale"ofKeats，ortheLycidasofMilton.ItweresuperfluoustolingeroverthehumourofThackeray.OnlyShakespeareandDickenshavegracedthelanguagewithsomanyhappymemoriesofqueer，pleasantpeople，withsomanyquaintphrases，eachofwhichhasakindoffreemasonry，andwhenuttered，orrecalled，makesallfriendsofThackerayintofamilyfriendsofeachother.ThesayingsofMr.HarryFoker，ofCaptainCostigan，ofGumbo，arealllikeolddearfamilyphrases，theyliveimperishableandalwaysnew，likethewordsofSirJohn，thefatknight，orofSanchoPanza，orofDickSwiveller，orthatotherSancho，SamWeller.TheyhavethatShakespeariangiftofbeingeverappropriate，andundyinglyfresh.

TheseareamongthegracesofThackeray，theseandthatinimitablestyle，whichalwaystemptsandalwaysbafflestheadmiringanddespairingcopyist.Wheredidhefindthetrickofit，ofthewordswhichareinvariablythebestwords，andinvariablyfallexactlyinthebestplaces？"Thebestwordsinthebestplaces，"ispartofColeridge’sdefinitionofpoetry;itisalsotheessenceofThackeray’sprose.IntheseLetterstoMrs.Brookfieldthestyleispreciselythestyleofthenovelsandessays.Thestyle，withThackeray，wastheman.Hecouldnotwriteotherwise.Butprobably，tothelast，thisperfectionwasnotmechanical，wasnotattainedwithoutlabourandcare.InDr.JohnBrown’sworks，inhisessayonThackeray，thereisanexampleofaproof—sheetonwhichthemasterhasmadecorrections，andthosecorrectionsbringthepassageuptohisaccustomedlevel，totheoriginalityofhisrhythm.Hereisthepiece：—

"AnotherFinis，anothersliceoflifewhichTempusedaxhasdevoured！AndImayhavetowritethewordonceortwice，perhaps，andthenanendofEnds.[FiniteiseverandInfinitebeginning.]

Oh，thetroubles，thecares，theennui，[thecomplications，]therepetitions，theoldconversationsoverandoveragain，andhereandthereallthedelightfulpassages，thedear，thebrief，theforever—

remembered！

"[Andthen]Afewchaptersmore，andthenthelast，andbeholdFinisitselfcomingtoanend，andtheInfinitebeginning."

"Howlikemusicthis，"writesDr.JohnBrown——"likeonetryingthesameairindifferentways，asitwere，searchingoutandsoundingallitsdepths！"ThewordswerealmostthelastthatThackeraywrote，perhapstheverylast.Theyreply，asitwere，tootherwordswhichhehadwrittenlongbeforetoMrs.Brookfield.

"Idon’tpityanybodywholeavestheworld;notevenafairyounggirlinherprime;Ipitythoseremaining.Onherjourney，ifitpleasesGodtosendher，dependonitthere’snocauseforgrief，that’sbutanearthlycondition.Outofourstormylife，andbroughtnearertheDivinelightandwarmth，theremustbeasereneclimate.Can’tyoufancysailingintothecalm？"

Ah！nowhereelseshallwefindtheGoldenBride，"passionlessbride，divineTranquillity."

Ashumannaturepersistentlydemandsamoral，and，as，tosaytruth，Thackeraywasconstantlymeetingthedemand，whatisthelessonofhislifeandhiswritings？Sopeoplemayask，andyethowfutileistheanswer！Lifehasadifferentmeaning，adifferentriddle，adifferentreplyforeachofus.Thereisnotonesphinx，butmanysphinxes——asmanyastherearewomenandmen.Wemustallanswerforourselves.Pascalhasoneanswer，"Believe！"Molierehasanother，"Observe！"Thackeray’sansweris，"Begoodandenjoy！"butamelancholyenjoymentwashis.Dr.JohnBrownsays：

"Hispersistentstate，especiallyforthelaterhalfofhislife，wasprofoundlymorne，thereisnootherwordforit.Thisaroseinpartfromtemperament，fromaquicksenseofthelittlenessandwretchednessofmankindThisfeeling，actingonaharshandsavagenature，endedinthesaevaindignatioofSwift;actingonthekindlyandsensitivenatureofMr.Thackeray，itledonlytocompassionatesadness."

Agreatpartofhislife，andmostofhishappiness，layinlove.

"Ichhabeauchvielgeliebt，"hesays，anditisahazardouskindofhappinessthatattendsgreataffection.Yourcapitalisalwaysatthemercyoffailures，ofdeath，ofjealousy，ofestrangement.Buthehadsomuchlovetogivethathecouldnotbuttrustthoseperilousinvestments.

Othertroubleshehadthatmayhavebeendiversionsfromthose.Hedidnotalwayskeepthatmanlycommonsenseinregardtocriticism，whichheshowsinalettertoMrs.Brookfield."DidyoureadtheSpectator’ssarcasticnoticeof’VanityFair’？Idon’tthinkitisjust，butthinkKintoul（Rintoul？）isaveryhonestman，andratherinclinedtodealseverelywithhisprivatefriendslestheshouldfallintotheotherextreme：tobesurehekeepsoutofit，Imeantheotherextreme，verywell."

Thatisthewaytotakeunfavourablecriticisms——nottogodeclaringthatamanisyourenemybecausehedoesnotlikeyourbook，yourballads，youridyls，yoursermons，whatyouplease.Whycannotpeoplekeepliteratureandlikingapart？AmIboundtothinkJonesabadcitizen，abadman，abadhouseholder，becausehispoetryleavesmecold？Needheregardmeasamalevolentgreen—eyedmonster，becauseIdon’twanttoreadhim？Thackeraywasnotalwaystrueinhislateryearstotheseexcellentprinciples.Hewastroubledabouttriflesofcriticismsandgossip，bagatellesnotworthnoticing，stilllessworthrememberingandrecording.Donotletusrecordthem，then.

WecannotexpectforThackeray，wecannotevendesireforhim，apopularitylikethatofDickens.Ifeveranymanwroteforthepeople，itwasDickens.Wherecanwefindsuchabenefactor，andwhohaslightenedsomanyliveswithsuchmerrimentashe？ButThackeraywrote，likethemassofauthors，fortheliteraryclass——

forallwhohavethesenseofstyle，thedelightinthebestlanguage.HewillendurewhileEnglishliteratureendures，whileEnglishcivilisationlasts.Wecannotexpectalltheworldtoshareouraffectionforthishumouristwhosemirthspringsfromhismelancholy.Hisreligion，hiseducation，hislifeinthisunsatisfyingworld，arenotthelife，theeducation，thereligionofthegreatmajorityofhumankind.HecannotreachsomanyearsandheartsasShakespeareorDickens，andsomeofthosewhomhereacheswillalwaysandinevitablymisjudgehim.Maisc’estmonhomme，onemaysay，asLaFontainesaidofMoliere.Ofmodernwriters，puttingScottaside，heistomethemostfriendlyandsympathetic.Greatgeniusashewas，hewasalsoapenman，ajournalist;andjournalistsandpenmenwillalwayslooktohimastheirbigbrother，themanintheirownlineofwhomtheyareproudest.AsdevoutCatholicsdidnotalwaysworshipthegreatestsaints，butthefriendliestsaints，theirown，sowescribesburnourcheapincensetoSt.WilliamMakepeace.Hecoulddoallthatanyofuscoulddo，andhediditinfinitelybetter.ApieceofverseforPunch，aparagraph，acaricature，werenotbeneaththedignityoftheauthorof"Esmond."HehadthekindnessandhelpfulnesswhichI，forone，havenevermetajournalistwholacked.HewasagoodEnglishman;

theboywithinhimneverdied;helovedchildren，andboys，andalittleslang，andaboxingmatch.Ifhehadfailings，whoknewthembetterthanhe？HowoftenheisatoncetheboyattheswishingblockandDr.Birchwhodoesnotsparetherod！Letusbelievewiththatbelovedphysician，ouroldfriendDr.JohnBrown，that"Mr.

Thackeraywasmuchgreater，muchnoblerthanhisworks，greatandnobleastheyare."Letuspartwithhim，rememberinghisownwords：

"Comewealthorwant，comegoodorill，Letyoungandoldaccepttheirpart，AndbowbeforetheawfulWill，Andbearitwithanhonestheart."

DICKENS

"IcannotreadDickens！"Howmanypeoplemakethisconfession，withafrontofbrass，anddonotseemtoknowhowpoorafiguretheycut！GeorgeEliotsaysthatadifferenceoftasteinjokesisagreatcauseofdomesticdiscomfort.Adifferenceoftasteinbooks，whenitisdecidedandvigorous，breaksmanyapossiblefriendship，andnipsmanyayounglikinginthebud.Iwouldnotwillinglyseemintolerant.AmanmaynotlikeSophocles，mayspeakdisrespectfullyofVirgil，andevensneeratHerodotus，andyetmaybeendured.Butheorshe（itisusuallyshe）whocontemnsScott，and"cannotreadDickens，"isapersonwithwhomIwouldfainhavenofurtherconverse.Ifshebealady，andifonemeetsheratdinner，shemustofcoursebebornewith，and"sufferedgladly."Butshehasdugagulfthatnothingcanbridge;shemaybefair，cleverandpopular，butsheisAnathema.Ifeeltowardsher（orhimifhewearsabeard）asBucklawdidtowardsthepersonwhoshouldmakeinquiriesaboutthatbridalnightofLammermoor.

ButthisadmissiondoesnotmeanthatoneissealedofthetribeofCharles——thatoneisaDickensitepureandsimple，convincedanddevout——anymorethanMr.MatthewArnoldwasaWordsworthian.

Dickenshasmanysuchworshippers，especially（andthisisanargumentinfavourofthefaith）amongthosewhoknewhiminhislife.Hemusthavehadawonderfulcharm;forhisfriendsinlifearehisliterarypartisans，hisuncompromisingpartisans，eventothisday.Theywillhavenohalf—heartedadmiration，andscouthimwhotriestospeakofDickensasofanartistnotflawless，nolessthantheyscornhimwhocannotreadDickensatall.Atonetimethishonourableenthusiasm（asamongtheWordsworthians）tooktheshapeof"endlessimitation."Thatisover;onlyhereandthereisanimitatorofthemasterleftintheland.Allhisowngeniuswasneededtocarryhismannerisms;themannerismswithoutthegeniuswereanarmourthatnodevotedDavidhadproved，thatnonecouldwearwithsuccess.

OfallgreatwriterssinceScott，Dickensisprobablythemantowhomtheworldowesmostgratitude.Nootherhascausedsomanysadheartstobeliftedupinlaughter;nootherhasaddedsomuchmirthtothetoilsomeandperplexedlifeofmen，ofpoorandrich，oflearnedandunlearned."Avasthopehaspassedacrosstheworld，"

saysAlfreddeMusset;wemaysaythatwithDickensahappysmile，ajoyouslaugh，wentroundthisearth.Tohavemadeuslaughsofrequently，soinextinguishably，sokindly——thatishisgreatgooddeed.Itwillbesaid，andwithagreatdealoftruth，thathehaspurgeduswithpityandterroraswellaswithlaughter.Butitisbecomingplainthathiscommandoftearsislessassuredthanofold，andIcannothonestlyregretthatsomeofhispathos——notall，byanymeans——islosingitscharmanditscertaintyofappeal.

Dickens’shumourwasrarelytooobvious;itwasessentiallypersonal，original，quaint，unexpected，andhisown.Hispathoswasnotinfrequentlyderivedfromsourcesopentoalltheworld，andcapableofbeingdrawnfrombyverycommonplacewriters.LittleNellsandDombeys，childrenunhappy，overthrownearlyinthemeleeoftheworld，anddyingamongweepingreaders，nolongeraffectusastheyaffectedanothergeneration.Mrs.BeecherStoweandtheauthorof"Misunderstood，"oncemadesomepeopleweeplikeanythingbythesesimplemeans.Ouidacandoit;plentyofpeoplecandoit.

Dickenslivesbyvirtueofwhatnonebuthecando：byvirtueofSaireyGamp，andSamWeller，andDickSwiveller，andMr.Squeers，withathousandotheroldfriends，ofwhomwecanneverweary.NomorethanCleopatra’scancustomstaletheirinfinitevariety.

IdonotsaythatDickens’pathosisalwaysofthetoofacilesort，whichplaysroundchildren’sdeath—beds.Otherpathoshehas，morefineandnotlessgenuine.Itmaybemorbidandcontemptibletofeel"agreatinclinationtocry"overDavidCopperfield’sboyishinfatuationforSteerforth;butIfeelit.Steerforthwasa"tiger，"——asMajorPendenniswouldhavesaid，atigerwithhiscurlyhairandhisambrosialwhiskers.Butwhenalittleboyloseshishearttoabigboyhedoesnotthinkofthis.Traddlesthoughtofit."Shame，J.Steerforth！"criedTraddles，whenSteerforthbulliedtheusher.Traddleshadnotlosthisheart，norsetupthebigboyasagodintheshrinethereof.Butboysdothesethings;mostofushavehadourSteerforths——tall，strong，handsome，brave，good—

humoured.FaroffacrosstheyearsIseethefaceofsuchanone，andrememberthatemotionwhichisdescribedin"DavidCopperfield，"

chap.xix.，towardstheendofthechapter.Idon’tknowanyothernovelistwhohastouchedthisyoungandabsolutelydisinterestedbeliefofalittleboyinabigone——toucheditsokindlyandseriously，thatisthereisahintofitin"Dr.Birch’sSchoolDays."

ButDickensisalwaysexcellentinhisboys，ofwhomhehasdrawndozensoftypes——allcapital.ThereisTommyTraddles，forexample.

AndhowcanpeoplesaythatDickenscouldnotdrawagentleman？Theboywhoshouted，"Shame，J.Steerforth！"wasagentleman，ifonemaypretendtohaveanopinionaboutathemesodifficult.TheDodgerandCharleyBatesaredelightfulboys——especiallyBates.Pip，inthegoodolddays，whenhewastheprowlingboy，andfoughtHerbertPocket，wasnotlessattractive，andHerberthimself，withhistheoryandpracticeoftheartofself—defence——couldNelsonhavebeenmorebrave，orShelley（asinMr.MatthewArnold’sopinion）

more"ineffectual"？EventheboysatDotheboysHallareeachofthemquitedistinct.Dickens’sboysarealmostasdeartomeasThackeray’s——aslittleRawdonhimself.Thereisoneexception.I

cannotinterestmyselfinLittleDombey.LittleDavidCopperfieldisajewelofaboywithaturnforbooks.DoubtlessheiscreatedoutofDickens’smemoriesofhimselfasachild.Thatistruepathosagain，andnotoverwrought，whenDavidissenttoCreakle’s，andhispoortroubledmotherdarehardlysayfarewelltohim.

Andthisbringsusbacktothatdebatablething——thepathosofDickens——fromwhichonehasbeenwithdrawnbytheattractionsofhisboys.LittleDombeyisaprizeexampleofhispathos.LittleNellisanother.Jeffrey，oftheEdinburghReview，whocriticised"Marmion"andthe"LadyoftheLake"sovindictively，shedtearsoverLittleNell.Itisamatteroftaste，or，asSciencemightsay，ofthelachrymalglandsasdevelopedineachindividual.Butthelachrymalglandsofthisamateurarenotdevelopedinthatdirection.LittleDombeyandLittleNellleavemewithapairofdryeyes.Idonot"meltvisibly"overLittleDombey，liketheweak—eyedyoungmanwhotookouthisbooksandtrunktothecoach.

Thepoorlittlechapwasfeebleandfeverish，andhaddreamsoftryingtostopariverwithhischildishhands，ortochokeitwithsand.Itmaybeverygoodpathology，butIcannotseethatitisatallrightpathos.Onedoesnotlikecopytobemadeoutofthesufferingsofchildrenorofanimals.One’shearthardens：theobjectistoomanifest，thetrickistooeasy.ConceiveachildofDombey’sageremarking，withhislatestbreath，"TellthemthatthepictureonthestairsatschoolisnotDivineenough！"Thatisnotthedeliriumofinfancy，thatisart—criticism：itistheAthenaeumonMr.HolmanHunt.Itisnottruetonature;itisnotgoodinart：itisthekindofthingthatappearsinSunday—schoolbooksaboutthevirtuouslittleboywhodied.Thereismoretruepathosinmanyapageof"HuckleberryFinn."YetthisiswhatJeffreygushedover."TherehasbeennothingliketheactualdyingofthatsweetPaul."Somuchcanageenfeebletheintellect，thathewhohadknownScott，andyetnibbledathisfame，descendedtoadmiringthefeeblestoffalsesentiment.AsforLittleNell，whoalsohascausedfloodsoftearstobeshed，hercaseissufficientlyillustratedbythepictureinthefirstedition（"MasterHumphrey’sClock，"，1840，p.210）：

"’WhenIdiePutnearmesomethingthathaslovedthelight，Andhadtheskyaboveitalways.’ThoseWereherwords."

"Dear，gentle，patient，nobleNellwasdead！"

Thepathosisaboutasgoodastheprose，andTHATisblankverse.

Arethewordsintheformerquotationintheleastlikeanythingthatalittlegirlwouldsay？AGermansentimentalistmighthavesaidthem;Obermannmighthavemurmuredtheminhisweakermoments.

Letustryapieceofdomesticpathosbyanotherhand.ItisthedawnofWaterloo.

"Heart—stainedandshame—stricken，hestoodatthebed’sfoot，andlookedatthesleepinggirl.Howdaredhe——whowashe——toprayforonesospotless！Godblessher！Godblessher！Hecametothebedside，andlookedatthehand，thelittlesofthand，lyingasleep，andhebentoverthepillownoiselesslytowardsthegentlepaleface.Twofairarmsclosedtenderlyroundhisneckashestoopeddown.’Iamawake，George，’thepoorchildsaid，withasob."

IknowIammakingenemiesofalargeproportionofthereadersofthispage."Odious，sneeringbeast！"isthequotationwhichtheywillapply，perhapsunconsciousofitsorigin，toacriticwhoishumblebutwouldfainbehonest，toacriticwhothinksthatDickenshashisweakplaces，andthathispathosisoneofthese.Itcannotbehelped.Eachofushashisauthorwhoisafavourite，afriend，anidol，whoseimmaculateperfectionhemaintainsagainstallcomers.Forexample，thingsareurgedagainstScott;IreceivethemintheattitudeofthedeafadderofSt.Augustine，whostopsoneearwithhistailandpressestheotheragainstthedust.ThesamewithMoliere：M.SchererutterscomplaintsagainstMoliere！Hewouldnotconvinceme，evenifIwereconvinced.So，withregardtoDickens，thetruebelieverwillnotlisten，hewillnotbepersuaded.Butifanyonefeelsalittleshaken，lethimtryitanotherway.ThereisacharacterinM.AlphonseDaudet’s"FromentJeuneetRisslerAine"——acharacterwho，peoplesay，istakenbodilyfromDickens.ThisisDesireeDelobelle，thedeformedgirl，thedaughterofunrate，apretentiousimbecileactor.Sheispoor，stunted，laborious，toilingatasmallindustry;sheisinlove，isrejected，shetriestodrownherself，shedies.ThesequenceofideasisinDickens’svein;butreadthetale，andIthinkyouwillseehowlittlethethingisoverdone，howsimpleandunforceditis，comparedwithanalogouspersonsandscenesintheworkoftheEnglishmaster.Theidioticyellof"plagiarism"hasbeenraised，ofcourse，bycriticalcretins.M.Daudet，asIunderstandwhathesaysin"TrenteAnsdeParis，"hadnotreadDickensatall，whenhewrote"FromentJeune"——certainlyhadnotread"OurMutualFriend."

ButthereissomethingofDickens’sgeniusinM.Daudet’s，andthatsomethingiskeptmuchbetterinhandbytheFrenchman，ismoresubordinatedtotheprinciplesoftasteandoftruth.

Ontheotherhand，tobedonewiththispoint，lookatDelobelle，thefatherofDesiree，andcomparehimwithDickens’ssplendidstrollers，withMr.VincentCrummles，andMr.Lenville，andtherest.AsinDesireesoinDelobelle，M.Daudet’spictureismuchthemoretruthful.Butitistruthfulwithabitterkindoftruth.

Now，thereisnothingnotgenialanddelightfulinCrummlesandMrs.

CrummlesandtheInfantPhenomenon.HereDickenshasgotintoaregionunliketheregionofthepathetic，intoaworldthatwelcomeschargeorcaricature，theworldofhumour.Wedonotknow，wenevermeetCrummlesesquitesounsophisticatedasVincent，whois"notaPrussian，"who"can’tthinkwhoputsthesethingsintothepapers."

Butwedomeetstagepeoplewhocomeveryneartothisnaiveteofself—advertisement，andsomeofwhomarejustasdismalasCrummlesisdelightful.

Here，nodoubt，isDickens’sforte.Herehisgeniusisallpuregold，inhissuccessfulstudiesorinventionsofthehumorous，ofcharacterparts.Oneliterallydoesnotknowwheretobeginorendinone’sadmirationforthiscreativepowerthatpeopledourfancieswithsuchtroopsofdearandimpossiblefriends."Pickwick"comespracticallyfirst，andheneversurpassed"Pickwick."Hewasapoorstory—teller，andin"Pickwick"hehadnostorytotell;hemerelywanderedatadventureinthatmerrierEnglandwhichwasbeforerailwayswere."Pickwick"isthelastofthestoriesoftheroadthatbegininthewandering，aimless，adventurousromancesofGreece，orinPetroniusArbiter，andthatlivewiththelifeof"GilBlas"and"DonQuixote，"of"LeRomanComique，"of"TomJonesand"JosephAndrews."Thesetalesareprogressesalonghighwaysbristlingwithadventure，andamonginnsfullofconfusion，Mr.

Pickwick’saffairwiththeladywithyellowcurl—papersbeingamildexample.Though"TomJones"hasaplotsoexcellent，noplotisneededhere，andnoconsecutivestoryisrequired.Detachedexperiences，vagrantsofeveryrankthatcomeandgo，asinreallife，areallthematerialoftheartist.WithsuchmaterialsDickenswasexactlysuited;hewasathomeonhigh—roadandlane，streetandfield—path，ininnsandyeomen’swarmhospitablehouses.

Neverahumourescapedhim，andhehadsuchawealthoffunandhighspiritsinthesegladdaysasneveranyotherpossessedbefore.Hewasnotintheleastabookishman，notinanydegreeascholar;butNaturetaughthim，andwhilehewrotewithNatureforhisteacher，withmenandwomenforhismatter，withdiversionforhisaim，hewasunsurpassable——nay，hewasunapproachable.

Hecouldnotresthere;hewas，afterall，achildofanagethatgrewsad，andearnest，andthoughtful.Hesawabusesroundhim——

injustice，andoppression，andcruelty.Hehadahearttowhichthosethingswerenotonlyabhorrent，but，asitwere，maddening.

Heknewhowgreataninfluencehewielded，andwhocanblamehimforusingitinanycausehethoughtgood？Verypossiblyhemighthavebeenagreaterartistifhehadbeenlessofaman，ifhehadbeenquitedisinterested，andhadneverwritten"withapurpose."Thatiscommon，andevenratherobsoletecriticaltalk.ButwhenwerememberthatFielding，too，veryoftenwrote"withapurpose，"andthatpurposetheprotectionofthepoorandunfriended;andwhenwerememberwhatanartistFieldingwas，IdonotseehowwecanblameDickens.Occasionallyhemadehisartandhispurposeblendsohappilythathisworkwasallthebetterforhisbenevolentintentions.WeoweMr.Squeers，Mrs.Squeers，FannySqueers，Wackfordandall，toDickens’sindignationagainstthenefariousschoolpiratesofhistime.IfheislesssuccessfulinattackingtheCourtofChancery，andverymuchlesssuccessfulstillwiththeRedTapeandCircumlocutionOfficeaffairs，thatmaybemerelybecausehewaslessinthehumour，andnotbecausehehadapurposeinhismind.Everyoneofaman’sbookscannotbehismasterpiece.

Thereisnothinginliterarytalksoannoyingasthespitefuljoywithwhichmanypeopledeclarethatanauthoris"workedout，"

becausehislastbookislesshappythansomethatwentbefore.

TherecameatimeinDickens’careerwhenhisworks，tomyowntasteandthatofmanypeople，seemedlaboured，artificial——infact，moreorlessfailures.Thesebooksrangefrom"DombeyandSon，"through"LittleDorrit，"Idarenotsayto"OurMutualFriend."Oneisafraidthat"EdwinDrood，"too，suggeststhemaladywhichSirWalteralreadydetectedinhisown"PeverilofthePeak."TheintensestrainonthefacultiesofDickens——asauthor，editor，reader，andmanoftheworld——couldnotbuttellonhim;andyearsmusttell.

"Philip"isnotworthyoftheauthorof"Esmond，"nor"DanielDeronda"oftheauthorof"SilasMarner."Atthattime——thetimeoftheDorritsandDombeys——Blackwood’sMagazinepublisheda"RemonstrancewithBoz";norwasitquitesuperfluous.ButDickenshadabundanceoftalentstilltodisplay——aboveallin"GreatExpectations"and"ATaleofTwoCities."Theformeris，after"Pickwick，""Copperfield，""MartinChuzzlewit，"and"NicholasNickleby"——aftertheclassics，infact——themostdelightfulofDickens’sbooks.Thestoryisembroiled，nodoubt.WhatarewetothinkofEstelle？Hastheminxanypurpose？IssheakindofEthelNewcomeofoddlife？Itisnoteasytosay;still，forastoryofDickens’stheplotiscomparativelyclearandintelligible.Forastudyofachild’slife，ofthenatureDickensdrewbest——theriverandthemarshes——andforplentyofhonestexplosivefun，thereisnolaterbookofDickens’slike"GreatExpectations."MissHavisham，too，inhermouldybridalsplendour，isreallyimpressive;notlikeRalphNicklebyandMonkin"OliverTwist"——abookofwhichtheplotremainstomeamystery.{4}PipandPumblechookandMr.WopsleandJoareallimmortal，andcauselaughterinextinguishable.Therarityofthisbook，bytheway，initsfirstedition——theusuallibrarythreevolumes——isratherdifficulttoexplain.Oneveryseldomseesitcomeintothemarket，andthenitishighlypriced.

IhavementionedmorethanoncetheobscurityofDickens’splots.

Thisdifficultymaybeaccountedforinaveryflatteringmanner.

Wheredoweloseourselves？Notinthebarehigh—road，butamonglanes，betweenhedgeshungwithroses，blackberries，morningglories，whereallaboutusissofullofpleasurethatourattentionisdistractedandwemissourway.Now，inDickens——in"OliverTwist，"in"MartinChuzzlewit，"in"NicholasNickleby"——

thereis，asinthelanes，somuchtodivertandbeguile，thatweceasetocareverymuchwheretheroadleads——aroadsofullofhappymarvels.Thedark，plottingvillains——likethetrampwhofrightenedSirWalterScottsoterribly，ashecamefromMissBaillie’satHampstead——peeroutfrombehindthehedgesnowandthen.Butwearetoomuchamusedbythelightheartsthatgoalltheway，bytheDodgerandCrummlesandMrs.Gamp，tocaremuchforwhatRalph，andMonk，andJonasChuzzlewitareplotting.Itmaynotbethattheplotissoconfused，butthatwearetoomuchdivertedtocarefortheplot，fortheincrediblemachinationsofUriahHeap，tochooseanotherexample.Mr.Micawberclearedtheseup;butitisMr.Micawberthathindersusfromheedingthem.

This，atleast，isanotunfriendlyexplanation.YetIcannotbutbelievethat，thoughDickenstookgreatpainswithhisplots，hewasnotagreatplotter.Hewasnot，anymorethanThackeray，astory—

tellerfirstandforemost.WecanholdinourmindseverythreadofMr.WilkieCollins’web，orofM.FortuneduBoisgobey’s，orofM.

Gaboriau’s——allgreatweaversofintrigues.ButDickensgoesaboutdarkeninghisintrigue，givingitanextraknot，anextratwist，hintinghere，ominouslylaughingthere，tillwegetmystifiedandbored，andgiveourselvesuptothefunofthehumours，indifferenttothedestiniesofvillainsandvictims.Lookat"EdwinDrood."A

constantwarabouttheplotragesinthemagazines.Ibelieve，forone，thatEdwinDroodwasresuscitated;butitgivesmenopleasure.

Hewastoouninteresting.Dickens’shints，nods，mutterings，forebodings，donotatallimpressonelikethatdeepeninganddarkeningoftheawfulomensin"TheBrideofLammermoor."HereScott——unconsciously，nodoubt——usedtheverymannerofHomerintheOdyssey，andnowherewashisgeniusmoreHomeric.Thatwasromance.

The"TaleofTwoCities"isagreattestofthefaith——thatisinDickensites.Ofallhisworksitisthefavouritewiththewrongsort！Ladiespreferit.ManypeoplecanreaditwhocannototherwisereadDickensatall.ThisinitselfprovesthatitisnotagoodexampleofDickens，thatitisnotcentral，thatitisanoutlyingprovincewhichheconquered.Itisnotafavouriteofmine.Thehumourofthehumorouscharactersringsfalse——forexample，thefunoftheresurrection—manwiththewifewho"flops."

ButSidneyCartonhasdrawnmanytearsdowncheeksnotaccustomedtowhatMr.B.in"Pamela"calls"pearlyfugitives."

Itsometimesstrikesonethatcertainweaknessesinourgreatnovelists，inThackerayaswellasDickens，werecausedbytheirmethodofpublication.Thegreenandyellowleavesflourishedonthetreesfortwowholeyears.Who（exceptAlexandretheGreat）

couldwritesomuch，andyetallgood？Dowenotallfeelthat"DavidCopperfield"shouldhavebeencompressed？Asto"Pendennis，"

Mr.Thackeray’sbadhealthwhenhewroteitmightwellcauseacertainlanguorinthelaterpages.Moreover，hefranklydidnotcareforthestory，andblufflysays，inthepreface，thatherespitedColonelAltamontalmostatthefootofthegallows.

Dickenstookhimselfmoreinearnest，and，havingsomanypagestofill，conscientiouslymadeUriahHeapwindandwrigglethroughthemall.

Totrytoseeblotsinthesun，andtopickholesinDickens，seemsungrateful，andisindeedanungratefultask;tonomortalmanhavemorepeopleowedmirth，pleasure，forgetfulnessofcare，knowledgeoflifeinstrangeplaces.ThereneverwassuchanotherasCharlesDickens，norshallweseehislikesoonerthanthelikeofShakespeare.Andheowedalltonativegeniusandhardwork;heowedalmostnothingtoliterature，andthatlittleweregret.HewasinfluencedbyCarlyle，headoptedhismethodofnicknames，andofhammeringwithwearisomeiterationonsomepeculiarity——forexample，onCarker’steeth，andthepatriarch’swhitehair.Bytheway，howincredibleisalltheCarkerepisodein"Dombey"！SurelyDickenscanneverhaveintendedEdith，fromthefirst，tobehaveasshedid！Peoplemayhaveinfluencedhim，astheyinfluencedScottabout"St.Ronan’sWell."Ithasbeensaidthat，saveforCarlyle，Dickenswasinlettersaself—taughtartist，thathewasnoman’spupil，andborrowedfromnone.Nodoubtthismakeshimlessacceptabletotheliteraryclassthanamanofletters，likeThackeray——thanamaninwhosetreasurechamberofmemoryallthewealthoftheMiddleAgeswasstored，likeScott.ButthenativenakedgeniusofDickens，——hisheart，hismirth，hisobservation，hisdelightfulhighspirits，hisintrepidloathingofwrong，hischivalrousdesiretorightit，——thesethingswillmakehimforever，wehopeandbelieve，thedarlingoftheEnglishpeople.

ADVENTURESOFBUCCANEERS

Mostofus，asboys，haveenviedthebuccaneers.Thegreatestofallboys，CanonKingsley，oncewroteapleasingandregretfulpoeminwhichtheLastBuccaneerrepresentshimselfasakindofpicturesquephilanthropist：—

"TherewerefortycraftinAvesthatwerebothswiftandstout，Allfurnishedwellwithsmallarms，andcannonsroundabout;

AndathousandmeninAvesmadelawssofairandfree，Tochoosetheirvaliantcaptainsandobeythemloyally.

ThencewesailedagainsttheSpaniardwithhishoardsofplateandgold，WhichhewrungwithcrueltorturesfromIndianfolkofold;

Likewisethemerchantcaptains，withheartsashardasstone，Whoflogmenandkeel—haulthem，andstarvethemtothebone."

Thebuccaneeris"agallantsailor，"accordingtoKingsley’spoem——aRobinHoodofthewaters，whopreysonlyonthewickedrich，orthecruelandPopishSpaniard，andtheextortionateshipowner.Forhisownpart，whenheisnotrescuingpoorIndians，thebuccaneerlivesmainly"forclimateandtheaffections"：—

"Oh，sweetitwasinAvestohearthelandwardbreeze，Aswingwithgoodtobaccoinanetbetweenthetrees，Withanegrolasstofanyou，whileyoulistenedtotheroarOfthebreakersonthereefoutsidethatnevertouchedtheshore."

Thisisdelightfullyidyllic，likethelivesoftheTahitianshepherdsintheAnti—Jacobin——theshepherdswhoseoccupationwasasinecure，astherewerenosheepinTahiti.

Yetthevocationwasnotreallysotouchinglychivalrousasthepoetwouldhaveusdeem.OneJosephEsquemeling，himselfabuccaneer，haswrittenthehistoryanddescribedtheexploitsofhiscompanionsinplainprose，warningeageryouthsthat"pieces—of—eightdonotgrowoneverytree，"asmanyrawrecruitshavebelieved.Mr.

Esquemeling’saccountofthesemattersmaybepurchased，withagreatdealelsethatisinstructiveandentertaining，in"TheHistoryoftheBuccaneersinAmerica."Myedition（of1810）isadumpylittlebook，inverysmalltype，andquiteacrowdofpublisherstookpartintheventure.Theoldereditionsaredifficulttoprocureifyourpocketsarenotstuffedwithpieces—of—

eight.Youdonotoftenfindeventhisvolume，but"whenfoundmakeanoteof，"andyouhaveareplytoCanonKingsley.

AcharitableoldScotchlady，whoheardourghostlyfoeevilspokenof，remarkedthat，"IfwewereallasdiligentandconscientiousastheDevil，itwouldbebetterforus."Now，thebuccaneerswerecertainlymodelsofdiligenceandconscientiousnessintheirownindustry，whichwastotorturepeopletilltheygaveuptheirgoods，andthentorunthemthroughthebody，andspendthespoilsoverdrinkanddice.ExceptDampier，whowasacleverman，butapoorbuccaneer（Mr.ClarkRussellhaswrittenhislife），theywerethemosthideouslyruthlessmiscreantsthateverdisgracedtheearthandthesea.Buttheircourageandendurancewerenolessnotablethantheirgreedandcruelty，sothatamoralcanbesqueezedevenoutoftheseabandonedmiscreants.ThesoldiersandsailorswhomadetheirwaywithingunshotofKhartoum，overcomingthirst，hunger，heat，thedesert，andthegallantchildrenofthedesert，didnotfight，march，andsuffermorebravelythanthescoundrelswhosackedMairaiboandburnedPanama.Theirgoodqualitieswerenolessastoundingandexemplarythantheiralmostincrediblewickedness.

Theydidnotlieaboutinhammocksmuch，listeningtothelandwardwindamongthewoods——thetruebuccaneers.Totellthetruth，mostofthemhadnoparticularcausetolovethehumanspecies.TheywereoftenEuropeanswhohadbeensoldintoslaveryontheWestIndianplantations，wheretheylearnedlessonsofcrueltybysufferingit.ThusMr.JosephEsquemeling，ourhistorian，wasbeaten，tortured，andnearlystarvedtodeathinTortuga，"soI

determined，notknowinghowtogetanyliving，toenterintotheorderofthepiratesorrobbersofthesea."ThepoorIndiansoftheisles，muchpitiedbyKingsley’sbuccaneer，hadahabitofstickingtheirprisonersalloverwiththorns，wrappedinoilycotton，wheretotheythensetfire."ThesecrueltiesmanyChristianshaveseenwhiletheylivedamongthesebarbarians."Mr.

Esquemelingwastosee，andinflict，plentyofthiskindoftorment，whichwasnotoutofthewaynorunusual.Oneplanteralonehadkilledoverahundredofhisservants——"theEnglishdidthesamewiththeirs."

Abuccaneervoyagebeganinstealingaship，collectingdesperadoes，andtorturingthelocalherdsmentilltheygaveuptheirmasters’

flocks，whichweresaltedasprovisions.Articlesofservicewerethendrawnup，ontheprinciple"noprey，nopay."Thespoils，whentaken，wereloyallydividedasarule，thoughCaptainMorgan，ofWales，madenomorescrupleaboutrobbinghiscrewthanaboutbarbecuingaSpanishpriest."Theyareverycivilandcharitabletoeachother，sothatifanyonewantswhatanotherhas，withgreatwillingnesstheygiveittooneanother."InothermatterstheydidnotintheleastresembletheearlyChristians.Afellownick—namedThePortuguesemaybetakenasourfirstexampleoftheircommendablequalities.

Withasmallshipoffourgunshehadtakenagreatoneoftwentyguns，with70，000pieces—of—eightHehimself，however，waspresentlycapturedbyalargervessel，andimprisonedonboard.

Beingcarelesslywatched，heescapedontwoearthenjars（forhecouldnotswim），reachedthewoodsinCampechy，andwalkedforahundredandtwentymilesthroughthebush.Hisonlyfoodwasafewshell—fish，andbywayofaknifehehadalargenail，whichhewhettedtoanedgeonastone.Havingmadeakindofraft，hestruckariver，andpaddledtoGolphoTriste，wherehefoundcongenialpirates.Withtwentyofthese，andaboat，hereturnedtoCampechy，wherehehadbeenaprisoner，andactuallycapturedthelargeshipinwhichhehadlaincaptive！Badluckpursuedhim，however：hisprizewaslostinastorm;hereachedJamaicainacanoe，andneverafterwardswasconcernedasleaderinanyaffairofdistinction.NotevenOdysseushadmoreresource，norwasmorelong—enduring;butFortunewasThePortuguese’sfoe.

Braziliano，anotherbuccaneer，servedasapiratebeforethemast，and"wasbelovedandrespectedbyall."Beingraisedtocommand，hetookaplateship;butthissuccesswasofindifferentservicetohisotherwiseamiablecharacter."Hewouldoftenappearfoolishandbrutishwhenindrink，"andhasbeenknowntoroastSpaniardsaliveonwoodenspits"fornotshowinghimhogyardswherehemightstealswine."OnecanhardlysupposethatKingsleywouldhaveregrettedTHISbuccaneer，evenifhehadbeenthelast，whichunluckilyhewasnot.Hishabitofsittinginthestreetbesideabarrelofbeer，andshootingallpassers—bywhowouldnotdrinkwithhim，provokedremark，andwasanactdetestabletoallfriendsoftemperanceprinciples.

FrancoisL’Olonnois，fromsouthernFrance，hadbeenkidnapped，andsoldasaslaveintheCaribbeeIslands.Recoveringhisfreedom，heplunderedtheSpanish，saysmybuccaneerauthor，"tillhisunfortunatedeath."Withtwocanoeshecapturedashipwhichhadbeensentafterhim，carryingtengunsandahangmanforhisexpressbenefit.Thishangman，muchtothefellow’schagrin，L’Olonnoisputtodeathliketherestofhisprisoners.HisgreatachievementswereintheGulfofVenezuelaorBayofMaracaibo.Thegulfisastrongplace;themouth，nowiderthanagun—shot，isguardedbytwoislands.FaruptheinletisMaracaibo，atownofthreethousandpeople，fortifiedandsurroundedbywoods.YetfartherupisthetownofGibraltar.Toattackthesewasadesperateenterprise;butL’Olonnoisstolepasttheforts，andfrightenedthetownsfolkintothewoods.AsaruletheSpaniardsmadethepoorestresistance;

therewereexamplesofcourage，butnoneofconduct.Withstrongforts，heavyguns，manymen，provisions，andammunition，theyquailedbeforethedesperatevalourofthepirates.Thetownsweresacked，thefugitiveshuntedoutinthewoods，andthemostabominabletortureswereappliedtomakethembetraytheirfriendsandrevealtheirtreasures.Whentheyweresilent，orhadnotreasurestodeclare，theywerehacked，twisted，burned，andstarvedtodeath.

SuchwerethemannersofL’Olonnois;andCaptainMorgan，ofWales，wasevenmoreruthless.

GibraltarwaswellfortifiedandstrengthenedafterMaracaibofell;

newbatterieswereraised，thewaythroughthewoodswasbarricaded，andnofewerthaneighthundredmenwereunderarmstoresistasmallpirateforce，exhaustedbydebauch，andhavingitsretreatcutoffbythefortsatthemouthofthegreatsalt—waterloch.ButL’Olonnoisdidnotblench：hetoldthementhataudacitywastheironehope，alsothathewouldpistolthefirstwhogaveground.Themencheeredenthusiastically，andapartyofthreehundredandfiftylanded.Thebarricadedwaytheycouldnotforce，andinanewlycutpaththeymetastrongbatterywhichfiredgrape.ButL’Olonnoiswasinvincible.Hetriedthatoldtrickwhichrarelyfails，ashamretreat，andthisluredtheSpaniardsfromtheirearthworkonthepath.Thepiratesthenturned，swordinhand，slewtwohundredoftheenemy，andcapturedeightguns.Thetownyielded，thepeoplefledtothewoods，andthenbeganthewontedsportoftorturingtheprisoners.Maracaibotheyransomedafresh，obtainedapilot，passedthefortswithease，andreturnedaftersackingasmallprovince.

Onadividendbeingdeclared，theyparted260，000pieces—of—eightamongtheband，andspentthepillageinarevelofthreeweeks.

L’Olonnois"gotgreatrepute"bythisconduct，butIrejoicetoaddthatinaraidonNicaraguahe"miserablyperished，"andmetwhatMr.Esquemelingcalls"hisunfortunatedeath."ForL’Olonnoiswasreallyanungentlemanlycharacter.HewouldhackaSpaniardtopieces，tearouthisheart，and"gnawitwithhisteethlikearavenouswolf，sayingtotherest，’Iwillserveyouallalikeifyoushowmenotanotherway’"（toatownwhichhedesignedattacking）.InNicaraguahewastakenbytheIndians，who，beingentirelyontheSpanishside，torehimtopiecesandburnedhim.