OXFORD IN THE VACATION
BecauseinmylastItriedtodiverttheewithsomehalf-forgottenhumoursofsomeoldclerksdefunct,inanoldhouseofbusiness,longsincegonetodecay,doubtlessyouhavealreadysetmedowninyourmindasoneoftheself-samecollege——avotaryofthedesk——anotchedandcroptscrivener——onethatsuckshissustenance,ascertainsickpeoplearesaidtodo,throughaquill.
Well,Idoagnizesomethingofthesort.Iconfessthatitismyhumour,myfancy——intheforestoftheday,whenthemindofyourmanoflettersrequiressomerelaxation——(andnonebetterthansuchasatfirstsightseemsmostabhorrentfromhisbelovedstudies)——towhileawaysomegoodhoursofmytimeinthecontemplationofindigos,cottons,rawsilk,piece-goods,floweredorotherwise.Inthefirstplace******andthenitsendsyouhomewithsuchincreasedappetitetoyourbooks*****nottosay,thatyouroutsidesheets,andwastewrappersoffoolscap,doreceiveintothem,mostkindlyandnaturally,theimpressionofsonnets,epigrams,essays——sothattheveryparingsofacounting-houseare,insomesort,thesettingsupofanauthor.Theenfranchisedquill,thathasploddedallthemorningamongthecart-rucksoffiguresandcyphers,frisksandcurvetssoatitseaseovertheflowerycarpet-groundofamidnightdissertation——Itfeelsitspromotion.*******Sothatyousee,uponthewhole,theliterarydignityofEliaisverylittle,ifatall,promisedinthecondescension.
Notthat,inmyanxiousdetailofthemanymoditiesincidentaltothelifeofapublicoffice,Iwouldbethoughtblindtocertainflaws,whichacunningcarpermightbeabletopickinthisJosephsvest.AndhereImusthaveleave,inthefulnessofmysoul,toregrettheabolition,anddoing-away-withaltogether,ofthoseconsolatoryinterstices,andsprinklingsoffreedom,throughthefourseasons,——thered-letterdays,nowbee,toallintentsandpurposes,dead-letterdays.TherewasPaul,andStephen,andBarnabas-
"AndrewandJohn,menfamousinoldtimes"
wewereusedtokeepalltheirdaysholy,aslongbackasIwasatschoolatChrists.Iremembertheireffigies,bythesametoken,intheoldBaskettPrayerBook.TherehungPeterinhisuneasyposture——holyBartlemyinthetroublesomeactofflaying,afterthefamousMarsyasbySpagnoletti.Ihonouredthemall,andcouldalmosthaveweptthedefalcationofIscariot——somuchdidwelovetokeepholymemoriessacred——onlymethoughtIalittlegrudgedatthecoalitionofthebetterJudewithSimon——clubbing(asitwere)theirsanctitiestogether,tomakeuponepoorgaudy-daybetweenthem——asaneconomyunworthyofthedispensation.
Thesewerebrightvisitationsinascholarsandaclerkslife——"farofftheiringshone."——Iwasasgoodasanalmanacinthosedays.Icouldhavetoldyousuchasaints-dayfallsoutnextweek,ortheweekafter.PeradventuretheEpiphany,bysomeperiodicalinfelicitywould,onceinsixyears,mergeinaSabbath.NowamIlittlebetterthanoneoftheprofane.Letmenotbethoughttoarraignthewisdomofmycivilsuperiors,whohavejudgedthefurtherobservationoftheseholytidestobepapistical,superstitious.Onlyinacustomofsuchlongstanding,methinks,iftheirHolinessestheBishopshad,indecency,beenfirstsounded——butIamwadingoutofmydepths.Iamnotthemantodecidethelimitsofcivilandecclesiasticalauthority——IamplainElia——noSelden,norArchbishopUsher——thoughatpresentinthethickoftheirbooks,hereintheheartoflearning,undertheshadowofthemightyBodley.
Icanhereplaythegentleman,enactthestudent.Tosuchaoneasmyself,whohasbeendefraudedinhisyoungyearsofthesweetfoodofacademicinstitution,nowhereissopleasant,towhileawayafewidleweeksat,asoneorotheroftheUniversities.Theirvacation,too,atthistimeoftheyear,fallsinsopatwithours.HereIcantakemywalksunmolested,andfancymyselfofwhatdegreeorstandingIplease.Iseemadmittedadeundem.Ifetchuppastopportunities.Icanriseatthechapel-bell,anddreamthatitringsforme.InmoodsofhumilityIcanbeaSizar,oraServitor.Whenthepeacockveinrises,IstrutaGentlemanCommoner.Ingravermoments,IproceedMasterofArts.IndeedIdonotthinkIammuchunlikethatrespectablecharacter.Ihaveseenyourdim-eyedvergers,andbed-makersinspectacles,dropaboworcurtsy,asIpass,wiselymistakingmeforsomethingofthesort.Igoaboutinblack,whichfavoursthenotion.OnlyinChristChurchreverendquadrangle,IcanbecontenttopassfornothingshortofaSeraphicDoctor.
Thewalksatthesetimesaresomuchonesown——thetalltreesofChrists,thegrovesofMagdalen!Thehallsdeserted,andwithopendoors,invitingonetoslipinunperceived,andpayadevoirtosomeFounder,ornobleorroyalBenefactress(thatshouldhavebeenours)whoseportraitseemstosmileupontheirover-lookedbeadsman,andtoadoptmefortheirown.Then,totakeapeepinbythewayatthebutteries,andsculleries,redolentofantiquehospitality:theimmensecavesofkitchens,kitchenfire-places,cordialrecesses;ovenswhosefirstpieswerebakedfourcenturiesago;andspitswhichhavecookedforChaucer!Notthemeanestministeramongthedishesbutishallowedtomethroughhisimagination,andtheCookgoesforthaManciple.
Antiquity!thouwondrouscharm,whatartthou?that,beingnothing,arteverything!Whenthouwert,thouwertnotantiquity——thenthouwertnothing,buthadstaremoterantiquity,asthoucalledstit,tolookbacktowithblindveneration;thouthyselfbeingtothyselfflat,jejune,modern!Whatmysterylurksinthisretroversion?orwhathalfJanuses*arewe,thatcannotlookforwardwiththesameidolatrywithwhichweforeverrevert!Themightyfutureisasnothing,beingeverything!thepastiseverything,beingnothing!
[Footnote]*Janusesofoneface——SirThomasBrowne.
Whatwerethydarkages?Surelythesunroseasbrightlythenasnow,andmangothimtohisworkinthemorning.Whyisitthatwecanneverhearmentionofthemwithoutanacpanyingfeeling,asthoughapalpableobscurehaddimmedthefaceofthings,andthatourancestorswanderedtoandfrogroping!
Aboveallthyrarities,oldOxenford,whatdomostarrideandsolaceme,arethyrepositoriesofmoulderinglearning,thyshelves-
Whataplacetobeinisanoldlibrary!Itseemsasthoughallthesoulsofallthewriters,thathavebequeathedtheirlabourstotheseBodleians,werereposinghere,asinsomedormitory,ormiddlestate.Idonotwanttohandle,toprofanetheleaves,theirwinding-sheets.Icouldassoondislodgeashade.Iseemtoinhalelearning,walkingamidtheirfoliage;andtheodouroftheiroldmoth-scentedcoveringsisfragrantasthefirstbloomofthosescientialappleswhichgrewamidthehappyorchard.
StilllesshaveIcuriositytodisturbtheelderreposeofMSS.Thosevariaelectiones,sotemptingtothemoreeruditepalates,dobutdisturbandunsettlemyfaith.IamnoHerculaneanraker.Thecreditofthethreewitnessesmighthavesleptunimpeachedforme.IleavethesecuriositiestoPorson,andtoG.D——whom,bytheway,Ifoundbusyasamothoversomerottenarchive,rummagedoutofsomeseldom-exploredpress,inanookatOriel.Withlongporing,heisgrownalmostintoabook.Hestoodaspassiveasonebythesideoftheoldshelves.Ilongedtonew-coathiminRussia,andassignhimhisplace.HemighthavemusteredforatallScapula.
D.isassiduousinhisvisitstotheseseatsoflearning.Noinconsiderableportionofhismoderatefortune,Iapprehend,isconsumedinjourneysbetweenthemandCliffords-inn——where,likeadoveontheaspsnest,hehaslongtakenuphisunconsciousabode,amidanincongruousassemblyofattorneys,attorneysclerks,apparitors,promoters,verminofthelaw,amongwhomhesits,"incalmandsinlesspeace."Thefangsofthelawpiercehimnot——thewindsoflitigationblowoverhishumblechambers——thehardsheriffsofficermoveshishatashepasses——legalnorillegaldiscourtesytoucheshim——nonethinksofofferingviolenceorinjusticetohimyouwouldassoon"strikeanabstractidea."
D.hasbeenengaged,hetellsme,throughacourseoflaboriousyears,inaninvestigationintoallcuriousmatterconnectedwiththetwoUniversities;andhaslatelylituponaMS.collectionofcharters,relativetoC——,bywhichhehopestosettlesomedisputedpoint——particularlythatlongcontroversybetweenthemastopriorityoffoundation.Theardorwithwhichheengagesintheseliberalpursuits,Iamafraid,hasnotmetwithalltheencouragementitdeserved,eitherhere,oratC.Yourcaputs,andheadsofcolleges,carelessthananybodyelseaboutthesequestions——ContentedtosuckthemilkyfountainsoftheirAlmaMaters,withoutinquiringintothevenerablegentlewomensyears,theyratherholdsuchcuriositiestobeimpertinent——unreverend.theyhavetheirgoodglebelandsinmanu,andcarenotmuchtorakeintothetitle-deeds.Igatheratleastsomuchfromothersources,forD.isnotamantoplain.
D.startedlikeanunbrokeheifer,whenIinterruptedhim.AprioriitwasnotveryprobablethatweshouldhavemetinOriel.ButD.wouldhavedonethesame,hadIaccostedhimonthesuddeninhisownwalksinCliffords-inn,orintheTemple.Inadditiontoaprovokingshort-sightedness(theeffectoflatestudiesandwatchingsatthemidnightoil)D.isthemostabsentofmen.HemadeacalltheothermorningatourfriendM.sinBedford-square;and,findingnobodyathome,wasusheredintothehall,where,askingforpenandink,withgreatexactitudeofpurposeheentersmehisnameinthebook——whichordinarilyliesaboutinsuchplaces,torecordthefailuresoftheuntimelyorunfortunatevisitor——andtakeshisleavewithmanyceremonies,andprofessionsofregret.Sometwoorthreehoursafter,hiswalkingdestiniesreturnedhimintothesameneighbourhoodagain,andagainthequietimageofthefire-sidecircleatM.s——Mrs.M.presidingatitlikeaQueenLar,withprettyA.S.atherside——strikingirresistiblyonhisfancy,hemakesanothercall(forgettingthattheywere"certainlynottoreturnfromthecountrybeforethatdayweek")anddisappointedasecondtime,inquiresforpenandpaperasbefore:againthebookisbrought,andinthelinejustabovethatinwhichheisabouttoprinthissecondname(hisre-script)hisfirstname(scarcedry)looksoutuponhimlikeanotherSosia,orasifamanshouldsuddenlyencounterhisownduplicate!——Theeffectmaybeconceived.D.mademanyagoodresolutionagainstanysuchlapsesinfuture.IhopehewillnotkeepthemtoorigorouslyForwithG.D——tobeabsentfromthebody,issometimes(nottospeakitprofanely)tobepresentwiththeLord.Attheverytimewhen,personallyencounteringthee,hepassesonwithnorecognitionor,beingstopped,startslikeathingsurprised——atthatmoment,reader,heisonMountTabor——orParnassus——orco-spheredwithPlato——or,withHarrington,framing"immortalmonwealths"——devisingsomeplanofameliorationtothycountry,orthyspecies——peradventuremeditatingsomeindividualkindnessorcourtesy,tobedonetotheethyself,thereturningconsciousnessofwhichmadehimtostartsoguiltilyatthyobtrudedpersonalpresence.
D.isdelightfulanywhere,butheisatthebestinsuchplacesasthese.HecaresnotmuchforBath.HeisoutofhiselementatBuxton,atScarborough,orHarrowgate.TheCamandtheIsisaretohim"betterthanallthewatersofDamascus——OntheMuseshillheishappy,andgood,asoneoftheShepherdsontheDelectableMountains;andwhenhegoesaboutwithyoutoshowyouthehallsandcolleges,youthinkyouhavewithyoutheInterpreterattheHouseBeautiful.