AMICUS REDIVIVUS
ClosdoertheheadofyourlovedLycidas?
InotknowwhenIhaveexperiencedastrangersensation,thanonseeingmyoldfriendG.D.,whohadbeenpayingmeamorningvisitafewSundaysback,atmycottageatIslington,upontakingleave,insteadofturningdowntherighthandpathbywhichhehadentered——withstaffinhand,andatnoonday,deliberatelymarchrightforwardsintothemidstofthestreamthatrunsbyus,andtotallydisappear.
Aspectaclelikethisatduskwouldhavebeenappallingenough;but,inthebroadopendaylight,towitnesssuchanunreservedmotiontowardsself-destructioninavaluedfriend,tookfrommeallpowerofspeculation.
HowIfoundmyfeet,Iknownot.Consciousnesswasquitegone.Somespirit,notmyown,whirledmetothespot.Iremembernothingbutthesilveryapparitionofagoodwhiteheademerging;nighwhichastaff(thehandunseenthatwieldedit)pointedupwards,asfeelingfortheskies.Inamoment(iftimewasinthattime)hewasonmyshoulders,andI——freightedwithaloadmorepreciousthanhiswhoboreAnchises.
AndhereIcannotbutdojusticetotheofficiouszealofsundrypassersby,who,albeitarrivingalittletoolatetoparticipateinthehonoursoftherescue,inphilanthropicshoalscamethrongingtomunicatetheiradviceastotherecovery;prescribingvariouslytheapplication,ornonapplication,ofsalt,&c.,tothepersonofthepatient.Lifemeantimewasebbingfastaway,amidstthestifleofconflictingjudgments,whenone,moresagaciousthantherest,byabrightthought,proposedsendingfortheDoctor.Triteasthecounselwas,andimpossible,asoneshouldthink,tobemissedon,——shallIconfess?——inthisemergency,itwastomeasifanAngelhadspoken.Greatpreviousexertions——andminehadnotbeeninconsiderable——aremonlyfollowedbyadebilityofpurpose.Thiswasamomentofirresolution.
Monoculus——forso,indefaultofcatchinghistruename,Ichoosetodesignatethemedicalgentlemanwhoappeared——isagrave,middle-agedperson,who,withouthavingstudiedatthecollege,ortruckledtothepedantryofadiploma,hathemployedagreatportionofhisvaluabletimeinexperimentalprocessesuponthebodiesofunfortunatefellow-creatures,inwhomthevitalspark,tomerevulgarthinking,wouldseemextinct,andlostforever.Heomittethnooccasionofobtrudinghisservices,fromacaseofmonsurfeit-suffocationtotheignoblerobstructions,sometimesinducedbyatoowilfulapplicationoftheplantCannabisoutwardly.Butthoughhedeclinethnotaltogetherthesedrierextinctions,hisoccupationtendethforthemostparttowater-practice;fortheconvenienceofwhich,hehathjudiciouslyfixedhisquartersnearthegrandrepositoryofthestreammentioned,where,dayandnight,fromhislittlewatch-tower,attheMiddletons-Head,helistenethtodetectthewrecksofdrownedmortality——partly,ashesaith,tobeuponthespot——andpartly,becausetheliquidswhichheusethtoprescribetohimselfandhispatients,onthesedistressingoccasions,areordinarilymoreconvenientlytobefoundatthesemonhostelries,thanintheshopsandphialsoftheapothecaries.Hisearhatharrivedtosuchfinessebypractice,thatitisreported,hecandistinguishaplumeatahalffurlongdistance;andcantell,ifitbecasualordeliberate.Hewearethamedal,suspendedoverasuit,originallyofasadbrown,butwhich,bytime,andfrequencyofnightlydivings,hasbeendingedintoatrueprofessionalsable.HepassethbythenameofDoctor,andisremarkableforwantinghislefteye.Hisremedy——afterasufficientapplicationofwarmblankets,friction,&c.,isasimpletumbler,ormore,ofthepurestCognac,withwater,madeashotastheconvalescentcanbearit.Wherehefindeth,asinthecaseofmyfriend,asqueamishsubject,hecondescendethtobethetaster;andshoweth,byhisownexample,theinnocuousnatureoftheprescription.Nothingcanbemorekindorencouragingthanthisprocedure.Itaddethconfidencetothepatient,toseehismedicaladvisergohandinhandwithhimselfintheremedy.Whenthedoctorswallowethhisowndraught,whatpeevishinvalidcanrefusetopledgehiminthepotion?Infine,Monoculusisahumane,sensibleman,who,foraslenderpittance,scarceenoughtosustainlife,iscontenttowearitoutintheendeavourtosavethelivesofothers——hispretensionssomoderate,thatwithdifficultyIcouldpressacrownuponhim,forthepriceofrestoringtheexistenceofsuchaninvaluablecreaturetosocietyasG.D.
Itwaspleasanttoobservetheeffectofthesubsidingalarmuponthenervesofthedearabsentee.Itseemedtohavegivenashaketomemory,callingupnoticeafternotice,ofalltheprovidentialdeliveranceshehadexperiencedinthecourseofhislongandinnocentlife.Sittingupinmycouch——mycouchwhich,nakedandvoidoffurniturehitherto,forthesalutaryreposewhichitadministered,shallbehonouredwithcostlyvalance,atsomeprice,andhenceforthbeastate-bedatColebrooke,hediscoursedofmarvellousescapes——bycarelessnessofnurses——bypailsofgelid,andkettlesoftheboilingelement,ininfancy——byorchardpranks,andsnappingtwigs,inschoolboyfrolics——bydescentoftilesatTrumpington,andofheaviertomesatPembroke——bystudiouswatchings,inducingfrightfulvigilance——bywant,andthefearofwant,andallthesorethrobbingsofthelearnedhead——Anon,hewouldburstoutintolittlefragmentsofchauntingofsongslongago——endsofdeliverance-hymns,notrememberedbeforesincechildhood,butingupnow,whenhisheartwasmadetenderasachilds——forthetremorcordis,intheretrospectofarecentdeliverance,asinacaseofimpendingdanger,actinguponaninnocentheart,willproduceaself-tenderness,whichweshoulddoilltochristencowardice;andShakspeare,inthelattercrisis,hasmadehisgoodSirHughtorememberthesittingbyBabylon,andtomutterofshallowrivers.
WatersofSirHughMiddleton——whatasparkyouwereliketohaveextinguishedforever!YoursalubriousstreamstothisCity,fornowneartwocenturies,wouldhardlyhaveatonedforwhatyouwereinamomentwashingaway.Mockeryofariver——liquidartifice——wretchedconduit!henceforthrankwithcanals,andsluggishaqueducts.Wasitforthis,that,smitinboyhoodwiththeexplorationsofthatAbyssiniantraveller,IpacedthevalesofAmwelltoexploreyourtributarysprings,totraceyoursalutarywaterssparklingthroughgreenHertfordshire,andculturedEnfieldparks?——Yehavenoswans——noNaiads——noriverGod——ordidthebenevolenthoaryaspectofmyfriendtemptyetosuckhimin,thatyealsomighthavethetutelarygeniusofyourwaters?
HadhebeendrownedinCamtherewouldhavebeensomeconsonancyinit;butwhatwillowshadyetowaveandrustleoverhismoistsepulture?——or,havingnoname,besidesthatunmeaningassumptionofeternalnovity,didyethinktogetonebythenobleprize,andhenceforthtobetermedtheSTREAMDYERIAN?
Andcouldsuchspaciousvirtuefindagrave
Beneaththeimposthumedbubbleofawave?
Iprotest,George,youshallnotventureoutagain——no,notbydaylight——withoutasufficientpairofspectacles——inyourmusingmoodsespecially.Yourabsenceofmindwehaveborne,tillyourpresenceofbodycametobecalledinquestionbyit.YoushallnotgowanderingintoEuripuswithAristotle,ifwecanhelpit.Fie,man,toturndipperatyouryears,afteryourmanytractsinfavourofsprinklingonly!
Ihavenothingbutwaterinmyheadonightssincethisfrightfulaccident.SometimesIamwithClarenceinhisdream.Atothers,IbeholdChristianbeginningtosink,andcryingouttohisgoodbrotherHopeful(thatistome),"Isinkindeepwaters;thebillowsgoovermyhead,allthewavesgooverme.Selah."ThenIhavebeforemePalinurus,justlettinggothesteerage.Icryouttoolatetosave.Nextfollow——amournfulprocession——suicidalfaces,savedagainsttheirwillsfromdrowning;dolefullytrailingalengthofreluctantgratefulness,withropyweedspendantfromlocksofwatchethue——constrainedLazari——Plutoshallsubjects——stolenfeesfromthegrave-bilkingCharonofhisfare.AttheirheadArion——orisitG.D.?——inhissinginggarmentsmarchethsingly,withharpinhand,andvotivegarland,whichMachaon(orDr.Hawes)snatchethstraight,intendingtosuspendittothesternGodofSea.ThenfollowdismalstreamsofLethe,inwhichthehalf-drenchedonearthareconstrainedtodrowndownright,bywharfswhereOpheliatwiceactshermuddydeath.
And,doubtless,thereissomenoticeinthatinvisibleworld,whenoneofusapproacheth(asmyfrienddidsolately)totheirinexorableprecincts.Whenasoulknocksonce,twice,atdeathsdoor,thesensationarousedwithinthepalacemustbeconsiderable;andthegrimFeature,bymodernsciencesooftendispossessedofhisprey,musthavelearnedbythistimetopityTantalus.
ApulseassuredlywasfeltalongthelineoftheElysianshades,whentheneararrivalofG.D.wasannouncedbynoequivocalindications.FromtheirseatsofAsphodelarosethegentlerandthegraverghosts——poet,orhistorian——ofGrecianorofRomanlordtocrownwithunfadingchapletsthehalf-finishedlove-laboursoftheirunweariedscholiast.HimMarklandexpected——himTyrwhitthopedtoencounter——himthesweetlyristofPeterHouse,whomhehadbarelyseenuponearth,*withnewestairspreparedtogreet——;and,patronofthegentleChristsboy,——whoshouldhavebeenhispatronthroughlife——themildAskew,withlongingaspirations,leanedforemostfromhisvenerableAesculapianchair,toweleintothathappypanythematuredvirtuesoftheman,whosetenderscionsintheboyhehimselfuponearthhadsopropheticallyfedandwatered.
*GRAIUMtantumvidit.