r. f. murray-his poems with a memoir-第2节
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descend to ordinary truths; scholarship is; at lowest; an honourable
gagne…pain。 But Murray; like the majority of students endowed with
literary originality; did not share these rather old…fashioned
ideas。 The clever Scottish student is apt to work only too hard;
and; perhaps; is frequently in danger of exhausting his powers
before they are mature; and of injuring his health before it is
confirmed。 His ambitions; to lookers…on; may seem narrow and
school…boyish; as if he were merely emulous; and eager for a high
place in his ‘class;' as lectures are called in Scotland。 This was
Murray's own view; and he certainly avoided the dangers of academic
over…work。 He read abundantly; but; as Fitzgerald says; he read
‘for human pleasure。' He never was a Greek scholar; he disliked
Philosophy; as presented to him in class…work; the gods had made him
poetical; not metaphysical。
There was one other cause of his lack of even such slender
commercial success in letters as was really necessary to a man who
liked ‘plain living and high thinking。' He fell early in love with
a city; with a placehe lost his heart to St。 Andrews。 Here; at
all events; his critic can sympathise with him。 His ‘dear St。
Andrews Bay;' beautiful alike in winter mists and in the crystal
days of still winter sunshine; the quiet brown streets brightened by
the scarlet gowns; the long limitless sands; the dark blue distant
hills; and far…off snowy peaks of the Grampians; the majestic
melancholy towers; monuments of old religion overthrown; the deep
dusky porch of the college chapel; with Kennedy's arms in wrought
iron on the oaken door; the solid houses with their crow steps and
gables; all the forlorn memories of civil and religious feud; of
inhabitants saintly; royal; heroic; endeared St。 Andrews to Murray。
He could not say; like our other poet to Oxford; ‘Farewell; dear
city of youth and dream!' His whole nature needed the air; ‘like
wine。' He found; as he remarks; ‘health and happiness in the German
Ocean;' swimming out beyond the ‘lake' where the witches were
dipped; walking to the grey little coast…towns; with their wealth of
historic documents; their ancient kirks and graves; dreaming in the
vernal woods of Mount Melville or Strathtyrum; rambling (without a
fishing…rod) in the charmed ‘dens' of the Kenley burn; a place like
Tempe in miniature: these things were Murray's usual enjoyments;
and they became his indispensable needs。 His peculiarly shy and; as
it were; silvan nature; made it physically impossible for him to
live in crowded streets and push his way through throngs of
indifferent men。 He could not live even in Edinburgh; he made the
effort; and his health; at no time strong; seems never to have
recovered from the effects of a few months spent under a roof in a
large town。 He hurried back to St。 Andrews: her fascination was
too powerful。 Hence it is that; dying with his work scarcely begun;
he will always be best remembered as the poet of The Scarlet Gown;
the Calverley or J。 K。 S。 of Kilrymont; endowed with their humour;
their skill in parody; their love of youth; but (if I am not
prejudiced) with more than the tenderness and natural magic of these
regretted writers。 Not to be able to endure crowds and towns; (a
matter of physical health and constitution; as well as of
temperament) was; of course; fatal to an ordinary success in
journalism。 On the other hand; Murray's name is inseparably
connected with the life of youth in the little old college; in the
University of the Admirable Crichton and Claverhouse; of the great
Montrose and of Ferguson;the harmless Villon of Scotland;the
University of almost all the famous Covenanters; and of all the
valiant poet…Cavaliers。 Murray has sung of the life and pleasures
of its students; of examinations and Gaudeamusessupper partieshe
has sung of the sands; the links; the sea; the towers; and his name
and fame are for ever blended with the air of his city of youth and
dream。 It is not a wide name or a great fame; but it is what he
would have desired; and we trust that it may be long…lived and
enduring。 We are not to wax elegiac; and adopt a tearful tone over
one so gallant and so uncomplaining。 He failed; but he was
undefeated。
In the following sketch of Murray's life and work use is made of his
letters; chiefly of letters to his mother。 They always illustrate
his own ideas and attempts; frequently they throw the light of an
impartial and critical mind on the distinguished people whom Murray
observed from without。 It is worth remarking that among many
remarks on persons; I have found not one of a censorious; cynical;
envious; or unfriendly nature。 Youth is often captious and keenly
critical; partly because youth generally has an ideal; partly;
perhaps chiefly; from mere intellectual high spirits and sense of
the incongruous; occasionally the motive is jealousy or spite。
Murray's sense of fun was keen; his ideal was lofty; of envy; of an
injured sense of being neglected; he does not show one trace。 To
make fun of their masters and pastors; tutors; professors; is the
general and not necessarily unkind tendency of pupils。 Murray
rarely mentions any of the professors in St。 Andrews except in terms
of praise; which is often enthusiastic。 Now; as he was by no means
a prize student; or pattern young man for a story…book; this
generosity is a high proof of an admirable nature。 If he chances to
speak to his mother about a bore; and he did not suffer bores
gladly; he not only does not name the person; but gives no hint by
which he might be identified。 He had much to embitter him; for he
had a keen consciousness of ‘the something within him;' of the
powers which never found full expression; and he saw others
advancing and prospering while he seemed to be standing still; or
losing ground in all ways。 But no word of bitterness ever escapes
him in the correspondence which I have seen。 In one case he has to
speak of a disagreeable and disappointing interview with a man from
whom he had been led to expect sympathy and encouragement。 He told
me about this affair in conversation; ‘There were tears in my eyes
as I turned from the house;' he said; and he was not effusive。 In a
letter to Mrs。 Murray he describes this unlucky interview;a
discouragement caused by a manner which was strange to Murray;
rather than by real unkindness;and he describes it with a
delicacy; with a reserve; with a toleration; beyond all praise。
These are traits of a character which was greater and more rare than
his literary talent: a character quite developed; while his talent
was only beginning to unfold itself; and to justify his belief in
his powers。
Robert Murray was the eldest child of John and Emmeline Murray: the
father a Scot; the mother of American birth。 He was born at
Roxbury; in Massachusetts; on December 26th; 1863。 It may be fancy;
but; in his shy reserve; his almost farouche independence; one seems
to recognise the Scot; while in his cast of literary talent; in his
natural ‘culture;' we observe the son of a refined American lady。
To his mother he could always write about the books which were
interesting him; with full reliance on her sympathy; though indeed;
he does not often say very much about literature。
Till 1869 he lived in various parts of New England; his father being
a Unitarian minister。 ‘He was a remarkably cheerful and
affectionate child; and seldom seemed to find anything to trouble
him。' In 1869 his father carried him to England; Mrs。 Murray and a
child remaining in America。 For more than a year the boy lived with
kinsfolk near Kelso; the beautiful old town on the Tweed where Scott
passed some of his childish days。 In 1871 the family were reunited
at York; where he was fond of attending the services in the
Cathedral。 Mr。 Murray then took charge of the small Unitarian
chapel of Blackfriars; at Canterbury。 Thus Murray's early youth was
passed in the mingled influences of Unitarianism at home; and of
Cathedral services at York; and in the church where Becket suffered
martyrdom。 A not unnatural result was a somewhat eclectic and
unconstrained religion。 He thought but little of the differences of
creed; believing that all good men held; in essentials; much the
same faith。 His view of essentials was generous; as he admitted。
He occasionally spoke of himself as ‘sceptical;' that is; in
contrast with those whose faith was more definite; more dogmatic;
more securely based on ‘articles。' To illustrate Murray's religious
attitude; at least as it was in 1887; one may quote from a letter of
that year (April 17)。
‘There was a University sermon; and I thought I would go and hear
it。 So I donned my old cap and gown and felt quite proud of them。
The preacher was Bishop Wordsworth。 He goes in for the union of the
Presbyterian and Episcopalian Churches; and is glad to preach in a
Presbyteri