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some of Bossuet's orations for a Scotch theological publisher。

Alas! the publisher did not anticipate a demand; among Scotch

ministers; for the Eagle of Meaux。  Murray; in his innocence; was

startled by the caution of the publisher; who certainly would have

been a heavy loser。  ‘I honestly believe that; if Charles Dickens

were now alive and unknown; and were to offer the MS。 of Pickwick to

an Edinburgh publisher; that sagacious old individual would shake

his prudent old head; and refuse (with the utmost politeness) to

publish it!'  There is a good deal of difference between Pickwick

and a translation of old French sermons about Madame; and Conde; and

people of whom few modern readers ever heard。



Alone; in Edinburgh; Murray was saddened by the ‘unregarding'

irresponsive faces of the people as they passed。  In St。 Andrews he

probably knew every face; even in Edinburgh (a visitor from London

thinks) there is a friendly look among the passers。  Murray did not

find it so。  He approached a newspaper office:  ‘he 'the Editor whom

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 

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