As Mr. Thomson is a married man, I will not say what hour had
struck when we laid down the last of the following pages; but
I will give a few words of what ensued.
'Here,' said Mr. Thomson, 'is a novel ready to your hand:
all you have to do is to work up the scenery, develop the
characters, and improve the style.'
'My dear fellow,' said I, 'they are just the three things
that I would rather die than set my hand to. It shall be
published as it stands.'
'But it's so bald,' objected Mr. Thomson.
'I believe there is nothing so noble as baldness,' replied I,
'and I am sure there is nothing so interesting. I would have
all literature bald, and all authors (if you like) but one.'
'Well, well,' said Mr. Thomson, 'we shall see.'
Footnotes:
(1) First published in the Contemporary Review, April 1885
(2) Milton.
(3) Milton.
(4) Milton.
(5) As PVF will continue to haunt us through our English
examples, take, by way of comparison, this Latin verse, of
which it forms a chief adornment, and do not hold me
answerable for the all too Roman freedom of the sense: 'Hanc
volo, quae facilis, quae palliolata vagatur.'
(6) Coleridge.
(7) Antony and Cleopatra.
(8) Cymbeline.
(9) The V is in 'of.'
(10) Troilus and Cressida.
(11) First published in the FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW, April 1881.
(12) Mr. James Payn.
(13) A footnote, at least, is due to the admirable example
set before all young writers in the width of literary
sympathy displayed by Mr.
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