多多读书

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第40部分（第2页）

I　have　only　one　more　relic　of　Stevenson；　a　very　amusing　poem　which　he　wrote　to　Lang　and　myself　on　“The　World’s　Desire；”　or　rather　a　copy　of　it；　for　I　believe　that　Lang　has　lost　the　original。　Again　I　must　express　my　sorrow　that　I　never　saw　Stevenson。　Evidently　he　was　a　delightful　man　and　as　brilliant　as　he　was　charming；　truly　a　master　of　his　craft。　“Dr。　Jeckell　and　Mr。　Hyde”　has　always　seemed　to　me　one　of　the　most　remarkable　things　of　its　sort　in　the　English　language。　Longman　gave　me　an　early　copy　of　it　just　after　it　was　issued　from　the　press；　and　this　I　still　possess　somewhere。　I　shall　never　forget　the　thrill　with　which　I　read　the　story；　in　places　the　horror　of　it　is　enough　to　cause　the　hair　to　rise。　His　essays；　too；　are　almost　unmatched；　at　any　rate　in　our　time；　and　next　to　these　I　should　put　“The　Master　of　Ballantrae。”　At　least　such　is　my　individual　taste。

About　“King　Solomon’s　Mines”　I　have　only　this　to　add。　In　it　I　made　a　mistake　with　reference　to　an　eclipse；　which　brought　me　into　much　trouble　with　astronomers；　and　also　with　numbers　of　the　reading　public　who　hurried　to　expose　my　ignorance。　In　a　subsequent　edition　I　rectified　the　mistake；　but　that　produced　more　trouble；　since　students　of　the　work　had　violent　arguments　between　themselves；　each　quoting　the　versions　that　they　had　read；　and　wrote　to　me　to　settle　their　disputes。　I　have　always　found　the　movements　of　the　heavenly　bodies　very　ticklish　things　to　touch。　Whatever　one　says　about　the　moon；　for　instance；　is　pretty　sure　to　be　wrong。

I　may　say　this　further；　that　no　book　that　I　have　written　seems　to　have　conveyed　a　greater　idea　of　reality。　At　this　moment　I　hold　in　my　hand　at　least　a　dozen　letters　sorted　from　what　I　call　“Unknown　Correspondents；”　by　which　I　mean　munications　received　from　individuals　with　whom　I　have　no　personal　acquaintance。　Every　one　of　the　writers　of　these　epistles　is　anxious　to　know　whether　or　not　the　work　is　a　record　of　fact。　Even　the　great　dealer　in　precious　stones；　Mr。　Streeter　—　I　fear　I　must　say　the　late　Mr。　Streeter　—　approached　me　on　the　subject。　I　believe　he　actually　sent　an　expedition　to　look　for　King　Solomon’s　Mines；　or　at　any　rate　talked　of　doing　so。　Nor　was　he　so　far　out　in　his　reckoning；　for　since　that　day　they　have　been　discovered　—　more　or　less。　At　any　rate　Rhodesia　has　been　discovered；　which　is　a　land　full　of　gems　and　gold；　the　same　land；　I　believe；　as　that　whence　King　Solomon　did　actually　draw　his　wealth。　Also　Queen　Sheba’s　Breasts　have　been　found；　or　something　very　like　to　them；　and　traces　of　the　great　road　that　I　describe。　Doubtless　I　heard　faint　rumours　of　these　things　during　my　sojourn　in　Africa；　having　made　it　my　habit　through　life　to　keep　my　ears　open；　but　at　the　best　they　were　very　faint。　The　remainder　I　imagined；　and　imagination　has　often　proved　to　be　the　precursor　of　the　truth。　The　mines　of　Kukuana　land；　alias　Rhodesia；　are　destined　to　produce　much　more　treasure　than　ever　Solomon　or　the　Phoenicians　won　out　of　them。　Who　built　the　vast　Zimbabwe　and　other　temples　or　fortresses？　Some　ridiculous　scientist　has　alleged　within　the　last　few　years　that　these　were　reared　by　the　Portuguese　at　the　time　that　those　very　Portuguese　were　talking　of　them　as　the　work　of　the　devil　or　of　ancient　magicians　in　an　unknown　age。　The　thing　is　absurd。　Those　edifices　are　the　relics　of　a　lost　civilisation　which　worshipped　the　Nature　gods。　Who　they　were；　what　they　were；　we　do　not　and　perhaps　never　shall　know。　Andrew　Lang　has　stated　the　whole　problem　much　better　than　I　can　ever　hope　to　do；　in　a　poem　he　once　wrote　at　my　request　for　a　paper　in　which　I　was　interested。　I　do　not　think　that　those　verses　have　ever　been　republished；　so　I　：13

13　Republished　in　The　Poetical　Words　of　Andrew　Lang；　vol。　iii；　p。　42　（1923）；　under　the　title　of　“Zimbabwe。”　—　Ed。

Into　the　darkness　whence　they　came；

They　passed　—　their　country　knoweth　none；

They　and　their　gods　without　a　name

Partake　the　same　oblivion。

Their　work　they　did；　their　work　is　done；

Whose　gold；　it　may　be；　shone　like　fire；

About　the　brows　of　Solomon；

And　in　the　House　of　God’s　Desire。

The　pestilence；　the　desert　spear；

Smote　them：　they　passed　with　none　to　tell

The　names　of　them　that　laboured　here：

Stark　walls　and　crumbling　crucible；

Straight　gates；　and　graves；　and　ruined　well；

Abide；　dumb　monuments　of　old。

We　know；　but　that　men　fought　and　fell；

Like　us　—　like　us　—　for　love　of　gold。

A　girls’　school；　or　some　members　of　it；　evidently　weary　of　the　society　of　their　own　sex；　wrote　congratulating　me　with　great　earnestness　because　I　had　in　“King　Solomon’s　Mines”　produced　a　thrilling　book　“without　a　heroine。”

Truly　in　those　days　my　industry　was　great。　While　on　my　summer　holiday　in　1885　I　ain；”　the　sequel　to　“King　Solomon’s　Mines；”　from　the　first　word　to　the　last；　although　it　did　not　appear　until　about　a　couple　of　years　later；　after　it　had　run　through　Longman’s　Magazine。　On　what　exact　dates　I　began　and　finished　the　story　I　do　not　know；　though　possibly　these　are　entered　on　the　manuscript；　of　which　I　made　a　present　to　my　friend　Charles　Longman。14

14　These　dates　are　not　entered　on　the　MS。　—　Ed。

On　my　return　to　town　in　the　late　autumn　I　began　a　novel　of　a　very　different　style；　which　was　afterwards　published　under　the　name　of　“Jess。”　The　manuscript　of　“Jess”　does　not　state　the　date　of　its　mencemen