the days of my life-第38章

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　of　a　crammer；　in　a　month　learned　more　Latin　than　I　had　done　all　the　time　I　was　at　school；　indeed；　at　the　end　of　a　few　weeks　I　could　read　Caesar　fluently　and　Virgil　not　so　ill。　The　end　of　it　was　that　I　passed　the　examination　at　the　head　of　the　batch　who　went　up　with　me；　or　so　I　was　given　to　understand。
Another　thing　that　I　did　was　to　write　my　first　book；　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours；　or　Remarks　on　Recent　Events　in　Zululand；　Natal　and　the　Transvaal。”　It　contained　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　closely　printed　pages　in　the　first　of　its　editions；　and　represented　a　great　amount　of　labour。　I　was　determined　that　it　should　be　accurate；　and　to　ensure　this　I　purchased　all　the　Blue…books　dealing　with　the　period　of　which　I　was　treating；　and　made　precis　of　them；　some　of　which　I　still　possess。
But　it　is　one　thing　for　an　unknown　person　to　write　a　book　of　this　character；　and　quite　another　for　him　to　persuade　anyone　to　publish　it。　I　find　among　my　papers　a　pencil　draft　of　a　letter　which　I　sent　to　many　publishers。　It　runs：
I　write　to　inquire　if　you　are　inclined　to　undertake　the　publication　of　a　short　work　I　am　now　finishing。　It　is　the　result　of　some　six　years’　experience　in　South　Africa　in　official　and　private　capacities；　and　contains　amongst　other　things　a　private　history　of　the　annexation　of　the　Transvaal　which；　as　I　was　on　Sir　T。　Shepstone’s　staff　at　the　time；　I　am　qualified　to　write。
The　parts　of　the　book；　however；　which　would；　I　think；　ensure　the　sale　at　the　present　moment；　both　here　and　in　the　Colonies；　are　the　chapters　dealing　with　the　proposed　grant　of　responsible　government　to　Natal　and　the　question　of　the　reinstatement　of　Cetewayo。　As　you　are　no　doubt　aware；　the　ex…king　will　visit　England　very　shortly；　when　I　think　an　opportunely　published　work　on　the　subject　would　find　a　ready　sale。
The　book　is　written　in　as　interesting　a　style　as　I　can　mand　and　would　be　published　under　my　own　name。
Awaiting　the　favour　of　a　reply；
I　am；　etc。
Needless　to　say　the　reply　always　came；　but　notwithstanding　the　tempting　bait　of　“the　interesting　style；”　its　character　may　be　guessed。　Nobody　wished　to　have　anything　to　do　either　with　Cetewayo　or　his　white　neighbours。
At　length　I　was　faced　with　the　alternative　of　putting　the　results　of　my　labours　into　the　fire　or　of　paying　for　their　production　in　book　form。　A　letter　from　Trubner　and　Co。；　dated　May　18；　1882；　informs　me　that　my　MS。　will　make　a　volume　of　three　hundred　and　twenty　pages　“like　enclosed　specimen；”　and　“if　you　　of　50　pounds　sterling　we　will　undertake　to　produce　an　edition　of　seven　hundred　and　fifty　copies。”
I　sent　the　cheque；　although　at　the　time　I　could　ill　afford　it；　and　in　due　course　the　work　appeared。　On　the　whole　it　was　extremely　well　received　by　such　papers　as　chose　to　review　it　seriously。　Some　of　these　notices　I　still　possess；　favourable　and　unfavourable。　One　from　the　Daily　News；　which　es　under　the　latter　category；　dated　August　23；　1882；　is　amusing　to　read　today。　It　is　written　in　the　“high　sarcastic”　strain。　Here　is　a　sentence　from　it。
Mr。　Haggard　distrusts　Cetewayo　and　is　shocked　at　the　notion　of　reinstating　him　on　any　terms。　He　is　also　shocked　at　the　“retrocession　of　the　Transvaal”　and　thinks　we　have　not　yet　seen　the　end　of　the　troubles　in　store　for　us；　owing　to　our　neglect　to　persevere　in　the　work　of　exterminating　the　Boers；　and　so　forth。　These　views　have　already　been　pretty　fully　set　forth　—　so　fully；　in　fact；　that　the　necessity　for　a　further　exposition　of　them　at　this　time　does　not　seem　very　obvious。　The　freshest；　and　certainly　the　most　amusing　thing　in　Mr。　Haggard’s　book　is　his　solemn　warning　that　our　policy；　which　he　is　pleased　to　stigmatise　as　“sentimental；”　may　end　in　alienating　the　affections　of　“the　Colonists；”　etc。
Here　we　see　the　party　politics　of　the　day　at　their　best；　or　rather　at　their　worst。　The　late　Lord　Carnarvon；　who；　it　may　be　remembered；　was　Colonial　Secretary　during　most　of　the　years　when　I　was　intimately　connected　with　South　Africa；　wrote　to　me：
“I　am　glad　to　find　that　my　view　as　regards　the　Transvaal　should　be　endorsed　by　one　who　had　such　good　opportunities　of　judging　as　yourself”；　and　again：
Private。
Dear　Mr。　Haggard；　—　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　your　extremely　interesting　book　on　Cetewayo。　I　have　been　so　engaged　with　the　accumulations　of　eight　months’　business　and　with　all　the　hundred　and　one　questions　which　arise　on　our　return　to　England　that　I　have　only　been　able　to　look　at　those　parts　which　most　closely　interested　me　personally　from　their　relation　to　events　in　which　I　was　myself　concerned；　but　I　read　these　with　great　satisfaction。　The　English　public　was　so　deceived　by　misrepresentations　of　the　annexation　of　the　Transvaal　that　the　real　history　was　never　understood；　and　the　humiliating　surrender　of　it　was　accepted　in　partial　ignorance　at　least　of　the　facts。　A　true　statement　of　it　is　therefore　very　valuable；　and　I　am　grateful　to　anyone　who　has　the　courage　to　say　what　really　did　occur。　It　was　as　needless　as　it　was　discreditable；　and　though　the　unexpected　discovery　of　gold　is　solving　many　difficulties；　the　unworthy　nature　of　the　cession　has　done　great　mischief　to　all　time。　I　hope　I　may　have　the　opportunity　of　talking　about　this　to　you。
Believe　me；
Very　faithfully　yours；
Carnarvon。
I　gladly　quote　an　extract　from　a　letter　written　by　Sir　Marshal　Clarke　from　Basutoland；　since　it　tempers　my　criticisms　of　Sir　Hercules　Robinson　（Lord　Rosmead）；　a　gentleman　of　whom　I　have　the　most　kindly　personal　recollections。　He　says；　referring　to　this　book：
I　don’t　think　you　have　done　quite　justice　to　Sir　Hercules　Robinson。　He　appears　to　me　to　have　been　the　right　man　for　the　place　and　for　the　time。　He　is　not　a　very　popular　Governor；　but　his　opinions　carry　great　weight　here　as　well　as　at　home；　he　had　a　very　difficult　position　at　first　—　one　of　his　principal　difficulties　arose　from　the　impossibility　of　foreseeing　how　far　his　views　would　be　supported　at　home　—　and　while　he　appears　to　me　to　have　acted　with　unswerving　loyalty；　his　influence　has　done　much　to　mitigate　antipathies　of　races　and　to　maintain　our　character　for　fair　dealing　with　whites　and　blacks。
I　also　received　letters　from　the　late　Lord　Lytton；　Lord　Randolph　Churchill；　and　others。
Except　for　any　influence　it　may　have　had　upon　certain　leading　minds　and　organs　of　opinion；　the　book　at　this　time　proved　a　total　failure。　At　this　date　（1883）　an　eager　public　had　absorbed　one　hundred　and　fifty…four　copies　of　the　work。　Say　Messrs。　Trubner：
You　will　no　doubt　consider　the　account　a　most　unsatisfactory　one；　as　we　do；　seeing　that　we　are　out　of　pocket　to　the　extent　of　82　pounds　15s。；　5d。　Against　this；　of　course；　we　hold　the　50　pounds　advanced　by　you；　but　we　fear　that　we　are　never　likely　to　recover　the　balance；　32　pounds　15s。　5d。
As　it　happens；　however；　Messrs。　Trubner　did　in　the　end　recover　their　32　pounds。　When　I　became　known　through　other　works　of　a　different　character　the　edition　sold　out。　Perhaps　the　public　bought　it　thinking　it　was　a　novel；　at　any　rate；　I　have　e　across　a　letter　from　a　melancholy　youth　who　made　that　mistake。
Since　that　time　there　have　been　other　and　cheaper　editions；　and　in　1899；　at　the　time　of　the　Boer　War；　that　part　of　the　book　that　deals　with　the　Transvaal　was　republished　at　one　shilling　and　sold　to　the　extent　of　some　thirty　thousand　copies。
To　this　day　there　is　a　certain　demand　for　the　book。　That　it　has　already　been　extensively　used　by　writers　dealing　with　this　epoch　of　African　affairs　in　works　of　reference　and　elsewhere　I　have　reason　to　know；　although　these　have　not　always　acknowledged　the　source　of　their　information　and　judgments。
So　it　es　about　that　my　only　effort　as　an　historian　was　not　made　in　vain；　although　at　first　it　seemed　futile　and　fruitless　enough。　I　may　add　that　certain　prophecies　set　down　in　its　pages　in　1882　have　since　that　time　been　remarkably　fulfilled。
If　they　＇i。e。　those　who　direct　the　destinies　of　the　Empire＇　do　not　＇take　certain　steps　alluded　to　above＇　it　is　now　quite　within　the　bounds　of　possibility　that　they　may　one　day　have　to　face　a　fresh　Transvaal　rebellion；　only　on　a　ten　times　larger　scale。
And　again：
Unless　they　＇i。e。　South　African　problems＇　are　treated　with　more　honest　intelligence；　and　on　a　more　settled　plan　than　it　has　hitherto　been　thought　necessary　to　apply　to　them；　the　British　taxpayer　will　find　that　he　has　by　no　means　heard　the　last　of　that　country　and　its　wars。
Some　twenty　years　after　I　wrote　these　words　England　did　have　to　face　a　Transvaal　war　on　a　ten　times　larger　scale；　and　the　British　taxpayer　did　hear　that　he　was　called　upon　to　pay　a　bill　of　some　three　hundred　millions　sterling。　Also　about　twenty　thousand　of　our　countrymen；　among　them　a　young　nephew　of　my　own；　were　summoned　to　lay　down　their　lives　on　the　African　veld。　Such　was　the　cost　to　the　Empire　of　the　reversal　of　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone’s　policy　in　the　interests　of　an　English　political　party。
Whilst　we　were　at　Norwood　a　little　incident　occurred　which　resulted　in　my　being　a　writer　of　fiction。　At　the　church　which　my　wife　and　I　attended　we　saw　sitting　near　us　one　Sunday　a　singularly　beautiful　and　pure…faced　young　lady。　Afterwards　we　agreed　that　this　semi…divine　creature　—　on　whom　to　the　best　of　my　knowledge　I　have　never　set　eyes　again　from　that　day　to　this　—　ought　to　bee　the　heroine　of　a　novel。　So　then　and　there　we　took　paper；　and　each　of　us　began　to　write　the　said　novel。　I　think　that　after　she　had　pleted　two　or　three　folio　sheets　my　wife　ceased　from　her　fictional　labours。　But；　growing　interested；　I　continued　mine；　which　resulted　in　the　story　called　“Dawn。”
Years　afterwards；　in　1894　indeed；　on　the　occasion　of　the　issue　of　one　of　the　numerous　editions　of　that　tale；　I　inserted　the　following　little　dedication：
AFTER　MANY　YEARS
I　dedicate　this　my　first　story
to
That　Unknown　Lady；
once　seen；　but　unforgotten；　the
mould　and　model　of　Angela；
the　magic　of　whose　face　turned　my　mind
to　the　making　of　books。
Here　I　may　as　well　tell　the　history　of　this　book。　Some　of　it；　or　rather　of　the　first　draft　of　it；　I　think　I　wrote　at　Norwood。　Towards　Christmas　of　1882　my　wife　and　I　made　up　our　minds　to　return　to　this　house　at　Ditchingham；　which　was　standing　empty　and　furnished；　while　I　pursued　my　studies　at　the　Bar。　Hither　we　came　accordingly　a　little　while　before　the　birth　of　my　eldest　daugh