7S THE LIFE OF RICHARD JEFFERIES 



Victoria Street, Swindon). He recommends ' a good 

 personal manner,' and an avoidance of the ' horsey ' or 

 ' fast.' Amplified reports may be coloured by ' descrip- 

 tive or imaginative writing, and perhaps a few lines of 

 poetry, or a quotation.' As to shorthand, had Chatterton 

 learnt to write it, ' how different his fate might have been.' 

 Literature, like other trades, * requires an immense 

 amount of advertising.' It is ' wisest to study the exist- 

 ing taste,' since only a great genius can create a taste. 

 The author should publish at his own expense, and so 

 avoid ' a fruitless and disheartening attempt to dispose 

 of his manuscript.' The only point of any biographical 

 value is that he insists on the reporter studying the 

 topography, antiquities, traditions, and general charac- 

 teristics, churches, and scenery of his neighbourhood. 

 The rest of the book is a hasty concession to the common 

 opinion that he was himself an unpractical idler ; and he 

 sets about giving advice which might produce just the 

 smart young fellow that he could not go so far as to 

 become, even to please his family. 



He remained unchanged. His brother remembers that 

 he used to walk for hours up and down by the lime-trees 

 at Coate Farm, with the back of his hand to his chin, 

 thinking ; once he pitched a coin on to his hat as he was 

 thinking thus, and Richard, picking up the coin, and learn- 

 ing its origin, found dozens of the old tokens in a rubblish- 

 heap. He was still fond of shooting ; the mere delight in 

 marksmanship was so great that he used to shoot at the 

 Eastcott rifle-butts from time to time. Or he would climb 

 the Downs, and lie on his back with a book up above his 

 eyes ; and there was a child who, venturing up to this odd- 

 looking solitary, heard enchanting talk from him of birds 

 and beasts, and found him there again and again, staying 

 with him until the nurse called her away from the ' tramp.' 

 He was then a tall, thin, slightly stooping man, with longish 

 hair, bearded, but with his eager, fresh, unworldly, sensuous 

 lips free of moustache ; bright, noticeable blue eyes ; Hi- 

 dressed ; taking long strides, and swinging his arms with a 



