SPECTATOR COMPETITION No. 13o

Report by Ronald Lambton A prize of £5 was offered for a contemporary reference to a hitherto unknown pet belonging to Gibbon, Sir Thomas Browne, Lord Chester- field or Blake.

" It may frequently be remarked of the studious and speculative," according to Johnson, " that their amusements are frivolous and childish." Which accounts no doubt, for the popularity of Spectator competitions and, in this instance, for the jostling menagerie accredited to the four studious figures under speculation. Frivolity fitted the picture ; but there was room here, too, for the shocking, the sinister, even the Charles Addams horrific. For why, after all, had these pets been hitherto unknown ? What shame or shyness led to their concealment ? I lookql forward to anecdotes, to titillating Aubreyesque asides, which would reveal in the master-pet relationship some unsuspected slant on the owners' private character. What was Gibbon like with his wig off ? Mightn't chesterfield have kept a Thing in the cellar ?

History, however, is not so easily put out. Research by a large and conscientious team has brought to light no material to send biographers hurrying to reassessment. There were rumours, it is true, from J. C. S. of Blake seen cavorting with a serpent at Little- hampton, and from Edward Blishen of Browne on his rounds with a crocodile, but their reports lacked the vigour of conviction. The Great have preserved appearances, with pets appropriate to their reputation. Chesterfield of course came under heavy fire from Johnson ; which proved a mixed blessing, for the Doctor's refer- ences, though forthright, contained perhaps inevitably opinion at the expense of information. Thus : " Boswell : Have you heard, Sir, that Lord Chesterfield now has a parrot ? Johnson : Why no, Sir, but pray, what of it ? Boswell : Well, Sir, it is a bird of parts, a talking parrot. Johnson : I hope, Sir, he will talk to his parrot, and write no more to his son. The morals of the son will no longer be debased, and the manners of the parrot will scarce be affected." (E. W. Fordham.) Pope produced (through H. A. C. Evans) some expert acidities on My Lord's poodle ; but like many otherwise excellent entries it seemed to me insufficiently revealing.

In my view the entries of Douglas Hawson and Edward Blishen combine in highest measure illumination with the ring of authen- ticity, and to them accordingly goes a shared first prize of thirty shillings each. Second prize of twenty-five shillings to W. Bernard Wake for technical accomplishment, and third prize of fifteen shil- lings to Oswald Clark, whose Browne extract is a shade more con- sistent than C. P. Driver's highly commended effort.

FIRST PRIZES (DOUGLAS HAWSON)

MR. PEPYS ON SIR THOMAS BROWNE

To Norwich where we did light at a pleasant inn, where sate before the fire a most curious cat of a pale yellow colour yet black on the nose

and feet. The landlord did tell us it was the darling of one Dr. Thos. Browne, a noted physician of this town, who had it from a temple of Egypt where it had slept these two thousand years before the temple was unsealed. It was brought to Dr. Browne as a noted lover of antiquities . and mightily fond of all curiosities. It now do follow him in the street like a dog. Presently it do rise and walk without, never glancing at us which do vastly intrigue my wife but a sea-captain that was of the com- pany do swear he had seen many such in the Indies. So to bed but slept little because of hideous cries in the garden which mine host do say, being called, come from Dr. Brown's cat. Which if true it had been better left sealed up and Lord help the good people of this town if it do kitten !

(EDWARD BLLSHEN)

One of Mr. Blake's oddities was the keeping of an earwig, which, he said, was the best of creatures, having shown an affection for him (Mr. Blake) at their very first meeting. The insect had entered his house through the window and had greeted him with the words : " Mr. Blake, you are so unlike Sir Isaac Newton that I will, if you please, take up my abode with you." The little thing, which had been named Beulah, was reported by Mr. Blake to have suggested the themes of some of his engravings : " For," he would say, " it would be a very stupid earwig

that could not be more an artist than Sir J When I asked him why he did not choose a dog or cat or some other more usual creature for pet, Mr. Blake was very angry, and demanded to know in what way an earwig was less divine than a dog, and if one could make a pet only of something that had to be led about with a piece of leather, or everlastingly fed with fish and milk. " I do not need to feed my friend, and should not know how to feed it," he cried. "And I would rather be drawn through the streets myself, than drag another creature on a lead."

SECOND PRIZE (W. BERNARD WAKE)'- From a contemporary periodical,:— We are informed that Mr. Gibbon, whose history of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is now published, has for many years kept a strange companion of his own name. The creature is a small ape called a Gibbon, which much resembles a man and walks erect.

The strange homunculus, the faithful ape, Like some familiar in half human shape, Fawns on the thaster whom he strives to please, Attends him while he works or takes his ease, Eats, drinks, with him and shares his sober walks. 'Tis even rumoured that the creature talks. The master writes, corrects and annotates, As year by year the tale accumulates, With anxious mind lest his Decline and Fall Should come too soon and put an end to all. But no ! 'Tis done and to the printers goes, Whence soon a steady stream of volumes flows, And, without reading, moves the wits to ask Which Gibbon did perform the mighty task.

THIRD PRIZE (OSWALD CLARK)

Though it be certain that time's alembic will transform the ashes of the dead into the elements of the living, it were heresy to hold, as some do, that the souls of men may resume their broken pilgrimage on earth under a tegument of hide or feathers. But he is no heretic who yearns for the wings of a bird when age or infirmity lies heavy on his limbs. . Nor doth• he merit the censure of the Synods who hath conceived that a parabola concentric with the arch of heaven were fitter orbit for an immortal soul than the muddy ways familiar to his feet.

I that have spent the happiest days of my life with a dog would liefer impute to him a soul of his own than the transmigratory essence of a stranger, whose earthly remains were laid down in the darkness of unknown antiquity. And I count it no sin that in idle pictures of the Elysian meadows I am fain to find him at my heels.