The following morning, I gave to Arthur, in my own way, an account of
the storm in Hili-li, meanwhile leisurely dressing--a performance which,
except under pressure, I have never in the morning been able unaided to
accomplish in less than an hour. I had completed my toilet, but not my
story, when in rushed Castleton.
After a little general conversation, I seemed naturally to return to the
Peters story; and now, in a five-minute talk, I so closed it to the
point reached by Bainbridge as to satisfy Arthur, and not weary the
restless doctor. As I ended, Castleton said:
"I didn't get in to see you yesterday. The last time I was in we were
talking of names; and to tell you the truth, it was a matter of names
that held me back yesterday at the very time I was going to come up. You
see, I have an old friend here in town, ----; you've no doubt heard of
him--ex-member of Congress, and as good as appointed Minister to
Venezuela right now. A scholar of the deepest erudition; a speaker and
writer of great force and nicety, and of exquisite literary taste.
Yesterday we met, and during our talk he told me that his book, the
result of many years of thought, was completed. Now, for my part, I
never believed that a rose would smell as sweet as it does if we called
it a turnip. If Poe had, instead of 'Narrative of A. Gordon Pym,' named
his story, 'Adventures of Dirk Peters, the Half-Breed,' he would have
sold twice as many books. My friend is about to publish his book. 'Its
name?' I asked him. 'There can be little choice of names for a
translation of Montesquieu's "Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans,"
with notes by myself,' he replied. 'There can't?' said I; 'well, my
friend, let me tell you there can. Now compare this name: "Montesquieu's
Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the
Romans, with illustrative notes," etc., with a name like this: "The
Roman Aristocrats Ripped, Rooted, and Routed"; or, "How the Roman
Plutocrats were Peppered and Pounded." Heavens and Earth! what do the
masses know about decadence? Why not name his book (and so I said to
him), "How the Rich Romans Rotted"? Half the people would think from
such a title that the Romans were enemies of the United States, and that
Montesquieu and my friend were after them hot and fast; and then the
story would go out that the French were helping us again. "General
Montesquieu" would be heard on all sides, associated with endless
repetitions of Lafayette memories. Lord, Lord! I sometimes think a man
is better under-educated than over-educated."
Then after a pause he continued:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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