The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll Part 15

In July began an amusing correspondence between Mr. Dodgson and a "circle-squarer," which lasted several months. Mr. Dodgson sent the infatuated person, whom we will call Mr. B--, a proof that the area of a circle is less than 3.15 the square of the radius. Mr. B--replied, "Your proof is not in accordance with Euclid, it a.s.sumes that a circle may be considered as a rectangle, and that two right lines can enclose a s.p.a.ce." He returned the proof, saying that he could not accept any of it as elucidating the exact area of a circle, or as Euclidean. As Mr. Dodgson's method involved a slight knowledge of trigonometry, and he had reason to suspect that Mr. B--was entirely ignorant of that subject, he thought it worth while to put him to the test by asking him a few questions upon it, but the circle-squarer, with commendable prudence, declined to discuss anything not Euclidean. Mr. Dodgson then wrote to him, "taking leave of the subject, until he should be willing to enlarge his field of knowledge to the elements of Algebraical Geometry." Mr. B--replied, with unmixed contempt, "Algebraical Geometry is all moon-s.h.i.+ne." _He_ preferred "weighing cardboard"

as a means of ascertaining exact truth in mathematical research.

Finally he suggested that Mr. Dodgson might care to join in a prize-compet.i.tion to be got up among the followers of Euclid, and as he apparently wished him to understand that he (Mr. B--) did not think much of his chances of getting a prize, Mr. Dodgson considered that the psychological moment for putting an end to the correspondence had arrived.

Meanwhile he was beginning to feel his regular College duties a terrible clog upon his literary work. The Students.h.i.+p which he held was not meant to tie him down to lectures and examinations. Such work was very well for a younger man; he could best serve "the House" by his literary fame.

_July_ 14_th._--Came to a more definite decision than I have ever yet done--that it is about time to resign the Mathematical Lectures.h.i.+p. My chief motive for holding on has been to provide money for others (for myself, I have been many years able to retire), but even the 300 a year I shall thus lose I may fairly hope to make by the additional time I shall have for book-writing. I think of asking the G.B. (Governing Body) next term to appoint my successor, so that I may retire at the end of the year, when I shall be close on fifty years old, and shall have held the Lectures.h.i.+p for exactly 26 years. (I had the Honourmen for the last two terms of 1855, but was not full Lecturer till Hilary, 1856.)

_Oct_. 18_th_.--I have just taken an important step in life, by sending to the Dean a proposal to resign the Mathematical Lectures.h.i.+p at the end of this year. I shall now have my whole time at my own disposal, and, if G.o.d gives me life and continued health and strength, may hope, before my powers fail, to do some worthy work in writing--partly in the cause of mathematical education, partly in the cause of innocent recreation for children, and partly, I hope (though so utterly unworthy of being allowed to take up such work) in the cause of religious thought. May G.o.d bless the new form of life that lies before me, that I may use it according to His holy will!

_Oct. 21st_.--I had a note in the evening from the Dean, to say that he had seen the Censors on the subject of my proposed resignation at the end of the year, and that arrangements should be made, as far as could be done, to carry out my wishes; and kindly adding an expression of regret at losing my services, but allowing that I had "earned a right to retirement." So my Lectures.h.i.+p seems to be near its end.

_Nov. 30th_.--I find by my Journal that I gave my _first_ Euclid Lecture in the Lecture-room on Monday, January 28, 1856. It consisted of twelve men, of whom nine attended. This morning, I have given what is most probably my _last_: the lecture is now reduced to nine, of whom all attended on Monday: this morning being a Saint's Day, the attendance was voluntary, and only two appeared--E.H.

Morris, and G. Lavie. I was Lecturer when the _father_ of the latter took his degree, viz., in 1858.

There is a sadness in coming to the end of anything in life.

Man's instincts cling to the Life that will never end.

_May 30, 1882._--Called on Mrs. R--. During a good part of the evening I read _The Times_, while the party played a round game of spelling words--a thing I will never join in. Rational conversation and _good_ music are the only things which, to me, seem worth the meeting for, for grown-up people.

_June 1st._--Went out with Charsley, and did four miles on one of his velocimans, very pleasantly.

The velociman was an early and somewhat c.u.mbrous form of tricycle; Mr.

Dodgson made many suggestions for its improvement. He never attempted to ride a bicycle, however, but, in accordance with his own dictum, "In youth, try a bicycle, in age, buy a tricycle," confined himself to the three-wheeled variety.

[Ill.u.s.tration: XI Oxford types From a photograph by A.T.

Shrimpton]

_Nov. 8th_.--Whitehead, of Trinity, told us a charming story in Common Room of a father and son. They came up together: the son got into a College--the father had to go to New Inn Hall: the son pa.s.sed Responsions, while his father had to put off: finally, the father failed in Mods and has gone down: the son will probably take his degree, and may then be able to prepare his father for another try.

Among the coloured cartoons in Shrimpton's window at Oxford there used to be, when I was up, a picture which I think referred to this story.

_Nov. 23rd._--Spent two hours "invigilating" in the rooms of W.J. Grant (who has broken his collar-bone, and is allowed to do his Greats papers in this way) while he dictated his answers to another undergraduate, Pakenham, who acted as scribe.

_Nov. 24th_.--Dined with Fowler (now President of C.C.C.) in hall, to meet Ranken. Both men are now mostly bald, with quite grey hair: yet how short a time it seems since we were undergraduates together at Whitby! (in 1854).

_Dec 8th._--A Common Room Meeting. Fresh powers were given to the Wine Committee, and then a new Curator elected.

I was proposed by Holland, and seconded by Harcourt, and accepted office with no light heart: there will be much trouble and thought needed to work it satisfactorily, but it will take me out of myself a little, and so may be a real good--my life was tending to become too much that of a selfish recluse.

During this year he composed the words of a song, "Dreamland." The air was _dreamed_ by his friend, the late Rev. C. E. Hutchinson, of Chichester. The history of the dream is here given in the words of the dreamer:--

I found myself seated, with many others, in darkness, in a large amphitheatre. Deep stillness prevailed. A kind of hushed expectancy was upon us. We sat awaiting I know not what. Before us hung a vast and dark curtain, and between it and us was a kind of stage. Suddenly an intense wish seized me to look upon the forms of some of the heroes of past days. I cannot say whom in particular I longed to behold, but, even as I wished, a faint light flickered over the stage, and I was aware of a silent procession of figures moving from right to left across the platform in front of me. As each figure approached the left-hand corner it turned and gazed at me, and I knew (by what means I cannot say) its name. One only I recall--Saint George; the light shone with a peculiar blueish l.u.s.tre on his s.h.i.+eld and helmet as he turned and slowly faced me. The figures were shadowy, and floated like mist before me; as each one disappeared an invisible choir behind the curtain sang the "Dream music." I awoke with the melody ringing in my ears, and the words of the last line complete--"I see the shadows falling, and slowly pa.s.s away." The rest I could not recall.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dreamland--Facsimile of Words and Music.]

DREAMLAND.

Words by LEWIS CARROLL.

Music by C.E. HUTCHINSON.

When midnight mists are creeping And all the land is sleeping Around me tread the mighty dead, And slowly pa.s.s away.

Lo, warriors, saints, and sages, From out the vanished ages, With solemn pace and reverend face Appear and pa.s.s away.

The blaze of noonday splendour, The twilight soft and tender, May charm the eye: yet they shall die, Shall die and pa.s.s away

But here, in Dreamland's centre, No spoiler's hand may enter, These visions fair, this radiance rare, Shall never pa.s.s away

I see the shadows falling, The forms of eld recalling; Around me tread the mighty dead, And slowly pa.s.s away

One of the best services to education which Mr. Dodgson performed was his edition of "Euclid I. and II.," which was published in 1882. In writing "Euclid and His Modern Rivals," he had criticised somewhat severely the various subst.i.tutes proposed for Euclid, so far as they concerned beginners; but at the same time he had admitted that within prescribed limits Euclid's text is capable of amendment and improvement, and this is what he attempted to do in this book. That he was fully justified is shown by the fact that during the years 1882-1889 the book ran through eight editions. In the Introduction he enumerates, under the three headings of "Additions," "Omissions," and "Alterations," the chief points of difference between his own and the ordinary editions of Euclid, with his reasons for adopting them. They are the outcome of long experience, and the most conservative of teachers would readily accept them.

The proof of I. 24, for example, is decidedly better and more satisfactory than the ordinary proof, and the introduction of the definition of "projection" certainly simplifies the c.u.mbrous enunciations of II. 12 and 13. Again, the alternative proof of II. 8, suggested in the Introduction, is valuable, and removes all excuse for omitting this proposition, as is commonly clone.

The figures used are from the blocks prepared for the late Mr.

Todhunter's well-known edition of Euclid, to which Mr. Dodgson's manual forms an excellent stepping-stone.

At the beginning of 1883 he went up to town to see the collection of D. G. Rossetti's pictures in the Burlington Gallery. He was especially struck with "Found," which he thus describes--

A picture of a man finding, in the streets of London, a girl he had loved years before in the days of her innocence. She is huddled up against the wall, dressed in gaudy colours, and trying to turn away her agonised face, while he, holding her wrists, is looking down with an expression of pain and pity, condemnation and love, which is one of the most marvellous things I have ever seen done in painting.

_Jan_. 27, 1883 [His birthday].--I cannot say I feel much older at 51 than at 21! Had my first "tasting-luncheon"; it seemed to give great satisfaction.

[The object of the Curator's "tasting-luncheon" was, of course, to give members of Common Room an opportunity of deciding what wines should be bought.]

_March_ 15_th._--Went up to town to fulfil my promise to Lucy A.--: to take her for her _first_ visit to the theatre. We got to the Lyceum in good time, and the play was capitally acted. I had hinted to Beatrice (Miss Ellen Terry) how much she could add to Lucy's pleasure by sending round a "carte" of herself; she sent a cabinet. She is certainly an adept in giving gifts that gratify.

_April_ 23_d_.--Tried another long walk--22 miles, to Besilsleigh, Fyfield, Kingston, Bagpuize, Frilford, Marcham, and Abingdon. The last half of the way was in the face of wind, rain, snow, and hail. Was too lame to go into Hall.

CHAPTER VI

(1883-1887)

"The Profits of Authors.h.i.+p"--"Rhyme? and Reason?"--The Common Room Cat--Visit to Jersey--Purity of elections--Parliamentary Representation--Various literary projects--Letters to Miss E. Rix--Being happy--"A Tangled Tale"--Religious arguments--The "Alice" Operetta--"Alice's Adventures Underground"--"The Game of Logic"--Mr. Harry Furniss.

In 1883 Lewis Carroll was advised to make a stand against the heavy discount allowed by publishers to booksellers, and by booksellers to the public. Accordingly the following notice began to appear in all his books: "In selling Mr. Lewis Carroll's books to the Trade, Messrs.

Macmillan and Co. will abate 2d. in the s.h.i.+lling (no odd copies), and allow 5 per cent, discount within six months, and 10 per cent, for cash. In selling them to the Public (for cash only) they will allow 10 per cent, discount."

It was a bold step to take, and elicited some loud expressions of disapproval. "Rather than buy on the terms Mr. Lewis Carroll offers,"

"A Firm of London Booksellers" wrote in _The Bookseller_ of August 4th, "the trade will do well to refuse to take copies of his books, new or old, so long as he adheres to the terms he has just announced to the trade for their delectation and delight." On the other hand, an editorial, which appeared in the same number of _The Bookseller,_ expressed warm approval of the innovation.

To avoid all possible misconceptions, the author fully explained his views in a little pamphlet on "The Profits of Authors.h.i.+p." He showed that the bookseller makes as much profit out of every volume he sells (a.s.suming the buyer to pay the full published price, which he did in those days more readily than he does to-day) as author and publisher together, whereas his share in the work is very small. He does not say much about the author's part in the work--that it is a very heavy one goes without saying--but in considering the publisher's share he says:--

The publisher contributes about as much as the bookseller in time and bodily labour, but in mental toil and trouble a great deal more. I speak with some personal knowledge of the matter, having myself, for some twenty years, inflicted on that most patient and painstaking firm, Messrs. Macmillan and Co., about as much wear and worry as ever publishers have lived through. The day when they undertake a book for me is a _dies nefastus_ for them. From that day till the book is out--an interval of some two or three years on an average--there is no pause in "the pelting of the pitiless storm" of directions and questions on every conceivable detail. To say that every question gets a courteous and thoughtful reply--that they are still outside a lunatic asylum--and that they still regard me with some degree of charity--is to speak volumes in praise of their good temper and of their health, bodily and mental. I think the publisher's claim on the profits is on the whole stronger than the booksellers.