Introduction of Mr.docx

Introduction of Mr.docx

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IntroductionofMr

IntroductionofMr.StephenLeacock

GivenbySirOwenSeaman

ontheOccasionofHisFirst

LectureinLondon

LADIESANDGENTLEMEN:

Itisusualontheseoccasionsforthechairmantobeginsomethinglikethis:

"Thelecturer,Iamsure,needsnointroductionfromme."Andindeed,whenIhavebeenthelecturerandsomebodyelsehasbeenthechairman,Ihavemorethanoncesuspectedmyselfofbeingthebettermanofthetwo.OfcourseIhopeIshouldalwayshavethegoodmanners--IamsureMr.Leacockhas--todisguisethatsuspicion.However,onehastogothroughtheseformalities,andIwillthereforeintroducethelecturertoyou.

Ladiesandgentlemen,thisisMr.StephenLeacock.Mr.Leacock,thisistheflowerofLondonintelligence--orperhapsIshouldsayoneoftheflowers;therestarecomingtoyourotherlectures.

Inordinarysociallifeonestopsatanintroductionanddoesnotproceedtopersonaldetails.Butbehaviourontheplatform,asonthestage,isseldomordinary.IwillthereforetellyouathingortwoaboutMr.Leacock.Inthefirstplace,byvocationheisaProfessorofPoliticalEconomy,andhepractiseshumour--frenziedfictioninsteadoffrenziedfinance--bywayofrecreation.Therehediffersagooddealfromme,whohavetostudytheproductsofhumourformyliving,andbywayofrecreationreadMr.Leacockonpoliticaleconomy.

Further,Mr.Leacockisall-British,beingEnglishbybirthandCanadianbyresidence,Imentionthisfortworeasons:

firstly,becauseEnglandandtheEmpireareveryproudtoclaimhimfortheirown,and,secondly,becauseIdonotwishhisnationalitytobeconfusedwiththatofhisneighboursontheotherside.ForEnglishandAmericanhumouristshavenotalwaysseeneyetoeye.Whenwefailtoappreciatetheirhumourtheysaywearetoodullandeffetetounderstandit:

andwhentheydonotappreciateourstheysaywehaven'tgotany.

NowMr.Leacock'shumourisBritishbyheredity;buthehascaughtsomethingofthespiritofAmericanhumourbyforceofassociation.ThisputshiminasimilarpositiontothatinwhichIfoundmyselfoncewhenItookthelibertyofswimmingacrossaratherlargelochinScotland.AfterclimbingintotheboatIwasintheactofdryingmyselfwhenIwasaccostedbytheproprietorofthehoteladjacenttotheshore."Youhavenobusinesstobebathinghere,"heshouted."I'mnot,"Isaid;"I'mbathingontheotherside."Inthesameway,ifanyoneoneithersideofthewaterisunintelligentenoughtocriticiseMr.Leacock'shumour,hecanalwayssayitcomesfromtheotherside.Butthetruthisthathishumourcontainsallthatisbestinthehumourofbothhemispheres.

Havingfulfilledmydutyaschairman,inthatIhavetoldyounothingthatyoudidnotknowbefore--except,perhaps,myswimmingfeat,whichnevergotintothePressbecauseIhaveaverybadpublicityagent--Iwillnotdetainyoulongerfromwhatyouarereallywantingtogetat;butaskMr.Leacocktoproceedatoncewithhislectureon"FrenziedFiction."

FORsomeyearspastarisingtideoflecturersandliterarymenfromEnglandhaswashedupontheshoresofourNorthAmericancontinent.ThepurposeofeachoneofthemistomakeanewdiscoveryofAmerica.Theycomeovertoustravellingingreatsimplicity,andtheyreturnintheducalsuiteoftheAquitania.TheycarryawaywiththemtheirimpressionsofAmerica,andwhentheyreachEnglandtheysellthem.Thisexportofimpressionshasnowbeengoingonsolongthatthebalanceoftradeinimpressionsisalldisturbed.ThereisnodoubtthattheAmericansandCanadianshavebeentoogenerousinthismatterofgivingawayimpressions.Weemitthemwiththecarelesseaseofaglowworm,andliketheglow-wormaskfornothinginreturn.

Butthisirregularandone-sidedtraffichasnowassumedsuchgreatproportionsthatwearecompelledtoaskwhetheritisrighttoallowthesepeopletocarryawayfromusimpressionsoftheveryhighestcommercialvaluewithoutgivingusanypecuniarycompensationwhatever.BritishlecturershavebeenknowntolandinNewYork,passthecustoms,driveuptowninaclosedtaxi,andthenforwardtoEnglandfromtheclosedtaxiitselftendollars'worthofimpressionsofAmericannationalcharacter.IhavemyselfseenanEnglishliteraryman,--thebiggest,Ibelieve:

hehadatleasttheappearanceofit;sitinthecorridorofafashionableNewYorkhotelandlookgloomilyintohishat,andthenfromhisveryhatproduceanestimateofthegeniusofAmericaattwentycentsaword.Thenicequestionastowhosetwentycentsthatwasneverseemstohaveoccurredtohim.

Iamnotwritinginthefaintestspiritofjealousy.Iquiteadmittheextraordinaryabilitythatisinvolvedinthispeculiarsusceptibilitytoimpressions.IhaveestimatedthatsomeoftheseEnglishvisitorshavebeenabletoreceiveimpressionsattherateoffourtothesecond;infact,theyseemtogetthemeverytimetheyseetwentycents.Butwithoutjealousyorcomplaint,Idofeelthatsomehowtheseimpressionsareinadequateandfailtodepictusaswereallyare.

LetmeillustratewhatImean.HerearesomeoftheimpressionsofNewYork,gatheredfromvisitors'discoveriesofAmerica,andreproducednotperhapswordforwordbutascloselyasIcanrememberthem."NewYork",writesone,"nestlingatthefootoftheHudson,gavemeanimpressionofcosiness,oftinygraciousness:

inshort,ofweeness."Butcomparethis--"NewYork,"accordingtoanotherdiscovererofAmerica,"gavemeanimpressionofsize,ofvastness;thereseemedtobeabignessaboutitnotfoundinsmallerplaces."Athirdvisitorwrites,"NewYorkstruckmeashard,cruel,almostinhuman."This,Ithink,wasbecausehistaxidriverhadchargedhimthreedollars."ThefirstthingthatstruckmeinNewYork,"writesanother,"wastheStatueofLiberty."But,afterall,thatwasonlynatural:

itwasthefirstthingthatcouldreachhim.

Norisitonlytheimpressionsofthemetropolisthatseemtofallshortofreality.Letmequoteafewotherstakenatrandomhereandthereoverthecontinent.

"ItookfromPittsburg,"saysanEnglishvisitor,"animpressionofsomethingthatIcouldhardlydefine--anatmosphereratherthananidea."

Allverywell,But,afterall,hadhetherighttotakeit?

GrantedthatPittsburghasanatmosphereratherthananidea,theattempttocarryawaythisatmospheresurelybordersonrapacity.

"NewOrleans,"writesanothervisitor,"openedherarmstomeandbestoweduponmethesoftandlanguorouskissoftheCaribbean."Thisstatementmayormaynotbetrue;butinanycaseithardlyseemsthefairthingtomentionit.

"Chicago,"accordingtoanotherbookofdiscovery,"struckmeasalargecity.Situatedasitisandwhereitis,itseemsdestinedtobeaplaceofimportance."

Orhere,again,isaformof"impression"thatrecursagainandagain-"AtClevelandIfeltadistinctnoteofoptimismintheair."

ThissamenoteofoptimismisfoundalsoatToledo,atToronto--inshort,Ibelieveitindicatesnothingmorethanthatsomeonegavethevisitoracigar.IndeeditgenerallyoccursduringthefamiliarsceneinwhichthevisitordescribeshiscordialreceptioninanunsuspectingAmericantown:

thus:

"Iwasmetatthestation（calledinAmericathedepot）byamemberoftheMunicipalCouncildrivinghisownmotorcar.Aftergivingmeanexcellentcigar,heproceededtodrivemeaboutthetown,tovariouspointsofinterest,includingthemunicipalabattoir,wherehegavemeanotherexcellentcigar,theCarnegiepubliclibrary,theFirstNationalBank（thecourteousmanagerofwhichgavemeanexcellentcigar）andtheSecondCongregationalChurchwhereIhadthepleasureofmeetingthepastor.Thepastor,whoappearedamanofbreadthandculture,gavemeanothercigar.Intheeveningadinner,admirablycookedandexcellentlyserved,wastenderedtomeataleadinghotel."Andofcoursehetookit.Afterwhichhisstatementthathecarriedawayfromthetownafeelingofoptimismexplainsitself:

hehadfourcigars,thedinner,andhalfapageofimpressionsattwentycentsaword.

NorisitonlybythetheftofimpressionsthatwesufferatthehandsoftheseEnglishdiscoverersofAmerica.Itisapartofthesystemalsothatwehavetosubmittobeinglecturedtobyourtalentedvisitors.ItisnowquiteunderstoodthatassoonasanEnglishliterarymanfinishesabookheisrushedacrosstoAmericatotellthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesandCanadaallaboutit,andhowhecametowriteit.Athome,inhisowncountry,theydon'tcarehowhecametowriteit.He'swrittenitandthat'senough.ButinAmericaitisdifferent.Onemonthafterthedistinguishedauthor'sbookonTheBoyhoodofBotticellihasappearedinLondon,heisseentolandinNewYorkveryquietlyoutofoneofthebackportholesoftheOlympic.ThatsameafternoonyouwillfindhiminanarmchairinoneofthebighotelsgivingoffimpressionsofAmericatoagroupofreporters.AfterwhichnoticesappearinallthepaperstotheeffectthathewilllectureinCarnegieHallon"BotticellitheBoy".Theaudienceisassuredbeforehand.ItconsistsofallthepeoplewhofeelthattheyhavetogobecausetheyknowallaboutBotticelliandallthepeoplewhofeelthattheyhavetogobecausetheydon'tknowanythingaboutBotticelli.BythismeansthelecturerisabletorakethewholecountryfromMontrealtoSanFranciscowith"BotticellitheBoy".Thenheturnsround,labelshislecture"BotticellitheMan",andrakesitallbackagain.Allthewayacrossthecontinentandbackheemitsimpressions,estimatesofnationalcharacter,andsurveysofAmericangenius.HesailsfromNewYorkinablazeofpublicity,withhiscordonofreportersroundhim,andamonthlaterpublis