[NotlongsinceanAmericanauthorreceivedanapplicationfromaGermancorrespondentfor"afewAutographs"——thenumberofnamesappliedforamountingtomorethanahundred，andcoveringseveralsheetsoffoolscap。AfewyearssinceanEnglishmanofliterarynotesenthisAlbumtoadistinguishedpoetinParisforhiscontribution，whenthevolumewasactuallystolenfromaroomwhereeveryotherarticlewasleftuntouched；showingthatAutographsweremorevaluableintheeyesofthethiefthananyotherproperty。Amusedwiththerecollectionofthesefacts，andothersofthesamekind，someidlehoursweregivenbythewritertothefollowingviewofthismaniaoftheday。]
ThemonthofNovemberoftheyearsixteenhundredand——wascheerlessanddark，asNovemberhasneverfailedtobewithinthefoggy，smokyboundsofthegreatcityofLondon。Itwasoneoftheworstdaysoftheseason；whatlighttherewasseemedanemanationfromthedullearth，theheavenswouldscarcehaveownedit，veiledastheywere，byanopaquecanopyoffogwhichweighedheavilyuponthebreathingmultitudebelow。Gloompenetratedeverywhere；nobarrierssostrong，nogoodinfluencessopotent，aswhollytowardoffthespellthrownoverthatmightytownbythespiritsofchillanddamp；theyclungtothesilkendraperiesofluxury，theywerefeltwithinthebusycircleofindustry，theycreptaboutthefamilyhearth，butabroadinthepublicways，andinthewretchedhauntsofmisery，theyheldundisputedsway。
AmongthethrongwhichchokedthepassageofTemple—Bartowardevening，anindividual，shabbilyclad，wasdragginghisstepswearilyalong，hispallidcountenancebearinganexpressionofmiserybeyondthemorecommoncaresofhisfellow—passengers。Turningfromthegreatthoroughfarehepassedintoanarrowlane，andreachingthedoorofameandwellingheentered，ascendedadirtystairwayfourstorieshigh，andstoodinhisgarretlodging。Ifthatgarretwasbare，cold，anddark，itwasonlylikeothers，inwhichmanyamanbeforeandsincehaspinedawayyearsofneglectandpenury，attheverymomentwhenhisgeniuswascheering，enriching，enlighteninghiscountryandhisrace。Thattheindividualwhosestepswehavefollowedwasindeedamanofgenius，couldnotbedoubtedbyonewhohadmettheglanceofthatdeep，clear，piercingeye，cloudedthoughitwasatthatmomentbymiseryofbodyandmindthatamountedtotheextremeofanguish。Thegarretofthestrangercontainednofood，nofuel，nolight；itsoccupantwassufferingfromcold，hunger，andwretchedness。Throwinghimselfonabrokenchair，heclenchedhisfingersoverthemanuscript，heldwithinapaleandemaciatedhand。
"ShallIdieofhunger——orshallImakeonemoreeffort？"heexclaimed，inavoiceinwhichbitternessgaveamomentarypowertodebility。
"Iwillwriteoncemoretomypatron——possibly——"withoutwaitingtofinishthesentence，hegropedaboutinthedulltwilightforinkandpaper；restingthesheetonabook，hewroteinahandbarelylegible：
"Nov。20th16——，"MYLORD——Ihavenolight，andcannotseetowrite——nofireandmyfingersarestiffwithcold——Ihavenottastedfoodforeightandfortyhours，andIamfaint。Threetimes，mylord，Ihavebeenatyourdoortoday，butcouldnotobtainadmittance。Thisnotemayyetreachyouintimetosaveafellow—creaturefromstarvation。Ihavenotafarthingleft，norcreditforaha’penny——smalldebtspressuponme，andthepublishersrefusedmylastpoem。UnlessrelievedwithinafewhoursImustperish。
"Yourlordship’smosthumble，"Mostobedient，mostgratefulservant，—————————————————"
Thisletter，scarcelylegiblefromtheagitationandmiserywhichenfeebledthehandthatwroteit，wasfolded，anddirected，andagainthewriterlefthisgarretlodgingontheerrandofbeggary；hedescendedthenarrowstairway，slowlydraggedhisstepsthroughthelane，andsoughtthedwellingofhispatron。
Whetherheobtainedadmittance，orwasagainturnedfromthedoor；
whetherhisnecessitieswererelieved，ortheletterwasidlythrownasideunopened，wecannotsay。Oncemoremingledwiththecrowd，welosesightofhim。Itisnottheman，buttheletterwhichengagesourattentionto—day。Thereisstillmuchdoubtanduncertaintyconnectedwiththesubsequentfateofthepoorpoet，butthenotewrittenatthatpainfulmomenthashadabrilliantcareer，ahistoryeventfulthroughout。Ifthereaderispartialtodetailsofmisery，andpoverty，anyvolumeofgeneralliterarybiographywillfurnishhimwithanabundantsupply，forsuchhastoooftenprovedthelotofthosewhohavebuiltupthenobleedificeofBritishLiterature：likethebandoflaborersontheEgyptianpyramid，theirswastoooftenamessofleeks，whilemilk，andhoney，andoil，weretheportionofthoseforwhomtheytoiled，thoseinwhosehonor，andforwhoseadvantagethemonumentwasraised。Patrons，whethersingleindividualsornations，havetoooftenprovedbutindifferentfriends，carelessandforgetfulofthosewhomtheyproudlypretendtofoster。
Butleavingthepoorpoet，withhissorrows，totheregularbiographer，wechooseratherthelightertaskofrelatingthehistoryoftheletteritself；aman’sworksareoftenpreferredbeforehimself，anditisbelievedthatinthis，thedayofautographs，nofurtherapologywillbeneededforthecoursetakenonthepresentoccasion。
Weholdourselves，indeed，entitledtotheespecialgratitudeofcollectorsforthefollowingsketchofadocumentmaintainingsohigharankintheirestimation。
AndjustlymighttheLumleyLetterclaimafullshareofliteraryhomage。Boastingadistinguishedsignature，itpossessedthefirstessentialofasuperiorautograph；for，althougharoseunderanyothernamemaysmellassweet，yetitisclearthatwithregardtoeverythingcomingfromthepen，whetherfolioorbilletdoux，imaginativepoem，ormatter—of—factnoteofhand，thereisavastdealinthisimportantitem，whichisoftentheverylifeandstaminaofthewholeproduction。Thenagain，thesubjectofextremewantisoneofgeneralinterest，whiletheallusiontotheunpublishedpoemmustalwaysproveanespecialattractiontothecurious。Suchweretheintrinsicmeritsofthedocument，inadditiontowhich，soberTimelenthisaidtoenhanceitsvalue，andcapriciousFortuneaddedapeculiarcharmofmystery，whichfewpapersofthekindcouldclaimtothesameextent。Theappearancealsoofthisinterestingpaperwasalwaysadmittedtobeentirelyworthyofitsfame。Thehand—
writingfullycarriedouttheideaofextremedebilityandagitationcorrespondingwithitsnature，whilealargerandalesserblotborepainfultestimonytothatrecklessnessofproprietywhichastarvingmanmightbesupposedtofeel；onecornerhadbeenruthlesslyabstractedatthetimeitwasseenbythewriterofthisnotice，andwithitthelastfiguresofthedate；aconsiderablerentcrossedthesheetfromrighttoleft，buthappilywithoutinjuringitscontents；
severalpunctureswerealsoobserved，oneoftheseencroachingverycriticallyuponthesignature。ButIneednotaddthatthesemarksofageandharshtreatment，likethescarsonthefaceofaveteran，farfrombeingblemishes，wereacknowledgedtobesomanyadditionalembellishments。Thecoloringofthepiecewasofthatprecioushue，verginghereandthereonthedingy，theverytintmostcharmingintheeyesofanantiquary，andwhichTimealonecanbestow。Infact，onerarelyseesarelicofthekind，moreperfectincolor，moreexpressiveinitsgeneralaspect，ormorebecomingtoanalbum，fromthefinecontrastbetweenitspoverty—strickenair，torn，worn，andsoiled，andtherich，embossed，unsulliedleafonwhichitreposed，likesomedarkRembrandtwithinitsgildedframe。Inshort，itwastheveryTorsoofautographs。Happilythepositionwhichitfinallyattainedwasoneworthyofitsmerits，andwecouldnothavewisheditamoreelegantshrinethanthepreciouspagesoftheHolbertonAlbum，avolumeencasedinvelvet，securedwithjeweledclasps，reposingonatastefuletagere。
{etagere=smalltableorshelffordisplayingcurios（French）}
ButIproceedwithoutfurtherdelaytorelatesomeofthemoreimportantstepsintheprogressofthisinterestingpaper，fromthegarretofthestarvingpoettothedrawing—roomsofHolbertonHouse，merelyobservingbywayofprefacethatthefollowingnoticemaybereliedonsofarasitgoes，thewriter——ColonelJonathanHowardofTrenton，NewJersey，——havinghadaccesstotheverybestauthorities，andhavingalsohadthehonorofbeingenlistedintheserviceoftheLumleyAutographuponanoccasionofsomeimportance，aswillbeshownbythenarrative。
Itwasjustonehundredyearssince，in1745，thatthiscelebratedletterwasfirstbroughttolight，fromtheobscurityinwhichithadalreadylainsomehalfacentury，andwhichnosubsequentresearchhasbeenablefullytoclearaway。InthemonthofAugustofthatyear，theRev。JohnLumley，tutortoLordG—————，hadthehonorofdiscoveringthiscuriousrelicunderthefollowingcircumstances。
Mr。Lumleywasonedayperchedonthetopmoststepofalibraryladder，lookingoverablacklettervolumeofHollinshed，fromthewellfilledshelvesofhispupil。Suddenlyhepaused，andhisantiquarianinstinctswerearousedbythesightofasheetofpaper，yellowandtimeworn。Heseizeditwiththeeagernessofabook—
worm，andinsodoingdroppedthevolumeofHollinshedalarminglynearthewig—coveredheadofhisyouthfulpupil，whowithclosedeyes，andopenmouth，layrecliningonasofabelow。Thebook，grazingthecurlsoftheyounglord’swig，hesprangupfromhisnap，aliveandsound，thoughsomewhatstartled。
{Hollinshed=RaphaelHolinshed（d。1580），famouswriterofBritishhistoricalchronicles，usedbyShakespeareassourceforsomeofhisplays}
"HangitLumley，whatarumpusyoukeepupamongthebooks！Youwellnighdrovethatoldvolumeintomyheadbyaprocessmoresummarythanusual。"
Thelearnedtutormadeathousandapologies，ashedescendedtheladder，butontouchingthefloorhisdelightburstforth。
"Itwasthispaper，mylord，whichmademesoawkward——Ihavelightedonadocumentofthegreatestinterest！"
"Whatisit？"askedthepupillookingaskanceatletter，andtutor。
"Anoriginalletterwhichcomestohand，justintimeformylivesofthetragedians——thevolumetobededicatedtoyourlordship——itisaletterofpoorOtway。"
{Otway=ThomasOtway（1652—1685），Englishplaywrightwhowroteanumberofimportanttragediesinverse，butwhodieddestituteattheageof33。TheCooperswerefamiliarwithhiswork；JamesFenimoreCooperusedquotationsfromOtway’s"TheOrphan"forthreechapterheadingepigraphsinhis1850novel，"TheWaysoftheHour"}
"Otway？——What，thefellowyouwereboringmeaboutlastnight？"
"Thesamemylord——thepoetOtway——youmayrememberwesawhisVenicePreservedlastweek。Itisahighlyinterestingletter，writteningreatdistress，andconfirmsthestoryofhisstarvation。Youseethesignature。"
{VenicePreserved=awell—knownplaybyOtway，writtenin1682}
"Thatname，Otway？——Well，tomyminditisasmuchlikeGenghisKhan。"
"Oh，mylord！——ThomasOtwayclearly——signaturesarealwaysmoreorlessconfused。
"Well，haveityourownway。——ItmaybeTom，Dick，orHarryforallI
care，"saidtheyouth，stretchinghimselfpreparatorytoavisittohiskennels；andsuchwashisindifferencetothisliterarytreasurethathereadilygaveittohistutor。Inthosedays，fewlordswereliterary。
Mr。Lumley’sdelightatthisdiscovery，wasverymuchincreasedbythefactthathewasatthatmomentanxioustobringoutaneditionoftheEnglishTragediansoftheseventeenthcentury。Thelivesofseveraloftheseauthorshadbeenalreadywrittenbyhim，andhewasatthatmomentengagedonthatofOtway。Anotedpublisherhadtakenthematterintoconsideration，andiftheundertakinggavepromiseofbeingbothpalatabletothepublic，andprofitabletohimself，aprospectuswastobeissued。Nowherewasalittletit—bitwhichthepublicwoulddoubtlessrelish；foritwasbeginningtofeelsomeinterestinOtway’sstarvation，thepoethavingbeendeadhalfacentury。Itistruethatthesignatureofthepoorstarvingauthor，whoeverhemayhavebeen，wassoillegiblethatitrequiredsomeimaginationtoseeinit，thenameofOtway，butMr。Lumleyhadenoughofthetrueantiquarianspirit，tosettlethepointtohisownentiresatisfaction。ThenotewasaccordinglyintroducedintothelifeofOtway，withwhichthelearnedtutorwasthenengaged。Theworkitself，however，wasnotdestinedtoseethelight；itspublicationwasdelayed，whileMr。Lumleyaccompaniedhispupilontheusualcontinentaltour，andfromthisjourneythelearnedgentlemanneverreturned，dyingatRome，ofacoldcaughtinthelibraryoftheVatican。Byhiswill，theMS。lifeofOtwaywithallhispapers，passedintothehandsofhisbrother，anofficerinthearmy。Unfortunately，however，CaptainLumley，whowasbynomeansaliterarycharacter，provedextremelyindifferenttothisportionofhisbrother’sinheritance，whichhetreatedwithcontemptuousneglect。
Afterthisfirststageontheroadtofame，twentymoreyearspassedawayandtheletterofthestarvingpoetwasagainforgotten。AtlengththepapersoftheRev。Mr。Lumley，fellintothehandsofanephew，whoinheritedhisuncle’santiquariantastes，andclericalprofession。InlookingovertheMSS。，hecametothelifeofOtway，andwasstruckwiththelettergiventhere，neverhavingmetwithitinprint；therewasalsoanoteappendedtoitwithanaccountofthemannerinwhichithadbeendiscoveredbytheeditor，inthelibraryofLordG—————，andaffirmingthatitwasstillinhisownpossession。
TheyoungerLumleyimmediatelysettoworktodiscovertheoriginalletter，buthissearchwasfruitless；itwasnottobefoundeitheramongthepapersofhisuncle，orthoseofhisfather。Itwasgone。
HewashimselfatutoratCambridgeatthetime，andreturningtotheuniversity，hecarriedwithhimhisuncle’slifeofOtway，inMS。
Somelittlecuriositywasatfirstexcitedamonghisimmediatecompanionsbythesefacts，butitsoonsettleddownintoanopinionunfavorabletotheveracityofthelateMr。Lumley。——Thisnettledthenephew；andasLordG—————，wasstillliving，agoutybloatedroue，heatlengthwrotetoinquireifhislordshipknewanythingofthematter。Hislordshipwastoobusy，ortooidle，toanswertheinquiry。
Sometimelater，however，theyoungerLumley，thenachaplaininthefamilyofarelativeofLordG—————’s，accidentallymethisuncle’sformerpupil，andbeingofaperseveringdisposition，heventuredtomakeapersonalapplicationonthesubject。
"Nowyourecallthemattertome，Mr。Lumley，Idorecollectsomethingofthekind。Irememberoneday，givingmytutorsomemustyoldletterhefoundinthelibraryatG—————；andbythebyehecamenearcrackingmyskullonthesameoccasion！"
Mr。Lumleywasnotalittlepleasedbythisconfirmationofthestory，thoughhefoundthatLordG—————hadnotevenreadtheletter，nordidheknowanythingofitssubsequentfate；heonlyrememberedlookingatthesignature。Notlongafterthemeetingatwhichthisexplanationhadtakenplace，Mr。Lumleyreceivedavisitfromastranger，requestingtoseetheMS。LifeofOtwayinhispossession。
Itwashandedtohim；heexaminedit，andwasveryparticularinhisinquiriesonthesubject，givingthechaplaintounderstandthathewastheagentofathirdpersonwhowishedtopurchaseeithertheoriginalletterifpossible，orifthatcouldnotbefound，theMS。
containingthecopy。Mr。Lumleyalwaysbelievedthattheemployerofthisapplicantwasnootherthanthatarch—gatherer，HoraceWalpole，whogavesuchanimpulsetothecollectingmania；hedeclinedsellingthework，however，forhehadthoughtsofprintingithimself。
Theapplicationwasmentionedbyhim，and，ofcourse，themanuscriptgainednotoriety，whiletheoriginalletterbecameagreaterdesideratumthanever。ThelibraryatG—————wassearchedmostcarefullybyacoupleofbrotherbook—worms，whocreptoveritfromcornicetocarpeting；buttonopurpose。
{HoraceWalpole=HoraceWalpole（1717—1797），aprolificwriter，connoisseur，andcollector，bestknownforhisextensivecorrespondence；heestablishedatasteforliterarycollectingbywould—beculturedgentlemeninEngland}
Sometenyearslaterstill——aboutthetime，bythebye，whenChatterton’scareercametosuchamiserablecloseinLondon，andwhenGilbertwasdyinginahospitalatParis——ithappenedthataworthyphysician，wellknowninthetownofSouthamptonforhisbenevolenceandeccentricity，wasonaprofessionalvisittothechildofapoorjourneymantrunk—maker，inthesameplace。Asupplyofoldpaperhadjustbeenbroughtinforthepurposeofliningtrunks，accordingtothepracticeoftheday。Aworkmanwasbusysortingthese，rejectingsomeasrefuse，andpreservingothers，whenthedoctorstoppedtoansweraninquiryaboutthesickchild。
{Chatterton=ThomasChatterton（1752—1770），Britishpoet，whocreatedanimaginaryThomasRowley，asupposedmedievalmonk，towhomheascribedsomeofhispoems。Chattertoncommittedsuicideattheageof18whenapoemofhis，allegedlybyRowley，wasrejected；hewasburiedinapauper’sgrave。SusanFenimoreCoopernodoubthasthisinmindinnamingacharacterinthisstoryTheodosiaRowley。
{Gilbert=NicolasGilbert（1751—1780），Frenchpoet，whodiedinParisattheageof29。TheFrenchwriterCountAlfreddeVigny（1797—1863），inhisbookofessays"Stello"（1832），popularizedalegendthatGilberthaddiedinsaneandinabjectpovertyatthecharityhospitaloftheHotelDieuinParis，andcomparedhismiserableendwiththatofChatteron；itseemslikelythatVigny，whosebookappearedwhileSusanFenimoreCooperwasstudyinginParis，washersourceforthisreferencetoGilbert。Infact，Gilbertwasnotimpoverished，anddiedofinjuriesafterfallingfromhishorse}
"Better，Hopkins——doingwell。Butwhathaveyouhere？IneverseeoldpapersbutIhaveaninclinationtolookthemover。Ifamanhasleisure，hemayoftenpickupsomethingamusingamongsuchrubbish。Don’tyoueverreadthepapersthatpassthroughyourhands？"
"No，sir——I’asnotimeforthat，sir。AndthenIwasnevertaughttoreadwriting，andthese’erepapersisallwrittenones。Weputsthemthat’swrittenforonetrunk，andthemthat’sprintedforanother，asyousee，sir；onemusthaveaheyetothelooksofthework。"
"Whyyes——youseemtomanagethejobverywell；andIhaveatrunk，bythebye，thatwantspatchingupbeforemyboycarriesitoffwithhim；I’llsenditroundtoyou；Hopkins。Butstay——what’sthis？"
andthedoctortookupasoiled，yellowsheetofpaper，fromtheheaprejectedbytheworkman；itcontainedascrawlwhichprovedtobetheidenticalletterofthepoorpoet，theLumleyautograph，thoughinwhatmanneritbecamemingledwiththatheapofrubbishhasneverbeensatisfactorilyascertained。
"Here’sapoorfellowwhohadahardfate，Hopkins，"saidthebenevolentman，thoughtfully。"Itisasgoodasasermononcharitytoreadthatletter。"
Thetrunk—makerbeggedtohearit。
"Well，poorjourneymanasIbe，Iwasneveryetinsobadawayasthat，sir。"
"Andneverwillbe，Ihope；butthiswasapoet，Hopkins——andthat’sbutanindifferenttradetoliveby。I’lltellyouwhat，mygoodfriend，"
saidthedoctor，suddenly，"thatletterisworthkeeping，andyoumaypasteitinthetrunkI’llsendroundthisafternoon——putitinthelid，whereitcanberead。"
Thetrunkwassent，andtheletteractuallypastedinitaspartofthenewlining。Dr。H—————，who，aswehaveobserved，wasrathereccentricinhisways，hadasonabouttocommencehiscareerasasoldier；andtheworthymanthoughtthelettermightteachtheyouthausefullessonofmoderationandtemperance，byshowinghimeverytimeheopenedhistrunk，theextremeofwanttowhichhisfellowbeingswereoccasionallyreduced。Whatsuccessfollowedtheplanwecannotsay。Thetrunk，however，sharedtheyoungsoldier’swanderinglife；itcarriedthecornet’suniformtoAmerica；itwasbesiegedinBoston；anditmadepartofthebesiegingbaggageatCharleston。Itwasnotdestined，however，toremaininthenewworld，butfolloweditsownertotheEastIndies，carryingonthissecondvoyage，alieutenant’scommission。Atlength，afterpassingfive—and—twentyyearsinBengal，thetrunkreturnedagaintoSouthampton，asoneamongsomedozenotherswhichmadeupthebaggageofthegallantColonelH—————，nowrichinlaurelsandrupees。
Theoldtrunkhadeventhehonorabledutyassigneditofcarryingitsmaster’strophies，doubtlessthemostpreciousportionofthecolonel’spossessions，thoughatthesametimethelightest；asfortherupees，theoldworn—outboxwouldhaveprovedquiteunequaltotransportingasinglebagofthem，foritwasnowsadlyunfitforservice，thankstotheravagesoftimeandthewhiteants；and，indeed，oweditspreservationandreturntoitsnativesoilsolelytotheletterpastedinthelid，which，intheeyesofColonelH—————，wasamementoofhome，andtheeccentriccharacterofadeceasedparent。
{cornet=thelowestofficerrankinaBritishcavalryregiment，belowthatofLieutenant；nowobsolete}
Thetimehadnowcome，however，whentheLumleyautographwasabouttoemergeforeverfromobscurity，andreceivethefullhomageofcollectors；thehouroftriumphwasathand，theneglectofacenturywastobefullyrepaidbythehighesthonorsoffame。TheeyeofbeautywasabouttokindleasitrestedontheLumleyautograph；jeweledfingersweretoberaised，eagertosnatchthetreasurefromeachother；busyliteratistoodreadyarmedforawarofcontroversyinitsbehalf。
IthappenedthatColonelH—————wasinvitedtoafancyball；anditalsohappenedthattheladywhomheparticularlyadmired，wastobepresentontheoccasion。Suchbeingthecase，themostbecomingcostumewastobeselectedfortheevening。Whatifthelocksofthegallantcolonelwereslightlysprinkledwithgray？Hewasstillahandsomeman，andknewverywellthatthedressofaneasternaymeerwasparticularlywellsuitedtohisfaceandfigure。Thisdress，preservedinacertainoldtrunkinthegarret，wasaccordinglyproduced。Thetrunkwasbroughtdowntothedressing—room，thecostumeexaminedpiecebypiece，pronouncedingoodconditionbythevalet，anddeclaredverybecomingbythemilitaryfriendcalledinascounsellor。
{aymeer=Emir；aMuslimtitlesignifyingcommanderinArabic}
"Butwhataqueeroldboxthisis，H—————，"saidMajorD—————，eyeingthetrunkthroughhisglass。
"It’soneI’vehadthesehundredyears，"repliedthecolonel。"Soyouthinkthistrumperywilldo，D—————？"
"Do？Tobesureitwill，mydearfellow——itgivesyourMilesianskinthetrueNawaubdye。ButIwasjusttryingtomakeoutanoldletterpastedinthelidofyourtrunk，undermynosehere。Isthisthewayyoupreserveyourfamilyarchives？"
{Milesian=slangtermforIrish，fromMilesius，mythicalSpanishconquerorofIreland；Nawaub=fromNabob，Anglo—IndianslangforonewhohasreturnedhomefromIndiawithalargefortune}
"Thatletterisreallyacuriosityinitsway，"saidthecolonel，turningfromtheglassandrelatingitshistory，sofaratleastasitwasknowntohimself。
Hisfriendspeltitthrough。
"Mydearfellow，whydon’tyougivethislettertothefatherofyourfairLouisa；he’squiterabidonsuchpoints；you’llmakehimafriendforlifebyit！"
Theadvicewasfollowed。Theletterwascutfromitsoldpositioninthelidofthetrunk，andpresentedtoSirJohnBlank，thefatherofthelovelyLouisa，who，inhisturn，soonplacedthehandofhisdaughterinthatofColonelH—————。
SirJohn，anotedfollowerinthestepsofHoraceWalpole，hadnosoonerbecometheownerofthisinterestingletter，thanhesettoworktofindoutitsorigin，andtofillupitshistory。Unfortunately，thesheethadreceivedsomewoundsinthewars，aswellasthegallantcolonel。Onecornerhadbeencarriedawaybyanunluckythrustfromarazor——notasword；whilethedateandsignaturehadalsobeenhalfeatenoutbythewhiteantsofBengal。Butsuchdifficultiesasthesewereonlypleasingobstaclesinthewayofantiquarianactivity。SirJohnhadsoonformedanhypothesisperfectlysatisfactorytohimself。Hismother’snamewasButler，andheclaimedsomesortofaffinitywiththeauthorofHudibras；astheChristiannameofthepoorpoethadbeenalmostentirelydevouredbytheants，whilethesurnamehadalsosufferedhereandthere，SirJohningeniouslypursuaded{sic}himselfthatwhatremainedhadclearlybelongedtothesignatureofthegreatsatirist；asforthedate，theabbreviationof"Nov。20th。"andthefigures16——markingthecentury，werereallytolerablydistinct。Accordingly，SirJohnwroteabriefnoticeofButler’sLife，dwellingmuchuponhiswell—knownpoverty，andquotinghisepitaph，withtheallusiontohisindigenceunderscored，"lesthewholivingwantedallthings，should，whendead，wantatomb，"andplacedtheseremarksoppositetheletterofourstarvingpoet，whichwasregisteredinthevolumeinconspicuouscharactersasan"AutographofSamuelButler，authorofHudibras，showingtowhatdistresshewasatonetimereduced。"
{SamuelButler（1612—1680），anotherEnglishauthorpopularlybelievedtohavediedingreatpoverty；heisbestknownforhislongsatiricmock—epicpoem，"Hudibras"（1663—1678）}
Herethesheetremainedseveralyears，untilatlengthitchancedthatSirJohn’svolumeofautographswasplacedinthehandsofagentlemanwhohadrecentlyreadMr。Lumley’sMS。LifeofOtway。Theidentityofthisletter，withthatcopiedbyMr。Lumley，immediatelysuggesteditself；andnowthefirstsparksofcontroversybetweentheOtwaysiansandtheButleriteswerestruckinSirJohn’slibrary。
>Fromthencetheysoonspreadtothefourwindsofheaven，fallingoncombustiblematerialswherevertheylightedonaliteraryhead，orcollectinghands。
Bythebye，therapiditywithwhichthiscollectingclasshasincreasedoflateyearsisreallyalarming；whocanforeseethestateofthingslikelytoexistinthenextcentury，shouldmattersgoonatthesamerate？Reflectforamomentontheprobableconditionofdistinguishedauthors，lionsoftheloudestroar，ifthenumberofautograph—huntersweretoincreasebeyondwhatitisatpresent。Isitnottobefearedthattheywillyetexterminatethewholerace，thatthegreatlionliterary，likethemastodon，willbecomeextinct？
Or，perhaps，bytaminghimdowntoamereproducerofautographs，hishabitswillchangesoentirelythathewillnolongerbethesameanimal，nolongerbearacomparisonwiththelionofthepast。Ontheotherhandshouldthegreatracebecomeextinct，whatwillbethefateofthefamilyofautograph—feeders？Whatafearfulstateofthingswouldensue，eveninourday，werethesupplytobereducedbutaquire！Theheartsickensatthepicturewhichwouldthenbepresented——collectorsturningoneachother，wagingafiercewarovereveryautographicscrap，makingabattle—fieldofeverysocialcircle。
Happily，natureseemsalwaystokeepupthebalanceinsuchmatters，anditisaconsolingreflectionthatifthemillionarenowconsumers，sohavetheybecomeproducersofautographs；itisthereforeprobablethattheevilwillworkitsownremedy；andwemayhopethatthegreatwritersofthenextcenturywillbeshieldedinsomemeasurebythediversionmadeintheirfavorthroughthelightertroopsofthelioncorps。
AsforthefullmeritsofthecontroversysohotlywagedovertheLumleyautographbetweentheOtwaysiansandtheButlerites，dividingthecollectingworldintotworivalparties，weshallnothereenterintoit。Inallsuchmattersitisbettertogoatoncetothefountainhead；ifthereaderiscuriousonthesubject，asdoubtlesshemustbe，heisreferredtooneoctavoandfiveduodecimovolumes，withfiftypamphletswhichhaveleftlittletosayonthepoint。Letitnotbesupposed，however，foraninstant，thatthewriterofthisarticleishimselfundecidedinhisopiniononthisquestion。Bynomeans；andhehastenstorepeltheunjustsuspicion，bydeclaringhimselfoneofthewarmestOtwaysians。ItistruethathehassomeprivategroundsforbelievingthatadispassionateinquirymightleadonetodoubtwhetherOtwayorButlereversawtheLumleyautograph；butwhatofthat，whohastimeorinclinationfordispassionateinvestigationinthesestirringdays！Inthepresentageofuniversalenlightenment，wedon’ttroubleourselvestomakeupouropinions——wetakeandgivethem，webeg，borrow，andstealthem。True，therearecontroversiesinvolvingmatterssoimportantintheirconsequences，soseriousintheirnature，thatonemightconceiveeitherindifferenceorfanaticismequallyinexcusablewithregardtothem；buttherearealsoathousandothersubjectsofdiscussion，atthepresentday，ofthatpeculiarcharacterwhichcanonlythrivewhensupportedbypassionandprejudice，andfallinginwithadisputeofthisnature，itisabsolutelynecessarytojumpatonceintofanaticism。Accordingly，Ihadnosoonerobtainedaglimpseoftheletterofthestarvingpoet，embalmedwithinthepreciousleavesofoneofthemostnotedalbumsofEurope，thanIimmediatelyenlistedunderLadyHolberton’scolorsasafaithfulOtwaysian。WiththatexcellentladyI
takeatragicalviewoftheLumleyLetter，conceivingthatamanmustbeblindasabat，nottoseethatitwaswrittenbytheauthorofVenicePreserved，andthisinspiteofothercelebratedcollectors，whofindinthesamesheetsomuchthatiscomicalandHudibrastic。
Strangethatanymaninhissensesshouldholdsuchanopinion——yettheButleritesnumberstrong，someofthemarerespectablepeople，too；more’sthepitythatsuchshouldbethecase。
Aswehavealreadyobserved，thecontroversybeganinthelibraryofSirJohnBlank，anditcontinuedthroughoutthelife—timeofthatexcellentandwell—knowncollector。Athisdeath，afewyearssince，itpassedintothehandsofhisdaughter，thewidowofColonelH—————；
anditwillbereadilyimaginedthatalthoughthemainquestionisstillasmuchundecidedasever，yetthevalueofthedocumentitselfhasbeenimmeasurablyincreasedbyacontroversyoftwentyyearsstanding，onitsmerits。IwishIcouldaddthatthefortuneofColonelH—————hadaugmentedinthesameproportion；but，unhappilyforhiswidow，thereversewasthecase；anditwasowingtothiscombinationofcircumstancesthatLadyHolbertonatlengthobtainedpossessionoftheLumleyAutograph。Mrs。H—————becameverydesirousofprocuringforhereldestsonacornetcyintheregimentoncecommandedbyhisfather；asshewasnowtoopoortopurchase，thematterrequiredmanagementandnegotiation。HowitwasbroughtaboutIcannotexactlysay。Sufficeittodeclarethattheyoungmanreceivedhiscommission，throughtheinfluenceofLadyHolberton，inahighmilitaryquarter，whiletheLumleyAutographwasplacedonadistinguishedleafofthatlady’svelvet—bound，jewel—claspedalbum。
ItsohappenedthatIdinedatHolberton—HouseontheeventfuldayuponwhichtheLumleyletterchangedowners。Isawimmediately，onenteringthedrawing—room，thatLadyHolbertonwasinexcellentspirits；shereceivedmeverygraciously，andspokeofherson，withwhomIhadjusttraveledbetweenParisandAlgiers。
"Wishmejoy，Mr。Howard！"exclaimedtheladyafterashortconversation。
OfcourseIwasveryhappytodoso，andrepliedbysomeremarksontherecentsuccessofherfriendsinaparliamentarymeasure，justthendecided——LadyHolbertonbeingadistinguishedpolitician。ButI
soonfounditwastosomematterofstillhighermomentshethenalluded。
"Ineverhadadoubtastooursuccessinthehouse，lastnight——no；
ratherwishmejoythatIhaveatlasttriumphedinanegotiationoftwoyearsstanding。TheLumleyAutographismine，Mr。Howard！TheletterofpoorOtway，actuallywritteninthefirststagesofstarvation——onlyconceiveitsvalue！"
OtherguestsarrivingIwasobligedtomakeway，nothowever，beforeLadyHolbertonhadpromisedmeasightofherrecentacquisition，intheevening。InthemeantimeIfullyenteredintohersatisfaction，forIhadalreadyseenheralbuminParis，andheardhersighforthisveryadditiontoitstreasures。DuringdinnertheimportantintelligencethattheLumleyletterwasherown，wasimpartedtothecompanygenerally。
"Iknewit！Iwassureofitfromhersmile，themomentIenteredtheroom！"exclaimedMr。T—————thedistinguishedcollector，whosatnextme。
Anotherguest，MissRowley，alsoacollectingcelebrity，wassittingopposite，andturnedsopaleatthemoment，thatIwasonthepointofofficiouslyrecommendingaglassofwater。
"HaveyoualbumsinAmerica，Mr。Howard？"inquiredacharmingyoungladyonmyright。