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； as would have saved him and his book from such a sadly ironical fate as has overtaken him and it。
From the whole business … since 〃free； gratis； for nothing；〃 I offered him as good advice as any lawyer in the three kingdoms could have done for large payment； and since he never deemed it worth while； even to tell me the results of his reference to FAMILIAR STUDIES； I here and now say deliberately that his conduct to me was scarcely so courteous and grateful and graceful as it might have been。 How different … very different … the way in which the late R。 L。 Stevenson rewarded me for a literary service no whit greater or more essentially valuable to him than this service rendered to Lord Rosebery might have been to him。
This chapter would most probably not have been printed； had not Mr Coates re…issued the inadequate and most misleading paragraph about Mr Stevenson and style in his Lord Rosebery's LIFE AND SPEECHES exactly as it was before； thus perpetuating at once the error and the wrong； in spite of all my trouble； warnings； and protests。 It is a tragicomedy； if not a farce altogether； considering who are the principal actors in it。 And let those who have copies of the queer prohibited book cherish them and thank me； for that I do by this give a new interest and value to it as a curiosity； law… inhibited； if not as high and conscientious literature … which it is not。
I remember very well about the time Lord Rosebery spoke on Burns； and Stevenson； and London； that certain London papers spoke of his deliverances as indicating more knowledge … fuller and exacter knowledge … of all these subjects than the greatest professed experts possessed。 That is their extravagant and most reckless way； especially if the person spoken about is a 〃great politician〃 or a man of rank。 They think they are safe with such superlatives applied to a brilliant and clever peer （with large estates and many interests）； and an ex…Prime Minister！ But literature is a republic； and it must here be said； though all unwillingly； that Lord Rosebery is but an amateur … a superficial though a clever amateur after all； and their extravagances do not change the fact。 I declare him an amateur in Burns' literature and study because of what I have said elsewhere； and there are many points to add to that if need were。 I have proved above from his own words that he was crassly and unpardonably ignorant of some of the most important points in R。 L。 Stevenson's development when he delivered that address in Edinburgh on Stevenson … a thing very； very pardonable … seeing that he is run after to do 〃speakings〃 of this sort； but to go on； in face of such warning and protest； printing his most misleading errors is not pardonable； and the legal recorded result is my justification and his condemnation； the more surely that even that would not awaken him so far as to cause him to restrain Mr Coates from reproducing in his LIFE AND SPEECHES； just as it was originally； that peccant passage。 I am fully ready to prove also that； though Chairman of the London County Council for a period； and though he made a very clever address at one of Sir W。 Besant's lectures； there is much yet … very much … he might learn from Sir W。 Besant's writings on London。 It isn't so easy to outshine all the experts … even for a clever peer who has been Prime Minister； though it is very； very easy to flatter Lord Rosebery； with a purpose or purposes； as did at least once also with rarest tact； at Glasgow； indicating so many other things and possibilities； a certain very courtly ex…Moderator of the Church of Scotland。
CHAPTER XXXI … MR GOSSE AND MS。 OF TREASURE ISLAND
MR EDMUND GOSSE has been so good as to set down； with rather an air of too much authority； that both R。 L。 Stevenson and I deceived ourselves completely in the matter of my little share in the TREASURE ISLAND business； and that too much credit was sought by me or given to me； for the little service I rendered to R。 L。 Stevenson； and to the world； say； in helping to secure for it an element of pleasure through many generations。 I have not SOUGHT any recognition from the world in this matter； and even the mention of it became so intolerable to me that I eschewed all writing about it； in the face of the most stupid and misleading statements； till Mr Sidney Colvin wrote and asked me to set down my account of the matter in my own words。 This I did； as it would have been really rude to refuse a request so graciously made； and the reader has it in the ACADEMY of 10th March 1900。 Nevertheless； Mr Gosse's statements were revived and quoted； and the thing seemed ever to revolve again in a round of controversy。
Now； with regard to the reliability in this matter of Mr Edmund Gosse； let me copy here a little note made at request some time ago； dealing with two points。 The first is this：
1。 MOST ASSUREDLY I carried away from Braemar in my portmanteau； as R。 L。 Stevenson says in IDLER'S article and in chapter of MY FIRST BOOK reprinted in EDINBURGH EDITION； several chapters of TREASURE ISLAND。 On that point R。 L。 Stevenson； myself； and Mr James Henderson； to whom I took these； could not all be wrong and co… operating to mislead the public。 These chapters； at least vii。 or viii。； as Mr Henderson remembers； would include the FIRST THREE； that is； FINALLY REVISED VERSIONS FOR PRESS。 Mr Gosse could not then HAVE HEARD R。 L。 STEVENSON READ FROM THESE FINAL VERSIONS BUT FROM FIRST DRAUGHTS ONLY； and I am positively certain that with some of the later chapters R。 L。 Stevenson wrote them off…hand； and with great ease； and did not revise them to the extent of at all needing to re…write them； as I remember he was proud to tell me； being then fully in the vein； as he put it； and pleased to credit me with a share in this good result； and saying 〃my enthusiasm over it had set him up steep。〃 There was then； in my idea； a necessity that Stevenson should fill up a gap by verbal summary to Mr Gosse （which Mr Gosse has forgotten）； bringing the incident up to a further point than Mr Gosse now thinks。 I am certain of my facts under this head； and as Mr Gosse clearly fancies he heard R。 L。 Stevenson read all from final versions and is mistaken … COMPLETELY mistaken there … he may be just as wrong and the victim of error or bad memory elsewhere after the lapse of more than twenty years。
2。 I gave the pencilled outline of incident and plot to Mr Henderson … a fact he distinctly remembers。 This fact completely meets and disposes of Mr Robert Leighton's quite imaginative BILLY BO'SUN notion； and is absolute as to R。 L。 Stevenson before he left Braemar on the 21st September 1881； or even before I left it on 26th August 1881； having clear in his mind the whole scheme of the work； though we know very well that the absolute re…writing out finally for press of the concluding part of the book was done at Davos。 Mr Henderson has always made it the strictest rule in his editorship that the complete outline of the plot and incident of the latter part of a story must be supplied to him； if the whole story is not submitted to him in MS。； and t