66

and her children strongly, but vainly, op- | accumulating materials for others, as a posed the hopeless litigation. The case glance at their titles will show. Between proceeded, was lost and the effect on 1822 and 1832 he produced, besides the James Chambers was, that he "went from "Illustrations" and "Traditions," his bad to worse, . . and under his accumu- 66 History of the Rebellion of 1745;" lation of disasters and cankering reminis-"History of the Rebellions in Scotland cences, ascribable in a great degree to his from 1638 to 1660;" "History of the Reown inconsiderateness and want of moral bellions in 1689 and 1715;' Life of James courage, died a wreck, in November, 1824." the First; ""Scottish Ballads and Songs;" The costs of the lost lawsuit not only swal- "Scottish Jests and Anecdotes; and lowed up all the money received from Tait "Biography of Distinguished Scotsmen," for the "Traditions," but also threw the in addition to editing an old-established brothers back a year or two in their brave newspaper, called the Edinburgh Adverstruggle. Notwithstanding this heavy leg- tiser. This was a busy life, yet he found acy of debt left them by their father, his time in its course to fall in love with and widow found a peaceful and an honored marry Anne Kirkwood, a charming and home with her sons, and had the consola- accomplished woman - the heroine of tion of seeing their progress, and being some of his poems-whose musical and rewarded by their affection, till the close social talents helped to draw round their of her long and useful life in 1843.* home a pleasant circle.

Το Robert Chambers's next work, "Popular Rhymes of Scotland," Walter Scott also gave assistance; and, until overwhelmed with work and trouble by Constable's failure in 1826, showed the author much personal kindness, daily walking with him and discussing his studies and prospects. Pecuniary help, it was often hinted, would have been given as readily, but Robert, with youth and strength for capital, honorably preferred to rely upon his own exertions. "The quantity of varied literary work," writes his brother, "which he went through at this time was astonishing," especially as he was personally superintending every detail of an increasing business. Scott seems to have thought he was overdoing it, for he wrote in his diary:

Meantime, William Chambers also was busy writing. His first work, "The Book of Scotland," describing the secular and religious institutions peculiar to that country, he mentions as poor, and "now very properly forgotten." Nevertheless it procured his engagement, in conjunction with his brother, to prepare the "Gazetteer of Scotland," a compilation from the best authorities, with additional matter, to obtain which William undertook pedestrian journeys of forty miles a day, consulting the "oldest inhabitants," and resting at the humblest inns. The compiled portions he wrote and rewrote so diligently, that his manual work amounted to thirty thousand pages of MS., all transcribed behind the counter, or after business hours. Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, the enterprise by which the brothers' name became best known, was started in February, 1832. Popularly written, and plentifully mixing tales and poems with essays and “useful knowledge," at three halfpence a number, it had an immediate success far beyond its projector's hopes. The circulation of the third number reached eighty thousand. This is a fault to which all fluent and The honor of the idea belonged to Wilpopular young writers, who undertakeliam. Robert was sceptical, and even a serial works for money as well as fame, little shocked at it. By the thirteenth are prone. The marvel in Robert Cham- number he was converted, and became bers's case was that, doing so much, and joint editor; of this partnership the suroften literally while the press waited for vivor says: copy, he attained such an average of excellence. He had the advantage of dealing generally with kindred subjects, so that while engaged on one book he was

Took to reading Chambers's "Beauties of Scotland," which would be admirable if they were accurate. He is a clever young fellow, but hurts himself by too much haste. I am not making too much myself, I know- and I know, too, it is time I were making it. But there is such a thing as more haste and less speed.†

Robert and William Chambers also took charge of and associated with themselves in business two brothers, James and David; the former of whom died young, the latter dying in 1871, four days after his brother Robert. † Lockhart's "Life of Scott," and edit., 1839, Vol. IX., p. 304.

A happy difference, yet some resemblance, and commercial union. . . . One could not in character, proved of service in our literary well have done without the other. With mutual help there was mutual strength. . . . All previous hardships and experiences seemed to be but a training in strict adaptation for the course of life opened to us in 1832. Nothing could have happened better.

My wife, who has just returned from Scotland, says that your Journal is very popular among her native hills of Galloway. The shepherds, who are scattered there at the rate of one to every four miles square, read it constantly, and they circulate it in this way: the first shepherd who gets it reads it, and at an understood hour places it under a stone on a certain hilltop; then shepherd the second in his own time finds it, reads it, and carries it to another hill, where it is found like Ossian's chief under its own grey stone by shepherd the third, and so it passes on its way, scattering information over the land (p. 245).

On the 21st of September, 1832, died that glory of Scotsmen and giant among littérateurs, Sir Walter Scott, who was buried on the 26th, at Dryburgh Abbey, with every mark of regret and respect which could make the ceremony impressive. Among the few mourners from Edinburgh were the brothers Chambers. No one acquainted with the almost idolatrous veneration they lavished on the great leader of Scottish literature can for a moment doubt the genuineness of their grief, notwithstanding the sudden transition in the following passages:

Indebted to Sir Walter for so many kindnesses some years previously, and in correspondence with him till the close of 1837, my

brother felt that he had lost his most honored friend. Almost immediately, he proceeded to write a memoir of the deceased, from such materials as were within reach, as well as from personal recollections (p. 242).

The memoir was no doubt very excellent certainly it was very popular, as a hundred and eighty thousand copies were sold.

There are three extremely national features in this "simple story." The naive mixture of sorrow with an eye to business; the honesty with which it is avowed; and the apparent blindess to its ludicrous side.

gling, persevering, and finally triumphant lives. Chambers's "Information for the People" sold one hundred and seventy thousand sets, was republished in America and translated into French. The "Educational Course" was so well received that it extended to a hundred volumes, several of them written by Robert Chambers, while William wrote many of their popular "Social Science Tracts." Among Robert's earlier works was a "History of Scotland" (projected and published by Richard Bentley) to which his "Domestic Annals of Scotland" formed a valuable appendix. In Chambers's "Encyclopædia and "Cyclopædia of English Literature," the brothers were of course assisted by competent friends, including James Payn, George Dodd, and Robert Carruthers the latter having been but recently taken from us in his seventy-ninth year. One book written by Robert deserves special mention-because it furnishes an illustra tion of one of his many methods of "doing good by stealth," and because it evoked from Charles Dickens an unexpected tribute of generous appreciation. On the 25th of January, 1859, a grand Burns Centenary Festival was held at the Crystal Palace, while similar gatherings were held in most of the principal towns throughout the kingdom, and of course in Edinburgh. In Household Words for the 12th of February following, appeared as leader an article entitled, "Burns: Viewed as a Hat-Peg." Written by Dickens himself it satirized, in his own incisive, inimitable style, the commemoration as a gigantic humbug and display of personal vanity, singling out, however, for "favorable distinction" the Edinburgh dinner "from the circumstance that one man happened to be present "who had "done something for the memory of Burns besides talk about it." That "one man" was Robert Chambers, who acknowledged in a speech of "just two lines" the toast to "the biographers of Burns."

What Mr. Robert Chambers said for Burns on this occasion [continues Mr. Dickens] is not mentioned in the report we read. The infinitely more important question of what he has done for Burns we are in a position to answer without referring to reports. About seventeen years ago a grateful country had left Burns's sister, Mrs. Begg, and her daughters It is impossible to enumerate here all the Mr. Robert Chambers set on foot a subscripin the most impoverished circumstances; and books for which Chambers's Journal led tion for them. The result of the appeal thus the way. A few instances will sufficiently made, and of a solemn Branch-Burns Comindicate their nature and success, and en-memoration got up in Ayrshire was a subforce the lesson of their authors' strug-scription amounting to something less than

£400; of which the queen and court gave Another generous act formed the sequel £64. As much was done with this pittance to a pretty love story in the life of Robert as could be done; and it was sunk in an an- Chambers. When he was beginning to nuity for the three poor souls to live upon. make way as a bookseller of nineteen, a Mrs. Begg and her daughters were settled in a widow with several daughters lodged over cottage in Ayrshire. Mr. Robert Chambers then went bravely to work with his own hands his shop in Leith Walk; the girls sang and brains to help Burns's kindred for Burns's and played excellently, and Robert, listensake. After devoting admirable industry and ing, thought them "a choir of angels." research to the task, he produced "The Life In such a case, as his brother drily reand Poems of Burns" in four volumes; pub-marks, there is always one who is most lished the book in 1851; and devoted the first angelic; and Lilias, the youngest and fairproceeds of the sale, 200, to the necessities est of the daughters, became Robert's first of Mrs. Begg and her daughters. Thus giving love. He used to lie awake at night listfrom his own individual exertion more than half as much as the entire sum which all ening while she sang overhead, and weavScotland had given. We hope Mr. Roberting verses on her sweet voice and bright Chambers will forgive us for filling up an omission in the newspaper history of the 26th January, and mentioning by way of contrast the nature of his tribute to the memory of

Burns.*

This paragraph was copied into the Times with a heading, "Robert Burns and Robert Chambers," and while it gave considerable surprise to Robert Chambers it was even more gratifying to his friends and relatives, who knew how modestly he shrank from all parade, and that he "never spoke" of what he did to help poor but deserving persons whose distresses were brought under his notice. Leigh Hunt immediately after reading the paragraph wrote to Robert Chambers to express his "delight" with it, saying of the facts an nounced, "These are things which bring tears of admiration into one's eyes. I never heard of the circumstances before or I should have spoken of them. They did not surprise me, for I already believed you to be a man capable of such things; but it is affecting to see realized what one be

lieves in."

Remembering that Leigh Hunt and the brothers Chambers had been considered

in some sort competitors for the honor of having originated cheap and good periodical literature; that Leigh Hunt had been the projector, proprietor, and editor of more than one commercially unsuccessful publication of the kind; and that Charles Dickens was the projector, proprietor, and editor of an every way successful periodical, which might have been regarded as the southern rival of the northern journal, it is what Leigh Hunt himself would have called a "handsome thing" to see in all three such utter freedom from that "trade malice which Mr. Charles Reade so trenchantly denounces and without which, according to the same high authority, no literary man can be complete!

• Household Words, Vol. XIX., pp. 242, 243.

eyes. His affection was returned, but the mother thought the young suitor ineligible and broke off the acquaintance. In time Lilias married in every respect unfortunately. Hearing of her destitute condition, Robert Chambers liberally assisted her. They met once more, when both a widow; he doubly a widower. He was were on the verge of the grave. She was rich and celebrated; she entirely dependent on his bounty. The interview was painful, and they parted with tears. In his will Robert Chambers made ample provision for his first love, but she only survived him a few months.

be done, and there were many fortunate
There was, however, much good work to
years to be enjoyed before this sequel to
their story. The latter half of the broth-
ers' lives was as full of prosperity as the
earlier had been of privation. Visiting
foreign countries, and writing pleasant and
reliable accounts of their travels; receiving
municipal and collegiate honors in their
of thought as worthy fellow-workers, and
own country; welcomed abroad by leaders
happy at home among affectionate families
and 66
troops of friends," they amply
reaped the reward of their labors.
their youthful acquirements to rust a little
for want of practice, Robert Chambers
took up a new science by way of recrea-
tion, and threw himself into the study of
geology with an ardor worthy of the boy
nica" to fairy tales. The Rhineland, Switz-
who preferred the "Encyclopædia Britan-
erland, Iceland, and Norway, besides the
remoter parts of Great Britain, were vis-
ited in the course of his explorations,
which were described in readable and use-
ful volumes. In America both brothers
were cordially received. William was made
LL.D. of Edinburgh (of which he was
lord provost for four years), and St. An-
drews conferred the same dignity on Rob-
ert. In the London literary society of the

At a time of life when most men allow

Her

last half-century the brothers were popu- | children. On the lawn, adjoining a rustic lar. While staying in town a visit from summer-house, there were some fine trees, one Sydney Smith who announced himself of them a splendid spreading oak, beneath as the originator of the Edinburgh Re- which my mother often took breakfast, at view come to see the originator of the which she usually held a levée of cats. fondness for these animals was extraordinary, Edinburgh Journal - gave William and she always maintains that they were a Chambers great pleasure. In the course misunderstood and ill-used people. Her speof their chat Mr. Chambers claimed for the cial favorites were two beautiful white cats, Scotch a considerable fund of humor. known as Mr. and Mrs. Archie, and one of "Oh, by all means!" replied his reverend their kittens was generally perched on her visitor. "You are an immensely funny shoulder, when seated under the trees (pp. people, but you require a little operating 306, 307). upon to let the fun out, and I know no instrument so efficacious as the cork

screw."

One visit paid by William Chambers was to Miss Mitford at her pretty cottage at Three Mile Cross. They were mutually pleased, and the authoress of "Our Vil. lage" wrote in January, 1850, to the Rev. Hugh Pearson: "I am sure you would like Mr. Chambers. I verily believe that he is all he seems: kind, truthful, benevolent, intelligent, and eminently practical."

In all their later successes the brothers never lost sight of their birthplace, or for got their early friends. In grateful recog; nition of the benefits they had received from a little collection of books called "Elder's Library" in Peebles, William Chambers gave the town a suite of rooms consisting of museum, art gallery, lecture hall, reading-room, and a library of ten thousand volumes. But he frankly admits that the class for whose benefit the princely gift was chiefly intended has not benefited by it to the hoped-for extent.

"The

The last work of any magnitude undertaken by Robert Chambers was Book of Days”—a gigantic miscellany of popular antiquities, illustrating the calendar, "including anecdotes, biographies, curiosities of literature, and oddities of human life and character." As it was necessary to attend the British Museum almost daily in order to collect materials Robert Chambers brought his family to London, and took for their accommodation Verulam House, St. John's Wood. This residence, says one of his daughters, he described to her as comprehending

a large garden, lawns, hothouses, and, in short, the whole paraphernalia of a gentleman's country house, with a fine conservatory adjoining the drawing-room, and containing a fountain surrounded with flowers. Besides plenty of space for the beloved books [Mrs. Dowie adds] and spare rooms for guests, there was no end of scope for the romping of grand

Book of Days" was begun in 1861, at
Amidst this charming home life "The
which time also he was reading the proofs
of his "History of the Indian Mutiny,"
with the assistance of a new friend, Lord
Clyde. Two years later "The Book of
Days" was finished; but, as he said him-
self, it was his "death-blow." It seems
attained greater wealth and popularity than
both sad and strange that a man who had
his wildest boyish visions painted; who
was surrounded by a loving and beloved
family and a wide circle of eminent friends;
who could rest or travel as he chose; and
at whose command was every requisite for
making life enjoyable, should have died of
"overwork." Yet that he was a 66 victim
though, as he had reached within one year
to literary labor" his family believed;

of the allotted threescore and ten, it can-
not be held that overwork very materially
shortened his career.
the eleventh hour, when the need for toil
This toiling unto
has long ceased, is but too common among
literary men, as instanced by Thackeray,
Southey, and Dickens; less, of course,
actual work produced, and the unimpaired
for the love of gain than for that of the
actual work produced, and the unimpaired
power of producing it. Whether this was
so or not with Robert Chambers, it is cer-
tain that "The Book of Days was the
last continuous work of which he was ca-
pable. He died in his own house at St.
fitted up as a bedroom during his illness.
Andrews — in his study, which had been
His last words were: "Quite comfortable
- quite happy — nothing more."

Consistently with his unremitting industry, he left an unfinished book; and consistently with his deep though unobtrusive piety, the subject was "The Life and Preachings of Jesus Christ from the Evangelists, for the Use of Young People.”

In an excellent summary of his brother's character, at the end of the memoir, Dr. William Chambers says:

In the common language of the world, Letters of Mary Russell Mitford. Edited by Henry C. Chorley. Second Series. (Bentley, 1872.) Robert's life had been successful. From humVol. II., p. 199. ble beginnings he had risen to the enjoyment

not often see so amiably or so consistently AUTHOR OF "MALCOLM," "The MARQUIS OF LOSSIE,"