第49部分(第4/7 頁)

and　I　don’t　think　I　have　e　to　a　dull　page　yet。　I　don’t　want　to　flatter；　but　it　literally　surprises　me　that　anyone　should　write　such　a　story　nowadays。　Charles　Kingsley　would　have　spoiled　it　by　maundering　and　philosophising。　I　have　hardly　seen　a　line　which　is　not　in　keeping　yet。　Also　the　plot　is　a　good　natural　plot　and　the　characters；　except　Gudruda；　sympathetic。　I　think　she　might　be　a　little　less　feminine　and　ill…willy。　As　literature　I　really　think　it　is　a　masterpiece　so　far　as　I　have　gone。　I’d　almost　as　soon　have　expected　more　Homer　as　more　saga。　I　don’t　think　much　of　the　boy　who　can　lay　it　down　till　it　is　finished；　women　of　course　can’t　be　expected　to　care　for　it。　Surely　it　should　e　out　before　the　“Bow；”　which　is　such　a　flukey　thing；　whereas；　whatever　reviews　and　people　may　say；　“Eric”　is　full　of　the　best　qualities　of　poetic　＇？　word　doubtful＇　fiction。

Next　letter；　undated。

The　more　I　consider　“Eric；”　the　more　I　think　that　except　“Cleopatra；”　which　you　can’t　keep　back；　I’d　publish　no　novel　before　“Eric。”　It　is　so　very　much　the　best　of　the　lot　in　all　ways。　Probably　you　don’t　agree；　and　the　public　probably　won’t　stop　to　consider；　but　it　is。　I’d　like　to　suggest　one　or　two　remarks　for　a　preface　—　if　any。　The　discovery　of　the　dead　mother　and　the　dialogue　with　the　Carline　struck　me　very　much。　Clearly　Swanhild　needed　no　witchcraft；　and　as　certainly　her　natural　magic　would　have　been　interpreted　so　—　at　the　time　and　much　later。　Perhaps　the　final　bust…up　might　be　less　heavy　in　the　supernatural；　but　more　distinctly　represented　as　the　vision　of　fay　men　—　subjective。　Oddly　enough；　I　found　a　Zulu　parallel　today：　“I　have　made　me　a　mat　of　men　to　lie　on；”　says　the　Zulu　berserk　when　he　had　killed　twenty　and　the　assegais　in　his　body　were　“like　reeds　in　a　marsh。”　He　is　in　Cal