因習的な(伝統的な)学校に入れるのにはあまりに繊細すぎるリットンは,彼の母の眼には聡明と映り,献身的な雰囲気のもと,著作家の生涯を送るよう育てられた。彼の著作は,当時の私には,楽しくかつ面白く思われた。私は,彼の『著名なヴィクトリア朝時代人』を,出版前に,彼が声に出して読んでいるのを聞いたが,私は獄中で再び黙読した。大変面白く,大声で笑ってしまったので,看守が私の独房にやって来て,'刑務所は罰を受けるところだということを忘れてはならない’と言った(松下注:ラッセルは,反戦運動や反核闘争で2度逮捕されているが,ここでは,第一次世界大戦時に反戦運動の関係で,ロンドン郊外のブリクストン刑務所に入れられていた時のエピソードをいっている。) |
Lady Srrachey was a woman of immmense vigour, with a great desire that some at least of her children should distinguish themselves. She had an admirable sense of prose and used to read South's sermons aloud to her children, not for the matter (she was a free-thinker), but to give them a sense of rhythm in the writing of English. Lytton, who was too delicate to be sent to a conventional school, was seen by his mother to be brilliant, and was brought up to the career of a writer in an atmosphere of dedication. His writing appeared to me in those days hilariously amusing. I heard him read Eminent Victorians before it was published, and I read it again to myself in prison. It caused me to laugh so loud that the officer came round to my cell, saying I must remember that prison is a place of punishment. |
(掲載日:2005.06.07/更新日:2011.1.25)