Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch

[storeynicholas]

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (1863-1944) was a writer, critic, anthologist, later King Edward VII Professor of English Literature at Cambridge (the second appointee, after the death of Dr Verrall), educationalist and in several capacities a great public servant. There are several written descriptions of his elegance and they all seem to be supported by the photographs that I have seen. Here is one that has just be sent to me from a private collection and shows him (far right) in a group of school governors in the 1930s. He is surely the best-dressed man in the group - in light grey flannel - whereas the rest are rather more somberly dressed (in a provincial town). Note some details: 4 front buttons and no show buttons; the r/h ticket pocket; the fact that both the coat and the vest appear to be double-breasted and it does actually seem to work; note too the superbly balanced lapels and the rose buttonhole with the leaves still on. I did not put this in the photograph threads as I wanted to say something more than just give his name. I see that I have made some error in the imaging - sorry.
NJS:

[marcelo]

From Arthur Quiller-Couch’s On the Art of Writing: “... Newman says of the classics, that ‘a certain unaffected neatness and propriety and grace of diction may be required of any author, for the same reason that a certain attention to dress is expected of every gentleman.’ After all, what are the chief differentiae between man and the brute creation but that he clothes himself...”

[storeynicholas]

Thank you for that addition, Marcelo. I shall be very pleased if people again start looking at his work more and more - even if he is, for me, a local hero (his homer in Fowey being near to my home town). Some of his writings sre on Bartleby.
NJS

[kilted2000]

For what its worth John Mortimers barrister Rumpole of the Bailey always had Quiller-Couch's edition of the Oxford Book of Engish Verse by his bedside. That's quite an endorsment

[storeynicholas]

For some years, it used to be said that there wasn't a Christening or a wedding at which the Oxford Book of English Verse didn't appear in the list of presents. It was also one of the few books that T E Lawrence (of Arabia) took into the desert on his campaigns.
NJS

[storeynicholas]

Here is another one of him, in great old age, on his terrace at The Haven, Fowey, in his usual country outfit. Note the near Restoration length of the vest and the cut of the coat front. The great Cornish historian, A L Rowse - a difficult contankerous character - described him as "a very clever man -and the greatest gentleman that I have ever known". Anyone reading his works would readily understand this statement. His three Open Letters to The Bishop of Exeter on the subject of McKenna's 1911 Bill to incarcerate and neuter the 'mentally afflicted' are not only masterpieces of powerful prose but were hard-hitting against the Liberal government of the day, which dropped its 'damned Bill' and next year appointed him King Edward Professor of English Literature at Cambridge. The Dutch writer Maarten Maartens, seeing him walk through the narrow streets of his 'dearest of small cities', described him as "King of the place, in a quiet way." The house is still there but the vines and the Rene Andre rose on the house have, sadly, gone. Indeed the side window of his study out of which he looked out to the harbour entrance, during some of his writing, has been blocked by a conservatory!

[G Charles Blue]

I like his spats . . .

[Jack Albans]

My father, who was born in 1908, and taught English for some years among the several things he did, was a devotee of 'Q.,' and enjoined the philosophy implicit in the writings, essays and lectures of this modern man of letters.

I, alas, have for a number of years resided in and out of Australia and nearby to it and have adopted the obligatory illiteracy and ignorance of this Lacadaemonian People so that I may be easily mistaken for a fine example of this tribe.

And what an easy life it is, to be so basic a soul; there is no pressure upon one to reach any civilized standard nor to maintain such.

Of all the rescued books from the half dozen libraries that my family has left, lost, bequeathed or permitted stolen from it, none thereof bears the authorship of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Sitwells somewhere, Mitford-Haven somewhere, yes. And so many others but I recall that 'Q.,' was a particular favourite of my father's.

I am far more pedantic, even stilted, and obsessional about matters of style and breeding(!) than my father, and not in the least bit humanistic - as Couch was and certainly my father too. I carry a real facade and I am deceptive. All this London-world stuff is from the past ( ) It isn't for the people of this day.
Jack A.

[storeynicholas]

Q was not a London man. He was half Cornish and half Devenish; educated at Clifton College (Bristol) and Trinity College, Oxford; later the second appointed King Edward VII Professor of English at Cambridge and divided his time between Cambridge and Fowey. However, I take your point to be that the modern world has little time for 'humanism' (also not quite right as Q regarded himself as a practising Christian). But your general point that the modern world would not much recognise his values is well understood. I do not think it especially errant still to admire such a man as Q. Moreover, your own description of Q as 'this modern man of letters' seems at variance with your conclusions!
NJS.

[Simon A]

Jack, ar yoo saing wee Ostralyans ar les thann literatt?
Sadly, the bookshop in my hometown on my last visit had much of its space devoted to....pet biographies.

[Jack Albans]

Ah well yes. Certainly I am being facetiously offhanded about Couch - possibly because of a slight amount of guilt over NOT having anything by him in my library.

Whereas about whether he should be considered 'modern or not' no there I think he is to be considered modern. My understanding of what prevails at the moment is that we have been living in what's called a 'Post-Modern' Era... And I do agree too that we are and have been 'Post-Modern.' We are not 'modern;' we are stupid and backsliders. Some of our science is better than it was a hundred years ago and our lives benefit as the result - but not enough so, because we haven't the brains to do with our cultural legacy what we ought to have. I don't want to sound like Delamere and talk about shooting people in the head and whatnot, but really!

Maybe we can 're-Modernise' but it's going to take a huge effort.

Samuel Johnson is also modern, just less modern. Shakespeare is modern too. Ian Fleming is Decadent, and Len Deighton the high point of Decadent Modern (oh god, where am I going??) Everything after that is rubbish. Anything Post-Modern is absolute rubbish. Post-Modern writers should all end up in jail at some point. And some did! (I surprise myself sometimes with my incisive satire) And without people like Lautrec writing epistles to set them free!

No, Quiller-Couch IS modern.

J.

[storeynicholas]

I am editing this as it crossed with Jack Alban's last post. I'll let the following stand as an early morning quip.

That's where 'Os' comes from then. The Wizard of Os is probably really a biographical account of the scaredy-cat lion?

Apart from that, I am delighted to see some discussion along these lines!
NJS

[Jack Albans]

Dear Simon - however, if we might class a racehorse as a pet then I am prepared to find this much at least, acceptable...

I found your point quite funny. I am reluctant to say it is COMPLETELY true of course. The reality is there are literate Australians and some good book sellers. Unfortunately there are also a lot of literal people here, too - people who insist 'literate' means 'able to read and write.'

I'll tell you a place by the way, where I have encountered a most unexpectedly deep love of and commitment to reading and to books - SOUTH AFRICA! Believe it or not. This is certainly not the place the BBC keeps casting in the light they choose to throw on the place. The South Africa that I know is not recognizable when compared to what you hear of the place on the BBC. And I happen to (sort of, kind of) love the BBC. ...Don't know why they keep doin' this.

Regards,

J.

[storeynicholas]

Dear Simon - however, if we might class a racehorse as a pet then I am prepared to find this much at least, acceptable...

I found your point quite funny. I am reluctant to say it is COMPLETELY true of course. The reality is there are literate Australians and some good book sellers. Unfortunately there are also a lot of literal people here, too - people who insist 'literate' means 'able to read and write.'

I'll tell you a place by the way, where I have encountered a most unexpectedly deep love of and commitment to reading and to books - SOUTH AFRICA! Believe it or not. This is certainly not the place the BBC keeps casting in the light they choose to throw on the place. The South Africa that I know is not recognizable when compared to what you hear of the place on the BBC. And I happen to (sort of, kind of) love the BBC. ...Don't know why they keep doin' this.

Regards,

J.

We have expreessly excluded the BBC from our Sky package because it plainly puts spin on reporting. It certainly misrepreesnts Brazil as you say that it misrepresents South Africa.

NJS

[Simon A]

..