THE GREAT ON THEMSELVES

Evening Star, Issue 22514, 5 December 1936, Page 14

THE GREAT ON THEMSELVES

BRIEF SELF-PORTRAITS Prizes recently were offered by the ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ for a brief selfportrait (in not" more than 100 words; of! any famous historical person as he or she; would have, written, it. - One might think that this competition was ideally suited for an age of popular biographies and historical films, and certainly these seem to have their effect, : commented the judge. _ln fact, a Famous .Historical Person might now be defined as anyone whose life, has been impersonated by Mr Charles Laughton, Mr George Arliss, or some other distinguished actor, Nero, Dittadj,; and Henry' YIII. are .now well'established and may be said to be fairly certain of'a place in history, and in recent months' one’ has noted wiih pleasure that Cecil Rhodes, Catherine the Great,, Mary Queen of Scots, and even Captain Bligh have'been added to the list of immortal's. Next year, according to- the advance film lists, Queen El izabeth and , Rem brand: are to bo rescued from the darkness of obscurity. Jn the circumstances-tliDso who'chose literary figures for their entries seemed to shine wiih ' an ' exceptional merit. One liked, .for instance, tlis self-portrait of : Charles Lamb fwm Stoke-on-Trent:— '

'< You must know me, Friend, for a poor, patchwork sort of fellow. Do not expect consistency of ms, nor even (always) • seriousness. I must have my quip, be the occasion never be- solemn. Frail enough, too, .God knows—-a tattered folio with a sad bent for fresh rips, alas, but loving still to be read. How the words leap .oft, even to stumbling, when the■ right Reader comes! There is no sweeter meat to my soul than communion with a fellow-sinner, human as I, bub wis<r, be sure, and m better repair.”-■ The classic authors also had their devotees. ’ One learnad competitor wrote a self-portrait of deero in Ciceronian Latin—so Ciceronian indeed that his allotment of 100, words, only completed one sentence. One may question, however, whether the stvle was fitting, as it was expressly stilted to be a conversation with “ thojhistonan Bolomus. a fragment of whosfi writings I found in the 'ibrary, blned m my back garden.”

The first prize welt to Henry VIII,: I>iety—l cannot.give myself fewer than 10 points. Domesticity AO. Love of the beautiful. 10.. |Meekness ■B, .(A

man cannot always.be meek tinder such exceptional trials as have been my lot.) Good humour (J. (I recall at least two occasions when I lost my temper.) Military' genius undeveloped.' Possibly 1) Statesmanship 10. Kindheartedness 10.. (My father used to stand no noiir sense from rebels, but I am different.-) Gratitude 10, Chivalry 9. (1 was grossly deceived over Anne of Cleves, but I'insist on dropping a point.) Ambition ' and avarice originally 2, but much reduced.- •

The second prize to Jane Austen; My face and form are just tolerable and might with a fortune of £IO,OOO attract the loutish younger soir of a baronet, or perhaps an elderly major in straitened circumstances. But my disposition is too ■ lively to endure either the one or the other with proper wifely patience, and I lack most of the £lO,000. So I must resign myself to elegant spinsierhood among friends who can appreciate my good qualities of humour and high spirits, and join with me in my favourite occupation, which is laughing good-naturedly at' our own follies and those.of our acquaintance..