Jottings from the Editors Desk
During the days prior to our last meeting my email, and ordinary mail was flooded with apologies from people unable to attend our meeting, and the Kipling lunch. The meeting was tremendous, nay inspirational, and hopefully we can arrange a joint meeting at a later date so that we may hear Michael Halliwell and David Miller again, including this time those of you who missed out the first time! When we got home from the meeting Sharon put on the double CD on Kipling’s songs and we both relived the occasion.
For the AGM meeting on Saturday February 28th we have secured the ABC film of Batemans, we must thank Chris Cooper for providing the wherewithal to screen it, and we hope to have appropriate comments by those of us who have previously visited Batemans. At a future date we are looking to arrange a tour of Batemans with a group from here.
I came across an earlier comment in the 1960’s, by the UK treasurer on how difficult it was to get Australian members to pay their subscription , apparently they used to send out three reminders at monthly intervals,
and people would pay after the third reminder!
That brings up our subscriptions, one is tea money, of $4 per meeting, last meeting 4 people forgot to pay, not many but for $4 please remember.
Our annual subscriptions run from 1 January each year, and due to the low level, $10 concession, $15 individual and $20 family we do not have part subscriptions, so whenever you have paid your sub, it is due again on 1st January. This coming year it would be tremendous if everybody could find one new member, and bring them to the meetings. With the increased interest in Kipling, especially amongst younger people, and Kipling as a subject for study among academia, that should not be overly difficult.
Since we have explored John Kiplings schooldays, I recently came across references to Lockwood Kiplings school days at Woodhouse Grove School near Bradford, which he attended with his younger brother Joseph. J.T. Slugg, an old boy of the school published, in 1885 a book entitled Woodhouse Grove School: Memorials and Reminiscences.The school sounds like a down market version of the one in Tom Browns Schooldays, but one can now understand Lockwood would not have worried unduly about sending Rudyard away at an early age, when he himself went at just under 8 years old to a very harsh environment.
A great shame we had to cancel our lunch, we were a trifle optimistic on the minimum numbers we had agreed with the restaurant, we shall know better for next year!
Remember our dates for next year, Feb 28th AGM and film of Batemans, May 23rd, Dr Holberton, Aug 22nd, not yet finalized, October 24th, Professor Alexander, and December 6th, our Christmas lunch.
Further to our publication of The Recessional, written by Kipling in 1897 for the Queens Diamond Jubilee, I came across a very good description by Charles Carrington of “lesser breeds without the Law “, a phrase which delighted some of the left wing critics. The boastings of those drunk with power: these are the characteristics of the “lesser breeds” One thing is plain in this cryptic sentence; the lesser breeds are the rulers not ruled. They are some governing class or race which lacks humility and so misuses its power. Scarcely a week passes without the misapplication of the phrase by some journalist who thinks that Kipling described the colonial people as lesser breeds
The poem chosen this quarter, and sung so wonderfully by Professor Halliwell, is Mandalay. This version differs from the original in that in the second line the original version had looking Eastwards to the sea, and this has looking lazy at the sea. If the “old Moulmein pagoda” was, in fact at Moulmein technically one would look westwards to the sea .but since there is an “old” Moulmein pagoda in Rangoon, across the bay, looking East to the sea, and since Kipling was the complete craftsman as far as reference is concerned, and since the “old Flotilla” which went from Rangoon to Mandalay moored at Rangoon near the “old” Moulmein pagoda, and conveniently close to two large clay figures of Buddha, “Blooming idol made of mud” I would venture to suggest Kipling was, as always, correct.
Christmas is coming, I would ask any of you who have a few minutes to spare, put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard , and let me have some input for the next issue. Please!
- D.W.
Gods of the Copybook Headings
The following extracts from Roger Cohens article in the New York Times were noticed by Gary Dalrymple, many thanks Gary, I would have missed it!
Gods of the Copybook Headings was written by RK in 1919, at the end of the 14-18 War. Copybooks were then used to practice handwriting, at the top of each lined page was a proverb or saying in perfect script, to be copied by the pupil. Roger goes on to say that Kipling is not fashionable these days, other than his childrens books. For a politically correct age, he speaks too bluntly of the worlds cruel ironies.
To quote from Epitaphs of the War (1914-1918)
If any question why we died, Tell them, because our fathers lied.
But Kiplings vivid evocation of war’s horror, man’s hypocrisy, illusion’s price and power’s passing make him important at this moment in our history. The poem begins:
As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings,I notice, outlast them all.
And what are the Qualities of these “Gods of the Copybook Headings?” The fourth verse sets them out. With the hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch, They denied that the moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch; They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings; So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.
The seventh verse reads:
In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul: But though we have plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: ”If you don’t work you die.” Truth, in short, confronts delusion and utopia.
“The Gods of the Copybook Headings” ends:
As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man-
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began:
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool’s finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;
And after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!
Roger ends with “ The world’s still a dangerous place. Its time for copybook realists” |
Kipling Books
Now that Rudyard Kipling is virtually out of copyright there is a plethora of reissues of his works.
Sharon picked up a new Puffin (junior penguin) in Canada, a paperback series of junior classics, they had Jungle Book, and Mowgli, very well produced, not small print, good copies of the original illustrations, and at $6 make a very good gift for children.
I was presented in the States with a copy of the Collected Works of Rudyard Kipling, both prose and poetry, in one volume, published by Walter J Black, New York. Unfortunately it is not dated, I estimate around 1904. One of my colleagues spotted it in a garage sale in Pennsylvania and kept it for me until my visit last month.
A Kipling edition of ‘The man who would be King, The phantom rickshaw and Black jack’ produced like a cigarette packet, by Tank books in China was acquired by one of our members and added to our collection.
Jane Cooper contacted us via the website, and has presented us with a collection of Kipling Society Journals, 80 odd, and several volumes of Kipling including first editions, belonging to her late father. Jane came along to our last meeting, which gave us the opportunity to thank her again.
We hope, when we have the nucleus of a reasonable collection to find a home for them in one of our local universities. Then at least they will be available for study, whilst we may bring a selection of recent printings to our meetings so that members can borrow them. Any suggestions or ideas please?
Professors Michael Halliwell's concert
 Michael Halliwell and his accompanist David Miller gave us an excellent musical presentation of some of Kipling’s works on Saturday 25th October.
Not only did Michael Halliwell give an excellent musical rendering of some of Kipling’s songs, ably accompanied by David Miller, but between each item of music he gave us a brief history of the verse, explained how the music related to the words, and who wrote the music.
We often tend to forget how the early Kipling was influenced by the music hall of that time. In his early days in London he lived nearly opposite a famous music hall, Gatti’s under the Arches and remembering his famous story “The village that voted the Earth was Flat”
Colonel Purefoy, lately Secretary of the Kipling Society UK, remembered a lady telling him of her mother, attending a London theatre, when the Leading Lady came on stage at an Interval and sang “The Absentminded Beggar” ,music as Michael reminded us, by Sullivan, and on the last line of Pay, Pay, Pay, the audience flooded the stage with money, bracelets, necklaces, and rings! One believes, as Bat Masquerier said, as well as “Dal at the Trefoil. Winnie Deans in Manchester and Ramsden in Glasgow” this happened around England.
Besides the double CD that was produced by Michael Halliwell and David Miller, and is available at the ABC shops, in the late 1960’s two records were produced, songs from “Puck” and “Rewards” sung by Peter Bellamy, by “Stereo Record Argo ZFB 81. If any member has a copy they are prepared to loan I would be delighted!
Both Michael and David are very interested in the connection between literature and music, and Susannah is investigating whether we can have a joint musical meeting between the Dickens, Jane Austen and our Societies in the future.
We felt honoured by the performance, and indeed grateful that we had the opportunity to hear such a dynamic duo at our meeting.
Michael Halliwell stayed behind for nearly an hour talking with us, which gave us more time to thank him, which was just as well, because after the performance I for one felt emotionally drained and unable to give a proper vote of thanks! Fortunately Susannah came to my rescue.
A Kipling Poem
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Mandalay
BY THE old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' lazy at the sea,
There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me;
For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay! "
Come you back to Mandalay, where the old Flotilla lay:
Can't you 'ear their paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay ?
On the road to Mandalay, Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!
'Er petticoat was yaller an' 'er little cap was green,
An' 'er name was Supi-yaw-lat - jes' the same as Theebaw's Queen,
An' I seed her first a-smokin' of a whackin' white cheroot,
An' a-wastin' Christian kisses on an 'eathen idol's foot:
Bloomin' idol made o' mud; Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd
Plucky lot she cared for idols when I kissed 'er where she stud!
On the road to Mandalay...
When the mist was on the rice-fields an' the sun was droppin' slow,
She'd git 'er little banjo an' she'd sing "Kulla-lo-lo!
With 'er arm upon my shoulder an' 'er cheek agin my cheek
We useter watch the steamers an' the hathis pilin' teak.
Elephints a-pilin' teak in the sludgy, squdgy creek,
Where the silence 'ung that 'eavy you was 'arf afraid to speak!
On the road to Mandalay...
But that's all shove be'ind me - long ago an' fur away
An' there ain't no 'busses runnin' from the Bank to Mandalay;
An' I'm learnin' 'ere in London what the ten-year soldier tells:
"If you've 'eard the East a-callin', you won't never 'eed naught else."
No! you won't 'eed nothin' else; But them spicy garlic smells,
An' the sunshine an' the palm-trees an' the tinkly temple-bells;
On the road to Mandalay...
I am sick o' wastin' leather on these gritty pavin'-stones,
An' the blasted English drizzle wakes the fever in my bones;
Tho' I walks with fifty 'ousemaids outer Chelsea to the Strand,
An' they talks a lot o' lovin', but wot do they understand?
Beefy face an' grubby 'and - Law! wot do they understand?
I've a neater, sweeter maiden in a cleaner, greener land!
On the road to Mandalay...
Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst;
For the temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea;
On the road to Mandalay, Where the old Flotilla lay,
With our sick beneath the awnings when we went to Mandalay!
O the road to Mandalay, where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay !
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