The Gentle Art of Making Enemies Part 1

The Gentle Art of Making Enemies.

by James McNeill Whistler.

_AN EXTRAORDINARY PIRATICAL PLOT_

[Sidenote: _"American Register," Paris, March 8, 1890._]

_A most curiously well-concocted piratical scheme to publish, without his knowledge or consent, a complete collection of Mr. Whistler's writings, letters, pamphlets, lectures, &c., has been nipped in the bud on the very eve of its accomplishment. It appears that the book was actually in type and ready for issue, but the plan was to bring out the work simultaneously in England and America. This caused delay, the plates having to be s.h.i.+pped to New York, and the strain of secrecy upon the conspirators during the interval would seem to have been too great. In any case indications of surrounding mystery, quite sufficient to arouse Mr. Whistler's attention, brought about his rapid action. Messrs. Lewis and Lewis were instructed to take out immediate injunction against the publication in both England and America, and this information, at once cabled across, warning all publishers in the United States, exploded the plot, effectually frustrating the elaborate machinations of those engaged in it._

_SEIZURE OF MR WHISTLER'S PIRATED WRITINGS_

[Sidenote: _"New York Herald," London Edition, March 23, 1890._]

_This pirated collection of letters, writings, &c., to whose frustrated publication in this country and America we have already alluded, was seized in Antwerp, at the printers', on Friday last--the very day of its contracted delivery. The persistent and really desperate speculator in this volume of difficult birth, baffled in his attempt to produce it in London and New York had been tracked to Antwerp by Messrs. Lewis and Lewis; and he was finally brought down by Maitre Maeterlinck, the distinguished lawyer of that city._

_THE EXPLODED PLOT_

[Sidenote: _"Pall Mall Gazette," March 27, 1890._]

_With regard to this matter, to which we have already alluded on a previous occasion, Messrs. Lewis and Lewis have received the following letter from Messrs. Field and Tuer, of the Leadenhall Press, dated March 25, 1890:--_

_"We have seen the paragraph in yesterday's 'Pall Mall Gazette'

relating to the publication of Mr. Whistler's letters. You may like to know that we recently put into type for a certain person a series of Mr. Whistlers letters and other matter, taking it for granted that Mr.

Whistler had given permission. Quite recently, however, and fortunately in time to stop the work being printed, we were told that Mr. Whistler objected to his letters being published. We then sent for the person in question, and told him that until he obtained Mr.

Whistler's sanction we declined to proceed further with the work, which, we may tell you, is finished and cast ready for printing, and the type distributed. From the time of this interview we have not seen or heard from the person in question, and there the matter rests."_

_MR. WHISTLER'S PAPER HUNT_

[Sidenote: _"Sunday Times," March 30, 1890._]

_The fruitless attempt to publish without his consent, or rather in spite of his opposition, the collected writings of Mr. Whistler has developed into a species of chase from press to press, and from country to country. With an extraordinary fatality, the unfortunate fugitive has been invariably allowed to reach the very verge of achievement before he was surprised by the long arm of Messrs. Lewis and Lewis. Each defeat has been consequently attended with infinite loss of labour, material and money. Our readers have been told how the London venture came to nought, and how it was frustrated in America.

The venue was then changed, and Belgium, as a neutral ground, was supposed possible; but here again, on the very day of its delivery, the edition of 2000 vols. was seized by M. le Procureur du Roi, and under the nose of the astounded and discomfited speculator, the packed and corded bales, of which he was about to take possession, were carried off in the Government van! The upshot of the untiring efforts of this persistent adventurer at length results in furnis.h.i.+ng Mr.

Whistler with the first and only copy of this curious work, which was certainly anything but the intention of its compiler, who clearly, judging from its contents, had reserved for him an unpleasing if not crus.h.i.+ng surprise!_

_A GREAT LITERARY CURIOSITY_

[Sidenote: _"Pall Mall Gazette." March 1890._]

_I have to-day seen the printed book itself of the Collected Writings of Mr. Whistler, whose publication has proved so comically impossible.

The style of the preface and accessory comments is in the worst style of Western editors.h.i.+p; while the disastrous effect of Mr. Whistler's literature upon the one who has burned his fingers with it, is amusingly shown._

_In the index occur such well-known names as Mr. J. C. Horsley, R.A., Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Ruskin, Mr. Linley Sambourne, Mr. Swinburne, Tom Taylor, Mr. Frith, and Rossetti. The famous catalogue of the "Second Exhibition of Venice Etchings, February 19, 1883," in which Mr.

Whistler quotes the critics, is also given._

_A LAST EFFORT_

[Sidenote: _"Pall Mall Gazette," April 9, 1890._]

_We hear that a third attempt has been made to produce the pirated copy of Mr. Whistler's collected writings. Messrs. Lewis and Lewis have at once taken legal steps to stop the edition (printed in Paris) at the Customs. A cablegram has been received by Mr. Whistler's solicitors stating that Messrs. Stokes's name has been affixed to the t.i.tle-page of the pirated book without the sanction of those publishers._

_THE GENTLE ART OF MAKING ENEMIES_

_AS PLEASINGLY EXEMPLIFIED IN MANY INSTANCES, WHEREIN THE SERIOUS ONES OF THIS EARTH, CAREFULLY EXASPERATED, HAVE BEEN PRETTILY SPURRED ON TO UNSEEMLINESS AND INDISCRETION, WHILE OVERCOME BY AN UNDUE SENSE OF RIGHT_

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_A NEW EDITION_

_LONDON MDCCCXCII_

_WILLIAM HEINEMANN_

_Rights of Translation and Reproduction reserved._

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