Spencer & Gillen

A journey through Aboriginal Australia

Letter from L Fison to W B Spencer: N/D

Physical Description

? From L. F. to B. S. Criticism of Tylor, who has “a malady” – Tylor’s “monstrous” proposal which “Frazer” has steadfastly opposed – B. S. is going to U.K.

Primary Comments

Letters from Lorimer Fison

Transcript

Letter from L Fison to W B Spencer: N/D - Page 1

[letterhead]
Spectator Publishing Co. Propriety Limited,
270 Post Office Place, Melbourne.
MEMO.
from Editor
Spectator.
[end letterhead]

My dear Spencer,
I have no other papers handy, so I write on this, & implore your forgiveness. I hope your flight to England is not caused by any hitch arising out of Tylor's monstrous proposal. What I noted when I was in England & he being then in a parlous state raises a suspicion in my mind that Mrs Tylor may have something to do with that. I observed that she sat by us when we were talking, & supplied a word whenever Tylor was at a loss for one, which was of frequent occurrence, & a painful symptom of his malady, which I hear has come upon him again. I have given up writing to him, & have heard nothing from him for the last three years, excepting once - a few lines on a p-card.

Page 2

I think it most likely that Mrs Tylor does most of his thinking for him now.
I can hardly realise your "shyness" at the thought of interviewing Frazer. It never occurred to me to tremble before him, or that there was anything to tremble about, & I am quite sure that my freedom from your complaint did not arise from excessive self-estimation. I assure you I seem to myself to be a perfect humbug, though not of my own manufacture. What I know is so very little that I never cease wondering at folk for making much of it. I should not object to impart to you a reasonable portion of my size if it were possible & if the gift wd do you any good; but as for any of my "age", what in the world do you want with it? Surely you do not delude yourself with the notion that you are a young man! I did until I was about 40, but that arose from my native humility. I used to look upon myself as a youth, & bow before the elders. You are not built that way.
As for Frazer's theory, it will be of great interest to

Page 3

[letterhead]
Spectator Publishing Co. Propriety Limited,
270 Post Office Place, Melbourne.
MEMO.
from Editor
Spectator.
[end letterhead]

me to hear it, & to turn it over in my mind - things of that sort want a lot of turning over. But I have come to care very little about theories. If I had money & leisure, I should spend the rest of my days in gathering facts, & other folk might theorise on them to their hearts' content. My own theorising brought me anything but peace of mind, & I always kick myself when I think of it.
Frazer has earned my undying gratitude by his steadfast opposition to Tylor's proposal. I went to see old David Blair the other day. He modestly informed me that Providence had endowed him with a "preternatural gift of insight into men's minds & qualities". I lay no claim to such

Page 4

a miraculous gift for myself, but when a man [torn paper] me the impression that Frazer did, I have generally - [torn paper] always - found it confirmed by experience. I may be mistaken sometimes - indeed when I tell you that you yourself - but I will pursue the subject no further.
If you tell Dr Jackson of Trinity what you say in your book about the points I put to you when we were at Howitt's, which falls in with his (Jackson's) theory about the origin of the class-divisions, he will rejoice, & he may be useful, though I don't think you will want any more allies. Frazer is a host in himself, & will prevail.
You will go to Oxford of course. Do pray, I beseech you, when you are there, call on my kind hostess Miss Weld, of "Conal More", 5 Northam Gardens. I owe her a long letter but when I shall pay it I cannot tell. My work is getting harder & harder with the hardness of the times, & il faut vivre before paying epistolary debts to one's friends. She was very kind to me - & wrote about me to the Master of Trinity, the Vice chancellor & others, & did all she could for me. Au revoir, & with kind regards to Mrs Spencer & your little ones
Yours sincerely
L. Fison

Rights: Pitt Rivers Museum

Document Details

Date Made
N/D
Creator
Region
Melbourne
State
Victoria

Document Details

Letter To
Sir, Spencer, Walter Baldwin

Institution

Institution
Pitt Rivers Museum
Registration
PRM1C_05