THE SECRET OF THE EBONY
CABINET
__WHAT James Boone, Esq, of Auchinleck, Sxland, wanted most
i l—apart from such immediate conoations as wine and com>
‘lisa ad, bah of which were always penifl in his fe—was
ame, Probably his lifelong bunger fe public notice was thereat
ofa prawing conviction of personal inadequacy and, a tine went 0,
St are. In any event, ed bin (1 mention ony the mst famous
{fstances to compete wth Shakespeare for public attention during
the Stator Shakespeare jubilee of 17@, by parading the sires
‘wth placard in his hat veaing“Corsiea Boswell; tify the a=
incest Drury Lane There oe night by ving spite imitations
ft a cow's moos followed by somewhat les sores mitaions of
“ther animal: to appear a a poli execution stp a ease: and to
adc pcan whi by returning to London, aftr a walk tthe
Suburbs perched conspicuously on a dung cat
Such cations as these earnod Boswell if not fame, atleast
otrcy and otrey, afte al was something forthe momen,
Traut be wea inthe public ye. But Bowwell till ha his Heart set on
tring remembered by uncounted age to come: And that is oe reason
hy eu industrious eval the company of Dr, Samoc Joh-
Toor 1 Boone were otto be remembered as auger (be was an
Sistigwished ne), or as an essayist and occasional poet (roles in
Mthich he played only the most meloce gifts), peraps be could
‘Ti stOReY oF THE EBONY camoveEr ”
heat oblvnn athe fiend, and eventually the biographer, of Dr.
Johnson,
‘Aad he di is Lif of Jobnion, fro the day it appeared, assured
thatthe ane of James Booell would never be forgotten. But one
‘an cheat obvion na umber of way, and the way in which Boswell
‘id twas tot the one tht most of us would prefer. How much it
‘at him war summed up nest, fat too neatly, as we now rai, in
Macaulay's fam paradox about the greatest Engl biographer
ing the gat fal in history.
“To any raer ofthe Life of Jobion, however, i is clear that
orwell yeamed for pre fae, fame that comes ot fom making
onclf appar 2 sin stupid as in order thatthe subject of one's
‘graphy sould seem all the more imposing a Sgue, But from the
shee Inter of one's own character. Boswell above al, wanted to be
remembered as James Boswel, Esq, a1 man worthy of permanent
ame-nottooriety—for his ovn sake; who, even if every copy of
the Life of Jobin were somehow wiped ut, would still have an
‘nchallengel place inthe annals of eighentcentury England
Macaulay showed the world exactly bow to view Boswell, and for
early a cettury few ears doubted the jie of his estimate. But
tre can imagine the bigrapber seating from his assigned seat
puree (ober bis sin of the Dash undoubtedly sent him), “The
{hony cit? Look inthe ebony cabinet” For it was thee thatthe
teal Tames Borvell the Bowell who would aunt for something it
Snybody evi trobied to look hin up seat lest, he had been
lice ther fovingly and careuly by the mortal James Boswell be
fore he ded
Tn onwer's wil, when he died in 198, was founda provision re
lating toa certain “ebony cabinet” a fami hilo which had
‘come down to him from his geat-randmoter, and which til re
Insned inthe ancestral home at Auchinleck, neat Ealaburgh. In his
Concer thatthe cabinet ever lave the family, he provide in is
wil hat an heir who “alienate” its to fret a thousand pounds
‘Why thisansiety fra pte of friture? Party ofcourse ecnse
fetes an hiram and the Bowes were very proud oftheir ancient
Tine: But mere importantly, beause it contained the most valuable of” “Tie SCHOLAR ADVENTURERS
‘James Borns ppers: the papers which fhe wold vers the,
would amply juty hi fat hate would nt be forgston, Foe
Year Borel! had prove he wten cod aly le with
{he asia of «Seth magic The pce extent and are of
then vecrds wee Kno tp ee be ial, batt the Life of
Yobaon be dopped texting erecta bisarchiver” which ced
Preeti enogh twa pana any rte that hoe "archive at
Aechakck eeroed many tert sd from Dr. Jl ee
they were ten gue the Lf; awa oe probable that hey
Included ao the great mass of nots frm which Bowell ha re
omar te dts ofthe Jobo ayo he wonder ays
Sighs of eat Ble Court and Sesto, aod on the wide
cpt blind of Scatland?
is cany eel oon posterity, Bow nhs wil gave cic
Gets fr tet wilh te accrued pope to he chry
inet were to be put He deed that the of his frends—ahe
Revered Willan Jobson Tempe, Si Willan Forts and ES
toindMaloe—in their capacity a Hierary ecu sould
Uhrogh he archives and pl al nach prof a they om
‘Wat more culd's man Go ee tat he wold be remenered
iter ean?
Dut the pul dese 10 read owls personal papers, dee
emai, wat aot ratif.Ar we now kno, the appointed
“Wcay exer id gp trough the contents of the ebony exit
tery cartly; bt then ono hm i, nd the we remaining
‘Stor decided todly an further acon nthe mater nil Bowls
Sond son, on of the younger children who orwell hd dicted
Shou sae te prseds of pblation, wa of ag No firtr ae
fenpt war made oto rin the archives, andthe oly thie men
tho acy what they eta ed wt even the ce
[Aris things ore pln kw secre wich ner epcally
cared to dtr, For who, feral was thi strange being Bose
sto had writen so exhib facinting a hook? Nr Macaulay
{old th reader ofthe Edinbrgh Rein, dbs words echoed ow
through thecnturys "He wars, «ama othe capes and eet
HF sCRET OF THE EBONY CANINET 9
Intec «servile and impertinent, sallow and pedantic bigot
fan a sot, bined with family pride, apd etrrally Mastering about
the dignity of born gentleman, yet stooping to be a tale-bearer, a9
faverdroppe common but the taverns of London.” Ths, wile
the subjects of Queen Vioria were endlealy grtelal to Boswell for
Ihving managed somehow, despite his intelectual vacuity and die
‘using perenaity, to write great book, they were ot SOF) 12
Te deprived any further knowledge of the autor
‘Only few persstety curious ookmen, members of the can
who must kom ar mich a can be found out about any Tierary
Figure, regarcles of his manners ot his moral, were Bothered about
‘ogel. Aged that he was all that he portrayed msl tobe, with
Incredible Hngenoournes, in the Life of Jobuon—n impertinent,
ety, vain, veakowld,toadying hypchondrac, supestios, of-
ous ingustve, shares eresture—wat be nothing more? Did
thee el(-reeatons, seemingly so comprehensive, actually give ws 2
‘complete pie ofthe man? Or might there not he another side
to Bowwel «side which was revesed only inthe private papers be
had Nok op for posterity inthe ebony cabinet?
’Atthe sume time, of cou, the i ofthe ebony cabinet was ao
‘on the mind of thowe who, mach more in the tendency oftheir age,
trish to ow more about Dr Johnson, But oa me, the eabiet
‘ow conse of ladies inte sterestVicoian mad who knew that
the woe world shared Macaulay opinkn of ther embarassing.
ancotor. Janes Boswel, Esq. was a closed chapter in the family
sory, Dr Johnson or o Dr Jobmin. And anyway. the caine was
‘empty—for the Donel ates never contac the rumors which
Trad spread tough the teary worl, ery in the century, that Bose
wes papers had been burned
‘Apparent, then, Boswell’ paper, whatever they contained, were
one. James Boswell would have to be content with bing remembered
fh conceited devote of the spots who had somehow’ Blundered
nwo writing gest bok: the increasing fold of Josonians would
Ihave toremsin deprive the important knowledge oftheir which
‘was contained in his Bographer fle but not wsed i the Life; andthe ew Hoonlians, 2 strange et who could not el entertaining an
inexplicable love forthe man who could on ozasinn be 50 end
aout his weakness, woud know nothing more of him. And that was
{hesitation in the mide ofthe ninetecth century.
But if ever coming events cast thei shadows before, they did ona
‘certain day in 1850 inthe Frenchtown of Boulogne-surMer, when oe
‘Major Stone ofthe Eas oda Company, gentleman oterwise un-
‘own to istry, happened ito tle shop to make ome eas
porches. When, up his return to his Nogngs. he unmapped his
pata be dicovered that he wrapping paper was fragment ofan old
Tecer—riten in Engst, With fle curity be looked atthe i
‘ature on the lee, and enti it immediately a that of 3 man
Known to every Englishman with a smattering of Ieray clr. Ie
sas "James Bowel”
“To the everastng credit of the major, he immediatly traced the
source of the wrapping paper: an itinerant vender who was in the
‘abit of passing throgh Boulogne once or ie year, upping the
shops with thr needs. And By god luck, the Boulogne shopkeeper
hd ot yet wed that portion of Mis ney porchawed stock which con
pained the majors quarry. Money changed hands, and Major Stone
found hist the omer of alge numberof eters which Boswell
Ia writen fois most timate frend, the Reverend Wiliam Jobn=
How the Bosnl-Temple eters got to the counter of 2 sl shop
fn Uoulogne can easly be explained. Temple's daughter Anne had
‘mari Charles Powlet, a clergyman who for some reson tad
Ioved from England, about 1825, toa Ul town only a few mies
{tor Boulogne. So mich is cetin: for theres, ne need ely posto
late the death ofthe sorviving member ofthe couple, simpy a pen
tal helsing, he two cumstances under mhich mos mass of
Drvaely el dsumentary material emerge rom hiding. The pele
Iappenet by, bought mass of sap paper, and began ors it nt
long afterward in Boulogne
he Bomell-Temle ltrs, publshe! Ine in 1856, were the st
Important nition to public Knowledge of Bone sce his death
[Naor there war sore septic: orges were at arg in England,
and ony fo years earlier there ha bee the notorious case of twenty=
five forged Stele eters. fora propo edition of which Browning
tad rien a inrodcton Bt all doubt ofthe authenticity of these
owwell ees were answered hy the unquestionably genuine Bose
‘elian flavor andthe agreement of uch otra evidence withthe
ready tablished fats of his life. The contents of many of the
lees, however, mere mt sich at nite publi ment thatthe rst
of his papers had persed. Eventhough they were severely expor
ted teore printing they rove beyond question that Maca had
ten Largely ight in his condemnation of Boswell. partial, Bose
v's frequnt confessions to Temple reese him to bea rake of
Unusual persstence and not to fastlious tastes. He was ot quite the
‘nam whom the Victorians wised to admit to ther parlor. And 0,
iter thi bee forish of interet, Bowes fame remained just about
wha had ben bor: highly dubious. The ee el of the pab-
Tiation ofthe Temple eters was the still more resolute strengthening
ofthe bars at Auchinleck aginst any impertinent inquire. When,
seme twenty years ate, George Birkbeck Hil, the eta of the great
sta ein ofthe Life of Jobmon, went a peron tothe Boswell
seat, the doc was veal slammed i his fc.
1
1 1005 few people heard the news, and fever gave any thought 0
i thatthe ast member ofthe family at Avchilck had de, and
that er ett had posed tothe only remaining male descendant
of James Borel: his great-grea-grandin, Lord Talbot de Malahide.
In due time the Bomell booms were transfered to the new
‘ners home at Malahide Caste, near Dubin, Presmaly the ebony
‘bine war smong them, tut war ransaton of which the wold
‘of bknen was tod nothing
‘Sveneen eas later am American scholar made the fit great step
tomard rehabilitating Bomell as 4 man deserving of independent
Iieranyand peychlogcal—study. In his book Young Borel,
Profesor Chauncey Brewster Tinker of Val University, arguing that