preliminary chapter-第4节

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scope　and　motive　given　for　the　contrivance　and　execution　of　many
extraordinary　and　daring　crimes；　by　the　long　civil　dissensions　of
Scotland…by　the　hereditary　jurisdictions；　which；　until　1748；　rested
the　investigation　of　crises　in　judges；　ignorant；　partial；　or　interested
…by　the　habits　of　the　gentry；　shut　up　in　their　distant　and　solitary
mansion…houses；　nursing　their　revengeful　Passions　just　to　keep　their
blood　from　stagnating…not　to　mention　that　amiable　national　qualification；
called　the　_perfervidum　ingenium　Scotorum；_　which　our
lawyers　join　in　alleging　as　a　reason　for　the　severity　of　some　of　our
enactments。　When　I　come　to　treat　of　matters　so　mysterious；　deep；
and　dangerous；　as　these　circumstances　have　given　rise　to；　the　blood　of
each　reader　shall　be　curdled；　and　his　epidermis　crisped　into　goose
skin。…But；　hist！…here　comes　the　landlord；　with　tidings；　I　suppose；
that　the　chaise　is　ready。''

　　It　was　no　such　thing…the　tidings　bore；　that　no　chaise　could　be
had　that　evening；　for　Sir　Peter　Plyem　had　carried　forward　my　landlord's
two　pairs　of　horses　that　morning　to　the　ancient　royal　borough
of　Bubbleburgh；　to　look　after　his　interest　there。　But　as　Bubbleburgh
is　only　one　of　a　set　of　five　boroughs　which　club　their　shares　for　a
member　of　parliament；　Sir　Peter's　adversary　had　judiciously　watched
his　departure；　in　order　to　commence　a　canvass　in　the　no　less　royal
borough　of　Bitem；　which；　as　all　the　world　knows；　lies　at　the　very
termination　of　Sir　Peter's　avenue；　and　has　been　held　in　leading…strings
by　him　and　his　ancestors　for　time　immemorial。　Now　Sir
Peter　was　thus　placed　in　the　situation　of　an　ambitious　monarch；　who；
after　having　commenced　a　daring　inroad　into　his　enemy's　territories；
is　suddenly　recalled　by　an　invasion　of　his　own　hereditary　dominions。
He　was　obliged　in　consequence　to　return　from　the　half…won　borough
of　Bubbleburgh；　to　look　after　the　half…lost　borough　of　Bitem；　and　the
two　pairs　of　horses　which　had　carried　him　that　morning　to　Bubbleburgh
were　now　forcibly　detained　to　transport　him；　his　agent；　his
valet；　his　jester；　and　his　hard…drinker；　across　the　country　to　Bitem。
The　cause　of　this　detention；　which　to　me　was　of　as　little　consequence
as　it　may　be　to　the　reader；　was　important　enough　to　my　companions
to　reconcile　them　to　the　delay。　Like　eagles；　they　smelled　the　battle
afar　off；　ordered　a　magnum　of　claret　and　beds　at　the　Wallace；　and
entered　at　full　career　into　the　Bubbleburgh　and　Bitem　politics；　with
all　the　probable　‘‘Petitions　and　complaints''　to　which　they　were　likely
to　give　rise。

　　In　the　midst　of　an　anxious；　animated；　and；　to　me；　most　unintelligible
discussion；　concerning　provosts；　bailies；　deacons；　sets　of
boroughs；　leets；　town…clerks；　burgesses　resident　and　non…resident；　all　of
a　sudden　the　lawyer　recollected　himself。　‘‘Poor　Dunover；　we　must
not　forget　him；''　and　the　landlord　was　despatched　in　quest　of　the
_pauvre　honteux；_　with　an　earnestly　civil　invitation　to　him　for　the
rest　of　the　evening。　I　could　not　help　asking　the　young　gentlemen　if
they　knew　the　history　of　this　poor　man；　and　the　counsellor　applied
himself　to　his　pocket　to　recover　the　memorial　or　brief　from　which　he
had　stated　his　cause。

　　‘‘He　has　been　a　candidate　for　our　_remedium　miserabile；_''　said
Mr。　Hardie；　‘‘commonly　called　a　_cessio　bonorum。_　As　there　are
divines　who　have　doubted　the　eternity　of　future　punishments；　so　the
Scotch　lawyers　seem　to　have　thought　that　the　crime　of　poverty　might
be　atoned　for　by　something　short　of　perpetual　imprisonment。　After
a　month's　confinement；　you　must　know；　a　prisoner　for　debt　is　entitled；
on　a　sufficient　statement　to　our　Supreme　Court；　setting　forth　the
amount　of　his　funds；　and　the　nature　of　his　misfortunes；　and　surrendering
all　his　effects　to　his　creditors；　to　claim　to　be　discharged
from　prison。''

　　‘‘I　had　heard；''　I　replied；　‘‘of　such　a　humane　regulation。''

　　‘‘Yes；''　said　Halkit；　‘‘and　the　beauty　of　it　is；　as　the　foreign　fellow
said；　you　may　get　the　_cessio；_　when　the　_bonorums_　are　all　spent…
But　what；　are　you　puzzling　in　your　pockets　to　seek　your　only
memorial　among　old　play…bills；　letters　requesting　a　meeting　of　the
Faculty；　rules　of　the　Speculative　Society；　syllabus'　of　lectures…all

*　＇A　well…known　debating　club　in　Edinburgh。＇

the　miscellaneous　contents　of　a　young　advocate's　pocket；　which　contains
everything　but　briefs　and　bank…notes？　Can　you　not　state　a　case　of
_cessio_　without　your　memorial？　Why；　it　is　done　every　Saturday。
The　events　follow　each　other　as　regularly　as　clock…work；　and　one　form
of　condescendence　might　suit　every　one　of　them。''

　　‘‘This　is　very　unlike　the　variety　of　distress　which　this　gentleman
stated　to　fall　under　the　consideration　of　your　judges；''　said　I。

　　‘‘True；''　replied　Halkit；　‘‘but　Hardie　spoke　of　criminal　jurisprudence；
and　this　business　is　purely　civil。　I　could　plead　a　_cessio_
myself　without　the　inspiring　honours　of　a　gown　and　three…tailed
periwig…Listen。…My　client　was　bred　a　journeyman　weaver…made
some　little　money…took　a　farm…（for　conducting　a　farm；　like　driving
a　gig；　comes　by　nature）…late　severe　times…induced　to　sign　bills　with
a　friend；　for　which　he　received　no　value…landlord　sequestrates…
creditors　accept　a　composition…pursuer　sets　up　a　public…house…fails
a　second　time…is　incarcerated　for　a　debt　of　ten　pounds　seven　shillings
and　sixpence…his　debts　amount　to　blank…his　losses　to　blank…his
funds　to　blank…leaving　a　balance　of　blank　in　his　favour。　There　is
no　opposition；　your　lordships　will　please　grant　commission　to　take
his　oath。''

　　Hardie　now　renounced　this　ineffectual　search；　in　which　there　was
perhaps　a　little　affectation；　and　told　us　the　tale　of　poor　Dunover's
distresses；　with　a　tone　in　which　a　degree　of　feeling；　which　he　seemed
ashamed　of　as　unprofessional；　mingled　with　his　attempts　at　wit；　and
did　him　more　honour。　It　was　one　of　those　tales　which　seem　to　argue
a　sort　of　ill…luck　or　fatality　attached　to　the　hero。　A　well…informed；
industrious；　and　blameless；　but　poor　and　bashful　man；　had　in　vain
essayed　all　the　usual　means　by　which　others　acquire　independence；
yet　had　never　succeeded　beyond　the　attainment　of　bare　subsistence。
During　a　brief　gleam　of　hope；　rather　than　of　actual　prosperity；　he
had　added　a　wife　and　family　to　his　cares；　but　the　dawn　was　speedily
overcast。　Everything　retrograded　with　him　towards　the　verge　of　the
miry　Slough　of　Despond；　which　yawns　for　insolvent　debtors；　and
after　catching　at　each　twig；　and　experiencing　the　protracted　agony　of
feeling　them　one　by　one　elude　his　grasp；　he　actually　sunk　into　the
miry　pit　whence　he　had　been　extricated　by　the　professional　exertions
of　Hardie。

　　‘‘And；　I　suppose；　now　you　have　dragged　this　poor　devil　ashore；
you　will　leave　him　half　naked　on　the　beach　to　provide　for　himself？''
said　Halkit。　‘‘Hark　ye；''…and　he　whispered　something　in　his　ear；
of　which　the　penetrating　and　insinuating　words；　‘‘Interest　with　my
Lord；''　alone　reached　mine。

　　‘‘It　is　_pessimi　exempli；_''　said　Hardie；　laughing；　‘‘to　provide　for
a　ruined　client；　but　I　was　thinking　of　what　you　mention；　provided
it　can　be　managed…But　hush！　here　he　comes。''

　　The　recent　relation　of　the　poor　man's　misfortunes　had　given　him；
I　was　pleased　to　observe；　a　claim　to　the　attention　and　respect　of　the
young　men；　who　treated　him　with　great　civility；　and　gradually　engaged
him　in　a　conversation；　which；　much　to　my　satisfaction；　again
turned　upon　the　_Causes　C