the black dwarf-第2节

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is　voice　opened　therein　as　a　preacher；　who　delighted　in　the　collection　of　olden　tales　and　legends；　and　in　garnishing　them　with　the　flowers　of　poesy；　whereof　he　was　a　vain　and　frivolous　professor。　　For　he　followed　not　the　example　of　those　strong　poets　whom　I　preposed　to　him　as　a　pattern；　but　formed　versification　of　a　flimsy　and　modern　texture；　to　the　compounding　whereof　was　necessary　small　pains　and　less　thought。　　And　hence　I　have　chid　him　as　being　one　of　those　who　bring　forward　the　fatal　revolution　prophesied　by　Mr。　Robert　Carey；　in　his　Vaticination　on　the　Death　of　the　celebrated　Dr。　John　Donne：

　Now　thou　art　gone；　and　thy　strict　laws　will　be　　Too　hard　for　libertines　in　poetry；　　Till　verse　（by　thee　refined）　in　this　last　age　　Turn　ballad　rhyme。

I　had　also　disputations　with　him　touching　his　indulging　rather　a　flowing　and　redundant　than　a　concise　and　stately　diction　in　his　prose　exercitations。　　But　notwithstanding　these　symptoms　of　inferior　taste；　and　a　humour　of　contradicting　his　betters　upon　passages　of　dubious　construction　in　Latin　authors；　I　did　grievously　lament　when　Peter　Pattieson　was　removed　from　me　by　death；　even　as　if　he　had　been　the　offspring　of　my　own　loins。　　And　in　respect　his　papers　had　been　left　in　my　care　（to　answer　funeral　and　death…bed　expenses）；　I　conceived　myself　entitled　to　dispose　of　one　parcel　thereof；　entitled；　〃Tales　of　my　Landlord；〃　to　one　cunning　in　the　trade　（as　it　is　called）　of　bookselling。　　He　was　a　mirthful　man；　of　small　stature；　cunning　in　counterfeiting　of　voices；　and　in　making　facetious　tales　and　responses；　and　whom　I　have　to　laud　for　the　truth　of　his　dealings　towards　me。

Now；　therefore；　the　world　may　see　the　injustice　that　charges　me　with　incapacity　to　write　these　narratives；　seeing；　that　though　I　have　proved　that　I　could　have　written　them　if　I　would；　yet；　not　having　done　so；　the　censure　will　deservedly　fall；　if　at　all　due；　upon　the　memory　of　Mr。　Peter　Pattieson；　whereas　I　must　be　justly　entitled　to　the　praise；　when　any　is　due；　seeing　that；　as　the　Dean　of　St。　Patrick's　wittily　and　logically　expresseth　it；

　That　without　which　a　thing　is　not；　　　Is　CAUSA　SINE　QUA　NON。

The　work；　therefore；　is　unto　me　as　a　child　is　to　a　parent；　in　the　which　child；　if　it　proveth　worthy；　the　parent　hath　honour　and　praise；　but；　if　otherwise；　the　disgrace　will　deservedly　attach　to　itself　alone。

I　have　only　further　to　intimate；　that　Mr。　Peter　Pattieson；　in　arranging　these　Tales　for　the　press；　hath　more　consulted　his　own　fancy　than　the　accuracy　of　the　narrative；　nay；　that　he　hath　sometimes　blended　two　or　three　stories　together　for　the　mere　grace　of　his　plots。　　Of　which　infidelity；　although　I　disapprove　and　enter　my　testimony　against　it；　yet　I　have　not　taken　upon　me　to　correct　the　same；　in　respect　it　was　the　will　of　the　deceased；　that　his　manuscript　should　be　submitted　to　the　press　without　diminution　or　alteration。　　A　fanciful　nicety　it　was　on　the　part　of　my　deceased　friend；　who；　if　thinking　wisely；　ought　rather　to　have　conjured　me；　by　all　the　tender　ties　of　our　friendship　and　common　pursuits；　to　have　carefully　revised；　altered；　and　augmented；　at　my　judgment　and　discretion。　　But　the　will　of　the　dead　must　be　scrupulously　obeyed；　even　when　we　weep　over　their　pertinacity　and　self…delusion。　　So；　gentle　reader；　I　bid　you　farewell；　recommending　you　to　such　fare　as　the　mountains　of　your　own　country　produce；　and　I　will　only　farther　premise；　that　each　Tale　is　preceded　by　a　short　introduction；　mentioning　the　persons　by　whom；　and　the　circumstances　under　which；　the　materials　thereof　were　collected。

JEDEDIAH　CLEISHBOTHAM。


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II。　　INTRODUCTION　　to　　THE　　BLACK　　DWARF。

The　ideal　being　who　is　here　presented　as　residing　in　solitude；　and　haunted　by　a　consciousness　of　his　own　deformity；　and　a　suspicion　of　his　being　generally　subjected　to　the　scorn　of　his　fellow…men；　is　not　altogether　imaginary。　　An　individual　existed　many　years　since；　under　the　author's　observation；　which　suggested　such　a　character。　　This　poor　unfortunate　man's　name　was　David　Ritchie；　a　native　of　Tweeddale。　　He　was　the　son　of　a　labourer　in　the　slate…quarries　of　Stobo；　and　must　have　been　born　in　the　misshapen　form　which　he　exhibited；　though　he　sometimes　imputed　it　to　ill…usage　when　in　infancy。　　He　was　bred　a　brush…maker　at　Edinburgh；　and　had　wandered　to　several　places；　working　at　his　trade；　from　all　which　he　was　chased　by　the　disagreeable　attention　which　his　hideous　singularity　of　form　and　face　attracted　wherever　he　came。　　The　author　understood　him　to　say　he　had　even　been　in　Dublin。

Tired　at　length　of　being　the　object　of　shouts；　laughter；　and　derision；　David　Ritchie　resolved；　like　a　deer　hunted　from　the　herd；　to　retreat　to　some　wilderness；　where　he　might　have　the　least　possible　communication　with　the　world　which　scoffed　at　him。　He　settled　himself；　with　this　view；　upon　a　patch　of　wild　moorland　at　the　bottom　of　a　bank　on　the　farm　of　Woodhouse；　in　the　sequestered　vale　of　the　small　river　Manor；　in　Peeblesshire。　　The　few　people　who　had　occasion　to　pass　that　way　were　much　surprised；　and　some　superstitious　persons　a　little　alarmed；　to　see　so　strange　a　figure　as　Bow'd　Davie　（i。e。　Crooked　David）　employed　in　a　task；　for　which　he　seemed　so　totally　unfit；　as　that　of　erecting　a　house。　　The　cottage　which　he　built　was　extremely　small；　but　the　walls；　as　well　as　those　of　a　little　garden　that　surrounded　it；　were　constructed　with　an　ambitious　degree　of　solidity；　being　composed　of　layers　of　large　stones　and　turf；　and　some　of　the　corner　stones　were　so　weighty；　as　to　puzzle　the　spectators　how　such　a　person　as　the　architect　could　possibly　have　raised　them。　In　fact；　David　received　from　passengers；　or　those　who　came　attracted　by　curiosity；　a　good　deal　of　assistance；　and　as　no　one　knew　how　much　aid　had　been　given　by　others；　the　wonder　of　each　individual　remained　undiminished。

The　proprietor　of　the　ground；　the　late　Sir　James　Naesmith；　baronet；　chanced　to　pass　this　singular　dwelling；　which；　having　been　placed　there　without　right　or　leave　asked　or　given；　formed　an　exact　parallel　with　Falstaff's　simile　of　a　〃fair　house　built　on　another's　ground；〃　so　that　poor　David　might　have　lost　his　edifice　by　mistaking　the　property　where　he　had　erected　it。　　Of　course；　the　proprietor　entertained　no　idea　of　exacting　such　a　forfeiture；　but　readily　sanctioned　the　harmless　encroachment。

The　personal　description　of　Elshender　of　Mucklestane…Moor　has　been　generally　allowed　to　be　a　tolerably　exact　and　unexaggerated　portrait　of　David　of　Manor　Water。　　He　was　not　quite　three　feet　and　a　half　high；　since　he　could　stand　upright　in　the　door　of　his　mansion；　which　was　just　that　height。　　The　following　particulars　concerning　his　figure　and　temper　occur　in　the　SCOTS　MAGAZINE　for　1817；　and　are　now　understood　to　have　been　communicated　by　the　ingenious　Mr。　Robert　Chambers　of　Edinburgh；　who　has　recorded　with　much　spirit　the　traditions　of　the　Good　Town；　and；　in　other　publications；　largely　and　agreeably　added　to　the　stock　of　our　popular　antiquities。　　He　is　the　countryman　of　David　Ritchie；　and　had　the　best　access　to　collect　anecdotes　of　him。

〃His　skull；〃　says　this　authority；　〃which　was　of　an　oblong　and　rather　unusual　shape；　was　said　to　be　of　such　strength；　that　he　could　strike　it　with　ease　through　the　panel　of　a　door；　or　the　end　of　a　barrel。　　His　laugh　is　said　to　have　been　quite　horrible；　and　his　screech…owl　voice；　shrill；　uncouth；　and　dissonant；　corresponded　well　with　his　other　peculiarities。

〃There　was　nothing　very　uncommon　about　his　dress。　　He　usually　wore　an　old　slouched　hat　when　he　went　abroad；　and　when　at　home；　a　sort　of　cowl　or　night…cap。　　He　never　wore　shoes；　being　unable　to　adapt　them　to　his　mis…shapen　finlike　feet；　but　always　had　both　feet　and　legs　quite　concealed；　and　wrapt　up　with　pieces　of　cloth。　He　always　walked　with　a　sort　of　pole　or　pike…staff；　considerably　taller　than　himself。　　His　habits　were；　in　many　respects；　singular；　and　indicated　a　mind　congenial　to　its　uncouth　tabernacle。　　A　jealous；　misanthropical；　and　irritable　temper；　was　his　prominent　characteristic。　　The　sense　of　his　deformity　haunted　him　like　a　phantom。　　And　the　insults　and　scorn　to　which　this　exposed　him；　had　poisoned　his　heart　with　fierce　and　bitter　feelings；　which；　from　other　points　in　his　character；　do　not　appear　to　have　been　more　largely　infused　into　his　original　temperament　than　that　of　his　fellow…men。

〃He　detested　children；　on　account　of　their　propensity　to　insult　and　persecute　him。　　To　strangers　he　was　generally　reserved；　crabbed；　and　surly；　and　though　he　by　no　means　refused　assistance　or　charity；　he　seldom　either　expressed　or　exhibited　much　gratitude。　　Even　towards　persons　who　had　been　his　greatest　benefactors；　and　who　possessed　the　greatest　share　of　his　good…　will；　he　frequently　displayed　much　caprice　and　jealousy。　　A　lady　who　had　known　him　from　his　infancy；　and　who　has　furnished　us　in　the　most　obliging　manner　with　some　particulars　respecting　him；　says；　that　although　Davie　showed　as　much　respect　and　attachment　to　her　father's　family；　as　it　was　in　his　nature　to　show　to　any；　yet　they　were　always　obliged　to　be　very　cautious　in　their　deportment　towards　him。　　One　day；　having　gone　to　visit　him　with　another　lady；　he　took　them　through　his　garden；　and　was　showing　them；　with　much　pride　and　good…humour；　all　his　rich　and　tastefully