chronicles of the canongate-第14节

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lineage　to　fall　under　a　doom　of　forfeiture。

〃And　indeed；〃　said　the　venerable　compiler；　〃as；　praised　be　God；　we　seldom　meet　in　Scotland　with　these　belly…gods　and　voluptuaries；　whilk　are　unnatural　enough　to　devour　their　patrimony　bequeathed　to　them　by　their　forbears　in　chambering　and　wantonness；　so　that　they　come；　with　the　prodigal　son；　to　the　husks　and　the　swine…trough；　and　as　I　have　the　less　to　dreid　the　existence　of　such　unnatural　Neroes　in　mine　own　family　to　devour　the　substance　of　their　own　house　like　brute　beasts　out　of　mere　gluttonie　and　Epicurishnesse；　so　I　need　only　warn　mine　descendants　against　over…hastily　meddling　with　the　mutations　in　state　and　in　religion；　which　have　been　near…hand　to　the　bringing　this　poor　house　of　Croftangry　to　perdition；　as　we　have　shown　more　than　once。　　And　albeit　I　would　not　that　my　successors　sat　still　altogether　when　called　on　by　their　duty　to　Kirk　and　King；　yet　I　would　have　them　wait　till　stronger　and　walthier　men　than　themselves　were　up；　so　that　either　they　may　have　the　better　chance　of　getting　through　the　day；　or；　failing　of　that；　the　conquering　party　having　some　fatter　quarry　to　live　upon；　may；　like　gorged　hawks；　spare　the　smaller　game。〃

There　was　something　in　this　conclusion　which　at　first　reading　piqued　me　extremely；　and　I　was　so　unnatural　as　to　curse　the　whole　concern；　as　poor；　bald；　pitiful　trash；　in　which　a　silly　old　man　was　saying　a　great　deal　about　nothing　at　all。　　Nay；　my　first　impression　was　to　thrust　it　into　the　fire；　the　rather　that　it　reminded　me；　in　no　very　flattering　manner；　of　the　loss　of　the　family　property；　to　which　the　compiler　of　the　history　was　so　much　attached；　in　the　very　manner　which　he　most　severely　reprobated。　It　even　seemed　to　my　aggrieved　feelings　that　his　unprescient　gaze　on　futurity；　in　which　he　could　not　anticipate　the　folly　of　one　of　his　descendants；　who　should　throw　away　the　whole　inheritance　in　a　few　years　of　idle　expense　and　folly；　was　meant　as　a　personal　incivility　to　myself；　though　written　fifty　or　sixty　years　before　I　was　born。

A　little　reflection　made　me　ashamed　or　this　feeling　of　impatience；　and　as　I　looked　at　the　even；　concise；　yet　tremulous　hand　in　which　the　manuscript　was　written；　I　could　not　help　thinking；　according　to　an　opinion　I　have　heard　seriously　maintained；　that　something　of　a　man's　character　may　be　conjectured　from　his　handwriting。　　That　neat　but　crowded　and　constrained　small…hand　argued　a　man　of　a　good　conscience；　well…　regulated　passions；　and；　to　use　his　own　phrase；　an　upright　walk　in　life；　but　it　also　indicated　narrowness　of　spirit；　inveterate　prejudice；　and　hinted　at　some　degree　of　intolerance；　which；　though　not　natural　to　the　disposition；　had　arisen　out　of　a　limited　education。　　The　passages　from　Scripture　and　the　classics；　rather　profusely　than　happily　introduced；　and　written　in　a　half…　text　character　to　mark　their　importance；　illustrated　that　peculiar　sort　of　pedantry　which　always　considers　the　argument　as　gained　if　secured　by　a　quotation。　　Then　the　flourished　capital　letters；　which　ornamented　the　commencement　of　each　paragraph；　and　the　names　of　his　family　and　of　his　ancestors　whenever　these　occurred　in　the　page；　do　they　not　express　forcibly　the　pride　and　sense　of　importance　with　which　the　author　undertook　and　accomplished　his　task？　　I　persuaded　myself　the　whole　was　so　complete　a　portrait　of　the　man；　that　it　would　not　have　been　a　more　undutiful　act　to　have　defaced　his　picture；　or　even　to　have　disturbed　his　bones　in　his　coffin；　than　to　destroy　his　manuscript。　　I　thought；　for　a　moment；　of　presenting　it　to　Mr。　Fairscribe；　but　that　confounded　passage　about　the　prodigal　and　swine…troughI　settled　at　last　it　was　as　well　to　lock　it　up　in　my　own　bureau；　with　the　intention　to　look　at　it　no　more。

But　I　do　not　know　how　it　was；　that　the　subject　began　to　sit　nearer　my　heart　than　I　was　aware　of；　and　I　found　myself　repeatedly　engaged　in　reading　descriptions　of　farms　which　were　no　longer　mine；　and　boundaries　which　marked　the　property　of　others。　A　love　of　the　NATALE　SOLUM；　if　Swift　be　right　in　translating　these　words；　〃family　estate；〃　began　to　awaken　in　my　bosomthe　recollections　of　my　own　youth　adding　little　to　it；　save　what　was　connected　with　field…sports。　　A　career　of　pleasure　is　unfavourable　for　acquiring　a　taste　for　natural　beauty；　and　still　more　so　for　forming　associations　of　a　sentimental　kind；　connecting　us　with　the　inanimate　objects　around　us。

I　had　thought　little　about　my　estate　while　I　possessed　and　was　wasting　it；　unless　as　affording　the　rude　materials　out　of　which　a　certain　inferior　race　of　creatures；　called　tenants；　were　bound　to　produce　（in　a　greater　quantity　than　they　actually　did）　a　certain　return　called　rent；　which　was　destined　to　supply　my　expenses。　This　was　my　general　view　of　the　matter。　　Of　particular　places；　I　recollected　that　Garval　Hill　was　a　famous　piece　of　rough　upland　pasture　for　rearing　young　colts；　and　teaching　them　to　throw　their　feet；　that　Minion　Burn　had　the　finest　yellow　trout　in　the　country；　that　Seggy…cleugh　was　unequalled　for　woodcocks；　that　Bengibbert　Moors　afforded　excellent　moorfowl…shooting；　and　that　the　clear；　bubbling　fountain　called　the　Harper's　Well　was　the　best　recipe　in　the　world　on　the　morning　after　a　HARD…GO　with　my　neighbour　fox…hunters。　　Still；　these　ideas　recalled；　by　degrees；　pictures　of　which　I　had　since　learned　to　appreciate　the　merit　scenes　of　silent　loneliness；　where　extensive　moors；　undulating　into　wild　hills；　were　only　disturbed　by　the　whistle　of　the　plover　or　the　crow　of　the　heathcock；　wild　ravines　creeping　up　into　mountains；　filled　with　natural　wood；　and　which；　when　traced　downwards　along　the　path　formed　by　shepherds　and　nutters；　were　found　gradually　to　enlarge　and　deepen；　as　each　formed　a　channel　to　its　own　brook；　sometimes　bordered　by　steep　banks　of　earth；　often　with　the　more　romantic　boundary　of　naked　rocks　or　cliffs　crested　with　oak；　mountain　ash；　and　hazelall　gratifying　the　eye　the　more　that　the　scenery　was；　from　the　bare　nature　of　the　country　around；　totally　unexpected。

I　had　recollections；　too；　of　fair　and　fertile　holms；　or　level　plains；　extending　between　the　wooded　banks　and　the　bold　stream　of　the　Clyde；　which；　coloured　like　pure　amber；　or　rather　having　the　hue　of　the　pebbles　called　Cairngorm；　rushes　over　sheets　of　rock　and　beds　of　gravel；　inspiring　a　species　of　awe　from　the　few　and　faithless　fords　which　it　presents；　and　the　frequency　of　fatal　accidents；　now　diminished　by　the　number　of　bridges。　　These　alluvial　holms　were　frequently　bordered　by　triple　and　quadruple　rows　of　large　trees；　which　gracefully　marked　their　boundary；　and　dipped　their　long　arms　into　the　foaming　stream　of　the　river。　Other　places　I　remembered；　which　had　been　described　by　the　old　huntsman　as　the　lodge　of　tremendous　wild…cats；　or　the　spot　where　tradition　stated　the　mighty　stag　to　have　been　brought　to　bay；　or　where　heroes；　whose　might　was　now　as　much　forgotten；　were　said　to　have　been　slain　by　surprise；　or　in　battle。

It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　these　finished　landscapes　became　visible　before　the　eyes　of　my　imagination；　as　the　scenery　of　the　stage　is　disclosed　by　the　rising　of　the　curtain。　　I　have　said　that　I　had　looked　upon　the　country　around　me；　during　the　hurried　and　dissipated　period　of　my　life；　with　the　eyes；　indeed；　of　my　body；　but　without　those　of　my　understanding。　　It　was　piece　by　piece；　as　a　child　picks　out　its　lesson；　that　I　began　to　recollect　the　beauties　of　nature　which　had　once　surrounded　me　in　the　home　of　my　forefathers。　　A　natural　taste　for　them　must　have　lurked　at　the　bottom　of　my　heart；　which　awakened　when　I　was　in　foreign　countries；　and　becoming　by　degrees　a　favourite　passion；　gradually　turned　its　eyes　inwards；　and　ransacked　the　neglected　stores　which　my　memory　had　involuntarily　recorded；　and；　when　excited；　exerted　herself　to　collect　and　to　complete。

I　began　now　to　regret　more　bitterly　than　ever　the　having　fooled　away　my　family　property；　the　care　and　improvement　of　which　I　saw　might　have　afforded　an　agreeable　employment　for　my　leisure；　which　only　went　to　brood　on　past　misfortunes；　and　increase　useless　repining。　　〃Had　but　a　single　farm　been　reserved；　however　small；〃　said　I　one　day　to　Mr。　Fairscribe；　〃I　should　have　had　a　place　I　could　call　my　home；　and　something　that　I　could　call　business。〃

〃It　might　have　been　managed；〃　answered　Fairscribe；　〃and　for　my　part；　I　inclined　to　keep　the　mansion　house；　mains；　and　some　of　the　old　family　acres　together；　but　both　Mr。　　and　you　were　of　opinion　that　the　money　would　be　more　useful。〃

〃True；　true；　my　good　friend；〃　said　I；　〃I　was　a　fool　then；　and　did　not　think　I　could　incline　to　be　Glentanner　with　L200　or　L300　a　year；　instead　of　Glentanner　with　as　many　thousands。　　I　was　then　a　haughty；　pettish；　ignorant；　dissipated；　broken…down　Scottish　laird；　and　thinking　my　imaginary　consequence　altogether　ruined；　I　cared　not　how　soon；　or　how　absolutely；　I　was　rid　of　everything　that　recalled　it　to　my　own　memory；　or　that　of　others。〃

〃And　now　it　is　like　you　have　changed　your　mind？〃　　said　Fairscribe。　〃Well；　fortune　is　apt　to　circumduce　the　term　upon　us；　but　I　think　she　may　allow　you　to　revise　your　condescendence。〃

〃How　do　you　mean；　my　good　friend？〃

〃Nay；〃　said　Fairscribe；　〃there　is　ill　luck　in　averring　till　one　is　sure　of　his　facts。　　I　will　look　back　on　a　fi