chronicles of the canongate-第26节

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ome　from　Elfland；　and　therefore　cannot　boast　any　personal　knowledge　of　the　great　personages　you　enquire　about；　yet　I　have　seen　and　heard　those　who　knew　them　well；　and　who　have　given　me　as　distinct　an　account　of　them　as　I　could　give　you　myself　of　the　Empress　Queen；　or　Frederick　of　Prussia；　and　I　will　frankly　add；〃　said　she；　laughing　and　offering　her　BONBONNIERE；　〃that　I　HAVE　heard　so　much　of　the　years　which　immediately　succeeded　the　Revolution；　that　I　sometimes　am　apt　to　confuse　the　vivid　descriptions　fixed　on　my　memory　by　the　frequent　and　animated　recitation　of　others；　for　things　which　I　myself　have　actually　witnessed。　　I　caught　myself　but　yesterday　describing　to　Lord　M　the　riding　of　the　last　Scottish　Parliament；　with　as　much　minuteness　as　if　I　had　seen　it；　as　my　mother　did；　from　the　balcony　in　front　of　Lord　Moray's　Lodging　in　the　Canongate。〃

〃I　am　sure　you　must　have　given　Lord　M　a　high　treat。〃

〃I　treated　him　to　a　hearty　laugh；　I　believe；〃　she　replied；　〃but　it　is　you；　you　vile　seducer　of　youth；　who　lead　me　into　such　follies。　　But　I　will　be　on　my　guard　against　my　own　weakness。　　I　do　not　well　know　if　the　Wandering　Jew　is　supposed　to　have　a　wife；　but　I　should　be　sorry　a　decent　middle…aged　Scottish　gentlewoman　should　be　suspected　of　identity　with　such　a　supernatural　person。〃

〃For　all　that；　I　must　torture　you　a　little　more；　MA　BELLE　COUSINE；　with　my　interrogatories；　for　how　shall　I　ever　turn　author　unless　on　the　strength　of　the　information　which　you　have　so　often　procured　me　on　the　ancient　state　of　manners？〃

〃Stay；　I　cannot　allow　you　to　give　your　points　of　enquiry　a　name　so　very　venerable；　if　I　am　expected　to　answer　them。　　Ancient　is　a　term　for　antediluvians。　　You　may　catechise　me　about　the　battle　of　Flodden；　or　ask　particulars　about　Bruce　and　Wallace；　under　pretext　of　curiosity　after　ancient　manners；　and　that　last　subject　would　wake　my　Baliol　blood；　you　know。〃

〃Well；　but；　Mrs。　Baliol；　suppose　we　settle　our　era：　　you　do　not　call　the　accession　of　James　the　Sixth　to　the　kingdom　of　Britain　very　ancient？〃

〃Umph！　　no；　cousin；　I　think　I　could　tell　you　more　of　that　than　folk　nowadays　remember。　　For　instance；　that　as　James　was　trooping　towards　England；　bag　and　baggage；　his　journey　was　stopped　near　Cockenzie　by　meeting　the　funeral　of　the　Earl　of　Winton；　the　old　and　faithful　servant　and　follower　of　his　ill…fated　mother；　poor　Mary！　　It　was　an　ill　omen　for　the　INFARE；　and　so　was　seen　of　it；　cousin。〃　　＇See　Note　5。Earl　of　Winton。＇

I　did　not　choose　to　prosecute　this　subject；　well　knowing　Mrs。　Bethune　Baliol　did　not　like　to　be　much　pressed　on　the　subject　of　the　Stewarts；　whose　misfortunes　she　pitied；　the　rather　that　her　father　had　espoused　their　cause。　　And　yet　her　attachment　to　the　present　dynasty　being　very　sincere；　and　even　ardent；　more　especially　as　her　family　had　served　his　late　Majesty　both　in　peace　and　war；　she　experienced　a　little　embarrassment　in　reconciling　her　opinions　respecting　the　exiled　family　with　those　she　entertained　for　the　present。　　In　fact；　like　many　an　old　Jacobite；　she　was　contented　to　be　somewhat　inconsistent　on　the　subject；　comforting　herself　that　NOW　everything　stood　as　it　ought　to　do；　and　that　there　was　no　use　in　looking　back　narrowly　on　the　right　or　wrong　of　the　matter　half　a　century　ago。

〃The　Highlands；〃　I　suggested；　〃should　furnish　you　with　ample　subjects　of　recollection。　　You　have　witnessed　the　complete　change　of　that　primeval　country；　and　have　seen　a　race　not　far　removed　from　the　earliest　period　of　society　melted　down　into　the　great　mass　of　civilization；　and　that　could　not　happen　without　incidents　striking　in　themselves；　and　curious　as　chapters　in　the　history　of　the　human　race。〃

〃It　is　very　true；〃　said　Mrs。　Baliol；　〃one　would　think　it　should　have　struck　the　observers　greatly；　and　yet　it　scarcely　did　so。　For　me；　I　was　no　Highlander　myself；　and　the　Highland　chiefs　of　old；　of　whom　I　certainly　knew　several；　had　little　in　their　manners　to　distinguish　them　from　the　Lowland　gentry；　when　they　mixed　in　society　in　Edinburgh；　and　assumed　the　Lowland　dress。　Their　peculiar　character　was　for　the　clansmen　at　home；　and　you　must　not　imagine　that　they　swaggered　about　in　plaids　and　broadswords　at　the　Cross；　or　came　to　the　Assembly　Rooms　in　bonnets　and　kilts。〃

〃I　remember；〃　said　I；　〃that　Swift；　in　his　Journal；　tells　Stella　he　had　dined　in　the　house　of　a　Scots　nobleman；　with　two　Highland　chiefs；　whom　he　had　found　as　well…bred　men　as　he　had　ever　met　with。〃　　＇Extract　of　Journal　to　Stella。〃I　dined　to…day　（12th　March　1712）　with　Lord　Treasurer　and　two　gentlemen　of　the　Highlands　of　Scotland；　yet　very　polite　men。〃　　SWIFT'S　WORKS；　VOL。　III。　p。7。　EDIN。　1824。＇

〃Very　likely；〃　said　my　friend。　　〃The　extremes　of　society　approach　much　more　closely　to　each　other　than　perhaps　the　Dean　of　Saint　Patrick's　expected。　　The　savage　is　always　to　a　certain　degree　polite。　　Besides；　going　always　armed；　and　having　a　very　punctilious　idea　of　their　own　gentility　and　consequence；　they　usually　behaved　to　each　other　and　to　the　Lowlanders　with　a　good　deal　of　formal　politeness；　which　sometimes　even　procured　them　the　character　of　insincerity。〃

〃Falsehood　belongs　to　an　early　period　of　society；　as　well　as　the　deferential　forms　which　we　style　politeness；〃　I　replied。　　〃A　child　does　not　see　the　least　moral　beauty　in　truth　until　he　has　been　flogged　half　a　dozen　times。　　It　is　so　easy；　and　apparently　so　natural；　to　deny　what　you　cannot　be　easily　convicted　of；　that　a　savage　as　well　as　a　child　lies　to　excuse　himself　almost　as　instinctively　as　he　raises　his　hand　to　protect　his　head。　　The　old　saying；　'Confess　and　be　hanged；'　carries　much　argument　in　it。　　I　observed　a　remark　the　other　day　in　old　Birrel。　　He　mentions　that　M'Gregor　of　Glenstrae　and　some　of　his　people　had　surrendered　themselves　to　one　of　the　Earls　of　Argyle；　upon　the　express　condition　that　they　should　be　conveyed　safe　into　England。　　The　Maccallum　Mhor　of　the　day　kept　the　word　of　promise；　but　it　was　only　to　the　ear。　　He　indeed　sent　his　captives　to　Berwick；　where　they　had　an　airing　on　the　other　side　of　the　Tweed；　but　it　was　under　the　custody　of　a　strong　guard；　by　whom　they　were　brought　back　to　Edinburgh；　and　delivered　to　the　executioner。　　This；　Birrel　calls　keeping　a　Highlandman's　promise。〃　　＇See　Note　6。　M'Gregor　of　Glenstrae。＇

〃Well；〃　replied　Mrs。　Baliol；　〃I　might　add　that　many　of　the　Highland　chiefs　whom　I　knew　in　former　days　had　been　brought　up　in　France；　which　might　improve　their　politeness；　though　perhaps　it　did　not　amend　their　sincerity。　　But　considering　that；　belonging　to　the　depressed　and　defeated　faction　in　the　state；　they　were　compelled　sometimes　to　use　dissimulation；　you　must　set　their　uniform　fidelity　to　their　friends；　against　their　occasional　falsehood　to　their　enemies；　and　then　you　will　not　judge　poor　John　Highlandman　too　severely。　　They　were　in　a　state　of　society　where　bright　lights　are　strongly　contrasted　with　deep　shadows。〃

〃It　is　to　that　point　I　would　bring　you；　MA　BELLE　COUSINE；　and　therefore　they　are　most　proper　subjects　for　composition。〃

〃And　you　want　to　turn　composer；　my　good　friend；　and　set　my　old　tales　to　some　popular　tune？　　But　there　have　been　too　many　composers；　if　that　be　the　word；　in　the　field　before。　　The　Highlands　WERE　indeed　a　rich　mine；　but　they　have；　I　think；　been　fairly　wrought　out；　as　a　good　tune　is　grinded　into　vulgarity　when　it　descends　to　the　hurdy…gurdy　and　the　barrel…organ。〃

〃If　it　be　really　tune；〃　I　replied；　〃it　will　recover　its　better　qualities　when　it　gets　into　the　hands　of　better　artists。〃

〃Umph！〃　　said　Mrs。　Baliol；　tapping　her　box；　〃we　are　happy　in　our　own　good　opinion　this　evening；　Mr。　Croftangry。　　And　so　you　think　you　can　restore　the　gloss　to　the　tartan　which　it　has　lost　by　being　dragged　through　so　many　fingers？〃

〃With　your　assistance　to　procure　materials；　my　dear　lady；　much；　I　think；　may　be　done。〃

〃Well；　I　must　do　my　best；　I　suppose；　though　all　I　know　about　the　Gael　is　but　of　little　consequence。　　Indeed；　I　gathered　it　chiefly　from　Donald　MacLeish。〃

〃And　who　might　Donald　MacLeish　be？〃

〃Neither　bard　nor　sennachie；　I　assure　you；　nor　monk　nor　hermit；　the　approved　authorities　for　old　traditions。　　Donald　was　as　good　a　postilion　as　ever　drove　a　chaise　and　pair　between　Glencroe　and　Inverary。　　I　assure　you；　when　I　give　you　my　Highland　anecdotes；　you　will　hear　much　of　Donald　MacLeish。　　He　was　Alice　Lambskin's　beau　and　mine　through　a　long　Highland　tour。〃

〃But　when　am　I　to　possess　these　anecdotes？　　you　answer　me　as　Harley　did　poor　Prior

　　'Let　that　be　done　which　Mat　doth　say　　　　Yea；　quoth　the　Earl；　but　not　to…day。'〃

〃Well；　MON　BEAU　COUSIN；　if　you　begin　to　remind　me　of　my　cruelty；　I　must　remind　you　it　has　struck　nine　on　the　Abbey　clock；　and　it　is　time　you　were　going　home　to　Little　Croftangry。　　For　my　promise　to　assist　your　antiquarian　researches；　be　assured　I　will　one　day　keep　it　to　the　utmost　extent。　　It　shall　not　be　a　Highlandman's　promise；　as　your　old　citizen　calls　it。〃

I　by　this　time　suspected　the　purpose　of　my　friend's　procrastination；　and　it　saddened　my　heart　to　reflect　that　I　was　not　to　get　the　information　which　I　desired；　excepting　in　the　shape　of　a　legacy。　　I　found　accordingly；　in　the　packet　transmitted　to　me　after　the　excellent　lady's　death；　several　anecdotes　respecting　the　Highlands；　from　which　I　have　selected　that　w