chronicles of the canongate-第4节

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I　have　now　frankly　told　my　motives　for　concealment；　so　far　as　I　am　conscious　of　having　any；　and　the　public　will　forgive　the　egotism　of　the　detail；　as　what　is　necessarily　connected　with　it。　The　author；　so　long　and　loudly　called　for；　has　appeared　on　the　stage；　and　made　his　obeisance　to　the　audience。　　Thus　far　his　conduct　is　a　mark　of　respect。　　To　linger　in　their　presence　would　be　intrusion。

I　have　only　to　repeat　that　I　avow　myself　in　print；　as　formerly　in　words；　the　sole　and　unassisted　author　of　all　the　Novels　published　as　works　of　〃The　Author　of　Waverley。〃　　I　do　this　without　shame；　for　I　am　unconscious　that　there　is　any　thing　in　their　composition　which　deserves　reproach；　either　on　the　score　of　religion　or　morality；　and　without　any　feeling　of　exultation；　because；　whatever　may　have　been　their　temporary　success；　I　am　well　aware　how　much　their　reputation　depends　upon　the　caprice　of　fashion；　and　I　have　already　mentioned　the　precarious　tenure　by　which　it　is　held；　as　a　reason　for　displaying　no　great　avidity　in　grasping　at　the　possession。

I　ought　to　mention；　before　concluding；　that　twenty　persons；　at　least；　were；　either　from　intimacy；　or　from　the　confidence　which　circumstances　rendered　necessary；　participant　of　this　secret；　and　as　there　was　no　instance；　to　my　knowledge；　of　any　one　of　the　number　breaking　faith；　I　am　the　more　obliged　to　them；　because　the　slight　and　trivial　character　of　the　mystery　was　not　qualified　to　inspire　much　respect　in　those　entrusted　with　it。　　Nevertheless；　like　Jack　the　Giant…Killer；　I　was　fully　confident　in　the　advantage　of　my　〃Coat　of　Darkness；〃　and　had　it　not　been　from　compulsory　circumstances；　I　would　have；　indeed；　been　very　cautious　how　I　parted　with　it。

As　for　the　work　which　follows；　it　was　meditated；　and　in　part　printed；　long　before　the　avowal　of　the　novels　took　place；　and　originally　commenced　with　a　declaration　that　it　was　neither　to　have　introduction　nor　preface　of　any　kind。　　This　long　proem；　prefixed　to　a　work　intended　not　to　have　any；　may；　however；　serve　to　show　how　human　purposes　in　the　most　trifling；　as　well　as　the　most　important　affairs；　are　liable　to　be　controlled　by　the　course　of　events。　　Thus　we　begin　to　cross　a　strong　river　with　our　eyes　and　our　resolution　fixed　on　that　point　of　the　opposite　shore　on　which　we　purpose　to　land；　but　gradually　giving　way　to　the　torrent；　are　glad；　by　the　aid　perhaps　of　branch　or　bush；　to　extricate　ourselves　at　some　distant　and　perhaps　dangerous　landing…place；　much　farther　down　the　stream　than　that　on　which　we　had　fixed　our　intentions。

Hoping　that　the　Courteous　Reader　will　afford　to　a　known　and　familiar　acquaintance　some　portion　of　the　favour　which　he　extended　to　a　disguised　candidate　for　his　applause；　I　beg　leave　to　subscribe　myself　his　obliged　humble　servant；

WALTER　SCOTT。

ABBOTSFORD；　OCTOBER　1；　1827。

*

Such　was　the　little　narrative　which　I　thought　proper　to　put　forth　in　October　1827；　nor　have　I　much　to　add　to　it　now。　　About　to　appear　for　the　first　time　in　my　own　name　in　this　department　of　letters；　it　occurred　to　me　that　something　in　the　shape　of　a　periodical　publication　might　carry　with　it　a　certain　air　of　novelty；　and　I　was　willing　to　break；　if　I　may　so　express　it；　the　abruptness　of　my　personal　forthcoming；　by　investing　an　imaginary　coadjutor　with　at　least　as　much　distinctness　of　individual　existence　as　I　had　ever　previously　thought　it　worth　while　to　bestow　on　shadows　of　the　same　convenient　tribe。　　Of　course；　it　had　never　been　in　my　contemplation　to　invite　the　assistance　of　any　real　person　in　the　sustaining　of　my　quasi…editorial　character　and　labours。　　It　had　long　been　my　opinion；　that　any　thing　like　a　literary　PICNIC　is　likely　to　end　in　suggesting　comparisons；　justly　termed　odious；　and　therefore　to　be　avoided；　and；　indeed；　I　had　also　had　some　occasion　to　know；　that　promises　of　assistance；　in　efforts　of　that　order；　are　apt　to　be　more　magnificent　than　the　subsequent　performance。　　I　therefore　planned　a　Miscellany；　to　be　dependent；　after　the　old　fashion；　on　my　own　resources　alone；　and　although　conscious　enough　that　the　moment　which　assigned　to　the　Author　of　Waverley　〃a　local　habitation　and　a　name；〃　had　seriously　endangered　his　spell；　I　felt　inclined　to　adopt　the　sentiment　of　my　old　hero　Montrose；　and　to　say　to　myself；　that　in　literature；　as　in　war；

　　〃He　either　fears　his　fate　too　much；　　　　　　Or　his　deserts　are　small；　　　　Who　dares　not　put　it　to　the　touch；　　　　　　To　win　or　lose　it　all。〃

To　the　particulars　explanatory　of　the　plan　of　these　Chronicles；　which　the　reader　is　presented　with　in　Chapter　II。　by　the　imaginary　Editor；　Mr。　Croftangry；　I　have　now　to　add；　that　the　lady；　termed　in　his　narrative；　Mrs。　Bethune　Balliol；　was　designed　to　shadow　out　in　its　leading　points　the　interesting　character　of　a　dear　friend　of　mine；　Mrs。　Murray　Keith；　whose　death　occurring　shortly　before；　had　saddened　a　wide　circle；　much　attached　to　her；　as　well　for　her　genuine　virtue　and　amiable　qualities　of　disposition；　as　for　the　extent　of　information　which　she　possessed；　and　the　delightful　manner　in　which　she　was　used　to　communicate　it。　　In　truth；　the　author　had；　on　many　occasions；　been　indebted　to　her　vivid　memory　for　the　SUBSTRATUM　of　his　Scottish　fictions；　and　she　accordingly　had　been；　from　an　early　period；　at　no　loss　to　fix　the　Waverley　Novels　on　the　right　culprit。

＇The　Keiths　of　Craig；　in　Kincardineshire；　descended　from　John　Keith；　fourth　son　of　William；　second　Earl　Marischal；　who　got　from　his　father；　about　1480；　the　lands　of　Craig；　and　part　of　Garvock；　in　that　county。　　In　Douglas's　Baronage；　443　to　445；　is　a　pedigree　of　that　family。　　Colonel　Robert　Keith　of　Craig　（the　seventh　in　descent　from　John）　by　his　wife；　Agnes；　daughter　of　Robert　Murray　of　Murrayshall；　of　the　family　of　Blackbarony；　widow　of　Colonel　Stirling；　of　the　family　of　Keir；　had　one　sonnamely　Robert　Keith　of　Craig；　ambassador　to　the　court　of　Vienna；　afterwards　to　St。　Petersburgh；　which　latter　situation　he　held　at　the　accession　of　King　George　III。who　died　at　Edinburgh　in　1774。　　He　married　Margaret；　second　daughter　of　Sir　William　Cunningham　of　Caprington；　by　Janet；　only　child　and　heiress　of　Sir　James　Dick　of　Prestonfield；　and；　among　other　children　of　this　marriage　were　the　late　well…known　diplomatist；　Sir　Robert　Murray　Keith；　K。B。；　a　general　in　the　army；　and　for　some　time　ambassador　at　Vienna；　Sir　Basil　Keith；　Knight；　captain　in　the　navy；　who　died　Governor　of　Jamaica；　and　my　excellent　friend；　Anne　Murray　Keith；　who　ultimately　came　into　possession　of　the　family　estates；　and　died　not　long　before　the　date　of　this　Introduction　（1831）。＇

In　the　sketch　of　Chrystal　Croftangry's　own　history；　the　author　has　been　accused　of　introducing　some　not　polite　allusions　to　respectable　living　individuals；　but　he　may　safely；　he　presumes；　pass　over　such　an　insinuation。　　The　first　of　the　narratives　which　Mr。　Croftangry　proceeds　to　lay　before　the　public；　〃The　Highland　Widow；〃　was　derived　from　Mrs。　Murray　Keith；　and　is　given；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　additional　circumstancesthe　introduction　of　which　I　am　rather　inclined　to　regretvery　much　as　the　excellent　old　lady　used　to　tell　the　story。　　Neither　the　Highland　cicerone　Macturk　nor　the　demure　washingwoman；　were　drawn　from　imagination；　and　on　re…reading　my　tale；　after　the　lapse　of　a　few　years；　and　comparing　its　effect　with　my　remembrance　of　my　worthy　friend's　oral　narration；　which　was　certainly　extremely　affecting；　I　cannot　but　suspect　myself　of　having　marred　its　simplicity　by　some　of　those　interpolations；　which；　at　the　time　when　I　penned　them；　no　doubt　passed　with　myself　for　embellishments。

The　next　tale；　entitled　〃The　Two　Drovers；〃　I　learned　from　another　old　friend；　the　late　George　Constable；　Esq。　　of　Wallace…Craigie；　near　Dundee；　whom　I　have　already　introduced　to　my　reader　as　the　original　Antiquary　of　Monkbarns。　　He　had　been　present；　I　think；　at　the　trial　at　Carlisle；　and　seldom　mentioned　the　venerable　judges　charge　to　the　jury；　without　shedding　tears；which　had　peculiar　pathos；　as　flowing　down　features；　carrying　rather　a　sarcastic　or　almost　a　cynical　expression。

This　worthy　gentleman's　reputation　for　shrewd　Scottish　sense；　knowledge　of　our　national　antiquities；　and　a　racy　humour　peculiar　to　himself；　must　be　still　remembered。　　For　myself；　I　have　pride　in　recording　that　for　many　years　we　were；　in　Wordsworth's　language；

　　〃A　pair　of　friends；　though　I　was　young；　　　　　　And　'George'　was　seventy…two。〃

W。　S。

ABBOTSFORD；　AUG。　15；　1831。


*


APPENDIX　TO　INTRODUCTION。

＇It　has　been　suggested　to　the　Author　that　it　might　be　well　to　reprint　here　a　detailed　account　of　the　public　dinner　alluded　to　in　the　foregoing　Introduction；　as　given　in　the　newspapers　of　the　time；　and　the　reader　is　accordingly　presented　with　the　following　extract　from　the　EDINBURGH　WEEKLY　JOURNAL　for　Wednesday；　28th　February；　1827。＇


THE　THEATRICAL　FUND　DINNER。

Before　proceeding　with　our　account　of　this　very　interesting　festivalfor　so　it　may　be　termedit　is　our　duty　to　present　to　our　readers　the　following　letter；　which　we　have　received　from　the　President：

TO　THE　EDITOR　OF　THE　〃EDINBURGH　WEEKLY　JOURNAL。〃

Sir；I　am　extremely　sorry　I　have　not　leisure　to　correct　the　copy　you　sent　me　of　what　I　am　stated　to　have　said　at　the　dinner　for　the　Theatrical　Fund。　　I　am　no　orator；　and　upon　such　occasions　as　a