a journey to-第3节

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Early　in　the　afternoon　Mr。　Boswell　observed　that　we　were　at　no
great　distance　from　the　house　of　lord　Monboddo。　　The　magnetism　of
his　conversation　easily　drew　us　out　of　our　way；　and　the
entertainment　which　we　received　would　have　been　a　sufficient
recompense　for　a　much　greater　deviation。

The　roads　beyond　Edinburgh；　as　they　are　less　frequented；　must　be
expected　to　grow　gradually　rougher；　but　they　were　hitherto　by　no
means　incommodious。　　We　travelled　on　with　the　gentle　pace　of　a
Scotch　driver；　who　having　no　rivals　in　expedition；　neither　gives
himself　nor　his　horses　unnecessary　trouble。　　We　did　not　affect　the
impatience　we　did　not　feel；　but　were　satisfied　with　the　company　of
each　other　as　well　riding　in　the　chaise；　as　sitting　at　an　inn。　　The
night　and　the　day　are　equally　solitary　and　equally　safe；　for　where
there　are　so　few　travellers；　why　should　there　be　robbers。



ABERDEEN



We　came　somewhat　late　to　Aberdeen；　and　found　the　inn　so　full；　that
we　had　some　difficulty　in　obtaining　admission；　till　Mr。　Boswell
made　himself　known：　　His　name　overpowered　all　objection；　and　we
found　a　very　good　house　and　civil　treatment。

I　received　the　next　day　a　very　kind　letter　from　Sir　Alexander
Gordon；　whom　I　had　formerly　known　in　London；　and　after　a　cessation
of　all　intercourse　for　near　twenty　years　met　here　professor　of
physic　in　the　King's　College。　　Such　unexpected　renewals　of
acquaintance　may　be　numbered　among　the　most　pleasing　incidents　of
life。

The　knowledge　of　one　professor　soon　procured　me　the　notice　of　the
rest；　and　I　did　not　want　any　token　of　regard；　being　conducted
wherever　there　was　any　thing　which　I　desired　to　see；　and
entertained　at　once　with　the　novelty　of　the　place；　and　the　kindness
of　communication。

To　write　of　the　cities　of　our　own　island　with　the　solemnity　of
geographical　description；　as　if　we　had　been　cast　upon　a　newly
discovered　coast；　has　the　appearance　of　very　frivolous　ostentation；
yet　as　Scotland　is　little　known　to　the　greater　part　of　those　who
may　read　these　observations；　it　is　not　superfluous　to　relate；　that
under　the　name　of　Aberdeen　are　comprised　two　towns　standing　about　a
mile　distant　from　each　other；　but　governed；　I　think；　by　the　same
magistrates。

Old　Aberdeen　is　the　ancient　episcopal　city；　in　which　are　still　to
be　seen　the　remains　of　the　cathedral。　　It　has　the　appearance　of　a
town　in　decay；　having　been　situated　in　times　when　commerce　was　yet
unstudied；　with　very　little　attention　to　the　commodities　of　the
harbour。

New　Aberdeen　has　all　the　bustle　of　prosperous　trade；　and　all　the
shew　of　increasing　opulence。　　It　is　built　by　the　water…side。　　The
houses　are　large　and　lofty；　and　the　streets　spacious　and　clean。
They　build　almost　wholly　with　the　granite　used　in　the　new　pavement
of　the　streets　of　London；　which　is　well　known　not　to　want　hardness；
yet　they　shape　it　easily。　　It　is　beautiful　and　must　be　very
lasting。

What　particular　parts　of　commerce　are　chiefly　exercised　by　the
merchants　of　Aberdeen；　I　have　not　inquired。　　The　manufacture　which
forces　itself　upon　a　stranger's　eye　is　that　of　knit…stockings；　on
which　the　women　of　the　lower　class　are　visibly　employed。

In　each　of　these　towns　there　is　a　college；　or　in　stricter　language；
an　university；　for　in　both　there　are　professors　of　the　same　parts
of　learning；　and　the　colleges　hold　their　sessions　and　confer
degrees　separately；　with　total　independence　of　one　on　the　other。

In　old　Aberdeen　stands　the　King's　College；　of　which　the　first
president　was　Hector　Boece；　or　Boethius；　who　may　be　justly
reverenced　as　one　of　the　revivers　of　elegant　learning。　　When　he
studied　at　Paris；　he　was　acquainted　with　Erasmus；　who　afterwards
gave　him　a　public　testimony　of　his　esteem；　by　inscribing　to　him　a
catalogue　of　his　works。　　The　stile　of　Boethius；　though；　perhaps；
not　always　rigorously　pure；　is　formed　with　great　diligence　upon
ancient　models；　and　wholly　uninfected　with　monastic　barbarity。　　His
history　is　written　with　elegance　and　vigour；　but　his　fabulousness
and　credulity　are　justly　blamed。　　His　fabulousness；　if　he　was　the
author　of　the　fictions；　is　a　fault　for　which　no　apology　can　be
made；　but　his　credulity　may　be　excused　in　an　age；　when　all　men　were
credulous。　　Learning　was　then　rising　on　the　world；　but　ages　so　long
accustomed　to　darkness；　were　too　much　dazzled　with　its　light　to　see
any　thing　distinctly。　　The　first　race　of　scholars；　in　the　fifteenth
century；　and　some　time　after；　were；　for　the　most　part；　learning　to
speak；　rather　than　to　think；　and　were　therefore　more　studious　of
elegance　than　of　truth。　　The　contemporaries　of　Boethius　thought　it
sufficient　to　know　what　the　ancients　had　delivered。　　The
examination　of　tenets　and　of　facts　was　reserved　for　another
generation。


Boethius；　as　president　of　the　university；　enjoyed　a　revenue　of
forty　Scottish　marks；　about　two　pounds　four　shillings　and　sixpence
of　sterling　money。　　In　the　present　age　of　trade　and　taxes；　it　is
difficult　even　for　the　imagination　so　to　raise　the　value　of　money；
or　so　to　diminish　the　demands　of　life；　as　to　suppose　four　and　forty
shillings　a　year；　an　honourable　stipend；　yet　it　was　probably　equal；
not　only　to　the　needs；　but　to　the　rank　of　Boethius。　　The　wealth　of
England　was　undoubtedly　to　that　of　Scotland　more　than　five　to　one；
and　it　is　known　that　Henry　the　eighth；　among　whose　faults　avarice
was　never　reckoned；　granted　to　Roger　Ascham；　as　a　reward　of　his
learning；　a　pension　of　ten　pounds　a　year。

The　other；　called　the　Marischal　College；　is　in　the　new　town。　　The
hall　is　large　and　well　lighted。　　One　of　its　ornaments　is　the
picture　of　Arthur　Johnston；　who　was　principal　of　the　college；　and
who　holds　among　the　Latin　poets　of　Scotland　the　next　place　to　the
elegant　Buchanan。

In　the　library　I　was　shewn　some　curiosities；　a　Hebrew　manuscript　of
exquisite　penmanship；　and　a　Latin　translation　of　Aristotle's
Politicks　by　Leonardus　Aretinus；　written　in　the　Roman　character
with　nicety　and　beauty；　which；　as　the　art　of　printing　has　made　them
no　longer　necessary；　are　not　now　to　be　found。　　This　was　one　of　the
latest　performances　of　the　transcribers；　for　Aretinus　died　but
about　twenty　years　before　typography　was　invented。　　This　version
has　been　printed；　and　may　be　found　in　libraries；　but　is　little
read；　for　the　same　books　have　been　since　translated　both　by
Victorius　and　Lambinus；　who　lived　in　an　age　more　cultivated；　but
perhaps　owed　in　part　to　Aretinus　that　they　were　able　to　excel　him。
Much　is　due　to　those　who　first　broke　the　way　to　knowledge；　and　left
only　to　their　successors　the　task　of　smoothing　it。

In　both　these　colleges　the　methods　of　instruction　are　nearly　the
same；　the　lectures　differing　only　by　the　accidental　difference　of
diligence；　or　ability　in　the　professors。　　The　students　wear　scarlet
gowns　and　the　professors　black；　which　is；　I　believe；　the　academical
dress　in　all　the　Scottish　universities；　except　that　of　Edinburgh；
where　the　scholars　are　not　distinguished　by　any　particular　habit。
In　the　King's　College　there　is　kept　a　public　table；　but　the
scholars　of　the　Marischal　College　are　boarded　in　the　town。　　The
expence　of　living　is　here；　according　to　the　information　that　I
could　obtain；　somewhat　more　than　at　St。　Andrews。

The　course　of　education　is　extended　to　four　years；　at　the　end　of
which　those　who　take　a　degree；　who　are　not　many；　become　masters　of
arts；　and　whoever　is　a　master　may；　if　he　pleases；　immediately
commence　doctor。　　The　title　of　doctor；　however；　was　for　a
considerable　time　bestowed　only　on　physicians。　　The　advocates　are
examined　and　approved　by　their　own　body；　the　ministers　were　not
ambitious　of　titles；　or　were　afraid　of　being　censured　for　ambition；
and　the　doctorate　in　every　faculty　was　commonly　given　or　sold　into
other　countries。　　The　ministers　are　now　reconciled　to　distinction；
and　as　it　must　always　happen　that　some　will　excel　others；　have
thought　graduation　a　proper　testimony　of　uncommon　abilities　or
acquisitions。

The　indiscriminate　collation　of　degrees　has　justly　taken　away　that
respect　which　they　originally　claimed　as　stamps；　by　which　the
literary　value　of　men　so　distinguished　was　authoritatively　denoted。
That　academical　honours；　or　any　others　should　be　conferred　with
exact　proportion　to　merit；　is　more　than　human　judgment　or　human
integrity　have　given　reason　to　expect。　　Perhaps　degrees　in
universities　cannot　be　better　adjusted　by　any　general　rule　than　by
the　length　of　time　passed　in　the　public　profession　of　learning。　　An
English　or　Irish　doctorate　cannot　be　obtained　by　a　very　young　man；
and　it　is　reasonable　to　suppose；　what　is　likewise　by　experience
commonly　found　true；　that　he　who　is　by　age　qualified　to　be　a
doctor；　has　in　so　much　time　gained　learning　sufficient　not　to
disgrace　the　title；　or　wit　sufficient　not　to　desire　it。

The　Scotch　universities　hold　but　one　term　or　session　in　the　year。
That　of　St。　Andrews　continues　eight　months；　that　of　Aberdeen　only
five；　from　the　first　of　November　to　the　first　of　April。

In　Aberdeen　there　is　an　English　Chapel；　in　which　the　congregation
was　numerous　and　splendid。　　The　form　of　public　worship　used　by　the
church　of　England　is　in　Scotland　legally　practised　in　licensed
chapels　served　by　clergymen　of　English　or　Irish　ordinati