a journey to-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


for　the　most　part；　go　thither　boys；　and　depart　before　they　are　men；
they　carry　with　them　little　fundamental　knowledge；　and　therefore
the　superstructure　cannot　be　lofty。　　The　grammar　schools　are　not
generally　well　supplied；　for　the　character　of　a　school…master　being
there　less　honourable　than　in　England；　is　seldom　accepted　by　men
who　are　capable　to　adorn　it；　and　where　the　school　has　been
deficient；　the　college　can　effect　little。

Men　bred　in　the　universities　of　Scotland　cannot　be　expected　to　be
often　decorated　with　the　splendours　of　ornamental　erudition；　but
they　obtain　a　mediocrity　of　knowledge；　between　learning　and
ignorance；　not　inadequate　to　the　purposes　of　common　life；　which　is；
I　believe；　very　widely　diffused　among　them；　and　which　countenanced
in　general　by　a　national　combination　so　invidious；　that　their
friends　cannot　defend　it；　and　actuated　in　particulars　by　a　spirit
of　enterprise；　so　vigorous；　that　their　enemies　are　constrained　to
praise　it；　enables　them　to　find；　or　to　make　their　way　to
employment；　riches；　and　distinction。

From　Glasgow　we　directed　our　course　to　Auchinleck；　an　estate
devolved；　through　a　long　series　of　ancestors；　to　Mr。　Boswell's
father；　the　present　possessor。　　In　our　way　we　found　several　places
remarkable　enough　in　themselves；　but　already　described　by　those　who
viewed　them　at　more　leisure；　or　with　much　more　skill；　and　stopped
two　days　at　Mr。　Campbell's；　a　gentleman　married　to　Mr。　Boswell's
sister。

Auchinleck；　which　signifies　a　stony　field；　seems　not　now　to　have
any　particular　claim　to　its　denomination。　　It　is　a　district
generally　level；　and　sufficiently　fertile；　but　like　all　the　Western
side　of　Scotland；　incommoded　by　very　frequent　rain。　　It　was；　with
the　rest　of　the　country；　generally　naked；　till　the　present
possessor　finding；　by　the　growth　of　some　stately　trees　near　his　old
castle；　that　the　ground　was　favourable　enough　to　timber；　adorned　it
very　diligently　with　annual　plantations。

Lord　Auchinleck；　who　is　one　of　the　Judges　of　Scotland；　and
therefore　not　wholly　at　leisure　for　domestick　business　or　pleasure；
has　yet　found　time　to　make　improvements　in　his　patrimony。　　He　has
built　a　house　of　hewn　stone；　very　stately；　and　durable；　and　has
advanced　the　value　of　his　lands　with　great　tenderness　to　his
tenants。

I　was；　however；　less　delighted　with　the　elegance　of　the　modern
mansion；　than　with　the　sullen　dignity　of　the　old　castle。　　I
clambered　with　Mr。　Boswell　among　the　ruins；　which　afford　striking
images　of　ancient　life。　　It　is；　like　other　castles；　built　upon　a
point　of　rock；　and　was；　I　believe；　anciently　surrounded　with　a
moat。　　There　is　another　rock　near　it；　to　which　the　drawbridge；　when
it　was　let　down；　is　said　to　have　reached。　　Here；　in　the　ages　of
tumult　and　rapine；　the　Laird　was　surprised　and　killed　by　the
neighbouring　Chief；　who　perhaps　might　have　extinguished　the　family；
had　he　not　in　a　few　days　been　seized　and　hanged；　together　with　his
sons；　by　Douglas；　who　came　with　his　forces　to　the　relief　of
Auchinleck。

At　no　great　distance　from　the　house　runs　a　pleasing　brook；　by　a　red
rock；　out　of　which　has　been　hewn　a　very　agreeable　and　commodious
summer…house；　at　less　expence；　as　Lord　Auchinleck　told　me；　than
would　have　been　required　to　build　a　room　of　the　same　dimensions。
The　rock　seems　to　have　no　more　dampness　than　any　other　wall。　　Such
opportunities　of　variety　it　is　judicious　not　to　neglect。

We　now　returned　to　Edinburgh；　where　I　passed　some　days　with　men　of
learning；　whose　names　want　no　advancement　from　my　commemoration；　or
with　women　of　elegance；　which　perhaps　disclaims　a　pedant's　praise。

The　conversation　of　the　Scots　grows　every　day　less　unpleasing　to
the　English；　their　peculiarities　wear　fast　away；　their　dialect　is
likely　to　become　in　half　a　century　provincial　and　rustick；　even　to
themselves。　　The　great；　the　learned；　the　ambitious；　and　the　vain；
all　cultivate　the　English　phrase；　and　the　English　pronunciation；
and　in　splendid　companies　Scotch　is　not　much　heard；　except　now　and
then　from　an　old　Lady。

There　is　one　subject　of　philosophical　curiosity　to　be　found　in
Edinburgh；　which　no　other　city　has　to　shew；　a　college　of　the　deaf
and　dumb；　who　are　taught　to　speak；　to　read；　to　write；　and　to
practice　arithmetick；　by　a　gentleman；　whose　name　is　Braidwood。　　The
number　which　attends　him　is；　I　think；　about　twelve；　which　he　brings
together　into　a　little　school；　and　instructs　according　to　their
several　degrees　of　proficiency。

I　do　not　mean　to　mention　the　instruction　of　the　deaf　as　new。
Having　been　first　practised　upon　the　son　of　a　constable　of　Spain；
it　was　afterwards　cultivated　with　much　emulation　in　England；　by
Wallis　and　Holder；　and　was　lately　professed　by　Mr。　Baker；　who　once
flattered　me　with　hopes　of　seeing　his　method　published。　　How　far
any　former　teachers　have　succeeded；　it　is　not　easy　to　know；　the
improvement　of　Mr。　Braidwood's　pupils　is　wonderful。　　They　not　only
speak；　write；　and　understand　what　is　written；　but　if　he　that　speaks
looks　towards　them；　and　modifies　his　organs　by　distinct　and　full
utterance；　they　know　so　well　what　is　spoken；　that　it　is　an
expression　scarcely　figurative　to　say；　they　hear　with　the　eye。
That　any　have　attained　to　the　power　mentioned　by　Burnet；　of　feeling
sounds；　by　laying　a　hand　on　the　speaker's　mouth；　I　know　not；　but　I
have　seen　so　much；　that　I　can　believe　more；　a　single　word；　or　a
short　sentence；　I　think；　may　possibly　be　so　distinguished。

It　will　readily　be　supposed　by　those　that　consider　this　subject；
that　Mr。　Braidwood's　scholars　spell　accurately。　　Orthography　is
vitiated　among　such　as　learn　first　to　speak；　and　then　to　write；　by
imperfect　notions　of　the　relation　between　letters　and　vocal
utterance；　but　to　those　students　every　character　is　of　equal
importance；　for　letters　are　to　them　not　symbols　of　names；　but　of
things；　when　they　write　they　do　not　represent　a　sound；　but
delineate　a　form。

This　school　I　visited；　and　found　some　of　the　scholars　waiting　for
their　master；　whom　they　are　said　to　receive　at　his　entrance　with
smiling　countenances　and　sparkling　eyes；　delighted　with　the　hope　of
new　ideas。　　One　of　the　young　Ladies　had　her　slate　before　her；　on
which　I　wrote　a　question　consisting　of　three　figures；　to　be
multiplied　by　two　figures。　　She　looked　upon　it；　and　quivering　her
fingers　in　a　manner　which　I　thought　very　pretty；　but　of　which　I
know　not　whether　it　was　art　or　play；　multiplied　the　sum　regularly
in　two　lines；　observing　the　decimal　place；　but　did　not　add　the　two
lines　together；　probably　disdaining　so　easy　an　operation。　　I
pointed　at　the　place　where　the　sum　total　should　stand；　and　she
noted　it　with　such　expedition　as　seemed　to　shew　that　she　had　it
only　to　write。

It　was　pleasing　to　see　one　of　the　most　desperate　of　human
calamities　capable　of　so　much　help；　whatever　enlarges　hope；　will
exalt　courage；　after　having　seen　the　deaf　taught　arithmetick；　who
would　be　afraid　to　cultivate　the　Hebrides？

Such　are　the　things　which　this　journey　has　given　me　an　opportunity
of　seeing；　and　such　are　the　reflections　which　that　sight　has
raised。　　Having　passed　my　time　almost　wholly　in　cities；　I　may　have
been　surprised　by　modes　of　life　and　appearances　of　nature；　that　are
familiar　to　men　of　wider　survey　and　more　varied　conversation。
Novelty　and　ignorance　must　always　be　reciprocal；　and　I　cannot　but
be　conscious　that　my　thoughts　on　national　manners；　are　the　thoughts
of　one　who　has　seen　but　little。







End