a journey to-第1章

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！




A　Journey　to　the　Western　Isles　of　Scotland

by　Samuel　Johnson





INCH　KEITH



I　had　desired　to　visit　the　Hebrides；　or　Western　Islands　of
Scotland；　so　long；　that　I　scarcely　remember　how　the　wish　was
originally　excited；　and　was　in　the　Autumn　of　the　year　1773　induced
to　undertake　the　journey；　by　finding　in　Mr。　Boswell　a　companion；
whose　acuteness　would　help　my　inquiry；　and　whose　gaiety　of
conversation　and　civility　of　manners　are　sufficient　to　counteract
the　inconveniences　of　travel；　in　countries　less　hospitable　than　we
have　passed。

On　the　eighteenth　of　August　we　left　Edinburgh；　a　city　too　well
known　to　admit　description；　and　directed　our　course　northward；
along　the　eastern　coast　of　Scotland；　accompanied　the　first　day　by
another　gentleman；　who　could　stay　with　us　only　long　enough　to　shew
us　how　much　we　lost　at　separation。

As　we　crossed　the　Frith　of　Forth；　our　curiosity　was　attracted　by
Inch　Keith；　a　small　island；　which　neither　of　my　companions　had　ever
visited；　though；　lying　within　their　view；　it　had　all　their　lives
solicited　their　notice。　　Here；　by　climbing　with　some　difficulty
over　shattered　crags；　we　made　the　first　experiment　of　unfrequented
coasts。　　Inch　Keith　is　nothing　more　than　a　rock　covered　with　a　thin
layer　of　earth；　not　wholly　bare　of　grass；　and　very　fertile　of
thistles。　　A　small　herd　of　cows　grazes　annually　upon　it　in　the
summer。　　It　seems　never　to　have　afforded　to　man　or　beast　a
permanent　habitation。

We　found　only　the　ruins　of　a　small　fort；　not　so　injured　by　time　but
that　it　might　be　easily　restored　to　its　former　state。　　It　seems
never　to　have　been　intended　as　a　place　of　strength；　nor　was　built
to　endure　a　siege；　but　merely　to　afford　cover　to　a　few　soldiers；
who　perhaps　had　the　charge　of　a　battery；　or　were　stationed　to　give
signals　of　approaching　danger。　　There　is　therefore　no　provision　of
water　within　the　walls；　though　the　spring　is　so　near；　that　it　might
have　been　easily　enclosed。　　One　of　the　stones　had　this　inscription：
'Maria　Reg。　1564。'　　It　has　probably　been　neglected　from　the　time
that　the　whole　island　had　the　same　king。

We　left　this　little　island　with　our　thoughts　employed　awhile　on　the
different　appearance　that　it　would　have　made；　if　it　had　been　placed
at　the　same　distance　from　London；　with　the　same　facility　of
approach；　with　what　emulation　of　price　a　few　rocky　acres　would　have
been　purchased；　and　with　what　expensive　industry　they　would　have
been　cultivated　and　adorned。

When　we　landed；　we　found　our　chaise　ready；　and　passed　through
Kinghorn；　Kirkaldy；　and　Cowpar；　places　not　unlike　the　small　or
straggling　market…towns　in　those　parts　of　England　where　commerce
and　manufactures　have　not　yet　produced　opulence。

Though　we　were　yet　in　the　most　populous　part　of　Scotland；　and　at　so
small　a　distance　from　the　capital；　we　met　few　passengers。

The　roads　are　neither　rough　nor　dirty；　and　it　affords　a　southern
stranger　a　new　kind　of　pleasure　to　travel　so　commodiously　without
the　interruption　of　toll…gates。　　Where　the　bottom　is　rocky；　as　it
seems　commonly　to　be　in　Scotland；　a　smooth　way　is　made　indeed　with
great　labour；　but　it　never　wants　repairs；　and　in　those　parts　where
adventitious　materials　are　necessary；　the　ground　once　consolidated
is　rarely　broken；　for　the　inland　commerce　is　not　great；　nor　are
heavy　commodities　often　transported　otherwise　than　by　water。　　The
carriages　in　common　use　are　small　carts；　drawn　each　by　one　little
horse；　and　a　man　seems　to　derive　some　degree　of　dignity　and
importance　from　the　reputation　of　possessing　a　two…horse　cart。



ST。　ANDREWS



At　an　hour　somewhat　late　we　came　to　St。　Andrews；　a　city　once
archiepiscopal；　where　that　university　still　subsists　in　which
philosophy　was　formerly　taught　by　Buchanan；　whose　name　has　as　fair
a　claim　to　immortality　as　can　be　conferred　by　modern　latinity；　and
perhaps　a　fairer　than　the　instability　of　vernacular　languages
admits。

We　found；　that　by　the　interposition　of　some　invisible　friend；
lodgings　had　been　provided　for　us　at　the　house　of　one　of　the
professors；　whose　easy　civility　quickly　made　us　forget　that　we　were
strangers；　and　in　the　whole　time　of　our　stay　we　were　gratified　by
every　mode　of　kindness；　and　entertained　with　all　the　elegance　of
lettered　hospitality。

In　the　morning　we　rose　to　perambulate　a　city；　which　only　history
shews　to　have　once　flourished；　and　surveyed　the　ruins　of　ancient
magnificence；　of　which　even　the　ruins　cannot　long　be　visible；
unless　some　care　be　taken　to　preserve　them；　and　where　is　the
pleasure　of　preserving　such　mournful　memorials？　　They　have　been
till　very　lately　so　much　neglected；　that　every　man　carried　away　the
stones　who　fancied　that　he　wanted　them。

The　cathedral；　of　which　the　foundations　may　be　still　traced；　and　a
small　part　of　the　wall　is　standing；　appears　to　have　been　a　spacious
and　majestick　building；　not　unsuitable　to　the　primacy　of　the
kingdom。　　Of　the　architecture；　the　poor　remains　can　hardly　exhibit；
even　to　an　artist；　a　sufficient　specimen。　　It　was　demolished；　as　is
well　known；　in　the　tumult　and　violence　of　Knox's　reformation。

Not　far　from　the　cathedral；　on　the　margin　of　the　water；　stands　a
fragment　of　the　castle；　in　which　the　archbishop　anciently　resided。
It　was　never　very　large；　and　was　built　with　more　attention　to
security　than　pleasure。　　Cardinal　Beatoun　is　said　to　have　had
workmen　employed　in　improving　its　fortifications　at　the　time　when
he　was　murdered　by　the　ruffians　of　reformation；　in　the　manner　of
which　Knox　has　given　what　he　himself　calls　a　merry　narrative。

The　change　of　religion　in　Scotland；　eager　and　vehement　as　it　was；
raised　an　epidemical　enthusiasm；　compounded　of　sullen
scrupulousness　and　warlike　ferocity；　which；　in　a　people　whom
idleness　resigned　to　their　own　thoughts；　and　who；　conversing　only
with　each　other；　suffered　no　dilution　of　their　zeal　from　the
gradual　influx　of　new　opinions；　was　long　transmitted　in　its　full
strength　from　the　old　to　the　young；　but　by　trade　and　intercourse
with　England；　is　now　visibly　abating；　and　giving　way　too　fast　to
that　laxity　of　practice　and　indifference　of　opinion；　in　which　men；
not　sufficiently　instructed　to　find　the　middle　point；　too　easily
shelter　themselves　from　rigour　and　constraint。

The　city　of　St。　Andrews；　when　it　had　lost　its　archiepiscopal　pre…
eminence；　gradually　decayed：　　One　of　its　streets　is　now　lost；　and
in　those　that　remain；　there　is　silence　and　solitude　of　inactive
indigence　and　gloomy　depopulation。

The　university；　within　a　few　years；　consisted　of　three　colleges；
but　is　now　reduced　to　two；　the　college　of　St。　Leonard　being　lately
dissolved　by　the　sale　of　its　buildings　and　the　appropriation　of　its
revenues　to　the　professors　of　the　two　others。　　The　chapel　of　the
alienated　college　is　yet　standing；　a　fabrick　not　inelegant　of
external　structure；　but　I　was　always；　by　some　civil　excuse；　hindred
from　entering　it。　　A　decent　attempt；　as　I　was　since　told；　has　been
made　to　convert　it　into　a　kind　of　green…house；　by　planting　its　area
with　shrubs。　　This　new　method　of　gardening　is　unsuccessful；　the
plants　do　not　hitherto　prosper。　　To　what　use　it　will　next　be　put　I
have　no　pleasure　in　conjecturing。　　It　is　something　that　its　present
state　is　at　least　not　ostentatiously　displayed。　　Where　there　is　yet
shame；　there　may　in　time　be　virtue。

The　dissolution　of　St。　Leonard's　college　was　doubtless　necessary；
but　of　that　necessity　there　is　reason　to　complain。　　It　is　surely
not　without　just　reproach；　that　a　nation；　of　which　the　commerce　is
hourly　extending；　and　the　wealth　encreasing；　denies　any
participation　of　its　prosperity　to　its　literary　societies；　and
while　its　merchants　or　its　nobles　are　raising　palaces；　suffers　its
universities　to　moulder　into　dust。

Of　the　two　colleges　yet　standing；　one　is　by　the　institution　of　its
founder　appropriated　to　Divinity。　　It　is　said　to　be　capable　of
containing　fifty　students；　but　more　than　one　must　occupy　a　chamber。
The　library；　which　is　of　late　erection；　is　not　very　spacious；　but
elegant　and　luminous。

The　doctor；　by　whom　it　was　shewn；　hoped　to　irritate　or　subdue　my
English　vanity　by　telling　me；　that　we　had　no　such　repository　of
books　in　England。

Saint　Andrews　seems　to　be　a　place