memories and portraits-第2章

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as　the　phrase　goes　…　a　man；　besides；　who　had　taken　his　degree　in　

life　and　knew　a　thing　or　two　about　the　age　we　live　in。　　We　were　

deep　in　talk；　whirling　between　Peterborough　and　London；　among　other　

things；　he　began　to　describe　some　piece　of　legal　injustice　he　had　

recently　encountered；　and　I　observed　in　my　innocence　that　things　

were　not　so　in　Scotland。　　〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　he；　〃this　is　a　

matter　of　law。〃　　He　had　never　heard　of　the　Scots　law；　nor　did　he　

choose　to　be　informed。　　The　law　was　the　same　for　the　whole　country；　

he　told　me　roundly；　every　child　knew　that。　　At　last；　to　settle　

matters；　I　explained　to　him　that　I　was　a　member　of　a　Scottish　legal　

body；　and　had　stood　the　brunt　of　an　examination　in　the　very　law　in　

question。　　Thereupon　he　looked　me　for　a　moment　full　in　the　face　and　

dropped　the　conversation。　　This　is　a　monstrous　instance；　if　you　

like；　but　it　does　not　stand　alone　in　the　experience　of　Scots。



England　and　Scotland　differ；　indeed；　in　law；　in　history；　in　

religion；　in　education；　and　in　the　very　look　of　nature　and　men's　

faces；　not　always　widely；　but　always　trenchantly。　　Many　particulars　

that　struck　Mr。　Grant　White；　a　Yankee；　struck　me；　a　Scot；　no　less　

forcibly；　he　and　I　felt　ourselves　foreigners　on　many　common　

provocations。　　A　Scotchman　may　tramp　the　better　part　of　Europe　and　

the　United　States；　and　never　again　receive　so　vivid　an　impression　

of　foreign　travel　and　strange　lands　and　manners　as　on　his　first　

excursion　into　England。　　The　change　from　a　hilly　to　a　level　country　

strikes　him　with　delighted　wonder。　　Along　the　flat　horizon　there　

arise　the　frequent　venerable　towers　of　churches。　　He　sees　at　the　

end　of　airy　vistas　the　revolution　of　the　windmill　sails。　　He　may　go　

where　he　pleases　in　the　future；　he　may　see　Alps；　and　Pyramids；　and　

lions；　but　it　will　be　hard　to　beat　the　pleasure　of　that　moment。　　

There　are；　indeed；　few　merrier　spectacles　than　that　of　many　

windmills　bickering　together　in　a　fresh　breeze　over　a　woody　

country；　their　halting　alacrity　of　movement；　their　pleasant　

business；　making　bread　all　day　with　uncouth　gesticulations；　their　

air；　gigantically　human；　as　of　a　creature　half　alive；　put　a　spirit　

of　romance　into　the　tamest　landscape。　　When　the　Scotch　child　sees　

them　first　he　falls　immediately　in　love；　and　from　that　time　forward　

windmills　keep　turning　in　his　dreams。　　And　so；　in　their　degree；　

with　every　feature　of　the　life　and　landscape。　　The　warm；　habitable　

age　of　towns　and　hamlets；　the　green；　settled；　ancient　look　of　the　

country；　the　lush　hedgerows；　stiles；　and　privy　path…ways　in　the　

fields；　the　sluggish；　brimming　rivers；　chalk　and　smock…frocks；　

chimes　of　bells　and　the　rapid；　pertly…sounding　English　speech　…　

they　are　all　new　to　the　curiosity；　they　are　all　set　to　English　airs　

in　the　child's　story　that　he　tells　himself　at　night。　　The　sharp　

edge　of　novelty　wears　off；　the　feeling　is　scotched；　but　I　doubt　

whether　it　is　ever　killed。　　Rather　it　keeps　returning；　ever　the　

more　rarely　and　strangely；　and　even　in　scenes　to　which　you　have　

been　long　accustomed　suddenly　awakes　and　gives　a　relish　to　

enjoyment　or　heightens　the　sense　of　isolation。



One　thing　especially　continues　unfamiliar　to　the　Scotchman's　eye　…　

the　domestic　architecture；　the　look　of　streets　and　buildings；　the　

quaint；　venerable　age　of　many；　and　the　thin　walls　and　warm　

colouring　of　all。　　We　have；　in　Scotland；　far　fewer　ancient　

buildings；　above　all　in　country　places；　and　those　that　we　have　are　

all　of　hewn　or　harled　masonry。　　Wood　has　been　sparingly　used　in　

their　construction；　the　window…frames　are　sunken　in　the　wall；　not　

flat　to　the　front；　as　in　England；　the　roofs　are　steeper…pitched；　

even　a　hill　farm　will　have　a　massy；　square；　cold　and　permanent　

appearance。　　English　houses；　in　comparison；　have　the　look　of　

cardboard　toys；　such　as　a　puff　might　shatter。　　And　to　this　the　

Scotchman　never　becomes　used。　　His　eye　can　never　rest　consciously　

on　one　of　these　brick　houses　…　rickles　of　brick；　as　he　might　call　

them　…　or　on　one　of　these　flat…chested　streets；　but　he　is　instantly　

reminded　where　he　is；　and　instantly　travels　back　in　fancy　to　his　

home。　　〃This　is　no　my　ain　house；　I　ken　by　the　biggin'　o't。〃　　And　

yet　perhaps　it　is　his　own；　bought　with　his　own　money；　the　key　of　it　

long　polished　in　his　pocket；　but　it　has　not　yet；　and　never　will　be；　

thoroughly　adopted　by　his　imagination；　nor　does　he　cease　to　

remember　that；　in　the　whole　length　and　breadth　of　his　native　

country；　there　was　no　building　even　distantly　resembling　it。



But　it　is　not　alone　in　scenery　and　architecture　that　we　count　

England　foreign。　　The　constitution　of　society；　the　very　pillars　of　

the　empire；　surprise　and　even　pain　us。　　The　dull；　neglected　

peasant；　sunk　in　matter；　insolent；　gross　and　servile；　makes　a　

startling　contrast　with　our　own　long…legged；　long…headed；　

thoughtful；　Bible…quoting　ploughman。　　A　week　or　two　in　such　a　place　

as　Suffolk　leaves　the　Scotchman　gasping。　　It　seems　incredible　that　

within　the　boundaries　of　his　own　island　a　class　should　have　been　

thus　forgotten。　　Even　the　educated　and　intelligent；　who　hold　our　

own　opinions　and　speak　in　our　own　words；　yet　seem　to　hold　them　with　

a　difference　or；　from　another　reason；　and　to　speak　on　all　things　

with　less　interest　and　conviction。　　The　first　shock　of　English　

society　is　like　a　cold　plunge。　　It　is　possible　that　the　Scot　comes　

looking　for　too　much；　and　to　be　sure　his　first　experiment　will　be　

in　the　wrong　direction。　　Yet　surely　his　complaint　is　grounded；　

surely　the　speech　of　Englishmen　is　too　often　lacking　in　generous　

ardour；　the　better　part　of　the　man　too　often　withheld　from　the　

social　commerce；　and　the　contact　of　mind　with　mind　evaded　as　with　

terror。　　A　Scotch　peasant　will　talk　more　liberally　out　of　his　own　

experience。　　He　will　not　put　you　by　with　conversational　counters　

and　small　jests；　he　will　give　you　the　best　of　himself；　like　one　

interested　in　life　and　man's　chief　end。　　A　Scotchman　is　vain；　

interested　in　himself　and　others；　eager　for　sympathy；　setting　forth　

his　thoughts　and　experience　in　the　best　light。　　The　egoism　of　the　

Englishman　is　self…contained。　　He　does　not　seek　to　proselytise。　　He　

takes　no　interest　in　Scotland　or　the　Scotch；　and；　what　is　the　

unkindest　cut　of　all；　he　does　not　care　to　justify　his　indifference。　　

Give　him　the　wages　of　going　on　and　being　an　Englishman；　that　is　all　

he　asks；　and　in　the　meantime；　while　you　continue　to　associate；　he　

would　rather　not　be　reminded　of　your　baser　origin。　　Compared　with　

the　grand；　tree…like　self…sufficiency　of　his　demeanour；　the　vanity　

and　curiosity　of　the　Scot　seem　uneasy；　vulgar；　and　immodest。　　That　

you　should　continually　try　to　establish　human　and　serious　

relations；　that　you　should　actually　feel　an　interest　in　John　Bull；　

and　desire　and　invite　a　return　of　interest　from　him；　may　argue　

something　more　awake　and　lively　in　your　mind；　but　it　still　puts　you　

in　the　attitude　of　a　suitor　and　a　poor　relation。　　Thus　even　the　

lowest　class　of　the　educated　English　towers　over　a　Scotchman　by　the　

head　and　shoulders。



Different　indeed　is　the　atmosphere　in　which　Scotch　and　English　

youth　begin　to　look　about　them；　come　to　themselves　in　life；　and　

gather　up　those　first　apprehensions　which　are　the　material　of　

future　thought　and；　to　a　great　extent；　the　rule　of　future　conduct。　　

I　have　been　to　school　in　both　countries；　and　I　found；　in　the　boys　

of　the　North；　something　at　once　rougher　and　more　tender；　at　once　

more　reserve　and　more　expansion；　a　greater　habitual　distance　

chequered　by　glimpses　of　a　nearer　intimacy；　and　on　the　whole　wider　

extremes　of　temperament　and　sensibility。　　The　boy　of　the　South　

seems　more　wholesome；　but　less　thoughtful；　he　gives　himself　to　

games　as　to　a　business；　striving　to　excel；　but　is　not　readily　

transported　by　imagination；　the　type　remains　with　me　as　cleaner　in　

mind　and　body；　more　active；　fonder　of　eating；　endowed　with　a　lesser　

and　a　less　roman