memories and portraits-第3章

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

and　a　less　romantic　sense　of　life　and　of　the　future；　and　more　

immersed　in　present　circumstances。　　And　certainly；　for　one　thing；　

English　boys　are　younger　for　their　age。　　Sabbath　observance　makes　a　

series　of　grim；　and　perhaps　serviceable；　pauses　in　the　tenor　of　

Scotch　boyhood　…　days　of　great　stillness　and　solitude　for　the　

rebellious　mind；　when　in　the　dearth　of　books　and　play；　and　in　the　

intervals　of　studying　the　Shorter　Catechism；　the　intellect　and　

senses　prey　upon　and　test　each　other。　　The　typical　English　Sunday；　

with　the　huge　midday　dinner　and　the　plethoric　afternoon；　leads　

perhaps　to　different　results。　　About　the　very　cradle　of　the　Scot　

there　goes　a　hum　of　metaphysical　divinity；　and　the　whole　of　two　

divergent　systems　is　summed　up；　not　merely　speciously；　in　the　two　

first　questions　of　the　rival　catechisms；　the　English　tritely　

inquiring；　〃What　is　your　name？〃　the　Scottish　striking　at　the　very　

roots　of　life　with；　〃What　is　the　chief　end　of　man？〃　and　answering　

nobly；　if　obscurely；　〃To　glorify　God　and　to　enjoy　Him　for　ever。〃　　I　

do　not　wish　to　make　an　idol　of　the　Shorter　Catechism；　but　the　fact　

of　such　a　question　being　asked　opens　to　us　Scotch　a　great　field　of　

speculation；　and　the　fact　that　it　is　asked　of　all　of　us；　from　the　

peer　to　the　ploughboy；　binds　us　more　nearly　together。　　No　

Englishman　of　Byron's　age；　character；　and　history　would　have　had　

patience　for　long　theological　discussions　on　the　way　to　fight　for　

Greece；　but　the　daft　Gordon　blood　and　the　Aberdonian　school…days　

kept　their　influence　to　the　end。　　We　have　spoken　of　the　material　

conditions；　nor　need　much　more　be　said　of　these：　of　the　land　lying　

everywhere　more　exposed；　of　the　wind　always　louder　and　bleaker；　of　

the　black；　roaring　winters；　of　the　gloom　of　high…lying；　old　stone　

cities；　imminent　on　the　windy　seaboard；　compared　with　the　level　

streets；　the　warm　colouring　of　the　brick；　the　domestic　quaintness　

of　the　architecture；　among　which　English　children　begin　to　grow　up　

and　come　to　themselves　in　life。　　As　the　stage　of　the　University　

approaches；　the　contrast　becomes　more　express。　　The　English　lad　

goes　to　Oxford　or　Cambridge；　there；　in　an　ideal　world　of　gardens；　

to　lead　a　semi…scenic　life；　costumed；　disciplined　and　drilled　by　

proctors。　　Nor　is　this　to　be　regarded　merely　as　a　stage　of　

education；　it　is　a　piece　of　privilege　besides；　and　a　step　that　

separates　him　further　from　the　bulk　of　his　compatriots。　　At　an　

earlier　age　the　Scottish　lad　begins　his　greatly　different　

experience　of　crowded　class…rooms；　of　a　gaunt　quadrangle；　of　a　bell　

hourly　booming　over　the　traffic　of　the　city　to　recall　him　from　the　

public…house　where　he　has　been　lunching；　or　the　streets　where　he　

has　been　wandering　fancy…free。　　His　college　life　has　little　of　

restraint；　and　nothing　of　necessary　gentility。　　He　will　find　no　

quiet　clique　of　the　exclusive；　studious　and　cultured；　no　rotten　

borough　of　the　arts。　　All　classes　rub　shoulders　on　the　greasy　

benches。　　The　raffish　young　gentleman　in　gloves　must　measure　his　

scholarship　with　the　plain；　clownish　laddie　from　the　parish　school。　　

They　separate；　at　the　session's　end；　one　to　smoke　cigars　about　a　

watering…place；　the　other　to　resume　the　labours　of　the　field　beside　

his　peasant　family。　　The　first　muster　of　a　college　class　in　

Scotland　is　a　scene　of　curious　and　painful　interest；　so　many　lads；　

fresh　from　the　heather；　hang　round　the　stove　in　cloddish　

embarrassment；　ruffled　by　the　presence　of　their　smarter　comrades；　

and　afraid　of　the　sound　of　their　own　rustic　voices。　　It　was　in　

these　early　days；　I　think；　that　Professor　Blackie　won　the　affection　

of　his　pupils；　putting　these　uncouth；　umbrageous　students　at　their　

ease　with　ready　human　geniality。　　Thus；　at　least；　we　have　a　healthy　

democratic　atmosphere　to　breathe　in　while　at　work；　even　when　there　

is　no　cordiality　there　is　always　a　juxtaposition　of　the　different　

classes；　and　in　the　competition　of　study　the　intellectual　power　of　

each　is　plainly　demonstrated　to　the　other。　　Our　tasks　ended；　we　of　

the　North　go　forth　as　freemen　into　the　humming；　lamplit　city。　　At　

five　o'clock　you　may　see　the　last　of　us　hiving　from　the　college　

gates；　in　the　glare　of　the　shop　windows；　under　the　green　glimmer　of　

the　winter　sunset。　　The　frost　tingles　in　our　blood；　no　proctor　lies　

in　wait　to　intercept　us；　till　the　bell　sounds　again；　we　are　the　

masters　of　the　world；　and　some　portion　of　our　lives　is　always　

Saturday；　LA　TREVE　DE　DIEU。



Nor　must　we　omit　the　sense　of　the　nature　of　his　country　and　his　

country's　history　gradually　growing　in　the　child's　mind　from　story　

and　from　observation。　　A　Scottish　child　hears　much　of　shipwreck；　

outlying　iron　skerries；　pitiless　breakers；　and　great　sea…lights；　

much　of　heathery　mountains；　wild　clans；　and　hunted　Covenanters。　　

Breaths　come　to　him　in　song　of　the　distant　Cheviots　and　the　ring　of　

foraying　hoofs。　　He　glories　in　his　hard…fisted　forefathers；　of　the　

iron　girdle　and　the　handful　of　oat…meal；　who　rode　so　swiftly　and　

lived　so　sparely　on　their　raids。　　Poverty；　ill…luck；　enterprise；　

and　constant　resolution　are　the　fibres　of　the　legend　of　his　

country's　history。　　The　heroes　and　kings　of　Scotland　have　been　

tragically　fated；　the　most　marking　incidents　in　Scottish　history　…　

Flodden；　Darien；　or　the　Forty…five　were　still　either　failures　or　

defeats；　and　the　fall　of　Wallace　and　the　repeated　reverses　of　the　

Bruce　combine　with　the　very　smallness　of　the　country　to　teach　

rather　a　moral　than　a　material　criterion　for　life。　　Britain　is　

altogether　small；　the　mere　taproot　of　her　extended　empire：　

Scotland；　again；　which　alone　the　Scottish　boy　adopts　in　his　

imagination；　is　but　a　little　part　of　that；　and　avowedly　cold；　

sterile　and　unpopulous。　　It　is　not　so　for　nothing。　　I　once　seemed　

to　have　perceived　in　an　American　boy　a　greater　readiness　of　

sympathy　for　lands　that　are　great；　and　rich；　and　growing；　like　his　

own。　　It　proved　to　be　quite　otherwise：　a　mere　dumb　piece　of　boyish　

romance；　that　I　had　lacked　penetration　to　divine。　　But　the　error　

serves　the　purpose　of　my　argument；　for　I　am　sure；　at　least；　that　

the　heart　of　young　Scotland　will　be　always　touched　more　nearly　by　

paucity　of　number　and　Spartan　poverty　of　life。



So　we　may　argue；　and　yet　the　difference　is　not　explained。　　That　

Shorter　Catechism　which　I　took　as　being　so　typical　of　Scotland；　was　

yet　composed　in　the　city　of　Westminster。　　The　division　of　races　is　

more　sharply　marked　within　the　borders　of　Scotland　itself　than　

between　the　countries。　　Galloway　and　Buchan；　Lothian　and　Lochaber；　

are　like　foreign　parts；　yet　you　may　choose　a　man　from　any　of　them；　

and；　ten　to　one；　he　shall　prove　to　have　the　headmark　of　a　Scot。　　A　

century　and　a　half　ago　the　Highlander　wore　a　different　costume；　

spoke　a　different　language；　worshipped　in　another　church；　held　

different　morals；　and　obeyed　a　different　social　constitution　from　

his　fellow…countrymen　either　of　the　south　or　north。　　Even　the　

English；　it　is　recorded；　did　not　loathe　the　Highlander　and　the　

Highland　costume　as　they　were　loathed　by　the　remainder　of　the　

Scotch。　　Yet　the　Highlander　felt　himself　a　Scot。　　He　would　

willingly　raid　into　the　Scotch　lowlands；　but　his　courage　failed　him　

at　the　border；　and　he　regarded　England　as　a　perilous；　unhomely　

land。　　When　the　Black　Watch；　after　years　of　foreign　service；　

returned　to　Scotland；　veterans　leaped　out　and　kissed　the　earth　at　

Port　Patrick。　　They　had　been　in　Ireland；　stationed　among　men　of　

their　own　race　and　language；　where　they　were　well　liked　and　treated　

with　affection；　but　it　was　the　soil　of　Galloway　that　they　kissed　at　

the　extreme　end　of　the　hostile　lowlands；　among　a　people　who　did　not　

understand　their　speech；　and　who　had　hated；　harried；　and　hanged　

them　since　the　dawn　of　history。　　Last；　and　perhaps　most　curious；　

the　sons　of　chieftains　were　often　educated　on　the　continent　of　

Europe。　　They