memories and portraits-第4章

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

the　sons　of　chieftains　were　often　educated　on　the　continent　of　

Europe。　　They　went　abroad　speaking　Gaelic；　they　returned　speaking；　

not　English；　but　the　broad　dialect　of　Scotland。　　Now；　what　idea　had　

they　in　their　minds　when　they　thus；　in　thought；　identified　

themselves　with　their　ancestral　enemies？　　What　was　the　sense　in　

which　they　were　Scotch　and　not　English；　or　Scotch　and　not　Irish？　　

Can　a　bare　name　be　thus　influential　on　the　minds　and　affections　of　

men；　and　a　political　aggregation　blind　them　to　the　nature　of　facts？　　

The　story　of　the　Austrian　Empire　would　seem　to　answer；　NO；　the　far　

more　galling　business　of　Ireland　clenches　the　negative　from　nearer　

home。　　Is　it　common　education；　common　morals；　a　common　language　or　

a　common　faith；　that　join　men　into　nations？　　There　were　practically　

none　of　these　in　the　case　we　are　considering。



The　fact　remains：　in　spite　of　the　difference　of　blood　and　language；　

the　Lowlander　feels　himself　the　sentimental　countryman　of　the　

Highlander。　　When　they　meet　abroad；　they　fall　upon　each　other's　

necks　in　spirit；　even　at　home　there　is　a　kind　of　clannish　intimacy　

in　their　talk。　　But　from　his　compatriot　in　the　south　the　Lowlander　

stands　consciously　apart。　　He　has　had　a　different　training；　he　

obeys　different　laws；　he　makes　his　will　in　other　terms；　is　

otherwise　divorced　and　married；　his　eyes　are　not　at　home　in　an　

English　landscape　or　with　English　houses；　his　ear　continues　to　

remark　the　English　speech；　and　even　though　his　tongue　acquire　the　

Southern　knack；　he　will　still　have　a　strong　Scotch　accent　of　the　

mind。









CHAPTER　II。　SOME　COLLEGE　MEMORIES　（2）





I　AM　asked　to　write　something　（it　is　not　specifically　stated　what）　

to　the　profit　and　glory　of　my　ALMA　MATER；　and　the　fact　is　I　seem　to　

be　in　very　nearly　the　same　case　with　those　who　addressed　me；　for　

while　I　am　willing　enough　to　write　something；　I　know　not　what　to　

write。　　Only　one　point　I　see；　that　if　I　am　to　write　at　all；　it　

should　be　of　the　University　itself　and　my　own　days　under　its　

shadow；　of　the　things　that　are　still　the　same　and　of　those　that　are　

already　changed：　such　talk；　in　short；　as　would　pass　naturally　

between　a　student　of　to…day　and　one　of　yesterday；　supposing　them　to　

meet　and　grow　confidential。



The　generations　pass　away　swiftly　enough　on　the　high　seas　of　life；　

more　swiftly　still　in　the　little　bubbling　back…water　of　the　

quadrangle；　so　that　we　see　there；　on　a　scale　startlingly　

diminished；　the　flight　of　time　and　the　succession　of　men。　　I　looked　

for　my　name　the　other　day　in　last　year's　case…book　of　the　

Speculative。　　Naturally　enough　I　looked　for　it　near　the　end；　it　was　

not　there；　nor　yet　in　the　next　column；　so　that　I　began　to　think　it　

had　been　dropped　at　press；　and　when　at　last　I　found　it；　mounted　on　

the　shoulders　of　so　many　successors；　and　looking　in　that　posture　

like　the　name　of　a　man　of　ninety；　I　was　conscious　of　some　of　the　

dignity　of　years。　　This　kind　of　dignity　of　temporal　precession　is　

likely；　with　prolonged　life；　to　become　more　familiar；　possibly　less　

welcome；　but　I　felt　it　strongly　then；　it　is　strongly　on　me　now；　and　

I　am　the　more　emboldened　to　speak　with　my　successors　in　the　tone　of　

a　parent　and　a　praiser　of　things　past。



For；　indeed；　that　which　they　attend　is　but　a　fallen　University；　it　

has　doubtless　some　remains　of　good；　for　human　institutions　decline　

by　gradual　stages；　but　decline；　in　spite　of　all　seeming　

embellishments；　it　does；　and　what　is　perhaps　more　singular；　began　

to　do　so　when　I　ceased　to　be　a　student。　　Thus；　by　an　odd　chance；　I　

had　the　very　last　of　the　very　best　of　ALMA　MATER；　the　same　thing；　I　

hear　（which　makes　it　the　more　strange）；　had　previously　happened　to　

my　father；　and　if　they　are　good　and　do　not　die；　something　not　at　

all　unsimilar　will　be　found　in　time　to　have　befallen　my　successors　

of　to…day。　　Of　the　specific　points　of　change；　of　advantage　in　the　

past；　of　shortcoming　in　the　present；　I　must　own　that；　on　a　near　

examination；　they　look　wondrous　cloudy。　　The　chief　and　far　the　most　

lamentable　change　is　the　absence　of　a　certain　lean；　ugly；　idle；　

unpopular　student；　whose　presence　was　for　me　the　gist　and　heart　of　

the　whole　matter；　whose　changing　humours；　fine　occasional　purposes　

of　good；　flinching　acceptance　of　evil；　shiverings　on　wet；　east…

windy；　morning　journeys　up　to　class；　infinite　yawnings　during　

lecture　and　unquenchable　gusto　in　the　delights　of　truantry；　made　up　

the　sunshine　and　shadow　of　my　college　life。　　You　cannot　fancy　what　

you　missed　in　missing　him；　his　virtues；　I　make　sure；　are　

inconceivable　to　his　successors；　just　as　they　were　apparently　

concealed　from　his　contemporaries；　for　I　was　practically　alone　in　

the　pleasure　I　had　in　his　society。　　Poor　soul；　I　remember　how　much　

he　was　cast　down　at　times；　and　how　life　（which　had　not　yet　begun）　

seemed　to　be　already　at　an　end；　and　hope　quite　dead；　and　misfortune　

and　dishonour；　like　physical　presences；　dogging　him　as　he　went。　　

And　it　may　be　worth　while　to　add　that　these　clouds　rolled　away　in　

their　season；　and　that　all　clouds　roll　away　at　last；　and　the　

troubles　of　youth　in　particular　are　things　but　of　a　moment。　　So　

this　student；　whom　I　have　in　my　eye；　took　his　full　share　of　these　

concerns；　and　that　very　largely　by　his　own　fault；　but　he　still　

clung　to　his　fortune；　and　in　the　midst　of　much　misconduct；　kept　on　

in　his　own　way　learning　how　to　work；　and　at　last；　to　his　wonder；　

escaped　out　of　the　stage　of　studentship　not　openly　shamed；　leaving　

behind　him　the　University　of　Edinburgh　shorn　of　a　good　deal　of　its　

interest　for　myself。



But　while　he　is　（in　more　senses　than　one）　the　first　person；　he　is　

by　no　means　the　only　one　whom　I　regret；　or　whom　the　students　of　to…

day；　if　they　knew　what　they　had　lost；　would　regret　also。　　They　have　

still　Tait；　to　be　sure　…　long　may　they　have　him！　…　and　they　have　

still　Tait's　class…room；　cupola　and　all；　but　think　of　what　a　

different　place　it　was　when　this　youth　of　mine　（at　least　on　roll　

days）　would　be　present　on　the　benches；　and；　at　the　near　end　of　the　

platform；　Lindsay　senior　（3）　was　airing　his　robust　old　age。　　It　is　

possible　my　successors　may　have　never　even　heard　of　Old　Lindsay；　

but　when　he　went；　a　link　snapped　with　the　last　century。　　He　had　

something　of　a　rustic　air；　sturdy　and　fresh　and　plain；　he　spoke　

with　a　ripe　east…country　accent；　which　I　used　to　admire；　his　

reminiscences　were　all　of　journeys　on　foot　or　highways　busy　with　

post…chaises　…　a　Scotland　before　steam；　he　had　seen　the　coal　fire　

on　the　Isle　of　May；　and　he　regaled　me　with　tales　of　my　own　

grandfather。　　Thus　he　was　for　me　a　mirror　of　things　perished；　it　

was　only　in　his　memory　that　I　could　see　the　huge　shock　of　flames　of　

the　May　beacon　stream　to　leeward；　and　the　watchers；　as　they　fed　the　

fire；　lay　hold　unscorched　of　the　windward　bars　of　the　furnace；　it　

was　only　thus　that　I　could　see　my　grandfather　driving　swiftly　in　a　

gig　along　the　seaboard　road　from　Pittenweem　to　Crail；　and　for　all　

his　business　hurry；　drawing　up　to　speak　good…humouredly　with　those　

he　met。　　And　now；　in　his　turn；　Lindsay　is　gone　also；　inhabits　only　

the　memories　of　other　men；　till　these　shall　follow　him；　and　figures　

in　my　reminiscences　as　my　grandfather　figured　in　his。



To…day；　again；　they　have　Professor　Butcher；　and　I　hear　he　has　a　

prodigious　deal　of　Greek；　and　they　have　Professor　Chrystal；　who　is　

a　man　filled　with　the　mathematics。　　And　doubtless　these　are　set…

offs。　　But　they　cannot　change　the　fact　that　Professor　Blackie　has　

retired；　and　that　Professor　Kelland　is　dead。　　No　man's　education　is　

complete　or　truly　liberal　who　knew　not　Kelland。　　There　were　

unutterable　lessons　in　the　mere　sight　of　that　frail　old　clerical　

gentleman；　lively　as　a　boy；　kind　like　a　fairy　godfather；　and　

keeping　perfect　order　in　his　class　by　the　spell　of　that　very　

kindness。　　I　have　heard　him　drift　into