the expedition of humphry clinker-第60章

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laughter；　they　had　more　rationality　than　their　neighbours：　I
said；　such　an　inference　would　be　an　injury　to　the　Scots；　who　were
by　no　means　defective　in　rationality；　though　generally　supposed
little　subject　to　the　impressions　of　humour。

The　captain　answered；　that　this　supposition　must　have　been
deduced　either　from　their　conversation　or　their　compositions；　of
which　the　English　could　not　possibly　judge　with　precision；　as
they　did　not　understand　the　dialect　used　by　the　Scots　in　common
discourse；　as　well　as　in　their　works　of　humour。　When　I　desired　to
know　what　those　works　of　humour　were；　he　mentioned　a　considerable
number　of　pieces；　which　he　insisted　were　equal　in　point　of　humour
to　any　thing　extant　in　any　language　dead　or　living　　He；　in
particular；　recommended　a　collection　of　detached　poems；　in　two
small　volumes；　intituled；　The　Ever…Green；　and　the　works　of　Allan
Ramsay；　which　I　intend　to　provide　myself　with　at　Edinburgh。　　He
observed；　that　a　North…Briton　is　seen　to　a　disadvantage　in　an
English　company；　because　he　speaks　in　a　dialect　that　they　can't
relish；　and　in　a　phraseology　which　they　don't　understand。　　He
therefore　finds　himself　under　a　restraint；　which　is　a　great　enemy
to　wit　and　humour。　　These　are　faculties　which　never　appear　in
full　lustre；　but　when　the　mind　is　perfectly　at　ease；　and；　as　an
excellent　writer　says；　enjoys　her　elbow…room。

He　proceeded　to　explain　his　assertion　that　the　English　language
was　spoken　with　greater　propriety　at　Edinburgh　than　in　London。　He
said；　what　we　generally　called　the　Scottish　dialect　was；　in　fact；
true；　genuine　old　English；　with　a　mixture　of　some　French　terms
and　idioms；　adopted　in　a　long　intercourse　betwixt　the　French　and
Scotch　nations；　that　the　modern　English；　from　affectation　and
false　refinement；　had　weakened；　and　even　corrupted　their
language；　by　throwing　out　the　guttural　sounds；　altering　the
pronunciation　and　the　quantity；　and　disusing　many　words　and　terms
of　great　significance。　In　consequence　of　these　innovations；　the
works　of　our　best　poets；　such　as　Chaucer；　Spenser；　and　even
Shakespeare；　were　become；　in　many　parts；　unintelligible　to　the
natives　of　South　Britain；　whereas　the　Scots；　who　retain　the
antient　language；　understand　them　without　the　help　of　a　glossary。
'For　instance　（said　he）；　how　have　your　commentators　been　puzzled
by　the　following　expression　in　the　Tempest　　He's　gentle　and　not
fearful：　as　if　it　was　a　paralogism　to　say；　that　being　gentle；　he
must　of　course　be　courageous：　but　the　truth　is；　one　of　the
original　meanings；　if　not　the　sole　meaning；　of　that　word　was；
noble；　high…minded；　and　to　this　day；　a　Scotch　woman；　in　the
situation　of　the　young　lady　in　the　Tempest；　would　express　herself
nearly　in　the　same　terms　　Don't　provoke　him；　for　being　gentle；
that　is；　high…spirited；　he　won't　tamely　bear　an　insult。　Spenser；
in　the　very　first　stanza　of　his　Fairy　Queen；　says；

A　gentle　knight　was　pricking　on　the　plain；

which　knight；　far　from　being　tame　and　fearful；　was　so　stout　that

Nothing　did　he　dread；　but　ever　was　ydrad。

To　prove　that　we　had　impaired　the　energy　of　our　language　by　false
refinement；　he　mentioned　the　following　words；　which；　though
widely　different　in　signification；　are　pronounced　exactly　in　the
same　manner　wright；　write；　right；　rite；　but　among　the　Scots；
these　words　are　as　different　in　pronunciation；　as　they　are　in
meaning　and　orthography；　and　this　is　the　case　with　many　others
which　he　mentioned　by　way　of　illustration。　　He；　moreover；　took
notice；　that　we　had　（for　what　reason　he　could　never　learn）
altered　the　sound　of　our　vowels　from　that　which　is　retained　by
all　the　nations　in　Europe；　an　alteration　which　rendered　the
language　extremely　difficult　to　foreigners；　and　made　it　almost
impracticable　to　lay　down　general　rules　for　orthography　and
pronunciation。　Besides；　the　vowels　were　no　longer　simple　sounds
in　the　mouth　of　an　Englishman；　who　pronounced　both　i　and　u　as
dipthongs。　Finally；　he　affirmed；　that　we　mumbled　our　speech　with
our　lips　and　teeth；　and　ran　the　words　together　without　pause　or
distinction；　in　such　a　manner；　that　a　foreigner；　though　he
understood　English　tolerably　well；　was　often　obliged　to　have
recourse　to　a　Scotchman　to　explain　what　a　native　of　England　had
said　in　his　own　language。

The　truth　of　this　remark　was　confirmed　by　Mr　Bramble　from　his　own
experience；　but　he　accounted　for　it　on　another　principle。　He
said；　the　same　observation　would　hold　in　all　languages；　that　a
Swiss　talking　French　was　more　easily　understood　than　a　Parisian；
by　a　foreigner　who　had　not　made　himself　master　of　the　language；
because　every　language　had　its　peculiar　recitative；　and　it　would
always　require　more　pains；　attention；　and　practice；　to　acquire
both　the　words　and　the　music；　than　to　learn　the　words　only；　and
yet　no　body　would　deny；　that　the　one　was　imperfect　without　the
other：　he　therefore　apprehended；　that　the　Scotchman　and　the　Swiss
were　better　understood　by　learners；　because　they　spoke　the　words
only；　without　the　music；　which　they　could　not　rehearse。　One　would
imagine　this　check　might　have　damped　the　North　Briton；　but　it
served　only　to　agitate　his　humour　for　disputation。　　He　said；　if
every　nation　had　its　own　recitative　or　music；　the　Scots　had
theirs；　and　the　Scotchman　who　had　not　yet　acquired　the　cadence　of
the　English；　would　naturally　use　his　own　in　speaking　their
language；　therefore；　if　he　was　better　understood　than　the　native；
his　recitative　must　be　more　intelligible　than　that　of　the
English；　of　consequence；　the　dialect　of　the　Scots　had　an
advantage　over　that　of　their　fellow…subjects；　and　this　was
another　strong　presumption　that　the　modern　English　had　corrupted
their　language　in　the　article　of　pronunciation。

The　lieutenant　was；　by　this　time；　become　so　polemical；　that　every
time　he　opened　his　mouth　out　flew　a　paradox；　which　he　maintained
with　all　the　enthusiasm　of　altercation；　but　all　his　paradoxes
favoured　strong　of　a　partiality　for　his　own　country。　He　undertook
to　prove　that　poverty　was　a　blessing　to　a　nation；　that　oatmeal
was　preferable　to　wheat…flour；　and　that　the　worship　of　Cloacina；
in　temples　which　admitted　both　sexes；　and　every　rank　of　votaries
promiscuously；　was　a　filthy　species　of　idolatry　that　outraged
every　idea　of　delicacy　and　decorum。　I　did　not　so　much　wonder　at
his　broaching　these　doctrines；　as　at　the　arguments；　equally
whimsical　and　ingenious；　which　he　adduced　in　support　of　them。

In　fine；　lieutenant　Lismahago　is　a　curiosity　which　I　have　not　yet
sufficiently　perused；　and　therefore　I　shall　be　sorry　when　we　lose
his　company；　though；　God　knows；　there　is　nothing　very　amiable　in
his　manner　or　disposition。　　As　he　goes　directly　to　the　south…west
division　of　Scotland；　and　we　proceed　in　the　road　to　Berwick；　we
shall　part　tomorrow　at　a　place　called　Feltonbridge；　and；　I　dare
say；　this　separation　will　be　very　grievous　to　our　aunt　Mrs
Tabitha；　unless　she　has　received　some　flattering　assurance　of　his
meeting　her　again。　If　I　fail　in　my　purpose　of　entertaining　you
with　these　unimportant　occurrences；　they　will　at　least　serve　as
exercises　of　patience；　for　which　you　are　indebted　to


Yours　always；
J。　MELFORD
MORPETH；　July　13。



To　Dr　LEWIS。

DEAR　DOCTOR；

I　have　now　reached　the　northern　extremity　of　England；　and　see；
close　to　my　chamber…window；　the　Tweed　gliding　through　the　arches
of　that　bridge　which　connects　this　suburb　to　the　town　of
Berwick。　　Yorkshire　you　have　seen；　and　therefore　I　shall　say
nothing　of　that　opulent　province。　The　city　of　Durham　appears　like
a　confused　heap　of　stones　and　brick；　accumulated　so　as　to　cover　a
mountain；　round　which　a　river　winds　its　brawling　course。　The
Streets　are　generally　narrow；　dark；　and　unpleasant；　and　many　of
them　almost　impassible　in　consequence　of　their　declivity。　The
cathedral　is　a　huge　gloomy　pile；　but　the　clergy　are　well　lodged。　
The　bishop　lives　in　a　princely　manner　　the　golden　prebends　keep
plentiful　tables　　and；　I　am　told；　there　is　some　good　sociable
company　in　the　place；　but　the　country；　when　viewed　from　the　top
of　Gateshead…Fell；　which　extends　to　Newcastle；　exhibits　the
highest　scene　of　cultivation　that　ever　I　beheld。　As　for
Newcastle；　it　lies　mostly　in　a　bottom；　on　the　banks　of　the　Tyne；