the expedition of humphry clinker-第81章

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To　Dr　LEWIS。

DEAR　DOCTOR；

The　peasantry　of　Scotland　are　certainly　on　a　poor　footing　all
over　the　kingdom；　and　yet　they　look　better；　and　are　better
cloathed　than　those　of　the　same　rank　in　Burgundy；　and　many　other
places　of　France　and　Italy；　nay；　I　will　venture　to　say　they　are
better　fed；　notwithstanding　the　boasted　wine　of　these　foreign
countries。　The　country　people　of　North…Britain　live　chiefly　on
oat…meal；　and　milk；　cheese；　butter；　and　some　garden…stuff；　with
now　and　then　a　pickled…herring；　by　way　of　delicacy；　but　flesh…meat
they　seldom　or　never　taste；　nor　any　kind　of　strong　liquor；
except　two…penny；　at　times　of　uncommon　festivity　　Their　breakfast
is　a　kind　of　hasty　pudding；　of　oat…meal　or　pease…meal；　eaten　with
milk。　They　have　commonly　pottage　for　dinner；　composed　of　cale　or
cole；　leeks；　barley　or　big；　and　butter；　and　this　is　reinforced
with　bread　and　cheese；　made　of　skimmed…milk　　At　night　they　sup　on
sowens　or　flummery　of　oat…meal　　In　a　scarcity　of　oats；　they　use
the　meal　of　barley　and　pease；　which　is　both　nourishing　and
palatable。　Some　of　them　have　potatoes；　and　you　find　parsnips　in
every　peasant's　garden　　They　are　cloathed　with　a　coarse　kind　of
russet　of　their　own　making；　which　is　both　decent　and　warm　　They
dwell　in　poor　huts；　built　of　loose　stones　and　turf；　without　any
mortar；　having　a　fireplace　or　hearth　in　the　middle；　generally
made　of　an　old　mill…stone；　and　a　hole　at　top　to　let　out　the
smoke。

These　people；　however；　are　content；　and　wonderfully　sagacious　
All　of　them　read　the　Bible；　and　are　even　qualified　to　dispute
upon　the　articles　of　their　faith；　which　in　those　parts　I　have
seen；　is　entirely　Presbyterian。　I　am　told；　that　the　inhabitants
of　Aberdeenshire　are　still　more　acute。　I　once　knew　a　Scotch
gentleman　at　London；　who　had　declared　war　against　this　part　of
his　countrymen；　and　swore　that　the　impudence　and　knavery　of　the
Scots；　in　that　quarter；　had　brought　a　reproach　upon　the　whole
nation。

The　river　Clyde；　above　Glasgow；　is　quite　pastoral；　and　the　banks
of　it　are　every　where　adorned　with　fine　villas。　From　the　sea　to
its　source；　we　may　reckon　the　seats　of　many　families　of　the　first
rank；　such　as　the　duke　of　Argyle　at　Roseneath；　the　earl　of　Bute
in　the　isle　of　that　name；　the　earl　of　Glencairn　at　Finlayston；
lord　Blantyre　at　Areskine；　the　dutchess　of　Douglas　at　Bothwell；
duke　Hamilton　at　Hamilton；　the　duke　of　Douglas　at　Douglas；　and
the　earl　of　Hyndford　at　Carmichael。　Hamilton　is　a　noble　palace；
magnificently　furnished；　and　hard　by　is　the　village　of　that　name；
one　of　the　neatest　little　towns　I　have　seen　in　any　country。　The
old　castle　of　Douglas　being　burned　to　the　ground　by　accident；　the
late　duke　resolved；　as　head　of　the　first　family　of　Scotland；　to
have　the　largest　house　in　the　kingdom；　and　ordered　a　plan　for
this　purpose；　but　there　was　only　one　wing　of　it　finished　when　he
died。　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　his　nephew；　who　is　now　in　possession
of　his　great　fortune；　will　complete　the　design　of　his
predecessor　　Clydesdale　is　in　general　populous　and　rich；
containing　a　great　number　of　gentlemen；　who　are　independent　in
their　fortune；　but　it　produces　more　cattle　than　corn　　This　is
also　the　case　with　Tweedale；　through　part　of　which　we　passed；　and
Nithsdale；　which　is　generally　rough；　wild；　and　mountainous　　These
hills　are　covered　with　sheep；　and　this　is　the　small　delicious
mutton；　so　much　preferable　to　that　of　the　London…market。　As　their
feeding　costs　so　little；　the　sheep　are　not　killed　till　five　years
old；　when　their　flesh；　juices；　and　flavour　are　in　perfection；　but
their　fleeces　are　much　damaged　by　the　tar；　with　which　they　are
smeared　to　preserve　them　from　the　rot　in　winter；　during　which
they　run　wild　night　and　day；　and　thousands　are　lost　under　huge
wreaths　of　snow　　'Tis　pity　the　farmers　cannot　contrive　some　means
to　shelter　this　useful　animal　from　the　inclemencies　of　a　rigorous
climate；　especially　from　the　perpetual　rains；　which　are　more
prejudicial　than　the　greatest　extremity　of　cold　weather。

On　the　little　river　Nid；　is　situated　the　castle　of　Drumlanrig；
one　of　the　noblest　seats　in　Great…Britain；　belonging　to　the　duke
of　Queensberry；　one　of　those　few　noblemen　whose　goodness　of　heart
does　honour　to　human…nature　　I　shall　not　pretend　to　enter　into　a
description　of　this　palace；　which　is　really　an　instance　of　the
sublime　in　magnificence；　as　well　as　in　situation；　and　puts　one　in
mind　of　the　beautiful　city　of　Palmyra；　rising　like　a　vision　in
the　midst　of　the　wilderness。　His　grace　keeps　open　house；　and
lives　with　great　splendour　　He　did　us　the　honour　to　receive　us
with　great　courtesy；　and　detain'd　us　all　night；　together　with
above　twenty　other　guests；　with　all　their　servants　and　horses　to
a　very　considerable　number　　The　dutchess　was　equally　gracious；
and　took　our　ladies　under　her　immediate　protection。　The　longer　I
live；　I　see　more　reason　to　believe　that　prejudices　of　education
are　never　wholly　eradicated；　even　when　they　are　discovered　to　be
erroneous　and　absurd。　Such　habits　of　thinking　as　interest　the
grand　passions；　cleave　to　the　human　heart　in　such　a　manner；　that
though　an　effort　of　reason　may　force　them　from　their　hold　for　a
moment；　this　violence　no　sooner　ceases；　than　they　resume　their
grasp　with　an　increased　elasticity　and　adhesion。

I　am　led　into　this　reflection；　by　what　passed　at　the　duke's　table
after　supper。　The　conversation　turned　upon　the　vulgar　notions　of
spirits　and　omens；　that　prevail　among　the　commonalty　of　North…Britain；
and　all　the　company　agreed；　that　nothing　could　be　more
ridiculous。　One　gentleman；　however；　told　a　remarkable　story　of
himself；　by　way　of　speculation　'Being　on　a　party　of　hunting　in
the　North　（said　he）；　I　resolved　to　visit　an　old　friend；　whom　I
had　not　seen　for　twenty　years　　So　long　he　had　been　retired　and
sequestered　from　all　his　acquaintance；　and　lived　in　a　moping
melancholy　way；　much　afflicted　with　lowness　of　spirits；
occasioned　by　the　death　of　his　wife；　whom　he　had　loved　with
uncommon　affection。　As　he　resided　in　a　remote　part　of　the
country；　and　we　were　five　gentlemen　with　as　many　servants；　we
carried　some　provision　with　us　from　the　next　market　town；　lest　we
should　find　him　unprepared　for　our　reception。　The　roads　being
bad；　we　did　not　arrive　at　the　house　till　two　o'clock　in　the
afternoon；　and　were　agreeably　surprised　to　find　a　very　good
dinner　ready　in　the　kitchen；　and　the　cloth　laid　with　six　covers。
My　friend　himself　appeared　in　his　best　apparel　at　the　gate；　and
received　us　with　open　arms；　telling　me　he　had　been　expecting　us
these　two　hours。　Astonished　at　this　declaration；　I　asked　who　had
given　him　intelligence　of　our　coming？　and　he　smiled　without
making　any　other　reply。　However；　presuming　upon　our　former
intimacy；　I　afterwards　insisted　upon　knowing；　and　he　told　me；
very　gravely；　he　had　seen　me　in　a　vision　of　the　second　sight　
Nay；　he　called　in　the　evidence　of　his　steward；　who　solemnly
declared；　that　his　master　had　the　day　before　apprised　him　of　my
coming；　with　four　other　strangers；　and　ordered　him　to　provide
accordingly；　in　consequence　of　which　intimation；　he　had　prepared
the　dinner　which　we　were　now　eating；　and　laid　the　covers
according　to　the　number　foretold。'　The　incident　we　all　owned　to
be　remarkable；　and　I　endeavoured　to　account　for　it　by　natural
means。　I　observed；　that　as　the　gentleman　was　of　a　visionary　turn；
the　casual　idea；　or　remembrance　of　his　old　friend；　might　suggest
those　circumstances；　which　accident　had　for　once　realized；　but
that　in　all　probability　he　had　seen　many　visions　of　the　same
kind；　which　were　never　verified。　None　of　the　company　directly
dissented　from　my　opinion；　but　from　the　objections　that　were
hinted；　I　could　plainly　perceive　that　the　majority　were　persuaded
there　was　something　more　extraordinary　in　the　case。

Another　gentleman　of　the　company；　addressing　himself　to　me；
'Without　all　doubt　（said　he）；　a　diseased　imagination　is　very　apt
to　produce　visions；　but　we　must　find　some　other　method　to　account
for　something　of　this　kind；　that　happened　within　these　eight　days
in　my　neighbourhood　　A　gentleman　of　a　good　family；　who　cannot　be
deemed　a　visionary　in　any　sense　of　the　word；　was　near　his　own
gate；　in　the　twilight；　visited　by　his　grandf