an autobiography-第6章

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I　am　fain　to　think　that　her　delicate　manipulation　in　some　respects　descended　to　her　grandchildren；　as　all　of　them　have　been　more　or　less　distinguished　for　the　delicate　use　of　their　fingerswhich　has　so　much　to　do　with　the　effective　transmission　of　the　artistic　faculty　into　visible　forms。　　The　power　of　transmitting　to　paper　or　canvas　the　artistic　conceptions　of　the　brain　through　the　fingers；　and　out　at　the　end　of　the　needle；　the　pencil；　the　pen；　the　brush；　or　even　the　modelling　tool　or　chisel；　is　that　which；　in　practical　fact；　constitutes　the　true　artist。

This　may　appear　a　digression；　though　I　cannot　look　at　my　grandmother's　sampler　without　thinking　that　she　had　much　to　do　with　originating　the　Naesmyth　love　of　the　Fine　Arts；　and　their　hereditary　adroitness　in　the　practice　of　landscape　and　portrait　painting；　and　other　branches　of　the　profession。

My　grandfather　died　in　1803；　at　the　age　of　eighty…four；　and　was　buried　by　his　father's　side　in　the　Naesmyth　ancestral　tomb　in　Greyfriars　Churchyard。　　His　wife；　Mary　Anderson；　who　died　before　him；　was　buried　in　the　same　place。

Michael　Naesmyth　left　two　sonsMichael　and　Alexander。　　The　eldest　was　born　in　1754。　　It　was　intended　that　he　should　have　succeeded　to　the　business；　and；　indeed；　as　soon　as　he　reached　manhood　he　was　his　father's　right…hand　man。　　He　was　a　skilful　workman；　especially　in　the　finer　parts　of　joiner…work。　　He　was　also　an　excellent　accountant　and　bookkeeper。　　But　having　acquired　a　taste　for　reading　books　about　voyages　and　travels；　of　which　his　father's　library　was　well　supplied；　his　mind　became　disturbed；　and　he　determined　to　see　something　of　the　world。　　He　was　encouraged　by　one　of　his　old　companions；　who　had　been　to　sea；　and　realised　some　substantial　results　by　his　voyages　to　foreign　parts。　Accordingly　Michael；　notwithstanding　the　earnest　remonstrances　of　his　father；　accompanied　his　friend　on　the　next　occasion　when　he　went　to　sea。

After　several　voyages　to　the　West　Indies　and　other　parts　of　the　world；　which　both　gratified　and　stimulated　his　natural　taste　for　adventures；　and　also　proved　financially　successful；　his　trading　ventures　at　last　met　with　a　sad　reverse；　and　he　resolved　to　abandon　commerce；　and　enter　the　service　of　the　Royal　Navy。　　He　was　made　purser；　and　in　this　position　he　entered　upon　a　new　series　of　adventures。　　He　was　present　at　many　naval　engagements。　　But　he　lost　neither　life　nor　limb。　　At　last　he　was　pensioned；　and　became　a　resident　at　Greenwich　Hospital。　He　furnished　his　apartments　with　all　manner　of　curiosities；　such　as　his　roving　naval　life　had　enabled　him　to　collect。　　His　original　skill　as　a　worker　in　wood　came　to　life　again。　　The　taste　of　the　workman　and　the　handiness　of　the　seaman　enabled　him　to　furnish　his　rooms　at　the　Hospital　in　a　most　quaint　and　amusing　manner。

My　father　had　a　most　affectionate　regard　for　Michael；　and　usually　spent　some　days　with　him　when　he　had　occasion　to　visit　London。　　One　bright　summer　day　they　went　to　have　a　stroll　together　on　Blackheath；　and　while　my　uncle　was　enjoying　a　nap　on　a　grassy　knoll；　my　father　made　a　sketch　of　him；　which　I　still　preserve。　　Being　of　a　most　cheerful　disposition；　and　having　a　great　knack　of　detailing　the　incidents　of　his　adventurous　life；　he　became　a　great　favourite　with　the　resident　officers　of　the　Hospital；　and　was　always　regarded　by　them　as　real　good　company。　He　ended　his　days　there　in　peace　and　comfort；　in　1819；　at　the　age　of　sixty…four。


CHAPTER　2。　　　Alexander　Nasmyth

My　father；　Alexander　Nasmyth；　was　the　second　son　of　Michael　Nasmyth。　He　was　born　in　his　father's　house　in　the　Grassmarket　on　the　9th　of　September　1758。　　The　Grassmarket　was　then　a　lively　place。　　On　certain　days　of　the　week　it　was　busy　with　sheep　and　cattle　fairs。　　It　was　the　centre　of　Edinburgh　traffic。　　Most　of　the　inns　were　situated　there；　or　in　the　street　leading　up　to　the　Greyfriars　Church　gate。

The　view　from　my　grandfather's　house　was　very　grand。　　Standing　up；　right　opposite；　was　the　steep　Castle　rock；　with　its　crown　buildings　and　circular　battery　towering　high　overhead。　　They　seemed　almost　to　hang　over　the　verge　of　the　rock。　　The　houses　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　Grassmarket　were　crowded　under　the　esplanade　of　the　Castle　Hill。

There　was　an　inn　opposite　the　house　where　my　father　was　born；　from　which　the　first　coach　started　from　Edinburgh　to　Newcastle。　　The　public　notice　stated　that　〃The　Coach　would　set　out　from　the　Grass　Market　ilka　Tuesday　at　Twa　o'clock　in　the　day；　GOD　WULLIN'；　but　whether　or　no　on　Wednesday。〃　　The　〃whether　or　no〃　was　meant；　I　presume；　as　a　precaution　to　passengers；　in　case　all　the　places　on　the　coach　might　be　taken；　or　not；　on　Wednesday；

＇Image＇　　Plan　of　the　Grassmarket

The　Grassmarket　was　also　the　place　for　public　executions。　　The　gibbet　stone　was　at　the　east　end　of　the　Market。　　It　consisted　of　a　mass　of　solid　sandstone；　with　a　quadrangular　hole　in　the　middle；　which　served　as　a　socket　for　the　gallows。　　Most　of　the　Covenanters　who　were　executed　for　conscience'　sake　in　the　reigns　of　Charles　II。　and　James　II。　breathed　their　last　at　this　spot。　　The　Porteous　mob；　in　1736；　had　its　culmination　here。　　When　Captain　Porteous　was　dragged　out　of　the　Tolbooth　in　the　High　Street　and　hurried　down　the　West　Bow；　the　gallows　was　not　in　its　place；　but　the　leaders　of　the　mob　hanged　him　from　a　dyer's　pole；　nearly　opposite　the　gallows　stone；　on　the　south　side　of　the　street；　not　far　from　my　grandfather's　door*　　＇footnote。。。　See　Heart　of　Midlothian　　。。。＇

I　have　not　much　to　say　about　my　father's　education。　　For　the　most　part；　he　was　his　own　schoolmaster。　　I　have　heard　him　say　that　his　mother　taught　him　his　A　B　C；　and　that　he　afterwards　learned　to　read　at　Mammy　Smith's。　　This　old　lady　kept　a　school　for　boys　and　girls　at　the　top　of　a　house　in　the　Grassmarket。　　There　my　father　was　taught　to　rear　his　Bible；　and　to　repeat　his　Carritch。*　　＇footnote。。。　The　Shorter　Catechism。　　。。。＇

As　it　was　only　the　bigger　boys　who　could　read　the　Bible；　the　strongest　of　them　consummated　the　feat　by　climbing　up　the　Castle　rock；　and　reaching　what　they　called　〃The　Bibler's　Seat。〃　　It　must　have　been　a　break…neck　adventure　to　get　up　to　the　place。　　The　seat　was　almost　immediately　under　the　window　of　the　room　in　which　James　VI　was　born。　My　father　often　pointed　it　out　to　me　as　one　of　the　most　dangerous　bits　of　climbing　in　which　he　had　been　engaged　in　his　younger　years。

＇Image＇　　The　Bibler's　seat

The　annexed　illustration　is　from　his　own　slight　sepia　drawing；　the　Bibler's　Seat　is　marked　＋　Not　so　daring；　but　much　more　mischievous；　was　a　trick　which　he　played　with　some　of　his　companions　on　the　tops　of　the　houses　on　the　north　side　of　the　Grassmarket。　　The　boys　took　a　barrel　to　the　Castlehill；　filled　it　with　small　stones；　and　then　shot　it　down　towards　the　roofs　of　the　houses　in　the　Grassmarket。　　The　barrel　leapt　from　rock　to　rock；　burst；　and　scattered　a　shower　of　stones　far　and　wide。　　The　fun　was　to　see　the　〃boddies〃　look　out　of　their　garret　windows　with　their　lighted　lamps　or　candles；　peer　into　the　dark；　and　try　to　see　what　was　the　cause　of　the　mischief。

Sir　David　Baird；　the　hero　of　Seringapatam；　played　a　trick　of　the　same　kind　before　he　went　to　India。

Among　my　father's　favourite　companions　were　the　two　sons　of　Dr。　John　Erskine；　minister　of　Old　Greyfriars；　in　conjunction　with　the　equally　celebrated　Dr。　Robertson。　　Dr。　Erskine*　　＇footnote。。。　Dr。　Erskine　is　well　described　by　Scott　in　Guy　Mannering；　on　the　occasion　when　Pleydell　and　Mannering　went　to　hear　him　preach　a　famous　sermon。　　。。。＇　was　a　man　of　great　influence　in　his　day；　well　known　for　his　literary　and　theological　works；　as　well　as　for　his　piety　and　practical　benevolence。　　On　one　occasion；　when　my　father　was　at　play　with　his　sons；　one　of　them　threw　a　stone；　which　smashed　a　neighbour's　window。　A　servant　of　the　house　ran　out；　and　seeing　the　culprit；　called　out；　〃Very　wee！；　Maister　Erskine；　I'll　tell　yeer　faither　wha　broke　the　windae！〃　　On　which　the　boy；　to　throw　her　off　the　scent；　said　to　his　brother　loudly；　〃Eh；　keist！　she　thinks　we're　the　boddy　Erskine's　sons。〃

The　boddy　Erskine！　　Who　ever　heard　of　such　an　irreverent　nickname　applied　to　that　good　and　great　man？　　〃The　laddies　couldna　be　his　sons；〃　thought　the　woman。　　She　made　no　further　inquiry；　and　the　boys　escaped　sc