preliminary chapter-第1章

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PRELIMINARY　CHAPTER。



*　＇Note…This　Preliminary　Chapter　originally　formed　the　first　of　the　Novel；　but
*　has　now　been　printed　in　italics　on　account　of　its　introductory　character。＇


So　down　thy　hill；　romantic　Ashbourn；　glides
The　Derby　dilly；　carrying　six　insides。
Frere。


　　The　times　have　changed　in　nothing　more　（we　follow　as　we　were
wont　the　manuscript　of　Peter　Pattieson）　than　in　the　rapid　conveyance
of　intelligence　and　communication　betwixt　one　part　of　Scotland
and　another。　It　is　not　above　twenty　or　thirty　years；　according　to
the　evidence　of　many　credible　witnesses　now　alive；　since　a　little
miserable　horse…cart；　performing　with　difficulty　a　journey　of　thirty
miles　_per　diem；_　carried　our　mails　from　the　capital　of　Scotland　to
its　extremity。　Nor　was　Scotland　much　more　deficient　in　these
accommodations　than　our　rich　sister　had　been　about　eighty　years
before。　Fielding；　in　his　Tom　Jones；　and　Farquhar；　in　a　little
farce　called　the　Stage…Coach；　have　ridiculed　the　slowness　of　these
vehicles　of　public　accommodation。　According　to　the　latter　authority；
the　highest　bribe　could　only　induce　the　coachman　to　promise　to
anticipate　by　half…an…hour　the　usual　time　of　his　arrival　at　the
Bull　and　Mouth。

　　But　in　both　countries　these　ancient；　slow；　and　sure　modes　of
conveyance　are　now　alike　unknown；　mail…coach　races　against　mail…coach；
and　high…flyer　against　high…flyer；　through　the　most　remote
districts　of　Britain。　And　in　our　village　alone；　three　post…coaches；
and　four　coaches　with　men　armed；　and　in　scarlet　cassocks；　thunder
through　the　streets　each　day；　and　rival　in　brilliancy　and　noise　the
invention　of　the　celebrated　tyrant：…

Demens；　qui　nimbos　et　non　imitabile　fulmen；
re　et　cornipedum　pulsu；　simularat；　equorum。

　　Now　and　then；　to　complete　the　resemblance；　and　to　correct　the
presumption　of　the　venturous　charioteers；　it　does　happen　that　the
career　of　these　dashing　rivals　of　Salmoneus　meets　with　as　undesirable
and　violent　a　termination　as　that　of　their　prototype。　It　is　on　such
occasions　that　the　Insides　and　Outsides；　to　use　the　appropriate
vehicular　phrases；　have　reason　to　rue　the　exchange　of　the　slow　and
safe　motion　of　the　ancient　Fly…coaches；　which；　compared　with　the
chariots　of　Mr。　Palmer；　so　ill　deserve　the　name。　The　ancient
vehicle　used　to　settle　quietly　down；　like　a　ship　scuttled　and　left　to
sink　by　the　gradual　influx　of　the　waters；　while　the　modern　is
smashed　to　pieces　with　the　velocity　of　the　same　vessel　hurled　against
breakers；　or　rather　with　the　fury　of　a　bomb　bursting　at　the　conclusion
of　its　career　through　the　air。　The　late　ingenious　Mr。　Pennant；
whose　humour　it　was　to　set　his　face　in　stern　opposition　to　these
speedy　conveyances；　had　collected；　I　have　heard；　a　formidable　list　of
such　casualties；　which；　joined　to　the　imposition　of　innkeepers；　whose
charges　the　passengers　had　no　time　to　dispute；　the　sauciness　of　the
coachman；　and　the　uncontrolled　and　despotic　authority　of　the　tyrant
called　the　guard；　held　forth　a　picture　of　horror；　to　which　murder；
theft；　fraud；　and　peculation；　lent　all　their　dark　colouring。　But
that　which　gratifies　the　impatience　of　the　human　disposition　will　be
practised　in　the　teeth　of　danger；　and　in　defiance　of　admonition；　and；
in　despite　of　the　Cambrian　antiquary；　mail…coaches　not　only　roll
their　thunders　round　the　base　of　Penman…Maur　and　Cader…Idris；　but

Frighted　Skiddaw　hears　afar
The　rattling　of　the　unscythed　car。

And　perhaps　the　echoes　of　Ben　Nevis　may　soon　be　awakened　by　the
bugle；　not　of　a　warlike　chieftain；　but　of　the　guard　of　a　mail…coach。

　　It　was　a　fine　summer　day；　and　our　little　school　had　obtained　a
half…holiday；　by　the　intercession　of　a　good…humoured　visitor。　I

*　His　honour　Gilbert　Goslinn　of　Gandercleugh；　for　I　love　to　be　precise　in
*　matters　of　importance。…J。　C。

expected　by　the　coach　a　new　number　of　an　interesting　periodical
publication；　and　walked　forward　on　the　highway　to　meet　it；　with　the
impatience　which　Cowper　has　described　as　actuating　the　resident　in
the　country　when　longing　for　intelligence　from　the　mart　of　news。…

…　The　grand　debate；
The　popular　harangue；…the　tart　reply；…
The　logic；　and　the　wisdom；　and　the　wit；
And　the　loud　laugh；…I　long　to　know　them　all；…
I　burn　to　set　the　imprisoned　wranglers　free；
And　give　them　voice　and　utterance　again。

　　It　was　with　such　feelings　that　I　eyed　the　approach　of　the　new
coach；　lately　established　on　our　road；　and　known　by　the　name　of　the
Somerset；　which；　to　say　truth；　possesses　some　interest　for　me；　even
when　it　conveys　no　such　important　information。　The　distant
tremulous　sound　of　its　wheels　was　heard　just　as　I　gained　the　summit
of　the　gentle　ascent；　called　the　Goslin…brae；　from　which　you　command
an　extensive　view　down　the　valley　of　the　river　Gander。　The　public
road；　which　comes　up　the　side　of　that　stream；　and　crosses　it　at　a
bridge　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　place　where　I　was　standing；
runs　partly　through　enclosures　and　plantations；　and　partly　through
open　pasture　land。　It　is　a　childish　amusement　perhaps；…but　my
life　has　been　spent　with　children；　and　why　should　not　my　pleasures
be　like　theirs？…childish　as　it　is　then；　I　must　own　I　have　had　great
pleasure　in　watching　the　approach　of　the　carriage；　where　the　openings
of　the　road　permit　it　to　be　seen。　The　gay　glancing　of　the　equipage；
its　diminished　and　toy…like　appearance　at　a　distance；　contrasted　with
the　rapidity　of　its　motion；　its　appearance　and　disappearance　at
intervals；　and　the　progressively　increasing　sounds　that　announce　its
nearer　approach；　have　all　to　the　idle　and　listless　spectator；　who　has
nothing　more　important　to　attend　to；　something　of　awakening　interest。
The　ridicule　may　attach　to　me；　which　is　flung　upon　many　an　honest
citizen；　who　watches　from　the　window　of　his　villa　the　passage　of　the
stage…coach；　but　it　is　a　very　natural　source　of　amusement　notwithstanding；
and　many　of　those　who　join　in　the　laugh　are　perhaps　not
unused　to　resort　to　it　in　secret。

　　On　the　present　occasion；　however；　fate　had　decreed　that　I　should
not　enjoy　the　consummation　of　the　amusement　by　seeing　the　coach
rattle　past　me　as　I　sat　on　the　turf；　and　hearing　the　hoarse　grating
voice　of　the　guard　as　he　skimmed　forth　for　my　grasp　the　expected
packet；　without　the　carriage　checking　its　course　for　an　instant。　I
had　seen　the　vehicle　thunder　down　the　hill　that　leads　to　the　bridge
with　more　than　its　usual　impetuosity；　glittering　all　the　while　by
flashes　from　a　cloudy　tabernacle　of　the　dust　which　it　had　raised；　and
leaving　a　train　behind　it　on　the　road　resembling　a　wreath　of　summer
mist。　But　it　did　not　appear　on　the　top　of　the　nearer　bank　within
the　usual　space　of　three　minutes；　which　frequent　observation　had
enabled　me　to　ascertain　was　the　medium　time　for　crossing　the　bridge
and　mounting　the　ascent。　When　double　that　space　had　elapsed；　I
became　alarmed；　and　walked　hastily　forward。　As　I　came　in　sight
of　the　bridge；　the　cause　of　delay　was　too　manifest；　for　the　Somerset
had　made　a　summerset　in　good　earnest；　and　overturned　so　completely；
that　it　was　literally　resting　upon　the　ground；　with　the　roof　undermost；
and　the　four　wheels　in　the　air。　The　‘‘exertions　of　the　guard
and　coachman；''　both　of　whom　were　gratefully　commemorated　in　the
newspapers；　having　succeeded　in　disentangling　the　horses　by　cutting
the　harness；　were　now　proceeding　to　extricate　the　insides　by　a　sort　of
summary　and　Csarean　process　of　delivery；　forcing　the　hinges　from
one　of　the　doors　which　they　could　not　open　otherwise。　In　this　manner
were　two　disconsolate　damsels　set　at　liberty　from　the　womb　of　the
leathern　conveniency。　As　they　immediately　began　to　settle　their
clothes；　which　were　a　little　deranged；　as　may　be　presumed；　I　concluded
they　had　received　no　injury；　and　did　not　venture　to　obtrude　my　services
at　their　toilette；　for　which；　I　understand；　I　have　since　been　reflected
upon　by　the　fair　sufferers。　The　_outsides；_　who　must　have　been　discharged
from　their　elevated　situation　by　a　shock　resembling　the
springing　of　a　mine；　escaped；　nevertheless；　with　the　usual　allowance
of　scratches　and　bruises；　excepting　three；　who；　having　been　pitched
into　the　river　Gander；　were　dimly　seen　contendin