贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > edingburgh picturesque notes >

第2章

edingburgh picturesque notes-第2章

小说: edingburgh picturesque notes 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




Arthur's Seat look down upon these imitations with a 

becoming dignity; as the works of Nature may look down 

the monuments of Art。  But Nature is a more 

indiscriminate patroness than we imagine; and in no way 

frightened of a strong effect。  The birds roost as 

willingly among the Corinthian capitals as in the 

crannies of the crag; the same atmosphere and daylight 

clothe the eternal rock and yesterday's imitation 

portico; and as the soft northern sunshine throws out 

everything into a glorified distinctness … or easterly 

mists; coming up with the blue evening; fuse all these 

incongruous features into one; and the lamps begin to 

glitter along the street; and faint lights to burn in the 

high windows across the valley … the feeling grows upon 

you that this also is a piece of nature in the most 

intimate sense; that this profusion of eccentricities; 

this dream in masonry and living rock; is not a drop…

scene in a theatre; but a city in the world of every…day 

reality; connected by railway and telegraph…wire with all 

the capitals of Europe; and inhabited by citizens of the 

familiar type; who keep ledgers; and attend church; and 

have sold their immortal portion to a daily paper。  By 

all the canons of romance; the place demands to be half 

deserted and leaning towards decay; birds we might admit 

in profusion; the play of the sun and winds; and a few 

gipsies encamped in the chief thoroughfare; but these 

citizens with their cabs and tramways; their trains and 

posters; are altogether out of key。  Chartered tourists; 

they make free with historic localities; and rear their 

young among the most picturesque sites with a grand human 

indifference。  To see them thronging by; in their neat 

clothes and conscious moral rectitude; and with a little 

air of possession that verges on the absurd; is not the 

least striking feature of the place。 *



* These sentences have; I hear; given offence in my 

native town; and a proportionable pleasure to our rivals 

of Glasgow。  I confess the news caused me both pain and 

merriment。  May I remark; as a balm for wounded fellow…

townsmen; that there is nothing deadly in my accusations?  

Small blame to them if they keep ledgers: 'tis an 

excellent business habit。  Churchgoing is not; that ever 

I heard; a subject of reproach; decency of linen is a 

mark of prosperous affairs; and conscious moral rectitude 

one of the tokens of good living。  It is not their fault 

it the city calls for something more specious by way of 

inhabitants。  A man in a frock…coat looks out of place 

upon an Alp or Pyramid; although he has the virtues of a 

Peabody and the talents of a Bentham。  And let them 

console themselves … they do as well as anybody else; the 

population of (let us say) Chicago would cut quite as 

rueful a figure on the same romantic stage。  To the 

Glasgow people I would say only one word; but that is of 

gold; I HAVE NOT YET WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT GLASGOW。



And the story of the town is as eccentric as its 

appearance。  For centuries it was a capital thatched with 

heather; and more than once; in the evil days of English 

invasion; it has gone up in flame to heaven; a beacon to 

ships at sea。  It was the jousting…ground of jealous 

nobles; not only on Greenside; or by the King's Stables; 

where set tournaments were fought to the sound of 

trumpets and under the authority of the royal presence; 

but in every alley where there was room to cross swords; 

and in the main street; where popular tumult under the 

Blue Blanket alternated with the brawls of outlandish 

clansmen and retainers。  Down in the palace John Knox 

reproved his queen in the accents of modern democracy。  

In the town; in one of those little shops plastered like 

so many swallows' nests among the buttresses of the old 

Cathedral; that familiar autocrat; James VI。; would 

gladly share a bottle of wine with George Heriot the 

goldsmith。  Up on the Pentland Hills; that so quietly 

look down on the Castle with the city lying in waves 

around it; those mad and dismal fanatics; the Sweet 

Singers; haggard from long exposure on the moors; sat day 

and night with 'tearful psalmns' to see Edinburgh 

consumed with fire from heaven; like another Sodom or 

Gomorrah。  There; in the Grass…market; stiff…necked; 

covenanting heroes; offered up the often unnecessary; but 

not less honourable; sacrifice of their lives; and bade 

eloquent farewell to sun; moon; and stars; and earthly 

friendships; or died silent to the roll of drums。  Down 

by yon outlet rode Grahame of Claverhouse and his thirty 

dragoons; with the town beating to arms behind their 

horses' tails … a sorry handful thus riding for their 

lives; but with a man at the head who was to return in a 

different temper; make a dash that staggered Scotland to 

the heart; and die happily in the thick of fight。  There 

Aikenhead was hanged for a piece of boyish incredulity; 

there; a few years afterwards; David Hume ruined 

Philosophy and Faith; an undisturbed and well…reputed 

citizen; and thither; in yet a few years more; Burns came 

from the plough…tail; as to an academy of gilt unbelief 

and artificial letters。  There; when the great exodus was 

made across the valley; and the New Town began to spread 

abroad its draughty parallelograms; and rear its long 

frontage on the opposing hill; there was such a flitting; 

such a change of domicile and dweller; as was never 

excelled in the history of cities: the cobbler succeeded 

the earl; the beggar ensconced himself by the judge's 

chimney; what had been a palace was used as a pauper 

refuge; and great mansions were so parcelled out among 

the least and lowest in society; that the hearthstone of 

the old proprietor was thought large enough to be 

partitioned off into a bedroom by the new。





CHAPTER II。

OLD TOWN … THE LANDS。





THE Old Town; it is pretended; is the chief 

characteristic; and; from a picturesque point of view; 

the liver…wing of Edinburgh。  It is one of the most 

common forms of depreciation to throw cold water on the 

whole by adroit over…commendation of a part; since 

everything worth judging; whether it be a man; a work of 

art; or only a fine city; must be judged upon its merits 

as a whole。  The Old Town depends for much of its effect 

on the new quarters that lie around it; on the 

sufficiency of its situation; and on the hills that back 

it up。  If you were to set it somewhere else by itself; 

it would look remarkably like Stirling in a bolder and 

loftier edition。  The point is to see this embellished 

Stirling planted in the midst of a large; active; and 

fantastic modern city; for there the two re…act in a 

picturesque sense; and the one is the making of the 

other。



The Old Town occupies a sloping ridge or tail of 

diluvial matter; protected; in some subsidence of the 

waters; by the Castle cliffs which fortify it to the 

west。  On the one side of it and the other the new towns 

of the south and of the north occupy their lower; 

broader; and more gentle hill…tops。  Thus; the quarter of 

the Castle over…tops the whole city and keeps an open 

view to sea and land。  It dominates for miles on every 

side; and people on the decks of ships; or ploughing in 

quiet country places over in Fife; can see the banner on 

the Castle battlements; and the smoke of the Old Town 

blowing abroad over the subjacent country。  A city that 

is set upon a hill。  It was; I suppose; from this distant 

aspect that she got her nickname of AULD REEKIE。  Perhaps 

it was given her by people who had never crossed her 

doors: day after day; from their various rustic Pisgahs; 

they had seen the pile of building on the hill…top; and 

the long plume of smoke over the plain; so it appeared to 

them; so it had appeared to their fathers tilling the 

same field; and as that was all they knew of the place; 

it could be all 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 0

你可能喜欢的