chronicles of the canongate-第12章

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ion　would　be　most　judiciously　assumed　by　taking　it　up　near　the　Abbey　of　Holyrood。　　＇See　Note　1。Holyrood。＇　　It　was　then　I　first　became　acquainted　with　the　quarter；　which　my　little　work　will；　I　hope；　render　immortal；　and　grew　familiar　with　those　magnificent　wilds；　through　which　the　Kings　of　Scotland　once　chased　the　dark…brown　deer；　but　which　were　chiefly　recommended　to　me　in　those　days；　by　their　being　inaccessible　to　those　metaphysical　persons；　whom　the　law　of　the　neighbouring　country　terms　John　Doe　and　Richard　Roe。　　In　short；　the　precincts　of　the　palace　are　now　best　known　as　being　a　place　of　refuge　at　any　time　from　all　pursuit　for　civil　debt。

Dire　was　the　strife　betwixt　my　quondam　doer　and　myself；　during　which　my　motions　were　circumscribed；　like　those　of　some　conjured　demon；　within　a　circle；　which；　〃beginning　at　the　northern　gate　of　the　King's　Park；　thence　running　northways；　is　bounded　on　the　left　by　the　King's　garden…wall；　and　the　gutter；　or　kennel；　in　a　line　wherewith　it　crosses　the　High　Street　to　the　Watergate；　and　passing　through　the　sewer；　is　bounded　by　the　walls　of　the　Tennis　Court　and　Physic　Gardens；　etc。　　It　then　follows　the　wall　of　the　churchyard；　joins　the　north　west　wall　of　St　Ann's　Yards；　and　going　east　to　the　clackmill…house；　turns　southward　to　the　turnstile　in　the　King's　Park　wall；　and　includes　the　whole　King's　Park　within　the　Sanctuary。〃

These　limits；　which　I　abridge　from　the　accurate　Maitland；　once　marked　the　Girth；　or　Asylum；　belonging　to　the　Abbey　of　Holyrood；　and　which；　being　still　an　appendage　to　the　royal　palace；　has　retained　the　privilege　of　an　asylum　for　civil　debt。　　One　would　think　the　space　sufficiently　extensive　for　a　man　to　stretch　his　limbs　in；　as；　besides　a　reasonable　proportion　of　level　ground　（considering　that　the　scene　lies　in　Scotland）；　it　includes　within　its　precincts　the　mountain　of　Arthur's　Seat　and　the　rocks　and　pasture　land　called　Salisbury　Crags。　　But　yet　it　is　inexpressible　how；　after　a　certain　time　had　elapsed；　I　used　to　long　for　Sunday；　which　permitted　me　to　extend　my　walk　without　limitation。　　During　the　other　six　days　of　the　week　I　felt　a　sickness　of　heart；　which；　but　for　the　speedy　approach　of　the　hebdomadal　day　of　liberty；　I　could　hardly　have　endured。　　I　experienced　the　impatience　of　a　mastiff　who　tugs　in　vain　to　extend　the　limits　which　his　chain　permits。

Day　after　day　I　walked　by　the　side　of　the　kennel　which　divides　the　Sanctuary　from　the　unprivileged　part　of　the　Canongate；　and　though　the　month　was　July；　and　the　scene　the　old　town　of　Edinburgh；　I　preferred　it　to　the　fresh　air　and　verdant　turf　which　I　might　have　enjoyed　in　the　King's　Park；　or　to　the　cool　and　solemn　gloom　of　the　portico　which　surrounds　the　palace。　　To　an　indifferent　person　either　side　of　the　gutter　would　have　seemed　much　the　same；　the　houses　equally　mean；　the　children　as　ragged　and　dirty；　the　carmen　as　brutalthe　whole　forming　the　same　picture　of　low　life　in　a　deserted　and　impoverished　quarter　of　a　large　city。　　But　to　me　the　gutter　or　kennel　was　what　the　brook　Kidron　was　to　Shimei：　　death　was　denounced　against　him　should　he　cross　it；　doubtless　because　it　was　known　to　his　wisdom　who　pronounced　the　doom　that；　from　the　time　the　crossing　the　stream　was　debarred；　the　devoted　man's　desire　to　transgress　the　precept　would　become　irresistible；　and　he　would　be　sure　to　draw　down　on　his　head　the　penalty　which　he　had　already　justly　incurred　by　cursing　the　anointed　of　God。　　For　my　part；　all　Elysium　seemed　opening　on　the　other　side　of　the　kennel；　and　I　envied　the　little　blackguards；　who；　stopping　the　current　with　their　little　dam…　dykes　of　mud；　had　a　right　to　stand　on　either　side　of　the　nasty　puddle　which　best　pleased　them。　　I　was　so　childish　as　even　to　make　an　occasional　excursion　across；　were　it　only　for　a　few　yards；　and　felt　the　triumph　of　a　schoolboy；　who；　trespassing　in　an　orchard；　hurries　back　again　with　a　fluttering　sensation　of　joy　and　terror；　betwixt　the　pleasure　of　having　executed　his　purpose　and　the　fear　of　being　taken　or　discovered。

I　have　sometimes　asked　myself　what　I　should　have　done　in　case　of　actual　imprisonment；　since　I　could　not　bear　without　impatience　a　restriction　which　is　comparatively　a　mere　trifle；　but　I　really　could　never　answer　the　question　to　my　own　satisfaction。　　I　have　all　my　life　hated　those　treacherous　expedients　called　MEZZO…　TERMINI；　and　it　is　possible　with　this　disposition　I　might　have　endured　more　patiently　an　absolute　privation　of　liberty　than　the　more　modified　restrictions　to　which　my　residence　in　the　Sanctuary　at　this　period　subjected　me。　　If；　however；　the　feelings　I　then　experienced　were　to　increase　in　intensity　according　to　the　difference　between　a　jail　and　my　actual　condition；　I　must　have　hanged　myself；　or　pined　to　deaththere　could　have　been　no　other　alternative。

Amongst　many　companions　who　forgot　and　neglected　me；　of　course；　when　my　difficulties　seemed　to　be　inextricable；　I　had　one　true　friend；　and　that　friend　was　a　barrister；　who　knew　the　laws　of　his　country　well；　and　tracing　them　up　to　the　spirit　of　equity　and　justice　in　which　they　originate；　had　repeatedly　prevented；　by　his　benevolent　and　manly　exertions；　the　triumphs　of　selfish　cunning　over　simplicity　and　folly。　　He　undertook　my　cause；　with　the　assistance　of　a　solicitor　of　a　character　similar　to　his　own。　　My　quondam　doer　had　ensconced　himself　chin…deep　among　legal　trenches；　hornworks；　and　covered　ways；　but　my　two　protectors　shelled　him　out　of　his　defences；　and　I　was　at　length　a　free　man；　at　liberty　to　go　or　stay　wheresoever　my　mind　listed。

I　left　my　lodgings　as　hastily　as　if　it　had　been　a　pest…house。　　I　did　not　even　stop　to　receive　some　change　that　was　due　to　me　on　settling　with　my　landlady；　and　I　saw　the　poor　woman　stand　at　her　door　looking　after　my　precipitate　flight；　and　shaking　her　head　as　she　wrapped　the　silver　which　she　was　counting　for　me　in　a　separate　piece　of　paper；　apart　from　the　store　in　her　own　moleskin　purse。　　An　honest　Highlandwoman　was　Janet　MacEvoy；　and　deserved　a　greater　remuneration；　had　I　possessed　the　power　of　bestowing　it。　But　my　eagerness　of　delight　was　too　extreme　to　pause　for　explanation　with　Janet。　　On　I　pushed　through　the　groups　of　children；　of　whose　sports　I　had　been　so　often　a　lazy；　lounging　spectator。　　I　sprung　over　the　gutter　as　if　it　had　been　the　fatal　Styx；　and　I　a　ghost；　which；　eluding　Pluto's　authority；　was　making　its　escape　from　Limbo　lake。　　My　friend　had　difficulty　to　restrain　me　from　running　like　a　madman　up　the　street；　and　in　spite　of　his　kindness　and　hospitality；　which　soothed　me　for　a　day　or　two；　I　was　not　quite　happy　until　I　found　myself　aboard　of　a　Leith　smack；　and；　standing　down　the　Firth　with　a　fair　wind；　might　snap　my　fingers　at　the　retreating　outline　of　Arthur's　Seat；　to　the　vicinity　of　which　I　had　been　so　long　confined。

It　is　not　my　purpose　to　trace　my　future　progress　through　life。　　I　had　extricated　myself；　or　rather　had　been　freed　by　my　friends；　from　the　brambles　and　thickets　of　the　law；　but；　as　befell　the　sheep　in　the　fable；　a　great　part　of　my　fleece　was　left　behind　me。　Something　remained；　however：　　I　was　in　the　season　for　exertion；　and；　as　my　good　mother　used　to　say；　there　was　always　life　for　living　folk。　　Stern　necessity　gave　my　manhood　that　prudence　which　my　youth　was　a　stranger　to。　　I　faced　danger；　I　endured　fatigue；　I　sought　foreign　climates；　and　proved　that　I　belonged　to　the　nation　which　is　proverbially　patient　of　labour　and　prodigal　of　life。　Independence；　like　liberty　to　Virgil's　shepherd；　came　late；　but　came　at　last；　with　no　great　affluence　in　its　train；　but　bringing　enough　to　support　a　decent　appearance　for　the　rest　of　my　life；　and　to　induce　cousins　to　be　civil；　and　gossips　to　say；　〃I　wonder　whom　old　Croft　will　make　his　heir？　　He　must　have　picked　up　something；　and　I　should　not　be　surprised　if　it　prove　more　than　folk　think　of。〃

My　first　impulse　when　I　returned　home　was　to　rush　to　the　house　of　my　benefactor；　the　only　man　who　had　in　my　distress　interested　himself　in　my　behalf。　　He　was　a　snuff…taker；　and　it　had　been　the　pride　of　my　heart　to　save　the　IPSA　CORPORA　of　the　first　score　of　guineas　I　could　hoard；　and　to　have　them　converted　into　as　tasteful　a　snuff…box　as　Rundell　and　Bridge　could　devise。　　This　I　had　thrust　for　security　into　the　breast　of　my　waistcoat；　while；　imp