chronicles of the canongate-第25章

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hem；　to　make　my　own　darkness　yet　more　opaque　and　palpable。　　〃Let　every　herring；〃　says　our　old…fashioned　proverb；　〃hang　by　his　own　head。〃

One　person；　however；　I　may　distinguish；　as　she　is　now　no　more；　who；　living　to　the　utmost　term　of　human　life；　honoured　me　with　a　great　share　of　her　friendshipas；　indeed；　we　were　blood…　relatives　in　the　Scottish　senseHeaven　knows　how　many　degrees　removedand　friends　in　the　sense　of　Old　England。　　I　mean　the　late　excellent　and　regretted　Mrs。　Bethune　Baliol。　　But　as　I　design　this　admirable　picture　of　the　olden　time　for　a　principal　character　in　my　work；　I　will　only　say　here　that　she　knew　and　approved　of　my　present　purpose；　and　though　she　declined　to　contribute　to　it　while　she　lived；　from　a　sense　of　dignified　retirement；　which　she　thought　became　her　age；　sex；　and　condition　in　life；　she　left　me　some　materials　for　carrying　on　my　proposed　work　which　I　coveted　when　I　heard　her　detail　them　in　conversation；　and　which　now；　when　I　have　their　substance　in　her　own　handwriting；　I　account　far　more　valuable　than　anything　I　have　myself　to　offer。　　I　hope　the　mentioning　her　name　in　conjunction　with　my　own　will　give　no　offence　to　any　of　her　numerous　friends；　as　it　was　her　own　express　pleasure　that　I　should　employ　the　manuscripts　which　she　did　me　the　honour　to　bequeath　me　in　the　manner　in　which　I　have　now　used　them。　　It　must　be　added；　however；　that　in　most　cases　I　have　disguised　names；　and　in　some　have　added　shading　and　colouring　to　bring　out　the　narrative。

Much　of　my　materials；　besides　these；　are　derived　from　friends；　living　or　dead。　　The　accuracy　of　some　of　these　may　be　doubtful；　in　which　case　I　shall　be　happy　to　receive；　from　sufficient　authority；　the　correction　of　the　errors　which　must　creep　into　traditional　documents。　　The　object　of　the　whole　publication　is　to　throw　some　light　on　the　manners　of　Scotland　as　they　were；　and　to　contrast　them　occasionally　with　those　of　the　present　day。　　My　own　opinions　are　in　favour　of　our　own　times　in　many　respects；　but　not　in　so　far　as　affords　means　for　exercising　the　imagination　or　exciting　the　interest　which　attaches　to　other　times。　　I　am　glad　to　be　a　writer　or　a　reader　in　1826；　but　I　would　be　most　interested　in　reading　or　relating　what　happened　from　half　a　century　to　a　century　before。　　We　have　the　best　of　it。　　Scenes　in　which　our　ancestors　thought　deeply；　acted　fiercely；　and　died　desperately；　are　to　us　tales　to　divert　the　tedium　of　a　winter's　evening；　when　we　are　engaged　to　no　party；　or　beguile　a　summer's　morning；　when　it　is　too　scorching　to　ride　or　walk。

Yet　I　do　not　mean　that　my　essays　and　narratives　should　be　limited　to　Scotland。　　I　pledge　myself　to　no　particular　line　of　subjects；　but；　on　the　contrary；　say　with　Burns

　　〃Perhaps　it　may　turn　out　a　sang；　　　　Perhaps　turn　out　a　sermon。〃

I　have　only　to　add；　by　way　of　postscript　to　these　preliminary　chapters；　that　I　have　had　recourse　to　Moliere's　recipe；　and　read　my　manuscript　over　to　my　old　woman；　Janet　MacEvoy。

The　dignity　of　being　consulted　delighted　Janet；　and　Wilkie；　or　Allan；　would　have　made　a　capital　sketch　of　her；　as　she　sat　upright　in　her　chair；　instead　of　her　ordinary　lounging　posture；　knitting　her　stocking　systematically；　as　if　she　meant　every　twist　of　her　thread　and　inclination　of　the　wires　to　bear　burden　to　the　cadence　of　my　voice。　　I　am　afraid；　too；　that　I　myself　felt　more　delight　than　I　ought　to　have　done　in　my　own　composition；　and　read　a　little　more　oratorically　than　I　should　have　ventured　to　do　before　an　auditor　of　whose　applause　I　was　not　so　secure。　　And　the　result　did　not　entirely　encourage　my　plan　of　censorship。　　Janet　did　indeed　seriously　incline　to　the　account　of　my　previous　life；　and　bestowed　some　Highland　maledictions；　more　emphatic　than　courteous；　on　Christie　Steele's　reception　of　a　〃shentlemans　in　distress；〃　and　of　her　own　mistress's　house　too。　　I　omitted　for　certain　reasons；　or　greatly　abridged；　what　related　to　her…self。　But　when　I　came　to　treat　of　my　general　views　in　publication；　I　saw　poor　Janet　was　entirely　thrown　out；　though；　like　a　jaded　hunter；　panting；　puffing；　and　short　of　wind；　she　endeavoured　at　least　to　keep　up　with　the　chase。　　Or；　rather；　her　perplexity　made　her　look　all　the　while　like　a　deaf　person　ashamed　of　his　infirmity；　who　does　not　understand　a　word　you　are　saying；　yet　desires　you　to　believe　that　he　does　understand　you；　and　who　is　extremely　jealous　that　you　suspect　his　incapacity。　　When　she　saw　that　some　remark　was　necessary；　she　resembled　exactly　in　her　criticism　the　devotee　who　pitched　on　the　〃sweet　word　Mesopotamia〃　as　the　most　edifying　note　which　she　could　bring　away　from　a　sermon。　　She　indeed　hastened　to　bestow　general　praise　on　what　she　said　was　all　〃very　fine；〃　but　chiefly　dwelt　on　what　I；　had　said　about　Mr。　Timmerman；　as　she　was　pleased　to　call　the　German　philosopher；　and　supposed　he　must　be　of　the　same　descent　with　the　Highland　clan　of　M'Intyre；　which　signifies　Son　of　the　Carpenter。　〃And　a　fery　honourable　name　tooShanet's　own　mither　was　a　M'Intyre。〃

In　short；　it　was　plain　the　latter　part　of　my　introduction　was　altogether　lost　on　poor　Janet；　and　so；　to　have　acted　up　to　Moliere's　system；　I　should　have　cancelled　the　whole；　and　written　it　anew。　　But　I　do　not　know　how　it　is。　　I　retained；　I　suppose；　some　tolerable　opinion　of　my　own　composition；　though　Janet　did　not　comprehend　it；　and　felt　loath　to　retrench　those　Delilahs　of　the　imagination；　as　Dryden　calls　them；　the　tropes　and　figures　of　which　are　caviar　to　the　multitude。　　Besides；　I　hate　rewriting　as　much　as　Falstaff　did　paying　backit　is　a　double　labour。　　So　I　determined　with　myself　to　consult　Janet；　in　future；　only　on　such　things　as　were　within　the　limits　of　her　comprehension；　and　hazard　my　arguments　and　my　rhetoric　on　the　public　without　her　imprimatur。　　I　am　pretty　sure　she　will　〃applaud　it　done。〃　　and　in　such　narratives　as　come　within　her　range　of　thought　and　feeling　I　shall；　as　I　first　intended；　take　the　benefit　of　her　unsophisticated　judgment；　and　attend　to　it　deferentiallythat　is；　when　it　happens　not　to　be　in　peculiar　opposition　to　my　own；　for；　after　all；　I　say　with　Almanzor；

　　〃Know　that　I　alone　am　king　of　me。〃

The　reader　has　now　my　who　and　my　whereabout；　the　purpose　of　the　work；　and　the　circumstances　under　which　it　is　undertaken。　　He　has　also　a　specimen　of　the　author's　talents；　and　may　judge　for　himself；　and　proceed；　or　send　back　the　volume　to　the　bookseller；　as　his　own　taste　shall　determine。



CHAPTER　VI。

MR。　CROFTANGRY'S　ACCOUNT　OF　MRS。　BETHUNE　BALIOL。

　　　The　moon；　were　she　earthly；　no　nobler。　　　CORIOLANUS。

When　we　set　out　on　the　jolly　voyage　of　life；　what　a　brave　fleet　there　is　around　us；　as；　stretching　our　finest　canvas　to　the　breeze；　all　〃shipshape　and　Bristol　fashion；〃　pennons　flying；　music　playing；　cheering　each　other　as　we　pass；　we　are　rather　amused　than　alarmed　when　some　awkward　comrade　goes　right　ashore　for　want　of　pilotage！　　Alas！　　when　the　voyage　is　well　spent；　and　we　look　about　us；　toil…worn　mariners；　how　few　of　our　ancient　consorts　still　remain　in　sight；　and　they；　how　torn　and　wasted；　and；　like　ourselves；　struggling　to　keep　as　long　as　possible　off　the　fatal　shore；　against　which　we　are　all　finally　drifting！

I　felt　this　very　trite　but　melancholy　truth　in　all　its　force　the　other　day；　when　a　packet　with　a　black　seal　arrived；　containing　a　letter　addressed　to　me　by　my　late　excellent　friend　Mrs。　Martha　Bethune　Baliol；　and　marked　with　the　fatal　indorsation；　〃To　be　delivered　according　to　address；　after　I　shall　be　no　more。〃　　A　letter　from　her　executors　accompanied　the　packet；　mentioning　that　they　had　found　in　her　will　a　bequest　to　me　of　a　painting　of　some　value；　which　she　stated　would　just　fit　the　space　above　my　cupboard；　and　fifty　guineas　to　buy　a　ring。　　And　thus　I　separated；　with　all　the　kindness　which　we　had　maintained　for　many　years；　from　a　friend；　who；　though　old　enough　to　have　been　the　companion　of　my　mother；　was　yet；　in　gaiety　of　spirits　and　admirable　sweetness　of　temper；　capable　of　being　agreeable；　and　even　animating　society；　for　those　who　write　themselves　in　the　vaward　of　youth；　an　advantage　which　I　have　lost　for　these　five…and…　thirty　years。　　The　contents　of　the　packet　I　had　no　difficulty　in　guessing；　and　have　partly　hinted　at　them　in　the　last　chapter。　But　to　instruct　the　reader