chronicles of the canongate-第4章

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！


　this　marriage　were　the　late　well…known　diplomatist；　Sir　Robert　Murray　Keith；　K。B。；　a　general　in　the　army；　and　for　some　time　ambassador　at　Vienna；　Sir　Basil　Keith；　Knight；　captain　in　the　navy；　who　died　Governor　of　Jamaica；　and　my　excellent　friend；　Anne　Murray　Keith；　who　ultimately　came　into　possession　of　the　family　estates；　and　died　not　long　before　the　date　of　this　Introduction　（1831）。＇

In　the　sketch　of　Chrystal　Croftangry's　own　history；　the　author　has　been　accused　of　introducing　some　not　polite　allusions　to　respectable　living　individuals；　but　he　may　safely；　he　presumes；　pass　over　such　an　insinuation。　　The　first　of　the　narratives　which　Mr。　Croftangry　proceeds　to　lay　before　the　public；　〃The　Highland　Widow；〃　was　derived　from　Mrs。　Murray　Keith；　and　is　given；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　additional　circumstancesthe　introduction　of　which　I　am　rather　inclined　to　regretvery　much　as　the　excellent　old　lady　used　to　tell　the　story。　　Neither　the　Highland　cicerone　Macturk　nor　the　demure　washingwoman；　were　drawn　from　imagination；　and　on　re…reading　my　tale；　after　the　lapse　of　a　few　years；　and　comparing　its　effect　with　my　remembrance　of　my　worthy　friend's　oral　narration；　which　was　certainly　extremely　affecting；　I　cannot　but　suspect　myself　of　having　marred　its　simplicity　by　some　of　those　interpolations；　which；　at　the　time　when　I　penned　them；　no　doubt　passed　with　myself　for　embellishments。

The　next　tale；　entitled　〃The　Two　Drovers；〃　I　learned　from　another　old　friend；　the　late　George　Constable；　Esq。　　of　Wallace…Craigie；　near　Dundee；　whom　I　have　already　introduced　to　my　reader　as　the　original　Antiquary　of　Monkbarns。　　He　had　been　present；　I　think；　at　the　trial　at　Carlisle；　and　seldom　mentioned　the　venerable　judges　charge　to　the　jury；　without　shedding　tears；which　had　peculiar　pathos；　as　flowing　down　features；　carrying　rather　a　sarcastic　or　almost　a　cynical　expression。

This　worthy　gentleman's　reputation　for　shrewd　Scottish　sense；　knowledge　of　our　national　antiquities；　and　a　racy　humour　peculiar　to　himself；　must　be　still　remembered。　　For　myself；　I　have　pride　in　recording　that　for　many　years　we　were；　in　Wordsworth's　language；

　　〃A　pair　of　friends；　though　I　was　young；　　　　　　And　'George'　was　seventy…two。〃

W。　S。

ABBOTSFORD；　AUG。　15；　1831。


*


APPENDIX　TO　INTRODUCTION。

＇It　has　been　suggested　to　the　Author　that　it　might　be　well　to　reprint　here　a　detailed　account　of　the　public　dinner　alluded　to　in　the　foregoing　Introduction；　as　given　in　the　newspapers　of　the　time；　and　the　reader　is　accordingly　presented　with　the　following　extract　from　the　EDINBURGH　WEEKLY　JOURNAL　for　Wednesday；　28th　February；　1827。＇


THE　THEATRICAL　FUND　DINNER。

Before　proceeding　with　our　account　of　this　very　interesting　festivalfor　so　it　may　be　termedit　is　our　duty　to　present　to　our　readers　the　following　letter；　which　we　have　received　from　the　President：

TO　THE　EDITOR　OF　THE　〃EDINBURGH　WEEKLY　JOURNAL。〃

Sir；I　am　extremely　sorry　I　have　not　leisure　to　correct　the　copy　you　sent　me　of　what　I　am　stated　to　have　said　at　the　dinner　for　the　Theatrical　Fund。　　I　am　no　orator；　and　upon　such　occasions　as　are　alluded　to；　I　say　as　well　as　I　can　what　the　time　requires。

However；　I　hope　your　reporter　has　been　more　accurate　in　other　instances　than　in　mine。　　I　have　corrected　one　passage；　in　which　I　am　made　to　speak　with　great　impropriety　and　petulance；　respecting　the　opinions　of　those　who　do　not　approve　of　dramatic　entertainments。　　I　have　restored　what　I　said；　which　was　meant　to　be　respectful；　as　every　objection　founded　in　conscience　is；　in　my　opinion；　entitled　to　be　so　treated。　　Other　errors　I　left　as　I　found　them；　it　being　of　little　consequence　whether　I　spoke　sense　or　nonsense　in　what　was　merely　intended　for　the　purpose　of　the　hour。

I　am；　sir；

Your　obedient　servant；

EDINBURGH；　MONDAY。　　　　　　WALTER　SCOTT。

*

The　Theatrical　Fund　Dinner；　which　took　place　on　Friday；　in　the　Assembly　Rooms；　was　conducted　with　admirable　spirit。　　The　Chairman；　Sir　WALTER　SCOTT；　among　his　other　great　qualifications；　is　well　fitted　to　enliven　such　an　entertainment。　　His　manners　are　extremely　easy；　and　his　style　of　speaking　simple　and　natural；　yet　full　of　vivacity　and　point；　and　he　has　the　art；　if　it　be　art；　of　relaxing　into　a　certain　homeliness　of　manner；　without　losing　one　particle　of　his　dignity。　　He　thus　takes　off　some　of　that　solemn　formality　which　belongs　to　such　meetings；　and；　by　his　easy；　and　graceful　familiarity；　imparts　to　them　somewhat　of　the　pleasing　character　of　a　private　entertainment。　　Near　Sir　W。　Scott　sat　the　Earl　of　Fife；　Lord　Meadowbank；　Sir　John　Hope　of　Pinkie；　Bart。；　Admiral　Adam；　Baron　Clerk　Rattray；　Gilbert　Innes；　Esq。；　James　Walker；　Esq。；　Robert　Dundas；　Esq。；　Alexander　Smith；　Esq。；　etc。

The　cloth　being　removed；　〃Non　nobis；　Domine；〃　was　sung　by　Messrs。　Thorne；　Swift；　Collier；　and　Hartley；　after　which　the　following　toasts　were　given　from　the　chair：

〃The　King〃all　the　honours。

〃The　Duke　of　Clarence　and　the　Royal　Family。〃

The　CHAIRMAN；　in　proposing　the　next　toast；　which　he　wished　to　be　drunk　in　solemn　silence；　said　it　was　to　the　memory　of　a　regretted…prince；　whom　we　had　lately　lost。　　Every　individual　would　at　once　conjecture　to　whom　he　alluded。　　He　had　no　intention　to　dwell　on　his　military　merits。　　They　had　been　told　in　the　senate；　they　had　been　repeated　in　the　cottage；　and　whenever　a　soldier　was　the　theme；　his　name　was　never　far　distant。　　But　it　was　chiefly　in　connection　with　the　business　of　this　meeting；　which　his　late　Royal　Highness　had　condescended　in　a　particular　manner　to　patronize；　that　they　were　called　on　to　drink　his　health。　　To　that　charity　he　had　often　sacrificed　his　time；　and　had　given　up　the　little　leisure　which　he　had　from　important　business。　　He　was　always　ready　to　attend　on　every　occasion　of　this　kind；　and　it　was　in　that　view　that　he　proposed　to　drink　to　the　memory　of　his　late　Royal　Highness　the　Duke　of　York。Drunk　in　solemn　silence。

The　CHAIRMAN　then　requested　that　gentlemen　would　fill　a　bumper　as　full　as　it　would　hold；　while　he　would　say　only　a　few　words。　　He　was　in　the　habit　of　hearing　speeches；　and　he　knew　the　feeling　with　which　long　ones　were　regarded。　　He　was　sure　that　it　was　perfectly　unnecessary　for　him　to　enter　into　any　vindication　of　the　dramatic　art；　which　they　had　come　here　to　support。　　This；　however；　he　considered　to　be　the　proper　time　and　proper　occasion　for　him　to　say　a　few　words　on　that　love　of　representation　which　was　an　innate　feeling　in　human　nature。　　It　was　the　first　amusement　that　the　child　had。　　It　grew　greater　as　he　grew　up；　and　even　in　the　decline　of　life　nothing　amuses　so　much　as　when　a　common　tale　is　told　with　appropriate　personification。　　The　first　thing　a　child　does　is　to　ape　his　schoolmaster　by　flogging　a　chair。　　The　assuming　a　character　ourselves；　or　the　seeing　others　assume　an　imaginary　character；　is　an　enjoyment　natural　to　humanity。　　It　was　implanted　in　our　very　nature　to　take　pleasure　from　such　representations；　at　proper　times　and　on　proper　occasions。　　In　all　ages　the　theatrical　art　had　kept　pace　with　the　improvement　of　mankind；　and　with　the　progress　of　letters　and　the　fine　arts。　　As　man　has　advanced　from　the　ruder　stages　of　society；　the　love　of　dramatic　representations　has　increased；　and　all　works　of　this　nature　have　keen　improved　in　character　and　in　structure。　They　had　only　to　turn　their　eyes　to　the　history　of　ancient　Greece；　although　he　did　not　pretend　to　be　very　deeply　versed　in　its　ancient　drama。　　Its　first　tragic　poet　commanded　a　body　of　troops　at　the　battle　of　Marathon。　　Sophocles　and　Euripides　were　men　of　rank　in　Athens　when　Athens　was　in　its　highest　renown。　They　shook　Athens　with　their　discourses；　as　their　theatrical　works　shook　the　theatre　itself。　　If　they　turned　to　France　in　the　time　of　Louis　the　Fourteenththat　era　which　is　the　classical　history　of　that　countrythey　would　find　that　it　was　referred　to　by　all　Frenchmen　as　the　golden　age　of　the　drama　there。　　And　also　in　England　in　the　time　of　Queen　Elizabeth　the　drama　was　at　its　highest　pitch；　when　the　nation　began　to　mingle　deeply　and　wisely　in　the　general　politics　of　Europe；　not　only　not　receiving　laws　from　others；　but　giving　laws　to　the　world；　and　vindicating　the　rights　of　mankind。　　（Cheers。）　There　have　been　various　times　when　the　dramatic　art　subsequently　fell　into　disrepute。　　Its　professors　have　been　stigmatized；　and　laws　have　been　passed　against　them；　less　dishonourable　to　them　than　to　the　statesmen　by　whom　they　were　proposed；　and　to　the　legislators　by　whom　they　were　adopted。　　What　were　the　times　in　which　these　laws　were　passed？　Was　it　not　when　virtue　was　seldom　inculcated　as　a　moral　duty　that　we　were　required　to　relinquish　the　most　rational　of　all　our　amusements；　when　the　clergy　were　enjoined　celibacy；　and　when　the　laity　were　denied　the　right　to　read　their　Bibles？　　He　thought　that　it　must　have　been　from　a　notion　of　penance　that　they　erected　the　drama　into　an　ideal　place　of　profaneness；　and　spoke　of　the　theatre　as　of　the　tents　of　sin。　　He　did　not　mean　to　dispute　that　there　were　many　excellent　persons　who　thought　differently　from　him；　and　he　disclaimed　the　slightest　idea　of　charging　them　with　bigotry　or　hypocrisy　on　that　account。　　He　gave　them　full　credit　for　their　tender　consciences；　in　making　these　objections；　although　they　did　not　appear　relevant　to　him。　　But　to　these　persons；　being；　as　he　believed　them；　men　of　worth　and　piety；　he　was　sure　the　purpose　of　this　meeting　would　furnish　some　apology　for　an　error；　if　there　be　any；　in　the　opinions　of　those　who　attend。　　They　would　approve　the　gift；　although　they　might　differ　in　other　points。　　Such　might　not　approve　of　going　to　the　theatre；　but　at　least　could　not　deny　that　they　might　give　away　from　their　superfluity　what　was　required　for　the　relief　of　the　sick；　the　support　of　the　aged；　and　the　comfort　of　the　afflicted。　　These　were　duties　enjoined　by　our　religion　itself。　　（Loud　cheers。）

The　performers　are　in　a　particular　manner　entitled　to　the　support　or　regard；　when　in　old　age　or　distress；　of　those　who　have　partaken　of　the　amusements　of　those　places　which　they　render　an　ornament　to　society。　　Their　art　was　of　a　peculiarly　delicate　and　precarious　nature。　　They　had　to　serve　a　long　apprenticeship。　　It　was　very　long　before　even　the　first…rate　geniuses　could　acquire　the　mechanical　knowledge　of　the　stage　business。　　They　must　languish　long　in　obscurity　before　they　can　avail　themselves　of　their　natural　talents；　and　after　that　they　have　but　a　short　space　of　time；　during　which　they　are　fortunate　if　they　can　provide　the　means　of　comfort　in　the　decline　of　life。　　That　comes　late；　and　lasts　but　a　short　time；　after　which　they　are　left　dependent。　Their　limbs　failtheir　teeth　are　loosenedtheir　voice　is　lost　and　they　are　left；　after　giving　happiness　to　others；　in　a　most　disconsolate　state。　　The　public　were　liberal　and　generous　to　those　deserving　their　protection。　　It　was　a　sad　thing　to　be　dependent　on　the　favour；　or；　he　might　say；　in　plain　terms；　on　the　caprice；　of　the　public；　and　this　more　particularly　for　a　class　of　persons　of　whom　extreme　prudence　is　not　the　character。　　There　might　be　instances　of　opportunities　being　neglected。　　But　let　each　gentleman　tax　himself；　and　consider　the　opportunities　THEY　had　neglected；　and　the　sums　of　money　THEY　had　wasted；　let　every　gentleman　look　into　his　own　bosom；　and　say　whether　these　were　circum