chronicles of the canongate-第29部分

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nd；　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　in　the　particulars；　and　at　the　same　time　to　indulge　myself　with　recalling　the　virtues　and　agreeable　qualities　of　my　late　friend；　I　will　give　a　short　sketch　of　her　manners　and　habits。

Mrs。　Martha　Bethune　Baliol　was　a　person　of　quality　and　fortune；　as　these　are　esteemed　in　Scotland。　　Her　family　was　ancient；　and　her　connections　honourable。　　She　was　not　fond　of　specially　indicating　her　exact　age；　but　her　juvenile　recollections　stretched　backwards　till　before　the　eventful　year　1745；　and　she　remembered　the　Highland　clans　being　in　possession　of　the　Scottish　capital；　though　probably　only　as　an　indistinct　vision。　　Her　fortune；　independent　by　her　father's　bequest；　was　rendered　opulent　by　the　death　of　more　than　one　brave　brother；　who　fell　successively　in　the　service　of　their　country；　so　that　the　family　estates　became　vested　in　the　only　surviving　child　of　the　ancient　house　of　Bethune　Baliol。　　My　intimacy　was　formed　with　the　excellent　lady　after　this　event；　and　when　she　was　already　something　advanced　in　age。

She　inhabited；　when　in　Edinburgh；　where　she　regularly　spent　the　winter　season；　one　of　those　old　hotels　which；　till　of　late；　were　to　be　found　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Canongate　and　of　the　Palace　of　Holyrood　House；　and　which；　separated　from　the　street；　now　dirty　and　vulgar；　by　paved　courts　and　gardens　of　some　extent；　made　amends　for　an　indifferent　access；　by　showing　something　of　aristocratic　state　and　seclusion　when　you　were　once　admitted　within　their　precincts。　　They　have　pulled　her　house　down；　for；　indeed；　betwixt　building　and　burning；　every　ancient　monument　of　the　Scottish　capital　is　now　likely　to　be　utterly　demolished。　　I　pause　on　the　recollections　of　the　place；　however；　and　since　nature　has　denied　a　pencil　when　she　placed　a　pen　in　my　hand；　I　will　endeavour　to　make　words　answer　the　purpose　of　delineation。

Baliol's　Lodging；　so　was　the　mansion　named；　reared　its　high　stack　of　chimneys；　among　which　were　seen　a　turret　or　two；　and　one　of　those　small　projecting　platforms　called　bartizans；　above　the　mean　and　modern　buildings　which　line　the　south　side　of　the　Canongate；　towards　the　lower　end　of　that　street；　and　not　distant　from　the　Palace。　　A　PORTE　COCHERE；　having　a　wicket　for　foot　passengers；　was；　upon　due　occasion；　unfolded　by　a　lame　old　man；　tall；　grave；　and　thin；　who　tenanted　a　hovel　beside　the　gate；　and　acted　as　porter。　　To　this　office　he　had　been　promoted　by　my　friend's　charitable　feelings　for　an　old　soldier；　and　partly　by　an　idea　that　his　head；　which　was　a　very　fine　one；　bore　some　resemblance　to　that　of　Garrick　in　the　character　of　Lusignan。　　He　was　a　man　saturnine；　silent；　and　slow　in　his　proceedings；　and　would　never　open　the　PORTE　COCHERE　to　a　hackney　coach；　indicating　the　wicket　with　his　finger　as　the　proper　passage　for　all　who　came　in　that　obscure　vehicle；　which　was　not　permitted　to　degrade　with　its　ticketed　presence　the　dignity　of　Baliol's　Lodging。　　I　do　not　think　this　peculiarity　would　have　met　with　his　lady's　approbation；　any　more　than　the　occasional　partiality　of　Lusignan；　or；　as　mortals　called　him；　Archie