第5章

类别:其他 作者:Sir Walter Scott字数:4567更新时间:18/12/22 09:36:37
Withmuchgoodlygibberishtothesameeffect,whichdisplayofGregory’sreadywitnotonlythrewthewholecompanyintoconvulsionsoflaughter,butmadesuchanimpressiononRose,thePotter’sdaughter,thatitwasthoughtitwouldbetheJester’sownfaultifJackwaslongwithouthisJill。Muchpithymatter,concerningthebringingthebridetobed,theloosingthebridegroom’spoints,thescramblewhichensuedforthem,andthecastingofthestocking,isalsoomittedfromitsobscurity。 Thefollowingsong,whichhasbeensinceborrowedbytheworshipfulauthorofthefamousHistoryofFryarBacon,’’hasbeenwithdifficultydeciphered。Itseemstohavebeensungonoccasionofcarryinghomethebride。 BRIDALSONG。 _Tothetuneof-IhavebeenaFiddler,’’etc。_ AnddidyounothearofamirthbefellThemorrowafteraweddingday,Andcarryingabrideathometodwell? AndawaytoTewin,away,away! Thequintainwasset,andthegarlandsweremade;- ’Tispityoldcustomsshouldeverdecay; Andwobetohimthatwashorsedonajade,Forhecarriednocreditaway,away。 Wemetaconcertoffiddle-de-dees; Wesetthemacockhorse,andmadethemplayThewinningofBullen,andUpsey-frees,AndawaytoTewin,away,away! Therewasne’eraladinalltheparishThatwouldgototheploughthatday; Butonhisfore-horsehiswenchhecarries,AndawaytoTewin,away,away! Thebutlerwasquick,andthealehedidtap: Themaidensdidmakethechamberfullgay; Theservantsdidgivemeafuddlingcup,AndIdidcarry’taway,away! Thesmithofthetownhisliquorsotook,Thathewaspersuadedthatthegroundlookedblue; AndIdareboldlybeswornonabook,Suchsmithsashethere’sbutafew。 Apossetwasmade,andthewomendidsip,Andsimperingsaid,theycouldeatnomore; Fullmanyamaidenwaslaidonthelip,- I’llsaynomore,butgiveo’er(giveo’er)。 Butwhatourfairreaderswillchieflyregret,isthelossofthreedeclarationsoflove:thefirstbySt。CleretoMatilda;which,withthelady’sanswer,occupiesfifteenclosely-writtenpagesofmanuscript。ThatofFitzosbornetoEmmaisnotmuchshorter;buttheamoursofFitzallenandEleanor,beingofalessromanticcast,areclosedinthreepagesonly。 ThethreenoblecouplesweremarriedinQueenhoo-Halluponthesameday,beingthetwentiethSundayafterEaster。Thereisaprolixaccountofthemarriage-feast,ofwhichwecanpickoutthenamesofafewdishes,suchaspeterel,crane,sturgeon,swan,etc。etc。,withaprofusionofwild-fowlandvenison。WealsoseethatasuitablesongwasproducedbyPerettoontheoccasion;andthatthebishopwhoblessedthebridalbedswhichreceivedthehappycouples,wasnoniggardofhisholywater,bestowinghalf-a-gallonuponeachofthecouches。Weregretwecannotgivethesecuriositiestothereaderindetail,butwehopetoexposethemanuscripttoablerantiquaries,sosoonasitshallbeframedandglazedbytheingeniousartistwhorenderedthatservicetoMr。Ireland’sShakspeareMSS。Andso(beingunabletolayasidethestyletowhichourpenishabituated),gentlereader,webidtheeheartilyfarewell。] ItiswellknownintheSouththatthereislittleornoboxingattheScottishschools。Aboutfortyorfiftyyearsago,however,afarmoredangerousmodeoffighting,inpartiesorfactions,waspermittedinthestreetsofEdinburgh,tothegreatdisgraceofthepolice,anddangerofthepartiesconcerned。Thesepartiesweregenerallyformedfromthequartersofthetowninwhichthecombatantsresided,thoseofaparticularsquareordistrictfightingagainstthoseofanadjoiningone。Henceithappenedthatthechildrenofthehigherclasseswereoftenpittedagainstthoseofthelower,eachtakingtheirsideaccordingtotheresidenceoftheirfriends。 SofarasIrecollect,however,itwasunmingledeitherwithfeelingsofdemocracyoraristocracy,orindeedwithmaliceorill-willofanykindtowardstheoppositeparty。Infact,itwasonlyaroughmodeofplay。 Suchcontestswere,however,maintainedwithgreatvigour,withstones,andsticks,andfisticuffs,whenonepartydaredtocharge,andtheotherstoodtheirground。Ofcourse,mischiefsometimeshappened:boysaresaidtohavebeenkilledatthese_Bickers,_astheywerecalled,andseriousaccidentscertainlytookplace,asmanycontemporariescanbearwitness。 TheAuthor’sfatherresidinginGeorgeSquare,inthesouthernsideofEdinburgh,theboysbelongingtothatfamily,withothersinthesquare,werearrangedintoasortofcompany,towhichaladyofdistinctionpresentedahandsomesetofcolours。Nowthiscompanyorregiment,asamatterofcourse,wasengagedinweeklywarfarewiththeboysinhabitingtheCrosscauseway,BristoStreet,thePotterrow-inshort,theneighbouringsuburbs。Theselastwerechieflyofthelowerrank,buthardyloons,whothrewstonestoahair’s-breadth,andwereveryruggedantagonistsatclosequarters。Theskirmishsometimeslastedforawholeevening,untilonepartyortheotherwasvictorious,when,ifoursweresuccessful,wedrovetheenemytotheirquarters,andwereusuallychasedbackbythereinforcementofbiggerladswhocametotheirassistance。If,onthecontrary,wewerepursued,aswasoftenthecase,intotheprecinctsofoursquare,wewereinourturnsupportedbyourelderbrothers,domesticservants,andsimilarauxiliaries。 Itfollowed,fromourfrequentoppositiontoeachother,that,thoughnotknowingthenamesofourenemies,wewereyetwellacquaintedwiththeirappearance,andhadnick-namesforthemostremarkableofthem。 Oneveryactiveandspiritedboymightbeconsideredastheprincipalleaderinthecohortofthesuburbs。Hewas,Isuppose,thirteenorfourteenyearsold,finely-made,tall,blue-eyed,withlongfairhair,theverypictureofayouthfulGoth。Thisladwasalwaysfirstinthecharge,andlastintheretreat-theAchilles,atonce,andAjax,oftheCrosscauseway。Hewastooformidabletousnottohaveacognomen,and,likethatofaknightofold,itwastakenfromthemostremarkablepartofhisdress,beingapairofoldgreenliverybreeches,whichwastheprincipalpartofhisclothing; for,likePentapolin,accordingtoDonQuixote’saccount,Green-Breeks,aswecalledhim,alwaysenteredthebattlewithbarearms,legs,andfeet。 Itfell,thatonceuponatime,whenthecombatwasatthethickest,thisplebeianchampionheadedasuddencharge,sorapidandfuriousthatallfledbeforehim。Hewasseveralpacesbeforehiscomrades,andhadactuallylaidhishandsonthepatricianstandard,whenoneofourparty,whomsomemisjudgingfriendhadentrustedwitha_couteaudechasse,_orhanger,inspiredwithazealforthehonourofthecorps,worthyofMajorSturgeonhimself,struckpoorGreen-Breeksoverthehead,withstrengthsufficienttocuthimdown。Whenthiswasseen,thecasualtywassofarbeyondwhathadevertakenplacebefore,thatbothpartiesfleddifferentways,leavingpoorGreen-Breeks,withhisbrighthairplentifullydabbledinblood,tothecareofthewatchman,who(honestman)tookcarenottoknowwhohaddonethemischief。ThebloodyhangerwasflungintooneoftheMeadowditches,andsolemnsecrecywasswornonallhands;buttheremorseandterroroftheactorwerebeyondallbounds,andhisapprehensionsofthemostdreadfulcharacter。ThewoundedherowasforafewdaysintheInfirmary,thecasebeingonlyatriflingone。Butthoughinquirywasstronglypressedonhim,noargumentcouldmakehimindicatethepersonfromwhomhehadreceivedthewound,thoughhemusthavebeenperfectlywellknowntohim。Whenherecovered,andwasdismissed,theAuthorandhisbrothersopenedacommunicationwithhim,throughthemediumofapopularginger-breadbaker,ofwhombothpartieswerecustomers,inordertotenderasubsidyinnameofsmart-money。 ThesumwouldexciteridiculewereItonameit;butsureIam,thatthepocketsofthenotedGreen-Breeksneverheldasmuchmoneyofhisown。Hedeclinedtheremittance,sayingthathewouldnotsellhisblood;butatthesametimereprobatedtheideaofbeinganinformer,whichhesaidwas_clam,_i。e。baseormean。Withmuchurgencyheacceptedapoundofsnufffortheuseofsomeoldwoman-aunt,grandmother,orthelike-withwhomhelived。Wedidnotbecomefriends,forthe_bickers_ weremoreagreeabletobothpartiesthananymorepacificamusement; butweconductedthemeverafterundermutualassurancesofthehighestconsiderationofeachother。 SuchwastheherowhomMr。ThomasScottproposedtocarrytoCanada,andinvolveinadventureswiththenativesandcolonistsofthatcountry。 Perhapstheyouthfulgenerosityoftheladwillnotseemsogreatintheeyesofothersastothosewhomitwasthemeansofscreeningfromsevererebukeandpunishment。Butitseemed,tothoseconcerned,toargueanoblenessofsentimentfarbeyondthepitchofmostminds;andhoweverobscurelytheladwhoshowedsuchaframeofnoblespiritmayhavelivedordied,Icannothelpbeingofopinion,thatiffortunehadplacedhimincircumstancescallingforgallantryorgenerosity,themanwouldhavefulfilledthepromisesoftheboy。Longafterwards,whenthestorywastoldtomyfather,hecensuredusseverelyfornottellingthetruthatthetime,thathemighthaveattemptedtobeofusetotheyoungmaninenteringonlife。Butouralarmsfortheconsequencesofthedrawnsword,andthewoundinflictedwithsuchaweapon,werefartoopredominantatthetimeforsuchapitchofgenerosity。 PerhapsIoughtnottohaveinsertedthisschool-boytale;butbesidesthestrongimpressionmadebytheincidentatthetime,thewholeaccompanimentsofthestoryarematterstomeofsolemnandsadrecollection。 Ofallthelittlebandwhowereconcernedinthosejuvenilesportsorbrawls,Icanscarcerecollectasinglesurvivor。Somelefttheranksofmimicwartodieintheactiveserviceoftheircountry。Manysoughtdistantlandstoreturnnomore。Others,dispersedindifferentpathsoflife,mydimeyesnowseekforinvain。’’Offivebrothers,allhealthyandpromising,inadegreefarbeyondonewhoseinfancywasvisitedbypersonalinfirmity,andwhosehealthafterthisperiodseemedlongveryprecarious,Iam,nevertheless,theonlysurvivor。Thebestloved,andthebestdeservingtobeloved,whohaddestinedthisincidenttobethefoundationofliterarycomposition,diedbeforehisday’’inadistantandforeignland;andtriflesassumeanimportancenottheirownwhenconnectedwiththosewhohavebeenlovedandlost。