thelabourofcourtshipdidnotquitesuitthedignifiedindolenceofhishabits；hehadbutjustescapedtheriskofmarryingawomanwhocouldneverlovehim；andhispridecouldnotbegreatlyflatteredbytheterminationofhisamour，evenifhishearthadnotsuffered。TheresultofthewholematterwashisreturntoWaverley-Honourwithoutanytransferofhisaffections，notwithstandingthesighsandlanguishmentsofthefairtell-tale，whohadrevealed，inmeresisterlyaffection，thesecretofLadyEmily’sattachment，andindespiteofthenods，winks，andinuendoesoftheofficiousladymother，andthegraveeulogiumswhichtheEarlpronouncedsuccessivelyontheprudence，andgoodsense，andadmirabledispositions，ofhisfirst，second，third，fourth，andfifthdaughters。ThememoryofhisunsuccessfulamourwaswithSirEverard，aswithmanymoreofhistemper，atonceshy，proud，sensitive，andindolent，abeaconagainstexposinghimselftosimilarmortification，pain，andfruitlessexertionforthetimetocome。HecontinuedtoliveatWaverley-HonourinthestyleofanoldEnglishgentlemanofanancientdescentandopulentfortune。Hissister，MissRachelWaverley，presidedathistable；andtheybecame，bydegrees，anoldbachelorandanancientmaidenlady，thegentlestandkindestofthevotariesofcelibacy。
ThevehemenceofSirEverard’sresentmentagainsthisbrotherwasbutshort-lived；yethisdisliketotheWhigandtheplaceman，thoughunabletostimulatehimtoresumeanyactivemeasuresprejudicialtoRichard’sinterestinthesuccessiontothefamilyestate，continuedtomaintainthecoldnessbetweenthem。Richardknewenoughoftheworld，andofhisbrother’stemper，tobelievethatbyanyill-consideredorprecipitateadvancesonhisparthemightturnpassivedislikeintoamoreactiveprinciple。Itwasaccident，therefore，whichatlengthoccasionedarenewaloftheirintercourse。Richardhadmarriedayoungwomanofrank，bywhosefamilyinterestandprivatefortunehehopedtoadvancehiscareer。InherrighthebecamepossessorofamanorofsomevalueatthedistanceofafewmilesfromWaverley-Honour。
LittleEdward，theheroofourtale，theninhisfifthyear，wastheironlychild。Itchancedthattheinfantwithhismaidhadstrayedonemorningtoamile’sdistancefromtheavenueofBrerewoodLodge，hisfather’sseat。Theirattentionwasattractedbyacarriagedrawnbysixstatelylong-tailedblackhorses，andwithasmuchcarvingandgildingaswouldhavedonehonourtomylordmayor’s。Itwaswaitingfortheowner，whowasatalittledistanceinspectingtheprogressofahalf-builtfarm-house。Iknownotwhethertheboy’snursehadbeenaWelshoraScotchwoman，orinwhatmannerheassociatedashieldemblazonedwiththreeermineswiththeideaofpersonalproperty，buthenosoonerbeheldthisfamilyemblemthanhestoutlydeterminedonvindicatinghisrighttothesplendidvehicleonwhichitwasdisplayed。TheBaronetarrivedwhiletheboy’smaidwasinvainendeavouringtomakehimdesistfromhisdeterminationtoappropriatethegildedcoach-and-six。
TherencontrewasatahappymomentforEdward，ashisunclehadbeenjusteyeingwistfully，withsomethingofafeelinglikeenvy，thechubbyboysofthestoutyeomanwhosemansionwasbuildingbyhisdirection。Intheround-facedrosycherubbeforehim，bearinghiseyeandhisname，andvindicatingahereditarytitletohisfamilyaffectionandpatronage，bymeansofatiewhichSirEverardheldassacredaseitherGarterorBlueMantle，Providenceseemedtohavegrantedtohimtheveryobjectbestcalculatedtofillupthevoidinhishopesandaffections。SirEverardreturnedtoWaverleyHalluponaledhorsewhichwaskeptinreadinessforhim，whilethechildandhisattendantweresenthomeinthecarriagetoBrerewoodLodgewithsuchamessageasopenedtoRichardWaverleyadoorofreconciliationwithhiselderbrother。
Theirintercourse，however，thoughthusrenewed，continuedtoberatherformalandcivilthanpartakingofbrotherlycordiality；
yetitwassufficienttothewishesofbothparties。SirEverardobtained，inthefrequentsocietyofhislittlenephew，somethingonwhichhishereditarypridemightfoundtheanticipatedpleasureofacontinuationofhislineage，andwherehiskindandgentleaffectionscouldatthesametimefullyexercisethemselves。ForRichardWaverley，hebeheldinthegrowingattachmentbetweentheuncleandnephewthemeansofsecuringhisson’s，ifnothisown，successiontothehereditaryestate，whichhefeltwouldberatherendangeredthanpromotedbyanyattemptonhisownparttowardsacloserintimacywithamanofSirEverard’shabitsandopinions。
Thus，byasortoftacitcompromise，littleEdwardwaspermittedtopassthegreaterpartoftheyearattheHall，andappearedtostandinthesameintimaterelationtobothfamilies，althoughtheirmutualintercoursewasotherwiselimitedtoformalmessagesandmoreformalvisits。Theeducationoftheyouthwasregulatedalternatelybythetasteandopinionsofhisuncleandofhisfather。Butmoreofthisinasubsequentchapter。
CHAPTERTHIRD。
EDUCATION。
Theeducationofourhero，EdwardWaverley，wasofanaturesomewhatdesultory。Ininfancy，hishealthsuffered，orwassupposedtosuffer(whichisquitethesamething)，bytheairofLondon。Assoon，therefore，asofficialduties，attendanceonParliament，ortheprosecutionofanyofhisplansofinterestorambition，calledhisfathertotown，whichwashisusualresidenceforeightmouthsintheyear，EdwardwastransferredtoWaverley-Honour，andexperiencedatotalchangeofinstructorsandoflessons，aswellasofresidence。Thismighthavebeenremedied，hadhisfatherplacedhimunderthesuperintendenceofapermanenttutor。ButheconsideredthatoneofhischoosingwouldprobablyhavebeenunacceptableatWaverley-Honour，andthatsuchaselectionasSirEverardmighthavemade，werethematterlefttohim，wouldhaveburdenedhimwithadisagreeableinmate，ifnotapoliticalspy，inhisfamily。
Hethereforeprevaileduponhisprivatesecretary，ayoungmanoftasteandaccomplishments，tobestowanhourortwoonEdward’seducationwhileatBrerewoodLodge，andlefthisuncleanswerableforhisimprovementinliteraturewhileaninmateattheHall。
Thiswasinsomedegreerespectablyprovidedfor。SirEverard’schaplain，anOxonian，whohadlosthisfellowshipfordecliningtotaketheoathsattheaccessionofGeorgeI。，wasnotonlyanexcellentclassicalscholar，butreasonablyskilledinscience，andmasterofmostmodernlanguages。Hewas，however，oldandindulgent，andtherecurringinterregnum，duringwhichEdwardwasentirelyfreedfromhisdiscipline，occasionedsucharelaxationofauthority，thattheyouthwaspermitted，inagreatmeasure，tolearnashepleased，whathepleased，andwhenhepleased。Thisslacknessofrulemighthavebeenruinoustoaboyofslowunderstanding，who，feelinglabourintheacquisitionofknowledge，wouldhavealtogetherneglectedit，saveforthecommandofataskmaster；anditmighthaveprovedequallydangeroustoayouthwhoseanimalspiritsweremorepowerfulthanhisimaginationorhisfeelings，andwhomtheirresistibleinfluenceofAlmawouldhaveengagedinfieldsportsfrommorningtillnight。ButthecharacterofEdwardWaverleywasremotefromeitherofthese。Hispowersofapprehensionweresouncommonlyquick，asalmosttoresembleintuition，andthechiefcareofhispreceptorwastopreventhim，asasportsmanwouldphraseit，fromoverrunninghisgame，thatis，fromacquiringhisknowledgeinaslight，flimsy，andinadequatemanner。Andheretheinstructorhadtocombatanotherpropensitytoooftenunitedwithbrilliancyoffancyandvivacityoftalent，-thatindolence，namely，ofdisposition，whichcanonlybestirredbysomestrongmotiveofgratification，andwhichrenouncesstudyassoonascuriosityisgratified，thepleasureofconqueringthefirstdifficultiesexhausted，andthenoveltyofpursuitatanend。
Edwardwouldthrowhimselfwithspirituponanyclassicalauthorofwhichhispreceptorproposedtheperusal，makehimselfmasterofthestylesofarastounderstandthestory，andifthatpleasedorinterestedhim，hefinishedthevolume。Butitwasinvaintoattemptfixinghisattentiononcriticaldistinctionsofphilology，uponthedifferenceofidiom，thebeautyoffelicitousexpression，ortheartificialcombinationsofsyntax。
IcanreadandunderstandaLatinauthor，’’saidyoungEdward，withtheself-confidenceandrashreasoningoffifteen，andScaligerorBentleycouldnotdomuchmore。’’Alas！whilehewasthuspermittedtoreadonlyforthegratificationofhisamusement，heforesawnotthathewaslosingforevertheopportunityofacquiringhabitsoffirmandassiduousapplication，ofgainingtheartofcontrolling，directing，andconcentratingthepowersofhismindforearnestinvestigation，-anartfarmoreessentialthaneventhatintimateacquaintancewithclassicallearning，whichistheprimaryobjectofstudy。
IamawareImaybehereremindedofthenecessityofrenderinginstructionagreeabletoyouth，andofTasso’sinfusionofhoneyintothemedicinepreparedforachild；butanageinwhichchildrenaretaughtthedriestdoctrinesbytheinsinuatingmethodofinstructivegames，haslittlereasontodreadtheconsequencesofstudybeingrenderedtooseriousorsevere。
ThehistoryofEnglandisnowreducedtoagameatcards，-
theproblemsofmathematicstopuzzlesandriddles，-andthedoctrinesofarithmeticmay，weareassured，besufficientlyacquired，byspendingafewhoursa-weekatanewandcomplicatededitionoftheRoyalGameoftheGoose。Therewantsbutonestepfurther，andtheCreedandTenCommandmentsmaybetaughtinthesamemanner，withoutthenecessityofthegraveface，deliberatetoneofrecital，anddevoutattention，hithertoexactedfromthewell-governedchildhoodofthisrealm。Itmay，inthemeantime，besubjectofseriousconsideration，whetherthosewhoareaccustomedonlytoacquireinstructionthroughthemediumofamusement，maynotbebroughttorejectthatwhichapproachesundertheaspectofstudywhetherthosewholearnhistorybythecards，maynotbeledtopreferthemeanstotheend；andwhether，werewetoteachreligioninthewayofsport，ourpupilsmaynottherebybegraduallyinducedtomakesportoftheirreligion。Toouryounghero，whowaspermittedtoseekhisinstructiononlyaccordingtothebentofhisownmind，andwho，ofconsequence，onlysoughtitsolongasitaffordedhimamusement，theindulgenceofhistutorswasattendedwithevilconsequences，whichlongcontinuedtoinfluencehischaracter，happiness，andutility。
Edward’spowerofimaginationandloveofliterature，althoughtheformerwasvivid，andthelatterardent，weresofarfromaffordingaremedytothispeculiarevil，thattheyratherinflamedandincreaseditsviolence。ThelibraryatWaverley-Honour，alargeGothicroom，withdoublearchesandagallery，containedsuchamiscellaneousandextensivecollectionofvolumesashadbeenassembledtogether，duringthecourseoftwohundredyears，byafamilywhichhadbeenalwayswealthy，andinclined，ofcourse，asamarkofsplendour，tofurnishtheirshelveswiththecurrentliteratureoftheday，withoutmuchscrutiny，ornicetyofdiscrimination。ThroughoutthisamplerealmEdwardwaspermittedtoroamatlarge。Histutorhadhisownstudies；andchurchpoliticsandcontroversialdivinity，togetherwithaloveoflearnedease，thoughtheydidnotwithdrawhisattentionatstatedtimesfromtheprogressofhispatron’spresumptiveheir，inducedhimreadilytograspatanyapologyfornotextendingastrictandregulatedsurveytowardshisgeneralstudies。SirEverardhadneverbeenhimselfastudent，and，likehissisterMissRachelWaverley，heheldthecommondoctrine，thatidlenessisincompatiblewithreadingofanykind，andthatthemeretracingthealphabeticalcharacterswiththeeyeisinitselfausefulandmeritorioustask，withoutscrupulouslyconsideringwhatideasordoctrinestheymayhappentoconvey。Withadesireofamusement，therefore，whichbetterdisciplinemightsoonhaveconvertedintoathirstforknowledge，youngWaverleydrovethroughtheseaofbooks，likeavesselwithoutapilotorarudder。Nothingperhapsincreasesbyindulgencemorethanadesultoryhabitofreading，especiallyundersuchopportunitiesofgratifyingit。Ibelieveonereasonwhysuchnumerousinstancesoferuditionoccuramongthelowerranksis，that，withthesamepowersofmind，thepoorstudentislimitedtoanarrowcircleforindulginghispassionforbooks，andmustnecessarilymakehimselfmasterofthefewhepossesseserehecanacquiremore。Edward，onthecontrary，liketheepicurewhoonlydeignedtotakeasinglemorselfromthesunnysideofapeach，readnovolumeamomentafteritceasedtoexcitehiscuriosityorinterest；anditnecessarilyhappened，thatthehabitofseekingonlythissortofgratificationrendereditdailymoredifficultofattainment，tillthepassionforreading，likeotherstrongappetites，producedbyindulgenceasortofsatiety。
