第15章

类别:其他 作者:Sir Walter Scott字数:5554更新时间:18/12/22 09:36:37
Whenthismatterwasexplainedandsettled,Mr。Pembrokeexpressedhiswishtotakeaprivateandparticularleaveofhisdearpupil。Thegoodman’sexhortationstoEdwardtopreserveanunblemishedlifeandmorals,toholdfasttheprinciplesoftheChristianreligion,andtoeschewtheprofanecompanyofscoffersandlatitudinarians,toomuchaboundinginthearmy,werenotimmingledwithhispoliticalprejudices。IthadpleasedHeaven,hesaid,toplaceScotland(doubtlessforthesinsoftheirancestorsin1642)inamoredeplorablestateofdarknessthaneventhisunhappykingdomofEngland。Here,atleast,althoughthecandlestickoftheChurchofEnglandhadbeeninsomedegreeremovedfromitsplace,ityetaffordedaglimmeringlight;therewasahierarchy,thoughschismatical,andfallenfromtheprinciplesmaintainedbythosegreatfathersofthechurch,Sancroftandhisbrethren;therewasaliturgy,thoughwofullypervertedinsomeoftheprincipalpetitions。 ButinScotlanditwasutterdarkness;and,exceptingasorrowful,scattered,andpersecutedremnant,thepulpitswereabandonedtoPresbyterians,andhefeared,tosectariesofeverydescription。Itshouldbehisdutytofortifyhisdearpupiltoresistsuchunhallowedandperniciousdoctrinesinchurchandstate,asmustnecessarilybeforcedattimesuponhisunwillingears。 Hereheproducedtwoimmensefoldedpackets,whichappearedeachtocontainawholereamofcloselywrittenmanuscript。 Theyhadbeenthelabouroftheworthyman’swholelife;andneverwerelabourandzealmoreabsurdlywasted。HehadatonetimegonetoLondon,withtheintentionofgivingthemtotheworld,bythemediumofabooksellerinLittleBritain,wellknowntodealinsuchcommodities,andtowhomhewasinstructedtoaddresshimselfinaparticularphrase,andwithacertainsign,which,itseems,passedatthattimecurrentamongtheinitiatedJacobites。ThemomentMr。Pembrokehadutteredtheshibboleth,withtheappropriategesture,thebibliopolistgreetedhim,notwithstandingeverydisclamation,bythetitleofDoctor,andconveyinghimintohisbackshop,afterinspectingeverypossibleandimpossibleplaceofconcealment,hecommenced: Eh,doctor!Well-allundertherose-snug-I keepnoholeshereevenforaHanoverianrattohidein。And,what-eh!anygoodnewsfromourfriendsoverthewater?- andhowdoestheworthykingofFrance?OrperhapsyouaremorelatelyfromRome?-itmustbeRomewilldoitatlast- thechurchmustlightitscandleattheoldlamp。Eh!what,cautious?Ilikeyouthebetter;butnofear。’’ HereMr。Pembroke,withsomedifficulty,stoppedatorrentofinterrogations,ekedoutwithsigns,nods,andwinks;and,havingatlengthconvincedthebooksellerthathedidhimtoomuchhonourinsupposinghimanemissaryofexiledroyalty,heexplainedhisactualbusiness。 Themanofbooks,withamuchmorecomposedair,proceededtoexaminethemanuscripts。Thetitleofthefirstwas,A DissentfromDissenters,ortheComprehensionconfuted;shewingtheImpossibility,ofanyCompositionbetweentheChurchandPuritans,Presbyterians,orSectariesofanydescription;illustratedfromtheScriptures,theFathersoftheChurch,andthesoundestControversial,Divines。’’Tothisworkthebooksellerpositivelydemurred,Wellmeant,’’hesaid,andlearned,doubtless;butthetimehadgoneby。Printedonsmallpicaitwouldruntoeighthundredpages,andcouldneverpay。 Beggedthereforetobeexcused。Lovedandhonouredthetruechurchfromhissoul;and,haditbeenasermononthemartyrdom,oranytwelve-pennytouch-whyIwouldventuresomethingforthehonourofthecloth。Butcome,let’sseetheother。`RightHereditaryrighted!’ah,there’ssomesenseinthis!Hum-hum-hum-pagessomany,papersomuch,letter-press-Ah!I’lltellyou,though,doctor,youmustknockoutsomeoftheLatinandGreek;heavy,doctor,damn’dheavy-(begyourpardon)andifyouthrowinafewgrainsmorepepper-Iamhethatneverpeachedmyauthor-IhavepublishedforDrake,andCharlwoodLawton,andpoorAmhurst。<> NoteB。<!p54>NicholasAmhurst。 Ah,Caleb!Caleb!Well,itwasashametoletpoorCalebstarve,andsomanyfatrectorsandsquiresamongus。I gavehimadinneroncea-week;but,Lordloveyou,what’soncea-week,whenamandoesnotknowwheretogotheothersixdays?-Well,butImustshewthemanuscripttolittleTomAlibi,thesolicitor,whomanagesallmylawaffairs-mustkeeponthewindyside-themobwereveryuncivilthelasttimeI mountedinOldPalaceYard-allWhigsandRoundheadseverymanofthem,WilliamitesandHanoverrats。’’ ThenextdayMr。Pembrokeagaincalledonthepublisher,butfoundTomAlibi’sadvicehaddeterminedhimagainstundertakingthework。NotbutwhatIwouldgoto-(whatwasIgoingtosay?)tothePlantationsforthechurchwithpleasure-but,deardoctor,Ihaveawifeandfamily;but,toshowmyzeal,I’llrecommendthejobtomyneighbourTrimmel- heisabachelor,andleavingoffbusiness,soavoyageinawesternbargewouldnotinconveniencehim。’’ButMr。 Trimmelwasalsoobdurate,andMr。Pembroke,fortunatelyperchanceforhimself,wascompelledtoreturntoWaverleyHonourwithhistreatiseinvindicationoftherealfundamentalprinciplesofchurchandstatesafelypackedinhissaddle-bags。 Asthepublicwerethuslikelytobedeprivedofthebenefitarisingfromhislucubrationsbytheselfishcowardiceofthetrade,Mr。Pembrokeresolvedtomaketwocopiesofthesetremendousmanuscriptsfortheuseofhispupil。Hefeltthathehadbeenindolentasatutor,and,besides,hisconsciencecheckedhimforcomplyingwiththerequestofMr。RichardWaverley,thathewouldimpressnosentimentsuponEdward’smindinconsistentwiththepresentsettlementinchurchandstate。Butnow,thoughthe,Imay,withoutbreachofmyword,sinceheisnolongerundermytuition,affordtheyouththemeansofjudgingforhimself,andhaveonlytodreadhisreproachesforsolongconcealingthelightwhichtheperusalwillflashuponhismind。Whilehethusindulgedthereveriesofanauthorandapolitician,hisdarlingproselyte,seeingnothingveryinvitinginthetitleofthetracts,andappalledbythebulkandcompactlinesofthemanuscript,quietlyconsignedthemtoacornerofhistravellingtrunk。 AuntRachel’sfarewellwasbriefandaffectionate。SheonlycautionedherdearEdward,whomsheprobablydeemedsomewhatsusceptible,againstthefascinationofScottishbeauty。 Sheallowedthatthenorthernpartoftheislandcontainedsomeancientfamilies,buttheywereallWhigsandPresbyteriansexcepttheHighlanders;andrespectingthemshemustneedssay,therecouldbenogreatdelicacyamongtheladies,wherethegentlemen’susualattirewas,asshehadbeenassured,tosaytheleast,verysingular,andnotatalldecorous。Sheconcludedherfarewellwithakindandmovingbenediction,andgavetheyoungofficer,asapledgeofherregard,avaluablediamondring(oftenwornbythemalesexatthattime),andapurseofbroadgoldpieces,whichalsoweremorecommonSixtyYearssincethantheyhavebeenoflate。 Thenextmorning,amidvariedfeelings,thechiefofwhichwasapredominant,anxious,andevensolemnimpression,thathewasnowinagreatmeasureabandonedtohisownguidanceanddirection,EdwardWaverleydepartedfromtheHallamidtheblessingsandtearsofalltheolddomesticsandtheinhabitantsofthevillage,mingledwithsomeslypetitionsforserjeantciesandcorporalships,andsoforth,onthepartofthosewhoprofessedthattheyneverthofttoha’seenJacob,andGiles,andJonathan,gooffforsoldiers,savetoattendhishonour,asindutybound。’’Edward,asindutybound,extricatedhimselffromthesupplicantswiththepledgeoffewerpromisesthanmighthavebeenexpectedfromayoungmansolittleaccustomedtotheworld。AfterashortvisittoLondon,heproceededonhorseback,thenthegeneralmodeoftravelling,toEdinburgh,andfromthencetoDundee,aseaportontheeasterncoastofAngus-shire,wherehisregimentwasthenquartered。 Henowentereduponanewworld,where,foratime,allwasbeautifulbecauseallwasnew。ColonelGardiner,thecommandingofficeroftheregiment,washimselfastudyforaromantic,andatthesametimeaninquisitive,youth。Inpersonhewastall,handsome,andactive,thoughsomewhatadvancedinlife。Inhisearlyyearshehadbeenwhatiscalled,bymannerofpalliative,averygayyoungman,andstrangestorieswerecirculatedabouthissuddenconversionfromdoubt,ifnotinfidelity,toaseriousandevenenthusiasticturnofmind。Itwaswhisperedthatasupernaturalcommunication,ofanatureobviouseventotheexteriorsenses,hadproducedthiswonderfulchange;andthoughsomementionedtheproselyteasanenthusiast,nonehintedathisbeingahypocrite。ThissingularandmysticalcircumstancegaveColonelGardinerapeculiarandsolemninterestintheeyesoftheyoungsoldier。<>ItmaybeeasilyimaginedthattheofficersNoteC。<!p57>ColonelGardiner。 ofaregiment,commandedbysorespectableaperson,composedasocietymoresedateandorderlythanamilitarymessalwaysexhibits;andthatWaverleyescapedsometemptationstowhichhemightotherwisehavebeenexposed。 Meanwhilehismilitaryeducationproceeded。Alreadyagoodhorseman,hewasnowinitiatedintotheartsofthemange,which,whencarriedtoperfection,almostrealisethefableoftheCentaur,theguidanceofthehorseappearingtoproceedfromtherider’smerevolition,ratherthanfromtheuseofanyexternalandapparentsignalofmotion。Hereceivedalsoinstructionsinhisfieldduty;but,Imustown,thatwhenhisfirstardourwaspassed,hisprogressfellshortinthelatterparticularofwhathewishedandexpected。Thedutyofanofficer,themostimposingofallotherstotheinexperiencedmind,becauseaccompaniedwithsomuchoutwardpompandcircumstance,isinitsessenceaverydryandabstracttask,dependingchieflyuponarithmeticalcombinations,requiringmuchattention,andacoolandreasoninghead,tobringthemintoaction。Ourherowasliabletofitsofabsence,inwhichhisblundersexcitedsomemirth,andcalleddownsomereproof。 Thiscircumstanceimpressedhimwithapainfulsenseofinferiorityinthosequalitieswhichappearedmosttodeserveandobtainregardinhisnewprofession。Heaskedhimselfinvain,whyhiseyecouldnotjudgeofdistanceorspacesowellasthoseofhiscompanions;whyhisheadwasnotalwayssuccessfulindisentanglingthevariouspartialmovementsnecessarytoexecuteaparticularevolution;andwhyhismemory,soalertuponmostoccasions,didnotcorrectlyretaintechnicalphrases,andminutepointsofetiquetteorfielddiscipline。 Waverleywasnaturallymodest,andthereforedidnotfallintotheegregiousmistakeofsupposingsuchminuterrulesofmilitarydutybeneathhisnotice,orconceitinghimselftobebornageneral,becausehemadeanindifferentsubaltern。Thetruthwas,thatthevagueandunsatisfactorycourseofreadingwhichhehadpursued,workinguponatempernaturallyretiredandabstracted,hadgivenhimthatwaveringandunsettledhabitofmindwhichismostaversetostudyandrivettedattention。 Time,inthemeanwhile,hungheavyonhishands。Thegentryoftheneighbourhoodweredisaffected,andshowedlittlehospitalitytothemilitaryguests;andthepeopleofthetown,chieflyengagedinmercantilepursuits,werenotsuchasWaverleychosetoassociatewith。Thearrivalofsummer,andacuriositytoknowsomethingmoreofScotlandthanhecouldseeinaridefromhisquarters,determinedhimtorequestleaveofabsenceforafewweeks。Heresolvedfirsttovisithisuncle’sancientfriendandcorrespondent,withthepurposeofextendingorshorteningthetimeofhisresidenceaccordingtocircumstances。 Hetravelledofcourseonhorseback,andwithasingleattendant,andpassedhisfirstnightatamiserableinn,wherethelandladyhadneithershoesnorstockings,andthelandlord,whocalledhimselfagentleman,wasdisposedtoberudetohisguestbecausehehadnotbespokethepleasureofhissocietytosupper。<>Thenextday,traversinganopenandunenclosedNoteD。<!p58>ScottishInns。 country,EdwardgraduallyapproachedtheHighlandsofPerthshire,whichatfirsthadappearedablueoutlineinthehorizon,butnowswelledintohugegiganticmasses,whichfrowneddefianceoverthemorelevelcountrythatlaybeneaththem。 Nearthebottomofthisstupendousbarrier,butstillintheLowlandcountry,dweltCosmoComyneBradwardineofBradwardine; and,ifgrey-hairedeldcanbeinaughtbelieved,therehaddwelthisancestors,withalltheirheritage,sincethedaysofthegraciousKingDuncan。