第84章

类别:其他 作者:Sir Walter Scott字数:5436更新时间:18/12/22 09:36:37
Indeed,thelevyingofblack-mailwas,before1745,practisedbyseveralchiefsofveryhighrank,who,indoingso,contendedthattheywerelendingthelawstheassistanceoftheirarmsandswords,andaffordingaprotectionwhichcouldnotbeobtainedfromthemagistracyinthedisturbedstateofthecountry。TheauthorhasseenamemoirofMac-PhersonofCluny,chiefofthatancientclan,fromwhichitappearsthatheleviedprotection-moneytoaverylargeamount,whichwaswillinglypaidevenbysomeofhismostpowerfulneighbours。Agentlemanofthisclanhearingaclergy-manholdforthtohiscongregationonthecrimeoftheft,interruptedthepreachertoassurehim,hemightleavetheenforcementofsuchdoctrinestoClunyMac-Pherson,whosebroadswordwouldputastoptotheftsoonerthanallthesermonsofalltheministersofthesynod。 NoteG,p。<?p120>-RobRoy。 Anadventure,verysimilartowhatisherestated,actuallybefelthelateMr。AbercrombyofTullibody,grandfatherofthepresentLordAbercromby,andfatherofthecelebratedSirRalph。Whenthisgentleman,wholivedtoaveryadvancedperiodoflife,firstsettledinStirlingshire,hiscattlewererepeatedlydrivenoffbythecelebratedRobRoy,orsomeofhisgang; andatlengthhewasobliged,afterobtainingapropersafe-conduct,tomaketheCateransuchavisitasthatofWaverleytoBeanLeaninthetext。Robreceivedhimwithmuchcourtesy,andmademanyapologiesfortheaccident,whichmusthavehappened,hesaid,throughsomemistake。 Mr。Abercrombywasregaledwithcollopsfromtwoofhisowncattle,whichwerehungupbytheheelsinthecavern,andwasdismissedinperfectsafety,afterhavingagreedtopayinfutureasmallsumofblack-mail,inconsiderationofwhichRobRoynotonlyundertooktoforbearhisherdsinfuture,buttoreplaceanythatshouldbestolenfromhimbyotherfreebooters。Mr。Abercrombysaid,RobRoyaffectedtoconsiderhimasafriendtotheJacobiteinterest,andasincereenemytotheUnion。 Neitherofthesecircumstancesweretrue;butthelairdthoughtitquiteunnecessarytoundeceivehisHighlandhostattheriskofbringingonapoliticaldisputeinsuchasituation。ThisanecdoteIreceivedmanyyearssince(about1792)fromthemouthofthevenerablegentlemanwhowasconcernedinit。 NoteH,p。<?p127>-KindGallowsofCrieff。 Thiscelebratedgibbetwas,inthememoryofthelastgeneration,stillstandingatthewesternendofthetownofCrieff,inPerthshire。Whyitwascalledthe_kind_gallows,weareunabletoinformthereaderwithcertainty;butitisallegedthattheHighlandersusedtotouchtheirbonnetsastheypassedaplacewhichhadbeenfataltomanyoftheircountrymen,withtheejaculation-Godblesshernainsell,andtheTeiltamnyou!’’Itmaythereforehavebeencalledkind,asbeingasortofnativeorkindredplaceofdoomtothosewhosufferedthere,asinfulfilmentofanaturaldestiny。 NoteI,p。<?p130>-Caterans。 Thestoryofthebridegroom,carriedoffbyCaterans,onhisbridal-day,istakenfromonewhichwastoldtotheauthorbythelateLairdofMac-Nab,manyyearssince。TocarryoffpersonsfromtheLowlands,andtoputthemtoransom,wasacommonpracticewiththewildHighlanders,asitissaidtobeatthepresentdaywiththebandittiinthesouthofItaly。Upontheoccasionalludedto,apartyofCateranscarriedoffthebridegroom,andsecretedhiminsomecavenearthemountainofSchehallion。 Theyoungmancaughtthesmall-poxbeforehisransomcouldbeagreedon;andwhetheritwasthefinecoolairoftheplace,orthewantofmedicalattendance,Mac-Nabdidnotpretendtobepositive;butsoitwas,thattheprisonerrecovered,hisransomwaspaid,andhewasrestoredtohisfriendsandbride,butalwaysconsideredtheHighlandrobbersashavingsavedhislife,bytheirtreatmentofhismalady。 NoteK,p。<?p136>-HighlandPolicy。 ThissortofpoliticalgameascribedtoMac-IvorwasinrealityplayedbyseveralHighlandchiefs,thecelebratedLordLovatinparticular,whousedthatkindoffinessetotheuttermost。TheLairdofMacwasalsocaptainofanindependentcompany,butvaluedthesweetsofpresentpaytoowelltoincurtheriskoflosingthemintheJacobitecause。Hismartialconsortraisedhisclan,andheadeditin1745。Butthechiefhimselfwouldhavenothingtodowithking-making,declaringhimselfforthatmonarch,andnoother,whogavetheLairdofMachalf-a-guineatheday,andhalf-a-guineathemorn。’’ NoteL,p。<?p139>-HighlandDiscipline。 InexplanationofthemilitaryexerciseobservedattheCastleofGlennaquoich,theauthorbegstoremark,thattheHighlanderswerenotonlywellpractisedintheuseofthebroadsword,firelock,andmostofthemanlysportsandtrialsofstrength,commonthroughoutScotland,butalsousedapeculiarsortofdrill,suitedtotheirowndressandmodeofwarfare。 Therewere,forinstance,differentmodesofdisposingtheplaid,-onewhenonapeacefuljourney,anotherwhendangerwasapprehended;onewayofenvelopingthemselvesinitwhenexpectingundisturbedrepose,andanotherwhichenabledthemtostartupwithswordandpistolinhandontheslightestalarm。 Previousto1720,orthereabouts,thebeltedplaidwasuniversallyworn,inwhichtheportionwhichsurroundedthemiddleofthewearer,andthatwhichwasflungaroundhisshoulders,wereallofthesamepieceoftartan。 Inadesperateonset,allwasthrownaway,andtheclanchargedbarebeneaththedoublet,saveforanartificialarrangementoftheshirt,which,likethatoftheIrish,wasalwaysample,andforthesporran-mollach,orgoat’s-skinpurse。 ThemannerofhandlingthepistolanddirkwasalsopartoftheHighlandmanualexercise,whichtheauthorhasseengonethroughbymenwhohadlearneditintheiryouth。 NoteM,p。<?p142>-AScottishDinnerTable。 Inthenumberofpersonsofallrankswhoassembledatthesametable,thoughbynomeanstodiscussthesamefare,theHighlandChiefsonlyretainedacustomwhichhadbeenformerlyuniversallyobservedthroughoutScotland。Imyself,’’saysthetravellerFynesMorrison,intheendofQueenElizabeth’sreign,thescenebeingtheLowlandsofScotland,wasataknight’shouse,whohadmanyservantstoattendhim,thatbroughtinhismeatwiththeirheadscoveredwithbluecaps,thetablebeingmorethanhalffurnishedwithgreatplattersofporridge,eachhavingalittlepieceofsoddenmeat。Andwhenthetablewasserved,theservantsdidsitdownwithus;buttheuppermess,insteadofporridge,hadapullet,withsomeprunesinthebroth。’’-_Travels,_p。155。 Tillwithinthislastcenturythefarmers,evenofarespectablecondition,dinedwiththeirwork-people。Thedifferencebetwixtthoseofhighdegreewasascertainedbytheplaceofthepartyaboveorbelowthesalt,orsometimesbyalinedrawnwithchalkonthedining-table。LordLovat,whoknewwellhowtofeedthevanityandrestraintheappetitesofhisclansmen,allowedeachsturdyFraser,whohadtheslightestpretensiontobeaDuinh-wassel,thefullhonourofthesitting,but,atthesametime,tookcarethathisyoungkinsmendidnotacquireathistableanytasteforoutlandishluxuries。HisLordshipwasalwaysreadywithsomehonourableapologywhyforeignwinesandFrenchbrandy-delicacieswhichheconceivedmightsapthehardyhabitsofhiscousins-shouldnotcirculatepastanassignedpointonthetable。 NoteN,p。<?p150>-ConantheJester。’’ IntheIrishballadsrelatingtoFion,(theFingalofMac-Pherson) thereoccurs,asintheprimitivepoetryofmostnations,acycleofheroes,eachofwhomhassomedistinguishingattribute:uponthesequalities,andtheadventuresofthosepossessingthem,manyproverbsareformed,whicharestillcurrentintheHighlands。Amongothercharacters,ConanisdistinguishedasinsomerespectsakindofThersites,butbraveanddaringeventorashness。Hehadmadeavowthathewouldnevertakeablowwithoutreturningit;andhaving,likeotherheroesofantiquity,descendedtotheinfernalregions,hereceivedacufffromtheArch-fiend,whopresidedthere,whichheinstantlyreturned,usingtheexpressioninthetext。 Sometimestheproverbiswordedthus:-Clawforclaw,andthedeviltaketheshortestnails,asConansaidtothedevil。’’ NoteO,p。<?p153>-Waterfall。’’ ThedescriptionofthewaterfallmentionedinthischapteristakenfromthatofLedeard,atthefarmsocalledonthenorthernsideofLochard,andneartheheadoftheLake,fourorfivemilesfromAberfoyle。Itisuponasmallscale,butotherwiseoneofthemostexquisitecascadesitispossibletobehold。TheappearanceofFlorawiththeharp,asdescribed,hasbeenjustlycensuredastootheatricalandaffectedforthelady-likesimplicityofhercharacter。ButsomethingmaybeallowedtoherFrencheducation,inwhichpointandstrikingeffectalwaysmakeaconsiderableobject。 NoteP,p。<?p250>-Mac-Farlane’sLantern。 TheclanofMac-Farlane,occupyingthefastnessesofthewesternsideofLochLomond,weregreatdepredatorsontheLowCountry;andastheirexcursionsweremadeusuallybynight,themoonwasproverbiallycalledtheirlantern。Theircelebratedpibrochof_HoggilnamBo,_whichisthenameoftheirgatheringtune,intimatessimilarpractices,-thesensebeing- Weareboundtodrivethebullocks,Allbyhollows,hirsts,andhillocks,Throughthesleetandthroughtherain。 WhenthemoonisbeaminglowOnfrozenlakeandhillsofsnow,Boldandheartilywego; Andallforlittlegain。 NoteQ,p。<?p252>-CastleofDoune。 Thisnobleruinisdeartomyrecollection,fromassociationswhichhavebeenlongandpainfullybroken。ItholdsacommandingstationonthebanksoftheriverTeith,andhasbeenoneofthelargestcastlesinScotland。 Murdock,DukeofAlbany,thefounderofthisstatelypile,wasbeheadedontheCastle-hillofStirling,fromwhichhemightseethetowersofDoune,themonumentofhisfallengreatness。 In17456,asstatedinthetext,agarrisononthepartoftheChevalierwasputintothecastle,thenlessruinousthanatpresent。ItwascommandedbyMr。StewartofBalloch,asgovernorforPrinceCharles;hewasamanofpropertynearCallander。ThiscastlebecameatthattimetheactualsceneofaromanticescapemadebyJohnHome,theauthorofDouglas,andsomeotherprisoners,who,havingbeentakenatthebattleofFalkirk,wereconfinedtherebytheinsurgents。Thepoet,whohadinhisownmindalargestockofthatromanticandenthusiasticspiritofadventure,whichhehasdescribedasanimatingtheyouthfulheroofhisdrama,devisedandundertooktheperilousenterpriseofescapingfromhisprison。Heinspiredhiscompanionswithhissentiments,andwheneveryattemptatopenforcewasdeemedhopeless,theyresolvedtotwisttheirbed-clothesintoropes,andthustodescend。Fourpersons,withHomehimself,reachedthegroundinsafety。Buttheropebrokewiththefifth,whowasatalllustyman。ThesixthwasThomasBarrow,abraveyoungEnglishman,aparticularfriendofHome’s。Determinedtotaketherisk,eveninsuchunfavourablecircumstances,Barrowcommittedhimselftothebrokenrope,sliddownonitasfarasitcouldassisthim,andthenlethimselfdrop。Hisfriendsbeneathsucceededinbreakinghisfall。Nevertheless,hedislocatedhisankle,andhadseveralofhisribsbroken。Hiscompanions,however,wereabletobearhimoffinsafety。 TheHighlandersnextmorningsoughtfortheirprisonerswithgreatactivity。AnoldgentlemantoldtheauthorherememberedseeingthecommanderStewart,Bloodywithspurring,fieryredwithhaste,ridingfuriouslythroughthecountryinquestofthefugitives。 NoteR,p。<?p263>-JacobiteSentiments。 TheJacobitesentimentsweregeneralamongthewesterncounties,andinWales。ButalthoughthegreatfamiliesoftheWynnes,theWyndhams,andothers,hadcomeunderanactualobligationtojoinPrinceCharlesifheshouldland,theyhaddonesoundertheexpressstipulation,thatheshouldbeassistedbyanauxiliaryarmyofFrench,withoutwhichtheyforesawtheenterprisewouldbedesperate。Wishingwelltohiscause,therefore,andwatchinganopportunitytojoinhim,theydidnot,nevertheless,thinkthemselvesboundinhonourtodoso,ashewasonlysupportedbyabodyofwildmountaineers,speakinganuncouthdialect,andwearingasingulardress。 TheraceuptoDerbystruckthemwithmoredreadthanadmiration。Butitwasdifficulttosaywhattheeffectmighthavebeen,hadeitherthebattleofPrestonorFalkirkbeingfoughtandwonduringtheadvanceintoEngland。 NoteS,p。<?p266>-IrishOfficers。