the expedition of humphry clinker-第53部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


great　quantities；　and　even　made　her　a　present　of　a　purse　of　silk
grass；　woven　by　the　hands　of　the　amiable　Squinkinacoosta；　who　had
used　it　as　a　shot…pouch　in　her　hunting　expeditions。

From　Doncaster　northwards；　all　the　windows　of　all　the　inns　are
scrawled　with　doggeral　rhimes；　in　abuse　of　the　Scotch　nation；　and
what　surprised　me　very　much；　I　did　not　perceive　one　line　written
in　the　way　of　recrimination　　Curious　to　hear　what　Lismahago　would
say　on　this　subject；　I　pointed　out　to　him　a　very　scurrilous
epigram　against　his　countrymen；　which　was　engraved　on　one　of　the
windows　of　the　parlour　where　we　sat。　　He　read　it　with　the　most
starched　composure；　and　when　I　asked　his　opinion　of　the　poetry；
'It　is　vara　terse　and　vara　poignant　（said　he）；　but　with　the　help
of　a　wat　dish…clout；　it　might　be　rendered　more　clear　and
parspicuous。　　I　marvel　much　that　some　modern　wit　has　not
published　a　collection　of　these　essays　under　the　title　of　the
Glaziers　Triumph　over　Sawney　the　Scot　　I'm　persuaded　it　would　be
a　vara　agreeable　offering　to　the　patriots　of　London　and
Westminster。'　When　I　expressed　some　surprize　that　the　natives　of
Scotland；　who　travel　this　way；　had　not　broke　all　the　windows　upon
the　road；　'With　submission　（replied　the　lieutenant）；　that　were
but　shallow　policy　　it　would　only　serve　to　make　the　satire　more
cutting　and　severe；　and　I　think　it　is　much　better　to　let　it　stand
in　the　window；　than　have　it　presented　in　the　reckoning。'

My　uncle's　jaws　began　to　quiver　with　indignation。　　He　said；　the
scribblers　of　such　infamous　stuff　deserved　to　be　scourged　at　the
cart's　tail　for　disgracing　their　country　with　such　monuments　of
malice　and　stupidity。　　'These　vermin　（said　he）　do　not　consider；
that　they　are　affording　their　fellow　subjects；　whom　they　abuse；
continual　matter　of　self…gratulation；　as　well　as　the　means　of
executing　the　most　manly　vengeance　that　can　be　taken　for　such
low；　illiberal　attacks。　For　my　part；　I　admire　the　philosophic
forbearance　of　the　Scots；　as　much　as　I　despise　the　insolence　of
those　wretched　libellers；　which　is　akin　to　the　arrogance　of　the
village　cock；　who　never　crows　but　upon　his　own　dunghill。'　The
captain；　with　an　affectation　of　candour；　observed；　that　men　of
illiberal　minds　were　produced　in　every　soil；　that　in　supposing
those　were　the　sentiments　of　the　English　in　general；　he　should
pay　too　great　a　compliment　to　is　own　country；　which　was　not　of
consequence　enough　to　attract　the　envy　of　such　a　flourishing　and
powerful　people。

Mrs　Tabby　broke　forth　again　in　praise　of　his　moderation；　and
declared　that　Scotland　was　the　soil　which　produced　every　virtue
under　heaven。　When　Lismahago　took　his　leave　for　the　night；　she
asked　her　brother　if　the　captain　was　not　the　prettiest　gentleman
he　had　ever　seen；　and　whether　there　was　not　something　wonderfully
engaging　in　his　aspect？　　Mr　Bramble　having　eyed　her　sometime　in
silence；　'Sister　（said　he）；　the　lieutenant　is；　for　aught　I　know；
an　honest　man　and　a　good　officer　　he　has　a　considerable　share　of
understanding；　and　a　title　to　more　encouragement　than　he　seems　to
have　met　with　in　life；　but　I　cannot；　with　a　safe　conscience；
affirm；　that　he　is　the　prettiest　gentleman　I　ever　saw；　neither
can　I　descern　any　engaging　charm　in　his　countenance；　which；　I　vow
to　God；　is；　on　the　contrary；　very　hard…favoured　and　forbidding。'

I　have　endeavoured　to　ingratiate　myself　with　this　North…Briton；
who　is　really　a　curiosity；　but　he　has　been　very　shy　of　my
conversation　ever　since　I　laughed　at　his　asserting　that　the
English　tongue　was　spoke　with　more　propriety　at　Edinburgh　than　at
London。　Looking　at　me　with　a　double　squeeze　of　souring　in　his
aspect；　'If　the　old　definition　be　true　（said　he）；　that　risibility
is　the　distinguishing　characteristic　of　a　rational　creature；　the
English　are　the　most　distinguished　for　rationality　of　any　people
I　ever　knew。'　I　owned；　that　the　English　were　easily　struck　with
any　thing　that　appeared　ludicrous；　and　apt　to　laugh　accordingly；
but　it　did　not　follow；　that；　because　they　were　more　given　to
laughter；　they　had　more　rationality　than　their　neighbours：　I
said；　such　an　inference　would　be　an　injury　to　the　Scots；　who　were
by　no　means　defective　in　rationality；　though　generally　supposed
little　subject　to　the　impressions　of　humour。

The　captain　answered；　that　this　supposition　must　have　been
deduced　either　from　their　conversation　or　their　compositions；　of
which　the　English　could　not　possibly　judge　with　precision；　as
they　did　not　understand　the　dialect　used　by　the　Scots　in　common
discourse；　as　well　as　in　their　works　of　humour。　When　I　desired　to
know　what　those　works　of　humour　were；　he　mentioned　a　considerable
number　of　pieces；　which　he　insisted　were　equal　in　point　of　humour
to　any　thing　extant　in　any　language　dead　or　living　　He；　in
particular；　recommended　a　collection　of　detached　poems；　in　two
small　volumes；　intituled；　The　Ever…Green；　and　the　works　of　Allan
Ramsay；　which　I　intend　to　provide　myself　with　at　Edinburgh。　　He
observed；　that　a　North…Briton　is　seen　to　a　disadvantage　in　an
English　company；　because　he　speaks　in　a　dialect　that　they　can't
relish；　and　in　a　phraseology　which　they　don't　understand。　　He
therefore　finds　himself　under　a　restraint；　which　is　a　great　enemy
to　wit　and　humour。　　These　are　faculties　which　never　appear　in
full　lustre；　but　when　the　mind　is　perfectly　at　ease；　and；　as　an
excellent　writer　says；　enjoys　her　elbow…room。

He　proceeded　to　explain　his　assertion　that　the　English　language
was　spoken　with　greater　propriety　at　Edinburgh　than　in　London。　He
said；　what　we　generally　called　the　Scottish　dialect　was；　in　fact；
true；　genuine　old　English；　with　a　mixture　of　some　French　terms
and　idioms；　adopted　in　a　long　intercourse　betwixt　the　French　and
Scotch　nations；　that　the　modern　English；　from　affectation　and
false　refinement；　had　weakened；　and　even　corrupted　their
language；　by　throwing　out　the　guttural　sounds；　altering　the
pronunciation　and　the　quantity；　and　disusing　many　words　and　terms
of　great　significance。　In　consequence　of　these　innovations；　the
works　of　our　best　poets；　such　as　Chaucer；　Spenser；　and　even
Shakespeare；　were　become；　in　many　parts；　unintelligible　to　the
natives　of　South　Britain；　whereas　the　Scots；　who　retain　the
antient　language；　understand　them　without　the　help　of　a　glossary。
'For　instance　（said　he）；　how　have　your　commentators　been　puzzled
by　the　following　expression　in　the　Tempest　　He's　gentle　and　not
fearful：　as　if　it　was　a　paralogism　to　say；　that　being　gentle；　he
must　of　course　be　courageous：　but　the　truth　is；　one　of　the
original　meanings；　if　not　the　sole　meaning；　of　that　word　was；
noble；　high…minded；　and　to　this　day；　a　Scotch　woman；　in　the
situation　of　the　young　lady　in　the　Tempest；　would　express　herself
nearly　in　the　same　terms　　Don't　provoke　him；　for　being　gentle；
that　is；　high…spirited；　he　won't　tamely　bear　an　insult。　Spenser；
in　the　very　first　stanza　of　his　Fairy　Queen；　says；

A　gentle　knight　was　pricking　on　the　plain；

which　knight；　far　from　being　tame　and　fearful；　was　so　stout　that

Nothing　did　he　dread；　but　ever　was　ydrad。

To　prove　that　we　had　impaired　the　energy　of　our　language　by　false
refinement；　he　mentioned　the　following　words；　which；　though
widely　different　in　signification；　are　pronounced　exactly　in　the
same　manner　wright；　write；　right；　rite；　but　among　the　Scots；
these　words　are　as　different　in　pronunciation；　as　they　are　in
meaning　and　orthography；　and　this　is　the　case　with　many　others
which　he　mentioned　by　way　of　illustration。　　He；　moreover；　took
notice；　that　we　had　（for　what　reason　he　could　never　learn）
altered　the　sound　of　our　vowels　from　that　which　is　retained　by
all　the　nations　in　Europe；　an　alteration　which　rendered　the
language　extremely　difficult　to　foreigners；　and　made　it　almost
impracticable　to　lay　down　general　rules　for　orthography　and
pronunciation。　Besides；　the　vowels　were　no　longer　simple　sounds
in　the　mouth　of　an　Englishman；　who　pronounced　both　i　and　u　as
dipthongs。　Finally；　he　affirmed；　that　we　mumbled　our　speech　with
our　lips　and　teeth；　and　ran　the　words　together　without　pause　or
distinction；　in　such　a　manner；　that　a　foreigner；　though　he
understood　English　tolerably　well；　was　often　obliged　to　have
recourse　to　a　Scotchman　to　explain　what　a　native　of　England　had
said　in　his　own　language。

The　truth　of　this　remark　was　confirmed　by　Mr　Bramble　from　his　own
experience；　but　he　accounted　for　it　on　another　principle。　He
said；　the　same　observation　would　hold　in　all　languages；　that　a
Swiss　talking　French　was　more　easily　understood　than　a　Parisian；
by　a　foreigner　who　had　not　made　himself　master　of　the　language；
because　every　language　had　its　peculiar　recitative；　and　it　would
always　require　more　pains；　attention；　and　practice；　to　acquire
both　the　words　and　the　music；　than　to　learn　the　words　only；　and
yet　no　body　would　deny；　that　the　one　was　imperfect　without　the
other：　he　therefore　apprehended；　that　the　Scotchman　and　the　Swiss
were　better　understood　by　learners；　because　they　spoke　the　words
only；　without　the　music；　which　they　could　not　rehearse。　One　would
imagine　this　check　might　have　damped　the　North　Briton；　but　it
served　only　to　agitate　his　humour　for　disputation。　　He　said；　if
every　nation　had　its　own　rec