the expedition of humphry clinker-第63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！


these　monuments　of　grandeur。　　If　I　may　be　allowed　to　mingle
censure　with　my　remarks　upon　a　people　I　revere；　I　must　observe；
that　their　weak　side　seems　to　be　vanity。　　I　am　afraid　that　even
their　hospitality　is　not　quite　free　of　ostentation。　I　think　I
have　discovered　among　them　uncommon　pains　taken　to　display　their
fine　linen；　of　which；　indeed；　they　have　great　plenty；　their
furniture；　plate；　housekeeping；　and　variety　of　wines；　in　which
article；　it　must　be　owned；　they　are　profuse；　if　not　prodigal　　A
burgher　of　Edinburgh；　not　content　to　vie　with　a　citizen　of
London；　who　has　ten　times　his　fortune；　must　excel　him　in　the
expence　as　well　as　elegance　of　his　entertainments。

Though　the　villas　of　the　Scotch　nobility　and　gentry　have
generally　an　air　of　grandeur　and　state；　I　think　their　gardens　and
parks　are　not　comparable　to　those　of　England；　a　circumstance　the
more　remarkable；　as　I　was　told　by　the　ingenious　Mr　Phillip　Miller
of　Chelsea；　that　almost　all　the　gardeners　of　South…Britain　were
natives　of　Scotland。　The　verdure　of　this　country　is　not　equal　to
that　of　England。　　The　pleasure…grounds　are；　in　my　opinion；　not　so
well　laid　out　according　to　the　genius　loci；　nor　are　the　lawns；
and　walks；　and　hedges　kept　in　such　delicate　order。　　The　trees　are
planted　in　prudish　rows；　which　have　not　such　an　agreeable　natural
effect；　as　when　they　are　thrown　into　irregular　groupes；　with
intervening　glades；　and　firs；　which　they　generally　raise　around
their　houses；　look　dull　and　funereal　in　the　summer　season。　　I
must　confess；　indeed；　that　they　yield　serviceable　timber；　and
good　shelter　against　the　northern　blasts；　that　they　grow　and
thrive　in　the　most　barren　soil；　and　continually　perspire　a　fine
balsam　of　turpentine；　which　must　render　the　air　very　salutary　and
sanative　to　lungs　of　a　tender　texture。

Tabby　and　I　have　been　both　frightened　in　our　return　by　sea　from
the　coast　of　Fife　　She　was　afraid　of　drowning；　and　I　of　catching
cold；　in　consequence　of　being　drenched　with　sea…water；　but　my
fears　as　well　as　hers；　have　been　happily　disappointed。　She　is　now
in　perfect　health；　I　wish　I　could　say　the　same　of　Liddy　
Something　uncommon　is　the　matter　with　that　poor　girl；　her　colour
fades；　her　appetite　fails；　and　her　spirits　flag　　She　is　become
moping　and　melancholy；　and　is　often　found　in　tears　　Her　brother
suspects　internal　uneasiness　on　account　of　Wilson；　and　denounces
vengeance　against　that　adventurer。　　She　was；　it　seems；　strongly
affected　at　the　ball　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　one　Mr　Gordon；
who　strongly　resembles　the　said　Wilson；　but　I　am　rather
suspicious　that　she　caught　cold　by　being　overheated　with
dancing。　　I　have　consulted　Dr　Gregory；　an　eminent　physician　of　an
amiable　character；　who　advises　the　highland　air；　and　the　use　of
goat…milk　whey；　which；　surely；　cannot　have　a　bad　effect　upon　a
patient　who　was　born　and　bred　among　the　mountains　of　Wales　　The
doctors　opinion　is　the　more　agreeable；　as　we　shall　find　those
remedies　in　the　very　place　which　I　proposed　as　the　utmost　extent
of　our　expedition　　I　mean　the　borders　of　Argyle。

Mr　Smollett；　one　of　the　judges　of　the　commissary　court；　which　is
now　sitting；　has　very　kindly　insisted　upon　our　lodging　at　his
country…house；　on　the　banks　of　Lough…Lomond；　about　fourteen　miles
beyond　Glasgow。　For　this　last　city　we　shall　set　out　in　two　days；
and　take　Stirling　in　our　way；　well　provided　with　recommendations
from　our　friends　at　Edinburgh；　whom；　I　protest；　I　shall　leave
with　much　regret。　I　am　so　far　from　thinking　it　any　hardship　to
live　in　this　country；　that；　if　I　was　obliged　to　lead　a　town　life；
Edinburgh　would　certainly　be　the　headquarters　of


Yours　always；
MATT。　BRAMBLE
EDIN。；　August　8。



To　Sir　WATKIN　PHILLIPS；　Bart。　of　Jesus　college；　Oxon。

DEAR　KNIGHT；

I　am　now　little　short　of　the　Ultima　Thule；　if　this　appellation
properly　belongs　to　the　Orkneys　or　Hebrides。　These　last　are　now
lying　before　me；　to　the　amount　of　some　hundreds；　scattered　up　and
down　the　Deucalidonian　sea；　affording　the　most　picturesque　and
romantic　prospect　I　ever　beheld　　I　write　this　letter　in　a
gentleman's　house；　near　the　town　of　Inverary　which　may　be　deemed
the　capital　of　the　West　Highlands；　famous　for　nothing　so　much　as
for　the　stately　castle　begun；　and　actually　covered　in　by　the　late
duke　of　Argyle；　at　a　prodigious　expence　　Whether　it　will　ever　be
completely　finished　is　a　question。　

But；　to　take　things　in　order　　We　left　Edinburgh　ten　days　ago；　and
the　further　North　we　proceed；　we　find　Mrs　Tabitha　the　less
manageable；　so　that　her　inclinations　are　not　of　the　nature　of　the
loadstone；　they　point　not　towards　the　pole。　What　made　her　leave
Edinburgh　with　reluctance　at　last；　if　we　may　believe　her　own
assertions；　was　a　dispute　which　she　left　unfinished　with　Mr
Moffat；　touching　the　eternity　of　hell　torments。　That　gentleman；
as　he　advanced　in　years；　began　to　be　sceptical　on　this　head；
till；　at　length；　he　declared　open　war　against　the　common
acceptation　of　the　word　eternal。　He　is　now　persuaded；　that
eternal　signifies　no　more　than　an　indefinite　number　of　years；　and
that　the　most　enormous　sinner　may　be　quit　for　nine　millions；　nine
hundred　thousand；　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　years　of　hell…
fire；　which　term　or　period；　as　he　very　well　observes；　forms　but
an　inconsiderable　drop；　as　it　were；　in　the　ocean　of　eternity　　For
this　mitigation　he　contends；　as　a　system　agreeable　to　the　ideas
of　goodness　and　mercy；　which　we　annex　to　the　supreme　Being　　Our
aunt　seemed　willing　to　adopt　this　doctrine　in　favour　of　the
wicked；　but　he　hinted　that　no　person　whatever　was　so　righteous　as
to　be　exempted　entirely　from　punishment　in　a　future　state；　and
that　the　most　pious　Christian　upon　earth　might　think　himself　very
happy　to　get　off　for　a　fast　of　seven　or　eight　thousand　years　in
the　midst　of　fire　and　brimstone。　Mrs　Tabitha　revolted　at　this
dogma；　which　filled　her　at　once　with　horror　and　indignation　　She
had　recourse　to　the　opinion　of　Humphry　Clinker；　who　roundly
declared　it　was　the　popish　doctrine　of　purgatory；　and　quoted
scripture　in　defence　of　the　fire　everlasting；　prepared　for　the
devil　and　his　angels　　The　reverend　master　Mackcorkendal；　and　all
the　theologists　and　saints　of　that　persuasion　were　consulted；　and
some　of　them　had　doubts　about　the　matter；　which　doubts　and
scruples　had　begun　to　infect　our　aunt；　when　we　took　our　departure
from　Edinburgh。

We　passed　through　Linlithgow；　where　there　was　an　elegant　royal
palace；　which　is　now　gone　to　decay；　as　well　as　the　town　itself　
This　too　is　pretty　much　the　case　with　Stirling；　though　it　still
boasts　of　a　fine　old　castle　in　which　the　kings　of　Scotland　were
wont　to　reside　in　their　minority　　But　Glasgow　is　the　pride　of
Scotland；　and；　indeed；　it　might　very　well　pass　for　an　elegant　and
flourishing　city　in　any　part　of　Christendom。　There　we　had　the
good　fortune　to　be　received　into　the　house　of　Mr　Moore；　an
eminent　surgeon；　to　whom　we　were　recommended　by　one　of　our
friends　at　Edinburgh；　and；　truly；　he　could　not　have　done　us　more
essential　service　　Mr　Moore　is　a　merry　facetious　companion；
sensible　and　shrewd；　with　a　considerable　fund　of　humour；　and　his
wife　an　agreeable　woman；　well　bred；　kind；　and　obliging。　Kindness；
which　I　take　to　be　the　essence　of　good…nature　and　humanity；　is
the　distinguishing　characteristic　of　the　Scotch　ladies　in　their
own　country　　Our　landlord　shewed　us　every　thing；　and　introduced
us　to　all　the　world　at　Glasgow；　where；　through　his
recommendation；　we　were　complimented　with　the　freedom　of　the
town。　Considering　the　trade　and　opulence　of　this　place；　it　cannot
but　abound　with　gaiety　and　diversions。　Here　is　a　great　number　of
young　fellows　that　rival　the　youth　of　the　capital　in　spirit　and
expence；　and　I　was　soon　convinced；　that　all　the　female　beauties
of　Scotland　were　not　assembled　at　the　hunters　ball　in　Edinburgh　
The　town　of　Glasgow　flourishes　in　learning　as　well　as　in
commerce　　Here　is　an　university；　with　professors　in　all　the
different　branches　of　science；　liberally　endowed；　and　judiciously
chosen　　It　was　vacation　time　when　I　passed；　so　that　I　could　not
entirely　satisfy　my　curiosity；　but　their　mode　of　education　is
certainly　preferable　to　ours　in　some　respects。　The　students　are
not　left　to　the　private　instruction　of　tutors；　but　taught　in
public　schools　or　classes；　each　science　by　its　particular
professor　or　regent。

My　uncle　is　in　raptures　with　Glasgow　　He　not　only　visited　all　the
manufactures　of　the　place；　but　made　excursions　all　round　to
Hamilton；　Paisley；　Renfrew；　and　every　other　place　within　a　dozen
miles；　where　there　was　any　thing　remarkable　to　be　seen　in　art　or
nature。　I　believe　the　exercise；　occasioned　by　those　jaunts；　was
of　service　to　my　sister　Liddy；　whose　appetite　and　spirits　begin
to　revive　　Mrs　Tabitha　displayed　her　attractions　as　usual；　and
actually　believed　she　had　entangled　one　Mr　Maclellan；　a　rich
inkle…manufacturer；　in　her　snares；　but　when　matters　came　to　an
explanation；　it　appeared　that　his　attachment　was　altogether
spiritual；　founded　upon　an　intercourse　of　devotion；　at　the
meeting　of　Mr　John　Wesley；　who；　in　the　course　of　his　evangelical
mission；　had　come　hither　in　person　　At　length；　we　set　out　for　the
banks　of　Lough…Lomond；　passing　through　the　little　borough　of