redgauntlet-第101部分

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duced　to　become　one　of　the　Stuarts'　faction；　a　catastrophe　from　which　it　has　pleased　Heaven　to　preserve　these　kingdoms。

I　perceive　also；　by　a　marriage…contract　in　the　family　repositories；　that　Miss　Lilias　Redgauntlet　of　Redgauntlet；　about　eighteen　months　after　the　transactions　you　have　commemorated；　intermarried　with　Alan　Fairford；　Esq。；　Advocate；　of　Clinkdollar；　who；　I　think；　we　may　not　unreasonably　conclude　to　be　the　same　person　whose　name　occurs　so　frequently　in　the　pages　of　your　narration。　　In　my　last　excursion　to　Edinburgh；　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　discover　an　old　caddie；　from　whom；　at　the　expense　of　a　bottle　of　whisky　and　half　a　pound　of　tobacco；　I　extracted　the　important　information；　that　he　knew　Peter　Peebles　very　well；　and　had　drunk　many　a　mutchkin　with　him　in　Caddie　Fraser's　time。　　He　said　'that　he　lived　ten　years　after　King　George's　accession；　in　the　momentary　expectation　of　winning　his　cause　every　day　in　the　session　time；　and　every　hour　in　the　day；　and　at　last　fell　down　dead；　in　what　my　informer　called　a　'perplexity　fit；'　upon　a　proposal　for　a　composition　being　made　to　him　in　the　Outer　House。　I　have　chosen　to　retain　my　informer's　phrase；　not　being　able　justly　to　determine　whether　it　is　a　corruption　of　the　word　apoplexy；　as　my　friend　Mr。　Oldbuck　supposes；　or　the　name　of　some　peculiar　disorder　incidental　to　those　who　have　concern　in　the　courts　of　law；　as　many　callings　and　conditions　of　men　have　diseases　appropriate　to　themselves。　　The　same　caddie　also　remembered　Blind　Willie　Stevenson；　who　was　called　Wandering　Willie；　and　who　ended　his　days　'unco　beinly；　in　Sir　Arthur　Redgauntlet's　ha'　neuk。'　　'He　had　done　the　family　some　good　turn；'　he　said；　'specially　when　ane　of　the　Argyle　gentlemen　was　coming　down　on　a　wheen　of　them　that　had　the　〃auld　leaven〃　about　them；　and　wad　hae　taen　every　man　of　them；　and　nae　less　nor　headed　and　hanged　them。　　But　Willie；　and　a　friend　they　had；　called　Robin　the　Rambler；　gae　them　warning；　by　playing　tunes　such　as　〃The　Campbells　are　coming〃　and　the　like；　whereby　they　got　timeous　warning　to　take　the　wing。'　　I　need　not　point　out　to　your　acuteness；　my　worthy　sir；　that　this　seems　to　refer　to　some　inaccurate　account　of　the　transactions　in　which　you　seem　so　much　interested。

Respecting　Redgauntlet；　about　whose　subsequent　history　you　are　more　particularly　inquisitive；　I　have　learned　from　an　excellent　person　who　was　a　priest　in　the　Scottish　Monastery　of　Ratisbon；　before　its　suppression；　that　he　remained　for　two　or　three　years　in　the　family　of　the　Chevalier；　and　only　left　it　at　last　in　consequence　of　some　discords　in　that　melancholy　household。　　As　he　had　hinted　to　General　Campbell；　he　exchanged　his　residence　for　the　cloister；　and　displayed　in　the　latter　part　of　his　life；　a　strong　sense　of　the　duties　of　religion；　which　in　his　earlier　days　he　had　too　much　neglected；　being　altogether　engaged　in　political　speculations　and　intrigues。　　He　rose　to　the　situation　of　prior；　in　the　house　which　he　belonged　to；　and　which　was　of　a　very　strict　order　of　religion。　　He　sometimes　received　his　countrymen；　whom　accident　brought　to　Ratisbon；　and　curiosity　induced　to　visit　the　Monastery　of　。　　But　it　was　remarked；　that　though　he　listened　with　interest　and　attention；　when　Britain；　or　particularly　Scotland；　became　the　subject　of　conversation；　yet　he　never　either　introduced　or　prolonged　the　subject；　never　used　the　English　language；　never　inquired　about　English　affairs；　and；　above　all；　never　mentioned　his　own　family。　　His　strict　observation　of　the　rules　of　his　order　gave　him；　at　the　time　of　his　death；　some　pretensions　to　be　chosen　a　saint；　and　the　brethren　of　the　Monastery　of　　made　great　efforts　for　that　effect；　and　brought　forward　some　plausible　proofs　of　miracles。　　But　there　was　a　circumstance　which　threw　a　doubt　over　the　subject；　and　prevented　the　consistory　from　acceding　to　the　wishes　of　the　worthy　brethren。　　Under　his　habit；　and　secured　in　a　small　silver　box；　he　had　worn　perpetually　around　his　neck　a　lock　of…hair；　which　the　fathers　avouched　to　be　a　relic。　　But　the　Avvocato　del　Diabolo；　in　combating　（as　was　his　official　duty）　the　pretensions　of　the　candidate　for　sanctity；　made　it　at　least　equally　probable　that　the　supposed　relic　was　taken　from　the　head　of　a　brother　of　the　deceased　prior；　who　had　been　executed　for　adherence　to　the　Stuart　family　in　1745…6；　and　the　motto；　HAUD　OBLIVISCENDUM；　seemed　to　intimate　a　tone　of　mundane　feeling　and　recollection　of　injuries；　which　made　it　at　least　doubtful　whether；　even　in　the　quiet　and　gloom　of　the　cloister；　Father　Hugo　had　forgotten　the　sufferings　and　injuries　of　the　House　of　Redgauntlet。

June　10；　1824；




NOTES

NOTE　1。THE　SOCIETY　OF　FRIENDS

In　explanation　of　this　circumstance；　I　cannot　help　adding　a　note　not　very　necessary　for　the　reader；　which　yet　I　record　with　pleasure；　from　recollection　of　the　kindness　which　it　evinces。　　In　early　youth　I　resided　for　a　considerable　time　in　the　vicinity　of　the　beautiful　village　of　Kelso；　where　my　life　passed　in　a　very　solitary　manner。　　I　had　few　acquaintances；　scarce　any　companions；　and　books；　which　were　at　the　time　almost　essential　to　my　happiness；　were　difficult　to　come　by。　　It　was　then　that　I　was　particularly　indebted　to　the　liberality　and　friendship　of　an　old　lady　of　the　Society　of　Friends；　eminent　for　her　benevolence　and　charity。　　Her　deceased　husband　had　been　a　medical　man　of　eminence；　and　left　her；　with　other　valuable　property；　a　small　and　well…selected　library。　　This　the　kind　old　lady　permitted　me　to　rummage　at　pleasure；　and　carry　home　what　volumes　I　chose；　on　condition　that　I　should　take；　at　the　same　time；　some　of　the　tracts　printed　for　encouraging　and　extending　the　doctrines　of　her　own　sect。　　She　did　not　even　exact　any　promise　that　I　would　read　these　performances；　being　too　justly　afraid　of　involving　me　in　a　breach　of　promise；　but　was　merely　desirous　that　I　should　have　the　chance　of　instruction　within　my　reach；　in　case　whim；　curiosity；　or　accident；　might　induce　me　to　have　recourse　to　it。


NOTE　2。THE　PERSECUTORS

The　personages　here　mentioned　are　most　of　them　characters　of　historical　fame；　but　those　less　known　and　remembered　may　be　found　in　the　tract　entitled；　'The　Judgment　and　Justice　of　God　Exemplified；　or；　a　Brief　Historical　Account　of　some　of　the　Wicked　Lives　and　Miserable　Deaths　of　some　of　the　most　remarkable　Apostates　and　Bloody　Persecutors；　from　the　Reformation　till　after　the　Revolution。'　　This　constitutes　a　sort　of　postscript　or　appendix　to　John　Howie　of　Lochgoin's　'Account　of　the　Lives　of　the　most　eminent　Scots　Worthies。'　　The　author　has；　with　considerable　ingenuity；　reversed　his　reasoning　upon　the　inference　to　be　drawn　from　the　prosperity　or　misfortunes　which　befall　individuals　in　this　world；　either　in　the　course　of　their　lives　or　in　the　hour　of　death。　　In　the　account　of　the　martyrs'　sufferings；　such　inflictions　are　mentioned　only　as　trials　permitted　by　providence；　for　the　better　and　brighter　display　of　their　faith；　and　constancy　of　principle。　　But　when　similar　afflictions　befell　the　opposite　party；　they　are　imputed　to　the　direct　vengeance　of　Heaven　upon　their　impiety。　　If；　indeed；　the　life　of　any　person　obnoxious　to　the　historian's　censures　happened　to　have　passed　in　unusual　prosperity；　the　mere　fact　of　its　being　finally　concluded　by　death；　is　assumed　as　an　undeniable　token　of　the　judgement　of　Heaven；　and；　to　render　the　conclusion　inevitable；　his　last　scene　is　generally　garnished　with　some　singular　circumstances。　　Thus　the　Duke　of　Lauderdale　is　said；　through　old　age　but　immense　corpulence；　to　have　become　so　sunk　in　spirits；　'that　his　heart　was　not　the　bigness　of　a　walnut。'


NOTE　3。LAMENTATION　FOR　THE　DEAD

I　have　heard　in　my　youth　some　such　wild　tale　as　that　placed　in　the　mouth　of　the　blind　fiddler；　of　which；　I　think；　the　hero　was　Sir　Robert　Grierson　of　Lagg；　the　famous　persecutor。　　But　the　belief　was　general　throughout　Scotland　that　the　excessive　lamentation　over　the　loss　of　friends　disturbed　the　repose　of　the　dead；　and　broke　even　the　rest　of　the　grave。　　There　are　several　instances　of　this　in　tradition；　but　one　struck　me　particularly；　as　I　heard　it　from　the　lips　of　one　who　professed　receiving　it　from　those　of　a　ghost…seer。　　This　was　a　Highland　lady；　named　Mrs。　C　of　B；　who　probably　believed　firmly　in　the　truth　of　an　apparition　which　seems　to　have　originated　in　the　weakness　of　her　nerves　and　strength　of　her　imagination。　　She　had　been　lately　left　a　widow　by　her　husband；　with　the　office　of　guardian　to　their　only　child。　　The　young　man　added　to　the　difficulties　of　his　charge　by　an　extreme　propensity　for　a　military　life；　which　his　mother　was　unwilling　to　give　way　to；　while　she　found　it　impossible　to　repress　it。　　About　this　time　the　Independent　Companies；　formed　for　the　preservation　of　the　peace　of　the　Highlands；　were　in　the　course　of　being　levied；　and　as　a　gentleman　named　Cameron；　nearly　connected　with　Mrs。　C；　commanded　one　of　those　companies；　she　was　at　length　persuaded　to　compromise　the　matter　with　her　son；　by　permitting　him　to　enter　this　company　in　the　capacity　of　a　cadet；　thus　gratifying　his　love　of　a　military　life　without　the　dangers　of　foreign　service；　to　which　no　one　then　thought　these　troops　were　at　all　liable　to　be　exposed；　while　even　their　active　service　at　home　was　not　likely　to　be　attended　with　much　danger。　　She　readily　obtained　a　promise　from　her　relative　that　he　would　be　particular　in　his　attention　to　her　son　and　therefore　concluded　she　had　accommodated　matters　between　her　son's　wishes　and　his　safety　in　a　way　sufficiently　attentive　to　both。　　She　set　off　to　Edinburgh　to　get　what　was　awanting　for　his　outfit；　and　shortly　afterwards　received　melancholy　news　from　the　Highlands。　　The　Independent　Company　into　which　her　son　was　to　enter　had　a　skirmish　with　a　party　of　caterans　engaged　in　some　act　of　spoil；　and　her　friend　the　captain　being　wounded；　and　out　of　the　reach　of　medical　assistance；　died　in　consequence。　　This　news　was　a　thunderbolt　to　the　poor　mother；　who　was　at　once　deprived　of　her　kinsman's　advice　and　assistance；　and　instructed　by　his　fate　of　the　unexpected　danger　to　which　her　son's　new　calling　exposed　him。　She　remained　also　in　great　sorrow　for　her　relative；　whom　she　loved　with　sisterly　affection。　　These　conflicting　causes　of　anxiety；　together　with　her　uncertainty；　whether　to　continue　or　change　her　son's　de