第 112 节
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universal Amen! which resounded from the shore。
CONCLUSION; BY DR。 DRYASDUST
IN A LETTER TO THE AUTHOR OF WAVERLEY
I am truly sorry; my worthy and much…respected sir; that my anxious researches have neither; in the form of letters; nor of diaries or other memoranda; been able to discover more than I have hitherto transmitted; of the history of the Redgauntlet family。 But I observe in an old newspaper called the WHITEHALL GAZETTE; of which I fortunately possess a file for several years; that Sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet was presented to his late Majesty at the drawing…room; by Lieut。…General Campbellupon which the editor observes; in the way of comment; that we were going; REMIS ATQUE VELIS; into the interests of the Pretender; since a Scot had presented a Jacobite at Court。 I am sorry I have not room (the frank being only uncial) for his further observations; tending to show the apprehensions entertained by many well…instructed persons of the period; that the young king might himself be induced 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 tru