the provost-第1部分

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The　Provost

by　John　Galt





INTRODUCTION



During　a　recent　visit　to　the　West　Country；　among　other　old　friends　we　paid　our　respects　to　Mrs　Pawkie；　the　relict　of　the　Provost　of　that　name；　who　three　several　times　enjoyed　the　honour　of　being　chief　magistrate　in　Gudetown。　　Since　the　death　of　her　worthy　husband；　and　the　comfortable　settlement　in　life　of　her　youngest　daughter；　Miss　Jenny；　who　was　married　last　year　to　Mr　Caption；　writer　to　the　signet；　she　has　been；　as　she　told　us　herself；　〃beeking　in　the　lown　o'　the　conquest　which　the　gudeman　had；　wi'　sic　an　ettling　o'　pains　and　industry；　gathered　for　his　family。〃

Our　conversation　naturally　diverged　into　various　topics；　and；　among　others；　we　discoursed　at　large　on　the　manifold　improvements　which　had　taken　place；　both　in　town　and　country；　since　we　had　visited　the　Royal　Burgh。　　This　led　the　widow；　in　a　complimentary　way；　to　advert　to　the　hand　which；　it　is　alleged；　we　have　had　in　the　editing　of　that　most　excellent　work；　entitled；　〃Annals　of　the　Parish　of　Dalmailing；〃　intimating；　that　she　had　a　book　in　the　handwriting　of　her　deceased　husband；　the　Provost；　filled　with　a　variety　of　most　curious　matter；　in　her　opinion；　of　far　more　consequence　to　the　world　than　any　book　that　we　had　ever　been　concerned　in　putting　out。

Considering　the　veneration　in　which　Mr　Pawkie　had　been　through　life　regarded　by　his　helpmate；　we　must　confess　that　her　eulogium　on　the　merits　of　his　work　did　not　impress　us　with　the　most　profound　persuasion　that　it　was　really　deserving　of　much　attention。　Politeness；　however；　obliged　us　to　express　an　earnest　desire　to　see　the　volume；　which；　after　some　little　hesitation；　was　produced。　Judge；　then；　of　the　nature　of　our　emotions；　when；　in　cursorily　turning　over　a　few　of　the　well…penned　pages；　we　found　that　it　far　surpassed　every　thing　the　lady　had　said　in　its　praise。　　Such；　indeed　was　our　surprise；　that　we　could　not　refrain　from　openly　and　at　once　assuring　her；　that　the　delight　and　satisfaction　which　it　was　calculated　to　afford；　rendered　it　a　duty　on　her　part　to　lose　no　time　in　submitting　it　to　the　public；　and；　after　lavishing　a　panegyric　on　the　singular　and　excellent　qualities　of　the　author；　which　was　all　most　delicious　to　his　widow；　we　concluded　with　a　delicate　insinuation　of　the　pleasure　we　should　enjoy；　in　being　made　the　humble　instrument　of　introducing　to　the　knowledge　of　mankind　a　volume　so　replete　and　enriched　with　the　fruits　of　his　practical　wisdom。　　Thus；　partly　by　a　judicious　administration　of　flattery；　and　partly　also　by　solicitation；　backed　by　an　indirect　proposal　to　share　the　profits；　we　succeeded　in　persuading　Mrs　Pawkie　to　allow　us　to　take　the　valuable　manuscript　to　Edinburgh；　in　order　to　prepare　it　for　publication。

Having　obtained　possession　of　the　volume；　we　lost　no　time　till　we　had　made　ourselves　master　of　its　contents。　　It　appeared　to　consist　of　a　series　of　detached　notes；　which；　together；　formed　something　analogous　to　an　historical　view　of　the　different　important　and　interesting　scenes　and　affairs　the　Provost　had　been　personally　engaged　in　during　his　long　magisterial　life。　　We　found；　however　that　the　concatenation　of　the　memoranda　which　he　had　made　of　public　transactions；　was　in　several　places　interrupted　by　the　insertion　of　matter　not　in　the　least　degree　interesting　to　the　nation　at　large；　and　that；　in　arranging　the　work　for　the　press；　it　would　be　requisite　and　proper　to　omit　many　of　the　notes　and　much　of　the　record；　in　order　to　preserve　the　historical　coherency　of　the　narrative。　　But　in　doing　this；　the　text　has　been　retained　inviolate；　in　so　much　that　while　we　congratulate　the　world　on　the　addition　we　are　thus　enabled　to　make　to　the　stock　of　public　knowledge；　we　cannot　but　felicitate　ourselves　on　the　complete　and　consistent　form　into　which　we　have　so　successfully　reduced　our　precious　materials；　the　separation　of　which；　from　the　dross　of　personal　and　private　anecdote；　was　a　task　of　no　small　difficulty；　such；　indeed；　as　the　editors　only　of　the　autographic　memoirs　of　other　great　men　can　duly　appreciate。



CHAPTER　ITHE　FORECAST



It　must　be　allowed　in　the　world；　that　a　man　who　has　thrice　reached　the　highest　station　of　life　in　his　line；　has　a　good　right　to　set　forth　the　particulars　of　the　discretion　and　prudence　by　which　he　lifted　himself　so　far　above　the　ordinaries　of　his　day　and　generation；　indeed；　the　generality　of　mankind　may　claim　this　as　a　duty；　for　the　conduct　of　public　men；　as　it　has　been　often　wisely　said；　is　a　species　of　public　property；　and　their　rules　and　observances　have　in　all　ages　been　considered　things　of　a　national　concernment。　　I　have　therefore　well　weighed　the　importance　it　may　be　of　to　posterity；　to　know　by　what　means　I　have　thrice　been　made　an　instrument　to　represent　the　supreme　power　and　authority　of　Majesty　in　the　royal　burgh　of　Gudetown；　and　how　I　deported　myself　in　that　honour　and　dignity；　so　much　to　the　satisfaction　of　my　superiors　in　the　state　and　commonwealth　of　the　land；　to　say　little　of　the　great　respect　in　which　I　was　held　by　the　townsfolk；　and　far　less　of　the　terror　that　I　was　to　evil…doers。　　But　not　to　be　over　circumstantial；　I　propose　to　confine　this　history　of　my　life　to　the　public　portion　thereof；　on　the　which　account　I　will　take　up　the　beginning　at　the　crisis　when　I　first　entered　into　business；　after　having　served　more　than　a　year　above　my　time；　with　the　late　Mr　Thomas　Remnant；　than　whom　there　was　not　a　more　creditable　man　in　the　burgh；　and　he　died　in　the　possession　of　the　functionaries　and　faculties　of　town…　treasurer；　much　respected　by　all　acquainted　with　his　orderly　and　discreet　qualities。

Mr　Remnant　was；　in　his　younger　years；　when　the　growth　of　luxury　and　prosperity　had　not　come　to　such　a　head　as　it　has　done　since；　a　tailor　that　went　out　to　the　houses　of　the　adjacent　lairds　and　country　gentry；　whereby　he　got　an　inkling　of　the　policy　of　the　world；　that　could　not　have　been　gathered　in　any　other　way　by　a　man　of　his　station　and　degree　of　life。　　In　process　of　time　he　came　to　be　in　a　settled　way；　and　when　I　was　bound　'prentice　to　him；　he　had　three　regular　journeymen　and　a　cloth　shop。　　It　was　therefore　not　so　much　for　learning　the　tailoring；　as　to　get　an　insight　in　the　conformity　between　the　traffic　of　the　shop　and　the　board　that　I　was　bound　to　him；　being　destined　by　my　parents　for　the　profession　appertaining　to　the　former；　and　to　conjoin　thereto　something　of　the　mercery　and　haberdashery：　　my　uncle；　that　had　been　a　sutler　in　the　army　along　with　General　Wolfe；　who　made　a　conquest　of　Quebec；　having　left　me　a　legacy　of　three　hundred　pounds　because　I　was　called　after　him；　the　which　legacy　was　a　consideration　for　to　set　me　up　in　due　season　in　some　genteel　business。

Accordingly；　as　I　have　narrated；　when　I　had　passed　a　year　over　my　'prenticeship　with　Mr　Remnant；　I　took　up　the　corner　shop　at　the　Cross；　facing　the　Tolbooth；　and　having　had　it　adorned　in　a　befitting　manner；　about　a　month　before　the　summer　fair　thereafter；　I　opened　it　on　that　day；　with　an　excellent　assortment　of　goods；　the　best；　both　for　taste　and　variety；　that　had　ever　been　seen　in　the　burgh　of　Gudetown；　and　the　winter　following；　finding　by　my　books　that　I　was　in　a　way　to　do　so；　I　married　my　wife：　　she　was　daughter　to　Mrs　Broderip；　who　kept　the　head　inn　in　Irville；　and　by　whose　death；　in　the　fall　of　the　next　year；　we　got　a　nest　egg；　that；　without　a　vain　pretension；　I　may　say　we　have　not　failed　to　lay　upon；　and　clock　to　some　purpose。

Being　thus　settled　in　a　shop　and　in　life；　I　soon　found　that　I　had　a　part　to　perform　in　the　public　world；　but　I　looked　warily　about　me　before　casting　my　nets；　and　therefore　I　laid　myself　out　rather　to　be　entreated　than　to　ask；　for　I　had　often　heard　Mr　Remnant　observe；　that　the　nature　of　man　could　not　abide　to　see　a　neighbour　taking　place　and　preferment　of　his　own　accord。　　I　therefore　assumed　a　coothy　and　obliging　demeanour　towards　my　customers　and　the　community　in　general；　and　sometimes　even　with　the　very　beggars　I　found　a　jocose　saying　as　well　received　as　a　bawbee；　although　naturally　I　dinna　think　I　was　ever　what　could　be　called　a　funny　man；　but　only　just　as　ye　would　say　a　thought　ajee　in　that　way。　　Howsever；　I　soon　became；　both　by　habit　and　repute；　a　man　of　popularity　in　the　town；　in　so　much　that　it　was　a　shrewd　saying　of　old　James　Alpha；　the　bookseller；　that　〃mair　gude　jokes　were　cracked　ilka　day　in　James　Pawkie's　shop；　than　in　Thomas　Curl；　the　barber's；　on　a　Saturday　night。〃



CHAPTER　IIA　KITHING



I　could　plainly　discern　that　the　prudent　conduct　which　I　had　adopted　towards　the　public　was　gradually　growing　into　effect。　　Disputative　neighbours　made　me　their　referee；　and　I　became；　as　it　were；　an　oracle　that　was　better　than　the　law；　in　so　much　that　I　settled　their　controversies　without　the　expense　that　attends　the　same。　　But　what　convinced　me　more　than　any　other　thing　that　the　line　I　pursued　was　verging　towards　a　satisfactory　result；　was；　that　the　elderly　folk　that　came　into　the　shop　to　talk　over　the　news　of　the　day；　and　to　rehearse　the　diverse　uncos；　both　of　a　national　and　a　domestic　nature；　used　to　call　me　bailie　and　my　lord；　the　which　jocular　derision　was　as　a　symptom　and　foretaste　within　their　spirits　of　what　I　was　ordained　to　be。　　Thus　was　I　encouraged；　by　little　and　little；　together　with　a　sharp　remarking　of　the　inclination　and　bent　of　men's　minds；　to　entertain　the　hope　and　assurance　of　rising　to　the　top　of　all　the　town；　as　this　book　maketh　manifest；　and　the　incidents　thereof　will　certificate。

Nothing　particular；　however；　came　to　pass；　till　my　wife　lay　in　of　her　second　bairn；　our　daughter　Sarah；　at　the　christening　of　whom；　among　divers　friends　and　relations；　forbye　the　minister；　we　had　my　father's　cousin；　Mr　Alexander　Clues；　that　was　then　deacon　convener；　and　a　man　of　great　potency　in　his　way；　and　possessed　of　an　influence　in　the　town…council　of　which　he　was　well　worthy；　being　a　person　of　good　discernment；　and　well　versed　in　matters　appertaining　to　the　guildry。　　Mr　Clues；　as　we　were　mellowing　over　the　toddy　bowl；　said；　that　by　and　by　the　council　would　be　looking　to　me　to　fill　up　the　first　gap　that　might　happen　therein；　and　Dr　Swapkirk；　the　then　minister；　who　had　officiated　on　the　occasion；　observed；　that　it　was　a　thing　that；　in　the　course　of　nature；　could　not　miss　to　be；　for　I　had　all　the　douce　deme