the provost-第11部分

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It；　however；　happened；　in　the　course　of　nature；　that　certain　forms　came　to　be　sabbathly　frequented　by　the　same　persons；　who；　in　this　manner；　acquired　a　sort　of　prescriptive　right　to　them。　　And　those　persons　or　families；　one　after　another；　finding　it　would　be　an　ease　and　convenience　to　them　during　divine　worship；　put　up　backs　to　their　forms。　　But　still；　for　many　a　year；　there　was　no　inclosure　of　pews；　the　first；　indeed；　that　made　a　pew；　as　I　have　been　told；　was　one　Archibald　Rafter；　a　wright；　and　the　grandfather　of　Mr　Rafter；　the　architect；　who　has　had　so　much　to　do　with　the　edification　of　the　new　town　of　Edinburgh。　　This　Archibald's　form　happened　to　be　near　the　door；　on　the　left　side　of　the　pulpit；　and　in　the　winter；　when　the　wind　was　in　the　north；　it　was　a　very　cold　seat；　which　induced　him　to　inclose　it　round　and　round；　with　certain　old　doors　and　shutters；　which　he　had　acquired　in　taking　down　and　rebuilding　the　left　wing　of　the　whinny　hill　house。　　The　comfort　in　which　this　enabled　him　and　his　family　to　listen　to　the　worship；　had　an　immediate　effect；　and　the　example　being　of　a　taking　nature；　in　the　course　of　little　more　than　twenty　years　from　the　time；　the　whole　area　of　the　kirk　had　been　pewed　in　a　very　creditable　manner。

Families　thus　getting；　as　it　were；　portions　of　the　church；　some；　when　removing　from　the　town；　gave　them　up　to　their　neighbours　on　receiving　a　consideration　for　the　expense　they　had　been　at　in　making　the　pews；　so　that；　from　less　to　more；　the　pews　so　formed　became　a　lettable　and　a　vendible　property。　　It　was；　therefore；　thought　a　hard　thing；　that　in　the　reparation　which　the　seats　had　come　to　require　in　my　time；　the　heritors　and　corporation　should　be　obligated　to　pay　the　cost　and　expense　of　what　was　so　clearly　the　property　of　others；　while　it　seemed　an　impossibility　to　get　the　whole　tot　of　the　proprietors　of　the　pews　to　bear　the　expense　of　new…seating　the　kirk。　We　had　in　the　council　many　a　long　and　weighty　sederunt　on　the　subject；　without　coming　to　any　practical　conclusion。　　At　last；　I　thought　the　best　way；　as　the　kirk　was　really　become　a　disgrace　to　the　town；　would　be；　for　the　corporation　to　undertake　the　repair　entirely；　upon　an　understanding　that　we　were　to　be　paid　eighteen　pence　a　bottom…room；　per　ANNUM；　by　the　proprietors　of　the　pews；　and；　on　sounding　the　heritors；　I　found　them　all　most　willing　to　consent　thereto；　glad　to　be　relieved　from　the　awful　expense　of　gutting　and　replenishing　such　a　great　concern　as　the　kirk　was。　　Accordingly　the　council　having　agreed　to　this　proposal；　we　had　plans　and　estimates　made；　and　notice　given　to　the　owners　of　pews　of　our　intention。　　The　whole　proceedings　gave　the　greatest　satisfaction　possible　to　the　inhabitants　in　general；　who　lauded　and　approved　of　my　discernment　more　and　more。

By　the　estimate；　it　was　found　that　the　repairs　would　cost　about　a　thousand　pounds；　and　by　the　plan；　that　the　seats；　at　eighteen　pence　a　sitter；　would　yield　better　than　a　hundred　pounds　a…year；　so　that　there　was　no　scruple；　on　the　part　of　the　town…council；　in　borrowing　the　money　wanted。　　This　was　the　first　public　debt　ever　contracted　by　the　corporation；　and　people　were　very　fain　to　get　their　money　lodged　at　five　per　cent。　on　such　good　security；　in　so　much；　that　we　had　a　great　deal　more　offered　than　we　required　at　that　time　and　epoch。



CHAPTER　XVIITHE　LAW　PLEA



The　repair　of　the　kirk　was　undertaken　by　contract　with　William　Plane；　the　joiner；　with　whom　I　was　in　terms　at　the　time　anent　the　bigging　of　a　land　of　houses　on　my　new　steading　at　the　town…end。　　A　most　reasonable　man　in　all　things　he　was；　and　in　no　concern　of　my　own　had　I　a　better　satisfaction　than　in　the　house　he　built　for　me　at　the　conjuncture　when　he　had　the　town's　work　in　the　kirk；　but　there　was　at　that　period　among　us　a　certain　person；　of　the　name　of　Nabal　Smeddum；　a　tobacconist　by　calling；　who；　up　to　this　season；　had　been　regarded　but　as　a　droll　and　comical　body　at　a　coothy　crack。　　He　was；　in　stature；　of　the　lower　order　of　mankind；　but　endowed　with　an　inclination　towards　corpulency；　by　which　he　had　acquired　some　show　of　a　belly；　and　his　face　was　round；　and　his　cheeks　both　red　and　sleeky。　　He　was；　however；　in　his　personalities；　chiefly　remarkable　for　two　queer　and　twinkling　little　eyes；　and　for　a　habitual　custom　of　licking　his　lips　whenever　he　said　any　thing　of　pith　or　jocosity；　or　thought　that　he　had　done　so；　which　was　very　often　the　case。　　In　his　apparel；　as　befitted　his　trade；　he　wore　a　suit　of　snuff…coloured　cloth；　and　a　brown　round…eared　wig；　that　curled　close　in　to　his　neck。

Mr　Smeddum；　as　I　have　related；　was　in　some　estimation　for　his　comicality；　but　he　was　a　dure　hand　at　an　argument；　and　would　not　see　the　plainest　truth　when　it　was　not　on　his　side　of　the　debate。　　No　occasion　or　cause；　however；　had　come　to　pass　by　which　this　inherent　cross…grainedness　was　stirred　into　action；　till　the　affair　of　reseating　the　kirka　measure；　as　I　have　mentioned；　which　gave　the　best　satisfaction；　but　it　happened　that；　on　a　Saturday　night；　as　I　was　going　soberly　home　from　a　meeting　of　the　magistrates　in　the　clerk's　chamber；　I　by　chance　recollected　that　I　stood　in　need　of　having　my　box　replenished；　and　accordingly；　in　the　most　innocent　and　harmless　manner　that　it　was　possible　for　a　man　to　do；　I　stepped　into　this　Mr　Smeddum；　the　tobacconist's　shop；　and　while　he　was　compounding　my　mixture　from　the　two　canisters　that　stood　on　his　counter；　and　I　was　in　a　manner　doing　nothing　but　looking　at　the　number　of　counterfeit　sixpences　and　shillings　that　were　nailed　thereon　as　an　admonishment　to　his　customers；　he　said　to　me；　〃So；　provost；　we're　to　hae　a　new　lining　to　the　kirk。　　I　wonder；　when　ye　were　at　it；　that　ye　didna　rather　think　of　bigging　another　frae　the　fundament；　for　I'm　thinking　the　walls　are　no　o'　a　capacity　of　strength　to　outlast　this　seating。〃

Knowing；　as　I　did；　the　tough　temper　of　the　body；　I　can　attribute　my　entering　into　an　argument　with　him　on　the　subject　to　nothing　but　some　inconsiderate　infatuation；　for　when　I　said　heedlessly；　the　walls　are　very　good；　he　threw　the　brass　snuff…spoon　with　an　ecstasy　in　to　one　of　the　canisters；　and　lifting　his　two　hands　into　a　posture　of　admiration；cried；　as　if　he　had　seen　an　unco　…

〃Good！　surely；　provost；　ye　hae　na　had　an　inspection；　they're　crackit　in　divers　places；　they're　shotten　out　wi'　infirmity　in　others。　　In　short；　the　whole　kirk；　frae　the　coping　to　the　fundament；　is　a　fabric　smitten　wi'　a　paralytic。〃

〃It's　very　extraordinar；　Mr　Smeddum；〃　was　my　reply；　〃that　nobody　has　seen　a'　this　but　yoursel'。〃

〃Na；　if　ye　will　deny　the　fact；　provost；〃　quo'　he；　〃it's　o'　no　service　for　me　to　say　a　word；　but　there　has　to　a　moral　certainty　been　a　slackness　somewhere；　or　how　has　it　happened　that　the　wa's　were　na　subjected　to　a　right　inspection　before　this　job　o'　the　seating？〃

By　this　time；　I　had　seen　the　great　error　into　the　which　I　had　fallen；　by　entering　on　a　confabulation　with　Mr　Smeddum；　so　I　said　to　him；　〃It'　no　a　matter　for　you　and　me　to　dispute　about；　so　I'll　thank　you　to　fill　my　box；〃　the　which　manner　of　putting　an　end　to　the　debate　he　took　very　ill；　and　after　I　left　the　shop；　he　laid　the　marrow　of　our　discourse　open　to　Mr　Threeper　the　writer；　who　by　chance　went　in；　like　mysel'；　to　get　a　supply　of　rappee　for　the　Sabbath。　　That　limb　of　the　law　discerning　a　sediment　of　litigation　in　the　case；　eggit　on　Mr　Smeddum　into　a　persuasion　that　the　seating　of　the　kirk　was　a　thing　which　the　magistrates　had　no　legal　authority　to　undertake。　　At　this　critical　moment；　my　ancient　adversary　and　seeming　friend；　the　dean　of　guild；　happened　to　pass　the　door；　and　the　bickering　snuff…man　seeing　him；　cried　to　him　to　come　in。　　It　was　a　very　unfortunate　occurrence；　for　Mr　M'Lucre　having　a　secret　interest；　as　I　have　intimated；　in　the　Whinstone　quarry；　when　he　heard　of　taking　down　walls　and　bigging　them　up　again；　he　listened　with　greedy　ears　to　the　dubieties　of　Mr　Threeper；　and　loudly；　and　to　the　heart's　content　of　Mr　Smeddum；　condemned　the　frailty　and　infirmity　of　the　kirk；　as　a　building　in　general。

It　would　be　overly　tedious　to　mention；　however；　all　the　outs　and　ins　of　the　affair；　but；　from　less　to　more；　a　faction　was　begotten；　and　grew　to　head；　and　stirring　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　town；　not　only　with　regard　to　the　putting　of　new　seats　within　the　old　walls；　but　likewise　as　to　the　power　of　the　magistrates　to　lay　out　any　part　of　the　public　funds　in　the　reparation　of　the　kirk；　and　the　upshot　was；　a　contribution　among　certain　malecontents；　to　enable　Mr　Threeper　to　consult　on　all　the　points。

As　in　all　similar　cases；　the　parties　applying　for　legal　advice　were　heartened　into　a　plea　by　the　opinion　they　got；　and　the　town…council　was　thrown　into　the　greatest　consternation　by　receiving　notice　that　the　malecontents　were　going　to　extremities。

Two　things　I　saw　it　was　obligational　on　me　to　urge　forward；　the　one　was　to　go　on　still　with　the　reparations；　and　the　other　to　contest　the　law…suit；　although　some　were　for　waiting　in　the　first　case　till　the　plea　was　settled；　and　in　the　second　to　make　no　defence；　but　to　give　up　our　intention　anent　the　new…seating。　　But　I　thought　that；　as　we　had　borrowed　the　money　for　the　repairs；　we　should　proceed；　and　I　had　a　vista　that　the　contribution　raised　by　the　Smeddumites；　as　they　were　caller；　would　run　out；　being　from　their　own　pockets；　whereas　we　fought　with　the　public　purse　in　our　hand；　and　by　dint　of　exhortation　to　that　effect；　I　carried　the　majority　to　go　into　my　plan；　which　in　the　end　was　most　gratifying；　for　the　kirk　was　in　a　manner　made　as　good　as　new；　and　the　contributional　stock　of　the　Smeddumites　was　entirely　rookit　by　the　lawyers；　who　would　fain　have　them　to　form　another；　assuring　them　that；　no　doubt；　the　legal　point　was　in　their　favour。　　But　every　body　knows　the　uncertainty　of　a　legal　opinion；　and　although　the　case　was　given　up；　for　lack　of　a　fund　to　carry　it　on；　there　was　a　living　ember　of　discontent　left　in　its　ashes；　ready　to　kindle　into　a　flame　on　the　first　puff　of　popular　dissatisfaction。



CHAPTER　XVIIITHE　SUPPRESSION　OF　THE　FAIRS



The　spirit　by　which　the　Smeddumites　were　actuated　in　ecclesiastical　affairs；　was　a　type　and　taste　of　the　great　distemper　with　which　all　the　world　was；　more　or　less；　at　the　time　inflamed；　and　which　cast　the　ancient　state　and　monarchy　of　France　i