the provost-第14部分

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nd　by；　however；　a　sough　and　pattering　of　feet　was　heard　approaching；　and　shortly　after；　in　looking　out；　we　saw　the　pressgang；　headed　by　their　officers；　with　cutlasses　by　their　side；　and　great　club…sticks　in　their　hands。　　They　said　nothing；　but　the　sound　of　their　feet　on　the　silent　stones　of　the　causey；　was　as　the　noise　of　a　dreadful　engine。　They　passed；　and　went　on；　and　all　that　were　with　me　in　the　council　stood　at　the　windows　and　listened。　　In　the　course　of　a　minute　or　two　after；　two　lassies；　with　a　callan；　that　had　been　out；　came　flying　and　wailing；　giving　the　alarm　to　the　town。　　Then　we　heard　the　driving　of　the　bludgeons　on　the　doors；　and　the　outcries　of　terrified　women；　and　presently　after　we　saw　the　poor　chased　sailors　running　in　their　shirts；　with　their　clothes　in　their　hands；　as　if　they　had　been　felons　and　blackguards　caught　in　guilt；　and　flying　from　the　hands　of　justice。

The　town　was　awakened　with　the　din　as　with　the　cry　of　fire；　and　lights　came　starting　forward；　as　it　were；　to　the　windows。　　The　women　were　out　with　lamentations　and　vows　of　vengeance。　　I　was　in　a　state　of　horror　unspeakable。　　Then　came　some　three　or　four　of　the　pressgang　with　a　struggling　sailor　in　their　clutches；　with　nothing　but　his　trousers　onhis　shirt　riven　from　his　back　in　the　fury。　Syne　came　the　rest　of　the　gang　and　their　officers；　scattered　as　it　were　with　a　tempest　of　mud　and　stones；　pursued　and　battered　by　a　troop　of　desperate　women　and　weans；　whose　fathers　and　brothers　were　in　jeopardy。　　And　these　were　followed　by　the　wailing　wife　of　the　pressed　man；　with　her　five　bairns；　clamouring　in　their　agony　to　heaven　against　the　king　and　government　for　the　outrage。　　I　couldna　listen　to　the　fearful　justice　of　their　outcry；　but　sat　down　in　a　corner　of　the　council…chamber　with　my　fingers　in　my　ears。

In　a　little　while　a　shout　of　triumph　rose　from　the　mob；　and　we　heard　them　returning；　and　I　felt；　as　it　were；　relieved；　but　the　sound　of　their　voices　became　hoarse　and　terrible　as　they　drew　near；　and；　in　a　moment；　I　heard　the　jingle　of　twenty　broken　windows　rattle　in　the　street。　　My　heart　misgave　me；　and；　indeed；　it　was　my　own　windows。　They　left　not　one　pane　unbroken；　and　nothing　kept　them　from　demolishing　the　house　to　the　ground…stone　but　the　exhortations　of　Major　Pipe；　who；　on　hearing　the　uproar；　was　up　and　out；　and　did　all　in　his　power　to　arrest　the　fury　of　the　tumult。　　It　seems；　the　mob　had　taken　it　into　their　heads　that　I　had　signed　what　they　called　the　press…warrants；　and　on　driving　the　gang　out　of　the　town；　and　rescuing　the　man；　they　came　to　revenge　themselves　on　me　and　mine；　which　is　the　cause　that　made　me　say　it　was　a　miraculous　instinct　that　led　Mrs　Pawkie　to　take　the　family　to　Mr　Pittle's；　for；　had　they　been　in　the　house；　it　is　not　to　be　told　what　the　consequences　might　have　been。

Before　morning　the　riot　was　ended；　but　the　damage　to　my　house　was　very　great；　and　I　was　intending；　as　the　public　had　done　the　deed；　that　the　town　should　have　paid　for　it。　　〃But；〃　said　Mr　Keelivine；　the　town…clerk；　〃I　think　you　may　do　better；　and　this　calamity；　if　properly　handled　to　the　Government；　may　make　your　fortune；〃　I　reflected　on　the　hint；　and　accordingly；　the　next　day；　I　went　over　to　the　regulating　captain　of　the　pressgang；　and　represented　to　him　the　great　damage　and　detriment　which　I　had　suffered；　requesting　him　to　represent　to　government　that　it　was　all　owing　to　the　part　I　had　taken　in　his　behalf。　　To　this；　for　a　time；　he　made　some　scruple　of　objection；　but　at　last　he　drew　up；　in　my　presence；　a　letter　to　the　lords　of　the　admiralty；　telling　what　he　had　done；　and　how　he　and　his　men　had　been　ill…used；　and　that　the　house　of　the　chief…magistrate　of　the　town　had　been　in　a　manner　destroyed　by　the　rioters。

By　the　same　post　I　wrote　off　myself　to　the　lord　advocate；　and　likewise　to　the　secretary　of　state；　in　London；　commanding；　very　properly；　the　prudent　and　circumspect　manner　in　which　the　officer　had　come　to　apprize　me　of　his　duty；　and　giving　as　faithful　an　account　as　I　well　could　of　the　riot；　concluding　with　a　simple　notification　of　what　had　been　done　to　my　house；　and　the　outcry　that　might　be　raised　in　the　town　were　any　part　of　the　town's　funds　to　be　used　in　the　repairs。

Both　the　lord　advocate　and　Mr　Secretary　of　State　wrote　me　back　by　retour　of　post；　thanking　me　for　my　zeal　in　the　public　service；　and　I　was　informed　that；　as　it　might　not　be　expedient　to　agitate　in　the　town　the　payment　of　the　damage　which　my　house　had　received；　the　lords　of　the　treasury　would　indemnify　me　for　the　same；　and　this　was　done　in　a　manner　which　showed　the　blessings　we　enjoy　under　our　most　venerable　constitution；　for　I　was　not　only　thereby　enabled；　by　what　I　got；　to　repair　the　windows；　but　to　build　up　a　vacant　steading；　the　same　which　I　settled　last　year　on　my　dochter；　Marion；　when　she　was　married　to　Mr　Geery；　of　the　Gatherton　Holme。



CHAPTER　XXIITHE　WIG　DINNER



The　affair　of　the　pressgang　gave　great　concern　to　all　of　the　council；　for　it　was　thought　that　the　loyalty　of　the　burgh　would　be　called　in　question；　and　doubted　by　the　king's　ministers；　notwithstanding　our　many　assurances　to　the　contrary；　the　which　sense　and　apprehension　begat　among　us　an　inordinate　anxiety　to　manifest　our　principles　on　all　expedient　occasions。　　In　the　doing　of　this；　divers　curious　and　comical　things　came　to　pass；　but　the　most　comical　of　all　was　what　happened　at　the　Michaelmas　dinner　following　the　riot。

The　weather；　for　some　days　before；　had　been　raw　for　that　time　of　the　year；　and　Michaelmas…day　was；　both　for　wind　and　wet　and　cold；　past　ordinar；　in　so　much　that　we　were　obligated　to　have　a　large　fire　in　the　council…chamber；　where　we　dined。　　Round　this　fire；　after　drinking　his　majesty's　health　and　the　other　appropriate　toasts；　we　were　sitting　as　cozy　as　could　be；　and　every　one　the　longer　he　sat；　and　the　oftener　his　glass　visited　the　punch…bowl；　waxed　more　and　more　royal；　till　everybody　was　in　a　most　hilarious　temperament；　singing　songs　and　joining　chorus　with　the　greatest　cordiality。

It　happened；　among　others　of　the　company；　there　was　a　gash　old　carl；　the　laird　of　Bodletonbrae；　who　was　a　very　capital　hand　at　a　joke；　and　he；　chancing　to　notice　that　the　whole　of　the　magistrates　and　town…council　then　present　wore　wigs；　feigned　to　become　out　of　all　bounds　with　the　demonstrations　of　his　devotion　to　king　and　country；　and　others　that　were　there；　not　wishing　to　appear　any　thing　behind　him　in　the　same；　vied　in　their　sprose　of　patriotism；　and　bragging　in　a　manful　manner　of　what；　in　the　hour　of　trial；　they　would　be　seen　to　do。　　Bodletonbrae　was　all　the　time　laughing　in　his　sleeve　at　the　way　he　was　working　them　on；　till　at　last；　after　they　had　flung　the　glasses　twice　or　thrice　over　their　shoulders；　he　proposed　we　should　throw　our　wigs　in　the　fire　next。　　Surely　there　was　some　glammer　about　us　that　caused　us　not　to　observe　his　devilry；　for　the　laird　had　no　wig　on　his　head。　　Be　that；　however；　as　it　may；　the　instigation　took　effect；　and　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　every　scalp　was　bare；　and　the　chimley　roaring　with　the　roasting　of　gude　kens　how　many　powdered　wigs　well　fattened　with　pomatum。　　But　scarcely　was　the　deed　done；　till　every　one　was　admonished　of　his　folly；　by　the　laird　laughing；　like　a　being　out　of　his　senses；　at　the　number　of　bald　heads　and　shaven　crowns　that　his　device　had　brought　to　light；　and　by　one　and　all　of　us　experiencing　the　coldness　of　the　air　on　the　nakedness　of　our　upper　parts。

The　first　thing　that　we　then　did　was　to　send　the　town…officers；　who　were　waiting　on　as　usual　for　the　dribbles　of　the　bottles　and　the　leavings　in　the　bowls；　to　bring　our　nightcaps；　but　I　trow　few　were　so　lucky　as　me；　for　I　had　a　spare　wig　at　home；　which　Mrs　Pawkie；　my　wife；　a　most　considerate　woman；　sent　to　me；　so　that　I　was；　in　a　manner；　to　all　visibility；　none　the　worse　of　the　ploy；　but　the　rest　of　the　council　were　perfect　oddities　within　their　wigs；　and　the　sorest　thing　of　all　was；　that　the　exploit　of　burning　the　wigs　had　got　wind；　so　that；　when　we　left　the　council…room；　there　was　a　great　congregation　of　funny　weans　and　misleart　trades'　lads　assembled　before　the　tolbooth；　shouting；　and　like　as　if　they　were　out　of　the　body　with　daffing；　to　see　so　many　of　the　heads　of　the　town　in　their　night…caps；　and　no；　maybe；　just　so　solid　at　the　time　as　could　have　been　wished。　　Nor　did　the　matter　rest　here；　for　the　generality　of　the　sufferers　being　in　a　public　way；　were　obligated　to　appear　the　next　day　in　their　shops；　and　at　their　callings；　with　their　nightcapsfor　few　of　them　had　two　wigs　like　meby　which　no　small　merriment　ensued；　and　was　continued　for　many　a　day。　　It　would　hardly；　however；　be　supposed；　that　in　such　a　matter　anything　could　have　redounded　to　my　advantage；　but　so　it　fell　out；　that　by　my　wife's　prudence　in　sending　me　my　other　wig；　it　was　observed　by　the　commonality；　when　we　sallied　forth　to　go　home；　that　I　had　on　my　wig；　and　it　was　thought　I　had　a　very　meritorious　command　of　myself；　and　was　the　only　man　in　the　town　fit　for　a　magistrate；　for　in　everything　I　was　seen　to　be　most　cautious　and　considerate。　　I　could　not；　however；　when　I　saw　the　turn　the　affair　took　to　my　advantage；　but　reflect　on　what　small　and　visionary　grounds　the　popularity　of　public　men　will　sometimes　rest。



CHAPTER　XXIIITHREE　THE　DEATH　OF　MR　M'LUCRE



Shortly　after　the　affair　recorded　in　the　foregoing　chapter；　an　event　came　to　pass　in　the　burgh　that　had　been　for　some　time　foreseen。

My　old　friend　and　adversary；　Bailie　M'Lucre；　being　now　a　man　well　stricken　in　years；　was　one　night；　in　going　home　from　a　gavawlling　with　some　of　the　neighbours　at　Mr　Shuttlethrift's；　the　manufacturer's；　（the　bailie；　canny　man；　never　liket　ony　thing　of　the　sort　at　his　own　cost　and　outlay；）　having　partaken　largely　of　the　bowl；　for　the　manufacturer　was　of　a　blithe　humourthe　bailie；　as　I　was　saying；　in　going　home；　was　overtaken　by　an　apoplexy　just　at　the　threshold　of　his　own　door；　and　although　it　did　not　kill　him　outright；　it　shoved　him；　as　it　were；　almost　into　the　very　grave；　in　so　much　that　he　never　spoke　an　articulate　word　during　the　several　weeks　he　was　permitted　to　doze　away　his　latter　end；　and　accordingly　he　died；　and　was　buried　in　a　very　creditable　manner　to　the　community；　in　consideration　of　the　long　space　of　time　he　had　been　a　public　man　among　us。

But　what　rendered