the provost-第24部分

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；　Mr　Pawkie；　ye're　a　gallant　man；　to　be　so　weel　in　the　good　graces　of　the　ladies。〃　　But　although　I　have　often　since　had　many　a　good　laugh　at　the　sport；　I　was　not　overly　pleased　with　Mrs　Pawkie　at　the　timeparticularly　as　the　matter　between　the　deacon's　wife　and　Jeanie　did　not　end　with　my　interlocutor。　　For　the　latheron's　friend　in　the　court　having　discovered　that　I　had　not　decerned　she　was　to　do　any　work　to　Mrs　Girdwood；　but　only　to　stay　out　her　term；　advised　her　to　do　nothing　when　she　went　back　but　go　to　her　bed；　which　she　was　bardy　enough　to　do；　until　my　poor　friend；　the　deacon；　in　order　to　get　a　quiet　riddance　of　her；　was　glad　to　pay　her　full　fee；　and　board　wages　for　the　remainder　of　her　time。　　This　was　the　same　Jeanie　Tirlet　that　was　transported　for　some　misdemeanour；　after　making　both　Glasgow　and　Edinburgh　owre　het　to　hold　her。



CHAPTER　XXXIXTHE　NEWSPAPER



Shortly　after　the　foregoing　tribulation；　of　which　I　cannot　take　it　upon　me　to　say　that　I　got　so　well　rid　as　of　many　other　vexations　of　a　more　grievous　nature；　there　arose　a　thing　in　the　town　that　caused　to　me　much　deep　concern；　and　very　serious　reflection。　　I　had　been；　from　the　beginning；　a　true　government　man；　as　all　loyal　subjects　ought　in　duty　to　be；　for　I　never　indeed　could　well　understand　how　it　would　advantage；　either　the　king　or　his　ministers；　to　injure　and　do　detriment　to　the　lieges；　on　the　contrary；　I　always　saw　and　thought　that　his　majesty；　and　those　of　his　cabinet；　had　as　great　an　interest　in　the　prosperity　and　well…doing　of　the　people；　as　it　was　possible　for　a　landlord　to　have　in　the　thriving　of　his　tenantry。　Accordingly；　giving　on　all　occasions；　and　at　all　times　and　seasons；　even　when　the　policy　of　the　kingdom　was　overcast　with　a　cloud；　the　king　and　government；　in　church　and　state；　credit　for　the　best　intentions；　however　humble　their　capacity　in　performance　might　seem　in　those　straits　and　difficulties；　which；　from　time　to　time；　dumfoundered　the　wisest　in　power　and　authority；　I　was　exceedingly　troubled　to　hear　that　a　newspaper　was　to　be　set　up　in　the　burgh；　and　that；　too；　by　hands　not　altogether　clean　of　the　coom　of　jacobinical　democracy。

The　person　that　first　brought　me　an　account　of　this；　and　it　was　in　a　private　confidential　manner；　was　Mr　Scudmyloof；　the　grammar　schoolmaster；　a　man　of　method　and　lear；　to　whom　the　fathers　of　the　project　had　applied　for　an　occasional　cast　of　his　skill；　in　the　way　of　Latin　head…pieces；　and　essays　of　erudition　concerning　the　free　spirit　among　the　ancient　Greeks　and　Romans；　but　he；　not　liking　the　principle　of　the　men　concerned　in　the　scheme；　thought　that　it　would　be　a　public　service　to　the　community　at　large；　if　a　stop　could　be　put；　by　my　help；　to　the　opening　of　such　an　ettering　sore　and　king's　evil　as　a　newspaper；　in　our　heretofore　and　hitherto　truly　royal　and　loyal　burgh；　especially　as　it　was　given　out　that　the　calamity；　for　I　can　call　it　no　less；　was　to　be　conducted　on　liberal　principles；　meaning；　of　course；　in　the　most　afflicting　and　vexatious　manner　towards　his　majesty's　ministers。

〃What　ye　say；〃　said　I　to　Mr　Scudmyloof　when　he　told　me　the　news；　〃is　very　alarming；　very　much　so　indeed；　but　as　there　is　no　law　yet　actually　and　peremptorily　prohibiting　the　sending　forth　of　newspapers；　I　doubt　it　will　not　be　in　my　power　to　interfere。〃

He　was　of　the　same　opinion；　and　we　both　agreed　it　was　a　rank　exuberance　of　liberty；　that　the　commonality　should　be　exposed　to　the　risk　of　being　inoculated　with　anarchy　and　confusion；　from　what　he；　in　his　learned　manner；　judiciously　called　the　predilections　of　amateur　pretension。　　The　parties　engaged　in　the　project　being　Mr　Absolom　the　writera　man　no　overly　reverential　in　his　opinion　of　the　law　and　lords　when　his　clients　lost　their　pleas；　which；　poor　folk；　was　very　oftenand　some　three　or　four　young　and　inexperienced　lads；　that　were　wont　to　read　essays；　and　debate　the　kittle　points　of　divinity　and　other　hidden　knowledge；　in　the　Cross…Keys　monthly；　denying　the　existence　of　the　soul　of　man；　as　Dr　Sinney　told　me；　till　they　were　deprived　of　all　rationality　by　foreign　or　British　spirits。　In　short；　I　was　perplexed　when　I　heard　of　the　design；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　or　what　might　be　expected　from　me　by　government　in　a　case　of　such　emergency　as　the　setting　up　of　a　newspaper　so　declaredly　adverse　to　every　species　of　vested　trust　and　power；　for　it　was　easy　to　forsee　that　those　immediately　on　the　scene　would　be　the　first　opposed　to　the　onset　and　brunt　of　the　battle。　　Never　can　any　public　man　have　a　more　delicate　task　imposed　upon　him；　than　to　steer　clear　of　offence　in　such　a　predicament。　　After　a　full　consideration　of　the　business；　Mr　Scudmyloof　declared　that　he　would　retire　from　the　field；　and　stand　aloof；　and　he　rehearsed　a　fine　passage　in　the　Greek　language　on　that　head；　pat　to　the　occasion；　but　which　I　did　not　very　thoroughly　understand；　being　no　deacon　in　the　dead　languages；　as　I　told　him　at　the　time。

But　when　the　dominie　had　left　me；　I　considered　with　myself；　and　having　long　before　then　observed　that　our　hopes；　when　realized；　are　always　light　in　the　grain；　and　our　fears；　when　come　to　pass；　less　than　they　seemed　as　seen　through　the　mists　of　time　and　distance；　I　resolved　with　myself　to　sit　still　with　my　eyes　open；　watching　and　saying　nothing；　and　it　was　well　that　I　deported　myself　so　prudently；　for　when　the　first　number　of　the　paper　made　its　appearance；　it　was　as　poor　a　job　as　ever　was　〃open　to　all　parties；　and　influenced　by　none；〃　and　it　required　but　two　eyes　to　discern　that　there　was　no　need　of　any　strong　power　from　the　lord　advocate　to　suppress　or　abolish　the　undertaking；　for　there　was　neither　birr　nor　smeddum　enough　in　it　to　molest　the　high　or　to　pleasure　the　low；　so　being　left　to　itself；　and　not　ennobled　by　any　prosecution；　as　the　schemers　expected；　it　became　as　foisonless　as　the　〃London　Gazette〃　on　ordinary　occasions。　　Those　behind　the　curtain；　who　thought　to　bounce　out　with　a　grand　stot　and　strut　before　the　world；　finding　that　even　I　used　it　as　a　convenient　vehicle　to　advertise　my　houses　when　need　was；　and　which　I　did　by　the　way　of　a　canny　seduction　of　policy；　joking　civilly　with　Mr　Absolom　anent　his　paper　trumpet；　as　I　called　it；　they　were　utterly　vanquished　by　seeing　themselves　of　so　little　account　in　the　world；　and　forsook　the　thing　altogether；　by　which　means　it　was　gradually　transformed　into　a　very　solid　and　decent　supporter　of　the　governmentMr　Absolom；　for　his　pains；　being　invited　to　all　our　public　dinners；　of　which　he　gave　a　full　account；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　all　who　were　present；　but　more　particularly　to　those　who　were　not；　especially　the　wives　and　ladies　of　the　town；　to　whom　it　was　a　great　pleasure　to　see　the　names　of　their　kith　and　kin　in　print。　　And　indeed；　to　do　Mr　Absolom　justice；　he　was　certainly　at　great　pains　to　set　off　every　thing　to　the　best　advantage；　and　usually　put　speeches　to　some　of　our　names　which　showed　that；　in　the　way　of　grammaticals；　he　was　even　able　to　have　mended　some　of　the　parliamentary　clishmaclavers；　of　which　the　Londoners；　with　all　their　skill　in　the　craft；　are　so　seldom　able　to　lick　into　any　shape　of　common　sense。

Thus；　by　a　judicious　forbearance　in　the　first　instance；　and　a　canny　wising　towards　the　undertaking　in　the　second；　did　I；　in　the　third；　help　to　convert　this　dangerous　political　adversary　into　a　very　respectable　instrument　of　governmental　influence　and　efficacy。



CHAPTER　XLTHE　SCHOOL…HOUSE　SCHEME



The　spirit　of　opposition　that　kithed　towards　me　in　the　affair　of　Robin　Boss；　the　drummer；　was　but　an　instance　and　symptom　of　the　new　nature　then　growing　up　in　public　matters。　　I　was　not　long　done　with　my　second　provostry；　when　I　had　occasion　to　congratulate　myself　on　having　passed　twice　through　the　dignity　with　so　much　respect；　for；　at　the　Michaelmas　term；　we　had　chosen　Mr　Robert　Plan　into　the　vacancy　caused　by　the　death　of　that　easy　man；　Mr　Weezle；　which　happened　a　short　time　before。　　I　know　not　what　came　over　me；　that　Mr　Plan　was　allowed　to　be　chosen；　for　I　never　could　abide　him；　being；　as　he　was；　a　great　stickler　for　small　particularities；　more　zealous　than　discreet；　and　even　more　intent　to　carry　his　own　point；　than　to　consider　the　good　that　might　flow　from　a　more　urbane　spirit。　　Not　that　the　man　was　devoid　of　abilityfew；　indeed；　could　set　forth　a　more　plausible　tale；　but　he　was　continually　meddling；　keeking；　and　poking；　and　always　taking　up　a　suspicious　opinion　of　every　body's　intents　and　motives　but　his　own。　　He　was；　besides；　of　a　retired　and　sedentary　habit　of　body；　and　the　vapour　of　his　stomach；　as　he　was　sitting　by　himself；　often　mounted　into　his　upper　story；　and　begat；　with　his　over　zealous　and　meddling　imagination；　many　unsound　and　fantastical　notions。　　For　all　that；　however；　it　must　be　acknowledged　that　Mr　Plan　was　a　sincere　honest　man；　only　he　sometimes　lacked　the　discernment　of　the　right　from　the　wrong；　and　the　consequence　was；　that；　when　in　error；　he　was　even　more　obstinate　than　when　in　the　right；　for　his　jealousy　of　human　nature　made　him　interpret　falsely　the　heat　with　which　his　own　headstrong　zeal；　when　in　error；　was　ever　very　properly　resisted。

In　nothing；　however；　did　his　molesting　temper　cause　so　much　disturbance；　as　when；　in　the　year　1809；　the　bigging　of　the　new　school…house　was　under　consideration。　　There　was；　about　that　time；　a　great　sough　throughout　the　country　on　the　subject　of　education；　and　it　was　a　fashion　to　call　schools　academies；　and　out　of　a　delusion　rising　from　the　use　of　that　term；　to　think　it　necessary　to　decry　the　good　plain　old　places；　wherein　so　many　had　learnt　those　things　by　which　they　helped　to　make　the　country　and　kingdom　what　it　is；　and　to　scheme　for　the　ways　and　means　to　raise　more　edificial　structures　and　receptacles。　　None　was　more　infected　with　his　distemperature　than　Mr　Plan；　and　accordingly；　when　he　came　to　the　council…chamber；　on　the　day　that　the　matter　of　the　new　school…house　was　to　be　discussed；　he　brought　with　him　a　fine　castle　in　the　air；　which　he　pressed　hard　upon　us；　representing；　that　if　we　laid　out　two　or　three　thousand　pounds　more　than　we　intended；　and　built　a　beautiful　academy　and　got　a　rector　thereto；　with　a　liberal　salary；　and　other　suitable　masters；　opulent　people　at　a　distanceyea；　gentlemen　in　the　East　and　West　Indieswould　send　their　children　to　be　educated　among　us；　b