chronicles of the canongate- 第1部分

Chronicles　of　the　Canongate

by　Sir　Walter　Scott






CONTENTS。

　　Introduction　to　Chronicles　of　the　Canongate。　　　Appendix　to　IntroductionThe　Theatrical　Fund　Dinner。　　　IntroductoryMr。　Chrystal　Croftangry。　　　The　Highland　Widow。　　　The　Two　Drovers。　　　Notes。




INTRODUCTION　TO　CHRONICLES　OF　THE　CANONGATE。

The　preceding　volume　of　this　Collection　concluded　the　last　of　the　pieces　originally　published　under　the　NOMINIS　UMBRA　of　The　Author　of　Waverley；　and　the　circumstances　which　rendered　it　impossible　for　the　writer　to　continue　longer　in　the　possession　of　his　incognito　were　communicated　in　1827；　in　the　Introduction　to　the　first　series　of　Chronicles　of　the　Canongate；　consisting　（besides　a　biographical　sketch　of　the　imaginary　chronicler）　of　three　tales；　entitled　〃The　Highland　Widow；〃　〃The　Two　Drovers；〃　and　〃The　Surgeon's　Daughter。〃　　In　the　present　volume　the　two　first　named　of　these　pieces　are　included；　together　with　three　detached　stories　which　appeared　the　year　after；　in　the　elegant　compilation　called　〃The　Keepsake。〃　　〃The　Surgeon's　Daughter〃　it　is　thought　better　to　defer　until　a　succeeding　volume；　than　to

　　〃Begin；　and　break　off　in　the　middle。〃

I　have；　perhaps；　said　enough　on　former　occasions　of　the　misfortunes　which　led　to　the　dropping　of　that　mask　under　which　I　had；　for　a　long　series　of　years；　enjoyed　so　large　a　portion　of　public　favour。　　Through　the　success　of　those　literary　efforts；　I　had　been　enabled　to　indulge　most　of　the　tastes　which　a　retired　person　of　my　station　might　be　supposed　to　entertain。　　In　the　pen　of　this　nameless　romancer；　I　seemed　to　possess　something　like　the　secret　fountain　of　coined　gold　and　pearls　vouchsafed　to　the　traveller　of　the　Eastern　Tale；　and　no　doubt　believed　that　I　might　venture；　without　silly　imprudence；　to　extend　my　personal　expenditure　considerably　beyond　what　I　should　have　thought　of；　had　my　means　been　limited　to　the　competence　which　I　derived　from　inheritance；　with　the　moderate　income　of　a　professional　situation。　　I　bought；　and　built；　and　planted；　and　was　considered　by　myself；　as　by　the　rest　of　the　world；　in　the　safe　possession　of　an　easy　fortune。　　My　riches；　however；　like　the　other　riches　of　this　world；　were　liable　to　accidents；　under　which　they　were　ultimately　destined　to　make　unto　themselves　wings；　and　fly　away。　The　year　1825；　so　disastrous　to　many　branches　of　industry　and　commerce；　did　not　spare　the　market　of　literature；　and　the　sudden　ruin　that　fell　on　so　many　of　the　booksellers　could　scarcely　have　been　expected　to　leave　unscathed　one　whose　career　had　of　necessity　connected　him　deeply　and　extensively　with　the　pecuniary　transactions　of　that　profession。　　In　a　word；　almost　without　one　note　of　premonition；　I　found　myself　involved　in　the　sweeping　catastrophe　of　the　unhappy　time；　and　called　on　to　meet　the　demands　of　creditors　upon　commercial　establishments　with　which　my　fortunes　had　long　been　bound　up；　to　the　extent　of　no　less　a　sum　than　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　pounds。

The　author　having；　however　rashly；　committed　his　pledges　thus　largely　to　the　hazards　of　trading　companies；　it　behoved　him；　of　course；　to　abide　the　consequences　of　his　conduct；　and；　with　whatever　feelings；　he　surrendered　on　the　instant　every　shred　of　property　which　he　had　been　accustomed　to　call　his　own。　　It　became　vested　in　the　hands　of　gentlemen　whose　integrity；　prudence；　and　intelligence　were　combined　with　all　possible　liberality　and　kindness　of　disposition；　and　who　readily　afforded　every　assistance　towards　the　execution　of　plans；　in　the　success　of　which　the　author　contemplated　the　possibility　of　his　ultimate　extrication；　and　which　were　of　such　a　nature　that；　had　assistance　of　this　sort　been　withheld；　he　could　have　had　little　prospect　of　carrying　them　into　effect。　　Among　other　resources　which　occurred　was　the　project　of　that　complete　and　corrected　edition　of　his　Novels　and　Romances　（whose　real　parentage　had　of　necessity　been　disclosed　at　the　moment　of　the　commercial　convulsions　alluded　to）；　which　has　now　advanced　with　unprecedented　favour　nearly　to　its　close；　but　as　he　purposed　also　to　continue；　for　the　behoof　of　those　to　whom　he　was　indebted；　the　exercise　of　his　pen　in　the　same　path　of　literature；　so　long　as　the　taste　of　his　countrymen　should　seem　to　approve　of　his　efforts；　it　appeared　to　him　that　it　would　have　been　an　idle　piece　of　affectation　to　attempt　getting　up　a　new　incognito；　after　his　original　visor　had　been　thus　dashed　from　his　brow。　　Hence　the　personal　narrative　prefixed　to　the　first　work　of　fiction　which　he　put　forth　after　the　paternity　of　the　〃Waverley　Novels〃　had　come　to　be　publicly　ascertained；　and　though　many　of　the　particulars　originally　avowed　in　that　Notice　have　been　unavoidably　adverted　to　in　the　Prefaces　and　Notes　to　some　of　the　preceding　volumes　of　the　present　collection；　it　is　now　reprinted　as　it　stood　at　the　time；　because　some　interest　is　generally　attached　to　a　coin　or　medal　struck　on　a　special　occasion；　as　expressing；　perhaps；　more　faithfully　than　the　same　artist　could　have　afterwards　conveyed；　the　feelings　of　the　moment　that　gave　it　birth。　　The　Introduction　to　the　first　series　of　Chronicles　of　the　Canongate　ran；　then；　in　these　words：


INTRODUCTION。

All　who　are　acquainted　with　the　early　history　of　the　Italian　stage　are　aware　that　Arlecchino　is　not；　in　his　original　conception；　a　mere　worker　of　marvels　with　his　wooden　sword；　a　jumper　in　and　out　of　windows；　as　upon　our　theatre；　but；　as　his　party…coloured　jacket　implies；　a　buffoon　or　clown；　whose　mouth；　far　from　being　eternally　closed；　as　amongst　us；　is　filled；　like　that　of　Touchstone；　with　quips；　and　cranks；　and　witty　devices；　very　often　delivered　extempore。　　It　is　not　easy　to　trace　how　he　became　possessed　of　his　black　vizard；　which　was　anciently　made　in　the　resemblance　of　the　face　of　a　cat；　but　it　seems　that　the　mask　was　essential　to　the　performance　of　the　character；　as　will　appear　from　the　following　theatrical　anecdote：

An　actor　on　the　Italian　stage　permitted　at　the　Foire　du　St。　Germain；　in　Paris；　was　renowned　for　the　wild；　venturous；　and　extravagant　wit；　the　brilliant　sallies　and　fortunate　repartees；　with　which　he　prodigally　seasoned　the　character　of　the　party…　coloured　jester。　　Some　critics；　whose　good…will　towards　a　favourite　performer　was　stronger　than　their　judgment；　took　occasion　to　remonstrate　with　the　successful　actor　on　the　subject　of　the　grotesque　vizard。　　They　went　wilily　to　their　purpose；　observing　that　his　classical　and　Attic　wit；　his　delicate　vein　of　humour；　his　happy　turn　for　dialogue；　were　rendered　burlesque　and　ludicrous　by　this　unmeaning　and　bizarre　disguise；　and　that　those　attributes　would　become　far　more　impressive　if　aided　by　the　spirit　of　his　eye　and　the　expression　of　his　natural　features。　The　actor's　vanity　was　easily　so　far　engaged　as　to　induce　him　to　make　the　experiment。　　He　played　Harlequin　barefaced；　but　was　considered　on　all　hands　as　having　made　a　total　failure。　　He　had　lost　the　audacity　which　a　sense　of　incognito　bestowed；　and　with　it　all　the　reckless　play　of　raillery　which　gave　vivacity　to　his　original　acting。　　He　cursed　his　advisers；　and　resumed　his　grotesque　vizard；　but；　it　is　said；　without　ever　being　able　to　regain　the　careless　and　successful　levity　which　the　consciousness　of　the　disguise　had　formerly　bestowed。

Perhaps　the　Author　of　Waverley　is　now　about　to　incur　a　risk　of　the　same　kind；　and　endanger　his　popularity　by　having　laid　aside　his　incognito。　　It　is　certainly　not　a　voluntary　experiment；　like　that　of　Harlequin；　for　it　was　my　original　intention　never　to　have　avowed　these　works　during　my　lifetime；　and　the　original　manuscripts　were　carefully　preserved　（though　by　the　care　of　others　rather　than　mine）；　with　the　purpose　of　supplying　the　necessary　evidence　of　the　truth　when　the　period　of　announcing　it　should　arrive。　　＇These　manuscripts　are　at　present　（August　1831）　advertised　for　public　sale；　which　is　an　addition；　though　a　small　one；　to　other　annoyances。＇　　But　the　affairs　of　my　publishers　having；　unfortunately；　passed　into　a　management　different　from　their　own；　I　had　no　right　any　longer　to　rely　upon　secrecy　in　that　quarter；　and　thus　my　mask；　like　my　Aunt　Dinah's　in　〃Tristram　Shandy；〃　having　begun　to　wax　a　little　threadbare　about　the　chin；　it　became　time　to　lay　it　aside　with　a　good　grace；　unless　I　desired　it　should　fall　in　pieces　from　my　face；　which　was　now　become　likely。

Yet　I　had　not　the　slightest　intention　of　selecting　the　time　and　place　in　which　the　disclosure　was　finally　made；　nor　was　there　any　concert　betwixt　my　learned　and　respected　friend　LORD　MEADOWBANK　and　myself　upon　that　occasion。　　It　was；　as　the　reader　is　probably　aware；　upon　the　23rd　February　last；　at　a　public　meeting；　called　for　establishing　a　professional　Theatrical　Fund　in　Edinburgh；　that　the　communication　took　place。　　Just　before　we　sat　down　to　table；　Lord　Meadowbank　＇One　of　the　Supreme　Judges　of　Scotland；　termed　Lords　of　Council　and　Session。＇　　asked　me　privately　whether　I　was　still　anxious　to　preserve　my　incognito　on　the　subject　of　what　were　called　the　Waverley　Novels？　　I　did　not　immediately　see　the　purpose　of　his　lordship's　question；　although　I　certainly　might　have　been　led　to　infer　it；　and　replied　that　the　secret　had　now　of　necessity　become　known　to　so　many　people　that　I　was　indifferent　on　the　subject。　　Lord　Mea