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第14节

edingburgh picturesque notes-第14节

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himself。



The district is dear to the superstitious。  Hard by; 

at the back…gate of Comiston; a belated carter beheld a 

lady in white; 'with the most beautiful; clear shoes upon 

her feet;' who looked upon him in a very ghastly manner 

and then vanished; and just in front is the Hunters' 

Tryst; once a roadside inn; and not so long ago haunted 

by the devil in person。  Satan led the inhabitants a 

pitiful existence。  He shook the four corners of the 

building with lamentable outcries; beat at the doors and 

windows; overthrew crockery in the dead hours of the 

morning; and danced unholy dances on the roof。  Every 

kind of spiritual disinfectant was put in requisition; 

chosen ministers were summoned out of Edinburgh and 

prayed by the hour; pious neighbours sat up all night 

making a noise of psalmody; but Satan minded them no more 

than the wind about the hill…tops; and it was only after 

years of persecution; that he left the Hunters' Tryst in 

peace to occupy himself with the remainder of mankind。  

What with General Kay; and the white lady; and this 

singular visitation; the neighbourhood offers great 

facilities to the makers of sun…myths; and without 

exactly casting in one's lot with that disenchanting 

school of writers; one cannot help hearing a good deal of 

the winter wind in the last story。  'That nicht;' says 

Burns; in one of his happiest moments;…





'THAT NICHT A CHILD MIGHT UNDERSTAND

THE DEIL HAD BUSINESS ON HIS HAND。'





And if people sit up all night in lone places on the 

hills; with Bibles and tremulous psalms; they will be apt 

to hear some of the most fiendish noises in the world; 

the wind will beat on doors and dance upon roofs for 

them; and make the hills howl around their cottage with a 

clamour like the judgment…day。



The road goes down through another valley; and then 

finally begins to scale the main slope of the Pentlands。  

A bouquet of old trees stands round a white farmhouse; 

and from a neighbouring dell; you can see smoke rising 

and leaves ruffling in the breeze。  Straight above; the 

hills climb a thousand feet into the air。  The 

neighbourhood; about the time of lambs; is clamorous with 

the bleating of flocks; and you will be awakened; in the 

grey of early summer mornings; by the barking of a dog or 

the voice of a shepherd shouting to the echoes。  This; 

with the hamlet lying behind unseen; is Swanston。



The place in the dell is immediately connected with 

the city。  Long ago; this sheltered field was purchased 

by the Edinburgh magistrates for the sake of the springs 

that rise or gather there。  After they had built their 

water…house and laid their pipes; it occurred to them 

that the place was suitable for junketing。  Once 

entertained; with jovial magistrates and public funds; 

the idea led speedily to accomplishment; and Edinburgh 

could soon boast of a municipal Pleasure House。  The dell 

was turned into a garden; and on the knoll that shelters 

it from the plain and the sea winds; they built a cottage 

looking to the hills。  They brought crockets and 

gargoyles from old St。 Giles's which they were then 

restoring; and disposed them on the gables and over the 

door and about the garden; and the quarry which had 

supplied them with building material; they draped with 

clematis and carpeted with beds of roses。  So much for 

the pleasure of the eye; for creature comfort; they made 

a capacious cellar in the hillside and fitted it with 

bins of the hewn stone。  In process of time; the trees 

grew higher and gave shade to the cottage; and the 

evergreens sprang up and turned the dell into a thicket。  

There; purple magistrates relaxed themselves from the 

pursuit of municipal ambition; cocked hats paraded 

soberly about the garden and in and out among the 

hollies; authoritative canes drew ciphering upon the 

path; and at night; from high upon the hills; a shepherd 

saw lighted windows through the foliage and heard the 

voice of city dignitaries raised in song。



The farm is older。  It was first a grange of 

Whitekirk Abbey; tilled and inhabited by rosy friars。  

Thence; after the Reformation; it passed into the hands 

of a true…blue Protestant family。  During the covenanting 

troubles; when a night conventicle was held upon the 

Pentlands; the farm doors stood hospitably open till the 

morning; the dresser was laden with cheese and bannocks; 

milk and brandy; and the worshippers kept slipping down 

from the hill between two exercises; as couples visit the 

supper…room between two dances of a modern ball。  In the 

Forty…Five; some foraging Highlanders from Prince 

Charlie's army fell upon Swanston in the dawn。  The 

great…grandfather of the late farmer was then a little 

child; him they awakened by plucking the blankets from 

his bed; and he remembered; when he was an old man; their 

truculent looks and uncouth speech。  The churn stood full 

of cream in the dairy; and with this they made their 

brose in high delight。  'It was braw brose;' said one of 

them。  At last they made off; laden like camels with 

their booty; and Swanston Farm has lain out of the way of 

history from that time forward。  I do not know what may 

be yet in store for it。  On dark days; when the mist runs 

low upon the hill; the house has a gloomy air as if 

suitable for private tragedy。  But in hot July; you can 

fancy nothing more perfect than the garden; laid out in 

alleys and arbours and bright; old…fashioned flower…

plots; and ending in a miniature ravine; all trellis…work 

and moss and tinkling waterfall; and housed from the sun 

under fathoms of broad foliage。



The hamlet behind is one of the least considerable 

of hamlets; and consists of a few cottages on a green 

beside a burn。  Some of them (a strange thing in 

Scotland) are models of internal neatness; the beds 

adorned with patchwork; the shelves arrayed with willow…

pattern plates; the floors and tables bright with 

scrubbing or pipe…clay; and the very kettle polished like 

silver。  It is the sign of a contented old age in country 

places; where there is little matter for gossip and no 

street sights。  Housework becomes an art; and at evening; 

when the cottage interior shines and twinkles in the glow 

of the fire; the housewife folds her hands and 

contemplates her finished picture; the snow and the wind 

may do their worst; she has made herself a pleasant 

corner in the world。  The city might be a thousand miles 

away; and yet it was from close by that Mr。 Bough painted 

the distant view of Edinburgh which has been engraved for 

this collection; and you have only to look at the 

etching; * to see how near it is at hand。  But hills and 

hill people are not easily sophisticated; and if you walk 

out here on a summer Sunday; it is as like as not the 

shepherd may set his dogs upon you。  But keep an unmoved 

countenance; they look formidable at the charge; but 

their hearts are in the right place; and they will only 

bark and sprawl about you on the grass; unmindful of 

their master's excitations。



* One of the illustrations of the First Edition。



Kirk Yetton forms the north…eastern angle of the 

range; thence; the Pentlands trend off to south and west。  

From the summit you look over a great expanse of 

champaign sloping to the sea; and behold a large variety 

of distant hills。  There are the hills of Fife; the hills 

of Peebles; the Lammermoors and the Ochils; more or less 

mountainous in outline; more or less blue with distance。  

Of the Pentlands themselves; you see a field of wild 

heathery peaks with a pond gleaming in the midst; and to 

that side the view is as desolate as if you were looking 

into Galloway or Applecross。  To turn to the other is 

like a piece of travel。  Far out in the lowlands 

Edinburgh shows herself; making a great smoke on clear 

days and spreading her suburbs about her for miles; the 

Castle rises darkly in the midst; and close by; Arthur's 

Seat makes a bold figure in the landscape。  All around; 

cultivated fields; and woods; and smoking villages; and 

white country roads; diversify the uneven surface of the 

land。  Trains crawl slowly abroad upon the railway lines; 

little ships are tacking in the Firth; the shadow of a 

mountainous cloud; as large as a parish; travels before 

the wind; the wind itself ruffles the wood and standing 

corn; and sends pulses of varying colour across the 

landscape。  So you sit; like Jupiter upon Olympus; and 

look down from afar upon men's life。  The city is as 

silent as a city of the dead: from all its humming 

thoroughfares; not a voice; not a footfall; reaches you 

upon the hill。  The sea…surf; the cries of ploughmen; the 

streams and the mill…wheels; the birds and the wind; keep 

up an animated concert through the plain; from farm to 

farm; dogs and crowing cocks contend together in 

defia

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