The Antiquary Part 14

"And are, therefore, the more bound to show civility, I should suppose.

But I beg your pardon for mentioning a word that perhaps belongs only to a collector of antiquities--I am one of the old school,

When courtiers galloped o'er four counties The ball's fair partner to behold, And humbly hope she caught no cold."

"Why, if--if--if you thought it would be expected--but I believe I had better stay."

"Nay, nay, my good friend, I am not so old-fashioned as to press you to what is disagreeable, neither--it is sufficient that I see there is some remora, some cause of delay, some mid impediment, which I have no t.i.tle to inquire into. Or you are still somewhat tired, perhaps;--I warrant I find means to entertain your intellects without fatiguing your limbs--I am no friend to violent exertion myself--a walk in the garden once a-day is exercise, enough for any thinking being--none but a fool or a fox-hunter would require more. Well, what shall we set about?--my Essay on Castrametation--but I have that in petto for our afternoon cordial;--or I will show you the controversy upon Ossian's Poems between Mac-Cribb and me. I hold with the acute Orcadian--he with the defenders of the authenticity;--the controversy began in smooth, oily, lady-like terms, but is now waxing more sour and eager as we get on--it already partakes somewhat of old Scaliger's style. I fear the rogue will get some scent of that story of Ochiltree's--but at worst, I have a hard repartee for him on the affair of the abstracted Antigonus--I will show you his last epistle and the scroll of my answer--egad, it is a trimmer!"

So saying, the Antiquary opened a drawer, and began rummaging among a quant.i.ty of miscellaneous papers, ancient and modern. But it was the misfortune of this learned gentleman, as it may be that of many learned and unlearned, that he frequently experienced, on such occasions, what Harlequin calls l'embarras des richesses; in other words, the abundance of his collection often prevented him from finding the article he sought for. "Curse the papers!--I believe," said Oldbuck, as he shuffled them to and fro--"I believe they make themselves wings like gra.s.shoppers, and fly away bodily--but here, in the meanwhile, look at that little treasure."

So saying, he put into his hand a case made of oak, fenced at the corner with silver roses and studs--"Pr'ythee, undo this b.u.t.ton," said he, as he observed Lovel fumbling at the clasp. He did so,--the lid opened, and discovered a thin quarto, curiously bound in black s.h.a.green--"There, Mr.

Lovel--there is the work I mentioned to you last night--the rare quarto of the Augsburg Confession, the foundation at once and the bulwark of the Reformation drawn up by the learned and venerable Melancthon, defended by the Elector of Saxony, and the other valiant hearts who stood up for their faith, even against the front of a powerful and victorious emperor, and imprinted by the scarcely less venerable and praiseworthy Aldobrand Oldenbuck, my happy progenitor, during the yet more tyrannical attempts of Philip II. to suppress at once civil and religious liberty.

Yes, sir--for printing this work, that eminent man was expelled from his ungrateful country, and driven to establish his household G.o.ds even here at Monkbarns, among the ruins of papal superst.i.tion and domination.--Look upon his venerable effigies, Mr. Lovel, and respect the honourable occupation in which it presents him, as labouring personally at the press for the diffusion of Christian and political knowledge.--And see here his favourite motto, expressive of his independence and self-reliance, which scorned to owe anything to patronage that was not earned by desert--expressive also of that firmness of mind and tenacity of purpose recommended by Horace. He was indeed a man who would have stood firm, had his whole printing-house, presses, fonts, forms, great and small pica, been shivered to pieces around him--Read, I say, his motto,--for each printer had his motto, or device, when that ill.u.s.trious art was first practised. My ancestor's was expressed, as you see, in the Teutonic phrase, Kunst macht Gunst--that is, skill, or prudence, in availing ourselves of our natural talents and advantages, will compel favour and patronage, even where it is withheld from prejudice or ignorance."

"And that," said Lovel, after a moment's thoughtful silence--"that, then, is the meaning of these German words?"

"Unquestionably. You perceive the appropriate application to a consciousness of inward worth, and of eminence in a useful and honourable art.--Each printer in those days, as I have already informed you, had his device, his impresa, as I may call it, in the same manner as the doughty chivalry of the age, who frequented tilt and tournament.

My ancestor boasted as much in his, as if he had displayed it over a conquered field of battle, though it betokened the diffusion of knowledge, not the effusion of blood. And yet there is a family tradition which affirms him to have chosen it from a more romantic circ.u.mstance."

"And what is that said to have been, my good sir?" inquired his young friend.

"Why, it rather encroaches on my respected predecessor's fame for prudence and wisdom--Sed semel insanivimus omnes--everybody has played the fool in their turn. It is said, my ancestor, during his apprenticeship with the descendant of old Faust, whom popular tradition hath sent to the devil under the name of Faustus, was attracted by a paltry slip of womankind, his master's daughter, called Bertha--they broke rings, or went through some idiotical ceremony, as is usual on such idle occasions as the plighting of a true-love troth, and Aldobrand set out on his journey through Germany, as became an honest hand-werker; for such was the custom of mechanics at that time, to make a tour through the empire, and work at their trade for a time in each of the most eminent towns, before they finally settled themselves for life. It was a wise custom; for, as such travellers were received like brethren in each town by those of their own handicraft, they were sure, in every case, to have the means either of gaining or communicating knowledge. When my ancestor returned to Nuremburg, he is said to have found his old master newly dead, and two or three gallant young suitors, some of them half-starved sprigs of n.o.bility forsooth, in pursuit of the Yung-fraw Bertha, whose father was understood to have bequeathed her a dowry which might weigh against sixteen armorial quarters. But Bertha, not a bad sample of womankind, had made a vow she would only marry that man who would work her father's press. The skill, at that time, was as rare as wonderful; besides that the expedient rid her at once of most of her gentle suitors, who would have as soon wielded a conjuring wand as a composing stick. Some of the more ordinary typographers made the attempt: but none were sufficiently possessed of the mystery--But I tire you."

"By no means; pray, proceed, Mr. Oldbuck--I listen with uncommon interest."

"Ah! it is all folly. However--Aldobrand arrived in the ordinary dress, as we would say, of a journeyman printer--the same in which he had traversed Germany, and conversed with Luther, Melancthon, Erasmus, and other learned men, who disdained not his knowledge, and the power he possessed of diffusing it, though hid under a garb so homely. But what appeared respectable in the eyes of wisdom, religion, learning, and philosophy, seemed mean, as might readily be supposed, and disgusting, in those of silly and affected womankind, and Bertha refused to acknowledge her former lover, in the torn doublet, skin cap, clouted shoes, and leathern ap.r.o.n, of a travelling handicraftsman or mechanic.

He claimed his privilege, however, of being admitted to a trial; and when the rest of the suitors had either declined the contest, or made such work as the devil could not read if his pardon depended on it, all eyes were bent on the stranger. Aldobrand stepped gracefully forward, arranged the types without omission of a single letter, hyphen, or comma, imposed them without deranging a single s.p.a.ce, and pulled off the first proof as clear and free from errors, as if it had been a triple revise! All applauded the worthy successor of the immortal Faustus--the blushing maiden acknowledged her error in trusting to the eye more than the intellect--and the elected bridegroom thenceforward chose for his impress or device the appropriate words, Skill wins favour.'--But what is the matter with you?--you are in a brown study! Come, I told you this was but trumpery conversation for thinking people--and now I have my hand on the Ossianic Controversy."

"I beg your pardon," said Lovel; "I am going to appear very silly and changeable in your eyes, Mr. Oldbuck--but you seemed to think Sir Arthur might in civility expect a call from me?"

"Psha! psha! I can make your apology; and if you must leave us so soon as you say, what signifies how you stand in his honours good graces?--And I warn you that the Essay on Castrametation is something prolix, and will occupy the time we can spare after dinner, so you may lose the Ossianic Controversy if we do not dedicate this morning to it. We will go out to my ever-green bower, my sacred holly-tree yonder, and have it _fronde super viridi_.

Sing heigh-ho! heigh-ho! for the green holly, Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.

But, egad," continued the old gentleman, "when I look closer at you, I begin to think you may be of a different opinion. Amen with all my heart--I quarrel with no man's hobby, if he does not run it a tilt against mine, and if he does--let him beware his eyes. What say you?--in the language of the world and worldlings base, if you can condescend to so mean a sphere, shall we stay or go?"

"In the language of selfishness, then, which is of course the language of the world--let us go by all means."

"Amen, amen, quo' the Earl Marshall," answered Oldbuck, as he exchanged his slippers for a pair of stout walking shoes, with cutikins, as he called them, of black cloth. He only interrupted the walk by a slight deviation to the tomb of John o' the Girnel, remembered as the last bailiff of the abbey who had resided at Monkbarns. Beneath an old oak-tree upon a hillock, sloping pleasantly to the south, and catching a distant view of the sea over two or three rich enclosures, and the Mussel-crag, lay a moss-grown stone, and, in memory of the departed worthy, it bore an inscription, of which, as Mr. Oldbuck affirmed (though many doubted), the defaced characters could be distinctly traced to the following effect:--

Here lyeth John o' ye Girnell; Erth has ye nit, and heuen ye kirnell.

In hys tyme ilk wyfe's hennis clokit, Ilka gud mannis herth wi' bairnis was stokit.

He deled a boll o' bear in firlottis fyve, Four for ye halie kirke, and ane for puir mennis wyvis.

"You see how modest the author of this sepulchral commendation was;--he tells us that honest John could make five firlots, or quarters, as you would say, out of the boll, instead of four,--that he gave the fifth to the wives of the parish, and accounted for the other four to the abbot and CHAPTER--that in his time the wives' hens always laid eggs--and devil thank them, if they got one-fifth of the abbey rents; and that honest men's hearths were never unblest with offspring--an addition to the miracle, which they, as well as I, must have considered as perfectly unaccountable. But come on--leave we Jock o' the Girnel, and let us jog on to the yellow sands, where the sea, like a repulsed enemy, is now retreating from the ground on which he gave us battle last night."

Thus saying, he led the way to the sands. Upon the links or downs close to them, were seen four or five huts inhabited by fishers, whose boats, drawn high upon the beach, lent the odoriferous vapours of pitch melting under a burning sun, to contend with those of the offals of fish and other nuisances usually collected round Scottish cottages. Undisturbed by these complicated steams of abomination, a middle-aged woman, with a face which had defied a thousand storms, sat mending a net at the door of one of the cottages. A handkerchief close bound about her head, and a coat which had formerly been that of a man, gave her a masculine air, which was increased by her strength, uncommon stature, and harsh voice.

"What are ye for the day, your honour?" she said, or rather screamed, to Oldbuck; "caller haddocks and whitings--a bannock-fluke and a c.o.c.k-padle."

"How much for the bannock-fluke and c.o.c.k-padle?" demanded the Antiquary.

"Four white shillings and saxpence," answered the Naiad.

"Four devils and six of their imps!" retorted the Antiquary; "do you think I am mad, Maggie?"

"And div ye think," rejoined the virago, setting her arms akimbo, "that my man and my sons are to gae to the sea in weather like yestreen and the day--sic a sea as it's yet outby--and get naething for their fish, and be misca'd into the bargain, Monkbarns? It's no fish ye're buying--it's men's lives."

"Well, Maggie, I'll bid you fair--I'll bid you a shilling for the fluke and the c.o.c.k-padle, or sixpence separately--and if all your fish are as well paid, I think your man, as you call him, and your sons, will make a good voyage."

"Deil gin their boat were knockit against the Bell-Rock rather! it wad be better, and the bonnier voyage o' the twa. A shilling for thae twa bonnie fish! Od, that's ane indeed!"

"Well, well, you old beldam, carry your fish up to Monkbarns, and see what my sister will give you for them."

"Na, na, Monkbarns, deil a fit--I'll rather deal wi' yoursell; for though you're near enough, yet Miss Grizel has an unco close grip--I'll gie ye them" (in a softened tone) "for three-and-saxpence."

"Eighteen-pence, or nothing!"

"Eighteen-pence!!!" (in a loud tone of astonishment, which declined into a sort of rueful whine, when the dealer turned as if to walk away)--"Yell no be for the fish then?"--(then louder, as she saw him moving off)--"I'll gie ye them--and--and--and a half-a-dozen o' partans to make the sauce, for three shillings and a dram."

"Half-a-crown then, Maggie, and a dram."

"Aweel, your honour maun hae't your ain gate, nae doubt; but a dram's worth siller now--the distilleries is no working."

"And I hope they'll never work again in my time," said Oldbuck.

"Ay, ay--it's easy for your honour, and the like o' you gentle-folks to say sae, that hae stouth and routh, and fire and fending and meat and claith, and sit dry and canny by the fireside--but an ye wanted fire, and meat, and dry claes, and were deeing o' cauld, and had a sair heart, whilk is warst ava', wi' just tippence in your pouch, wadna ye be glad to buy a dram wi't, to be eilding and claes, and a supper and heart's ease into the bargain, till the morn's morning?"

"It's even too true an apology, Maggie. Is your goodman off to sea this morning, after his exertions last night?"

"In troth is he, Monkbarns; he was awa this morning by four o'clock, when the sea was working like barm wi' yestreen's wind, and our bit coble dancing in't like a cork."

"Well, he's an industrious fellow. Carry the fish up to Monkbarns."

"That I will--or I'll send little Jenny, she'll rin faster; but I'll ca'

on Miss Grizzy for the dram mysell, and say ye sent me."

A nondescript animal, which might have pa.s.sed for a mermaid, as it was paddling in a pool among the rocks, was summoned ash.o.r.e by the shrill screams of its dam; and having been made decent, as her mother called it, which was performed by adding a short red cloak to a petticoat, which was at first her sole covering, and which reached scantily below her knee, the child was dismissed with the fish in a basket, and a request on the part of Monkbarns that they might be prepared for dinner.

"It would have been long," said Oldbuck, with much self-complacency, "ere my womankind could have made such a reasonable bargain with that old skin-flint, though they sometimes wrangle with her for an hour together under my study window, like three sea-gulls screaming and sputtering in a gale of wind. But come, wend we on our way to Knockwinnock."

CHAPTER TWELFTH.

Beggar?--the only freeman of your commonwealth; Free above Scot-free, that observe no laws, Obey no governor, use no religion But what they draw from their own ancient custom, Or const.i.tute themselves, yet they are no rebels.

Brome.

With our reader's permission, we will outstep the slow, though st.u.r.dy pace of the Antiquary, whose halts, as he, turned round to his companion at every moment to point out something remarkable in the landscape, or to enforce some favourite topic more emphatically than the exercise of walking permitted, delayed their progress considerably.

Notwithstanding the fatigues and dangers of the preceding evening, Miss Wardour was able to rise at her usual hour, and to apply herself to her usual occupations, after she had first satisfied her anxiety concerning her father's state of health. Sir Arthur was no farther indisposed than by the effects of great agitation and unusual fatigue, but these were sufficient to induce him to keep his bedchamber.