第83章

Itwasmyaccidentallot，thoughnotbornaHighlander(whichmaybeanapologyformuchbadGaelic)，toresideduringmychildhoodandyouthamongpersonsoftheabovedescription；-andnow，forthepurposeofpreservingsomeideaoftheancientmannersofwhichIhavewitnessedthealmosttotalextinction，Ihaveembodiedinimaginaryscenes，andascribedtofictitiouscharacters，apartoftheincidentswhichI

thenreceivedfromthosewhowereactorsinthem。Indeed，themostromanticpartsofthisnarrativearepreciselythosewhichhaveafoundationinfact。TheexchangeofmutualprotectionbetweenaHighlandgentlemanandanofficerofrankintheking’sservice，togetherwiththespiritedmannerinwhichthelatterassertedhisrighttoreturnthefavourhehadreceived。

isliterallytrue。Theaccidentbyamusket-shot，andtheheroicreplyimputedtoFlora，relatetoaladyofranknotlongdeceased。

Andscarceagentlemanwhowasinhiding’’afterthebattleofCullodenbutcouldtellataleofstrangeconcealments，andofwildandhair’s-breadth’scapes，asextraordinaryasanywhichI

haveascribedtomyheroes。Ofthis，theescapeofCharlesEdwardhimself，asthemostprominent，isthemoststrikingexample。TheaccountsofthebattleofPrestonandskirmishatCliftonaretakenfromthenarrativeofintelligenteye-witnesses，andcorrectedfromtheHistoryoftheRebellionbythelatevenerableauthorofDouglas。TheLowlandScottishgentlemen，andthesubordinatecharacters，arenotgivenasindividualportraits，butaredrawnfromthegeneralhabitsoftheperiod(ofwhichIhavewitnessedsomeremnantsinmyyoungerdays)，andpartlygatheredfromtradition。

Ithasbeenmyobjecttodescribethesepersons，notbyacaricaturedandexaggerateduseofthenationaldialect，butbytheirhabits，manners，andfeelings；soasinsomedistantdegreetoemulatetheadmirableIrishportraitsdrawnbyMissEdgeworth，sodifferentfromtheTeagues’’anddearjoys’’

whosolong，withthemostperfectfamilyresemblancetoeachother，occupiedthedramaandthenovel。

Ifeelnoconfidence，however，inthemannerinwhichIhaveexecutedmypurpose。Indeed，solittlewasIsatisfiedwithmyproduction，thatIlaiditasideinanunfinishedstate，andonlyfounditagainbymereaccidentamongotherwastepapersinanoldcabinet，thedrawersofwhichIwasrummaginginordertoaccommodateafriendwithsomefishing-tackle，afterithadbeenmislaidforseveralyears。Twoworksuponsimilarsubjects，byfemaleauthors，whosegeniusishighlycreditabletotheircountry，haveappearedintheinterval；ImeanMrs。Hamilton’sGlenburnie，andthelateaccountofHighlandSuperstitions。

ButthefirstisconfinedtotheruralhabitsofScotland，ofwhichithasgivenapicturewithstrikingandimpressivefidelity；andthetraditionalrecordsoftherespectableandingeniousMrs。

GrantofLaggan，areofanaturedistinctfromthefictitiousnarrativewhichIhavehereattempted。

Iwouldwillinglypersuademyselfthattheprecedingworkwillnotbefoundaltogetheruninteresting。Toelderpersonsitwillrecallscenesandcharactersfamiliartotheiryouth；andtotherisinggenerationthetalemaypresentsomeideaofthemannersoftheirforefathers。

YetIheartilywishthatthetaskoftracingtheevanescentmannersofhisowncountryhademployedthepenoftheonlymaninScotlandwhocouldhavedoneitjustice-ofhimsoeminentlydistinguishedinelegantliterature-andwhosesketchesofColonelCausticandUmphravilleareperfectlyblendedwiththefinertraitsofnationalcharacter。IshouldinthatcasehavehadmorepleasureasareaderthanIshalleverfeelintheprideofasuccessfulauthor，shouldthesesheetsconferuponmethatenvieddistinction。AndasIhaveinvertedtheusualarrangement，placingtheseremarksattheendoftheworktowhichtheyrefer，Iwillventureonasecondviolationofform，byclosingthewholewithadedication：-

Theattachmenttothisclassicwas，itissaid，actuallydisplayed，inthemannermentionedinthetext，byanunfortunateJacobiteinthatunhappyperiod。Heescapedfromthejailinwhichhewasconfinedforahastytrialandcertaincondemnation，andwasretakenashehoveredaroundtheplaceinwhichhehadbeenimprisoned，forwhichhecouldgivenobetterreasonthanthehopeofrecoveringhisfavourite_TitusLivius。_

Iamsorrytoadd，thatthesimplicityofsuchacharacterwasfoundtoformnoapologyforhisguiltasarebel，andthathewascondemnedandexecuted。

NoteB，p。<？p54>-NicholasAmhurst。

NicholasAmhurst，anotedpoliticalwriter，whoconductedformanyyearsapapercalledtheCraftsman，undertheassumednameofCalebd’Anvers。HewasdevotedtotheToryinterest，andseconded，withmuchability，theattacksofPulteneyonSirRobertWalpole。Hediedin1742，neglectedbyhisgreatpatrons，andinth