第11章

calledso，Iscarcelyknowwhy；neitherloftyinthyselfnorbyposition，beingsituatedinaflatbottom；oblongstructureoftawnystone，withmanywindowsfencedwithironnetting-withthylonghallbelow，andthyfivechambersabove，forthereceptionofthefiveclasses，intowhichtheeighthundredurchinswhostyledtheeinstructressweredivided。Thylearnedrectorandhisfoursubordinatedominies；thystrangeoldporterofthetallformandgrizzledhair，hightBoee，anddoubtlessofNorseancestry，ashisnamedeclares；perhapsofthebloodofBuihinDigri，theheroofnorthernsong-theJomsborgVikingwhocloveThorsteinnMidlangrasunderinthedreadseabattleofHorungaVog，andwho，whenthefightwaslostandhisowntwohandssmittenoff，seizedtwochestsofgoldwithhisbloodystumps，and，springingwiththemintothesea，criedtothescantyrelicsofhiscrew，’Overboardnow，allBui’slads!’Yes，Irememberallaboutthee，andhowateightofeverymornwewereallgatheredtogetherwithoneaccordinthelonghall，fromwhich，afterthelitanieshadbeenread(forsoI

willcallthem，beinganEpiscopalian)，thefiveclassesfromthefivesetsofbenchestrottedoffinlongfiles，oneboyaftertheother，upthefivespiralstaircasesofstone，eachclasstoitsdestination；andwelldoIrememberhowweofthethirdsathushedandstill，watchedbytheeyeofthedux，untilthedooropened，andinwalkedthatmodelofagoodScotchman，theshrewd，intelligent，butwarm-heartedandkinddominie，therespectableCarson。

AndinthisschoolIbegantoconstruetheLatinlanguage，whichI

hadneverdonebefore，notwithstandingmylonganddiligentstudyofLilly，whichillustriousgrammarwasnotusedatEdinburgh，norindeedknown。Greekwasonlytaughtinthefifthorhighestclass，inwhichmybrotherwas；asformyself，InevergotbeyondthethirdduringthetwoyearsthatIremainedatthisseminary。I

certainlyacquiredhereaconsiderableinsightintheLatintongue；

and，tothescandalofmyfatherandhorrorofmymother，athoroughproficiencyintheScotch，which，inlessthantwomonths，usurpedtheplaceoftheEnglish，andsoobstinatelymaintaineditsground，thatIstillcanoccasionallydetectitslingeringremains。

Ididnotspendmytimeunpleasantlyatthisschool，though，firstofall，Ihadtopassthroughanordeal。

’ScotlandisabettercountrythanEngland，’saidanugly，blear-

eyedlad，aboutaheadandshoulderstallerthanmyself，theleaderofagangofvarletswhosurroundedmeintheplayground，onthefirstday，assoonasthemorninglessonwasover。’ScotlandisafarbettercountrythanEngland，ineveryrespect。’

’Isit？’saidI。’ThenyououghttobeverythankfulfornothavingbeenborninEngland。’

’That’sjustwhatIam，yeloon；andeverymorning，whenIsaymyprayers，IthankGodfornotbeinganEnglishman。TheScotchareamuchbetterandbraverpeoplethantheEnglish。’

’Itmaybeso，’saidI，’forwhatIknow-indeed，tillIcamehere，IneverheardawordeitherabouttheScotchortheircountry。’

’Areyemakingfunofus，yeEnglishpuppy？’saidtheblear-eyedlad；’takethat!’andIwaspresentlybeatenblackandblue。AndthusdidIfirstbecomeawareofthedifferenceofracesandtheirantipathytoeachother。

’Bowtothestorm，anditshallpassoveryou。’Iheldmypeace，andsilentlysubmittedtothesuperiorityoftheScotch-IN

NUMBERS。Thiswasenough；fromanobjectofpersecutionIsoonbecameoneofpatronage，especiallyamongstthechampionsoftheclass。’TheEnglish，’saidtheblear-eyedlad，’thoughaweebitbehindtheScotchinstrengthandfortitude，arenaetobesneezedat，beingfaraheadoftheIrish，tosaynothingoftheFrench，apackofcowardlyscoundrels。AndwithregardtotheEnglishcountry，itisnaScotland，itistrue，butithasitsgudeproperties；and，thoughthereisne’erahaggisina’theland，there’sanuncodealo’gowdandsiller。IrespectEngland，forI

haveanauntiemarriedthere。’

TheScotcharecertainlyamostpugnaciouspeople；theirwholehistoryprovesit。WitnesstheirincessantwarswiththeEnglishintheoldentime，andtheirinternalfeuds，highlandandlowland，clanwithclan，familywithfamily，SaxonwithGael。Inmytime，theschoolboys，forwant，perhaps，ofEnglishurchinstocontendwith，werecontinuallyfightingwitheachother；everynoontherewasatleastonepugilisticencounter，andsometimesthree。InonemonthIwitnessedmoreoftheseencountersthanIhadeverpreviouslyseenundersimilarcircumstancesinEngland。Afterall，therewasnotmuchharmdone。Harm!whatharmcouldresultfromshortchoppingblows，ahug，andatumble？Iwaswitnesstomanyasoundingwhack，somebloodshed，’ablueee’nowandthen，butnothingmore。InEngland，onthecontrary，wheretheladswerecomparativelymild，gentle，andpacific，Ihadbeenpresentatmorethanonedeathcausedbyblowsinboyishcombats，inwhichtheoldestofthevictorshadscarcelyreachedthirteenyears；buttheseblowswereinthejugular，givenwiththefullforceofthearmshotouthorizontallyfromtheshoulder。

ButtheScotch-thoughbynomeansproficientsinboxing(andhowshouldtheybox，seeingthattheyhaveneverhadateacher？)-are，Irepeat，amostpugnaciouspeople；atleasttheywereinmytime。

Anythingservedthem，thatis，theurchins，asapretenceforafray，or，Doricallyspeaking，aBICKER；everystreetandclosewasatfeudwithitsneighbour；theladsoftheschoolwereatfeudwiththeyoungmenofthecollege，whomtheypeltedinwinterwithsnow，andinsummerwithstones；andthenthefeudbetweentheoldandnewtown!

OnedayIwasstandingontherampartsoftheCastleonthesouth-

westernsidewhichoverhangsthegreenbrae，whereitslopesdownintowhatwasinthosedaysthegreenswampormorass，calledbythenativesofAuldReekietheNorLoch；itwasadarkgloomyday，andathinveilofmistwasbeginningtosettledownuponthebraeandthemorass。Icouldperceive，however，thattherewasaskirmishtakingplaceinthelatterspot。Ihadanindistinctviewoftwoparties-apparentlyofurchins-andIheardwhoopsandshrillcries：eagertoknowthecauseofthisdisturbance，IlefttheCastle，anddescendingthebraereachedthebordersofthemorass，wherewerearunnelofwaterandtheremainsofanoldwall，ontheothersideofwhichanarrowpathledacrosstheswamp：uponthispathatalittledistancebeforemetherewas’abicker。’Ipushedforward，buthadscarcelycrossedtheruinedwallandrunnel，whenthepartynearesttomegaveway，andingreatconfusioncamerunninginmydirection。Astheydrewnigh，oneofthemshoutedtome，’Whaareye，man？areyeo’theAuldToon？’Imadenoanswer。’Ha!yeareo’theNewToon；De’iltakye，we’llmoorderye’；andthenextmomentahugestonesungpastmyhead。’Letmebe，yefulebodies，’saidI，’I’mnoofeitherofye，IliveyonderaboonintheCastle。’’Ah!yeliveintheCastle；thenye’reanauldtooner；comegieusyourhelp，man，anddinnastandtherestaringlikeadunnot，wewanthelpsaireneugh。

Herearestanes。’

FormyownpartIwishedfornothingbetter，and，rushingforward，Iplacedmyselfattheheadofmynewassociates，andcommencedflingingstonesfastanddesperately。Theotherpartynowgavewayintheirturn，closelyfollowedbyourselves；Iwasinthevan，andabouttostretchoutmyhandtoseizethehindermostboyoftheenemy，when，notbeingacquaintedwiththemiryanddifficultpathsoftheNorLoch，andinmyeagernesstakingnoheedofmyfooting，Iplungedintoaquagmire，intowhichIsankasfarasmyshoulders。Ouradversariesnosoonerperceivedthisdisaster，than，settingupashout，theywheeledroundandattackedusmostvehemently。Hadmycomradesnowdesertedme，mylifehadnotbeenworthastraw’spurchase，Ishouldeitherhavebeensmotheredinthequag，or，whatismoreprobable，hadmybrainsbeatenoutwithstones；buttheybehavedliketrueScots，andfoughtstoutlyaroundtheircomrade，untilIwasextricated，whereuponbothpartiesretired，thenightbeingnearathand。

’Yearenaabadhandatflingingstanes，’saidtheladwhofirstaddressedme，aswenowreturnedupthebrae；’youraimisrightdangerous，mon，Isawhowyeskelpitthem，yemaunhelpusaginthaeNewToonblackguardsatournextbicker。’

SotothenextbickerIwent，andtomanymore，whichspeedilyfollowedasthesummeradvanced；thepartytowhichIhadgivenmyhelponthefirstoccasionconsistedmerelyofoutlyers，postedabouthalf-wayupthehill，forthepurposeofoverlookingthemovementsoftheenemy。

Didthelatterdrawnighinanyconsiderableforce，messengerswereforthwithdespatchedtothe’AuldToon，’especiallytothefilthyalleysandclosesoftheHighStreet，whichforthwithwoulddisgorgeswarmsofbare-headedandbare-footed’callants，’who，withgestureswildand’eldrichscreechandhollo，’mightfrequentlybeseenpouringdownthesidesofthehill。Ihaveseenupwardsofathousandengagedoneithersideinthesefrays，whichIhavenodoubtwerefullasdesperateasthefightsdescribedintheILIAD，andwhichwerecertainlymuchmorebloodythanthecombatsofmodernGreeceinthewarofindependence：thecallantsnotonlyemployedtheirhandsinhurlingstones，butnotunfrequentlyslings；attheuseofwhichtheywereveryexpert，andwhichoccasionallydislodgedteeth，shatteredjaws，orknockedoutaneye。Ouropponentscertainlylabouredunderconsiderabledisadvantage，beingcompellednotonlytowadeacrossadeceitfulbog，butlikewisetoclamberuppartofasteephill，beforetheycouldattackus；nevertheless，theirdeterminationwassuch，andsuchtheirimpetuosity，thatwehadsometimesdifficultyenoughtomaintainourown。Ishallneverforgetonebicker，thelastindeedwhichoccurredatthattime，astheauthoritiesofthetown，alarmedbythedesperationofitscharacter，stationedforthwithabodyofpoliceonthehill-side，toprevent，infuture，anysuchbreachesofthepeace。

ItwasabeautifulSundayevening，theraysofthedescendingsunwerereflectedredlyfromthegraywallsoftheCastle，andfromtheblackrocksonwhichitwasfounded。Thebickerhadlongsincecommenced，stonesfromslingandhandwereflying；butthecallantsoftheNewTownwerenowcarryingeverythingbeforethem。

Afull-grownbaker’sapprenticewasattheirhead；hewasfoamingwithrage，andhadtakenthefield，asIwastold，inordertoavengehisbrother，whoseeyehadbeenknockedoutinoneofthelatebickers。Hewasnoslingerorflinger，butbrandishedinhisrighthandthespokeofacart-wheel，likemycountrymanTomHickathriftofoldinhisencounterwiththegiantoftheLincolnshirefen。Protectedbyapieceofwicker-workattachedtohisleftarm，herushedontothefray，disregardingthestoneswhichwereshoweredagainsthim，andwasablysecondedbyhisfollowers。Ourownpartywaschasedhalf-wayupthehill，whereI

wasstrucktothegroundbythebaker，afterhavingbeenfoiledinanattemptwhichIhadmadetoflingahandfulofearthintohiseyes。Allnowappearedlost，theAuldToonwasinfullretreat。I