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The Ayrshire Legatees-Part10_John Galt(1779-1839)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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sobriety that I have maintained, to show an example in my latter

days of riotous living; therefore, Mrs. Pringle, and her daughter,



and me, have made a point of going nowhere three times in the week;

but as for Andrew Pringle, my son, he has forgathered with some



acquaintance, and I fancy we will be obliged to let him take the

length of his tether for a while. But not altogether without a curb



neither, for the agent's son, young Mr. Argent, had almost persuaded

him to become a member of Parliament, which he said he could get him



made, for more than a thousand pounds less than the common price--

the state of the new king's health having lowered the commodity of



seats. But this I would by no means hear of; he is not yet come to

years of discretion enough to sit in council; and, moreover, he has



not been tried; and no man, till he has out of doors shown something

of what he is, should be entitled to power and honour within. Mrs.



Pringle, however, thought he might do as well as young Dunure; but

Andrew Pringle, my son, has not the solidity of head that Mr. K-dy



has, and is over free and outspoken, and cannot take such pains to

make his little go a great way, like that well-behaved young



gentleman. But you will be grieved to hear that Mr. K-dy is in

opposition to the government; and truly I am at a loss to understand



how a man of Whig principles can be an adversary to the House of

Hanover. But I never meddled much in politick affairs, except at



this time, when I prohibited Andrew Pringle, my son, from offering

to be a member of Parliament, notwithstanding the great bargain that



he would have had of the place.

And since we are on public concerns, I should tell you, that I was



minded to send you a newspaper at the second-hand, every day when we

were done with it. But when we came to inquire, we found that we



could get the newspaper for a shilling a week every morning but

Sunday, to our breakfast, which was so much cheaper than buying a



whole paper, that Mrs. Pringle thought it would be a great

extravagance; and, indeed, when I came to think of the loss of time



a newspaper every day would occasion to my people, I considered it

would be very wrong of me to send you any at all. For I do think



that honest folks in a far-off country parish should not make or

meddle with the things that pertain to government,--the more



especially, as it is well known, that there is as much falsehood as

truth in newspapers, and they have not the means of testing their



statements. Not, however, that I am an advocate for passive

obedience; God forbid. On the contrary, if ever the time should



come, in my day, of a saint-slaying tyrant attempting to bind the

burden of prelatic abominations on our backs, such a blast of the



gospel trumpet would be heard in Garnock, as it does not become me

to say, but I leave it to you and others, who have experienced my



capacity as a soldier of the word so long, to think what it would

then be. Meanwhile, I remain, my dear sir, your friend and pastor,



Z. PRINGLE.

When Mr. Snodgrass had perused this epistle, he paused some time,



seemingly in doubt, and then he said to Mr. Micklewham, that,

considering the view which the Doctor had taken of the matter, and



that he had not gone to the playhouse for the motives which usually

take bad people to such places, he thought there could be no



possible harm in reading the letter to the elders, and that Mr.

Craig, so far from being displeased, would doubtless be exceedingly



rejoiced to learn that the playhouses of London were occasionally so

well employed as on the night when the Doctor was there.



Mr. Micklewham then inquired if Mr. Snodgrass had heard from Mr.

Andrew, and was answered in the affirmative; but the letter was not



read. Why it was withheld our readers must guess for themselves;

but we have been fortunate enough to obtain the following copy.



LETTER XVII

Andrew Pringle, Esq., to the Rev. Mr. Charles Snodgrass--LONDON.



My Dear Friend--As the season advances, London gradually unfolds,

like Nature, all the variety of her powers and pleasures. By the



Argents we have been introduced effectually into society, and have

now only to choose our acquaintance among those whom we like best.



I should employ another word than choose, for I am convinced that

there is no choice in the matter. In his friendships and



affections, man is subject to some inscrutable moral law, similar in

its effects to what the chemists call affinity. While under the



blind influence of this sympathy, we, forsooth, suppose ourselves




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