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The Provost-Part9_John Galt(1779-1839)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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but likewise as to the power of the magistrates to lay out any part

of the public funds in the reparation of the kirk; and the upshot



was, a contribution among certain malecontents, to enable Mr

Threeper to consult on all the points.



As in all similar cases, the parties applying for legal advice were

heartened into a plea by the opinion they got, and the town-council



was thrown into the greatest consternation by receiving notice that

the malecontents were going to extremities.



Two things I saw it was obligational on me to urge forward; the one

was to go on still with the reparations, and the other to contest



the law-suit, although some were for waiting in the first case till

the plea was settled, and in the second to make no defence, but to



give up our intention anent the new-seating. But I thought that, as

we had borrowed the money for the repairs, we should proceed; and I



had a vista that the contribution raised by the Smeddumites, as they

were caller, would run out, being from their own pockets, whereas we



fought with the public purse in our hand; and by dint of exhortation

to that effect, I carried the majority to go into my plan, which in



the end was most gratifying, for the kirk was in a manner made as

good as new, and the contributional stock of the Smeddumites was



entirely rookit by the lawyers, who would fain have them to form

another, assuring them that, no doubt, the legal point was in their



favour. But every body knows the certainty" target="_blank" title="n.不可靠；不确定的事">uncertainty of a legal opinion;

and although the case was given up, for lack of a fund to carry it



on, there was a living ember of discontent left in its ashes, ready

to kindle into a flame on the first puff of popular disfaction" target="_blank" title="n.满意；满足">satisfaction.



CHAPTER XVIII--THE SUPPRESSION OF THE FAIRS

The spirit by which the Smeddumites were actuated in ecclesiastical



affairs, was a type and taste of the great distemper with which all

the world was, more or less, at the time inflamed, and which cast



the ancient state and monarchy of France into the perdition of

anarchy and confusion. I think, upon the whole, however, that our



royal burgh was not afflicted to any very dangerous degree, though

there was a sort of itch of it among a few of the sedentary orders,



such as the weavers and shoemakers, who, by the nature of sitting

long in one posture, are apt to become subject to the flatulence of



theoretical opinions; but although this was my notion, yet knowing

how much better the king and government were acquainted with the



true condition of things than I could to a certainty be, I kept a

steady eye on the proceedings of the ministers and parliament at



London, taking them for an index and model for the management of the

public concerns, which, by the grace of God, and the handling of my



friends, I was raised up and set forward to undertake.

Seeing the great dread and anxiety that was above, as to the



inordinate liberty of the multitude, and how necessary it was to

bridle popularity, which was become rampant and ill to ride, kicking



at all established order, and trying to throw both king and nobles

from the saddle, I resolved to discountenance all tumultuous



meetings, and to place every reasonableimpediment in the way of

multitudes assembling together: indeed, I had for many years been



of opinion, that fairs were become a great political evil to the

regular shop-keepers, by reason of the packmen, and other travelling



merchants, coming with their wares and under-selling us; so that

both private interest and public principle incited me on to do all



in my power to bring our fair-days into disrepute. It cannot be

told what a world of thought and consideration this cost me before I



lighted on the right method, nor, without a dive into the past times

of antiquity, is it in the power of man to understand the



difficulties of the matter.

Some of our fair-days were remnants of the papistical idolatry, and



instituted of old by the Pope and Cardinals, in order to make an

income from the vice and immorality that was usually rife at the



same. These, in the main points, were only market-days of a blither

kind than the common. The country folks came in dressed in their



best, the schools got the play, and a long rank of sweety-wives and

their stands, covered with the wonted dainties of the occasion,



occupied the sunny side of the High Street; while the shady side

was, in like manner, taken possession of by the packmen, who, in






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