an autobiography-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

rwise　have　been　merely　the　monotonous　line　of　mason…work。

A　great　change　was　about　to　take　place　in　the　residences　of　the　principal　people　of　Edinburgh。　　The　cry　was　for　more　light　and　more　air。　The　extension　of　the　city　to　the　south　and　west　was　not　sufficient。　There　was　a　great　plateau　of　ground　on　the　north　side　of　the　city；　beyond　the　North　Loch。　　But　it　was　very　difficult　to　reach；　being　alike　steep　on　both　sides　of　the　Loch。　　At　length；　in　1767；　an　Act　was　obtained　to　extend　the　royalty　of　the　city　over　the　northern　fields；　and　powers　were　obtained　to　erect　a　bridge　to　connect　them　with　the　Old　Town。

The　magistrates　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　inducing　the　inhabitants　to　build　dwellings　on　the　northern　side　of　the　city。　　A　premium　was　offered　to　the　person　who　should　build　the　first　house；　and　#20　was　awarded　to　Mr。　John　Young　on　account　of　a　mansion　erected　by　him　close　to　George　Street。　　Exemption　from　burghal　taxes　was　also　granted　to　a　gentleman　who　built　the　first　house　in　Princes　Street。　　My　grandfather　built　the　first　house　in　the　south…west　corner　of　St。　Andrew　Square；　for　the　occupation　of　David　Hume　the　historian；　as　well　as　the　two　most　important　houses　in　the　centre　of　the　north　side　of　the　same　square。　One　of　these　last　was　occupied　by　the　venerable　Dr。　Hamilton；　a　very　conspicuous　character　in　Edinburgh。　　He　continued　to　wear　the　cocked　hat；　the　powdered　pigtail；　tights；　and　large　shoe　buckles；　for　about　sixty　years　after　this　costume　had　become　obsolete。　　All　these　houses　are　still　in　perfect　condition；　after　resisting　the　ordinary　tear　and　wear　of　upwards　of　a　hundred　and　ten　northern　winters。　　The　opposition　to　building　houses　across　the　North　Loch　soon　ceased；　and　the　New　Town　arose；　growing　from　day　to　day；　until　Edinburgh　became　one　of　the　most　handsome　and　picturesque　cities　in　Europe。

There　is　one　other　thing　that　I　must　again　refer　to　the　highly…finished　character　of　my　grandfather's　work。　　Nothing　merely　moderate　would　do。　The　work　must　be　of　the　very　best。　　He　took　special　pride　in　the　sound　quality　of　the　woodwork　and　its　careful　workmanship。　　He　chose　the　best　Dantzic　timber　because　of　its　being　of　purer　grain　and　freer　from　knots　than　other　wood。　　In　those　days　the　lower　part　of　the　walls　of　the　apartments　were　wainscotedthat　is；　covered　by　timber　framed　in　large　panels。　　They　were　from　three　to　four　feet　wide；　and　from　six　to　eight　feet　high。　　To　fit　these　in　properly　required　the　most　careful　joiner…work。

It　was　always　a　holiday　treat　to　my　father；　when　a　boy；　to　be　permitted　to　go　down　to　Leith　to　see　the　ships　discharge　their　cargoes　of　timber。　My　grandfather　had　a　Wood…yard　at　Leith；　where　the　timber　selected　by　him　was　piled　up　to　he　seasoned　and　shrunk；　before　being　worked　into　its　appropriate　uses。　　He　was　particularly　careful　in　his　selection　of　boards　or　stripes　for　floors；　which　must　be　perfectly　level；　so　as　to　avoid　the　destruction　of　the　carpets　placed　over　them。　　The　hanging　of　his　doors　was　a　matter　that　he　took　great　pride　inso　as　to　prevent　any　uneasy　action　in　opening　or　closing。　　His　own　chamber　doors　were　so　well　hung　that　they　were　capable　of　being　opened　and　closed　by　the　slight　puff　of　a　hand…bellows。

The　excellence　of　my　grandfather's　workmanship　was　a　thing　that　my　own　father　always　impressed　upon　me　when　a　boy。　　It　stimulated　in　me　the　desire　to　aim　at　excellence　in　everything　that　I　undertook；　and　in　all　practical　matters　to　arrive　at　the　highest　degree　of　good　workmanship。　I　believe　that　these　early　lessons　had　a　great　influence　upon　my　future　career。

I　have　little　to　record　of　my　grandmother。　　From　all　accounts　she　was　everything　that　a　wife　and　mother　should　be。　　My　father　often　referred　to　her　as　an　example　of　the　affection　and　love　of　a　wife　to　her　husband；　and　of　a　mother　to　her　children。　　The　only　relic　I　possess　of　her　handiwork　is　a　sampler；　dated　1743；　the　needlework　of　which　is　so　delicate　and　neat；　that　to　me　it　seems　to　excel　everything　of　the　kind　that　I　have　seen。

I　am　fain　to　think　that　her　delicate　manipulation　in　some　respects　descended　to　her　grandchildren；　as　all　of　them　have　been　more　or　less　distinguished　for　the　delicate　use　of　their　fingerswhich　has　so　much　to　do　with　the　effective　transmission　of　the　artistic　faculty　into　visible　forms。　　The　power　of　transmitting　to　paper　or　canvas　the　artistic　conceptions　of　the　brain　through　the　fingers；　and　out　at　the　end　of　the　needle；　the　pencil；　the　pen；　the　brush；　or　even　the　modelling　tool　or　chisel；　is　that　which；　in　practical　fact；　constitutes　the　true　artist。

This　may　appear　a　digression；　though　I　cannot　look　at　my　grandmother's　sampler　without　thinking　that　she　had　much　to　do　with　originating　the　Naesmyth　love　of　the　Fine　Arts；　and　their　hereditary　adroitness　in　the　practice　of　landscape　and　portrait　painting；　and　other　branches　of　the　profession。

My　grandfather　died　in　1803；　at　the　age　of　eighty…four；　and　was　buried　by　his　father's　side　in　the　Naesmyth　ancestral　tomb　in　Greyfriars　Churchyard。　　His　wife；　Mary　Anderson；　who　died　before　him；　was　buried　in　the　same　place。

Michael　Naesmyth　left　two　sonsMichael　and　Alexander。　　The　eldest　was　born　in　1754。　　It　was　intended　that　he　should　have　succeeded　to　the　business；　and；　indeed；　as　soon　as　he　reached　manhood　he　was　his　father's　right…hand　man。　　He　was　a　skilful　workman；　especially　in　the　finer　parts　of　joiner…work。　　He　was　also　an　excellent　accountant　and　bookkeeper。　　But　having　acquired　a　taste　for　reading　books　about　voyages　and　travels；　of　which　his　father's　library　was　well　supplied；　his　mind　became　disturbed；　and　he　determined　to　see　something　of　the　world。　　He　was　encouraged　by　one　of　his　old　companions；　who　had　been　to　sea；　and　realised　some　substantial　results　by　his　voyages　to　foreign　parts。　Accordingly　Michael；　notwithstanding　the　earnest　remonstrances　of　his　father；　accompanied　his　friend　on　the　next　occasion　when　he　went　to　sea。

After　several　voyages　to　the　West　Indies　and　other　parts　of　the　world；　which　both　gratified　and　stimulated　his　natural　taste　for　adventures；　and　also　proved　financially　successful；　his　trading　ventures　at　last　met　with　a　sad　reverse；　and　he　resolved　to　abandon　commerce；　and　enter　the　service　of　the　Royal　Navy。　　He　was　made　purser；　and　in　this　position　he　entered　upon　a　new　series　of　adventures。　　He　was　present　at　many　naval　engagements。　　But　he　lost　neither　life　nor　limb。　　At　last　he　was　pensioned；　and　became　a　resident　at　Greenwich　Hospital。　He　furnished　his　apartments　with　all　manner　of　curiosities；　such　as　his　roving　naval　life　had　enabled　him　to　collect。　　His　original　skill　as　a　worker　in　wood　came　to　life　again。　　The　taste　of　the　workman　and　the　handiness　of　the　seaman　enabled　him　to　furnish　his　rooms　at　the　Hospital　in　a　most　quaint　and　amusing　manner。

My　father　had　a　most　affectionate　regard　for　Michael；　and　usually　spent　some　days　with　him　when　he　had　occasion　to　visit　London。　　One　bright　summer　day　they　went　to　have　a　stroll　together　on　Blackheath；　and　while　my　uncle　was　enjoying　a　nap　on　a　grassy　knoll；　my　father　made　a　sketch　of　him；　which　I　still　preserve。　　Being　of　a　most　cheerful　disposition；　and　having　a　great　knack　of　detailing　the　incidents　of　his　adventurous　life；　he　became　a　great　favourite　with　the　resident　officers　of　the　Hospital；　and　was　always　regarded　by　them　as　real　good　company。　He　ended　his　days　there　in　peace　and　comfort；　in　1819；　at　the　age　of　sixty…four。


CHAPTER　2。　　　Alexander　Nasmyth

My　father；　Alexander　Nasmyth；　was　the　second　son　of　Michael　Nasmyth。　He　was　born　in　his　father's　house　in　the　Grassmarket　on　the　9th　of　September　1758。　　The　Grassmarket　was　then　a　lively　place。　　On　certain　days　of　the　week　it　was　busy　with　sheep　and　cattle　fairs。　　It　was　the　centre　of　Edinburgh　traffic。　　Most　of　the　inns　were　situated　there；　or　in　the　street　leading　up　to　the　Greyfriars　Church　gate。

The　view　from　my　grandfather's　house　was　very　grand。　　Standing　up；　right　opposite；　was　the　steep　Castle　rock；　with　its　crown　buildings　and　circular　battery　towering　high　overhead。　　They　seemed　almost　to　hang　over　the　verge　of　the　rock。　　The　houses　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　Grassmarket　were　crowded　under　the　esplanade　of　the　Castle　Hill。

There　was　an　inn　opposite　the　house　where　my　father　was　born；　from　which　the　first　coach　started　from　Edinburgh　to　Newcastle。　　The　public　notice　stated　that　〃The　Coach　would　set　out　from　the　Grass　Market　ilka　Tuesday　at　Twa　o'clock　in　the　day；　GOD　WULLIN'；　but　whether　or　no　on　Wednesday。〃　　The　〃whether　or　no〃　was　meant；　I　presume；　as　a　precaution　to　passengers；　in　case　all　the　places　on　the　coach　might　be　taken；　or　not；　on　Wednesday；

＇Image＇　　Plan　of　the　Grassmarket

The　Grassmarket　was　also　the　place　for　public　executions。　　The　gibbet　stone　was　at　the　east　end　of　the　Market。　　It　consisted　of　a　mass　of　solid　sandstone；　with　a　quadrangular　hole　in　the　middle；　which　served　as　a　socket　for　the　gallows。　　Most　of　the　Covenanters　who　were　executed　for　conscience'　sake　in　the　reigns　of　Charles　II。　and　James　II。　breathed　their　last　at　this　spot。　　The　Porteous　mob；　in　1736；　had　its　culmination　here。　　When　Captain　Porteous　was　dragged　out　of　the　Tolbooth　in　the　High　Street　and　hurried　down　the　West　Bow；　the　gallows　was　not　in　its　place；