an autobiography-第6部分

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of　the　Tolbooth　in　the　High　Street　and　hurried　down　the　West　Bow；　the　gallows　was　not　in　its　place；　but　the　leaders　of　the　mob　hanged　him　from　a　dyer's　pole；　nearly　opposite　the　gallows　stone；　on　the　south　side　of　the　street；　not　far　from　my　grandfather's　door*　　＇footnote。。。　See　Heart　of　Midlothian　　。。。＇

I　have　not　much　to　say　about　my　father's　education。　　For　the　most　part；　he　was　his　own　schoolmaster。　　I　have　heard　him　say　that　his　mother　taught　him　his　A　B　C；　and　that　he　afterwards　learned　to　read　at　Mammy　Smith's。　　This　old　lady　kept　a　school　for　boys　and　girls　at　the　top　of　a　house　in　the　Grassmarket。　　There　my　father　was　taught　to　rear　his　Bible；　and　to　repeat　his　Carritch。*　　＇footnote。。。　The　Shorter　Catechism。　　。。。＇

As　it　was　only　the　bigger　boys　who　could　read　the　Bible；　the　strongest　of　them　consummated　the　feat　by　climbing　up　the　Castle　rock；　and　reaching　what　they　called　〃The　Bibler's　Seat。〃　　It　must　have　been　a　break…neck　adventure　to　get　up　to　the　place。　　The　seat　was　almost　immediately　under　the　window　of　the　room　in　which　James　VI　was　born。　My　father　often　pointed　it　out　to　me　as　one　of　the　most　dangerous　bits　of　climbing　in　which　he　had　been　engaged　in　his　younger　years。

＇Image＇　　The　Bibler's　seat

The　annexed　illustration　is　from　his　own　slight　sepia　drawing；　the　Bibler's　Seat　is　marked　＋　Not　so　daring；　but　much　more　mischievous；　was　a　trick　which　he　played　with　some　of　his　companions　on　the　tops　of　the　houses　on　the　north　side　of　the　Grassmarket。　　The　boys　took　a　barrel　to　the　Castlehill；　filled　it　with　small　stones；　and　then　shot　it　down　towards　the　roofs　of　the　houses　in　the　Grassmarket。　　The　barrel　leapt　from　rock　to　rock；　burst；　and　scattered　a　shower　of　stones　far　and　wide。　　The　fun　was　to　see　the　〃boddies〃　look　out　of　their　garret　windows　with　their　lighted　lamps　or　candles；　peer　into　the　dark；　and　try　to　see　what　was　the　cause　of　the　mischief。

Sir　David　Baird；　the　hero　of　Seringapatam；　played　a　trick　of　the　same　kind　before　he　went　to　India。

Among　my　father's　favourite　companions　were　the　two　sons　of　Dr。　John　Erskine；　minister　of　Old　Greyfriars；　in　conjunction　with　the　equally　celebrated　Dr。　Robertson。　　Dr。　Erskine*　　＇footnote。。。　Dr。　Erskine　is　well　described　by　Scott　in　Guy　Mannering；　on　the　occasion　when　Pleydell　and　Mannering　went　to　hear　him　preach　a　famous　sermon。　　。。。＇　was　a　man　of　great　influence　in　his　day；　well　known　for　his　literary　and　theological　works；　as　well　as　for　his　piety　and　practical　benevolence。　　On　one　occasion；　when　my　father　was　at　play　with　his　sons；　one　of　them　threw　a　stone；　which　smashed　a　neighbour's　window。　A　servant　of　the　house　ran　out；　and　seeing　the　culprit；　called　out；　〃Very　wee！；　Maister　Erskine；　I'll　tell　yeer　faither　wha　broke　the　windae！〃　　On　which　the　boy；　to　throw　her　off　the　scent；　said　to　his　brother　loudly；　〃Eh；　keist！　she　thinks　we're　the　boddy　Erskine's　sons。〃

The　boddy　Erskine！　　Who　ever　heard　of　such　an　irreverent　nickname　applied　to　that　good　and　great　man？　　〃The　laddies　couldna　be　his　sons；〃　thought　the　woman。　　She　made　no　further　inquiry；　and　the　boys　escaped　scot　free。　　The　culprit　afterwards　entered　the　service　of　the　East　India　Company。　　〃The　boy　was　father　to　the　man。〃　　He　acquired　great　reputation　at　the　siege　of　Seringapatam；　where　he　led　the　forlorn　hope。　Erskine　was　promoted；　until　in　course　of　time　he　returned　to　his　native　city　a　full…blown　general。　　To　return　to　my　father's　education。　After　he　left　〃Mammy　Smith's；　he　went　for　a　short　time　to　the　original　High　School。　　It　was　an　old　establishment；　founded　by　James　VI。　before　he　succeeded　to　the　English　throne；　It　was　afterwards　demolished　to　make　room　for　the　University　buildings；　and　the　new　High　School　was　erected　a　little　below　the　old　Royal　Infirmary。　　After　leaving　the　High　School；　Alexander　Nasmyth　was　taught　by　his　father；　first　arithmetic　and　mensuration；　next　geometry　and　mathematics；　so　far　as　the　first　three　books　of　Euclid　were　concerned。　　After　that；　his　own　innate　skill；　ability；　and　industry　enabled　him　to　complete　the　rest　of　his　education。

At　a　very　early　period　my　father　exhibited　a　decided　natural　taste　for　art。　　He　used　his　pencil　freely　in　sketching　from　nature；　and　in　course　of　time　he　showed　equal　skill　in　the　use　of　oil　colour。　　At　his　own　earnest　request　he　was　bound　apprentice　to　Mr。　Crighton；　then　the　chief　coachbuilder　in　Edinburgh。　　He　was　employed　in　that　special　department　where　artistic　taste　was　necessarythat　is；　in　decorating　the　panels　of　the　highest　class　of　carriages；　and　painting　upon　them　coats　of　arms；　with　their　crests　and　supporters。　　He　took　great　pleasure　in　this　kind　of　work。　　It　introduced　him　to　the　practical　details　of　heraldry；　and　gave　him　command　over　his　materials。

Still　further　to　improve　himself　in　the　art　of　drawing；　my　father　devoted　his　evenings　to　attending　the　Edinburgh　Drawing　Academy。　This　institution；　termed　〃The　Trustees'　Academy　of　Fine　Art；〃　had　been　formed　and　supported　by　the　funds　arising　from　the　estates　confiscated　after　the　rebellions　of　1715　and　1745。　　Part　of　these　funds　was　set　apart　by　Government　for　the　encouragement　of　drawing；　and　also　for　the　establishment　of　the　arts　of　linen　weaving；　carpet　manufacture；　and　other　industrial　occupations。

These　arts　were　introduced　into　Scotland　by　the　French　Protestants；　who　had　been　persecuted　for　conscience'　sake　out　of　their　own　country；　and　settled　in　England；　Ireland；　and　Scotland；　where　they　prosecuted　their　industrial　callings。　　The　Corporation　was　anxious　to　afford　an　asylum　for　these　skilled　and　able　workmen。　　The　emigrants　settled　down　with　their　families；　and　pursued　their　occupations　of　damask；　linen；　and　carpet　weaving。　　They　were　also　required　to　take　Scotch　apprentices；　and　teach　them　the　various　branches　of　their　trade。　　The　Magistrates　caused　cottages　and　workshops　to　be　erected　on　a　piece　of　unoccupied　land　near　Edinburgh；　where　the　street　appropriately　called　Picardy　Place　now　stands；the　greater　number　of　the　weavers　having　come　from　Picardy　in　France。

In　connection　with　the　establishment　of　these　industrial　artisans；　it　was　necessary　to　teach　the　young　Scotch　apprentices　drawing；　for　the　purpose　of　designing　new　patterns　suitable　for　the　market。　　Hence　the　establishment　by　the　Trustees　of　the　Forfeited　Estate　Funds　of　〃The　Academy　of　Fine　Art。〃　　From　the　designing　of　patterns；　the　institution　advanced　to　the　improvement　of　the　fine　arts　generally。　Young　men　who　had　given　proofs　of　their　natural　taste　for　drawing　were　invited　to　enter　the　school　and　participate　in　its　benefits。

At　the　time　that　my　father　was　apprenticed　to　the　coach　painter；　the　Trustees'　Academy　was　managed　by　Alexander　Runciman。　　He　had　originally　been　a　house　painter；　from　which　business　he　proceeded　to　landscape　painting。　　〃Other　artists；〃　said　one　who　knew　him；　〃talked　meat　and　drink；　but　Runciman　talked　landscape。〃　　He　went　to　Rome　and　studied　art　there。　　He　returned　to　Edinburgh；　and　devoted　himself　to　historical　painting。　　He　was　also　promoted　to　the　office　of　master　of　the　Trustees'　Academy。　　When　my　father　called　upon　him　with　his　drawings　from　nature；　Runciman　found　them　so　satisfactory　that　he　was　at　once　admitted　as　a　student。　　After　his　admission　he　began　to　study　with　intense　eagerness。　　The　young　men　who　had　been　occupied　at　their　business　during　the　day　could　only　attend　in　the　evening。　　And　thus　the　evenings　were　fixed　for　studying　drawing　and　design。　　The　Trustees'　Academy　made　its　mark　upon　the　art　of　Scotland：　it　turned　out　many　artists　of　great　note　　such　as　Raeburn；　Wilkie；　my　father；　and　many　more。

At　the　time　when　my　father　entered　as　a　student；　the　stock　of　casts　from　the　antique；　and　the　number　of　drawings　from　the　old　masters；　were　very　small；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　Runciman　was　under　the　necessity　of　setting　the　students　to　copy　them　again　and　again。　This　became　rather　irksome　to　the　more　ardent　pupils。　　My　father　had　completed　his　sixth　copy　of　a　fine　chalk　drawing　of　〃The　Laocoon。〃　It　was　then　set　for　him　to　copy　again。　　He　begged　Mr。　Runciman　for　another　subject。　　The　quick…tempered　man　at　once　said；〃l'll　give　you　another　subject。〃　　And　turning　the　group　of　the　Laocoon　upside　down；　he　added；　〃Now；　then；　copy　that！〃　　The　patient　youth　set　to　work；　and　in　a　few　evenings　completed　a　perfect　copy。　　It　was　a　most　severe　test；　but　Runciman　was　so　proud　of　the　skill　of　his　pupil　that　he　had　the　drawing　mounted　and　framed；　with　a　note　of　the　circumstances　under　which　it　had　been　produced。　　It　continued　to　hang　there　for　many　years；　and　the　story　of　its　achievement　became　traditional　in　the　school。

During　all　this　time　my　father　remained　in　the　employment　of　Crighton　the　carriage　builder。　　He　improved　in　his　painting　day　by　day。　　But　at　length　an　important　change　took　place　in　his　career。　　Allan　Ramsay；　son　of　the　author　of　The　Gentle　Shepherd；　and　then　court　painter　to　George　III。；　called　upon　his　old　friend　Crighton　one　day；　to　look　over　his　works。　　There　he　found　young　Nasmyth　painting　a　coat　of　arms　on　the　panel　of　a　carriage。　　He　was　so　much　surprised　with　the　lad's　artistic　workmanshipfor　he　was　then　only　sixteenthat　he　formed　a　strong　desire　to　take　him　into　his　service。　　After　much　persuasion；　backed　by　the　offer　of　a　considerable　sum