an autobiography-第9部分

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My　father　was　so　much　impressed　with　the　scene　that；　while　Burns　was　standing　under　the　arch；　he　took　out　his　pencil　and　a　scrap　of　paper　and　made　a　hasty　sketch　of　the　subject。　　This　sketch　was　highly　treasured　by　my　father；　in　remembrance　of　what　must　have　been　one　of　the　most　memorable　days　of　his　life。

Talking　of　clubs　reminds　me　that　there　was　a　good　deal　of　club　life　in　Edinburgh　in　those　days。　　The　most　notable　were　those　in　which　the　members　were　drawn　together　by　occupations；　habits；　or　tastes。　　They　met　in　the　evenings；　and　conversed　upon　congenial　subjects。　　The　clubs　were　generally　held　in　one　or　other　of　the　taverns　situated　in　or　near　the　High　Street。　　Every　one　will　remember　the　Lawyers'　Club；　held　in　an　Edinburgh　close；　presided　over　by　Pleydell；　so　well　described　by　Scott　in　Guy　Mannering。

In　my　father's　early　days　he　was　a　member　of　a　very　jovial　club；　called　the　Poker　Club。　　It　was　so…called　because　the　first　chairman；　immediately　on　his　election；　in　a　spirit　of　drollery；　laid　hold　of　the　poker　at　the　fireplace；　and　adopted　it　as　his　insignia　of　office。　He　made　a　humorous　address　from　the　chair；　or　〃the　throne；〃　as　he　called　it；　with　sceptre　or　poker　in　hand；　and　the　club　was　thereupon　styled　by　acclamation　〃The　Poker　Club。〃　　I　have　seen　my　father's　diploma　of　membership；　it　was　tastefully　drawn　on　parchment；　with　the　poker　duly　emblazoned　on　it　as　the　regalia　of　the　club。

In　my　own　time；　the　club　that　he　was　most　connected　with　was　the　Dilettanti　Club。　　Its　meetings　were　held　every　fortnight；　on　Thursday　evenings；　in　a　commodious　tavern　in　the　High　Street。　　The　members　were　chiefly　artists；　or　men　known　for　their　love　of　art。　　Among　then　were　Henry　Raeburn；　Hugh　Williams　（the　Grecian）；　Andrew　Geddes；　William　Thomson；　John　Shetkay；　William　Nicholson；　William　Allan；　Alexander　Nasmyth；　the　Rev。　John　Thomson　of　Duddingston；　George　Thomson；　Sir　Walter　Scott；　John　Lockhart；　Dr。　Brewster；　David　Wilkie；　Henry　Cockburn；　Francis　Jeffrey；　John　A。　Murray；　Professor　Wilson；　John　Ballantyne；　James　Ballantyne；　James　Hogg　（the　Ettrick　Shepherd）；　and　David　Bridges；　the　secretary。*　　＇footnote。。。　Davie　Bridges　was　a　character。　　In　my　early　days　he　was　a　cloth　merchant　in　the　High　Street。　　His　shop　was　very　near　that　gigantic　lounge；　the　old　Parliament　House；　and　was　often　resorted　to　by　non…business　visitors。　　Bridges　had　a　good　taste　for　pictures。　　He　had　a　small　but　choice　collection　by　the　Old　Masters；　which　he　kept　arranged　in　the　warehouse　under　his　shop。　　He　took　great　pride　in　exhibiting　them　to　his　visitors；　and　expatiating　upon　their　excellence。　I　remember　being　present　in　his　warehouse　with　my　father　when　a　very　beautiful　small　picture　by　Richard　Wilson　was　under　review。　　Davie　burst　out　emphatically　with；　〃Eh；　man；　did　ye　ever　see　such　glorious　buttery　touches　as　on　these　clouds！〃　　His　joking　friends　clubbed　him　〃Director…General　of　the　Fine　Arts　for　Scotland；〃　a　title　which　he　complacently　accepted。　　Besides　showing　off　his　pictures；　Davie　was　an　art　critic；　and　wrote　articles　for　the　newspapers　and　magazines。　Unfortunately；　however；　his　attention　to　pictures　prevented　him　from　attending　to　his　shop；　and　his　customers　（who　were　not　artists）　forsook　him；　and　bought　their　clothes　elsewhere。　　He　accordingly　shut　up　his　shop；　and　devoted　himself　to　art　criticism；　in　which；　for　a　time；　he　possessed　a　monopoly。　　。。。＇

The　drinks　were　restricted　to　Edinburgh　ale　and　whisky　toddy。

An　admirable　picture　of　the　club　in　full　meeting　was　painted　by　William　Allan；　in　which　characteristic　portraits　of　all　the　leading　members　were　introduced　in　full　social　converse。　　Among　the　more　prominent　portraits　is　one　of　my　father；　who　is　represented　as　illustrating　some　subject　he　is　describing；　by　drawing　it　on　the　part　of　the　table　before　him；　with　his　finger　dipped　in　toddy。　　Other　marked　and　well…known　characteristics　of　the　members　are　skilfully　introduced　in　the　picture。　The　artist　afterwards　sold　it　to　Mr。　Horrocks　of　Preston；　in　Lancashire。

Besides　portrait　painting；　my　father　was　much　employed　in　assisting　the　noblemen　and　landed　gentry　of　Scotland　in　improving　the　landscape　appearance　of　their　estates；　especially　when　seen　from　their　mansion　windows。　　His　fine　taste；　and　his　love　of　natural　scenery；　gave　him　great　advantages　in　this　respect。　　He　selected　the　finest　sites　for　the　new　mansions；　when　they　were　erected　in　lieu　of　the　old　towers　and　crenellated　castles。　　Or；　he　designed　alterations　of　the　old　buildings　so　as　to　preserve　their　romantic　features；　and　at　the　same　time　to　fit　them　for　the　requirements　of　modern　domestic　life。

In　those　early　days　of　art…knowledge；　there　scarcely　existed　any　artistic　feeling　for　the　landscape　beauty　of　nature。　　There　was　an　utter　want　of　appreciation　of　the　dignified　beauty　of　the　old　castles　and　mansions；　the　remnants　of　which　were　in　too　many　instances　carted　away　as　material　for　now　buildings。　　There　was　also　at　that　time　an　utter　ignorance　of　the　beauty　and　majesty　of　old　trees。　　A　forest　of　venerable　oaks　or　beeches　was　a　thing　to　be　done　away　with。　　They　were　merely　cut　down　as　useless　timber；　even　when　they　so　finely　embellished　the　landscape。　　My　father　exerted　himself　successfully　to　preserve　these　grand　old　forest　trees。　　His　fine　sketches　served　to　open　the　eyes　of　their　possessors　to　the　priceless　treasures　they　were　about　to　destroy；　and　he　thus　preserved　the　existence　of　many　a　picturesque　old　tree。　　He　even　took　the　pains　in　many　cases　to　model　the　part　of　the　estate　he　was　dealing　with；　and　he　also　modelled　the　old　trees　he　wished　to　preserve。　　Thus；　by　a　judicious　clearing　out　of　the　intercepting　young　timber；　he　opened　out　distant　views　of　the　landscape；　and　at　the　same　time　preserved　many　a　monarch　of　the　forest。*　　＇footnote。。。　It　is　even　now　to　be　deeply　deplored　that　those　who　inherit　or　come　into　possession　of　landed　estates　do　not　feel　sufficiently　impressed　with　the　possession　of　such　grand　memorials　of　the　past。　　Alas！　how　often　have　we　to　lament　the　want　of　taste　that　leads　to　the　sacrifice　of　these　venerable　treasures。　　Would　that　the　young　men　at　our　universities　especially　those　likely　to　inherit　estateswere　impressed　with　the　importance　of　preserving　them。　They　would　thus　confer　an　inestimable　benefit　to　thousands。　　About　forty　years　ago　Lord　Cockburn　published　a　pamphlet　on　How　to　Destroy　the　Beauty　of　Edinburgh！　　He　enforced　the　charm　of　green　foliage　in　combination　with　street　architecture。　　The　burgesses　were　then　cutting　down　trees。　His　lordship　went　so　far　as　to　say　〃that　he　would　as　soon　cut　down　a　burgess　as　a　tree！〃　　Since　then　the　growth　of　trees　in　Edinburgh；　especially　in　what　was　once　the　North　Loch；　has　been　greatly　improved；　and　might　be　still　further　improved　if　that　famous　tree；　〃The　London　plane；〃　were　employed。　　。。。＇

＇Image＇　　The　Family　Tree

My　father　modelled　old　castles；　old　trees；　and　such　like　objects　as　he　wished　to　introduce　into　his　landscapes。　　The　above　illustration；　may　perhaps　give　a　slight　idea　of　his　artistic　skill　as　a　modeller。　I　specially　refer　to　this；　which　he　called　〃The　Family　Tree；〃　as　he　required　each　member　of　his　family　to　assist　in　its　production。　We　each　made　a　twig　or　small　branch；　which　he　cleverly　fixed　into　its　place　as　a　part　of　the　whole。　　The　model　tree　in　question　was　constructed　of　wire　slightly　twisted　together；　so　as　to　form　the　main　body　of　a　branch。　　It　was　then　subdivided　into　branchlets；　and　finally　into　individual　twigs。　　All　these；　combined　together　by　his　dexterous　hand；　resulted　in　the　model　of　an　old　leafless　tree；　so　true　and　correct；　that　any　one　would　have　thought　that　it　had　been　modelled　direct　from　nature。

The　Duke　of　Athol　consulted　my　father　as　to　the　improvements　which　he　desired　to　make　in　his　woodland　scenery　near　Dunkeld。　　The　Duke　was　desirous　that　a　rocky　crag；　called　Craigybarns；　should　be　planted　with　trees；　to　relieve　the　grim　barrenness　of　its　appearance。　　But　it　was　impossible　for　any　man　to　climb　the　crag　in　order　to　set　seeds　or　plants　in　the　clefts　of　the　rocks。　　A　happy　idea　struck　my　father。　Having　observed　in　front　of　the　castle　a　pair　of　small　cannon　used　for　firing　salutes；　it　occurred　to　him　to　turn　them　to　account。　　His　object　was　to　deposit　the　seeds　of　the　various　trees　amongst　the　soil　in　the　clefts　of　the　crag。　　A　tinsmith　in　the　village　was　ordered　to　make　a　number　of　canisters　with　covers。　　The　canisters　were　filled　with　all　sorts　of　suitable　tree　seeds。　　A　cannon　was　loaded；　and　the　canisters　were　fired　up　against　the　high　face　of　the　rock。　　They　burst　and　scattered　the　seed　in　all　directions。　　Some　years　after；　when　my　father　revisited　the　place；　he　was　delighted　to　find　that　his　scheme　of　planting　by　artillery　had　proved　completely　successful；　for　the　trees　were　flourishing　luxuriantly　in　all　the　recesses　of　the　cliff。　This　was　another　instance　of　my　father's　happy　faculty　of　resourcefulness。

Certain　circumstances　about　this　time　compelled　my　father　almost　entirely　to　give　up　portrait　painting　and　betake　himself　to　another　branch　of　the　fine　arts。　　The　earnest　and　lively　interest　which　he　took　in　the　state　of　public　affairs；　and　the　necessity　which　then　existed　for　reforming　the　glaring　abuses　of　the　State；　led　him　to　speak　out　his　mind