But he has a much higher humour still, that
inimitable power of shading off ignorance into knowledge and
simplicity into wisdom, which makes his picture of Jeanie Deans, for
instance, so humorous as well as so affecting. When Jeanie reunites
her father to her husband by reminding the former how it would
sometimes happen that "twa precious saints might pu' sundrywise like
twa cows riving at the same hayband," she gives us an admirable
instance of Scott's higher humour. Or take Jeanie Deans's letter to
her father communicating to him the pardon of his daughter and her own
interview with the Queen:--
"DEAREST AND TRULY HONOURED FATHER.--This comes
with my duty to inform you, that it has pleased God to
redeem that captivitie of my poor sister, in respect the
Queen's blessed Majesty, for whom we are ever bound to pray,
hath redeemed her soul from the slayer, granting the ransom
of her, whilk is ane pardon or reprieve. And I spoke with
the Queen face to face, and yet live; for she is not muckle
differing from other grand leddies, saving that she has a
stately presence, and een like a blue huntin' hawk's, whilk
gaed throu' and throu' me like a Highland durk--And all this
good was, alway under the Great Giver, to whom all are but
instruments, wrought for us by the Duk of Argile, wha is ane
native true-hearted Scotsman, and not pridefu', like other
folk we ken of--and likewise skeely enow in bestial, whereof
he has promised to gie me twa Devonshire kye, of which he is
enamoured, although I do still haud by the real hawkit
Airshire breed--and I have promised him a cheese; and I wad
wuss ye, if Gowans, the brockit cow, has a quey, that she
suld suck her fill of milk, as I am given to understand he
has none of that breed, and is not scornfu' but will take a
thing frae a puir body, that it may lighten their heart of
the loading of debt that they awe him.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188