文档介绍：The Provost
by John Galt
作者简介
高尔特约翰( ),小说家和散文作
家,生于斯特拉斯克苹德行政区欧文。在格林诺克语法学校读书,
岁时作为一名商人到伦敦,业余时间从事写作。生意破产(
年)后,他周游欧洲大陆,结识了拜伦,出版了一本反响不大的传
记。年《布莱克伍德杂志》( ’)发表
他的著作时,才确立他的作家地位。他的名著有:《艾尔郡的遗产
受赠者》( )、《修道院长》(
)和《继承权》( )。
The Provost 1
INTRODUCTION
During a recent visit to the West Country, among other old friends we
paid our respects to Mrs Pawkie, the relict of the Provost of that name, who
three several times enjoyed the honour of being chief magistrate in
Gudetown. Since the death of her worthy husband, and fortable
settlement in life of her youngest daughter, Miss Jenny, who was married
last year to Mr Caption, writer to the , she has been, as she told us
herself, “beeking in the lown o’ the conquest which the gudeman had, wi’
sic an ettling o’ pains and industry, gathered for his family.”
Our conversation naturally diverged into various topics, and, among
others, we discoursed at large on the manifold improvements which had
taken place, both in town and country, since we had visited the Royal Burgh.
This led the widow, in plimentary way, to advert to the hand which, it
is alleged, we have had in the editing of that most excellent work, entitled,
“Annals of the Parish of Dalmailing,” intimating, that she had a book in the
handwriting of her deceased husband, the Provost, filled with a variety of
most curious matter; in her opinion, of far more consequence to the world
than any book that we had ever been concerned in putting out.
Considering the veneration in which Mr Pawkie had been through life
regarded by his helpmate, we must confess that her eulogium on the merits
of his work did not impress us with the most profound persuasion that it
was really deserving of much attention. Politeness, however, obliged us to
express an earnest desire to see the volume, which, after some little hesitation,
was produced. Judge, then, of the nature of our emotions, when, in curso-
rily turning over a few of the well-penned pages, we found that i