The upper portion of the minster, though very stately and beautiful, is not nearly so extraordinary as the crypts. Here the intricacy of the arches, and the profound system on which they are arranged, is inconceivable, even when you see them,—a whole company of arches uniting in one keystone; arches uniting to form a glorious canopy9 over the shrine10 or tomb of a prelate; arches opening through and beyond one another, whichever way you look,— all amidst a shadowy gloom, yet not one detail wrought11 out the less beautifully and delicately because it could scarcely be seen. The wreaths of flowers that festoon one of the arches are cut in such relief that they do but just adhere to the stone on which they grow. The pillars are massive, and the arches very low, the effect being a twilight12, which at first leads the spectator to imagine himself underground; but by and by I saw that the sunshine came in through the narrow windows, though it scarcely looked like sunshine then. For many years these crypts were used as burial-ground, and earth was brought in, for the purpose of making graves; so that the noble columns were half buried, and the beauty of the architecture quite lost and forgotten. Now the dead men's bones and the earth that covered them have all been removed, leaving the original pavement of the crypt, or a new one in its stead, with only the old relics13 of saints, martyrs14, and heroes underneath15, where they have lain so long that they have become a part of the spot. . . . I was quite chilled through, and the old verger regretted that we had not come during the late hot weather, when the everlasting16 damp and chill of the spot would have made us entirely18 comfortable. These crypts originated in the necessity of keeping the floor of the upper cathedral on one level, the edifice being built on a declivity19, and the height of the crypt being measured by the descent of the site.
After writing the above, we walked out and saw something of the newer portion of Glasgow; and, really, I am inclined to think it the stateliest of cities. The Exchange and other public buildings, and the shops in Buchanan Street, are very magnificent; the latter, especially, excelling those of London. There is, however, a pervading20 sternness and grimness resulting from the dark gray granite21, which is the universal building-material both of the old and new edifices22. Later in the forenoon we again walked out, and went along Argyle Street, and through the Trongate and the Salt-Market. The two latter were formerly23 the principal business streets, and together with High Street, the abode24 of the rich merchants and other great people of the town. High Street, and, still more, the Salt-Market, now swarm25 with the lower orders to a degree which I never witnessed elsewhere; so that it is difficult to make one's way among the sullen26 and unclean crowd, and not at all pleasant to breathe in the noisomeness27 of the atmosphere. The children seem to have been unwashed from birth. Some of the gray houses appear to have once been stately and handsome, and have their high gable ends notched28 at the edges, like a flight of stairs. We saw the Tron steeple, and the statue of King William III., and searched for the Old Tolbooth. . . . Wandering up the High Street, we turned once more into the quadrangle of the University, and mounted a broad stone staircase which ascends29 square, and with right-angular turns on one corner, on the outside of the edifices. It is very striking in appearance, being ornamented30 with a balustrade, on which are large globes of stone, and a great lion and unicorn31 curiously32 sculptured on the opposite side. While we waited here, staring about us, a man approached, and offered to show us the interior. He seemed to be in charge of the College buildings. We accepted his offer, and were led first up this stone staircase, and into a large and stately hall, panelled high towards the ceiling with dark oak, and adorned33 with elaborately carved cornices, and other wood-work. There was a long reading-table towards one end of the hall, on which were laid pamphlets and periodicals; and a venerable old gentleman, with white head and bowed shoulders, sat there reading a newspaper. This was the Principal of the University, and as he looked towards us graciously, yet as if expecting some explanation of our entrance, I approached and apologized for intruding34 on the plea of our being strangers and anxious to see the College. He made a courteous35 response, though in exceedingly decayed and broken accents, being now eighty-six years old, and gave us free leave to inspect everything that was to be seen. This hall was erected36 two years after the Restoration of Charles II., and has been the scene, doubtless, of many ceremonials and high banquetings since that period; and, among other illustrious personages, Queen Victoria has honored it with her presence. Thence we went into several recitation or lecture rooms in various parts of the buildings; but they were all of an extreme plainness, very unlike the rich old Gothic libraries and chapels37 and halls which we saw in Oxford38. Indeed, the contrast between this Scotch severity and that noble luxuriance, and antique majesty39, and rich and sweet repose40 of Oxford, is very remarkable41, both within the edifices and without. But we saw one or two curious things,—for instance, a chair of mahogany, elaborately carved with the arms of Scotland and other devices, and having a piece of the kingly stone of Scone42 inlaid in its seat. This chair is used by the Principal on certain high occasions, and we ourselves, of course, sat down in it. Our guide assigned to it a date preposterously43 earlier than could have been the true one, judging either by the character of the carving44 or by the fact that mahogany has not been known or used much more than a century and a half.
Afterwards he led us into the Divinity Hall, where, he said, there were some old portraits of historic people, and among them an original picture of Mary, Queen of Scots. There was, indeed, a row of old portraits at each end of the apartment,—for instance, Zachariah Boyd, who wrote the rhyming version of the Bible, which is still kept, safe from any critical eye, in the library of the University to which he presented this, besides other more valuable benefactions,—for which they have placed his bust45 in a niche46 in the principal quadrangle; also, John Knox makes one of the row of portraits; and a dozen or two more of Scotch worthies47, all very dark and dingy48. As to the picture of Mary of Scotland, it proved to be not hers at all, but a picture of Queen Mary, the consort49 of William III., whose portrait, together with that of her sister, Queen Anne, hangs in the same row. We told our guide this, but he seemed unwilling50 to accept it as a fact. There is a museum belonging to the University; but this, for some reason or other, could not be shown to us just at this time, and there was little else to show. We just looked at the gardens, but, though of large extent, they are so meagre and bare—so unlike that lovely shade of the Oxford gardens—that we did not care to make further acquaintance with them.
Then we went back to our hotel, and if there were not already more than enough of description, both past and to come, I should describe George's Square, on one side of which the hotel is situated51. A tall column rises in the grassy52 centre of it, lifting far into the upper air a fine statue of Sir Walter Scott, which we saw to great advantage last night, relieved against the sunset sky; and there are statues of Sir John Moore, a native of Glasgow, and of James Watt53, at corners of the square. Glasgow is certainly a noble city.
After lunch we embarked54 on board the steamer, and came up the Clyde. Ben Lomond, and other Highland55 hills, soon appeared on the horizon; we passed Douglas Castle on a point of land projecting into the river; and, passing under the precipitous height of Dumbarton Castle, which we had long before seen, came to our voyage's end at this village, where we have put up at the Elephant Hotel.
July 2d.—After tea, not far from seven o'clock, it being a beautiful decline of day, we set out to walk to
DUMBARTON CASTLE,
which stands apart from the town, and is said to have been once surrounded by the waters of the Clyde. The rocky height on which the castle stands is a very striking object, bulging56 up out of the Clyde, with abrupt57 decision, to the elevation58 of five hundred feet. The summit is cloven in twain, the cleft59 reaching nearly to the bottom on the side towards the river, but not coming down so deeply on the landward side. It is precipitous all around; and wherever the steepness admits, or does not make assault impossible, there are gray ramparts round the hill, with cannon60 threatening the lower world. Our path led its beneath one of these precipices62 several hundred feet sheer down, and with an ivied fragment of ruined wall at the top. A soldier who sat by the wayside told us that this was called the "Lover's Leap," because a young girl, in some love-exigency, had once jumped down from it, and came safely to the bottom. We reached the castle gate, which is near the shore of the Clyde, and there found another artillery63 soldier, who guided us through the fortress64. He said that there were now but about a dozen soldiers stationed in the castle, and no officer.
The lowest battery looks towards the river, and consists of a few twelve-pound cannon; but probably the chief danger of attack was from the land, and the chief pains have been taken to render the castle defensible in that quarter. There are flights of stone stairs ascending65 up through the natural avenue, in the cleft of the double-summited rock; and about midway there is an arched doorway66, beneath which there used to be a portcullis,—so that if an enemy had won the lower part of the fortress, the upper portion was still inaccessible67. Where the cleft of the rock widens into a gorge68, there are several buildings, old, but not appertaining to the ancient castle, which has almost entirely disappeared. We ascended69 both summits, and, reaching the loftiest point on the right, stood upon the foundation of a tower that dates back to the fifth century, whence we had a glorious prospect70 of Highlands and Lowlands; the chief object being Ben Lomond, with its great dome71, among a hundred other blue and misty72 hills, with the sun going down over them; and, in another direction, the Clyde, winding73 far downward through the plain, with the headland of Dumbeck close at hand, and Douglas Castle at no great distance. On the ramparts beneath us the soldier pointed74 out the spot where Wallace scaled the wall, climbing an apparently75 inaccessible precipice61, and taking the castle. The principal parts of the ancient castle appear to have been on the other and lower summit of the hill, and thither76 we now went, and traced the outline of its wall, although none of it is now remaining. Here is the magazine, still containing some powder, and here is a battery of eighteen-pound guns, with pyramids of balls, all in readiness against an assault; which, however, hardly any turn of human affairs can hereafter bring about. The appearance of a fortress is kept up merely for ceremony's sake; and these cannon have grown antiquated77. Moreover, as the soldier told us, they are seldom or never fired, even for purposes of rejoicing or salute78, because their thunder produces the singular effect of depriving the garrison79 of water. There is a large tank, and the concussion80 causes the rifts81 of the stone to open, and thus lets the water out. Above this battery, and elsewhere about the fortress, there are warders' turrets82 of stone, resembling great pepper-boxes. When Dr. Johnson visited the castle, he introduced his bulky person into one of these narrow receptacles, and found it difficult to get out again. A gentleman who accompanied him was just stepping forward to offer his assistance, but Boswell whispered him to take no notice, lest Johnson should be offended; so they left him to get out as he could. He did finally extricate84 himself, else we might have seen his skeleton in the turret83. Boswell does not tell this story, which seems to have been handed down by local tradition.
The less abrupt declivities of the rock are covered with grass, and afford food for a few sheep, who scamper85 about the heights, and seem to have attained86 the dexterity87 of goats in clambering. I never knew a purer air than this seems to be, nor a lovelier golden sunset.
Descending88 into the gorge again, we went into the armory89, which is in one of the buildings occupying the space between the two hill-tops. It formerly contained a large collection of arms; but these have been removed to the Tower of London, and there are now only some tattered90 banners, of which I do not know the history, and some festoons of pistols, and grenades, shells, and grape and canister shot, kept merely as curiosities; and, far more interesting than the above, a few battle-axes, daggers91, and spear-heads from the field of Bannockburn; and, more interesting still, the sword of William Wallace. It is a formidable-looking weapon, made for being swayed with both hands, and, with its hilt on the floor, reached about to my chin; but the young girl who showed us the armory said that about nine inches had been broken off the point. The blade was not massive, but somewhat thin, compared with its great length; and I found that I could blandish it, using both hands, with perfect ease. It is two-edged, without any gaps, and is quite brown and lustreless92 with old rust93, from point to hilt.
These were all the memorables of our visit to Dumbarton Castle, which is a most interesting spot, and connected with a long series of historical events. It was first besieged94 by the Danes, and had a prominent share in all the warfare95 of Scotland, so long as the old warlike times and manners lasted. Our soldier was very intelligent and courteous, but, as usual with these guides, was somewhat apocryphal96 in his narrative97; telling us that Mary, Queen of Scots, was confined here before being taken to England, and that the cells in which she then lived are still extant, under one of the ramparts. The fact is, she was brought here when a child of six years old, before going to France, and doubtless scrambled98 up and down these heights as freely and merrily as the sheep we saw.
We now returned to our hotel, a very nice one, and found the street of Dumbarton all alive in the summer evening with the sports of children and the gossip of grown people. There was almost no night, for at twelve o'clock there was still a golden daylight, and Yesterday, before it died, must have met the Morrow.
In the lower part of the fortress there is a large sun-dial of stone, which was made by a French officer imprisoned99 here during the Peninsular war. It still numbers faithfully the hours that are sunny, and it is a lasting17 memorial of him, in the stronghold of his enemies.
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1
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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3
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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4
vistas
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| 长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景 | |
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lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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7
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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15
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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16
everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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17
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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18
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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pervading
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的现在分词 ) | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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23
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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noisomeness
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| n.noisome（恶臭的）的变形 | |
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notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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ascends
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unicorn
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| n.(传说中的)独角兽 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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36
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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chapels
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| n.小教堂， （医院、监狱等的）附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 )；（在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的）礼拜仪式 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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scone
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| n.圆饼，甜饼，司康饼 | |
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preposterously
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| adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地 | |
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44
carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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45
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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46
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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47
worthies
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| 应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征 | |
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48
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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50
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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51
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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52
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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53
watt
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| n.瓦，瓦特 | |
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54
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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55
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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56
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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58
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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59
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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60
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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61
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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66
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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68
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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69
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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71
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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72
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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73
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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74
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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75
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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76
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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antiquated
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| adj.陈旧的，过时的 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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80
concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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81
rifts
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| n.裂缝( rift的名词复数 )；裂隙；分裂；不和 | |
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82
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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83
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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84
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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85
scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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86
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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87
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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88
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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89
armory
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| n.纹章，兵工厂，军械库 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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daggers
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| 匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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lustreless
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| adj.无光泽的，无光彩的，平淡乏味的 | |
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rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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apocryphal
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| adj.假冒的，虚假的 | |
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97
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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98
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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99
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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