Just about the end of my first provostry, I began to make a discovery.
Whether it was that I was a little inordinately lifted up by reason of
the dignity, and did not comport myself with a sufficient condescension
and conciliation of manner to the rest of the town-council, it would be
hard to say. I could, however, discern that a general ceremonious
insincerity was performed by the members towards me, especially on the
part of those who were in league and conjunct with the town-clerk, who
comported himself, by reason of his knowledge of the law, as if he was in
verity the true and effectual chief magistrate of the burgh; and the
effect of this discovery, was a consideration and digesting within me how
I should demean myself, so as to regain the vantage I had lost; taking
little heed as to how the loss had come, whether from an ill-judged pride
and pretending in myself, or from the natural spirit of envy, that
darkens the good-will of all mankind towards those who get sudden
promotion, as it was commonly thought I had obtained, in being so soon
exalted to the provostry.
Before the Michaelmas I was, in consequence of this deliberation and
counselling with my own mind, fully prepared to achieve a great stroke of
policy for the future government of the town. I saw that it would not do
for me for a time to stand overly eminent forward, and that it was a
better thing, in the world, to have power and influence, than to show the
possession of either. Accordingly, after casting about from one thing to
another, I bethought with myself, that it would be a great advantage if
the council could be worked with, so as to nominate and appoint My Lord
the next provost after me. In the proposing of this, I could see there
would be no difficulty; but the hazard was, that his lordship might only
be made a tool of instrumentality to our shrewd and sly town-clerk, Mr
Keelivine, while it was of great importance that I should keep the
management of my lord in my own hands. In this strait, however, a thing
came to pass, which strongly confirms me in the opinion, that good-luck
has really a great deal to say with the prosperity of men. The earl, who
had not for years been in the country, came down in the summer from
London, and I, together with the other magistrates and council, received
an invitation to dine with him at the castle. We all of course went,
"with our best breeding," as the old proverb says, "helped by our brawest
cleeding;" but I soon saw that it was only a _pro forma_ dinner, and that
there was nothing of cordiality in all the civility with which we were
treated, both by my lord and my lady. Nor, indeed, could I, on an
afterthought, blame our noble entertainers for being so on their guard;
for in truth some of the deacons, (I'll no say any of the bailies,) were
so transported out of themselves with the glory of my lord's banquet, and
the thought of dining at the castle, and at the first table too, that
when the wine began to fiz in their noddles, they forgot themselves
entirely, and made no more of the earl than if he had been one of
themselves. Seeing to what issue the matter was tending, I set a guard
upon myself; and while my lord, out of a parly-voo politess, was egging
them on, one after another, to drink deeper and deeper of his old wines,
to the manifest detriment of their own senses, I kept myself in a degree
as sober as a judge, warily noting all things that came to pass.
The earl had really a commendable share of common sense for a lord, and
the discretion of my conduct was not unnoticed by him; in so much, that
after the major part of the council had become, as it may be said, out o'
the body, cracking their jokes with one another, just as if all present
had been carousing at the Cross-Keys, his lordship wised to me to come
and sit beside him, where we had a very private and satisfactory
conversation together; in the which conversation, I said, that it was a
pity he would not allow himself to be nominated our provost. Nobody had
ever minted to him a thought of the thing before; so it was no wonder
that his lordship replied, with a look of surprise, saying, "That so far
from refusing, he had never heard of any such proposal."
"That is very extraordinary, my lord," said I; "for surely it is for your
interests, and would to a certainty be a great advantage to the town,
were your lordship to take upon you the nominal office of provost; I say
nominal, my lord, because being now used to the duties, and somewhat
experienced therein, I could take all the necessary part of the trouble
off your lordship's hands, and so render the provostry in your lordship's
name a perfect nonentity." Whereupon, he was pleased to say, if I would
do so, and he commended my talents and prudence, he would have no
objection to be made the provost at the ensuing election. Something more
explicit might have ensued at that time; but Bailie M'Lucre and Mr
Sharpset, who was the dean of guild, had been for about the space of half
an hour carrying on a vehement argument anent some concern of the
guildry, in which, coming to high words, and both being beguiled and
ripened into folly by the earl's wine, they came into such a manifest
quarrel, that Mr Sharpset pulled off the bailie's best wig, and flung it
with a damn into the fire: the which stramash caused my lord to end the
sederunt; but none of the magistrates, save myself, was in a condition to
go with his lordship to My Lady in the drawing-room.