Generally we abominate apostrophes; but this is not so bad. We are
glad to observe a tribute, even lightly paid, from an old pupil to
the merits of that excellent and thoroughly learned man, Dr Carson,
whose memory is still green amongst us, and on that subject we shall
say nothing farther. But old Bowie! ye gods! how he would have stared
at the magnificent pedigree chalked out for him by the enthusiastic
Borrow! Little did the worthy janitor think, when exchanging squares of
"lick" or "gib,"--condiments for the manufacture of which the excellent
man was renowned--for the coppers of the urchins in high-lows, that in
future years, after he was borne to his honoured rest in the Canongate
churchyard, the "gyte," or rather "cowley," whose jaws he had seen so
often aggluminated together by the adhesive force of his saccharine
preparations, should proclaim his descent from one of the starkest
of the Norse Berserkars! Great is the power of gib--irresistible the
reminiscence of lick! We remember no instance of gratitude like to
this, except, indeed, Sir Epicure Mammon's gratuitous offer to his
cook, of knighthood in return for the preparation of a dish of sow's
teats,
"Dressed with a delicate and poignant sauce!"
But enough of old Bowie, the representative of the Jomsborg Vikings!
During his residence in Edinburgh, Master Borrow became acquainted
with a young man, who afterwards attained considerable though unenvied
notoriety. He appears to have been tolerably hand-in-glove with David
Haggart, and to have fought side by side with him in sundry "bickers,"
which at that time were prevalent on the salubrious margin of the Nor'
Loch. We never enjoyed the advantage of an interview with David, and
consequently cannot speak to the accuracy of Mr Borrow's portrait of
him; but we are not in the least surprised at the almost affectionate
terms which our author uses in regard to the grand evader of the
Tolbooths; having been assured by several of our legal friends, who
knew him well, that he was a person of considerable accomplishment
and rather fascinating manners, a little eccentric perhaps in his
habits, but decidedly a favourite with the bar. Some of our readers
may possibly think that Mr Borrow's comparative estimate of the merits
of Tamerlane and Haggart is slightly overwrought; and that his early
prepossessions in favour of David may have led him to exalt that
personage unduly. The bias, however is pardonable; and, sooth to
say, were it not for the Dumfries murder, which was a bad business,
we also should be inclined to rank Haggart rather high in the scale
of criminals. He is still regarded as the Achilles of the Caledonian
cracksmen, and legends of his daring, prowess, and ingenuity, are even
yet current in the northern jails. During the literary epidemic which
raged in this country some ten years back, occasioning such a demand
for tales of robbery and assault, we remember to have received a MS.
drama, in which Haggart was honourably mentioned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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