Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — CompleteScott, Walter
History
Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Complete
Scott, Walter
Historical fiction; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Fiction; Scotland -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction
A jolly dame who, not 'Sixty Years Since,' kept the principal
caravansary at Greenlaw, in Berwickshire, had the honour to receive
under her roof a very worthy clergyman, with three sons of the same
profession, each having a cure of souls; be it said in passing, none of
the reverend party were reckoned powerful in the pulpit. After dinner
was over, the worthy senior, in the pride of his heart, asked Mrs.
Buchan whether she ever had had such a party in her house before. 'Here
sit I,' he said, 'a placed minister of the Kirk of Scotland, and here
sit my three sons, each a placed minister of the same kirk. Confess,
Luckie Buchan, you never had such a party in your house before.' The
question was not premised by any invitation to sit down and take a
glass of wine or the like, so Mrs. B. answered drily, 'Indeed, sir, I
cannot just say that ever I had such a party in my house before, except
once in the forty-five, when I had a Highland piper here, with his
three sons, all Highland pipers; and deil a spring they could play
amang them.'
NOTE 7
There is no particular mansion described under the name of
Tully-Veolan; but the peculiarities of the description occur in various
old Scottish seats. The House of Warrender upon Bruntsfield Links and
that of Old Ravelston, belonging, the former to Sir George Warrender,
the latter to Sir Alexander Keith, have both contributed several hints
to the description in the text. The House of Dean, near Edinburgh, has
also some points of resemblance with Tully-Veolan. The author has,
however, been informed that the House of Grandtully resembles that of
the Baron of Bradwardine still more than any of the above.
NOTE 8
I am ignorant how long the ancient and established custom of keeping
fools has been disused in England. Swift writes an epitaph on the Earl
of Suffolk's fool--
Whose name was Dickie Pearce
In Scotland, the custom subsisted till late in the last century; at
Glamis Castle is preserved the dress of one of the jesters, very
handsome, and ornamented with many bells. It is not above thirty years
since such a character stood by the sideboard of a nobleman of the
first rank in Scotland, and occasionally mixed in the conversation,
till he carried the joke rather too far, in making proposals to one of
the young ladies of the family, and publishing the bans betwixt her and
himself in the public church.
NOTE 9
After the Revolution of 1688, and on some occasions when the spirit of
the Presbyterians had been unusually animated against their opponents,
the Episcopal clergymen, who were chiefly nonjurors, were exposed to be
mobbed, as we should now say, or rabbled, as the phrase then went, to
expiate their political heresies. But notwithstanding that the
Presbyterians had the persecution in Charles II and his brother's time
to exasperate them, there was little mischief done beyond the kind of
petty violence mentioned in the text.
NOTE 10
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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