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
This happened on many occasions. Indeed, it was not till after the
total destruction of the clan influence, after 1745, that purchasers
could be found who offered a fair price for the estates forfeited in
1715, which were then brought to sale by the creditors of the York
Buildings Company, who had purchased the whole, or greater part, from
government at a very small price. Even so late as the period first
mentioned, the prejudices of the public in favour of the heirs of the
forfeited families threw various impediments in the way of intending
purchasers of such property.
NOTE 19
This sort of political game ascribed to Mac-Ivor was in reality played
by several Highland chiefs, the celebrated Lord Lovat in particular,
who used that kind of finesse to the uttermost. The Laird of Mac---was
also captain of an independent company, but valued the sweets of
present pay too well to incur the risk of losing them in the Jacobite
cause. His martial consort raised his clan and headed it in 1745. But
the chief himself would have nothing to do with king-making, declaring
himself for that monarch, and no other, who gave the Laird of Mac ----
'half-a-guinea the day and half-a-guinea the morn.'
NOTE 20
In explanation of the military exercise observed at the Castle of
Glennaquoich, the author begs to remark that the Highlanders were not
only well practised in the use of the broadsword, firelock, and most of
the manly sports and trials of strength common throughout Scotland, but
also used a peculiar sort of drill, suited to their own dress and mode
of warfare. There were, for instance, different modes of disposing the
plaid, one when on a peaceful journey, another when danger was
apprehended; one way of enveloping themselves in it when expecting
undisturbed repose, and another which enabled them to start up with
sword and pistol in hand on the slightest alarm.
Previous to 1720 or thereabouts, the belted plaid was universally worn,
in which the portion which surrounded the middle of the wearer and that
which was flung around his shoulders were all of the same piece of
tartan. In a desperate onset all was thrown away, and the clan charged
bare beneath the doublet, save for an artificial arrangement of the
shirt, which, like that of the Irish, was always ample, and for the
sporran-mollach, or goat's-skin purse.
The manner of handling the pistol and dirk was also part of the
Highland manual exercise, which the author has seen gone through by men
who had learned it in their youth.
NOTE 21
Pork or swine's flesh, in any shape, was, till of late years, much
abominated by the Scotch, nor is it yet a favourite food amongst them.
King Jamie carried this prejudice to England, and is known to have
abhorred pork almost as much as he did tobacco. Ben Jonson has recorded
this peculiarity, where the gipsy in a masque, examining the king's
hand, says--
You should, by this line,
Love a horse and a hound, but no part of a swine.
The Gipsies Metamorphosed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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