Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Volume 1Scott, Walter
History
Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Volume 1
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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