Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 05
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 05
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
[Footnote 7: A legend, similar to that here given, was current in
Glasgow a number of years ago, and for ages before. The hero's name was
Bob Dragon, whose income, when alive, was said to have been one guinea a
minute. His coachman and horses were said, as those of the major, to
want the heads. The most curious trait of the Glasgow goblin horses, was
that they went down to the river to drink, although they had no heads.
The superstitions of most European countries have a similar origin: the
Germans have their spectre huntsman; the coaches and horses of Major
Weir and Bob Dragon are of the same character. The antiquary will find
the trial of Major Weir in Pitcairn's "Criminal Trials;" and the lover
of such stories may consult "Satan's Invisible World Discovered."--ED.]
The time of our story was September, early in the seventies of the last
century, or it might be the end of the sixties--it matters not much as
to the year--but it was in the month of September, when parties and
politics had set the freemen and burgesses of the royal burghs by the
ears--when feasting and caballing formed almost their whole employment.
The exaltation of themselves or party friends to the civic honours
engrossed their whole attention, and neither money nor time was
grudgingly bestowed to obtain their objects. The embellishment and
improvement of the city of Edinburgh were keenly urged and carried on by
one party, at the head of which was Provost Drummond. He was keenly
opposed by another, which, though fewer in number, and not so well
organized, was not to be despised; for it only wanted a leader of nerve
and tact to stop or utterly undo all that had been done, and keep the
city, as it had been for more than a century, in a position of stately
decay. The wild project of building a bridge over the North Loch was
keenly contested; and ruin and bankruptcy were foretold to the good
town, if the provost and his party were not put out of the council
before it was begun to be carried into execution.
The heavens were illuminated by a glorious harvest moon, far in her
southings; the High Street was deep in shade, like a long dark avenue;
the dim oil lamps, perched high upon their wooden posts, few and far
between, gleamed in the darkness like glow-worms--as two portly figures
were seen in earnest discourse, walking, not with steady step, up the
High Street.
"By my troth, deacon!" said one of them, "I fear Luckie Bell has had too
much of our company this night. I had no idea it was so late. There is
the eighth chime of St. Giles': what hour will strike?"
"Deil may care for me, Treasurer Kerr!" hiccuped the deacon.
"Preserve me, deacon!" replied the treasurer, "it has struck twelve!
What shall I say to the wife? It's to-morrow, deacon! it's to-morrow!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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