Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

young, by keeping them as much as possible under the eye of those appointed to observe and instruct them. A certain part of each day should be devoted to their education; they should not be suffered to injure themselves by overworking; and they should be indulged with opportunity and time for those healthy recreations which are suitable to the age, and beneficial to the temper, of children. Sixpence a-day will support a young person, and six hours' labour would procure it.

The regulations of the society, and the rate of labour, being fixed by positive statute, the whole manufactory should be let for a term of from three to five years. Directors should be appointed to watch over the interests of the institution; to observe that the regulations, in regard to the rate of labour, &c. were rigidly fulfilled; and to appoint teachers, and the proper officer or officers to receive the rent and manage the disbursements. The lessee should be the sole proprietor of the manufactory in every thing else, paying and superintending his labourers, furnishing the materials, and receiving the profits of the manufactures. The directors should be the whole justices of peace of the county, who should annually appoint a special committee of their own number, or of gentlemen in the district. The rent, after defraying the expenses, should be applied as a sinking fund.

The sum required for the building and machinery could be raised by a public loan, a land-tax being imposed to pay the interest. This land-tax would be payable by the tenant, with recourse on his landlord, if the latter paid the poor's rates. Of all the taxes that could be devised, this would be the most easy; for while it would form a very small per centage on the pound of rent, it would ultimately relieve the land of at least four-fifths of its present burden.

The raising of ten millions Sterling would be of no injury in the present state of the money market. The expending of this great sum would at once give employment to many thousand mechanics and labourers. In the course of twelve months many of those manufactories would be erected, and in the course of three years the whole plan could be completed.-What then would be the result?-No person would need to be idle, or to suffer the VOL. I.

want of the necessaries of life, for a longer time than he could consume in travelling to one of those manufac tories; and the most forlorn wretch would instantly have the power of becoming an industrious member of that society, to which he might have otherwise proved a burden and a curse, Many of the crimes and misfortunes of the poor might be traced to those intervals of idleness and discontent which the want of employment occasions and which are the times when the minister of blasphemy and treason is able to make his most numerous proselytes. But all occasion for those periods of misery and guilt would now cease. A poor man could, with a word, procure the means of support, without sacrificing in the least his independence; while he earned his bread, he would neither be a beggar nor a slave; he would have the power of introducing his family into a well regulated society, instead of being forced, as must often occur at present, to carry it into the receptacles of misery and debauchery; his children would be trained to habits which they never else could have acquired; they would see, in their parents, persons honestly earning the means of life, and not the sharers and abusers of an ill judged charity.

But as these establishments could not be completed at once, and, extensive as they may seem, would be insufficient to maintain the number of poor who are at present inadequately employed, I propose that an effort shall be made, worthy of a great state, to lighten in the mean time that mass of misery, which, pressing on the body of the people, excites a dark and brooding spirit of discontent, of which no human sagacity can foresee all the evils. It is well known, that in order to begin and complete innumerable works of public utility, as roads, bridges, canals, harbours,-nothing is wanting but those funds which it exceeds the power of individuals or societies to procure. There is hardly a county in Britain, in which some of these great works would not be undertaken, if the means of doing so could be commanded. Let government, then, be authorised to procure by loan, a sum to the extent of five or six millions, and empowered to take

Communicated to the Committee before Mr Vansittart's plan was made known. 21

$

shares in every canal, or similar work, which should be begun in the course of a short period to be specified, to an amount not exceeding three-fourths of the whole expense; and also, to advance money to a similar extent, at the rate of 3 per cent. for the building of bridges, making of new roads, &c.-a proportional part of their revenue being set apart to pay the interest and liquidate the debt. The benefits that would result from a measure of this kind would be unspeakably great. If proper enactments were made to hasten the beginning of the works, I will venture to assert, that in six months from the passing of the law, little short of one hundred thousand persons would be employed in objects of public utility.

The really helpless poor could not perhaps be better maintained than by moderate pecuniary allowances in the parishes in which they live. I shall not, however, extend my remarks, by entering on a subject which would merit and require a more minute analysis than I could now bestow upon it.

To the plan I have ventured to submit to your consideration, many objections of great force may doubtless be urged. But from these, it is not in the least probable that any measure which can be proposed or adopted will be free. Perhaps we shall do well in seeking to change a system to which the policy of the state has given all the sanction of time, to limit our hopes to the obtaining of a great good by the enduring of considerable evil.

ORIGIN OF THE TERMS, WHIG AND

TORY.

I." This year (says Hume; Hist. Eng. 1680) is remarkable for being the epoch of the well-known epithets of Whig and Tory, by which, and sometimes without any material difference, this island has been so long divided. The court party reproached their antagonists with their affinity to the fanatical conventiclers in Scotland, who were known by the name of Whigs: The country party found a resemblance between the courtiers and popish banditti in Ireland, to whom the appellation of Tory was affixed. And after this manner, these foolish terms of reproach came into public and general use and even at present, seem

not nearer their end than when they were first invented."

II. Mr Laing takes no notice of the term Tory,-but of Whig, he gives the following as the origin :

"Argyle and Lothian had begun an insurrection in the Highlands," and so forth. "The expedition was termed the Whigamores inroad, from a word employed by these western peasants in driving horses; and the name, transferred in the succeeding reign to the opponents of the court, is still preserved and cherished by the Whigs, as the genuine descendents of the covenanting Scots."

[ocr errors]

III. Bailey, in his dictionary, gives the following:

"WHIG (Sax.) whey, butter-milk, or very small beer,"-again,

"A WHIG-first applied to those in Scotland who kept their meetings in the fields, their common food being sour-milk,t-a nickname given to those who were against the court interest in the times of King Charles and James II., and to such as were for it in succeeding reigns."

With regard to Tory, he says,

"A word first used by the protestants in Ireland, to signify those Irish common robbers and murderers, who stood outlawed for robbery and murder; now a nickname to such as call themselves high church men, or to the partizans of the Chevalier de St George."

IV. Johnson, again, has "WHIG (Sax.) 1. Whey.-2. The name of a faction," and as to TORY, he supposes it to be derived from an Irish word, signifying a savage." One who

For a further account of the term "Whigamore," see Burnet, as quoted in ÉDITOR. Johnson's Dictionary.

+ In different parts of Scotland. the term Whig is still commonly applied to a sort of sour liquid which is obtained from milk or cream. The whig is taken from cream after it has been collected six or eight days for a kirning, and is drawn off by a spiggot from the bottom of the cask or can. -It is also taken from sour-milk, when in a coagulated state, or what the Scotch call lappert milk, being merely the thin watery substance which is separated from the curd on stirring it about. The whig, both of sourmilk and cream, is extremely tart to the taste. It is not, so far as we know, used in any way for food by the common people. Might not this term have been first applied to the covenanters, in derision of their austere manners and unpalatable opinions? ED.

adheres to the ancient constitution of the state, and the apostolical hierarchy of the church of England-opposed to a Whig."

Torbhee is the Irish appellation for a person who seizes by force, and without the intervention of law, what, whether really so or not, he alleges to be his property.

V. Daniel Defoe, in No 75 of Vol. VII., of his Review of the British Nation,' (1709) gives the following history of these terms:

"The word Tory is Irish, and was first made use of in Ireland, in the time of Elizabeth's wars there. It signified a kind of robbers, who being listed in neither army, preyed in general upon their country, without distinction of English or Irish.

“In the Irish massacre in 1641, you had them in great numbers, assistant in every thing that was bloody and villanous, and particularly when humanity prevailed upon some of the papists to preserve protestant relations; these were such as chose to butcher brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, and dearest friends and nearest relations, and these were called Tories.

66

In England, about the year 1680, a party of men appeared among us, who, though pretended protestants, yet applied themselves to the ruin and destruction of their country. They : quickly got the name of Tories.-Their real godfather, who gave them the name, was Titus Oates; and the occasion as follows: the author of this happened to be present.-There was a meeting of some people in the city, upon the occasion of the discovery of some attempt to stifle the evidence of the witnesses, (about the popish plot) and tampering with Bedlow and Stephen Dugdale.-Among the discourse, Mr Bedlow said, he had letters from Ireland, that there were some Tories to be brought over hither, who were privately to murder Dr Oates and the said Bedlow.

"The Doctor, whose zeal was very hot, could never hear any man talk after this against the plot, or against the witnesses, but he thought he was one of these Tories, and called almost every man who opposed him in discourse a Tory; till at last the word Tory became popular, and they owned it, just as they do now the name highflyer.

[ocr errors]

As to the word Whig, it is Scots. The use of it began there, when the

western men, called Cameronians, took arms frequently for their religion. Whig was a word used in those parts for a kind of liquor the western Highlandinen used to drink, the composi tion of which I do not remember, but so became common to these people who drank it. These men took up arms about the year 1681, being the insurrection at Bothwell Bridge. The Duke of Monmouth, then in favour here, was sent against them by hing Charles, and defeated them. At his return, instead of thanks for his good service, he found himself ill treated for using them mercifully. And Lauderdale told Charles, with an oath, that the Duke had been so civil to the Whigs, because he was a Whig himself in his heart. This made it a court word, and in a little while all the friends and followers of the Duke began to be called Whigs; and they, as the other party did by the word Tory, took it freely enough to themselves."

Edinburgh, May 1817.

STRILA.

TALES AND ANECDOTES OF THE

PASTORAL LIFE.

No III.

As soon as the marriage ceremony was over, all the company shook hands with the young couple, and wished them every kind of joy and felicity. The rusticity of their benisons amused me, and there were several of them that I have never, to this day, been able to comprehend. As, for instance -one wished them "thumpin luck and fat weans;" another, "a bien rannlebauks, and tight thack and rape o'er their heads;" a third gave them "a routh aumrie and a close nieve ;" and the lasses wished them

[ocr errors]

as mony

hiney moons as the family had fingers an' taes." I took notes of these at the time, and many more, and set them down precisely as they were spoken ; all of them have doubtless meanings attached to them, but these are perhaps the least mystical.

Now

I expected, now, that we should go quietly to our dinner; but instead of that, they again rushed rapidly away towards the green, crying out, for the broose! now for the broose!""The people are unquestionably mad," said to one that stood beside me; "are they really going to run their horses again among such ravines and bogs as these? they must be dissuaded from it." The man informed me that

the race was now to be on foot; that there were always two races-the first on horseback for the bride's napkin, and the second on foot for the bridegroom's spurs. I asked him how it came that they had thus altered the order of things in the appropriation of the prizes, for that the spurs would be the fittest for the riders, as the napkin would for the runners. He admitted this, but could adduce no reason why it was otherwise, save that "it was the gude auld gate, and it would be a pity to alter it." He likewise informed me, that it was customary for some to run on the bride's part, and some on the bridegroom's; and that it was looked on as a great honour to the country, or connexions of either party, to bear the broose away from the other. Accordingly, on our way to the raceground, the bridegroom was recruiting hard for runners on his part, and, by the time we reached the starting-place, had gained the consent of five. One now asked the best-man why he was not recruiting in behalf of the bride. "Never mind," said he; "do ye strip an' mak ready-I'll find them on the bride's part that will do a' the turn." It was instantly rumoured around, that he had brought one all the way from Liddesdale to carry the prize away on the bride's part, and that he was the best runner on all the Border side. The runners, that were all so brisk of late, were now struck dumb; and I marked them going one by one, eyeing the stranger with a jealous curiosity, and measuring him with their eyes from head to foot.-No, not one of them would venture to take the · field against him!" they war only jokin' they never intendit to rinthey war just jaunderin wi' the bridegroom for fun."-" Come, fling aff your claes, Hobby, an' let them see that ye're ready for them," said the best-man. The stranger obeyed-he was a tall, slender, and handsome youth, with brown hair, prominent features, and a ruddy complexion."Come, lads," said the best-man,

Hobby canna stand wanting his claes; if nane of ye are ready to start with him in twa minutes, he shall rin the course himsel, and then I think the folk o' this country are shamed for ever."-" No sae fast," said a little funny-looking fellow, who instantly began to strip off his stockings and shoes; no sae fast, lad; he may won, but he sanna won untried." A

committee was instantly formed apart, where it was soon agreed, that all the good runners there should, with one accord, start against this stranger; for that, "if naebody ran but Tam the tailor, they wad be a' shamed thegither, for Tam wad never come within a stane-clod o' him."-" Hout, aythat's something like yoursels, callants," said old John; "try him-he's but a saft feckless-like chiel; I think ye needna be sae feared for him.”"It is a' ye ken," said another; "do nae ye see that he's lingit like a grew —and he'll rin like ane;—they say he rins faster than a horse can gallop.""I'll try him on my Cameronian whenever he likes," said Aberlosk; "him that beats a Cameronian has but another to beat."

In half a minute after this, seven athletic youths were standing in a row stripped, and panting for the race; and I could note, by the paleness of their faces, how anxious they were about the result-all save Aedie o' Aberlosk, on whom the whisky had made some impression, and who seemed only intent on making fun. At the distance of 500 yards there was a man placed, whom they denominated the stoop, and who had his hat raised on the end of his staff, lest another might be mistaken for him. Around this stoop they were to run, and return to the starting-place, making in all a heat of only 1000 yards, which I was told is the customary length of a race all over that country. They took all hold of one another's hands-the best-man adjusted the line in which they stood, and then gave the word as follows, with considerable pauses between : Once-Twice-Thrice, and off they flew like lightning, in the most beautiful style I ever beheld. The ground was rough and unequal, but there was no restraint or management practised; every one set out on full speed from the very first. The Borderer took the lead, and had soon distanced them a considerable space-all save Aberlosk, who kept close at his side, straining and twisting his face in a most tre mendous manner; at length he got rather before him, but it was an overstretch-Aedie fell flat on his face, nor did he offer to rise, but lay still on the spot, puffing and swearing against the champion of Liddesdale.

Hobby cleared the stoop first by about twenty yards;the rest turned in such a group that I could not dis

cern in what order, but they were all obliged to turn it to the right, or what they called "sun-ways-about," on pain of losing the race. The generality of the weddingers" were now quite silent, and looked very blank when they saw this stranger still keeping so far a-head. Aberlosk tried to make them all fall one by one, by creeping in before them as they passed; and at length laid hold of the hindmost by the foot, and brought him down.

By this time two of the Borderer's acquaintances had run down the green to meet him, and encourage him on. "Weel done, Hobby!" they were shouting: "Weel done, Hobby!Liddesdale for ever!-Let them lick at that!-Let the benty-necks crack now!-Weel done, Hobby!"-I really felt as much interested about the issue, at this time, as it was possible for any of the adverse parties to be. The enthusiasm seemed contagious; for though I knew not one side from the other, yet was I running among the rest, and shouting as they did. A sort of half-animated murmur now began to spread, and gained ground every moment. A little gruff Cossack looking peasant came running near with a peculiar wildness in his looks, and accosted one of the men that were cheering Hobby. "Dinna be just sae loud an' ye like, Willie Beattie; din na mak nae mair din than just what's needfu'. Will o' Bellendine! haud till him, sir, or it's day wi' us! Hie, Will, if ever ye ran i' your life!-By Jehu, sir, ye're winning every third step!-He has him dead! he has him dead!" The murmur, which had increased like the rushing of many waters, now terminated in a frantic shout. Hobby had strained too hard at first, in order to turn the stoop before Aberlosk, who never intended turning it at all the other youth was indeed fast gaining on him, and I saw his lips growing pale, and his knees plaiting as if unable to bear his weight-his breath was quite exhausted, and though within twenty yards of the stoop, Will began to shoulder by him. So anxious was Hobby now to keep his ground, that his body pressed onward faster than his feet could keep up with it, and his face, in consequence, came deliberately against the earth, he could not be said to fall, for he just run on till he could get no farther for something that stopped him. Will o' Bellendine won the broose amid cla

mours of applause, which he seemed fully to appreciate the rest were over Hobby in a moment; and if it had not been for the wayward freaks of Aberlosk, this redoubted champion would fairly have won the mell.

The lad that Aedie overthrew, in the midst of his career, was very angry with him on account of the outrage→→ but Aedie cared for no man's anger. "The man's mad," said he; "wad ye attempt to strive wi' the champion of Liddesdale?-Hout, hout! haud your tongue; ye're muckle better as ye are. I sall tak the half o' the mell wi' ye."

On our return to the house, I was anxious to learn something of Aedie, who seemed to be a very singular character. Upon applying to a farmer of his acquaintance, I was told a number of curious and extravagant stories of him, one or two of which I shall insert here, as I profess to be giving anecdotes of the country life.

He once quarrelled with another farmer on the highway, who, getting into a furious rage, rode at Aedie to knock him down. Aedie, who was on foot, fled with all his might to the top of a large dunghill for shelter, where, getting hold of a graip (a three-pronged fork used in agriculture), he at tacked his adversary with such an overflow of dung, that his horse took fright, and in spite of all he could do, run clear off with him, and left Aedie master of the field. The farmer, in high wrath, sent him a challenge to fight with pistols, in a place called Selkith Hope, early in the morning. This is an extremely wild, steep, and narrow glen. Aedie attended, but kept high up on the hill; and when his enemy reached the narrowest part of the Hope, began the attack by rolling great stones at him down from the mountain. Nothing could be more appalling than this-the farmer and his horse were both alike terrified, and, as Aedie expressed it, "he set them baith back the gate they cam, as their heads had been a-lowe.'

Another time, in that same Hope of Selkith, he met a stranger, whom he mistook for another man called Jamie Sword; and because the man denied that he was Janie Sword, Aedie fastened a quarrel on him, insisting on him either being Jamie Sword, or giving some proofs to the contrary. It was very impudent in him, he said, to give any man the lie, when he could produce no evidence of his being

« PoprzedniaDalej »