MR BATHGATE ON "OLD TIMES IN SCOTLAND."

Evening Star, Issue 3531, 17 June 1874, Page 2

MR BATHGATE ON "OLD TIMES IN SCOTLAND."

Last evening Mr Bathgate gave a lecture on the above-named subject, in the Congregational Church, which was listened to with great attention. The following abstract will prove interesting The lecturer proposed to limit himself to a few observations on the manners and habits of our grandfathers—say of,the people who lived in Scotland in the early part ef the present century. Simple in their habits, exclusive in their privileges, and tenacious or their rights, the burgesses in “ finished towns lived on in a state of sturdy independence, their only amusement being a day s fishing in the season, a curling match 1° j j * . Wla^er time, and a bowl of whisky toddy in the evening, when discussing the affairs of the nation and the latest news of Bonaparte with the “Councillors,” and when the Provost vindicated the dignity of his position by an extra half-mutchkin to the bowl at his own expense. The Corporatuons were all composed of freemen, whoso callmgscould only be followed by those who had inherited or acquired the freedom 0 the burgh at the cost of heavy fees, and the chances of improvement were accordingly very small. The “Hammermen” termed the most powerful of these bodies, being composed of all the trades which wielded a hammer— smiths, carpenters, coopers, glaziers, masons, and the like. In the Royal burgh where I spent my boyhood and a large portion of my riper years— Peebles, on the Tweed—we were trained up in the belief that there was no place like it. Early in this century one of our magnates had paid a visit to France, of which ho -aid, Ou, Paris is a fine place. Its* a’ vera weel, but for real pleasure gie me Peebles.” The Provost, in his way, had considerable power. There were no written warrants needed in those days. &. word to the Town _»fficer consigned the culprit to durance vile. It rarely happened that the bailies were men of education. I have seen the Provost presiding at an examination of the Grammar School with the Homer wrong aide up; and it was boldly said by the Chief Magistrate of Loohmaben, when admonished by the Town Clerk that he was reading a letter upside down. “ What!” said he, “ am I fit to be Provost of Lochmaben, and canua read a letter at ony end ?” They were rich, because their wants were few. The artificial wants of modem society were unknown. The invitation was given to ‘ c ' ome yersel’ at timeand after a boiled egg, or dish of minced collops, varied sometimes in seaports by oysters, or boiled partans (crabs), they were happy for an hour or two over a jug of ale, or a bowl of whisky toddy, and the toast, song, and proverb went merrily round in pleasing atternative. Mothers answered their children, er scolded them, or advised them in proverbs, which were for generations the standard literature of the Scotch. Pithy and sententious, oxpressing much in few words, they were suited to'the genius of the people. It is a fine compliment paid to a good woman to say, “She’s better than she’s bonny,” or to a pretty woman, “A benny bride’s soon basketi.” Many a time I have had to take the oath as a boy’, “ As sure’s death.*’ A lesson of contentment is given by the proverb—“lt is bettor to sup wi? a cutty than want a spune.” The allusion was to horn spoons, made and sold at fairs by travelling homers or tinkers; chiefly used at meal times, except at tables of the wealthy. The idea of a change during a'meal was unknown'. It is related of an honest tenant-farmer,(when dining for the first time at the laird’s table, that he said to the servant, on his patting down a dessert spoon when he had been helped to padding. “ Tak it awa, my man ; my mou’s as big for pudding as it is for kail.” Thera were giants in those days. The lays of Scottish poets nursed in such times are eternal; a quiet parlor in a Scottish burgh gave birth to “|The Wealth of Nations ” —still the text-book of the student of political economy. A little room in a Scottish seaport burgh was the training-place of Chalmers, the divine. A border town gave us our engineers, Telford add Repbfe. ® John Moore was a Glasgow laddie ; and the Malcolms, and many a gallant soldier, to whose genius and ability the Empire was mdebted, sprang from the ranks of the humble Scottish people. In Geology. Chemistry, and Natural Philosophy our Scottish Professors led the way; and you have in Sir David Monro the descendant of three generations °f Professors of Anatomy m Edinburgh University. If there be any parents hearing me, of Scottish origin, let them teach their children the old traditions of their homes, which will make them ready for every exertion on behalf of their adopted and, and fitted, when the day comes, to maintain against attacks from without or dissension from within, in times of trial or of penl, their freedom and independence. The horrors of the first French Revolution caused the Government of the day to become at once strong and timid. Liberty of thought and speech was counted treasonable licence and sedition. The Bench was harsh and arbitrary. Lord Braxfield used to say, “ Let them bring me prisoners, IH find them law,” He once said to a culprit who was eloquently defending himu Ye’re a clever chiel, naon, but ye wad be none the waur o’ a hanging. ” The stern old Judge had some grim humor in hip}, as it is said of him when his butler gave up his place because his lordship’s wife was always scolding him—“ Lord,” he?exdaimed, “ ye’ve little to complain o’; ye may be thankfu’ ye’re no married to her.” Another of the Judges, Eskgrove, was so affected with republican terrors, that in his eyes to a soldier’s uniforn was a serious aggravation of the crime, of murder. The lata Lord Cockburn heard him, j u con , demning a tailor to death f®r murdering a soldier by stabbing him, aggravate the thus—“ and plot only did you murder him, whereby he was bereaved of his life you did thrust, or push, or pierce, or project, or propell the le thcll weapon thro’ the band of his regimen-tal breeches, which were His Majes-ty’s.” All this tyranny could not take place without welling its wav down through every rank of society. Fathers treated their children and servants unmeroituily. Children ware sent to school to be JJW 4 - , A “ ot . he ? w , ould bring her soix to the burgh school and-say to the master, ive brought ye oor Jock, mind ye licls

him week Cock-fighting, dog-fighting, throwing Stones at old horses, spangheaving young birds, were favorite recreations Roxn» matches, or “a fecht, m the way of a duel, were of daily occurrence, and at times deadly bickers or battles with stones and slings took place between rival schools or opposite sides of streets, at which serious accidents sometimes took place. An intense fear of Bonaparte pervaded every class, accompanied with a stern determination to do their duty in the way of resistance. Peeblesbire, with a population one-half that of Dunedin, turned out 1,200 men under arms. From 1803 till 1814 Edinburgh was a complete camp. Side-arms and uniform peeped from behind the gown at the bar, and even on the bench ; and parade and review forteed the staple of conversation. There was no telegraph in those days to give instant warning, but beacon-fires were built on the high hilltops, and watchers sat ready to set them in a blaze. In 1804 the watcher at Home Castle, deceived by an accidental fire in Northumberland, lighted his beacon. The signal of war was manfully answered. The civic volunteers, the country corps, well armed and completely appointed with baggage and provisions, and the Selkirk Yeomanry mustered, the latter reaching thirty miles distant to Dalkeith in a few hours. It time the whole of Scotland was an armed camp, thoroughly in earnest. Those who could not enter the ranks themselves, contributed to the general expenses. An old maiden lady at Montrose refused to subscribe to a proposed fund for organizing a volunteer corps in that town. ‘‘lndeed,” when asked to give something, she said,' “I’ll dae nae sic thing; I ne’er could raise a man for mysell, and I’m no gaen to raise men for King George. ” At the time of the threatened invasion, the Laird of Logt.n was taunte-1 with the want of a loyal spirit at Cumnock, in Ayrshire, tenor twelve miles from the coast, therenot being a single volunteer in the place. ‘ ‘ What sort of people are you at Cumnock ?” said an Ayr gentlemen, “you have not a single volunteer.’ “Never ye heed,” said the Laird, very quietly, “if the French land at Ayr, there will soon be plenty of voiunters up at Cumnock.” The peace in 1814 . brought the disbandment of the different corps; hut in 1819. the alarm created in Glasgow by the Radicals, as they were called in their attempts at political changes, led anew to the enrolment of the volunteers in various places. Under the comraandof Samuel Hunter, editor of the ‘ Glasgow Herald,’a regiment of 1,000 fine young fellows was raised under thenam« of the “Glasgow Sharpshooters.” :he Volunteers were never severely tried, if 1 except a troop of Yeomanry, which, with a troop of the 7th Hussars, followed the Radicals to Bonnymuir, near Stirling, About fifty had proceeded thither expecting large reinforcements from England. On being asked to surrender, they answered with a shout of defiance, and stood in the front rank m which they had formed, armed with pikes, pistols, and guns. The whole party were dispersed or taken prisoners, and the ringleaders—Baird and Hardie—were tried aiul hanged at Stirling, and their heads afterwards struck off, according, to the old punish ment for treason. This, I think, was the last instance of such barbarity in Scotland, [Owing to our limited space, we are obliged to hold over the remainder of our report of the lecture.]