THE CURSE OF SCOTLAND.
A friend asked me, a few days since, if I could tell him why the nine of diamonds (the playing card) is called “ the Curse of Scotland.” I remember that I had heard something of the same subject before ; but I was not aware the saying was so common in Scotland as he assured me it was. I could not answer his question, but I determined that I would look it up when I got home. And I did. I found more than one explanation of the circumstance ; but after a candid comparing of notes, I made up my mind that the following afforded the best solutions: —“ In the distracted state of the country during the reign of Mary, a man named George Campbell attempted to steal the crown out of Edinburgh castle. He did not succeed in getting away with the crown itself, but managed to abstract nine valuable diamonds and to get off with them out of the country. To replace these a heavy tax was laid upon the people, which, being found burdensome and oppressive, was by them termed ‘ the Curse of Scotland and until quite recently, in certain districts in Scotland the card itself was called ‘ George Campbell.’ Another explanation relates to the massacre of Glencoe. The order for this cruel deed was signed by the eldest son of the Earl of Stair, who was at that time Secretary of State for Scotland. The coat of arms of this family bears nine diamonds on its shield ; and the indignant people, not daring to stigmatise the Lord of Stair as ‘ the Curse of Scotland,’ applied the term to his shield. Still another solution —and equally good —relates to the battle of Colloden, the result of which extinguished the hopes of the Stuarts, and was at the time regarded as a national curse. The Duke of Cumberland, who was known to be fond of cards, and who always carried a packet in his pocket, when he had made his victory of Coloden complete, took a card from his pocket and wrote thereupon a despatch announcing his victory, and that card proved to be the nine of diamonds.
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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1010, 10 December 1881, Page 4
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363THE CURSE OF SCOTLAND. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1010, 10 December 1881, Page 4
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