The
whole family remarkably attached to their menials--Mrs.
whole family remarkably attached to their menials--Mrs.
Robert Forst
The original,
which I learned on the spot, from my old hostess in the principal inn
there, is--
"Lassie, lend me your braw hemp heckle,
And I'll lend you my thripplin-kame;
My heckle is broken, it canna be gotten,
And we'll gae dance the bob o' Dumblane.
Twa gaed to the wood, to the wood, to the wood.
Twa gaed to the wood--three came hame;
An' it be na weel bobbit, weel bobbit, weel bobbit
An' it be na weel bobbit, we'll bob it again. "
I insert this song to introduce the following anecdote, which I have
heard well authenticated. In the evening of the day of the battle of
Dumblane, (Sheriff Muir,) when the action was over, a Scots officer in
Argyll's army, observed to His Grace, that he was afraid the rebels
would give out to the world that _they_ had gotten the victory. --"Weel,
weel," returned his Grace, alluding to the foregoing ballad, "if they
think it be nae weel bobbit, we'll bob it again. "
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 293: _Fan_, when--the dialect of Angus. ]
* * * * *
THE BORDER TOUR.
Left Edinburgh (May 6, 1787)--Lammermuir-hills miserably dreary, but
at times very picturesque. Lanton-edge, a glorious view of the
Merse--Reach Berrywell--old Mr. Ainslie an uncommon character;--his
hobbies, agriculture, natural philosophy, and politics. --In the first
he is unexceptionably the clearest-headed, best-informed man I ever
met with; in the other two, very intelligent:--As a man of business he
has uncommon merit, and by fairly deserving it has made a very decent
independence. Mrs. Ainslie, an excellent, sensible, cheerful, amiable
old woman--Miss Ainslie--her person a little _embonpoint_, but
handsome; her face, particularly her eyes, full of sweetness and good
humour--she unites three qualities rarely to be found together; keen,
solid penetration; sly, witty observation and remark; and the
gentlest, most unaffected female modesty--Douglas, a clever, fine,
promising young fellow. --The family-meeting with their brother; my
_compagnon de voyage_, very charming; particularly the sister.
The
whole family remarkably attached to their menials--Mrs. A. full of
stories of the sagacity and sense of the little girl in the
kitchen. --Mr. A. high in the praises of an African, his
house-servant--all his people old in his service--Douglas's old nurse
came to Berrywell yesterday to remind them of its being his birthday.
A Mr. Dudgeon, a poet at times,[294] a worthy remarkable
character--natural penetration, a great deal of information, some
genius, and extreme modesty.
_Sunday. _--Went to church at Dunse[295]--Dr. Howmaker a man of strong
lungs and pretty judicious remark; but ill skilled in propriety, and
altogether unconscious of his want of it.
_Monday. _--Coldstream--went over to England--Cornhill--glorious river
Tweed--clear and majestic--fine bridge. Dine at Coldstream with Mr.
Ainslie and Mr. Foreman--beat Mr.
which I learned on the spot, from my old hostess in the principal inn
there, is--
"Lassie, lend me your braw hemp heckle,
And I'll lend you my thripplin-kame;
My heckle is broken, it canna be gotten,
And we'll gae dance the bob o' Dumblane.
Twa gaed to the wood, to the wood, to the wood.
Twa gaed to the wood--three came hame;
An' it be na weel bobbit, weel bobbit, weel bobbit
An' it be na weel bobbit, we'll bob it again. "
I insert this song to introduce the following anecdote, which I have
heard well authenticated. In the evening of the day of the battle of
Dumblane, (Sheriff Muir,) when the action was over, a Scots officer in
Argyll's army, observed to His Grace, that he was afraid the rebels
would give out to the world that _they_ had gotten the victory. --"Weel,
weel," returned his Grace, alluding to the foregoing ballad, "if they
think it be nae weel bobbit, we'll bob it again. "
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 293: _Fan_, when--the dialect of Angus. ]
* * * * *
THE BORDER TOUR.
Left Edinburgh (May 6, 1787)--Lammermuir-hills miserably dreary, but
at times very picturesque. Lanton-edge, a glorious view of the
Merse--Reach Berrywell--old Mr. Ainslie an uncommon character;--his
hobbies, agriculture, natural philosophy, and politics. --In the first
he is unexceptionably the clearest-headed, best-informed man I ever
met with; in the other two, very intelligent:--As a man of business he
has uncommon merit, and by fairly deserving it has made a very decent
independence. Mrs. Ainslie, an excellent, sensible, cheerful, amiable
old woman--Miss Ainslie--her person a little _embonpoint_, but
handsome; her face, particularly her eyes, full of sweetness and good
humour--she unites three qualities rarely to be found together; keen,
solid penetration; sly, witty observation and remark; and the
gentlest, most unaffected female modesty--Douglas, a clever, fine,
promising young fellow. --The family-meeting with their brother; my
_compagnon de voyage_, very charming; particularly the sister.
The
whole family remarkably attached to their menials--Mrs. A. full of
stories of the sagacity and sense of the little girl in the
kitchen. --Mr. A. high in the praises of an African, his
house-servant--all his people old in his service--Douglas's old nurse
came to Berrywell yesterday to remind them of its being his birthday.
A Mr. Dudgeon, a poet at times,[294] a worthy remarkable
character--natural penetration, a great deal of information, some
genius, and extreme modesty.
_Sunday. _--Went to church at Dunse[295]--Dr. Howmaker a man of strong
lungs and pretty judicious remark; but ill skilled in propriety, and
altogether unconscious of his want of it.
_Monday. _--Coldstream--went over to England--Cornhill--glorious river
Tweed--clear and majestic--fine bridge. Dine at Coldstream with Mr.
Ainslie and Mr. Foreman--beat Mr.
