[143] The fabulous story of Fortunatus was known to every hind in the country through chap-books editions of his adventures.
[144] In the 1824 edition all that comes between the words ‘cannot help’ and ‘until they disdain now to ride upon pads,’ as in the text above, is omitted. The reading in that edition is:—‘The last prevailing evil that I see, all men may hear, but none strive to help; women now disdain to ride on pads, as of old,’ etc.
[145] Probably Carlisle.
[146] Scotch people have always had the idea that the use of carriages was a sign of effeminacy. Innovations tending towards ease and luxury in any direction were discountenanced; and the story is told of an old Highland chieftain who was highly mortified when he found that his son, on an expedition with the clan, used a stone for a pillow when sleeping on the hills. The use of a pillow of any kind seemed to him a symptom of declension.
[147] The Scots generally consider their native dialect as different from the English. They acknowledge a common origin, but argue for a different development. A look over the glossary at the end will give the reader some idea of the material divergences that have arisen in the growth of the Anglo-Saxon tongue in England and Scotland.
[148] In the 1824 edition, all between this and the paragraph beginning, ‘Another grievance of the female offenders,’ is left out.
[149] The rest of this paragraph in the 1824 edition reads:—‘I mean the flyers, who have got more silver than sense, more haughtiness than gold, and value themselves as treasure incomprehensible, their whole body as if set about with precious stones, and the solemnity, or their marriage, is like a peace after a bloody war.’
[150] There has always been in Scotland a tendency to make the celebration of a marriage the occasion of great festivity. The Church for a time tried to keep this within proper bounds, and generally allowed an expense of six shillings Scots (six pence sterling) for each guest. This was, however, often exceeded, and the parties had to answer to the Kirk Session for doing so. Even elders of the Kirk, when their daughters were being married, sometimes overstepped the limit, and had to make their repentance for it.
[151] This paragraph ends as follows in the 1824 edition:—‘as the skimings of a pot of green kail, and the poor husband has to return at ten o’clock to his fore-noon’s wark, without his breakfast, hanging his head like a brewer’s horse at the ale-house door.’
[152] The 1824 edition ends here, with the sentence:—‘That such a wife may be the lot of every young lad, is the earnest prayer of Grannie M‘Nab.’