[328] The first volume had just been issued with a dedication to the
King. The series was completed in 48 vols., published at the beginning
of each month, between 1829-33, and the circulation went on increasing
until it reached 35,000 monthly.
[329] Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, which stood at that time in Shakespeare
Square, the site of the present General Post-Office.
[330] Mr. Lockhart remarks that, besides the usual allowance of
rheumatism, and other lesser ailments, Sir Walter had an attack that
season of a nature which gave his family great alarm, and which for some
days he himself regarded with the darkest prognostications. After some
weeks, during which he complained of headache and nervous irritation,
certain hæmorrhages indicated the sort of relief required, and he
obtained it from copious cupping.--_Life_, vol. ix. p. 327-8.
[331] See _infra_, p. 299.
[332] _The Beaux's Stratagem_, Farquhar.
[333] Through the courtesy of Miss Dick Lauder I am enabled to give the
letter referred to:--
"My DEAR SIR THOMAS,--I received your kind letter and interesting
communication yesterday, and hasten to reply. I am ashamed of the
limited hospitality I was able to offer Mr. Lauder, but circumstances
permitted me no more. I was much pleased with his lively and intelligent
manners, and hope he will live to be a comfort and a credit to Lady
Lauder and you.
"I need not say I have the greatest interest in the MS. which you
mention. In case it shall really prove an authentic document, there
would not be the least difficulty in getting the Bannatyne Club to take,
perhaps, 100 copies, or obtaining support enough so as, at the least, to
preclude the possibility of loss to the ingenious Messrs. Hay Allan. But
I think it indispensable that the original MS. should be sent for a
month or so to the Register House under the charge of the Deputy
Register, Mr. Thomson, that its antiquity be closely scrutinised by
competent persons. The art of imitating ancient writing has got to a
considerable perfection, and it has been the bane of Scottish
literature, and disgrace of her antiquities, that we have manifested an
eager propensity to believe without inquiry and propagate the errors
which we adopt too hastily ourselves. The general proposition that the
Lowlanders ever wore plaids is difficult to swallow. They were of twenty
different races, and almost all distinctly different from the Scots
Irish, who are the proper Scots, from which the Royal Family are
descended. For instance, there is scarce a great family in the Lowlands
of Scotland that is not to be traced to the Normans, the proudest as
well as most civilised race in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Is it
natural to think that holding the Scots in the contempt in which they
did, they would have adopted their dress? If you will look at Bruce's
speech to David I., as the historian Ælred tells the story, you will see
he talks of the Scots as a British officer would do of Cherokees. Or
take our country, the central and western part of the border: it was
British, Welsh if you please, with the language and manners of that
people who certainly wore no tartan. It is needless to prosecute this,
though I could show, I think, that there is no period in Scottish
History when the manners, language, or dress of the Highlanders were
adopted in the Low Country. They brought them with them from Ireland, as
you will see from the very curious prints in Derrick's picture of
Ireland, where you see the chiefs and followers of the wild Irish in the
ordinary Highland dress, _tempore_ Queen Elizabeth. Besides this, where
has slept this universal custom that nowhere, unless in this MS., is it
even heard of? Lesley knew it not, though the work had been in his
possession, and his attention must have been called to it when writing
concerning the three races of Scots--Highlanders, Lowlanders, and
Bordermen, and treating of their dress in particular. Andrew Borde knows
nothing of it, nor the Frenchman who published the geographical work
from which Pinkerton copied the prints of the Highlander and Lowlander,
the former in a frieze plaid or mantle, while the Lowlander struts away
in a cloak and trunk hose, liker his neighbour the Fleming. I will not
state other objections, though so many occur, that the authenticity of
the MS. being proved, I would rather suppose the author had been some
tartan-weaver zealous for his craft, who wished to extend the use of
tartan over the whole kingdom. I have been told, and believe till now,
that the use of tartan was never general in Scotland (Lowlands) until
the Union, when the detestation of that measure led it to be adopted as
the national colour, and the ladies all affected tartan screens or
mantles.
"Now, a word to your own private ear, my dear Sir Thomas. I have
understood that the Messrs. Hay Allan are young men of talent, great
accomplishments, enthusiasm for Scottish manners, and an exaggerating
imagination, which possibly deceives even themselves. I myself saw one
of these gentlemen wear the Badge of High Constable of Scotland, which
he could have no more right to wear than the Crown. Davidoff used also
to amuse us with stories of knighthoods and orders which he saw them
wear at Sir William Cumming Gordon's. Now this is all very well, and I
conceive people may fall into such dreaming habits easily enough, and be
very agreeable and talented men in other respects, and may be very
amusing companions in the country, but their authority as antiquaries
must necessarily be a little apocryphal when the faith of MSS. rests
upon their testimony. An old acquaintance of mine, Captain Watson of the
navy, told me he knew these gentlemen's father, and had served with him;
he was lieutenant, and of or about Captain Watson's age, between sixty I
suppose, and seventy at present. Now what chance was there that either
from age or situation he should be receiving gifts from the young
Chevalier of Highland Manuscripts.
"All this, my dear Sir Thomas, you will make your own, but I cannot
conceal from you my reasons, because I would wish you to know my real
opinion. If it is an imitation, it is a very good one, but the title
'Liber Vestiarium' is false Latin I should think not likely to occur to
a Scotsman of Buchanan's age. Did you look at the watermark of the MS.?
If the Manuscript be of undeniable antiquity, I consider it as a great
curiosity, and most worthy to be published. But I believe nothing else
than ocular inspection will satisfy most cautious
antiquaries....--Yours, my dear Sir Thomas, always,