FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   417   418   419   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436   437   438   439   440   441  
442   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   466   >>   >|  
till Glasgow then?" said Jeanie, as she observed that the drivers made no motion for inclining their horses' heads towards the ancient bridge, which was then the only mode of access to St. Mungo's capital. "No," replied Archibald; "there is some popular commotion, and as our Duke is in opposition to the court, perhaps we might be too well received; or they might take it in their heads to remember that the Captain of Carrick came down upon them with his Highlandmen in the time of Shawfield's mob in 1725, and then we would be too ill received.* And, at any rate, it is best for us, and for me in particular, who may be supposed to possess his Grace's mind upon many particulars, to leave the good people of the Gorbals to act according to their own imaginations, without either provoking or encouraging them by my presence." * In 1725, there was a great riot in Glasgow on account of the malt-tax. Among the troops brought in to restore order, was one of the independent companies of Highlanders levied in Argyleshire, and distinguished, in a lampoon of the period, as "Campbell of Carrick and his Highland thieves." It was called Shawfield's Mob, because much of the popular violence was directed against Daniel Campbell, Esq. of Shawfield, M. P., Provost of the town. To reasoning of such tone and consequence Jeanie had nothing to reply, although it seemed to her to contain fully as much self-importance as truth. The carriage meantime rolled on; the river expanded itself, and gradually assumed the dignity of an estuary or arm of the sea. The influence of the advancing and retiring tides became more and more evident, and in the beautiful words of him of the laurel wreath, the river waxed-- A broader and yet broader stream. The cormorant stands upon its shoals, His black and dripping wings Half open'd to the wind. [From Southey's _Thalaba,_ Book xi. stanza 36.] "Which way lies Inverary?" said Jeanie, gazing on the dusky ocean of Highland hills, which now, piled above each other, and intersected by many a lake, stretched away on the opposite side of the river to the northward. "Is yon high castle the Duke's hoose?" "That, Mrs. Deans?--Lud help thee," replied Archibald, "that's the old castle of Dumbarton, the strongest place in Europe, be the other what it may. Sir William Wallace was governor of it in the old war with the English, and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   417   418   419   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436   437   438   439   440   441  
442   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   466   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Jeanie

 

Shawfield

 

Highland

 
broader
 

Carrick

 

received

 

Campbell

 

replied

 

popular

 
castle

Archibald

 
Glasgow
 
wreath
 

evident

 
beautiful
 

laurel

 

stands

 

shoals

 
cormorant
 
stream

meantime

 
estuary
 

rolled

 

expanded

 
assumed
 

dignity

 

carriage

 
retiring
 

gradually

 

importance


influence

 

advancing

 

opposite

 

northward

 

Wallace

 

William

 

governor

 

English

 

Dumbarton

 

strongest


Europe

 

stretched

 
Thalaba
 

stanza

 

Southey

 

intersected

 

Inverary

 
gazing
 

dripping

 

lampoon