has a harsh, ill temper, an'
mistakes sometimes the corruption o' the auld man in him for the proper
zeal o' the new ane. Nor is there ony o' the ithers wha kent what they
had to deal wi' when Robert cam afore them. They saw but a proud,
thrawart ploughman, that stood uncow'ring under the glunsh o' a hail
session; and so they opened on him the artillery o' the kirk, to bear
down his pride. Wha could hae told them that they were but frushing
their straw an' rotten wood against the iron scales o' Leviathan? An'
now that they hae dune their maist, the record o' Robert's mishanter is
lying in whity-brown ink yonder in a page o' the session-buik, while the
ballads hae sunk deep deep intil the very mind o' the country, and may
live there for hunders and hunders o' years."

"You seem to contrast, in this business," I said, "our better with what
you must deem our inferior clergy. You mean, do you not, the higher and
lower parties in our church? How are they getting on now?"

"Never worse," replied the old man; "an', oh, it's surely ill when the
ministers o' peace become the very leaders o' contention! But let the
blame rest in the right place. Peace is surely a blessing frae
Heaven--no a guid wark demanded frae man; an' when it grows our duty
to be in war, it's an ill thing to be in peace. Our Evangelicals are
stan'in', puir folk, whar their faithers stood; an' if they maun either
fight or be beaten frae their post, why, it's just their duty to fight.
But the Moderates are rinnin' mad a'thegither amang us: signing our auld
Confession, just that they may get intil the kirk to preach against it;
paring the New Testament doun to the vera standard o' heathen Plawto;
and sinking ae doctrine after anither, till they leave ahint naething
but deism that might scunner an infidel. Deed, Matthew, if there comena
a change among them, an' that sune, they'll swamp the puir kirk a'
thegither. The cauld morality that never made ony ane mair moral, taks
nae hand o' the people; an' patronage, as meikle's they roose it, winna
keep up either kirk or manse o' itsel. Sorry I am, sin' Robert has
entered on the quarrel at a', it suld hae been on the wrang side."

"One of my chief objections," I said, "to the religion of the Moderate
party is, that it is of no use."

"A gey serious ane," rejoined the old man; "but maybe there's a waur
still. I'm unco vexed for Robert, baith on his worthy faither's account
and his ain. He's a fearsome fellow when anc