a journey to-第21章

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each　I　have　not　learned。　　The　head　belonged　to　the　smith；　and　the
udder　of　a　cow　to　the　piper：　　the　weaver　had　likewise　his
particular　part；　and　so　many　pieces　followed　these　prescriptive
claims；　that　the　Laird's　was　at　last　but　little。

The　payment　of　rent　in　kind　has　been　so　long　disused　in　England；
that　it　is　totally　forgotten。　　It　was　practised　very　lately　in　the
Hebrides；　and　probably　still　continues；　not　only　in　St。　Kilda；
where　money　is　not　yet　known；　but　in　others　of　the　smaller　and
remoter　Islands。　　It　were　perhaps　to　be　desired；　that　no　change　in
this　particular　should　have　been　made。　　When　the　Laird　could　only
eat　the　produce　of　his　lands；　he　was　under　the　necessity　of
residing　upon　them；　and　when　the　tenant　could　not　convert　his　stock
into　more　portable　riches；　he　could　never　be　tempted　away　from　his
farm；　from　the　only　place　where　he　could　be　wealthy。　　Money
confounds　subordination；　by　overpowering　the　distinctions　of　rank
and　birth；　and　weakens　authority　by　supplying　power　of　resistance；
or　expedients　for　escape。　　The　feudal　system　is　formed　for　a　nation
employed　in　agriculture；　and　has　never　long　kept　its　hold　where
gold　and　silver　have　become　common。

Their　arms　were　anciently　the　Glaymore；　or　great　two…handed　sword；
and　afterwards　the　two…edged　sword　and　target；　or　buckler；　which
was　sustained　on　the　left　arm。　　In　the　midst　of　the　target；　which
was　made　of　wood；　covered　with　leather；　and　studded　with　nails；　a
slender　lance；　about　two　feet　long；　was　sometimes　fixed；　it　was
heavy　and　cumberous；　and　accordingly　has　for　some　time　past　been
gradually　laid　aside。　　Very　few　targets　were　at　Culloden。　　The
dirk；　or　broad　dagger；　I　am　afraid；　was　of　more　use　in　private
quarrels　than　in　battles。　　The　Lochaber…ax　is　only　a　slight
alteration　of　the　old　English　bill。

After　all　that　has　been　said　of　the　force　and　terrour　of　the
Highland　sword；　I　could　not　find　that　the　art　of　defence　was　any
part　of　common　education。　　The　gentlemen　were　perhaps　sometimes
skilful　gladiators；　but　the　common　men　had　no　other　powers　than
those　of　violence　and　courage。　　Yet　it　is　well　known；　that　the
onset　of　the　Highlanders　was　very　formidable。　　As　an　army　cannot
consist　of　philosophers；　a　panick　is　easily　excited　by　any　unwonted
mode　of　annoyance。　　New　dangers　are　naturally　magnified；　and　men
accustomed　only　to　exchange　bullets　at　a　distance；　and　rather　to
hear　their　enemies　than　see　them；　are　discouraged　and　amazed　when
they　find　themselves　encountered　hand　to　hand；　and　catch　the　gleam
of　steel　flashing　in　their　faces。

The　Highland　weapons　gave　opportunity　for　many　exertions　of
personal　courage；　and　sometimes　for　single　combats　in　the　field；
like　those　which　occur　so　frequently　in　fabulous　wars。　　At　Falkirk；
a　gentleman　now　living；　was；　I　suppose　after　the　retreat　of　the
King's　troops；　engaged　at　a　distance　from　the　rest　with　an　Irish
dragoon。　　They　were　both　skilful　swordsmen；　and　the　contest　was　not
easily　decided：　　the　dragoon　at　last　had　the　advantage；　and　the
Highlander　called　for　quarter；　but　quarter　was　refused　him；　and　the
fight　continued　till　he　was　reduced　to　defend　himself　upon　his
knee。　　At　that　instant　one　of　the　Macleods　came　to　his　rescue；　who；
as　it　is　said；　offered　quarter　to　the　dragoon；　but　he　thought
himself　obliged　to　reject　what　he　had　before　refused；　and；　as
battle　gives　little　time　to　deliberate；　was　immediately　killed。

Funerals　were　formerly　solemnized　by　calling　multitudes　together；
and　entertaining　them　at　great　expence。　　This　emulation　of　useless
cost　has　been　for　some　time　discouraged；　and　at　last　in　the　Isle　of
Sky　is　almost　suppressed。

Of　the　Earse　language；　as　I　understand　nothing；　I　cannot　say　more
than　I　have　been　told。　　It　is　the　rude　speech　of　a　barbarous
people；　who　had　few　thoughts　to　express；　and　were　content；　as　they
conceived　grossly；　to　be　grossly　understood。　　After　what　has　been
lately　talked　of　Highland　Bards；　and　Highland　genius；　many　will
startle　when　they　are　told；　that　the　Earse　never　was　a　written
language；　that　there　is　not　in　the　world　an　Earse　manuscript　a
hundred　years　old；　and　that　the　sounds　of　the　Highlanders　were
never　expressed　by　letters；　till　some　little　books　of　piety　were
translated；　and　a　metrical　version　of　the　Psalms　was　made　by　the
Synod　of　Argyle。　　Whoever　therefore　now　writes　in　this　language；
spells　according　to　his　own　perception　of　the　sound；　and　his　own
idea　of　the　power　of　the　letters。　　The　Welsh　and　the　Irish　are
cultivated　tongues。　　The　Welsh；　two　hundred　years　ago；　insulted
their　English　neighbours　for　the　instability　of　their　Orthography；
while　the　Earse　merely　floated　in　the　breath　of　the　people；　and
could　therefore　receive　little　improvement。

When　a　language　begins　to　teem　with　books；　it　is　tending　to
refinement；　as　those　who　undertake　to　teach　others　must　have
undergone　some　labour　in　improving　themselves；　they　set　a
proportionate　value　on　their　own　thoughts；　and　wish　to　enforce　them
by　efficacious　expressions；　speech　becomes　embodied　and　permanent；
different　modes　and　phrases　are　compared；　and　the　best　obtains　an
establishment。　　By　degrees　one　age　improves　upon　another。
Exactness　is　first　obtained；　and　afterwards　elegance。　　But　diction；
merely　vocal；　is　always　in　its　childhood。　　As　no　man　leaves　his
eloquence　behind　him；　the　new　generations　have　all　to　learn。　　There
may　possibly　be　books　without　a　polished　language；　but　there　can　be
no　polished　language　without　books。

That　the　Bards　could　not　read　more　than　the　rest　of　their
countrymen；　it　is　reasonable　to　suppose；　because；　if　they　had　read；
they　could　probably　have　written；　and　how　high　their　compositions
may　reasonably　be　rated；　an　inquirer　may　best　judge　by　considering
what　stores　of　imagery；　what　principles　of　ratiocination；　what
comprehension　of　knowledge；　and　what　delicacy　of　elocution　he　has
known　any　man　attain　who　cannot　read。　　The　state　of　the　Bards　was
yet　more　hopeless。　　He　that　cannot　read；　may　now　converse　with
those　that　can；　but　the　Bard　was　a　barbarian　among　barbarians；　who；
knowing　nothing　himself；　lived　with　others　that　knew　no　more。

There　has　lately　been　in　the　Islands　one　of　these　illiterate　poets；
who　hearing　the　Bible　read　at　church；　is　said　to　have　turned　the
sacred　history　into　verse。　　I　heard　part　of　a　dialogue；　composed　by
him；　translated　by　a　young　lady　in　Mull；　and　thought　it　had　more
meaning　than　I　expected　from　a　man　totally　uneducated；　but　he　had
some　opportunities　of　knowledge；　he　lived　among　a　learned　people。
After　all　that　has　been　done　for　the　instruction　of　the
Highlanders；　the　antipathy　between　their　language　and　literature
still　continues；　and　no　man　that　has　learned　only　Earse　is；　at　this
time；　able　to　read。

The　Earse　has　many　dialects；　and　the　words　used　in　some　Islands　are
not　always　known　in　others。　　In　literate　nations；　though　the
pronunciation；　and　sometimes　the　words　of　common　speech　may　differ；
as　now　in　England；　compared　with　the　South　of　Scotland；　yet　there
is　a　written　diction；　which　pervades　all　dialects；　and　is
understood　in　every　province。　　But　where　the　whole　language　is
colloquial；　he　that　has　only　one　part；　never　gets　the　rest；　as　he
cannot　get　it　but　by　change　of　residence。

In　an　unwritten　speech；　nothing　that　is　not　very　short　is
transmitted　from　one　generation　to　another。　　Few　have　opportunities
of　hearing　a　long　composition　often　enough　to　learn　it；　or　have
inclination　to　repeat　it　so　often　as　is　necessary　to　retain　it；　and
what　is　once　forgotten　is　lost　for　ever。　　I　believe　there　cannot　be
recovered；　in　the　whole　Earse　language；　five　hundred　lines　of　which
there　is　any　evidence　to　prove　them　a　hundred　years　old。　　Yet　I
hear　that　the　father　of　Ossian　boasts　of　two　chests　more　of　ancient
poetry；　which　he　suppresses；　because　they　are　too　good　for　the
English。

He　that　goes　into　the　Highlands　with　a　mind　naturally　acquiescent；
and　a　credulity　eager　for　wonders；　may　come　back　with　an　opinion
very　different　from　mine；　for　the　inhabitants　knowing　the　ignorance
of　all　strangers　in　their　language　and　antiquities；　perhaps　are　not
very　scrupulous　adherents　to　truth；　yet　I　do　not　say　that　they
deliberately　speak　studied　falsehood；　or　have　a　settled　purpose　to
deceive。　　They　have　inquired　and　considered　little；　and　do　not
always　feel　their　own　ignorance。　　They　are　not　much　accustomed　to
be　interrogated　by　others；　and　seem　never　to　have　thought　upon
interrogating　themselves；　so　that　if　they　do　not　know　what　they
tell　to　be　true；　they　likewise　do　not　distinctly　perceive　it　to　be
false。

Mr。　Boswell　was　very　diligent　in　his　inquiries；　and　the　result　of
his　investigations　was；　that　the　answer　to　the　second　question　was
commonly　such　as　nullified　the　answer　to　the　first。

We　were　a　while　told；　that　they　had　an　old　translation　of　the
scriptures；　and　told　it　till　it　would　appear　obstinacy　to　inquire
again。　　Yet　by　continued　accumulation　of　questions　we　found；　that
the　translation　meant；　if　any　meaning　there　were；　was　nothing　else
than　the　Irish　Bible。

We　heard　of　manuscripts　that　were；　or　that　had　been　in　the　hands　of
somebody's　father；　or　grandfather；　but　at　last　we　had　no　reason　to
believe　they　were　other　than　Irish。　　Martin　mentions　Irish；　but
never　any　Earse　manuscripts；　to　be　found　in　the　Islands　in　his
time。

I　suppose　my　opinion　of　the　poems　of　Ossian　is　already　discovered。
I　believe　they　never　existed　in　any　other　form　than　that　which　we
have　seen。　　The　editor；　or　author；　never　could　shew　the　original；
nor　can　it　be　shewn　by　any　other；　to　revenge　reasonable
incredulity；　by　refusing　evidence；　is　a　degree　of　insolence；　with
which　the　world　is　not　yet　acquainted；　and　stubborn　audacity　is　the
last　refuge　of　guilt。　　It　would　be　easy　to　shew　it　if　he　had　it；
but　whence　could　it　be　had？　　It　is　too　long　to　be　remembered；　and
the　language　formerly　had　nothing　written。　　He　has　doubtless
inserted　names　that　circulate　in　popular　stories；　and　may　have
translated　some　wandering　ballads；　if　any　can　be　found；　and　the
names；　and　some　of　the　images　being　recollected；　make　an　inaccurate
auditor　imagine；　by　the　help　of　Caledonian　bigotry；　that　he　has
formerly　heard　the　whole。

I　asked　a　very　learned　Minister　in　Sky；　who　had　used　all　arts　to
make　me　believe　the　genuineness　of　the　book；　whether　at　last　he
believed　it　himself？　but　he　would　not　answer。　　He　wished　me　to　be
deceived；　for　the　honour　of　his　country；　but　would　not　directly　and
formally　deceive　me。　　Yet　has　this　man's　testimony　been　publickly
produced；　as　of　one　that　held　Fingal　to　be　the　work　of　Ossian。

It　is　said；　that　some　men　of　integrity　profess　to　have　heard　parts
of　it；　but　they　all　heard　them　when　they　were　boys；　and　it　was
never　said　that　any　of　them　could　recite　six　lines。　　They　remember
names；　and　perhaps　some　proverbial　sentiments；　and；　having　no
distinct　ideas；　coin　a　resemblance　without　an　original。　　The
persuasion　of　the　Scots；　however；　is　far　from　universal；　and　in　a
question　so　capable　of　proof；　why　should　doubt　be　suffered　to
continue？　　The　editor　has　been　heard　to　say；　that　part　of　the　poem
was　received　by　him；　in　the　Saxon　character。　　He　has　then　found；　by
some　peculiar　fortune；　an　unwritten　language；　written　in　a
character