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.
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