but it is manifest that the mind of the nation was turning more and more to secular and commercial pursuits than it had formerly been; and all that was wanted for the rapid development of industry and commercial enterprise was a field for the energy of the people. But while Scotland was forced to continue in an antagonistic attitude to England this could not be obtained; and the difficulty was how to change the relations of the two kingdoms, and to place both upon a footing of equality and commercial freedom. Union at length solved the difficulty; and, as already stated, it has proved an immense advantage to the progress of civilisation in Scotland, while it has contributed to the power and to the glory of the British Empire. The In concluding this exposition of the social state of the nation, let us briefly recapitulate some of the leading points. Beginning with the administration of justice and the powers of the executive, I proceeded to show the state of crime, the condition of the poor, and the means employed for their relief, and touched on the laws for suppressing and reforming the vagrant and idle classes. The ideas and the beliefs prevailing among the people, and the causes of their persistence, were indicated; the social morality of the nation, the relations of the people and the clergy, the observance of Sunday and religious services, drinking habits, the relations of the different sexes, sumptuary regulations, and the sanitary condition of the kingdom, were explained at some length. Having noticed the state of the roads, and the introduction of postal communication, and indicated the state of agriculture, I then traced the rise and slow progress of industry and manufactories, noting some of the obstacles which impeded their development in Scotland; the coinage and the introduction of banking; and especially remarked that more energy began to be thrown into trading and commercial matters towards the end of the century. When all the distracting influences springing out of civil and religious war, and other adverse circumstances which the nation had to face, are taken into account, it is surprising that the people entered so soon upon the remarkable career of industry and rapid commercial progress which have characterised the succeeding centuries; and which, along with the rise and the diffusion of science, of invention, of literature, of philosophy, and of art, constitute an era of true glory in the history of Scotland. Here, therefore, we may repeat, that there is hardly anything, hardly any difficulties, which will not yield "to the persistent energy of man" 140 The intellectual and moral impetus of the Reformation continued till new influences came, and then one by one the links of tradition and the shackles of authority became weaker and weaker; a philosophy of surpassing vigour and boldness arose, far-reaching in its results, shaking the foundations of the received principles of belief and the current theories of knowledge to their core, thus inaugurating a new point of departure for the human mind. To elucidate. the historical antecedents of this philosophy will be the special aim of the concluding chapter of this volume; and ultimately the whole movement of European thought will open before us with amazing clearness. 140 Mackintosh's History of Civilisation in Scotland, Vol. I., p. 17. CHAPTER XXX. BALLAD AND JACOBITE LITERATURE OF SCOTLAND. WHEN attempting to reach an exhaustive explanation of the causes and influences which have contributed to the development of the mind and character of a nation, everything which has affected their civilisation, and especially whatever has been mainly produced by the people themselves, demands the attention of the historian. It is admitted on all hands that the ballad literature and national songs of Scotland are of this description. For centuries these compositions have exercised an influence on the feelings and on the sentiments of the people. The songs associated with the national music, and with the popular tunes and dances, are essential elements of the national life, and have long been a source of real enjoyment among the people. But the field of Scottish ballad and song is wide and varied, and cannot be treated in minute detail here, my aim being to ascertain and indicate the bearing of this class of writings on the life of the nation. And yet if we are to try as far as possible to escape the error of forming imperfect and unjust estimates of the national character, it becomes necessary to look at this branch of literature, as it contains real evidence of the states of feeling, of the opinions, and of the manners of the people. Some account of the origin, the progress, and the value of our ballad literature was given in the twelfth chapter of this work, and its influence upon the Reformation was noticed in the thirteenth and in the twenty-first chapters;1 in the present 1 Mackintosh's History of Civilisation in Scotland, Vol. I., pp. 501-518 et seq.; Vol. II., pp. 37-38, 44, 296. chapter the exposition is continued till past the middle of the eighteenth century, and thus includes the Jacobite ballads as well as compositions of a satirical turn, and the popular songs of the people, beginning with those of a historical and satirical description, and closing with the popular or lyric songs. The disturbed state of the nation from the death of James VI. to the Union, was unpropitious to literary culture of any kind. Yet the opinions and the sentiments of the contending parties occasionally sought vent in rude ballads and rhymed compositions. There are ballads on the Covenanting armies and battles, and on some of the events of the long struggle from the Restoration to the Revolution, after which the distinctive Scotch Jacobite ballads and satires began. The greater part of the Jacobite ballads are rather rude and coarse in phraseology, but they gave expression to the feelings and sentiments, and to some of the ruling ideas of one of the parties in the struggle; indeed, the Jacobite ballads and songs embodied a sort of creed of the party, and historically, they are valuable. It was reported that Argyle was the first who raised fire in the Civil War, by burning the house of Airlie, in June, 1639, thus originating the ballad "The Bonnie House of Airlie". It was long popular, and there are several versions of it extant. Argyle, being intent on the destruction of the house, is represented as working with his own hands in “knocking down the doorposts and the headstone of Airlie". The ballad opens thus: "It fell on a day, and a bonnie summer day, Between Argyle and Airlie. The Earl o' Montrose has written to Argyle, To come in the morning early, An' lead his men by the back o' Dunkeld, And there she espied the great Argyle Come to plunder the bonnie house o' Airlie. 'Come down, come down, Lady Margaret,' he says, 'Come down and kiss me fairly, Or before the morning clear day-light I'll not leave a standing stane in Airlie.'"2 The lady replied that she would not submit, even though he should carry out his threat. The short satirical ballad, called "Leslie's March to LongMarston Moor," is curious, and contains a few hits at the prevailing feeling of the Covenanters :— "Stand till it, and fight like men, True gospel to maintain; The parliament's blyth to see us a' coming. We'll purge it each room From popish relics and a' such innovation, There's none in the right but we, O' the sons of the auld Scottish nation; And the kist fu' o' whistles, that mak sic a cleiro, Our pipers brave shall have them a', Whate'er comes o' it." 3 The aversion of the presbyterians to the organ in churches was emphatic; and they were also very sure of the truth of their own opinions, and determined to maintain them. The battle of Philiphaugh was fought on the 13th of September, 1645, when Montrose was completely defeated by a portion of the Covenanting army, under the command of David Leslie. This battle terminated the short and brilliant career of Montrose. The ballad gives an account of the battle from the Covenanters' standpoint, and expressed their feeling of exultation: 2 Another version contains a pointed reference to a blemish in Argyle's eyes, and has two additional verses. It is conjectured by Maidment "that the grim chief of the Campbells had been a rejected suitor, and that the lady treated by him in so base a manner preferred the Loyalist lover of Airlie to the Covenanting lord of Lochow".—Scottish Ballads, Vol. I., pp. 272-274. 3 Maidment's Scottish Ballads, Vol. I., p. 293. |