RODERICK, THE FAIR-HAIRED. 



and feeling of mutual endearment alone engrossed his memory. His 

 reverie, however, was suddenly aroused by the clanking of bells at 

 every little Highland habitation, sprinkled " few and far between," 

 along the spacious surface of the " Great Glen/' This trick of bell- 

 ringing has long been a favourite freak with the " Gentlemen of the 

 North/' which is practised on pretence of summoning their retainers 

 to their breakfast and dinner gruel, but in reality to ring their im- 

 portance in the ears of passing strangers and of one another, verifying 

 to the letter the proverb of " the hog's shearing great cry and little 

 wool." For ages, however, other petty lairdlings have continued 

 thus to exact their " peppercorn of praise," a species of black-mail, 

 contributed at the expense of passing travellers, which, for want of 

 knowing better, many are but too ready to concede ; whence may 

 thrice a-day be heard the discordant tingle of bells, at the mansions 

 or farms of all the potent families, known chiefly by their patronymics 

 of the Mac Clatters, the Mac Tatters, the Mac Shuffles, the Mac 

 Shifts, the Mac Needymores, the Mac Greedymores, the Ragmores, 

 the Lackfields, the Heathfields, the Altnaclaws, the Coiryfiddles. the 

 Fillyfaddles, the Castlelacklesses, the Braxybraes, with a host of 

 other equally distinguished people, the least of whom would be con- 

 sidered moderate in their appropriation or pretensions if, besides their 

 Highland inheritance, they did not also, perdue, lay claim to a whole 

 Eastern province, or a sugar island at the least, of which they know 

 as much as Sancho Panza, with his barber's basin, of the island and 

 governorship of Barataca. But, as Crabbe says 



" Well, go your way, for I do feel it shame 

 To stay such beings with so proud a name." 



Passing onwards, Roderick came in full review of the pretty littl e 

 valley of Flowerdale, a spot long sacred to fancy, feeling, and the 

 muse, and associated with circumstances connected with literature, 

 which must render it interesting to the admirers of genius and of 

 song. Here lived the venerable Cato Bean, from whose legendary 

 stories Mac Pherson drew so largely in his Highland tours ; and here 

 was the favourite haunt of David Carey, who sung the " Pleasures of 

 Nature," and the " Reign of Fancy," and whence the chief attrac- 

 tions of his finest effusions have been drawn ; here also Mrs. J 



concocted her lessons in the cuisine, by which the gourmand has so 

 highly profited, under the designation of ' ' Meg Dodds ;" here wan- 

 dered, in his happiest moods, the author of " Modern Athens," and 

 " Babylon the Great," until sickened and soured with the ways of 

 men in this land of oppression, the recollection of which his soul has 

 indelibly retained ; and here te even-handed Justice returned the 

 poisoned chalice" to the lips of Scotland's king, and where the grave 

 of Duncan is still pointed out. Impressed with the grandeur and 

 solitude of the scenery around, Roderick's feelings, involuntarily 

 bursting the bonds of control, vented forth in melody, which was 

 timed to the simple modulations of his own rustic verse ; and how- 

 ever rude the cadence, or unworthy of Apollo's ear the strain may 

 have been, yet tenderness certainly marked the emotion with which 

 he poured it forth, whose pathos is never wanting when affection finds 



