ANCIENT CONDITION OF BERWICKSHIRE. 15 



Merse excepted, were covered with wood, and presented, in their rude aspect and 

 scanty population, a picture such as might have led their Roman invaders to confer 

 upon the country the distinctive name of Caledonia.* During the two following 

 centuries, a successive influx of settlers, who had obtained grants of land from 

 the crown, and adopted the new country for their fixed residence, eftected a speedy 

 transformation in its appearance and produce, and became themselves the founders 

 of Border aristocracy. But at that early period, the art of agriculture was little 

 understood, and limited to a very inconsiderable portion of the land now under 

 tillage ; while the resources and occupations of pastoral life sufficed for all the 

 wants of a people whose ambition was rather to live free than to die rich, and 

 who attached more importance to a sense of native independence, than accumu- 

 lation of property.! 



Till the beginning of last century, little had been done to improve the face 

 of the country by extended tillage and plantation ; but at length a national spirit 

 manifested itself, and a new system of rural economy, introduced by several of 

 the leading proprietors, opened a new era in the history of agriculture, and 

 spread rapidly over the whole county. At the head of this patriotic association 

 were, Mr. Swinton, of Swinton, Mr. Home, of Eccles— some time later. 

 Lord Kames— under whose judicious management the system prospered, and thus 

 inspired others with confidence and resolution to disiniss ancient prejudices, and 

 make trial of the new process by the test of experiment. From that time, the 

 improvement of their estates became a principal and favourite occupation among 

 the resident landlords; and from this growing and generous emulatibn the 

 happiest consequences were ensured. Clover and grasses were successfully intro- 

 duced at Kames, and various other estates in the county, about 1750 ; previously 



• The general name applied to aU the inhabitants to the northward of the Friths of Clyde and Forth, 

 was Caledonii, Latinized by the Romans from Na Camlldaoin, the men of the woods, (Gr4NT's Origin and 

 Descent of the Giiel,) who were looked upon as so formidable, that the Romans kept two legions on the 

 north frontier of their province, Valentia, while one was sufficient to keep all the rest of the Britons in 

 subjection.— (Did. lib. v.) A curious passage from the " Scotichron," (lib. iv.) derives Scot from Scota, 

 the daughter of Pharaoh ! and the Gael, from Gadelus, the son of Neolus, an Athenian king : " Sed el 

 e.(itus eorura de Egypto sub primo rege Gathelo, filio regis Neoli Atheniensium, et uxore ejus Scota," &c. 

 The most probable, however, of all the conjectures on this subject, appears to be, that Scot is derived 

 from Scuit, or Scaoit, which signifies moving bodies of people— m reference to the universal custom among 

 the mountaineers, to remove annually (as in Switzerland at the present day,) from their winter habitations 

 in the valleys to their pasturages among the mountains ; and in further confirmation of this, some weight 

 is to be attached to the words of Ammianus Marcellinus, " Scott per diversa vagantes:'—See Note, p. 12. 

 t " Oh, hou Fredom is noble thyng ! A nobil heart may haf na eis. 



For it maks men to Jiaif lyking. Nor nocht als that may it pleis, 



Fredom all solace to men givis : If Fkedom fale ! 



He livis at eis that firelie livis Barbocr. 



