1803. Revieiu of Pechlcs Su7"uey. 217 



* In former times, the Scots tenant pofrefTcd the fentiments and 

 habits of the fubjeft of an Afiatic dcfpot, rather tlian thofe of a free 

 man : deftitute of that manly confidence, iiifpircd by the confcioufncfa 

 of fecurity in the equal proteftion of law, he relied more upon tlie re- 

 fources of his own dexterity and c-unning ; and the dread of bcin^; 

 plundered made him cautious of difplayin^r fuch wealth as he poflefT- 

 ed, either in improvements upon his farm, or in pnrchafmg fuch com- 

 forts and accommodation?* as its profits might afford. From this con- 

 tradled habit of concealment, and from the fmall degree of wealth 

 which he had any opportunity of acquiring, the Scots tenant was con- 

 tented to live in the moft miferable hovel; the poverty, too, of his 

 landlord, wlio could draw little rent from a wretched tenantry, delii- 

 tute of every proper encouragement to induflry, difabling him, even 

 had he been willing, to afford much better accommodation. Thefe ho- 

 vels, fuch as they were, coil nothing to tlie proprietor, but were up- 

 held for ever by the tenant ; it being underllood, at common law, in- 

 dependent of covenant, that the outgoing tenant fiiould leave them al- 

 ways to his fucceffor, in tenantahle and habitable condition : From ufe 

 and pradlice tenantable and habitable^ had com.e to im.ply merely tuind 

 and nvattr tigUt ; and the common ilyle of farm-houfes admitted of 

 little more accommodation than mere flicker from the weather. 



* In confequence of the firm eflablilliment of monarchy, and the 

 diffolution of ariftocracy — of the abohtion of heritable jurifdi6lions, 

 and the fubftitution of independent Judges, unconnected with the fub- 

 jedls of their own jurifdi6lion, and having no perfonal intercll in their 

 own decifions — the fecurity of the tenantry, as well as of all the lower 

 orders in fociety, is confirmed : General induftry has kept pace with 

 growing fecurity ; and the lituation of every rank is altered greatly 

 for the better. In confequence of increafmg fentiments of liberality 

 among the landed gentry, of fecurity among the tenantry, and of 

 wealth in -both, the ilyle of farm-houfes through Scotland has been 

 much improved.' 



Speaking of cottages, Mr F. judiciouflj remarks, that 



* Upon the feparation of farmers from their ilate of townfliips, runrig, 

 and commonty (to which they had been driven, for mutual defence, 

 in times of turbulence), into diilindl poffeffions with feparate reiiden- 

 ces, the farmer, who obtained poffefTion of the farm upon which the 

 clutlered dwellings had been eredled, might have a fuperfluity of 

 houfes to difpofe of to cottagers ; and in a Hate of fociety, where the 

 little extenlion of arts and manufadures afforded' few outlets to profit- 

 able employment, more people might be found who would rent fuch 

 houfes or cottages, though there was fmall demand for them as country 

 labourers, from their finding nothing better to do : Such lltuations 

 would be, however, deferted, when better employment occurred to 

 their occupiers ; and 1 doubt not but fuch ameliorations may have of- 

 ten fuggelled notions of thofe ideal diilreflcs fo graphically depidlcd, 

 and fo pathetically deplored, in Goldfmith's fanciful poem of tiie 

 Deferted Village, The notion of whining over the dcfeition and de- 



pooulatioii 



