THE LEADER — OUR OLD NOBILITIE. 135 



over the bridge in halters. It is an unfortunate feature 

 in Scottish history, that the aristocracy of the country 

 always appear as about the worst in the world. They 

 ought to have been rather advanced in civilisation and 

 patriotism, it might have been thought, under the 

 good and wise King Alexander III., but as soon as 

 the English aggression commenced after his death, 

 they disgracefully yielded to the invader, caring for 

 nothing but to keep their lands. And so they always 

 show throughout. As mean and greedy as they were 

 proud and ignorant, they had only the redeeming 

 quality of bravery in the field. From the time of the 

 war of Independence, when they were so basely jealous 

 of Wallace, and gave such laggard support to Bruce, 

 there are singularly few stories of gentle chivalry in 

 the annals of the Scottish nobility. At the Eefomiation 

 they pillaged the church far more ruthlessly even than 

 their compeers in England ; they adopted readily the 

 religion which the Charles's fruitlessly tried to thrust 

 down the throats of the people of Scotland ; they sold 

 their ancient Parliament for English gold ; even when 

 they went out with Prince Charlie, they usually left a 

 member of the family at home to take the other side, 

 so that whoever might win, the lands might be kept ! 

 In our own day, they are aliens from the national re- 

 ligion, and are personally trying to spread Episcopacy 

 throughout the land ; while at county meetings and 

 on the hustings they are constantly and mysteriously 

 bawling about the support of the Established Presby- 

 terian Church, in which they somehow affect the deep- 

 est interest, though giving it the go-by on Sundays. 

 Feeling slightly relieved by the above expectora- 



