Transactions. 61 



To begin at the top, Ramsay tells us that in the beginning of the 

 18th century the sons of private gentlemen were in a few instances 

 educated at home by tutors, but the greater part at the burgh or 

 parish schools, taking their frugal dinners with them ; and he 

 observes that they were nothing the worse for being bred with 

 the sons of their countrj' neighbours. In a note we are told that 

 the boys at Dalkeith school were one day much struck with the 

 appearance of a nobleman's son of ten years of age in laced 

 clothes. They looked upon him as a creature of a superior 

 species ; but in two days all reverence was gone — the fine clothes 

 being rolled in the dirt by the schoolboys. For the girls it was 

 considered sufficient to send them to the schools in Edinburgh, 

 where they learned needlework and other things that might 

 qualify them to be good housewives, to which were added a little 

 dancing and music. Their time was chiefly occupied in learning 

 and practising the mysteries of family management ; and what- 

 ever leisure they had was employed in providing clothes and 

 decorations for their persons ; in many cases, however, as far as 

 schooling went, "a touch of a country dominie" was made to 

 serve. Thereading of these ladies was very limited, and their 

 spelling proverbially bad. Lady Newbigging, in Fife, writing to 

 an Edinburgh shopkeeper for two necklaces, spelt it in such a 

 way that the man read it " naked lasses," and answered her in a 

 pet that he dealt in no such commodities. Theatrical entertain- 

 ments found their way into Edinburgh about 1719, though 

 opposed for many years both by magistrates and ministers. 

 In those days the Scottish ladies made their most brilliant 

 appearance at burials — it being as common to get a new 

 gown or petticoat for a great occasion of that kind as it is 

 now-adays for a ball. The gentlemen drew up on one side of 

 the street, and the ladies on the other. Before the procession 

 started the men used to step over and pay compliments to their 

 female acquaintance. About the same time the first assemblies 

 were held in Edinburgh. In the 17th century a great propor- 

 tion of younger sons went abroad to push their fortunes, chiefly 

 in foreign armies. After the Union, however, many of these 

 young adventurers found their way to North America, or to the 

 East or West Indies, and the rise and increase of manufactures 

 induced many persons to breed their sons to trade or manu- 

 factures. About the beginning of the last century it was the 



