THISTLES 



93 



liarly Scots as to lend a certain appropriateness to 

 its adoption ; and, moreover, that there is only one 

 thistle, or at least one with some unquestionable 

 predominance over the rest. Neither of these pro- 

 positions is wholly true. 



Scotland is a hilly country, and the thistle does 

 not take so kindly to climbing as it ought to do, if 

 it were to the manner born. It is when he has 

 donned the kilt, as I have already noticed, that 

 the foreigner affects the thistle ; which is a mistake, 

 either in costume, or natural history, or both. If 

 he were better acquainted with the modern High- 

 lands than he seems to be, he would probably 

 know that the two things he is least likely to 

 see there are thistles and kilts. Indeed there 

 are very few prickly plants among the hills, 

 which may be one reason why kilts used to be 

 worn. 



In describing a Scot of the proper sort, Sir 

 Walter says 



Right up Ben Ledi could he pass, 

 And not a sob his toil confess. 



So far from being able to climb Ben Ledi, I 

 question if the thistle reaches much above a thou- 

 sand feet ; that is scarcely the height of the whin 



