140 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



night council in the kirk of Lauder, at which, accord- 

 ing to the well-known story of the old Scots historian, 

 the stalwart Earl of Angus undertook to " bell the cat," 

 the favourites were seized, and, as we have said, hung 

 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 civilization 

 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 Kefor- 

 mation they pillaged the church far more ruthlessly 

 even than their compeers in England ; they adopted 

 readily the religion which the Charleses 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 religion, and are personally trying to 

 spread Episcopacy throughout the land ; while at 

 county meetings and on the hustings they are con- 



