THE NORTHERN LOCHS AND RIVERS. 107 



or cultivated, is free to all. Even some of its posses- 

 sors do not dispute this ; but display your angling-rod, 

 and you will have keepers immediately at your side, 

 charging you to change the scene of your operations. 



Wandle. And were one to resist their authority, 

 what would be the consequences ? 



Leister. The immediate ones would of course be 

 greatly against the party challenged, although I can- 

 not persuade myself but that the proprietor, unless 

 holding the water and its fishings directly from the 

 crown, would ultimately be the loser at least, the case 

 never having been pushed to any proper determina- 

 tion, I am urged, upon legal principles, to believe so. 

 Alas ! Mr. Wandle-weir, they know little who imagine 

 of Scotland that her hills are the dwelling-places of 

 the free they dream not of the inroads of gigantic 

 monopolies athwart the rights and liberties of her 

 children of lords of the soil expatriating their vas- 

 sals usurping public and prescriptive privileges 

 acting the unchallenged despot over every foot of 

 their petty dominions. But so it is ! An unnatu- 

 ral policy is in force under the outworks of the true 

 constitution, neither assisted nor yet opposed by 

 state machinery the spirit of a system, which threat- 

 ens to reassume and concentrate the barbarous in- 

 vestitures of feudal ages. These are excrescences 

 upon the trunks of power, displacing every humble 

 hindrance to their growth, often through legal wile 

 and artifice, but oftener by the strong arm of might. 



