296 Notes on Sport and Travel n 



leaning on politician, priest, or parson, as is too 

 much the manner of the North Briton. Of the 

 origin of the modern North Briton, or, as he loveth 

 to call himself, Scotchman, we have not far to 

 seek. It is little more than a man's life ago that 

 one of vast power and godlike invention invented 

 him all by himself, mixing up imperfect Irish with 

 still more imperfect Saxon imaginings — for of 

 history he knew but little, and cared less, outraging 

 her after the manner of a very Bashi-Bazuk ; as in 

 the case of Amy Robsart, who would never have 

 been considered or lied about at all had it not been 

 for her pretty name, she being a crazy woman given 

 to quarrel with her tailor and suspected of drink. 

 He it was who invented this new nationality, which 

 would properly be called Scott-land, or the land of 

 Walter Scott, its inventor, were there gratitude in 

 North Britain. 



Be this as it may, from this non-historical mix- 

 ture of his have arisen such fumes, mists, and mysti- 

 fication, that the whole brain of the North Briton, 

 once a clear and bright one, has become so clouded 

 and besmirched that he no longer knows himself, — 

 his place, his food, his dress, nay, not even the in- 

 strument on which he discourseth his music, by their 

 right names or origins. Moreover, the more northern 

 Scots, or Irishry, have from him got a method of 

 despising their best friends the Southern Saxons, 

 which is not only unseemly but ungrateful. Nay, 

 so far has this ingratitude gone that I am credibly 



