3o6 Notes on Sport and Travel n 



of better garments, but from a desire to please the 

 baser sort ; as I have heard some say that when they 

 went to the North for their recreation, as the manner 

 is, they bought them tartan waistcoats of gorgeous 

 colours to conciliate the natives, but I fear me more 

 from a vain longing to imitate the peacock his pride, 

 than from any thought of the poor Irishry. Never 

 yet have I seen the picture of a Highland gentleman, 

 or man of gentle blood of the olden time, depicted 

 in either kilt or belted plaid, though for the most 

 part these pictures be so drawn (possibly for cheap- 

 ening of the limner) that one may hardly see 

 whether the original weareth anything below the 

 waist or no. When I do so, he always weareth the 

 comely and ancient trews, trousers, braccse, or breeks, 

 which become mightily a lithe and limber leg, such 

 as the Irish of Scotland are wont to have, being in 

 that respect, as in many others, superior to their 

 Hibernian fellows, who are wont to be mightily big 

 in the calf and large in the foot, — more useful in a 

 chairman than graceful in a gentleman. Though, 

 indeed, the Irish of Ireland do wittily excuse the 

 largeness of their women's feet, saying in their 

 tongue (which they call * broughe,' or brogue), ' Shure 

 it gives Biddy a foine hould on the flure ! ' (Surely 

 it giveth Bridget a strong hold on the floor). — which 

 is in that country, I am told by travellers, much the 

 same as the rest of the surface of the earth, only 

 dirtier. 



And so to end the matter, the ancient Scots or 



