II Certain Delusions of the North Britons 3 1 1 



the time of Edward the Fourth, is surely red tartan 

 cloth with red stripes of various shades. 



A worthy cadet of the ancient house of Suther- 

 land wrote in the seventeenth century a most delect- 

 able book which he intituled, A Genealogical Historie 

 of the Earls of SutJierla^id, a book replete with true 

 and trusty history of the northern parts and their 

 inhabitants, and indeed almost the only one on these 

 subjects of any great value, as far as my knowledge 

 goeth. In this book he tells us that in ancient 

 times the colouring of the garments of his people 

 was sad and sober, but that quantities of bright and 

 gaudy goods being imported from abroad, they were 

 eagerly bought up by the simple people, who rejoiced 

 exceedingly in their newfangled bravery. But after 

 a time they found them inconvenient for their daily 

 work and pastimes, which consisted principally of 

 the laying of ambushes for the cutting of each 

 other's throats, or worse, and the hunting of the red- 

 deer ; both which things requiring secrecy and 

 inconspicuosity, these bright and gaudy colours 

 bewrayed them to their enemies and their game. 

 Wisely then they relinquished them and returned to 

 their old garments, which were of ' a sad Hadder 

 colour ' ; I presume heather colour, which soft and 

 pleasant blending of hues was produced by the 

 three simple dyes already mentioned. This colour 

 is still popular in the wiser districts of that most 

 delectable land, delectable in that no land yieldeth 

 so much and so noble recreation to the hunter and 



