320 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



All, however, became changed after the final expulsion of 

 the Stuarts. Ideas and requirements belonging to a new 

 state of society sprang up even in the most remote glens, 

 originating, in the first instance, with the chiefs. During 

 the previous half-century, the Scotch nobility had been 

 acquiring some insight into what was going on in other 

 parts of the world. Some of them had been at the 

 English court, others had visited the court of France. 

 These had blushed for their proverbial poverty, and found 

 only partial consolation in the consciousness of their 

 military power, for what they wanted in wealth, refine- 

 ment, and comfort. The natural course of events, which 

 is continually modifying human institutions, whether good 

 or bad, daily increased these secret feelings. Deprived 

 of their feudal independence, the Highland chiefs sought 

 to increase their revenues, in order to make another kind 

 of display. Although they might not have chosen habits 

 of luxury, which forced them to this, they would have 

 been led to adopt them solely by the progress of a grow- 

 ing civilisation. 



Now, the only way by which they could increase their 

 means was to turn their estates to account ; and to this 

 two obstacles presented themselves first, the asperity of 

 the soil and climate ; and secondly, the inveterate wildness 

 of the people. They were not long, however, in disco- 

 vering that one of these difficulties could be overcome; 

 for there is no soil so unkind that will not yield some- 

 thing of a net produce ; but the people were more un- 

 tamable than nature itself. The common vassals had not 

 the same stimulus for increasing their labour ; the pater- 

 nal hut satisfied them, and they never dreamt of any 

 better style of living. Wherefore, then, should they 

 change their habits ? By the sweat of their brow to 

 make the earth bring forth fruits to be reaped by others! 



