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VOL.78.-No. 4.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, October 27th, 1832.

ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND.

No. II.

Glasgow, 19. October, 1832.

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quent scurrilous abuse of Scotland and "Scotsmen has so naturally advanced a "claim. The Caledonian Mercury, re"ceived to-day, contains an elaborate "6 article, in which the almost incon"ceivable contradictions and incon"sistencies of the oracle of the Register

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are duly set forth. In a general way, "this, of course, conveys nothing but "that which all the world knew before; "but as a refresher for the modern

Ox Monday morning, the 15. of Oc-" Athenians, preparatory to the opentober, I went in a carriage, furnished" ing of a lecture, it is a formidable by my kind friends at EDINBURGH, who" affair." accompanied me in it, to a place called Thus we have a specimen of the QUEEN'S-FERRY, where you cross the expectations of this beastly crew of FRITH of FORTH, to go over to a little place hirelings. Here was this stupid oaf, called NORTH FERRY, whence I went who is scribbling in a dirty newspaper in a post-chaise to the ancient town of in London, while the army-list repreDUNFERMLINE. But before I proceed sents him as a brevet-colonel on full to give a further account of my pro-pay doing duty at CHATHAM barracks, gress, I must observe on something that and while we are taxed to the tune of I left behind me at EDINBURGH, namely, five hundred a year, to pay him for his the Caledonian Mercury newspaper, CHATHAM services; here was he, chepromulgating, in one of its columns of rishing in his beastly mind the thought the 15. of October, Mr. Dun's address that I should be hissed and hooted out to me at the Waterloo Room, the ad- of EDINBURGH; or, as another newsdress itself, and my answer to that ad-paper of that city had advised, flung into dress; and in addition to this, the the deepest and dirtiest ditch that could editor's statement, "that the large be found: and this thought we see "Waterloo Room was crowded to excess coming into his brutal head, in conse" long before the hour appointed; that, quence of " an elaborate article,” on his entrance, Mr. Cobbett was which had been put forth by this very greeted with repeated rounds of ap-identical Caledonian Mercury! But, plause; and that, at the conclusion of though this might not much surprise "the lecture, thanks were given him in one, coming from a blundering skull, the shape of three general cheers; and the produce of potatoes, and filled with "that he was again cheered when he blubber instead of brains, it really is "drove off from the door of the hotel." matter of surprise, that the editor of In another column of the same paper the Caledonian Mercury, a name at is the following, which the Caledonian once descriptive of a sensible people, gentleman had the justice, the good and of uncommon science and literary taste, and the sound judgment to extract acumen; it is really matter of astonishand insert from that rumble-tumble of ment to see these two things put forth filth and of beastly ignorance, called the in a paper under such a title, and in one Globe newspaper:

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"COBBETT.-Cobbett, who has by

and the same number.

Enough of these envious, malignant,

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is so.

mercenary, mean and cowardly wretches; solely to the favour with which my but not enough, and never enough, of political principles and my well-known the people of EDINBURGH, of all classes, endeavours and intentions, are viewed. with regard to their conduct towards Perhaps Lord GREY does not think it me; and, self-gratification aside, this is worth his while to read my Register; a matter of very great importance, if so, that is his fault and not mine: if in a public point of view; because, he do, let him ponder well upon what I somehow or another, no matter how have now said, before he listen to the it has happened, but, somehow or advice of those who would make him another, my name has become iden- believe that he can get on with a retified with certain great measures, in- formed Parliament without making any volving a total change in the manner of great change. conducting the affairs of this kingdom. In returning, now, to my most deNo matter how it has happened; but it lightful tour: upon leaving EDINBURGH, Therefore, Lord GREY, if he be along the very finest turnpike-road that not blinded by the set who surround I ever saw, the cause-ways on the sides him, must, in this one fact, see quite of which are edged with white stone, enough to induce him to believe that and the gutters paved as nicely as those it is utterly impossible that the Govern- of a street; in leaving EDINBURGH We ment should proceed at all, if it attempt came close by the castle, which I had to get along without making something not seen at so short a distance before, like that sort of change for which I have and up into which I would not go, seeso long been contending. I beseeching that there were soldiers there; for him to think of this matter seriously; merely speaking to any one of whom and not to imagine that this unequivocal (he choosing to swear that I had popularity of mine is a thing confined to the breasts of the working people. It was not of these that the audiences at the theatre of EDINBURGH were composed. It was not with these that I was invited to dine in that city of science of all sorts. The popularity did not, and could not, arise from any cause other than that which I have stated. I knew not one single soul in that city; my notification in the Register that I This castle, like the church, is intended to go to EDINBURGH, brought built upon a rock, which rock is me a letter from Messrs. CHADWICK and very lofty, and almost perpendicular; IRELAND, merchants, whom I had so that it is a most interesting and neither ever seen or heard of before in magnificent spectacle, especially if you my life. The price of entrance at the are on any eminence at a little distance theatre was, on account of the high from the city; infinitely grander and charge made for the use of it, a great more interesting than St. Paul's from deal higher than I could have wished, BATTERSEA Rise. I remember noand necessarily excluded working men; thing of the sort equal to it, except the and yet that theatre was crammed full view of LINCOLN cathedral. As you from the beginning to the end. There come out of the city you see the very was nothing in my writings; nothing pretty and convenient port of LEITH, in my character, except that it had been about a mile and a half away to the vilified more than that of any other right; the Frith of FORTH is before man that ever lived; nothing in my you; the beautiful county of FIFE on station in life; no possibility of my the other side of that; and the Highever being able to make a return for any lands rising up in the distant view. favours received. Therefore, my recep- Just at coming into the country, losing tion and my treatment are to be ascribed sight of the water, you get into the

endeavoured to seduce him to desert, or quit his post) I might have been hanged by the neck till I was dead, according to a law, originally drawn up by Scorr ELDON, passed for the life of the "good old king," revived again (on the motion of ScorT ELDON) when his worthy eldest son came to the throne, and now kept in full force by the liberty-loving Whigs!

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estate of Lord ROSEBERRY, which is one DUNFERMLINE, which is now a place of the finest estates of Scotland. It has for the manufactory of table-cloths and everything; fine fields, fine pastures, table-covers, contains about twelve or fine woods, immense tracks of beautiful fourteen thousand inhabitants, and is, turnips, stack-yards with a hundred like all other manufacturing places, stacks in each; all, however, rendered more abundant in small and mean mournful to me by the sight of the thrashing-machine and of the beggarly barrack, in which are doomed to live on oats, barley, peas, and potatoes, those without whose labour all this land would be worthless, having neither woods, nor stacks, nor turnips, nor herds of cattle, nor flocks of sheep.

After just seeing the top of Lord ROSEBERRY'S house, which lies down pretty nearly to the Frith, in a fine glade between two lofty woods, we came to the QUEEN'S-FERRY, took leave of our friends, and sailed across the FRITH, in a large boat, which took us over in about ten minutes, seeing the mouth of the Frith away to our right, and seeing four large men-of-war lying in ordinary about a mile up to our left, In that direction, too, we saw the grand mansion of Lord HOPETOWN, in a very beautiful situation, in a well-wooded park, forming part of his immense estate, which is, they say, another of the finest in Scotland. These descriptions do not accord with my former ideas of Scotland, though I knew that there were some very fine lands and places in this country; but it is my business truly to describe that which I have seen, paying no regard whatever to what I formerly thought upon the subject.

From the NORTH FERRY to DUN FERMLINE, the country, which belongs, I am told, chiefly to Lord MORAY, and then farther on to Lord ELGIN, and is in the county of FIFE, the country is nearly level; the land not so good as that in EAST and MID-LOTHIAN, but still very good; the farms large as before; the turnip-fields prodigious; and uniformly good beyond description; this being the country for turnips, because the FLY never destroys them as it does in England; which, when they hear it, will make English farmers cease to wonder that the crops are so uniformly good.

houses than in houses of a different description. It is, nevertheless, a good solid town, and is to return one member to Parliament, who is, they say, quite worthy of its sensible and spirited inhabitants, a good portion of whom, in spite of a dreadful alarm about the cholera morous, attended in a chapel, from the pulpit of which I harangued them on the necessity of driving out at the door, or tossing out of the window, any candidate who, offering himself as their representative, should have the audacity to tell them, that it was beneath him to pledge himself to do that which they wanted him to do for them. After the harangue, I spent a most pleasant evening (which I made too long) amongst these intelligent and zealous men of DUNFERMLINE, and promised to send them a small collection of my books for the use of their Political Union; which I shall do as soon as I get home.

This town is celebrated for the abbey that formerly was here, and has been the burial place of several of the Scottish kings, particularly of the renowned ROBERT BRUCE, whose tomb is just opposite the pulpit in the church, and whose names are written, or rather the letters of them are fixed up round the spire of this church.

From DUNFERMLINE I had engaged to go to FALKIRK, which, together with other places, is now to send one member to Parliament. We left DUNFERMLINE about noon on Tuesday, the 16, of October, had to go fourteen miles to KINCARDINE, a little town on that side of the FRITH OF FORTH, and then to cross the ferry to go to FALKIRK, at a distance of six miles from the ferry. The land, upon leaving DUNFERMLINE, appears to be as fine as any can be in the world; the pastures very fine, and also the trees; within the reach of fish; and there is wanted nothing, apparently, that God himself could have given to man except fuel; and that is here given in coals,

which may be dug out of every field, pastures. I told you before, that the and which are so cheap as to be hardly single men lived in a sort of shed, which worthy of being accounted a part of the is here called a "boothie;" and the expense of a family. Yet, in the midst farmer upon this farm living near a of all this, how fares the man who la-town, and being said to use his people bours on the land? What share of its rather better than the common run, I produce does he enjoy? These ques-wished to see with my own eyes the tions must receive their answer in an-"boothie" upon this farm and the men other address to the chopsticks of the in it. South.

COBBETT'S ADVICE

(2ND ADDRESS)

TO THE CHOPSTICKS

OF

The custom here is for men to plough with a pair of horses; to go out at daylight; come in at twelve o'clock, and stay in till two; then go out again and plough till night; and I have seen many of them at plough till sun-set. COKE of Norfolk brought this

KENT, SUSSEX, SURREY, HAMPSHIRE, WILTSHIRE, DORSETSHIRE, BERK- practice from Scotland to Norfolk; and SHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE, BUCKING- it has spread over a good part of EngHAMSHIRE, NORFOLK, SUFIOLK, land. It is a very bad practice, though ESSEX; AND OF ALL THE OTHER I adopted it for some time, and, I found it no advantage to me, while it was a great slavery both to the horses and the

COUNTIES IN THE SOUTH OF ENG

LAND.

MY FRIENDS,

Glasgow, 19. October, 1832.

:

men.

floor was the ground. There were three wooden bedsteads, nailed together like the berths in a barrack-room,with boards for the bottom of them. The bedding seemed to be very coarse sheeting with coarse woollen things at the top; and

In my former address I described to I went to the "boothie" between you how the married labourers of Scot-twelve and one o'clock, in order that I Jand were treated, in what places they might find the men at home, and see lived, and what they lived upon I am what they had for their dinner. I found now going to describe to you how the the "boothie" to be a shed, with a firesingle men live; I mean the farming place in it to burn coals in, with one men, who are what the law calls ser-door-way, and one little window. The vants in husbandry. I mentioned to you before, that these men are lodged, a parcel of them together, in a sort of a shed, and that they are never suffered to eat or drink, or even set their foot in the farm-house any more than the oxen or the pigs are; but I had not then ex-all seemed to be such as similar things amined the matter with my own eyes must be where there is nobody but men and ears, which I now have done; and to look after them. There were six I shall, therefore, now give you an ac- men, all at home; one sitting upon a count of the whole thing, and shall give stool, four upon the sides of the berths, you my advice how to act so as to pre- and one standing talking to me. Though vent yourselves or your children from it was Monday, their beards, especially ever being brought into the same state. of two of them, appeared to be some On Tuesday last, the 16th of this days old. There were ten or twelve month, I went to the farm of a Farmer bushels of coals lying in a heap in one REID, near the town of DUNFERMLINE. corner of the place, which was, as nearThe land is as fine as man ever set ly as I could guess, about sixteen or his eyes on, having on it some of eighteen feet square. There was no the finest turnips that you ever saw; back-door to the place, and no privy. and there being in the stack-yard about There were some loose potatoes lying three-score stacks, perhaps, each con-under one of the berths.

taining from fifteen to twenty quarters Now, for the wages of these men. In of corn; fine oxen and hogs in the the first place the average wages of yard, and fine cows and sheep in the these single farming men are about ten

pounds a year, or not quite four shillings bourer receives for one day's work not

half so hard as the work of these men.
This shed is stuck up generally away
from the farm-yard, which is surround-
ed with good buildings, in which the
cattle are lodged quite as well as these
men, and in which young pigs are fed
a great deal better. There were three
sacks of meal standing in this shed, just
as you see them standing in our farm-
houses filled with barley-meal for the
feeding of pigs. The farm-house,
standing on one side of the yard, is al-
ways a sort of gentleman's house, in
which there are several maids to wait
upon the gentleman and lady, and a boy
to wait upon them too. There is, gene-
rally, a BAILIFF upon these farms, who is
very often a relation of the farmer; and, if
he be a single man, he has either a small

a week. Then, they are found pro-
visions in the following manner: each
has allowed him two pecks of coarse
oatmeal a week, and three "choppins"
of milk a day, and a "choppin" is,
I believe, the half of one of our pints.
They have to use this meal, which
weighs about seventeen pounds, either
by mixing it with cold water or with
hot; they put some of it into a bowl,
pour some boiling water upon it, then
stir it about and eat it; and they call
this BROSE; and you will be sure to
remember that name. When they use
milk with the meal, they use it in the
same way that they do the water. I
saw some of the brose mixed up ready
to eat; and this is by no means bad
stuff, only there ought to be half-a-
pound of good meat to eat along with boothie" to himself, or a place boarded
it. The Americans make "brose" of
the corn-meal; but then, they make
their brose with milk instead of water,
and they send it down their throats in
company with buttered beef-steaks. And
if here was some bacon along with the
brose, I should think the brose very pro-
per; because, in this country oats are
more easily grown in some parts than
the wheat is. These men were not
troubled with cooking utensils. They
had a large iron saucepan and five or
six brose-bowls; and are never troubled
with those clattering things, knives,
forks, plates, vinegar-cruets, salt-cellars,
pepper-boxes, mustard-pots, table-
cloths, or tables.

Now, I shall not attempt any general description of this treatment of those who make all the crops to come; but I advise you to look well at it; and I recommend to you to do everything within your power that it is lawful for you to do, to show your hatred of, and to cause to suffer, any one that shall attempt to reduce you to this state. The meal and the milk are not worth more than eighteen-pence a week; the shed is worth nothing; and here are these men, who work for so many hours in a day, who are so laborious, so obedient, so civil, so honest, and amongst the best people in the world, receiving for a whole week less than an American la

off in a larger "boothie;" and he is a
sort of a sergeant or corporal over the
common men, who are continually
under his eye day and night; and who
being firmly bound for the year, cannot
quit their service till the year is out.

It is from this source that the "agricultural gentlemen," as they call themselves, in England, have been supplied with SCOTCH BAILIFFS, who are so justly detested by you. The Scotch landowners, who suck up and carry away almost the whole produce of the earth, have told the English landowners how they manage the matter here. The English fellows find that they can get nobody in England to treat men in such a way, and, therefore, they bring them up from Scotland, and they pick out the hardest and most cruel fellows that they can find in Scotland; so that we have not, by any means, a fair specimen, even of Scotch bailiffs; because nineteen twentieths of them would not do the savage things which the English tyrants want them to do. Well enough may you complain of Scotch bails and wherever you find one, you always find the employer to be a grinding, hardhearted man, and I advise you to have your eye upon every man who has a Scotch bailiff; for, you may be very sure, that his intention to bring you down to the shed and to the brose; to

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