NOTES
NOTE 1, p. 25
The groaning malt mentioned in the text was the ale brewed for thepurpose of being drunk after the lady or goodwife's safe delivery. Theken-no has a more ancient source, and perhaps the custom may be derivedfrom the secret rites of the Bona Dea. A large and rich cheese was madeby the women of the family, with great affectation of secrecy, for therefreshment of the gossips who were to attend at the 'canny' minute.This was the ken-no, so called because its existence was secret (thatis, presumed to be so) from all the males of the family, but especiallyfrom the husband and master. He was accordingly expected to conducthimself as if he knew of no such preparation, to act as if desirous topress the female guests to refreshments, and to seem surprised at theirobstinate refusal. But the instant his back was turned the ken-no wasproduced; and after all had eaten their fill, with a properaccompaniment of the groaning malt, the remainder was divided among thegossips, each carrying a large portion home with the same affectationof great secrecy.
NOTE 2, p. 198
It is fitting to explain to the reader the locality described inchapter xxii. There is, or rather I should say there WAS, a little inncalled Mumps's Hall, that is, being interpreted, Beggar's Hotel, nearto Gilsland, which had not then attained its present fame as a Spa. Itwas a hedge alehouse, where the Border farmers of either country oftenstopped to refresh themselves and their nags, in their way to and fromthe fairs and trysts in Cumberland, and especially those who came fromor went to Scotland, through a barren and lonely district, withouteither road or pathway, emphatically called the Waste of Bewcastle. Atthe period when the adventures described in the novel are supposed tohave taken place, there were many instances of attacks by freebooterson those who travelled through this wild district, and Mumps's Ha' hada bad reputation for harbouring the banditti who committed suchdepredations.
An old and sturdy yeoman belonging to the Scottish side, by surname anArmstrong or Elliot, but well known by his soubriquet of FightingCharlie of Liddesdale, and still remembered for the courage hedisplayed in the frequent frays which took place on the Border fifty orsixty years since, had the following adventure in the Waste, whichsuggested the idea of the scene in the text:--
Charlie had been at Stagshawbank Fair, had sold his sheep or cattle, orwhatever he had brought to market, and was on his return to Liddesdale.There were then no country banks where cash could be deposited andbills received instead, which greatly encouraged robbery in that wildcountry, as the objects of plunder were usually fraught with gold. Therobbers had spies in the fair, by means of whom they generally knewwhose purse was best stocked, and who took a lonely and desolate roadhomeward,--those, in short, who were best worth robbing and likely tobe most easily robbed.
All this Charlie knew full well; but he had a pair of excellent pistolsand a dauntless heart. He stopped at Mumps's Ha', notwithstanding theevil character of the place. His horse was accommodated where it mighthave the necessary rest and feed of corn; and Charlie himself, adashing fellow, grew gracious with the landlady, a buxom quean, whoused all the influence in her power to induce him to stop all night.The landlord was from home, she said, and it was ill passing the Waste,as twilight must needs descend on him before he gained the Scottishside, which was reckoned the safest. But Fighting Charlie, though hesuffered himself to be detained later than was prudent, did not accountMumps's Ha' a safe place to quarter in during the night. He torehimself away, therefore, from Meg's good fare and kind words, andmounted his nag, having first examined his pistols, and tried by theramrod whether the charge remained in them.
He proceeded a mile or two at a round trot, when, as the Wastestretched black before him, apprehensions began to awaken in his mind,partly arising out of Meg's unusual kindness, which he could not helpthinking had rather a suspicious appearance. He therefore resolved toreload his pistols, lest the powder had become damp; but what was hissurprise, when he drew the charge, to find neither powder nor ball,while each barrel had been carefully filled with TOW, up to the spacewhich the loading had occupied! and, the priming of the weapons beingleft untouched, nothing but actually drawing and examining the chargecould have discovered the inefficiency of his arms till the fatalminute arrived when their services were required. Charlie bestowed ahearty Liddesdale curse on his landlady, and reloaded his pistols withcare and accuracy, having now no doubt that he was to be waylaid andassaulted. He was not far engaged in the Waste, which was then, and isnow, traversed only by such routes as are described in the text, whentwo or three fellows, disguised and variously armed, started from amoss-hag, while by a glance behind him (for, marching, as the Spaniardsays, with his beard on his shoulder, he reconnoitred in everydirection) Charlie instantly saw retreat was impossible, as other twostout men appeared behind him at some distance. The Borderer lost not amoment in taking his resolution, and boldly trotted against his enemiesin front, who called loudly on him to stand and deliver; Charliespurred on, and presented his pistol. 'D--n your pistol,' said theforemost robber, whom Charlie to his dying day protested he believed tohave been the landlord of Mumps's Ha', 'd--n your pistol! I care not acurse for it.' 'Ay, lad,' said the deep voice of Fighting Charlie, 'butthe TOW'S out now.' He had no occasion to utter another word; therogues, surprised at finding a man of redoubted courage well armed,instead of being defenceless, took to the moss in every direction, andhe passed on his way without farther molestation.
The author has heard this story told by persons who received it fromFighting Charlie himself; he has also heard that Mumps's Ha' wasafterwards the scene of some other atrocious villainy, for which thepeople of the house suffered. But these are all tales of at least halfa century old, and the Waste has been for many years as safe as anyplace in the kingdom.
NOTE 3, p. 213
The author may here remark that the character of Dandie Dinmont wasdrawn from no individual. A dozen, at least, of stout Liddesdale yeomenwith whom he has been acquainted, and whose hospitality he has sharedin his rambles through that wild country, at a time when it was totallyinaccessible save in the manner described in the text, might lay claimto be the prototype of the rough, but faithful, hospitable, andgenerous farmer. But one circumstance occasioned the name to be fixedupon a most respectable individual of this class, now no more. Mr.James Davidson of Hindlee, a tenant of Lord Douglas, besides the pointsof blunt honesty, personal strength, and hardihood designed to beexpressed in the character of Dandie Dinmont, had the humour of naminga celebrated race of terriers which he possessed by the generic namesof Mustard and Pepper (according as their colour was yellow orgreyish-black), without any other individual distinction except asaccording to the nomenclature in the text. Mr. Davidson resided atHindlee, a wild farm on the very edge of the Teviotdale mountains, andbordering close on Liddesdale, where the rivers and brooks divide asthey take their course to the Eastern and Western seas. His passion forthe chase in all its forms, but especially for fox-hunting, as followedin the fashion described in chapter xxv, in conducting which he wasskilful beyond most men in the South Highlands, was the distinguishingpoint in his character.
When the tale on which these comments are written became ratherpopular, the name of Dandie Dinmont was generally given to him, whichMr. Davidson received with great good-humour, only saying, while hedistinguished the author by the name applied to him in the country,where his own is so common--'that the Sheriff had not written about himmair than about other folk, but only about his dogs.' An English ladyof high rank and fashion, being desirous to possess a brace of thecelebrated Mustard and Pepper terriers, expressed her wishes in aletter which was literally addressed to Dandie Dinmont, under whichvery general direction it reached Mr. Davidson, who was justly proud ofthe application, and failed not to comply with a request which did himand his favourite attendants so much honour.
I trust I shall not be considered as offending the memory of a kind andworthy man, if I mention a little trait of character which occurred inMr. Davidson's last illness. I use the words of the excellent clergymanwh
o attended him, who gave the account to a reverend gentleman of thesame persuasion:--
'I read to Mr. Davidson the very suitable and interesting truths youaddressed to him. He listened to them with great seriousness, and hasuniformly displayed a deep concern about his soul's salvation. He diedon the first Sabbath of the year (1820); an apoplectic stroke deprivedhim in an instant of all sensation, but happily his brother was at hisbedside, for he had detained him from the meeting-house that day to benear him, although he felt himself not much worse than usual. So youhave got the last little Mustard that the hand of Dandie Dinmontbestowed.
'His ruling passion was strong even on the eve of death. Mr. Baillie'sfox-hounds had started a fox opposite to his window a few weeks ago,and as soon as he heard the sound of the dogs his eyes glistened; heinsisted on getting out of bed, and with much difficulty got to thewindow and there enjoyed the fun, as he called it. When I came down toask for him, he said, "he had seen Reynard, but had not seen his death.If it had been the will of Providence," he added, "I would have likedto have been after him; but I am glad that I got to the window, and amthankful for what I saw, for it has done me a great deal of good."Notwithstanding these eccentricities (adds the sensible and liberalclergyman), I sincerely hope and believe he has gone to a better world,and better company and enjoyments.'
If some part of this little narrative may excite a smile, it is onewhich is consistent with the most perfect respect for the simple-mindedinvalid and his kind and judicious religious instructor, who, we hope,will not be displeased with our giving, we trust, a correct edition ofan anecdote which has been pretty generally circulated. The race ofPepper and Mustard are in the highest estimation at this day, not onlyfor vermin-killing, but for intelligence and fidelity. Those who, likethe author, possess a brace of them, consider them as very desirablecompanions.
NOTE 4, p. 232
The cleek here intimated is the iron hook, or hooks, depending from thechimney of a Scottish cottage, on which the pot is suspended whenboiling. The same appendage is often called the crook. The salmon isusually dried by hanging it up, after being split and rubbed with salt,in the smoke of the turf fire above the cleeks, where it is said to'reist,' that preparation being so termed. The salmon thus preserved iseaten as a delicacy, under the name of kipper, a luxury to which Dr.Redgill has given his sanction as an ingredient of the Scottishbreakfast.--See the excellent novel entitled MARRIAGE.
NOTE 5, p. 234
The distinction of individuals by nicknames when they possess noproperty is still common on the Border, and indeed necessary, from thenumber of persons having the same name. In the small village ofLustruther, in Roxburghshire, there dwelt, in the memory of man, fourinhabitants called Andrew, or Dandie, Oliver. They were distinguishedas Dandie Eassil-gate, Dandie Wassilgate, Dandie Thumbie, and DandieDumbie. The two first had their names from living eastward and westwardin the street of the village; the third from something peculiar in theconformation of his thumb; the fourth from his taciturn habits.
It is told as a well-known jest, that a beggar woman, repulsed fromdoor to door as she solicited quarters through a village of Annandale,asked, in her despair, if there were no Christians in the place. Towhich the hearers, concluding that she inquired for some persons sosurnamed, answered, 'Na, na, there are nae Christians here; we are a'Johnstones and Jardines.'
NOTE 6, p. 244
The mysterious rites in which Meg Merrilies is described as engagingbelong to her character as a queen of her race. All know that gipsiesin every country claim acquaintance with the gift of fortune-telling;but, as is often the case, they are liable to the superstitions ofwhich they avail themselves in others. The correspondent of Blackwood,quoted in the Introduction to this Tale, gives us some information onthe subject of their credulity.
'I have ever understood,' he says, speaking of the Yetholm gipsies,'that they are extremely superstitious, carefully noticing the formationof the clouds, the flight of particular birds, and the soughing of thewinds, before attempting any enterprise. They have been known forseveral successive days to turn back with their loaded carts, asses,and children, upon meeting with persons whom they considered of unluckyaspect; nor do they ever proceed on their summer peregrinations withoutsome propitious omen of their fortunate return. They also burn theclothes of their dead, not so much from any apprehension of infectionbeing communicated by them, as the conviction that the verycircumstance of wearing them would shorten the days of their living.They likewise carefully watch the corpse by night and day till the timeof interment, and conceive that "the deil tinkles at the lyke-wake" ofthose who felt in their dead-thraw the agonies and terrors of remorse.'
These notions are not peculiar to the gipsies; but, having been oncegenerally entertained among the Scottish common people, are now onlyfound among those who are the most rude in their habits and most devoidof instruction. The popular idea, that the protracted struggle betweenlife and death is painfully prolonged by keeping the door of theapartment shut, was received as certain by the superstitious eld ofScotland. But neither was it to be thrown wide open. To leave the doorajar was the plan adopted by the old crones who understood themysteries of deathbeds and lykewakes. In that case there was room forthe imprisoned spirit to escape; and yet an obstacle, we have beenassured, was offered to the entrance of any frightful form which mightotherwise intrude itself. The threshold of a habitation was in somesort a sacred limit, and the subject of much superstition. A bride,even to this day, is always lifted over it, a rule derived apparentlyfrom the Romans.
GLOSSARY
'A, he, I. a', all. abide, endure. ablins, aiblins, perhaps. abune, above. ae, one. aff, off. afore, before. a-guisarding, masquerading. ahint, behind. aik, an oak. ails, hinders, prevents. ain, own. amang, among. an, if. ance, once. ane, one. anent, about. aneuch, enough. auld, old. auld threep, a superstitious notion. avise, advise, deliberate. awa', away. aweel, well. awfu', awful. awmous, alms. aye, ever.
bairn, a child. baith, both. ballant, a ballad. banes, bones. bannock, a flat round or oval cake. barken, stiffen, dry to a crust. barrow-trams, the shafts of a hand barrow. baulks, ridges. berling, a galley. bield, a shelter, a house. biggit, built. billie, a brother, a companion. bing out and tour, go out and watch. binna, be not. birk, a birch tree. bit, a little. bittle, beat with a bat. bittock, a little bit. Black Peter, a portmanteau. blate, shy, bashful. blawn, blown. blear, obscure. blude, bluid, blood. blunker, a cloth printer. blythe, glad. boddle, a copper coin worth one third of a penny. bogle, a goblin, a spectre. bonnet, a cap. bonnie, bonny, pretty, fine. bonspiel, a match game at curling. bottle-head, beetle-head, stupid fellow. bow, a boll. bowster, a bolster. braw, fine. brigg, a bridge. brock, a badger, a dirty fellow. brod, a church collection plate. buckkar, a smuggling lugger. bully-huff, a bully, a braggart. burn, a brook. bye, besides.
ca', call. cake-house, a house of entertainment. callant, a stripling. cam, came. canny, lucky, cautious. cantle, a fragment. canty, cheerful. capons, castrated cocks. carle, a churl, an old man. cast, lot, fate. chapping-stick, a stick to strike with. cheerer, spirits and hot water. chield, a young man. chumlay, a chimney. clanjamfray, rabble. clashes, lies, scandal. claught, clutched, caught. clecking, hatching. clodded, threw heavily. close, a lane, a narrow passage. clour, a heavy blow. cloyed a dud, stolen a rag. collieshangie, an uproar. come o' will, a child of love. cottar, cottage. cramp-ring, shackles, fetters. cranking, creaking. craw, crow. creel, a basket. cuddy, an ass. cusp, an entrance to a house. cusser, a courser, a stallion.
daft, mad, foolish. darkmans, night. daurna, dare not. day-dawing, dawn. dead-thraw, death-agony. death-ruckle, death-rattle. deil-be-lickit, nothing, naught. dike, a wall, a ditch. dinging, slamming. dingle, a dell, a hollow. dizzen, a dozen. doo, a dove. dooket, dukit, a dovecot. doun, down. douse the glim, put out the light. dow, list, wish. drap, a drop. drumming, driving. dub, a puddle. duds, clothes.
eassel, provincial for eastward. een, eyes. endlang, along. eneugh, enough. evening, putting on the s
ame level.
faem, foam. fair-strae, natural. fambles, hands. fash, trouble. fauld, a fold. fause, false. feared, afraid. fearsome, frightful. feck, a quantity. feckless, feeble. fell, a skin. fernseed, gather the, make invisible. fie, mad, foredoomed. fient a bit, never a bit fient a haet, not the least. fire-raising, setting fire. firlot, a quarter of a boll. fit, a foot. flesh, fleesh, a fleece. flick, cut. flit, remove. fond, glad to. forbears, ancestors. forbye, besides. foumart, a polecat. fowk, people. frae, from. frummagem'd, throttled, hanged. fu', full. fule-body, a foolish person.
gae, go. gaed, went. gane, gone. gang, go. gang-there-out, wandering. gangrel, vagrant. gar, make. gate, gait, way. gaun, going. gay, gey, very. gelding, a castrated horse. gentle or semple, high born or common people. gie, give. gliffing, a surprise, an instant. glower, glare. gowan, a field daisy. gowd, gold. gowpen, a double handful. greet, weep. grieve, an overseer. grippet, grasped, caught. grunds, grounds. gude, guid, good. gudeman, master of a house. gyre-carlings, witches.
ha', hall. hadden, held, gone. hae, have. hafflin, half grown. haick, hack. haill, whole. hallan, a partition. hame, home. hank, a skein of yarn. hansel, a present. hantle, a quantity. haud, hauld, hold. hauden, held. heezie, a lift. herds, herders. heuch, a crag, a steep bank. hinging, hanging. hinney, honey. hirsel, a flock. hizzie, a housewife, a hussy. hog, a young sheep. horning, a warrant for a debtor. houdie, a midwife. howm, flat low ground. humble-cow, a cow without horns. hunds, hounds.
ilka, every. ingans, onions. ingleside, fireside. I'se, I'll. ither, other.
jaw-hole, a sink. Jethart, Jedburgh. jo, a sweetheart.
kahn, a skiff. kaim, a low ridge, a comb. kain, part of a farm-rent paid in fowls. keep, a stronghold. keepit, kept, attended. ken, know. kenna, do not know. kibe, an ulcerated chilblain, a chapped heel. killogie, the open space before a kiln fire. kilt, upset. kilting, girding or tucking up. kimmer, a female gossip. kinder, children. kipper, cured salmon. kirk, church. kist, a chest, a coffin. kitchen-mort, kinchen-mort, a girl. kittle, tickle, ticklish. kitt, a number, the whole. knave, a boy. knevell, knead, beat severely. kobold, a hobgoblin.
laird, lord of the manor. lampit, a limpet. landloupers, persons of wandering tendencies. lang, long. lang or, long before. lang-lugged, long-eared. langsyne, long ago. lap and paunel, liquor and food. lassie, a young girl. latch, mire. leddy, a lady. lee, pasture land. leg bail, to give, to run away. letter-gae, the precentor is called by Allan Ramsay 'the letter-gae of haly rhyme.' leugh, laughed. levin, lightning, scorn. licks, blows. lift, the sky. like, as it were. limmer, a jade, a hussy. links, the windings of a river. lippen, trust. loan, an open place, a lane. loaning, a milking place. long bowls, ninepins. looby, a booby, a lout. loon, a clown, a rogue. loup, leap, start. low, blaze, flame. luckie, an old woman. lugs, ears. lunt, blaze, torch. lykewake, a watch at night over a dead body.
mair, more. mair by token, especially. maist, most. maun, must. meddling and making, interfering. messan, a little dog. milling in the darkmans, murder by night. mind, remember. minded, looked after. mirk, dark; pit mirk, pitch dark. moaned, mourned. Monanday, Monday. mony, many. moonshie, a secretary. morn, tomorrow. moss, a morass. moss-hag, a pit, a slough. muckle, great, much. muir, a moor, a heath. muscavado, unrefined sugar. mutchkin, a measure equal to an English pint.
na, nae, no. nane, none. nathless, nevertheless. needna, need not. nice, simple. now, the, at once.
odd-come-shortly, chance time not far in the future. ony, any. or, ere. orra, odd, occasional. orra time, occasionally. o't, of it. out, out in rebellion. out of house and hauld, destitute. outcast, a falling out, a quarrel. ower, over. owt, the exterior, out.
paiks, punishment. parritch, oatmeal porridge. peat-hag, a bog. penny-stane, a stone quoit. periapts, amulets. pike, pick. pinners, a headdress. pirn, a reel. pit, put. plash, splash. plough-gate of land, land that can be tilled with one plough. pock, a pouch, a bag. poinded, impounded. poschay, a post-chaise. pouches, pockets. pow, the head. powny, a pony. preceese, exact. precentor, a leader of congregational singing. prin, a pin. puir, poor.
quean, a young woman, a wench.
rade, rode. ramble, a spree. rampauging, raging. randle-tree, a horizontal bar across a chimney, on which pot-hooks are hung; sometimes used as an opprobrious epithet. randy, wild. ranging and riping, scouring and searching. rape, rope. rasp-house, a custom-house. red cock craw, kindle a fire. redding-straik, a blow received when trying to separate combatants. reek, smoke. reif and wear, robbery and injury. reise, a bough. reist, smoke. reiver, a robber. retour, return of a writ. rin, run. ripe, search. rive, rend, rob. rotten, rottan, a rat. roup, an auction. roupit, sold at auction. routing, snoring, bellowing. rubbit, robbed. rump and dozen, meat and drink, a good dinner. run goods, smuggled goods.
sack, sackcloth. sae, so. saft, soft. sain, bless. sair, sore. sail, shall. samyn, the same. sang, song. sark, a shirt. saugh, a willow tree. saul, soul. saut, salt. sax, six. scaff-raff, riff raff. scart, scratched, written on. schnaps, a dram of liquor. scones, flat round cakes. scouring the cramp-ring, said metaphorically for being thrown into fetters or, generally, into prison. screed o' drink, a drinking bout. sell'd, sold. semple, simple, poor people. shake-rag, a tatterdemalion. shanks, legs. shealing, sheiling, a shed, a hut. shear, cut. sherra, a sheriff. shoeing-horn, something that leads to more drinking. shoon, shoes. shouther, a shoulder. sic, so, such. siclike, such. siller, money. sinsyne, since. skeel, a bucket, a tub. slack, a hollow, a morass. slap, a breach. sleepery, sleepy. slow-hund, a sleuth hound. sma', small. smack, smaik, a rogue, a low wretch. snaw, snow. soup o' drink, a spoonful. souple, a cudgel. spae, foretell. speir, ask. sprug, a sparrow. spunk, a spark. start, betray. stell, a stall, a covert. stickit, stopped, hindered. stir your gear, disturb your goods. stark, a heifer, a bullock. stiver, a small Dutch coin. stoppit, stopped. stoup, a drinking vessel, a wooden pitcher. stown, stolen. strae, straw. strammel, straw. streik, stretch. suld, should. sune, soon. sunkets, delicacies, provisions of any kind. sunkie, a low stool. swear, difficult. swure, swore. syne, since.
ta'en, taken. tait, a tuft. tak, take. tap, the top. tass, a cup. tat, that. tell'd, told. tent, care. thack, thatch. thae, those. thegither, together. thereawa', thence, thereabout. thrapple, the windpipe, the throat. thristle, a thistle. till, to. tippenny, ale at twopence a bottle. tod, a fox. tolbooth, a jail. toom, empty. tow, a rope. trine to the cheat, get hanged. troking, intercourse, trafficking. trow, trust. tulzie, tuilzie, a scuffle, a brawl. twa, two. tweel, a web. tyke, a cur.
umwhile, formerly, late. uncanny, weird, unlucky. unco, strange, very. uphaud, uphold. upright man, the leader (and greatest rogue) of the gang.
wa', wall. wad, would. wadded, wedded. wae, woe. waefu', woeful. wale, choice. ware, spend. wark, work. warld, the world. warlock, a wizard. waster, a long spear. waur, worse. wean, a young child. wear, war. weary fa', curse. wedder, a wether. wee, small. weel, well. weel-faured, well-favored, prepossessing. weize, direct, incline. wessel, westward. wha, who. whaap, the (or the Hope), is the sheltered part or hollow of the hill. Hoff, howff, haaf, and haven are all modifications of the same word. wheen, a few. whigging, jogging. whiles, sometimes. whilk, which. whin, a few. whinger, a kind of knife, a hanger. whistle, give information against one. whittret, a weasel. wi', with. win, get. witters, the barbs of the spear. woo', wool. woodie, wuddie, a rope, a halter, the gallows. worricow, a hobgoblin. wots na, does not know. wrang, wrong. wrang side of the blanket, illegitimate. writer, an attorney. wuddie, a rope, the gallows. wuss, wish.
yaffing, chattering, barking. yet, yere, your. yont, beyond.
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