Where The Chiefs Of The Highlands Have Found The Histories Of Their
Descent Is Difficult To Tell; For No Earse Genealogy Was Ever
Written.
In general this only is evident, that the principal house
of a clan must be very ancient, and that those must have lived long
in a place, of whom it is not known when they came thither.
Thus hopeless are all attempts to find any traces of Highland
learning. Nor are their primitive customs and ancient manner of
life otherwise than very faintly and uncertainly remembered by the
present race.
The peculiarities which strike the native of a commercial country,
proceeded in a great measure from the want of money. To the
servants and dependents that were not domesticks, and if an
estimate be made from the capacity of any of their old houses which
I have seen, their domesticks could have been but few, were
appropriated certain portions of land for their support. Macdonald
has a piece of ground yet, called the Bards or Senachies field.
When a beef was killed for the house, particular parts were claimed
as fees by the several officers, or workmen. What was the right of
each I have not learned. The head belonged to the smith, and the
udder of a cow to the piper: the weaver had likewise his
particular part; and so many pieces followed these prescriptive
claims, that the Laird's was at last but little.
The payment of rent in kind has been so long disused in England,
that it is totally forgotten. It was practised very lately in the
Hebrides, and probably still continues, not only in St. Kilda,
where money is not yet known, but in others of the smaller and
remoter Islands. It were perhaps to be desired, that no change in
this particular should have been made. When the Laird could only
eat the produce of his lands, he was under the necessity of
residing upon them; and when the tenant could not convert his stock
into more portable riches, he could never be tempted away from his
farm, from the only place where he could be wealthy. Money
confounds subordination, by overpowering the distinctions of rank
and birth, and weakens authority by supplying power of resistance,
or expedients for escape. The feudal system is formed for a nation
employed in agriculture, and has never long kept its hold where
gold and silver have become common.
Their arms were anciently the Glaymore, or great two-handed sword,
and afterwards the two-edged sword and target, or buckler, which
was sustained on the left arm. In the midst of the target, which
was made of wood, covered with leather, and studded with nails, a
slender lance, about two feet long, was sometimes fixed; it was
heavy and cumberous, and accordingly has for some time past been
gradually laid aside. Very few targets were at Culloden. The
dirk, or broad dagger, I am afraid, was of more use in private
quarrels than in battles.
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