Reminiscences of Scottish Life & Character Part 24

A common Scottish proverb, _Let that flee stick to the wa'_, has an obvious meaning,--"Say nothing more on that subject." But the derivation is not obvious[146]. In like manner, the meaning of _He that will to Cupar maun to Cupar_, is clearly that if a man is obstinate, and bent upon his own dangerous course, he must take it. But why Cupar? and whether is it the Cupar of Angus or the Cupar of Fife?

_Kindness creeps where it canna gang_ prettily expresses that where love can do little, it will do that little, though it cannot do more.

In my part of the country a ridiculous addition used to be made to the common Scottish saying. _Mony a thing's made for the pennie_, i.e. Many contrivances are thought of to get money. The addition is, "As the old woman said when she saw a black man," taking it for granted that he was an ingenious and curious piece of mechanism made for profit.

_Bluid is thicker than water_ is a proverb which has a marked Scottish aspect, as meant to vindicate those family predilections to which, as a nation, we are supposed to be rather strongly inclined.

_There's aye water where the stirkie[147] drouns._ Where certain effects are produced, there must be some causes at work--a proverb used to show that a universal popular suspicion as to an obvious effect must be laid in truth.

_Better a finger aff than aye waggin_'. This proverb I remember as a great favourite with many Scotch people. Better experience the worst, than have an evil always pending.

_Cadgers are aye cracking o' crook saddles_[148] has a very Scottish aspect, and signifies that professional men are very apt to talk too much of their profession.

The following is purely Scotch, for in no country but Scotland are singed sheep heads to be met with: _He's like a sheep head in a pair o' tangs._

_As sure's deeth_. A common Scottish proverbial expression to signify either the truth or certainty of a fact, or to pledge the speaker to a performance of his promise. In the latter sense an amusing ill.u.s.tration of faith in the superior obligation of this a.s.severation to any other, is recorded in the _Eglinton Papers_[149]. The Earl one day found a boy climbing up a tree, and called him to come down. The boy declined, because, he said, the Earl would thrash him. His Lords.h.i.+p pledged his honour that he would not do so. The boy replied, "I dinna ken onything about your honour, but if you say as sure's deeth I'll come doun."

Proverbs are sometimes local in their application.

_The men o' the Mearns canna do mair than they may._ Even the men of Kincardines.h.i.+re can only do their utmost--a proverb intended to be highly complimentary to the powers of the men of that county.

_I'll mak Cathkin's covenant wi' you, Let abee for let abee._ This is a local saying quoted often in Hamilton. The laird of that property had--very unlike the excellent family who have now possessed it for more than a century--been addicted to intemperance. One of his neighbours, in order to frighten him on his way home from his evening potations, disguised himself, on a very wet night, and, personating the devil, claimed a t.i.tle to carry him off as his rightful property. Contrary to all expectation, however, the laird showed fight, and was about to commence the onslaught, when a parley was proposed, and the issue was, "Cathkin's covenant, Let abee for let abee."

_When the castle of Stirling gets a hat, the Ca.r.s.e of Corntown pays for that._ This is a local proverbial saying; the meaning is, that when the clouds descend so low as to envelope Stirling Castle, a deluge of rain may be expected in the adjacent country.

I will conclude this notice of our proverbial reminiscences, by adding a cl.u.s.ter of Scottish proverbs, selected from an excellent article on the general subject in the _North British Review_ of February 1858. The reviewer designates these as "broader in their mirth, and more caustic in their tone," than the moral proverbial expressions of the Spanish and Italian:--

_A blate[150] cat maks a proud mouse.

Better a toom[151] house than an ill tenant.

Jouk[152] and let the jaw[153] gang by.

Mony ane speirs the gate[154] he kens fu' weel.

The tod[155] ne'er sped better than when he gaed his ain errand.

A wilfu' man should be unco wise.

He that has a meikle nose thinks ilka ane speaks o't.

He that teaches himsell has a fule for his maister.

It's an ill cause that the lawyer thinks shame o'.

Lippen[156] to me, but look to yoursell.

Mair whistle than woo, as the souter said when shearing the soo.

Ye gae far about seeking the nearest.

Ye'll no sell your hen on a rainy day.

Ye'll mend when ye grow better.

Ye're nae chicken for a' your cheepin'_[157].

I have now adduced quite sufficient specimens to convince those who may not have given attention to the subject, how much of wisdom, knowledge of life, and good feeling, are contained in these aphorisms which compose the ma.s.s of our Scottish proverbial sayings. No doubt, to many of my younger readers proverbs are little known, and to all they are becoming more and more matters of reminiscence. I am quite convinced that much of the old quaint and characteristic Scottish talk which we are now endeavouring to recall depended on a happy use of those abstracts of moral sentiment. And this feeling will be confirmed when we call to mind how often those of the old Scottish school of character, whose conversation we have ourselves admired, had most largely availed themselves of the use of its _proverbial_ philosophy.

I have already spoken of (p. 16) a Scottish peculiarity--viz. that of naming individuals from lands which have been possessed long by the family, or frequently from the landed estates which they acquire. The use of this mode of discriminating individuals in the Highland districts is sufficiently obvious. Where the inhabitants of a whole country-side are Campbells, or Frasers, or Gordons, nothing could be more convenient than addressing the individuals of each clan by the name of his estate.

Indeed, some years ago, any other designation, as Mr. Campbell, Mr.

Fraser, would have been resented as an indignity. Their consequence sprang from their possession[158]. But all this is fast wearing away.

The estates of old families have often changed hands, and Highlanders are most unwilling to give the names of old properties to new proprietors. The custom, however, lingers amongst us, in the northern districts especially. Farms also used to give their names to the tenants[159]. I can recall an amusing instance of this practice belonging to my early days. The oldest recollections I have are connected with the name, the figure, the sayings and doings, of the old cow-herd at Fasque in my father's time; his name was Boggy, _i.e._ his ordinary appellation; his true name was Sandy Anderson. But he was called Boggy from the circ.u.mstance of having once held a wretched farm on Deeside named Boggendreep. He had long left it, and been unfortunate in it, but the name never left him,--he was Boggy to his grave. The territorial appellation used to be reckoned complimentary, and more respectful than Mr. or any higher t.i.tle to which the individual might be ent.i.tled. I recollect, in my brother's time, at Fasque, his showing off some of his home stock to Mr. Williamson, the Aberdeen butcher. They came to a fine stot, and Sir Alexander said, with some appearance of boast, "I was offered twenty guineas for that ox." "Indeed, Fasque,"

said Williamson, "ye should hae steekit your neive upo' that."

Sir Walter Scott had marked in his diary a territorial greeting of two proprietors which had amused him much. The laird of Kilspindie had met the laird of Tannachy-Tulloch, and the following compliments pa.s.sed between them:--"Yer maist obedient hummil servant, Tannachy-Tulloch." To which the reply was, "Yer nain man, Kilspindie."

In proportion as we advance towards the Highland district this custom of distinguis.h.i.+ng clans or races, and marking them out according to the district they occupied, became more apparent. There was the Glengarry country, the Fraser country, the Gordon country, etc. etc. These names carried also with them certain moral features as characteristic of each division. Hence the following anecdote:--The morning litany of an old laird of Cultoquhey, when he took his morning draught at the cauld well, was in these terms:--"Frae the ire o' the Drummonds, the pride o' the Graemes, the greed o' the Campbells, and the wind o' the Murrays, guid Lord deliver us."

The Duke of Athole, having learned that Cultoquhey was in the habit of mentioning his Grace's family in such uncomplimentary terms, invited the humorist to Dunkeld, for the purpose of giving him a hint to desist from the reference. After dinner, the Duke asked his guest what were the precise terms in which he was in the habit of alluding to his powerful neighbours. Cultoquhey repeated his liturgy without a moment's hesitation. "I recommend you," said his Grace, looking very angry, "in future to omit my name from your morning devotions." All he got from Cultoquhey was, "Thank ye, my Lord Duke," taking off his gla.s.s with the utmost sangfroid.

FOOTNOTES:

[49] Stoor is, Scottice, dust in motion, and has no English synonym; oor is hour. Sir Walter Scott is said to have advised an artist, in painting a battle, not to deal with details, but to get up a good _stoor_: then put in an arm and a sword here and there, and leave all the rest to the imagination of the spectator.

[50] Reach me a leg of that turkey.

[51] Clearing ashes out of the bars of the grate.

[52] Mentally confused. Muddy when applied to water.

[53] Preface to 4th edition of _Mystifications_, by Dr. John Brown.

[54] Worse.

[55] Where.

[56] Lord c.o.c.kburn's _Memorials_, p. 58.

[57] Frogs.

[58] Killed.

[59] Miss Jenny Methven.

[60] "Civil," "obliging."--Jamieson.

[61] _Dam_, the game of draughts.

[62] _Brod_, the board.

[63] Measles.

[64] Nettle-rash.

[65] The itch.

[66] Whooping-cough.

[67] Mumps.

[68] Toothache.