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proper　station。　　Tradition　is　but　a　meteor；　which；　if　once　it
falls；　cannot　be　rekindled。

It　seems　to　be　universally　supposed；　that　much　of　the　local　history
was　preserved　by　the　Bards；　of　whom　one　is　said　to　have　been
retained　by　every　great　family。　　After　these　Bards　were　some　of　my
first　inquiries；　and　I　received　such　answers　as；　for　a　while；　made
me　please　myself　with　my　increase　of　knowledge；　for　I　had　not　then
learned　how　to　estimate　the　narration　of　a　Highlander。

They　said　that　a　great　family　had　a　Bard　and　a　Senachi；　who　were
the　poet　and　historian　of　the　house；　and　an　old　gentleman　told　me
that　he　remembered　one　of　each。　　Here　was　a　dawn　of　intelligence。
Of　men　that　had　lived　within　memory；　some　certain　knowledge　might
be　attained。　　Though　the　office　had　ceased；　its　effects　might
continue；　the　poems　might　be　found；　though　there　was　no　poet。

Another　conversation　indeed　informed　me；　that　the　same　man　was　both
Bard　and　Senachi。　　This　variation　discouraged　me；　but　as　the
practice　might　be　different　in　different　times；　or　at　the　same　time
in　different　families；　there　was　yet　no　reason　for　supposing　that　I
must　necessarily　sit　down　in　total　ignorance。

Soon　after　I　was　told　by　a　gentleman；　who　is　generally　acknowledged
the　greatest　master　of　Hebridian　antiquities；　that　there　had　indeed
once　been　both　Bards　and　Senachies；　and　that　Senachi　signified　'the
man　of　talk；'　or　of　conversation；　but　that　neither　Bard　nor　Senachi
had　existed　for　some　centuries。　　I　have　no　reason　to　suppose　it
exactly　known　at　what　time　the　custom　ceased；　nor　did　it　probably
cease　in　all　houses　at　once。　　But　whenever　the　practice　of
recitation　was　disused；　the　works；　whether　poetical　or　historical；
perished　with　the　authors；　for　in　those　times　nothing　had　been
written　in　the　Earse　language。

Whether　the　'Man　of　talk'　was　a　historian；　whose　office　was　to　tell
truth；　or　a　story…teller；　like　those　which　were　in　the　last
century；　and　perhaps　are　now　among　the　Irish；　whose　trade　was　only
to　amuse；　it　now　would　be　vain　to　inquire。

Most　of　the　domestick　offices　were；　I　believe；　hereditary；　and
probably　the　laureat　of　a　clan　was　always　the　son　of　the　last
laureat。　　The　history　of　the　race　could　no　otherwise　be
communicated；　or　retained；　but　what　genius　could　be　expected　in　a
poet　by　inheritance？

The　nation　was　wholly　illiterate。　　Neither　bards　nor　Senachies
could　write　or　read；　but　if　they　were　ignorant；　there　was　no　danger
of　detection；　they　were　believed　by　those　whose　vanity　they
flattered。

The　recital　of　genealogies；　which　has　been　considered　as　very
efficacious　to　the　preservation　of　a　true　series　of　ancestry；　was
anciently　made；　when　the　heir　of　the　family　came　to　manly　age。
This　practice　has　never　subsisted　within　time　of　memory；　nor　was
much　credit　due　to　such　rehearsers；　who　might　obtrude　fictitious
pedigrees；　either　to　please　their　masters；　or　to　hide　the
deficiency　of　their　own　memories。

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。　　The　Lochaber…ax　is　only　a　slight
alteration　of　the　old　English　bill。

After　all　that　has　been　said　of　the　force　and　terrour　of　the
Highland　sword；　I　could　not　find　that　the　art　of　defence　was　any
part　of　common　education。　　The　gentlemen　were　perhaps　sometimes
skilful　gladiators；　but　the　common　men　had　no　other　powers　than
those　of　violence　and　courage。　　Yet　it　is　well　known；　that　the
onset　of　the　Highlanders　was　very　formidable。　　As　an　army　cannot
consist　of　philosophers；　a　panick　is　easily　excited　by　any　unwonted
mode　of　annoyance。　　New　dangers　are　naturally　magnified；　and　men
accustomed　only　to　exchange　bullets　at　a　distance；　and　rather　to
hear　their　enemies　than　see　them；　are　discouraged　and　amazed　when
they　find　themselves　encountered　hand　to　hand；　and　catch　the　gleam
of　steel　flashing　in　their　faces。

The　Highland　weapons　gave　opportunity　for　many　exertions　of
personal　courage；　and　sometimes　for　single　combats　in　the　field；
like　those　which　occur　so　frequently　in　fabulous　wars。　　At　Falkirk；
a　gentleman　now　living；　was；　I　suppose　after　the　retreat　of　the
King's　troops；　engaged　at　a　distance　from　the　rest　with　an　Irish
dragoon。　　They　were　both　skilful　swordsmen；　and　the　contest　was　not
easily　decided：　　the　dragoon　at　last　had　the　advantage；　and　the
Highlander　called　for　quarter；　but　quarter　was　refused　him；　and　the
fight　continued　till　he　was　reduced　to　defend　himself　upon　his
knee。　　At　that　instant　one　of　the　Macleods　came　to　his　rescue；　who；
as　it　is　said；　offered　quarter　to　the　dragoon；　but　he　thought
himself　obliged　to　reject　what　he　had　before　refused；　and；　as
battle　gives　little　time　to　deliberate；　was　immediately　killed。

Funerals　were　formerly　solemnized　by　calling　multitudes　together；
and　entertaining　them　at　great　expence。　　This　emulation　of　useless
cost　has　been　for　some　time　discouraged；　and　at　last　in　the　Isle　of
Sky　is　almost　suppressed。

Of　the　Earse　language；　as　I　understand　nothing；　I　cannot　say　more
than　I　have　been　told。　　It　is　the　rude　speech　of　a　barbarous
people；　who　had　few　thoughts　to　express；　and　were　content；　as　they
conceived　grossly；　to　be　grossly　understood。　　After　what　has　been
lately　talked　of　Highland　Bards；　and　Highland　genius；　many　will
startle　when　they　are　told；　that　the　Earse　never　was　a　written
language；　that　there　is　not　in　the　world　an　Earse　manuscript　a
hundred　years　old；　and　that　the　sounds　of　the　Highlanders　were
never　expressed　by　letters；　till　some　little　books　of　piety　were
translated；　and　a　metrical　version　of　the　Psalms　was　made　by　the
Synod　of　Argyle。　　Whoever　therefore　now　writes　in　this　language；
spells　according　to　his　own　perception　of　the　sound；　and　his　own
idea　of　the　power　of　the　letters。　　The　Welsh　and　the　Irish　are
cultivated　tongues。　　The　Welsh；　two　hundred　years　ago；　insulted
their　English　neighbours　for　the　instability　of　their　Orthography；
while　the　Earse　merely　floated　in　the　breath　of　the　people；　and
could　therefore　receive　little　improvement。

When　a　language　begins　to　teem　with　books；　it　is　tending　to
refinement；　as　those　who　undertake　to　teach　others　must　have
undergone　some　labour　in　improving　themselves；　they　set　a
proportionate　value　on　their　own　thoughts；　and　wish　to　enforce　them
by　efficacious　expressions；　speech　becomes　embodied　and　permanent；
different　modes　and　phrases　are　compared；　and　the　best　obtains　an
establishment。　　By　degrees　on