Sketches of the Present Manners, Customs, and Scenery of Scotland: With Incidental Remarks on the Scottish Character, Volume 2Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1811 - Scotland |
Common terms and phrases
aisle ancient antiquity appearance arches Barras battle beautiful Bishop Bishop Elphinstone Bishop of Aberdeen Brechin bridge bridge of Dee Buchan building built burgh called castle cathedral chapel character church crown David Fordyce Dunbar Dunnottar Dunnottar Castle Earl Marischal Edinburgh elegant erected feet female Fordyce Foveran friends Gavin Dunbar gentleman Glammis Gothic height Highland hill honor inscription James King Kinnettles Lady land late LETTER Logierait Lord Gardenstone Marischal College Marquis of Montrose Mary Meigle ment mile mind native noble observation Old Aberdeen ornament palace parish Perth piety pillars portraits present Professor Queen racter regalia river rock Roslin round ruins scene scenery Scotch Scotland Scots seat seen Sermon shewn side singular Sir William situated Slains Slains Castle stands steep Stirling stone Stonehaven taste tion tomb tower town venerable village virtue wall wild woods young
Popular passages
Page 37 - None chuse to marry in January or May ; or to have their banns proclaimed in the end of one quarter of the year, and to marry in the beginning of the next. Some things are to be done before the full moon ; others after. In fevers, the illness is expected to be more severe on Sunday than on the other days of the week ; if easier on Sunday, a relapse is feared.
Page 15 - Behold yon huge And unhewn sphere of living adamant, Which, poised by magic, rests its central weight On yonder pointed rock : firm as it seems, Such is its strange and virtuous property, It moves obsequious to the gentlest touch Of him whose breast is pure ; but to a traitor, Though e'en a giant's prowess nerved his arm, It stands as fixed as Snowdon.
Page 183 - Stretched on the sward, he reads of Jesse's son ; Or sheds a tear o'er him to Egypt sold, And wonders why he weeps : the volume closed, With thyme-sprig laid between the leaves, he sings The sacred lays, his weekly lesson, conned With meikle care beneath the lowly roof Where humble lore is learnt, where humble worth Pines unrewarded by a thankless state.
Page 83 - Though old, he still retain'd His manly sense, and energy of mind. Virtuous and wise he was, but not severe ; He still remember'd that he once was young : His easy presence check'd no decent joy.
Page 38 - Highlander goes to bathe or to drink waters out of a consecrated fountain he must always approach by going round the place from east to west on the south side, in imitation of the apparent diurnal motion of the sun. When the dead are laid in the earth the grave is approached by going round in the same manner. The bride is conducted to her future spouse, in the presence of the minister, and the glass goes round a company, in the course of the sun. This is called in Gaelic going round the right, or...
Page 26 - Dunsinnan ;" and when Malcolm prepared to attack the castle, where it was principally defended by the outer rocks, he immediately deserted it ; and flying ran up the opposite hill, pursued by Macduff; but finding it impossible to escape, he threw himself from the top of the hill, was killed upon the rocks, and buried at the Lang Man's Grave, as it is called, which is still extant.
Page 48 - It was the misfortune of James, that his maxims and manners were too refined for the age in which he lived. Happy ! had he reigned in a kingdom more civilized ; his love of peace, of justice, and of elegance, would have rendered his schemes successful ; and, instead of perishing because he had attempted too much, a grateful people would have applauded and seconded his efforts to reform and improve them.
Page 236 - ... nobles, who were assembled around him, whether any of them had dogs, which they thought might be more successful. No courtier would affirm that his hounds were fleeter than those of the king, until Sir William St Clair of Rosline unceremoniously said, he would wager his head that his two favourite dogs, Help and Hold, would kill the deer before she could cross the March-burn.
Page 227 - O sacred solitude ! divine retreat ! Choice of the prudent ! envy of the great ! By thy pure stream, or in thy waving shade, We court fair wisdom, that celestial maid : The genuine offspring of her lov'd embrace, (Strangers on earth !) are innocence and peace : There, from the ways of men laid safe ashore, We smile to hear the distant tempest roar ; There...
Page 227 - Sir William Abernethy, of Salton, a brave and gallant soldier, who, at the head of a party, in the year 1338, conquered Lord Douglas five times in one day, yet was taken prisoner before sun-set.