Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

HOSPITALITY. Ill
this narrow-bred assumption of superiority. The hos-
pitality of the poorest Highlander is the gift of friend-
ship, as Avell as of respect ; and if it is not that of
equality, it will not bear neglect, any more that it expects
payment. It is not wonderful that it should learn to re-
tire within itself: but he who will sit down by the fire
with the wives and grandmothers, listen, whether he
understands it or not, to the price of cattle, notice the
children, and answer the questions which may be asked,
without choosing to imagine that they are the produce of
impertinence, will be thought a " fine man" and a "good
gentleman ;" nor will he be in any danger of suffering
an infringement of his imaginary dignity. He who is
thus far the gentleman he would fain hope, may travel
from the Dan to the Beersheba of this country, from the
Mull of Cantyre to Cape Rath, whenever he pleases,
and will have little reason to complain of want of hos-
pitality among the Highland people.
I suppose, by this time, that you will have classed me
with the " friends of the people." I can only say with
Mr. Shandy, Dinah is my aunt, I respect Plato, and so
on. I ought now, like Gay, who gives the moral first
and the fable afterwards, to add the illustrations. On the
negative side, that might prove worse than the business
of the leeks and cabbages and Berigonium : the good
will come to light here and there. Nevertheless I will
give you the journal of one day ; because it produced
that effect which lawyers like you love, of leaving judg-
ment suspended. Besides, it is characteristic.
Did you yourself not say, in the account of Crichton
Castle, that the days, lamented days, were gone, when, if
a stranger passed over the lands of a Chief without pre-
senting himself at the castle to do homage or ask per-
mission, he was clapped into the dungeon-pit till it