Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

16'4 POLICE.
diseased republic; while our worthy Gael have also es-
caped the evils for which Livy abuses their Gaulish
ancestors. As to what Salisburiensis, Geraldus, and
Broterus say, it would be superfluous to you, a Lawyer
as well as a Poet. But I must say no more about law,
lest, " vastissimis glossarum volu minibus me obruent
inexpugnabiles Juristce." Only, as the world has now
undergone the three conditions of being governed by
Soldiers, by Priests, and by Lawyers, it seems fully time
that Physic should also take its turn, and that we should
at length pass under the dominion of Doctors and Apo-
thecaries. Which seems about to happen. Why there
are no lawyers in the Islands to teach the people how to
quarrel and spend their money, is plain enough. They
would not indeed find it difficult to quarrel, but they have
no money to spend. Else, doubtless, they would soon
learn to follow the practices of their litigious Norman
brethren of Mann. It has equally been remarked by
wonderinsT naturalists that there are no swallows in this
country. The cause is plain : we may say of it as was said
of Domitian ; a fly cannot live in Uist and Harris. It has
also been said of Westminster Hall that there are no spi-
ders, because it is built of Irish oak. Causa pro non
causa again. There would be no lawyers there, if there
were as few clients as there are flies.
If the good and the evil here neutralize each other,
there is a point of law of daily occurrence between the
King and his insular subjects in this country, where the
evil is inflicted, and the little good which the case might
admit in alleviation, is withheld. This is a fiscal ques-
tion ; it cannot be called a difficulty, as the remedy would
not be hard to find. The Highlanders may be allowed
to complain of unredressed grievances ; but let them
complain of themselves; of the neglect of those repre-