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Annual Dinner. 107
veneration to another.
could now make such
(Api)lauso.)
a collection
He did not suppose anybody
of Highland stories as Mr
Campbell of Islay succeeded in doing. That collection, as they
were aware, was in many respects imi)ertVct l)ut ; had a Mr
Campbell of Islay been in the tield throe or four generations before,
how much more valuable a book of folklore might have been
compiled 'l They must also remember that these traditional
stories educated the people in those days; iind when they looked
back to what their forefathers were, and when they looked at all
the appliances of modern education, he did not think that they
liad much reason to be proud. There was one thing that they
must remember, and that was that they had a valuable means of
education in the study of their own history, and the more he
knew of it the more he would recommend its study. Tliere was
much in it, no doubt, which they had no reason to feel proud of.
It often told of nobles who were faithless. But all through the
course of the history of Scotland they felt that among the great body
of the people there always existed a strong feeling both for the maintenance
of the independence of the country, and for the maintenance
of tlie I'oyal line— (Hear, hear)— and this feeling of loyalty and
independence shone brightly above the faithlessness of the nobles,
and the weakness as well as the poverty of the country. (Applause.)
Through the long course of their history, the people
combined to resist the Romans, the Saxons, and the other in-
vaders, and maintained Scotch independence, and their own royal
line, until they were able to unite with England upon equal terms.
(Hear, hear, and applause.) The fact could not be impressed too
much upon the people that the more they looked back into the
history of the country the more would they tind people guided by
laigh and noljle feeling, by a feeling which soared high above their
own selfish interests, a feeling of freedom and independence, which
ought to be maintained at all risks and hazards. (Hear, hear, and
applause.) It was of the utmost ini2)ortance that this old Scotch
feeling of freedom and independence should be perpetuated and
not be lost sight of. A knowledge of reading, writing, and arith-
metic, and a knowledge of how to acquire money, was all very well,
but while they imparted such an education as enabled every man
to take his share in the busy, active part of life, that part of his
education should not be neglected which taught him to see that
there were other things far above worldly and selfish interests
which ought to insijire his heart, and guide him through life.
(Applause.) Proceeding, the Provost said there could be no doubt
that there was among the poorer class in the country a great