Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

sense of humour, never found among savages or clod-
hoppers.
The special relations of Scotland to some of the con-
tinental nations will account for the close similarity of
some of these proverbs to foreign ones. A few of the
Hebridean ones have a strong resemblance to some
of the sayings of our Norse ancestors. Our old and
intimate connection with France is well known. For
many generations we sent soldiers and students to that
country. Some Scottish priests are still educated at
Douay, as in days of yore, and a Scots College was long
maintained for their special benefit at Paris. From a
very remote date they were in the habit of finding their
way to Kome, as a verse by one of our oldest Gaelic
poets, Murdoch the Scot, bears record (see Supplement,
p. 391). There is still a Scottish College at Piome, and
some Scottish students are regularly trained in the Pro-
paganda College. A Scottish College was founded at
Madrid in 1627, translated to Valladolid in 1771, where
a considerable proportion of our Eoman Catholic clergy
now complete their education. These facts will help to
account for the similarity of many Gaelic Proverbs to
French, Italian, and Spanish ones. Our old military
connection with Denmark and the Netherlands will
help in like manner to account for any borrowed from
these countries and from Germany. The few survivors
of our much-prized contribution to the ranks of Gus-
tavus Adolphus very probably carried back with them
to Sutherland more proverbs than dollars.
The resemblance of our Gaelic proverbs to Irish ones,
especially Ulster ones, is what might be expected. The