Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

DUNCAN FORBES ON TEA-DRINKING. \%
he quotes the letter of a gentleman who lamented the death of Lovat as one
of the ablest men, of the soundest head, firmest mind, and best heart that our
country has at any time produced. 1 The " Culloden Papers" above alluded
to, and in which several letters of Lord Lovat are printed, contain an
amusing instance of the alarm of so good a man as Duncan Forbes at
the general use of tea, and the injury that would happen to the agricul-
tural interest by that drug, as he called it, superseding the former beverage
of ale made from malt. He thus states the evil as he thought it : — " The
cause of the mischief we complain of is evidently the excessive use of
tea, which is now become so common that the meanest families, even of
labouring people, particularly in burroughs, make their morning meal of
it, and thereby wholly disuse the ale which heretofore was their accustomed
drink ; and the same drug supplies all the labouring women with their after-
noon's entertainments, to the exclusion of the twopenny." 2 The Lord Presi-
dent further enlarges on the absurdity of cobblers and their wives gravely
sitting down to drink tea. He characterises in his paper the tea-drinkings
as " villanous " and " rascally " practices. The worth and wisdom of the
Lord President Forbes are much and justly extolled. But his tirade against
1 Mr. Burton's life of Lord Lovat, vol. i. p. of pulling down his family seat of Brahan
267. — Highland chiefs were supposed to have Castle. In the History of England by Lord
omnipotent authority over their Clan, and Lord Mahon, afterwards the late Earl Stanhope,
Lovat is one who is often quoted in corrohora- he notes that in the expedition for the inva-
tion of this. But the incautious remark of the sion of Scotland in 1719, according to "San
young chief of Clanronald, who was brought Phelipe, Lord Seaforth went to Bracaam. But
up as a foster son in the family of Lord Lovat, what place he means by Bracaam is beyond
was a remarkable exception. A profuse my skill to divine." Lord Stanhope might
slaughter of Highland cattle having been made have learned that Brahan Castle was obviously
on the coming of age of young Clanronald, he alluded to, and that the various spellings,
remarked that afewhenswouldhavebeen sum- even in the title-deeds of that estate, such as
cient. This irritated the Clan, who speedily " Brawine," etc., differ more from the present
dethroned the " Hen-chief," as he was called. mode than the one which he quotes from San
The Clan Mackenzie also forcibly compelled Phelipe.
their Chief Seaforth to desist from his purpose 2 Culloden Papers, p. 190.