Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Jacobite relics of Scotland > [First series]

NOTES. 251
good story. Sometime thereafter, a Scots merchant travelling in
England, and shewing same apprehension of being robbed, his
landlady told him he was in no hazard, for all the highwaymen
were gone: and upon his inquiring how that came about ; " Why,
truly," replied she, " they are all gone to your country to get
places." These fellows treated the natives with all the contempt
and executed the new laws with all the rigour imaginable : so
that, before the first three months were expired, there were too
apparent proofs of the truth of what had been often asserted, in
relation to the bad bargain Scotland had made. 'Tis true, indeed,
some particular merchants made vast gain at this juncture ; for
the duties upon wine and most other foreign commodities being
much less in Scotland than in England, great quantities were
imported into the former before the commencement of the Union,
and being afterwards carried into England, returned an extra-
ordinary profit. But as discerning people saw that was only the
accidental consequence of what could not be well avoided at this
juncture, and that these sunshine days would be soon overclouded
(as the merchants have since effectually experimented), it did
noways lessen the dreadful apprehensions of the consequences of
the Union ; and people of all ranks and persuasions were more
and more chagrined and displeased, that nothing but the restora-
tion of the royal family, and that by the means of Scotsmen, could
restore them to their rights. So that now there was scarce one of
a thousand that did not declare for the king : nay, the Presbyte-
rians and Cameronians were willing to pass over the objection of
his being Papist ; for, said they (according to their predestinating
principles), " Grod may convert him, or he may have Protestant
children ; but the Union can never be good." And as the com-
mons shewed a great alacrity and readiness to join against the
promoters of the Union, whilst it was in agitation, than did those
of better rank and quality, so were they at this time more uneasy
at their subjection, and zealous to redeem the liberty of the
country ; and thence it was, that on all occasions, in all places,
and by people of all persuasions, nothing was to be heard through-
out all the country, save an universal declaration in favour of the