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

NOTES. 281
SONG LXII.
This song reminds one of the string of anathemas that forced Dr
Slop to feign sleep, and set my uncle Toby to whistle LiUahuIlero.
" Our armies swore terribly in Flanders," said my uncle Toby,
" but nothing to this." It seems to have been written by some
Cavalier in the height of despite and indignation.
" Curs'd be the parliament that day,
Who gave the first occasion."
Our Scottish royalists had a wretched opinion of the English
parliament. Nothing can be better than George Lockhart's de-
scription of it.
"And as what I have said will be found a just enough charac-
ter of the people of England's notions of liberty and government
in general, the members of the house of commons are much of the
same temper, and manage their affairs after the same manner.
For though all of them are vested with equal powers, a very few
of the most active and pragmatical, by persuading the rest that
nothing is done without them, do lead them by the nose, and
make mere tools of them, to serve their own ends. And this, I
suppose, is owing to the manner and way of electing the members :
for, being entirely in the hands of the populace, they for the most
part choose those who pay best ; so that many are elected who
very seldom attend the house, give themselves no trouble in busi-
ness, and have no design in being chosen, even at a great expense,
but to have the honour of being called Parliament-men. On the
other hand, a great many are likewise elected who have no con-
cern for the interest of their country, and, being either poor or
avaricious, aim at nothing but enriching themselves ; and hence
it is that no assembly under heaven does produce so many fools
and knaves. The house of commons is represented as a wise and
august assembly : what it was long ago I shall not say, but in our
days it is full of disorder and confusion. The members that are
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