Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-18
THE LAIRD OF MACNAB.

Th.l,tr Laird OF Macnab was the last relic
y. ancient, stern, feudal sys,em-rsre. "n',
,a,, Gofho,um. Chief OF tribe, compare
with which, in his opinion, the CamPbeis ana
tho Grasams were as Mushrooms, the worthy
l,;rd acknowledged no superior, not even 'hose
hose heads were decorated with regal crowns
He nossesscd extraordinary energies Oh mihu
and bodv. Although his education, IKE ina.
,s maov other persons Of family in the Gays OF
hi. youth. had been very detective, his iniorna-
zion was singularly extensive. lie was ma"
Of eres, tact and shrewdness, and on: wha'
fund OF genealogy failed with him! ms cor,
noreaI was as vigorous as his mental frame.
nave seen him, al "drunken writers ieas'e'
nut to the blush many three-no'''e man. A"N
Win steady hand, and head apparently inacces-
s;h,. ,o the fumes of Bacchus, drank to the spec
,lv resurrection Of those Of his juvenile COM
nanions who were compelled to hug the carpet.
And ,hese feats were achieved al the advanced
age OF eighty four, and after having spent what
il called an exceedingly rough lille. On tnese
occasions, Macnab was wont TO morallse on .ne
yoful deeenrracy Of the present race. SUING
as erect as if he had been impaied, WIN ms
hack at least four inches distant from ina! "
his cbair.-to have reclined against which,
even for one moment, he would nave ooh''"e'
ed a scandaious disparagement OF his streh@ u,
and a dispraceful compliance with modern FL
feminacy,-rhus would the veteran chleraih
speculate on the inequality OF past and present
mortals:-"By the Id! kenna what 10 max
o. the puir deeyils nowadays, They have nae
mai, fusion in their wames than wiihered
docken. iva or three hours spinnin' ABBOTT
wheen meeserable lauk-neb0ed bottles, Is e
nruch 10 cowp then, heels over craig. This is
ape ~ The blessed effects Of the Union, "a be
damned tilP,! Bv my saul, it wasna kerkln
through mil s'ane to see whaina change the
mock pudin' Soulhron tykes would max III
our avid gusty Scotch diet, as sumo as they got
their nsbs 4 tAs ilasrv sidezo' lwees'. lhe vera
ci'sIb icneads TIE puir, ignorant creatures, as
our King Jamie weei said, 'are no. worthy o
having the like o them 10 stain their wizrned
thrapptes.' And our Scotch fowk are takin'
after them;-deil burst them. The feek O. their
dinners made up o leelies, tarts, and sckike
trashtrie, and meikle ashet in the middle,
with paething int can max ony thing o, gin
it be ma shaw ,aen srae dyke, via wheen
green leaves amang't. VIVA, the foul hrnd,
can drink hall night on such shilpit foun
da,ion, I wad like TO ken? o the blythe days
lang since gant! mind as weel US It it were
Yesterday, Fifty years by game, there aud
Ksppoch, Glenaldale, and myself saed doun to
honest Luekie Merryls's, in the Canongate,
Just by way o. ,akin' friendly 81 lass in her
canny howff. BY my saul, friends We might
weel be cad for we never crossed the ooiside
o. Iuckes door for Ave weeks; driukin' and
drinkin' I'LL wad hae hardly tnocht it mar
vel If we had grown into fish, and the very fins
had come DOT at our backs. Ay, ay, those were
days indeed, and Draw calahts lived in them!
But noo-Oich! oich?"
In this lugubrious manner would the good
laird soliloquise, ever and anon carrying the
glass to his mouth, and now & then bestnwing
a ruefal glance on his PROSTATE and degenera.-
ed cronies. The following anecdote exhibits
the mountain chief in all his territorial snpre-
macy, and displays lofty and magnani'npus
contempt for the petty, pal,ry regulations esrab-
lished by the sons Of vulgar trade.
Like many other prop ietors of large but
reproductive estates, the Laird of Macnab was
often under the necessity Of compromising his
dignity by granting bills for his various pur-
chases These bills, for many wears, we're all
ways discounted at the Perth back, and when
due, he no more dreampt ofputtiug himself in
the slightest degree out ofthe way by retiring
his scraps Of paper, comfortably 10 the esta5
lished rules Of trade than Of paying the nation
al debt. In fact, If would have been danger
Gus experiment TO have limited TO him the pro-
priety Of what he considered most degrading
and unchieftain like practice. The directors
Of the bank, knowing their money to be sure,
honoured him, as being character OF no ordi-
nary description. His sccep,ances were there
fore never (strange to say noted or protested; |
indeed, such an impairment procedure on their |
part might have brought dawn like torrent
the furious chief, and score or Two Of his gill
lies, TO sack great Perth.
Unluckily for him one of"thse damna6ie bits
o. paper" found its way into the Stirling
banks, an establishment with which the laird I
had no connexiSp. Agreeably TO his aud use
and tconi,h he gave himself no trouble about the
matter. 1t was in due course noted and pro
tested, of which due intimation was sent to
him. The laird treated these various notices
With the most sovereign contempt. He was,
however, efectually reused, by the alarming in.
formation thar Q writ of horning and caption had
,een taken out against him, and that in conse
luence, clerk belonging TO the bank, accom-
,anied by Two messengers, would proceed on
he following Friday re Achlyne House for the