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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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425 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. “ There’s the Sovereign,’ Dalhousie, and Maule, they will say, And Ramsay, myself: and our friend Charlie Kay ; These six jolly fellows have found out the charm, To teach Angus lads how to make a house warm. “ ’Tis by wine, mighty wine ! we our friendship can prore ; ’Tis wine, mighty wine ! which inspires us to love : Ring the bell-call the butler-and bid him bring ben A “agnwm or two, and a large tappit hen. “ May this night be devoted to friendship and wine, No troubles to vex us, no cause to repine ; And may each jolly soul to four bottles aspire, To heat the house well, not to set it on fire. “ Then let us good claret enjoy while we live ; A toast to your mind I can promise to give : Fill up the f~z-headl,e~t us drink to the last- ‘ May the Roof-Tree of Eelly for ages stand fast.’ Derry, down, down, etc.” Of the ‘‘ Generous Sportsman’’ there are many amusing anecdotes told.‘ The Highland Chairmen of Edinburgh, some thirty years ago, were proverbial for their insatiable love of money. The excessive “greed ” of these worthies happening to become the subject of conversation among a few gentlemen on one occasion, his lordship (then Mr. Maule) took up a. bet in favour of the character of our northern countrymen, respecting the possibility of satisfying them by liberal remuneration. The wager being accepted, Mr. Maule threw himself into a sedan, and gave orders to be conveyed a short distance down the Canongate, for which, on alighting, he bestowed the handsome reward of one guinea, quite confident thereby of giving satisfaction. It was impossible for Donald altogether to suppress the smile which played upon his countenance, as he turned over the ‘’ yellow Geordie I’ in his hand : ‘‘ But could her honour no shuist gi’e the ither sixpence to get a gill?” His lordship good-humouredly supplied the “ ither sixpence,” in expectation of gaining his bet ; but another demand, on the part of Donald‘s companion, for “three bawbees of odd shange to puy snuff,” put him out of all temper, and thoroughly convinced him of the impossibility of satisfying a Highland chairman. p Walking through his plantations one day, his lordship was attracted by the sound of some one felling a tree. “What are you about there 0’’ said he to a young man whom he caught in the act of levelling a stately “monarch of the wood,” with a cart and horse at no great distance, ready to carry away the 1 Mr. Skene of Skene, Sovereign of the Beggar’s Benison, north side of the Tay. The Marquis of Huntly. A silver cup, in the shape of a fox’s head, which contains a bottle of wine, much used in Angus on certain convivial occasions. Lord Panmure has been introduced in the novel, entitled “A Winter in Edinburgh,” under the name of Hall of Glenmore. This rather clever production will amuse those readers who rememlkr Edinburgh Society of the early part of this century, as most of their old acquaintances are to be found there, shown up in the most fearless manner.
Volume 9 Page 573
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