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Topography of the Country
between Carlisle and Gretna.
Some facts about Geography
Amuse us for awhile;
And chiefly the Topography
'Twixt Gretna and Carlisle.
What a pity it is that the
exquisite romance of running away with a lady, and marrying her
clandestinely, should ever be tarnished by subsequent matrimonial squabbles.
Alack and well-a-day ! surely it must be a most humiliating consideration,
for people to find themselves launching cutting speeches at each other, when
the remembrance of the caresses, the rapture, the triumph, that swelled in
their bosoms at the successful moment of escape to Gretna is still fresh in
their minds, if they only dare to recall it. We say dare to recall it: and
it is certain that it must require some courage to venture to look back upon
these thrilling moments at such a time as we mention, —that is, when the
novelty of wedded life has in some sort passed away,—when the person whom we
had always yearned for, and sighed for, and had looked upon as an angel
moving upon earth, is, indeed, no more than a human being, possessed of
weaknesses, frailties, and imperfections, not to say vices;—at such time,
when these failings have increased so far as to create not only indifference
but absolute loathing; and when this loathing has broken out into bickerings,
contradictions, and wrangling; then, we say, it will require some courage to
look back with the mind's eye upon the sweet congratulations of having
achieved a midnight elopement unprevented, unstopped, unarrested.
And why should it require
such courage to reflect upon bliss that is gone?
It has been said that there
is no grief so great as the recollection of past happiness when in the days
of misery. This may be a great grief, certainly; but we were talking of
humiliation. Grief may be proud, stern, savage, unbending; but humiliation
can scarcely be either of these. Humiliation makes the feeler of it small,
degraded, stricken down, abashed ; but why should such a remembrance produce
such an effect? Why, for this reason: that it lets-us know that our judgment
was erroneous; that we were incapable of making a wise selection, or that
the person we selected managed to outwit us in dissimulation ; that we
certainly made a shallow and foolish choice; and then the inference is, that
he who makes a foolish choice must, per consequence, be a fool, and that is
not flattering to our vanity in fine, it makes us out of humour with
ourselves, and that is more galling than being out of humour with all the
world besides; and when we are out of humour with ourselves we grow sour and
peevish, and soon vent that ill humour upon the nearest object to us, and
the unhappy one that is so closely allied to the origin of these disquiets.
It is hard, too, that our
ill-humour should be poured out upon our helpmate; as if that helpmate had
committed a crime merely for having complied with our most pressing
desires—that is, of becoming our partner. Did we not wish it ? did we not
promote it ? did we not solicit it, urge it, importune it ? Of a truth it
was very kind in the other party to comply with our request; to yield to
what we vowed was the only thing left us to ensure our happiness. Why,
really, we never thought of looking at the matter in this light before. Is
it possible that we can vent our peevishness on our partner, who actually
became our partner to satisfy our most fervent entreaty ? Positively also,
our mate has great reason to be angered with us: did we not consent to marry
our mate when it was our mate's pleasure that it should be so ? Yes, this
cannot be denied; and therefore we have commited an offence which our mate
never can forgive, and for which our mate will never desist persecuting us.
"Married love never lasts;
dat is not in de nature," said the unfortunate Queen Caroline some thirty
years ago; a sweeping denunciation, certainly, and but an indifferent
encouragement to maidens and bachelors. "I could be the slave of the man I
love," she observed to one of her ladies at another time, with a great deal
of truth; truth, because it is a sentiment in which all other women will
agree; ay, and men too. "I could be the slave of the mau I love; but to one
whom I loved not, and who did not love me, impossible—c'est autre chose."
We wash the queen had
bequeathed us some receipt for ensuring the permanency of wedded love : but
alas ! for her, she was one of the last who could have transmitted such a
bequest. She judged of every one by her own individual self, when she said,
"Married love never lasts; dat is not in de nature ;" but after all, if we
look round the world, and scrutinize the opinions of men, we shall see that
almost all their theses, dogmata, and theorems, are not founded so much on
the wisdom of others as they are on their own abstract experience. Because
her wedded love did not last, she broadly declared that the wedded love of
every person besides did not, and would not, last.
Philosophers and moralists
preach mutual forbearance as one of the especial ensurers of happiness; and
philosophers and moralists are right in thus preaching : but it is so hard
to resist being cross, and to stifle an ill-natured remark when things have
gone wrong, and have put us out of sorts. And therefore, of course, on the
other hand, it is particularly easy,— it is even pleasant, to give a short
answer when the person to whom it is spoken has provoked us to anger,
whether justly or not. This is a vile ingredient in human nature; and yet
there are few, however amiable as human nature goes, who will not confess
that they know it to be fact.
After saying this, it may
appear strange that we should pave the way to Gretna by writing this work.
But we are not paving the way thither in these' pages; and we mean to take
every opportunity of appending a wholesome moral to each anecdote connected
with the disreputable practice of journeying to that bourn, and to lay open
every circumstance touching* that practice, not that the reader should
become enamoured of it, but rather that he or she should detest .it and
eschew it.
For the information of all
those whom it may concern, we will by these presents make them acquainted
with the modern geography of this region, as we have hitherto spoken of its
ancient appearance ; so that the mad and, the inconsiderate who journey this
way to destruction, or at all events to matrimony, may the better comprehend
where .they are going, and not otherwise, like the blind, fall together into
the ditch.
Now, the veritable distance
from the ancient city ( of Carlisle, on whose wall the sun shines bright, as
the minstrel's ballad says, unto Gretna, is nine miles and one half, for
there is a mile-stone on the right-hand, or eastern side of the road, under
the hedge, indicating to that effect: it is just opposite the first cottage
you come to on entering this interesting .village, and at about two hundred
yards from Gretna Hall, the principal marrying-shop. By this it will be seen
that the whole and complete distance from the famous city wherein Arthur
held his court and Peredur flourished, across the Debateable Land and the
border, even up to the very altar, is two hundred yards more than the nine
miles and a half—or, say nine miles and ° three quarters, which will be
making the most of the evil, and taking the matter at the worst, to those
who think it far too long, and are impatient to get over it. But the
distance from this city to the river Sark, or boundary-line betwixt the two
kingdoms, is about nine miles lawful measure, as near as may be, scarce more
or less; and at this distance all fugitives may safely calculate on being
beyond the reach of English pursuit.
Now, it will not be difficult
to perceive how very providentially all these measurements are made out, the
said nine miles and the fraction being just ax convenient length for a
posting stage; not too long, but that the horses may be kept hard at it all
the way, and quite long enough for the patience of the knight and his ladye
love, who, be it observed, are now anxious to attain unto that bourn whence
none (or few) return, and who are both on the last stage of their journey
and of their celibacy.
Such progresses, howbeit,
progress toward evil, and swains and maidens would do well to eschew them,
seeing that, for the most part, they be undertaken lacking the sanction of
parents, or the approval of friends, but are rather promoted at the
instigation and enforcement of the devil; and this sheweth us the reason why
they do always on such occasions drive speedily, for it is said, we must
needs go quick when the devil driveth.
The road is a right fair road
as roads go, (though they move not,) notwithstanding it passes over an
unstable foundation, altogether lacking firmness but there is a modern
road-maker, being the son of Adam, (for "mak signifieth a sonne," said John
Elder to Henry VIII.,) who declared that he would sooner make a road over a
soft bed, than over a bed of rock. After crossing the bridge of Carlisle,
near the meadow where Peredur, the Prince of Sunshine, tilted with and
overthrew the discourteous knight who had insulted Queen Gwenhwyvar by
dashing the goblet out of her hand as she was drinking, there is an easy
ascent until you attain the summit of a hill, over which, in the olden time,
ran the Picts' wall, otherwise the wall of Adrian or Severus, about which we
have made sufficient historical mention heretofore. Nothing remains of this
fortification in the present day exactly at this spot, by reason that the
soil of the district is not rocky, so that the coulter of the plough and
the" self-same Time that aided to build it, have more recently levelled it
to the ground; but further eastward, at the stone quarries, traces are yet
visible, and will gratify the inquiries of the antiquarian pilgrim. From the
summit of this rising, even all the way to the border, the road is passing
level, so that the horses would not say that it were much on the collar; it
is, for the most part, bounded on either hand by a dreary waste, even the
Debate-able Land, or Solway Moss ; a few cheerless huts lie dotted about
with their enclosures, like oases in the great desert of Zahara; and here
and there the barrenness of the scene is enlivened by some plantations of
fir trees. This description of the country is not given without a reason.
Furthermore, in the remote north-east, the western extremities of the
Cheviots may be seen rising as a background; and on the opposite side,
toward the setting sun, a fair ken of the western waters openeth to the
view. The inhabitants of the said huts look exceedingly miserable ; they are
squalid in vesture, and meagre in feature, one while turning up. peat for
winter fuel, and at another turning up what they are pleased to term their
gardens. The children are ragged and dirty, curious to look at passers-by,
and not apt to return any base coin that may be thrown to them.
This kind of road continues
much the same until it attains the Eske, over which it is carried by a
creditable stone and iron bridge ; and then, on reaching the Sark, a smaller
stream, it passes, by another bridge of stone, actually over the border into
the sister kingdom.
Alter crossing the Sark, the
road, for the last half mile into the village of Gretna, ascends by a
moderate inclination; wherefore, in order to tear up this hill with
matrimonic-runaway effect, so as to strike admiration into the hearts of all
curious beholders, it is well to ease the cattle over the last mile on the
more level moss, (unless papa happens to be close behind,) because, oh !.
thou most sociable companion, that dost accompany us through these pages,
although, as we have said, this be an evil undertaking, still, if it is
done, why, let it be done in a comely manner. Even Pluto himself we would
sec ascend his burning throne with grace.
We said before, that this
minute description of the aspect of the country over which the last stage of
the eventful journey passes, has not been written without reason; • verily,
to say the honest truth, it has been done for the particular information of
all married persons who have driven over this road, and have been wedded at
Gretna Green. Indeed ! how so ? Because, forsooth, it is notorious, that
when two lovers are sitting in one carriage on their way to be thus united,
they are ever and always looking sweetly right into each other's eyes, so
that they never see one bit of the country outside. Thus, it has been
remarked, that all runaways who have been over the Debateable Land, know
less about it than, any other travellers whatsoever. We, ourself, did not go
this way on an eloping adventure; consequently we kept our eyes directed out
of the carriage to observe the country, having no inducement to direct them
in, no bright orbs to look into and discourse with, but scrutinized the face
of the district, and made such valuable notes as should serve for this most
important history. The above description, we repeat, therefore, has been
carefully drawn up for the perusal of all those bright eyes that were gazing
passionately into each other when they were borne along over this last
stage,—that is, by the by, if those bright eyes have not since been
scratched out.
On entering the village, the
stone of nine miles and a half may be seen by the way-side on the right-hand
; a hundred yards beyond that, on the left, is the village church,—but you
are not going there, so pass on,—and beyond that, again, is the green, from
which the name of Gretna Green arose, it being a triangular piece of grass
at the convergence of several roads, and on the further side of that is the
entrance to Gretna Hall, the modern aristocratic establishment for being
married at.
In the days of my Lord
Erskine and other personages of renown, it was customary to marry in the old
village of Springfield, a place that is distant about half a mile from the
green: but the bright star of Springfield has sunk beneath the horizon, and
the hall has sprung up, much to its injury and disparagement. The great road
from Carlisle into Scotland used to run directly through Springfield, so
that it then lay on the principal thoroughfare ; but about the year
1826—more or less—a new road thence to Glasgow was cut through these parts,
in such sort as wholly to eschew the said place; so that the .peregrinator
wending this way cannot see it at all, nor would he know of its existence
unless he were particularly advertised of it.
Hence it is, that Springfield
has suffered much in prosperity since the alteration, being entirely cut off
from travellers, and well-nigh forgotten by those who come hastily to be
wedded.
The neglect of the village
has led to the increase of buildings round the green near the church, close
to which the new road runs; and hence has arisen within the last few years,
for matrimonial accommodation, (with a true eye to business and a favourable
locality,) that comparatively large; neat, and comfortable mansion ycleped
"Gretna Hall." It is a kind of hotel or boarding-house, having coach-house,
stables, and everything meet for the horrible end in view —but of this more
anon.
It is necessary to explain,
that although the place has ever gone by the name of " Gretna Green," people
were always executed in the village of Springfield. Now, attached to this
village there was, and, as we have said, there still is, a green or open
space, where the inhabitants used to meet of a summers evening to enjoy
themselves with a game of shinty, tennis, or other ancient pastime ;—such a
green as of old pertained and appertained to many towns and villages in
England, and which, in some cases remains to this day—and this green under
discussion, was the village green of Springfield.
Perhaps, then, it will be
demanded, since we say it was the green of Springfield, why it was not
called Springfield Green rather than Gretna Green. To this, we answer, that
the parish in which the village stands and is included, is named Gretna, and
that the Green was apparently christened after the parish, as the principal
or whole, and not after the village, which was only a part.
Lying, as it does, on the
great road northward, and at the confluence of several minor thoroughfares,
the Green is now considered as the nucleus, to the prejudice of Springfield.
On the north side lies the lawn and entrance to the Hall; the post-office is
on the east; the parish church and the manse, or clergyman's residence, on
the south ; and from the west, or most acute angle of the trigon, proceed at
a slight divergence, the two roads, one to Annan, and the other to Glasgow ;
whilst the intervals between these buildings and roads are pretty well
filled up with cottages.
Such is the present
arrangement of this place ; in describing which we consider we have done the
reader a great service, particularly if he (or she) purposes going that way,
and would wish to comprehend the geography thereof previously. |
