"Of all the passions that possess mankind
The love of novelty rules most the mind;
In search of this from realm to realm we roam,
Our fleets come fraught with every folly home."
NOTHING daunted, we started on our journey in
rainy weather. Our wealth consisted of nine shillings sterling
and a bundle of clothing each, which, although a little heavy at
starting, we found by the time we had reached North Shields, we
had none too much. For obvious reasons we took the lower road,
leaving Haddington considerably to the south. In an increasing
storm
of wind and rain we found shelter in a miserable lodging-house
in the town of North Berwick, for which we paid fourpence each.
After a vain attempt to dry ourselves at the meager fire, we
tumbled into our bed-bunk, and slept soundly on a tick filled
with chaff. On the following morning we found the storm had
increased to a hurricane and all the town in an uproar, with
cries of "A wreck, a wreck! A ship is on the rocks, make haste
to save."
Our frugal meal of bread and milk we left
untouched and hastened to the harbor, which we reached just in
time to see, in the midst of the howling storm, a dismasted brig
in a most fearful condition. The hands seemed almost helplessly
benumbed. The rigging, which they had failed to
cut adrift, entangled the deck, so as to impede the progress of
the work necessary to their salvation. But the master knew his
craft and was well acquainted with the dangerous nature of the
coast, and by dint of skill and straining exertion, kept clear
of the rocks, to find a haven of safety. Moodily we retraced our
steps to our four-penny hotel, nor was the silence broken until
our frugal fast-breaking meal was nearly discussed, when the
elder of the two Dauvids, returning to his normal condition,
opened his mouth and said, "Aye, man, Dauvid, d'ye ken what I
was thinking aboot?" "Na," said the younger sage, "I dinna
ken what ye was thinking aboot, but I ken what I was
thinking aboot." "Man," said the elder, "I was just thinking
what a figure oor ship Eliza (the name we had given our Hilles-field
craft) would have cut in siccan a storm as this; tell me your
thoughts." I said that the scene at the harbor had bewildered my
thoughts. Had we succeeded in launching the Eliza this very
storm would have settled our career on this earth. As it is, I
think we ought to look upon this as a Providential warning for
the future.
Dauvid seemed hardly prepared for the depth
of this philosophy, coming from one who had up to this period
fallen so readily into all his wild vagaries, and was evidently
touched. But our walk had made keen our appetites. Wet as we
were, our twa penny baps frae Provost Brodie's, and twa pence
worth of sweet milk, was freely and thankfully discussed, and we
shouldered our bundles for Dunbar. The storm had moderated, but
still it rained, and heavy roads impeded our progress, so
that we arrived late and had to pay one shilling for our bed,
thereby augmenting the monetary uneasiness which was daily
fastening on our troubled spirits. Still the lions of Dunbar
were not overlooked the harbor, the gift of Cromwell, and the
castle which, in the absence of her husband, Black Agnes
defended against Montague. This same Dunbar is famous in
history. Here, it may be said, the keys of Scotland fell into
the hands of the victorious Cromwell by the defeat of Leslie.
Here Mary took her farewell of power and Scotland, and here Sir
John Cope landed with his army from the north to oppose the
Chevalier, but failed to succeed. On our way to Berwick-on-Tweed
we pass the house from the window of which Cromwell sat watching
the movements of his adversary. Leslie had taken up a position
which challenged the admiration of Cromwell, who deemed it
unassailable. The flower of the Scottish nobility were under
Leslie. They became impatient of control and inactivity. Leslie,
in an evil hour, yielded to their importunities, which Cromwell
perceiving, exclaimed in his characteristic vocabulary, "The
Lord hath delivered them into our hands. Trust in the Lord and
keep your powder dry." There is a combination of circumstances
that go to retard one's progress as a successful pedestrian; a
big bundle, heavy roads, a gloomy atmosphere, an empty stomach,
a light purse, a bad errand, and a seared conscience; and this
compound was the only property we possessed on this earth. This
was no wager-provoking trot. A good walker might make Berwick
from Dunbar easily, but burdened as we were we had to avail
ourselves of the hospitality of a kind-hearted
old farmer, who allowed us to sleep in his barn on oat straw,
for which privilege we were very grateful, but took the road too
early to proffer our thanks. At an early hour in the afternoon
of our fourth day's tramp we arrived at the town of Berwick,
which, in the language of St. Stephens, is distinguished by the
appellation of "our town of Berwick-upon-Tweed." In ancient
times this town was the theater of many a bloody fight, where
Wallace figured to advantage. Its aspect in peace is beautiful,
its history is fraught with historic lore. Here is the conflux
of the classic Tweed with the German ocean, the river being
spanned by a magnificent bridge. Our tour in Northumberland will
be theme enough for another chapter. Beloved Scotland, farewell. |