University of Virginia Library

2. CHAP. II.

DUNCAN in like manner with Teague
had to walk on foot, for the
Captain could not afford to purchase another
horse, more especially as he had considerably
exhausted his finances, by the late
equipment of Teague. But even could he
have made it convenient to have increased
his cavalry, the expences of travelling
would have been increased, which he could
not also well afford; or which it would
not have been within the limits of a discreet
economy to have incurred. For travelling
slowly, the servant could without
weariness equal the pace of his master on
horse-back. Besides, it gave diversity, and
had more the air of ancient custom, than
being both mounted. It was in this manner,
the Gauls who fought with Cæsar equipped
their dragoons, as we learn from
the Commentaries; and also the Numidian
horse under Jugurtha, as we learn from
salust

Salust, had each a foot-man by his side,
who sometimes assisted himself by the mane
of the quardruped in running; but was at
all times considered as attached to the
rider, and ready to subserve him in battle.
The Scotchman, moreover, had but a light
luggage to carry; being nothing more
than a couple of shirts, a pair of stockings,
a Kilmarnock cap, a Confession of Faith,
Satan's invisible kingdom discovered, and
Crookshank's history of the Covenanters.

It was upon the topic of religion that the
conversation first turned, Duncan asking
the Captain of what denomination he was.
I am denominated Captain, said he; but
my name is John Farrago, though I have
had other epithets occasionally given me by
the people amongst whom I have happened
to sojourn, especially since my last setting
out on my travels, after the manner of the
antient chevaliers. I have been called the
modern Don Quixotte, on account of the
eccentricity of my rambles, or the singularity
which they conceive themselves to
discover in my conversation and manner.
I have been called the Knight of the single
Horse, having but one myself, and none for
my attendant; in this particular unlike
my predecessors, whose squires were
mounted

mounted as well as themselves. In some
places I have taken my designation from
the Irish valet that I had, and of whom you
have heard me speak, of the name of Teague,
and have been called the Owner of the
red-headed Bog-trotter; as it is probable I
may now be designed occasionally by the
appellation of the Master of the raw Scotchman,
by those who may be able by your
dialect to dislinguish your origin. But all
these things I look upon as inconsiderable.
It is of little, or perhaps of no consequence
to me, what my stile is amongst men; provided
it contains nothing in it that may impeach
my moral character, and may seem
to have been drawn from some bad quality
or vicious habit of the intellect. They may
call me Don Quixotte, or Hudibras, or
the Knight of the Blue Beard, or the Long
Nose, or what they please. It is all the
fame to me; and gives no affront, unless
containing a reflection on my understanding
or integrity.

Captain, said Duncan, it canna be, but
ye ken right weel what I mean. It is na
the denomination o' your temporal capacity,
that I wad be at; but of your religion,
and to what perswasion ye belong; whether
er

o' the Covenant, or of the Seceders, or
the high kirk o' Scotland.

Duncan, said the Captain, I am not such
an adept in faith, as to be acquainted with
these nice distinctions. I have some knowledge
of the Christian religion in general,
but not of those more minute subdivisions of
which it is probable you speak. For I have
understood that Christianity is the national
religion in Scotland, and I presume what
you call Covenanters, and Seceders, are
sections from the general establishment, and
subordinate to the worship of the kingdom.
It has not come in my way, nor have I
much ambition to be more particularly acquainted.
There is a degree of information
on most subjects which it becomes a
gentleman to have; but the going beyond
this may favour of pednatry, and argue the
having spent more time in trifles, than
bespeaks strength of mind and elevated talents.
Just as we respect the naturalist who
amuses us with the philosophy of great objects;
but smile at him whose life is occupied
in catching butterflies, or gathering
petrified shell-fish. Or to give a simile that
conveys my meaning better; skill in language,
either to write or speak, is a noble
attainment; but this consists more in
a

a just taste of the leading beauties, than
in the criticisms of a mere grammarian,
which shew the mind to have been wholly
or chiefly taken up with these: To use the
words of the poet,

The most liberal studies may be pursued
to an illiberal excess; as for instance in
music, where it must be considered as an
elegant accomplishment to have some talents;
yet not to have made such proficiency
in the execution, as to induce a suspicion
of attention to this art, to the neglect of
others. I have taken care to acquire a general
knowledge of the surface of this earth,
from the maps; yet have not made myself
master of the situation of every slough, or
bog that may be found in your country, or
exact bearing of hill or mountain there.
In the same manner, I may know that you
are Christians in that island, but nothing
more.

What, man! said Duncan, ha' ye never
heard o' the Solemn League and Covenanr.
I have heard, said the Captain, of
many Leagues and Covenants. In the time
of

of Henry IV. in France there was what
was called the League. The family of
Guise was at the head of this, and opposed
to the Protestants. It is probably a branch
of this that has come over into Scotland,
and kept up the name, after having been
broken by that heroic Prince, and afterwards
taken away altogether, by his conversion
to the mother church, and peaceable
possession of the kingdom.

By that, ye wad make out the Covenanters
to be a relict of Popery, said Duncan.
I ken ye right weel, Captain; ye canna
be sae ignorant as not to know that the
Covenanters are the very reverse o' Popery.
Did ye never read Crookshanks? Did ye
never hear o' the persecution.

I have heard of the ten persecution under
the Roman Emperors, said the Captain.
Under ten Deevils, faid Duncan. I
am speaking o' the persecutions in Scotland;
when the ministers were hanged at
Ayr.

The Captain saw that his valet was beginning
to be warm on the score of religion;
and that it would be difficult to continue
the conversation in any shape without
giving him offence. He was therefore disposed
to address his pride, and please him
by

by an acknowledgement of ignorance; at
the same time proposing a readiness to be
instructed in the peculiar tenets of the
faith of the Covenanters.

Duncan, said he, you are under a mistake
as to the opportunities of education
in this country. It is not as in Scotland,
where the Christian religion has been planted
above a thousand years, and the reformed
church established a century or two;
where clergymen are numerous, and religious
books plenty. Ay, said Duncan,
where ye have preaching amaist every day
of the week, and twice on the Sabbath. Ye
canna set your face any way, but ye hae a
kirk before you. Catechizing o' the children
begins amaist as soon as they are
born; and examining the grown people,
in visits at the house; wie a strict discipline,
that calls to the session for things that scandalize
the morals. Ye sal find many guid
bukes there published by the Erskines,
and the Gillises. Did ye e'er read Peden's
Prophesies? I have read nothing of this
kind, said the Captain; for I was observing
to you, that in America we have not
these opportunities. For my own part, I
have lived a good deal in the rout of clerical
functionaries, where they have passed
and

and repassed, and have heard their sermons,
and conversed with them; and
though they may have been distinguished
amongst themselves as orthodox or heterodox;
or under several names, or by various
particulars of doctrine; yet the differences
appeared to me so minute, that I never
thought it worth while to trace them;
and they made themselves acceptable to
me, less or more, by the greater harmony
of voice, or elegance of language, or
gesture; or by the justnses of their observations
on the obligations of morality amongst
men, and the good consequences
to society and to the individual.—Have ye
read Willison on the Catechism, or Halyburton,
or Boston's Fourfo d State, or
Durham on the Revelation? said Duncan.
Nothing of all these, said the Captain. Said
Duncan, I ha' got the Confession of Faith
in my wallet here; I wad lend it to you to
get a piece of it by heart, if ye wad promise
to take guid care o' the buke. My
memory is not good, said the Captain, especially
in that artificial exercise of it, which
consists in committing abstract ideas. What
touches my affections, I remember without
trouble, and sentiments which are obvious
and natural; and I should think the early
mind
mind would be better occupied in reading
some instructive fables, than in committing
these dogmas of divinity, that are untelligible
to any but theologists themselves; nay
not even by them incontrovertibly; for
otherwise how should they differ so much
in their illustrations of them. However, I
have no inclination to be led into a debate
with you, Duncan, on a subject where
you are so much my superior. But you
will excuse me in committing the Confession
of Faith to memory; at my age it
is painful to apply to a thing as to a task.
Duncan acknowledged the truth of this,
and was disposed to excuse him; but recommended
him to read the sermons of
the reverend John Dick, and Saunders
M`Alpin.CHAP