THE SCOT VERSUS THE ENGLISHMAN . .
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] . .
Sia,—Mr. J. L. N. Roche is amusingly -inaccurate in his reference to Dr. John Brown as a Scot who, " in very poor circumstances, managed to get a very good education." He was, doubtless, a true " son of the Manse," as we sayr but, of course, from his venerated father's position as minister of one of the leading churches in Edinburgh, he, had ready access to all the educational and social advantages thk Edinburgh affords.—I am, Sir, &c.,
M. N.
"PEREGRINE SCOTT" writes : " Your correspondent who writes of Harry Lauder and others -`of that ilk' apparently supposes, like most English novelists, that the phrase means of the same kind or sort,' which it never did. It is somewhat archaic now, but was used to designate a man's estate when its name was the same as his own. Thus. Brodie of Brodie or Fullarton of Fullarton might hi formal documents be designated of that ilk.' Another palpable error of your correspondent's is to assert that the word " pawky " means cunning. It means a great deal more than that, and is difficult to translate into English, but as a rough attempt one may say that it connotes a mixture of ingratiating subtle and somewhat sly humour."
MR. J. MACINTOSII, 164 Gassiot Road, Tooting, S.W. 17, writes : " The letter of Mr. Roche comments on the education of the Scot as being swrior to that of the Englishman, and puts a question, when he compares the early life of Hugh Miller and his friends with that of the young Englishmen of his day, and says, ' Where could their like have been found
in England ? ' Has he never heard of the Spitalfields Weavers ? A good example of what goes to make the truly religious and the man of ready wit, viz. : hard work for existence. To quote Hugh Miller : Cowper tells us that labour, though the primal curse, " has been softened into mercy," and I think that even had he not done so, I would have found it out myself.' The interests of the Spitalfields Weavers gave us the Spitalfields Mathematical Society, an Historical Society which was merged in the Mathematical Society-; a Floricultural Society, an Entomological Society, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, a Recitation Society for Shakespeare Readings, and many other interests."
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