Rob Roy - Vol. I

ROB ROY. For why Because the good old rule Sufficeth them the simple plan, That they should take who have the power, And they should keep who can. Rob Hoys Grave 1 . WORDSWORTH. VOL. vii. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIUST EDITION. VHEN the Editor of the following volumes published, about two years since, the work railed The Antiquary, he announced that he was, for the last time, intruding upon the public in his present capacity. He might shel ter himself under the plea that every anony mous writer is, like the celebrated Junius, only a phantom, and that therefore, although an apparition of a more benign, as well as much meaner description, he cannot be bound to plead to a charge of inconsistency. A better apology maybe found in the imitating the con fession of honest Benedict, that, when he said he would die a bachelor, he did not think he IV ADVERTISEMENT should live to be married. The best of all would be, if, as has eminently happened in the case of some distinguished contemporaries, the merit of the work should, in the readers esti mation, form an excuse for the authors breach of promise. Without presuming to hope that this may prove the case, it is only further ne cessary to mention, that my resolution, like that of Benedict, fell a sacrifice, to temptation at least, if not to stratagem. It is now about six months since the Author, through the medium of his respectable Pub lishers, received a parcel of Papers, contain ing the Outlines of this narrative, with a per mission, or rather with a request, couched in highly flattering terms, that they might be given to the Public, with such alterations as should be found suitable. These were of course so nu merous, that, besides the suppressionof names, and of incidents approaching too much to real ity, the work may in a great measure be said to be new written. Several anachronisms have probably crept in during the course of these As it may be necessary, in the present Edition, to speak upon the square, the Author thinks it proper to own, that the com munication alluded to is entirely imaginary. TO THE FIRST EDITION. V changes and the mottoes for the Chapters have been selected without any reference to the supposed date of the incidents. For these, of course, the Editor is responsible. Some others occurred in the original materials, but they are of little consequence. In point of minute accuracy, it may be stated, that the bridge over the Forth, or rather the Avondliu, or Black River, near the hamlet of Aberfoil, had not an existence thirty years ago. It does not, however, become the Editor to be the first to point out these errors and he takes this pub lic opportunity to thank the unknown and nameless correspondent, to whom the reader will owe the principal share of any amuse ment which he may derive from the following pages. 1st December, 1817. INTRODUCTION. WHEN the author projected this further en croachment on the patience of an indulgent public, he was at some loss for a title a good name being very nearly of as much consequence in literature as in life. The title of ROB ROY was suggested by the late Mr Constable, whose sagacity and experience foresaw the germ of popularity which it included. No introduction can be more appropriate to the work than some account of the singular character whose name is given to the title-page, and who, through good report and bad report, has maintained a wonderful degree of import ance inpopular recollection. This cannot be ascribed to the distinction of his birth, which 9 though that of a gentleman, had in it nothing of high destination, and gave him little right to command in his clan. Neither, though he Vlll INTRODUCTION TO lived a busy, restless, and enterprising life, were his feats equal to those of other freeboot ers who have been less distinguished...