 spirit, the free enjoyment of the
beauties of nature, which might counterbalance the hardship and uncertainty of
the life even of a mendicant. In one of his prose letters, to which I have lost
the reference, he details this idea yet more seriously, and dwells upon it, as
not ill adapted to his habits and powers.
    As the life of a Scottish mendicant of the eighteenth century seems to have
been contemplated without much horror by Robert Burns, the author can hardly
have erred in giving to Edie Ochiltree something of poetical character and
personal dignity, above the more abject of his miserable calling. The class had,
in fact, some privileges. A lodging, such as it was, was readily granted to them
in some of the out-houses, and the usual awmous (alms) of a handful of meal
(called a gowpen) was scarce denied by the poorest cottager. The mendicant
disposed these, according to their different quality, in various bags around his
person, and thus carried about with him the principal part of his sustenance,
which he literally received for the asking. At the houses of the gentry, his
cheer was mended by scraps of broken meat, and perhaps a Scottish »twalpenny,«
or English penny, which was expended in snuff or whiskey. In fact, these
indolent peripatetics suffered much less real hardship and want of food, than
the poor peasants from whom they received alms.
    If, in addition to his personal qualifications, the mendicant chanced to be
a King's Bedesman, or Blue-Gown, he belonged, in virtue thereof, to the
aristocracy of his order, and was esteemed a person of great importance.
    These Bedesmen are an order of paupers to whom the Kings of Scotland were in
the custom of distributing a certain alms, in conformity with the ordinances of
the Catholic Church, and who were expected in return to pray for the royal
welfare and that of the state. This order is still kept up. Their number is
equal to the number of years which his Majesty has lived; and one Blue-Gown
additional is put on the roll for every returning royal birth-day. On the same
auspicious era, each Bedesman receives a new cloak, or gown of coarse cloth, the
colour light blue, with a pewter badge, which confers on them the general
privilege of asking alms through all Scotland, - all laws against sorning,
masterful beggary, and every other species of mendicity, being suspended in
favour of this privileged class. With his cloak, each receives a leathern purse,
containing as many shillings Scots (videlicet, pennies
