Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/70

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nated. But with the borderers the case had been different; their relative situation with the English prevented the wound from being closed; the cause was always operating; new occasions of rancour were ever occurring in the violences of each party; and their mutual dislike, instead of being softened by time, was, on the contrary, every day increased and confirmed. Hence it happens, that a great degree of coolness and dislike still subsists between the inhabitants of the respective neighbouring coun- tries; which not only operate as a bar to free com- munication between them, but at the same time render the Scotch infinitely more tenacious of those manners, customs, and opinions, which distinguish them from their ancient enemies.

We were concerned to find that these little local prejudices subsisted as well amongst the higher classes of society, as the peasantry of both the bor- ders; scarcely any intercourse subsisting between the Scotch and English gentlemen of those parts. Frequent attempts have been made by men of li- beral minds to overcome this unsocial spirit, but w ithout effect About fifty years ago a club was established for the express purpose of bringing friend! > communication; and intended to beheld oik week in Scotland and the next in En eland.
 * liese neighbours, separated only by a river, to more

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