Page:Thomas Raeburn.pdf/6

 neither shall I take thought of wherewithall I shall be clothed; and as for shaving I pay plenty of taxes withontwithout [sic] wasting soap in such a way as that.’ There was one occasion, however, in which the hermit was persuaded to put on a decent suit of apparel, and it arose from this;—-The person with whom he had the lawsuit happened to come home one night from a fair in Kilmarnock somewhat under the influence of strong waters, and bethought himself of taking a near cut through Thomas’s domain. As accident would have it, he encountered the hermit, who endeavoured to make him retrace his steps. Both were powerful men, and ‘when Greek meets Greek then eomescomes [sic] the tug of war, the poor hermit was worsted, for his opponent in a most unfair and unmanly manner seized Thomas by the beard, and actually tore away part of it. An action of assault and tresspass followed, and Thomas for once found the law on his side, and obtained damages. It was upon this occasion that the Sheriff induced Thomas to appear in court in suitable clothing, but his hair and beard maintained their station in spite of every remonstrance, The hermit had no great liking for lawyers, tax-gatherers, and excisemen—or gangers, as he called them. “They are just a’ the Deevil’s ain pack,” said he, “created just to skin and torment puir sinners in this weary warl” and their maister will get them a’ at the lang run, that's ae comfort,’ would he repeat as he chuckled to himself. The hermit in these cases, to give him his due, spoke from feeling, for upon one occasion he was fined in no less than 25 pounds for selling spirits without a license; he considered himself altogether wronged in this ease—‘vile, greedy villains,’ said he, to meddle wi’ a puir body for selling a wee drap o‘ guid liquor when the folk were really needing it, an‘ me trying to earn an honest penny.‘

He was also incareeratedincarcerated [sic] several times—once for refusing to pay poor rates, and another time for violating an interdict against him. Upon all these occasions, when other men would probably have received a little