![]() ![]() Possibly he had not heard the story of the visitor to Liddesdale who, finding no churches, demanded “Are there no Christians here?” and received the reply, “Na, we’s a’ Elliots and Armstrangs.” At least he is careful to do them justice, and there may be a clue to his attitude in that passage where he notes approvingly: “Nor indeed have the Borderers, with such ready frenzy as many others of the country, joined the heretical secession from the common faith of the holy church.” Rascals they might be, but Leslie counted them among his flock. Sometimes one gets the impression that the good bishop secretly admired the Border reivers. “They have a persuasion that all property is common by the law of nature, and is therefore liable to be appropriated by them in their necessity.” Later he adds: “Besides, they think the act of plundering so very lawful, that they never say their prayers more fervently, or have more devout recurrence to their beads and their rosaries, than when they have made an expedition.” “Are there no Christians here?/“Na, we’s a’ Elliots and Armstrangs.” Leslie is interesting on Border morality as applied to property and theft. ![]()
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