head had been
cracked, the {p.204} Loyalists at length found themselves in
possession of the field. In writing to Simprim a few days afterwards,
Scott says--"You will be glad to hear that the _affair_ of Saturday
passed over without any worse consequence to the Loyalists than that
five, including your friend and humble servant Colonel Grogg, have
been bound over to the peace, and obliged to give bail for their good
behavior, which, you may believe, was easily found. The said Colonel
had no less than three broken heads laid to his charge by as many of
the Democrats." Alluding to Simprim's then recent appointment as
Captain in the Perthshire Fencibles (Cavalry), he adds--"Among my own
military (I mean mock-military) achievements, let me not fail to
congratulate you and the country on the real character you have agreed
to accept. Remember; in case of real action, I shall beg the honor of
admission to your troop as a volunteer."

One of the theatrical party, Sir Alexander Wood, whose notes lie
before me, says--"Walter was certainly our Coryphaeus, and signalized
himself splendidly in this desperate fray; and nothing used afterwards
to afford him more delight than dramatizing its incidents. Some of the
most efficient of our allies were persons previously unknown to him,
and of several of these whom he had particularly observed, he never
lost sight afterwards. There were, I believe, cases in which they owed
most valuable assistance in life to his recollection of _the playhouse
row_." To this last part of Sir Alexander's testimony I can also add
mine; and I am sure my worthy friend, Mr. Donald M'Lean, W. S., will
gratefully confirm it. When that gentleman became candidate for some
office in the Exchequer, about 1822 or 1823, and Sir Walter's interest
was requested on his behalf,--"To be sure!" said he; "did not he sound
the charge upon Paddy? Can I ever forget Donald's _Sticks by
G----t_?"[113]

[Footnote 113: According to a friendly critic, one of the
Liberals exclaimed, as the _row_ was thickening, "No
Blows!"--and Donald, suiting the action to the word,
responded, "Plows by ----!"--(1839.)]

On {p.205} the 9th May, 1794, Charles Kerr of Abbotrule writes to
him--"I was last night at Rosebank, and your uncle told me he had been
giving you a very long and very sage lecture upon the occasion of
these Edinburgh squabbles; I am happy to hear they are now at an end.
They were rather of the s