ns, at market, and
even at church, with their broadswords and their dirks; and, more
recently, when the use of fire-arms became general, they seldom
travelled without a musket and pistol." The clan Macgregor possessed
these military tastes in an inordinate degree; and the wars of the
foregoing century had accustomed them to a degree of union and
discipline not, at that period, common among the Highlanders, who were
considered, in those respects, as superior to their Lowland
brethren.[109] The vicinity of the rich districts of the Lowlands gave a
rich stimulus to the appetite for plunder natural to a martial and
impoverished people. Above all, their energies were inspired by an
undying sense of ancient and present injuries, and the remembrance of
their sufferings was never erased from their minds. At this time, the
most disturbed districts in Scotland were those nearest to the Lowlands;
the bitterness of political feelings was added to the sense of
injustice, and the loss of lands. Rob Roy knew well how to avail himself
of this additional incentive to violence; he avowed his determination to
molest all who were not of Jacobite principles; and he put that
resolution into active practice.

The character of the individual who exercised so singular a control over
his followers, and over the district in which he lived, had changed
since his early, dreamy days, or since the period of his honest
exertions as a drover. Rob Roy had become in repute with Robin Hood of
the Lowlands. His personal appearance added greatly to the impression of
his singular qualities. The author of "the Highland Rogue" describes him
as a man of prodigious strength, and of such uncommon stature as to
approach almost to a gigantic size. He wore a beard above a foot long,
and his face as well as his body was covered with dark red hair, from
which his nick-name originated. The description given by Sir Walter
Scott does not entirely correspond with this portraiture. "His stature,"
says that writer, "was not of the tallest, but his person was uncommonly
strong and compact." The great peculiarity of his frame was the great
length of his arms, owing to which he could, without stooping, tie the
garters of his Highland hose, which are placed two inches below the
knee. His countenance was sternly expressive in the hour of peril; but,
at calmer moments, it wore that frank and kindly aspect which wins upon
the affections of our species. His frame was so muscular, t