He Kalled a Kouncil of war to Konsider what Kourse it would
be advisable to taKe. But as soon as the Kouncil had met, a
preliminary Kuestion was raised. The army was almost
eKsKlusively a Highland army. The recent vKktory had been
won eKsKlusively by Highland warriors. Great chieFs who had
brought siKs or SeVen hundred Fighting men into the Field did
not think it Fair that they should be outVoted by gentlemen
From Ireland, and From the Low Kountries, who bore indeed
King James's Kommission, and were Kalled Kolonels and
Kaptains, but who were Kolonels without regiments and
Kaptains without Kompanies.'
A moment of FV in all this world of K's! It was not the
English language, then, that was an instrument of one string,
but Macaulay that was an incomparable dauber.
It was probably from this barbaric love of repeating the same
sound, rather than from any design of clearness, that he
acquired his irritating habit of repeating words; I say the
one rather than the other, because such a trick of the ear is
deeper-seated and more original in man than any logical
consideration. Few writers, indeed, are probably conscious
of the length to which they push this melody of letters.
One, writing very diligently, and only concerned about the
meaning of his words and the rhythm of his phrases, was
struck into amazement by the eager triumph with which he
cancelled one expression to substitute another. Neither
changed the sense; both being mono-syllables, neither could
affect the scansion; and it was only by looking back on what
he had already written that the mystery was solved: the
second word contained an open A, and for nearly half a page
he had been riding that vowel to the death.
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