philibeg

Who wears, and what is, the item of clothing known as a filibeg or philibeg? 10.

Roll thee in my Lowlan plaidie Nestle cozey by my side Love wi me and be my ladie And we love on in world sae wide [...] Ro[ll] thee in my Tartan Plaidie Let me gaze upon thy charms Thou a bonny beauteous lady Come unto thy Lovers arms With thy ancles scarce a span Thou an armful art sweet lady Come thou better half o' man Ro[ll] thee in my Tartan Pladie (1-4; 9-16) (57) Clare seems to have taken 'Roll thee in my Tartan Plaidie' from 'in his tartan plaidie' in Burns's 'As I cam o'er the Cairney mount' (8),58 while perhaps also having in mind the chorus from 'Love and Liberty--A Cantata': 'With his Philibeg, an' tartan Plaid' (97).

Seeing traditional Highland dress as "a cumbrous, unwieldy habit," Rawlinson sent for a tailor who designed the philibeg or small kilt (p.