In my song The Massacre of Glencoe (Oh cruel is the snow...) I did not mention England or the English once. King William of Orange was persuaded, by a Scot, to sign the document which allowed Scots to kill Scots and make Scotland more governable by a Scottish parliament (England had her own in 1692). In the late 50s and early 60s I wrote many Scottish Republican songs and only in particular Battle songs did I blame the English, or rather, side with the Scots. After all, most battles with the English were fought in Scotland against the English invaders and would-be rulers. In political songs I attacked Scottish MPs, not English MPs, as the fault lies with ourselves and Scotland is and always has been ready to sell itselve. It was a fellow Scot who sold out William Wallace. There is no doubt that England has always played the Machiavellian card of Divide and Rule and Burns sings vehemently 'We were bought and sold with English gold' but start blaming ourselves first although remeber England always had an agenda.