is a humble pot-house, at which we stopped. | colours do to the eye,-a sensation of re- shall take my leave of it with the followA path through its little garden leads out pose, after the contemplation of glaring ing: "Look! under that broad beech tree f upon the ruins. They are very inconsidera- and offensive hues. ble; an irregular mound of earth incloing The Complete Angler is in the form of sat down, when I was last this way a fisha space of two thousand feet in diameter, a dialogue between a Fowler, a Hunter, ing. And the birds in the adjoining grove and a yard or two of crumbling stone wall; and a Fisher, who meet together by acci- seemed to have a friendly contention with yet this place sends two members to par- dent and enter into a discussion of the an echo, whose dead voice seemed to live liament, that is, the proprietor of the land merits of their respective pursuits. The first in a hollow tree near to the brow of that sends them. Horne Tooke was once re- speaker is the Fowler, from whose pane- primrose hill. There I sat viewing the turned from this thoroughly rotten borough. gyric on his vocation, and every thing con- silver streams glide silently toward their Two lads were ploughing immediately un- nected with it, I would make one extract. centre, the tempestuous sea; yet sometimes der the ramparts. "But the nightingale, another of my airy opposed by rugged roots and pebble-stones, creatures, breathes such sweet loud music which broke their waves, and turned them out of her little instrumental throat, that it into foam." might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted above earth, and say, Lord, what music hast thou provided for the saints in heaven, when thou affordest bad men such music on earth.” durus arator Et te A ride of fifteen minutes more brought ISAAC WALTON. ALL the world has heard of Isaac Walton's "fascinating little volume"-for all the world has read the Sketch Book-but few in this country have ever read it. Although it has passed through many editions since its first publication in 1653, it has for many years been comparatively a rare book, and I think you may have readers who will be amused by some account of the work and its author. The edition which is now before me* is in a less expensive form, than the former ones have usually been. All the engravings are omitted, which deprives the work of one charm, that the author seems to have made no small account of, observing that "he who likes not the book should like the excellent picture of the trout, and some of the other fish, which I may take a liberty to commend, because they concern not myself." The author of this celebrated treatise was born at Stafford, in the year 1593; and, The Hunter follows, with appropriate praise of his favourite amusement, and the Fisher concludes the debate with a long discourse on the pleasures of angling, which makes a convert of the former. The Fowler soon leaves them, while the Fisher goes on through the remainder of the book, to instruct his new disciple in the best methods of catching and cooking the various fish which inhabit the streams and ponds in England. In the course of their walk they meet with a party engaged in hunting the On this occasion the Angler puzzles the Huntsman with a question near akin to one, which has worried wiser heads than his, even the learned in the law of our otter. own times. to judge from the style of his literary per- ask you a pleasant question; do you hunt "Pisc. I pray, honest Huntsman, let me formances, must have received a good English education. Some time before the year 1624 he settled in London as a sempster or linen-draper, which employment he continued to follow till 1643, when he retired from business and spent the remainder of his life, which was protracted to the advanced age of ninety," mostly in the families of the eminent clergymen of England, by whom he was much beloved." He wrote the biography of Sir John Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, and other eminent persons; but the present work is the one to which he has owed his celebrity. It is chiefly remarkable for the tone of simplicity, benevolence, and gentleness, that breathes through the whole. We feel ourselves acquainted with the author; and when we contemplate his quiet cheerfulness and primitive morality and charity, and remember that he lived through the stormy periods of the reign of Charles I., the protectorate of Cromwell, and the licentious days which succeeded the Restoration, we cannot wonder that he was, as he is said to have been, "well beloved of all good men." Amid the turmoil and vices of the time, the character of Walton affords to the mind, what certain *The Complete Angler of Isaac Walton and Charles Cotton. Chiswick. 1824. a beast or a fish?" And this description of the mode of cooking a pike [pickerel], which is sufficiently appetizing. "But if this direction to catch a Pike thus do you no good, yet I am certain this direction, how to roast him when he is caught, is choicely good; for I have tried it, and it is something the better for not being common, But with my direction you must take this caution, that your Pike must not be a small one, that is, it must be more than half a yard, and should be bigger. "First, open your Pike at the gills, and if need be, cut also a little slit towards the belly. Out of these take his guts; and keep his liver, which you are to shred very small, with thyme, sweet marjoram, and a little winter-savory; to these put some pickled oysters, and some anchovies, two or three, both these last whole, for the anchovies will melt, and the oysters should not; to these you must add also a pound of sweet butter, which you are to mix with the herbs that are shred, and let them all be well salted. If the Pike be more than a yard long, then you may put into these herbs more than a pound, or if he be less, thus mixed, with a blade or two of mace, then less butter will suffice: These, being But must be put into the Pike's belly and then There are pieces of delightful poetry his belly so sewed up as to keep all the scattered through the volume; the fol- butter in his belly if it be possible; if not, lowing is a favourable specimen. I have then as much as you possibly can. seen it lately published in a journal as the take not off the scales. Then you are to property of an English poetess, who flour-thrust the spit through his mouth, out at his ished about eighty years after Walton died. It has been accredited to divers old authors; but is attributed by Walton himself to Hubbard. Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright, and thou must die. Only a sweet and virtuous soul, beautiful extracts from this little work, tail. And then take four or five or six split sticks, or very thin laths, and a convenient quantity of tape or filleting; these laths are to be tied round about the Pike's body from his head to his tail, and the tape tied somewhat thick, to prevent his breaking or falling off from the spit. Let him be roasted very leisurely; and often basted with I claret wine and anchovies and butter mixed together; and also with what moisture falls from him into the pan. When you have roasted him sufficiently you are to hold under him, when you unwind or cut the tape that ties him, such a dish as you purpose to eat him out of; and let him fall into it with the sauce that is roasted in his belly; and by this means the Pike will be kept unbroken and complete. Then, to the sauce which was within, and also that sauce in the pan, you are to add a fit quantity of three or four oranges. Lastly, you may the best butter, and to squeeze the juice of either put it into the Pike, with the oysters, two cloves of garlick, and take it whole out, when the Pike is cut off the spit; or, The work of Cotton, which is added to that of Walton in this edition, is a sort of imitation or continuation of it, being intended to supply the deficiencies of the latter in the particular of fly-fishing, and the manufacture of artificial flies. AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP. and places for the utterance of thought. I own fancy, perhaps to fantastic or false conBy wisdom we mean something very differ-clusions, unchecked by the restraining inent;-the power of distinctly perceiving fluence of comparison or conflict with other and rightly using those absolute truths minds. Man is essentially social, because which should control and may improve man the needs of his nature make him so; and as a moral and spiritual being; seeing a it is not more true, that did we not congrething not only as it is in itself, but in its gate, cities could not be builded nor the uses; and of making all attainments, all arts of life be practised, than it is that our circumstances do service in the forming of thoughts and feelings require, nay imperiVery sensitive readers may be occasionally correct judgments upon the relations, the ousty demand, perpetual and intimate assosurprised with a kind of professional hard-duties, and the hopes which the vicissitudes ciation with our fellows. Solitude and unheartedness, which mingles oddly enough of life may offer. It is obvious, if the disturbed meditation are often good-but with Walton's general benignity and ten- words are thus rightly used, that learning chiefly if not only good, as they serve to derness; as when, in giving directions is only to be valued as the instrument of ripen or store away for use, the fruits which touching the catching of pickerel, he or- wisdom; and if it be equally obvious that have been gathered in society. Now the ders his pupil to bait the hook with a living scholars are not always sages, and that such recluse scholar has not only lost all the adfrog, and especially requires him to pass a condition of society, and such habits and vantage, but with the habit perhaps the the barb through the struggling reptile tastes as can alone create and supply a nu- power of freely interchanging his opinions "as tenderly as though you loved him." merous class of eminently learned men, and feelings with other men. Again; his will direct the energies and efforts of the character is injured because he is accusfinest and strongest intellect towards pur- tomed to value his acquisitions and his obsuits, which lead rather from than to sound jects, by a false test. We are not about wisdom,-then it will be conceded that the to enter upon a disquisition as to the proper want of such a class should not be lament- objects of effort, or the most useful modes ed by us. of employment; they are obvious enough That scholars are not always, and of ne- for our purposes; as it is obvious enough that cessity, sages, sounds a little too much like a he who invents a steam-engine which shall truism to be illustrated at great length. give to ten men the power of a thousand, GREAT differences exist between us and Upon this point common opinion may be has done a better thing than if his ingenuiother cultivated nations, in respect to the adduced as good evidence. The world ty were employed in suggesting an original number and character of our scholars. Our deems it impossible, that a man should be guess as to the position of a comma or an land is not cumbered with literati, so nu- one of them, that he should be prompt, accent in some questionable Greek verse. merous and so distinguished from all who shrewd, full of resources, conversant with This is an extreme case, but it serves to follow other pursuits, as to constitute a class realities and judging wisely about them, illustrate the principle; and without farby themselves. This fact is often mention- and at the same time a laborious, hard-ther inquiry into the abstract nature of ed at home and abroad; it has been lament-reading student, a man of vast erudition, utility, we would assert, or rather agree, ed by Americans, and cast in their teeth by saturated, as it were, with book-knowledge, with what it is the fashion to assert now-aforeigners, as matter of reproach and ob- and altogether an eminent scholar. And days,-that the strong, direct tendency of loquy. We grant that the circumstance the world is right about it, for the thing is all things in the present age, is towards exists, but are disposed to view it in a very impossible. An eminent scholar we use utility. This, men are beginning to look different light; to us it appears as a proof the phrase as meaning one who would take at as the end of all exertion; and things and a promise of a better condition of na- rank with those whom it would indicate in are getting to be valued only by their powtional intellect than has characterized any Europe, one who belonged to the same er of promoting the uses of life. In this other people. class and had reached the same grade-an most important respect, this age is beyond In considering questions of this kind, eminent scholar can only have become so all that have preceded it, and the nation of in forming an estimate of the worth of by a life passed where the best uses of life which we are a part, beyond all other nascholarship and the homage due to learned are well nigh forgotten,-in his closet. tions; but the pertinacious industry, the men, men are apt to be misled by a common His solitary lamp has not been shining resolute self-denial, the unwavering devoand very influential error;-they too often through the silent watches of many nights, tion of the whole mind, which are needed do not understand, or do not recollect, while that he might record his thoughts touching to win the scholar's crown, if they are not they reason, that knowledge is not wis- the duties or hopes of man, or the science stimulated by a miserable and selfish ambidom. The former we regard as an indis- of mind, or the great mystery of govern- tion for empty fame, for honour without serpensable instrument, as a means of vast ment, or the wise economy of public vice, suppose a thorough belief in the vast and inestimable value; but standing by it- wealth-for he is not a philosopher, nor a and real importance of that which he seeks, self, and employed in no uses, it is worth-statesman, nor a politician; he has not which must be a prejudiced, an absurd beless as any other neglected or misused tool. sought the accomplishment of elegant lite-lief. He is pale with hard thought and Wisdom is a very different thing; it is the rature only as it is the fairest ornament of broken sleep, and his body decays before end which science respects, and only so far the mind, nor has he loved its pure pleas- the morbid energy of his over-wrought as it respects this end should science beures only as an innocent and useful recreavalued. It has an absolute and momentous tion, for he would call it detraction, or, at worth; and men may well strive for it as best, a very scant measure of justice, were for an unspeakable good, and value it in one to give him credit for only so much others as a quality which gives a rightful skill in letters as could be thus acquired. claim to the highest respect. We under- He is a scholar,-an eminent scholar, but stand by this word, learning, simply an nothing more, and therefore the best powers acquaintance, more or less extensive or ac- and efforts of his mind have been wasted in curate, with words and things as they ac- pursuits almost if not altogether frivolous; tually are or were; with the literary works some desirable advantages may result from of different ages and nations; with the his labours, but they are dearly purchased. facts, which, together with certain arrange- The character he has formed, the habits he ments and nomenclatures, constitute what has acquired, are not those of most value. are usually called the sciences; and with He has been accustomed to think out his the languages employed in various times own thoughts and follow the lead of his mind; but he thinks all this well and exults because he has turned over many volumes and learned what many men have thought, and written many pages for others to read, and taken an assured rank by the side of the "eruditissimi" whom he worships. This man may have been gifted with commanding talents, and may have won a high and far-reaching reputation; but bring him forth into the concerns of life; let him teach his weaker brethren to forego, to neglect or avoid this useless or evil thing and labour strenuously for that good one; let him discriminate nicely for them and for himself between that which is But, we repeat, we are very far from feeling any contempt for learning; we would give to it, and to them who have it, due honour, and would hold out sufficient inducements for its due cultivation. Most, if not all, of the pursuits of life may be followed with more advantage by him who has been taught the rudiments of learning than by the wholly ignorant; and in many of them high and valuable success cannot be attained without considerable acquaintance with literature. In our country there are some, though not yet many, who are not obliged to belong to any profession, and not disposed to seek or hold public stations; to such it is honourable to love literature; and their studies, though not perhaps very directly or largely beneficial, are yet something more than "strenuous idleness." Let us then have learning, and let us honour it. Let our colleges be supplied with teachers competent to all the duties of instruction; let all American productions, indicative of industry and ability and useful knowledge, be received with honourable welcome, and let them who may choose their occupations, and prefer literary pleasures to idleness or dissipation, be duly respected. But let us not forget, that only so much learning as is or may be used is valuable, and let us especially recognise and seek the most extensive, attainable, and important advantages of learning, those which accompany the lesser degrees of it, and may be enjoyed by almost all in the discharge of all their duties. Let our schools be supported by a persevering, liberal, and enlightened patronage, and every means be actively employed to secure to the intellect of each one of the people of this country so much cultivation and knowledge as shall enlarge and correct his views concerning all his duties and rights, and supply him with the best motives for good conduct. We shall then have no need to lament that few among our learned can abide a comparison with the eminent scholars of Europe. and that which is not desirable; let him tavern, where we enjoyed an excellent appeared with a large piece of court-plaishelp them who are busy in supplying the breakfast. We found here an American ter on her face, to cover a wound inflicted needs, enlarging the comforts, and prevent- shipmaster, who saluted Capt. M― much by a missile from the galleries a few nights ing or curing the evils of life; let such be in the same way as he might have done before. I should have been wearied with his task, and his strength is as the feeble- had they parted the day before, when, in the performance but for Miss Stephens, at ness of infancy. Now a character like reality, they had not met, as I believe, for whose exquisite singing I came as near rapthis will his be, generally speaking, whom some years. But sailors soon become cititures as was becoming. The nobility and all men call an "eminent scholar;" and a zens of the world, and a few years, or a gentry are now generally in the country, character like this, this age, and especially few thousand miles, appear to them of little and the house was not very brilliant; but it this country, ought never to honour. consequence. In the course of the morning was decently filled, or, rather, indecently, we walked to the Castle, a Saxon building, for, from the dress of some of the ladies, I it is said, of great antiquity, to witness the should have supposed them to be Cyprians; daily parade of the guards now stationed in but P-assured us he had seen CountDublin, consisting of light-infantry, caval-esses dressed lower and higher. The folry, and artillery, grenadiers, heavy cavalry, lowing morning we found Mr Rosborough, and Highlanders. These last swarm all who treated us in a very gentlemanlike over the city; their dress is very pictur- manner, examined our baggage slightly, esque; a blue bonnet encircled with a refused any fee, and offered to send it to band of red plaid, and surmounted with any place we wished. We thanked him for black plumes, a white close jacket to the his politeness in that hearty manner, which middle, and a philibeg, kilt, or short petti- one is apt to use towards any man who gives coat, descending just below the middle of a good impression, or removes a bad one. the thigh; the limbs below are quite naked, I have not seen one pretty face yet, except shoes and tartan hose, which do not from which it is, of course, reasonable to reach to the knee; a goat-skin bag before infer, after the sweeping manner of travelthem, adorned with rows of tags or tassels re- lers, that the Irish ladies are not handsome. sembling small shaving brushes, a musket, The general appearance of this city is much and a basket-hilted broadsword swung over superior to that of any I have ever seen, their shoulders with a white leather belt, London not excepted, as well as I recollect. complete the array of these knights of " the Through the middle of it runs the Liffy, a bottomless breeks." It must be a vile dress pretty river, probably about two hundred in winter. On returning from our walk and fifty or three hundred feet wide, quaywe were informed that the officers of His ed or edged on each side with hewn stone Majesty's Customs, having been offended by for a mile and a half Irish, or two miles some observations made by the Mate of the English, and crossed by six stone, and one brig, had instituted a very particular cast iron bridge. The quays are surmountsearch, and finding concealed in divers parts ed, through their whole length, sometimes of the vessel, articles which they were with an open stone railing, at others, with a pleased to consider contraband, had seized wall about two and a half feet high. Standing all the passengers' baggage, trunks, bedding, on one of these bridges, one may see nearly &c., and conveyed them away in triumph. the whole way, up or down, through the Much alarmed at finding our property in the city. This river is a very convenient guide claws of such harpies, we hurried down to for strangers; for, if one loses his way, he the Custom House, to inquire into the affair. has only to go north or south, as the case Here we were detained till near two may be, till he reaches it, and follow it to o'clock, and then obliged to depart unsat- some known point, from which he may take isfied. All we could get for an answer a new departure. The streets abound with was, that our baggage might possibly be at gentry in slashed sleeves, yea, and slashed Mr Rosborough's on Rogerson's quay. As breeches too. I saw yesterday the ne plus this was at some distance, we resolved to dine ultra of tatterdemalions-the very prince of upon the business, eating being generally a rags-strolling along with his right hand in matter of paramount importance for some his breeches pocket, and his left in his bodays to landsmen, after a voyage across the som, looking as if this fair world was creAtlantic. In the afternoon we proceeded to ated for his sole accommodation. This is Mr Rosborough's, where, after waiting till an exceedingly lazy people. About fifty six P. M. in vain, as the gentleman was not rods below one of the bridges are two ferry at home, we returned in high dudgeon at hav-boats, each rowed by two men, who get a ing wasted half the day in this unprofitable pursuit. In the evening we went to the theatre, to hear Miss Stephens in 'Lionel and Clarissa.' The theatre appeared to me to be a little larger than that in Boston, and, in general, not much more beautiful. In one particular it is better, the benches of the pit are covered and stuffed; both men and women occupy it. The mode of lighting by moon-light lamps, instead of candles, or common lamps, produces a pleasing effect. The scenery seemed better painted and managed. All the lobbies and doors were guarded by armed Highlanders, to prevent or suppress riots, which are said to be not uncommon. One of the actresses We shall, in a future number, state our opinion as to the condition of society which could create a numerous class of eminently learned men, and as to the character which, it is to be hoped, the scholars of this country will have. LETTERS FROM A TRAVELLER. Dublin, September 13. On Wednesday morning, twenty-four days after we embarked, we set foot on the terra-firma of green Erin, and walked up the banks of the Liffy to the Custom House good living by carrying those across at a half penny apiece, who are too indolent, or too busy, as the case may be, to walk to the bridge; and one sees persons frequently, whose array would indicate them to be worth some sixpence or thereabouts, paying their mite to save themselves a few rods of walking. I am amazed at the variety of vehicles here;-tilburies, gingles, sociables, and a long etcetera of indescribable machines to put people in ridiculous situations. If any of you should feel a laudable desire to astonish the natives by sporting a sociable, the following is a recipe: Take a large round hand-basket, wheels of wheelbarows, and stout hogshead hoops, of each two, mount the hoops vertically upon the axles of the wheels, by way of springs, and the hand-basket as firmly as you can upon the hoops; shafts like any other vehicle, and for the want of a shelty, take a donkey; for a driver procure the raggedest miscreant in Byard, where they abound; a Hingham bucket turned upside down may be lashed to the front of the basket for his seat, and the thing is complete. Get into the basket with any friend that will join you, and drive off, and if you are not tumbled into the mud before you get far, you will have better luck than every body has in a sociable. The gingles, or jaunting cars, are constructed on a principle which is the reverse of the sociable; for, as in the latter it is obvious that the parties must ride face to face, in the former they are placed back to back, and are carried side foremost with the feet swinging in the air, from which you may further infer that the sociable is the more genteel of the two. Dublin was formerly much infested with mendicants, who have since been in a great measure suppressed by authority. Many of the professional beggars now conduct their operations more warily. A stranger, on approaching the stand of a fruit-seller, will often be surprised by a most pathetic appeal to his charitable feelings, and sometimes the language used on these occasions is in the highest degree shocking to New England ears. the sun had been up some time. I was rock, which may be called real estate in disappointed on arriving at St Patrick's Ca- the most literal sense, is tenanted by seathedral, to find that it was undergoing re- fowl, who are obliged to pay a sort of rent pairs, and therefore closed; and as the in kind, that is, in eggs, to the landlord, Sexton was too genteel a person to rise at who, moreover, sometimes takes the body such a plebeian hour as eight o'clock, I was of the lessee without much form of law. On obliged to forego the hope of seeing the Tuesday morning we landed at Troon, a interior, and the Dean's monument. I small port of entry in the Firth. The town, went into a small church in the neighbour- and indeed all the neighbourhood, belongs hood, where the morning service was be- to the Duke of Portland, and though an inginning. The congregation at this hour, significant place, containing hardly a dozen you may be sure, was none of the most houses, it has a stone mole, and two large fashionable. The preacher went through dry docks of the same materials, all conhis duty, as it seemed to me, with great structed by the Duke, who employs several sang-froid, and appeared to have very little large vessels to carry coal from his mines concern about the sermon which he read to Ireland; for, though the Irish have plenty to us. I was surprised to learn afterwards, of coal in their own island, they are not that he was Charles Maturin, which circum- allowed to dig it, but compelled to buy it of stance, had I known it before, would most their English or Scotch neighbours. From probably have materially influenced my the very landing to Kilmarnock, a distance opinion of his performance. There was of ten miles, is a rail-road, which is a castlittle in the streets, on my return, to re-iron road; at least, the ruts are so, and the mind me that it was Sunday. The old wo-wheels of all vehicles which travel upon men did not seem to imagine that the it are also of iron, and made exactly to fit commandment extended to the trade in the road; so you must perceive that all nuts and apples. In the course of the fore- manner of reins, driving, &c., are matters noon we went to the Castle chapel, and of supererogation. A rope serves to stop had the honor of sitting in the pew of his the horse, when he has proceeded as far as excellency Earl Talbot, Lord Lieutenant of the rider thinks necessary, and when he Ireland. The pews here are all private, and has once started, he must, will he, nill he, usually locked, no one being admitted but go to the end of the road before he can get by a special introduction; so you perceive back again. This contrivance is intended that we are getting on in the world. You to facilitate the conveyance of the coal, may be curious to know how we effected and is less expensive than it would seem at this, but I pretermit the explanation, as in first sight, since the iron is procured and There are many fine old buildings in no way befitting the grandeur of the occa- cast at no great distance; and, as the work Dublin, and more fine new ones. A noble sion. Above the altar, in this chapel, is a is done by the Duke's tenants, much of the monument to the memory of Lord Nelson large painted window, the effect of which is money comes into his hands again in the stands in Sackville street, and another is now very magnificent. The lofts, or galleries, shape of rents. All travellers must, of erecting in the Phoenix park for Lord Wel-are pannelled with black oak, richly carved course, in passing these roads, make use lington; which Phoenix park is the finest in of vehicles belonging to the same persons, the three kingdoms, being thirteen miles for no other wheels will fit them; and, as in extent, "sit fides penes auctores." 1 do his grace gets his share of the profits in the not vouch for it. The appearance of the same way, he has the advantage of a toll, lower orders in this metropolis is digraceful without the trouble of toll-gates. To these to their government, which one would imagsources of revenue you must add the returns ine, from the number of soldiers quartered from Ireland for the coal, which costs the here, was upheld by stronger support than Duke nothing but the price of digging and its popularity. Club law, however, is probconveyance. ably a familiar code to the Irish. Pat,' said a man of whom I was purchasing some trifle, where have you been lately?' 'Agh! I was just kilt fighting these three nights,' was the answer. I looked round at the respondent, a tall gaunt watchman. This minion of the moon leaned on a rusty pike, whilst his array and countenance bore strong witness in favor of his veracity; for there was hardly a piece of whole cloth as big as your hand, in the former, and scarcely a vestige of humanity, except a pair of shrewd Irish eyes, in the latter. He went on, with ineffable brogue, to detail the fighting of those nights,' and, by his own account, this trusty guardian of the peace had entered with great zeal into the various squabbles which he related, being, probably, by no means of the same mind with that pattern of quiet watchmen, Master Dogberry, touching the prudence of meddling and making with any but true men. I sallied forth this morning before the servants in the house were stirring, though and fretted, each pannel bearing the coat Troon, and all the neighbouring coast, was once notorious for smuggling, or freetrading, to the Isle of Man and Ireland; but the King's bull-dogs are now too numerous in the channel for such gentry as Mynheer Dirk Hatteraick and his crew, to flourish much. And this puts me in mind of Dandie Dinmont, who is said to be a character well Glasgow, September 19. known in Glasgow; a sturdy grazier of We went on board the vessel, which was Dumfriesshire, who visits St Mungo's city to convey us to Scotland on Sunday eve- periodically, to trade in woo', attended by ning, but the Captain being as drunk as a the Peppers and Mustards of such renown. lord, and having a few friends with him in From Troon we proceeded to Kilmarnock a similar situation, we were unable to get in a noddy, a vehicle with cast-iron wheels, off before midnight. The following day was somewhat resembling, to compare small thick and rainy, so that we could see little things with great,-the Czar's wintersledge, or nothing of the land. In the evening, which contained all manner of apparatus just as we came in sight of the Scottish hills, for dining, &c. We had neither tables, it began to clear, and soon became a beau-chairs, nor victuals, to be sure, but it was not tiful moonlight, by favour of which we had for want of room. We were securely locka fine view of Aylzie [Ailsa] rock, which ed up in this Brobdignagian diligence, and stands up directly in the middle of the Firth trundled away merrily. The jolting was of Clyde. It is nine hundred feet high, not excessive, but every pebble, that lay in and almost as far to bottom around it. This the ruts, told, as springs did not enter into POETRY. SONNET. They talk of short-lived pleasure—be it so- The fiercest agonies have shortest reign; the composition of the affair. Reins, as I beneath it, described in "Rob Roy," are him. The tunes are, of course, in slow hinted to you above, were not required. An not now used for divine service, but only time, as Windsor, Old Hundred, &c. The old fellow, with a broad blue bonnet, and a for a burial place. The feats of Rob are clergyman's hair was combed straight over rope leading to the horse's nose, officiated, fresh in the memory of the older inhabit-his forehead, and he had altogether a very however, for form's sake, as coachman. At ants of Glasgow. The Scotch cottages in starched appearance. The service was one part of the road, from the iron being the neighbourhood of this city are filthy pretty long; first a psalm [saum] from the out of order, or some other cause, we per- hovels, of which you have seen a better de- Scotch version, then an extempore prayer; ceived, by the inclination of the establish- scription than I can give you in the "Cot- the preacher next read a part of a chapment, that an overturn might be calculated tagers of Glenburnie." The manners of ter of Scripture, and then delivered a lecon with some degree of certainty. The the Scotch ladies, whom I have seen, are ture upon it, which I mistook for the serwindows, or holes, were about eight inches very cordial; they always shake hands, mon, it being quite as long as sermons in square, and high up under the eaves of when they meet or part with each other, or Boston usually are; but we had another this extraordinary machine, and the door with gentlemen. In one family where I psalm and prayer before the real sermon. was not to be thought of; any attempt at spent the night, they shook hands round, Upon the whole, I was not much pleased opening it, by any one but an adept, being and wished each other good night before with the service; the sombre and Cameroquite out of the question. In this situ- going to bed, and a similar ceremony was nian appearance of every thing around, the ation of peril, we vociferated indignantly, repeated in the morning. To judge from squalling of the clerk, and the absence of as Dandy did to Mc Guffog, let's out, what I have seen as yet, either the right instrumental music, had rather an unpleasman, let's out, if ever ye wad hae a haill learned and pious Sam. Johnson lied like a ant effect. In the afternoon I attended the bane in ye're skin, let's out.' Our threats Parthian, or else matters have changed College church, where I found the same and cries finally procured us liberation since his day. There seems to be plenty plainness and entire want of ornament; prior to the catastrophe; the vehicle was of wood in Scotland, and the land is highly there was little difference in any particular, righted, and we proceeded, without further cultivated. The hawthorn hedges are a except that the preacher's Scotch was adventure, to Kilmarnock. This is a Burgh much more ornamental and durable fence, broader, and his precentor a worse singer. of Barony, as it is called; it is in the county than either stone walls [stane dykes] or Adieu. of Ayr, and near the nativity of Burns, with rail fences. Oats are the staple here, callwhom many of the inhabitants were, or pre-ed, by the Scotch, corn. Oatcakes, or bantended to be, well acquainted. During the nocks, I cannot yet endure, but I suppose I day, I saw a carriage in the inn-yard, bear-shall come to them by and by. A haggis I ing the motto "Bydand," which was an old acquaintance to me, and would probably have been so to S--- and D. However, to ascertain whether I was correct in my heraldry, I inquired of a waiter, who informed me that it belonged to William Gordon of Millrig. At six in the evening we left Kilmarnock, and arrived at Glasgow, which we entered over the high bridge (vide Rob Roy) about ten. Our road lay near many interesting spots, but it was too misty to see much of the country. Since I have been here I have visited the botanic garden. It is yet in its infancy, but very well laid out. Like the garden at Cambridge, it has a pond in the centre, but instead of being a monotonous oval, one side of it rises to a considerable height, and is constructed with artificial rocks, over which Tumbles a small cascade. I was much pleased to see some of our old acquaintance, the Lobelia family, making a distinguished figure in the green-house, and greeted right amicably two or three enormous stalks of Indian corn, carefully secluded from the external air, and occupying large pots, and conspicuous places, among bananas, aloes, orange, and lemon trees. Certainly, one loes appear to greater advantage in good ociety. The environs of Glasgow are very leasant; every gentleman's house has some ppellation, as Larch-grove, Shield-hall, &c. Within a few rods of the place where I am how writing, is the tolbooth [to'both], it has ately been taken down in part and rebuilt; out the lower part of the spire still remains, nd the very door-way, through which Rob nd Osbaldistone were introduced by the Dougal creature on the night when they were surprised by the Baillie. Opposite he tolbooth is the Tron church, in which Or Chalmers preaches, but, to my regret, e is now absent on a journey. The High hurch is a venerable building; the vaults have not yet seen. They are in the habit here of drinking whiskey toddy after dinner, instead of wine. Every man composes his own, hot or cool, weak or strong, as he pleases, in a large goblet, and bails out bumpers into a wine glass. This is a very sociable custom, and has this advantage, that every man may suit his liquor to his calibre. Sweetness, strength, and heat, are the principal qualities of the most approved compositions of this kind. The Hunterian museum is a very fine collection, but would be a more agreeable and instructive exhibition, if the various preparations were labelled. The ladies here wear shorter cloathes than I have hitherto been accustomed to see, and lest the top of the gown should have the advantage of the bottom, they usually cut down as fast as they cut up. I have occasionally seen a Dandy, a strange monster, half monkey, half man. I am told they are not uncommon in Edinburgh. I heard somewhere, the other day, a singular account of the insolvency of one of these animals. His debts amounted to seven thousand pounds in tailors', stay-makers', and milliners' bills, &c., and his whole property to twelve pounds, together with a share in a pew in a chapel (for Dandy was come of pious parents) in right of mamma, which, 'pon honor, having never been in, can't tell what it is worth." This is called "doing the flats." I attended service this morning at the High church. The Scotch kirk rejects all manner of instrumental music, and I am told, that one church in Glasgow, in which an attempt was made, some years since, to introduce an organ, has been since stigmatized with the name of the "whistling kirk." The Clerk, or Precentor, gets up and sings the first line of the psalm, and then the whole congregation join in with Oblivion, softly wiping out the stain, Are fruits of innocence and blessedness: weep. SONNET. B. Yet one smile more, departing distant sun! Or snows are sifted o'er the meadows bare. And the blue Gentian flower, that, in the breeze, Nods lonely, of her beauteous race the last. Yet a few sunny days, in which the bee Shall murmur by the hedge that skirts the way, And man delight to linger in thy ray. air. THANKSGIVING. When first in ancient time, from Jubal's tongue B. |