A Tour in Tartan-Land

Chapter I. Introductory Northern Lights

The Hatless Man and Unprefaced Book — A desultory Chat — Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life — Northern Lights — Change of Scene — Fortune's Favourites — Roseate Glasses — Veritable Impressions — Trifling Causes and weighty Results — Travellers' Mishaps — Their Views coloured thereby — Entomological Discomforts — Drawbacks for Paterfamilias — Shadows for the Sketcher — Curious Inquisitiveness— The Tourist's Powers taxed — A Word to the Reader page 1

Chapter II. Going To Glasgow

Blackstone's Judgement overruled — Past and Present Performances — Long Wagons, Machines, and Flying Coaches — James I.'s Progress — The Northern Diligence — Rail-roads versus Snail-roads — Dick Turpin outdone — Trite Reflections — The Fogey, the Poet, and the Practical Man — The ' Nine-Express ' from King's Cross — A Magical Ticket — From London to the North, and Glimpses by the Way — Cathedrals and Castles 10

Chapter III. Tartan-land

The Border Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed — Rival Races — Mixed Lineage — Chopping and Changing — Over the Border— Edinburgh — Linlithgow— Castle Carey— The Scotch 'Black Country'— Glasgow — Porters — A Cannie Scot — The Southron outdone — The Queen's Hotel CONTENTS. VI

Chapter IV. The Second City In Great Britain

A Scotch Institution— Snuff Sellers and Smellers— Scotch Breakfasts— A Glasgow Bailie, and the Way to dress Him— George Square — Public Memorials— History of a German Handkerchief— A Forgotten Weaver— Shall William Flakefield have a Statue?— The Wellington Statue — Poking up the Lions — The Broomielaw— Glasgow Characteristics — The First and Second Cities in Great Britain— The Clyde Embankment — The Bridges— The Clyde, Past and Present page 29

Chapter V. Glasgow Jottings

A City turned to Stone — A Fiery Medusa — Bare Legs and Noiseless Steps— Bare Heads— The West End— The Park— Kelvin Grove- Palatial Buildings— Argyll Street— The Trongate— A St. Kilda Man's Idea of Glasgow — Bonnets — Mr. R. Chambers' Ideas — Highland Costume — The Glasgow Banker on the German Stage — Glasgow Men — Omnibuses — The Tron Tower — The Legend of the City Arms — A Good By-word 43

Chapter VI. More Of St

MUNGO'S CITY, King William's Statue — The Cross — The Saltmarket — A Glasgow Slum — The Wynds and Closes — Saturday Night in the Saltmarket — The Virginians of Glasgow — Mr. Glassford — Smallfield House — The Cross Steeple — The Jail — Guesses at Truth— The Green — Glasgow's Best Lung — The Pleasure Fair — Tramping Clothes — The Briggate, and Oliver Cromwell — Turning the Tables — Scruples satisfied — Silvercraigs — The High Street — A Whiskey Climate — The Glass of Fashion — Dr. Johnson's Curiosity — Lord Breadalbane's Bait 55

Chapter VII

A SCOTCH UNIVERSITY AND ITS PRECINCTS. Glasgow University — Exterior and Interior — Cyril Thornton Character of the Students— Advantages as a Place for Instruction— A Day of Episcopal Glasgow — Foundation of the University Bell o' the Brae— Bearing up the Bishop's Tail— Wallace — The Malefactors Rotten Row — Various Derivations and Conjectures The Drygate —Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots . gg CONTENTS. VII

Chapter VIII

A SCOTCH CATHEDRAL The Old Barony Church — Improvements since Rob Roy's Day — The Laigh Kirk — Present State of the Crypt— St. Mungo's Tomb — Relics and their Worshippers — Credibility and Gullibility — St. Mungo's History — First Impressions of the Cathedral — Its Service — Its Restoration and Antecedents — Benefactors to the Work — Early History and Foundation — The Choir, Pulpit, Bible, and Bell — Stained Glass — The Munich Windows — Exterior of Cathedral — Destruction of the West Tower — South-west View — The Burial-ground — Old Restrictions on the Women's Worship . page 80

Chapter IX

A SCOTCH NECROPOLIS. The Bridge of Sighs — The Necropolis — Beauty, and Appropriateness of its Situation — Duteous care for the Dead — Heathen Tombstones in Memory of Christians — Abstract Virtues and Pantheon Deities — Advertisements in Stone — The Living and the Dead — Streets of Tombs — Mr. Houldsworth's Mausoleum — Principal Monuments — Panoramic View from the Necropolis — Knox's Monument — Drawing itMild — The Preaching of Knox — 'Let Glasgow Flourish!' 96

Chapter X. Dumbarton

Bishopton — View of Dumbarton from across the River — The Mitred Rock — Its History — Wallace — Mary Queen of Scots — Captain Crawford's Surprise of the Castle — Magnetic Attraction — Rock Rabbits and Town Cats— The Royal Scotch Thistle— Paisley Abbey — Tomb of Marjory Bruce — Queen Bleary — Port Glasgow 106

CHAPTER XL GREENOCK.

Position of Greenock— The Tontine and Porters— Wordsworth's Opinion of the Town— The Land o' Cakes— James Watt — John Gait — Jean Adams and her History — John Wilson and the Profane Art — The West Church— Grave of Burns' 'Highland Mary' — The Monument and its History — Incorrect and Scanty Information concerning Burns and his Highland Mary — Enquiry into the Story CONTENTS.

Chapter XII. The True Story Of Burns And His Highland Mary

Highland Mary's Birth, Parentage, and Early Years— Not a Dairymaid, as generaUy supposed— Nursemaid in the Family of Mr. Hamilton, of Mauchline— Her Intimacy with Burns— His Worldly Position and Difficulties— His Poems— Their Last Interview— Their Parting Gift of Bibles— Mary proceeds to Campbelton— Burns' Poems in Print— Highland Mary comes to Greenock— Her Relations there— The Brothering Feaste-Her Illness and Death —Superstition of her Friends— The Lair in Greenock Churchyard — What Burns was doing at this time — He receives the News of her Death page 125

Chapter XIII. Romance And Reality

The other Side of the Question — The Naked Truth— Ugly Facts versus Pretty Poetry — The Ayrshire Don Giovanni — An amatory Four-in-hand — Jean Armour's Twins — Burns ante-dates his Attachment to Highland Mary — His probable reasons for so doing — His Biographers gulled thereby — The Flaws of Genius — Splendid Gifts and Vicious Living — Characters of Highland Mary and Burns 141

Chapter XIV. Loch Lomond

View from Balloch Pier — A Bright Day for Tourists — The Medley of Sight-seers — The Reading Party and the Photographer — The Depredator of Fresh Water — Sea and Lake — Loch Lomond a Mediterranean Sea — Wordsworth and Christopher North — Inch- Murrin — Glen Fruin — Rob Roy — Sunday Sport — The Floating Island — The Three Wonders — Drummond and Ben Jonson — Burns' Libation * . . . . . . . - . 152

Chapter XV. The Lake Full Of Islands

A Cluster of Islands — The Yew of Inch-Callioch — Buchanan's Obelisk —Dog Latin — The Pot of Gartness — Lord Napier and his Logarithms — Glenfinlass — Ross-dhu — Rob Roy and the Colquhouns — The Forester and the Fairies — The Deer Island — Whiskey and Delirium Tremens — Inch-Tavanach — Inch-Cruin — A Critical Contrast, — Professor Wilson's Panegyrics and Dr. Johnson's Grumble Boswell — Johnson and Lord Graham — Smollett and ' Humphrey Clinker' — Timber igO CONTENTS. IX

Chapter XVI. Ben Lomond

Village of Luss — The Birch; Useful and Ornamental — Inveruglas — Carpe diem — Ben Lomond — The Beacon — The Bailie's Speculations, and an Improvement thereupon — Ben Lomond Utilised — Rob Roy's Rock — Sentiments and Characters — Swells and Lovers — Clerks and Milliners — Macaulay's Sneer — Goldsmith's Opinion — Impressions received by Scenery — The Zug Boatman — Sir Walter Scotts — The Historian's Raid — Special Pleading out of place — View from Tarbet — Turner's Picture of Ben Lomond — Its Characteristics — The Tourist's Programme — Speed and Weather page 168

Chapter XVII. Scotch Music And Scotch Scenery

An atra cura — The Piper, the Modern Æolus — Antiquity of the Bagpipe — An Honest Confession — Tom, the Piper's Son — A Novel Mode of Instruction — Real Musicians — A Judge at Fault — The Scottish fete — Mons. Clairvoyant and the Baggypipe — Nightingales — Scotia's Philomela — Tarbet — The Vanity of Human Wishes —The Piper again ! 181

Chapter XVIII. Craig Royston

The Head of Loeh Lomond— Ardlui— The Pulpit Rock— Rob Roy's Cave ; Craig Royston — Rob Roy's House — The Outlaw and the Whigs — ' The Highland Rogue,' and its Statements — The Parson ■a Prisoner — Ellan-Vhou — Robert Bruce — The Last of the Macfarlanes — Legend of The Brownie's Cell — The Macfarlanes' Lantern — James VI. and the Wild Geese 188

Chapter XIX. Inversnaid

Inversnaid Pier — Scenic Shrines and their Worshippers — View from above Inversnaid — The Cobbler — Glensloy — Inversnaid Burn — Butterfly Tourists — The Coaches in Rob Roy's Country — The Burn and its Falls — Inversnaid Waterfall — Wordsworth and his ' Highland Girl' — Platonic Raptures — The newly-wedded Husband — What would Mrs. Wordsworth say ?— Was the Girl a Vision or a Myth ? — Legend of another Highland Girl — The Isle of Fairies — Farewell to Loch Lomond CONTENTS. X

Chapter XX. Rob Roy's Country

The Road from Inversnaid— The Fort, and a Sonnet upon it— History of the Fort— Black Knee— General Wolfe-The Key of the Fort —A Primitive Barley-wain— Government Roads— Caufield's Epigram—Rob Roy, Laird of Inversnaid— His History— His Last Duel— A Fat Hero— Exaggerated Description of the Outlaw- Common Thief and Gentleman Drover— Rob Roy's System and Lord dive's— A Mythic Hero and his Relics-Loch Arclet— The Bailie Nicol Jarvie PA6E 20?

Chapter XXI. Loch Katrine And Ellen's Isle

Ancient and Modern Caterans — Stronachlachar Hotel — Coalbarn's Pier — The Kernes and Freebooters — Government Proceedings — Rob Roy's Castle and Prison — Raid upon Graham of Killearn — The Influence of Poetry — Publication of ' The Lady of the Lake ' — Its Effect upon the District described — The Guides and their Tales — Stale Quotations — What can be Done? — The Sandwich Style of Writing — A Surfeit of Scott — Gushing Young Ladies — ■ Mr. Dundreary and Mr. Testy — Spouting — Ellen's Isle — Its Bower — An Island Jewel — Traditions 217

Chapter XXII. Ben Venue

Coir-nan-Uriskin, the Goblin's Cave — Where is the Cave ? — The Guide and the Cockney — Who were the Urisks ? — Goblins and Robbers — The Highlander and ' Bony ' — The Pass of Beal-ach-nam-bo — Views from Ben Venue — Mountaineering — A Centre for a Century of Sketchers — Picturesqueness of Ben Venue — What is this Ben's Height? 229

Chapter XXIII. Waterworks Of Nature And Art

Measurements and Charges — The Boatman's Demand — Length of the sinuous Loch Katrine — Agreeable Reflections — Walk along the Northern Shore — The Loch Katrine Waterworks — Rome outdone Particulars of the Works — Purity of Loch Katrine Water The Opening Day — The Queen's Visit — The Ceremonial — Loch Katrine made Useful as well as Ornamental — The Watch-Tower of Roderick Dhu CONTENTS. XI

Chapter XXIV. The Trosachs

Scott's Description — The Pencil and the Pen — Pictures by Turner and others — Spires, Pyramids, Pinnacles, and Minarets — Inaccuracy and Gothic Images — Pure Ruskinism — A Pathetic Parson — Sunset at the Trosachs — The Heather — Moonlight — Sublimity und Usefulness — Wordsworth's Sonnet — Ben Aan — The Sketcher's Loss and Gain page 245

Chapter XXV. Loch Achray

The Trosachs Hotel— Poetic Realities — Increase of Tourists — Fortune's Favourites — Detriments to an Enchanted Land — The Banquet Hall — The Puzzled Waiter — Is it Onion ? — Loch Achray — View from the Hotel — Other Views — Walk along the Shore — The New Church — Glenfinlas — The Brig o' Turk— Lanrick Mead— The New Hotel — Loch Vennacher — A good Starting Point .... 253

Chapter XXVI. Auld Reekie

First View and Impressions of Edinburgh — First, Second, and Third Thoughts — A Night View — General Illumination — Auld Reekie — Present Smells and Past Memories — Knox's House — Grave of Knox — Moray House — The Mound — Localising Scripture Scenes — The Judge and the Wild Beasts — St. Giles's Church — Blondin outdone—The Grass Market— The Porteous Mob— The Caddies— Heriot's Hospital — Other Hospitals — West Bow and Port — Entry of Charles I.' — Major Weir and his Ghostly Revels — The Haunted House — Burke and Hare 262

Chapter XXVII. Holyrood And The Castle

The Castle Barns— Extraordinary Road-making— The Old Milk-woman and her Evanished House— St. Cuthbert's Church— The Castle Rock— Early History of Edinburgh— Its Rise and Progress— Holyrood— Scotch Mariolatry— Picture Gallery— Palace Precincts — Sanctuary — Royal Debtors — Mons Meg — View from the Castle —Panoramas o' Edinburgh— Ruskin, Scott, and Turner— The Time-gun . . - 27S CONTENTS. XII

Chapter XXVIII. Edinburgh

: THE NEW TOWN. Princes Street— Royal Raptures— The North Bridge— Fall of .the Bridge— Whitfield and Foote— The Parson and the Player— Waverley Bridge— East Princes Street Gardens— The Scott Monument — The Self-taught Architect— Characteristic Anecdote — Royal Institution and Art Galleries— Notes on Art — Pictures by Wilkie and Etty— 'The Combat '—Various Pictures— Noel Paton page 282

Chapter XXIX. The Metropolis Of Tartan- Land

West Princes Street Gardens — Floral and Personal Attractions — Owls and Hawks — The City of the Wynds and Winds — Sou'-westers in Princes Street — The Force of the Gal' — Double Shops and their Peculiarities — Attractiveness of National Articles for Sale — Memorials of Tartan-Land — Toys and Dolls — Calton Hill . 290

Chapter XXX. Newhaven And Its Fishwives

Musselburgh — Fisherrow — Portobello — The Scottish Margate — Bathing Scenes — Leith — The Landing of a Scottish Queen and English King — Newhaven — The Fishwives — Heavy Weights — Creeling Custom — Keeping a Man — Scandinavian Origin — The Old Volunteers — The Fishwives' Criticism — Robert Fergusson — Fishwives' Junkettings — ' Christie Johnstone ' — The Novelist's Fishwives — Appearance and Costume — Dressed-up Specimens — The Ideal and the Real 298

Chapter XXXI. In Search Of Christie Johnstone

In search — Coleridge's Jew — The Fishwives' Cry — Heard at Doncaster —Caller Ou ! — Living Specimens — First Acquaintance — Disillusion — Artistic Draping — A Flemish Study — A Dozen Petticoats We never Exposes Oursells ! — Marriage Customs — Morals — The Dons — Cleanliness amid Filth — The Fishwives' Train — The Fishwives at Church — The Fishwives on their Rounds — Cheapening a Purchase — Ballasting a Fishwife — The Fishwife's Mishap — Whiskey-drinking — The Cause of Adam's Fall CONTEXTS. XIII

Chapter XXXII. Melrose Memories

Discovery of Melrose Abbey — A Ready-made Quarry — National Ophthalmia — Scott's ' Lay ' — A New Shrine for Pilgrim Tourists — Detractions of Melrose — The Trimmest of Ruins — A Grumble — Disappointments — The First Abbey — A Choice of Etymologies — A Legend of Melrose — Basil and St. Cuthbert — The Second Abbey and its Fortunes — Edward II. and Robert Bruce . page 320

Chapter XXXIII. Lays And Legends

St. Waltheof and his Miracles — Profitable Embalming — The Legend of the Heart of Bruce — The Adventures of Sir James Douglas — Melrose Abbey burnt by Richard II. — Diversities of Opinion — A New Abbey — A Sisyphæan Task — The Abbey's Vicissitudes — Fair Maiden Lilliard and her Stumps — Knox and Knocks — Cromwell's Pummelling — The Virgin's Statue saved by a Miracle — Legend of Stumpy Thomson — Open Foes and False Friends — Monastic Masons 329

Chapter XXXIV. Sights And Sight-seers

Melrose Abbey Ruins — The Nave — Its state Fifty Years since — The People and their Privileges — Nob and Snob — Modern Destructives — ■ An Attendant necessary — Scott's Spoliations — A famous Place for Antiquarian Plunder — The Protean Guide — The Shilling Show and genius loci — The young old Covenanter — The Cloisters — Masonic Jewels — Devotional Architecture — Petrified Herbs and Flowers — Transcripts from Nature — Conscientious Art — Bosses and Corbels —Michael Scott the Wizard— Black and White . . .339

Chapter XXXV. Scott's Favourite Abbey

Ornamentation of Melrose Abbey — The ' East Oriel ' — Scott criticised — Turner and Ruskin — Photography's Check upon the Painter — Legend of the 'Prentice Window — Scott's Mythical Moonlight View ■ — Mrs. Stowe and other Visitors — Old John Bower and his Notable Device — His topsy-turvy View — An Acrobatic Feat — Old Tombstone — An Anti-Knoxian Minister of Melrose — Tom Purdie's Tomb— A Faithful Servant CONTENTS.

Chapter XXXVI. Abbotsford

The Scottish Mecca— Tourists and Sights— Black-Mail Gratuities- Views of Abbotsford— Turner's Painted Romance— Sir Walter's Whim— Environs of Abbotsford— Cartley Hole— Its Purchase by Scott— Fact and Fiction— The Duke of Darnick— The Mansion swallows the Cottage— All Work and no Play— Annoyance of keeping open House— The two lame Poets and their Activity— The last Illness— A good Man's last Words— At the Gate of Abbotsford — Inside— Off our Heads— Impracticable Mnemonics— Water on the Brain— Who can describe it?— The Study— Sir Walter's Chair and Clothes PA&E 358

Chapter XXXVII. Roslin Chapel

Scott's Cottage at Lasswade — His Friends and Pursuits — ' Rosabelle' and the ' Lay' — Attractions of Roslin — Roslin Strawberries — A Roslin Excursion Fifty Years ago — Something to suit all Tastes — Historical and Legendary Associations — Mr. Gladstone's Cerberean View — The Chapel— The Guide— The North Front— The Interior- Poetical Architecture — Thoughts in Stone — Billings' Views — Father Hay's Sketches — Grose's Method of cooking a Sketch — Sculptured Foliage — Variety in Design — Singular Ornamentation — The Lady Chapel — Its Carvings and Restoration — Roslin Chapel reopened for Divine Service ...... 370

Chapter Xxxviii. Legendary And Architectural

The 'Prentice Pillar and its Legend — Other Derivations — The Lower Building — Legend of the Supernatural Illumination — The uncoffined Barons — The Last Laird of Roslin — The Sinclairs and Freemasonry — The Friend of Bruce — Legend of the White Deer — Help and Hold — The Guide's Performance — Paul Pry Visitors — A Decanal Family — Scott-ish Sticklers for the Gothic — Architectural Purists — Coleridge's Five Sights 384

Chapter XXXIX. Roslin Castle

Early History of Roslin Castle — Stormy and Palmy Days — The Prince of Orkney's Court — The Blind Rat and the Whelps — An Accidental Fire — Position of the Castle — The Ruins — Cardonnel's Etchings CONTENTS. XV

CHAPTER XXXIX.

— continued The Courtyard — The modern House — Its modern Plague — Framed and Glazed — -An uncomplimentary Guide — Avernus — The Baron's Retainers and their Bedrooms — The Little-ease and Dungeons — The Garden and Postern — View from the opposite Bank — The Past and Present page 397

Chapter XL. Roslin Glen

Scenery of the Glen — The course of the Esk — The River's Beauties — Tria juncta in uno — A good Point for a View — Roslin Gipsies — Their Patmos — Robin Hood and Little John — The Banks and Walks — An Impediment — The Caves of Gorton — Wallace's Cave and Camp — Bilston, to wit — Scott's Opinion . . . 407

Chapter XLI. Hawthornden

Hawthornden House in Olden Time — The modern Building — The Drummond Family — Inscriptions — The Cypress Grotto — Drummond the Poet — His Courtly Homage — The Caves at Hawthornden — The Four Sisters — Ben Jonson's Visit — Politeness in Rhyme — Ben Jonson's Tour — His lost Manuscript — Drummond's Notes of his Conversations — Lues Boswelliana — Drummond's estimate of Jonson — Dr. Johnson and Peter Pindar — Scott and the Copsewood. 414 Index TARTAN -LAND. ■-*

Chapter I. Introductory

— NORTHERN LIGHTS. The hatless Man and unprefaced Book — A desultory Chat— Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life— Northern Lights — Change of Scene — Fortune's Favourites — Roseate Glasses — Veritable Impressions — Trifling Causes and weighty Results — Travellers' Mishaps ; their Views coloured thereby — Entomological Discomforts — Drawbacks for Paterfamilias — Shadows for the Sketcher — Curious Inquisitiveness — The Tourist's Powers taxed — A Word to the Reader. MEDMOND ABOUT has somewhere said, that a • book sent out into the world without a preface is like a man going out of doors without his hat ; and, certainly, a work that makes its appearance without a few introductory words is generally considered to he as incomplete for the pubhc eye as was the hatless French man for his morning promenade.

And yet the public, with the remorselessness and inconsistency that are the frequent accompaniments of a despotic power, while they seem to insist upon the customary addition of a preface, very rarely condescend to look at it. It meets with the same scorn that is bestowed upon the chimney pot chapeau ; and is dismissed with as much supercilious ness as we may dismiss the necessary cabman who has brought us to meet the express train that shall so quickly convey us from one country to another — from England to Scotland, for example — from London to Glasgow. Which brings me to the point ; for I wish the courteous reader to accompany me on a pleasant tour in Tartan land ; and, if a few prefatory words are considered necessary before we set out, let us get over the ordeal in a desultory chat, like to that de omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis which has to be gone through in the drawing-room, before we can settle down to the repast to which we have been specially invited.

We are all acquainted with a delightful work called ' Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life,' wherein the shine and shade of human existence are depicted with much pathos and power. From the title of this ad mirable work I had thought to have borrowed a hint ; and, as there was but little of the shade of sorrow in my descriptive reminiscences of scenes, viewed, for the most part, under bright and favourable aspects, and of which I retain very ' sunny memories,' I had intended to have called my lightsome Scotch sketches by the name of ' Northern Lights.' However, I finally rejected this title in favour of that which the book now bears, whereby I have deprived any cynical eritic of the chance of saying that the name of ' Northern Lights ' ' was judiciously chosen from the popular designation of a certain meteor, for that the book was but a weak and flickering reflection of the light shed by bright literary orbs on the Highlands and Lowlands, and the land of Scott.' The eritic can still say this in substance, but the metaphor will not be so ready to his hand.

My ' Tour in Tartan-laud,' therefore, has to do with the ' Lights,' instead of the ' Shadows of Scottish Life ; ' A CHANGE OF SCENE. 3 and this for many reasons. In the first place, it is no new discovery (for did not the younger Pliny make the same observation — ' Multum habet jucunditatis soli cœlique mutatio ?' — but any schoolboy knows the pas sage), that change of air and scene are very delightful. Brown feels this, when he goes from his butter-tubs to Pegwell Bay ; Smith sets his seal to the apopthegm when he changes his chambers to Chamounix ; and the Country Parson will enjoy his Eecreations among his own flock all the more for a brief holiday in remote pastures. In the second place, I prefer to entertain my own impressions of places and faces, thinking that if a man's opinion be worth recording, it is because it is a genuine expression, and not an echo or a cuckoo cry.

If a spade appears to me to be a spade, why should I call it by any other name ? although my friend Polonius declares it to be very like a rake. And, if an objection should be made that the colouring of my sketches is of a too uniform hue, and that I viewed these Scotch scenes through roseate glasses, I can only reply, that as I saw them, so have I endeavoured faithfully to represent them, and to reproduce in the following pages the impressions received from two very agreeable trips — here, for the sake of convenience, moulded into one 'Tour in Tartan-land.' So far as regarded an almost entire absence from the discomforts and disagreeables that frequently attend upon tourists, either in the shape of miserable weather or more miserable accommodation (and this latter point is an important one where there is a lady in the case ), we, i.e. my wife and I, were singularly fortunate.

The wet days came just at the times and seasons when most convenient to us ; and when we had only one day to visit any certain place, that day was sure to be ' Queen's B weather.' In lodgings or at inns we were equally for tunate. These circumstances, therefore, must be taken into consideration ; for, having sunshine both from with out and within, it was impossible to view (for the first time) a long succession of lovely and romantic scenes, under the favouring effects of health, weather, and comfort, without a certain roseate tinge pervading the whole, and without associating those Scotch scenes with most agreeable reminiscences. They come back to my memory irradiated with the rosy hue of 'The Northern Lights.' The new ideas awakened by the constantly changing panorama, and the new subjects of interest that spring up to entertain the mind, sustain cheerfulness and excite healthy thoughts ; but when disturbing influences cross the traveller's path, they prevent the charms of nature from exercising their legitimate effect.

Accidental circumstances readily turn lights into shadows ; and very slight and unworthy causes will bring about most unexpected and erroneous results. Matters that are altogether extraneous to the scenery will, nevertheless, so greatly affect it, that the traveller will view the landscape through a distorting glass. Thus, if Mr. Jones has set apart only one day for ' doing ' Loch Lomond, and steams up the loch through a Scotch mist, his impressions of that 'lake full of islands' will naturally be very different from those of Mr. Smith, on whose three hours' sail a bright sun shone with con venient splendour; or of Mr. Brown, who had spent three weeks upon the banks, and had good sport in fishing and shooting. If Mr. Jones, too, should arrive at McGregor's Trosachs Hotel by the last coach from Loch Katrine, only in time to find the hotel so crammed with visitors that he cannot even hire space upon the ENTOMOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS. 5 floor, with the table above him to cheat him into the belief that it is a four-poster ; and if he should go on to the New Hotel to encounter a like disappointment ; and should finally arrive at Callander, worn out in temper and body, to find its inns also occupied, and an indif ferent lodging to be routed after at ten or eleven at night — if this sad chain of events should befal Mr. Jones, then his reminiscences of the 'enchanted land' of the Trosachs will, very possibly, not be of a nature to accord with the glowing descriptions in ' The Lady of the Lake ' and the Guide Books, but will be darkly coloured by his last night's misadventure.

Again, if Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are on their High land tour, and have arrived at one of the chief lions, its roaring will doubtless appear to them to be more dolorous than grand, and to have been very much over rated, if the wretched couple have tossed and tumbled through the previous night in vain endeavours to get a wink of sleep, and to gain a moment's cessation from certain small and strong-smelling specimens of ento mology, which Mrs. Robinson will delicately refer to by the euphemism of 'fleas,' but which she will (as boldly as truthfully) tell the landlady were nothing less than Bugs, and very fine ones too. How can Mrs. Robinson be expected to see any beauty in the scenery, when her eyes are half closed from the ugly swellings caused by those dreadful animals ? And how can Mr. Robinson gaze with appreciative looks on any landscape, however lovely, when the whole surface of his skin is irritated by that sharp contact with the finger ends, pronounced by philosophers to be the final cause of those insects that the landlady is prepared to swear upon oath have been introduced into her hitherto cleanly domicile by himself and his blistered spouse ?

And so on, in many ways. Perhaps you are not so good a sailor as a son of the mistress of the seas ought to be ; and, consequently, under certain effects of sea and weather, the voyage to Oban and Skye is not appreciated as it deserved to be. Or, the man who has driven you in a wonderfully open and unclean carriage to Dryburgh or Abbotsford has endeavoured to impose upon you, and has added insult to injury, by abusing you in the presence of ladies; and your powerlessness under his lingual onslaught, and your inability to deal with him as you would with a London cabman, has so perturbed your gentle spirit, that the home and grave of Scott are not so pathetically interesting to you as they otherwise would have been. Or, your poetical daughter has carried you off to see Melrose by moon light ; and your sciatica has been none the better for the expedition.

Or, your romantic daughter has manœuvred that you should see the sunset from the summit of Ben Lomond ; and, as you were obliged to go on the score of propriety (your daughter's last ad mirer, Captain Whiskerwing, being of the party), and as you were forced to make the ascent after enjoying a luxurious dinner at the Tarbet Hotel, your views from the top of the mighty Ben are more dyspeptic than pleasant. Or, your artistic daughter has detained you so long while she made her sketch of the Fall of Foyers, that you never can think of that waterfall without the memory of it being accompanied by a sympathetic twitch of the neuralgia, from which you suffered so acutely after your long, long detention in its damp precincts. And thus, in many ways, do accidental circumstances convert lights into shadows.

Then, if you are an amateur artist, and have in- THE TOURIST'S POWERS TAXED. 7 creased the pleasures of your ' Tour in Tartan-land ' by carrying away on your sketching-block pictured representations of the scenes that have especially charmed you ; as you take out your sketches on your return home, and exhibit them to your especial circle of friends, and can yourself see nothing in them but a reflex of the ' Lights ' that so delighted you in the originals, how often are unexpected 'Shadows' cast over your drawings by what even your extreme friendship cannot consider as anything else than the gross stupidity of people who ought to have known better ! For example : perhaps your pet sketch is one of Loch Katrine looking from Ben Venue, with Ellen's Isle and Ben Aan in the back ground ; and you bring it forth with a most complaisant air of inward satisfaction, and display it to your par ticular lady-friend, in whose good judgement you have hitherto had no reason to doubt.