their way, the first epistle of the doctor, the betherel came in to say that Meg and Tam were at the door. "O, man," said Mr Daff, slyly, ". ye should na hae left them at the door by themselves." Mr Craig looked at him austerely, and muttered something about the growing immorality of the backsliding age; but before this smoke of his indignation had kindled into eloquence, the delinquents were admitted, and as we have nothing to do with this business, we shall leave them to their own deliberations.

MY DEAR FRIEND.-We have at last reached London, after a stormy passage of seven days. The accommodation in the smacks looks extreme ly inviting in port, and in fine weather, I doubt not, is comfortable, even at sea; but in February, and in such visitations of the powers of the air as we have endured, a balloon must be a far better vehicle than all the vessels that have been constructed for passengers since the time of Noah. In the first place, the waves of the atmosphere cannot be so dangerous as those of the ocean; being but " thin air;" and I am sure they are not so disagreeable; then the speed of the balloon is so much greater, and it would puzzle professor Leslie to demonstrate that its motions are more unsteady; besides, who ever heard of sea sickness in a balloon? The consideration of which alone, would, to any reasonable person, actually suffering under the pains of that calamity, be deemed more than an equivalent for all the little fractional difference of danger between the two modes of travelling -I shall, henceforth, regard it as a fine characteristic trait of our national prudence, that in their journies to France and Flanders, the Scottish witches always went by air on broomsticks and bunweeds, instead of venturing by water in sieves, like those of England. But the English are under the influence of a maritime genius.

When we had got as far up the Thames as Gravesend, the wind and tide came against us, so that the vessel was obliged to anchor, and I availed myself of the circumstance to induce the family to disembark and go to

London by LAND; and I esteem it a fortunate circumstance that we did so, the day, for the season, being uncom monly fine. After we had taken some refreshment, I procured places in a stage coach for my mother and sister

and, with the doctor, mounted myself on the outside. My father's old fashioned notions bogled a little at first to this arrangement, which he thought somewhat derogatory to his ministerial dignity-but his scruples were in the end overruled.

The country in this season is, of course, seen to disadvantage, but still it exhibits beauty enough to convince us what England must be when in leaf. The old gentleman's admiration of the increasing signs of what he called civilization, as we approached London, became quite eloquent; but the first view of the city from Blackheath, (which, by the bye, is a fine common surrounded with villas and handsome houses,) overpowered his faculties, and I shall never forget the impression it made on myself. The sun was declined towards the horizon; vast masses of dark low-hung clouds were mingled with the smoky canopy, and the dome of St Paul's, like the enormous idol of some terrible deity, throned amidst the smoke of sacrifices and magnificence, darkness and mystery, presented altogether an object of vast sublimity. I felt touched with reverence, as if I was indeed approaching the city of THE HUMAN Pow

ERS.

The distant view of Edinburgh is picturesque and romantic, but it affects a lower class of our associations. It is, compared to that of London, what the poem of the Seasons is with respect to Paradise Lost; the castellated descriptions of Walter Scott to the 65 DARKNESS" of Byron-the Sabbath of Graham to the Robbers of Schiller. In the approach to Edinburgh, leisure and cheerfulness are on the road; large spaces of rural and pastoral nature are spread openly around, and mountains, and seas, and head-lands, and vessels passing beyond them, going like those that die, we know not whither, while the sun is bright on their sails, and hope with them. But in coming to this Babylon, there is an eager haste and a hurrying on from all quarters, towards that stupendous pile of gloom, through which no eye can penetrate; an unceasing sound, like the enginery

of an earthquake at work, rolls from the heart of that profound and indefinable obscurity-sometimes a faint and yellow beam of the sun strikes here and there on the vast expanse of edifices; and churches, and holy asylums, are dimly seen lifting up their countless steeples and spires like so many lightning rods to avert the wrath of Heaven.

The entrance to Edinburgh also awakens feelings of a more pleasing character. The rugged veteran aspect of the old town is agreeably contrasted with the bright smooth forehead of the new, and there is not such an overwhelming torrent of animal life, as to make you pause before venturing to stem it; the noises are not deafening, and the occasional sound of a ballad singer or a highland piper varies and enriches the discords; but here, a multitudinous assemblage of harsh alarms, of selfish contentions, and of furious carriages, driven by a fierce and insolent race, shatter the very hearing, till you partake of the activity with which all seem as much possessed as if a general apprehension prevailed, that the great clock of time would strike the doom-hour before their tasks were done. But I must stop, for the postman with his bell, like the betherel of some ancient "borough's town" summoning to a burial, is in the street, and warns me to conclude. Yours,

ANDREW PRINGLE.

London,

49, Norfolk Street, Strand. DEAR SIR,-On the first Sunday forthcoming after the receiving hereof, you will not fail to recollect in the remembering prayer, that we return thanks for our safe arrival in London, after a dangerous voyage. Well, indeed, is it ordained that we should pray for those who go down to the sea in ships, and do business in the great deep, for what me and mine have come through is unspeakable, and the hand of Providence was visibly manifested.

On the day of our embarkation at Leith, a fair wind took us onward at a blithe rate for some time; but in the VOL. VII.

course of that night, the bridle of the tempest was slackened, and the curb of the billows loosened, and the ship reeled to and fro like a drunkard, and no man could stand therein. My wife and daughter lay at the point of death, Andrew Pringle, my son, also was prostrated with the grievous affliction, and the very soul within me, was as if it would have been cast out of the body.

On the following day the storm abated, and the wind blew favourably, but towards the heel of the evening it again became vehement, and there was no help unto our distress. About midnight, however, it pleased HIM, whose breath is the tempest, to be more sparing with the whip of his displeasure on our poor bark, as she hirpled on in her toilsome journey through the waters, and I was enabled, through his strength, to lift my head from the pillow of sickness, and ascend the deck, where I thought of Noah looking out of the window in the ark, upon the face of the desolate flood, and of Peter walking on the sea, and I said to myself, it matters not where we are, for we can be in no place where Jehovah is not there likewise, whether it be on the waves of the ocean, or the mountain tops, or in the valley and shadow of death.

The third day the wind came contrary, and in the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth, we were also sorely buffetted; but on the night of the sixth we entered the mouth of the river Thames, and on the morning of the seventh day of our departure, we cast anchor near a town called Gravesend, where to our exceeding great joy, it pleased HIM, in whom alone there is salvation, to allow us once more to put our foot on the dry land.

When we had partaken of a repast, the first blessed with the blessing of an appetite, from the day of our leaving our native land, we got two vacancies in a stage-coach for my wife and daughter, but with Andrew Pringle, my son, I was obliged to mount aloft on the outside. I had some scruple of conscience about this, for I was afraid of my decorum. I met, however, with nothing but the heighth of discretion from the other outside passengers, although I jealoused that one of them was but a light woman. Really I had no notion that the English were so civilized; they were so 2 L

well-bred, and the very duddiest of them spoke such a fine style of language, that when I looked around on the country, I thought myself in the land of Canaan. But it's extraordinary what a power of drink the coachmen drink, stopping and going in to every change-house, and yet behaving themselves with the greatest sobriety. And then they are all so well dressed, which is no doubt owing to the poor rates. I am thinking, however, that for all they cry against them, the poor rates are but a small evil, since they keep the poor folk in such food and raiment, and out of the temptations to thievry; indeed, such a thing as a common beggar is no to be seen in this land, excepting here and there a sorner or a neer-da-weel.

When we had got to the outskirts or London, I began to be ashamed of the sin of high-places, and would have gladly got into the inside of the coach, for fear of any body knowing me, but although the multitude of by-goers was like the kirk scayling at the sacrament, I saw not a kent face, nor one that took the least notice of my situation. At last we got to an inn, called the White Horse, Fetter Lane, where we hired a hackney to take us to the lodgings provided for us here in Norfolk Street, by Mr Pawkie, the Scotch Solicitor, a friend of Andrew Pringle, my son. Now it was that we began to experience the sharpers of London; for it seems that there are divers Norfolk Streets, our's was in the Strand, (mind that when you direct) not very far from Fetter Lane, but the hackney driver took us away to one afar off, and when we knocked at the number we thought was ours, we found ourselves at a house that should not be told. I was so mortified that I did not know what to say, and when Andrew Pringle, my son, rebuked the man for the mistake, he only gave a cunning laugh, and said we should have told him what'na Norfolk-street we wanted. Andrew stormed at this, but I discerned it was all owing to our own inexperience, and put an end to the contention, by telling the man to take us to Norfolkstreet in the Strand, which was the direction we had got. But when we got to the door, the coachman was so extortionate, that another hobbleshaw Mrs Pringle had been told, that in such disputes, the best way of

arose.

getting redress was to take the number of the coach, but in trying to do so, we found it fastened on, and I thought the hackney-man would have gone by himself with laughter. Andrew, who had not observed what we were doing, when he saw us trying to take off the number, went like one dimented, and paid the man, I cannot tell what, to get us out, and into the house for fear we should have been mobbit.

I have not yet seen the Colonel's agents, so can say nothing as to the business of our coming; for landing at Gravesend, we did not bring our trunks with us, and Andrew has gone to the wharf this morning to get them, and until we get them, we can go no where;-which is the occasion of my writing so soon, knowing also how you, and the whole parish, would be anxious to hear what had become of us, and I remain, dear sir, your friend and pastor.

ZACHARIAH PRINGLE.

By our friend Mr M'Gruel's note to this letter, it appears that it was received late on Saturday evening; and that Saunders Dickie, the Irvine postman, suspecting it was from the doctor, had himself, on his own feet, taken it to Mr Micklewhams, although the distance was more than two miles, and that Saunders, in addition to the customary twal pennies on the postage, had a dram for his pains. The next morning being wet, Mr Micklewham had not an opportunity of telling any of the parishioners in the churchyard of the doctor's safe arrival, so that when he read out the request to return thanks, (for he was not only schoolmaster and session-clerk, but also precenter) there was a murmur of pleasure diffused throughout the congregation, and the greatest curiosity was excited, to know what the dangers were, from which their worthy pastor, and his whole family, had so thankfully escaped in their voyage to London. Mr Snodgrass, who officiates in the doctor's absence, and who had not then received his letter from Mr. Andrew Pringle, was no less anxious to learn the particulars, so that when the service was over, he adjourned with the elders to the session-house, to hear the letter read, and many of the heads of families, and other respectable parishioners, were admitted to

the honours of the sitting, who all sympathized with the greatest sincerity in the sufferings which their minister and his family had endured. Mr Daff, however, was justly chided by Mr Craig, for rubbing his hands, and giving a sort of sniggering laugh, at the doctor's sitting on high with a light woman. But even Mr Snod grass was seen to smile at the incident of taking the number of the coach, the meaning of which none but himself seemed to understand.

When the epistle had been thus duly read, Mr Micklewham promised, for the satisfaction of some of the congregation, that he would get two or three copies made by some of the best writers in his school, to be handed about the parish, and Mr Jeener remarked, that truly it was a thing to be held in remembrance, for he had not heard of greater tribulation by the waters, since the shipwreck of the Apostle Paul.

LETTER VI.

twenty great holes. Over and above all, the crock with the butter was, no one can tell how, crackit, and the pickle lecking out, and mixing with the seerip of the marmlet, spoilt the cheese. In short, at the object I beheld, when the bocks was opened I could have ta'en to the greeting, but I behaved with more composity on the occasion, than the doctor thought it was in the power of nature to do. Howsomever, till I get a new goun and other things, I am obliged to be a prisoner, and as the doctor does not like to go to the counting-house of the agents without me, I know not what is yet to be the consequence of our journey But it would need to be something; for we pay four gui neas and a half a-week for our dry lodgings, which is at a degree more than the doctor's whole stipend. As yet, for the cause of these misfortunes, I can give you no account of London, but there is, as every body kens, little thrift in their house-keeping, we just buy our tea by the quarter a pound, and our loaf sugar, broken in a peper

cairn.

London.

MY DEAR MISS MALLY,-You must not expect no particulars from me of our journey, but as Rachel is writing all the calamities that befell us to Bell Tod, you will, no doubt, hear of them. But all is nothing to my losses. I bought from the first hand, Mr Treddles the manufacturer, two pieces of muslin, at Glasgow, such a thing not being to be had on any reasonable terms here, where they get all their fine muslins from Glasgow and Paisley, and in the same bocks with them I packit a small crock of our ain excellent poudered butter, with a delap cheese, for I was told that such commodities are not to be had genuine in London. I like wise had in it a pot of marmlet, which Miss Jenny Macbride gave me at Glasgow, assuring me that it was not only dentice, but a curiosity among the English, and my best new bumbeseen goun in peper. Howsomever in the nailing of the bocks, which I did carefully with my oun hands, one of the nails gaed in ajee, and broke the pot of marmlet, which, by the jolting of the ship ruined the muslin, rottened the peper round the goun, which the shivers cut into more than

disgrace to a decent family in Scot land, and when we order dinner, we get no more than just serves, so that we have no cold meat if a stranger were coming by chance, which makes an unco bare house. The servan lasses I cannot abide; they dress better at their wark, than ever I did on an ordinaire week-day at the manse, and this very morning I saw madam, the kitchen lass, mounted on a pair of pattens, washing the plain stenes be fore the door, na, for that matter, a bare foot is not to be seen within the four walls of London, at the least I have na seen no such thing.

In the way of marketting, things are very good here, and considering, not dear, but all is sold by the licht weight, only the fish are awful; halfa-guinea for a cod's head, and no bigger than the drouds the cadgers bring from Ayr, at a shilling and eighteenpence a-piece.

Tell Miss Nanny Eydent that I have seen none of the fashions as yet, but we are going to the burial of the auld King next week, and I'll write her a particular account how the leddies are dressed; but every body is in deep mourning. Howsomever I have seen but little, and that only in a manner from the window, but I

could not miss the opportunity of a frank that Andrew has got for the doctor, and as he's waiting for the pen, you must excuse haste. your sincere friend.

From

JANET PRINGLE.

LETTER VII.

but we were obliged to wait at least half an hour more. Upon our being at last admitted, Mr Argent received us standing, and in an easy gentlemanly manner said to my father: "You are the residuary legatee of the late Colonel Armour;-I am sorry that you did not apprise me of this

Cha. Snodgrass.

London,

MY DEAR FRIEND, It will give you pleasure to hear that my father is likely to get his business speedily settled without any equivocation; and that all those prudential considerations which brought us to London, were but the phantasms of our own inexperience. I use the plural, for I really share in the shame of having called in question the high character of the agents: it ought to have been warrantry enough that every thing would be fairly adjusted. But I must give you some account of what has taken place, to illustrate our provincialism, and to give you some idea of the way of doing business in London.

After having recovered from the effects, and repaired some of the accidents of our voyage, we yesterday morning sallied forth, the doctor, my mother, and your humble servant, in a hackney coach to Broad Street, where the agents have their countinghouse, and were ushered into a room among other legatees or clients, waiting for an audience of Mr Argent, the principal of the house.

I know not how it is, that the little personal peculiarities, so amusing to strangers, should be painful when we see them in those whom we love and esteem; but I own to you, that there was a something in the demeanour of the old folks on this occasion that would have been exceedingly diverting to me, had my filial reverence been less sincere for them.

The establishment of Messrs Argent and Company is of vast extent, and has in it something even of a public magnitude; the number of the clerks ; the assiduity of all, and the order that obviously prevails throughout, give, at the first sight, an impression that bespeaks respect for the stability and integrity of the concern.-When we had been seated about ten minutes, and my father's name taken to Mr Argent, an answer was brought that he would see us as soon as possible;

to give the information you naturally desire, but if you will call here tomorrow at 12 o'clock, I shall then be able to satisfy you on the subject. Your lady, I presume," he added, turning to my mother, "Mrs Argent, will have the honour of waiting on you; may I therefore beg the favour of your address." Fortunately I was provided with cards, and having given him one, we found ourselves constrained, as it were, to take our leave. The whole interview did not last two minutes, and I never was less satisfied with myself. The doctor and my mother were in the greatest anguish; and when we were again seated in the coach, loudly expressed their apprehensions. They were convinced that some stratagem was meditated; they feared that their journey to London would prove as little satisfactory as that of the Wrongheads, and that they had been throwing away good money in building castles in the air.

It had been previously arranged, that we were to return for my sister, and afterwards visit some of the sights; but the clouded visages of her father and mother, darkened her very spirit, and she largely shared in their fears. This, however, was not the gravest part of the business; for, instead of going to St Paul's and the Tower, as we had intended, my mother declared, that not one farthing would they spend more till they were satisfied that the expences already incurred were likely to be reimbursed; and a Chancery suit, with all the horrors of wig and gown, floated in spectral haziness before their imagination.

We sat down to a frugal meal, and although the remainder of a bottle of wine, saved from the preceding day, hardly afforded a glass a piece, the doctor absolutely prohibited me from opening another.

This morning, faithful to the hour, we were again in Broad Street, with hearts knit up into the most peremptory courage; and, on being announ