ftones yet ftanding of a Druidical circle, and what I began to think more worthy of notice, fome forest trees of full growth. At night we came to Bamff, where I remember nothing that particularly claimed my attention. The ancient towns of Scotland have generally an appearance unusual to Englishmen. The houses, whether great or small, are for the most part built of ftones. Their ends are now and then next the ftreets, and the entrance into them is very often by a flight of fteps, which reaches up to the second story; the floor which is level with the ground being entered only by stairs descending within the house. The art of joining fquares of glafs with lead is little used in Scotland, and in fome places is totally forgotten. The frames of their windows are all of wood. They are more frugal of their glass than the English, and will often, in houfes not otherwife mean, compofe a fquare of two pieces, not joining like cracked glafs, but with one edge laid perhaps half an inch over the other. Their windows do not move upon hinges, but are pushed up and drawn down in grooves, yet they are feldom accommodated with weights and pullies. He that would have his window open muft hold it with his hand, unless what may be fometimes found among good contrivers, there be a nail which he may stick into a hole, to keep it from falling. What cannot be done without fome uncommon trouble or particular expedient, will not often be done at all. The incommodioufnefs of the Scotch windows keeps them very closely fhut. The neceffity Q4 ceffity of ventilating human habitations has not yet been found by our northern neighbours; and even in houses well built and elegantly furnished, a ftranger may be fometimes forgiven, if he allows himself to wish for fresher air. Thefe diminutive obfervations feem to take away fomething from the dignity of writing, and therefore are never communicated but with hesitation, and a -little fear of abafement and contempt. But it must be remembered, that life confifts not of a series of illustrious actions, or elegant enjoyments; the greater part of our time paffes in compliance with neceffities, in the performance of daily duties, in the removal of fmall inconveniencies, in the procurement of petty pleasures; and we are well or ill at eafe, as the main ftream of life glides on fmoothly, or is ruffled by fmall obftacles and frequent interruption. The true ftate of every nation is the state of common life. The manners of a people are not to be found in the fchools of learning, or the palaces of greatness, where the national character is obfcured or obliterated by travel or instruction, by philofophy or vanity; nor is publick happiness to be estimated by the affemblies of the gay, or the banquets of the rich. The great mafs of nations is neither rich nor gay: they whose aggregate constitutes the people, are found in the streets and the villages, in the fhops and farms; and from them, collectively confidered, muft the measure of general profperity be taken. As they approach to delicacy, a nation is refined; as their conveniencies are multiplied, a nation, at least a commercial nation, must be denominated wealthy. ELGIN. ELGIN. Finding nothing to detain us at Bamff, we let out in the morning, and having breakfasted at Cullen, about noon came to Elgin, where, in the inn that we fupposed the best, a dinner was fset before us, which we could not eat. This was the first time, and except one, the laft, that I found any reafon to complain of a Scottish table; and such disappointments, I fuppose, must be expected in every country, where there is no great frequency of travellers. The ruins of the cathedral of Elgin afforded us another proof of the wafte of reformation. There is enough yet remaining to fhew, that it was once magnificent. Its whole plot is eafily traced.. On the north fide of the choir, the chapter-house, which is roofed with an arch of ftone, remains entire; and on the south side, another mass of building, which we could not enter, is preserved by the care of the family of Gordon; but the body of the church is a mafs of fragments. A paper was here put into our hands, which deduced from fufficient authorities the hiftory of this venerable ruin. The church of Elgin had, in the inteftine tumults of the barbarous ages, been laid waste by the irruption of a Highland chief, whom the bishop had offended; but it was gradually reftored to the state of which the traces may be now difcerned, and was at laft not deftroyed by the tumultuous violence of Knox, but more fhamefully fuffered to dilapidate by deliberate robbery and frigid indifference. There is ftill extant, in the books books of the council, an order, of which I cannot remember the date, but which was doubtless iffued after the reformation, directing that the lead, which covers the two cathedrals of Elgin and Aberdeen, fhall be taken away, and converted into money for the fupport of the army. A Scotch army was in those times yery cheaply kept'; yet the lead of two churches muft have borne fo fmall a proportion to any military expence, that it is hard not to believe the reafon alledged to be merely popular, and the money intended for fome private purfe. The order however was obeyed; the two churches were ftripped, and the lead was shipped to be fold in Holland. I hope every reader will rejoice that this cargo of facrilege was loft at fea. Let us not however make too much hafte to despise our neighbours. Our own cathedrals are mouldering by unregarded dilapidation. It seems to be part of the despicable philosophy of the time to defpife monuments of facred magnificence, and we are in danger of doing that deliberately, which the Scots did not do but in the unfettled ftate of an imperfect conftitution. Those who had once uncovered the cathedrals never wifhed to cover them again; and being thus made ufelefs, they were first neglected, and perhaps, as the ftone was wanted, afterwards demolished. Elgin feems a place of little trade, and thinly inbabited. The epifcopal cities of Scotland, I believe, generally fell with their churches, though fome of them have fince recovered by a fituation convenient for commerce. Thus Glasgow, though it has no longer an archbishop, has rifen beyond its original ftate ftate by the opulence of its traders; and Aberdeen, though its ancient stock had decayed, flourishes by a new shoot in another place. In the chief ftreet of Elgin, the houses jut over the lowest story, like the old buildings of timber in London, but with greater prominence; fo that there is fometimes a walk for a confiderable length under a cloifter, or portico, which is now indeed frequently broken, because the new houfes have another form, but feems to have been uniformly continued in the old city. FORES. CALDER. FORT GEORGE. We went forwards the fame day to Fores, the town to which Macbeth was travelling when he met the weird fifters in his way. This to an Englishman is clasfick ground. Our imaginations were heated, and our thoughts recalled to their old amufements. We had now a prelude to the Highlands. We began to leave fertility and culture behind us, and faw for a great length of road nothing but heath; yet at Fochabars, a feat belonging to the duke of Gordon, there is an orchard, which in Scotland I had never feen before, with fome timber-trees, and a plantation of oaks. At Fores we found good accommodation, but nothing worthy of particular remark, and next morning entered upon the road on which Macbeth heard the fatal prediction; but we travelled on not interrupted by promifes of kingdoms, and came to Nairn, a royal burgh, which, if once it flourished, is now |