106 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839 



after a pressing invitation to visit him at his country 

 residence in case I ever visited Scotland at a more 

 pleasant season. Taking leave of my kind friends the 

 Grevilles, I was early this morning on my way to Mel- 

 rose. I have been received with the utmost kindness, 

 not only by this agreeable and most excellent family, 

 but among all the acquaintance I have made in Ed- 

 inburgh. I had purchased for you a collection of 

 hymns, etc., edited by Dr. Greville and his pastor, Mr. 

 Drummond, with which I was very much pleased, and 

 doubt not you woidd like them much. But Dr. Gre- 

 ville saw it, and afterwards insisted on sending a much 

 handsomer copy to Dr. Torrey, which was accord- 

 ingly placed in my hands for him. Melrose is about 

 thirty-six miles from Edinburgh, on one of the routes 

 to Newcastle. We came upon the Tweed among a 

 rugged range of hills, at first a very small stream ; 

 followed it along the sinuous valley for a long way, 

 until it became a pretty considerable river, for Great 

 Britain ; at length the valley grew wider, softer, and in 

 the proper season, doubtless very beautiful. A smaller 

 stream joined it at some distance before us, and as 

 its opening vale came into view, the driver I beg his 

 pardon, coachman pointed with his whip to the op- 

 posite side and said, " Abbotsford ; " and true enough 

 the turrets of this quaint castellated house were distin- 

 guishable, in the midst of a grove mostly of Scott's 

 own planting, near the banks of the Yarrow. We 

 soon after crossed the Tweed, at the place where 

 the White Lady frightened the sacristan in " The 

 Monastery ; " the scene of which, you know, was laid 

 at Melrose and in the neighborhood. The fine old 

 ruin of Melrose Abbey now came into view, half 

 surrounded by a dirty little Scotch village. Here I 



