250 Letter from a Scots Fanuer, July 



fillfd the charaflet of Pizarro, was the bed pi£lure of a vil- 

 lain I ever witnefled, and did ftricl iuftice to his part. Up- 

 on the whole, what occurred to me, upon feeing this popu- 

 lar reprefentation, was, that a great deal of its fuccefs was 

 owing to the painter and tailor: indeed, the fcenes and drefles 

 were excellent. Rolla's famous fpeech to the Peruvians fa- 

 voured much of bombafl: and declamation : perhaps, the na- 

 ture of the times has given a degree of currency to this and 

 feveral other pafiages, which might otherwifc have been re- 

 ceived, without fuch extraordinary marks of applaufe. 



We obferved, with much fatisfa6lion, the great difpatch 

 ufed in the courts of law, which, if imitated in Scotland, 

 •would inevitably beggar three fourths of the profefTion. In 

 the Court of Common Pleas, during the (hort fpace of a An- 

 gle hour, we faw a caufe of confideiat-'e importaHce deter- 

 mined, and a frefli Jury put into the box. Every attention 

 feemed to be paid to the bufinefs by the Judge (Sir Giles 

 Rooke), by the Counfel on both fides, and by the Jury. 

 The feveral forms of opening the caufe, examining five or 

 fix witnefles, charging the Jury, &c. were gone through in 

 lefs time, than would have been taken in fome other Courts 

 to determine upon the previous point, viz. the relevancy of 

 the indidiment. 



It was our good fortune to be in London when the King 

 infpedVed or reviewed the volunteer corps, (any of thefe 

 terms are equally applicable) ; and as fuch a fight in the 

 city was novel and extraordinary, the public curiofity was 

 awakened to the uttermoft. The police, as ufual, took every 

 i1:ep to prevent diforder j and the principal ftreets through 

 which his Majefly was to pafs, were covered with fand in 

 the courfe of the preceding night, while barricadoes were 

 cre£led at the different entrances, to prevent carriages from 

 pafling — a very neceflary precaution. His Majefty being 

 to enter from the Surrey fide, by Blackfriars Bridge, we 

 went over early in the morning to Sir Afhton Lever's mu- 

 fuem, where, from a balcony, we had a full view of the 

 Royal Family, and their attendants. I muft premife, that 

 the proceflion came up at a /:arcl gallop or canter, a de- 

 tachment of the horfe-guards clearing the way ; next fol- 

 lowed the King, upon his white cliarger, with the Duke 

 of York on his right, and Kent on his left, attended by a 

 great number of general officers, while another detachment 

 of horfe-guards clofed this part of the proceffion. Behindj 



were 



