140 Transactions. 



beheld the city of Ephcsus wholly given up to idolatry, in like 

 manner seemed to feel for the inhabitants of this town." What 

 the worthy character did was to open schools for poor children 

 and illiterate adults, which was the best and the only thing to do, 

 for besides the two Established Churches, as Mr L. tells us, there 

 were seven other places of worship in the town, which had then a 

 population of about 7000. Dumfries is described by the author as 

 "delightfully situated on the river Nith, exceedingly well built, 

 although possessing very few remarkable oi magnificent public 

 buildings, and not only the county town, but also the most flourish- 

 ing place in the south of Scotland." The houses he considers " in 

 general handsome," and possessing "a light and an agreeable 

 appearance." At the time of his visit " things were very dear, the 

 quartern loaf one shilling and fivepence, the meal four shillings 

 and sixpence a stone, and, what was still worse, oatmeal and 

 potatoes could not be got." 



Several of the novelists notice Dumfries. The complimentary 

 references to the town and its inhabitants in Scott's pages are 

 familiar to us all. In " Humphrey Clinker " Matthew Bramble is 

 made by Smollett to express himself in high terms regarding the 

 beauty and prosperity of the town ; and his nephew, young 

 Melford, describes it as " a very elegant trading town, with 

 plenty of good provision and excellent wine at very reasonable 

 prices, and the accommodation as good in all respects as in any 

 part of South Britain." He adds : " If I was confined to Scotland 

 for life, I would choose Dumfries as the place of my residence." 

 " Humphrey Clinker " was written in 1770. 



As for the poets. Burns is not the only one by many who has 

 sung the praises of Nithsdale. In a poem of Keats' there is a 

 remarkably comprehensive picture of the town and its site in a few 

 words, communicating even an impression of the soft, " sleepy 

 hollow " character of its summer climate. 



" The town, the churchyard, and the setting sun, 

 The clouds, the trees, the rounded hills all seem — 

 Though beautiful — cold, strange as in a dream 

 I dreamed long ago, now new begun. " 



I conclude this rambling paper with a couplet of John Home's 

 in the sentiment of which you will all concur : — 



" Flourish Dumfries, may heaven increase thy store 

 Till Criffel sink and Nith shall flow no more. " 



