140 TRANSACTIONS. 
beheld the city of Ephesus 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 01 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.” 
