3808] - 
river Tay swoln to an amazing height, 
and it continued to fill its banks fed by 
the streams from Benlawers, and other 
hills, till nearly the latter end of April, 
at which time the vivid green begins to 
sprinkle the larches and poplars that are 
planted on the Jow grounds on its niar- 
in. 
Whoever has passed a summer in 
Scotland, must be peculiarly charmed by 
the continued twilight of the summer 
nights. After the middle of May, the 
rosy tint never quits the western horizon 
tillthe end’of July. The chastened hues 
of a sommer evening, render the north 
of Scotland particularly, one of the most 
interesting countries for people of a po- 
etical taste to dwell in. Here by the 
side of the tumbling stream, or the wide 
extensive lake, the enthusiast might 
wander, and indulge in all the romantic 
visions of genius, when the evening star 
is faintly seen in the west, and the silver 
moon is beaming through the rustling foli- 
age of the mountain ash—* Injured worth 
might almost forget and pardon man.” 
The sounds of evening are pleasant 
in a mountainous country; the dy- 
ing tone of a distant cascade; the 
bleating of the mountain flock ; the 
distant sounds of the bagpipe, all cuon- 
spire to give a pleasing turn to the 
thoughts; and perhaps the sportive merri- 
ment of some of the humble inhabitants 
may add to the harmonious cadence. 
I cannot suppose that any one will be 
long resident in Scotland, without qc- 
guiring a taste for Scottish music; there 
3s something so extremely sweet, thrilling, 
and expressive, in these national melo- 
dies, that they must forcibly impress the 
mind of any one possessed of the least 
sensibility. IfScottish music be admired 
in England, how much superior must be 
its power of charming amid the scenes 
which excited the ideas both of the poet 
and the musician. Where is the man 
who can survey with apathy the ruins of 
Roslin, or wander unmoved among the 
hirks of Invermay, or look without pecu- 
liar interest on the sepulchre of Bessy 
Bell and Mary Gray. ‘These two cele- 
brated beauties sleep in a romantic and 
_ picturesque cemetiy among woods, groves, 
and sounding streams. We would admire 
the beautiful scenery at Lednor, indepen- 
dent of any other circumstance; but when 
A $weet situation is connected with re- 
markable characters, we are induced to 
Survey it with increased pleasure and sa- 
“tisfaction. 
» F . 7 . 
_ While we are speaking of the national 
, poetry of Scotland, we cannot omit nos 
2 
Systems of Brachygraphy ? 
133 
ticing the sublime Celtic bard, the deser~ 
vedly admired, though doubtful, Ossian. 
No description, however elaborate, can 
possibly give an idea as strong, as the 
poetical mind receives by reading the 
rand and picturesque imagery of Ossian: 
every effect of still and agitated nature, 
the storm of winter and the calm: of 
summer, passed in review before the en- 
raptured vision of the original bard, 
while every circumstance, attendant upon 
the climate, was alike remarked by him; 
the misty mountain, the howling wind, 
the driving rain, and the inconstant sun, 
are all perfectly correct. The wild chief 
tain pursuing war, or hunting with his: 
grey dogs, and entertaining his guests at 
the feast of shells, lives only in the me- 
mory of the past; but the descriptions of 
nature will continue to please, as long as 
the works of nature herself continue to 
interest us. Roperr CanLyLe. 
——ae 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
] SHOULD consider myself highly 
obliged to any of your respected cor- 
respondents who may have paid atten- 
tion to the subject, to inform me, which is 
generally acknowledged to be the best 
system of short-hand writing, among the 
numbers that have met the public eya 
A few short observations, characteristia 
of the respective merits of the most emi- 
nent of them would likewise ‘be ex- 
tremely acceptable. As this art is of so 
much practical utility, it is astonishing to 
me that it is not more encouraged, and 
particularly in public schools, For m 
own part, f have successively made my- 
self master of four different systems, and 
in consequence of peculiar objections to 
each, I have abandoned them all. As 
books on stenography are in general 
rather expensive, it becomes an object of 
some importance to a man of middiing 
circums:ances, to be informed which is 
generally esteemed to be the best. The 
authors, to whom I have above alluded, 
as having studied, are Williamson, Taps 
lin, Crome, and another, whose name [ 
have forgot. lL ohjected to the first, be+ 
cause it was with the vreatest difficulty I 
could read what J had written according 
to his system, Though Taplin has done 
away that objection, yet it is almost ime 
practirable to follow a public speaker by 
his method, in consequence of the sim 
larity of his characters, and the namber 
of times the pen must be taken off the 
paper in order to dot the vowels. Crome, 
1 did not hke, in consequence of his cha- 
Tacterg 
