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seen, perhaps all the more beautiful from the Englisli rather than the 

 Scottish taste displayed in its arrangement. In laying it out, every 

 advantage has been taken of a choice situation. The cottages, which 

 are screened by trees, and wreathed with climbing plants, are ranged 

 along two sides of a green, representing the English common on a 

 small scale, with its appropriate flock of geese. Even the sign-board 

 of the village shoe-maker peeped out upon the green through the 

 branches of a Fuchsia radiant with a blaze of drooping blossoms. 

 Everywhere there is an air of tidiness and taste, of comfort and quiet- 

 ness about the place, alike novel and refreshing, and which justly en- 

 titles Dirleton, to be regarded, like Goldsmith's Auburn, as the " love- 

 liest village of the plain." Mr. Chambers remarks that " altogether 

 Dirleton may be termed one of the prettiest, — if not actually the 

 prettiest, — village in Scotland." On the south side of the green, 

 stands the ancient ruin of Dirleton Castle covered with ivy and em- 

 bosomed among trees, and commanding a magnificent view of the sea 

 coast on one side, and the luxuriant plains of the interior on the other. 

 The garden in which it is situated is surrounded by a modern wall, 

 "built" the above-mentioned writer says, "in the style of a barbican 

 with turrets ;" and nearly the whole of the improvements in its vici- 

 nity have been effected in the very best taste. The general style of 

 the cottages in the neighbourhood preserves a corresponding antique 

 character. The proprietors of the estate are Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson, 

 of Raith, the latter possessing the right by descent ; and they gene- 

 rously afford free access to the garden and castle. We availed our- 

 selves of this privilege, and found the garden under excellent manage- 

 ment. The arrangement of the grounds has been conducted with the 

 exquisite discrimination and skill displayed in all the improvements 

 effected by the proprietors. The mildness of the climate is favourable 

 to the growth of many of the more delicate exotics, of which we saw 

 a rich variety in the open air, including numerous fine annuals. 

 Amongst the ruins of the castle we picked Parietaria officinalis, re- 

 markable for the elasticity of its stamens, Cheiranthus cheiri, Smyr- 

 nium Olusatrum and Vicia hirsuta ; also Sedum reflexum and album, 

 Corydalis lutea and Linaria Cymbalaria, which wei'e, however, evi- 

 dently escapes from the garden. Dirleton Castle is of high antiquity, 

 and has been associated with the fortunes of several families, occupy- 

 ing a prominent place in our early history. It was dismantled by the 

 Parliamentary army in 1650. Possession of the castle in its better 

 days was held out, and not unsuccessfully, to the Earl of Ruthven, as 

 an inducement to join the Gowrie conspiracy. His written corre- 



