144 FIELD AND FERN. 



Jamie Fleeman, "the laird of Udny's fool/' is the real 

 hero of the place, in Scotland's eyes. Where one 

 Scotsman knows how "Buckle steered Emilius, at the 

 speed of the express" ten thousand have read how 

 Jamie rode on a stick before my lady into the town of 

 Aberdeen ; and his advice to his master to manure a 

 barren soil with factors, " as they always thrive/' will 

 stick ii scecula steculorum, when the most golden- 

 mouthed sayings of sage or poet find few lips to quote 

 them. His last words, " Dinna bury me like a beast" 

 went right to the mark as well ; and when years had 

 passed by, they were inscribed on a stone, which was 

 placed over his grave. The tower, where he was wont 

 to make sport for lords and ladies gay, now only cum- 

 bers the ground. Its huge fire-places are a mockery, 

 and cook nothing nobler than potatoes or brose in 

 a hoer's kettle; and the whole place seemed given 

 over to some faded school decorations. Scufflers, 

 harrows, and ploughs block up the kitchen; and 

 guano-bags are piled in "the state bed-room/' which 

 seems about eight feet by four. The planting of the 

 estate is almost as incomprehensible as the brain of 

 its fool. There stands_, 



" Like dim cathedral aisles, 

 The shade of beechen arches," 



which, starting from no premises, and coming to no 

 conclusions, merely help to make the fields snug for 

 the cattle. 



"But it was time to quit these great nursery-grounds 



