342 THE JOURNEYMAN. 



for the next two months. But why write so hesitatingly 

 on this subject, as if the devoting a few days to pleasure 

 and to you, whatever my engagements, was to be 

 regarded as a sacrifice ? It is not probable that I shall 

 be at all occupied at the time of your visit ; but had I to 

 travel fifty miles to meet with you, or to postpone the 

 most pressing engagements, the balance of happiness 

 and advantage would still be largely on my side, and 

 this, too, leaving gratitude altogether out of the question. 

 I have been of late among my rocks and woods, and 

 have explored all my caves, large and small, together 

 with the burn of Eathie. 



' Our sacrament here is just over. We have had at 

 least three splendid discourses, two from Mr Fraser, 

 Kirkhill, one from Mr Stewart. The latter is the more 

 powerful man, the former has the more logical head. 

 Mr Fraser is a reasoner only, and though nothing can be 

 clearer or more conclusive than his arguments, the 

 attention is apt to be fatigued by a discourse altogether 

 argumentative, and to long for some relief; a sermon 

 may thus be good in all its parts, and yet faulty as a 

 whole. Mr Stewart, on the other hand, is both a 

 reasoner and a poet. He narrates, he describes, he 

 reasons, he illustrates with equal effect ; he can sink 

 into the familiar without being mean, and rise into the 

 sublime almost without effort. In fine, Mr Fraser is a 

 limited monarch, and governs by the law ; we find him 

 continually appealing to it, and to our understandings ; 

 like true Whigs, we are nearly as much his judges as his 

 subjects, and only submit to be governed by him so long 

 as he is constitutional, and can produce the codes and 

 precedents under which he acts. Mr Stewart, on the 

 contrary, is a despot, we find he can do with us vwhat- 

 ever he wills, and are such Tories as never to question 



