EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 205 



liberty, please to translate -^schines' oration 

 on the Crown." 



This my poor friend did so beautifully, that 

 the Bishop, whenever he saw him, always 

 inquired when the friends of liberty met again, 

 that he might have the pleasure of reading his 

 translation of Demosthenes on the same subject. 



After this story, can any one wonder at my 

 sensations at hearing that fine old song so 

 murdered ? and one felt inclined to roar out, 

 " Hold hard, for anybody's sake, and let me 

 teach you how to sing ! " But you can't dis- 

 turb a Scotchman's gravity. It ain't in him to 

 be cheery ; and, barring Burns, I don't think 

 Scotland ever produced but three real cheery 

 coves — Willie that "brewed the peck o' maut," 

 and Eob and Allan that " came to pree." As it 

 is. Heaven defend me fi:*om ever again assisting 

 at a Stornoway soiree. 



To be sure, there were blither entertainments 

 in that celebrated capital. When the castle 

 was lighted up, the rooms and corridors, and 

 staircases decked out — above all, that beautiful 

 ball- and music-room thrown open, which used 

 to remind me so of Almack's in its palmy days 

 when I was a boy, and the Eedouten-Saal at 

 Vienna — ^it was a pretty sight to see. Well 

 did the hostess, the Queen of the Isle, do the 



