106 NORTHERN MEMOIRS 



genius, as also to my principles, either to deface 

 a beautiful fabrick, or contract a guilt by mag- 

 nifying it beyond its due merit. I have, and 

 therefore shall, as near as I can, in an equal 

 poize ballance things aright. Permit me, there- 

 fore, as a licentiat, to read you but a short, yet 

 pertinent lecture, and Tie tell you what enter- 

 tainments we met with in Glasgow, as also what 

 hopes we have to meet with the like in the cir- 

 cuit of our intended northern progress. But this 

 I offer to the dubious only ; if, peradventure, 

 there be any such as scruple, I'le refer them to 

 the natives to evidence for me, which I am satis- 

 fied they will with ten thousand manifesto's. 



In the next place, we are to consider the mer- 

 chants and traders in this eminent Glasgow, 

 whose store-houses and ware-houses are stuft 

 with merchandize, as their shops swell big with 

 foreign commodities, and returns from France, 

 and other remote parts, where they have agents 

 and factors to correspond, and inrich their ma- 

 ritime ports, whose charter exceeds all the char- 

 ters in Scotland ; which is a considerable advan- 

 tage to the city-inhabitants, because blest with 

 privileges as large, nay, larger than any other 

 corporation. Moreover, they dwell in the face 

 of France, and a free trade, as I formerly told 

 you. Nor is this all, for the staple of their coun- 

 try consists of linens^ friezes, furs, tartans, pelts, 



